FREMONT, Neb. (AP) - Authorities are investigating a weekend crash of a pickup truck north of Fremont that killed an area woman.

The crash happened just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday about 2 miles north of Fremont on a rural county road, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office reported.

Investigators said the crash killed Dominique Hocij, 21, who was a passenger in the southbound truck.

A 21-year-old woman was driving the truck when she lost control of the vehicle, entered a ditch and rolled, throwing Hocij from the truck, investigators said. Hocij was pronounced dead at the scene. The 21-year-old driver had to be extracted from the truck and was flown to an Omaha hospital in critical condition.

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) - Authorities are investigating a weekend crash of a pickup truck north of Fremont that killed an area woman.The crash happened just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday about 2 miles north of Fremont on a rural county road, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office reported.Investigators said the crash killed Dominique Hocij, 21, who was a passenger in the southbound truck.A 21-year-old woman was driving the truck when she lost control of the vehicle, entered a ditch and rolled, throwing Hocij from the truck, investigators said. Hocij was pronounced dead at the scene. The 21-year-old driver had to be extracted from the truck and was flown to an Omaha hospital in critical condition.

Authorities: Woman killed in crash north of Fremont

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Health officials worry an event in Wyoming’s capital city last weekend could worsen a spike in coronavirus cases. 

The Cheyenne area went weeks with few new cases. Then on Monday, city officials announced 15 new cases, most of them people between 20 and 30 years old. 

The new cases preceded a weekend “Summertime On the Streets” event that brought hundreds of people downtown. Some went to a microbrewery where workers recently tested positive for COVID-19. 

Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department officials say they worry people not wearing masks at the event will probably lead to yet more cases.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Health officials worry an event in Wyoming’s capital city last weekend could worsen a spike in coronavirus cases. The Cheyenne area went weeks with few new cases. Then on Monday, city officials announced 15 new cases, most of them people between 20 and 30 years old. The new cases preceded a weekend “Summertime On the Streets” event that brought hundreds of people downtown. Some went to a microbrewery where workers recently tested positive for COVID-19. Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department officials say they worry people not wearing masks at the event will probably lead to yet more cases.

Cheyenne WY health officials: Event could worsen COVID-19 spike

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has made another stop in Rapid City on her tour of the state to announce city and county governments will be able to access $200 million in federal funding to address the coronavirus crisis. 

Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender says the city plans to get money it spent on an emergency shelter and emergency services reimbursed. 

He says police and emergency medics have seen their work “dominated by COVID and the effects of it.” The state has received $1.25 billion in funds from the federal government as part of a relief package for the pandemic.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has made another stop in Rapid City on her tour of the state to announce city and county governments will be able to access $200 million in federal funding to address the coronavirus crisis. Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender says the city plans to get money it spent on an emergency shelter and emergency services reimbursed. He says police and emergency medics have seen their work “dominated by COVID and the effects of it.” The state has received $1.25 billion in funds from the federal government as part of a relief package for the pandemic.

Noem announces federal COVID-19 funding for Rapid City area

LA VISTA, Neb. (AP) — An employee at the Oriental Trading Co. who left a noose on the chair of a Black colleague has been fired. 

Authorities are looking into whether hate crime charges should be brought in the case.

  Oriental Trading President and CEO Steve Mendlik says the company will not tolerate hate or racism and notified law enforcement of the incident at its office in La Vista, Nebraska. 

The Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office says it is still investigating the incident and the results will be sent to the county attorney who will decide whether to file charges.

LA VISTA, Neb. (AP) — An employee at the Oriental Trading Co. who left a noose on the chair of a Black colleague has been fired. Authorities are looking into whether hate crime charges should be brought in the case. Oriental Trading President and CEO Steve Mendlik says the company will not tolerate hate or racism and notified law enforcement of the incident at its office in La Vista, Nebraska. The Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office says it is still investigating the incident and the results will be sent to the county attorney who will decide whether to file charges.

Nebraska worker fired after noose left on colleague's chair

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s call for another round of stimulus checks to most taxpayers is getting a lukewarm endorsement from his GOP allies on Capitol Hill, but it’s emerging as an early area of potential agreement with Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the next coronavirus bill.

In a fractured Washington, that could be a foundation of a winning coalition as lawmakers inch toward talks on the fifth, and possibly final, coronavirus relief measure before November’s elections.

Trump told an interviewer Monday that he supports another round of direct economic stimulus payments similar to the $1,200 checks issued to most individuals earlier this year.

“Yeah, we are,” Trump told a correspondent for Scripps television stations. “We will be doing another stimulus package. It’ll be very good. It’ll be very generous.”

On Tuesday, neither Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — the lead White House negotiator on the first package — nor Trump’s GOP allies raced to endorse the idea.

“As we’ve said before, we’re talking about a bunch of different ideas that we may need to do in another bill,” Mnuchin said after a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans where the topic received little discussion. “We’re going to take our time and make sure that we’re thoughtful. Whatever we do, it will be much more targeted, much more focused on jobs.”

Congress passed the first round of checks nearly unanimously in March as part of a coronavirus response bill, at a cost of almost $300 billion. Both parties said the aid was essential as coronavirus lockdowns brought the economy to a near standstill. The jobless rate is still high at almost 15% nationwide, though retail sales have rebounded.

House Democrats are fully onboard with another round, having included direct payments in a more than $3 trillion measure that they pushed through the House in May. But views in the GOP are more mixed, despite Trump’s support.

“He’s always wanted a second round of stimulus checks, and probably for good reason,” said Sen. Ken Cramer, R-N.D., who mostly endorsed the idea. “What we do next in addition to something like that should be very targeted, very specific to restarting, really restarting the economy. ... I think direct contribution installments to individuals could be a nice, a nice stimulus.”

Skeptics of direct stimulus payments say they are not targeted enough, but they have an undeniable political appeal, especially with the elections less than five months away.

Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has made it clear that he does not want negotiations with Democrats and Pelosi on another COVID-19 response bill to begin until next month.

Negotiations on the legislation are also likely to center on providing another round of aid to states and local governments and extending unemployment benefits — though not the $600 per week supplement enacted in March.

“My preference would be to extend unemployment insurance, but to do that in a more limited way, and a more targeted way,” said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who also wants adjustments to payroll subsidies for businesses and aid to states and local governments seeking help with their ballooning budget deficits.

Most Republicans know that Trump’s posture means it’s likely a cinch that another round of direct payments will make it into the upcoming bill, despite their reservations. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., discounted a reporter’s suggestion that there’s “pretty strong skepticism” by Republicans toward another set of stimulus checks.

“I don’t think it got to the point you can say that,” Blunt said.

Several Republicans, however, said they want to tighten eligibility for the stimulus payments to try to control costs.

“But we need targeted tailoring of any kind of stimulus measures if we really want to get it to the people who are hurting the most,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593001408779.png" alt="President Donald Trump spoke with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday. Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Donald Trump spoke with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday. Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s call for another round of stimulus checks to most taxpayers is getting a lukewarm endorsement from his GOP allies on Capitol Hill, but it’s emerging as an early area of potential agreement with Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the next coronavirus bill.In a fractured Washington, that could be a foundation of a winning coalition as lawmakers inch toward talks on the fifth, and possibly final, coronavirus relief measure before November’s elections.Trump told an interviewer Monday that he supports another round of direct economic stimulus payments similar to the $1,200 checks issued to most individuals earlier this year.“Yeah, we are,” Trump told a correspondent for Scripps television stations. “We will be doing another stimulus package. It’ll be very good. It’ll be very generous.”On Tuesday, neither Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — the lead White House negotiator on the first package — nor Trump’s GOP allies raced to endorse the idea.“As we’ve said before, we’re talking about a bunch of different ideas that we may need to do in another bill,” Mnuchin said after a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans where the topic received little discussion. “We’re going to take our time and make sure that we’re thoughtful. Whatever we do, it will be much more targeted, much more focused on jobs.”Congress passed the first round of checks nearly unanimously in March as part of a coronavirus response bill, at a cost of almost $300 billion. Both parties said the aid was essential as coronavirus lockdowns brought the economy to a near standstill. The jobless rate is still high at almost 15% nationwide, though retail sales have rebounded.House Democrats are fully onboard with another round, having included direct payments in a more than $3 trillion measure that they pushed through the House in May. But views in the GOP are more mixed, despite Trump’s support.“He’s always wanted a second round of stimulus checks, and probably for good reason,” said Sen. Ken Cramer, R-N.D., who mostly endorsed the idea. “What we do next in addition to something like that should be very targeted, very specific to restarting, really restarting the economy. ... I think direct contribution installments to individuals could be a nice, a nice stimulus.”Skeptics of direct stimulus payments say they are not targeted enough, but they have an undeniable political appeal, especially with the elections less than five months away.Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has made it clear that he does not want negotiations with Democrats and Pelosi on another COVID-19 response bill to begin until next month.Negotiations on the legislation are also likely to center on providing another round of aid to states and local governments and extending unemployment benefits — though not the $600 per week supplement enacted in March.“My preference would be to extend unemployment insurance, but to do that in a more limited way, and a more targeted way,” said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who also wants adjustments to payroll subsidies for businesses and aid to states and local governments seeking help with their ballooning budget deficits.Most Republicans know that Trump’s posture means it’s likely a cinch that another round of direct payments will make it into the upcoming bill, despite their reservations. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., discounted a reporter’s suggestion that there’s “pretty strong skepticism” by Republicans toward another set of stimulus checks.“I don’t think it got to the point you can say that,” Blunt said.Several Republicans, however, said they want to tighten eligibility for the stimulus payments to try to control costs.“But we need targeted tailoring of any kind of stimulus measures if we really want to get it to the people who are hurting the most,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Debate continues on sending another virus stimulus check

WASHINGTON (AP) — The next few weeks are critical to tamping down a disturbing coronavirus surge, Dr. Anthony Fauci told Congress on Tuesday — issuing a plea for people to avoid crowds and wear masks.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?473229-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-federal-response-pandemic&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch a replay of the testimony

Fauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down virus testing, in contrast to Trump’s claim last weekend that he had ordered fewer tests be performed because they were uncovering too many infections. Trump said earlier Tuesday that he wasn’t kidding when he made that remark.

“We will be doing more testing,” Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health, pledged to a House committee conducting oversight of the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic.

The leading public health officials spent more than five hours testifying before the committee at a fraught moment, with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations.

Fauci told lawmakers he understands the pent-up desire to get back to normal as the U.S. begins emerging from months of stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns. But that has “to be a gradual step-by-step process and not throwing caution to the wind,” he said.

“Plan A, don’t go in a crowd. Plan B, if you do, make sure you wear a mask,” Fauci said.

Troubling surges worsened Tuesday in several states, with Arizona, California, Mississippi, Nevada and Texas setting single-day records for new coronavirus cases, and some governors saying they’ll consider reinstating restrictions or delaying plans to ease up in order to help slow the spread of the virus.

Arizona, where Trump was headed for a speech at a Phoenix megachurch, reported a new daily record of nearly 3,600 additional coronavirus infections Tuesday. Arizona emerged as a COVID-19 hot spot after Republican Gov. Doug Ducey lifted his stay-home orders in mid-May. Last week he allowed cities and counties to require masks in public places and many have done so.

Texas surpassed 5,000 new cases for a single day for the first time — just days after it eclipsed 4,000 new cases for the first time — as America’s largest pediatric hospital began taking adult patients to free up bed space in Houston. The infection rate in Texas has doubled since late May. And Nevada surpassed a record one-day increase for the fourth time in the past eight days. Other states also were experiencing worrisome surges, including Louisiana, Utah and South Carolina.

Another worrisome trend: an increase in infections among young adults. Fauci said while COVID-19 tends to be less severe in younger people, some of them do get very sick and even die. And younger people also may be more likely to show no symptoms yet still spread the virus.

If people say, “’I’m young, I’m healthy, who cares’ — you should care, not only for yourself but for the impact you might have” on sickening someone more vulnerable, Fauci said.

About 2.3 million Americans have been infected and some 120,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Republican Rep. David McKinley of West Virginia asked if Fauci regretted that the American public wasn’t urged sooner to wear face masks, and then interrupted before the visibly annoyed scientist finished answering.

Fauci said he didn’t regret the change in recommendations. Early in the pandemic there was a “paucity of equipment” for health workers “who put themselves daily in harm’s way” and “we did not want to divert” those scarce supplies, he said.

Scientists eventually recommended the general public use cloth masks, after they better understood that people with no symptoms could be spreading the virus —

Trump, meanwhile, doubled down on testing claims that have public health experts appalled, tweeting Tuesday:

“Cases are going up in the U.S. because we are testing far more than any other country, and ever expanding. With smaller testing we would show fewer cases! “

Less testing in fact means more infections going undetected. The U.S. was slow in ramping up and currently is testing about 500,000 people a day. Many experts say to control the spread of the virus, it should be testing 900,000 or more.

Brett Giroir, a Health and Human Services assistant secretary, told lawmakers Tuesday the next step is testing patient samples in large batches to stretch limited supplies, which would expand U.S. screening between fivefold and tenfold.

Instead of testing each person individually, health workers would pool samples from 50, 100 or more people from the same office or school, for example. A negative result would clear everyone, while a positive would require each person to be individually re-tested.

And Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, added that it’s now recommended for workers in nursing homes — hard-hit by the virus — to be tested weekly.

As for the anxiously awaited vaccine, Fauci said he believes “it will be when and not if” it arrives, and he’s “cautiously optimistic” that some vaccine could be available at the end of the year.

More than a dozen vaccine candidates are in various stages of testing around the globe, and the U.S. next month is poised to begin the largest study — in 30,000 people — to get the needed proof that one really works. Meanwhile, countries, including the U.S. under a program called “Operation Warp Speed,” are beginning to stockpile millions of doses of different shots, in hopes at least some will prove usable.

Health officials assured lawmakers Tuesday that there won’t be shortcuts on safety.

“We absolutely must maintain regulatory independence and make the right decision for the American people based on the science and the data,” said Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn.

Democrats blasted Trump for confusing the public with erroneous statements — from testing to masks to unproven treatments — and ignoring the public health experts’ advice.

“It costs lives,” Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida said of Trump’s false claims. She urged the public health specialists to do more to counter the president: “We really expect you to be more outspoken.”

Pushed on whether schools should reopen in August and September, Redfield insisted that will vary not just by state but by school district, depending on how many infections are in a particular area.

“Many jurisdictions will be reopening schools,” and CDC will soon issue some guidelines to help, he said.

Fauci noted that schools should tailor their decisions to local conditions, saying some might need few restrictions and others more. He offered the same advice to colleges, saying they should assume some students will get infected and that there must be ways to keep them and their classmates safe.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government’s top infectious disease expert told a House committee on Tuesday he believes “it will be when and not if” there will be a COVID-19 vaccine and that he remains “cautiously optimistic” that some will be ready at the end of the year.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?473229-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-federal-response-pandemic&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here</a> to watch a replay of the testimony

Dr. Anthony Fauci has returned to Capitol Hill at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1b92ce21f8ddf7eefb634b92fee38fed">fraught moment</a>&nbsp;in the nation’s pandemic response, with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations.

Fauci was testifying along with the heads of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Since Fauci’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e64f20bbacb7d48d15e1d76339220486">last appearance at a high-profile hearing</a>&nbsp;more than a month ago, the U.S. has been emerging from weeks of stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns. But it’s being done in an uneven way, with some states far less cautious than others. A trio of states with Republican governors who are bullish on reopening — Arizona, Florida and Texas — are among those seeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/feb4c26d9364497cf82ee7c0c1b1b3d5">worrisome increases in cases</a>.

Last week, Vice President Mike Pence published an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal saying the administration’s efforts have strengthened the nation’s ability to counter the virus and should be “a cause for celebration.”

Then Trump said at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1a59b4efe97f2249d414ae4f0b3c6495">his weekend rally in Tulsa</a>&nbsp;that he had asked administration officials to slow down testing, because too many positive cases are turning up. Many rally goers did not wear masks, and for some that was an act of defiance against what they see as government intrusion. White House officials later tried to walk back Trump’s comment on testing, suggesting it wasn’t meant to be taken literally.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey said during Tuesday’s hearing that Trump’s testing comment at the rally “was an extremely reckless action, and unfortunately it continues the president’s pattern of ignoring the advice of his own public health experts.”

Trump, departing the White House for a visit to Arizona on Tuesday, played down those comments, saying under his administration the U.S. is doing more testing than any other country. Trump’s trip includes a rally at a megachurch.

Fauci has recently warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f401d034122b820a89773432cbf51152">the U.S. is still in the first wave</a>&nbsp;of the pandemic and has continued to urge the American public to practice social distancing. And, in a recent ABC News interview, he said political demonstrations such as protests against racial injustice are “risky” to all involved. Asked if that applied to Trump rallies, he said it did. Fauci continues to recognize widespread testing as critical for catching clusters of COVID-19 cases before they turn into full outbreaks in a given community.

About 2.3 million Americans have been sickened in the pandemic, and some 120,000 have died,&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">according to data from Johns Hopkins University</a>.

Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is joined by CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield, FDA chief Dr. Stephen Hahn and the head of the U.S. Public Health Service, Adm. Brett Giroir.

Giroir was tapped by the White House to oversee the expansion of coronavirus testing. But he gained notoriety after a whistleblower complaint flagged him for trying to push&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0fbe485717c9a74e6d6c48aee7d208ae">a malaria drug touted by Trump</a>&nbsp;to treat COVID-19 without conclusive scientific evidence. The FDA has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/33f67f8aa5ef2280215087f8e5364017">withdrawn its emergency use authorization</a>&nbsp;for hydroxychloroquine.

“There have been a lot of unfortunate missteps in the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pallone said. “As communities across the country ease social distancing guidance and reopen their economies, it is critically important that both the administration and Congress remain focused on containing the spread of the coronavirus and providing the resources and support Americans need during this time of crisis.”

There is still no vaccine for COVID-19, and there are no treatments specifically developed for the disease, although the antiviral drug remdesivir has been shown to help some patients, as well as a steroid called dexamethasone, and plasma from patients who have recovered.

Since Fauci last testified, hospital physicians have become more skilled in treating coronavirus patients with the techniques and medications at their disposal. The U.S. continues to ramp up testing, with some 27.5 million Americans, or more than 8% of the population, tested thus far. But most communities still lack enough health workers trained in doing contact tracing, the work of identifying people who have had interactions with an infected person. That could make it more difficult to tamp down emerging outbreaks.

The Energy and Commerce Committee has oversight over drugs and vaccines, among other facets of the U.S. health care system. Committee Democrats have been harshly critical of the administration. However, not all Republicans have lined up to defend the White House. Some GOP members were growing concerned early in the year that the administration wasn’t doing enough to prepare.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592928665531.png" alt="Dr. Anthony Fauci prior to his testimony on Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anthony Fauci prior to his testimony on Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The next few weeks are critical to tamping down a disturbing coronavirus surge, Dr. Anthony Fauci told Congress on Tuesday — issuing a plea for people to avoid crowds and wear masks.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?473229-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-federal-response-pandemic&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch a replay of the testimonyFauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down virus testing, in contrast to Trump’s claim last weekend that he had ordered fewer tests be performed because they were uncovering too many infections. Trump said earlier Tuesday that he wasn’t kidding when he made that remark.“We will be doing more testing,” Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health, pledged to a House committee conducting oversight of the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic.The leading public health officials spent more than five hours testifying before the committee at a fraught moment, with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations.Fauci told lawmakers he understands the pent-up desire to get back to normal as the U.S. begins emerging from months of stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns. But that has “to be a gradual step-by-step process and not throwing caution to the wind,” he said.“Plan A, don’t go in a crowd. Plan B, if you do, make sure you wear a mask,” Fauci said.Troubling surges worsened Tuesday in several states, with Arizona, California, Mississippi, Nevada and Texas setting single-day records for new coronavirus cases, and some governors saying they’ll consider reinstating restrictions or delaying plans to ease up in order to help slow the spread of the virus.Arizona, where Trump was headed for a speech at a Phoenix megachurch, reported a new daily record of nearly 3,600 additional coronavirus infections Tuesday. Arizona emerged as a COVID-19 hot spot after Republican Gov. Doug Ducey lifted his stay-home orders in mid-May. Last week he allowed cities and counties to require masks in public places and many have done so.Texas surpassed 5,000 new cases for a single day for the first time — just days after it eclipsed 4,000 new cases for the first time — as America’s largest pediatric hospital began taking adult patients to free up bed space in Houston. The infection rate in Texas has doubled since late May. And Nevada surpassed a record one-day increase for the fourth time in the past eight days. Other states also were experiencing worrisome surges, including Louisiana, Utah and South Carolina.Another worrisome trend: an increase in infections among young adults. Fauci said while COVID-19 tends to be less severe in younger people, some of them do get very sick and even die. And younger people also may be more likely to show no symptoms yet still spread the virus.If people say, “’I’m young, I’m healthy, who cares’ — you should care, not only for yourself but for the impact you might have” on sickening someone more vulnerable, Fauci said.About 2.3 million Americans have been infected and some 120,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.Republican Rep. David McKinley of West Virginia asked if Fauci regretted that the American public wasn’t urged sooner to wear face masks, and then interrupted before the visibly annoyed scientist finished answering.Fauci said he didn’t regret the change in recommendations. Early in the pandemic there was a “paucity of equipment” for health workers “who put themselves daily in harm’s way” and “we did not want to divert” those scarce supplies, he said.Scientists eventually recommended the general public use cloth masks, after they better understood that people with no symptoms could be spreading the virus —Trump, meanwhile, doubled down on testing claims that have public health experts appalled, tweeting Tuesday:“Cases are going up in the U.S. because we are testing far more than any other country, and ever expanding. With smaller testing we would show fewer cases! “Less testing in fact means more infections going undetected. The U.S. was slow in ramping up and currently is testing about 500,000 people a day. Many experts say to control the spread of the virus, it should be testing 900,000 or more.Brett Giroir, a Health and Human Services assistant secretary, told lawmakers Tuesday the next step is testing patient samples in large batches to stretch limited supplies, which would expand U.S. screening between fivefold and tenfold.Instead of testing each person individually, health workers would pool samples from 50, 100 or more people from the same office or school, for example. A negative result would clear everyone, while a positive would require each person to be individually re-tested.And Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, added that it’s now recommended for workers in nursing homes — hard-hit by the virus — to be tested weekly.As for the anxiously awaited vaccine, Fauci said he believes “it will be when and not if” it arrives, and he’s “cautiously optimistic” that some vaccine could be available at the end of the year.More than a dozen vaccine candidates are in various stages of testing around the globe, and the U.S. next month is poised to begin the largest study — in 30,000 people — to get the needed proof that one really works. Meanwhile, countries, including the U.S. under a program called “Operation Warp Speed,” are beginning to stockpile millions of doses of different shots, in hopes at least some will prove usable.Health officials assured lawmakers Tuesday that there won’t be shortcuts on safety.“We absolutely must maintain regulatory independence and make the right decision for the American people based on the science and the data,” said Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn.Democrats blasted Trump for confusing the public with erroneous statements — from testing to masks to unproven treatments — and ignoring the public health experts’ advice.“It costs lives,” Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida said of Trump’s false claims. She urged the public health specialists to do more to counter the president: “We really expect you to be more outspoken.”Pushed on whether schools should reopen in August and September, Redfield insisted that will vary not just by state but by school district, depending on how many infections are in a particular area.“Many jurisdictions will be reopening schools,” and CDC will soon issue some guidelines to help, he said.Fauci noted that schools should tailor their decisions to local conditions, saying some might need few restrictions and others more. He offered the same advice to colleges, saying they should assume some students will get infected and that there must be ways to keep them and their classmates safe.----------WASHINGTON (AP) — The government’s top infectious disease expert told a House committee on Tuesday he believes “it will be when and not if” there will be a COVID-19 vaccine and that he remains “cautiously optimistic” that some will be ready at the end of the year.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?473229-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-federal-response-pandemic&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here</a> to watch a replay of the testimonyDr. Anthony Fauci has returned to Capitol Hill at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1b92ce21f8ddf7eefb634b92fee38fed">fraught moment</a>&nbsp;in the nation’s pandemic response, with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations.Fauci was testifying along with the heads of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services.Since Fauci’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e64f20bbacb7d48d15e1d76339220486">last appearance at a high-profile hearing</a>&nbsp;more than a month ago, the U.S. has been emerging from weeks of stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns. But it’s being done in an uneven way, with some states far less cautious than others. A trio of states with Republican governors who are bullish on reopening — Arizona, Florida and Texas — are among those seeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/feb4c26d9364497cf82ee7c0c1b1b3d5">worrisome increases in cases</a>.Last week, Vice President Mike Pence published an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal saying the administration’s efforts have strengthened the nation’s ability to counter the virus and should be “a cause for celebration.”Then Trump said at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1a59b4efe97f2249d414ae4f0b3c6495">his weekend rally in Tulsa</a>&nbsp;that he had asked administration officials to slow down testing, because too many positive cases are turning up. Many rally goers did not wear masks, and for some that was an act of defiance against what they see as government intrusion. White House officials later tried to walk back Trump’s comment on testing, suggesting it wasn’t meant to be taken literally.House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey said during Tuesday’s hearing that Trump’s testing comment at the rally “was an extremely reckless action, and unfortunately it continues the president’s pattern of ignoring the advice of his own public health experts.”Trump, departing the White House for a visit to Arizona on Tuesday, played down those comments, saying under his administration the U.S. is doing more testing than any other country. Trump’s trip includes a rally at a megachurch.Fauci has recently warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f401d034122b820a89773432cbf51152">the U.S. is still in the first wave</a>&nbsp;of the pandemic and has continued to urge the American public to practice social distancing. And, in a recent ABC News interview, he said political demonstrations such as protests against racial injustice are “risky” to all involved. Asked if that applied to Trump rallies, he said it did. Fauci continues to recognize widespread testing as critical for catching clusters of COVID-19 cases before they turn into full outbreaks in a given community.About 2.3 million Americans have been sickened in the pandemic, and some 120,000 have died,&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">according to data from Johns Hopkins University</a>.Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is joined by CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield, FDA chief Dr. Stephen Hahn and the head of the U.S. Public Health Service, Adm. Brett Giroir.Giroir was tapped by the White House to oversee the expansion of coronavirus testing. But he gained notoriety after a whistleblower complaint flagged him for trying to push&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0fbe485717c9a74e6d6c48aee7d208ae">a malaria drug touted by Trump</a>&nbsp;to treat COVID-19 without conclusive scientific evidence. The FDA has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/33f67f8aa5ef2280215087f8e5364017">withdrawn its emergency use authorization</a>&nbsp;for hydroxychloroquine.“There have been a lot of unfortunate missteps in the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pallone said. “As communities across the country ease social distancing guidance and reopen their economies, it is critically important that both the administration and Congress remain focused on containing the spread of the coronavirus and providing the resources and support Americans need during this time of crisis.”There is still no vaccine for COVID-19, and there are no treatments specifically developed for the disease, although the antiviral drug remdesivir has been shown to help some patients, as well as a steroid called dexamethasone, and plasma from patients who have recovered.Since Fauci last testified, hospital physicians have become more skilled in treating coronavirus patients with the techniques and medications at their disposal. The U.S. continues to ramp up testing, with some 27.5 million Americans, or more than 8% of the population, tested thus far. But most communities still lack enough health workers trained in doing contact tracing, the work of identifying people who have had interactions with an infected person. That could make it more difficult to tamp down emerging outbreaks.The Energy and Commerce Committee has oversight over drugs and vaccines, among other facets of the U.S. health care system. Committee Democrats have been harshly critical of the administration. However, not all Republicans have lined up to defend the White House. Some GOP members were growing concerned early in the year that the administration wasn’t doing enough to prepare.

🎥 Fauci: Next few weeks critical to tamping down virus spikes

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The number of people infected with the coronavirus in Wyoming grew by the fastest rate since early May in numbers released Monday. 

The Casper Star-Tribune reports the 27 lab-confirmed and six suspected cases matched the previous high of 33 cases on May 6. 

The Wyoming Department of Health reported Monday that 17 more people with lab-confirmed cases had recovered from the COVID-19 illness, for a total of 245 active, lab-confirmed cases statewide. 

That’s up from 203 such cases May 22, 131 on April 22 and 19 on March 22. Twenty people have died of the coronavirus in Wyoming.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The number of people infected with the coronavirus in Wyoming grew by the fastest rate since early May in numbers released Monday. The Casper Star-Tribune reports the 27 lab-confirmed and six suspected cases matched the previous high of 33 cases on May 6. The Wyoming Department of Health reported Monday that 17 more people with lab-confirmed cases had recovered from the COVID-19 illness, for a total of 245 active, lab-confirmed cases statewide. That’s up from 203 such cases May 22, 131 on April 22 and 19 on March 22. Twenty people have died of the coronavirus in Wyoming.

Wyoming COVID-19 new-case count ties early-May previous high

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A number of bars and restaurants in Lincoln would be able to expand their outdoor areas under requests approved Monday by the Lincoln City Council, but a final decision will be left to a state agency.

The council unanimously approved requests by Backswing Brewing, the Hub Cafe and five businesses in The Railyard entertainment district to offer more outdoor seating as they struggle to attract customers still concerned about gathering inside amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The request now goes to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, which City Attorney Jeff Kirkpatrick said has been supportive of temporary measures to help restaurants and bars that have been restricted to 50% capacity, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/business/local/council-approves-expanded-outdoor-liquor-licenses/article_dd560197-ce9c-5cd8-bf37-37527f183292.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">Lincoln Journal Star</a>.

Those restrictions have ended, but businesses still must follow social distancing rules and require customers to be seated most of the time. Given that, Kirkpatrick said an expanded outdoor liquor license makes sense.

Doug Dittman, owner of the Hub Cafe, said the change would "help people be more comfortable and safe."

Hobert Rupe, executive director of the Liquor Control Commission, said the agency probably would approve most requests but only for a limited period.

Gov. Pete Ricketts said he hopes to end social distancing requirements by next month. If that happens, Rupe said the commission likely wouldn't allow expanded outdoor licenses.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A number of bars and restaurants in Lincoln would be able to expand their outdoor areas under requests approved Monday by the Lincoln City Council, but a final decision will be left to a state agency.The council unanimously approved requests by Backswing Brewing, the Hub Cafe and five businesses in The Railyard entertainment district to offer more outdoor seating as they struggle to attract customers still concerned about gathering inside amid the coronavirus pandemic.The request now goes to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, which City Attorney Jeff Kirkpatrick said has been supportive of temporary measures to help restaurants and bars that have been restricted to 50% capacity, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/business/local/council-approves-expanded-outdoor-liquor-licenses/article_dd560197-ce9c-5cd8-bf37-37527f183292.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">Lincoln Journal Star</a>.Those restrictions have ended, but businesses still must follow social distancing rules and require customers to be seated most of the time. Given that, Kirkpatrick said an expanded outdoor liquor license makes sense.Doug Dittman, owner of the Hub Cafe, said the change would "help people be more comfortable and safe."Hobert Rupe, executive director of the Liquor Control Commission, said the agency probably would approve most requests but only for a limited period.Gov. Pete Ricketts said he hopes to end social distancing requirements by next month. If that happens, Rupe said the commission likely wouldn't allow expanded outdoor licenses.

State will decide outdoor plan for Lincoln bars, restaurants

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has announced she’ll be sending $200 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to city and county governments. But she says the economic impact of the pandemic could last for years. 

The Republican governor visited Sioux Falls to explain that cities and counties will be able to access the funds based on their population. 

The state has received $1.25 billion from the federal government as part of a relief package aimed at addressing the coronavirus. 

The governor is still hoping part of the money can be used to make up losses in tax revenue due to the economic downturn.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has announced she’ll be sending $200 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to city and county governments. But she says the economic impact of the pandemic could last for years. The Republican governor visited Sioux Falls to explain that cities and counties will be able to access the funds based on their population. The state has received $1.25 billion from the federal government as part of a relief package aimed at addressing the coronavirus. The governor is still hoping part of the money can be used to make up losses in tax revenue due to the economic downturn.

Noem: $200 million in federal relief for cities and counties

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska State Patrol troopers located a missing Michigan teenager and arrested a man she was with after a chase on Interstate 80 between Lincoln and Omaha. 

Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said the chase began Saturday afternoon when a car hit a patrol car that was responding to another call and kept going.

 The driver, 22-year-old Jacob VandenBosch, of Farwell, Michigan, eventually stopped. 

He was jailed on potential charges involving drug and traffic offenses. 

A 15-year-old girl who was with VandenBosch had a warrant for her arrest and had been reported missing. She was returned to Michigan.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska State Patrol troopers located a missing Michigan teenager and arrested a man she was with after a chase on Interstate 80 between Lincoln and Omaha. Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas said the chase began Saturday afternoon when a car hit a patrol car that was responding to another call and kept going. The driver, 22-year-old Jacob VandenBosch, of Farwell, Michigan, eventually stopped. He was jailed on potential charges involving drug and traffic offenses. A 15-year-old girl who was with VandenBosch had a warrant for her arrest and had been reported missing. She was returned to Michigan.

Nebraska troopers find missing Michigan teen after chase

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - China's decision to ban imports from a single Tyson Foods poultry plant where there was a coronavirus outbreak has raised concerns about the implications on the U.S. meat industry if the action is expanded to other plants.

Chinese customs officials didn't hint about expanding the ban in a short statement it issued about suspending imports from the plant in Springdale, Arkansas. The country imposed a similar ban last week on pork imports from a German plant where a number of workers tested positive for COVID-19, but it hasn't taken action against other U.S. beef, pork and poultry plants that have seen outbreaks among workers.

Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry &amp; Egg Export Council, said he hopes the move won't hurt the overall relationship with China, which had been improving after a new trade deal was signed early this year.

"Hopefully it's not going to mean anything," Sumner said. "If it remains at just one plant, it will not have any meaningful impact, but we don't know what's going to happen."

A U.S. Agriculture Department spokesman said Monday that there is no evidence of the virus being transmitted by food or food packaging.

"This action by the Chinese is completely unjustified," National Chicken Council spokesman Tom Super said.

Sumner said the time it takes for meat produced in the United States to reach China would make it especially difficult for any virus to survive.

"It's not transmissible in meat," he said. "Plus, that product is frozen and spends 30 days in a container en route to China. So there is zero possibility of a live virus from the US showing up in frozen poultry as it has been shipped by ocean carrier halfway around the world."

Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said the company remains confident that its products are safe, and it hopes the issue can be resolved in trade talks between the two countries.

Last week, Tyson announced the results of coronavirus testing at its facilities in Benton and Washington counties in Arkansas. It said that 481 of the 3,748 workers it tested were positive for COVID-19, and most of those workers didn't show any symptoms of the illness.

There have been other COVID-19 outbreaks at meatpacking plants around the United States, including in South Dakota, Iowa, North Carolina, Nebraska, and Iowa.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson called China's move "very troubling" since there's been no evidence of the virus being transmitted from food, and questioned why the facility was singled out.

"I don't know whether China is playing politics or just making bad judgments, but that's not good or helpful at all in our relationship," Hutchinson said.

Jeff Moon, who is a former assistant U.S. trade representative for China and now a trade consultant, said the action could be a political move to remind the Trump administration how dependent America is on the Chinese market for exports, but it's hard to tell for certain what is behind the ban.

"There is a legitimate interest in promoting food safety, but it also serves a much broader political purpose. China can choose to implement this ban for as long as it wants to or if it thinks it is useful and appropriate, it can lift it tomorrow. American companies frequently face this kind of limbo when dealing with the Chinese market," Moon said.

International trade was helped this year by China's promise to buy $40 billion in U.S. agricultural products per year under a trade pact signed in January although there have been some recent questions about whether China will fulfill that pledge. China became the fourth-largest market for American poultry in the first quarter after it lifted a five-year ban on those products.

Meat exports grew significantly throughout the first three months of the year despite the fact that dozens of U.S. meatpacking plants closed temporarily after outbreaks of the coronavirus among their workers. Chicken exports grew by 8% in the first quarter. And the U.S. Meat Export Federation trade group said pork exports jumped 40% and beef exports grew 9% during the first three months of the year.

Anything that jeopardizes the Chinese market significantly would have a negative impact on meatpacking profits and livestock prices, agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor said.

"If it's just one facility, then the industrywide price effects are very small. But if it became companywide or multiple plant or multiple species, then that starts hitting a much bigger portion of our production," said Tonsor, who is based at Kansas State University.

By JOSH FUNK-Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - China's decision to ban imports from a single Tyson Foods poultry plant where there was a coronavirus outbreak has raised concerns about the implications on the U.S. meat industry if the action is expanded to other plants.Chinese customs officials didn't hint about expanding the ban in a short statement it issued about suspending imports from the plant in Springdale, Arkansas. The country imposed a similar ban last week on pork imports from a German plant where a number of workers tested positive for COVID-19, but it hasn't taken action against other U.S. beef, pork and poultry plants that have seen outbreaks among workers.Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry &amp; Egg Export Council, said he hopes the move won't hurt the overall relationship with China, which had been improving after a new trade deal was signed early this year."Hopefully it's not going to mean anything," Sumner said. "If it remains at just one plant, it will not have any meaningful impact, but we don't know what's going to happen."A U.S. Agriculture Department spokesman said Monday that there is no evidence of the virus being transmitted by food or food packaging."This action by the Chinese is completely unjustified," National Chicken Council spokesman Tom Super said.Sumner said the time it takes for meat produced in the United States to reach China would make it especially difficult for any virus to survive."It's not transmissible in meat," he said. "Plus, that product is frozen and spends 30 days in a container en route to China. So there is zero possibility of a live virus from the US showing up in frozen poultry as it has been shipped by ocean carrier halfway around the world."Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said the company remains confident that its products are safe, and it hopes the issue can be resolved in trade talks between the two countries.Last week, Tyson announced the results of coronavirus testing at its facilities in Benton and Washington counties in Arkansas. It said that 481 of the 3,748 workers it tested were positive for COVID-19, and most of those workers didn't show any symptoms of the illness.There have been other COVID-19 outbreaks at meatpacking plants around the United States, including in South Dakota, Iowa, North Carolina, Nebraska, and Iowa.Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson called China's move "very troubling" since there's been no evidence of the virus being transmitted from food, and questioned why the facility was singled out."I don't know whether China is playing politics or just making bad judgments, but that's not good or helpful at all in our relationship," Hutchinson said.Jeff Moon, who is a former assistant U.S. trade representative for China and now a trade consultant, said the action could be a political move to remind the Trump administration how dependent America is on the Chinese market for exports, but it's hard to tell for certain what is behind the ban."There is a legitimate interest in promoting food safety, but it also serves a much broader political purpose. China can choose to implement this ban for as long as it wants to or if it thinks it is useful and appropriate, it can lift it tomorrow. American companies frequently face this kind of limbo when dealing with the Chinese market," Moon said.International trade was helped this year by China's promise to buy $40 billion in U.S. agricultural products per year under a trade pact signed in January although there have been some recent questions about whether China will fulfill that pledge. China became the fourth-largest market for American poultry in the first quarter after it lifted a five-year ban on those products.Meat exports grew significantly throughout the first three months of the year despite the fact that dozens of U.S. meatpacking plants closed temporarily after outbreaks of the coronavirus among their workers. Chicken exports grew by 8% in the first quarter. And the U.S. Meat Export Federation trade group said pork exports jumped 40% and beef exports grew 9% during the first three months of the year.Anything that jeopardizes the Chinese market significantly would have a negative impact on meatpacking profits and livestock prices, agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor said."If it's just one facility, then the industrywide price effects are very small. But if it became companywide or multiple plant or multiple species, then that starts hitting a much bigger portion of our production," said Tonsor, who is based at Kansas State University.

US meat industry puzzled by China's import ban for 1 plant

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Monday extended a ban on green cards issued outside the United States until the end of the year and added many temporary work visas to the freeze, including those used heavily by technology companies and multinational corporations.

The administration cast the effort as a way to free up jobs in an economy reeling from the coronavirus. A senior official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity predicted it will open up to 525,000 jobs for Americans, a claim that was immediately challenged by critics.

The ban, while temporary, represents a cut to legal immigration on a scale that had eluded the administration before the pandemic. Long-term changes that would prevent many asylum seekers from getting work permits and would allocate high-tech worker visas differently are also being sought.

Business groups pressed hard to limit the changes, but got little of what they wanted, marking a victory for immigration hardliners as Trump seeks to further solidify their support ahead of the November election.

The ban on new visas, which takes effect Wednesday, applies to H-1B visas, which are widely used by major American and Indian technology companies, H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers, J-1 visas for cultural exchanges and L-1 visas for managers and other key employees of multinational corporations.

There will be exemptions for food processing workers, which make up about 15% of H-2B visas, the official said. Health care workers assisting with the coronavirus fight will continue to be spared from the green-card freeze, though their exemption will be narrower.

“In the administration of our Nation’s immigration system, we must remain mindful of the impact of foreign workers on the United States labor market, particularly in the current extraordinary environment of high domestic unemployment and depressed demand for labor,” Trump wrote in his presidential proclamation.

Trump imposed a 60-day ban on green cards issued abroad in April, which was set to expire Monday. That announcement, which largely targeted family members, drew a surprisingly chilly reception from immigration hardliners, who said the president didn’t go far enough.

The new steps to include non-immigrant visas went a long toward appeasing hardliners.

“This is a bold move by the Trump administration to protect American jobs,” said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for restrictions. “Not all the items on our checklist of needed actions are included in today’s announcement, but the corporate lobbyists who were desperately fighting for exceptions to protect their clients’ access to cheap foreign labor have largely been rebuffed.”

Thomas J. Donohue, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive officer, said the measures will harm, not help, the American economy.

“Putting up a ‘not welcome’ sign for engineers, executives, IT experts, doctors, nurses and other workers won’t help our country, it will hold us back,” he said. “Restrictive changes to our nation’s immigration system will push investment and economic activity abroad, slow growth, and reduce job creation.”

BSA, a group that represents major software companies, urged the administration to reconsider, particularly changes to the H-1B program, saying they will hinder economic recovery by making it harder to fill critical positions.

“Filling these roles that are more abundant than the number of U.S. employees qualified to fill them means these jobs can be kept in the U.S.,” the group said. “This allows companies based in the U.S. to remain globally competitive, which in turn boosts the U.S. economy, creating jobs for millions of Americans.”

The freezes on visas issued abroad are designed to take effect immediately. Other changes, including restrictions on work permits for asylum seekers, will go through a formal rule-making process that takes months.

The administration is proposing a new way of awarding H-1B visas, the official said, awarding them by highest salary instead of by lottery.

H-1B visas are capped at 85,000 a year for people with “highly specialized knowledge” and minimum of a bachelor’s degree, often in science, technology, engineering, teaching and accounting. Critics say high-tech companies have used the visas as a tool to outsource jobs to foreigners, replacing Americans.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. was the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Data/Employment-based/H-1B/approved-h-1b-petitions-by-employer-fy-2018.pdf" target="_blank">largest H-1B employer</a>&nbsp;in the 2018 fiscal year, followed by Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Infosys Ltd., Deloitte Consulting LLP and Microsoft Corp. Other major employers include Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Google and Facebook Inc.

The rule against asylum seekers, scheduled to take effect Aug. 25, would make it much more difficult for them to get work permits by, among other things, lengthening the waiting time to apply from 150 days to a year and barring applicants who cross the border illegally.

The 328-page regulation — signed by Chad Mizelle, the Homeland Security Department’s acting general counsel, who is considered an ally of White House adviser Stephen Miller — says limiting work permits will remove a major incentive for people to come to the United States for asylum.

It is the latest in a long string of measures that make asylum more difficult to get — almost unattainable, according to some immigrant advocacy groups.

“The rule will prevent many refugees from feeding, supporting, and housing themselves and their families,” said Eleanor Acer, Human Rights First’s senior director for refugee protection. “Asylum seekers and their families already struggle to survive under existing work authorization wait times. But this rule will make survival impossible for many.”

Perhaps the only major consolation for business and academic institutions is the preservation — at least for now — of the Optional Practical Training program that allows college graduates to stay in the United States up to three years after completing study.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588194319573.png" alt="President Trump-photo courtesy White House&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>President Trump-photo courtesy White House&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Monday extended a ban on green cards issued outside the United States until the end of the year and added many temporary work visas to the freeze, including those used heavily by technology companies and multinational corporations.The administration cast the effort as a way to free up jobs in an economy reeling from the coronavirus. A senior official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity predicted it will open up to 525,000 jobs for Americans, a claim that was immediately challenged by critics.The ban, while temporary, represents a cut to legal immigration on a scale that had eluded the administration before the pandemic. Long-term changes that would prevent many asylum seekers from getting work permits and would allocate high-tech worker visas differently are also being sought.Business groups pressed hard to limit the changes, but got little of what they wanted, marking a victory for immigration hardliners as Trump seeks to further solidify their support ahead of the November election.The ban on new visas, which takes effect Wednesday, applies to H-1B visas, which are widely used by major American and Indian technology companies, H-2B visas for nonagricultural seasonal workers, J-1 visas for cultural exchanges and L-1 visas for managers and other key employees of multinational corporations.There will be exemptions for food processing workers, which make up about 15% of H-2B visas, the official said. Health care workers assisting with the coronavirus fight will continue to be spared from the green-card freeze, though their exemption will be narrower.“In the administration of our Nation’s immigration system, we must remain mindful of the impact of foreign workers on the United States labor market, particularly in the current extraordinary environment of high domestic unemployment and depressed demand for labor,” Trump wrote in his presidential proclamation.Trump imposed a 60-day ban on green cards issued abroad in April, which was set to expire Monday. That announcement, which largely targeted family members, drew a surprisingly chilly reception from immigration hardliners, who said the president didn’t go far enough.The new steps to include non-immigrant visas went a long toward appeasing hardliners.“This is a bold move by the Trump administration to protect American jobs,” said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for restrictions. “Not all the items on our checklist of needed actions are included in today’s announcement, but the corporate lobbyists who were desperately fighting for exceptions to protect their clients’ access to cheap foreign labor have largely been rebuffed.”Thomas J. Donohue, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive officer, said the measures will harm, not help, the American economy.“Putting up a ‘not welcome’ sign for engineers, executives, IT experts, doctors, nurses and other workers won’t help our country, it will hold us back,” he said. “Restrictive changes to our nation’s immigration system will push investment and economic activity abroad, slow growth, and reduce job creation.”BSA, a group that represents major software companies, urged the administration to reconsider, particularly changes to the H-1B program, saying they will hinder economic recovery by making it harder to fill critical positions.“Filling these roles that are more abundant than the number of U.S. employees qualified to fill them means these jobs can be kept in the U.S.,” the group said. “This allows companies based in the U.S. to remain globally competitive, which in turn boosts the U.S. economy, creating jobs for millions of Americans.”The freezes on visas issued abroad are designed to take effect immediately. Other changes, including restrictions on work permits for asylum seekers, will go through a formal rule-making process that takes months.The administration is proposing a new way of awarding H-1B visas, the official said, awarding them by highest salary instead of by lottery.H-1B visas are capped at 85,000 a year for people with “highly specialized knowledge” and minimum of a bachelor’s degree, often in science, technology, engineering, teaching and accounting. Critics say high-tech companies have used the visas as a tool to outsource jobs to foreigners, replacing Americans.Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. was the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Data/Employment-based/H-1B/approved-h-1b-petitions-by-employer-fy-2018.pdf" target="_blank">largest H-1B employer</a>&nbsp;in the 2018 fiscal year, followed by Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Infosys Ltd., Deloitte Consulting LLP and Microsoft Corp. Other major employers include Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Google and Facebook Inc.The rule against asylum seekers, scheduled to take effect Aug. 25, would make it much more difficult for them to get work permits by, among other things, lengthening the waiting time to apply from 150 days to a year and barring applicants who cross the border illegally.The 328-page regulation — signed by Chad Mizelle, the Homeland Security Department’s acting general counsel, who is considered an ally of White House adviser Stephen Miller — says limiting work permits will remove a major incentive for people to come to the United States for asylum.It is the latest in a long string of measures that make asylum more difficult to get — almost unattainable, according to some immigrant advocacy groups.“The rule will prevent many refugees from feeding, supporting, and housing themselves and their families,” said Eleanor Acer, Human Rights First’s senior director for refugee protection. “Asylum seekers and their families already struggle to survive under existing work authorization wait times. But this rule will make survival impossible for many.”Perhaps the only major consolation for business and academic institutions is the preservation — at least for now — of the Optional Practical Training program that allows college graduates to stay in the United States up to three years after completing study.

Trump administration extends work visa ban to non-immigrants

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska will extend its unemployment benefits for the first time in nearly 40 years in response to the mass layoffs triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

 The Nebraska Department of Labor says it will provide up to an additional 13 weeks for eligible recipients who have exhausted their regular or pandemic unemployment benefits. 

The extended benefits were triggered when the state unemployment rate hit 5.2% during the week of June 14. 

Other states are offering similar extended benefits based on their unemployment rate. 

Labor department officials said they’ll notify recipients who are eligible and will issue application instructions. 

The weekly benefit amount is the same as what people received for regular unemployment.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska will extend its unemployment benefits for the first time in nearly 40 years in response to the mass layoffs triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. The Nebraska Department of Labor says it will provide up to an additional 13 weeks for eligible recipients who have exhausted their regular or pandemic unemployment benefits. The extended benefits were triggered when the state unemployment rate hit 5.2% during the week of June 14. Other states are offering similar extended benefits based on their unemployment rate. Labor department officials said they’ll notify recipients who are eligible and will issue application instructions. The weekly benefit amount is the same as what people received for regular unemployment.

Nebraska to offer another 13 weeks of unemployment

BLAIR, Neb. (AP) — The 35-year-old mother of a 14-year-old boy who was driving during a rollover crash that killed another teenager has been sentenced to probation and eight days in jail. 

Makayla Maguire, of Blair, was sentenced to 3.5 years probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanors. She was sentenced last week.

 Her son, Dylan Maguire was driving a car that crashed in a field near Blair last July, killing 14-year-old Heidy Martinez. 

Dylan Maguire was sentenced earlier this month to probation until November 2023, when he turns 19.​ 

 Four other teenagers, all between 13 and 14, were in the car when it crashed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

BLAIR, Neb. (AP) — The 35-year-old mother of a 14-year-old boy who was driving during a rollover crash that killed another teenager has been sentenced to probation and eight days in jail. Makayla Maguire, of Blair, was sentenced to 3.5 years probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanors. She was sentenced last week. Her son, Dylan Maguire was driving a car that crashed in a field near Blair last July, killing 14-year-old Heidy Martinez. Dylan Maguire was sentenced earlier this month to probation until November 2023, when he turns 19.​ Four other teenagers, all between 13 and 14, were in the car when it crashed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mother of young driver in fatal crash sentenced to probation

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say a man who drowned in a Minnehaha County lake died after saving two children who had fallen off a flotation device. 

Authorities say 38-year-old Lazerick Grant, of Sioux Falls, died at Sanford Hospital on Wednesday. Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Walsh says deputies were dispatched to Wall Lake west of Sioux Falls shortly before 9 p.m Tuesday on a report of a possible drowning. 

Witnesses told officials Grant had been on a flotation device in the swimming area of the lake with two children at the time of the incident when the children fell in the water and Grant went in after them.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say a man who drowned in a Minnehaha County lake died after saving two children who had fallen off a flotation device. Authorities say 38-year-old Lazerick Grant, of Sioux Falls, died at Sanford Hospital on Wednesday. Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Walsh says deputies were dispatched to Wall Lake west of Sioux Falls shortly before 9 p.m Tuesday on a report of a possible drowning. Witnesses told officials Grant had been on a flotation device in the swimming area of the lake with two children at the time of the incident when the children fell in the water and Grant went in after them.

Man drowns after saving two children at South Dakota lake

AP - The Trump administration has rejected imposing federal drinking-water limits for a chemical used in fireworks and other explosives and linked to brain damage in newborns. 

The administration has decided to override Obama-era findings that the neurotoxin perchlorate was contaminating the drinking water of millions of Americans.

 A 2016 U.S. Geological Survey report ties high levels of perchlorate contamination in the water at Mount Rushmore national memorial in South Dakota with past years of fireworks displays there.

 Officials stopped the fireworks shows a decade ago, but the pyrotechnics are set to resume this Independence Day holiday at the urging of President Donald Trump. He plans to attend the festivities on July 3.

AP - The Trump administration has rejected imposing federal drinking-water limits for a chemical used in fireworks and other explosives and linked to brain damage in newborns. The administration has decided to override Obama-era findings that the neurotoxin perchlorate was contaminating the drinking water of millions of Americans. A 2016 U.S. Geological Survey report ties high levels of perchlorate contamination in the water at Mount Rushmore national memorial in South Dakota with past years of fireworks displays there. Officials stopped the fireworks shows a decade ago, but the pyrotechnics are set to resume this Independence Day holiday at the urging of President Donald Trump. He plans to attend the festivities on July 3.

US drops planned limit for toxin that damages infant brains

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota health officials are reporting 72 new cases of the coronavirus, boosting the total number of positive tests to nearly 6,300. 

The update released Sunday showed that the number of active cases rose from 809 to 827. 

However, the number of hospitalizations fell by two, to 89, and the number of deaths remained unchanged at 81.

Nearly 5,400 people have recovered from COVID-19. Minnehaha County, which includes Sioux Falls, has reported 3,523 cases, followed by Beadle County at 494, Pennington County at 457, Brown County at 324 and Lincoln County at 323.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota health officials are reporting 72 new cases of the coronavirus, boosting the total number of positive tests to nearly 6,300. The update released Sunday showed that the number of active cases rose from 809 to 827. However, the number of hospitalizations fell by two, to 89, and the number of deaths remained unchanged at 81.Nearly 5,400 people have recovered from COVID-19. Minnehaha County, which includes Sioux Falls, has reported 3,523 cases, followed by Beadle County at 494, Pennington County at 457, Brown County at 324 and Lincoln County at 323.

South Dakota officials report 72 virus cases, no new deaths

By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-19/in-kansas-an-underfunded-mental-health-system-relies-on-police-for-help">Kansas News Service</a>

LAWRENCE — Activists and citizens in Kansas 
communities from Dodge City to the Kansas City suburbs are reconsidering
 the involvement of police in their communities — including whether 
officers should continue to help respond to mental health crises.

What
 that response looks like is drastically different depending on 
population density. But Kansas mental health workers say officers are an
 essential and unavoidable part of an underfunded system. Police are 
often responsible for keeping mental health workers safe on calls, 
bringing in people who are experiencing a crisis or finding them when 
responding to reports of domestic violence or other disturbances.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592602417525.png" alt="Police are often first responders to mental health calls in Kansas. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Police are often first responders to mental health calls in Kansas. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-19/in-kansas-an-underfunded-mental-health-system-relies-on-police-for-help">Kansas News Service</a>LAWRENCE — Activists and citizens in Kansas 
communities from Dodge City to the Kansas City suburbs are reconsidering
 the involvement of police in their communities — including whether 
officers should continue to help respond to mental health crises.What
 that response looks like is drastically different depending on 
population density. But Kansas mental health workers say officers are an
 essential and unavoidable part of an underfunded system. Police are 
often responsible for keeping mental health workers safe on calls, 
bringing in people who are experiencing a crisis or finding them when 
responding to reports of domestic violence or other disturbances.“We
 have a very close relationship with law enforcement in all three 
counties (we serve),” said Keith Rickard, executive director of the 
Guidance Center, a community mental health center in northeast Kansas 
with locations in Leavenworth, Atchison and Oskaloosa.For mental 
health providers, a crisis is defined as anything needing immediate 
attention. Caring for people going through those experiences involves 
getting them to calm down, making sure they’re safe, figuring out what’s
 wrong and connecting them with long-term care — whether that’s 
hospitalization, therapy or addiction treatment.The crises 
themselves look different, too: It could be a person going off of 
psychiatric medication and having delusions and hallucinations, someone 
threatening to hurt herself or other people, and someone getting so sick
 he can’t take care of himself properly.The Guidance Center 
employs only a few people who specialize in crisis response. And it’s 
easy for them to burn out, Rickard said, especially with the state’s 
shortage of social workers, therapists and other mental health 
providers.“Crisis work is trauma-inducing,” he said. “Right now, we just kind of work them day in and day out. And it’s very unfortunate.”<h2>Who provides help</h2>For
 many people going through a mental health crisis in Kansas, their first
 interaction for help will be a police officer, EMT or emergency room 
nurse.But seeing a mental health provider first can make a big 
difference, reducing the rate of future suicide attempts, 
hospitalizations and incarcerations, according to Andy Brown, the 
behavioral health commissioner for the Kansas Department for Aging and 
Disability Services.“The difference of having a qualified mental 
health professional arriving at your house when you’re in a crisis 
versus having a law enforcement officer or an EMT is pretty 
significant,” he said.But smaller, more rural Kansas communities 
have few resources for people who are going through a crisis, Brown 
said. His agency helps provide mental health services throughout the 
state, which has 26 community mental health centers for Kansas’ 105 
counties.Most centers are privately operated nonprofits funded by
 a combination of grants and local, county and state tax dollars. A few 
are operated by local governments.Many of the smaller centers contract with a private company to provide a <a href="https://www.kdads.ks.gov/commissions/behavioral-health/consumers-and-families/cmhc-24-hour-crisis-lines" target="_blank">24-hour crisis hotline</a>, and callers might receive a check-up from police if they seem like they’re in imminent danger.Some
 cities, like Hays, Manhattan and Kansas City, Kansas, have crisis 
stabilization centers dedicated solely to serving people who need 
immediate mental health care. These centers are safe places for people 
to get treatment without taking up an emergency room bed, Brown said, 
and also reduce interactions with police.Like other mental health
 services, not every person in Kansas has access to a crisis 
stabilization center. One possible solution, Brown said, is to create a 
statewide mobile response team that travels to patients directly. The 
caveat: The state doesn’t have enough funding to make that a reality, he
 said.“About half the state of Kansas is still either considered 
rural or frontier,” Brown said. “There is a logistical issue just around
 the geographical distance.”<h2>Police training</h2>Mental
 health training for police in Kansas also varies. Some don’t get 
extensive training, while others invest in a program called Crisis 
Intervention Training, which lasts several hours.Sgt. Jason 
Hinkle with the Lenexa Police Department said it’s a type of “mental 
health first aid,” focusing on de-escalating tense situations, 
communication skills and quick decision-making.Officers work closely with the Johnson County Mental Health Center, said Hinkle, who is also chairman of the <a href="http://www.kansascit.org/" target="_blank">Kansas Law Enforcement Crisis Intervention Team Council</a>.“To
 lower their emotion and raise their rational thinking, that is our 
Number One goal,” he said of people who are going through a mental 
health crisis. “I absolutely am convinced that it's made for safer 
outcomes.”More than half of the officers in the Lenexa Police 
Department have been trained in crisis intervention, he said. But the 
amount of trained officers in any given department can vary.Many 
towns don’t have the resources to pay for the training, and KDADS has 
trained about 75 officers in rural communities in the past year.While some activists pushing for police reform have suggested that officers no longer respond to <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/long-before-defund-the-police-mental-health-advocates-have-been-redefining-public-safety-2020-06-11" target="_blank">mental health calls</a>,
 Hinkle believes it’s unrealistic. The majority of people with mental 
illnesses are not violent, he said, but officers are necessary to keep 
mental health providers safe in case someone behaves violently or there 
are weapons in a house.“The Number One issue, before you can even
 get a clinician involved in a crisis call, is making sure the scene is 
safe,” he said. “It needs to be controlled before somebody gets hurt... 
When we’re going to these things, that’s why there can be violence.”Nomin
 Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas
 News Service. You can email her at nomin@kcur.org and follow
 her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/nominuj" target="_blank">@NominUJ</a>.