WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden likely contracted a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-united-states-pandemics-72462053f8d60fd548cf34377864100b">highly contagious variant</a>&nbsp;of the coronavirus spreading rapidly through the United States, and now has body aches and a sore throat since his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-fec6b4a56384b1f2bf7582aecb46aa36">positive test</a>, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Update-7.23.pdf">an update from his doctor</a>&nbsp;on Saturday.

The variant, known as BA.5, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-government-politics-0bd2ccf19f1c27379f312b9edf5f3634">an offshoot of the omicron strain</a>&nbsp;that emerged late last year, and it's believed to be responsible for the vast majority of coronavirus cases in the country.

Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, wrote in his latest update on Biden's condition that Biden's earlier symptoms, including a runny nose and a cough, have become “less troublesome.” O'Connor's earlier notes did not mention the sore throat or body aches.

Biden's vital signs, such as blood pressure and respiratory rate, “remain entirely normal,” and his oxygen saturation levels are “excellent” with “no shortness of breath at all," the doctor wrote.

O'Connor said the results of the preliminary sequencing that indicated the BA.5 variant do not affect Biden's treatment plan “in any way.”

Biden tested positive for the virus on Thursday morning. He has been isolating in the White House residence since then. Administration officials have emphasized that his symptoms are mild because he has received four vaccine doses, and he started taking the antiviral drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-pfizer-medication-f5f65e7e61d6aa9c7dfa193053e8878a">Paxlovid</a>&nbsp;after becoming infected.

During a virtual meeting with economic advisers on Friday, Biden was hoarse but insisted, “I feel much better than I sound.”

In his previous update on Biden’s health, O’Connor said the president had an elevated temperature of 99.4 F on Thursday evening, but it returned to normal after taking Tylenol.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden likely contracted a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-united-states-pandemics-72462053f8d60fd548cf34377864100b">highly contagious variant</a>&nbsp;of the coronavirus spreading rapidly through the United States, and now has body aches and a sore throat since his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-fec6b4a56384b1f2bf7582aecb46aa36">positive test</a>, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Update-7.23.pdf">an update from his doctor</a>&nbsp;on Saturday.The variant, known as BA.5, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-government-politics-0bd2ccf19f1c27379f312b9edf5f3634">an offshoot of the omicron strain</a>&nbsp;that emerged late last year, and it's believed to be responsible for the vast majority of coronavirus cases in the country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658606557016.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, wrote in his latest update on Biden's condition that Biden's earlier symptoms, including a runny nose and a cough, have become “less troublesome.” O'Connor's earlier notes did not mention the sore throat or body aches.Biden's vital signs, such as blood pressure and respiratory rate, “remain entirely normal,” and his oxygen saturation levels are “excellent” with “no shortness of breath at all," the doctor wrote.O'Connor said the results of the preliminary sequencing that indicated the BA.5 variant do not affect Biden's treatment plan “in any way.”Biden tested positive for the virus on Thursday morning. He has been isolating in the White House residence since then. Administration officials have emphasized that his symptoms are mild because he has received four vaccine doses, and he started taking the antiviral drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-pfizer-medication-f5f65e7e61d6aa9c7dfa193053e8878a">Paxlovid</a>&nbsp;after becoming infected.During a virtual meeting with economic advisers on Friday, Biden was hoarse but insisted, “I feel much better than I sound.”In his previous update on Biden’s health, O’Connor said the president had an elevated temperature of 99.4 F on Thursday evening, but it returned to normal after taking Tylenol.

Biden's doctor: President has highly contagious COVID strain

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/ricketts-sees-nothing-in-jan-6-hearings-to-trigger-criminal-charges-against-trump/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts said
 Friday he doesn’t think that former President Donald Trump should be 
criminally charged in connection with his role in the Jan. 6 attack on 
the U.S. Capitol.

“I don’t think there’s any evidence to charge President Trump with 
any crimes,” the governor said, in response to a question after a press 
conference Friday.

Ricketts, a Republican who has had some differences with the former 
president, said he caught “a little” of the congressional hearing 
Thursday night by the Select House Committee on the Jan. 6 attack but 
didn’t watch the entire three-hour event.

Previously, the governor <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/06/29/ricketts-calls-jan-6-hearings-a-partisan-rehash-of-mostly-old-information/">has called the Jan. 6 probe</a> a “partisan rehash of mostly old information.”

Thursday’s night hearing focused on what Trump did and didn’t do, as a
 mob ransacked the Capitol after he had urged them to march on the 
building and “fight like hell” or “you’re not going to have a country 
anymore.”

Some committee members said Thursday that Trump had violated his oath
 of office to defend the Constitution by not quickly calling off the 
rioters, who were seeking to disrupt the certification of the results of
 the 2020 election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.

It was more than three hours after the attack began that Trump asked 
rioters to go home, despite being urged earlier by members of Congress, 
his staff and family members to intervene.

On Friday, one member of the Jan. 6 committee, U.S. Rep. Adam 
Kinzinger, R-Ill., told The Hill that the committee’s hearings had 
“proven different components of a criminal case” against former 
President Trump.

Ricketts, when asked Friday if what Trump did prior and during the 
Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol “was appropriate,” gave the following 
answer:

“I believe everybody who went into the Capitol building intent on 
doing violence did so of their own accord,” the governor said. “We have a
 system of laws that holds people accountable for their actions.”

Does Ricketts think what the president did was appropriate?

“In hindsight, we can always look back and see if we would have done 
things differently,” Ricketts said. “But everyone who participated in 
those attacks did so of their own free will.”

That, he said, is the same for those who participated in riots in May
 2020 following the police custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Ricketts said he didn’t think that organizations behind those riots in places like Omaha were being held accountable.

“I don’t think anyone’s trying to hold them accountable,” he said. “Why? Because we hold individuals accountable.”

During the year’s GOP primary, Trump backed Falls City businessman 
Charles Herbster, despite being urged by Ricketts to not endorse in the 
race. Ricketts backed University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen, who won 
the primary.

During the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Ricketts’ parents, 
Joe and Marlene, gave $5.5 million to a super PAC aiming to block 
Trump’s. But once it became clear he would be the nominee, the Ricketts 
family gave their support.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658601763338.png" alt="Gov. Pete Ricketts speaking Thursday at the dedication of a state office building in honor of Chief Standing Bear. Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner " />
 <figcaption>Gov. Pete Ricketts speaking Thursday at the dedication of a state office building in honor of Chief Standing Bear. Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner </figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/ricketts-sees-nothing-in-jan-6-hearings-to-trigger-criminal-charges-against-trump/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts said
 Friday he doesn’t think that former President Donald Trump should be 
criminally charged in connection with his role in the Jan. 6 attack on 
the U.S. Capitol.“I don’t think there’s any evidence to charge President Trump with 
any crimes,” the governor said, in response to a question after a press 
conference Friday.Ricketts, a Republican who has had some differences with the former 
president, said he caught “a little” of the congressional hearing 
Thursday night by the Select House Committee on the Jan. 6 attack but 
didn’t watch the entire three-hour event.<h2>Personal responsibility</h2>Previously, the governor <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/06/29/ricketts-calls-jan-6-hearings-a-partisan-rehash-of-mostly-old-information/">has called the Jan. 6 probe</a> a “partisan rehash of mostly old information.”Thursday’s night hearing focused on what Trump did and didn’t do, as a
 mob ransacked the Capitol after he had urged them to march on the 
building and “fight like hell” or “you’re not going to have a country 
anymore.”Some committee members said Thursday that Trump had violated his oath
 of office to defend the Constitution by not quickly calling off the 
rioters, who were seeking to disrupt the certification of the results of
 the 2020 election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.It was more than three hours after the attack began that Trump asked 
rioters to go home, despite being urged earlier by members of Congress, 
his staff and family members to intervene.On Friday, one member of the Jan. 6 committee, U.S. Rep. Adam 
Kinzinger, R-Ill., told The Hill that the committee’s hearings had 
“proven different components of a criminal case” against former 
President Trump.<h2>A ‘system of laws’</h2>Ricketts, when asked Friday if what Trump did prior and during the 
Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol “was appropriate,” gave the following 
answer:“I believe everybody who went into the Capitol building intent on 
doing violence did so of their own accord,” the governor said. “We have a
 system of laws that holds people accountable for their actions.”Does Ricketts think what the president did was appropriate?“In hindsight, we can always look back and see if we would have done 
things differently,” Ricketts said. “But everyone who participated in 
those attacks did so of their own free will.”That, he said, is the same for those who participated in riots in May
 2020 following the police custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.Ricketts said he didn’t think that organizations behind those riots in places like Omaha were being held accountable.“I don’t think anyone’s trying to hold them accountable,” he said. “Why? Because we hold individuals accountable.”During the year’s GOP primary, Trump backed Falls City businessman 
Charles Herbster, despite being urged by Ricketts to not endorse in the 
race. Ricketts backed University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen, who won 
the primary.During the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Ricketts’ parents, 
Joe and Marlene, gave $5.5 million to a super PAC aiming to block 
Trump’s. But once it became clear he would be the nominee, the Ricketts 
family gave their support.

Ricketts: Nothing in 1/6 hearings to trigger Trump criminal charges

WASHINGTON – President signed into law H.R. 8351, the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr8351/BILLS-117hr8351eh.pdf">“Formula Act</a>."&nbsp; The bipartisan bill that will help increase access to baby formula&nbsp; across the country, according to a statement from the White House.

The United States Senate unanimously passed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr8351/BILLS-117hr8351eh.pdf">the bill</a>&nbsp; which removes import tariffs on baby formula and baby formula input products until the end of this year.&nbsp; The House of Representatives had previously modified and passed the bill July 15, resulting in Senate reconsideration.&nbsp;

Upon passage, the bills author Utah&nbsp;Senator. Lee said, “The FORMULA Act will be an incredible win for families and hungry babies nationwide."

"It will make meaningful headway that is desperately needed today. By suspending the tariff on formula imports, we are providing cheaper access to formulas to individual consumers and retailers alike.” Lee continued."&nbsp;

"This relief has been long overdue, particularly for Utahns, who have the largest families, the most children per capita, and the highest birth rate in the nation.”

The President thanked Senators Lee, Wyden, and Crapo, and Representatives Blumenauer, DelBene, Larsen, Kildee, Neal, and Brady. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658501001435.png" alt="Despite a positive COVID test, President Biden signed the bill immediately-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>Despite a positive COVID test, President Biden signed the bill immediately-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON – President signed into law H.R. 8351, the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr8351/BILLS-117hr8351eh.pdf">“Formula Act</a>."&nbsp; The bipartisan bill that will help increase access to baby formula&nbsp; across the country, according to a statement from the White House.The United States Senate unanimously passed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr8351/BILLS-117hr8351eh.pdf">the bill</a>&nbsp; which removes import tariffs on baby formula and baby formula input products until the end of this year.&nbsp; The House of Representatives had previously modified and passed the bill July 15, resulting in Senate reconsideration.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658593825391.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Upon passage, the bills author Utah&nbsp;Senator. Lee said, “The FORMULA Act will be an incredible win for families and hungry babies nationwide.""It will make meaningful headway that is desperately needed today. By suspending the tariff on formula imports, we are providing cheaper access to formulas to individual consumers and retailers alike.” Lee continued."&nbsp;"This relief has been long overdue, particularly for Utahns, who have the largest families, the most children per capita, and the highest birth rate in the nation.”The President thanked Senators Lee, Wyden, and Crapo, and Representatives Blumenauer, DelBene, Larsen, Kildee, Neal, and Brady. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Biden signs baby formula act after unanimous Senate vote 

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-096f3625c4c14a18e2d5f813241d83bf">expanding monkeypox outbreak</a>&nbsp;in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that now qualifies as a global emergency, a declaration Saturday that could spur further investment in treating the once-rare disease and worsen the scramble for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-animals-primates-european-union-853ed8fa9967823f7b24570d1e5b9a0e">scarce vaccines</a>.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html">Click here for additional details</a> on monkeypox cases in the U.S.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the decision to issue the declaration despite a lack of consensus among members of WHO's emergency committee. It was the first time the chief of the U.N. health agency has taken such an action.

“In short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission about which we understand too little and which meets the criteria in the international health regulations,” Tedros said.

“I know this has not been an easy or straightforward process and that there are divergent views among the members" of the committee, he added.

Although monkeypox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades, it was not known to spark large outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread widely among people until May, when authorities detected dozens of epidemics in Europe, North America and elsewhere.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-united-nations-epidemics-north-america-c5284aabf79d9ecb816975dc249abffd">Declaring a global emergency</a>&nbsp;means the monkeypox outbreak is an “extraordinary event” that could spill over into more countries and requires a coordinated global response. WHO previously declared emergencies for public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, the Zika virus in Latin America in 2016 and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.

The emergency declaration mostly serves as a plea to draw more global resources and attention to an outbreak. Past announcements had mixed impact, given that the U.N. health agency is largely powerless in getting countries to act.

Last month, WHO’s expert committee said the worldwide monkeypox outbreak did not yet amount to an international emergency, but the panel convened this week to reevaluate the situation.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries since about May. To date, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mainly in Nigeria and Congo.

In Africa, monkeypox mainly spreads to people from infected wild animals like rodents, in limited outbreaks that typically have not crossed borders. In Europe, North America and elsewhere, however, monkeypox is spreading among people with no links to animals or recent travel to Africa.

WHO’s top monkeypox expert, Dr. Rosamund Lewis, said this week that 99% of all the monkeypox cases beyond Africa were in men and that of those, 98% involved men who have sex with men. Experts suspect the monkeypox outbreaks in Europe and North America were spread via sex at two raves in Belgium and Spain.

Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at Southampton University, said it was surprising WHO hadn’t already declared monkeypox a global emergency, explaining that the conditions were arguably met weeks ago.

Some experts have questioned whether such a declaration would help, arguing the disease isn’t severe enough to warrant the attention and that rich countries battling monkeypox already have the funds to do so; most people recover without needing medical attention, although the lesions may be painful.

“I think it would be better to be proactive and overreact to the problem instead of waiting to react when it’s too late," Head said. He added that WHO’s emergency declaration could help donors like the World Bank make funds available to stop the outbreaks both in the West and in Africa, where animals are the likely natural reservoir of monkeypox.

In the U.S., some experts have speculated whether monkeypox might be on the verge of becoming an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeypox-the-next-std-3266fd0ae451578c989605f430cd3897">entrenched sexually transmitted disease</a>&nbsp;in the country, like gonorrhea, herpes and HIV.

“The bottom line is we’ve seen a shift in the epidemiology of monkeypox where there’s now widespread, unexpected transmission,” said Dr. Albert Ko, a professor of public health and epidemiology at Yale University. “There are some genetic mutations in the virus that suggest why that may be happening, but we do need a globally-coordinated response to get it under control,” he said.

Ko called for testing to be immediately scaled up rapidly, saying that similar to the early days of COVID-19, that there were significant gaps in surveillance.

“The cases we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “The window has probably closed for us to quickly stop the outbreaks in Europe and the U.S., but it’s not too late to stop monkeypox from causing huge damage to poorer countries without the resources to handle it.”

In the U.S., some experts have speculated that monkeypox might become entrenched there as the newest sexually transmitted disease, with officials estimating that 1.5 million men are at high risk of being infected.

Dr. Placide Mbala, a virologist who directs the global health department at Congo’s Institute of National Biomedical Research, said he hoped any global efforts to stop monkeypox would be equitable. Although countries including Britain, Canada, Germany and the U.S. have ordered millions of vaccine doses, none have gone to Africa.

“The solution needs to be global,” Mbala said, adding that any vaccines sent to Africa would be used to target those at highest risk, like hunters in rural areas.

“Vaccination in the West might help stop the outbreak there, but there will still be cases in Africa,” he said. “Unless the problem is solved here, the risk to the rest of the world will remain.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658586348383.png" alt="CDC image July 22, 2022- Total confirmed monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases: 2,891" />
 <figcaption>CDC image July 22, 2022- Total confirmed monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases: 2,891</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-096f3625c4c14a18e2d5f813241d83bf">expanding monkeypox outbreak</a>&nbsp;in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that now qualifies as a global emergency, a declaration Saturday that could spur further investment in treating the once-rare disease and worsen the scramble for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-animals-primates-european-union-853ed8fa9967823f7b24570d1e5b9a0e">scarce vaccines</a>.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html">Click here for additional details</a> on monkeypox cases in the U.S.WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the decision to issue the declaration despite a lack of consensus among members of WHO's emergency committee. It was the first time the chief of the U.N. health agency has taken such an action.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 BREAKING: &quot;For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/monkeypox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#monkeypox</a> outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.&quot;-<a href="https://twitter.com/DrTedros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrTedros</a> <a href="https://t.co/qvmYX1ZBAL">pic.twitter.com/qvmYX1ZBAL</a>&mdash; World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1550847224963371010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“In short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission about which we understand too little and which meets the criteria in the international health regulations,” Tedros said.“I know this has not been an easy or straightforward process and that there are divergent views among the members" of the committee, he added.Although monkeypox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades, it was not known to spark large outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread widely among people until May, when authorities detected dozens of epidemics in Europe, North America and elsewhere.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-united-nations-epidemics-north-america-c5284aabf79d9ecb816975dc249abffd">Declaring a global emergency</a>&nbsp;means the monkeypox outbreak is an “extraordinary event” that could spill over into more countries and requires a coordinated global response. WHO previously declared emergencies for public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, the Zika virus in Latin America in 2016 and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.The emergency declaration mostly serves as a plea to draw more global resources and attention to an outbreak. Past announcements had mixed impact, given that the U.N. health agency is largely powerless in getting countries to act.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655678482994.png" alt="Monkeypox Photo Credit: NHS England High Consequence Infectious Diseases Network-CDC" />
 <figcaption>Monkeypox Photo Credit: NHS England High Consequence Infectious Diseases Network-CDC</figcaption>
 </figure>Last month, WHO’s expert committee said the worldwide monkeypox outbreak did not yet amount to an international emergency, but the panel convened this week to reevaluate the situation.According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries since about May. To date, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mainly in Nigeria and Congo.In Africa, monkeypox mainly spreads to people from infected wild animals like rodents, in limited outbreaks that typically have not crossed borders. In Europe, North America and elsewhere, however, monkeypox is spreading among people with no links to animals or recent travel to Africa.WHO’s top monkeypox expert, Dr. Rosamund Lewis, said this week that 99% of all the monkeypox cases beyond Africa were in men and that of those, 98% involved men who have sex with men. Experts suspect the monkeypox outbreaks in Europe and North America were spread via sex at two raves in Belgium and Spain.Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at Southampton University, said it was surprising WHO hadn’t already declared monkeypox a global emergency, explaining that the conditions were arguably met weeks ago.Some experts have questioned whether such a declaration would help, arguing the disease isn’t severe enough to warrant the attention and that rich countries battling monkeypox already have the funds to do so; most people recover without needing medical attention, although the lesions may be painful.“I think it would be better to be proactive and overreact to the problem instead of waiting to react when it’s too late," Head said. He added that WHO’s emergency declaration could help donors like the World Bank make funds available to stop the outbreaks both in the West and in Africa, where animals are the likely natural reservoir of monkeypox.In the U.S., some experts have speculated whether monkeypox might be on the verge of becoming an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeypox-the-next-std-3266fd0ae451578c989605f430cd3897">entrenched sexually transmitted disease</a>&nbsp;in the country, like gonorrhea, herpes and HIV.“The bottom line is we’ve seen a shift in the epidemiology of monkeypox where there’s now widespread, unexpected transmission,” said Dr. Albert Ko, a professor of public health and epidemiology at Yale University. “There are some genetic mutations in the virus that suggest why that may be happening, but we do need a globally-coordinated response to get it under control,” he said.Ko called for testing to be immediately scaled up rapidly, saying that similar to the early days of COVID-19, that there were significant gaps in surveillance.“The cases we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “The window has probably closed for us to quickly stop the outbreaks in Europe and the U.S., but it’s not too late to stop monkeypox from causing huge damage to poorer countries without the resources to handle it.”In the U.S., some experts have speculated that monkeypox might become entrenched there as the newest sexually transmitted disease, with officials estimating that 1.5 million men are at high risk of being infected.Dr. Placide Mbala, a virologist who directs the global health department at Congo’s Institute of National Biomedical Research, said he hoped any global efforts to stop monkeypox would be equitable. Although countries including Britain, Canada, Germany and the U.S. have ordered millions of vaccine doses, none have gone to Africa.“The solution needs to be global,” Mbala said, adding that any vaccines sent to Africa would be used to target those at highest risk, like hunters in rural areas.“Vaccination in the West might help stop the outbreak there, but there will still be cases in Africa,” he said. “Unless the problem is solved here, the risk to the rest of the world will remain.”

WHO: Monkeypox a global emergency

WASHINGTON —Family Dollar is initiating a voluntary retail level product recall of certain products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that were stored and inadvertently shipped to certain stores on or around May 1, 2022 through June 10, 2022 due to product being stored outside of labeled temperature requirements, according to a media release from the agency.

To date, Family Dollar has not received any consumer complaints or reports of illness related to this recall.

Family Dollar has notified its affected stores asking them to check their stock immediately and to quarantine and discontinue the sale of any affected product. Customers that may have bought affected product may return such product to the Family Dollar store where they were purchased without receipt.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/160146/download">Click here to</a> see the 11-page list of recalled products.

Customers with questions regarding this recall may contact Family Dollar Customer Service at 844-636-7687 between 9am and 5pm EST. Customers should contact their physician or health care provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to using these products.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658512118386.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —Family Dollar is initiating a voluntary retail level product recall of certain products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that were stored and inadvertently shipped to certain stores on or around May 1, 2022 through June 10, 2022 due to product being stored outside of labeled temperature requirements, according to a media release from the agency.To date, Family Dollar has not received any consumer complaints or reports of illness related to this recall.Family Dollar has notified its affected stores asking them to check their stock immediately and to quarantine and discontinue the sale of any affected product. Customers that may have bought affected product may return such product to the Family Dollar store where they were purchased without receipt.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/160146/download">Click here to</a> see the 11-page list of recalled products.Customers with questions regarding this recall may contact Family Dollar Customer Service at 844-636-7687 between 9am and 5pm EST. Customers should contact their physician or health care provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to using these products.Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.<ul>
 <li>Complete and submit the report&nbsp;Online:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch-fda-safety-information-and-adverse-event-reporting-program/reporting-serious-problems-fda">www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm</a></li><li>Regular Mail or Fax:&nbsp;Download form&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/medical-product-safety-information/medwatch-forms-fda-safety-reporting">www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm</a>&nbsp;or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178</li><li><a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/report-problem-fda">https://www.fda.gov/safety/report-problem-fda</a></li>
 </ul>

FDA: Family Dollar recalling hundreds of over-the-counter products

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb-The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating an officer-involved shooting that involved the South Sioux City Police Department.

The incident occurred at approximately 7:50 p.m. Thursday. Officers were responding to a possible overdose call at an apartment complex in the 300 block of E. 12th&nbsp;street in South Sioux City. Paramedics had already responded to the call but were forced to evacuate the location after a subject brandished a firearm.

According to the preliminary investigation, when officers arrived at the scene and attempted to make contact with the subject, the subject fired the weapon at officers in the hallway of the apartment building. An officer returned fire, striking the subject.

The suspect, identified as Richard Germek, 61, of South Sioux City, was transported to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City with non-life-threatening injuries. Germek was lodged in Dakota County Jail following treatment at the hospital. Charges are pending. He has since been returned to the hospital for a medical condition unrelated to this incident.

The South Sioux City Police Department has requested that the Nebraska State Patrol investigate the incident. That investigation is ongoing. No officers were injured during the incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658579144693.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NEBRASKA STATE PATROLSOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb-The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating an officer-involved shooting that involved the South Sioux City Police Department.The incident occurred at approximately 7:50 p.m. Thursday. Officers were responding to a possible overdose call at an apartment complex in the 300 block of E. 12th&nbsp;street in South Sioux City. Paramedics had already responded to the call but were forced to evacuate the location after a subject brandished a firearm.According to the preliminary investigation, when officers arrived at the scene and attempted to make contact with the subject, the subject fired the weapon at officers in the hallway of the apartment building. An officer returned fire, striking the subject.The suspect, identified as Richard Germek, 61, of South Sioux City, was transported to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City with non-life-threatening injuries. Germek was lodged in Dakota County Jail following treatment at the hospital. Charges are pending. He has since been returned to the hospital for a medical condition unrelated to this incident.The South Sioux City Police Department has requested that the Nebraska State Patrol investigate the incident. That investigation is ongoing. No officers were injured during the incident.

Patrol investigating officer-involved shooting in South Sioux City

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House announced Friday that the U.S. is sending an additional $270 million in security assistance to Ukraine,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-army-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-8083b97c8f6cf237538c22e67c3f7aaa">a package</a>&nbsp;that will include additional medium range rocket systems and tactical drones.

The latest tranche brings the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $8.2 billion, and is being paid for through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-seoul-asia-31f17af1605313f6f563d405052e3de7">$40 billion in economic and security aid f</a>&nbsp;or Ukraine approved. by Congress in May.

The new package includes four&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-nato-sergey-lavrov-dd7bc9324e465a15209940c146a859b3">High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS</a>&nbsp;and will allow Kyiv to acquire up to 580&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-biden-announces-new-military-aid-e78a7db76215a84f86586bb56122cd04">Phoenix Ghost drones</a>, both crucial weapon systems that have allowed the Ukrainians to stay in the fight despite Russian artillery supremacy, according to John Kirby, the White House National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications. The latest assistance also includes some 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and additional ammunition for the HIMARS.

“The president has been clear that we’re going to continue to support the government of Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes,” Kirby said.

Ukrainian forces have used U.S.-made rocket launchers and tactical drones to destroy dozens of Russian targets and hold at bay Russia’s larger and more heavily equipped forces.

Russia can fire far more ammunition but has sustained huge losses of troops and equipment as Ukrainian forces have been equipped with precision weaponry from the U.S. and other Western allies. CIA Director William Burns on Wednesday said the U.S. estimates roughly 15,000 Russian forces have been killed. That death toll would be equivalent to the Soviet Union's military losses in its 1980s war in Afghanistan, which lasted nearly a decade.

To try to equalize the conflict, Ukraine has made ample use of Western-supplied technologies as it defends its eastern lines.

Ukraine has long sought more HIMARS launchers, which fire medium-range rockets and also can be quickly moved before Russia can target them. On Wednesday, Ukrainian forces reportedly used a HIMARS to hit a strategic bridge in the Russia-occupied southern region of Kherson. One military expert told The Associated Press that the systems have “hardly had any rest during the day or at night.”

U.S. authorities also are providing Ukraine with more guided rockets known as GMLRS. The Pentagon continues to rule out sending longer-range rockets that Ukraine could potentially use to strike deep into Russian territory. That's a nod to the U.S. trying to manage the risk of Russia instigating a broader war.

The U.S. has already sent 12 truck-mounted HIMARS to Ukraine. The United Kingdom has also provided three launchers of a different kind with GMLRS rockets as well.

Both sides in the war have made ample use of drones. The U.S. had previously committed to sending 121 Phoenix Ghosts to Ukraine. Pentagon officials have not fully disclosed the capabilities of those drones, which were developed by the U.S. Air Force and produced by Aevex Aerospace, which describes itself as a leader in “full-spectrum airborne intelligence solutions.” The drones have onboard cameras and can be used to attack targets.

The U.S. disclosed earlier this month that it believes Russia is planning to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-says-russian-officials-visited-iran-for-drones-ef42c30747220d3e499f9c8b116fefa6">obtain several hundred drones from Iran</a>. Iranian drones have previously penetrated Saudi and Emirati air defense systems in the Middle East that were supplied by the U.S. Biden administration officials have tried to publicly discourage Iran from moving forward with the transfer.

The White House released satellite imagery that indicates Russian officials twice visited Iran in June or July for a showcase of weapons-capable drones it is looking to acquire.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House announced Friday that the U.S. is sending an additional $270 million in security assistance to Ukraine,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-army-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-8083b97c8f6cf237538c22e67c3f7aaa">a package</a>&nbsp;that will include additional medium range rocket systems and tactical drones.The latest tranche brings the total U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $8.2 billion, and is being paid for through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-seoul-asia-31f17af1605313f6f563d405052e3de7">$40 billion in economic and security aid f</a>&nbsp;or Ukraine approved. by Congress in May.The new package includes four&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-nato-sergey-lavrov-dd7bc9324e465a15209940c146a859b3">High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS</a>&nbsp;and will allow Kyiv to acquire up to 580&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-biden-announces-new-military-aid-e78a7db76215a84f86586bb56122cd04">Phoenix Ghost drones</a>, both crucial weapon systems that have allowed the Ukrainians to stay in the fight despite Russian artillery supremacy, according to John Kirby, the White House National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications. The latest assistance also includes some 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and additional ammunition for the HIMARS.“The president has been clear that we’re going to continue to support the government of Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes,” Kirby said.Ukrainian forces have used U.S.-made rocket launchers and tactical drones to destroy dozens of Russian targets and hold at bay Russia’s larger and more heavily equipped forces.Russia can fire far more ammunition but has sustained huge losses of troops and equipment as Ukrainian forces have been equipped with precision weaponry from the U.S. and other Western allies. CIA Director William Burns on Wednesday said the U.S. estimates roughly 15,000 Russian forces have been killed. That death toll would be equivalent to the Soviet Union's military losses in its 1980s war in Afghanistan, which lasted nearly a decade.To try to equalize the conflict, Ukraine has made ample use of Western-supplied technologies as it defends its eastern lines.Ukraine has long sought more HIMARS launchers, which fire medium-range rockets and also can be quickly moved before Russia can target them. On Wednesday, Ukrainian forces reportedly used a HIMARS to hit a strategic bridge in the Russia-occupied southern region of Kherson. One military expert told The Associated Press that the systems have “hardly had any rest during the day or at night.”U.S. authorities also are providing Ukraine with more guided rockets known as GMLRS. The Pentagon continues to rule out sending longer-range rockets that Ukraine could potentially use to strike deep into Russian territory. That's a nod to the U.S. trying to manage the risk of Russia instigating a broader war.The U.S. has already sent 12 truck-mounted HIMARS to Ukraine. The United Kingdom has also provided three launchers of a different kind with GMLRS rockets as well.Both sides in the war have made ample use of drones. The U.S. had previously committed to sending 121 Phoenix Ghosts to Ukraine. Pentagon officials have not fully disclosed the capabilities of those drones, which were developed by the U.S. Air Force and produced by Aevex Aerospace, which describes itself as a leader in “full-spectrum airborne intelligence solutions.” The drones have onboard cameras and can be used to attack targets.The U.S. disclosed earlier this month that it believes Russia is planning to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-says-russian-officials-visited-iran-for-drones-ef42c30747220d3e499f9c8b116fefa6">obtain several hundred drones from Iran</a>. Iranian drones have previously penetrated Saudi and Emirati air defense systems in the Middle East that were supplied by the U.S. Biden administration officials have tried to publicly discourage Iran from moving forward with the transfer.The White House released satellite imagery that indicates Russian officials twice visited Iran in June or July for a showcase of weapons-capable drones it is looking to acquire.

White House spending another $270M for Ukraine military

By PETER KRAPP <a href="https://theconversation.com/surveillance-is-pervasive-yes-you-are-being-watched-even-if-no-one-is-looking-for-you-187139">The Conversation</a>

The U.S. has the <a href="https://www.techspot.com/news/83061-report-finds-us-has-largest-number-surveillance-cameras.html">largest number of surveillance cameras per person</a> in the world. Cameras are omnipresent on city streets and in hotels, restaurants, malls and offices. They’re also used to <a href="https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/united-states-video-surveillance-market">screen passengers</a> for the Transportation Security Administration. And then there are <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/23207072/amazon-ring-privacy-police-footage">smart doorbells</a> and other home security cameras.

Most Americans are aware of video surveillance of public spaces. Likewise, most people know about online tracking – and <a href="https://morningconsult.com/2021/04/27/state-privacy-congress-priority-poll/">want Congress to do something about it</a>. But as a researcher who <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&amp;user=tMOMmqsAAAAJ&amp;view_op=list_works&amp;sortby=pubdate">studies digital culture and secret communications</a>,
 I believe that to understand how pervasive surveillance is, it’s 
important to recognize how physical and digital tracking work together.

Databases can correlate <a href="https://theconversation.com/impending-demise-of-roe-v-wade-puts-a-spotlight-on-a-major-privacy-risk-your-phone-reveals-more-about-you-than-you-think-182504">location data from smartphones</a>, the growing number of private cameras, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/license-plate-reader-alpr-surveillance-abortion/">license plate readers</a> on police cruisers and toll roads, and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/9/21002515/surveillance-cameras-globally-us-china-amount-citizens">facial recognition technology</a>, so if law enforcement wants to track where you are and where you’ve been, they can. They need a warrant to use <a href="https://www.upturn.org/work/mass-extraction/">cellphone search</a> equipment: Connecting your device to a <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/Mobile-Security-and-Forensics/Mobile-Forensics">mobile device forensic tool</a> lets them extract and <a href="https://www.forensicmag.com/518341-Digital-Forensics-Window-Into-the-Soul/">analyze all your data</a> <a href="https://casetext.com/case/people-v-riley-263">if they have a warrant</a>.

However, private <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/opinion-data-brokers-know-where-you-are-and-want-to-sell-that-intel/">data brokers</a> also track this kind of data and <a href="https://issues.org/data-brokers-police-surveillance/">help surveil citizens</a>
 – without a warrant. There is a large market for personal data, 
compiled from information people volunteer, information people 
unwittingly yield – for example, <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-control-which-apps-access-your-location-on-ios-and-android/">via mobile apps</a> – and information that is stolen in data breaches. Among the customers for this largely unregulated data are <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22565926/police-law-enforcement-data-warrant">federal, state and local law enforcement agencies</a>.

Whether or not you pass under the gaze of a surveillance camera or 
license plate reader, you are tracked by your mobile phone. GPS tells 
weather apps or maps your location, Wi-Fi uses your location, and <a href="https://cyberforensics.com/services/cellular-triangulation/">cell-tower triangulation</a> tracks your phone. <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/955287">Bluetooth</a>
 can identify and track your smartphone, and not just for COVID-19 
contact tracing, Apple’s “Find My” service, or to connect headphones.

People volunteer their locations for <a href="https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-privacy-ridesharing-privacy-ride.html">ride-sharing</a> or for games like <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/app/pokemon-go/">Pokemon Go</a> or <a href="https://www.ingress.com">Ingress</a>, but apps can also <a href="https://research.checkpoint.com/2021/mobile-app-developers-misconfiguration-of-third-party-services-leave-personal-data-of-over-100-million-exposed/">collect and share location</a> without your knowledge. Many late-model cars feature telematics that track locations – for example, <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a7469/your-car-is-spying-on-you-but-whom-is-it-spying-for/">OnStar or Bluelink</a>. All this makes opting out impractical.

The same thing is true online. Most websites feature <a href="https://themarkup.org/blacklight">ad trackers and third-party cookies</a>,
 which are stored in your browser whenever you visit a site. They 
identify you when you visit other sites so advertisers can follow you 
around. Some websites also use <a href="https://www.malwarebytes.com/keylogger">key logging</a>,
 which monitors what you type into a page before hitting submit. 
Similarly, session recording monitors mouse movements, clicks, scrolling
 and typing, even if you don’t click “submit.”

Ad trackers know when you browsed where, which browser you used, and what your device’s internet address is. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/18/google-data-states-track-abortions-00045906">Google</a> and Facebook are among the main beneficiaries, but there are many <a href="https://privacybee.com/blog/these-are-the-largest-data-brokers-in-america/">data brokers</a> <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-data-brokers-selling-your-personal-information/">slicing and dicing such information</a> by religion, ethnicity, political affiliations, social media profiles, income and medical history for profit.

People may implicitly consent to some loss of privacy in the interest
 of perceived or real security – for example, in stadiums, on the road 
and at airports, or in return for cheaper online services. But these 
trade-offs benefit individuals far less than the companies aggregating 
data. <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-some-americans-dont-trust-the-census-130109">Many Americans</a> are suspicious of government <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2010/01/20/most-view-census-positively-but-some-have-doubts">censuses</a>, yet they willingly share their jogging routines on apps like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/28/fitness-tracking-app-gives-away-location-of-secret-us-army-bases">Strava</a>, which has <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/apps/a15912407/strava-app-military-bases-fitbit-jogging/">revealed</a> sensitive and secret <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/a-map-showing-the-users-of-fitness-devices-lets-the-world-see-where-us-soldiers-are-and-what-they-are-doing/2018/01/28/86915662-0441-11e8-aa61-f3391373867e_story.html">military data</a>.

In the <a href="https://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/ublr/vol50/iss1/2/">post-Roe v. Wade legal environment</a>, there are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/19/opinion/privacy-technology-data.html">concerns</a> not only about <a href="https://www.stopspying.org/pregnancy-panopticon">period tracking</a> apps but about <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2022/05/04/data-brokers-selling-location-data-of-americans-who-visit-abortion-clinics/">correlating data</a> on physical movements with online searches and <a href="https://theconversation.com/impending-demise-of-roe-v-wade-puts-a-spotlight-on-a-major-privacy-risk-your-phone-reveals-more-about-you-than-you-think-182504">phone data</a>. Legislation like the recent <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB8/2021">Texas Senate Bill 8</a> anti-abortion law invokes “private individual enforcement mechanisms,” raising questions about who gets <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/18/google-data-states-track-abortions-00045906">access to tracking data</a>.

In 2019, the <a href="https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2019/10/31/20939890/missouri-abortion-clinic-hearing-periods-roe-wade">Missouri Department of Health</a>
 stored data about the periods of patients at the state’s lone Planned 
Parenthood clinic, correlated with state medical records. Communications
 <a href="https://www.icij.org/inside-icij/2015/05/be-paranoid-how-one-reporter-learned-danger-metadata/">metadata</a> can reveal who you are in touch with, when you were where, and who else was there – whether they are in your contacts or not.

Location data from apps on hundreds of millions of phones lets the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/18/dhs-location-data-aclu-00046208">Department of Homeland Security</a> track people. Health <a href="https://www.democraticmedia.org/CDD-Wearable-Devices-Big-Data-Report">wearables</a> pose similar risks, and medical experts note a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31146589/">lack of awareness</a>
 about the security of data they collect. Note the resemblance of your 
Fitbit or smartwatch to ankle bracelets people wear during court-ordered
 monitoring.

The most pervasive user of tracking in the U.S. is Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which <a href="https://americandragnet.org/">amassed a vast amount of information</a> without judicial, legislative or public oversight. Georgetown University Law Center’s Center on Privacy and Technology <a href="https://americandragnet.org/">reported on how ICE searched</a>
 the driver’s license photographs of 32% of all adults in the U.S., 
tracked cars in cities home to 70% of adults, and updated address 
records for 74% of adults when those people activated new utility 
accounts.

Nobody expects to be invisible on streets, at borders, or in shopping
 centers. But who has access to all that surveillance data, and how long
 it is stored? There is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/state-of-privacy-laws-in-us/">no single U.S. privacy law</a>
 at the federal level, and states cope with a regulatory patchwork; only
 five states – California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah and Virginia – <a href="https://www.natlawreview.com/article/state-us-state-privacy-laws-comparison">have privacy laws</a>.

It is possible to <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/how-to-turn-off-location-services-on-your-smartphone-a8219252827/">limit location tracking</a> on your phone, but not to avoid it completely. Data brokers are supposed to mask your <a href="https://dataprivacymanager.net/what-is-personally-identifiable-information-pii/">personally identifiable data</a> before selling it. But this “<a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2021/11/22/anonymized-data-is-gibberish-term-rampant-location-data-sales-is-still-problem/">anonymization</a>” is meaningless since individuals are easily identified by cross-referencing additional data sets. This makes it easy for <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/panvkz/stalkers-debt-collectors-bounty-hunters-impersonate-cops-phone-location-data">bounty hunters and stalkers</a> to abuse the system.

The biggest risk to most people arises when there is a <a href="https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-data-protection/4-credit-bureau-data-breaches-predate-2017-equifax-hack/">data breach</a>, which is happening more often – whether it is a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajdellinger/2019/06/07/many-popular-android-apps-leak-sensitive-data-leaving-millions-of-consumers-at-risk/?sh=367a2418521e">leaky app</a> or careless <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/6/23196805/marriott-hotels-maryland-data-breach-credit-cards">hotel chain</a>, a <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2019/11/26/california-makes-50-million-annually-selling-your-dmv-data/">DMV data sale</a> or a compromised <a href="https://www.securityweek.com/massive-credit-bureau-hack-raises-troubling-questions">credit bureau</a>, or indeed a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/22/tech/equifax-hack-ftc/index.html">data brokering</a> middleman whose <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/03/02/cloud-hack-problems/">cloud storage</a> is hacked.

This illicit flow of data not only puts <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/06/online-data-brokers/529281/">fuzzy notions</a>
 of privacy in peril, but may put your addresses and passport numbers, 
biometric data and social media profiles, credit card numbers and dating
 profiles, health and insurance information, and more <a href="https://epic.org/issues/consumer-privacy/data-brokers/">on sale</a>.

Peter Krapp is a Professor of Film &amp; Media Studies, University of California, Irvine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658509184318.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By PETER KRAPP <a href="https://theconversation.com/surveillance-is-pervasive-yes-you-are-being-watched-even-if-no-one-is-looking-for-you-187139">The Conversation</a>The U.S. has the <a href="https://www.techspot.com/news/83061-report-finds-us-has-largest-number-surveillance-cameras.html">largest number of surveillance cameras per person</a> in the world. Cameras are omnipresent on city streets and in hotels, restaurants, malls and offices. They’re also used to <a href="https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/united-states-video-surveillance-market">screen passengers</a> for the Transportation Security Administration. And then there are <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/23207072/amazon-ring-privacy-police-footage">smart doorbells</a> and other home security cameras. Most Americans are aware of video surveillance of public spaces. Likewise, most people know about online tracking – and <a href="https://morningconsult.com/2021/04/27/state-privacy-congress-priority-poll/">want Congress to do something about it</a>. But as a researcher who <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&amp;user=tMOMmqsAAAAJ&amp;view_op=list_works&amp;sortby=pubdate">studies digital culture and secret communications</a>,
 I believe that to understand how pervasive surveillance is, it’s 
important to recognize how physical and digital tracking work together. Databases can correlate <a href="https://theconversation.com/impending-demise-of-roe-v-wade-puts-a-spotlight-on-a-major-privacy-risk-your-phone-reveals-more-about-you-than-you-think-182504">location data from smartphones</a>, the growing number of private cameras, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/license-plate-reader-alpr-surveillance-abortion/">license plate readers</a> on police cruisers and toll roads, and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/9/21002515/surveillance-cameras-globally-us-china-amount-citizens">facial recognition technology</a>, so if law enforcement wants to track where you are and where you’ve been, they can. They need a warrant to use <a href="https://www.upturn.org/work/mass-extraction/">cellphone search</a> equipment: Connecting your device to a <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/Mobile-Security-and-Forensics/Mobile-Forensics">mobile device forensic tool</a> lets them extract and <a href="https://www.forensicmag.com/518341-Digital-Forensics-Window-Into-the-Soul/">analyze all your data</a> <a href="https://casetext.com/case/people-v-riley-263">if they have a warrant</a>. However, private <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/opinion-data-brokers-know-where-you-are-and-want-to-sell-that-intel/">data brokers</a> also track this kind of data and <a href="https://issues.org/data-brokers-police-surveillance/">help surveil citizens</a>
 – without a warrant. There is a large market for personal data, 
compiled from information people volunteer, information people 
unwittingly yield – for example, <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-control-which-apps-access-your-location-on-ios-and-android/">via mobile apps</a> – and information that is stolen in data breaches. Among the customers for this largely unregulated data are <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22565926/police-law-enforcement-data-warrant">federal, state and local law enforcement agencies</a>.<h2>How you are tracked</h2>Whether or not you pass under the gaze of a surveillance camera or 
license plate reader, you are tracked by your mobile phone. GPS tells 
weather apps or maps your location, Wi-Fi uses your location, and <a href="https://cyberforensics.com/services/cellular-triangulation/">cell-tower triangulation</a> tracks your phone. <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/955287">Bluetooth</a>
 can identify and track your smartphone, and not just for COVID-19 
contact tracing, Apple’s “Find My” service, or to connect headphones.People volunteer their locations for <a href="https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-privacy-ridesharing-privacy-ride.html">ride-sharing</a> or for games like <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/app/pokemon-go/">Pokemon Go</a> or <a href="https://www.ingress.com">Ingress</a>, but apps can also <a href="https://research.checkpoint.com/2021/mobile-app-developers-misconfiguration-of-third-party-services-leave-personal-data-of-over-100-million-exposed/">collect and share location</a> without your knowledge. Many late-model cars feature telematics that track locations – for example, <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a7469/your-car-is-spying-on-you-but-whom-is-it-spying-for/">OnStar or Bluelink</a>. All this makes opting out impractical.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658509244085.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>The same thing is true online. Most websites feature <a href="https://themarkup.org/blacklight">ad trackers and third-party cookies</a>,
 which are stored in your browser whenever you visit a site. They 
identify you when you visit other sites so advertisers can follow you 
around. Some websites also use <a href="https://www.malwarebytes.com/keylogger">key logging</a>,
 which monitors what you type into a page before hitting submit. 
Similarly, session recording monitors mouse movements, clicks, scrolling
 and typing, even if you don’t click “submit.” Ad trackers know when you browsed where, which browser you used, and what your device’s internet address is. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/18/google-data-states-track-abortions-00045906">Google</a> and Facebook are among the main beneficiaries, but there are many <a href="https://privacybee.com/blog/these-are-the-largest-data-brokers-in-america/">data brokers</a> <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-data-brokers-selling-your-personal-information/">slicing and dicing such information</a> by religion, ethnicity, political affiliations, social media profiles, income and medical history for profit.<h2>Big Brother in the 21st century</h2>People may implicitly consent to some loss of privacy in the interest
 of perceived or real security – for example, in stadiums, on the road 
and at airports, or in return for cheaper online services. But these 
trade-offs benefit individuals far less than the companies aggregating 
data. <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-some-americans-dont-trust-the-census-130109">Many Americans</a> are suspicious of government <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2010/01/20/most-view-census-positively-but-some-have-doubts">censuses</a>, yet they willingly share their jogging routines on apps like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/28/fitness-tracking-app-gives-away-location-of-secret-us-army-bases">Strava</a>, which has <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/apps/a15912407/strava-app-military-bases-fitbit-jogging/">revealed</a> sensitive and secret <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/a-map-showing-the-users-of-fitness-devices-lets-the-world-see-where-us-soldiers-are-and-what-they-are-doing/2018/01/28/86915662-0441-11e8-aa61-f3391373867e_story.html">military data</a>. In the <a href="https://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/ublr/vol50/iss1/2/">post-Roe v. Wade legal environment</a>, there are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/19/opinion/privacy-technology-data.html">concerns</a> not only about <a href="https://www.stopspying.org/pregnancy-panopticon">period tracking</a> apps but about <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2022/05/04/data-brokers-selling-location-data-of-americans-who-visit-abortion-clinics/">correlating data</a> on physical movements with online searches and <a href="https://theconversation.com/impending-demise-of-roe-v-wade-puts-a-spotlight-on-a-major-privacy-risk-your-phone-reveals-more-about-you-than-you-think-182504">phone data</a>. Legislation like the recent <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/SB8/2021">Texas Senate Bill 8</a> anti-abortion law invokes “private individual enforcement mechanisms,” raising questions about who gets <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/18/google-data-states-track-abortions-00045906">access to tracking data</a>. In 2019, the <a href="https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2019/10/31/20939890/missouri-abortion-clinic-hearing-periods-roe-wade">Missouri Department of Health</a>
 stored data about the periods of patients at the state’s lone Planned 
Parenthood clinic, correlated with state medical records. Communications
 <a href="https://www.icij.org/inside-icij/2015/05/be-paranoid-how-one-reporter-learned-danger-metadata/">metadata</a> can reveal who you are in touch with, when you were where, and who else was there – whether they are in your contacts or not.Location data from apps on hundreds of millions of phones lets the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/18/dhs-location-data-aclu-00046208">Department of Homeland Security</a> track people. Health <a href="https://www.democraticmedia.org/CDD-Wearable-Devices-Big-Data-Report">wearables</a> pose similar risks, and medical experts note a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31146589/">lack of awareness</a>
 about the security of data they collect. Note the resemblance of your 
Fitbit or smartwatch to ankle bracelets people wear during court-ordered
 monitoring.The most pervasive user of tracking in the U.S. is Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which <a href="https://americandragnet.org/">amassed a vast amount of information</a> without judicial, legislative or public oversight. Georgetown University Law Center’s Center on Privacy and Technology <a href="https://americandragnet.org/">reported on how ICE searched</a>
 the driver’s license photographs of 32% of all adults in the U.S., 
tracked cars in cities home to 70% of adults, and updated address 
records for 74% of adults when those people activated new utility 
accounts.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658509302201.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>No one is watching the watchers</h2>Nobody expects to be invisible on streets, at borders, or in shopping
 centers. But who has access to all that surveillance data, and how long
 it is stored? There is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/state-of-privacy-laws-in-us/">no single U.S. privacy law</a>
 at the federal level, and states cope with a regulatory patchwork; only
 five states – California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah and Virginia – <a href="https://www.natlawreview.com/article/state-us-state-privacy-laws-comparison">have privacy laws</a>. It is possible to <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/how-to-turn-off-location-services-on-your-smartphone-a8219252827/">limit location tracking</a> on your phone, but not to avoid it completely. Data brokers are supposed to mask your <a href="https://dataprivacymanager.net/what-is-personally-identifiable-information-pii/">personally identifiable data</a> before selling it. But this “<a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2021/11/22/anonymized-data-is-gibberish-term-rampant-location-data-sales-is-still-problem/">anonymization</a>” is meaningless since individuals are easily identified by cross-referencing additional data sets. This makes it easy for <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/panvkz/stalkers-debt-collectors-bounty-hunters-impersonate-cops-phone-location-data">bounty hunters and stalkers</a> to abuse the system. The biggest risk to most people arises when there is a <a href="https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-data-protection/4-credit-bureau-data-breaches-predate-2017-equifax-hack/">data breach</a>, which is happening more often – whether it is a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajdellinger/2019/06/07/many-popular-android-apps-leak-sensitive-data-leaving-millions-of-consumers-at-risk/?sh=367a2418521e">leaky app</a> or careless <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/6/23196805/marriott-hotels-maryland-data-breach-credit-cards">hotel chain</a>, a <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2019/11/26/california-makes-50-million-annually-selling-your-dmv-data/">DMV data sale</a> or a compromised <a href="https://www.securityweek.com/massive-credit-bureau-hack-raises-troubling-questions">credit bureau</a>, or indeed a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/22/tech/equifax-hack-ftc/index.html">data brokering</a> middleman whose <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/03/02/cloud-hack-problems/">cloud storage</a> is hacked. This illicit flow of data not only puts <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/06/online-data-brokers/529281/">fuzzy notions</a>
 of privacy in peril, but may put your addresses and passport numbers, 
biometric data and social media profiles, credit card numbers and dating
 profiles, health and insurance information, and more <a href="https://epic.org/issues/consumer-privacy/data-brokers/">on sale</a>.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187139/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>Peter Krapp is a Professor of Film &amp; Media Studies, University of California, Irvine.

Yes, you are being watched, even if no one is looking for you

MOSCOW (AP) — The spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry lashed out Thursday at the United States characterizing basketball star Brittney Griner’s jailing on drug charges as “wrongful detention,” saying it shows disrespect for Russian law.

Griner has been jailed since she was arrested in mid-February at a Moscow airport after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage. The Phoenix Mercury standout and two-time Olympic gold medalist acknowledged in court this month that she had the canisters, but said she had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-russia-trial-live-updates-bc4c1d9efd490eed0eb522c8c59e9197">no intent to break the law</a>.

She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-russian-trial-1db9fad8b028b0158e46625b1a4af1bd">Her trial</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to resume Tuesday.

The State Department in May designated Griner as wrongfully detained, moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs - effectively, the government’s chief hostage negotiator.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-trial-updates-142a994fb4067c2b48029e4566169f04">legalization of cannabis</a>&nbsp;for medical and recreational use in parts of the U.S. has no bearing on what happens in Russia.

“If a U.S. citizen was taken in connection with the fact that she was smuggling drugs, and she does not deny this, then this should be commensurate with our Russian, local laws, and not with those adopted in San Francisco, New York and Washington,” Zakharova said.

“You understand, if drugs are legalized in the United States, in a number of states, and this is done for a long time, and now the whole country will become drug-addicted, this does not mean that all other countries are following the same path,” she added.

Russian media have persistently speculated that Griner could be exchanged for prominent Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, who is imprisoned in the United States, and that Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia for espionage, may also figure in an exchange.

U.S. officials have not commented on the prospects for such a trade. Russian officials have said no exchange could be discussed until the conclusion of the legal proceedings against Griner. It is unclear how long the trial will last, but a court has authorized Griner’s detention until Dec. 20.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646510097872.png" alt="The 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball, has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury" />
 <figcaption>The 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball, has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) — The spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry lashed out Thursday at the United States characterizing basketball star Brittney Griner’s jailing on drug charges as “wrongful detention,” saying it shows disrespect for Russian law.Griner has been jailed since she was arrested in mid-February at a Moscow airport after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage. The Phoenix Mercury standout and two-time Olympic gold medalist acknowledged in court this month that she had the canisters, but said she had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-russia-trial-live-updates-bc4c1d9efd490eed0eb522c8c59e9197">no intent to break the law</a>.She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-russian-trial-1db9fad8b028b0158e46625b1a4af1bd">Her trial</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to resume Tuesday.The State Department in May designated Griner as wrongfully detained, moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs - effectively, the government’s chief hostage negotiator.Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-trial-updates-142a994fb4067c2b48029e4566169f04">legalization of cannabis</a>&nbsp;for medical and recreational use in parts of the U.S. has no bearing on what happens in Russia.“If a U.S. citizen was taken in connection with the fact that she was smuggling drugs, and she does not deny this, then this should be commensurate with our Russian, local laws, and not with those adopted in San Francisco, New York and Washington,” Zakharova said.“You understand, if drugs are legalized in the United States, in a number of states, and this is done for a long time, and now the whole country will become drug-addicted, this does not mean that all other countries are following the same path,” she added.Russian media have persistently speculated that Griner could be exchanged for prominent Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, who is imprisoned in the United States, and that Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia for espionage, may also figure in an exchange.U.S. officials have not commented on the prospects for such a trade. Russian officials have said no exchange could be discussed until the conclusion of the legal proceedings against Griner. It is unclear how long the trial will last, but a court has authorized Griner’s detention until Dec. 20.

Moscow: US must respect Russian law in Griner case

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/21/no-activity-spotted-at-two-newly-constructed-amazon-plants-in-omaha-and-council-bluffs/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — There’s no sign of business 
activity at two other Omaha-area Amazon warehouse facilities that are 
newly constructed and span a combined 400,000 square feet — raising 
questions about their future.

The Nebraska Examiner visited the two
 sites Thursday in the wake of confirmation that a third in-the-pipeline
 Amazon center, in the Papillion area of Sarpy County, likely will open 
in 2024 rather than this year.

Papillion officials said the e-commerce giant informed them that “supply chain issues” were behind the <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/20/sarpy-county-amazon-warehouse-expected-to-employ-1000-delays-opening-until-2024/">delayed opening</a> of the nearly completed 700,000-square-foot complex at Highways 370 and 50.

Announced in late 2020, that facility is to feature robots working alongside up to 1,000 human employees.

Spokesman Andy DiOrio offered little detail this week when asked about the three metro area plants.

“We’re still excited to launch these 
new facilities in the Omaha market, though we’ve had to adjust our 
timing,” DiOrio, regional public relations manager, said in a 
statement.&nbsp;

“We know the Papillion and Council 
Bluffs communities are looking forward to the opportunities we’ll be 
bringing to the area, and we’ll share new timing along with information 
about the great jobs, pay and comprehensive benefits we’ll be offering 
just as soon as we can.”

Amazon officials said previously that
 the Council Bluffs sorting center at South 24th Street and Veterans 
Memorial Highway will create about 500 jobs, once opened.

We’re still excited to launch these new facilities in the Omaha market, though we’ve had to adjust our timing

– Andy DiOrio, Amazon regional spokesman

Construction of that 
270,000-square-foot Iowa facility appears complete with a finished 
parking lot and loading dock area. No one was in sight early Thursday 
afternoon when a reporter visited the grounds. The familiar Amazon arrow
 and signage was not visible on the blue and gray structure.

Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh said the 
center has been finished, as far as he knows, for a month or two. He 
said that the building does not appear to be staffed yet and that he has
 not been informed of its status or any potential delay.

“They worked really hard to get it done,” he said.&nbsp;

Paula Hazlewood, of Advance Southwest
 Iowa Corp., an affiliate of the Greater Omaha Chamber, said she had not
 been informed of a potential delay, either.&nbsp;

At the Omaha Amazon site, near 72nd 
and State Streets, a 141,360-square-foot facility is newly constructed 
but currently appears inactive. It was one of the city’s biggest 
commercial building permits in 2021.

Carrie Murphy, spokeswoman for Mayor 
Jean Stothert, said the city has not issued a certificate of occupancy 
yet for the warehouse, and that would not happen until inspectors 
approve a final floor plan for equipment.

Thursday at the Papillion area plant,
 the parking lot contained multiple vehicles, mostly construction vans 
and cars with out-of-state license plates, indicating that interior 
finishings by contract workers was in progress.

That Sarpy County complex was touted 
as the biggest economic development coup for 2020 in the seven-county 
area covered by the Greater Omaha Chamber. A chamber analysis at the 
time said business leaders expect the operation to have a $203 million 
annual economic impact in the metro area.

News of the delayed opening came 
following media accounts that Amazon warehouses in numerous other cities
 across the nation have reported delays or cancellations to warehouse 
plans. Amazon reported a $3.8 billion net loss in the first quarter of 
2022, compared to the $8.1 billion profit a year earlier.

DiOrio noted there is an active Amazon delivery station in Papillion 
that opened in 2018 and another near Eppley Airfield. “We see Omaha as a
 growing market,” he said.

Veta Jeffery, who recently assumed 
the helm at the Chamber, said her team understands there are many 
“moving parts along with world-wide issues that are impacting projects 
for companies like Amazon.”

She said the Chamber and other leaders will be ready to help Amazon when the company is ready to move forward. 

“This project remains a crucial piece of our rapidly growing area and we will continue to facilitate its arrival,” Jeffery said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658518250468.png" alt="The newly constructed Amazon facility near North 72nd and State Streets in Omaha appears inactive on July 21, 2022. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The newly constructed Amazon facility near North 72nd and State Streets in Omaha appears inactive on July 21, 2022. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/21/no-activity-spotted-at-two-newly-constructed-amazon-plants-in-omaha-and-council-bluffs/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — There’s no sign of business 
activity at two other Omaha-area Amazon warehouse facilities that are 
newly constructed and span a combined 400,000 square feet — raising 
questions about their future.The Nebraska Examiner visited the two
 sites Thursday in the wake of confirmation that a third in-the-pipeline
 Amazon center, in the Papillion area of Sarpy County, likely will open 
in 2024 rather than this year.Papillion officials said the e-commerce giant informed them that “supply chain issues” were behind the <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/20/sarpy-county-amazon-warehouse-expected-to-employ-1000-delays-opening-until-2024/">delayed opening</a> of the nearly completed 700,000-square-foot complex at Highways 370 and 50.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658518306835.jpeg" alt="Amazon facility in Sarpy County is to delay opening until, likely, 2024. Interior work appears ongoing on July 21, 2022. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Amazon facility in Sarpy County is to delay opening until, likely, 2024. Interior work appears ongoing on July 21, 2022. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Announced in late 2020, that facility is to feature robots working alongside up to 1,000 human employees.<h2>‘They worked really hard’</h2>Spokesman Andy DiOrio offered little detail this week when asked about the three metro area plants.“We’re still excited to launch these 
new facilities in the Omaha market, though we’ve had to adjust our 
timing,” DiOrio, regional public relations manager, said in a 
statement.&nbsp;“We know the Papillion and Council 
Bluffs communities are looking forward to the opportunities we’ll be 
bringing to the area, and we’ll share new timing along with information 
about the great jobs, pay and comprehensive benefits we’ll be offering 
just as soon as we can.”Amazon officials said previously that
 the Council Bluffs sorting center at South 24th Street and Veterans 
Memorial Highway will create about 500 jobs, once opened.We’re still excited to launch these new facilities in the Omaha market, though we’ve had to adjust our timing– Andy DiOrio, Amazon regional spokesmanConstruction of that 
270,000-square-foot Iowa facility appears complete with a finished 
parking lot and loading dock area. No one was in sight early Thursday 
afternoon when a reporter visited the grounds. The familiar Amazon arrow
 and signage was not visible on the blue and gray structure.Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh said the 
center has been finished, as far as he knows, for a month or two. He 
said that the building does not appear to be staffed yet and that he has
 not been informed of its status or any potential delay.“They worked really hard to get it done,” he said.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658518338498.jpeg" alt="Newly constructed Amazon facility at 24th Street and Veterans Memorial Highway in Council Bluffs looks inactive on July 21, 2022. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Newly constructed Amazon facility at 24th Street and Veterans Memorial Highway in Council Bluffs looks inactive on July 21, 2022. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paula Hazlewood, of Advance Southwest
 Iowa Corp., an affiliate of the Greater Omaha Chamber, said she had not
 been informed of a potential delay, either.&nbsp;At the Omaha Amazon site, near 72nd 
and State Streets, a 141,360-square-foot facility is newly constructed 
but currently appears inactive. It was one of the city’s biggest 
commercial building permits in 2021.Carrie Murphy, spokeswoman for Mayor 
Jean Stothert, said the city has not issued a certificate of occupancy 
yet for the warehouse, and that would not happen until inspectors 
approve a final floor plan for equipment.Thursday at the Papillion area plant,
 the parking lot contained multiple vehicles, mostly construction vans 
and cars with out-of-state license plates, indicating that interior 
finishings by contract workers was in progress.That Sarpy County complex was touted 
as the biggest economic development coup for 2020 in the seven-county 
area covered by the Greater Omaha Chamber. A chamber analysis at the 
time said business leaders expect the operation to have a $203 million 
annual economic impact in the metro area.News of the delayed opening came 
following media accounts that Amazon warehouses in numerous other cities
 across the nation have reported delays or cancellations to warehouse 
plans. Amazon reported a $3.8 billion net loss in the first quarter of 
2022, compared to the $8.1 billion profit a year earlier.DiOrio noted there is an active Amazon delivery station in Papillion 
that opened in 2018 and another near Eppley Airfield. “We see Omaha as a
 growing market,” he said.Veta Jeffery, who recently assumed 
the helm at the Chamber, said her team understands there are many 
“moving parts along with world-wide issues that are impacting projects 
for companies like Amazon.”She said the Chamber and other leaders will be ready to help Amazon when the company is ready to move forward. “This project remains a crucial piece of our rapidly growing area and we will continue to facilitate its arrival,” Jeffery said.

Eerily quiet at two new Amazon plants in Omaha, Council Bluffs

&nbsp;By ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President 
Donald Trump was convicted on Friday of contempt charges for defying a 
congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6
 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Bannon, 68, was convicted after
 a four-day trial in federal court in Washington on two counts: one for 
refusing to appear for a deposition and the other for refusing to 
provide documents in response to the committee’s subpoena. The jury of 8
 men and 4 women deliberated just under three hours.

He faces up 
to two years in federal prison when he’s sentenced on Oct. 21. Each 
count carries a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail.

The committee
 sought Bannon’s testimony over his involvement in Trump’s efforts to 
overturn the 2020 presidential election. Bannon had initially argued 
that his testimony was protected by Trump’s claim of executive 
privilege. But the House panel and the Justice Department contend such a
 claim is dubious because Trump had fired Bannon from the White House in
 2017 and Bannon was thus a private citizen when he was consulting with 
the then-president in the run-up to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Bannon’s
 lawyers tried to argue during the trial that he didn’t refuse to 
cooperate and that the dates “were in flux.” They pointed to the fact 
that Bannon had reversed course shortly before the trial kicked off — 
after Trump waived his objection — and had offered to testify before the
 committee.

In closing arguments Friday morning, both sides 
re-emphasized their primary positions from the trial. The prosecution 
maintained that Bannon willfully ignored clear and explicit deadlines, 
and the defense claimed Bannon believed those deadlines were flexible 
and subject to negotiation.

Bannon was served with a subpoena on 
Sept. 23 last year ordering him to provide requested documents to the 
committee by Oct. 7 and appear in person by Oct. 14. Bannon was indicted
 in November on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress, a month 
after the Justice Department received the House panel’s referral.

Bannon’s
 attorney Evan Corcoran told jurors Friday in his closing arguments that
 those deadlines were mere “placeholders” while lawyers on each side 
negotiated terms.

Corcoran said the committee “rushed to judgment” because it “wanted to make an example of Steve Bannon.”

Corcoran
 also hinted that the government’s main witness, Jan. 6 committee chief 
counsel Kristin Amerling, was personally biased. Amerling admitted on 
the stand that she is a lifelong Democrat and has been friends with one 
of the prosecutors for years. Corcoran also vaguely hinted that the 
signature of Jan. 6 committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss) 
looked different on the subpoena than on other letters but dropped that 
topic when the prosecution objected.

Prosecutors focused on the 
series of letters exchanged between the Jan. 6 committee and Bannon’s 
lawyers. The correspondence shows Thompson immediately dismissing 
Bannon’s claim that he was exempted by Trump’s claim of executive 
privilege and explicitly threatening Bannon with criminal prosecution.

“The
 defense wants to make this hard, difficult and confusing,” said 
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn in her closing statement. “This is
 not difficult. This is not hard. There were only two witnesses because 
it’s as simple as it seems.”

The defense Thursday motioned for an 
acquittal, saying the prosecution had not proved it’s case. In making 
his motion for acquittal before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, Bannon
 attorney Evan Corcoran said that “no reasonable juror could conclude 
that Mr. Bannon refused to comply.”

Once the motion was made the 
defense rested its case without putting on any witnesses, telling 
Nichols that Bannon saw no point in testifying since the judge’s 
previous rulings had gutted his planned avenues of defense. Among other 
things, Bannon’s team was barred from calling as witnesses House Speaker
 Nancy Pelosi or members of the House panel. David Schoen said Bannon 
“understands that he would be barred from telling the true facts.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658518117885.jpeg" alt="Former White House strategist Steve Bannon arrives at the federal court in Washington on Friday (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)" />
 <figcaption>Former White House strategist Steve Bannon arrives at the federal court in Washington on Friday (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President 
Donald Trump was convicted on Friday of contempt charges for defying a 
congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6
 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.Bannon, 68, was convicted after
 a four-day trial in federal court in Washington on two counts: one for 
refusing to appear for a deposition and the other for refusing to 
provide documents in response to the committee’s subpoena. The jury of 8
 men and 4 women deliberated just under three hours.He faces up 
to two years in federal prison when he’s sentenced on Oct. 21. Each 
count carries a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail.The committee
 sought Bannon’s testimony over his involvement in Trump’s efforts to 
overturn the 2020 presidential election. Bannon had initially argued 
that his testimony was protected by Trump’s claim of executive 
privilege. But the House panel and the Justice Department contend such a
 claim is dubious because Trump had fired Bannon from the White House in
 2017 and Bannon was thus a private citizen when he was consulting with 
the then-president in the run-up to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.Bannon’s
 lawyers tried to argue during the trial that he didn’t refuse to 
cooperate and that the dates “were in flux.” They pointed to the fact 
that Bannon had reversed course shortly before the trial kicked off — 
after Trump waived his objection — and had offered to testify before the
 committee.In closing arguments Friday morning, both sides 
re-emphasized their primary positions from the trial. The prosecution 
maintained that Bannon willfully ignored clear and explicit deadlines, 
and the defense claimed Bannon believed those deadlines were flexible 
and subject to negotiation.Bannon was served with a subpoena on 
Sept. 23 last year ordering him to provide requested documents to the 
committee by Oct. 7 and appear in person by Oct. 14. Bannon was indicted
 in November on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress, a month 
after the Justice Department received the House panel’s referral.Bannon’s
 attorney Evan Corcoran told jurors Friday in his closing arguments that
 those deadlines were mere “placeholders” while lawyers on each side 
negotiated terms.Corcoran said the committee “rushed to judgment” because it “wanted to make an example of Steve Bannon.”Corcoran
 also hinted that the government’s main witness, Jan. 6 committee chief 
counsel Kristin Amerling, was personally biased. Amerling admitted on 
the stand that she is a lifelong Democrat and has been friends with one 
of the prosecutors for years. Corcoran also vaguely hinted that the 
signature of Jan. 6 committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss) 
looked different on the subpoena than on other letters but dropped that 
topic when the prosecution objected.Prosecutors focused on the 
series of letters exchanged between the Jan. 6 committee and Bannon’s 
lawyers. The correspondence shows Thompson immediately dismissing 
Bannon’s claim that he was exempted by Trump’s claim of executive 
privilege and explicitly threatening Bannon with criminal prosecution.“The
 defense wants to make this hard, difficult and confusing,” said 
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn in her closing statement. “This is
 not difficult. This is not hard. There were only two witnesses because 
it’s as simple as it seems.”The defense Thursday motioned for an 
acquittal, saying the prosecution had not proved it’s case. In making 
his motion for acquittal before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, Bannon
 attorney Evan Corcoran said that “no reasonable juror could conclude 
that Mr. Bannon refused to comply.”Once the motion was made the 
defense rested its case without putting on any witnesses, telling 
Nichols that Bannon saw no point in testifying since the judge’s 
previous rulings had gutted his planned avenues of defense. Among other 
things, Bannon’s team was barred from calling as witnesses House Speaker
 Nancy Pelosi or members of the House panel. David Schoen said Bannon 
“understands that he would be barred from telling the true facts.”

Steve Bannon convicted of contempt for defying 1/6 subpoena

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's COVID symptoms improved Friday and he responded well to treatment, his doctor said, as the White House worked to portray the image of a president still on the job despite his illness.

Biden had an elevated temperature of 99.4 F on Thursday, but that went down with Tylenol, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22111883-biden-paxlovid">new note from Dr. Kevin O'Connor,</a>&nbsp;the president's personal physician. Other metrics, such as pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation were normal, O'Connor said, although the White House did not release specific figures.

The president completed his first full day of Paxlovid, the antiviral therapy treatment meant to reduce the severity of COVID, and Biden's primary symptoms were a runny noise, fatigue and a loose cough, O'Connor said. Biden's voice was also deeper Friday morning.

But O'Connor emphasized that the president — who is fully vaccinated and twice boosted — continued to have a good prognosis.

“There has been nothing in the course of his illness thus far which gives me cause to alter that initial expectation," he wrote.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-fec6b4a56384b1f2bf7582aecb46aa36">Once Biden tested positive Thursday</a>&nbsp;— after more than two years of successfully dodging the virus — the White House sprung into action, aiming to turn his diagnosis into a “teachable moment” and dispel any notion of a crisis.

Those efforts continued Friday, when the White House released a photo of Biden, masked and tieless, in the Treaty Room of the president's residence, on the phone with his national security advisers. He was also scheduled to meet remotely with his economic team in a meeting focused on gas prices and then, separately, senior White House advisers to discuss legislative priorities.

It was part of an administration effort to shift the narrative from a health scare to a display of Biden as the personification of the idea that most Americans can get COVID and recover without too much suffering and disruption if they’ve gotten their shots and taken other important steps to protect themselves.

The message was crafted to alleviate voters’ concerns about Biden’s health — at 79,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-health-ronald-reagan-coronavirus-pandemic-b43ea0d0049ae2cd72aead6e1816f6d5">he’s the oldest person ever to be president</a>. And it was aimed at demonstrating to the country that the pandemic is far less of a threat than it was before Biden took office, thanks to widespread vaccines and new therapeutic drugs.

Conveying that sentiment on Day 1 of Biden’s coronavirus experience virus wasn’t always easy, though.

In a lengthy briefing with reporters, White House press secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-karine-jean-pierre-donald-trump-government-and-politics-14ee65c1a268db4a7faa452eeac600e6">Karine Jean-Pierre</a>&nbsp;said repeatedly that the White House had been as transparent as possible about the president’s health. But she parried with reporters over specifics. And when pressed about where Biden might have contracted the virus, she responded, “I don’t think that that matters, right? I think what matters is we prepared for this moment.”

Jean-Pierre and White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-congress-a05afb7ebfa102992c354c99619fa944">Dr. Ashish Jha</a>&nbsp;didn’t fully answer questions about whether Biden began isolating as soon as he started experiencing symptoms on Wednesday night, as federal guidelines suggest, or did so following his positive test the next day. Jha declined to speculate on some aspects of the president’s prognosis, characterizing the questions as hypotheticals.

Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said it’s important for Americans to know they must remain careful about the virus, which continues to kill hundreds of people daily.

“That’s the balance that we have to strike,” Osterholm said. “The president of the United States will do very well. But that may not be true for everyone.”

Jha said Biden’s case was being prioritized, meaning it will likely take less than a week for sequencing to determine which variant of the virus Biden contracted. Omicron’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-government-politics-0bd2ccf19f1c27379f312b9edf5f3634">highly contagious BA.5 substrain</a>&nbsp;is responsible for 78% of new COVID-19 infections reported in the U.S. last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest data released Tuesday.

Jean-Pierre said first lady Jill Biden was in close contact with the president, but she declined to discuss others who also might have been exposed, citing privacy reasons. Biden had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-middle-east-emergency-management-climate-and-environment-febdf09a5251f6b4fea9c4e7d9cdf006">traveled to Massachusetts</a>&nbsp;a day earlier to promote efforts to combat climate change and flew on Air Force One with several Democratic leaders, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

A White House official confirmed that Vice President Kamala Harris was also in close contact with Biden, and chief of staff Ron Klain said he was too. Klain said the White House wasn’t aware of any positive COVID results linked to the president’s case.

During her briefing, Jean-Pierre bristled at suggestions the Biden administration wasn’t being much more forthcoming with information about the president’s illness than that of his predecessor, Donald Trump. The former president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-virus-outbreak-7fece2838ff7a9bd91ccf5ac287348b3">contracted COVID-19 in the fall of 2020</a>, before vaccines were available, and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-elections-melania-trump-michael-pence-f6ba3a16ab9b74b161a3a7211248e97e">hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center</a>&nbsp;for three nights.

“I wholeheartedly disagree,” Jean-Pierre said of comparison. “We are doing this very differently — very differently — than the last administration.”

Dr. Leana Wen, a public health professor at George Washington University, said it was good for the White House to send the message that Biden can keep working even after testing positive.

“That shows that it’s business as usual,” Wen said.

Jean-Pierre’s predecessor, Jen Psaki, noted that White House officials have “been preparing for this probably for several months now, given the percentage of people in the country who have tested positive.”

“What they need to do over the next couple of days is show him working and show him still active and serving as president and I’m certain they’ll likely do that,” Psaki, who left her post as White House press secretary in May, said on MSNBC,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jen-psaki-msnbc-46ef9b47120f971de7a48fb93c8c9412">where she’s becoming a commentator</a>.

Biden will isolate until he tests negative, the White House said.

Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute, said that could mean he’s “out of commission from interacting with people for at least eight to 10 days.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658515578163.png" alt="President Biden continued working from the White House this morning, including speaking by phone with his national security team-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden continued working from the White House this morning, including speaking by phone with his national security team-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's COVID symptoms improved Friday and he responded well to treatment, his doctor said, as the White House worked to portray the image of a president still on the job despite his illness.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658515456047.png" alt="Letter from Dr. Kevin O'Connor: President Biden COVID update" />
 <figcaption>Letter from Dr. Kevin O'Connor: President Biden COVID update</figcaption>
 </figure>Biden had an elevated temperature of 99.4 F on Thursday, but that went down with Tylenol, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22111883-biden-paxlovid">new note from Dr. Kevin O'Connor,</a>&nbsp;the president's personal physician. Other metrics, such as pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation were normal, O'Connor said, although the White House did not release specific figures.The president completed his first full day of Paxlovid, the antiviral therapy treatment meant to reduce the severity of COVID, and Biden's primary symptoms were a runny noise, fatigue and a loose cough, O'Connor said. Biden's voice was also deeper Friday morning.But O'Connor emphasized that the president — who is fully vaccinated and twice boosted — continued to have a good prognosis.“There has been nothing in the course of his illness thus far which gives me cause to alter that initial expectation," he wrote.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-fec6b4a56384b1f2bf7582aecb46aa36">Once Biden tested positive Thursday</a>&nbsp;— after more than two years of successfully dodging the virus — the White House sprung into action, aiming to turn his diagnosis into a “teachable moment” and dispel any notion of a crisis.Those efforts continued Friday, when the White House released a photo of Biden, masked and tieless, in the Treaty Room of the president's residence, on the phone with his national security advisers. He was also scheduled to meet remotely with his economic team in a meeting focused on gas prices and then, separately, senior White House advisers to discuss legislative priorities.It was part of an administration effort to shift the narrative from a health scare to a display of Biden as the personification of the idea that most Americans can get COVID and recover without too much suffering and disruption if they’ve gotten their shots and taken other important steps to protect themselves.The message was crafted to alleviate voters’ concerns about Biden’s health — at 79,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-health-ronald-reagan-coronavirus-pandemic-b43ea0d0049ae2cd72aead6e1816f6d5">he’s the oldest person ever to be president</a>. And it was aimed at demonstrating to the country that the pandemic is far less of a threat than it was before Biden took office, thanks to widespread vaccines and new therapeutic drugs.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">An update from me: <a href="https://t.co/L2oCR0uUTu">pic.twitter.com/L2oCR0uUTu</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1550179049598861314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Conveying that sentiment on Day 1 of Biden’s coronavirus experience virus wasn’t always easy, though.In a lengthy briefing with reporters, White House press secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-karine-jean-pierre-donald-trump-government-and-politics-14ee65c1a268db4a7faa452eeac600e6">Karine Jean-Pierre</a>&nbsp;said repeatedly that the White House had been as transparent as possible about the president’s health. But she parried with reporters over specifics. And when pressed about where Biden might have contracted the virus, she responded, “I don’t think that that matters, right? I think what matters is we prepared for this moment.”Jean-Pierre and White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-congress-a05afb7ebfa102992c354c99619fa944">Dr. Ashish Jha</a>&nbsp;didn’t fully answer questions about whether Biden began isolating as soon as he started experiencing symptoms on Wednesday night, as federal guidelines suggest, or did so following his positive test the next day. Jha declined to speculate on some aspects of the president’s prognosis, characterizing the questions as hypotheticals.Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said it’s important for Americans to know they must remain careful about the virus, which continues to kill hundreds of people daily.“That’s the balance that we have to strike,” Osterholm said. “The president of the United States will do very well. But that may not be true for everyone.”Jha said Biden’s case was being prioritized, meaning it will likely take less than a week for sequencing to determine which variant of the virus Biden contracted. Omicron’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-rochelle-walensky-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-government-politics-0bd2ccf19f1c27379f312b9edf5f3634">highly contagious BA.5 substrain</a>&nbsp;is responsible for 78% of new COVID-19 infections reported in the U.S. last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest data released Tuesday.Jean-Pierre said first lady Jill Biden was in close contact with the president, but she declined to discuss others who also might have been exposed, citing privacy reasons. Biden had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-middle-east-emergency-management-climate-and-environment-febdf09a5251f6b4fea9c4e7d9cdf006">traveled to Massachusetts</a>&nbsp;a day earlier to promote efforts to combat climate change and flew on Air Force One with several Democratic leaders, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.A White House official confirmed that Vice President Kamala Harris was also in close contact with Biden, and chief of staff Ron Klain said he was too. Klain said the White House wasn’t aware of any positive COVID results linked to the president’s case.During her briefing, Jean-Pierre bristled at suggestions the Biden administration wasn’t being much more forthcoming with information about the president’s illness than that of his predecessor, Donald Trump. The former president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-virus-outbreak-7fece2838ff7a9bd91ccf5ac287348b3">contracted COVID-19 in the fall of 2020</a>, before vaccines were available, and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-elections-melania-trump-michael-pence-f6ba3a16ab9b74b161a3a7211248e97e">hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center</a>&nbsp;for three nights.“I wholeheartedly disagree,” Jean-Pierre said of comparison. “We are doing this very differently — very differently — than the last administration.”Dr. Leana Wen, a public health professor at George Washington University, said it was good for the White House to send the message that Biden can keep working even after testing positive.“That shows that it’s business as usual,” Wen said.Jean-Pierre’s predecessor, Jen Psaki, noted that White House officials have “been preparing for this probably for several months now, given the percentage of people in the country who have tested positive.”“What they need to do over the next couple of days is show him working and show him still active and serving as president and I’m certain they’ll likely do that,” Psaki, who left her post as White House press secretary in May, said on MSNBC,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jen-psaki-msnbc-46ef9b47120f971de7a48fb93c8c9412">where she’s becoming a commentator</a>.Biden will isolate until he tests negative, the White House said.Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute, said that could mean he’s “out of commission from interacting with people for at least eight to 10 days.”

Biden's doctor: President's COVID symptoms 'have improved'

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — Three people were killed in a shooting at a state park in eastern Iowa Friday morning, and the suspected gunman is also dead, police said.

Police responded to reports of the shooting at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground before 6:30 a.m., in a statement, Mike Krapfl, special agent in charge of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Krapfl said officers responding to reports of a shooting found three people dead at the scene, but he did not specify how they died and has not released their identities.

He said officers searching the campground later found the body of a Nebraska man who had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities identified him as 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin.

The campground was evacuated in the wake of the shooting. A children's summer camp on-site called Camp Shalom said in a Facebook post that parents had been notified and that it had established a pick-up site for campers.

Camp Shalom officials said they have accounted for all campers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1560127290802.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — Three people were killed in a shooting at a state park in eastern Iowa Friday morning, and the suspected gunman is also dead, police said.Police responded to reports of the shooting at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground before 6:30 a.m., in a statement, Mike Krapfl, special agent in charge of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.Krapfl said officers responding to reports of a shooting found three people dead at the scene, but he did not specify how they died and has not released their identities.He said officers searching the campground later found the body of a Nebraska man who had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities identified him as 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin.The campground was evacuated in the wake of the shooting. A children's summer camp on-site called Camp Shalom said in a Facebook post that parents had been notified and that it had established a pick-up site for campers.Camp Shalom officials said they have accounted for all campers.Krapfl said the park remains closed but that there is no longer a threat to the public.