SEDGWICK COUNTY —A detention hearing for a 16-year-old arrested in connection with the fatal shooting at Towne East Square&nbsp; was held Tuesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Judge Patrick Walters ruled&nbsp;the 16-year-old&nbsp; accused in the killing of 14-year-old Trenjvious Hutton of Wichita will remain in custody in the Juvenile Detention Facility until his initial appearance on April 18, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. David Miller was appointed as his attorney. 

Just after 5:30 p.m. on Friday, officers responded to a shooting at Towne East Mall, 7700 E Kellogg Drive in Wichita.

 Upon arrival, officers entered the mall and located 14-year-old Trenjvious Hutton inside who had been shot. He was pronounced deceased on scene.

The investigation revealed, Hutton was involved in a physical altercation with several individuals known to him stemming from an ongoing dispute. During the altercation a 16-year-old suspect pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots, striking Hutton. The suspect then fled on foot.

Witnesses provided officers with a description of the suspect which allowed arriving officers to quickly locate him in the area and make an arrest, according to Ditch.

 A 17-year-old boy with the suspect was detained, questioned, and released. Additionally, officers also recovered two handguns during the investigation.

The 16-year-old shooting suspect is being held on a requested charge of 2nd-degree murder, according to Ditch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647654687490.png" alt="Police were dispatched to what was originally believed to be an active shooter at the mall -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police were dispatched to what was originally believed to be an active shooter at the mall -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A detention hearing for a 16-year-old arrested in connection with the fatal shooting at Towne East Square&nbsp; was held Tuesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;Judge Patrick Walters ruled&nbsp;the 16-year-old&nbsp; accused in the killing of 14-year-old Trenjvious Hutton of Wichita will remain in custody in the Juvenile Detention Facility until his initial appearance on April 18, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. David Miller was appointed as his attorney. Just after 5:30 p.m. on Friday, officers responded to a shooting at Towne East Mall, 7700 E Kellogg Drive in Wichita. Upon arrival, officers entered the mall and located 14-year-old Trenjvious Hutton inside who had been shot. He was pronounced deceased on scene.The investigation revealed, Hutton was involved in a physical altercation with several individuals known to him stemming from an ongoing dispute. During the altercation a 16-year-old suspect pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots, striking Hutton. The suspect then fled on foot.Witnesses provided officers with a description of the suspect which allowed arriving officers to quickly locate him in the area and make an arrest, according to Ditch. A 17-year-old boy with the suspect was detained, questioned, and released. Additionally, officers also recovered two handguns during the investigation.The 16-year-old shooting suspect is being held on a requested charge of 2nd-degree murder, according to Ditch.

Judge makes ruling on 16-year-old in Kansas mall killing 

TISHOMINGO, Okla. (AP) — Six teenage students have been killed in a two-vehicle collision in southern Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Tuesday.

The students were in a passenger vehicle that collided with a semi about 12:30 p.m. in Tishomingo, a rural city of about 3,000 located about 100 miles (161 kilometers) southwest of Oklahoma City, according to OHP spokesperson Sarah Stewart.

The girls were eastbound on Oklahoma 22 when their vehicle was struck by a rock hauler that was approaching from the east on U.S. 377, OHP Trooper Shelby Humphrey told KXII-TV of nearby Sherman, Texas.

Maps show the intersection is at the end of a 90-degree curve of U.S. 377 from east to south. The girls’ car was making a right turn when it collided with the truck, Humphrey said.

Stewart said she did not have the exact ages of the students, but all six victims were female. The condition of the semi driver was not immediately known.

Images from the scene of the crash showed a virtually destroyed black vehicle with what appeared to be a pink steering wheel among the rubble.

Tishomingo Public School Superintendent Bobby Waitman said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/tishomingohighschool/photos/a.1650097448451779/4751269455001214/?type=3" target="_blank">Facebook post</a>&nbsp;that the district had “a great loss” involving students from the district’s high school.

“Our hearts are broken, and we are grieving with our students and staff,” said Waitman, who did not immediately return a phone call on Tuesday.

Waitman said counselors would be available at the high school throughout the night Tuesday and that school would be open on Wednesday with a focus on “the emotional well-being of our students.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648027987951.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSTISHOMINGO, Okla. (AP) — Six teenage students have been killed in a two-vehicle collision in southern Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Tuesday.The students were in a passenger vehicle that collided with a semi about 12:30 p.m. in Tishomingo, a rural city of about 3,000 located about 100 miles (161 kilometers) southwest of Oklahoma City, according to OHP spokesperson Sarah Stewart.The girls were eastbound on Oklahoma 22 when their vehicle was struck by a rock hauler that was approaching from the east on U.S. 377, OHP Trooper Shelby Humphrey told KXII-TV of nearby Sherman, Texas.Maps show the intersection is at the end of a 90-degree curve of U.S. 377 from east to south. The girls’ car was making a right turn when it collided with the truck, Humphrey said.Stewart said she did not have the exact ages of the students, but all six victims were female. The condition of the semi driver was not immediately known.Images from the scene of the crash showed a virtually destroyed black vehicle with what appeared to be a pink steering wheel among the rubble.Tishomingo Public School Superintendent Bobby Waitman said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/tishomingohighschool/photos/a.1650097448451779/4751269455001214/?type=3" target="_blank">Facebook post</a>&nbsp;that the district had “a great loss” involving students from the district’s high school.“Our hearts are broken, and we are grieving with our students and staff,” said Waitman, who did not immediately return a phone call on Tuesday.Waitman said counselors would be available at the high school throughout the night Tuesday and that school would be open on Wednesday with a focus on “the emotional well-being of our students.”

Oklahoma authorities: 6 students killed in crash with semi

With coronavirus cases rising in parts of Europe and Asia, scientists worry that an extra-contagious version of the omicron variant may soon push cases up in the United States too.

Experts are also keeping their eyes on another mutant: a rare delta-omicron hybrid that they say doesn’t pose much of a threat right now but shows how wily the coronavirus can be.

The U.S. will likely see an uptick in cases caused by the omicron descendant BA.2 starting in the next few weeks, according to Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute.

“It’s inevitable we will see a BA.2 wave here,” he said.

One reason? After about two months of falling COVID-19 cases, pandemic restrictions have been lifted across the U.S. Many people are taking off their masks and returning to indoor spaces like restaurants and theaters.

And the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank">the share caused by BA.2 is up significantly.</a>&nbsp;The CDC reported Tuesday that the variant accounted for about 35% of new infections last week. In the Northeast, it was about half.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, told ABC’s “This Week” over the weekend that he also thinks the U.S. will likely face an “uptick” similar to what’s happening in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, where BA.2 is the dominant strain. He said he doesn’t think it will be a “surge.”

The U.K. has “had the same situation as we’ve had now,” Fauci said. “They have BA.2. They have a relaxation of some restrictions such as indoor masking and there’s a waning of immunity” from vaccines and past infections.

Keri Althoff, a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, cautioned that CDC case counts underestimate the true numbers because some people are no longer getting tested and others are testing at home and not reporting the results. Also, she said, not every specimen is genetically sequenced to determine the variant.

It’s clear, she said, “BA.2 is coming onto the scene.”

One reason the variant has gained ground, scientists say,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-world-health-organization-public-health-7e4cd2f5f6cd2ec87393b3cc9ce41c9c">is that it’s about 30% more contagious than the original omicron</a>. In rare cases, research shows it can sicken people even if they’ve already had an omicron infection — although it doesn’t seem to cause more severe disease.

Vaccines appear just as effective against both types of omicron, but breakthrough infections are possible. And experts point out that vaccination rates are lower in the U.S. than the U.K. About 74% of those 12 and older are fully vaccinated in the U.S, compared with 86% in the U.K.

”We need to emphasize that we’re not protected in this country compared to peer countries,” Topol said.

Still, not all experts are equally concerned about a BA.2-related rise in U.S. cases. Dr. James Musser, head of genomic medicine and infectious diseases at Houston Methodist, said the variant has so far only caused about 1% to 3% of cases in his medical system. Cases there have usually tracked closely with what’s happening in the U.K.

He called BA.2 “something we’re keeping an eye on,” but said, “I’m not losing sleep” over it.

That’s how many scientists view the other variant that some in the public are calling “deltacron,” a hybrid containing genetic information from both delta and omicron.

Earlier this month, Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said the hybrid has been detected at “very low levels” in France, the Netherlands and Denmark. And two recent studies, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, point to a tiny number of cases in the U.S.

Much remains unknown about the hybrid. There’s no evidence it causes more severe disease, and it doesn’t look like it’s infecting many people. CDC researchers identified 9 samples, seven from the mid-Atlantic region in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.19.484981v1.full.pdf+html" target="_blank">study released Monday</a>&nbsp;that hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed. Topol, who was not involved in the research, said there’s no evidence it has the potential to spread.

It’s common for coronaviruses to shuffle gene segments, said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University. With two variants circulating at the same time, people may get double infections, and a “progeny virus” could emerge.

Given the virus’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-pandemics-dc99bc9f769dd6d7cb669e3d185c6261">ability to spawn new mutants</a>&nbsp;— and the rise of BA.2 — experts say people should get vaccinated if they’re not and keep their masks handy.

“Keep your guard up,” Topol said. “This is not over.”

By LAURA UNGAR, Associated PressWith coronavirus cases rising in parts of Europe and Asia, scientists worry that an extra-contagious version of the omicron variant may soon push cases up in the United States too.Experts are also keeping their eyes on another mutant: a rare delta-omicron hybrid that they say doesn’t pose much of a threat right now but shows how wily the coronavirus can be.The U.S. will likely see an uptick in cases caused by the omicron descendant BA.2 starting in the next few weeks, according to Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute.“It’s inevitable we will see a BA.2 wave here,” he said.One reason? After about two months of falling COVID-19 cases, pandemic restrictions have been lifted across the U.S. Many people are taking off their masks and returning to indoor spaces like restaurants and theaters.And the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank">the share caused by BA.2 is up significantly.</a>&nbsp;The CDC reported Tuesday that the variant accounted for about 35% of new infections last week. In the Northeast, it was about half.Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, told ABC’s “This Week” over the weekend that he also thinks the U.S. will likely face an “uptick” similar to what’s happening in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, where BA.2 is the dominant strain. He said he doesn’t think it will be a “surge.”The U.K. has “had the same situation as we’ve had now,” Fauci said. “They have BA.2. They have a relaxation of some restrictions such as indoor masking and there’s a waning of immunity” from vaccines and past infections.Keri Althoff, a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, cautioned that CDC case counts underestimate the true numbers because some people are no longer getting tested and others are testing at home and not reporting the results. Also, she said, not every specimen is genetically sequenced to determine the variant.It’s clear, she said, “BA.2 is coming onto the scene.”One reason the variant has gained ground, scientists say,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-world-health-organization-public-health-7e4cd2f5f6cd2ec87393b3cc9ce41c9c">is that it’s about 30% more contagious than the original omicron</a>. In rare cases, research shows it can sicken people even if they’ve already had an omicron infection — although it doesn’t seem to cause more severe disease.Vaccines appear just as effective against both types of omicron, but breakthrough infections are possible. And experts point out that vaccination rates are lower in the U.S. than the U.K. About 74% of those 12 and older are fully vaccinated in the U.S, compared with 86% in the U.K.”We need to emphasize that we’re not protected in this country compared to peer countries,” Topol said.Still, not all experts are equally concerned about a BA.2-related rise in U.S. cases. Dr. James Musser, head of genomic medicine and infectious diseases at Houston Methodist, said the variant has so far only caused about 1% to 3% of cases in his medical system. Cases there have usually tracked closely with what’s happening in the U.K.He called BA.2 “something we’re keeping an eye on,” but said, “I’m not losing sleep” over it.That’s how many scientists view the other variant that some in the public are calling “deltacron,” a hybrid containing genetic information from both delta and omicron.Earlier this month, Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said the hybrid has been detected at “very low levels” in France, the Netherlands and Denmark. And two recent studies, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, point to a tiny number of cases in the U.S.Much remains unknown about the hybrid. There’s no evidence it causes more severe disease, and it doesn’t look like it’s infecting many people. CDC researchers identified 9 samples, seven from the mid-Atlantic region in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.19.484981v1.full.pdf+html" target="_blank">study released Monday</a>&nbsp;that hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed. Topol, who was not involved in the research, said there’s no evidence it has the potential to spread.It’s common for coronaviruses to shuffle gene segments, said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University. With two variants circulating at the same time, people may get double infections, and a “progeny virus” could emerge.Given the virus’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-pandemics-dc99bc9f769dd6d7cb669e3d185c6261">ability to spawn new mutants</a>&nbsp;— and the rise of BA.2 — experts say people should get vaccinated if they’re not and keep their masks handy.“Keep your guard up,” Topol said. “This is not over.”___

Scientists worry virus variant may push up COVID cases in US

ARABI, La. (AP) — A tornado tore through parts of New Orleans and its suburbs Tuesday night, flipping cars, ripping roofs off homes and killing at least one person in a region that was pummeled by Hurricane Katrina 17 years ago.

Parts of St. Bernard Parish, which borders New Orleans to the southeast, appeared to take the brunt of the weather’s fury, and that is where the fatality occurred. St. Bernard Parish officials gave no details on how the person died; they said multiple other people were injured.

Rescue workers were searching through the suburban parish for more people in need of assistance, according to Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann. St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis said the tornado caused widespread damage throughout the parish.

Other tornadoes spawned by the same storm system had hit parts of Texas and Oklahoma, killing one person Monday and causing multiple injuries and widespread damage.

In New Orleans, local television stations broadcast live images of the storm as it barreled across the region.

The tornado appeared to start in a suburb and then move east across the Mississippi River into the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans and parts of St. Bernard Parish — both of which were badly damaged by Katrina — before moving northeast.

Many residents also suffered damage just last year when Hurricane Ida — a Category 4 hurricane — swept through the region. Stacey Mancuso’s family had just completed repairs to their home in the suburb of Arabi after Ida ripped off the roof and caused extensive water damage. Then the tornado Tuesday tore through their street. She huddled in the laundry room with her husband; two children, ages 16 and 11; and dogs as part of their new roof was lifted away by the wind.

“We’re alive. That’s what I can say at this point. We still have four walls and part of a roof. I consider myself lucky,” said Mancuso. Still, the twister was the third time they’ve had major weather damage since Katrina in 2005.

In Arabi, there was a strong smell of natural gas in the air as residents and rescue personnel stood in the street and surveyed the damage. Some houses were destroyed while pieces of debris hung from electrical wires and trees. An aluminum fishing boat in front of one house was bent into the shape of a C with the motor across the street. Power poles were down and leaning over, forcing emergency workers to walk slowly through darkened neighborhoods checking for damage.

Michelle Malasovich lives in Arabi. Initially she had been worried about family that lives in areas north of Louisiana that were also getting hit by bad weather. She was texting with her family there when, she said, “All of a sudden the lights started flickering.”

Her husband was out on the porch and saw the tornado coming.

“It just kept getting louder and louder,” Malasovich said. After it passed, they came out to survey the damage. “Our neighbor’s house is in the middle of the street right now.”

Malasovich’s house fared relatively well, she said. Some columns were blown off the porch and the windows of her Jeep were blown out. Down the street a house was severely damaged, and parked vehicles had been moved around by the winds: “This is serious for down here.”

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell tweeted late Tuesday that there were no reports of casualties or significant damage to the city and that the power utility was working to restore electricity to the 8,000 customers impacted.

About 13,000 homes and businesses were reportedly without power in the three parishes around New Orleans after the storm.

While people in the metropolitan region are used to dealing with severe weather such as hurricanes or heavy rains, it’s rare that a tornado moves through the city. A 2017 tornado caused widespread damage when it touched down in the eastern part of the city.

Ahead of the severe weather, many schools closed early or cancelled after-school activities in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. Shelters opened for residents who needed a place to stay while the storms traveled through.

Louisiana’s federal and state authorities reminded thousands of hurricane survivors living in government-provided mobile homes and recreational vehicle trailers to have an evacuation plan because the structures might not withstand the expected weather. More than 8,000 households live in such temporary quarters, officials said.

After leaving the New Orleans area, the system dumped heavy rain, downed trees and prompted multiple tornado warnings as it moved into Alabama Tuesday evening. The roofs of several homes were damaged in Toxey, Alabama, after a storm preceded by tornado warnings passed through the area, the National Weather Service tweeted.

Forecasters had been predicting a line of intense weather moving from Texas eastward into the Deep South, and Monday started out with some vicious weather in Texas.

Several tornadoes were reported along the Interstate 35 corridor. In Elgin, broken trees lined the rural roads and pieces of metal — uprooted by strong winds hung from the branches. Residents stepped carefully to avoid downed power lines as they worked to clean the remnants of broken ceilings, torn down walls and damaged cars.

J.D. Harkins, 59, said he saw two tornadoes pass by his Elgin home.

“There used to be a barn there,” Harkins said, pointing to an empty plot on his uncle’s property covered with scattered debris. He said the building was empty when the first tornado hit Monday, and that his family is thankful nobody was hurt.

Homes and businesses in at least a dozen Texas counties were damaged, according to Storm Prediction Center reports. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a disaster declaration for 16 hard-hit counties. Abbott said 10 people were injured by storms in the Crockett area, while more than a dozen were reportedly hurt elsewhere.

The Grayson County Emergency Management Office said a 73-year-old woman was killed in the community of Sherwood Shores, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Dallas, but provided no details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1560023806185.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSARABI, La. (AP) — A tornado tore through parts of New Orleans and its suburbs Tuesday night, flipping cars, ripping roofs off homes and killing at least one person in a region that was pummeled by Hurricane Katrina 17 years ago.Parts of St. Bernard Parish, which borders New Orleans to the southeast, appeared to take the brunt of the weather’s fury, and that is where the fatality occurred. St. Bernard Parish officials gave no details on how the person died; they said multiple other people were injured.Rescue workers were searching through the suburban parish for more people in need of assistance, according to Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann. St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis said the tornado caused widespread damage throughout the parish.Other tornadoes spawned by the same storm system had hit parts of Texas and Oklahoma, killing one person Monday and causing multiple injuries and widespread damage.In New Orleans, local television stations broadcast live images of the storm as it barreled across the region.The tornado appeared to start in a suburb and then move east across the Mississippi River into the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans and parts of St. Bernard Parish — both of which were badly damaged by Katrina — before moving northeast.Many residents also suffered damage just last year when Hurricane Ida — a Category 4 hurricane — swept through the region. Stacey Mancuso’s family had just completed repairs to their home in the suburb of Arabi after Ida ripped off the roof and caused extensive water damage. Then the tornado Tuesday tore through their street. She huddled in the laundry room with her husband; two children, ages 16 and 11; and dogs as part of their new roof was lifted away by the wind.“We’re alive. That’s what I can say at this point. We still have four walls and part of a roof. I consider myself lucky,” said Mancuso. Still, the twister was the third time they’ve had major weather damage since Katrina in 2005.In Arabi, there was a strong smell of natural gas in the air as residents and rescue personnel stood in the street and surveyed the damage. Some houses were destroyed while pieces of debris hung from electrical wires and trees. An aluminum fishing boat in front of one house was bent into the shape of a C with the motor across the street. Power poles were down and leaning over, forcing emergency workers to walk slowly through darkened neighborhoods checking for damage.Michelle Malasovich lives in Arabi. Initially she had been worried about family that lives in areas north of Louisiana that were also getting hit by bad weather. She was texting with her family there when, she said, “All of a sudden the lights started flickering.”Her husband was out on the porch and saw the tornado coming.“It just kept getting louder and louder,” Malasovich said. After it passed, they came out to survey the damage. “Our neighbor’s house is in the middle of the street right now.”Malasovich’s house fared relatively well, she said. Some columns were blown off the porch and the windows of her Jeep were blown out. Down the street a house was severely damaged, and parked vehicles had been moved around by the winds: “This is serious for down here.”New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell tweeted late Tuesday that there were no reports of casualties or significant damage to the city and that the power utility was working to restore electricity to the 8,000 customers impacted.About 13,000 homes and businesses were reportedly without power in the three parishes around New Orleans after the storm.While people in the metropolitan region are used to dealing with severe weather such as hurricanes or heavy rains, it’s rare that a tornado moves through the city. A 2017 tornado caused widespread damage when it touched down in the eastern part of the city.Ahead of the severe weather, many schools closed early or cancelled after-school activities in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. Shelters opened for residents who needed a place to stay while the storms traveled through.Louisiana’s federal and state authorities reminded thousands of hurricane survivors living in government-provided mobile homes and recreational vehicle trailers to have an evacuation plan because the structures might not withstand the expected weather. More than 8,000 households live in such temporary quarters, officials said.After leaving the New Orleans area, the system dumped heavy rain, downed trees and prompted multiple tornado warnings as it moved into Alabama Tuesday evening. The roofs of several homes were damaged in Toxey, Alabama, after a storm preceded by tornado warnings passed through the area, the National Weather Service tweeted.Forecasters had been predicting a line of intense weather moving from Texas eastward into the Deep South, and Monday started out with some vicious weather in Texas.Several tornadoes were reported along the Interstate 35 corridor. In Elgin, broken trees lined the rural roads and pieces of metal — uprooted by strong winds hung from the branches. Residents stepped carefully to avoid downed power lines as they worked to clean the remnants of broken ceilings, torn down walls and damaged cars.J.D. Harkins, 59, said he saw two tornadoes pass by his Elgin home.“There used to be a barn there,” Harkins said, pointing to an empty plot on his uncle’s property covered with scattered debris. He said the building was empty when the first tornado hit Monday, and that his family is thankful nobody was hurt.Homes and businesses in at least a dozen Texas counties were damaged, according to Storm Prediction Center reports. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a disaster declaration for 16 hard-hit counties. Abbott said 10 people were injured by storms in the Crockett area, while more than a dozen were reportedly hurt elsewhere.The Grayson County Emergency Management Office said a 73-year-old woman was killed in the community of Sherwood Shores, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Dallas, but provided no details.

Tornado rips through New Orleans and its suburbs, killing 1

WASHINGTON — The FCC Enforcement Bureau today warned three more voice service providers that are apparently transmitting illegal robocalls on their networks that they have 48 hours to stop facilitating this traffic or face all their traffic being blocked by other providers.  The investigation into one of the providers, thinQ, was bolstered by findings from the Office of North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has made clear to such network participants that they must meet their obligations to protect consumers from scams or lose access to other networks.  The FCC has carefully constructed the tools necessary to take swift and impactful action against bad actors – this means not only possible fines when violations occur, but also business consequences for those removed from the Robocall Mitigation Database.  

“There are far too many phone companies that count illegal robocallers among their clients, and that’s bad business,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.  “It is illegal to allow these junk calls to flood consumers’ phones, and there are consequences for phone companies that do not take immediate action to stop participating in these schemes.”

Today’s letters to thinQ Technologies, Airespring, and Hello Hello Miami mean that more than a dozen voice service providers have now received cease-and-desist letters.  To date, all recipients have quickly responded and committed to take actions to stop the flow of robocalls on their networks.  That said, the FCC and its partners remain vigilant in monitoring these – and all – providers’ efforts to ensure unyielding compliance with consumer protection requirements going forward.

FCC investigations found that thinQ, Airespring, and Hello Hello Miami were apparently facilitating illegal robocall traffic on their networks.  These investigations relied in part on information collected by the Traceback Consortium which, having been made aware of suspicious activity, traced the illegal robocall traffic to these providers.  In addition, in the case of thinQ, the North Carolina Department of Justice identified that company as a source of illegal robocall traffic. 

 Chairwoman Rosenworcel added: “I want to thank Attorney General Stein and his team for their continued focus on protecting North Carolinians from robocall scams.  Ours is a model partnership for combating robocalls.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584977952684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FCCWASHINGTON — The FCC Enforcement Bureau today warned three more voice service providers that are apparently transmitting illegal robocalls on their networks that they have 48 hours to stop facilitating this traffic or face all their traffic being blocked by other providers. The investigation into one of the providers, thinQ, was bolstered by findings from the Office of North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein.FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has made clear to such network participants that they must meet their obligations to protect consumers from scams or lose access to other networks. The FCC has carefully constructed the tools necessary to take swift and impactful action against bad actors – this means not only possible fines when violations occur, but also business consequences for those removed from the Robocall Mitigation Database. “There are far too many phone companies that count illegal robocallers among their clients, and that’s bad business,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “It is illegal to allow these junk calls to flood consumers’ phones, and there are consequences for phone companies that do not take immediate action to stop participating in these schemes.”Today’s letters to thinQ Technologies, Airespring, and Hello Hello Miami mean that more than a dozen voice service providers have now received cease-and-desist letters. To date, all recipients have quickly responded and committed to take actions to stop the flow of robocalls on their networks. That said, the FCC and its partners remain vigilant in monitoring these – and all – providers’ efforts to ensure unyielding compliance with consumer protection requirements going forward.FCC investigations found that thinQ, Airespring, and Hello Hello Miami were apparently facilitating illegal robocall traffic on their networks. These investigations relied in part on information collected by the Traceback Consortium which, having been made aware of suspicious activity, traced the illegal robocall traffic to these providers. In addition, in the case of thinQ, the North Carolina Department of Justice identified that company as a source of illegal robocall traffic. Chairwoman Rosenworcel added: “I want to thank Attorney General Stein and his team for their continued focus on protecting North Carolinians from robocall scams. Ours is a model partnership for combating robocalls.”

FTC to robocallers: Remove illegal traffic or be disconnected

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today revised its 
frequently asked questions (FAQs) on 2020 unemployment compensation 
exclusion.

This Fact Sheet (<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/taxpros/fs-2022-21.pdf">FS-2022-21</a>&nbsp;PDF)&nbsp;updates the 2020 unemployment compensation exclusion frequently-asked-questions (FAQs). These updates are:

These FAQs are being issued to provide general information to taxpayers and tax professionals as expeditiously as possible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today revised its 
frequently asked questions (FAQs) on 2020 unemployment compensation 
exclusion.This Fact Sheet (<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/taxpros/fs-2022-21.pdf">FS-2022-21</a>&nbsp;PDF)&nbsp;updates the 2020 unemployment compensation exclusion frequently-asked-questions (FAQs). These updates are:<ul>
 <li>Question 6, Topic A: Eligibility (NEW)</li><li>Questions 1, 2, 4, Topic D: Amended Return (Form 1040-X)</li><li>Question 2, Topic E: Impact to Income, Credits, and Deductions</li><li>Question 1, 8, 9, Topic G: Receiving a Refund, Letter, or Notice</li><li>Question 1, Topic I: Post Unemployment Compensation Exclusion Adjustment</li><li>Question 1, Topic J: Economic Impact Payment</li>
 </ul>These FAQs are being issued to provide general information to taxpayers and tax professionals as expeditiously as possible.

IRS updates FAQs on 2020 unemployment compensation exclusion

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress should provide the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-xavier-becerra-congress-29aef791e891a110677e918fb65cd733">$22.5 billion President Joe Biden wants for continuing the battle against COVID-19</a>&nbsp;without cutting other programs to pay for it, senior administration officials said Tuesday.

And if Republicans continue to insist that additional federal efforts to combat the pandemic must be paid for by culling spending elsewhere, the GOP should specify what it wants to cut, the officials said.

The remarks came nearly two weeks after a new round of COVID-19 funding was pulled out of a $1.5 trillion government-wide measure after rank-and-file Democrats rejected cuts that party leaders had negotiated with Republicans to pay for it. Though Biden signed the overall bill into law, the deletion of the COVID-19 funds was a major setback for Biden and Democrats.

“Our concern right now is that we are going to run out of money to provide the types of vaccines, boosters, treatments to the immunocompromised, and others free of charge that will help to continue to battle” the pandemic, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.

Top House Democrats have said they believe they will have to find savings to pay for the additional spending to move legislation through Congress. The biggest hurdle would be in the Senate, where Democrats will need at least 10 GOP votes to reach the 60 votes needed to move most significant bills to passage.

The White House has said the government is running out of funds for vaccines, testing and treatments, even as Omicron variant BA.2, which is fueling a virus resurgence in Europe and Asia, is appearing increasingly in the U.S.

The senior administration officials said the government has bought the doses it would need to vaccinate children up to age 5. But they said they only have enough vaccines to administer a fourth shot — which drug makers are recommending for many people — to those with compromised immune systems.

The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity as a requirement for reporters to participate in the telephone briefing.

Republicans say savings to pay for the new expenditures should be found from the trillions that Congress has already provided since the pandemic began two years ago. That includes a $1.9 trillion measure Democrats pushed through Congress over unanimous GOP opposition a year ago.

Asked about the administration officials’ comments, a spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., referred a reporter to comments McConnell made on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

McConnell said Republicans would consider the administration’s request but said they should use “some of this massive amount that was spent last year that’s not out the door yet. So let’s take a look at how to pay for it, and then we’ll be happy to decide whether or not to support it.”

GOP leaders say the administration has not provided figures they’ve sought on how much money remains unspent. The administration officials in Monday’s call said they’ve repeatedly provided plentiful data on the subject, and said Republicans have agreed to not require savings to pay for past emergencies.

Only around $300 billion of last year’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief measure remains unspent and not legally committed to a specific program or recipient, the administration officials said.

But around $240 billion of that has been promised to specific recipients like states and cities, who have built the amounts into their budgets, the administration officials said. The administration has held back some of the rest for emergencies, they said.

More than $100 billion of the money that’s so far unspent is for pandemic aid to state and local governments, and nearly that amount is for assistance to some pension plans, according to administration documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Biden’s pandemic spending request had been pared down to $15.6 billion as part of the compromise House bill. It would have been partly paid for by cutting billions in COVID-19 aid that last year’s bill had provided to 30 state governments but had not yet been sent to them.

Many Democrats refused to vote for the overall package until the cuts in state aid were removed, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., ultimately agreed to do. Top Republicans had demanded the savings in exchange for supporting the legislation, and Pelosi dropped all the COVID-19 spending after substitute cuts were not found.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647908095685.png" alt="The White House has said the government is running out of funds for vaccines, testing and treatments, even as Omicron variant BA.2, which is fueling a virus resurgence in Europe and Asia, is appearing increasingly in the U.S.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The White House has said the government is running out of funds for vaccines, testing and treatments, even as Omicron variant BA.2, which is fueling a virus resurgence in Europe and Asia, is appearing increasingly in the U.S.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress should provide the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-xavier-becerra-congress-29aef791e891a110677e918fb65cd733">$22.5 billion President Joe Biden wants for continuing the battle against COVID-19</a>&nbsp;without cutting other programs to pay for it, senior administration officials said Tuesday.And if Republicans continue to insist that additional federal efforts to combat the pandemic must be paid for by culling spending elsewhere, the GOP should specify what it wants to cut, the officials said.The remarks came nearly two weeks after a new round of COVID-19 funding was pulled out of a $1.5 trillion government-wide measure after rank-and-file Democrats rejected cuts that party leaders had negotiated with Republicans to pay for it. Though Biden signed the overall bill into law, the deletion of the COVID-19 funds was a major setback for Biden and Democrats.“Our concern right now is that we are going to run out of money to provide the types of vaccines, boosters, treatments to the immunocompromised, and others free of charge that will help to continue to battle” the pandemic, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.Top House Democrats have said they believe they will have to find savings to pay for the additional spending to move legislation through Congress. The biggest hurdle would be in the Senate, where Democrats will need at least 10 GOP votes to reach the 60 votes needed to move most significant bills to passage.The White House has said the government is running out of funds for vaccines, testing and treatments, even as Omicron variant BA.2, which is fueling a virus resurgence in Europe and Asia, is appearing increasingly in the U.S.The senior administration officials said the government has bought the doses it would need to vaccinate children up to age 5. But they said they only have enough vaccines to administer a fourth shot — which drug makers are recommending for many people — to those with compromised immune systems.The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity as a requirement for reporters to participate in the telephone briefing.Republicans say savings to pay for the new expenditures should be found from the trillions that Congress has already provided since the pandemic began two years ago. That includes a $1.9 trillion measure Democrats pushed through Congress over unanimous GOP opposition a year ago.Asked about the administration officials’ comments, a spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., referred a reporter to comments McConnell made on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.McConnell said Republicans would consider the administration’s request but said they should use “some of this massive amount that was spent last year that’s not out the door yet. So let’s take a look at how to pay for it, and then we’ll be happy to decide whether or not to support it.”GOP leaders say the administration has not provided figures they’ve sought on how much money remains unspent. The administration officials in Monday’s call said they’ve repeatedly provided plentiful data on the subject, and said Republicans have agreed to not require savings to pay for past emergencies.Only around $300 billion of last year’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief measure remains unspent and not legally committed to a specific program or recipient, the administration officials said.But around $240 billion of that has been promised to specific recipients like states and cities, who have built the amounts into their budgets, the administration officials said. The administration has held back some of the rest for emergencies, they said.More than $100 billion of the money that’s so far unspent is for pandemic aid to state and local governments, and nearly that amount is for assistance to some pension plans, according to administration documents obtained by The Associated Press.Biden’s pandemic spending request had been pared down to $15.6 billion as part of the compromise House bill. It would have been partly paid for by cutting billions in COVID-19 aid that last year’s bill had provided to 30 state governments but had not yet been sent to them.Many Democrats refused to vote for the overall package until the cuts in state aid were removed, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., ultimately agreed to do. Top Republicans had demanded the savings in exchange for supporting the legislation, and Pelosi dropped all the COVID-19 spending after substitute cuts were not found.

 Biden still wants additional $22.5 billion to battle COVID

News Release United States Attorney-Omaha

OMAHA, Neb.-United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that a jury in United States District Court for the District of Nebraska found Hammaduzzaman Syed, of Omaha, Nebraska, guilty of attempted sex trafficking of a minor following a day and a half jury trial. Syed faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. ordered a Pre-Sentence Investigation and set Syed’s sentencing hearing for July 1, 2022, at 10:30 a.m.

In November 2020, a deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office posted an advertisement on Skip the Games, a website known to be commonly used for prostitution. On November 17, 2020, Syed responded to the phone number on the advertisement by text message and began communicating with an undercover deputy who informed Syed that they were a 15-year-old female. Syed then arranged to meet who he believed to be a 15-year-old female for a half hour of sex for $100. Syed then traveled to the agreed upon location with condoms and the agreed upon $100 as pursuant to their text message conversation.

This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office as part of the FBI’s Child Enticement and Human Trafficking Task Force.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647983167875.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>News Release United States Attorney-OmahaOMAHA, Neb.-United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that a jury in United States District Court for the District of Nebraska found Hammaduzzaman Syed, of Omaha, Nebraska, guilty of attempted sex trafficking of a minor following a day and a half jury trial. Syed faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. ordered a Pre-Sentence Investigation and set Syed’s sentencing hearing for July 1, 2022, at 10:30 a.m.In November 2020, a deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office posted an advertisement on Skip the Games, a website known to be commonly used for prostitution. On November 17, 2020, Syed responded to the phone number on the advertisement by text message and began communicating with an undercover deputy who informed Syed that they were a 15-year-old female. Syed then arranged to meet who he believed to be a 15-year-old female for a half hour of sex for $100. Syed then traveled to the agreed upon location with condoms and the agreed upon $100 as pursuant to their text message conversation.This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office as part of the FBI’s Child Enticement and Human Trafficking Task Force.

Omaha man convicted of attempted sex trafficking of a minor

BARTON COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fatal fire in Barton County.

Just before 8a.m. Tuesday, crews with Barton County Fire District 2 responded to a possible structure fire in the 500 Block of East Third Street in Hoisington, according to Fire Chief Jerry Stricker. Crews learned there was possibly a person still inside the residence.

Upon arrival crews found heavy smoke and some fire. After attacking the fire and venting out the smoke personal located a man who was deceased, according to Stricker.

The state fire marshal was on scene Tuesday afternoon. Authorities have not released the name of the victim.

BARTON COUNTY —Authorities are working to determine the cause of a fatal fire in Barton County.Just before 8a.m. Tuesday, crews with Barton County Fire District 2 responded to a possible structure fire in the 500 Block of East Third Street in Hoisington, according to Fire Chief Jerry Stricker. Crews learned there was possibly a person still inside the residence.Upon arrival crews found heavy smoke and some fire. After attacking the fire and venting out the smoke personal located a man who was deceased, according to Stricker.The state fire marshal was on scene Tuesday afternoon. Authorities have not released the name of the victim.

Fire Chief: Man dead after fire at Kansas home

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Police are investigating a shooting outside a bowling alley in Sioux Falls.

 According to authorities, the shooting happened about 1:30 a.m. Monday.

 Police spokesman Sam Clemens says a 28-year-old man suffered a graze wound to his neck as he was walking from his car to Eastway Bowl. 

Clemens says witnesses heard between two and four gunshots and police recovered two shell casings from the parking lot. 

Police investigators are still looking into what happened.

By Associated PressSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Police are investigating a shooting outside a bowling alley in Sioux Falls. According to authorities, the shooting happened about 1:30 a.m. Monday. Police spokesman Sam Clemens says a 28-year-old man suffered a graze wound to his neck as he was walking from his car to Eastway Bowl. The gunfire also damaged the building. Clemens says witnesses heard between two and four gunshots and police recovered two shell casings from the parking lot. Police investigators are still looking into what happened.

Shooting outside South Dakota bowling alley injures 1 person

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/21/sasse-sends-11th-hour-letter-to-get-wwii-hero-french-into-post-office-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA
 — U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse’s office said Monday that the effort by Nebraska 
congressional colleagues to rename the Benson branch post office after a
 Navy World War II hero with Omaha ties now has what it needs to 
advance.

Sasse
 spokesman Taylor Sliva confirmed that Sasse wrote a letter of support 
Monday to the Senate Homeland Security and General Affairs Committee, 
which handles post office naming bills.

“Petty
 Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French is an American hero,” Sasse 
wrote. “Should the Committee consider and favorably report H.R. 4168, I 
intend to support it if it is presented to the full Senate, including by
 supporting unanimous consent requests to expedite its consideration as 
needed.”

Sasse’s
 letter was the last step to including Omaha Navy veteran Charles 
Jackson French in the bill naming post offices. The rest of the 
delegation co-sponsored the Senate and House bills in mid-2021. As 
recently as Sunday, Sasse had not signed on <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/20/sasse-has-tuesday-deadline-to-get-post-office-named-for-omaha-wwii-hero/">as a sponsor or sent a letter</a>.&nbsp;

French
 saved the lives of 15 sailors after Japanese forces sank their ship in 
1942. Chester French, Charles’ nephew, said Monday he wanted to steer 
clear of politics and said he was glad Sasse wrote.

“I guess his heart was touched,” French said.

Family
 members, including Roscoe Harris, another of Charles French’s nephews, 
have said the post office naming bill was important because it told an 
American story about the value of sacrifice.

French’s
 story resonates because the Navy in those days didn’t recognize heroism
 by Black service members in the same way it did heroic acts by white 
service members, military experts said.

The
 Navy also limited the types of assignments given to Black sailors. 
French was a mess attendant in the galley, or kitchen, of the USS 
Gregory when it sank on Sept. 5, 1942.

Staff
 members for the Homeland Security and General Affairs Committee said 
Friday that postal renaming bills require support from both senators in a
 state to be considered, either as a co-sponsor of the bill or by 
sending a letter of support.

Sasse’s
 staff said he had campaigned on not sponsoring bills to rename post 
offices. But this weekend Sasse did not completely close the door on the
 possibility of writing a letter.&nbsp;

Sasse
 did co-sponsor a 2020 bill to rename a street near the Chinese embassy 
in Washington, D.C., after a Chinese man who tried to tell the world 
more about COVID-19.

Post
 office renaming bills rarely need more than a perfunctory voice vote 
once they clear the committee. Staff expect the bill to clear the 
committee this week and get a floor vote soon.

Sen.
 Deb Fischer, R-Neb., led the Senate effort to get French’s name 
included in the bill. She had encouraged Sasse to join other members of 
the Nebraska congressional delegation in honoring French’s service and 
his family’s wishes. Her office had no immediate comment on Sasse’s 
decision to send a&nbsp; letter.

Rep.
 Don Bacon, R-Neb., the initial sponsor of the House bill and a retired 
Air Force brigadier general, said he appreciated Fischer’s work and 
Sasse’s willingness to write the letter.

“I
 know the French family is thankful, and I believe the heroism of Petty 
Officer French is now part of Omaha’s legacy with this naming of the 
Benson Post Office,” Bacon said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647961030880.png" alt="Nebraska’s congressional delegation is trying to get the Benson post office branch at 63rd and Maple Streets named after Navy World War II hero Charles Jackson French. They needed a signature or letter from Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb. (Cate Folsom/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska’s congressional delegation is trying to get the Benson post office branch at 63rd and Maple Streets named after Navy World War II hero Charles Jackson French. They needed a signature or letter from Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb. (Cate Folsom/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/21/sasse-sends-11th-hour-letter-to-get-wwii-hero-french-into-post-office-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA
 — U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse’s office said Monday that the effort by Nebraska 
congressional colleagues to rename the Benson branch post office after a
 Navy World War II hero with Omaha ties now has what it needs to 
advance.Sasse
 spokesman Taylor Sliva confirmed that Sasse wrote a letter of support 
Monday to the Senate Homeland Security and General Affairs Committee, 
which handles post office naming bills.“Petty
 Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French is an American hero,” Sasse 
wrote. “Should the Committee consider and favorably report H.R. 4168, I 
intend to support it if it is presented to the full Senate, including by
 supporting unanimous consent requests to expedite its consideration as 
needed.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647961090088.jpeg" alt="The Baltimore Afro American newspaper honored French with this photograph and story in November 1942. (Bruce Wigo)" />
 <figcaption>The Baltimore Afro American newspaper honored French with this photograph and story in November 1942. (Bruce Wigo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Sasse’s
 letter was the last step to including Omaha Navy veteran Charles 
Jackson French in the bill naming post offices. The rest of the 
delegation co-sponsored the Senate and House bills in mid-2021. As 
recently as Sunday, Sasse had not signed on <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/20/sasse-has-tuesday-deadline-to-get-post-office-named-for-omaha-wwii-hero/">as a sponsor or sent a letter</a>.&nbsp;French
 saved the lives of 15 sailors after Japanese forces sank their ship in 
1942. Chester French, Charles’ nephew, said Monday he wanted to steer 
clear of politics and said he was glad Sasse wrote.“I guess his heart was touched,” French said.Family
 members, including Roscoe Harris, another of Charles French’s nephews, 
have said the post office naming bill was important because it told an 
American story about the value of sacrifice.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647961130939.jpeg" alt=" This is a painting commissioned for the International Swimming Hall of Fame Museum in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It shows Charles Jackson French swimming injured sailors to safety after their ship sank in World War II. (Courtesy of International Swimming Hall of Fame.)" />
 <figcaption> This is a painting commissioned for the International Swimming Hall of Fame Museum in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It shows Charles Jackson French swimming injured sailors to safety after their ship sank in World War II. (Courtesy of International Swimming Hall of Fame.)</figcaption>
 </figure>French’s
 story resonates because the Navy in those days didn’t recognize heroism
 by Black service members in the same way it did heroic acts by white 
service members, military experts said.The
 Navy also limited the types of assignments given to Black sailors. 
French was a mess attendant in the galley, or kitchen, of the USS 
Gregory when it sank on Sept. 5, 1942.Staff
 members for the Homeland Security and General Affairs Committee said 
Friday that postal renaming bills require support from both senators in a
 state to be considered, either as a co-sponsor of the bill or by 
sending a letter of support.Sasse’s
 staff said he had campaigned on not sponsoring bills to rename post 
offices. But this weekend Sasse did not completely close the door on the
 possibility of writing a letter.&nbsp;Sasse
 did co-sponsor a 2020 bill to rename a street near the Chinese embassy 
in Washington, D.C., after a Chinese man who tried to tell the world 
more about COVID-19.Post
 office renaming bills rarely need more than a perfunctory voice vote 
once they clear the committee. Staff expect the bill to clear the 
committee this week and get a floor vote soon.Sen.
 Deb Fischer, R-Neb., led the Senate effort to get French’s name 
included in the bill. She had encouraged Sasse to join other members of 
the Nebraska congressional delegation in honoring French’s service and 
his family’s wishes. Her office had no immediate comment on Sasse’s 
decision to send a&nbsp; letter.Rep.
 Don Bacon, R-Neb., the initial sponsor of the House bill and a retired 
Air Force brigadier general, said he appreciated Fischer’s work and 
Sasse’s willingness to write the letter.“I
 know the French family is thankful, and I believe the heroism of Petty 
Officer French is now part of Omaha’s legacy with this naming of the 
Benson Post Office,” Bacon said.

Sasse sends 11th-hour letter to get WWII hero into post office bill

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/21/state-audit-reports-nearly-278000-went-wrongfully-to-public-retirees-who-already-had-died/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

Nearly
 $278,000 from the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems was 
wrongfully sent to 11 people — before authorities figured out those 
people were no longer alive.

One
 woman had been dead for seven years. That’s 83 months of benefit 
payments worth $105,250, according to an audit released this week by the
 State Auditor of Public Accounts.

No
 money has been recouped in the case of the NPERS member who died in 
2014. Her payments were halted in 2021, and the case has been forwarded 
to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.

A law enforcement investigation is underway for potential fraud, said Craig Kubicek, deputy state auditor.&nbsp;

“For it to go on that long is probably unusual — we’re talking seven years,” he said.

No
 names or responses from families of the deceased were included in the 
audit report. While some plans may allow benefits to go to a beneficiary
 after a death, Kubicek said these plans were not those types.&nbsp;

He
 said new procedures, based upon auditor recommendations, have been put 
in place to avoid future mistakes in the syste, which covers public 
employees of schools, judges and the Nebraska State Patrol.

In
 the past, NPERS relied on two checks to determine whether a member had 
died: obituary sections in three newspapers; and a vendor who performed a
 “death audit” every other month that cross-referenced member names with
 public sources.

Kubicek
 said state auditors noted inefficiencies in that process in 2020, and 
NPERS switched to a different vendor. That new provider identified the 
cases of the woman who had died in 2014 as well as seven others. Her 
payments halted in February 2021, as did six others.

The
 state audit team found three additional cases and recommended that 
NPERS strengthen its procedures further by obtaining a list of death 
certificates from the Department of Health and Human Services for 
comparison against benefit payment records. NPERS agreed.

With regard to the woman who had died in 
2014, the audit team found that NPERS had processed two changes to the 
member’s banking information – one a few months after she died, and the 
other in early 2019 — “without adequate documentation from the member.” 
In both instances, NPERS received notification of the changes from the 
Department of Administration Services but did not confirm the changes 
with the member prior to making the changes in the system.

Kubicek
 said loss of NPERS funds can pose financial risk beyond members. If the
 fund would ever come up short, he said, the state might be asked to 
kick in financial assistance.

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/21/state-audit-reports-nearly-278000-went-wrongfully-to-public-retirees-who-already-had-died/">Nebraska Examiner</a>Nearly
 $278,000 from the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems was 
wrongfully sent to 11 people — before authorities figured out those 
people were no longer alive.One
 woman had been dead for seven years. That’s 83 months of benefit 
payments worth $105,250, according to an audit released this week by the
 State Auditor of Public Accounts.No
 money has been recouped in the case of the NPERS member who died in 
2014. Her payments were halted in 2021, and the case has been forwarded 
to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.<h2>‘Potential fraud’</h2>A law enforcement investigation is underway for potential fraud, said Craig Kubicek, deputy state auditor.&nbsp;“For it to go on that long is probably unusual — we’re talking seven years,” he said.No
 names or responses from families of the deceased were included in the 
audit report. While some plans may allow benefits to go to a beneficiary
 after a death, Kubicek said these plans were not those types.&nbsp;He
 said new procedures, based upon auditor recommendations, have been put 
in place to avoid future mistakes in the syste, which covers public 
employees of schools, judges and the Nebraska State Patrol.In
 the past, NPERS relied on two checks to determine whether a member had 
died: obituary sections in three newspapers; and a vendor who performed a
 “death audit” every other month that cross-referenced member names with
 public sources.<h2>New vendor</h2>Kubicek
 said state auditors noted inefficiencies in that process in 2020, and 
NPERS switched to a different vendor. That new provider identified the 
cases of the woman who had died in 2014 as well as seven others. Her 
payments halted in February 2021, as did six others.The
 state audit team found three additional cases and recommended that 
NPERS strengthen its procedures further by obtaining a list of death 
certificates from the Department of Health and Human Services for 
comparison against benefit payment records. NPERS agreed.With regard to the woman who had died in 
2014, the audit team found that NPERS had processed two changes to the 
member’s banking information – one a few months after she died, and the 
other in early 2019 — “without adequate documentation from the member.” 
In both instances, NPERS received notification of the changes from the 
Department of Administration Services but did not confirm the changes 
with the member prior to making the changes in the system.Kubicek
 said loss of NPERS funds can pose financial risk beyond members. If the
 fund would ever come up short, he said, the state might be asked to 
kick in financial assistance.

Audit: $278K went to Neb. public retirees who already had died

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers 
how to avoid common errors on their tax returns. This filing season, the
 IRS is seeing signs of a number of common errors, including some 
taxpayers claiming incorrect amounts of the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">Recovery Rebate Credit</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Child Tax Credit</a>.

To avoid errors on these common credits, there are some key steps people should remember. Taxpayers should refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-letter-6419">Letter 6419</a> for advance Child Tax Credit payments and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-letter-6475">Letter 6475</a> for third Economic Impact Payment amounts they received– or their <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a>
 – to prepare a correct tax return. Claiming incorrect tax credit 
amounts can not only delay IRS processing, but can also lead to adjusted
 refund amounts.

Here are other easy ways to avoid common mistakes being seen so far this tax season.

File electronically. Taxpayers can use their computer, smartphone or tablet to file their taxes electronically, whether through IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">Free File</a> or other <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">e-file</a>
 service providers, to help reduce mistakes. Tax software guides people 
through each section of their tax return using a question-and-answer 
format. Enter information carefully. This includes any information 
needed to calculate credits and deductions. Using tax software should 
help prevent math errors, but taxpayers should always review their tax 
return for accuracy.

Use the correct filing status. Tax software, 
including IRS Free File, also helps prevent mistakes when selecting a 
tax return filing status. If taxpayers are unsure about their filing 
status, the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">Interactive Tax Assistant</a> on IRS.gov can help them choose the correct status, especially if more than one filing status applies.

Answer the virtual currency question. The 2021 Forms
 1040 and 1040-SR ask whether at any time during 2021, a person 
received, sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of any financial 
interest in any virtual currency. Taxpayers should not leave this field 
blank but should check either "Yes" or "No."

Report all taxable income. Underreporting income may lead to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/penalties">penalties</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/interest-on-underpayments-and-overpayments">interest</a>. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/steps-to-take-now-to-get-a-jump-on-next-years-taxes">Organized tax records</a>
 help avoid errors that lead to processing delays and may also help to 
find overlooked deductions or credits. Taxpayers should have all their 
income documents on hand before starting their tax return. Examples are 
Forms W-2, 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC.

Include unemployment compensation. The IRS is seeing
 situations where people are not including unemployment compensation 
they received in 2021 on their tax returns. Although <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/exclusion-of-up-to-10200-of-unemployment-compensation-for-tax-year-2020-only">a special law</a>
 allowed taxpayers to exclude unemployment compensation from taxes in 
2020, it was only for that year. Unemployment compensation received in 
2021 is generally taxable, so taxpayers should include it as income on 
their tax return.

Double-check name, birth date and Social Security number entries. Taxpayers
 must correctly list the name, Social Security number (SSN) and date of 
birth for each person they claim as a dependent on their individual 
income tax return. Enter each SSN and individual's name on a tax return 
exactly as printed on the Social Security card. If a dependent or spouse
 does not have and is not eligible to get a SSN, list the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxpayer-identification-numbers-tin">Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)</a> instead of a SSN.

Double check routing and account numbers. Requesting <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts">direct deposit</a>
 of a federal refund into one, two or even three accounts is convenient 
and allows the taxpayer access to their money faster. Make sure the 
financial institution routing and account numbers entered on the return 
are accurate. Incorrect numbers can cause a refund to be delayed or 
deposited into the wrong account. Taxpayers can also use their refund to
 <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/now-you-can-buy-us-series-i-savings-bonds-for-anyone-with-your-tax-refund">purchase U.S. Savings Bonds</a>.

Mail paper returns to the right address. Paper filers should confirm the correct address for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/where-to-file-paper-tax-returns-with-or-without-a-payment">where to file</a>
 on IRS.gov or on form instructions to avoid processing delays. Note 
that processing paper tax returns could take much longer than usual. 
Taxpayers and tax professionals are encouraged to file electronically if
 possible.

Sign and date the return. If filing a joint return, 
both spouses must sign and date the return. E-filers can sign using a 
self-selected personal identification number (PIN). Taxpayers should 
review the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/electronic-filing-pin-request">special instructions</a> to validate their 2021 electronic tax return if their 2020 return has not yet been processed.

Keep a copy. When ready to file, taxpayers should make a copy of their signed return and all schedules for their records.

Request an extension, if needed. Taxpayers who 
cannot meet the April 18 deadline can easily request a six-month filing 
extension to October 17 and prevent late filing <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/failure-to-file-penalty">penalties</a>. Use Free File or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4868">Form 4868</a>.
 But keep in mind that, while an extension grants additional time to 
file, tax payments are still due April 18 for most taxpayers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers 
how to avoid common errors on their tax returns. This filing season, the
 IRS is seeing signs of a number of common errors, including some 
taxpayers claiming incorrect amounts of the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">Recovery Rebate Credit</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Child Tax Credit</a>.To avoid errors on these common credits, there are some key steps people should remember. Taxpayers should refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-letter-6419">Letter 6419</a> for advance Child Tax Credit payments and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-letter-6475">Letter 6475</a> for third Economic Impact Payment amounts they received– or their <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a>
 – to prepare a correct tax return. Claiming incorrect tax credit 
amounts can not only delay IRS processing, but can also lead to adjusted
 refund amounts.<h2>Here are other easy ways to avoid common mistakes being seen so far this tax season.</h2>File electronically. Taxpayers can use their computer, smartphone or tablet to file their taxes electronically, whether through IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">Free File</a> or other <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">e-file</a>
 service providers, to help reduce mistakes. Tax software guides people 
through each section of their tax return using a question-and-answer 
format. Enter information carefully. This includes any information 
needed to calculate credits and deductions. Using tax software should 
help prevent math errors, but taxpayers should always review their tax 
return for accuracy.Use the correct filing status. Tax software, 
including IRS Free File, also helps prevent mistakes when selecting a 
tax return filing status. If taxpayers are unsure about their filing 
status, the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">Interactive Tax Assistant</a> on IRS.gov can help them choose the correct status, especially if more than one filing status applies.Answer the virtual currency question. The 2021 Forms
 1040 and 1040-SR ask whether at any time during 2021, a person 
received, sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of any financial 
interest in any virtual currency. Taxpayers should not leave this field 
blank but should check either "Yes" or "No."Report all taxable income. Underreporting income may lead to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/penalties">penalties</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/interest-on-underpayments-and-overpayments">interest</a>. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/steps-to-take-now-to-get-a-jump-on-next-years-taxes">Organized tax records</a>
 help avoid errors that lead to processing delays and may also help to 
find overlooked deductions or credits. Taxpayers should have all their 
income documents on hand before starting their tax return. Examples are 
Forms W-2, 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC.Include unemployment compensation. The IRS is seeing
 situations where people are not including unemployment compensation 
they received in 2021 on their tax returns. Although <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/exclusion-of-up-to-10200-of-unemployment-compensation-for-tax-year-2020-only">a special law</a>
 allowed taxpayers to exclude unemployment compensation from taxes in 
2020, it was only for that year. Unemployment compensation received in 
2021 is generally taxable, so taxpayers should include it as income on 
their tax return.Double-check name, birth date and Social Security number entries. Taxpayers
 must correctly list the name, Social Security number (SSN) and date of 
birth for each person they claim as a dependent on their individual 
income tax return. Enter each SSN and individual's name on a tax return 
exactly as printed on the Social Security card. If a dependent or spouse
 does not have and is not eligible to get a SSN, list the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxpayer-identification-numbers-tin">Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)</a> instead of a SSN.Double check routing and account numbers. Requesting <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts">direct deposit</a>
 of a federal refund into one, two or even three accounts is convenient 
and allows the taxpayer access to their money faster. Make sure the 
financial institution routing and account numbers entered on the return 
are accurate. Incorrect numbers can cause a refund to be delayed or 
deposited into the wrong account. Taxpayers can also use their refund to
 <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/now-you-can-buy-us-series-i-savings-bonds-for-anyone-with-your-tax-refund">purchase U.S. Savings Bonds</a>.Mail paper returns to the right address. Paper filers should confirm the correct address for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/where-to-file-paper-tax-returns-with-or-without-a-payment">where to file</a>
 on IRS.gov or on form instructions to avoid processing delays. Note 
that processing paper tax returns could take much longer than usual. 
Taxpayers and tax professionals are encouraged to file electronically if
 possible.Sign and date the return. If filing a joint return, 
both spouses must sign and date the return. E-filers can sign using a 
self-selected personal identification number (PIN). Taxpayers should 
review the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/electronic-filing-pin-request">special instructions</a> to validate their 2021 electronic tax return if their 2020 return has not yet been processed.Keep a copy. When ready to file, taxpayers should make a copy of their signed return and all schedules for their records.Request an extension, if needed. Taxpayers who 
cannot meet the April 18 deadline can easily request a six-month filing 
extension to October 17 and prevent late filing <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/failure-to-file-penalty">penalties</a>. Use Free File or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4868">Form 4868</a>.
 But keep in mind that, while an extension grants additional time to 
file, tax payments are still due April 18 for most taxpayers.

IRS: Avoid these tax errors that will delay or adjust refunds

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A young man has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2020 shooting death of a Lincoln police investigator who was among officers serving an arrest warrant in a homicide case.

A jury returned guilty verdicts Monday on the murder count as well as assault, escape and several weapons counts against 19-year-old Felipe Vazquez,&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/jury-returns-first-degree-murder-verdict-against-man-who-shot-lincoln-officer/article_10698550-336c-5b28-a5ac-b32914b598ec.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">the Lincoln Journal Star reported</a>. He faces a mandatory prison term of life, plus 194 years, when he’s sentenced May 25 for the death of investigator Luis “Mario” Herrera.

Herrera was a 23-year-veteran of the Lincoln police department and was among several officers who went to Vazquez’s home on Aug. 26, 2020, to serve an arrest warrant for the then-17-year-old Vazquez in the stabbing death of 36-year-old Edward Varejcka months earlier.

Prosecutors said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lincoln-shootings-archive-nebraska-8f18479d96f13b742d8bf0e551b44798">Vazquez shot at officers</a>&nbsp;as he and another man tried to escape the home.

Herrera was wearing plain clothes and was without a bulletproof vest. He was there, in part, as a translator. He was struck in the torso and underwent several surgeries before dying on Sept. 7, 2020.

Herrera was the first Lincoln police officer killed in the line of duty in more than 50 years, and the seventh in the city’s history.

Vazquez’s trial was held in Columbus after a judge determined he likely could not get a fair trial in the Lincoln area and moved the venue to Platte County in eastern Nebraska.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647953177976.png" alt="Vasquez" />
 <figcaption>Vasquez</figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSCOLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A young man has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2020 shooting death of a Lincoln police investigator who was among officers serving an arrest warrant in a homicide case.A jury returned guilty verdicts Monday on the murder count as well as assault, escape and several weapons counts against 19-year-old Felipe Vazquez,&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/jury-returns-first-degree-murder-verdict-against-man-who-shot-lincoln-officer/article_10698550-336c-5b28-a5ac-b32914b598ec.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">the Lincoln Journal Star reported</a>. He faces a mandatory prison term of life, plus 194 years, when he’s sentenced May 25 for the death of investigator Luis “Mario” Herrera.Herrera was a 23-year-veteran of the Lincoln police department and was among several officers who went to Vazquez’s home on Aug. 26, 2020, to serve an arrest warrant for the then-17-year-old Vazquez in the stabbing death of 36-year-old Edward Varejcka months earlier.Prosecutors said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lincoln-shootings-archive-nebraska-8f18479d96f13b742d8bf0e551b44798">Vazquez shot at officers</a>&nbsp;as he and another man tried to escape the home.Herrera was wearing plain clothes and was without a bulletproof vest. He was there, in part, as a translator. He was struck in the torso and underwent several surgeries before dying on Sept. 7, 2020.Herrera was the first Lincoln police officer killed in the line of duty in more than 50 years, and the seventh in the city’s history.Vazquez’s trial was held in Columbus after a judge determined he likely could not get a fair trial in the Lincoln area and moved the venue to Platte County in eastern Nebraska.

Man convicted of killing Lincoln police officer

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday urged U.S. companies to make sure their digital doors are locked tight because of “evolving intelligence” that Russia is considering launching cyberattacks against critical infrastructure targets as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-024cfeb20ed4a60dc692401ffb3bb7be">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;continues.

(Click below to listen to the warning from President Biden)

Addressing corporate CEOs at their quarterly meeting, Biden told the business leaders they have a “patriotic obligation” to harden their systems against such attacks. He said federal assistance is available, should they want it, but that the decision is theirs alone.

Biden said the administration has issued “new warnings that, based on evolving intelligence, Russia may be planning a cyberattack against us. ... The magnitude of Russia’s cyber capacity is fairly consequential, and it’s coming.”

The president said the federal government is “doing its part” to prepare for an attack and warned the private-sector CEOs that it also is in the national interest that they do the same.

“I would respectfully suggest it’s a patriotic obligation for you to invest as much as you can” in technology to counter cyberattacks, Biden told members of the Business Roundtable. “We’re prepared to help you, as I said, with any tools and expertise we possess, if you’re ready to do that. But it’s your decision as to the steps you’ll take and your responsibility to take them, not ours.”

Biden’s top cybersecurity aide, Anne Neuberger, expressed frustration at a White House press briefing earlier Monday that some critical infrastructure entities have ignored alerts from federal agencies to fix known problems in software that could be exploited by Russian hackers.

“Notwithstanding these repeated warnings, we continue to see adversaries compromising systems that use known vulnerabilities for which there are patches,” said Neuberger, who is the president’s deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies. “That makes it far easier for attackers than it needs to be.”

The federal government has been providing warnings to U.S. companies of the threats posed by Russian state hackers since long before the country invaded Ukraine last month. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has launched a “Shields Up” campaign aimed at helping companies strengthen their defenses and has urged companies to back up their data, turn on multifactor authentication and take other steps to improve cyber hygiene.

Neuberger said there’s no intelligence suggesting a specific Russian cyberattack against U.S. targets, but she did add that there has been increase in “preparatory activity,” like scanning websites and hunting for vulnerabilities, that is common among nation-state hackers.

In an written statement earlier Monday, Biden said Russia could launch a cyberattack against U.S. targets as retaliation for “the unprecedented economic costs we’ve imposed” on Russia through sanctions.

“It’s part of Russia’s playbook,” Biden said.

The United States and its allies have put a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-roman-abramovich-sports-business-european-commission-36125351edfe4892408c16c680175f7c">slew of sanctions</a>&nbsp;in place aimed at crippling the Russian economy, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-business-economy-congress-fa85685a926bb70d8d3dee3bd120a562">Biden recently announced</a>&nbsp;the U.S. is sending more anti-aircraft, anti-armor weapons and drones to help Ukraine.

John Hultquist, a vice president of intelligence analysis at the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, said cyberattacks gives Russia the ability to punch back.

“Cyberattacks are a means for them to exact costs without crossing a major red line,” he said.

Russia is considered a hacking powerhouse but its offensive cyberattacks since it invaded Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-technology-europe-hacking-a61c1c631fd4fc945d02066e03fec534">have been muted</a>&nbsp;compared to what some feared. Russia has carried out significant cyberattacks against Ukraine in years past, including the devastating NotPetya attack in 2017 that spread far and wide and caused more than $10 billion in damage globally.

Neuberger said Russia cyberattacks against Ukraine are ongoing, though she did not provide specifics. She said the Biden administration has made clear there will be consequences if Russia engages with the U.S. in cyberspace.

“We’re not looking for a conflict with Russia. If Russia initiates a cyberattack against the United States, we will respond,” she said.

The Russian Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647908122804.png" alt="President spoke Monday during the Business Roundtable’s CEO Quarterly Meeting.-White House meeting" />
 <figcaption>President spoke Monday during the Business Roundtable’s CEO Quarterly Meeting.-White House meeting</figcaption>
 </figure>RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday urged U.S. companies to make sure their digital doors are locked tight because of “evolving intelligence” that Russia is considering launching cyberattacks against critical infrastructure targets as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-024cfeb20ed4a60dc692401ffb3bb7be">war in Ukraine</a>&nbsp;continues.(Click below to listen to the warning from President Biden)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F689729175544503%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=534" 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>Addressing corporate CEOs at their quarterly meeting, Biden told the business leaders they have a “patriotic obligation” to harden their systems against such attacks. He said federal assistance is available, should they want it, but that the decision is theirs alone.Biden said the administration has issued “new warnings that, based on evolving intelligence, Russia may be planning a cyberattack against us. ... The magnitude of Russia’s cyber capacity is fairly consequential, and it’s coming.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The federal government is doing its part to get ready for potential Russian cyberattacks. We are prepared to help private sector companies with tools and expertise, but it is your decision as to the steps you’ll take and your responsibility to take them.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1506066965252780040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The president said the federal government is “doing its part” to prepare for an attack and warned the private-sector CEOs that it also is in the national interest that they do the same.“I would respectfully suggest it’s a patriotic obligation for you to invest as much as you can” in technology to counter cyberattacks, Biden told members of the Business Roundtable. “We’re prepared to help you, as I said, with any tools and expertise we possess, if you’re ready to do that. But it’s your decision as to the steps you’ll take and your responsibility to take them, not ours.”Biden’s top cybersecurity aide, Anne Neuberger, expressed frustration at a White House press briefing earlier Monday that some critical infrastructure entities have ignored alerts from federal agencies to fix known problems in software that could be exploited by Russian hackers.“Notwithstanding these repeated warnings, we continue to see adversaries compromising systems that use known vulnerabilities for which there are patches,” said Neuberger, who is the president’s deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies. “That makes it far easier for attackers than it needs to be.”The federal government has been providing warnings to U.S. companies of the threats posed by Russian state hackers since long before the country invaded Ukraine last month. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has launched a “Shields Up” campaign aimed at helping companies strengthen their defenses and has urged companies to back up their data, turn on multifactor authentication and take other steps to improve cyber hygiene.Neuberger said there’s no intelligence suggesting a specific Russian cyberattack against U.S. targets, but she did add that there has been increase in “preparatory activity,” like scanning websites and hunting for vulnerabilities, that is common among nation-state hackers.ADVERTISEMENTIn an written statement earlier Monday, Biden said Russia could launch a cyberattack against U.S. targets as retaliation for “the unprecedented economic costs we’ve imposed” on Russia through sanctions.“It’s part of Russia’s playbook,” Biden said.The United States and its allies have put a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-roman-abramovich-sports-business-european-commission-36125351edfe4892408c16c680175f7c">slew of sanctions</a>&nbsp;in place aimed at crippling the Russian economy, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-business-economy-congress-fa85685a926bb70d8d3dee3bd120a562">Biden recently announced</a>&nbsp;the U.S. is sending more anti-aircraft, anti-armor weapons and drones to help Ukraine.John Hultquist, a vice president of intelligence analysis at the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, said cyberattacks gives Russia the ability to punch back.“Cyberattacks are a means for them to exact costs without crossing a major red line,” he said.Russia is considered a hacking powerhouse but its offensive cyberattacks since it invaded Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-technology-europe-hacking-a61c1c631fd4fc945d02066e03fec534">have been muted</a>&nbsp;compared to what some feared. Russia has carried out significant cyberattacks against Ukraine in years past, including the devastating NotPetya attack in 2017 that spread far and wide and caused more than $10 billion in damage globally.Neuberger said Russia cyberattacks against Ukraine are ongoing, though she did not provide specifics. She said the Biden administration has made clear there will be consequences if Russia engages with the U.S. in cyberspace.“We’re not looking for a conflict with Russia. If Russia initiates a cyberattack against the United States, we will respond,” she said.The Russian Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.