NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tom T. Hall, the singer-songwriter who composed “Harper Valley P.T.A.” and sang about life’s simple joys as country music’s consummate blue collar bard, has died. He was 85.

His son, Dean Hall, confirmed the musician's death on Friday at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. Known as “The Storyteller” for his unadorned yet incisive lyrics, Hall composed hundreds of songs.

Along with such contemporaries as Kris Kristofferson, John Hartford and Mickey Newbury, Hall helped usher in a literary era of country music in the early ’70s, with songs that were political, like “Watergate Blues” and “The Monkey That Became President,” deeply personal like “The Year Clayton Delaney Died,” and philosophical like “(Old Dogs, Children and) Watermelon Wine.”

“In all my writing, I’ve never made judgments,” he said in 1986. “I think that’s my secret. I’m a witness. I just watch everything and don’t decide if it’s good or bad.”

Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell performed Hall's song “Mama Bake A Pie (Daddy Kill A Chicken)" when Hall was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.

“The simplest words that told the most complicated stories. Felt like Tom T. just caught the songs as they floated by, but I know he carved them out of rock,” Isbell&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/JasonIsbell/status/1428879509844025348">tweeted</a>&nbsp;on Friday.

Hall, the fourth son of an ordained minister, was born near Olive Hill, Kentucky, in a log cabin built by his grandfather. He started playing guitar at age 4 and wrote his first song by the time he was 9.

Hall began playing in a bluegrass band, but when that didn’t work out he started working as a disc jockey in Morehead, Kentucky. He joined the U.S. Army in 1957 for four years including an assignment in Germany. He turned to writing when he got back stateside and was discovered by Nashville publisher Jimmy Key.

Hall settled in Nashville in 1964 and first established himself as a songwriter making $50 a week. He wrote songs for Jimmy C. Newman, Dave Dudley and Johnny Wright, but he had so many songs that he began recording them himself. The middle initial “T” was added when he got his recording contract to make the name catchier.

His breakthrough was writing “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” a 1968 international hit about small-town hypocrisy recorded by Jeannie C. Riley. The song about a mother telling a group of busybodies to mind their own business was witty and feisty and became a No. 1 country and pop hit. It sold millions of copies and Riley won a Grammy for best female country vocal performance and an award for single of the year from the Country Music Association. The story was so popular it even spawned a movie of the same name and a television series.

“Suddenly, it was the talk of the country,” Hall told The Associated Press in 1986. “It became a catch phrase. You’d flip the radio dial and hear it four or five times in 10 minutes. It was the most awesome time of my life; I caused all this stir.”

His own career took off after that song and he had a string of hits with “Ballad of Forty Dollars” (which also was recorded by Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings); his first career No. 1 hit “A Week in a Country Jail,” and “Homecoming,” in the late 1960s.

Throughout the ’70s, Hall became one of Nashville’s biggest singer-songwriters, with multiple hit songs including, “I Love,” “Country Is,” “I Care,” “I Like Beer,” and “Faster Horses (The Cowboy and The Poet.)” He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1978.

“Tom T. Hall’s masterworks vary in plot, tone and tempo, but they are bound by his ceaseless and unyielding empathy for the triumphs and losses of others,” said Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, in a statement. “He wrote without judgment or anger, offering a rhyming journalism of the heart that sets his compositions apart from any other writer.

He also penned songs for children on his records “Songs of Fox Hollow (for Children of All Ages)” in 1974 and “Country Songs for Kids,” in 1988. He also became an author, writing a book about songwriting, “The Songwriter’s Handbook,” and an autobiography, “The Storyteller’s Nashville,” as well as fiction novels.

He was host of the syndicated TV show “Pop Goes the Country” from 1980 to 1983 and even dabbled in politics. Hall was close to former President Jimmy Carter and Carter’s brother, Billy, when Carter was in the White House. Tennessee Democrats urged Hall to run for governor in 1982, but he declined.

For his 1985 album “Songs in a Seashell,” he spent six months walking up and down Southern beaches to get inspiration for the summer mood of the LP.

He was inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and in 2012, he was honored as the BMI Icon of the year, with artists such as the Avett Brothers, bluegrass stars Daily &amp; Vincent, Toby Keith and Justin Townes Earle paying tribute to the songwriting legend.

“I think a song is just a song,” Hall said at the ceremony in 2012. “They can do it with all kinds of different bands. It’s just a lyric and a melody. I was talking to Kris Kristofferson one time. They asked him what was country, and he said, ‘If it sounds country, it’s country.’ So that’s my philosophy.”

He married English-born songwriter Dixie Deen in 1968, and the two would go on to write hundreds of bluegrass songs after Hall retired from performing in the 1990s, including “All That’s Left” which Miranda Lambert covered on her 2014 album, “Platinum.” Dixie Hall died in 2015.

In 2015, music legend Bob Dylan singled out Hall for some harsh criticism in a rambling speech at a MusiCares event. He called Hall’s song, “I Love,” “a little overcooked,” and said that the arrival of Kristofferson in Nashville “blew ol’ Tom T. Hall’s world apart.”

The criticism apparently confused Hall, as he considered Kristofferson a friend and a peer, and when asked about Dylan’s comments in an 2016 article for “American Songwriter” magazine, he responded, “What the hell was all that about?”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tom T. Hall, the singer-songwriter who composed “Harper Valley P.T.A.” and sang about life’s simple joys as country music’s consummate blue collar bard, has died. He was 85.His son, Dean Hall, confirmed the musician's death on Friday at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. Known as “The Storyteller” for his unadorned yet incisive lyrics, Hall composed hundreds of songs.Along with such contemporaries as Kris Kristofferson, John Hartford and Mickey Newbury, Hall helped usher in a literary era of country music in the early ’70s, with songs that were political, like “Watergate Blues” and “The Monkey That Became President,” deeply personal like “The Year Clayton Delaney Died,” and philosophical like “(Old Dogs, Children and) Watermelon Wine.”“In all my writing, I’ve never made judgments,” he said in 1986. “I think that’s my secret. I’m a witness. I just watch everything and don’t decide if it’s good or bad.”Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell performed Hall's song “Mama Bake A Pie (Daddy Kill A Chicken)" when Hall was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.“The simplest words that told the most complicated stories. Felt like Tom T. just caught the songs as they floated by, but I know he carved them out of rock,” Isbell&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/JasonIsbell/status/1428879509844025348">tweeted</a>&nbsp;on Friday.Hall, the fourth son of an ordained minister, was born near Olive Hill, Kentucky, in a log cabin built by his grandfather. He started playing guitar at age 4 and wrote his first song by the time he was 9.Hall began playing in a bluegrass band, but when that didn’t work out he started working as a disc jockey in Morehead, Kentucky. He joined the U.S. Army in 1957 for four years including an assignment in Germany. He turned to writing when he got back stateside and was discovered by Nashville publisher Jimmy Key.Hall settled in Nashville in 1964 and first established himself as a songwriter making $50 a week. He wrote songs for Jimmy C. Newman, Dave Dudley and Johnny Wright, but he had so many songs that he began recording them himself. The middle initial “T” was added when he got his recording contract to make the name catchier.His breakthrough was writing “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” a 1968 international hit about small-town hypocrisy recorded by Jeannie C. Riley. The song about a mother telling a group of busybodies to mind their own business was witty and feisty and became a No. 1 country and pop hit. It sold millions of copies and Riley won a Grammy for best female country vocal performance and an award for single of the year from the Country Music Association. The story was so popular it even spawned a movie of the same name and a television series.“Suddenly, it was the talk of the country,” Hall told The Associated Press in 1986. “It became a catch phrase. You’d flip the radio dial and hear it four or five times in 10 minutes. It was the most awesome time of my life; I caused all this stir.”His own career took off after that song and he had a string of hits with “Ballad of Forty Dollars” (which also was recorded by Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings); his first career No. 1 hit “A Week in a Country Jail,” and “Homecoming,” in the late 1960s.Throughout the ’70s, Hall became one of Nashville’s biggest singer-songwriters, with multiple hit songs including, “I Love,” “Country Is,” “I Care,” “I Like Beer,” and “Faster Horses (The Cowboy and The Poet.)” He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1978.“Tom T. Hall’s masterworks vary in plot, tone and tempo, but they are bound by his ceaseless and unyielding empathy for the triumphs and losses of others,” said Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, in a statement. “He wrote without judgment or anger, offering a rhyming journalism of the heart that sets his compositions apart from any other writer.He also penned songs for children on his records “Songs of Fox Hollow (for Children of All Ages)” in 1974 and “Country Songs for Kids,” in 1988. He also became an author, writing a book about songwriting, “The Songwriter’s Handbook,” and an autobiography, “The Storyteller’s Nashville,” as well as fiction novels.He was host of the syndicated TV show “Pop Goes the Country” from 1980 to 1983 and even dabbled in politics. Hall was close to former President Jimmy Carter and Carter’s brother, Billy, when Carter was in the White House. Tennessee Democrats urged Hall to run for governor in 1982, but he declined.For his 1985 album “Songs in a Seashell,” he spent six months walking up and down Southern beaches to get inspiration for the summer mood of the LP.He was inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and in 2012, he was honored as the BMI Icon of the year, with artists such as the Avett Brothers, bluegrass stars Daily &amp; Vincent, Toby Keith and Justin Townes Earle paying tribute to the songwriting legend.“I think a song is just a song,” Hall said at the ceremony in 2012. “They can do it with all kinds of different bands. It’s just a lyric and a melody. I was talking to Kris Kristofferson one time. They asked him what was country, and he said, ‘If it sounds country, it’s country.’ So that’s my philosophy.”He married English-born songwriter Dixie Deen in 1968, and the two would go on to write hundreds of bluegrass songs after Hall retired from performing in the 1990s, including “All That’s Left” which Miranda Lambert covered on her 2014 album, “Platinum.” Dixie Hall died in 2015.In 2015, music legend Bob Dylan singled out Hall for some harsh criticism in a rambling speech at a MusiCares event. He called Hall’s song, “I Love,” “a little overcooked,” and said that the arrival of Kristofferson in Nashville “blew ol’ Tom T. Hall’s world apart.”The criticism apparently confused Hall, as he considered Kristofferson a friend and a peer, and when asked about Dylan’s comments in an 2016 article for “American Songwriter” magazine, he responded, “What the hell was all that about?”

Country legend Tom T. Hall dies; wrote ‘Harper Valley PTA’

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Iowa man has sued an eastern Nebraska county, its sheriff and several deputies, saying their lack of training led one of the deputies to shoot him in the eye with a pepper ball during a protest last year. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that 24-year-old Adam Keup, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, filed a federal lawsuit last week against Sarpy County, Sheriff Jeff Davis, and four deputies, alleging Davis handed out the pepper balls to his deputies before the protest without providing any training on how to use them. 

Keup says he was just watching the protest and standing on a sidewalk about 100 feet from protesters and law enforcement when a deputy shot him in the eye with a pepper ball, leaving him blind in that eye.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Iowa man has sued an eastern Nebraska county, its sheriff and several deputies, saying their lack of training led one of the deputies to shoot him in the eye with a pepper ball during a protest last year. The Omaha World-Herald reports that 24-year-old Adam Keup, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, filed a federal lawsuit last week against Sarpy County, Sheriff Jeff Davis, and four deputies, alleging Davis handed out the pepper balls to his deputies before the protest without providing any training on how to use them. Keup says he was just watching the protest and standing on a sidewalk about 100 feet from protesters and law enforcement when a deputy shot him in the eye with a pepper ball, leaving him blind in that eye.

Iowa man sues Nebraska sheriff after pepper ball blinded him

AUBURN, Neb. (AP) — An outbreak of COVID-19 cases has shut down a southeastern Nebraska elementary school only days after it opened for the new school year with no requirement for face masks. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that officials shut down Calvert Elementary School in Auburn on Thursday after "a pretty high number” of cases were confirmed among students and staff. School and health officials declined to say how many cases were confirmed, citing privacy concerns. 

There are 466 students enrolled at the school. 

The school is set to reopen Monday following a deep cleaning. And when it does, Auburn Public Schools Superintendent David Patton said, masks will be required.

AUBURN, Neb. (AP) — An outbreak of COVID-19 cases has shut down a southeastern Nebraska elementary school only days after it opened for the new school year with no requirement for face masks. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that officials shut down Calvert Elementary School in Auburn on Thursday after "a pretty high number” of cases were confirmed among students and staff. School and health officials declined to say how many cases were confirmed, citing privacy concerns. There are 466 students enrolled at the school. The school is set to reopen Monday following a deep cleaning. And when it does, Auburn Public Schools Superintendent David Patton said, masks will be required.

COVID-19 cases shut down southeastern Nebraska school

WASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service has launched a new feature allowing any 
family receiving monthly Child Tax Credit payments to quickly and easily
 update their mailing address using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">Child Tax Credit Update Portal</a>,
 found exclusively on IRS.gov. This feature will help any family that 
chooses to receive their payment by paper check avoid mailing delays or 
even having a check returned as undeliverable.

Any family can easily have their September check and all future 
checks sent to their new address by using the portal to make an address 
change request. To have the change take effect in September, people need
 to complete the request before midnight Eastern Time on Monday, August 
30. Families can still make changes after that date, but their request 
will not be effective until the next scheduled monthly payment.

If you change your mailing address using the Child Tax Credit Update 
Portal, the IRS will use this updated address for all future IRS 
correspondence so the address change feature can also be helpful to 
taxpayers that are receiving payments by direct deposit. For example, 
the IRS will mail a year-end summary statement (Letter 6419) to all 
taxpayers who have received advance Child Tax Credit payments during 
2021 and having a current address on file with the IRS will ensure 
prompt delivery of this statement.

Families will need Letter 6419 to quickly and accurately fill out 
their 2021 federal income tax return next year. This is important 
because, for most families, the advance payments they are receiving 
during 2021 cover only half of the total credit. They will claim the 
remaining portion on their 2021 tax return.

The address change feature joins a growing set of services available 
through the Child Tax Credit Update Portal. Available only on IRS.gov, 
the portal already allows families to verify their eligibility for the 
payments and then, if they choose to:

Any of these changes made before midnight ET on August 30, will 
apply to the September 15 payment and all subsequent monthly payments, 
scheduled for October 15, November 15, and December 15.

Future enhancements are planned for the Child Tax Credit Portal

Later this year, families will also be able to use the Update Portal tool to:

Latest information for the Child Tax Credit payments on IRS.gov

The IRS has created a special Advance Child Tax Credit 2021 page 
designed to provide the most up-to-date information about the credit and
 the advance payments. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>.

The web page now features an updated set of <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-frequently-asked-questions">frequently asked questions</a> and the new <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5549.pdf">Publication 5549, IRS User Guide: Child Tax Credit Update Portal</a>.
 It also provides direct links to the portal, as well as two other 
online tools — the Non-Filer Sign Up Tool and the Child Tax Credit 
Eligibility Assistant — and other useful resources.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service has launched a new feature allowing any 
family receiving monthly Child Tax Credit payments to quickly and easily
 update their mailing address using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">Child Tax Credit Update Portal</a>,
 found exclusively on IRS.gov. This feature will help any family that 
chooses to receive their payment by paper check avoid mailing delays or 
even having a check returned as undeliverable.Any family can easily have their September check and all future 
checks sent to their new address by using the portal to make an address 
change request. To have the change take effect in September, people need
 to complete the request before midnight Eastern Time on Monday, August 
30. Families can still make changes after that date, but their request 
will not be effective until the next scheduled monthly payment.If you change your mailing address using the Child Tax Credit Update 
Portal, the IRS will use this updated address for all future IRS 
correspondence so the address change feature can also be helpful to 
taxpayers that are receiving payments by direct deposit. For example, 
the IRS will mail a year-end summary statement (Letter 6419) to all 
taxpayers who have received advance Child Tax Credit payments during 
2021 and having a current address on file with the IRS will ensure 
prompt delivery of this statement.Families will need Letter 6419 to quickly and accurately fill out 
their 2021 federal income tax return next year. This is important 
because, for most families, the advance payments they are receiving 
during 2021 cover only half of the total credit. They will claim the 
remaining portion on their 2021 tax return.The address change feature joins a growing set of services available 
through the Child Tax Credit Update Portal. Available only on IRS.gov, 
the portal already allows families to verify their eligibility for the 
payments and then, if they choose to:<ul>
 <li>Switch from receiving a paper check to direct deposit;</li><li>Change the account where their payment is direct deposited; or</li><li>Stop monthly payments for the rest of 2021.</li>
 </ul>Any of these changes made before midnight ET on August 30, will 
apply to the September 15 payment and all subsequent monthly payments, 
scheduled for October 15, November 15, and December 15.<h2>Future enhancements are planned for the Child Tax Credit Portal</h2>Later this year, families will also be able to use the Update Portal tool to:<ul>
 <li>Add or remove children in most situations;</li><li>Report a change in marital status; or</li><li>Report a significant change in income.</li>
 </ul><h2>Latest information for the Child Tax Credit payments on IRS.gov</h2>The IRS has created a special Advance Child Tax Credit 2021 page 
designed to provide the most up-to-date information about the credit and
 the advance payments. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>.The web page now features an updated set of <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-frequently-asked-questions">frequently asked questions</a> and the new <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5549.pdf">Publication 5549, IRS User Guide: Child Tax Credit Update Portal</a>.
 It also provides direct links to the portal, as well as two other 
online tools — the Non-Filer Sign Up Tool and the Child Tax Credit 
Eligibility Assistant — and other useful resources.

Updates for Child Tax Credit payment must be completed by Aug. 30

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday allowed the pause on evictions imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to remain in place, setting up a likely battle before the nation’s highest court.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected a bid by Alabama and Georgia realtors to block the eviction moratorium reinstated earlier this month.

The realtors are likely to appeal to the Supreme Court, which voted 5-4 in June to allow the moratorium to continue through the end of July. But Justice Brett Kavanaugh — who joined the majority — warned the administration not to act further without explicit congressional approval.

The Biden administration allowed an earlier moratorium to lapse on July 31, saying it had no legal authority to allow it to continue. But the CDC issued a new moratorium days later amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and others to help vulnerable renters stay in their homes amid the surge of the coronavirus’ delta variant.

As of Aug. 2, roughly 3.5 million people in the United States said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday allowed the pause on evictions imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to remain in place, setting up a likely battle before the nation’s highest court.A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected a bid by Alabama and Georgia realtors to block the eviction moratorium reinstated earlier this month.The realtors are likely to appeal to the Supreme Court, which voted 5-4 in June to allow the moratorium to continue through the end of July. But Justice Brett Kavanaugh — who joined the majority — warned the administration not to act further without explicit congressional approval.The Biden administration allowed an earlier moratorium to lapse on July 31, saying it had no legal authority to allow it to continue. But the CDC issued a new moratorium days later amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and others to help vulnerable renters stay in their homes amid the surge of the coronavirus’ delta variant.As of Aug. 2, roughly 3.5 million people in the United States said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.

Federal appeals court upholds CDC's eviction moratorium

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is pledging to Americans still trapped in Afghanistan: “We will get you home.” 

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?514188-1/president-biden-remarks-afghanistan-evacuations">Click here to </a>watch the President's comments

Biden’s comments at a White House news conference Friday come as the U.S. government struggles to ramp up a massive airlift clearing Americans and other foreigners and vulnerable Afghans, rescuing them from a Taliban takeover of the country. Biden is facing criticism from some at home for the chaotic and often violent scene outside the airport as crowds struggle to reach safety. 

The pace of evacuations picked up some overnight, but flights from the Kabul airport had stopped for several hours as of Friday afternoon before resuming.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a firestorm of criticism, President Joe Biden addressed the nation Friday afternoon about the chaotic evacuation of Americans and allies from Afghanistan as the U.S. struggles with obstacles ranging from armed Taliban checkpoints to airport pandemonium and cumbersome red tape.

While Biden has previously blamed Afghans for the U.S. failure to get out more allies ahead of this month’s sudden Taliban takeover, U.S. officials told The Associated Press that American diplomats had formally urged weeks ago that the Biden administration ramp up evacuation efforts.

Tens of thousands of people remain to be evacuated ahead of the United States’ Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw its troops from the country, although the pace picked up overnight. A defense official said about 5,700 people, including about 250 Americans, were flown out of Kabul aboard 16 C-17 transport planes. On each of the previous two days, about 2,000 people were airlifted.

With desperate crowds thronging Kabul’s airport, and Taliban fighters ringing its perimeter, the U.S. government is renewing its advisory to Americans and others that it cannot guarantee safe passage for any of those desperately seeking seats on the planes inside.

The advisory captured some of the pandemonium, and what many Afghans and foreigners see as their life-and-death struggle to get inside: “We are processing people at multiple gates. Due to large crowds and security concerns, gates may open or close without notice. Please use your best judgment and attempt to enter the airport at any gate that is open.”

Biden is set to meet with his national security team about the evacuations, and to speak from the White House Friday afternoon. In addition to criticism from some lawmakers who say the U.S. failed to adequately plan for the Taliban’s swift takeover, U.S. diplomats have voiced dissent.

In July, more than 20 diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul registered their concerns that the evacuation of Afghans who had worked for America was not proceeding quickly enough.

In a cable sent through the State Department’s dissent channel, a time-honored method for foreign service officers to register opposition to administration policies, the diplomats said the situation on the ground was dire, that the Taliban would likely seize control of the capital within months of the Aug. 31 pullout, and urged the Biden administration to immediately begin a concerted evacuation effort. That’s according to officials familiar with the document who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal debate.

Biden has said that the chaos that unfolded as part of the withdrawal was inevitable as the nearly 20-year war came to an end. He said he was following the advice of Afghanistan’s U.S.-backed president, Ashraf Ghani, in not earlier expanding U.S. efforts to fly out translators and other Afghans in danger for the past work with Americans. Ghani fled the country last weekend as the Taliban seized the capital.

Biden also said that many at-risk Afghan allies had not wanted to leave the country. But refugee groups point to yearslong backlogs of applications from thousands of those Afghans for visas that would let them take refuge in the United States.

The administration has also portrayed its contingency planning as successful after the Afghan government fell much faster than publicly anticipated by administration officials. Yet the White House received clear warnings that the situation was deteriorating rapidly before the current evacuation push.

The Kabul airport has been the focus of intense international efforts to get out foreigners, Afghan allies and other Afghans most at risk of reprisal from the Taliban insurgents.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that U.S. citizens are able to reach the airport, but face an obstacle in the large crowds at the airport gates.

On Thursday, Taliban militants fired into the air to try to control the crowds gathered at the airport’s blast walls. Men, women and children fled. U.S. Navy fighter jets flew overhead, a standard military precaution but also a reminder to the Taliban that the U.S. has firepower to respond to a combat crisis.

Sullivan acknowledged that there is the possibility of a hostage situation or terrorist attack, and said the government is working for safe passage for U.S. citizens. The administration has committed to ensuring that all Americans can leave, even if that means staying past the August deadline.

“This is a risky operation,” Sullivan told NBC News Thursday. “We can’t count on anything.”

There is no firm figure of the number of people — Americans, Afghans or others — who are in need of evacuation as the process is almost entirely self-selecting.

The State Department says that when it ordered its nonessential embassy staff to leave Kabul in April after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-troop-withdrawal-afghanistan-september-11-d2c7426736f9f530e0e62f2295a44d28">Biden’s withdrawal announcement</a>, fewer than 4,000 Americans had registered for security updates. The actual number, including dual U.S.-Afghan citizens along with family members, is likely much higher, with estimates ranging from 11,000 to 15,000. Refugee advocates estimate about 100,000 Afghan allies and family members also are appealing for seats on the U.S. airlift.

Compounding the uncertainty, the U.S. government has no way to track how many registered Americans may have left Afghanistan already. Some may have returned to the United States but others may have gone to third countries.

Although Afghanistan had been a hotspot for the coronavirus pandemic, the State Department said Thursday that evacuees are not required to get negative COVID-19 results.

However, Afghans and the Americans trying to help them escape say the Biden administration has clung to visa requirements for would-be evacuees that involve more than a dozen steps, and can take years to complete. That often included requirements that the Taliban sweep made impossible or dangerous — like requiring Afghans to go to a third-country to apply for a U.S. visa, and produce paperwork showing their work with Americans.

Additional American troops continued to arrive at the airport to safeguard and run the U.S. part of the evacuation. As of Thursday there were about 5,200, including Marines who specialize in evacuation coordination and an Air Force unit that specializes in emergency airport operations. Biden has authorized a total deployment of about 6,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629481981854.png" alt="President Joe Biden speaks about the evacuation of American citizens and vulnerable Afghans in the East Room of the White House, Friday.&nbsp; Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin and Sec. of State Antony Blinken joined the President-photo courtesy White House&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden speaks about the evacuation of American citizens and vulnerable Afghans in the East Room of the White House, Friday.&nbsp; Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin and Sec. of State Antony Blinken joined the President-photo courtesy White House&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is pledging to Americans still trapped in Afghanistan: “We will get you home.” <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?514188-1/president-biden-remarks-afghanistan-evacuations">Click here to </a>watch the President's commentsBiden’s comments at a White House news conference Friday come as the U.S. government struggles to ramp up a massive airlift clearing Americans and other foreigners and vulnerable Afghans, rescuing them from a Taliban takeover of the country. Biden is facing criticism from some at home for the chaotic and often violent scene outside the airport as crowds struggle to reach safety. The pace of evacuations picked up some overnight, but flights from the Kabul airport had stopped for several hours as of Friday afternoon before resuming.-------WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a firestorm of criticism, President Joe Biden addressed the nation Friday afternoon about the chaotic evacuation of Americans and allies from Afghanistan as the U.S. struggles with obstacles ranging from armed Taliban checkpoints to airport pandemonium and cumbersome red tape.While Biden has previously blamed Afghans for the U.S. failure to get out more allies ahead of this month’s sudden Taliban takeover, U.S. officials told The Associated Press that American diplomats had formally urged weeks ago that the Biden administration ramp up evacuation efforts.Tens of thousands of people remain to be evacuated ahead of the United States’ Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw its troops from the country, although the pace picked up overnight. A defense official said about 5,700 people, including about 250 Americans, were flown out of Kabul aboard 16 C-17 transport planes. On each of the previous two days, about 2,000 people were airlifted.With desperate crowds thronging Kabul’s airport, and Taliban fighters ringing its perimeter, the U.S. government is renewing its advisory to Americans and others that it cannot guarantee safe passage for any of those desperately seeking seats on the planes inside.The advisory captured some of the pandemonium, and what many Afghans and foreigners see as their life-and-death struggle to get inside: “We are processing people at multiple gates. Due to large crowds and security concerns, gates may open or close without notice. Please use your best judgment and attempt to enter the airport at any gate that is open.”Biden is set to meet with his national security team about the evacuations, and to speak from the White House Friday afternoon. In addition to criticism from some lawmakers who say the U.S. failed to adequately plan for the Taliban’s swift takeover, U.S. diplomats have voiced dissent.In July, more than 20 diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul registered their concerns that the evacuation of Afghans who had worked for America was not proceeding quickly enough.In a cable sent through the State Department’s dissent channel, a time-honored method for foreign service officers to register opposition to administration policies, the diplomats said the situation on the ground was dire, that the Taliban would likely seize control of the capital within months of the Aug. 31 pullout, and urged the Biden administration to immediately begin a concerted evacuation effort. That’s according to officials familiar with the document who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal debate.Biden has said that the chaos that unfolded as part of the withdrawal was inevitable as the nearly 20-year war came to an end. He said he was following the advice of Afghanistan’s U.S.-backed president, Ashraf Ghani, in not earlier expanding U.S. efforts to fly out translators and other Afghans in danger for the past work with Americans. Ghani fled the country last weekend as the Taliban seized the capital.Biden also said that many at-risk Afghan allies had not wanted to leave the country. But refugee groups point to yearslong backlogs of applications from thousands of those Afghans for visas that would let them take refuge in the United States.The administration has also portrayed its contingency planning as successful after the Afghan government fell much faster than publicly anticipated by administration officials. Yet the White House received clear warnings that the situation was deteriorating rapidly before the current evacuation push.The Kabul airport has been the focus of intense international efforts to get out foreigners, Afghan allies and other Afghans most at risk of reprisal from the Taliban insurgents.White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that U.S. citizens are able to reach the airport, but face an obstacle in the large crowds at the airport gates.On Thursday, Taliban militants fired into the air to try to control the crowds gathered at the airport’s blast walls. Men, women and children fled. U.S. Navy fighter jets flew overhead, a standard military precaution but also a reminder to the Taliban that the U.S. has firepower to respond to a combat crisis.Sullivan acknowledged that there is the possibility of a hostage situation or terrorist attack, and said the government is working for safe passage for U.S. citizens. The administration has committed to ensuring that all Americans can leave, even if that means staying past the August deadline.“This is a risky operation,” Sullivan told NBC News Thursday. “We can’t count on anything.”There is no firm figure of the number of people — Americans, Afghans or others — who are in need of evacuation as the process is almost entirely self-selecting.The State Department says that when it ordered its nonessential embassy staff to leave Kabul in April after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-troop-withdrawal-afghanistan-september-11-d2c7426736f9f530e0e62f2295a44d28">Biden’s withdrawal announcement</a>, fewer than 4,000 Americans had registered for security updates. The actual number, including dual U.S.-Afghan citizens along with family members, is likely much higher, with estimates ranging from 11,000 to 15,000. Refugee advocates estimate about 100,000 Afghan allies and family members also are appealing for seats on the U.S. airlift.Compounding the uncertainty, the U.S. government has no way to track how many registered Americans may have left Afghanistan already. Some may have returned to the United States but others may have gone to third countries.Although Afghanistan had been a hotspot for the coronavirus pandemic, the State Department said Thursday that evacuees are not required to get negative COVID-19 results.However, Afghans and the Americans trying to help them escape say the Biden administration has clung to visa requirements for would-be evacuees that involve more than a dozen steps, and can take years to complete. That often included requirements that the Taliban sweep made impossible or dangerous — like requiring Afghans to go to a third-country to apply for a U.S. visa, and produce paperwork showing their work with Americans.Additional American troops continued to arrive at the airport to safeguard and run the U.S. part of the evacuation. As of Thursday there were about 5,200, including Marines who specialize in evacuation coordination and an Air Force unit that specializes in emergency airport operations. Biden has authorized a total deployment of about 6,000.

🎥  Pres. Biden updates chaotic Kabul evacuation

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Producer Mike Richards stepped down as host of “Jeopardy!” after a report about past misogynistic comments surfaced this week.

Richards was chosen last week as the successor to Alex Trebek, but his selection was seen as divisive from the beginning after the show embarked on a broad search that included actors, sports figures, journalists and celebrities. 

Earlier this week, a report on the website The Ringer revealed demeaning comments about women that Richards had made on a podcast. 

The clips were removed online after the report was posted. Richards says in a note to the “Jeopardy!” staff on Friday that moving forward would be too much of a “distraction for our fans.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Producer Mike Richards stepped down as host of “Jeopardy!” after a report about past misogynistic comments surfaced this week.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Announcing Mayim Bialik and Mike Richards as our new hosts of Jeopardy! Richards will host the daily syndicated show, while Bialik will host primetime and spinoff series.<a href="https://t.co/MVQAqnKgjU">https://t.co/MVQAqnKgjU</a> <a href="https://t.co/itY6fIe5Uv">pic.twitter.com/itY6fIe5Uv</a>&mdash; Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jeopardy/status/1425540248696619009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Richards was chosen last week as the successor to Alex Trebek, but his selection was seen as divisive from the beginning after the show embarked on a broad search that included actors, sports figures, journalists and celebrities. Earlier this week, a report on the website The Ringer revealed demeaning comments about women that Richards had made on a podcast. The clips were removed online after the report was posted. Richards says in a note to the “Jeopardy!” staff on Friday that moving forward would be too much of a “distraction for our fans.”

Search for 'Jeopardy!' host continues; Richards steps down

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man and woman for the abuse of two young children.

On Monday, a Topeka area hospital notified the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office of the alleged abuse of a five-year-old girl, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the investigation, it was discovered that two siblings, a five-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy had both sustained serious injuries during the events. 

Both children were placed into police protective custody. Deputies arrested 28-year-old Ryan D. Wayman and 25-year-old Ellen R. Wayman booked them into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

Ryan Wayman has been charged with the felony crimes of abuse of a child; torture or cruel beating a child and aggravated battery, according to the sheriff's office. Ellen Wayman has been charged with the felony crime of aggravated endangering a child.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629420990214.png" alt="Ryan Wayman-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ryan Wayman-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man and woman for the abuse of two young children.On Monday, a Topeka area hospital notified the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office of the alleged abuse of a five-year-old girl, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.During the investigation, it was discovered that two siblings, a five-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy had both sustained serious injuries during the events. Both children were placed into police protective custody. Deputies arrested 28-year-old Ryan D. Wayman and 25-year-old Ellen R. Wayman booked them into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629420899960.png" alt="Ellen Wayman-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ellen Wayman-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Ryan Wayman has been charged with the felony crimes of abuse of a child; torture or cruel beating a child and aggravated battery, according to the sheriff's office. Ellen Wayman has been charged with the felony crime of aggravated endangering a child.

Kansas couple charged with violent abuse of 2 children

WASHINGTON — Amid the chaos and confusion at the airport, the United States said it had taken at least one step to ease requirements for those seeking to leave: COVID-19 tests.

Although Afghanistan had been a hotspot for the coronavirus pandemic, the State Department said Thursday that evacuees are not required to get a negative COVID-19 result to travel.

“A blanket humanitarian waiver has been implemented for COVID testing for all persons the U.S. government is relocating from Afghanistan,” the department said.

It referred questions about how the matter would be handled once evacuees arrive in the United States to the Department of Health and Human Services. Medical exams, including coronavirus tests, had been required for evacuees prior to Taliban’s weekend takeover of Kabul, which added extra urgency to efforts to get at-risk Afghans out of the country.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629403212055.png" alt="Afghan civilians prepare to board a plane during an evacuation Thursday at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan -photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Afghan civilians prepare to board a plane during an evacuation Thursday at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan -photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — Amid the chaos and confusion at the airport, the United States said it had taken at least one step to ease requirements for those seeking to leave: COVID-19 tests.Although Afghanistan had been a hotspot for the coronavirus pandemic, the State Department said Thursday that evacuees are not required to get a negative COVID-19 result to travel.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Kansas City would proudly accept refugees from Afghanistan who have served bravely by our side over the past generation.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1427357250553884679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“A blanket humanitarian waiver has been implemented for COVID testing for all persons the U.S. government is relocating from Afghanistan,” the department said.It referred questions about how the matter would be handled once evacuees arrive in the United States to the Department of Health and Human Services. Medical exams, including coronavirus tests, had been required for evacuees prior to Taliban’s weekend takeover of Kabul, which added extra urgency to efforts to get at-risk Afghans out of the country.

US: Evacuees from Afghanistan don't need COVID tests

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Biden administration announced Thursday it will automatically erase student loan debt for more than 300,000 Americans with severe disabilities that leave them unable to earn significant incomes.

The move will wipe out more than $5.8 billion in debt, according to the Education Department, and it marks the start of a broader overhaul of a program that has been criticized for having overly burdensome rules.

“We’ve heard loud and clear from borrowers with disabilities and advocates about the need for this change and we are excited to follow through on it,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.

The federal government offers student debt relief for people who are “totally and permanently disabled” and have limited incomes. But the current rules require them to submit documentation of their disability and undergo a three-year monitoring period to prove they’re earning little pay.

Tens of thousands of people have been dropped from the program and had their loans reinstated simply because they failed to submit proof of their earnings, however, and critics say the complex rules deter some from applying.

Advocates have pressed the Education Department to eliminate the monitoring period entirely and to provide automatic debt relief to people who the Social Security Administration already identifies as permanently disabled.

Under the new action, both demands will be met. Starting in September, the Education Department will start erasing student debt for 323,000 Americans identified in Social Security records as being permanently disabled.

Borrowers will be notified once they have been approved for relief. All of the loans are expected to be discharged by the end of the year.

The department also plans to eliminate the program’s three-year monitoring period, which was previously suspended during the pandemic. That change is expected to be cemented during a federal rulemaking process set to start in October, the agency said.

“This is going to be a smooth process for our borrowers,” Cardona said in a call with reporters. “They’re not going to have to be applying for it or getting bogged down by paperwork.”

Advocates celebrated the change as a victory. Aaron Ament, president of the National Student Legal Defense Network, called it a “life-changing” step.

“This is a huge moment for hundreds of thousands of borrowers with disabilities who can now move on with their lives and won’t be trapped in a cycle of debt,” he said.

Democrats in Congress said it was the right move. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, said borrowers shouldn’t face paperwork and other administrative hurdles if the federal government already knows they’re eligible for loan forgiveness.

“With this simple and sensible change, more than 320,000 borrowers and their families are being freed from the burden of student loans that they should not have to repay,” Scott said in a statement.

The program has faced scrutiny since 2016, when a federal watchdog agency found that the income reporting process posed an obstacle for borrowers. In 98% of cases in which loans were restored, it was because borrowers did not submit paperwork, not because their earnings were too high, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported.

The Trump administration started granting automatic loan cancellations to eligible military veterans in 2019, but the move did not apply to hundreds of thousands of other Americans with disabilities.

In March, the Education Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-f78bae481c408b19c96a7ab1a3e426da">canceled debt</a>&nbsp;for more than 40,000 borrowers whose debt had been restored because of paperwork issues, but it indicated further changes would need to come through a federal rulemaking process.

Cardona announced the change as the White House faces mounting pressure to pursue wider debt forgiveness.

Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mass.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-joe-biden-business-education-0c2776d99aadef0ca3931eb6098c853b">have called on Biden to erase $50,000&nbsp;</a>in student debt for all borrowers as a way to jumpstart the economy.

Biden has asked the Education and Justice departments to assess the legality of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-985cd1e840698acd547d5032764a5c68">mass debt cancellation</a>. Cardona said Thursday that those conversations are “still underway.” Meanwhile, he said, his agency is working to improve other debt forgiveness programs that target specific groups of borrowers.

“It’s an effort to show that we are working to improve targeted loan relief and help our borrowers,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616100370459.png" alt="“We’ve heard loud and clear from borrowers with disabilities and advocates about the need for this change and we are excited to follow through on it,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement." />
 <figcaption>“We’ve heard loud and clear from borrowers with disabilities and advocates about the need for this change and we are excited to follow through on it,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The Biden administration announced Thursday it will automatically erase student loan debt for more than 300,000 Americans with severe disabilities that leave them unable to earn significant incomes.The move will wipe out more than $5.8 billion in debt, according to the Education Department, and it marks the start of a broader overhaul of a program that has been criticized for having overly burdensome rules.“We’ve heard loud and clear from borrowers with disabilities and advocates about the need for this change and we are excited to follow through on it,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.The federal government offers student debt relief for people who are “totally and permanently disabled” and have limited incomes. But the current rules require them to submit documentation of their disability and undergo a three-year monitoring period to prove they’re earning little pay.Tens of thousands of people have been dropped from the program and had their loans reinstated simply because they failed to submit proof of their earnings, however, and critics say the complex rules deter some from applying.Advocates have pressed the Education Department to eliminate the monitoring period entirely and to provide automatic debt relief to people who the Social Security Administration already identifies as permanently disabled.Under the new action, both demands will be met. Starting in September, the Education Department will start erasing student debt for 323,000 Americans identified in Social Security records as being permanently disabled.Borrowers will be notified once they have been approved for relief. All of the loans are expected to be discharged by the end of the year.The department also plans to eliminate the program’s three-year monitoring period, which was previously suspended during the pandemic. That change is expected to be cemented during a federal rulemaking process set to start in October, the agency said.“This is going to be a smooth process for our borrowers,” Cardona said in a call with reporters. “They’re not going to have to be applying for it or getting bogged down by paperwork.”Advocates celebrated the change as a victory. Aaron Ament, president of the National Student Legal Defense Network, called it a “life-changing” step.“This is a huge moment for hundreds of thousands of borrowers with disabilities who can now move on with their lives and won’t be trapped in a cycle of debt,” he said.Democrats in Congress said it was the right move. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, said borrowers shouldn’t face paperwork and other administrative hurdles if the federal government already knows they’re eligible for loan forgiveness.“With this simple and sensible change, more than 320,000 borrowers and their families are being freed from the burden of student loans that they should not have to repay,” Scott said in a statement.The program has faced scrutiny since 2016, when a federal watchdog agency found that the income reporting process posed an obstacle for borrowers. In 98% of cases in which loans were restored, it was because borrowers did not submit paperwork, not because their earnings were too high, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported.The Trump administration started granting automatic loan cancellations to eligible military veterans in 2019, but the move did not apply to hundreds of thousands of other Americans with disabilities.In March, the Education Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-f78bae481c408b19c96a7ab1a3e426da">canceled debt</a>&nbsp;for more than 40,000 borrowers whose debt had been restored because of paperwork issues, but it indicated further changes would need to come through a federal rulemaking process.Cardona announced the change as the White House faces mounting pressure to pursue wider debt forgiveness.Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mass.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-joe-biden-business-education-0c2776d99aadef0ca3931eb6098c853b">have called on Biden to erase $50,000&nbsp;</a>in student debt for all borrowers as a way to jumpstart the economy.Biden has asked the Education and Justice departments to assess the legality of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-985cd1e840698acd547d5032764a5c68">mass debt cancellation</a>. Cardona said Thursday that those conversations are “still underway.” Meanwhile, he said, his agency is working to improve other debt forgiveness programs that target specific groups of borrowers.“It’s an effort to show that we are working to improve targeted loan relief and help our borrowers,” he said.

US to erase student debt for those with severe disabilities

KANSAS CITY—Police are asking for assistance to identify the a suspect in connection with Tuesday’s kidnapping of 2-year-old&nbsp; Khalecia K. Richards.&nbsp; She was in the back of the car when it was stolen around 5:40 p.m. from a gas station across from Central Park. The girl was found nearly two hours later in Kansas City, Kansas, after a woman called police to say a young child was in her backyard.

One photo is of a shoe the suspect took off at one point inside the gas station. Anyone with information is asked to call Missing Persons Unit at 234-5136 TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 2-year-old girl who was in a car stolen from a Kansas City, Missouri, gas station has been found safe, police said.

Police said the girl was in the back of the car when it was stolen around 5:40 p.m. Tuesday from a gas station across from Central Park. The girl was found nearly two hours later in Kansas City, Kansas, after a woman called police to say a young child was in her backyard, police said.

Police said the girl was unharmed, and officers in Kansas City, Missouri, drove the mother to her child. The stolen car was found abandoned several blocks away.

Police said they were in the midst of issuing an Amber alert for the child when she was found.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629407568395.png" alt="Security camera image KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Police are asking for assistance to identify the a suspect in connection with Tuesday’s kidnapping of 2-year-old&nbsp; Khalecia K. Richards.&nbsp; She was in the back of the car when it was stolen around 5:40 p.m. from a gas station across from Central Park. The girl was found nearly two hours later in Kansas City, Kansas, after a woman called police to say a young child was in her backyard.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629407612913.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>One photo is of a shoe the suspect took off at one point inside the gas station. Anyone with information is asked to call Missing Persons Unit at 234-5136 TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629317280213.png" alt="The subject of the&nbsp; anticipated Amber Alert Khalecia K. Richards- photo courtesy KCPD" />
 <figcaption>The subject of the&nbsp; anticipated Amber Alert Khalecia K. Richards- photo courtesy KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 2-year-old girl who was in a car stolen from a Kansas City, Missouri, gas station has been found safe, police said.Police said the girl was in the back of the car when it was stolen around 5:40 p.m. Tuesday from a gas station across from Central Park. The girl was found nearly two hours later in Kansas City, Kansas, after a woman called police to say a young child was in her backyard, police said.Police said the girl was unharmed, and officers in Kansas City, Missouri, drove the mother to her child. The stolen car was found abandoned several blocks away.Police said they were in the midst of issuing an Amber alert for the child when she was found.

KC Police ask for help to ID child kidnapping suspect

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states suggests continued economic growth in the region, but some say worsening drought could threaten their banks. 

The overall Rural Mainstreet economic index dropped slightly in August to 65.3 from July’s 65.6. Any score above 50 suggests growth. 

The survey shows nearly 16% of bankers reported that continuing drought conditions are the greatest threat to banking operations over the next year, while more than 40% of bank CEOs see low farm loan demand as their bank’s greatest challenge over the next year. 

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616156700846.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states suggests continued economic growth in the region, but some say worsening drought could threaten their banks. The overall Rural Mainstreet economic index dropped slightly in August to 65.3 from July’s 65.6. Any score above 50 suggests growth. The survey shows nearly 16% of bankers reported that continuing drought conditions are the greatest threat to banking operations over the next year, while more than 40% of bank CEOs see low farm loan demand as their bank’s greatest challenge over the next year. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Some rural bankers worried drought will threaten operations

WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Roger Marshall joined his colleagues in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/9939850a-4ef6-44f3-9895-9ff63ea466e8/1BD4E3A619D314417E454545C95B5C4B.08.18.21---rubio-et-al-letter-to-austin-re-afghanistan.pdf" target="_blank">sending a letter</a>&nbsp;to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding a full account of U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan, which has already or risks falling into the hands of the Taliban and their terrorist allies. The letter says in part,

“It is unconscionable that high-tech military equipment paid for by U.S. taxpayers has fallen into the hands of the Taliban and their terrorist allies. Securing U.S. assets should have been among the top priorities for the U.S. Department of Defense prior to announcing the withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

We write with grave concern regarding the status of U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan as a result of our poorly executed withdrawal from the country. As we watched the images coming out of Afghanistan as the Taliban retook the country, we were horrified to see U.S. equipment – including UH-60 Black Hawks – in the hands of the Taliban.

It is unconscionable that high-tech military equipment paid for by U.S. taxpayers has fallen into the hands of the Taliban and their terrorist allies. Securing U.S. assets should have been among the top priorities for the U.S. Department of Defense prior to announcing the withdrawal from Afghanistan. We therefore request detailed information on the following:

1. A full account of military equipment provided to the Afghan Armed Forces in the last year;

2. All military equipment, owned by either the U.S. or Afghan Armed Forces, that was removed or destroyed prior to the U.S. withdrawal, or is rendered inoperable without U.S. logistics personnel;

3. All U.S. military equipment that remains operational in Afghanistan;

4. A list of what military equipment has been seized by the Taliban;

5. An assessment of how long it will take the Taliban to use each of the captured equipment;

6. An assessment of the likelihood that the Taliban will seek to work with Russia, Pakistan, Iran, or the People’s Republic of China for training, fuel, or infrastructure necessary to utilize the equipment they do not have the capabilities to use on their own; and

7. Any efforts by the administration, planned or underway, to recapture or destroy equipment that remains in Afghanistan and is at risk of being used by terrorist entities.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629403212055.png" alt="Afghan civilians prepare to board a plane during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan -photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Afghan civilians prepare to board a plane during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan -photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Roger Marshall joined his colleagues in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/9939850a-4ef6-44f3-9895-9ff63ea466e8/1BD4E3A619D314417E454545C95B5C4B.08.18.21---rubio-et-al-letter-to-austin-re-afghanistan.pdf" target="_blank">sending a letter</a>&nbsp;to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding a full account of U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan, which has already or risks falling into the hands of the Taliban and their terrorist allies. The letter says in part,“It is unconscionable that high-tech military equipment paid for by U.S. taxpayers has fallen into the hands of the Taliban and their terrorist allies. Securing U.S. assets should have been among the top priorities for the U.S. Department of Defense prior to announcing the withdrawal from Afghanistan.”The letter is printed belowDear Secretary Austin:We write with grave concern regarding the status of U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan as a result of our poorly executed withdrawal from the country. As we watched the images coming out of Afghanistan as the Taliban retook the country, we were horrified to see U.S. equipment – including UH-60 Black Hawks – in the hands of the Taliban.It is unconscionable that high-tech military equipment paid for by U.S. taxpayers has fallen into the hands of the Taliban and their terrorist allies. Securing U.S. assets should have been among the top priorities for the U.S. Department of Defense prior to announcing the withdrawal from Afghanistan. We therefore request detailed information on the following:1. A full account of military equipment provided to the Afghan Armed Forces in the last year;2. All military equipment, owned by either the U.S. or Afghan Armed Forces, that was removed or destroyed prior to the U.S. withdrawal, or is rendered inoperable without U.S. logistics personnel;3. All U.S. military equipment that remains operational in Afghanistan;4. A list of what military equipment has been seized by the Taliban;5. An assessment of how long it will take the Taliban to use each of the captured equipment;6. An assessment of the likelihood that the Taliban will seek to work with Russia, Pakistan, Iran, or the People’s Republic of China for training, fuel, or infrastructure necessary to utilize the equipment they do not have the capabilities to use on their own; and7. Any efforts by the administration, planned or underway, to recapture or destroy equipment that remains in Afghanistan and is at risk of being used by terrorist entities.Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

U.S. Senators want accountability of equipment left for Taliban

By LAURA OLSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/18/covid-19-booster-shots-to-roll-out-starting-next-month/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — Top U.S. health officials <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0818-covid-19-booster-shots.html">announced a plan </a>Wednesday
 to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots to Americans starting Sept. 
20, with the scheduling of the additional shot to be based on when a 
person was fully vaccinated.&nbsp;

The new round of jabs will be extended to those who received the two-dose vaccine from either <a target="_blank" href="https://coloradonewsline.com/2020/12/11/fda-approves-first-covid-19-vaccine-clearing-the-way-for-states-rollout/">Pfizer</a> or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Moderna.html">Moderna,</a> and can be taken eight months after an individual’s second dose.&nbsp;

Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon 
general, told reporters Wednesday that recent data makes clear that 
while the current COVID-19 vaccines have been highly effective against 
severe disease, hospitalization and death, the protection against mild 
and moderate disease has appeared to decrease over time.&nbsp;

“This is likely due to both waning 
immunity and the strength of the widespread delta variant,” Murthy said,
 adding that health officials are concerned that the decline in immunity
 could reduce protection against severe disease and death in the months 
ahead.&nbsp;

The more than 13 million Americans who received the one-dose shot from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.azmirror.com/2021/02/26/one-dose-jj-covid-vaccine-poised-for-fda-green-light-after-advisory-panel-ok/">Johnson &amp; Johnson </a>may also need boosters, but will not yet be eligible.&nbsp;

Federal health officials said they 
are awaiting data from J&amp;J in the next few weeks before urging 
additional doses. The J&amp;J shot wasn’t approved until March, so those
 who received it will not hit eight months past inoculation until 
November.

The new booster rollout plan is 
subject to formal authorization from the Food and Drug Administration 
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine panel.&nbsp;

Those agencies will hold public 
meetings before the booster rollout can begin. But officials said they 
were detailing the booster plan ahead of those meetings in part to give 
state and local health officials time to prepare for another wave of 
vaccination logistics.&nbsp;

State and local health officials again under pressure

The plan for offering a third shot 
puts yet another layer of pressure on state and local health departments
 that have carried out the massive vaccination campaign.&nbsp;

Those officials are still seeking to 
boost vaccination rates that have lagged in certain regions amid 
skepticism and misinformation. Meanwhile, vaccine manufacturers are 
expected this fall to seek approval for administering shots to children 
under 12, who so far have not been eligible.&nbsp;

During Wednesday’s news briefing, 
Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, cited several new studies that 
tracked vaccine effectiveness, including among New Yorkers across age 
groups and another following case counts from nursing homes.&nbsp;

Those studies have shown that 
protection against severe infection has held up but not against milder 
infections, she said, adding that other countries, such as Israel, also 
are starting to see “worsening outcomes.”

“In the context of all of these 
studies, different cohorts, different settings across the country, and 
our international colleagues, we’ve made the decision to plan for these 
booster doses,” Walensky said.

The booster shots will be available 
at roughly 80,000 sites nationally, including 40,000 local pharmacies. 
As with the other COVID-19 shots, the boosters will be free of charge.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0813-additional-mRNA-mrna-dose.html">The CDC had already approved</a>
 a third COVID-19 shot for some immunocompromised individuals, who may 
not have received strong protection from the initial doses of the 
vaccine.

While the booster plan does not 
specifically mention other categories of individuals to receive a 
priority for boosters, the initial vaccine rollout did put certain 
groups first in line. So the first individuals to hit eight months after
 their second shot should be those in the earliest priority categories, 
such as health care workers and nursing home residents.

Laura covers the nation's capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit outlets that includes Kansas Reflector.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629391803022.png" alt="Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, told reporters Wednesday that recent data makes clear that while the current COVID-19 vaccines have been highly effective against severe disease, hospitalization and death, the protection against mild and moderate disease has appeared to decrease over time-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, told reporters Wednesday that recent data makes clear that while the current COVID-19 vaccines have been highly effective against severe disease, hospitalization and death, the protection against mild and moderate disease has appeared to decrease over time-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURA OLSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/18/covid-19-booster-shots-to-roll-out-starting-next-month/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — Top U.S. health officials <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0818-covid-19-booster-shots.html">announced a plan </a>Wednesday
 to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots to Americans starting Sept. 
20, with the scheduling of the additional shot to be based on when a 
person was fully vaccinated.&nbsp;The new round of jabs will be extended to those who received the two-dose vaccine from either <a target="_blank" href="https://coloradonewsline.com/2020/12/11/fda-approves-first-covid-19-vaccine-clearing-the-way-for-states-rollout/">Pfizer</a> or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Moderna.html">Moderna,</a> and can be taken eight months after an individual’s second dose.&nbsp;Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon 
general, told reporters Wednesday that recent data makes clear that 
while the current COVID-19 vaccines have been highly effective against 
severe disease, hospitalization and death, the protection against mild 
and moderate disease has appeared to decrease over time.&nbsp;“This is likely due to both waning 
immunity and the strength of the widespread delta variant,” Murthy said,
 adding that health officials are concerned that the decline in immunity
 could reduce protection against severe disease and death in the months 
ahead.&nbsp;The more than 13 million Americans who received the one-dose shot from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.azmirror.com/2021/02/26/one-dose-jj-covid-vaccine-poised-for-fda-green-light-after-advisory-panel-ok/">Johnson &amp; Johnson </a>may also need boosters, but will not yet be eligible.&nbsp;Federal health officials said they 
are awaiting data from J&amp;J in the next few weeks before urging 
additional doses. The J&amp;J shot wasn’t approved until March, so those
 who received it will not hit eight months past inoculation until 
November.The new booster rollout plan is 
subject to formal authorization from the Food and Drug Administration 
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine panel.&nbsp;Those agencies will hold public 
meetings before the booster rollout can begin. But officials said they 
were detailing the booster plan ahead of those meetings in part to give 
state and local health officials time to prepare for another wave of 
vaccination logistics.&nbsp;<h2>State and local health officials again under pressure</h2>The plan for offering a third shot 
puts yet another layer of pressure on state and local health departments
 that have carried out the massive vaccination campaign.&nbsp;Those officials are still seeking to 
boost vaccination rates that have lagged in certain regions amid 
skepticism and misinformation. Meanwhile, vaccine manufacturers are 
expected this fall to seek approval for administering shots to children 
under 12, who so far have not been eligible.&nbsp;During Wednesday’s news briefing, 
Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, cited several new studies that 
tracked vaccine effectiveness, including among New Yorkers across age 
groups and another following case counts from nursing homes.&nbsp;Those studies have shown that 
protection against severe infection has held up but not against milder 
infections, she said, adding that other countries, such as Israel, also 
are starting to see “worsening outcomes.”“In the context of all of these 
studies, different cohorts, different settings across the country, and 
our international colleagues, we’ve made the decision to plan for these 
booster doses,” Walensky said.The booster shots will be available 
at roughly 80,000 sites nationally, including 40,000 local pharmacies. 
As with the other COVID-19 shots, the boosters will be free of charge.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0813-additional-mRNA-mrna-dose.html">The CDC had already approved</a>
 a third COVID-19 shot for some immunocompromised individuals, who may 
not have received strong protection from the initial doses of the 
vaccine.While the booster plan does not 
specifically mention other categories of individuals to receive a 
priority for boosters, the initial vaccine rollout did put certain 
groups first in line. So the first individuals to hit eight months after
 their second shot should be those in the earliest priority categories, 
such as health care workers and nursing home residents.Laura covers the nation's capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit outlets that includes Kansas Reflector.&nbsp;

Surgeon General: Get a COVID-19 booster shot starting in Sept.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man who claimed to have bomb in a pickup truck near the U.S. Capitol has surrendered to law enforcement, ending an hourslong standoff.

The man, identified by law enforcement officials as 49-year-old Floyd Ray Roseberry of North Carolina, crawled out of the vehicle and was being taken into custody shortly before 2:30 p.m. He had pulled up outside the library earlier in the day and told police he had a bomb in his truck. 

An officer saw what appeared to be a detonator in the man’s hand. The man had been negotiating with police during a standoff that lasted around five hours.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man sitting in a black pickup truck parked on the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress told police he had a bomb Thursday, triggering a standoff in the heart of the nation’s capital.

Officials evacuated a number of buildings around the Capitol and sent snipers to the area after officers saw the man holding what looked like a detonator inside the pickup, which had no license plates. Congress is in recess this week, but staffers were seen calmly walking out of the area at the direction of authorities.

Police negotiators were communicating with him as he wrote notes and showed them to authorities from inside the truck, according to three people who were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. They were trying to determine whether it was an operable bomb, the officials said.

“My negotiators are hard at work trying to have a peaceful resolution to this incident,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. “We’re trying to get as much information as we can to find a way to peacefully resolve this.”

The episode began about 9:15 a.m. when the truck drove up the sidewalk outside the library, Manger said. The driver told the responding officer that he had a bomb, and was holding what the officer believed to be a detonator, The truck had no license plates.

The nation’s capital has been tense since the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.

Fencing that had been installed around the Capitol grounds had been up for months but was taken down this summer. A day before thousands of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol</a>, pipe bombs were left at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee in Washington.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-inaugurations-capitol-siege-8828a6a920198d0ea1ee0c73a49d8847">No one has been arrested yet for placing the bombs.</a>

The RNC, not far away from where the truck was parked Thursday, was also evacuated over the threat.

The area was blocked off by police cars and barricades, and multiple fire trucks and ambulances were staged nearby. Also responding were the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police, FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The White House said it was monitoring the situation and was being briefed by law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629395763681.png" alt="Officials evacuated a number of buildings around the Capitol and sent snipers to the area -photo courtesy WUSA TV" />
 <figcaption>Officials evacuated a number of buildings around the Capitol and sent snipers to the area -photo courtesy WUSA TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The man who claimed to have bomb in a pickup truck near the U.S. Capitol has surrendered to law enforcement, ending an hourslong standoff.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The suspect, 49-year-old Floyd Ray Roseberry, has been to safely taken into custody. <a href="https://t.co/06RcwTcasQ">pic.twitter.com/06RcwTcasQ</a>&mdash; U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/CapitolPolice/status/1428426595010846721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The man, identified by law enforcement officials as 49-year-old Floyd Ray Roseberry of North Carolina, crawled out of the vehicle and was being taken into custody shortly before 2:30 p.m. He had pulled up outside the library earlier in the day and told police he had a bomb in his truck. An officer saw what appeared to be a detonator in the man’s hand. The man had been negotiating with police during a standoff that lasted around five hours.-------<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629396620231.png" alt="Capitol Police blocking traffic near the library of Congress -photo courtesy WUSA TV" />
 <figcaption>Capitol Police blocking traffic near the library of Congress -photo courtesy WUSA TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A man sitting in a black pickup truck parked on the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress told police he had a bomb Thursday, triggering a standoff in the heart of the nation’s capital.Officials evacuated a number of buildings around the Capitol and sent snipers to the area after officers saw the man holding what looked like a detonator inside the pickup, which had no license plates. Congress is in recess this week, but staffers were seen calmly walking out of the area at the direction of authorities.Police negotiators were communicating with him as he wrote notes and showed them to authorities from inside the truck, according to three people who were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. They were trying to determine whether it was an operable bomb, the officials said.“My negotiators are hard at work trying to have a peaceful resolution to this incident,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. “We’re trying to get as much information as we can to find a way to peacefully resolve this.”The episode began about 9:15 a.m. when the truck drove up the sidewalk outside the library, Manger said. The driver told the responding officer that he had a bomb, and was holding what the officer believed to be a detonator, The truck had no license plates.The nation’s capital has been tense since the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.Fencing that had been installed around the Capitol grounds had been up for months but was taken down this summer. A day before thousands of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol</a>, pipe bombs were left at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee in Washington.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-inaugurations-capitol-siege-8828a6a920198d0ea1ee0c73a49d8847">No one has been arrested yet for placing the bombs.</a>The RNC, not far away from where the truck was parked Thursday, was also evacuated over the threat.The area was blocked off by police cars and barricades, and multiple fire trucks and ambulances were staged nearby. Also responding were the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police, FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.The White House said it was monitoring the situation and was being briefed by law enforcement.___

Man surrenders after claiming to have bomb near Capitol

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A new lawsuit contends the office of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is illegally delaying the release of public records related to its $26 million, no-bid coronavirus testing contract. 

Reynolds and her office’s public records custodian are the latest officials to be accused of violating open records laws by a Utah-based company formed to investigate testing programs in several states. 

Paul Huntsman, chairman of the board of The Salt Lake Tribune, recently launched the effort to seek records related to Test Utah and similar programs in Nebraska, Iowa and Tennessee. 

His lawyer has filed open records lawsuits in Utah and Nebraska, and recently against the Iowa Department of Public Health.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629393283222.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A new lawsuit contends the office of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is illegally delaying the release of public records related to its $26 million, no-bid coronavirus testing contract. Reynolds and her office’s public records custodian are the latest officials to be accused of violating open records laws by a Utah-based company formed to investigate testing programs in several states. Paul Huntsman, chairman of the board of The Salt Lake Tribune, recently launched the effort to seek records related to Test Utah and similar programs in Nebraska, Iowa and Tennessee. His lawyer has filed open records lawsuits in Utah and Nebraska, and recently against the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Lawsuit: Iowa governor's office violating open records law

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A suburban Omaha school district is requiring an entire elementary class to quarantine at home to limit the spread of COVID-19 after a cluster of virus cases was found among the students. 

The Millard school district will keep the classroom at Montclair Elementary School closed for seven days because three students tested positive for COVID-19 and health officials believe the virus was spreading in the class. 

The class quarantine could be a model for how the district will respond to future clusters of COVID-19. 

The district started school a week ago without requiring masks, and it is currently reporting 52 active COVID cases among its roughly 23,000 students.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A suburban Omaha school district is requiring an entire elementary class to quarantine at home to limit the spread of COVID-19 after a cluster of virus cases was found among the students. The Millard school district will keep the classroom at Montclair Elementary School closed for seven days because three students tested positive for COVID-19 and health officials believe the virus was spreading in the class. The class quarantine could be a model for how the district will respond to future clusters of COVID-19. The district started school a week ago without requiring masks, and it is currently reporting 52 active COVID cases among its roughly 23,000 students.