WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Friday opened up COVID-19 booster shots to all adults, expanding the government’s campaign to shore up protection and get ahead of rising coronavirus cases that may worsen with the holidays.

Pfizer and Moderna announced the Food and Drug Administration’s decision after at least 10 states already had started offering boosters to all adults. The latest action simplifies what until now has been a confusing list of who’s eligible by allowing anyone 18 or older to choose either company’s booster six months after their last dose — regardless of which vaccine they had first.

But there’s one more step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must agree to expand Pfizer and Moderna boosters to even healthy young adults. Its scientific advisers were set to debate later Friday.

If the CDC agrees, tens of millions more Americans could have three doses of protection ahead of the new year. Anyone who got the one-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine can already get a booster.

All three COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe illness including hospitalization and death, but protection against infection can wane with time. Previously, the government had cleared boosters of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine, as well as the similar Moderna vaccine, only for vulnerable groups including older Americans and people with chronic health problems.

The move to expand comes as new COVID-19 cases have climbed steadily over the last two weeks, especially in states where colder weather is driving people indoors.

Sparked by those worrying trends, some states didn’t wait for federal officials to act. Utah and Massachusetts were the latest states to announce in the past week that they’re opening boosters to all adults.

Boosters for everyone was the Biden administration’s original goal. But in September, a panel of FDA advisers voted overwhelmingly against that idea based on the vaccines’ continued effectiveness in most age groups. Instead they endorsed an extra Pfizer dose only for the most vulnerable.

Since then, administration officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have continued making the case for using boosters more widely, noting that even milder infections in younger people can cause “long COVID” and other complications.

“I don’t know of any other vaccine where we only worry about keeping people out of the hospital,” said Fauci at a briefing Wednesday.

Last week, Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech filed new data to make the case that broader boosters could help tamp down infections at a critical period.

“We have absolutely no chance in the current situation to control the pandemic without providing boosters to everyone,” BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told reporters during a visit to Washington last week.

The companies studied 10,000 adults of all ages and found that a booster restored protection against symptomatic infections to about 95% even while the extra-contagious delta variant was surging. It’s too soon to know if that high level of protection will last longer after a third shot than after the second, something Sahin said the companies will carefully track.

Backing up that evidence, Britain released real-world data this week showing the same jump in protection once it began offering boosters to middle-aged and older adults. Israel has credited widespread boosters for helping to beat back another wave of the virus in that country.

More than 195 million Americans are fully vaccinated, defined as having received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine. More than 30 million already have received a booster.

Before the expansion, people who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations were eligible for a third dose if they’re elderly or at high risk of COVID-19 because of health problems or their jobs or living conditions. Because a single J&amp;J shot hasn’t proven as effective as its two-dose competitors, any J&amp;J recipient can get a booster at least two months later.

But people who don’t meet the criteria often score an extra shot because many vaccine sites don’t check qualifications.

The FDA previously ruled that people getting a booster can receive a different brand from the vaccine they received initially.

Some experts worry that all the attention to boosters may harm efforts to reach the 60 million Americans who are eligible for vaccinations but haven’t gotten the shots. There’s also growing concern that rich countries are offering widespread boosters when poor countries haven’t been able to vaccinate more than a small fraction of their populations.

“In terms of the No. 1 priority for reducing transmission in this country and throughout the world, this remains getting people their first vaccine series,” said Dr. David Dowdy of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635085085116.png" alt="A booster vaccination event last month in Lawrence-photo courtesy Douglas County" />
 <figcaption>A booster vaccination event last month in Lawrence-photo courtesy Douglas County</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Friday opened up COVID-19 booster shots to all adults, expanding the government’s campaign to shore up protection and get ahead of rising coronavirus cases that may worsen with the holidays.Pfizer and Moderna announced the Food and Drug Administration’s decision after at least 10 states already had started offering boosters to all adults. The latest action simplifies what until now has been a confusing list of who’s eligible by allowing anyone 18 or older to choose either company’s booster six months after their last dose — regardless of which vaccine they had first.But there’s one more step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must agree to expand Pfizer and Moderna boosters to even healthy young adults. Its scientific advisers were set to debate later Friday.If the CDC agrees, tens of millions more Americans could have three doses of protection ahead of the new year. Anyone who got the one-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine can already get a booster.All three COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe illness including hospitalization and death, but protection against infection can wane with time. Previously, the government had cleared boosters of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine, as well as the similar Moderna vaccine, only for vulnerable groups including older Americans and people with chronic health problems.The move to expand comes as new COVID-19 cases have climbed steadily over the last two weeks, especially in states where colder weather is driving people indoors.Sparked by those worrying trends, some states didn’t wait for federal officials to act. Utah and Massachusetts were the latest states to announce in the past week that they’re opening boosters to all adults.Boosters for everyone was the Biden administration’s original goal. But in September, a panel of FDA advisers voted overwhelmingly against that idea based on the vaccines’ continued effectiveness in most age groups. Instead they endorsed an extra Pfizer dose only for the most vulnerable.Since then, administration officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have continued making the case for using boosters more widely, noting that even milder infections in younger people can cause “long COVID” and other complications.“I don’t know of any other vaccine where we only worry about keeping people out of the hospital,” said Fauci at a briefing Wednesday.Last week, Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech filed new data to make the case that broader boosters could help tamp down infections at a critical period.“We have absolutely no chance in the current situation to control the pandemic without providing boosters to everyone,” BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told reporters during a visit to Washington last week.The companies studied 10,000 adults of all ages and found that a booster restored protection against symptomatic infections to about 95% even while the extra-contagious delta variant was surging. It’s too soon to know if that high level of protection will last longer after a third shot than after the second, something Sahin said the companies will carefully track.Backing up that evidence, Britain released real-world data this week showing the same jump in protection once it began offering boosters to middle-aged and older adults. Israel has credited widespread boosters for helping to beat back another wave of the virus in that country.More than 195 million Americans are fully vaccinated, defined as having received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine. More than 30 million already have received a booster.Before the expansion, people who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations were eligible for a third dose if they’re elderly or at high risk of COVID-19 because of health problems or their jobs or living conditions. Because a single J&amp;J shot hasn’t proven as effective as its two-dose competitors, any J&amp;J recipient can get a booster at least two months later.But people who don’t meet the criteria often score an extra shot because many vaccine sites don’t check qualifications.The FDA previously ruled that people getting a booster can receive a different brand from the vaccine they received initially.Some experts worry that all the attention to boosters may harm efforts to reach the 60 million Americans who are eligible for vaccinations but haven’t gotten the shots. There’s also growing concern that rich countries are offering widespread boosters when poor countries haven’t been able to vaccinate more than a small fraction of their populations.“In terms of the No. 1 priority for reducing transmission in this country and throughout the world, this remains getting people their first vaccine series,” said Dr. David Dowdy of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.___

FDA expands COVID boosters to all adults ahead of CDC decision

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Biden administration is taking steps to help distribute several billion dollars in aid for winter heating and utility bills, an unprecedented sum that comes largely from its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-coronavirus-relief-package-33f4902ca9a2aed4e76274af6bb2ea5c">$1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package</a>.

The package provided an additional $4.5 billion for the government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which typically has funding of $3 billion to $4 billion annually. Aid for renters can also cover utility costs, while the money provided to state, local and tribal governments can help families that face high heating bills and are ineligible for other programs.

“It’s another example of where the American Rescue Plan included extra precautions to ensure we would be prepared,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-coronavirus-pandemic-gene-sperling-financial-markets-financial-crisis-5dc2a177b5d4017a754b658fe796047b">Gene Sperling</a>, who is overseeing coronavirus relief for the White House. “These new programs and funding were designed to ensure that if the weather was colder or the prices were higher, we would have the highest resources ever to help as many hard-pressed families as possible.”

The White House sent out invites for a call Thursday afternoon with representatives from governors’ offices to discuss ways to distribute the funds and coordinate across programs. Speakers on the call will include Sperling, Energy Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-biden-cabinet-michigan-jennifer-granholm-15acadc1a86559e3a8a7e1d026a0732f">Jennifer Granholm</a>, Health and Human Services Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-cabinets-coronavirus-pandemic-hispanics-1e2d25d910ac52c29e5a4ce4acae0b8b">Xavier Becerra</a>&nbsp;and the governors of Connecticut, Maine and Michigan.

The aid helps to create a cushion that limits the shock of higher energy costs ahead of winter. Republican lawmakers have said the relief package, which became law in March, caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-consumer-prices-inflation-economy-prices-10e00ba16f8fb94f45ced724f2ea2e45">higher levels of inflation</a>, with prices in October 6.2% higher than a year ago. The GOP argument is that the Biden relief package sent too much money into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-elections-health-3054e6daddcb03262da8b60c8c382fbf">the economy</a>, causing prices to rise and hurting middle-class and lower-income families.

“The Democrats’ inflation is functioning like an ultra-punitive tax on the American families who can least afford it,” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said in a Wednesday floor speech.

But in this instance, the spending from the aid package is already helping to insulate millions of households from higher utility bills and reducing strains on household budgets. Estimates by the Urban Institute based off a Census Bureau survey indicate that a third of families used the monthly payments from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/child-tax-credit-bank-account">expanded child tax credit</a>&nbsp;to pay their utility bills between July and October 2021.

Electricity and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-europe-asia-united-states-prices-cc94e4f9bfc479a84639abea2f9de771">natural gas prices</a>&nbsp;are roughly 11% higher than a year ago, according to the Labor Department’s consumer price index.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-prices-inflation-28e1231bdb445d482bb2d2e25dff1983">Heating oil prices</a>&nbsp;have more than doubled over the past year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The administration is also calling on utilities and energy companies to use the available government resources to protect their most vulnerable customers. DTE Energy, Eversource, National Grid and NorthWestern Energy have already agreed to identify and notify eligible recipients and guarantee no shutoffs for customers seeking assistance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637234431368.png" alt="The package provided an additional $4.5 billion for the government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which typically has funding of $3 billion to $4 billion annually.-White House photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The package provided an additional $4.5 billion for the government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which typically has funding of $3 billion to $4 billion annually.-White House photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The Biden administration is taking steps to help distribute several billion dollars in aid for winter heating and utility bills, an unprecedented sum that comes largely from its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-coronavirus-relief-package-33f4902ca9a2aed4e76274af6bb2ea5c">$1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package</a>.The package provided an additional $4.5 billion for the government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which typically has funding of $3 billion to $4 billion annually. Aid for renters can also cover utility costs, while the money provided to state, local and tribal governments can help families that face high heating bills and are ineligible for other programs.“It’s another example of where the American Rescue Plan included extra precautions to ensure we would be prepared,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-coronavirus-pandemic-gene-sperling-financial-markets-financial-crisis-5dc2a177b5d4017a754b658fe796047b">Gene Sperling</a>, who is overseeing coronavirus relief for the White House. “These new programs and funding were designed to ensure that if the weather was colder or the prices were higher, we would have the highest resources ever to help as many hard-pressed families as possible.”The White House sent out invites for a call Thursday afternoon with representatives from governors’ offices to discuss ways to distribute the funds and coordinate across programs. Speakers on the call will include Sperling, Energy Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-biden-cabinet-michigan-jennifer-granholm-15acadc1a86559e3a8a7e1d026a0732f">Jennifer Granholm</a>, Health and Human Services Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-cabinets-coronavirus-pandemic-hispanics-1e2d25d910ac52c29e5a4ce4acae0b8b">Xavier Becerra</a>&nbsp;and the governors of Connecticut, Maine and Michigan.The aid helps to create a cushion that limits the shock of higher energy costs ahead of winter. Republican lawmakers have said the relief package, which became law in March, caused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-consumer-prices-inflation-economy-prices-10e00ba16f8fb94f45ced724f2ea2e45">higher levels of inflation</a>, with prices in October 6.2% higher than a year ago. The GOP argument is that the Biden relief package sent too much money into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-elections-health-3054e6daddcb03262da8b60c8c382fbf">the economy</a>, causing prices to rise and hurting middle-class and lower-income families.“The Democrats’ inflation is functioning like an ultra-punitive tax on the American families who can least afford it,” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said in a Wednesday floor speech.But in this instance, the spending from the aid package is already helping to insulate millions of households from higher utility bills and reducing strains on household budgets. Estimates by the Urban Institute based off a Census Bureau survey indicate that a third of families used the monthly payments from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/child-tax-credit-bank-account">expanded child tax credit</a>&nbsp;to pay their utility bills between July and October 2021.Electricity and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-europe-asia-united-states-prices-cc94e4f9bfc479a84639abea2f9de771">natural gas prices</a>&nbsp;are roughly 11% higher than a year ago, according to the Labor Department’s consumer price index.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-prices-inflation-28e1231bdb445d482bb2d2e25dff1983">Heating oil prices</a>&nbsp;have more than doubled over the past year, according to the Energy Information Administration.The administration is also calling on utilities and energy companies to use the available government resources to protect their most vulnerable customers. DTE Energy, Eversource, National Grid and NorthWestern Energy have already agreed to identify and notify eligible recipients and guarantee no shutoffs for customers seeking assistance.

White House offering more aid for winter heat, utility bills

WASHINGTON – With the 2022 tax season and the holidays rapidly 
approaching, the Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies and the 
nation's tax industry today announced a special week focusing attention 
on taxpayers protecting sensitive financial information against identity
 thieves.

Working together as the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit</a>,
 the coalition of the IRS, the states and the nation's tax community 
plan the 6th Annual National Tax Security Awareness Week to take place 
from November 29–December 3. The announcement coincides with 
International Fraud Awareness Week coming to a conclusion.

The Summit partners warned that taxpayers and tax professionals face a
 heightened risk in coming months as fraudsters continue to use the 
pandemic as a way of tricking people into sharing sensitive personal 
information by email, text message and online. Identity thieves can use 
that information to try filing tax returns and stealing refunds.

As Security Summit partners have increased their joint defenses 
against identity theft, including through the Identity Theft Information
 Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC), fraudsters have increasingly looked
 for ways to obtain sensitive personal financial information to help 
slip past common defenses. That has made tax professionals – who hold 
valuable tax information for their clients – a tempting target for scam 
artists.

"The nation's tax community has successfully joined forces to protect
 taxpayers through the Security Summit effort, but we need help in this 
continuing battle," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Taxpayers and 
tax professionals are the first line of defense against scammers looking
 for refunds. We are entering a sensitive holiday and tax period, and we
 urge people to protect their personal information – and avoid problems 
at tax time."

The IRS and Summit partners continue to see constantly evolving 
threats and scams. They can mimic IRS and others in the tax community 
with fake emails, texts and online scams. These schemes can lurk 
underneath COVID-related messages, stimulus payments or tax refunds. And
 they can frequently use recent tragedies or charitable groups to coax 
people into sharing sensitive financial data.

To help combat this, the Summit partner's National Tax Security 
Awareness Week will feature a week-long series of educational materials 
to help protect individuals, businesses and tax pros from identity 
theft. The effort will include special informational graphics and a 
social media effort on Twitter and Instagram with @IRSnews and 
#TaxSecurity.

A special emphasis for this year will be focusing tax security 
awareness on younger and older Americans. Even if someone doesn't file a
 tax return, their online interactions can lead to scam artists 
obtaining sensitive information and using it to try obtaining a refund.

As part of the larger effort, the IRS and Security Summit partners 
are sharing YouTube videos on security steps for taxpayers. The videos 
can be viewed or downloaded at <a href="https://youtu.be/V3hdiCtKj5s">Easy Steps to Protect Your Computer and Phone</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJYQL89qMfI">Security Measures Help Protect Against Tax-Related Identity Theft</a>.

Employers also can share <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/0121%20Publ%204524%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20(PDF)">Publication 4524, Security Awareness for Taxpayers</a>, with their employees and customers while tax professionals can share with clients.

Highlights of this year's National Tax Security Awareness Week include:

Day 1 – Cyber Monday: Protect personal and financial information online

The IRS and the Security Summit partners remind people to take these basic steps:

Day 2 – Giving Tuesday: Beware of scammers using fake charities

The IRS and the Security Summit partners warn people to avoid getting
 scammed when donating to charities. The agency provides the following 
tips:

Taxpayers who can verify their identities online may opt into the IRS
 IP PIN program – a major expansion of the program from previous years. 
This is another tool taxpayers can use to protect themselves – and their
 tax refund. Here's what taxpayers need to know:

Tax professionals should review their security protocols

As identity thieves continue targeting tax professionals, the IRS and
 the Summit partners urge practitioners to review the 
"Taxes-Security-Together" Checklist, including:

Use digital signatures to submit IRS forms and check account details on secure portal

The IRS began accepting digital signatures on a variety of forms this
 past year. Additionally, the agency made improvements to its online 
accounts platform to help both tax pros and individuals.

Day 5 – Businesses should implement safeguards; watch out for tax-related scams

Most cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Here are some details from this segment:

Also today, the IRS published the latest executive column "<a href="https://www.irs.gov/about-irs/irs-priorities-detecting-fraud-protecting-taxpayers">A Closer Look</a>,"
 which features James Lee, IRS Criminal Investigation Chief, and Damon 
Rowe, Executive Director, IRS Office of Fraud Enforcement, providing a 
glimpse of how the IRS investigates and helps prosecute fraud.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON – With the 2022 tax season and the holidays rapidly 
approaching, the Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies and the 
nation's tax industry today announced a special week focusing attention 
on taxpayers protecting sensitive financial information against identity
 thieves.Working together as the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit</a>,
 the coalition of the IRS, the states and the nation's tax community 
plan the 6th Annual National Tax Security Awareness Week to take place 
from November 29–December 3. The announcement coincides with 
International Fraud Awareness Week coming to a conclusion.The Summit partners warned that taxpayers and tax professionals face a
 heightened risk in coming months as fraudsters continue to use the 
pandemic as a way of tricking people into sharing sensitive personal 
information by email, text message and online. Identity thieves can use 
that information to try filing tax returns and stealing refunds.As Security Summit partners have increased their joint defenses 
against identity theft, including through the Identity Theft Information
 Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC), fraudsters have increasingly looked
 for ways to obtain sensitive personal financial information to help 
slip past common defenses. That has made tax professionals – who hold 
valuable tax information for their clients – a tempting target for scam 
artists."The nation's tax community has successfully joined forces to protect
 taxpayers through the Security Summit effort, but we need help in this 
continuing battle," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Taxpayers and 
tax professionals are the first line of defense against scammers looking
 for refunds. We are entering a sensitive holiday and tax period, and we
 urge people to protect their personal information – and avoid problems 
at tax time."The IRS and Summit partners continue to see constantly evolving 
threats and scams. They can mimic IRS and others in the tax community 
with fake emails, texts and online scams. These schemes can lurk 
underneath COVID-related messages, stimulus payments or tax refunds. And
 they can frequently use recent tragedies or charitable groups to coax 
people into sharing sensitive financial data.To help combat this, the Summit partner's National Tax Security 
Awareness Week will feature a week-long series of educational materials 
to help protect individuals, businesses and tax pros from identity 
theft. The effort will include special informational graphics and a 
social media effort on Twitter and Instagram with @IRSnews and 
#TaxSecurity.A special emphasis for this year will be focusing tax security 
awareness on younger and older Americans. Even if someone doesn't file a
 tax return, their online interactions can lead to scam artists 
obtaining sensitive information and using it to try obtaining a refund.As part of the larger effort, the IRS and Security Summit partners 
are sharing YouTube videos on security steps for taxpayers. The videos 
can be viewed or downloaded at <a href="https://youtu.be/V3hdiCtKj5s">Easy Steps to Protect Your Computer and Phone</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJYQL89qMfI">Security Measures Help Protect Against Tax-Related Identity Theft</a>.Employers also can share <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/0121%20Publ%204524%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20(PDF)">Publication 4524, Security Awareness for Taxpayers</a>, with their employees and customers while tax professionals can share with clients.<h2>Highlights of this year's National Tax Security Awareness Week include:</h2><h2>Day 1 – Cyber Monday: Protect personal and financial information online</h2>The IRS and the Security Summit partners remind people to take these basic steps:<ul>
 <li>Use security software for computers and mobile phones – and keep it updated.</li><li>Avoid phishing scams, especially related to tax refunds and COVID-19, Economic Impact Payments and other tax law changes.</li><li>Use strong and unique passwords for all accounts.</li><li>Use multi-factor authentication whenever possible.</li><li>Shop only secure websites; look for the "https" in web addresses 
and the padlock icon; avoid shopping on unsecured and public Wi-Fi in 
places like coffee shops, malls or restaurants.</li>
 </ul><h2>Day 2 – Giving Tuesday: Beware of scammers using fake charities</h2>The IRS and the Security Summit partners warn people to avoid getting
 scammed when donating to charities. The agency provides the following 
tips:<ul>
 <li>Individuals should never let any caller pressure them into giving a donation without allowing time for them to do some research.</li><li>Confirm the charity is real by asking for its exact name, website and mailing address and confirming it later.</li><li>Be careful about how a donation is made. After researching the charity, pay by credit card or check and not by gift card or wiring money.</li>
 </ul><h2>Day 3 – Get an Identity Protection PIN</h2>Taxpayers who can verify their identities online may opt into the IRS
 IP PIN program – a major expansion of the program from previous years. 
This is another tool taxpayers can use to protect themselves – and their
 tax refund. Here's what taxpayers need to know:<ul>
 <li>The Identity Protection PIN or IP PIN is a six-digit code known 
only to the individual and the IRS. It provides another layer of 
protection for taxpayers' Social Security numbers on tax returns.</li><li>Use the Get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) tool at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/the-identity-protection-pin-ip-pin">IRS.gov/ippin</a> to immediately get an IP PIN.</li><li>Never share the IP PIN with anyone but a trusted tax provider.</li>
 </ul><h2>Day 4</h2><h2>Tax professionals should review their security protocols</h2>As identity thieves continue targeting tax professionals, the IRS and
 the Summit partners urge practitioners to review the 
"Taxes-Security-Together" Checklist, including:<ul>
 <li>Deploy basic security measures.</li><li>Use multi-factor authentication to protect tax software accounts.</li><li>Create a Virtual Private Network if working remotely.</li><li>Create a written data security plan as required by federal law.</li><li>Know about phishing and phone scams, especially related to 
Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs), COVID-19 related 
tax-law changes including Economic Impact Payments.</li><li>Create data security and data theft recovery plans.</li>
 </ul><h2>Use digital signatures to submit IRS forms and check account details on secure portal</h2>The IRS began accepting digital signatures on a variety of forms this
 past year. Additionally, the agency made improvements to its online 
accounts platform to help both tax pros and individuals.<ul>
 <li>Tax pros may go to the new <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/use-tax-pro-account">Tax Pro Account</a> on IRS.gov to digitally initiate Power of Attorney and Tax Information Authorization requests.</li><li>Taxpayers have digital control over who can represent them or see their account information on the Online Account portal.</li><li>The IRS now accepts a wide array of digital signatures on a number of forms that cannot be electronically filed.</li>
 </ul><h2>Day 5 – Businesses should implement safeguards; watch out for tax-related scams</h2>Most cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Here are some details from this segment:<ul>
 <li>Learn about best security practices for small businesses.</li><li>IRS continues protective masking of sensitive information on business transcripts.</li><li>A Business Identity Theft Affidavit – Form 14039-B – is available for all businesses to report theft to the IRS.</li><li>Beware of various scams, especially the W-2 scam that attempts to steal employee income information.</li><li>Check out the "Business" section on IRS's Identity Theft Central at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central">IRS.gov/identitytheft</a>.</li>
 </ul>Also today, the IRS published the latest executive column "<a href="https://www.irs.gov/about-irs/irs-priorities-detecting-fraud-protecting-taxpayers">A Closer Look</a>,"
 which features James Lee, IRS Criminal Investigation Chief, and Damon 
Rowe, Executive Director, IRS Office of Fraud Enforcement, providing a 
glimpse of how the IRS investigates and helps prosecute fraud.

Security summit focuses on pandemic scams, identity theft

WASHINGTON — The FCC today voted to approve a Second Report and Order to expand access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by establishing the ability to text 988 to directly reach the Lifeline to better support at-risk communities in crisis, including youth and individuals with disabilities.  The Lifeline is a national network that provides free, confidential support to Americans in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.  Today’s action adopts a uniform implementation deadline requiring covered text providers to support text messaging to 988 by July 16, 2022—the same date the FCC has established 988 as the 3-digit dialing code for Americans to reach the Lifeline by telephone.

Quick and easy access to mental health and crisis counseling services is critical.  In 2020, 44,834 individuals died by suicide in the United States, and evidence suggests the toll of the global pandemic has only increased the strain on many Americans’ mental health and well-being.  Suicide significantly impacts at-risk communities, including youth, the Black community, the LGBTQ+ community, Veterans, and the deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, and people who have speech disabilities that affect communication.  For individuals in crisis, text messaging can make it easier to contact a crisis counselor by allowing for a certain level of anonymity rather than engaging in a phone conversation. 

Today’s action requires covered text providers to support text messaging to 988 by routing text messages sent to 988 to the Lifeline’s 10-digit number, 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).  The rules establish a process that will require covered text providers to support transmitting messages to 988 in additional text messaging formats that the Lifeline is capable of receiving.  And the item finds that the FCC’s federal partners are best positioned to determine whether and how to text 988 for the Veterans Crisis Line’s text service. 

During the transition to 988, Americans who need help should continue to contact the Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK) and through online chats.  Service Members, Veterans, and their families may reach the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1, by texting 838255, or by chat through the Veterans Crisis Line’s website, https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/.  For more information about the 988 implementation, visit https://www.fcc.gov/suicide-prevention-hotline.

Action by the Commission November 18, 2021 by Second Report and Order (FCC 21-119).   Chairwoman Rosenworcel, Commissioners Carr, Starks, and Simington approving and issuing separate statements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584977952684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FCCWASHINGTON — The FCC today voted to approve a Second Report and Order to expand access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by establishing the ability to text 988 to directly reach the Lifeline to better support at-risk communities in crisis, including youth and individuals with disabilities. The Lifeline is a national network that provides free, confidential support to Americans in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Today’s action adopts a uniform implementation deadline requiring covered text providers to support text messaging to 988 by July 16, 2022—the same date the FCC has established 988 as the 3-digit dialing code for Americans to reach the Lifeline by telephone.Quick and easy access to mental health and crisis counseling services is critical. In 2020, 44,834 individuals died by suicide in the United States, and evidence suggests the toll of the global pandemic has only increased the strain on many Americans’ mental health and well-being. Suicide significantly impacts at-risk communities, including youth, the Black community, the LGBTQ+ community, Veterans, and the deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, and people who have speech disabilities that affect communication. For individuals in crisis, text messaging can make it easier to contact a crisis counselor by allowing for a certain level of anonymity rather than engaging in a phone conversation. Today’s action requires covered text providers to support text messaging to 988 by routing text messages sent to 988 to the Lifeline’s 10-digit number, 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). The rules establish a process that will require covered text providers to support transmitting messages to 988 in additional text messaging formats that the Lifeline is capable of receiving. And the item finds that the FCC’s federal partners are best positioned to determine whether and how to text 988 for the Veterans Crisis Line’s text service. During the transition to 988, Americans who need help should continue to contact the Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK) and through online chats. Service Members, Veterans, and their families may reach the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1, by texting 838255, or by chat through the Veterans Crisis Line’s website, https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/. For more information about the 988 implementation, visit https://www.fcc.gov/suicide-prevention-hotline.Action by the Commission November 18, 2021 by Second Report and Order (FCC 21-119). Chairwoman Rosenworcel, Commissioners Carr, Starks, and Simington approving and issuing separate statements.

FCC approves text-to-988 access to Suicide Prevention Lifeline

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a married Iowa couple's deaths were a murder-suicide. 

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff's office said officers were called on Nov. 7 to investigate a domestic disturbance at a home east of Council Bluffs. 

They found 83-year-old Bonnie Rankin dead of a gunshot wound. Her husband, 86-year-old Harvey Rankin, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center for treatment of a gunshot wound. He died Tuesday. 

Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Doty said the investigation determined the couple died from a murder-suicide and the investigation has been closed.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a married Iowa couple's deaths were a murder-suicide. The Pottawatomie County Sheriff's office said officers were called on Nov. 7 to investigate a domestic disturbance at a home east of Council Bluffs. They found 83-year-old Bonnie Rankin dead of a gunshot wound. Her husband, 86-year-old Harvey Rankin, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center for treatment of a gunshot wound. He died Tuesday. Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Doty said the investigation determined the couple died from a murder-suicide and the investigation has been closed.

Sheriff: Iowa couple's death ruled a murder-suicide

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Players for a junior hockey team in Omaha have threatened to boycott the next three games and coaches and support staff have resigned in response to management’s budget cuts. 

The Omaha Lancers play in the United States Hockey League. It's the top junior league in the nation and a pathway to college hockey for many of its players.

 Former assistant coach Tate Maris told the newspaper that the Lancers cut in half the budget for buying hockey sticks, team meals were inadequate and a contract to use video scouting software was not renewed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637289026142.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Players for a junior hockey team in Omaha have threatened to boycott the next three games and coaches and support staff have resigned in response to management’s budget cuts. The Omaha Lancers play in the United States Hockey League. It's the top junior league in the nation and a pathway to college hockey for many of its players. Former assistant coach Tate Maris told the newspaper that the Lancers cut in half the budget for buying hockey sticks, team meals were inadequate and a contract to use video scouting software was not renewed.

Report: Omaha junior hockey team players threaten boycott

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that the United States was weighing a diplomatic boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in Beijing over China's human rights abuses, a move that would keep American dignitaries, but not athletes, from the games.

Speaking to reporters as he hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Oval Office, Biden said backing a boycott of the Olympics in February is “something we’re considering.”

The U.S. and other nations traditionally send high-level delegations to each Olympics. First lady Jill Biden led the American contingent to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo this year and second gentleman Doug Emhoff led a delegation to the Paralympic Games.

International advocacy groups and some members of Congress have called for a symbolic U.S. boycott of the games in Beijing over China's treatment of Uyghurs and its crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong. The participation of American athletes would be unaffected by the boycott.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said there was no timeline for a decision by the president on whether to go through with a possible boycott.

The White House has said the Olympics did not come up on Monday when Biden met virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637270716339.png" alt="President Biden during a meeting with&nbsp; Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics in China is “something we’re considering.”-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden during a meeting with&nbsp; Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics in China is “something we’re considering.”-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that the United States was weighing a diplomatic boycott of next year's Winter Olympics in Beijing over China's human rights abuses, a move that would keep American dignitaries, but not athletes, from the games.Speaking to reporters as he hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Oval Office, Biden said backing a boycott of the Olympics in February is “something we’re considering.”The U.S. and other nations traditionally send high-level delegations to each Olympics. First lady Jill Biden led the American contingent to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo this year and second gentleman Doug Emhoff led a delegation to the Paralympic Games.International advocacy groups and some members of Congress have called for a symbolic U.S. boycott of the games in Beijing over China's treatment of Uyghurs and its crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong. The participation of American athletes would be unaffected by the boycott.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637061329696.png" alt="&nbsp;President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden held a virtual summit this week.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden held a virtual summit this week.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>White House press secretary Jen Psaki said there was no timeline for a decision by the president on whether to go through with a possible boycott.The White House has said the Olympics did not come up on Monday when Biden met virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Biden: US considering diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska State Patrol says an Iowa man was killed in a crash north of Fremont.

 The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. Highway 77 when a van rear-ended a semitrailer near the intersection of the highway and a county road. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the driver of the van, 32-year-old Anthony Branam, of Villisca, Iowa, died at the scene of the crash. 

The driver of the semi was not injured. The crash closed a stretch of the highway for about three hours.

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska State Patrol says an Iowa man was killed in a crash north of Fremont. The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. Highway 77 when a van rear-ended a semitrailer near the intersection of the highway and a county road. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the driver of the van, 32-year-old Anthony Branam, of Villisca, Iowa, died at the scene of the crash. The driver of the semi was not injured. The crash closed a stretch of the highway for about three hours.

Investigators say Iowa man killed in crash north of Fremont

News Release United States Attorney-Omaha

Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Timothy Fox, 35, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court for distribution and receipt of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Fox to 128 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Fox will serve 15 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.

In August 2020, members of the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducting undercover investigations into peer-to-peer file sharing of child exploitation materials identified an IP address associated with a residence in Omaha, Nebraska, as sharing files of child pornography. In December 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence of Fox and co-defendant Kevin Jacoway and seized several electronic devices. More than 4,000 images and 700 videos depicting child pornography were located on devices that Fox claimed as his own. Co-defendant Jacoway is scheduled for sentencing on January 14, 2022.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1559657144941.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release United States Attorney-OmahaActing United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Timothy Fox, 35, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court for distribution and receipt of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Fox to 128 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Fox will serve 15 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.In August 2020, members of the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducting undercover investigations into peer-to-peer file sharing of child exploitation materials identified an IP address associated with a residence in Omaha, Nebraska, as sharing files of child pornography. In December 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence of Fox and co-defendant Kevin Jacoway and seized several electronic devices. More than 4,000 images and 700 videos depicting child pornography were located on devices that Fox claimed as his own. Co-defendant Jacoway is scheduled for sentencing on January 14, 2022.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force

Omaha men sentenced for distribution of child pornography

TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident and on Thursday identified the victim as 42-year-old&nbsp;Gretchen Cabrera.

Just after&nbsp;5:30 p.m. Wednesday police responded to a vehicle vs pedestrian accident in the 900 block ofSW Macvicar Avenue, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Officers arrived on scene and found Cabrera in the roadway. First responders pronounced her deceased at the scene.

The Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team responded to the scene. Macvicar Avenue was closed between 9th and 10th street during the investigation.&nbsp; Police released no additional details Thursday morning.

TOPEKA—One person died in an accident just after&nbsp;5:30 p.m. Wednesday in a vehicle vs pedestrian accident in the 900 block ofSW Macvicar Avenue, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Officers arrived on scene and found one victim in the roadway who was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team responded to the scene. Macvicar Avenue was closed between 9th and 10th street during the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637199000574.png" alt="Police on the scene of the fatal accident investigation photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the fatal accident investigation photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident and on Thursday identified the victim as 42-year-old&nbsp;Gretchen Cabrera.Just after&nbsp;5:30 p.m. Wednesday police responded to a vehicle vs pedestrian accident in the 900 block ofSW Macvicar Avenue, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.Officers arrived on scene and found Cabrera in the roadway. First responders pronounced her deceased at the scene.The Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team responded to the scene. Macvicar Avenue was closed between 9th and 10th street during the investigation.&nbsp; Police released no additional details Thursday morning.----------TOPEKA—One person died in an accident just after&nbsp;5:30 p.m. Wednesday in a vehicle vs pedestrian accident in the 900 block ofSW Macvicar Avenue, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.Officers arrived on scene and found one victim in the roadway who was pronounced deceased at the scene.The Topeka Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team responded to the scene. Macvicar Avenue was closed between 9th and 10th street during the investigation.Police released no additional details.

Police ID Kan. woman who died in vehicle, pedestrian accident

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pressed to address gaping inequality in global&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccines</a>, the Biden administration took steps Wednesday to make billions of dollars available to drugmakers to scale up domestic production to share with the world and prepare for the next pandemic.

Under the new initiative, the government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalcountermeasures.gov/barda/influenza-and-emerging-infectious-diseases/coronavirus/pharmaceutical-manufacturing-in-america#mrna" target="_blank">soliciting pharmaceutical companies</a>&nbsp;with proven ability to make the more-effective&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/archive-fact-checking-9340521654">mRNA vaccines</a>&nbsp;to bid for U.S. investment in scaling up their manufacturing. Pfizer and Moderna produce the two U.S.-approved mRNA shots.

The White House hopes the move will build capacity to produce an additional 1 billion shots per year.

The initiative comes as the Biden White House has faced growing pressure at home and abroad over inequity in the global vaccine supply — as the U.S. moves toward approving booster shots for all adults while vulnerable people in poorer nations wait for their first dose of protection.

According to an analysis by the ONE Campaign, an international aid and advocacy organization, only 4.7% of people living in low-income countries have received a first dose. Wealthy nations administered more than 173 million booster shots, while lower-income countries have administered about 32 million first shots.

The Biden administration believes increasing capacity of COVID-19 shots will help ease a global shortage of doses, particularly in lower- and middle-income nations, stopping preventable death and limiting the development of potentially new, more dangerous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-pandemics-ce1812e48165798df53c6b15ee66751b">variants of the virus</a>.

“The goal of this program is to expand existing capacity by an additional billion doses per year, with production starting by the second half of 2022,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said.

On Wednesday, Zients announced that the U.S. has now donated 250 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally — the most of any nation — with a goal of sharing more than 1.1 billion shots by the end of 2022.

There are no firm agreements yet with Moderna or Pfizer to take up the U.S. on the investment, but the Biden administration hopes that the enhanced manufacturing capacity, through support for the company’s facilities, equipment, staff or training, will by mid-2022 allow more COVID-19 doses to be shared overseas as well as help prepare for the next public health emergency.

The administration is prioritizing the mRNA vaccines, which have proven to be more effective against preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19 than the Johnson &amp; Johnson viral vector vaccine, which uses a harmless virus that carries genetic material to stimulate the immune system. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made with a piece of genetic code called messenger RNA that tells the body to make harmless copies of the spike protein so it’s trained to recognize the virus.

Robbie Silverman, senior advocacy manager at Oxfam America, welcomed Biden’s plan to invest into vaccine manufacturing capacity but said it was nowhere near sufficient.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pressed to address gaping inequality in global&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccines</a>, the Biden administration took steps Wednesday to make billions of dollars available to drugmakers to scale up domestic production to share with the world and prepare for the next pandemic.Under the new initiative, the government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalcountermeasures.gov/barda/influenza-and-emerging-infectious-diseases/coronavirus/pharmaceutical-manufacturing-in-america#mrna" target="_blank">soliciting pharmaceutical companies</a>&nbsp;with proven ability to make the more-effective&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/archive-fact-checking-9340521654">mRNA vaccines</a>&nbsp;to bid for U.S. investment in scaling up their manufacturing. Pfizer and Moderna produce the two U.S.-approved mRNA shots.The White House hopes the move will build capacity to produce an additional 1 billion shots per year.The initiative comes as the Biden White House has faced growing pressure at home and abroad over inequity in the global vaccine supply — as the U.S. moves toward approving booster shots for all adults while vulnerable people in poorer nations wait for their first dose of protection.According to an analysis by the ONE Campaign, an international aid and advocacy organization, only 4.7% of people living in low-income countries have received a first dose. Wealthy nations administered more than 173 million booster shots, while lower-income countries have administered about 32 million first shots.The Biden administration believes increasing capacity of COVID-19 shots will help ease a global shortage of doses, particularly in lower- and middle-income nations, stopping preventable death and limiting the development of potentially new, more dangerous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-pandemics-ce1812e48165798df53c6b15ee66751b">variants of the virus</a>.“The goal of this program is to expand existing capacity by an additional billion doses per year, with production starting by the second half of 2022,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said.On Wednesday, Zients announced that the U.S. has now donated 250 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally — the most of any nation — with a goal of sharing more than 1.1 billion shots by the end of 2022.There are no firm agreements yet with Moderna or Pfizer to take up the U.S. on the investment, but the Biden administration hopes that the enhanced manufacturing capacity, through support for the company’s facilities, equipment, staff or training, will by mid-2022 allow more COVID-19 doses to be shared overseas as well as help prepare for the next public health emergency.The administration is prioritizing the mRNA vaccines, which have proven to be more effective against preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19 than the Johnson &amp; Johnson viral vector vaccine, which uses a harmless virus that carries genetic material to stimulate the immune system. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made with a piece of genetic code called messenger RNA that tells the body to make harmless copies of the spike protein so it’s trained to recognize the virus.Robbie Silverman, senior advocacy manager at Oxfam America, welcomed Biden’s plan to invest into vaccine manufacturing capacity but said it was nowhere near sufficient.

US to spend billions to boost global COVID vaccine capacity

DETROIT (AP) — President Joe Biden punched the accelerator on a battery-powered Hummer on Wednesday, causing the wheels to squeal and the truck to jet forward as he tried in his own way to drive the country toward an electric vehicle future.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516164-1/president-biden-infrastructure-spending-gm-factory-michigan">Click here to watch the </a>President's comments from Detroit

The engine was quiet as the president pulled up to a waiting delegation of reporters and officials.

“Anyone wanna jump in the back?” Biden asked.

The president had just toured a General Motors plant in Detroit to showcase how his newly signed $1 trillion infrastructure law could transform the auto industry.

He is highlighting billions of dollars in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-infrastructure-bill-signing-b5b8cca843133de060778f049861b144">his giant bipartisan infrastructure deal</a>&nbsp;to pay for the installation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-u-s-news-technology-detroit-electric-vehicles-0dbe44f4626fcfd6b3ccee274980188e">electric vehicle chargers</a>&nbsp;across the country, an investment he says will go a long way to curbing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-scotland-pollution-04a455d42fb66b61330b47b308e80498">planet-warming carbon emissions</a>&nbsp;while creating good-paying jobs. It’s also an attempt to leapfrog China in the plug-in EV market. Currently, the U.S. market share of plug-in electric vehicle sales is one-third the size of the Chinese EV market.

The president noted that the U.S. was not yet leading with electric vehicles, something he believes his infrastructure package can change with plans to build 500,000 charging stations. The Hummer he drove has a starting price of $108,700, as the electric market seems designed so far to serve luxury buyers instead of a mass audience.

“Up until now, China has been leading in this race — that’s about to change,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that the jobs of the future end up here in Michigan, not halfway around the world.”

Two top White House advisers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2021/11/17/opinion-bidens-infrastructure-plan-u-s-can-compete-globally/8642680002/" target="_blank">writing in the Detroit Free Press</a>, said the legislation will help America regain its global competitiveness, which has waned, they contend, “after decades of delay and decay.”

“Nobody knows this better than Detroit, which has been at the heart of American industrial strategy in the past and now can again, which is why President Biden is coming today,” wrote Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, and national security adviser Jake Sullivan in an opinion column published Wednesday.

Republicans, even some of those who voted in favor of the infrastructure package, are criticizing Biden for being preoccupied with electric vehicle technology at a time when Americans are contending with a spike in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-new-jersey-0667348f8ee7f018a92448a79e66fae3">gasoline and natural gas prices</a>.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell took the Senate floor Tuesday to make the case that “the Biden administration doesn’t have any strategic plan to snap its fingers and turn our massive country into some green utopia overnight.”

“They just want to throw boatloads of government money at things like solar panels and electric vehicles and hope it all works out,” said McConnell, one of 19 GOP senators who voted in favor of the infrastructure bill. He added, “American families are staring down the barrel of skyrocketing heating bills, and the Democrats’ response is to go to war against affordable American energy.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has stressed that the administration is looking at “every tool in our arsenal” to combat high gasoline prices, saying that Biden and his economic team are “quite focused” on the issue.

Biden has asked the Federal Trade Commission to monitor gasoline prices and address any illegal conduct being observed and is engaging with countries and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-economy-prices-opec-54c606517408481b9f99895b168a07cb">entities abroad like OPEC</a>&nbsp;on increasing supply.

Biden went a step further Wednesday, sending a letter asking the FTC chair to consider investigating “whether illegal conduct is costing families at the pump.” The letter noted an “unexplained” gap in the price of unfinished gasoline and prices for consumers at the pump.

The GM plant Biden visited was slated to be closed in 2018 as the automaker tried to shed excess factory capacity to build sedans as buyers shifted toward SUVs and trucks. But the plant, which built cars with internal combustion engines since it opened in 1985, was rescued a year later and designated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-detroit-92ba4b007c3483594d1f43b5b47882aa">Factory Zero</a>&nbsp;to build zero-emissions electric vehicles.

Currently, the 4.1 million-square-foot plant, which straddles the border between Detroit and the enclave of Hamtramck, is making pre-production versions of the electric GMC Hummer pickup truck.

Next year it will start making a Hummer electric SUV. The plant will start cranking out the Origin, an electric vehicle for GM’s Cruise autonomous vehicle subsidiary, in 2023, and an electric Chevrolet Silverado pickup at an unspecified date.

The plant won’t see much direct impact from the infrastructure spending, but it will benefit from $7.5 billion designated to help build an electric vehicle charging network.

Biden wanted $15 billion to build 500,000 chargers and hasn’t given a number for how many could be constructed for half that amount.

It’s likely $7.5 billion won’t be enough. The International Council on Clean Transportation says the U.S. will need 2.4 million charging stations by 2030 if 36% of new vehicle sales are electric. Currently there are about 45,500 charging stations nationwide with about 112,000 plugs.

Biden is hoping to do even more to promote electric vehicles, including a provision for a $7,500 tax credit for consumers who buy electric vehicles through 2026 that’s been floated as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-democrats-budget-framework-60a1bc276d0ab8eb3e0347fc54ee8c2c">his proposed $1.85 trillion social services and climate bill</a>.

The following year, only purchases of electric vehicles made in the U.S. would qualify for the credit. The base credit would go up by $4,500 if the vehicle is made at a U.S. plant that operates under a union-negotiated collective bargaining agreement. Only auto plants owned by GM, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis NV qualify.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637241658810.png" alt="President Biden took an electric vehicle for a quick test drive at the General Motors factory in Detroit, Michigan on Wednesday- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden took an electric vehicle for a quick test drive at the General Motors factory in Detroit, Michigan on Wednesday- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — President Joe Biden punched the accelerator on a battery-powered Hummer on Wednesday, causing the wheels to squeal and the truck to jet forward as he tried in his own way to drive the country toward an electric vehicle future.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516164-1/president-biden-infrastructure-spending-gm-factory-michigan">Click here to watch the </a>President's comments from DetroitThe engine was quiet as the president pulled up to a waiting delegation of reporters and officials.“Anyone wanna jump in the back?” Biden asked.The president had just toured a General Motors plant in Detroit to showcase how his newly signed $1 trillion infrastructure law could transform the auto industry.He is highlighting billions of dollars in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-infrastructure-bill-signing-b5b8cca843133de060778f049861b144">his giant bipartisan infrastructure deal</a>&nbsp;to pay for the installation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-u-s-news-technology-detroit-electric-vehicles-0dbe44f4626fcfd6b3ccee274980188e">electric vehicle chargers</a>&nbsp;across the country, an investment he says will go a long way to curbing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-scotland-pollution-04a455d42fb66b61330b47b308e80498">planet-warming carbon emissions</a>&nbsp;while creating good-paying jobs. It’s also an attempt to leapfrog China in the plug-in EV market. Currently, the U.S. market share of plug-in electric vehicle sales is one-third the size of the Chinese EV market.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden has asked the FTC to examine why prices at the pump aren’t going down, despite declining oil and gas prices. “I do not accept hard-working Americans paying more for gas because of anti-competitive or otherwise potentially illegal conduct.” — <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/JBaSYg9WmI">pic.twitter.com/JBaSYg9WmI</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1461006225861132296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The president noted that the U.S. was not yet leading with electric vehicles, something he believes his infrastructure package can change with plans to build 500,000 charging stations. The Hummer he drove has a starting price of $108,700, as the electric market seems designed so far to serve luxury buyers instead of a mass audience.“Up until now, China has been leading in this race — that’s about to change,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that the jobs of the future end up here in Michigan, not halfway around the world.”Two top White House advisers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2021/11/17/opinion-bidens-infrastructure-plan-u-s-can-compete-globally/8642680002/" target="_blank">writing in the Detroit Free Press</a>, said the legislation will help America regain its global competitiveness, which has waned, they contend, “after decades of delay and decay.”“Nobody knows this better than Detroit, which has been at the heart of American industrial strategy in the past and now can again, which is why President Biden is coming today,” wrote Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, and national security adviser Jake Sullivan in an opinion column published Wednesday.Republicans, even some of those who voted in favor of the infrastructure package, are criticizing Biden for being preoccupied with electric vehicle technology at a time when Americans are contending with a spike in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-new-jersey-0667348f8ee7f018a92448a79e66fae3">gasoline and natural gas prices</a>.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell took the Senate floor Tuesday to make the case that “the Biden administration doesn’t have any strategic plan to snap its fingers and turn our massive country into some green utopia overnight.”“They just want to throw boatloads of government money at things like solar panels and electric vehicles and hope it all works out,” said McConnell, one of 19 GOP senators who voted in favor of the infrastructure bill. He added, “American families are staring down the barrel of skyrocketing heating bills, and the Democrats’ response is to go to war against affordable American energy.”White House press secretary Jen Psaki has stressed that the administration is looking at “every tool in our arsenal” to combat high gasoline prices, saying that Biden and his economic team are “quite focused” on the issue.Biden has asked the Federal Trade Commission to monitor gasoline prices and address any illegal conduct being observed and is engaging with countries and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-economy-prices-opec-54c606517408481b9f99895b168a07cb">entities abroad like OPEC</a>&nbsp;on increasing supply.Biden went a step further Wednesday, sending a letter asking the FTC chair to consider investigating “whether illegal conduct is costing families at the pump.” The letter noted an “unexplained” gap in the price of unfinished gasoline and prices for consumers at the pump.The GM plant Biden visited was slated to be closed in 2018 as the automaker tried to shed excess factory capacity to build sedans as buyers shifted toward SUVs and trucks. But the plant, which built cars with internal combustion engines since it opened in 1985, was rescued a year later and designated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-detroit-92ba4b007c3483594d1f43b5b47882aa">Factory Zero</a>&nbsp;to build zero-emissions electric vehicles.Currently, the 4.1 million-square-foot plant, which straddles the border between Detroit and the enclave of Hamtramck, is making pre-production versions of the electric GMC Hummer pickup truck.Next year it will start making a Hummer electric SUV. The plant will start cranking out the Origin, an electric vehicle for GM’s Cruise autonomous vehicle subsidiary, in 2023, and an electric Chevrolet Silverado pickup at an unspecified date.The plant won’t see much direct impact from the infrastructure spending, but it will benefit from $7.5 billion designated to help build an electric vehicle charging network.Biden wanted $15 billion to build 500,000 chargers and hasn’t given a number for how many could be constructed for half that amount.It’s likely $7.5 billion won’t be enough. The International Council on Clean Transportation says the U.S. will need 2.4 million charging stations by 2030 if 36% of new vehicle sales are electric. Currently there are about 45,500 charging stations nationwide with about 112,000 plugs.Biden is hoping to do even more to promote electric vehicles, including a provision for a $7,500 tax credit for consumers who buy electric vehicles through 2026 that’s been floated as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-democrats-budget-framework-60a1bc276d0ab8eb3e0347fc54ee8c2c">his proposed $1.85 trillion social services and climate bill</a>.The following year, only purchases of electric vehicles made in the U.S. would qualify for the credit. The base credit would go up by $4,500 if the vehicle is made at a U.S. plant that operates under a union-negotiated collective bargaining agreement. Only auto plants owned by GM, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis NV qualify.

🎥 President promotes electric vehicles as gas prices spike

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Search warrants have been unsealed in the investigation into South Dakota billionaire T. Denny Sanford. 

The search warrants show investigators looked into his email account in 2019. Law enforcement also sought search warrants on his cellular and internet service providers.&nbsp;

The investigation into Sanford was reported last year by ProPublica and the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Both news outlets went to court for access to the search warrants. 

The state Supreme Court ruled last month that the warrants should be unsealed. The unsealing of the legal documents was the first time investigative documents have been released that name Sanford.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Search warrants have been unsealed in the investigation into South Dakota billionaire T. Denny Sanford. The search warrants show investigators looked into his email account in 2019. Law enforcement also sought search warrants on his cellular and internet service providers.&nbsp;The investigation into Sanford was reported last year by ProPublica and the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Both news outlets went to court for access to the search warrants. The state Supreme Court ruled last month that the warrants should be unsealed. The unsealing of the legal documents was the first time investigative documents have been released that name Sanford.

Search warrants unsealed in probe of billionaire Sanford

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California's highest court rejected on Wednesday a challenge by Monsanto Co.'s to $86.2 million in damages to a couple who developed cancer after spraying the company's Roundup weed-killer in their yards for three decades.

The state Supreme Court's denial of review upholds an appeals court's ruling in favor of Alva and Alberta Pilliod.

The First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco found in a 2-1 ruling in August that Monsanto was at fault for knowingly marketing a product whose active ingredient, glyphosate, could be dangerous.

Monsanto’s parent company, Bayer, said it disagreed with the high court's decision.

"We continue to stand strongly behind the safety of Roundup, a position supported by assessments of expert regulators worldwide as well as the overwhelming weight of four decades of extensive science,” the company said in a statement.

Brent Wisner, a lawyer for the Pilliods,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/86-2-million-Roundup-damage-award-to-Livermore-16630082.php">told the San Francisco Chronicle</a>&nbsp;the verdict “was based on solid science and unanimous law” and the company should halt its “frivolous appeals.”

Bayer announced over the summer that it would stop selling the current version of Roundup for home and garden use in U.S. stores, starting in 2023.

Bayer said it would replace the herbicide’s main ingredient, glyphosate, with an unspecified active ingredient, subject to federal and state approval, while continuing to sell Roundup with glyphosate for farm use.

Bayer has agreed to pay $10 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits that have already been filed in state and federal courts and has sought, unsuccessfully so far, to resolve future lawsuits with a settlement fund of up to $2 billion, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593022262288.png" alt="Monsanto’s parent company, Bayer announced over the summer that it would stop selling the current version of Roundup for home and garden use in U.S. stores, starting in 2023." />
 <figcaption>Monsanto’s parent company, Bayer announced over the summer that it would stop selling the current version of Roundup for home and garden use in U.S. stores, starting in 2023.</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California's highest court rejected on Wednesday a challenge by Monsanto Co.'s to $86.2 million in damages to a couple who developed cancer after spraying the company's Roundup weed-killer in their yards for three decades.The state Supreme Court's denial of review upholds an appeals court's ruling in favor of Alva and Alberta Pilliod.The First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco found in a 2-1 ruling in August that Monsanto was at fault for knowingly marketing a product whose active ingredient, glyphosate, could be dangerous.Monsanto’s parent company, Bayer, said it disagreed with the high court's decision."We continue to stand strongly behind the safety of Roundup, a position supported by assessments of expert regulators worldwide as well as the overwhelming weight of four decades of extensive science,” the company said in a statement.Brent Wisner, a lawyer for the Pilliods,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/86-2-million-Roundup-damage-award-to-Livermore-16630082.php">told the San Francisco Chronicle</a>&nbsp;the verdict “was based on solid science and unanimous law” and the company should halt its “frivolous appeals.”Bayer announced over the summer that it would stop selling the current version of Roundup for home and garden use in U.S. stores, starting in 2023.Bayer said it would replace the herbicide’s main ingredient, glyphosate, with an unspecified active ingredient, subject to federal and state approval, while continuing to sell Roundup with glyphosate for farm use.Bayer has agreed to pay $10 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits that have already been filed in state and federal courts and has sought, unsuccessfully so far, to resolve future lawsuits with a settlement fund of up to $2 billion, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Couple's $86M award in Monsanto pesticide case stands

DETROIT (AP) — Deere &amp; Co. workers approved a new contract Wednesday that will deliver 10% raises immediately and end a monthlong strike for more than 10,000 employees.

The United Auto Workers union said 61% of its members approved the deal with the tractor maker on their third vote, even though this offer was strikingly similar to one that 55% of workers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-strikes-united-auto-workers-7124f0d5f729c0a722e62c87c94fc14a">rejected two weeks ago</a>.

Deere workers — and other unions — have been emboldened to ask for more this year because of the ongoing worker shortages and because workers didn’t always feel appreciated while working long hours during the pandemic.

This latest proposal made only modest changes to the details of Deere’s internal incentive pay plan. The new contract covers 12 plants in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas where the Moline, Illinois-based company’s iconic John Deere green agricultural and construction equipment is made.

The company said work would resume on Wednesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634596496067.png" alt="The strike began Oct. 14 -Photo courtesy WQAD TV" />
 <figcaption>The strike began Oct. 14 -Photo courtesy WQAD TV</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Deere &amp; Co. workers approved a new contract Wednesday that will deliver 10% raises immediately and end a monthlong strike for more than 10,000 employees.The United Auto Workers union said 61% of its members approved the deal with the tractor maker on their third vote, even though this offer was strikingly similar to one that 55% of workers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-strikes-united-auto-workers-7124f0d5f729c0a722e62c87c94fc14a">rejected two weeks ago</a>.Deere workers — and other unions — have been emboldened to ask for more this year because of the ongoing worker shortages and because workers didn’t always feel appreciated while working long hours during the pandemic.This latest proposal made only modest changes to the details of Deere’s internal incentive pay plan. The new contract covers 12 plants in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas where the Moline, Illinois-based company’s iconic John Deere green agricultural and construction equipment is made.The company said work would resume on Wednesday night.

Deere workers approve 3rd contract offer, will end strike

Gift exchange campaign became popular several years ago through Facebook&nbsp;

A "Secret Santa" around the office, or with friends and family 
can be fun. A gift exchange among online friends you haven’t met, well, 
that’s a little different and carries a heftier consequence. These gift 
exchanges, while they look like innocent fun, are really pyramid schemes
 – and are considered illegal.

The “Secret Sister” gift exchange campaign quickly became popular 
several years ago through Facebook posts promising participants would 
receive up to 36 gifts, in exchange for sending one gift. Each holiday 
season, the scheme pops back up. A newer version of this scam revolves 
around exchanging bottles of wine; another suggests purchasing $10 gifts
 online. You might see references to receiving "happy mail" or doing the
 exchange "for the good of the sisterhood." During the 2021 holiday 
season, be aware of variations of this theme that may crop up on social 
media.

The scheme starts with a convincing invitation, either by email or 
social media to sign up for what seems like a great, fun program. All 
you must do is provide your name and address and personal information of
 a few additional friends, and tack this information on to a list that’s
 already started of people you’ve never met on the internet. Next, it’s 
your turn to send an email or social media invitation to send a modest 
gift or bottle of wine to a stranger along with their friends, family 
and contacts.

A newer twist on the idea asks you to give your etransfer email and 
asks users to pick a name off of a list and send money to strangers, to 
"pay it forward."&nbsp;

There was even another new twist called "Secret Santa Dog" where you are asked to buy a $10 gift for a "secret dog."&nbsp;

In all of these versions, you give away your personal information, 
and you’re left with buying and shipping gifts or money to unknown 
individuals, in hopes that the favor is reciprocated by receiving the 
promised number of gifts in return. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen. 
Just like any other pyramid scheme, it relies on the recruitment of 
individuals to keep the scam afloat. Once people stop participating in 
the gift exchange, the gift supply stops as well, and leaves hundreds of
 disappointed people without their promised gifts or cash.

It should be noted that pyramid schemes are illegal in the <a href="https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/pyramid-schemes/" target="_blank">US</a> and <a href="https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/00518.html" target="_blank">Canada</a>. The U.S. Postal Inspection Services <a href="https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/pyramid-schemes/" target="_blank">explains that these gift exchanges</a>
 are considered&nbsp;a form of gambling and that participants could be 
subject to penalties such as jail time, fines or a lawsuit for mail 
fraud.

There is another layer of danger to participating in these schemes. 
When signing up, the alleged campaign organizer is asking for personal 
information such as a mailing address or an email. With just a few 
pieces of information, cyber thieves could expose you to future scams or
 commit identity theft. The next time someone promises a bounty of gifts or cash by mail, email, or social media, BBB recommends the following:&nbsp;

More information on scams is available by visiting <a href="https://www.bbb.org/us/news/scams" target="_blank">the BBB scam news feed</a>. Report scams to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a>.&nbsp;

Visit the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/all/holiday" target="_blank">BBB Holiday Tips page</a> for more tips on shopping safely this season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Gift exchange campaign became popular several years ago through Facebook&nbsp;</h2>BBBA "Secret Santa" around the office, or with friends and family 
can be fun. A gift exchange among online friends you haven’t met, well, 
that’s a little different and carries a heftier consequence. These gift 
exchanges, while they look like innocent fun, are really pyramid schemes
 – and are considered illegal.The “Secret Sister” gift exchange campaign quickly became popular 
several years ago through Facebook posts promising participants would 
receive up to 36 gifts, in exchange for sending one gift. Each holiday 
season, the scheme pops back up. A newer version of this scam revolves 
around exchanging bottles of wine; another suggests purchasing $10 gifts
 online. You might see references to receiving "happy mail" or doing the
 exchange "for the good of the sisterhood." During the 2021 holiday 
season, be aware of variations of this theme that may crop up on social 
media.How the Scam WorksThe scheme starts with a convincing invitation, either by email or 
social media to sign up for what seems like a great, fun program. All 
you must do is provide your name and address and personal information of
 a few additional friends, and tack this information on to a list that’s
 already started of people you’ve never met on the internet. Next, it’s 
your turn to send an email or social media invitation to send a modest 
gift or bottle of wine to a stranger along with their friends, family 
and contacts.A newer twist on the idea asks you to give your etransfer email and 
asks users to pick a name off of a list and send money to strangers, to 
"pay it forward."&nbsp;There was even another new twist called "Secret Santa Dog" where you are asked to buy a $10 gift for a "secret dog."&nbsp;In all of these versions, you give away your personal information, 
and you’re left with buying and shipping gifts or money to unknown 
individuals, in hopes that the favor is reciprocated by receiving the 
promised number of gifts in return. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen. 
Just like any other pyramid scheme, it relies on the recruitment of 
individuals to keep the scam afloat. Once people stop participating in 
the gift exchange, the gift supply stops as well, and leaves hundreds of
 disappointed people without their promised gifts or cash.It should be noted that pyramid schemes are illegal in the <a href="https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/pyramid-schemes/" target="_blank">US</a> and <a href="https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/00518.html" target="_blank">Canada</a>. The U.S. Postal Inspection Services <a href="https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/pyramid-schemes/" target="_blank">explains that these gift exchanges</a>
 are considered&nbsp;a form of gambling and that participants could be 
subject to penalties such as jail time, fines or a lawsuit for mail 
fraud.There is another layer of danger to participating in these schemes. 
When signing up, the alleged campaign organizer is asking for personal 
information such as a mailing address or an email. With just a few 
pieces of information, cyber thieves could expose you to future scams or
 commit identity theft. The next time someone promises a bounty of gifts or cash by mail, email, or social media, BBB recommends the following:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Ignore it! Keep in mind that pyramid schemes are 
international. Chain letters involving money or valuable items and 
promise big returns are illegal. Stop and ask, is it worth breaking the 
law? Report it instead to <a href="https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm" target="_blank">Canadian agencies</a> or to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uspis.gov/report/" target="_blank">U.S. Postal Inspection Services</a>. &nbsp;</li><li>Report social media posts. If you receive an 
invitation to join a pyramid scheme on social media, report it to 
Facebook by clicking in the upper righthand corner and selecting “Report
 post” or “report photo.”</li><li>Never give your personal information to strangers. This will open you up to identity theft and other scams.</li><li>Be wary of false claims. Some pyramid schemes try 
to win your confidence by claiming they’re legal and endorsed by the 
government. These imposter schemes are false as the government will 
never endorse illegal activity. No matter what they claim, pyramid 
schemes will not make you rich. You will receive little to no money back
 on your “investment” or gift exchange. </li>
 </ul>More information on scams is available by visiting <a href="https://www.bbb.org/us/news/scams" target="_blank">the BBB scam news feed</a>. Report scams to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a>.&nbsp;Visit the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/all/holiday" target="_blank">BBB Holiday Tips page</a> for more tips on shopping safely this season.

BBB says 'Secret Sister' gift exchange is illegal pyramid scheme

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced the launch 
of an improved identity verification and sign-in process that enables 
more people to securely access and use IRS online tools and 
applications.

Taxpayers using the new mobile-friendly verification procedure can gain entry to existing IRS online services such as the:

Additional IRS applications will transition to the new method over the next year.

"Identity verification is critical to protect taxpayers and their 
information. The IRS has been working hard to make improvements in this 
area, and this new verification process is designed to make IRS online 
applications as secure as possible for people," said IRS Commissioner 
Chuck Rettig. "To help taxpayers and the tax community, we are improving
 the accessibility of online tools that help families manage their Child
 Tax Credit, check on their IRS accounts and securely perform other 
routine tasks online."

The new process can reach more people through the expanded use of 
identity documents and increased help desk assistance for taxpayers who 
encounter a problem when attempting to verify their identity online. 
Developed under the Secure Access Digital Identity initiative (SADI), 
the new process complies with a federal mandate.

To provide verification services, the IRS is using ID.me, a trusted 
technology provider. The new process is one more step the IRS is taking 
to ensure that taxpayer information is provided only to the person who 
legally has a right to the data.

The IRS also integrated this new account-creation process into some 
applications used by tax professionals, including those used to request 
powers of attorney or tax information authorizations online using <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/use-tax-pro-account">Tax Pro Account</a> or to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/submit-forms-2848-and-8821-online">submit Forms 2848 and 8821 online</a>.

When accessing the tools listed above, taxpayers will be asked to 
sign in with an ID.me account. People who already have IRS usernames may
 continue to use their credentials from the old system to sign-in until 
summer 2022, but are prompted to create an ID.me account as soon as 
possible. Anyone with an existing ID.me account from the Child Tax 
Credit Update Portal, or from another government agency, can sign in 
with their existing credentials.

To verify their identity with ID.me, taxpayers need to provide a 
photo of an identity document such as a driver's license, state ID or 
passport. They'll also need to take a selfie with a smartphone or a 
computer with a webcam. Once their identity has been verified, they can 
securely access IRS online services.

Taxpayers who need help verifying their identity or submitting a support ticket can visit the <a href="https://help.id.me/hc/en-us/categories/1500002213102?utm_campaign=IRS-group1&amp;utm_medium=sadi&amp;utm_source=irs-website&amp;utm_content=newsrelease&amp;utm_term=news">ID.me IRS Help Site</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced the launch 
of an improved identity verification and sign-in process that enables 
more people to securely access and use IRS online tools and 
applications.Taxpayers using the new mobile-friendly verification procedure can gain entry to existing IRS online services such as the:<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">Child Tax Credit Update Portal</a>,</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/view-your-tax-account">Online Account</a>,</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript">Get Transcript Online</a>,</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin">Get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)</a> and</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/online-payment-agreement-application">Online Payment Agreement</a>.</li>
 </ul>Additional IRS applications will transition to the new method over the next year."Identity verification is critical to protect taxpayers and their 
information. The IRS has been working hard to make improvements in this 
area, and this new verification process is designed to make IRS online 
applications as secure as possible for people," said IRS Commissioner 
Chuck Rettig. "To help taxpayers and the tax community, we are improving
 the accessibility of online tools that help families manage their Child
 Tax Credit, check on their IRS accounts and securely perform other 
routine tasks online."The new process can reach more people through the expanded use of 
identity documents and increased help desk assistance for taxpayers who 
encounter a problem when attempting to verify their identity online. 
Developed under the Secure Access Digital Identity initiative (SADI), 
the new process complies with a federal mandate.To provide verification services, the IRS is using ID.me, a trusted 
technology provider. The new process is one more step the IRS is taking 
to ensure that taxpayer information is provided only to the person who 
legally has a right to the data.The IRS also integrated this new account-creation process into some 
applications used by tax professionals, including those used to request 
powers of attorney or tax information authorizations online using <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/use-tax-pro-account">Tax Pro Account</a> or to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/submit-forms-2848-and-8821-online">submit Forms 2848 and 8821 online</a>.<h2>Accessing IRS tools</h2>When accessing the tools listed above, taxpayers will be asked to 
sign in with an ID.me account. People who already have IRS usernames may
 continue to use their credentials from the old system to sign-in until 
summer 2022, but are prompted to create an ID.me account as soon as 
possible. Anyone with an existing ID.me account from the Child Tax 
Credit Update Portal, or from another government agency, can sign in 
with their existing credentials.To verify their identity with ID.me, taxpayers need to provide a 
photo of an identity document such as a driver's license, state ID or 
passport. They'll also need to take a selfie with a smartphone or a 
computer with a webcam. Once their identity has been verified, they can 
securely access IRS online services.Taxpayers who need help verifying their identity or submitting a support ticket can visit the <a href="https://help.id.me/hc/en-us/categories/1500002213102?utm_campaign=IRS-group1&amp;utm_medium=sadi&amp;utm_source=irs-website&amp;utm_content=newsrelease&amp;utm_term=news">ID.me IRS Help Site</a>.

IRS changes identity verification process for accessing self-help tools

BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. Catholic bishops overwhelmingly approved a long-anticipated document on Communion on Wednesday that stops short of calling for withholding the sacrament from politicians such as President Joe Biden who support abortion rights but offers plenty of tacit justification for individual bishops to do so.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ first major statement on Communion in 15 years, “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church,” does not explicitly address the debate over elected officials, abortion and the sacrament that has surrounded the document over the past several months and partly inspired its creation in the first place.

Instead, it gives an overview of church teaching, emphasizing the centrality of the Eucharist in the faith and worship and in part reflecting concern among bishops that many Catholics don’t know or accept such teachings.

It was approved by a 222-8 vote at the conference’s fall assembly in Maryland after receiving only minor revisions in recent days by drafters on the bishops’ Committee on Doctrine.

Drafters added a reference to defending “the unborn” along with other vulnerable persons, such as immigrants, older adults and victims of racial injustice. They also bolstered the definition of “scandal” as weakening the resolve of other Catholics to follow church teachings.

The latter revision came in a passage reaffirming a 2006 statement saying it’s a scandal if a Catholic “in his or her personal or professional life were knowingly or obstinately to reject” the church’s doctrines or moral teachings.

The document does not identify Biden or other politicians by name, though it says at one point, “Lay people who exercise some form of public authority have a special responsibility to embody Church teaching.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635513708354.png" alt="President Biden with the Pope during a visit at the Vatican earlier this month-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Biden with the Pope during a visit at the Vatican earlier this month-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. Catholic bishops overwhelmingly approved a long-anticipated document on Communion on Wednesday that stops short of calling for withholding the sacrament from politicians such as President Joe Biden who support abortion rights but offers plenty of tacit justification for individual bishops to do so.The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ first major statement on Communion in 15 years, “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church,” does not explicitly address the debate over elected officials, abortion and the sacrament that has surrounded the document over the past several months and partly inspired its creation in the first place.Instead, it gives an overview of church teaching, emphasizing the centrality of the Eucharist in the faith and worship and in part reflecting concern among bishops that many Catholics don’t know or accept such teachings.It was approved by a 222-8 vote at the conference’s fall assembly in Maryland after receiving only minor revisions in recent days by drafters on the bishops’ Committee on Doctrine.Drafters added a reference to defending “the unborn” along with other vulnerable persons, such as immigrants, older adults and victims of racial injustice. They also bolstered the definition of “scandal” as weakening the resolve of other Catholics to follow church teachings.The latter revision came in a passage reaffirming a 2006 statement saying it’s a scandal if a Catholic “in his or her personal or professional life were knowingly or obstinately to reject” the church’s doctrines or moral teachings.The document does not identify Biden or other politicians by name, though it says at one point, “Lay people who exercise some form of public authority have a special responsibility to embody Church teaching.”It calls on Catholics to examine their conscience and make sure they’re in harmony with church teachings, and says bishops have a “special responsibility” to respond to situations “that involve public actions at variance with the visible communion of the church and the moral law.”Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, who chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities and whose work includes advocacy against abortion, took the document as affirming the importance of “our responsibility for the care of the souls of these politicians.”Naumann, wearing a facemask with the words “REMEMBER The Unborn,” called for bishops to find common ground where politicians agree with the church’s vision for “the dignity of the human person.” But he also urged them “not to be afraid to fulfill our obligations to let them know how serious” it is to dissent from church teaching.Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, an outspoken critic of the president, asked colleagues to amend the document by quoting the church catechism and the Bible as saying anyone who creates scandal would be better off having a “millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in ... the sea.”The proposal was met with silence when put to a voice vote and was not adopted.The conference cannot dictate a blanket policy on denying Communion to politicians; each bishop has authority in his own diocese.While some bishops have said they would deny the sacrament to Biden, the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, has affirmed that the president is welcome to receive the sacrament there.Biden has said that Pope Francis, too, told him in a recent private meeting in Rome to continue receiving Communion. While the Vatican has not confirmed that, Biden did subsequently go to Mass and receive Communion at a church in Rome — evidence that Francis did not forbid priests in the Diocese of Rome, which he oversees, from giving Communion to Biden.The document highlights the centrality of the doctrine of transubstantiation, which says that when a priest celebrates Mass, the bread and wine is transformed into Jesus’ actual body and blood. It says Catholics can perceive this as a reality through faith, even though the elements appear to the senses to be bread and wine.Some bishops have expressed concern over Catholics’ acceptance of the doctrine, citing a 2019 survey that found most church members don’t believe in transubstantiation. Other researchers have questioned that finding, however, saying that when survey questions are phrased differently, higher numbers of Catholics align with church teaching.The document also says the sacrament is central to church unity and worship and leads to “personal and moral transformation,” motivating believers to take care of vulnerable people and, in a broader sense, the environment.Bishops began working on the document after Biden took office, with some citing “confusion” over the president presenting himself as a devout Catholic despite his political stance on abortion.The Vatican repeatedly sent caution signals to the U.S. bishops as they prepared the document.The papal ambassador to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, on Tuesday urged bishops to listen before they teach, even in situations where some want to clarify “confusion.” And earlier this year, the head of the Vatican’s doctrine office urged bishops to go slowly on the document, pursuing dialogue among themselves and with Catholic politicians.Also during the fall meeting, bishops are launching a broader initiative to promote devotions centered on the Eucharist with plans for a major gathering focused on the sacrament in 2024 in Indianapolis.