WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s education chief said he’s open to using “whatever levers” are available — including federal money — to discourage colleges from giving admissions preference to the children of alumni and donors.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said legacy admissions must be revisited for the sake of diversity on campuses following the recent Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-race-f83d6318017ec9b9029b12ee2256e744">ruling against affirmative action</a>. In a step beyond his previous comments, Cardona said he would consider taking stronger action to deter the practice.

“I would be interested in pulling whatever levers I can pull as secretary of Education to ensure that, especially if we’re giving out financial aid and loans, that we’re doing it for institutions that are providing value,” Cardona said Wednesday. He made the remark when asked about using federal money as a carrot or rod on legacy admissions.

Legacy admissions, long seen as a perk for the white and wealthy at selective colleges, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-legacy-college-admissions-5d6f34a13045752c6a37db67c66c7d63">come under renewed fire</a>&nbsp;since the ruling in June that colleges can no longer consider the race of applicants. By banning affirmative action but allowing legacy preferences, critics say the court left admissions even more lopsided against students of color.

Cardona didn’t elaborate on his options, but the federal government oversees vast sums of money that go to colleges in the form of student financial aid and research grants. The Education Department can also issue fines for civil rights violations, including racial discrimination.

The agency recently opened an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legacy-admissions-harvard-affirmative-action-diversity-24321f3814d5feec6d380d18c8b6c2e1">investigation at Harvard University</a>&nbsp;after a federal complaint alleged that legacy admissions amount to racial discrimination.

A handful of small colleges have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wesleyan-legacy-admissions-21f7781a961bd784e14dd7752a79d860">disavowed legacy admissions</a>&nbsp;in the wake of the affirmative action decision, but there’s been no sign of change in the upper echelons of America’s universities.

Some colleges and alumni defend the practice, saying it builds community and encourages fundraising. And as campuses become more diverse, they argue, the benefit increasingly extends to students of color and their families.

Cardona, who attended a technical high school and earned his bachelor's degree from Central Connecticut State University, has added his voice to the advocates, civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers denouncing the practice.

“Your last name could get you into a school, or the fact that you can write a check could get you into a school,” he said. But using affirmative action to promote diversity — “that tool was taken away.”

Still, he shied away from supporting a ban of the type proposed by some Democrats in Congress and in several states. Cardona sees it as a matter of local control, with universities having the final decision.

“There is no edict coming from the secretary of Education,” he said.

Without action, Cardona warned that the nation could face the same&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">setbacks seen in California</a>&nbsp;after it ended affirmative action in 1996. The state’s most selective colleges saw steep decreases in Black and Latino enrollment, and the numbers never fully rebounded.

“If we go the route that California went when they abolished affirmative action, what chance do we have competing against China?” Cardona said. “This is more than just ensuring diverse learning environments. This is about our strength as a country.”

Advocates have also pushed the Education Department to start collecting data showing the number and demographics of legacy students.

“I was hopeful we’d be seeing more colleges volunteering to drop it,” said James Murphy, a deputy director at Education Reform Now, a nonprofit think tank. “I think I think they’ve got to keep the pressure on and shine a light on it.”

— Cardona said during the interview that students should be taught about the impact of slavery, including effects that linger today. When slavery ended, it didn't end the belief in some that African Americans were inferior, and the country is still seeing the effects of unfair housing and lending policies adopted in more recent decades, he said.

“What we don’t want to do is hide the truth and act as if it didn’t happen, or that when it ended, everything was fine. I definitely don’t want to teach that there were some benefits to that for those who were enslaved,” he said.

His remarks were a veiled reference to new education standards in Florida, endorsed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, that require instruction that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-slavery-election-2024-1fb51d663e6051051aa23b71421b9479">enslaved people developed skills</a>&nbsp;that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”

Conservatives in many states have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-education-critical-race-theory-5d21ebb41d7870930cb0d76279814236">pushed for restrictions</a>&nbsp;around how schools address topics related to race and slavery.

— He said “schools should be open, period,” even if there is a new COVID-19 surge. “I worry about government overreach, sending down edicts that will lead to school closures because either folks are afraid to go in or are infected and can’t go,” he said.

He said the sense of community was lost when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1ae">schools closed</a>&nbsp;early in the pandemic, and that in-person instruction “should not be sacrificed for ideology.”

— Cardona declined to speculate on what the administration’s new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-biden-democrats-gop-campaign-2024-37c7a2c3dbd38dc4bf53c3333413bcd7">student loan forgiveness proposal</a>&nbsp;might look like or whether a final regulation could be in place before the 2024 presidential election. “We are going to work as quickly as possible,” he said. “We know there are students that are waiting, borrowers that are waiting. So many folks are struggling right now to get back up.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695409773117.png" alt="Sec. Cardona and University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod during a visit to the campus earlier this month-photo KU" />
 <figcaption>Sec. Cardona and University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod during a visit to the campus earlier this month-photo KU</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s education chief said he’s open to using “whatever levers” are available — including federal money — to discourage colleges from giving admissions preference to the children of alumni and donors.In an interview with The Associated Press, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said legacy admissions must be revisited for the sake of diversity on campuses following the recent Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-race-f83d6318017ec9b9029b12ee2256e744">ruling against affirmative action</a>. In a step beyond his previous comments, Cardona said he would consider taking stronger action to deter the practice.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It was great to be at the <a href="https://twitter.com/UnivOfKansas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnivOfKansas</a> in Lawrence to kick off our annual <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EdBusTour23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EdBusTour23</a>. With students and educators like you, I know we can raise the bar together. <a href="https://t.co/KWIwgH3PxS">pic.twitter.com/KWIwgH3PxS</a>&mdash; Secretary Miguel Cardona (@SecCardona) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecCardona/status/1699195872435679627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I would be interested in pulling whatever levers I can pull as secretary of Education to ensure that, especially if we’re giving out financial aid and loans, that we’re doing it for institutions that are providing value,” Cardona said Wednesday. He made the remark when asked about using federal money as a carrot or rod on legacy admissions.Legacy admissions, long seen as a perk for the white and wealthy at selective colleges, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-legacy-college-admissions-5d6f34a13045752c6a37db67c66c7d63">come under renewed fire</a>&nbsp;since the ruling in June that colleges can no longer consider the race of applicants. By banning affirmative action but allowing legacy preferences, critics say the court left admissions even more lopsided against students of color.Cardona didn’t elaborate on his options, but the federal government oversees vast sums of money that go to colleges in the form of student financial aid and research grants. The Education Department can also issue fines for civil rights violations, including racial discrimination.The agency recently opened an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legacy-admissions-harvard-affirmative-action-diversity-24321f3814d5feec6d380d18c8b6c2e1">investigation at Harvard University</a>&nbsp;after a federal complaint alleged that legacy admissions amount to racial discrimination.A handful of small colleges have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wesleyan-legacy-admissions-21f7781a961bd784e14dd7752a79d860">disavowed legacy admissions</a>&nbsp;in the wake of the affirmative action decision, but there’s been no sign of change in the upper echelons of America’s universities.Some colleges and alumni defend the practice, saying it builds community and encourages fundraising. And as campuses become more diverse, they argue, the benefit increasingly extends to students of color and their families.Cardona, who attended a technical high school and earned his bachelor's degree from Central Connecticut State University, has added his voice to the advocates, civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers denouncing the practice.“Your last name could get you into a school, or the fact that you can write a check could get you into a school,” he said. But using affirmative action to promote diversity — “that tool was taken away.”Still, he shied away from supporting a ban of the type proposed by some Democrats in Congress and in several states. Cardona sees it as a matter of local control, with universities having the final decision.“There is no edict coming from the secretary of Education,” he said.Without action, Cardona warned that the nation could face the same&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">setbacks seen in California</a>&nbsp;after it ended affirmative action in 1996. The state’s most selective colleges saw steep decreases in Black and Latino enrollment, and the numbers never fully rebounded.“If we go the route that California went when they abolished affirmative action, what chance do we have competing against China?” Cardona said. “This is more than just ensuring diverse learning environments. This is about our strength as a country.”Advocates have also pushed the Education Department to start collecting data showing the number and demographics of legacy students.“I was hopeful we’d be seeing more colleges volunteering to drop it,” said James Murphy, a deputy director at Education Reform Now, a nonprofit think tank. “I think I think they’ve got to keep the pressure on and shine a light on it.”On other issues:— Cardona said during the interview that students should be taught about the impact of slavery, including effects that linger today. When slavery ended, it didn't end the belief in some that African Americans were inferior, and the country is still seeing the effects of unfair housing and lending policies adopted in more recent decades, he said.“What we don’t want to do is hide the truth and act as if it didn’t happen, or that when it ended, everything was fine. I definitely don’t want to teach that there were some benefits to that for those who were enslaved,” he said.His remarks were a veiled reference to new education standards in Florida, endorsed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, that require instruction that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-slavery-election-2024-1fb51d663e6051051aa23b71421b9479">enslaved people developed skills</a>&nbsp;that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”Conservatives in many states have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-education-critical-race-theory-5d21ebb41d7870930cb0d76279814236">pushed for restrictions</a>&nbsp;around how schools address topics related to race and slavery.— He said “schools should be open, period,” even if there is a new COVID-19 surge. “I worry about government overreach, sending down edicts that will lead to school closures because either folks are afraid to go in or are infected and can’t go,” he said.He said the sense of community was lost when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1ae">schools closed</a>&nbsp;early in the pandemic, and that in-person instruction “should not be sacrificed for ideology.”— Cardona declined to speculate on what the administration’s new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-biden-democrats-gop-campaign-2024-37c7a2c3dbd38dc4bf53c3333413bcd7">student loan forgiveness proposal</a>&nbsp;might look like or whether a final regulation could be in place before the 2024 presidential election. “We are going to work as quickly as possible,” he said. “We know there are students that are waiting, borrowers that are waiting. So many folks are struggling right now to get back up.”___

U.S. ed chief considers new ways to discourage college admissions preference for kids of alumni

WASHINGTON (AP) —The landmark&nbsp;<a href="https://cathedral.org/">Washington National Cathedral</a>&nbsp;unveiled new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-race-and-ethnicity-james-marshall-kerry-james-marshall-4f3ef320f410c9090acb540fa925bc2e">stained-glass windows</a>&nbsp;Saturday with a theme of racial justice, filling the space that had once held four windows honoring Confederate Gens.&nbsp;<a href="https://cathedral.org/about/news-media/cathedral-loans-robert-e-lee-stained-glass-window-to-smithsonian/">Robert E. Lee</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/thomas-j-stonewall-jackson.htm">Stonewall Jackson.</a>

Click below to watch the window dedication ceremony)

The new windows depict a march for justice by African Americans, descendants of the very people who would have remained in slavery after the Civil War if the side for which the officers fought had prevailed.

The cathedral had removed the old windows after Confederate symbols featured prominently in recent racist violence.

The dedication service was attended by many clergy from the Washington area's historically Black churches, as well as leaders of social justice organizations. The prayers, Bible readings and brief speeches were interspersed with gospel music and spirituals, as well as the contemporary song, “Heal Our Land.”

Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a>, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, read excerpts from the Rev. Martin Luther King' Jr.'s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.csuchico.edu/iege/_assets/documents/susi-letter-from-birmingham-jail.pdf">“Letter from Birmingham Jail”</a>&nbsp;from 1963.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” she read from King's famed message while jailed in Alabama. “The goal of America is freedom. ... We will win our freedom.” A week earlier, she had spoken at the 60th anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-church-bombing-ketanji-brown-jackson-97b6e7d97d8ca40e8328293eec6eebbd">Birmingham church bombing</a>&nbsp;that killed four young Black girls.

The new windows, titled “Now and Forever," are based on a design by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-race-and-ethnicity-james-marshall-kerry-james-marshall-4f3ef320f410c9090acb540fa925bc2e">artist Kerry James Marshall</a>. Stained glass artisan Andrew Goldkuhle crafted the windows based on that design.

In the new work, African Americans are shown marching — on foot or in a wheelchair — from left to right across the four windows. Some march in profile; some directly face the viewer with signs proclaiming “FAIRNESS” and “NO FOUL PLAY.” Light floods in through the sky-bright panes of white and blue above the figures.

Marshall, who was born in Birmingham in 1955, invited anyone viewing the new windows, or other artworks inspired by social justice, “to imagine oneself as a subject and an author of a never-ending story is that is still yet to be told.”

The setting is particularly significant in the massive neo-Gothic cathedral, which regularly hosts ceremonies tied to major national events. It is filled with iconography depicting the American story in glass, stone and other media. Images range from presidents to famous cultural figures and state symbols.

But the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/robert-e-lee-and-slavery.htm">Lee</a>&nbsp;and Jackson windows “were telling a story that was not a true story,” according to the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of the cathedral. They were installed in 1953 and donated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy,

The windows extolled generals fighting for a cause that sought to “enshrine slavery in our country for all time,” Hollerith said.

He added: “You can't call yourself the National Cathedral, a house of prayer for all people, when there are windows in there that are deeply offensive to a large portion of Americans.”

The cathedral has accompanied the window replacement with a number of public forums discussing the legacy of racism and how monuments were used to burnish the image of the Confederacy as a noble “Lost Cause.”

The new windows will also be accompanied by a poem by scholar Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation. The poem “American Song” will be engraved beneath the windows.

“A single voice raised, then another,” it says. “We must tell the truth about our history. ... May this portal be where the light comes in.”

Alexander said in an interview Friday that the poem referred both to the literal light from the windows, which she said beautifully illumines the surrounding stonework, and the figurative light that “enables us to see each other wholly and in community.”

The setting is important in a sanctuary that is also “a communal space, a space that tourists visit, a space where the nation mourns,” Alexander said. “The story (the windows) tell is one of collective movement, of progress, of people struggling and asserting the values of fairness for all."

The old windows' removal followed the use of Confederate imagery by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dylann-roof-sentenced-death-for-killing-9-church-members-ba912545b5dc40729c80328d598ac550">the racist gunman</a>&nbsp;who massacred members of a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and by marchers at a 2017 far-right rally in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wv-state-wire-violence-charlottesville-race-and-ethnicity-charlottesville-a-year-later-59e503c23fb3434c8a1f0950539484d6">Charlottesville, Virginia</a>, that ended with a counterprotester's death.

The original windows, complete with Confederate battle flags, had depicted Lee and Jackson as saintlike figures, with Lee bathed in rays of heavenly light and Jackson welcomed by trumpets into paradise after his death. Those windows are now stored by the cathedral.

The cathedral also is the seat of the Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop and Diocese of Washington.

The bishop of the diocese, the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, joined Hollerith in delivering opening remarks at the dedication.

Hollerith recalled the decision to remove the Confederate windows.

“They were antithetical to our call to be a house of prayer for all,” he said, adding, “There is a lot of work yet to be done.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695516004624.png" alt="The dedication service was attended by many clergy from the Washington area's historically Black churches, as well as leaders of social justice organizations.-image from the video of the ceremony&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The dedication service was attended by many clergy from the Washington area's historically Black churches, as well as leaders of social justice organizations.-image from the video of the ceremony&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The landmark&nbsp;<a href="https://cathedral.org/">Washington National Cathedral</a>&nbsp;unveiled new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-race-and-ethnicity-james-marshall-kerry-james-marshall-4f3ef320f410c9090acb540fa925bc2e">stained-glass windows</a>&nbsp;Saturday with a theme of racial justice, filling the space that had once held four windows honoring Confederate Gens.&nbsp;<a href="https://cathedral.org/about/news-media/cathedral-loans-robert-e-lee-stained-glass-window-to-smithsonian/">Robert E. Lee</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/thomas-j-stonewall-jackson.htm">Stonewall Jackson.</a>Click below to watch the window dedication ceremony)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_vANa0KU4Kw?si=qD-r-_aJyxM4PaFc&amp;start=409" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The new windows depict a march for justice by African Americans, descendants of the very people who would have remained in slavery after the Civil War if the side for which the officers fought had prevailed.The cathedral had removed the old windows after Confederate symbols featured prominently in recent racist violence.The dedication service was attended by many clergy from the Washington area's historically Black churches, as well as leaders of social justice organizations. The prayers, Bible readings and brief speeches were interspersed with gospel music and spirituals, as well as the contemporary song, “Heal Our Land.”Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a>, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, read excerpts from the Rev. Martin Luther King' Jr.'s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.csuchico.edu/iege/_assets/documents/susi-letter-from-birmingham-jail.pdf">“Letter from Birmingham Jail”</a>&nbsp;from 1963.“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” she read from King's famed message while jailed in Alabama. “The goal of America is freedom. ... We will win our freedom.” A week earlier, she had spoken at the 60th anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-church-bombing-ketanji-brown-jackson-97b6e7d97d8ca40e8328293eec6eebbd">Birmingham church bombing</a>&nbsp;that killed four young Black girls.The new windows, titled “Now and Forever," are based on a design by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-race-and-ethnicity-james-marshall-kerry-james-marshall-4f3ef320f410c9090acb540fa925bc2e">artist Kerry James Marshall</a>. Stained glass artisan Andrew Goldkuhle crafted the windows based on that design.In the new work, African Americans are shown marching — on foot or in a wheelchair — from left to right across the four windows. Some march in profile; some directly face the viewer with signs proclaiming “FAIRNESS” and “NO FOUL PLAY.” Light floods in through the sky-bright panes of white and blue above the figures.Marshall, who was born in Birmingham in 1955, invited anyone viewing the new windows, or other artworks inspired by social justice, “to imagine oneself as a subject and an author of a never-ending story is that is still yet to be told.”The setting is particularly significant in the massive neo-Gothic cathedral, which regularly hosts ceremonies tied to major national events. It is filled with iconography depicting the American story in glass, stone and other media. Images range from presidents to famous cultural figures and state symbols.But the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/robert-e-lee-and-slavery.htm">Lee</a>&nbsp;and Jackson windows “were telling a story that was not a true story,” according to the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of the cathedral. They were installed in 1953 and donated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy,The windows extolled generals fighting for a cause that sought to “enshrine slavery in our country for all time,” Hollerith said.He added: “You can't call yourself the National Cathedral, a house of prayer for all people, when there are windows in there that are deeply offensive to a large portion of Americans.”The cathedral has accompanied the window replacement with a number of public forums discussing the legacy of racism and how monuments were used to burnish the image of the Confederacy as a noble “Lost Cause.”The new windows will also be accompanied by a poem by scholar Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation. The poem “American Song” will be engraved beneath the windows.“A single voice raised, then another,” it says. “We must tell the truth about our history. ... May this portal be where the light comes in.”Alexander said in an interview Friday that the poem referred both to the literal light from the windows, which she said beautifully illumines the surrounding stonework, and the figurative light that “enables us to see each other wholly and in community.”The setting is important in a sanctuary that is also “a communal space, a space that tourists visit, a space where the nation mourns,” Alexander said. “The story (the windows) tell is one of collective movement, of progress, of people struggling and asserting the values of fairness for all."The old windows' removal followed the use of Confederate imagery by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dylann-roof-sentenced-death-for-killing-9-church-members-ba912545b5dc40729c80328d598ac550">the racist gunman</a>&nbsp;who massacred members of a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and by marchers at a 2017 far-right rally in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wv-state-wire-violence-charlottesville-race-and-ethnicity-charlottesville-a-year-later-59e503c23fb3434c8a1f0950539484d6">Charlottesville, Virginia</a>, that ended with a counterprotester's death.The original windows, complete with Confederate battle flags, had depicted Lee and Jackson as saintlike figures, with Lee bathed in rays of heavenly light and Jackson welcomed by trumpets into paradise after his death. Those windows are now stored by the cathedral.The cathedral also is the seat of the Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop and Diocese of Washington.The bishop of the diocese, the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, joined Hollerith in delivering opening remarks at the dedication.Hollerith recalled the decision to remove the Confederate windows.“They were antithetical to our call to be a house of prayer for all,” he said, adding, “There is a lot of work yet to be done.”

🎥National Cathedral swaps Confederate windows for racial justice windows

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-house-republicans-spending-cuts-deff84c0e2ff7d3bd076b8c38e14cca4">heading toward a shutdown</a>&nbsp;that will disrupt many services, squeeze workers and roil politics as Republicans in the House, fueled by hard-right demands for deep cuts, force a confrontation over federal spending.

While some government entities will be exempt — Social Security checks, for example, will still go out — other functions will be severely curtailed. Federal agencies will stop all actions deemed non-essential, and millions of federal employees, including members of the military, won't receive paychecks.

Here's a look at what's ahead if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-government-shutdown-spending-house-right-wing-5c8af4f0a5ea3a9d93f54e6566d50aeb">the government shuts down on</a>&nbsp;Oct. 1.

A shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass some type of funding legislation that is signed into law by the president. Lawmakers are supposed to pass 12 different spending bills to fund agencies across the government, but the process is time-consuming. They often resort to passing a temporary extension, called a continuing resolution or CR, to allow the government to keep operating.

When no funding legislation is enacted, federal agencies have to stop all non-essential work and will not send paychecks as long as the shutdown lasts.

Although employees deemed essential such as air traffic controllers and law enforcement officers still have to report to work, other federal employees are furloughed. Under a 2019 law, those same workers are slated to receive backpay once the funding impasse is resolved.

WHEN WOULD A SHUTDOWN BEGIN AND HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?

Government funding expires Oct. 1, the start of the federal fiscal year. A shutdown will effectively begin at 12:01 a.m. if Congress is not able to pass a funding plan that the president signs into law.

It is impossible to predict how long a shutdown would last. With Congress divided between a Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-led House, and Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy's hard-right conservatives</a>&nbsp;looking to use the shutdown as leverage for spending cuts, many are bracing for a stoppage that could last weeks.

Millions of federal workers face delayed paychecks when the government shuts down, including many of the roughly 2 million military personnel and more than 2 million civilian workers across the nation.

Nearly 60% of federal workers are stationed in the Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security departments.

Federal workers are stationed in all 50 states and have direct interaction with taxpayers -- from Transportation Security Administration agents who operate security at airports to Postal Service workers who deliver mail.

Some federal offices will also have to close or face shortened hours during a shutdown.

Beyond federal workers, a shutdown could have far-reaching effects on government services. People applying for government services like clinical trials, firearm permits and passports could see delays.

Businesses closely connected to the federal government, such as federal contractors or tourist services around national parks, could see disruptions and downturns. The travel sector could lose $140 million daily in a shutdown, according to the U.S. Travel Industry Association.

Lawmakers also warn that a shutdown could rattle financial markets. Goldman Sachs has estimated that a shutdown would reduce economic growth by 0.2% every week it lasted, but growth would then bounce back after the government reopens.

Others say the disruption in government services has far-reaching impacts because it shakes confidence in the government to fulfill its basic duties. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned, “A well-functioning economy requires a functioning government.”

WHAT ABOUT COURT CASES, THE WORK OF CONGRESS AND PRESIDENTIAL PAY?

The president and members of Congress will continue to work and get paid. However, any members of their staff who are not deemed essential will be furloughed.

The judiciary will be able to continue to operate for a limited time using funds derived from court filings and other fees, as well as other approved funding.

Notably, funding for the three special counsels appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland would not be affected by a government shutdown because they are paid for through a permanent, indefinite appropriation, an area that’s been exempted from shutdowns in the past.

That means the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">two federal cases</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, the former president, as well as the case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>, the son of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, would not be interrupted. Trump has demanded that Republicans defund the prosecutions against him as a condition of funding the government, declaring it their “last chance” to act.

Prior to the 1980s, lapses in government funding did not result in government operations significantly shuttering. But then-U.S. Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti, in a series of legal opinions in 1980 and 1981, argued that government agencies cannot legally operate during a funding gap.

Federal officials have since operated under an understanding they can make exemptions for functions that are “essential” for public safety and constitutional duties.

Since 1976, there have been 22 funding gaps, with 10 of them leading to workers being furloughed. But most of the significant shutdowns have taken place since Bill Clinton's presidency, when then-Speaker Newt Gingrich and his conservative House majority demanded budget cuts.

The longest government shutdown happened between 2018 and 2019 when then-President Trump and congressional Democrats entered a standoff over his demand for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2f4affc2b2ed426e823fd62102696670">funding for a border wall</a>. The disruption lasted 35 days, through the holiday season, but was also only a partial government shutdown because Congress had passed some appropriations bills to fund parts of the government.

It's the responsibility of Congress to fund the government. The House and Senate have to agree to fund the government in some way, and the president has to sign the legislation into law.

Congress often relies on a so-called continuing resolution, or CR, to provide stopgap money to open government offices at current levels as budget talks are underway. Money for pressing national priorities, such as emergency assistance for victims of natural disasters, is often attached to a short-term bill.

But hardline Republicans say any temporary bill is a non-starter for them. They are pushing to keep the government shut down until Congress negotiates all 12 bills that fund the government, which is historically a laborious undertaking that isn't resolved until December, at the earliest.

Trump, who is Biden's top rival heading into the 2024 election, is urging on the Republican hardliners.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695470063646.jpeg" alt="The Capitol is seen in Washington, Sept. 20, 2021. The federal government is heading toward a shutdown that will disrupt many services, squeeze workers and roil politics. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)" />
 <figcaption>The Capitol is seen in Washington, Sept. 20, 2021. The federal government is heading toward a shutdown that will disrupt many services, squeeze workers and roil politics. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-house-republicans-spending-cuts-deff84c0e2ff7d3bd076b8c38e14cca4">heading toward a shutdown</a>&nbsp;that will disrupt many services, squeeze workers and roil politics as Republicans in the House, fueled by hard-right demands for deep cuts, force a confrontation over federal spending.While some government entities will be exempt — Social Security checks, for example, will still go out — other functions will be severely curtailed. Federal agencies will stop all actions deemed non-essential, and millions of federal employees, including members of the military, won't receive paychecks.Here's a look at what's ahead if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-government-shutdown-spending-house-right-wing-5c8af4f0a5ea3a9d93f54e6566d50aeb">the government shuts down on</a>&nbsp;Oct. 1.WHAT IS A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN?A shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass some type of funding legislation that is signed into law by the president. Lawmakers are supposed to pass 12 different spending bills to fund agencies across the government, but the process is time-consuming. They often resort to passing a temporary extension, called a continuing resolution or CR, to allow the government to keep operating.When no funding legislation is enacted, federal agencies have to stop all non-essential work and will not send paychecks as long as the shutdown lasts.Although employees deemed essential such as air traffic controllers and law enforcement officers still have to report to work, other federal employees are furloughed. Under a 2019 law, those same workers are slated to receive backpay once the funding impasse is resolved.WHEN WOULD A SHUTDOWN BEGIN AND HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?Government funding expires Oct. 1, the start of the federal fiscal year. A shutdown will effectively begin at 12:01 a.m. if Congress is not able to pass a funding plan that the president signs into law.It is impossible to predict how long a shutdown would last. With Congress divided between a Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-led House, and Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy's hard-right conservatives</a>&nbsp;looking to use the shutdown as leverage for spending cuts, many are bracing for a stoppage that could last weeks.WHO DOES A SHUTDOWN AFFECT?Millions of federal workers face delayed paychecks when the government shuts down, including many of the roughly 2 million military personnel and more than 2 million civilian workers across the nation.Nearly 60% of federal workers are stationed in the Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security departments.Federal workers are stationed in all 50 states and have direct interaction with taxpayers -- from Transportation Security Administration agents who operate security at airports to Postal Service workers who deliver mail.Some federal offices will also have to close or face shortened hours during a shutdown.Beyond federal workers, a shutdown could have far-reaching effects on government services. People applying for government services like clinical trials, firearm permits and passports could see delays.Businesses closely connected to the federal government, such as federal contractors or tourist services around national parks, could see disruptions and downturns. The travel sector could lose $140 million daily in a shutdown, according to the U.S. Travel Industry Association.Lawmakers also warn that a shutdown could rattle financial markets. Goldman Sachs has estimated that a shutdown would reduce economic growth by 0.2% every week it lasted, but growth would then bounce back after the government reopens.Others say the disruption in government services has far-reaching impacts because it shakes confidence in the government to fulfill its basic duties. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned, “A well-functioning economy requires a functioning government.”WHAT ABOUT COURT CASES, THE WORK OF CONGRESS AND PRESIDENTIAL PAY?The president and members of Congress will continue to work and get paid. However, any members of their staff who are not deemed essential will be furloughed.The judiciary will be able to continue to operate for a limited time using funds derived from court filings and other fees, as well as other approved funding.Notably, funding for the three special counsels appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland would not be affected by a government shutdown because they are paid for through a permanent, indefinite appropriation, an area that’s been exempted from shutdowns in the past.That means the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">two federal cases</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, the former president, as well as the case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>, the son of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, would not be interrupted. Trump has demanded that Republicans defund the prosecutions against him as a condition of funding the government, declaring it their “last chance” to act.HAS THIS HAPPENED BEFORE?Prior to the 1980s, lapses in government funding did not result in government operations significantly shuttering. But then-U.S. Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti, in a series of legal opinions in 1980 and 1981, argued that government agencies cannot legally operate during a funding gap.Federal officials have since operated under an understanding they can make exemptions for functions that are “essential” for public safety and constitutional duties.Since 1976, there have been 22 funding gaps, with 10 of them leading to workers being furloughed. But most of the significant shutdowns have taken place since Bill Clinton's presidency, when then-Speaker Newt Gingrich and his conservative House majority demanded budget cuts.The longest government shutdown happened between 2018 and 2019 when then-President Trump and congressional Democrats entered a standoff over his demand for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2f4affc2b2ed426e823fd62102696670">funding for a border wall</a>. The disruption lasted 35 days, through the holiday season, but was also only a partial government shutdown because Congress had passed some appropriations bills to fund parts of the government.WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO END A SHUTDOWN?It's the responsibility of Congress to fund the government. The House and Senate have to agree to fund the government in some way, and the president has to sign the legislation into law.Congress often relies on a so-called continuing resolution, or CR, to provide stopgap money to open government offices at current levels as budget talks are underway. Money for pressing national priorities, such as emergency assistance for victims of natural disasters, is often attached to a short-term bill.But hardline Republicans say any temporary bill is a non-starter for them. They are pushing to keep the government shut down until Congress negotiates all 12 bills that fund the government, which is historically a laborious undertaking that isn't resolved until December, at the earliest.Trump, who is Biden's top rival heading into the 2024 election, is urging on the Republican hardliners.

The federal government is headed into a shutdown. What does it mean, who's hit and what's next?

BY:&nbsp;ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The White House announced the formation of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention that will help states and local governments as they implement a gun safety legislative package President Joe Biden signed into law last year.

(Click below to watch the announcement on gun safety)

Lacking additional action in Congress to curb gun violence, “the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along with the rest of my Administration will continue to do everything it can to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our families, our communities, and our country apart,” Biden said in a statement.

Following mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, Congress&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/06/24/congress-sends-biden-historic-gun-safety-legislation-with-gop-support/">passed the most comprehensive federal gun safety legislation</a>&nbsp;in nearly 30 years, known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

In Buffalo, a white supremacist targeted a Black neighborhood and killed 10 Black people in a grocery store. And in Uvalde, 19 children and two teachers were murdered, making it the second-deadliest mass shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012.

There was a forman announcement of the office Friday in the Rose Garden that survivors of gun violence from Buffalo, Uvalde, Sandy Hook and other mass shootings are expected to attend, Stefanie Feldman, who will lead the office, said on a call with reporters.

Feldman said the office will be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, and that the office will also help coordinate support for communities impacted by gun violence.

“We know true freedom is not possible if people are not safe,” Harris said in a statement. “This epidemic of gun violence requires urgent leadership to end the fear and trauma that Americans experience every day.”

There have been 506 mass shootings this year alone,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/">according to Gun Violence Archive</a>, an organization that tracks gun violence in the U.S.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695399420279.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The White House announced the formation of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention that will help states and local governments as they implement a gun safety legislative package President Joe Biden signed into law last year.(Click below to watch the announcement on gun safety)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F631953852418302%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=62" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Lacking additional action in Congress to curb gun violence, “the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along with the rest of my Administration will continue to do everything it can to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our families, our communities, and our country apart,” Biden said in a statement.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Because you marched, organized, and voted, we passed the most significant gun safety legislation in 30 years. But let&#39;s be clear — we have more work to do. Today, I am proud to share that I will oversee the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. <a href="https://t.co/i16sAr98Yz">pic.twitter.com/i16sAr98Yz</a>&mdash; Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1705221226413662583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Following mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, Congress&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/06/24/congress-sends-biden-historic-gun-safety-legislation-with-gop-support/">passed the most comprehensive federal gun safety legislation</a>&nbsp;in nearly 30 years, known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.In Buffalo, a white supremacist targeted a Black neighborhood and killed 10 Black people in a grocery store. And in Uvalde, 19 children and two teachers were murdered, making it the second-deadliest mass shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012.There was a forman announcement of the office Friday in the Rose Garden that survivors of gun violence from Buffalo, Uvalde, Sandy Hook and other mass shootings are expected to attend, Stefanie Feldman, who will lead the office, said on a call with reporters.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695435453101.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Feldman said the office will be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, and that the office will also help coordinate support for communities impacted by gun violence.“We know true freedom is not possible if people are not safe,” Harris said in a statement. “This epidemic of gun violence requires urgent leadership to end the fear and trauma that Americans experience every day.”There have been 506 mass shootings this year alone,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/">according to Gun Violence Archive</a>, an organization that tracks gun violence in the U.S.

🎥Biden administration creates gun violence prevention office

By A.J Dome,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Three people in Kansas have died from West Nile virus infections this year, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

KDHE officials issued a warning for a high risk of the mosquito-borne disease on Sep. 13. The warning covers the entire state except for the southeast corner, which is under a moderate risk.

In addition to the three deaths, officials said in a statement that 17 other people reported suffering from neurological issues after being infected with the virus.

Kansas officials have recorded 22 cases of humans being infected so far this year. The state Department of Agriculture also reported seven cases of West Nile infections in horses in Barber, Butler, Douglas, Ford and Pratt counties.

Stephen Higgs, director of the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University in Manhattan, has a background in studying mosquito-borne diseases. He’s been involved in West Nile virus research since 1999. He said the 22 cases reported this year marks the highest number of human West Nile cases in Kansas since 2018.

“There’ve been more than 2.5 million people infected in the U.S. since 1999,” Higgs said, “and almost 3,000 deaths from it since then.”

In total, 702 West Nile cases have been confirmed in Kansas since 1999. In a statement, state public health veterinarian Erin Petro said Kansas is in the middle of the peak timeframe for West Nile virus transmission.

“With more widespread virus activity this year than in the previous several years, it’s important to take mosquito bite prevention measures to protect yourself, your family, and livestock against all mosquito-borne illnesses,” Petro said.

There is no human vaccine against West Nile, Higgs said, and scientists still aren’t sure exactly how the virus made its way into the U.S. According to the World Health Organization, West Nile was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in Africa in 1937. The first known West Nile outbreak in humans began in 1999 in New York.

An annual West Nile vaccine exists for horses, Higgs said. People can only prevent exposure to mosquitos that may potentially carry the virus.

“The recommendation is that you wear DEET repellant when working outside,” Higgs said.

Removing stagnant bodies of water around a property is also a good method of mosquito prevention. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants is additionally recommended.

Higgs said at least 80% of people infected with West Nile don’t feel it. Others may feel symptoms like fever and muscle aches that can mirror other ailments. Severe cases of West Nile infection can cause swelling of the brain, which can lead to paralysis and other long-term neurological issues, or death. Horses infected with West Nile can exhibit symptoms such as depression, loss of appetite, and incoordination.

A notable recent case of West Nile affected Kansas City Chiefs Radio Network broadcaster Art Hains, who returned to the job this fall after being infected with the virus last year.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/college/msu/2023/09/22/missouri-state-kansas-city-chiefs-radio-broadcaster-art-hains-west-nile-virus-recovery/70835264007/">According to the Springfield News-Leader</a>, Hains was hospitalized in critical condition in September 2022. The newspaper reported Hains, who also serves as the voice of Missouri State University athletics, lost mobility in his legs and his breathing was impacted.

Hains&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ky3.com/video/2023/05/25/hall-fame-broadcaster-art-hains-returns-springfield-continue-rehab/">told reporters with KY3-TV</a>&nbsp;in Springfield in May that he doesn’t remember a mosquito bite, and that he’s improved enough through rehabilitation to return to broadcasting, albeit from a wheelchair.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694639188464.png" alt="On Sept. 13,&nbsp; Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issued a high-risk warning for West Nile virus infections (WNV) for all regions of the state other than the southeast region" />
 <figcaption>On Sept. 13,&nbsp; Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issued a high-risk warning for West Nile virus infections (WNV) for all regions of the state other than the southeast region</figcaption>
 </figure>By A.J Dome,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>Three people in Kansas have died from West Nile virus infections this year, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.KDHE officials issued a warning for a high risk of the mosquito-borne disease on Sep. 13. The warning covers the entire state except for the southeast corner, which is under a moderate risk.In addition to the three deaths, officials said in a statement that 17 other people reported suffering from neurological issues after being infected with the virus.Kansas officials have recorded 22 cases of humans being infected so far this year. The state Department of Agriculture also reported seven cases of West Nile infections in horses in Barber, Butler, Douglas, Ford and Pratt counties.Stephen Higgs, director of the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University in Manhattan, has a background in studying mosquito-borne diseases. He’s been involved in West Nile virus research since 1999. He said the 22 cases reported this year marks the highest number of human West Nile cases in Kansas since 2018.“There’ve been more than 2.5 million people infected in the U.S. since 1999,” Higgs said, “and almost 3,000 deaths from it since then.”In total, 702 West Nile cases have been confirmed in Kansas since 1999. In a statement, state public health veterinarian Erin Petro said Kansas is in the middle of the peak timeframe for West Nile virus transmission.“With more widespread virus activity this year than in the previous several years, it’s important to take mosquito bite prevention measures to protect yourself, your family, and livestock against all mosquito-borne illnesses,” Petro said.There is no human vaccine against West Nile, Higgs said, and scientists still aren’t sure exactly how the virus made its way into the U.S. According to the World Health Organization, West Nile was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in Africa in 1937. The first known West Nile outbreak in humans began in 1999 in New York.An annual West Nile vaccine exists for horses, Higgs said. People can only prevent exposure to mosquitos that may potentially carry the virus.“The recommendation is that you wear DEET repellant when working outside,” Higgs said.Removing stagnant bodies of water around a property is also a good method of mosquito prevention. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants is additionally recommended.Higgs said at least 80% of people infected with West Nile don’t feel it. Others may feel symptoms like fever and muscle aches that can mirror other ailments. Severe cases of West Nile infection can cause swelling of the brain, which can lead to paralysis and other long-term neurological issues, or death. Horses infected with West Nile can exhibit symptoms such as depression, loss of appetite, and incoordination.A notable recent case of West Nile affected Kansas City Chiefs Radio Network broadcaster Art Hains, who returned to the job this fall after being infected with the virus last year.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/college/msu/2023/09/22/missouri-state-kansas-city-chiefs-radio-broadcaster-art-hains-west-nile-virus-recovery/70835264007/">According to the Springfield News-Leader</a>, Hains was hospitalized in critical condition in September 2022. The newspaper reported Hains, who also serves as the voice of Missouri State University athletics, lost mobility in his legs and his breathing was impacted.Hains&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ky3.com/video/2023/05/25/hall-fame-broadcaster-art-hains-returns-springfield-continue-rehab/">told reporters with KY3-TV</a>&nbsp;in Springfield in May that he doesn’t remember a mosquito bite, and that he’s improved enough through rehabilitation to return to broadcasting, albeit from a wheelchair.

Kansas reports 3 deaths from West Nile virus as cases reach 5-year high

The U.S. on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3534283/biden-administration-announces-additional-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">announced it will send an additional security assistance package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine valued at up to $325 million as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded his second visit to Washington since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion.

The package includes additional air defense equipment, artillery rounds, antitank weapons and other equipment to meet Ukraine's urgent needs on the battlefield to counter Russia's ongoing war of aggression. &nbsp;&nbsp;

President Joe Biden unveiled the aid package after meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House. &nbsp;

"We're committed to help Ukraine build a force capable of ensuring Ukraine's long-term security, capable of deterring future threats against sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom, which are underway now," Biden said. "Because that's what this is all about —&nbsp;the future, the future of freedom. America can never, will never walk away from that."&nbsp;

The latest round of assistance marks the 47th drawdown of equipment from Defense Department inventories for Ukraine since August 2021 and reflects the United States' enduring commitment in the face of Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy's meeting with Biden capped the Ukrainian president's daylong tour through Washington, which also included discussions with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and a meeting with defense officials at the Pentagon.

In his remarks ahead of the closed-door meeting at the White House, Zelenskyy said that he came to Washington to "strengthen Ukraine's position to defend our children, our families, our homes, freedom and democracy in the world." &nbsp;

"It's good that our countries are really, truly allies," he said before expressing his appreciation for the "vital assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine to combat Russia['s] terrorism."&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III reaffirmed the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine during his meeting with the Ukrainian president at the Pentagon.

The two discussed the outcome of the most recent meeting of more than 50 countries at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany earlier this week. Austin also provided Zelenskyy with an update on U.S. security assistance to meet Ukraine's most urgent battlefield needs.

"The secretary gave his personal commitment to work with our allies and partners to ensure they have what they need," said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. &nbsp;

Describing the meeting as warm and engaging, Ryder said it also provided them with an opportunity to discuss Ukraine's longer term capability requirements "and how to support them in the future in terms of deterring Russia."&nbsp;

Following the discussion, Zelenskyy and Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, joined Austin and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for a wreath laying ceremony at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Pentagon-Memorial/">National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial</a>.

"It was very clear that President Zelenskyy very much appreciates the support that the United States, the people of the United States have provided to Ukraine," Ryder said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695389171060.png" alt="Zelensykk met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III -Photo Department of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Zelensykk met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III -Photo Department of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;Joseph Clark&nbsp;, DOD NewsThe U.S. on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3534283/biden-administration-announces-additional-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">announced it will send an additional security assistance package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine valued at up to $325 million as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded his second visit to Washington since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion.The package includes additional air defense equipment, artillery rounds, antitank weapons and other equipment to meet Ukraine's urgent needs on the battlefield to counter Russia's ongoing war of aggression. &nbsp;&nbsp;President Joe Biden unveiled the aid package after meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695389397315.png" alt="Congress is considering&nbsp; a White House request of $24 billion in supplemental aid to Ukraine-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Congress is considering&nbsp; a White House request of $24 billion in supplemental aid to Ukraine-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>"We're committed to help Ukraine build a force capable of ensuring Ukraine's long-term security, capable of deterring future threats against sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom, which are underway now," Biden said. "Because that's what this is all about —&nbsp;the future, the future of freedom. America can never, will never walk away from that."&nbsp;The latest round of assistance marks the 47th drawdown of equipment from Defense Department inventories for Ukraine since August 2021 and reflects the United States' enduring commitment in the face of Russian aggression.Zelenskyy's meeting with Biden capped the Ukrainian president's daylong tour through Washington, which also included discussions with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and a meeting with defense officials at the Pentagon.In his remarks ahead of the closed-door meeting at the White House, Zelenskyy said that he came to Washington to "strengthen Ukraine's position to defend our children, our families, our homes, freedom and democracy in the world." &nbsp;"It's good that our countries are really, truly allies," he said before expressing his appreciation for the "vital assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine to combat Russia['s] terrorism."&nbsp;Earlier in the day, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III reaffirmed the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine during his meeting with the Ukrainian president at the Pentagon.The two discussed the outcome of the most recent meeting of more than 50 countries at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany earlier this week. Austin also provided Zelenskyy with an update on U.S. security assistance to meet Ukraine's most urgent battlefield needs."The secretary gave his personal commitment to work with our allies and partners to ensure they have what they need," said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. &nbsp;Describing the meeting as warm and engaging, Ryder said it also provided them with an opportunity to discuss Ukraine's longer term capability requirements "and how to support them in the future in terms of deterring Russia."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695389307080.png" alt="photo Defense Department" />
 <figcaption>photo Defense Department</figcaption>
 </figure>Following the discussion, Zelenskyy and Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, joined Austin and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for a wreath laying ceremony at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Pentagon-Memorial/">National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial</a>."It was very clear that President Zelenskyy very much appreciates the support that the United States, the people of the United States have provided to Ukraine," Ryder said.

U.S. sending another $325M arms package to Ukraine

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The United Auto Workers union expanded its strike against major carmakers Friday, walking out of 38 parts-distribution centers operated by General Motors and Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis in 20 states but sparing Ford from further shutdowns.

President Joe Biden said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will visit Michigan on Tuesday “to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create.”

Ford avoided additional strikes because the company has met some of the union’s demands during negotiations over the past week, UAW President Shawn Fain said during an online presentation to union members.

“We’ve made some real progress at Ford,” Fain said. “We still have serious issues to work through, but we do want to recognize that Ford is showing that they are serious about reaching a deal. At GM and Stellantis, it’s a different story."

Fain said GM and Stellantis, the successor to Fiat Chrysler, have rejected the union’s proposals for cost-of-living increases, profit sharing and job security, and “are going to need some serious pushing.”

GM said it has presented five “historic” offers covering wages and job security.

“Today’s strike escalation by the UAW’s top leadership is unnecessary,” the company said in a statement. “The UAW leadership is manipulating the bargaining process for their own personal agendas.”

Stellantis said it made “a very competitive offer” Thursday that would pay all current full-time hourly employees between $80,000 and $96,000 within four years and seven months and allow “workforce stability” during that time. The company said the UAW has not responded.

Instead of targeting more production plants Friday, the UAW went after centers that distribute parts to car dealer service departments. That could quickly drag consumers into the middle of the fight, if dealers run short of parts.

The UAW said the new walkouts will affect 5,600 workers on top of the nearly 13,000 who began strikes last week at three Ford, GM and Stellantis assembly plants. Those original strikes will continue, the union said.

The UAW is continuing to avoid targeting plants that make Detroit’s bestsellers, such as the Ford F-150 and Stellantis’ Ram pickups, which represent outsize shares of the companies’ revenue and profit. That represents a union strategy to gradually increase the pain of a strike on the automakers. However, the industry’s supply chain is so integrated that even hitting lower-profile plants cuts into production.

Deutsche Bank analysts estimated Friday that GM, Ford and Stellantis have lost production of more than 16,000 vehicles since the strike started last week at a Ford assembly plant near Detroit, a GM factory in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Jeep plant run by Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio. Anderson Economic Group, a consulting firm in Michigan that tracks the industry, estimated Friday that the three big automakers have suffered economic losses of more than $1.6 billion.

The carmakers and some of their suppliers have laid off about 6,000 workers in moves they say are related to the strike. GM shut down a factory in Kansas that relies on parts stamped at the Wentzville plant.

Still, the impact is not yet being felt on car lots around the country — it will probably take a few weeks before the strike causes a significant shortage of new vehicles, according to analysts.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/car-prices-auto-workers-strike-98905c8e0fcf633d21a1f83183f9fd49">Prices could rise sooner</a>, however, if the prospect of a prolonged strike triggers panic buying.

In bargaining, the union is pointing to the carmakers' huge recent profits and high CEO pay as it seeks wage increases of about 36% over four years. The companies have offered a little over half that amount.

“We aren’t getting paid what we are supposed to. I feel like our CEO is getting all our money,” said Antione Turner, who walked off his job Friday at a GM customer-care center in Belleville, Michigan.

Turner said after working there 10 years, he makes $31 an hour. On the same picket line, Shelton Matthews, who started at GM three years ago, makes $20 an hour because the company’s tiered wage structure mean lower pay for new workers.

“Pay disparity is the key issue" in the strike, Matthews said. “You’re doing, if not harder work, the same work as the person next to you with significantly less pay.”

The companies say they can’t afford to meet the union’s demands because they need to invest profits in a costly transition&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/automakers-fast-charging-network-electric-vehicles-cbb6c0102345c0db38f2baf96db742da">from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles</a>. They have dismissed out of hand some of the demands, including 40 hours' pay for a 32-hour work week.

Fain said that Ford has agreed to some union proposals, including the restoration of cost-of-living wage increases that were dropped several years ago, better profit-sharing and improved job security.

A Ford spokesman, Daniel Barbossa, said the company “is working diligently with the UAW to reach a deal that rewards our workforce and enables Ford to invest in a vibrant and growing future."

“Although we are making progress in some areas, we still have significant gaps to close on the key economic issues,” he said.

Rather than bargain with one company and set a pattern for contracts at the other two, the UAW has been negotiating simultaneously with all three Detroit giants. By favoring Ford after a week of talks, the UAW moved closer to its traditional bargaining pattern: getting the best deal it can from one company, then expecting the others to match it.

Fain had promised all week to escalate the strike if there wasn't significant progress in negotiations. Targeting the parts-distributions centers could inflict quick pain on GM and Stellantis, said Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities.

“The UAW is going for the gut punch as this strike gets a lot nastier,” Ives said. He called it “a very strategic and risky poker move by the UAW.”

Other industry observers said that dragging current owners of GM and Stellantis vehicles into the fray will backfire on the union.

“People who have a car that they need to repair will not be sympathetic to the UAW when they can't get the car fixed and can't get to work,” said Eric Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.

Even with Friday's expansion, the strikes involve only a little over 10% of the UAW's 146,000 members. That will make the union's $825 million strike fund last longer, as most members will keep working under the expired contract and pay into the fund. However, the longer the strike lasts, the greater the risk of dissension between workers who will keep collecting full paychecks and those getting $500 a week from the union.

Fain believes that most of the public is on the union's side. He invited anyone who supports the union — “all the way up to the president of the United States” — to join strikers on the picket lines.

Fain had previously seemed lukewarm at best about a Biden visit, saying that the strike was the union’s fight, not the president’s.

Biden's visit Tuesday would come one day before the leading contender for the Republican nomination, former President Donald Trump, plans to speak to union members in Detroit.

Associated Press journalists Christopher Megerian in Washington and Corey Williams in Belleville, Michigan, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695067603080.png" alt="Striking auto workers in Missouri-photo UAW" />
 <figcaption>Striking auto workers in Missouri-photo UAW</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —The United Auto Workers union expanded its strike against major carmakers Friday, walking out of 38 parts-distribution centers operated by General Motors and Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis in 20 states but sparing Ford from further shutdowns.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create. It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1705325183697932561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will visit Michigan on Tuesday “to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create.”Ford avoided additional strikes because the company has met some of the union’s demands during negotiations over the past week, UAW President Shawn Fain said during an online presentation to union members.“We’ve made some real progress at Ford,” Fain said. “We still have serious issues to work through, but we do want to recognize that Ford is showing that they are serious about reaching a deal. At GM and Stellantis, it’s a different story."Fain said GM and Stellantis, the successor to Fiat Chrysler, have rejected the union’s proposals for cost-of-living increases, profit sharing and job security, and “are going to need some serious pushing.”GM said it has presented five “historic” offers covering wages and job security.“Today’s strike escalation by the UAW’s top leadership is unnecessary,” the company said in a statement. “The UAW leadership is manipulating the bargaining process for their own personal agendas.”Stellantis said it made “a very competitive offer” Thursday that would pay all current full-time hourly employees between $80,000 and $96,000 within four years and seven months and allow “workforce stability” during that time. The company said the UAW has not responded.Instead of targeting more production plants Friday, the UAW went after centers that distribute parts to car dealer service departments. That could quickly drag consumers into the middle of the fight, if dealers run short of parts.The UAW said the new walkouts will affect 5,600 workers on top of the nearly 13,000 who began strikes last week at three Ford, GM and Stellantis assembly plants. Those original strikes will continue, the union said.The UAW is continuing to avoid targeting plants that make Detroit’s bestsellers, such as the Ford F-150 and Stellantis’ Ram pickups, which represent outsize shares of the companies’ revenue and profit. That represents a union strategy to gradually increase the pain of a strike on the automakers. However, the industry’s supply chain is so integrated that even hitting lower-profile plants cuts into production.Deutsche Bank analysts estimated Friday that GM, Ford and Stellantis have lost production of more than 16,000 vehicles since the strike started last week at a Ford assembly plant near Detroit, a GM factory in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Jeep plant run by Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio. Anderson Economic Group, a consulting firm in Michigan that tracks the industry, estimated Friday that the three big automakers have suffered economic losses of more than $1.6 billion.The carmakers and some of their suppliers have laid off about 6,000 workers in moves they say are related to the strike. GM shut down a factory in Kansas that relies on parts stamped at the Wentzville plant.Still, the impact is not yet being felt on car lots around the country — it will probably take a few weeks before the strike causes a significant shortage of new vehicles, according to analysts.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/car-prices-auto-workers-strike-98905c8e0fcf633d21a1f83183f9fd49">Prices could rise sooner</a>, however, if the prospect of a prolonged strike triggers panic buying.In bargaining, the union is pointing to the carmakers' huge recent profits and high CEO pay as it seeks wage increases of about 36% over four years. The companies have offered a little over half that amount.“We aren’t getting paid what we are supposed to. I feel like our CEO is getting all our money,” said Antione Turner, who walked off his job Friday at a GM customer-care center in Belleville, Michigan.Turner said after working there 10 years, he makes $31 an hour. On the same picket line, Shelton Matthews, who started at GM three years ago, makes $20 an hour because the company’s tiered wage structure mean lower pay for new workers.“Pay disparity is the key issue" in the strike, Matthews said. “You’re doing, if not harder work, the same work as the person next to you with significantly less pay.”The companies say they can’t afford to meet the union’s demands because they need to invest profits in a costly transition&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/automakers-fast-charging-network-electric-vehicles-cbb6c0102345c0db38f2baf96db742da">from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles</a>. They have dismissed out of hand some of the demands, including 40 hours' pay for a 32-hour work week.Fain said that Ford has agreed to some union proposals, including the restoration of cost-of-living wage increases that were dropped several years ago, better profit-sharing and improved job security.A Ford spokesman, Daniel Barbossa, said the company “is working diligently with the UAW to reach a deal that rewards our workforce and enables Ford to invest in a vibrant and growing future."“Although we are making progress in some areas, we still have significant gaps to close on the key economic issues,” he said.Rather than bargain with one company and set a pattern for contracts at the other two, the UAW has been negotiating simultaneously with all three Detroit giants. By favoring Ford after a week of talks, the UAW moved closer to its traditional bargaining pattern: getting the best deal it can from one company, then expecting the others to match it.Fain had promised all week to escalate the strike if there wasn't significant progress in negotiations. Targeting the parts-distributions centers could inflict quick pain on GM and Stellantis, said Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities.“The UAW is going for the gut punch as this strike gets a lot nastier,” Ives said. He called it “a very strategic and risky poker move by the UAW.”Other industry observers said that dragging current owners of GM and Stellantis vehicles into the fray will backfire on the union.“People who have a car that they need to repair will not be sympathetic to the UAW when they can't get the car fixed and can't get to work,” said Eric Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.Even with Friday's expansion, the strikes involve only a little over 10% of the UAW's 146,000 members. That will make the union's $825 million strike fund last longer, as most members will keep working under the expired contract and pay into the fund. However, the longer the strike lasts, the greater the risk of dissension between workers who will keep collecting full paychecks and those getting $500 a week from the union.Fain believes that most of the public is on the union's side. He invited anyone who supports the union — “all the way up to the president of the United States” — to join strikers on the picket lines.Fain had previously seemed lukewarm at best about a Biden visit, saying that the strike was the union’s fight, not the president’s.Biden's visit Tuesday would come one day before the leading contender for the Republican nomination, former President Donald Trump, plans to speak to union members in Detroit.___Associated Press journalists Christopher Megerian in Washington and Corey Williams in Belleville, Michigan, contributed to this report.

President Biden says he will join auto workers on the picket line 

Lincoln, NE – September 22, 2023 – Due to high sales, the Multi-State Lottery Association has increased the estimated jackpot amount for the Saturday, September 23 Powerball drawing to $750 million or $350.6 million with the cash option selected.

The Powerball jackpot starts at $20 million and continues to grow each drawing until it is won. There have been 27 consecutive Powerball drawings since July 22 without a jackpot winner.

Ten jackpots ranging from $2.5 million to $365 million have been won in Nebraska since the Nebraska Lottery began offering Powerball in July of 1994. The largest Powerball jackpot won in Nebraska occurred in February 2006 when a group of eight coworkers at the ConAgra Foods ham and corned beef plant in Lincoln split a $365 million jackpot.

Because of the high Powerball jackpot, the Nebraska Lottery encourages customers to play within their means. “It’s important for Nebraska Lottery players to remember that no matter how large the jackpot is, the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million,” said Lottery Director Brian Rockey. “Your odds of winning remain the same, regardless of how many tickets are purchased or how many people play.” If you or someone you know has a problem with compulsive gambling, free help is available at&nbsp;<a>problemgambling.nebraska.gov</a>.

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $936 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

Neil WatsonLincoln, NE – September 22, 2023 – Due to high sales, the Multi-State Lottery Association has increased the estimated jackpot amount for the Saturday, September 23 Powerball drawing to $750 million or $350.6 million with the cash option selected.The Powerball jackpot starts at $20 million and continues to grow each drawing until it is won. There have been 27 consecutive Powerball drawings since July 22 without a jackpot winner.Ten jackpots ranging from $2.5 million to $365 million have been won in Nebraska since the Nebraska Lottery began offering Powerball in July of 1994. The largest Powerball jackpot won in Nebraska occurred in February 2006 when a group of eight coworkers at the ConAgra Foods ham and corned beef plant in Lincoln split a $365 million jackpot.Play ResponsiblyBecause of the high Powerball jackpot, the Nebraska Lottery encourages customers to play within their means. “It’s important for Nebraska Lottery players to remember that no matter how large the jackpot is, the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million,” said Lottery Director Brian Rockey. “Your odds of winning remain the same, regardless of how many tickets are purchased or how many people play.” If you or someone you know has a problem with compulsive gambling, free help is available at&nbsp;<a>problemgambling.nebraska.gov</a>.The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $936 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

Powerball® Jackpot Increased for Saturday Drawing

JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — A group of migrants from China surrendered to a Border Patrol agent in remote Southern California as gusts of wind drowned the hum of high-voltage power lines, joining others from Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia and elsewhere in a desert campsite with shelters made from tree branches.

Their arrival Wednesday was another sign that agents have become overwhelmed in recent days by asylum-seekers on parts of the U.S. border with Mexico. In tiny Eagle Pass, Texas, nearly 6,000 migrants crossed from Mexico in to the U.S. in two days, prompting authorities to close one of the town's two official border crossings so those agents could instead help with the influx. Border crossings have closed recently for similar reasons in San Diego and El Paso, Texas.

After a dip in illegal crossings that followed new asylum restrictions in May, President Joe Biden's administration is again on its heels. Democratic mayors and governors are seeking more relief for hosting asylum-seekers and Republicans are seizing on the issue ahead of 2024 elections.

The Homeland Security Department said Wednesday it would grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who were in the U.S. on July 31, easing paths to work authorization. That's in addition to 242,700 Venezuelans who already had qualified for temporary status.

The administration is also sending 800 active-duty military troops to the border, adding to 2,500 National Guard members there. It's expanding border holding facilities by 3,250 people to nearly 23,000, and extending home surveillance nationwide for families awaiting initial asylum screenings.

The administration renewed pressure — and blame — on Congress, which has long failed to agree on comprehensive changes to the nation's immigration system. The Biden administration is now asking Congress for $4 billion in emergency funding.

Homeland Security said in a statement that it was "using the limited tools it has available to secure the border and build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system."

Theresa Cardinal Brown, the Bipartisan Policy Center's senior advisor for immigration and border policy, said it's normal to see a dip in illegal crossings after changes like those imposed in May, but that is usually short-lived once migrants see how things play out.

"People see what happened to the last group of people that tried and they're like, 'Oh, well maybe it's not as harsh as they say,'" Brown said.

An increase in families arriving at the border led to unacceptable conditions in two of the busiest Border Patrol sector, a court-appointed monitor reported to a federal court last week. Dr. Paul H. Wise said children as young as 8 years old were separated from parents during processing in South Texas, a practice that has been mainly used for boys 13 to 17.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was reviewing Wise's report, noting limited, temporary separations may occur during processing for safety reasons but they are nothing like the long-term separations under former President Donald Trump. Wise said even short-term separation can have "lasting, harmful effects."

In Eagle Pass, a town of 28,000 people, about 2,700 migrants crossed Tuesday and 3,000 Wednesday, according to Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber. Mayor Rolando Salinas declared the city a disaster area on Tuesday.

U.S. authorities closed a bridge and international railway in Eagle Pass on Wednesday to redirect staff. Union Pacific Railroad Co. said Thursday that thousands of rail cars cross the border there daily.

CBP told business leaders they have no estimate of when rail traffic would resume in Eagle Pass or when U.S.-bound commercial truck traffic would reopen at a bridge in El Paso. Traffic slowed at other border crossings.

"All along the border, we're experiencing large numbers of migrants, so you will see slowdowns and disruptions" at border crossings, said Dennis McKenzie, CBP deputy director for cargo and conveyance security. "It's all hands on deck."

In San Diego, a pedestrian crossing has been closed since Sept. 14 to direct staff to an area where migrants from Cameroon to Colombia are waiting between a double-layer border wall in San Diego. Volunteers are handing the migrants food and bottled water while they wait to be processed.

Near Jacumba Hot Springs, a town of less than 1,000 people with a small hotel and general store amid boulder-strewn mountains an hour's drive east of San Diego, migrants camps began forming last week for the first time since May.

Smugglers drive migrants to a spot in Mexico where the border wall ends. One of three camps in the Jacumba Valley is about a half-hour walk on a gravel road used almost exclusively by border agents. On Wednesday, none had stayed longer than one night, occupying tents that were left behind by others.

The Border Patrol gives migrants colored wristbands marking their arrival date to determine who gets shuttled first to a processing location. Campfires and juniper shrub shield migrants from evening chills. Some climbed atop boulders hoping to get a cellphone signal.

Angel Sisa, 40, left Ecuador's coastal region with his wife and two children, ages 15 and 13, selling his general store to escape death threats from criminals demanding monthly payments. The Sisa family paid smugglers to take them by plane and bus until they reached a hotel in Tecate, the nearest town in Mexico from the roadside drop where they crossed. They hope to settle in Minneapolis with family members who left Ecuador about a year ago.

Carlos Andres Vasquez, 37, flew from his home country of Colombia to Mexico City as a tourist and paid a smuggler $800 to be driven from Tijuana on a road filled with bumps and potholes before arriving near where they would cross into the U.S.

"They treated like cattle, like animals," Vasquez said. "They put 20, 18 of us in a van, women and children in front and we went in back."

He said he and other South Americans walked to the campsite Tuesday under a "very pleasant" Border Patrol agent's watch. Vasquez, whose father was killed and who left Colombia because of death threats, plans to settle with a friend in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and save money for his wife and children, ages 7 and 2, to join him.

Associated Press writers Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, Colleen Long in Washington and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695343466970.png" alt="Photo Texas Department of Public Safety" />
 <figcaption>Photo Texas Department of Public Safety</figcaption>
 </figure>By ELLIOT SPAGAT&nbsp;JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — A group of migrants from China surrendered to a Border Patrol agent in remote Southern California as gusts of wind drowned the hum of high-voltage power lines, joining others from Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia and elsewhere in a desert campsite with shelters made from tree branches.Their arrival Wednesday was another sign that agents have become overwhelmed in recent days by asylum-seekers on parts of the U.S. border with Mexico. In tiny Eagle Pass, Texas, nearly 6,000 migrants crossed from Mexico in to the U.S. in two days, prompting authorities to close one of the town's two official border crossings so those agents could instead help with the influx. Border crossings have closed recently for similar reasons in San Diego and El Paso, Texas.After a dip in illegal crossings that followed new asylum restrictions in May, President Joe Biden's administration is again on its heels. Democratic mayors and governors are seeking more relief for hosting asylum-seekers and Republicans are seizing on the issue ahead of 2024 elections.The Homeland Security Department said Wednesday it would grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who were in the U.S. on July 31, easing paths to work authorization. That's in addition to 242,700 Venezuelans who already had qualified for temporary status.The administration is also sending 800 active-duty military troops to the border, adding to 2,500 National Guard members there. It's expanding border holding facilities by 3,250 people to nearly 23,000, and extending home surveillance nationwide for families awaiting initial asylum screenings.The administration renewed pressure — and blame — on Congress, which has long failed to agree on comprehensive changes to the nation's immigration system. The Biden administration is now asking Congress for $4 billion in emergency funding.Homeland Security said in a statement that it was "using the limited tools it has available to secure the border and build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system."Theresa Cardinal Brown, the Bipartisan Policy Center's senior advisor for immigration and border policy, said it's normal to see a dip in illegal crossings after changes like those imposed in May, but that is usually short-lived once migrants see how things play out."People see what happened to the last group of people that tried and they're like, 'Oh, well maybe it's not as harsh as they say,'" Brown said.An increase in families arriving at the border led to unacceptable conditions in two of the busiest Border Patrol sector, a court-appointed monitor reported to a federal court last week. Dr. Paul H. Wise said children as young as 8 years old were separated from parents during processing in South Texas, a practice that has been mainly used for boys 13 to 17.U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was reviewing Wise's report, noting limited, temporary separations may occur during processing for safety reasons but they are nothing like the long-term separations under former President Donald Trump. Wise said even short-term separation can have "lasting, harmful effects."In Eagle Pass, a town of 28,000 people, about 2,700 migrants crossed Tuesday and 3,000 Wednesday, according to Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber. Mayor Rolando Salinas declared the city a disaster area on Tuesday.U.S. authorities closed a bridge and international railway in Eagle Pass on Wednesday to redirect staff. Union Pacific Railroad Co. said Thursday that thousands of rail cars cross the border there daily.CBP told business leaders they have no estimate of when rail traffic would resume in Eagle Pass or when U.S.-bound commercial truck traffic would reopen at a bridge in El Paso. Traffic slowed at other border crossings."All along the border, we're experiencing large numbers of migrants, so you will see slowdowns and disruptions" at border crossings, said Dennis McKenzie, CBP deputy director for cargo and conveyance security. "It's all hands on deck."In San Diego, a pedestrian crossing has been closed since Sept. 14 to direct staff to an area where migrants from Cameroon to Colombia are waiting between a double-layer border wall in San Diego. Volunteers are handing the migrants food and bottled water while they wait to be processed.Near Jacumba Hot Springs, a town of less than 1,000 people with a small hotel and general store amid boulder-strewn mountains an hour's drive east of San Diego, migrants camps began forming last week for the first time since May.Smugglers drive migrants to a spot in Mexico where the border wall ends. One of three camps in the Jacumba Valley is about a half-hour walk on a gravel road used almost exclusively by border agents. On Wednesday, none had stayed longer than one night, occupying tents that were left behind by others.The Border Patrol gives migrants colored wristbands marking their arrival date to determine who gets shuttled first to a processing location. Campfires and juniper shrub shield migrants from evening chills. Some climbed atop boulders hoping to get a cellphone signal.Angel Sisa, 40, left Ecuador's coastal region with his wife and two children, ages 15 and 13, selling his general store to escape death threats from criminals demanding monthly payments. The Sisa family paid smugglers to take them by plane and bus until they reached a hotel in Tecate, the nearest town in Mexico from the roadside drop where they crossed. They hope to settle in Minneapolis with family members who left Ecuador about a year ago.Carlos Andres Vasquez, 37, flew from his home country of Colombia to Mexico City as a tourist and paid a smuggler $800 to be driven from Tijuana on a road filled with bumps and potholes before arriving near where they would cross into the U.S."They treated like cattle, like animals," Vasquez said. "They put 20, 18 of us in a van, women and children in front and we went in back."He said he and other South Americans walked to the campsite Tuesday under a "very pleasant" Border Patrol agent's watch. Vasquez, whose father was killed and who left Colombia because of death threats, plans to settle with a friend in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and save money for his wife and children, ages 7 and 2, to join him.___Associated Press writers Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, Colleen Long in Washington and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed.

Migrant crisis: More U.S. military going to the US-Mexico border

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/21/shutdown-inches-closer-as-u-s-house-gop-fails-to-pass-defense-bill-lawmakers-exit-d-c/">Nebraska Examiner&nbsp;</a>

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans were unable for a third time Thursday to begin debate on the Defense funding bill, throwing another wrench into Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership tenure.

The 212-216&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023403">vote</a>&nbsp;that rejected the rule for the $826 billion Defense spending measure was unexpected, coming less than a day after House GOP lawmakers gathered in a room in the Capitol basement to broker a path forward.

Arizona Rep. Eli Crane and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene switched their votes to oppose the rule, after voting on Tuesday to adopt it. Colorado Rep. Ken Buck and South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman both supported adoption of the rule on Thursday after opposing it earlier in the week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695393380394.jpeg" alt=" The U.S. Capitol. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption> The U.S. Capitol. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>Jennifer Shutt<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/21/shutdown-inches-closer-as-u-s-house-gop-fails-to-pass-defense-bill-lawmakers-exit-d-c/">Nebraska Examiner&nbsp;</a>WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans were unable for a third time Thursday to begin debate on the Defense funding bill, throwing another wrench into Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership tenure.The 212-216&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023403">vote</a>&nbsp;that rejected the rule for the $826 billion Defense spending measure was unexpected, coming less than a day after House GOP lawmakers gathered in a room in the Capitol basement to broker a path forward.Arizona Rep. Eli Crane and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene switched their votes to oppose the rule, after voting on Tuesday to adopt it. Colorado Rep. Ken Buck and South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman both supported adoption of the rule on Thursday after opposing it earlier in the week.Other Republicans voting no included Andy Biggs of Arizona, Dan Bishop of North Carolina and Matt Rosendale of Montana. The rule would have allowed the House to begin officially debating the bill and voting on nearly 200 amendments.The failed vote led McCarthy to reverse course on the schedule, with many lawmakers heading home for the weekend on Thursday instead of sticking around for votes throughout the weekend. McCarthy had&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/two-weeks-until-money-runs-out-congress-grinds-halt-spending-bills">said exactly one week ago</a>&nbsp;that “When we come back, we’re not going to leave. We’re going to get this done.”The update to the House schedule sent around Thursday afternoon said ”ample notice will be given ahead of any potential votes tomorrow or this weekend.”The stalemate and change of plans does not bode well for efforts to approve the short-term spending bill that’s needed to stave off a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.McCarthy has yet to unify his members amid deep disagreements about how much the federal government should spend and what policy restrictions should be included in full-year bills as well as the stopgap measure.The ongoing dispute has ground the House chamber to a halt as McCarthy searches for a way to unify his razor-thin majority without turning to Democrats to pass a bipartisan bill.Arkansas Republican Rep. Steve Womack, a senior appropriator, said Thursday that his fellow lawmakers need to accept the Senate will re-work any partisan bills the House sends over.“Remember, this is all going to go to the Senate, so people don’t need to get real hot and bothered over where we are today,” Womack said. “It’s going to be based on what comes back and whether or not it can get to the floor.”Discussions among House Republicans, he said, are likely to become “heated” once the Senate re-works a short-term spending bill and sends it back to the House for a final approval vote.Infighting and political differences within the House Republican Conference have so far prevented GOP lawmakers from reaching agreement on their opening offer on a short-term spending bill, which is also called a continuing resolution or CR.<h2>Defense spending bill falters</h2>Before the Thursday vote, McCarthy had been somewhat optimistic the House could finally approve the rule and begin debate on the full-year Defense spending measure.Greene wrote on X that she switched her vote “because they refused to take the war money for Ukraine out and put it in a separate bill.” The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/RuleHR1435HR4365_0.pdf">rule</a>&nbsp;approved 184 amendments for floor debate and votes, including one from Florida’s Matt Gaetz that would have prohibited “security assistance for Ukraine.”Crane wrote on X on Thursday that he believes votes “on CRs, omnibus bills and raising the debt ceiling should never take place.”“I’m going to do whatever I can to change the way this place works,” he wrote.Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole, chair of the Rules Committee, switched his vote on Thursday to a no vote after voting yes a few minutes earlier. The procedural maneuver allows him to bring the rule back up for a vote at a later time.The whip count error appeared to be a surprise for Defense Appropriations Chair Ken Calvert, a California Republican; ranking member Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat; and staff — all of whom were seated at the tables on the House floor ready to lead debate on the measure.The Republican table held thick white binders as well as a large accordion folder, all filled with paperwork, and the Democratic table was stacked with paperwork as well. It’s highly unlikely that staff would have brought all the materials needed to debate the bill and amendments if they knew the rule vote was going to fail.<h2>‘At least a short-term shutdown’&nbsp;</h2>In addition to strong disagreement among House Republicans about the full-year spending bills, the House GOP Conference has yet to solidify a plan to pass the short-term stopgap spending bill that’s needed to hold off a funding lapse.Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson, chair of the Interior-Environment spending subcommittee, said he expects there will be “at least a short-term shutdown” as the House and Senate try to reach agreement on a short-term spending bill.“That’s a lot of work to do in a very short time,” Simpson said.House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican, said Thursday that he hasn’t seen details on any new short-term spending bills that might come to the floor.“I haven’t seen the language of any additional CR,” he said.Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, the top Republican on the Commerce-Justice-Science spending panel, said he’s “hoping the House chaos is set aside.”“I keep saying I’m not voting for another CR again, but I keep voting for them because the outcome is worse with a shutdown,” Moran said. “But this just needs to be resolved in the House. I don’t think there’s a problem in the Senate that would cause a shutdown.”Any short-term spending bill will have to be bipartisan in order to get through the Democratically controlled Senate, where at least 60 votes are needed to limit debate on legislation. That could take more time than lawmakers have before Oct. 1, he said.“Nothing about this is conducive to getting something done quickly and we’ve got to start with something that’s acceptable,” Moran said.<h2>‘We’re in kind of a desperate situation’</h2>Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, said he’s unsure when the Senate would take up a short-term government funding bill since House Republicans haven’t announced what they’ll vote on or when they’ll vote to pass a CR.“The House is a wreck and the speaker doesn’t appear to have a path using his majority to solve a serious national problem, so we’re in kind of a desperate situation,” Durbin said.The House Appropriations Committee has approved 10 of its 12 spending bills for the fiscal year slated to begin Oct. 1, but the House has approved just one of those so far. All of the bills are partisan and written below the spending levels that McCarthy and President Joe Biden agreed to in the debt limit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3746/summary/00">law</a>.The Senate spending panel has approved all dozen of its annual bills on broadly bipartisan votes, though efforts to pass a three-bill spending package halted last week after Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/two-weeks-until-money-runs-out-congress-grinds-halt-spending-bills">objected to leaders scheduling amendment votes.&nbsp;</a>The biggest hurdle for Congress at the moment is gaining support for the continuing resolution that would extend government funding past the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. That short-term spending bill is regularly relied on to give the House and Senate more time to negotiate final versions of the dozen annual spending bills.Failing to approve a short-term spending bill before the start of fiscal 2024 on Oct. 1. would begin a funding lapse,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/disaster-nears-millions-federal-workers-paychecks-would-be-hold-shutdown">leading wide swaths of the federal government to shut down.</a>