By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/03/fencing-tax-exemption-for-kansas-wildfire-victims-held-up-over-senate-amendment/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — House support for a bill
 providing a tax exemption on any materials purchased to repair or 
replace fencing destroyed by a natural disaster hit a snag Tuesday over a
 property tax amendment added by the Senate.

<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb318/">Senate Bill 318</a> is a direct response to the December wildfires that burned more than 160,000 acres across 12 counties.

However, during debate on the Senate floor, lawmakers added a new 
section to the bill that raised concerns among some House members and 
county representatives. The amendment expands the eligibility for 
property tax abatements to allow for buildings and improvements to 
qualify if damaged by natural disasters.

Under current law, the board of county commissioners, after making findings, determine whether to allow the abatement request.

“Expanding eligibility would make the job of the county appraiser 
almost impossible, as they would have to visit and review properties 
after any event to change the valuation during the tax year,” said Jay 
Hall, deputy director of the Kansas Association of Counties. “This would
 make tax receipts extremely unpredictable, and because county budgets 
are based largely on property taxes, changing valuations during the tax 
year could create substantial budget uncertainty for counties and 
smaller taxing subdivisions.”

According to estimates from the Department of Revenue, the state will
 not receive about $1.4 million in tax revenue if legislators approve 
the exemption. Property tax exemptions could also hurt local government 
budgets.

Hall noted that small tax subdivisions would not have any property 
tax base to draw from should a significant portion of a district be 
destroyed, leaving other properties to pick up the tax burden.

“In addition to the uncertainty that this would create, it could 
destroy the budget for necessary services in the aftermath of a 
disaster,” Hall said. “This would be a bad outcome for not only those 
residents who are attempting to rebuild, but also for those whose 
property was not damaged.”

Despite concerns on the amendment, Hall voiced support for the base 
bill alongside representatives from the Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas 
Livestock Association and several other agricultural groups.

A frustrated Rep. Ken Corbet, a Topeka Republican, responded to 
Hall’s concerns by asking his fellow legislators to worry more about the
 people who need relief than the bureaucracy of local government.

“When somebody loses their entire livelihood, their farm, their 
house, you’re worried about the tax base,” Corbet said. “I think if you 
turn it around, you might think a little bit more about ‘we the people.’
 ”

Rep. Jim Gartner, a Topeka Democrat, expressed disappointment the 
Senate chose to add the amendment despite originally expressing a desire
 to keep the bill clean. Now, he said, the bill is stuck in committee, 
rather than on its way to the governor to help Kansans, because the 
Senate inserted a property tax proposal that failed to move forward the 
past two years.

“This really frustrates the heck out of me that we work diligently, 
very hard, and here we are holding that whole bill up,” Gartner said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643902798138.png" alt="Jay Hall, deputy director of the Kansas Association of Counties, said a Senate amendment expanding eligibility for property tax abatements to allow for buildings damaged by a natural disaster to qualify could have an adverse effect on local government budgets. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Legislature Youtube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Jay Hall, deputy director of the Kansas Association of Counties, said a Senate amendment expanding eligibility for property tax abatements to allow for buildings damaged by a natural disaster to qualify could have an adverse effect on local government budgets. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Legislature Youtube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/03/fencing-tax-exemption-for-kansas-wildfire-victims-held-up-over-senate-amendment/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — House support for a bill
 providing a tax exemption on any materials purchased to repair or 
replace fencing destroyed by a natural disaster hit a snag Tuesday over a
 property tax amendment added by the Senate.<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/sb318/">Senate Bill 318</a> is a direct response to the December wildfires that burned more than 160,000 acres across 12 counties.However, during debate on the Senate floor, lawmakers added a new 
section to the bill that raised concerns among some House members and 
county representatives. The amendment expands the eligibility for 
property tax abatements to allow for buildings and improvements to 
qualify if damaged by natural disasters.Under current law, the board of county commissioners, after making findings, determine whether to allow the abatement request.“Expanding eligibility would make the job of the county appraiser 
almost impossible, as they would have to visit and review properties 
after any event to change the valuation during the tax year,” said Jay 
Hall, deputy director of the Kansas Association of Counties. “This would
 make tax receipts extremely unpredictable, and because county budgets 
are based largely on property taxes, changing valuations during the tax 
year could create substantial budget uncertainty for counties and 
smaller taxing subdivisions.”According to estimates from the Department of Revenue, the state will
 not receive about $1.4 million in tax revenue if legislators approve 
the exemption. Property tax exemptions could also hurt local government 
budgets.Hall noted that small tax subdivisions would not have any property 
tax base to draw from should a significant portion of a district be 
destroyed, leaving other properties to pick up the tax burden.“In addition to the uncertainty that this would create, it could 
destroy the budget for necessary services in the aftermath of a 
disaster,” Hall said. “This would be a bad outcome for not only those 
residents who are attempting to rebuild, but also for those whose 
property was not damaged.”Despite concerns on the amendment, Hall voiced support for the base 
bill alongside representatives from the Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas 
Livestock Association and several other agricultural groups.A frustrated Rep. Ken Corbet, a Topeka Republican, responded to 
Hall’s concerns by asking his fellow legislators to worry more about the
 people who need relief than the bureaucracy of local government.“When somebody loses their entire livelihood, their farm, their 
house, you’re worried about the tax base,” Corbet said. “I think if you 
turn it around, you might think a little bit more about ‘we the people.’
 ”Rep. Jim Gartner, a Topeka Democrat, expressed disappointment the 
Senate chose to add the amendment despite originally expressing a desire
 to keep the bill clean. Now, he said, the bill is stuck in committee, 
rather than on its way to the governor to help Kansans, because the 
Senate inserted a property tax proposal that failed to move forward the 
past two years.“This really frustrates the heck out of me that we work diligently, 
very hard, and here we are holding that whole bill up,” Gartner said.

Tax exemption for Kan. wildfire victims held up over amendment

KANSAS CITY (AP) —With teacher absences mounting and substitutes in short supply, parents may be wondering: Who’s teaching the kids?

The answer around the U.S. could be a local police officer, National Guard soldier, state budget analyst, parent or recent high school graduate — nearly anyone willing to help keep schools’ doors open through the omicron-driven staffing crunch.

States have been loosening teaching requirements to give schools more flexibility on hiring as coronavirus exposures, illness and quarantines add to strains on schools that also have been tapping librarians, custodians and support staff to help cover classrooms during the pandemic.

Brian McKinney, a parent with students in second and 10th grade in Hays County, Texas, spent part of this week as a substitute, helping sixth graders through a social studies assignment that had them writing essays about the Soviet Union. A former teacher, he decided he could help as he waited out a cold snap that has slowed business at the World War II-themed miniature golf course he and his wife now own.

“There was no down time today; I was heavily involved with the kids,” he said after school Tuesday.

The measures have kept schools from having to revert to the waves of remote learning that disrupted homes and left many students behind earlier in the pandemic. Supporters say it’s better to have students in school, where they are supervised and have access to food and services, even if the solutions fall short academically.

Still, the lowering of the bar for teachers raises some concerns about whether schools are just treading water. In some cases when possible, virtual school taught by students’ regular teachers could be a better alternative, said Richard Ingersoll, an expert on the teaching profession at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Remote sometimes might be much more preferable to getting some substitute in there who’s basically babysitting,” he said.

Governors have been issuing executive orders to make more people eligible to work in schools. In states including California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, governors have taken action to give schools more flexibility to bring back retired teachers for short-term assignments.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox have made it possible for schools to dip into the states’ workforces.

Cox’s executive order allows state workers, including budget analysts, social workers and highway patrol officers, to take up to 30 hours of administrative leave to work as substitute teachers or in other school jobs. Oklahoma’s initiative lets state workers volunteer as substitute teachers and continue to receive their state salary.

“We know that kids learn best in the classroom, so we want to do what we can to help schools stay open. Our teachers and our children deserve our support during this difficult phase of the pandemic,” Cox said in a statement.

In Kansas, the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-covid-19-pandemic-kansas-93137a2c94692b2cfdf5f878d1e9daca">Board of Education has begun allowing districts to hire substitute teachers as young as 18&nbsp;</a>and with little more than a high school diploma after waiving requirements they have at least 60 college credits, the equivalent of at least two years, to receive a temporary license. The changes will last only until June 1, when the more stringent requirements will return.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-nevada-bccaa7cd49e59d875b78081342d01d06">State officials in Nevada will consider a similar change</a>&nbsp;for emergencies for the state’s two most populous counties later this month. Currently, substitute teachers must have at least 60 college credits — or an associate degree or higher — to obtain a license.

In addition to asking state workers to step up,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-mexico-michelle-lujan-grisham-teaching-eaa5e804bc4f3c98efc0c8b14f2fb94e">New Mexico has called in the National Guard</a>&nbsp;to work as substitute teachers, an unprecedented move that has troops drawing their usual pay for serving on active duty.

At least some schools are choosing to prioritize time with professional teachers, even if it means students don’t keep a full schedule.

In Millville Public Schools in New Jersey, administrators were so concerned about the toll on learning after months of staffing challenges that they moved middle and high school students to a half-day schedule — with teachers -- for the month of February.

“After an analysis of our staffing over the past 5 months, we determined instruction at the secondary level has been severely impacted due to students’ lack of access to direct instruction on a daily basis. Moving to an early dismissal schedule will address our staffing shortages by utilizing our current employees so that we are delivering consistent instruction from teaching professionals,” a notice on the district’s website said.

In the Hays Consolidated Independent School District in Texas, where McKinney filled in as a sub this week, at one point in January the district needed 455 subs in a single day, well over the usual 185, and could fill only 40% of the need, district spokesperson Tim Savoy said.

The district raised the pay to an average of $120 a day, up from about $90, and invited parents to join the ranks of substitutes, waiving for some a requirement they have 30 hours of college. About half of the 60 new subs hired in January were parents, Savoy said.

After an orientation that included refreshers on things like classroom management and discipline, along with a background check that included fingerprinting, there are days McKinney has his pick from a long list of assignments but gravitates first to his specialties of history and physical education.

He said remote learning was hard on families like his that had to juggle kids and jobs, and he praised the district for working to stay open, even if it meant making exceptions for those running the classrooms.

“That’s a huge emotional and physiological burden on families,” he said of virtual school, “so I think Hays is just trying to figure out every possible option to not have to do that to families.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) —With teacher absences mounting and substitutes in short supply, parents may be wondering: Who’s teaching the kids?The answer around the U.S. could be a local police officer, National Guard soldier, state budget analyst, parent or recent high school graduate — nearly anyone willing to help keep schools’ doors open through the omicron-driven staffing crunch.States have been loosening teaching requirements to give schools more flexibility on hiring as coronavirus exposures, illness and quarantines add to strains on schools that also have been tapping librarians, custodians and support staff to help cover classrooms during the pandemic.Brian McKinney, a parent with students in second and 10th grade in Hays County, Texas, spent part of this week as a substitute, helping sixth graders through a social studies assignment that had them writing essays about the Soviet Union. A former teacher, he decided he could help as he waited out a cold snap that has slowed business at the World War II-themed miniature golf course he and his wife now own.“There was no down time today; I was heavily involved with the kids,” he said after school Tuesday.The measures have kept schools from having to revert to the waves of remote learning that disrupted homes and left many students behind earlier in the pandemic. Supporters say it’s better to have students in school, where they are supervised and have access to food and services, even if the solutions fall short academically.Still, the lowering of the bar for teachers raises some concerns about whether schools are just treading water. In some cases when possible, virtual school taught by students’ regular teachers could be a better alternative, said Richard Ingersoll, an expert on the teaching profession at the University of Pennsylvania.“Remote sometimes might be much more preferable to getting some substitute in there who’s basically babysitting,” he said.Governors have been issuing executive orders to make more people eligible to work in schools. In states including California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, governors have taken action to give schools more flexibility to bring back retired teachers for short-term assignments.Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox have made it possible for schools to dip into the states’ workforces.Cox’s executive order allows state workers, including budget analysts, social workers and highway patrol officers, to take up to 30 hours of administrative leave to work as substitute teachers or in other school jobs. Oklahoma’s initiative lets state workers volunteer as substitute teachers and continue to receive their state salary.“We know that kids learn best in the classroom, so we want to do what we can to help schools stay open. Our teachers and our children deserve our support during this difficult phase of the pandemic,” Cox said in a statement.In Kansas, the state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-covid-19-pandemic-kansas-93137a2c94692b2cfdf5f878d1e9daca">Board of Education has begun allowing districts to hire substitute teachers as young as 18&nbsp;</a>and with little more than a high school diploma after waiving requirements they have at least 60 college credits, the equivalent of at least two years, to receive a temporary license. The changes will last only until June 1, when the more stringent requirements will return.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-nevada-bccaa7cd49e59d875b78081342d01d06">State officials in Nevada will consider a similar change</a>&nbsp;for emergencies for the state’s two most populous counties later this month. Currently, substitute teachers must have at least 60 college credits — or an associate degree or higher — to obtain a license.In addition to asking state workers to step up,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-mexico-michelle-lujan-grisham-teaching-eaa5e804bc4f3c98efc0c8b14f2fb94e">New Mexico has called in the National Guard</a>&nbsp;to work as substitute teachers, an unprecedented move that has troops drawing their usual pay for serving on active duty.At least some schools are choosing to prioritize time with professional teachers, even if it means students don’t keep a full schedule.In Millville Public Schools in New Jersey, administrators were so concerned about the toll on learning after months of staffing challenges that they moved middle and high school students to a half-day schedule — with teachers -- for the month of February.“After an analysis of our staffing over the past 5 months, we determined instruction at the secondary level has been severely impacted due to students’ lack of access to direct instruction on a daily basis. Moving to an early dismissal schedule will address our staffing shortages by utilizing our current employees so that we are delivering consistent instruction from teaching professionals,” a notice on the district’s website said.In the Hays Consolidated Independent School District in Texas, where McKinney filled in as a sub this week, at one point in January the district needed 455 subs in a single day, well over the usual 185, and could fill only 40% of the need, district spokesperson Tim Savoy said.The district raised the pay to an average of $120 a day, up from about $90, and invited parents to join the ranks of substitutes, waiving for some a requirement they have 30 hours of college. About half of the 60 new subs hired in January were parents, Savoy said.After an orientation that included refreshers on things like classroom management and discipline, along with a background check that included fingerprinting, there are days McKinney has his pick from a long list of assignments but gravitates first to his specialties of history and physical education.He said remote learning was hard on families like his that had to juggle kids and jobs, and he praised the district for working to stay open, even if it meant making exceptions for those running the classrooms.“That’s a huge emotional and physiological burden on families,” he said of virtual school, “so I think Hays is just trying to figure out every possible option to not have to do that to families.”

Schools seek volunteer teachers amid COVID staffing crunch

KANSAS CITY (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-topeka-legislature-gun-politics-6f61a926a56353a4b22ffecf90c46be3">Kansas’ “stand your ground law” has come under criticism in recent weeks</a>&nbsp; in connection with the custody death of teenager Cedric Lofton in Wichita.

On Tuesday, Missouri senators&nbsp; debated a “stand your ground” bill that backers say will strengthen the state's self-defense laws but that a prosecutor has dubbed the “Make Murder Legal Act.”

Republican Sen. Eric Burlison's bill seeks to give shooters and other assailants the benefit of the doubt that they were acting in self-defense.

If passed, it would mean that prosecutors could not bring charges against people who reasonably believed they were acting in self-defense. Police would need to find probable cause that shooters or other assailants acted unlawfully before arresting them.

Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver, who spoke on behalf of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, called the measure the “Make Murder Legal Act.” He said the changes would “make it impossible to convict a great number of people of assault.”

“An exponential number of violent criminals who should be in prison, they’re going to walk free because of the procedural postures that this bill would put cases in,” Oliver told a Missouri Senate committee Tuesday.

A number of other Missouri law enforcement groups also spoke against the bill.

Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have laws similar to the Missouri proposal that limit police from making arrests if defendants claim self-defense, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-topeka-legislature-gun-politics-6f61a926a56353a4b22ffecf90c46be3">Kansas’ “stand your ground law” has come under criticism in recent weeks</a>&nbsp;after a prosecutor said it prevented him from criminally charging employees of a juvenile juvenile intake center in Wichita in the death of a Black teenager who had been restrained on the ground on his stomach, shackled and handcuffed for more than 30 minutes.

St. Louis-area Democratic Sen. Brian Williams, the only Black member of the Senate public safety committee, called the Missouri proposal racist, offensive and “a personal attack on people who look like me.” He said it would have legally sanctioned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0d1a8ed25f1a075844160f253a9d0535">the 2020 fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia.</a>

A jury in November convicted three white men — father and son Greg and Travis McMichael and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan — of murder in the 25-year-old Black man's death.

“They murdered him,” Williams said. “This bill, if this had been in law in the state of Georgia, they would have walked.”

The McMichaels armed themselves and pursued Arbery in a pickup truck after spotting him running in their neighborhood outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick. Bryan joined the chase in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery.

Among those who support the measure is Mark McCloskey — a Republican U.S. Senate candidate who, along with his wife, made headlines in 2020 by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-george-floyd-gun-politics-st-louis-missouri-abdbb0285f3a940ef7dd5038b3474fe9">waving guns at racial injustice protesters</a>.

The McCloskeys, both lawyers in their 60s, eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanors, and Republican Gov. Mike Parson pardoned them weeks later. The McCloskeys said they felt threatened by the protesters who walked onto their private street during protests that followed the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

McCloskey told Williams: “If this bill is a threat to you, it can only be because you’re intending to pose a threat to our citizens.”

The Rev. Darryl Gray, a St. Louis activist who led the protest that went by the McCloskeys' house, said demonstrators could have been shot.

“If I had been killed that day, you're telling me that there shouldn't exist a process with a person that committed the murder, who took a sacred life, should not be questioned?” he asked the Senate committee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642880340757.png" alt="Cedric Lofton at the Juvenile Intake Assessment Center before his death as seen in the video released by Sedgwick County last month" />
 <figcaption>Cedric Lofton at the Juvenile Intake Assessment Center before his death as seen in the video released by Sedgwick County last month</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-topeka-legislature-gun-politics-6f61a926a56353a4b22ffecf90c46be3">Kansas’ “stand your ground law” has come under criticism in recent weeks</a>&nbsp; in connection with the custody death of teenager Cedric Lofton in Wichita. On Tuesday, Missouri senators&nbsp; debated a “stand your ground” bill that backers say will strengthen the state's self-defense laws but that a prosecutor has dubbed the “Make Murder Legal Act.”Republican Sen. Eric Burlison's bill seeks to give shooters and other assailants the benefit of the doubt that they were acting in self-defense.If passed, it would mean that prosecutors could not bring charges against people who reasonably believed they were acting in self-defense. Police would need to find probable cause that shooters or other assailants acted unlawfully before arresting them.Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver, who spoke on behalf of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, called the measure the “Make Murder Legal Act.” He said the changes would “make it impossible to convict a great number of people of assault.”“An exponential number of violent criminals who should be in prison, they’re going to walk free because of the procedural postures that this bill would put cases in,” Oliver told a Missouri Senate committee Tuesday.A number of other Missouri law enforcement groups also spoke against the bill.Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have laws similar to the Missouri proposal that limit police from making arrests if defendants claim self-defense, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-topeka-legislature-gun-politics-6f61a926a56353a4b22ffecf90c46be3">Kansas’ “stand your ground law” has come under criticism in recent weeks</a>&nbsp;after a prosecutor said it prevented him from criminally charging employees of a juvenile juvenile intake center in Wichita in the death of a Black teenager who had been restrained on the ground on his stomach, shackled and handcuffed for more than 30 minutes.St. Louis-area Democratic Sen. Brian Williams, the only Black member of the Senate public safety committee, called the Missouri proposal racist, offensive and “a personal attack on people who look like me.” He said it would have legally sanctioned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0d1a8ed25f1a075844160f253a9d0535">the 2020 fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia.</a>A jury in November convicted three white men — father and son Greg and Travis McMichael and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan — of murder in the 25-year-old Black man's death.“They murdered him,” Williams said. “This bill, if this had been in law in the state of Georgia, they would have walked.”The McMichaels armed themselves and pursued Arbery in a pickup truck after spotting him running in their neighborhood outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick. Bryan joined the chase in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery.Among those who support the measure is Mark McCloskey — a Republican U.S. Senate candidate who, along with his wife, made headlines in 2020 by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-george-floyd-gun-politics-st-louis-missouri-abdbb0285f3a940ef7dd5038b3474fe9">waving guns at racial injustice protesters</a>.The McCloskeys, both lawyers in their 60s, eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanors, and Republican Gov. Mike Parson pardoned them weeks later. The McCloskeys said they felt threatened by the protesters who walked onto their private street during protests that followed the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.McCloskey told Williams: “If this bill is a threat to you, it can only be because you’re intending to pose a threat to our citizens.”The Rev. Darryl Gray, a St. Louis activist who led the protest that went by the McCloskeys' house, said demonstrators could have been shot.“If I had been killed that day, you're telling me that there shouldn't exist a process with a person that committed the murder, who took a sacred life, should not be questioned?” he asked the Senate committee.

Prosecutor slams self defense bill as 'Make Murder Legal Act'

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration, seeking to fill a frustrating gap in <a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/">COVID-19 testing coverage</a>, announced on Thursday that people with Medicare will be able to get free over-the-counter tests much more easily in the coming weeks.

The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21196643-medicare-covid-19-otc-test-faq" target="_blank">Medicare will cover up to eight free tests per month</a>, starting in early spring. The tests will be handed out at participating pharmacies and other locations. They’ll be available to people who have Medicare’s “Part B” outpatient benefit, which about 9 in 10 enrollees sign up for.

Last month, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-cb49a8458f33a698c3a4f3b721835270">directed private insurers</a>&nbsp;to cover up to eight free tests a month for people on their plans. Officials said at the time they were still trying to figure out what to do about Medicare, which covers more than 60 million people, most of them age 65 or older and more vulnerable to severe illness from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus infection</a>. Medicare benefits are governed by arcane laws and regulations, and officials said Thursday this the first time the program has covered an over-the-counter test at no cost to recipients.

People with Medicare Advantage, a private insurance option that covers about 4 in 10 Medicare enrollees, will also have access to free COVID-19 tests through their plans, officials said.

The new policy deals with so-called rapid tests, which provide at-home results in about 15 minutes. Many families use the tests before getting together for special occasions or when grandparents travel from out of state to see grandkids they haven’t been able to play with for months due to COVID-19 isolation. Some testmakers pitch older adults directly in their marketing.

Medicare also will continue to cover the more precise lab-based PCR tests at no cost, but those must be ordered by a clinician or an authorized health care professional.

Before Thursday’s announcement, Medicare enrollees did have options for getting free at-home tests, and those will remain available while the new policy is going into effect. Those options include requesting four free tests for home delivery through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/" target="_blank">covidtests.gov</a>&nbsp;or picking free tests up from community locations such as libraries or senior centers that distribute them.

At-home tests were in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-home-testing-kits-supply-demand-57f8ec4b7bc78d0e70216b91717287ee">vexingly short supply</a>&nbsp;at pharmacies as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-california-public-health-83c0a053bfdd615b5ae7170007c2f1f9">the omicron wave</a>&nbsp;gained momentum in December, and some consumers find that’s still the case. However, an all-out drive by the White House to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-jen-psaki-08ee41d8e7c0af1ad8b4dfb7b434ea61">500 million free tests</a>&nbsp;and greatly expand production capacity is starting to show results, although they can vary by community and by pharmacy location.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638546938939.png" alt="<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21196643-medicare-covid-19-otc-test-faq" target="_blank">Medicare will cover up to eight free tests per month</a>, starting in early spring" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21196643-medicare-covid-19-otc-test-faq" target="_blank">Medicare will cover up to eight free tests per month</a>, starting in early spring</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration, seeking to fill a frustrating gap in <a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/">COVID-19 testing coverage</a>, announced on Thursday that people with Medicare will be able to get free over-the-counter tests much more easily in the coming weeks.The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21196643-medicare-covid-19-otc-test-faq" target="_blank">Medicare will cover up to eight free tests per month</a>, starting in early spring. The tests will be handed out at participating pharmacies and other locations. They’ll be available to people who have Medicare’s “Part B” outpatient benefit, which about 9 in 10 enrollees sign up for.Last month, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-cb49a8458f33a698c3a4f3b721835270">directed private insurers</a>&nbsp;to cover up to eight free tests a month for people on their plans. Officials said at the time they were still trying to figure out what to do about Medicare, which covers more than 60 million people, most of them age 65 or older and more vulnerable to severe illness from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus infection</a>. Medicare benefits are governed by arcane laws and regulations, and officials said Thursday this the first time the program has covered an over-the-counter test at no cost to recipients.People with Medicare Advantage, a private insurance option that covers about 4 in 10 Medicare enrollees, will also have access to free COVID-19 tests through their plans, officials said.The new policy deals with so-called rapid tests, which provide at-home results in about 15 minutes. Many families use the tests before getting together for special occasions or when grandparents travel from out of state to see grandkids they haven’t been able to play with for months due to COVID-19 isolation. Some testmakers pitch older adults directly in their marketing.Medicare also will continue to cover the more precise lab-based PCR tests at no cost, but those must be ordered by a clinician or an authorized health care professional.Before Thursday’s announcement, Medicare enrollees did have options for getting free at-home tests, and those will remain available while the new policy is going into effect. Those options include requesting four free tests for home delivery through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/" target="_blank">covidtests.gov</a>&nbsp;or picking free tests up from community locations such as libraries or senior centers that distribute them.At-home tests were in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-home-testing-kits-supply-demand-57f8ec4b7bc78d0e70216b91717287ee">vexingly short supply</a>&nbsp;at pharmacies as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-california-public-health-83c0a053bfdd615b5ae7170007c2f1f9">the omicron wave</a>&nbsp;gained momentum in December, and some consumers find that’s still the case. However, an all-out drive by the White House to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-jen-psaki-08ee41d8e7c0af1ad8b4dfb7b434ea61">500 million free tests</a>&nbsp;and greatly expand production capacity is starting to show results, although they can vary by community and by pharmacy location.

Medicare opens access to free at-home COVID-19 tests

ATMEH, Syria (AP) — The leader of the violent Islamic State group was killed during an overnight raid carried out by U.S. special forces in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, President Joe Biden said Thursday.

The raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the militant group on Oct. 31, 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a U.S. raid in the same area. Biden said al-Qurayshi died as al-Baghdadi did, by exploding a bomb that killed himself and members of his family, including women and children, as U.S. forces approached.

The operation came as IS has been trying for a resurgence, with a series of attacks in the region, including an assault late last month to seize a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 IS detainees, it’s boldest operation in years.

“Thanks to the bravery of our troops this horrible terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said. He said al-Qurayshi had been responsible for the prison strike, as well as genocide against the Yazidi people in Iraq in 2014.

U.S. special forces landed in helicopters and assaulted a house in a rebel-held corner of Syria, clashing for two hours with gunmen, witnesses said. Residents described continuous gunfire and explosions that jolted the town of Atmeh near the Turkish border, an area dotted with camps for internally displaced people from Syria’s civil war.

Biden said he ordered U.S. forces to “take every precaution available to minimize civilian casualties,” adding that was why they chose not to conduct an airstrike on the home.

First responders reported that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women.

Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and senior national security aides monitored a live-feed of the operation from the White House Situation Room according to an official.

The operation marked a military success for the United States at an important time after setbacks elsewhere — including the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal — have led allies and opponents to conclude U.S. power globally was weakening.

The house, surrounded by olive trees in fields outside Atmeh, was left with its top floor shattered and blood spattered inside. A journalist on assignment for The Associated Press and several residents said they saw body parts scattered near the site. Most residents spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

“The mission was successful,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a brief statement. “There were no U.S. casualties.”

Idlib is largely controlled by Turkish-backed fighters but is also an al-Qaida stronghold and home to several of its top operatives. Other militants, including extremists from the rival IS group, have also found refuge in the region.

“The first moments were terrifying; no one knew what was happening,” said Jamil el-Deddo, a resident of a nearby refugee camp. “We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us,” he added, referring to crude explosives-filled containers used by President Bashar Assad’s forces against opponents during the Syrian conflict.

The top floor of the low house was nearly destroyed; a room there had collapsed, sending white bricks tumbling to the ground below.

Blood could be seen on the walls and floor of the remaining structure. A wrecked bedroom had a child’s wooden crib and a stuffed rabbit doll. On one damaged wall, a blue plastic baby swing was still hanging. Religious books, including a biography of Islam’s Prophet Mohammad, were in the house.

Al-Qurayshi had kept an extremely low profile since he took over leadership of the Islamic State. He had not appeared in public, and rarely released any audio recordings. His influence and day-to-day involvement in the group’s operations was not known and it is difficult to gauge how his death will affect the group.

His killing, however, is a significant blow just as the group had been trying to reassert itself in Syria and Iraq.

The opposition-run Syrian Civil Defense, first responders also known as the White Helmets, said 13 people were killed in shelling and clashes that ensued after the U.S. commando raid.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, also said the strike killed 13 people, including four children and two women. Ahmad Rahhal, a citizen journalist who visited the site, reported seeing 12 bodies.

The Pentagon provided no details on casualties in the raid.

The Observatory said the troops landed in helicopters. Residents and activists described witnessing a large ground assault, with U.S. forces using megaphones urging women and children to leave the area.

Omar Saleh, a resident of a nearby house, said he was asleep when his doors and windows started to rattle to the sound of low-flying aircraft at 1:10 a.m. local time. He ran to open the windows with the lights off, and saw three helicopters. He then heard a man, speaking Arabic with an Iraqi or Saudi accent through a loudspeaker, urging women to surrender or leave the area.

“This went on for 45 minutes. There was no response. Then the machine gun fire erupted,” Saleh said. He said the firing continued for two hours, as aircraft circled low over the area.

Taher al-Omar, an Idlib-based activist, said he witnessed clashes between fighters and the U.S. force. Others reported hearing at least one major explosion during the operation. A U.S. official said that one of the helicopters in the raid suffered a mechanical problem and had to be blown up on the ground.

The military operation got attention on social media, with tweets from the region describing helicopters firing around the building near Atmeh. Flight-tracking data also suggested that multiple drones were circling the city of Sarmada and the village of Salwah, just north of the raid’s location.

Through slickly engineered propaganda, including brutal beheading videos, IS emerged as a dominant global extremist threat in the past decade. Its clarion call to followers in the West to either join its self-described caliphate in Syria, or to commit acts of violence at home, inspired killings in the U.S. as well as thousands of travelers determined to become foreign fighters. The allure of IS to would-be militants has proved challenging for the West to fully stamp out even amid leadership changes and U.S. military strikes and raids.

At the height of its territorial conquests around 2014, the Islamic State controlled more than 40,000 square miles stretching from Syria to Iraq and ruled over 8 million people.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-syria-middle-east-racial-injustice-iraq-e0c9bdc100f6ad74fb52d63a188ac978">Islamic State group has been reasserting itself</a>&nbsp;in Syria and Iraq with increased attacks.

Last month, it carried out its biggest military operation since it was defeated and its members scattered underground in 2019: an attack on a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 IS detainees. The attack appeared aimed to break free senior IS operatives in the prison.

It took 10 days of fighting for U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led forces to retake the prison fully, and the force said more than 120 of its fighters and prison workers were killed along with 374 militants. The U.S.-led coalition carried out airstrikes and deployed American personnel in Bradley Fighting Vehicles to the prison area to help the Kurdish forces.

A senior SDF official, Nowruz Ahmad, said Monday that the prison assault was part of a broader plot that IS had been preparing for a long time, including attacks on other neighborhoods in Kurdish-run northeastern Syria and on the al-Hol camp in the south, which houses thousands of families of IS members.

The U.S.-led coalition has targeted high-profile militants on several occasions in recent years, aiming to disrupt what U.S. officials say is a secretive cell known as the Khorasan group that is planning external attacks. A U.S. airstrike killed al-Qaida’s second in command, former bin Laden aide Abu al-Kheir al-Masri, in Syria in 2017.

ATMEH, Syria (AP) — President Joe Biden says a U.S. special forces raid in northwestern Syria early Thursday killed the top leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. Biden said all Americans involved in the operation returned safety. Biden said he would address the American people later Thursday on the raid.

 First responders at the scene reported 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women. The operation, which residents say lasted over two hours, jolted the sleepy village of Atmeh near the Turkish border

ATMEH, Syria (AP) — U.S. special forces carried out what the Pentagon said was a large-scale counterterrorism raid in northwestern Syria early Thursday. First responders at the scene reported 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women.

The operation, which residents say lasted over two hours, jolted the sleepy village of Atmeh near the Turkish border — an area dotted with camps for internally displaced people from Syria’s civil war. The target of the raid was unclear.

“The mission was successful,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a brief statement. “There were no U.S. casualties. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”

A journalist on assignment for The Associated Press and several residents said they saw body parts scattered near the site of the raid, a house in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province. Most residents spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, and said the raid involved helicopters, explosions and machine-gun fire.

It was the largest raid in the province since the 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-syria-ap-top-news-international-news-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-2c2c48e64f934d329c72a7af3dc284b1">Trump-era U.S. assault</a>&nbsp;that killed the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

An Iraqi intelligence official in contact with the U.S.-led coalition said Thursday’s target was a high-ranking militant leader whose identity will be released by the White House later in the day. Information suggests he may be al-Baghdadi’s successor, the current IS leader known as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the official added. He spoke on condition of anonymity to divulge sensitive information.

Idlib is broadly controlled by Turkey-backed fighters, but is also an al-Qaida stronghold and home to several of its top operatives. Other militants, including extremists from the rival IS group, have also found refuge in the region.

“The first moments were terrifying, no one knew what was happening,” said Jamil el-Deddo, a resident of a nearby refugee camp. “We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us,” he added, referring to crude explosives-filled containers used by President Bashar Assad’s forces against opponents during the Syrian conflict.

The top floor of the two-story house, surrounded by olive trees, was almost totally destroyed in Thursday’s raid, with the ceiling and walls knocked out.

Blood could be seen on the walls and floor of the remaining structure, which contained a wrecked bedroom with a child’s wooden crib on the floor. On one damaged wall, a blue plastic swing for children was still hanging. The kitchen was blackened with fire damage.

The opposition-run Syrian Civil Defense, first responders also known as the White Helmets, said 13 people were killed in shelling and clashes that ensued after U.S. the commando raid. They included six children and four women, it said.

The Pentagon provided no details on who was the target of the raid, or if any combatants or civilians on the ground were killed or injured.

Residents and activists described witnessing a large ground assault, with U.S. forces using megaphones urging women and children to leave the area.

Omar Saleh, a nearby resident, said the doors and windows of his house started to rattle to the sound of low-flying aircraft at 1:10 a.m. local time. He then heard a man, speaking Arabic with an Iraqi or Saudi accent through a loudspeaker, urging women to surrender or leave the area.

Others reported hearing at least one major explosion during the operation. A U.S. official said that one of the helicopters in the raid suffered a mechanical problem and had to be blown up on the ground. The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the military operation.

The Observatory said troops for the U.S.-led coalition using helicopters landed in the area and attacked a house. It said the force clashed with fighters on the ground. Taher al-Omar, an Idlib-based activist, also said he witnessed clashes between fighters and the U.S. force.

The U.S. has in the past used drones to kill top al-Qaida operatives in Idlib, which at one point was home to the group’s biggest concentration of leaders since the days of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. The fact that special forces landed on the ground suggest the target was believed to be of high value.

A similar attack in Pakistan, in 2011, killed bin Laden.

Thursday’s clandestine operation came as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-syria-middle-east-racial-injustice-iraq-e0c9bdc100f6ad74fb52d63a188ac978">Islamic State group was reasserting itself</a>&nbsp;in Syria and Iraq, carrying out some of its biggest attacks since it was defeated in 2019. In recent weeks and months, the group has launched a series of operations in the region, including a 10-day assault late last month to seize a prison in northeastern Syria.

A U.S.-backed Kurdish-led force said more than 120 of their fighters and prison workers died in the effort to thwart the IS plot, whose goal appeared to free senior IS operatives from the prison. The prison houses at least 3,000 Islamic State group detainees.

The attempted prison break was the biggest military operation by the extremist group since IS was defeated and members scattered to havens in 2019. The U.S.-led coalition carried out airstrikes and deployed American personnel in Bradley Fighting Vehicles to the prison area to help the Kurdish forces.

At a news conference Monday, an SDF senior official Nowruz Ahmad said the prison assault was part of a broader plot that IS had been preparing for a long time, including attacks on other neighborhoods in northeastern Syria and on the al-Hol camp in the south, which houses thousands of families of IS members.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643896451643.png" alt="President Biden, Vice President Harris and members of the President’s national security team observe the counterterrorism operation responsible for removing from the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi — the leader of ISIS.-White House photo " />
 <figcaption>President Biden, Vice President Harris and members of the President’s national security team observe the counterterrorism operation responsible for removing from the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi — the leader of ISIS.-White House photo </figcaption>
 </figure>ATMEH, Syria (AP) — The leader of the violent Islamic State group was killed during an overnight raid carried out by U.S. special forces in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, President Joe Biden said Thursday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F3107076899540438%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=160" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the militant group on Oct. 31, 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a U.S. raid in the same area. Biden said al-Qurayshi died as al-Baghdadi did, by exploding a bomb that killed himself and members of his family, including women and children, as U.S. forces approached.The operation came as IS has been trying for a resurgence, with a series of attacks in the region, including an assault late last month to seize a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 IS detainees, it’s boldest operation in years.“Thanks to the bravery of our troops this horrible terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said. He said al-Qurayshi had been responsible for the prison strike, as well as genocide against the Yazidi people in Iraq in 2014.U.S. special forces landed in helicopters and assaulted a house in a rebel-held corner of Syria, clashing for two hours with gunmen, witnesses said. Residents described continuous gunfire and explosions that jolted the town of Atmeh near the Turkish border, an area dotted with camps for internally displaced people from Syria’s civil war.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643902134347.png" alt="President Biden addressed the nation early Thursday-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden addressed the nation early Thursday-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Biden said he ordered U.S. forces to “take every precaution available to minimize civilian casualties,” adding that was why they chose not to conduct an airstrike on the home.First responders reported that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women.Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and senior national security aides monitored a live-feed of the operation from the White House Situation Room according to an official.The operation marked a military success for the United States at an important time after setbacks elsewhere — including the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal — have led allies and opponents to conclude U.S. power globally was weakening.The house, surrounded by olive trees in fields outside Atmeh, was left with its top floor shattered and blood spattered inside. A journalist on assignment for The Associated Press and several residents said they saw body parts scattered near the site. Most residents spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.“The mission was successful,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a brief statement. “There were no U.S. casualties.”Idlib is largely controlled by Turkish-backed fighters but is also an al-Qaida stronghold and home to several of its top operatives. Other militants, including extremists from the rival IS group, have also found refuge in the region.“The first moments were terrifying; no one knew what was happening,” said Jamil el-Deddo, a resident of a nearby refugee camp. “We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us,” he added, referring to crude explosives-filled containers used by President Bashar Assad’s forces against opponents during the Syrian conflict.The top floor of the low house was nearly destroyed; a room there had collapsed, sending white bricks tumbling to the ground below.Blood could be seen on the walls and floor of the remaining structure. A wrecked bedroom had a child’s wooden crib and a stuffed rabbit doll. On one damaged wall, a blue plastic baby swing was still hanging. Religious books, including a biography of Islam’s Prophet Mohammad, were in the house.Al-Qurayshi had kept an extremely low profile since he took over leadership of the Islamic State. He had not appeared in public, and rarely released any audio recordings. His influence and day-to-day involvement in the group’s operations was not known and it is difficult to gauge how his death will affect the group.His killing, however, is a significant blow just as the group had been trying to reassert itself in Syria and Iraq.The opposition-run Syrian Civil Defense, first responders also known as the White Helmets, said 13 people were killed in shelling and clashes that ensued after the U.S. commando raid.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, also said the strike killed 13 people, including four children and two women. Ahmad Rahhal, a citizen journalist who visited the site, reported seeing 12 bodies.The Pentagon provided no details on casualties in the raid.The Observatory said the troops landed in helicopters. Residents and activists described witnessing a large ground assault, with U.S. forces using megaphones urging women and children to leave the area.Omar Saleh, a resident of a nearby house, said he was asleep when his doors and windows started to rattle to the sound of low-flying aircraft at 1:10 a.m. local time. He ran to open the windows with the lights off, and saw three helicopters. He then heard a man, speaking Arabic with an Iraqi or Saudi accent through a loudspeaker, urging women to surrender or leave the area.“This went on for 45 minutes. There was no response. Then the machine gun fire erupted,” Saleh said. He said the firing continued for two hours, as aircraft circled low over the area.Taher al-Omar, an Idlib-based activist, said he witnessed clashes between fighters and the U.S. force. Others reported hearing at least one major explosion during the operation. A U.S. official said that one of the helicopters in the raid suffered a mechanical problem and had to be blown up on the ground.The military operation got attention on social media, with tweets from the region describing helicopters firing around the building near Atmeh. Flight-tracking data also suggested that multiple drones were circling the city of Sarmada and the village of Salwah, just north of the raid’s location.Through slickly engineered propaganda, including brutal beheading videos, IS emerged as a dominant global extremist threat in the past decade. Its clarion call to followers in the West to either join its self-described caliphate in Syria, or to commit acts of violence at home, inspired killings in the U.S. as well as thousands of travelers determined to become foreign fighters. The allure of IS to would-be militants has proved challenging for the West to fully stamp out even amid leadership changes and U.S. military strikes and raids.At the height of its territorial conquests around 2014, the Islamic State controlled more than 40,000 square miles stretching from Syria to Iraq and ruled over 8 million people.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-syria-middle-east-racial-injustice-iraq-e0c9bdc100f6ad74fb52d63a188ac978">Islamic State group has been reasserting itself</a>&nbsp;in Syria and Iraq with increased attacks.Last month, it carried out its biggest military operation since it was defeated and its members scattered underground in 2019: an attack on a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 IS detainees. The attack appeared aimed to break free senior IS operatives in the prison.It took 10 days of fighting for U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led forces to retake the prison fully, and the force said more than 120 of its fighters and prison workers were killed along with 374 militants. The U.S.-led coalition carried out airstrikes and deployed American personnel in Bradley Fighting Vehicles to the prison area to help the Kurdish forces.A senior SDF official, Nowruz Ahmad, said Monday that the prison assault was part of a broader plot that IS had been preparing for a long time, including attacks on other neighborhoods in Kurdish-run northeastern Syria and on the al-Hol camp in the south, which houses thousands of families of IS members.The U.S.-led coalition has targeted high-profile militants on several occasions in recent years, aiming to disrupt what U.S. officials say is a secretive cell known as the Khorasan group that is planning external attacks. A U.S. airstrike killed al-Qaida’s second in command, former bin Laden aide Abu al-Kheir al-Masri, in Syria in 2017.-------ATMEH, Syria (AP) — President Joe Biden says a U.S. special forces raid in northwestern Syria early Thursday killed the top leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. Biden said all Americans involved in the operation returned safety. Biden said he would address the American people later Thursday on the raid. First responders at the scene reported 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women. The operation, which residents say lasted over two hours, jolted the sleepy village of Atmeh near the Turkish border----------ATMEH, Syria (AP) — U.S. special forces carried out what the Pentagon said was a large-scale counterterrorism raid in northwestern Syria early Thursday. First responders at the scene reported 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women.The operation, which residents say lasted over two hours, jolted the sleepy village of Atmeh near the Turkish border — an area dotted with camps for internally displaced people from Syria’s civil war. The target of the raid was unclear.“The mission was successful,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a brief statement. “There were no U.S. casualties. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”A journalist on assignment for The Associated Press and several residents said they saw body parts scattered near the site of the raid, a house in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province. Most residents spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, and said the raid involved helicopters, explosions and machine-gun fire.It was the largest raid in the province since the 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-syria-ap-top-news-international-news-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-2c2c48e64f934d329c72a7af3dc284b1">Trump-era U.S. assault</a>&nbsp;that killed the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.An Iraqi intelligence official in contact with the U.S.-led coalition said Thursday’s target was a high-ranking militant leader whose identity will be released by the White House later in the day. Information suggests he may be al-Baghdadi’s successor, the current IS leader known as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the official added. He spoke on condition of anonymity to divulge sensitive information.Idlib is broadly controlled by Turkey-backed fighters, but is also an al-Qaida stronghold and home to several of its top operatives. Other militants, including extremists from the rival IS group, have also found refuge in the region.“The first moments were terrifying, no one knew what was happening,” said Jamil el-Deddo, a resident of a nearby refugee camp. “We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us,” he added, referring to crude explosives-filled containers used by President Bashar Assad’s forces against opponents during the Syrian conflict.The top floor of the two-story house, surrounded by olive trees, was almost totally destroyed in Thursday’s raid, with the ceiling and walls knocked out.Blood could be seen on the walls and floor of the remaining structure, which contained a wrecked bedroom with a child’s wooden crib on the floor. On one damaged wall, a blue plastic swing for children was still hanging. The kitchen was blackened with fire damage.The opposition-run Syrian Civil Defense, first responders also known as the White Helmets, said 13 people were killed in shelling and clashes that ensued after U.S. the commando raid. They included six children and four women, it said.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, also said the strike killed 13 people, including four children and two women. Ahmad Rahhal, a citizen journalist who visited the site, reported seeing 12 bodies.The Pentagon provided no details on who was the target of the raid, or if any combatants or civilians on the ground were killed or injured.Residents and activists described witnessing a large ground assault, with U.S. forces using megaphones urging women and children to leave the area.Omar Saleh, a nearby resident, said the doors and windows of his house started to rattle to the sound of low-flying aircraft at 1:10 a.m. local time. He then heard a man, speaking Arabic with an Iraqi or Saudi accent through a loudspeaker, urging women to surrender or leave the area.“This went on for 45 minutes. There was no response. Then the machine gun fire erupted,” Saleh said. He said the firing continued for two hours, as aircraft circled low over the area.Others reported hearing at least one major explosion during the operation. A U.S. official said that one of the helicopters in the raid suffered a mechanical problem and had to be blown up on the ground. The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the military operation.The Observatory said troops for the U.S.-led coalition using helicopters landed in the area and attacked a house. It said the force clashed with fighters on the ground. Taher al-Omar, an Idlib-based activist, also said he witnessed clashes between fighters and the U.S. force.The military operation got attention on social media, with tweets from the region describing helicopters firing around the building near Atmeh. Flight-tracking data also suggested that multiple drones were circling the city of Sarmada and the village of Salwah, just north of the raid’s location.The U.S. has in the past used drones to kill top al-Qaida operatives in Idlib, which at one point was home to the group’s biggest concentration of leaders since the days of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. The fact that special forces landed on the ground suggest the target was believed to be of high value.A similar attack in Pakistan, in 2011, killed bin Laden.Thursday’s clandestine operation came as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-syria-middle-east-racial-injustice-iraq-e0c9bdc100f6ad74fb52d63a188ac978">Islamic State group was reasserting itself</a>&nbsp;in Syria and Iraq, carrying out some of its biggest attacks since it was defeated in 2019. In recent weeks and months, the group has launched a series of operations in the region, including a 10-day assault late last month to seize a prison in northeastern Syria.A U.S.-backed Kurdish-led force said more than 120 of their fighters and prison workers died in the effort to thwart the IS plot, whose goal appeared to free senior IS operatives from the prison. The prison houses at least 3,000 Islamic State group detainees.The attempted prison break was the biggest military operation by the extremist group since IS was defeated and members scattered to havens in 2019. The U.S.-led coalition carried out airstrikes and deployed American personnel in Bradley Fighting Vehicles to the prison area to help the Kurdish forces.At a news conference Monday, an SDF senior official Nowruz Ahmad said the prison assault was part of a broader plot that IS had been preparing for a long time, including attacks on other neighborhoods in northeastern Syria and on the al-Hol camp in the south, which houses thousands of families of IS members.The U.S.-led coalition has targeted high-profile militants on several occasions in recent years, aiming to disrupt what U.S. officials say is a secretive cell known as the Khorasan group that is planning external attacks. A U.S. airstrike killed al-Qaida’s second in command, former bin Laden aide Abu al-Kheir al-Masri, in Syria in 2017.

🎥 Pres. Biden on raid in Syria that killed ISIS leader, women and children

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas could phase out its corporate income tax under a measure that also would expand its incentives for attracting new businesses, and the provision is a problem as lawmakers rush to help the state attract an undisclosed multibillion-dollar project.

The state House Commerce Committee expected to vote Thursday on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb347_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a bill</a>&nbsp;authorizing hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives for billion-dollar business projects after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-kansas-topeka-933bcd1586567b445f643e57de554cea">the Senate approved</a>&nbsp;the measure last week. The Republican-controlled Legislature hopes to wrap up work on the bill Monday so that the state Department of Commerce can offer an unnamed company $1 billion or more in incentives to make Kansas home to what department officials say would be a $4 billion facility.

Republican senators added a cut in corporate income taxes, arguing that other businesses, particularly small ones, should also get a break if the state is going to offer huge incentives to single companies. But the provision is written so that the state would keep reducing the tax in future years, possibly until it was eliminated.

Kelly, other Democrats and the Department of Commerce favor one modest cut in the corporate income tax rate. Even Republicans who favor a series of cuts acknowledge that the disputed provision’s language is unclear enough that the reductions could be more aggressive than intended.

“That’s the confusion,” Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, said Wednesday. “I think we’re going to clarify that.”

The measure would give the Department of Commerce the authority to cut a company’s state income tax burden, cover part of its payroll, reimburse some employee training costs and reduce its local property taxes. It also could offer some breaks to major suppliers named by that firm.

Deputy Commerce Secretary Paul Hughes told the House committee this week that Kansas is pursuing “a massive advanced manufacturing facility” that will employ 4,000 people earning an average of $50,000 a year. Officials and lawmakers who know more details say they’ve been required to sign an agreement not to disclose the information publicly.

The bill also would cut the state’s corporate income tax by a half-percentage point once that company begins receiving the incentives, dropping the top rate to 6.5% from 7%. The bill says that the tax will continue to drop by a half-percentage point for each year “that a qualified firm or qualified supplier receives benefits.”

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said the goal was to have multiple reductions in the corporate income tax so that Kansas is more competitive with other states.

“Taking it down a half-percent one time is not going to get a competitive level,” she said.

The first corporate tax cut is expected cost the state about $48 million a year in revenue. The state is on track to collect more than $660 million in corporate income taxes during the current 2022 budget year.

The big-incentives program has had bipartisan support, but Sen. Tom Holland, a Baldwin City Democrat, said if GOP lawmakers stick to ongoing corporate tax cuts, “I can see a lot of senators running like scalded cats away from that deal.”

Even some conservative House Republicans oppose ongoing cuts.

“It’s fiscally irresponsible, and so we’ll have to address it,” said House Commerce Committee Chair Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican.

Masterson said the intent was to cut the corporate income tax rate every time the state closed a “mega-deal” with a company, so that it would take 14 such deals to phase out the corporate income tax. The Senate’s version of the bill would require lawmakers to take another look at the big-incentives program next year.

“We’re on the phones now, trying to make sure that we have some understandings with each other,” Masterson said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643899108901.png" alt="Kansas state Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, during a Monday Senate Assessment and Tax Committee meeting." />
 <figcaption>Kansas state Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, during a Monday Senate Assessment and Tax Committee meeting.</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas could phase out its corporate income tax under a measure that also would expand its incentives for attracting new businesses, and the provision is a problem as lawmakers rush to help the state attract an undisclosed multibillion-dollar project.The state House Commerce Committee expected to vote Thursday on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb347_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a bill</a>&nbsp;authorizing hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives for billion-dollar business projects after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-kansas-topeka-933bcd1586567b445f643e57de554cea">the Senate approved</a>&nbsp;the measure last week. The Republican-controlled Legislature hopes to wrap up work on the bill Monday so that the state Department of Commerce can offer an unnamed company $1 billion or more in incentives to make Kansas home to what department officials say would be a $4 billion facility.Republican senators added a cut in corporate income taxes, arguing that other businesses, particularly small ones, should also get a break if the state is going to offer huge incentives to single companies. But the provision is written so that the state would keep reducing the tax in future years, possibly until it was eliminated.Kelly, other Democrats and the Department of Commerce favor one modest cut in the corporate income tax rate. Even Republicans who favor a series of cuts acknowledge that the disputed provision’s language is unclear enough that the reductions could be more aggressive than intended.“That’s the confusion,” Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, said Wednesday. “I think we’re going to clarify that.”The measure would give the Department of Commerce the authority to cut a company’s state income tax burden, cover part of its payroll, reimburse some employee training costs and reduce its local property taxes. It also could offer some breaks to major suppliers named by that firm.Deputy Commerce Secretary Paul Hughes told the House committee this week that Kansas is pursuing “a massive advanced manufacturing facility” that will employ 4,000 people earning an average of $50,000 a year. Officials and lawmakers who know more details say they’ve been required to sign an agreement not to disclose the information publicly.The bill also would cut the state’s corporate income tax by a half-percentage point once that company begins receiving the incentives, dropping the top rate to 6.5% from 7%. The bill says that the tax will continue to drop by a half-percentage point for each year “that a qualified firm or qualified supplier receives benefits.”Senate Commerce Committee Chair Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said the goal was to have multiple reductions in the corporate income tax so that Kansas is more competitive with other states.“Taking it down a half-percent one time is not going to get a competitive level,” she said.The first corporate tax cut is expected cost the state about $48 million a year in revenue. The state is on track to collect more than $660 million in corporate income taxes during the current 2022 budget year.The big-incentives program has had bipartisan support, but Sen. Tom Holland, a Baldwin City Democrat, said if GOP lawmakers stick to ongoing corporate tax cuts, “I can see a lot of senators running like scalded cats away from that deal.”Even some conservative House Republicans oppose ongoing cuts.“It’s fiscally irresponsible, and so we’ll have to address it,” said House Commerce Committee Chair Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican.Masterson said the intent was to cut the corporate income tax rate every time the state closed a “mega-deal” with a company, so that it would take 14 such deals to phase out the corporate income tax. The Senate’s version of the bill would require lawmakers to take another look at the big-incentives program next year.“We’re on the phones now, trying to make sure that we have some understandings with each other,” Masterson said.

Kansas plan to lure big project snags on corporate tax cuts

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A jury has acquitted a 25-year-old man in the shooting death of his half-brother.

Cody Huninghake, of rural Leavenworth, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Robert Nelson. 

A Leavenworth County jury found him not guilty on Tuesday. Nelson was shot in the head July 3 at the family's home. 

Huninghake testified that he shot Smith accidentally when a shotgun went off as he lost his balance and fell against a wall. Huninghake was released from the Leavenworth County Jail after the verdict was announced.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625590667977.png" alt="HUNINGHAKE photo Leavenworth Co." />
 <figcaption>HUNINGHAKE photo Leavenworth Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A jury has acquitted a 25-year-old man in the shooting death of his half-brother.Cody Huninghake, of rural Leavenworth, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Robert Nelson. A Leavenworth County jury found him not guilty on Tuesday. Nelson was shot in the head July 3 at the family's home. Huninghake testified that he shot Smith accidentally when a shotgun went off as he lost his balance and fell against a wall. Huninghake was released from the Leavenworth County Jail after the verdict was announced.

Jury: Kan. man not guilty in half- brother's shooting death

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed home invasion burglary, have a&nbsp; suspect in custody and asking the public for help to locate to&nbsp;

Just before 10:30 p.m.Tuesday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center (Dispatch) received a 911 call stating three suspects had broken into a home in the 8300 Block of SW 29th Street in Topeka, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 The armed suspects arrived at the residence claiming to have vehicle trouble. The suspects then forced their way inside the residence. Four adults and three small children were home. Several items, including money, were stolen from the residence before the suspects fled the scene on foot.

Deputies arrived on scene, spoke with witnesses and with the assistance of a K9 Unit searched the area. A vehicle believed to be associated with this incident was located in the 2800 block of SW Auburn Road unoccupied.

Deputies located a female suspect identified as 38-year-old Lindsay Self and took her into custody on requested charges of&nbsp; aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated burglary to a dwelling, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, criminal discharge of a firearm, theft and criminal damage.

The Sheriff’s Office is attempting to identify the two male suspects in this case. Both white male suspects are described as possibly

late 30s to early 40s and 5 feet 7 inches tall. One is bald and the other is balding with gray/blonde facial hair.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643855960899.png" alt="Home-invasion armed burglary suspect-photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Home-invasion armed burglary suspect-photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed home invasion burglary, have a&nbsp; suspect in custody and asking the public for help to locate to&nbsp;Just before 10:30 p.m.Tuesday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center (Dispatch) received a 911 call stating three suspects had broken into a home in the 8300 Block of SW 29th Street in Topeka, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The armed suspects arrived at the residence claiming to have vehicle trouble. The suspects then forced their way inside the residence. Four adults and three small children were home. Several items, including money, were stolen from the residence before the suspects fled the scene on foot.Deputies arrived on scene, spoke with witnesses and with the assistance of a K9 Unit searched the area. A vehicle believed to be associated with this incident was located in the 2800 block of SW Auburn Road unoccupied.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643856069250.png" alt="Self photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Self photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies located a female suspect identified as 38-year-old Lindsay Self and took her into custody on requested charges of&nbsp; aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated burglary to a dwelling, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, criminal discharge of a firearm, theft and criminal damage.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643855931685.png" alt="Photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>The Sheriff’s Office is attempting to identify the two male suspects in this case. Both white male suspects are described as possiblylate 30s to early 40s and 5 feet 7 inches tall. One is bald and the other is balding with gray/blonde facial hair.

Police search for Kan. home-invasion, armed burglary suspects

Sometimes you need extra cash to tide you over to payday. 
Several apps are eager to provide that service, marketing themselves as 
an easy, no interest way to get a small loan.&nbsp; However, not all cash 
advance apps were created equal. Before signing up for one, research it 
first and watch out for hidden fees and other pitfalls.

What to know before using a cash advance app

Consider these tips before you use a cash advance or <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/18628-bbb-tip-payday-loans" target="_blank">payday loan</a> app:

Get further insight by reading <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14101-bbb-tip-loans" target="_blank">BBB’s tip on loans</a>. Read more tips on our <a href="https://www.bbb.org/news" target="_blank">BBB news feed</a>.

Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/bbb-accreditation-standards">BBB Accreditation Standards</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/standards-for-trust">BBB Standards for Trust</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BBBSometimes you need extra cash to tide you over to payday. 
Several apps are eager to provide that service, marketing themselves as 
an easy, no interest way to get a small loan.&nbsp; However, not all cash 
advance apps were created equal. Before signing up for one, research it 
first and watch out for hidden fees and other pitfalls.<h2>What to know before using a cash advance app</h2>Consider these tips before you use a cash advance or <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/18628-bbb-tip-payday-loans" target="_blank">payday loan</a> app:<ul>
 <li>Understand how cash advance loan apps work. <a href="https://thecollegeinvestor.com/32291/cash-advance-apps/" target="_blank">TheCollegeInvestor.com</a>
 defines cash advance loan apps as, “apps that allow you to deposit 
money that you’ve already earned into your checking account before 
payday.” Some cash advance apps work based on earned wages by partnering
 with employers, while others work directly with consumers. After 
calculating your current earnings, apps grant you a small loan. The 
amount of your loan is then deducted from your next paycheck. Some apps 
require monthly membership fees. Others charge fixed fees for loans or 
allow you to make voluntary “tips.” </li><li>Get to know the lender. If you decide to use an app to get a cash advance, look up the financing company on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/search" target="_blank">BBB.org</a> first. Make sure the company has a reputation for honest business practices. In addition, <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-should-i-consider-if-im-thinking-about-getting-a-payday-loan-online-en-1617/" target="_blank">ConsumerFinance.gov</a> recommends finding out if the lender is licensed by your state, which means better protection for you as well. </li><li>Read the terms carefully. Take your time reading 
the terms of the loan carefully. Be sure to understand when the loan 
must be repaid and how much you will owe if you don’t pay on time. </li><li>Find out about fees. Be suspicious of cash advance apps that claim to be totally free. That means there are usually hidden fees and costs, warns <a href="https://time.com/nextadvisor/banking/cash-advance-apps/" target="_blank">NextAdvisor</a>.
 Fees may be disguised under other names – including “tips,” 
“donations,” “membership fees,” or “premium account access.” Find out 
what you’ll pay and be aware that fees that seem small can add up over 
time. For example, <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/loans/personal-loans/earnin-personal-loans" target="_blank">Nerd Wallet</a>
 points out that paying $2 to withdraw $20 for two weeks comes out to an
 annual percentage rate of 260%. That’s comparable to what traditional 
payday lenders charge. </li><li>Be careful with your personal information. Most 
cash advance loan apps need access to your banking information to work. 
Make sure the company’s website and connections are secure and read 
their data privacy policies before sharing your information. </li><li>Never pay upfront fees. If a lender asks you to pay
 fees before giving you any money, don’t agree. Charging consumers 
undisclosed upfront fees is illegal and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16919-bbb-tip-advance-fee-loan-scams" target="_blank">a sign of a scam</a>. </li><li>Budget accordingly. Always remember that getting 
early access to your money through a cash advance loan means your next 
paycheck will be smaller. While this kind of loan can be helpful if you 
find yourself in a small financial emergency before payday, you’ll need 
to plan ahead to make ends meet during your next pay period. </li><li>Keep your documentation. BBB has received reports of <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23300-bbb-tip-what-you-need-to-know-about-zombie-debt" target="_blank">consumers getting calls from collections agencies</a>
 years after they repaid a payday loan. Some calls were a result of 
human error, but others were attempts to scam consumers out of money. 
Stay safe by keeping documentation that states your loans were paid in 
full. </li><li>Consider alternatives to a loan. Cash advance loans can become very expensive, especially if you miss your repayment date. <a href="https://www.consumer.gov/articles/1011-payday-loans-and-cash-advances" target="_blank">Consumer.gov</a>
 recommends considering other ways to borrow money, including using your
 credit card, asking family or friends for a loan, or inquiring about a 
loan at your bank or credit union. If you need a loan because you are 
unable to pay one of your regular bills, try calling the company and 
asking for assistance. For example, many lenders and creditors are 
helping borrowers affected by COVID-19 by offering deferment on mortgage
 loans or credit card debt. </li>
 </ul><h2>For More Information</h2>Get further insight by reading <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14101-bbb-tip-loans" target="_blank">BBB’s tip on loans</a>. Read more tips on our <a href="https://www.bbb.org/news" target="_blank">BBB news feed</a>.Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/bbb-accreditation-standards">BBB Accreditation Standards</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/standards-for-trust">BBB Standards for Trust</a>.&nbsp;

BBB Tip: Using a cash advance loan app? Proceed with caution

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday set&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/02/fact-sheet-president-biden-reignites-cancer-moonshot-to-end-cancer-as-we-know-it/" target="_blank">a 25-year timeline to cut in half the cancer death rate</a>, a lofty but perhaps unrealistic goal that is meant to “supercharge” an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7de1dc1fab1b4d46a9a6e582f67576dd">initiative started when he was vice president to eradicate the disease</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d8f69eb645d74b7886387f713981b739">killed his older son, Beau.</a>

“This can really be an American moment to prove to ourselves and, quite frankly, the world that we can do really big things,” Biden told a crowd of lawmakers, administration officials, researchers and others at the White House.

The new push, which comes without any new money, arrives more than 50 years after President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act and launched a war on the disease. The benefits of that act were also seen in areas outside of cancer, such as the vaccines developed to combat the coronavirus.

Personal connections to the fight against cancer were evident throughout the White House event. First lady Jill Biden spoke of how the death of Beau from brain cancer in 2015 had “stolen our joy” and “left us broken in our grief.” Vice President Kamala Harris spoke of how her mother’s work as a cancer researcher had helped “save women’s lives.”

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 1,918,030 new cancer cases and 609,360 cancer deaths this year. Biden is essentially aiming to to save more than 300,000 lives annually, which the administration believes is possible because the age-adjusted death rate has already fallen by roughly 25% over the past two decades. The cancer death rate is currently 146 per 100,000 people, compared with nearly 200 in 2000.

Dr. Otis Brawley, a professor of oncology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University and former chief medical and scientific officer for the American Cancer Society, said advances in medical research have led to a “better understanding of the biology of cancer and will do even more for us in the future.”

“The progress in cancer research is slow — some of the fruits of Nixon’s 1971 declaration were only harvested with the development of the COVID mRNA vaccine,” he said.

Looking forward, better public health practices, reducing cancer risks such as smoking and informing people about the best cancer research could mean fewer deaths. Brawley said one of his studies found that 130,000 people die annually from cancer because they do not benefit from known science.

Dr. Barron Lerner, a professor of medicine and population health at New York University Langone Health, said “hyperbolic goals” can help draw public attention to the problem but achieving the 50% reduction is “extremely unlikely.”

“Similar past efforts like the ‘War on Cancer’ have made gains, but they have been more modest,” said Lerner, author of “The Breast Cancer Wars.” “Cancer is many diseases and requires very complicated research. Translating these advances to the clinical setting is never easy either.”

There were no new funding commitments announced Wednesday. But the administration believes it can curb cancer through efforts such as increased screening and removing inequities in treatment.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">The coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;has consumed health care resources and caused people to miss more than 9.5 million cancer screenings.

President Barack Obama&nbsp;<a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/01/fact-sheet-investing-national-cancer-moonshot" target="_blank">announced the cancer “moonshot” program</a>&nbsp;during his final full year in office and secured $1.8 billion over seven years to fund research. Obama designated Biden, then his vice president, to run “mission control,” a recognition of Biden’s grief as a parent and desire to do something about it. Biden wrote in his memoir “Promise Me, Dad” that he chose not to run for president in 2016 primarily because of Beau’s death.

When Biden announced he was not seeking the Democratic nomination in 2016, he said his big regret was that “I would have wanted to have been the president who ended cancer, because it’s possible.”

The effort fell somewhat out of the public focus when Donald Trump became president, though Trump, a Republican, proposed $500 million over 10 years for pediatric cancer research in his 2019 State of the Union address.

Biden continued the work as a private citizen by establishing the Biden Cancer Initiative to help organize resources to improve cancer care. When Biden did&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-pa-state-wire-joe-biden-ap-top-news-donald-trump-d5c415b99a6945dbbecf60d57bcf68cb">seek the presidency</a>&nbsp;in 2020, he had tears in his eyes as he said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that “Beau should be running for president, not me.”

Beau Biden’s doctor was in the audience Wednesday and was cited by the president.

“Doctor, I love you,” Biden said. “The whole family loves you.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643850145534.png" alt="First lady Jill Biden spoke of how the death of Beau from brain cancer in 2015 had “stolen our joy” and “left us broken in our grief.”-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>First lady Jill Biden spoke of how the death of Beau from brain cancer in 2015 had “stolen our joy” and “left us broken in our grief.”-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday set&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/02/fact-sheet-president-biden-reignites-cancer-moonshot-to-end-cancer-as-we-know-it/" target="_blank">a 25-year timeline to cut in half the cancer death rate</a>, a lofty but perhaps unrealistic goal that is meant to “supercharge” an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7de1dc1fab1b4d46a9a6e582f67576dd">initiative started when he was vice president to eradicate the disease</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d8f69eb645d74b7886387f713981b739">killed his older son, Beau.</a><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F543342663300718%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1068" 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>“This can really be an American moment to prove to ourselves and, quite frankly, the world that we can do really big things,” Biden told a crowd of lawmakers, administration officials, researchers and others at the White House.The new push, which comes without any new money, arrives more than 50 years after President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act and launched a war on the disease. The benefits of that act were also seen in areas outside of cancer, such as the vaccines developed to combat the coronavirus.Personal connections to the fight against cancer were evident throughout the White House event. First lady Jill Biden spoke of how the death of Beau from brain cancer in 2015 had “stolen our joy” and “left us broken in our grief.” Vice President Kamala Harris spoke of how her mother’s work as a cancer researcher had helped “save women’s lives.”The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 1,918,030 new cancer cases and 609,360 cancer deaths this year. Biden is essentially aiming to to save more than 300,000 lives annually, which the administration believes is possible because the age-adjusted death rate has already fallen by roughly 25% over the past two decades. The cancer death rate is currently 146 per 100,000 people, compared with nearly 200 in 2000.Dr. Otis Brawley, a professor of oncology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University and former chief medical and scientific officer for the American Cancer Society, said advances in medical research have led to a “better understanding of the biology of cancer and will do even more for us in the future.”“The progress in cancer research is slow — some of the fruits of Nixon’s 1971 declaration were only harvested with the development of the COVID mRNA vaccine,” he said.Looking forward, better public health practices, reducing cancer risks such as smoking and informing people about the best cancer research could mean fewer deaths. Brawley said one of his studies found that 130,000 people die annually from cancer because they do not benefit from known science.Dr. Barron Lerner, a professor of medicine and population health at New York University Langone Health, said “hyperbolic goals” can help draw public attention to the problem but achieving the 50% reduction is “extremely unlikely.”“Similar past efforts like the ‘War on Cancer’ have made gains, but they have been more modest,” said Lerner, author of “The Breast Cancer Wars.” “Cancer is many diseases and requires very complicated research. Translating these advances to the clinical setting is never easy either.”There were no new funding commitments announced Wednesday. But the administration believes it can curb cancer through efforts such as increased screening and removing inequities in treatment.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">The coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;has consumed health care resources and caused people to miss more than 9.5 million cancer screenings.President Barack Obama&nbsp;<a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/01/fact-sheet-investing-national-cancer-moonshot" target="_blank">announced the cancer “moonshot” program</a>&nbsp;during his final full year in office and secured $1.8 billion over seven years to fund research. Obama designated Biden, then his vice president, to run “mission control,” a recognition of Biden’s grief as a parent and desire to do something about it. Biden wrote in his memoir “Promise Me, Dad” that he chose not to run for president in 2016 primarily because of Beau’s death.When Biden announced he was not seeking the Democratic nomination in 2016, he said his big regret was that “I would have wanted to have been the president who ended cancer, because it’s possible.”The effort fell somewhat out of the public focus when Donald Trump became president, though Trump, a Republican, proposed $500 million over 10 years for pediatric cancer research in his 2019 State of the Union address.Biden continued the work as a private citizen by establishing the Biden Cancer Initiative to help organize resources to improve cancer care. When Biden did&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-pa-state-wire-joe-biden-ap-top-news-donald-trump-d5c415b99a6945dbbecf60d57bcf68cb">seek the presidency</a>&nbsp;in 2020, he had tears in his eyes as he said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that “Beau should be running for president, not me.”Beau Biden’s doctor was in the audience Wednesday and was cited by the president.“Doctor, I love you,” Biden said. “The whole family loves you.”

🎥 Bidens set goal to reduce cancer deaths over next 25 years

WASHINGTON — As the new year begins, the Internal Revenue Service 
reminds taxpayers to protect their personal and financial information 
throughout the year and watch out for IRS impersonation scams, along 
with other schemes, that try to trick people out of their hard-earned 
money.

These schemes can involve text message scams, e-mail schemes and 
phone scams. This tax season, the IRS also warns people to watch out for
 signs of potential unemployment fraud.

"With filing season underway, this is a prime period for identity 
thieves to hit people with realistic-looking emails and texts about 
their tax returns and refunds," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. 
"Watching out for these common scams can keep people from becoming 
victims of identity theft and protect their sensitive personal 
information that can be used to file tax returns and steal refunds."

The IRS, state tax agencies and the nation's tax industry – working together in the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit initiative</a>
 – have taken numerous steps since 2015 to protect taxpayers, businesses
 and the tax system from identity thieves. Summit partners continue to 
warn people to watch out for common scams and schemes this tax season.

Last year, there was an uptick in text messages that impersonated the
 IRS. These scams are sent to taxpayers' smartphones and have referenced
 COVID-19 and/or "stimulus payments." These messages often contain bogus
 links claiming to be IRS websites or other online tools. Other than IRS
 Secure Access, the IRS does not use text messages to discuss personal 
tax issues, such as those involving bills or refunds. The IRS also will 
not send taxpayers messages via social media platforms.

If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited SMS/text that appears to be 
from either the IRS or a program closely linked to the IRS, the taxpayer
 should take a screenshot of the text message and include the screenshot
 in an email to <a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov">phishing@irs.gov</a> with the following information:

The IRS reminds everyone NOT to click links or open attachments 
in unsolicited, suspicious or unexpected text messages – whether from 
the IRS, state tax agencies or others in the tax community.

As a new tax season begins, the IRS reminds workers to watch out for 
claims of unemployment or other benefit payments for which they never 
applied. States have experienced a surge in fraudulent unemployment 
claims filed by organized crime rings using stolen identities. Criminals
 are using these stolen identities to fraudulently collect benefits.

Because unemployment benefits are taxable income, states issue Form 
1099-G, Certain Government Payments, to recipients and to the IRS to 
report the amount of taxable compensation received and any withholding. 
Any worker receiving a fraudulent or inaccurate 1099-G should report it 
to the issuing state agency and request a corrected Form 1099-G.

For details on how to report fraud to state workforce agencies, how 
to obtain a corrected Form 1099-G, how to find a list of state contacts 
and other steps to take related to unemployment fraud, taxpayers can 
visit the U.S. Department of Labor's <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/UIIDtheft">DOL.gov/fraud</a> page.

Individuals may be victims of unemployment identity theft if they received:

A notice from their employer indicating the employer received a request for information about an unemployment claim.

The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request 
personal or financial information. The IRS initiates most contacts 
through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — As the new year begins, the Internal Revenue Service 
reminds taxpayers to protect their personal and financial information 
throughout the year and watch out for IRS impersonation scams, along 
with other schemes, that try to trick people out of their hard-earned 
money.These schemes can involve text message scams, e-mail schemes and 
phone scams. This tax season, the IRS also warns people to watch out for
 signs of potential unemployment fraud."With filing season underway, this is a prime period for identity 
thieves to hit people with realistic-looking emails and texts about 
their tax returns and refunds," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. 
"Watching out for these common scams can keep people from becoming 
victims of identity theft and protect their sensitive personal 
information that can be used to file tax returns and steal refunds."The IRS, state tax agencies and the nation's tax industry – working together in the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit initiative</a>
 – have taken numerous steps since 2015 to protect taxpayers, businesses
 and the tax system from identity thieves. Summit partners continue to 
warn people to watch out for common scams and schemes this tax season.<h2>Text message scams</h2>Last year, there was an uptick in text messages that impersonated the
 IRS. These scams are sent to taxpayers' smartphones and have referenced
 COVID-19 and/or "stimulus payments." These messages often contain bogus
 links claiming to be IRS websites or other online tools. Other than IRS
 Secure Access, the IRS does not use text messages to discuss personal 
tax issues, such as those involving bills or refunds. The IRS also will 
not send taxpayers messages via social media platforms.If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited SMS/text that appears to be 
from either the IRS or a program closely linked to the IRS, the taxpayer
 should take a screenshot of the text message and include the screenshot
 in an email to <a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov">phishing@irs.gov</a> with the following information:<ul>
 <li>Date/time/time zone they received the text message</li><li>Phone number that received the text message</li>
 </ul>The IRS reminds everyone NOT to click links or open attachments 
in unsolicited, suspicious or unexpected text messages – whether from 
the IRS, state tax agencies or others in the tax community.<h2>Unemployment fraud</h2>As a new tax season begins, the IRS reminds workers to watch out for 
claims of unemployment or other benefit payments for which they never 
applied. States have experienced a surge in fraudulent unemployment 
claims filed by organized crime rings using stolen identities. Criminals
 are using these stolen identities to fraudulently collect benefits.Because unemployment benefits are taxable income, states issue Form 
1099-G, Certain Government Payments, to recipients and to the IRS to 
report the amount of taxable compensation received and any withholding. 
Any worker receiving a fraudulent or inaccurate 1099-G should report it 
to the issuing state agency and request a corrected Form 1099-G.For details on how to report fraud to state workforce agencies, how 
to obtain a corrected Form 1099-G, how to find a list of state contacts 
and other steps to take related to unemployment fraud, taxpayers can 
visit the U.S. Department of Labor's <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/UIIDtheft">DOL.gov/fraud</a> page.<h2>Individuals may be victims of unemployment identity theft if they received:</h2><ul>
 <li>Mail from a government agency about an unemployment claim or 
payment for which they did not file. This includes unexpected payments 
or debit cards and could be from any state.</li><li>An IRS Form 1099-G reflecting unemployment benefits they weren't 
expecting or didn't receive. Box 1 on this form may show unemployment 
benefits they did not receive or an amount that exceeds their records 
for benefits they did receive. The form itself may be from a state in 
which they did not file for benefits.</li>
 </ul>A notice from their employer indicating the employer received a request for information about an unemployment claim.<h2>Email phishing scams</h2>The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request 
personal or financial information. The IRS initiates most contacts 
through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service.If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited email that appears to be from 
either the IRS or a program closely linked to the IRS that is 
fraudulent, report it by sending it as an attachment to <a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov">phishing@irs.gov</a>. The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing">Report Phishing and Online Scams</a> page at IRS.gov provides complete details.There are special circumstances when the IRS will call or come to a 
home or business. These visits include times when a taxpayer has an 
overdue tax bill, a delinquent tax return or a delinquent employment tax
 payment. The IRS may also visit if it needs to tour a business as part 
of a civil investigation (such as an audit or collection case) or during
 a criminal investigation. The IRS provides specific guidance on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-to-know-its-really-the-irs-calling-or-knocking-on-your-door">how to know it's really the IRS knocking on your door</a>.<h2>Phone scams</h2>The IRS does not leave pre-recorded, urgent or threatening messages. 
In many variations of the phone scam, victims are told if they do not 
call back, a warrant will be issued for their arrest. Other verbal 
threats include law-enforcement agency intervention, deportation or 
revocation of licenses.Criminals can fake or "spoof" caller ID numbers to appear to be 
anywhere in the country, including from an IRS office. This prevents 
taxpayers from being able to verify the true call number. Fraudsters 
also have spoofed local sheriff's offices, state departments of motor 
vehicles, federal agencies and others to convince taxpayers the call is 
legitimate.<h2>The IRS (and its authorized private collection agencies) will never:</h2><ul>
 <li>Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method
 such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. The IRS does 
not use these methods for tax payments.</li><li>Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.</li><li>Demand that taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.</li><li>Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.</li>
 </ul>Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who 
owes taxes. All tax payments should only be made payable to the U.S. 
Treasury and checks should never be made payable to third parties.<h2>For anyone who doesn't owe taxes and has no reason to think they do:</h2><ul>
 <li>Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.</li><li>Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report the call at <a href="https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/reportcrime_misconduct.shtml">IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting</a>.</li><li>Report the caller ID and/or callback number to the IRS by sending it to <a href="mailto:phishing@irs.gov">phishing@irs.gov</a> (Subject: IRS Phone Scam).</li><li><a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/">Report it to the Federal Trade Commission</a> on FTC.gov. Add "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes.</li>
 </ul><h2>For anyone who owes tax or thinks they do:</h2><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">View tax account information</a> online at IRS.gov to see the actual amount owed. Taxpayers can also review their payment options.</li><li>Call the number on the billing notice or</li><li>Call the IRS at <a href="tel:800-829-1040">800-829-1040</a>. IRS employees can help.</li>
 </ul><h2>Help for victims of ID theft</h2>Unfortunately, scams and schemes can often lead to identity theft. 
While identity theft can have many consequences, the IRS focuses on 
tax-related identity theft.Tax-related identity theft occurs when someone uses an individual's 
stolen Social Security number (SSN) to file a tax return claiming a 
fraudulent refund. Taxpayers may be unaware of this activity until they 
e-file a tax return and discover that a return has already been filed 
using their SSN. Or, the IRS may send them a letter saying it has 
identified a suspicious return using their SSN.If a taxpayer learns their SSN has been compromised, or they know or 
suspect they are a victim of tax-related identity theft, the IRS 
recommends these additional steps:<ul>
 <li>Individuals should respond immediately to any IRS notice; call the number provided.</li><li>Taxpayers should complete IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f14039.pdf">Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit</a>&nbsp;PDF,
 if an e-file tax return rejects because of a duplicate filing under 
their SSN or they are instructed to do so by the IRS. Individuals can 
use a fillable form at IRS.gov, then print and attach the form to their 
paper return and mail according to instructions.</li><li>Victims of tax-related identity theft should continue to pay their 
taxes and file their tax return, even if they must do so by paper.</li><li>Taxpayers who previously contacted the IRS about tax-related 
identity theft and did not have a resolution should call for specialized
 assistance at <a href="tel:800-908-4490">800-908-4490</a>.</li>
 </ul>More information is available at: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central">IRS.gov/identitytheft</a> or the Federal Trade Commission's <a href="https://www.identitytheft.gov/">IdentityTheft.gov</a>.The official IRS website is IRS.gov. People should be aware of 
imitation websites ending in .com. This applies to other IRS tools, too,
 like <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">Free File</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;they all end in .gov.For more information, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts">Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts</a> on IRS.gov. Additional information about tax scams is available on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-social-media">IRS social media sites</a>, including YouTube videos.