DETROIT (AP) — Canadian Teamsters and CP Rail blamed each other for a work stoppage Sunday that brought trains to a halt across Canada and interrupted fertilizer and other shipments to and from the U.S.

More than 3,000 Canadian Pacific Rail conductors, engineers, train and yard workers represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference are off the job after both sides couldn't reach a deal by a midnight deadline.

Both sides say they are still talking with federal mediators.

Canadian Pacific covers much of the U.S. Midwest and is a large shipper of potash and fertilizer for agriculture. It also carries grain from the U.S. to its northern neighbor for domestic use and exports. The railroad serves the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and other states, according to a map on its investor website. CP also operates in New England and upstate New York, spokesman Patrick Waldron said.

CP says it's the leading carrier of potash, a plant nutrient used in the production of multiple crops. The company says in investor documents that it carries 70% of the potash produced in North America, all from mines in Saskatchewan.

The railroad says it also carries fertilizers, including phosphate, urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and anhydrous ammonia. About half its fertilizer shipments originate from processing plants in Alberta.

CP got 29% of its 2020 freight revenue from cross-border shipments between the U.S. and Canada, its investor website said.

A lengthy interruption of fertilizer shipments could hurt U.S. farmers, who are nearing the spring planting season. The work stoppage could also exacerbate existing supply chain bottlenecks in the U.S. and Canada that stem from the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. trains were not affected by the work stoppage, but the railroad cannot make shipments between the two nations, Waldron said.

On Saturday, the Teamsters said in a statement that the company had locked the workers out, but later issued another statement saying the workers were also on strike.

The original statement posted to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference website late Saturday said the union wanted to continue bargaining but the company "chose to put the Canadian supply chain and tens of thousands of jobs at risk.″

"As Canadians grapple with a never-ending pandemic, exploding commodity prices and the war in Ukraine, the rail carrier is adding an unnecessary layer of insecurity, especially for those who depend on the rail network,″ the statement said.

CP Rail, Canada’s second-largest railroad operator, said it was the company that wanted to keep talking, and the union that pulled its employees off the job.

CP President Keith Creel said in a news release the union "failed to respond″ to a new offer presented by mediators before the midnight deadline.

“Instead, the TCRC opted to withdraw their services before the deadline for a strike or lockout could legally take place,″ he said. "The TCRC is well aware of the damage this reckless action will cause to the Canadian supply chain.″

Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan urged the two sides to keep bargaining.

The Canadian and U.S. supply chains also were hit by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-detroit-canada-20f273b32bfa8ef695fdabcc7e11321e">trucker convoy protests&nbsp;</a>blocking border crossings in February, and now are dealing with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-business-europe-b20d71c150712fe2e6dc3d44af8d1268">the effects, particularly on global fuel supplies, of the Russian invasion in Ukraine and sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies.</a>

All the disruptions pushed inflation to its highest level since the early 1980s, with essentials such as food and fuel facing some of the sharpest price hikes.

CP and the union have been negotiating since September, with wages and pensions a sticking point. A clause on where employees take their federally mandated break periods is also an issue.

CP Rail says this is the fifth work stoppage since 1993.

DETROIT (AP) — Canadian Teamsters and CP Rail blamed each other for a work stoppage Sunday that brought trains to a halt across Canada and interrupted fertilizer and other shipments to and from the U.S.More than 3,000 Canadian Pacific Rail conductors, engineers, train and yard workers represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference are off the job after both sides couldn't reach a deal by a midnight deadline.Both sides say they are still talking with federal mediators.Canadian Pacific covers much of the U.S. Midwest and is a large shipper of potash and fertilizer for agriculture. It also carries grain from the U.S. to its northern neighbor for domestic use and exports. The railroad serves the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and other states, according to a map on its investor website. CP also operates in New England and upstate New York, spokesman Patrick Waldron said.CP says it's the leading carrier of potash, a plant nutrient used in the production of multiple crops. The company says in investor documents that it carries 70% of the potash produced in North America, all from mines in Saskatchewan.The railroad says it also carries fertilizers, including phosphate, urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and anhydrous ammonia. About half its fertilizer shipments originate from processing plants in Alberta.CP got 29% of its 2020 freight revenue from cross-border shipments between the U.S. and Canada, its investor website said.A lengthy interruption of fertilizer shipments could hurt U.S. farmers, who are nearing the spring planting season. The work stoppage could also exacerbate existing supply chain bottlenecks in the U.S. and Canada that stem from the COVID-19 pandemic.U.S. trains were not affected by the work stoppage, but the railroad cannot make shipments between the two nations, Waldron said.On Saturday, the Teamsters said in a statement that the company had locked the workers out, but later issued another statement saying the workers were also on strike.The original statement posted to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference website late Saturday said the union wanted to continue bargaining but the company "chose to put the Canadian supply chain and tens of thousands of jobs at risk.″"As Canadians grapple with a never-ending pandemic, exploding commodity prices and the war in Ukraine, the rail carrier is adding an unnecessary layer of insecurity, especially for those who depend on the rail network,″ the statement said.CP Rail, Canada’s second-largest railroad operator, said it was the company that wanted to keep talking, and the union that pulled its employees off the job.CP President Keith Creel said in a news release the union "failed to respond″ to a new offer presented by mediators before the midnight deadline.“Instead, the TCRC opted to withdraw their services before the deadline for a strike or lockout could legally take place,″ he said. "The TCRC is well aware of the damage this reckless action will cause to the Canadian supply chain.″Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan urged the two sides to keep bargaining.The Canadian and U.S. supply chains also were hit by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-detroit-canada-20f273b32bfa8ef695fdabcc7e11321e">trucker convoy protests&nbsp;</a>blocking border crossings in February, and now are dealing with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-business-europe-b20d71c150712fe2e6dc3d44af8d1268">the effects, particularly on global fuel supplies, of the Russian invasion in Ukraine and sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies.</a>All the disruptions pushed inflation to its highest level since the early 1980s, with essentials such as food and fuel facing some of the sharpest price hikes.CP and the union have been negotiating since September, with wages and pensions a sticking point. A clause on where employees take their federally mandated break periods is also an issue.CP Rail says this is the fifth work stoppage since 1993.

Canadian Pacific rail work stoppage could hit U.S. agriculture

KANSAS CITY(AP) — The family of a man who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-crime-shootings-missouri-c0f9c4bf729c2f3e96bbc8def6ca9264">shot and killed while riding an Amtrak train</a>&nbsp;in Missouri is suing the railroad company and the alleged shooter for at least $100 million.

Richie Terell Aaron Jr., 30, of Independence, was shot as the Missouri River Runner train arrived at the Lee's Summit station on Jan. 14, where the alleged shooter got off.

The federal lawsuit says the train continued on to the Independence stop, despite pleas from passengers to wait and get help for Aaron, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article259564104.html#storylink=cpy">reported</a>.

Aaron was pronounced dead when the train arrived in Independence about 35 minutes later, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Friday by lawyers representing Aaron's widow and three children.

The lawsuit accuses Amtrak of making “no effort” to get medical treatment for Aaron. It also alleges the company has lax security.

An Amtrak spokeswoman said Sunday the organization could not comment on the lawsuit.

Marquise Webb, 21, of Kansas City, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-shootings-arrests-kansas-city-independence-82241edc52a78997f855061e35baa9a4">charged&nbsp;</a>with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in Aaron’s killing.

Webb is also charged in Jackson County with carjacking a man after he got off the train. He was arrested two weeks later after a standoff with Kansas City police. He is being held in the Jackson County jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643803193805.png" alt="Webb-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Webb-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY(AP) — The family of a man who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-crime-shootings-missouri-c0f9c4bf729c2f3e96bbc8def6ca9264">shot and killed while riding an Amtrak train</a>&nbsp;in Missouri is suing the railroad company and the alleged shooter for at least $100 million.Richie Terell Aaron Jr., 30, of Independence, was shot as the Missouri River Runner train arrived at the Lee's Summit station on Jan. 14, where the alleged shooter got off.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642418758538.png" alt="Police on the scene of the Jan. 14 shooting investigation -photo courtesy KMBC TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the Jan. 14 shooting investigation -photo courtesy KMBC TV</figcaption>
 </figure>The federal lawsuit says the train continued on to the Independence stop, despite pleas from passengers to wait and get help for Aaron, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article259564104.html#storylink=cpy">reported</a>.Aaron was pronounced dead when the train arrived in Independence about 35 minutes later, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Friday by lawyers representing Aaron's widow and three children.The lawsuit accuses Amtrak of making “no effort” to get medical treatment for Aaron. It also alleges the company has lax security.An Amtrak spokeswoman said Sunday the organization could not comment on the lawsuit.Marquise Webb, 21, of Kansas City, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-shootings-arrests-kansas-city-independence-82241edc52a78997f855061e35baa9a4">charged&nbsp;</a>with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in Aaron’s killing.Webb is also charged in Jackson County with carjacking a man after he got off the train. He was arrested two weeks later after a standoff with Kansas City police. He is being held in the Jackson County jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

Family of man fatally shot on train near Kansas City sues Amtrak

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Clarence Thomas has been hospitalized because of an infection, the Supreme Court said Sunday.

Thomas, 73, has been at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., since Friday after experiencing “flu-like symptoms,” the court said in a statement. The court offered no explanation for why it waited two days to disclose that the justice was in the hospital.

It also provided no additional details about the infection, but said Thomas is being treated with antibiotics and his symptoms are abating. He could released in the next couple of days, the court said.

The Supreme Court is meeting this week to hear arguments in four cases. Thomas plans to participate in the cases even if he misses the arguments, the court said. Thomas has been on the court since 1991.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647819512741.png" alt="Thomas photo courtesy U.S. Supreme Court" />
 <figcaption>Thomas photo courtesy U.S. Supreme Court</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARK SHERMAN, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Clarence Thomas has been hospitalized because of an infection, the Supreme Court said Sunday.Thomas, 73, has been at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., since Friday after experiencing “flu-like symptoms,” the court said in a statement. The court offered no explanation for why it waited two days to disclose that the justice was in the hospital.It also provided no additional details about the infection, but said Thomas is being treated with antibiotics and his symptoms are abating. He could released in the next couple of days, the court said.The Supreme Court is meeting this week to hear arguments in four cases. Thomas plans to participate in the cases even if he misses the arguments, the court said. Thomas has been on the court since 1991.

Justice Thomas hospitalized with infection, high court says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government has provided more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-emergency-management-federal-emergency-management-agency-0b63f9fcbf4ea0c5948adddc53e6b1c7">$2 billion to help cover funeral costs</a>&nbsp;for more than 300,000 families of people who died from COVID-19, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday as it launches a new campaign to raise awareness about the aid to eligible families. More than 965,000 people have died in the U.S. from the virus.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/disaster/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance" target="_blank">COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program</a>&nbsp;provides up to $9,000 per funeral and covers COVID-19 related deaths since Jan. 20, 2020. The average amount awarded per death is $6,500, according to FEMA.

“FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program has helped provide over 300,000 people with critical financial relief during a time of such unexpected, unimaginable and widespread loss,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell in a statement.

The agency is launching a new paid ad campaign in California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas targeted at areas with large rates of COVID-19 deaths but lower rates of reimbursement requests to help connect people to available assistance. The agency is also reaching out to community groups and local media outlets to help publicize the program.

“Our new outreach campaign is designed to reach families, especially across underserved communities, where the cost of a funeral can be a financial burden to a loved one,” said Criswell. “Our goal is to help families apply for assistance, as well as submit all required documents for existing applications.”

To be eligible for reimbursement, death certificates for those who died after May 16, 2020, must indicate that the death was attributed to COVID-19.

For deaths that occurred in the early months of the pandemic — from Jan. 20 to May 16, 2020 — death certificates must be accompanied with a signed statement from a medical examiner, coroner or the certifying official listed on the certificate indicating that COVID-19 was the cause or a contributing cause of death.

Expenses covered under the FEMA program include funeral services, cremation and interment, as well as the costs for caskets or urns, burial plots or cremation niches, markers or headstones, transportation or transfer of remains, clergy or officiant services, and the use of funeral home equipment or staff.

The program was first signed into law in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s administration but began accepting applications weeks into President Joe Biden’s term. The initial bill provided $2 billion for the funeral assistance, which was exhausted in recent days. Funding going forward will come from Biden’s 2021 relief bill known as the “American Rescue Plan.”

FEMA is not accepting online applications for the reimbursement program. People eligible are directed to call the agency’s helpline 844-684-6333 where they will be prompted to submit the required documentation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government has provided more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-emergency-management-federal-emergency-management-agency-0b63f9fcbf4ea0c5948adddc53e6b1c7">$2 billion to help cover funeral costs</a>&nbsp;for more than 300,000 families of people who died from COVID-19, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday as it launches a new campaign to raise awareness about the aid to eligible families. More than 965,000 people have died in the U.S. from the virus.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/disaster/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance" target="_blank">COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program</a>&nbsp;provides up to $9,000 per funeral and covers COVID-19 related deaths since Jan. 20, 2020. The average amount awarded per death is $6,500, according to FEMA.“FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program has helped provide over 300,000 people with critical financial relief during a time of such unexpected, unimaginable and widespread loss,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell in a statement.The agency is launching a new paid ad campaign in California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas targeted at areas with large rates of COVID-19 deaths but lower rates of reimbursement requests to help connect people to available assistance. The agency is also reaching out to community groups and local media outlets to help publicize the program.“Our new outreach campaign is designed to reach families, especially across underserved communities, where the cost of a funeral can be a financial burden to a loved one,” said Criswell. “Our goal is to help families apply for assistance, as well as submit all required documents for existing applications.”To be eligible for reimbursement, death certificates for those who died after May 16, 2020, must indicate that the death was attributed to COVID-19.For deaths that occurred in the early months of the pandemic — from Jan. 20 to May 16, 2020 — death certificates must be accompanied with a signed statement from a medical examiner, coroner or the certifying official listed on the certificate indicating that COVID-19 was the cause or a contributing cause of death.Expenses covered under the FEMA program include funeral services, cremation and interment, as well as the costs for caskets or urns, burial plots or cremation niches, markers or headstones, transportation or transfer of remains, clergy or officiant services, and the use of funeral home equipment or staff.The program was first signed into law in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s administration but began accepting applications weeks into President Joe Biden’s term. The initial bill provided $2 billion for the funeral assistance, which was exhausted in recent days. Funding going forward will come from Biden’s 2021 relief bill known as the “American Rescue Plan.”FEMA is not accepting online applications for the reimbursement program. People eligible are directed to call the agency’s helpline 844-684-6333 where they will be prompted to submit the required documentation.___

US funeral assistance for COVID tops $2B, more eligible

(AP)-The return to classrooms for the nation’s schoolchildren has not meant a return to work for many of their parents who, with workdays that outlast school days, are finding crucial after-school programs in short supply.

School-based providers list difficulties hiring and retaining staff as the biggest reasons they have not fully rebounded from pandemic shutdowns and they say they are as frustrated as the parents they are turning away.

“We’re in a constant state of flux. We’ll hire one staffer and another will resign,” said Ester Buendia, assistant director for after-school programs at Northside Independent School District in Texas. “We’ve just not been able to catch up this year.”

Before the pandemic, the San Antonio district’s after-school program had 1,000 staff members serving more than 7,000 students at its roughly 100 elementary and middle schools. Today, there are less than half that number of employees supervising about 3,300 students. More than 1,100 students are on waiting lists for the program, called Learning Tree, which provides academic, recreational and social enrichment until 6:30 p.m. each school day.

It’s difficult to conclude how many parents of school-age children have been unable to resume working outside the home because of gaps in available care. But surveys point to a cycle of parents, mostly mothers, staying home for their children because they are unable to find after-school programming, which then causes staffing shortages at such programs that rely heavily on women to run them.

“There’s no doubt really that these after-school programs — the lack of after-school programs at this stage — are limiting women in particular being able to reenter the workforce,” said Jen Rinehart, vice president for strategy and programming at the nonprofit Afterschool Alliance, which works to increase programming.

“If women don’t return to the workforce then we don’t have the staff we need for these after-school opportunities, so it’s all very tangled together,” she said.

An Afterschool Alliance survey found an all-time high of 24.6 million children were unable to access a program at the end of 2021, though cost as well as availability was a barrier. Of more than 1,000 program providers surveyed, 54% had waiting lists, a significantly greater percentage than in the past.

Wells Fargo reported that labor shortages in child care, where women account for 96% of the workforce, are more acute than in other industries also struggling to find reliable employees. Employment was 12.4% below its pre-COVID-19 level at the beginning of March, leaving an estimated 460,000 families forced to make other arrangements, analysts concluded.

“Access to affordable child care has been shown time and again to boost labor force participation among mothers,” the report said.

A Census Bureau data poll in January found that 6% of parents with children 5-11 years old were not working because a child was not in school or day care.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/02/24/parents-still-struggle-to-work-without-child-care" target="_blank">Data analyzed by Pew Research Center&nbsp;</a>found that in the last quarter of 2021, 6% fewer jobs were held by parents of children age 5 to 12.

Erica Gonzalez of San Antonio secured after-school spots for her second grade and sixth grade daughters after going into the school year on waiting lists. That allowed her to maintain her schedule at the nonprofit where she works and her husband, a teacher, to also coach.

Anticipating a crush for spots, Gonzalez had made sure to enroll her children for Learning Tree as quickly as possible and she kept in touch with their schools as each child inched up waiting lists.

“We were really just kind of hoping and praying that spots would open up for them and fortunately they did,” Gonzalez said.

Without the program, Gonzalez said she and her husband would have had to figure out how to get their daughters from their schools to her husband to wait for him to finish work.

“I would have had to probably change my schedule to go pick them up, drop them off and come all the way back to work,” she said. “We would have figured something out but it definitely would have been a challenge.”

Rico X said the school-based before- and after-school programs he oversees at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee have had to cap enrollment because of staff shortages, leaving capacity at about 70% of what it was before the pandemic. One of its 105 sites used to have as many as 85 students; now it’s fewer than 60.

“In some of our waitlist sites we have some parents that are just in desperation,” he said, “and there’s not a whole lot we can really do unless there’s a spot that opens up.”

The YMCA, which sends staff into the schools to run the programs, is considering another pay raise in hopes of attracting more applicants, he said. The provider already raised the minimum pay for site directors from $13 to $16 an hour, and gave other employees a $2 an hour raise, to $13.

“For a good portion of our families, this is a lifeline for them, and it gives them the ability to be able to work but also have the peace of mind that their kids are in a safe and engaging environment. It’s 100% a lifeline,” X said.

The Afterschool Alliance survey found that 71% of programs had taken action to attract and retain staff. The most common was raising salaries, in some cases using federal pandemic relief money in the form of child care stabilization grants. Some also have offered free child care for employees as well as signing bonuses or paid time off.

“We came into the pandemic with tremendous unmet demand for after-school and summer programs and of course, like almost every other challenge out there, the pandemic only made that challenge worse,” Rinehart said.

Kasey Blackburn-Jiron, expanded learning coordinator for the West Contra Costa Unified School District in California, said providers the district relies on describe applicants skipping scheduled job interviews or even going through the hiring process only to vanish after landing the job, presumably to work at some place that pays more and demands less.

“My best guess is we don’t pay them enough money. We don’t offer them enough hours,” said Blackburn-Jiron, who said the program now serves far fewer than the 5,000 students enrolled before the pandemic.

“We’re asking asking these 17-, 18-, 19-dollar an hour people to work miracles,” she said. “Most of them don’t have bachelor’s degrees and yet we’re saying we want you to be an amazing youth development practitioner. You need to be able to teach and model social and emotional skills. You need to be able to teach 21st century skills, you need to be able to deal with young people who come from generations of trauma.”

She said state lawmakers recently increased funding for the program, which could lead to better pay, but the money will not get to programs until near the end of the school year.

“Working families need school-based afterschool programs, and we just haven’t been able to meet the need,” Blackburn-Jiron said, “and it’s heartbreaking.”

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS(AP)-The return to classrooms for the nation’s schoolchildren has not meant a return to work for many of their parents who, with workdays that outlast school days, are finding crucial after-school programs in short supply.School-based providers list difficulties hiring and retaining staff as the biggest reasons they have not fully rebounded from pandemic shutdowns and they say they are as frustrated as the parents they are turning away.“We’re in a constant state of flux. We’ll hire one staffer and another will resign,” said Ester Buendia, assistant director for after-school programs at Northside Independent School District in Texas. “We’ve just not been able to catch up this year.”Before the pandemic, the San Antonio district’s after-school program had 1,000 staff members serving more than 7,000 students at its roughly 100 elementary and middle schools. Today, there are less than half that number of employees supervising about 3,300 students. More than 1,100 students are on waiting lists for the program, called Learning Tree, which provides academic, recreational and social enrichment until 6:30 p.m. each school day.It’s difficult to conclude how many parents of school-age children have been unable to resume working outside the home because of gaps in available care. But surveys point to a cycle of parents, mostly mothers, staying home for their children because they are unable to find after-school programming, which then causes staffing shortages at such programs that rely heavily on women to run them.“There’s no doubt really that these after-school programs — the lack of after-school programs at this stage — are limiting women in particular being able to reenter the workforce,” said Jen Rinehart, vice president for strategy and programming at the nonprofit Afterschool Alliance, which works to increase programming.“If women don’t return to the workforce then we don’t have the staff we need for these after-school opportunities, so it’s all very tangled together,” she said.An Afterschool Alliance survey found an all-time high of 24.6 million children were unable to access a program at the end of 2021, though cost as well as availability was a barrier. Of more than 1,000 program providers surveyed, 54% had waiting lists, a significantly greater percentage than in the past.Wells Fargo reported that labor shortages in child care, where women account for 96% of the workforce, are more acute than in other industries also struggling to find reliable employees. Employment was 12.4% below its pre-COVID-19 level at the beginning of March, leaving an estimated 460,000 families forced to make other arrangements, analysts concluded.“Access to affordable child care has been shown time and again to boost labor force participation among mothers,” the report said.A Census Bureau data poll in January found that 6% of parents with children 5-11 years old were not working because a child was not in school or day care.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/02/24/parents-still-struggle-to-work-without-child-care" target="_blank">Data analyzed by Pew Research Center&nbsp;</a>found that in the last quarter of 2021, 6% fewer jobs were held by parents of children age 5 to 12.Erica Gonzalez of San Antonio secured after-school spots for her second grade and sixth grade daughters after going into the school year on waiting lists. That allowed her to maintain her schedule at the nonprofit where she works and her husband, a teacher, to also coach.Anticipating a crush for spots, Gonzalez had made sure to enroll her children for Learning Tree as quickly as possible and she kept in touch with their schools as each child inched up waiting lists.“We were really just kind of hoping and praying that spots would open up for them and fortunately they did,” Gonzalez said.Without the program, Gonzalez said she and her husband would have had to figure out how to get their daughters from their schools to her husband to wait for him to finish work.“I would have had to probably change my schedule to go pick them up, drop them off and come all the way back to work,” she said. “We would have figured something out but it definitely would have been a challenge.”Rico X said the school-based before- and after-school programs he oversees at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee have had to cap enrollment because of staff shortages, leaving capacity at about 70% of what it was before the pandemic. One of its 105 sites used to have as many as 85 students; now it’s fewer than 60.“In some of our waitlist sites we have some parents that are just in desperation,” he said, “and there’s not a whole lot we can really do unless there’s a spot that opens up.”The YMCA, which sends staff into the schools to run the programs, is considering another pay raise in hopes of attracting more applicants, he said. The provider already raised the minimum pay for site directors from $13 to $16 an hour, and gave other employees a $2 an hour raise, to $13.“For a good portion of our families, this is a lifeline for them, and it gives them the ability to be able to work but also have the peace of mind that their kids are in a safe and engaging environment. It’s 100% a lifeline,” X said.The Afterschool Alliance survey found that 71% of programs had taken action to attract and retain staff. The most common was raising salaries, in some cases using federal pandemic relief money in the form of child care stabilization grants. Some also have offered free child care for employees as well as signing bonuses or paid time off.“We came into the pandemic with tremendous unmet demand for after-school and summer programs and of course, like almost every other challenge out there, the pandemic only made that challenge worse,” Rinehart said.Kasey Blackburn-Jiron, expanded learning coordinator for the West Contra Costa Unified School District in California, said providers the district relies on describe applicants skipping scheduled job interviews or even going through the hiring process only to vanish after landing the job, presumably to work at some place that pays more and demands less.“My best guess is we don’t pay them enough money. We don’t offer them enough hours,” said Blackburn-Jiron, who said the program now serves far fewer than the 5,000 students enrolled before the pandemic.“We’re asking asking these 17-, 18-, 19-dollar an hour people to work miracles,” she said. “Most of them don’t have bachelor’s degrees and yet we’re saying we want you to be an amazing youth development practitioner. You need to be able to teach and model social and emotional skills. You need to be able to teach 21st century skills, you need to be able to deal with young people who come from generations of trauma.”She said state lawmakers recently increased funding for the program, which could lead to better pay, but the money will not get to programs until near the end of the school year.“Working families need school-based afterschool programs, and we just haven’t been able to meet the need,” Blackburn-Jiron said, “and it’s heartbreaking.”

Understaffing leaves after-school programs with unmet demand

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Police in Austin, Texas, say four people have been shot and wounded as the city hosts the annual South by Southwest festival. 

The Austin Police Department told people to avoid the downtown area at around 2:50 a.m. Sunday, warning via Twitter that the gunman was still at large. However, police tweeted that a suspect was in custody shortly before 5 a.m. 

Police and the Austin-Travis County EMS said the four victims’ injures weren’t life-threatening and they had all been taken to the hospital. The weeklong festival is a mix of arts, tech, politics and entertainment. 

In 2019, multiple shootings took place as the festival drew to a close.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Police in Austin, Texas, say four people have been shot and wounded as the city hosts the annual South by Southwest festival. The Austin Police Department told people to avoid the downtown area at around 2:50 a.m. Sunday, warning via Twitter that the gunman was still at large. However, police tweeted that a suspect was in custody shortly before 5 a.m. Police and the Austin-Travis County EMS said the four victims’ injures weren’t life-threatening and they had all been taken to the hospital. The weeklong festival is a mix of arts, tech, politics and entertainment. In 2019, multiple shootings took place as the festival drew to a close.

Shooting wounds 4 at South by Southwest festival in Austin

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis released his long-awaited reform program of the Holy See bureaucracy on Saturday that envisages greater decision-making roles for the laity and gives new institutional weight to efforts to fight clerical sex abuse.

The 54-page text, titled “Praedicate Evanglium,” or “Proclaiming the Gospel,” replaces the founding constitution “Pastor Bonus” that was penned by St. John Paul II in 1988.

Francis was elected pope in 2013 in large part on his promise to reform the bulky and inefficient Vatican bureaucracy, which acts as the organ of central governance for the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church. He named a Cabinet of cardinal advisers who have met periodically since his election to help him draft the changes.

Much of the reform work has been rolled out piecemeal over the years, with offices consolidated and financial reforms issued. But the publication of the new document, for now only in Italian, finalizes the process and puts it into effect in June.

The document was released Saturday, the ninth anniversary of Francis’ installation as pope and the feast of St. Joseph, an important figure to Francis’ ministry.

The new reform emphasizes the missionary and charitable focus of the church as well as the need for the Vatican to be at service both to the pope and local dioceses. It envisages greater roles for laity, making explicitly clear that lay people — not just priests, bishops or cardinals — can head a major Vatican office, and that all staff should reflect the geographic universality of the church.

In one of the major changes, it brings the pope’s advisory commission on preventing sexual abuse into the Vatican’s powerful doctrine office which oversees the canonical investigations of abuse cases.

Previously, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors existed as an ad hoc commission that reported to the pope but had no real institutional weight or power. It often found itself at odds with the more powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which reviews all cases of abuse.

Now the advisory commission is part of the newly named Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, where presumably its members who include abuse survivors can exert influence on the decisions taken by the prelates who weigh whether predator priests are sanctioned and how.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who heads the pontifical commission, welcomed the change and said it was evidence of Francis’ effort to promote a stronger culture of safeguarding within the Vatican and wider church.

“For the first time, Pope Francis has made safeguarding and the protection of minors a fundamental part of the structure of the church’s central government: the Roman Curia,” O’Malley said in a statement. “Maintaining its status as a separate body within the dicastery that enjoys direct access to the Holy Father and with its own leadership and staffing, the renewed and re-affirmed Pontifical Commission will play an increasingly incisive role in ensuring the church is a safe place for children and vulnerable persons.”

Other changes involve making the pope’s personal envoy for charity and alms into the head of a dicastery in its own right, making clear the importance that this service-oriented job has for Francis. The position is currently headed by Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who recently headed a humanitarian mission to Ukraine on behalf of the pope.

In addition, two Vatican offices for evangelization are merging into one Dicastery for Evangelization. Previously the Vatican had an entire parallel bureaucracy dedicated to supporting the church in the developing world where Catholics are a minority, with another office dedicated to reviving the faith in countries where Catholicism is already heavily present. The new office combines them and is headed by the pope, assisted by two deputy prefects.

Overall, the reform document calls for a “healthy decentralization” to give more decision-making authority to local bishops rather than have Rome continue to be the central clearing-house for governance decisions. But the text also makes clear that such authority cannot touch on matters of “doctrine, discipline and communion,” a warning that individual bishops conferences cannot stray from core tenets of church teaching.

It seeks to break down the siloed nature of the bureaucracy, in which each congregation operated on its own fiefdom, by seeking to encourage greater communication and collaboration among offices. In a break with the past, it calls for the heads of Vatican offices to meet regularly as a group with the pope rather than just individually. In essence, it calls for the Vatican bureaucracy to function more like a Cabinet that meets regularly with the head of state.

It makes clear that each “dicastery” as the departments are known, are considered equal to one another. Previously the Vatican secretariat of state had an outsized role of influence and importance, followed closely by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Now, all dicasteries are equal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635514031020.png" alt="President Biden with the Pope during a visit at the Vatican in Nov. 2020-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Biden with the Pope during a visit at the Vatican in Nov. 2020-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ROME (AP) — Pope Francis released his long-awaited reform program of the Holy See bureaucracy on Saturday that envisages greater decision-making roles for the laity and gives new institutional weight to efforts to fight clerical sex abuse.The 54-page text, titled “Praedicate Evanglium,” or “Proclaiming the Gospel,” replaces the founding constitution “Pastor Bonus” that was penned by St. John Paul II in 1988.Francis was elected pope in 2013 in large part on his promise to reform the bulky and inefficient Vatican bureaucracy, which acts as the organ of central governance for the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church. He named a Cabinet of cardinal advisers who have met periodically since his election to help him draft the changes.Much of the reform work has been rolled out piecemeal over the years, with offices consolidated and financial reforms issued. But the publication of the new document, for now only in Italian, finalizes the process and puts it into effect in June.The document was released Saturday, the ninth anniversary of Francis’ installation as pope and the feast of St. Joseph, an important figure to Francis’ ministry.The new reform emphasizes the missionary and charitable focus of the church as well as the need for the Vatican to be at service both to the pope and local dioceses. It envisages greater roles for laity, making explicitly clear that lay people — not just priests, bishops or cardinals — can head a major Vatican office, and that all staff should reflect the geographic universality of the church.In one of the major changes, it brings the pope’s advisory commission on preventing sexual abuse into the Vatican’s powerful doctrine office which oversees the canonical investigations of abuse cases.Previously, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors existed as an ad hoc commission that reported to the pope but had no real institutional weight or power. It often found itself at odds with the more powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which reviews all cases of abuse.Now the advisory commission is part of the newly named Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, where presumably its members who include abuse survivors can exert influence on the decisions taken by the prelates who weigh whether predator priests are sanctioned and how.Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who heads the pontifical commission, welcomed the change and said it was evidence of Francis’ effort to promote a stronger culture of safeguarding within the Vatican and wider church.“For the first time, Pope Francis has made safeguarding and the protection of minors a fundamental part of the structure of the church’s central government: the Roman Curia,” O’Malley said in a statement. “Maintaining its status as a separate body within the dicastery that enjoys direct access to the Holy Father and with its own leadership and staffing, the renewed and re-affirmed Pontifical Commission will play an increasingly incisive role in ensuring the church is a safe place for children and vulnerable persons.”Other changes involve making the pope’s personal envoy for charity and alms into the head of a dicastery in its own right, making clear the importance that this service-oriented job has for Francis. The position is currently headed by Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who recently headed a humanitarian mission to Ukraine on behalf of the pope.In addition, two Vatican offices for evangelization are merging into one Dicastery for Evangelization. Previously the Vatican had an entire parallel bureaucracy dedicated to supporting the church in the developing world where Catholics are a minority, with another office dedicated to reviving the faith in countries where Catholicism is already heavily present. The new office combines them and is headed by the pope, assisted by two deputy prefects.Overall, the reform document calls for a “healthy decentralization” to give more decision-making authority to local bishops rather than have Rome continue to be the central clearing-house for governance decisions. But the text also makes clear that such authority cannot touch on matters of “doctrine, discipline and communion,” a warning that individual bishops conferences cannot stray from core tenets of church teaching.It seeks to break down the siloed nature of the bureaucracy, in which each congregation operated on its own fiefdom, by seeking to encourage greater communication and collaboration among offices. In a break with the past, it calls for the heads of Vatican offices to meet regularly as a group with the pope rather than just individually. In essence, it calls for the Vatican bureaucracy to function more like a Cabinet that meets regularly with the head of state.It makes clear that each “dicastery” as the departments are known, are considered equal to one another. Previously the Vatican secretariat of state had an outsized role of influence and importance, followed closely by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Now, all dicasteries are equal.

Pope releases Vatican reform, gives weight to fighting abuse

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 29-year-old Omaha woman has been sentenced to 25 to 40 years in prison for the death of her 8-month-old son. 

Mandy Watson De Garcia was sentenced this week after she pleaded no contest in January to intentional child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. 

Her son, Leovardo Garcia, died about three weeks after he was taken to a hospital in August 2019 with seizures, blood clots and head swelling. 

De Garcia said the boy was injured after he fell backward and hit his head at their home. 

Doctors determined the boy's injuries were too severe to be accidental.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647718516858.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ASSOCIATED PRESSOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 29-year-old Omaha woman has been sentenced to 25 to 40 years in prison for the death of her 8-month-old son. Mandy Watson De Garcia was sentenced this week after she pleaded no contest in January to intentional child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. Her son, Leovardo Garcia, died about three weeks after he was taken to a hospital in August 2019 with seizures, blood clots and head swelling. De Garcia said the boy was injured after he fell backward and hit his head at their home. Doctors determined the boy's injuries were too severe to be accidental.

Omaha woman sentenced to 25 to 40 years in son's death

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/18/survivors-of-child-sex-abuse-call-for-elimination-of-kansas-statute-of-limitations/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kim Bergman was 12 years old when her gymnastics coach, David Byrd, began abusing her.

Bergman was not his first victim, and she was not his last. Coaches 
she confided in did not report the crime, and when a therapist finally 
did, nothing came of it. Bergman said she felt she had done something 
wrong and that nobody believed her.

By the time she was able to come forward, it was past the statute of 
limitations in Kansas to collect damages for childhood sexual abuse. 
Under current law, these lawsuits must be filed within three years of 
the survivor turning 18 or within three years of discovering an injury 
or illness caused by the abuse.

When Byrd was eventually arrested for indecent liberties with a 
minor, Bergman said, she felt tremendous guilt for not having come 
forward sooner, reigniting her desire to ensure others in her position 
have a way to seek justice. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb420/">Senate Bill 420</a> would do that by eliminating the deadline for filing lawsuits.

“One of David Byrd’s last known victims recently stated, ‘If the 
statute of limitations had been lifted before my assault, there’s a good
 chance that I never would have been a victim,’ ” Bergman said Thursday 
at a news conference at the Statehouse. “Over and over, I have been told
 that my abusers’ rights mattered more than mine. Removing the statute 
of limitations would give me the opportunity to make my abuser 
accountable for what he did to me.”

Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, introduced legislation four 
years ago, but after a wave of initial support, it was put on the 
backburner as COVID-19 matters took priority. Supporters were optimistic
 the bill would clear the Legislature this year, but Sen. Kellie Warren,
 a Leawood Republican and chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 
has yet to schedule the bill for a hearing despite repeated requests 
from Bregman and other supporters.

A coalition of victims, legislators and an attorney are now calling 
on Warren to schedule a hearing and give the bill a chance. Warren, who 
is seeking the GOP nomination for attorney general, did not respond to a
 request for comment for this story.

“A person who has been subjected to this type of sexual assault, 
sexual violence as a child, may take decades before they’re able to talk
 about it again,” Holscher said. “It’s what we call the age of 
disclosure, which on average for this is the age of 52.”

It would also eliminate the requirement that the claimant must have 
suffered injury or illness from childhood sexual abuse. Any claims for 
damages suffered because of childhood sexual abuse that occurred on or 
after July 1984 would also be revived.

Chris Mann, a Democrat campaigning for Kansas Attorney General, said 
his time as a police officer and prosecutor taught him how daunting it 
can be for victims to come forward, especially if they are a child. With
 the statute of limitations in place, he said, the opportunity for many 
to seek justice is limited.

“We must not put an expiration date on justice. We must not put an 
expiration date on protecting our children from violent sexual 
predators,” Mann said. “This type of crime can rock a family to its core
 and rob survivors of their future. We cannot turn a blind eye just 
because it happened too far in the past.”

Another bill the group pushed for, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb75/">Senate Bill 75</a>,
 would add duly ordained ministers to the list of positions required to 
report abuse and neglect of children. A minister who suspects abuse or 
neglect based on penitential communication would not be required to 
violate penitential privilege.

Susan Lenore, a victim of clergy childhood sexual abuse, said the 
bill was one step in a long road to justice and accountability for the 
many survivors of clergy abuse.

“How do I find the right words for describing what happened to me in 
church and school when I was 10 and 12 years old?” she said. “Words like
 ‘terrorized,’ ‘rape,’ ‘sexually abused’ or ‘violent sexual predator,’ 
and I believe the most important word is ‘silence’ — to be silenced and 
shamed by what happened, to be silenced and never to speak about what 
happened.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647613717527.png" alt="Kim Bergman urges Kansas lawmakers during a news conference Thursday at the Statehouse in Topeka to adopt a bill that would eliminate the deadline for filing civil lawsuits seeking damages for childhood sexual abuse. Bergman has sent repeated emails and messages over social media calling on Sen. Kellie Warren to schedule a hearing on Senate Bill 420, but hasn’t gotten a response. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kim Bergman urges Kansas lawmakers during a news conference Thursday at the Statehouse in Topeka to adopt a bill that would eliminate the deadline for filing civil lawsuits seeking damages for childhood sexual abuse. Bergman has sent repeated emails and messages over social media calling on Sen. Kellie Warren to schedule a hearing on Senate Bill 420, but hasn’t gotten a response. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/18/survivors-of-child-sex-abuse-call-for-elimination-of-kansas-statute-of-limitations/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kim Bergman was 12 years old when her gymnastics coach, David Byrd, began abusing her.Bergman was not his first victim, and she was not his last. Coaches 
she confided in did not report the crime, and when a therapist finally 
did, nothing came of it. Bergman said she felt she had done something 
wrong and that nobody believed her.By the time she was able to come forward, it was past the statute of 
limitations in Kansas to collect damages for childhood sexual abuse. 
Under current law, these lawsuits must be filed within three years of 
the survivor turning 18 or within three years of discovering an injury 
or illness caused by the abuse.When Byrd was eventually arrested for indecent liberties with a 
minor, Bergman said, she felt tremendous guilt for not having come 
forward sooner, reigniting her desire to ensure others in her position 
have a way to seek justice. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb420/">Senate Bill 420</a> would do that by eliminating the deadline for filing lawsuits.“One of David Byrd’s last known victims recently stated, ‘If the 
statute of limitations had been lifted before my assault, there’s a good
 chance that I never would have been a victim,’ ” Bergman said Thursday 
at a news conference at the Statehouse. “Over and over, I have been told
 that my abusers’ rights mattered more than mine. Removing the statute 
of limitations would give me the opportunity to make my abuser 
accountable for what he did to me.”Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, introduced legislation four 
years ago, but after a wave of initial support, it was put on the 
backburner as COVID-19 matters took priority. Supporters were optimistic
 the bill would clear the Legislature this year, but Sen. Kellie Warren,
 a Leawood Republican and chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 
has yet to schedule the bill for a hearing despite repeated requests 
from Bregman and other supporters.A coalition of victims, legislators and an attorney are now calling 
on Warren to schedule a hearing and give the bill a chance. Warren, who 
is seeking the GOP nomination for attorney general, did not respond to a
 request for comment for this story.“A person who has been subjected to this type of sexual assault, 
sexual violence as a child, may take decades before they’re able to talk
 about it again,” Holscher said. “It’s what we call the age of 
disclosure, which on average for this is the age of 52.”It would also eliminate the requirement that the claimant must have 
suffered injury or illness from childhood sexual abuse. Any claims for 
damages suffered because of childhood sexual abuse that occurred on or 
after July 1984 would also be revived.Chris Mann, a Democrat campaigning for Kansas Attorney General, said 
his time as a police officer and prosecutor taught him how daunting it 
can be for victims to come forward, especially if they are a child. With
 the statute of limitations in place, he said, the opportunity for many 
to seek justice is limited.“We must not put an expiration date on justice. We must not put an 
expiration date on protecting our children from violent sexual 
predators,” Mann said. “This type of crime can rock a family to its core
 and rob survivors of their future. We cannot turn a blind eye just 
because it happened too far in the past.”Another bill the group pushed for, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb75/">Senate Bill 75</a>,
 would add duly ordained ministers to the list of positions required to 
report abuse and neglect of children. A minister who suspects abuse or 
neglect based on penitential communication would not be required to 
violate penitential privilege.Susan Lenore, a victim of clergy childhood sexual abuse, said the 
bill was one step in a long road to justice and accountability for the 
many survivors of clergy abuse.“How do I find the right words for describing what happened to me in 
church and school when I was 10 and 12 years old?” she said. “Words like
 ‘terrorized,’ ‘rape,’ ‘sexually abused’ or ‘violent sexual predator,’ 
and I believe the most important word is ‘silence’ — to be silenced and 
shamed by what happened, to be silenced and never to speak about what 
happened.”

Survivors of child sex abuse call for end to Kan. statute of limitations

News Release Nebraska State Patrol

The Nebraska State Patrol is renewing its request for information regarding the disappearance of Linda Dillard, who went missing last June in southeast Nebraska. The investigation is ongoing.

Dillard was last seen on June 16, 2021, in the rural Table Rock area. As part of the investigation, NSP and assisting agencies have conducted multiple searches in the area where Dillard was last seen. Investigators believe Dillard may have been the victim of a crime, which led to her disappearance.

Dillard was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black DKNY boxer brief shorts, and brown Birkenstock type sandals. Dillard is described as a white female, 5’0”, 130 lbs., with blue eyes and brown hair (possibly dyed or wearing a wig).

&nbsp; Nebraska Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information in this investigation. Tips can be made anonymously through Nebraska Crime Stoppers via the&nbsp;<a href="http://nebraskacrimestoppers.com/sitemenu.aspx?ID=450&amp;" target="_blank">Nebraska Crime Stoppers website,</a>&nbsp;the “P3 Tips” mobile app, or by calling 1-800-422-1494.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647702792707.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Nebraska State PatrolThe Nebraska State Patrol is renewing its request for information regarding the disappearance of Linda Dillard, who went missing last June in southeast Nebraska. The investigation is ongoing.Dillard was last seen on June 16, 2021, in the rural Table Rock area. As part of the investigation, NSP and assisting agencies have conducted multiple searches in the area where Dillard was last seen. Investigators believe Dillard may have been the victim of a crime, which led to her disappearance.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647702811207.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Dillard was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black DKNY boxer brief shorts, and brown Birkenstock type sandals. Dillard is described as a white female, 5’0”, 130 lbs., with blue eyes and brown hair (possibly dyed or wearing a wig).&nbsp; Nebraska Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information in this investigation. Tips can be made anonymously through Nebraska Crime Stoppers via the&nbsp;<a href="http://nebraskacrimestoppers.com/sitemenu.aspx?ID=450&amp;" target="_blank">Nebraska Crime Stoppers website,</a>&nbsp;the “P3 Tips” mobile app, or by calling 1-800-422-1494.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nebraska patrol renews request for information on missing woman

HOBBS, N.M. -- Authorities investigating a fiery head-on&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/NJTrainCrash" target="_blank">crash</a>&nbsp;in West Texas don’t know why a 13-year-old boy was driving while his father sat in the passenger seat of a pickup truck that crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with a passenger van, killing nine people.

The young teen who has not been identified died in the crash along with his father, 38-year-old Henrich Siemens, and six members of a New Mexico college golf team and their coach. The cause remains under investigation, though National Transportation Safety Board officials have said the truck’s front tire, a spare, blew out before the crash.

It's the latest tragedy for the family of the father and son, of Seminole, Texas.

Community members first rallied around Siemens and his wife, Agatha, in October, when a fire that started in the kitchen destroyed the home where they had lived for a decade. Seminole is a rural community of around 7,500 people, some of whom first relocated to the area in the 1970s with other Mennonite families who started farming and ranching operations.

While the couple and their children escaped the fire without injury, Agatha wrote on her Facebook page at the time that they had lost everything, including one of the family pets.

After the crash, Agatha Siemens shared family photos on social media, saying her husband was the love of her life and that she missed her son. She did not return messages seeking comment.

NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg on Thursday revealed the truck was driven by the child.

After the tire blew, the pickup truck crossed into the opposite lane on the darkened, two-lane highway before colliding with the van. Both vehicles burst into flames.

Although it was unclear how fast the two vehicles were traveling, “this was clearly a high-speed collision,” Landsberg said.

The speed limit at the crash site is 75 mph (120 kph), according to the agency.

Landsberg said investigators hoped to retrieve enough information from the vehicles' recorders, if they survived, to understand what happened. He said many in the van were not wearing seatbelts and at least one was ejected from the vehicle.

It's not unusual for young teens to drive in that region and other more rural parts of the United States. One must be 14 in Texas to start taking classroom courses for a learner’s license and 15 to receive that provisional license to drive with an instructor or licensed adult in the vehicle.

Investigators have not yet determined why the youth was behind the wheel, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Steven Blanco said Friday.

The NTSB sent an investigative team to the crash site in Texas’ Andrews County, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the New Mexico state line.

The University of the Southwest students, including one from Portugal and one from Mexico, and the coach were returning from a golf tournament in Midland, Texas, when the vehicles collided Tuesday night. Two Canadian students were hospitalized in critical condition.

University of the Southwest spokeswoman Maria Duarte declined to comment on the NTSB’s announcement about the young driver, citing the ongoing investigation. The private Christian college is located in Hobbs, New Mexico, near the Texas state line.

The golf teams were traveling in a 2017 Ford Transit van that was towing a box trailer when it collided with the 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup, according to NTSB spokesperson Eric Weiss.

The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the deceased as: golf coach Tyler James, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico; and players Mauricio Sanchez, 19, of Aguascalientes, Mexico; Travis Garcia, 19, of Pleasanton, Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Westminster, Colorado; Karisa Raines, 21, of Fort Stockton, Texas; Laci Stone, 18, of Nocona, Texas; and Tiago Sousa, 18, of Algarve, Portugal.

Critically injured aboard the van were Canadian students Dayton Price, 19, of Mississauga, Ontario, and Hayden Underhill, 20, of Amherstview, Ontario. Both were taken by helicopter to Lubbock, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) to the northeast.

“They are both stable and recovering, and every day making more and more progress,” University of the Southwest Provost Ryan Tipton said Thursday.

“One of the students is eating chicken soup,” said Tipton, calling their recovery a "game of inches.”

Tipton said University President Quint Thurman visited the students’ parents at the hospital, illustrating the close community at the college with only about 350 on-campus students.

A memorial was set up Wednesday at the golf course near campus where the team practices, with flowers, golf balls and a handmade sign. Counseling and religious services were made available on campus.

About 150 people turned out Thursday evening to remember Jackson Zinn at Texas Roadhouse, a restaurant where he worked and met his girlfriend of five months.

“We met here exactly at this table,” said Maddy Russell, 20, of Hobbs. “He was my heart.”

The mourners released around 100 blue and orange balloons into the cold whipping wind of eastern New Mexico, which soon disappeared into the horizon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1604198717162.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSHOBBS, N.M. -- Authorities investigating a fiery head-on&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/NJTrainCrash" target="_blank">crash</a>&nbsp;in West Texas don’t know why a 13-year-old boy was driving while his father sat in the passenger seat of a pickup truck that crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with a passenger van, killing nine people.The young teen who has not been identified died in the crash along with his father, 38-year-old Henrich Siemens, and six members of a New Mexico college golf team and their coach. The cause remains under investigation, though National Transportation Safety Board officials have said the truck’s front tire, a spare, blew out before the crash.It's the latest tragedy for the family of the father and son, of Seminole, Texas.Community members first rallied around Siemens and his wife, Agatha, in October, when a fire that started in the kitchen destroyed the home where they had lived for a decade. Seminole is a rural community of around 7,500 people, some of whom first relocated to the area in the 1970s with other Mennonite families who started farming and ranching operations.While the couple and their children escaped the fire without injury, Agatha wrote on her Facebook page at the time that they had lost everything, including one of the family pets.After the crash, Agatha Siemens shared family photos on social media, saying her husband was the love of her life and that she missed her son. She did not return messages seeking comment.NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg on Thursday revealed the truck was driven by the child.After the tire blew, the pickup truck crossed into the opposite lane on the darkened, two-lane highway before colliding with the van. Both vehicles burst into flames.Although it was unclear how fast the two vehicles were traveling, “this was clearly a high-speed collision,” Landsberg said.The speed limit at the crash site is 75 mph (120 kph), according to the agency.Landsberg said investigators hoped to retrieve enough information from the vehicles' recorders, if they survived, to understand what happened. He said many in the van were not wearing seatbelts and at least one was ejected from the vehicle.It's not unusual for young teens to drive in that region and other more rural parts of the United States. One must be 14 in Texas to start taking classroom courses for a learner’s license and 15 to receive that provisional license to drive with an instructor or licensed adult in the vehicle.Investigators have not yet determined why the youth was behind the wheel, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Steven Blanco said Friday.The NTSB sent an investigative team to the crash site in Texas’ Andrews County, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the New Mexico state line.The University of the Southwest students, including one from Portugal and one from Mexico, and the coach were returning from a golf tournament in Midland, Texas, when the vehicles collided Tuesday night. Two Canadian students were hospitalized in critical condition.University of the Southwest spokeswoman Maria Duarte declined to comment on the NTSB’s announcement about the young driver, citing the ongoing investigation. The private Christian college is located in Hobbs, New Mexico, near the Texas state line.The golf teams were traveling in a 2017 Ford Transit van that was towing a box trailer when it collided with the 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup, according to NTSB spokesperson Eric Weiss.The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the deceased as: golf coach Tyler James, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico; and players Mauricio Sanchez, 19, of Aguascalientes, Mexico; Travis Garcia, 19, of Pleasanton, Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Westminster, Colorado; Karisa Raines, 21, of Fort Stockton, Texas; Laci Stone, 18, of Nocona, Texas; and Tiago Sousa, 18, of Algarve, Portugal.Critically injured aboard the van were Canadian students Dayton Price, 19, of Mississauga, Ontario, and Hayden Underhill, 20, of Amherstview, Ontario. Both were taken by helicopter to Lubbock, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) to the northeast.“They are both stable and recovering, and every day making more and more progress,” University of the Southwest Provost Ryan Tipton said Thursday.“One of the students is eating chicken soup,” said Tipton, calling their recovery a "game of inches.”Tipton said University President Quint Thurman visited the students’ parents at the hospital, illustrating the close community at the college with only about 350 on-campus students.A memorial was set up Wednesday at the golf course near campus where the team practices, with flowers, golf balls and a handmade sign. Counseling and religious services were made available on campus.About 150 people turned out Thursday evening to remember Jackson Zinn at Texas Roadhouse, a restaurant where he worked and met his girlfriend of five months.“We met here exactly at this table,” said Maddy Russell, 20, of Hobbs. “He was my heart.”The mourners released around 100 blue and orange balloons into the cold whipping wind of eastern New Mexico, which soon disappeared into the horizon.

Texas crash latest tragedy for family of young driver, dad

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — ​​South Carolina has given the greenlight to firing-squad executions, a method&nbsp;codified into state law&nbsp;last year after a decade-long pause in carrying out death sentences because of the state’s inability to procure lethal injection drugs.

The state Corrections Department said Friday that renovations have been completed on the death chamber in Columbia and that the agency had notified Attorney General Alan Wilson that it was able to carry out a firing-squad execution.

Lawmakers set about tweaking state law to get around the lethal injection drug situation. Legislation that went into effect in May made the electric chair the state’s primary means of execution while giving inmates the option of choosing death by firing squad or lethal injection, if those methods are available.

During South Carolina’s lengthy debate,&nbsp;Democratic state Sen. Dick Harpootlian — a prosecutor-turned-criminal-defense lawyer — introduced the firing squad option. He argued that it presented “the least painful” execution method available.

“The death penalty is going to stay the law here for a while,” Harpootlian said. “If we’re going to have it, it ought to be humane.”

According to officials, the death chamber now also includes a metal chair, with restraints, in the corner of the room in which inmates will sit if they choose execution by firing squad. That chair faces a wall with a rectangular opening, 15 feet away, through which the three shooters will fire their weapons.

State officials also have created protocols for carrying out the executions. The three shooters, all volunteers who are employees of the Corrections Department, will have rifles loaded with live ammunition, with their weapons trained on the inmate’s heart.

A hood will be placed over the head of the inmate, who will be given the opportunity to make a last statement.

According to officials, Corrections spent $53,600 on the renovations.

South Carolina is one of eight states to still use the electric chair and one of four to allow a firing squad, according to the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.

In June, the South Carolina Supreme Court blocked the planned executions of two inmates by electrocution, saying they cannot be put to death until they truly have the choice of a firing squad option set out in the state’s newly revised law.

The high court halted the scheduled executions of Brad Sigmon and Freddie Owens, writing that officials needed to put together a firing squad so that inmates could really choose between that or the electric chair. The state’s plans, the court wrote in an unanimous order, were on hold “due to the statutory right of inmates to elect the manner of their execution.”

Now that a firing squad has been formed, the court will need to issue a new order for any execution to be carried out.

The executions were scheduled less than a month after the passage of the new law. Prisons officials had previously said they still couldn’t obtain lethal injection drugs and have yet to put together a firing squad, leaving the 109-year-old electric chair as the only option.

Attorneys for the two men argued in legal filings that death by electrocution is cruel and unusual, saying the new law moves the state toward less humane execution methods. They have also said the men have the right to die by lethal injection — the method both of them chose — and that the state hasn’t exhausted all methods to procure lethal injection drugs.

Lawyers for the state have maintained that prisons officials are simply carrying out the law, and that the U.S. Supreme Court has never found electrocution to be unconstitutional.

South Carolina’s last execution took place in 2011, and its batch of lethal injection drugs expired two years later. There are 37 men on the state’s death row.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647689675337.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSCIATED PRESSCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — ​​South Carolina has given the greenlight to firing-squad executions, a method&nbsp;codified into state law&nbsp;last year after a decade-long pause in carrying out death sentences because of the state’s inability to procure lethal injection drugs.The state Corrections Department said Friday that renovations have been completed on the death chamber in Columbia and that the agency had notified Attorney General Alan Wilson that it was able to carry out a firing-squad execution.Lawmakers set about tweaking state law to get around the lethal injection drug situation. Legislation that went into effect in May made the electric chair the state’s primary means of execution while giving inmates the option of choosing death by firing squad or lethal injection, if those methods are available.During South Carolina’s lengthy debate,&nbsp;Democratic state Sen. Dick Harpootlian — a prosecutor-turned-criminal-defense lawyer — introduced the firing squad option. He argued that it presented “the least painful” execution method available.“The death penalty is going to stay the law here for a while,” Harpootlian said. “If we’re going to have it, it ought to be humane.”According to officials, the death chamber now also includes a metal chair, with restraints, in the corner of the room in which inmates will sit if they choose execution by firing squad. That chair faces a wall with a rectangular opening, 15 feet away, through which the three shooters will fire their weapons.State officials also have created protocols for carrying out the executions. The three shooters, all volunteers who are employees of the Corrections Department, will have rifles loaded with live ammunition, with their weapons trained on the inmate’s heart.A hood will be placed over the head of the inmate, who will be given the opportunity to make a last statement.According to officials, Corrections spent $53,600 on the renovations.South Carolina is one of eight states to still use the electric chair and one of four to allow a firing squad, according to the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.In June, the South Carolina Supreme Court blocked the planned executions of two inmates by electrocution, saying they cannot be put to death until they truly have the choice of a firing squad option set out in the state’s newly revised law.The high court halted the scheduled executions of Brad Sigmon and Freddie Owens, writing that officials needed to put together a firing squad so that inmates could really choose between that or the electric chair. The state’s plans, the court wrote in an unanimous order, were on hold “due to the statutory right of inmates to elect the manner of their execution.”Now that a firing squad has been formed, the court will need to issue a new order for any execution to be carried out.The executions were scheduled less than a month after the passage of the new law. Prisons officials had previously said they still couldn’t obtain lethal injection drugs and have yet to put together a firing squad, leaving the 109-year-old electric chair as the only option.Attorneys for the two men argued in legal filings that death by electrocution is cruel and unusual, saying the new law moves the state toward less humane execution methods. They have also said the men have the right to die by lethal injection — the method both of them chose — and that the state hasn’t exhausted all methods to procure lethal injection drugs.Lawyers for the state have maintained that prisons officials are simply carrying out the law, and that the U.S. Supreme Court has never found electrocution to be unconstitutional.South Carolina’s last execution took place in 2011, and its batch of lethal injection drugs expired two years later. There are 37 men on the state’s death row.

Firing-squad executions get the greenlight in South Carolina

KANSAS CITY (AP) — First-of-its-kind Missouri legislation shows that pro-life lawmakers in Republican-led states aren’t likely to stop at banning most abortions within their borders but also could try to make it harder to go out of state to end pregnancies.

A proposal that could be debated in the Legislature as soon as next week seeks to make it illegal to “aid or abet” abortions outlawed in Missouri, even if they are performed in other states.

Like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-health-abortion-government-and-politics-ba02cd7c3f02b1eb5c87094257ee4db2">a Texas law passed&nbsp;</a>last&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-health-abortion-government-and-politics-ba02cd7c3f02b1eb5c87094257ee4db2">year</a>, the bill puts enforcement in the hands of residents, who could file lawsuits against those they believe have violated it.

State Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman’s bill is aimed at a key frustration for abortion foes: people crossing state lines to avoid restrictions. The bill also targets a network of 90-plus groups across the U.S. that have sprung up specifically to preserve access to abortion.

The proposal comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide by June&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-united-states-mississippi-65751e1b9ca7d34f1458ffe9729f82b2">whether to overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion&nbsp;</a>and GOP-led states rush to pass more restrictions in anticipation that the landmark ruling could be tossed out.

“If the court does that, the ability to get an abortion will be on the line for everyone in America, and so we’re at a crisis point,” said Andrew Beck, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. “The Missouri bill crystallizes that as extreme and dangerous as that crisis is, it’s just the first step in politicians’ effort to outlaw abortions for everyone.”

Missouri lawmakers in 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/df05286364fb4ba6bfb501aea5c335d8">passed a law banning almost all abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned.</a>

Under Coleman’s measure, anything from driving women across state lines for abortions to internet providers allowing access to certain abortion-related websites would be outlawed. She said St. Louis-area billboards advertising easier-to-get abortions in neighboring Illinois would be banned, too.

“It’s trying to evade the laws of the state of Missouri,” said Coleman, a St. Louis-area Republican. “Abortion is a really brutal practice and Illinois has chosen not to, in any way, provide protections for the unborn and women, and so we’re trying to do everything we can to make sure Missourians are protected.”

For a clinic across the state line from St. Louis, 75% of the patients from September 2021 through February were from Missouri, according to the Planned Parenthood affiliate that operates it.

In the Kansas City area, the two clinics performing abortions are on the Kansas side. Missouri residents have traditionally accounted for a large percentage of the abortions performed in Kansas — 42% in 2020, the latest data available.

“We’re taking it (Coleman’s proposal) seriously because I think if we’ve learned anything from Missouri and also from what’s happened in Texas, it’s that laws that clearly violate an individual’s constitutional rights, rights that have been recognized and protected for decades, are now going into effect and impacting whether people can get care,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood affiliate that operates one of those Kansas City clinics.

Coleman’s proposal also would outlaw paying for a woman’s abortion or helping them get insurance coverage to pay for the procedure.

The Missouri Abortion Fund provided financial assistance to 1,866 Missouri residents seeking abortions last year — only two of them in Missouri. Its aid averaged $113, but Michele Landeau, its president, said it helped some people who were only $10 short of being able to pay for their procedures.

“It’s already so difficult to obtain abortion in Missouri and in a lot of parts of the country, and we don’t need additional threats to people’s lives and people’s livelihoods,” Landeau said.

While some legal experts doubt that Coleman’s proposal is constitutional, they also worry that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-texas-56fe96917e21b53b581005cb30db66e0">Supreme Court might refuse to intervene to stop it — just as it did with the Texas law.</a>

“It’s unclear to these states what they’re going to be able to do, and so I think they’re sort of throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks,” said Mary Ziegler, a Florida State University law professor.

The Missouri proposal comes as other Republican-led states consider laws like Texas,′ with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-business-lawsuits-51f006f5be4ac59b85c28a2d50f1710d">Idaho lawmakers passing</a>&nbsp;a similar measure this week.

“While this is the first, it could kick off similar measures elsewhere as states look to adopt more and more outrageous legislation,” said Elizabeth Nash, a policy expert for the abortion-rights supporting Guttmacher Institute.

John Seago, legislative director of Texas Right to Life, said women traveling to other states is “going to be a reality” if Roe v. Wade is overturned.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-coronavirus-pandemic-health-austin-texas-d85d715dc7f73a3cc4f1638df7ce4a14">Since Texas’ six-week ban took effect last year,&nbsp;</a>clinics in neighboring states have reported a sharp increase in the number of patients from that state.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1569156934026.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — First-of-its-kind Missouri legislation shows that pro-life lawmakers in Republican-led states aren’t likely to stop at banning most abortions within their borders but also could try to make it harder to go out of state to end pregnancies.A proposal that could be debated in the Legislature as soon as next week seeks to make it illegal to “aid or abet” abortions outlawed in Missouri, even if they are performed in other states.Like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-health-abortion-government-and-politics-ba02cd7c3f02b1eb5c87094257ee4db2">a Texas law passed&nbsp;</a>last&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-health-abortion-government-and-politics-ba02cd7c3f02b1eb5c87094257ee4db2">year</a>, the bill puts enforcement in the hands of residents, who could file lawsuits against those they believe have violated it.State Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman’s bill is aimed at a key frustration for abortion foes: people crossing state lines to avoid restrictions. The bill also targets a network of 90-plus groups across the U.S. that have sprung up specifically to preserve access to abortion.The proposal comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide by June&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-united-states-mississippi-65751e1b9ca7d34f1458ffe9729f82b2">whether to overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion&nbsp;</a>and GOP-led states rush to pass more restrictions in anticipation that the landmark ruling could be tossed out.“If the court does that, the ability to get an abortion will be on the line for everyone in America, and so we’re at a crisis point,” said Andrew Beck, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. “The Missouri bill crystallizes that as extreme and dangerous as that crisis is, it’s just the first step in politicians’ effort to outlaw abortions for everyone.”Missouri lawmakers in 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/df05286364fb4ba6bfb501aea5c335d8">passed a law banning almost all abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned.</a>Under Coleman’s measure, anything from driving women across state lines for abortions to internet providers allowing access to certain abortion-related websites would be outlawed. She said St. Louis-area billboards advertising easier-to-get abortions in neighboring Illinois would be banned, too.“It’s trying to evade the laws of the state of Missouri,” said Coleman, a St. Louis-area Republican. “Abortion is a really brutal practice and Illinois has chosen not to, in any way, provide protections for the unborn and women, and so we’re trying to do everything we can to make sure Missourians are protected.”For a clinic across the state line from St. Louis, 75% of the patients from September 2021 through February were from Missouri, according to the Planned Parenthood affiliate that operates it.In the Kansas City area, the two clinics performing abortions are on the Kansas side. Missouri residents have traditionally accounted for a large percentage of the abortions performed in Kansas — 42% in 2020, the latest data available.“We’re taking it (Coleman’s proposal) seriously because I think if we’ve learned anything from Missouri and also from what’s happened in Texas, it’s that laws that clearly violate an individual’s constitutional rights, rights that have been recognized and protected for decades, are now going into effect and impacting whether people can get care,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood affiliate that operates one of those Kansas City clinics.Coleman’s proposal also would outlaw paying for a woman’s abortion or helping them get insurance coverage to pay for the procedure.The Missouri Abortion Fund provided financial assistance to 1,866 Missouri residents seeking abortions last year — only two of them in Missouri. Its aid averaged $113, but Michele Landeau, its president, said it helped some people who were only $10 short of being able to pay for their procedures.“It’s already so difficult to obtain abortion in Missouri and in a lot of parts of the country, and we don’t need additional threats to people’s lives and people’s livelihoods,” Landeau said.While some legal experts doubt that Coleman’s proposal is constitutional, they also worry that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-texas-56fe96917e21b53b581005cb30db66e0">Supreme Court might refuse to intervene to stop it — just as it did with the Texas law.</a>“It’s unclear to these states what they’re going to be able to do, and so I think they’re sort of throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks,” said Mary Ziegler, a Florida State University law professor.The Missouri proposal comes as other Republican-led states consider laws like Texas,′ with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-business-lawsuits-51f006f5be4ac59b85c28a2d50f1710d">Idaho lawmakers passing</a>&nbsp;a similar measure this week.“While this is the first, it could kick off similar measures elsewhere as states look to adopt more and more outrageous legislation,” said Elizabeth Nash, a policy expert for the abortion-rights supporting Guttmacher Institute.John Seago, legislative director of Texas Right to Life, said women traveling to other states is “going to be a reality” if Roe v. Wade is overturned.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-coronavirus-pandemic-health-austin-texas-d85d715dc7f73a3cc4f1638df7ce4a14">Since Texas’ six-week ban took effect last year,&nbsp;</a>clinics in neighboring states have reported a sharp increase in the number of patients from that state.“This is something that the pro-life movement has to come to terms with and figure out what really is the proper response,” he said.Abortion-rights advocates said regardless of what happens with such laws in the courts, they can create fear or confusion.“We still get calls from Texas ... where they ask, ‘Is it even legal for me to call you?’” said Zack Gingrich-Gaylord, spokesperson for the abortion-rights group Trust Women, which operates clinics proving abortions in Wichita, Kansas, and Norman, Oklahoma.