Businesses can temporarily deduct 100% beginning January 1, 2021

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today issued <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-25.pdf">Notice 2021-25&nbsp;PDF</a>
 providing guidance under the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Relief Act
 of 2020. The Act added a temporary exception to the 50% limit on the 
amount that businesses may deduct for food or beverages. The temporary 
exception allows a 100% deduction for food or beverages from 
restaurants.

Beginning January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022, businesses can 
claim 100% of their food or beverage expenses paid to restaurants as 
long as the business owner (or an employee of the business) is present 
when food or beverages are provided and the expense is not lavish or 
extravagant under the circumstances.

Where can businesses get food and beverages and claim 100%?

Under the temporary provision, restaurants include businesses that 
prepare and sell food or beverages to retail customers for immediate 
on-premises and/or off-premises consumption. However, restaurants do not
 include businesses that primarily sell pre-packaged goods not for 
immediate consumption, such as grocery stores and convenience stores.

Additionally, an employer may not treat certain employer-operated 
eating facilities as restaurants, even if these facilities are operated 
by a third party under contract with the employer.

More <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-tax-relief-for-businesses-and-tax-exempt-entities">information for businesses seeking coronavirus related tax relief</a> can be found at IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRS<h2>Businesses can temporarily deduct 100% beginning January 1, 2021</h2>IR-2021-79, April 8, 2021WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today issued <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-25.pdf">Notice 2021-25&nbsp;PDF</a>
 providing guidance under the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Relief Act
 of 2020. The Act added a temporary exception to the 50% limit on the 
amount that businesses may deduct for food or beverages. The temporary 
exception allows a 100% deduction for food or beverages from 
restaurants.Beginning January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022, businesses can 
claim 100% of their food or beverage expenses paid to restaurants as 
long as the business owner (or an employee of the business) is present 
when food or beverages are provided and the expense is not lavish or 
extravagant under the circumstances.<h2>Where can businesses get food and beverages and claim 100%?</h2>Under the temporary provision, restaurants include businesses that 
prepare and sell food or beverages to retail customers for immediate 
on-premises and/or off-premises consumption. However, restaurants do not
 include businesses that primarily sell pre-packaged goods not for 
immediate consumption, such as grocery stores and convenience stores.Additionally, an employer may not treat certain employer-operated 
eating facilities as restaurants, even if these facilities are operated 
by a third party under contract with the employer.More <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-tax-relief-for-businesses-and-tax-exempt-entities">information for businesses seeking coronavirus related tax relief</a> can be found at IRS.gov.

IRS: Business meals 100% deductible through 2022

News Release US Attorney's Office-Omaha

Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that a federal jury in Lincoln, Nebraska, returned a guilty verdict on April 7, 2021, against Thomas W. Hird, age 67, of Kearney, Nebraska, for three counts of filing a false tax return. The verdict subjects Hird to a potential prison term of up to three years on each count. Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard presided over the trial and set sentencing for July 14, 2021.

The evidence presented at trial established that Hird has owned and operated a nail salon business, Nails Unlimited, in Kearney, Nebraska since 2009. From around February of 2009, Hird would skim the cash and check payments of the business by cashing a majority of all customer checks received at the business and by conducting currency exchanges in which he would exchange small bills for $100 bills. Credit/Debit card transactions at the business would automatically be deposited into the business bank account, however, cash and check payments were rarely deposited into the business account. Hird willfully failed to report the cashed customer checks and currency received as part of his gross income on his yearly tax return.

The nail salon customers who testified at trial indicated that they were instructed to issue checks payable to Hird personally and not the business. The salon also had signs displayed that instructed customers to make checks payable to Hird. Hird testified at trial that he knew the bank had a policy against cashing checks made payable to his business.

The Internal Revenue Service began investigating Hird’s actions sometime in 2017. In July of 2017, an IRS Special Agent interviewed Hird about his nail salon business and about his practice of cashing customer checks and exchanging customer cash payments. Hird repeatedly denied he engaged in these transactions and claimed that all customer payments were deposited into the business bank account. At trial, Hird admitted he had lied to the Special Agent.

Through the years of 2012-2016, Hird failed to report income from Nails Unlimited in the amount of $520,107. As a result, Hird’s total tax due and owing for the years 2012-2016 is $134,989.

“A jury has now found Mr. Hird intentionally did not report all of his income when he filed his tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. He received checks and cash gross receipts while running a nail salon business for several years that he did not include income,” said David Talcott, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “Today, a jury has convicted Mr. Hird of filing false tax returns with the IRS.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Sharp said, “We are currently in tax season. The jury’s verdict underscores the importance of taxpayers to truthfully report income on their tax returns.”

News Release US Attorney's Office-OmahaActing United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that a federal jury in Lincoln, Nebraska, returned a guilty verdict on April 7, 2021, against Thomas W. Hird, age 67, of Kearney, Nebraska, for three counts of filing a false tax return. The verdict subjects Hird to a potential prison term of up to three years on each count. Chief United States District Judge John M. Gerrard presided over the trial and set sentencing for July 14, 2021.The evidence presented at trial established that Hird has owned and operated a nail salon business, Nails Unlimited, in Kearney, Nebraska since 2009. From around February of 2009, Hird would skim the cash and check payments of the business by cashing a majority of all customer checks received at the business and by conducting currency exchanges in which he would exchange small bills for $100 bills. Credit/Debit card transactions at the business would automatically be deposited into the business bank account, however, cash and check payments were rarely deposited into the business account. Hird willfully failed to report the cashed customer checks and currency received as part of his gross income on his yearly tax return.The nail salon customers who testified at trial indicated that they were instructed to issue checks payable to Hird personally and not the business. The salon also had signs displayed that instructed customers to make checks payable to Hird. Hird testified at trial that he knew the bank had a policy against cashing checks made payable to his business.The Internal Revenue Service began investigating Hird’s actions sometime in 2017. In July of 2017, an IRS Special Agent interviewed Hird about his nail salon business and about his practice of cashing customer checks and exchanging customer cash payments. Hird repeatedly denied he engaged in these transactions and claimed that all customer payments were deposited into the business bank account. At trial, Hird admitted he had lied to the Special Agent.Through the years of 2012-2016, Hird failed to report income from Nails Unlimited in the amount of $520,107. As a result, Hird’s total tax due and owing for the years 2012-2016 is $134,989.“A jury has now found Mr. Hird intentionally did not report all of his income when he filed his tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. He received checks and cash gross receipts while running a nail salon business for several years that he did not include income,” said David Talcott, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in the St. Louis Field Office. “Today, a jury has convicted Mr. Hird of filing false tax returns with the IRS.”Acting U.S. Attorney Sharp said, “We are currently in tax season. The jury’s verdict underscores the importance of taxpayers to truthfully report income on their tax returns.”

Kearney nail salon owner convicted by jury for filing false tax returns

BLUE SPRINGS, Neb. (AP) — Officials in southeastern Nebraska say a child has died in an early-morning house fire that saw four other people taken to hospitals with burn injuries. 

Station KWBE reports that firefighters were called to the blaze around 4 a.m. Thursday in Blue Springs. 

Officials say the house was fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived. Beatrice Fire Captain Corey Lieneman said the child who died was found in a bedroom of the home. 

Lieneman says another person was taken to a Lincoln hospital with life-threatening burn injuries, while three others were taken to Beatrice Community Hospital in stable condition. 

Officials have not released the names of the victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575657141977.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>From the Associated PressBLUE SPRINGS, Neb. (AP) — Officials in southeastern Nebraska say a child has died in an early-morning house fire that saw four other people taken to hospitals with burn injuries. Station KWBE reports that firefighters were called to the blaze around 4 a.m. Thursday in Blue Springs. Officials say the house was fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived. Beatrice Fire Captain Corey Lieneman said the child who died was found in a bedroom of the home. Lieneman says another person was taken to a Lincoln hospital with life-threatening burn injuries, while three others were taken to Beatrice Community Hospital in stable condition. Officials have not released the names of the victims.

Officials: Child killed, 4 burned in Blue Springs house fire

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden, in his first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/" target="_blank">gun control measures</a>&nbsp;since taking office, announced a half-dozen executive actions Thursday aimed at addressing a proliferation of gun violence across the nation that he called an “epidemic and an international embarrassment.”

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?510636-1/president-biden-delivers-remarks-gun-violence-prevention">Click here to watch </a>a replay of the President's announcement

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/">Click here&nbsp;</a>to read the White House fact sheet on the actions to prevent gun violence.

“It is actually a public health crisis,” Biden said during remarks at the White House.

Greeting the families of gun violence victims and activists, he assured them: “We’re absolutely determined to make change.”

His Thursday announcement delivers on a pledge Biden made last month to take what he termed immediate “common-sense steps” to address gun violence, after a series of mass shootings drew renewed attention to the issue. His announcement came the same day as yet another shooting, this one in South Carolina, where five people were killed.

But Thursday’s announcement underscores the limitations of Biden’s executive power to act on guns. They include moves to tighten regulations on homemade guns and provide more resources for gun-violence prevention, but fall far short of the sweeping gun-control agenda Biden laid out on the campaign trail.

Indeed, the White House has repeatedly emphasized the need for legislative action to tackle the issue. But while the House passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-shootings-legislation-gun-politics-bills-fbb6872ac0575551e2fc190f3aefbd73">background-check bill</a>&nbsp;last month, gun control measures face slim prospects in an evenly divided Senate, where Republicans remain near-unified against most proposals.

Biden is tightening regulations of buyers of “ghost guns” — homemade firearms that usually are assembled from parts and milled with a metal-cutting machine and often lack serial numbers used to trace them. It’s legal to build a gun in a home or a workshop and there is no federal requirement for a background check. The goal is to “help stop the proliferation of these firearms,” according to the White House.

The Justice Department will issue a proposed rule aimed at reining in ghost guns within 30 days, though details of the rule weren’t immediately issued.

A second proposed rule, expected within 60 days, will tighten regulations on pistol-stabilizing braces, like the one used by the Boulder, Colorado, shooter in a rampage last month that left 10 dead. The rule will designate pistols used with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles, which require a federal license to own and are subject to a more thorough application process and a $200 tax.

The department also is publishing model legislation within 60 days that is intended to make it easier for states to adopt their own “red flag” laws. Such laws allow for individuals to petition a court to allow the police to confiscate weapons from a person deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.

The department also will begin to provide more data on firearms trafficking, starting with a new comprehensive report on the issue. The administration says that hasn’t been done in more than two decades.

Biden is also nominating David Chipman, a former federal agent and adviser at the gun control group Giffords, to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Biden administration will also make investments in community violence intervention programs, which are aimed at reducing gun violence in urban communities, across five federal agencies.

Officials said the executive actions were “initial steps” completed during Garland’s first weeks on the job and more may be coming.

The ATF is currently run by an acting director, Regina Lombardo. Gun-control advocates have emphasized the significance of this position in enforcing gun laws, and Chipman is certain to win praise from this group. During his time as a senior policy adviser with Giffords, he spent considerable effort pushing for greater regulation and enforcement on ghost guns, changes to the background check system and measures to reduce the trafficking of illegal firearms.

Chipman spent 25 years as an agent at the ATF, where he worked on stopping a trafficking ring that sent illegal firearms from Virginia to New York, and served on the ATF’s SWAT team. Chipman is a gun owner.

He is an explosives expert and was among the team involved in investigating the Oklahoma City bombing and the first World Trade Center bombing. He also was involved in investigating a series of church bombings in Alabama in the 1990s. He retired from the ATF in 2012.

The White House fact sheet said Chipman has worked “to advance common-sense gun safety laws.”

During his campaign, Biden promised to prioritize new gun control measures as president, including enacting universal background check legislation, banning online sales of firearms and the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-gun-bills-background-checks-631ad363c97e5ff483f631713f92b1b8">gun-control advocates have said</a>&nbsp;that while they were heartened by signs from the White House that they took the issue seriously, they’ve been disappointed by the lack of early action.

With the announcement of the new measures, however, advocates lauded Biden’s first moves to combat gun violence.

“Each of these executive actions will start to address the epidemic of gun violence that has raged throughout the pandemic, and begin to make good on President Biden’s promise to be the strongest gun safety president in history,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.

Feinblatt in particular praised the move to regulate ghost guns, which he said “will undoubtedly save countless lives,” and lauded Chipman as an “invaluable point person” in the fight against illegal gun trafficking. He also said the group is looking forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration on further gun control measures, but it’s unclear what next moves the White House, or lawmakers on Capitol Hill, will be able to take.

Biden himself expressed uncertainty late last month when asked if he had the political capital to pass new gun control proposals, telling reporters, “I haven’t done any counting yet.”

For years, federal officials have been sounding the alarm about an increasing black market for homemade, military-style semi-automatic rifles and handguns. Ghost guns have increasingly turned up at crime scenes and in recent years have been turning up more and more when federal agents are purchasing guns in undercover operations from gang members and other criminals.

It is hard to say how many are circulating on the streets, in part because in many cases police departments don’t even contact the federal government about the guns because they can’t be traced.

Some states, like California, have enacted laws in recent years to require serial numbers be stamped on ghost guns.

The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what is known as the lower receiver, a part typically made of metal or polymer. An unfinished receiver — sometimes referred to as an “80-percent receiver” — can be legally bought online with no serial numbers or other markings on it, no license required.

A gunman who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0bdd2294957c49f1b730640758e41b54">killed his wife and four others</a>&nbsp;in Northern California in 2017 had been prohibited from owning firearms, but he built his own to skirt the court order before his rampage. And in 2019, a teenager&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f56aedfde481467283dedb18a1c401fa">used a homemade handgun</a>&nbsp;to fatally shoot two classmates and wound three others at a school in suburban Los Angeles.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden, in his first major&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/" target="_blank">gun control measures</a>&nbsp;since taking office, is announcing executive actions aimed at addressing what the White House calls a “gun violence public health epidemic.”

Biden also is nominating&nbsp;<a href="https://giffords.org/people/david-chipman/" target="_blank">David Chipman</a>, a former federal agent and adviser at the gun control group Giffords, to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Biden has faced increasing pressure to act after a recent series of mass shootings, but the White House has repeatedly emphasized the need for legislative action. While the House passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-shootings-legislation-gun-politics-bills-fbb6872ac0575551e2fc190f3aefbd73">background-check bill</a>&nbsp;last month, gun control measures face slim prospects in an evenly divided Senate, where Republicans remain near-unified against most proposals.

A White House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/" target="_blank">fact sheet</a>&nbsp;said those shootings “underscored the relentlessness” of the epidemic.

Biden is to be joined at the late morning Rose Garden event by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Most of the actions are coming from the Justice Department.

Biden also is making investments in community violence intervention programs, which are aimed at reducing gun violence in urban communities, across five federal agencies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617899711537.png" alt="President Biden was joined at the Rose Garden event by Vice President Harris and Attorney General Merrick Garland-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden was joined at the Rose Garden event by Vice President Harris and Attorney General Merrick Garland-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden, in his first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/" target="_blank">gun control measures</a>&nbsp;since taking office, announced a half-dozen executive actions Thursday aimed at addressing a proliferation of gun violence across the nation that he called an “epidemic and an international embarrassment.”<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?510636-1/president-biden-delivers-remarks-gun-violence-prevention">Click here to watch </a>a replay of the President's announcement<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/">Click here&nbsp;</a>to read the White House fact sheet on the actions to prevent gun violence.“It is actually a public health crisis,” Biden said during remarks at the White House.Greeting the families of gun violence victims and activists, he assured them: “We’re absolutely determined to make change.”His Thursday announcement delivers on a pledge Biden made last month to take what he termed immediate “common-sense steps” to address gun violence, after a series of mass shootings drew renewed attention to the issue. His announcement came the same day as yet another shooting, this one in South Carolina, where five people were killed.But Thursday’s announcement underscores the limitations of Biden’s executive power to act on guns. They include moves to tighten regulations on homemade guns and provide more resources for gun-violence prevention, but fall far short of the sweeping gun-control agenda Biden laid out on the campaign trail.Indeed, the White House has repeatedly emphasized the need for legislative action to tackle the issue. But while the House passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-shootings-legislation-gun-politics-bills-fbb6872ac0575551e2fc190f3aefbd73">background-check bill</a>&nbsp;last month, gun control measures face slim prospects in an evenly divided Senate, where Republicans remain near-unified against most proposals.Biden is tightening regulations of buyers of “ghost guns” — homemade firearms that usually are assembled from parts and milled with a metal-cutting machine and often lack serial numbers used to trace them. It’s legal to build a gun in a home or a workshop and there is no federal requirement for a background check. The goal is to “help stop the proliferation of these firearms,” according to the White House.The Justice Department will issue a proposed rule aimed at reining in ghost guns within 30 days, though details of the rule weren’t immediately issued.A second proposed rule, expected within 60 days, will tighten regulations on pistol-stabilizing braces, like the one used by the Boulder, Colorado, shooter in a rampage last month that left 10 dead. The rule will designate pistols used with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles, which require a federal license to own and are subject to a more thorough application process and a $200 tax.The department also is publishing model legislation within 60 days that is intended to make it easier for states to adopt their own “red flag” laws. Such laws allow for individuals to petition a court to allow the police to confiscate weapons from a person deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.The department also will begin to provide more data on firearms trafficking, starting with a new comprehensive report on the issue. The administration says that hasn’t been done in more than two decades.Biden is also nominating David Chipman, a former federal agent and adviser at the gun control group Giffords, to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.The Biden administration will also make investments in community violence intervention programs, which are aimed at reducing gun violence in urban communities, across five federal agencies.Officials said the executive actions were “initial steps” completed during Garland’s first weeks on the job and more may be coming.The ATF is currently run by an acting director, Regina Lombardo. Gun-control advocates have emphasized the significance of this position in enforcing gun laws, and Chipman is certain to win praise from this group. During his time as a senior policy adviser with Giffords, he spent considerable effort pushing for greater regulation and enforcement on ghost guns, changes to the background check system and measures to reduce the trafficking of illegal firearms.Chipman spent 25 years as an agent at the ATF, where he worked on stopping a trafficking ring that sent illegal firearms from Virginia to New York, and served on the ATF’s SWAT team. Chipman is a gun owner.He is an explosives expert and was among the team involved in investigating the Oklahoma City bombing and the first World Trade Center bombing. He also was involved in investigating a series of church bombings in Alabama in the 1990s. He retired from the ATF in 2012.The White House fact sheet said Chipman has worked “to advance common-sense gun safety laws.”During his campaign, Biden promised to prioritize new gun control measures as president, including enacting universal background check legislation, banning online sales of firearms and the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-gun-bills-background-checks-631ad363c97e5ff483f631713f92b1b8">gun-control advocates have said</a>&nbsp;that while they were heartened by signs from the White House that they took the issue seriously, they’ve been disappointed by the lack of early action.With the announcement of the new measures, however, advocates lauded Biden’s first moves to combat gun violence.“Each of these executive actions will start to address the epidemic of gun violence that has raged throughout the pandemic, and begin to make good on President Biden’s promise to be the strongest gun safety president in history,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.Feinblatt in particular praised the move to regulate ghost guns, which he said “will undoubtedly save countless lives,” and lauded Chipman as an “invaluable point person” in the fight against illegal gun trafficking. He also said the group is looking forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration on further gun control measures, but it’s unclear what next moves the White House, or lawmakers on Capitol Hill, will be able to take.Biden himself expressed uncertainty late last month when asked if he had the political capital to pass new gun control proposals, telling reporters, “I haven’t done any counting yet.”For years, federal officials have been sounding the alarm about an increasing black market for homemade, military-style semi-automatic rifles and handguns. Ghost guns have increasingly turned up at crime scenes and in recent years have been turning up more and more when federal agents are purchasing guns in undercover operations from gang members and other criminals.It is hard to say how many are circulating on the streets, in part because in many cases police departments don’t even contact the federal government about the guns because they can’t be traced.Some states, like California, have enacted laws in recent years to require serial numbers be stamped on ghost guns.The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what is known as the lower receiver, a part typically made of metal or polymer. An unfinished receiver — sometimes referred to as an “80-percent receiver” — can be legally bought online with no serial numbers or other markings on it, no license required.A gunman who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0bdd2294957c49f1b730640758e41b54">killed his wife and four others</a>&nbsp;in Northern California in 2017 had been prohibited from owning firearms, but he built his own to skirt the court order before his rampage. And in 2019, a teenager&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f56aedfde481467283dedb18a1c401fa">used a homemade handgun</a>&nbsp;to fatally shoot two classmates and wound three others at a school in suburban Los Angeles.------WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden, in his first major&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/" target="_blank">gun control measures</a>&nbsp;since taking office, is announcing executive actions aimed at addressing what the White House calls a “gun violence public health epidemic.”<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KLLANPysHoc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Biden also is nominating&nbsp;<a href="https://giffords.org/people/david-chipman/" target="_blank">David Chipman</a>, a former federal agent and adviser at the gun control group Giffords, to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Biden has faced increasing pressure to act after a recent series of mass shootings, but the White House has repeatedly emphasized the need for legislative action. While the House passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-shootings-legislation-gun-politics-bills-fbb6872ac0575551e2fc190f3aefbd73">background-check bill</a>&nbsp;last month, gun control measures face slim prospects in an evenly divided Senate, where Republicans remain near-unified against most proposals.A White House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/07/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-initial-actions-to-address-the-gun-violence-public-health-epidemic/" target="_blank">fact sheet</a>&nbsp;said those shootings “underscored the relentlessness” of the epidemic.Biden is to be joined at the late morning Rose Garden event by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Most of the actions are coming from the Justice Department.Biden is tightening regulations of buyers of “ghost guns” — homemade firearms that usually are assembled from parts and milled with a metal-cutting machine and often lack serial numbers used to trace them. It’s legal to build a gun in a home or a workshop and there is no federal requirement for a background check. The goal is to “help stop the proliferation of these firearms,” according to the White House.The Justice Department will issue a proposed rule aimed at reining in ghost guns within 30 days, though details of the rule weren’t immediately issued.A second proposed rule, expected within 60 days, will tighten regulations on pistol-stabilizing braces, like the one used by the Boulder, Colorado, shooter in a rampage last month that left 10 dead. The rule will designate pistols used with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles, which require a federal license to own and are subject to a more thorough application process and a $200 tax.The department also is publishing model legislation within 60 days that is intended to make it easier for states to adopt their own “red flag” laws. Such laws allow for individuals to petition a court to allow the police to confiscate weapons from a person deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.The department also will begin to provide more data on firearms trafficking, starting with a new comprehensive report on the issue. The administration says that hasn’t been done in more than two decades.Biden also is making investments in community violence intervention programs, which are aimed at reducing gun violence in urban communities, across five federal agencies.Officials said the executive actions were “initial steps” completed during Garland’s first weeks on the job and more may be coming.The ATF is currently run by an acting director, Regina Lombardo. Gun-control advocates have emphasized the significance of this position in enforcing gun laws, and Chipman is certain to win praise from this group. During his time as a senior policy adviser with Giffords, he spent considerable effort pushing for greater regulation and enforcement on ghost guns, changes to the background check system and measures to reduce the trafficking of illegal firearms.Chipman spent 25 years as an agent at the ATF, where he worked on stopping a trafficking ring that sent illegal firearms from Virginia to New York, and served on the ATF’s SWAT team. Chipman is a gun owner.He is an explosives expert and was among the team involved in investigating the Oklahoma City bombing and the first World Trade Center bombing. He also was involved in investigating a series of church bombings in Alabama in the 1990s. He retired from the ATF in 2012.The White House fact sheet said Chipman has worked “to advance common-sense gun safety laws.”During his campaign, Biden promised to prioritize new gun control measures as president, including enacting universal background check legislation, banning online sales of firearms and the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-gun-bills-background-checks-631ad363c97e5ff483f631713f92b1b8">gun-control advocates have said</a>&nbsp;that while they were heartened by signs from the White House that they took the issue seriously, they’ve been disappointed by the lack of early action.With the announcement of the new measures, however, advocates lauded Biden’s first moves to combat gun violence.“Each of these executive actions will start to address the epidemic of gun violence that has raged throughout the pandemic, and begin to make good on President Biden’s promise to be the strongest gun safety president in history,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.Feinblatt in particular praised the move to regulate ghost guns, which he said “will undoubtedly save countless lives,” and lauded Chipman as an “invaluable point person” in the fight against illegal gun trafficking. He also said the group is looking forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration on further gun control measures, but it’s unclear what next moves the White House, or lawmakers on Capitol Hill, will be able to take.Biden himself expressed uncertainty late last month when asked if he had the political capital to pass new gun control proposals, telling reporters, “I haven’t done any counting yet.”For years, federal officials have been sounding the alarm about an increasing black market for homemade, military-style semi-automatic rifles and handguns. Ghost guns have increasingly turned up at crime scenes and in recent years have been turning up more and more when federal agents are purchasing guns in undercover operations from gang members and other criminals.It is hard to say how many are circulating on the streets, in part because in many cases police departments don’t even contact the federal government about the guns because they can’t be traced.Some states, like California, have enacted laws in recent years to require serial numbers be stamped on ghost guns.The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what is known as the lower receiver, a part typically made of metal or polymer. An unfinished receiver — sometimes referred to as an “80-percent receiver” — can be legally bought online with no serial numbers or other markings on it, no license required.A gunman who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0bdd2294957c49f1b730640758e41b54">killed his wife and four others</a>&nbsp;in Northern California in 2017 had been prohibited from owning firearms, but he built his own to skirt the court order before his rampage. And in 2019, a teenager&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f56aedfde481467283dedb18a1c401fa">used a homemade handgun</a>&nbsp;to fatally shoot two classmates and wound three others at a school in suburban Los Angeles.

🎥  President Biden announces executive actions on gun violence

By BRENT MARTIN <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post</a>

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Restaurants and bars devastated by restrictions imposed during
the coronavirus pandemic will soon receive help from the federal government.

Eating and drinking establishments can apply for grants under
the new $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief and economic stimulus plan pushed by
President Joe Biden and approved by Congress.

Regional Director Rebecca Lobina with the Northwest Missouri
State University Small Business Development Center says the numbers presented to
the center by bars closed when governments worried they would spread COVID-19
are astonishing.

“Some of the percentages were, like, 4,000%,” Lobina says
during an appearance on the KFEQ Hotline. “Not 400; 4,000% on the decrease from
one year to the next. So, it was like a phenomenal amount of funding that they
lost.”

The federal program is not available yet, but Lobina suggests
restaurant and bar owners begin preparation now. Owners will need a Dun and
Bradstreet number and a SAM number from the Small Business Administration. The
grants will be based on gross receipts, comparing 2019 business to business in
2020.

Lobina says the federal grants could help many survive. Still,
Lobina says eating and drinking establishments learned a lot through the
pandemic, such as the importance of communication with customers, such as
informing customers of their hours or simple things such as how to order and
pick up curbside.

“They started learning, if they didn’t already know, they
learned quickly that you have to communicate that or your customers get
frustrated and leave.”

Lobina says the toll on some business owners has been devastating.

“People are crying on the phone,” Lobina recalls about owners
calling the Small Business Development Center. “People sound desperate, because
they are. Because things didn’t bounce back as quickly as people hoped that
they would, even when they were back open. It’s hard. It’s been really hard for
people and it continues to be hard for some.”

By BRENT MARTIN <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post</a>ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Restaurants and bars devastated by restrictions imposed during
the coronavirus pandemic will soon receive help from the federal government.Eating and drinking establishments can apply for grants under
the new $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief and economic stimulus plan pushed by
President Joe Biden and approved by Congress.Regional Director Rebecca Lobina with the Northwest Missouri
State University Small Business Development Center says the numbers presented to
the center by bars closed when governments worried they would spread COVID-19
are astonishing.“Some of the percentages were, like, 4,000%,” Lobina says
during an appearance on the KFEQ Hotline. “Not 400; 4,000% on the decrease from
one year to the next. So, it was like a phenomenal amount of funding that they
lost.”The federal program is not available yet, but Lobina suggests
restaurant and bar owners begin preparation now. Owners will need a Dun and
Bradstreet number and a SAM number from the Small Business Administration. The
grants will be based on gross receipts, comparing 2019 business to business in
2020.Lobina says the federal grants could help many survive. Still,
Lobina says eating and drinking establishments learned a lot through the
pandemic, such as the importance of communication with customers, such as
informing customers of their hours or simple things such as how to order and
pick up curbside.“They started learning, if they didn’t already know, they
learned quickly that you have to communicate that or your customers get
frustrated and leave.”Lobina says the toll on some business owners has been devastating.“People are crying on the phone,” Lobina recalls about owners
calling the Small Business Development Center. “People sound desperate, because
they are. Because things didn’t bounce back as quickly as people hoped that
they would, even when they were back open. It’s hard. It’s been really hard for
people and it continues to be hard for some.”

Restaurants, bars get federal relief in $1.9T coronavirus package

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A union complaint about whether an Oklahoma meatpacking plant is doing enough to protect workers from the coronavirus could test the industry’s response to the pandemic because Seaboard Foods says it is following recommendations from the government and trade groups. 

The complaint offers regulators in the Biden administration an opportunity to say whether they believe the meatpacking industry is doing enough to protect workers because Seaboard officials said they have taken a number of steps similar to what other companies have done such as installing plastic barriers between work stations and checking employee temperatures at the door.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591216124433.jpeg" alt=" A Walnut Valley Packing employee begins the process of turning a cow into a steak. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> A Walnut Valley Packing employee begins the process of turning a cow into a steak. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A union complaint about whether an Oklahoma meatpacking plant is doing enough to protect workers from the coronavirus could test the industry’s response to the pandemic because Seaboard Foods says it is following recommendations from the government and trade groups. The complaint offers regulators in the Biden administration an opportunity to say whether they believe the meatpacking industry is doing enough to protect workers because Seaboard officials said they have taken a number of steps similar to what other companies have done such as installing plastic barriers between work stations and checking employee temperatures at the door.

Complaint may spur review of meat industry's virus response

WASHINGTON — A variant of the coronavirus first identified in Britain is now the most common strain circulating in the United States.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, says the strain, formally known as B.1.1.7, is “now the most common lineage circulating in United States.”

The strain has been shown to be more transmissible and infectious among younger Americans, which Walensky says contributed to rising case counts in recent weeks.

Walensky says new outbreaks have been tied to youth sports and day care centers. She particularly encouraged states with rising caseloads to curtail or suspend youth sport activities to slow the spread of the virus.

The U.S. leads the world with 30.8 million confirmed cases and more than 556,000 confirmed deaths.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613699035300.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky " />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — A variant of the coronavirus first identified in Britain is now the most common strain circulating in the United States.The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, says the strain, formally known as B.1.1.7, is “now the most common lineage circulating in United States.”The strain has been shown to be more transmissible and infectious among younger Americans, which Walensky says contributed to rising case counts in recent weeks.Walensky says new outbreaks have been tied to youth sports and day care centers. She particularly encouraged states with rising caseloads to curtail or suspend youth sport activities to slow the spread of the virus.The U.S. leads the world with 30.8 million confirmed cases and more than 556,000 confirmed deaths.___

UK virus variant now most common strain in United States

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A jury has convicted a Kansas City man of first-degree murder for killing his neighbor in 2017, one day before what would have been her 25th birthday.

A Jackson County jury found Cedric Russell, 28, guilty of killing 24-year-old Ashley Geddes, whose body was found in her Kansas City apartment by her mother. Russell also was found guilty of tampering with evidence and tampering with a motor vehicle.

Police&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/367949e48f1046c2995660c7f33ecac6">have said</a>&nbsp;Russell told investigators that Geddes stopped breathing as he choked her during sex, and police investigated her killing as a sexual assault and homicide. Police said Russell took Geddes’ car, phone and jewelry, and that the missing jewelry was pawned shortly after her death.

Russell is scheduled to be sentenced June 3.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617826820434.png" alt="Russell photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Russell photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A jury has convicted a Kansas City man of first-degree murder for killing his neighbor in 2017, one day before what would have been her 25th birthday.A Jackson County jury found Cedric Russell, 28, guilty of killing 24-year-old Ashley Geddes, whose body was found in her Kansas City apartment by her mother. Russell also was found guilty of tampering with evidence and tampering with a motor vehicle.Police&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/367949e48f1046c2995660c7f33ecac6">have said</a>&nbsp;Russell told investigators that Geddes stopped breathing as he choked her during sex, and police investigated her killing as a sexual assault and homicide. Police said Russell took Geddes’ car, phone and jewelry, and that the missing jewelry was pawned shortly after her death.Russell is scheduled to be sentenced June 3.

Jury: Kansas City man guilty in violent death of his neighbor

Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Raul Valdez Rivas, 43, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for attempted enticement of a minor. The Honorable Brian C. Buescher sentenced Valdez Rivas to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Valdez Rivas will be required to serve 5 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and is subject to deportation.

In April 2020, Valdez Rivas contacted the phone number listed in an online prostitution advertisement. Valdez Rivas communicated via text message and phone calls with a sheriff’s deputy posing as a fifteen-year-old boy. Valdez Rivas offered to pay the boy to engage in sexual acts with him and arranged a meeting. When Valdez Rivas arrived at the designated location, he was arrested.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/" target="_blank">www.projectsafechildhood.gov</a>.

This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and&nbsp;the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574122756866.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release US Attorney's Office-OmahaActing United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Raul Valdez Rivas, 43, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for attempted enticement of a minor. The Honorable Brian C. Buescher sentenced Valdez Rivas to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Valdez Rivas will be required to serve 5 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and is subject to deportation.In April 2020, Valdez Rivas contacted the phone number listed in an online prostitution advertisement. Valdez Rivas communicated via text message and phone calls with a sheriff’s deputy posing as a fifteen-year-old boy. Valdez Rivas offered to pay the boy to engage in sexual acts with him and arranged a meeting. When Valdez Rivas arrived at the designated location, he was arrested.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/" target="_blank">www.projectsafechildhood.gov</a>.This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and&nbsp;the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

Omaha man sentenced for attempted enticement of a minor

ATLANTA, GA.-Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band announced their first-ever livestream performance event from the renowned Southern Ground Studio in Nashville, TN on Saturday, May 8, 2021 at 9 PM Eastern / 8 PM Central, in partnership with Sessions Live. 

The virtual event will feature live performances from the full band, as they revisit some of their greatest hits from the past two decades. The band will also share some exciting news with fans who tune in. The livestream available exclusively through Sessions Live, will be followed up by a VIP encore set, featuring storytelling from the band and a fun-filled, fan-sourced Q&amp;A. The livestream will take place from Southern Ground Studio, owned by Zac Brown and the birthplaces of Kris Kristofferson's first three albums, Neil Young's Prairie Wind album, and many more from the legendary artists spanning across multiple genres. 

“I’m so excited to invite our fans to our special livestream performance,” said Zac Brown. “It’s been a long time since we took the stage, and we think it’s about time we bring family and friends together from our very own Southern Ground Studio in Nashville for the first time ever. After the live performance, stick around for our special encore event, where we’ll be answering fan-submitted questions. We can’t wait for you to join us!”

“It's an honor to welcome the three-time Grammy winner and multi-platinum artist Zac Brown Band to perform this special livestream on Sessions. This will be one of those moments in music history as this legendary band lights up living rooms all over the world with their incredible live sound,” says Tim Westergren, Co-Founder of Sessions. “Zac joins a growing list of superstar artists using Sessions to connect directly with fans and grow their audiences in over 185 countries simultaneously with the power of interactive livestreaming.”

General Admission tickets priced at $19.99 are on sale now. VIP ticket packages are also available, which include a one-on-one virtual hang with Zac Brown, a DemerBox with Zac’s laser engraved signature, and an Uncaged Vinyl signed by Zac himself. During the show, the band will be giving away some ultra-rare, exclusive signed items as a thank-you to select fans who attend. Audience members will also be able to make donations to support the non-profit Camp Southern Ground, the world-class facility founded by Zac, dedicated to serving youth and veterans. During summer months, Camp Southern Ground is an inclusive, residential camp serving kids, and for the remainder of the year, Camp Southern Ground’s two veteran programs, Warrior Week and Warrior PATHH, help veterans find community, direction, purpose and healing during—and even long after—their transition back to civilian life. 

To purchase your tickets today, please visit: <a href="https://sessionslive.com/ZacBrownBand">sessionslive.com/ZacBrownBand</a>.

Zac Brown Band is a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning, Southern rock group led by front man, Zac Brown. Throughout their career spanning more than a decade, Zac Brown Band has had six consecutive albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and five consecutive albums debut at #1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart. To date, the group has won three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist in 2010, sold more than 30 million singles, 9 million albums, amassed over 9.3 billion catalog streams to date, achieved 15 #1 radio singles and are the second act to top both the Country and Active Rock formats. 

Zac Brown Band has headlined 7 North American Tours and currently holds the record for most consecutive sold-out shows at the iconic Fenway Park. Since their debut, Zac Brown Band has developed a reputation with critics and fans alike as one of the most dynamic live performers, marked by strong musicianship that defies genre boundaries.

Sessions is co-founded by digital music pioneer and former Pandora founder Tim Westergren and fellow entrepreneur and long time developer of virtual games Gordon Su. Sessions is the only live streaming solution providing all of the necessary components for musicians to succeed: audience development, fan engagement, and state of the art monetization drawn from the most advanced techniques of virtual gaming. Sessions is creating a space to bring artists and fans together for intimate live experiences 24/7. From pop and hip-hop to country and classical, there’s an artist for every music fan in Sessions. Since the start of 2021, Sessions has expanded the platform’s focus from just musical performances to staging various cultural events including “Alaska's Drag Queen of the Year 2021 Pageant,” Joy Ruckus Club 3, featuring over 180 Asian American artists from around the world making it the largest ever Asian American virtual music festival in the world, plus Valentine’s Eve with Grammy Winner CeeLo Green. Available online and one mobile devices worldwide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617828947303.png" alt="Photo:&nbsp;Diego Pernía" />
 <figcaption>Photo:&nbsp;Diego Pernía</figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Magnum PRATLANTA, GA.-Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band announced their first-ever livestream performance event from the renowned Southern Ground Studio in Nashville, TN on Saturday, May 8, 2021 at 9 PM Eastern / 8 PM Central, in partnership with Sessions Live. The virtual event will feature live performances from the full band, as they revisit some of their greatest hits from the past two decades. The band will also share some exciting news with fans who tune in. The livestream available exclusively through Sessions Live, will be followed up by a VIP encore set, featuring storytelling from the band and a fun-filled, fan-sourced Q&amp;A. The livestream will take place from Southern Ground Studio, owned by Zac Brown and the birthplaces of Kris Kristofferson's first three albums, Neil Young's Prairie Wind album, and many more from the legendary artists spanning across multiple genres. “I’m so excited to invite our fans to our special livestream performance,” said Zac Brown. “It’s been a long time since we took the stage, and we think it’s about time we bring family and friends together from our very own Southern Ground Studio in Nashville for the first time ever. After the live performance, stick around for our special encore event, where we’ll be answering fan-submitted questions. We can’t wait for you to join us!”“It's an honor to welcome the three-time Grammy winner and multi-platinum artist Zac Brown Band to perform this special livestream on Sessions. This will be one of those moments in music history as this legendary band lights up living rooms all over the world with their incredible live sound,” says Tim Westergren, Co-Founder of Sessions. “Zac joins a growing list of superstar artists using Sessions to connect directly with fans and grow their audiences in over 185 countries simultaneously with the power of interactive livestreaming.”General Admission tickets priced at $19.99 are on sale now. VIP ticket packages are also available, which include a one-on-one virtual hang with Zac Brown, a DemerBox with Zac’s laser engraved signature, and an Uncaged Vinyl signed by Zac himself. During the show, the band will be giving away some ultra-rare, exclusive signed items as a thank-you to select fans who attend. Audience members will also be able to make donations to support the non-profit Camp Southern Ground, the world-class facility founded by Zac, dedicated to serving youth and veterans. During summer months, Camp Southern Ground is an inclusive, residential camp serving kids, and for the remainder of the year, Camp Southern Ground’s two veteran programs, Warrior Week and Warrior PATHH, help veterans find community, direction, purpose and healing during—and even long after—their transition back to civilian life. To purchase your tickets today, please visit: <a href="https://sessionslive.com/ZacBrownBand">sessionslive.com/ZacBrownBand</a>.###About Zac Brown Band:Zac Brown Band is a multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning, Southern rock group led by front man, Zac Brown. Throughout their career spanning more than a decade, Zac Brown Band has had six consecutive albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and five consecutive albums debut at #1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart. To date, the group has won three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist in 2010, sold more than 30 million singles, 9 million albums, amassed over 9.3 billion catalog streams to date, achieved 15 #1 radio singles and are the second act to top both the Country and Active Rock formats. Zac Brown Band has headlined 7 North American Tours and currently holds the record for most consecutive sold-out shows at the iconic Fenway Park. Since their debut, Zac Brown Band has developed a reputation with critics and fans alike as one of the most dynamic live performers, marked by strong musicianship that defies genre boundaries.About Sessions Live:Sessions is co-founded by digital music pioneer and former Pandora founder Tim Westergren and fellow entrepreneur and long time developer of virtual games Gordon Su. Sessions is the only live streaming solution providing all of the necessary components for musicians to succeed: audience development, fan engagement, and state of the art monetization drawn from the most advanced techniques of virtual gaming. Sessions is creating a space to bring artists and fans together for intimate live experiences 24/7. From pop and hip-hop to country and classical, there’s an artist for every music fan in Sessions. Since the start of 2021, Sessions has expanded the platform’s focus from just musical performances to staging various cultural events including “Alaska's Drag Queen of the Year 2021 Pageant,” Joy Ruckus Club 3, featuring over 180 Asian American artists from around the world making it the largest ever Asian American virtual music festival in the world, plus Valentine’s Eve with Grammy Winner CeeLo Green. Available online and one mobile devices worldwide.

Zac Brown Band to host first-ever livestream event

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say Tiger Woods was speeding when he crashed an SUV in Southern California less than two months ago, leaving him seriously injured.

(Click below to watch the LA County Sheriff's press conference)&nbsp;

The golf superstar was driving 84 to 87 mph on a downhill stretch of road outside Los Angeles that had a speed limit of 45 mph, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday.

The stretch of road is known for wrecks and drivers hitting speeds so high that there is an emergency exit for runaway vehicles just beyond where Woods crashed.

Villanueva blamed the Feb. 23 crash solely on excessive speed and Woods’ loss of control behind the wheel.

Detectives did not seek search warrants for the athlete’s blood samples, which could have been screened for drugs or alcohol. Investigators, however, did search the SUV’s data recorder, known as a black box, in the days after the crash.

Woods is in Florida recovering from multiple surgeries.

Originally from the Los Angeles area, Woods had been back home in February to host his PGA tournament, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.

He was driving an SUV loaned to him by the tournament when he struck a raised median. The SUV crossed through two oncoming lanes and uprooted a tree.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614166677367.png" alt="The vehicle following the February 2021 rollover accident involving Tiger Woods in a suburb of Los Angeles. photos courtesy KTLA" />
 <figcaption>The vehicle following the February 2021 rollover accident involving Tiger Woods in a suburb of Los Angeles. photos courtesy KTLA</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say Tiger Woods was speeding when he crashed an SUV in Southern California less than two months ago, leaving him seriously injured.(Click below to watch the LA County Sheriff's press conference)&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLosAngelesCountySheriffsDepartment%2Fvideos%2F900067394110637%2F&show_text=false&width=560" 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>The golf superstar was driving 84 to 87 mph on a downhill stretch of road outside Los Angeles that had a speed limit of 45 mph, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday.The stretch of road is known for wrecks and drivers hitting speeds so high that there is an emergency exit for runaway vehicles just beyond where Woods crashed.Villanueva blamed the Feb. 23 crash solely on excessive speed and Woods’ loss of control behind the wheel.Detectives did not seek search warrants for the athlete’s blood samples, which could have been screened for drugs or alcohol. Investigators, however, did search the SUV’s data recorder, known as a black box, in the days after the crash.Woods is in Florida recovering from multiple surgeries.Originally from the Los Angeles area, Woods had been back home in February to host his PGA tournament, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614112921996.png" alt="The sheriff blamed the Feb. 23 crash solely on excessive speed and Woods’ loss of control behind the wheel -photo courtesy KTLA" />
 <figcaption>The sheriff blamed the Feb. 23 crash solely on excessive speed and Woods’ loss of control behind the wheel -photo courtesy KTLA</figcaption>
 </figure>He was driving an SUV loaned to him by the tournament when he struck a raised median. The SUV crossed through two oncoming lanes and uprooted a tree.

🎥 Tiger Woods was going 83 in 45mph zone before crash

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Omaha's current mayor, Republican Jean Stothert, appears likely to face Democratic challenger and commercial real estate broker RJ Neary in the May 11 general election for Omaha mayor.

Stothert held a commanding lead in the five-person primary election held Tuesday, with about 60% of the vote compared to Neary's distant second-place count of 15% by late Tuesday night, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/stothert-and-neary-appear-set-to-face-off-in-omaha-mayoral-race/article_8bb790aa-916c-11eb-841b-93a9d161c63b.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">reported</a>. The top two vote getters in Omaha's city primary elections move on the general election.

At least 12,000 absentee votes remained to be counted early Wednesday morning, and election officials have said they won't release those results until Friday.

Stothert, 67, is seeking her third term as Omaha's mayor, saying she has helped make the city safer and managed the city's budget. The 68-year-old Neary, who is chairman of the commercial property firm Investors Realty, has campaigned on improving public infrastructure, spurring more affordable housing and improving equitable distribution of city services.

Others who ran in the primary included include Jasmine Harris, who commands a background in public health, criminal justice reform and policy advocacy; Kimara Snipes, president of the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance and an Omaha Public Schools Board member; and Mark Gudgel, an English teacher at North High School in Omaha.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617809865428.png" alt="Stothert" />
 <figcaption>Stothert</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Omaha's current mayor, Republican Jean Stothert, appears likely to face Democratic challenger and commercial real estate broker RJ Neary in the May 11 general election for Omaha mayor.Stothert held a commanding lead in the five-person primary election held Tuesday, with about 60% of the vote compared to Neary's distant second-place count of 15% by late Tuesday night, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/stothert-and-neary-appear-set-to-face-off-in-omaha-mayoral-race/article_8bb790aa-916c-11eb-841b-93a9d161c63b.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">reported</a>. The top two vote getters in Omaha's city primary elections move on the general election.At least 12,000 absentee votes remained to be counted early Wednesday morning, and election officials have said they won't release those results until Friday.Stothert, 67, is seeking her third term as Omaha's mayor, saying she has helped make the city safer and managed the city's budget. The 68-year-old Neary, who is chairman of the commercial property firm Investors Realty, has campaigned on improving public infrastructure, spurring more affordable housing and improving equitable distribution of city services.Others who ran in the primary included include Jasmine Harris, who commands a background in public health, criminal justice reform and policy advocacy; Kimara Snipes, president of the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance and an Omaha Public Schools Board member; and Mark Gudgel, an English teacher at North High School in Omaha.

Incumbent Stothert likely to face Neary for Omaha mayor

By SARAH JANE TRIBBLE <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2021-04-01/it-didnt-really-stick-with-me-understanding-the-rural-shrug-over-covid-and-vaccines">Kaiser Health News</a>

FORT SCOTT — At 70, Linda Findley has long been active in her small town of Fort 
Scott, Kansas, which sits more than an hour away from any major city.

Findley, whose husband <a href="https://khn.org/news/podcast-where-it-hurts-no-mercy-fort-scott-kansas-air-ambulances-emergency-care-rural-hospital-closes/" target="_blank">died in an accident</a>
 just after the local hospital closed, helps with the Elks and 
fundraising, and — like many people in this part of the country — 
doesn’t think COVID-19 is that dangerous.

“I don’t even know what I
 think about it,” Findley said recently. “I don’t know if I trust the 
testing because it’s so messed up or … I’ve had nieces and nephews, 
that’ve had it. I’ve lost good friends to it, or supposedly it’s to 
that.”

Findley said she just isn’t sure that every case reported 
as the coronavirus really is the virus: “Everything seems to be 
coronavirus. I mean, it’s just … no matter what somebody has, it’s 
coronavirus. I don’t know whether it is or isn’t.”

Fort Scott is one of <a href="https://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/programs-projects/rural-health/rural-hospital-closures/" target="_blank">nearly 140 rural communities</a> that have lost a hospital in the past decade. Mercy Hospital Fort Scott closed in December 2018.

Even
 though critically ill patients now must travel to hospitals farther 
away, Fort Scott residents haven’t seen that as a pandemic-related 
problem. Rather, not having a hospital doesn’t really come up when 
people here talk about COVID.

Dave Martin, the former city manager, is pretty sure he caught COVID at work last August.

“You
 know, when I got it, I was in good health and it did take me a while to
 recover,” Martin said. “I do remember waking up one of my bad nights 
and thinking, when I was running a temperature and not feeling very 
well. And I’m thinking, ‘Oh, wow, this could kill me.’”

But Martin
 also thought that any number of unpredictable events could end a 
person’s life. “So it didn’t really stick with me,” he said.

After
 recovering, the 62-year-old Martin went ahead with his retirement. He 
took his wife to Disney World and then they hiked Yellowstone National 
Park.

That casual attitude toward the dangers of COVID worries 
health care leaders in Fort Scott. Jason Wesco helps lead the regional 
health center that took over primary care services when the hospital 
closed. One clinic occupies part of the same building that used to be 
Mercy Hospital.

Wesco said his family is careful about wearing 
masks and not gathering in groups, and he believes they are in the 
minority in the area.

“I think most people just keep going. They 
have maybe modified a little bit. Maybe they put on a mask in public,” 
Wesco said. “I think life here has changed a lot less than it’s changed 
in D.C. And I think we’re seeing the impact of that, right?”

The pandemic hit the area hard in the fall, peaking in late December.

One in 11 people in Bourbon County, where Fort Scott is the largest community, has been infected by COVID, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/bourbon-kansas-covid-cases.html?action=click&amp;module=covid_tracking&amp;pgtype=Interactive&amp;region=TableRowLink" target="_blank">national analysis</a>.

Two
 dozen of the county’s 14,000 residents have died of COVID. And most 
people know someone who had the virus and survived — but residents just 
seem tired of talking about it.

Community volunteer Findley said she won’t get a vaccine.

“How did they come up with a vaccine that quickly? And how do they even know for sure it’s even working?” Findley wondered.

The
 three vaccines approved by federal regulators in the U.S. are being 
given out to millions, and their efficacy has been shown through massive
 clinical trials in the U.S. and globally.

But Findley’s 
skepticism is fairly common in southeastern Kansas and across rural 
America. Nationwide, a smaller share of rural residents say they will 
definitely get a COVID shot compared with their more urban counterparts.
 More than a third, 35%, of those who live outside big-city borders said
 they would probably not or definitely not get vaccinated, compared with
 about a quarter of suburban and urban residents, according to <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/vaccine-hesitancy-in-rural-america/" target="_blank">a poll</a> by KFF. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll found that <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/03/12/976172586/little-difference-in-vaccine-hesitancy-among-white-and-black-americans-poll-find" target="_blank">47% of Trump supporters</a> said they would not get a vaccine; <a href="https://apps.npr.org/elections20-interactive/#/states/KS/P" target="_blank">75% of Bourbon County residents</a> voted for Trump in 2020.

Factors
 such as age and occupation also play a role in attitudes toward the 
vaccines. And — as Findley and others in Fort Scott noted — rural 
Americans are more likely to think of getting a vaccine as a personal 
choice and believe the seriousness of COVID is exaggerated in the news.

Findley
 said she believes that there is a very bad virus, but also that the 
media have brainwashed people. The news has “everybody running scared,” 
she said. “I don’t know why they want to do that, but that’s what I feel
 like.”

About 50% of rural residents say the seriousness of the 
coronavirus is generally exaggerated in the news, according to the KFF 
poll. And 62% see getting the vaccine as a personal choice — rather than
 a necessary social obligation.

Wesco, executive vice president of
 the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, said he has hope more 
area residents will begin to see the vaccines as necessary.

“There’s hesitancy,” Wesco said, adding that he believes hesitancy is declining as vaccines become more abundant.

When
 residents are directly provided the opportunity to get a vaccine, they 
consider it more seriously, he said. And the more people they know who 
have gotten a vaccine, the more likely they will be to get a shot.

The
 Community Health Center, like other health centers nationwide, is 
receiving direct federal shipments of vaccines. Currently, the clinic 
has a waitlist and is giving out as many doses as it can get its hands 
on.

Sarah Jane Tribble is reporter and host of “<a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/915395193/where-it-hurts#:~:text=Where%20It%20Hurts%20Place%2Dbased,Louis%20Public%20Radio." target="_blank">Where It Hurts</a>,”
 a narrative podcast created by Kaiser Health News and St. Louis Public 
Radio about the people of Fort Scott and how their health care 
transformed after the hospital closed. “Where It Hurts” is available 
wherever you get your podcasts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617718187564.png" alt="Linda Findley' stands in her husband Robert Findley's auto body shop in Ft. Scott, KS. Robert Findley fell on the ice during a winter storm and delayed care because of the distance to a hospital led to Robert's death. Christopher Smith/For Kaiser Health News" />
 <figcaption>Linda Findley' stands in her husband Robert Findley's auto body shop in Ft. Scott, KS. Robert Findley fell on the ice during a winter storm and delayed care because of the distance to a hospital led to Robert's death. Christopher Smith/For Kaiser Health News</figcaption>
 </figure>By SARAH JANE TRIBBLE <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2021-04-01/it-didnt-really-stick-with-me-understanding-the-rural-shrug-over-covid-and-vaccines">Kaiser Health News</a>FORT SCOTT — At 70, Linda Findley has long been active in her small town of Fort 
Scott, Kansas, which sits more than an hour away from any major city.Findley, whose husband <a href="https://khn.org/news/podcast-where-it-hurts-no-mercy-fort-scott-kansas-air-ambulances-emergency-care-rural-hospital-closes/" target="_blank">died in an accident</a>
 just after the local hospital closed, helps with the Elks and 
fundraising, and — like many people in this part of the country — 
doesn’t think COVID-19 is that dangerous.“I don’t even know what I
 think about it,” Findley said recently. “I don’t know if I trust the 
testing because it’s so messed up or … I’ve had nieces and nephews, 
that’ve had it. I’ve lost good friends to it, or supposedly it’s to 
that.”Findley said she just isn’t sure that every case reported 
as the coronavirus really is the virus: “Everything seems to be 
coronavirus. I mean, it’s just … no matter what somebody has, it’s 
coronavirus. I don’t know whether it is or isn’t.”Fort Scott is one of <a href="https://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/programs-projects/rural-health/rural-hospital-closures/" target="_blank">nearly 140 rural communities</a> that have lost a hospital in the past decade. Mercy Hospital Fort Scott closed in December 2018.Even
 though critically ill patients now must travel to hospitals farther 
away, Fort Scott residents haven’t seen that as a pandemic-related 
problem. Rather, not having a hospital doesn’t really come up when 
people here talk about COVID.Dave Martin, the former city manager, is pretty sure he caught COVID at work last August.“You
 know, when I got it, I was in good health and it did take me a while to
 recover,” Martin said. “I do remember waking up one of my bad nights 
and thinking, when I was running a temperature and not feeling very 
well. And I’m thinking, ‘Oh, wow, this could kill me.’”But Martin
 also thought that any number of unpredictable events could end a 
person’s life. “So it didn’t really stick with me,” he said.After
 recovering, the 62-year-old Martin went ahead with his retirement. He 
took his wife to Disney World and then they hiked Yellowstone National 
Park.That casual attitude toward the dangers of COVID worries 
health care leaders in Fort Scott. Jason Wesco helps lead the regional 
health center that took over primary care services when the hospital 
closed. One clinic occupies part of the same building that used to be 
Mercy Hospital.Wesco said his family is careful about wearing 
masks and not gathering in groups, and he believes they are in the 
minority in the area.“I think most people just keep going. They 
have maybe modified a little bit. Maybe they put on a mask in public,” 
Wesco said. “I think life here has changed a lot less than it’s changed 
in D.C. And I think we’re seeing the impact of that, right?”The pandemic hit the area hard in the fall, peaking in late December.One in 11 people in Bourbon County, where Fort Scott is the largest community, has been infected by COVID, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/bourbon-kansas-covid-cases.html?action=click&amp;module=covid_tracking&amp;pgtype=Interactive&amp;region=TableRowLink" target="_blank">national analysis</a>.Two
 dozen of the county’s 14,000 residents have died of COVID. And most 
people know someone who had the virus and survived — but residents just 
seem tired of talking about it.Community volunteer Findley said she won’t get a vaccine.“How did they come up with a vaccine that quickly? And how do they even know for sure it’s even working?” Findley wondered.The
 three vaccines approved by federal regulators in the U.S. are being 
given out to millions, and their efficacy has been shown through massive
 clinical trials in the U.S. and globally.But Findley’s 
skepticism is fairly common in southeastern Kansas and across rural 
America. Nationwide, a smaller share of rural residents say they will 
definitely get a COVID shot compared with their more urban counterparts.
 More than a third, 35%, of those who live outside big-city borders said
 they would probably not or definitely not get vaccinated, compared with
 about a quarter of suburban and urban residents, according to <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/vaccine-hesitancy-in-rural-america/" target="_blank">a poll</a> by KFF. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll found that <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/03/12/976172586/little-difference-in-vaccine-hesitancy-among-white-and-black-americans-poll-find" target="_blank">47% of Trump supporters</a> said they would not get a vaccine; <a href="https://apps.npr.org/elections20-interactive/#/states/KS/P" target="_blank">75% of Bourbon County residents</a> voted for Trump in 2020.Factors
 such as age and occupation also play a role in attitudes toward the 
vaccines. And — as Findley and others in Fort Scott noted — rural 
Americans are more likely to think of getting a vaccine as a personal 
choice and believe the seriousness of COVID is exaggerated in the news.Findley
 said she believes that there is a very bad virus, but also that the 
media have brainwashed people. The news has “everybody running scared,” 
she said. “I don’t know why they want to do that, but that’s what I feel
 like.”About 50% of rural residents say the seriousness of the 
coronavirus is generally exaggerated in the news, according to the KFF 
poll. And 62% see getting the vaccine as a personal choice — rather than
 a necessary social obligation.Wesco, executive vice president of
 the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, said he has hope more 
area residents will begin to see the vaccines as necessary.“There’s hesitancy,” Wesco said, adding that he believes hesitancy is declining as vaccines become more abundant.When
 residents are directly provided the opportunity to get a vaccine, they 
consider it more seriously, he said. And the more people they know who 
have gotten a vaccine, the more likely they will be to get a shot.The
 Community Health Center, like other health centers nationwide, is 
receiving direct federal shipments of vaccines. Currently, the clinic 
has a waitlist and is giving out as many doses as it can get its hands 
on.Sarah Jane Tribble is reporter and host of “<a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/915395193/where-it-hurts#:~:text=Where%20It%20Hurts%20Place%2Dbased,Louis%20Public%20Radio." target="_blank">Where It Hurts</a>,”
 a narrative podcast created by Kaiser Health News and St. Louis Public 
Radio about the people of Fort Scott and how their health care 
transformed after the hospital closed. “Where It Hurts” is available 
wherever you get your podcasts.

Understanding the rural shrug over COVID and vaccines

MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say a sheriff's deputy has been stabbed to death with his own knife by an inmate at a Georgia jail. 

Another law officer was injured but later released from a hospital. 

Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones says Deputy Christopher Knight was stabbed in the neck and died shortly before dawn Tuesday. 

Authorities say the stabbing happened at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center early Tuesday morning. 

Authorities say inmate Albert Booze grabbed the knife as he was being placed on a suicide watch after saying he wanted to harm himself. 

Knight had just turned 30 and leaves behind a 2-year-old child.

Bibb County Sheriff’s Deputy Fatally Wounded at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center

A Bibb County Sheriff’s Deputy, working in the corrections division was fatally wounded and a second deputy was injured, while moving an inmate inside of the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center.

It was reported that inmate Albert Dewitt Booze, age 22, was moved from one cellblock, to another, for causing disciplinary issues.

At around 2:26a.m., inmate Booze was moved to suicide watch, after making comments that he wished to harm himself. Several deputies escorted Booze to an observation cell. During this time, a fight between Booze and deputies took place. Booze was able to obtain a knife from one of the deputies and used the knife to kill the deputy.

Deputy Christopher Wilson Knight, age 30, and Deputy Jerome Michael Williams, age 32, were injured during this incident. Both deputies were transported to the Atrium Health Navicent by ambulance. Deputy Knight was pronounced deceased at around 3:46a.m., Deputy Jerome Williams received medical treatment for his injuries and was later released. Deputy Knight’s next of kin has been notified.

Deputy Knight has been employed with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office since 2018. Deputy Williams has been employed with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office since November of 2020. 

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was requested by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office to conduct the Criminal Investigation into the death of Deputy Christopher Knight.

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office of Professional Standards will conduct an internal investigation to determine if the actions taken in this incident were in accordance with sheriff’s office policy. 

Once the Criminal Investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to District Attorney Anita Howard.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617792939100.png" alt="Deputy Knight (Photo: Bibb County Sheriff's Office)" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Knight (Photo: Bibb County Sheriff's Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say a sheriff's deputy has been stabbed to death with his own knife by an inmate at a Georgia jail. Another law officer was injured but later released from a hospital. Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones says Deputy Christopher Knight was stabbed in the neck and died shortly before dawn Tuesday. Authorities say the stabbing happened at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center early Tuesday morning. Authorities say inmate Albert Booze grabbed the knife as he was being placed on a suicide watch after saying he wanted to harm himself. Knight had just turned 30 and leaves behind a 2-year-old child.Bibb County, GA News ReleaseBibb County Sheriff’s Deputy Fatally Wounded at the Bibb County Law Enforcement CenterA Bibb County Sheriff’s Deputy, working in the corrections division was fatally wounded and a second deputy was injured, while moving an inmate inside of the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center.It was reported that inmate Albert Dewitt Booze, age 22, was moved from one cellblock, to another, for causing disciplinary issues.At around 2:26a.m., inmate Booze was moved to suicide watch, after making comments that he wished to harm himself. Several deputies escorted Booze to an observation cell. During this time, a fight between Booze and deputies took place. Booze was able to obtain a knife from one of the deputies and used the knife to kill the deputy.Deputy Christopher Wilson Knight, age 30, and Deputy Jerome Michael Williams, age 32, were injured during this incident. Both deputies were transported to the Atrium Health Navicent by ambulance. Deputy Knight was pronounced deceased at around 3:46a.m., Deputy Jerome Williams received medical treatment for his injuries and was later released. Deputy Knight’s next of kin has been notified.Deputy Knight has been employed with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office since 2018. Deputy Williams has been employed with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office since November of 2020. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was requested by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office to conduct the Criminal Investigation into the death of Deputy Christopher Knight.The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office of Professional Standards will conduct an internal investigation to determine if the actions taken in this incident were in accordance with sheriff’s office policy. Once the Criminal Investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to District Attorney Anita Howard.

Deputy stabbed to death at Georgia jail; another deputy hurt

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Democrats are once again eyeing Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District as a possible pickup in the next general election.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named the district Tuesday as one of its 22 competitive House districts that are either open or held by Republicans. The Nebraska seat is currently occupied by three-term U.S. Rep. Don Bacon.

The district, encompassing Omaha and most of its suburbs, is by far the most competitive in a state that's overwhelmingly Republican. It's also one of the most competitive districts nationally.

New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the committee's chairman, said Democrats plan to protect their House majority by "recruiting compelling candidates and empowering their campaigns with the resources" needed to win in each of the 22 districts.

Bacon first won the district in 2016 after unseating then-U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford, a moderate Democrat. He has narrowly won re-election twice, including in 2020, when Democrat Joe Biden defeated Republican Donald Trump in the district on his way to win the presidency.

Nebraska is one of two states that is able to split its electoral votes, and it has done so twice when the 2nd District voted for Biden last year and former President Barack Obama in 2008.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614286506235.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Democrats are once again eyeing Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District as a possible pickup in the next general election.The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named the district Tuesday as one of its 22 competitive House districts that are either open or held by Republicans. The Nebraska seat is currently occupied by three-term U.S. Rep. Don Bacon.The district, encompassing Omaha and most of its suburbs, is by far the most competitive in a state that's overwhelmingly Republican. It's also one of the most competitive districts nationally.New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the committee's chairman, said Democrats plan to protect their House majority by "recruiting compelling candidates and empowering their campaigns with the resources" needed to win in each of the 22 districts.Bacon first won the district in 2016 after unseating then-U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford, a moderate Democrat. He has narrowly won re-election twice, including in 2020, when Democrat Joe Biden defeated Republican Donald Trump in the district on his way to win the presidency.Nebraska is one of two states that is able to split its electoral votes, and it has done so twice when the 2nd District voted for Biden last year and former President Barack Obama in 2008.

Democrats see Nebraska's 2nd District as competitive in 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he's bumping up his deadline by two weeks for states to make all adults in the U.S. eligible for coronavirus vaccines. But even as he expressed optimism about the pace of vaccinations, he warned Americans that the nation is not yet out of the woods when it comes to the pandemic.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4956269/president-urges-complacency-vaccinations-increase-amid-spread-variants">Click here to watch </a>a replay of the President's comments

“Let me be deadly earnest with you: We aren’t at the finish line. We still have a lot of work to do. We’re still in a life and death race against this virus," Biden said in remarks at the White House.

The president warned that “ new variants of the virus are spreading and they’re moving quickly. Cases are going back up, hospitalizations are no longer declining.” He added that ”the pandemic remains dangerous," and encouraged Americans to continue to wash their hands, socially distance and wear masks.

Biden added that while his administration is on schedule to meet his new goal of distributing 200 million doses of the vaccine during his first 100 days, it will still take time for enough Americans to get vaccinated to slow the spread of the virus.

But he expressed hope that his Tuesday announcement, that every adult will be eligible by April 19 to sign up and get in a virtual line to be vaccinated, will help expand access and distribution of the vaccine. Some states already had begun moving up their deadlines from the original May 1 goal.

“No more confusing rules. No more confusing restrictions," Biden said.

Biden made the announcement after visiting a COVID-19 vaccination site at Immanuel Chapel at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. During his visit, he thanked everyone for administering the shots and for showing up to receive them.

“That’s the way to beat this,” Biden said. “Get the vaccination when you can.”

The president also said no one should fear mutations of the coronavirus that are showing up in the U.S. after being discovered in other countries. He acknowledged that the new strains are more virulent and more dangerous, but said “the vaccines work on all of them.”

Biden also announced that 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been shot into arms since his inauguration on Jan. 20. That puts the president well on track to meet his new goal of 200 million shots administered by his 100th day in office on April 30.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617743374589.png" alt="President Biden delivered remarks on the state of vaccinations Tuesday afternoon -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden delivered remarks on the state of vaccinations Tuesday afternoon -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he's bumping up his deadline by two weeks for states to make all adults in the U.S. eligible for coronavirus vaccines. But even as he expressed optimism about the pace of vaccinations, he warned Americans that the nation is not yet out of the woods when it comes to the pandemic.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4956269/president-urges-complacency-vaccinations-increase-amid-spread-variants">Click here to watch </a>a replay of the President's comments“Let me be deadly earnest with you: We aren’t at the finish line. We still have a lot of work to do. We’re still in a life and death race against this virus," Biden said in remarks at the White House.The president warned that “ new variants of the virus are spreading and they’re moving quickly. Cases are going back up, hospitalizations are no longer declining.” He added that ”the pandemic remains dangerous," and encouraged Americans to continue to wash their hands, socially distance and wear masks.Biden added that while his administration is on schedule to meet his new goal of distributing 200 million doses of the vaccine during his first 100 days, it will still take time for enough Americans to get vaccinated to slow the spread of the virus.But he expressed hope that his Tuesday announcement, that every adult will be eligible by April 19 to sign up and get in a virtual line to be vaccinated, will help expand access and distribution of the vaccine. Some states already had begun moving up their deadlines from the original May 1 goal.“No more confusing rules. No more confusing restrictions," Biden said.Biden made the announcement after visiting a COVID-19 vaccination site at Immanuel Chapel at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. During his visit, he thanked everyone for administering the shots and for showing up to receive them.“That’s the way to beat this,” Biden said. “Get the vaccination when you can.”The president also said no one should fear mutations of the coronavirus that are showing up in the U.S. after being discovered in other countries. He acknowledged that the new strains are more virulent and more dangerous, but said “the vaccines work on all of them.”Biden also announced that 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been shot into arms since his inauguration on Jan. 20. That puts the president well on track to meet his new goal of 200 million shots administered by his 100th day in office on April 30.“Let me be deadly earnest with you: We aren’t at the finish line. We still have a lot of work to do. We’re still in a life and death race against this virus," Biden said in remarks at the White House.The president warned that “ new variants of the virus are spreading and they’re moving quickly. Cases are going back up, hospitalizations are no longer declining.” He added that ”the pandemic remains dangerous," and encouraged Americans to continue to wash their hands, socially distance and wear masks.Biden added that while his administration is on schedule to meet his new goal of distributing 200 million doses of the vaccine during his first 100 days, it will still take time for enough Americans to get vaccinated to slow the spread of the virus.But he expressed hope that his Tuesday announcement, that every adult will be eligible by April 19 to sign up and get in a virtual line to be vaccinated, will help expand access and distribution of the vaccine. Some states already had begun moving up their deadlines from the original May 1 goal.“No more confusing rules. No more confusing restrictions," Biden said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617791932041.png" alt="President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?josephbiden">Biden&nbsp;</a>visited a vaccination site at Virginia Theological Seminary Tuesday 0mage courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?josephbiden">Biden&nbsp;</a>visited a vaccination site at Virginia Theological Seminary Tuesday 0mage courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Biden made the announcement after visiting a COVID-19 vaccination site at Immanuel Chapel at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. During his visit, he thanked everyone for administering the shots and for showing up to receive them.“That’s the way to beat this,” Biden said. “Get the vaccination when you can.”The president also said no one should fear mutations of the coronavirus that are showing up in the U.S. after being discovered in other countries. He acknowledged that the new strains are more virulent and more dangerous, but said “the vaccines work on all of them.”Biden also announced that 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been shot into arms since his inauguration on Jan. 20. That puts the president well on track to meet his new goal of 200 million shots administered by his 100th day in office on April 30.

🎥 Pres. Biden: We’re still in life and death race against virus

News Release Nebraska State Patrol

LINCOLN, Neb.-The Nebraska State Patrol and Gage County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the deaths of two people who were found deceased at a residence in rural Gage County, near Blue Springs.

Tuesday morning, the Gage County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call regarding two deceased individuals at a residence at 628 E. Oak Road, outside of Blue Springs. Upon arrival at the scene, the Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol.

At the residence, investigators located a deceased male, identified as Jason Arnold, 49, of Blue Springs, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Inside the residence, investigators located a deceased female, identified as Brooke Koch, 40, of Blue Springs. Tuesday morning, Arnold failed to appear in Gage County Court for violation of a protection order, prohibiting him from contact with Koch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1560127290802.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Nebraska State PatrolLINCOLN, Neb.-The Nebraska State Patrol and Gage County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the deaths of two people who were found deceased at a residence in rural Gage County, near Blue Springs.Tuesday morning, the Gage County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call regarding two deceased individuals at a residence at 628 E. Oak Road, outside of Blue Springs. Upon arrival at the scene, the Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol.At the residence, investigators located a deceased male, identified as Jason Arnold, 49, of Blue Springs, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Inside the residence, investigators located a deceased female, identified as Brooke Koch, 40, of Blue Springs. Tuesday morning, Arnold failed to appear in Gage County Court for violation of a protection order, prohibiting him from contact with Koch.Following preliminary investigation, the case is believed to be a murder-suicide. There is no threat to the public. The investigation is ongoing. The Gage County Attorney has requested autopsies, which are scheduled for Wednesday morning.