WASHINGTON (AP) — Medicare will cover the yet-to-be approved coronavirus vaccine free for older people under a policy change expected to be announced shortly, a senior Trump administration official said Tuesday.

The coming announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services aims to align the time-consuming process for securing Medicare coverage of a new vaccine, drug or treatment with the rapid campaign to have a coronavirus vaccine ready for initial distribution once it is ready, possibly as early as the end of the year.

It’s questionable under normal circumstances if Medicare can pay for a drug that receives emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, as expected for the eventual coronavirus vaccine. Emergency use designation is a step short of full approval.

The administration official said Medicare’s announcement will try to resolve several legal technicalities that could conceivably get in the way of delivering free vaccines to millions of seniors, a high-risk group for COVID-19, the disease caused by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak">the coronavirus</a>. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss a pending regulation.

President Donald Trump and lawmakers of both parties in Congress have spelled out their intention that all Americans will be able to get the vaccine for free. But the official said a series of potential legal obstacles that could get in the way of Medicare payment never got unscrambled.

Earlier this month, Medicare administrator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/seema-verma">Seema Verma</a>&nbsp;said her agency was close to resolving the issue.

“I think we’ve figured out a path forward,” Verma said at the HLTH conference, a forum for innovators. “It was very clear that Congress wants to make sure that Medicare beneficiaries have this vaccine and that there isn’t any cost-sharing.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c3988cd848c818b3e7317df306b926cc">$1.8 trillion CARES Act</a>&nbsp;passed by Congress in March called for free vaccination for all Americans, from seniors covered by Medicare to families with employer-sponsored health insurance.

A White House-backed initiative called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/756e5b743058701c4a2ebefd0af1ade4">“Operation Warp Speed”</a>&nbsp;is pushing to have a vaccine ready for distribution in the coming months. The government is spending billions of dollars to manufacture vaccines even before they receive FDA approval, thereby cutting the timeline for delivery. Officials at the FDA have committed that the program will not interfere with their own science-based decisions. Vaccines that don’t meet the test for approval would be discarded.

States have already begun submitting their plans for vaccine distribution to the federal government.

Initially, it’s expected vaccines will go to people in high-risk groups such as medical personnel, frontline workers and nursing home residents and staff. Older people are also high on the priority list because their risks of serious illness and death from the coronavirus — which has&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">killed more than 225,000 people</a>&nbsp;in the United States — are much higher. It could be well into next year before a vaccine is widely available.

Medicare’s impending announcement was first reported by Politico.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602590971875.png" alt="photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Medicare will cover the yet-to-be approved coronavirus vaccine free for older people under a policy change expected to be announced shortly, a senior Trump administration official said Tuesday.The coming announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services aims to align the time-consuming process for securing Medicare coverage of a new vaccine, drug or treatment with the rapid campaign to have a coronavirus vaccine ready for initial distribution once it is ready, possibly as early as the end of the year.It’s questionable under normal circumstances if Medicare can pay for a drug that receives emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, as expected for the eventual coronavirus vaccine. Emergency use designation is a step short of full approval.The administration official said Medicare’s announcement will try to resolve several legal technicalities that could conceivably get in the way of delivering free vaccines to millions of seniors, a high-risk group for COVID-19, the disease caused by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak">the coronavirus</a>. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss a pending regulation.President Donald Trump and lawmakers of both parties in Congress have spelled out their intention that all Americans will be able to get the vaccine for free. But the official said a series of potential legal obstacles that could get in the way of Medicare payment never got unscrambled.Earlier this month, Medicare administrator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/seema-verma">Seema Verma</a>&nbsp;said her agency was close to resolving the issue.“I think we’ve figured out a path forward,” Verma said at the HLTH conference, a forum for innovators. “It was very clear that Congress wants to make sure that Medicare beneficiaries have this vaccine and that there isn’t any cost-sharing.”“Stay tuned,” she added.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c3988cd848c818b3e7317df306b926cc">$1.8 trillion CARES Act</a>&nbsp;passed by Congress in March called for free vaccination for all Americans, from seniors covered by Medicare to families with employer-sponsored health insurance.A White House-backed initiative called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/756e5b743058701c4a2ebefd0af1ade4">“Operation Warp Speed”</a>&nbsp;is pushing to have a vaccine ready for distribution in the coming months. The government is spending billions of dollars to manufacture vaccines even before they receive FDA approval, thereby cutting the timeline for delivery. Officials at the FDA have committed that the program will not interfere with their own science-based decisions. Vaccines that don’t meet the test for approval would be discarded.States have already begun submitting their plans for vaccine distribution to the federal government.Initially, it’s expected vaccines will go to people in high-risk groups such as medical personnel, frontline workers and nursing home residents and staff. Older people are also high on the priority list because their risks of serious illness and death from the coronavirus — which has&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">killed more than 225,000 people</a>&nbsp;in the United States — are much higher. It could be well into next year before a vaccine is widely available.Medicare’s impending announcement was first reported by Politico.

Medicare finalizing coverage policy for coronavirus vaccine

News Release US Attorney's Office-Omaha

United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Steven M. Fitch, age 25, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, pleaded guilty today before United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson for being in unlawful possession of a destructive device.&nbsp; Sentencing has been scheduled for January 20, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. before the Honorable Brian C. Buescher. Fitch faces a maximum punishment of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

An investigation conducted by the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms determined that on May 31, 2020, Fitch was participating in protests in and around downtown Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp; During the protests, Fitch was encountered by officers with the Omaha Police Department at 15th and Jackson Streets.&nbsp; Officers determined Fitch possessed a destructive device, also known as a Molotov Cocktail, which is a firearm under the National Firearms Act.&nbsp; The Molotov Cocktail was located in Fitch’s front pants pocket and consisted of a glass bottle with clear liquid inside and a red rag protruding out of the opening.&nbsp; Fitch also had several lighters in his front pants pocket.&nbsp;

Douglas County Sheriff’s Forensic Services Bureau tested the red rag that was attached to the Molotov Cocktail, which was positive for containing the chemical “Gasoline.”&nbsp; The Molotov Cocktail was in operating condition and was capable of exploding when ignited.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms determined that the Molotov Cocktail device was not registered to Fitch as required by the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.&nbsp;

After Fitch’s plea, FBI Omaha SAC Eugene Kowel said, “The FBI is committed to protecting all those who are exercising their First Amendment rights, including the right to peacefully protest. This is part of our core mission.&nbsp; When someone violently threatens the safety of peaceful protesters by breaking the law, as Steven Fitch has admitted to, FBI Omaha is fully committed to identifying, investigating, and arresting those individuals responsible.”

This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and&nbsp;the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

News Release US Attorney's Office-OmahaUnited States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Steven M. Fitch, age 25, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, pleaded guilty today before United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson for being in unlawful possession of a destructive device.&nbsp; Sentencing has been scheduled for January 20, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. before the Honorable Brian C. Buescher. Fitch faces a maximum punishment of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;An investigation conducted by the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms determined that on May 31, 2020, Fitch was participating in protests in and around downtown Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp; During the protests, Fitch was encountered by officers with the Omaha Police Department at 15th and Jackson Streets.&nbsp; Officers determined Fitch possessed a destructive device, also known as a Molotov Cocktail, which is a firearm under the National Firearms Act.&nbsp; The Molotov Cocktail was located in Fitch’s front pants pocket and consisted of a glass bottle with clear liquid inside and a red rag protruding out of the opening.&nbsp; Fitch also had several lighters in his front pants pocket.&nbsp;Douglas County Sheriff’s Forensic Services Bureau tested the red rag that was attached to the Molotov Cocktail, which was positive for containing the chemical “Gasoline.”&nbsp; The Molotov Cocktail was in operating condition and was capable of exploding when ignited.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms determined that the Molotov Cocktail device was not registered to Fitch as required by the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.&nbsp;After Fitch’s plea, FBI Omaha SAC Eugene Kowel said, “The FBI is committed to protecting all those who are exercising their First Amendment rights, including the right to peacefully protest. This is part of our core mission.&nbsp; When someone violently threatens the safety of peaceful protesters by breaking the law, as Steven Fitch has admitted to, FBI Omaha is fully committed to identifying, investigating, and arresting those individuals responsible.”This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and&nbsp;the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Iowa man pleads guilty to possessing Molotov cocktail at Omaha protests 

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) - Amazon officials said the company plans to build a center in Papillion that will eventually bring about 1,000 full-time jobs to the region.

The e-commerce company announced on Tuesday it plans to open the center sometime next year. Employees will make a minimum of $15 an hour, The Lincoln Journal-Star&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/business/local/amazon-to-open-fulfillment-center-in-papillion/article_89e4753a-2c80-5c49-9ac9-ea1693154e12.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Mike Flannery, director of regional operations at Amazon, said the 700,000-square-foot fulfillment center will use workers and robot assistants to fill orders.

David Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, said an economic impact study estimated the Amazon center will have a more than $200 million annual economic impact on the region.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) - Amazon officials said the company plans to build a center in Papillion that will eventually bring about 1,000 full-time jobs to the region.The e-commerce company announced on Tuesday it plans to open the center sometime next year. Employees will make a minimum of $15 an hour, The Lincoln Journal-Star&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/business/local/amazon-to-open-fulfillment-center-in-papillion/article_89e4753a-2c80-5c49-9ac9-ea1693154e12.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">reported</a>.Mike Flannery, director of regional operations at Amazon, said the 700,000-square-foot fulfillment center will use workers and robot assistants to fill orders.David Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, said an economic impact study estimated the Amazon center will have a more than $200 million annual economic impact on the region.

Amazon to build center in Papillion, bringing 1,000 jobs

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The FBI and the Crow Police Department are searching for a suspect in a weekend killing on the Crow Indian Reservation in southern Montana. 

The Crow Tribe Executive Branch described Saturday's killing as an “ambush-style homicide.” 

Yellowstone County officials identified the victim as 26-year-old Lenita Goes Ahead. 

The FBI says there is a federal arrest warrant for 27-year-old Taylor Leigh Plainbull as a suspect in the killing. 

He is described as Native American, 6 feet tall and 200 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. 

Officials said he should be considered armed and dangerous. 

The FBI has declined to release any information about how the woman was killed.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The FBI and the Crow Police Department are searching for a suspect in a weekend killing on the Crow Indian Reservation in southern Montana. The Crow Tribe Executive Branch described Saturday's killing as an “ambush-style homicide.” Yellowstone County officials identified the victim as 26-year-old Lenita Goes Ahead. The FBI says there is a federal arrest warrant for 27-year-old Taylor Leigh Plainbull as a suspect in the killing. He is described as Native American, 6 feet tall and 200 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Officials said he should be considered armed and dangerous. The FBI has declined to release any information about how the woman was killed.

FBI, tribe investigating weekend killing on Crow Reservation

MISSION, S.D. (AP) — Native American voting advocates say the slow-moving nature of mail on large reservations puts the people who live there at a disadvantage to getting their votes counted. 

They have launched a series of legal challenges in several states to gain accommodations for reservation voters, but with the election only days away, they are pressing people to figure out how to get their ballot counted as the coronavirus upends life in Native American communities. 

As coronavirus cases surge across the Dakotas and Montana, voting groups have tried to get creative as they dodge the virus.

MISSION, S.D. (AP) — Native American voting advocates say the slow-moving nature of mail on large reservations puts the people who live there at a disadvantage to getting their votes counted. They have launched a series of legal challenges in several states to gain accommodations for reservation voters, but with the election only days away, they are pressing people to figure out how to get their ballot counted as the coronavirus upends life in Native American communities. As coronavirus cases surge across the Dakotas and Montana, voting groups have tried to get creative as they dodge the virus.

Voting by mail isn't so easy on Native American reservations

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's prison system continues to struggle with the spread of the coronavirus among inmates and staff.

 The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said Monday that it has placed its Work Ethic Camp near McCook under quarantine after one inmate and three staff members tested positive for the virus. 

The release says the inmate has been isolated, while the staff members are isolating at home. 

The news follows orders last week to quarantine the Community Corrections Center in Lincoln after several inmates there tested positive for the virus. 

The department's website shows the total number of confirmed cases among inmates and staff in Nebraska's prisons has topped 260 since the pandemic began.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's prison system continues to struggle with the spread of the coronavirus among inmates and staff. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said Monday that it has placed its Work Ethic Camp near McCook under quarantine after one inmate and three staff members tested positive for the virus. The release says the inmate has been isolated, while the staff members are isolating at home. The news follows orders last week to quarantine the Community Corrections Center in Lincoln after several inmates there tested positive for the virus. The department's website shows the total number of confirmed cases among inmates and staff in Nebraska's prisons has topped 260 since the pandemic began. Two inmates have died.

Nebraska's prisons continue to struggle with new virus cases

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is siding with Republicans to prevent counting mailed ballots that are received after Election Day.

In a 5-3 order, the justices on Monday refused to reinstate a lower court order that called for mailed ballots in Wisconsin to be counted if they are received up to six days after the Nov. 3 election. A federal appeals court had already put that order on hold.

The three liberal justices dissented from the order that the court issued just before the Senate started voting on Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination.

Chief Justice John Roberts last week joined the liberals to preserve a Pennsylvania state court order extending the absentee ballot deadline but voted the other way in the Wisconsin case, which has moved through federal courts.

“Different bodies of law and different precedents govern these two situations and require, in these particular circumstances, that we allow the modification of election rules in Pennsylvania but not Wisconsin,” Roberts wrote.

Democrats argued that the flood of absentee ballots and other challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic makes it necessary to extend the period in which ballots can be counted. Wisconsin is one of the nation’s hot spots for COVID-19, with hospitals treating a record high number of patients with the disease.

Republicans opposed the extension, saying that voters have plenty of opportunities to cast their ballots by the close of polls on Election Day and that the rules should not be changed so close to the election.

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler responded to the ruling by pledging Democrats would be “dialing up a huge voter education campaign” to prod roughly 360,000 people who hadn’t yet returned absentee ballots to hand-deliver them by 8 p.m. on Election Day, or to vote in person.

State Republican Party Chairman Andrew Hitt praised the ruling.

“Absentee voting in Wisconsin is extremely easy and hundreds of thousands of people have done it already — last-minute attempts to change election laws only cause more voter confusion and erode the integrity of our elections,” he said in a statement.

The justices often say nothing, or very little, about the reasons for their votes in these emergency cases, but on Monday, four justices wrote opinions totaling 35 pages to lay out their competing rationales.

“As the COVID pandemic rages, the Court has failed to adequately protect the Nation’s voters,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a dissent that noted the state allowed the six-day extension for primary voting in April and that roughly 80,000 ballots were received after the day of the primary election.

Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowledged the complications the pandemic adds to voting, but defended the court’s action.

“No one doubts that conducting a national election amid a pandemic poses serious challenges. But none of that means individual judges may improvise with their own election rules in place of those the people’s representatives have adopted,” Gorsuch wrote.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh also wrote an opinion concurring in the order.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602937208880.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is siding with Republicans to prevent counting mailed ballots that are received after Election Day.In a 5-3 order, the justices on Monday refused to reinstate a lower court order that called for mailed ballots in Wisconsin to be counted if they are received up to six days after the Nov. 3 election. A federal appeals court had already put that order on hold.The three liberal justices dissented from the order that the court issued just before the Senate started voting on Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination.Chief Justice John Roberts last week joined the liberals to preserve a Pennsylvania state court order extending the absentee ballot deadline but voted the other way in the Wisconsin case, which has moved through federal courts.“Different bodies of law and different precedents govern these two situations and require, in these particular circumstances, that we allow the modification of election rules in Pennsylvania but not Wisconsin,” Roberts wrote.Democrats argued that the flood of absentee ballots and other challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic makes it necessary to extend the period in which ballots can be counted. Wisconsin is one of the nation’s hot spots for COVID-19, with hospitals treating a record high number of patients with the disease.Republicans opposed the extension, saying that voters have plenty of opportunities to cast their ballots by the close of polls on Election Day and that the rules should not be changed so close to the election.Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler responded to the ruling by pledging Democrats would be “dialing up a huge voter education campaign” to prod roughly 360,000 people who hadn’t yet returned absentee ballots to hand-deliver them by 8 p.m. on Election Day, or to vote in person.State Republican Party Chairman Andrew Hitt praised the ruling.“Absentee voting in Wisconsin is extremely easy and hundreds of thousands of people have done it already — last-minute attempts to change election laws only cause more voter confusion and erode the integrity of our elections,” he said in a statement.The justices often say nothing, or very little, about the reasons for their votes in these emergency cases, but on Monday, four justices wrote opinions totaling 35 pages to lay out their competing rationales.“As the COVID pandemic rages, the Court has failed to adequately protect the Nation’s voters,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a dissent that noted the state allowed the six-day extension for primary voting in April and that roughly 80,000 ballots were received after the day of the primary election.Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowledged the complications the pandemic adds to voting, but defended the court’s action.“No one doubts that conducting a national election amid a pandemic poses serious challenges. But none of that means individual judges may improvise with their own election rules in place of those the people’s representatives have adopted,” Gorsuch wrote.Justice Brett Kavanaugh also wrote an opinion concurring in the order.

Supreme Court makes important absentee ballot deadline ruling

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota health officials are reporting 11 hospitalizations in the last day due to the coronavirus, boosting the total number of patients in medical facilities to a record 377.

 The update released Monday showed 538 new cases of COVID-19, following two straight days in which the state topped 1,000 positive tests.

 A total of 38,504 people have been diagnosed with the virus since the start of the pandemic. 

The number of fatalities remained at 375 with no new deaths reported Monday. 

State Department of Health figures show that more than 35% of inpatient hospital beds are available statewide, as well as nearly 32% of intensive care unit beds.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota health officials are reporting 11 hospitalizations in the last day due to the coronavirus, boosting the total number of patients in medical facilities to a record 377. The update released Monday showed 538 new cases of COVID-19, following two straight days in which the state topped 1,000 positive tests. A total of 38,504 people have been diagnosed with the virus since the start of the pandemic. The number of fatalities remained at 375 with no new deaths reported Monday. State Department of Health figures show that more than 35% of inpatient hospital beds are available statewide, as well as nearly 32% of intensive care unit beds.

South Dakota COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record for 2nd day

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The state Department of Corrections says nearly half of the prisoners at South Dakota facilities have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. 

The update was posted Monday after a weekend in which cases of the coronavirus doubled among the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls and the Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield.

 The report shows that as of Sept. 30 there have been 1,555 positive cases among the state’s 3,347 prisoners, a rate of 46%. 

The Mike Durfee State Prison has seen the most cases with 674. 

The South Dakota State Penitentiary has seen the second most cases with 506, but the highest positivity rate at 73%.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The state Department of Corrections says nearly half of the prisoners at South Dakota facilities have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. The update was posted Monday after a weekend in which cases of the coronavirus doubled among the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls and the Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield. The report shows that as of Sept. 30 there have been 1,555 positive cases among the state’s 3,347 prisoners, a rate of 46%. The Mike Durfee State Prison has seen the most cases with 674. The South Dakota State Penitentiary has seen the second most cases with 506, but the highest positivity rate at 73%.

Nearly half of South Dakota state prisoners test positive for COVID-19

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477418-1/justice-amy-coney-barrett-swearing-ceremony-white-house&amp;live">Click here </a>to watch a replay of the swearing in ceremony.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court&nbsp;</a>late Monday by a deeply divided Senate, with Republicans overpowering Democrats to install President Donald Trump’s nominee days before the election and secure a likely conservative court majority for years to come.

Trump’s choice to fill the vacancy of the late liberal icon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ruth-bader-ginsburg">Ruth Bader Ginsburg&nbsp;</a>potentially opens a new era of rulings on abortion, the Affordable Care Act and even his own election. Democrats were unable to stop the outcome, Trump’s third justice on the court, as Republicans race to reshape the judiciary.

Barrett, 48, will be able to start work Tuesday, her lifetime appointment as the 115th justice solidifying the court’s rightward tilt.

“This is a momentous day for America,” Trump said at a primetime swearing-in event on the South Lawn at the White House. Justice Clarence Thomas administered the Constitutional Oath to Barrett before a crowd of about 200.

Barrett told those gathered that she believes “it is the job of a judge to resist her policy preferences.” She vowed, “I will do my job without any fear or favor.”

Monday’s vote was the closest high court confirmation ever to a presidential election, and the first in modern times with no support from the minority party. The spiking COVID-19 crisis has hung over the proceedings. Vice President Mike Pence declined to preside at the Senate unless his tie-breaking vote was needed after Democrats asked him to stay away when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-michael-pence-941dfeccc8cc315872796af20f6c3e16">his aides tested positive for COVID-19.</a>&nbsp;The vote was 52-48, and Pence’s vote was not necessary.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477226-1/us-senate-votes-judge-amy-coney-barrett-nomination-supreme-court&amp;live=">Click here&nbsp;</a>to watch a replay of the vote in the U.S. Senate

“Voting to confirm this nominee should make every single senator proud,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, fending off “outlandish” criticism in a lengthy speech. During a rare weekend session he declared that Barrett’s opponents “won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”

Barrett, a federal appeals court judge from Indiana, is expected to take the judicial oath administered by Chief Justice John Roberts in a private ceremony Tuesday at the court to begin participating in proceedings.

Underscoring the political divide during the pandemic, the Republican senators, most wearing masks, sat in their seats as is tradition for landmark votes, and applauded the outcome, with fist-bumps. Democratic senators emptied their side, heeding party leadership’s advice to not linger in the chamber. A Rose Garden event with Trump to announce Barrett’s nomination last month ended up spreading the virus, including to some GOP senators who have since returned from quarantine.

Pence’s presence would have been expected for a high-profile moment. But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his leadership team said it would not only violate virus guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy.”

Democrats argued for weeks that the vote was being improperly rushed and insisted during an all-night Sunday session it should be up to the winner of the Nov. 3 election to name the nominee.

Speaking near midnight Sunday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called the vote “illegitimate” and “the last gasp of a desperate party.”

Several matters are awaiting decision just a week before Election Day, and Barrett could be a decisive vote in Republican appeals of orders extending the deadlines for absentee ballots in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

The justices also are weighing Trump’s emergency plea for the court to prevent the Manhattan District Attorney from acquiring his tax returns. And on Nov. 10, the court is expected to hear the Trump-backed challenge to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-supreme-court-amy-coney-barrett-archive-courts-25cdbb056a83aa506af5c5b42943dbf6">Obama-era Affordable Care Act</a>. Just before the Senate voted, the court sided with Republicans in refusing to extend the deadline for absentee ballots in Wisconsin.

Trump has said he wanted to swiftly install a ninth justice to resolve election disputes and is hopeful the justices will end the health law known as “Obamacare.”

In a statement, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden tied Barrett’s nomination to the court to the Republican effort to pull down the Affordable Care Act. He called her confirmation “rushed and unprecedented” and a stark reminder to Americans that “your vote matters.”

During several days of public testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Barrett was careful not to disclose how she would rule on any such cases.

She presented herself as a neutral arbiter and suggested, “It’s not the law of Amy.” But her writings against abortion and a ruling on “Obamacare” show a deeply conservative thinker.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, praised the mother of seven as a role model for conservative women. “This is historic,” Graham said.

Republicans focused on her Catholic faith, criticizing earlier Democratic questions about her beliefs. Graham called Barrett “unabashedly pro-life.”

At the start of Trump’s presidency, McConnell engineered a Senate rules change to allow confirmation by a majority of the 100 senators, rather than the 60-vote threshold traditionally needed to advance high court nominees over objections. That was an escalation of a rules change Democrats put in place to advance other court and administrative nominees under President Barack Obama.

Republicans are taking a political plunge days from the Nov. 3 election with the presidency and their Senate majority at stake.

Only one Republican — Sen. Susan Collins, who is in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-legislature-senate-elections-susan-collins-campaigns-453d818e16924ad800c559b2cb5b50ba">tight reelection fight in Maine</a>&nbsp;— voted against the nominee, not over any direct assessment of Barrett. Rather, Collins said, “I do not think it is fair nor consistent to have a Senate confirmation vote prior to the election.”

Trump and his Republican allies had hoped for a campaign boost, in much the way Trump generated excitement among conservatives and evangelical Christians in 2016 over a court vacancy. That year, McConnell refused to allow the Senate to consider then-President Barack Obama’s choice to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, arguing the new president should decide.

Most other Republicans facing tough races embraced the nominee who clerked for the late Scalia to bolster their standing with conservatives. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said in a speech Monday that Barrett will “go down in history as one of the great justices.”

But it’s not clear the extraordinary effort to install the new justice over such opposition in a heated election year will pay political rewards to the GOP.

Demonstrations for and against the nominee have been more muted at the Capitol under coronavirus restrictions.

Democrats were unified against Barrett. While two Democratic senators voted to confirm Barrett in 2017 after Trump nominated the Notre Dame Law School professor to the appellate court, none voted to confirm her to the high court.

In a display of party priorities, California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, returned to Washington from the campaign trail to join colleagues with a no vote.

No other Supreme Court justice has been confirmed on a recorded vote with no support from the minority party in at least 150 years, according to information provided by the Senate Historical Office.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Senate is set to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, giving the country a ninth justice Monday as Republicans overpower Democratic opposition to secure President Donald Trump’s nominee the week before Election Day.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477277-1/us-senate-debates-votes-amy-coney-barrett-nomination-supreme-court">CLICK here to </a>watch the debate and vote that begins 11a.m. CDT

Democratic leaders asked Vice President Mike Pence to stay away from presiding over her Senate confirmation due to potential health risks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-michael-pence-941dfeccc8cc315872796af20f6c3e16">his aides tested positive for COVID-19</a>. But although Pence isn’t needed to break a tie, the vote would present a dramatic opportunity for him to preside over confirmation of Trump’s third Supreme Court justice.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his leadership team wrote that not only would Pence’s presence violate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, “it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy.”

But Senate Republicans control the chamber and Barrett’s confirmation isn’t in doubt.

The 48-year-old Barrett would secure a conservative court majority for the foreseeable future, potentially opening a new era of rulings on abortion, gay marriage and the Affordable Care Act. A case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-supreme-court-amy-coney-barrett-archive-courts-25cdbb056a83aa506af5c5b42943dbf6">the Obama-era health law</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to be heard Nov. 10.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scoffed at the “apocalyptic” warnings from critics that the judicial branch was becoming mired in partisan politics as he defended its transformation under his watch.

“This is something to be really proud of and feel good about,” the Republican leader said Sunday during a rare weekend session.

McConnell said that unlike legislative actions that can be undone by new presidents or lawmakers, “they won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”

Schumer, of New York, said the Trump administration’s drive to install Barrett during the coronavirus crisis shows “the Republican Party is willing to ignore the pandemic in order to rush this nominee forward.”

To underscore the potential health risks, Schumer urged his colleagues Sunday not to linger in the chamber but “cast your votes quickly and from a safe distance.” Some GOP senators tested positive for the coronavirus following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-pandemics-archive-d28390683347580d33c56fbce16d6358">a Rose Garden event with Trump to announce Barrett’s nomination</a>, but they have since said they have been cleared by their doctors from quarantine. Pence’s office said the vice president tested negative for the virus on Monday.

The confirmation was expected to be the first of a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. It’s also one of the first high court nominees in recent memory receiving no support from the minority party, a pivot from not long ago when a president’s picks often won wide support.

Barrett presented herself in public testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee as a neutral arbiter and suggested, “It’s not the law of Amy.” But her writings against abortion and a ruling on “Obamacare” show a deeply conservative thinker. She was expected to be seated quickly on the high court.

“She’s a conservative woman who embraces her faith. She’s unabashedly pro-life, but she’s not going to apply ‘the law of Amy’ to all of us,” the Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Fox News Channel.

At the start of Trump’s presidency, McConnell engineered a Senate rules change to allow confirmation by a majority of the 100 senators, rather than the 60-vote threshold traditionally needed to advance high court nominees over objections. It was escalation of a rules change Democrats put in place to advance other court and administrative nominees under President Barack Obama.

On Sunday, the Senate voted 51-48 to begin to bring the process to a vote as senators, mostly Democrats, pulled an all-night session for the final 30 hours of often heated debate. Two Republicans, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, voted against advancing the nominee, and all Democrats who voted were opposed. California Sen. Kamala Harris, the vice presidential nominee, missed the vote while campaigning in Michigan.

Monday’s final tally was expected to grow by one after Murkowski announced her support for the nominee, even as she decried filling the seat in the midst of a heated race for the White House. Murkowski said Saturday she would vote against the procedural steps but ultimately join GOP colleagues in confirming Barrett.

“While I oppose the process that has led us to this point, I do not hold it against her,” Murkowski said.

Collins, who faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-legislature-senate-elections-susan-collins-campaigns-453d818e16924ad800c559b2cb5b50ba">a tight reelection fight in Maine</a>, remains the only Republican expected to vote against Trump’s nominee. “My vote does not reflect any conclusion that I have reached about Judge Barrett’s qualifications to serve,” Collins said. “I do not think it is fair nor consistent to have a Senate confirmation vote prior to the election.”

By pushing for Barrett’s ascension so close to the Nov. 3 election, Trump and his Republican allies are counting on a campaign boost, in much the way they believe McConnell’s refusal to allow the Senate to consider Obama’s nominee in February 2016 created excitement for Trump among conservatives and evangelical Christians eager for a Republican president to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

Barrett was a professor at Notre Dame Law School when she was tapped by Trump in 2017 for an appeals court opening. Two Democrats joined at that time to confirm her, but none is expected to vote for her now.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603761587516.png" alt="Justice Amy Coney Barret sworn in immediately after her confirmation vote Monday night during a White House Ceremony-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Justice Amy Coney Barret sworn in immediately after her confirmation vote Monday night during a White House Ceremony-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477418-1/justice-amy-coney-barrett-swearing-ceremony-white-house&amp;live">Click here </a>to watch a replay of the swearing in ceremony.WASHINGTON (AP) — Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court&nbsp;</a>late Monday by a deeply divided Senate, with Republicans overpowering Democrats to install President Donald Trump’s nominee days before the election and secure a likely conservative court majority for years to come.Trump’s choice to fill the vacancy of the late liberal icon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ruth-bader-ginsburg">Ruth Bader Ginsburg&nbsp;</a>potentially opens a new era of rulings on abortion, the Affordable Care Act and even his own election. Democrats were unable to stop the outcome, Trump’s third justice on the court, as Republicans race to reshape the judiciary.Barrett, 48, will be able to start work Tuesday, her lifetime appointment as the 115th justice solidifying the court’s rightward tilt.“This is a momentous day for America,” Trump said at a primetime swearing-in event on the South Lawn at the White House. Justice Clarence Thomas administered the Constitutional Oath to Barrett before a crowd of about 200.Barrett told those gathered that she believes “it is the job of a judge to resist her policy preferences.” She vowed, “I will do my job without any fear or favor.”Monday’s vote was the closest high court confirmation ever to a presidential election, and the first in modern times with no support from the minority party. The spiking COVID-19 crisis has hung over the proceedings. Vice President Mike Pence declined to preside at the Senate unless his tie-breaking vote was needed after Democrats asked him to stay away when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-michael-pence-941dfeccc8cc315872796af20f6c3e16">his aides tested positive for COVID-19.</a>&nbsp;The vote was 52-48, and Pence’s vote was not necessary.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603757515291.png" alt="Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley read the result of Monday night's vote and then GOP Senators stood and cheered the successful outcome.-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley read the result of Monday night's vote and then GOP Senators stood and cheered the successful outcome.-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477226-1/us-senate-votes-judge-amy-coney-barrett-nomination-supreme-court&amp;live=">Click here&nbsp;</a>to watch a replay of the vote in the U.S. Senate“Voting to confirm this nominee should make every single senator proud,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, fending off “outlandish” criticism in a lengthy speech. During a rare weekend session he declared that Barrett’s opponents “won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”Barrett, a federal appeals court judge from Indiana, is expected to take the judicial oath administered by Chief Justice John Roberts in a private ceremony Tuesday at the court to begin participating in proceedings.Underscoring the political divide during the pandemic, the Republican senators, most wearing masks, sat in their seats as is tradition for landmark votes, and applauded the outcome, with fist-bumps. Democratic senators emptied their side, heeding party leadership’s advice to not linger in the chamber. A Rose Garden event with Trump to announce Barrett’s nomination last month ended up spreading the virus, including to some GOP senators who have since returned from quarantine.Pence’s presence would have been expected for a high-profile moment. But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his leadership team said it would not only violate virus guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy.”Democrats argued for weeks that the vote was being improperly rushed and insisted during an all-night Sunday session it should be up to the winner of the Nov. 3 election to name the nominee.Speaking near midnight Sunday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called the vote “illegitimate” and “the last gasp of a desperate party.”Several matters are awaiting decision just a week before Election Day, and Barrett could be a decisive vote in Republican appeals of orders extending the deadlines for absentee ballots in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.The justices also are weighing Trump’s emergency plea for the court to prevent the Manhattan District Attorney from acquiring his tax returns. And on Nov. 10, the court is expected to hear the Trump-backed challenge to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-supreme-court-amy-coney-barrett-archive-courts-25cdbb056a83aa506af5c5b42943dbf6">Obama-era Affordable Care Act</a>. Just before the Senate voted, the court sided with Republicans in refusing to extend the deadline for absentee ballots in Wisconsin.Trump has said he wanted to swiftly install a ninth justice to resolve election disputes and is hopeful the justices will end the health law known as “Obamacare.”In a statement, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden tied Barrett’s nomination to the court to the Republican effort to pull down the Affordable Care Act. He called her confirmation “rushed and unprecedented” and a stark reminder to Americans that “your vote matters.”During several days of public testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Barrett was careful not to disclose how she would rule on any such cases.She presented herself as a neutral arbiter and suggested, “It’s not the law of Amy.” But her writings against abortion and a ruling on “Obamacare” show a deeply conservative thinker.Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, praised the mother of seven as a role model for conservative women. “This is historic,” Graham said.Republicans focused on her Catholic faith, criticizing earlier Democratic questions about her beliefs. Graham called Barrett “unabashedly pro-life.”At the start of Trump’s presidency, McConnell engineered a Senate rules change to allow confirmation by a majority of the 100 senators, rather than the 60-vote threshold traditionally needed to advance high court nominees over objections. That was an escalation of a rules change Democrats put in place to advance other court and administrative nominees under President Barack Obama.Republicans are taking a political plunge days from the Nov. 3 election with the presidency and their Senate majority at stake.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603757163341.png" alt="Senators approved the nomination by a vote of 52-48-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Senators approved the nomination by a vote of 52-48-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Only one Republican — Sen. Susan Collins, who is in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-legislature-senate-elections-susan-collins-campaigns-453d818e16924ad800c559b2cb5b50ba">tight reelection fight in Maine</a>&nbsp;— voted against the nominee, not over any direct assessment of Barrett. Rather, Collins said, “I do not think it is fair nor consistent to have a Senate confirmation vote prior to the election.”Trump and his Republican allies had hoped for a campaign boost, in much the way Trump generated excitement among conservatives and evangelical Christians in 2016 over a court vacancy. That year, McConnell refused to allow the Senate to consider then-President Barack Obama’s choice to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, arguing the new president should decide.Most other Republicans facing tough races embraced the nominee who clerked for the late Scalia to bolster their standing with conservatives. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said in a speech Monday that Barrett will “go down in history as one of the great justices.”But it’s not clear the extraordinary effort to install the new justice over such opposition in a heated election year will pay political rewards to the GOP.Demonstrations for and against the nominee have been more muted at the Capitol under coronavirus restrictions.Democrats were unified against Barrett. While two Democratic senators voted to confirm Barrett in 2017 after Trump nominated the Notre Dame Law School professor to the appellate court, none voted to confirm her to the high court.In a display of party priorities, California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, returned to Washington from the campaign trail to join colleagues with a no vote.No other Supreme Court justice has been confirmed on a recorded vote with no support from the minority party in at least 150 years, according to information provided by the Senate Historical Office.___---------WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Senate is set to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, giving the country a ninth justice Monday as Republicans overpower Democratic opposition to secure President Donald Trump’s nominee the week before Election Day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602594243403.png" alt="Judge Barrett during day two of her U.S. Senate Confirmation hearing-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Judge Barrett during day two of her U.S. Senate Confirmation hearing-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477277-1/us-senate-debates-votes-amy-coney-barrett-nomination-supreme-court">CLICK here to </a>watch the debate and vote that begins 11a.m. CDTDemocratic leaders asked Vice President Mike Pence to stay away from presiding over her Senate confirmation due to potential health risks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-michael-pence-941dfeccc8cc315872796af20f6c3e16">his aides tested positive for COVID-19</a>. But although Pence isn’t needed to break a tie, the vote would present a dramatic opportunity for him to preside over confirmation of Trump’s third Supreme Court justice.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his leadership team wrote that not only would Pence’s presence violate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, “it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy.”But Senate Republicans control the chamber and Barrett’s confirmation isn’t in doubt.The 48-year-old Barrett would secure a conservative court majority for the foreseeable future, potentially opening a new era of rulings on abortion, gay marriage and the Affordable Care Act. A case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-supreme-court-amy-coney-barrett-archive-courts-25cdbb056a83aa506af5c5b42943dbf6">the Obama-era health law</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to be heard Nov. 10.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scoffed at the “apocalyptic” warnings from critics that the judicial branch was becoming mired in partisan politics as he defended its transformation under his watch.“This is something to be really proud of and feel good about,” the Republican leader said Sunday during a rare weekend session.McConnell said that unlike legislative actions that can be undone by new presidents or lawmakers, “they won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”Schumer, of New York, said the Trump administration’s drive to install Barrett during the coronavirus crisis shows “the Republican Party is willing to ignore the pandemic in order to rush this nominee forward.”To underscore the potential health risks, Schumer urged his colleagues Sunday not to linger in the chamber but “cast your votes quickly and from a safe distance.” Some GOP senators tested positive for the coronavirus following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-pandemics-archive-d28390683347580d33c56fbce16d6358">a Rose Garden event with Trump to announce Barrett’s nomination</a>, but they have since said they have been cleared by their doctors from quarantine. Pence’s office said the vice president tested negative for the virus on Monday.The confirmation was expected to be the first of a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. It’s also one of the first high court nominees in recent memory receiving no support from the minority party, a pivot from not long ago when a president’s picks often won wide support.Barrett presented herself in public testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee as a neutral arbiter and suggested, “It’s not the law of Amy.” But her writings against abortion and a ruling on “Obamacare” show a deeply conservative thinker. She was expected to be seated quickly on the high court.“She’s a conservative woman who embraces her faith. She’s unabashedly pro-life, but she’s not going to apply ‘the law of Amy’ to all of us,” the Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Fox News Channel.At the start of Trump’s presidency, McConnell engineered a Senate rules change to allow confirmation by a majority of the 100 senators, rather than the 60-vote threshold traditionally needed to advance high court nominees over objections. It was escalation of a rules change Democrats put in place to advance other court and administrative nominees under President Barack Obama.On Sunday, the Senate voted 51-48 to begin to bring the process to a vote as senators, mostly Democrats, pulled an all-night session for the final 30 hours of often heated debate. Two Republicans, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, voted against advancing the nominee, and all Democrats who voted were opposed. California Sen. Kamala Harris, the vice presidential nominee, missed the vote while campaigning in Michigan.Monday’s final tally was expected to grow by one after Murkowski announced her support for the nominee, even as she decried filling the seat in the midst of a heated race for the White House. Murkowski said Saturday she would vote against the procedural steps but ultimately join GOP colleagues in confirming Barrett.“While I oppose the process that has led us to this point, I do not hold it against her,” Murkowski said.Collins, who faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-legislature-senate-elections-susan-collins-campaigns-453d818e16924ad800c559b2cb5b50ba">a tight reelection fight in Maine</a>, remains the only Republican expected to vote against Trump’s nominee. “My vote does not reflect any conclusion that I have reached about Judge Barrett’s qualifications to serve,” Collins said. “I do not think it is fair nor consistent to have a Senate confirmation vote prior to the election.”By pushing for Barrett’s ascension so close to the Nov. 3 election, Trump and his Republican allies are counting on a campaign boost, in much the way they believe McConnell’s refusal to allow the Senate to consider Obama’s nominee in February 2016 created excitement for Trump among conservatives and evangelical Christians eager for a Republican president to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.Barrett was a professor at Notre Dame Law School when she was tapped by Trump in 2017 for an appeals court opening. Two Democrats joined at that time to confirm her, but none is expected to vote for her now.___

🎥  Barrett confirmed, takes oath, begins work at Supreme Court

WICHITA– Frederick “Freddy” L. Simon, co-founder and namesake of Freddy’s Frozen Custard &amp; Steakburgers® died on Sunday, according to a statement from the company.

Along with his sons Bill &amp; Randy, and Bill’s business partner Scott Redler, he opened the first Freddy’s Frozen Custard &amp; Steakburgers® restaurant in 2002 in Wichita.&nbsp;

 The quick service concept not only bears his name, but also includes his family values and patriotic service to his country as the foundation of the brand.

The youngest of nine children, <a href="https://freddysusa.com/about/">Freddy grew</a> up on a farm near Colwich, Kansas. He joined the U.S. Army infantry in 1943 and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. While serving in the Pacific during World War II, Freddy earned the Purple Heart for injuries sustained, as well as a Bronze Star for valor and was awarded other ribbons and medals for his service to his country. After being honorably discharged from duty, he returned home and attended Wichita University under the GI Bill. In 1947, Freddy married Norma Jean Kerschen while earning a degree in Accounting. Together they started a family and raised six children (five sons and one daughter). He spent 55 years with the same company in the hospitality industry before starting Freddy’s. He was a friend and trusted business partner to restaurant owners and operators across the state. In his retirement, Freddy generously gave his time and resources to many military and charitable organizations.

Freddy was an avid hunter and sportsman, but his greatest joy was his family. Every family gathering and all other interactions in Freddy’s life provided him the opportunity to offer an encouraging word, share relatable stories of days gone by and give hugs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603744401086.png" alt="Freddy Simon -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Freddy Simon -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA– Frederick “Freddy” L. Simon, co-founder and namesake of Freddy’s Frozen Custard &amp; Steakburgers® died on Sunday, according to a statement from the company.Along with his sons Bill &amp; Randy, and Bill’s business partner Scott Redler, he opened the first Freddy’s Frozen Custard &amp; Steakburgers® restaurant in 2002 in Wichita.&nbsp; The quick service concept not only bears his name, but also includes his family values and patriotic service to his country as the foundation of the brand.The youngest of nine children, <a href="https://freddysusa.com/about/">Freddy grew</a> up on a farm near Colwich, Kansas. He joined the U.S. Army infantry in 1943 and was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. While serving in the Pacific during World War II, Freddy earned the Purple Heart for injuries sustained, as well as a Bronze Star for valor and was awarded other ribbons and medals for his service to his country. After being honorably discharged from duty, he returned home and attended Wichita University under the GI Bill. In 1947, Freddy married Norma Jean Kerschen while earning a degree in Accounting. Together they started a family and raised six children (five sons and one daughter). He spent 55 years with the same company in the hospitality industry before starting Freddy’s. He was a friend and trusted business partner to restaurant owners and operators across the state. In his retirement, Freddy generously gave his time and resources to many military and charitable organizations.Freddy was an avid hunter and sportsman, but his greatest joy was his family. Every family gathering and all other interactions in Freddy’s life provided him the opportunity to offer an encouraging word, share relatable stories of days gone by and give hugs.

Freddy’s namesake, Freddy Simon, dies at 95

DILLER, Neb. (AP) — The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department says a local man has died from injuries he received in a crash north of Diller in southeastern Nebraska. 

Officials report that 78-year-old Howard Behrends was killed in the Friday afternoon crash. 

Behrends was a passenger in a car driven by his wife, 71-year-old Linda Behrends. 

Investigators say the Behrends' car ran a stop sign on a rural road and collided with a car driven by a 33-year-old Kansas woman.

 The Behrends were taken to a Fairbury hospital, and Howard Behrends was later taken to a Lincoln hospital, where he died. 

The woman driving the other car was taken to a Beatrice hospital for treatment of her injuries.

DILLER, Neb. (AP) — The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department says a local man has died from injuries he received in a crash north of Diller in southeastern Nebraska. Officials report that 78-year-old Howard Behrends was killed in the Friday afternoon crash. Behrends was a passenger in a car driven by his wife, 71-year-old Linda Behrends. Investigators say the Behrends' car ran a stop sign on a rural road and collided with a car driven by a 33-year-old Kansas woman. The Behrends were taken to a Fairbury hospital, and Howard Behrends was later taken to a Lincoln hospital, where he died. The woman driving the other car was taken to a Beatrice hospital for treatment of her injuries.

Jefferson County man killed in crash that injured 2 others

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials in southeast Nebraska say a 9-year-old boy was shot and killed while hunting with his father.

 Television station KETV reports that the incident happened early Sunday morning at Branched Oak Lake northwest of Lincoln, where the boy was pheasant hunting with his father. 

Lancaster County sheriff deputies say 9-year-old Gunnar Holte of Seward was killed. 

The boy's father told investigators that his son shot at a bird, then reloaded. 

The father said he heard another shot and found the boy on the ground. 

Officials say an off-duty Lincoln police officer who was hunting nearby performed CPR on the boy. 

The boy was taken to a Lincoln hospital, where he died.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Officials in southeast Nebraska say a 9-year-old boy was shot and killed while hunting with his father. Television station KETV reports that the incident happened early Sunday morning at Branched Oak Lake northwest of Lincoln, where the boy was pheasant hunting with his father. Lancaster County sheriff deputies say 9-year-old Gunnar Holte of Seward was killed. The boy's father told investigators that his son shot at a bird, then reloaded. The father said he heard another shot and found the boy on the ground. Officials say an off-duty Lincoln police officer who was hunting nearby performed CPR on the boy. The boy was taken to a Lincoln hospital, where he died.

Sheriff: 9-year-old Nebraska boy fatally shot while hunting

LINCOLN, Neb.-One lucky player who bought a Nebraska Pick 5 ticket for the Saturday, October 24 drawing is holding a ticket worth $58,000.

The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Saturday’s Nebraska Pick 5 draw matched all five winning numbers for the $58,000 jackpot. The ticket was sold at Casey's General Store #2656, 1005 Johnson St, in Fullerton. The winning numbers from Saturday’s Nebraska Pick 5 draw were 03, 04, 18, 19, 38. Players are encouraged to check their tickets at any Nebraska Lottery retailer, online at nelottery.com, or by calling the Lottery office at 402-471-6100.

Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website, nelottery.com, or by calling 800-587-5200.

Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska's unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers.

The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $4,000 each drawing that it is not won, are 1 in 501,942. The overall odds of winning any Nebraska Pick 5 prize which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 8.

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $793 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

LINCOLN, Neb.-One lucky player who bought a Nebraska Pick 5 ticket for the Saturday, October 24 drawing is holding a ticket worth $58,000.The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Saturday’s Nebraska Pick 5 draw matched all five winning numbers for the $58,000 jackpot. The ticket was sold at Casey's General Store #2656, 1005 Johnson St, in Fullerton. The winning numbers from Saturday’s Nebraska Pick 5 draw were 03, 04, 18, 19, 38. Players are encouraged to check their tickets at any Nebraska Lottery retailer, online at nelottery.com, or by calling the Lottery office at 402-471-6100.Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website, nelottery.com, or by calling 800-587-5200.Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska's unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers.The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $4,000 each drawing that it is not won, are 1 in 501,942. The overall odds of winning any Nebraska Pick 5 prize which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 8.The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $793 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

Winning $58,000 Pick 5 ticket sold in Fullerton

OLLIE, Iowa (AP) — A 76-year-old man died after he apparently fell from a tree stand while hunting, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said.

The agency said law enforcement officers found Raymond Byers’ body after he was reported missing Thursday when he didn’t return home from hunting on his property near Ollie, in southeast Iowa.

It appeared Byers fell from the tree, authorities said.

OLLIE, Iowa (AP) — A 76-year-old man died after he apparently fell from a tree stand while hunting, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said.The agency said law enforcement officers found Raymond Byers’ body after he was reported missing Thursday when he didn’t return home from hunting on his property near Ollie, in southeast Iowa.It appeared Byers fell from the tree, authorities said.An autopsy is being performed.

Iowa man died after apparently falling out tree stand

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Preslie Paur breaks down in tears when she thinks of her state’s refusal to mandate face masks.

The South Salt Lake City, Utah, woman can’t work at her special education job due to an autoimmune disease. Her husband, also a special ed teacher, recently quit because his school district would not allow him to work remotely to protect her and their 5-year-old son, who has asthma.

“I feel forgotten,” Paur said. “We’re living in a world we no longer fit in. We did everything right. We went to college, we got jobs, we tried to give back to our community, and now our community is not giving back to us. And I’m very scared.”

As President Donald Trump barnstorms the swing states, often downplaying the coronavirus pandemic before largely unmasked crowds, the nation continues to lurch toward what his opponent Joe Biden, citing health experts, warned will be a “dark winter” of disease and death.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told CNN on Sunday that “we’re not going to control the pandemic.” Asked why, he said it’s “because it is a contagious virus just like the flu.”

Vice President Mike Pence will continue campaigning despite his chief of staff testing positive for COVID-19. His office said Pence and his wife both tested negative for the virus Sunday.

About half of U.S. states have seen their highest daily infection numbers so far at some point in October, and the country as a whole came very close to back-to-back record daily infection rates on Friday and Saturday.

Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that 83,718 new cases were reported Saturday, just shy of the 83,757 infections reported Friday. Before that, the most cases reported in the United States on a single day had been 77,362, on July 16.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which federal health officials have used as a source for their pandemic projections, currently forecasts that the U.S. COVID-19 death toll could exceed 318,000 by Jan. 1.

As of Sunday, there were more than 8.6 million confirmed infections in the U.S., with deaths climbing to over 225,000, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

At least seven states — Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Oklahoma — saw record high infection levels Saturday. And some Northeastern states hit hard in the spring are seeing numbers bounce back; New Jersey’s toll of 1,909 new infections Saturday was the most it had seen in a day since early May.

The virus also is surging in the Mountain West, especially Idaho and Utah.

In Twin Falls, Idaho, new data suggest that 1 in 24 residents has contracted the coronavirus, said Dr. Joshua Kern, vice president of medical affairs at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center. Amid a crush of new cases, the hospital brought in nurses from Boise, scaled back elective surgery and, as of Friday, stopped admitting pediatric patients.

“It’s gotten kind of out of hand,” Kern told The Associated Press. “We’ve had something like a third of our total COVID cases in our community in the last two to three weeks. There are a lot of parts of the state suffering under the same burden.”

Kern said Twin Falls had been lulled into complacency after months of relatively low numbers, adding “going back to school was the signal to our communities that we can get back to normal.”

“It’s like the community said, ‘Oh, good. It’s over. We can party again,’ and we saw the virus increase,” he said. “This week, we went to the coffee shop to get pastries for our group, and it was closed because of COVID. And we knew that the week before, they had been in there unmasked.”

Mark Chidichimo, a retired FBI agent, said his sister, brother-in-law, brother, nephew and 92-year-old father in Idaho have all been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last three weeks.

Chidichimo, who lives in New Jersey, had nothing but praise for St. Luke’s in Twin Falls, but said his brother was told that if he needed hospitalization, he’d be sent to Seattle, more than 600 miles away.

“Hey, Idaho. This is coming from someone who has been there, done that: You really want to avoid this if you can,” he said. “It’s going to be really bad, and I pray to God that none of my family members have to be hospitalized. Because if they do, I don’t know if they’ll survive.”

After months of improvement, parts of Europe are going back into lockdown or ramping up restrictions again amid a spike in infections. Italy imposed at least a month of new restrictions across the country on Sunday, insisting that people outdoors wear masks, shutting down gyms, pools and movie theaters, and putting an early curfew on cafes and restaurants.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn, who tested positive Wednesday, pleaded with citizens to wear masks as the virus spikes across the country and hospital ICUs are filling up again.

“Please continue to help and don’t listen to those who play down (coronavirus),” he said. “It is serious.”

In New Mexico, which reported record numbers of additional COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent days, more than 350 doctors, nurses and other health care professionals signed a letter imploring residents to stay home as much as possible, wear masks and limit large gatherings to help prevent another wave of “lonely deaths.”

“Please help health care professionals help you,” said the letter, posted on the state Department of Health’s website. “Help us protect you. Help us ensure that we have the resources to treat the sick and care for the dying.”

On Saturday, New Mexico officials reported 875 new cases and five additional deaths, increasing the state’s totals to 41,040 cases and 965 deaths. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations increased to 264, up from a record 229 on Friday, which topped the previous high of 223 from mid-May.

Paur, whose brother and his girlfriend both recently tested positive for the virus, is worried about them, and herself.

“People need to know that our lives are on the line,” the Utah woman said. "We’re running out of money really fast.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603360957118.png" alt="Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said Wednesday that she will speak with House and Senate leaders to develop a bipartisan mask requirement&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said Wednesday that she will speak with House and Senate leaders to develop a bipartisan mask requirement&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Preslie Paur breaks down in tears when she thinks of her state’s refusal to mandate face masks.The South Salt Lake City, Utah, woman can’t work at her special education job due to an autoimmune disease. Her husband, also a special ed teacher, recently quit because his school district would not allow him to work remotely to protect her and their 5-year-old son, who has asthma.“I feel forgotten,” Paur said. “We’re living in a world we no longer fit in. We did everything right. We went to college, we got jobs, we tried to give back to our community, and now our community is not giving back to us. And I’m very scared.”As President Donald Trump barnstorms the swing states, often downplaying the coronavirus pandemic before largely unmasked crowds, the nation continues to lurch toward what his opponent Joe Biden, citing health experts, warned will be a “dark winter” of disease and death.White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told CNN on Sunday that “we’re not going to control the pandemic.” Asked why, he said it’s “because it is a contagious virus just like the flu.”Vice President Mike Pence will continue campaigning despite his chief of staff testing positive for COVID-19. His office said Pence and his wife both tested negative for the virus Sunday.About half of U.S. states have seen their highest daily infection numbers so far at some point in October, and the country as a whole came very close to back-to-back record daily infection rates on Friday and Saturday.Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that 83,718 new cases were reported Saturday, just shy of the 83,757 infections reported Friday. Before that, the most cases reported in the United States on a single day had been 77,362, on July 16.The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which federal health officials have used as a source for their pandemic projections, currently forecasts that the U.S. COVID-19 death toll could exceed 318,000 by Jan. 1.As of Sunday, there were more than 8.6 million confirmed infections in the U.S., with deaths climbing to over 225,000, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.At least seven states — Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Oklahoma — saw record high infection levels Saturday. And some Northeastern states hit hard in the spring are seeing numbers bounce back; New Jersey’s toll of 1,909 new infections Saturday was the most it had seen in a day since early May.The virus also is surging in the Mountain West, especially Idaho and Utah.In Twin Falls, Idaho, new data suggest that 1 in 24 residents has contracted the coronavirus, said Dr. Joshua Kern, vice president of medical affairs at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center. Amid a crush of new cases, the hospital brought in nurses from Boise, scaled back elective surgery and, as of Friday, stopped admitting pediatric patients.“It’s gotten kind of out of hand,” Kern told The Associated Press. “We’ve had something like a third of our total COVID cases in our community in the last two to three weeks. There are a lot of parts of the state suffering under the same burden.”Kern said Twin Falls had been lulled into complacency after months of relatively low numbers, adding “going back to school was the signal to our communities that we can get back to normal.”“It’s like the community said, ‘Oh, good. It’s over. We can party again,’ and we saw the virus increase,” he said. “This week, we went to the coffee shop to get pastries for our group, and it was closed because of COVID. And we knew that the week before, they had been in there unmasked.”Mark Chidichimo, a retired FBI agent, said his sister, brother-in-law, brother, nephew and 92-year-old father in Idaho have all been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last three weeks.Chidichimo, who lives in New Jersey, had nothing but praise for St. Luke’s in Twin Falls, but said his brother was told that if he needed hospitalization, he’d be sent to Seattle, more than 600 miles away.“Hey, Idaho. This is coming from someone who has been there, done that: You really want to avoid this if you can,” he said. “It’s going to be really bad, and I pray to God that none of my family members have to be hospitalized. Because if they do, I don’t know if they’ll survive.”After months of improvement, parts of Europe are going back into lockdown or ramping up restrictions again amid a spike in infections. Italy imposed at least a month of new restrictions across the country on Sunday, insisting that people outdoors wear masks, shutting down gyms, pools and movie theaters, and putting an early curfew on cafes and restaurants.German Health Minister Jens Spahn, who tested positive Wednesday, pleaded with citizens to wear masks as the virus spikes across the country and hospital ICUs are filling up again.“Please continue to help and don’t listen to those who play down (coronavirus),” he said. “It is serious.”In New Mexico, which reported record numbers of additional COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent days, more than 350 doctors, nurses and other health care professionals signed a letter imploring residents to stay home as much as possible, wear masks and limit large gatherings to help prevent another wave of “lonely deaths.”“Please help health care professionals help you,” said the letter, posted on the state Department of Health’s website. “Help us protect you. Help us ensure that we have the resources to treat the sick and care for the dying.”On Saturday, New Mexico officials reported 875 new cases and five additional deaths, increasing the state’s totals to 41,040 cases and 965 deaths. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations increased to 264, up from a record 229 on Friday, which topped the previous high of 223 from mid-May.Paur, whose brother and his girlfriend both recently tested positive for the virus, is worried about them, and herself.“People need to know that our lives are on the line,” the Utah woman said. "We’re running out of money really fast.”—-