CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A lawsuit says a Black civilian grounds-keeping and kitchen worker at Wyoming's F.E. Warren Air Force Base was retaliated against and ultimately fired for complaining when other workers called him racial epithets. 

The lawsuit says the harassment began soon after Bryan Wheels was hired in 2015 and continued through 2017. 

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the federal lawsuit Monday against Spokane, Washington-based Skils’kin, a contractor at the base in Cheyenne. 

The lawsuit alleges a supervisor told Bryan Wheels to keep quiet about the harassment. 

Phone messages left with Skils'kin and F.E. Warren seeking comment on the lawsuit weren't immediately returned Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633088217281.png" alt="Photo: US Air Force" />
 <figcaption>Photo: US Air Force</figcaption>
 </figure>CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A lawsuit says a Black civilian grounds-keeping and kitchen worker at Wyoming's F.E. Warren Air Force Base was retaliated against and ultimately fired for complaining when other workers called him racial epithets. The lawsuit says the harassment began soon after Bryan Wheels was hired in 2015 and continued through 2017. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the federal lawsuit Monday against Spokane, Washington-based Skils’kin, a contractor at the base in Cheyenne. The lawsuit alleges a supervisor told Bryan Wheels to keep quiet about the harassment. Phone messages left with Skils'kin and F.E. Warren seeking comment on the lawsuit weren't immediately returned Thursday.

Lawsuit: Black base worker faced racism, told to keep quiet

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Democratic presidential hopefuls could still have a shot at claiming one of Nebraska’s electoral votes, despite Republican dominance statewide, based on newly approved political maps. 

Nebraska passed congressional boundaries Thursday that would keep the Omaha-centered 2nd Congressional District competitive, even though Republicans have pushed to draw the districts in a way that would have given the party a greater advantage. 

GOP lawmakers withdrew their plan after realizing they didn’t have enough support to overcome a Democratic-led filibuster. 

Nebraska and Maine are the only states that can split their Electoral College votes. Nebraska has done so twice. The 2nd District’s vote went to Democrats Barack Obama in 2008 and Joe Biden in 2020.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Democratic presidential hopefuls could still have a shot at claiming one of Nebraska’s electoral votes, despite Republican dominance statewide, based on newly approved political maps. Nebraska passed congressional boundaries Thursday that would keep the Omaha-centered 2nd Congressional District competitive, even though Republicans have pushed to draw the districts in a way that would have given the party a greater advantage. GOP lawmakers withdrew their plan after realizing they didn’t have enough support to overcome a Democratic-led filibuster. Nebraska and Maine are the only states that can split their Electoral College votes. Nebraska has done so twice. The 2nd District’s vote went to Democrats Barack Obama in 2008 and Joe Biden in 2020.

Nebraska OKs new congressional maps, keeps Omaha competitive

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a Creighton University baseball administrator was found dead Thursday in the yard of an Omaha home that he had just sold to a realty company. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that 37-year-old Christopher Gradoville died from multiple gunshot wounds. 

Police say they have arrested a tenant in the home, 43-year-old Ladell Thornton, on suspicion of first-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. 

Gradoville was the director of baseball operations at Creighton University. He joined Creighton’s baseball staff as its director of operations in the fall of 2020.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a Creighton University baseball administrator was found dead Thursday in the yard of an Omaha home that he had just sold to a realty company. The Omaha World-Herald reports that 37-year-old Christopher Gradoville died from multiple gunshot wounds. Police say they have arrested a tenant in the home, 43-year-old Ladell Thornton, on suspicion of first-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Gradoville was the director of baseball operations at Creighton University. He joined Creighton’s baseball staff as its director of operations in the fall of 2020.

Creighton University baseball administrator fatally shot

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a long night of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-financial-markets-nancy-pelosi-3b591443b048d2fbfb7a9f9b6f646f7a">frantic negotiations</a>, Democrats were unable to reach an immediate deal to salvage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-11f832cdc6f9808bdc0cfdcfe399a0a6">President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion government overhaul</a>, forcing leaders to call off promised votes on a related public works bill. Action is to resume Friday.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi had pushed the House into an evening session and top White House advisers huddled for talks at the Capitol as the Democratic leaders worked late Thursday to negotiate a scaled-back plan that centrist holdouts would accept. Biden had cleared his schedule for calls with lawmakers, but it appeared no deal was within reach, particularly with Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin</a>.

Manchin refused to budge, the West Virginia centrist holding fast to his earlier declaration that he was willing to meet the president less than halfway — $1.5 trillion.

“I don’t see a deal tonight. I really don’t,” Manchin told reporters as he left the Capitol.

Deeply at odds, the president and his party are facing a potentially embarrassing setback — if not politically devastating collapse of the whole enterprise — if they cannot resolve the standoff over Biden’s big vision.

At immediate risk was a promised vote on the first piece of Biden’s proposal, a slimmer $1 trillion public works bill that is widely supported but has faltered amid stalled talks on his more ambitious package. Progressives were refusing to back the roads-and-bridges bill they view as insufficient unless there’s progress on Biden’s broader plan that’s the heart of the Democratic agenda. With support, leaders canceled a promised Thursday night vote, and said the House would be back in session Friday,

Pelosi called it a “day of progress” in a letter to colleagues, but offered few other words on the path forward.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement saying: “A great deal of progress has been made this week, and we are closer to an agreement than ever. But we are not there yet, and so, we will need some additional time to finish the work, starting tomorrow morning first thing.”

The political stakes could hardly be higher. Biden and his party are reaching for a giant legislative accomplishment — promising a vast rewrite of the nation’s tax and spending plans — with a so-slim majority in Congress.

The president’s sweeping proposal topped at $3.5 trillion would essentially raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy and plow that money back into government health care, education and other programs, all of it touching the lives of countless Americans. He says the ultimate price tag is zero, because the tax revenue covers the spending costs.

With Biden working the phones and top White House officials shuttling at the Capitol, talk swirled of the Democratic leaders trying to ease off the stalemate by reaching a broader deal, a compromise with Manchin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Sen. Kyrsten Sinema</a>&nbsp;of Arizona, two centrist Democrats who are the linchpins to Biden’s goals.

The idea was to produce the contours of an agreement over Biden’s broader package, proceed with the $1 trillion public works bill and negotiate the rest of Biden’s big health care, education and climate change bill in the days to come. Lawmakers were told to stick around for possible late-night votes.

But as the night dragged on, it became clear that Manchin was not on board with a higher figure and chiseling away at that $3.5 trillion topline risked losing progressive leaders who said they have already compromised enough and saw no reason to rush a deal to bring the centrists around to supporting the president’s agenda.

“We’ve been fighting for transformative legislation as all of you know, these discussions have gone on for month after month after month,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the chairman of the Budget Committee and a leading progressive lawmaker. “This is not a baseball game. This is the most significant piece of legislation in 70 years.”

All this on a day that saw a partial win for Democrats, with Congress passing and Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-moves-to-avert-partial-government-shutdown-8f5b5b0c6c4cb12af8316ffc0b098771">signing legislation</a>&nbsp;to keep the government running past Thursday’s fiscal yearend deadline and avert a federal shutdown that had been threatened by Republican blockades.

The public works bill is one piece of that broader Biden vision, a $1 trillion investment in routine transportation, broadband, water systems and other projects bolstered with extra funding. It won bipartisan support in the Senate but has now become snared by the broader debate.

Attention remains squarely focused on Manchin and Sinema, two centrist Democrats who helped steer that bipartisan bill to passage, but have concerns that Biden’s overall bill is too big. The two senators have infuriated colleagues by not making any counter-proposals public.

Under scrutiny, Manchin called an impromptu press conference Thursday outside the Capitol, insisting he has been clear from the start.

“I’m willing to sit down and work on the $1.5,” Manchin told reporters, as protesters seeking a bigger package and Biden’s priorities chanted behind him.

Manchin said he told the president as much during their talks this week, and confirmed that he put his views to paper during earlier talks this summer with Schumer.

It’s not just Manchin’s demands to reduce the overall size, but the conditions he wants placed on new spending that will rile his more liberal colleagues as he works to ensure the aid goes only to lower-income people, rather than broader swaths of Americans. Tensions spiked late Wednesday when Manchin sent out a fiery statement, decrying the broad spending as “fiscal insanity.”

Sinema was similarly working to stave off criticism and her office said claims that she has not been forthcoming are “false” — though she has not publicly disclosed her views over what size package she wants and has declined to answer questions about her position.

Sinema has put dollar figures on the table and “continues to engage directly in good-faith discussions” with both Biden and Schumer, spokesman John LaBombard said in a statement.

Democrats’ campaign promises on the line, the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, said exiting Pelosi’s office that the progressives’ views were unchanged -- they won’t vote for one bill without the other and would stay all weekend to get a deal.

“Inaction is insanity,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., another progressive leader, pointing her criticism clear at Manchin’s remarks.

“Trying to kill your party’s agenda is insanity. Not trying to make sure the president we all worked so hard to elect, his agenda pass, is insanity.”

Centrists warned off canceling Thursday’s vote as a “breach of trust that would slow the momentum in moving forward in delivering the Biden agenda,” said Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the centrist Blue Dog Democrats.

At the same time, Congress mostly resolved a more immediate crisis by passing legislation to provide government funding and avoid a federal shutdown, keeping operations going temporarily to Dec. 3. The House quickly followed, and Biden signed the bill Thursday evening.

With Republicans opposed in lockstep to the president’s big plan, deriding it as slide to socialist-style spending, Biden is reaching for a deal with members of his own party for a signature legislative accomplishment.

Biden insists the price tag actually will be zero because the expansion of government programs would be largely paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy — businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632951499889.png" alt="GOP Senator John Barrasso with the Biden funding bill of 2,500 pages requesting $3.5 trillion. He said it is literally $1 billion and $400 million dollars per page- photo Courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>GOP Senator John Barrasso with the Biden funding bill of 2,500 pages requesting $3.5 trillion. He said it is literally $1 billion and $400 million dollars per page- photo Courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a long night of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-financial-markets-nancy-pelosi-3b591443b048d2fbfb7a9f9b6f646f7a">frantic negotiations</a>, Democrats were unable to reach an immediate deal to salvage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-11f832cdc6f9808bdc0cfdcfe399a0a6">President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion government overhaul</a>, forcing leaders to call off promised votes on a related public works bill. Action is to resume Friday.Speaker Nancy Pelosi had pushed the House into an evening session and top White House advisers huddled for talks at the Capitol as the Democratic leaders worked late Thursday to negotiate a scaled-back plan that centrist holdouts would accept. Biden had cleared his schedule for calls with lawmakers, but it appeared no deal was within reach, particularly with Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin</a>.Manchin refused to budge, the West Virginia centrist holding fast to his earlier declaration that he was willing to meet the president less than halfway — $1.5 trillion.“I don’t see a deal tonight. I really don’t,” Manchin told reporters as he left the Capitol.Deeply at odds, the president and his party are facing a potentially embarrassing setback — if not politically devastating collapse of the whole enterprise — if they cannot resolve the standoff over Biden’s big vision.At immediate risk was a promised vote on the first piece of Biden’s proposal, a slimmer $1 trillion public works bill that is widely supported but has faltered amid stalled talks on his more ambitious package. Progressives were refusing to back the roads-and-bridges bill they view as insufficient unless there’s progress on Biden’s broader plan that’s the heart of the Democratic agenda. With support, leaders canceled a promised Thursday night vote, and said the House would be back in session Friday,Pelosi called it a “day of progress” in a letter to colleagues, but offered few other words on the path forward.White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement saying: “A great deal of progress has been made this week, and we are closer to an agreement than ever. But we are not there yet, and so, we will need some additional time to finish the work, starting tomorrow morning first thing.”The political stakes could hardly be higher. Biden and his party are reaching for a giant legislative accomplishment — promising a vast rewrite of the nation’s tax and spending plans — with a so-slim majority in Congress.The president’s sweeping proposal topped at $3.5 trillion would essentially raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy and plow that money back into government health care, education and other programs, all of it touching the lives of countless Americans. He says the ultimate price tag is zero, because the tax revenue covers the spending costs.With Biden working the phones and top White House officials shuttling at the Capitol, talk swirled of the Democratic leaders trying to ease off the stalemate by reaching a broader deal, a compromise with Manchin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Sen. Kyrsten Sinema</a>&nbsp;of Arizona, two centrist Democrats who are the linchpins to Biden’s goals.The idea was to produce the contours of an agreement over Biden’s broader package, proceed with the $1 trillion public works bill and negotiate the rest of Biden’s big health care, education and climate change bill in the days to come. Lawmakers were told to stick around for possible late-night votes.But as the night dragged on, it became clear that Manchin was not on board with a higher figure and chiseling away at that $3.5 trillion topline risked losing progressive leaders who said they have already compromised enough and saw no reason to rush a deal to bring the centrists around to supporting the president’s agenda.“We’ve been fighting for transformative legislation as all of you know, these discussions have gone on for month after month after month,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the chairman of the Budget Committee and a leading progressive lawmaker. “This is not a baseball game. This is the most significant piece of legislation in 70 years.”All this on a day that saw a partial win for Democrats, with Congress passing and Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-moves-to-avert-partial-government-shutdown-8f5b5b0c6c4cb12af8316ffc0b098771">signing legislation</a>&nbsp;to keep the government running past Thursday’s fiscal yearend deadline and avert a federal shutdown that had been threatened by Republican blockades.The public works bill is one piece of that broader Biden vision, a $1 trillion investment in routine transportation, broadband, water systems and other projects bolstered with extra funding. It won bipartisan support in the Senate but has now become snared by the broader debate.Attention remains squarely focused on Manchin and Sinema, two centrist Democrats who helped steer that bipartisan bill to passage, but have concerns that Biden’s overall bill is too big. The two senators have infuriated colleagues by not making any counter-proposals public.Under scrutiny, Manchin called an impromptu press conference Thursday outside the Capitol, insisting he has been clear from the start.“I’m willing to sit down and work on the $1.5,” Manchin told reporters, as protesters seeking a bigger package and Biden’s priorities chanted behind him.Manchin said he told the president as much during their talks this week, and confirmed that he put his views to paper during earlier talks this summer with Schumer.It’s not just Manchin’s demands to reduce the overall size, but the conditions he wants placed on new spending that will rile his more liberal colleagues as he works to ensure the aid goes only to lower-income people, rather than broader swaths of Americans. Tensions spiked late Wednesday when Manchin sent out a fiery statement, decrying the broad spending as “fiscal insanity.”Sinema was similarly working to stave off criticism and her office said claims that she has not been forthcoming are “false” — though she has not publicly disclosed her views over what size package she wants and has declined to answer questions about her position.Sinema has put dollar figures on the table and “continues to engage directly in good-faith discussions” with both Biden and Schumer, spokesman John LaBombard said in a statement.Democrats’ campaign promises on the line, the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, said exiting Pelosi’s office that the progressives’ views were unchanged -- they won’t vote for one bill without the other and would stay all weekend to get a deal.“Inaction is insanity,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., another progressive leader, pointing her criticism clear at Manchin’s remarks.“Trying to kill your party’s agenda is insanity. Not trying to make sure the president we all worked so hard to elect, his agenda pass, is insanity.”Centrists warned off canceling Thursday’s vote as a “breach of trust that would slow the momentum in moving forward in delivering the Biden agenda,” said Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the centrist Blue Dog Democrats.At the same time, Congress mostly resolved a more immediate crisis by passing legislation to provide government funding and avoid a federal shutdown, keeping operations going temporarily to Dec. 3. The House quickly followed, and Biden signed the bill Thursday evening.With Republicans opposed in lockstep to the president’s big plan, deriding it as slide to socialist-style spending, Biden is reaching for a deal with members of his own party for a signature legislative accomplishment.Biden insists the price tag actually will be zero because the expansion of government programs would be largely paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy — businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples.

Democrats continue work to save Biden's $3.5T spending plan

The U.S. Postal Service will implement new service standards for First-Class Mail and Periodicals starting Friday which will increase delivery reliability, consistency, and efficiency for customers and across the network, according to a media release from the USPS.

Most First-Class Mail and Periodicals will be unaffected by the new service standard changes. Standards for single-piece First-Class Mail traveling within a local area will continue to be two days. Mail traveling the greatest distances will be most affected, with a day or two of transit time added for some First-Class Mail and Periodicals.

The USPS make better use of their trucks and existing surface network to move the mail, relying less on costly air transportation.

By improving service reliability and increasing efficiency, the postal service hopes to keep costs at reasonable levels and help keep postage rates affordable for our customers.

<a href="https://about.usps.com/what/strategic-plans/delivering-for-america/assets/USPS-Fact-Sheet_FCM-Service-Standard-Change.pdf">Click here for more</a> information and the First Class/Periodical Service Standard Fact Sheet&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633046157684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The U.S. Postal Service will implement new service standards for First-Class Mail and Periodicals starting Friday which will increase delivery reliability, consistency, and efficiency for customers and across the network, according to a media release from the USPS.Most First-Class Mail and Periodicals will be unaffected by the new service standard changes. Standards for single-piece First-Class Mail traveling within a local area will continue to be two days. Mail traveling the greatest distances will be most affected, with a day or two of transit time added for some First-Class Mail and Periodicals.The USPS make better use of their trucks and existing surface network to move the mail, relying less on costly air transportation.By improving service reliability and increasing efficiency, the postal service hopes to keep costs at reasonable levels and help keep postage rates affordable for our customers.<a href="https://about.usps.com/what/strategic-plans/delivering-for-america/assets/USPS-Fact-Sheet_FCM-Service-Standard-Change.pdf">Click here for more</a> information and the First Class/Periodical Service Standard Fact Sheet&nbsp;

New postal service standards could slow your mail starting Friday

On a dating app? Think twice before sending revealing photos or videos. Some con artists are taking a sinister approach to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/17012-bbb-tip-romance-scams" target="_blank">romance scams</a> by blackmailing their victims.

You meet someone you are interested in on a dating app. The <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/09/how-spot-extortion-scams-lgbtq-dating-apps" target="_blank">FTC reports</a>
 that this particular scam is especially common on LGBTQ+ dating apps, 
such as Grindr and Feeld. The person sends you explicit photos of 
themselves and asks you to reply with your own revealing pictures.

If you send the images or videos, the scammer begins to blackmail 
you. Scammers use your phone number or social media profile to look up 
names of your friends, family members, and even your workmates or boss. 
Then, they threaten to send images to the people you care most about.

According to one <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a>
 report, after a compromising video call, a woman began “blackmailing 
me, [threatening] to release the video footage on social media and send 
it to my friends and family. [Then] a guy took over blackmailing. They 
were demanding a sum of $3000.”

Scammers often ask for payment via gift card or wired funds – methods
 that can’t be traced to them and make it impossible for you to 
recuperate your funds. If you cooperate, you’ll lose your money, and 
there’s no guarantee the scammers will delete the images and videos. In 
fact, scammers will likely continue contacting you, asking for more 
money periodically.

Protect yourself by reading the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/17012-bbb-tip-romance-scams" target="_blank">BBB Tip: Romance Scams</a> and visiting <a href="http://www.BBB.org/AvoidScams" target="_blank">BBB.org/AvoidScams</a>. To learn more about the legitimacy of different dating apps, read the BBB Scam Alert on <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/24477-bbb-scam-alert-looking-love-dont-fall-for-a-fake-dating-service">fake dating services</a>.

If you’ve been the victim of an extortion scam, report it to the FTC at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Submit a report to <a href="http://www.BBB.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a> as well to boost community awareness and help others protect themselves.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BBBOn a dating app? Think twice before sending revealing photos or videos. Some con artists are taking a sinister approach to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/17012-bbb-tip-romance-scams" target="_blank">romance scams</a> by blackmailing their victims.<h2>How the Scam Works</h2>You meet someone you are interested in on a dating app. The <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/09/how-spot-extortion-scams-lgbtq-dating-apps" target="_blank">FTC reports</a>
 that this particular scam is especially common on LGBTQ+ dating apps, 
such as Grindr and Feeld. The person sends you explicit photos of 
themselves and asks you to reply with your own revealing pictures.If you send the images or videos, the scammer begins to blackmail 
you. Scammers use your phone number or social media profile to look up 
names of your friends, family members, and even your workmates or boss. 
Then, they threaten to send images to the people you care most about.According to one <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a>
 report, after a compromising video call, a woman began “blackmailing 
me, [threatening] to release the video footage on social media and send 
it to my friends and family. [Then] a guy took over blackmailing. They 
were demanding a sum of $3000.”Scammers often ask for payment via gift card or wired funds – methods
 that can’t be traced to them and make it impossible for you to 
recuperate your funds. If you cooperate, you’ll lose your money, and 
there’s no guarantee the scammers will delete the images and videos. In 
fact, scammers will likely continue contacting you, asking for more 
money periodically.<h2>How to Avoid Dating App Scams</h2><ul>
 <li>Never share your personal information with someone you just met. Don’t
 give your cell phone number, home address, email address, or even your 
social media profile to a stranger. Wait until you know and trust a 
person, preferably when you’ve already met them in person. </li><li>Research your love interest. One telltale sign 
you’re dealing with a scammer is a stolen profile picture. Do a reverse 
image search of the person’s profile picture to make sure it isn’t being
 used under a different name or on multiple profiles. </li><li>Think before you send photos or videos. Once you 
send a photo or video, you cannot get it back. Keep in mind that even 
video calls can be recorded and use good judgement to protect your 
reputation. </li><li>Don’t pay money to scammers. You have no guarantee that scammers won’t use the photos or videos anyway. Plus, your money could be <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2020/PSA200420" target="_blank">funding criminal activity</a>. </li>
 </ul><h2>For More Information</h2>Protect yourself by reading the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/17012-bbb-tip-romance-scams" target="_blank">BBB Tip: Romance Scams</a> and visiting <a href="http://www.BBB.org/AvoidScams" target="_blank">BBB.org/AvoidScams</a>. To learn more about the legitimacy of different dating apps, read the BBB Scam Alert on <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/24477-bbb-scam-alert-looking-love-dont-fall-for-a-fake-dating-service">fake dating services</a>.If you’ve been the victim of an extortion scam, report it to the FTC at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Submit a report to <a href="http://www.BBB.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a> as well to boost community awareness and help others protect themselves.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

BBB: Blackmailers hunting for victims on online dating sites

WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, President Joe Biden signed legislation to avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. Congress had passed the bill earlier Thursday. 

The legislation averts one crisis, but efforts to stave off a second crisis seem likely to continue for the next couple of weeks as Democrats and Republicans dig in on a dispute over how to raise the government’s borrowing cap. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says failure to raise the debt limit will lead to a financial crisis and economic recession.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3, and sent the bill to President Joe Biden.

The back-to-back votes by the Senate and then the House will help avert one crisis, but just delay another as the political parties dig in on a dispute over how to raise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-bills-janet-yellen-9d5327bcc4f18bd2cf3349fdbe6d246b">the government’s borrowing cap</a>&nbsp;before the United States risks a potentially catastrophic default.

The House approved the short-term funding measure by a 254-175 vote not long after Senate passage in a 65-35 vote. A large majority of Republicans in both chambers voted against it. The legislation was needed to keep the government running once the current budget year ended at midnight Thursday. Passage will buy lawmakers more time to craft the spending measures that will fund federal agencies and the programs they administer.

The work to keep the government open and running served as the backdrop during a chaotic day for Democrats as they struggled to get Biden’s top domestic priorities over the finish line, including a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill at risk of stalling in the House.

With their energy focused on Biden’s agenda, Democrats backed down from a showdown over the debt limit in the government funding bill, deciding to uncouple the borrowing ceiling at the insistence of Republicans. If that cap is not raised by Oct. 18, the U.S. probably will face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-united-states-bills-economy-janet-yellen-de159a96c61d0679e06bde313881092c">a financial crisis and economic recession</a>, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

Republicans say Democrats have the votes to raise the debt limit on their own, and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is insisting they do so.

The short-term spending legislation will also provide about $28.6 billion in disaster relief for those recovering from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, and help support Afghanistan evacuees from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81">the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban</a>.

“This is a good outcome, one I’m happy we are getting done,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “With so many things to take care of in Washington, the last thing the American people need is for the government to grind to a halt.”

Once the government is funded, albeit temporarily, Democrats will turn their full attention to the need to raise the limit on federal borrowing, which now stands at $28.4 trillion.

The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era and historically, both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the Republican Senate majority in doing so three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. This time Democrats wanted to take care of both priorities in one bill, but Senate Republicans blocked that effort Monday.

Raising or suspending the debt limit allows the federal government to pay obligations already incurred. It does not authorize new spending. McConnell has argued that Democrats should pass a debt limit extension with the same budgetary tools they are using to try to pass a $3.5 trillion effort to expand social safety net programs and tackle climate change. He reiterated that warning as the Senate opened on Thursday, even as Democrats have labeled that option a “nonstarter.”

“We’re able to fund the government today because the majority accepted reality. The same thing will need to happen on the debt limit next week,” McConnell said.

House Democrats pushed through a stand-alone bill late Wednesday that would suspend the debt limit until December 2022. Schumer said he would bring the measure to the Senate floor, but the bill is almost certain to be blocked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-filibusters-government-and-politics-6cb32ae519a6789eb3a01a0d92094d58">a Republican filibuster</a>.

The arguments made in both chambers about the debt ceiling have followed similar themes.

“You are more interested in punishing Democrats than preserving our credit and that is something I’m having a real tough time getting my head around,” House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told Republicans. “The idea of not paying bills just because we don’t like (Biden’s) policies is the wrong way to go.”

Undaunted, Republicans argued that Democrats have chosen to ram through their political priorities on their own and thus are responsible for raising the debt limit on their own.

“So long as the Democratic majority continues to insist on spending money hand over fist, Republicans will refuse to help them lift the debt ceiling,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.

The Treasury has taken steps to preserve cash, but once it runs out, it will be forced to rely on incoming revenue to pay its obligations. That would likely mean delays in payments to Social Security recipients, veterans and government workers, including military personnel. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, projects that the federal government would be unable to meet about 40% of payments due in the several weeks that follow.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633090680808.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a signing ceremony after the House voted&nbsp; 254-175 to pass the bill.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a signing ceremony after the House voted&nbsp; 254-175 to pass the bill.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, President Joe Biden signed legislation to avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. Congress had passed the bill earlier Thursday. The legislation averts one crisis, but efforts to stave off a second crisis seem likely to continue for the next couple of weeks as Democrats and Republicans dig in on a dispute over how to raise the government’s borrowing cap. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says failure to raise the debt limit will lead to a financial crisis and economic recession.----------WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3, and sent the bill to President Joe Biden.The back-to-back votes by the Senate and then the House will help avert one crisis, but just delay another as the political parties dig in on a dispute over how to raise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-bills-janet-yellen-9d5327bcc4f18bd2cf3349fdbe6d246b">the government’s borrowing cap</a>&nbsp;before the United States risks a potentially catastrophic default.The House approved the short-term funding measure by a 254-175 vote not long after Senate passage in a 65-35 vote. A large majority of Republicans in both chambers voted against it. The legislation was needed to keep the government running once the current budget year ended at midnight Thursday. Passage will buy lawmakers more time to craft the spending measures that will fund federal agencies and the programs they administer.The work to keep the government open and running served as the backdrop during a chaotic day for Democrats as they struggled to get Biden’s top domestic priorities over the finish line, including a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill at risk of stalling in the House.With their energy focused on Biden’s agenda, Democrats backed down from a showdown over the debt limit in the government funding bill, deciding to uncouple the borrowing ceiling at the insistence of Republicans. If that cap is not raised by Oct. 18, the U.S. probably will face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-united-states-bills-economy-janet-yellen-de159a96c61d0679e06bde313881092c">a financial crisis and economic recession</a>, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.Republicans say Democrats have the votes to raise the debt limit on their own, and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is insisting they do so.The short-term spending legislation will also provide about $28.6 billion in disaster relief for those recovering from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, and help support Afghanistan evacuees from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81">the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban</a>.“This is a good outcome, one I’m happy we are getting done,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “With so many things to take care of in Washington, the last thing the American people need is for the government to grind to a halt.”Once the government is funded, albeit temporarily, Democrats will turn their full attention to the need to raise the limit on federal borrowing, which now stands at $28.4 trillion.The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era and historically, both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the Republican Senate majority in doing so three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. This time Democrats wanted to take care of both priorities in one bill, but Senate Republicans blocked that effort Monday.Raising or suspending the debt limit allows the federal government to pay obligations already incurred. It does not authorize new spending. McConnell has argued that Democrats should pass a debt limit extension with the same budgetary tools they are using to try to pass a $3.5 trillion effort to expand social safety net programs and tackle climate change. He reiterated that warning as the Senate opened on Thursday, even as Democrats have labeled that option a “nonstarter.”“We’re able to fund the government today because the majority accepted reality. The same thing will need to happen on the debt limit next week,” McConnell said.House Democrats pushed through a stand-alone bill late Wednesday that would suspend the debt limit until December 2022. Schumer said he would bring the measure to the Senate floor, but the bill is almost certain to be blocked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-filibusters-government-and-politics-6cb32ae519a6789eb3a01a0d92094d58">a Republican filibuster</a>.The arguments made in both chambers about the debt ceiling have followed similar themes.“You are more interested in punishing Democrats than preserving our credit and that is something I’m having a real tough time getting my head around,” House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told Republicans. “The idea of not paying bills just because we don’t like (Biden’s) policies is the wrong way to go.”Undaunted, Republicans argued that Democrats have chosen to ram through their political priorities on their own and thus are responsible for raising the debt limit on their own.“So long as the Democratic majority continues to insist on spending money hand over fist, Republicans will refuse to help them lift the debt ceiling,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.The Treasury has taken steps to preserve cash, but once it runs out, it will be forced to rely on incoming revenue to pay its obligations. That would likely mean delays in payments to Social Security recipients, veterans and government workers, including military personnel. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, projects that the federal government would be unable to meet about 40% of payments due in the several weeks that follow.___

Biden signs bill to avert partial government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) —Three Democratic members of Congress on Thursday offered deeply personal testimony about their own abortions as a congressional committee examined how to respond to conservative states that are passing laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-lifestyle-health-travel-texas-fbc505c3db4a08af51ba409a91ea161c">limiting abortion access</a>.

Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri said she was raped on a church youth trip. Rep. Barbara Lee of California said she received a “back-alley” abortion in Mexico after a teenage pregnancy. And Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington said she opted for an abortion after being told her pregnancy would be high risk for her and the baby.

“Choosing to have an abortion was the hardest decision I had ever made, but at 18 years old, I knew it was the right decision for me,” Bush told the House Committee on Oversight Reform.

The hearing comes weeks after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-texas-courts-dallas-ac56b654f88471753b22e19587956c29">Texas law</a>&nbsp;took effect that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy with no exception for rape or incest. Other conservative states are considering similar measures.

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court is weighing the fate of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-courts-health-laws-st-louis-8310eaa67debfe2f06bd331d918b2cd9">Missouri law</a>&nbsp;that bans abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, also with no rape or incest exceptions. And, the U.S. Supreme Court in December will hear arguments over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-b2399021aa925d655be3942c8e2edd2b">Mississippi law</a>&nbsp;that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The hearing also looked at what the federal government can do to ensure abortion access. Options include ending the Hyde Amendment, which restricts government funding for most abortions, and passing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-texas-courts-laws-voting-rights-7814a3cddec1fcc65119846641603a44">law guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion</a>. The House passed that measure last week, but Republican opposition would almost certainly doom it in the Senate.

Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said the majority of Americans support abortion rights.

“But with a hostile Supreme Court, extremist state governments are no longer chipping away at constitutional rights -- they are bulldozing right through them,” Maloney said.

Republican Rep. James Comen of Kentucky said the oversight committee should focus on problems with President Joe Biden’s administration, not a state matter over which it “has absolutely no jurisdiction.” Another Republican, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, said abortion “only compounds the sorrow.”

“Whether a pregnancy is planned or unplanned, or even the result of horrific circumstances, ending that child’s life with an abortion to empower or protect the, quote, freedom, end quote, of the mother is not an answer,” Foxx said.

Bush, a 45-year-old first-term lawmaker from St. Louis, testified that she had just graduated from high school in the summer of 1994 and went on a church youth trip to Mississippi. She said she befriended a man who was about 20. She said they flirted and he asked to go to the room she was sharing with another girl. Her roommate was already asleep when the man showed up.

“I answered the door and quietly told him he could come in, imagining that we would talk and laugh like we had done over the phone,” Bush said. “But the next thing I knew, he was on top of me, messing with my clothes, and not saying anything at all.”

When it was over, Bush said, she was “confused.”

“I was embarrassed, I was ashamed,” she said. “I asked myself, ‘Was it something I’d done?’”

About a month later, soon after she turned 18, Bush learned she was pregnant.

“To all the Black women and girls who have had abortions or will have abortions -- know this: We have nothing to be ashamed of,” Bush said.

Jayapal said her first child, Janak, now 25, was born prematurely and weighed less than 2 pounds, which resulted in medical conditions that frequently required his hospitalization. Jayapal said other stresses combined with the sick baby resulted in postpartum depression so bad that she contemplated suicide.

She said that when she became pregnant again, she consulted with doctors “who told me that any future pregnancy would likely also be high risk to me and the child, similar to what I had gone through with Janak.”

“I very much wanted to have more children,” she said, “but I simply could not imagine going through that again.”

Ending the pregnancy was “the most difficult choice I’ve made in my life, but it was my choice,” Jayapal said.

Lee became pregnant at age 16 in the mid-1960s. Abortion in California was illegal at the time so a family friend helped send her to a “back-alley clinic in Mexico,” she said.

She had no ill effects from the procedure, but she said many other women weren’t so lucky in that era.

“In the 1960s, unsafe septic abortions were the primary killer — primary killer — of African American women,” Lee said.

A Republican lawmaker had her own personal story about an abortion that didn’t happen.

Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida said her mother suffered a stroke while pregnant with Cammack’s older sister. Years later, when pregnant with Cammack, Cammack’s mother was urged by doctors to have an abortion.

“But because of her strength,” Cammack said, “she chose life.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633020941883.png" alt="Rep. Cori Bush during her testimony Thursday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Cori Bush during her testimony Thursday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Three Democratic members of Congress on Thursday offered deeply personal testimony about their own abortions as a congressional committee examined how to respond to conservative states that are passing laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-lifestyle-health-travel-texas-fbc505c3db4a08af51ba409a91ea161c">limiting abortion access</a>.Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri said she was raped on a church youth trip. Rep. Barbara Lee of California said she received a “back-alley” abortion in Mexico after a teenage pregnancy. And Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington said she opted for an abortion after being told her pregnancy would be high risk for her and the baby.“Choosing to have an abortion was the hardest decision I had ever made, but at 18 years old, I knew it was the right decision for me,” Bush told the House Committee on Oversight Reform.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">To all the Black women and girls who have had or will have abortions — know this: We have nothing to be ashamed of. We live in a society that has failed to legislate love and justice for us. But we deserve better. We demand better. We are worthy of better. <a href="https://t.co/lZkpucCQ9v">pic.twitter.com/lZkpucCQ9v</a>&mdash; Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCori/status/1443593643324026881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The hearing comes weeks after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-texas-courts-dallas-ac56b654f88471753b22e19587956c29">Texas law</a>&nbsp;took effect that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy with no exception for rape or incest. Other conservative states are considering similar measures.Meanwhile, a federal appeals court is weighing the fate of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-courts-health-laws-st-louis-8310eaa67debfe2f06bd331d918b2cd9">Missouri law</a>&nbsp;that bans abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, also with no rape or incest exceptions. And, the U.S. Supreme Court in December will hear arguments over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-b2399021aa925d655be3942c8e2edd2b">Mississippi law</a>&nbsp;that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.The hearing also looked at what the federal government can do to ensure abortion access. Options include ending the Hyde Amendment, which restricts government funding for most abortions, and passing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-texas-courts-laws-voting-rights-7814a3cddec1fcc65119846641603a44">law guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion</a>. The House passed that measure last week, but Republican opposition would almost certainly doom it in the Senate.Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said the majority of Americans support abortion rights.“But with a hostile Supreme Court, extremist state governments are no longer chipping away at constitutional rights -- they are bulldozing right through them,” Maloney said.Republican Rep. James Comen of Kentucky said the oversight committee should focus on problems with President Joe Biden’s administration, not a state matter over which it “has absolutely no jurisdiction.” Another Republican, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, said abortion “only compounds the sorrow.”“Whether a pregnancy is planned or unplanned, or even the result of horrific circumstances, ending that child’s life with an abortion to empower or protect the, quote, freedom, end quote, of the mother is not an answer,” Foxx said.Bush, a 45-year-old first-term lawmaker from St. Louis, testified that she had just graduated from high school in the summer of 1994 and went on a church youth trip to Mississippi. She said she befriended a man who was about 20. She said they flirted and he asked to go to the room she was sharing with another girl. Her roommate was already asleep when the man showed up.“I answered the door and quietly told him he could come in, imagining that we would talk and laugh like we had done over the phone,” Bush said. “But the next thing I knew, he was on top of me, messing with my clothes, and not saying anything at all.”When it was over, Bush said, she was “confused.”“I was embarrassed, I was ashamed,” she said. “I asked myself, ‘Was it something I’d done?’”About a month later, soon after she turned 18, Bush learned she was pregnant.“To all the Black women and girls who have had abortions or will have abortions -- know this: We have nothing to be ashamed of,” Bush said.Jayapal said her first child, Janak, now 25, was born prematurely and weighed less than 2 pounds, which resulted in medical conditions that frequently required his hospitalization. Jayapal said other stresses combined with the sick baby resulted in postpartum depression so bad that she contemplated suicide.She said that when she became pregnant again, she consulted with doctors “who told me that any future pregnancy would likely also be high risk to me and the child, similar to what I had gone through with Janak.”“I very much wanted to have more children,” she said, “but I simply could not imagine going through that again.”Ending the pregnancy was “the most difficult choice I’ve made in my life, but it was my choice,” Jayapal said.Lee became pregnant at age 16 in the mid-1960s. Abortion in California was illegal at the time so a family friend helped send her to a “back-alley clinic in Mexico,” she said.She had no ill effects from the procedure, but she said many other women weren’t so lucky in that era.“In the 1960s, unsafe septic abortions were the primary killer — primary killer — of African American women,” Lee said.A Republican lawmaker had her own personal story about an abortion that didn’t happen.Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida said her mother suffered a stroke while pregnant with Cammack’s older sister. Years later, when pregnant with Cammack, Cammack’s mother was urged by doctors to have an abortion.“But because of her strength,” Cammack said, “she chose life.”

🎥 Congressional members share own abortion stories at hearing

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say three Omaha residents face fraud charges related to applications for loans intended to help small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Omaha says in a news release that 42-year-old Tamika Cross, 44-year-old Ronnie Cross, and 51-year-old Davida Anderson have been indicted on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering. 

Prosecutors say the three applied for more than $2 million in loans through the Paycheck Protection Program for businesses that were not in operation. 

Officials say they received about $489,000 in forgivable loans.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say three Omaha residents face fraud charges related to applications for loans intended to help small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Omaha says in a news release that 42-year-old Tamika Cross, 44-year-old Ronnie Cross, and 51-year-old Davida Anderson have been indicted on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering. Prosecutors say the three applied for more than $2 million in loans through the Paycheck Protection Program for businesses that were not in operation. Officials say they received about $489,000 in forgivable loans.

3 Omaha residents face fraud charges over COVID loans

YORK, Neb.-Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have apprehended two juveniles who had fled from a detention facility in Lincoln Wednesday.

The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon, when a trooper observed a vehicle believed to be associated with the juveniles traveling west of York. At approximately 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, a trooper observed the Ford Explorer exit Interstate 80 at mile marker 348. Before the trooper could turn around to attempt a traffic stop, the driver of the Explorer lost control and rolled the vehicle.

The trooper turned around and observed two subjects running from the vehicle. Another trooper and an NSP Police Service Dog responded to the scene as well and were able to locate the two subjects hiding in a tree line. Both juveniles were taken into custody without further incident. The Explorer was determined to be stolen.

Both juveniles were cited for obstructing a peace officer. The driver was also cited for theft by received stolen property, criminal mischief, leaving the scene of a crash, and no operator’s license. Both were transported to the York Hospital for medical clearance before being turned over to juvenile probation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614035116698.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>YORK, Neb.-Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have apprehended two juveniles who had fled from a detention facility in Lincoln Wednesday.The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon, when a trooper observed a vehicle believed to be associated with the juveniles traveling west of York. At approximately 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, a trooper observed the Ford Explorer exit Interstate 80 at mile marker 348. Before the trooper could turn around to attempt a traffic stop, the driver of the Explorer lost control and rolled the vehicle.The trooper turned around and observed two subjects running from the vehicle. Another trooper and an NSP Police Service Dog responded to the scene as well and were able to locate the two subjects hiding in a tree line. Both juveniles were taken into custody without further incident. The Explorer was determined to be stolen.Both juveniles were cited for obstructing a peace officer. The driver was also cited for theft by received stolen property, criminal mischief, leaving the scene of a crash, and no operator’s license. Both were transported to the York Hospital for medical clearance before being turned over to juvenile probation.

Juveniles apprehended after crash near York

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a man was shot to death Thursday morning in north Omaha, and another man was arrested in the case. 

The shooting was reported before 8 a.m. at a home several blocks southeast of Benson Park. 

Officers who arrived at the home minutes later found the body of a man who had been shot. 

Omaha Police Lt. Steve Meister says officers took one man into custody for questioning and later labeled the man a suspect. Meister said police were not looking for other suspects in the shooting. 

Police did not immediately release the names of the victim or the man arrested.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a man was shot to death Thursday morning in north Omaha, and another man was arrested in the case. The shooting was reported before 8 a.m. at a home several blocks southeast of Benson Park. Officers who arrived at the home minutes later found the body of a man who had been shot. Omaha Police Lt. Steve Meister says officers took one man into custody for questioning and later labeled the man a suspect. Meister said police were not looking for other suspects in the shooting. Police did not immediately release the names of the victim or the man arrested.

Police: Man shot to death in north Omaha; suspect arrested

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say they've made an arrest of a man wanted in a shooting outside a midtown Omaha mall that killed another man and injured a woman injured. 

Omaha police say in a news release that the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force arrested 19-year-old J'Maun Haynie early Thursday morning on a warrant charging him with first-degree murder, second-degree assault and other counts.

The shooting happened late the night of Sept. 12 in the Westroads Mall parking lot outside Dick’s Sporting Goods. 

Arriving officers found 18-year-old Franco Vasquez and an 18-year-old woman shot. 

Vasquez died at the scene. The woman was taken to a hospital with critical injuries but survived.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633021072628.png" alt="Haynie" />
 <figcaption>Haynie</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say they've made an arrest of a man wanted in a shooting outside a midtown Omaha mall that killed another man and injured a woman injured. Omaha police say in a news release that the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force arrested 19-year-old J'Maun Haynie early Thursday morning on a warrant charging him with first-degree murder, second-degree assault and other counts. The shooting happened late the night of Sept. 12 in the Westroads Mall parking lot outside Dick’s Sporting Goods. Arriving officers found 18-year-old Franco Vasquez and an 18-year-old woman shot. Vasquez died at the scene. The woman was taken to a hospital with critical injuries but survived.

Police make arrest in Omaha mall shooting that killed man

LINCOLN, Neb.-One lucky player who bought a Powerball Power Play® ticket for the September 29 drawing is holding a ticket worth $150,000.

The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Wednesday’s $570 million Powerball draw matched four of the five winning white ball numbers and the Powerball number. This ticket was sold at Casey's General Store #2603, 107 W 14th Street in Juniata. The winning numbers from Wednesday’s Powerball draw were 02, 07, 11, 17, 32, and the Powerball was 11.

The $1 Power Play option offers players the chance to play for enhanced non-jackpot prizes. Because this ticket was purchased with Power Play, the regular $50,000 prize was multiplied by the 3X Power Play multiplier for a total prize of $150,000.

Prizes for Nebraska Lottery Lotto games can be claimed up to 180 days after the draw date. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website, nelottery.com, or by calling 800-587-5200.

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $831 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633007441114.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb.-One lucky player who bought a Powerball Power Play® ticket for the September 29 drawing is holding a ticket worth $150,000.The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Wednesday’s $570 million Powerball draw matched four of the five winning white ball numbers and the Powerball number. This ticket was sold at Casey's General Store #2603, 107 W 14th Street in Juniata. The winning numbers from Wednesday’s Powerball draw were 02, 07, 11, 17, 32, and the Powerball was 11.The $1 Power Play option offers players the chance to play for enhanced non-jackpot prizes. Because this ticket was purchased with Power Play, the regular $50,000 prize was multiplied by the 3X Power Play multiplier for a total prize of $150,000.Prizes for Nebraska Lottery Lotto games can be claimed up to 180 days after the draw date. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website, nelottery.com, or by calling 800-587-5200.The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $831 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

$150K winning Powerball ticket sold in Juniata

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The spread of COVID-19 vaccination requirements across the U.S. hasn’t had the desired effect so far, with the number of Americans getting their first shots plunging in recent weeks. And some experts worry that the move to dispense boosters could just make matters worse.

The fear is that the rollout of booster shots will lead some people to question the effectiveness of the vaccine in the first place.

“Many of my patients are already saying, ‘If we need a third dose, what was the point?’” said Dr. Jason Goldman, a physician in Coral Springs, Florida.

The average daily count of Americans getting a first dose of vaccine has been falling for six weeks, plummeting more than 50% from about 480,000 in early August to under 230,000 by the middle of last week, according to the most recently available federal data.

An estimated 70 million vaccine-eligible Americans have yet to start vaccinations, despite a summer surge in infections, hospitalizations and deaths driven by the delta variant.

This is the case despite a growing number of businesses announcing vaccination requirements for their employees, including Google, McDonald’s, Microsoft and Disney. Also, big cities such as New York and San Francisco are demanding people be vaccinated to eat at restaurants or enter certain other businesses.

Separately, President Joe Biden announced sweeping new vaccine requirements for as many as 100 million Americans on Sept. 9. Employees at businesses with more than 100 people on the payroll will have to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. But the mandates have yet to go into effect; the necessary regulations are still being drawn up.

Allie French, of Omaha, Nebraska, said the move toward booster shots only reinforced her strong belief that vaccinations aren’t necessary, particularly for people who take care of themselves.

“It comes back to a mindset of not needing your hand held through every situation,” said French, founder of a small advocacy group called Nebraskans Against Government Overreach.

Tara Dukart, a 40-year-old rancher from Hazen, North Dakota, and a board member for Health Freedom North Dakota, an organization that has fought mask and vaccine mandates, said: “I think that there is a tremendous amount of hesitancy because why get a third shot if the first two shots didn’t work?”

Scientists have emphasized that the vaccine remains highly effective against serious illness and death from COVID-19, noting that the unvaccinated account for the vast majority of the dead and hospitalized recently. But experts have also seen signs that the vaccine’s protection may be slipping, and they want to get out ahead of the problem.

Experts have long said the key to ending the U.S. epidemic is vaccinating the vast majority of the American public — perhaps as much as 90%. But of the more than 283 million Americans age 12 and older who are eligible for shots, only about 65% — 184 million — are fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Children under 12 are not yet eligible to get vaccinated, meaning only about 55% of the U.S. public is fully protected.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday that health officials have not lost sight of that problem. The booster effort “will not distract us from our most important focus — to get as many people as possible vaccinated with a primary series,” she said.

White House officials said they doubt the need for boosters is a real concern among the vast majority of the unvaccinated, who for a variety of reasons, including misinformation, have continued to resist getting their shots despite nearly a year’s worth of data showing their lifesaving potential.

They argue, too, that as the pool of unvaccinated Americans gradually shrinks, there will be declines in the numbers of new people getting shots. They say the latest numbers should not be read as a sign that mandates aren’t working, noting that most businesses haven’t yet put in place the Biden administration’s vaccinate-or-test policy.

Indeed, despite the downward vaccination trends seen in CDC data, they say there is evidence employer mandates are already working. White House officials cited a number of success stories, including strong increases in the percentage of vaccinated employees at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, United Airlines and the Defense Department.

Noel Brewer, a University of North Carolina professor of health behavior, said the mandates show promise and there is good reason to be optimistic.

“I think we’re heading into a great season for vaccinations. Everything is lining up in a good way,” said Brewer, who advises the CDC and the World Health Organization on COVID-19 vaccination policy.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-203d8c288858e815175880753cbc9b8f">authorized&nbsp;</a>booster doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for tens of millions of Americans who are 65 and older, have underlying health conditions or work in jobs that put them at high risk. The extra dose would be given six months after the two-shot regimen.

Regulators have yet to take up the question of booster shots for people who got the Moderna or the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine.

More than 400,000 Americans got boosters at drugstores over the weekend, and 1 million more have signed up for them, according to White House officials.

But some members of an expert panel that advises the CDC worried last week that the booster discussion was a distraction from the more pressing need to get more Americans vaccinated.

“We have a very effective vaccine, and it’s like saying, ‘It’s not working,’” said Dr. Pablo Sanchez of Ohio State University.

At that meeting, a CDC official presented unpublished data from a recent 1,000-person survey that suggested that offering boosters would make 25% of unvaccinated Americans much less likely to get a shot. This week, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll of more than 1,500 adults found that 71% of the unvaccinated say the recent news about boosters is a sign that the vaccines aren’t working.

Dr. James Conway, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at the University of Wisconsin, said last week that if vaccine-hesitant people “start to get the idea that this is only going to last for six or eight or 10 months,” they may be further soured on the whole idea.

Meanwhile, the pandemic’s summer surge has shown signs of easing. Deaths are still running high at over 2,000 a day on average, but cases and hospitalizations are trending down.

While any ebb in COVID-19′s toll is welcome, it also may undercut health officials’ effort to instill a sense of urgency in the unvaccinated. That could be a difficult task even when cases were exploding.

Dr. Alex Jahangir, director of orthopedic trauma surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the head of a coronavirus task force in Nashville, Tennessee, recalled operating on an elderly man injured in a car wreck over the summer. The man survived those injuries but ended up dying from COVID-19.

Jahangir said he was struck by how the man’s family seemed to absorb the facts about the COVID-19′s dangers only at the very end.

“Only when they were negatively impacted did they seek the truth,” Jahangir said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633006485546.png" alt="The Lawrence-Douglas County Kansas Public Health Department started a COVID vaccine booster clinic on Wednesday- photo courtesy Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The Lawrence-Douglas County Kansas Public Health Department started a COVID vaccine booster clinic on Wednesday- photo courtesy Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The spread of COVID-19 vaccination requirements across the U.S. hasn’t had the desired effect so far, with the number of Americans getting their first shots plunging in recent weeks. And some experts worry that the move to dispense boosters could just make matters worse.The fear is that the rollout of booster shots will lead some people to question the effectiveness of the vaccine in the first place.“Many of my patients are already saying, ‘If we need a third dose, what was the point?’” said Dr. Jason Goldman, a physician in Coral Springs, Florida.The average daily count of Americans getting a first dose of vaccine has been falling for six weeks, plummeting more than 50% from about 480,000 in early August to under 230,000 by the middle of last week, according to the most recently available federal data.An estimated 70 million vaccine-eligible Americans have yet to start vaccinations, despite a summer surge in infections, hospitalizations and deaths driven by the delta variant.This is the case despite a growing number of businesses announcing vaccination requirements for their employees, including Google, McDonald’s, Microsoft and Disney. Also, big cities such as New York and San Francisco are demanding people be vaccinated to eat at restaurants or enter certain other businesses.Separately, President Joe Biden announced sweeping new vaccine requirements for as many as 100 million Americans on Sept. 9. Employees at businesses with more than 100 people on the payroll will have to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. But the mandates have yet to go into effect; the necessary regulations are still being drawn up.Allie French, of Omaha, Nebraska, said the move toward booster shots only reinforced her strong belief that vaccinations aren’t necessary, particularly for people who take care of themselves.“It comes back to a mindset of not needing your hand held through every situation,” said French, founder of a small advocacy group called Nebraskans Against Government Overreach.Tara Dukart, a 40-year-old rancher from Hazen, North Dakota, and a board member for Health Freedom North Dakota, an organization that has fought mask and vaccine mandates, said: “I think that there is a tremendous amount of hesitancy because why get a third shot if the first two shots didn’t work?”Scientists have emphasized that the vaccine remains highly effective against serious illness and death from COVID-19, noting that the unvaccinated account for the vast majority of the dead and hospitalized recently. But experts have also seen signs that the vaccine’s protection may be slipping, and they want to get out ahead of the problem.Experts have long said the key to ending the U.S. epidemic is vaccinating the vast majority of the American public — perhaps as much as 90%. But of the more than 283 million Americans age 12 and older who are eligible for shots, only about 65% — 184 million — are fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Children under 12 are not yet eligible to get vaccinated, meaning only about 55% of the U.S. public is fully protected.CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday that health officials have not lost sight of that problem. The booster effort “will not distract us from our most important focus — to get as many people as possible vaccinated with a primary series,” she said.White House officials said they doubt the need for boosters is a real concern among the vast majority of the unvaccinated, who for a variety of reasons, including misinformation, have continued to resist getting their shots despite nearly a year’s worth of data showing their lifesaving potential.They argue, too, that as the pool of unvaccinated Americans gradually shrinks, there will be declines in the numbers of new people getting shots. They say the latest numbers should not be read as a sign that mandates aren’t working, noting that most businesses haven’t yet put in place the Biden administration’s vaccinate-or-test policy.Indeed, despite the downward vaccination trends seen in CDC data, they say there is evidence employer mandates are already working. White House officials cited a number of success stories, including strong increases in the percentage of vaccinated employees at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, United Airlines and the Defense Department.Noel Brewer, a University of North Carolina professor of health behavior, said the mandates show promise and there is good reason to be optimistic.“I think we’re heading into a great season for vaccinations. Everything is lining up in a good way,” said Brewer, who advises the CDC and the World Health Organization on COVID-19 vaccination policy.Last week, the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-203d8c288858e815175880753cbc9b8f">authorized&nbsp;</a>booster doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for tens of millions of Americans who are 65 and older, have underlying health conditions or work in jobs that put them at high risk. The extra dose would be given six months after the two-shot regimen.Regulators have yet to take up the question of booster shots for people who got the Moderna or the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine.More than 400,000 Americans got boosters at drugstores over the weekend, and 1 million more have signed up for them, according to White House officials.But some members of an expert panel that advises the CDC worried last week that the booster discussion was a distraction from the more pressing need to get more Americans vaccinated.“We have a very effective vaccine, and it’s like saying, ‘It’s not working,’” said Dr. Pablo Sanchez of Ohio State University.At that meeting, a CDC official presented unpublished data from a recent 1,000-person survey that suggested that offering boosters would make 25% of unvaccinated Americans much less likely to get a shot. This week, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll of more than 1,500 adults found that 71% of the unvaccinated say the recent news about boosters is a sign that the vaccines aren’t working.Some outside experts saw this coming.Dr. James Conway, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at the University of Wisconsin, said last week that if vaccine-hesitant people “start to get the idea that this is only going to last for six or eight or 10 months,” they may be further soured on the whole idea.Meanwhile, the pandemic’s summer surge has shown signs of easing. Deaths are still running high at over 2,000 a day on average, but cases and hospitalizations are trending down.While any ebb in COVID-19′s toll is welcome, it also may undercut health officials’ effort to instill a sense of urgency in the unvaccinated. That could be a difficult task even when cases were exploding.Dr. Alex Jahangir, director of orthopedic trauma surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the head of a coronavirus task force in Nashville, Tennessee, recalled operating on an elderly man injured in a car wreck over the summer. The man survived those injuries but ended up dying from COVID-19.Jahangir said he was struck by how the man’s family seemed to absorb the facts about the COVID-19′s dangers only at the very end.“Only when they were negatively impacted did they seek the truth,” Jahangir said.___

Could booster shots hurt drive to reach the unvaccinated?

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Nebraska county prosecutor who resigned earlier this year following a string of scandals has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges he used his office to stalk his estranged wife and her boyfriend. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the indictment alleges Oliver Glass used his position as Dodge County Attorney and his police contacts to obtain information about and harass his estranged wife and her boyfriend for nine months in 2020. 

If convicted of the two counts of cyberstalking, Glass faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. 

The indictment comes months after Glass resigned in February following his second DUI arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633003496999.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Nebraska county prosecutor who resigned earlier this year following a string of scandals has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges he used his office to stalk his estranged wife and her boyfriend. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the indictment alleges Oliver Glass used his position as Dodge County Attorney and his police contacts to obtain information about and harass his estranged wife and her boyfriend for nine months in 2020. If convicted of the two counts of cyberstalking, Glass faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. The indictment comes months after Glass resigned in February following his second DUI arrest.

Ex-Nebraska prosecutor accused of stalking, harassing estranged wife

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is moving to avert one crisis while putting off another with the Senate poised to approve legislation that would fund the federal government into early December.

The House is expected to approve the measure following the Senate vote Thursday, preventing a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Friday.

Democrats were forced to remove a suspension of the federal government's borrowing limit from the bill at the insistence of Republicans. If the debt limit isn't raised by Oct. 18, the country would likely face a financial crisis and economic recession, says Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Republicans say Democrats have the votes to raise the debt ceiling on their own, and Republican leader Mitch McConnell is insisting that they do so.

But the most immediate priority facing Congress is to keep the government running once the current fiscal year ends at midnight Thursday. The bill's expected approval will buy lawmakers more time to craft the spending bills that will fund federal agencies and the programs they administer.

Meanwhile, Democrats are struggling over how to get President Joe Biden's top domestic priorities over the finish line. Those include a bipartisan infrastructure bill that contains $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges, broadband and other priorities, as well as a $3.5 trillion slate of social, health and environmental programs.

“With so many critical issues to address, the last thing the American people need right now is a government shutdown," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Schumer said the stopgap spending legislation will also provide aid for those reeling from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters as well as funding to support Afghanistan evacuees from the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban.

Action in the final hours to avoid a partial government shutdown has become almost routine, with lawmakers usually able to fashion a compromise. The funding bill was slowed this time by disagreement over allowing the government to take on more debt so that it could continue to meet its financial obligations. Currently the borrowing cap is set at $28.4 trillion.

The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era, and historically both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the Republican Senate majority in doing so three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. This time Democrats wanted to take care of both priorities in one bill, but Senate Republicans blocked that effort Monday.

Raising or suspending the debt limit allows the federal government to pay obligations already incurred. It does not authorize new spending. McConnell has argued that Democrats should pass a debt limit extension with the same budgetary tools they are using to try to pass a $3.5 trillion effort to expand social safety net programs and tackle climate change.

“There is no tradition of doing this on a bipartisan basis. Sometimes we have and sometimes we haven’t,” McConnell told reporters about past debt ceiling increases.

House Democrats complained about the steps they were being forced to take as they approved a standalone bill late Wednesday that would suspend the debt ceiling until December 2022. That bill now heads to the Senate, where it is almost certain to be blocked by a Republican filibuster.

But Republicans were undaunted. They argued that Democrats have chosen to ram through their political priorities on their own, and thus are responsible for raising the debt limit on their own.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632951499889.png" alt="GOP Senator John Barrasso with the Biden funding bill of 2,500 pages requesting $3.5 trillion. He said it is literally $1 billion and $400 million dollars per page- photo Courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>GOP Senator John Barrasso with the Biden funding bill of 2,500 pages requesting $3.5 trillion. He said it is literally $1 billion and $400 million dollars per page- photo Courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is moving to avert one crisis while putting off another with the Senate poised to approve legislation that would fund the federal government into early December.The House is expected to approve the measure following the Senate vote Thursday, preventing a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Friday.Democrats were forced to remove a suspension of the federal government's borrowing limit from the bill at the insistence of Republicans. If the debt limit isn't raised by Oct. 18, the country would likely face a financial crisis and economic recession, says Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Republicans say Democrats have the votes to raise the debt ceiling on their own, and Republican leader Mitch McConnell is insisting that they do so.But the most immediate priority facing Congress is to keep the government running once the current fiscal year ends at midnight Thursday. The bill's expected approval will buy lawmakers more time to craft the spending bills that will fund federal agencies and the programs they administer.Meanwhile, Democrats are struggling over how to get President Joe Biden's top domestic priorities over the finish line. Those include a bipartisan infrastructure bill that contains $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges, broadband and other priorities, as well as a $3.5 trillion slate of social, health and environmental programs.“With so many critical issues to address, the last thing the American people need right now is a government shutdown," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.Schumer said the stopgap spending legislation will also provide aid for those reeling from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters as well as funding to support Afghanistan evacuees from the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban.Action in the final hours to avoid a partial government shutdown has become almost routine, with lawmakers usually able to fashion a compromise. The funding bill was slowed this time by disagreement over allowing the government to take on more debt so that it could continue to meet its financial obligations. Currently the borrowing cap is set at $28.4 trillion.The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era, and historically both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the Republican Senate majority in doing so three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. This time Democrats wanted to take care of both priorities in one bill, but Senate Republicans blocked that effort Monday.Raising or suspending the debt limit allows the federal government to pay obligations already incurred. It does not authorize new spending. McConnell has argued that Democrats should pass a debt limit extension with the same budgetary tools they are using to try to pass a $3.5 trillion effort to expand social safety net programs and tackle climate change.“There is no tradition of doing this on a bipartisan basis. Sometimes we have and sometimes we haven’t,” McConnell told reporters about past debt ceiling increases.House Democrats complained about the steps they were being forced to take as they approved a standalone bill late Wednesday that would suspend the debt ceiling until December 2022. That bill now heads to the Senate, where it is almost certain to be blocked by a Republican filibuster.“You are more interested in punishing Democrats than preserving our credit and that is something I’m having a real tough time getting my head around,” House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told Republicans. “The idea of not paying bills just because we don’t like (Biden’s) policies is the wrong way to go.”But Republicans were undaunted. They argued that Democrats have chosen to ram through their political priorities on their own, and thus are responsible for raising the debt limit on their own.“So long as the Democratic majority continues to insist on spending money hand over fist, Republicans will refuse to help them lift the debt ceiling," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.McGovern said Republicans ballooned the debt under Trump and now are washing their hands of the consequences.“Republicans have now rediscovered the issue of the debt," McGovern said. “Where the hell were you the last four years?”The Treasury has taken steps to preserve cash, but once it runs out, it will be forced to rely on incoming revenue to pay its obligations. That would likely mean delays in payments to Social Security recipients, veterans and government workers, including military personnel. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, projects that the federal government would be unable to meet about 40% of payments due in the several weeks that follow.