The peregrine falcon that died in a nest box on the WoodmenLife Tower in downtown Omaha tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.

The adult female falcon, named Chayton, died April 18 after being observed, via WoodmenLife’s webcam, behaving oddly. The online webcam provides a live public view of the nest box.

The falcon was retrieved by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and HPAI testing was performed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Veterinary Diagnostic Center.

HPAI is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily among birds and has been detected in both domestic poultry and wild birds. Among wild birds, waterfowl and other waterbirds appear more susceptible to HPAI than other species.

Peregrine falcons’ diet consists mostly of other birds, and the species routinely preys upon ducks, shorebirds and other waterbirds. The deceased falcon may have been exposed to HPAI from its prey.

In addition to the peregrine falcon, HPAI has been detected in the following wild birds in Nebraska during this outbreak: several geese, a swan, two bald eagles and an American white pelican.

Sightings of sick or dead wild birds should be reported to your nearest Game and Parks office; find a location at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA0MjUuNTY5NDQwODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9sb2NhdGlvbnMvIn0._QVfUNArt4tD4l2sykU0RrmEenIs8jrUuybiLAlDy6I/s/401498001/br/130316197685-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org/Locations</a>. For domestic bird illness or unusual death, report to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 402-471-2351 and the USDA at 866-536-7593.

Find additional information about avian influenza at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA0MjUuNTY5NDQwODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL291dGRvb3JuZWJyYXNrYS5nb3YvYWkvIn0.zxZfkegTYtDc-XgeJL79PtMCS9Of0mKKurs5BSgylf8/s/401498001/br/130316197685-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org/AI</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650908048377.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKSThe peregrine falcon that died in a nest box on the WoodmenLife Tower in downtown Omaha tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.The adult female falcon, named Chayton, died April 18 after being observed, via WoodmenLife’s webcam, behaving oddly. The online webcam provides a live public view of the nest box.The falcon was retrieved by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and HPAI testing was performed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Veterinary Diagnostic Center.HPAI is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily among birds and has been detected in both domestic poultry and wild birds. Among wild birds, waterfowl and other waterbirds appear more susceptible to HPAI than other species.Peregrine falcons’ diet consists mostly of other birds, and the species routinely preys upon ducks, shorebirds and other waterbirds. The deceased falcon may have been exposed to HPAI from its prey.In addition to the peregrine falcon, HPAI has been detected in the following wild birds in Nebraska during this outbreak: several geese, a swan, two bald eagles and an American white pelican.Sightings of sick or dead wild birds should be reported to your nearest Game and Parks office; find a location at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA0MjUuNTY5NDQwODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vb3V0ZG9vcm5lYnJhc2thLmdvdi9sb2NhdGlvbnMvIn0._QVfUNArt4tD4l2sykU0RrmEenIs8jrUuybiLAlDy6I/s/401498001/br/130316197685-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org/Locations</a>. For domestic bird illness or unusual death, report to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 402-471-2351 and the USDA at 866-536-7593.Find additional information about avian influenza at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA0MjUuNTY5NDQwODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL291dGRvb3JuZWJyYXNrYS5nb3YvYWkvIn0.zxZfkegTYtDc-XgeJL79PtMCS9Of0mKKurs5BSgylf8/s/401498001/br/130316197685-l" target="_blank">OutdoorNebraska.org/AI</a>.

Omaha peregrine falcon tests positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The search for an inmate released from jail by mistake last month is over.

On March 24, inmate Elijah Nehemiah Reed, 20,&nbsp; was released from the Sedgwick County Detention Facility in error, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.

On April 8 police&nbsp; arrested Reed in Fort Worth, Texas on an outstanding warrant related to his pending criminal case in Sedgwick County District Court, Blick confirmed on Monday.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Extradition Unit flew to Fort Worth on April 20 and<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20060773"> returned Elijah Reed to</a> the Sedgwick County Detention Facility.

Reed was in custody on two writs to detain through the Juvenile District Court and a criminal possession of a firearm charge through the Adult District Court. After the adult case was dismissed by the District Court a paperwork error in the Sheriff’s Office was made concerning the sentencing status of the two juvenile cases and Reed was released from custody in error. Authorities said he was dangerous and possibly armed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650888449322.png" alt="Reed-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Reed-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The search for an inmate released from jail by mistake last month is over.On March 24, inmate Elijah Nehemiah Reed, 20,&nbsp; was released from the Sedgwick County Detention Facility in error, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.On April 8 police&nbsp; arrested Reed in Fort Worth, Texas on an outstanding warrant related to his pending criminal case in Sedgwick County District Court, Blick confirmed on Monday.The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Extradition Unit flew to Fort Worth on April 20 and<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20060773"> returned Elijah Reed to</a> the Sedgwick County Detention Facility.Reed was in custody on two writs to detain through the Juvenile District Court and a criminal possession of a firearm charge through the Adult District Court. After the adult case was dismissed by the District Court a paperwork error in the Sheriff’s Office was made concerning the sentencing status of the two juvenile cases and Reed was released from custody in error. Authorities said he was dangerous and possibly armed.

Kansas inmate released by mistake captured in Texas

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The U.S. secretaries of state and defense met Sunday night with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the highest-level visit to the country’s capital by an American delegation since the start of Russia’s invasion.

The secretive meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin came as Ukraine pressed the West for more powerful weapons against Russia’s campaign in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-boris-johnson-business-europe-521e64467d1ffdbefbd7fdb3cc54fa7c">Donbas region of eastern Ukraine</a>, where Moscow’s forces sought to dislodge the last Ukrainian troops in the battered port of Mariupol.

Blinken and Austin told Ukraine’s president, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, and his advisers that the United States would provide more than $300 million in foreign military financing and had approved a $165 million sale of ammunition.

They also said that U.S. President Joe Biden would soon announce his nominee for ambassador to Ukraine and that American diplomats who left Ukraine before the war would start returning to the country this coming week

Reporters who accompanied Austin and Blinken to Poland were barred by Pentagon and State Department officials from reporting the Kyiv visit until the two men physically left Ukraine. U.S. officials cited security concerns.

Before the session with Blinken and Austin, Zelenskyy said he was looking for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-europe-united-states-a7f618d26d917d9a713e9dca3dc51afb">the Americans</a>&nbsp;to produce results, both in arms and security guarantees.

“You can’t come to us empty-handed today, and we are expecting not just presents or some kind of cakes, we are expecting specific things and specific weapons,″ he said.

Zelenskyy’s last face-to-face meeting with a top U.S. official was Feb. 19 in Munich with Vice President Kamala Harris, five days before Russia’s invasion. While the West has funneled military equipment to Ukraine, Zelenskyy has stressed repeatedly that his country needs more heavy weapons, including long-range air defense systems and warplanes.

In an apparent boost for Ukraine, polling agencies said French&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-french-election-voting-results-f5b549e3b99930ee05bed17a9d3870b6">President Emmanuel Macron would win reelection over far right candidate Marine Le Pen</a>, who has faced questions about her ties to Moscow.

The result was hailed by France’s allies in the European Union as a reassuring sign of stability and continued support for Ukraine. France has played a leading role in international efforts to punish Russia with sanctions and is supplying weapons systems to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s meeting with U.S. officials took place as Ukrainians and Russians&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-lifestyle-religion-9d076d8ea61a6d5d4ac054108d7b1f83">observed Orthodox Easter</a>. Speaking from Kyiv’s ancient St. Sophia Cathedral, Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, highlighted its significance to a nation wracked by nearly two months of war.

“The great holiday today gives us great hope and unwavering faith that light will overcome darkness, good will overcome evil, life will overcome death, and therefore Ukraine will surely win!” he said.

Still,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-religion-soviet-union-world-war-ii-c8a4785266692df05d421ebdb748cf2e">the war cast a shadow</a>&nbsp;over celebrations. In the northern village of Ivanivka, where Russian tanks still littered the roads, Olena Koptyl said “the Easter holiday doesn’t bring any joy. I’m crying a lot. We cannot forget how we lived.”

The Russian military reported hitting 423 Ukrainian targets overnight, including fortified positions and troop concentrations, while its warplanes destroyed 26 Ukrainian military sites, including an explosives factory and several artillery depots.

Since failing to capture Kyiv, the Russians have aimed to gain full control over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-donetsk-4231f7c36291f7ecf6df2a597c4400fd">the eastern industrial heartland,&nbsp;</a>where Moscow-backed separatists controlled some territory before the war.

Russian forces launched fresh airstrikes on a Mariupol steel plant where an estimated 1,000 civilians are sheltering along with about 2,000 Ukrainian fighters. The Azovstal steel mill where the defenders are holed up is the last corner of resistance in the city, otherwise occupied by the Russians.

Zelenskyy said he stressed the need to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, including from the steel plant, in a Sunday call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is scheduled to speak later with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Arestovych, the Zelenskyy adviser, said Ukraine has proposed holding talks with Russia next to the sprawling steel mill. Arestovych said on the Telegram messaging app that Russia has not responded to the proposal that would include establishing humanitarian corridors and the exchange of Russian war prisoners for the fighters still in the plant.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to travel to Turkey on Monday and then Moscow and Kyiv. Zelenskyy said it was a mistake for Guterres to visit Russia before Ukraine.

“Why? To hand over signals from Russia? What should we look for?” Zelenskyy said Saturday. “There are no corpses scattered on the Kutuzovsky Prospect,” he said, referring to one of Moscow’s main avenues.

Mariupol has endured fierce fighting since the start of the war because of its location on the Sea of Azov. Its capture would deprive Ukraine of a vital port, free up Russian troops to fight elsewhere, and allow Moscow to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014.

More than 100,000 people — down from a prewar population of about 430,000 — are believed to remain in Mariupol with scant food, water or heat. Ukrainian authorities estimate over 20,000 civilians have been killed. Recent satellite images showed what appeared to be mass graves to the west and east of Mariupol.

Children in an underground bunker were seen receiving Easter presents in a video released Sunday by the far-right Azov Battalion, which is among the Ukrainian forces at the steel plant in Mariupol. The group’s deputy commander, Sviatoslav Palamar, said the video was shot at the plant.

One toddler is seen wearing homemade diapers made of cellophane and people are seen hanging laundry on makeshift hangers.

“Please help us,” one woman in the video said through tears, appealing to world leaders. “We want to live in our city, in our country. We are tired of these bombings, constant air strikes on our land. How much longer will this continue?”

Mykhailo Podolyak, another presidential adviser, tweeted that the Russian military was attacking the plant with heavy bombs and artillery while accumulating forces and equipment for a direct assault.

Zelenskyy over the weekend accused Russians of committing war crimes by killing civilians and of setting up “filtration camps” near Mariupol for people trying to leave the city. He said the Ukrainians — many of them children — are then sent to areas under Russian occupation or to Russia itself, often as far as Siberia or the Far East. The claims could not be independently verified.

Zelenskyy highlighted the death of a 3-month old girl in a Russian missile strike Saturday on the Black Sea port of Odesa. The baby was among eight people killed when Russia fired cruise missiles at Odesa, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing social media, reported that the infant’s mother, Valeria Glodan, and grandmother also died when a missile hit a residential area. Zelenskyy promised to find and punish those responsible.

“The war started when this baby was 1 month old,″ Zelenskyy said. “Can you imagine what is happening? They are filthy scum; there are no other words for it.”

For the Donbas offensive, Russia has reassembled troops who fought&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-2c77447fda4b362dfcd99e4331f9d6ae">around Kyiv and in northern Ukraine</a>. The British Ministry of Defense said Ukrainian forces had repelled numerous assaults in the past week and “inflicted significant cost on Russian forces.”

A fire erupted early Monday at an oil depot in Russia near its border with Ukraine, but Russia’s Tass news agency gave no immediate cause for the blaze in oil storage tanks.

NASA satellites that track fires showed something burning at coordinates that corresponded to a Rosneft facility some 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of the Ukrainian border. Moscow previously has blamed Ukraine for attacks on the Russian region of Bryansk, which borders Ukraine.

The spiritual leaders of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-lifestyle-religion-pennsylvania-europe-5458f9a894bbac7cb80d4e6f6d55849d">the world’s Orthodox Christians</a>&nbsp;and Roman Catholics on Sunday appealed for relief for Ukraine’s suffering population.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650883422666.png" alt="Reporters who accompanied Austin and Blinken to Poland were barred by Pentagon and State Department officials from reporting the Kyiv visit until the two men physically left Ukraine-photo U.S. Defense Department" />
 <figcaption>Reporters who accompanied Austin and Blinken to Poland were barred by Pentagon and State Department officials from reporting the Kyiv visit until the two men physically left Ukraine-photo U.S. Defense Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The U.S. secretaries of state and defense met Sunday night with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the highest-level visit to the country’s capital by an American delegation since the start of Russia’s invasion.The secretive meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin came as Ukraine pressed the West for more powerful weapons against Russia’s campaign in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-boris-johnson-business-europe-521e64467d1ffdbefbd7fdb3cc54fa7c">Donbas region of eastern Ukraine</a>, where Moscow’s forces sought to dislodge the last Ukrainian troops in the battered port of Mariupol.Blinken and Austin told Ukraine’s president, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, and his advisers that the United States would provide more than $300 million in foreign military financing and had approved a $165 million sale of ammunition.They also said that U.S. President Joe Biden would soon announce his nominee for ambassador to Ukraine and that American diplomats who left Ukraine before the war would start returning to the country this coming week<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650881393752.png" alt="U.S. Airmen prepare supply crates containing Stinger anti-aircraft systems, Javelin anti-armor systems, and other equipment bound for Ukraine at Dover Air Force Base in April 2022 -photo U.S.Defense Department" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Airmen prepare supply crates containing Stinger anti-aircraft systems, Javelin anti-armor systems, and other equipment bound for Ukraine at Dover Air Force Base in April 2022 -photo U.S.Defense Department</figcaption>
 </figure>Reporters who accompanied Austin and Blinken to Poland were barred by Pentagon and State Department officials from reporting the Kyiv visit until the two men physically left Ukraine. U.S. officials cited security concerns.Before the session with Blinken and Austin, Zelenskyy said he was looking for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-europe-united-states-a7f618d26d917d9a713e9dca3dc51afb">the Americans</a>&nbsp;to produce results, both in arms and security guarantees.“You can’t come to us empty-handed today, and we are expecting not just presents or some kind of cakes, we are expecting specific things and specific weapons,″ he said.Zelenskyy’s last face-to-face meeting with a top U.S. official was Feb. 19 in Munich with Vice President Kamala Harris, five days before Russia’s invasion. While the West has funneled military equipment to Ukraine, Zelenskyy has stressed repeatedly that his country needs more heavy weapons, including long-range air defense systems and warplanes.In an apparent boost for Ukraine, polling agencies said French&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-french-election-voting-results-f5b549e3b99930ee05bed17a9d3870b6">President Emmanuel Macron would win reelection over far right candidate Marine Le Pen</a>, who has faced questions about her ties to Moscow.The result was hailed by France’s allies in the European Union as a reassuring sign of stability and continued support for Ukraine. France has played a leading role in international efforts to punish Russia with sanctions and is supplying weapons systems to Ukraine.Zelenskyy’s meeting with U.S. officials took place as Ukrainians and Russians&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-lifestyle-religion-9d076d8ea61a6d5d4ac054108d7b1f83">observed Orthodox Easter</a>. Speaking from Kyiv’s ancient St. Sophia Cathedral, Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, highlighted its significance to a nation wracked by nearly two months of war.“The great holiday today gives us great hope and unwavering faith that light will overcome darkness, good will overcome evil, life will overcome death, and therefore Ukraine will surely win!” he said.Still,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-religion-soviet-union-world-war-ii-c8a4785266692df05d421ebdb748cf2e">the war cast a shadow</a>&nbsp;over celebrations. In the northern village of Ivanivka, where Russian tanks still littered the roads, Olena Koptyl said “the Easter holiday doesn’t bring any joy. I’m crying a lot. We cannot forget how we lived.”The Russian military reported hitting 423 Ukrainian targets overnight, including fortified positions and troop concentrations, while its warplanes destroyed 26 Ukrainian military sites, including an explosives factory and several artillery depots.Since failing to capture Kyiv, the Russians have aimed to gain full control over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-donetsk-4231f7c36291f7ecf6df2a597c4400fd">the eastern industrial heartland,&nbsp;</a>where Moscow-backed separatists controlled some territory before the war.Russian forces launched fresh airstrikes on a Mariupol steel plant where an estimated 1,000 civilians are sheltering along with about 2,000 Ukrainian fighters. The Azovstal steel mill where the defenders are holed up is the last corner of resistance in the city, otherwise occupied by the Russians.Zelenskyy said he stressed the need to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, including from the steel plant, in a Sunday call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is scheduled to speak later with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.Arestovych, the Zelenskyy adviser, said Ukraine has proposed holding talks with Russia next to the sprawling steel mill. Arestovych said on the Telegram messaging app that Russia has not responded to the proposal that would include establishing humanitarian corridors and the exchange of Russian war prisoners for the fighters still in the plant.U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to travel to Turkey on Monday and then Moscow and Kyiv. Zelenskyy said it was a mistake for Guterres to visit Russia before Ukraine.“Why? To hand over signals from Russia? What should we look for?” Zelenskyy said Saturday. “There are no corpses scattered on the Kutuzovsky Prospect,” he said, referring to one of Moscow’s main avenues.Mariupol has endured fierce fighting since the start of the war because of its location on the Sea of Azov. Its capture would deprive Ukraine of a vital port, free up Russian troops to fight elsewhere, and allow Moscow to establish a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014.More than 100,000 people — down from a prewar population of about 430,000 — are believed to remain in Mariupol with scant food, water or heat. Ukrainian authorities estimate over 20,000 civilians have been killed. Recent satellite images showed what appeared to be mass graves to the west and east of Mariupol.Children in an underground bunker were seen receiving Easter presents in a video released Sunday by the far-right Azov Battalion, which is among the Ukrainian forces at the steel plant in Mariupol. The group’s deputy commander, Sviatoslav Palamar, said the video was shot at the plant.One toddler is seen wearing homemade diapers made of cellophane and people are seen hanging laundry on makeshift hangers.“Please help us,” one woman in the video said through tears, appealing to world leaders. “We want to live in our city, in our country. We are tired of these bombings, constant air strikes on our land. How much longer will this continue?”Mykhailo Podolyak, another presidential adviser, tweeted that the Russian military was attacking the plant with heavy bombs and artillery while accumulating forces and equipment for a direct assault.Zelenskyy over the weekend accused Russians of committing war crimes by killing civilians and of setting up “filtration camps” near Mariupol for people trying to leave the city. He said the Ukrainians — many of them children — are then sent to areas under Russian occupation or to Russia itself, often as far as Siberia or the Far East. The claims could not be independently verified.Zelenskyy highlighted the death of a 3-month old girl in a Russian missile strike Saturday on the Black Sea port of Odesa. The baby was among eight people killed when Russia fired cruise missiles at Odesa, Ukrainian officials said.Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing social media, reported that the infant’s mother, Valeria Glodan, and grandmother also died when a missile hit a residential area. Zelenskyy promised to find and punish those responsible.“The war started when this baby was 1 month old,″ Zelenskyy said. “Can you imagine what is happening? They are filthy scum; there are no other words for it.”For the Donbas offensive, Russia has reassembled troops who fought&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-2c77447fda4b362dfcd99e4331f9d6ae">around Kyiv and in northern Ukraine</a>. The British Ministry of Defense said Ukrainian forces had repelled numerous assaults in the past week and “inflicted significant cost on Russian forces.”A fire erupted early Monday at an oil depot in Russia near its border with Ukraine, but Russia’s Tass news agency gave no immediate cause for the blaze in oil storage tanks.NASA satellites that track fires showed something burning at coordinates that corresponded to a Rosneft facility some 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of the Ukrainian border. Moscow previously has blamed Ukraine for attacks on the Russian region of Bryansk, which borders Ukraine.The spiritual leaders of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-lifestyle-religion-pennsylvania-europe-5458f9a894bbac7cb80d4e6f6d55849d">the world’s Orthodox Christians</a>&nbsp;and Roman Catholics on Sunday appealed for relief for Ukraine’s suffering population.______

Secret trip: US delegation meets with Ukrainian President 

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Browse any medical dictionary, and before hitting appendectomy and anesthesia, you’ll find abortion.

The first two procedures are part of standard physician education. But for many U.S. medical school students and residents who want to learn about abortions, options are scarce.

And new restrictions are piling up: Within the past year, bills or laws seeking to limit abortion education have been proposed or enacted in at least eight states. The changes are coming from abortion opponents emboldened by new limits on the procedure itself, as well as a pending Supreme Court decision that could upend the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

“It’s quite terrifying what’s going on,” said Ian Peake, a third-year medical student in Oklahoma, where the governor on April 12 signed a measure outlawing most abortions.

Abortion training is not offered at Oklahoma’s two medical schools and education on the topic is limited. Aspiring doctors who want to learn about it typically seek out doctors providing abortions outside the traditional medical education system.

Peake, 32, said if he wanted to learn to do colonoscopies, for example, he could work with school staff to shadow a doctor doing research or working in a clinic.

“That would be easy,” he said. “To do the same for abortion, that’s almost impossible.” He said it took him six months to find a provider willing to teach him.

Nevada medical student Natasha McGlaun got outside training and created a workshop on how to perform a standard medical procedure used in abortions. She offers it at night, in her own free time.

The 27-year-old is the daughter of “pro-feminist” parents and the mother of two young girls whose right to reproductive choice she wants to protect.

“It was kind of a joke in my family: If people tell me I can’t do something, I’m going to do it twice as hard,” she said. “I kind of feel this moral, righteous drive to go for it.”

U.S. physician education typically includes four years of medical school, where students learn the basics of general medicine and hands-on patient care. They graduate with a medical degree that officially makes them doctors. Most then spend at least three years in residency programs where they receive intense on-the-job training and specialty skills.

U.S. medical schools require students to complete a clerkship in obstetrics and gynecology, but there is no mandate that it include abortion education. At the post-graduate level, OB-GYN residency programs are required by an accrediting group to provide access to abortion training, though residents who object can opt out of performing abortions.

OB-GYNs perform most U.S. abortions, followed by family medicine specialists. But these aren’t always the first doctors that women encounter when they learn of an unintended pregnancy. Abortion rights supporters argue all physicians should know enough about the procedure to inform and counsel patients, and that such education should start in medical school.

In 2020, Stanford University researchers said they found that half of medical schools included no formal abortion training or only a single lecture.

“Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures,” they wrote. “Yet abortion-related topics are glaringly absent from medical school curricula.”

McGlaun helped sponsor a measure last year that asked the American Medical Association to support mandated abortion education in medical schools, with an opt-out provision. The influential group has long opposed curriculum mandates and turned down the proposal, but it said it supports giving medical students and residents the chance to learn about abortion and opposes efforts to interfere with such training.

Legislative efforts to curb abortion target all levels of medical education.

An Idaho law enacted last year exemplifies the trend. It bars using tuition and fees for abortion and related activities in school-based clinics at institutions that receive state funds.

Other efforts include a Wisconsin bill that would bar employees of the University of Wisconsin and its hospitals from participating in abortions, including training. It failed to advance in March but its sponsor plans to reintroduce the measure. Similar proposals target public universities in Missouri and Ohio.

Divya Jain’s introduction to abortion came not at her Missouri medical school — where she said the procedure is rarely discussed — but at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas. She was a clinic volunteer and saw the hurdles out-of-state women faced in obtaining the procedure. Some mistakenly ended up at a crisis pregnancy center across the street that tried to change their minds, Jain said.

Jain, 23, said her first experience observing an abortion was “anti-climactic,” far from the scary image she’d heard opponents describe.

“It’s just a normal in-house procedure,” she said. “It’s just patients seeking medical treatment.”

At that moment, she knew she wanted to provide abortions. “It was like a snap of finger. That kind of changed it for me,” said Jain, who is studying public policy at Harvard while on leave from medical school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

The daughter of open-minded but traditional parents who immigrated to Kansas from India, Jain recalls growing up feeling trapped by her family’s traditional culture and a conservative white community where abortion was never discussed.

“I liked to stir the pot” and push boundaries, she said.

Jain knows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on whether to uphold Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy could drastically change the U.S. abortion landscape. Regardless of the decision — expected by summer — Jain said her goal is set: to perform abortions in “hostile” states where providers are scarce.

“It’s really hard for patients to get the care that patients deserve and need, and I just think it’s wrong,” Jain said.

Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle, 33, associate director of the OB-GYN residency program at Wright State University’s medical school in Dayton, Ohio, said his aim to boost abortion training “has been an uphill battle” because of legislative obstacles.

When he arrived at the school almost two years ago, he said, “there was zero formal abortion education available.” He created and implemented abortion coursework for medical students and residents, with support from his university, and offers training at a nearby clinic where he also performs abortions.

The physician said a state legislator has lobbied university administrators to fire him. And in December, Ohio’s governor signed into law a measure that limits doctors who work at state institutions from working as backup doctors at abortion clinics when rare complications occur. The clinic where Reisinger-Kindle works is suing to block the law.

“There are days that are certainly challenging,” Reisinger-Kindle said. Young doctors eager to learn help keep him going. The program currently has 24 residents. They can opt out of abortion training, but he said nearly all have chosen to participate “in at least some capacity.”

He fears more abortion restrictions are coming, but adds: “In the long-term, I believe we will get this right. I just hope that my students don’t have to suffer.”

By LINDSEY TANNERKANSAS CITY (AP) —Browse any medical dictionary, and before hitting appendectomy and anesthesia, you’ll find abortion.The first two procedures are part of standard physician education. But for many U.S. medical school students and residents who want to learn about abortions, options are scarce.And new restrictions are piling up: Within the past year, bills or laws seeking to limit abortion education have been proposed or enacted in at least eight states. The changes are coming from abortion opponents emboldened by new limits on the procedure itself, as well as a pending Supreme Court decision that could upend the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.“It’s quite terrifying what’s going on,” said Ian Peake, a third-year medical student in Oklahoma, where the governor on April 12 signed a measure outlawing most abortions.Abortion training is not offered at Oklahoma’s two medical schools and education on the topic is limited. Aspiring doctors who want to learn about it typically seek out doctors providing abortions outside the traditional medical education system.Peake, 32, said if he wanted to learn to do colonoscopies, for example, he could work with school staff to shadow a doctor doing research or working in a clinic.“That would be easy,” he said. “To do the same for abortion, that’s almost impossible.” He said it took him six months to find a provider willing to teach him.Nevada medical student Natasha McGlaun got outside training and created a workshop on how to perform a standard medical procedure used in abortions. She offers it at night, in her own free time.The 27-year-old is the daughter of “pro-feminist” parents and the mother of two young girls whose right to reproductive choice she wants to protect.“It was kind of a joke in my family: If people tell me I can’t do something, I’m going to do it twice as hard,” she said. “I kind of feel this moral, righteous drive to go for it.”‘GLARINGLY ABSENT’ LESSONSU.S. physician education typically includes four years of medical school, where students learn the basics of general medicine and hands-on patient care. They graduate with a medical degree that officially makes them doctors. Most then spend at least three years in residency programs where they receive intense on-the-job training and specialty skills.U.S. medical schools require students to complete a clerkship in obstetrics and gynecology, but there is no mandate that it include abortion education. At the post-graduate level, OB-GYN residency programs are required by an accrediting group to provide access to abortion training, though residents who object can opt out of performing abortions.OB-GYNs perform most U.S. abortions, followed by family medicine specialists. But these aren’t always the first doctors that women encounter when they learn of an unintended pregnancy. Abortion rights supporters argue all physicians should know enough about the procedure to inform and counsel patients, and that such education should start in medical school.In 2020, Stanford University researchers said they found that half of medical schools included no formal abortion training or only a single lecture.“Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures,” they wrote. “Yet abortion-related topics are glaringly absent from medical school curricula.”McGlaun helped sponsor a measure last year that asked the American Medical Association to support mandated abortion education in medical schools, with an opt-out provision. The influential group has long opposed curriculum mandates and turned down the proposal, but it said it supports giving medical students and residents the chance to learn about abortion and opposes efforts to interfere with such training.FURTHER RESTRICTIONSLegislative efforts to curb abortion target all levels of medical education.An Idaho law enacted last year exemplifies the trend. It bars using tuition and fees for abortion and related activities in school-based clinics at institutions that receive state funds.Other efforts include a Wisconsin bill that would bar employees of the University of Wisconsin and its hospitals from participating in abortions, including training. It failed to advance in March but its sponsor plans to reintroduce the measure. Similar proposals target public universities in Missouri and Ohio.Divya Jain’s introduction to abortion came not at her Missouri medical school — where she said the procedure is rarely discussed — but at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas. She was a clinic volunteer and saw the hurdles out-of-state women faced in obtaining the procedure. Some mistakenly ended up at a crisis pregnancy center across the street that tried to change their minds, Jain said.Jain, 23, said her first experience observing an abortion was “anti-climactic,” far from the scary image she’d heard opponents describe.“It’s just a normal in-house procedure,” she said. “It’s just patients seeking medical treatment.”At that moment, she knew she wanted to provide abortions. “It was like a snap of finger. That kind of changed it for me,” said Jain, who is studying public policy at Harvard while on leave from medical school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.The daughter of open-minded but traditional parents who immigrated to Kansas from India, Jain recalls growing up feeling trapped by her family’s traditional culture and a conservative white community where abortion was never discussed.“I liked to stir the pot” and push boundaries, she said.Jain knows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on whether to uphold Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy could drastically change the U.S. abortion landscape. Regardless of the decision — expected by summer — Jain said her goal is set: to perform abortions in “hostile” states where providers are scarce.“It’s really hard for patients to get the care that patients deserve and need, and I just think it’s wrong,” Jain said.EXPANDING TRAININGDr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle, 33, associate director of the OB-GYN residency program at Wright State University’s medical school in Dayton, Ohio, said his aim to boost abortion training “has been an uphill battle” because of legislative obstacles.When he arrived at the school almost two years ago, he said, “there was zero formal abortion education available.” He created and implemented abortion coursework for medical students and residents, with support from his university, and offers training at a nearby clinic where he also performs abortions.The physician said a state legislator has lobbied university administrators to fire him. And in December, Ohio’s governor signed into law a measure that limits doctors who work at state institutions from working as backup doctors at abortion clinics when rare complications occur. The clinic where Reisinger-Kindle works is suing to block the law.“There are days that are certainly challenging,” Reisinger-Kindle said. Young doctors eager to learn help keep him going. The program currently has 24 residents. They can opt out of abortion training, but he said nearly all have chosen to participate “in at least some capacity.”He fears more abortion restrictions are coming, but adds: “In the long-term, I believe we will get this right. I just hope that my students don’t have to suffer.”___

Abortion training under threat for med students, residents

SEATTLE (AP) — The clock ran down at the end of the homecoming game and spectators stormed the football field, knocking over members of the high school band — all to gather around an assistant coach as he took a knee in prayer, surrounded by uniformed players.

Six years later, after losing his coaching job and repeatedly losing in court, that former Washington state coach, Joe Kennedy, will take his arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, saying the Bremerton School District violated his First Amendment rights by refusing to let him continue praying at midfield immediately after games. Four conservative justices have already expressed concerns with how his case has been handled.

Kennedy’s effort to get his job back helped earn him an appearance at a 2016 Donald Trump rally and quickly became a cultural touchstone, pitting public school employees’ religious liberties against what his critics describe as longstanding principles separating church and state and protecting students from religious coercion.

Lawyers for the school district say officials had no problem letting Kennedy pray separately from students or letting him return to the field to pray after the students left. But allowing him to pray at midfield immediately after games with students there risked being seen as government endorsement of religion.

While Kennedy insists he never cared whether students participated in the prayers and he never asked them to join him, at least one player — anonymously — later reported participating contrary to his own beliefs, for fear of losing playing time.

“This case is challenging well-established case law that has protected students’ religious freedom for decades, and that has been supported by conservative and liberal justices alike,” said Rachel Laser, chief executive of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which is representing the school district. “If the court rules the wrong way, teachers and coaches could pressure students to pray in every public school classroom across the country.”

For Kennedy’s supporters, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ holding in the case would force public school employees to drop their religious identities at the schoolhouse door — something they say the Constitution does not require.

“If a teacher prays over her lunch in the cafeteria and students can see her — just that little blessing over her salad — that’s enough to terminate that teacher, according to the school district,” said Jeremy Dys, an attorney with First Liberty Institute, which is representing Kennedy.

Kennedy, a former Marine whose day job was at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, began coaching football at Bremerton High in 2008. He was new to religion and coaching, and said he was inspired by the movie “Facing the Giants” — about a Christian high school football coach — to give thanks to God “on the battlefield” after each game.

What began as a solitary practice soon attracted students. He agreed, citing the district’s policy of neither encouraging nor discouraging student prayer. Over the years he began leading locker room prayers before games, as well as group prayers and religious motivational talks at midfield after them.

The school district said it did not learn Kennedy was leading players in prayer until it heard it from another team’s coach in September 2015. Administrators told him he was not to participate in religious activities with students, and any of his own religious observation must be either non-demonstrative or should occur without students.

For a month, Kennedy complied, the district notes in arguments to the court: He prayed on his own, such as while students were singing the fight song, and the district let him be.

But Kennedy’s lawyers then insisted he be allowed to resume his prior practice, describing it as a “personal” prayer protected by the Constitution whether or not students joined him. Kennedy announced he would resume praying at midfield after games, and when he did so at the Oct. 16, 2015, homecoming game, as Bremerton’s players were otherwise occupied, spectators rushed to field to join him — as did members of the opposing team.

The district still did not fire Kennedy, but wrote to caution him. Given his prior statements and actions, his praying at midfield — on government property he could access only by virtue of his job — could be perceived as school endorsement of religion, exposing the district to potential liability, Superintendent Aaron Leavell wrote.

“I wish to again emphasize that the district does not prohibit prayer or other religious exercise by its employees,” Leavell wrote. “However, it must prohibit any conduct by its employees that would serve as District endorsement of religion.”

Kennedy prayed again on the field after the next two games: first at a varsity game where no one joined him, and then at a junior varsity game where he was joined by a state lawmaker. The district then placed him on leave, and his contract was not renewed.

Kennedy’s lawyers point out that he stopped engaging in religious activity with Bremerton students when asked. What he was actually suspended for was not delivering prayers to students, but kneeling and praying quickly by himself, they argue.

The federal judge who ruled against Kennedy, District Judge Ronald Leighton, compared his postgame behavior to a director who comes to center stage and prays at the end of a school play: “A reasonable onlooker would interpret their speech from that location as an extension of the school-sanctioned speech just before it.”

As the case made its way through the courts, Kennedy lost at every turn. But when the Supreme Court declined to take the case at an earlier stage, Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh called the 9th Circuit’s reasoning “troubling” and said under it, “public school teachers and coaches may be fired if they engage in any expression that the school does not like while they are on duty.”

Ninth Circuit Judge Milan Smith suggested a teacher who prays over lunch in a cafeteria doesn’t send a public message the way Kennedy did. Smith called the narrative posed by Kennedy’s lawyers — that this was about a public employee’s private prayer — “deceitful.”

Kennedy said he just wants to get back to coaching.

“This thing has just been so blown out of proportion,” he said. “Imagine a guy going out there and tying his shoe — you would never know the difference.”

SEATTLE (AP) — The clock ran down at the end of the homecoming game and spectators stormed the football field, knocking over members of the high school band — all to gather around an assistant coach as he took a knee in prayer, surrounded by uniformed players.Six years later, after losing his coaching job and repeatedly losing in court, that former Washington state coach, Joe Kennedy, will take his arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, saying the Bremerton School District violated his First Amendment rights by refusing to let him continue praying at midfield immediately after games. Four conservative justices have already expressed concerns with how his case has been handled.Kennedy’s effort to get his job back helped earn him an appearance at a 2016 Donald Trump rally and quickly became a cultural touchstone, pitting public school employees’ religious liberties against what his critics describe as longstanding principles separating church and state and protecting students from religious coercion.Lawyers for the school district say officials had no problem letting Kennedy pray separately from students or letting him return to the field to pray after the students left. But allowing him to pray at midfield immediately after games with students there risked being seen as government endorsement of religion.While Kennedy insists he never cared whether students participated in the prayers and he never asked them to join him, at least one player — anonymously — later reported participating contrary to his own beliefs, for fear of losing playing time.“This case is challenging well-established case law that has protected students’ religious freedom for decades, and that has been supported by conservative and liberal justices alike,” said Rachel Laser, chief executive of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which is representing the school district. “If the court rules the wrong way, teachers and coaches could pressure students to pray in every public school classroom across the country.”For Kennedy’s supporters, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ holding in the case would force public school employees to drop their religious identities at the schoolhouse door — something they say the Constitution does not require.“If a teacher prays over her lunch in the cafeteria and students can see her — just that little blessing over her salad — that’s enough to terminate that teacher, according to the school district,” said Jeremy Dys, an attorney with First Liberty Institute, which is representing Kennedy.Kennedy, a former Marine whose day job was at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, began coaching football at Bremerton High in 2008. He was new to religion and coaching, and said he was inspired by the movie “Facing the Giants” — about a Christian high school football coach — to give thanks to God “on the battlefield” after each game.What began as a solitary practice soon attracted students. He agreed, citing the district’s policy of neither encouraging nor discouraging student prayer. Over the years he began leading locker room prayers before games, as well as group prayers and religious motivational talks at midfield after them.The school district said it did not learn Kennedy was leading players in prayer until it heard it from another team’s coach in September 2015. Administrators told him he was not to participate in religious activities with students, and any of his own religious observation must be either non-demonstrative or should occur without students.For a month, Kennedy complied, the district notes in arguments to the court: He prayed on his own, such as while students were singing the fight song, and the district let him be.But Kennedy’s lawyers then insisted he be allowed to resume his prior practice, describing it as a “personal” prayer protected by the Constitution whether or not students joined him. Kennedy announced he would resume praying at midfield after games, and when he did so at the Oct. 16, 2015, homecoming game, as Bremerton’s players were otherwise occupied, spectators rushed to field to join him — as did members of the opposing team.The district still did not fire Kennedy, but wrote to caution him. Given his prior statements and actions, his praying at midfield — on government property he could access only by virtue of his job — could be perceived as school endorsement of religion, exposing the district to potential liability, Superintendent Aaron Leavell wrote.“I wish to again emphasize that the district does not prohibit prayer or other religious exercise by its employees,” Leavell wrote. “However, it must prohibit any conduct by its employees that would serve as District endorsement of religion.”Kennedy prayed again on the field after the next two games: first at a varsity game where no one joined him, and then at a junior varsity game where he was joined by a state lawmaker. The district then placed him on leave, and his contract was not renewed.Kennedy’s lawyers point out that he stopped engaging in religious activity with Bremerton students when asked. What he was actually suspended for was not delivering prayers to students, but kneeling and praying quickly by himself, they argue.The federal judge who ruled against Kennedy, District Judge Ronald Leighton, compared his postgame behavior to a director who comes to center stage and prays at the end of a school play: “A reasonable onlooker would interpret their speech from that location as an extension of the school-sanctioned speech just before it.”As the case made its way through the courts, Kennedy lost at every turn. But when the Supreme Court declined to take the case at an earlier stage, Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh called the 9th Circuit’s reasoning “troubling” and said under it, “public school teachers and coaches may be fired if they engage in any expression that the school does not like while they are on duty.”Ninth Circuit Judge Milan Smith suggested a teacher who prays over lunch in a cafeteria doesn’t send a public message the way Kennedy did. Smith called the narrative posed by Kennedy’s lawyers — that this was about a public employee’s private prayer — “deceitful.”Kennedy said he just wants to get back to coaching.“This thing has just been so blown out of proportion,” he said. “Imagine a guy going out there and tying his shoe — you would never know the difference.”

Praying football coach asking Supreme Court for his job back

A smaller portion of U.S. children got routine vaccinations required for kindergarten during the pandemic, government researchers said Thursday, raising concerns that measles and other preventable diseases could increase.

Rates were close to 94% for measles, whooping cough and chickenpox vaccinations for the 2020-21 school year. That was down 1% from a year earlier and means 35,000 U.S. children entered kindergarten without evidence that they were vaccinated for extremely contagious diseases, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report.

In addition, almost 400,000 fewer children than expected entered kindergarten and their vaccination status is uncertain, the CDC said.

Pandemic-related disruptions likely contributed to the decline, the report said, as pediatricians canceled non-emergency appointments, parents skipped checkups for their children and vaccine requirements were eased for students doing remote learning.

“We haven’t seen outbreaks and that’s probably representative of the fact that families were staying home during the pandemic,” said Dr. Georgina Peacock, the CDC’s director of immunization services. But authorities worry that could change if kids remain behind on their shots as more people return to normal routines.

Data for the current school year, due in November, should indicate whether the lag persisted, said the CDC’s Shannon Stokley.

The data come from schools’ reports on vaccination rates in 47 states plus Washington, D.C. The CDC said staffing shortages and other pandemic disruptions could have led to incomplete or absent school reports, a limitation in assessing the true vaccination rates.

In 16 states, rates for kids entering kindergarten were at least 95% for measles shots and for the combination diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough shot. The rates were below 90% for the combined whooping cough shot in eight states plus Washington, D.C., and in seven states plus Washington, D.C., for measles shots.

For chickenpox vaccinations, 17 states had rates of at least 95% and nine plus Washington, D.C., had rates below 90%.

By LINDSEY TANNER, Associated. PressA smaller portion of U.S. children got routine vaccinations required for kindergarten during the pandemic, government researchers said Thursday, raising concerns that measles and other preventable diseases could increase.Rates were close to 94% for measles, whooping cough and chickenpox vaccinations for the 2020-21 school year. That was down 1% from a year earlier and means 35,000 U.S. children entered kindergarten without evidence that they were vaccinated for extremely contagious diseases, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report.In addition, almost 400,000 fewer children than expected entered kindergarten and their vaccination status is uncertain, the CDC said.Pandemic-related disruptions likely contributed to the decline, the report said, as pediatricians canceled non-emergency appointments, parents skipped checkups for their children and vaccine requirements were eased for students doing remote learning.“We haven’t seen outbreaks and that’s probably representative of the fact that families were staying home during the pandemic,” said Dr. Georgina Peacock, the CDC’s director of immunization services. But authorities worry that could change if kids remain behind on their shots as more people return to normal routines.Data for the current school year, due in November, should indicate whether the lag persisted, said the CDC’s Shannon Stokley.The data come from schools’ reports on vaccination rates in 47 states plus Washington, D.C. The CDC said staffing shortages and other pandemic disruptions could have led to incomplete or absent school reports, a limitation in assessing the true vaccination rates.In 16 states, rates for kids entering kindergarten were at least 95% for measles shots and for the combination diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough shot. The rates were below 90% for the combined whooping cough shot in eight states plus Washington, D.C., and in seven states plus Washington, D.C., for measles shots.For chickenpox vaccinations, 17 states had rates of at least 95% and nine plus Washington, D.C., had rates below 90%.___

Rates for measles, other vaccinations dip for kindergartners

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas gas has gone up about a dime per gallon in the last week and Reno County is still a couple of cents below the state average, but the key word for the oil and gas markets going forward is volatility.

"We really spiked in terms of gas prices and crude oil prices back in the middle of March," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "Then, we declined there for a few weeks, but then this week we saw another spike back upward. The situation still occurring in Russia and Ukraine leaves a lot of question marks, a lot of volatility. There have been some concerns with supply regarding Libya in the past week that have impacted crude oil prices."

Kansas is still less expensive than the nation as a whole, with a state average that runs roughly a quarter a gallon less than the national average, give or take a couple of cents depending on the day.

"There's certainly been adjustments, in terms of the U.S. government, in terms of our releasing strategic oil reserves and allowing E15 ethanol fuels to be used in the summer," Steward said. "That can definitely have a small impact in terms of what we may see, but the bigger issues are the global crude oil prices."

It doesn't look like summer travelers will stop or even slow as a result of prices at the pump.

"We hear from travelers that they may just adapt other plans," Steward said. "Maybe stay at less expensive hotels, or go to fewer attractions during their vacations."

Gas is just about a dollar a gallon higher than it was last year at this time.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas gas has gone up about a dime per gallon in the last week and Reno County is still a couple of cents below the state average, but the key word for the oil and gas markets going forward is volatility."We really spiked in terms of gas prices and crude oil prices back in the middle of March," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "Then, we declined there for a few weeks, but then this week we saw another spike back upward. The situation still occurring in Russia and Ukraine leaves a lot of question marks, a lot of volatility. There have been some concerns with supply regarding Libya in the past week that have impacted crude oil prices."Kansas is still less expensive than the nation as a whole, with a state average that runs roughly a quarter a gallon less than the national average, give or take a couple of cents depending on the day."There's certainly been adjustments, in terms of the U.S. government, in terms of our releasing strategic oil reserves and allowing E15 ethanol fuels to be used in the summer," Steward said. "That can definitely have a small impact in terms of what we may see, but the bigger issues are the global crude oil prices."It doesn't look like summer travelers will stop or even slow as a result of prices at the pump."We hear from travelers that they may just adapt other plans," Steward said. "Maybe stay at less expensive hotels, or go to fewer attractions during their vacations."Gas is just about a dollar a gallon higher than it was last year at this time.

AAA: Volatility the word in gas, oil markets heading into summer

KANSAS CITY (AP) — When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the U.S., sales of window coverings at Halcyon Shades quickly went dark. So the suburban St. Louis business did what hundreds of other small manufacturers did: It pivoted to make protective supplies, with help from an $870,000 government grant.

But things haven't worked out as planned. The company quit making face shields because it wasn't profitable. It still hasn't sold a single N95 mask because of struggles to get equipment, materials and regulatory approval.

“So far, it has been a net drain of funds and resources and energy," Halcyon Shades owner Jim Schmersahl said.

Many companies that began producing personal protective equipment with patriotic optimism have scaled back, shut down or given up, according to an Associated Press analysis based on numerous interviews with manufacturers. Some already have sold equipment they bought with state government grants.

As COVID-19 was stressing hospitals and shuttering businesses in 2020, elected officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-in-state-wire-az-state-wire-virus-outbreak-af1e380ee4445b32d13edef8035efb22">touted the need to boost U.S. production</a>&nbsp;of protective gear: “All this stuff should be made in the United States and not in China,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in remarks echoed by others.

Yet many manufacturers who answered the call have faced logistical hurdles, regulatory rejections, slumping demand and fierce competition from foreign suppliers. On April 1, Florida-based American Surgical Mask Co. became one of the latest to close.

“I’m just done with the fight,” CEO Matt Brandman told the AP.

After the initial scramble for PPE subsided, many industry newcomers faced difficulty selling products. Government agencies sometimes wanted huge quantities at tough-to-meet deadlines. Hospital systems tended to contract with established suppliers. Retail sales waned after every virus surge.

“At the end of the day, when everybody said they wanted American-made, nobody’s buying, not even the state,” said Tony Blogumas, vice president of Green Resources Consulting, a rural Missouri firm that received an $800,000 state grant but has sold only a few thousand masks. “We’re kind of upset about the whole situation.”

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson also is disappointed. His administration divided $20 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds among 48 businesses for the production of masks, gowns, sanitizer and other supplies. Parson hoped to seed a permanent field of manufacturers.

“I’m still a firm believer in that — that we need to be making PPE here in this state,” Parson said. “Unfortunately, a lot of entities went right back to where they were getting it before.”

The onset of the pandemic revealed that the U.S. was highly dependent on foreign countries for protective gear. When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-wa-state-wire-sd-state-wire-virus-outbreak-6d9382c1e8ee36f9ed1a4dfe7815ceb1">China limited exports</a>&nbsp;because of its own battle against COVID-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-local-governments-ap-top-news-health-understanding-the-outbreak-a464316e25560d393bd07a021b7e81ba">U.S. stockpiles plummeted</a>. Prices skyrocketed as federal officials, governors and health care systems&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medical-equipment-il-state-wire-ny-state-wire-va-state-wire-virus-outbreak-829280426e49dfdf7f2cb1be4b0cfe05">competed for supplies</a>.

Though federal stockpiles have been replenished, shriveling domestic production has raised concerns that state governments, medical facilities and others could again get stuck scrambling for gear during a future pandemic.

The AP identified more than $125 million in grants to spur production of pandemic supplies made to over 300 business in 10 states — Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Ohio. It’s possible that grants were awarded in additional states, but there is no central clearinghouse to track them.

In November 2020, Alabama awarded one of the single largest grants — nearly $10.6 million from federal pandemic relief funds — to HomTex Inc. The company was to equip a new Selma facility to make 250 million surgical masks and 45 million N95 masks annually. The plant returned $1.8 million of the state grant and has yet to make anything due to a lack of customers.

“I can’t produce product that I can’t sell,” HomTex President Jeremy Wootten said.

Other companies also had trouble living up to political hype.

In October 2020, New York announced eight grants that then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, now the governor, said were "a model for how we build back better for the post-pandemic future.” Those included $800,000 for newly formed Altor Safety and $1 million for startup firm NYPPE.

But NYPPE's equipment wasn't ready until February 2021, by which time the market had changed, President Connor Knapp said.

So Knapp tapped the brakes on his plans. NYPPE still hasn't sold any N95 masks because it lacks regulatory approval. It just recently scaled up production of surgical masks, after obtaining a U.S. Food and Drug Administration certification that came with its purchase of Altor Safety.

Some PPE manufacturers point to federal regulations as part of the reason for their struggles. Three-ply masks need FDA approval to be marketed for medical use — an important designation for building a long-term customer base.

That process can be time-consuming. Facing delays, Angstrom Manufacturing in Missouri ended up buying another business that already had FDA approval, President Chris Carron said. By then, it was fall 2021 — a year after it received a state grant.

Companies need approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to market products as N95 respirators, which filter at least 95% of airborne particles.

During the first two years of the pandemic, NIOSH approved 30 new manufacturers — more than seven times the typical number during a similar pre-pandemic period, according to agency data. Some applications remain pending, while numerous others were denied.

Halcyon Shades' N95 certification was rejected in October because its samples didn't have head straps attached. While the company works on another application, its equipment sits idle inside the clear plastic-sheet walls of a “clean room” specially built to shield materials from airborne contaminants. Partially finished masks remain paused on a conveyor belt, waiting to be deposited into a cardboard box.

Without federal approval, "we’re just dead in the water,” said Schmersahl, the company owner.

Progress reports filed with the Missouri Department of Economic Development show that nearly all its PPE grant recipients faced challenges by July 2021, especially with sales.

Patriot Medical Devices, which received $750,000 from Missouri, hired nearly 100 people as it cranked out millions of masks during a COVID-19 surge in late 2020 and early 2021, CEO Rick Needham said. Fewer than 10 employees remain.

“We felt it was our patriotic duty to do something to help solve the problem,” Needham said. But, he added, “It’s frankly a little bit of a dysfunctional business model at this point.”

Ohio awarded $20.8 million to 73 businesses to manufacture pandemic-related supplies, according to state data. Of 60 businesses that complied with a recent reporting deadline, more than one-third no longer produced PPE by the end of 2021.

Cleveland Veteran Business Solutions, which received a $500,000 grant to get into the PPE business, made about 5 million surgical masks beginning in August 2020. It ultimately halted production in the face of cheaper imports and sold its machines this year, co-founder Taner Eren said.

“It was surprising and disappointing strategically that there wasn’t support for a local PPE manufacturing industry," Eren said.

The business was among several dozen that banded together to form the American Mask Manufacturer's Association with the goal of sustaining the industry. The group's membership has dwindled as more and more go out of business.

Association organizers say the industry has reached a critical point. They want the federal government to treat PPE manufacturers like the nation's defense industry — entering into long-term contracts to perpetually replenish a stockpile for future pandemics or emergencies.

“If the federal government doesn’t come in and help support the U.S. manufacturing base, it’s almost certainly going to go back to China, and we’ll be just as vulnerable as we were in early 2020 and 2019,” said Brent Dillie, the association chairman and co-founder of Premium-PPE, a Virginia manufacturer started during the pandemic that has shed about two-thirds of its roughly 300 employees.

Infrastructure legislation signed by President Joe Biden took a step toward bolstering domestic suppliers. Effective in February, it required new contracts for PPE purchased by the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to run for at least two years and be awarded to U.S. producers — unless there’s not sufficient quantity and quality at market prices.

The health and veterans departments said they haven’t bought anything yet. Homeland Security hasn’t answered the AP’s questions. Documents show the government solicited bids due Dec. 6 for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21579308-federal-surgical-mask-solicitation">up to 381 million U.S.-made surgical masks</a>&nbsp;over three years for its stockpile. No deal has been announced.

Other documents show the government is looking to contract with three major suppliers — 3M, Moldex, and Owens &amp; Minor — for a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21526226-federal-n95-contract-justification">total of $115 million in U.S-made N95 masks&nbsp;</a>over three years. A justification document says noncompetitive contracts are necessary to preserve capacity for future coronavirus surges or emergencies.

The Biden administration also formed a task force of experts from federal agencies, health care providers, PPE manufacturers and distributors to develop a national strategy for ensuring a “resilient public health supply chain.” Its work is expected to extend for years.

Some manufacturers said they can't wait long for a federal life preserver.

Dentec Safety Specialists is wrapping up a contract to supply 125,000 rubber reusable respirators and 500,000 filtration cartridges from its Kansas facility for the national stockpile, said President Claudio Dente. It needs more orders soon to prevent layoffs, he said.

“I thought that COVID would really change the mindset of the people, the governments and manufacturing," Dente said. But he added: “The general marketplace is reverting back to their old ways -- meaning looking to buy product from China."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593789172033.jpeg" alt="CDC image" />
 <figcaption>CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the U.S., sales of window coverings at Halcyon Shades quickly went dark. So the suburban St. Louis business did what hundreds of other small manufacturers did: It pivoted to make protective supplies, with help from an $870,000 government grant.But things haven't worked out as planned. The company quit making face shields because it wasn't profitable. It still hasn't sold a single N95 mask because of struggles to get equipment, materials and regulatory approval.“So far, it has been a net drain of funds and resources and energy," Halcyon Shades owner Jim Schmersahl said.Many companies that began producing personal protective equipment with patriotic optimism have scaled back, shut down or given up, according to an Associated Press analysis based on numerous interviews with manufacturers. Some already have sold equipment they bought with state government grants.As COVID-19 was stressing hospitals and shuttering businesses in 2020, elected officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-in-state-wire-az-state-wire-virus-outbreak-af1e380ee4445b32d13edef8035efb22">touted the need to boost U.S. production</a>&nbsp;of protective gear: “All this stuff should be made in the United States and not in China,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in remarks echoed by others.Yet many manufacturers who answered the call have faced logistical hurdles, regulatory rejections, slumping demand and fierce competition from foreign suppliers. On April 1, Florida-based American Surgical Mask Co. became one of the latest to close.“I’m just done with the fight,” CEO Matt Brandman told the AP.After the initial scramble for PPE subsided, many industry newcomers faced difficulty selling products. Government agencies sometimes wanted huge quantities at tough-to-meet deadlines. Hospital systems tended to contract with established suppliers. Retail sales waned after every virus surge.“At the end of the day, when everybody said they wanted American-made, nobody’s buying, not even the state,” said Tony Blogumas, vice president of Green Resources Consulting, a rural Missouri firm that received an $800,000 state grant but has sold only a few thousand masks. “We’re kind of upset about the whole situation.”Missouri Gov. Mike Parson also is disappointed. His administration divided $20 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds among 48 businesses for the production of masks, gowns, sanitizer and other supplies. Parson hoped to seed a permanent field of manufacturers.“I’m still a firm believer in that — that we need to be making PPE here in this state,” Parson said. “Unfortunately, a lot of entities went right back to where they were getting it before.”The onset of the pandemic revealed that the U.S. was highly dependent on foreign countries for protective gear. When&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-wa-state-wire-sd-state-wire-virus-outbreak-6d9382c1e8ee36f9ed1a4dfe7815ceb1">China limited exports</a>&nbsp;because of its own battle against COVID-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-local-governments-ap-top-news-health-understanding-the-outbreak-a464316e25560d393bd07a021b7e81ba">U.S. stockpiles plummeted</a>. Prices skyrocketed as federal officials, governors and health care systems&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medical-equipment-il-state-wire-ny-state-wire-va-state-wire-virus-outbreak-829280426e49dfdf7f2cb1be4b0cfe05">competed for supplies</a>.Though federal stockpiles have been replenished, shriveling domestic production has raised concerns that state governments, medical facilities and others could again get stuck scrambling for gear during a future pandemic.The AP identified more than $125 million in grants to spur production of pandemic supplies made to over 300 business in 10 states — Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Ohio. It’s possible that grants were awarded in additional states, but there is no central clearinghouse to track them.In November 2020, Alabama awarded one of the single largest grants — nearly $10.6 million from federal pandemic relief funds — to HomTex Inc. The company was to equip a new Selma facility to make 250 million surgical masks and 45 million N95 masks annually. The plant returned $1.8 million of the state grant and has yet to make anything due to a lack of customers.“I can’t produce product that I can’t sell,” HomTex President Jeremy Wootten said.Other companies also had trouble living up to political hype.In October 2020, New York announced eight grants that then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, now the governor, said were "a model for how we build back better for the post-pandemic future.” Those included $800,000 for newly formed Altor Safety and $1 million for startup firm NYPPE.But NYPPE's equipment wasn't ready until February 2021, by which time the market had changed, President Connor Knapp said.So Knapp tapped the brakes on his plans. NYPPE still hasn't sold any N95 masks because it lacks regulatory approval. It just recently scaled up production of surgical masks, after obtaining a U.S. Food and Drug Administration certification that came with its purchase of Altor Safety.Some PPE manufacturers point to federal regulations as part of the reason for their struggles. Three-ply masks need FDA approval to be marketed for medical use — an important designation for building a long-term customer base.That process can be time-consuming. Facing delays, Angstrom Manufacturing in Missouri ended up buying another business that already had FDA approval, President Chris Carron said. By then, it was fall 2021 — a year after it received a state grant.Companies need approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to market products as N95 respirators, which filter at least 95% of airborne particles.During the first two years of the pandemic, NIOSH approved 30 new manufacturers — more than seven times the typical number during a similar pre-pandemic period, according to agency data. Some applications remain pending, while numerous others were denied.Halcyon Shades' N95 certification was rejected in October because its samples didn't have head straps attached. While the company works on another application, its equipment sits idle inside the clear plastic-sheet walls of a “clean room” specially built to shield materials from airborne contaminants. Partially finished masks remain paused on a conveyor belt, waiting to be deposited into a cardboard box.Without federal approval, "we’re just dead in the water,” said Schmersahl, the company owner.Progress reports filed with the Missouri Department of Economic Development show that nearly all its PPE grant recipients faced challenges by July 2021, especially with sales.Patriot Medical Devices, which received $750,000 from Missouri, hired nearly 100 people as it cranked out millions of masks during a COVID-19 surge in late 2020 and early 2021, CEO Rick Needham said. Fewer than 10 employees remain.“We felt it was our patriotic duty to do something to help solve the problem,” Needham said. But, he added, “It’s frankly a little bit of a dysfunctional business model at this point.”Ohio awarded $20.8 million to 73 businesses to manufacture pandemic-related supplies, according to state data. Of 60 businesses that complied with a recent reporting deadline, more than one-third no longer produced PPE by the end of 2021.Cleveland Veteran Business Solutions, which received a $500,000 grant to get into the PPE business, made about 5 million surgical masks beginning in August 2020. It ultimately halted production in the face of cheaper imports and sold its machines this year, co-founder Taner Eren said.“It was surprising and disappointing strategically that there wasn’t support for a local PPE manufacturing industry," Eren said.The business was among several dozen that banded together to form the American Mask Manufacturer's Association with the goal of sustaining the industry. The group's membership has dwindled as more and more go out of business.Association organizers say the industry has reached a critical point. They want the federal government to treat PPE manufacturers like the nation's defense industry — entering into long-term contracts to perpetually replenish a stockpile for future pandemics or emergencies.“If the federal government doesn’t come in and help support the U.S. manufacturing base, it’s almost certainly going to go back to China, and we’ll be just as vulnerable as we were in early 2020 and 2019,” said Brent Dillie, the association chairman and co-founder of Premium-PPE, a Virginia manufacturer started during the pandemic that has shed about two-thirds of its roughly 300 employees.Infrastructure legislation signed by President Joe Biden took a step toward bolstering domestic suppliers. Effective in February, it required new contracts for PPE purchased by the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to run for at least two years and be awarded to U.S. producers — unless there’s not sufficient quantity and quality at market prices.The health and veterans departments said they haven’t bought anything yet. Homeland Security hasn’t answered the AP’s questions. Documents show the government solicited bids due Dec. 6 for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21579308-federal-surgical-mask-solicitation">up to 381 million U.S.-made surgical masks</a>&nbsp;over three years for its stockpile. No deal has been announced.Other documents show the government is looking to contract with three major suppliers — 3M, Moldex, and Owens &amp; Minor — for a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21526226-federal-n95-contract-justification">total of $115 million in U.S-made N95 masks&nbsp;</a>over three years. A justification document says noncompetitive contracts are necessary to preserve capacity for future coronavirus surges or emergencies.The Biden administration also formed a task force of experts from federal agencies, health care providers, PPE manufacturers and distributors to develop a national strategy for ensuring a “resilient public health supply chain.” Its work is expected to extend for years.Some manufacturers said they can't wait long for a federal life preserver.Dentec Safety Specialists is wrapping up a contract to supply 125,000 rubber reusable respirators and 500,000 filtration cartridges from its Kansas facility for the national stockpile, said President Claudio Dente. It needs more orders soon to prevent layoffs, he said.“I thought that COVID would really change the mindset of the people, the governments and manufacturing," Dente said. But he added: “The general marketplace is reverting back to their old ways -- meaning looking to buy product from China."

Efforts to make protective medical gear in US falling flat

CAMBRIDGE, Neb. (AP) — Crews were making progress fighting wildfires that forced people in several communities in southwestern Nebraska to evacuate, authorities said Saturday.

The fires pushed by strong winds threatened mostly rural areas hit hard this spring by drought, although residents in the town of Cambridge were the first ones asked to evacuate Friday evening, the Furnas County Sheriff’s Office said. The community of about 1,000 people is located near Arapahoe, where wildfires burned nearly 35,000 acres earlier this month.

Wildfires were reported Friday from northwestern Kansas to the Cambridge area, with a smaller blaze between Cambridge and Stockville. While the Nebraska Department of Transportation said Saturday morning that conditions had improved, the risk of fires and significant blowing dust are still possible.

Several churches and schools opened their doors to people displaced by the fires. Some highways that were forced to close were opening up Saturday, bringing a warning from the Nebraska State Patrol Troop D on social media that it’s not an excuse to “go look.”

“Emergency crews are still on scene and working active fires,” the posting said. “If you have no business in the area, we ask you to please stay clear.”

There were no immediate reports of damage to homes or businesses.

A high wind warning for the possibility of gusts more than 50 mph was issued for much of central and western Nebraska through Saturday morning.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650733136045.png" alt="High winds fueled fires Friday in southwest Nebraska. This is Highway 6 west of Cambridge-photo courtesy Nebraska State Patrol" />
 <figcaption>High winds fueled fires Friday in southwest Nebraska. This is Highway 6 west of Cambridge-photo courtesy Nebraska State Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>CAMBRIDGE, Neb. (AP) — Crews were making progress fighting wildfires that forced people in several communities in southwestern Nebraska to evacuate, authorities said Saturday.The fires pushed by strong winds threatened mostly rural areas hit hard this spring by drought, although residents in the town of Cambridge were the first ones asked to evacuate Friday evening, the Furnas County Sheriff’s Office said. The community of about 1,000 people is located near Arapahoe, where wildfires burned nearly 35,000 acres earlier this month.Wildfires were reported Friday from northwestern Kansas to the Cambridge area, with a smaller blaze between Cambridge and Stockville. While the Nebraska Department of Transportation said Saturday morning that conditions had improved, the risk of fires and significant blowing dust are still possible.Several churches and schools opened their doors to people displaced by the fires. Some highways that were forced to close were opening up Saturday, bringing a warning from the Nebraska State Patrol Troop D on social media that it’s not an excuse to “go look.”“Emergency crews are still on scene and working active fires,” the posting said. “If you have no business in the area, we ask you to please stay clear.”There were no immediate reports of damage to homes or businesses.A high wind warning for the possibility of gusts more than 50 mph was issued for much of central and western Nebraska through Saturday morning.

Wildfires force some evacuations in southwestern Nebraska

EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — A Texas National Guard member was missing Friday after going into the river along the U.S.-Mexico border to help a migrant who was struggling to swim across, according to a local sheriff.

A woman trying to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico made it about halfway to the other side when she appeared to begin going under the water, Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber said. The rescue attempt happened near Eagle Pass at a section of the river known for strong currents.

“He jumped in the river,” Schmerber said. “They never saw him come out.”

He said the Guard member, who has not been identified, took off his jacket and left his radio before going into the water. The woman made it across and was placed in the custody of Border Patrol, said Schmerber, whose department was involved early in the search.

The Texas National Guard said in a statement that state troopers and Border Patrol agents were also helping. The attempted water rescue happened around 8:30 a.m., according to Schmerber.

The Guard member was assigned to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s sprawling border security mission, known as Operation Lone Star, which has deployed thousands of Guard members across Texas’ 1,200-mile (1,920-kilometer) southern border since launching last year. The multibillion-dollar operation also includes a heavy presence of state troopers and authorizes Guard members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-arrests-immigration-1a8a47544bdde6b28945d0f4c0cd7413">to help make arrests</a>.

The mission has come under scrutiny over migrants sitting in border jails for months on trespassing charges and low morale among Guard members over living conditions, long deployments and little to do.

Migrant rescues are common in the river along the Texas border, and the attempted crossings are also sometimes deadly. Schmerber said the bodies of as many as two migrants a week are sometimes found along his county’s section of the river.

Schmerber, a former Border Patrol officer, said Guard members do not usually enter the water to attempt rescues and this was the first incident he could recall. He estimated the portion of the river where the attempted rescue occurred was roughly 70 to 80 yards (64 to 73 meters) wide.

“That river is very dangerous. It’s strong currents,” Schmerber said. “It’s risky to cross the river like that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650718883401.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSEAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — A Texas National Guard member was missing Friday after going into the river along the U.S.-Mexico border to help a migrant who was struggling to swim across, according to a local sheriff.A woman trying to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico made it about halfway to the other side when she appeared to begin going under the water, Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber said. The rescue attempt happened near Eagle Pass at a section of the river known for strong currents.“He jumped in the river,” Schmerber said. “They never saw him come out.”He said the Guard member, who has not been identified, took off his jacket and left his radio before going into the water. The woman made it across and was placed in the custody of Border Patrol, said Schmerber, whose department was involved early in the search.The Texas National Guard said in a statement that state troopers and Border Patrol agents were also helping. The attempted water rescue happened around 8:30 a.m., according to Schmerber.The Guard member was assigned to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s sprawling border security mission, known as Operation Lone Star, which has deployed thousands of Guard members across Texas’ 1,200-mile (1,920-kilometer) southern border since launching last year. The multibillion-dollar operation also includes a heavy presence of state troopers and authorizes Guard members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-arrests-immigration-1a8a47544bdde6b28945d0f4c0cd7413">to help make arrests</a>.The mission has come under scrutiny over migrants sitting in border jails for months on trespassing charges and low morale among Guard members over living conditions, long deployments and little to do.Migrant rescues are common in the river along the Texas border, and the attempted crossings are also sometimes deadly. Schmerber said the bodies of as many as two migrants a week are sometimes found along his county’s section of the river.Schmerber, a former Border Patrol officer, said Guard members do not usually enter the water to attempt rescues and this was the first incident he could recall. He estimated the portion of the river where the attempted rescue occurred was roughly 70 to 80 yards (64 to 73 meters) wide.“That river is very dangerous. It’s strong currents,” Schmerber said. “It’s risky to cross the river like that.”

Sheriff: Texas Guardsman missing after border rescue attempt

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is making it easier for refugees fleeing Russia’s war on Ukraine to come to the United States from Europe while trying to shut down an informal route through northern Mexico that has emerged in recent weeks.

Under a program announced Thursday, the U.S. will streamline refugee applications for Ukrainians and others fleeing the fighting, but will no longer routinely grant entry to those who show up at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum.

Volunteers, many from American churches, were shuttling Ukrainians from a shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, to the closest border crossing as news spread of plans to discourage a means of entering the U.S. taken by thousands of refugees since the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin began almost two months ago.

“It is going to be good for people. I’m happy,” said San Diego resident Ludmilo Jaaniste, who was at the shelter to get her niece and her niece’s 12-year-old daughter after they fled Kyiv. “They (the U.S.) were taking people, so why not make it easier.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-united-states-europe-southeast-asia-f0fc4c40066332332f16ad8efd1b02bb">The U.S. says it expects to admit up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and about 15,000 have come since the Feb. 24 invasion, mostly through Mexico. Starting Monday, that will no longer be an option except in extreme circumstances, officials said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648345290520.png" alt="In March,&nbsp;President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian refugees during a visit to Poland-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>In March,&nbsp;President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian refugees during a visit to Poland-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is making it easier for refugees fleeing Russia’s war on Ukraine to come to the United States from Europe while trying to shut down an informal route through northern Mexico that has emerged in recent weeks.Under a program announced Thursday, the U.S. will streamline refugee applications for Ukrainians and others fleeing the fighting, but will no longer routinely grant entry to those who show up at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum.Volunteers, many from American churches, were shuttling Ukrainians from a shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, to the closest border crossing as news spread of plans to discourage a means of entering the U.S. taken by thousands of refugees since the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin began almost two months ago.“It is going to be good for people. I’m happy,” said San Diego resident Ludmilo Jaaniste, who was at the shelter to get her niece and her niece’s 12-year-old daughter after they fled Kyiv. “They (the U.S.) were taking people, so why not make it easier.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-united-states-europe-southeast-asia-f0fc4c40066332332f16ad8efd1b02bb">The U.S. says it expects to admit up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and about 15,000 have come since the Feb. 24 invasion, mostly through Mexico. Starting Monday, that will no longer be an option except in extreme circumstances, officials said.It’s an effort by the U.S. to uphold its commitment to help Eastern European nations contend with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-travel-poland-europe-united-nations-a4c14d4959daa171eb8152fd1766f7fd">the 5 million refugees&nbsp;</a>who have fled Ukraine while trying to reduce the number of migrants seeking to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.Complicating matters, however, the U.S. plans next month to lift a public health order, known as Title 42, that enables authorities to quickly turn away migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border without giving them a chance to claim asylum. The Biden administration has been exempting Ukrainian refugees, but will do so no longer.“We are proud to deliver on President Biden’s commitment to welcome 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russian aggression to the United States,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement announcing the effort. “The Ukrainian people continue to suffer immense tragedy and loss as a result of Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on their country.”U.S. officials say a majority of the Ukrainian refugees want to stay in Eastern Europe because many hope eventually to return home.Advocates have said the U.S. should take more than 100,000 refugees and further expedite the process.Public support doesn’t seem to be an issue.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/projects/most-americans-oppose-sending-troops-to-ukraine/" target="_blank">An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll&nbsp;</a>shows 65% of Americans favor accepting Ukrainian refugees into the U.S., while 15% oppose. An additional 19% say they neither favor nor oppose.To qualify for admission to the U.S. under the new program, officially known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2022/04/21/president-biden-announce-uniting-ukraine-new-streamlined-process-welcome-ukrainians" target="_blank">Uniting for Ukraine,</a>&nbsp;people must have been in Ukraine as of Feb. 11; have a sponsor, which could be family or an organization; meet vaccination and other public health requirements; and pass background checks.Typically, people would start applications in their home country, but that’s no longer possible because the U.S. pulled its diplomats from Ukraine. The State Department will expand resettlement operations in Eastern Europe under the new program to compensate.Most of those admitted will receive two years of residence and authorization to work in the United States under what’s known as humanitarian parole. Those coming to the U.S. through the formal refugee process, including members of religious minority groups, will receive permanent legal residency.A downside of the new effort is that humanitarian parole generally does not include temporary housing support and other benefits provided through the traditional refugee program, which is only slowly recovering from Trump-era cutbacks, said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.Nevertheless, Vignarajah and other refugee advocates welcomed the announcement. “Families desperately seeking to bring their loved ones directly to safety in the U.S. have a glimmer of hope, where there once was exceedingly little,” she said.Refugees will encounter a streamlined process in Europe, but they won’t be able to complete it in Mexico, senior administration officials told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the program before the public announcement.Instead, Ukrainians who show up at the border will generally be turned away and told to apply for entry under the new program. That is the situation for most migrants under the public health order in place since the early in the pandemic in March 2020.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the use of Title 42, which has been used to turn away more than 1.7 million people, is set to end May 23. The agency is under pressure to keep it in place not to control COVID-19, as it was supposedly intended, but to help ease an increase in migrants seeking to cross the border.Critics of the use of Title 42 at the border have pointed out that it denies people their right under U.S law and international treaty to make claims for asylum and forces migrants to return to dangerous conditions in Northern Mexico and elsewhere.—-