WASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Internal Revenue Service announced today that 
starting Oct. 28, a new $67 user fee will apply to any estate that 
requests a closing letter for its federal estate tax return.

The new user fee was authorized under final regulations, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/td-9957.pdf">TD 9957</a>, available today in the Federal Register. Closing letter requests must be made using <a href="https://www.pay.gov/public/home">Pay.gov</a>. The IRS will provide further procedural details before the user fee goes into effect.

By law, federal agencies are required to charge a user fee to cover 
the cost of providing certain services to the public that confer a 
special benefit to the recipient. Moreover, agencies must review these 
fees every two years to determine whether they are recovering the cost 
of these services.

Under the final regulations, the IRS has determined that issuing 
closing letters is a service that confers a special benefit warranting a
 user fee. That's because, though obtaining a closing letter from the 
IRS can be helpful to an executor of an estate, it is not required by 
law. Moreover, the estate has the option of obtaining from the IRS, free
 of charge, an <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/transcripts-in-lieu-of-estate-tax-closing-letters">account transcript</a>,
 showing certain information from the estate tax return, comparable to 
that found in a closing letter. As noted in the final regulations, 
account transcripts can be used to confirm that an estate tax return 
examination has been completed and the IRS file has been closed, which 
is the reason most often cited for requesting a closing letter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Internal Revenue Service announced today that 
starting Oct. 28, a new $67 user fee will apply to any estate that 
requests a closing letter for its federal estate tax return.The new user fee was authorized under final regulations, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/td-9957.pdf">TD 9957</a>, available today in the Federal Register. Closing letter requests must be made using <a href="https://www.pay.gov/public/home">Pay.gov</a>. The IRS will provide further procedural details before the user fee goes into effect.By law, federal agencies are required to charge a user fee to cover 
the cost of providing certain services to the public that confer a 
special benefit to the recipient. Moreover, agencies must review these 
fees every two years to determine whether they are recovering the cost 
of these services.Under the final regulations, the IRS has determined that issuing 
closing letters is a service that confers a special benefit warranting a
 user fee. That's because, though obtaining a closing letter from the 
IRS can be helpful to an executor of an estate, it is not required by 
law. Moreover, the estate has the option of obtaining from the IRS, free
 of charge, an <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/transcripts-in-lieu-of-estate-tax-closing-letters">account transcript</a>,
 showing certain information from the estate tax return, comparable to 
that found in a closing letter. As noted in the final regulations, 
account transcripts can be used to confirm that an estate tax return 
examination has been completed and the IRS file has been closed, which 
is the reason most often cited for requesting a closing letter.

Federal estate tax fee goes into effect next month

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha woman has been charged with felony animal neglect after authorities found 45 dead animals inside her home. 

A judge set 47-year-old Jaime Kimbrough's bail at $20,000 on Friday. The Omaha World-Herald could not reach her by phone for comment Saturday night. 

According to court documents, Kimbrough’s home was searched on Aug. 19. Investigators said they found a garage with solid rabbit waste several inches high and a basement with abundant dog feces and mold. 

Two birdcages were in a bedroom with two bird skeletons inside. Thirty-eight dead rabbits were found in the garage, and five more dead rabbits were found at a second location owned by Kimbrough.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha woman has been charged with felony animal neglect after authorities found 45 dead animals inside her home. A judge set 47-year-old Jaime Kimbrough's bail at $20,000 on Friday. The Omaha World-Herald could not reach her by phone for comment Saturday night. According to court documents, Kimbrough’s home was searched on Aug. 19. Investigators said they found a garage with solid rabbit waste several inches high and a basement with abundant dog feces and mold. Two birdcages were in a bedroom with two bird skeletons inside. Thirty-eight dead rabbits were found in the garage, and five more dead rabbits were found at a second location owned by Kimbrough.

Omaha woman charged after authorities find 45 dead animals

NEW YORK (AP) — Amid the Boy Scouts of America’s complex bankruptcy case, there is worsening friction between the BSA and the major religious groups that help it run thousands of scout units. At issue: the churches’ fears that an eventual settlement — while protecting the BSA from future sex-abuse lawsuits — could leave many churches unprotected.

The Boy Scouts sought bankruptcy protection in February 2020 in an effort to halt individual lawsuits and create a huge compensation fund for thousands of men who say they were molested as youngsters by scoutmasters or other leaders. At the time, the national organization estimated it might face 5,000 cases; it now faces 82,500.

In July, the BSA proposed an $850 million deal that would bar further lawsuits against it and its local councils. The deal did not cover the more than 40,000 organizations that have charters with the BSA to sponsor scout units, including many churches from major religious denominations that are now questioning their future involvement in scouting.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.umc.org/en/content/bsa-bankruptcy-affects-united-methodist-congregations" target="_blank">United Methodist Church</a>&nbsp;— which says up to 5,000 of its U.S. congregations could be affected by future lawsuits — recently advised those churches not to extend their charters with the BSA beyond the end of this year. The UMC said these congregations were “disappointed and very concerned” that they weren’t included in the July deal.

Everett Cygal, a lawyer for Catholic churches monitoring the case, said it is unfair that parishes now face liability “solely as a result of misconduct by Boy Scout troop leaders who frequently had no connection to the parish.”

“Scouting can only be delivered with help of their chartered organizations,” Cygal told The Associated Press. “It’s shortsighted not to be protecting the people they absolutely need to ensure that scouting is viable in the future.”

Officials of several other denominations — including the Southern Baptist Convention, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — have advised their churches to hire their own legal counsel if they fear possible sex-abuse litigation.

The Presbyterian Church said its national leadership can’t act on behalf of member churches because they are separate corporations. The leadership of the Evangelical Lutheran church also said its congregations were on their own, legally speaking, and must decide for themselves whether to continue any relationship with the BSA.

“As a result of the bankruptcy, the congregation cannot confidently rely on the BSA, the local council, or their insurers to defend it,” the Lutheran church warned. “The congregation needs to make sure that it has sufficient insurance and that its own insurance will cover them.”

The Boy Scouts, in a statement provided to the AP, said its partnership with chartered organizations, including churches, “has been critical to delivering the Scouting program to millions of youth in our country for generations.” It said negotiations with those organizations are continuing, and it hopes to conclude the bankruptcy proceedings around the end of this year.

Negotiators face a challenging situation.

According to lawyers representing different parties in the bankruptcy case, the Boy Scouts have suggested chartered organizations have some protection from liability for abuse cases that occurred after 1975, due to an insurance arrangement that took effect in 1976. The BSA has said there’s little or no protection, however, for the many pre-1976 cases, and the best way for organizations to gain protection for that era would be to make a substantial financial contribution to a settlement fund.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took such a step last week, agreeing to contribute $250 million to a compensation fund in exchange for a release from further liability. The denomination, widely known as the Mormon church, pulled its units out of the BSA on Jan. 1, 2020, after decades as the biggest sponsor.

One key distinction: The Latter-day Saints have a centralized governing structure, making possible a contribution covering its vast former network of scout units. The remaining faith-based charter organizations are more decentralized, complicating the question of how contributions to the compensation fund would be mandated and organized.

Jeremy Ryan, a lawyer representing United Methodist churches, said his clients believe there is some pre-1976 insurance available to them under policies the BSA and its local councils held at the time.

Cygal, the lawyer representing Catholic churches, made a similar argument but said some chartered organizations eventually may have to make an appropriate financial contribution “to put an end to this dispute once and for all.”

Another complication in the negotiations: differing views on how much blame lies with the churches.

Some of the churches argue that they merely provided a venue for a local scout unit to meet, while scout leaders were responsible for hiring decisions that might have led to sexual abuse. Some lawyers for the plaintiffs disagree, saying church leaders were often actively involved in those decisions.

“The Scouts had plenty of fault due to their negligence, but the local institutions had plenty of fault also,” said Christopher Hurley, whose Chicago law firm says it represents about 4,000 men who filed claims in the bankruptcy.

“It’s just not OK to pass the buck on this,” Hurley added. “Everybody’s got to suck it up and make a fair contribution to get justice for these guys.”

Stephen Crew, whose Oregon-based law firm represents about 400 plaintiffs, said he sympathizes with faith-based chartered organizations who “worry about being hung out to dry.”

“But survivors also have a lot of anxiety,” said Crew. “And the problem now is that the insurance companies are balking at everybody.”

A third lawyer for plaintiffs, California-based Paul Mones, blamed the churches’ predicament on the BSA, saying its initial bankruptcy strategy failed to properly anticipate the impact on chartered organizations.

“For decades, the religious organizations have been the backbone of the BSA,” Mones said. “They did not sign up thinking they’d have any kind of liability ... and all of a sudden they’re being told, ‘You’re going to get sued.’ It’s a hot mess.”

Some church leaders, such as United Methodist Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., have been blunt in their dismay over the bankruptcy fallout.

“This is a very sad and tragic matter that has occurred within our nation and the Church,” Saenz said in a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.greatplainsumc.org/newsdetail/churches-receive-instructions-on-boy-scouts-bankruptcy-15408400" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;to the clergy he oversees in Kansas and Nebraska. He said there might be 110 abuse claims in the bankruptcy case potentially connected to UMC churches in his region.

Saenz said the BSA might struggle to move forward post-bankruptcy without participation of the UMC, the biggest active sponsor of Scout units.

But due to BSA positions in the case that are detrimental to the UMC, Saenz wrote, “We simply cannot currently commit to the relationship with the BSA as we have in the past.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Amid the Boy Scouts of America’s complex bankruptcy case, there is worsening friction between the BSA and the major religious groups that help it run thousands of scout units. At issue: the churches’ fears that an eventual settlement — while protecting the BSA from future sex-abuse lawsuits — could leave many churches unprotected.The Boy Scouts sought bankruptcy protection in February 2020 in an effort to halt individual lawsuits and create a huge compensation fund for thousands of men who say they were molested as youngsters by scoutmasters or other leaders. At the time, the national organization estimated it might face 5,000 cases; it now faces 82,500.In July, the BSA proposed an $850 million deal that would bar further lawsuits against it and its local councils. The deal did not cover the more than 40,000 organizations that have charters with the BSA to sponsor scout units, including many churches from major religious denominations that are now questioning their future involvement in scouting.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.umc.org/en/content/bsa-bankruptcy-affects-united-methodist-congregations" target="_blank">United Methodist Church</a>&nbsp;— which says up to 5,000 of its U.S. congregations could be affected by future lawsuits — recently advised those churches not to extend their charters with the BSA beyond the end of this year. The UMC said these congregations were “disappointed and very concerned” that they weren’t included in the July deal.Everett Cygal, a lawyer for Catholic churches monitoring the case, said it is unfair that parishes now face liability “solely as a result of misconduct by Boy Scout troop leaders who frequently had no connection to the parish.”“Scouting can only be delivered with help of their chartered organizations,” Cygal told The Associated Press. “It’s shortsighted not to be protecting the people they absolutely need to ensure that scouting is viable in the future.”Officials of several other denominations — including the Southern Baptist Convention, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — have advised their churches to hire their own legal counsel if they fear possible sex-abuse litigation.The Presbyterian Church said its national leadership can’t act on behalf of member churches because they are separate corporations. The leadership of the Evangelical Lutheran church also said its congregations were on their own, legally speaking, and must decide for themselves whether to continue any relationship with the BSA.“As a result of the bankruptcy, the congregation cannot confidently rely on the BSA, the local council, or their insurers to defend it,” the Lutheran church warned. “The congregation needs to make sure that it has sufficient insurance and that its own insurance will cover them.”The Boy Scouts, in a statement provided to the AP, said its partnership with chartered organizations, including churches, “has been critical to delivering the Scouting program to millions of youth in our country for generations.” It said negotiations with those organizations are continuing, and it hopes to conclude the bankruptcy proceedings around the end of this year.Negotiators face a challenging situation.According to lawyers representing different parties in the bankruptcy case, the Boy Scouts have suggested chartered organizations have some protection from liability for abuse cases that occurred after 1975, due to an insurance arrangement that took effect in 1976. The BSA has said there’s little or no protection, however, for the many pre-1976 cases, and the best way for organizations to gain protection for that era would be to make a substantial financial contribution to a settlement fund.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took such a step last week, agreeing to contribute $250 million to a compensation fund in exchange for a release from further liability. The denomination, widely known as the Mormon church, pulled its units out of the BSA on Jan. 1, 2020, after decades as the biggest sponsor.One key distinction: The Latter-day Saints have a centralized governing structure, making possible a contribution covering its vast former network of scout units. The remaining faith-based charter organizations are more decentralized, complicating the question of how contributions to the compensation fund would be mandated and organized.Jeremy Ryan, a lawyer representing United Methodist churches, said his clients believe there is some pre-1976 insurance available to them under policies the BSA and its local councils held at the time.Cygal, the lawyer representing Catholic churches, made a similar argument but said some chartered organizations eventually may have to make an appropriate financial contribution “to put an end to this dispute once and for all.”Another complication in the negotiations: differing views on how much blame lies with the churches.Some of the churches argue that they merely provided a venue for a local scout unit to meet, while scout leaders were responsible for hiring decisions that might have led to sexual abuse. Some lawyers for the plaintiffs disagree, saying church leaders were often actively involved in those decisions.“The Scouts had plenty of fault due to their negligence, but the local institutions had plenty of fault also,” said Christopher Hurley, whose Chicago law firm says it represents about 4,000 men who filed claims in the bankruptcy.“It’s just not OK to pass the buck on this,” Hurley added. “Everybody’s got to suck it up and make a fair contribution to get justice for these guys.”Stephen Crew, whose Oregon-based law firm represents about 400 plaintiffs, said he sympathizes with faith-based chartered organizations who “worry about being hung out to dry.”“But survivors also have a lot of anxiety,” said Crew. “And the problem now is that the insurance companies are balking at everybody.”A third lawyer for plaintiffs, California-based Paul Mones, blamed the churches’ predicament on the BSA, saying its initial bankruptcy strategy failed to properly anticipate the impact on chartered organizations.“For decades, the religious organizations have been the backbone of the BSA,” Mones said. “They did not sign up thinking they’d have any kind of liability ... and all of a sudden they’re being told, ‘You’re going to get sued.’ It’s a hot mess.”Some church leaders, such as United Methodist Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., have been blunt in their dismay over the bankruptcy fallout.“This is a very sad and tragic matter that has occurred within our nation and the Church,” Saenz said in a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.greatplainsumc.org/newsdetail/churches-receive-instructions-on-boy-scouts-bankruptcy-15408400" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;to the clergy he oversees in Kansas and Nebraska. He said there might be 110 abuse claims in the bankruptcy case potentially connected to UMC churches in his region.Saenz said the BSA might struggle to move forward post-bankruptcy without participation of the UMC, the biggest active sponsor of Scout units.But due to BSA positions in the case that are detrimental to the UMC, Saenz wrote, “We simply cannot currently commit to the relationship with the BSA as we have in the past.”

Boy Scouts' bankruptcy creates rift with religious partners

HALL COUNTY, Neb.-Authorities in Hall County are searching for a suspect in an assault case and said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

On Sept. 23, at approximately 11:30 a.m. Hall County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 3533 Prairieview St., Grand Island Regional Hospital, in Grand Island reference an assault that occurred in Alda.

Deputies contacted the victim and after the investigation determined 36-year-old James Timmerman had pointed a handgun at the victim and threatened to shoot her at their residence in Alda at approximately 10 a.m. that day. Timmerman also physically assaulted the victim and stole items from her.  

Timmerman then transported the victim to Grand Island Regional Hospital after she complained of an injury. He accompanied the victim into the hospital but left shortly afterward.  

Timmerman’s whereabouts are unknown at this time and he should be considered armed and dangerous.  An arrest warrant has been issued for him for the following criminal charges: Terroristic Threats, Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony, Domestic Assault 3rd Degree, Assault by Strangulation, Robbery, and False Imprisonment.

If you have information on Timmerman’s whereabouts please contact the Sheriff’s Department at 308-385-5200 or call 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632666583869.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HALL COUNTY, Neb.-Authorities in Hall County are searching for a suspect in an assault case and said he should be considered armed and dangerous.On Sept. 23, at approximately 11:30 a.m. Hall County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 3533 Prairieview St., Grand Island Regional Hospital, in Grand Island reference an assault that occurred in Alda.Deputies contacted the victim and after the investigation determined 36-year-old James Timmerman had pointed a handgun at the victim and threatened to shoot her at their residence in Alda at approximately 10 a.m. that day. Timmerman also physically assaulted the victim and stole items from her. Timmerman then transported the victim to Grand Island Regional Hospital after she complained of an injury. He accompanied the victim into the hospital but left shortly afterward. Timmerman’s whereabouts are unknown at this time and he should be considered armed and dangerous. An arrest warrant has been issued for him for the following criminal charges: Terroristic Threats, Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony, Domestic Assault 3rd Degree, Assault by Strangulation, Robbery, and False Imprisonment.If you have information on Timmerman’s whereabouts please contact the Sheriff’s Department at 308-385-5200 or call 911.

Hall County authorities search for assault suspect

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats pushed a $3.5 trillion, 10-year bill strengthening social safety net and climate programs through the House Budget Committee, but one Democrat voted “no,” illustrating the challenges party leaders face in winning the near unanimity they’ll need to push the sprawling package through Congress.

The Democratic-dominated panel, meeting virtually Saturday, approved the measure on a near party-line vote, 20-17. Passage marked a necessary but minor checking of a procedural box for Democrats by edging it a step closer to debate by the full House. Under budget rules, the committee wasn’t allowed to significantly amend the 2,465-page measure, the product of 13 other House committees.

More important work has been happening in an opaque procession of mostly unannounced phone calls, meetings and other bargaining sessions among party leaders and rank-and-file lawmakers.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-jon-tester-50483a8c3be3d60d3d4e171db68dd5c1">President Joe Biden</a>, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have led a behind-the-scenes hunt for compromises to resolve internal divisions and, they hope, allow approval of the mammoth bill soon.

Pelosi told fellow Democrats Saturday that they “must” pass the social and environment package this week, along with a separate infrastructure bill and a third measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-bcc426ff4b7225132bcbf870ecaaf9d8">preventing a government shutdown on Friday</a>. Her letter to colleagues underscored the pile of crucial work Congress’ Democratic majority faces in coming days and seemed an effort to build urgency to resolve long-standing disputes quickly.

“The next few days will be a time of intensity,” she wrote.

Moderate Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., joined all 16 Republicans on the Budget committee in opposing the legislation. His objections included one that troubles many Democrats: a reluctance to back a bill with provisions that would later be dropped by the Senate.

Many Democrats don’t want to become politically vulnerable by backing language that might be controversial back home, only to see it not become law. That preference for voting only on a social and environment bill that’s already a House-Senate compromise could complicate Pelosi’s effort for a House vote this week.

Peters was among three Democrats who earlier this month voted against a plan favored by most in his party to lower pharmaceutical costs by letting Medicare negotiate for the prescription drugs it buys.

Party leaders have tried for weeks to resolve differences among Democrats over the package’s final price tag, which seems sure to shrink. There are also disputes over which initiatives should be reshaped, among them expanded Medicare, tax breaks for children and health care, a push toward cleaner energy and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-nancy-pelosi-10f0a84bc96fdaf86a92fa4d3ab69a5c">higher levies on the rich and corporations</a>.

Democrats’ wafer-thin majorities in the House and Senate mean compromise is mandatory. Before the measure the Budget panel approved Saturday even reaches the House floor, it is expected to be changed to reflect whatever House-Senate accords have been reached, and additional revisions are likely.

The overall bill embodies the crux of Biden’s top domestic goals. Budget panel chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., cited “decades of disinvestment” on needs like health care, education, child care and the environment as the rationale for the legislation.

“The futures of millions of Americans and their families are at stake. We can no longer afford the costs of neglect and inaction. The time to act is now,” Yarmuth said.

Republicans say the proposal is unneeded, unaffordable amid accumulated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-explained-8c9cbcd3d0c4a8fe989a0110f5159f7c">federal debt exceeding $28 trillion&nbsp;</a>and reflects Democrats’ drive to insert government into people’s lives. Its tax boosts will cost jobs and include credits for buying electric vehicles, purchases often made by people with comfortable incomes, they said.

“This bill is a disaster for working-class families,” said Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, the committee’s top Republican. “It’s a big giveaway to the wealthy, it’s a laundry list of agenda items pulled right out of the Bernie Sanders socialist playbook.”

The unusual weekend session occurred as top Democrats amp up efforts to end increasingly bitter disputes between the party’s centrist and progressive wings that threaten to undermine Biden’s agenda.

Biden conceded Friday that talks among Democrats were at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-b9fb060c728da28709fc9effaecb0b9a">“stalemate,”</a>&nbsp;though Pelosi and Schumer have been more positive in an apparent effort to build momentum and soothe differences. A collapse of the measure at his own party’s hands would be a wounding preview to the coming election year, in which House and Senate control are at stake.

To nail down moderates’ support for an earlier budget blueprint, Pelosi promised to begin House consideration by Monday of another pillar of Biden’s domestic plans: a $1 trillion collection of roadway and other infrastructure projects. Pelosi reaffirmed this week that the infrastructure debate would begin Monday.

But many moderates who consider the infrastructure bill their top goal also want to cut the $3.5 trillion social and environment package and trim or reshape some programs. They include Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.

In response, progressives — their top priority is the $3.5 trillion measure — are threatening to vote against the infrastructure bill if it comes up for a vote first. Their opposition seems likely to be enough to scuttle it, and Pelosi hasn’t definitively said when a vote on final passage of the infrastructure measure will occur.

With each portion of the party threatening to upend the other’s most cherished goal —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-elections-campaigns-race-and-ethnicity-5a5a71aab543b990464207e1062c32aa">a political disaster in the making for Democrats</a>&nbsp;— top Democrats are using the moment to accelerate talks on the massive social and climate legislation. The party can lose no votes in the Senate and a maximum of three in the House to succeed in the narrowly split Congress.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632661305209.png" alt="Many Democrats don’t want to become politically vulnerable by backing language that might be controversial back home, only to see it not become law.&nbsp; Photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Many Democrats don’t want to become politically vulnerable by backing language that might be controversial back home, only to see it not become law.&nbsp; Photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats pushed a $3.5 trillion, 10-year bill strengthening social safety net and climate programs through the House Budget Committee, but one Democrat voted “no,” illustrating the challenges party leaders face in winning the near unanimity they’ll need to push the sprawling package through Congress.The Democratic-dominated panel, meeting virtually Saturday, approved the measure on a near party-line vote, 20-17. Passage marked a necessary but minor checking of a procedural box for Democrats by edging it a step closer to debate by the full House. Under budget rules, the committee wasn’t allowed to significantly amend the 2,465-page measure, the product of 13 other House committees.More important work has been happening in an opaque procession of mostly unannounced phone calls, meetings and other bargaining sessions among party leaders and rank-and-file lawmakers.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-jon-tester-50483a8c3be3d60d3d4e171db68dd5c1">President Joe Biden</a>, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have led a behind-the-scenes hunt for compromises to resolve internal divisions and, they hope, allow approval of the mammoth bill soon.Pelosi told fellow Democrats Saturday that they “must” pass the social and environment package this week, along with a separate infrastructure bill and a third measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-bcc426ff4b7225132bcbf870ecaaf9d8">preventing a government shutdown on Friday</a>. Her letter to colleagues underscored the pile of crucial work Congress’ Democratic majority faces in coming days and seemed an effort to build urgency to resolve long-standing disputes quickly.“The next few days will be a time of intensity,” she wrote.Moderate Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., joined all 16 Republicans on the Budget committee in opposing the legislation. His objections included one that troubles many Democrats: a reluctance to back a bill with provisions that would later be dropped by the Senate.Many Democrats don’t want to become politically vulnerable by backing language that might be controversial back home, only to see it not become law. That preference for voting only on a social and environment bill that’s already a House-Senate compromise could complicate Pelosi’s effort for a House vote this week.Peters was among three Democrats who earlier this month voted against a plan favored by most in his party to lower pharmaceutical costs by letting Medicare negotiate for the prescription drugs it buys.Party leaders have tried for weeks to resolve differences among Democrats over the package’s final price tag, which seems sure to shrink. There are also disputes over which initiatives should be reshaped, among them expanded Medicare, tax breaks for children and health care, a push toward cleaner energy and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-nancy-pelosi-10f0a84bc96fdaf86a92fa4d3ab69a5c">higher levies on the rich and corporations</a>.Democrats’ wafer-thin majorities in the House and Senate mean compromise is mandatory. Before the measure the Budget panel approved Saturday even reaches the House floor, it is expected to be changed to reflect whatever House-Senate accords have been reached, and additional revisions are likely.The overall bill embodies the crux of Biden’s top domestic goals. Budget panel chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., cited “decades of disinvestment” on needs like health care, education, child care and the environment as the rationale for the legislation.“The futures of millions of Americans and their families are at stake. We can no longer afford the costs of neglect and inaction. The time to act is now,” Yarmuth said.Republicans say the proposal is unneeded, unaffordable amid accumulated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-explained-8c9cbcd3d0c4a8fe989a0110f5159f7c">federal debt exceeding $28 trillion&nbsp;</a>and reflects Democrats’ drive to insert government into people’s lives. Its tax boosts will cost jobs and include credits for buying electric vehicles, purchases often made by people with comfortable incomes, they said.“This bill is a disaster for working-class families,” said Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, the committee’s top Republican. “It’s a big giveaway to the wealthy, it’s a laundry list of agenda items pulled right out of the Bernie Sanders socialist playbook.”The unusual weekend session occurred as top Democrats amp up efforts to end increasingly bitter disputes between the party’s centrist and progressive wings that threaten to undermine Biden’s agenda.Biden conceded Friday that talks among Democrats were at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-b9fb060c728da28709fc9effaecb0b9a">“stalemate,”</a>&nbsp;though Pelosi and Schumer have been more positive in an apparent effort to build momentum and soothe differences. A collapse of the measure at his own party’s hands would be a wounding preview to the coming election year, in which House and Senate control are at stake.To nail down moderates’ support for an earlier budget blueprint, Pelosi promised to begin House consideration by Monday of another pillar of Biden’s domestic plans: a $1 trillion collection of roadway and other infrastructure projects. Pelosi reaffirmed this week that the infrastructure debate would begin Monday.But many moderates who consider the infrastructure bill their top goal also want to cut the $3.5 trillion social and environment package and trim or reshape some programs. They include Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.In response, progressives — their top priority is the $3.5 trillion measure — are threatening to vote against the infrastructure bill if it comes up for a vote first. Their opposition seems likely to be enough to scuttle it, and Pelosi hasn’t definitively said when a vote on final passage of the infrastructure measure will occur.With each portion of the party threatening to upend the other’s most cherished goal —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-elections-campaigns-race-and-ethnicity-5a5a71aab543b990464207e1062c32aa">a political disaster in the making for Democrats</a>&nbsp;— top Democrats are using the moment to accelerate talks on the massive social and climate legislation. The party can lose no votes in the Senate and a maximum of three in the House to succeed in the narrowly split Congress.

Panel OKs Dems' $3.5T bill, crunch time for Biden agenda

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego police are investigating the deaths of a woman and her 2-year-old son Saturday after they fell from the third level of Petco Park, just as thousands of baseball fans were heading inside for a Padres game, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. 

The woman, 40, and the boy were pronounced dead at 4:11 p.m., about 20 minutes after police were alerted to the incident, Lt. Andra Brown told the newspaper. 

The pair fell from the third level concourse — the equivalent of six stories high — to the sidewalk below on Tony Gwynn Drive, Brown said. 

Police told the Union-Tribune that the victims’ deaths “appeared to be suspicious.”

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego police are investigating the deaths of a woman and her 2-year-old son Saturday after they fell from the third level of Petco Park, just as thousands of baseball fans were heading inside for a Padres game, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The woman, 40, and the boy were pronounced dead at 4:11 p.m., about 20 minutes after police were alerted to the incident, Lt. Andra Brown told the newspaper. The pair fell from the third level concourse — the equivalent of six stories high — to the sidewalk below on Tony Gwynn Drive, Brown said. Police told the Union-Tribune that the victims’ deaths “appeared to be suspicious.”

Police investigate fatal fall of mother, son at ballpark

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming's governor has activated the Wyoming National Guard to provide temporary assistance to hospitals that are dealing with a surge of patients with COVID-19. 

Gov. Mark Gordon activated 95 soldiers and airmen on Tuesday to serve at 24 sites in 17 Wyoming cities. 

Guard members will help with cleanup, food service, COVID-19 screening, managing supplies of personal protective equipment and other support tasks. 

The Guard members will serve 14- to 30-day rotations, with the potential to extend through the end of the year.

 On Tuesday, there were 190 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Wyoming, down from a recent high of 223 on Sept. 8.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming's governor has activated the Wyoming National Guard to provide temporary assistance to hospitals that are dealing with a surge of patients with COVID-19. Gov. Mark Gordon activated 95 soldiers and airmen on Tuesday to serve at 24 sites in 17 Wyoming cities. Guard members will help with cleanup, food service, COVID-19 screening, managing supplies of personal protective equipment and other support tasks. The Guard members will serve 14- to 30-day rotations, with the potential to extend through the end of the year. On Tuesday, there were 190 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Wyoming, down from a recent high of 223 on Sept. 8.

Wyoming governor activates Guard for hospital COVID-19 cases

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — The Rapid City Council has approved an ordinance which establishes rules for medical marijuana dispensaries in the community. 

The rules go into effect Oct. 2 following the council’s 8-1 voted Monday night.

 The ordinance limits the number of dispensaries to 15 within city limits.

 Council member Bill Evans cast the only opposing vote, saying he believes the market should decide the number of dispensaries, or the city should have its own facility. 

Businesses who apply for a medical cannabis and receive a license will have one year to get the business up and running. 

Licenses cost $5,000 and require an annual renewal fee of the same amount.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — The Rapid City Council has approved an ordinance which establishes rules for medical marijuana dispensaries in the community. The rules go into effect Oct. 2 following the council’s 8-1 voted Monday night. The ordinance limits the number of dispensaries to 15 within city limits. Council member Bill Evans cast the only opposing vote, saying he believes the market should decide the number of dispensaries, or the city should have its own facility. Businesses who apply for a medical cannabis and receive a license will have one year to get the business up and running. Licenses cost $5,000 and require an annual renewal fee of the same amount.

Rapid City establishes rules for medical marijuana sellers

WAHOO, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska police officer has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a child. 

Sean Vilmont turned himself in Friday and was jailed on three counts of third-degree child sexual assault. 

The 51-year-old Fremont, Nebraska resident had been on administrative leave at the Wahoo Police Department as the Nebraska State Patrol investigated. 

Wahoo Police say he's been fired following the criminal charges. Online court records did not list a lawyer for Vilmont as of Saturday morning. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports Vilmont is accused of having sexual contact with a child between 11 and 12 years old in January.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632657157994.png" alt="Vilmont" />
 <figcaption>Vilmont</figcaption>
 </figure>WAHOO, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska police officer has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a child. Sean Vilmont turned himself in Friday and was jailed on three counts of third-degree child sexual assault. The 51-year-old Fremont, Nebraska resident had been on administrative leave at the Wahoo Police Department as the Nebraska State Patrol investigated. Wahoo Police say he's been fired following the criminal charges. Online court records did not list a lawyer for Vilmont as of Saturday morning. The Lincoln Journal Star reports Vilmont is accused of having sexual contact with a child between 11 and 12 years old in January.

Nebraska police officer charged with child sexual assault

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Reported sexual assaults have sparked large protests on college campuses in at least seven states just weeks into the new school year, which advocates say reflects both a greater vulnerability among students who spent last school year learning remotelyand a greater ability among young people to make themselves heard on the issue.

Such protests aren’t new, but there seems to have been an unusually large number already this semester, with demonstrations over the past month at schools in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Alabama, Michigan, Massachusetts and Missouri. Protesters have accused their schools of doing too little to protect students and being too lenient with on the accused.

Those pushing for tougher measures against sexual violence also say the protests are being led by students familiar with the #MeToo movement and cases like that of former USA Gymnastics team doctor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/simone-biles-gymnastics-sexual-abuse-larry-nassar-cb63ffbfd09d9d4ffe21561aa63d3ca5">Larry Nassar</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-cosby-conviction-overturned-5c073fb64bc5df4d7b99ee7fadddbe5a">Bill Cosby.</a>&nbsp;And they say a protest on one campus inspires them on others.

“It is this national push that we’re starting to see for accountability of colleges,” said Tracey Vitchers, executive director of It’s On Us, a nonprofit focused on building a movement to combat sexual violence on campuses.

More than half of sexual assaults against students occur between the start of fall classes and the Thanksgiving break, and generally freshmen and transfer students are the most vulnerable to sexual assault because they aren’t familiar with the campuses and haven’t solidified their social networks. Victims’ advocates call the period “the red zone.”

“We’re in a period of a double red zone,” said Shiwali Patel, senior counsel for the National Women’s Law Center, who also directs its efforts to provide justice for assault survivors. “We have the first-year students and the second-year students who are now being on campus for the first time.”

The wave of protests started after a student reported being sexually assaulted at a University Nebraska-Lincoln fraternity house just before midnight on Aug. 24. Police received&nbsp;<a href="https://scsapps.unl.edu/policereports/MainPage.aspx" target="_blank">a separate report</a>&nbsp;about a “wild party” there.

The following night, about 1,000 protesters surrounded the fraternity house. Police are investigating the assault report and the university temporarily&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sexual-assault-dc3c1be455b779b007350a3faa8475c2">suspended the fraternity’s operations</a>&nbsp;as it reviews the group’s conduct.

Protests at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vandalism-sexual-assault-5f64aa41280eb2f801e77f9199d7df86">the University of Iowa</a>&nbsp;began less than a week later against a chapter of the same fraternity over a year-old allegation of sexual assault that authorities are still investigating.

In Kansas, students protested at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-lawrence-university-of-kansas-07864830812de6692b15706ddc628fbe">the University of Kansas,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-kansas-sexual-assault-wichita-wichita-state-university-9ba9be87606eaa283e6fbbe05389c82d">Wichita State University</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-sexual-assault-topeka-166184303274524b67835ea2ca3f2f8a">Topeka West High School</a>&nbsp;last week over various reported assaults, and students at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-sexual-assault-auburn-auburn-university-a9fce03c533a39e2a2e034894f7152f9">Auburn University</a>&nbsp;in Alabama and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/09/16/eastern-michigan-fraternities-under-review-sexual-assault/5769232001/" target="_blank">Eastern Michigan University</a>&nbsp;also held demonstrations. Protests this week included one at the University of Massachusetts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/09/19/metro/hundreds-students-protest-outside-umass-fraternity-house-alleging-sexual-assault/" target="_blank">in Amherst.</a>

At&nbsp;<a href="https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/cmu-students-call-for-accountability-for-sexual-misconduct/article_4e1357a6-1bfb-11ec-8371-3b42c3151b24.html" target="_blank">Central Methodist University,</a>&nbsp;a small Missouri liberal arts school between Kansas City and St. Louis, about 50 students protested this week in support of Layla Beyer, a 19-year-old sophomore who said a fellow music student sexually assaulted her during the first semester of her freshman year.

The Associated Press typically doesn’t identify sexual assault victims, but Beyer allowed her name to be used.

The university said it can’t comment about an individual student’s case, but spokesperson Scott Queen said, “There will be ongoing discussions regarding the topics addressed at the protest.”

Beyer reported the assault and said she received a no-contact order against her assailant, who played the same instrument and was constantly around. But she said he repeatedly violated it without facing serious consequences.

“A lot of times, survivors don’t have anybody to stand up for them besides themselves,” Beyer said.

Administrators at other colleges have said they’re committed to helping victims and educating students about appropriate behavior.

University of Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green outlined plans that included expanding from two members to four a team that helps victims, and improving training and education about sexual assault.

Eastern Michigan’s new initiatives include annual training for students and separate training to encourage people to intervene if they see inappropriate behavior. It also is considering the future of a fraternity at the center of multiple sexual assault allegations.

“Students speak out, protest and take action because they want to see their institutions respond with the same level of anger, determination and commitment to keep their communities safe,” said Walter Kraft, Eastern Michigan’s vice president of communications.

Vitchers said helping survivors is no longer enough. She said universities must educate students to prevent assaults and punish the perpetrators and groups fostering an environment in which sexual violence is viewed as normal or no big deal.

Older advocates said current students have better access to social media and embrace activism more readily than their predecessors. Angela Esquivel Hawkins, a Stanford University administrator and CEO of a group that helps victims’ friends and families, said students now are wiser about things such as choosing hashtags to make messages trend on Twitter.

“The more iterations of social media that come up in the future, the more that people are going to get more and more connected and more and more savvy about how to organize and be efficient in their efforts,” Hawkins said.

At the University of Iowa, 18-year-old freshman Amelia Keller and her friends turned to Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to rally people to the recent protest at the school. Keller also has worked with a campus group advocating for rape victims.

“We want to be able to trust and depend upon those who claim to care about the protection of vulnerable students,” Keller said in texts to The Associated Press. “Right now, we cannot.”

At Eastern Michigan, 18-year-old freshman Abbie Francis helped organize last week’s protest at that school and used an app to attract dozens of members within two hours to a new Sexual Assault and Rape Awareness group. Eastern Michigan students also held a protest in March.

“Everyone that I have talked to in the past few weeks has expressed that they feel extremely unsafe,” she said in an email to The Associated Press.

At Central Methodist, Beyer said she felt forced to choose between dropping out of band or having to face her assailant frequently despite repeatedly telling administrators that he should be the one to leave. She said the administrators “completely invalidated me.”

And Beyer said she lost her passion for music because of the assault and her subsequent treatment. She dropped her music education major and is now majoring in psychology instead.

“You get to the point where, no one’s hearing you and nobody’s doing anything for you,” Beyer said. “Having students, especially ones that go to your school, to be by your side and stand up for you, it means a lot.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631616617472.png" alt="Protests at the University of Kansas photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Protests at the University of Kansas photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA and SUMMER BALLENTINETOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Reported sexual assaults have sparked large protests on college campuses in at least seven states just weeks into the new school year, which advocates say reflects both a greater vulnerability among students who spent last school year learning remotelyand a greater ability among young people to make themselves heard on the issue.Such protests aren’t new, but there seems to have been an unusually large number already this semester, with demonstrations over the past month at schools in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Alabama, Michigan, Massachusetts and Missouri. Protesters have accused their schools of doing too little to protect students and being too lenient with on the accused.Those pushing for tougher measures against sexual violence also say the protests are being led by students familiar with the #MeToo movement and cases like that of former USA Gymnastics team doctor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/simone-biles-gymnastics-sexual-abuse-larry-nassar-cb63ffbfd09d9d4ffe21561aa63d3ca5">Larry Nassar</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-cosby-conviction-overturned-5c073fb64bc5df4d7b99ee7fadddbe5a">Bill Cosby.</a>&nbsp;And they say a protest on one campus inspires them on others.“It is this national push that we’re starting to see for accountability of colleges,” said Tracey Vitchers, executive director of It’s On Us, a nonprofit focused on building a movement to combat sexual violence on campuses.More than half of sexual assaults against students occur between the start of fall classes and the Thanksgiving break, and generally freshmen and transfer students are the most vulnerable to sexual assault because they aren’t familiar with the campuses and haven’t solidified their social networks. Victims’ advocates call the period “the red zone.”“We’re in a period of a double red zone,” said Shiwali Patel, senior counsel for the National Women’s Law Center, who also directs its efforts to provide justice for assault survivors. “We have the first-year students and the second-year students who are now being on campus for the first time.”The wave of protests started after a student reported being sexually assaulted at a University Nebraska-Lincoln fraternity house just before midnight on Aug. 24. Police received&nbsp;<a href="https://scsapps.unl.edu/policereports/MainPage.aspx" target="_blank">a separate report</a>&nbsp;about a “wild party” there.The following night, about 1,000 protesters surrounded the fraternity house. Police are investigating the assault report and the university temporarily&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sexual-assault-dc3c1be455b779b007350a3faa8475c2">suspended the fraternity’s operations</a>&nbsp;as it reviews the group’s conduct.Protests at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vandalism-sexual-assault-5f64aa41280eb2f801e77f9199d7df86">the University of Iowa</a>&nbsp;began less than a week later against a chapter of the same fraternity over a year-old allegation of sexual assault that authorities are still investigating.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631914182570.png" alt="Protest at Topeka West High School -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Protest at Topeka West High School -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>In Kansas, students protested at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-lawrence-university-of-kansas-07864830812de6692b15706ddc628fbe">the University of Kansas,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-kansas-sexual-assault-wichita-wichita-state-university-9ba9be87606eaa283e6fbbe05389c82d">Wichita State University</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-sexual-assault-topeka-166184303274524b67835ea2ca3f2f8a">Topeka West High School</a>&nbsp;last week over various reported assaults, and students at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-sexual-assault-auburn-auburn-university-a9fce03c533a39e2a2e034894f7152f9">Auburn University</a>&nbsp;in Alabama and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/09/16/eastern-michigan-fraternities-under-review-sexual-assault/5769232001/" target="_blank">Eastern Michigan University</a>&nbsp;also held demonstrations. Protests this week included one at the University of Massachusetts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/09/19/metro/hundreds-students-protest-outside-umass-fraternity-house-alleging-sexual-assault/" target="_blank">in Amherst.</a>At&nbsp;<a href="https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/cmu-students-call-for-accountability-for-sexual-misconduct/article_4e1357a6-1bfb-11ec-8371-3b42c3151b24.html" target="_blank">Central Methodist University,</a>&nbsp;a small Missouri liberal arts school between Kansas City and St. Louis, about 50 students protested this week in support of Layla Beyer, a 19-year-old sophomore who said a fellow music student sexually assaulted her during the first semester of her freshman year.The Associated Press typically doesn’t identify sexual assault victims, but Beyer allowed her name to be used.The university said it can’t comment about an individual student’s case, but spokesperson Scott Queen said, “There will be ongoing discussions regarding the topics addressed at the protest.”Beyer reported the assault and said she received a no-contact order against her assailant, who played the same instrument and was constantly around. But she said he repeatedly violated it without facing serious consequences.“A lot of times, survivors don’t have anybody to stand up for them besides themselves,” Beyer said.Administrators at other colleges have said they’re committed to helping victims and educating students about appropriate behavior.University of Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green outlined plans that included expanding from two members to four a team that helps victims, and improving training and education about sexual assault.Eastern Michigan’s new initiatives include annual training for students and separate training to encourage people to intervene if they see inappropriate behavior. It also is considering the future of a fraternity at the center of multiple sexual assault allegations.“Students speak out, protest and take action because they want to see their institutions respond with the same level of anger, determination and commitment to keep their communities safe,” said Walter Kraft, Eastern Michigan’s vice president of communications.Vitchers said helping survivors is no longer enough. She said universities must educate students to prevent assaults and punish the perpetrators and groups fostering an environment in which sexual violence is viewed as normal or no big deal.Older advocates said current students have better access to social media and embrace activism more readily than their predecessors. Angela Esquivel Hawkins, a Stanford University administrator and CEO of a group that helps victims’ friends and families, said students now are wiser about things such as choosing hashtags to make messages trend on Twitter.“The more iterations of social media that come up in the future, the more that people are going to get more and more connected and more and more savvy about how to organize and be efficient in their efforts,” Hawkins said.At the University of Iowa, 18-year-old freshman Amelia Keller and her friends turned to Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to rally people to the recent protest at the school. Keller also has worked with a campus group advocating for rape victims.“We want to be able to trust and depend upon those who claim to care about the protection of vulnerable students,” Keller said in texts to The Associated Press. “Right now, we cannot.”At Eastern Michigan, 18-year-old freshman Abbie Francis helped organize last week’s protest at that school and used an app to attract dozens of members within two hours to a new Sexual Assault and Rape Awareness group. Eastern Michigan students also held a protest in March.“Everyone that I have talked to in the past few weeks has expressed that they feel extremely unsafe,” she said in an email to The Associated Press.At Central Methodist, Beyer said she felt forced to choose between dropping out of band or having to face her assailant frequently despite repeatedly telling administrators that he should be the one to leave. She said the administrators “completely invalidated me.”And Beyer said she lost her passion for music because of the assault and her subsequent treatment. She dropped her music education major and is now majoring in psychology instead.“You get to the point where, no one’s hearing you and nobody’s doing anything for you,” Beyer said. “Having students, especially ones that go to your school, to be by your side and stand up for you, it means a lot.”

Sexual assault cases spur protests in Kansas, across US

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization is recommending a pricey antibody treatment for certain coronavirus patients in the latest update to its guidelines for treating people with COVID-19.

The new guidelines, published Friday in the journal BMJ, say the two antibodies - casirivimab and imdevimab = made by Regeneron should be given to people infected with COVID-19 who are at highest risk of hospitalization and to people whose own immune systems have not mounted a response.

The U.N. health agency said the new advice was based on evidence from experimental trials, including a British-run study that is the world’s largest for testing potential COVID-19 treatments.

In the U.S., the Regeneron treatment is mostly recommended for people with mild to moderate COVID-19, to prevent them from needing hospitalization.

Activists worried that the cost of the treatment - more than $2,000 in the U.S. - means it will mostly be unavailable to people in poorer countries. Doctors Without Borders called for Regeneron to ensure the antibody drugs are accessible to needy patients and for the company to license any proprietary rights and share technological know-how for how to make them.

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization is recommending a pricey antibody treatment for certain coronavirus patients in the latest update to its guidelines for treating people with COVID-19.The new guidelines, published Friday in the journal BMJ, say the two antibodies - casirivimab and imdevimab = made by Regeneron should be given to people infected with COVID-19 who are at highest risk of hospitalization and to people whose own immune systems have not mounted a response.The U.N. health agency said the new advice was based on evidence from experimental trials, including a British-run study that is the world’s largest for testing potential COVID-19 treatments.In the U.S., the Regeneron treatment is mostly recommended for people with mild to moderate COVID-19, to prevent them from needing hospitalization.Activists worried that the cost of the treatment - more than $2,000 in the U.S. - means it will mostly be unavailable to people in poorer countries. Doctors Without Borders called for Regeneron to ensure the antibody drugs are accessible to needy patients and for the company to license any proprietary rights and share technological know-how for how to make them.

WHO endorses antibody treatment for some fighting COVID

LINCOLN, Neb.-Curtis Smith and Ryan Bonsack of Fremont won $70,000 playing Nebraska Pick 5 from the Nebraska Lottery.

The winning ticket was purchased at Love’s Travel Stop #631 at 26120 E Meigs St. in Valley. The ticket contained one quick pick play for the September 21 drawing which matched the winning numbers 06, 11, 24, 34 and 35.

Smith and Bonsack are friends and have been pooling their tickets for the past year and a half. They each buy one ticket good for 30 days’ worth of drawings.

They were heading to golf league when Bonsack found out that a winning ticket had been sold at Love’s. He remembered he’d bought a ticket there and joked with Smith that he had the winning ticket.

Smith remembered that he’d also bought a ticket at Love’s. He left it in the glovebox of his pickup while they went to play golf. When they came back, they checked their numbers with a flashlight.

“He got so pale,” Bonsack said of Smith. “We just started screaming. I was worried we might have woke up the whole neighborhood.”

The ticket got packed away in a Band-Aid box until they had a chance to come to Lincoln to claim their prize on Friday, September 24.

Bonsack said he’s going to pay some bills with his share and Smith is thinking about taking a trip somewhere.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632576392814.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Nebraska LotteryLINCOLN, Neb.-Curtis Smith and Ryan Bonsack of Fremont won $70,000 playing Nebraska Pick 5 from the Nebraska Lottery.The winning ticket was purchased at Love’s Travel Stop #631 at 26120 E Meigs St. in Valley. The ticket contained one quick pick play for the September 21 drawing which matched the winning numbers 06, 11, 24, 34 and 35.Smith and Bonsack are friends and have been pooling their tickets for the past year and a half. They each buy one ticket good for 30 days’ worth of drawings.They were heading to golf league when Bonsack found out that a winning ticket had been sold at Love’s. He remembered he’d bought a ticket there and joked with Smith that he had the winning ticket.Smith remembered that he’d also bought a ticket at Love’s. He left it in the glovebox of his pickup while they went to play golf. When they came back, they checked their numbers with a flashlight.“He got so pale,” Bonsack said of Smith. “We just started screaming. I was worried we might have woke up the whole neighborhood.”The ticket got packed away in a Band-Aid box until they had a chance to come to Lincoln to claim their prize on Friday, September 24.Bonsack said he’s going to pay some bills with his share and Smith is thinking about taking a trip somewhere.

Fremont friends win $70K playing Nebraska Pick 5

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Reports of sexual assaults have fueled protests on at least eight U.S. college campuses just weeks into the new school year. 

Victims’ advocates say more young people are vulnerable this year as they settle into campus life after learning remotely because of the pandemic. 

They also say students seem more engaged in speaking out against campus sexual assault and adept at drumming up support for the cause on social media. 

Sexual assault allegations have led students to demonstrate over the past month at colleges in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Alabama, Michigan, Massachusetts and Missouri.

 Advocates say COVID-19 restrictions last year kept some sophomores from fully settling into college life, making them more vulnerable to assaults.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632573451272.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Reports of sexual assaults have fueled protests on at least eight U.S. college campuses just weeks into the new school year. Victims’ advocates say more young people are vulnerable this year as they settle into campus life after learning remotely because of the pandemic. They also say students seem more engaged in speaking out against campus sexual assault and adept at drumming up support for the cause on social media. Sexual assault allegations have led students to demonstrate over the past month at colleges in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Alabama, Michigan, Massachusetts and Missouri. Advocates say COVID-19 restrictions last year kept some sophomores from fully settling into college life, making them more vulnerable to assaults.

Sexual assault cases spur protests on campuses across US

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Joe Biden on Friday urged those now eligible for boosters of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to get the added protection a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the extra doses for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?514937-1/president-biden-announces-eligible-groups-pfizer-booster-shots">Click here to watch </a>a replay of President Biden's comments

Now public health officials must clear up confusion over exactly who should get a booster, and why — as they juggle vaccinating the unvaccinated who still make up the vast majority of the nation’s coronavirus cases.

People 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 and up who have chronic health problems such as diabetes should be offered a booster once they’re six months past their last Pfizer dose, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky ruled late Thursday.

And a broad swath of other adults can decide for themselves if they want a booster once they reach that six-month mark: Younger people with underlying health problems — plus people at increased risk of infection because of their jobs, such as health workers, or their living conditions, such as jails or homeless shelters.

Walensky overruled objections from her own advisory panel in adding that last category, but the decision drew praise from health organizations that need their employees to avoid even a mild infection so they can come to work.

“At a time when hospitals across the country are experiencing ongoing surges in COVID-19 hospitalizations and severe workforce shortages, all available tools — including booster shots — should be considered to keep frontline health care workers safe and safeguard access to care,” said American Hospital Association CEO Rick Pollack.

The booster decision comes even as CDC data shows the vaccines used in the U.S. still strongly protect against severe illness, hospitalizations and death from COVID-19, although immunity against milder infection appears to be waning somewhat months after getting the shots.

“You’re in good shape and we’re doing everything we can to keep it that way, which is where the booster comes in,” Biden said Friday as he praised the decision. He aimed to set aside any unease about another vaccination by saying he would get his own booster soon.

“It’s hard to acknowledge I’m over 65, but I’ll be getting my booster shot,” Biden said. “It’s a bear, isn’t it?”

The approval prompted many Americans to immediately seek their own boosters.

Jen Peck, 52, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, got the booster first thing Friday morning. She qualified as a math and science consultant at rural schools in Wisconsin, and got her last Pfizer dose in March.

“It’s a little scary out there,” she said of her job traveling between school districts in places where many students and teachers don’t wear masks and the younger children aren’t vaccinated.

“Because I go from building to building I don’t want to be COVID Mary carrying it around to buildings full of unvaccinated kiddos. I could not live with myself if I carried it from one building to another. That haunts me, the thought of that,” Peck said.

CDC’s Walensky said getting the unvaccinated their first shots remains the top priority. But her advisers on Thursday wrestled with whether the booster debate was distracting from that goal, especially if the shots were opened to the wide swath of Americans that Walensky ultimately settled on.

Only about 182 million Americans are fully vaccinated, or just 55% of the population.

It’s rare for a CDC director to overrule the panel recommendation; experts said it has only happened once this century.

Still to come: Government decisions on whether to allow booster doses of vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson.

Britain and Israel are already giving a third round of shots over strong objections from the World Health Organization that poor countries don’t have enough for their initial doses.

The U.S. had already authorized third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for certain people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and transplant recipients. Other Americans, healthy or not, have managed to get boosters, in some cases simply by asking.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632493622883.png" alt="“It’s hard to acknowledge I’m over 65, but I’ll be getting my booster shot,” President Biden said. “It’s a bear, isn’t it?”-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>“It’s hard to acknowledge I’m over 65, but I’ll be getting my booster shot,” President Biden said. “It’s a bear, isn’t it?”-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Joe Biden on Friday urged those now eligible for boosters of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to get the added protection a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the extra doses for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?514937-1/president-biden-announces-eligible-groups-pfizer-booster-shots">Click here to watch </a>a replay of President Biden's commentsNow public health officials must clear up confusion over exactly who should get a booster, and why — as they juggle vaccinating the unvaccinated who still make up the vast majority of the nation’s coronavirus cases.People 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 and up who have chronic health problems such as diabetes should be offered a booster once they’re six months past their last Pfizer dose, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky ruled late Thursday.And a broad swath of other adults can decide for themselves if they want a booster once they reach that six-month mark: Younger people with underlying health problems — plus people at increased risk of infection because of their jobs, such as health workers, or their living conditions, such as jails or homeless shelters.Walensky overruled objections from her own advisory panel in adding that last category, but the decision drew praise from health organizations that need their employees to avoid even a mild infection so they can come to work.“At a time when hospitals across the country are experiencing ongoing surges in COVID-19 hospitalizations and severe workforce shortages, all available tools — including booster shots — should be considered to keep frontline health care workers safe and safeguard access to care,” said American Hospital Association CEO Rick Pollack.The booster decision comes even as CDC data shows the vaccines used in the U.S. still strongly protect against severe illness, hospitalizations and death from COVID-19, although immunity against milder infection appears to be waning somewhat months after getting the shots.“You’re in good shape and we’re doing everything we can to keep it that way, which is where the booster comes in,” Biden said Friday as he praised the decision. He aimed to set aside any unease about another vaccination by saying he would get his own booster soon.“It’s hard to acknowledge I’m over 65, but I’ll be getting my booster shot,” Biden said. “It’s a bear, isn’t it?”The approval prompted many Americans to immediately seek their own boosters.Jen Peck, 52, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, got the booster first thing Friday morning. She qualified as a math and science consultant at rural schools in Wisconsin, and got her last Pfizer dose in March.“It’s a little scary out there,” she said of her job traveling between school districts in places where many students and teachers don’t wear masks and the younger children aren’t vaccinated.“Because I go from building to building I don’t want to be COVID Mary carrying it around to buildings full of unvaccinated kiddos. I could not live with myself if I carried it from one building to another. That haunts me, the thought of that,” Peck said.CDC’s Walensky said getting the unvaccinated their first shots remains the top priority. But her advisers on Thursday wrestled with whether the booster debate was distracting from that goal, especially if the shots were opened to the wide swath of Americans that Walensky ultimately settled on.Only about 182 million Americans are fully vaccinated, or just 55% of the population.It’s rare for a CDC director to overrule the panel recommendation; experts said it has only happened once this century.Still to come: Government decisions on whether to allow booster doses of vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson.Britain and Israel are already giving a third round of shots over strong objections from the World Health Organization that poor countries don’t have enough for their initial doses.The U.S. had already authorized third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for certain people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and transplant recipients. Other Americans, healthy or not, have managed to get boosters, in some cases simply by asking.

🎥 Biden: Hard to acknowledge I’m over 65, I’ll get my booster shot

Between July 24, 2021, and August 19, 2021, the Lincoln community experienced an increase in reported drug overdoses related to cocaine laced with fentanyl. Our agency investigated 35 overdoses during that time, nine of which resulted in death. Additionally, one surviving victim was pregnant, and the baby did not survive. We continue to send our condolences to the families and friends of those affected.

The Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force has been working non-stop to investigate the source of the drugs that have been devastating our community. Our investigators have conducted interviews, analyzed evidence, served search warrants, and made arrests. Investigators gathered information that 35-year-old Anna Idigima and 35-year-old George Weaver Jr., both of Lincoln, were involved in the distribution of illicit drugs. Idigima was found to be an employee of the Nebraska State Patrol working in the evidence unit. Our agency, along with the Nebraska State Patrol, did an audit of NSP’s evidence facilities in Lincoln and determined that drugs were missing including cocaine and fentanyl during the time of her employment.

Investigators learned the Idigima and Weaver were involved in a relationship and resided together. Investigators traced the trail from some the overdoses to the original source which was determined to be Idigima and Weaver. On September 23, 2021, Anna Idigima and George Weaver were arrested for Conspiracy to Distribute 140 grams or more of Cocaine and Fentanyl.

We recognize that some of our citizens suffer from various addictions or have friends and loved ones who do. We are fortunate to have community resources available to help. For more information, visit the Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department’s overdose prevention webpage at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/Health-Department/Health-Promotion-Outreach/OD">lincoln.ne.gov/od</a>.

The investigation into overdoses is still ongoing. We encourage anyone with information to contact the Lincoln Police Department at&nbsp;<a href="tel:4024416000">402-441-6000</a>, the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force at&nbsp;<a href="tel:4024418181">402-441-8181</a>, or Crime Stoppers at&nbsp;<a href="tel:4024753600">402-475-3600</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632513000946.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Lincoln Police DepartmentBetween July 24, 2021, and August 19, 2021, the Lincoln community experienced an increase in reported drug overdoses related to cocaine laced with fentanyl. Our agency investigated 35 overdoses during that time, nine of which resulted in death. Additionally, one surviving victim was pregnant, and the baby did not survive. We continue to send our condolences to the families and friends of those affected.The Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force has been working non-stop to investigate the source of the drugs that have been devastating our community. Our investigators have conducted interviews, analyzed evidence, served search warrants, and made arrests. Investigators gathered information that 35-year-old Anna Idigima and 35-year-old George Weaver Jr., both of Lincoln, were involved in the distribution of illicit drugs. Idigima was found to be an employee of the Nebraska State Patrol working in the evidence unit. Our agency, along with the Nebraska State Patrol, did an audit of NSP’s evidence facilities in Lincoln and determined that drugs were missing including cocaine and fentanyl during the time of her employment.Investigators learned the Idigima and Weaver were involved in a relationship and resided together. Investigators traced the trail from some the overdoses to the original source which was determined to be Idigima and Weaver. On September 23, 2021, Anna Idigima and George Weaver were arrested for Conspiracy to Distribute 140 grams or more of Cocaine and Fentanyl.We recognize that some of our citizens suffer from various addictions or have friends and loved ones who do. We are fortunate to have community resources available to help. For more information, visit the Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department’s overdose prevention webpage at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/Health-Department/Health-Promotion-Outreach/OD">lincoln.ne.gov/od</a>.The investigation into overdoses is still ongoing. We encourage anyone with information to contact the Lincoln Police Department at&nbsp;<a href="tel:4024416000">402-441-6000</a>, the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force at&nbsp;<a href="tel:4024418181">402-441-8181</a>, or Crime Stoppers at&nbsp;<a href="tel:4024753600">402-475-3600</a>.&nbsp;

Nebraska State Patrol employee arrested in drug overdose case

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A political consulting firm is suing Nebraska Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster over what it says are $37,500 in unpaid fees and wrongful contract termination.

 The Omaha World-Herald reports that EZ Politix says in its lawsuit that the Herbster campaign hired it in to perform campaign-related services from December 2020 until May 10, 2022, and was to be paid $12,500 a month. 

The lawsuit says the contract required notice of termination and 30 days to remedy any problems before the contract could be terminated. Instead, according to the lawsuit, the contract was canceled in April without notice. 

Herbster campaign manager Ellen Keast declined to comment to the World-Herald.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632512684412.png" alt="Herbster" />
 <figcaption>Herbster</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A political consulting firm is suing Nebraska Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster over what it says are $37,500 in unpaid fees and wrongful contract termination. The Omaha World-Herald reports that EZ Politix says in its lawsuit that the Herbster campaign hired it in to perform campaign-related services from December 2020 until May 10, 2022, and was to be paid $12,500 a month. The lawsuit says the contract required notice of termination and 30 days to remedy any problems before the contract could be terminated. Instead, according to the lawsuit, the contract was canceled in April without notice. Herbster campaign manager Ellen Keast declined to comment to the World-Herald.

Consultant sues Nebraska Republican candidate for governor

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed legislation Friday that would guarantee a woman’s right to an abortion, an effort by Democrats to circumvent a new Texas law that has placed that access under threat.

The bill's 218-211 approval is mostly symbolic, as Republican opposition will doom it in the Senate.

Still, Democrats say they are doing all they can to codify the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision after the Supreme Court recently allowed the Texas law banning most abortions in the state to take effect. The court will hear arguments in December in a separate Mississippi bid to overturn the landmark decision.

Despite the long odds in his chamber, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement after the vote that “Congress must assert its role to protect the constitutional right to abortion” and that the Senate would hold a vote “in the very near future.”

Codifying the Roe ruling would mean creating a right to abortion in federal law, a monumental change that would make it harder for courts and states to impose restrictions.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that congressional action would make a “tremendous difference” in Democrats’ efforts to maintain access to abortion rights. She called the Supreme Court's decision “shameful” and counter to its own precedent.

Pelosi said just ahead of Friday's vote that it should “send a very positive message to the women of our country — but not just the women, to the women and their families, to everyone who values freedom, honors our Constitution and respects women.”

No Republicans voted for the legislation, which would supersede state laws on the subject, give health care providers the right to perform abortions and patients the right to receive them. Republicans argue it would prevent states from setting requirements like parental involvement and could weaken laws that allow doctors to refuse to perform an abortion.

The legislation “isn't about freedom for women, it's about death for babies,” said Republican Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri. She said it would eliminate protections for women and girls who may be coerced into having abortions.

“It ends the life of a living human being with a plan and a purpose from God and who deserves to live,” Hartzler said.

Only one member crossed party lines — Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, who voted against the bill.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632509999612.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that congressional action would make a “tremendous difference” in Democrats’ efforts to maintain access to abortion rights. She called the Supreme Court's decision “shameful” and counter to its own precedent.-photo courtesy House Speaker" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that congressional action would make a “tremendous difference” in Democrats’ efforts to maintain access to abortion rights. She called the Supreme Court's decision “shameful” and counter to its own precedent.-photo courtesy House Speaker</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed legislation Friday that would guarantee a woman’s right to an abortion, an effort by Democrats to circumvent a new Texas law that has placed that access under threat.The bill's 218-211 approval is mostly symbolic, as Republican opposition will doom it in the Senate.Still, Democrats say they are doing all they can to codify the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision after the Supreme Court recently allowed the Texas law banning most abortions in the state to take effect. The court will hear arguments in December in a separate Mississippi bid to overturn the landmark decision.Despite the long odds in his chamber, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement after the vote that “Congress must assert its role to protect the constitutional right to abortion” and that the Senate would hold a vote “in the very near future.”Codifying the Roe ruling would mean creating a right to abortion in federal law, a monumental change that would make it harder for courts and states to impose restrictions.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that congressional action would make a “tremendous difference” in Democrats’ efforts to maintain access to abortion rights. She called the Supreme Court's decision “shameful” and counter to its own precedent.Pelosi said just ahead of Friday's vote that it should “send a very positive message to the women of our country — but not just the women, to the women and their families, to everyone who values freedom, honors our Constitution and respects women.”No Republicans voted for the legislation, which would supersede state laws on the subject, give health care providers the right to perform abortions and patients the right to receive them. Republicans argue it would prevent states from setting requirements like parental involvement and could weaken laws that allow doctors to refuse to perform an abortion.The legislation “isn't about freedom for women, it's about death for babies,” said Republican Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri. She said it would eliminate protections for women and girls who may be coerced into having abortions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Democrats&#39; radical abortion bill being considered today isn’t about freedom for women. It’s about death for babies. (1/3) <a href="https://t.co/UQU6IpldMe">pic.twitter.com/UQU6IpldMe</a>&mdash; Rep. Vicky Hartzler (@RepHartzler) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepHartzler/status/1441422196132380678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It ends the life of a living human being with a plan and a purpose from God and who deserves to live,” Hartzler said.Only one member crossed party lines — Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, who voted against the bill.The vote came as Democrats have spoken boldly about fighting the Supreme Court — which has a more conservative tilt after Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed last year — but struggled privately to find an effective strategy. They control Congress by the slimmest of margins, including the evenly split 50-50 Senate, making the prospects of a successful legislative response difficult.The party has split, in some cases, over how far Washington must go to preserve access to abortions. Liberal lawmakers backed by advocates of reproductive rights who helped power President Joe Biden to office want to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court to rebalance power, changing the rules if needed to lower the 60-vote threshold typically required in the Senate to advance legislation.“Democrats can either abolish the filibuster and expand the court, or do nothing as millions of peoples’ bodies, rights, and lives are sacrificed for far-right minority rule," tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. “This shouldn’t be a difficult decision.”But other Democrats — Biden among them — have been wary of such a move.Biden supports the House bill and called the court’s ruling on Texas an “unprecedented assault on a woman’s constitutional rights." He has directed multiple agencies to conduct a government-wide effort to ensure women have abortion access and to protect health care providers. But he has not endorsed the idea of adding justices to the Supreme Court, instead forming a commission to study the idea.The court's decisions on abortion could prompt political tensions among Republicans, as well.Former President Donald Trump was able to secure three new conservative Supreme Court justices because Republican leadership in Congress led by GOP leader Mitch McConnell paved the way. Now, as the court upheld the strict new Texas aw outlawing most abortions in the state, the political fallout will test the limits of that strategy.Women and advocates of abortion rights are quickly mobilizing to take on not just those Republicans, but also the big businesses that backed them, aiming squarely at those that contributed to many of the Texas Republicans behind the abortion law.“They will be met with a fierce response from women and people across the country,” said Sonja Spoo, director of Reproductive Rights Campaigns at UltraViolet, an advocacy organization, in an interview.Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican who supports abortion rights, says the Texas law is “harmful and extreme” and she supports codifying Roe.But she says the House bill goes “way beyond” that and could threaten the rights of doctors who refuse to perform abortions on religious or moral grounds, for example.“I support codifying Roe, and I am working with some of my colleagues in the Senate on legislation that would do so,” Collins said in a statement.