WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that Free 
File remains available through Oct. 15 for those taxpayers who still 
need to file their 2020 tax returns.

Free File is the IRS' public-private partnership with tax preparation
 software industry leaders to provide their brand-name products for 
free.

Free File provides two ways for taxpayers to prepare and file their federal income tax online for free:

Taxpayers who requested the six-month filing extension should 
complete their tax returns and file on or before the Oct. 15 deadline.

Only current year tax returns can be filed using IRS Free File. The 
IRS does not allow electronic filing for prior year returns through 
self-preparation websites.

Prior year returns can only be filed electronically by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/understanding-tax-return-preparer-credentials-and-qualifications">registered tax preparers</a>&nbsp;for the two previous tax years. Otherwise, taxpayers must print, sign and mail prior year returns.

The IRS <a href="https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf">Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications</a>&nbsp;lists qualified local preparers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRS&nbsp;WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that Free 
File remains available through Oct. 15 for those taxpayers who still 
need to file their 2020 tax returns.Free File is the IRS' public-private partnership with tax preparation
 software industry leaders to provide their brand-name products for 
free.Free File provides two ways for taxpayers to prepare and file their federal income tax online for free:<ul>
 <li>Traditional IRS Free File provides free online tax preparation 
and filing options on IRS partner sites. Taxpayers whose adjusted gross 
income (AGI) is $72,000 or less qualify for any IRS Free File partner 
offers.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>For taxpayers whose income (AGI) is greater than $72,000, 
there's the Free File Fillable Forms option. It provides electronic 
federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. To 
use this option taxpayers should know how to prepare their own tax 
return.</li>
 </ul><h2>Always start at&nbsp;IRS.gov:</h2><ul>
 <li>From the homepage select <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">File Your Taxes for Free</a></li><li>Pick an option based on income</li><li>Follow links to the chosen Free File provider's website</li>
 </ul>Taxpayers who requested the six-month filing extension should 
complete their tax returns and file on or before the Oct. 15 deadline.Only current year tax returns can be filed using IRS Free File. The 
IRS does not allow electronic filing for prior year returns through 
self-preparation websites.Prior year returns can only be filed electronically by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/understanding-tax-return-preparer-credentials-and-qualifications">registered tax preparers</a>&nbsp;for the two previous tax years. Otherwise, taxpayers must print, sign and mail prior year returns.The IRS <a href="https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf">Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications</a>&nbsp;lists qualified local preparers.

IRS Free File program still available for 2020 tax returns

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission has proposed rules to ensure networks that serve as entry points for foreign-originated phone calls do their part to prevent this traffic from including illegal robocalls.  Eliminating illegal robocalls that originate abroad is one of the most vexing challenges the Commission faces because of the difficulty in reaching foreign-based robocallers and the foreign voice service providers that originate their traffic.  

To address this problem, the FCC is looking to impose new, stringent requirements on domestic gateway providers to stop robocalls.  The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted today proposes requiring these companies to apply STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication to, and perform robocall mitigation on, all foreign-originated calls with U.S. numbers.  Implementation of caller ID authentication using the STIR/SHAKEN framework reduces the effectiveness of illegal spoofing, helps law enforcement identify bad actors, and improves voice service providers’ blocking of robocalls using illegally spoofed caller ID information before those calls reach their subscribers.

The Notice also makes several proposals to ensure that gateway providers are engaged in the fight against illegal robocalls.  For example, it proposes requiring gateway providers to respond quickly to traceback requests, which are used to help block illegal robocalls and inform FCC enforcement investigations.  Additionally, it proposes requiring both the gateway provider and the network accepting questionable traffic from the gateway provider to actively block these calls.  It also proposes requiring that gateway providers ensure foreign calls using U.S. phone numbers are legally authorized to do so.  And it proposes to require gateway providers to submit a certification to the Robocall Mitigation Database describing and committing to robocall mitigation practices.

The FCC has made combating illegal robocalls and spoofing a priority.  Just this year, the FCC has required and confirmed implementation of STIR/SHAKEN standards on IP phone networks, issued the largest fine in FCC history against a telemarketer for spoof violations and proposed the largest robocall violation fine ever, successfully pushed certain gateway providers to cease and desist their facilitation of major robocall campaigns found on their networks, and improved coordination between agencies, nations, and even across FCC staff teams taking on different parts of this complex problem.  That said, unwanted call complaints remain the top consumer complaint to the FCC and the Commission is committed to an ongoing and all-hands-on-deck effort to fight scam calls.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584977952684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FCCWASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission has proposed rules to ensure networks that serve as entry points for foreign-originated phone calls do their part to prevent this traffic from including illegal robocalls. Eliminating illegal robocalls that originate abroad is one of the most vexing challenges the Commission faces because of the difficulty in reaching foreign-based robocallers and the foreign voice service providers that originate their traffic. To address this problem, the FCC is looking to impose new, stringent requirements on domestic gateway providers to stop robocalls. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted today proposes requiring these companies to apply STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication to, and perform robocall mitigation on, all foreign-originated calls with U.S. numbers. Implementation of caller ID authentication using the STIR/SHAKEN framework reduces the effectiveness of illegal spoofing, helps law enforcement identify bad actors, and improves voice service providers’ blocking of robocalls using illegally spoofed caller ID information before those calls reach their subscribers.The Notice also makes several proposals to ensure that gateway providers are engaged in the fight against illegal robocalls. For example, it proposes requiring gateway providers to respond quickly to traceback requests, which are used to help block illegal robocalls and inform FCC enforcement investigations. Additionally, it proposes requiring both the gateway provider and the network accepting questionable traffic from the gateway provider to actively block these calls. It also proposes requiring that gateway providers ensure foreign calls using U.S. phone numbers are legally authorized to do so. And it proposes to require gateway providers to submit a certification to the Robocall Mitigation Database describing and committing to robocall mitigation practices.The FCC has made combating illegal robocalls and spoofing a priority. Just this year, the FCC has required and confirmed implementation of STIR/SHAKEN standards on IP phone networks, issued the largest fine in FCC history against a telemarketer for spoof violations and proposed the largest robocall violation fine ever, successfully pushed certain gateway providers to cease and desist their facilitation of major robocall campaigns found on their networks, and improved coordination between agencies, nations, and even across FCC staff teams taking on different parts of this complex problem. That said, unwanted call complaints remain the top consumer complaint to the FCC and the Commission is committed to an ongoing and all-hands-on-deck effort to fight scam calls.

FCC takes aim at foreign robocalls entering U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) —Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms are back online after a massive global outage plunged the services and the businesses and people who rely on them into chaos for hours. Facebook said late Monday that “the root cause of this outage was a faulty configuration change” and that there is “no evidence that user data was compromised as a result” of the outage. The company apologized and said it is working to understand more about the cause, which began around 11:40 a.m. Eastern Monday. Facebook is going through a major crisis after the whistleblower who was the source of The Wall Street Journal’s series of stories exposing the company’s awareness of internal research into the negative effects of its products went public on CBS's “60 Minutes” program Sunday.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The massive global outage that plunged Facebook, its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms and many people who rely heavily on these services — including Facebook’s own workforce — into chaos Monday is gradually dissipating.

Facebook said late Monday that it’s been working to restore access to its services and is “happy to report they are coming back online now.” The company apologized and thanked its users for bearing with it. But fixing it wasn’t as simple as flipping a proverbial switch. For some users, WhatsApp was working for a time, then not. For others, Instagram was working but not Facebook, and so on.

Facebook did not say what might have caused the outage, which began around 11:40 a.m. ET and was still not fixed more than six hours later.

“This is epic,” said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis for Kentik Inc, a network monitoring and intelligence company. The last major internet outage, which knocked many of the world’s top websites offline in June, lasted less than an hour. The stricken content-delivery company in that case, Fastly, blamed it on a software bug triggered by a customer who changed a setting.

For hours, Facebook’s only public comment was a tweet in which it acknowledged that “some people are having trouble accessing (the) Facebook app” and said it was working on restoring access. Regarding the internal failures, Instagram head Adam Mosseri tweeted that it feels like a “snow day.”

Mike Schroepfer, Facebook’s outgoing chief technology officer, later tweeted “sincere apologies” to everyone impacted by the outage. He blamed “networking issues” and said teams are “working as fast as possible to debug and restore as fast as possible.”

There was no evidence as of Monday afternoon that malicious activity was involved. Matthew Prince, CEO of the internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare, tweeted that “nothing we’re seeing related to the Facebook services outage suggests it was an attack.” Prince said the most likely explanation was that Facebook mistakenly knocked itself off the internet during maintenance.

Facebook did not respond to messages for comment about the attack or the possibility of malicious activity.

While much of Facebook’s workforce is still working remotely, there were reports that employees at work on the company’s Menlo Park, California, campus had trouble entering buildings because the outage had rendered their security badges useless.

But the impact was far worse for multitudes of Facebook’s nearly 3 billion users, showing just how much the world has come to rely on it and its properties — to run businesses, connect with online communities, log on to multiple other websites and even order food.

It also showed that despite the presence of Twitter, Telegram, Signal, TikTok, Snapchat and a bevy of other platforms, nothing can easily replace the social network that over the past 17 years has effectively evolved into critical infrastructure. The outage came the same day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-facebook-inc-federal-trade-commission-district-of-columbia-4533fd62e9dea3c7c858f46ac4bc7026">Facebook asked</a>&nbsp;a federal judge that that a revised antitrust complaint against it by the Federal Trade Commission be dismissed because it faces vigorous competition from other services.

There are certainly other online services for posting selfies, connecting with fans or reaching out to elected officials, But those who rely on Facebook to run their business or communicate with friends and family in far-flung places saw this as little consolation.

Kendall Ross, owner of a knitwear brand called Knit That in Oklahoma City, said he has 32,000 followers on his Instagram business page @id.knit.that. Almost all of his website traffic comes directly from Instagram. He posted a product photo about an hour before Instagram went out. He said he tends to sell about two hand-knit pieces after posting a product photo for about $300 to $400.

“The outage today is frustrating financially,” he said. “It’s also a huge awakening that social media controls so much of my success in business.”

The cause of the outage remains unclear. Madory said Facebook appears to have deleted basic data that tells the rest of the internet how to communicate with its properties. Such data is part of the internet’s Domain Name System, a central component that directs its traffic. Without Facebook broadcasting its location on the public internet, apps and web addresses simple could not locate it.

London-based internet monitoring firm Netblocks noted that Facebook’s plans to merge its platforms — announced in 2019 — had raised concerns about the risks of such a move. While such centralization “gives the company a unified view of users’ internet usage habits,” it also makes the services vulnerable to single points of failure, Netblocks said.

So many people are reliant on Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram as primary modes of communication that losing access for so long can make them vulnerable to criminals taking advantage of the outage, said Rachel Tobac, a hacker and CEO of SocialProof Security.

“They don’t know how to contact the people in their lives without it,” she said. “They’re more susceptible to social engineering because they’re so desperate to communicate.” Tobac said during previous outages, some people have received emails promising to restore their social media account by clicking on a malicious link that can expose their personal data.

Jake Williams, chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm BreachQuest, said that while foul play cannot be completely ruled out, chances were good that the outage is “an operational issue” caused by human error.

“What it boils down to: running a LARGE, even by Internet standards, distributed system is very hard, even for the very best,” tweeted Columbia University computer scientist Steven Bellovin.

Facebook was already in the throes of a separate major crisis after whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, provided The Wall Street Journal with internal documents that exposed the company’s awareness of harms caused by its products and decisions. Haugen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-4a3640440769d9a241c47670facac213">went public</a>&nbsp;on CBS’s “60 Minutes” program Sunday and is scheduled to testify before a Senate subcommittee Tuesday.

Haugen had also anonymously filed complaints with federal law enforcement alleging Facebook’s own research shows how it magnifies hate and misinformation and leads to increased polarization. It also showed that the company was aware that Instagram can harm teenage girls’ mental health.

The Journal’s stories, called “The Facebook Files,” painted a picture of a company focused on growth and its own interests over the public good. Facebook has tried to play down the research. Nick Clegg, the company’s vice president of policy and public affairs, wrote to Facebook employees in a memo Friday that “social media has had a big impact on society in recent years, and Facebook is often a place where much of this debate plays out.”

Twitter, meanwhile, chimed in from the company’s main account on its service, posting “hello literally everyone” as jokes and memes about the Facebook outage flooded the platform. Later, as an unverified screenshot suggesting that the facebook.com address was for sale circulated, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted, “how much?”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms suffered a worldwide outage that has lasting more than three hours on Monday. Facebook’s internal systems used by employees also went down. Service has not yet been restored.

The company did not say what might be causing the outage, which began around 11:40 ET. Websites and apps often suffer outages of varying size and duration, but hours-long global disruptions are rare.

“This is epic,” said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis for Kentik Inc. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/software-technology-business-71e6096a8fae0c44e988d3eefe9bca8e">last major internet outage</a>, which knocked many of the world’s top websites offline in June, lasted less than an hour. The stricken content delivery company in that case, Fastly, blamed it on a software but triggered by a customer who changed a setting.

Facebook’s only public comment so far was a tweet in which it acknowledged that “some people are having trouble accessing (the) Facebook app” and that it was working on restoring access. Regarding the internal failures, Instagram head Adam Mosseri tweeted that it feels like a “snow day.”

So many people are reliant on Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram as a primary mode of communication that losing access for so long can make them vulnerable to criminals taking advantage of the outage, said Rachel Tobac, a hacker and CEO of SocialProof Security.

The cause of the outage remains unclear. Malory said it appears that Facebook withdrew “authoritative DNS routes” that let the rest of the internet communicate with its properties.

Such routes are part of the internet’s Domain Name System, a key structure that determines where internet traffic needs to go. DNS translates an address like “facebook.com” to an IP address like 123.45.67.890. If Facebook’s DNS records disappeared, apps and web addresses would be unable to locate it.

Madory said there was no sign that anyone but Facebook was responsible and discounted the possibility that another major internet player, such as a telecom company, might have inadvertently rewritten major routing tables that affect Facebook. “No one else announced these routes,” said Madory.

Facebook is going through a separate major crisis after whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, provided The Wall Street Journal with internal documents that exposed the company’s awareness of harms caused by of its products and decisions. Haugen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-4a3640440769d9a241c47670facac213">went public</a>&nbsp;on “60 Minutes” on Sunday and is scheduled to testify before a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday.

Haugen had also anonymously filed complaints with federal law enforcement alleging that Facebook’s own research shows how it magnifies hate and misinformation, leads to increased polarization and that Instagram, specifically, can harm teenage girls’ mental health.

Twitter, meanwhile, chimed in from the company’s main Twitter account, posting “hello literally everyone” as jokes and memes about the Facebook outage flooded the platform. Later, as an unverified screenshot suggesting that the facebook.com address was for sale circulated, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted, “how much?”

WASHINGTON (AP) —Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms were down in parts of the world on Monday. The company said it was “aware that some people are having trouble accessing Facebook app" and it was working on restoring access. 

The company did not say what might be causing the outage, which began around 11:45 ET. Users reported being unable to access Facebook in California, New York and Europe. 

Facebook is going through a major crisis after the whistleblower who was the source of The Wall Street Journal’s series of stories exposing the company’s awareness of internal research into the negative effects of its products went public on “60 Minutes” Sunday.

WASHINGTON (AP) —Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms are back online after a massive global outage plunged the services and the businesses and people who rely on them into chaos for hours. Facebook said late Monday that “the root cause of this outage was a faulty configuration change” and that there is “no evidence that user data was compromised as a result” of the outage. The company apologized and said it is working to understand more about the cause, which began around 11:40 a.m. Eastern Monday. Facebook is going through a major crisis after the whistleblower who was the source of The Wall Street Journal’s series of stories exposing the company’s awareness of internal research into the negative effects of its products went public on CBS's “60 Minutes” program Sunday.WASHINGTON (AP) —The massive global outage that plunged Facebook, its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms and many people who rely heavily on these services — including Facebook’s own workforce — into chaos Monday is gradually dissipating.Facebook said late Monday that it’s been working to restore access to its services and is “happy to report they are coming back online now.” The company apologized and thanked its users for bearing with it. But fixing it wasn’t as simple as flipping a proverbial switch. For some users, WhatsApp was working for a time, then not. For others, Instagram was working but not Facebook, and so on.Facebook did not say what might have caused the outage, which began around 11:40 a.m. ET and was still not fixed more than six hours later.“This is epic,” said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis for Kentik Inc, a network monitoring and intelligence company. The last major internet outage, which knocked many of the world’s top websites offline in June, lasted less than an hour. The stricken content-delivery company in that case, Fastly, blamed it on a software bug triggered by a customer who changed a setting.For hours, Facebook’s only public comment was a tweet in which it acknowledged that “some people are having trouble accessing (the) Facebook app” and said it was working on restoring access. Regarding the internal failures, Instagram head Adam Mosseri tweeted that it feels like a “snow day.”Mike Schroepfer, Facebook’s outgoing chief technology officer, later tweeted “sincere apologies” to everyone impacted by the outage. He blamed “networking issues” and said teams are “working as fast as possible to debug and restore as fast as possible.”There was no evidence as of Monday afternoon that malicious activity was involved. Matthew Prince, CEO of the internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare, tweeted that “nothing we’re seeing related to the Facebook services outage suggests it was an attack.” Prince said the most likely explanation was that Facebook mistakenly knocked itself off the internet during maintenance.Facebook did not respond to messages for comment about the attack or the possibility of malicious activity.While much of Facebook’s workforce is still working remotely, there were reports that employees at work on the company’s Menlo Park, California, campus had trouble entering buildings because the outage had rendered their security badges useless.But the impact was far worse for multitudes of Facebook’s nearly 3 billion users, showing just how much the world has come to rely on it and its properties — to run businesses, connect with online communities, log on to multiple other websites and even order food.It also showed that despite the presence of Twitter, Telegram, Signal, TikTok, Snapchat and a bevy of other platforms, nothing can easily replace the social network that over the past 17 years has effectively evolved into critical infrastructure. The outage came the same day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-facebook-inc-federal-trade-commission-district-of-columbia-4533fd62e9dea3c7c858f46ac4bc7026">Facebook asked</a>&nbsp;a federal judge that that a revised antitrust complaint against it by the Federal Trade Commission be dismissed because it faces vigorous competition from other services.There are certainly other online services for posting selfies, connecting with fans or reaching out to elected officials, But those who rely on Facebook to run their business or communicate with friends and family in far-flung places saw this as little consolation.Kendall Ross, owner of a knitwear brand called Knit That in Oklahoma City, said he has 32,000 followers on his Instagram business page @id.knit.that. Almost all of his website traffic comes directly from Instagram. He posted a product photo about an hour before Instagram went out. He said he tends to sell about two hand-knit pieces after posting a product photo for about $300 to $400.“The outage today is frustrating financially,” he said. “It’s also a huge awakening that social media controls so much of my success in business.”The cause of the outage remains unclear. Madory said Facebook appears to have deleted basic data that tells the rest of the internet how to communicate with its properties. Such data is part of the internet’s Domain Name System, a central component that directs its traffic. Without Facebook broadcasting its location on the public internet, apps and web addresses simple could not locate it.London-based internet monitoring firm Netblocks noted that Facebook’s plans to merge its platforms — announced in 2019 — had raised concerns about the risks of such a move. While such centralization “gives the company a unified view of users’ internet usage habits,” it also makes the services vulnerable to single points of failure, Netblocks said.So many people are reliant on Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram as primary modes of communication that losing access for so long can make them vulnerable to criminals taking advantage of the outage, said Rachel Tobac, a hacker and CEO of SocialProof Security.“They don’t know how to contact the people in their lives without it,” she said. “They’re more susceptible to social engineering because they’re so desperate to communicate.” Tobac said during previous outages, some people have received emails promising to restore their social media account by clicking on a malicious link that can expose their personal data.Jake Williams, chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm BreachQuest, said that while foul play cannot be completely ruled out, chances were good that the outage is “an operational issue” caused by human error.“What it boils down to: running a LARGE, even by Internet standards, distributed system is very hard, even for the very best,” tweeted Columbia University computer scientist Steven Bellovin.Facebook was already in the throes of a separate major crisis after whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, provided The Wall Street Journal with internal documents that exposed the company’s awareness of harms caused by its products and decisions. Haugen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-4a3640440769d9a241c47670facac213">went public</a>&nbsp;on CBS’s “60 Minutes” program Sunday and is scheduled to testify before a Senate subcommittee Tuesday.Haugen had also anonymously filed complaints with federal law enforcement alleging Facebook’s own research shows how it magnifies hate and misinformation and leads to increased polarization. It also showed that the company was aware that Instagram can harm teenage girls’ mental health.The Journal’s stories, called “The Facebook Files,” painted a picture of a company focused on growth and its own interests over the public good. Facebook has tried to play down the research. Nick Clegg, the company’s vice president of policy and public affairs, wrote to Facebook employees in a memo Friday that “social media has had a big impact on society in recent years, and Facebook is often a place where much of this debate plays out.”Twitter, meanwhile, chimed in from the company’s main account on its service, posting “hello literally everyone” as jokes and memes about the Facebook outage flooded the platform. Later, as an unverified screenshot suggesting that the facebook.com address was for sale circulated, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted, “how much?”-----------WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms suffered a worldwide outage that has lasting more than three hours on Monday. Facebook’s internal systems used by employees also went down. Service has not yet been restored.The company did not say what might be causing the outage, which began around 11:40 ET. Websites and apps often suffer outages of varying size and duration, but hours-long global disruptions are rare.“This is epic,” said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis for Kentik Inc. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/software-technology-business-71e6096a8fae0c44e988d3eefe9bca8e">last major internet outage</a>, which knocked many of the world’s top websites offline in June, lasted less than an hour. The stricken content delivery company in that case, Fastly, blamed it on a software but triggered by a customer who changed a setting.Facebook’s only public comment so far was a tweet in which it acknowledged that “some people are having trouble accessing (the) Facebook app” and that it was working on restoring access. Regarding the internal failures, Instagram head Adam Mosseri tweeted that it feels like a “snow day.”So many people are reliant on Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram as a primary mode of communication that losing access for so long can make them vulnerable to criminals taking advantage of the outage, said Rachel Tobac, a hacker and CEO of SocialProof Security.“They don’t know how to contact the people in their lives without it,” she said. “They’re more susceptible to social engineering because they’re so desperate to communicate.” Tobac said during previous outages, some people have received emails promising to restore their social media account by clicking on a malicious link that can expose their personal data.The cause of the outage remains unclear. Malory said it appears that Facebook withdrew “authoritative DNS routes” that let the rest of the internet communicate with its properties.Such routes are part of the internet’s Domain Name System, a key structure that determines where internet traffic needs to go. DNS translates an address like “facebook.com” to an IP address like 123.45.67.890. If Facebook’s DNS records disappeared, apps and web addresses would be unable to locate it.Jake Williams, chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm BreachQuest, said that while foul play cannot be completely ruled out, chances were good that the outage is “an operational issue” caused by human error.Madory said there was no sign that anyone but Facebook was responsible and discounted the possibility that another major internet player, such as a telecom company, might have inadvertently rewritten major routing tables that affect Facebook. “No one else announced these routes,” said Madory.Facebook is going through a separate major crisis after whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, provided The Wall Street Journal with internal documents that exposed the company’s awareness of harms caused by of its products and decisions. Haugen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-4a3640440769d9a241c47670facac213">went public</a>&nbsp;on “60 Minutes” on Sunday and is scheduled to testify before a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday.Haugen had also anonymously filed complaints with federal law enforcement alleging that Facebook’s own research shows how it magnifies hate and misinformation, leads to increased polarization and that Instagram, specifically, can harm teenage girls’ mental health.The Journal’s stories, called “The Facebook Files,” painted a picture of a company focused on growth and its own interests over the public good. Facebook has tried to play down the research. Nick Clegg, the company’s vice president of policy and public affairs, wrote to Facebook employees in a memo Friday that “social media has had a big impact on society in recent years, and Facebook is often a place where much of this debate plays out.”Twitter, meanwhile, chimed in from the company’s main Twitter account, posting “hello literally everyone” as jokes and memes about the Facebook outage flooded the platform. Later, as an unverified screenshot suggesting that the facebook.com address was for sale circulated, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted, “how much?”--------------WASHINGTON (AP) —Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms were down in parts of the world on Monday. The company said it was “aware that some people are having trouble accessing Facebook app" and it was working on restoring access. The company did not say what might be causing the outage, which began around 11:45 ET. Users reported being unable to access Facebook in California, New York and Europe. Facebook is going through a major crisis after the whistleblower who was the source of The Wall Street Journal’s series of stories exposing the company’s awareness of internal research into the negative effects of its products went public on “60 Minutes” Sunday.

Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram back online after worldwide outage 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Monday reversed a ban on abortion referrals by family planning clinics, lifting a Trump-era restriction as political and legal battles over abortion grow sharper from Texas to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Department of Health and Human Services said its new regulation will restore the federal family planning program to the way it ran under the Obama administration, when clinics were able to refer women seeking abortions to a provider.

Groups representing the clinics said they hope the Biden administration action will lead hundreds of service providers that left in protest over Trump's policies to return, helping to stabilize a longstanding program that has been shaken by the coronavirus pandemic on top of ideological battles.

Known as Title X, the taxpayer-funded program makes available more than $250 million a year to clinics to provide birth control and basic health care services mainly to low-income women. Under former President Donald Trump, clinics were barred from referring patients for abortions, prompting a mass exit by service providers affiliated with Planned Parenthood, as well as several states and other independent organizations.

Women’s groups labeled the Trump policy a “gag rule,” and medical organizations called it a violation of the clinician-patient relationship. But religious and social conservatives praised the policy for imposing a strict separation between family planning services and abortion. Under federal law, clinics could not use federal money to pay for abortions.

In 2018, the family planning clinics served about 3.9 million clients, but HHS estimates that number fell by nearly 40% after the Trump policy. The upheaval may have led to more than 180,000 unintended pregnancies, the agency said.

Biden campaigned on a promise to overturn the restrictions on family planning clinics, but abortion was not a central issue in the 2020 presidential race. It may become one in the 2022 midterm elections to determine who controls Congress.

Restrictive state laws in Texas, Mississippi and elsewhere have prompted a mobilization by abortion rights supporters, who fear a conservative-leaning Supreme Court will overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationally. Hundreds of abortion-themed protests were held around the country Saturday, including one that brought thousands of abortion rights supporters to the steps of the court.

The Supreme Court has allowed the Texas law to take effect, but has not ruled on the substantive legal questions behind that statute, which bans most abortions in the state. The justices will hear arguments Dec. 1 on the Mississippi law, which bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The court now tilts decidedly to the right after Trump appointed three conservative justices. Twelve states have passed laws that would ban abortion entirely if Roe is overturned.

The new abortion referral policy for family planning clinics will take effect Nov. 8.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633379823147.png" alt="Demonstrators in Kansas and across the nation participated in the Women's March for abortion rights on Saturday-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Demonstrators in Kansas and across the nation participated in the Women's March for abortion rights on Saturday-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Monday reversed a ban on abortion referrals by family planning clinics, lifting a Trump-era restriction as political and legal battles over abortion grow sharper from Texas to the U.S. Supreme Court.The Department of Health and Human Services said its new regulation will restore the federal family planning program to the way it ran under the Obama administration, when clinics were able to refer women seeking abortions to a provider.Groups representing the clinics said they hope the Biden administration action will lead hundreds of service providers that left in protest over Trump's policies to return, helping to stabilize a longstanding program that has been shaken by the coronavirus pandemic on top of ideological battles.Known as Title X, the taxpayer-funded program makes available more than $250 million a year to clinics to provide birth control and basic health care services mainly to low-income women. Under former President Donald Trump, clinics were barred from referring patients for abortions, prompting a mass exit by service providers affiliated with Planned Parenthood, as well as several states and other independent organizations.Women’s groups labeled the Trump policy a “gag rule,” and medical organizations called it a violation of the clinician-patient relationship. But religious and social conservatives praised the policy for imposing a strict separation between family planning services and abortion. Under federal law, clinics could not use federal money to pay for abortions.In 2018, the family planning clinics served about 3.9 million clients, but HHS estimates that number fell by nearly 40% after the Trump policy. The upheaval may have led to more than 180,000 unintended pregnancies, the agency said.Biden campaigned on a promise to overturn the restrictions on family planning clinics, but abortion was not a central issue in the 2020 presidential race. It may become one in the 2022 midterm elections to determine who controls Congress.Restrictive state laws in Texas, Mississippi and elsewhere have prompted a mobilization by abortion rights supporters, who fear a conservative-leaning Supreme Court will overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationally. Hundreds of abortion-themed protests were held around the country Saturday, including one that brought thousands of abortion rights supporters to the steps of the court.The Supreme Court has allowed the Texas law to take effect, but has not ruled on the substantive legal questions behind that statute, which bans most abortions in the state. The justices will hear arguments Dec. 1 on the Mississippi law, which bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.The court now tilts decidedly to the right after Trump appointed three conservative justices. Twelve states have passed laws that would ban abortion entirely if Roe is overturned.The new abortion referral policy for family planning clinics will take effect Nov. 8.

Biden lifts abortion referral ban on family planning clinics

KANSAS CITY (AP)—As Congress considered a massive COVID-19 relief package earlier this year, hundreds of mayors from across the U.S. pleaded for “immediate action” on billions of dollars targeted to shore up their finances and revive their communities.

Now that they’ve received it, local officials are taking their time before actually spending the windfall.

As of this summer, a majority of large cities and states hadn’t spent a penny from the American Rescue Plan championed by Democrats and President Joe Biden, according to an Associated Press review of the first financial reports due under the law. States had spent just 2.5% of their initial allotment while large cities spent 8.5%, according to the AP analysis.

Many state and local governments reported they were still working on plans for their share of the $350 billion, which can be spent on a wide array of programs.

Though Biden signed the law in March, the Treasury Department didn’t release the money and spending guidelines until May. By then, some state legislatures already had wrapped up their budget work for the next year, leaving governors with no authority to spend the new money. Some states waited several more months to ask the federal government for their share.

Cities sometimes delayed decisions while soliciting suggestions from the public. And some government officials — still trying to figure out how to spend previous rounds of federal pandemic aid — simply didn’t see an urgent need for the additional cash.

“It’s a lot of money that’s been put out there. I think it’s a good sign that it hasn’t been frivolously spent,” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said. He was president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors when more than 400 mayors signed a letter urging Congress to quickly pass Biden’s plan.

The law gives states until the end of 2024 to make spending commitments and the end of 2026 to spend the money. Any money not obligated or spent by those dates must be returned to the federal government.

The Biden administration said it isn’t concerned about the early pace of the initiative. The aid to governments is intended both “to address any crisis needs” and to provide “longer-term fire power to ensure a durable and equitable recovery,” said Gene Sperling, White House American Rescue Plan coordinator.

“The fact that you can spread your spending out is a feature, not a bug, of the program. It is by design,” Sperling told the AP.

The Treasury Department set an aggressive reporting schedule to try to prod local planning. It required states, counties and cities with estimated populations of at least 250,000 to file reports by Aug. 31 detailing their spending as of the previous month as well as future plans.

More than half the states and nearly two-thirds of the roughly 90 largest cities reported no initial spending. The governments reported future plans for about 40% of their total funds. The AP did not gather reports from counties because of the large number of them.

To promote transparency, the Treasury Department also required governments to post the reports on a “prominent public-facing website,” such as their home page or a general coronavirus response site. But the AP found that many governments ignored that directive, instead tucking the documents behind numerous navigational steps. Idaho and Nebraska had not posted their reports online when contacted by the AP. Neither had some cities.

Officials in Jersey City, New Jersey, required the AP to file a formal open-records request to get its report, though that shouldn’t have been necessary. City employees in Laredo, Texas, and Sacramento, California, also initially directed the AP to file open-records requests. Laredo later told the AP it had spent nothing. Sacramento relented and eventually provided a short report stating it had spent nothing but might put its entire $112 million allocation toward replacing lost revenue and providing government services.

Among states, the largest share of initial spending went toward shoring up unemployment insurance trust funds that were depleted during the pandemic. Arizona reported pouring nearly $759 million into its unemployment account, New Mexico nearly $657 million and Kentucky almost $506 million.

For large cities, the most common use of the money was to replenish their diminished revenue and fund government services. San Francisco reported using its entire initial allotment of $312 million for that purpose.

Those reporting no initial spending included Pittsburgh, whose mayor joined with several other Pennsylvania mayors in February on a column urging Congress to pass “crucial” aid for state and local governments.

“Congress must act, and they must act soon. Our communities cannot wait another day,” the Pennsylvania mayors wrote.

Pittsburgh ultimately ended up waiting to spend the money until the Treasury guidelines were released, community members had a chance to comment and the City Council could sign off on the spending plans. In the future, the city plans to use part of its federal windfall to buy 78 electric vehicles, build technology labs at recreation centers and launch a pilot project paying 100 low-income Black women $500 a month for two years to test the merits of a guaranteed income program.

The federal money also will help pay the salaries of more than 600 city employees

“Even though the money hadn’t technically been expended” by the Treasury Department’s reporting timeline, “the receipt of the money was enough for us to hold off on major layoffs,” said Dan Gilman, chief of staff to Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto.

Some officials are intentionally taking their time.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, opted not to call a special session to appropriate money from the latest federal pandemic relief act. So far, he’s publicly outlined just one proposal — $400 million for broadband.

Parson’s budget director said the administration will present more ideas to lawmakers when they convene for their regular session in January. Until then, the state should have enough money left from a previous federal relief law to cover the costs of fighting the virus, budget director Dan Haug said.

“We want to try to find things that are going to benefit Missouri not just next year or the year after, but 10 or 20 years down the road,” Haug said. “That takes some thought and some planning.”

Republican state Rep. Doug Richey, who leads a House panel on federal stimulus spending, said he’s not convinced Missouri needs to spend all of its American Rescue Plan funds.

“To the extent that we spend these dollars, we are participating in an ever-increasing federal debt or bad monetary policy,” Richey said.

Missouri was one several states that waited to request its initial allotment. Five other Republican-led states — Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas — waited so long that they weren’t required to file reports by the Treasury’s Aug. 31 deadline.

Tennessee wanted to make sure small cities were prepared for a 30-day clock that starts ticking for them to seek funding once the dollars arrive at the state, said Lola Potter, a spokesperson for the state Department of Finance and Administration. A South Dakota official cited similar reasoning for the delay. Financial Systems Director Colin Keeler said it’s difficult for small towns to take the steps needed to apply.

“The state was in no rush at all,” he said. “The cities wanted to get theirs, but we needed to be prepared.”

KANSAS CITY (AP)—As Congress considered a massive COVID-19 relief package earlier this year, hundreds of mayors from across the U.S. pleaded for “immediate action” on billions of dollars targeted to shore up their finances and revive their communities.Now that they’ve received it, local officials are taking their time before actually spending the windfall.As of this summer, a majority of large cities and states hadn’t spent a penny from the American Rescue Plan championed by Democrats and President Joe Biden, according to an Associated Press review of the first financial reports due under the law. States had spent just 2.5% of their initial allotment while large cities spent 8.5%, according to the AP analysis.Many state and local governments reported they were still working on plans for their share of the $350 billion, which can be spent on a wide array of programs.Though Biden signed the law in March, the Treasury Department didn’t release the money and spending guidelines until May. By then, some state legislatures already had wrapped up their budget work for the next year, leaving governors with no authority to spend the new money. Some states waited several more months to ask the federal government for their share.Cities sometimes delayed decisions while soliciting suggestions from the public. And some government officials — still trying to figure out how to spend previous rounds of federal pandemic aid — simply didn’t see an urgent need for the additional cash.“It’s a lot of money that’s been put out there. I think it’s a good sign that it hasn’t been frivolously spent,” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said. He was president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors when more than 400 mayors signed a letter urging Congress to quickly pass Biden’s plan.The law gives states until the end of 2024 to make spending commitments and the end of 2026 to spend the money. Any money not obligated or spent by those dates must be returned to the federal government.The Biden administration said it isn’t concerned about the early pace of the initiative. The aid to governments is intended both “to address any crisis needs” and to provide “longer-term fire power to ensure a durable and equitable recovery,” said Gene Sperling, White House American Rescue Plan coordinator.“The fact that you can spread your spending out is a feature, not a bug, of the program. It is by design,” Sperling told the AP.The Treasury Department set an aggressive reporting schedule to try to prod local planning. It required states, counties and cities with estimated populations of at least 250,000 to file reports by Aug. 31 detailing their spending as of the previous month as well as future plans.More than half the states and nearly two-thirds of the roughly 90 largest cities reported no initial spending. The governments reported future plans for about 40% of their total funds. The AP did not gather reports from counties because of the large number of them.To promote transparency, the Treasury Department also required governments to post the reports on a “prominent public-facing website,” such as their home page or a general coronavirus response site. But the AP found that many governments ignored that directive, instead tucking the documents behind numerous navigational steps. Idaho and Nebraska had not posted their reports online when contacted by the AP. Neither had some cities.Officials in Jersey City, New Jersey, required the AP to file a formal open-records request to get its report, though that shouldn’t have been necessary. City employees in Laredo, Texas, and Sacramento, California, also initially directed the AP to file open-records requests. Laredo later told the AP it had spent nothing. Sacramento relented and eventually provided a short report stating it had spent nothing but might put its entire $112 million allocation toward replacing lost revenue and providing government services.Among states, the largest share of initial spending went toward shoring up unemployment insurance trust funds that were depleted during the pandemic. Arizona reported pouring nearly $759 million into its unemployment account, New Mexico nearly $657 million and Kentucky almost $506 million.For large cities, the most common use of the money was to replenish their diminished revenue and fund government services. San Francisco reported using its entire initial allotment of $312 million for that purpose.Those reporting no initial spending included Pittsburgh, whose mayor joined with several other Pennsylvania mayors in February on a column urging Congress to pass “crucial” aid for state and local governments.“Congress must act, and they must act soon. Our communities cannot wait another day,” the Pennsylvania mayors wrote.Pittsburgh ultimately ended up waiting to spend the money until the Treasury guidelines were released, community members had a chance to comment and the City Council could sign off on the spending plans. In the future, the city plans to use part of its federal windfall to buy 78 electric vehicles, build technology labs at recreation centers and launch a pilot project paying 100 low-income Black women $500 a month for two years to test the merits of a guaranteed income program.The federal money also will help pay the salaries of more than 600 city employees“Even though the money hadn’t technically been expended” by the Treasury Department’s reporting timeline, “the receipt of the money was enough for us to hold off on major layoffs,” said Dan Gilman, chief of staff to Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto.Some officials are intentionally taking their time.Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, opted not to call a special session to appropriate money from the latest federal pandemic relief act. So far, he’s publicly outlined just one proposal — $400 million for broadband.Parson’s budget director said the administration will present more ideas to lawmakers when they convene for their regular session in January. Until then, the state should have enough money left from a previous federal relief law to cover the costs of fighting the virus, budget director Dan Haug said.“We want to try to find things that are going to benefit Missouri not just next year or the year after, but 10 or 20 years down the road,” Haug said. “That takes some thought and some planning.”Republican state Rep. Doug Richey, who leads a House panel on federal stimulus spending, said he’s not convinced Missouri needs to spend all of its American Rescue Plan funds.“To the extent that we spend these dollars, we are participating in an ever-increasing federal debt or bad monetary policy,” Richey said.Missouri was one several states that waited to request its initial allotment. Five other Republican-led states — Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas — waited so long that they weren’t required to file reports by the Treasury’s Aug. 31 deadline.Tennessee wanted to make sure small cities were prepared for a 30-day clock that starts ticking for them to seek funding once the dollars arrive at the state, said Lola Potter, a spokesperson for the state Department of Finance and Administration. A South Dakota official cited similar reasoning for the delay. Financial Systems Director Colin Keeler said it’s difficult for small towns to take the steps needed to apply.“The state was in no rush at all,” he said. “The cities wanted to get theirs, but we needed to be prepared.”

Report: States, cities slow to spend federal pandemic money

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a motorcyclist died early Monday morning in a crash on Omaha's Northwest Radial Highway. 

Police say the crash happened about 5:45 a.m. when a pickup truck traveling east on Nicholas Street collided with the motorcycle traveling south on the highway in northeastern Omaha. 

The crash closed a stretch of Northwest Radial for several hours Monday morning. 

Police have not released the name of the motorcyclist killed. Investigators say the truck driver was not injured but was taken into custody following the crash.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a motorcyclist died early Monday morning in a crash on Omaha's Northwest Radial Highway. Police say the crash happened about 5:45 a.m. when a pickup truck traveling east on Nicholas Street collided with the motorcycle traveling south on the highway in northeastern Omaha. The crash closed a stretch of Northwest Radial for several hours Monday morning. Police have not released the name of the motorcyclist killed. Investigators say the truck driver was not injured but was taken into custody following the crash.

Police say motorcyclist killed early Monday in Omaha crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing bipartisan criticism over its approach to immigration, the Biden administration on announced new rules that require authorities to only pursue migrants who recently crossed into the country without permission or are deemed to pose a threat to public safety.

The new guidelines replace interim rules issued in February that were initially blocked by a federal judge in August as part of a lawsuit brought by Texas and Louisiana. They break from a more aggressive approach to immigration enforcement under former President Donald Trump, who early in his presidency directed authorities to apprehend anyone who was illegally in the country.

The release comes as President Joe Biden has come under fire from allies for his reliance on a Trump-era public health authority to rapidly expel migrants encountered on the U.S.-Mexico border while also facing Republican criticism that he hasn’t done enough to counter a sharp increase in migrants seeking to enter the country.

The Biden administration has expelled about 5,000 Haitians who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border at Del Rio, Texas, in recent weeks. A federal appeals court in Washington on Thursday cleared the administration to continue expelling families under the public-health authority known as Title 42. The appeals court put on hold a lower court order barring the expulsions of families hours before the ban was to take effect.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters that the new policy was based on the reality that the U.S. can’t go after all people in the country without legal status and shouldn’t try because many “have been contributing members of our communities for years.”

Authorities will be directed to focus on noncitizens who have crossed recently, defined as after Nov. 1, 2020, or who determined to be a threat because of national security or “serious criminal activity.” Homeland Security includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol.

Unlike the interim rules, the criminal activity is not limited to the category known in legal terms as an aggravated felony but will depend on the “totality of the facts and circumstances,” Mayorkas said. Anyone would be considered a priority if they are engaged or even suspected of terrorism or espionage, according to the memo. The new rules take effect Nov. 29.

Immigration authorities would be prohibited from arresting and seeking to deport someone in retaliation for exercising First Amendment rights, such as joining a protest or taking part in union activities.

“We are requiring and frankly empowering our workforce, critically empowering our workforce, to exercise their judgment, their law enforcement judgment,” the secretary said.

Advocates for strict immigration enforcement have criticized the interim guidelines, which were similar in intent as the newly released rules, because they were seen as a top-down approach and one that precluded low-level arrests that might yield investigative leads into bigger cases or help serve as a deterrent to illegal immigration.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said on Twitter that Biden has “welcomed” the migrants who have crossed and would now promise those already in the country that “they may stay in the U.S. without repercussions” with the new rules.

Immigrant advocates, including some who have in the past called for eliminating ICE and immigrant detention altogether, welcomed limits on enforcement but are wary given the rapid detention and expulsion of thousands of Haitians at Del Rio.

“This policy is only going to be as good as the results,” said Jacinta Gonzalez, senior campaign organizer of Mijente. “If detention numbers continue to rise, as deportations continue to happen, if we still see human rights abuses at the border, this policy won’t mean anything.”

A federal judge in Texas blocked the interim rules in August, ruling that the administration did not have discretion to choose which migrants to detain, but a federal appeals court allowed the guidelines to take effect while the lawsuit proceeds.

Mayorkas said it makes little sense to pursue all of the estimated 11 million people in the country without legal status, even if the U.S. had the law enforcement capacity to do so.

“They contribute to the well-being of our country and justice requires that we exercise our discretion accordingly,” he said. “The fact that an individual is a removeable non-citizen should not alone be the basis of an enforcement action against them.”

Trump’s administration took hundreds of measures to restrict both legal and illegal immigration, including a zero-tolerance policy on border crossings that resulted in the forcible separation of thousands of families and requiring asylum seekers to await the processing of their cases in Mexico.

In the end, total deportations were higher under the first term of President Barack Obama, who enacted enforcement priorities similar to Biden’s, than under Trump. That was due in part to a lack of cooperation from many cities and states whose leaders opposed Trump’s immigration policies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317817548.png" alt="Migrants at the U.S. border in September- photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>Migrants at the U.S. border in September- photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing bipartisan criticism over its approach to immigration, the Biden administration on announced new rules that require authorities to only pursue migrants who recently crossed into the country without permission or are deemed to pose a threat to public safety.The new guidelines replace interim rules issued in February that were initially blocked by a federal judge in August as part of a lawsuit brought by Texas and Louisiana. They break from a more aggressive approach to immigration enforcement under former President Donald Trump, who early in his presidency directed authorities to apprehend anyone who was illegally in the country.The release comes as President Joe Biden has come under fire from allies for his reliance on a Trump-era public health authority to rapidly expel migrants encountered on the U.S.-Mexico border while also facing Republican criticism that he hasn’t done enough to counter a sharp increase in migrants seeking to enter the country.The Biden administration has expelled about 5,000 Haitians who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border at Del Rio, Texas, in recent weeks. A federal appeals court in Washington on Thursday cleared the administration to continue expelling families under the public-health authority known as Title 42. The appeals court put on hold a lower court order barring the expulsions of families hours before the ban was to take effect.Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters that the new policy was based on the reality that the U.S. can’t go after all people in the country without legal status and shouldn’t try because many “have been contributing members of our communities for years.”Authorities will be directed to focus on noncitizens who have crossed recently, defined as after Nov. 1, 2020, or who determined to be a threat because of national security or “serious criminal activity.” Homeland Security includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol.Unlike the interim rules, the criminal activity is not limited to the category known in legal terms as an aggravated felony but will depend on the “totality of the facts and circumstances,” Mayorkas said. Anyone would be considered a priority if they are engaged or even suspected of terrorism or espionage, according to the memo. The new rules take effect Nov. 29.Immigration authorities would be prohibited from arresting and seeking to deport someone in retaliation for exercising First Amendment rights, such as joining a protest or taking part in union activities.“We are requiring and frankly empowering our workforce, critically empowering our workforce, to exercise their judgment, their law enforcement judgment,” the secretary said.Advocates for strict immigration enforcement have criticized the interim guidelines, which were similar in intent as the newly released rules, because they were seen as a top-down approach and one that precluded low-level arrests that might yield investigative leads into bigger cases or help serve as a deterrent to illegal immigration.Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said on Twitter that Biden has “welcomed” the migrants who have crossed and would now promise those already in the country that “they may stay in the U.S. without repercussions” with the new rules.Immigrant advocates, including some who have in the past called for eliminating ICE and immigrant detention altogether, welcomed limits on enforcement but are wary given the rapid detention and expulsion of thousands of Haitians at Del Rio.“This policy is only going to be as good as the results,” said Jacinta Gonzalez, senior campaign organizer of Mijente. “If detention numbers continue to rise, as deportations continue to happen, if we still see human rights abuses at the border, this policy won’t mean anything.”A federal judge in Texas blocked the interim rules in August, ruling that the administration did not have discretion to choose which migrants to detain, but a federal appeals court allowed the guidelines to take effect while the lawsuit proceeds.Mayorkas said it makes little sense to pursue all of the estimated 11 million people in the country without legal status, even if the U.S. had the law enforcement capacity to do so.“They contribute to the well-being of our country and justice requires that we exercise our discretion accordingly,” he said. “The fact that an individual is a removeable non-citizen should not alone be the basis of an enforcement action against them.”Trump’s administration took hundreds of measures to restrict both legal and illegal immigration, including a zero-tolerance policy on border crossings that resulted in the forcible separation of thousands of families and requiring asylum seekers to await the processing of their cases in Mexico.In the end, total deportations were higher under the first term of President Barack Obama, who enacted enforcement priorities similar to Biden’s, than under Trump. That was due in part to a lack of cooperation from many cities and states whose leaders opposed Trump’s immigration policies.__

New Biden rules limit arrest, deportation of migrants

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A ransomware attack has disrupted several trade industry and auction websites run by a Nebraska company. 

Sandhills Global, which is based in Lincoln, told its customers that its operations were disrupted by a ransomware attack, and it had shut down several systems temporarily to protect data. 

Publications operated by Sandhills that were not available online Sunday include Truck Paper, TractorHouse, AuctionTime, Machinery Trader, ForestryTrader, HiBid, RentalYard, Motorsports Universe, CraneTrader, MarketBook, RV Universe, Oil Field Trader, Aircraft, LiveStockMarket, Controller and Aircraft.com. 

The company said it had hired cybersecurity experts to help it respond to the attack, and Sandhills continues to investigate whether any client data had been accessed

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A ransomware attack has disrupted several trade industry and auction websites run by a Nebraska company. Sandhills Global, which is based in Lincoln, told its customers that its operations were disrupted by a ransomware attack, and it had shut down several systems temporarily to protect data. Publications operated by Sandhills that were not available online Sunday include Truck Paper, TractorHouse, AuctionTime, Machinery Trader, ForestryTrader, HiBid, RentalYard, Motorsports Universe, CraneTrader, MarketBook, RV Universe, Oil Field Trader, Aircraft, LiveStockMarket, Controller and Aircraft.com. The company said it had hired cybersecurity experts to help it respond to the attack, and Sandhills continues to investigate whether any client data had been accessed

Nebraska firm says ransomware knocks its websites offline

WASHINGTON (AP) — The future of abortion rights is in the hands of a conservative Supreme Court that is beginning a new term Monday that also includes major cases on gun rights and religion.

The court’s credibility with the public also could be on the line, especially if a divided court were to overrule the landmark Roe v. Wade decision from 1973 that established a woman’s right to an abortion nationwide.

The justices are returning to the courtroom after an 18-month absence caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-us-supreme-court-health-coronavirus-pandemic-government-and-politics-20618b0444def88a865f37d5bb92d4a9">possible retirement of 83-year-old liberal Justice Stephen Breyer also looms</a>.

It’s the first full term with the court in its current alignment.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the last of former President Donald Trump’s three high-court appointees, is part of a six-justice conservative majority. Barrett was nominated and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-ruth-bader-ginsburg-amy-coney-barrett-82a02a618343c98b80ca2b6bf9eafe07">confirmed last year amid the pandemic</a>, little more than a month after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ruth-bader-ginsburg-voting-rights-politics-joe-biden-elections-bf6704fa6e900967a705054c801a5495">death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg</a>.

rump and Republicans who controlled the Senate moved quickly to fill the seat shortly before the 2020 presidential election, bringing about a dramatic change in the court’s lineup that has set the stage for a potentially law-changing term on several high-profile issues.

With abortion, guns and religion already on the agenda, and a challenge to affirmative action waiting in the wings, the court will answer a key question over the next year, said University of Chicago law professor David Strauss. “Is this the term in which the culture wars return to the Supreme Court in a big way?” Strauss said.

The justices will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-15-week-ban-5d066a9dc0030a4f8297711f341c9f5a">hear arguments Dec. 1 in Mississippi’s bid to enforce a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy</a>. Lower courts blocked the law because it is inconsistent with high court rulings that allow states to regulate but not prohibit abortion before viability, the point around 24 weeks of pregnancy when a fetus can survive outside the womb.

Mississippi is taking what conservative commentator Carrie Severino called a “rip-the-Band-Aid-off” approach to the case by asking the court to abandon its support of abortion rights that was laid out in Roe and the 1992 case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Mississippi is among 12 states with so-called trigger laws that would take effect if Roe is overturned and ban abortion entirely.

By a 5-4 vote in early September, the court already has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321">allowed a ban on most abortions to take effect in Texas</a>, though no court has yet ruled on the substance of the law.

But that vote and the Mississippi case highlight the potential risk to the court’s reputation, said David Cole, the American Civil Liberties Union’s legal director. The arguments advanced by Mississippi were considered and rejected by the Supreme Court in 1992, Cole said.

“The only difference between then and now is the identity of the justices,” he said.

Jeff Wall, a top Justice Department lawyer under Trump, said the court could sharply expand gun rights and end the use of race in college admissions, but only abortion is likely to move public perception of the court. “I still don’t think that’s going to create some groundswell in the public, unless it’s accompanied by some kind of watershed ruling on abortion,” Wall said.

In early November, the court will take up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-public-new-york-be5e3fe54da4eb3b9ca2337665974716">a challenge to New York restrictions on carrying a gun in public</a>, a case that offers the court the chance to expand gun rights under the Second Amendment. Before Barrett joined the court, the justices turned away similar cases, over the dissents of some conservative members of the court.

Until Barrett came along, some justices who favor gun rights questioned whether Chief Justice John Roberts would provide a fifth, majority-making vote “for a more expansive reading of the Second Amendment,” said George Washington University law professor Robert Cottrol, who said he hoped the court would now broaden gun rights.

More than 40 states already make it easy to be armed in public, but New York and California, two of the nation’s most populous states, are among the few with tighter regulations.

The case has gun control advocates worried.

“An expansive Second Amendment ruling by the Supreme Court could restrict or prohibit the sensible solutions that have been shown can end gun violence,” said Jonathan Lowy, vice president and chief counsel at the gun violence prevention group Brady. Lowy included state laws requiring a justification to carry a gun as examples of such “sensible solutions.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/me-state-wire-us-supreme-court-maine-religion-education-053be754922af11fe1bceaf408d0f910">A case from Maine</a>&nbsp;gives the court another opportunity to weigh religious rights in the area of education. The state excludes religious schools from a tuition program for families who live in towns that don’t have public schools.

Since even before Ginsburg’s death, the court has favored religion-based discrimination claims and the expectation among legal experts is that parents in Maine who sued to be able to use taxpayer money at religious schools will prevail, though it’s not clear how broadly the court might rule.

Affirmative action is not yet on the court’s agenda, but it could still get there this term in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-college-admissions-us-supreme-court-harvard-courts-b2b55f8bfabe04424cd19281611939f4">lawsuit over Harvard’s use of race in college admissions</a>. Lower courts upheld the school’s policy, but this is another case in which the change in the composition of the court could prove decisive. The court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-texas-courts-relationships-race-and-ethnicity-87f9c6ae0150469f9204b5d79c7dc7ad">upheld race-conscious admission policies as recently as five years ago</a>&nbsp;but that was before Trump’s three appointments accentuated the court’s conservative tilt.

Among other notable cases, the justices will consider&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/court-could-reimpose-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-death-sentence-719087dcbe7145514094fe3c7da8d9bf">reinstating the death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev</a>. The Biden administration is pushing for the capital sentence, even as it has suspended federal executions and President Joe Biden has called for an end to the federal death penalty.

The court will also weigh two cases involving “state secrets,” the idea that the government can block the release of information it claims would harm national security if disclosed.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/osama-bin-laden-prisons-us-supreme-court-abu-zubaydah-courts-7f17e01b2c037bbebfca2b999bf64490">One case involves a Guantanamo Bay detainee who a lower court said was tortured in CIA custody</a>. The other involves a group of Muslim residents of California who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-courts-supreme-courts-religion-government-and-politics-29dd3c85923fef7bda9bfa8156753ab9">allege the FBI targeted them for surveillance because of their religion</a>.

Decisions in the most of the big cases won’t come before spring because the justices typically spend months drafting and revising majority opinions and dissents.

Around then, Breyer might signal whether he is planning to retire from a job he has held since 1994. Retirement announcements often come in the spring, to give the president and the Senate enough time to choose and confirm a nominee before the court returns from its summer break and begins hearing cases again in October.

The consequences of Ginsburg’s decision to remain on the court through Barack Obama’s presidency and her death while Trump was in the White House can’t be lost on Breyer, said Tom Goldstein, the founder of the Scotusblog website and a frequent advocate before the court.

“It’s overwhelmingly likely he’ll retire this term,” Goldstein said.

The courthouse still is closed to the public, but live audio of the court’s arguments will be available and reporters who regularly cover the court will be in attendance. The tradition-bound court first provided live audio in May 2020, when the court began hearing arguments by telephone during the pandemic.

<a href="https://apnews.com/5c24ffb572dd34a8b24f226fc2211b7a">Justice Brett Kavanaugh</a>&nbsp;will participate remotely from his home next week during oral arguments after testing positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. The court said Friday that the 54-year-old justice has no symptoms.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633344982262.png" alt="Women marched in Kansas and cities nationwide Saturday demanding continued access to abortion-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Women marched in Kansas and cities nationwide Saturday demanding continued access to abortion-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The future of abortion rights is in the hands of a conservative Supreme Court that is beginning a new term Monday that also includes major cases on gun rights and religion.The court’s credibility with the public also could be on the line, especially if a divided court were to overrule the landmark Roe v. Wade decision from 1973 that established a woman’s right to an abortion nationwide.The justices are returning to the courtroom after an 18-month absence caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-us-supreme-court-health-coronavirus-pandemic-government-and-politics-20618b0444def88a865f37d5bb92d4a9">possible retirement of 83-year-old liberal Justice Stephen Breyer also looms</a>.It’s the first full term with the court in its current alignment.Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the last of former President Donald Trump’s three high-court appointees, is part of a six-justice conservative majority. Barrett was nominated and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-ruth-bader-ginsburg-amy-coney-barrett-82a02a618343c98b80ca2b6bf9eafe07">confirmed last year amid the pandemic</a>, little more than a month after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ruth-bader-ginsburg-voting-rights-politics-joe-biden-elections-bf6704fa6e900967a705054c801a5495">death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg</a>.rump and Republicans who controlled the Senate moved quickly to fill the seat shortly before the 2020 presidential election, bringing about a dramatic change in the court’s lineup that has set the stage for a potentially law-changing term on several high-profile issues.With abortion, guns and religion already on the agenda, and a challenge to affirmative action waiting in the wings, the court will answer a key question over the next year, said University of Chicago law professor David Strauss. “Is this the term in which the culture wars return to the Supreme Court in a big way?” Strauss said.No issue is bigger than abortion.The justices will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-15-week-ban-5d066a9dc0030a4f8297711f341c9f5a">hear arguments Dec. 1 in Mississippi’s bid to enforce a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy</a>. Lower courts blocked the law because it is inconsistent with high court rulings that allow states to regulate but not prohibit abortion before viability, the point around 24 weeks of pregnancy when a fetus can survive outside the womb.Mississippi is taking what conservative commentator Carrie Severino called a “rip-the-Band-Aid-off” approach to the case by asking the court to abandon its support of abortion rights that was laid out in Roe and the 1992 case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey.Mississippi is among 12 states with so-called trigger laws that would take effect if Roe is overturned and ban abortion entirely.By a 5-4 vote in early September, the court already has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321">allowed a ban on most abortions to take effect in Texas</a>, though no court has yet ruled on the substance of the law.But that vote and the Mississippi case highlight the potential risk to the court’s reputation, said David Cole, the American Civil Liberties Union’s legal director. The arguments advanced by Mississippi were considered and rejected by the Supreme Court in 1992, Cole said.“The only difference between then and now is the identity of the justices,” he said.Jeff Wall, a top Justice Department lawyer under Trump, said the court could sharply expand gun rights and end the use of race in college admissions, but only abortion is likely to move public perception of the court. “I still don’t think that’s going to create some groundswell in the public, unless it’s accompanied by some kind of watershed ruling on abortion,” Wall said.In early November, the court will take up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-public-new-york-be5e3fe54da4eb3b9ca2337665974716">a challenge to New York restrictions on carrying a gun in public</a>, a case that offers the court the chance to expand gun rights under the Second Amendment. Before Barrett joined the court, the justices turned away similar cases, over the dissents of some conservative members of the court.Until Barrett came along, some justices who favor gun rights questioned whether Chief Justice John Roberts would provide a fifth, majority-making vote “for a more expansive reading of the Second Amendment,” said George Washington University law professor Robert Cottrol, who said he hoped the court would now broaden gun rights.More than 40 states already make it easy to be armed in public, but New York and California, two of the nation’s most populous states, are among the few with tighter regulations.The case has gun control advocates worried.“An expansive Second Amendment ruling by the Supreme Court could restrict or prohibit the sensible solutions that have been shown can end gun violence,” said Jonathan Lowy, vice president and chief counsel at the gun violence prevention group Brady. Lowy included state laws requiring a justification to carry a gun as examples of such “sensible solutions.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/me-state-wire-us-supreme-court-maine-religion-education-053be754922af11fe1bceaf408d0f910">A case from Maine</a>&nbsp;gives the court another opportunity to weigh religious rights in the area of education. The state excludes religious schools from a tuition program for families who live in towns that don’t have public schools.Since even before Ginsburg’s death, the court has favored religion-based discrimination claims and the expectation among legal experts is that parents in Maine who sued to be able to use taxpayer money at religious schools will prevail, though it’s not clear how broadly the court might rule.Affirmative action is not yet on the court’s agenda, but it could still get there this term in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-college-admissions-us-supreme-court-harvard-courts-b2b55f8bfabe04424cd19281611939f4">lawsuit over Harvard’s use of race in college admissions</a>. Lower courts upheld the school’s policy, but this is another case in which the change in the composition of the court could prove decisive. The court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-texas-courts-relationships-race-and-ethnicity-87f9c6ae0150469f9204b5d79c7dc7ad">upheld race-conscious admission policies as recently as five years ago</a>&nbsp;but that was before Trump’s three appointments accentuated the court’s conservative tilt.Among other notable cases, the justices will consider&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/court-could-reimpose-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-death-sentence-719087dcbe7145514094fe3c7da8d9bf">reinstating the death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev</a>. The Biden administration is pushing for the capital sentence, even as it has suspended federal executions and President Joe Biden has called for an end to the federal death penalty.The court will also weigh two cases involving “state secrets,” the idea that the government can block the release of information it claims would harm national security if disclosed.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/osama-bin-laden-prisons-us-supreme-court-abu-zubaydah-courts-7f17e01b2c037bbebfca2b999bf64490">One case involves a Guantanamo Bay detainee who a lower court said was tortured in CIA custody</a>. The other involves a group of Muslim residents of California who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-courts-supreme-courts-religion-government-and-politics-29dd3c85923fef7bda9bfa8156753ab9">allege the FBI targeted them for surveillance because of their religion</a>.Decisions in the most of the big cases won’t come before spring because the justices typically spend months drafting and revising majority opinions and dissents.Around then, Breyer might signal whether he is planning to retire from a job he has held since 1994. Retirement announcements often come in the spring, to give the president and the Senate enough time to choose and confirm a nominee before the court returns from its summer break and begins hearing cases again in October.The consequences of Ginsburg’s decision to remain on the court through Barack Obama’s presidency and her death while Trump was in the White House can’t be lost on Breyer, said Tom Goldstein, the founder of the Scotusblog website and a frequent advocate before the court.“It’s overwhelmingly likely he’ll retire this term,” Goldstein said.The courthouse still is closed to the public, but live audio of the court’s arguments will be available and reporters who regularly cover the court will be in attendance. The tradition-bound court first provided live audio in May 2020, when the court began hearing arguments by telephone during the pandemic.<a href="https://apnews.com/5c24ffb572dd34a8b24f226fc2211b7a">Justice Brett Kavanaugh</a>&nbsp;will participate remotely from his home next week during oral arguments after testing positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. The court said Friday that the 54-year-old justice has no symptoms.___

Abortion, guns, religion: Big Supreme Court term begins

Fourteen people across Kansas and Missouri are sharing stories as 
part of the annual Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day safety blog series. 
Some stories share triumph about a life saved, while some stories tell 
the tragedy of a life being taken.

“My beautiful daughter, 
Danielle, made a decision that not only took her life, but flipped life 
upside down for her entire family and so many friends,” said Jacque 
Tierce, of Larned, in today’s safety blog. “She was texting on Snapchat 
while driving down the highway at 65 mph, didn’t see a semi in front of 
her that slowed to make a turn and slammed into the back of it without 
braking.”

Danielle died in May 2018 because she was texting while 
driving. “She’s not here and never will be again,” Jacque said. 
“Sometimes you just have to breathe through the pain. A pain that will 
be there for the rest of your life.”

Four Kansas Highway Patrol 
troopers will also be sharing stories throughout the series. When a 
person dies in a vehicle crash, they are the one whose job it is to 
notify the next of kin. They see the consequences and the pain the 
families suffer, and they experience some of that as well.

Technical
 Trooper Tod Hileman from Hays recalled responding to a double fatality 
involving teenagers. Part of the process is to make sure victims are 
correctly identified. During that process, he noticed the teenaged girl 
driving the car was the same age as his daughter and had the same hair 
and eye color.

“I just kind of had a flash that it was my daughter lying there,” Hileman said. “So that really hit me.”

After
 everything was wrapped up at the crash scene, Hileman had to go meet 
the parents and “told them the words they never ever wanted to hear in 
their life.”

The safety blog series started Sept. 22 and runs 
through Oct. 11 as part of the efforts in Kansas to highlight the Put 
the Brakes on Fatalities Day national safety campaign. Whether you are 
in a vehicle, on a motorcycle or even walking, the campaign’s goal is 
for you to arrive safely.

To read all the safety blogs in this series, click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA5MjguNDY1NjIyOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8va2Fuc2FzdHJhbnNwb3J0YXRpb24uYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL3NlYXJjaC9sYWJlbC9QQkZEJTIwMjAyMT91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkifQ.inrVQXyInp1snjbcR-RSj-8gyHQHFq6PzpsZgcff_2I/s/1410648818/br/113002675723-l" target="_blank">HERE</a>.

Read below the entire blog from Larned's Jacque Tierce...

You just have to breathe through the pain

Sleepless
 nights, severe anxiety attacks, uncontrollable crying, deep depression,
 high blood pressure, nightmares, replaying the past, and daydreaming of
 what the future could have been are a glimpse at living through the 
loss of a loved one. Birthdays, holidays, new births, weddings, first 
days of school, and such are all constant reminders, she’s not here and 
never will be again. Sometimes you just have to breathe through the 
pain. A pain that will be there for the rest of your life.

On May 
26, 2018, my beautiful daughter, Danielle, made a decision that not only
 took her life, but flipped life upside down for her entire family and 
so many friends. She was texting on Snapchat while driving down the 
highway at 65 mph, didn’t see a semi in front of her that slowed to make
 a turn, and slammed into the back of it without braking. Thankfully she
 did not have her 3-year-old son with her and thankfully nobody else was
 injured, physically anyway.

“I miss my mommy,” her son tells me. 
Me too buddy, me too. “My mommy had an accident right here,” he says as 
we drive by the dreaded oil-stained spot on the highway. She has already
 missed his first day of school, several birthdays, first experience 
playing baseball, school programs, and countless other events with so 
many yet to come. All moments Danielle would have been glowing over. Her
 son was her life. Those opportunities are gone for both Danielle and 
her son now because of a Snapchat that just couldn’t wait. Now we spend 
our time trying to keep her memory alive for him, telling “mommy 
stories,” and breathing through the pain.

I spent the remainder of
 2018, all of 2019, and the beginning of 2020 (until COVID hit) 
traveling around to different schools in Kansas and Oklahoma telling our
 story. At my side was Shiane Wondra. Shiane’s story is exactly the same
 as Danielle’s, except Shiane lived through it. “Is it a risk you are 
willing to take?” - we would ask the students. I would leave each 
presentation and drive home bawling the entire way, sleep for hours 
afterwards, and pray we made an impact on at least one! If we can save 
just one family from going through this pain, it’s worth it.

What 
is distracted driving? One might think, it’s a text message. While 
texting and driving is one form of distraction, it’s not the only form. 
Being distracted is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as, 
“having one’s thoughts or attention drawn away.” Therefore, anything 
that takes your eyes or mind off of the road is a distraction.

I 
cannot tell you the number of live videos, pictures being taken, phone 
calls being made, or people scrambling around to find something in their
 car while driving. I STILL have friends that do these things. It’s 
heartbreaking. Some people just will not get it until they go through 
it. It can change your entire life, or the life of another, in a matter 
of seconds.

On our Facebook page,&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdoit4danielle%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7CKim.Stich%40ks.gov%7Ce60cb058557041162fce08d96b4daf23%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637658803667338663%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=yXmAXRPsp1Mc4iCYa4ohZpU0JhQ%2FGjtDKlV5v9vLnf4%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.facebook.com/doit4danielle/</a>,
 is my original blog and countless stories of tragedies such as ours. 
Help spread the word! Help save a life! No matter what your age is, be 
the example. Make a commitment today to put your phone down while 
driving. Meanwhile, I will continue to share our story and breathe 
through the pain.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633343204874.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Fourteen people across Kansas and Missouri are sharing stories as 
part of the annual Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day safety blog series. 
Some stories share triumph about a life saved, while some stories tell 
the tragedy of a life being taken.“My beautiful daughter, 
Danielle, made a decision that not only took her life, but flipped life 
upside down for her entire family and so many friends,” said Jacque 
Tierce, of Larned, in today’s safety blog. “She was texting on Snapchat 
while driving down the highway at 65 mph, didn’t see a semi in front of 
her that slowed to make a turn and slammed into the back of it without 
braking.”Danielle died in May 2018 because she was texting while 
driving. “She’s not here and never will be again,” Jacque said. 
“Sometimes you just have to breathe through the pain. A pain that will 
be there for the rest of your life.”Four Kansas Highway Patrol 
troopers will also be sharing stories throughout the series. When a 
person dies in a vehicle crash, they are the one whose job it is to 
notify the next of kin. They see the consequences and the pain the 
families suffer, and they experience some of that as well.Technical
 Trooper Tod Hileman from Hays recalled responding to a double fatality 
involving teenagers. Part of the process is to make sure victims are 
correctly identified. During that process, he noticed the teenaged girl 
driving the car was the same age as his daughter and had the same hair 
and eye color.“I just kind of had a flash that it was my daughter lying there,” Hileman said. “So that really hit me.”After
 everything was wrapped up at the crash scene, Hileman had to go meet 
the parents and “told them the words they never ever wanted to hear in 
their life.”The safety blog series started Sept. 22 and runs 
through Oct. 11 as part of the efforts in Kansas to highlight the Put 
the Brakes on Fatalities Day national safety campaign. Whether you are 
in a vehicle, on a motorcycle or even walking, the campaign’s goal is 
for you to arrive safely.To read all the safety blogs in this series, click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA5MjguNDY1NjIyOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8va2Fuc2FzdHJhbnNwb3J0YXRpb24uYmxvZ3Nwb3QuY29tL3NlYXJjaC9sYWJlbC9QQkZEJTIwMjAyMT91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkifQ.inrVQXyInp1snjbcR-RSj-8gyHQHFq6PzpsZgcff_2I/s/1410648818/br/113002675723-l" target="_blank">HERE</a>.Read below the entire blog from Larned's Jacque Tierce...<h2>You just have to breathe through the pain</h2>By Jacque TierceSleepless
 nights, severe anxiety attacks, uncontrollable crying, deep depression,
 high blood pressure, nightmares, replaying the past, and daydreaming of
 what the future could have been are a glimpse at living through the 
loss of a loved one. Birthdays, holidays, new births, weddings, first 
days of school, and such are all constant reminders, she’s not here and 
never will be again. Sometimes you just have to breathe through the 
pain. A pain that will be there for the rest of your life.On May 
26, 2018, my beautiful daughter, Danielle, made a decision that not only
 took her life, but flipped life upside down for her entire family and 
so many friends. She was texting on Snapchat while driving down the 
highway at 65 mph, didn’t see a semi in front of her that slowed to make
 a turn, and slammed into the back of it without braking. Thankfully she
 did not have her 3-year-old son with her and thankfully nobody else was
 injured, physically anyway.“I miss my mommy,” her son tells me. 
Me too buddy, me too. “My mommy had an accident right here,” he says as 
we drive by the dreaded oil-stained spot on the highway. She has already
 missed his first day of school, several birthdays, first experience 
playing baseball, school programs, and countless other events with so 
many yet to come. All moments Danielle would have been glowing over. Her
 son was her life. Those opportunities are gone for both Danielle and 
her son now because of a Snapchat that just couldn’t wait. Now we spend 
our time trying to keep her memory alive for him, telling “mommy 
stories,” and breathing through the pain.I spent the remainder of
 2018, all of 2019, and the beginning of 2020 (until COVID hit) 
traveling around to different schools in Kansas and Oklahoma telling our
 story. At my side was Shiane Wondra. Shiane’s story is exactly the same
 as Danielle’s, except Shiane lived through it. “Is it a risk you are 
willing to take?” - we would ask the students. I would leave each 
presentation and drive home bawling the entire way, sleep for hours 
afterwards, and pray we made an impact on at least one! If we can save 
just one family from going through this pain, it’s worth it.What 
is distracted driving? One might think, it’s a text message. While 
texting and driving is one form of distraction, it’s not the only form. 
Being distracted is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as, 
“having one’s thoughts or attention drawn away.” Therefore, anything 
that takes your eyes or mind off of the road is a distraction.I 
cannot tell you the number of live videos, pictures being taken, phone 
calls being made, or people scrambling around to find something in their
 car while driving. I STILL have friends that do these things. It’s 
heartbreaking. Some people just will not get it until they go through 
it. It can change your entire life, or the life of another, in a matter 
of seconds.On our Facebook page,&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdoit4danielle%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7CKim.Stich%40ks.gov%7Ce60cb058557041162fce08d96b4daf23%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637658803667338663%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=yXmAXRPsp1Mc4iCYa4ohZpU0JhQ%2FGjtDKlV5v9vLnf4%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.facebook.com/doit4danielle/</a>,
 is my original blog and countless stories of tragedies such as ours. 
Help spread the word! Help save a life! No matter what your age is, be 
the example. Make a commitment today to put your phone down while 
driving. Meanwhile, I will continue to share our story and breathe 
through the pain.Jacque Tierce, a grieving mom

Kansas mom shares story of losing daughter in car accident

As kids get adjusted to the return to school, many may struggle 
with new routines or difficult material. Many parents turn to a tutor to
 help keep kids motivated and learning. Hiring a tutor for your child is
 a great way to help them with a subject in which they struggle, ensure 
that they’re staying on top of their curriculum, or prepare them for an 
assessment.

When looking for a tutor, however, it can be difficult to know where 
to start. There are many different options out there: from frequency and
 subject matter to types of tutoring businesses. The following BBB tips 
will help find the best option for your child:

<a href="https://www.bbb.org/near-me/tutoring" target="_blank">Find a tutor near you.</a>

Look for businesses that adhere to the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/standards-for-trust">BBB Standards for Trust</a>. Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/bbb-accreditation-standards">BBB's Accreditation Standards</a>.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/golden-gate-better-business-bureau" target="_blank">BBB serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California</a>&nbsp; and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-serving-wisconsin" target="_blank">BBB serving Wisconsin</a> contributed to this article.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633364247969.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Better Business BureauAs kids get adjusted to the return to school, many may struggle 
with new routines or difficult material. Many parents turn to a tutor to
 help keep kids motivated and learning. Hiring a tutor for your child is
 a great way to help them with a subject in which they struggle, ensure 
that they’re staying on top of their curriculum, or prepare them for an 
assessment.When looking for a tutor, however, it can be difficult to know where 
to start. There are many different options out there: from frequency and
 subject matter to types of tutoring businesses. The following BBB tips 
will help find the best option for your child:<ul>
 <li>Know your options. There are many types of tutoring 
services: in-home one-on-one sessions, small group lessons, online 
instruction, and tutoring centers. You also have to choose between 
hiring an individual freelance tutor, and going through a tutoring 
company that will match you to a tutor. If you’re looking for a 
business, make sure to check&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/near-me/tutoring" target="_blank">BBB.org</a>. There you can see a business’ BBB Rating, complaint history and reviews from past customers. You can also use the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/search" target="_blank">BBB Directory</a>&nbsp;to find a trustworthy company.
</li><li>Ask for referrals. Asking friends and family if they
 have any recommendations is a great place to start. Consider asking 
your child’s favorite teacher, or other school employees for referrals. 
Make sure the tutor is knowledgeable in the specific area your child 
needs help in and has experience working with students your child’s age.
</li><li>Check references. You should ask the individual 
tutor or tutoring service for references, and contact them. It’s best to
 speak to at least three references. Ask about their experience with the
 tutor and what sort of results they saw. Is the tutor dependable? 
Friendly? Knowledgeable? When you’re interviewing potential tutors, make
 sure they understand what you’re looking for. Some tutors are better at
 homework help, some are better at long-term lessons, and some are 
better at quick test preparation. See what your tutor is used to doing, 
and examine if that’s what your child needs.
</li><li>Discuss the details. Don’t be afraid to ask 
questions! Make sure to talk about availability - when is the tutor free
 and how flexible are they? Having a consistent schedule is best, but 
additional sessions may be required if a big test is coming up. It’s 
important to discuss pricing before hiring a tutor. Price will depend on
 the level of experience of the tutor, frequency and type of sessions, 
and whether or not you’re going through a center. It’s also a good idea 
to talk to the tutor about benchmarks of success beforehand. Communicate
 the goals ahead of time and how they will be measured.
</li><li>Include your child. The most important factor to 
consider is your child’s comfort with the tutor. Make sure to include 
your child in the hiring process. Throughout the process, ask your child
 how they think the sessions are improving their school work. If your 
child is not comfortable with or doesn’t like a tutor, it can have a big
 impact on the session’s effectiveness. If a change needs to be made, 
don’t be afraid to find a different one.
</li><li>Find a qualified <a href="https://www.bbb.org/near-me/tutoring" target="_blank">tutor near you</a> in the BBB directory.&nbsp;Private tutors and tutoring companies promise to boost children's competence, but research before hiring.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><a href="https://www.bbb.org/near-me/tutoring" target="_blank">Find a tutor near you.</a>Look for businesses that adhere to the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/standards-for-trust">BBB Standards for Trust</a>. Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/bbb-accreditation-standards">BBB's Accreditation Standards</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/golden-gate-better-business-bureau" target="_blank">BBB serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California</a>&nbsp; and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-serving-wisconsin" target="_blank">BBB serving Wisconsin</a> contributed to this article.&nbsp;Cover photo courtesy Unsplash

Child struggling in school? Tips on hiring the right tutor

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that 18 new self-study seminars are available through the <a href="https://irstaxforumsonline.com/">IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Online</a>.

Tax professionals – CPAs, enrolled agents, Annual Filing Season 
Program participants and others – can earn continuing education for $29 
per credit.

The new seminars were recorded in July and August at the 2021 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum.

2021 Nationwide Tax Forums Online course listing

These 18 courses are now available in addition to 37 sessions from previous years that are also available for credit.

Information on continuing education credits

The Nationwide Tax Forums Online is a qualified sponsor of continuing
 education registered with the IRS Return Preparer Office (RPO) and the 
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).

To earn credit, tax pros need to create an account, answer review questions throughout the seminar and pass a short test.

The online seminars can be reviewed for free. Individuals who choose 
this option will not have access to the review questions or final 
examination and will not receive credit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that 18 new self-study seminars are available through the <a href="https://irstaxforumsonline.com/">IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Online</a>.Tax professionals – CPAs, enrolled agents, Annual Filing Season 
Program participants and others – can earn continuing education for $29 
per credit.The new seminars were recorded in July and August at the 2021 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum.<h2>2021 Nationwide Tax Forums Online course listing</h2><ol>
 <li>Advocating for Taxpayers in Order to Avoid Abusive Tax Schemes</li><li>Be Tax Ready – Understanding Rules for Due Diligence and the Child 
Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit Under the American Rescue Plan 
Act of 2021</li><li>Charities &amp; Tax-Exempt Organizations Update</li><li>Closer Look at the IRS Independent Office of Appeals</li><li>Collection Flexibilities During Difficult Economic Times</li><li>Common Issues Presented to OPR and Best Practices to Address Them</li><li>Determining an Individual's Tax Residency Status</li><li>e-Services and You</li><li>Gig Economy</li><li>&nbsp;Helping You and Your Clients Steer Clear of Fraud and Scams</li><li>&nbsp;Key Enforcement Issues</li><li>Keynote Address</li><li>Keys to Mastering Due Diligence Requirements and What to Expect During a Due Diligence Audit</li><li>&nbsp;Overview of Taxpayer Civil Rights</li><li>&nbsp;Professional Responsibility Obligations when Practicing before the IRS:&nbsp;OPR and Circular 230</li><li>&nbsp;Retirement Plans - IRS Compliance Initiatives</li><li>&nbsp;Tax Law Changes from a Forms Perspective</li><li>&nbsp;Virtual Currency</li>
 </ol>These 18 courses are now available in addition to 37 sessions from previous years that are also available for credit.<h2>Information on continuing education credits</h2>The Nationwide Tax Forums Online is a qualified sponsor of continuing
 education registered with the IRS Return Preparer Office (RPO) and the 
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).To earn credit, tax pros need to create an account, answer review questions throughout the seminar and pass a short test.The online seminars can be reviewed for free. Individuals who choose 
this option will not have access to the review questions or final 
examination and will not receive credit.For more information, visit <a href="https://irstaxforumsonline.com/">IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Online</a>.