NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-sexual-harassment-pandemic-c435b9afd5d95032f941c2da48b9bb01">Gov. Andrew Cuomo</a>&nbsp;announced his resignation Tuesday over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations in a fall from grace a year after he was widely hailed nationally for his detailed daily briefings and leadership during some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21033681-cuomo-sexual-harassment-report">CLICK here </a>to read the full sexual harassment report from the NY Attorney General

In a televised address, the 63-year-old Democrat emphatically denied intentionally showing any disrespect toward women but said that fighting back against what he called the “politically motivated” attack on him would subject the state to months of turmoil, and “I cannot be the cause of that.”

“The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing,” Cuomo said.

The three-term Democratic governor’s decision, which will take effect in two weeks, was announced as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-harassment-investigation-impeachment-26edc9cf16cd378cc3573ed85613e797">momentum built in the Legislature to remove him by impeachment</a>. It came after New York’s attorney general released the results of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-investigation-sexual-harassment-04b0e7ba80db368124a5e9c9bcf4dc0d">an investigation that found Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-harassment-investigation-impeachment-26edc9cf16cd378cc3573ed85613e797">Investigators said he subjected women</a>&nbsp;to unwanted kisses; groped their breasts or buttocks or otherwise touched them inappropriately; made insinuating remarks about their looks and their sex lives; and created a work environment “rife with fear and intimidation.”

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a 62-year-old Democrat and former member of Congress from the Buffalo area,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kathy-hochul-lieutenant-governor-new-york-andrew-cuomo-5984949e6c5c59063598409eec10ba5a">will become the state’s 57th governor</a>&nbsp;and the first woman to hold the post.

“I agree with Governor Cuomo’s decision to step down. It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers,” Hochul tweeted.

Cuomo was seen leaving his Manhattan office in a car shortly after he announced his resignation before departing in a helicopter without stopping to speak to reporters.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-sexual-harassment-what-to-know-2628bf06d048720cc265fa66771a5976">The #MeToo-era scandal</a>&nbsp;cut short not just a career but a dynasty: Cuomo’s father, Mario Cuomo, was governor in the 1980s and ’90s, and the younger Cuomo was often mentioned as a potential candidate for president, an office his father famously contemplated seeking. Even as the scandal mushroomed, Cuomo was planning to run for reelection in 2022.

Cuomo still&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-albany-8cb6fd33c7a88034e0274fd112f7ffce">faces the possibility of criminal charges</a>, with a number of prosecutors around the state moving to investigate him.

The string of accusations that spelled the governor’s downfall began to unfold in news reports last December and went on for months.

Cuomo called some of the allegations fabricated, forcefully denying he touched anyone inappropriately. But he acknowledged making some aides uncomfortable with comments he said he intended as playful, and he apologized for some of his behavior.

He portrayed some of the encounters as misunderstandings attributable to “generational or cultural” differences, a reference in part to his upbringing in an affectionate Italian American family.

As a defiant Cuomo clung to office, state lawmakers launched an impeachment investigation, and nearly the entire Democratic establishment in New York deserted him — not only over the accusations, but also because of the discovery that his administration had concealed thousands of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home patients.

The harassment investigation ordered up by the attorney general and conducted by two outside lawyers corroborated the women’s accounts and added lurid new ones. The release of the report left the governor more isolated than ever, with some of his most loyal supporters abandoning him and President Joe Biden joining those calling on him to resign.

His accusers included an aide who said Cuomo groped her breast at the governor’s mansion. Investigators also said the governor’s staff retaliated against one of his accusers by leaking confidential personnel files about her.

As governor, Cuomo touted himself as an example of a “progressive Democrat” who gets things done: Since taking office in 2011, he helped push through legislation that legalized gay marriage, began lifting the minimum wage to $15 and expanded paid family leave benefits. He also backed big infrastructure projects, including airport overhauls and construction of a new bridge over the Hudson River that he named after his father.

At the same time the behavior that got him into trouble was going on, he was publicly championing the #MeToo movement and surrounding himself with women’s rights activists, signing into law sweeping new protections against sexual harassment and lengthening the statute of limitations in rape cases.

His national popularity soared during the harrowing spring of 2020, when New York became the epicenter of the nation’s coronavirus outbreak.

His tough-minded but empathetic response made for riveting television well beyond New York, and his stern warnings to people to stay home and wear masks stood in sharp contrast to President Donald Trump’s brush-off of the virus. His briefings won an international Emmy Award, and he went on to write a book on leadership in a crisis.

But even those accomplishments were soon tainted when it was learned that the state’s official count of nursing home deaths had excluded many patients who had been transferred to hospitals before they succumbed. A Cuomo aide acknowledged the administration feared the true numbers would be “used against us” by the Trump White House.

Also, Cuomo’s administration was fiercely criticized for forcing nursing homes to accept patients recovering from the virus.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the state’s handling of data on nursing home deaths. In addition, the state attorney general is looking into whether Cuomo broke the law in using members of his staff to help write and promote his book, from which he stood to make more than $5 million.

The governor had also increasingly come under fire over his rough and sometimes vindictive treatment of fellow politicians and his own staff, with former aides telling stories of a brutal work environment.

Cuomo has been divorced since 2005 from the author and activist Kerry Kennedy, a member of the Kennedy family, and was romantically involved up until 2019 with TV lifestyle personality Sandra Lee. He has three adult daughters.

During his resignation speech, he directly addressed his daughters, saying: “I want them to know, from the bottom of my heart: I never did, and I never would, intentionally disrespect a woman or treat a woman differently than I would want them treated. Your dad made mistakes. And he apologized. And he learned from it. And that’s what life is all about.”

He gained political experience early on as his father’s hard-nosed and often ruthless campaign manager, and went on to become New York attorney general and U.S. housing secretary under President Bill Clinton before getting elected governor in 2010.

New York has seen a string of high-level political figures brought down in disgrace in recent years.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in 2008 in a prostitution scandal. Rep. Anthony Weiner went to prison for sexting with a 15-year-old girl. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman stepped down in 2018 after four women accused him of abuse. And the top two leaders in the Legislature were convicted of corruption.

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-sexual-harassment-pandemic-c435b9afd5d95032f941c2da48b9bb01">Gov. Andrew Cuomo</a>&nbsp;announced his resignation Tuesday over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations in a fall from grace a year after he was widely hailed nationally for his detailed daily briefings and leadership during some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovernorAndrewCuomo%2Fvideos%2F540033083711656%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21033681-cuomo-sexual-harassment-report">CLICK here </a>to read the full sexual harassment report from the NY Attorney GeneralIn a televised address, the 63-year-old Democrat emphatically denied intentionally showing any disrespect toward women but said that fighting back against what he called the “politically motivated” attack on him would subject the state to months of turmoil, and “I cannot be the cause of that.”“The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing,” Cuomo said.The three-term Democratic governor’s decision, which will take effect in two weeks, was announced as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-harassment-investigation-impeachment-26edc9cf16cd378cc3573ed85613e797">momentum built in the Legislature to remove him by impeachment</a>. It came after New York’s attorney general released the results of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-investigation-sexual-harassment-04b0e7ba80db368124a5e9c9bcf4dc0d">an investigation that found Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-harassment-investigation-impeachment-26edc9cf16cd378cc3573ed85613e797">Investigators said he subjected women</a>&nbsp;to unwanted kisses; groped their breasts or buttocks or otherwise touched them inappropriately; made insinuating remarks about their looks and their sex lives; and created a work environment “rife with fear and intimidation.”Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a 62-year-old Democrat and former member of Congress from the Buffalo area,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kathy-hochul-lieutenant-governor-new-york-andrew-cuomo-5984949e6c5c59063598409eec10ba5a">will become the state’s 57th governor</a>&nbsp;and the first woman to hold the post.“I agree with Governor Cuomo’s decision to step down. It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers,” Hochul tweeted.Cuomo was seen leaving his Manhattan office in a car shortly after he announced his resignation before departing in a helicopter without stopping to speak to reporters.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-sexual-harassment-what-to-know-2628bf06d048720cc265fa66771a5976">The #MeToo-era scandal</a>&nbsp;cut short not just a career but a dynasty: Cuomo’s father, Mario Cuomo, was governor in the 1980s and ’90s, and the younger Cuomo was often mentioned as a potential candidate for president, an office his father famously contemplated seeking. Even as the scandal mushroomed, Cuomo was planning to run for reelection in 2022.Cuomo still&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-albany-8cb6fd33c7a88034e0274fd112f7ffce">faces the possibility of criminal charges</a>, with a number of prosecutors around the state moving to investigate him.The string of accusations that spelled the governor’s downfall began to unfold in news reports last December and went on for months.Cuomo called some of the allegations fabricated, forcefully denying he touched anyone inappropriately. But he acknowledged making some aides uncomfortable with comments he said he intended as playful, and he apologized for some of his behavior.He portrayed some of the encounters as misunderstandings attributable to “generational or cultural” differences, a reference in part to his upbringing in an affectionate Italian American family.As a defiant Cuomo clung to office, state lawmakers launched an impeachment investigation, and nearly the entire Democratic establishment in New York deserted him — not only over the accusations, but also because of the discovery that his administration had concealed thousands of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home patients.The harassment investigation ordered up by the attorney general and conducted by two outside lawyers corroborated the women’s accounts and added lurid new ones. The release of the report left the governor more isolated than ever, with some of his most loyal supporters abandoning him and President Joe Biden joining those calling on him to resign.His accusers included an aide who said Cuomo groped her breast at the governor’s mansion. Investigators also said the governor’s staff retaliated against one of his accusers by leaking confidential personnel files about her.As governor, Cuomo touted himself as an example of a “progressive Democrat” who gets things done: Since taking office in 2011, he helped push through legislation that legalized gay marriage, began lifting the minimum wage to $15 and expanded paid family leave benefits. He also backed big infrastructure projects, including airport overhauls and construction of a new bridge over the Hudson River that he named after his father.At the same time the behavior that got him into trouble was going on, he was publicly championing the #MeToo movement and surrounding himself with women’s rights activists, signing into law sweeping new protections against sexual harassment and lengthening the statute of limitations in rape cases.His national popularity soared during the harrowing spring of 2020, when New York became the epicenter of the nation’s coronavirus outbreak.His tough-minded but empathetic response made for riveting television well beyond New York, and his stern warnings to people to stay home and wear masks stood in sharp contrast to President Donald Trump’s brush-off of the virus. His briefings won an international Emmy Award, and he went on to write a book on leadership in a crisis.But even those accomplishments were soon tainted when it was learned that the state’s official count of nursing home deaths had excluded many patients who had been transferred to hospitals before they succumbed. A Cuomo aide acknowledged the administration feared the true numbers would be “used against us” by the Trump White House.Also, Cuomo’s administration was fiercely criticized for forcing nursing homes to accept patients recovering from the virus.The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the state’s handling of data on nursing home deaths. In addition, the state attorney general is looking into whether Cuomo broke the law in using members of his staff to help write and promote his book, from which he stood to make more than $5 million.The governor had also increasingly come under fire over his rough and sometimes vindictive treatment of fellow politicians and his own staff, with former aides telling stories of a brutal work environment.Cuomo has been divorced since 2005 from the author and activist Kerry Kennedy, a member of the Kennedy family, and was romantically involved up until 2019 with TV lifestyle personality Sandra Lee. He has three adult daughters.During his resignation speech, he directly addressed his daughters, saying: “I want them to know, from the bottom of my heart: I never did, and I never would, intentionally disrespect a woman or treat a woman differently than I would want them treated. Your dad made mistakes. And he apologized. And he learned from it. And that’s what life is all about.”He gained political experience early on as his father’s hard-nosed and often ruthless campaign manager, and went on to become New York attorney general and U.S. housing secretary under President Bill Clinton before getting elected governor in 2010.New York has seen a string of high-level political figures brought down in disgrace in recent years.Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in 2008 in a prostitution scandal. Rep. Anthony Weiner went to prison for sexting with a 15-year-old girl. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman stepped down in 2018 after four women accused him of abuse. And the top two leaders in the Legislature were convicted of corruption.

🎥  New York Gov. Cuomo resigns, maintains innocence

FEMA, partnering with the Federal Communication Commission, will conduct a national test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert with radio, TV, cable stations, and wireless carriers at 1:20p.m. CDT Wednesday, according to a media release from the agency.

 The EAS test is expected to last around one minute and will confirm the ability of the system to deliver a national EAS message.

FEMA, partnering with the Federal Communication Commission, will conduct a national test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert with radio, TV, cable stations, and wireless carriers at 1:20p.m. CDT Wednesday, according to a media release from the agency.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fu2H4MM832w" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> The EAS test is expected to last around one minute and will confirm the ability of the system to deliver a national EAS message.

FEMA: Emergency Alert System test Wednesday afternoon

NEW YORK (AP) — Canadian Pacific is upping its offer for Kansas City Southern to approximately $31 billion, potentially reigniting a bidding war with rival railroad Canadian National. 

Kansas City Southern is the smallest of the remaining major U.S. railroads, but it also controls critical cross-border routes with Mexico. 

Its size has long piqued the interest of other railroads as any bid could be the most likely to be approved by U.S. regulators long wary of signing off on railroad mergers out of antitrust concerns. 

But its cross-border rails give Kansas City a high premium in the eyes of bigger railroads hungry to expand, particularly now as the U.S. economy emerges from a pandemic-induced recession.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628603015991.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Canadian Pacific is upping its offer for Kansas City Southern to approximately $31 billion, potentially reigniting a bidding war with rival railroad Canadian National. Kansas City Southern is the smallest of the remaining major U.S. railroads, but it also controls critical cross-border routes with Mexico. Its size has long piqued the interest of other railroads as any bid could be the most likely to be approved by U.S. regulators long wary of signing off on railroad mergers out of antitrust concerns. But its cross-border rails give Kansas City a high premium in the eyes of bigger railroads hungry to expand, particularly now as the U.S. economy emerges from a pandemic-induced recession.

Railroad bidding war for Kansas City Southern is reignited

WASHINGTON — In a continuing twist on a common scam, the Internal 
Revenue Service, state tax agencies and tax industry today warned tax 
professionals to beware of evolving phishing scams that use various 
pandemic-related themes to steal client data.

The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit</a>
 partners continue to see instances where tax professionals, especially 
those who engage in remote transactions, have been vulnerable this year 
to identity thieves posing as potential clients. The criminals then 
trick practitioners into opening email links or attachments that infect 
computer systems.

Avoiding phishing emails is the fourth in a five-part series 
sponsored by the IRS, state tax agencies and the nation's tax community –
 working together as the Security Summit – highlighting critical steps 
tax professionals can take to protect client data. This year's theme "<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/boost-security-immunity-fight-against-identity-theft">Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft</a>,"
 is an effort to urge tax professionals to work to strengthen their 
systems and protect client data during this pandemic and its aftermath.

"Identity thieves have been relentless in exploiting the pandemic and
 the resulting economic pain to trick taxpayers and tax professionals to
 disclose sensitive information," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. 
"Fighting back against phishing scams requires constant vigilance, and 
we urge tax pros to take some basic steps to help protect their clients 
and themselves."

Phishing emails or SMS/texts (known as "smishing") attempt to trick 
the person receiving the message into disclosing personal information 
such as passwords, bank account numbers, credit card numbers or Social 
Security numbers. Tax pros are a common target.

Scams may differ in themes, but they generally have two traits:

A specific kind of phishing email is called spear phishing. 
Rather than the scattershot nature of general phishing emails, scammers 
take time to identify their victim and craft a more enticing phishing 
email known as a lure. Scammers often use spear phishing to target tax 
professionals.

In a reoccurring and very successful scam this year, criminals posed 
as potential clients, exchanging several emails with tax professionals 
before following up with an attachment that they claimed was their tax 
information. This scam was popular as many tax professionals worked 
remotely and communicated with clients over email versus in-person or 
over the telephone because of COVID.

Once the tax pro clicks on the URL and/or opens the attachment, 
malware secretly downloads onto their computers, giving thieves access 
to passwords to client accounts or remote access to the computers 
themselves.

Thieves then use this malware known as a remote access trojan (RAT) 
to take over the tax professional's office computer systems, identify 
pending tax returns, complete them and e-file them, changing only the 
bank account information to steal the refund.

In recent months, international criminals have used a ransomware 
attack to shut down a variety of companies. Criminals use similar, 
smaller scale tactics against tax pros. When the unsuspecting tax 
professional opens a link or attachment, malware attacks the tax pro's 
computer system to encrypt files and hold the data for ransom.

These scams highlight the importance of the basic security steps recommended by the Security Summit to protect data.

For example, using the two-factor (2FA) or the multi-factor 
authentication (MFA) option offered by tax preparation providers or 
storage providers would protect client accounts even if passwords were 
inadvertently disclosed. Keeping anti-virus software automatically 
updated helps prevent scams that target software vulnerabilities. Using 
drive encryption and regularly backing up files helps stop theft and 
ransomware attacks.

For tax professionals, securing their network to protect taxpayer data is their responsibility as a tax preparer.

To help tax professionals guard against phishing scams and better protect taxpayer information, the IRS recently updated <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4557.pdf">Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data&nbsp;PDF</a>.
 The July 2021 version contains some of the latest suggestions such as 
using the multi-factor authentication option offered by tax software 
products and helping clients get an Identity Protection Pin.

In addition to reviewing the recently revised IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4557.pdf">Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data&nbsp;PDF</a>, tax professionals can also get help with security recommendations by reviewing <a href="https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2016/NIST.IR.7621r1.pdf">Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals&nbsp;PDF</a>&nbsp;by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central">Identity Theft Central</a> pages for tax pros, individuals and businesses have important details as well.

<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5293.pdf">Publication 5293, Data Security Resource Guide for Tax Professionals&nbsp;PDF</a>,
 provides a compilation of data theft information available on IRS.gov. 
Also, tax professionals should stay connected to the IRS through 
subscriptions to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/join-e-news-for-tax-professionals">e-News for Tax Professionals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-new-media-1">Social Media</a>.

For more information, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/boost-security-immunity-fight-against-identity-theft">Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — In a continuing twist on a common scam, the Internal 
Revenue Service, state tax agencies and tax industry today warned tax 
professionals to beware of evolving phishing scams that use various 
pandemic-related themes to steal client data.The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit</a>
 partners continue to see instances where tax professionals, especially 
those who engage in remote transactions, have been vulnerable this year 
to identity thieves posing as potential clients. The criminals then 
trick practitioners into opening email links or attachments that infect 
computer systems.Avoiding phishing emails is the fourth in a five-part series 
sponsored by the IRS, state tax agencies and the nation's tax community –
 working together as the Security Summit – highlighting critical steps 
tax professionals can take to protect client data. This year's theme "<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/boost-security-immunity-fight-against-identity-theft">Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft</a>,"
 is an effort to urge tax professionals to work to strengthen their 
systems and protect client data during this pandemic and its aftermath."Identity thieves have been relentless in exploiting the pandemic and
 the resulting economic pain to trick taxpayers and tax professionals to
 disclose sensitive information," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. 
"Fighting back against phishing scams requires constant vigilance, and 
we urge tax pros to take some basic steps to help protect their clients 
and themselves."Phishing emails or SMS/texts (known as "smishing") attempt to trick 
the person receiving the message into disclosing personal information 
such as passwords, bank account numbers, credit card numbers or Social 
Security numbers. Tax pros are a common target.Scams may differ in themes, but they generally have two traits:<ul>
 <li>They appear to come from a known or trusted source, such as a 
colleague, bank, credit card company, cloud storage provider, tax 
software provider or even the IRS.</li><li>They tell a story, often with an urgent tone, to trick the receiver into opening a link or attachment.</li>
 </ul>A specific kind of phishing email is called spear phishing. 
Rather than the scattershot nature of general phishing emails, scammers 
take time to identify their victim and craft a more enticing phishing 
email known as a lure. Scammers often use spear phishing to target tax 
professionals.In a reoccurring and very successful scam this year, criminals posed 
as potential clients, exchanging several emails with tax professionals 
before following up with an attachment that they claimed was their tax 
information. This scam was popular as many tax professionals worked 
remotely and communicated with clients over email versus in-person or 
over the telephone because of COVID.Once the tax pro clicks on the URL and/or opens the attachment, 
malware secretly downloads onto their computers, giving thieves access 
to passwords to client accounts or remote access to the computers 
themselves.Thieves then use this malware known as a remote access trojan (RAT) 
to take over the tax professional's office computer systems, identify 
pending tax returns, complete them and e-file them, changing only the 
bank account information to steal the refund.In recent months, international criminals have used a ransomware 
attack to shut down a variety of companies. Criminals use similar, 
smaller scale tactics against tax pros. When the unsuspecting tax 
professional opens a link or attachment, malware attacks the tax pro's 
computer system to encrypt files and hold the data for ransom.These scams highlight the importance of the basic security steps recommended by the Security Summit to protect data.For example, using the two-factor (2FA) or the multi-factor 
authentication (MFA) option offered by tax preparation providers or 
storage providers would protect client accounts even if passwords were 
inadvertently disclosed. Keeping anti-virus software automatically 
updated helps prevent scams that target software vulnerabilities. Using 
drive encryption and regularly backing up files helps stop theft and 
ransomware attacks.For tax professionals, securing their network to protect taxpayer data is their responsibility as a tax preparer.To help tax professionals guard against phishing scams and better protect taxpayer information, the IRS recently updated <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4557.pdf">Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data&nbsp;PDF</a>.
 The July 2021 version contains some of the latest suggestions such as 
using the multi-factor authentication option offered by tax software 
products and helping clients get an Identity Protection Pin.<h2>Additional resources</h2>In addition to reviewing the recently revised IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4557.pdf">Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data&nbsp;PDF</a>, tax professionals can also get help with security recommendations by reviewing <a href="https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2016/NIST.IR.7621r1.pdf">Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals&nbsp;PDF</a>&nbsp;by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central">Identity Theft Central</a> pages for tax pros, individuals and businesses have important details as well.<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5293.pdf">Publication 5293, Data Security Resource Guide for Tax Professionals&nbsp;PDF</a>,
 provides a compilation of data theft information available on IRS.gov. 
Also, tax professionals should stay connected to the IRS through 
subscriptions to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/join-e-news-for-tax-professionals">e-News for Tax Professionals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-new-media-1">Social Media</a>.For more information, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/boost-security-immunity-fight-against-identity-theft">Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft</a>.

IRS: Tax professionals now the target of email scammers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats unwrapped a budget resolution envisioning a massive $3.5 trillion, 10-year cascade of federal resources, aiming historic sums at family support, health and education programs and an aggressive drive to heal the climate.

<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HEN21B52.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&amp;stream=top">Click here to read </a>what's in the $3.5 Trillion Budget Plan

<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HEN21B52.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&amp;stream=top">The measure is </a>a pivotal first step in what will likely be a tumultuous, months-long Democratic legislative march toward a progressive reshaping of the federal government that also hews to President Joe Biden’s top domestic policy ambitions.

The blueprint released Monday reflects many Democrats’ tilt leftward in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency and bears the imprint of Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a longtime progressive voice now at the hub of the Democratic Party’s power structure in Congress.

Many of its proposals would be financed by raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations while sparing people earning under $400,000 annually, an oft-repeated Biden pledge and liberal goal. Though party leaders say the measure will be fully paid for, the budget resolution does not require that, instead giving Congress’ tax-writing committees unspecified license to raise money that a summary calls “substantial.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-1333a1cd50305a028e16482ef9cafa15">The Senate was expected to approve the budget plan this week</a>&nbsp;over solid Republican opposition. Meanwhile, senators were nearing approval of a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-c299d5d2a32188989b58cb5feec12f5d">$1 trillion package financing road, water and other infrastructure projects,</a>&nbsp;a bill with broad support.

The vote on that bipartisan plan was scheduled for Tuesday morning. After that, the Senate will immediately launch votes on the $3.5 trillion plan.

Crucially, congressional approval of the budget outline would let Democrats pass a detailed follow-up bill this fall enacting the blueprint’s proposed spending and tax changes without facing a GOP filibuster that would certainly kill it. It would take 60 votes to end those delaying tactics, an impossible hurdle on a sharply partisan issue in today’s 50-50 Senate.

It is unclear when the House, now on summer recess, will vote on the budget. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., praised it as “a clear declaration of the value that congressional Democrats place on America’s workers and families.”

The budget outlines expanding Medicare coverage to dental, vision and hearing benefits and lowering the program’s eligibility age below its current 65, though the age reduction would be costly and is considered a long shot to survive. The children’s tax credit, expanded during the pandemic to provide millions of families with $300 monthly checks, would be extended beyond its current 2022 expiration. Other tax breaks for some low-earning workers and for child care would also be renewed.

Unveiled the same day the United Nations warned of a “code red for humanity” because of rapid climate heating, the fiscal plan would unsheathe a vast effort to move the U.S. toward clean energy. That would include a new tax on imported fuels that spew carbon emissions, federal aid for clean energy developers and investments in low-polluting vehicles.

“The question is not complicated,” Sanders said Monday of the budget plan. He asked if lawmakers have the courage to make special interests pay a “fair share of taxes so that we can create millions of good paying jobs for working families, so we can protect our children, protect the elderly, and address the threat of climate change.”

In one illustration of hurdles ahead, around $198 billion of the blueprint’s climate proposals would have to move through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. That panel is chaired by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a centrist and staunch defender of his state’s energy interests who has pointedly warned that he supports an energy policy that’s “not elimination, it’s innovation.”

Following the budget outline, the $3.5 trillion spending and revenue bill is certain to cause agita for Democratic leaders as they struggle to find a sweet spot between the demands of their party’s competing progressive and moderate factions, with each having decisive leverage.

Besides the evenly split Senate, which only Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote lets them control, Democrats can lose no more than three votes in the narrowly divided House.

Moderates back the $1 trillion package financing road, water and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-c299d5d2a32188989b58cb5feec12f5d">infrastructure projects&nbsp;</a>that the Senate was on the cusp of approving. Progressives are strongly behind the huge social and environment plan, and each group is worried that disagreements will result in the other scuttling its favored measure.

“We’re going to tell middle-class families, ‘We’re going to make it easier for you to stay there,’” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. He added, “We’re going to tell poorer families, ‘We’re going to make it easier for you to climb into the middle class.’”

Democrats revealed their budget as the Senate was on the cusp of approving the smaller&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-804fc9475e440f7f970d6599c242734f">compromise infrastructure measure.</a>&nbsp;That bill, another Biden priority, was garnering significant support from Republicans eager to bring some public works spending to their home states.

But the GOP was united against Democrats’ larger $3.5 trillion plan, calling it laden with overspending and tax increases that would wound the economy and burden families.

With an eye to 2022 elections for congressional control, Republicans were readying amendments that would force Democrats to vote on politically delicate issues including immigration, crime and inflation. They were also amplifying their often-used theme of accusing Democrats of socialism.

“They’ve set out trying to tax and spend our country into oblivion,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “They’ve handed the keys to domestic policymaking to Chairman Sanders and some socialist House members.”

Democrats’ budget blueprint seeks extensions of federal subsidies for people buying health insurance through President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care law, and money would be provided for states that haven’t yet expanded Medicaid coverage. There would be a first-ever federally paid family leave program, and some pre-kindergarten and two years of community college would be tuition-free.

There would also be more money for home health care, housing, job training, child nutrition and Pell Grants to lower-income college students.

It would also open a path for millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally to move toward citizenship, and allow language strengthening enforcement of labor laws. Such provisions will have to pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian, who can bar provisions that are not primarily related to the budget.

The budget plans additional savings by letting the government negotiate lower prices on the pharmaceuticals it buys for Medicare recipients. It also seeks to strengthen the IRS so it can collect more unpaid taxes, though analysts are wary of the savings lawmakers might claim because estimates of that proposal’s impact vary widely.

The fiscal plan also suggests easing a ceiling on federal deductions people can take for their state and local taxes, a contentious proposal among Democrats. Relaxing those limits is a top priority for high-tax states, such as in the Northeast, but it would cost the government billions annually, making it harder for Democrats to finance other priorities.

The measure has no language extending the federal debt limit, the ceiling on government borrowing that has already expired. The Treasury Department is using accounting maneuvers to keep the government paying its bills, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-9fa48bfe5daeb95179cf539b59c4b7e2">Republicans have vowed to vote against extending the borrowing cap,&nbsp;</a>and that battle will be joined on other legislation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628592285760.png" alt="Many of the bill's proposals would be financed by raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations while sparing people earning under $400,000 annually, an oft-repeated Biden pledge and liberal goal. -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Many of the bill's proposals would be financed by raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations while sparing people earning under $400,000 annually, an oft-repeated Biden pledge and liberal goal. -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats unwrapped a budget resolution envisioning a massive $3.5 trillion, 10-year cascade of federal resources, aiming historic sums at family support, health and education programs and an aggressive drive to heal the climate.<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HEN21B52.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&amp;stream=top">Click here to read </a>what's in the $3.5 Trillion Budget Plan<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HEN21B52.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&amp;stream=top">The measure is </a>a pivotal first step in what will likely be a tumultuous, months-long Democratic legislative march toward a progressive reshaping of the federal government that also hews to President Joe Biden’s top domestic policy ambitions.The blueprint released Monday reflects many Democrats’ tilt leftward in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency and bears the imprint of Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a longtime progressive voice now at the hub of the Democratic Party’s power structure in Congress.Many of its proposals would be financed by raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations while sparing people earning under $400,000 annually, an oft-repeated Biden pledge and liberal goal. Though party leaders say the measure will be fully paid for, the budget resolution does not require that, instead giving Congress’ tax-writing committees unspecified license to raise money that a summary calls “substantial.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-1333a1cd50305a028e16482ef9cafa15">The Senate was expected to approve the budget plan this week</a>&nbsp;over solid Republican opposition. Meanwhile, senators were nearing approval of a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-c299d5d2a32188989b58cb5feec12f5d">$1 trillion package financing road, water and other infrastructure projects,</a>&nbsp;a bill with broad support.The vote on that bipartisan plan was scheduled for Tuesday morning. After that, the Senate will immediately launch votes on the $3.5 trillion plan.Crucially, congressional approval of the budget outline would let Democrats pass a detailed follow-up bill this fall enacting the blueprint’s proposed spending and tax changes without facing a GOP filibuster that would certainly kill it. It would take 60 votes to end those delaying tactics, an impossible hurdle on a sharply partisan issue in today’s 50-50 Senate.It is unclear when the House, now on summer recess, will vote on the budget. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., praised it as “a clear declaration of the value that congressional Democrats place on America’s workers and families.”The budget outlines expanding Medicare coverage to dental, vision and hearing benefits and lowering the program’s eligibility age below its current 65, though the age reduction would be costly and is considered a long shot to survive. The children’s tax credit, expanded during the pandemic to provide millions of families with $300 monthly checks, would be extended beyond its current 2022 expiration. Other tax breaks for some low-earning workers and for child care would also be renewed.Unveiled the same day the United Nations warned of a “code red for humanity” because of rapid climate heating, the fiscal plan would unsheathe a vast effort to move the U.S. toward clean energy. That would include a new tax on imported fuels that spew carbon emissions, federal aid for clean energy developers and investments in low-polluting vehicles.“The question is not complicated,” Sanders said Monday of the budget plan. He asked if lawmakers have the courage to make special interests pay a “fair share of taxes so that we can create millions of good paying jobs for working families, so we can protect our children, protect the elderly, and address the threat of climate change.”In one illustration of hurdles ahead, around $198 billion of the blueprint’s climate proposals would have to move through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. That panel is chaired by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a centrist and staunch defender of his state’s energy interests who has pointedly warned that he supports an energy policy that’s “not elimination, it’s innovation.”Following the budget outline, the $3.5 trillion spending and revenue bill is certain to cause agita for Democratic leaders as they struggle to find a sweet spot between the demands of their party’s competing progressive and moderate factions, with each having decisive leverage.Besides the evenly split Senate, which only Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote lets them control, Democrats can lose no more than three votes in the narrowly divided House.Moderates back the $1 trillion package financing road, water and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-c299d5d2a32188989b58cb5feec12f5d">infrastructure projects&nbsp;</a>that the Senate was on the cusp of approving. Progressives are strongly behind the huge social and environment plan, and each group is worried that disagreements will result in the other scuttling its favored measure.“We’re going to tell middle-class families, ‘We’re going to make it easier for you to stay there,’” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. He added, “We’re going to tell poorer families, ‘We’re going to make it easier for you to climb into the middle class.’”Democrats revealed their budget as the Senate was on the cusp of approving the smaller&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-804fc9475e440f7f970d6599c242734f">compromise infrastructure measure.</a>&nbsp;That bill, another Biden priority, was garnering significant support from Republicans eager to bring some public works spending to their home states.But the GOP was united against Democrats’ larger $3.5 trillion plan, calling it laden with overspending and tax increases that would wound the economy and burden families.With an eye to 2022 elections for congressional control, Republicans were readying amendments that would force Democrats to vote on politically delicate issues including immigration, crime and inflation. They were also amplifying their often-used theme of accusing Democrats of socialism.“They’ve set out trying to tax and spend our country into oblivion,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “They’ve handed the keys to domestic policymaking to Chairman Sanders and some socialist House members.”Democrats’ budget blueprint seeks extensions of federal subsidies for people buying health insurance through President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care law, and money would be provided for states that haven’t yet expanded Medicaid coverage. There would be a first-ever federally paid family leave program, and some pre-kindergarten and two years of community college would be tuition-free.There would also be more money for home health care, housing, job training, child nutrition and Pell Grants to lower-income college students.It would also open a path for millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally to move toward citizenship, and allow language strengthening enforcement of labor laws. Such provisions will have to pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian, who can bar provisions that are not primarily related to the budget.The budget plans additional savings by letting the government negotiate lower prices on the pharmaceuticals it buys for Medicare recipients. It also seeks to strengthen the IRS so it can collect more unpaid taxes, though analysts are wary of the savings lawmakers might claim because estimates of that proposal’s impact vary widely.The fiscal plan also suggests easing a ceiling on federal deductions people can take for their state and local taxes, a contentious proposal among Democrats. Relaxing those limits is a top priority for high-tax states, such as in the Northeast, but it would cost the government billions annually, making it harder for Democrats to finance other priorities.The measure has no language extending the federal debt limit, the ceiling on government borrowing that has already expired. The Treasury Department is using accounting maneuvers to keep the government paying its bills, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-9fa48bfe5daeb95179cf539b59c4b7e2">Republicans have vowed to vote against extending the borrowing cap,&nbsp;</a>and that battle will be joined on other legislation.

Read what's in the Senate Dems  massive $3.5T budget plan

VICTORIA, Minn. (AP) — Federal investigators say crucial pieces of a single-engine plane piloted by a Nebraska surgeon apparently fell off in flight before it crashed in Minnesota, killing him and two relatives. 

The Mooney M20M crashed Saturday in Victoria, west of Minneapolis. Relatives and employers identified the victims as pilot Dr. James Edney, of Omaha, Nebraska, and his stepson, Jacob, and Jacob's wife, Dr. Sara Mertes, of Libby, Montana. 

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Mike Folkerts told reporters that important parts from the tail section were found away from the rest of the wreckage, indicating they fell off in flight.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628595678147.png" alt="Dr. James Edney" />
 <figcaption>Dr. James Edney</figcaption>
 </figure>VICTORIA, Minn. (AP) — Federal investigators say crucial pieces of a single-engine plane piloted by a Nebraska surgeon apparently fell off in flight before it crashed in Minnesota, killing him and two relatives. The Mooney M20M crashed Saturday in Victoria, west of Minneapolis. Relatives and employers identified the victims as pilot Dr. James Edney, of Omaha, Nebraska, and his stepson, Jacob, and Jacob's wife, Dr. Sara Mertes, of Libby, Montana. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Mike Folkerts told reporters that important parts from the tail section were found away from the rest of the wreckage, indicating they fell off in flight.

Parts apparently fell off plane that crashed in Minnesota

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. (AP) — A 37-year-old Louisville man who shot at four Cass County Sheriff's deputies has been sentenced to 18 to 32 years in prison. 

Paul Warner was sentenced Monday in the January 2020 shooting. No deputies were injured. Warner pleaded no contest in March to six charges, and 23 other charges were dropped. 

Warner's attorney argued Monday that the plea should be withdrawn because a psychiatric evaluation found Warner was insane at the time of the shooting at his home between Louisville and Plattsmouth. 

But Cass County Attorney S. Colin Palm said the plea deal specifically waived Warner's right to plead innocent by reason of insanity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1567093537444.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. (AP) — A 37-year-old Louisville man who shot at four Cass County Sheriff's deputies has been sentenced to 18 to 32 years in prison. Paul Warner was sentenced Monday in the January 2020 shooting. No deputies were injured. Warner pleaded no contest in March to six charges, and 23 other charges were dropped. Warner's attorney argued Monday that the plea should be withdrawn because a psychiatric evaluation found Warner was insane at the time of the shooting at his home between Louisville and Plattsmouth. But Cass County Attorney S. Colin Palm said the plea deal specifically waived Warner's right to plead innocent by reason of insanity.

Man who shot at four Cass County deputies in 2020 sentenced

GODDARD, Kan. (AP) — Health officials say an outbreak of illness at a splash park near Wichita was not caused by animals at its interactive zoo. 

The Wichita Eagle reports that email exchanges it obtained through an open records request show none of the water samples health officials took from the splash park at Tanganyika Wildlife Park had animal-linked contamination. 

A health department official wrote in one email that results of water samples taken June 19 and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention help rule out the animals at the park. 

Health officials have said that eight people who visited the park on June 11 contracted Shigella, a bacteria that spreads from person-to-person through exposure to contaminated feces.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628562415742.png" alt="Photo courtesy Tanganyika Wildlife Park" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Tanganyika Wildlife Park</figcaption>
 </figure>GODDARD, Kan. (AP) — Health officials say an outbreak of illness at a splash park near Wichita was not caused by animals at its interactive zoo. The Wichita Eagle reports that email exchanges it obtained through an open records request show none of the water samples health officials took from the splash park at Tanganyika Wildlife Park had animal-linked contamination. A health department official wrote in one email that results of water samples taken June 19 and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention help rule out the animals at the park. Health officials have said that eight people who visited the park on June 11 contracted Shigella, a bacteria that spreads from person-to-person through exposure to contaminated feces.

Illness at Kan. splash park not caused by zoo animals

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will require members of the U.S. military to get the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 15, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. That deadline could be pushed up if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise.

“I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon” licensure by the Food and Drug Administration “whichever comes first,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says in the memo to troops, warning them to prepare for the requirement.

He added that if infection rates rise and potentially affect military readiness, “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so. To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force.”

Austin’s decision comes a bit more than a week after President Joe Biden told defense officials to develop a plan requiring troops to get shots as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-cddff9258b54e15213e06112fdbe456a">broader campaign to increase vaccinations in the federal workforce</a>. It reflects similar decisions by governments and companies around the world, as nations struggle with the highly contagious delta variant that has sent new U.S. cases, hospitalizations and deaths surging to heights not see since the peaks last winter.

Austin said in his memo says that the military services will have the next few weeks to prepare, determine how many vaccines they need, and how this mandate will be implemented. The additional time, however, also is a nod to the bitter political divisiveness over the vaccine and the knowledge that making it mandatory will likely trigger opposition from vaccine opponents across the state and federal governments, Congress and the American population.

It also provides time for the FDA to give final approval to the Pfizer vaccine, which is expected early next month. Without that formal approval, Austin would need a waiver from Biden to make the shots mandatory.

Troops often live and work closely together in barracks and on ships, increasing the risks of rapid spreading. And any large outbreak of the virus in the military could affect America’s ability to defend itself in any national security crisis.

The decision will add the COVID-19 vaccine to a list of other inoculations that service members are already required to get. Depending on their location around the world, service members can get as many as 17 different vaccines.

Austin’s memo also said that in the meantime, the Pentagon will comply with Biden’s order for additional restrictions on any federal personnel who have not been vaccinated. Those restrictions will include wearing masks, social distancing and travel limits.

According to the Pentagon, more than 1 million troops are fully vaccinated and another 237,000 have received one shot. But the military services vary widely in their vaccination rates.

The Navy said that more than 74% of all active duty and reserve sailors have been vaccinated with at least one shot. The Air Force, meanwhile, said that more than 65% of its active duty and 60% reserve forces are at least partially vaccinated, and the number for the Army — by far the largest service — appears to be closer to 50%.

Military officials have said the pace of vaccines has been growing across the force, with some units — such as sailors deploying on a warship — seeing nearly 100% of their members get shots. But the totals drop off dramatically, including among the National Guard and Reserve, who are much more difficult to track.

Some unvaccinated service members have suggested they’d get the shot once it’s required, but others are flatly opposed. Military officials have said that once the vaccine is mandated, a refusal could constitute failure to obey an order, and may be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Army guidance, for example, includes counseling soldiers to ensure they understand the purpose of the vaccine and the threat the disease poses. The Army also notes that if a soldier “fails to comply with a lawful order to receive a mandatory vaccine, and does not have an approved exemption, a commander may take appropriate disciplinary action.”

Military service officials have said they don’t collect data on the number of troops who have refused other mandated vaccines, such as anthrax, hepatitis, chicken pox or flu shots over the past decade or more. And they weren’t able to provide details on the punishments any service members received as a result of the refusal.

Officials said they believe the number of troops refusing other mandated vaccines is small. And the discipline could vary.

Also, service members can seek an exemption from any vaccine — either temporary or permanent — for a variety of reasons including health issues or religious beliefs. Regulations involving the other mandatory vaccines say, for example, that anyone who had a severe adverse reaction to the vaccine can be exempt, and those who are pregnant or have other conditions can postpone a shot.

Some have argued that those who have already had the virus — and have antibodies — are immune and thus should not have to get the shot. It’s not clear how the military will act on those types of assertions.

According to defense officials, some senior military leaders have expressed support for making the vaccine mandatory believing it will help keep the force healthy. Military commanders have also struggled to separate vaccinated recruits from unvaccinated recruits during early portions of basic training across the services in order to prevent infections. So, for some, a mandate could make training and housing less complicated.

Navy officials said last week that there has been only one case of COVID-19 hospitalization among sailors and Marines who are fully vaccinated. In comparison, the Navy said there have been more than 123 hospitalizations “in a similarly sized group of unvaccinated sailors and Marines.” It said fewer than 3% of its immunized troops have tested positive for COVID-19.

The other military services did not provide similar data.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will require members of the U.S. military to get the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 15, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. That deadline could be pushed up if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise.“I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon” licensure by the Food and Drug Administration “whichever comes first,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says in the memo to troops, warning them to prepare for the requirement.He added that if infection rates rise and potentially affect military readiness, “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so. To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force.”The memo is expected to go out Monday.Austin’s decision comes a bit more than a week after President Joe Biden told defense officials to develop a plan requiring troops to get shots as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-cddff9258b54e15213e06112fdbe456a">broader campaign to increase vaccinations in the federal workforce</a>. It reflects similar decisions by governments and companies around the world, as nations struggle with the highly contagious delta variant that has sent new U.S. cases, hospitalizations and deaths surging to heights not see since the peaks last winter.Austin said in his memo says that the military services will have the next few weeks to prepare, determine how many vaccines they need, and how this mandate will be implemented. The additional time, however, also is a nod to the bitter political divisiveness over the vaccine and the knowledge that making it mandatory will likely trigger opposition from vaccine opponents across the state and federal governments, Congress and the American population.It also provides time for the FDA to give final approval to the Pfizer vaccine, which is expected early next month. Without that formal approval, Austin would need a waiver from Biden to make the shots mandatory.Troops often live and work closely together in barracks and on ships, increasing the risks of rapid spreading. And any large outbreak of the virus in the military could affect America’s ability to defend itself in any national security crisis.The decision will add the COVID-19 vaccine to a list of other inoculations that service members are already required to get. Depending on their location around the world, service members can get as many as 17 different vaccines.Austin’s memo also said that in the meantime, the Pentagon will comply with Biden’s order for additional restrictions on any federal personnel who have not been vaccinated. Those restrictions will include wearing masks, social distancing and travel limits.According to the Pentagon, more than 1 million troops are fully vaccinated and another 237,000 have received one shot. But the military services vary widely in their vaccination rates.The Navy said that more than 74% of all active duty and reserve sailors have been vaccinated with at least one shot. The Air Force, meanwhile, said that more than 65% of its active duty and 60% reserve forces are at least partially vaccinated, and the number for the Army — by far the largest service — appears to be closer to 50%.Military officials have said the pace of vaccines has been growing across the force, with some units — such as sailors deploying on a warship — seeing nearly 100% of their members get shots. But the totals drop off dramatically, including among the National Guard and Reserve, who are much more difficult to track.Some unvaccinated service members have suggested they’d get the shot once it’s required, but others are flatly opposed. Military officials have said that once the vaccine is mandated, a refusal could constitute failure to obey an order, and may be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.Army guidance, for example, includes counseling soldiers to ensure they understand the purpose of the vaccine and the threat the disease poses. The Army also notes that if a soldier “fails to comply with a lawful order to receive a mandatory vaccine, and does not have an approved exemption, a commander may take appropriate disciplinary action.”Military service officials have said they don’t collect data on the number of troops who have refused other mandated vaccines, such as anthrax, hepatitis, chicken pox or flu shots over the past decade or more. And they weren’t able to provide details on the punishments any service members received as a result of the refusal.Officials said they believe the number of troops refusing other mandated vaccines is small. And the discipline could vary.Also, service members can seek an exemption from any vaccine — either temporary or permanent — for a variety of reasons including health issues or religious beliefs. Regulations involving the other mandatory vaccines say, for example, that anyone who had a severe adverse reaction to the vaccine can be exempt, and those who are pregnant or have other conditions can postpone a shot.Some have argued that those who have already had the virus — and have antibodies — are immune and thus should not have to get the shot. It’s not clear how the military will act on those types of assertions.According to defense officials, some senior military leaders have expressed support for making the vaccine mandatory believing it will help keep the force healthy. Military commanders have also struggled to separate vaccinated recruits from unvaccinated recruits during early portions of basic training across the services in order to prevent infections. So, for some, a mandate could make training and housing less complicated.Navy officials said last week that there has been only one case of COVID-19 hospitalization among sailors and Marines who are fully vaccinated. In comparison, the Navy said there have been more than 123 hospitalizations “in a similarly sized group of unvaccinated sailors and Marines.” It said fewer than 3% of its immunized troops have tested positive for COVID-19.The other military services did not provide similar data.

Pentagon to require COVID vaccine for all troops 

WASHINGTON — The IRS today updated <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-credits-for-paid-leave-under-the-american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021-for-leave-after-march-31-2021">frequently asked questions (FAQs)</a>
 on the paid sick and family leave tax credits under the American Rescue
 Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). The updates clarify that eligible employers can
 claim the credits for providing leave to employees to accompany a 
family or household member or certain other individuals to obtain 
immunization relating to COVID-19 or to care for a family or household 
member or certain other individuals recovering from the immunization.

The paid sick and family leave credits reimburse eligible employers 
for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave for reasons related
 to COVID-19. The revised FAQs make clear this includes leave taken by 
employees to care for certain individuals to obtain immunization 
relating to COVID-19 or to recover from immunization relating to 
COVID-19. This new reason for paid sick or family leave also applies for
 the comparable credits for self-employed individuals.

The paid sick and family leave tax credits under the ARP are similar 
to those put in place by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act 
(FFCRA), as amended and extended by the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 
2020 (Tax Relief Act), under which certain employers could receive tax 
credits for providing paid sick or family leave that met the 
requirements of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency 
Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (as added by FFCRA). The tax 
credits under the FFCRA, as amended and extended by the Tax Relief Act, 
covered leave taken beginning April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021. The
 ARP amends and extends these credits to leave taken beginning April 1, 
2021, through September&nbsp;30, 2021.

The FAQs include information on how eligible employers may claim the 
paid sick and family leave credits, including how to file for and 
compute the applicable credit amounts, and how to receive advance 
payments for and refunds of the credits. Under the ARP, eligible 
employers, including businesses and tax-exempt organizations with fewer 
than 500 employees and certain governmental employers, may claim tax 
credits for qualified leave wages and certain other wage-related 
expenses (such as health plan expenses and certain collectively 
bargained benefits).

Self-employed individuals may claim comparable credits on the Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The IRS today updated <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-credits-for-paid-leave-under-the-american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021-for-leave-after-march-31-2021">frequently asked questions (FAQs)</a>
 on the paid sick and family leave tax credits under the American Rescue
 Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). The updates clarify that eligible employers can
 claim the credits for providing leave to employees to accompany a 
family or household member or certain other individuals to obtain 
immunization relating to COVID-19 or to care for a family or household 
member or certain other individuals recovering from the immunization.The paid sick and family leave credits reimburse eligible employers 
for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave for reasons related
 to COVID-19. The revised FAQs make clear this includes leave taken by 
employees to care for certain individuals to obtain immunization 
relating to COVID-19 or to recover from immunization relating to 
COVID-19. This new reason for paid sick or family leave also applies for
 the comparable credits for self-employed individuals.The paid sick and family leave tax credits under the ARP are similar 
to those put in place by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act 
(FFCRA), as amended and extended by the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 
2020 (Tax Relief Act), under which certain employers could receive tax 
credits for providing paid sick or family leave that met the 
requirements of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency 
Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (as added by FFCRA). The tax 
credits under the FFCRA, as amended and extended by the Tax Relief Act, 
covered leave taken beginning April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021. The
 ARP amends and extends these credits to leave taken beginning April 1, 
2021, through September&nbsp;30, 2021.The FAQs include information on how eligible employers may claim the 
paid sick and family leave credits, including how to file for and 
compute the applicable credit amounts, and how to receive advance 
payments for and refunds of the credits. Under the ARP, eligible 
employers, including businesses and tax-exempt organizations with fewer 
than 500 employees and certain governmental employers, may claim tax 
credits for qualified leave wages and certain other wage-related 
expenses (such as health plan expenses and certain collectively 
bargained benefits).Self-employed individuals may claim comparable credits on the Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

Family member recovering from vaccination? Paid leave credit available from IRS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal employees who need to certify their vaccination status under a new policy instituted by President Joe Biden intended to encourage COVID-19 shots will face disciplinary action and potentially criminal prosecution if they lie on the form.

The Biden administration on Friday unveiled the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/downloads/CertificationVaccinationEmployees.pdf" target="_blank">attestation form</a>&nbsp;that employees will need to fill out confirming whether they have been fully vaccinated against the virus, adding legal teeth to the president’s mandate. Federal employees won’t be following the honor system but will instead be required to acknowledge that making a “knowing and willful false statement on this form can be punished by fine or imprisonment or both.”

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the form which was distributed Friday to agency leadership and points of contact for COVID safety protocol implementation.

Under Biden’s policy, those who are not vaccinated or choose not to complete the form will will be subject to mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing requirements and will be ineligible for official travel in most cases.

The effort is part of the White House’s push to make it more difficult for eligible Americans to remain unvaccinated against the coronavirus.

With the exception of those seeking to “obtain a public service or benefit,” visitors to federal office-buildings, including the White House, will be required to fill out the form before visiting, according to the federal policy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628346743912.png" alt="Under Biden’s policy, those who are not vaccinated or choose not to complete the form will will be subject to mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing requirements and will be ineligible for official travel in most cases.-The President during a Rose Garden ceremony Thursday-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Under Biden’s policy, those who are not vaccinated or choose not to complete the form will will be subject to mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing requirements and will be ineligible for official travel in most cases.-The President during a Rose Garden ceremony Thursday-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal employees who need to certify their vaccination status under a new policy instituted by President Joe Biden intended to encourage COVID-19 shots will face disciplinary action and potentially criminal prosecution if they lie on the form.The Biden administration on Friday unveiled the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/downloads/CertificationVaccinationEmployees.pdf" target="_blank">attestation form</a>&nbsp;that employees will need to fill out confirming whether they have been fully vaccinated against the virus, adding legal teeth to the president’s mandate. Federal employees won’t be following the honor system but will instead be required to acknowledge that making a “knowing and willful false statement on this form can be punished by fine or imprisonment or both.”The Associated Press obtained a copy of the form which was distributed Friday to agency leadership and points of contact for COVID safety protocol implementation.Under Biden’s policy, those who are not vaccinated or choose not to complete the form will will be subject to mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing requirements and will be ineligible for official travel in most cases.The effort is part of the White House’s push to make it more difficult for eligible Americans to remain unvaccinated against the coronavirus.With the exception of those seeking to “obtain a public service or benefit,” visitors to federal office-buildings, including the White House, will be required to fill out the form before visiting, according to the federal policy.

Vaccination form for federal workers adds penalties for lies

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say firefighters found the body of a woman inside a burning home near Plattsmouth, south of Omaha, over the weekend. 

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says first responders were called around 8 a.m. Sunday to the house just west of U.S. Highway 75. 

Smoke and heat kept first-arriving deputies and officers from entering the house. Firefighters who arrived on the scene found 52-year-old Karen Sidener unresponsive on the main floor of the home and brought her outside. 

Officials say attempts to revive her were unsuccessful, and she was declared dead at the scene. 

An autopsy has been ordered, and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617407485706.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say firefighters found the body of a woman inside a burning home near Plattsmouth, south of Omaha, over the weekend. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says first responders were called around 8 a.m. Sunday to the house just west of U.S. Highway 75. Smoke and heat kept first-arriving deputies and officers from entering the house. Firefighters who arrived on the scene found 52-year-old Karen Sidener unresponsive on the main floor of the home and brought her outside. Officials say attempts to revive her were unsuccessful, and she was declared dead at the scene. An autopsy has been ordered, and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Woman found dead in house fire in town south of Omaha

STURGIS, S.D. (AP) — Law enforcement officials say the first few days of this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally have been among the busiest they’ve seen. 

Some 700,000 people are expected to celebrate their enthusiasm for motorcycles at the 10-day event that kicked off Friday. 

Law enforcement in Sturgis and Meade County say their calls for service during the first few days are up dramatically compared to previous years. 

Sturgis Police Chief Geody VanDewater says officers have issued 207 violations for open containers of alcohol since the rally began. 

Participants need a special souvenir cup to drink wine and beer in certain downtown areas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628468182576.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>STURGIS, S.D. (AP) — Law enforcement officials say the first few days of this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally have been among the busiest they’ve seen. Some 700,000 people are expected to celebrate their enthusiasm for motorcycles at the 10-day event that kicked off Friday. Law enforcement in Sturgis and Meade County say their calls for service during the first few days are up dramatically compared to previous years. Sturgis Police Chief Geody VanDewater says officers have issued 207 violations for open containers of alcohol since the rally began. Participants need a special souvenir cup to drink wine and beer in certain downtown areas.

Official: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the busiest in years

VICTORIA, Minn. (AP) — A relative has identified three people killed in the fiery crash of a small plane in southeastern Minnesota as a surgeon from Omaha, Nebraska, and two of his family members from Wyoming. 

Jo Mertes, of Mantador, North Dakota, told the Star Tribune Sunday that her nephew, 42-year-old Jacob Mertes and his 37-year-old wife, Sara Mertes, of Libby, Montana, died along with her nephew’s 72-year-old stepfather, Dr. James Edney, who was piloting the plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was flying from Alexandria Municipal Airport to Eden Prairie’s Flying Cloud Airport before 6 p.m. Saturday when it went down and burst into flames in Victoria, a city of 7,300 about 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628459947426.png" alt="Dr. Edney" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Edney</figcaption>
 </figure>VICTORIA, Minn. (AP) — A relative has identified three people killed in the fiery crash of a small plane in southeastern Minnesota as a surgeon from Omaha, Nebraska, and two of his family members from Wyoming. Jo Mertes, of Mantador, North Dakota, told the Star Tribune Sunday that her nephew, 42-year-old Jacob Mertes and his 37-year-old wife, Sara Mertes, of Libby, Montana, died along with her nephew’s 72-year-old stepfather, Dr. James Edney, who was piloting the plane. There were no survivors. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was flying from Alexandria Municipal Airport to Eden Prairie’s Flying Cloud Airport before 6 p.m. Saturday when it went down and burst into flames in Victoria, a city of 7,300 about 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

Omaha surgeon, 2 family members killed in MN plane crash

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s largest school district will consider requiring people to wear masks inside its buildings as the state sees an increase in new COVID-19 cases. 

The Omaha Board of Education scheduled a special meeting for Monday night to discuss masks. 

The meeting was announced only hours after the Omaha Education Association sent a letter to the district calling on it to require masks. 

The teachers’ union said in a letter that increases in cases are driven by the spread of the more contagious delta variant and vaccination rates are lagging. 

If approved by the Omaha board, the mask rule would be similar to requirements during the last school year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628446595302.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s largest school district will consider requiring people to wear masks inside its buildings as the state sees an increase in new COVID-19 cases. The Omaha Board of Education scheduled a special meeting for Monday night to discuss masks. The meeting was announced only hours after the Omaha Education Association sent a letter to the district calling on it to require masks. The teachers’ union said in a letter that increases in cases are driven by the spread of the more contagious delta variant and vaccination rates are lagging. If approved by the Omaha board, the mask rule would be similar to requirements during the last school year.

Omaha Public Schools to consider mask mandate

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Three Nebraska residents narrowly escaped a flooded elevator following an Omaha storm. KTRK-TV reports an Omaha man on Saturday got in his apartment elevator with two friends to check out storm damage. 

Before the elevator opened, Tony Luu says water started pouring in through the vents as they descended. Luu called his roommate for help as they waited for emergency responders in neck-high water. 

His roommate and two other people managed to open the elevator door from the lobby, saving Luu and the others. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628446259170.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Three Nebraska residents narrowly escaped a flooded elevator following an Omaha storm. KTRK-TV reports an Omaha man on Saturday got in his apartment elevator with two friends to check out storm damage. Before the elevator opened, Tony Luu says water started pouring in through the vents as they descended. Luu called his roommate for help as they waited for emergency responders in neck-high water. His roommate and two other people managed to open the elevator door from the lobby, saving Luu and the others. None of them were hurt.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCaitlinHarveyWX%2Fvideos%2F252929703105350%2F&show_text=true&width=289&t=0" width="289" height="591" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FOmahaScanner402%2Fposts%2F886481708889246&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="366" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FOmahaScanner402%2Fposts%2F886503402220410&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="730" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Nebraskans safe after getting stuck in flooded elevator

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Prices for medical marijuana have been dropping as more manufacturers, cultivators and dispensaries open.

Residents voted in 2018 to legalize medical cannabis. Since then, the state has licensed 193 dispensaries, 59 cultivators and 86 manufacturers, although not all of them are operating yet.

When the first dispensary in the Kansas City area opened in October, one eighth of an ounce of flower cost $60. Nearly 10 months later, the same product can be gotten for $40. Local dispensaries at first sold only flower. Now, they stock a variety of items, including edibles and cartridges.

“Certainly, we knew when stores opened here at the very beginning the prices were going to be higher, the selection was going to be more limited,” said Jack Cardetti, spokesman for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association. “But with each coming week, we see those trends reversing.”

More efficient processes, more cultivators and more competition have all contributed to lower prices since the first manufacturer opened in Missouri.

Prices on some products are estimated to be 25% lower than when dispensaries first opened, said Bethanie White, director of marketing for Clovr, the first manufacturer to open in Missouri.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Prices for medical marijuana have been dropping as more manufacturers, cultivators and dispensaries open.Residents voted in 2018 to legalize medical cannabis. Since then, the state has licensed 193 dispensaries, 59 cultivators and 86 manufacturers, although not all of them are operating yet.When the first dispensary in the Kansas City area opened in October, one eighth of an ounce of flower cost $60. Nearly 10 months later, the same product can be gotten for $40. Local dispensaries at first sold only flower. Now, they stock a variety of items, including edibles and cartridges.“Certainly, we knew when stores opened here at the very beginning the prices were going to be higher, the selection was going to be more limited,” said Jack Cardetti, spokesman for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association. “But with each coming week, we see those trends reversing.”More efficient processes, more cultivators and more competition have all contributed to lower prices since the first manufacturer opened in Missouri.Prices on some products are estimated to be 25% lower than when dispensaries first opened, said Bethanie White, director of marketing for Clovr, the first manufacturer to open in Missouri.

Medical marijuana prices drop as more dispensaries open

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with record sales of firearms, has fueled a shortage of ammunition in the United States that’s impacting law enforcement agencies, people seeking personal protection, recreational shooters and hunters -- and could deny new gun owners the practice they need to handle their weapons safely.

Manufacturers say they’re producing as much ammunition as they can, but many gun store shelves are empty and prices keep rising. Ammunition imports are way up, but at least one U.S. manufacturer is exporting ammo. All while the pandemic, social unrest and a rise in violent crime have prompted millions to buy guns for protection or to take up shooting for sport.

“We have had a number of firearms instructors cancel their registration to our courses because their agency was short on ammo or they were unable to find ammo to purchase,” said Jason Wuestenberg, executive director of the National Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association.

Doug Tangen, firearms instructor at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, the police academy for the state, said the academy also has had trouble obtaining ammo.

“A few months ago, we were at a point where our shelves were nearly empty of 9mm ammunition,” he said. In response, instructors took conservation steps like reducing the number of shots fired per drill, which got them through several months until fresh supplies arrived, Tangen said.

Officer Larry Hadfield, a spokesman for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said his department also has been affected by the shortage. “We have made efforts to conserve ammunition when possible,” he said.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry trade group, says more than 50 million people participate in shooting sports in the U.S. and estimates that 20 million guns were sold last year, with 8 million of those sales made by first-time buyers.

“When you talk about all these people buying guns, it really has an impact on people buying ammunition,” spokesman Mark Oliva said. ”If you look at 8.4 million gun buyers and they all want to buy one box with 50 rounds, that’s going to be 420 million rounds.”

The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System database also documented an increase in sales: In 2010, there were 14.4 million background checks for gun purchases. That jumped to almost 39.7 million in 2020 and to 22.2 million just through June 2021 alone.

The actual number of guns sold could be much higher since multiple firearms can be linked to a single background check. No data is available for ammunition because sales are not regulated and no license is required to sell it.

As the pandemic raced across the country in early 2020, the resulting lockdown orders and cutbacks on police response sowed safety fears, creating an “overwhelming demand” for both guns and ammo, Oliva said. Factories continued to produce ammunition, but sales far exceeded the amount that could be shipped, he said.

“Where there is an increased sense of instability, fear and insecurity, more people will purchase guns,” said Ari Freilich of the Gifford Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

As supplies dwindled, Feilich said, some gun owners began stockpiling ammo.

“Early on in the pandemic, we saw people hoarding toilet paper, disinfectant, and now it’s ammo,” he said.

Wustenberg emphasized the danger in first-time gun buyers not being able to practice using their new weapons.

Going to the gun range entails more than trying to hit a target, he said. It’s where shooters learn fundamental skills like always pointing their guns in a safe direction and keeping their fingers off the trigger until they’re ready to fire.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with record sales of firearms, has fueled a shortage of ammunition in the United States that’s impacting law enforcement agencies, people seeking personal protection, recreational shooters and hunters -- and could deny new gun owners the practice they need to handle their weapons safely.Manufacturers say they’re producing as much ammunition as they can, but many gun store shelves are empty and prices keep rising. Ammunition imports are way up, but at least one U.S. manufacturer is exporting ammo. All while the pandemic, social unrest and a rise in violent crime have prompted millions to buy guns for protection or to take up shooting for sport.“We have had a number of firearms instructors cancel their registration to our courses because their agency was short on ammo or they were unable to find ammo to purchase,” said Jason Wuestenberg, executive director of the National Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association.Doug Tangen, firearms instructor at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, the police academy for the state, said the academy also has had trouble obtaining ammo.“A few months ago, we were at a point where our shelves were nearly empty of 9mm ammunition,” he said. In response, instructors took conservation steps like reducing the number of shots fired per drill, which got them through several months until fresh supplies arrived, Tangen said.Officer Larry Hadfield, a spokesman for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said his department also has been affected by the shortage. “We have made efforts to conserve ammunition when possible,” he said.The National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry trade group, says more than 50 million people participate in shooting sports in the U.S. and estimates that 20 million guns were sold last year, with 8 million of those sales made by first-time buyers.“When you talk about all these people buying guns, it really has an impact on people buying ammunition,” spokesman Mark Oliva said. ”If you look at 8.4 million gun buyers and they all want to buy one box with 50 rounds, that’s going to be 420 million rounds.”The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System database also documented an increase in sales: In 2010, there were 14.4 million background checks for gun purchases. That jumped to almost 39.7 million in 2020 and to 22.2 million just through June 2021 alone.The actual number of guns sold could be much higher since multiple firearms can be linked to a single background check. No data is available for ammunition because sales are not regulated and no license is required to sell it.As the pandemic raced across the country in early 2020, the resulting lockdown orders and cutbacks on police response sowed safety fears, creating an “overwhelming demand” for both guns and ammo, Oliva said. Factories continued to produce ammunition, but sales far exceeded the amount that could be shipped, he said.“Where there is an increased sense of instability, fear and insecurity, more people will purchase guns,” said Ari Freilich of the Gifford Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.As supplies dwindled, Feilich said, some gun owners began stockpiling ammo.“Early on in the pandemic, we saw people hoarding toilet paper, disinfectant, and now it’s ammo,” he said.Wustenberg emphasized the danger in first-time gun buyers not being able to practice using their new weapons.Going to the gun range entails more than trying to hit a target, he said. It’s where shooters learn fundamental skills like always pointing their guns in a safe direction and keeping their fingers off the trigger until they’re ready to fire.“It’s that old adage: Just because you buy a guitar doesn’t mean you’re a guitar player,” Wustenberg said. “Some have the misconception of ‘I shot this target 5 yards away and did just fine so I’m OK if someone breaks into my house.’ You’ve got to go out and practice with it.”The U.S. military is not affected by the shortage because the Army produces ammunition for all branches of the military at six sites across the country, according to Justine Barati, spokesperson for the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command.The U.S. shooting team, which won four medals at the Tokyo Olympics, also had the ammo needed to train thanks to a commitment from sponsors, but membership and junior programs have struggled, said Matt Suggs, chief executive officer for USA Shooting.The U.S. Biathlon team, training for the 2022 Winter Olympics in February, also has been supplied with ammo from its sponsor, Lapua, made in Finland. But local clubs face shortages, said Max Cobb, president of U.S. Biathlon Association.Jason Vanderbrink, a vice president at Vista Outdoor, which owns the Federal, CCI, Speer and Remington ammunition brands, said the companies are shipping ammo as fast as they can make it.“I’m tired of reading the misinformation on the internet right now about us not trying to service the demand that we’re experiencing,” he said in a YouTube video produced for customers aimed at quashing speculation suggesting otherwise.Imports of ammunition from Russia, South Korea, the European Union and others were up 225% over the past two years, according to an analysis by Panjiva Inc., which independently tracks global trade. But at least some U.S.-made ammo is heading out of the country.Winchester has logged 107 shipments since January 2020, according to Panjiva. Most went to Australia to fulfill a contract Winchester secured with NIOA, the country’s largest small-arms supplier. Nigel Everingham, NIOA’s chief operating officer, said he could not disclose how much ammo Winchester is supplying.A few shipments also went to Belgium and Israel.Meanwhile, most of the ammunition pictured on the website for Champion’s Choice, a gun store in LaVergne, Tennessee, is listed as “out of stock.”“We keep ammo on order but we’re not sure when it’s going to come available, “sales manager Kyle Hudgens said. “It does put us in a bad position with our customers. They’re asking what the deal is.”And Bryan Lookabaugh at Renton Fish &amp; Game’s skeet and trap range in Renton, Washington -- where shooters try to hit discs flying at 35 to 70 mph -- said the limited availability means fewer people show up for shooting practice and some couldn’t participate in a recent competition.“We have not had a full shipment in a year,” he said.Duane Hendrix, the range master at the Seattle Police Athletic Association, a police and civilian gun range in Tukwila, Washington, said he now limits ammo sales to two boxes per customer.“I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Hendrix said. “There’s stuff we can’t get, especially rifle ammo. If you don’t have ammo for your customers, there’s no point in having your doors open.”