WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed his $1 trillion infrastructure deal into law Monday on the White House lawn, hailing it as an example of what bipartisanship can achieve.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516100-1/president-biden-signs-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill&amp;live">Click here </a>to watch the President's comments

The president hopes to use the law to build back his popularity and says it will deliver jobs, clean water, high-speed internet and a clean energy future. Support for Biden has taken a hit amid rising inflation and the inability to fully shake the public health and economic risks from COVID-19.

A smattering of Republican lawmakers were on hand for what might be one the last celebratory displays of bipartisanship ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

“My message to the American people is this: America is moving again and your life is going to change for the better,” Biden said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637009964663.png" alt="President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris embrace ahead of Monday's bill signing-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris embrace ahead of Monday's bill signing-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed his $1 trillion infrastructure deal into law Monday on the White House lawn, hailing it as an example of what bipartisanship can achieve.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516100-1/president-biden-signs-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill&amp;live">Click here </a>to watch the President's commentsThe president hopes to use the law to build back his popularity and says it will deliver jobs, clean water, high-speed internet and a clean energy future. Support for Biden has taken a hit amid rising inflation and the inability to fully shake the public health and economic risks from COVID-19.A smattering of Republican lawmakers were on hand for what might be one the last celebratory displays of bipartisanship ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637013446903.png" alt="Photo courtesy White. House" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy White. House</figcaption>
 </figure>“My message to the American people is this: America is moving again and your life is going to change for the better,” Biden said.

🎥 Pres. Biden signs $1T infrastructure plan into law

KANSAS CITY (AP) — In Kansas City, Kansas, educators are opening an after-school mental health clinic staffed with school counselors and social workers. Schools in Paterson, New Jersey, have set up social emotional learning teams to identify students dealing with crises. Chicago is staffing up “care teams” with the mission of helping struggling students on its 500-plus campuses.

With a windfall of federal coronavirus relief money at hand, schools across the U.S. are using portions to quickly expand their capacity to address students’ struggles with mental health.

While school districts have broad latitude on how to spend the aid money, the urgency of the problem has been driven home by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/9/27/22691601/student-behavior-stress-trauma-return" target="_blank">absenteeism, behavioral issues, and quieter signs of distress&nbsp;</a>as many students have returned to school buildings this fall for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

For some school systems, the money has boosted long-standing work to help students cope with trauma. Others have launched new efforts to screen, counsel and treat students. All told, the investments put public schools more than ever at the center of efforts to attend to students’ overall well-being.

“In the last recession, with the last big chunk of recovery money, this conversation wasn’t happening,” said Amanda Fitzgerald, the assistant director of the American School Counselor Association. “Now, the tone across the country is very focused on the well-being of students.”

Last month, three major pediatric groups said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-cf6997107e7991393c70dd62ddbd196e">the state of children’s mental health&nbsp;</a>should be considered a national emergency. The U.S. Education Department has pointed to the distribution of the relief money as an opportunity to rethink how schools provide mental health support. Mental well-being, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has said, needs to be the foundation for the recovery from the pandemic.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemic-aid-public-school-funding-346d3d4b86f904184e357c34c9754800">pandemic relief to schools totals $190 billion</a>, more than four times the amount the Education Department typically spends on K-12 schools annually. Mental health investments have gone into staff training, wellness screenings and curriculum dedicated to social-emotional learning.

Still, questions remain over how schools will find ways to make the benefits last beyond the one-time infusion of money, handle privacy concerns, and track the effectiveness of their efforts. The implementation worries Katie Dockweiler, a school psychologist in Nevada who sits on the state board of education.

“Not all programs are created equal,” she said. “It really comes down to how it’s implemented, school by school. And there’s great variability there.”

She said districts should develop ways of tracking the impact on students: “Otherwise, we’re just throwing our money away.”

At the top of the list for many districts has been hiring new mental health specialists. When the National Association of School Psychologists surveyed members this fall, more than half of respondents said their districts intended to add social workers, psychologists, or counselors, according to policy director Kelly Vaillancourt Strobach.

With $9.5 million from federal relief funding and outside grant money, Paterson schools added five behavioral analysts, two substance abuse coordinators, and the teams to spot students going through crises.

In Paterson, one of the lowest-income parts of New Jersey, many of the 25,000 students faced food insecurity before the pandemic and struggled after family members lost jobs, Superintendent Eileen Shafer said.

“We wanted to make sure before we try to teach anything new, that we’re able to deal with where our children are right now based on what they’ve been through,” she said.

In rural Ellicottville, New York, where school psychologist Joe Prior is seeing more anxiety and a “significant increase” in panic attacks, the district wants to use rescue funds to hire a counselor to connect students with psychological help. But the position remains unfilled, as few expressed interest.

“I have more students just looking me in the eye and saying ‘I’m completely overwhelmed and I’m not sure how to handle it,’” Ellicottville high school principal Erich Ploetz said.

It’s not the only district where ambitions for hiring have outstripped the number of available professionals. Some districts have turned to outside vendors to help fill mental health positions, while others are training existing staff.

The Kansas City, Kansas, school system is using some of the $918,000 in relief money dedicated to mental health to pay social workers and counselors already on staff to work at the new after-school clinic. The district also has added staff and mental health screenings.

Angela Dunn, who leads the 22,000-student district’s mental health and suicide prevention initiatives, said the mental health team has responded to 27 student deaths and 16 staff deaths since the pandemic started, double what is typical during that period. She said a handful of staff members died of COVID-19, but many of the others were homicides, suicides and overdoses.

The investments by schools in student mental health services have raised some privacy concerns, especially where schools are now monitoring student computers for distress signals or administering mental health screenings to all students. But the idea that it’s not the place of schools to involve themselves at all has receded.

“We just recognized that students are comfortable seeking help in a school setting,” Dunn said.

Chicago, the nation’s third-largest school district, unveiled a “healing plan” for students, using $24 million of its $2.6 billion in stimulus funds.

Over three years, the district will expand “care teams” — building staff who serve as the frontline response for struggling students — to each campus. The goal is to reach 200 schools by spring.

High school principal Angélica Altamirano used some of that funding to open a space outfitted with cozy furniture and a hand-me-down air hockey table. Already, the campus center has offered grief groups for students whose family members or friends have died and helped teachers dealing with burnout.

In Topeka, Kansas, $100,000 was budgeted for calming items and staff for sensory rooms, including one at Quincy Elementary. When students get so frustrated that they put their heads down on their desk, or wander into the hallway or cry, teachers can send them to the Roadrunner Room. There, they can climb into a tent and snuggle under a weighted blanket, put a puzzle together, play with sand or build with Legos.

Dean of students Andrea Keck has watched the room become a go-to place for one student to work out frustrations.

“She can journal it, get her hair put up, whatever she needs, and then she is successful the rest of the day,” said Keck, who oversees the room.

In Detroit, the district is spending $34 million on mental health initiatives, including screening students, expanding help from outside mental health providers, and offering extra support to parents.

On a recent Wednesday, that meant an hourlong meditation session for parents at a local coffee shop. One attendee worried her own stress was affecting her son’s ability to learn.

“As a community we have all been through something,” said Sharlonda Buckman, an assistant superintendent who participated in the session. “Part of recovery has to be some intentional work in spaces like this, so we can be there for our kids.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — In Kansas City, Kansas, educators are opening an after-school mental health clinic staffed with school counselors and social workers. Schools in Paterson, New Jersey, have set up social emotional learning teams to identify students dealing with crises. Chicago is staffing up “care teams” with the mission of helping struggling students on its 500-plus campuses.With a windfall of federal coronavirus relief money at hand, schools across the U.S. are using portions to quickly expand their capacity to address students’ struggles with mental health.While school districts have broad latitude on how to spend the aid money, the urgency of the problem has been driven home by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/9/27/22691601/student-behavior-stress-trauma-return" target="_blank">absenteeism, behavioral issues, and quieter signs of distress&nbsp;</a>as many students have returned to school buildings this fall for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic hit.For some school systems, the money has boosted long-standing work to help students cope with trauma. Others have launched new efforts to screen, counsel and treat students. All told, the investments put public schools more than ever at the center of efforts to attend to students’ overall well-being.“In the last recession, with the last big chunk of recovery money, this conversation wasn’t happening,” said Amanda Fitzgerald, the assistant director of the American School Counselor Association. “Now, the tone across the country is very focused on the well-being of students.”Last month, three major pediatric groups said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-cf6997107e7991393c70dd62ddbd196e">the state of children’s mental health&nbsp;</a>should be considered a national emergency. The U.S. Education Department has pointed to the distribution of the relief money as an opportunity to rethink how schools provide mental health support. Mental well-being, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has said, needs to be the foundation for the recovery from the pandemic.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemic-aid-public-school-funding-346d3d4b86f904184e357c34c9754800">pandemic relief to schools totals $190 billion</a>, more than four times the amount the Education Department typically spends on K-12 schools annually. Mental health investments have gone into staff training, wellness screenings and curriculum dedicated to social-emotional learning.Still, questions remain over how schools will find ways to make the benefits last beyond the one-time infusion of money, handle privacy concerns, and track the effectiveness of their efforts. The implementation worries Katie Dockweiler, a school psychologist in Nevada who sits on the state board of education.“Not all programs are created equal,” she said. “It really comes down to how it’s implemented, school by school. And there’s great variability there.”She said districts should develop ways of tracking the impact on students: “Otherwise, we’re just throwing our money away.”At the top of the list for many districts has been hiring new mental health specialists. When the National Association of School Psychologists surveyed members this fall, more than half of respondents said their districts intended to add social workers, psychologists, or counselors, according to policy director Kelly Vaillancourt Strobach.With $9.5 million from federal relief funding and outside grant money, Paterson schools added five behavioral analysts, two substance abuse coordinators, and the teams to spot students going through crises.In Paterson, one of the lowest-income parts of New Jersey, many of the 25,000 students faced food insecurity before the pandemic and struggled after family members lost jobs, Superintendent Eileen Shafer said.“We wanted to make sure before we try to teach anything new, that we’re able to deal with where our children are right now based on what they’ve been through,” she said.In rural Ellicottville, New York, where school psychologist Joe Prior is seeing more anxiety and a “significant increase” in panic attacks, the district wants to use rescue funds to hire a counselor to connect students with psychological help. But the position remains unfilled, as few expressed interest.“I have more students just looking me in the eye and saying ‘I’m completely overwhelmed and I’m not sure how to handle it,’” Ellicottville high school principal Erich Ploetz said.It’s not the only district where ambitions for hiring have outstripped the number of available professionals. Some districts have turned to outside vendors to help fill mental health positions, while others are training existing staff.The Kansas City, Kansas, school system is using some of the $918,000 in relief money dedicated to mental health to pay social workers and counselors already on staff to work at the new after-school clinic. The district also has added staff and mental health screenings.Angela Dunn, who leads the 22,000-student district’s mental health and suicide prevention initiatives, said the mental health team has responded to 27 student deaths and 16 staff deaths since the pandemic started, double what is typical during that period. She said a handful of staff members died of COVID-19, but many of the others were homicides, suicides and overdoses.The investments by schools in student mental health services have raised some privacy concerns, especially where schools are now monitoring student computers for distress signals or administering mental health screenings to all students. But the idea that it’s not the place of schools to involve themselves at all has receded.“We just recognized that students are comfortable seeking help in a school setting,” Dunn said.Chicago, the nation’s third-largest school district, unveiled a “healing plan” for students, using $24 million of its $2.6 billion in stimulus funds.Over three years, the district will expand “care teams” — building staff who serve as the frontline response for struggling students — to each campus. The goal is to reach 200 schools by spring.High school principal Angélica Altamirano used some of that funding to open a space outfitted with cozy furniture and a hand-me-down air hockey table. Already, the campus center has offered grief groups for students whose family members or friends have died and helped teachers dealing with burnout.In Topeka, Kansas, $100,000 was budgeted for calming items and staff for sensory rooms, including one at Quincy Elementary. When students get so frustrated that they put their heads down on their desk, or wander into the hallway or cry, teachers can send them to the Roadrunner Room. There, they can climb into a tent and snuggle under a weighted blanket, put a puzzle together, play with sand or build with Legos.Dean of students Andrea Keck has watched the room become a go-to place for one student to work out frustrations.“She can journal it, get her hair put up, whatever she needs, and then she is successful the rest of the day,” said Keck, who oversees the room.In Detroit, the district is spending $34 million on mental health initiatives, including screening students, expanding help from outside mental health providers, and offering extra support to parents.On a recent Wednesday, that meant an hourlong meditation session for parents at a local coffee shop. One attendee worried her own stress was affecting her son’s ability to learn.“As a community we have all been through something,” said Sharlonda Buckman, an assistant superintendent who participated in the session. “Part of recovery has to be some intentional work in spaces like this, so we can be there for our kids.”

With US aid money, schools put bigger focus on mental health

LEWISTON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a second-grade teacher from southeastern Nebraska was killed this weekend in a hunting accident. 

The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office says that 23-year-old Kade Reiman, who taught at Bennet Elementary in the Palmyra-Bennet School District, was accidentally shot while hunting with another person Saturday morning southwest of Lewiston. 

Sheriff Braden Lang says Reiman, of Weeping Water, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting.

 Officials did not give other details about how the shooting occurred but said the investigation into Reiman's death is ongoing. 

Lewiston is about 18 miles east of Beatrice.

LEWISTON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a second-grade teacher from southeastern Nebraska was killed this weekend in a hunting accident. The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office says that 23-year-old Kade Reiman, who taught at Bennet Elementary in the Palmyra-Bennet School District, was accidentally shot while hunting with another person Saturday morning southwest of Lewiston. Sheriff Braden Lang says Reiman, of Weeping Water, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting. Officials did not give other details about how the shooting occurred but said the investigation into Reiman's death is ongoing. Lewiston is about 18 miles east of Beatrice.

Nebraska 2nd-grade school teacher killed in hunting accident

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who’s considered a rising star in the Republican Party, has formally launched her reelection campaign. 

Her campaign said in a statement Friday that she has raised over $10 million since she was elected three years ago. 

She has more than $6.5 million in cash on hand. 

 She had already said she would seek a second term. 

Noem says her administration has embraced fiscal responsibility, protected freedoms, fought federal government intrusions and invested in the next generation of South Dakotans. 

Noem won the governor’s office with 51 percent of the vote in 2018.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who’s considered a rising star in the Republican Party, has formally launched her reelection campaign. Her campaign said in a statement Friday that she has raised over $10 million since she was elected three years ago. She has more than $6.5 million in cash on hand. She had already said she would seek a second term. Noem says her administration has embraced fiscal responsibility, protected freedoms, fought federal government intrusions and invested in the next generation of South Dakotans. Noem won the governor’s office with 51 percent of the vote in 2018.

South Dakota governor formally launches reelection campaign

TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities continue investigating the death of a one-year old boy and have not made an arrest in the case, according to Topeka Police Department spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

Just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a medical call involving an unresponsive child the 2400 block of SW 10th Avenue in Topeka, according to Spiker.

The Topeka Fire Department and American Medical Response also responded to the scene. Life-saving measures were attempted at the scene. AMR transported the child to a local hospital, where the child was later pronounced deceased by medical personnel.

Authorities are awaiting the Coroner’s Report which will determine cause of death, according to Spiker.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636496999939.png" alt="Police on the scene of the death investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the death investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities continue investigating the death of a one-year old boy and have not made an arrest in the case, according to Topeka Police Department spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.Just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a medical call involving an unresponsive child the 2400 block of SW 10th Avenue in Topeka, according to Spiker.The Topeka Fire Department and American Medical Response also responded to the scene. Life-saving measures were attempted at the scene. AMR transported the child to a local hospital, where the child was later pronounced deceased by medical personnel.Authorities are awaiting the Coroner’s Report which will determine cause of death, according to Spiker.

Police await coroner's report in death of 1-year-old Kansas boy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s top economic adviser expressed confidence Sunday that the White House’s $1.85 trillion domestic policy package will quickly pass the House this week and said approval couldn’t come at a more urgent time as prices of consumer goods spike.

“Inflation is high right now. And it is affecting consumers in their pocketbook and also in their outlook for the economy,” said Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council.

“This, more than anything, will go at the costs that Americans face,” he said, before adding that the House will consider the legislation this coming week. “It will get a vote, it will pass.”

The House has been moving toward approval of the massive Democrat-only-backed bill even as the measure faces bigger challenges in the Senate, where Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have insisted on reducing its size.

In a letter Sunday to Democratic colleagues, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., counseled “time and patience” for working through a bill of this size.

Consumer prices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-us-inflation-so-high-77dc786442ccc3ed8092a7647716d682">have soared 6.2% over the last year</a>, the biggest 12-month jump since 1990. Deese acknowledged that prices may not fully return to a more normal 2% level until next year due to the lingering effects of COVID-19, but he said the measure will go a long way toward “lowering costs for American families.”

“We’re confident this bill, as it moves through the process, is going to be fully paid for, and not only that, it’s actually going to reduce deficits over the long term,” he said.

Biden on Monday planned to sign a related&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-congress-263678efec1b19d3fd22aa660ecd4544">$1 trillion infrastructure bill</a>, a bipartisan effort that was passed earlier this month after the president and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., pledged action on Biden’s broader package expanding health, child, elder care and climate change by mid-November.

House progressives had threatened to hold up the infrastructure bill without a firm commitment of immediate action on the broader package.

House centrists say they will vote for the package as early as this week if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-congress-nancy-pelosi-80f7a76da9ca0b42fc1dcdc4cf7dd023">an upcoming Congressional Budget Office analysis</a>&nbsp;affirms White House estimates that the bill is fully paid for. The measure would be covered with changes to corporate taxes, such as a new corporate minimum tax, while raising taxes on higher-income people.

On Friday, Pelosi wrote Democratic members reaffirming her plan to push ahead soon, noting that CBO estimates released so far on pieces of the plan have been consistent with White House projections.

“We are on a path to be further fortified with numbers from the Congressional Budget Office,” she said.

Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., one of 13 House Republicans who voted for the infrastructure bill, said he’s not convinced that the broader package will get House approval this week.

“I don’t think the votes are there yet,” he said. “A good number of Democrats had demanded and are going to receive a CBO report as to whether is, it really paid for? What does it do when you expand Medicare? What does that do to the solvency?”

“Somehow, I don’t think we’re going to get these answers ... for Pelosi to get the votes set before the end of the week.”

The bill is expected to face changes in the Senate. With Republican opposition and an evenly split 50-50 Senate, Biden has no votes to spare.

Manchin in particular has been vocal about the risk of aggravating budget shortfalls and already has managed to bring the bill down from Biden’s original $3.5 trillion price tag. Last week, Manchin&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin/status/1458443966135902221" target="_blank">again sounded the alarm</a>&nbsp;over “the threat posed by record inflation.”

Deese appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and ABC’s “This Week” and Upton spoke on CNN.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636249665418.png" alt="The bill is expected to face changes in the Senate. With Republican opposition and an evenly split 50-50 Senate, President Biden has no votes to spare.-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>The bill is expected to face changes in the Senate. With Republican opposition and an evenly split 50-50 Senate, President Biden has no votes to spare.-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s top economic adviser expressed confidence Sunday that the White House’s $1.85 trillion domestic policy package will quickly pass the House this week and said approval couldn’t come at a more urgent time as prices of consumer goods spike.“Inflation is high right now. And it is affecting consumers in their pocketbook and also in their outlook for the economy,” said Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council.“This, more than anything, will go at the costs that Americans face,” he said, before adding that the House will consider the legislation this coming week. “It will get a vote, it will pass.”The House has been moving toward approval of the massive Democrat-only-backed bill even as the measure faces bigger challenges in the Senate, where Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have insisted on reducing its size.In a letter Sunday to Democratic colleagues, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., counseled “time and patience” for working through a bill of this size.Consumer prices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-us-inflation-so-high-77dc786442ccc3ed8092a7647716d682">have soared 6.2% over the last year</a>, the biggest 12-month jump since 1990. Deese acknowledged that prices may not fully return to a more normal 2% level until next year due to the lingering effects of COVID-19, but he said the measure will go a long way toward “lowering costs for American families.”“We’re confident this bill, as it moves through the process, is going to be fully paid for, and not only that, it’s actually going to reduce deficits over the long term,” he said.Biden on Monday planned to sign a related&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-congress-263678efec1b19d3fd22aa660ecd4544">$1 trillion infrastructure bill</a>, a bipartisan effort that was passed earlier this month after the president and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., pledged action on Biden’s broader package expanding health, child, elder care and climate change by mid-November.House progressives had threatened to hold up the infrastructure bill without a firm commitment of immediate action on the broader package.House centrists say they will vote for the package as early as this week if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-congress-nancy-pelosi-80f7a76da9ca0b42fc1dcdc4cf7dd023">an upcoming Congressional Budget Office analysis</a>&nbsp;affirms White House estimates that the bill is fully paid for. The measure would be covered with changes to corporate taxes, such as a new corporate minimum tax, while raising taxes on higher-income people.On Friday, Pelosi wrote Democratic members reaffirming her plan to push ahead soon, noting that CBO estimates released so far on pieces of the plan have been consistent with White House projections.“We are on a path to be further fortified with numbers from the Congressional Budget Office,” she said.Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., one of 13 House Republicans who voted for the infrastructure bill, said he’s not convinced that the broader package will get House approval this week.“I don’t think the votes are there yet,” he said. “A good number of Democrats had demanded and are going to receive a CBO report as to whether is, it really paid for? What does it do when you expand Medicare? What does that do to the solvency?”“Somehow, I don’t think we’re going to get these answers ... for Pelosi to get the votes set before the end of the week.”The bill is expected to face changes in the Senate. With Republican opposition and an evenly split 50-50 Senate, Biden has no votes to spare.Manchin in particular has been vocal about the risk of aggravating budget shortfalls and already has managed to bring the bill down from Biden’s original $3.5 trillion price tag. Last week, Manchin&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin/status/1458443966135902221" target="_blank">again sounded the alarm</a>&nbsp;over “the threat posed by record inflation.”Deese appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and ABC’s “This Week” and Upton spoke on CNN.

Biden's next $1.85T bill expected to pass House this week

(AP)-A 9-year-old Dallas boy has died from injuries during a crowd surge at Astroworld, bringing the death toll from the Houston music festival to 10. 

Nine-year-old Ezra Blount, of Dallas, had been in a medically induced coma since Nov. 5. Ben Crump, an attorney representing the Blount family, said in a news release Sunday night that he was “committed to seeking answers and justice” on behalf of the family. 

Others who died ranged in age from 14 to 27. Most were from Texas, though some came from as far away as Illinois and Washington state. 

The surge happened during a performance by rapper Travis Scott, who founded the festival.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625177071453.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>(AP)-A 9-year-old Dallas boy has died from injuries during a crowd surge at Astroworld, bringing the death toll from the Houston music festival to 10. Nine-year-old Ezra Blount, of Dallas, had been in a medically induced coma since Nov. 5. Ben Crump, an attorney representing the Blount family, said in a news release Sunday night that he was “committed to seeking answers and justice” on behalf of the family. Others who died ranged in age from 14 to 27. Most were from Texas, though some came from as far away as Illinois and Washington state. The surge happened during a performance by rapper Travis Scott, who founded the festival.

Dallas boy, 9, is youngest of 10 killed at Houston festival

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The annual inflation rate in the US surged to 6.2% in October of 2021, the highest since November of 1990. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said he's not surprised.

"Our surveys that we conduct here at Creighton University, both the Rural Mainstreet survey and the survey of supply managers, both of them contain Kansas as one of the states are showing, we haven't seen inflationary pressures like this in the 25 years we've been conducting the surveys," Goss said.

The Fed keeps saying the inflation will end. Goss doesn't think that will happen for a while, at least.

"We are going to see these supply chain disruptions and we are going to see these exceptional high inflationary pressures well into 2022," Goss said. "I don't envision any really, relief in terms of inflation, until the second half of 2022."

Energy costs recorded the biggest gain, but the inflation was broad based.

"Interestingly, the food increases haven't been as likely as we are going to see going forward," Goss said. "A lot of it is automobiles, so not everybody is seeing that, of course, if you're not buying or selling an automobile. Also, in terms of housing prices, a lot of it is housing increases. There again, you may not be seeing it, until you buy or sell a house."

The inflation number was well above the Fed's average annual 2% inflation target for a 7th consecutive month.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620071466817.jpeg" alt="Creighton Economist Ernie Goss, PhD" />
 <figcaption>Creighton Economist Ernie Goss, PhD</figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The annual inflation rate in the US surged to 6.2% in October of 2021, the highest since November of 1990. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said he's not surprised."Our surveys that we conduct here at Creighton University, both the Rural Mainstreet survey and the survey of supply managers, both of them contain Kansas as one of the states are showing, we haven't seen inflationary pressures like this in the 25 years we've been conducting the surveys," Goss said.The Fed keeps saying the inflation will end. Goss doesn't think that will happen for a while, at least."We are going to see these supply chain disruptions and we are going to see these exceptional high inflationary pressures well into 2022," Goss said. "I don't envision any really, relief in terms of inflation, until the second half of 2022."Energy costs recorded the biggest gain, but the inflation was broad based."Interestingly, the food increases haven't been as likely as we are going to see going forward," Goss said. "A lot of it is automobiles, so not everybody is seeing that, of course, if you're not buying or selling an automobile. Also, in terms of housing prices, a lot of it is housing increases. There again, you may not be seeing it, until you buy or sell a house."The inflation number was well above the Fed's average annual 2% inflation target for a 7th consecutive month.

Economist: U.S. Inflationary pressures as high as he's ever seen them

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A little girl who lost a teddy bear she’d had since being adopted from an Ethiopian orphanage thought it was gone forever when she forgot it along a trail in Glacier National Park last year. 

But thanks to a social media plea, the sharp eyes and soft heart of a park ranger and the closure of a hiking trail because of grizzly bear activity on the same day a family friend visited the park, the teddy bear is back in the arms of 6-year-old Naomi Pascal in Jackson, Wyoming.

 Ben Pascal says the bear's return to his daughter is a story of hope and kindness and people working together.

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A little girl who lost a teddy bear she’d had since being adopted from an Ethiopian orphanage thought it was gone forever when she forgot it along a trail in Glacier National Park last year. But thanks to a social media plea, the sharp eyes and soft heart of a park ranger and the closure of a hiking trail because of grizzly bear activity on the same day a family friend visited the park, the teddy bear is back in the arms of 6-year-old Naomi Pascal in Jackson, Wyoming. Ben Pascal says the bear's return to his daughter is a story of hope and kindness and people working together.

Teddy bear lost in Glacier park returned to 6-year-old girl

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department
 announced today that millions of American families will soon receive 
their advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payment for the month of November. 
Low-income families who are not getting payments and have not filed a 
tax return can still get one, but they must sign up on IRS.gov by 11:59 
pm Eastern Time on Monday, Nov. 15.

This fifth batch of advance monthly payments, totaling about $15 
billion, will reach about 36 million families across the country.&nbsp;The 
majority of payments are being made by direct deposit.

Under the American Rescue Plan, most eligible families received 
payments dated July 15, Aug. 13, Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. The last payment 
for 2021 is scheduled for Dec. 15. For these families, each&nbsp;payment is 
up to $300 per month for each child under age 6 and up to $250 per month
 for each child ages 6 through 17.

Here are more details on the November payments:

Recently, the IRS sent letters to many Americans urging them to check
 out the Child Tax Credit and if they qualify, to sign up soon to get 
advance payments. Whether or not they got one of these letters, an 
eligible family who is not already getting monthly payments can still 
sign up to get an advance payment of the Child Tax Credit.

Treasury and IRS urge any low-income family who doesn’t normally need
 to file a return to sign up now to get their payment. The deadline is 
11:59 pm Eastern Time on Monday, November 15.

Right now, they can only sign up online. To do so, quickly and securely, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>. Families can choose to file either in English or Spanish. 
Families signing up now will normally&nbsp;receive half of their total Child Tax Credit receive on
 Dec. 15. This means a payment of up to $1,800 for each child under 6, 
and up to $1,500 for each child age 6 to 17. This is the same total 
amount that most other families have been receiving in up to six monthly
 payments that began in July. 
Any family who receives advance payments of the CTC during 2021 can 
claim the rest of the credit when they file their 2021 Federal income 
tax return. To help them do that, early in 2022 families will receive 
Letter 6419 documenting any advance payments issued to them during 2021 
and the number of qualifying children used to calculate the advance 
payments.

Families can make changes to their account

Families who are already receiving monthly payments can use the Child
 Tax Credit Update Portal (CTC-UP) to quickly update their account. 
Available only on IRS.gov, CTC-UP already allows families to verify 
their eligibility for the payments and then, if they choose to:

Updates made by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Nov. 29 will be reflected in the monthly payment scheduled for Dec. 15.

Later this month, the IRS will launch a Spanish-language version of 
the tool. In addition, new features will be added to enable families to 
raise or lower their final monthly payment to reflect life changes, such
 as another child born or adopted in 2021.

The IRS encourages partners and community groups to share information and use available <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">online tools and toolkits</a> to help non-filers, low-income families and other underserved groups sign up to receive these benefits. 
Links to online tools, answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful resources are available on the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS’ special advance CTC 2021 page</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department
 announced today that millions of American families will soon receive 
their advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payment for the month of November. 
Low-income families who are not getting payments and have not filed a 
tax return can still get one, but they must sign up on IRS.gov by 11:59 
pm Eastern Time on Monday, Nov. 15.This fifth batch of advance monthly payments, totaling about $15 
billion, will reach about 36 million families across the country.&nbsp;The 
majority of payments are being made by direct deposit.Under the American Rescue Plan, most eligible families received 
payments dated July 15, Aug. 13, Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. The last payment 
for 2021 is scheduled for Dec. 15. For these families, each&nbsp;payment is 
up to $300 per month for each child under age 6 and up to $250 per month
 for each child ages 6 through 17.Here are more details on the November payments:<ul>
 <li>Families will see the direct deposit payments in their accounts 
starting Nov. 15. Like the prior payments, the vast majority of families
 will receive them by direct deposit.</li><li>For those receiving payments by paper check, be sure to allow extra time, through the end of November, for delivery by mail.</li><li>Those wishing to receive their December payment by direct deposit can make this change using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">Child Tax Credit Update Portal</a>, available only on IRS.gov. Be sure to make the change by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Nov. 29. To access the portal, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>.</li><li>Payments are going to eligible families who filed a 2019 or 2020 
income tax return. Returns processed by Nov. 1 are reflected in these 
payments. This includes people who don’t typically file a return but 
either during 2020 successfully filed a return to register for Economic 
Impact Payments using the IRS Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov, or in 2021 
successfully filed a return by using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool">Non-filer Sign-up Tool for advance CTC</a>.</li><li>Payments are automatic. Aside from filing a tax return, including a
 return from the Non-filer Sign-up Tool, families don’t have to do 
anything if they are eligible to receive monthly payments.</li><li>Families who did not get a July, August, September or October 
payment and are getting their first monthly payment this month will 
still receive their total advance payment amount for the year (which is 
half of their total Child Tax Credit). This means that the total payment
 will be spread over two months, rather than six, making each monthly 
payment larger.</li>
 </ul><h2>Sign up by Nov. 15</h2>Recently, the IRS sent letters to many Americans urging them to check
 out the Child Tax Credit and if they qualify, to sign up soon to get 
advance payments. Whether or not they got one of these letters, an 
eligible family who is not already getting monthly payments can still 
sign up to get an advance payment of the Child Tax Credit.Treasury and IRS urge any low-income family who doesn’t normally need
 to file a return to sign up now to get their payment. The deadline is 
11:59 pm Eastern Time on Monday, November 15.Right now, they can only sign up online. To do so, quickly and securely, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>. Families can choose to file either in English or Spanish. 
Families signing up now will normally&nbsp;receive half of their total Child Tax Credit receive on
 Dec. 15. This means a payment of up to $1,800 for each child under 6, 
and up to $1,500 for each child age 6 to 17. This is the same total 
amount that most other families have been receiving in up to six monthly
 payments that began in July. 
Any family who receives advance payments of the CTC during 2021 can 
claim the rest of the credit when they file their 2021 Federal income 
tax return. To help them do that, early in 2022 families will receive 
Letter 6419 documenting any advance payments issued to them during 2021 
and the number of qualifying children used to calculate the advance 
payments.<h2>Families can make changes to their account</h2>Families who are already receiving monthly payments can use the Child
 Tax Credit Update Portal (CTC-UP) to quickly update their account. 
Available only on IRS.gov, CTC-UP already allows families to verify 
their eligibility for the payments and then, if they choose to:<ul>
 <li>Switch from receiving a paper check to direct deposit;</li><li>Change the account where their payment is direct deposited;</li><li>Update their mailing address;</li><li>Stop monthly payments and</li><li>Reflect significant changes in their income that could potentially raise or lower their monthly payments.</li>
 </ul>Updates made by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Nov. 29 will be reflected in the monthly payment scheduled for Dec. 15.Later this month, the IRS will launch a Spanish-language version of 
the tool. In addition, new features will be added to enable families to 
raise or lower their final monthly payment to reflect life changes, such
 as another child born or adopted in 2021.<h2>Community partners can help</h2>The IRS encourages partners and community groups to share information and use available <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">online tools and toolkits</a> to help non-filers, low-income families and other underserved groups sign up to receive these benefits. 
Links to online tools, answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful resources are available on the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS’ special advance CTC 2021 page</a>.

November Child Tax Credit payments on the way, December deadline looms

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service recently announced that, 
effective Nov. 15, 2021, tax professionals are able to order up to 30 
Transcript Delivery System (TDS) transcripts per client through the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/practitioner-priority-service-r">Practitioner Priority Service®</a> line. This is an increase from the previous 10 transcripts per client limit.

"Increasing the number of transcripts a caller can receive addresses 
the concerns the IRS has received from PPS callers. This is another 
example of addressing concerns from our partners and stakeholders," said
 Ken Corbin, the Wage and Investment Commissioner and the IRS Taxpayer 
Experience Officer.

Through PPS, tax professionals can order a variety of transcripts. 
Practitioners can receive transcripts for up to five clients per call. 
There's no change to the number of clients.

Transcripts available under this newly-expanded limit include the:

Transcripts not listed above continue to be limited to 10 per client and count toward the total of 30 transcripts per client.

Tax professionals will continue to receive TDS transcripts in their 
e-Services Secure Object Repository mailboxes. The change also applies 
to other IRS toll-free lines.

Tax practitioners can continue to order TDS transcripts using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/transcript-delivery-system-tds">Transcript Delivery System</a> application on IRS.gov. Individual taxpayers can request their own TDS transcripts using <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript">Get Transcript</a>. These tools remain the fastest way to receive transcripts.

More information is available at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/transcript-types-and-ways-to-order-them">Transcript Types and Ways to Order Them </a>on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service recently announced that, 
effective Nov. 15, 2021, tax professionals are able to order up to 30 
Transcript Delivery System (TDS) transcripts per client through the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/practitioner-priority-service-r">Practitioner Priority Service®</a> line. This is an increase from the previous 10 transcripts per client limit."Increasing the number of transcripts a caller can receive addresses 
the concerns the IRS has received from PPS callers. This is another 
example of addressing concerns from our partners and stakeholders," said
 Ken Corbin, the Wage and Investment Commissioner and the IRS Taxpayer 
Experience Officer.Through PPS, tax professionals can order a variety of transcripts. 
Practitioners can receive transcripts for up to five clients per call. 
There's no change to the number of clients.Transcripts available under this newly-expanded limit include the:<ul>
 <li>Tax Return Transcript,</li><li>Tax Account Transcript,</li><li>Wage and Income Transcript,</li><li>Record of Account and</li><li>Verification of Non-Filing Letter.</li>
 </ul>Transcripts not listed above continue to be limited to 10 per client and count toward the total of 30 transcripts per client.Tax professionals will continue to receive TDS transcripts in their 
e-Services Secure Object Repository mailboxes. The change also applies 
to other IRS toll-free lines.<h2>Ordering transcripts online</h2>Tax practitioners can continue to order TDS transcripts using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/transcript-delivery-system-tds">Transcript Delivery System</a> application on IRS.gov. Individual taxpayers can request their own TDS transcripts using <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript">Get Transcript</a>. These tools remain the fastest way to receive transcripts.More information is available at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/transcript-types-and-ways-to-order-them">Transcript Types and Ways to Order Them </a>on IRS.gov.

Tax professionals can now order more transcripts from the IRS

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The contagious delta variant is driving up COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Mountain West and fueling disruptive outbreaks in the North, a worrisome sign of what could be ahead this winter in the U.S.

While trends are improving in Florida, Texas and other Southern states that bore the worst of the summer surge, it’s clear that delta isn’t done with the United States. COVID-19 is moving north and west for the winter as people head indoors, close their windows and breathe stagnant air.

“We’re going to see a lot of outbreaks in unvaccinated people that will result in serious illness, and it will be tragic,” said Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

In recent days, a Vermont college suspended social gatherings after a spike in cases tied to Halloween parties. Boston officials shut down an elementary school to control an outbreak. Hospitals in New Mexico and Colorado are overwhelmed.

In Michigan, the three-county metro Detroit area is again becoming a hot spot for transmissions, with one hospital system reporting nearly 400 COVID-19 patients. Mask-wearing in Michigan has declined to about 25% of people, according to a combination of surveys tracked by an influential modeling group at the University of Washington.

“Concern over COVID in general is pretty much gone, which is unfortunate,” said Dr. Jennifer Morse, medical director at health departments in 20 central and northern Michigan counties. “I feel strange going into a store masked. I’m a minority. It’s very different. It’s just a really unusual atmosphere right now.”

New Mexico is running out of intensive care beds despite the state’s above-average vaccination rate. Waning immunity may be playing a role. People who were vaccinated early and have not yet received booster shots may be driving up infection numbers, even if they still have some protection from the most dire consequences of the virus.

“Delta and waning immunity — the combination of these two have set us back,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington. “This virus is going to stick with us for a long, long time.”

The delta variant dominates infections across the U.S., accounting for more than 99% of the samples analyzed.

No state has achieved a high enough vaccination rate, even when combined with infection-induced immunity, to avoid the type of outbreaks happening now, Mokdad said.

In a deviation from national recommendations, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order Thursday that allows any resident 18 or older access to a COVID-19 booster shot, another step to prevent hospitals and health care workers from being overwhelmed by the state’s surge in delta infections.

Progress on vaccination continues, yet nearly 60 million Americans age 12 and older remain unvaccinated. That’s an improvement since July, when 100 million were unvaccinated, said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients.

First shots are averaging about 300,000 per day, and the effort to vaccinate children ages 5 to 11 is off to a strong start, Zients said at a briefing Wednesday.

Virginia Tech’s Linsey Marr, a leading researcher on the airborne spread of the coronavirus, predicted the northward spread of the virus in a Twitter post Sept. 15. The virus spreads in the air and can build up in enclosed rooms with poor ventilation. Colder weather means more people are indoors breathing the same air, Marr said.

Imagine that everyone you spend time with is a smoker and you want to breathe as little of their smoke as possible, she said.

“The closer you are to a smoker the more exposure you have to that smoke,” Marr said. “And if you’re in a poorly ventilated room, the smoke builds up over time.”

Marr said she and her vaccinated family will use rapid tests before gathering for Christmas to check for infection.

“It’s hard to know what’s coming next with this virus,” Marr said. “We thought we knew, but delta really surprised us. We thought the vaccine would help end this, but things are still dragging on. It’s hard to know what’s going to happen next.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The contagious delta variant is driving up COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Mountain West and fueling disruptive outbreaks in the North, a worrisome sign of what could be ahead this winter in the U.S.While trends are improving in Florida, Texas and other Southern states that bore the worst of the summer surge, it’s clear that delta isn’t done with the United States. COVID-19 is moving north and west for the winter as people head indoors, close their windows and breathe stagnant air.“We’re going to see a lot of outbreaks in unvaccinated people that will result in serious illness, and it will be tragic,” said Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health.In recent days, a Vermont college suspended social gatherings after a spike in cases tied to Halloween parties. Boston officials shut down an elementary school to control an outbreak. Hospitals in New Mexico and Colorado are overwhelmed.In Michigan, the three-county metro Detroit area is again becoming a hot spot for transmissions, with one hospital system reporting nearly 400 COVID-19 patients. Mask-wearing in Michigan has declined to about 25% of people, according to a combination of surveys tracked by an influential modeling group at the University of Washington.“Concern over COVID in general is pretty much gone, which is unfortunate,” said Dr. Jennifer Morse, medical director at health departments in 20 central and northern Michigan counties. “I feel strange going into a store masked. I’m a minority. It’s very different. It’s just a really unusual atmosphere right now.”New Mexico is running out of intensive care beds despite the state’s above-average vaccination rate. Waning immunity may be playing a role. People who were vaccinated early and have not yet received booster shots may be driving up infection numbers, even if they still have some protection from the most dire consequences of the virus.“Delta and waning immunity — the combination of these two have set us back,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington. “This virus is going to stick with us for a long, long time.”The delta variant dominates infections across the U.S., accounting for more than 99% of the samples analyzed.No state has achieved a high enough vaccination rate, even when combined with infection-induced immunity, to avoid the type of outbreaks happening now, Mokdad said.In a deviation from national recommendations, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order Thursday that allows any resident 18 or older access to a COVID-19 booster shot, another step to prevent hospitals and health care workers from being overwhelmed by the state’s surge in delta infections.Progress on vaccination continues, yet nearly 60 million Americans age 12 and older remain unvaccinated. That’s an improvement since July, when 100 million were unvaccinated, said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients.First shots are averaging about 300,000 per day, and the effort to vaccinate children ages 5 to 11 is off to a strong start, Zients said at a briefing Wednesday.Virginia Tech’s Linsey Marr, a leading researcher on the airborne spread of the coronavirus, predicted the northward spread of the virus in a Twitter post Sept. 15. The virus spreads in the air and can build up in enclosed rooms with poor ventilation. Colder weather means more people are indoors breathing the same air, Marr said.Imagine that everyone you spend time with is a smoker and you want to breathe as little of their smoke as possible, she said.“The closer you are to a smoker the more exposure you have to that smoke,” Marr said. “And if you’re in a poorly ventilated room, the smoke builds up over time.”Marr said she and her vaccinated family will use rapid tests before gathering for Christmas to check for infection.“It’s hard to know what’s coming next with this virus,” Marr said. “We thought we knew, but delta really surprised us. We thought the vaccine would help end this, but things are still dragging on. It’s hard to know what’s going to happen next.”___

COVID-19 hot spots offer sign of what could be ahead for US

SAN DIEGO (AP) — It’s a hidden crisis that's existed for years inside one of the most well-funded institutions on the planet and has only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. 

As many of 160,000 active-duty military members are having trouble feeding their families. That word comes from Feeding America, which coordinates the work of more than 200 food banks around the United States. 

The group estimates that 29% of troops in the most junior enlisted ranks faced food insecurity during the previous year. 

In response, a robust network of military-adjacent charitable organizations such as the Armed Services YMCA and Blue Star Families has developed an infrastructure of food banks near major domestic bases.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619477585755.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SAN DIEGO (AP) — It’s a hidden crisis that's existed for years inside one of the most well-funded institutions on the planet and has only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. As many of 160,000 active-duty military members are having trouble feeding their families. That word comes from Feeding America, which coordinates the work of more than 200 food banks around the United States. The group estimates that 29% of troops in the most junior enlisted ranks faced food insecurity during the previous year. In response, a robust network of military-adjacent charitable organizations such as the Armed Services YMCA and Blue Star Families has developed an infrastructure of food banks near major domestic bases.

Thousands of military families struggle with food insecurity

GENOA, Neb. (AP) — Researchers say they have uncovered the names of 102 Native American students who died at a federally operated boarding school in Nebraska. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the discovery comes as ground-penetrating radar has been used in recent weeks to search for a cemetery once used by the school that operated in Genoa from 1884 to 1934. 

The Genoa school was one of the largest in a system of 25 federally run boarding schools for Native Americans. 

The dark history of abuses at the schools is now the subject of a nationwide investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636894626456.png" alt="Google Maps" />
 <figcaption>Google Maps</figcaption>
 </figure>GENOA, Neb. (AP) — Researchers say they have uncovered the names of 102 Native American students who died at a federally operated boarding school in Nebraska. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the discovery comes as ground-penetrating radar has been used in recent weeks to search for a cemetery once used by the school that operated in Genoa from 1884 to 1934. So far, no graves have been found. The Genoa school was one of the largest in a system of 25 federally run boarding schools for Native Americans. The dark history of abuses at the schools is now the subject of a nationwide investigation.

102 died at Native American boarding school in Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Three snow leopards have died at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska of complications from COVID-19. 

The zoo made the announcement in a Facebook post Friday, describing the deaths of the three leopards _ named Ranney, Everest, and Makalu_ as “truly heartbreaking.” 

The zoo began treating the leopards and two Sumatran tigers for the virus last month. The zoo said the tigers, Axl and Kumar, have made what appears to be a full recovery. 

The zoo said it remains open to the public and continues to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to humans and animals. 

Zoos across the country, including at the St. Louis Zoo and the Denver Zoo, have battled COVID-19 outbreaks among their animals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636894295827.png" alt="Photo: lincolnzoo.org" />
 <figcaption>Photo: lincolnzoo.org</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Three snow leopards have died at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska of complications from COVID-19. The zoo made the announcement in a Facebook post Friday, describing the deaths of the three leopards _ named Ranney, Everest, and Makalu_ as “truly heartbreaking.” The zoo began treating the leopards and two Sumatran tigers for the virus last month. The zoo said the tigers, Axl and Kumar, have made what appears to be a full recovery. The zoo said it remains open to the public and continues to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to humans and animals. Zoos across the country, including at the St. Louis Zoo and the Denver Zoo, have battled COVID-19 outbreaks among their animals.

3 snow leopards with COVID-19 die at Lincoln Children’s Zoo

WASHINGTON (AP) — To enforce President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 mandate, the U.S. Labor Department is going to need a lot of help. Its Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn’t have nearly enough workplace safety inspectors to do the job.

On Friday, federal appeals court in New Orleans halted the Biden administration’s vaccine or testing requirement for private businesses, delivering another political setback to one of the White House’s signature public health policies.

If the mandate survives the legal fight, the government will rely upon a corps of informers to identify violations of the order: Employees who will presumably be concerned enough to turn in their own employers if their co-workers go unvaccinated or fail to undergo weekly tests to show they’re virus-free.

What’s not known is just how many employees will be willing to accept some risk to themselves — or their job security — for blowing the whistle on their own employers. Without them, though, experts say the government would find it harder to achieve its goal of requiring tens of millions of workers at companies with 100 or more employees to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4 or be tested weekly and wear a mask on the job.

“There is no army of OSHA inspectors that is going to be knocking on employers door or even calling them,” said Debbie Berkowitz, a former OSHA chief of staff who is a fellow at Georgetown University’s Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor. “They’re going to rely on workers and their union representatives to file complaints where the company is totally flouting the law.”

Jim Frederick, the acting chief of OSHA, told reporters that this agency will focus on job sites “where workers need assistance to have a safe and healthy workplace.”

“That typically comes through in the form of a complaint,” Frederick added.

Critics warn that whistleblowers have often faced retaliation from their employers and that OSHA has offered little protection when they do.

The new mandate, which Biden announced last month, is the administration’s most far-reaching step yet to prod more Americans to get a vaccine that has been widely available since early spring. The mandate will cover an estimated 84 million employees.

The president called the move necessary to combat an outbreak that has killed 750,000 Americans and that continues to spread. Companies that fail to comply will face fines of nearly $14,000 per “serious” violation. Employers found to be “willful’’ or repeat violators would be subject to fines of up to ten times that amount.

The mandate has run into furious opposition, though, from leaders of mainly Republican-led states who have condemned the plan as an unlawful case of federal overreach and who immediately challenged the vaccine-or-test requirements in court. On Saturday, the Biden administration endured a setback when a federal appeals court in New Orleans temporarily halted the mandate, saying it posed “grave statutory and constitutional issues.”

Should the mandate survive its legal challenges, though, the task of enforcing it would fall on OSHA, the small Labor Department agency that was established 50 years ago to police workplace safety and protect workers from such dangers as toxic chemicals, rickety ladders and cave-ins at construction sites.

OSHA has jurisdiction in 29 states. Other states, including California and Michigan, have their own federally approved workplace safety agencies. These states will have an additional month — until early February — to adopt their own version of the COVID mandate, equal to or tougher than OSHA’s.

For a task as enormous as enforcing the new vaccine mandate, OSHA and its state “partners” are stretched thin. Just 1,850 inspectors will oversee 130 million workers at 8 million job sites. So the agencies must rely on whistleblowers.

OSHA urges workers to first bring unsafe or unhealthy working conditions to the attention of their employers “if possible.” Employees could also file a confidential safety complaint with OSHA or have a case filed by a representative, such as a lawyer, a union representative or a member of the clergy. But they have no right to sue their employer in court for federal safety violations.

Typically, 20% to 25% of OSHA inspections originate with a complaint.

“You fill out a form or somebody fills out a form for you,” said Berkowitz, the former OSHA chief of staff. “And that’s all workers have. If OSHA decides not to inspect, that’s it. Or if OSHA inspects but decides not to cite the employer, that’s it. ... So it’s a pretty weak law.”

Only OSHA can bring cases over violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the law that is meant to provide safe workplaces. Going outside OSHA to sue employers for negligence is all but impossible, say Berkowitz and other worker advocates.

State worker compensation programs — which reimburse injured workers for medical costs and lost wages and provide death benefits to survivors of those killed — include no-fault provisions that block most lawsuits.

“Technically,” Berkowitz said, “the law says that companies can’t retaliate against a worker for raising a health and safety issue or filing an OSHA complaint or even reporting an injury. But retaliation is rampant.”

OSHA can pursue employers who punish workers for speaking out against unsafe working conditions. Last month, for example, the agency sued a luxury car dealer in Austin, Texas, that it said fired an employee who had warned co-workers about potential coronavirus hazards in the workplace.

But in a report co-written by Berkowitz, the National Employment Law Project, which advocates for worker rights, found that OSHA dismissed — without investigating — more than half the COVID-related complaints of retaliation it received from whistleblowers. Just 2% of complaints were resolved in the five-month period last year that the law project studied. Workers have just 30 days to file an OSHA complaint over retaliation.

“OSHA needs to improve its handling of whistleblower complaints,” the Labor Department’s Inspector General, its internal watchdog, concluded last year. “When OSHA fails to respond in a timely manner, it could leave workers to suffer emotionally and financially, and may also lead to the erosion of key evidence and witnesses.’’

Still, most companies are considered likely to comply with the COVID mandate, as they mostly do with other OSHA rules. Some employers were likely relieved: They may have wanted to require inoculations on their own but worried that they’d alienate anti-vax workers and possibly lose them to employers that didn’t require vaccinations.

“Most employers — they’re law abiding,” says David Michaels, a former OSHA chief who is an epidemiologist and professor of public health at George Washington University. “They’re trying to make sure that they meet the requirements of every law and regulation .. Now OSHA will follow up. They’ll respond to complaints. They’ll do spot checks. They’ll issue citations and fines, and they’ll make a big deal of those” to discourage other potential violators.

WASHINGTON (AP) — To enforce President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 mandate, the U.S. Labor Department is going to need a lot of help. Its Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn’t have nearly enough workplace safety inspectors to do the job.On Friday, federal appeals court in New Orleans halted the Biden administration’s vaccine or testing requirement for private businesses, delivering another political setback to one of the White House’s signature public health policies.If the mandate survives the legal fight, the government will rely upon a corps of informers to identify violations of the order: Employees who will presumably be concerned enough to turn in their own employers if their co-workers go unvaccinated or fail to undergo weekly tests to show they’re virus-free.What’s not known is just how many employees will be willing to accept some risk to themselves — or their job security — for blowing the whistle on their own employers. Without them, though, experts say the government would find it harder to achieve its goal of requiring tens of millions of workers at companies with 100 or more employees to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4 or be tested weekly and wear a mask on the job.“There is no army of OSHA inspectors that is going to be knocking on employers door or even calling them,” said Debbie Berkowitz, a former OSHA chief of staff who is a fellow at Georgetown University’s Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor. “They’re going to rely on workers and their union representatives to file complaints where the company is totally flouting the law.”Jim Frederick, the acting chief of OSHA, told reporters that this agency will focus on job sites “where workers need assistance to have a safe and healthy workplace.”“That typically comes through in the form of a complaint,” Frederick added.Critics warn that whistleblowers have often faced retaliation from their employers and that OSHA has offered little protection when they do.The new mandate, which Biden announced last month, is the administration’s most far-reaching step yet to prod more Americans to get a vaccine that has been widely available since early spring. The mandate will cover an estimated 84 million employees.The president called the move necessary to combat an outbreak that has killed 750,000 Americans and that continues to spread. Companies that fail to comply will face fines of nearly $14,000 per “serious” violation. Employers found to be “willful’’ or repeat violators would be subject to fines of up to ten times that amount.The mandate has run into furious opposition, though, from leaders of mainly Republican-led states who have condemned the plan as an unlawful case of federal overreach and who immediately challenged the vaccine-or-test requirements in court. On Saturday, the Biden administration endured a setback when a federal appeals court in New Orleans temporarily halted the mandate, saying it posed “grave statutory and constitutional issues.”Should the mandate survive its legal challenges, though, the task of enforcing it would fall on OSHA, the small Labor Department agency that was established 50 years ago to police workplace safety and protect workers from such dangers as toxic chemicals, rickety ladders and cave-ins at construction sites.OSHA has jurisdiction in 29 states. Other states, including California and Michigan, have their own federally approved workplace safety agencies. These states will have an additional month — until early February — to adopt their own version of the COVID mandate, equal to or tougher than OSHA’s.For a task as enormous as enforcing the new vaccine mandate, OSHA and its state “partners” are stretched thin. Just 1,850 inspectors will oversee 130 million workers at 8 million job sites. So the agencies must rely on whistleblowers.OSHA urges workers to first bring unsafe or unhealthy working conditions to the attention of their employers “if possible.” Employees could also file a confidential safety complaint with OSHA or have a case filed by a representative, such as a lawyer, a union representative or a member of the clergy. But they have no right to sue their employer in court for federal safety violations.Typically, 20% to 25% of OSHA inspections originate with a complaint.“You fill out a form or somebody fills out a form for you,” said Berkowitz, the former OSHA chief of staff. “And that’s all workers have. If OSHA decides not to inspect, that’s it. Or if OSHA inspects but decides not to cite the employer, that’s it. ... So it’s a pretty weak law.”Only OSHA can bring cases over violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the law that is meant to provide safe workplaces. Going outside OSHA to sue employers for negligence is all but impossible, say Berkowitz and other worker advocates.State worker compensation programs — which reimburse injured workers for medical costs and lost wages and provide death benefits to survivors of those killed — include no-fault provisions that block most lawsuits.Even sounding the alarm can be risky.“Technically,” Berkowitz said, “the law says that companies can’t retaliate against a worker for raising a health and safety issue or filing an OSHA complaint or even reporting an injury. But retaliation is rampant.”OSHA can pursue employers who punish workers for speaking out against unsafe working conditions. Last month, for example, the agency sued a luxury car dealer in Austin, Texas, that it said fired an employee who had warned co-workers about potential coronavirus hazards in the workplace.But in a report co-written by Berkowitz, the National Employment Law Project, which advocates for worker rights, found that OSHA dismissed — without investigating — more than half the COVID-related complaints of retaliation it received from whistleblowers. Just 2% of complaints were resolved in the five-month period last year that the law project studied. Workers have just 30 days to file an OSHA complaint over retaliation.“OSHA needs to improve its handling of whistleblower complaints,” the Labor Department’s Inspector General, its internal watchdog, concluded last year. “When OSHA fails to respond in a timely manner, it could leave workers to suffer emotionally and financially, and may also lead to the erosion of key evidence and witnesses.’’Still, most companies are considered likely to comply with the COVID mandate, as they mostly do with other OSHA rules. Some employers were likely relieved: They may have wanted to require inoculations on their own but worried that they’d alienate anti-vax workers and possibly lose them to employers that didn’t require vaccinations.“Most employers — they’re law abiding,” says David Michaels, a former OSHA chief who is an epidemiologist and professor of public health at George Washington University. “They’re trying to make sure that they meet the requirements of every law and regulation .. Now OSHA will follow up. They’ll respond to complaints. They’ll do spot checks. They’ll issue citations and fines, and they’ll make a big deal of those” to discourage other potential violators.

Whistleblowers to play key role in enforcing vaccine mandate

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal 2018 crash have filed charges in the case.

The one-car rollover crash near the intersection of Hawk Road ad 800 Avenue killed an Abilene High School student Isaiah Johnson.

According to the Dickinson County Sheriff, Hayden Cook, who was also a student at Abilene High School at the time of the crash, was driving the 2005 Buick involved in the accident. He was treated for minor injuries.

&nbsp;Earlier this year Isaac’s mother contacted the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office requesting additional investigation in her son’s death and asked that authorities reopen the case, according to Sheriff Jerry Davis.

The Sheriff’s Office reviewed the case and determined additional investigation was necessary. The Sheriff’s Office concluded its investigation and forwarded the case to the Dickinson County Attorney Office for review. Charges have been filed in Dickinson County District Court against now 20-year-old Cook of St. George, Kansas. Hayden is charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, two counts of Aggravated Battery, three counts of Endangering a Child, Reckless Driving, Driving in Violation of Driver’s License Restrictions and Speeding.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636755691210.png" alt="Cook photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Cook photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal 2018 crash have filed charges in the case.The one-car rollover crash near the intersection of Hawk Road ad 800 Avenue killed an Abilene High School student Isaiah Johnson.According to the Dickinson County Sheriff, Hayden Cook, who was also a student at Abilene High School at the time of the crash, was driving the 2005 Buick involved in the accident. He was treated for minor injuries.&nbsp;Earlier this year Isaac’s mother contacted the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office requesting additional investigation in her son’s death and asked that authorities reopen the case, according to Sheriff Jerry Davis.The Sheriff’s Office reviewed the case and determined additional investigation was necessary. The Sheriff’s Office concluded its investigation and forwarded the case to the Dickinson County Attorney Office for review. Charges have been filed in Dickinson County District Court against now 20-year-old Cook of St. George, Kansas. Hayden is charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, two counts of Aggravated Battery, three counts of Endangering a Child, Reckless Driving, Driving in Violation of Driver’s License Restrictions and Speeding.

Kan. man charged for fatal crash when he was in high school

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans quit their jobs at a record pace for the second straight month in September, while businesses and other employers posted a near-record number of available jobs.

The Labor Department said Friday that 4.4 million people quit their jobs that month, or about 3% of the nation's workforce. That's up from 4.3 million in August. There were 10.4 million job openings, down from 10.6 million in August, which was revised higher.

The Little Apple Post has <a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/5ce59562-e9a6-4f21-affa-5d7ee3e5086c">a great visualization of the phenomenon</a> today.

The figures point to a historic level of turmoil in the job market as newly-empowered workers quit jobs to take higher pay that is being dangled by increasingly-desperate employers in need of help. Incomes are rising, Americans are spending more and the economy is growing, and employers have ramped up hiring to keep the pace. Rising inflation, however, is offsetting much of the pay gains for workers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans quit their jobs at a record pace for the second straight month in September, while businesses and other employers posted a near-record number of available jobs.The Labor Department said Friday that 4.4 million people quit their jobs that month, or about 3% of the nation's workforce. That's up from 4.3 million in August. There were 10.4 million job openings, down from 10.6 million in August, which was revised higher.The Little Apple Post has <a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/5ce59562-e9a6-4f21-affa-5d7ee3e5086c">a great visualization of the phenomenon</a> today.The figures point to a historic level of turmoil in the job market as newly-empowered workers quit jobs to take higher pay that is being dangled by increasingly-desperate employers in need of help. Incomes are rising, Americans are spending more and the economy is growing, and employers have ramped up hiring to keep the pace. Rising inflation, however, is offsetting much of the pay gains for workers.It is typically perceived as a signal of worker confidence when people begin to leave the jobs they hold. The vast majority of people quit for a new position.Competition for workers is particularly intense for retailers and delivery companies, particularly as they staff up for what is expected to be a healthy winter holiday shopping season.Online giant Amazon is hiring 125,000 permanent drivers and warehouse workers and offer pay between $18 and $22 an hour. It's also paying sign-on bonuses of up to $3,000.Seasonal hiring is also ramping up. Package delivery company UPS is seeking to add 100,000 workers to help with the crush of holiday orders, and plans to make job offers to some applicants within 30 minutes.