MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Carolyn Burnett is bracing for her first Christmas without her son Chris, a beloved high school football coach whose outdoor memorial service drew a crowd of hundreds.

The unvaccinated 34-year-old father of four died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator, and his loss has left a gaping hole for his mother, widow and family as the holidays approach.

How, she thought, could they take a holiday photo without Chris? What would Christmas Day football be like without him offering up commentary? How could they play trivia games on Christmas Eve without him beating everyone with his movie expertise?

The U.S. on Tuesday hit another depressing pandemic milestone — 800,000 deaths. It’s a sad coda to a year that held so much promise with the arrival of vaccines but is ending in heartbreak for the many grieving families trying to navigate the holiday season.

For its Christmas card photo, the Burnett family ultimately opted to hold up a football presented as a memorial by the Kansas City Chiefs to represent Chris. Carolyn Burnett also set up a special shelf for the holidays, filling it with a drawing of her son, his bronzed baby shoe, a candle, a poem and an ornament of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“These emotions come and go so quickly,” she said. “You see something. You hear something. His favorite food. You hear the song. There’s just all these little things. And then, bam.”

The year began with the COVID-19 death toll at about 350,000 in the U.S., at a time when the country was in the throes of a winter surge so bad that patients were lined up in emergency room hallways waiting for beds.

But vaccines were just getting rolled out, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-when-can-i-get-it-20de995ab6d01dd286ad3bbea46f69ce">sports stadiums and fairgrounds</a>&nbsp;were quickly transformed into mass vaccination sites. Case numbers began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-st-louis-coronavirus-pandemic-93eadee30306a42ac7be38fdd2dec1a2">falling.</a>&nbsp;By spring, nearly all schools had reopened and communities were shedding mask orders. TV newscasters began talking cheerfully about a post-pandemic world. President Joe Biden proclaimed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-joe-biden-lifestyle-coronavirus-pandemic-health-f97e0316c51d2d8362a17d149daedb14">Fourth of July</a>&nbsp;holiday as a celebration of the nation’s freedom from the virus.

It didn’t last long.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-c053fae3d462705c39e3ffcd612d8a50">Delta struck</a>&nbsp;just as vaccination rates were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nm-state-wire-health-coronavirus-government-and-politics-108f1fd0813f0d2ecec1589fd137625d">stalling&nbsp;</a>amid a wave of misinformation, devastating poorly immunized portions of the Midwest and South. Hospitals brought back mobile morgues and opened up their pocket books in a desperate bid to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-b6d58e41b209dd67ed0954f28b542baf">attract enough nurses</a>&nbsp;to care for the sick.

“People have no idea,” said Debbie Eaves, a lab worker, who grew weary of the wave of death as she collected swabs from patients at Oakdale Community Hospital in Louisiana amid the surge. “Oh, no. They have no idea what it is to look and see, to see it.”

In Kansas, Carolyn Burnett begged her son, who went by the nickname Coach Cheese because of his love of cheeseburgers, to get vaccinated.

“He was a part of the group that ... just didn’t trust it,” she said, pausing and sighing. “They didn’t want to be a guinea pig. They didn’t want to be experimented on.”

She thought maybe he was softening. When his dad got his first COVID-19 shot in August, Chris, a diabetic, told his mother he would discuss it with his doctor. But then one of Chris’ children got infected at a family sleepover and soon everyone was sick.

She texted him, “Honey, God’s got you.” His last text to her said: “Mama, I feel him.” He died Sept. 11.

School administrators tweeted heartfelt condolences, praising his passion in coaching running backs at Olathe East High School. Tearful athletes paid tribute in TV interviews. The Kansas City Glory, an all-female football team that Burnett coached, asked fans to contribute to a GoFundMe fundraiser to help his children. And he was honored with an inspiration award at a ceremony that recognizes the region’s best high school athletes.

“We had so much support that you would think he was a celebrity,” his mom recalled.

Now, as the year ends, the delta variant is fueling another wave of hospitalizations, court battles are brewing over vaccine mandates and fresh questions are swirling about the new omicron variant.

Steve Grove has seen his share of coronavirus deaths in his role as a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

Recently, one dying patient’s family gathered in a conference room. One by one they were taken to the patient’s bedside, while the other relatives watched on Zoom.

“It’s a huge pain in the butt and the connection drops and it’s weird,” he acknowledged. “Here’s what I’m going to say to COVID: ‘Up yours.’ I’m getting a Zoom call going, and there you have it. That’s what’s happening today at least. You’re going to do what you’re going to do and you’re going to kill this person. You get to do that COVID. But what we’re going to do today is this. And I’m going to give them a hug when it’s done.

“The alternative,” he said, “is that you just, you just give up, and I guess most people in this building have too much faith in humanity.”

He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it “didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.”

“I’ll confess to it,” he said. “And I know I’m not proud of it, and I swallow it down and then I remember as a human being that my compassion reminds me that it’s still somebody’s loved one. It is still death and it still stings.”

Dr. LaTasha Perkins, of Georgetown University Student Health, is getting ready to take a job in January in a clinic that helps underserved residents of the community. She is Black and said she felt compelled to make the change after watching the virus devastate her family.

She has lost a great uncle, an aunt and a cousin to COVID-19, and she suspects the virus may have played a role in the death of her grandfather. When it struck her own household last December after she had gotten her first shot but the rest of her family wasn’t yet eligible, she spent sleepless nights watching her toddler breathe and took her husband to the hospital, although he wasn’t admitted. She never got sick and credits the vaccine. Her husband also later got the shot.

Still, maddeningly to her, only three of her six siblings are vaccinated. Some of the hesitation, she said, is rooted in the “horrible things done in the name of medicine to Black and brown bodies in this country.” She tells them: “If you’re worried about rich white people not caring about you, they’re lining up getting the vaccine.”

She has been unable, though, to get through to some of her relatives. It’s part of the reason why she started doing hesitancy talks specifically for African Americans in the D.C. area.

“For my own selfish reason, I don’t want to go to any more funerals,” she said, “and I don’t want COVID to come back in my house.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639569362029.png" alt="Members of the U.S.&nbsp; Senate and House joined together in a moment of silence to honor the 800,000 Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID pandemic.-photo courtesy Sen. Majority Leader" />
 <figcaption>Members of the U.S.&nbsp; Senate and House joined together in a moment of silence to honor the 800,000 Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID pandemic.-photo courtesy Sen. Majority Leader</figcaption>
 </figure>By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTHMISSION, Kan. (AP) — Carolyn Burnett is bracing for her first Christmas without her son Chris, a beloved high school football coach whose outdoor memorial service drew a crowd of hundreds.The unvaccinated 34-year-old father of four died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator, and his loss has left a gaping hole for his mother, widow and family as the holidays approach.How, she thought, could they take a holiday photo without Chris? What would Christmas Day football be like without him offering up commentary? How could they play trivia games on Christmas Eve without him beating everyone with his movie expertise?The U.S. on Tuesday hit another depressing pandemic milestone — 800,000 deaths. It’s a sad coda to a year that held so much promise with the arrival of vaccines but is ending in heartbreak for the many grieving families trying to navigate the holiday season.For its Christmas card photo, the Burnett family ultimately opted to hold up a football presented as a memorial by the Kansas City Chiefs to represent Chris. Carolyn Burnett also set up a special shelf for the holidays, filling it with a drawing of her son, his bronzed baby shoe, a candle, a poem and an ornament of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.But nothing feels quite right this year.“These emotions come and go so quickly,” she said. “You see something. You hear something. His favorite food. You hear the song. There’s just all these little things. And then, bam.”The year began with the COVID-19 death toll at about 350,000 in the U.S., at a time when the country was in the throes of a winter surge so bad that patients were lined up in emergency room hallways waiting for beds.But vaccines were just getting rolled out, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-when-can-i-get-it-20de995ab6d01dd286ad3bbea46f69ce">sports stadiums and fairgrounds</a>&nbsp;were quickly transformed into mass vaccination sites. Case numbers began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-st-louis-coronavirus-pandemic-93eadee30306a42ac7be38fdd2dec1a2">falling.</a>&nbsp;By spring, nearly all schools had reopened and communities were shedding mask orders. TV newscasters began talking cheerfully about a post-pandemic world. President Joe Biden proclaimed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-joe-biden-lifestyle-coronavirus-pandemic-health-f97e0316c51d2d8362a17d149daedb14">Fourth of July</a>&nbsp;holiday as a celebration of the nation’s freedom from the virus.It didn’t last long.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-c053fae3d462705c39e3ffcd612d8a50">Delta struck</a>&nbsp;just as vaccination rates were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nm-state-wire-health-coronavirus-government-and-politics-108f1fd0813f0d2ecec1589fd137625d">stalling&nbsp;</a>amid a wave of misinformation, devastating poorly immunized portions of the Midwest and South. Hospitals brought back mobile morgues and opened up their pocket books in a desperate bid to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-b6d58e41b209dd67ed0954f28b542baf">attract enough nurses</a>&nbsp;to care for the sick.“People have no idea,” said Debbie Eaves, a lab worker, who grew weary of the wave of death as she collected swabs from patients at Oakdale Community Hospital in Louisiana amid the surge. “Oh, no. They have no idea what it is to look and see, to see it.”In Kansas, Carolyn Burnett begged her son, who went by the nickname Coach Cheese because of his love of cheeseburgers, to get vaccinated.“He was a part of the group that ... just didn’t trust it,” she said, pausing and sighing. “They didn’t want to be a guinea pig. They didn’t want to be experimented on.”She thought maybe he was softening. When his dad got his first COVID-19 shot in August, Chris, a diabetic, told his mother he would discuss it with his doctor. But then one of Chris’ children got infected at a family sleepover and soon everyone was sick.She texted him, “Honey, God’s got you.” His last text to her said: “Mama, I feel him.” He died Sept. 11.School administrators tweeted heartfelt condolences, praising his passion in coaching running backs at Olathe East High School. Tearful athletes paid tribute in TV interviews. The Kansas City Glory, an all-female football team that Burnett coached, asked fans to contribute to a GoFundMe fundraiser to help his children. And he was honored with an inspiration award at a ceremony that recognizes the region’s best high school athletes.“We had so much support that you would think he was a celebrity,” his mom recalled.Now, as the year ends, the delta variant is fueling another wave of hospitalizations, court battles are brewing over vaccine mandates and fresh questions are swirling about the new omicron variant.Steve Grove has seen his share of coronavirus deaths in his role as a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.Recently, one dying patient’s family gathered in a conference room. One by one they were taken to the patient’s bedside, while the other relatives watched on Zoom.“It’s a huge pain in the butt and the connection drops and it’s weird,” he acknowledged. “Here’s what I’m going to say to COVID: ‘Up yours.’ I’m getting a Zoom call going, and there you have it. That’s what’s happening today at least. You’re going to do what you’re going to do and you’re going to kill this person. You get to do that COVID. But what we’re going to do today is this. And I’m going to give them a hug when it’s done.“The alternative,” he said, “is that you just, you just give up, and I guess most people in this building have too much faith in humanity.”He acknowledged that he sometimes gets mad at unvaccinated patients because it “didn’t have to be this way. And now there’s a mess that perhaps was avoidable.”“I’ll confess to it,” he said. “And I know I’m not proud of it, and I swallow it down and then I remember as a human being that my compassion reminds me that it’s still somebody’s loved one. It is still death and it still stings.”Dr. LaTasha Perkins, of Georgetown University Student Health, is getting ready to take a job in January in a clinic that helps underserved residents of the community. She is Black and said she felt compelled to make the change after watching the virus devastate her family.She has lost a great uncle, an aunt and a cousin to COVID-19, and she suspects the virus may have played a role in the death of her grandfather. When it struck her own household last December after she had gotten her first shot but the rest of her family wasn’t yet eligible, she spent sleepless nights watching her toddler breathe and took her husband to the hospital, although he wasn’t admitted. She never got sick and credits the vaccine. Her husband also later got the shot.Still, maddeningly to her, only three of her six siblings are vaccinated. Some of the hesitation, she said, is rooted in the “horrible things done in the name of medicine to Black and brown bodies in this country.” She tells them: “If you’re worried about rich white people not caring about you, they’re lining up getting the vaccine.”She has been unable, though, to get through to some of her relatives. It’s part of the reason why she started doing hesitancy talks specifically for African Americans in the D.C. area.“For my own selfish reason, I don’t want to go to any more funerals,” she said, “and I don’t want COVID to come back in my house.”

COVID toll hits 800,000 to close out year filled with death

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a video released Tuesday, President Joe Biden spoke directly to the families of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School nine years ago, saying the nation owed families of mass shootings “more than our prayers. We owe them action.”

“No matter how long it’s been, every one of those families relives the news they got that day,” Biden said in the video. “Twenty precious first-graders, six heroic educators, a lone gunman and an unconscionable act of violence. Everything changed that morning for you. And the nation was shocked.”

A gunman killed 20 first-grade students and six educators inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012. The 20-year-old shooter, Adam Lanza, killed his mother at their Newtown home before the massacre, then killed himself as police arrived at the school.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont called for flags to be lowered to half-staff across the state Tuesday in remembrance of the 26 people killed inside the school.

“We will never forget the twenty innocent children and six devoted educators whose lives were taken all too soon that terrible morning,” said Lamont, a Democrat.

Biden said it was one of the “saddest days” he and former President Barack Obama had in office. Biden said he found hope in the strength of the families and felt they could pass meaningful reform, but it came up frustratingly short.

“And it’s still frustrating now, for you and me and so many others,” he said, citing other mass school shootings in Parkland, Florida, and recently in Oxford, Michigan. “In countless communities across the country there’s these horrific shootings and make national headlines and embarrass us as a nation.”

He said such shootings happen all the time, particularly in communities of color, and there is no mention in the news.

“As a nation, we owe all these families more than our prayers, we owe them action,” he said.

Biden pointed to executive action he's taken to stop the spread of so-called ghost guns and promote safe firearms storage. He also hopes communities use some of the money from the massive spending plan to help end gun violence.

A senior White House official said Biden shared frustrations expressed by many gun violence prevention groups that Congress is acting too slowly to implement new gun legislation. The official also pointed to the administration’s multifaceted approach to preventing gun violence from enforcement to addressing systemic and root causes.

So far, Justice Department strike forces focusing on gun trafficking corridors in several cities — part of the administration’s comprehensive approach to combat surging gun violence — have led to the recovery of about 2,000 crime guns, the official said.

The White House withdrew its nomination in September of gun-control advocate David Chipman to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after he ran into bipartisan opposition in the Senate. His nomination had stalled for months and he was widely seen as one of the administration’s most contentious nominees.

The official said the administration is also working to identify another “highly qualified nominee” to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

But the official said the Biden administration was still doing all it can, even without a confirmed ATF director, to reduce gun violence. The official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also spoke of the measures Congress is trying to enact.

“Nearly a decade after Newtown, an average of over 100 Americans are being killed by gun violence every day, shattering families and terrorizing communities across the country," she said.

"In the memory of all those we have lost, and strengthened by our survivors’ hopeful spirit, let us renew our resolve to build a world free from gun violence, so that every child may grow up safe, secure and able to reach their fulfillment.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639517620784.png" alt="President Biden spoke to gun violence survivors in the Oval Office Tuesday-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden spoke to gun violence survivors in the Oval Office Tuesday-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — In a video released Tuesday, President Joe Biden spoke directly to the families of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School nine years ago, saying the nation owed families of mass shootings “more than our prayers. We owe them action.”“No matter how long it’s been, every one of those families relives the news they got that day,” Biden said in the video. “Twenty precious first-graders, six heroic educators, a lone gunman and an unconscionable act of violence. Everything changed that morning for you. And the nation was shocked.”A gunman killed 20 first-grade students and six educators inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012. The 20-year-old shooter, Adam Lanza, killed his mother at their Newtown home before the massacre, then killed himself as police arrived at the school.Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont called for flags to be lowered to half-staff across the state Tuesday in remembrance of the 26 people killed inside the school.“We will never forget the twenty innocent children and six devoted educators whose lives were taken all too soon that terrible morning,” said Lamont, a Democrat.Biden said it was one of the “saddest days” he and former President Barack Obama had in office. Biden said he found hope in the strength of the families and felt they could pass meaningful reform, but it came up frustratingly short.“And it’s still frustrating now, for you and me and so many others,” he said, citing other mass school shootings in Parkland, Florida, and recently in Oxford, Michigan. “In countless communities across the country there’s these horrific shootings and make national headlines and embarrass us as a nation.”He said such shootings happen all the time, particularly in communities of color, and there is no mention in the news.“As a nation, we owe all these families more than our prayers, we owe them action,” he said.Biden pointed to executive action he's taken to stop the spread of so-called ghost guns and promote safe firearms storage. He also hopes communities use some of the money from the massive spending plan to help end gun violence.A senior White House official said Biden shared frustrations expressed by many gun violence prevention groups that Congress is acting too slowly to implement new gun legislation. The official also pointed to the administration’s multifaceted approach to preventing gun violence from enforcement to addressing systemic and root causes.So far, Justice Department strike forces focusing on gun trafficking corridors in several cities — part of the administration’s comprehensive approach to combat surging gun violence — have led to the recovery of about 2,000 crime guns, the official said.The White House withdrew its nomination in September of gun-control advocate David Chipman to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after he ran into bipartisan opposition in the Senate. His nomination had stalled for months and he was widely seen as one of the administration’s most contentious nominees.The official said the administration is also working to identify another “highly qualified nominee” to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.But the official said the Biden administration was still doing all it can, even without a confirmed ATF director, to reduce gun violence. The official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also spoke of the measures Congress is trying to enact.“Nearly a decade after Newtown, an average of over 100 Americans are being killed by gun violence every day, shattering families and terrorizing communities across the country," she said."In the memory of all those we have lost, and strengthened by our survivors’ hopeful spirit, let us renew our resolve to build a world free from gun violence, so that every child may grow up safe, secure and able to reach their fulfillment.”

Biden: Nation owes school shooting victims more than prayers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department announced Tuesday the release of $8.7 billion to help increase lending to small and minority-owned businesses and people living in poorer communities with limited access to banking.

The funds from the Emergency Capital Investment Program, which was created this year, will go to 186 community-based financial institutions. Vice President Kamala Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discussed the investments in remarks at the Freedman’s Bank Forum, which was hosted by the Treasury Department.

“The wealth gap persists today, the homeownership gap persists,” Harris said of the need for the investments. “Black entrepreneurs are three times more likely to report that a lack of access to capital negatively affects their profit margins.”

Yellen stressed that there would be a direct link between the money being provided and businesses in local communities, saying that she recently met the owner of a tea company in Atlanta called “Just Add Honey” who lacked the financial credit to keep all her shops open during the pandemic.

“Here, it’s very easy to connect the policy with the personal,” Yellen said. “What this will do is prevent small business owners of color from closing two of their locations. And better yet, it will help people open two more.”

Black Americans represent 13.4% of the U.S. population, yet Federal Reserve figures show they control just 4.3% of household wealth. More than half of Black household wealth is in the form of pension entitlements, which cannot be passed along to future generations. This inequity makes it harder for people living in predominantly Black communities to qualify for business loans and mortgages in ways that could help build their net worth.

The $8.7 billion will be going to institutions headquartered in 36 states, as well as Guam and Washington, D.C. Roughly 54% of the funds is going to banks and 46% to credit unions. The distributions will range from more than $200 million for the largest institutions to less than $100,000 for smaller ones.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639520573841.png" alt="Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Freedman Bank Forum with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen look on in Washington-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Freedman Bank Forum with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen look on in Washington-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department announced Tuesday the release of $8.7 billion to help increase lending to small and minority-owned businesses and people living in poorer communities with limited access to banking.The funds from the Emergency Capital Investment Program, which was created this year, will go to 186 community-based financial institutions. Vice President Kamala Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discussed the investments in remarks at the Freedman’s Bank Forum, which was hosted by the Treasury Department.“The wealth gap persists today, the homeownership gap persists,” Harris said of the need for the investments. “Black entrepreneurs are three times more likely to report that a lack of access to capital negatively affects their profit margins.”Yellen stressed that there would be a direct link between the money being provided and businesses in local communities, saying that she recently met the owner of a tea company in Atlanta called “Just Add Honey” who lacked the financial credit to keep all her shops open during the pandemic.“Here, it’s very easy to connect the policy with the personal,” Yellen said. “What this will do is prevent small business owners of color from closing two of their locations. And better yet, it will help people open two more.”Black Americans represent 13.4% of the U.S. population, yet Federal Reserve figures show they control just 4.3% of household wealth. More than half of Black household wealth is in the form of pension entitlements, which cannot be passed along to future generations. This inequity makes it harder for people living in predominantly Black communities to qualify for business loans and mortgages in ways that could help build their net worth.The $8.7 billion will be going to institutions headquartered in 36 states, as well as Guam and Washington, D.C. Roughly 54% of the funds is going to banks and 46% to credit unions. The distributions will range from more than $200 million for the largest institutions to less than $100,000 for smaller ones.

Vice Pres. reveals $8.7B for lending in minority communities

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kellogg’s is facing increasing political pressure to resume contract talks with its 1,400 striking cereal plant workers. 

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts sent a letter to the company’s CEO this week urging the company to return to the bargaining table with workers at its four plants nationwide, including one in his state. 

That came just a few days after President Joe Biden criticized Kellogg’s for threatening to hire permanent replacements for the workers who have been on strike since Oct. 5. 

Last week, the union representing those workers at plants in Omaha, Nebraska; Battle Creek, Michigan; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Memphis, Tennessee overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer that would have provided 3% raises.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kellogg’s is facing increasing political pressure to resume contract talks with its 1,400 striking cereal plant workers. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts sent a letter to the company’s CEO this week urging the company to return to the bargaining table with workers at its four plants nationwide, including one in his state. That came just a few days after President Joe Biden criticized Kellogg’s for threatening to hire permanent replacements for the workers who have been on strike since Oct. 5. Last week, the union representing those workers at plants in Omaha, Nebraska; Battle Creek, Michigan; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Memphis, Tennessee overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer that would have provided 3% raises.

Kellogg's facing political pressure to resume contract talks

SPRINGFIELD, Neb. (AP) — Sarpy County authorities say a 19-year-old man was run over by a truck while he was wrestling another man in the road. 

The Sarpy County Sheriff's office said in a news release that Gage Nech, of Gretna, died early Sunday in Springfield. 

The sheriff's office says Nech was driving a truck with two passengers when he stopped the truck and began wrestling in the road with one of the passengers. 

At some point, the second passenger put the truck in gear and the right front tire ran over Nech. 

The sheriff's office says alcohol appeared to be involved and the investigation is continuing.

SPRINGFIELD, Neb. (AP) — Sarpy County authorities say a 19-year-old man was run over by a truck while he was wrestling another man in the road. The Sarpy County Sheriff's office said in a news release that Gage Nech, of Gretna, died early Sunday in Springfield. The sheriff's office says Nech was driving a truck with two passengers when he stopped the truck and began wrestling in the road with one of the passengers. At some point, the second passenger put the truck in gear and the right front tire ran over Nech. The sheriff's office says alcohol appeared to be involved and the investigation is continuing.

Man dies after being run over by truck near Springfield

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The company working to build a mine in southeast Nebraska to extract a rare element used to make steel lighter and stronger said Tuesday it may also be able to produce some of the key ingredients needed to make the powerful magnets used in electric vehicles. 

NioCorp Developments released a new report showing that those rare earth elements are present throughout the deposit it plans to mine if it can raise roughly $1 billion to build the project about 80 miles south of Omaha. 

But the company won’t know for sure whether it can economically produce those rare earth elements until it does some additional analysis over the next few months.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639525629596.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The company working to build a mine in southeast Nebraska to extract a rare element used to make steel lighter and stronger said Tuesday it may also be able to produce some of the key ingredients needed to make the powerful magnets used in electric vehicles. NioCorp Developments released a new report showing that those rare earth elements are present throughout the deposit it plans to mine if it can raise roughly $1 billion to build the project about 80 miles south of Omaha. But the company won’t know for sure whether it can economically produce those rare earth elements until it does some additional analysis over the next few months.

Proposed Nebraska mine might produce more rare elements

BARTLETT, Neb. (AP) — Wheeler County authorities say a house fire that killed an 81-year-old man in Bartlett last week was accidental. 

The Wheeler County Attorney's office said in a news release Monday that Kenneth Lidgett died in the fire on Dec. 9. 

Firefighters who arrived at the scene found the home engulfed in flames and discovered Lidgett's body after the fire was extinguished. 

The county attorney's office said the blaze was caused by a woodstove catching nearby combustibles on fire.

BARTLETT, Neb. (AP) — Wheeler County authorities say a house fire that killed an 81-year-old man in Bartlett last week was accidental. The Wheeler County Attorney's office said in a news release Monday that Kenneth Lidgett died in the fire on Dec. 9. Firefighters who arrived at the scene found the home engulfed in flames and discovered Lidgett's body after the fire was extinguished. The county attorney's office said the blaze was caused by a woodstove catching nearby combustibles on fire.

81-year-old man died in accidental house fire in Bartlett

RAYMOND, Neb. (AP) — Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner says firefighters found the body of a person inside a home just west of Raymond gutted by flames late Monday night. 

Wagner tells the Lincoln Journal Star that a man called emergency dispatchers to report a fire in the home's attic. Arriving fire crews found a body in the home shortly after 10:30 p.m. Monday. 

Two dogs also were rescued from the burning home, which was destroyed in the fire. The dogs were taken to a local shelter after being treated for smoke inhalation. 

Wagner says officials weren't immediately sure whether the body found belongs to the man who reported the fire, but said crews did not find anyone else at the scene of the fire.

RAYMOND, Neb. (AP) — Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner says firefighters found the body of a person inside a home just west of Raymond gutted by flames late Monday night. Wagner tells the Lincoln Journal Star that a man called emergency dispatchers to report a fire in the home's attic. Arriving fire crews found a body in the home shortly after 10:30 p.m. Monday. Two dogs also were rescued from the burning home, which was destroyed in the fire. The dogs were taken to a local shelter after being treated for smoke inhalation. Wagner says officials weren't immediately sure whether the body found belongs to the man who reported the fire, but said crews did not find anyone else at the scene of the fire.

Firefighters find body in fire-gutted house west of Raymond

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police in Omaha have identified a man killed in a home invasion shooting and announced the arrests of two men in the case. 

Police say in a news release that officers sent Monday night to an apartment in a northeast Omaha neighborhood found a man fatally shot in a vehicle outside the apartment. 

The victim, identified as 21-year-old Diego Vicharra, was declared dead at the scene. 

Police later arrested 41-year-old Patrick Keenan in neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder and weapons counts. 

Another suspect, 27-year-old Robert Bailey, was arrested in Omaha on suspicion of burglary and a weapons count for his role in the home invasion.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police in Omaha have identified a man killed in a home invasion shooting and announced the arrests of two men in the case. Police say in a news release that officers sent Monday night to an apartment in a northeast Omaha neighborhood found a man fatally shot in a vehicle outside the apartment. The victim, identified as 21-year-old Diego Vicharra, was declared dead at the scene. Police later arrested 41-year-old Patrick Keenan in neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder and weapons counts. Another suspect, 27-year-old Robert Bailey, was arrested in Omaha on suspicion of burglary and a weapons count for his role in the home invasion.

Arrests made in deadly home invasion in Omaha; victim ID'd

WASHINGTON (AP) — No U.S. troops involved in the August drone strike that killed innocent Kabul civilians and children will face disciplinary action, U.S. defense officials said Monday.

The Pentagon said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved recommendations for improvements in strike operations from the generals who lead U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command, based on the findings of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-kabul-bf24b4a670895ab1cc0b345ee9c90c74">independent Pentagon review released last month</a>. There were no recommendations for discipline made by the generals, said John Kirby, chief Pentagon spokesman.

The review, done by Air Force Lt. Gen. Sami Said and endorsed by Austin in November, found there were breakdowns in communication and in the process of identifying and confirming the target of the bombing, which killed 10 civilians, including seven children. But he concluded that the strike was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-calls-deadly-kabul-strike-an-error-25e2b83a9a0ae9a95d1aac71fe5f4ca7">a tragic mistake</a>&nbsp;and not caused by misconduct or negligence.

Austin asked Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of Central Command, and Gen. Richard Clarke, head of Special Operations Command, to review Said’s conclusions and come back to him with recommendations. The two commanders agreed with Said’s findings, and they did not recommend any discipline. Kirby said Monday that Austin endorsed their decisions, including the lack of disciplinary actions.

“None of their recommendations dealt specifically with issues of accountability,” Kirby said. “So I do not anticipate there being issues of personal accountability to be had with respect to the August 29th airstrike.”

The Aug. 29 drone strike on a white Toyota Corolla sedan killed Zemerai Ahmadi and nine family members, including seven children. Ahmadi, 37, was a longtime employee of an American humanitarian organization.

“We know that there will be some who don’t like this particular decision, but it wasn’t an outcome that we came to without careful thought and consideration,” said Kirby. He said that if Austin “believed that accountability was warranted and needed, he would certainly support those kinds of efforts.”

The intelligence about the car and its potential threat came just days after an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. troops and 169 Afghans at a Kabul airport gate. The U.S. was working to evacuate thousands of Americans, Afghans and other allies in the wake of the collapse of the country’s government.

Said concluded that U.S. forces genuinely believed that the car they were following was an imminent threat and that they needed to strike it before it got closer to the airport. He concluded that better communication between those making the strike decision and other support personnel might have raised more doubts about the bombing, but in the end may not have prevented it.

He made a number of recommendations, including that more be done to prevent what military officials call “confirmation bias” — the idea that troops making the strike decision were too quick to conclude that what they were seeing aligned with the intelligence and confirmed their conclusion to bomb what turned out to be the wrong car.

And he said the military should have personnel present with a strike team, and their job should be to actively question such conclusions. He also recommended that the military improve its procedures to ensure that children and other innocent civilians are not present before launching a time-sensitive strike.

Officials said McKenzie and Clarke largely agreed with Said’s recommendations.

The U.S. is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-united-states-kabul-lloyd-austin-john-kirby-0548ab75372e975324f55c11f6bc66e4">working to pay financial reparations to the relatives and surviving family members</a>, and potentially get them out of Afghanistan, but nothing has been finalized. Asked why it was taking so long, Kirby said the U.S. wants to make sure that the family is gotten out as safely as possible, and that high level discussions about that are ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629894518244.png" alt=" &nbsp;Photo courtesy Rep. Seth Moulton during a summer surprise visit to Kabul" />
 <figcaption> &nbsp;Photo courtesy Rep. Seth Moulton during a summer surprise visit to Kabul</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — No U.S. troops involved in the August drone strike that killed innocent Kabul civilians and children will face disciplinary action, U.S. defense officials said Monday.The Pentagon said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved recommendations for improvements in strike operations from the generals who lead U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command, based on the findings of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-kabul-bf24b4a670895ab1cc0b345ee9c90c74">independent Pentagon review released last month</a>. There were no recommendations for discipline made by the generals, said John Kirby, chief Pentagon spokesman.The review, done by Air Force Lt. Gen. Sami Said and endorsed by Austin in November, found there were breakdowns in communication and in the process of identifying and confirming the target of the bombing, which killed 10 civilians, including seven children. But he concluded that the strike was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-calls-deadly-kabul-strike-an-error-25e2b83a9a0ae9a95d1aac71fe5f4ca7">a tragic mistake</a>&nbsp;and not caused by misconduct or negligence.Austin asked Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of Central Command, and Gen. Richard Clarke, head of Special Operations Command, to review Said’s conclusions and come back to him with recommendations. The two commanders agreed with Said’s findings, and they did not recommend any discipline. Kirby said Monday that Austin endorsed their decisions, including the lack of disciplinary actions.“None of their recommendations dealt specifically with issues of accountability,” Kirby said. “So I do not anticipate there being issues of personal accountability to be had with respect to the August 29th airstrike.”The Aug. 29 drone strike on a white Toyota Corolla sedan killed Zemerai Ahmadi and nine family members, including seven children. Ahmadi, 37, was a longtime employee of an American humanitarian organization.“We know that there will be some who don’t like this particular decision, but it wasn’t an outcome that we came to without careful thought and consideration,” said Kirby. He said that if Austin “believed that accountability was warranted and needed, he would certainly support those kinds of efforts.”The intelligence about the car and its potential threat came just days after an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. troops and 169 Afghans at a Kabul airport gate. The U.S. was working to evacuate thousands of Americans, Afghans and other allies in the wake of the collapse of the country’s government.Said concluded that U.S. forces genuinely believed that the car they were following was an imminent threat and that they needed to strike it before it got closer to the airport. He concluded that better communication between those making the strike decision and other support personnel might have raised more doubts about the bombing, but in the end may not have prevented it.He made a number of recommendations, including that more be done to prevent what military officials call “confirmation bias” — the idea that troops making the strike decision were too quick to conclude that what they were seeing aligned with the intelligence and confirmed their conclusion to bomb what turned out to be the wrong car.And he said the military should have personnel present with a strike team, and their job should be to actively question such conclusions. He also recommended that the military improve its procedures to ensure that children and other innocent civilians are not present before launching a time-sensitive strike.Officials said McKenzie and Clarke largely agreed with Said’s recommendations.The U.S. is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-united-states-kabul-lloyd-austin-john-kirby-0548ab75372e975324f55c11f6bc66e4">working to pay financial reparations to the relatives and surviving family members</a>, and potentially get them out of Afghanistan, but nothing has been finalized. Asked why it was taking so long, Kirby said the U.S. wants to make sure that the family is gotten out as safely as possible, and that high level discussions about that are ongoing.

No troops disciplined for US strike that killed 7 children, no terrorists

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service joined today with several 
leading nonprofit groups to highlight a special tax provision that 
allows more people to deduct donations to qualifying charities on their 
2021 federal income tax return.

The Independent Sector and National Council of Nonprofits joined with
 the IRS to highlight this pandemic-related provision where married 
couples filing jointly can deduct up to $600 in cash donations and 
individual taxpayers can deduct up to $300 in donations.

Under the temporary law, taxpayers don't need to itemize deductions 
on their tax returns to take advantage of this, which creates 
tax-favorable donation options not normally available to about 90 
percent of tax filers. Ordinarily, people who choose to take the 
standard deduction cannot claim a deduction for their charitable 
contributions. But this special provision permits them to claim a 
limited deduction on their 2021 federal income tax returns for cash 
contributions made to qualifying charitable organizations by year's end,
 December 31, 2021.

At a time when many charitable groups are struggling during the 
pandemic, the IRS highlights the new provision and urges people to make 
sure they donate to a qualifying charity. The special <a href="https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search">Tax Exempt Organization Search</a> tool on IRS.gov can help people make sure they donate to a qualified charity.

"The pandemic has created unique challenges for tax-exempt 
organizations, and we want to make sure people don't overlook this 
special tax deduction that's available this year," said Sunita Lough, 
IRS Commissioner of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities division. 
"Donations to qualifying charities can reduce people's tax bill when 
they file in 2022."

Leaders from the National Council of Nonprofits and the Independent 
Sector, two prominent organizations representing the nation's charitable
 groups, highlighted that the special tax provision can provide 
additional assistance to organizations hit hard by the pandemic. Some 
groups have seen reduced charitable donations and others have seen 
increased demand for their services during this unprecedented period.

"At a time when nonprofits continue to see immense demand for 
services, are facing significant challenges hiring and retaining staff 
to deliver those services--every donation counts," said David L. 
Thompson, Vice President of Public Policy at National Council of 
Nonprofits. "We're thankful that the universal (or non-itemizer) 
deduction is available through the end of the year to encourage every 
taxpayer give a little bit more to the missions they care about."

"Over the past two years, charities have helped America confront 
generational health, economic and social crises. They have answered the 
call to serve their communities despite facing lost revenue, disrupted 
operations and dramatically increased need," said Daniel J. Cardinali, 
president and CEO of Independent Sector. "Congress has sent a powerful 
message that everyone – not just those who itemize on their taxes – has a
 role to play in helping meet this moment, and we know people in America
 will respond in kind. We hope charitable contributions and deductions 
will increase in the coming years."

Included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 
(CARES) Act, enacted in March 2020, a more limited version of this 
temporary tax benefit originally only applied to tax-year 2020. The 
Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted last 
December, generally extended it through the end of 2021.

Nearly nine in 10 taxpayers now take the standard deduction and could
 potentially qualify. Under this provision, tax year 2021 individual tax
 filers, including married individuals filing separate returns, can 
claim a deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made to 
qualifying charities during 2021. The maximum deduction is increased to 
$600 for married individuals filing joint returns.

Cash contributions include those made by check, credit card or debit 
card as well as amounts incurred by an individual for unreimbursed 
out-of-pocket expenses in connection with their volunteer services to a 
qualifying charitable organization. Cash contributions don't include the
 value of volunteer services, securities, household items or other 
property.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that to receive a deduction, they must 
donate to a qualified charity. To check the status of a charity, they 
can use the IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search">Tax Exempt Organization Search</a> tool.

Cash contributions to most charitable organizations qualify for a 
deduction. But contributions made either to supporting organizations or 
to establish or maintain a donor advised fund do not. Contributions 
carried forward from prior years do not qualify, nor do contributions to
 most private foundations and most cash contributions to charitable 
remainder trusts.

In general, a donor-advised fund is a fund or account maintained by a
 charity in which a donor can, because of their donor status, advise the
 fund on how to distribute or invest amounts contributed by the donor 
and held in the fund. A supporting organization is a charity that 
carries out its exempt purposes by supporting other exempt 
organizations, usually other public charities.

The IRS encourages all donors to be wary of scams masked as 
charitable solicitations. Criminals create fake charities to take 
advantage of the public's generosity. Fake charities once again made the
 IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-dirty-dozen-list-warns-people-to-watch-out-for-tax-related-scams-involving-fake-charities-ghost-preparers-and-other-schemes">Dirty Dozen</a>&nbsp;list of tax scams for 2021. In October, the IRS also <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-joins-international-organizations-in-fighting-charity-fraud-during-special-awareness-week">joined international organizations</a> and other regulators in highlighting the fight against charity fraud.

Special recordkeeping rules apply to any taxpayer claiming a 
charitable contribution deduction. Usually, this includes obtaining an 
acknowledgment letter from the charity before filing a return and 
retaining a cancelled check or credit card receipt for contributions of 
cash.

For details on the recordkeeping rules for substantiating gifts to charity, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-526">Publication 526, Charitable Contributions</a>, available on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service joined today with several 
leading nonprofit groups to highlight a special tax provision that 
allows more people to deduct donations to qualifying charities on their 
2021 federal income tax return.The Independent Sector and National Council of Nonprofits joined with
 the IRS to highlight this pandemic-related provision where married 
couples filing jointly can deduct up to $600 in cash donations and 
individual taxpayers can deduct up to $300 in donations.Under the temporary law, taxpayers don't need to itemize deductions 
on their tax returns to take advantage of this, which creates 
tax-favorable donation options not normally available to about 90 
percent of tax filers. Ordinarily, people who choose to take the 
standard deduction cannot claim a deduction for their charitable 
contributions. But this special provision permits them to claim a 
limited deduction on their 2021 federal income tax returns for cash 
contributions made to qualifying charitable organizations by year's end,
 December 31, 2021.At a time when many charitable groups are struggling during the 
pandemic, the IRS highlights the new provision and urges people to make 
sure they donate to a qualifying charity. The special <a href="https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search">Tax Exempt Organization Search</a> tool on IRS.gov can help people make sure they donate to a qualified charity."The pandemic has created unique challenges for tax-exempt 
organizations, and we want to make sure people don't overlook this 
special tax deduction that's available this year," said Sunita Lough, 
IRS Commissioner of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities division. 
"Donations to qualifying charities can reduce people's tax bill when 
they file in 2022."Leaders from the National Council of Nonprofits and the Independent 
Sector, two prominent organizations representing the nation's charitable
 groups, highlighted that the special tax provision can provide 
additional assistance to organizations hit hard by the pandemic. Some 
groups have seen reduced charitable donations and others have seen 
increased demand for their services during this unprecedented period."At a time when nonprofits continue to see immense demand for 
services, are facing significant challenges hiring and retaining staff 
to deliver those services--every donation counts," said David L. 
Thompson, Vice President of Public Policy at National Council of 
Nonprofits. "We're thankful that the universal (or non-itemizer) 
deduction is available through the end of the year to encourage every 
taxpayer give a little bit more to the missions they care about.""Over the past two years, charities have helped America confront 
generational health, economic and social crises. They have answered the 
call to serve their communities despite facing lost revenue, disrupted 
operations and dramatically increased need," said Daniel J. Cardinali, 
president and CEO of Independent Sector. "Congress has sent a powerful 
message that everyone – not just those who itemize on their taxes – has a
 role to play in helping meet this moment, and we know people in America
 will respond in kind. We hope charitable contributions and deductions 
will increase in the coming years."Included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 
(CARES) Act, enacted in March 2020, a more limited version of this 
temporary tax benefit originally only applied to tax-year 2020. The 
Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted last 
December, generally extended it through the end of 2021.Nearly nine in 10 taxpayers now take the standard deduction and could
 potentially qualify. Under this provision, tax year 2021 individual tax
 filers, including married individuals filing separate returns, can 
claim a deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made to 
qualifying charities during 2021. The maximum deduction is increased to 
$600 for married individuals filing joint returns.Cash contributions include those made by check, credit card or debit 
card as well as amounts incurred by an individual for unreimbursed 
out-of-pocket expenses in connection with their volunteer services to a 
qualifying charitable organization. Cash contributions don't include the
 value of volunteer services, securities, household items or other 
property.The IRS reminds taxpayers that to receive a deduction, they must 
donate to a qualified charity. To check the status of a charity, they 
can use the IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search">Tax Exempt Organization Search</a> tool.Cash contributions to most charitable organizations qualify for a 
deduction. But contributions made either to supporting organizations or 
to establish or maintain a donor advised fund do not. Contributions 
carried forward from prior years do not qualify, nor do contributions to
 most private foundations and most cash contributions to charitable 
remainder trusts.In general, a donor-advised fund is a fund or account maintained by a
 charity in which a donor can, because of their donor status, advise the
 fund on how to distribute or invest amounts contributed by the donor 
and held in the fund. A supporting organization is a charity that 
carries out its exempt purposes by supporting other exempt 
organizations, usually other public charities.The IRS encourages all donors to be wary of scams masked as 
charitable solicitations. Criminals create fake charities to take 
advantage of the public's generosity. Fake charities once again made the
 IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-dirty-dozen-list-warns-people-to-watch-out-for-tax-related-scams-involving-fake-charities-ghost-preparers-and-other-schemes">Dirty Dozen</a>&nbsp;list of tax scams for 2021. In October, the IRS also <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-joins-international-organizations-in-fighting-charity-fraud-during-special-awareness-week">joined international organizations</a> and other regulators in highlighting the fight against charity fraud.<h2>Keep good records</h2>Special recordkeeping rules apply to any taxpayer claiming a 
charitable contribution deduction. Usually, this includes obtaining an 
acknowledgment letter from the charity before filing a return and 
retaining a cancelled check or credit card receipt for contributions of 
cash.For details on the recordkeeping rules for substantiating gifts to charity, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-526">Publication 526, Charitable Contributions</a>, available on IRS.gov.

Special tax benefit will allow for additional tax-deductible gifts

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Attorneys in the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy case have reached a tentative settlement under which one of the organization’s largest insurers would contribute $800 million into a fund for victims of child sexual abuse.

The agreement announced Monday calls for Century Indemnity Co. and affiliated companies to contribute $800 million into the fund in return for being released from further liability for abuse claims. The payment would bring the amount of money in the proposed trust to more than $2.6 billion, which would be the largest sexual abuse settlement in U.S. history.

The settlement comes as more than 82,000 sexual abuse claimants face a Dec. 28 deadline to vote on a previously announced Boy Scouts reorganization plan.

That plan called for the Boys Scouts and its roughly 250 local councils to contribute up to $820 million in cash and property into a fund for victims. They also would assign certain insurance rights to the fund. In return, the local councils and national organization would be released from further liability for sexual abuse claims.

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Attorneys in the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy case have reached a tentative settlement under which one of the organization’s largest insurers would contribute $800 million into a fund for victims of child sexual abuse.The agreement announced Monday calls for Century Indemnity Co. and affiliated companies to contribute $800 million into the fund in return for being released from further liability for abuse claims. The payment would bring the amount of money in the proposed trust to more than $2.6 billion, which would be the largest sexual abuse settlement in U.S. history.The settlement comes as more than 82,000 sexual abuse claimants face a Dec. 28 deadline to vote on a previously announced Boy Scouts reorganization plan.That plan called for the Boys Scouts and its roughly 250 local councils to contribute up to $820 million in cash and property into a fund for victims. They also would assign certain insurance rights to the fund. In return, the local councils and national organization would be released from further liability for sexual abuse claims.

Boy Scouts secure $800M from insurer for sex abuse settlements

The NFL is requiring players, coaches and other team personnel to receive a COVID-19 booster by Dec. 27.

In a memo sent to teams on Monday and obtained by The Associated Press, the league said: “Given the increased prevalence of the virus in our communities, our experts have recommended that we implement the CDC’s recommendation.”

The league’s requirement extends to all Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuals who have previously received the vaccine. The CDC recommends an individual who received a second Pfizer or Moderna shot to complete the primary vaccine series more than six months earlier should receive a booster shot. An individual that received the Johnson and Johnson shot more than two months earlier should receive a booster shot.

The following do not have to meet the requirement:

—An individual who is not eligible for a booster pursuant to the CDC definition.

—An individual who is in the 90-day test holiday after a confirmed positive COVID-19 test

—An individual who received monoclonal antibodies within the immediately preceding 90

—An individual whose “S” antibody level on an antibody test administered via BRL (BioReference Lab) at the club facility is 2500 or greater.

The league says any individual who is not currently subject to the requirement for boosters will be required to obtain the booster within 14 days of becoming eligible.

Teams were asked to provide booster shots to all eligible tiered staff as soon as possible, and to consider making booster shots available for player and staff families and cohabitants.

A season-high total of 36 players were placed on the COVID-19/reserve list Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593142110654.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ROB MAADDI, AP Pro Football WriterThe NFL is requiring players, coaches and other team personnel to receive a COVID-19 booster by Dec. 27.In a memo sent to teams on Monday and obtained by The Associated Press, the league said: “Given the increased prevalence of the virus in our communities, our experts have recommended that we implement the CDC’s recommendation.”The league’s requirement extends to all Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuals who have previously received the vaccine. The CDC recommends an individual who received a second Pfizer or Moderna shot to complete the primary vaccine series more than six months earlier should receive a booster shot. An individual that received the Johnson and Johnson shot more than two months earlier should receive a booster shot.The following do not have to meet the requirement:—An individual who is not eligible for a booster pursuant to the CDC definition.—An individual who is in the 90-day test holiday after a confirmed positive COVID-19 testunder the league protocols.—An individual who received monoclonal antibodies within the immediately preceding 90days.—An individual whose “S” antibody level on an antibody test administered via BRL (BioReference Lab) at the club facility is 2500 or greater.The league says any individual who is not currently subject to the requirement for boosters will be required to obtain the booster within 14 days of becoming eligible.Teams were asked to provide booster shots to all eligible tiered staff as soon as possible, and to consider making booster shots available for player and staff families and cohabitants.A season-high total of 36 players were placed on the COVID-19/reserve list Monday.___

NFL sets deadline for COVID-19 booster shots 

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) —&nbsp;Residents of Kentucky counties&nbsp;where tornadoes killed dozens of people could be without heat, water or electricity in frigid temperatures for weeks or longer, state officials warned Monday, as the toll of damage and deaths came into clearer focus in five states slammed by the swarm of twisters.

Kentucky authorities said the sheer level of destruction was hindering their ability to tally the damage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-kentucky-illinois-arkansas-tennessee-missouri-e1ae21e0b7521c28411f8c360b756700">from Friday night’s storms</a>. At least 88 people — including 74 in Kentucky — were killed by the tornado outbreak that also destroyed a nursing home in Arkansas, heavily damaged an Amazon distribution center in Illinois and spread its deadly effects into Tennessee and Missouri.

In Kentucky, as searches continued for those still missing, efforts also turned to repairing the power grid, sheltering those whose homes were destroyed and delivering drinking water and other supplies.

“We’re not going to let any of our families go homeless,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in announcing that lodges in state parks were being used to provide shelter.

In Mayfield, one of the hardest hit towns, those who survived faced a high in the 50s and a low below freezing Monday without any utilities.

“Our infrastructure is so damaged. We have no running water. Our water tower was lost. Our wastewater management was lost, and there’s no natural gas to the city. So we have nothing to rely on there,” Mayfield Mayor Kathy Stewart O’Nan said on ”CBS Mornings.” “So that is purely survival at this point for so many of our people.”

Across the state, about 26,000 homes and businesses were without electricity, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://poweroutage.us/area/state/kentucky" target="_blank">poweroutage.us</a>, including nearly all of those in Mayfield. More than 10,000 homes and businesses have no water, and another 17,000 are under boil-water advisories, Kentucky Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett told reporters.

Kentucky was the worst hit by far in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-lifestyle-kentucky-illinois-missouri-99e9ada849486d9689ade7ce486841f3">the cluster of twisters across several states</a>, remarkable because they came at a time of year when cold weather normally limits tornadoes. At least 74 people died in the state, Beshear said Monday, offering the first specific count of the dead.

Still, Beshear warned that it could take days longer to pin down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-lifestyle-kentucky-illinois-missouri-99e9ada849486d9689ade7ce486841f3">the full death toll</a>, with door-to-door searches impossible in some places.

“With this amount of damage and rubble, it may be a week or even more before we have a final count on the number of lost lives,” the governor said.

Initially as many as 70 people were feared dead in the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory, but the company said Sunday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-tornado-candle-factory-missing-fce20cb5fc709e158a8869f0ffcadee5">eight deaths were confirmed</a>&nbsp;and eight people remained missing, while more than 90 others had been located. Bob Ferguson, a spokesman for the company, said many employees gathered in a tornado shelter, then left the site and were hard to reach because phone service was out.

Debris from destroyed buildings and shredded trees covered the ground in Mayfield, a city of about 10,000 in western Kentucky. Twisted sheet metal, downed power lines and wrecked vehicles lined the streets. Windows were blown out and roofs torn off the buildings that were still standing.

Five twisters hit Kentucky in all, including one with an extraordinarily long path of about 200 miles, authorities said.

In addition to the deaths in Kentucky, the tornadoes also killed at least six people in Illinois, where the Amazon distribution center in Edwardsville was hit; four in Tennessee; two in Arkansas, where the nursing home was destroyed and the governor said workers shielded residents with their own bodies; and two in Missouri.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Monday that it has opened an investigation into the collapse of the Amazon warehouse in Illinois.

Amazon’s Kelly Nantel said the Illinois warehouse was “constructed consistent with code.” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said there would be an investigation into updating code “given serious change in climate that we are seeing across the country” that appears to factor into stronger tornadoes.

Not far from Mayfield, 67 people spent Sunday night at a church serving as a shelter in Wingo, and 40 more were expected to arrive Monday. Organizers were working to find a mobile outdoor shower facility and a laundry truck, expecting many of the displaced to need a long-term place to stay. Volunteers were scrambling to meet more immediate needs, too, such as underwear and socks.

Lifelong Mayfield resident Cynthia Gargis, 51, is staying with her daughter after the storm tore off the front of her apartment and sucked out almost everything inside. She came to the shelter to offer help and visit with friends who lost their homes.

“I don’t know, I don’t see how we’ll ever get over this,” she said. “It won’t ever be the same.”

Glynda Glover, 82, said she had no idea how long she would stay at the Wingo shelter: Her apartment is uninhabitable since the wind blew out the windows and covered her bed in glass and asphalt.

“I’ll stay here until we get back to whatever normal is,” she said, “and I don’t know what normal is anymore.”

On the outskirts of Dawson Springs, another town devastated by the storms, homes were reduced to rubble and trees toppled, littering the landscape for a span of at least a mile.

“It looks like a bomb went off. It’s just completely destroyed in areas,” said Jack Whitfield Jr., the Hopkins County judge-executive.

He estimated that more than 60% of the town, including hundreds of homes, was “beyond repair.”

“A full recovering is going to take years,” he said.

Tim Morgan, a volunteer chaplain for the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department, said he’s seen the aftermath of tornadoes and hurricanes before, but nothing like this.

“Just absolute decimation. There is an entire hillside of houses that are 3 feet tall now,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639432926077.png" alt="Tornado damage in Missouri -photo courtesy American Red Cross" />
 <figcaption>Tornado damage in Missouri -photo courtesy American Red Cross</figcaption>
 </figure>MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) —&nbsp;Residents of Kentucky counties&nbsp;where tornadoes killed dozens of people could be without heat, water or electricity in frigid temperatures for weeks or longer, state officials warned Monday, as the toll of damage and deaths came into clearer focus in five states slammed by the swarm of twisters.Kentucky authorities said the sheer level of destruction was hindering their ability to tally the damage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-kentucky-illinois-arkansas-tennessee-missouri-e1ae21e0b7521c28411f8c360b756700">from Friday night’s storms</a>. At least 88 people — including 74 in Kentucky — were killed by the tornado outbreak that also destroyed a nursing home in Arkansas, heavily damaged an Amazon distribution center in Illinois and spread its deadly effects into Tennessee and Missouri.In Kentucky, as searches continued for those still missing, efforts also turned to repairing the power grid, sheltering those whose homes were destroyed and delivering drinking water and other supplies.“We’re not going to let any of our families go homeless,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in announcing that lodges in state parks were being used to provide shelter.In Mayfield, one of the hardest hit towns, those who survived faced a high in the 50s and a low below freezing Monday without any utilities.“Our infrastructure is so damaged. We have no running water. Our water tower was lost. Our wastewater management was lost, and there’s no natural gas to the city. So we have nothing to rely on there,” Mayfield Mayor Kathy Stewart O’Nan said on ”CBS Mornings.” “So that is purely survival at this point for so many of our people.”Across the state, about 26,000 homes and businesses were without electricity, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://poweroutage.us/area/state/kentucky" target="_blank">poweroutage.us</a>, including nearly all of those in Mayfield. More than 10,000 homes and businesses have no water, and another 17,000 are under boil-water advisories, Kentucky Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett told reporters.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639275139848.png" alt="Tornado damage in Missouri -photo Gov. Mike Parson" />
 <figcaption>Tornado damage in Missouri -photo Gov. Mike Parson</figcaption>
 </figure>Kentucky was the worst hit by far in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-lifestyle-kentucky-illinois-missouri-99e9ada849486d9689ade7ce486841f3">the cluster of twisters across several states</a>, remarkable because they came at a time of year when cold weather normally limits tornadoes. At least 74 people died in the state, Beshear said Monday, offering the first specific count of the dead.Still, Beshear warned that it could take days longer to pin down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-lifestyle-kentucky-illinois-missouri-99e9ada849486d9689ade7ce486841f3">the full death toll</a>, with door-to-door searches impossible in some places.“With this amount of damage and rubble, it may be a week or even more before we have a final count on the number of lost lives,” the governor said.Initially as many as 70 people were feared dead in the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory, but the company said Sunday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-tornado-candle-factory-missing-fce20cb5fc709e158a8869f0ffcadee5">eight deaths were confirmed</a>&nbsp;and eight people remained missing, while more than 90 others had been located. Bob Ferguson, a spokesman for the company, said many employees gathered in a tornado shelter, then left the site and were hard to reach because phone service was out.Debris from destroyed buildings and shredded trees covered the ground in Mayfield, a city of about 10,000 in western Kentucky. Twisted sheet metal, downed power lines and wrecked vehicles lined the streets. Windows were blown out and roofs torn off the buildings that were still standing.Five twisters hit Kentucky in all, including one with an extraordinarily long path of about 200 miles, authorities said.In addition to the deaths in Kentucky, the tornadoes also killed at least six people in Illinois, where the Amazon distribution center in Edwardsville was hit; four in Tennessee; two in Arkansas, where the nursing home was destroyed and the governor said workers shielded residents with their own bodies; and two in Missouri.The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Monday that it has opened an investigation into the collapse of the Amazon warehouse in Illinois.Amazon’s Kelly Nantel said the Illinois warehouse was “constructed consistent with code.” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said there would be an investigation into updating code “given serious change in climate that we are seeing across the country” that appears to factor into stronger tornadoes.Not far from Mayfield, 67 people spent Sunday night at a church serving as a shelter in Wingo, and 40 more were expected to arrive Monday. Organizers were working to find a mobile outdoor shower facility and a laundry truck, expecting many of the displaced to need a long-term place to stay. Volunteers were scrambling to meet more immediate needs, too, such as underwear and socks.Lifelong Mayfield resident Cynthia Gargis, 51, is staying with her daughter after the storm tore off the front of her apartment and sucked out almost everything inside. She came to the shelter to offer help and visit with friends who lost their homes.“I don’t know, I don’t see how we’ll ever get over this,” she said. “It won’t ever be the same.”Glynda Glover, 82, said she had no idea how long she would stay at the Wingo shelter: Her apartment is uninhabitable since the wind blew out the windows and covered her bed in glass and asphalt.“I’ll stay here until we get back to whatever normal is,” she said, “and I don’t know what normal is anymore.”On the outskirts of Dawson Springs, another town devastated by the storms, homes were reduced to rubble and trees toppled, littering the landscape for a span of at least a mile.“It looks like a bomb went off. It’s just completely destroyed in areas,” said Jack Whitfield Jr., the Hopkins County judge-executive.He estimated that more than 60% of the town, including hundreds of homes, was “beyond repair.”“A full recovering is going to take years,” he said.Tim Morgan, a volunteer chaplain for the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department, said he’s seen the aftermath of tornadoes and hurricanes before, but nothing like this.“Just absolute decimation. There is an entire hillside of houses that are 3 feet tall now,” he said.___

Thousands without heat, water after tornadoes kill dozens

LONDON (AP) — Long lines formed Monday at vaccination centers across England as people heeded the government’s call for all adults to get booster shots to protect themselves against the omicron variant, as the U.K. recorded its first death of a patient infected with omicron.

In a televised announcement late Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-england-a32ff1844911b50d0b09dd1013e16bab">everyone 18 and up</a>&nbsp;would be offered a third vaccine dose by Dec. 31 — less than three weeks away, and a month earlier than the previous target.

Johnson said said boosters would “reinforce our wall of vaccine protection” against an anticipated “tidal wave of omicron.” The British government raised the country’s official coronavirus threat level on Sunday, warning that the rapid spread of omicron “adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and health care services.”

U.K. health authorities say omicron cases are doubling every two to three days in Britain, and it will replace delta as the dominant coronavirus strain within days. But it’s unclear whether the expected wave of infections will inundate the country’s state-funded health care system.

Scientists in South Africa, where omicron was first identified, say they see signs the variant may cause less severe disease than delta but caution that it’s too soon to be certain. Health authorities around the world are watching Britain closely to see what an omicron surge looks like in a country with an older, more highly vaccinated population than South Africa’s.

About 10 people are in U.K. hospitals with COVID-19 caused by omicron, and Johnson on Monday said the country’s first COVID-19 death involving the variant had been confirmed.

“So I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, I think that’s something we need to set on one side and just recognize the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population,” Johnson said as he visited a vaccination center in London. “So the best thing we can do is all get our boosters.”

The U.K. Health Security Agency says existing vaccines appear less effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people exposed to omicron, though effectiveness appears to rise to between 70% and 75% after a third dose.

More than 80% of people age 12 and up in Britain have received two vaccine doses, and 40% of adults have had three. Giving the rest boosters by the end of the month will be a huge challenge, requiring almost 1 million vaccine shots delivered a day. Johnson acknowledged that many routine medical procedures would have to be postponed to meet the goal.

Some 750 soldiers and thousands of volunteer vaccinators will help give the jabs at doctors’ offices, hospitals, pharmacies and pop-up vaccination centers.

While the online appointment booking system will not be open to under-30s until Wednesday, Johnson said any adult could show up at a walk-in center to get a booster starting Monday.

Lines built up at big London vaccination clinics on Monday morning. The line for shots at St. Thomas’ Hospital, on the south bank of the River Thames in London, stretched across Westminster Bridge toward Parliament. At many clinics people queued patiently despite being told they faced a wait of several hours.

The government’s appointment-booking website struggled to keep up with demand, and also ran out of rapid at-home virus test kits, which have been distributed free to households during the pandemic. The website where tests can be ordered said none were available Monday. Starting Wednesday, people in England must show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter nightclubs and other crowded venues.

Johnson’s Dec. 31 target applies to England. The other parts of the U.K. — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — are also expected to speed up their vaccination campaigns.

While omicron is spreading around the world, Britain may be especially affected because it ordinarily has high levels of travel to South Africa. The omicron outbreak is also more visible because U.K. is also a world leader in genomic sequencing, the technique used to identify and track new variants.

Researchers in the U.K. have sequenced about 13.3% of all positive cases, compared with 3.8% in the U.S., according to GISAID, which promotes rapid sharing of data on COVID-19 and the flu. While nations such as Iceland and Denmark have sequenced a greater percentage of their positive cases, the size of the U.K.’s population and the scope of its outbreak mean Britain has sequenced many more cases.

This surveillance provided a key piece of the evidence that Johnson and the nation’s chief medical officers used in deciding to tighten pandemic restrictions and ramp up the U.K.’s vaccination program.

Johnson’s Conservative government is bringing in vaccine certificates for nightclubs and reintroducing restrictions that were lifted almost six months ago. Masks must once again be worn in most indoor settings and as of Monday, people were urged to work from home if possible.

Many scientists say those measures are unlikely to be enough and are calling for tougher ones. But cafes, pubs and shops in city centers fear that plummeting commuter numbers will hammer business in the usually busy pre-Christmas period.

Johnson is facing a major rebellion from unhappy Conservative lawmakers when Parliament votes on the new virus restrictions Tuesday. Dozens are expected to oppose the restrictions — especially vaccine passports, which they say are unfair and economically damaging.

The measures are still highly likely to pass, with support from the opposition Labour Party.

Robert Read, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Southampton, said it was still unclear how severe cases of COVID-19 from omicron would be, but “the evidence is that omicron probably requires much larger amounts of antibody in the blood in order to thwart the virus as much as possible.”

“We need to get those third doses into as many adults as we possibly can, just in case this virus turns out to be a raging bull rather than a pussy cat,” Read told radio station LBC.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1638297902218.png" alt="Riders on earlier this month aboard the Underground in London-image courtesy Underground Web Camera" />
 <figcaption>Riders on earlier this month aboard the Underground in London-image courtesy Underground Web Camera</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Long lines formed Monday at vaccination centers across England as people heeded the government’s call for all adults to get booster shots to protect themselves against the omicron variant, as the U.K. recorded its first death of a patient infected with omicron.In a televised announcement late Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-england-a32ff1844911b50d0b09dd1013e16bab">everyone 18 and up</a>&nbsp;would be offered a third vaccine dose by Dec. 31 — less than three weeks away, and a month earlier than the previous target.Johnson said said boosters would “reinforce our wall of vaccine protection” against an anticipated “tidal wave of omicron.” The British government raised the country’s official coronavirus threat level on Sunday, warning that the rapid spread of omicron “adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and health care services.”U.K. health authorities say omicron cases are doubling every two to three days in Britain, and it will replace delta as the dominant coronavirus strain within days. But it’s unclear whether the expected wave of infections will inundate the country’s state-funded health care system.Scientists in South Africa, where omicron was first identified, say they see signs the variant may cause less severe disease than delta but caution that it’s too soon to be certain. Health authorities around the world are watching Britain closely to see what an omicron surge looks like in a country with an older, more highly vaccinated population than South Africa’s.About 10 people are in U.K. hospitals with COVID-19 caused by omicron, and Johnson on Monday said the country’s first COVID-19 death involving the variant had been confirmed.“So I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, I think that’s something we need to set on one side and just recognize the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population,” Johnson said as he visited a vaccination center in London. “So the best thing we can do is all get our boosters.”The U.K. Health Security Agency says existing vaccines appear less effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people exposed to omicron, though effectiveness appears to rise to between 70% and 75% after a third dose.More than 80% of people age 12 and up in Britain have received two vaccine doses, and 40% of adults have had three. Giving the rest boosters by the end of the month will be a huge challenge, requiring almost 1 million vaccine shots delivered a day. Johnson acknowledged that many routine medical procedures would have to be postponed to meet the goal.Some 750 soldiers and thousands of volunteer vaccinators will help give the jabs at doctors’ offices, hospitals, pharmacies and pop-up vaccination centers.While the online appointment booking system will not be open to under-30s until Wednesday, Johnson said any adult could show up at a walk-in center to get a booster starting Monday.Lines built up at big London vaccination clinics on Monday morning. The line for shots at St. Thomas’ Hospital, on the south bank of the River Thames in London, stretched across Westminster Bridge toward Parliament. At many clinics people queued patiently despite being told they faced a wait of several hours.The government’s appointment-booking website struggled to keep up with demand, and also ran out of rapid at-home virus test kits, which have been distributed free to households during the pandemic. The website where tests can be ordered said none were available Monday. Starting Wednesday, people in England must show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter nightclubs and other crowded venues.Johnson’s Dec. 31 target applies to England. The other parts of the U.K. — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — are also expected to speed up their vaccination campaigns.While omicron is spreading around the world, Britain may be especially affected because it ordinarily has high levels of travel to South Africa. The omicron outbreak is also more visible because U.K. is also a world leader in genomic sequencing, the technique used to identify and track new variants.Researchers in the U.K. have sequenced about 13.3% of all positive cases, compared with 3.8% in the U.S., according to GISAID, which promotes rapid sharing of data on COVID-19 and the flu. While nations such as Iceland and Denmark have sequenced a greater percentage of their positive cases, the size of the U.K.’s population and the scope of its outbreak mean Britain has sequenced many more cases.This surveillance provided a key piece of the evidence that Johnson and the nation’s chief medical officers used in deciding to tighten pandemic restrictions and ramp up the U.K.’s vaccination program.Johnson’s Conservative government is bringing in vaccine certificates for nightclubs and reintroducing restrictions that were lifted almost six months ago. Masks must once again be worn in most indoor settings and as of Monday, people were urged to work from home if possible.Many scientists say those measures are unlikely to be enough and are calling for tougher ones. But cafes, pubs and shops in city centers fear that plummeting commuter numbers will hammer business in the usually busy pre-Christmas period.Johnson is facing a major rebellion from unhappy Conservative lawmakers when Parliament votes on the new virus restrictions Tuesday. Dozens are expected to oppose the restrictions — especially vaccine passports, which they say are unfair and economically damaging.The measures are still highly likely to pass, with support from the opposition Labour Party.Robert Read, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Southampton, said it was still unclear how severe cases of COVID-19 from omicron would be, but “the evidence is that omicron probably requires much larger amounts of antibody in the blood in order to thwart the virus as much as possible.”“We need to get those third doses into as many adults as we possibly can, just in case this virus turns out to be a raging bull rather than a pussy cat,” Read told radio station LBC.