WASHINGTON ― With the April 18 tax-filing deadline closing in for 
most taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service wants to dispel some new 
and common myths about getting refund details or speeding up tax 
refunds. A number of these myths circulate on social media every tax 
season.

The IRS continues to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/filing-season-statistics-by-year">process 2021 tax returns and deliver refunds</a>,
 with nine&nbsp;out of 10 refunds issued in less than 21 days. As of the week
 ending April 1, the IRS has sent out more than 63 million refunds worth
 over $204 billion. The average refund is $3,226.

The IRS reminds taxpayers the easiest way to check on a refund is <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>, an online tool available on IRS.gov and through the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs2goapp">IRS2Go mobile app</a>.
 Where's My Refund? provides taxpayers the same information and issue 
date information that IRS assistors and tax professionals have.

Where's My Refund? can be used to check the status of a tax return 
within 24 hours after a taxpayer receives their e-file acceptance 
notification. The Where's My Refund? tool is updated only once every 24 
hours, usually overnight, so there's no need to check the status more 
than once a day. Taxpayers should only call the IRS tax help hotline to 
talk to a representative if it has been more than 21 days since their 
tax return was e-filed, or more than six weeks since mailing their 
return.

For those awaiting processing of a 2020 tax return, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/help-for-taxpayers-and-tax-professionals-special-filing-season-alerts">the IRS continues to make progress in this area and has taken numerous steps to help address this issue</a>, including <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/written-testimony-of-charles-p-rettig-commissioner-internal-revenue-service-before-the-house-ways-and-means-committee-subcommittee-on-oversight-on-the-filing-season-and-irs-operations">stopping the mailing of key notices and adding more IRS employees as part of surge teams to continue working tax returns</a>, as well as amended returns and correspondence from last year.

Myth 1: Calling the IRS or visiting an IRS office speeds up a refund

Many taxpayers mistakenly believe the commonly held myth that 
speaking with the IRS by phone or visiting in-person at an IRS Taxpayer 
Assistance Center will expedite their tax refund. The best way to check 
the status of a refund is online through the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>&nbsp;tool at IRS.gov or via the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs2goapp">IRS2Go mobile app</a>. Alternatively, those without internet access can reach Where's My Refund? by calling the automated refund hotline at <a href="tel:800-829-1954">800-829-1954</a>. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers operate by <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office">appointment</a> and inquiring about a tax refund's status does not expedite the process.

Myth 2: Taxpayers need to wait for their 2020 return to be processed
 before filing their 2021 return, or that all refunds are delayed due to
 the number of 2020 returns the IRS still needs to process.

The reality is that taxpayers generally will not need to wait for 
their 2020 return to be fully processed to file their 2021 tax returns. 
They should file when they're ready. People with <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/top-5-things-to-remember-when-filing-income-tax-returns-in-2022">unprocessed 2020 tax returns</a>, should enter $0 (zero dollars) for last year's AGI on their 2021 tax return when electronically filing.

Myth 3: Taxpayers can get a refund date by ordering a tax transcript

Ordering a tax transcript will not inform taxpayers of the timing of 
their tax refund, nor will it speed up a refund being processed. 
Taxpayers can use a transcript to validate past income and tax filing 
status for mortgage, student and small business loan applications and to
 help with tax preparation. But the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>&nbsp;tool is the fastest and most accurate way to check the status of a refund.

Myth 4: Where's My Refund? must be wrong because there's no deposit date yet

While the IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 days, it's possible a refund may take longer for a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions">variety of reasons</a>,
 including when a return is incomplete or needs further review. Delays 
can be caused by simple errors like an incomplete return, transposed 
numbers or when a tax return is affected by identity theft or fraud. The
 <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>&nbsp;tool only updates data once a day – usually overnight.

Myth 5: Where's My Refund? must be wrong because a refund amount is less than expected

Different factors can cause a tax refund to be larger or smaller than expected. Situations that may decrease
 a refund can include corrections to any Recovery Rebate Credit or Child
 Tax Credit amounts, delinquent federal taxes or state taxes and past 
due child support. The IRS will mail the taxpayer a letter of 
explanation if these adjustments are made. The Department of Treasury's 
Bureau of the Fiscal Service may also send a letter if all or part of a 
taxpayer's refund was used to pay certain financial obligations.

Myth 6: Calling a tax professional will provide a better refund date

Contacting a tax professional will not speed up a refund. Tax 
professionals cannot move up a refund date nor do they have access to 
any "special" information that will provide a more accurate refund date.
 The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>&nbsp;tool
 provides taxpayers with the same accurate and timely information that a
 tax professional, or even an IRS telephone assistor can access.

Myth 7: Getting a refund this year means there's no need to adjust tax withholding for 2022

Taxpayers should continually check their withholding and adjust 
accordingly. Adjusting tax withholding with an employer is easy and 
using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>
 tool can help taxpayers determine if they are withholding the right 
amount from their paycheck. Taxpayers who experience a life event like 
marriage or divorce, childbirth, an adoption, home purchase or major 
income change are encouraged to check their withholding. Withholding 
takes place throughout the year, so it's better to take this step as 
soon as possible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON ― With the April 18 tax-filing deadline closing in for 
most taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service wants to dispel some new 
and common myths about getting refund details or speeding up tax 
refunds. A number of these myths circulate on social media every tax 
season.The IRS continues to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/filing-season-statistics-by-year">process 2021 tax returns and deliver refunds</a>,
 with nine&nbsp;out of 10 refunds issued in less than 21 days. As of the week
 ending April 1, the IRS has sent out more than 63 million refunds worth
 over $204 billion. The average refund is $3,226.The IRS reminds taxpayers the easiest way to check on a refund is <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>, an online tool available on IRS.gov and through the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs2goapp">IRS2Go mobile app</a>.
 Where's My Refund? provides taxpayers the same information and issue 
date information that IRS assistors and tax professionals have.Where's My Refund? can be used to check the status of a tax return 
within 24 hours after a taxpayer receives their e-file acceptance 
notification. The Where's My Refund? tool is updated only once every 24 
hours, usually overnight, so there's no need to check the status more 
than once a day. Taxpayers should only call the IRS tax help hotline to 
talk to a representative if it has been more than 21 days since their 
tax return was e-filed, or more than six weeks since mailing their 
return.For those awaiting processing of a 2020 tax return, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/help-for-taxpayers-and-tax-professionals-special-filing-season-alerts">the IRS continues to make progress in this area and has taken numerous steps to help address this issue</a>, including <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/written-testimony-of-charles-p-rettig-commissioner-internal-revenue-service-before-the-house-ways-and-means-committee-subcommittee-on-oversight-on-the-filing-season-and-irs-operations">stopping the mailing of key notices and adding more IRS employees as part of surge teams to continue working tax returns</a>, as well as amended returns and correspondence from last year.<h2>Seven common myths about tax refunds:</h2><h2>Myth 1: Calling the IRS or visiting an IRS office speeds up a refund</h2>Many taxpayers mistakenly believe the commonly held myth that 
speaking with the IRS by phone or visiting in-person at an IRS Taxpayer 
Assistance Center will expedite their tax refund. The best way to check 
the status of a refund is online through the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>&nbsp;tool at IRS.gov or via the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs2goapp">IRS2Go mobile app</a>. Alternatively, those without internet access can reach Where's My Refund? by calling the automated refund hotline at <a href="tel:800-829-1954">800-829-1954</a>. IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers operate by <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office">appointment</a> and inquiring about a tax refund's status does not expedite the process.<h2>Myth 2: Taxpayers need to wait for their 2020 return to be processed
 before filing their 2021 return, or that all refunds are delayed due to
 the number of 2020 returns the IRS still needs to process.</h2>The reality is that taxpayers generally will not need to wait for 
their 2020 return to be fully processed to file their 2021 tax returns. 
They should file when they're ready. People with <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/top-5-things-to-remember-when-filing-income-tax-returns-in-2022">unprocessed 2020 tax returns</a>, should enter $0 (zero dollars) for last year's AGI on their 2021 tax return when electronically filing.<h2>Myth 3: Taxpayers can get a refund date by ordering a tax transcript</h2>Ordering a tax transcript will not inform taxpayers of the timing of 
their tax refund, nor will it speed up a refund being processed. 
Taxpayers can use a transcript to validate past income and tax filing 
status for mortgage, student and small business loan applications and to
 help with tax preparation. But the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>&nbsp;tool is the fastest and most accurate way to check the status of a refund.<h2>Myth 4: Where's My Refund? must be wrong because there's no deposit date yet</h2>While the IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 days, it's possible a refund may take longer for a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions">variety of reasons</a>,
 including when a return is incomplete or needs further review. Delays 
can be caused by simple errors like an incomplete return, transposed 
numbers or when a tax return is affected by identity theft or fraud. The
 <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>&nbsp;tool only updates data once a day – usually overnight.<h2>Myth 5: Where's My Refund? must be wrong because a refund amount is less than expected</h2>Different factors can cause a tax refund to be larger or smaller than expected. Situations that may decrease
 a refund can include corrections to any Recovery Rebate Credit or Child
 Tax Credit amounts, delinquent federal taxes or state taxes and past 
due child support. The IRS will mail the taxpayer a letter of 
explanation if these adjustments are made. The Department of Treasury's 
Bureau of the Fiscal Service may also send a letter if all or part of a 
taxpayer's refund was used to pay certain financial obligations.<h2>Myth 6: Calling a tax professional will provide a better refund date</h2>Contacting a tax professional will not speed up a refund. Tax 
professionals cannot move up a refund date nor do they have access to 
any "special" information that will provide a more accurate refund date.
 The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds">Where's My Refund?</a>&nbsp;tool
 provides taxpayers with the same accurate and timely information that a
 tax professional, or even an IRS telephone assistor can access.<h2>Myth 7: Getting a refund this year means there's no need to adjust tax withholding for 2022</h2>Taxpayers should continually check their withholding and adjust 
accordingly. Adjusting tax withholding with an employer is easy and 
using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>
 tool can help taxpayers determine if they are withholding the right 
amount from their paycheck. Taxpayers who experience a life event like 
marriage or divorce, childbirth, an adoption, home purchase or major 
income change are encouraged to check their withholding. Withholding 
takes place throughout the year, so it's better to take this step as 
soon as possible.

IRS dispels new and common myths about tax refunds

NEW YORK (AP) — At least 10 people were shot and eight others injured when a gunman filled a rush-hour subway train with smoke and opened fire Tuesday morning. 

Police were still searching for the shooter. 

There were no life-threatening injuries and the attack was not being investigated as terrorism. Officials said at least 16 in all were injured in some way in the attack at the 36th Street station in the borough's Sunset Park neighborhood. 

According to multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation, preliminary information indicated that the gunman who fled was wearing a construction vest and a gas mask.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649781277377.png" alt="Photo courtesy WCBS" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WCBS</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — At least 10 people were shot and eight others injured when a gunman filled a rush-hour subway train with smoke and opened fire Tuesday morning. Police were still searching for the shooter. There were no life-threatening injuries and the attack was not being investigated as terrorism. Officials said at least 16 in all were injured in some way in the attack at the 36th Street station in the borough's Sunset Park neighborhood. According to multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation, preliminary information indicated that the gunman who fled was wearing a construction vest and a gas mask.

Gunman opens fire on Brooklyn subway; at least 10 shot

NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in northeastern Nebraska say a Madison County man who was burning trash on his rural property died when the flames caught his clothing on fire.

 The Norfolk Daily News reports the incident happened Monday morning on a property northwest of Norfolk. 

Firefighters and Madison County Sheriff's deputies called to the scene for a report of a fire found 72-year-old Stanley Acklie dead on his property from burn injuries. Officials say his body was found near a fire that was burning several outbuildings on the property. 

Sheriff Todd Volk said in a statement that Acklie had been burning trash when the fire apparently went out of control. 

The area has been under an elevated fire risk because of high winds and dry conditions.

By ASSOCIATED PRESSNORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in northeastern Nebraska say a Madison County man who was burning trash on his rural property died when the flames caught his clothing on fire. The Norfolk Daily News reports the incident happened Monday morning on a property northwest of Norfolk. Firefighters and Madison County Sheriff's deputies called to the scene for a report of a fire found 72-year-old Stanley Acklie dead on his property from burn injuries. Officials say his body was found near a fire that was burning several outbuildings on the property. Sheriff Todd Volk said in a statement that Acklie had been burning trash when the fire apparently went out of control. The area has been under an elevated fire risk because of high winds and dry conditions.

Nebraska man killed in trash burn when clothes caught fire

By WENDY STOVALL <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/04/12/scientists-get-together-to-role-play-volcano-eruption-predictions/">For the Daily Montanan</a>

In February, 100 scientists got together to practice coordinating themselves during a pretend volcanic eruption.

As scientists who work on potentially active volcanoes, we ask 
ourselves “what” questions a lot. What if a volcano starts showing signs
 that it’s waking up? What sort of eruption might happen at a given 
volcano?&nbsp; What types of hazards might result from an eruption? Pondering
 such questions and the depths of possible answers always lead to 
further questions, then answers, then ultimately more questions, and on 
and on.

One of the ways that we examine these questions is to gather a group 
of scientists pondering the same thing and pretend it is happening. 
That’s right – we roll play a volcanic event! This practice helps us 
create plans and be better prepared to respond to an actual volcanic 
event.

For the month of February 2022, we did just this. A group of about 
100 scientists representing 40 different institutions participated in a 
roleplaying scenario of a volcanic eruption. The fake eruption was in 
northern Arizona’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/san-francisco-volcanic-field">San Francisco Volcanic Field</a>&nbsp;(SFVF), which one day could erupt in real life – although there is no sign of any volcanic unrest in the area right now.

This scenario was the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Feos.org%2Fscience-updates%2Fmaking-the-most-of-volcanic-eruption-responses&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cyellowstone-caldera-chronicles%40listserv.usgs.gov%7C0a4b61ed13ea4c0072f408da1bc39abd%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C637852824164827756%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=t6lIXjP%2BBPCIhtl5cWd36%2FcMHVutVHMZKZj4Tdu3s%2Bs%3D&amp;reserved=0">second of its kind</a>&nbsp;hosted
 by the NSF-funded Community Network for Volcanic Eruption Response 
(CONVERSE). This group of researchers aim to enable, organize, and focus
 the collaboration of academic researchers and U.S. federal agencies 
involved in volcano science.

A team of eight scientists from different disciplines, like 
seismology, geology, and gas geochemistry, organized the scenario. The 
organizational team shared with the scenario participants volcano 
monitoring data (earthquake locations, ground surface motions, and 
volcanic gas measurements) and “official” volcanic activity 
notifications from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO is 
responsible for monitoring and reporting on volcanic activity in the 
southwest U.S.). In effect, the organizers were the “dungeon masters,” 
and the participating scientists played roles closely aligned with what 
they would do in an actual volcanic eruption.

To make it realistic, the organization team had to conceptualize the rise of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cms.usgs.gov/glossary/volcano-hazards-program-glossary">magma</a>&nbsp;from
 deep within the earth to the surface. Organizers looked to the 
long-extinct 3–4-million-year-old San Rafael volcanic field located in 
southern Utah. The upper 2625 feet (800 meters) of the once subterranean
 volcanic plumbing system is visible today in the form of eroded dikes, 
sills, and volcanic conduits. Several researchers (including one of the 
scenario organizers) have used this geologic evidence to piece together 
the region’s eruption history, which fed into the design of the SFVF 
scenario.

With an analog volcano lined up, it was up to the geologists, 
geophysics, and gas geochemists of the organizer group to invent 
realistic datasets that would precede the pretend eruption. They relied 
upon actual data from similar eruptions, such as <a target="_blank" href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b965D">Parícutin&nbsp;</a>(Mexico),&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/media/videos/image-week-volcano-spains-la-palma-island">La Palma&nbsp;</a>(Canary Islands),&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/recent-eruption">Kīlauea&nbsp;</a>(Hawaii), and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.vedur.is%2Fvolcanoes%2Ffagradalsfjall-eruption%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cyellowstone-caldera-chronicles%40listserv.usgs.gov%7C0a4b61ed13ea4c0072f408da1bc39abd%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C637852824164827756%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=JBw7pAwo2X5vFW%2FkpYlpVWVzWTlJpbQAPz21KV0Dlhk%3D&amp;reserved=0">Fagradalsfjall&nbsp;</a>(Iceland). Some of the organizers took these data and developed mathematical models of ground movement and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cms.usgs.gov/glossary/volcano-hazards-program-glossary">lava flow</a>&nbsp;areas, which were provided to the participants as the scenario progressed.

The entire group communicated in a collaborative virtual workspace 
and participated in two video conference calls each week. Pretend 
seismometers, GPS stations, gas sensors, and video surveillance 
equipment were “installed” in the “field.” Scientists planned fake 
sample collection campaigns and flew phony UAS video and gas monitoring 
instruments. Real, “what if” conversations were held between state, 
federal, and academic groups. Overall, it strengthened bonds between the
 community of scientists who might respond to future volcanic eruptions 
in the United States.

Scenarios like this allow scientists to practice working together, 
ensuring volcanic behavior is well documented while keeping people safe.
 Specifically, the USGS is mandated by the U.S. federal government to 
keep watch over the nation’s volcanoes and monitor hazards, then issue 
warnings to reduce the societal impacts of volcanic 
eruptions. Scientific researchers from academic and other institutions 
can bring unique perspectives to better understanding volcanic activity,
 aiding USGS scientists and land managers in the hazards response to an 
eruption. Because safety is a foremost concern, emphasis is placed on 
solid communication and coordination between all parties involved in 
observing, researching, and forecasting volcanic behavior.

Ultimately, the outcomes of this scenario will inform a new 
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory volcanic eruption response plan 
specifically for the Southwest U.S. volcanic fields located in Utah, 
Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.

So, why was San Francisco Volcanic Field chosen? The SFVF is one of the youngest of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/dispersed-volcanic-fields-are-found-through-western-us">many volcanic fields spread throughout the western United States</a>,
 and it is relatively well studied. There’s a significant population 
center on its border (Flagstaff), and there will likely be eruptions 
from the area again. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/san-francisco-volcanic-field/sunset-crater">1085 A.D. eruption of Sunset Crater</a>&nbsp;was the most recent volcanic event from the San Francisco Volcanic Field, and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/sucr/learn/historyculture/people.htm">the eruption impacted indigenous people of the region</a>.

The coordination of scientists will yield a more complete 
understanding of volcanic processes and their hazards, while also aiding
 efforts to reduce the impacts of volcanic eruptions on society.

You can read more about the CONVERSE group and the February 2022 scenario at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvolcanoresponse.org%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cyellowstone-caldera-chronicles%40listserv.usgs.gov%7C0a4b61ed13ea4c0072f408da1bc39abd%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C637852824164827756%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=G2LYr4ksj6%2BF%2F1vPIofGfJ7jIZJ973p7eZ2ltdULhVU%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://volcanoresponse.org/</a>.

Yellowstone <a target="_blank" href="https://cms.usgs.gov/glossary/volcano-hazards-program-glossary">Caldera</a>&nbsp;Chronicles
 is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the 
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Wendy 
Stovall, volcanologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Deputy 
Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649772759753.png" alt="An ash plume rises from the summit crater of Parícutin sometime during 1946-48. A thick ash deposit covers the foreground. An estimated 4,500 cattle and 550 horses died during the heavy ashfall in the early months of the eruption, devastating the local people who depended on the animals for food, plowing, and transportation. Ashfall was deeper than 6 inches over a 115 square mile area around the volcano and continued with varying intensity throughout the 9-year-long eruption. (Photo by Ray Wilcox of the U.S. Geological Survey)" />
 <figcaption>An ash plume rises from the summit crater of Parícutin sometime during 1946-48. A thick ash deposit covers the foreground. An estimated 4,500 cattle and 550 horses died during the heavy ashfall in the early months of the eruption, devastating the local people who depended on the animals for food, plowing, and transportation. Ashfall was deeper than 6 inches over a 115 square mile area around the volcano and continued with varying intensity throughout the 9-year-long eruption. (Photo by Ray Wilcox of the U.S. Geological Survey)</figcaption>
 </figure>By WENDY STOVALL <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/04/12/scientists-get-together-to-role-play-volcano-eruption-predictions/">For the Daily Montanan</a>In February, 100 scientists got together to practice coordinating themselves during a pretend volcanic eruption.As scientists who work on potentially active volcanoes, we ask 
ourselves “what” questions a lot. What if a volcano starts showing signs
 that it’s waking up? What sort of eruption might happen at a given 
volcano?&nbsp; What types of hazards might result from an eruption? Pondering
 such questions and the depths of possible answers always lead to 
further questions, then answers, then ultimately more questions, and on 
and on.One of the ways that we examine these questions is to gather a group 
of scientists pondering the same thing and pretend it is happening. 
That’s right – we roll play a volcanic event! This practice helps us 
create plans and be better prepared to respond to an actual volcanic 
event.For the month of February 2022, we did just this. A group of about 
100 scientists representing 40 different institutions participated in a 
roleplaying scenario of a volcanic eruption. The fake eruption was in 
northern Arizona’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/san-francisco-volcanic-field">San Francisco Volcanic Field</a>&nbsp;(SFVF), which one day could erupt in real life – although there is no sign of any volcanic unrest in the area right now.This scenario was the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Feos.org%2Fscience-updates%2Fmaking-the-most-of-volcanic-eruption-responses&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cyellowstone-caldera-chronicles%40listserv.usgs.gov%7C0a4b61ed13ea4c0072f408da1bc39abd%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C637852824164827756%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=t6lIXjP%2BBPCIhtl5cWd36%2FcMHVutVHMZKZj4Tdu3s%2Bs%3D&amp;reserved=0">second of its kind</a>&nbsp;hosted
 by the NSF-funded Community Network for Volcanic Eruption Response 
(CONVERSE). This group of researchers aim to enable, organize, and focus
 the collaboration of academic researchers and U.S. federal agencies 
involved in volcano science.A team of eight scientists from different disciplines, like 
seismology, geology, and gas geochemistry, organized the scenario. The 
organizational team shared with the scenario participants volcano 
monitoring data (earthquake locations, ground surface motions, and 
volcanic gas measurements) and “official” volcanic activity 
notifications from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO is 
responsible for monitoring and reporting on volcanic activity in the 
southwest U.S.). In effect, the organizers were the “dungeon masters,” 
and the participating scientists played roles closely aligned with what 
they would do in an actual volcanic eruption.To make it realistic, the organization team had to conceptualize the rise of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cms.usgs.gov/glossary/volcano-hazards-program-glossary">magma</a>&nbsp;from
 deep within the earth to the surface. Organizers looked to the 
long-extinct 3–4-million-year-old San Rafael volcanic field located in 
southern Utah. The upper 2625 feet (800 meters) of the once subterranean
 volcanic plumbing system is visible today in the form of eroded dikes, 
sills, and volcanic conduits. Several researchers (including one of the 
scenario organizers) have used this geologic evidence to piece together 
the region’s eruption history, which fed into the design of the SFVF 
scenario.With an analog volcano lined up, it was up to the geologists, 
geophysics, and gas geochemists of the organizer group to invent 
realistic datasets that would precede the pretend eruption. They relied 
upon actual data from similar eruptions, such as <a target="_blank" href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b965D">Parícutin&nbsp;</a>(Mexico),&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/media/videos/image-week-volcano-spains-la-palma-island">La Palma&nbsp;</a>(Canary Islands),&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/recent-eruption">Kīlauea&nbsp;</a>(Hawaii), and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.vedur.is%2Fvolcanoes%2Ffagradalsfjall-eruption%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cyellowstone-caldera-chronicles%40listserv.usgs.gov%7C0a4b61ed13ea4c0072f408da1bc39abd%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C637852824164827756%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=JBw7pAwo2X5vFW%2FkpYlpVWVzWTlJpbQAPz21KV0Dlhk%3D&amp;reserved=0">Fagradalsfjall&nbsp;</a>(Iceland). Some of the organizers took these data and developed mathematical models of ground movement and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cms.usgs.gov/glossary/volcano-hazards-program-glossary">lava flow</a>&nbsp;areas, which were provided to the participants as the scenario progressed.The entire group communicated in a collaborative virtual workspace 
and participated in two video conference calls each week. Pretend 
seismometers, GPS stations, gas sensors, and video surveillance 
equipment were “installed” in the “field.” Scientists planned fake 
sample collection campaigns and flew phony UAS video and gas monitoring 
instruments. Real, “what if” conversations were held between state, 
federal, and academic groups. Overall, it strengthened bonds between the
 community of scientists who might respond to future volcanic eruptions 
in the United States.Scenarios like this allow scientists to practice working together, 
ensuring volcanic behavior is well documented while keeping people safe.
 Specifically, the USGS is mandated by the U.S. federal government to 
keep watch over the nation’s volcanoes and monitor hazards, then issue 
warnings to reduce the societal impacts of volcanic 
eruptions. Scientific researchers from academic and other institutions 
can bring unique perspectives to better understanding volcanic activity,
 aiding USGS scientists and land managers in the hazards response to an 
eruption. Because safety is a foremost concern, emphasis is placed on 
solid communication and coordination between all parties involved in 
observing, researching, and forecasting volcanic behavior.Ultimately, the outcomes of this scenario will inform a new 
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory volcanic eruption response plan 
specifically for the Southwest U.S. volcanic fields located in Utah, 
Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.So, why was San Francisco Volcanic Field chosen? The SFVF is one of the youngest of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/dispersed-volcanic-fields-are-found-through-western-us">many volcanic fields spread throughout the western United States</a>,
 and it is relatively well studied. There’s a significant population 
center on its border (Flagstaff), and there will likely be eruptions 
from the area again. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/san-francisco-volcanic-field/sunset-crater">1085 A.D. eruption of Sunset Crater</a>&nbsp;was the most recent volcanic event from the San Francisco Volcanic Field, and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/sucr/learn/historyculture/people.htm">the eruption impacted indigenous people of the region</a>.The coordination of scientists will yield a more complete 
understanding of volcanic processes and their hazards, while also aiding
 efforts to reduce the impacts of volcanic eruptions on society.You can read more about the CONVERSE group and the February 2022 scenario at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvolcanoresponse.org%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cyellowstone-caldera-chronicles%40listserv.usgs.gov%7C0a4b61ed13ea4c0072f408da1bc39abd%7C0693b5ba4b184d7b9341f32f400a5494%7C0%7C0%7C637852824164827756%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=G2LYr4ksj6%2BF%2F1vPIofGfJ7jIZJ973p7eZ2ltdULhVU%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://volcanoresponse.org/</a>.Yellowstone <a target="_blank" href="https://cms.usgs.gov/glossary/volcano-hazards-program-glossary">Caldera</a>&nbsp;Chronicles
 is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the 
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Wendy 
Stovall, volcanologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Deputy 
Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

Scientists gather to role play volcano eruption predictions

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday took fresh aim at ghost guns,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-are-ghost-guns-aab2ded78314603e8e87e92dbe4def3f">the privately made firearms</a>&nbsp;without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes, as he struggles to break past gun-control opposition to address firearm deaths.

Speaking at the White House, Biden highlighted the Justice Department’s work to finalize new regulations to crack down on ghost guns, and announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“Law enforcement is sounding the alarm,” Biden said of ghost guns, briefly holding one up for cameras to see in the Rose Garden. “Our communities are paying the price.”

He promised the new regulations would save lives.

Still, the announcement on guns highlights the limits of Biden’s influence to push a sweeping congressional overhaul of the nation’s firearm laws in response to both a recent surge in violent crime and continued mass shootings. Congress has deadlocked on legislative proposals to reform gun laws for a decade, and executive actions have faced stiff headwinds in federal courts — even as the Democratic base has grown more vocal in calling on Biden to take more consequential action.

Dettelbach’s confirmation, too, is likely to be an uphill battle. Biden had to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-gun-politics-susan-collins-angus-king-lisa-murkowski-e0d6522c455c86bd5d877307c4d5b19c">withdraw the nomination</a>&nbsp;of his first ATF nominee, gun-control advocate David Chipman, after it stalled for months because of opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in the Senate.

Both Republican and Democratic administrations have failed to get nominees for the ATF position through the politically fraught process since the director’s position was made confirmable in 2006. Since then, only one nominee, former U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones, has been confirmed. Jones made it through the Senate in 2013 but only after a six-month struggle. Jones was acting director when President Barack Obama nominated him in January 2013.

The Biden administration’s plan on guns was first reported by Politico.

For nearly a year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-gun-politics-gun-violence-violence-edc7a2c8dc505915a8ad841616d40ebe">the ghost gun rule has been making its way</a>&nbsp;through the federal regulation process. Gun safety groups and Democrats in Congress have been pushing for the Justice Department to finish the rule for months. It will probably be met with heavy resistance from gun groups and draw litigation in the coming weeks.

Gun Owners of America vowed that it would immediately fight the rule.

“Just as we opposed the Trump Administration’s arbitrary ban on bump stocks, GOA will also sue Biden’s ATF to halt the implementation of this rule,” Aidan Johnston, the group’s director of federal affairs said in a statement. The group believes the rule violates the U.S. Constitution and several federal laws.

But gun safety advocacy groups, like Everytown for Gun Safety, which pushed the federal government for years to take action on ghost guns, applauded Biden’s moves and insisted that both Dettelbach’s appointment and the finalized rule will help combat gun violence.

“Ghost guns look like a gun, they shoot like a gun, and they kill like a gun, but up until now they haven’t been regulated like a gun,” said John Feinblatt, Everytown’s president.

Christian Heyne, the vice president of policy at Brady, another gun control group, said Dettelbach was “an unimpeachable public servant who has spent a career using the levers of government to hold negligent or nefarious actors accountable.”

Justice Department statistics show that nearly 24,000 ghost guns were recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes and reported to the government from 2016 to 2020. It is hard to say how many are circulating on the streets, in part because in many cases police departments don’t contact the government about the guns because they can’t be traced.

The new rule changes the current definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts, like the frame of a handgun or the receiver of a long gun. It says those parts must be licensed and include serial numbers. Manufacturers must also run background checks before a sale — as they do with other commercially made firearms. The requirement applies regardless of how the firearm was made, meaning it includes ghost guns made from individual parts, kits, or by 3D-printers.

Federally licensed firearms dealers must retain key records until they shut down their business or licensed activity and then transfer the records to ATF as they are currently required to do at the end of licensed activity. Previously, these dealers were permitted to destroy most records after 20 years, making it harder for law enforcement to trace firearms found at crime scenes.

“A year ago this week standing here with many of you, I instructed the attorney general to write a regulation that would rein in the proliferation of ghost guns because I was having trouble getting anything passed in the Congress,” Biden said.

The rule goes into effect 120 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

For years, federal officials have been sounding the alarm about an increasing black market for homemade, military-style semi-automatic rifles and handguns. As well as turning up more frequently at crime scenes, ghost guns have been increasingly encountered when federal agents buy guns in undercover operations from gang members and other criminals.

Some states, like California, have enacted laws in recent years to require serial numbers to be stamped on ghost guns.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who was attending Monday’s event at the White House, applauded the move and pointed to a serious uptick in ghost guns being found by police. Police in Philadelphia have seen nearly a 500% increase in the number of ghost guns recovered in the past two years, Shapiro said. And just last week, a police officer there was shot by a ghost gun-wielding 18-year-old, who police said had also shot three others.

“This loophole has caused our nation countless lives,” Shapiro said in an interview. “Today is a critically important step to close that loophole.”

He said the move is likely to help drive down violence and aid both police and prosecutors in bringing their cases. The rule is also likely to help bring down the number of people who shouldn’t be purchasing firearms before a gun lands in their hand, he said.

“There are two challenges: One, criminals can easily buy them without going through a background check. And two, they are unserialized and untraceable.”

The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what is known as the lower receiver, a part typically made of metal or polymer. An unfinished receiver — sometimes referred to as an “80-percent receiver” — can be legally bought online with no serial numbers or other markings on it, no license required.

Police across the country have been reporting spikes in ghost guns being recovered by officers. The New York Police Department, for example, said officers found 131 firearms without serial numbers since January.

A gunman who killed his wife and four others in Northern California in 2017 had been prohibited from owning firearms, but he built his own to skirt the court order before his rampage. And in 2019, a teenager used a homemade handgun to fatally shoot two classmates and wound three others at a school in suburban Los Angeles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649769587607.png" alt="Photo White House" />
 <figcaption>Photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday took fresh aim at ghost guns,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-are-ghost-guns-aab2ded78314603e8e87e92dbe4def3f">the privately made firearms</a>&nbsp;without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes, as he struggles to break past gun-control opposition to address firearm deaths.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1056624581951277%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=854" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Speaking at the White House, Biden highlighted the Justice Department’s work to finalize new regulations to crack down on ghost guns, and announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach, who served as a U.S. attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.“Law enforcement is sounding the alarm,” Biden said of ghost guns, briefly holding one up for cameras to see in the Rose Garden. “Our communities are paying the price.”He promised the new regulations would save lives.Still, the announcement on guns highlights the limits of Biden’s influence to push a sweeping congressional overhaul of the nation’s firearm laws in response to both a recent surge in violent crime and continued mass shootings. Congress has deadlocked on legislative proposals to reform gun laws for a decade, and executive actions have faced stiff headwinds in federal courts — even as the Democratic base has grown more vocal in calling on Biden to take more consequential action.Dettelbach’s confirmation, too, is likely to be an uphill battle. Biden had to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-gun-politics-susan-collins-angus-king-lisa-murkowski-e0d6522c455c86bd5d877307c4d5b19c">withdraw the nomination</a>&nbsp;of his first ATF nominee, gun-control advocate David Chipman, after it stalled for months because of opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in the Senate.Both Republican and Democratic administrations have failed to get nominees for the ATF position through the politically fraught process since the director’s position was made confirmable in 2006. Since then, only one nominee, former U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones, has been confirmed. Jones made it through the Senate in 2013 but only after a six-month struggle. Jones was acting director when President Barack Obama nominated him in January 2013.The Biden administration’s plan on guns was first reported by Politico.For nearly a year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-gun-politics-gun-violence-violence-edc7a2c8dc505915a8ad841616d40ebe">the ghost gun rule has been making its way</a>&nbsp;through the federal regulation process. Gun safety groups and Democrats in Congress have been pushing for the Justice Department to finish the rule for months. It will probably be met with heavy resistance from gun groups and draw litigation in the coming weeks.Gun Owners of America vowed that it would immediately fight the rule.“Just as we opposed the Trump Administration’s arbitrary ban on bump stocks, GOA will also sue Biden’s ATF to halt the implementation of this rule,” Aidan Johnston, the group’s director of federal affairs said in a statement. The group believes the rule violates the U.S. Constitution and several federal laws.But gun safety advocacy groups, like Everytown for Gun Safety, which pushed the federal government for years to take action on ghost guns, applauded Biden’s moves and insisted that both Dettelbach’s appointment and the finalized rule will help combat gun violence.“Ghost guns look like a gun, they shoot like a gun, and they kill like a gun, but up until now they haven’t been regulated like a gun,” said John Feinblatt, Everytown’s president.Christian Heyne, the vice president of policy at Brady, another gun control group, said Dettelbach was “an unimpeachable public servant who has spent a career using the levers of government to hold negligent or nefarious actors accountable.”Justice Department statistics show that nearly 24,000 ghost guns were recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes and reported to the government from 2016 to 2020. It is hard to say how many are circulating on the streets, in part because in many cases police departments don’t contact the government about the guns because they can’t be traced.The new rule changes the current definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts, like the frame of a handgun or the receiver of a long gun. It says those parts must be licensed and include serial numbers. Manufacturers must also run background checks before a sale — as they do with other commercially made firearms. The requirement applies regardless of how the firearm was made, meaning it includes ghost guns made from individual parts, kits, or by 3D-printers.Federally licensed firearms dealers must retain key records until they shut down their business or licensed activity and then transfer the records to ATF as they are currently required to do at the end of licensed activity. Previously, these dealers were permitted to destroy most records after 20 years, making it harder for law enforcement to trace firearms found at crime scenes.“A year ago this week standing here with many of you, I instructed the attorney general to write a regulation that would rein in the proliferation of ghost guns because I was having trouble getting anything passed in the Congress,” Biden said.The rule goes into effect 120 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.For years, federal officials have been sounding the alarm about an increasing black market for homemade, military-style semi-automatic rifles and handguns. As well as turning up more frequently at crime scenes, ghost guns have been increasingly encountered when federal agents buy guns in undercover operations from gang members and other criminals.Some states, like California, have enacted laws in recent years to require serial numbers to be stamped on ghost guns.Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who was attending Monday’s event at the White House, applauded the move and pointed to a serious uptick in ghost guns being found by police. Police in Philadelphia have seen nearly a 500% increase in the number of ghost guns recovered in the past two years, Shapiro said. And just last week, a police officer there was shot by a ghost gun-wielding 18-year-old, who police said had also shot three others.“This loophole has caused our nation countless lives,” Shapiro said in an interview. “Today is a critically important step to close that loophole.”He said the move is likely to help drive down violence and aid both police and prosecutors in bringing their cases. The rule is also likely to help bring down the number of people who shouldn’t be purchasing firearms before a gun lands in their hand, he said.“There are two challenges: One, criminals can easily buy them without going through a background check. And two, they are unserialized and untraceable.”The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what is known as the lower receiver, a part typically made of metal or polymer. An unfinished receiver — sometimes referred to as an “80-percent receiver” — can be legally bought online with no serial numbers or other markings on it, no license required.Police across the country have been reporting spikes in ghost guns being recovered by officers. The New York Police Department, for example, said officers found 131 firearms without serial numbers since January.A gunman who killed his wife and four others in Northern California in 2017 had been prohibited from owning firearms, but he built his own to skirt the court order before his rampage. And in 2019, a teenager used a homemade handgun to fatally shoot two classmates and wound three others at a school in suburban Los Angeles.

🎥Gun Owners of America vow to fight Biden ghost gun rule

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/11/concealed-carry-handgun-bill-comes-up-two-votes-short-and-fails-to-advance/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — In a surprise, state lawmakers failed to muster enough votes Monday 
to advance a concealed carry handgun bill, called “constitutional carry”
 by some.

The
 vote to invoke cloture was 31-9, two short of what’s needed to stop a 
filibuster and advance a bill. It was also four fewer senators than the 
number who supported advancement of the bill from first-round debate.

“To
 say that I’m disappointed is an understatement,” said State Sen. Tom 
Brewer of Gordon, who has made passing the bill a priority during his 
six years in office.

At
 least 25 other states have passed such laws. In Nebraska, it would have
 allowed people to carry a concealed weapon without obtaining a $100 
state permit, undergoing a criminal background check and passing a gun 
safety class.

Brewer
 had worked for several weeks to negotiate a compromise to Legislative 
Bill 773 with the Omaha police union and police department, which had 
expressed concern about the bill watering down existing gun control 
ordinances in the state’s largest city and complicating their job of 
reducing gun violence.

The
 compromise amendment would have left in place an Omaha ordinance that 
requires registration of handguns. It also would have allowed&nbsp;for the 
continued prosecution of the crime of “carrying a concealed handgun” if a
 concealed gun was used in a long list of “covered offenses,” from 
robbery and kidnapping, to cockfighting and disorderly conduct.

But
 the powerful National Rifle Association urged a “no” vote against the 
amendment, calling it “a discriminatory attempt to place Omaha’s extreme
 firearm registration requirement into state law.”

Senators failed to pass the compromise amendment on a 13-29 vote — 12 fewer “yes” votes than needed.&nbsp;

The
 defeat pushed the Omaha Police Officers Association from neutral on the
 bill to oppose and sparked a debate over whether voting for LB 773 was a
 vote against law enforcement.

Tony Conner, president of the OPOA, said the amendment was fair.

&nbsp;“There has to be some common sense regulation,” Conner said.

Lincoln
 Sen. Adam Morfeld led the opposition to the bill, saying that the 2nd 
Amendment is not an unlimited right and that requiring a state permit 
and passing a safety course were not unreasonable. He pointed out that 
the Lincoln police had always been opposed to LB 773.

He joined Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt in arguing that most Nebraskans support reasonable gun laws.&nbsp;

Hunt
 said she supports a society that doesn’t need to carry a gun “all the 
time to defend ourselves.” In states that allow permitless carry, 
suicide rates and rates of domestic violence have risen, she said.

“We’re talking about a bill that makes it easier for violent people to attack the people they’re targeting,” Hunt said.

Brewer
 pushed back, saying LB 773 wouldn’t require everyone to carry a 
concealed handgun but would allow people to exercise their 
constitutional rights without getting a costly permit and taking a 
time-consuming test.

He
 grew angry after his amendment failed to pass, saying that the “sky 
hasn’t fallen” in the other 25 states that have adopted such laws. He 
also asked colleagues to “not put a lot of value” in the opposition from
 the Lincoln and Omaha police.

“In a perfect world, no one has a gun,” Brewer said. “But that’s not what the Constitution has given us.”

The
 senator, a decorated military veteran who still competes in sniper 
competitions, decried that the rules of the Legislature required 
two-thirds of the 49 senators to override a filibuster.

“You’re
 seeing why the rules of this Legislature are broken and a small group 
of people can kill anything that’s good,” Brewer said.

In
 the end, five senators who voted “yes” to advance LB 733 from 
first-round debate voted “no” or “present and not voting” Monday on 
cloture. They were Sens. Carol Blood, Jen Day, Suzanne Geist, Robert 
Hilkemann and Mike McDonnell.

In
 addition, one senator voting “yes” on first-round, Omaha Sen. Rich 
Pahls, has been absent due to a medical issue and didn’t vote Monday.

&nbsp;Hilkemann
 told his colleagues that after talking to a couple of constituents, 
including one who was a law enforcement officer, he didn’t feel LB 733 
was a good idea. Day said 69% of the emails to her office were against 
the bill.

Geist,
 a conservative Republican and a concealed carry permit holder, said she
 loves guns and loves to target shoot but has also worked with both the 
Lincoln and Omaha police on legislation.

“It’s
 a huge responsibility,” Geist said, to carry a concealed weapon. 
However, she added, she would have given the bill the 33rd vote to 
invoke cloture, if it had gotten 32 votes instead of 31.

Brewer
 said later Monday that he had called every gun rights group in the 
nation so they can target those who voted against him for defeat.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We’re going to call out everyone who didn’t vote for the 2nd Amendment,” he said.

Brewer said he also regretted dissuading gun
 rights advocates from packing hearing rooms and hallways earlier this 
year as they did in 2020, when at least two men showed up openly 
carrying military-style rifles.

“I won’t make that mistake again,” he said. “We’re coming back. And it will be a different story.”

Hunt also responded later Monday night, saying the “revenge mindset … validates why this bill shouldn’t have passed. Reasonable supporters of the 2nd Amendment are not upset.”

Other advocates for gun control said they were “thrilled” by the rejection.&nbsp;

“Allowing
 people to carry concealed handguns in public without a permit is 
dangerous and would have put our communities at risk,” said Katie 
Townley, a volunteer with the Nebraska chapter of Moms Demand Action.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649771253291.png" alt="State Sens. Adam Morfeld, left, and Tom Brewer squared off in debate Monday over a bill to allow concealed carry of handguns without a state permit. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sens. Adam Morfeld, left, and Tom Brewer squared off in debate Monday over a bill to allow concealed carry of handguns without a state permit. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/11/concealed-carry-handgun-bill-comes-up-two-votes-short-and-fails-to-advance/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — In a surprise, state lawmakers failed to muster enough votes Monday 
to advance a concealed carry handgun bill, called “constitutional carry”
 by some.The
 vote to invoke cloture was 31-9, two short of what’s needed to stop a 
filibuster and advance a bill. It was also four fewer senators than the 
number who supported advancement of the bill from first-round debate.“To
 say that I’m disappointed is an understatement,” said State Sen. Tom 
Brewer of Gordon, who has made passing the bill a priority during his 
six years in office.<h2>25 other states </h2>At
 least 25 other states have passed such laws. In Nebraska, it would have
 allowed people to carry a concealed weapon without obtaining a $100 
state permit, undergoing a criminal background check and passing a gun 
safety class.Brewer
 had worked for several weeks to negotiate a compromise to Legislative 
Bill 773 with the Omaha police union and police department, which had 
expressed concern about the bill watering down existing gun control 
ordinances in the state’s largest city and complicating their job of 
reducing gun violence.The
 compromise amendment would have left in place an Omaha ordinance that 
requires registration of handguns. It also would have allowed&nbsp;for the 
continued prosecution of the crime of “carrying a concealed handgun” if a
 concealed gun was used in a long list of “covered offenses,” from 
robbery and kidnapping, to cockfighting and disorderly conduct.<h2>NRA urged ‘no’ vote</h2>But
 the powerful National Rifle Association urged a “no” vote against the 
amendment, calling it “a discriminatory attempt to place Omaha’s extreme
 firearm registration requirement into state law.”Senators failed to pass the compromise amendment on a 13-29 vote — 12 fewer “yes” votes than needed.&nbsp;The
 defeat pushed the Omaha Police Officers Association from neutral on the
 bill to oppose and sparked a debate over whether voting for LB 773 was a
 vote against law enforcement.Tony Conner, president of the OPOA, said the amendment was fair.&nbsp;“There has to be some common sense regulation,” Conner said.Lincoln
 Sen. Adam Morfeld led the opposition to the bill, saying that the 2nd 
Amendment is not an unlimited right and that requiring a state permit 
and passing a safety course were not unreasonable. He pointed out that 
the Lincoln police had always been opposed to LB 773.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645553414913.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>He joined Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt in arguing that most Nebraskans support reasonable gun laws.&nbsp;Hunt
 said she supports a society that doesn’t need to carry a gun “all the 
time to defend ourselves.” In states that allow permitless carry, 
suicide rates and rates of domestic violence have risen, she said.“We’re talking about a bill that makes it easier for violent people to attack the people they’re targeting,” Hunt said.Brewer
 pushed back, saying LB 773 wouldn’t require everyone to carry a 
concealed handgun but would allow people to exercise their 
constitutional rights without getting a costly permit and taking a 
time-consuming test.<h2>Discounts law enforcement opposition</h2>He
 grew angry after his amendment failed to pass, saying that the “sky 
hasn’t fallen” in the other 25 states that have adopted such laws. He 
also asked colleagues to “not put a lot of value” in the opposition from
 the Lincoln and Omaha police.“In a perfect world, no one has a gun,” Brewer said. “But that’s not what the Constitution has given us.”The
 senator, a decorated military veteran who still competes in sniper 
competitions, decried that the rules of the Legislature required 
two-thirds of the 49 senators to override a filibuster.“You’re
 seeing why the rules of this Legislature are broken and a small group 
of people can kill anything that’s good,” Brewer said.<h2>Five supporters changed</h2>In
 the end, five senators who voted “yes” to advance LB 733 from 
first-round debate voted “no” or “present and not voting” Monday on 
cloture. They were Sens. Carol Blood, Jen Day, Suzanne Geist, Robert 
Hilkemann and Mike McDonnell.In
 addition, one senator voting “yes” on first-round, Omaha Sen. Rich 
Pahls, has been absent due to a medical issue and didn’t vote Monday.&nbsp;Hilkemann
 told his colleagues that after talking to a couple of constituents, 
including one who was a law enforcement officer, he didn’t feel LB 733 
was a good idea. Day said 69% of the emails to her office were against 
the bill.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649771356148.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln. (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln. (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>Geist,
 a conservative Republican and a concealed carry permit holder, said she
 loves guns and loves to target shoot but has also worked with both the 
Lincoln and Omaha police on legislation.<h2>A ‘huge responsibility’</h2>“It’s
 a huge responsibility,” Geist said, to carry a concealed weapon. 
However, she added, she would have given the bill the 33rd vote to 
invoke cloture, if it had gotten 32 votes instead of 31.Brewer
 said later Monday that he had called every gun rights group in the 
nation so they can target those who voted against him for defeat.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We’re going to call out everyone who didn’t vote for the 2nd Amendment,” he said.Brewer said he also regretted dissuading gun
 rights advocates from packing hearing rooms and hallways earlier this 
year as they did in 2020, when at least two men showed up openly 
carrying military-style rifles.“I won’t make that mistake again,” he said. “We’re coming back. And it will be a different story.”Hunt also responded later Monday night, saying the “revenge mindset … validates why this bill shouldn’t have passed. Reasonable supporters of the 2nd Amendment are not upset.”Other advocates for gun control said they were “thrilled” by the rejection.&nbsp;“Allowing
 people to carry concealed handguns in public without a permit is 
dangerous and would have put our communities at risk,” said Katie 
Townley, a volunteer with the Nebraska chapter of Moms Demand Action.&nbsp;

Neb. concealed carry handgun bill comes short of votes

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is visiting corn-rich Iowa on Tuesday to announce he’ll suspend a federal rule preventing the sale of higher ethanol blend gasoline this summer as his administration tries to tamp down prices at the pump that have spiked during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-7dd1f64818de5eadb86f12ad58e12a25">Russia’s war with Ukraine</a>.

Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-environment-covid-19-pandemic-f1c7a7c8e05247f3456e26d449d88ab3">blended with 10% ethanol</a>. The Environmental Protection Agency will issue an emergency waiver to allow widespread sale of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-environment-smog-clean-air-act-us-news-2fa4d36b2aa5418184a3833c69efc9f9">15% ethanol blend</a>&nbsp;that is usually prohibited between June 1 and Sept. 15 because of concerns that it adds to smog in high temperatures.

Senior Biden administration officials said the move will save drivers an average of 10 cents per gallon at 2,300 gas stations. Industry groups say most of those stations are in the Midwest and the South, including Texas.

Biden is to announce the move at a biofuel company in Menlo, west of Des Moines. Iowa is the country’s largest producer of corn, key to producing ethanol.

The waiver is another effort to help ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-prices-opec-cf470e24ebc8b7bb4a74bf1ed50d5e6d">global energy markets</a>&nbsp;that have been rocked since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Russia invaded Ukraine</a>. Last month, the president announced the U.S. will release&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">1 million barrels of oil</a>&nbsp;per day from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-prices-ae5200310e3d3c0390d9e1cbb3c5a964">the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve</a>&nbsp;over the next six months. His administration said that has helped to slightly reduce gas prices lately, after they climbed to an average of about $4.23 a gallon by the end of March, compared with $2.87 at the same time a year ago, according to AAA.

Members of Congress from both parties, as well as industry groups, had urged Biden to grant the E15 waiver.

“Homegrown Iowa biofuels provide a quick and clean solution for lowering prices at the pump and bolstering production would help us become energy independent once again,″ said Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. He was among nine Republican and seven Democratic senators from Midwestern states who sent Biden a letter last month urging him to allow year-round E15 sales.

The trip will be Biden’s first as president to Iowa, where his 2020 presidential campaign limped to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-in-state-wire-ia-state-wire-caucuses-joe-biden-53a3df6f615b9cec6e12c216307f0624">a fourth-place finish</a>&nbsp;in the state’s technologically glitchy caucus.

After bouncing back to win&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bb261be1a4ca285b9422b2f6b93d8d75">the Democratic nomination</a>, Biden returned for a rally at the Iowa state fairgrounds four days before Election Day 2020, only to see Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-hillary-clinton-iowa-iowa-city-3652c57038446e453516b9370c1ab243">win the state</a>&nbsp;by 8 percentage points.

Biden heads back to the state at a moment when he’s facing yet more political peril. He’s saddled with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-inflation-6b6b0abfef867fc405e9f358ce2c3a09">sagging approval ratings</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-soars-776c03520c90083894fedf31f1a7db00">inflation at a 40-year high</a>&nbsp;while his party faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-georgia-donald-trump-2ad863083ef6a097dc5785977c7bd9aa">the prospect of big midterm election losses that could cost it control of Congress</a>.

The president also planned to promote his economic plans to help rural families struggling with higher costs, while highlighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-broadband-internet-congress-d89d6bb1b39cd9c67ae9fc91f5eb4c0d">the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law</a>&nbsp;enacted last fall. The law includes money to improve internet access, as well as for modernizing wastewater systems, reducing flooding threats and improving roads and bridges, drinking water and electric grids in sparsely populated areas.

“Part of it is showing up in communities of all sizes, regardless of the results of the last election,” said Jesse Harris, who was a senior adviser to Biden’s 2020 campaign in Iowa and directed get out the vote and early voting efforts for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008.

Harris said most presidents who visit Iowa typically go to the state’s largest cities. Hitting an area like Menlo, part of Guthrie County, which backed Trump over Biden by 35 percentage points in 2020, “does speak to the importance the administration places on infrastructure broadly but also infrastructure in rural and smaller communities.”

The Biden administration plans to spend the coming weeks pushing billions of dollars in funding for rural areas. Cabinet members and other senior officials will travel the country to help communities get access to money available as part of the infrastructure package.

“The president is not making this trip through a political prism,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. “He’s making this trip because Iowa is a rural state in the country that would benefit greatly from the president’s policies.”

Still, administration officials have long suggested that Biden travel more to promote an economy that is rebounding from the setbacks of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>. The number of Americans collecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-unemployment-jobless-claims-aea70c27cbaebdb732cf7426e37a5b58">unemployment has fallen to the lowest levels since 1970</a>, for example.

But much of the positive jobs news nationally has been overshadowed by surging gas, food and housing prices that have pushed consumer inflation to 7.9% over the past year ending in February. That’s the sharpest spike since 1982. Inflation figures for March, due out Tuesday, are likely to bring more bad news for the Biden administration.

“Maybe a trip back to Iowa will be just what Joe Biden needs to understand what his reckless spending, big government policies are doing to our country,” Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement.

After Iowa, Biden will visit Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday.

Psaki blamed Russia’s war in Ukraine for helping to drive up gas prices and said the administration expects the consumer price index for March to be “extremely elevated” in large part because of it.

The EPA has lifted seasonal restrictions on E15 in the past, including after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-harvey">Hurricane Harvey</a>&nbsp;in 2017. The Trump administration allowed for selling E15 in the summer months two years later but had the rule struck down by a federal appeals court.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is visiting corn-rich Iowa on Tuesday to announce he’ll suspend a federal rule preventing the sale of higher ethanol blend gasoline this summer as his administration tries to tamp down prices at the pump that have spiked during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-7dd1f64818de5eadb86f12ad58e12a25">Russia’s war with Ukraine</a>.Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-environment-covid-19-pandemic-f1c7a7c8e05247f3456e26d449d88ab3">blended with 10% ethanol</a>. The Environmental Protection Agency will issue an emergency waiver to allow widespread sale of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-environment-smog-clean-air-act-us-news-2fa4d36b2aa5418184a3833c69efc9f9">15% ethanol blend</a>&nbsp;that is usually prohibited between June 1 and Sept. 15 because of concerns that it adds to smog in high temperatures.Senior Biden administration officials said the move will save drivers an average of 10 cents per gallon at 2,300 gas stations. Industry groups say most of those stations are in the Midwest and the South, including Texas.Biden is to announce the move at a biofuel company in Menlo, west of Des Moines. Iowa is the country’s largest producer of corn, key to producing ethanol.The waiver is another effort to help ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-prices-opec-cf470e24ebc8b7bb4a74bf1ed50d5e6d">global energy markets</a>&nbsp;that have been rocked since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Russia invaded Ukraine</a>. Last month, the president announced the U.S. will release&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">1 million barrels of oil</a>&nbsp;per day from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-prices-ae5200310e3d3c0390d9e1cbb3c5a964">the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve</a>&nbsp;over the next six months. His administration said that has helped to slightly reduce gas prices lately, after they climbed to an average of about $4.23 a gallon by the end of March, compared with $2.87 at the same time a year ago, according to AAA.Members of Congress from both parties, as well as industry groups, had urged Biden to grant the E15 waiver.“Homegrown Iowa biofuels provide a quick and clean solution for lowering prices at the pump and bolstering production would help us become energy independent once again,″ said Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. He was among nine Republican and seven Democratic senators from Midwestern states who sent Biden a letter last month urging him to allow year-round E15 sales.The trip will be Biden’s first as president to Iowa, where his 2020 presidential campaign limped to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-in-state-wire-ia-state-wire-caucuses-joe-biden-53a3df6f615b9cec6e12c216307f0624">a fourth-place finish</a>&nbsp;in the state’s technologically glitchy caucus.After bouncing back to win&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bb261be1a4ca285b9422b2f6b93d8d75">the Democratic nomination</a>, Biden returned for a rally at the Iowa state fairgrounds four days before Election Day 2020, only to see Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-hillary-clinton-iowa-iowa-city-3652c57038446e453516b9370c1ab243">win the state</a>&nbsp;by 8 percentage points.Biden heads back to the state at a moment when he’s facing yet more political peril. He’s saddled with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-inflation-6b6b0abfef867fc405e9f358ce2c3a09">sagging approval ratings</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-soars-776c03520c90083894fedf31f1a7db00">inflation at a 40-year high</a>&nbsp;while his party faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-georgia-donald-trump-2ad863083ef6a097dc5785977c7bd9aa">the prospect of big midterm election losses that could cost it control of Congress</a>.The president also planned to promote his economic plans to help rural families struggling with higher costs, while highlighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-broadband-internet-congress-d89d6bb1b39cd9c67ae9fc91f5eb4c0d">the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law</a>&nbsp;enacted last fall. The law includes money to improve internet access, as well as for modernizing wastewater systems, reducing flooding threats and improving roads and bridges, drinking water and electric grids in sparsely populated areas.“Part of it is showing up in communities of all sizes, regardless of the results of the last election,” said Jesse Harris, who was a senior adviser to Biden’s 2020 campaign in Iowa and directed get out the vote and early voting efforts for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008.Harris said most presidents who visit Iowa typically go to the state’s largest cities. Hitting an area like Menlo, part of Guthrie County, which backed Trump over Biden by 35 percentage points in 2020, “does speak to the importance the administration places on infrastructure broadly but also infrastructure in rural and smaller communities.”The Biden administration plans to spend the coming weeks pushing billions of dollars in funding for rural areas. Cabinet members and other senior officials will travel the country to help communities get access to money available as part of the infrastructure package.“The president is not making this trip through a political prism,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. “He’s making this trip because Iowa is a rural state in the country that would benefit greatly from the president’s policies.”Still, administration officials have long suggested that Biden travel more to promote an economy that is rebounding from the setbacks of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>. The number of Americans collecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-unemployment-jobless-claims-aea70c27cbaebdb732cf7426e37a5b58">unemployment has fallen to the lowest levels since 1970</a>, for example.But much of the positive jobs news nationally has been overshadowed by surging gas, food and housing prices that have pushed consumer inflation to 7.9% over the past year ending in February. That’s the sharpest spike since 1982. Inflation figures for March, due out Tuesday, are likely to bring more bad news for the Biden administration.“Maybe a trip back to Iowa will be just what Joe Biden needs to understand what his reckless spending, big government policies are doing to our country,” Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement.After Iowa, Biden will visit Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday.Psaki blamed Russia’s war in Ukraine for helping to drive up gas prices and said the administration expects the consumer price index for March to be “extremely elevated” in large part because of it.The EPA has lifted seasonal restrictions on E15 in the past, including after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hurricane-harvey">Hurricane Harvey</a>&nbsp;in 2017. The Trump administration allowed for selling E15 in the summer months two years later but had the rule struck down by a federal appeals court.___

Biden waiving ethanol rule in bid to lower gasoline prices

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota House is set to decide Tuesday whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/criminal-investigations-south-dakota-kristi-noem-archive-099221fe33535669087175535d1f625a">Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg</a>&nbsp;should be impeached for his conduct before and after he struck and killed a pedestrian on the shoulder of a highway.

Troopers have said Ravnsborg was distracted before the September 2020 crash that killed 55-year-old Joseph Boever. Ravnsborg initially told authorities he thought he had struck a deer or other large animal. He went back the next day and found Boever’s body.

Opponents of impeachment say Ravnsborg need not be held accountable by the House because he wasn’t on the job when the crash happened. He had been driving back from a Republican fundraiser.

Ravnsborg has cast Boever’s death as a tragic accident. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-dakota-0ec1a028f08df4b63718cf12c9d232da">pleaded no contest&nbsp;</a>last year to a pair of traffic misdemeanors, including making an illegal lane change.

An investigation committee from the Republican-controlled House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kristi-noem-south-dakota-impeachments-a96e9ce3892a96623b11043a4ec009f3">voted&nbsp;</a>against recommending impeachment after arguments that Ravnsborg’s actions were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-dakota-impeachments-c5b5b4ced1445e9fa94659f12999d7d5">not part of his official duties</a>. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kristi-noem-south-dakota-sd-state-wire-impeachments-685b71037bc09b2fb7ba19f977d25fd3">pushed for impeachment</a>, saying Ravnsborg lied to investigators.

The Highway Patrol concluded that Ravnsborg’s car crossed completely onto the highway shoulder before hitting Boever, and criminal investigators said later that they didn’t believe some of Ravnsborg’s statements.

Republican Rep. Will Mortenson, of Pierre, brought articles of impeachment against Ravnsborg more than a year ago. He did not return phone messages left Monday by The Associated Press.

Last week, at the request of Republican Rep. Tim Goodwin, of Rapid City, about 30 lawmakers took in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sd-state-wire-pierre-south-dakota-impeachments-9a18687c654e77ec54ed5fb4d84fb22f">presentation by two Highway Patrol troopers&nbsp;</a>outlining details of the investigation.

Goodwin said it raised doubts about the committee’s recommendation. House Speaker Spencer Gosch, who chaired the committee, called it a sales pitch. Gosch did not respond to phone messages Monday.

While it’s unclear whether the presentation would have any effect on the impeachment vote, Noem’s spokesman referenced it Monday to sum up the feelings in the governor’s office.

“The troopers’ presentation speaks better than I ever could,” Ian Fury said.

Democrat House Minority Leader Jamie Smith, a member of the impeachment investigation committee, said the troopers helped with unanswered questions, but he doesn’t believe they will change any minds. He expects Tuesday’s floor debate to last a couple of hours before the vote.

“As a member of the committee, I said I believed there were grounds for impeachment and I will stay with that,” Smith said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649761012947.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ASSOCIATED PRESSPIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota House is set to decide Tuesday whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/criminal-investigations-south-dakota-kristi-noem-archive-099221fe33535669087175535d1f625a">Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg</a>&nbsp;should be impeached for his conduct before and after he struck and killed a pedestrian on the shoulder of a highway.Troopers have said Ravnsborg was distracted before the September 2020 crash that killed 55-year-old Joseph Boever. Ravnsborg initially told authorities he thought he had struck a deer or other large animal. He went back the next day and found Boever’s body.Opponents of impeachment say Ravnsborg need not be held accountable by the House because he wasn’t on the job when the crash happened. He had been driving back from a Republican fundraiser.Ravnsborg has cast Boever’s death as a tragic accident. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-dakota-0ec1a028f08df4b63718cf12c9d232da">pleaded no contest&nbsp;</a>last year to a pair of traffic misdemeanors, including making an illegal lane change.An investigation committee from the Republican-controlled House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kristi-noem-south-dakota-impeachments-a96e9ce3892a96623b11043a4ec009f3">voted&nbsp;</a>against recommending impeachment after arguments that Ravnsborg’s actions were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-dakota-impeachments-c5b5b4ced1445e9fa94659f12999d7d5">not part of his official duties</a>. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kristi-noem-south-dakota-sd-state-wire-impeachments-685b71037bc09b2fb7ba19f977d25fd3">pushed for impeachment</a>, saying Ravnsborg lied to investigators.The Highway Patrol concluded that Ravnsborg’s car crossed completely onto the highway shoulder before hitting Boever, and criminal investigators said later that they didn’t believe some of Ravnsborg’s statements.Republican Rep. Will Mortenson, of Pierre, brought articles of impeachment against Ravnsborg more than a year ago. He did not return phone messages left Monday by The Associated Press.Last week, at the request of Republican Rep. Tim Goodwin, of Rapid City, about 30 lawmakers took in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sd-state-wire-pierre-south-dakota-impeachments-9a18687c654e77ec54ed5fb4d84fb22f">presentation by two Highway Patrol troopers&nbsp;</a>outlining details of the investigation.Goodwin said it raised doubts about the committee’s recommendation. House Speaker Spencer Gosch, who chaired the committee, called it a sales pitch. Gosch did not respond to phone messages Monday.While it’s unclear whether the presentation would have any effect on the impeachment vote, Noem’s spokesman referenced it Monday to sum up the feelings in the governor’s office.“The troopers’ presentation speaks better than I ever could,” Ian Fury said.Democrat House Minority Leader Jamie Smith, a member of the impeachment investigation committee, said the troopers helped with unanswered questions, but he doesn’t believe they will change any minds. He expects Tuesday’s floor debate to last a couple of hours before the vote.“As a member of the committee, I said I believed there were grounds for impeachment and I will stay with that,” Smith said.

South Dakota House to vote on impeaching attorney general

WASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that taxpayers who may 
need to take additional actions related to Qualified Opportunity Funds 
(QOFs) should begin receiving letters in the mail in April.

Taxpayers who attached <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8996">Form 8996, Qualified Opportunity Fund</a>,
 to their return may receive Letter 6501, Qualified Opportunity Fund 
(QOF) Investment Standard. This letter lets them know that information 
needed to support the annual certification of investment standard is 
missing, invalid or the calculation isn't supported by the amounts 
reported. If they intend to maintain their certification as a QOF, they 
may need to take additional action to meet the annual self-certification
 of the investment standard requirement.

To correct the annual maintenance certification of the investment 
standard, these taxpayers should file an amended return or an 
administrative adjustment request (AAR). If an entity that receives the 
letter fails to act, the IRS may refer its tax account for examination. 
Investors who made an election to defer tax on eligible gains invested 
in that entity may also be subject to examination.

Additionally, taxpayers may receive Letter 6502, Reporting Qualified 
Opportunity Fund (QOF) Investments, or Letter 6503, Annual Reporting of 
Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) Investments. These letters notify them 
that they may not have properly followed the instructions for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8997">Form 8997, Initial and Annual Statement of Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) Investments</a>,
 since it appears that information is missing, invalid or that they may 
not have properly followed the requirements to maintain their qualifying
 investment in a QOF with the filing of the form.

If these taxpayers intend to maintain a qualifying investment in a 
QOF, they can file an amended return or an AAR with a properly completed
 Form 8997 attached. Failure to act will mean those who received the 
letter may not have a qualifying investment in a QOF and the IRS may 
refer their tax accounts for examination. This may result in letter 
recipients owing taxes, interest and penalties on gains not properly 
deferred.

For general information, visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/businesses/opportunity-zones">Opportunity Zones page</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that taxpayers who may 
need to take additional actions related to Qualified Opportunity Funds 
(QOFs) should begin receiving letters in the mail in April.Taxpayers who attached <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8996">Form 8996, Qualified Opportunity Fund</a>,
 to their return may receive Letter 6501, Qualified Opportunity Fund 
(QOF) Investment Standard. This letter lets them know that information 
needed to support the annual certification of investment standard is 
missing, invalid or the calculation isn't supported by the amounts 
reported. If they intend to maintain their certification as a QOF, they 
may need to take additional action to meet the annual self-certification
 of the investment standard requirement.To correct the annual maintenance certification of the investment 
standard, these taxpayers should file an amended return or an 
administrative adjustment request (AAR). If an entity that receives the 
letter fails to act, the IRS may refer its tax account for examination. 
Investors who made an election to defer tax on eligible gains invested 
in that entity may also be subject to examination.Additionally, taxpayers may receive Letter 6502, Reporting Qualified 
Opportunity Fund (QOF) Investments, or Letter 6503, Annual Reporting of 
Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) Investments. These letters notify them 
that they may not have properly followed the instructions for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8997">Form 8997, Initial and Annual Statement of Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) Investments</a>,
 since it appears that information is missing, invalid or that they may 
not have properly followed the requirements to maintain their qualifying
 investment in a QOF with the filing of the form.If these taxpayers intend to maintain a qualifying investment in a 
QOF, they can file an amended return or an AAR with a properly completed
 Form 8997 attached. Failure to act will mean those who received the 
letter may not have a qualifying investment in a QOF and the IRS may 
refer their tax accounts for examination. This may result in letter 
recipients owing taxes, interest and penalties on gains not properly 
deferred.For general information, visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/businesses/opportunity-zones">Opportunity Zones page</a>.

IRS sends letters to taxpayers related to Qualified Opportunity Funds

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities on Monday identified the two people killed when two gunmen opened fire inside a crowded Iowa nightclub over the weekend.

Cedar Rapids police said that 25-year-old Michael Valentine and 35-year-old Nicole Owens were killed. Both lived in Cedar Rapids.

Sunday’s shooting at the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge in Cedar Rapids also injured 10 other people.

Police didn’t provide an update Monday on the condition of everyone who was wounded. A day earlier, officials said one person was in critical condition Sunday while the other injuries ranged from minor to serious.

Police continued investigating the shooting Monday. No arrests have been reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1560127290802.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ASSOCIATED PRESSCEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities on Monday identified the two people killed when two gunmen opened fire inside a crowded Iowa nightclub over the weekend.Cedar Rapids police said that 25-year-old Michael Valentine and 35-year-old Nicole Owens were killed. Both lived in Cedar Rapids.Sunday’s shooting at the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge in Cedar Rapids also injured 10 other people.Police didn’t provide an update Monday on the condition of everyone who was wounded. A day earlier, officials said one person was in critical condition Sunday while the other injuries ranged from minor to serious.Police continued investigating the shooting Monday. No arrests have been reported.

Police ID 2 people killed in Iowa nightclub shooting

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A community task force reviewing the death of a Black teenager who was restrained for more than 30 minutes at a Kansas juvenile detention center found that an officer changed his answers on a form that otherwise would have led police to take the teen to a hospital instead of booking him into the detention center.

An official who oversees admissions to the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, Jodi Tronsgard, told the task force last month that the officer initially reported that there were signs that 17-year-old Cedric Lofton needed medical attention before the officer changed his answers, The Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article260099390.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.

“What I learned after the intake is that the officer had presented this form and initially said yes, that there were signs of acute illness that1 appear to need immediate medical care. Yes, there were signs of intoxication with significant impairment in functioning,” Tronsgard told the task force on March 7. “...So, he was informed that if you answer ‘yes’ to these questions, you have to leave and take the youth for a medical or mental health release. And then, hearing that, he goes and then responds ‘no’ to these questions.”

Interim police Chief Lem Moore said he wasn’t aware that the officer had changed his answers on the form until the newspaper asked about it. He said he has ordered a preliminary review of the case to determine if it’s possible the officer falsified information. “If issues are found, a full investigation will be conducted,” he said.

Lofton’s foster father called authorities in September seeking help because the teenager was hallucinating. Police initially tried to persuade him to go to a mental health facility, but body camera video shows him refusing to go and then resisting when officers tried to force him.

Lofton then was taken to the detention center, where he was restrained after a struggle with staff members. He had to be resuscitated after he was held facedown, and he died two days later.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett declined to charge the detention center workers in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wichita-kansas-a51f619b8b196987e74b046ac399680c">January</a>, citing the state’s stand-your-ground self-defense law.

He said told the newspaper for Sunday’s story that he also didn’t have enough evidence when he reviewed the case to charge the officer with falsifying information on the form, but that he would be willing to examine any new information.

Emails obtained by the newspaper show that Bennett raised concerns that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent who was investigating Lofton’s death had a pro-police bias, and the agent was later removed from the case. The agent did not ask the police officers who took Lofton to the detention center about the changed answers on the admission form.

Lofton’s family’s lawyer, Steven Hart, said the changed answers on the form raise additional questions about how police handled the case.

“That is the most disgusting display of a lack of professionalism — or care,” Hart said. “Essentially, it was easier for them to drop him off than do what they knew was necessary and right.”

County officials have said the FBI is reviewing Lofton’s death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642880340757.png" alt="Cedric Lofton at the Juvenile Intake Assessment Center before his death as seen in the video released by Sedgwick County ." />
 <figcaption>Cedric Lofton at the Juvenile Intake Assessment Center before his death as seen in the video released by Sedgwick County .</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A community task force reviewing the death of a Black teenager who was restrained for more than 30 minutes at a Kansas juvenile detention center found that an officer changed his answers on a form that otherwise would have led police to take the teen to a hospital instead of booking him into the detention center.An official who oversees admissions to the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, Jodi Tronsgard, told the task force last month that the officer initially reported that there were signs that 17-year-old Cedric Lofton needed medical attention before the officer changed his answers, The Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article260099390.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.“What I learned after the intake is that the officer had presented this form and initially said yes, that there were signs of acute illness that1 appear to need immediate medical care. Yes, there were signs of intoxication with significant impairment in functioning,” Tronsgard told the task force on March 7. “...So, he was informed that if you answer ‘yes’ to these questions, you have to leave and take the youth for a medical or mental health release. And then, hearing that, he goes and then responds ‘no’ to these questions.”Interim police Chief Lem Moore said he wasn’t aware that the officer had changed his answers on the form until the newspaper asked about it. He said he has ordered a preliminary review of the case to determine if it’s possible the officer falsified information. “If issues are found, a full investigation will be conducted,” he said.Lofton’s foster father called authorities in September seeking help because the teenager was hallucinating. Police initially tried to persuade him to go to a mental health facility, but body camera video shows him refusing to go and then resisting when officers tried to force him.Lofton then was taken to the detention center, where he was restrained after a struggle with staff members. He had to be resuscitated after he was held facedown, and he died two days later.Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett declined to charge the detention center workers in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wichita-kansas-a51f619b8b196987e74b046ac399680c">January</a>, citing the state’s stand-your-ground self-defense law.He said told the newspaper for Sunday’s story that he also didn’t have enough evidence when he reviewed the case to charge the officer with falsifying information on the form, but that he would be willing to examine any new information.Emails obtained by the newspaper show that Bennett raised concerns that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent who was investigating Lofton’s death had a pro-police bias, and the agent was later removed from the case. The agent did not ask the police officers who took Lofton to the detention center about the changed answers on the admission form.Lofton’s family’s lawyer, Steven Hart, said the changed answers on the form raise additional questions about how police handled the case.“That is the most disgusting display of a lack of professionalism — or care,” Hart said. “Essentially, it was easier for them to drop him off than do what they knew was necessary and right.”County officials have said the FBI is reviewing Lofton’s death.

Police said Kan. teen didn't need medical help before his death

Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri had some of the highest 
rates of elevated blood lead levels in children

By ALLISON KITE and NIARA SAVAGE <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/11/known-to-be-toxic-for-a-century-lead-still-poisons-thousands-of-midwestern-kids/">Midwest Newsroom&nbsp;</a>

When
 the pediatrician recommended Lisa Pascoe have her then-toddler tested 
for lead poisoning, she thought there was no way he could be at risk. 
Everything in her South St. Louis home had been remodeled.&nbsp;

But
 then the nurse called to say her son’s blood lead level was dangerously
 high — five times the level federal health officials then deemed 
elevated.

Pascoe said she was “completely shocked” and “probably hysterical.”&nbsp;

“After
 you hang up on the phone, you kind of go through this process of ‘Oh my
 gosh, my kid is lead poisoned. What does that mean? What do I do?'” she
 said.

That same week, St. Louis city health workers came out to test the home to identify the source of the lead.

The
 culprit? The paint on the home’s front window. Friction caused by 
opening and closing the window caused lead dust to collect in the mulch 
and soil outside of the house, right where her son played every day.&nbsp;

A
 decade later, the psychological scars remain. Pascoe and her toddler 
ended up leaving their St. Louis home to escape lead hazards. To this 
day, she’s extra cautious about making sure her son, now a preteen, and 
her 2-year-old daughter aren’t exposed to lead so she doesn’t have to 
relive the nightmare.

Pascoe’s
 son was one of almost 4,700 Missouri children with dangerous levels of 
lead in their blood in the state’s 2012 report —&nbsp;decades after the U.S. 
started phasing lead out of gasoline and banned it in new residential 
paint and water pipes. Missouri’s lead poisoning reports run from July 
through June. Though cases have fallen precipitously since the mid-20th 
century, lead is a persistent poison that impacts thousands of families 
each year, particularly low-income communities and families of color.

Eradicating it has been a decades-long battle.&nbsp;

Omaha
 has been cleaning up contaminated soil from two smelters for more than 
20 years. The Argentine neighborhood of what is now Kansas City, Kansas,
 grew up around a smelter that produced tens of thousands of tons of 
lead as well as silver and zinc. About 60% of homes in Iowa were built 
before 1960, when residential lead-based paint was still used. Missouri 
is the <a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/living/environment/lead/">number one producer</a> of lead in the United States.

The
 four states have some of the most lead water pipes per capita in the 
country. While representative data on the prevalence of lead poisoning 
is hard to come by because screening rates lag in many areas, one study 
published last year found that the four states struggled with some of 
the highest rates of lead poisoning.

Over
 the next few months, The Missouri Independent and NPR’s Midwest 
Newsroom are collaborating to investigate high levels of lead in 
children of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. By analyzing scientific
 research, delving into state and local data and interviewing parents, 
experts and advocates from across the country, the project will shed 
light on a public health disaster that continues to poison children 
every year.

“We
 know that there is no safe level, that even at really low levels, it 
can affect intellectual growth, cognitive development. And we can 
prevent that type of harm,” said Elizabeth Friedman, a physician and 
director of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit for 
Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. “So why wouldn’t we?”

David
 Cwiertny, director of the Center for Health Effects of Environmental 
Contamination at the University of Iowa, said it’s “unacceptable” for 
anyone to be exposed to lead.&nbsp;

“We should go to the ends of the Earth to invest in staff and preventing it from happening if we can,” Cwiertny said.