OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A judge has refused to block Omaha’s new mask mandate. 

Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman on Tuesday declined to issue an injunction the state requested while its lawsuit challenging the mask rule continues.

 The state has argued that Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse didn’t have the authority to issue a mask mandate unless the state approved it beforehand. 

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services had rejected her previous requests. 

Huse has said she believes Omaha city code gives her the power to order the mask rule and the mandate is needed because of the surge in virus cases this month.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643166827968.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A judge has refused to block Omaha’s new mask mandate. Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman on Tuesday declined to issue an injunction the state requested while its lawsuit challenging the mask rule continues. The state has argued that Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse didn’t have the authority to issue a mask mandate unless the state approved it beforehand. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services had rejected her previous requests. Huse has said she believes Omaha city code gives her the power to order the mask rule and the mandate is needed because of the surge in virus cases this month.

Nebraska judge refuses to block Omaha's new mask mandate

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The trial of a man charged with killing a Lincoln police investigator will be moved out of Lancaster County.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lancaster County District Court Judge Andrew Jacobsen ordered Monday that 18-year-old Felipe Vazquez will be tried in Platte County. Vazquez is charged with first-degree murder and several other counts in the death of Lincoln police investigator Luis “Mario” Herrera, who was shot in August 2020. 

Vazquez's attorney argued in a motion that he could not receive a fair trial in Lancaster County because of extensive publicity surrounding Herrera's death and burial. 

Judge Jacobsen agreed and ordered the trial moved to Columbus in northeast Nebraska. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1567093537444.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The trial of a man charged with killing a Lincoln police investigator will be moved out of Lancaster County.&nbsp;&nbsp;Lancaster County District Court Judge Andrew Jacobsen ordered Monday that 18-year-old Felipe Vazquez will be tried in Platte County. Vazquez is charged with first-degree murder and several other counts in the death of Lincoln police investigator Luis “Mario” Herrera, who was shot in August 2020. Vazquez's attorney argued in a motion that he could not receive a fair trial in Lancaster County because of extensive publicity surrounding Herrera's death and burial. Judge Jacobsen agreed and ordered the trial moved to Columbus in northeast Nebraska. The trial is scheduled to start March 7.

Trial of man charged in Lincoln officer's death to be moved

The Biden administration has officially withdrawn a rule that would have required workers at big companies to get vaccinated or face regular COVID testing requirements.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed the withdrawal Tuesday. But the agency said it still strongly encourages workers to get vaccinated.

In early November, OSHA announced a vaccine-or-test mandate for companies with at least 100 employees. The rule __ which would have impacted more than 80 million U.S. workers __ was originally set to go into effect on Jan. 4.

But numerous states and business groups challenged the rule in court. On Jan. 13, the Supreme Court halted the plan. In a 6-3 ruling, the court’s conservative majority concluded that OSHA had overstepped its authority.

“OSHA has never before imposed such a mandate. Nor has Congress,″ the court’s majority wrote. ”Indeed, although Congress has enacted significant legislation addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, it has declined to enact any measure similar to what OSHA has promulgated here."

The justices left in place a vaccine mandate for health care providers who receive federal Medicare or Medicaid funding. That rule affects 10.4 million workers.

OSHA indicated that the rule could return in some form. While it is no longer an enforceable standard, it remains a proposed rule, OSHA said. In the meantime, the agency said it will prioritize the health care mandate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642678724173.png" alt="The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed the withdrawal Tuesday. But the agency said it still strongly encourages workers to get vaccinated-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed the withdrawal Tuesday. But the agency said it still strongly encourages workers to get vaccinated-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Business WriterThe Biden administration has officially withdrawn a rule that would have required workers at big companies to get vaccinated or face regular COVID testing requirements.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed the withdrawal Tuesday. But the agency said it still strongly encourages workers to get vaccinated.In early November, OSHA announced a vaccine-or-test mandate for companies with at least 100 employees. The rule __ which would have impacted more than 80 million U.S. workers __ was originally set to go into effect on Jan. 4.But numerous states and business groups challenged the rule in court. On Jan. 13, the Supreme Court halted the plan. In a 6-3 ruling, the court’s conservative majority concluded that OSHA had overstepped its authority.“OSHA has never before imposed such a mandate. Nor has Congress,″ the court’s majority wrote. ”Indeed, although Congress has enacted significant legislation addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, it has declined to enact any measure similar to what OSHA has promulgated here."The justices left in place a vaccine mandate for health care providers who receive federal Medicare or Medicaid funding. That rule affects 10.4 million workers.OSHA indicated that the rule could return in some form. While it is no longer an enforceable standard, it remains a proposed rule, OSHA said. In the meantime, the agency said it will prioritize the health care mandate.

Biden administration officially withdraws vaccine rule

By ERIC BERGER <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/with-a-vaccine-mandate-looming-nursing-homes-face-more-staffing-problems/">Kaiser Health News</a>

ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Jamie Smith, a staffing agency nurse who loves end-of-life care, said she has been warmly welcomed by staffers and residents at Frontier Health &amp; Rehabilitation in this conservative St. Louis suburb.

That’s even though she has not been vaccinated against covid-19.

But leaders of the nursing home, where 22 residents died from covid 
before vaccines were available, likely won’t be able to employ 
unvaccinated people like Smith for much longer. The <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/supreme-court-vaccine-mandate-ruling/">U.S. Supreme Court</a> on Jan. 13 upheld a <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-11-05/pdf/2021-23831.pdf">federal mandate</a>
 requiring health care workers at facilities that receive Medicaid or 
Medicare funding to be fully vaccinated. If all staffers — excluding 
those with approved religious or medical exemptions — aren’t fully 
vaccinated, the facility will lose that money.

Health care sites in Missouri and other states that challenged the 
federal requirement have until March 15 for their staffs to be fully 
vaccinated, according to the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid 
Services, while facilities in states that didn’t sue to block the 
mandate have a Feb. 28 deadline.

That poses a challenge for Frontier and its residents because the 
nursing home already doesn’t have enough staffers. And it is in the 
state with the lowest rate of fully vaccinated nursing home health care 
workers, 67% as of Jan. 9, according to CMS data. Frontier’s reported 
staff vaccination rate was just 30% at the start of the year.

That compares with a national rate of 81%, according to the federal data.

Although the mandate ensures that unvaccinated staff members are not 
caring for some of the people most vulnerable to the virus, not enough 
workers are willing to take the low-paying, challenging jobs. If they 
quit to avoid getting shots or are fired because they won’t get them, 
nursing home residents might not be any safer — because of lack of care.

“Obviously we need good staff members to take care of residents, but 
the residents need to be safe as well,” said Marjorie Moore, who 
supports the mandate and is executive director of Voyce, a St. Louis 
nonprofit that advocates for nursing home residents and their families.

“A person who lives in their own home has the chance to say, ‘I don’t
 want somebody in my home who isn’t vaccinated,’” she added. “In a 
nursing home, they don’t have the opportunity to say, ‘I don’t want 
somebody who is unvaccinated coming up and feeding me.’”

The problem of inadequate staffing at nursing homes predates the pandemic, and it’s gotten worse.

In March 2020, 3.3 million people were employed at U.S. nursing homes
 and residential care facilities, according to the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics. In December 2021, that number had dropped to 2.9 million, a 
loss of 400,000 workers.

Nursing home operators can’t find enough staffers because they often 
don’t pay much. The mean hourly wage for nursing assistants in Missouri 
was $13.33 in 2020, according to the statistics bureau. And the homes 
require employees to take on a slew of responsibilities, including 
feeding residents, changing adult diapers, and caring for residents who 
have dementia and may become combative.

Nursing assistants “can typically find a job with better pay that is less physically and emotionally demanding,” said <a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/people/26750101-brian-e-mcgarry">Brian McGarry</a>,
 a University of Rochester professor who studies long-term care. 
“Somebody’s life and dignity is in your hands, and it’s a huge 
responsibility, and you are not getting paid commensurate with that 
responsibility.”

Those downsides of the job often lead to significant turnover. In 2017-18, <a href="https://anderson-review.ucla.edu/codifying-the-nursing-home-industrys-elusive-alarming-turnover-rates/">the turnover rate</a> among nursing home employees in Missouri was 138%, the fourth-highest in the country, according to a <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00957">study in the journal Health Affairs</a>. Frontier had a rate of more than 300%, according to Huizi Yu, one of the study’s authors.

The nursing home’s management declined to comment.

Smith, the nurse who works for a health care staffing agency, said 
she has not been vaccinated against covid because she had a rare cancer 
in 2017 and is “very particular about what I put in my body.”

She said, “I’m not sure if I would be able to get it just to keep a job.”

But, she noted in a text message, “I still practice safely.”

And, indeed, no Frontier residents have died from covid since the 
outbreak at the start of the pandemic, according to the federal data. 
But the center reported having seven new confirmed cases among its 
residents and 10 new cases among its staff as of Jan. 9. At the 
beginning of the year, 89% of residents were fully vaccinated against 
covid.

Low vaccination levels among staffers place residents at greater risk, according to a <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2115674">recent analysis</a>
 in The New England Journal of Medicine. Facilities in high-covid 
counties with an average staff vaccination rate of approximately 30% had
 nearly three times as many covid deaths among residents as facilities 
where about 82% of employees were vaccinated, the analysis found.

“An unvaccinated or low-vaccinated staff, I think, pretty clearly 
puts residents at risk — even if they are vaccinated,” said McGarry, one
 of the analysis’s authors.

The vaccination rate has increased from fewer than half of Missouri 
nursing home staff members when President Joe Biden announced the 
mandate for nursing homes Aug. 18 to about two-thirds of staffers now, 
according to the federal data.

Like Frontier, Northview Village does not have enough staffers, and 
most people who work there have not been vaccinated. The facility — a 
nursing home in a predominantly Black, low-income north St. Louis 
neighborhood — held a vaccination drive in December to increase its 
roughly 20% staff vaccination rate, but the numbers did not rise, 
according to the federal data. And only half of residents were fully 
vaccinated.

The Northview management declined to comment.

Kimberly Watkins, a technician who works to keep Northview residents 
active, was reluctant to get any of the shots, in part because she heard
 the conspiracy theory that they contained a tracking chip. But she said
 she decided to go ahead and get vaccinated because she has asthma and 
high blood pressure. Co-workers told her their doctors said that they 
didn’t need the vaccine or that they may be allergic to it.

Now with the mandate taking effect, Moore, of the nonprofit Voyce, thinks most local nursing home staffers will comply.

She highlighted Mary, Queen and Mother Center, a Catholic nonprofit 
nursing home in St. Louis County, that announced its own mandate in 
August. Before its Sept. 30 deadline, the nursing home saw its staff 
vaccination rate increase from 67% to 92%, with the remainder being 
those with a medical or religious exemption, according to the 
organization. The facility retained almost all its staff.

Not everyone is worried about nursing home staffers being vaccinated, in part reflecting the community around them. Just <a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus/data/public-health/vaccine-county.php">55% of Missourians</a> are fully vaccinated.

“I’m not into forcing stuff on people,” said Antuan Diltz, a St. 
Louis firefighter whose mother is a 64-year-old retired nurse with 
dementia and diabetes living at Frontier. She received the vaccine; 
Diltz had not.

But others, like Bill Talton, who have family at Frontier hope more 
staffers will get the shots. Talton, a 77-year-old retired computer 
programmer, said he is happy with the care his younger brother, who has 
dementia, has received, although he sometimes couldn’t visit him during 
covid-related lockdowns.

“It’s kind of late in the game,” said Talton, who is fully vaccinated and received a booster. “They’ll get it done — I hope.”

KHN data editor Holly K. Hacker contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643123004196.png" alt="Nursing homes in Missouri like Frontier Health &amp; Rehabilitation in St. Charles risk losing funding from Medicaid and Medicare if their employees are not fully vaccinated by March 15. (Eric Berger for KHN)" />
 <figcaption>Nursing homes in Missouri like Frontier Health &amp; Rehabilitation in St. Charles risk losing funding from Medicaid and Medicare if their employees are not fully vaccinated by March 15. (Eric Berger for KHN)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIC BERGER <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/with-a-vaccine-mandate-looming-nursing-homes-face-more-staffing-problems/">Kaiser Health News</a>ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Jamie Smith, a staffing agency nurse who loves end-of-life care, said she has been warmly welcomed by staffers and residents at Frontier Health &amp; Rehabilitation in this conservative St. Louis suburb.That’s even though she has not been vaccinated against covid-19.But leaders of the nursing home, where 22 residents died from covid 
before vaccines were available, likely won’t be able to employ 
unvaccinated people like Smith for much longer. The <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/supreme-court-vaccine-mandate-ruling/">U.S. Supreme Court</a> on Jan. 13 upheld a <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-11-05/pdf/2021-23831.pdf">federal mandate</a>
 requiring health care workers at facilities that receive Medicaid or 
Medicare funding to be fully vaccinated. If all staffers — excluding 
those with approved religious or medical exemptions — aren’t fully 
vaccinated, the facility will lose that money.Health care sites in Missouri and other states that challenged the 
federal requirement have until March 15 for their staffs to be fully 
vaccinated, according to the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid 
Services, while facilities in states that didn’t sue to block the 
mandate have a Feb. 28 deadline.That poses a challenge for Frontier and its residents because the 
nursing home already doesn’t have enough staffers. And it is in the 
state with the lowest rate of fully vaccinated nursing home health care 
workers, 67% as of Jan. 9, according to CMS data. Frontier’s reported 
staff vaccination rate was just 30% at the start of the year.That compares with a national rate of 81%, according to the federal data.<div><iframe title="Nursing Home Staff Vaccination Rates Vary Widely" aria-label="Map" id="datawrapper-chart-hs29A" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/hs29A/10/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="686"></div>Although the mandate ensures that unvaccinated staff members are not 
caring for some of the people most vulnerable to the virus, not enough 
workers are willing to take the low-paying, challenging jobs. If they 
quit to avoid getting shots or are fired because they won’t get them, 
nursing home residents might not be any safer — because of lack of care.“Obviously we need good staff members to take care of residents, but 
the residents need to be safe as well,” said Marjorie Moore, who 
supports the mandate and is executive director of Voyce, a St. Louis 
nonprofit that advocates for nursing home residents and their families.“A person who lives in their own home has the chance to say, ‘I don’t
 want somebody in my home who isn’t vaccinated,’” she added. “In a 
nursing home, they don’t have the opportunity to say, ‘I don’t want 
somebody who is unvaccinated coming up and feeding me.’”The problem of inadequate staffing at nursing homes predates the pandemic, and it’s gotten worse.In March 2020, 3.3 million people were employed at U.S. nursing homes
 and residential care facilities, according to the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics. In December 2021, that number had dropped to 2.9 million, a 
loss of 400,000 workers.Nursing home operators can’t find enough staffers because they often 
don’t pay much. The mean hourly wage for nursing assistants in Missouri 
was $13.33 in 2020, according to the statistics bureau. And the homes 
require employees to take on a slew of responsibilities, including 
feeding residents, changing adult diapers, and caring for residents who 
have dementia and may become combative.Nursing assistants “can typically find a job with better pay that is less physically and emotionally demanding,” said <a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/people/26750101-brian-e-mcgarry">Brian McGarry</a>,
 a University of Rochester professor who studies long-term care. 
“Somebody’s life and dignity is in your hands, and it’s a huge 
responsibility, and you are not getting paid commensurate with that 
responsibility.”Those downsides of the job often lead to significant turnover. In 2017-18, <a href="https://anderson-review.ucla.edu/codifying-the-nursing-home-industrys-elusive-alarming-turnover-rates/">the turnover rate</a> among nursing home employees in Missouri was 138%, the fourth-highest in the country, according to a <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00957">study in the journal Health Affairs</a>. Frontier had a rate of more than 300%, according to Huizi Yu, one of the study’s authors.The nursing home’s management declined to comment.Smith, the nurse who works for a health care staffing agency, said 
she has not been vaccinated against covid because she had a rare cancer 
in 2017 and is “very particular about what I put in my body.”She said, “I’m not sure if I would be able to get it just to keep a job.”But, she noted in a text message, “I still practice safely.”And, indeed, no Frontier residents have died from covid since the 
outbreak at the start of the pandemic, according to the federal data. 
But the center reported having seven new confirmed cases among its 
residents and 10 new cases among its staff as of Jan. 9. At the 
beginning of the year, 89% of residents were fully vaccinated against 
covid.Low vaccination levels among staffers place residents at greater risk, according to a <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2115674">recent analysis</a>
 in The New England Journal of Medicine. Facilities in high-covid 
counties with an average staff vaccination rate of approximately 30% had
 nearly three times as many covid deaths among residents as facilities 
where about 82% of employees were vaccinated, the analysis found.“An unvaccinated or low-vaccinated staff, I think, pretty clearly 
puts residents at risk — even if they are vaccinated,” said McGarry, one
 of the analysis’s authors.The vaccination rate has increased from fewer than half of Missouri 
nursing home staff members when President Joe Biden announced the 
mandate for nursing homes Aug. 18 to about two-thirds of staffers now, 
according to the federal data.Like Frontier, Northview Village does not have enough staffers, and 
most people who work there have not been vaccinated. The facility — a 
nursing home in a predominantly Black, low-income north St. Louis 
neighborhood — held a vaccination drive in December to increase its 
roughly 20% staff vaccination rate, but the numbers did not rise, 
according to the federal data. And only half of residents were fully 
vaccinated.The Northview management declined to comment.Kimberly Watkins, a technician who works to keep Northview residents 
active, was reluctant to get any of the shots, in part because she heard
 the conspiracy theory that they contained a tracking chip. But she said
 she decided to go ahead and get vaccinated because she has asthma and 
high blood pressure. Co-workers told her their doctors said that they 
didn’t need the vaccine or that they may be allergic to it.Now with the mandate taking effect, Moore, of the nonprofit Voyce, thinks most local nursing home staffers will comply.She highlighted Mary, Queen and Mother Center, a Catholic nonprofit 
nursing home in St. Louis County, that announced its own mandate in 
August. Before its Sept. 30 deadline, the nursing home saw its staff 
vaccination rate increase from 67% to 92%, with the remainder being 
those with a medical or religious exemption, according to the 
organization. The facility retained almost all its staff.Not everyone is worried about nursing home staffers being vaccinated, in part reflecting the community around them. Just <a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus/data/public-health/vaccine-county.php">55% of Missourians</a> are fully vaccinated.“I’m not into forcing stuff on people,” said Antuan Diltz, a St. 
Louis firefighter whose mother is a 64-year-old retired nurse with 
dementia and diabetes living at Frontier. She received the vaccine; 
Diltz had not.But others, like Bill Talton, who have family at Frontier hope more 
staffers will get the shots. Talton, a 77-year-old retired computer 
programmer, said he is happy with the care his younger brother, who has 
dementia, has received, although he sometimes couldn’t visit him during 
covid-related lockdowns.“It’s kind of late in the game,” said Talton, who is fully vaccinated and received a booster. “They’ll get it done — I hope.”KHN data editor Holly K. Hacker contributed to this report.

With vaccine mandate looming, nursing homes face staffing crisis

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has issued its first clean energy loan guarantee, reviving an Obama-era program that helped launch the country’s first utility-scale wind and solar farms a decade ago but has largely gone dormant in recent years.

The Energy Department said it would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energy.gov/lpo/articles/open-business-lpo-issues-new-conditional-commitment-loan-guarantee" target="_blank">guarantee up to $1 billion in loans to help a Nebraska company scale up production of “clean” hydrogen</a>&nbsp;to convert natural gas into commercial products used in manufacturing and agriculture.

The revived loan program is part of President Joe Biden’s efforts to slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, amid legislative gridlock that has stalled a $2 trillion package of social and environmental initiatives. It’s among the tools he can use without new legislation.

Under President Barack Obama, the program boosted Tesla’s efforts to become a behemoth in electric cars, but it stumbled after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barack-obama-archive-economic-stimulus-30189ac3d2eb4daf926f2575cf6d0874">California solar company Solyndra failed&nbsp;</a>soon after receiving federal aid a decade ago, costing taxpayers more than $500 million. Republicans and other critics seized on Solyndra as an example of wasteful spending under Obama’s stimulus program.

The aid to Lincoln-based Monolith Inc. is the program’s first non-nuclear loan guarantee since 2016.

Monolith produces “carbon black,” a powdery substance that enhances tires and other rubber products, and hydrogen used in ammonia-based fertilizer.

Monolith says it can create both products while vastly shrinking their greenhouse gas emissions. The company plans to use the Energy Department guarantee to finance a major expansion of its existing Hallam, Nebraska, plant that produces hydrogen and carbon black.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm hailed the announcement as a sign the once-high profile loan program is back in business and ready to support deployment of clean energy, from biofuels to nuclear power and offshore wind.

“Advanced, clean production technology like Monolith’s are the types of impactful projects that support not just sustainability, but economic growth and clean energy jobs for the American people,” Granholm said.

Monolith will use the loan guarantees to “develop the innovation needed to help lead the clean energy transition, while also creating high-paying green jobs and strengthening our nation’s supply chain,” said Rob Hanson, the company’s co-founder and CEO.

Jigar Shah, who took over as director of the loan program office last year, said the program has drawn over 70 applications valued at more than $60 billion. The new bipartisan infrastructure law expanded the program’s authority and broadened the pool of eligible borrowers. The agency has access to roughly $40 billion in loan authority and expects to make an array of loan commitments in 2022, Shah said.

While&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-steven-chu-8ddaf26f98424eae9dbf733da62c1427">Tesla</a>&nbsp;and Solyndra are the best known examples, the loan office manages over 30 projects worth more than $30 billion and generates $500 million in interest income for the federal government every year, Shah said.

“We have a track record of our projects being winners,″ he said in an interview. “And I know that we get a lot of press on the ones who don’t succeed,″ but the program has suffered just over $1 billion in losses since 2011, or roughly 3.3% of its investment, a figure Shah said is on par with commercial banks.

“Many people think we’re not taking enough risk,″ he said. ”But we’re in line with the best of the best.″

Some companies that apply for assistance “want the Loan Program Office to be sort of your fairy godmother in Cinderella, where you show up in rags and I create a carriage for you out of a pumpkin and turn all the mice into horses and all that stuff,″ Shah said. “But it’s just not the way it works.″

A former clean-energy entrepreneur who founded the SunEdison solar company, Shah said he understands the mindset of loan applicants —“you sell the dream, right?” — but says his job as a government official is to provide a reality check even as he offers assistance.

“Tell me how you’re going to make the mice into horses, and pumpkins into a carriage and the rags into a beautiful dress,″ he said, continuing the metaphor. “What processes and procedures have you learned to put in place? How are you going to protect my money?″

The loan guarantee program “is not intended to be a subsidy. It’s intended to be market-rate debt,″ Shah said.

Monolith is the first-ever commercial-scale project to deploy a technology known as methane pyrolysis, which converts natural gas into carbon black and hydrogen. While carbon black typically emits large volumes of carbon dioxide and other gases, Monolith says its technologies aim to reduce greenhouse gases by up to 80% compared to traditional production.

Robert Howarth, professor of ecology and environmental biology at Cornell University, said he is “highly skeptical that this can be done with low emissions,″ adding that he was “very disappointed” at the Energy Department’s action.

“I very much doubt that emission reductions will be anywhere near that large when the upstream fugitive methane emissions are included,″ Howarth said in an email.

Howarth and Stanford professor Mark Jacobson published a research paper last year questioning climate benefits of so-called blue hydrogen produced from natural gas. “Emissions from blue hydrogen are worse than if one simply burned natural gas for the energy instead,″ Howarth said.

Shah called Howarth a friend, but said he is confident Monolith can meets its projections on carbon pollution.

“Even with the worst case scenario, and methane leakage, we still have 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions versus the business as usual processes,″ he said.

Monolith said it would create about 1,000 jobs to support expansion of its hydrogen plant

Goodyear Tire &amp; Rubber Co., one of two tiremakers that has signed a letter of intent to purchase the carbon black, said in a statement it was “excited” to work with Monolith to reduce its carbon footprint.

“As the only U.S.-headquartered tire manufacturer, it’s especially rewarding to be at the connection point of significant U.S. innovation with Monolith” and the Energy Department, said Richard Kramer, Goodyear’s chairman and CEO.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643137209562.png" alt="The revived loan program is part of President Joe Biden’s efforts to slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The revived loan program is part of President Joe Biden’s efforts to slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has issued its first clean energy loan guarantee, reviving an Obama-era program that helped launch the country’s first utility-scale wind and solar farms a decade ago but has largely gone dormant in recent years.The Energy Department said it would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energy.gov/lpo/articles/open-business-lpo-issues-new-conditional-commitment-loan-guarantee" target="_blank">guarantee up to $1 billion in loans to help a Nebraska company scale up production of “clean” hydrogen</a>&nbsp;to convert natural gas into commercial products used in manufacturing and agriculture.The revived loan program is part of President Joe Biden’s efforts to slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, amid legislative gridlock that has stalled a $2 trillion package of social and environmental initiatives. It’s among the tools he can use without new legislation.Under President Barack Obama, the program boosted Tesla’s efforts to become a behemoth in electric cars, but it stumbled after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barack-obama-archive-economic-stimulus-30189ac3d2eb4daf926f2575cf6d0874">California solar company Solyndra failed&nbsp;</a>soon after receiving federal aid a decade ago, costing taxpayers more than $500 million. Republicans and other critics seized on Solyndra as an example of wasteful spending under Obama’s stimulus program.The aid to Lincoln-based Monolith Inc. is the program’s first non-nuclear loan guarantee since 2016.Monolith produces “carbon black,” a powdery substance that enhances tires and other rubber products, and hydrogen used in ammonia-based fertilizer.Monolith says it can create both products while vastly shrinking their greenhouse gas emissions. The company plans to use the Energy Department guarantee to finance a major expansion of its existing Hallam, Nebraska, plant that produces hydrogen and carbon black.Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm hailed the announcement as a sign the once-high profile loan program is back in business and ready to support deployment of clean energy, from biofuels to nuclear power and offshore wind.“Advanced, clean production technology like Monolith’s are the types of impactful projects that support not just sustainability, but economic growth and clean energy jobs for the American people,” Granholm said.Monolith will use the loan guarantees to “develop the innovation needed to help lead the clean energy transition, while also creating high-paying green jobs and strengthening our nation’s supply chain,” said Rob Hanson, the company’s co-founder and CEO.Jigar Shah, who took over as director of the loan program office last year, said the program has drawn over 70 applications valued at more than $60 billion. The new bipartisan infrastructure law expanded the program’s authority and broadened the pool of eligible borrowers. The agency has access to roughly $40 billion in loan authority and expects to make an array of loan commitments in 2022, Shah said.While&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-steven-chu-8ddaf26f98424eae9dbf733da62c1427">Tesla</a>&nbsp;and Solyndra are the best known examples, the loan office manages over 30 projects worth more than $30 billion and generates $500 million in interest income for the federal government every year, Shah said.“We have a track record of our projects being winners,″ he said in an interview. “And I know that we get a lot of press on the ones who don’t succeed,″ but the program has suffered just over $1 billion in losses since 2011, or roughly 3.3% of its investment, a figure Shah said is on par with commercial banks.“Many people think we’re not taking enough risk,″ he said. ”But we’re in line with the best of the best.″Some companies that apply for assistance “want the Loan Program Office to be sort of your fairy godmother in Cinderella, where you show up in rags and I create a carriage for you out of a pumpkin and turn all the mice into horses and all that stuff,″ Shah said. “But it’s just not the way it works.″A former clean-energy entrepreneur who founded the SunEdison solar company, Shah said he understands the mindset of loan applicants —“you sell the dream, right?” — but says his job as a government official is to provide a reality check even as he offers assistance.“Tell me how you’re going to make the mice into horses, and pumpkins into a carriage and the rags into a beautiful dress,″ he said, continuing the metaphor. “What processes and procedures have you learned to put in place? How are you going to protect my money?″The loan guarantee program “is not intended to be a subsidy. It’s intended to be market-rate debt,″ Shah said.Monolith is the first-ever commercial-scale project to deploy a technology known as methane pyrolysis, which converts natural gas into carbon black and hydrogen. While carbon black typically emits large volumes of carbon dioxide and other gases, Monolith says its technologies aim to reduce greenhouse gases by up to 80% compared to traditional production.Robert Howarth, professor of ecology and environmental biology at Cornell University, said he is “highly skeptical that this can be done with low emissions,″ adding that he was “very disappointed” at the Energy Department’s action.“I very much doubt that emission reductions will be anywhere near that large when the upstream fugitive methane emissions are included,″ Howarth said in an email.Howarth and Stanford professor Mark Jacobson published a research paper last year questioning climate benefits of so-called blue hydrogen produced from natural gas. “Emissions from blue hydrogen are worse than if one simply burned natural gas for the energy instead,″ Howarth said.Shah called Howarth a friend, but said he is confident Monolith can meets its projections on carbon pollution.“Even with the worst case scenario, and methane leakage, we still have 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions versus the business as usual processes,″ he said.Monolith said it would create about 1,000 jobs to support expansion of its hydrogen plantGoodyear Tire &amp; Rubber Co., one of two tiremakers that has signed a letter of intent to purchase the carbon black, said in a statement it was “excited” to work with Monolith to reduce its carbon footprint.“As the only U.S.-headquartered tire manufacturer, it’s especially rewarding to be at the connection point of significant U.S. innovation with Monolith” and the Energy Department, said Richard Kramer, Goodyear’s chairman and CEO.

Biden revives 'clean energy' program with $1B loan guarantee

Pfizer is enrolling healthy adults to test a reformulated COVID-19 vaccine that matches the hugely contagious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-can-i-protect-myself-from-omicron-variant-c4e5662a36708a594c454b171ab93bd0">omicron variant</a>, to see how it compares with the original shots.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced the study on Tuesday.

COVID-19 vaccine-makers have been updating their shots to better match omicron in case global health authorities decide the change is needed.

Omicron is more likely than previous variants to cause infection even in people who’ve been vaccinated, but it’s not yet clear that a change to the vaccine recipe will be ordered. Among the issues regulators are weighing: Some of the first places to face an omicron surge already are seeing the mutant wane — and there’s no way to know if the next variant that arises will resemble omicron or be totally different.

The original vaccines still offer good protection against severe illness and death. Studies in the U.S. and elsewhere have made clear that adding a booster dose strengthens that protection and improves the chances of avoiding even a milder infection.

“We recognize the need to be prepared in the event this protection wanes over time and to potentially help address omicron and new variants in the future,” Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer’s vaccine research chief, said in a statement.

The new U.S. study will include up to 1,420 volunteers ages 18 to 55 to test the updated omicron-based shots for use as a booster or for primary vaccinations. Researchers will examine the tweaked vaccine’s safety and how it revs up the immune system in comparison to the original shots.

Full study results will take many months as volunteers receive multiple vaccine doses — and as researchers measure how long virus-fighting antibodies remain at high levels after an omicron-adapted dose versus the regular booster.

Pfizer’s CEO told CNBC earlier this month that the company could have some omicron-matched doses ready as early as March. But doing what the company calls “at-risk” manufacturing doesn’t mean those doses will be rolled out to the public. Pfizer and other vaccine makers also have brewed and tested experimental doses to match previous variants, changes that ultimately weren’t needed but offered valuable practice at tweaking the recipe.

For the new study, one group of about 600 volunteers who received two doses of the current Pfizer vaccine three to six months ago will receive either one or two omicron-based shots as boosters. Another 600 who have already gotten three regular doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be given a fourth dose of either the regular vaccine or the omicron-matched version.

The study also will enroll some unvaccinated volunteers who will receive three doses of the omicron-based vaccine.

Pfizer plans to produce 4 billion vaccine doses in 2022, and said Tuesday the amount isn’t expected to change if an omicron-adapted version is needed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604926559777.png" alt="Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced the study on Tuesday.-photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced the study on Tuesday.-photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURAN NEERGAARD, Associated PressPfizer is enrolling healthy adults to test a reformulated COVID-19 vaccine that matches the hugely contagious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-can-i-protect-myself-from-omicron-variant-c4e5662a36708a594c454b171ab93bd0">omicron variant</a>, to see how it compares with the original shots.Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced the study on Tuesday.COVID-19 vaccine-makers have been updating their shots to better match omicron in case global health authorities decide the change is needed.Omicron is more likely than previous variants to cause infection even in people who’ve been vaccinated, but it’s not yet clear that a change to the vaccine recipe will be ordered. Among the issues regulators are weighing: Some of the first places to face an omicron surge already are seeing the mutant wane — and there’s no way to know if the next variant that arises will resemble omicron or be totally different.The original vaccines still offer good protection against severe illness and death. Studies in the U.S. and elsewhere have made clear that adding a booster dose strengthens that protection and improves the chances of avoiding even a milder infection.“We recognize the need to be prepared in the event this protection wanes over time and to potentially help address omicron and new variants in the future,” Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer’s vaccine research chief, said in a statement.The new U.S. study will include up to 1,420 volunteers ages 18 to 55 to test the updated omicron-based shots for use as a booster or for primary vaccinations. Researchers will examine the tweaked vaccine’s safety and how it revs up the immune system in comparison to the original shots.Full study results will take many months as volunteers receive multiple vaccine doses — and as researchers measure how long virus-fighting antibodies remain at high levels after an omicron-adapted dose versus the regular booster.Pfizer’s CEO told CNBC earlier this month that the company could have some omicron-matched doses ready as early as March. But doing what the company calls “at-risk” manufacturing doesn’t mean those doses will be rolled out to the public. Pfizer and other vaccine makers also have brewed and tested experimental doses to match previous variants, changes that ultimately weren’t needed but offered valuable practice at tweaking the recipe.For the new study, one group of about 600 volunteers who received two doses of the current Pfizer vaccine three to six months ago will receive either one or two omicron-based shots as boosters. Another 600 who have already gotten three regular doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be given a fourth dose of either the regular vaccine or the omicron-matched version.The study also will enroll some unvaccinated volunteers who will receive three doses of the omicron-based vaccine.Pfizer plans to produce 4 billion vaccine doses in 2022, and said Tuesday the amount isn’t expected to change if an omicron-adapted version is needed.___

Pfizer begins testing omicron-matched COVID shots in adults

KANSAS CITY(AP) — Police in Kansas City are investigating the city’s latest shooting death after officers found a woman fatally wounded on a sidewalk early Tuesday.

The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in the northeastern section of the city, police said in a news release. Officers called to the scene found the woman unresponsive on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound. Paramedics declared her dead at the scene.

Her name was not immediately released. Police have not announced any arrests or suspects in the case.

Detectives were canvassing the area for witnesses, and and crime scene officials were processing the scene for evidence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643129663292.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation early Tuesday -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation early Tuesday -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY(AP) — Police in Kansas City are investigating the city’s latest shooting death after officers found a woman fatally wounded on a sidewalk early Tuesday.The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in the northeastern section of the city, police said in a news release. Officers called to the scene found the woman unresponsive on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound. Paramedics declared her dead at the scene.Her name was not immediately released. Police have not announced any arrests or suspects in the case.Detectives were canvassing the area for witnesses, and and crime scene officials were processing the scene for evidence.

Police find woman fatally wounded on sidewalk in Kansas City

The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating an incident that occurred overnight in Adams that led to a standoff of several hours.

At approximately 9:50 p.m. Monday, the Gage County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the NSP SWAT Team in response to an ongoing situation on Elm Street in Adams. Deputies had previously responded to a domestic violence incident after receiving a 911 call from the victim. The victim reported that her husband had hit her several times and pointed a gun at her. When he pointed the gun at her, she pushed it away, but the man fired the weapon, striking the victim in the hand. At that point she was able to flee the home to safety. Her children were also able to flee the home unharmed.

After the NSP SWAT Team was activated, numerous attempts were made to contact the suspect. No contact was established, and the SWAT team breached the front door using a light armored vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the suspect was located inside the home, deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The entire incident lasted approximately nine hours.

The suspect’s name is being withheld at this time pending notification of next of kin. The victim was transported to Bryan Medical Center West Campus in Lincoln for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The children are with family. No law enforcement officers were injured.

The Gage County Attorney has requested that NSP investigate the incident. NSP was assisted by the Gage County Sheriff’s Office, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Adams Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Lincoln Fire and Rescue, and the Gage County Attorney’s Office. The investigation is ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643125312767.png" alt="Google Maps" />
 <figcaption>Google Maps</figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Nebraska State PatrolThe Nebraska State Patrol is investigating an incident that occurred overnight in Adams that led to a standoff of several hours.At approximately 9:50 p.m. Monday, the Gage County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the NSP SWAT Team in response to an ongoing situation on Elm Street in Adams. Deputies had previously responded to a domestic violence incident after receiving a 911 call from the victim. The victim reported that her husband had hit her several times and pointed a gun at her. When he pointed the gun at her, she pushed it away, but the man fired the weapon, striking the victim in the hand. At that point she was able to flee the home to safety. Her children were also able to flee the home unharmed.After the NSP SWAT Team was activated, numerous attempts were made to contact the suspect. No contact was established, and the SWAT team breached the front door using a light armored vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the suspect was located inside the home, deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The entire incident lasted approximately nine hours.The suspect’s name is being withheld at this time pending notification of next of kin. The victim was transported to Bryan Medical Center West Campus in Lincoln for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The children are with family. No law enforcement officers were injured.The Gage County Attorney has requested that NSP investigate the incident. NSP was assisted by the Gage County Sheriff’s Office, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Adams Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Lincoln Fire and Rescue, and the Gage County Attorney’s Office. The investigation is ongoing.

Standoff ends in Adams after several hours

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert Monday to potentially deploy to Europe as part of a NATO “response force” amid growing concern that Russia could soon make a military move on Ukraine. President Joe Biden consulted with key European leaders, underscoring U.S. solidarity with allies there.

Putting the U.S.-based troops on heightened alert for Europe suggested diminishing hope that Russian President Vladimir Putin will back away from what Biden himself has said looks like a threat to invade neighboring Ukraine.

At stake, beyond the future of Ukraine, is the credibility of a NATO alliance that is central to U.S. defense strategy but that Putin views as a Cold War relic and a threat to Russian security. For Biden, the crisis represents a major test of his ability to forge a united&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-russia-vladimir-putin-soviet-union-europe-32b8a914ad4debba6c3231738a5f5a36">allied stance against Putin.</a>

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said about 8,500 U.S.-based troops are being put on alert for possible deployment — not to Ukraine but to NATO territory in Eastern Europe as part of an alliance force meant to signal a unified commitment to deter any wider Putin aggression.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-britain-intelligence-claims-8342b5b5aafd6a095d2e427d3e4201c5">Russia denies it is planning an invasion.</a>&nbsp;It says Western accusations are merely a cover for NATO’s own planned provocations. Recent days have seen high-stakes diplomacy that has failed to reach any breakthrough, and key players in the drama are making moves that suggest fear of imminent war. Biden has sought to strike a balance between actions meant to deter Putin and those that might provide the Russian leader with an opening to use the huge force he has assembled at Ukraine’s border.

Biden held an 80-minute video call with several European leaders on the Russian military buildup and potential responses to an invasion.

“I had a very, very, very good meeting -- total unanimity with all the European leaders,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “We’ll talk about it later.”

The White House said the leaders emphasized their desire for a diplomatic solution to the crisis but also discussed efforts to deter further Russian aggression, “including preparations to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs on Russia for such actions as well as to reinforce security on NATO’s eastern flank.”

A day earlier, the State Department had ordered the families of all American personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv to leave the country, and it said that nonessential embassy staff could leave at U.S. government expense.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Oleg Nikolenko, said that U.S. decision was “a premature step” and a sign of “excessive caution.” He said Russia was sowing panic among Ukrainians and foreigners in order to destabilize Ukraine.

Britain said it, too, was withdrawing some diplomats and dependents from its Kyiv Embassy. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said an invasion was not inevitable but “the intelligence is pretty gloomy.”

Ordering even a modest number of American troops to be ready for potential deployment to Europe is meant to demonstrate U.S. resolve to support its NATO allies, particularly those in Eastern Europe who feel threatened by Russia and worry that Putin could put them in his crosshairs.

“What this is about is reassurance to our NATO allies,” Kirby told a Pentagon news conference, adding that no troops are intended for deployment to Ukraine, which is not a member of the alliance but has been assured by Washington of continued U.S. political support and arms supplies.

The Pentagon’s move, which was done at Biden’s direction and on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recommendation, is being made in tandem with actions by other NATO member governments to bolster a defensive presence in Eastern European nations. Denmark, for example, is sending a frigate and F-16 warplanes to Lithuania; Spain is sending four fighter jets to Bulgaria and three ships to the Black Sea to join NATO naval forces, and France stands ready to send troops to Romania.

In a statement prior to Kirby’s announcement, NATO said the Netherlands plans to send two F-35 fighter aircraft to Bulgaria in April and is putting a ship and land-based units on standby for NATO’s Response Force.

NATO has not made a decision to activate the Response Force, which consists of about 40,000 troops from multiple nations. That force was enhanced in 2014 — the year Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula and intervened in support of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine — by creating a “spearhead force” of about 20,000 troops on extra-high alert within the larger Response Force.

If NATO does decide to activate the Response Force, the United States will contribute a range of military units, Kirby said.

“It is a NATO call to make,” Kirby said. “For our part, we wanted to make sure that we were ready in case that call should come. And that means making sure that units that would contribute to it are as ready as they can be on as short a notice as possible.”

He said some units will be ordered to be ready to deploy on as little as five days’ notice. Among the 8,500 troops, an unspecified number could be sent to Europe for purposes other than supporting the NATO Response Force, he said. Without providing details, he said they might be deployed “if other situations develop.”

Prior to the U.S. announcement, NATO issued a statement summing up moves already described by member countries. Restating them under the NATO banner appeared aimed at showing resolve. The West is ramping up its rhetoric in the information war that has accompanied the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-russia-vladimir-putin-soviet-union-europe-32b8a914ad4debba6c3231738a5f5a36">Ukraine standoff</a>.

Russia has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-vladimir-putin-moscow-united-states-5fbc86c84dfeb604ebe12e47a753bdcb">massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s border,</a>&nbsp;demanding that NATO promise it will never allow Ukraine to join and that other actions, such as stationing alliance troops in former Soviet bloc countries, be curtailed.

NATO said Monday it is bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region.

The alliance will “take all necessary measures to protect and defend all allies,” Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. “We will always respond to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defense.”

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was NATO and the U.S. who were behind the escalating tensions, not Russia.

“All this is happening not because of what we, Russia, are doing. This is happening because of what NATO, the U.S. are doing,” Peskov told reporters.

The NATO announcement came as European Union foreign ministers sought to put on their own fresh display of unity in support of Ukraine, and paper over concerns about divisions on the best way to confront any Russian aggression.

In a statement, the ministers said the EU has stepped up sanction preparations, and they warned that “any further military aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have massive consequences and severe costs.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — At President Joe Biden’s direction, the Pentagon is putting about 8,500 U.S.-based troops on heightened alert for potential deployment to Europe to reassure allies amid rising fears of a possible Russian military move on Ukraine.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday no final decisions had been made on deployments, which he said would happen only if the NATO alliance decides to activate a rapid-response force “or if other situations develop” in connection with tensions over Russia’s military buildup along Ukraine’s borders.

“What this is about is reassurance to our NATO allies,” Kirby said, adding that no troops are intended for deployment to Ukraine itself.

Kirby said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recommended to Biden that about 8,500 troops be ordered to prepare for potential deployment to Europe in light of signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not de-escalating his military pressure on Ukraine. Kirby said he was not prepared to identify the U.S.-based units because they were still being notified.

“We’ve always said we would reinforce our allies on the eastern flank, and those conversations and discussions have certainly been part of what our national security officials have been discussing with their counterparts now for several weeks,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

Later Monday, Biden was to hold a video call with several European leaders on the Russian military buildup and potential responses to an invasion, the White House said.

Kirby said Austin was anticipating the potential for NATO to activate what it calls the NATO Response Force, a multinational force totaling about 40,000 troops. Most of the 8,500 U.S. troops being put on higher alert would be sent as part of that response force, if it’s activated, Kirby said. He added that he could not rule out that U.S. troops already based in Europe could be shifted east as further reinforcements.

As an example of the effect of Austin’s order to make U.S.-based units more prepared for deployment, Kirby said that those currently required to be ready to move on 10-days notice will be required to be ready on 5-days notice.

The Pentagon’s move comes as tensions have soared between Russia and the West over concerns that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine, with NATO outlining potential troop and ship deployments, Britain saying it would withdraw some diplomats from Kyiv, and Ireland denouncing upcoming Russian war games off its coast.

Prior to the U.S. announcement, the Western alliance’s statement summed up moves already described by member countries, but restating them under the NATO banner appeared aimed at showing resolve. The West is ramping up its rhetoric in the information war that has accompanied the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-russia-vladimir-putin-soviet-union-europe-32b8a914ad4debba6c3231738a5f5a36">Ukraine standoff</a>.

Russia has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-vladimir-putin-moscow-united-states-5fbc86c84dfeb604ebe12e47a753bdcb">massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s border,</a>&nbsp;demanding that NATO promise it will never allow Ukraine to join and that other actions, such as stationing alliance troops in former Soviet bloc countries, be curtailed. Some of these, like any pledge to permanently bar Ukraine, are nonstarters for NATO — creating a deadlock that many fear can only end in war.

Russia denies it is planning an invasion, and says the Western accusations are merely a cover for NATO’s own planned provocations. Recent days have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sergey-lavrov-moscow-russia-europe-f7a3da26cb574ce4beaf5616573f16c0">high-stakes diplomacy&nbsp;</a>that failed to reach any breakthrough and maneuvering on both sides.

NATO said Monday it is bolstering its “deterrence” in the Baltic Sea region. Denmark is sending a frigate and deploying F-16 warplanes to Lithuania; Spain is sending four fighter jets to Bulgaria and three ships to the Black Sea to join NATO naval forces; and France stands ready to send troops to Romania. The Netherlands also plans to send two F-35 fighter aircraft to Bulgaria from April.

NATO will “take all necessary measures to protect and defend all allies,” Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. “We will always respond to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defense.”

The NATO announcement came as European Union foreign ministers sought to put on a fresh display of unity in support of Ukraine, and paper over concerns about divisions on the best way to confront any Russian aggression.

In a statement, the ministers said the EU has stepped up sanction preparations and they warned that “any further military aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have massive consequences and severe costs.”

Separately, the EU also committed to increase financial support for embattled Ukraine, vowing to push through a special package of 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in loans and grants as soon as possible.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday and said the U.S. would give Russia written responses to Moscow’s proposals this week, offering some hope that any invasion could be delayed for at least a few more days.

The West is nervously watching Russian troop movements and war games in Belarus for any signs of an invasion. Russia has already invaded Ukraine once, annexing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. It also supported pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists fighting the Kyiv government in the country’s eastern region known as the Donbass. About 14,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

Asked whether the EU would follow&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-antony-blinken-europe-evacuations-45d1a477929caefe1f0626a5ca42afd0">a U.S. move</a>&nbsp;and order the families of European embassy personnel in Ukraine to leave, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said: “We are not going to do the same thing.”

Britain said it is withdrawing some diplomats and dependents from its Kyiv Embassy.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said an invasion was not inevitable, but “the intelligence is pretty gloomy.” He added that “I think that sense can still prevail.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Oleg Nikolenko, said the U.S. decision was “a premature step” and a sign of “excessive caution.” He said Russia is sowing panic among Ukrainians and foreigners in order to destabilize Ukraine.

Germany has issued no similar order, with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressing that “we must not contribute to unsettling the situation further.”

At the EU meeting, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said he would inform his counterparts about planned Russian war games 240 kilometers (150 miles) off southwestern Ireland — in international waters but within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone.

“This isn’t a time to increase military activity and tension in the context of what’s happening with and in Ukraine.” he said. “The fact that they are choosing to do it on the western borders, if you like, of the EU, off the Irish coast, is something that in our view is simply not welcome.”

NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said they plan to send U.S.-made anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, a move endorsed by Washington.

In talks with European allies throughout the crisis, administration officials said they have remained cognizant that Europe’s trade, energy and financial linkages with Russia are far more significant than they are for the U.S.

Russia’s brittle economy is overly reliant on energy exports. President Vladimir Putin has made clear his ambition to diversify the economy, particularly in sectors like defense and civil aviation, but the U.S. and European allies have a dominant position in producing and exporting the technologies, software and equipment crucial for Russia in those sectors.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Tensions soared Monday between Russia and the West over concerns that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine, with NATO outlining potential troop and ship deployments, Britain saying it would withdraw some diplomats from Kyiv, and Ireland denouncing upcoming Russian war games off its coast as unwelcome.

The Western alliance’s statement summed up moves already announced by member countries, but restating them under the NATO banner appeared aimed at showing its resolve. It was just one of a series of announcements that signaled the West is ramping up its rhetoric in the information war that has accompanied the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-russia-vladimir-putin-soviet-union-europe-32b8a914ad4debba6c3231738a5f5a36">Ukraine standoff</a>.

Russia has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-vladimir-putin-moscow-united-states-5fbc86c84dfeb604ebe12e47a753bdcb">massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s border,</a>&nbsp;demanding that NATO promise it will never allow Ukraine to join and that other actions, such as stationing alliance troops in former Soviet bloc countries, be curtailed. Some of these, like any pledge to permanently bar Ukraine, are nonstarters for NATO — creating a seemingly intractable deadlock that many fear can only end in war.

NATO will “take all necessary measures to protect and defend all allies,” Secretary-General jens Stoltenberg said. “We will always respond to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defense.”

In Washington, Pentagon leaders have proposed a range of options for President Joe Biden to reinforce the U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe and the Baltics as a demonstration of American commitment, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.

One of the officials said no specific deployments have been proposed but some unspecified U.S. military units have been told to start planning for that possibility. The other official said Sunday it is possible that reinforcements could be sent from U.S. bases, in addition to possible shifts of troops within Europe, but for the moment the White House and Pentagon are only “exploring options.”

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov charged that it was NATO and the U.S. who were behind the escalating tensions in Europe, not Russia.

“All this is happening not because of what we, Russia, are doing. This is happening because of what NATO, the U.S. are doing,” Peskov told reporters. He also cited U.S. media reports suggesting that Russia is evacuating its diplomats from Ukraine, something Moscow denied.

The West is nervously watching Russian troop movements and war games in Belarus for any signs that a new invasion of Ukraine is imminent. Russia has already invaded Ukraine once, annexing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Moscow has also supported pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists fighting the Kyiv government in the eastern part of the country known as the Donbass region. About 14,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

Britain also said it is withdrawing some diplomats and dependents from its embassy in Kyiv.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Oleg Nikolenko, said the U.S. decision was “a premature step” and a sign of “excessive caution.” He said that Russia is sowing panic among Ukrainians and foreigners in order to destabilize Ukraine.

Germany has issued no order, but it said the families of embassy staff may leave if they wish. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressed that “we must not contribute to unsettling the situation further; we need to continue to support the Ukrainian government very clearly and above all maintain the stability of the country.”

At the EU meeting, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said he would inform his counterparts that Russia plans to holds war games 240 kilometers (150 miles) off Ireland’s southwest coast — in international waters but within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone.

“This isn’t a time to increase military activity and tension in the context of what’s happening with and in Ukraine.” Coveney said. “The fact that they are choosing to do it on the western borders, if you like, of the EU, off the Irish coast, is something that in our view is simply not welcome.”

Some NATO members nearest Russia — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — said they plan to send U.S.-made anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, a move endorsed by the United States.

But questions have arisen about just how unified the EU is. Diverse political, business and energy interests have long divided the 27-country bloc in its approach to Moscow. About 40% of the EU’s natural gas imports come from Russia, much of it via pipelines across Ukraine — and many are skittish about being cut off from that supply in winter, with prices already soaring.

The EU’s two major powers appear most cautious. French President Emmanuel Macron has renewed previously rejected calls for an EU summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Late on Saturday, the head of the German navy, Vice Adm. Kay-Achim Schoenbach, resigned after coming under fire for saying that Ukraine would not regain the Crimean Peninsula, and for suggesting that Putin deserves “respect.”

Still, diplomats and officials said hard-hitting sanctions are being drawn up with the EU’s executive branch, the European Commission. They were reluctant to detail the measures or what action by Russia might trigger them but said they would come within days of any attack.

🎥 U.S. troops on heightened alert amid Russia concerns

WASHINGTON (AP) — COVID-19 antibody drugs from Regeneron and Eli Lilly should no longer be used because they don’t work against the omicron variant that now accounts for nearly all U.S. infections, U.S. health regulators said Monday.

The Food and Drug Administration said it was revoking emergency authorization for both drugs, which were purchased by the federal government and have been administered to millions of Americans with COVID-19. If the drugs prove effective against future variants, the FDA said it could reauthorize their use.

The regulatory move was expected because both drugmakers had said the infusion drugs are less able to target omicron due to its mutations. Still, the federal action could trigger pushback from some Republican governors who have continued promoting the drugs against the advice of health experts.

Omicron’s resistance to the two leading monoclonal antibody medicines&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-pandemics-b2d1051842df779dfa6122f824bd0377">has upended&nbsp;</a>the treatment playbook for COVID-19 in recent weeks.

Doctors have alternate therapies to battle early COVID-19 cases, including two new antiviral pills from Pfizer and Merck, but both are in short supply. An antibody drug from GlaxoSmithKline that remains effective also is in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-may-sideline-two-covid-antibody-drugs-ffab32bd6e4e6b4822360b34da1785f0">short supply.</a>

The drugs are laboratory-made versions of virus-blocking antibodies. They are intended to head off severe disease and death by supplying concentrated doses of one or two antibodies early in an infection. Then-President Donald Trump received Regeneron’s antibody combination after he tested positive for the coronavirus in 2020.

The FDA noted in its decision that omicron accounts for more than 99% of U.S. infections, making it “highly unlikely” the antibodies would help people now seeking treatment. The agency said restricting their use would also eliminate unnecessary drug side effects, including allergic reactions.

The U.S. government temporarily stopped distributing the two drugs in late December, as omicron was racing across the country to become the dominant variant. But officials resumed distribution after complaints from Republican governors, including Florida’s Ron DeSantis, who claimed that the drugs continued to help some omicron patients.

DeSantis has heavily promoted antibody drugs as a signature part of his administration’s COVID-19 response, setting up infusion sites and lauding them at news conferences, while opposing vaccine mandates and other public health measures. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also launched state-sponsored infusion sites.

The drugs are not a substitute for vaccination and are generally reserved for people who are the most vulnerable, including seniors, transplant recipients and those with conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Since early January, the U.S. government has shipped enough doses of the two antibodies to treat more than 300,000 patients.

Both Regeneron and Lilly previously announced they were developing new antibodies that target omicron.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606135921913.png" alt="Photo courtesy Regeneron" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Regeneron</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — COVID-19 antibody drugs from Regeneron and Eli Lilly should no longer be used because they don’t work against the omicron variant that now accounts for nearly all U.S. infections, U.S. health regulators said Monday.The Food and Drug Administration said it was revoking emergency authorization for both drugs, which were purchased by the federal government and have been administered to millions of Americans with COVID-19. If the drugs prove effective against future variants, the FDA said it could reauthorize their use.The regulatory move was expected because both drugmakers had said the infusion drugs are less able to target omicron due to its mutations. Still, the federal action could trigger pushback from some Republican governors who have continued promoting the drugs against the advice of health experts.Omicron’s resistance to the two leading monoclonal antibody medicines&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-pandemics-b2d1051842df779dfa6122f824bd0377">has upended&nbsp;</a>the treatment playbook for COVID-19 in recent weeks.Doctors have alternate therapies to battle early COVID-19 cases, including two new antiviral pills from Pfizer and Merck, but both are in short supply. An antibody drug from GlaxoSmithKline that remains effective also is in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-may-sideline-two-covid-antibody-drugs-ffab32bd6e4e6b4822360b34da1785f0">short supply.</a>The drugs are laboratory-made versions of virus-blocking antibodies. They are intended to head off severe disease and death by supplying concentrated doses of one or two antibodies early in an infection. Then-President Donald Trump received Regeneron’s antibody combination after he tested positive for the coronavirus in 2020.The FDA noted in its decision that omicron accounts for more than 99% of U.S. infections, making it “highly unlikely” the antibodies would help people now seeking treatment. The agency said restricting their use would also eliminate unnecessary drug side effects, including allergic reactions.The U.S. government temporarily stopped distributing the two drugs in late December, as omicron was racing across the country to become the dominant variant. But officials resumed distribution after complaints from Republican governors, including Florida’s Ron DeSantis, who claimed that the drugs continued to help some omicron patients.DeSantis has heavily promoted antibody drugs as a signature part of his administration’s COVID-19 response, setting up infusion sites and lauding them at news conferences, while opposing vaccine mandates and other public health measures. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also launched state-sponsored infusion sites.The drugs are not a substitute for vaccination and are generally reserved for people who are the most vulnerable, including seniors, transplant recipients and those with conditions like heart disease and diabetes.Since early January, the U.S. government has shipped enough doses of the two antibodies to treat more than 300,000 patients.Both Regeneron and Lilly previously announced they were developing new antibodies that target omicron.