Social media video was trailing a far-right Twitter influencer who sought to disrupt an LGBTQ pride event in Arlington, Texas Sunday. With her, a Dallas Fort Worth chapter of The Proud Boys.

They're a well-documented violent fascist gang that's also in the spotlight of the Congressional committee investigating the January 6 assault on the Capitol to overturn the presidential election.

"This latest stuff, where you have these radicalized groups that, you know, seem to delight in the cruelty — That's new," said Rafael McDonnell, communications manager at The Resource Center. 

LGBTQ advocacy groups in north Texas are alarmed by the recent harassment and disinformation campaigns of far-right social media influencers during Pride Month that is also attracting white nationalist groups.

"And I think that is, in part, fueled by some of the governmental response to LGBTQ folks, whether it's Governor DeSantis in Florida and 'Don't Say Gay' and some of the stuff," McDonnell continued. "And then Gov. Abbott here in Texas, you know, coming after the health care of transgender children."

On June 11, Idaho authorities intercepted 31 members of Patriot Front, a fascist white nationalist group that seeks to create a "whites-only America."

According to documents, an eyewitness said members gathered like "a little army." Police say they wanted to violently disrupt a pride event in the city of Couer d'Alene. 

David Cunningham, a sociologist, and expert on white supremacist and white nationalist groups says whether it's Patriot Front or The Proud Boys, both groups are showing up with conservative influencers to recruit more people into extremism. 

"As we saw this past weekend, showing up at public events to kind of promote ideas, but to do so in a way that is quite menacing, intimidating by design, and terroristic when you see it in the context that we saw it in in Idaho," he said. "And what I think we're seeing is a whole range of issues that are have been traditionally part of that white supremacist ecosystem, which are really about — they're framed in terms of reducing the power, visibility, and presence of, quote-unquote, traditional and right for white Americans."

In court records obtained by Newsy and Scripps sister station KSTU in Salt Lake City, Patriot Front members appeared prepared to cause mayhem. They came armed with "unusually long flag poles," a smoke grenade, and "metal shields."

Almost all carried small devices to record video and fashioned their own body armor using shin guards or putting hardened plastic in their ball caps. 

In a propaganda video posted on alternative social platforms prior to their arrests in Idaho, members appear spurred on by their leader, training with shields in a mock riot. Sparverius, which monitors extremist groups, says this is evidence Patriot Front prepared for violence.  

"I think underlying that, we see a theme continuous current as well of the threat of mass violence, of the threat of domestic terrorism attached to this. And so, you know, this, this is a really tenuous and fragile time, because I think the movement is simultaneously both of these kinds of things," Cunningham said.

Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here.

For a couple of years now, the Pentagon has raised a growing concern for the U.S. military: Recruitment levels are dropping pretty fast.

The Pentagon is particularly focused on recruitment levels for younger millennials and Gen Z.

A Department of Defense survey found that when young people were asked, "How likely is it that you will serve in the military?" only 11% responded "definitely" or "probably."

So, the military has been investing in some unexpected strategies, and a big one is video games. The Pentagon is hoping the world of esports, streaming, and gaming will turn things around for their generational recruitment crisis.

Technically, video games aren't totally new territory for U.S. military recruitment. In the early 2000s, the Pentagon released its own game called America’s Army, a multiplayer shooting game in the vein of Call of Duty or Counterstrike. After decades of pretty reasonable success, it eventually discontinued in early 2022.

The U.S. military has also collaborated with game makers behind franchises like Call of Duty or Doom, sometimes using modified versions of games to teach recruits, at other times consulting with game designers to plan "realistic" war scenarios or even recruiting game designers for Washington think tanks focused on military strategy.

So, this relationship is decades old. But, the dropping numbers of military applicants in recent years has ushered in a new era in the gaming-military complex, and this is where esports and streaming have really dominated.

There is now a pro-esports team for every branch of the military – even the space force. They compete with other pro teams, other military branches, and even other allied countries' military teams. The military also sponsors many esports tournaments, which helps enlarge their presence even more.

They've also steadily been streaming on the massively popular platform Twitch, the top gaming streaming site in the world, but this is where recruiters have most recently run into trouble.

Twitch's age limit is only 13 years old, and critics have objected to using such recruitment tactics on children. In some cases, the military allegedly had links with vague messages like "Sign up to win!" which, when clicked through, only led to recruitment forms.

In 2020, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez even proposed an amendment to a fiscal bill to stop the military from using video games for recruitment. Lawmakers voted against it, 292 votes to 126. Though it didn't pass, it renewed attention on the controversial practice and put a strain on the military's video game push.

Around the same time as the House vote, the Army found itself in hot water after banning viewers on Twitch who trolled and criticized the military, including writer and activist Jordan Uhl.

After being sued for violating free speech, the military temporarily left Twitch altogether.

Some critics have also pointed out the dangers of trivializing war and militarized violence for children, by equating it with a video game. Even today, the Air Force has a game directly on its website called Airman Challenge that lets you learn about drones and operate one to bomb "insurgents" in Middle Eastern countries like Afghanistan and Iraq.

It's unclear what exactly is next for the military's big recruitment push in video games. Although the recruitment practice has repeatedly found itself in controversy, it seems to be far from slowing down. Esports tournaments and sponsorships are only continuing, and the military has cautiously waded back into the world of streaming.

Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here.

As Dr. Kenyani Davis makes her rounds at the Community Health Center in Buffalo, New York, she is still trying to process it all, after a mass shooter murdered 10 members of the neighborhood she serves.

"It's a community that got affected, especially when you're talking about a hate crime," Dr. Davis said. "It was every emotion at once."

In the days that followed, her team got to work — something they have always done.

"If they needed us in a medical component, we were there," Dr. Davis said. "If they needed us as community leaders, we were there. If they needed us as friends, if they needed us just to create an open space, we were there." 

Across the city, other organizations recognized the need for mental health services, too. 

"We were in the crowd with the community in front of Tops praying, crying, just being there, an ear for them to to express themselves," said Melissa Archer, New York Project Hope program coordinator.

When it came to treatment, Archer, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, noticed people on the city's east side, made up of mostly Black residents, were hesitant to seek help.   

"People want to see people that look like them so that they don't have to explain certain things they feel," Archer said.

SEE MORE: What Buffalo, NY Is Like Two Months After Tops Mass Shooting

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only one in three Black adults with mental illness receives treatment.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness say that's mostly due to socioeconomic challenges, stigma surrounding mental illness and mistrust of the medical industry. Black people are often victims of health care bias when those providing the treatment lack cultural awareness.  

"I think one of these things that this event has shed light on and empower people to do is to speak the truth," Dr. Davis said. "When we were there, we had people saying, 'We are angry at White people."

For community leaders in Buffalo, that meant offering more counselors with shared experiences and cultures. 

Part of the healing process means meeting people where they are, and for some mental health professionals, that meant setting up shop two minutes from where the incident took place.

The Buffalo Urban League team says the numbers have increased since moving into the neighborhood and making more Black counselors readily available, all thanks to temporary funding from FEMA through New York Project Hope.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of racial/ethnic minorities within the psychologist workforce more than doubled between 2000 and 2019, increasing 166%. However, researchers predict that increase will still be inadequate to meet the demands of minority patients.

In the meantime, doctors there say they'll continue to stand in the gap for as long as possible.

Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. 

Johnny Pinchback spent 27 years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit.

"It was hell, right here on Earth," he said. "Pure hell."

Pinchback was convicted of aggravated sexual assault and sentenced to 99 years in prison.

"Man, it is very hurtful, very painful," he continued. "A whole bunch of guys that were sent there for rape crimes and child molestation, that couldn't defend themselves — they were raped themselves, beat up and raped themselves, and so many of them killed themselves."

Thanks to DNA evidence and the Texas Innocence Project, Pinchback has been a free man for 11 years but says his readjustment into society has been its own challenge.

"After I got out, you know, I was lost, man," Pinchback said. "When I got out, it was a shock, man. It was a cultural shock."

Despite how tough his experience has been on his psyche, Pinchback says formal therapy didn't work for him.

"They sent a few of us to it," he said. "We were like, 'Man, we do counseling and do therapy for each other.' And that's what we did."

Chantal Fahmy is a University of Texas San Antonio professor and has spent her career studying the formerly incarcerated.

She says reentry into society is its own punishment and takes a toll mentally.

"Their education really hasn't changed all that much. So, it's not like they're attaining these jobs that they weren't able to get prior," she said. "They're ineligible for a lot of forms of public assistance, like welfare. They're alienated from mainstream life, period."

A study from the University of Chicago compares the mental toll of being wrongfully imprisoned to the anguish suffered by military veterans and torture survivors.

Researchers say common effects among the exonerated include severe PTSD, persistent personality changes, depression and complex feelings of loss.

Fahmy says the resources specifically for exonerees are very limited, but for anyone leaving prison, family support can have a positive impact.

"When you have a solid support system in both of those ways, whether it's from family or whether it's from friends, your mental health is better," she said.

Anna Vasquez spent 13 years behind bars for a crime that never happened.

She and three other women were charged with gang raping two children, and their story was featured in the documentary "Southwest of Salem."

Ultimately, their conviction was thrown out due to inaccurate scientific testimony and an admission by the accuser that her father forced her to make false allegations.

Vasquez now serves as the director of outreach for the Innocence Project of Texas and says she hopes she can be that resource for people in her position.

"I think it brings them some comfort," she said. "You know, when I speak to them, it's not coming from an attorney, or a paralegal, you know, it is somebody that has actually been there, going through what they're going through. … It's just hard to relate to somebody that has never been in prison."

As technology has advanced, exonerations have become more common.

According to the National Registry of Exonerations, more than 3,000 people have been wrongly convicted and exonerated since 1989, amounting to 25,000 years lost behind bars.

"I'm still a work in progress, you know?" Vasquez said. "Actually, yesterday, it was my brother's, I guess, death anniversary. I don't know how I should say that, but it makes me mad when I think about [the fact] I only had two years with him. It's anger, frustration. Unbelievable that something like this could happen."

Those 3,000 people who have now been exonerated are also reintegrating into society while dealing with unimaginable trauma and potential mental health challenges.

"Talking about your feelings or your emotions in prison was not to be done, you know?" Vasquez said. "You hid under a cover and you cried. So, the way that I coped with it was, I was hopeful. But I will not tell you that I didn't have my bad days. And you know, I was depressed, but I always seem to pick myself up."

Pinchback says the time he spends with other people who have been wrongfully convicted is his own kind of therapy.

"I've got another friend about 10 minutes from here," he said. "He did 31 years wrongfully convicted, and sometimes we'll joke around and stuff like that about prison we'll be joking and stuff like, 'Hey man, I'm going to the commissary today. Would you bring me three soups?' … Then we'll say, 'Hey man, it is a blessing for that to be behind us.'"

Pinchback and Vasquez regularly speak to law students and tell their stories to make that story less common.

"That's my job," Pinchback said. "It's my job until I die, man, until I can't do it no more. It's my job."

Newsy’s mental health initiative “America’s Breakdown: Confronting Our Mental Health Crisis” brings you deeply personal and thoughtfully told stories on the state of mental health care in the U.S. Click here to learn more.

Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here.

Major credit card companies are reclassifying purchases at gun stores and ammunition shops — a change that could pull back the curtain on gun purchases.

Visa, American Express, and Mastercard will start implementing the plan, separating gun and ammunition purchases from other kinds of shopping for the first time. They had previously been classified as general merchandise.

The move comes as gun sales keep climbing.

"The sales have definitely increased over the last several years compared to probably the last five," said Vincent Vasquez, a gun store manager in Arizona.

The FBI reports having done 78,571,988 background checks for gun purchases in the last two years. That's more than in any two-year stretch since record-keeping started in 1998.

Cyndi Starr is among the many buying a firearm for the first time.

"I came to that decision after months of going back and forth," Starr said. "I would never want to ever harm anybody, never, but I've been close enough to certain violent or potentially violent situations that I had that split second where it's like, 'What's my backup?'"

Gun violence prevention activists hope the new classification for credit card purchases will help differentiate people like Starr from those intending to use a gun to harm people, helping banks see and report suspicious activity.

But, of course, not everyone's on board.

Over the weekend, the NRA said the move was about creating a "national registry of gun owners."

The policy is intended only to separately categorize purchases at gun and ammunition stores, not specifically what was purchased. It's a simple label change advocates hope will help curb gun violence.

Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here.

Days after Hurricane Ian swept across Florida as a category 4 storm, Port Charlotte residents are recounting the storm, cleaning up, and counting their blessings.

"Getting gas for generator — that had to be the scariest thing in the world," resident Herman Gardner said.

"People are going through a lot, and they just have to keep the faith," said Al Mullen, who lives in a flooded community.

They have also switched to survival mode, as most parts of the area are without the basics: power, water and — for some — shelter.

Mullen anxiously drove home to see his house after the storm hit the area.

"I seen the first house that is tore almost in half and the first half was gone, and I think I felt my chin hit my ankles and my heart, of course, was below that because I didn't expect much," Mullen said.

Unexpectedly, his house and a few of his close neighbors' homes were still standing. It gave him the boost he needed to start helping others.

"It's the people in here that matter," Mullen said. "If you're still living, you can make whatever you need, help those in need, and that's how I felt."

Nearby in another section of town, Hurricane Ian caused more damage. One family recently put a brand new roof on their home; now 20 feet of it is missing. A neighbor's missing boat was found in their backyard.

Since the power is out, many are driving hours to grab gas. One Port Charlotte couple drove to Tampa and also got gas for several neighbors.

Pulling up to the pump can be costly and time-consuming, with one man waiting four hours to reach the pump.

Hundreds of thousands are still without power. The water is out, too.

"I just wish the infrastructure could hold up a little better," said Bonnie Schade, while getting gas for her generator. "The traffic lights, the power lines — I wish we had a better water system, but it's getting fixed again."

Still, residents remain hopeful their community will push through the hardship.

"The spirits will lift and so will the hazards, and we'll be here dragging aluminum until we're back to the beautiful community we started off at," Mullen said.

Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here.

Ireland King and mom Michelle know the effect of the pandemic on mental health.

"I didn't want to leave my room," said Ireland King. "I didn't even feel like eating. My family felt like I didn't like them because I was so rude all the time."

"She basically came out and said she didn't wanna be here anymore," said Michelle King. "More than once."

The Indiana family is by no means alone.

"We describe it as a mental health tsunami going on," said Dr. Thomas Plante, licensed psychologist and psychology professor at Santa Clara University.

That tsunami has millions of Americans grasping for relief. Medication and therapy might be the medical solution, but that’s not always the answer.

"Some people act different to medications, it doesn't always work for people," said Heidi Strunk, president & CEO of Mental Health America of California.  

"A lot of times medication is trial and error."

Stigma, lack of equity and access and a mental health worker shortage are all challenges for people seeking help.

Experts say for the individual, there are some low-cost options.

A quick app store search shows dozens of apps, some focused on checking in with yourself, others can link you to a therapist.

Other ideas: 

• Jotting down what makes you happy 
• Getting movement or exercise 
• Journaling 
• Finding an outlet like music, video games, or art 
• Joining online or in-person support groups

"When you identify that, do it. There's power in doing what makes us happy," said Strunk. "These are things that people need to do, of course, before we get into crisis, but being proactive."

It's not just up to the individual.

"Lots of times it's really hard for people to do anything individually because they're paralyzed by the anxiety or the fear of the depression or whatever," said psychologist Dr. Thomas Plante. "And it's hard for them to really be proactive in helping themselves."

Plante says employers, bosses, family, and friends can start with a simple, "I get that."

"We need to journey with people in solidarity. You know, we need to be with them and we say, you're anxious. I get that. I get anxious, you're depressed, I get depressed," said Dr. Plante. "You know, you're feeling suicidal. I don't blame you, you know, but you know, the world is a mess."

And beyond that, people can follow up.

Another option: a warm line.

Warm lines aren’t crisis hotlines, but a tool for people before they’re in dire straits. There are more than 100 in the U.S. The majority are staffed by people like Bettye Foster, who have firsthand experience.

BETTYE FOSTER: We're all primary caregivers of someone with a mental health challenge.

LINDSEY THEIS: So even yourself?

FOSTER: Even myself. So I have a family member that I was the primary caregiver for. And some of our advocates are still that primary caregiver for someone.

It’s not a call for help, but it is a call to help. Because, as Bettye puts it:

"You see someone on the street and you're like, yeah, you don't know what's going on with that person," said Foster. "And you also don't know what's going on with the person who looks good, who looks well. You know, for that, you may think they've got it all together. You don't know, because mental illness doesn't have that kind of face."

Meanwhile, the Kings search for more help for Ireland. She’s lived through the COVID health crisis, and is now among the millions hit by the mental health crisis.

"There needs to be something. Something needs to change," said Ireland King.

"I’m not willing to let her slip through the cracks, and no other family should either," said Michelle King.

This story was originally reported by Lindsey Theis on Newsy.com.

The CDC is banning dog imports from 113 countries at high risk of rabies, leaving American families overseas scrambling to get their pets home.

Thanks to the Puppy Rescue Mission, Stubbs the dog is on his way from Syria to his new forever home in North Carolina where he'll ultimately live with a U.S. soldier who bonded with him overseas. And Stubbs arrived in the U.S. just in the nick of time.  

"I’m so glad you got out.  I’m so glad you’re here. Hi, baby," said Cynthia Lion, a Puppy Rescue Mission volunteer.  

As of July 14, dogs imported from Syria and more than 100 other countries are banned by the CDC.

"Our main countries that we rescue from are Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. Anywhere that our deployed military are, we will help them get their battle buddy home. And all the countries I just mentioned, unfortunately, are on the banned list," said Anna Cannan, president and founder of the Puppy Rescue Mission. 

A CDC spokesperson told Newsy an estimated 1 million dogs enter the U.S. each year, and since 2015 a total of four imported dogs have tested positive for rabies.

But the agency saw an increased number of dogs arriving with "irregular" rabies vaccination paperwork in 2020, and that's what prompted the new temporary ban.

Part of the concern also stems from the pandemic.

"Reduced flight schedules have resulted in longer wait times for dogs denied entry to be returned to their country of departure. Prolonged wait times in airport warehouses have caused some dogs to get sick and die," the CDC spokesperson said.

For organizations like the Puppy Rescue Mission, the new rule might force them to turn soldiers away for the first time.

"We're getting a lot of distraught and fearful emails, are my dogs going to be able to get home? What can we do? Who can we reach out to? So they're grasping at strings right now, you know, they're afraid that they're going to have to leave their dogs behind," said Cannan.

The impact of this change goes far beyond rescue dogs like Stubbs. 

“I can't leave my dog here. I mean, she's just part of our family," said Aysu Erdemir, a dog owner. 

Aysu Erdemir and her family left the U.S. with their dog weeks before the rule change was announced. But because they're spending the summer in Turkey, they were left scrambling for a solution. The CDC did not offer any exceptions for families like them. 

"They say that you have to find a way to send your dog back or make arrangements in the foreign country. Like this is just so absurd," said Erdemir.

The agency is offering a waiver for U.S. diplomatic and military families, but the application process takes at least six weeks and some of the required testing can take two or three months. With just 30 days' notice, State Department employees like Casey Fegley had no choice but to change their travel plans. 

"And then to have to, last minute, change them when you're already dealing with packing up your house and doing your UAB and in our case, taking a kid to boarding school, and we've got all these other busy pieces. And it's like throwing one more ball at you to juggle when you're already juggling so much. And it was just ridiculous," said Casey Fegley, a State Department employee working at the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The new dog import ban is in effect for at least one year. Puppy Rescue Mission is hoping they can find a way to keep helping soldiers get their battle buddies home to the U.S.

This story originally reported by Stephanie Liebergen on Newsy.com

We’re in this between time: where schools are setting policy for the upcoming year. Many are ditching mask mandates even though COVID-19 vaccines aren’t available for elementary school-aged kids.

For mom Terrysa Armstrong, being careful is top of mind. 

"My teenager is vaccinated but my children aren't, obviously. So, you know, what are they going to bring home to their grandparents or to me?" she said.

Both Pfizer and Moderna are wrapping late-phase clinical trials for their COVID-19 vaccine shots in kids ages 5 to 11 and plan to file for FDA emergency authorization by December. Johnson & Johnson says they have four pediatric studies planned this fall, too. But nothing will be ready for the start of the school year. 

"At the end of the day, children and staff and students need to feel safe," said Dr. Moira Inkelas, co-investigator with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.  

Without vaccines, scientists are still trying to find how to prevent COVID-19 from spreading in schools. 

Inkelas is helping lead California’s research for the National Institutes of Health. But some of that work will only look back on this year once it’s done. Over the next two years, the NIH will spend $33 million comparing how different school districts’ plans of masking and testing drove infections.

"This is all a human endeavor. And so we're trying to interpret the science, trying to help school districts think about what steps they can put into place. And then, of course, the pandemic is also changing day-to-day," Inkelas said.

Congresswoman Kim Schrier was a pediatrician before turning to politics. She’s been pushing for mass testing after seeing how successful it was in her own district in Washington state but notes those programs come with a cost. 

"The test that we have now available over the counter cost twelve dollars each. And there is no way that is practical to do on a once or twice or three times a week basis. That is just not financially doable," she said.

But some schools are already ditching the masks despite the fact the CDC hasn’t updated its guidance. It still recommends schools have universal masking.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said kids shouldn’t have to wear masks or socially distance in schools this fall, because the state's virus positivity rates have dropped. 

So are students and teachers at risk? Dr. Frank Esper with the Cleveland Clinic says right now, that depends where you live, and your school district’s plan.

"There's still going to be some risk. Even if you went to school and had masks and social distancing and everything, it's still not zero. But it's very reassuring that children, especially the smallest children, do not seem to spread this virus as readily as adults do," he said.

And for parents like Armstrong, making up for what was lost in last year’s virtual or hybrid learning, is crucial.

"My daughter, she's going into middle school and she got great grades just last year, but I know that she is behind," she said.

This story was originally reported by Lindsey Theis on Newsy.com.

Lawyers for the Trump Organization are set to meet with prosecutors at the Manhattan district attorney's office Monday.

Prosecutors had given the organization until the end of the day to make final arguments convincing the DA's office not to pursue criminal charges.

Prosecutors have been investigating whether the Trump Organization gave misleading property values to get loans or to lower its tax liability. 

They're also digging into whether it paid taxes on fringe benefits to company execs.

Monday's meeting follows a virtual conference late last week. At that time, prosecutors informed the company they would likely face criminal charges soon.

There is no indication at this time that former President Donald Trump or any of his family members are going to be charged in connection with the DA's investigation.

The Trump Organization is a group of about 500 business entities where Donald Trump is either the sole or majority owner. About half of the business units bear his name.

This story originally reported on Newsy.com.

UPS is delivering more than packages to Capitol Hill.

New campaign finance records show UPS giving to lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election.

The donations were made after UPS paused political spending in the days following the Jan. 6 insurrection.

"Many of those companies just pulled away: Washington’s burning down, let’s not give any more fuel to it, at least not initially," said Douglas Schuler, an associate professor of business and public policy at Rice University. 

Companies froze campaign donations to avoid heat for funding people who promoted the baseless idea that President Biden didn’t actually win the election, Schuler said.

“A lot of people started asking, Who is behind those members of Congress?” he said.

Newsy reviewed recent filings at the Federal Election Commission and found 16 corporations sending money to Congress again, including to some of the 147 Republican election objectors.

The list includes Ford, General Motors, JetBlue and Lockheed Martin.

Like UPS, they are companies that announced a temporary stop in contributions to all lawmakers after the Capitol riot.

The donations come from employee-sponsored Political Action Committees known as PACs.

UPS reported giving to two Republican election dissenters in a flurry of new PAC donations that also went to Democrats.  UPS never said why it stopped donating after the insurrection and did not respond to questions about why the PAC chose to support election opponents now.

Boeing took a time-out to review political spending in January "to ensure that we support those who not only support our company, but also uphold our country’s most fundamental principles."

Now a new FEC filing shows Boeing’s PAC spending again to Democrats and Republicans, including four who challenged the election.

We asked Boeing: Who would the company not support anymore after its review?

“Thanks for the question,” a Boeing spokesman responded, "but nothing additional to add beyond the statement,” referring to an initial response from the company that said in part, “We will continue to carefully evaluate our giving…”

Cigna said it would no longer donate specifically to lawmakers who encouraged or supported violence, or who "otherwise hindered the peaceful transition of power."

But FEC filings show, two months later Cigna donated to seven members of Congress who tried to prevent certifying the election.

When Newsy asked Cigna about those donations, a spokeswoman referred us to a company statement that said voting against the election was not an act of obstructing a peaceful transition of power.

The FEC records show the companies still not giving to some of the most vocal election skeptics.

"[Missouri Sen. Josh] Hawley with his fist, that was like a very powerful symbol," Schuler said. "There might be a little more attention on those people."

Duke Energy, one of the nation’s largest electric companies, is contributing again to a number of home state representatives, but not to Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who the PAC backed in the 2020 election cycle.

That was before the North Carolina congressman spoke to the crowd of Trump supporters just before the Capitol attack.

The FEC records show companies are slowly returning to the long tradition of donating to both parties, focusing on congressional leaders and committee chairpersons, those most able to shape policies the corporations care about. 

It’s a practice Duke Energy’s CEO defended at a recent shareholders meeting.

"We must be a part of the conversation so that we can bring our subject matter, expertise, our experience, the needs of our customers to the table, and we’ll continue to do that," Duke Energy chair, president and CEO Lynn Good said. 

The Transportation Security Administration is expected to issue new cybersecurity measures this week aimed at the pipeline industry for the first time.

The new rules will apply to U.S. pipeline operators and follow the ransomware attack against one of the country's largest, Colonial Pipeline, earlier this month. The attack resulted in a disruption to fuel supply on the entire east coast for nearly two weeks.

Pipeline companies would be required to report cyber incidents to the federal government as soon as possible.

They will also reportedly be asked to review their security system to determine any weaknesses or risks.

The rules are coming from the TSA, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security. The Washington Post reports a security directive is expected this week, and more rules will be released in the coming weeks.

This is the first time such rules will be issued for the pipeline industry. Previously, there were voluntary guidelines.

Alex Livingston and Robin Dich contributed to this report

Seeking out mental health treatment is a major first step, often followed by that all-too-familiar question, "How am I going to pay for this?"

The cost of a therapy session ranges, depending on your access to health care coverage and even where you live in the country. But experts say, don’t let it be a hindrance. 

The Affordable Care Act requires some insurers to offer coverage for mental health services. But just like any other treatment, there could be stipulations like using in-network providers for full coverage. So it’s best to get familiar with your plan. 

And if you don’t have insurance, there are still options for affordable help.

"There are clinics out there who will try to work with you. And will do scaled pay. And for patients who really have zero resources at all, there are clinics within the county that will care for you for free, provide medications for free, they typically tend to work more closely with the homeless. But those are still options," said Dr. Eric French, medical director of adult psychiatry at the Medical Center of Aurora.

"Group support is often very useful, especially for individuals who don't have a lot of support already built in. And it can, in the case of some illnesses, it can take the place of psychotherapy," said Dr. Flavia Desouza, a board certified psychiatrist and assistant professor at Howard University. 

"There is an emergence of mental health services that are also offered in church settings as well. Sometimes colleges or universities will have therapists in training, who have much cheaper rates and who are being supervised by someone. So that can also be another option," suggested Nii Addy, a neuroscientist and host of the Yale University Podcast Addy Hour. 

There’s also findtreatment.gov, a search engine run by the federal government that can direct you to affordable options near you. When it comes to medication, you have to shop around. Experts recommend price comparison sites like GoodRX. And groups like the National Alliance on Mental Illness which can serve as a road map to affordable options.

"NAMI and other places can actually facilitate some of that conversation, to make sure that people do get plugged into those resources," said Addy. 

While it may take some homework and research, experts agree the payoff could be worth it in the long run.

This story originally reported by Amber Strong on Newsy.com.