LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man who sent two officers to the hospital when he intentionally rammed a police cruiser has been sentenced to four years in prison. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 30-year-old Connor Sweeney was sentenced last week after pleading guilty to two counts of assault on an officer using a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an injury accident, resisting arrest and fleeing to avoid arrest. 

Prosecutors say the assault happened Dec. 3, when a Lincoln police officer used his cruiser to block in Sweeney's car at a convenience store. 

When the officer and a Nebraska State trooper tried to approach Sweeney, he jumped in his car and rammed the police cruiser several times, pinning the officers to the open door frame.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630353329707.png" alt="Sweeney" />
 <figcaption>Sweeney</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man who sent two officers to the hospital when he intentionally rammed a police cruiser has been sentenced to four years in prison. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 30-year-old Connor Sweeney was sentenced last week after pleading guilty to two counts of assault on an officer using a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an injury accident, resisting arrest and fleeing to avoid arrest. Prosecutors say the assault happened Dec. 3, when a Lincoln police officer used his cruiser to block in Sweeney's car at a convenience store. When the officer and a Nebraska State trooper tried to approach Sweeney, he jumped in his car and rammed the police cruiser several times, pinning the officers to the open door frame.

Man who injured 2 officers while fleeing stop sent to prison

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war and closing a sad two-decade chapter in military history.&nbsp;

The Pentagon says that some Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan were unable to make it to the Kabul airport to board U.S. evacuation flights before the complete evacuation of U.S. forces.

Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that the U.S. believes it was able to evacuate the “vast majority” of Americans in the country who wanted to leave, but that it was aware of some who were couldn’t depart.

McKenzie says that in the final American flights out of Afghanistan, “We were not able to bring any Americans out.” The last American civilians were evacuated about 12 hours before U.S. forces left.

McKenzie says the effort to bring out Americans will now fall on diplomatic channels.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden pledged that the U.S. would remain in Afghanistan until it was able to get all of its citizens out of the country. “If there’s American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out,” he told ABC News.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630357777110.png" alt="Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that it was aware of some Americans who were couldn’t depart." />
 <figcaption>Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that it was aware of some Americans who were couldn’t depart.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war and closing a sad two-decade chapter in military history.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">LIVE: <a href="https://twitter.com/PentagonPresSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PentagonPresSec</a> John F. Kirby and <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CENTCOM</a> commander, Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., hold a news briefing at the Pentagon. <a href="https://t.co/1K6jZV6Sni">https://t.co/1K6jZV6Sni</a>&mdash; Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense/status/1432441234904260608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Pentagon says that some Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan were unable to make it to the Kabul airport to board U.S. evacuation flights before the complete evacuation of U.S. forces.Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters that the U.S. believes it was able to evacuate the “vast majority” of Americans in the country who wanted to leave, but that it was aware of some who were couldn’t depart.McKenzie says that in the final American flights out of Afghanistan, “We were not able to bring any Americans out.” The last American civilians were evacuated about 12 hours before U.S. forces left.McKenzie says the effort to bring out Americans will now fall on diplomatic channels.Earlier this month, President Joe Biden pledged that the U.S. would remain in Afghanistan until it was able to get all of its citizens out of the country. “If there’s American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out,” he told ABC News.

Some Americans left behind as last troops exit Afghanistan

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday in the abduction and killing of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, three years after she disappeared while out for an evening run.

Judge Joel Yates’ sentence for Cristhian Bahena Rivera was mandatory for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ia-state-wire-iowa-trials-44cdbcedadeaaa32db3d27ce986984df">first-degree murder&nbsp;</a>conviction in Iowa, which does not have the death penalty. The 27-year-old former farmhand, who testified that he came to the U.S. illegally from Mexico as a teenager, has been jailed since his arrest in August 2018.

Yates pointedly rejected defense claims that others were responsible for the crime.

“Mr. Bahena Rivera, you and you alone forever changed the lives of those who loved Mollie Tibbetts,” he said.

The sentence caps a case that inflamed anger over illegal immigration, fueled fears about violence against solo female runners, and took several noteworthy twists&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-business-273a6b106651b27dc3d0b91966ece58e">during&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-mollie-tibbetts-4c57d92b18ff7dce6aecd8d249ae28f6">after&nbsp;</a>Bahena Rivera’s trial in May.

Tibbetts’ mother, Laura Calderwood, addressed Bahena Rivera in a victim impact statement read to the court.

“Mollie was a young woman who simply wanted to go for a quiet run on the evening of July 18 and you chose to violently and sadistically end that life,” she wrote.

Calderwood recalled being told by tearful investigators that her 20-year-old daughter’s body had been found, and racing to inform relatives before they learned the news from the media. The hardest conversation was with Mollie’s grandmother, who was in disbelief that someone “could harm such a beautiful, vibrant young woman so full of promise,” she said.

She said the killing caused Hispanic workers to flee the area in fear, prevented Mollie’s boyfriend from being able to give her the engagement ring he had purchased, and meant her father would never walk his only daughter down the aisle.

“Because of your actions Mr. Rivera, I will never get to see my daughter become a mother,” Calderwood said.

Tibbetts vanished on a rural road outside her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, population 1,700, while out for a run on July 18, 2018. Family members and co-workers feared something was wrong when Tibbetts did not show up for her summer job at a daycare the next morning.

Hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement officers searched for weeks but came up empty. Investigators began focusing on Bahena Rivera, who worked under an alias at a nearby dairy farm, after finding a homeowner’s surveillance video that appeared to show his Chevy Malibu repeatedly driving past Tibbetts while she ran.

After a lengthy interrogation, Bahena Rivera led authorities to a cornfield where he had buried Tibbetts’ body under leaves and stalks. Only her bright running shoes were visible. An autopsy found she had been stabbed several times.

Bahena Rivera told investigators that he approached Tibbetts because he found her attractive, and that he fought her after she threatened to call the police. He said he then blacked out and came to as he was driving with her body in his trunk.

Prosecutors suggested Bahena Rivera had a sexual motive, noting Tibbetts was wearing only socks and a sports bra and that her legs were spread when her body was found. They built their case around the surveillance video, his partial confession and DNA evidence of Tibbetts’ blood in his trunk.

“Based upon the facts and circumstances of this case, it is very well deserved,” prosecutor Scott Brown said of the life sentence.

Bahena Rivera’s lawyers argued that his confession was false and coerced, and their client gave surprise testimony at trial sharing a different account. Bahena Rivera testified that two masked men kidnapped him from his trailer at gunpoint, made him drive while they attacked Tibbetts, instructed him on where to dispose of her body, and told him to stay quiet or that his young daughter and ex-girlfriend would be killed.

The defense sought to cast suspicion on several others, including Tibbetts’ boyfriend and a local deputy who lives next to where Tibbetts’ body was found.

Prosecutors called Bahena Rivera’s testimony a work of fiction and a unanimous 12-member jury found him guilty.

But two people immediately came forward to tell police that a 21-year-old man with a history of violence had confessed to them that he had killed Tibbetts. Separately, a woman had told police she was kidnapped after meeting an alleged sex trafficker at a Brooklyn gas station weeks before Tibbetts’ disappearance.

Yates delayed a July sentencing so the defense had time to investigate. Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-mollie-tibbetts-5d360068d91900e01c9f0146cc716126">he denied Bahena Rivera’s motion</a>&nbsp;for a new trial, saying the new information was unreliable and he saw no reason to overturn the verdict.

The defense plans to appeal. Bahena Rivera and his defense lawyers, Chad and Jennifer Frese, declined to speak at sentencing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622236036202.png" alt="Rivera-photo Poweshiek County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Rivera-photo Poweshiek County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday in the abduction and killing of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, three years after she disappeared while out for an evening run.Judge Joel Yates’ sentence for Cristhian Bahena Rivera was mandatory for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ia-state-wire-iowa-trials-44cdbcedadeaaa32db3d27ce986984df">first-degree murder&nbsp;</a>conviction in Iowa, which does not have the death penalty. The 27-year-old former farmhand, who testified that he came to the U.S. illegally from Mexico as a teenager, has been jailed since his arrest in August 2018.Yates pointedly rejected defense claims that others were responsible for the crime.“Mr. Bahena Rivera, you and you alone forever changed the lives of those who loved Mollie Tibbetts,” he said.The sentence caps a case that inflamed anger over illegal immigration, fueled fears about violence against solo female runners, and took several noteworthy twists&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-business-273a6b106651b27dc3d0b91966ece58e">during&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-mollie-tibbetts-4c57d92b18ff7dce6aecd8d249ae28f6">after&nbsp;</a>Bahena Rivera’s trial in May.Tibbetts’ mother, Laura Calderwood, addressed Bahena Rivera in a victim impact statement read to the court.“Mollie was a young woman who simply wanted to go for a quiet run on the evening of July 18 and you chose to violently and sadistically end that life,” she wrote.Calderwood recalled being told by tearful investigators that her 20-year-old daughter’s body had been found, and racing to inform relatives before they learned the news from the media. The hardest conversation was with Mollie’s grandmother, who was in disbelief that someone “could harm such a beautiful, vibrant young woman so full of promise,” she said.She said the killing caused Hispanic workers to flee the area in fear, prevented Mollie’s boyfriend from being able to give her the engagement ring he had purchased, and meant her father would never walk his only daughter down the aisle.“Because of your actions Mr. Rivera, I will never get to see my daughter become a mother,” Calderwood said.Tibbetts vanished on a rural road outside her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, population 1,700, while out for a run on July 18, 2018. Family members and co-workers feared something was wrong when Tibbetts did not show up for her summer job at a daycare the next morning.Hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement officers searched for weeks but came up empty. Investigators began focusing on Bahena Rivera, who worked under an alias at a nearby dairy farm, after finding a homeowner’s surveillance video that appeared to show his Chevy Malibu repeatedly driving past Tibbetts while she ran.After a lengthy interrogation, Bahena Rivera led authorities to a cornfield where he had buried Tibbetts’ body under leaves and stalks. Only her bright running shoes were visible. An autopsy found she had been stabbed several times.Bahena Rivera told investigators that he approached Tibbetts because he found her attractive, and that he fought her after she threatened to call the police. He said he then blacked out and came to as he was driving with her body in his trunk.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630353202444.png" alt="Mollie Tibbetts" />
 <figcaption>Mollie Tibbetts</figcaption>
 </figure>Prosecutors suggested Bahena Rivera had a sexual motive, noting Tibbetts was wearing only socks and a sports bra and that her legs were spread when her body was found. They built their case around the surveillance video, his partial confession and DNA evidence of Tibbetts’ blood in his trunk.“Based upon the facts and circumstances of this case, it is very well deserved,” prosecutor Scott Brown said of the life sentence.Bahena Rivera’s lawyers argued that his confession was false and coerced, and their client gave surprise testimony at trial sharing a different account. Bahena Rivera testified that two masked men kidnapped him from his trailer at gunpoint, made him drive while they attacked Tibbetts, instructed him on where to dispose of her body, and told him to stay quiet or that his young daughter and ex-girlfriend would be killed.The defense sought to cast suspicion on several others, including Tibbetts’ boyfriend and a local deputy who lives next to where Tibbetts’ body was found.Prosecutors called Bahena Rivera’s testimony a work of fiction and a unanimous 12-member jury found him guilty.But two people immediately came forward to tell police that a 21-year-old man with a history of violence had confessed to them that he had killed Tibbetts. Separately, a woman had told police she was kidnapped after meeting an alleged sex trafficker at a Brooklyn gas station weeks before Tibbetts’ disappearance.Yates delayed a July sentencing so the defense had time to investigate. Earlier this month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-mollie-tibbetts-5d360068d91900e01c9f0146cc716126">he denied Bahena Rivera’s motion</a>&nbsp;for a new trial, saying the new information was unreliable and he saw no reason to overturn the verdict.The defense plans to appeal. Bahena Rivera and his defense lawyers, Chad and Jennifer Frese, declined to speak at sentencing.

Farm laborer sentenced for murder of Iowa runner

BOSTON (AP) — Former congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, the oldest son of Robert F. Kennedy, denounced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-d5e12df9cc3c0241ab108bfc124dda1b">possible parole of the man convicted of killing his father</a>&nbsp;in California in 1968.

“Two commissioners of the 18-member California Parole Board made a grievous error last Friday in recommending the release of the man who murdered my father,” Kennedy wrote in the emailed statement released Sunday. “I understand that there are differing views about ending the sentence of this killer, including within my own family. But emotions and opinions do not change facts or history.”

The board on Friday found that Sirhan Sirhan, 77, no longer poses a threat to society, noting that he had enrolled in more than 20 programs including anger management classes, Tai Chi and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

The ruling will be reviewed over the next four months by the board’s staff. Then it will be sent to the governor, who will have 30 days to decide whether to grant it, reverse it or modify it.

“I hope the full parole board will reverse the decision over the ongoing review period and that the California governor, if faced with the choice to release him, will keep him in prison to serve out his full life sentence,” Kennedy wrote.

Robert F. Kennedy was a U.S. senator from New York and the brother of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. RFK was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was gunned down at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after delivering a victory speech in the pivotal California primary. Five others were wounded.

Joe Kennedy II is one of RFK and Ethel Kennedy’s 11 children, nine of whom are still alive. Two of them, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Douglas Kennedy, said they supported the release of Sirhan.

Joe Kennedy and five of his siblings said Friday they oppose parole and pledged to fight the process every step of the way. He was joined by Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Christopher G. Kennedy, Maxwell T. Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.

Joe Kennedy said Sunday that anyone who kills for political reasons should “know that he will at a minimum spend life in prison without parole. ”

“The prisoner killed my father because of his support of Israel,” Kennedy wrote in a separate statement. “The man was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Yet he now may walk free, no doubt to the cheers of those who share his views. Let there be no mistake, the prisoner’s release will be celebrated by those who believe that political disagreements can be solved by a gun.”

Kennedy, on a more personal note, spoke of growing up without a father.

“The prisoner left a pregnant mother of ten without a husband and soon-to-be 11 children without a father.”

He added: “We miss him every moment of every day, and struggle to understand why the prisoner should be able to enjoy the golden years of his life when he so viciously stole them from our father.”

Sirhan was originally sentenced to death but that has already been reduced to life in prison, Kennedy noted.

“My mother, Ethel Kennedy, and my uncle, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, asked that his death sentence be reduced to life imprisonment as a demonstration of mercy. He received that mercy,” Kennedy wrote. “No one should have the right to alter the lesser sentence requested by the person most affected by my father’s death — his wife, whose last child would never know a father’s touch. Nothing written, said or done will ever change that reality.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630107734279.png" alt="Sirhan photo Califoria Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Sirhan photo Califoria Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — Former congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, the oldest son of Robert F. Kennedy, denounced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-d5e12df9cc3c0241ab108bfc124dda1b">possible parole of the man convicted of killing his father</a>&nbsp;in California in 1968.“Two commissioners of the 18-member California Parole Board made a grievous error last Friday in recommending the release of the man who murdered my father,” Kennedy wrote in the emailed statement released Sunday. “I understand that there are differing views about ending the sentence of this killer, including within my own family. But emotions and opinions do not change facts or history.”The board on Friday found that Sirhan Sirhan, 77, no longer poses a threat to society, noting that he had enrolled in more than 20 programs including anger management classes, Tai Chi and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.The ruling will be reviewed over the next four months by the board’s staff. Then it will be sent to the governor, who will have 30 days to decide whether to grant it, reverse it or modify it.“I hope the full parole board will reverse the decision over the ongoing review period and that the California governor, if faced with the choice to release him, will keep him in prison to serve out his full life sentence,” Kennedy wrote.Robert F. Kennedy was a U.S. senator from New York and the brother of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. RFK was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was gunned down at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after delivering a victory speech in the pivotal California primary. Five others were wounded.Joe Kennedy II is one of RFK and Ethel Kennedy’s 11 children, nine of whom are still alive. Two of them, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Douglas Kennedy, said they supported the release of Sirhan.Joe Kennedy and five of his siblings said Friday they oppose parole and pledged to fight the process every step of the way. He was joined by Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Christopher G. Kennedy, Maxwell T. Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.Joe Kennedy said Sunday that anyone who kills for political reasons should “know that he will at a minimum spend life in prison without parole. ”“The prisoner killed my father because of his support of Israel,” Kennedy wrote in a separate statement. “The man was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Yet he now may walk free, no doubt to the cheers of those who share his views. Let there be no mistake, the prisoner’s release will be celebrated by those who believe that political disagreements can be solved by a gun.”Kennedy, on a more personal note, spoke of growing up without a father.“The prisoner left a pregnant mother of ten without a husband and soon-to-be 11 children without a father.”He added: “We miss him every moment of every day, and struggle to understand why the prisoner should be able to enjoy the golden years of his life when he so viciously stole them from our father.”Sirhan was originally sentenced to death but that has already been reduced to life in prison, Kennedy noted.“My mother, Ethel Kennedy, and my uncle, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, asked that his death sentence be reduced to life imprisonment as a demonstration of mercy. He received that mercy,” Kennedy wrote. “No one should have the right to alter the lesser sentence requested by the person most affected by my father’s death — his wife, whose last child would never know a father’s touch. Nothing written, said or done will ever change that reality.”

RFK's oldest son condemns possible parole of Sirhan Sirhan

WASHINGTON
 — September is National Preparedness Month. With the height of 
hurricane season fast approaching and the ongoing threat of wildfires in
 some parts of the country, the Internal Revenue Service reminds 
everyone to develop an emergency preparedness plan.

All taxpayers, from individuals to organizations and businesses, should take time now to create or update their emergency plans.

Taxpayers can begin getting ready for a disaster with a preparedness 
plan that includes securing and duplicating essential tax and financial 
documents, creating lists of property and knowing where to find 
information once a disaster has occurred. Securing this information can 
help in the aftermath of a disaster, and it can help people more quickly
 take advantage of disaster relief available from the IRS.

Taxpayers should keep critical original documents inside waterproof 
containers in a secure space. Documents such as tax returns, birth 
certificates, deeds, titles and insurance policies should also be 
duplicated and kept with a trusted person outside the area a natural 
disaster may affect.

If original documents are available only on paper, taxpayers can use a
 scanner and save them on a USB flash drive, CD or in the cloud, which 
provide security and easy portability.

After a disaster hits, photographs and videos of a home or business's
 contents can help support claims for insurance or tax benefits. All 
property, especially expensive and high- value items, should be 
recorded. The IRS disaster-loss workbooks can help&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p584.pdf">individuals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p584b.pdf">businesses</a>&nbsp;compile lists of belongings or business equipment.

Employers using payroll service providers should check if their 
provider has a fiduciary bond in place to protect the employer in the 
event of a default by provider. Employers are encouraged to create an 
Electronic Federal Tax Payment System account at <a href="https://www.eftps.gov/eftps/">EFTPS.gov</a> to monitor their payroll tax deposits and receive email alerts.

Reconstructing records after a disaster may be required for tax 
purposes, getting federal assistance or insurance reimbursement. Find 
out if financial institutions provide statements and documents 
electronically. Taxpayers who have lost some or all of their records 
during a disaster should visit IRS'&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/reconstructing-records-after-a-natural-disaster-or-casualty-loss-irs-provides-tips-to-help-taxpayers">Reconstructing Records</a>&nbsp;webpage.

Taxpayers living in a federally declared disaster can visit the IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">Tax Relief in Disaster Situations</a>&nbsp;webpage or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/around-the-nation">Around the Nation</a>
 on IRS.gov and check for the available disaster tax relief. The IRS 
automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area 
and applies filing and payment relief. Affected taxpayers can call&nbsp;<a href="tel:866-562-5227">866-562-5227</a>&nbsp;to speak with an IRS specialist trained to handle disaster-related issues.

A taxpayer impacted by a disaster outside of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">federally-declared disaster area</a>&nbsp;may
 qualify for disaster relief. This includes taxpayers who are not 
physically located in a disaster area, but whose records necessary to 
meet a filing or payment deadline postponed during the relief period are
 located in a covered disaster area.

For more information about National Preparedness Month, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ready.gov/september">Ready.gov/september</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON
 — September is National Preparedness Month. With the height of 
hurricane season fast approaching and the ongoing threat of wildfires in
 some parts of the country, the Internal Revenue Service reminds 
everyone to develop an emergency preparedness plan.All taxpayers, from individuals to organizations and businesses, should take time now to create or update their emergency plans.Taxpayers can begin getting ready for a disaster with a preparedness 
plan that includes securing and duplicating essential tax and financial 
documents, creating lists of property and knowing where to find 
information once a disaster has occurred. Securing this information can 
help in the aftermath of a disaster, and it can help people more quickly
 take advantage of disaster relief available from the IRS.<h2>Start secure</h2>Taxpayers should keep critical original documents inside waterproof 
containers in a secure space. Documents such as tax returns, birth 
certificates, deeds, titles and insurance policies should also be 
duplicated and kept with a trusted person outside the area a natural 
disaster may affect.<h2>Make copies</h2>If original documents are available only on paper, taxpayers can use a
 scanner and save them on a USB flash drive, CD or in the cloud, which 
provide security and easy portability.<h2>Document valuables</h2>After a disaster hits, photographs and videos of a home or business's
 contents can help support claims for insurance or tax benefits. All 
property, especially expensive and high- value items, should be 
recorded. The IRS disaster-loss workbooks can help&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p584.pdf">individuals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p584b.pdf">businesses</a>&nbsp;compile lists of belongings or business equipment.<h2>Employer fiduciary bonds</h2>Employers using payroll service providers should check if their 
provider has a fiduciary bond in place to protect the employer in the 
event of a default by provider. Employers are encouraged to create an 
Electronic Federal Tax Payment System account at <a href="https://www.eftps.gov/eftps/">EFTPS.gov</a> to monitor their payroll tax deposits and receive email alerts.<h2>Know where to go</h2>Reconstructing records after a disaster may be required for tax 
purposes, getting federal assistance or insurance reimbursement. Find 
out if financial institutions provide statements and documents 
electronically. Taxpayers who have lost some or all of their records 
during a disaster should visit IRS'&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/reconstructing-records-after-a-natural-disaster-or-casualty-loss-irs-provides-tips-to-help-taxpayers">Reconstructing Records</a>&nbsp;webpage.<h2>IRS is ready to help</h2>Taxpayers living in a federally declared disaster can visit the IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">Tax Relief in Disaster Situations</a>&nbsp;webpage or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/around-the-nation">Around the Nation</a>
 on IRS.gov and check for the available disaster tax relief. The IRS 
automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area 
and applies filing and payment relief. Affected taxpayers can call&nbsp;<a href="tel:866-562-5227">866-562-5227</a>&nbsp;to speak with an IRS specialist trained to handle disaster-related issues.A taxpayer impacted by a disaster outside of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations">federally-declared disaster area</a>&nbsp;may
 qualify for disaster relief. This includes taxpayers who are not 
physically located in a disaster area, but whose records necessary to 
meet a filing or payment deadline postponed during the relief period are
 located in a covered disaster area.For more information about National Preparedness Month, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ready.gov/september">Ready.gov/september</a>.<h2>Related items:</h2><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p2194.pdf">Publication 2194, Disaster Resource Guide for Individuals and Businesses</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5307.pdf">Publication 5307, Tax Reform: Basics for Individuals and Families </a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p583.pdf">Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p547.pdf">Publication 547, Casualties, Disasters, and Thefts</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/reconstructing-records-after-a-natural-disaster-or-casualty-loss">Reconstructing Records After a Natural Disaster or Casualty Loss</a></li><li><a href="https://www.fema.gov/">Federal Emergency Management Agency</a></li><li><a href="https://www.sba.gov/offices/headquarters/oda#">Small Business Administration</a></li><li><a href="http://www.disasterassistance.gov/daip_en.portal">DisasterAssistance.gov</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ready.gov/">Ready.gov</a></li>
 </ul>

IRS urges taxpayers to prepare for natural disasters

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) —Rocket fire apparently targeting Kabul's international airport struck a nearby neighborhood on Monday, the eve of the deadline for American troops to withdraw from the country’s longest war after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was hurt.

The rockets did not halt the steady stream of U.S. military C-17 cargo jets taking off and landing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in the Afghan capital. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Last week, the Islamic State group launched a devastating suicide bombing at one of the airport gates that killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.

The airport repeatedly has been a scene of chaos in the two weeks since the Taliban blitz across Afghanistan that took control of the country, nearly 20 years after the initial U.S. invasion that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But since the suicide bombing, the Taliban have tightened their security cordon around the airfield, with their fighters seen just up to the last fencing separating them from the runway.

In the capital's Chahr-e-Shaheed neighborhood, a crowd quickly gathered around the remains of a four-door sedan used by the attackers, which had what appeared to be six homemade rocket tubes mounted where the backseat should be. The Islamic State group and other militants routinely mount such tubes into vehicles and quietly transport them undetected close to a target.

“I was inside the house with my children and other family members, suddenly there were some blasts," said Jaiuddin Khan, who lives nearby. "We jumped into the house compound and lay on the ground.”

The rockets landed across town in Kabul's Salim Karwan neighborhood, striking residential apartment blocks, witnesses said. That neighborhood is some 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) from the airport. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

In Washington, the White House issued a statement saying officials briefed President Joe Biden on “the rocket attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport” in Kabul, apparently referring to the vehicle-based rocket launch that morning.

“The president was informed that operations continue uninterrupted at HKIA, and has reconfirmed his order that commanders redouble their efforts to prioritize doing whatever is necessary to protect our forces on the ground,” the statement said, using an acronym for Kabul’s airport.

The U.S. military did not respond to requests for comment. After the rocket fire, planes continued to land and taxi across to the northern military side of the airport. Planes took off roughly every 20 minutes at one point Monday morning.

Smoke from several fires along the airport's perimeter could be seen throughout Monday. It wasn't clear what was ablaze, though U.S. forces typically destroy material and equipment they won't take with them during the evacuation.

The airport had been one of the few ways out for foreigners and Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover. However, coalition nations have halted their evacuations in recent days, leaving the U.S. military largely alone at the base with some remaining allied Afghan forces providing security.

The U.S. State Department released a statement Sunday signed by around 100 countries, as well as NATO and the European Union, saying they had received “assurances” from the Taliban that people with travel documents would still be able to leave the country.

The Taliban have said they will allow normal travel after the U.S. withdrawal is completed on Tuesday and they assume control of the airport. However, it remains unclear how the militants will run the airport and which commercial carriers will begin flying into the field given the ongoing security concerns there.

While the Taliban has honored a pledge not to attack Western forces so long as they evacuate by Tuesday, the threat from the Islamic State's local affiliate remains a danger. The group, known as the Khorasan Province after a historic name for the region, saw some of its members freed as the Taliban released prisoners across the country during their takeover.

On Sunday, a U.S. drone strike blew up a vehicle carrying Islamic State suicide bombers before they could attack the ongoing military evacuation at Kabul’s airport, American officials said. However, the Taliban said the strike killed at least 10 people — including civilians and three children, sparking anger over the civilian casualties.

U.S. Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the American military's Central Command, acknowledged the reports of civilian casualties.

“We would be deeply saddened by any potential loss of innocent life,” he said in a statement.

The U.S. carried out another drone strike elsewhere in the country on Saturday that it said killed two Islamic State members.

By Tuesday, the U.S. is set to conclude a massive two-week-long airlift of more than 114,000 Afghans and foreigners and withdraw the last of its troops, ending America’s longest war with the Taliban back in power.

However, Afghans remain fearful of the Taliban returning to the oppressive rule for which it was once known. There have been sporadic reports of killings and other abuses in the sweep across the country.

Meanwhile, a cross-border shooting across the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan killed two Pakistani soldiers, the military said. Pakistani troops “responded in a befitting manner” after the attack in the district of Bajur of the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630087261414.png" alt="U.S. Army Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division escort evacuees to buses at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. photo Department of Defense" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Army Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division escort evacuees to buses at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. photo Department of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) —Rocket fire apparently targeting Kabul's international airport struck a nearby neighborhood on Monday, the eve of the deadline for American troops to withdraw from the country’s longest war after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was hurt.The rockets did not halt the steady stream of U.S. military C-17 cargo jets taking off and landing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in the Afghan capital. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Last week, the Islamic State group launched a devastating suicide bombing at one of the airport gates that killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.The airport repeatedly has been a scene of chaos in the two weeks since the Taliban blitz across Afghanistan that took control of the country, nearly 20 years after the initial U.S. invasion that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But since the suicide bombing, the Taliban have tightened their security cordon around the airfield, with their fighters seen just up to the last fencing separating them from the runway.In the capital's Chahr-e-Shaheed neighborhood, a crowd quickly gathered around the remains of a four-door sedan used by the attackers, which had what appeared to be six homemade rocket tubes mounted where the backseat should be. The Islamic State group and other militants routinely mount such tubes into vehicles and quietly transport them undetected close to a target.“I was inside the house with my children and other family members, suddenly there were some blasts," said Jaiuddin Khan, who lives nearby. "We jumped into the house compound and lay on the ground.”The rockets landed across town in Kabul's Salim Karwan neighborhood, striking residential apartment blocks, witnesses said. That neighborhood is some 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) from the airport. There were no immediate reports of injuries.In Washington, the White House issued a statement saying officials briefed President Joe Biden on “the rocket attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport” in Kabul, apparently referring to the vehicle-based rocket launch that morning.“The president was informed that operations continue uninterrupted at HKIA, and has reconfirmed his order that commanders redouble their efforts to prioritize doing whatever is necessary to protect our forces on the ground,” the statement said, using an acronym for Kabul’s airport.The U.S. military did not respond to requests for comment. After the rocket fire, planes continued to land and taxi across to the northern military side of the airport. Planes took off roughly every 20 minutes at one point Monday morning.Smoke from several fires along the airport's perimeter could be seen throughout Monday. It wasn't clear what was ablaze, though U.S. forces typically destroy material and equipment they won't take with them during the evacuation.The airport had been one of the few ways out for foreigners and Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover. However, coalition nations have halted their evacuations in recent days, leaving the U.S. military largely alone at the base with some remaining allied Afghan forces providing security.The U.S. State Department released a statement Sunday signed by around 100 countries, as well as NATO and the European Union, saying they had received “assurances” from the Taliban that people with travel documents would still be able to leave the country.The Taliban have said they will allow normal travel after the U.S. withdrawal is completed on Tuesday and they assume control of the airport. However, it remains unclear how the militants will run the airport and which commercial carriers will begin flying into the field given the ongoing security concerns there.While the Taliban has honored a pledge not to attack Western forces so long as they evacuate by Tuesday, the threat from the Islamic State's local affiliate remains a danger. The group, known as the Khorasan Province after a historic name for the region, saw some of its members freed as the Taliban released prisoners across the country during their takeover.On Sunday, a U.S. drone strike blew up a vehicle carrying Islamic State suicide bombers before they could attack the ongoing military evacuation at Kabul’s airport, American officials said. However, the Taliban said the strike killed at least 10 people — including civilians and three children, sparking anger over the civilian casualties.U.S. Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the American military's Central Command, acknowledged the reports of civilian casualties.“We would be deeply saddened by any potential loss of innocent life,” he said in a statement.The U.S. carried out another drone strike elsewhere in the country on Saturday that it said killed two Islamic State members.By Tuesday, the U.S. is set to conclude a massive two-week-long airlift of more than 114,000 Afghans and foreigners and withdraw the last of its troops, ending America’s longest war with the Taliban back in power.However, Afghans remain fearful of the Taliban returning to the oppressive rule for which it was once known. There have been sporadic reports of killings and other abuses in the sweep across the country.Meanwhile, a cross-border shooting across the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan killed two Pakistani soldiers, the military said. Pakistani troops “responded in a befitting manner” after the attack in the district of Bajur of the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said.

Rockets fired at Kabul airport amid US withdrawal 

When a friend or family member is stuck in a bad situation and 
urgently needs money, you should help them out, right? Not if they are a
 scammer pulling this new con. Always double-check before sending money 
to a friend in need.

You get an out-of-the-blue Venmo request from a friend who needs 
money. Perhaps your friend has lost their wallet and needs to buy 
groceries. Could you send a couple hundred dollars to tide them over? &nbsp;

It sounds like a reasonable request. And it looks legitimate too. The
 message comes from an account using – what seems to be – your friend’s 
username and profile photo. But if you look closer, you notice that the 
name is a character or two off from their real Venmo account.

Scammers are taking advantage of generous friends by changing their 
username and profile pictures to impersonate real app users.&nbsp;Using the 
information visible in <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/venmo-public-feed" target="_blank">Venmo’s public feed</a>,
 they figure out from whom this person had previously sent or received 
money. Then, scammers contact these users with requests for money. &nbsp;

This scam is just one of many cons using digital wallets apps, such 
as PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, and Apple Pay. Be aware that unlike credit 
cards, many digital wallet vendors will not shoulder the cost of fraud. 
If you pay scammers using a digital wallet, you may not be successful in
 getting the company to reimburse you.

Protect Yourself from a Venmo impersonation con

<a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/13038-how-to-avoid-digital-wallet-scams-on-paypal-venmo-and-other-services" target="_blank">Learn more about staying safe when using a peer-to-peer payment system</a> like Zelle, Venmo or Apple Pay. Read about another Venmo scam that seems to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22128-scam-alert-this-venmo-scam-sends-you-money-by-accident" target="_blank">send you money by accident</a>.

If you’ve spotted a scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB ScamTracker</a>. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams.

Stay up on the latest scams by&nbsp;<a href="https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1900156/1902645/" target="_blank">subscribing to BBB Scam Alerts emails</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Better Business BureauWhen a friend or family member is stuck in a bad situation and 
urgently needs money, you should help them out, right? Not if they are a
 scammer pulling this new con. Always double-check before sending money 
to a friend in need.<h2>How the Scam Works</h2>You get an out-of-the-blue Venmo request from a friend who needs 
money. Perhaps your friend has lost their wallet and needs to buy 
groceries. Could you send a couple hundred dollars to tide them over? &nbsp;It sounds like a reasonable request. And it looks legitimate too. The
 message comes from an account using – what seems to be – your friend’s 
username and profile photo. But if you look closer, you notice that the 
name is a character or two off from their real Venmo account.Scammers are taking advantage of generous friends by changing their 
username and profile pictures to impersonate real app users.&nbsp;Using the 
information visible in <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/venmo-public-feed" target="_blank">Venmo’s public feed</a>,
 they figure out from whom this person had previously sent or received 
money. Then, scammers contact these users with requests for money. &nbsp;This scam is just one of many cons using digital wallets apps, such 
as PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, and Apple Pay. Be aware that unlike credit 
cards, many digital wallet vendors will not shoulder the cost of fraud. 
If you pay scammers using a digital wallet, you may not be successful in
 getting the company to reimburse you.<h2>Protect Yourself from a Venmo impersonation con</h2><ul>
 <li>Double check with your friend before sending cash. If you get an unusual request, call or text your friend to confirm their story. If you can’t reach them, you can also tap on their Venmo profile to view their public transaction history and information.&nbsp; </li><li>Keep your transactions private. Scammers use the 
information visible in Venmo’s public feed to find targets. By keeping 
your transactions private, you reduce your risk of being targeted by 
scammers. Here’s <a href="https://help.venmo.com/hc/en-us/articles/210413717-Payment-Activity-Privacy">privacy setting information from Venmo</a>. </li><li>Use money transfer with friends:Protect yourself 
from scams by only using money transfer apps for their intended purpose 
-- sending money to people you personally know.&nbsp; </li><li>Enable additional security settings: Check your 
account settings to see if you can&nbsp;turn on additional security measures,
 such as multi-factor authentication, requiring a PIN, or using 
fingerprint recognition like Touch ID. </li><li>Link your money transfer app to a credit card.As 
with many other purchases, using a credit card will help protect you if 
you don't get the goods or services you paid for.&nbsp;Linking to a debit 
card or directly to your bank account does not give you that added 
protection. </li>
 </ul><h2>For more information</h2><a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/13038-how-to-avoid-digital-wallet-scams-on-paypal-venmo-and-other-services" target="_blank">Learn more about staying safe when using a peer-to-peer payment system</a> like Zelle, Venmo or Apple Pay. Read about another Venmo scam that seems to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22128-scam-alert-this-venmo-scam-sends-you-money-by-accident" target="_blank">send you money by accident</a>.If you’ve spotted a scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB ScamTracker</a>. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams.Stay up on the latest scams by&nbsp;<a href="https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1900156/1902645/" target="_blank">subscribing to BBB Scam Alerts emails</a>.&nbsp;

BBB Scam Alert: Don’t send money to fake friends on Venmo

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Candyman” has hooked the top spot at the North American box office. 

The Universal Pictures film starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II impressively pulled in more than $22.3 million through a quiet weekend despite concerns over the delta variant.

The R-rated horror movie, co-written by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta, delves into an urban legend that believes if someone repeats “Candyman” five times in front of a mirror, that would summon the hook-handed killer. 

“Candyman,” a sequel to the 1992 original, claimed No. 1 over the second-place “Free Guy,” which earned $13.5 million and claimed the No. 2 spot

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630280977095.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Candyman” has hooked the top spot at the North American box office. The Universal Pictures film starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II impressively pulled in more than $22.3 million through a quiet weekend despite concerns over the delta variant.The R-rated horror movie, co-written by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta, delves into an urban legend that believes if someone repeats “Candyman” five times in front of a mirror, that would summon the hook-handed killer. “Candyman,” a sequel to the 1992 original, claimed No. 1 over the second-place “Free Guy,” which earned $13.5 million and claimed the No. 2 spot

‘Candyman’ slashes way toward No. 1 box office spot

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The owner of a Lincoln magic shop who has been charged earlier this year with sexually assaulting several foster boys in his care was just relicensed earlier this year. 

Graciano Lopez, 42, was charged in June with sexually assaulting at least six different boys between summer 2017 and stretched to March 2021, when one of the children contacted the state Department of Health and Human Service to report the ongoing assaults. 

In addition to providing foster care, Officer Erin Spilker said Lopez came in contact with some of the boys at his Jelly Beans’s Majoc Castle shop and through a lawn care business he operated, where he employed teenage boys. 

Investigators are still searching for additional victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630280820371.png" alt="Lopez" />
 <figcaption>Lopez</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The owner of a Lincoln magic shop who has been charged earlier this year with sexually assaulting several foster boys in his care was just relicensed earlier this year. Graciano Lopez, 42, was charged in June with sexually assaulting at least six different boys between summer 2017 and stretched to March 2021, when one of the children contacted the state Department of Health and Human Service to report the ongoing assaults. In addition to providing foster care, Officer Erin Spilker said Lopez came in contact with some of the boys at his Jelly Beans’s Majoc Castle shop and through a lawn care business he operated, where he employed teenage boys. Investigators are still searching for additional victims.

Lincoln magic shop owner charged with assaulting boys in foster care

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ed Asner, the burly and prolific character actor who became a star in middle age as the gruff but lovable newsman Lou Grant, first in the hit comedy “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and later in the drama “Lou Grant,” died Sunday. He was 91.

Asner’s representative confirmed the actor’s death in an email to The Associated Press. Asner’s official&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/theonlyedasner/status/1432034864384000007?s=21" target="_blank">Twitter account included a note</a>&nbsp;from his children: “We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you.”

Built like the football lineman he once was, the balding Asner, a native of Kansas City, was a journeyman actor in films and TV when he was hired in 1970 to play Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” For seven seasons he was the rumpled boss to Moore’s ebullient Mary Richards (He called her “Mary,” she called him “Mr. Grant”) at the fictional Minneapolis TV newsroom where both worked. Later, he would play the role for five years on “Lou Grant.”

Asner’s character had caught on from the first episode of “Mary Tyler Moore,” when he told Mary in their initial meeting, “You’ve got spunk. ... I hate spunk!” The inspired cast included Ted Knight as Ted Baxter, the dimwitted news anchor; Gavin MacLeod as Murray Slaughter, the sarcastic news writer; and Betty White as the manipulative, sex-obsessed home show hostess Sue Ann Nivens. Valerie Harper and Cloris Leachman, playing Mary’s neighbors, both saw their characters spun off into their own shows.

Asner is the third “Mary Tyler Moore” alum to die in recent months.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cloris-leachman-dead-7b9eb2aa8de5a62e8502ca94cff89e83">Leachman died in January</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gavin-macleod-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-6313dfd801244eeeea2be2ddeac1cdbb">MacLeod died in May.</a>

The 99-year-old White is the lone surviving main cast member from “Mary Tyler Moore.”

“Mary Tyler Moore” was still a hit when the star decided to pursue other interests, and so it was brought to an end in the seventh season with a hilarious finale in which all of the principals were fired except for the bumbling Baxter.

Asner went immediately into “Lou Grant,” his character moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to become city editor of the Tribune, a crusading newspaper under the firm hand of Publisher Margaret Pynchon, memorably played by Nancy Marchand.

Asner won three best supporting actor Emmys on “Mary Tyler Moore” and two best actor awards on “Lou Grant.” He also won Emmys for his roles in the miniseries “Rich Man, Poor Man” (1975-1976) and “Roots” (1976-1977).

He had more than 300 acting credits and remained active throughout his 70s and 80s in a variety of film and TV roles. In 2003, he played Santa Claus in Will Ferrell’s hit film “Elf.” He was John Goodman’s father in the short-lived 2004 CBS comedy “Center of the Universe” and the voice of the elderly hero in the hit 2009 Pixar release, “Up.” More recently, he was in such TV series as “Forgive Me” and “Dead to Me.”

Nonetheless, Asner told The Associated Press in 2009 that interesting roles were hard to come by.

“I never get enough work,” he said. “It’s the history of my career. There just isn’t anything to turn down, let me put it that way.”

“I’d say most people are probably in that same boat, old people, and it’s a shame,” he said.

As Screen Actors Guild president, the liberal Asner was caught up in a political controversy in 1982 when he spoke out against U.S. involvement with repressive governments in Latin America. “Lou Grant” was canceled during the furor that followed and he did not run for a third SAG term in 1985.

Asner discussed his politicization in a 2002 interview, noting he had begun his career during the McCarthy era and for years had been afraid to speak out for fear of being blacklisted.

Then he saw a nun’s film depicting the cruelties inflicted by El Salvador’s government on that country’s citizens.

“I stepped out to complain about our country’s constant arming and fortifying of the military in El Salvador, who were oppressing their people,” he said.

Former SAG President Charlton Heston and others accused him of making un-American statements and of misusing his position as head of their actors union.

“We even had bomb threats at the time. I had armed guards,” Asner recalled.

The actor blamed the controversy for ending the five-year run of “Lou Grant,” although CBS insisted declining ratings were the reason the show was canceled.

Although the show had its light moments, its scripts touched on a variety of darker social issues that most series wouldn’t touch at the time, including alcoholism and homelessness. Asner remained politically active for the rest of his life and in 2017 published the book “The Grouchy Historian: An Old-Time Lefty Defends Our Constitution Against Right-Wing Hypocrites and Nutjobs.”

Asner, born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1929, almost became a newsman in real life. He studied journalism at the University of Chicago until a professor told him there was little money to be made in the profession.

He quickly switched to drama, debuting as the martyred Thomas Becket in a campus production of T.S. Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral.”

He eventually dropped out of school, going to work as a taxi driver and other jobs before being drafted in 1951. He served with the Army Signal Corps in France.

Returning to Chicago after military service, he appeared at the Playwrights Theatre Club and Second City, the famed satire troupe that launched the careers of dozens of top comedians.

Later, in New York, he joined the long-running “The Threepenny Opera” and appeared opposite Jack Lemmon in “Face of a Hero.”

Arriving in Hollywood in 1961 for an episode of television’s “Naked City,” Asner decided to stay and appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, including the film “El Dorado,” opposite John Wayne; and the Elvis Presley vehicles “Kid Galahad” and “Change of Habit.” He was a regular in the 1960s political drama series “Slattery’s People.”

He was married twice, to Nancy Lou Sykes and Cindy Gilmore, and had four children, Matthew, Liza, Kate and Charles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630268956633.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ed Asner, the burly and prolific character actor who became a star in middle age as the gruff but lovable newsman Lou Grant, first in the hit comedy “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and later in the drama “Lou Grant,” died Sunday. He was 91.Asner’s representative confirmed the actor’s death in an email to The Associated Press. Asner’s official&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/theonlyedasner/status/1432034864384000007?s=21" target="_blank">Twitter account included a note</a>&nbsp;from his children: “We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you.”Built like the football lineman he once was, the balding Asner, a native of Kansas City, was a journeyman actor in films and TV when he was hired in 1970 to play Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” For seven seasons he was the rumpled boss to Moore’s ebullient Mary Richards (He called her “Mary,” she called him “Mr. Grant”) at the fictional Minneapolis TV newsroom where both worked. Later, he would play the role for five years on “Lou Grant.”Asner’s character had caught on from the first episode of “Mary Tyler Moore,” when he told Mary in their initial meeting, “You’ve got spunk. ... I hate spunk!” The inspired cast included Ted Knight as Ted Baxter, the dimwitted news anchor; Gavin MacLeod as Murray Slaughter, the sarcastic news writer; and Betty White as the manipulative, sex-obsessed home show hostess Sue Ann Nivens. Valerie Harper and Cloris Leachman, playing Mary’s neighbors, both saw their characters spun off into their own shows.Asner is the third “Mary Tyler Moore” alum to die in recent months.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cloris-leachman-dead-7b9eb2aa8de5a62e8502ca94cff89e83">Leachman died in January</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gavin-macleod-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-6313dfd801244eeeea2be2ddeac1cdbb">MacLeod died in May.</a>The 99-year-old White is the lone surviving main cast member from “Mary Tyler Moore.”“Mary Tyler Moore” was still a hit when the star decided to pursue other interests, and so it was brought to an end in the seventh season with a hilarious finale in which all of the principals were fired except for the bumbling Baxter.Asner went immediately into “Lou Grant,” his character moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to become city editor of the Tribune, a crusading newspaper under the firm hand of Publisher Margaret Pynchon, memorably played by Nancy Marchand.Asner won three best supporting actor Emmys on “Mary Tyler Moore” and two best actor awards on “Lou Grant.” He also won Emmys for his roles in the miniseries “Rich Man, Poor Man” (1975-1976) and “Roots” (1976-1977).He had more than 300 acting credits and remained active throughout his 70s and 80s in a variety of film and TV roles. In 2003, he played Santa Claus in Will Ferrell’s hit film “Elf.” He was John Goodman’s father in the short-lived 2004 CBS comedy “Center of the Universe” and the voice of the elderly hero in the hit 2009 Pixar release, “Up.” More recently, he was in such TV series as “Forgive Me” and “Dead to Me.”Nonetheless, Asner told The Associated Press in 2009 that interesting roles were hard to come by.“I never get enough work,” he said. “It’s the history of my career. There just isn’t anything to turn down, let me put it that way.”“I’d say most people are probably in that same boat, old people, and it’s a shame,” he said.As Screen Actors Guild president, the liberal Asner was caught up in a political controversy in 1982 when he spoke out against U.S. involvement with repressive governments in Latin America. “Lou Grant” was canceled during the furor that followed and he did not run for a third SAG term in 1985.Asner discussed his politicization in a 2002 interview, noting he had begun his career during the McCarthy era and for years had been afraid to speak out for fear of being blacklisted.Then he saw a nun’s film depicting the cruelties inflicted by El Salvador’s government on that country’s citizens.“I stepped out to complain about our country’s constant arming and fortifying of the military in El Salvador, who were oppressing their people,” he said.Former SAG President Charlton Heston and others accused him of making un-American statements and of misusing his position as head of their actors union.“We even had bomb threats at the time. I had armed guards,” Asner recalled.The actor blamed the controversy for ending the five-year run of “Lou Grant,” although CBS insisted declining ratings were the reason the show was canceled.Although the show had its light moments, its scripts touched on a variety of darker social issues that most series wouldn’t touch at the time, including alcoholism and homelessness. Asner remained politically active for the rest of his life and in 2017 published the book “The Grouchy Historian: An Old-Time Lefty Defends Our Constitution Against Right-Wing Hypocrites and Nutjobs.”Asner, born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1929, almost became a newsman in real life. He studied journalism at the University of Chicago until a professor told him there was little money to be made in the profession.He quickly switched to drama, debuting as the martyred Thomas Becket in a campus production of T.S. Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral.”He eventually dropped out of school, going to work as a taxi driver and other jobs before being drafted in 1951. He served with the Army Signal Corps in France.Returning to Chicago after military service, he appeared at the Playwrights Theatre Club and Second City, the famed satire troupe that launched the careers of dozens of top comedians.Later, in New York, he joined the long-running “The Threepenny Opera” and appeared opposite Jack Lemmon in “Face of a Hero.”Arriving in Hollywood in 1961 for an episode of television’s “Naked City,” Asner decided to stay and appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, including the film “El Dorado,” opposite John Wayne; and the Elvis Presley vehicles “Kid Galahad” and “Change of Habit.” He was a regular in the 1960s political drama series “Slattery’s People.”He was married twice, to Nancy Lou Sykes and Cindy Gilmore, and had four children, Matthew, Liza, Kate and Charles.___

Actor Ed Asner, TV's blustery Lou Grant, dies at 91

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban said that a U.S. airstrike targeted a suicide bomber in a vehicle Sunday who wanted to attack the Kabul international airport amid the American military’s evacuation there.

There were few initial details about the incident, as well as a rocket that struck a neighborhood just northwest of the airport, killing a child. The two strikes initially appeared to be separate incidents, though information on both remained scarce.

The attack comes as the United States winds down a historic airlift that saw tens of thousands evacuated from Kabul’s international airport, the scene of much of the chaos that engulfed the Afghan capital since the Taliban took over two weeks ago. After an Islamic State affiliate’s suicide attack that killed over 180 people, the Taliban increased its security around the airfield as Britain ended its evacuation flights Saturday.

U.S. military cargo planes continued their runs into the airport Sunday, ahead of a Tuesday deadline earlier set by President Joe Biden to withdraw all troops from America’s longest war. However, Afghans remaining behind in the country worry about the Taliban reverting to their earlier oppressive rule — something fueled by the recent shooting death of a folk singer in the country by the insurgents.

Zabihullah Mujahid said in a message to journalists that the strike targeted the bomber as he drove a vehicle loaded with explosives. Mujahid offered few other details.

U.S. military officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

The rocket attack meanwhile struck Kabul’s Khuwja Bughra neighborhood, said Rashid, the Kabul police chief who goes by one name. Video obtained by The Associated Press in the aftermath of the attack showed smoke rising from building at the site around a kilometer (half a mile) from the airport.

No group immediately claimed the attack, however militants have fired rockets in the past.

Meanwhile, the family of a folk singer north of Kabul say the Taliban killed him.

The shooting of Fawad Andarabi came in the Andarabi Valley for which he was named, an area of Baghlan province some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Kabul. The valley had seen upheaval since the Taliban takeover, with some districts in the area coming under the control of militia fighters opposed to the Taliban rule. The Taliban say they have since retaken those areas, though neighboring Panjshir in the Hindu Kush mountains remains the only one of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces not under its control.

The Taliban previously came out to Andarabi’s home and searched it, even drinking tea with the musician, his son Jawad Andarabi told the AP. But something changed Friday.

“He was innocent, a singer who only was entertaining people,” his son said. “They shot him in the head on the farm.”

His son said he wanted justice and that a local Taliban council promised to punish his father’s killer.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the AP that the insurgents would investigate the incident, but had no other details on the killing.

Andarabi played the ghichak, a bowed lute, and sang traditional songs about his birthplace, his people and Afghanistan as a whole.&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Samiullah_mahdi/status/1431647857883459594?s=20" target="_blank">A video online&nbsp;</a>showed him at one performance, sitting on a rug with the mountains of home surrounding him as he sang.

“There is no country in the world like my homeland, a proud nation,” he sang. “Our beautiful valley, our great-grandparents’ homeland.”

Karima Bennoune, the United Nations special rapporteur on cultural rights, wrote on Twitter that she had “grave concern” over Andarabi’s killing.

“We call on governments to demand the Taliban respect the #humanrights of #artists,” she wrote.

Agnes Callamard, the secretary-general of Amnesty International, similarly decried the killing.

“There is mounting evidence that the Taliban of 2021 is the same as the intolerant, violent, repressive Taliban of 2001,” she wrote on Twitter. “20 years later. Nothing has changed on that front.”

Meanwhile on Sunday, private banks across Afghanistan resumed their operations. However, they limited withdrawals to no more than the equivalent of $200 a day.

While some complained of still being unable to access their money, government employees say they haven’t been paid over the last four months. The Afghani traded around 90.5 to $1, continuing its depreciation as billions of dollars in the country’s reserves remain frozen overseas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630246695083.png" alt="&nbsp;Marines assist with security at an evacuation control checkpoint on August 28, at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. -photo U.S. Dept. of Defense " />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Marines assist with security at an evacuation control checkpoint on August 28, at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. -photo U.S. Dept. of Defense </figcaption>
 </figure>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban said that a U.S. airstrike targeted a suicide bomber in a vehicle Sunday who wanted to attack the Kabul international airport amid the American military’s evacuation there.There were few initial details about the incident, as well as a rocket that struck a neighborhood just northwest of the airport, killing a child. The two strikes initially appeared to be separate incidents, though information on both remained scarce.The attack comes as the United States winds down a historic airlift that saw tens of thousands evacuated from Kabul’s international airport, the scene of much of the chaos that engulfed the Afghan capital since the Taliban took over two weeks ago. After an Islamic State affiliate’s suicide attack that killed over 180 people, the Taliban increased its security around the airfield as Britain ended its evacuation flights Saturday.U.S. military cargo planes continued their runs into the airport Sunday, ahead of a Tuesday deadline earlier set by President Joe Biden to withdraw all troops from America’s longest war. However, Afghans remaining behind in the country worry about the Taliban reverting to their earlier oppressive rule — something fueled by the recent shooting death of a folk singer in the country by the insurgents.Zabihullah Mujahid said in a message to journalists that the strike targeted the bomber as he drove a vehicle loaded with explosives. Mujahid offered few other details.U.S. military officials could not be immediately reached for comment.The rocket attack meanwhile struck Kabul’s Khuwja Bughra neighborhood, said Rashid, the Kabul police chief who goes by one name. Video obtained by The Associated Press in the aftermath of the attack showed smoke rising from building at the site around a kilometer (half a mile) from the airport.No group immediately claimed the attack, however militants have fired rockets in the past.Meanwhile, the family of a folk singer north of Kabul say the Taliban killed him.The shooting of Fawad Andarabi came in the Andarabi Valley for which he was named, an area of Baghlan province some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Kabul. The valley had seen upheaval since the Taliban takeover, with some districts in the area coming under the control of militia fighters opposed to the Taliban rule. The Taliban say they have since retaken those areas, though neighboring Panjshir in the Hindu Kush mountains remains the only one of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces not under its control.The Taliban previously came out to Andarabi’s home and searched it, even drinking tea with the musician, his son Jawad Andarabi told the AP. But something changed Friday.“He was innocent, a singer who only was entertaining people,” his son said. “They shot him in the head on the farm.”His son said he wanted justice and that a local Taliban council promised to punish his father’s killer.Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the AP that the insurgents would investigate the incident, but had no other details on the killing.Andarabi played the ghichak, a bowed lute, and sang traditional songs about his birthplace, his people and Afghanistan as a whole.&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Samiullah_mahdi/status/1431647857883459594?s=20" target="_blank">A video online&nbsp;</a>showed him at one performance, sitting on a rug with the mountains of home surrounding him as he sang.“There is no country in the world like my homeland, a proud nation,” he sang. “Our beautiful valley, our great-grandparents’ homeland.”Karima Bennoune, the United Nations special rapporteur on cultural rights, wrote on Twitter that she had “grave concern” over Andarabi’s killing.“We call on governments to demand the Taliban respect the #humanrights of #artists,” she wrote.Agnes Callamard, the secretary-general of Amnesty International, similarly decried the killing.“There is mounting evidence that the Taliban of 2021 is the same as the intolerant, violent, repressive Taliban of 2001,” she wrote on Twitter. “20 years later. Nothing has changed on that front.”Meanwhile on Sunday, private banks across Afghanistan resumed their operations. However, they limited withdrawals to no more than the equivalent of $200 a day.While some complained of still being unable to access their money, government employees say they haven’t been paid over the last four months. The Afghani traded around 90.5 to $1, continuing its depreciation as billions of dollars in the country’s reserves remain frozen overseas.___

US airstrike hits bomber targeting Kabul airport

NEW YORK — Half of American workers are in favor of vaccine requirements at their workplaces.

It comes at a time when such mandates are gaining traction now that the government has given full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

That finding is from a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Overall, 47% of in-person workers are in favor, while 26% are opposed. That compares with 59% of remote workers in support of vaccine mandates for people working in person at their workplace.

The sentiment is similar for workplace mask mandates, with 50% of Americans working in person favoring them and 29% opposed.

About 6 in 10 college graduates, who are more likely to have jobs that can be done remotely, support both mask and vaccine mandates at their workplaces, compared with about 4 in 10 workers without college degrees.

Christopher Messick is an electrical engineer who is mostly working from home in Brunswick, Maryland. He wrote to his company’s human resources department to ask employees get vaccinated before they are recalled to the office.

“I don’t want sit an office for eight hours a day with someone who is not vaccinated,” said Messick, 41. “The people who are anti-vax, I see them as selfish.”

Some 73% of Black workers and 59% of Hispanic workers — who are more likely than white workers to work in front-line jobs — support mask mandates at their workplaces, compared with 42% of white workers. In addition, 53% of Black and Hispanic workers support vaccine mandates at their workplaces, along with 44% of white workers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618924071042.png" alt="Workers getting vaccine -photo courtesy Tyson Foods" />
 <figcaption>Workers getting vaccine -photo courtesy Tyson Foods</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK — Half of American workers are in favor of vaccine requirements at their workplaces.It comes at a time when such mandates are gaining traction now that the government has given full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.That finding is from a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Overall, 47% of in-person workers are in favor, while 26% are opposed. That compares with 59% of remote workers in support of vaccine mandates for people working in person at their workplace.The sentiment is similar for workplace mask mandates, with 50% of Americans working in person favoring them and 29% opposed.About 6 in 10 college graduates, who are more likely to have jobs that can be done remotely, support both mask and vaccine mandates at their workplaces, compared with about 4 in 10 workers without college degrees.Christopher Messick is an electrical engineer who is mostly working from home in Brunswick, Maryland. He wrote to his company’s human resources department to ask employees get vaccinated before they are recalled to the office.“I don’t want sit an office for eight hours a day with someone who is not vaccinated,” said Messick, 41. “The people who are anti-vax, I see them as selfish.”Some 73% of Black workers and 59% of Hispanic workers — who are more likely than white workers to work in front-line jobs — support mask mandates at their workplaces, compared with 42% of white workers. In addition, 53% of Black and Hispanic workers support vaccine mandates at their workplaces, along with 44% of white workers.

Poll: Half of US workers favor COVID shot mandate

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 19-year-old man is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man at a motel. 

WIBW-TV reports that Isaiah Quin Dale Krainbill was charged Friday in the death of 37-year-old James Epps Jr. Epps was killed Tuesday at a Travelers Inn in Topeka. 

He had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say Krainbill was immediately identified as a suspect. He was arrested a short time later. Krainbill is jailed on $1 million bond. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 19-year-old man is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man at a motel. WIBW-TV reports that Isaiah Quin Dale Krainbill was charged Friday in the death of 37-year-old James Epps Jr. Epps was killed Tuesday at a Travelers Inn in Topeka. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629888257059.png" alt="Krainbill-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Krainbill-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>He had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say Krainbill was immediately identified as a suspect. He was arrested a short time later. Krainbill is jailed on $1 million bond. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney.

19-year-old charged in Kansas motel killing

SHAWNEE COUNTY—A man accused of child sex crimes involving two runaway children has been arrested and charged in the case.&nbsp;

Joseph Austin McColgin, 20, has been charged with sexual abuse of two children, according to&nbsp;Shawnee County District Attorney Michael Kagay. The charges nclude rape of a child under 14 by an offender over 18, aggravated criminal sodomy with a child under 14 by an offender over 18, two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child 14-16, criminal sodomy with a child 14-16, aggravated domestic battery and aggravated endangering a child.

In February,&nbsp; Topeka Police Department opened an investigation into allegations that a suspect later identified as McColgin, had engaged in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl that had been reported as a runaway, according to Kagay.

Through the investigation, Kagay said officers found that McColgin had also been involved in a sexual relationship with another runaway for nearly a year when she was 13 and 14 years old. The alleged crimes happened between June of 2020 and April of 2021 at various locations in Topeka.

&nbsp;McColgin is being held on a bond of&nbsp; $250,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for&nbsp;September 2.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630239605122.png" alt="McColgin" />
 <figcaption>McColgin</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—A man accused of child sex crimes involving two runaway children has been arrested and charged in the case.&nbsp;Joseph Austin McColgin, 20, has been charged with sexual abuse of two children, according to&nbsp;Shawnee County District Attorney Michael Kagay. The charges nclude rape of a child under 14 by an offender over 18, aggravated criminal sodomy with a child under 14 by an offender over 18, two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child 14-16, criminal sodomy with a child 14-16, aggravated domestic battery and aggravated endangering a child.In February,&nbsp; Topeka Police Department opened an investigation into allegations that a suspect later identified as McColgin, had engaged in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl that had been reported as a runaway, according to Kagay.Through the investigation, Kagay said officers found that McColgin had also been involved in a sexual relationship with another runaway for nearly a year when she was 13 and 14 years old. The alleged crimes happened between June of 2020 and April of 2021 at various locations in Topeka.&nbsp;McColgin is being held on a bond of&nbsp; $250,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for&nbsp;September 2.

Kan. man charged for sex crimes with runaway children

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Tenant advocates and court officials are gearing up for what some fear will be a wave of evictions and others predict will be just a growing trickle after a U.S. Supreme Court action allowing lockouts to resume.

The high court’s conservative majority late Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-dcd2da5f88b0396c05d85c00591755f9">blocked the Biden administration</a>&nbsp;from enforcing a temporary ban placed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The action ends protections for about 3.5 million people in the United States who say they faced eviction in the next two months, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from early August.

“We are incredibly disappointed in the Supreme Court ruling and ask Congress and Governor (Doug) Ducey to take action to prevent what will likely be tragic outcomes for thousands of Arizona families,” said Cynthia Zwick, executive director of the nonprofit organization Wildfire that is helping distribute government rental assistance in Arizona.

“Lives are literally at risk as the pandemic continues to surge and families lose their homes, especially during this time of extreme heat,” she said, referring to Phoenix’s triple-digit temperatures.

Wildfire is encouraging tenants to keep applying for rental aid and “work with their landlords to develop plans for making payments until the assistance is available,” she said.

Ron Book, chairman of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, worries about the thousands of older people who potentially could be affected by about 9,000 pending eviction cases in the county.

Book said he’s been trying to find people at risk new places to live, but many haven’t taken the situation seriously because the moratorium has been extended numerous times.

But some local officials around the U.S. say the court’s action is unlikely to set off the flood of evictions some advocates predict.

Scott Davis, spokesman for the Maricopa County Justice Courts that handle the bulk of Arizona’s evictions, said he does not expect anything dramatic overnight. He said how things play out will depend on how landlords and their attorneys decide to handle cases.

“We know that eviction case filings over the last 17 months are down about 50% from pre-pandemic,” Davis said. “ Some believe there will be a large flood of case activity; others believe it will be just a light sprinkle, which builds gradually over time. Again — it’s up to landlords.”

Davis emphasized no one can be evicted immediately without due process, and the cases could take weeks to be carried out in the courts.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Tenant advocates and court officials are gearing up for what some fear will be a wave of evictions and others predict will be just a growing trickle after a U.S. Supreme Court action allowing lockouts to resume.The high court’s conservative majority late Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-dcd2da5f88b0396c05d85c00591755f9">blocked the Biden administration</a>&nbsp;from enforcing a temporary ban placed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The action ends protections for about 3.5 million people in the United States who say they faced eviction in the next two months, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from early August.“We are incredibly disappointed in the Supreme Court ruling and ask Congress and Governor (Doug) Ducey to take action to prevent what will likely be tragic outcomes for thousands of Arizona families,” said Cynthia Zwick, executive director of the nonprofit organization Wildfire that is helping distribute government rental assistance in Arizona.“Lives are literally at risk as the pandemic continues to surge and families lose their homes, especially during this time of extreme heat,” she said, referring to Phoenix’s triple-digit temperatures.Wildfire is encouraging tenants to keep applying for rental aid and “work with their landlords to develop plans for making payments until the assistance is available,” she said.Ron Book, chairman of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, worries about the thousands of older people who potentially could be affected by about 9,000 pending eviction cases in the county.Book said he’s been trying to find people at risk new places to live, but many haven’t taken the situation seriously because the moratorium has been extended numerous times.But some local officials around the U.S. say the court’s action is unlikely to set off the flood of evictions some advocates predict.Scott Davis, spokesman for the Maricopa County Justice Courts that handle the bulk of Arizona’s evictions, said he does not expect anything dramatic overnight. He said how things play out will depend on how landlords and their attorneys decide to handle cases.“We know that eviction case filings over the last 17 months are down about 50% from pre-pandemic,” Davis said. “ Some believe there will be a large flood of case activity; others believe it will be just a light sprinkle, which builds gradually over time. Again — it’s up to landlords.”Davis emphasized no one can be evicted immediately without due process, and the cases could take weeks to be carried out in the courts.The Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin said Friday that landlords rarely evict anyone who is only a few hundred dollars behind on rent. It said the average eviction judgment for unpaid rent in Wisconsin is more than $2,600.“Contrary to dire predictions by tenant advocates, there will NOT be a ‘tsunami’ of eviction filings in Wisconsin or in most parts of the country,” the landlord trade association said. “There will NOT be 11 million people suddenly made homeless.”The court’s action does not affect the temporary bans on evictions placed by a handful of states, including California.The Treasury Department and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge on Friday sent a letter to all governors, mayors and county officials, urging them to implement their own eviction bans, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.“Seven states have taken the steps. More states can take the steps,” Psaki said.She noted that quicker disbursement of rental assistance money could also help stave off evictions.In Detroit, Ted Phillips, executive director of the United Community Housing Coalition, said the court’s action could prompt more eviction cases.“We suspect ..., there’s probably a large number of cases where landlords never bothered applying for an order of eviction because, well, why bother if there’s a moratorium,” Phillips said.The court’s move wasn’t a huge surprise. The justices had allowed an earlier pause on lockouts to continue through July, but they hinted in late June they would take this path if asked again to intervene. The moratorium had been scheduled to expire Oct. 3.The court said in an unsigned opinion that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reimposed the moratorium Aug. 3, lacked the authority to do so under federal law without explicit congressional authorization. The three liberal justices dissented.Congress is on recess for a few weeks and is unlikely take immediate action on legislation.But key progressive lawmakers Friday urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats, to consider passing legislation to extend the moratorium during the pandemic.One option would be to include an evictions measure in the upcoming budget infrastructure packages that Congress will consider when lawmakers return in September.“The impending eviction crisis is a matter of public health and safety that demands an urgent legislative solution to prevent further harm and needless loss of human life,” read the letter from Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Massachusetts, Cori Bush, D-Missouri, Jimmy Gomez, D-California, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York. It was signed by 60 lawmakers.Pelosi said Friday the House “is assessing possible legislative remedies.”Congress has approved more than $46.5 billion in rental assistance, but so far state and local governments have distributed 11% of that money, just over $5 billion, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.In Kansas, the state’s Housing Resources Corporation is pushing to process hundreds of rental relief applications after hiring and training more than 100 new employees to help. Still, most assistance money hasn’t been distributed.Landlord organizations blamed the slow rollout on requirements imposed by Congress that many applicants find cumbersome.Courtney Gilstrap LeVinus, president and CEO of the Arizona Multihousing Association, said many mom-and-pop rental owners are teetering on bankruptcy, with about $500 million in rent unpaid statewide.“Despite such intense financial pressure, Arizona property owners have worked with residents to keep them in their homes, to keep them safe from the pandemic, and to help them qualify for eviction relief that has been slow to arrive for a year and a half,” LeVinus said. “We have strongly encouraged our members to keep working with residents to avoid evictions in every possible instance.”