WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump’s return to the campaign trail will have to wait.

The first lady has decided against accompanying President Donald Trump to a campaign rally Tuesday in Erie, Pennsylvania, because of a lingering cough after her bout with COVID-19, said Stephanie Grisham, her chief of staff.

It was to be Mrs. Trump’s first public appearance since recovering from the coronavirus, as well as her first time out on the campaign trail in more than a year.

The first lady’s announcement served as yet another reminder for the president that, as much as he wishes the virus would “just disappear” — as he has said — it remains a powerful presence in everyday life, including his.

Trump said Monday that people are tired of hearing about COVID-19. More than 58,000 Americans a day are testing positive for the virus, and more than 700 a day are dying from the disease.

Mrs. Trump continues to feel better every day “but with a lingering cough, and out of an abundance of caution, she will not be traveling today,” Grisham said.

The first lady last appeared in public for the Sept. 29 debate in Cleveland between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. She and the president tested positive two days later.

The first lady announced in a blog post last week that she had recovered from a bout with COVID-19 that included headaches, body aches and fatigue, and had tested negative. She also revealed that the couple’s 14-year-old son, Barron, also had contracted the virus, but never had symptoms. He has since tested negative.

President Trump spent three nights at a military hospital outside Washington receiving treatment for his case of the disease. He was released Oct. 5 and returned to active campaigning last week.

Tuesday’s rally in Pennsylvania was to be the first campaign trail appearance for Mrs. Trump since she spoke briefly at a June 2019 event in Orlando, Florida, where the president launched his reelection bid.

She addressed a mostly virtual Republican National Convention in August from the White House Rose Garden.

The first lady had planned to headline Trump campaign fundraisers back in March, but those appearances were canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

She is expected to accompany the president to Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday for his second and final debate against Biden before the Nov. 3 election.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602762449332.png" alt="First Lady&nbsp; Melania Trump and the President following the Sept. 29 presidential debate in Cleveland.- photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>First Lady&nbsp; Melania Trump and the President following the Sept. 29 presidential debate in Cleveland.- photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump’s return to the campaign trail will have to wait.The first lady has decided against accompanying President Donald Trump to a campaign rally Tuesday in Erie, Pennsylvania, because of a lingering cough after her bout with COVID-19, said Stephanie Grisham, her chief of staff.It was to be Mrs. Trump’s first public appearance since recovering from the coronavirus, as well as her first time out on the campaign trail in more than a year.The first lady’s announcement served as yet another reminder for the president that, as much as he wishes the virus would “just disappear” — as he has said — it remains a powerful presence in everyday life, including his.Trump said Monday that people are tired of hearing about COVID-19. More than 58,000 Americans a day are testing positive for the virus, and more than 700 a day are dying from the disease.Mrs. Trump continues to feel better every day “but with a lingering cough, and out of an abundance of caution, she will not be traveling today,” Grisham said.The first lady last appeared in public for the Sept. 29 debate in Cleveland between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. She and the president tested positive two days later.The first lady announced in a blog post last week that she had recovered from a bout with COVID-19 that included headaches, body aches and fatigue, and had tested negative. She also revealed that the couple’s 14-year-old son, Barron, also had contracted the virus, but never had symptoms. He has since tested negative.President Trump spent three nights at a military hospital outside Washington receiving treatment for his case of the disease. He was released Oct. 5 and returned to active campaigning last week.Tuesday’s rally in Pennsylvania was to be the first campaign trail appearance for Mrs. Trump since she spoke briefly at a June 2019 event in Orlando, Florida, where the president launched his reelection bid.She addressed a mostly virtual Republican National Convention in August from the White House Rose Garden.The first lady had planned to headline Trump campaign fundraisers back in March, but those appearances were canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.She is expected to accompany the president to Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday for his second and final debate against Biden before the Nov. 3 election.

COVID cough keeps First lady off campaign trail

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska regained its status last month as the state with the nation’s lowest unemployment rate. 

Nebraska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, compared to 4% in August. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that’s less than half the national rate of 7.9%. 

South Dakota and Vermont had the second- and third-lowest rates at 4.1% and 4.2% respectively. 

Hawaii had the highest rate nationwide, at 15.1%.

 Nebraska’s rate has remained low compared to other states despite the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in widespread business closures and layoffs.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska regained its status last month as the state with the nation’s lowest unemployment rate. Nebraska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, compared to 4% in August. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that’s less than half the national rate of 7.9%. South Dakota and Vermont had the second- and third-lowest rates at 4.1% and 4.2% respectively. Hawaii had the highest rate nationwide, at 15.1%. Nebraska’s rate has remained low compared to other states despite the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in widespread business closures and layoffs.

Nebraska reclaimed lowest unemployment rate in September

LOUISVILLE, Neb. (AP) — The family of an 8-year-old girl swept away on the Platte River during an outing this summer is seeking help for another search to try to find the girl's remains. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that a team of search-and-rescue divers and volunteers are planning an extensive search on Oct. 27 and 28 in and around the river where Taries Price disappeared on June 11. 

Officials say the girl became separated from her mother and others along a sandbar in the river. 

She was last seen about a half mile downstream from Schramm Park State Recreation Area. 

Search organizers are seeking volunteers and donations, including adult life jackets, water, food and coolers.

LOUISVILLE, Neb. (AP) — The family of an 8-year-old girl swept away on the Platte River during an outing this summer is seeking help for another search to try to find the girl's remains. The Omaha World-Herald reports that a team of search-and-rescue divers and volunteers are planning an extensive search on Oct. 27 and 28 in and around the river where Taries Price disappeared on June 11. Officials say the girl became separated from her mother and others along a sandbar in the river. She was last seen about a half mile downstream from Schramm Park State Recreation Area. Search organizers are seeking volunteers and donations, including adult life jackets, water, food and coolers.

Family of girl swept away in Platte River plan new search

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is expected to file a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that Google has been abusing its online dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

The lawsuit marks the government’s most significant act to protect competition since its groundbreaking case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago. It could be an opening salvo ahead of other major government antitrust actions, given ongoing investigations of major tech companies including Apple, Amazon and Facebook at both the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission.

Lawmakers and consumer advocates have long accused Google, whose corporate parent Alphabet Inc. has a market value just over $1 trillion, of abusing its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and boost its profits. Critics contend that multibillion-dollar fines and mandated changes in Google’s practices imposed by European regulators in recent years weren’t severe enough and that structural changes are needed for Google to change its conduct.

The case is expected to be filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., and will allege Google has been abusing its dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers, the person familiar with the matter told the AP. It will also allege that Google uses billions of dollars collected from advertisers to pay phone manufacturers to ensure Google is the default search engine on browsers, the person said. The person could not discuss the matter publicly before a formal announcement expected later Tuesday morning and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

Court records indicate that 11 states will join the federal government in the lawsuit.

The Trump administration has long had Google in its sights. A top economic adviser to President Donald Trump said two years ago that the White House was considering whether Google searches should be subject to government regulation. Trump has often criticized Google, recycling unfounded claims by conservatives that the search giant is biased against conservatives and suppresses their viewpoints, interferes with U.S. elections and prefers working with the Chinese military over the Pentagon.

Google controls about 90% of global web searches. The company has been bracing for the government’s action and is expected to fiercely oppose any attempt to force it to spin off its services into separate businesses.

The company, based in Mountain View, California, has long denied the claims of unfair competition. Google argues that although its businesses are large, they are useful and beneficial to consumers. It maintains that its services face ample competition and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives.

Most of Google’s services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps it sell its ads. Google insists that it holds no special power forcing people to use its free services or preventing them from going elsewhere.

A recent report from a House Judiciary subcommittee, following a year-long investigation into Big Tech’s market dominance, concluded that Google has monopoly power in the market for search. It said the company established its position in several markets through acquisition, snapping up successful technologies that other businesses had developed — buying an estimated 260 companies in 20 years.

The argument for reining in Google has gathered force as the company stretched far beyond its 1998 roots as a search engine governed by the motto “Don’t Be Evil.” It’s since grown into a diversified goliath with online tentacles that scoop up personal data from billions of people via services ranging from search, video and maps to smartphone software. That data helps feed the advertising machine that has turned Google into a behemoth.

The company owns the leading web browser in Chrome, the world’s largest smartphone operating system in Android, the top video site in YouTube and the most popular digital mapping system. Some critics have singled out YouTube and Android as among Google businesses that should be considered for divestiture.

With only two weeks to Election Day, the Trump Justice Department is taking bold legal action against Google on an issue of rare bipartisan agreement. Republicans and Democrats have accelerated their criticism of Big Tech in recent months, although sometimes for different reasons. It’s unclear what the status of the government’s suit against Google would be if a Joe Biden administration were to take over next year.

The Justice Department sought support for its suit from states across the country that share concerns about Google’s conduct. A bipartisan coalition of 50 U.S. states and territories, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, announced a year ago they were investigating Google’s business practices, citing “potential monopolistic behavior.”

Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina and Texas will join the lawsuit, according to court records.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is expected to file a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that Google has been abusing its online dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.The lawsuit marks the government’s most significant act to protect competition since its groundbreaking case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago. It could be an opening salvo ahead of other major government antitrust actions, given ongoing investigations of major tech companies including Apple, Amazon and Facebook at both the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission.Lawmakers and consumer advocates have long accused Google, whose corporate parent Alphabet Inc. has a market value just over $1 trillion, of abusing its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and boost its profits. Critics contend that multibillion-dollar fines and mandated changes in Google’s practices imposed by European regulators in recent years weren’t severe enough and that structural changes are needed for Google to change its conduct.The case is expected to be filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., and will allege Google has been abusing its dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers, the person familiar with the matter told the AP. It will also allege that Google uses billions of dollars collected from advertisers to pay phone manufacturers to ensure Google is the default search engine on browsers, the person said. The person could not discuss the matter publicly before a formal announcement expected later Tuesday morning and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.Court records indicate that 11 states will join the federal government in the lawsuit.The Trump administration has long had Google in its sights. A top economic adviser to President Donald Trump said two years ago that the White House was considering whether Google searches should be subject to government regulation. Trump has often criticized Google, recycling unfounded claims by conservatives that the search giant is biased against conservatives and suppresses their viewpoints, interferes with U.S. elections and prefers working with the Chinese military over the Pentagon.Google controls about 90% of global web searches. The company has been bracing for the government’s action and is expected to fiercely oppose any attempt to force it to spin off its services into separate businesses.The company, based in Mountain View, California, has long denied the claims of unfair competition. Google argues that although its businesses are large, they are useful and beneficial to consumers. It maintains that its services face ample competition and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives.Most of Google’s services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps it sell its ads. Google insists that it holds no special power forcing people to use its free services or preventing them from going elsewhere.A recent report from a House Judiciary subcommittee, following a year-long investigation into Big Tech’s market dominance, concluded that Google has monopoly power in the market for search. It said the company established its position in several markets through acquisition, snapping up successful technologies that other businesses had developed — buying an estimated 260 companies in 20 years.The argument for reining in Google has gathered force as the company stretched far beyond its 1998 roots as a search engine governed by the motto “Don’t Be Evil.” It’s since grown into a diversified goliath with online tentacles that scoop up personal data from billions of people via services ranging from search, video and maps to smartphone software. That data helps feed the advertising machine that has turned Google into a behemoth.The company owns the leading web browser in Chrome, the world’s largest smartphone operating system in Android, the top video site in YouTube and the most popular digital mapping system. Some critics have singled out YouTube and Android as among Google businesses that should be considered for divestiture.With only two weeks to Election Day, the Trump Justice Department is taking bold legal action against Google on an issue of rare bipartisan agreement. Republicans and Democrats have accelerated their criticism of Big Tech in recent months, although sometimes for different reasons. It’s unclear what the status of the government’s suit against Google would be if a Joe Biden administration were to take over next year.The Justice Department sought support for its suit from states across the country that share concerns about Google’s conduct. A bipartisan coalition of 50 U.S. states and territories, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, announced a year ago they were investigating Google’s business practices, citing “potential monopolistic behavior.”Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina and Texas will join the lawsuit, according to court records.

Justice Dept. to file landmark antitrust case against Google

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Fire officials in the eastern Nebraska city of Columbus say a stray ember from a wood-burning fireplace sparked a house fire over the weekend that killed four people.

 The Nebraska State Fire Marshal's office says in a news release that 27-year-old Lars Barcel and 28-year-old Janelle Miller died in the fire, along with two children whose names were not released Monday. 

Officials say the fire broke out Saturday morning in a house in the heart of Columbus, which is about 70 miles west of Omaha. 

Firefighters pulled all four from the house and rushed them to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead. 

State Fire Marshal’s investigators and Columbus police determined that the ember ignited nearby combustible materials.

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Fire officials in the eastern Nebraska city of Columbus say a stray ember from a wood-burning fireplace sparked a house fire over the weekend that killed four people. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal's office says in a news release that 27-year-old Lars Barcel and 28-year-old Janelle Miller died in the fire, along with two children whose names were not released Monday. Officials say the fire broke out Saturday morning in a house in the heart of Columbus, which is about 70 miles west of Omaha. Firefighters pulled all four from the house and rushed them to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead. State Fire Marshal’s investigators and Columbus police determined that the ember ignited nearby combustible materials.

Officials ID 2 of 4 killed in house fire in eastern Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln company focused on fighting wildfires using drones says it has been awarded more than $1 million in federal and state grants. 

Drone Amplified tells the Lincoln Journal Star it has been awarded a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research grant for $983,676 and a Nebraska Department of Economic Development matching grant for $100,000.

 The company says the funding will be used to help conduct research and development on improving the safety, decreasing the costs and increasing the effectiveness of firefighters battling wildfires.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln company focused on fighting wildfires using drones says it has been awarded more than $1 million in federal and state grants. Drone Amplified tells the Lincoln Journal Star it has been awarded a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research grant for $983,676 and a Nebraska Department of Economic Development matching grant for $100,000. The company says the funding will be used to help conduct research and development on improving the safety, decreasing the costs and increasing the effectiveness of firefighters battling wildfires.

Lincoln drone company awarded more than $1M in grants

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to seven robberies at local businesses, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Joshua Alexander Musgraves, 27, Topeka, pleaded guilty to seven counts of robbery including: Jan. 6, 2017, Plato’s Closet, 1580 SW Wanamaker, Topeka;&nbsp; Jan. 20, 2017, Kentucky Fried Chicken, 1812 NW Topeka Blvd, Topeka; March 23, 2017, Burger King, 2817 SE California Ave., Topeka; March 30, 2017, McDonald’s, 1100 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka; April 3, 2017, Subway, 1601 W. 23rd, Topeka; April 4, 2017, Wing Stop, 2233 Louisiana St., Lawrence, Kan.; Dec. 10, 2016, Denison State Bank, 3640 SW Fairlawn, Topeka.

&nbsp;Sentencing is set for Jan. 25, 2021. Both parties have agree to recommend a sentence of no less than nine years and no more than 12 years in federal prison.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602883495411.png" alt="Musgraves photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Musgraves photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to seven robberies at local businesses, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.Joshua Alexander Musgraves, 27, Topeka, pleaded guilty to seven counts of robbery including: Jan. 6, 2017, Plato’s Closet, 1580 SW Wanamaker, Topeka;&nbsp; Jan. 20, 2017, Kentucky Fried Chicken, 1812 NW Topeka Blvd, Topeka; March 23, 2017, Burger King, 2817 SE California Ave., Topeka; March 30, 2017, McDonald’s, 1100 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka; April 3, 2017, Subway, 1601 W. 23rd, Topeka; April 4, 2017, Wing Stop, 2233 Louisiana St., Lawrence, Kan.; Dec. 10, 2016, Denison State Bank, 3640 SW Fairlawn, Topeka.&nbsp;Sentencing is set for Jan. 25, 2021. Both parties have agree to recommend a sentence of no less than nine years and no more than 12 years in federal prison.

Kan. man admits robbing bank, 6 other businesses

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) — A cool, windy weekend made the opening of South Dakota’s pheasant season a tough go for most hunters. 

Conservation officer Nick Cochran tells the Aberdeen News that many hunters were happy with the number of birds they saw, but it was tough to shoot them in the windy conditions. 

He says it seemed like hunters enjoyed the chance to spend time outside amid the pandemic. But limits were hard to come by without some hard work. 

A man was struck Saturday with shotgun BBs in the Chelsea area and taken to a hospital, though his injuries weren’t severe.

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) — A cool, windy weekend made the opening of South Dakota’s pheasant season a tough go for most hunters. Conservation officer Nick Cochran tells the Aberdeen News that many hunters were happy with the number of birds they saw, but it was tough to shoot them in the windy conditions. He says it seemed like hunters enjoyed the chance to spend time outside amid the pandemic. But limits were hard to come by without some hard work. A man was struck Saturday with shotgun BBs in the Chelsea area and taken to a hospital, though his injuries weren’t severe.

Cold and wind make for tough South Dakota pheasant opener

SPEARFISH, S.D. (AP) — Shelter officials say 35 dogs rescued near Whitewood last week were starving and inbred. Jennifer McCambridge of the Western Hills Humane Society tells the Rapid City Journal they're skinny, they’re bloated with worms, they have diarrhea and were fighting over food to survive. 

The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office initially said 24 dogs were seized during a search. But McCambridge said 35 dogs were taken altogether, including animals that hid or ran away. 

Investigators say the dogs, including numerous dead ones, were found outside and inside a home, trailers and vehicles.

SPEARFISH, S.D. (AP) — Shelter officials say 35 dogs rescued near Whitewood last week were starving and inbred. Jennifer McCambridge of the Western Hills Humane Society tells the Rapid City Journal they're skinny, they’re bloated with worms, they have diarrhea and were fighting over food to survive. The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office initially said 24 dogs were seized during a search. But McCambridge said 35 dogs were taken altogether, including animals that hid or ran away. Investigators say the dogs, including numerous dead ones, were found outside and inside a home, trailers and vehicles.A charging decision is pending.

Shelter officials say 35 rescued dogs were starving, inbred

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Fire officials in the eastern Nebraska city of Columbus say four people have died in a house fire there. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the fire broke out Saturday morning in a house in the heart of Columbus, which is about 70 miles west of Omaha. 

Fire Chief Dan Miller says two adults and two young people were pulled from the house and taken to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead. 

Authorities had not released the victims' names or listed the cause of the fire by early Monday morning. 

The fire is being investigated by State Fire Marshal’s Office.

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Fire officials in the eastern Nebraska city of Columbus say four people have died in a house fire there. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the fire broke out Saturday morning in a house in the heart of Columbus, which is about 70 miles west of Omaha. Fire Chief Dan Miller says two adults and two young people were pulled from the house and taken to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Authorities had not released the victims' names or listed the cause of the fire by early Monday morning. The fire is being investigated by State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Officials say 4 dead in house fire in eastern Nebraska

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is past the point at which it can deliver more coronavirus relief before the election, with differences between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, her Senate Republican rivals and President Donald Trump proving insurmountable despite the glaring needs of the country.

Trump’s GOP allies are reconvening the Senate this week to vote on a virus proposal, but it’s a bill that failed once before, and that Trump himself now derides as too puny. The debate promises to bring a hefty dose of posturing and political gamesmanship, but little more.

Even the architect of the Senate measure, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., isn’t claiming the vote will advance the ball. Once the measure fails, he plans to turn the chamber’s full attention to cementing a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court by confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett. It is likely to be the Senate’s final act before Election Day.

In that context, this week’s vote has the chief benefit of giving Republicans in tough reelection races one last opportunity to try to show voters they are prioritizing COVID relief — and to make the case to voters that Democrats are the ones standing in the way.

“It was important to indicate to the American people before the election — not after — that we were not in favor of a stalemate, that we were not in favor of doing nothing,” McConnell said in a Kentucky appearance last week.

McConnell is resurrecting a measure in the $650 billion range that would repurpose $138 billion in small business subsidies to provide a second round of paycheck relief, add $300 per week in supplemental unemployment benefits, and help schools and universities reopen. The last version of the bill left out help for states and local governments sought by Democrats and another round of $1,200 direct payments demanded by Trump.

The last coronavirus relief package, the $1.8 trillion bipartisan CARES Act, passed in March by an overwhelming margin as the economy went into lockdown amid fear and uncertainty about the virus. Since then, Trump and many of his GOP allies have focused on loosening social and economic restrictions as the key to recovery instead of more taxpayer-funded help.

Trump has been anything but consistent. He now insists that lawmakers should “go big” with a bill of up to perhaps $2 trillion, a total reversal after abandoning the talks earlier this month. But Trump’s political problems aren’t swaying Senate Republicans.

“He’s talking about a much larger amount than I can sell to my members,” McConnell said.

The most recent bill from House Democrats weighs in at $2.4 trillion — or more than $2.6 trillion when excluding a $246 billion tax increase on businesses that’s unlikely to gain GOP acceptance. The package is a nonstarter with Senate Republicans and McConnell, who is making the case for a more targeted approach that’s well south of $1 trillion.

The moment is challenging for Pelosi as well. For months she has been promising a COVID relief package of more than $2 trillion stuffed with Obama-era stimulus ideas. Even though the Senate and White House are both in GOP hands — and will be at least into January — she has sharply rebuffed anyone who suggests that Democrats should take a smaller deal now rather than risk going home empty-handed until next year.

“This is not the time to say, ‘Okay, let’s fold.’ This is what we have been building up to,” Pelosi told fellow Democrats on a recent teleconference. She said Sunday that she remains optimistic of reaching an agreement with the administration but that a deal would have to come within 48 hours — or Tuesday — for it to be enacted by Election Day.

Taking a smaller bill now would likely require Pelosi to give up tax cuts for the working poor and accept a far smaller aid package for states and local governments. But it would also mean that relief would flow immediately to millions of workers whose supplemental unemployment benefits were cut off this summer.

Liberal economist Jared Bernstein, who worked for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in 2009 and advises him now, says inaction would mean “a lot of completely avoidable suffering for economically vulnerable people.”

When an aid bill finally passes may depend on the outcome of the election.

If Trump loses, Congress is likely to stagger through a nonproductive lame-duck session comparable to the abbreviated session after the decisive 2008 Obama-Biden victory or the 2016 session that punted most of its leftovers to the Trump administration. That scenario would push virus aid into 2021.

Delays in coronavirus aid come as the recovery from this spring’s economic shutdown is slowing and as the massive stimulus effects of the $1.8 trillion March relief measure wear off. COVID cases are spiking again heading into a third wave of the pandemic this winter. Poverty is climbing and the virus is continuing to take a disproportionate toll on minority communities.

“If Congress doesn’t act the next administration is going to inherit a real mess,” said Harvard economist Jason Furman, a former top Obama adviser. “Economic problems tend to feed on themselves.” He is in the Democratic camp that prefers imperfect stimulus now rather than a larger package in four months or so.

Instead, if history repeats, COVID relief is likely to be the first major item out of the gate next year, but it’s not clear even then that it’ll be as big as Democrats hope.

“Pelosi decided in July that the political benefit of the next package would accrue to the president’s benefit and therefore she was going to lay out the most aggressive terms possible,” said veteran GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, who predicts that Pelosi won’t get much more next year than she could have gotten now “unless they’re willing to break the filibuster for a $3 trillion bailout for blue states.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603103335078.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday a deal would have to come within 48 hours. -photo courtesy office of House Speaker" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday a deal would have to come within 48 hours. -photo courtesy office of House Speaker</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is past the point at which it can deliver more coronavirus relief before the election, with differences between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, her Senate Republican rivals and President Donald Trump proving insurmountable despite the glaring needs of the country.Trump’s GOP allies are reconvening the Senate this week to vote on a virus proposal, but it’s a bill that failed once before, and that Trump himself now derides as too puny. The debate promises to bring a hefty dose of posturing and political gamesmanship, but little more.Even the architect of the Senate measure, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., isn’t claiming the vote will advance the ball. Once the measure fails, he plans to turn the chamber’s full attention to cementing a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court by confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett. It is likely to be the Senate’s final act before Election Day.In that context, this week’s vote has the chief benefit of giving Republicans in tough reelection races one last opportunity to try to show voters they are prioritizing COVID relief — and to make the case to voters that Democrats are the ones standing in the way.“It was important to indicate to the American people before the election — not after — that we were not in favor of a stalemate, that we were not in favor of doing nothing,” McConnell said in a Kentucky appearance last week.McConnell is resurrecting a measure in the $650 billion range that would repurpose $138 billion in small business subsidies to provide a second round of paycheck relief, add $300 per week in supplemental unemployment benefits, and help schools and universities reopen. The last version of the bill left out help for states and local governments sought by Democrats and another round of $1,200 direct payments demanded by Trump.The last coronavirus relief package, the $1.8 trillion bipartisan CARES Act, passed in March by an overwhelming margin as the economy went into lockdown amid fear and uncertainty about the virus. Since then, Trump and many of his GOP allies have focused on loosening social and economic restrictions as the key to recovery instead of more taxpayer-funded help.Trump has been anything but consistent. He now insists that lawmakers should “go big” with a bill of up to perhaps $2 trillion, a total reversal after abandoning the talks earlier this month. But Trump’s political problems aren’t swaying Senate Republicans.“He’s talking about a much larger amount than I can sell to my members,” McConnell said.The most recent bill from House Democrats weighs in at $2.4 trillion — or more than $2.6 trillion when excluding a $246 billion tax increase on businesses that’s unlikely to gain GOP acceptance. The package is a nonstarter with Senate Republicans and McConnell, who is making the case for a more targeted approach that’s well south of $1 trillion.The moment is challenging for Pelosi as well. For months she has been promising a COVID relief package of more than $2 trillion stuffed with Obama-era stimulus ideas. Even though the Senate and White House are both in GOP hands — and will be at least into January — she has sharply rebuffed anyone who suggests that Democrats should take a smaller deal now rather than risk going home empty-handed until next year.“This is not the time to say, ‘Okay, let’s fold.’ This is what we have been building up to,” Pelosi told fellow Democrats on a recent teleconference. She said Sunday that she remains optimistic of reaching an agreement with the administration but that a deal would have to come within 48 hours — or Tuesday — for it to be enacted by Election Day.Taking a smaller bill now would likely require Pelosi to give up tax cuts for the working poor and accept a far smaller aid package for states and local governments. But it would also mean that relief would flow immediately to millions of workers whose supplemental unemployment benefits were cut off this summer.Liberal economist Jared Bernstein, who worked for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in 2009 and advises him now, says inaction would mean “a lot of completely avoidable suffering for economically vulnerable people.”When an aid bill finally passes may depend on the outcome of the election.If Trump loses, Congress is likely to stagger through a nonproductive lame-duck session comparable to the abbreviated session after the decisive 2008 Obama-Biden victory or the 2016 session that punted most of its leftovers to the Trump administration. That scenario would push virus aid into 2021.Delays in coronavirus aid come as the recovery from this spring’s economic shutdown is slowing and as the massive stimulus effects of the $1.8 trillion March relief measure wear off. COVID cases are spiking again heading into a third wave of the pandemic this winter. Poverty is climbing and the virus is continuing to take a disproportionate toll on minority communities.“If Congress doesn’t act the next administration is going to inherit a real mess,” said Harvard economist Jason Furman, a former top Obama adviser. “Economic problems tend to feed on themselves.” He is in the Democratic camp that prefers imperfect stimulus now rather than a larger package in four months or so.Instead, if history repeats, COVID relief is likely to be the first major item out of the gate next year, but it’s not clear even then that it’ll be as big as Democrats hope.“Pelosi decided in July that the political benefit of the next package would accrue to the president’s benefit and therefore she was going to lay out the most aggressive terms possible,” said veteran GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, who predicts that Pelosi won’t get much more next year than she could have gotten now “unless they’re willing to break the filibuster for a $3 trillion bailout for blue states.”

COVID delay: New virus relief slipping past election

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agency have issued a <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-warns-voters-about-election-crimes-ahead-of-the-november-2020-election">series of advisories</a> in recent weeks aimed at warning voters about problems that could surface in the election — as well as steps Americans can take to counter the foreign interference threat.

The issues identified in the public service announcements run the gamut from the spread of online disinformation about the electoral process to cyberattacks targeting election infrastructure. Taken together, the advisories make clear that American agencies are tracking a broad range of potential threats that they believe voters should know about — not just for transparency’s sake but also so voters can be prepared.

The warnings come even though U.S. officials expressed&nbsp;confidence in the integrity of the vote despite repeated efforts by President Donald Trump to denigrate it.

Some of the announcements from the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency:

DISINFORMATION THROUGH BOGUS INTERNET DOMAINS AND EMAIL ACCOUNTS

It’s not hard to set up a fake, or spoofed, email account or website to closely resemble a legitimate one. That’s precisely what the FBI and CISA are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/201002.aspx" target="_blank">warning may take place to trick Americans</a>&nbsp;during the election.

Cyber criminals routinely forge websites with slight misspellings or other barely perceptively alterations to dupe internet users.

In the context of an election, for instance, a bogus website ending in “.com” versus “.gov” that purports to have legitimate voting information or results could trick people who visit the page into thinking that what they’re reading is an authentic, trustworthy government source.

Besides spreading false information, officials say, such spoofed websites and email accounts can gather personally identifiable information and spread malicious software.

One precaution voters can take is to verify the spelling of websites and email addresses that may look legitimate but are actually not.

Foreign intelligence services could use websites like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/201001.aspx" target="_blank">pseudo-academic online journals&nbsp;</a>to cause confusion around the election and undermine confidence in the legitimacy of its results.

That could include promoting claims of voter suppression and ballot fraud, denigrating individual political candidates, disseminating information about cyberattacks — both real and alleged — and spreading otherwise misleading or unsubstantiated assertions to manipulate public opinion and discredit the election process.

U.S. officials are encouraging voters to rely on trustworthy sources of information, including state and local election officials, and to verify through credible channels reports about problems with voting before recirculating them online.

How someone voted is private. But information about who is eligible to vote, how often a person votes and for which party is publicly available through a variety of sources.

That’s why authorities said there was nothing to be concerned about last month when Russian media reported that some U.S. voter registration information was available on a hacker’s forum.

The FBI and CISA issued a reminder not long after that unnamed “foreign actors” and cyber criminals are spreading false information intended to discredit the American electoral process, including by falsely claiming to have hacked and leaked voter information.

Even if those foreign actors or cyber criminals had such information, it wouldn’t do anything to stop an American from casting a ballot or provide a way to manipulate the vote. The U.S. agencies say&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200928.aspx" target="_blank">they have no information that any attack&nbsp;</a>targeting election infrastructure has compromised the integrity of election results or the accuracy of voter registration information, or prevented an election from occurring.

The advisories describe possible threats to election infrastructure that they say may slow voting, or impede access to voting information, but that should not compromise the integrity of the results.

One concern&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200930.aspx" target="_blank">relates to so-called distributed denial-of-service</a>, or DDoS, attacks in which a server gets knocked at least temporarily offline by a flood requests, which could leave election-related websites inaccessible or slow access to voting information or results.

Even in such attacks, though, the underlying voting data should not be affected, according to federal officials who say they’ve been working with their local election counterparts to make sure they can minimize the impact and recover quickly from such a disruption.

The FBI and CISA say in another of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200924.aspx" target="_blank">recently issued warnings</a>&nbsp;that cyber actors are continuing to try to break into voter registration and vote reporting systems. But the agencies say they haven’t identified any incidents that could prevent Americans from voting or that could change vote tallies.

In 2016, Russia searched for vulnerabilities in state elections systems across the U.S. and also breached the Illinois voter registration system, probing for access to voting machines, internal networks, voter registration systems, electronic pollbooks and vote reporting websites. But there is no evidence that any votes were changed, or that the Russian activity affected the outcome.

This year, the agencies say they believe it would be difficult to manipulate votes in a way that could affect the election, and that election officials have developed safeguards like provisional ballots, paper backups and backup pollbooks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602066852640.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agency have issued a <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-warns-voters-about-election-crimes-ahead-of-the-november-2020-election">series of advisories</a> in recent weeks aimed at warning voters about problems that could surface in the election — as well as steps Americans can take to counter the foreign interference threat.The issues identified in the public service announcements run the gamut from the spread of online disinformation about the electoral process to cyberattacks targeting election infrastructure. Taken together, the advisories make clear that American agencies are tracking a broad range of potential threats that they believe voters should know about — not just for transparency’s sake but also so voters can be prepared.The warnings come even though U.S. officials expressed&nbsp;confidence in the integrity of the vote despite repeated efforts by President Donald Trump to denigrate it.Some of the announcements from the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency:DISINFORMATION THROUGH BOGUS INTERNET DOMAINS AND EMAIL ACCOUNTSIt’s not hard to set up a fake, or spoofed, email account or website to closely resemble a legitimate one. That’s precisely what the FBI and CISA are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/201002.aspx" target="_blank">warning may take place to trick Americans</a>&nbsp;during the election.Cyber criminals routinely forge websites with slight misspellings or other barely perceptively alterations to dupe internet users.In the context of an election, for instance, a bogus website ending in “.com” versus “.gov” that purports to have legitimate voting information or results could trick people who visit the page into thinking that what they’re reading is an authentic, trustworthy government source.Besides spreading false information, officials say, such spoofed websites and email accounts can gather personally identifiable information and spread malicious software.One precaution voters can take is to verify the spelling of websites and email addresses that may look legitimate but are actually not.DISINFORMATION THROUGH ONLINE JOURNALSForeign intelligence services could use websites like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/201001.aspx" target="_blank">pseudo-academic online journals&nbsp;</a>to cause confusion around the election and undermine confidence in the legitimacy of its results.That could include promoting claims of voter suppression and ballot fraud, denigrating individual political candidates, disseminating information about cyberattacks — both real and alleged — and spreading otherwise misleading or unsubstantiated assertions to manipulate public opinion and discredit the election process.U.S. officials are encouraging voters to rely on trustworthy sources of information, including state and local election officials, and to verify through credible channels reports about problems with voting before recirculating them online.FALSE CLAIMS OF HACKED VOTER INFORMATIONHow someone voted is private. But information about who is eligible to vote, how often a person votes and for which party is publicly available through a variety of sources.That’s why authorities said there was nothing to be concerned about last month when Russian media reported that some U.S. voter registration information was available on a hacker’s forum.The FBI and CISA issued a reminder not long after that unnamed “foreign actors” and cyber criminals are spreading false information intended to discredit the American electoral process, including by falsely claiming to have hacked and leaked voter information.Even if those foreign actors or cyber criminals had such information, it wouldn’t do anything to stop an American from casting a ballot or provide a way to manipulate the vote. The U.S. agencies say&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200928.aspx" target="_blank">they have no information that any attack&nbsp;</a>targeting election infrastructure has compromised the integrity of election results or the accuracy of voter registration information, or prevented an election from occurring.CYBER THREATS TO VOTING SYSTEMSThe advisories describe possible threats to election infrastructure that they say may slow voting, or impede access to voting information, but that should not compromise the integrity of the results.One concern&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200930.aspx" target="_blank">relates to so-called distributed denial-of-service</a>, or DDoS, attacks in which a server gets knocked at least temporarily offline by a flood requests, which could leave election-related websites inaccessible or slow access to voting information or results.Even in such attacks, though, the underlying voting data should not be affected, according to federal officials who say they’ve been working with their local election counterparts to make sure they can minimize the impact and recover quickly from such a disruption.The FBI and CISA say in another of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200924.aspx" target="_blank">recently issued warnings</a>&nbsp;that cyber actors are continuing to try to break into voter registration and vote reporting systems. But the agencies say they haven’t identified any incidents that could prevent Americans from voting or that could change vote tallies.In 2016, Russia searched for vulnerabilities in state elections systems across the U.S. and also breached the Illinois voter registration system, probing for access to voting machines, internal networks, voter registration systems, electronic pollbooks and vote reporting websites. But there is no evidence that any votes were changed, or that the Russian activity affected the outcome.This year, the agencies say they believe it would be difficult to manipulate votes in a way that could affect the election, and that election officials have developed safeguards like provisional ballots, paper backups and backup pollbooks.

Voter beware: US tells public how to avoid election mischief

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A man accused of stabbing his mother to death Friday outside a Nebraska pharmacy has been arrested, police said.

Officers responding to a report of a cutting found 60-year-old Carmen Terhaar in the area of the Kubat Pharmacy in Omaha, Nebraska, the Omaha Police Department said in a news release. She was transported to a local hospital where she died of her injuries.

Her 26-year-old son, Alan Terhaar Jr., was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602959785287.png" alt="Alan Terhaar Jr." />
 <figcaption>Alan Terhaar Jr.</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A man accused of stabbing his mother to death Friday outside a Nebraska pharmacy has been arrested, police said.Officers responding to a report of a cutting found 60-year-old Carmen Terhaar in the area of the Kubat Pharmacy in Omaha, Nebraska, the Omaha Police Department said in a news release. She was transported to a local hospital where she died of her injuries.Her 26-year-old son, Alan Terhaar Jr., was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

Son accused of stabbing mother to death at Nebraska pharmacy

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/15/mental-health-expert-vulnerability-inconvenience-drive-refusal-to-wear-mask/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A leading mental 
health expert at the University of Kansas Health System says the 
psychology behind whether people choose to wear a mask boils down to two
 key factors — inconvenience and vulnerability.

Lauren Lucht, executive 
director for behavioral and mental health, said vulnerability often 
triggers defense mechanisms in people to convince themselves everything 
will be fine.

“One defense mechanism as 
humans is to convince ourselves that bad things don’t happen to good 
people,” Lucht said. “In psychology, we call that belief in a just 
world. So, I think we’re in a bit of denial, and we don’t want to be 
inconvenienced for something we want to believe we’re at extremely low 
risk for catching and transmitting.”

Whether it is fear of 
contracting the virus driving someone to wear a mask or a feeling of 
false invincibility influencing a person to abstain from mask-wearing, 
psychology and our mental state play a large role in our decisions amid 
COVID-19, Lucht said Tuesday.

When confronted with their
 own vulnerability, people may attempt to justify that the inconvenience
 and risk of feeling vulnerable is reason enough not to mask up, Lucht 
said.

Dana Hawkinson, medical 
director of infection and prevention control, echoed Lucht, pushing 
Kansans to drop the idea of mask-wearing as a political issue.

“There’s enough objective 
data and science out there that show us that mask-wearing and separation
 or physical distancing works to decrease the spread of this virus,” 
Hawkinson said. “That continued thought of, ‘I don’t have to wear a mask
 because it infringes on my freedoms,’ is really a backward thought, and
 it’s not based in any science or data.”

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran said he views wearing a mask as a matter of common sense.

“Presumably,
 medicine concurs with common sense that wearing a mask makes you and 
more importantly the people you are around safer,” Moran said. “Social 
distancing and mask-wearing ought to hasten the day in which we are 
closer to being back to normal.”

The
 inconveniences or disruptions in that “normal” day-to-day wearing a 
mask might create —&nbsp; be it expressing yourself through a smile or just 
not enjoying the feeling of the mask — often elicits strong but valid 
reactions, Lucht said.

“We miss things. We miss 
hugs and smiles and high fives and handshaking, and all those things are
 completely valid,” Lucht said. “We cannot do those things right now the
 way we used to and It’s not about taking away anyone’s freedoms. It’s 
about personal responsibility so that we can get back to the life where 
we have more control about whether or not we put a mask on.”

The effect of added 
vulnerability from COVID-19 extends beyond mask-wearing, Lucht said. If 
people are not used to feeling vulnerable, it can be a significant 
stressor added on top of an already stressful time.

Amid COVID-19, Lucht has seen a marked increase in the mental and behavioral health services requested of KU Health System.

“30% of Americans are 
reporting an increase in depression and anxiety related to the pandemic,
 and experts would argue that the other 70% are lying,” Lucht said. “I 
don’t know what island you might live on where this wouldn’t have 
inconvenienced some element of your life. That becomes a stressor.”

Lucht said the longer the 
pandemic continues, the more likely we are to see people experience 
fatigue as a result of this perception of vulnerability or dealing with 
these inconveniences.

Regardless of which side 
of the mask-wearing isle you are on, Steven Stites, chief medical 
officer for the KU Health System, implored Kansans to take personal 
responsibility for their mental and physical health.

“Following the pillars of 
infection control prevention is not an act of obedience. It is an act of
 kindness and generosity that protects not only you, but it really 
protects everybody around you,” Stites said. “The science is here to 
help us get to the other side, but it’s our own individual actions that 
drive our ability to do that effectively.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602863053792.png" alt="Feeling vulnerable can trigger defense mechanisms that may influence mask-wearing tendencies, said Lauren Lucht of University of Kansas Health System. (Submitted by KU Health System to Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Feeling vulnerable can trigger defense mechanisms that may influence mask-wearing tendencies, said Lauren Lucht of University of Kansas Health System. (Submitted by KU Health System to Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/15/mental-health-expert-vulnerability-inconvenience-drive-refusal-to-wear-mask/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A leading mental 
health expert at the University of Kansas Health System says the 
psychology behind whether people choose to wear a mask boils down to two
 key factors — inconvenience and vulnerability.Lauren Lucht, executive 
director for behavioral and mental health, said vulnerability often 
triggers defense mechanisms in people to convince themselves everything 
will be fine.“One defense mechanism as 
humans is to convince ourselves that bad things don’t happen to good 
people,” Lucht said. “In psychology, we call that belief in a just 
world. So, I think we’re in a bit of denial, and we don’t want to be 
inconvenienced for something we want to believe we’re at extremely low 
risk for catching and transmitting.”Whether it is fear of 
contracting the virus driving someone to wear a mask or a feeling of 
false invincibility influencing a person to abstain from mask-wearing, 
psychology and our mental state play a large role in our decisions amid 
COVID-19, Lucht said Tuesday.When confronted with their
 own vulnerability, people may attempt to justify that the inconvenience
 and risk of feeling vulnerable is reason enough not to mask up, Lucht 
said.Dana Hawkinson, medical 
director of infection and prevention control, echoed Lucht, pushing 
Kansans to drop the idea of mask-wearing as a political issue.“There’s enough objective 
data and science out there that show us that mask-wearing and separation
 or physical distancing works to decrease the spread of this virus,” 
Hawkinson said. “That continued thought of, ‘I don’t have to wear a mask
 because it infringes on my freedoms,’ is really a backward thought, and
 it’s not based in any science or data.”U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran said he views wearing a mask as a matter of common sense.“Presumably,
 medicine concurs with common sense that wearing a mask makes you and 
more importantly the people you are around safer,” Moran said. “Social 
distancing and mask-wearing ought to hasten the day in which we are 
closer to being back to normal.”The
 inconveniences or disruptions in that “normal” day-to-day wearing a 
mask might create —&nbsp; be it expressing yourself through a smile or just 
not enjoying the feeling of the mask — often elicits strong but valid 
reactions, Lucht said.“We miss things. We miss 
hugs and smiles and high fives and handshaking, and all those things are
 completely valid,” Lucht said. “We cannot do those things right now the
 way we used to and It’s not about taking away anyone’s freedoms. It’s 
about personal responsibility so that we can get back to the life where 
we have more control about whether or not we put a mask on.”The effect of added 
vulnerability from COVID-19 extends beyond mask-wearing, Lucht said. If 
people are not used to feeling vulnerable, it can be a significant 
stressor added on top of an already stressful time.Amid COVID-19, Lucht has seen a marked increase in the mental and behavioral health services requested of KU Health System.“30% of Americans are 
reporting an increase in depression and anxiety related to the pandemic,
 and experts would argue that the other 70% are lying,” Lucht said. “I 
don’t know what island you might live on where this wouldn’t have 
inconvenienced some element of your life. That becomes a stressor.”Lucht said the longer the 
pandemic continues, the more likely we are to see people experience 
fatigue as a result of this perception of vulnerability or dealing with 
these inconveniences.Regardless of which side 
of the mask-wearing isle you are on, Steven Stites, chief medical 
officer for the KU Health System, implored Kansans to take personal 
responsibility for their mental and physical health.“Following the pillars of 
infection control prevention is not an act of obedience. It is an act of
 kindness and generosity that protects not only you, but it really 
protects everybody around you,” Stites said. “The science is here to 
help us get to the other side, but it’s our own individual actions that 
drive our ability to do that effectively.”

Mental health expert: Vulnerability, inconvenience drive refusal to wear mask

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Medical Center has reported that 21 of the facility’s 149 patients are being treated for the coronavirus, a record number for the state’s largest hospital. 

The figure as of Wednesday has forced the facility to divert patients from outside the county unless they are suffering from heart attacks, strokes or traumatic injuries. 

The hospital was also forced to hold 17 patients in its emergency room because of a lack of space. Hospitalizations have increased across Wyoming.

 The state reported on Oct. 8 an all-time high in one day of 56 hospitalizations due to the virus. 

As recently as early September, 13 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Medical Center has reported that 21 of the facility’s 149 patients are being treated for the coronavirus, a record number for the state’s largest hospital. The figure as of Wednesday has forced the facility to divert patients from outside the county unless they are suffering from heart attacks, strokes or traumatic injuries. The hospital was also forced to hold 17 patients in its emergency room because of a lack of space. Hospitalizations have increased across Wyoming. The state reported on Oct. 8 an all-time high in one day of 56 hospitalizations due to the virus. As recently as early September, 13 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus.

WMC reports record hospitalizations for the coronavirus

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — One of two Rocky Mountain wildfires that have been pushed by strong winds has become the largest in Colorado’s history. 

The Cameron Peak Fire has burned 256 square miles in northern Colorado as of Thursday. 

That's about 40 square miles bigger than one in western Colorado that held the previous record and was fully contained Sept. 15. Meanwhile, the Mullen Fire in southeastern Wyoming and northern Colorado has burned 276 square miles. 

Forecasters expect dry air and strong wind to pose a challenge for firefighters into the weekend. 

The burning is occurring much later in the year than usual.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — One of two Rocky Mountain wildfires that have been pushed by strong winds has become the largest in Colorado’s history. The Cameron Peak Fire has burned 256 square miles in northern Colorado as of Thursday. That's about 40 square miles bigger than one in western Colorado that held the previous record and was fully contained Sept. 15. Meanwhile, the Mullen Fire in southeastern Wyoming and northern Colorado has burned 276 square miles. Forecasters expect dry air and strong wind to pose a challenge for firefighters into the weekend. The burning is occurring much later in the year than usual.

Winds push Colorado wildfire to largest in state history

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has hit the campaign trail in New Hampshire, making appearances without wearing a mask, even as her state witnessed a new highpoint for virus cases. 

Active cases of the coronavirus on Thursday topped 7,000 for the first time in South Dakota and hospitalizations inched to a new high for the third-straight day in a row. 

The Republican governor has vaulted to national prominence among conservatives who have praised her hands-off approach to the pandemic.

 But as she made numerous campaign stops in New Hampshire, the health crisis in her home state continued to escalate.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has hit the campaign trail in New Hampshire, making appearances without wearing a mask, even as her state witnessed a new highpoint for virus cases. Active cases of the coronavirus on Thursday topped 7,000 for the first time in South Dakota and hospitalizations inched to a new high for the third-straight day in a row. The Republican governor has vaulted to national prominence among conservatives who have praised her hands-off approach to the pandemic. But as she made numerous campaign stops in New Hampshire, the health crisis in her home state continued to escalate.

Noem campaigns in New Hampshire as virus surges at home

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police say the person shot Thursday evening was a 14-year-old boy.

 The shooting happened around 8:45 p.m. near 36th and Spaulding. 

Police on Friday disclosed that the victim was a 14-year-old boy. 

He is hospitalized in serious condition. An investigation into the shooting continues.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police say the person shot Thursday evening was a 14-year-old boy. The shooting happened around 8:45 p.m. near 36th and Spaulding. Police on Friday disclosed that the victim was a 14-year-old boy. He is hospitalized in serious condition. An investigation into the shooting continues.

Omaha police: Shooting victim was 14-year-old boy

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man has been convicted of animal cruelty for attacking his dog with a baseball bat, killing it and burying it in his backyard. 

Twenty-one-year-old Khaleem Baringer of Kearney pleaded no contest Tuesday to the felony charge as part of a deal with prosecutors who agreed to drop another charge in the case.

 A witness told police Baringer hit the dog several times in the head with the bat after it defecated on the floor and nipped at a woman as she tried to place the dog into a kennel. 

Baringer faces up to three years in prison when he is sentenced.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man has been convicted of animal cruelty for attacking his dog with a baseball bat, killing it and burying it in his backyard. Twenty-one-year-old Khaleem Baringer of Kearney pleaded no contest Tuesday to the felony charge as part of a deal with prosecutors who agreed to drop another charge in the case. A witness told police Baringer hit the dog several times in the head with the bat after it defecated on the floor and nipped at a woman as she tried to place the dog into a kennel. Baringer faces up to three years in prison when he is sentenced.

Nebraska man found guilty of beating and stabbing his dog

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Archdiocese of Omaha says an investigation has substantiated several allegations of sexual misconduct with minors against a priest who died last year.

<a href="https://omaha.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/archdiocese-of-omaha-probe-substantiates-sexual-misconduct-allegations-against-deceased-priest/article_b7651b57-9d75-5c68-8bbf-c13cb8d7b657.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">The Omaha World-Herald</a>&nbsp;reports that the archdiocese looked into the accusations against the Rev. Theodore Richling, who died in December.

A news release says the archdiocese received complaints against Richling last summer and informed the Douglas County Attorney's Office. The archdiocese concluded its internal investigation in September.

Richling was ordained in 1971 and served at several rural and urban parishes in northeast Nebraska.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Archdiocese of Omaha says an investigation has substantiated several allegations of sexual misconduct with minors against a priest who died last year.<a href="https://omaha.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/archdiocese-of-omaha-probe-substantiates-sexual-misconduct-allegations-against-deceased-priest/article_b7651b57-9d75-5c68-8bbf-c13cb8d7b657.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">The Omaha World-Herald</a>&nbsp;reports that the archdiocese looked into the accusations against the Rev. Theodore Richling, who died in December.A news release says the archdiocese received complaints against Richling last summer and informed the Douglas County Attorney's Office. The archdiocese concluded its internal investigation in September.Richling was ordained in 1971 and served at several rural and urban parishes in northeast Nebraska.

Allegations substantiated against Nebraska priest who died last year

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A village of 50 tiny houses may soon be coming to downtown Omaha.

<a href="https://omaha.com/business/local/a-tiny-house-village-appears-headed-to-north-downtown/article_47641abb-e07d-5080-872d-768f05565fcc.html" target="_blank">The Omaha World-Herald</a>&nbsp;reports that Arch Icon Development and Siena Francis House are working together on a project that would be on two acres of mostly industrial property in north downtown. Each stand-alone dwelling would be about the size of a small hotel room.

The project will be known as The Cottages, and it seeks to provide independence for people who have been in homeless shelter programs.

Each tiny house would be rented, and will include a kitchen, bedroom, living area and covered porch. The gated neighborhood will include a community center with common laundry and bike storage rooms, a business hub and offices for those managing the complex.

The estimated cost of the project is $6.5 million.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602853930205.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A village of 50 tiny houses may soon be coming to downtown Omaha.<a href="https://omaha.com/business/local/a-tiny-house-village-appears-headed-to-north-downtown/article_47641abb-e07d-5080-872d-768f05565fcc.html" target="_blank">The Omaha World-Herald</a>&nbsp;reports that Arch Icon Development and Siena Francis House are working together on a project that would be on two acres of mostly industrial property in north downtown. Each stand-alone dwelling would be about the size of a small hotel room.The project will be known as The Cottages, and it seeks to provide independence for people who have been in homeless shelter programs.Each tiny house would be rented, and will include a kitchen, bedroom, living area and covered porch. The gated neighborhood will include a community center with common laundry and bike storage rooms, a business hub and offices for those managing the complex.The estimated cost of the project is $6.5 million.

Tiny home village may be coming to downtown Omaha

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden squared off, in a way, Thursday night in dueling televised town halls that showcased striking differences in temperament, views on racial justice and approaches to a pandemic that has reshaped the nation.

Coming just two and a half weeks before Election Day, the night offered crystalizing contrasts and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-sarah-silverman-jon-hamm-7b601886fd47cc937612f25352747991">a national, if divided, audience</a>. But it seemed unlikely to have produced a needed moment for a president running out of time or opportunities to appeal beyond his core base.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602793246633.png" alt="President Trump on NBC from Miami and Former Vice President Biden on ABC from Philadelphia-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump on NBC from Miami and Former Vice President Biden on ABC from Philadelphia-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden squared off, in a way, Thursday night in dueling televised town halls that showcased striking differences in temperament, views on racial justice and approaches to a pandemic that has reshaped the nation.Coming just two and a half weeks before Election Day, the night offered crystalizing contrasts and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-sarah-silverman-jon-hamm-7b601886fd47cc937612f25352747991">a national, if divided, audience</a>. But it seemed unlikely to have produced a needed moment for a president running out of time or opportunities to appeal beyond his core base.He was defensive about his administration’s handling of the coronavirus, which has claimed more than 215,000 American lives, and evasive when pressed about whether he took a required COVID-19 test before his first debate with Biden. Angry and combative, Trump refused to denounce the QAnon conspiracy group — and only testily did so regarding white supremacists.The president also appeared to acknowledge revelations from a recent New York Times report that he was in debt and left open the possibility that some of it was owed to a foreign bank. But he insisted that he didn’t owe any money to Russia or any “sinister people” and suggested that $400 million in debt was a “very, very small percentage” compared to his overall assets.Biden denounced the White House’s handling of the virus, declaring that it was at fault for closing a pandemic response office established by the Obama administration in which he served. Though vague at times, he suggested he will offer clarity on his position on expanding the Supreme Court if Trump’s nominee to the bench is seated before Election Day.After Biden’s 90-minute town hall event formally concluded, the candidate spent another half-hour taking questions from those in the audience who didn’t get an opportunity during the televised program.Trump and Biden were supposed to spend Thursday night on the same debate stage in Miami. But that faceoff was scuttled after Trump’s coronavirus infection, which jolted the race and threatened the health of the American president.Trump wouldn’t say whether he had tested negative on the day of his first debate with Biden on Sept. 29, allowing only, “Possibly I did, possibly I didn’t.” Debate rules required that each candidate, using the honor system, had tested negative prior to the Cleveland event, but Trump spoke in circles when asked when he last tested negative.The presidential rivals took questions in different cities on different networks: Trump on NBC from Miami, Biden on ABC from Philadelphia. Trump backed out of plans for the presidential faceoff originally scheduled for the evening after debate organizers said it would be held virtually following his COVID-19 diagnosis.The town halls offered a different format for the two candidates to present themselves to voters, after the pair held a chaotic and combative first debate late last month. The difference in the men’s tone was immediate and striking.Trump was Trump.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-9fb3c8e23ccb85bcf267b0990d49ca2b">He was loud and argumentative</a>, rebuking his FBI director, fighting with the host, Savannah Guthrie, complaining about the questioning — and eventually saying for the first time that he would honor the results of a fair election, but only after casting an extraordinary amount of doubt on the likeliness of fairness.“And then they talk, ’Will you accept a peaceful transfer?’” Trump said. “And the answer is, ‘Yes, I will.’ But I want it to be an honest election, and so does everybody else.”He again sought to minimize revelations from a New York Times investigation that he has more than $400 million in debt and suggested that reports are wrong that he paid little or no federal income taxes in most years over the past two decades.Biden, meanwhile, took a far different, softer approach with audience questions. The former vice president, who struggled growing up with a stutter, stuttered slightly at the start of the program and at one point squeezed his eyes shut and slowed down his response to clearly enunciate his words. At times his answers droned on.Holding a white cloth mask in one hand, the Democratic nominee brought a small card of notes onstage and referred to it while promising to roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. He said doing so would save, as he consulted his notes, “let me see ... $92 billion.”Biden vowed to say before Election Day whether he will support expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court if Democrats win the presidency and the Senate and hold the House after November.He has for weeks refused to answer the question but went further Thursday night. He said, “I’m still not a fan” of expanding the court, but said his ultimate decision depended on how the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court “is handled” and “how much they rush this.”Biden also blasted Trump’s foreign policy, declaring that “‘America first’ has made ‘America alone’” and “This president embraces all the thugs in the world.” He turned introspective when asked what it would say if he lost.“It could say that I’m a lousy candidate, that I didn’t do a good job,” Biden said. “But I think, I hope that it doesn’t say that we’re as racially, ethnically and religiously at odds as it appears the president wants us to be.”Biden said he plans to participate in next week’s debate but he would ask Trump to take a COVID-19 test before arriving. “It’s just decency” for everyone around him, including non-candidates like camera operators, Biden said.The two men are still scheduled to occupy the same space for a debate for a second and final time next week in Nashville.___WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump was evasive Thursday night when pressed if he took a COVID-19 test before his first debate with Democrat Joe Biden as the two men squared off again, in a way, after their scuttled second showdown was replaced by dueling televised town halls several channels apart.Biden, appearing nearly 1,200 miles away, denounced the White House’s handling of the virus that has claimed more than 215,000 American lives, declaring that it was at fault for closing a pandemic response office established by the Obama administration. Trump, meanwhile, was defensive and insisted that the nation was turning the corner on the virus, even as his own battle with the disease took center stage.Trump, less than two weeks after being diagnosed with COVID-19, dodged directly answering whether he took a test the day of the Sept. 29 debate, only saying “possibly I did, possibly I didn’t.” Debate rules required that each candidate, using the honor system, had tested negative prior to the Cleveland event, but Trump spoke in circles when asked when he last tested negative.It was his positive test two days later that created Thursday’s odd spectacle, which deprived most viewers of a simultaneous look at the candidates just 19 days before Election Day. The moment seemed fitting for a race unlike any other, as yet another campaign ritual was changed by the pandemic that has rewritten the norms of society.The presidential rivals took questions in different cities on different networks: Trump on NBC from Miami, Biden on ABC from Philadelphia. Trump backed out of plans for the presidential faceoff originally scheduled for the evening after debate organizers said it would be held virtually following Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis.The town halls offered a different format for the two candidates to present themselves to voters, after the pair held a chaotic and combative first debate late last month. The difference in the men’s tone was immediate and striking.Trump was Trump. He was loud and argumentative, fighting with the host, Savannah Guthrie, refusing to outright condemn the QAnon conspiracy group, testily declaring he would denounce white supremacy but complaining about the questioning — and eventually saying for the first time that he would honor the results of a fair election, but only after casting an extraordinary amount doubt on the likeliness of fairness.“And then they talk ’Will you accept a peaceful transfer,’” Trump said. “And the answer is, ‘Yes, I will.’ But I want it to be an honest election, and so does everybody else.”Biden meanwhile, took a far different, softer, approach with audience questions. The former vice president, who struggled growing up with a stutter, stuttered slightly at the start of the show and at one point squeezed his eyes shut and slowed down his response to clearly enunciate his words. At times his answers droned on.Dressed in a blue suit and holding a white cloth mask in one hand, the Democratic nominee also brought a small card of notes on stage and referred to it while promising to roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.He said doing so would save “let me see... $92 billion.”The two men are still scheduled to occupy the same space for a debate for a second and final time next week in Nashville. But the cancellation of Thursday’s debate still reverberated for both campaigns.Trump and Biden battled on Sept. 29 in Cleveland in a debate defined both by the president’s constant hectoring of his opponent, which sent his support lower, and by its place on the calendar: just two days before Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus.Trump was hospitalized for three days, and while he later convalesced at the White House the debate commission moved to make their second debate remote — which the president immediately rejected.Earlier Thursday, Trump appeared at a rally in North Carolina, underscoring the challenge confronting him in the final weeks as multiple polls have shown him trailing Biden nationally and in many swing states. Trump has spent much of the week on defense, campaigning in states he won in 2016, such as North Carolina and Iowa, where he campaigned Wednesday.But despite the polling, Trump predicted a “big, beautiful red wave” on Election Night, before referencing another one of his major challenges: A cash disadvantage to the Biden campaign, which just announced raising a record-breaking $383 million in September.-------WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden will compete for TV audiences in dueling town halls on Thursday night instead of meeting face-to-face for their second debate as originally planned.The two will take questions in different cities on different networks: Trump on NBC from Miami, Biden on ABC from Philadelphia.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-donald-trump-rush-limbaugh-campaigns-705e9f19162daa9c595b7a3c03f5a8d2">Trump backed out</a>&nbsp;of plans for the presidential faceoff originally scheduled for the evening after debate organizers said it would be held virtually following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-health-archive-hope-hicks-7fece2838ff7a9bd91ccf5ac287348b3">Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis</a>.The town halls offer a different format for the two candidates to present themselves to voters, after the two held a chaotic and combative first debate late last month. But Trump, speaking on Fox Business on Thursday morning, launched early attacks on Biden, calling him “mentally shot,” a “liar” and a “corrupt politician.” He also said he had no plans to change his tone going forward.“Many people said I won it, but some people said I was rude. But you have to be rude,” Trump said of the last debate. “The guy’s a liar.”He also preemptively attacked NBC, charging that it went easy on Biden in a recent interview and asked questions geared for a child. Trump said NBC asked him to do the town hall.“It’s a different audience and it’s good for me to have a different audience,” he said.As the pace of the campaign speeds up in its final weeks, the two candidates first are taking care of other electoral necessities Thursday: Trump has a midday rally in battleground North Carolina, and Biden is raising campaign cash at a virtual event.During his fundraiser, Biden warned supporters that Trump is “going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at me” and will deliver “an overwhelming torrent of lies.” Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, came under scrutiny this week following a New York Post report outlining an email Hunter allegedly received from a Ukrainian businessman discussing a meeting with the elder Biden. Biden’s campaign has said the meeting never happened, and experts have raised questions about the veracity of the emails.Indeed, with just 19 days until Election Day, there remains ample time for unexpected developments to throw off the candidates’ plans — like they did Thursday, when Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon announced the campaign was canceling running mate Sen. Kamala Harris’ in-person campaign events through Sunday “out of an abundance of caution” after two staffers tied to the campaign tested positive for the coronavirus.The campaign told reporters Thursday morning that Harris’ communications director and a flight crew member tested positive after a campaign trip to Arizona last week, during which Harris and Biden campaigned together throughout the state. Biden and Harris both have tested negative multiple times since then, and the campaign said Harris was never in close contact with the staffers. But in an effort to draw a contrast with Trump, the campaign has emphasized its strict protocols in dealing with the virus and said it’d be moving Harris’ campaign events online whenever possible in the next few days.Meanwhile Trump, after recovering from his own bout with the coronavirus, has been trying to shore up support from constituencies that not so long ago he thought he had in the bag: big business and voters in the red state of Iowa.In a Wednesday morning address to business leaders, he expressed puzzlement that they would even consider supporting Biden, arguing that his own leadership was a better bet for a strong economy. Later, the president held his third campaign rally in three nights, this time in Iowa, a state he won handily in 2016 but where Biden is making a late push.“I know I’m speaking to some Democrats, and some of you are friends of mine,” Trump said in a virtual address to the Economic Clubs of New York, Florida, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Pittsburgh and Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Should Biden be elected, he continued, “you will see things happen that will not make you happy. I don’t understand your thinking.”During his decades in the Senate representing Delaware, a center for the credit card and banking industries, Biden built relationships and a voting record in the business sector that has raised suspicion on the left but provides Wall Street with a measure of ease at the prospect of a Biden administration.After being sidelined by the coronavirus, Trump resumed a breakneck schedule this week, with aides saying he is expected to travel and host campaign rallies every day through Nov. 3. Trump has appeared hale in his public appearances since reemerging from quarantine, though at moments during his economic address on Wednesday his voice was raspy.In Iowa, Trump tossed away his tie and donned a red hat to fight off the stiff breeze on the airport tarmac. He made a direct appeal to the state’s farmers, saying that he was responsible for $28 billion in aid designed to help offset damage stemming from his trade war with China. “I hope you remember that on Nov. 3,” Trump said.But after years of farmers supporting him despite the trade war, some Republicans say Trump’s renewable fuel policy has sown some doubt.Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency granted dozens of waivers to petroleum companies seeking to bypass congressional rules requiring the level of the corn-based fuel additive ethanol that gasoline must contain. He has recently denied more waiver requests, but the EPA’s previous action removed about 4 billion gallons of ethanol demand, resulting in the closure — at least temporarily — of more than a dozen ethanol plants in Iowa.While mostly laying low on Wednesday, Biden has stepped up campaign travel in the past week, with visits to Arizona, Nevada, Florida and Pennsylvania, where he drove his consistent campaign message focused on Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic.___