By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/22/anderson-county-rural-property-owner-compares-wind-farms-to-menacing-strip-clubs-landfills/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Anderson County 
resident Mike Burns ripped pages of his prepared speech in half Monday 
to speak from the heart about why Kansas had to pass a law regulating 
placement of wind farms to protect property rights and bring peace of 
mind to folks in rural areas attractive to developers.

Burns joined dozens of people at the Capitol eager to testify on behalf of <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/sb279_00_0000.pdf">Senate Bill 279</a>,
 which would establish state-crafted regulation of wind generation 
facilities from the turbine to power line. It would replace county 
commission preferences for or against wind farms with state law defining
 turbine setbacks from businesses, parks, homes, property lines and much
 more. The maximum density would be one turbine per square mile, well 
below the current standard. There would be caps on sound and light 
emitted by turbines that sometimes reach 500 feet into the sky.

Landowners and community 
organizations would gain leverage to block projects if the bill became 
law, and wind farm advocates contend passage of the measure would put an
 end to the industry’s growth in Kansas.

Burns said he moved to 
eastern Kansas to open a pharmacy because of the area’s rural appeal. He
 wanted some acreage near Garnett to enjoy the outdoors and build a home
 to raise a family. He was confident there was little anyone could do to
 undermine his dreams.

“I thought there would be 
no chance of anything taking that all away,” he told the Senate 
Utilities Committee. “My family and our assets were protected. My rights
 were protected. So I thought.”

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/ctte_s_utils_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_s_utils_1_20210322_48_testimony.html">In 2015, Burns said,</a>
 a representative of Calpine Energy called to inquire about leasing 
ground on his property for a wind farm. He turned away the offer after 
concluding wind farms, which he referred to as “power plants,” were 
recipients of massive tax subsidies, created few permanent jobs, 
fostered community divisiveness, negatively influenced health, created 
issues with daytime flicker shadows and nighttime blinking lights, 
depended on “predatory” leases with landowners, disrupted sleep with 
sound pollution and were subjected to relatively little regulation.

Burns said the Anderson 
County Commission listened to skeptics and adopted some barriers to 
deter developers of wind farms. The problem, he said, was that dozens of
 Kansas counties didn’t have zoning to restrain fat-cat developers and 
their persuasive attorneys and lobbyists. The Kansas Legislature should 
stop treating rural people like second-class citizens and stand up for 
uniform management of wind projects and the protection of rural property
 rights, he said.

“Why are there no wind 
power plants in Johnson County? Wyandotte? Sedgwick? Shawnee?” Burns 
said. “If they have no impact, then why? How would any of you feel if 
there were a massage parlor or night club coming into your neighborhood?
 Fast food, gas station or even a landfill or factory?”

He was joined by seven 
other people who spoke to the committee in desperate terms about their 
desire to stop spread of wind farms in Kansas, a state with more than 
3,000 turbines scattered among 40 developments in 30 counties. 
Twenty-five people had signed up to personally share testimony with 
senators, while more than 40 submitted written comments in favor of 
Senate Bill 279.

Opponents of the bill take
 the microphone Tuesday in an attempt to sway the Republican-led 
committee chaired by Sen. Mike Thompson, a Johnson County Republican who
 called wind turbines a public nuisance in need of retraint afforded by 
state statute.

Alan Anderson, a Kansas 
attorney who specializes in energy development projects, said during a 
news conference at the Capitol that $14 billion had been invested so far
 in wind farms scattered in Kansas. These projects created 22,000 
construction, operational and indirect jobs during the past 20 years.

Companies with turbines on
 private land pay $48 million annually in lease payments to those 
individuals, he said. Over the 20-year life of the Kansas wind farms in 
operation now, he said, an estimated $962 million in lease payments 
would be made to landowners.

In addition, he said, 
companies investing in Kansas wind farms had committed to providing 
communities with $657 million over 20 years in property taxes and for 
priorities ranging from law enforcement to education.

“The message that a bill 
like Senate Bill 279 sends out to these different companies is … maybe 
we’re not a stable environment, maybe we are not a place you should 
consider locating,” Anderson said. “Make no mistake at all. Senate Bill 
279 would end all wind energy development in Kansas. That’s frankly the 
intent of the bill. This isn’t a bill to actually talk about rational 
siting. It’s to end wind energy development.”

Kimberly Svaty, who 
represents Advanced Power Alliance, said testimony from wind developers 
scheduled to speak Tuesday would demonstrate reluctance to invest in new
 wind farms in Kansas under terms of the Senate bill. It’s too easy for 
wind investment companies to pivot to locations in other heartland 
states, she said.

“They’re all saying that 
they will not invest another penny in the state of Kansas,” she said. 
“It’s not a threat, but it underscores the competition the state is in 
for jobs and investment.”

Dennis Hedke, a former 
member of the Kansas House who operates Hedke Geoscience Consulting in 
Wichita, said the Senate bill was necessary because so many Kansans 
experienced unrest, physical discomfort, mental anguish and economic 
hardship as a result of prolific development of industrial wind energy 
in this state. He said there was no justification for construction of 
turbines so close to private dwellings that residents struggled to sleep
 or dealt with irritation of vibration caused by blades with an outward 
speed over 150 mph.

“Study after study by 
highly credentialed professionals have unequivocally confirmed the 
negative impacts experienced by residents in many states and countries,”
 Hedke said. “Yet, a large number of county commissions have ignored 
their pleas for relief. Some commissioners have, in absolute fact, 
colluded with developers and are culpable for the tactics that have been
 deployed against private citizens.”

He said wind projects did 
“absoluely nothing to bring material benefit to the earth’s climate” 
despite claims to the contrary. It’s high time the wind industry accept 
it cannot replace fossil and nuclear fuels to sustain electricity grid 
requirements, he said.

Gayla Randel, a retired 
educator living near the community of Frankfort in Marshall County, said
 NextEra Energies introduced the Irish Creek Wind Project in 2019 with 
plans to start construction in April. The unregulated environment could 
lead to more than 100 turbines, each 500 feet tall, with the consent of 
32 property owners in the wind farm footprint. Of 85 nonparticipating or
 uncompensated landowners nearby, she said, half had at least one 
turbine within 3,900 feet of their homes. None of those residents are 
more than two miles from a turbine, she said.

“One nonparticipating 
landowner will have nine turbines within a mile of their home,” Randel 
said. “Three nonparticipating landowners will have eight turbines within
 a mile of their homes.”

She said Marshall County 
was recognized as a Flint Hills counties, but the county wasn’t included
 in the wind farm moritorium initiated by Democratic Gov. Kathleen 
Sebelius in 2005 nor the expanded exclusion zone adopted by Republican 
Gov. Sam Brownback in 2011.

“Why is this development 
being allowed to happen? Because Kansas has no guidance for our county 
commissioners who repeatedly said we cannot stop it unless we want to be
 sued. They were ill-prepared to make such a life changing decision. 
Wind developers can do this because no one has said they cannot,” Randel
 said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616507535992.png" alt="Anderson County resident Mike Burns, center, registered support Monday for a Senate bill that would impose sweeping regulations on wind farm developments and protect property rights of people living in rural areas with terrain and breezes to support turbines. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Anderson County resident Mike Burns, center, registered support Monday for a Senate bill that would impose sweeping regulations on wind farm developments and protect property rights of people living in rural areas with terrain and breezes to support turbines. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/22/anderson-county-rural-property-owner-compares-wind-farms-to-menacing-strip-clubs-landfills/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Anderson County 
resident Mike Burns ripped pages of his prepared speech in half Monday 
to speak from the heart about why Kansas had to pass a law regulating 
placement of wind farms to protect property rights and bring peace of 
mind to folks in rural areas attractive to developers.Burns joined dozens of people at the Capitol eager to testify on behalf of <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/sb279_00_0000.pdf">Senate Bill 279</a>,
 which would establish state-crafted regulation of wind generation 
facilities from the turbine to power line. It would replace county 
commission preferences for or against wind farms with state law defining
 turbine setbacks from businesses, parks, homes, property lines and much
 more. The maximum density would be one turbine per square mile, well 
below the current standard. There would be caps on sound and light 
emitted by turbines that sometimes reach 500 feet into the sky.Landowners and community 
organizations would gain leverage to block projects if the bill became 
law, and wind farm advocates contend passage of the measure would put an
 end to the industry’s growth in Kansas.Burns said he moved to 
eastern Kansas to open a pharmacy because of the area’s rural appeal. He
 wanted some acreage near Garnett to enjoy the outdoors and build a home
 to raise a family. He was confident there was little anyone could do to
 undermine his dreams.“I thought there would be 
no chance of anything taking that all away,” he told the Senate 
Utilities Committee. “My family and our assets were protected. My rights
 were protected. So I thought.”<h2>Property rights</h2><a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/ctte_s_utils_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_s_utils_1_20210322_48_testimony.html">In 2015, Burns said,</a>
 a representative of Calpine Energy called to inquire about leasing 
ground on his property for a wind farm. He turned away the offer after 
concluding wind farms, which he referred to as “power plants,” were 
recipients of massive tax subsidies, created few permanent jobs, 
fostered community divisiveness, negatively influenced health, created 
issues with daytime flicker shadows and nighttime blinking lights, 
depended on “predatory” leases with landowners, disrupted sleep with 
sound pollution and were subjected to relatively little regulation.Burns said the Anderson 
County Commission listened to skeptics and adopted some barriers to 
deter developers of wind farms. The problem, he said, was that dozens of
 Kansas counties didn’t have zoning to restrain fat-cat developers and 
their persuasive attorneys and lobbyists. The Kansas Legislature should 
stop treating rural people like second-class citizens and stand up for 
uniform management of wind projects and the protection of rural property
 rights, he said.“Why are there no wind 
power plants in Johnson County? Wyandotte? Sedgwick? Shawnee?” Burns 
said. “If they have no impact, then why? How would any of you feel if 
there were a massage parlor or night club coming into your neighborhood?
 Fast food, gas station or even a landfill or factory?”He was joined by seven 
other people who spoke to the committee in desperate terms about their 
desire to stop spread of wind farms in Kansas, a state with more than 
3,000 turbines scattered among 40 developments in 30 counties. 
Twenty-five people had signed up to personally share testimony with 
senators, while more than 40 submitted written comments in favor of 
Senate Bill 279.Opponents of the bill take
 the microphone Tuesday in an attempt to sway the Republican-led 
committee chaired by Sen. Mike Thompson, a Johnson County Republican who
 called wind turbines a public nuisance in need of retraint afforded by 
state statute.<h2>Economic impact</h2>Alan Anderson, a Kansas 
attorney who specializes in energy development projects, said during a 
news conference at the Capitol that $14 billion had been invested so far
 in wind farms scattered in Kansas. These projects created 22,000 
construction, operational and indirect jobs during the past 20 years.Companies with turbines on
 private land pay $48 million annually in lease payments to those 
individuals, he said. Over the 20-year life of the Kansas wind farms in 
operation now, he said, an estimated $962 million in lease payments 
would be made to landowners.In addition, he said, 
companies investing in Kansas wind farms had committed to providing 
communities with $657 million over 20 years in property taxes and for 
priorities ranging from law enforcement to education.“The message that a bill 
like Senate Bill 279 sends out to these different companies is … maybe 
we’re not a stable environment, maybe we are not a place you should 
consider locating,” Anderson said. “Make no mistake at all. Senate Bill 
279 would end all wind energy development in Kansas. That’s frankly the 
intent of the bill. This isn’t a bill to actually talk about rational 
siting. It’s to end wind energy development.”Kimberly Svaty, who 
represents Advanced Power Alliance, said testimony from wind developers 
scheduled to speak Tuesday would demonstrate reluctance to invest in new
 wind farms in Kansas under terms of the Senate bill. It’s too easy for 
wind investment companies to pivot to locations in other heartland 
states, she said.“They’re all saying that 
they will not invest another penny in the state of Kansas,” she said. 
“It’s not a threat, but it underscores the competition the state is in 
for jobs and investment.”<h2>Tactical collusion</h2>Dennis Hedke, a former 
member of the Kansas House who operates Hedke Geoscience Consulting in 
Wichita, said the Senate bill was necessary because so many Kansans 
experienced unrest, physical discomfort, mental anguish and economic 
hardship as a result of prolific development of industrial wind energy 
in this state. He said there was no justification for construction of 
turbines so close to private dwellings that residents struggled to sleep
 or dealt with irritation of vibration caused by blades with an outward 
speed over 150 mph.“Study after study by 
highly credentialed professionals have unequivocally confirmed the 
negative impacts experienced by residents in many states and countries,”
 Hedke said. “Yet, a large number of county commissions have ignored 
their pleas for relief. Some commissioners have, in absolute fact, 
colluded with developers and are culpable for the tactics that have been
 deployed against private citizens.”He said wind projects did 
“absoluely nothing to bring material benefit to the earth’s climate” 
despite claims to the contrary. It’s high time the wind industry accept 
it cannot replace fossil and nuclear fuels to sustain electricity grid 
requirements, he said.Gayla Randel, a retired 
educator living near the community of Frankfort in Marshall County, said
 NextEra Energies introduced the Irish Creek Wind Project in 2019 with 
plans to start construction in April. The unregulated environment could 
lead to more than 100 turbines, each 500 feet tall, with the consent of 
32 property owners in the wind farm footprint. Of 85 nonparticipating or
 uncompensated landowners nearby, she said, half had at least one 
turbine within 3,900 feet of their homes. None of those residents are 
more than two miles from a turbine, she said.“One nonparticipating 
landowner will have nine turbines within a mile of their home,” Randel 
said. “Three nonparticipating landowners will have eight turbines within
 a mile of their homes.”She said Marshall County 
was recognized as a Flint Hills counties, but the county wasn’t included
 in the wind farm moritorium initiated by Democratic Gov. Kathleen 
Sebelius in 2005 nor the expanded exclusion zone adopted by Republican 
Gov. Sam Brownback in 2011.“Why is this development 
being allowed to happen? Because Kansas has no guidance for our county 
commissioners who repeatedly said we cannot stop it unless we want to be
 sued. They were ill-prepared to make such a life changing decision. 
Wind developers can do this because no one has said they cannot,” Randel
 said.

Kan. property owner compares wind farms to strip clubs, landfills

WASHINGTON (AP) — Results from a U.S. trial of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine may have included “outdated information” and that could mean the company provided an incomplete view of efficacy data, American federal health officials said early Tuesday.

A spokesman from the drug company said Tuesday it was “looking into it.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-data-shows-astrazeneca-vaccine-safe-all-ages-a73e711c7309be4444c65d5f9ae90c43">AstraZeneca reported Monday</a>&nbsp;that its COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection among adults of all ages in a long-anticipated U.S. study, a finding that some experts hoped would help rebuild public confidence in the shot around the world and move it a step closer to clearance in the U.S.

In the study of more than 30,000 people, the company reported that the vaccine was found to be 79% effective at preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19 — including in older adults. There were no severe illnesses or hospitalizations among vaccinated volunteers, compared with five such cases in participants who received dummy shots — a small number, but consistent with findings from Britain and other countries that the vaccine protects against the worst of the disease.

AstraZeneca also said the study’s independent safety monitors found no serious side effects, including no increased risk of rare blood clots like those identified in Europe, a scare that led numerous countries to briefly suspend vaccinations last week.

But just hours after those encouraging results were reported, the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases issued an unusual statement.

The agency said the Data and Safety Monitoring Board “expressed concern that AstraZeneca may have included outdated information from that trial, which may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data.”

“We urge the company to work with the DSMB to review the efficacy data and ensure the most accurate, up-to-date efficacy data be made public as quickly as possible,” the statement added.

The company aims to file an application with the Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks, and the government’s outside advisers will then publicly debate the evidence.

Authorization and guidelines for use of the vaccine in the United States will be determined by the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after thorough review of the data by independent advisory committees.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616409995625.png" alt="Photo courtesy AstraZeneca" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy AstraZeneca</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Results from a U.S. trial of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine may have included “outdated information” and that could mean the company provided an incomplete view of efficacy data, American federal health officials said early Tuesday.A spokesman from the drug company said Tuesday it was “looking into it.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-data-shows-astrazeneca-vaccine-safe-all-ages-a73e711c7309be4444c65d5f9ae90c43">AstraZeneca reported Monday</a>&nbsp;that its COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection among adults of all ages in a long-anticipated U.S. study, a finding that some experts hoped would help rebuild public confidence in the shot around the world and move it a step closer to clearance in the U.S.In the study of more than 30,000 people, the company reported that the vaccine was found to be 79% effective at preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19 — including in older adults. There were no severe illnesses or hospitalizations among vaccinated volunteers, compared with five such cases in participants who received dummy shots — a small number, but consistent with findings from Britain and other countries that the vaccine protects against the worst of the disease.AstraZeneca also said the study’s independent safety monitors found no serious side effects, including no increased risk of rare blood clots like those identified in Europe, a scare that led numerous countries to briefly suspend vaccinations last week.But just hours after those encouraging results were reported, the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases issued an unusual statement.The agency said the Data and Safety Monitoring Board “expressed concern that AstraZeneca may have included outdated information from that trial, which may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data.”“We urge the company to work with the DSMB to review the efficacy data and ensure the most accurate, up-to-date efficacy data be made public as quickly as possible,” the statement added.The company aims to file an application with the Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks, and the government’s outside advisers will then publicly debate the evidence.Authorization and guidelines for use of the vaccine in the United States will be determined by the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after thorough review of the data by independent advisory committees.

US: Drug maker may have used outdated info in vaccine trial

Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Daniel Whitnack, 56, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 22, 2021 by Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He received a sentence of 33 months’ imprisonment with a three-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.

On or about September 2, 2019, an individual notified Omaha Police that they had observed Whitnack, a felon with a previous conviction for attempted theft by receiving stolen property, in possession of a firearm in his home in northeast Omaha. Under federal law, it is illegal for felons to possess firearms.

On September 5, 2019, Omaha Police officers executed a search warrant on Whitnack’s residence. During the search, officers seized a silver and black AMT Automag II, .22 handgun lying on the couch. The individual confirmed that the firearm seized was the same as or similar to the one they had observed prior.

This case was&nbsp;part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was investigated by&nbsp;the Omaha Police Department.

News Release US Attorney's OfficeActing United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Daniel Whitnack, 56, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 22, 2021 by Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He received a sentence of 33 months’ imprisonment with a three-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.On or about September 2, 2019, an individual notified Omaha Police that they had observed Whitnack, a felon with a previous conviction for attempted theft by receiving stolen property, in possession of a firearm in his home in northeast Omaha. Under federal law, it is illegal for felons to possess firearms.On September 5, 2019, Omaha Police officers executed a search warrant on Whitnack’s residence. During the search, officers seized a silver and black AMT Automag II, .22 handgun lying on the couch. The individual confirmed that the firearm seized was the same as or similar to the one they had observed prior.This case was&nbsp;part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.This case was investigated by&nbsp;the Omaha Police Department.

Omaha man sentenced as felon in possession of a firearm

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Police on Tuesday identified a 21-year-old man as the suspect in the killing of 10 people at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket.

Suspect Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was from Arvada, Colorado and had lived most of his life in the U.S., said Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty. He was undergoing treatment at a hospital and was expected to be booked into the county jail later Tuesday, Dougherty said.

Authorities also identified nine victims after previously identifying police officer 51-year-old Eric Tally who had been killed.

According to a media release from Boulder police, the other victims are Denny Strong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralana Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62 and Jody Waters, 65.

The shooting Monday at the crowded supermarket sent terrorized shoppers and workers scrambling for safety and stunned a state and a nation that has grieved several mass killings.

Herold said police engaged in a shootout with the suspect inside the supermarket and that is when Officer Eric Talley was killed.

Investigators don’t know yet why the suspect opened fire inside the grocery store, Dougherty said. He said the investigation is in the early stages but that detectives believe the suspect was the only shooter, Dougherty said.

A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting told The Associated Press that the gunman used an AR-15 rifle, a lightweight semi-automatic rifle. Officials were working fast to trace the gun. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Police have identified a 21-year-old man as the suspect in the killing of 10 people at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket. 

Authorities on Tuesday also identified nine victims after previously identifying a police officer who had been killed. Authorities say the victims were men and women between the ages of 20 and 65. 

The shooting Monday at the crowded supermarket sent terrorized shoppers and workers scrambling for safety and stunned a state and a nation that has grieved several mass killings. Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said police engaged in a shootout with the suspect inside the supermarket and that is when Officer Eric Talley was killed.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A shooting at a crowded Colorado supermarket that killed 10 people, including the first police officer to arrive, sent terrorized shoppers and workers scrambling for safety and stunned a state that has grieved several mass killings. A lone suspect was in custody, authorities said.

Hundreds of police officers from throughout the Denver metropolitan area responded to the Monday afternoon attack, converging on a King Soopers supermarket in a busy shopping plaza in southern Boulder. SWAT officers carrying ballistic shields slowly approached the store as others quickly escorted frightened people away from the building, some of its windows shattered. Customers and employees fled through a back loading dock to safety. Others took refuge in nearby shops.

One suspect was in custody, a tearful Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said late Monday. Authorities didn’t identify the suspect, though Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said the suspect was the only person injured and was receiving medical care.

Officers had escorted a shirtless man in handcuffs, blood running down his leg, from the store during the siege. Authorities would not say if he was the suspect. Foothills Hospital in Boulder was treating one person from the shooting scene but refused further comment, said Rich Sheehan, spokesman for Boulder Community Health, which operates the hospital.

“This is a tragedy and a nightmare for Boulder County,” Dougherty said. “These were people going about their day, doing their shopping. I promise the victims and the people of the state of Colorado that we will secure justice.”

Herold identified the slain officer as Eric Talley, 51, who had been with Boulder police since 2010. He was the first to arrive after responding to a call about shots fired and someone carrying a rifle, she said.

“He was by all accounts one of the outstanding officers of the Boulder Police Department, and his life was cut too short,” Dougherty said.

Dozens of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, escorted an ambulance carrying the officer from the shooting scene after nightfall. Some residents stood along the route, their arms raised in salute.

Identities of the other nine victims were not disclosed as police were still notifying their family members.

Dougherty said it was too early to speculate on a motive and that the investigation involving local, state and federal agencies would take days.

The attack in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver and home to the University of Colorado, stunned a state that has seen several mass shootings, including the 1999&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aee576bf6a5b48ab9257042832b4bf14">Columbine High School</a>&nbsp;massacre and the 2012 Aurora&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/731169d15e0242d995b939ead622c438">movie theater shooting</a>.

Monday’s midafternoon attack was the seventh mass killing this year in the U.S., following the March 16 shooting that left eight people dead at three Atlanta-area massage businesses, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.

It follows a lull in mass killings during the pandemic in 2020, which had the smallest number of such attacks in more than a decade, according to the database, which tracks mass killings defined as four or more dead, not including the shooter.

Dean Schiller said he had just left the supermarket when he heard gunshots. He saw three people lying face down — one in a doorway and two in the parking lot. Schiller said he couldn’t tell if they were breathing.

Sarah Moonshadow and her son, Nicolas Edwards, had just bought strawberries when they heard gunfire. Moonshadow told The Denver Post they ducked and “just ran.” Outside, Edwards said, arriving police pulled up next to a body in the parking lot.

“I knew we couldn’t do anything for the guy,” he said. “We had to go.”

Video posted on YouTube showed one person on the floor inside the store and two more outside on the ground. What sounds like two gunshots are heard at the beginning of the video.

Investigators had just started sorting through the crime scene and conducting witness interviews, Dougherty said. Matthew Kirsch, the acting U.S. attorney for Colorado, pledged that “the full weight of federal law enforcement” will support the investigation. He said investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the crime scene, along with FBI agents.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting. Gov. Jared Polis, meanwhile, said in a statement that “Today we saw the face of evil. I am grieving with my community and all Coloradans.” The King Soopers chain said in a statement that it was offering prayers and support “to our associates, customers, and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation.”

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A shooting at a Colorado supermarket killed 10 people Monday, including a police officer, and a suspect was in custody, authorities said.

Boulder <a href="https://bouldercolorado.gov/city-manager/maris-herold">police Chief Maris Herold </a>announced the death toll at a news conference Monday night, fighting back tears.

The suspect was getting medical treatment and there was no further threat to the public, authorities said. Officers had escorted a shirtless man with blood running down his leg out of the store in handcuffs but authorities would not say if he was the suspect.

The officer who was killed was Eric Talley, 51, who had been with Boulder police since 2010, Herold said.

Victims' families were still being notified so their names weren't released, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said.

“This is a tragedy and a nightmare for Boulder County, and in response, we have cooperation and assistance from local, state and federal authorities,” Dougherty said.

Yamaguchi said police were still investigating and didn't have details on a motive for the shooting at the King Soopers store in Boulder, which is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver and home to the University of Colorado.

Dean Schiller told The Associated Press that he had just left the supermarket when he heard gunshots and saw three people lying face down, two in the parking lot and one near the doorway. He said he “couldn’t tell if they were breathing."

Video posted on YouTube showed one person on the floor inside the store and two more outside on the ground. What sounds like two gunshots are also heard at the beginning of the video.

Law enforcement vehicles and officers massed outside the store, including SWAT teams, and at least three helicopters landed on the roof. Some windows at the front of the store were broken.

At one point, authorities said over a loudspeaker that the building was surrounded and that “you need to surrender."

Sarah Moonshadow told the Denver Post that two shots rang out just after she and her son, Nicolas Edwards, finished buying strawberries. She said she told her son to get down and then “we just ran.”

Once they got outside, she said they saw a body in the parking lot. Edwards said police were speeding into the lot and pulled up next to the body.

James Bentz told the Post that he was in the meat section when he heard what he thought was a misfire, then a series of pops.

“I was then at the front of a stampede,” he said.

Bentz said he jumped off a loading dock out back to escape and that younger people were helping older people off of it.

One person was taken from the shooting scene to Foothills Hospital in Boulder, said Rich Sheehan, spokesman for Boulder Community Health, which operates the hospital.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tweeted a statement that his “heart is breaking as we watch this unspeakable event unfold in our Boulder community."

Police had told people to shelter in place amid a report of an “armed, dangerous individual” about 3 miles (5 kilometers) away from the grocery store but said at the news conference later that it wasn't related to the shooting.

The FBI said it’s helping in the investigation at the request of police.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting.

In a statement, the King Soopers chain offered “thoughts, prayers and support to our associates, customers, and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation. We will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement and our store will remain closed during the police investigation.”

Kevin Daly, owner of Under the Sun Eatery and Pizzeria Restaurant a block or so from the supermarket, said he was in his shop when he saw police cars arriving and shoppers running from the grocery store. He said he took in several people to keep them warm, and others boarded a bus provided by Boulder police and were taken away.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Police say multiple people were killed in a shooting at a Colorado supermarket, including a police officer. 

Boulder police Cmdr. Kerry Yamaguchi said at a news conference Monday that a person of interest is in custody and is being treated. He didn’t give more details on how many people were killed or other details about the shooting. He said they’re still investigating and didn’t have details on motive.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616505527834.png" alt="&nbsp;The slain officer was identified as Eric Talley, 51, who had been with Boulder police since 2010. -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The slain officer was identified as Eric Talley, 51, who had been with Boulder police since 2010. -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Police on Tuesday identified a 21-year-old man as the suspect in the killing of 10 people at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket.Suspect Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was from Arvada, Colorado and had lived most of his life in the U.S., said Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty. He was undergoing treatment at a hospital and was expected to be booked into the county jail later Tuesday, Dougherty said.Authorities also identified nine victims after previously identifying police officer 51-year-old Eric Tally who had been killed.According to a media release from Boulder police, the other victims are Denny Strong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralana Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62 and Jody Waters, 65.The shooting Monday at the crowded supermarket sent terrorized shoppers and workers scrambling for safety and stunned a state and a nation that has grieved several mass killings.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616515468159.png" alt="Shooting suspect Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa-photo Boulder Police" />
 <figcaption>Shooting suspect Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa-photo Boulder Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Herold said police engaged in a shootout with the suspect inside the supermarket and that is when Officer Eric Talley was killed.Investigators don’t know yet why the suspect opened fire inside the grocery store, Dougherty said. He said the investigation is in the early stages but that detectives believe the suspect was the only shooter, Dougherty said.A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting told The Associated Press that the gunman used an AR-15 rifle, a lightweight semi-automatic rifle. Officials were working fast to trace the gun. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.-----------BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Police have identified a 21-year-old man as the suspect in the killing of 10 people at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket. Authorities on Tuesday also identified nine victims after previously identifying a police officer who had been killed. Authorities say the victims were men and women between the ages of 20 and 65. The shooting Monday at the crowded supermarket sent terrorized shoppers and workers scrambling for safety and stunned a state and a nation that has grieved several mass killings. Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said police engaged in a shootout with the suspect inside the supermarket and that is when Officer Eric Talley was killed.--------<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616462650652.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the mass shooting -photo courtesy Boulder Police" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the mass shooting -photo courtesy Boulder Police</figcaption>
 </figure>BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A shooting at a crowded Colorado supermarket that killed 10 people, including the first police officer to arrive, sent terrorized shoppers and workers scrambling for safety and stunned a state that has grieved several mass killings. A lone suspect was in custody, authorities said.Hundreds of police officers from throughout the Denver metropolitan area responded to the Monday afternoon attack, converging on a King Soopers supermarket in a busy shopping plaza in southern Boulder. SWAT officers carrying ballistic shields slowly approached the store as others quickly escorted frightened people away from the building, some of its windows shattered. Customers and employees fled through a back loading dock to safety. Others took refuge in nearby shops.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Rest In peace Officer Eric Talley. Your service will never be forgotten <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoulderShooting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoulderShooting</a> <a href="https://t.co/FVximvhS2E">pic.twitter.com/FVximvhS2E</a>&mdash; Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/boulderpolice/status/1374200720350580741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>One suspect was in custody, a tearful Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said late Monday. Authorities didn’t identify the suspect, though Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said the suspect was the only person injured and was receiving medical care.Officers had escorted a shirtless man in handcuffs, blood running down his leg, from the store during the siege. Authorities would not say if he was the suspect. Foothills Hospital in Boulder was treating one person from the shooting scene but refused further comment, said Rich Sheehan, spokesman for Boulder Community Health, which operates the hospital.“This is a tragedy and a nightmare for Boulder County,” Dougherty said. “These were people going about their day, doing their shopping. I promise the victims and the people of the state of Colorado that we will secure justice.”Herold identified the slain officer as Eric Talley, 51, who had been with Boulder police since 2010. He was the first to arrive after responding to a call about shots fired and someone carrying a rifle, she said.“He was by all accounts one of the outstanding officers of the Boulder Police Department, and his life was cut too short,” Dougherty said.Dozens of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, escorted an ambulance carrying the officer from the shooting scene after nightfall. Some residents stood along the route, their arms raised in salute.Identities of the other nine victims were not disclosed as police were still notifying their family members.Dougherty said it was too early to speculate on a motive and that the investigation involving local, state and federal agencies would take days.The attack in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver and home to the University of Colorado, stunned a state that has seen several mass shootings, including the 1999&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aee576bf6a5b48ab9257042832b4bf14">Columbine High School</a>&nbsp;massacre and the 2012 Aurora&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/731169d15e0242d995b939ead622c438">movie theater shooting</a>.Monday’s midafternoon attack was the seventh mass killing this year in the U.S., following the March 16 shooting that left eight people dead at three Atlanta-area massage businesses, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.It follows a lull in mass killings during the pandemic in 2020, which had the smallest number of such attacks in more than a decade, according to the database, which tracks mass killings defined as four or more dead, not including the shooter.Dean Schiller said he had just left the supermarket when he heard gunshots. He saw three people lying face down — one in a doorway and two in the parking lot. Schiller said he couldn’t tell if they were breathing.Sarah Moonshadow and her son, Nicolas Edwards, had just bought strawberries when they heard gunfire. Moonshadow told The Denver Post they ducked and “just ran.” Outside, Edwards said, arriving police pulled up next to a body in the parking lot.“I knew we couldn’t do anything for the guy,” he said. “We had to go.”Video posted on YouTube showed one person on the floor inside the store and two more outside on the ground. What sounds like two gunshots are heard at the beginning of the video.Investigators had just started sorting through the crime scene and conducting witness interviews, Dougherty said. Matthew Kirsch, the acting U.S. attorney for Colorado, pledged that “the full weight of federal law enforcement” will support the investigation. He said investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the crime scene, along with FBI agents.White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting. Gov. Jared Polis, meanwhile, said in a statement that “Today we saw the face of evil. I am grieving with my community and all Coloradans.” The King Soopers chain said in a statement that it was offering prayers and support “to our associates, customers, and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation.”___BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A shooting at a Colorado supermarket killed 10 people Monday, including a police officer, and a suspect was in custody, authorities said.Boulder <a href="https://bouldercolorado.gov/city-manager/maris-herold">police Chief Maris Herold </a>announced the death toll at a news conference Monday night, fighting back tears.The suspect was getting medical treatment and there was no further threat to the public, authorities said. Officers had escorted a shirtless man with blood running down his leg out of the store in handcuffs but authorities would not say if he was the suspect.The officer who was killed was Eric Talley, 51, who had been with Boulder police since 2010, Herold said.Victims' families were still being notified so their names weren't released, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said.“This is a tragedy and a nightmare for Boulder County, and in response, we have cooperation and assistance from local, state and federal authorities,” Dougherty said.Yamaguchi said police were still investigating and didn't have details on a motive for the shooting at the King Soopers store in Boulder, which is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver and home to the University of Colorado.Dean Schiller told The Associated Press that he had just left the supermarket when he heard gunshots and saw three people lying face down, two in the parking lot and one near the doorway. He said he “couldn’t tell if they were breathing."Video posted on YouTube showed one person on the floor inside the store and two more outside on the ground. What sounds like two gunshots are also heard at the beginning of the video.Law enforcement vehicles and officers massed outside the store, including SWAT teams, and at least three helicopters landed on the roof. Some windows at the front of the store were broken.At one point, authorities said over a loudspeaker that the building was surrounded and that “you need to surrender."Sarah Moonshadow told the Denver Post that two shots rang out just after she and her son, Nicolas Edwards, finished buying strawberries. She said she told her son to get down and then “we just ran.”Once they got outside, she said they saw a body in the parking lot. Edwards said police were speeding into the lot and pulled up next to the body.“I knew we couldn’t do anything for the guy,” he said. “We had to go.”James Bentz told the Post that he was in the meat section when he heard what he thought was a misfire, then a series of pops.“I was then at the front of a stampede,” he said.Bentz said he jumped off a loading dock out back to escape and that younger people were helping older people off of it.One person was taken from the shooting scene to Foothills Hospital in Boulder, said Rich Sheehan, spokesman for Boulder Community Health, which operates the hospital.Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tweeted a statement that his “heart is breaking as we watch this unspeakable event unfold in our Boulder community."Police had told people to shelter in place amid a report of an “armed, dangerous individual” about 3 miles (5 kilometers) away from the grocery store but said at the news conference later that it wasn't related to the shooting.The FBI said it’s helping in the investigation at the request of police.White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting.In a statement, the King Soopers chain offered “thoughts, prayers and support to our associates, customers, and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation. We will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement and our store will remain closed during the police investigation.”Kevin Daly, owner of Under the Sun Eatery and Pizzeria Restaurant a block or so from the supermarket, said he was in his shop when he saw police cars arriving and shoppers running from the grocery store. He said he took in several people to keep them warm, and others boarded a bus provided by Boulder police and were taken away.———BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Police say multiple people were killed in a shooting at a Colorado supermarket, including a police officer. Boulder police Cmdr. Kerry Yamaguchi said at a news conference Monday that a person of interest is in custody and is being treated. He didn’t give more details on how many people were killed or other details about the shooting. He said they’re still investigating and didn’t have details on motive.

Police release names of Colo. supermarket shooter, victims

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A Lakota activist who was arrested while leading a protest before former president Donald Trump’s visit to Mount Rushmore last year says he has negotiated with prosecutors to drop charges against him. 

The charges carried a punishment of nearly 17 years in prison.

 Nick Tilsen, the president of an Indigenous advocacy organization, tells The Associated Press that he will participate in a prison diversion program in exchange for all but one charge against him being dropped.

 He cast the deal as a victory for Indigenous organizers who have been calling for land that once belonged to tribes to be returned to tribal control.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A Lakota activist who was arrested while leading a protest before former president Donald Trump’s visit to Mount Rushmore last year says he has negotiated with prosecutors to drop charges against him. The charges carried a punishment of nearly 17 years in prison. Nick Tilsen, the president of an Indigenous advocacy organization, tells The Associated Press that he will participate in a prison diversion program in exchange for all but one charge against him being dropped. He cast the deal as a victory for Indigenous organizers who have been calling for land that once belonged to tribes to be returned to tribal control.

Lakota Mount Rushmore protester says charges being dropped

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning that a surge of coronavirus cases in Europe could foreshadow a similar surge in the United States.

Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, is urging Americans to remain cautious while the nation races to vaccinate its citizens.

In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Faucis says he is “optimistic” of the vaccines’ effectiveness and expressed hope that AstraZeneca’s vaccine could join the arsenal of inoculations.

He deemed it an “unforced error” that the company may have used outdated data in a clinical trial, perhaps casting doubt on its effectiveness. But he says Americans should take comfort knowing the FDA would conduct an independent review before it was approved for use in the United States.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610053263006.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By The Associated PressWASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning that a surge of coronavirus cases in Europe could foreshadow a similar surge in the United States.Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, is urging Americans to remain cautious while the nation races to vaccinate its citizens.In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Faucis says he is “optimistic” of the vaccines’ effectiveness and expressed hope that AstraZeneca’s vaccine could join the arsenal of inoculations.He deemed it an “unforced error” that the company may have used outdated data in a clinical trial, perhaps casting doubt on its effectiveness. But he says Americans should take comfort knowing the FDA would conduct an independent review before it was approved for use in the United States.

Dr. Fauci warns of possible virus surge in US

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden will showcase health insurance cost cuts in a speech in Ohio on Tuesday during what may be the best time for Democrats to talk up the Affordable Care Act since it became law.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-voting-voting-rights-legislation-minimum-wage-4c3ebb880b744e66a92cdd88d30ec282" target="_blank">Biden's COVID-19 relief law</a>&nbsp;pumps up "Obamacare" premium subsidies to address longstanding problems of affordability, particularly for people with solid middle-class incomes. More taxpayer assistance means, in effect, that consumers who buy their own policies through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/" target="_blank">HealthCare.gov</a>&nbsp;will pay hundreds of dollars less out of their own pockets.

"The ACA is over a decade old and this is literally the first time that Democrats have been successful at improving it," said analyst Larry Levitt of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. "Democrats have succeeded politically by selling the ACA's protections for preexisting conditions, but affordability has always been a challenge. And now Democrats have successfully improved the premium help available under the law."

Biden's speech Tuesday in Columbus, the capital of a political battleground state, is part of a mini-blitz by the White House. Newly minted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-cabinets-coronavirus-pandemic-hispanics-1e2d25d910ac52c29e5a4ce4acae0b8b" target="_blank">Health Secretary Xavier Becerra</a>&nbsp;will echo Biden's comments Tuesday in Carson City, Nevada, and join a Florida-themed Zoom event.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-husband-02f7b5d15ec8bb59fb7afa4f3dc58646" target="_blank">Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff</a>&nbsp;will pitch the relief bill in Omaha, Nebraska.

The numbers show that the Biden administration does have a product that consumers may want to hear about.

The COVID-19 legislation cuts premiums paid by a hypothetical 64-year-old making $58,000 from $1,075 a month to about $413, based on Congressional Budget Office estimates. A 45-year-old making $19,300 would pay zero in premiums as compared with about $67 on average before the law. People who have even a brief spell of unemployment this year can get a standard plan for zero premium and reduced copays and deductibles.

New and existing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-8fecf58b116db8e7bb0b894b5f0a2a88" target="_blank">customers will be able to take advantage of the savings</a>&nbsp;starting April 1 by going to HealthCare.gov. States that run their own health insurance markets will offer the same enhanced assistance, although timetables for implementation may vary.

Biden has opened a special sign-up period for uninsured people to get coverage through HealthCare.gov through May 15, and the early response has been strong. By spreading the word about the higher subsidies, the White House is hoping to super-charge enrollment. But the 11 million people who already have private plans through the health law will also benefit.

Republicans see Biden's sweeter subsidies as an example of Democratic overreach on the COVID-19 bill. Policy consultant Brian Blase, a former health care adviser in the Trump White House, expects most of the additional taxpayer assistance will merely substitute for what private households would have otherwise paid.

Their complaints notwithstanding, Republicans may face a political dilemma. The higher health care subsidies are keyed to the pandemic and expire by the end of 2022. That will let Democrats set up election-year votes to make the new benefits permanent, or add even more.

The COVID-19 bill follows Biden's strategy of building on the Obama-era health law to move the U.S. toward coverage for all.

Another provision offers a dozen or so holdout states led by Republicans a financial inducement to expand Medicaid to more low-income adults. So far there have been no takers.

It's unclear how big a dent the Biden legislation will make in the number of uninsured people, which has risen to an estimated 33 million or more.

But it represents the biggest expansion of federal help for health insurance since the ACA's enactment. Obamacare not only survived President Donald Trump's repeated attempts to tear it down, it's now getting new life.

Because health insurance is so complicated, consumers are going to have to do their homework to figure out if there's something in the legislation for them. But people who qualify for higher tax credits won't lose out. If they don't claim the enhanced assistance immediately, they're still entitled to the money when they file their 2021 tax returns next year.

Tuesday marks the 11th anniversary of then-President Barack Obama signing the Affordable Care Act. Biden, who as vice president was at Obama's side at the signing ceremony, is scheduled to tour the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute before his speech.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615492502968.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ALEXANDRA JAFFE-Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden will showcase health insurance cost cuts in a speech in Ohio on Tuesday during what may be the best time for Democrats to talk up the Affordable Care Act since it became law.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-voting-voting-rights-legislation-minimum-wage-4c3ebb880b744e66a92cdd88d30ec282" target="_blank">Biden's COVID-19 relief law</a>&nbsp;pumps up "Obamacare" premium subsidies to address longstanding problems of affordability, particularly for people with solid middle-class incomes. More taxpayer assistance means, in effect, that consumers who buy their own policies through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/" target="_blank">HealthCare.gov</a>&nbsp;will pay hundreds of dollars less out of their own pockets."The ACA is over a decade old and this is literally the first time that Democrats have been successful at improving it," said analyst Larry Levitt of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. "Democrats have succeeded politically by selling the ACA's protections for preexisting conditions, but affordability has always been a challenge. And now Democrats have successfully improved the premium help available under the law."Biden's speech Tuesday in Columbus, the capital of a political battleground state, is part of a mini-blitz by the White House. Newly minted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-cabinets-coronavirus-pandemic-hispanics-1e2d25d910ac52c29e5a4ce4acae0b8b" target="_blank">Health Secretary Xavier Becerra</a>&nbsp;will echo Biden's comments Tuesday in Carson City, Nevada, and join a Florida-themed Zoom event.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-emhoff-kamala-harris-husband-02f7b5d15ec8bb59fb7afa4f3dc58646" target="_blank">Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff</a>&nbsp;will pitch the relief bill in Omaha, Nebraska.The numbers show that the Biden administration does have a product that consumers may want to hear about.The COVID-19 legislation cuts premiums paid by a hypothetical 64-year-old making $58,000 from $1,075 a month to about $413, based on Congressional Budget Office estimates. A 45-year-old making $19,300 would pay zero in premiums as compared with about $67 on average before the law. People who have even a brief spell of unemployment this year can get a standard plan for zero premium and reduced copays and deductibles.New and existing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-8fecf58b116db8e7bb0b894b5f0a2a88" target="_blank">customers will be able to take advantage of the savings</a>&nbsp;starting April 1 by going to HealthCare.gov. States that run their own health insurance markets will offer the same enhanced assistance, although timetables for implementation may vary.Biden has opened a special sign-up period for uninsured people to get coverage through HealthCare.gov through May 15, and the early response has been strong. By spreading the word about the higher subsidies, the White House is hoping to super-charge enrollment. But the 11 million people who already have private plans through the health law will also benefit.Republicans see Biden's sweeter subsidies as an example of Democratic overreach on the COVID-19 bill. Policy consultant Brian Blase, a former health care adviser in the Trump White House, expects most of the additional taxpayer assistance will merely substitute for what private households would have otherwise paid.Their complaints notwithstanding, Republicans may face a political dilemma. The higher health care subsidies are keyed to the pandemic and expire by the end of 2022. That will let Democrats set up election-year votes to make the new benefits permanent, or add even more.The COVID-19 bill follows Biden's strategy of building on the Obama-era health law to move the U.S. toward coverage for all.Another provision offers a dozen or so holdout states led by Republicans a financial inducement to expand Medicaid to more low-income adults. So far there have been no takers.It's unclear how big a dent the Biden legislation will make in the number of uninsured people, which has risen to an estimated 33 million or more.But it represents the biggest expansion of federal help for health insurance since the ACA's enactment. Obamacare not only survived President Donald Trump's repeated attempts to tear it down, it's now getting new life.Because health insurance is so complicated, consumers are going to have to do their homework to figure out if there's something in the legislation for them. But people who qualify for higher tax credits won't lose out. If they don't claim the enhanced assistance immediately, they're still entitled to the money when they file their 2021 tax returns next year.Tuesday marks the 11th anniversary of then-President Barack Obama signing the Affordable Care Act. Biden, who as vice president was at Obama's side at the signing ceremony, is scheduled to tour the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute before his speech.

Biden to talk up health insurance cost cuts in visit to Ohio

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Police have identified a man killed in a reported shooting in Lincoln over the weekend.

Officers called Saturday to an apartment complex for a report of a disturbance found Luis Noguera, 76, of Lincoln, dead in a hallway with wounds to his head, police said in a news release Monday.

Police had said a day earlier that the wounds appeared to be from a shooting. An autopsy has been scheduled.

Police arrested 52-year-old Timothy McPeak on suspicion of second-degree murder and a weapons count. Investigators said Noguera and McPeak were both residents in the apartment building and had argued before the attack.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1561658843712.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Police have identified a man killed in a reported shooting in Lincoln over the weekend.Officers called Saturday to an apartment complex for a report of a disturbance found Luis Noguera, 76, of Lincoln, dead in a hallway with wounds to his head, police said in a news release Monday.Police had said a day earlier that the wounds appeared to be from a shooting. An autopsy has been scheduled.Police arrested 52-year-old Timothy McPeak on suspicion of second-degree murder and a weapons count. Investigators said Noguera and McPeak were both residents in the apartment building and had argued before the attack.

Police identify 76-year-old man shot to death in Lincoln

News Release Nebraska State Patrol

A wanted subject was arrested Sunday following a standoff at a residence in Superior. The operation began with an investigation by the Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office.

Sunday morning, the Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol SWAT Team to serve an arrest warrant on an individual at a home at 224 Collett Street in Superior. The suspect, identified as Clint Younger, 38, was wanted on multiple outstanding warrants.

After repeated announcements were made for Younger to voluntarily leave the home, SWAT members made entry into the home and made contact with Younger and a female subject. Both were taken into custody without further incident.

Younger was lodged in Nuckolls County Jail for the outstanding warrants. The female, identified as Stacy Delamotte, 34, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and released.&nbsp;

The entire incident lasted approximately 90 minutes. The Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office, Superior Police Department, and Nebraska State Patrol collaborated in this operation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597182198955.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Nebraska State PatrolA wanted subject was arrested Sunday following a standoff at a residence in Superior. The operation began with an investigation by the Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office.Sunday morning, the Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol SWAT Team to serve an arrest warrant on an individual at a home at 224 Collett Street in Superior. The suspect, identified as Clint Younger, 38, was wanted on multiple outstanding warrants.After repeated announcements were made for Younger to voluntarily leave the home, SWAT members made entry into the home and made contact with Younger and a female subject. Both were taken into custody without further incident.Younger was lodged in Nuckolls County Jail for the outstanding warrants. The female, identified as Stacy Delamotte, 34, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and released.&nbsp;The entire incident lasted approximately 90 minutes. The Nuckolls County Sheriff’s Office, Superior Police Department, and Nebraska State Patrol collaborated in this operation.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNEStatePatrol%2Fposts%2F10157614551787133&width=500&show_text=true&height=879&appId" width="500" height="879" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Wanted subject arrested after standoff in Superior

TOPEKA—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal weekend accident have identified the victims as 46-year-old Anthony Vardys and 47-year-old Tamara L. Vardys both of Topeka, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

Just after 10p.m. Saturday, first responders were dispatched to Highway 24 and NE Meriden Road on a report of an injury accident involving a motorcycle and a truck, according to police Lt. Matt Danielson. Both the motorcycle and the truck were transporting two occupants.

The driver of the motorcycle sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. American Medical Response transported the driver to a local hospital where he later died from injuries. The passenger of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The occupants in the other vehicle were not injured. The area surrounding Highway 24 and NE Meriden Road were closed while officers investigated.&nbsp;&nbsp;

TOPEKA—Two people died in an accident just after 10.pm. Saturday in North Topeka.

First responders were dispatched to Highway 24 and NE Meriden Road on a report of an injury accident involving a motorcycle and a truck, according to police Lt. Matt Danielson. Both the motorcycle and the truck were transporting two occupants.

The driver of the motorcycle sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. American Medical Response transported the driver to a local hospital where the victim later died from injuries. The passenger of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The occupants in the other vehicle were not injured. The area surrounding Highway 24 and NE Meriden Road were closed while officers investigated.&nbsp; Police have not released names of the victims.

TOPEKA—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal weekend accident have identified the victims as 46-year-old Anthony Vardys and 47-year-old Tamara L. Vardys both of Topeka, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.Just after 10p.m. Saturday, first responders were dispatched to Highway 24 and NE Meriden Road on a report of an injury accident involving a motorcycle and a truck, according to police Lt. Matt Danielson. Both the motorcycle and the truck were transporting two occupants.The driver of the motorcycle sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. American Medical Response transported the driver to a local hospital where he later died from injuries. The passenger of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. The occupants in the other vehicle were not injured. The area surrounding Highway 24 and NE Meriden Road were closed while officers investigated.&nbsp;&nbsp;--------------TOPEKA—Two people died in an accident just after 10.pm. Saturday in North Topeka.First responders were dispatched to Highway 24 and NE Meriden Road on a report of an injury accident involving a motorcycle and a truck, according to police Lt. Matt Danielson. Both the motorcycle and the truck were transporting two occupants.The driver of the motorcycle sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. American Medical Response transported the driver to a local hospital where the victim later died from injuries. The passenger of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. The occupants in the other vehicle were not injured. The area surrounding Highway 24 and NE Meriden Road were closed while officers investigated.&nbsp; Police have not released names of the victims.

Police ID Kan. man, woman who died after motorcycle, truck crash 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation of an accident that involved a pair of police vehicles.

While investigating a fatal Saturday night street racing accident in Wichita, officers were blocking traffic on Greenwich with patrol cars so the critical accident team could process the fatal accident scene, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Police observed a 28-year-old man driving a 2000 blue Ford F-250 northbound on Greenwich at a high rate of speed. An Eastborough officer assisting in blocking traffic flashed her flashlight to get the driver’s attention but was unsuccessful.

The F-250 side-swiped an occupied Wichita police F-350 truck and an unoccupied Wichita Police Ford Explorer patrol vehicle, causing the F-250 to overturn, according to Davidson.

The driver and his 35-year-old female passenger sustained only minor injuries. No officers were injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;Alcohol is believed to be a factor in this accident, according to officer Davidson.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation of an accident that involved a pair of police vehicles.While investigating a fatal Saturday night street racing accident in Wichita, officers were blocking traffic on Greenwich with patrol cars so the critical accident team could process the fatal accident scene, according to officer Charley Davidson.Police observed a 28-year-old man driving a 2000 blue Ford F-250 northbound on Greenwich at a high rate of speed. An Eastborough officer assisting in blocking traffic flashed her flashlight to get the driver’s attention but was unsuccessful.The F-250 side-swiped an occupied Wichita police F-350 truck and an unoccupied Wichita Police Ford Explorer patrol vehicle, causing the F-250 to overturn, according to Davidson.The driver and his 35-year-old female passenger sustained only minor injuries. No officers were injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;Alcohol is believed to be a factor in this accident, according to officer Davidson.

Alcohol a factor after Kan. police vehicles struck during investigation

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that the 
next batch of Economic Impact Payments will be issued to taxpayers this 
week, with many of these coming by paper check or prepaid debit card.

For taxpayers receiving direct deposit, this batch of payments began 
processing on Friday and will have an official pay date of Wednesday, 
March 24, with some people seeing these in their accounts earlier, 
potentially as provisional or pending deposits. A large number of this 
latest batch of payments will also be mailed, so taxpayers who do not 
receive a direct deposit by March 24 should watch the mail carefully in 
the coming weeks for a paper check or a prepaid debit card, known as an 
Economic Impact Payment Card, or EIP Card.

No action is needed by most people to obtain this round of Economic Impact Payments (EIPs). People can check the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">Get My Payment</a>&nbsp;tool on IRS.gov on to see if the their payment has been scheduled.

"The IRS continues to send the third round of stimulus payments in 
record time," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Since this new set of
 payments will include more mailed payments, we urge people to carefully
 watch their mail for a check or debit card in the coming weeks."

Following enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, the 
IRS moved quickly to start delivering the third round of Economic Impact
 Payments. The IRS initiated the first batch of the $1,400 stimulus 
payments, mostly by direct deposit, on March 12.

Today marks the second batch of payments, with additional payments 
anticipated on a weekly basis going forward. The vast majority of 
taxpayers receiving EIPs will receive it by direct deposit. In addition,
 the IRS and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service leveraged data in their 
systems to convert many payments to direct deposits that otherwise would
 have been sent as paper checks or debit cards. This accelerated the 
disbursement of these payments by weeks.

Watch the mail for paper checks, EIP Cards

Taxpayers should note that the form of payment for the third EIP may 
be different than earlier stimulus payments. More people are receiving 
direct deposits, while those receiving them in the mail may get either a
 paper check or an EIP Card – which may be different than how they 
received their previous stimulus payments. IRS and the Treasury 
Department urge eligible people who have not received a direct deposit 
to watch their mail carefully during this period.

Paper checks will arrive by mail in a white envelope from the U.S. 
Department of the Treasury. For those taxpayers who received their tax 
refund by mail, this paper check will look similar, but will be labeled 
as an "Economic Impact Payment" in the memo field.

The EIP Card will also come in a white envelope prominently 
displaying the seal of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The card has
 the Visa name on the front and the issuing bank,&nbsp;MetaBank, N.A. on the 
back. Information included with the card will explain that this is an 
Economic Impact Payment. Each mailing will include instructions on how 
to securely activate and use the card. It is important to note that none
 of the EIP cards issued for any of the three rounds is reloadable; 
recipients will receive a separate card and will not be able to reload 
funds onto an existing card. EIP Cards are safe, convenient, and secure.
 EIP Card recipients can make purchases online or in stores anywhere 
Visa Debit Cards are accepted. They can get cash from domestic 
in-network ATMs, transfer funds to a personal bank account, and obtain a
 replacement EIP Card if needed without incurring any fees. They can 
also check their card balance online, through a mobile app, or by phone 
without incurring fees. The EIP Card provides consumer protections 
against fraud, loss, and other errors. The EIP Card is sponsored by the 
Bureau of the Fiscal Service and is issued by Treasury's financial 
agent,&nbsp;MetaBank, N.A. The IRS does not determine who receives a prepaid 
debit card.

More information about these cards is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eipcard.com/">EIPcard.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that the 
next batch of Economic Impact Payments will be issued to taxpayers this 
week, with many of these coming by paper check or prepaid debit card.For taxpayers receiving direct deposit, this batch of payments began 
processing on Friday and will have an official pay date of Wednesday, 
March 24, with some people seeing these in their accounts earlier, 
potentially as provisional or pending deposits. A large number of this 
latest batch of payments will also be mailed, so taxpayers who do not 
receive a direct deposit by March 24 should watch the mail carefully in 
the coming weeks for a paper check or a prepaid debit card, known as an 
Economic Impact Payment Card, or EIP Card.No action is needed by most people to obtain this round of Economic Impact Payments (EIPs). People can check the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">Get My Payment</a>&nbsp;tool on IRS.gov on to see if the their payment has been scheduled."The IRS continues to send the third round of stimulus payments in 
record time," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Since this new set of
 payments will include more mailed payments, we urge people to carefully
 watch their mail for a check or debit card in the coming weeks."Following enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, the 
IRS moved quickly to start delivering the third round of Economic Impact
 Payments. The IRS initiated the first batch of the $1,400 stimulus 
payments, mostly by direct deposit, on March 12.Today marks the second batch of payments, with additional payments 
anticipated on a weekly basis going forward. The vast majority of 
taxpayers receiving EIPs will receive it by direct deposit. In addition,
 the IRS and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service leveraged data in their 
systems to convert many payments to direct deposits that otherwise would
 have been sent as paper checks or debit cards. This accelerated the 
disbursement of these payments by weeks.<h2>Watch the mail for paper checks, EIP Cards</h2>Taxpayers should note that the form of payment for the third EIP may 
be different than earlier stimulus payments. More people are receiving 
direct deposits, while those receiving them in the mail may get either a
 paper check or an EIP Card – which may be different than how they 
received their previous stimulus payments. IRS and the Treasury 
Department urge eligible people who have not received a direct deposit 
to watch their mail carefully during this period.Paper checks will arrive by mail in a white envelope from the U.S. 
Department of the Treasury. For those taxpayers who received their tax 
refund by mail, this paper check will look similar, but will be labeled 
as an "Economic Impact Payment" in the memo field.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616432859263.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The EIP Card will also come in a white envelope prominently 
displaying the seal of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The card has
 the Visa name on the front and the issuing bank,&nbsp;MetaBank, N.A. on the 
back. Information included with the card will explain that this is an 
Economic Impact Payment. Each mailing will include instructions on how 
to securely activate and use the card. It is important to note that none
 of the EIP cards issued for any of the three rounds is reloadable; 
recipients will receive a separate card and will not be able to reload 
funds onto an existing card. EIP Cards are safe, convenient, and secure.
 EIP Card recipients can make purchases online or in stores anywhere 
Visa Debit Cards are accepted. They can get cash from domestic 
in-network ATMs, transfer funds to a personal bank account, and obtain a
 replacement EIP Card if needed without incurring any fees. They can 
also check their card balance online, through a mobile app, or by phone 
without incurring fees. The EIP Card provides consumer protections 
against fraud, loss, and other errors. The EIP Card is sponsored by the 
Bureau of the Fiscal Service and is issued by Treasury's financial 
agent,&nbsp;MetaBank, N.A. The IRS does not determine who receives a prepaid 
debit card.More information about these cards is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eipcard.com/">EIPcard.com</a>.

IRS: Next round of stimulus payments via check or debit cards

LONDON (AP) — AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease across all age groups in a late-stage study in the United States, the company announced Monday.

AstraZeneca said its experts did not identify any safety concerns related to the vaccine, including finding no increased risk of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-regulator-review-astrazeneca-shot-blood-clot-links-437190969ed016e40bdfcbb4b63fc7a9">rare blood clots identified in Europe</a>.

Although AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been authorized in more than 50 countries, it has not yet been given the green light in the U.S. — and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-pause-astrazeneca-doubt-elsewhere-3ae7c1aca20f36c03cacbe7c3f23d1a7">struggled to gain public trust</a>&nbsp;amid a troubled rollout. The study comprised more than 30,000 volunteers, of whom two-thirds were given the vaccine while the rest got dummy shots.

In a statement, AstraZeneca said its COVID-19 vaccine had a 79% efficacy rate at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and was 100% effective in stopping severe disease and hospitalization, though it has not yet published full data. Investigators said the vaccine was effective across all ages, including older people — something previous studies in other countries had failed to establish. Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were given to people four weeks apart.

“These findings reconfirm previous results observed,” said Ann Falsey of the University of Rochester School of Medicine who helped lead the trial. “It’s exciting to see similar efficacy results in people over 65 for the first time.”

The AstraZeneca shot is a pillar of a U.N.-backed project known as COVAX that aims to get COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries, and it has also become a key tool in European countries’ efforts to boost their sluggish vaccine rollouts.

The early findings from the U.S. study are just one set of information AstraZeneca must submit to the Food and Drug Administration. An FDA advisory committee will publicly debate the evidence behind the shots before the agency decides whether to allow emergency use of the vaccine. In the past, the time between a company revealing efficacy data and a shot being authorized in the U.S. has been about a month.

Julian Tang, a virologist at the University of Leicester who was not connected to the study, described the results as “good news” for the vaccine.

“The earlier U.K., Brazil, South Africa trials had a more variable and inconsistent design and it was thought that the U.S. FDA would never approve the use of the AZ vaccine on this basis, but now the U.S. clinical trial has confirmed the efficacy of this vaccine in their own clinical trials,” he said.

Scientists have been awaiting results of the U.S. study in hopes it will clear up some of the confusion about just how well the shots really work, particularly in older people. Previous research suggested the vaccine was effective in younger populations, but there were no solid data proving its efficacy in those over 65, often those most vulnerable to COVID-19.

Britain first authorized the vaccine based on partial results from testing in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa that suggested the shots were about 70% effective. But those results were clouded by a manufacturing mistake that led some participants to get just a half dose in their first shot — an error the researchers didn’t immediately acknowledge.

Then came more questions, about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-authorizes-astrazeneca-vaccine-adults-18b545dd51ea56f422ff28cdeb2dd08b">how well the vaccine protected older adults</a>&nbsp;and how long to wait before the second dose. Some European countries including Germany, France and Belgium initially withheld the shot from older adults and only reversed their decisions after new data suggested it was offering seniors protection.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine development was rocky in the U.S., too. Last fall, the Food and Drug Administration suspended the company’s study for an unusual six weeks, as frustrated regulators sought information about some neurologic complaints reported in Britain; ultimately, there was no evidence the vaccine was to blame.

Last week, more than a dozen countries, mostly in Europe, temporarily suspended their use of the AstraZeneca shot after reports it was linked to blood clots. On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency concluded after an investigation that the vaccine did not raise the overall risk of blood clots, but could not rule out that it was connected to two very rare types of clots. It recommended adding a warning about these cases to the vaccine’s leaflet.

It’s not unheard of for such rare problems to crop up as vaccines are rolled out since trials typically look at tens of thousands of people, and some issues are only seen once the shot is used in millions of people.

France, Germany, Italy and other countries subsequently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-germany-coronavirus-pandemic-08d5b84cdd1ceddf1557f68f61332c26">resumed their use of the shot</a>&nbsp;on Friday, with senior politicians rolling up their sleeves to show the vaccine was safe.

AstraZeneca said it would continue to analyze the U.S. data before submitting it to the FDA in the coming weeks. It said the data would also soon be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is what scientists call a “viral vector” vaccine. The shots are made with a harmless virus, a cold virus that normally infects chimpanzees. It acts like a Trojan horse to carry the spike protein’s genetic material into the body, which in turn produces some harmless protein. That primes the immune system to fight if the real virus comes along.

Two other companies, Johnson &amp; Johnson and China’s CanSino Biologics, make COVID-19 vaccines using the same technology but using different cold viruses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616409995625.png" alt="Photo courtesy AstraZeneca" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy AstraZeneca</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease across all age groups in a late-stage study in the United States, the company announced Monday.AstraZeneca said its experts did not identify any safety concerns related to the vaccine, including finding no increased risk of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-regulator-review-astrazeneca-shot-blood-clot-links-437190969ed016e40bdfcbb4b63fc7a9">rare blood clots identified in Europe</a>.Although AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been authorized in more than 50 countries, it has not yet been given the green light in the U.S. — and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-pause-astrazeneca-doubt-elsewhere-3ae7c1aca20f36c03cacbe7c3f23d1a7">struggled to gain public trust</a>&nbsp;amid a troubled rollout. The study comprised more than 30,000 volunteers, of whom two-thirds were given the vaccine while the rest got dummy shots.In a statement, AstraZeneca said its COVID-19 vaccine had a 79% efficacy rate at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and was 100% effective in stopping severe disease and hospitalization, though it has not yet published full data. Investigators said the vaccine was effective across all ages, including older people — something previous studies in other countries had failed to establish. Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were given to people four weeks apart.“These findings reconfirm previous results observed,” said Ann Falsey of the University of Rochester School of Medicine who helped lead the trial. “It’s exciting to see similar efficacy results in people over 65 for the first time.”The AstraZeneca shot is a pillar of a U.N.-backed project known as COVAX that aims to get COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries, and it has also become a key tool in European countries’ efforts to boost their sluggish vaccine rollouts.The early findings from the U.S. study are just one set of information AstraZeneca must submit to the Food and Drug Administration. An FDA advisory committee will publicly debate the evidence behind the shots before the agency decides whether to allow emergency use of the vaccine. In the past, the time between a company revealing efficacy data and a shot being authorized in the U.S. has been about a month.Julian Tang, a virologist at the University of Leicester who was not connected to the study, described the results as “good news” for the vaccine.“The earlier U.K., Brazil, South Africa trials had a more variable and inconsistent design and it was thought that the U.S. FDA would never approve the use of the AZ vaccine on this basis, but now the U.S. clinical trial has confirmed the efficacy of this vaccine in their own clinical trials,” he said.Scientists have been awaiting results of the U.S. study in hopes it will clear up some of the confusion about just how well the shots really work, particularly in older people. Previous research suggested the vaccine was effective in younger populations, but there were no solid data proving its efficacy in those over 65, often those most vulnerable to COVID-19.Britain first authorized the vaccine based on partial results from testing in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa that suggested the shots were about 70% effective. But those results were clouded by a manufacturing mistake that led some participants to get just a half dose in their first shot — an error the researchers didn’t immediately acknowledge.Then came more questions, about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-authorizes-astrazeneca-vaccine-adults-18b545dd51ea56f422ff28cdeb2dd08b">how well the vaccine protected older adults</a>&nbsp;and how long to wait before the second dose. Some European countries including Germany, France and Belgium initially withheld the shot from older adults and only reversed their decisions after new data suggested it was offering seniors protection.AstraZeneca’s vaccine development was rocky in the U.S., too. Last fall, the Food and Drug Administration suspended the company’s study for an unusual six weeks, as frustrated regulators sought information about some neurologic complaints reported in Britain; ultimately, there was no evidence the vaccine was to blame.Last week, more than a dozen countries, mostly in Europe, temporarily suspended their use of the AstraZeneca shot after reports it was linked to blood clots. On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency concluded after an investigation that the vaccine did not raise the overall risk of blood clots, but could not rule out that it was connected to two very rare types of clots. It recommended adding a warning about these cases to the vaccine’s leaflet.It’s not unheard of for such rare problems to crop up as vaccines are rolled out since trials typically look at tens of thousands of people, and some issues are only seen once the shot is used in millions of people.France, Germany, Italy and other countries subsequently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-germany-coronavirus-pandemic-08d5b84cdd1ceddf1557f68f61332c26">resumed their use of the shot</a>&nbsp;on Friday, with senior politicians rolling up their sleeves to show the vaccine was safe.AstraZeneca said it would continue to analyze the U.S. data before submitting it to the FDA in the coming weeks. It said the data would also soon be published in a peer-reviewed journal.The AstraZeneca vaccine is what scientists call a “viral vector” vaccine. The shots are made with a harmless virus, a cold virus that normally infects chimpanzees. It acts like a Trojan horse to carry the spike protein’s genetic material into the body, which in turn produces some harmless protein. That primes the immune system to fight if the real virus comes along.Two other companies, Johnson &amp; Johnson and China’s CanSino Biologics, make COVID-19 vaccines using the same technology but using different cold viruses.___

AstraZeneca: US data shows vaccine effective for all ages

WASHINGTON (AP) — Responding to concerns from state officials, the U.S. Treasury Department said that states can cut taxes without penalty under a new federal pandemic relief law — so long as they use their own funds to offset those cuts.

Republican governors, lawmakers and attorneys general have expressed apprehension about a provision in the wide-ranging relief act signed by President Joe Biden that prohibits states from using $195 billion of federal aid “to either directly or indirectly offset a reduction” in net tax revenue. The restriction could apply through 2024.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, on Wednesday asked a federal judge to block the tax-cut provision.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-personal-taxes-arizona-coronavirus-pandemic-west-virginia-d924f907e9879189289d4b5d4ae846df">Republican attorneys general from 21 other states</a>&nbsp;wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen seeking clarification on the prohibition, which they said could be construed “to deny states the ability to cut taxes in any manner whatsoever.”

A treasury spokesperson told The Associated Press that the provision isn’t meant as a blanket prohibition on tax cuts. States can still offset tax reductions through other means.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616028076289.png" alt="“I’m glad that we can’t use this money for tax cuts,” Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said. “I don’t think we should do tax cuts anyway at this point as we are recovering from this pandemic.”" />
 <figcaption>“I’m glad that we can’t use this money for tax cuts,” Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said. “I don’t think we should do tax cuts anyway at this point as we are recovering from this pandemic.”</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Responding to concerns from state officials, the U.S. Treasury Department said that states can cut taxes without penalty under a new federal pandemic relief law — so long as they use their own funds to offset those cuts.Republican governors, lawmakers and attorneys general have expressed apprehension about a provision in the wide-ranging relief act signed by President Joe Biden that prohibits states from using $195 billion of federal aid “to either directly or indirectly offset a reduction” in net tax revenue. The restriction could apply through 2024.Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, on Wednesday asked a federal judge to block the tax-cut provision.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-personal-taxes-arizona-coronavirus-pandemic-west-virginia-d924f907e9879189289d4b5d4ae846df">Republican attorneys general from 21 other states</a>&nbsp;wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen seeking clarification on the prohibition, which they said could be construed “to deny states the ability to cut taxes in any manner whatsoever.”A treasury spokesperson told The Associated Press that the provision isn’t meant as a blanket prohibition on tax cuts. States can still offset tax reductions through other means.“In other words, states are free to make policy decisions to cut taxes – they just cannot use the pandemic relief funds to pay for those tax cuts,” the Treasury Department said.The treasury’s application of the law could provide clearance for some tax cuts, such as Missouri legislation that would expand online sales taxes to offset proposed income tax reductions in 2023. Republican Sen. Andrew Koenig said he thinks his legislation is OK but has asked the state attorney general for guidance on whether it could run afoul of the federal law.“To say that we’re cutting taxes because of the (federal) money would be a ridiculous argument,” Koenig said, “because this is an entire package that is completely separate.”Top Republicans in the Kansas Legislature have made income tax cuts a priority for several years. House Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch recently decried the federal government’s attempts to guide state tax policy.“It absolutely should be up to the states to decide what their tax rates are and how much their citizens have to pay in taxes,” Finch said.But Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed two GOP tax-cutting bills in 2019, welcomed the restrictions on using federal pandemic aid to offset tax cuts. She said Kansas is still “digging out” from budget shortfalls that followed a tax-cutting experiment in 2012-13 under former GOP Gov. Sam Brownback.“I’m glad that we can’t use this money for tax cuts,” Kelly said. “I don’t think we should do tax cuts anyway at this point as we are recovering from this pandemic.”Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said formal guidance from the Treasury Department will be critical in determining how much flexibility exists for states. The Republican governor, however, wants lawmakers to move forward with his proposal to set aside $50 million for tax reductions, including a cut to sales taxes on used vehicles.“We should not let federal restrictions weigh in on that direction we’re going as a state,” Hutchinson said.The nonprofit Tax Foundation said in an analysis last week that state tax cuts financed by natural growth in state revenue or new tax hikes likely are fine under the federal law. But it said questions could arise if states use the aid to pay public health workers, freeing existing state revenue and contributing to a surplus that helps finance a tax cut.Yost said he sued because “the federal government should be encouraging states to innovate and grow business, not holding vital relief funding hostage to its preferred pro-tax policies.”Legislatures in numerous states are considering tax cuts this year.The Republican-led Oklahoma House last week passed bills to reduce the corporate and individual income tax rates and restore the ability for a refund of the earned income tax credit. The Oklahoma Tax Commission estimates those bills could cost the state $103 million next year and $284 million the following year. But the House speaker’s office said a $1 billion surplus gives the state plenty of room to offset potential tax cuts.The Republican-controlled Mississippi House has passed legislation that would phase out the state income tax, cut the grocery tax in half and increase the sales tax on most items. The plan faces opposition in the GOP-led Senate, but so does the federal limitation on state tax reductions.“Our tax policy needs to be formulated on what’s best for Mississippi, not ... as the winds blow from D.C.,” said Sen. Josh Harkins, a Republican who is chairman of the state Senate Finance Committee.Georgia Republicans are working on a $140 million annual cut that would raise the income threshold at which taxes begin. Some Republicans also are maneuvering to cut the top income tax rate. That plan, which was shelved last year among fears of a sharp drop in state revenue, would forgo more than $500 million a year. Proposed business tax incentives also are moving through the Legislature.Louisiana’s Republican-led Legislature plans to debate a tax overhaul during its session that begins in mid-April. GOP leaders have said they want to keep it as close to “revenue neutral” as possible, and Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has said he won’t support any package that cuts revenue.“But we fear the provisions in the federal law could put this work in jeopardy,” said Dawn Starns McVea, the Louisiana director of the National Federation of Independent Business.The federal law’s tax cut provision also has created uncertainty in Utah, where the Republican-led Legislature passed $100 million in tax cuts this year benefitting families, veterans and older residents receiving Social Security. The state Tax Commission chairman said the reductions would have happened regardless of whether Utah received federal coronavirus relief, but Republican Attorney General Sean Reyes said those tax cuts are “now at risk” because of the federal law.Under the law, states that use part of their aid to offset tax reductions could have to repay an equal amount to the federal government. Because of uncertainty over what could trigger that, the Republican chairman of South Carolina’s House budget-writing committee said he plans to move slowly in using the federal money.“If you put it toward replenishing unemployment, is that considered a tax cut for businesses?” Rep. Murrell Smith said. “If you wanted to set up a small business grant program, is that going to be ... a tax cut for small business owners?”___