WASHINGTON (AP) —A year ago, pro-life activists from across the U.S. gathered for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-florida-state-government-kentucky-6ed9dbcdaae33312f1425ea38b681a7e">their annual March for Life</a>&nbsp;with reason to celebrate: It was their first march since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court</a>, seven months earlier, had overturned the nationwide right to abortion.

At this year’s march, on Friday, the mood will be very different — reflecting formidable challenges that lie ahead in this election year.

“We have undeniable evidence of victory — lives being saved,” said John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life. “But there is also a realization of the significant hurdles that our movement has right now in the public conversation.”

Participants at the march in Washington will salute the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-exception-lawsuit-legislature-confusion-b2808df90937e96887aa4e1f9c565771">14 states enforcing bans</a>&nbsp;on abortion throughout pregnancy. They will proclaim that thousands of babies have been born who otherwise might have been aborted, even as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-count-dobbs-ruling-states-3acdfba421b9f4a5ea0003de6c67260b">studies show</a>&nbsp;the total number of abortions provided in the U.S. rose slightly in the year after that enforcement began.

Moreover, anti-abortion leaders know that their side has a seven-state losing streak in votes on abortion-related ballot measures. Even in red states such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-abortion-amendment-election-2023-fe3e06747b616507d8ca21ea26485270">Ohio</a>, Kansas and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-kentucky-abortion-3fa387a4cdc355d50a223f4788aa0ae8">Kentucky</a>, the outcomes favored keeping abortion access legal.

In this year’s election, several more states are expected to have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measure-2024-state-vote-e7d635835dc3a440789ad87787553ec1">abortion-rights ballot measures</a>, and Democratic candidates in many races, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-kamala-harris-abortion-c634452da5e103913982e1cc5a0cae78">President Joe Biden</a>, will be highlighting their support for abortion access.

“We have been around for more than 50 years, and I don’t know of any year that was easy,” said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee.

“But it definitely got harder after Dobbs,” she added. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

Tobias was referring to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling in June 2022, overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

The key consequence of Dobbs was to return decision-making on abortion policy to individual states. Some Democratic-governed states — such as California,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-new-york-doctor-protection-shield-161fc73174a04f68e93c4312b3b21ea0">New York</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-new-jersey-state-government-006f9a1182946397c9e79342ad80c778">New Jersey</a>&nbsp;— have strengthened protections for abortion access. Roughly 20 states with Republican-controlled legislatures have either banned abortion or sought to impose new restrictions.

After Dobbs, “I didn’t want anyone to get the false sense that we were at the end of our work,” said Brent Leatherwood, an abortion opponent who heads the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy wing.

“We’ve gone from a focal point at the federal level to 50 different focal points,” he said. “It may be another 50 years before we truly establish a culture of life, where preborn lives are saved and mothers are supported.”

Even the current claims of lives being saved due to the Dobbs decision are subject to question. While abortions have decreased to nearly zero in states with total bans, they have increased elsewhere – notably in states such as Illinois, Florida and New Mexico, which are near those with more restrictions.

Anti-abortion leaders are keenly aware that their opponents in the abortion debate depict the wave of state bans as an infringement on women’s rights and a potential danger to their health.

Thus the theme of this year’s March for Life strives to convey support for women facing unexpected pregnancies: “Pro Life: With Every Woman, For Every Child.”

“&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-business-health-nashville-personal-taxes-fffa6f6f86e6eaa448b8ea89087a1c46">Pregnancy care centers</a>&nbsp;and maternity homes are the very backbone of our movement,” March for Life president Jeanne Mancini wrote in a recent opinion piece.

She and her allies have encouraged states to offer support programs for new mothers in need — helping them find housing, jobs and health insurance.

Among the scheduled speakers at the march is Jean Marie Davis, executive director of Branches Pregnancy Resource Center in Brattleboro, Vermont. Davis says a similar center in New Hampshire helped her break free several years ago after she became pregnant while ensnared in a sex-trafficking operation.

Other scheduled speakers include House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., a co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus.

Mancini said last year’s march drew tens of thousands of people; she’s hoping this year’s march will be bigger.

The participants, she said, will be in a “persevering mood.”

J.J. Straight, part of an American Civil Liberties Union team working to protect and broaden abortion access, says her side also feels determined, especially in light of the recent ballot-measure results.

“We’ve seen a tremendous pushback to the anti-abortion agenda,” she said. “There’s a huge coalition of folks, regardless of their party and other demographics, who absolutely draw the line at this kind interference in their health care.”

Among the reasons for uncertainty for all parties in the debate is the inconsistent way that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-exception-lawsuit-legislature-confusion-b2808df90937e96887aa4e1f9c565771">federal and state courts</a>&nbsp;have adjudicated abortion-related cases. There have been numerous legal challenges to the various state laws banning or restricting abortion, some failing and others succeeding at least temporarily.

There’s a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-exceptions-lawsuit-82611bda29112775247d8e7adbc0a81b">pending lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in Texas filed by women who say the state’s abortion ban forced them to continue pregnancies despite serious risk to their health.

In an even higher profile Texas case,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-ban-7d865cdfd75bdc6b2f4186f4d1e6e8bd">Kate Cox</a>, a mother of two, sought an abortion after learning the baby she was carrying had a fatal genetic condition. Her request for an exemption from Texas’ ban — one of the country’s strictest — was denied by the state Supreme Court, and Cox left Texas to seek an abortion elsewhere.

For abortion-rights activists, Cox’s case was a powerful illustration of how abortion bans could be dangerous for women with pregnancy complications.

“Never in our history have we had such overwhelming reaction to any case,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights. “We got phone calls, emails, snail-mail. Over and over, people talked about her with awe, her courage in going public.”

Seago, the Texas Right to Life president, defended Texas’ abortion ban. He said the Cox case and the pending lawsuit simply underscored the need for Texas health authorities to clarify what doctors are and aren’t allowed to do in dealing with problem pregnancies.

Carol Tobias acknowledged there can be difficult pregnancies.

“But I don’t think hard circumstances should be used to establish state laws,” she said. In such cases, she added, “the doctors have two patients. They need to take care of both of them to best of their ability.”

All the new bans make an exception to allow abortion if deemed necessary to save the life of the mother. There are divides within the anti-abortion movement over additional exceptions — for example, in cases of rape and incest, or when severe fetal abnormalities are diagnosed.

Other divisions have surfaced over who should be criminalized by the new laws.

Among leading anti-abortion activists, there’s a general consensus that women should not be prosecuted for seeking or obtaining an abortion. But there is support for criminal penalties against doctors and others who help people get an abortion; some states, including Texas and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-abortion-trafficking-travel-ban-270a403d7b4a5e99e566433556614728">Idaho</a>, seek to deter people from traveling out of state to get abortions or obtaining abortion pills by mail.

Dr. Jamila Perritt, an abortion-rights supporter who is president of Physicians for Reproductive Health, worries that abortion opponents in states with bans will criminalize people who seek abortions outside the formal medical system.

“The impact of their campaign has been devastating — and it will get worse,” she said. “I’m worried about many more people being arrested and prosecuted.”

One of the biggest unknowns, heading toward to Election Day on Nov. 5, is how power in Washington will be divided between the two major parties.

Abortion-rights supporters fear a Republican sweep of Congress and the White House might trigger a bid to impose a federal abortion ban. Conversely, some abortion opponents — including Chris Smith — fear a Democratic sweep might lead to a law overriding the state abortion bans that are now in effect.

Such legislation — as modeled in the unsuccessful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bills-house-vote-fc24d99f184d7aeec4926a6520311da5">Women’s Health Protection Act</a>&nbsp;of 2021-22 — would be “an existential threat,” Smith said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-inflation-us-supreme-court-health-7ea4f8fa597c97042503d856a082ef94">Sen. Lindsay Graham</a>, R-S.C., has introduced a bill proposing to ban most abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of gestation. SBA Pro-Life America, a prominent anti-abortion group, supports the bill, according to its state policy director, Katie Glenn Daniel. But the measure has vehement critics on both sides of the abortion divide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705585012650.png" alt="Photo courtesy SBA Pro-Life America" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy SBA Pro-Life America</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —A year ago, pro-life activists from across the U.S. gathered for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-florida-state-government-kentucky-6ed9dbcdaae33312f1425ea38b681a7e">their annual March for Life</a>&nbsp;with reason to celebrate: It was their first march since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court</a>, seven months earlier, had overturned the nationwide right to abortion.At this year’s march, on Friday, the mood will be very different — reflecting formidable challenges that lie ahead in this election year.“We have undeniable evidence of victory — lives being saved,” said John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life. “But there is also a realization of the significant hurdles that our movement has right now in the public conversation.”Participants at the march in Washington will salute the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-exception-lawsuit-legislature-confusion-b2808df90937e96887aa4e1f9c565771">14 states enforcing bans</a>&nbsp;on abortion throughout pregnancy. They will proclaim that thousands of babies have been born who otherwise might have been aborted, even as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-count-dobbs-ruling-states-3acdfba421b9f4a5ea0003de6c67260b">studies show</a>&nbsp;the total number of abortions provided in the U.S. rose slightly in the year after that enforcement began.Moreover, anti-abortion leaders know that their side has a seven-state losing streak in votes on abortion-related ballot measures. Even in red states such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-abortion-amendment-election-2023-fe3e06747b616507d8ca21ea26485270">Ohio</a>, Kansas and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-kentucky-abortion-3fa387a4cdc355d50a223f4788aa0ae8">Kentucky</a>, the outcomes favored keeping abortion access legal.In this year’s election, several more states are expected to have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measure-2024-state-vote-e7d635835dc3a440789ad87787553ec1">abortion-rights ballot measures</a>, and Democratic candidates in many races, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-kamala-harris-abortion-c634452da5e103913982e1cc5a0cae78">President Joe Biden</a>, will be highlighting their support for abortion access.“We have been around for more than 50 years, and I don’t know of any year that was easy,” said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee.“But it definitely got harder after Dobbs,” she added. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”Tobias was referring to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling in June 2022, overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.The key consequence of Dobbs was to return decision-making on abortion policy to individual states. Some Democratic-governed states — such as California,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-new-york-doctor-protection-shield-161fc73174a04f68e93c4312b3b21ea0">New York</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-new-jersey-state-government-006f9a1182946397c9e79342ad80c778">New Jersey</a>&nbsp;— have strengthened protections for abortion access. Roughly 20 states with Republican-controlled legislatures have either banned abortion or sought to impose new restrictions.After Dobbs, “I didn’t want anyone to get the false sense that we were at the end of our work,” said Brent Leatherwood, an abortion opponent who heads the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy wing.“We’ve gone from a focal point at the federal level to 50 different focal points,” he said. “It may be another 50 years before we truly establish a culture of life, where preborn lives are saved and mothers are supported.”Even the current claims of lives being saved due to the Dobbs decision are subject to question. While abortions have decreased to nearly zero in states with total bans, they have increased elsewhere – notably in states such as Illinois, Florida and New Mexico, which are near those with more restrictions.Anti-abortion leaders are keenly aware that their opponents in the abortion debate depict the wave of state bans as an infringement on women’s rights and a potential danger to their health.Thus the theme of this year’s March for Life strives to convey support for women facing unexpected pregnancies: “Pro Life: With Every Woman, For Every Child.”“&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-business-health-nashville-personal-taxes-fffa6f6f86e6eaa448b8ea89087a1c46">Pregnancy care centers</a>&nbsp;and maternity homes are the very backbone of our movement,” March for Life president Jeanne Mancini wrote in a recent opinion piece.She and her allies have encouraged states to offer support programs for new mothers in need — helping them find housing, jobs and health insurance.Among the scheduled speakers at the march is Jean Marie Davis, executive director of Branches Pregnancy Resource Center in Brattleboro, Vermont. Davis says a similar center in New Hampshire helped her break free several years ago after she became pregnant while ensnared in a sex-trafficking operation.Other scheduled speakers include House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., a co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus.Mancini said last year’s march drew tens of thousands of people; she’s hoping this year’s march will be bigger.The participants, she said, will be in a “persevering mood.”J.J. Straight, part of an American Civil Liberties Union team working to protect and broaden abortion access, says her side also feels determined, especially in light of the recent ballot-measure results.“We’ve seen a tremendous pushback to the anti-abortion agenda,” she said. “There’s a huge coalition of folks, regardless of their party and other demographics, who absolutely draw the line at this kind interference in their health care.”Among the reasons for uncertainty for all parties in the debate is the inconsistent way that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-exception-lawsuit-legislature-confusion-b2808df90937e96887aa4e1f9c565771">federal and state courts</a>&nbsp;have adjudicated abortion-related cases. There have been numerous legal challenges to the various state laws banning or restricting abortion, some failing and others succeeding at least temporarily.There’s a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-exceptions-lawsuit-82611bda29112775247d8e7adbc0a81b">pending lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in Texas filed by women who say the state’s abortion ban forced them to continue pregnancies despite serious risk to their health.In an even higher profile Texas case,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-ban-7d865cdfd75bdc6b2f4186f4d1e6e8bd">Kate Cox</a>, a mother of two, sought an abortion after learning the baby she was carrying had a fatal genetic condition. Her request for an exemption from Texas’ ban — one of the country’s strictest — was denied by the state Supreme Court, and Cox left Texas to seek an abortion elsewhere.For abortion-rights activists, Cox’s case was a powerful illustration of how abortion bans could be dangerous for women with pregnancy complications.“Never in our history have we had such overwhelming reaction to any case,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights. “We got phone calls, emails, snail-mail. Over and over, people talked about her with awe, her courage in going public.”Seago, the Texas Right to Life president, defended Texas’ abortion ban. He said the Cox case and the pending lawsuit simply underscored the need for Texas health authorities to clarify what doctors are and aren’t allowed to do in dealing with problem pregnancies.Carol Tobias acknowledged there can be difficult pregnancies.“But I don’t think hard circumstances should be used to establish state laws,” she said. In such cases, she added, “the doctors have two patients. They need to take care of both of them to best of their ability.”All the new bans make an exception to allow abortion if deemed necessary to save the life of the mother. There are divides within the anti-abortion movement over additional exceptions — for example, in cases of rape and incest, or when severe fetal abnormalities are diagnosed.Other divisions have surfaced over who should be criminalized by the new laws.Among leading anti-abortion activists, there’s a general consensus that women should not be prosecuted for seeking or obtaining an abortion. But there is support for criminal penalties against doctors and others who help people get an abortion; some states, including Texas and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-abortion-trafficking-travel-ban-270a403d7b4a5e99e566433556614728">Idaho</a>, seek to deter people from traveling out of state to get abortions or obtaining abortion pills by mail.Dr. Jamila Perritt, an abortion-rights supporter who is president of Physicians for Reproductive Health, worries that abortion opponents in states with bans will criminalize people who seek abortions outside the formal medical system.“The impact of their campaign has been devastating — and it will get worse,” she said. “I’m worried about many more people being arrested and prosecuted.”One of the biggest unknowns, heading toward to Election Day on Nov. 5, is how power in Washington will be divided between the two major parties.Abortion-rights supporters fear a Republican sweep of Congress and the White House might trigger a bid to impose a federal abortion ban. Conversely, some abortion opponents — including Chris Smith — fear a Democratic sweep might lead to a law overriding the state abortion bans that are now in effect.Such legislation — as modeled in the unsuccessful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bills-house-vote-fc24d99f184d7aeec4926a6520311da5">Women’s Health Protection Act</a>&nbsp;of 2021-22 — would be “an existential threat,” Smith said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-inflation-us-supreme-court-health-7ea4f8fa597c97042503d856a082ef94">Sen. Lindsay Graham</a>, R-S.C., has introduced a bill proposing to ban most abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of gestation. SBA Pro-Life America, a prominent anti-abortion group, supports the bill, according to its state policy director, Katie Glenn Daniel. But the measure has vehement critics on both sides of the abortion divide.

March for Life: Activists brace for challenges as they gather for annual event

LINCOLN, NE –&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen partnered with state senator Ben Hansen to introduce legislation aimed at making Nebraska more competitive in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) space.

“I am committed to making sure Nebraska has the tools it needs to win,” said Governor Pillen. “We need to encourage young athletes to move here. I appreciate the collaboration with Trev Alberts, his team at the University of Nebraska Athletic Department, and Senator Hansen to guarantee we are the most competitive and attractive state in this space.”

This legislation empowers our postsecondary institutions to utilize all the tools in their toolbox to attract the best talent. NIL is a billion-dollar industry, changing the landscape of college athletics. It will give postsecondary institutions the ability to work more closely with student-athletes allowing our universities and colleges to protect these young athletes and ensure they are not being misled. This legislation will make sure all participants in NIL are protected, especially the student-athletes.

“I applaud the Governor and University of Nebraska’s Athletic Department on seeing the competitive advantage to update these statues,” said Senator Hansen. “I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to ensure we have all the tools to recruit talent to Nebraska.”&nbsp;

“I appreciate the work by Senator Hansen and the Governor’s office to propose an update to the Name, Image, and Likeness bill for the State of Nebraska. We applaud any measures that streamline the NIL process and give greater flexibility to student-athletes and athletic departments in our state to efficiently navigate the space. Nebraska Athletics has a long history of supporting enhancements to student-athlete experience and this legislation would be another positive step in that direction.” Trev Alberts, University of Nebraska Athletic Director.

LINCOLN, NE –&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen partnered with state senator Ben Hansen to introduce legislation aimed at making Nebraska more competitive in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) space.“I am committed to making sure Nebraska has the tools it needs to win,” said Governor Pillen. “We need to encourage young athletes to move here. I appreciate the collaboration with Trev Alberts, his team at the University of Nebraska Athletic Department, and Senator Hansen to guarantee we are the most competitive and attractive state in this space.”This legislation empowers our postsecondary institutions to utilize all the tools in their toolbox to attract the best talent. NIL is a billion-dollar industry, changing the landscape of college athletics. It will give postsecondary institutions the ability to work more closely with student-athletes allowing our universities and colleges to protect these young athletes and ensure they are not being misled. This legislation will make sure all participants in NIL are protected, especially the student-athletes.“I applaud the Governor and University of Nebraska’s Athletic Department on seeing the competitive advantage to update these statues,” said Senator Hansen. “I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to ensure we have all the tools to recruit talent to Nebraska.”&nbsp;“I appreciate the work by Senator Hansen and the Governor’s office to propose an update to the Name, Image, and Likeness bill for the State of Nebraska. We applaud any measures that streamline the NIL process and give greater flexibility to student-athletes and athletic departments in our state to efficiently navigate the space. Nebraska Athletics has a long history of supporting enhancements to student-athlete experience and this legislation would be another positive step in that direction.” Trev Alberts, University of Nebraska Athletic Director.

Governor Pillen & Senator Hansen Partner to Make Nebraska More Competitive on NIL

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s White House gathering with lawmakers to find a compromise on foreign aid and immigration was “productive,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday, but a deal has still not been reached.

Biden hosted congressional leaders and other lawmakers to discuss the administration’s stalled&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/israel-ukraine-global-aid-and-border-funding-would-hit-106-billion-under-biden-request">$106 billion national security supplemental request</a>, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel.

Senate Republicans have refused to support the White House request, which was sent to Capitol Hill in October, unless new policies curbing asylum and parole are attached. And House GOP leadership has insisted changes resemble their border security bill dubbed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2">H.R. 2</a>, which passed in the lower chamber on a party-line vote in May.

“We understand that there’s concern about the safety, security, sovereignty of Ukraine, but the American people have those same concerns about our own domestic sovereignty and our safety and our security,” Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said after the meeting.

Republican lawmakers have been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/01/17/with-gop-pushing-hard-on-immigration-parole-emerges-as-a-make-or-break-issue-in-congress/">focused on immigration</a>&nbsp;at the U.S.-Mexico border as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters-by-component">arrivals</a>&nbsp;have increased, and as the party’s 2024 presidential front-runner, former President Donald Trump, campaigns on the issue, often using terms like “invasion.”

More than a dozen key committee chairs and ranking members joined House and Senate leaders Wednesday in talks with the administration’s top national security and budget officials, including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Office of Management Budget Director Shalanda Young.

Parts of the meeting were classified, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Biden used the meeting to underscore “the importance of Congress ensuring Ukraine has the resources it needs — including air defense and artillery capabilities — to defend itself against Russia’s brutal invasion,” according to a readout of the discussion provided by the White House.

“The President discussed the strategic consequences of inaction for Ukraine, the United States, and the world. He was clear: Congress’s continued failure to act endangers the United States’ national security, the NATO Alliance, and the rest of the free world,” the readout stated.

Biden also told lawmakers “we must act now to address challenges at the border.”

The president is “encouraged” by bipartisan negotiations in the Senate and urged Congress to “swiftly” pass his full request, according to the readout.

Johnson, speaking to reporters outside the White House after the meeting, said he spoke to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in December and heard from the leader that “the necessary ingredient is the proper weapons systems that they need.”

“There are certain things that are needed to ensure that they can prevail,” Johnson continued. “We need the questions answered about the strategy, about the endgame, and about the accountability for the precious treasure of the American people.”

Still, he said, “we must insist that the border be the top priority. I think we have some consensus around that table. Everyone understands the urgency of that.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking outside the White House shortly after Johnson, described a “very positive meeting” and a “large amount of agreement around the table that we must do Ukraine, and we must do border.”

Schumer said both parties agreed that helping Ukraine is “essential” and that a loss for that nation “would be nothing short of devastating.”

“The only way we will do border and Ukraine, or even either of them, is (by being) bipartisan,” said Schumer, a New York Democrat. “You cannot – cannot – do things with one party in a divided Congress. And so anyone who says, any party that says ‘do it my way or no way,’ we’re not going to get anything done.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, speaking back at the Capitol after the meeting, said he thought it was a “good idea” to get both Democratic and Republican lawmakers together.

“We had a really constructive discussion about the supplemental, which we anticipate will be on the floor next week,” McConnell said. “We’ve been talking about this for a very long time. It’s time to try to act.”

McConnell said he believes negotiators are “close” to brokering a bipartisan agreement on border security and immigration policy changes.

Such a deal would allow the Senate to move forward with the emergency spending package that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and U.S. border enforcement agencies.

“It’s not going to get better in my opinion until you actually say, ‘We’re going to it next week.’ And I think that’s the view of the majority leader,” McConnell said.

Schumer didn’t commit to putting the bill on the floor for a vote next week, but said once there is an agreement the body will move “very quickly.”

“I am more optimistic than ever before that we can come to an agreement. I put the chances a little bit greater than half now,” he said after the meeting.

Negotiations over border security are being headed by Sen. James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut and Kyrsten Sinema, independent of Arizona. The trio has been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/immigration-negotiations-congress-center-parole-asylum-policy">working</a>&nbsp;to strike a deal with the White House since before Christmas.

Before leaving for the meeting, McConnell brushed aside disparaging comments from House GOP leaders about Senate negotiations on border and immigration policy, noting that if Republicans controlled the government, they likely wouldn’t get a single Democratic vote for the types of policies being discussed.

“This is a unique opportunity to accomplish something in divided government that wouldn’t be there under unified (Republican) government,” McConnell said. “So we’re hoping to get a credible border package.”

McConnell later noted during that press conference whatever the Senate eventually passes could actually garner Biden’s signature. He also suggested that the two chambers could go to conference to reconcile their differences.

Murphy said during a press conference before the White House meeting that while he’s not yet optimistic about the negotiations, he agrees with Schumer “that we are closer than we have ever been before.”

“Our goal is to give the executive branch more tools to better manage the border while living up to our values as a nation of immigrants,” Murphy said. “This is the most complicated area of American statute, so it’s not surprising that it’s taking us some time to work out the final few issues and get those resolved into text.”

Ahead of the meeting with Biden, Johnson said that he would continue to seek “answers to critical questions” about Ukraine.

“… But before we even talk about Ukraine, I am going to tell the president what I’m telling all of you and we’ve told the American people: Border, border, border. We have to take care of our own house. We have to secure our own border before we talk about doing anything else,” Johnson told reporters during the House Republicans’ weekly press conference.

When asked to respond to Johnson’s comments, White House National Security Council spokesman Adm. John Kirby said, “Today’s meeting is about Ukraine. That’s what we’re going to focus on in that discussion.”

“I would remind (Johnson) that since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine in February ‘22 we have provided multiple classified and unclassified briefings to members of Congress,” Kirby also said.

The U.S. provided its latest aid&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3627179/biden-administration-announces-new-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">package</a>&nbsp;to Ukraine in late December, and the administration said that was the final assistance available until Congress approves new aid.

Kirby said Ukraine continues to go through its stockpiles of artillery shells and rockets “at a pretty advanced clip.”

The White House believes negotiations on the deal are “headed in the right direction,” Jean-Pierre said.

When asked about White House negotiations with Senate and House Republicans, Jean-Pierre said House Republicans “have gotten in the way when it comes to border security.”

“We want to work with them, but they’ve been very clear where they stand,” she said during the daily press briefing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705589493311.png" alt="U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, center, speaks to reporters after a White House meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, about supplemental aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and U.S. border security. At left is Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, and at right is Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas. (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, center, speaks to reporters after a White House meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, about supplemental aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and U.S. border security. At left is Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, and at right is Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas. (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s White House gathering with lawmakers to find a compromise on foreign aid and immigration was “productive,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday, but a deal has still not been reached.Biden hosted congressional leaders and other lawmakers to discuss the administration’s stalled&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/israel-ukraine-global-aid-and-border-funding-would-hit-106-billion-under-biden-request">$106 billion national security supplemental request</a>, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel.Senate Republicans have refused to support the White House request, which was sent to Capitol Hill in October, unless new policies curbing asylum and parole are attached. And House GOP leadership has insisted changes resemble their border security bill dubbed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2">H.R. 2</a>, which passed in the lower chamber on a party-line vote in May.“We understand that there’s concern about the safety, security, sovereignty of Ukraine, but the American people have those same concerns about our own domestic sovereignty and our safety and our security,” Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said after the meeting.Republican lawmakers have been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/01/17/with-gop-pushing-hard-on-immigration-parole-emerges-as-a-make-or-break-issue-in-congress/">focused on immigration</a>&nbsp;at the U.S.-Mexico border as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters-by-component">arrivals</a>&nbsp;have increased, and as the party’s 2024 presidential front-runner, former President Donald Trump, campaigns on the issue, often using terms like “invasion.”More than a dozen key committee chairs and ranking members joined House and Senate leaders Wednesday in talks with the administration’s top national security and budget officials, including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Office of Management Budget Director Shalanda Young.Parts of the meeting were classified, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.Biden used the meeting to underscore “the importance of Congress ensuring Ukraine has the resources it needs — including air defense and artillery capabilities — to defend itself against Russia’s brutal invasion,” according to a readout of the discussion provided by the White House.“The President discussed the strategic consequences of inaction for Ukraine, the United States, and the world. He was clear: Congress’s continued failure to act endangers the United States’ national security, the NATO Alliance, and the rest of the free world,” the readout stated.Biden also told lawmakers “we must act now to address challenges at the border.”The president is “encouraged” by bipartisan negotiations in the Senate and urged Congress to “swiftly” pass his full request, according to the readout.<h2>‘We need the questions answered’</h2>Johnson, speaking to reporters outside the White House after the meeting, said he spoke to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in December and heard from the leader that “the necessary ingredient is the proper weapons systems that they need.”“There are certain things that are needed to ensure that they can prevail,” Johnson continued. “We need the questions answered about the strategy, about the endgame, and about the accountability for the precious treasure of the American people.”Still, he said, “we must insist that the border be the top priority. I think we have some consensus around that table. Everyone understands the urgency of that.”Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking outside the White House shortly after Johnson, described a “very positive meeting” and a “large amount of agreement around the table that we must do Ukraine, and we must do border.”Schumer said both parties agreed that helping Ukraine is “essential” and that a loss for that nation “would be nothing short of devastating.”“The only way we will do border and Ukraine, or even either of them, is (by being) bipartisan,” said Schumer, a New York Democrat. “You cannot – cannot – do things with one party in a divided Congress. And so anyone who says, any party that says ‘do it my way or no way,’ we’re not going to get anything done.”Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, speaking back at the Capitol after the meeting, said he thought it was a “good idea” to get both Democratic and Republican lawmakers together.“We had a really constructive discussion about the supplemental, which we anticipate will be on the floor next week,” McConnell said. “We’ve been talking about this for a very long time. It’s time to try to act.”McConnell said he believes negotiators are “close” to brokering a bipartisan agreement on border security and immigration policy changes.Such a deal would allow the Senate to move forward with the emergency spending package that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and U.S. border enforcement agencies.“It’s not going to get better in my opinion until you actually say, ‘We’re going to it next week.’ And I think that’s the view of the majority leader,” McConnell said.Schumer didn’t commit to putting the bill on the floor for a vote next week, but said once there is an agreement the body will move “very quickly.”“I am more optimistic than ever before that we can come to an agreement. I put the chances a little bit greater than half now,” he said after the meeting.Negotiations over border security are being headed by Sen. James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut and Kyrsten Sinema, independent of Arizona. The trio has been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/immigration-negotiations-congress-center-parole-asylum-policy">working</a>&nbsp;to strike a deal with the White House since before Christmas.<h2>Earlier Wednesday</h2>Before leaving for the meeting, McConnell brushed aside disparaging comments from House GOP leaders about Senate negotiations on border and immigration policy, noting that if Republicans controlled the government, they likely wouldn’t get a single Democratic vote for the types of policies being discussed.“This is a unique opportunity to accomplish something in divided government that wouldn’t be there under unified (Republican) government,” McConnell said. “So we’re hoping to get a credible border package.”McConnell later noted during that press conference whatever the Senate eventually passes could actually garner Biden’s signature. He also suggested that the two chambers could go to conference to reconcile their differences.Murphy said during a press conference before the White House meeting that while he’s not yet optimistic about the negotiations, he agrees with Schumer “that we are closer than we have ever been before.”“Our goal is to give the executive branch more tools to better manage the border while living up to our values as a nation of immigrants,” Murphy said. “This is the most complicated area of American statute, so it’s not surprising that it’s taking us some time to work out the final few issues and get those resolved into text.”Ahead of the meeting with Biden, Johnson said that he would continue to seek “answers to critical questions” about Ukraine.“… But before we even talk about Ukraine, I am going to tell the president what I’m telling all of you and we’ve told the American people: Border, border, border. We have to take care of our own house. We have to secure our own border before we talk about doing anything else,” Johnson told reporters during the House Republicans’ weekly press conference.When asked to respond to Johnson’s comments, White House National Security Council spokesman Adm. John Kirby said, “Today’s meeting is about Ukraine. That’s what we’re going to focus on in that discussion.”“I would remind (Johnson) that since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine in February ‘22 we have provided multiple classified and unclassified briefings to members of Congress,” Kirby also said.The U.S. provided its latest aid&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3627179/biden-administration-announces-new-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">package</a>&nbsp;to Ukraine in late December, and the administration said that was the final assistance available until Congress approves new aid.Kirby said Ukraine continues to go through its stockpiles of artillery shells and rockets “at a pretty advanced clip.”The White House believes negotiations on the deal are “headed in the right direction,” Jean-Pierre said.When asked about White House negotiations with Senate and House Republicans, Jean-Pierre said House Republicans “have gotten in the way when it comes to border security.”“We want to work with them, but they’ve been very clear where they stand,” she said during the daily press briefing.

No deal on Ukraine aid after White House meeting with congressional leaders

KVFD is saddened to report the identity of the victim of the early morning house fire that&nbsp; occurred on Sunday, January 14, 2024 was Terry Grossman, a 61-year-old female from&nbsp; Kearney. KVFD responded to the structure fire at 1212 B Avenue in Kearney at&nbsp; approximately 3:30 AM. KVFD firefighters located an adult female inside the residence who&nbsp; was deceased prior to being rescued from the residence. Lifesaving efforts were made at the&nbsp; scene, sadly, those efforts were unsuccessful. The cause of the fire is currently under&nbsp; investigation by the State Fire Marshal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Terry Grossman during this&nbsp; difficult and painful time. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the emergency&nbsp; responders who assisted in battling the fire.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KPD, Gibbon Volunteer Fire Department, CHI Good Samaritan Hospital, NPPD and Northwestern Energy responded to assist at the scene.&nbsp;

Kearney Volunteer Fire DepartmentKVFD is saddened to report the identity of the victim of the early morning house fire that&nbsp; occurred on Sunday, January 14, 2024 was Terry Grossman, a 61-year-old female from&nbsp; Kearney. KVFD responded to the structure fire at 1212 B Avenue in Kearney at&nbsp; approximately 3:30 AM. KVFD firefighters located an adult female inside the residence who&nbsp; was deceased prior to being rescued from the residence. Lifesaving efforts were made at the&nbsp; scene, sadly, those efforts were unsuccessful. The cause of the fire is currently under&nbsp; investigation by the State Fire Marshal.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Terry Grossman during this&nbsp; difficult and painful time. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the emergency&nbsp; responders who assisted in battling the fire.&nbsp;&nbsp;KPD, Gibbon Volunteer Fire Department, CHI Good Samaritan Hospital, NPPD and Northwestern Energy responded to assist at the scene.&nbsp;

Victim identified from Sunday's early morning house fire in Kearney

By Paul Hammel&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Local&nbsp;school districts could choose to allow security personnel or other designated employees to carry firearms to enhance security under a proposal introduced Wednesday.

“I don’t want children to die,” said Gordon Sen. Tom Brewer, who introduced LB 1339 along with 28 other senators.

Brewer said the measure would provide local control to allow school districts to decide whether they want armed security in their school buildings.

Districts would have to adopt a written policy on arming school personnel under the proposal, and any training requirements would be up to them, Brewer said.

Wednesday was the final day for bill introduction by state senators (the governor can file bills past the deadline), with 591 new bills introduced this year, along with 11 proposed constitutional amendments.

Among other measures introduced on Wednesday,&nbsp;State Sen. Dave Murman and 14 other senators introduced LB 1330, which would ban state colleges and universities from requiring diversity, equity and inclusion training for employees and from using DEI in hiring or spending money on DEI offices.

The bill aligns with the anti-DEI bills being introduced by conservative senators across the country.

A&nbsp;72-page bill introduced by Speaker of the Legislature Sen. John Arch and eight other senators is designed to restore the powers of legislatively created “inspectors general” to probe cases of abuse and deaths within state prisons and the child welfare system.

The inspectors general offices have been blocked from visiting state institutions and accessing state records since a non-binding legal opinion was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/16/attorney-generals-opinion-casts-doubt-on-powers-of-legislatures-inspectors-general/">issued in August by Attorney General Mike Hilgers</a>&nbsp;that questioned whether their work violated the separation of powers.

Under LB 1321, the Legislature’s Judiciary and Health and Human Services Committees, as well as the Executive Board, could issue subpoenas if information wasn’t supplied to the IGs.

The Exec Board hired outside legal counsel to review Hilgers’ legal opinion, which led to the drafting of the bill.

Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad has also drafted a measure to restore the powers of the IGs, and Omaha Sen. Wendy DeBoer introduced a proposed constitutional amendment Wednesday to address the issue.

In addition, the Nebraska Department of Corrections announced Tuesday that it is seeking to hire a “chief inspector” to inspect prisons and improve grievance processes. That inspector, however, would apparently not pursue cases of abuse and neglect, or probe whether prisons were following state policies, as the IG for Corrections now does.

One proposal in Arch’s bill would remove the ability of the IG of Child Welfare to obtain records from the judicial branch, which would resolve a dispute with the judiciary.

A statement Wednesday from the Office of Public Counsel, which oversees the IGs, said that LB 1321 would make it clear that the work of the officials “is squarely constitutional.”

“We look forward to continuing to doing our jobs on behalf of the Legislature so there is meaningful transparency and accountability for the critical government agencies providing services to children, families, and the correctional system,” said the statement.

Employers would get a tax break on the moving expenses of new employees under LB 1400, introduced on behalf of the governor by Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln.

Such new employees would have to earn more than $70,000 a year to qualify for the credit, which could not exceed $5,000.

The bill is designed to help address the state’s workforce shortage.

LB 1357 from Omaha Sen. Mike McDonnell would make it a misdemeanor crime for someone to camp on government property that is posted as not designated as a campground.

McDonnell said the proposal, crafted with the help of Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson, is aimed at addressing homeless encampments and protecting nearby property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705590000261.png" alt=" State senators work on the final day of the 2023 session of the Nebraska Legislature (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> State senators work on the final day of the 2023 session of the Nebraska Legislature (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Paul Hammel&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Local&nbsp;school districts could choose to allow security personnel or other designated employees to carry firearms to enhance security under a proposal introduced Wednesday.“I don’t want children to die,” said Gordon Sen. Tom Brewer, who introduced LB 1339 along with 28 other senators.Brewer said the measure would provide local control to allow school districts to decide whether they want armed security in their school buildings.Districts would have to adopt a written policy on arming school personnel under the proposal, and any training requirements would be up to them, Brewer said.Wednesday was the final day for bill introduction by state senators (the governor can file bills past the deadline), with 591 new bills introduced this year, along with 11 proposed constitutional amendments.<h2>DEI ban&nbsp;</h2>Among other measures introduced on Wednesday,&nbsp;State Sen. Dave Murman and 14 other senators introduced LB 1330, which would ban state colleges and universities from requiring diversity, equity and inclusion training for employees and from using DEI in hiring or spending money on DEI offices.The bill aligns with the anti-DEI bills being introduced by conservative senators across the country.<h2>Inspectors general</h2>A&nbsp;72-page bill introduced by Speaker of the Legislature Sen. John Arch and eight other senators is designed to restore the powers of legislatively created “inspectors general” to probe cases of abuse and deaths within state prisons and the child welfare system.The inspectors general offices have been blocked from visiting state institutions and accessing state records since a non-binding legal opinion was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/16/attorney-generals-opinion-casts-doubt-on-powers-of-legislatures-inspectors-general/">issued in August by Attorney General Mike Hilgers</a>&nbsp;that questioned whether their work violated the separation of powers.Under LB 1321, the Legislature’s Judiciary and Health and Human Services Committees, as well as the Executive Board, could issue subpoenas if information wasn’t supplied to the IGs.The Exec Board hired outside legal counsel to review Hilgers’ legal opinion, which led to the drafting of the bill.Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad has also drafted a measure to restore the powers of the IGs, and Omaha Sen. Wendy DeBoer introduced a proposed constitutional amendment Wednesday to address the issue.In addition, the Nebraska Department of Corrections announced Tuesday that it is seeking to hire a “chief inspector” to inspect prisons and improve grievance processes. That inspector, however, would apparently not pursue cases of abuse and neglect, or probe whether prisons were following state policies, as the IG for Corrections now does.One proposal in Arch’s bill would remove the ability of the IG of Child Welfare to obtain records from the judicial branch, which would resolve a dispute with the judiciary.A statement Wednesday from the Office of Public Counsel, which oversees the IGs, said that LB 1321 would make it clear that the work of the officials “is squarely constitutional.”“We look forward to continuing to doing our jobs on behalf of the Legislature so there is meaningful transparency and accountability for the critical government agencies providing services to children, families, and the correctional system,” said the statement.<h2>Employees’ moving expenses</h2>Employers would get a tax break on the moving expenses of new employees under LB 1400, introduced on behalf of the governor by Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln.Such new employees would have to earn more than $70,000 a year to qualify for the credit, which could not exceed $5,000.The bill is designed to help address the state’s workforce shortage.<h2>Homeless encampments</h2>LB 1357 from Omaha Sen. Mike McDonnell would make it a misdemeanor crime for someone to camp on government property that is posted as not designated as a campground.McDonnell said the proposal, crafted with the help of Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson, is aimed at addressing homeless encampments and protecting nearby property.

Bill would arm school personnel; another would block DEI training

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military fired another wave of ship- and submarine-launch missile strikes against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">Houthi-controlled sites</a>&nbsp;Wednesday, U.S. Central Command said, marking the fourth time in days it has directly targeted the group in Yemen as violence that ignited in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war continues to spill over in the Middle East.

The strikes were launched from the Red Sea and hit 14 missiles that the command deemed an “imminent threat.” The strikes followed an official announcement Wednesday that the U.S. has put the Houthis back on its list of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/executive-order-13224/">specially designated global terrorists</a>. The sanctions that come with the formal designation are meant to sever violent extremist groups from their sources of financing.

“Forces conducted strikes on 14 Iran-backed Houthi missiles that were loaded to be fired in Houthi controlled areas in Yemen,” Central Command said in a statement posted on X late Wednesday. “These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time, prompting U.S. forces to exercise their inherent right and obligation to defend themselves.”

Despite the sanctions and military strikes, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">large-scale operation Friday</a>&nbsp;carried out by U.S. and British warships and warplanes that hit more than 60 targets across Yemen, the Houthis are continuing their harassment campaign of commercial and military ships. The latest incident occurred Wednesday when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-drone-attacks-ship-gulf-aden-9949c0b224812fd37958709ed19dd365">one-way attack drone</a>&nbsp;was launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen and struck the Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and -operated M/V Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden.

The U.S. has also strongly warned Iran to cease providing weapons to the Houthis. On Thursday a U.S. raid on a dhow intercepted ballistic missile parts the U.S. said Iran was shipping to Yemen. Two U.S. Navy SEALs remain unaccounted for after one was knocked off the vessel by a wave during the seizure and the second followed the overcome SEAL into the water.

On Wednesday, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. would continue to take military action to prevent further attacks.

“They are exploiting this situation to conduct attacks against the ships and vessels from more than 50 countries ... around the world. And so we’re going to continue to work with our partners in the region to prevent those attacks or deter those attacks in the future,” Ryder said.

There have been several incidents since the Friday joint operations. The Houthis fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward a U.S. Navy destroyer over the weekend, but the ship shot it down. The Houthis then struck a U.S.-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden on Monday and a Malta-flagged bulk carrier in the Red Sea on Tuesday. In response Tuesday, the U.S. struck four anti-ship ballistic missiles that were prepared to launch and presented an imminent threat to merchant and U.S. Navy ships in the region.

Hours later, the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zografia. The ship was hit, but no one was injured and it continued on its way.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699124273212.png" alt="On Wednesday, a&nbsp;one-way attack drone&nbsp;was launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen and struck the Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and -operated M/V Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden.Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>On Wednesday, a&nbsp;one-way attack drone&nbsp;was launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen and struck the Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and -operated M/V Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden.Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military fired another wave of ship- and submarine-launch missile strikes against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">Houthi-controlled sites</a>&nbsp;Wednesday, U.S. Central Command said, marking the fourth time in days it has directly targeted the group in Yemen as violence that ignited in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war continues to spill over in the Middle East.The strikes were launched from the Red Sea and hit 14 missiles that the command deemed an “imminent threat.” The strikes followed an official announcement Wednesday that the U.S. has put the Houthis back on its list of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/executive-order-13224/">specially designated global terrorists</a>. The sanctions that come with the formal designation are meant to sever violent extremist groups from their sources of financing.“Forces conducted strikes on 14 Iran-backed Houthi missiles that were loaded to be fired in Houthi controlled areas in Yemen,” Central Command said in a statement posted on X late Wednesday. “These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time, prompting U.S. forces to exercise their inherent right and obligation to defend themselves.”Despite the sanctions and military strikes, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">large-scale operation Friday</a>&nbsp;carried out by U.S. and British warships and warplanes that hit more than 60 targets across Yemen, the Houthis are continuing their harassment campaign of commercial and military ships. The latest incident occurred Wednesday when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-drone-attacks-ship-gulf-aden-9949c0b224812fd37958709ed19dd365">one-way attack drone</a>&nbsp;was launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen and struck the Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and -operated M/V Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden.The U.S. has also strongly warned Iran to cease providing weapons to the Houthis. On Thursday a U.S. raid on a dhow intercepted ballistic missile parts the U.S. said Iran was shipping to Yemen. Two U.S. Navy SEALs remain unaccounted for after one was knocked off the vessel by a wave during the seizure and the second followed the overcome SEAL into the water.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705405198142.png" alt="-a U.S. raid on a dhow intercepted ballistic missile parts the U.S. said Iran was shipping to Yemen.-photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>-a U.S. raid on a dhow intercepted ballistic missile parts the U.S. said Iran was shipping to Yemen.-photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. would continue to take military action to prevent further attacks.“They are exploiting this situation to conduct attacks against the ships and vessels from more than 50 countries ... around the world. And so we’re going to continue to work with our partners in the region to prevent those attacks or deter those attacks in the future,” Ryder said.There have been several incidents since the Friday joint operations. The Houthis fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward a U.S. Navy destroyer over the weekend, but the ship shot it down. The Houthis then struck a U.S.-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden on Monday and a Malta-flagged bulk carrier in the Red Sea on Tuesday. In response Tuesday, the U.S. struck four anti-ship ballistic missiles that were prepared to launch and presented an imminent threat to merchant and U.S. Navy ships in the region.Hours later, the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zografia. The ship was hit, but no one was injured and it continued on its way.

After another attack, US  launches 4th strike against Iran-backed terrorists

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A nearly $1 billion upgrade of the airport in Omaha, Nebraska, will include a new glass-domed entrance, larger boarding gates and baggage claim areas and the addition of new restaurants and shops, airport officials said Wednesday.

The Omaha Airport Authority approved plans Tuesday for a $950 million project expected to be completed by 2028 at Eppley Airfield. User fees, not taxes, will fund the project, the authority said in a news release.

The project calls for expanding the terminal by 72%, adding two new gates, and adding a customs area for future international flights.

The project has been under discussion for years but was delayed by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19 pandemic.</a>&nbsp;Airport officials said 2023 was the second-busiest year ever at the airport, with more than 5 million passengers. That was an increase of 11% from 2022.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A nearly $1 billion upgrade of the airport in Omaha, Nebraska, will include a new glass-domed entrance, larger boarding gates and baggage claim areas and the addition of new restaurants and shops, airport officials said Wednesday.The Omaha Airport Authority approved plans Tuesday for a $950 million project expected to be completed by 2028 at Eppley Airfield. User fees, not taxes, will fund the project, the authority said in a news release.The project calls for expanding the terminal by 72%, adding two new gates, and adding a customs area for future international flights.The project has been under discussion for years but was delayed by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19 pandemic.</a>&nbsp;Airport officials said 2023 was the second-busiest year ever at the airport, with more than 5 million passengers. That was an increase of 11% from 2022.

Nearly $1 billion upgrade planned for Eppley Airfield in Omaha

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration Wednesday announced plans to redesignate Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen as specially designated global terrorists, according to two people familiar with the White House decision and a U.S. official.

The move comes as the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The group says it has attacked the ships in response to Israel's military operations in Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

&nbsp;According to a statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan:

"These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism.&nbsp; They have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized global trade, and threatened freedom of navigation."

"The United States and the international community have been united in our response and in condemning these attacks in the strongest terms."

"Today, in response to these continuing threats and attacks, the United States announced the designation of Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. "

"This designation is an important tool to impede terrorist funding to the Houthis, further restrict their access to financial markets, and hold them accountable for their actions.&nbsp; If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will immediately reevaluate this designation."

"The designation will take effect 30 days from now, to allow us to ensure robust humanitarian carve outs are in place so our action targets the Houthis and not the people of Yemen. We are rolling out unprecedented carve outs and licenses to help prevent adverse impacts on the Yemeni people."

"The people of Yemen should not pay the price for the actions of the Houthis.&nbsp;&nbsp; We are sending a clear message: commercial shipments into Yemeni ports on which the Yemeni people rely for food, medicine and fuel should continue and are not covered by our sanctions."

"This is in addition to the carveouts we include in all sanctions programs for food, medicine, and humanitarian assistance.As President Biden has said, the United States will not hesitate to take further actions to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce."

“This designation would add another level of uncertainty and threat for Yemenis still caught in one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises,” said Scott Paul, an associate director of Oxfam America. “The Biden administration is playing with fire and we call on them to avoid this designation immediately and prioritize the lives of Yemenis now.”

The specially designated global terrorists label to be reimposed on the Houthis does not include sanctions for providing “material support” and it does not come with travel bans that are also imposed with the foreign terrorist organization label, steps intended to help prevent the U.S. move from harming ordinary Yemenis.

Meanwhile, a senior White House official said Tuesday that addressing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">ongoing threat by Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;on commercial vessels in the Red Sea is an “all hands on deck” problem that the U.S. and allies must address together to minimize impact on the global economy.

“How long this goes on and how bad it gets comes down not just to the decisions of the countries in the coalition that took strikes last week,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The Iran-backed Houthi group has launched dozens of attacks since November on vessels in the Red Sea, a vital corridor for the world’s shipping traffic, in what they say is an effort to support Palestinians in the war with Israel. U.S. and British forces have responded by carrying out dozens of air and sea strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since Friday. The attacks by the Houthis have continued.

Linda Thomas Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said last week that 2,000 ships since November have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea. Houthi militants have threatened or taken hostage mariners from more than 20 countries.

The Red Sea attacks have already caused significant disruptions to global trade. Oil prices have edged higher in recent days, though Brent crude futures were down slightly in early trading Tuesday.

The U.S. launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-missiles-iran-seizure-us-8112fbadd3b0689c71a92890895a9368">a new strike</a>&nbsp;against the Houthis on Tuesday, hitting anti-ship missiles in the third&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">assault on the Iranian-backed group</a>&nbsp;in recent days. The strike came as the Iranian-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack against the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zografia in the Red Sea. No one was injured.

Sullivan said it was critical that countries with influence on Tehran and other Middle East capitals make it clear “that the entire world rejects wholesale the idea that a group like the Houthis can basically hijack the world.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;senior adviser acknowledged that the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea as well as groups allied to Iran carrying out attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen pose concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could escalate even as Israeli officials have indicated a shift in intensity in their military campaign.

“We have to guard against and be vigilant against the possibility that in fact, rather than heading towards de-escalation, we are on a path of escalation that we have to manage,” Sullivan said.

The comments from Sullivan came after Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said during an appearance at the Davos forum that the situation in the Middle East is a “recipe for escalation everywhere.” He said Qatar believes that ending the conflict in Gaza will stop the Houthis and militant groups from launching attacks elsewhere in the region.

Sullivan on Tuesday met with Al Thani as well as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, according to the White House.

Iran fired missiles late Monday at what it said were Israeli “spy headquarters” in an upscale neighborhood near the sprawling U.S. Consulate compound in Irbil, the seat of Iraq’s northern semi-autonomous Kurdish region, and at targets linked to the extremist Islamic State group in northern&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/TurkeySyriaEarthquake">Syria</a>.

Iraq on Tuesday called the attacks, which killed several civilians, a “blatant violation” of Iraq’s sovereignty and recalled its ambassador from Tehran.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration Wednesday announced plans to redesignate Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen as specially designated global terrorists, according to two people familiar with the White House decision and a U.S. official.The move comes as the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The group says it has attacked the ships in response to Israel's military operations in Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.&nbsp;According to a statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan:"These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism.&nbsp; They have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized global trade, and threatened freedom of navigation."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Terrorist Designation of the Houthis <a href="https://t.co/LdF3SrVKga">https://t.co/LdF3SrVKga</a> <a href="https://t.co/5aFTUDvytH">pic.twitter.com/5aFTUDvytH</a>&mdash; U.S. Embassy to Yemen السفارة الأمريكية لدى اليمن (@USEmbassyYemen) <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbassyYemen/status/1747653176088576196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"The United States and the international community have been united in our response and in condemning these attacks in the strongest terms.""Today, in response to these continuing threats and attacks, the United States announced the designation of Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. ""This designation is an important tool to impede terrorist funding to the Houthis, further restrict their access to financial markets, and hold them accountable for their actions.&nbsp; If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will immediately reevaluate this designation.""The designation will take effect 30 days from now, to allow us to ensure robust humanitarian carve outs are in place so our action targets the Houthis and not the people of Yemen. We are rolling out unprecedented carve outs and licenses to help prevent adverse impacts on the Yemeni people.""The people of Yemen should not pay the price for the actions of the Houthis.&nbsp;&nbsp; We are sending a clear message: commercial shipments into Yemeni ports on which the Yemeni people rely for food, medicine and fuel should continue and are not covered by our sanctions.""This is in addition to the carveouts we include in all sanctions programs for food, medicine, and humanitarian assistance.As President Biden has said, the United States will not hesitate to take further actions to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce."“This designation would add another level of uncertainty and threat for Yemenis still caught in one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises,” said Scott Paul, an associate director of Oxfam America. “The Biden administration is playing with fire and we call on them to avoid this designation immediately and prioritize the lives of Yemenis now.”The specially designated global terrorists label to be reimposed on the Houthis does not include sanctions for providing “material support” and it does not come with travel bans that are also imposed with the foreign terrorist organization label, steps intended to help prevent the U.S. move from harming ordinary Yemenis.Meanwhile, a senior White House official said Tuesday that addressing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">ongoing threat by Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;on commercial vessels in the Red Sea is an “all hands on deck” problem that the U.S. and allies must address together to minimize impact on the global economy.“How long this goes on and how bad it gets comes down not just to the decisions of the countries in the coalition that took strikes last week,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.The Iran-backed Houthi group has launched dozens of attacks since November on vessels in the Red Sea, a vital corridor for the world’s shipping traffic, in what they say is an effort to support Palestinians in the war with Israel. U.S. and British forces have responded by carrying out dozens of air and sea strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since Friday. The attacks by the Houthis have continued.Linda Thomas Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said last week that 2,000 ships since November have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea. Houthi militants have threatened or taken hostage mariners from more than 20 countries.The Red Sea attacks have already caused significant disruptions to global trade. Oil prices have edged higher in recent days, though Brent crude futures were down slightly in early trading Tuesday.The U.S. launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-missiles-iran-seizure-us-8112fbadd3b0689c71a92890895a9368">a new strike</a>&nbsp;against the Houthis on Tuesday, hitting anti-ship missiles in the third&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">assault on the Iranian-backed group</a>&nbsp;in recent days. The strike came as the Iranian-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack against the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zografia in the Red Sea. No one was injured.Sullivan said it was critical that countries with influence on Tehran and other Middle East capitals make it clear “that the entire world rejects wholesale the idea that a group like the Houthis can basically hijack the world.”<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;senior adviser acknowledged that the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea as well as groups allied to Iran carrying out attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen pose concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could escalate even as Israeli officials have indicated a shift in intensity in their military campaign.“We have to guard against and be vigilant against the possibility that in fact, rather than heading towards de-escalation, we are on a path of escalation that we have to manage,” Sullivan said.The comments from Sullivan came after Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said during an appearance at the Davos forum that the situation in the Middle East is a “recipe for escalation everywhere.” He said Qatar believes that ending the conflict in Gaza will stop the Houthis and militant groups from launching attacks elsewhere in the region.Sullivan on Tuesday met with Al Thani as well as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, according to the White House.Iran fired missiles late Monday at what it said were Israeli “spy headquarters” in an upscale neighborhood near the sprawling U.S. Consulate compound in Irbil, the seat of Iraq’s northern semi-autonomous Kurdish region, and at targets linked to the extremist Islamic State group in northern&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/TurkeySyriaEarthquake">Syria</a>.Iraq on Tuesday called the attacks, which killed several civilians, a “blatant violation” of Iraq’s sovereignty and recalled its ambassador from Tehran.-The Associated Press contributed to this report

 US relists Iranian-rebel group as terrorists in response to Red Sea attacks

OMAHA, Neb. –&nbsp;The five state Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division marked an 83 percent increase in the number of fentanyl pills seized in 2023 and removed an estimated 2.9 million lethal doses of fentanyl both in pill and powder form, from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and eight counties along the western border of Illinois and Wisconsin. Nationally, DEA seized more than 77 million fentanyl pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl, amounting to more than 386 million deadly doses, enough to kill every American.&nbsp;

Within the DEA Omaha Division, Minnesota recorded the largest increase in pill seizures, with investigators taking off more than 417,000 pills for a 127 percent increase over 2022 totals. Iowa followed suit noting a 105 percent increase over its 2022 pill seizures, with more than 141,000 pills seized in 2023. North Dakota pill seizures increased nearly 50 percent while Nebraska and South Dakota numbers declined.

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “The DEA Omaha Division covers a vast expanse of land containing urban, suburban and rural communities. Sadly, none of these communities are exempt from the tragic consequences that can come from experimenting with or using fentanyl. This drug is potentially lethal in such a small amount, that it can fit on the tip of a pencil. We’re seeing it in both pill and powder form all across our Division.”

Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. DEA laboratory testing in 2023 showed that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dea.gov/stories/2023/2023-10/2023-10-06/message-dea-administrator-anne-milgram" target="_blank">7 out of 10 pills</a>&nbsp;tested contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from 4 out of 10 pills in 2021 and 6 out of 10 pills in 2022. A potentially deadly dose is considered just two milligrams of fentanyl.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is predicting record numbers of drug poisonings for 2023, with their latest estimate for the 12-month period ending June 2023 at 112,323 American lives lost.&nbsp; Nearly 70 percent of these drug poisonings are from fentanyl.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Two states, Nebraska and North Dakota, recorded a jump in methamphetamine seizures from 2022 to 2023. In Nebraska, DEA investigators seized more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine, marking the largest seizure of meth in five years. Cocaine seizures were also up in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota in 2023.

For more information on 2023 DEA Omaha Division seizure data, please contact Public Information Officer Emily Murray at 571-387-3545.

DEA OmahaOMAHA, Neb. –&nbsp;The five state Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division marked an 83 percent increase in the number of fentanyl pills seized in 2023 and removed an estimated 2.9 million lethal doses of fentanyl both in pill and powder form, from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and eight counties along the western border of Illinois and Wisconsin. Nationally, DEA seized more than 77 million fentanyl pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl, amounting to more than 386 million deadly doses, enough to kill every American.&nbsp;Within the DEA Omaha Division, Minnesota recorded the largest increase in pill seizures, with investigators taking off more than 417,000 pills for a 127 percent increase over 2022 totals. Iowa followed suit noting a 105 percent increase over its 2022 pill seizures, with more than 141,000 pills seized in 2023. North Dakota pill seizures increased nearly 50 percent while Nebraska and South Dakota numbers declined.“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “The DEA Omaha Division covers a vast expanse of land containing urban, suburban and rural communities. Sadly, none of these communities are exempt from the tragic consequences that can come from experimenting with or using fentanyl. This drug is potentially lethal in such a small amount, that it can fit on the tip of a pencil. We’re seeing it in both pill and powder form all across our Division.”Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. DEA laboratory testing in 2023 showed that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dea.gov/stories/2023/2023-10/2023-10-06/message-dea-administrator-anne-milgram" target="_blank">7 out of 10 pills</a>&nbsp;tested contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from 4 out of 10 pills in 2021 and 6 out of 10 pills in 2022. A potentially deadly dose is considered just two milligrams of fentanyl.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is predicting record numbers of drug poisonings for 2023, with their latest estimate for the 12-month period ending June 2023 at 112,323 American lives lost.&nbsp; Nearly 70 percent of these drug poisonings are from fentanyl.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Two states, Nebraska and North Dakota, recorded a jump in methamphetamine seizures from 2022 to 2023. In Nebraska, DEA investigators seized more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine, marking the largest seizure of meth in five years. Cocaine seizures were also up in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota in 2023.For more information on 2023 DEA Omaha Division seizure data, please contact Public Information Officer Emily Murray at 571-387-3545.

DEA Omaha Division Notes Record Fentanyl Seizures in 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairmen of the top tax policy committees in Congress announced a bipartisan agreement Tuesday to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/child-tax-credits-program-ends-5ded3907c72ee0c3ad8a067a29d6b2c0">enhance the child tax credit</a>&nbsp;and revive a variety of tax breaks for businesses, a combination designed to attract support from lawmakers of both political parties.

The roughly $78 billion in tax cuts would be paid for by more quickly ending a tax break Congress approved during the COVID-19 pandemic that encouraged businesses to keep employees on their payroll.

The agreement was announced by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-wyden">Sen. Ron Wyden</a>, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jason-smith">Rep. Jason Smith</a>, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. The lawmakers have been negotiating for months on a tax package that would address an array of priorities before lawmakers turn their focus to election season.

Wyden said his goal is to gain approval of the measure in time for businesses and families to benefit during the upcoming filing season. The Internal Revenue Service will begin accepting and processing tax returns on Jan. 29, so lawmakers are looking to move the bill as quickly as possible.

Meeting that goal may prove difficult as lawmakers are already racing to finish their spending bills and are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-border-security-joe-biden-55da358910d67622c7f4289666979f63">considering a bill</a>&nbsp;focused on both aiding Israel, and Ukraine and stemming the flow of migrants entering the country at the U.S.-Mexico border. One option would be for leaders in the House and Senate to attach the measure to one of those top-priority bills.

In forging the agreement, Democratic negotiators were focused on boosting the child tax credit. The tax credit is $2,000 per child, but only $1,600 is refundable, which makes it available to parents who owe little to nothing in federal income taxes. The bill would incrementally increase the maximum refundable child tax credit to $1,800 for 2023 tax returns, $1,900 for the following year and $2,000 for 2025 tax returns.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank and advocacy group, projected that about 16 million children in low-income families would benefit from the child tax credit expansion.

“Given today’s miserable political climate, it’s a big deal to have this opportunity to pass pro-family policy that helps so many kids get ahead,” Wyden said in a statement announcing the deal.

Republicans were focused on tax breaks for businesses that they said would help grow the economy. The tax breaks in the bill would generally align their expiration date — the end of 2025 — with many of the other tax cuts that were approved in 2017.

Most notably, the bill would give companies of all sizes the ability to deduct research and development costs immediately rather than over the course of five years. It would also allow businesses to fully deduct the purchase of equipment, machinery and technology. And, the bill also provides more flexibility in determining how much borrowing can be deducted.

Smith said the agreement “strengthens Main Street businesses, boosts our competitiveness with China, and creates jobs.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he supported the tax package and “that there are many things in it both sides can celebrate.” He praised the inclusion of an increased tax credit for the construction and rehabilitation of housing for low-income households, and he said he could not have supported the package without it.

“The low-income housing tax credit is one of the most effective tools in existence to increase the supply of affordable housing," Schumer said. “This package will make this credit far more generous and far more easy to access.”

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was expected to meet with Smith on Tuesday to discuss the tax agreement.

Some lawmakers have insisted that any tax extensions be paid for so as not to add to projected deficits. The authors of the agreement attempt to do that by speeding up the demise of the employee retention tax credit. Under current law, businesses had until April 15 of next year to claim the credit. The bill would bar additional claims after Jan. 31 of this year. It also would increase penalties for tax preparers failing to undertake due diligence in submitting those COVID-19-related claims.

The tax credit was designed to make it easier for businesses to keep their employees on the payroll at a time when COVID-19 was keeping people at home and away from stores, hotels and restaurants. The IRS in September announced a moratorium in processing new claims through at least the end of the year, following concerns that a substantial share of new claims from the aging program were ineligible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641231882156.png" alt="File photo U.S. capitol -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. capitol -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairmen of the top tax policy committees in Congress announced a bipartisan agreement Tuesday to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/child-tax-credits-program-ends-5ded3907c72ee0c3ad8a067a29d6b2c0">enhance the child tax credit</a>&nbsp;and revive a variety of tax breaks for businesses, a combination designed to attract support from lawmakers of both political parties.The roughly $78 billion in tax cuts would be paid for by more quickly ending a tax break Congress approved during the COVID-19 pandemic that encouraged businesses to keep employees on their payroll.The agreement was announced by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-wyden">Sen. Ron Wyden</a>, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jason-smith">Rep. Jason Smith</a>, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. The lawmakers have been negotiating for months on a tax package that would address an array of priorities before lawmakers turn their focus to election season.Wyden said his goal is to gain approval of the measure in time for businesses and families to benefit during the upcoming filing season. The Internal Revenue Service will begin accepting and processing tax returns on Jan. 29, so lawmakers are looking to move the bill as quickly as possible.Meeting that goal may prove difficult as lawmakers are already racing to finish their spending bills and are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-border-security-joe-biden-55da358910d67622c7f4289666979f63">considering a bill</a>&nbsp;focused on both aiding Israel, and Ukraine and stemming the flow of migrants entering the country at the U.S.-Mexico border. One option would be for leaders in the House and Senate to attach the measure to one of those top-priority bills.In forging the agreement, Democratic negotiators were focused on boosting the child tax credit. The tax credit is $2,000 per child, but only $1,600 is refundable, which makes it available to parents who owe little to nothing in federal income taxes. The bill would incrementally increase the maximum refundable child tax credit to $1,800 for 2023 tax returns, $1,900 for the following year and $2,000 for 2025 tax returns.The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank and advocacy group, projected that about 16 million children in low-income families would benefit from the child tax credit expansion.“Given today’s miserable political climate, it’s a big deal to have this opportunity to pass pro-family policy that helps so many kids get ahead,” Wyden said in a statement announcing the deal.Republicans were focused on tax breaks for businesses that they said would help grow the economy. The tax breaks in the bill would generally align their expiration date — the end of 2025 — with many of the other tax cuts that were approved in 2017.Most notably, the bill would give companies of all sizes the ability to deduct research and development costs immediately rather than over the course of five years. It would also allow businesses to fully deduct the purchase of equipment, machinery and technology. And, the bill also provides more flexibility in determining how much borrowing can be deducted.Smith said the agreement “strengthens Main Street businesses, boosts our competitiveness with China, and creates jobs.”Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he supported the tax package and “that there are many things in it both sides can celebrate.” He praised the inclusion of an increased tax credit for the construction and rehabilitation of housing for low-income households, and he said he could not have supported the package without it.“The low-income housing tax credit is one of the most effective tools in existence to increase the supply of affordable housing," Schumer said. “This package will make this credit far more generous and far more easy to access.”Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was expected to meet with Smith on Tuesday to discuss the tax agreement.Some lawmakers have insisted that any tax extensions be paid for so as not to add to projected deficits. The authors of the agreement attempt to do that by speeding up the demise of the employee retention tax credit. Under current law, businesses had until April 15 of next year to claim the credit. The bill would bar additional claims after Jan. 31 of this year. It also would increase penalties for tax preparers failing to undertake due diligence in submitting those COVID-19-related claims.The tax credit was designed to make it easier for businesses to keep their employees on the payroll at a time when COVID-19 was keeping people at home and away from stores, hotels and restaurants. The IRS in September announced a moratorium in processing new claims through at least the end of the year, following concerns that a substantial share of new claims from the aging program were ineligible.

What's in the new $78 billion congressional tax plan

A new National Institutes of Health grant awarded to Center for Heart and Vascular Research&nbsp;at the University of Nebraska Medical Center&nbsp;signals the future of UNMC’s leadership in tackling diseases that are the leading cause of death and hospitalization in Nebraska and across the U.S.

The Center for Heart and Vascular Research, under the direction of principal investigator Rebekah Gundry, PhD, recently was awarded more than $11.8 million by the National Institutes of Health to create a Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) focused on finding answers for heart and vascular diseases. The COBRE is a considerable stamp of approval and source of support from the National Institutes of Health and its National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

“The achievement of this significant and prestigious National Institutes of Health COBRE grant officially marks heart and vascular research as the latest of UNMC’s signature programs of expertise, yet another way we are proud to lead our nation and the world,” UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, said.

“But most important,” Dr. Gold continued, “the work done thanks to this support will someday make a true difference in the lives of our patients, and the families who love them. This is why we go to work every day.”

The COBRE will grow a center that develops early career researchers, promotes collaborative research and supports research into heart and vascular diseases through cutting-edge infrastructure and invaluable mentoring.

Dr. Gundry is especially excited that the COBRE goes beyond empowering UNMC’s current accomplished cadre of heart and vascular disease scientists and charges UNMC and the Center for Heart and Vascular Research with developing the next generation of outstanding heart and vascular disease investigators at the medical center and in the U.S.

“The whole idea is to establish a pipeline for which we nurture, we grow, we mentor early career investigators to become independent,” Dr. Gundry said, meaning they ascend to the point that their heart and vascular disease research labs are fueled by NIH or other independent funding.

So, the COBRE doesn’t just support the early career scientist’s ability to do research. It also supports a senior scientist’s ability to mentor the early career scientist in all aspects of the job. And that creates more senior scientists, operating at the top of their respective games.

“It’s all tied together,” Dr. Gundry said. “And the reality is we’re better as a group.”

UNMCA new National Institutes of Health grant awarded to Center for Heart and Vascular Research&nbsp;at the University of Nebraska Medical Center&nbsp;signals the future of UNMC’s leadership in tackling diseases that are the leading cause of death and hospitalization in Nebraska and across the U.S.The Center for Heart and Vascular Research, under the direction of principal investigator Rebekah Gundry, PhD, recently was awarded more than $11.8 million by the National Institutes of Health to create a Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) focused on finding answers for heart and vascular diseases. The COBRE is a considerable stamp of approval and source of support from the National Institutes of Health and its National Institute of General Medical Sciences.“The achievement of this significant and prestigious National Institutes of Health COBRE grant officially marks heart and vascular research as the latest of UNMC’s signature programs of expertise, yet another way we are proud to lead our nation and the world,” UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, said.“But most important,” Dr. Gold continued, “the work done thanks to this support will someday make a true difference in the lives of our patients, and the families who love them. This is why we go to work every day.”The COBRE will grow a center that develops early career researchers, promotes collaborative research and supports research into heart and vascular diseases through cutting-edge infrastructure and invaluable mentoring.Dr. Gundry is especially excited that the COBRE goes beyond empowering UNMC’s current accomplished cadre of heart and vascular disease scientists and charges UNMC and the Center for Heart and Vascular Research with developing the next generation of outstanding heart and vascular disease investigators at the medical center and in the U.S.“The whole idea is to establish a pipeline for which we nurture, we grow, we mentor early career investigators to become independent,” Dr. Gundry said, meaning they ascend to the point that their heart and vascular disease research labs are fueled by NIH or other independent funding.So, the COBRE doesn’t just support the early career scientist’s ability to do research. It also supports a senior scientist’s ability to mentor the early career scientist in all aspects of the job. And that creates more senior scientists, operating at the top of their respective games.“It’s all tied together,” Dr. Gundry said. “And the reality is we’re better as a group.”UNMC early-career investigators now receiving NIH funding as part of the COBRE include Jeffrey Salomon, MD, who studies the microbiome in congenital heart disease. Pediatric cardiac research like this means, “You have the opportunity to set that person up for a better life long-term, with perhaps fewer need for interventions later on,” Dr. Gundry said.“After so much hard work by so many individuals, it is very exciting to have this opportunity,” Dr. Salomon said.Marian Urban, MD, PhD, is just as enthusiastic about the new support for his project: “This grant will provide significant resources to advance the donor organ intervention research and will ultimately increase the number of donor hearts available for transplantation,” he said.Jason Cook, MD, PhD, also will receive NIH funding as an early-career research project leader as part of the COBRE.Windy Alonso, PhD, assistant professor of nursing, was to have been the fourth, and she contributed to being awarded the grant. But meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/newsroom/2023/09/08/nursings-dr-alonso-team-tackle-ground-breaking-exercise-research/" target="_blank">she’s already achieved her own independent federal funding</a>. Another deserving research project leader will be identified to fill that spot, Dr. Gundry said.The COBRE grant also allows UNMC to develop and support critical research infrastructure that catalyzes innovative heart and vascular disease research including a new CHVR Bioassay Core.The Center for Heart and Vascular Research already capitalizes upon the Nebraska Cardiovascular Biobank and Registry, “one of the most amazing human specimen biobanks that exist,” Dr. Gundry said. The Center for Heart and Vascular Research also benefits tremendously from a partnership with Nebraska Medicine, which has one of the largest heart failure and transplant programs in the country and one of the busiest academic vascular surgery services in the Midwest.But the momentum is just beginning.“One of the practical strategic aspects of doing research is thinking about what can you do that you can do better than anyone else?” Dr. Gundry said. “What can you do that’s different? That will still be impactful, but help you do something that sets yourself apart and above what is possible elsewhere?“Here it’s really a perfect storm of the right personnel, the right leadership, the right infrastructure, right&nbsp;facilities that are going to do those (impactful) things.”This is UNMC’s third funded COBRE as an institution, with a fourth set to be submitted for proposal in spring 2024.