WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-section-702-c69db6741ca9f4c26f24ebf5941a5cb0">reauthorize a crucial national security surveillance program</a>&nbsp;was blocked Wednesday by a conservative revolt, pushing the prospects of final passage into uncertainty amid a looming deadline. The legislative impasse follows an edict earlier in the day from former President Donald Trump to “kill" the measure.

The breakdown comes months after a similar process to reform and reauthorize the surveillance program fell apart before it even reached the House floor. Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>, R-La., has called the program “critically important” but has struggled to find a path forward on the issue, which has been plagued by partisan bickering for years. The procedural vote to bring up the bill Wednesday failed 193-228, with nearly 20 Republicans voting no including&nbsp; Crane, Biggs and Gosar of Arizona; Bishop of North Carolina; Boebert of Colorado; Burchett and Ogles of Tennessee; Cloud and Roy of Texas; Gaetz of Florida; Good of Virginia; Higgins of Louisiana; Luna, Mills and Steube of Florida; Mace and Norman of South Carolina; Perry of Pennsylvania and Rosendale of Montana. The members of the Kansas House delegation voted with the minority.

It marks the latest blow to Johnson's leadership as he faces being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-marjorie-taylor-greene-e0f0271f8244598841c56502f12f38a0">ousted from his job</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">same stunning fashion</a>&nbsp;as his predecessor. Hours before the vote, the Republican leader made a final push urging for passage, saying Congress must “address these abuses” without cutting off the surveillance program entirely.

“It’s a critically important piece of our intelligence and law enforcement in this country,” he said in a press conference.

The bill in question would renew Section 702 of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-section-702-c69db6741ca9f4c26f24ebf5941a5cb0">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act</a>, which permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country to gather foreign intelligence. The reauthorization is currently tied to a series of reforms aimed at satisfying critics who complained of civil liberties violations against Americans.

But Republican opponents have complained that those changes did not go far enough. Among the detractors are some of Johnson’s harshest critics, members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have railed against the speaker for reaching across the aisle several times since taking the gavel in October to carry out the basic functions of the government.

It remains unclear now if the proposal, backed by the Biden administration and Johnson, would eventually have enough votes to advance.

“I’m just bewildered that a small number of members decided to take down the rule,” Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Wednesday evening.

The panel's Republican chairman, Mike Turner of Ohio, also lamented that the bill had faltered, especially since he said it had unanimous support from a special working group.

“There's a great deal of misinformation about FISA,” Turner said. “It is not spying on Americans — in fact, that is absolutely prohibited.”

Though the program would technically expire on April 19, the Biden administration has said it expects its authority to collect intelligence to remain operational for at least another year, thanks to an opinion earlier this month from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which receives surveillance applications. But administration officials also say that if the program lapses, some telecommunications companies could reduce or stop cooperation with the government or challenge its authority.

U.S. officials have said the tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and foreign espionage and has also produced intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations.

But the administration’s efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have encountered fierce, and bipartisan, pushback, with Democrats like Sen. Ron Wyden who have long championed civil liberties aligning with Republican supporters of Trump, who in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday stated incorrectly that Section 702 had been used to spy on his presidential campaign.

“Kill FISA," Trump wrote in all capital letters. “It was illegally used against me, and many others. They spied on my campaign.” A former adviser to his 2016 presidential campaign was targeted for surveillance over potential ties to Russia under a different section of the law.

A specific area of concern for lawmakers has centered on the FBI’s use of the vast intelligence repository to search for information about Americans and others in the U.S. Though the surveillance program only targets non-Americans in other countries, it also collects communications of Americans when they are in contact with those targeted foreigners.

In the past year, U.S. officials have revealed a series of abuses and mistakes by FBI analysts in improperly querying the intelligence repository for information about Americans or others in the U.S, including about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fisa-foreign-surveillance-fbi-3f7d4cc0ef413cdf20bc0b70548cde84">member of Congress</a>&nbsp;and participants in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fbi-surveillance-75c466a64e838ab12eaef96f6335f3cd">racial justice protests of 2020</a>&nbsp;and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Those violations have led to demands for the FBI to have a warrant before conducting database queries on Americans, which FBI director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/christopher-wray">Chris Wray</a>&nbsp;has warned would effectively gut the effectiveness of the program and would also be legally unnecessary given that the information in the database has already been lawfully collected.

“While it is imperative that we ensure this critical authority of 702 does not lapse, we also must not undercut the effectiveness of this essential tool with a warrant requirement or some similar restriction, paralyzing our ability to tackle fast-moving threats,” Wray said in a speech Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712802529718.png" alt="Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-section-702-c69db6741ca9f4c26f24ebf5941a5cb0">reauthorize a crucial national security surveillance program</a>&nbsp;was blocked Wednesday by a conservative revolt, pushing the prospects of final passage into uncertainty amid a looming deadline. The legislative impasse follows an edict earlier in the day from former President Donald Trump to “kill" the measure.The breakdown comes months after a similar process to reform and reauthorize the surveillance program fell apart before it even reached the House floor. Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>, R-La., has called the program “critically important” but has struggled to find a path forward on the issue, which has been plagued by partisan bickering for years. The procedural vote to bring up the bill Wednesday failed 193-228, with nearly 20 Republicans voting no including&nbsp; Crane, Biggs and Gosar of Arizona; Bishop of North Carolina; Boebert of Colorado; Burchett and Ogles of Tennessee; Cloud and Roy of Texas; Gaetz of Florida; Good of Virginia; Higgins of Louisiana; Luna, Mills and Steube of Florida; Mace and Norman of South Carolina; Perry of Pennsylvania and Rosendale of Montana. The members of the Kansas House delegation voted with the minority.It marks the latest blow to Johnson's leadership as he faces being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-marjorie-taylor-greene-e0f0271f8244598841c56502f12f38a0">ousted from his job</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">same stunning fashion</a>&nbsp;as his predecessor. Hours before the vote, the Republican leader made a final push urging for passage, saying Congress must “address these abuses” without cutting off the surveillance program entirely.“It’s a critically important piece of our intelligence and law enforcement in this country,” he said in a press conference.The bill in question would renew Section 702 of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-section-702-c69db6741ca9f4c26f24ebf5941a5cb0">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act</a>, which permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country to gather foreign intelligence. The reauthorization is currently tied to a series of reforms aimed at satisfying critics who complained of civil liberties violations against Americans.But Republican opponents have complained that those changes did not go far enough. Among the detractors are some of Johnson’s harshest critics, members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, who have railed against the speaker for reaching across the aisle several times since taking the gavel in October to carry out the basic functions of the government.It remains unclear now if the proposal, backed by the Biden administration and Johnson, would eventually have enough votes to advance.“I’m just bewildered that a small number of members decided to take down the rule,” Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Wednesday evening.The panel's Republican chairman, Mike Turner of Ohio, also lamented that the bill had faltered, especially since he said it had unanimous support from a special working group.“There's a great deal of misinformation about FISA,” Turner said. “It is not spying on Americans — in fact, that is absolutely prohibited.”Though the program would technically expire on April 19, the Biden administration has said it expects its authority to collect intelligence to remain operational for at least another year, thanks to an opinion earlier this month from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which receives surveillance applications. But administration officials also say that if the program lapses, some telecommunications companies could reduce or stop cooperation with the government or challenge its authority.U.S. officials have said the tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and foreign espionage and has also produced intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations.But the administration’s efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have encountered fierce, and bipartisan, pushback, with Democrats like Sen. Ron Wyden who have long championed civil liberties aligning with Republican supporters of Trump, who in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday stated incorrectly that Section 702 had been used to spy on his presidential campaign.“Kill FISA," Trump wrote in all capital letters. “It was illegally used against me, and many others. They spied on my campaign.” A former adviser to his 2016 presidential campaign was targeted for surveillance over potential ties to Russia under a different section of the law.A specific area of concern for lawmakers has centered on the FBI’s use of the vast intelligence repository to search for information about Americans and others in the U.S. Though the surveillance program only targets non-Americans in other countries, it also collects communications of Americans when they are in contact with those targeted foreigners.In the past year, U.S. officials have revealed a series of abuses and mistakes by FBI analysts in improperly querying the intelligence repository for information about Americans or others in the U.S, including about a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fisa-foreign-surveillance-fbi-3f7d4cc0ef413cdf20bc0b70548cde84">member of Congress</a>&nbsp;and participants in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fbi-surveillance-75c466a64e838ab12eaef96f6335f3cd">racial justice protests of 2020</a>&nbsp;and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.Those violations have led to demands for the FBI to have a warrant before conducting database queries on Americans, which FBI director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/christopher-wray">Chris Wray</a>&nbsp;has warned would effectively gut the effectiveness of the program and would also be legally unnecessary given that the information in the database has already been lawfully collected.“While it is imperative that we ensure this critical authority of 702 does not lapse, we also must not undercut the effectiveness of this essential tool with a warrant requirement or some similar restriction, paralyzing our ability to tackle fast-moving threats,” Wray said in a speech Tuesday.

Kan. reps vote yes but House conservatives block spy powers bill

Donna Boxberger-Vise, 80, of Johnstown, Colorado, passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.

Donna was born on September 7, 1943 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.&nbsp; The daughter of Betty Rae (Morgan and Dennis Bluejacket.&nbsp; Dennis was killed in WWII in 1944.&nbsp; Betty married Harlan Boxberger, who later adopted Donna.&nbsp; She graduated from Russell High School in the Class of 1961.

Donna was united in marriage to Kenny Hollinger in 1961.&nbsp; This union was blessed with a daughter, Marcy.&nbsp; Kenny and Donna later got a divorce.&nbsp; Donna was united in marriage to Dale Vise in 1987.

Donna was an avid baker for many years at several businesses around the Johnstown area.&nbsp; Her love of stained glass work would lead her and Dale to own a small business of their own.

Donna had fond memories of the family cabin at Fish Lake, Utah when she was in her teens and as an adult.&nbsp; Her and Dale would spend most of their summers there after they retired.&nbsp; She loved fishing and attending the campground pot luck suppers with all their Fish Lake friends.

Donna is survived by her husband Dale of the home; daughter, Marcy Rohr (Kent) of Russell, Kansas; two grandchildren, Brittany Rohr (Zach) of Dodge City, Kansas, and Kaden Rohr (Jordyn) of Hays, Kansas; her blessed three great grandchildren, Jaxton Shipley, Grady Shipley and Blair Rohr; sister, Marsha Scott (Jay) of Hays, Kansas; brother, Sam Boxberger (Lois) of Arlington, Kansas; nephews, Dane Boxberger of Wichita, Kansas, and Cory Boxberger of Wichita, Kansas; niece, Stacey Byington (Dave) of&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Dennis Bluejacket, Harlan and Betty Boxberger and nephew, Matt Stricker.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, April 12, 2024 at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary with the family present to greet friends from 10:00 AM to Services. &nbsp;&nbsp;Cremation has taken place.&nbsp; Condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712693088773.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Donna Boxberger-Vise, 80, of Johnstown, Colorado, passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.Donna was born on September 7, 1943 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.&nbsp; The daughter of Betty Rae (Morgan and Dennis Bluejacket.&nbsp; Dennis was killed in WWII in 1944.&nbsp; Betty married Harlan Boxberger, who later adopted Donna.&nbsp; She graduated from Russell High School in the Class of 1961.Donna was united in marriage to Kenny Hollinger in 1961.&nbsp; This union was blessed with a daughter, Marcy.&nbsp; Kenny and Donna later got a divorce.&nbsp; Donna was united in marriage to Dale Vise in 1987.Donna was an avid baker for many years at several businesses around the Johnstown area.&nbsp; Her love of stained glass work would lead her and Dale to own a small business of their own.Donna had fond memories of the family cabin at Fish Lake, Utah when she was in her teens and as an adult.&nbsp; Her and Dale would spend most of their summers there after they retired.&nbsp; She loved fishing and attending the campground pot luck suppers with all their Fish Lake friends.Donna is survived by her husband Dale of the home; daughter, Marcy Rohr (Kent) of Russell, Kansas; two grandchildren, Brittany Rohr (Zach) of Dodge City, Kansas, and Kaden Rohr (Jordyn) of Hays, Kansas; her blessed three great grandchildren, Jaxton Shipley, Grady Shipley and Blair Rohr; sister, Marsha Scott (Jay) of Hays, Kansas; brother, Sam Boxberger (Lois) of Arlington, Kansas; nephews, Dane Boxberger of Wichita, Kansas, and Cory Boxberger of Wichita, Kansas; niece, Stacey Byington (Dave) of&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Dennis Bluejacket, Harlan and Betty Boxberger and nephew, Matt Stricker.A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, April 12, 2024 at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary with the family present to greet friends from 10:00 AM to Services. &nbsp;&nbsp;Cremation has taken place.&nbsp; Condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.

Donna Boxberger-Vise

Harold Gene Wilken, 78, died Thursday April 4, 2024, at The University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. He was born July 2, 1945, in Garden City, Kansas, the son of Elmer Harold and Margaret Eunice (Whitaker) Wilken.

Harold attended Garden City schools and graduated from Garden City High School in 1963. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1964, attending recruit basic training at MCRD San Diego, California. Harold was stationed at Camp Pendleton California, Da Nang Vietnam, Camp Lejeune North Carolina, and was honorably discharged in 1967.

Harold earned a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University in 1972. He was co-founder of Wilmar Farms in Lakin, Kansas. They farmed alfalfa and then constructed a dairy in 1997. After retiring in 2005, Harold found his passion with woodworking and was a true artist with an astonishing attention to detail. He loved spending time with his family and friends, traveling, and playing a good hand of poker.

On October 12, 1968, he married Nancy Jo Stoner in Garden City and started a family. Harold is survived by his wife Nancy, son and daughter-in-law Brad and Lori Wilken of Seattle, Washington, son and daughter-in-law Bryan and Kimberly Wilken of Bend, Oregon. Additional survivors include sister and brother-in-law Carol and Lee Gross, sister Gayle Gomez, sister and brother-in-law Sheryle and Thomas Pollan, brother and sister-in-law William and Mary Wilken, his two grandchildren Harper Wilken and Maxwell Wilken, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Garnand Funeral Home in Garden City with Rev. Jim Akins officiating. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery in Garden City, with military graveside rites conducted by the United States Marine Corp Honor Guard and the Southwest Kansas Area Veterans Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials given to Wounded Warriors, the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, or the Finney County Humane Society, all in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be given at garnandfuneralhomes.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712692945816.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Harold Gene Wilken, 78, died Thursday April 4, 2024, at The University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. He was born July 2, 1945, in Garden City, Kansas, the son of Elmer Harold and Margaret Eunice (Whitaker) Wilken.Harold attended Garden City schools and graduated from Garden City High School in 1963. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1964, attending recruit basic training at MCRD San Diego, California. Harold was stationed at Camp Pendleton California, Da Nang Vietnam, Camp Lejeune North Carolina, and was honorably discharged in 1967.Harold earned a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University in 1972. He was co-founder of Wilmar Farms in Lakin, Kansas. They farmed alfalfa and then constructed a dairy in 1997. After retiring in 2005, Harold found his passion with woodworking and was a true artist with an astonishing attention to detail. He loved spending time with his family and friends, traveling, and playing a good hand of poker.On October 12, 1968, he married Nancy Jo Stoner in Garden City and started a family. Harold is survived by his wife Nancy, son and daughter-in-law Brad and Lori Wilken of Seattle, Washington, son and daughter-in-law Bryan and Kimberly Wilken of Bend, Oregon. Additional survivors include sister and brother-in-law Carol and Lee Gross, sister Gayle Gomez, sister and brother-in-law Sheryle and Thomas Pollan, brother and sister-in-law William and Mary Wilken, his two grandchildren Harper Wilken and Maxwell Wilken, and numerous nieces and nephews.Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Garnand Funeral Home in Garden City with Rev. Jim Akins officiating. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery in Garden City, with military graveside rites conducted by the United States Marine Corp Honor Guard and the Southwest Kansas Area Veterans Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials given to Wounded Warriors, the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, or the Finney County Humane Society, all in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be given at garnandfuneralhomes.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Harold Gene Wilken

Alice M. Unrein, age 95, passed away on March 22, 2024. She was born October 25, 1928 to Joseph Suppes and Perpetra (Enslinger) Suppes in Liebenthal, Kansas.She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Perpetra Suppes; husband of 56 years, Celly Unrein; son, Gary Unrein; son-in-law, Lyle Knuppel; and three siblings, Severin Suppes, George Suppes and Edward Suppes.

Alice is survived by her daughters Sandy Knuppel, Debra (Roger) Sellers and Karen Blockyou; five grandchildren, Shannon (Neil) Bhargava, Stephanie (Luke) Smith, Shelley (Aaron) Black, Melissa (Kevin) Teat, and Emily (Nick) Williams; 10 great grandchildren; one great-great granddaughter; two siblings, Bernadette Urban and Charles (Raeanne) Suppes; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and many dear friends.

Mass of Christian Burial was&nbsp;held 11:30AM, on&nbsp;Wednesday, March 27, 2024, with Rosary taking place&nbsp;prior at 11:00AM, at St. Elizabeth Chapel - Catholic Care Center, 6800 E. 45th Street N., Bel Aire, Kansas 67226. Burial followed the service at Lakeview Cemetery, 12100 E. 13th Street N., Wichita, Kansas 67206.&nbsp;Memorial contributions in Alice's memory can be made to Catholic Care Center, 6700 E. 45th Street N., Bel Aire, Kansas 67226 and/or Good Shepherd Hospice, 7829 E. Rockhill Street #403, Wichita, Kansas 67206.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712607851719.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Alice M. Unrein, age 95, passed away on March 22, 2024. She was born October 25, 1928 to Joseph Suppes and Perpetra (Enslinger) Suppes in Liebenthal, Kansas.She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Perpetra Suppes; husband of 56 years, Celly Unrein; son, Gary Unrein; son-in-law, Lyle Knuppel; and three siblings, Severin Suppes, George Suppes and Edward Suppes.Alice is survived by her daughters Sandy Knuppel, Debra (Roger) Sellers and Karen Blockyou; five grandchildren, Shannon (Neil) Bhargava, Stephanie (Luke) Smith, Shelley (Aaron) Black, Melissa (Kevin) Teat, and Emily (Nick) Williams; 10 great grandchildren; one great-great granddaughter; two siblings, Bernadette Urban and Charles (Raeanne) Suppes; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and many dear friends.Mass of Christian Burial was&nbsp;held 11:30AM, on&nbsp;Wednesday, March 27, 2024, with Rosary taking place&nbsp;prior at 11:00AM, at St. Elizabeth Chapel - Catholic Care Center, 6800 E. 45th Street N., Bel Aire, Kansas 67226. Burial followed the service at Lakeview Cemetery, 12100 E. 13th Street N., Wichita, Kansas 67206.&nbsp;Memorial contributions in Alice's memory can be made to Catholic Care Center, 6700 E. 45th Street N., Bel Aire, Kansas 67226 and/or Good Shepherd Hospice, 7829 E. Rockhill Street #403, Wichita, Kansas 67206.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Alice M. Unrein

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent.

Monday’s spectacle was watched by millions in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. It was North America’s biggest eclipse crowd ever, thanks to the densely populated path.

Cloud cover threatened to spoil the view in some places, especially in parts of Texas, but the skies cleared with minutes to spare.

One place that got stuck with clouds: Niagara Falls, New York. Totality arrived to whoops and cheers from spectators at Niagara Falls State Park.

Justin Pape drove 6 hours from York, Pennsylvania, with his family to be in the path. He says “it’s unfortunate it was cloudy" but they still got to see a glimpse of it and it still got dark.

During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes in front of the sun and blocks the sunlight for a few minutes. There won’t be another coast-to-coast spectacle on the continent until 2045.

DALLAS (AP) — Millions across North America witnessed the moon block out the sun during a total solar eclipse Monday.

The eclipse’s path of totality stretched from Mazatlán, Mexico to Newfoundland, an area that crosses 15 U.S. states and is home to 44 million people. Revelers were engulfed in darkness at state parks, on city rooftops and in small towns.

Most of those in North America, but not in the direct path, still witnessed a partial eclipse, with the moon transforming the sun into a fiery crescent.

Totality's first stop on land cast Mazatlán's sparkling beaches into darkness before continuing northeast toward Eagle Pass, Texas, one its first stops in the U.S.

Total solar eclipses happen somewhere around the world every 11 to 18 months, but they don't often cross paths with millions of people. The U.S. last got a taste in 2017, and won’t again see a coast-to-coast spectacle until 2045.

DALLAS – Emergency lights clicked on outside D.A. Hulcy Middle School as the last sliver of the sun disappeared. Students cheered and whooped, sitting on towels and picnic blankets in an adjacent parking lot.

“I’m a new person,” eighth grader Nia Modkins said.

Students and teachers took off their eclipse glasses and pointed at the sky, taking pictures and videos. Once three minutes elapsed, their teachers told them to put their eclipse glasses back on as the sun prepared for its return act.

Once daylight swept over the parking lot again, eighth grader Sky Johnson swiped through her phone, looking for the video she’d taken during totality.

“Two minutes of me screaming, literally,” she said.

MAZATLAN, Mexico – Mazatlan’s sparkling beaches have been cast into darkness as the total solar eclipse reaches its maximum coverage.

Hundreds of gathered faces were illuminated only by the screens of their cellphones as they tried to capture the slightly more than 4 minutes of totality.

Palm trees were silhouetted against a faint glow near the horizon like one of the resort’s famous sunsets, but coming before noon.

Karen Ibarra, of Colombia, is a researcher at Mexico’s National Autonomous University. She came to Mazatlan for the eclipse.

As darkness blanketed the coast she said, “seeing the corona is the best.”

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE REACHES U.S. ON WAY TO CANADA

The moon’s shadow has moved into the U.S. with cloudy skies in store for a part of the total eclipse path from Texas to Maine.

The eclipse cuts through major cities including Dallas; Austin, Texas; Indianapolis; Cleveland; and Niagara Falls, New York.

A total solar eclipse has begun. Totality will last up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds in certain spots.

The eclipse is crossing North America, darkening skies along a path through Mexico, the United States and Canada.

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BEGINS IN NORTH AMERICA OVER MEXICO

A total solar eclipse has reached North America over Mexico as throngs gather along the country’s Pacific coast.

It’ll race toward United States and eastern Canada before exiting into the Atlantic.

MESQUITE, Texas – City officials cheered as the thick clouds parted in early afternoon and the sun peeked out, with the moon already taking a bite out of it.

“We special ordered the sun this morning,” said downtown development manager Beverly Abell.

Hundreds gathered at Front Street Station for the outdoor watch party, many pulling out their eclipse glasses to watch the moon’s bite grow ever bigger.

At the Fort Worth Zoo, clouds occasionally moved over as the eclipse started. Zoo patrons stopped along the paths to take it in.

Todd Beeby, 34, drove up with friends from Houston. He said that even with some clouds moving over, the viewing was good.

CHEERS IN MEXICO AS MOON BEGINS PASSING OVER SUN

MAZATLAN, Mexico – Cheers broke out along the beach in this resort city as the moon began to pass over the sun.

Hundreds in a beachside park had passed the waiting time by readying their equipment and listening to a youth orchestra play Star Wars songs while a large screen projected images of Princess Leia behind them.

Luz Elena Aguillón de la O sat in the grass with a group of 14 family and friends who had gathered from Mexico City, Guanajuato and right here in Mazatlan to take in the spectacle.

BIDEN ENCOURAGES AMERICANS TO WEAR EYE PROTECTION

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden posted&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1777355754791432285">a brief video on X</a>&nbsp;to encourage Americans to wear eye protection when viewing the eclipse – in a subtle dig at his predecessor and 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump.

“Folks, enjoy the eclipse, but play it safe, don’t be silly,” Biden said in a video showing him donning eclipse glasses and looking skyward from the balcony outside the Blue Room of the White House.

That’s the spot where Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-41201f59ceb84f53910ede1f77007bee">glanced up toward the sun</a>&nbsp;without eye protection in 2017.

Biden is traveling to Wisconsin, which, like Washington, will experience a partial eclipse on Monday.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had no details to share on whether Biden would view the phenomenon.

The moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun in a total eclipse over the South Pacific.

Over the next few hours, it will sweep across North America, entering Mexico, cutting diagonally from Texas to Maine, before exiting over eastern Canada into the Atlantic.

PARTIAL ECLIPSE BEGINS OVER SOUTH PACIFIC

The moon has started to cover up the sun as a partial eclipse begins over the South Pacific. Millions along a narrow corridor in North America from Mexico’s Pacific coast to eastern Canada hope for clouds to clear as they eagerly wait for totality to reach their location.

MEXICAN BEACH TOWN IS FIRST IN LINE FOR TOTALITY

MAZATLAN, Mexico – Valeria Rosas says her four kids had been so excited by an October partial solar eclipse that passed over southeast Mexico, that she decided to come to this Pacific coast beach city for Monday's total eclipse.

The 32-year-old drove eight hours from Leon, Guanajuato, with 10 friends and relatives.

They joined hundreds of others in a beachside park under blue skies streaked with wispy clouds. It’s the first part of North America that will get to see the total eclipse.

Rosas’ mother, Carmen Loza Rodríguez, recalled that Rosas was a baby when Mexico last saw a total solar eclipse in 1991.

“How cool that we have the opportunity to experience it in this digital age, that we can share it with the world,” Rosas said.

NIAGARA FALLS, New York — The main attraction at Niagara Falls is typically the more than 750,000 gallons of water that rush over the brink every second. On Monday, it was the eclipse.

Tourists streamed into Niagara Falls State Park with wagons, strollers, coolers and chairs. Photographers’ tripods lined a railing under cloudy skies.

Synthia Nguyen and Jen Cerna from Washington, D.C., claimed a prime lawn spot along the rapids, arriving at 6 a.m. with chairs, a blanket and a tent — that they were quickly asked to take down.

They were excited that totality would last a few minutes, long enough for it to sink in.

The pair work in an ophthalmology office.

“We’re expecting a lot of calls tomorrow,” Cerna said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712085263547.png" alt="Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712604323366.png" alt="Image courtesy the NASA eclipse broadcast" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy the NASA eclipse broadcast</figcaption>
 </figure>Monday’s spectacle was watched by millions in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. It was North America’s biggest eclipse crowd ever, thanks to the densely populated path.Cloud cover threatened to spoil the view in some places, especially in parts of Texas, but the skies cleared with minutes to spare.One place that got stuck with clouds: Niagara Falls, New York. Totality arrived to whoops and cheers from spectators at Niagara Falls State Park.Justin Pape drove 6 hours from York, Pennsylvania, with his family to be in the path. He says “it’s unfortunate it was cloudy" but they still got to see a glimpse of it and it still got dark.During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes in front of the sun and blocks the sunlight for a few minutes. There won’t be another coast-to-coast spectacle on the continent until 2045.DALLAS (AP) — Millions across North America witnessed the moon block out the sun during a total solar eclipse Monday.The eclipse’s path of totality stretched from Mazatlán, Mexico to Newfoundland, an area that crosses 15 U.S. states and is home to 44 million people. Revelers were engulfed in darkness at state parks, on city rooftops and in small towns.Most of those in North America, but not in the direct path, still witnessed a partial eclipse, with the moon transforming the sun into a fiery crescent.Totality's first stop on land cast Mazatlán's sparkling beaches into darkness before continuing northeast toward Eagle Pass, Texas, one its first stops in the U.S.Total solar eclipses happen somewhere around the world every 11 to 18 months, but they don't often cross paths with millions of people. The U.S. last got a taste in 2017, and won’t again see a coast-to-coast spectacle until 2045.Here's the latest:DALLAS STUDENTS ELATED BY ECLIPSEDALLAS – Emergency lights clicked on outside D.A. Hulcy Middle School as the last sliver of the sun disappeared. Students cheered and whooped, sitting on towels and picnic blankets in an adjacent parking lot.“I’m a new person,” eighth grader Nia Modkins said.Students and teachers took off their eclipse glasses and pointed at the sky, taking pictures and videos. Once three minutes elapsed, their teachers told them to put their eclipse glasses back on as the sun prepared for its return act.Once daylight swept over the parking lot again, eighth grader Sky Johnson swiped through her phone, looking for the video she’d taken during totality.“Two minutes of me screaming, literally,” she said.By Adithi Ramakrishnan___BEACHES GROW DARK IN MEXICOMAZATLAN, Mexico – Mazatlan’s sparkling beaches have been cast into darkness as the total solar eclipse reaches its maximum coverage.Hundreds of gathered faces were illuminated only by the screens of their cellphones as they tried to capture the slightly more than 4 minutes of totality.Palm trees were silhouetted against a faint glow near the horizon like one of the resort’s famous sunsets, but coming before noon.Karen Ibarra, of Colombia, is a researcher at Mexico’s National Autonomous University. She came to Mazatlan for the eclipse.As darkness blanketed the coast she said, “seeing the corona is the best.”___TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE REACHES U.S. ON WAY TO CANADAThe moon’s shadow has moved into the U.S. with cloudy skies in store for a part of the total eclipse path from Texas to Maine.The eclipse cuts through major cities including Dallas; Austin, Texas; Indianapolis; Cleveland; and Niagara Falls, New York.___A total solar eclipse has begun. Totality will last up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds in certain spots.The eclipse is crossing North America, darkening skies along a path through Mexico, the United States and Canada.Here's the latest:TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BEGINS IN NORTH AMERICA OVER MEXICOA total solar eclipse has reached North America over Mexico as throngs gather along the country’s Pacific coast.It’ll race toward United States and eastern Canada before exiting into the Atlantic.___TEXANS THANKFUL FOR BREAKS IN CLOUDSMESQUITE, Texas – City officials cheered as the thick clouds parted in early afternoon and the sun peeked out, with the moon already taking a bite out of it.“We special ordered the sun this morning,” said downtown development manager Beverly Abell.Hundreds gathered at Front Street Station for the outdoor watch party, many pulling out their eclipse glasses to watch the moon’s bite grow ever bigger.At the Fort Worth Zoo, clouds occasionally moved over as the eclipse started. Zoo patrons stopped along the paths to take it in.Todd Beeby, 34, drove up with friends from Houston. He said that even with some clouds moving over, the viewing was good.CHEERS IN MEXICO AS MOON BEGINS PASSING OVER SUNMAZATLAN, Mexico – Cheers broke out along the beach in this resort city as the moon began to pass over the sun.Hundreds in a beachside park had passed the waiting time by readying their equipment and listening to a youth orchestra play Star Wars songs while a large screen projected images of Princess Leia behind them.Luz Elena Aguillón de la O sat in the grass with a group of 14 family and friends who had gathered from Mexico City, Guanajuato and right here in Mazatlan to take in the spectacle.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">An eclipse is worth marveling at. But don&#39;t be silly, folks – play it safe and wear protective eyewear. <a href="https://t.co/S6REAiZ735">pic.twitter.com/S6REAiZ735</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1777355754791432285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>BIDEN ENCOURAGES AMERICANS TO WEAR EYE PROTECTIONWASHINGTON – President Joe Biden posted&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1777355754791432285">a brief video on X</a>&nbsp;to encourage Americans to wear eye protection when viewing the eclipse – in a subtle dig at his predecessor and 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump.“Folks, enjoy the eclipse, but play it safe, don’t be silly,” Biden said in a video showing him donning eclipse glasses and looking skyward from the balcony outside the Blue Room of the White House.That’s the spot where Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-41201f59ceb84f53910ede1f77007bee">glanced up toward the sun</a>&nbsp;without eye protection in 2017.Biden is traveling to Wisconsin, which, like Washington, will experience a partial eclipse on Monday.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had no details to share on whether Biden would view the phenomenon.___TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BEGINS OVER PACIFICThe moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun in a total eclipse over the South Pacific.Over the next few hours, it will sweep across North America, entering Mexico, cutting diagonally from Texas to Maine, before exiting over eastern Canada into the Atlantic.PARTIAL ECLIPSE BEGINS OVER SOUTH PACIFICThe moon has started to cover up the sun as a partial eclipse begins over the South Pacific. Millions along a narrow corridor in North America from Mexico’s Pacific coast to eastern Canada hope for clouds to clear as they eagerly wait for totality to reach their location.___MEXICAN BEACH TOWN IS FIRST IN LINE FOR TOTALITYMAZATLAN, Mexico – Valeria Rosas says her four kids had been so excited by an October partial solar eclipse that passed over southeast Mexico, that she decided to come to this Pacific coast beach city for Monday's total eclipse.The 32-year-old drove eight hours from Leon, Guanajuato, with 10 friends and relatives.They joined hundreds of others in a beachside park under blue skies streaked with wispy clouds. It’s the first part of North America that will get to see the total eclipse.Rosas’ mother, Carmen Loza Rodríguez, recalled that Rosas was a baby when Mexico last saw a total solar eclipse in 1991.“How cool that we have the opportunity to experience it in this digital age, that we can share it with the world,” Rosas said.___SPECTATORS ARRIVE EARLY AT NIAGARA FALLSNIAGARA FALLS, New York — The main attraction at Niagara Falls is typically the more than 750,000 gallons of water that rush over the brink every second. On Monday, it was the eclipse.Tourists streamed into Niagara Falls State Park with wagons, strollers, coolers and chairs. Photographers’ tripods lined a railing under cloudy skies.Synthia Nguyen and Jen Cerna from Washington, D.C., claimed a prime lawn spot along the rapids, arriving at 6 a.m. with chairs, a blanket and a tent — that they were quickly asked to take down.They were excited that totality would last a few minutes, long enough for it to sink in.The pair work in an ophthalmology office.“We’re expecting a lot of calls tomorrow,” Cerna said.

The Latest: Total solar eclipse sweeps across North America

WASHINGTON — Many U.S. taxpayers in a dozen states for the first time can electronically file their federal returns directly to the Internal Revenue Service for free — but critics insist the new federal benefit is not needed and will even harm both users and states.

More than 50,000 taxpayers in Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming have so far used the new online IRS Direct File program this tax season, according to the agency.

The free alternative to potentially costly private tax filing software rolled out in mid-March for the 2023 filing season. It is only available for those with W-2 income or simple credits and deductions, like the child tax credit or student loan interest.

The IRS estimates that 19 million taxpayers are eligible to use the new program in advance of the April 15 tax filing deadline.

But opponents argue the government Direct File program is a waste of resources and will snag business from professional tax preparers. They say it will confuse taxpayers who are accustomed to automatically filing their federal and state returns together through private software.

Some states also claim it will cost them revenue and increase what they have to spend on collections from taxpayers who owe money to their states.

The IRS program is purposefully small for now. The agency said in a launch-day release that it’s following “best practices for launching a new technology platform by starting small, making sure it works and then building from there.”

The pilot program “is almost tailor-made for students and young people with simple tax situations,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/commissioner-danny-werfel-1-year-anniversary-speech-the-future-irs-transforming-for-a-digital-world">said</a>&nbsp;in late March, encouraging people to visit the new&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://directfile.irs.gov/">directfile.irs.gov</a>.

The White House is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1772669844615213260?s=20">celebrating</a>&nbsp;the launch as a win for President Joe Biden, who in 2022 along with a Democratic-led Congress authorized its funding to jumpstart the program as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

The progressive Economic Security Project&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://economicsecurityproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Full-Report_-The-Impact-of-Direct-File-by-the-Numbers.pdf">estimates</a>&nbsp;that if the program scales up, it could eventually save the average taxpayer up to $160 annually in tax prep costs. Assuming broad public adoption, that could add up to Americans saving $11 billion a year in filing fees and time.

The organization also estimates low-income households could gain up to $12 billion in unclaimed federal tax credits, and that the IRS would see a return on investment of more than $100 per federal dollar spent on the program due to less paperwork and fewer errors.

Roxy Caines, director of the Get It Back campaign, said Direct File could increase tax participation, particularly for low-income households.

“Having an accessible way to file taxes is really important because of the high cost of tax preparation as well as the arduous process. It’s often viewed as intimidating,” said Caines, who runs the financial literacy and tax credit advocacy campaign by the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

When Werfel appeared in February before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, Republican Chair Jason Smith of Missouri&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/event/hearing-with-commissioner-of-the-internal-revenue-service-daniel-werfel/">described</a>&nbsp;the program as a “scheme the American people didn’t ask for.”

In January, 13 Republican attorneys general sent a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dojmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/IRS-Direct-File-Letter-Final.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen opposing “the unnecessary and unconstitutional efforts to empower the Internal Revenue Service with the expansive authority to prepare and file tax returns for all taxpayers.”

“American taxpayers do not want to invite the proverbial fox into the hen house,” wrote the officials, led by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen.

Attorneys general from Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia co-signed it.

The officials wrote that a program for taxpayers to directly file with the IRS at no cost “needlessly threatens” the livelihoods of tax preparers.

“Every year, tens of millions of taxpayers file their taxes for free with help from existing programs or online software. Additionally, millions of Americans work with small businesses in our states to file their taxes at an affordable cost, including both independent tax preparation services and local accountants. They choose to do so because they want an advocate in their corner who will represent their interests against the IRS bureaucracy,” they wrote.

The IRS did not respond to a request for comment about the criticism.

Pete Sepp, president of the National Taxpayers Union, a fiscally conservative organization that advocates for simplifying the tax code, told States Newsroom the project has been “dramatically oversold” and is being piloted in “some very easy places,” including states that don’t collect their own income tax.

Money for the IRS would be better spent on improving customer service, he argues.

“Every single penny they can scrounge up from other places needs to be poured into that effort, right? Now, in our opinion, designing a portal for direct file that is underpowered and is competing with other services is just not a priority,” he said, referring to the 22-year “Free File” arrangement the IRS has had with select private companies.

Today, the vast majority of taxpayers file electronically,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-fiscal-year-2022-data-book-describing-agencys-activities">according</a>&nbsp;to IRS data. Of the 160 million individual federal tax returns that the IRS processed in 2022, 150.6 million, or 94%, were e-filed. Of those, just under 3.3 million used what’s been criticized as an opaque and complicated electronic Free File program.

Free File dates back to the early 2000s, when the idea of e-filing was just budding, and the government had no such program in place.

President George W. Bush’s administration was exploring the possibility of a free direct file portal through the IRS website.

At the time the agency was struggling after failed modernization efforts, and a public-private partnership with the burgeoning tax preparation software companies became an appealing option.

“The tax companies just said, ‘Well, we got a deal for you,’” recalls Nina Olson, who served as the National Taxpayer Advocate for the IRS from 2001 to 2019.

“And at that time, I was very suspect of the deal. I said at the time that they’re going to find themselves in 20 years, that you know, tax companies would pull out and you would have a patchwork of services available to people,” Olson, who now runs the nonprofit Center for Taxpayer Rights, said in an interview with States Newsroom.

What began in 2002 was an agreement between the IRS and a group of&nbsp; private tax prep software companies, under the name Free File Alliance, to offer free federal tax returns to those under a certain income threshold. In 2023, that annual earnings threshold was $79,000 or less.

Taxpayers who earn above that income threshold have the option to complete their federal returns for free, unguided, using fillable PDF tax forms.

The just over two-decade-old program has been scrutinized for not reaching the taxpayers who most need a free filing option and for not providing a better user experience.

A 2019 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/6768599/TIGTA-Free-File-audit.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;described the program as “fraught with complexity and confusion.”

The inspector general found that in 2018 only 2.5 million of the 104 million taxpayers eligible for Free File actually used it.

About 34.5 million of those Free File-eligible taxpayers used one of the alliance companies’ commercial software options, and a likely 14 million of them paid to e-file their federal returns, the report found.

The low number of Free File users likely was because an estimated 9 million eligible taxpayers were unaware that they had to access the Free File software options via the IRS website.

Those who, for example, searched the web and found one of the IRS partner companies’ websites were “not guaranteed a free return filing,” and subsequently susceptible to advertising for potentially costly add-ons like “audit defense,” the report found.

Investigative reporting in 2019 by ProPublica&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free">revealed</a>&nbsp;deliberate tactics to cloud the Free File program by Intuit, maker of TurboTax, one of the Free File Alliance’s largest partners.

Terms between the IRS and Free File Alliance initially included a commitment from the agency to not develop its own free online filing program. In exchange, the partner companies agreed to limit advertising and add-on solicitation on their free file web pages.

In 2019 the IRS&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-reforms-free-file-program-drops-agreement-not-to-compete-with-turbotax">dropped</a>&nbsp;the prohibition on developing its own program. Limits on company marketing and solicitation for add-on products continued as part of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-efile/ninth-memorandum-of-understanding-on-service-standards-and-disputes.pdf">agreement</a>&nbsp;— though Intuit would eventually have to pay for breaking its commitment.

H&amp;R Block and Intuit respectively left the Free File Alliance in 2020 and 2021. Together they served about 70% of eligible Free File taxpayers in 2019, according to a 2022 Government Accountability Office&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-105236#summary_recommend">report</a>&nbsp;that recommended the IRS develop additional options for taxpayers to file for free.

Acknowledging the opposing viewpoints on whether the IRS should create, or could handle, its own program, the report concluded the agency “should work to manage the risk of taxpayers having fewer options to electronically file their federal taxes for free.”

In 2022, Intuit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.agturbotaxsettlement.com/Portals/0/Document%20Files/Final%20AVC.pdf?ver=ktHm0t4iOO2k2RruoESSLA%3d%3d">settled</a>&nbsp;with attorneys general from across the U.S., agreeing to pay $141 million to Intuit TurboTax customers who ended up buying services that should have been free to them.

Today there are eight companies in the Free File Alliance, with differing income and tax situation criteria. All are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/browse-all-offers/">listed</a>&nbsp;on the IRS website.

Olson said she doesn’t view the IRS Direct File pilot as a competitor to the already existing Free File partnership. Rather, it’s “one more component of a robust tax online taxpayer account,” she said.

“This is what countries do around the world. We’re so far behind,” Olson said. “There’s a response to folks who say ‘The government doesn’t need to do this’ or ‘There’s no interest in this product.’ Regardless of whether there’s interest in the product, it’s a government obligation.”

Among the tens of billions of dollars Congress authorized for the IRS in the Inflation Reduction Act, $15 million was earmarked for exploring the possibility of an IRS-run direct federal tax filing system.

Specifically Congress mandated the agency to use the money to survey taxpayers’ wants and needs, obtain a third-party opinion, and report back to lawmakers on the costs to create and run such a program.

In its third-party&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://d1y8sb8igg2f8e.cloudfront.net/documents/Independent-Third-Party-Report-to-Congress-508c.pdf">review</a>, the left-leaning think tank New America assessed that a successful IRS-run Direct File program “depends critically” on whether the agency prioritizes the project and begins with limited testing before building up.

The organization estimated that development, staffing, infrastructure and customer service for a scaled-up platform would cost the IRS annually anywhere from $22 million to $47 million if 1 million taxpayers use a Direct File program, and up to $126 million to $213 million in the event that 25 million taxpayers jump on board.

New America also recommended the IRS consider the importance of customer service, data privacy and taxpayers’ habits of filing federal and state returns all on one platform — one of the main concerns from critics.

Ayushi Roy, deputy director of New America’s New Practice Lab, which led the review, told States Newsroom she’s been talking to taxpayers using the Direct File pilot and “broadly speaking, we’re finding that filers are really landing on either ‘Wow,’ or ‘it didn’t include me for now.’”

The group will conduct its own analysis of the IRS trial run, particularly focusing on the experience for Spanish-speaking filers.

As for taxpayer interest, the IRS&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5788.pdf">found</a>&nbsp;that 72% of survey respondents said they were “very interested” or “somewhat interested” in a free IRS-provided tool to prepare and file federal taxes.

The survey conducted in 2022 by MITRE, a nonprofit that runs federally funded research and development centers, also found that a top reason cited by 46% of those interested is that they would rather give their financial data to the IRS than to a third party.

An October 2023&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tigta.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2023-10/2024408002fr.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration took issue with the design of the survey, warning that the interest level may be “overstated” because the survey did not include a “neutral” option for respondents to choose.

However, the largely Democrat- and progressive-aligned international polling firm GQR&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://betterirs.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/283/Better-IRS_Direct-File-State-Polling-Memos.pdf">found</a>&nbsp;in late January through early February that between 92% and 95% of taxpayers across political ideologies and income levels in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New York and Texas support a free online IRS filing service.

Several state governments already offer free public electronic filing for state income tax returns, including&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/individual-corporate/individual-income-tax-electronic-filing-options/">Alabama</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/iiwebfile.html">Kansas</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revenue.ky.gov/Individual/Pages/Free-Electronic-Filing.aspx">Kentucky</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.revenue.pa.gov/OnlineServices/mypath/Individuals/Pages/PIT.aspx">Pennsylvania</a>, which offer the service regardless of income level. Some states, like&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/ways-to-file/online/calfile/calfile-qualifications.html">California</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tax.iowa.gov/individual-income-tax-electronic-filing-options">Iowa</a>, have income thresholds for free filing.

Despite the adoption of free public filing in some states, 21 state auditors, comptrollers and treasurers from 18 states sent a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://myfloridacfo.com/docs-sf/cfo-news-libraries/news-documents/2024/irs-direct-file-letter.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;on March 25 to Yellen and Werfel expressing concern about the “serious harm” the IRS Direct File program will cause and urging them to “shut down” the service.

“Taxpayers are not the only parties who will suffer from Direct File. States will suffer too. States will lose out on payments from Direct File taxpayers who owe state taxes but incorrectly assume that Direct File covers federal and state filings.

“States will then have to increase resources dedicated to collection efforts,” wrote the officials from Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

According to the Treasury Department, taxpayers using the IRS Direct File pilot in Arizona, California, Massachusetts or New York are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/inflation-reduction-act/irs-direct-file-service">automatically directed</a>&nbsp;to their state-supported tax filing websites. Those in Washington are sent to that state’s page to claim the Working Families Tax Credit.

The IRS could not provide a more specific figure of how many taxpayers have so far used Direct File, and its latest estimate stands at 50,000. Advocates say they expect to learn updated numbers as soon as a week after federal taxes are due on April 15.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644341985746.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — Many U.S. taxpayers in a dozen states for the first time can electronically file their federal returns directly to the Internal Revenue Service for free — but critics insist the new federal benefit is not needed and will even harm both users and states.More than 50,000 taxpayers in Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming have so far used the new online IRS Direct File program this tax season, according to the agency.The free alternative to potentially costly private tax filing software rolled out in mid-March for the 2023 filing season. It is only available for those with W-2 income or simple credits and deductions, like the child tax credit or student loan interest.The IRS estimates that 19 million taxpayers are eligible to use the new program in advance of the April 15 tax filing deadline.But opponents argue the government Direct File program is a waste of resources and will snag business from professional tax preparers. They say it will confuse taxpayers who are accustomed to automatically filing their federal and state returns together through private software.Some states also claim it will cost them revenue and increase what they have to spend on collections from taxpayers who owe money to their states.The IRS program is purposefully small for now. The agency said in a launch-day release that it’s following “best practices for launching a new technology platform by starting small, making sure it works and then building from there.”The pilot program “is almost tailor-made for students and young people with simple tax situations,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/commissioner-danny-werfel-1-year-anniversary-speech-the-future-irs-transforming-for-a-digital-world">said</a>&nbsp;in late March, encouraging people to visit the new&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://directfile.irs.gov/">directfile.irs.gov</a>.The White House is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1772669844615213260?s=20">celebrating</a>&nbsp;the launch as a win for President Joe Biden, who in 2022 along with a Democratic-led Congress authorized its funding to jumpstart the program as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.The progressive Economic Security Project&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://economicsecurityproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Full-Report_-The-Impact-of-Direct-File-by-the-Numbers.pdf">estimates</a>&nbsp;that if the program scales up, it could eventually save the average taxpayer up to $160 annually in tax prep costs. Assuming broad public adoption, that could add up to Americans saving $11 billion a year in filing fees and time.The organization also estimates low-income households could gain up to $12 billion in unclaimed federal tax credits, and that the IRS would see a return on investment of more than $100 per federal dollar spent on the program due to less paperwork and fewer errors.Roxy Caines, director of the Get It Back campaign, said Direct File could increase tax participation, particularly for low-income households.“Having an accessible way to file taxes is really important because of the high cost of tax preparation as well as the arduous process. It’s often viewed as intimidating,” said Caines, who runs the financial literacy and tax credit advocacy campaign by the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.<h2>‘Unnecessary and unconstitutional’</h2>But not everyone is on board.When Werfel appeared in February before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, Republican Chair Jason Smith of Missouri&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/event/hearing-with-commissioner-of-the-internal-revenue-service-daniel-werfel/">described</a>&nbsp;the program as a “scheme the American people didn’t ask for.”In January, 13 Republican attorneys general sent a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dojmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/IRS-Direct-File-Letter-Final.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen opposing “the unnecessary and unconstitutional efforts to empower the Internal Revenue Service with the expansive authority to prepare and file tax returns for all taxpayers.”“American taxpayers do not want to invite the proverbial fox into the hen house,” wrote the officials, led by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen.Attorneys general from Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia co-signed it.The officials wrote that a program for taxpayers to directly file with the IRS at no cost “needlessly threatens” the livelihoods of tax preparers.“Every year, tens of millions of taxpayers file their taxes for free with help from existing programs or online software. Additionally, millions of Americans work with small businesses in our states to file their taxes at an affordable cost, including both independent tax preparation services and local accountants. They choose to do so because they want an advocate in their corner who will represent their interests against the IRS bureaucracy,” they wrote.The IRS did not respond to a request for comment about the criticism.Pete Sepp, president of the National Taxpayers Union, a fiscally conservative organization that advocates for simplifying the tax code, told States Newsroom the project has been “dramatically oversold” and is being piloted in “some very easy places,” including states that don’t collect their own income tax.Money for the IRS would be better spent on improving customer service, he argues.“Every single penny they can scrounge up from other places needs to be poured into that effort, right? Now, in our opinion, designing a portal for direct file that is underpowered and is competing with other services is just not a priority,” he said, referring to the 22-year “Free File” arrangement the IRS has had with select private companies.<h2>So what about Free File?</h2>Today, the vast majority of taxpayers file electronically,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-fiscal-year-2022-data-book-describing-agencys-activities">according</a>&nbsp;to IRS data. Of the 160 million individual federal tax returns that the IRS processed in 2022, 150.6 million, or 94%, were e-filed. Of those, just under 3.3 million used what’s been criticized as an opaque and complicated electronic Free File program.Free File dates back to the early 2000s, when the idea of e-filing was just budding, and the government had no such program in place.President George W. Bush’s administration was exploring the possibility of a free direct file portal through the IRS website.At the time the agency was struggling after failed modernization efforts, and a public-private partnership with the burgeoning tax preparation software companies became an appealing option.“The tax companies just said, ‘Well, we got a deal for you,’” recalls Nina Olson, who served as the National Taxpayer Advocate for the IRS from 2001 to 2019.“And at that time, I was very suspect of the deal. I said at the time that they’re going to find themselves in 20 years, that you know, tax companies would pull out and you would have a patchwork of services available to people,” Olson, who now runs the nonprofit Center for Taxpayer Rights, said in an interview with States Newsroom.What began in 2002 was an agreement between the IRS and a group of&nbsp; private tax prep software companies, under the name Free File Alliance, to offer free federal tax returns to those under a certain income threshold. In 2023, that annual earnings threshold was $79,000 or less.Taxpayers who earn above that income threshold have the option to complete their federal returns for free, unguided, using fillable PDF tax forms.The just over two-decade-old program has been scrutinized for not reaching the taxpayers who most need a free filing option and for not providing a better user experience.A 2019 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/6768599/TIGTA-Free-File-audit.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;described the program as “fraught with complexity and confusion.”The inspector general found that in 2018 only 2.5 million of the 104 million taxpayers eligible for Free File actually used it.About 34.5 million of those Free File-eligible taxpayers used one of the alliance companies’ commercial software options, and a likely 14 million of them paid to e-file their federal returns, the report found.The low number of Free File users likely was because an estimated 9 million eligible taxpayers were unaware that they had to access the Free File software options via the IRS website.Those who, for example, searched the web and found one of the IRS partner companies’ websites were “not guaranteed a free return filing,” and subsequently susceptible to advertising for potentially costly add-ons like “audit defense,” the report found.Investigative reporting in 2019 by ProPublica&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free">revealed</a>&nbsp;deliberate tactics to cloud the Free File program by Intuit, maker of TurboTax, one of the Free File Alliance’s largest partners.Terms between the IRS and Free File Alliance initially included a commitment from the agency to not develop its own free online filing program. In exchange, the partner companies agreed to limit advertising and add-on solicitation on their free file web pages.In 2019 the IRS&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-reforms-free-file-program-drops-agreement-not-to-compete-with-turbotax">dropped</a>&nbsp;the prohibition on developing its own program. Limits on company marketing and solicitation for add-on products continued as part of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-efile/ninth-memorandum-of-understanding-on-service-standards-and-disputes.pdf">agreement</a>&nbsp;— though Intuit would eventually have to pay for breaking its commitment.H&amp;R Block and Intuit respectively left the Free File Alliance in 2020 and 2021. Together they served about 70% of eligible Free File taxpayers in 2019, according to a 2022 Government Accountability Office&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-105236#summary_recommend">report</a>&nbsp;that recommended the IRS develop additional options for taxpayers to file for free.Acknowledging the opposing viewpoints on whether the IRS should create, or could handle, its own program, the report concluded the agency “should work to manage the risk of taxpayers having fewer options to electronically file their federal taxes for free.”In 2022, Intuit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.agturbotaxsettlement.com/Portals/0/Document%20Files/Final%20AVC.pdf?ver=ktHm0t4iOO2k2RruoESSLA%3d%3d">settled</a>&nbsp;with attorneys general from across the U.S., agreeing to pay $141 million to Intuit TurboTax customers who ended up buying services that should have been free to them.Today there are eight companies in the Free File Alliance, with differing income and tax situation criteria. All are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/browse-all-offers/">listed</a>&nbsp;on the IRS website.Olson said she doesn’t view the IRS Direct File pilot as a competitor to the already existing Free File partnership. Rather, it’s “one more component of a robust tax online taxpayer account,” she said.“This is what countries do around the world. We’re so far behind,” Olson said. “There’s a response to folks who say ‘The government doesn’t need to do this’ or ‘There’s no interest in this product.’ Regardless of whether there’s interest in the product, it’s a government obligation.”<h2>Congressional mandate</h2>Among the tens of billions of dollars Congress authorized for the IRS in the Inflation Reduction Act, $15 million was earmarked for exploring the possibility of an IRS-run direct federal tax filing system.Specifically Congress mandated the agency to use the money to survey taxpayers’ wants and needs, obtain a third-party opinion, and report back to lawmakers on the costs to create and run such a program.In its third-party&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://d1y8sb8igg2f8e.cloudfront.net/documents/Independent-Third-Party-Report-to-Congress-508c.pdf">review</a>, the left-leaning think tank New America assessed that a successful IRS-run Direct File program “depends critically” on whether the agency prioritizes the project and begins with limited testing before building up.The organization estimated that development, staffing, infrastructure and customer service for a scaled-up platform would cost the IRS annually anywhere from $22 million to $47 million if 1 million taxpayers use a Direct File program, and up to $126 million to $213 million in the event that 25 million taxpayers jump on board.New America also recommended the IRS consider the importance of customer service, data privacy and taxpayers’ habits of filing federal and state returns all on one platform — one of the main concerns from critics.Ayushi Roy, deputy director of New America’s New Practice Lab, which led the review, told States Newsroom she’s been talking to taxpayers using the Direct File pilot and “broadly speaking, we’re finding that filers are really landing on either ‘Wow,’ or ‘it didn’t include me for now.’”The group will conduct its own analysis of the IRS trial run, particularly focusing on the experience for Spanish-speaking filers.As for taxpayer interest, the IRS&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5788.pdf">found</a>&nbsp;that 72% of survey respondents said they were “very interested” or “somewhat interested” in a free IRS-provided tool to prepare and file federal taxes.The survey conducted in 2022 by MITRE, a nonprofit that runs federally funded research and development centers, also found that a top reason cited by 46% of those interested is that they would rather give their financial data to the IRS than to a third party.An October 2023&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tigta.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2023-10/2024408002fr.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration took issue with the design of the survey, warning that the interest level may be “overstated” because the survey did not include a “neutral” option for respondents to choose.However, the largely Democrat- and progressive-aligned international polling firm GQR&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://betterirs.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/283/Better-IRS_Direct-File-State-Polling-Memos.pdf">found</a>&nbsp;in late January through early February that between 92% and 95% of taxpayers across political ideologies and income levels in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New York and Texas support a free online IRS filing service.Several state governments already offer free public electronic filing for state income tax returns, including&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/individual-corporate/individual-income-tax-electronic-filing-options/">Alabama</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/iiwebfile.html">Kansas</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revenue.ky.gov/Individual/Pages/Free-Electronic-Filing.aspx">Kentucky</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.revenue.pa.gov/OnlineServices/mypath/Individuals/Pages/PIT.aspx">Pennsylvania</a>, which offer the service regardless of income level. Some states, like&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/ways-to-file/online/calfile/calfile-qualifications.html">California</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tax.iowa.gov/individual-income-tax-electronic-filing-options">Iowa</a>, have income thresholds for free filing.States bite backDespite the adoption of free public filing in some states, 21 state auditors, comptrollers and treasurers from 18 states sent a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://myfloridacfo.com/docs-sf/cfo-news-libraries/news-documents/2024/irs-direct-file-letter.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;on March 25 to Yellen and Werfel expressing concern about the “serious harm” the IRS Direct File program will cause and urging them to “shut down” the service.“Taxpayers are not the only parties who will suffer from Direct File. States will suffer too. States will lose out on payments from Direct File taxpayers who owe state taxes but incorrectly assume that Direct File covers federal and state filings.“States will then have to increase resources dedicated to collection efforts,” wrote the officials from Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.According to the Treasury Department, taxpayers using the IRS Direct File pilot in Arizona, California, Massachusetts or New York are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/inflation-reduction-act/irs-direct-file-service">automatically directed</a>&nbsp;to their state-supported tax filing websites. Those in Washington are sent to that state’s page to claim the Working Families Tax Credit.The IRS could not provide a more specific figure of how many taxpayers have so far used Direct File, and its latest estimate stands at 50,000. Advocates say they expect to learn updated numbers as soon as a week after federal taxes are due on April 15.

IRS is testing a free method to directly file taxes. But not everyone is thrilled

WASHINGTON (AP) — Shortly after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">airstrike widely attributed to Israel destroyed an Iranian consulate building in Syria</a>, the United States had an urgent message for Iran: We had nothing to do with it.

But that may not be enough for the U.S. to avoid retaliation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">targeting its forces in the region.</a>&nbsp;A top U.S. commander warned on Wednesday of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-attacks-ships-red-sea-7b86941c985a934281c68d6624baff1b">danger to American troops.</a>

And if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent broadening of targeted strikes on adversaries around the region to include Iranian security operatives and leaders deepens regional hostilities, analysts say, it's not clear the United States can avoid being pulled into deeper regional conflict as well.

The Biden administration insists it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike Monday. But the United States is closely tied to Israel's military regardless. The U.S. remains Israel’s indispensable ally and unstinting supplier of weapons, responsible for some 70% of Israeli weapon imports and an estimated 15% of Israel's defense budget. That includes providing the kind of advanced aircraft and munitions that appear to have been employed in the attack.

Israel hasn’t acknowledged a role in the airstrike, but Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Tuesday that the U.S. has assessed Israel was responsible.

Multiple arms of Iran's government served notice that they would hold the United States accountable for the fiery attack. The strike, in the Syrian capital of Damascus, killed senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for Syria and Lebanon, an officer of the powerful Iran-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, and others.

American forces in Syria and Iraq already are frequent targets when Iran and its regional allies seek retaliation for strikes by Israelis, notes Charles Lister, the Syria program director for the Middle East Institute.

“What the Iranians have always done for years when they have felt most aggressively targeted by Israel is not to hit back at Israelis, but Americans,” seeing them as soft targets in the region, Lister said.

On Wednesday in Washington, the top U.S. Air Force commander for the Middle East, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said Iran’s assertion that the U.S. bears responsibility for Israeli actions could bring an end to a pause in militia attacks on U.S. forces that has lasted since early February.

He said he sees no specific threat to U.S. troops right now, but “I am concerned because of the Iranian rhetoric talking about the U.S., that there could be a risk to our forces."

U.S. officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on U.S. forces at bases in those countries since war between Hamas and Israel began on Oct. 7.

One, in late January, killed three U.S. service members and injured dozens more at a base in Jordan.

In retaliation, the U.S. launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria, including command and control headquarters, drone and ammunition storage sites and other facilities connected to the militias or the IRGC’s Quds Force, the Guard’s expeditionary unit that handles Tehran’s relationship with and arming of regional militias. There have been no publicly reported attacks on U.S. troops in the region since that response.

Grynkewich told reporters the U.S. is watching and listening carefully to what Iran is saying and doing to evaluate how Tehran might respond.

Analysts and diplomats cite a range of ways Iran could retaliate.

Since Oct. 7, Iran and the regional militias allied to it in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen have followed a strategy of calibrated attacks that stop short of triggering an all-out conflict that could subject Iran’s homeland forces or Hezbollah to full-blown war with Israel or the United States.

Beyond strikes on U.S. troops, possibilities for Iranian retaliation could include a limited missile strike directly from Iranian soil to Israel, Lister said. That would reciprocate for Israel's strike on what under international law was sovereign Iranian soil, at the Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus.

A concentrated attack on a U.S. position abroad on the scale of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-marines-bombing-beirut-1983-hezbollah-israel-hamas-iran-34f61ac47909c52de800dd35b375e782">1983 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut</a>&nbsp;is possible, but seems unlikely given the scale of U.S. retaliation that would draw, analysts say. Iran also could escalate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-sanctions-treasury-terrorism-bolton-soleimani-rushdie-a3b96b9008b0f4d64c8279717d1f4dea">an existing effort to kill Trump-era officials</a>&nbsp;behind the United States' 2020 drone killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

How far any other retaliation and potential escalation goes may depend on two things out of U.S. control: Whether Iran wants to keep regional hostilities at their current level or escalate, and whether Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's far-right government does.

Sina Toossi, a fellow at the Center for International Policy, said analysts in Iran are among those trying to read Netanyahu's mind since the attack, struggling to choose between two competing narratives for Israel's objective.

“One perceives Israel’s actions as a deliberate provocation of war that Iran should respond to with restraint,” Toossi wrote in the U.S.-based think tank's journal. “The other suggests that Israel is capitalizing on Iran’s typically restrained responses,” and that failing to respond in kind will only embolden Israel.

Ultimately, Iran’s sense that it is already winning its strategic goals as the Hamas-Israel war continues — elevating the Palestinian cause and costing Israel friends globally — may go the furthest in persuading Iranian leaders not to risk open warfare with Israel or U.S. in whatever response they make to Monday’s airstrike, some analysts and diplomats say.

Shira Efron, a director of policy research at the U.S.-based Israel Policy Forum, rejected suggestions that Netanyahu was actively trying with attacks like the one in Damascus to draw the U.S. into a potentially decisive conflict alongside Israel against their common rivals, at least for now.

“First, the risk of escalation has increased. No doubt,” Efron said.

“I don't think Netanyahu is interested in full-blown war though,” she said. “And whereas in the past Israel was thought to be interested in drawing the U.S. into a greater conflict, even if the desire still exists in some circles, it is not more than wishful thinking at the moment.”

U.S. President Joe Biden is facing pressure from the other direction.

So far he's resisting calls from growing numbers of Democratic lawmakers and voters to limit the flow of American arms to Israel as a way to press Netanyahu to ease Israeli military killing of civilians in Gaza and to heed other U.S. appeals.

As criticism has grown of U.S. military support of Israel’s war in Gaza, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller has increasingly pointed to Israel’s longer-term need for weapons — to defend itself against Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The U.S. is ″always concerned about anything that would be escalatory,” Miller said after the attack in Damascus. “It has been one of the goals of this administration since October 7th to keep the conflict from spreading, recognizing that Israel has the right to defend itself from adversaries that are sworn to its destruction.''

Israel for years has hit at Iranian proxies and their sites in the region, knocking back their ability to build strength and cause trouble for Israelis.

Since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, one of a network of Iran-aligned militias in the region, that shattered Israel’s sense of security, Netanyahu’s government has increasingly added Iranian security operatives and leaders to target lists in the region, Lister notes.

The U.S. military already has deepened engagement from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea since the Hamas-Israel war opened — deploying aircraft carriers to the region to discourage rear-guard attacks against Israel, opening airstrikes to quell attacks on shipping by Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705969629635.png" alt="File photo from U.S. strikes in the Middle East in February-U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo from U.S. strikes in the Middle East in February-U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and LOLITA C. BALDORWASHINGTON (AP) — Shortly after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">airstrike widely attributed to Israel destroyed an Iranian consulate building in Syria</a>, the United States had an urgent message for Iran: We had nothing to do with it.But that may not be enough for the U.S. to avoid retaliation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">targeting its forces in the region.</a>&nbsp;A top U.S. commander warned on Wednesday of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-attacks-ships-red-sea-7b86941c985a934281c68d6624baff1b">danger to American troops.</a>And if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent broadening of targeted strikes on adversaries around the region to include Iranian security operatives and leaders deepens regional hostilities, analysts say, it's not clear the United States can avoid being pulled into deeper regional conflict as well.The Biden administration insists it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike Monday. But the United States is closely tied to Israel's military regardless. The U.S. remains Israel’s indispensable ally and unstinting supplier of weapons, responsible for some 70% of Israeli weapon imports and an estimated 15% of Israel's defense budget. That includes providing the kind of advanced aircraft and munitions that appear to have been employed in the attack.Israel hasn’t acknowledged a role in the airstrike, but Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Tuesday that the U.S. has assessed Israel was responsible.Multiple arms of Iran's government served notice that they would hold the United States accountable for the fiery attack. The strike, in the Syrian capital of Damascus, killed senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for Syria and Lebanon, an officer of the powerful Iran-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, and others.American forces in Syria and Iraq already are frequent targets when Iran and its regional allies seek retaliation for strikes by Israelis, notes Charles Lister, the Syria program director for the Middle East Institute.“What the Iranians have always done for years when they have felt most aggressively targeted by Israel is not to hit back at Israelis, but Americans,” seeing them as soft targets in the region, Lister said.On Wednesday in Washington, the top U.S. Air Force commander for the Middle East, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said Iran’s assertion that the U.S. bears responsibility for Israeli actions could bring an end to a pause in militia attacks on U.S. forces that has lasted since early February.He said he sees no specific threat to U.S. troops right now, but “I am concerned because of the Iranian rhetoric talking about the U.S., that there could be a risk to our forces."U.S. officials have recorded more than 150 attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria on U.S. forces at bases in those countries since war between Hamas and Israel began on Oct. 7.One, in late January, killed three U.S. service members and injured dozens more at a base in Jordan.In retaliation, the U.S. launched a massive air assault, hitting more than 85 targets at seven locations in Iraq and Syria, including command and control headquarters, drone and ammunition storage sites and other facilities connected to the militias or the IRGC’s Quds Force, the Guard’s expeditionary unit that handles Tehran’s relationship with and arming of regional militias. There have been no publicly reported attacks on U.S. troops in the region since that response.Grynkewich told reporters the U.S. is watching and listening carefully to what Iran is saying and doing to evaluate how Tehran might respond.Analysts and diplomats cite a range of ways Iran could retaliate.Since Oct. 7, Iran and the regional militias allied to it in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen have followed a strategy of calibrated attacks that stop short of triggering an all-out conflict that could subject Iran’s homeland forces or Hezbollah to full-blown war with Israel or the United States.Beyond strikes on U.S. troops, possibilities for Iranian retaliation could include a limited missile strike directly from Iranian soil to Israel, Lister said. That would reciprocate for Israel's strike on what under international law was sovereign Iranian soil, at the Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus.A concentrated attack on a U.S. position abroad on the scale of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-marines-bombing-beirut-1983-hezbollah-israel-hamas-iran-34f61ac47909c52de800dd35b375e782">1983 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut</a>&nbsp;is possible, but seems unlikely given the scale of U.S. retaliation that would draw, analysts say. Iran also could escalate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-sanctions-treasury-terrorism-bolton-soleimani-rushdie-a3b96b9008b0f4d64c8279717d1f4dea">an existing effort to kill Trump-era officials</a>&nbsp;behind the United States' 2020 drone killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.How far any other retaliation and potential escalation goes may depend on two things out of U.S. control: Whether Iran wants to keep regional hostilities at their current level or escalate, and whether Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's far-right government does.Sina Toossi, a fellow at the Center for International Policy, said analysts in Iran are among those trying to read Netanyahu's mind since the attack, struggling to choose between two competing narratives for Israel's objective.“One perceives Israel’s actions as a deliberate provocation of war that Iran should respond to with restraint,” Toossi wrote in the U.S.-based think tank's journal. “The other suggests that Israel is capitalizing on Iran’s typically restrained responses,” and that failing to respond in kind will only embolden Israel.Ultimately, Iran’s sense that it is already winning its strategic goals as the Hamas-Israel war continues — elevating the Palestinian cause and costing Israel friends globally — may go the furthest in persuading Iranian leaders not to risk open warfare with Israel or U.S. in whatever response they make to Monday’s airstrike, some analysts and diplomats say.Shira Efron, a director of policy research at the U.S.-based Israel Policy Forum, rejected suggestions that Netanyahu was actively trying with attacks like the one in Damascus to draw the U.S. into a potentially decisive conflict alongside Israel against their common rivals, at least for now.“First, the risk of escalation has increased. No doubt,” Efron said.“I don't think Netanyahu is interested in full-blown war though,” she said. “And whereas in the past Israel was thought to be interested in drawing the U.S. into a greater conflict, even if the desire still exists in some circles, it is not more than wishful thinking at the moment.”U.S. President Joe Biden is facing pressure from the other direction.So far he's resisting calls from growing numbers of Democratic lawmakers and voters to limit the flow of American arms to Israel as a way to press Netanyahu to ease Israeli military killing of civilians in Gaza and to heed other U.S. appeals.As criticism has grown of U.S. military support of Israel’s war in Gaza, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller has increasingly pointed to Israel’s longer-term need for weapons — to defend itself against Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah in Lebanon.The U.S. is ″always concerned about anything that would be escalatory,” Miller said after the attack in Damascus. “It has been one of the goals of this administration since October 7th to keep the conflict from spreading, recognizing that Israel has the right to defend itself from adversaries that are sworn to its destruction.''Israel for years has hit at Iranian proxies and their sites in the region, knocking back their ability to build strength and cause trouble for Israelis.Since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, one of a network of Iran-aligned militias in the region, that shattered Israel’s sense of security, Netanyahu’s government has increasingly added Iranian security operatives and leaders to target lists in the region, Lister notes.The U.S. military already has deepened engagement from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea since the Hamas-Israel war opened — deploying aircraft carriers to the region to discourage rear-guard attacks against Israel, opening airstrikes to quell attacks on shipping by Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen.It is also moving to build a pier off Gaza to try to get more aid to Palestinian civilians despite obstacles that include Israel’s restrictions and attacks on aid deliveries.