Today is Monday, Sept. 16, the 260th day of 2024. There are 106 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Sept. 16, 2013, Aaron Alexis, a former U.S. Navy reservist, went on a shooting rampage inside the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12 people before being fatally shot police.

Also on this date:

In 1810, Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called on his parishioners to join him in a rebellion against Spanish rule, marking the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence.

In 1893, the largest land run in U.S. history occurred as more than 100,000 white settlers rushed to claim over more than 6 million acres of land in what is now northern Oklahoma.

In 1908, General Motors was founded in Flint, Michigan, by William C. Durant.

In 1940, Samuel T. Rayburn of Texas was first elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; he would hold the post for a record 17 years, spanning three separate terms.

In 1966, the Metropolitan Opera officially opened its new opera house at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts with the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s “Antony and Cleopatra.”

In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford signed a proclamation announcing a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam war deserters and draft evaders.

In 1982, the massacre of more than 1,300 Palestinian men, women and children at the hands of Israeli-allied Christian Phalange militiamen began in west Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.

In 2007, O.J. Simpson was arrested in the alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia collectors in Las Vegas. (Simpson was later convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery and sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison; he was released in 2017.)

In 2018, at least 17 people were confirmed dead from Hurricane Florence as catastrophic flooding spread across the Carolinas.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor George Chakiris is 92.
• Actor Ed Begley Jr. is 75.
• Author-historian-filmmaker Henry Louis Gates Jr. is 74.
• Country singer David Bellamy (The Bellamy Brothers) is 74.
• Actor Mickey Rourke is 72.
• Jazz musician Earl Klugh is 71.
• TV personality Mark McEwen is 70.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Yount is 69.
• Magician David Copperfield is 68.
• Actor Jennifer Tilly is 66.
• Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Orel Hershiser is 66.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Tim Raines is 65.
• Singer Richard Marx is 61.
• Comedian Molly Shannon is 60.
• Singer Marc Anthony is 56.
• News anchor/talk show host Tamron Hall is 54.
• Comedian-actor Amy Poehler is 53.
• Singer-songwriter Musiq Soulchild is 47.
• Rapper Flo Rida is 45.
• Actor Alexis Bledel is 43.
• Actor Madeline Zima is 39.
• Actor Max Minghella is 39.
• Rock singer-musician Nick Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) is 32.
• Actor Chase Stokes is 32.
• Golfer Bryson Dechambeau is 31.

By Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — The 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards arrived on Sunday.

The awards, presented by the Television Academy, honored the best of the 2023-2024 TV season. The 76th edition of the ceremony came just months after the 75th edition, which was held in January after being delayed by the dual Hollywood strikes.

Here are the winners, including several previously announced at the Creative Arts Emmys.

Comedy series

“Abbott Elementary”

“The Bear”

“Curb Your Enthusiasm”

Winner: “Hacks”

“Only Murders in the Building”

“Palm Royale”

“Reservation Dogs”

“What We Do in the Shadows”

Drama series

“The Crown”

“Fallout”

“The Gilded Age”

“The Morning Show”

“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Winner: “Shōgun”

“Slow Horses”

“3 Body Problem”

Drama lead actress

Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show”

Carrie Coon, “The Gilded Age”

Maya Erskine, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Winner: Anna Sawai, “Shōgun”

Imelda Staunton, “The Crown”

Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show”

Drama lead actor

Donald Glover, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Walton Goggins, “Fallout”

Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”

Winner: Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shōgun”

Dominic West, “The Crown”

Idris Elba, “Hijack”

Limited series

Winner: “Baby Reindeer”

“Fargo”

“Lessons in Chemistry”

“Ripley”

“True Detective: Night Country”

Limited series / TV movie lead actress

Winner: Jodie Foster, “True Detective: Night Country”

Brie Larson, “Lessons in Chemistry”

Juno Temple, “Fargo”

Sofía Vergara, “Griselda”

Naomi Watts, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Limited series / TV movie lead actor

Matt Bomer, “Fellow Travelers”

Winner: Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”

Jon Hamm, “Fargo”

Tom Hollander,“Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Andrew Scott, “Ripley”

Directing for a drama series

Hiro Murai, “First Date,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Winner: Frederick E.O. Toye, “Crimson Sky,” “Shōgun”

Saul Metzstein, “Strange Games,” “Slow Horses”

Stephen Daldry, “Sleep, Dearie Sleep,” “The Crown”

Mimi Leder, “The Overview Effect,” “The Morning Show”

Directing for a comedy series

Randall Einhorn, “Party,” “Abbott Elementary”

Lucia Aniello, “Bulletproof,” “Hacks”

Winner: Christopher Storer, “Fishes,” “The Bear”

Ramy Youssef, “Honeydew,” “The Bear”

Guy Ritchie, “Refined Aggression,” “The Gentlemen”

Writing for a limited or anthology series or movie

Winner: Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”

Charlie Brooker, “Joan Is Awful,” “Black Mirror”

Noah Hawley, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” “Fargo”

Ron Nyswaner, “You’re Wonderful,” “Fellow Travelers”

Steven Zaillian, “Ripley”

Issa López, “Part 6,” “True Detective: North Country”

Writing for a drama series

Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Graham Wagner; “The End,” “Fallout”

Francesca Sloane, Donald Glover; “First Date,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks; “Anjin,” “Shōgun”

Rachel Kondo, Caillin Puente; “Crimson Sky,” “Shōgun”

Winner: Will Smith, “Negotiating With Tigers,” “Slow Horses”

Peter Morgan, Meriel Sheibani-Clare; “The Ritz,” “The Crown”

Limited series / TV movie supporting actor

Jonathan Bailey, “Fellow Travelers”

Robert Downey Jr., “The Sympathizer”

Tom Goodman-Hill, “Baby Reindeer”

John Hawkes, “True Detective: North Country”

Winner: Lamorne Morris, “Fargo”

Lewis Pullman, “Lessons in Chemistry”

Treat Williams, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Talk series

Winner: “The Daily Show”

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“Late Night With Seth Meyers”

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

Writing for a comedy series

Quinta Brunson, “Career Day,” “Abbott Elementary”

Meredith Scardino, Sam Means; “Orlando,” “Girls5eva”

Winner: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky; “Bulletproof,” “Hacks”

Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo; “Fishes,” “The Bear”

Chris Kelly, Sarah Schneider; “Brooke Hosts a Night of Undeniable Good,” “The Other Two”

Jake Bender, Zach Dunn; “Pride Parade,” “What We Do in the Shadows”

Directing for a limited or anthology series or movie

Weronika Tofilska, “Episode 4,” “Baby Reindeer”

Noah Hawley, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” “Fargo”

Gus Van Sant, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Millicent Shelton, “Poirot,” “Lessons in Chemistry”

Winner: Steven Zaillian, “Ripley”

Issa López, “True Detective: North Country”

Writing for a variety special

Winner: Alex Edelman, “Alex Edelman: Just For Us”

Jacqueline Novak, “Jacqueline Novak: Get On Your Knees”

John Early, “John Early: Now More Than Ever”

Mike Birbiglia, “Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and The Pool”

“The Oscars”

Scripted variety series

Winner: “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”

“Saturday Night Live”

Limited series / TV movie supporting actress

Dakota Fanning, “Ripley”

Lily Gladstone, “Under the Bridge”

Winner: Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer”

Aja Naomi King, “Lessons in Chemistry”

Diane Lane, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Nava Mau, “Baby Reindeer”

Kali Reis, “True Detective: Night Country”

Reality competition program

“The Amazing Race”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race”

“Top Chef”

Winner: “The Traitors”

“The Voice”

Comedy lead actress

Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”

Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”

Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building”

Winner: Jean Smart, “Hacks”

Kristen Wiig, “Palm Royale”

Maya Rudolph, “Loot”

Drama supporting actress

Christine Baranski, “The Gilded Age”

Nicole Beharie, “The Morning Show”

Winner: Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown”

Greta Lee, “The Morning Show”

Lesley Manville, “The Crown”

Karen Pittman, “The Morning Show”

Holland Taylor, “The Morning Show”

Comedy supporting actress

Carol Burnett, “Palm Royale”

Winner: Liza Colón-Zayas, “The Bear”

Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”

Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”

Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”

Meryl Streep, “Only Murders in the Building”

Comedy lead actor

Matt Berry, “What We Do in the Shadows,”

Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”

Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

Winner: Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, “Reservation Dogs”

Drama supporting actor

Tadanobu Asano, “Shōgun”

Winner: Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”

Mark Duplass, “The Morning Show”

Jon Hamm, “The Morning Show”

Takehiro Hira, “Shōgun”

Jack Lowden, “Slow Horses”

Jonathan Pryce, “The Crown”

Comedy supporting actor

Lionel Boyce, “The Bear”

Paul W. Downs, “Hacks”

Winner: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”

Paul Rudd, “Only Murders in the Building”

Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”

Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”

Television movie

Winner: “Quiz Lady”

“Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie”

“Red, White & Royal Blue”

“Scoop”

“Unfrosted”

Guest actor in a drama series

Winner: Néstor Carbonell, “Shōgun”

Paul Dano, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Tracy Letts, “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”

Jonathan Pryce, “Slow Horses”

John Turturro, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Guest actress in a drama series

Winner: Michaela Coel, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Claire Foy, “The Crown”

Marcia Gay Harden, “The Morning Show”

Sarah Paulson, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Parker Posey, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Guest actor in a comedy series

Winner: Jon Bernthal, “The Bear”

Matthew Broderick, “Only Murders in the Building”

Ryan Gosling, “Saturday Night Live”

Christopher Lloyd, “Hacks”

Bob Odenkirk, “The Bear”

Will Poulter, “The Bear”

Guest actress in a comedy series

Winner: Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Bear”

Olivia Colman, “The Bear”

Kaitlin Olson, “Hacks”

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “Only Murders in the Building”

Maya Rudolph, “Saturday Night Live”

Kristen Wiig, “Saturday Night Live”

For a complete list of Emmy nominees, go to Emmys.com.

---

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — The 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards arrived on Sunday.

The awards, presented by the Television Academy, honored the best of the 2023-2024 TV season. The 76th edition of the ceremony came just months after the 75th edition, which was held in January after being delayed by the dual Hollywood strikes.

Here are the winners, including several previously announced at the Creative Arts Emmys.

Comedy series

“Abbott Elementary”

“The Bear”

“Curb Your Enthusiasm”

Winner: “Hacks”

“Only Murders in the Building”

“Palm Royale”

“Reservation Dogs”

“What We Do in the Shadows”

Drama series

“The Crown”

“Fallout”

“The Gilded Age”

“The Morning Show”

“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Winner: “Shōgun”

“Slow Horses”

“3 Body Problem”

Drama lead actress

Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show”

Carrie Coon, “The Gilded Age”

Maya Erskine, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Winner: Anna Sawai, “Shōgun”

Imelda Staunton, “The Crown”

Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show”

Drama lead actor

Donald Glover, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Walton Goggins, “Fallout”

Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”

Winner: Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shōgun”

Dominic West, “The Crown”

Idris Elba, “Hijack”

Limited series

Winner: “Baby Reindeer”

“Fargo”

“Lessons in Chemistry”

“Ripley”

“True Detective: Night Country”

Limited series / TV movie lead actress

Winner: Jodie Foster, “True Detective: Night Country”

Brie Larson, “Lessons in Chemistry”

Juno Temple, “Fargo”

Sofía Vergara, “Griselda”

Naomi Watts, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Limited series / TV movie lead actor

Matt Bomer, “Fellow Travelers”

Winner: Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”

Jon Hamm, “Fargo”

Tom Hollander,“Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Andrew Scott, “Ripley”

Directing for a drama series

Hiro Murai, “First Date,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Winner: Frederick E.O. Toye, “Crimson Sky,” “Shōgun”

Saul Metzstein, “Strange Games,” “Slow Horses”

Stephen Daldry, “Sleep, Dearie Sleep,” “The Crown”

Mimi Leder, “The Overview Effect,” “The Morning Show”

Directing for a comedy series

Randall Einhorn, “Party,” “Abbott Elementary”

Lucia Aniello, “Bulletproof,” “Hacks”

Winner: Christopher Storer, “Fishes,” “The Bear”

Ramy Youssef, “Honeydew,” “The Bear”

Guy Ritchie, “Refined Aggression,” “The Gentlemen”

Writing for a limited or anthology series or movie

Winner: Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”

Charlie Brooker, “Joan Is Awful,” “Black Mirror”

Noah Hawley, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” “Fargo”

Ron Nyswaner, “You’re Wonderful,” “Fellow Travelers”

Steven Zaillian, “Ripley”

Issa López, “Part 6,” “True Detective: North Country”

Writing for a drama series

Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Graham Wagner; “The End,” “Fallout”

Francesca Sloane, Donald Glover; “First Date,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks; “Anjin,” “Shōgun”

Rachel Kondo, Caillin Puente; “Crimson Sky,” “Shōgun”

Winner: Will Smith, “Negotiating With Tigers,” “Slow Horses”

Peter Morgan, Meriel Sheibani-Clare; “The Ritz,” “The Crown”

Limited series / TV movie supporting actor

Jonathan Bailey, “Fellow Travelers”

Robert Downey Jr., “The Sympathizer”

Tom Goodman-Hill, “Baby Reindeer”

John Hawkes, “True Detective: North Country”

Winner: Lamorne Morris, “Fargo”

Lewis Pullman, “Lessons in Chemistry”

Treat Williams, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Talk series

Winner: “The Daily Show”

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“Late Night With Seth Meyers”

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

Writing for a comedy series

Quinta Brunson, “Career Day,” “Abbott Elementary”

Meredith Scardino, Sam Means; “Orlando,” “Girls5eva”

Winner: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky; “Bulletproof,” “Hacks”

Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo; “Fishes,” “The Bear”

Chris Kelly, Sarah Schneider; “Brooke Hosts a Night of Undeniable Good,” “The Other Two”

Jake Bender, Zach Dunn; “Pride Parade,” “What We Do in the Shadows”

Directing for a limited or anthology series or movie

Weronika Tofilska, “Episode 4,” “Baby Reindeer”

Noah Hawley, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” “Fargo”

Gus Van Sant, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Millicent Shelton, “Poirot,” “Lessons in Chemistry”

Winner: Steven Zaillian, “Ripley”

Issa López, “True Detective: North Country”

Writing for a variety special

Winner: Alex Edelman, “Alex Edelman: Just For Us”

Jacqueline Novak, “Jacqueline Novak: Get On Your Knees”

John Early, “John Early: Now More Than Ever”

Mike Birbiglia, “Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and The Pool”

“The Oscars”

Scripted variety series

Winner: “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”

“Saturday Night Live”

Limited series / TV movie supporting actress

Dakota Fanning, “Ripley”

Lily Gladstone, “Under the Bridge”

Winner: Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer”

Aja Naomi King, “Lessons in Chemistry”

Diane Lane, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Nava Mau, “Baby Reindeer”

Kali Reis, “True Detective: Night Country”

Reality competition program

“The Amazing Race”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race”

“Top Chef”

Winner: “The Traitors”

“The Voice”

Comedy lead actress

Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”

Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”

Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building”

Winner: Jean Smart, “Hacks”

Kristen Wiig, “Palm Royale”

Maya Rudolph, “Loot”

Drama supporting actress

Christine Baranski, “The Gilded Age”

Nicole Beharie, “The Morning Show”

Winner: Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown”

Greta Lee, “The Morning Show”

Lesley Manville, “The Crown”

Karen Pittman, “The Morning Show”

Holland Taylor, “The Morning Show”

Comedy supporting actress

Carol Burnett, “Palm Royale”

Winner: Liza Colón-Zayas, “The Bear”

Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”

Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”

Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”

Meryl Streep, “Only Murders in the Building”

Comedy lead actor

Matt Berry, “What We Do in the Shadows,”

Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”

Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

Winner: Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, “Reservation Dogs”

Drama supporting actor

Tadanobu Asano, “Shōgun”

Winner: Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”

Mark Duplass, “The Morning Show”

Jon Hamm, “The Morning Show”

Takehiro Hira, “Shōgun”

Jack Lowden, “Slow Horses”

Jonathan Pryce, “The Crown”

Comedy supporting actor

Lionel Boyce, “The Bear”

Paul W. Downs, “Hacks”

Winner: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”

Paul Rudd, “Only Murders in the Building”

Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”

Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”

Television movie

Winner: “Quiz Lady”

“Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie”

“Red, White & Royal Blue”

“Scoop”

“Unfrosted”

Guest actor in a drama series

Winner: Néstor Carbonell, “Shōgun”

Paul Dano, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Tracy Letts, “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”

Jonathan Pryce, “Slow Horses”

John Turturro, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Guest actress in a drama series

Winner: Michaela Coel, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Claire Foy, “The Crown”

Marcia Gay Harden, “The Morning Show”

Sarah Paulson, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Parker Posey, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Guest actor in a comedy series

Winner: Jon Bernthal, “The Bear”

Matthew Broderick, “Only Murders in the Building”

Ryan Gosling, “Saturday Night Live”

Christopher Lloyd, “Hacks”

Bob Odenkirk, “The Bear”

Will Poulter, “The Bear”

Guest actress in a comedy series

Winner: Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Bear”

Olivia Colman, “The Bear”

Kaitlin Olson, “Hacks”

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “Only Murders in the Building”

Maya Rudolph, “Saturday Night Live”

Kristen Wiig, “Saturday Night Live”

For a complete list of Emmy nominees, go to Emmys.com.

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©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Who’s ready for TV’s biggest night?

Hollywood’s primetime stars are on the red carpet for the 2024 Emmys.

Here’s what celebrities wore for the illustrious event:

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, COLLEEN LONG, MICHAEL BALSAMO and ZEKE MILLER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life. The former president said he was safe and well.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the U.S. Secret Service agents fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was on the course. Bradshaw said the gunman also had two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera, and that he was about 400 yards to 500 yards away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery while the former president played golf on a nearby hole. The person dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV, and was later taken into custody in a neighboring county.

The man who authorities say pointed the rifle and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The officials identified the suspect to the AP but spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. Authorities are working to determine a motive.

The incident was the latest jarring moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented upheaval. It occurred roughly two months after Trump was shot during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear. Only a week later, President Joe Biden withdrew from the race.

In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”

“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!” he said.

The golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, and agents were a few holes ahead of him when they noticed the person with the firearm, Bradshaw said. There are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line. Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on ATVs generally secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump when he golfs. Agents also usually bring an armored vehicle onto the course to quickly shelter Trump should a threat arise.

Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. His campaign had not advised Trump’s plans for Sunday. He often spends the morning playing golf, before having lunch at the club, one of three he owns in the state.

He has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he has been at Trump Tower in New York, a lineup of dump trucks have parked in a wall outside the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind an enclosure of bulletproof glass.

Trump was returned Sunday to his private Mar-a-Lago club, where he resides in neighboring Palm Beach, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, had both been briefed and would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House added they were “relieved” to know Trump is safe.

Harris, in a statement said she was “glad” Trump was safe, adding that “violence has no place in America.”

In an X post, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, one of Trump’s top congressional allies, said he had spoken with Trump after the incident and that Trump was in “good spirits” and was “one of the strongest people I’ve ever known.”

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said the suspect was apprehended within minutes of the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office putting out a “very urgent BOLO” — or “be on the lookout” alert” detailing the specific vehicle sought, license plate number and occupant description.

Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, deploying to every exit between the Palm Beach County line to the south and St. Lucie County line o the north.

“One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag and we set up on the vehicle,” Snyder said, “We pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped and got the driver in custody.”

Snyder told WPTV that the suspect “was not armed when we took him out of the car.”

The man had a calm, flat demeanor and showed little emotion when he was stopped by police, Snyder said, saying the suspect did not question why he was being pulled over.

“He never asked, ‘what is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates about it, a Justice Department spokeswoman said.

The post by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office indicated the suspect was apprehended near Palm City, Florida, about a 45-mile drive north of Trump’s golf course. Northbound lanes of I-95 were shut down, the sheriff’s office said.

A message sent to campaign officials seeking information on the security status and location of Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, was not immediately returned.

Max Egusquiza, of Palm Beach, described the emergency response outside Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.

“From what I saw 5 black unmarked SUVs blocked in a grey Mercedes in front of the golf course. There were about 20 or more cop cars flying from nearby streets,” he said.

Trump is supposed to speak about cryptocurrency live Monday night on the social media site X for the launch of his sons’ crypto platform. He’s expected to do that from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The former president is scheduled to return to the campaign trail on Tuesday for a town hall in Flint, Michigan with his former press secretary, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, followed by a campaign rally in New York on Long Island on Wednesday.

At the end of the week, he’s scheduled to attend and address the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington, D.C. and on Saturday hold a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Michael R. Sisak in New York, Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.

Today is Sunday, Sept. 15, the 259th day of 2024. There are 107 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Sept. 15, 1963, four Black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. (Three Ku Klux Klansmen were eventually convicted for their roles in the blast.)

Also on this date:

In 1835, Charles Darwin reached the Galápagos Islands aboard the HMS Beagle.

In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were enacted in Nazi Germany, depriving German Jews of their citizenship.

In 1940, the tide turned in the Battle of Britain in World War II, as the Royal Air Force inflicted heavy losses upon the Luftwaffe.

In 1958, a commuter train headed for New York City plunged into Newark Bay after missing a stop signal and sliding off the open Newark Bay lift bridge, killing 48 people.

In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet head of state to visit the United States as he arrived at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington.

In 1978, Muhammad Ali became the first boxer to capture the heavyweight title three times, winning by unanimous decision in his rematch with Leon Spinks.

In 2008, as a result of the subprime mortgage crisis, Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 in the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Writer-director Ron Shelton is 79.
• Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 78.
• Film director Oliver Stone is 78.
• Football coach Pete Carroll is 73.
• TV personality Lisa Vanderpump is 64.
• Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino is 63.
• Actor Josh Charles is 53.
• Olympic gold medal swimmer Tom Dolan is 49.
• Actor Tom Hardy is 47.
• Actor Amy Davidson is 45.
• Actor Dave Annable is 45.
• Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is 40.
• TV personality Heidi Montag is 38.

Today is Saturday, Sept. 14, the 258th day of 2024. There are 108 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Sept. 14, 1901, President William McKinley died in Buffalo, New York, of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin eight days prior; Vice President Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him, becoming the youngest-ever U.S. president at age 42.

Also on this date:

In 1847, during the Mexican-American War, U.S. forces under Gen. Winfield Scott took control of Mexico City.

In 1861, the first naval engagement of the Civil War took place as the USS Colorado attacked and sank the Confederate private schooner Judah off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.

In 1927, modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan died in Nice, France, when her scarf became entangled in a wheel of the sports car in which she was riding.

In 1982, Princess Grace of Monaco, formerly film star Grace Kelly, died at age 52 of injuries from a car crash the day before.

In 1991, the government of South Africa, the African National Congress and the Inkatha (in-KAH’-tah) Freedom Party signed a national peace pact.

In 1994, on the 34th day of a strike by players, Acting Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced the 1994 season was over.

In 2001, Americans packed churches and public squares on a day of remembrance for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. President George W. Bush prayed with his Cabinet and attended services at Washington National Cathedral, then flew to New York, where he waded into the ruins of the World Trade Center and addressed rescue workers in a show of resolve.

In 2012, fury over an anti-Muslim film ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad sparked violent clashes across the Muslim world.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Walter Koenig (KAY’-nihg) (“Star Trek”) is 88.
• Architect Renzo Piano is 87.
• Basketball Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown is 84.
• Actor Sam Neill is 77.
• Country singer John Berry is 65.
• Actor Melissa Leo is 64.
• Actor Faith Ford is 60.
• Film director Bong Joon-Ho is 55.
• Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is 54.
• Actor Kimberly Williams-Paisley is 53.
• Actor Andrew Lincoln is 51.
• Rapper Nas is 51.
• Olympic gold medal middle-distance runner Hicham El Guerrouj is 50.
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is 46.
• Chef/TV personality Katie Lee is 43.
• Actor Jessica Brown Findlay is 37.
• NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler is 35.
• Golfer Tony Finau is 35.
• Actor Emma Kenney is 25.

Christopher Snowbeck | (TNS) The Minnesota Star Tribune

Bobbie Putman-Bailey knows how to solve problems when it comes to medical bills and health insurance.

In one instance, upon the surprise realization her specialist doctor had gone out of network for her health plan, the 42-year-old Maple Grove, Minnesota, resident convinced the insurer to overturn coverage denials that could have cost her hundreds of dollars. The key, Putman-Bailey said, was to write an appeal that was long on details, while also agreeing to eventually switch to an in-network doctor — just not immediately, since she was beginning a new treatment at the time.

In another case, she wrangled with a specialty pharmacy to prevent billing for a shipment of the wrong medication to her house. It helped, Putman-Bailey said, that she was prompt in calling to report the problem and already had talked with the pharmacy several times about ambiguities with its online ordering system.

For consumers, the first step in all such disputes is to stay on top of billing documents, Putman-Bailey advised, and ask questions as soon as possible. She recognizes, of course, this can be easier said than done.

“It sucks because you are sick, and you’re chronically ill, and there are days when … you don’t have the energy to get up and look at things,” said Putman-Bailey, who has Crohn’s disease. “But if you wait until things show up in your mailbox, it’s almost too late.”

Getting sick in the U.S. health care system can trigger an avalanche of confusing paperwork. Here’s what you need to know about how to read a medical bill — plus those documents proclaiming “This Is Not a Bill” from health insurers — to help prevent the illness from spreading to your bank account.

Bills vs. EOBs

Two types of documents typically arrive in a patient’s mailbox and/or online portal after receiving health care services: One is a medical bill from a doctor’s office or health system, the second is an“explanation of benefits” form from your health insurer.

The insurance document, called an EOB, often arrives first. It reflects the health plan’s evaluation of the service received, including the amount of insurance coverage for the service, according to the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, a trade group for nonprofit health insurers in the state.

EOBs typically list the provider’s charge for a service. They also show the negotiated price the insurance company and provider agreed to consider full payment. And then, the form shows how the negotiated cost will split between the insurer and the patient.

Insurers typically describe this split as “cost-sharing,” which factors in deductibles and co-insurance that are key for patients to understand when shopping for a health plan.

“If there is a remaining bill, the doctor’s office directly sends you a bill for the remaining amount,” said Lucas Nesse, chief executive of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, via email. “If the amount on the bill you receive from your doctor’s office does not match the amount on your EOB, the first step is to call your clinic to see if they have updated their bill to reflect payment from your insurance.”

Patients often notice on EOBs the contrast between the health care provider’s charge and the negotiated payment rate because the discounts can be very large.

“You can see them allow only 10% of the charge sometimes,” said Bill Foley, an insurance advocate and volunteer leader with Cancer Legal Care, a nonprofit group in Oakdale. “The spread can be tremendous.”

Once the bill comes from the doctor’s office or health system, patients should compare the amount due with the EOB to make sure they agree on the patient’s financial responsibility. When they don’t match, patients should call the health care provider and/or health insurer.

“Typically, your medical bill should not be more than what your explanation of benefits says you owe,” said Julia Dreier, the deputy commissioner of insurance at the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

Starting Oct. 1, a new state law goes into effect that lets patients request a review from their health care provider to check the accuracy of medical codes used in their billing. The law prohibits providers from making further collection efforts during this process, which culminates in a notice sent to patients within 30 days of the review’s completion.

“A medical provider will always … provide notice about whether the coding was accurate,” said Joe Schindler, vice president of finance policy and analytics at the Minnesota Hospital Association.

Comparing EOBs and medical bills can be difficult when health care providers practice “global billing” and roll all charges into one final bill, said Eric Ellsworth, director for health data strategy at Consumers’ Checkbook Health. Schindler of the Hospital Association noted patients can always ask for a more detailed bill from their health care provider.

Denials and codes

Consumer advocates say patients, in many ways, are better off relying on their online portals for billing documents rather than paper statements that arrive in the mail. That’s because a health insurer’s decision on whether to pay or deny a claim can change as more information becomes available.

Foley recommends, in fact, patients compare the bill they receive in the mail to the online version to see if that one is more current.

When there’s a balance due, the key question is: Why?

“Is it because insurance hasn’t adjudicated your claim yet?” Foley asked. “Is it because you have a legitimate out-of-pocket expense? Is it due to a denial?”

There are several types of denials, Ellsworth said. Some services just aren’t a covered benefit, he added, pointing to in-vitro fertilization as an example in a number of health plans. Sometimes there’s a limitation patients might not have appreciated, such as when an insurer will pay for cataract surgery but not some multifocal lenses.

Insurers might deny a claim because the health plan deems the service not medically necessary. Some denials result in financial responsibility for patients, Ellsworth said, while others create a financial risk for the health care provider.

The Minnesota Council of Health Plans said insurers list on the EOB a “reason code” to explain the reason for a claim’s denial. Reasons can vary from services being out of network to the lack of prior authorization from a health plan.

It’s not clear exactly how often denials happen across all types of insurance, but consumer advocates say appeals are few and far between. They worry the process of filing appeals is just too confusing and/or difficult for patients to navigate.

To appeal a denied claim, patients must navigate the language of medical coding, which is how health care providers and health insurers communicate about the services provided. Many medical bills and EOBs don’t actually include these codes, so patients must contact either their provider or health plan to understand. Patients can then use the codes and descriptions to determine whether their insurer processed their claims correctly according to their plan’s benefits.

“If there’s a balance due that you’re questioning, then it’s really important to know those codes,” Foley said. “We’ve set up this system where all of these claims are handled by computers now instead of people. So, the codes are really key. That’s the magic.”

When facing big bills for out-of-network care, patients should explore whether the federal No Surprises Act provides any help. And advocates say rather than trying to navigate all this alone, patients should seek help from a friend, family member or even government agencies.

“If someone’s stuck, I would encourage people to call us,” said Dreier of the Commerce Department.

‘I’m not trying to duck the bill’

The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has online tips for handling medical bills and pointers for ensuring your portion is accurate. The state Commerce Department has online information about denials and appeals. Ellsworth of Consumers’ Checkbook said people in “self-insured” health plans that large employers typically run — especially those operating in multiple states — can seek help from the Employee Benefit Services Administration (EBSA) at the U.S. Department of Labor.

Some advocates refer to a book called “Never Pay the First Bill” when talking about how consumers should think about questionable medical bills. Patients often want to pay promptly, Foley said, either because they received good care or from fear of being sent to collections and suffering credit score dings.

Those are good instincts, Foley said, yet there are times when he advises consumers to let everything play out a bit before making a payment.

“The key is: Just keep the provider in the loop. Let them know that you are aware that they’ve sent you a balance-due statement but that you’re still working through the details of it,” he said. “Make sure you are staying in contact with your provider and telling them: ‘Hey, I’m not trying to duck the bill.’ That’s really an important thing.”

Putman-Bailey, the patient from Maple Grove, said to be suspicious if any medical paperwork is delayed since that can be a sign of trouble.

The Minnesota Medical Association said providers must submit claims to insurance companies within six months of the date of service, although most are quicker. Insurers generally pay claims within 30 days of receipt, the Medical Association said, and EOBs are available when claims process.

As for phone calls, Putman-Bailey said she’s learned the importance of recording the date of the conversation, the name of the customer service representative and the agent’s phone number, if possible. Another tip: When insurers assert a service is not medically necessary, Putman-Bailey asks to talk with the physician who made that decision.

The process can feel adversarial and is often emotional, Putman-Bailey said, but she always tries to stress how it’s not personal.

“I usually am saying to the person on the phone: ‘This is not about you,’” she said, “‘this is about the system.’”

©2024 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

When Elliott, played by Maisy Stella, skips a family birthday dinner to take magic mushrooms with her friends in the woods, it may feel like a set-up for a coming-of-age comedy. And on one level, “My Old Ass” is precisely that: a funny look at Elliott at a turning point in her life when she meets Chad, played by Percy Hynes White, just before she leaves her small-town home for college in the big city.

Yet at the Sundance Film Festival this year, audiences were weeping, too. The movie’s hook is that, as she’s tripping, Elliott meets an older version of herself played by Aubrey Plaza, who offers some hard-to-follow advice to her younger self. As old and young Elliott — who manage to maintain a connection even after the drugs wear off – face up to what life has in store, the laughter turns to poignant tears.

The film, in theaters Sept. 13, is just the second by Megan Park, an actor whose acclaimed writing and directing debut, “The Fallout” concerned a high school student (Jenna Ortega) struggling with trauma after surviving a school shooting.

Park spoke by video recently about capturing the language of teens and finding the story in the editing room. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q. Did you start with the idea of a teenager at a pivotal moment or the conceit of the mushroom trip and meeting your older self? 

As a writer, I’m emotion-led. “The Fallout” came from my frustration and anger at the idea of American high school students having to constantly exist with the possibility of school shootings. For this movie, I was home in my childhood bedroom during the pandemic and had had a baby and I was feeling nostalgic. I had that feeling that comes in the scene where Chad talks about the last time you play with your friends as a kid and you don’t realize it’s the last time. That made me want to explore that idea of the older and younger self. The mushroom trip idea came when I was trying to figure out how to make that happen.

Q. Among the movie’s many fantastic qualities is dialogue that’s pitch-perfect for teens. Do you have a natural ear or did you give your young actors input? 

I started out acting, so I’m a stickler for dialogue and when I’m writing I say it out loud to make sure it flows. You have to know what you know and what you don’t know.

I try to ground it and make it authentic, but I’m not 18 so I try to be open-minded and try to really include the actors: “Is that joke funny or is there another phrase you’d say instead?” It’s an open line of communication every step of the way and they’re so helpful and always checking for me how relatable it is.

And we did scripted takes but also a lot of “fun-runs” and the chemistry between Maisy and Maddie Ziegler and Kerrice Brooks as her best friends was really natural and created great moments organically.

Q. Do those improvised “fun-run” moments end up on screen or is it more that they create chemistry that fuels the scripted material? 

It’s both. A lot of times it’s the runway to get the script down but there were moments that stayed in, especially ones that just started with Aubrey saying something and then they’d go off. And it was Kerricet’s first movie but she’s so good that I just kept saying, Put her on her mark and just hit record and see what she says.

Q. What were you looking for in casting for Elliott and Chad? 

We were really lucky because the finance people and producers said find younger Elliott first and didn’t insist on just finding the hottest property. I wanted someone very grounded and very Gen Z, but who had a vulnerability and also a lightness and joie de vivre. Then we cast around her for chemistry with everyone. Percy sent in a self-tape and it was genius and he just understood the humor. When he did the slate with his name, everyone had to show their full body, so he was wearing a nice shirt and then panned down to show nice pants … and bare feet. It was so Chad.

Q. There are plenty of laughs and a very silly hallucination involving Elliott performing as Justin Bieber. How hard was it to find the balance between humor and pathos knowing where the movie is headed?

It was the hardest thing. We had hoped the movie would be heartfelt but the script was lighter and it was that the performances were just so incredible and the location had such a beautiful and nostalgic feel that in the edit the movie became much more heartfelt and emotional than we even expected. So there’s a delicate line and you have to go back through each moment and reverse engineer and think of how much of a door do you open with each scene. Once we really discovered what the movie was, we were able to change things in editing with the advice that Aubrey gives to Maisy in their phone calls.

Q. Did you know the reaction you’d eventually get once the movie started screening?

No. With humor, you can get a gauge as you’re doing it, but with emotion you can’t always tell because you’re in so deep while you’re filming and you’re worrying about things like whether the camera is in focus. Although I did get pretty emotional when we were filming — Aubrey’s performance really killed me.

Still, you don’t know, and in the edit, you watch it 7,000 times so it’s hard to say for sure. Sitting in that audience at Sundance with all genders and ages having such a universal reaction was pretty insane.

Gretchen McKay | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

Come dinnertime, pasta made with corn, rice, lentils or chickpeas can be a godsend to those with gluten sensitivities. But it also can break their hearts, just a little.

Not only is gluten-free pasta super expensive when compared to “regular” spaghetti, rigatoni and other noodles made with milled durum wheat, but it’s tough to find a gluten-free product that’s not gummy or doesn’t generally taste like mush.

That’s my son Jack’s view, anyway. He’s avoided eating anything with gluten for about a decade due to celiac disease.

As someone who absolutely adores, cooks and eats a lot of pasta, I can’t imagine how hard that must be. So the mom in me is always on the lookout for a tasty alternative he might enjoy.

A great sauce can help disguise the weird (some might say off-putting) textures that are a signature characteristic of gluten-free pasta. But what my kid misses most is wheat-free pasta that not only tastes like the real deal he remembers from childhood, but also boasts the same structural integrity.

This recipe, which couples highly rated Le Veneziane gluten-free potato gnocchi with an easy, cheesy cream sauce kissed with fresh lemon, just might be the answer.

Made with minimal prep in a single skillet, it takes about 15 minutes to pull together and includes one of the healthiest leafy greens, fresh spinach, along with peas, which are loaded with fiber and a great source of inexpensive plant-based protein.

True, the light cream, cheese and butter in the dish add calories and dreaded fat. But so long as you go easy on the serving size and don’t eat the entire pan yourself (Jack, are you listening?), it’s a wonderful occasional comfort food for the gluten-sensitive.

To make it less rich, substitute half-and-half for the cream and add more lemon or chicken broth. It’s best served right from the stove. If you have leftovers, you’ll want to add a little broth when you rewarm it.

You can find Le Veneziane gnocchi on Amazon. Like most gluten-free products, it’s a bit of a splurge, but worth it.

“This is the best thing you’ve ever made me,” raved my kid after I fed him and his wife.

Gnocchi with lemon, peas and spinach

PG tested

• 2 17.5-ounce packages gluten-free gnocchi, fresh or frozen
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/2 cup gluten-free vegetable broth
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup light cream or half-and-half
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 2 or 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Crushed red pepper flakes or chopped chives, for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions (about 2 minutes, or until they float to the top).

Drain and set aside. To keep them from sticking together while you make the sauce, drizzle with a little olive oil or add a bit of butter and stir to combine.

To make the sauce, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook for 1 minute. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and slowly pour in the broth. Whisk in lemon zest and lemon juice

Pour in heavy cream and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium low and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens a bit.

Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Add chopped spinach and frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. If you want a thicker sauce, you can cook for a few more minutes, stirring to help it thicken up.

Stir in cooked gnocchi and cook for 1 minute or until heated through.

Plate the gnocchi, spooning the sauce and peas over the top. Garnish with crushed red pepper, basil or chives, and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

Serves 2-3.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

©2024 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Julie Appleby | (TNS) KFF Health News

Suspicions that U.S. consumers’ personal information could be accessed from India led regulators to abruptly bar two large private sector enrollment websites from accessing the Affordable Care Act marketplace in August.

New details about the suspensions come in legal filings made late Friday stemming from an effort by the two to regain access to the Obamacare marketplace before the upcoming ACA open enrollment period, which starts Nov. 1.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services wrote in a Sept. 2 letter to the companies that they were suspended after the agency identified “a serious lapse in the security posture” that could have led to marketplace data, including consumers’ personal information, being accessed from overseas.

The letter, included in the court filings, also noted that regulators will audit the two companies because they have “reasonable suspicion” that they are players in a separate problem: signing people up for Obamacare coverage — or changing their policies — without the consumers’ permission.

Whether those legal issues will be resolved before the upcoming enrollment period is an open question. Currently, the concerns raised about the companies remain allegations, with none of the legal challenges or the audit close to a ruling or conclusion.

Still, the larger issue of fraudulent ACA enrollment by rogue insurance agents seeking commissions will continue to pose a headache for regulators, with more than 200,000 complaints filed by consumers in the first six months of 2024. And it has become a political problem for the Biden administration. GOP lawmakers blamed the schemes partly on Biden-backed expanded Obamacare premium subsidies.

President Joe Biden has claimed record-breaking enrollment under the ACA as one of his administration’s major accomplishments, and regulators are looking to thwart deceptive enrollment schemes without slowing legitimate sign-ups. In recent weeks they’ve removed at least 200 agents’ access to the federal ACA marketplace, and in July began requiring, in many circumstances, that brokers participate in three-way calls with their clients and the healthcare.gov help center before changes can be finalized.

The CMS letter now adds another layer. It is the first time this year the agency has called out a company over questionable enrollments, saying it suspects “the Speridian Companies” might have “directed its employees and other agents to change Marketplace enrollees’ coverage and enroll insured and uninsured consumers without the enrollees’ consent.”

California-based Speridian Global Holdings owns the companies in question, which include enrollment platform Benefitalign and TrueCoverage, doing business as the Inshura enrollment site. It has a data center in India.

The now-suspended Benefitalign site handled at least 1.2 million applications for ACA coverage during the last open enrollment period, according to court documents, which would rank it among the largest of the private enrollment sites allowed to integrate with healthcare.gov, the federal marketplace.

Previously, CMS had said publicly only that it suspended the websites for “anomalous activity.”

The suspended companies deny any wrongdoing related to enrollment schemes. Spokesperson Catherine Riedel declined comment beyond their court filings.

In late August they filed a complaint against CMS over the suspensions in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking a restraining order. They added to that complaint on Sept. 6, calling CMS’ suspension action “lawless.”

On Aug. 8, CMS suspended the two websites from accessing healthcare.gov information.

It did so, according to the Sept. 2 letter, over concerns that some consumer information “is processed and/or stored” in India, citing “suspicions” that the data is “being accessed from outside of the United States.”

That’s a problem, the letter says, because marketplace data must stay in the U.S. to “eliminate the possibility that foreign powers might obtain access.” Additionally, websites approved by CMS to integrate with the federal marketplace cannot transmit data outside of the U.S. or allow access from outside the country, under the terms of agreements such companies sign to get CMS approval to operate.

CMS did not spell out what consumer information might have been included, but ACA applications can contain information including a person’s name, date of birth, address, and detailed household income information.

Speridian companies were suspended, then reinstated, from the marketplace in prior years over other concerns, including problems with false Social Security Numbers submitted with some TrueCoverage ACA applications in 2018, and for a 2023 effort by Benefitalign to access the federal marketplace’s “software testing environment” from India, according to the CMS letter.

In seeking a restraining order against CMS, the companies argue that the agency’s action to suspend them now is arbitrary and capricious and violates its own regulations as well as the due process clause of the Constitution.

The filing calls the Sept. 2 CMS letter explaining the reasons for the suspensions “a post hoc justification” that includes a litany of “‘concerns,’ suspicions,’ ‘allegations.’” The filing also asserts “these intimations of violations are made without evidence of any actual violation.”

The court documents say the suspensions will prevent the companies from participating in the upcoming open enrollment period, harming them and “the thousands of brokers” and “millions of consumers who count on brokers” using those websites to sign up for ACA coverage.

The suspension remains in place, the CMS letter says, partly because its concerns have not been allayed by information provided by the companies, but also while the audit is conducted.

CMS has “reasonable suspicion, based on credible evidence it has considered,” that the companies were involved in enrolling consumers or changing their coverage without specific permission, the letter stated, noting that such allegations are included in a civil lawsuit filed by private sector lawyers in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

The firms have previously said the allegations in the civil lawsuit are without merit.

Brokers who have used the suspended websites in the past have other options to enroll clients, including several other websites currently approved to integrate with the federal Obamacare marketplace. Consumers can also go directly to the federal or state ACA websites and enroll themselves or get assistance from call centers associated with those marketplaces.

___

(KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.)

©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Eliza Haverstock | NerdWallet

If you’ve been skipping your federal student loan bills, or you have defaulted loans, your time is running out to get back on track without harsh consequences. Two key pandemic-era relief programs are set to expire on Sept. 30: the student loan on-ramp and the Fresh Start program.

Millions of borrowers are benefitting from the on-ramp or Fresh Start — and some may not know it. To check, log into your studentaid.gov account and review your monthly payment history and loan repayment statuses. If you have missed or late payments, you’re on the on-ramp. If you have a loan listed as in default, you’re benefiting from the Fresh Start program.

In either case, you need to act by Sept. 30. Here’s how.

Student loan on-ramp: Make a plan to deal with your bills

The student loan on-ramp began Oct. 1, 2023, and lasts until Sept. 30, 2024. It’s intended as a safety net for the “most vulnerable borrowers,” the White House said last summer.

The program is automatic for all borrowers who miss payments during this time — there is no enrollment process. During the on-ramp, you can’t fall into delinquency or default. Missed payments won’t be reported to credit bureaus.

Roughly 3 million borrowers have taken advantage of the on-ramp and were at least 30 days late on their loans as of June 30, according to Federal Student Aid office data.

If you’ve been skipping payments, make a plan for October. Otherwise, you could face harsh and costly consequences. Once a payment is 270 days late, you will enter student loan default. Debt collectors can garnish your wages and charge hefty fees.

Here are steps to take before the on-ramp expires:

• Check your student loan accounts. Log into studentaid.gov, see how much you owe and update your contact and billing info. Your servicer can answer questions.
• Choose a repayment plan. If you don’t select a repayment plan, you’re automatically enrolled in the standard 10-year repayment plan. For more affordable payments, consider an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan.
• Consider a deferment or forbearance. If you won’t be able to afford payments for the foreseeable future, consider a student loan deferment or forbearance to pause payments for up to three years.

If you want to change repayment plans, note that only two IDR plans are currently available: SAVE and Income-Based Repayment (IBR).

» MORE: How the SAVE lawsuits are impacting IDR enrollment

Fresh Start program: Sign up ASAP to lock in defaulted loan relief

If your federal student loans were in default before the pandemic, take advantage of the Fresh Start program. About 7.5 million borrowers with defaulted loans are eligible.

You must enroll in the program by Sept. 30 to get out of default and lock in benefits, including:

• Loans returned to “current” status on credit reports, and negative default marks removed.
• Access to federal student aid and other government loans, like mortgages.
• Access to flexible repayment plans and potential loan forgiveness.
• Access to short-term relief, like deferment or forbearance.
• Suspension of involuntary debt collection efforts.

If you miss the Sept. 30 deadline and let your loans stay in default, you could face harsh consequences. Debt collectors might garnish your paychecks and tax refunds. You may face steep collections fees. Your credit score could plummet, making it difficult to qualify for future loans, mortgages or even apartment rentals.

You can avoid that headache — and get back on track with an affordable repayment plan — by signing up for the Fresh Start program. Here’s how:

• Submit a Fresh Start request. Fresh Start enrollment is free and can take less than 10 minutes. You can do it online on myeddebt.ed.gov, over the phone by calling 1-800-621-3115 or by sending a letter postmarked by Sept. 30.
• Watch for servicer communication. After you sign up for Fresh Start, the government will transfer your payments from the Default Resolution Group to a federal student loan servicer. Your new servicer will contact you once your loans transfer over.
• Choose a repayment plan after getting out of default. You’ll be automatically placed into the standard 10-year repayment plan, but about 80% of Fresh Start borrowers sign up for an IDR plan, according to the Education Department. Half of Fresh Start borrowers have $0 monthly payments under an IDR plan.

You can apply for an IDR plan within a week or so of your loan transfer.

Eliza Haverstock writes for NerdWallet. Email: ehaverstock@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @elizahaverstock.

The article Act Now: Two Key Student Debt Relief Programs Expire Sept. 30 originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Phil Galewitz | (TNS) KFF Health News

The proportion of Americans without health insurance remained stable in 2023, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday, close to the record low the Biden administration achieved in 2022 through expansions of public programs, including the Affordable Care Act.

About 8% of Americans were uninsured, a statistically insignificant increase of just 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier. But because of the Census survey’s methodology, the findings likely don’t capture the experience of tens of millions of Americans purged from Medicaid rolls after pandemic-era protections expired in spring 2023.

Enrollment in Medicaid, the government health program for people with low incomes and disabilities, reached its highest level in April 2023. That was just before what’s called the “unwinding,” the process states have used to disenroll people from the program after the federal government lifted a prohibition on culling enrollment.

It isn’t yet clear what effect the unwinding has had on insurance coverage, but the Census Bureau will release additional data on Thursday from a different survey that may refine the numbers.

“We are likely at a turning point,” said Leighton Ku, director of the Center for Health Policy Research at George Washington University. “We are about to change to a new season where things will be a little worse off from Medicaid unwinding.”

The Medicaid unwinding has been completed in most states, and more than 25 million people have been disenrolled, according to KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. The Census report, based on surveys conducted early this year, counts people as uninsured only if they lacked insurance for all of 2023. So, for example, a person who was on Medicaid in April 2023 before the unwinding began then lost coverage and never regained it would nonetheless be counted as insured for the entire year.

Many people purged from Medicaid were successfully reenrolled in or obtained other insurance, such as Affordable Care Act marketplace or job-based coverage. Others remained uninsured.

Advocates have feared the unwinding would trigger a rise in the uninsured rate as people struggled to find alternative coverage.

But states, private health insurers, and advocates launched intense efforts to contact enrollees by phone, email, and social media to ensure they did not experience gaps in coverage.

Still, because of the way the Census Bureau reports the uninsured rate, the full impact of the unwinding won’t be known until the 2026 report.

Beyond Medicaid, several other factors boosted the number of Americans with health insurance last year, including a strong economy and near-record-low unemployment. Most Americans obtain insurance through their jobs, according to the Census, meaning that higher employment typically results in broader health coverage.

Another key factor: enhanced federal subsidies that since 2021 helped lower the cost of private coverage through Obamacare. Sign-ups on Affordable Care Act marketplaces hit a record high of 20.8 million in 2024, according to a Treasury report released Tuesday.

But that extra financial assistance is slated to expire at the end of 2025, setting up a flashpoint for whichever party controls power in Washington after the November elections. Democrats want to extend the subsidies introduced during the pandemic, while many Republicans wish to let them end.

Before Congress passed the ACA in 2010, the uninsured rate had been in double digits for decades. The rate fell steadily under President Barack Obama but reversed under President Donald Trump, only to come down again under President Joe Biden.

In addition to expanding subsidies, the Biden administration increased advertising and the number of counselors who help people sign up for plans during the open enrollment season, which Trump greatly curtailed.

Also contributing to the reduction in the number of uninsured Americans are state efforts to expand coverage to mostly low-income residents. North Carolina, for example, expanded Medicaid eligibility in December 2023, resulting in more than 500,000 additional enrollees.

Decades of research shows that expanded health coverage helps people individually and the public overall. Health insurance pays for routine care and can protect people from financial calamity because of severe injuries or illness.

People who are uninsured are more likely to delay or avoid getting health care, which can lead to relatively minor problems becoming more severe and costly to treat. Having more people covered also means more patients can pay their bills, which can improve the financial condition of hospitals and other providers.

The health insurance data released annually by the Census Bureau is considered the most accurate picture of health coverage in the United States. The state-level uninsured data it plans to release Thursday, based on a larger survey, counts people as uninsured if they say they don’t have coverage at the time they’re contacted. Thus, it likely will provide more insight into the effects of the unwinding.

(KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.)

©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By ALEXA ST. JOHN and MELINA WALLING, Associated Press

Amid a barrage of climate-infused weather disasters such as flooding and hurricanes, along with the shattering of heat records,wildfires and many Americans growing concerned about the planet’s warming, climate change was barely discussed during the presidential debate.

When asked the sole debate question on climate Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris said, “young people of America care deeply about this issue,” and added that the United States has increased domestic production of oil to historic highs, a fact that will contribute to global warming. Harris’ opponent, former President Donald Trump, didn’t answer the question, instead saying incorrectly that the administration of President Joe Biden and Harris is “building big auto plants in Mexico, in many cases owned by China.”

While climate was not front and center, statements made by both candidates — on fracking, energy policy and renewables, provided windows into major climate policy issues. What to know about key climate topics covered — and not covered — during Tuesday’s debate.

Fracking

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a drilling method used to extract oil and natural gas from deep underground bedrock using a highly pressurized liquid. The technique is part of what allowed the U.S. to become the world’s top producer of oil. As of March, the country produced more crude oil than any nation ever for the past six years, according to the Energy Information Administration.

On Tuesday, Trump falsely said about Harris: “If she won the election, fracking in Pennsylvania will end on Day 1,” arguing that her administration would harm the state and nation’s economy. Without a law approved by Congress, a president can only ban fracking on federal lands, which make up about 2% of the state of Pennsylvania, where the debate took place.

Harris said during her 2020 campaign for president that she opposed fracking. But lately, including during the debate, Harris said she would not ban the practice if she is elected. Though Harris said her values have not changed, the discussion of fracking was notable because the drilling method does not align with efforts to switch to clean energy, which Harris also says she champions.

Oil and natural gas are fossil fuels, the burning of which produce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane that warm the planet.

Energy policy

During the debate, Harris also called for investment in “diverse” sources of energy, “so we reduce our reliance on foreign oil.”

After Trump pulled the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change during his first term, the Biden-Harris administration reentered the global pact aimed at reducing emissions. The administration also set a target to slash U.S. emissions 50% by 2030 and put forth policy to accelerate clean energy projects and shift away from fossil fuels.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed in 2021, has provisions related to climate change, and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act is the most sweeping climate law in the nation’s history, pouring billions of dollars into the clean energy workforce that has prompted a massive buildout of manufacturing facilities. It includes production tax credits for electricity produced from renewables, including wind and solar.

But these policies alone won’t be enough for the U.S. to reach its goal of cutting carbon pollution in half, nor do they stop the fossil fuel industry from having opportunities to expand on federal lands before renewables can be built.

Renewable energies

During the debate, Trump falsely claimed that under Harris there would “be no fossil fuels” and the country would “go back to windmills.” At one point, Trump called himself a “fan” of solar but then criticized solar farms that take up large plots of land.

Solar power can be generated on a large or small scale, but even the largest solar farms use a tiny fraction of the land used for agriculture in the U.S. Experts say wind and solar, both clean energies, will be key to tackling the greenhouse gas emissions that are fueling the climate crisis, causing substantial damages to humans and ecosystems alike.

Last year, 30% of the world’s electricity was produced with renewables and the U.S. has committed to tripling renewables by 2030 in order to do its part in addressing climate change.

Some key issues not discussed

Permitting of new energy projects in the U.S. has not gotten much attention throughout the election cycle, but it’s important because it can make or break the nation’s ability to meet clean energy targets.

Wind and solar power can contribute millions of dollars in tax revenue per year to rural communities, an Associated Press analysis found. But first those projects have to get approved in local governments, a process out of the federal government’s control. Misinformation runs rampant, and communities can turn against those projects.

For instance, wind developers told the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in a January report at least a quarter of applications to build wind projects were canceled in the last five years, with local rules and community opposition cited as some of the leading reasons.

Meanwhile, during the debate, insurance only got a brief mention by Harris, as part of a dig at Trump.

“The former president has said that climate change is a hoax,” she said. “And what we know is that it is very real. You ask anyone who lives in a state who has experienced these extreme weather occurrences, who now is either being denied home insurance or it’s being jacked up.”

Residents living in areas prone to disasters like flooding and wildfires are having a hard time getting insurance at all, and federal policies may force people to pay more, an AP review found.

Electric vehicles also got little attention Tuesday, though Trump raised the idea of all critical minerals coming from China, which would include lithium and nickel. China currently dominates global EV battery production. Though EVs can run on clean electricity, mining for their batteries is an environmental and human rights concern.

Biden has created U.S. tax credits for EV purchases. While Trump has said the current administration’s efforts have resulted in an EV “mandate,” that is not true. Automakers do have to sell some electric vehicles to meet Environmental Protection Agency standards, but those regulations can also be met with more fuel-efficient gasoline-powered cars.

___

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

In 2020, there were 1,108 data compromises. By 2023, the number of compromises reached 3,205, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.

The most recent high-profile breach: An estimated 2.9 billion Social Security records, or 272 million unique Social Security numbers, were stolen from a Florida company in April.

The numbers have been available for months. What does that mean for consumers?

“When someone assumes your identity with your Social Security number, they could apply for credit cards or a loan; they could open cellphone or other accounts in your name or use the information in other ways,” said Luke Ervin, a San Diego-based financial adviser with UBS Financial Services Inc.

Meghan Land, the executive director of Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a national privacy nonprofit, said it’s best to assume your data will eventually end up in the wrong hands.

“Data breaches are unfortunately incredibly common,” Land said. “Even if you weren’t a victim in this one, information about you has likely been compromised in another breach. It can only help you to take proactive steps because this isn’t the first breach to compromise SSNs and it won’t be the last.”

The San Diego Union-Tribune asked people working in personal finance and online privacy, as well as representatives of the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration, how to prevent becoming a victim of fraud if your Social Security number is compromised. Here is their advice.

Check if your Social Security number is out there

There are at least two websites where you can see if your Social Security number was stolen in April’s massive breach. The following two sites do not require you to share your complete SSN. One is npdbreach.com, jointly created by a company named Atlas Privacy and a data rights organization called the Data Dividend Project. It asks for your name, ZIP code, and then either a phone number associated with you or your SSN. A tool from cybersecurity company npd.pentester.com asks for your name, state and birth year. In case of a breach, the site displays results of compromised information that can include street addresses, ZIP codes, phone numbers, birth date and a redacted SSN.

This leads to an important caveat about this second website: Anyone who inputs someone’s full name, state and birth year has a chance at pulling up that person’s addresses, birth day and month, associated phone numbers and/or a partial Social Security number.

Ann Clifton, a press officer with the Social Security Administration, also recommends monitoring your Social Security account.

“A person can check their my Social Security account regularly to see if there is any suspicious activity,” she said. “If a person has not yet applied for benefits, they should not see information about payment amounts on their my Social Security account and will be able to access their Social Security Statement to receive estimates of their future benefits.”

Immediately do the following if your SSN was stolen

Alert financial institutions. “Any time your data is compromised, the first thing to do is alert your financial services providers,” said Ammar Abuyousef, the U.S. Bank branch banking market leader for San Diego. “Whether it’s for a credit card or a checking and savings account, you can freeze your accounts before any bad actors are able to access or drain them.”

Get credit reports. “You should obtain a copy of your credit report from the three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax and Experian) to review for errors or possible fraudulent accounts and freeze your credit file — both steps are free,” said Land, with Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Free credit reports are available at annualcreditreport.com.

Alert authorities. “You can also consider filing a police report so that you have the information on file if you should encounter problems in the future,” said UBS’s Ervin.

Clifton, with the SSA, added that it’s good to ask for a copy of that report as proof. “It’s also a good idea to contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.idtheft.gov, or call 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY 1-866-653-4261,” she said.

Clifton also recommended informing the fraud unit at any one of the three consumer reporting companies. “The company you call is required to contact the other two,” she said. Here are their phone numbers: Equifax: 1 (800) 525-6285, Trans Union: 1 (800) 680-7289, Experian: 1 (888) 397-3742.

Fraud alert or credit freeze?

“A credit freeze is more effective than a fraud alert when it comes to preventing criminals from opening new accounts with your information,” Ervin said. “When a credit file is frozen, a creditor can’t access your report to evaluate you for a new account — meaning neither you nor a criminal can open a new credit account without unfreezing the file.

“By contrast, a fraud alert requires a business to verify your identity before opening a credit account under your name. Depending on how the business verifies your identity, a criminal with access to enough information about you might still be able to open an account,” he added.

Land, with Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, said doing both is another option. “You don’t have to choose between the two and both are free,” she said. However, she added, one might be more convenient, depending on circumstances.

“For instance,” Land said, “you must contact each of the three credit bureaus … to place a freeze, but a freeze will remain in place until you lift it. If you plan to open new credit accounts you must lift a freeze and then replace it each time you open a new account. To place a fraud alert, you only need to contact one credit bureau and it will alert the other two. You will not need to lift the alert to obtain new credit accounts, but you will need to renew the fraud alert on a regular basis (this can vary depending on the type of alert you use).”

Federal tax implications of a stolen SSN

For federal tax purposes, Raphael Tulino, a San Diego-based spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service, recommended reading the agency’s Taxpayer guide to identity theft. It’s less than 400 words and has links, resources and tips.

One tip: Beware if “You get a letter from the IRS inquiring about a suspicious tax return that you did not file. You can’t e-file your tax return because of a duplicate Social Security number. … You get an IRS notice that an online account has been created in your name.”

You can also apply for an IP PIN, or Identity Protection Personal Identification Number. This six-digit number adds another layer of protection by preventing someone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

“If our records show that you were a victim of identity theft, you will automatically be enrolled into the IP PIN program,” the agency says. More on IP PINs at this FAQ.

If you think you’re a victim of tax-related identity theft — “when someone uses a taxpayer’s stolen Social Security number (SSN) to file a tax return claiming a fraudulent refund,” the agency says — you can submit Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, online. You can also print a Form 14039 PDF and send it to the IRS.

In most cases, that affidavit isn’t necessary, because the IRS looks for suspicious tax returns. But here’s when it could make sense, according to the agency: You can’t e-file your tax return because of a duplicate tax return filed using your SSN; you are assigned a Employer Identification Number (EIN) without asking for one; you get a notice from a tax preparation software company that an account was made or closed in your name, and you didn’t do this. More red flags are at the IRS’s ID theft affidavit guide.

Staying safer after a breach

Once your number is out there, scammers have options. There are many ways they can try to get your money or access credit in your name.

Clifton, with the SSA, pointed to two links that explain what can go wrong if your private identity data is out there. One is about Social Security scams (blog.ssa.gov/social-security-and-scam-awareness) and one teaches how a stolen Social Security number can be exploited by thieves (ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10064.pdf).

She added, “If a person receives a suspicious call or email that states there is a problem with their Social Security number or account, they should hang up or not respond to the email. People should then go online to oig.ssa.gov to report the scam to Social Security. For more information, go to www.ssa.gov/fraud,” she said.

On a similar note, Land said it is important to “keep an eye out for imposter scams where criminals pretend to be someone you know, a government official or agency, a tech support company, your bank, your utility company or another company you are familiar with. Scammers may try to reach you by phone, email, social media, text message — really any way you can imagine.

“Scams can be convincing and elaborate, so it is helpful to stay up to date on trends and err on the side of caution when it comes to clicking links or providing information,” she said.

Abuyousef, with U.S. Bank, reminded people to change passwords “for any accounts where you have stored personal financial information.” He added, “This would include any banking or investment accounts. These passwords should also be updated regularly and stored in a secure password manager, with many affordable options available.”

Erwin, with UBS, shared these password best practices: “Make sure you are using unique passwords for each account that are 15 characters or longer; don’t use distinguishing information (like your birthday or pet’s name); and consider using a password manager versus saving each to your computer. Also set up multi-factor authentication and/or a biometric login on each account on top of the username/password.”

Two-factor authentication “is one of the easiest proactive steps you can take to protect your accounts,” Land agreed.

Not a victim? Don’t let your guard down

If you ran your name through those two portals and it looks like your SSN hasn’t been compromised, can you keep carrying on as before? That is a rhetorical question with a non-rhetorical answer: No.

“Protecting your identity and financial assets should always be a proactive part of your routine, whether that means daily, weekly or monthly monitoring,” said Abuyousef, with U.S. Bank. “You can do this yourself through your online statements and by ensuring that you protect your data through effective online security measures, such setting up password management tools or multi-factor authentication. It’s also vitally important to teach your children and loved ones to remain vigilant and aware of scam tactics so they can put measures in place to protect themselves.”

Ervin, with UBS, said it’s essential to plan how you’ll secure and recovery key information, before your data gets stolen.

“In developing your approach, consider: What is the data that you want to protect? How do you and your family access data? What could be the impact if there was a confidentiality breach? How can you back up data and protect yourselves?” he said.

Practicing vigilance

Abuyousef, with US. Bank, recommends ongoing monitoring of savings, credit and retirement accounts. Check statements or log in and review the ledger daily.

“If you notice anything suspicious, let your provider know so that they can investigate and take action to protect your account, if needed,” he said.

Ervin, with UBS, shared some pointers for staying safer online, whether or not your SSN is up for grabs:

Be proactive: Back up important files. Educate children about safe practices online and encourage safe social media guidelines.

Hardware: Secure your home and small business network by changing the default administrator password of the device controlling your wireless network. Enable encryption on your Wi-Fi router, preferably WPA2. Don’t plug in suspicious USB devices, such as unknown flash drives.

Software: Only install applications from trusted sources, such as app stores or known websites. Make sure your computer and devices are set up to receive automatic software updates. Delete apps you no longer need or don’t know the origin of and monitor your children’s’ downloading and use of apps. Use your cellphone data plan instead of public Wi-Fi when on the go.

Eyes open: Review your Social Security Administration records. Go through your health claims carefully to ensure you’ve received the care listed.

Opt out: Contact organizations to remove your name from marketing lists, including for the credit reporting bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax), to prevent unsolicited credit offers.

Be private: Consider what you disclose online. Avoid publishing that you are traveling or including personal information such as your birthday/year or mother’s maiden name or pets’ names — typically used for security or verification purposes — on social media. Use privacy settings to control who can access your information, and review them regularly. Don’t take online polls and be selective about friend requests from people you might not know.

Be skeptical: Be wary of phishing schemes, which continue to grow; never open unfamiliar attachments or click on unfamiliar links. Ignore emails or text messages that ask you to confirm or provide personal information by replying to the email or message.

By PATRICK AFTOORA ORSAGOS, JULIE CARR SMYTH AND ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Many cities have been reshaped by immigrants in the last few years without attracting much notice. Not Springfield, Ohio.

Its story of economic renewal and related growing pains has been thrust into the national conversation in a presidential election year — and maliciously distorted by false rumors that Haitian immigrants are eating their neighbors’ pets. Donald Trump amplified those lies during Tuesday’s nationally televised debate, exacerbating some residents’ fears about growing divisiveness in the predominantly white, blue-collar city of about 60,000.

At the city’s Haitian Community Help and Support Center on Wednesday, Rose-Thamar Joseph said many of the roughly 15,000 immigrants that arrived in the past few years were drawn by good jobs and the city’s relative affordability. But a rising sense of unease has crept in as longtime residents increasingly bristle at newcomers taking jobs at factories, driving up housing costs, worsening traffic and straining city services.

“Some of them are talking about living in fear. Some of them are scared for their life. It’s tough for us,” Joseph said.

A “Welcome To Our City” sign hangs from a parking garage downtown, where a coffee shop, bakery and boutique line the main drag, North Fountain Street. A flag advertising “CultureFest,” which the city describes as an annual celebration of unity through diversity, waves from a pole nearby.

Melanie Flax Wilt, a Republican commissioner in the county that holds Springfield, said she has been pushing for community and political leaders to “stop feeding the fear.”

“After the election and everybody’s done using Springfield, Ohio, as a talking point for immigration reform, we are going to be the ones here still living through the challenges and coming up with the solutions,” she said.

Ariel Dominique, executive director of the Haitian American Foundation for Democracy, said she laughed at times in recent days at the absurdity of the false claims. But seeing the comments repeated on national television by the former president was painful.

“It is so unfair and unjust and completely contrary to what we have contributed to the world, what we have contributed to this nation for so long,” Dominique said.

The falsehoods about Springfield’s Haitian immigrants were spread online by Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, on the eve of Tuesday’s debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. It’s part of a timeworn American political tradition of casting immigrants as outsiders.

“This is what’s happening in our country. And it’s a shame,” Trump said at the debate after repeating the falsehoods. When challenged by ABC News moderator David Muir over the false claims, Trump held firm, saying “people on television” said their dogs were eaten, but he offered no evidence.

Officials in Springfield have tried to tamp down the misinformation by saying there have been no credible or detailed reports of any pets being abducted or eaten. State leaders are trying to help address some of the real challenges the city faces.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said Tuesday he would add more law enforcement and health care resources to an aid package the state has already provided to Springfield.

Many Haitians have come to the U.S. to flee poverty and violence. They have embraced President Joe Biden’s new and expanded legal pathways to enter, and have shunned illegal crossings, accounting for only 92 border arrests out of more than 56,000 in July, the latest data available.

The Biden administration recently announced an estimated 300,000 Haitians in the U.S. could remain in the country at least through February 2026, with eligibility for work authorization, under a law called Temporary Protected Status. The goal is to spare people from being deported to countries in turmoil.

Springfield, about 45 miles from the state capital of Columbus, suffered a steep decline in its manufacturing sector toward the end of the last century, and its population shrank as a result. But its downtown has been revitalized in recent years as more Haitians arrived and helped meet the rising demand for labor as the economy emerged from the pandemic. Officials say Haitians now account for about 15% of the population.

The city was shaken last year when a minivan slammed into a school bus, killing an 11-year-old boy. The driver was a Haitian man who recently settled in the area and was driving without a valid license. During a city commission meeting on Wednesday, the boy’s parents condemned politicians’ use of their son’s death to stoke hatred.

On Sept. 6, a post surfaced on the social media platform X that shared what looked like a screengrab of a social media post apparently out of Springfield. The post talked about the person’s “neighbor’s daughter’s friend” seeing a cat hanging from a tree to be butchered and eaten, claiming without evidence that Haitians lived at the house. It was accompanied by a photo of a Black man carrying what appeared to be a goose by its feet.

On Monday, Vance posted on X “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?” The next day, he posted again on X about Springfield, saying his office had received inquiries from residents who said “their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants. It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”

With its rising population of immigrants, Springfield is hardly an outlier. So far this decade, immigration has accounted for almost three-quarters of U.S. population growth, with 2.5 million immigrants arriving in the United States between 2020 and 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Population growth is an important driver of economic growth.

“The Haitian immigrants who started moving to Springfield the last few years are the reason why the economy and the labor force has been revitalized there,” said Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, which provides legal and social services to immigrants across the U.S.

She said Haitian clients in Springfield have told her that, out of fear, they are now considering leaving the city.

Spagat reported from San Diego. Associated Press writer Michael Schneider in Orlando, Florida, and Noreen Nasir in New York, contributed.

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris and Donald Trump said as much with their faces as they did with their words during Tuesday’s debate.

With their microphones muted unless it was their turn to speak, according to the debate rules, body language took on outsized importance for Harris and Trump.

Harris in particular leaned into the nonverbal communication, keenly aware that her every reaction was being broadcast to the world, “speaking” to the audience even while Trump ostensibly had the floor. Networks showed a split screen with both candidates for most of the debate.

At various points she looked amused or befuddled by whatever Trump was saying, as if w ordlessly saying he was lying. A few times she dramatically put her fingers under her chin, eyes wide, head tilted. Other times she laughed.

Trump sometimes scowled, sometimes smiled curtly. His eyes flashed anger or annoyance, perhaps even boredom at times. He rarely looked at Harris while she spoke, instead pointing his face forward toward the cameras or ABC News moderators.

When the candidates did have the floor, Trump and Harris both gesticulated with their hands, mannerisms that are by now familiar to Americans who’ve spent a lot of time watching them.

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and BILL BARROW Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump emerged Wednesday from a rocky debate against Kamala Harris looking to regain his footing with 54 days until Election Day, the first ballots already going out in Alabama and other states on the cusp of early voting.

Not even three months ago, Trump stepped off the debate stage in Atlanta having watched President Joe Biden deliver a disjointed, whispery performance that eventually led the 81-year-old Democrat to end his reelection bid and endorse Harris, his vice president. By the end of Tuesday night, it was the 78-year-old Trump on the defensive after the 59-year-old Harris controlled much of the debate, repeatedly baiting the Republican former president into agitated answers replete with exaggerations and mistruths.

“We’ll see what the polls say going forward, but I don’t know how anybody can spin this other than a pretty decisive defeat for Trump,” former Rep. Charlie Dent, a Pennsylvania Republican who has long been critical of Trump, said Wednesday on CNN.

Harris’ campaign immediately pitched the idea of a second debate. Fox News has proposed an October matchup but with moderators that Trump has indicated he does not prefer. And he said via his Truth Social account Wednesday that there is no need for a second round,

“In the World of Boxing or UFC, when a Fighter gets beaten or knocked out, they get up and scream, “I DEMAND A REMATCH, I DEMAND A REMATCH!” Well, it’s no different with a Debate,” Trump wrote, as he claimed victory. “She was beaten badly last night … so why would I do a Rematch?”

Trump and Harris were together briefly Wednesday in New York, where they joined President Biden and other dignitaries to mark the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. They shook hands for the second time in 12 hours, with the first coming when Harris approached Trump on the debate stage to introduce herself in the first sign of the aggressive approach she would take during the event.

The former president, who flouted convention with a surprise appearance late Tuesday in the post-debate spin room, continued to insist he had won the night, though he also blasted ABC moderators as unfair. It was a tacit acknowledgement that he did not accomplish what he wanted against Harris.

Trump and some of his allies in online posts speculated about punishing ABC by taking away its broadcast license — the network doesn’t need a license to operate but individual stations do — or denying access to its reporters in the future.

“We had a great night. We won the debate. We had a terrible, a terrible network,” Trump said Wednesday on Fox News. “They should be embarrassed. I mean they kept correcting me and what I said was largely right or I hope it was right.”

Yet his framing of the debate results does not square with the broad consensus of political commentators, strategists on both sides of the political aisle and some immediate assessments by voters who watched Tuesday night. But there is also evidence that the debate did not immediately yield broad shifts among people who watched.

About 6 in 10 debate-watchers said that Harris outperformed Trump, while about 4 in 10 said that Trump did a better job, according to a flash poll conducted by CNN. Before the debate, the same voters were evenly split on whether Trump or Harris would win.

The vast majority of debate-watchers — who do not reflect the views of the full voting public — also said that the event wouldn’t affect their votes in the election. Perceptions of the two candidates remain largely unchanged.

Harris was jubilant late Tuesday, telling late-night rallygoers in Philadelphia that it was a “great night,” even as she repeated that she sees Democrats as “underdogs” against Trump. She won the endorsement of music and cultural icon Taylor Swift.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire was more charitable to Trump than some, allowing that Harris won by traditional debate standards but fell short in convincing swing voters focused on their economic conditions.

“The majority of those swing voters are still results driven,” Sununu said on CNN, adding that Trump still has opportunities to sway voters on the economy, immigration and, especially, foreign policy.

That view was certainly the Republican messaging on Capitol Hill, where the GOP is trying to maintain its fragile House majority and take advantage of a friendly slate of Senate contests to flip control of that chamber.

“Undecided voters’ biggest concern about Kamala Harris heading into the debate was the fact that they don’t know where she stands on any issues because of her constant flip flops,” said Mike Berg, the communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP’s campaign arm. “I don’t think she did anything to fix those concerns.”

Jack Pandol, the communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee handling the House races said, Harris “still refuses to tell voters what she will do as president.”

Yet even on that score, Trump handed Democrats a cudgel with his answers on health. After twice running for president on promises of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, commonly called “Obamacare,” Trump falsely insisted that he saved the 2010 law. At the same time, Trump stood by his long-standing promises to replace the law with something better but when pressed acknowledged that he still had not specific proposal.

“I have concepts of a plan,” Trump said in a remark that become quick fodder for online memes and merchandise.

Dent, the Pennsylvania Republican, said that answer tracked with how Trump approached the issue during his four years as president. “He would only say ‘we’re going to cover everybody, it’s going to cost less, and it’s going to be beautiful,’’ Dent recalled in his CNN appearance. “There was never any policy to back it up. He just didn’t care about its impact on people.”

Sununu, meanwhile, offered perhaps the most revealing assessment of where Trump stands after the debate. It was not what Sununu said about Trump himself, but about another Republican the governor originally supported in the 2024 primaries: former Ambassador Nikki Haley, who was the last GOP candidate standing against Trump and continued garnering support in primaries weeks after she dropped out of the race.

“Imagine what Nikki would have done in that debate,” Sununu said. “It would have been great.”

Barrow reported from Atlanta. AP Polling Editor Amelia Thomson-Deveaux, Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price and AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

Andrew Dehan | (TNS) Bankrate.com

The housing market has an affordability problem. During the pandemic, historically low mortgage rates boosted demand, driving home prices to record highs. After decades of underbuilding, construction labor shortages and rising material costs, the supply shortage continues to push homeownership further out of reach. To afford the typical home today, Americans need at least a six-figure salary, according to a Bankrate study.

While the housing market typically isn’t moved by presidential elections, both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have weighed in with varying proposals. While these would need approval in Congress to move forward, here’s what we know about their plans so far, and what the experts think.

Affordable housing

Vice President Harris has shared plans for 3 million new housing units over the next four years, spurred by a tax break incentivizing home builders to create more starter homes. She has also proposed up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for eligible first-time homebuyers, along with restrictions on how landlords determine rent increases and limits on tax breaks for institutional investors who buy single-family homes.

It’s unclear if such plans would work. The rent cap, for example, could have unintended consequences, says Mark Hamrick, Washington bureau chief and senior economic analyst for Bankrate.

“Price controls including constraints on rent can have the impact of limiting supply which, in turn, can exacerbate the problem,” Hamrick says. “Who wants to build or own if they’re constrained from setting prices?

Meanwhile, former President Trump has suggested opening tracts of federal land for housing development, removing restrictive regulations on homebuilding and addressing supply chain disruptions.

“Almost 25% of the cost of a newly constructed single-family home is embedded in regulations at all three levels of government,” says Jim Tobin, president and CEO of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), which lobbies on behalf of pro-business and pro-housing candidates. For a multifamily unit, that share is closer to 43%.

Though Trump hasn’t yet detailed how he’d reduce regulations, his past tenure could hint at what might come. In his first term, he signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which included a lower corporate tax rate and a provision creating Opportunity Zones to encourage investment in lower-income areas.

“Changes in tax policy, if significant, could have a variety of impacts on the economy and the housing market, in particular,” Hamrick says. “A lower corporate tax rate could stimulate housing activity, boost investment and potentially lead to increased housing market activity. Among the potential ripple effects could be a rise in construction, more supply and lower home prices.”

On the flip side, a higher corporate tax rate could have the inverse effect, Hamrick says. Home builders could scale back activity or pass the higher costs onto homebuyers.

“Former President Trump said he wants to lower the C corp rate,” says Bill Kilmer, senior vice president of Legislative and Political Affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), which represents the housing finance industry. “I imagine that, like the Biden budget proposal, Vice President Harris would want to raise the corporate rate as a means of revenue to pay for some other priorities.”

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

In his first term, Trump zeroed in on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) underpinning the U.S. housing finance system. In the wake of the 2008 housing crisis, Fannie and Freddie were placed under government conservatorship to help stabilize the market.

Trump has advocated for taking the GSEs out of conservatorship, which could lead to more competition — in other words, more options — in the mortgage market and minimize taxpayer exposure, Kilmer of the MBA says.

It could also raise mortgage costs, says Chen Zhao, senior manager of Economics at real estate brokerage Redfin.

“When Fannie and Freddie were in trouble, there was this question of, ‘Is there an applied guarantee from the federal government for these mortgage-backed securities (MBS)?’ And the answer turned out to be yes, because the government basically just took them over,” Zhao says. “But once you introduce that question mark about whether or not the MBS are guaranteed, it means that rates have to trade for a little bit higher in order to account for that additional risk.”

For her part, Harris has pointed to a 2015 Moody’s study that found privatizing Fannie and Freddie would add approximately $1,200 a year to the cost of a typical mortgage. ​​

“(Harris) really wants (the GSEs) as permanent, sponsored entities with those professional charters to lean in more to the mission side of their charter and their affordable housing mandate,” Kilmer says. “Not just their goals, but also sort of what they can be doing to increase supply and affordability.”

Immigration

Trump has indicated that, if reelected, he plans to deport millions of undocumented immigrants — a move his campaign has said would help lower housing costs.

Yet, approximately 20% of the construction labor force — residential and otherwise — is immigrant labor, according to Tobin of the NAHB.

“The construction industry has struggled with lack of labor supply for years,” Hamrick says.

“The thing about the recent wave of immigrants is that they don’t demand a lot of housing, actually, because they are either housed in public housing or they’re housing with relatives or friends,” Zhao says. “So, there’s not a lot of net housing demand that’s being added.”

Harris has shifted her stance on immigration — circling back to investing in the southern border wall — but continues to oppose mass deportations. During the Democratic National Convention in August, Democrats touted solutions to expanding legal entry and paths to citizenship.

“We’ve got to find a way to create a visa system for immigrants who want to work in the construction sector, to come into this country under a visa and work in our sector,” Tobin says. “We’re hopeful that the next President of the United States will lead into that and solve that problem.”

Interest rates

Trump has also suggested he would lower interest rates if reelected — but the Federal Reserve, not the president, sets monetary policy, and the Fed operates independently of who sits in the Oval Office.

“History has shown that in countries where politics infects monetary policy, it is less effective,” Hamrick says. “Translated, that means there’s a higher risk of inflation when heads of state or government try to muscle their central banks.”

Harris has said she wouldn’t interfere with the Fed, but rather focus on lowering costs.

To that end, mortgage rates have already started retreating, and forecasters expect them to continue cooling into 2025.

“Rates probably are coming down on their own anyways,” Zhao says.

Tariffs and trade

In his first term, Trump imposed a series of tariffs to restrict foreign trade, particularly with China, including on building materials like steel and aluminum. Many of these tariffs are still in place today.

Harris hasn’t said much on trade to date, but it’s unlikely the U.S. would return to the pre-Trump era of free trade.

If elected to a second term, Trump has said he’d impose further tariffs, including a 10% to 20% tax on all imports, and up to a 60% tax on imports from China. That would add to inflation, according to a recent Goldman Sachs report.

“It is well documented that if you increase tariffs, you basically increase prices. So that has a big inflationary impact,” Zhao says.

While housing costs tend to outpace inflation, higher prices overall make it harder for Americans to afford everyday expenses and set aside savings, such as for a down payment on a home.

“Abnormally high inflation does what inflation tends to do, which is to make prices go higher, robs purchasing power and would ultimately coincide with rising or higher interest rates,” Hamrick says. “Does that sound familiar? It should because that’s what we experienced in recent years. Central banks, like our own Federal Reserve, raise benchmark rates in response to high inflation. That ultimately catches up to mortgage rates and typically slows the broader economy.”

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