KANSAS CITY (AP) —Gypsy Rose Blanchard said she has found a way to forgive her mother — and herself. But it has been a long journey from years of abuse and the darkest parts of her life splashed across tabloids to living in prison.

Blanchard, now 32, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gypsy-rose-blanchard-munchausen-mother-killed-b3a792e32b72eb13feed9a73df2065fd">paroled</a>&nbsp;last week from a Missouri women's prison. Her release came 8 1/2 years after she persuaded her boyfriend at the time to kill her abusive mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard — in a desperate bid to be free of her.

For years, her mother forced her to pretend that she was suffering from leukemia, muscular dystrophy and other serious illnesses.

“At first I was really angry with her, very confused. And I’m still confused," Blanchard told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday. “But I understand that she had a lot of mental issues. And so I think that’s brought me to a place of forgiveness by just trying to understand where she was coming from. I don’t believe that she was evil.

"I know, that she was very sick,” she continued. This journey, Blanchard explained, also involved forgiving herself.

Dee Dee Blanchard had essentially kept her daughter prisoner and duped doctors into doing unnecessary procedures by telling them that her daughter's medical records had been lost in Hurricane Katrina. Gypsy Rose Blanchard's attorney said the mother had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through the exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children.

The mother-daughter duo received charitable donations, and even a home near Springfield from Habitat for Humanity.

Forced to use a wheelchair and feeding tube, Gypsy felt trapped. She said her mother, who lied about Gypsy's age to make her seem younger, prevented her from having much of a relationship with her father — or with anyone else.

“I wish I could go back and tell my younger self, ‘Call your dad. Reach out for help with people because they will actually believe you,’" she said. "The main reason why I didn’t is because I really felt like nobody would believe me whenever I said that things just wasn’t right at home.”

When she turned 23, she supplied a knife to her boyfriend, and hid in a bathroom while he repeatedly stabbed her mother, according to the probable cause statement. Then Gypsy and Nicholas Godejohn, who she met on a Christian dating website, made their way by bus to Godejohn's home in Wisconsin, where they were arrested.

Godejohn is serving a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-406c475f13654a588dc300afc3c43236">life sentence</a>&nbsp;in Missouri while prosecutors cut Blanchard a deal because of the abuse she had endured.

Incarceration was “nothing but self-discovery,” she said. She made friends, earned her GED and overcame early shortcomings in her education that left her unable to do basic math. While behind bars, she even met and married someone who forged a relationship with Gypsy by writing to her on a whim.

"I was in a little cocoon. And now that I’m free, I’ve emerged as a butterfly,” she said.

She describes her husband Ryan Scott Anderson, a 37-year-old special education teacher from Lake Charles, Louisiana, as a “teddy bear." In the pre-dawn hours last Thursday, Anderson picked her up at the prison. They had planned to go to the Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday; she dreamed she might even bump into superstar Taylor Swift as she cheered on her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce. Swift's music had been an inspiration to Blanchard.

But going to the game was deemed too much, too soon. Instead she headed to Louisiana and started to settle into post-prison life. Her father also lives in the state, and she said she is finally “getting to know him as an adult.”

“This is what I’ve been wanting for so long," she said. “But it’s an adjustment. But it’s a wonderful adjustment.” She added that given her childhood, it also is her "first taste of actual, real, full fledged freedom.”

This week, she is delighting in the little things. She used a Keurig coffee maker for the first time Tuesday. She played video games with her father using a virtual reality headset. She described both experiences as “amazing.”

She isn't sure yet what will come next and said she wants to give herself a little bit of time before she decides. Eventually, she wants to have children with her husband. But when is a question mark, as is possibilities for employment. The only jobs she has ever had were all in prison, where she took photos and helped out with janitorial tasks.

“Right now, I’m really not sure what my skill is," she said, "so I’m going to have to kind of discover that over time.”

As she adjusts, there has been a fresh round of media coverage. A Lifetime docuseries “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gypsyrose_a_blanchard/">and her own eBook, </a>“Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom” (Penguin Random House) are coming out this month.

Around the U.S. people learned about the bizarre case from the 2017 HBO documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and the 2019 Hulu miniseries “The Act."

While there have been many TV specials and interviews over the years, she steered clear of watching them, fearing it would be “emotionally traumatizing,” she said. This docuseries will be the first she has ever watched.

“I am at least putting myself out there to be a cautionary tale,” she said. "because I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I went through.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704246799693.png" alt="Blanchard-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Blanchard-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Gypsy Rose Blanchard said she has found a way to forgive her mother — and herself. But it has been a long journey from years of abuse and the darkest parts of her life splashed across tabloids to living in prison.Blanchard, now 32, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gypsy-rose-blanchard-munchausen-mother-killed-b3a792e32b72eb13feed9a73df2065fd">paroled</a>&nbsp;last week from a Missouri women's prison. Her release came 8 1/2 years after she persuaded her boyfriend at the time to kill her abusive mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard — in a desperate bid to be free of her.For years, her mother forced her to pretend that she was suffering from leukemia, muscular dystrophy and other serious illnesses.“At first I was really angry with her, very confused. And I’m still confused," Blanchard told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday. “But I understand that she had a lot of mental issues. And so I think that’s brought me to a place of forgiveness by just trying to understand where she was coming from. I don’t believe that she was evil."I know, that she was very sick,” she continued. This journey, Blanchard explained, also involved forgiving herself.Dee Dee Blanchard had essentially kept her daughter prisoner and duped doctors into doing unnecessary procedures by telling them that her daughter's medical records had been lost in Hurricane Katrina. Gypsy Rose Blanchard's attorney said the mother had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through the exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children.The mother-daughter duo received charitable donations, and even a home near Springfield from Habitat for Humanity.Forced to use a wheelchair and feeding tube, Gypsy felt trapped. She said her mother, who lied about Gypsy's age to make her seem younger, prevented her from having much of a relationship with her father — or with anyone else.“I wish I could go back and tell my younger self, ‘Call your dad. Reach out for help with people because they will actually believe you,’" she said. "The main reason why I didn’t is because I really felt like nobody would believe me whenever I said that things just wasn’t right at home.”When she turned 23, she supplied a knife to her boyfriend, and hid in a bathroom while he repeatedly stabbed her mother, according to the probable cause statement. Then Gypsy and Nicholas Godejohn, who she met on a Christian dating website, made their way by bus to Godejohn's home in Wisconsin, where they were arrested.Godejohn is serving a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-406c475f13654a588dc300afc3c43236">life sentence</a>&nbsp;in Missouri while prosecutors cut Blanchard a deal because of the abuse she had endured.Incarceration was “nothing but self-discovery,” she said. She made friends, earned her GED and overcame early shortcomings in her education that left her unable to do basic math. While behind bars, she even met and married someone who forged a relationship with Gypsy by writing to her on a whim."I was in a little cocoon. And now that I’m free, I’ve emerged as a butterfly,” she said.She describes her husband Ryan Scott Anderson, a 37-year-old special education teacher from Lake Charles, Louisiana, as a “teddy bear." In the pre-dawn hours last Thursday, Anderson picked her up at the prison. They had planned to go to the Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday; she dreamed she might even bump into superstar Taylor Swift as she cheered on her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce. Swift's music had been an inspiration to Blanchard.But going to the game was deemed too much, too soon. Instead she headed to Louisiana and started to settle into post-prison life. Her father also lives in the state, and she said she is finally “getting to know him as an adult.”“This is what I’ve been wanting for so long," she said. “But it’s an adjustment. But it’s a wonderful adjustment.” She added that given her childhood, it also is her "first taste of actual, real, full fledged freedom.”This week, she is delighting in the little things. She used a Keurig coffee maker for the first time Tuesday. She played video games with her father using a virtual reality headset. She described both experiences as “amazing.”She isn't sure yet what will come next and said she wants to give herself a little bit of time before she decides. Eventually, she wants to have children with her husband. But when is a question mark, as is possibilities for employment. The only jobs she has ever had were all in prison, where she took photos and helped out with janitorial tasks.“Right now, I’m really not sure what my skill is," she said, "so I’m going to have to kind of discover that over time.”As she adjusts, there has been a fresh round of media coverage. A Lifetime docuseries “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gypsyrose_a_blanchard/">and her own eBook, </a>“Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom” (Penguin Random House) are coming out this month.Around the U.S. people learned about the bizarre case from the 2017 HBO documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and the 2019 Hulu miniseries “The Act."While there have been many TV specials and interviews over the years, she steered clear of watching them, fearing it would be “emotionally traumatizing,” she said. This docuseries will be the first she has ever watched.“I am at least putting myself out there to be a cautionary tale,” she said. "because I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I went through.”

Mo. woman is free and reflecting on prison term for conspiring to kill her abusive mother

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Someone in Michigan won an $842.4 million Powerball jackpot on the first day of 2024, the first time it has been won on New Year’s Day since the game’s start in 1992.

The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball: 1.

Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its earlier estimate of $810 million to $842.4 million at the time of the drawing, making it the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot and 10th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won.

The lucky ticket was sold at the Food Castle convenience store in Grand Blanc Township, near Flint. According to WJRT, Food Castle has been a fixture in the community for nearly 40 years.

“Usually, you hear stuff like that happening in different states,” store owner Bill Nannoshi told the station. “So, it’s great. It’s great for this community. I mean, Grand Blanc is an awesome place to work.”

Before the big win on New Year's, the jackpot had been growing since mid-October.

The chance of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1 in 292.2 million.

The lucky ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $842.4 million, payable over 30 years, or a lump sum payment of $425.2 million. Both prize options are before taxes.

Other top-winning tickets include four sold in California, Connecticut, Florida and Maryland, that matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. Two tickets, from Florida and Texas, matched all five white balls and won $2 million prizes by including the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Someone in Michigan won an $842.4 million Powerball jackpot on the first day of 2024, the first time it has been won on New Year’s Day since the game’s start in 1992.The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball: 1.Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its earlier estimate of $810 million to $842.4 million at the time of the drawing, making it the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot and 10th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won.The lucky ticket was sold at the Food Castle convenience store in Grand Blanc Township, near Flint. According to WJRT, Food Castle has been a fixture in the community for nearly 40 years.“Usually, you hear stuff like that happening in different states,” store owner Bill Nannoshi told the station. “So, it’s great. It’s great for this community. I mean, Grand Blanc is an awesome place to work.”Before the big win on New Year's, the jackpot had been growing since mid-October.The chance of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1 in 292.2 million.The lucky ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $842.4 million, payable over 30 years, or a lump sum payment of $425.2 million. Both prize options are before taxes.Other top-winning tickets include four sold in California, Connecticut, Florida and Maryland, that matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. Two tickets, from Florida and Texas, matched all five white balls and won $2 million prizes by including the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play.

$842 million Powerball ticket: 1st time game has been won on New Year's Day

TOKYO (AP) — A passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday and burst into flames, with five people on the smaller plane killed, officials said.

All 379 people on Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the plane was engulfed in flames, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed. The pilot of the coast guard plane escaped but the five crew members died, Saito said.

Tuesday’s accident was the first time one of the Airbus A350, among the industry’s newest large passenger planes, was severely damaged. It entered commercial service in 2015. Airbus in a statement said it was sending specialists to help Japanese and French authorities and that the plane was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021.

The A350 had flown from Shin Chitose airport near the city of Sapporo, the transport minister said.

Coast guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima said its Bombardier Dash-8 plane, which is based at Haneda, had been due to head to Niigata to deliver relief goods to residents affected by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-earthquake-tsunami-western-coast-1efa06adb0ac8d72165890087b4c36cb">a deadly earthquake</a>&nbsp;in the region on Monday. The turboprop Dash-8 is widely used on short-haul and commuter flights.

The coast guard pilot reported to his base that his aircraft exploded after colliding with the commercial plane, Vice Commander Yoshio Seguchi told reporters.

Shigenori Hiraoka, head of the Transport Ministry Civil Aviation Bureau, said the collision occurred when the JAL plane landed on one of Haneda’s four runways where the coast guard aircraft was preparing to take off. Transport safety officials were analyzing communication between aviation control officials and the two aircraft and planned to interview JAL officials to determine what led to the collision.

Hiraoka praised JAL for “taking appropriate procedures” to safely evacuate all passengers and crew members.

Swede Anton Deibe, 17, a passenger on the Japan Airlines plane, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that “the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.

“The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos," Deibe added.

Another passenger told NHK television that cabin attendants were calm and told everyone to leave their baggage behind, then all lights went off and the temperature inside the cabin started rising. The passenger said she was afraid she might not get off the plane alive.

The transport minister said officials were doing their utmost to prevent any delays in the delivery of relief goods and other operations for the disaster-hit region. Transport officials said the airport's three other runways had reopened.

Haneda is the busier of two major airports serving the Japanese capital, with many international and transcontinental flights. It is particularly favored by business travelers due to its proximity to central parts of the city.

The twin-engine, twin-aisle A350 is used by a number of long-haul international carriers. More than 570 of the aircraft are in operation, according to Airbus.

JAL operates 16 of the A350-900 version aircraft, according to its website. It recently announced details of 13 of the newer A350-1000 variant it plans to bring into service, saying it will become “the airline’s new flagship for international service after nearly 20 years.” The first of those planes arrived a few weeks ago, slated for the Haneda-New York JFK route.

TOKYO (AP) — A passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday and burst into flames, with five people on the smaller plane killed, officials said.All 379 people on Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the plane was engulfed in flames, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed. The pilot of the coast guard plane escaped but the five crew members died, Saito said.Tuesday’s accident was the first time one of the Airbus A350, among the industry’s newest large passenger planes, was severely damaged. It entered commercial service in 2015. Airbus in a statement said it was sending specialists to help Japanese and French authorities and that the plane was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021.The A350 had flown from Shin Chitose airport near the city of Sapporo, the transport minister said.Coast guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima said its Bombardier Dash-8 plane, which is based at Haneda, had been due to head to Niigata to deliver relief goods to residents affected by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-earthquake-tsunami-western-coast-1efa06adb0ac8d72165890087b4c36cb">a deadly earthquake</a>&nbsp;in the region on Monday. The turboprop Dash-8 is widely used on short-haul and commuter flights.The coast guard pilot reported to his base that his aircraft exploded after colliding with the commercial plane, Vice Commander Yoshio Seguchi told reporters.Shigenori Hiraoka, head of the Transport Ministry Civil Aviation Bureau, said the collision occurred when the JAL plane landed on one of Haneda’s four runways where the coast guard aircraft was preparing to take off. Transport safety officials were analyzing communication between aviation control officials and the two aircraft and planned to interview JAL officials to determine what led to the collision.Hiraoka praised JAL for “taking appropriate procedures” to safely evacuate all passengers and crew members.Swede Anton Deibe, 17, a passenger on the Japan Airlines plane, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that “the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.“The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos," Deibe added.Another passenger told NHK television that cabin attendants were calm and told everyone to leave their baggage behind, then all lights went off and the temperature inside the cabin started rising. The passenger said she was afraid she might not get off the plane alive.The transport minister said officials were doing their utmost to prevent any delays in the delivery of relief goods and other operations for the disaster-hit region. Transport officials said the airport's three other runways had reopened.Haneda is the busier of two major airports serving the Japanese capital, with many international and transcontinental flights. It is particularly favored by business travelers due to its proximity to central parts of the city.The twin-engine, twin-aisle A350 is used by a number of long-haul international carriers. More than 570 of the aircraft are in operation, according to Airbus.JAL operates 16 of the A350-900 version aircraft, according to its website. It recently announced details of 13 of the newer A350-1000 variant it plans to bring into service, saying it will become “the airline’s new flagship for international service after nearly 20 years.” The first of those planes arrived a few weeks ago, slated for the Haneda-New York JFK route.

Planes collide and catch fire at Japan's busy Haneda airport, killing 5. Hundreds evacuated safely

The investigation has been ongoing for the last day and a half, and several witnesses have been interviewed. Based on the video surveillance, photographs and statements from witnesses, the Chadron Police Department has arrested a suspect in this case.&nbsp; 20-year-old Sylvanus Lame Jr. was placed under arrest on Friday, December 29, 2023. Lame was booked into custody at the Dawes County Jail for Burglary (a class IIA felony), Criminal Mischief (a class III misdemeanor) and Theft by exercising Control (a class II misdemeanor).

The Chadron Police Department wants to thank everyone who has called into the department with information on this case. The public’s assistance played a vital role in identifying the suspect and making an arrest. The investigation is still continuing, and evidence is still being processed. We would encourage anyone with any information on this case to contact us at the Chadron Communications Center at 308-432-0510.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at approximately 10:47 pm, the Chadron Police Department responded to a burglary alarm at a 301 East Third Street, Homer’s Eagles Roost. Upon arrival, Officers located the glass of the front door to the business broken. The officers cleared the building, locating nobody inside the business at the time of their arrival.

Officer Cafferty and Officer Hanson took photographs and gathered evidence at the scene. In addition, they were provided with video surveillance and pictures of a male suspect, who is pictured below. The video showed the suspect fleeing east on East Third Street.

Chadron Police DepartmentUpdate:The investigation has been ongoing for the last day and a half, and several witnesses have been interviewed. Based on the video surveillance, photographs and statements from witnesses, the Chadron Police Department has arrested a suspect in this case.&nbsp; 20-year-old Sylvanus Lame Jr. was placed under arrest on Friday, December 29, 2023. Lame was booked into custody at the Dawes County Jail for Burglary (a class IIA felony), Criminal Mischief (a class III misdemeanor) and Theft by exercising Control (a class II misdemeanor).The Chadron Police Department wants to thank everyone who has called into the department with information on this case. The public’s assistance played a vital role in identifying the suspect and making an arrest. The investigation is still continuing, and evidence is still being processed. We would encourage anyone with any information on this case to contact us at the Chadron Communications Center at 308-432-0510.&nbsp;&nbsp;Original Press ReleaseOn Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at approximately 10:47 pm, the Chadron Police Department responded to a burglary alarm at a 301 East Third Street, Homer’s Eagles Roost. Upon arrival, Officers located the glass of the front door to the business broken. The officers cleared the building, locating nobody inside the business at the time of their arrival.Officer Cafferty and Officer Hanson took photographs and gathered evidence at the scene. In addition, they were provided with video surveillance and pictures of a male suspect, who is pictured below. The video showed the suspect fleeing east on East Third Street.

Chadron Police arrest 20-year-old with connections to last week's burglary 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-crossings-asylum-ukraine-aid-biden-dba31c3f461e1fa940f9cf00988444f7">grueling negotiations</a>, the contours of a bipartisan border security and immigration deal are beginning to take shape, emerging even as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-congress-border-biden-064246982c828ed820c1c5a47c85901b">Congress leaves town</a>&nbsp;having failed to publicly unveil any details of the package that's central to unlocking stalled aid for Ukraine.

Talks between the White House and key senators have not veered widely from three main areas of discussion: toughening asylum protocols for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border</a>; bolstering border enforcement with more personnel and high-tech systems; and deterring migrants from making the journey in the first place.

As the Senate broke for the holidays, due back Jan. 8, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in a rare joint statement indicated negotiations are progressing. They also met Wednesday to discuss how to advance the border policy alongside President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$110 billion package</a>&nbsp;of wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and other national security priorities.

“We all know there’s a problem at the border,” Schumer said before sending senators home. “Our goal is, as soon as we get back, to get something done.”

McConnell said the negotiations “continue to make headway.”

And as aid for his country hangs in balance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russian-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-news-conference-5440b3d3034a34461d93d0740e0c1ae6">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;said at his own press conference in Kyiv he was confident “the U.S. will not let us down.”

Here’s a look at what’s being discussed as key Senate negotiators and the White House plan to dig in during the weeks ahead:

Senate negotiators have focused on asylum, by which the U.S. offers protection for people facing persecution in their home countries. The senators say they are trying to ensure that migrants who have a credible claim to asylum can safely apply, but that officials can also quickly turn away those who don't qualify.

Critics often say that too many people who pass their initial asylum interview end up ultimately failing in their efforts to win asylum. But because the immigration courts are so backlogged by the time the final determination happens, many have been in the country for years, making it more difficult and expensive to deport them.

The senators and the Biden administration have considered toughening the so-called credible fear standard that's used in the initial interviews to determine if migrants seeking asylum would likely have a winnable case before an immigration judge.

Advocates for immigrants argue that the credible fear standard is deliberately low in recognition of the fact that migrants being interviewed have usually fled desperate conditions, don't have legal representation and are still shaken by their journeys.

It was the Republicans who demanded negotiations over the border, refusing to provide aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion</a>, unless Biden also agreed to changes to cut immigration.

While Biden had initially proposed $14 billion to bolster border security in the national security package, Republicans said money was not enough. They want to enshrine policy changes at the border into law, some echoing Donald Trump, the party’s frontrunner for the presidential nomination, who takes a hard line against immigration.

Still, billions of dollars of funding will almost certainly be part of any deal.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">Border Patrol officers are overwhelmed</a>&nbsp;processing migrants who turn themselves in seeking asylum. Biden had proposed $3.1 billion for additional border agents as well more asylum officers, immigration judge teams and processing personnel. Supporters say the money for the asylum system is crucial to addressing the backlog in immigration courts and essentially getting the process moving faster.

Biden has also suggested $1.2 billion for Customs and Border Protection officers and inspection systems to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl.

While the president also proposed funds to help communities in the U.S. that are taking in the record numbers of new arrivals, Republicans have resisted sending money to the cities, largely Democratic, that are helping house and provide care for the migrants.

Over and over, senators have emerged from hours of closed-door talks with an exasperated conclusion: Immigration policy is complicated.

“Millions of decisions,” said Sen. James Lankford, a Republican of Oklahoma. “Underneath every big idea is 100 smaller decisions that all have to be made, and every one is complicated.”

Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, said: “It’s interconnected. So if you press in one side and it pops out the other, it takes time to get this right.”

One of the toughest issues to resolve has been how to dissuade migrants from even embarking on their journeys to the U.S. in the first place, particularly from countries experiencing unrest, economic calamity or widespread gang violence.

Senators have discussed ways to encourage people to apply for asylum before they arrive at the border — either in their home country, or if that’s not plausible, a country they travel through on their way to the U.S.

The Biden administration had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-united-states-government-caribbean-mexico-mobile-apps-49b38b18869ed3b2260fb6d774153456">launched a new system</a>&nbsp;earlier this year that encourages people seeking asylum to schedule an appointment, via a smartphone app, to seek entry at the border.

In talks, the White House has also insisted on keeping in place&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-immigration-af0643a4fb8f45388fe247e44c9b2c5e">its ability to allow 30,000 people a month</a>&nbsp;from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti entry into the U.S. if they have a financial sponsor and fly into the country.

The idea is to create a more orderly, efficient asylum system that reduces chaos at the border.

But record numbers of migrants are still arriving. Illegal crossings topped 10,000 some days in December.

Negotiators have run into trouble in the talks when it comes to enforcement measures. One potential compromise would set a threshold for the number of border crossings, and once the number is reached, stricter enforcement measures would take effect.

Under that system, if the crossings get too high authorities would shut down the border for asylum claims, enable fast-track removals of migrants who have already entered unlawfully, and detain some migrants while they are screened for valid asylum claims.

Funding in the package could also go to bolstering immigration enforcement, including detention facilities, according to one person familiar with the private negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Advocates for immigrants worry that some of the restrictions under discussion could just push the build-up of migrants south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

“We’re turning Mexico into a staging area for migrants moving north,” said Dylan Corbett, who heads the Hope Border Institute, in a call with reporters. “Mexico doesn’t have the infrastructure to be able to deal with this.”

They also warn that the expedited removal measures would strike fear in the millions of immigrants lacking permanent legal status while effectively turning Trump-style administrative policies into law, making them potentially more difficult to challenge in court.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent central to the negotiations, said that the potentially lasting impact of their work hangs over the talks.

“A mistake here will matter for many years,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317716965.png" alt="Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-crossings-asylum-ukraine-aid-biden-dba31c3f461e1fa940f9cf00988444f7">grueling negotiations</a>, the contours of a bipartisan border security and immigration deal are beginning to take shape, emerging even as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-congress-border-biden-064246982c828ed820c1c5a47c85901b">Congress leaves town</a>&nbsp;having failed to publicly unveil any details of the package that's central to unlocking stalled aid for Ukraine.Talks between the White House and key senators have not veered widely from three main areas of discussion: toughening asylum protocols for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border</a>; bolstering border enforcement with more personnel and high-tech systems; and deterring migrants from making the journey in the first place.As the Senate broke for the holidays, due back Jan. 8, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in a rare joint statement indicated negotiations are progressing. They also met Wednesday to discuss how to advance the border policy alongside President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$110 billion package</a>&nbsp;of wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and other national security priorities.“We all know there’s a problem at the border,” Schumer said before sending senators home. “Our goal is, as soon as we get back, to get something done.”McConnell said the negotiations “continue to make headway.”And as aid for his country hangs in balance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russian-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-news-conference-5440b3d3034a34461d93d0740e0c1ae6">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;said at his own press conference in Kyiv he was confident “the U.S. will not let us down.”Here’s a look at what’s being discussed as key Senate negotiators and the White House plan to dig in during the weeks ahead:TOUGHER ASYLUM CLAIMSSenate negotiators have focused on asylum, by which the U.S. offers protection for people facing persecution in their home countries. The senators say they are trying to ensure that migrants who have a credible claim to asylum can safely apply, but that officials can also quickly turn away those who don't qualify.Critics often say that too many people who pass their initial asylum interview end up ultimately failing in their efforts to win asylum. But because the immigration courts are so backlogged by the time the final determination happens, many have been in the country for years, making it more difficult and expensive to deport them.The senators and the Biden administration have considered toughening the so-called credible fear standard that's used in the initial interviews to determine if migrants seeking asylum would likely have a winnable case before an immigration judge.Advocates for immigrants argue that the credible fear standard is deliberately low in recognition of the fact that migrants being interviewed have usually fled desperate conditions, don't have legal representation and are still shaken by their journeys.BORDER SECURITYIt was the Republicans who demanded negotiations over the border, refusing to provide aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion</a>, unless Biden also agreed to changes to cut immigration.While Biden had initially proposed $14 billion to bolster border security in the national security package, Republicans said money was not enough. They want to enshrine policy changes at the border into law, some echoing Donald Trump, the party’s frontrunner for the presidential nomination, who takes a hard line against immigration.Still, billions of dollars of funding will almost certainly be part of any deal.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">Border Patrol officers are overwhelmed</a>&nbsp;processing migrants who turn themselves in seeking asylum. Biden had proposed $3.1 billion for additional border agents as well more asylum officers, immigration judge teams and processing personnel. Supporters say the money for the asylum system is crucial to addressing the backlog in immigration courts and essentially getting the process moving faster.Biden has also suggested $1.2 billion for Customs and Border Protection officers and inspection systems to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl.While the president also proposed funds to help communities in the U.S. that are taking in the record numbers of new arrivals, Republicans have resisted sending money to the cities, largely Democratic, that are helping house and provide care for the migrants.REDUCING BORDER BUILD-UPOver and over, senators have emerged from hours of closed-door talks with an exasperated conclusion: Immigration policy is complicated.“Millions of decisions,” said Sen. James Lankford, a Republican of Oklahoma. “Underneath every big idea is 100 smaller decisions that all have to be made, and every one is complicated.”Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, said: “It’s interconnected. So if you press in one side and it pops out the other, it takes time to get this right.”One of the toughest issues to resolve has been how to dissuade migrants from even embarking on their journeys to the U.S. in the first place, particularly from countries experiencing unrest, economic calamity or widespread gang violence.Senators have discussed ways to encourage people to apply for asylum before they arrive at the border — either in their home country, or if that’s not plausible, a country they travel through on their way to the U.S.The Biden administration had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-united-states-government-caribbean-mexico-mobile-apps-49b38b18869ed3b2260fb6d774153456">launched a new system</a>&nbsp;earlier this year that encourages people seeking asylum to schedule an appointment, via a smartphone app, to seek entry at the border.In talks, the White House has also insisted on keeping in place&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-immigration-af0643a4fb8f45388fe247e44c9b2c5e">its ability to allow 30,000 people a month</a>&nbsp;from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti entry into the U.S. if they have a financial sponsor and fly into the country.The idea is to create a more orderly, efficient asylum system that reduces chaos at the border.But record numbers of migrants are still arriving. Illegal crossings topped 10,000 some days in December.ENFORCEMENTNegotiators have run into trouble in the talks when it comes to enforcement measures. One potential compromise would set a threshold for the number of border crossings, and once the number is reached, stricter enforcement measures would take effect.Under that system, if the crossings get too high authorities would shut down the border for asylum claims, enable fast-track removals of migrants who have already entered unlawfully, and detain some migrants while they are screened for valid asylum claims.Funding in the package could also go to bolstering immigration enforcement, including detention facilities, according to one person familiar with the private negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity.Advocates for immigrants worry that some of the restrictions under discussion could just push the build-up of migrants south of the U.S.-Mexico border.“We’re turning Mexico into a staging area for migrants moving north,” said Dylan Corbett, who heads the Hope Border Institute, in a call with reporters. “Mexico doesn’t have the infrastructure to be able to deal with this.”They also warn that the expedited removal measures would strike fear in the millions of immigrants lacking permanent legal status while effectively turning Trump-style administrative policies into law, making them potentially more difficult to challenge in court.Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent central to the negotiations, said that the potentially lasting impact of their work hangs over the talks.“A mistake here will matter for many years,” she said.

Deal on US border policy is closer than it seems

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-mit-penn-campus-antisemitism-backlash-2c89312cdd0d2652a9b57ce71f1533fd">she was unable to say unequivocally</a>&nbsp;that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.

(Gay is also featured in this congressional hearing video below)

Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-governor-antisemitism-colleges-israel-gaza-ae1294d644b3305cc51e8d9bb7252766">in the past month</a>&nbsp;following the congressional testimony. Gay, Harvard’s first Black president, announced her departure just months into her tenure in a letter to the Harvard community.

Following the congressional hearing, Gay’s academic career came under intense scrutiny by conservative activists who unearthed several instances of alleged plagiarism in her 1997 doctoral dissertation. Harvard’s governing board initially rallied behind Gay, saying a review of her scholarly work turned up “a few instances of inadequate citation” but no evidence of research misconduct.

Days later, the Harvard Corporation revealed that it found two additional examples of “duplicative language without appropriate attribution.” The board said Gay would update her dissertation and request corrections.

The Harvard Corporation said the resignation came “with great sadness” and thanked Gay for her “deep and unwavering commitment to Harvard and to the pursuit of academic excellence.”

Alan M. Garber, provost and chief academic officer, will serve as interim president until Harvard finds a replacement, the board said in a statement. Garber, an economist and physician, has served as provost for 12 years.

Gay and the presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania came under fire last month for their lawyerly answers to a line of questioning from New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who asked whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate the colleges’ code of conduct.

The three presidents had been called before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce to answer accusations that universities were failing to protect Jewish students amid rising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-antisemitism-europe-massacre-war-protests-1d26266dfd9b2b8dd4c795f420abab47">fears of antisemitism worldwide</a>&nbsp;and fallout from Israel’s intensifying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war in Gaza</a>, which faces heightened criticism for the mounting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-31-2023-1d854750b0caaa517677d3361c00cd06">Palestinian death toll</a>.

Gay said it depended on the context, adding that when “speech crosses into conduct, that violates our policies.” The answer faced swift backlash from Republican and some Democratic lawmakers as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/antisemitism-islamophobia-colleges-biden-israel-hamas-57e32457f9113a168cc21d16fa008a79">the White House</a>. The hearing was parodied in the opening skit on “Saturday Night Live.”

Gay later apologized, telling The Crimson student newspaper that she got caught up in a heated exchange at the House committee hearing and failed to properly denounce threats of violence against Jewish students.

“What I should have had the presence of mind to do in that moment was return to my guiding truth, which is that calls for violence against our Jewish community — threats to our Jewish students — have no place at Harvard, and will never go unchallenged,” Gay said.

The episode marred Gay’s tenure at Harvard — she became president in July — and sowed discord at the Ivy League campus. Rabbi David Wolpe later resigned from a new committee on antisemitism created by Gay, saying in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that “events on campus and the painfully inadequate testimony reinforced the idea that I cannot make the sort of difference I had hoped.”

The House committee announced days after the hearing that it would investigate the policies and disciplinary procedures at Harvard, MIT and Penn. Separate federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-colleges-civil-rights-investigation-discrimination-f93aa9355f4c2d97b188df8546cc5131">civil rights investigations</a>&nbsp;were previously opened at Harvard, Penn and several other universities in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-colleges-civil-rights-investigation-discrimination-f93aa9355f4c2d97b188df8546cc5131">complaints</a>&nbsp;submitted to the U.S. Education Department.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-mit-penn-campus-antisemitism-backlash-2c89312cdd0d2652a9b57ce71f1533fd">she was unable to say unequivocally</a>&nbsp;that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.(Gay is also featured in this congressional hearing video below)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill resigned Saturday after facing backlash from her congressional testimony earlier this week on antisemitism on college campuses. Here&#39;s the exchange. <a href="https://t.co/EVrAMy33qh">pic.twitter.com/EVrAMy33qh</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1733607598803292487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-governor-antisemitism-colleges-israel-gaza-ae1294d644b3305cc51e8d9bb7252766">in the past month</a>&nbsp;following the congressional testimony. Gay, Harvard’s first Black president, announced her departure just months into her tenure in a letter to the Harvard community.Following the congressional hearing, Gay’s academic career came under intense scrutiny by conservative activists who unearthed several instances of alleged plagiarism in her 1997 doctoral dissertation. Harvard’s governing board initially rallied behind Gay, saying a review of her scholarly work turned up “a few instances of inadequate citation” but no evidence of research misconduct.Days later, the Harvard Corporation revealed that it found two additional examples of “duplicative language without appropriate attribution.” The board said Gay would update her dissertation and request corrections.The Harvard Corporation said the resignation came “with great sadness” and thanked Gay for her “deep and unwavering commitment to Harvard and to the pursuit of academic excellence.”Alan M. Garber, provost and chief academic officer, will serve as interim president until Harvard finds a replacement, the board said in a statement. Garber, an economist and physician, has served as provost for 12 years.Gay and the presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania came under fire last month for their lawyerly answers to a line of questioning from New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who asked whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate the colleges’ code of conduct.The three presidents had been called before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce to answer accusations that universities were failing to protect Jewish students amid rising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-antisemitism-europe-massacre-war-protests-1d26266dfd9b2b8dd4c795f420abab47">fears of antisemitism worldwide</a>&nbsp;and fallout from Israel’s intensifying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war in Gaza</a>, which faces heightened criticism for the mounting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-31-2023-1d854750b0caaa517677d3361c00cd06">Palestinian death toll</a>.Gay said it depended on the context, adding that when “speech crosses into conduct, that violates our policies.” The answer faced swift backlash from Republican and some Democratic lawmakers as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/antisemitism-islamophobia-colleges-biden-israel-hamas-57e32457f9113a168cc21d16fa008a79">the White House</a>. The hearing was parodied in the opening skit on “Saturday Night Live.”Gay later apologized, telling The Crimson student newspaper that she got caught up in a heated exchange at the House committee hearing and failed to properly denounce threats of violence against Jewish students.“What I should have had the presence of mind to do in that moment was return to my guiding truth, which is that calls for violence against our Jewish community — threats to our Jewish students — have no place at Harvard, and will never go unchallenged,” Gay said.The episode marred Gay’s tenure at Harvard — she became president in July — and sowed discord at the Ivy League campus. Rabbi David Wolpe later resigned from a new committee on antisemitism created by Gay, saying in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that “events on campus and the painfully inadequate testimony reinforced the idea that I cannot make the sort of difference I had hoped.”The House committee announced days after the hearing that it would investigate the policies and disciplinary procedures at Harvard, MIT and Penn. Separate federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-colleges-civil-rights-investigation-discrimination-f93aa9355f4c2d97b188df8546cc5131">civil rights investigations</a>&nbsp;were previously opened at Harvard, Penn and several other universities in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-colleges-civil-rights-investigation-discrimination-f93aa9355f4c2d97b188df8546cc5131">complaints</a>&nbsp;submitted to the U.S. Education Department.

🎥Harvard president resigns amid plagiarism claims, antisemitism testimony

WAJIMA, Japan (AP) — A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan have left at least 55 people dead and damaged thousands of buildings, vehicles and boats. Officials warned Tuesday that more quakes could lie ahead.

Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-earthquake-tsunami-bfb94b14333379491953f7eb58c4e466">a magnitude 7.6 temblor</a>&nbsp;slammed the area.

Damage was so great that it could not immediately be assessed. Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed.

Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said 17 people were seriously injured and gave a slightly lower death toll, saying he was aware of the prefecture's tally.

Water, power and cell phone service were still down in some areas. Residents expressed sorrow about their uncertain futures.

"It’s not just that it’s a mess. The wall has collapsed, and you can see through to the next room. I don’t think we can live here anymore,” Miki Kobayashi, an Ishikawa resident, said as she swept around her house.

The house was also damaged in a 2007 quake, she said.

Although casualty numbers continued to climb gradually, the prompt public warnings, relayed on broadcasts and phones, and the quick response from the general public and officials appeared to have limited some of the damage.

Toshitaka Katada, a University of Tokyo professor specializing in disasters, said people were prepared because the area had been hit by quakes in recent years. They had evacuation plans and emergency supplies in stock.

“There is probably no people on earth other than Japanese who are so disaster-ready,” he told The Associated Press.

Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

Katada warned the situation remains precarious and unpredictable. The March 2011 quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan had been preceded by other quakes.

“This is far from over,” Katada said.

Predictions by scientists have repeatedly been proven wrong, such as with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-65736139597c4702962593dce94fd464">the 2016 quake in southwestern Kumamoto</a>, an area previously seen as relatively quake-free.

“Having too much confidence in the power of science is very dangerous. We are dealing with nature," Katada said.

Japanese media's aerial footage showed widespread damage in the hardest-hit spots, with landslides burying roads, boats tossed in the waters and a fire that had turned an entire section of Wajima city to ashes.

Japan’s military dispatched 1,000 soldiers to the disaster zones to join rescue efforts, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.

“Saving lives is our priority and we are fighting a battle against time,” he said. “It is critical that people trapped in homes get rescued immediately.”

A quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook the Ishikawa area as he was speaking. Quakes continued to rock the area, reaching more than 100 aftershocks over the past day.

Nuclear regulators said several nuclear plants in the region were operating normally. The 2011 quake and tsunami&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fukushima-nuclear-plant-timeline-0710658563458ed94c20517f49ff720f">caused three reactors to melt</a>&nbsp;and release large amounts of radiation at a nuclear plant in northeastern Japan.

On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu, as well as for the northern island of Hokkaido.

The warning was downgraded several hours later, and all tsunami warnings were lifted as of early Tuesday. Waves measuring more than one meter (3 feet) hit some places.

Still, half-sunken ships floated in bays where tsunami waves had rolled in, leaving a muddied coastline.

People who were evacuated from their houses huddled in auditoriums, schools and community centers. Bullet trains in the region were halted, but service was mostly restored by Tuesday afternoon. Sections of highways were closed.

Weather forecasters predicted rain, setting off worries about crumbling buildings and infrastructure.

The region includes tourist spots famous for lacquerware and other traditional crafts, along with designated cultural heritage sites.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that his administration was “ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people.”

WAJIMA, Japan (AP) — A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan have left at least 48 people dead and damaged thousands of buildings, vehicles and boats. Officials warned that more quakes could lie ahead.

Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-earthquake-tsunami-bfb94b14333379491953f7eb58c4e466">a magnitude 7.6 temblor</a>&nbsp;slammed the area on Monday afternoon.

Forty-eight people were confirmed dead in Ishikawa, officials said. Sixteen others were seriously injured, while damage to homes was so great that it could not immediately be assessed, they said.

Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed. Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said 17 people were seriously injured and gave a slightly lower death tally, while saying he was aware of the prefecture's tally.

Water, power and cell phone service were still down in some areas, and residents expressed sorrow about their destroyed homes and uncertain futures.

Their house was also damaged in a 2007 quake, she said.

Although casualty numbers continued to climb gradually, the prompt public warnings, relayed on broadcasts and phones, and the quick response from the general public and officials appeared to have kept at least some of the damage under control.

The rescue efforts that quickly followed from firefighters, police and the military proved a testament to how this nation has repeatedly withstood disasters, which have practically become a part of everyday life.

Toshitaka Katada, a University of Tokyo professor specializing in disasters, said the people were prepared because the area had been hit by quakes in recent years. They had evacuation plans and emergency supplies in stock.

“There is probably no people on earth other than Japanese who are so disaster-ready,” he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Predictions by scientists have repeatedly been proven wrong, such as with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-65736139597c4702962593dce94fd464">the 2016 quake in southwestern Kumamoto</a>, an area previously seen as relatively quake-free. The only real projection possible is that you can't make projections, Katada added.

“Having too much confidence in the power of science is very dangerous. We are dealing with nature.”

Japanese media aerial footage showed widespread damage in the hardest-hit spots, with landslides burying roads, boats tossed in the waters and a major fire that had turned an entire section of Wajima city to ashes.

A quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook the Ishikawa area as he was speaking. More quakes continued to rock the area, reaching more than 100 aftershocks over the past day.

News videos showed rows of collapsed houses. Some wooden structures were flattened and cars were overturned. Half-sunken ships floated in bays where tsunami waves had rolled in, leaving a muddied coastline.

Weather forecasters predicted rain, setting off worries about already crumbling buildings and infrastructure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704110268813.png" alt="Location of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake -USGS image" />
 <figcaption>Location of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake -USGS image</figcaption>
 </figure>WAJIMA, Japan (AP) — A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan have left at least 55 people dead and damaged thousands of buildings, vehicles and boats. Officials warned Tuesday that more quakes could lie ahead.Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-earthquake-tsunami-bfb94b14333379491953f7eb58c4e466">a magnitude 7.6 temblor</a>&nbsp;slammed the area.Damage was so great that it could not immediately be assessed. Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed.Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said 17 people were seriously injured and gave a slightly lower death toll, saying he was aware of the prefecture's tally.Water, power and cell phone service were still down in some areas. Residents expressed sorrow about their uncertain futures."It’s not just that it’s a mess. The wall has collapsed, and you can see through to the next room. I don’t think we can live here anymore,” Miki Kobayashi, an Ishikawa resident, said as she swept around her house.The house was also damaged in a 2007 quake, she said.Although casualty numbers continued to climb gradually, the prompt public warnings, relayed on broadcasts and phones, and the quick response from the general public and officials appeared to have limited some of the damage.Toshitaka Katada, a University of Tokyo professor specializing in disasters, said people were prepared because the area had been hit by quakes in recent years. They had evacuation plans and emergency supplies in stock.“There is probably no people on earth other than Japanese who are so disaster-ready,” he told The Associated Press.Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.Katada warned the situation remains precarious and unpredictable. The March 2011 quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan had been preceded by other quakes.“This is far from over,” Katada said.Predictions by scientists have repeatedly been proven wrong, such as with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-65736139597c4702962593dce94fd464">the 2016 quake in southwestern Kumamoto</a>, an area previously seen as relatively quake-free.“Having too much confidence in the power of science is very dangerous. We are dealing with nature," Katada said.Japanese media's aerial footage showed widespread damage in the hardest-hit spots, with landslides burying roads, boats tossed in the waters and a fire that had turned an entire section of Wajima city to ashes.Japan’s military dispatched 1,000 soldiers to the disaster zones to join rescue efforts, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.“Saving lives is our priority and we are fighting a battle against time,” he said. “It is critical that people trapped in homes get rescued immediately.”A quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook the Ishikawa area as he was speaking. Quakes continued to rock the area, reaching more than 100 aftershocks over the past day.Nuclear regulators said several nuclear plants in the region were operating normally. The 2011 quake and tsunami&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fukushima-nuclear-plant-timeline-0710658563458ed94c20517f49ff720f">caused three reactors to melt</a>&nbsp;and release large amounts of radiation at a nuclear plant in northeastern Japan.On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu, as well as for the northern island of Hokkaido.The warning was downgraded several hours later, and all tsunami warnings were lifted as of early Tuesday. Waves measuring more than one meter (3 feet) hit some places.Still, half-sunken ships floated in bays where tsunami waves had rolled in, leaving a muddied coastline.People who were evacuated from their houses huddled in auditoriums, schools and community centers. Bullet trains in the region were halted, but service was mostly restored by Tuesday afternoon. Sections of highways were closed.Weather forecasters predicted rain, setting off worries about crumbling buildings and infrastructure.The region includes tourist spots famous for lacquerware and other traditional crafts, along with designated cultural heritage sites.U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that his administration was “ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people.”___WAJIMA, Japan (AP) — A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan have left at least 48 people dead and damaged thousands of buildings, vehicles and boats. Officials warned that more quakes could lie ahead.Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-earthquake-tsunami-bfb94b14333379491953f7eb58c4e466">a magnitude 7.6 temblor</a>&nbsp;slammed the area on Monday afternoon.Forty-eight people were confirmed dead in Ishikawa, officials said. Sixteen others were seriously injured, while damage to homes was so great that it could not immediately be assessed, they said.Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed. Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said 17 people were seriously injured and gave a slightly lower death tally, while saying he was aware of the prefecture's tally.Water, power and cell phone service were still down in some areas, and residents expressed sorrow about their destroyed homes and uncertain futures."It’s not just that it’s a mess. The wall has collapsed, and you can see through to the next room. I don’t think we can live here anymore,” Miki Kobayashi, an Ishikawa resident, said as she swept around her house.Their house was also damaged in a 2007 quake, she said.Although casualty numbers continued to climb gradually, the prompt public warnings, relayed on broadcasts and phones, and the quick response from the general public and officials appeared to have kept at least some of the damage under control.The rescue efforts that quickly followed from firefighters, police and the military proved a testament to how this nation has repeatedly withstood disasters, which have practically become a part of everyday life.Toshitaka Katada, a University of Tokyo professor specializing in disasters, said the people were prepared because the area had been hit by quakes in recent years. They had evacuation plans and emergency supplies in stock.“There is probably no people on earth other than Japanese who are so disaster-ready,” he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.Katada warned the situation remains precarious and unpredictable. The March 2011 quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan had been preceded by other quakes.“This is far from over,” Katada said.Predictions by scientists have repeatedly been proven wrong, such as with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-65736139597c4702962593dce94fd464">the 2016 quake in southwestern Kumamoto</a>, an area previously seen as relatively quake-free. The only real projection possible is that you can't make projections, Katada added.“Having too much confidence in the power of science is very dangerous. We are dealing with nature.”Japanese media aerial footage showed widespread damage in the hardest-hit spots, with landslides burying roads, boats tossed in the waters and a major fire that had turned an entire section of Wajima city to ashes.Japan’s military dispatched 1,000 soldiers to the disaster zones to join rescue efforts, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.“Saving lives is our priority and we are fighting a battle against time,” he said. “It is critical that people trapped in homes get rescued immediately.”A quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook the Ishikawa area as he was speaking. More quakes continued to rock the area, reaching more than 100 aftershocks over the past day.Nuclear regulators said several nuclear plants in the region were operating normally. The 2011 quake and tsunami&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fukushima-nuclear-plant-timeline-0710658563458ed94c20517f49ff720f">caused three reactors to melt</a>&nbsp;and release large amounts of radiation at a nuclear plant in northeastern Japan.News videos showed rows of collapsed houses. Some wooden structures were flattened and cars were overturned. Half-sunken ships floated in bays where tsunami waves had rolled in, leaving a muddied coastline.On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu, as well as for the northern island of Hokkaido.The warning was downgraded several hours later, and all tsunami warnings were lifted as of early Tuesday. Waves measuring more than one meter (3 feet) hit some places.People who were evacuated from their houses huddled in auditoriums, schools and community centers. Bullet trains in the region were halted, but service was mostly restored by Tuesday afternoon. Sections of highways were closed.Weather forecasters predicted rain, setting off worries about already crumbling buildings and infrastructure.The region includes tourist spots famous for lacquerware and other traditional crafts, along with designated cultural heritage sites.U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that his administration was “ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people.”Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

Death toll climbs after powerful earthquakes rock Japan

WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of extra duty at sea providing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">protection for Israel</a>, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group will be heading home, the Navy announced Monday.

The Ford and its accompanying warships will be replaced by the amphibious assault ship the USS Bataan and its accompanying warships, the USS Mesa Verde and the USS Carter Hall. The three vessels had been in the Red Sea and have been transiting toward the Eastern Mediterranean over the last few days.

The Ford will sail for home “in the coming days,” the U.S. 6th Fleet, the European-based U.S. naval command that’s responsible for ships sailing in the Mediterranean, said in a statement

The Ford was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-american-carrier-strike-force-mediterranean-db05d535a9ebb931f684f758c9b6f628" target="_blank">sent to the Eastern Mediterranean</a>&nbsp;to be within striking distance of Israel since the day after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks. The carrier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ford-navy-israel-hamas-iran-25a387e50b4ad9054e8be753c59464e4" target="_blank">stayed in the Eastern Mediterranean</a>&nbsp;while its accompanying warships had sailed into the Red Sea, where they repeatedly intercepted incoming ballistic missiles and attack drones fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-us-austin-b606e2bc61b57493cd2d322ebd1885d6" target="_blank">visited the Ford</a>&nbsp;last month.

Since it was extended in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Ford and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier have been part of a two-carrier presence bracketing the Israel-Hamas war, underscoring U.S. concerns that the conflict will widen. The Eisenhower has recently patrolled near the Gulf of Aden, at the mouth of the Red Sea waterway, where so many commercial vessels have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/attacks-red-sea-navy-mission-missiles-286d51bfd65e741e839e185f0f4a455b" target="_blank">come under attack</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks.

On Sunday, helicopters from the Eisenhower and its destroyer the USS Gravely responded to a distress call from the container ship Maersk Hangzhou, which was under attack by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats. As the helicopters responded, the boats fired at them with crew-served weapons and small arms and the helicopters returned fire, sinking three of the four boats and killing their crews, the U.S. Central Command said.

The incessant attacks on the commercial ships have led some companies to suspend transits through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the southern Red Sea and then the Suez Canal.

The Bataan’s accompanying warship the Mesa Verde is a transport dock ship, carrying approximately 2,000 Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Those Marines provide “forces capable of supporting a wide range of missions,” the U.S. 6th Fleet said. The Carter Hall is a dock landing ship, which carries amphibious landing craft and their crews. Both vessels and the Bataan can support rotary aircraft; the Bataan can also carry and support Marine Corps’ F-35 vertical takeoff fighter aircraft.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696803172229.png" alt="The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in mid October-photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in mid October-photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of extra duty at sea providing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">protection for Israel</a>, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group will be heading home, the Navy announced Monday.The Ford and its accompanying warships will be replaced by the amphibious assault ship the USS Bataan and its accompanying warships, the USS Mesa Verde and the USS Carter Hall. The three vessels had been in the Red Sea and have been transiting toward the Eastern Mediterranean over the last few days.The Ford will sail for home “in the coming days,” the U.S. 6th Fleet, the European-based U.S. naval command that’s responsible for ships sailing in the Mediterranean, said in a statementThe Ford was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-american-carrier-strike-force-mediterranean-db05d535a9ebb931f684f758c9b6f628" target="_blank">sent to the Eastern Mediterranean</a>&nbsp;to be within striking distance of Israel since the day after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks. The carrier&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ford-navy-israel-hamas-iran-25a387e50b4ad9054e8be753c59464e4" target="_blank">stayed in the Eastern Mediterranean</a>&nbsp;while its accompanying warships had sailed into the Red Sea, where they repeatedly intercepted incoming ballistic missiles and attack drones fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-us-austin-b606e2bc61b57493cd2d322ebd1885d6" target="_blank">visited the Ford</a>&nbsp;last month.Since it was extended in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Ford and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier have been part of a two-carrier presence bracketing the Israel-Hamas war, underscoring U.S. concerns that the conflict will widen. The Eisenhower has recently patrolled near the Gulf of Aden, at the mouth of the Red Sea waterway, where so many commercial vessels have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/attacks-red-sea-navy-mission-missiles-286d51bfd65e741e839e185f0f4a455b" target="_blank">come under attack</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks.On Sunday, helicopters from the Eisenhower and its destroyer the USS Gravely responded to a distress call from the container ship Maersk Hangzhou, which was under attack by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats. As the helicopters responded, the boats fired at them with crew-served weapons and small arms and the helicopters returned fire, sinking three of the four boats and killing their crews, the U.S. Central Command said.The incessant attacks on the commercial ships have led some companies to suspend transits through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the southern Red Sea and then the Suez Canal.The Bataan’s accompanying warship the Mesa Verde is a transport dock ship, carrying approximately 2,000 Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Those Marines provide “forces capable of supporting a wide range of missions,” the U.S. 6th Fleet said. The Carter Hall is a dock landing ship, which carries amphibious landing craft and their crews. Both vessels and the Bataan can support rotary aircraft; the Bataan can also carry and support Marine Corps’ F-35 vertical takeoff fighter aircraft.

US to bring home aircraft carrier after deployment defending Israel

NEW YORK (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/social-media">Social media</a>&nbsp;companies collectively made over $11 billion in U.S. advertising revenue from minors last year, according to a study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published on Wednesday.

The researchers say the findings show a need for government regulation of social media since the companies that stand to make money from children who use their platforms have failed to meaningfully self-regulate. They note such regulations, as well greater transparency from tech companies, could help alleviate harms to youth mental health and curtail potentially harmful advertising practices that target children and adolescents.

To come up with the revenue figure, the researchers estimated the number of users under 18 on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube in 2022 based on population data from the U.S. Census and survey data from Common Sense Media and Pew Research. They then used data from research firm eMarketer, now called Insider Intelligence, and Qustodio, a parental control app, to estimate each platform's U.S. ad revenue in 2022 and the time children spent per day on each platform. After that, the researchers said they built a simulation model using the data to estimate how much ad revenue the platforms earned from minors in the U.S.

Researchers and lawmakers have long focused on the negative effects stemming from social media platforms, whose personally-tailored algorithms can drive children towards excessive use. This year, lawmakers in states like New York and Utah introduced or passed legislation that would curb social media use among kids, citing harms to youth mental health and other concerns.

Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, is also being sued by dozens of states for allegedly contributing to the mental health crisis.

“Although social media platforms may claim that they can self-regulate their practices to reduce the harms to young people, they have yet to do so, and our study suggests they have overwhelming financial incentives to continue to delay taking meaningful steps to protect children," said Bryn Austin, a professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard and a senior author on the study.

The platforms themselves don't make public how much money they earn from minors.

Social media platforms are not the first to advertise to children, and parents and experts have long expressed concerns about marketing to kids online, on television and even in schools. But online ads can be especially insidious because they can be targeted to children and because the line between ads and the content kids seek out is often blurry.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/146/1/e20201681/37013/Digital-Advertising-to-Children">2020 policy paper</a>, the American Academy of Pediatrics said children are “uniquely vulnerable to the persuasive effects of advertising because of immature critical thinking skills and impulse inhibition.”

“School-aged children and teenagers may be able to recognize advertising but often are not able to resist it when it is embedded within trusted social networks, encouraged by celebrity influencers, or delivered next to personalized content,” the paper noted.

As concerns about social media and children's mental health grow, the Federal Trade Commission earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ftc-children-social-media-games-coppa-352ba63293832ee930f0c137aac735de">proposed sweeping changes</a>&nbsp;to a decades-old law that regulates how online companies can track and advertise to children. The proposed changes include turning off targeted ads to kids under 13 by default and limiting push notifications.

According to the Harvard study, YouTube derived the greatest ad revenue from users 12 and under ($959.1 million), followed by Instagram ($801.1 million) and Facebook ($137.2 million).

Instagram, meanwhile, derived the greatest ad revenue from users aged 13-17 ($4 billion), followed by TikTok ($2 billion) and YouTube ($1.2 billion).

The researchers also estimate that Snapchat derived the greatest share of its overall 2022 ad revenue from users under 18 (41%), followed by TikTok (35%), YouTube (27%), and Instagram (16%).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578090484280.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/social-media">Social media</a>&nbsp;companies collectively made over $11 billion in U.S. advertising revenue from minors last year, according to a study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published on Wednesday.The researchers say the findings show a need for government regulation of social media since the companies that stand to make money from children who use their platforms have failed to meaningfully self-regulate. They note such regulations, as well greater transparency from tech companies, could help alleviate harms to youth mental health and curtail potentially harmful advertising practices that target children and adolescents.To come up with the revenue figure, the researchers estimated the number of users under 18 on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube in 2022 based on population data from the U.S. Census and survey data from Common Sense Media and Pew Research. They then used data from research firm eMarketer, now called Insider Intelligence, and Qustodio, a parental control app, to estimate each platform's U.S. ad revenue in 2022 and the time children spent per day on each platform. After that, the researchers said they built a simulation model using the data to estimate how much ad revenue the platforms earned from minors in the U.S.Researchers and lawmakers have long focused on the negative effects stemming from social media platforms, whose personally-tailored algorithms can drive children towards excessive use. This year, lawmakers in states like New York and Utah introduced or passed legislation that would curb social media use among kids, citing harms to youth mental health and other concerns.Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, is also being sued by dozens of states for allegedly contributing to the mental health crisis.“Although social media platforms may claim that they can self-regulate their practices to reduce the harms to young people, they have yet to do so, and our study suggests they have overwhelming financial incentives to continue to delay taking meaningful steps to protect children," said Bryn Austin, a professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard and a senior author on the study.The platforms themselves don't make public how much money they earn from minors.Social media platforms are not the first to advertise to children, and parents and experts have long expressed concerns about marketing to kids online, on television and even in schools. But online ads can be especially insidious because they can be targeted to children and because the line between ads and the content kids seek out is often blurry.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/146/1/e20201681/37013/Digital-Advertising-to-Children">2020 policy paper</a>, the American Academy of Pediatrics said children are “uniquely vulnerable to the persuasive effects of advertising because of immature critical thinking skills and impulse inhibition.”“School-aged children and teenagers may be able to recognize advertising but often are not able to resist it when it is embedded within trusted social networks, encouraged by celebrity influencers, or delivered next to personalized content,” the paper noted.As concerns about social media and children's mental health grow, the Federal Trade Commission earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ftc-children-social-media-games-coppa-352ba63293832ee930f0c137aac735de">proposed sweeping changes</a>&nbsp;to a decades-old law that regulates how online companies can track and advertise to children. The proposed changes include turning off targeted ads to kids under 13 by default and limiting push notifications.According to the Harvard study, YouTube derived the greatest ad revenue from users 12 and under ($959.1 million), followed by Instagram ($801.1 million) and Facebook ($137.2 million).Instagram, meanwhile, derived the greatest ad revenue from users aged 13-17 ($4 billion), followed by TikTok ($2 billion) and YouTube ($1.2 billion).The researchers also estimate that Snapchat derived the greatest share of its overall 2022 ad revenue from users under 18 (41%), followed by TikTok (35%), YouTube (27%), and Instagram (16%).

Report: Social media companies made $11 billion in US ad revenue from minors

BY Zachary Roth&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>&nbsp;

With U.S. democracy plagued by extremism, polarization and a growing disconnect between voters and lawmakers, a set of reforms that could dramatically upend how Americans vote is gaining momentum at surprising speed in Western states.

Ranked choice voting, which asks voters to rank multiple candidates in order of preference, has seen its profile steadily expand since 2016, when Maine became the first state to adopt it. But increasingly, RCV is being paired with a new system for primaries known as Final Five — or in some cases, Final Four — that advances multiple candidates, regardless of party, to the general election.

Together, proponents argue, these twin reforms deliver fairer outcomes that better reflect the will of voters, while disempowering the extremes and encouraging candidates and elected officials to prioritize conciliation and compromise.

Ultimately, they say, the new system can help create a government focused not on partisan point-scoring but on delivering tangible results that improve voters’ lives.

Alaska, the only state currently using RCV-plus-Final Four or Final-Five, appears to be seeing some benefits to its political culture already: After years of partisan rancor, both legislative chambers are now controlled by bipartisan majorities eager to find common ground and respond to the needs of voters, say lawmakers in the state who have embraced the new system.

A slew of other states could soon follow in Alaska’s footsteps. Last year, Nevada voters approved a constitutional amendment that would create an RCV-plus-Final-Five system — for the measure to take effect, voters must approve it again next year.

Efforts also are underway to get RCV-plus-Final-Five on Arizona’s 2024 ballot, and RCV-plus-Final-Four in Colorado and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/idaho-open-primary-ballot-initiative-reaches-50000-signature-milestone%C2%A0">Idaho</a>&nbsp;— where organizers announced earlier this month that they’ve gathered 50,000 signatures (they need around 63,000 to qualify). Even Wisconsin Republicans, who in the redistricting sphere have fought reform efforts tooth and nail, in December held a hearing for bipartisan legislation that would create RCV-plus-Final-Five, though its prospects appear dim.

Meanwhile, Oregon voters will decide next year whether to adopt RCV alone. And this year, Minnesota and Illinois lawmakers passed bills to study RCV, while Connecticut approved a measure that allows local governments to use it.

There are even flickers of interest at the national level. In December alone, two leading Washington, D.C. think tanks that often find themselves on opposite sides — the conservative American Enterprise Institute and the liberal Center for American Progress — each held separate panel discussions that considered RCV-plus-Final-Four/Five.

Katherine Gehl, the founder of the Institute for Political Innovation, and the designer of the Final Four/Five system, calls RCV-plus-Final-Five “transformational.” (Her organization now says advancing five candidates to the general works best, by giving voters more choices.)

“There’s a huge pressure on reformers to say, this is not a silver bullet,” said Gehl. “And OK, I get that.”

But, she added, “I think it’s as close to a silver bullet as you can come.”

Meanwhile, a backlash to change is brewing, with several Republican-led states banning RCV in recent years. A coalition of national conservative election groups last month&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://electiontransparency.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/11/ETI_WI_Coalition_Letter.pdf">warned</a>&nbsp;Wisconsin’s legislative leaders that RCV and Final Five are “intended to dramatically push our politics to the Left.”

Here’s how RCV-plus-Final-Four/Five works.

In the primary election, candidates from all parties compete against each other, with voters picking only their top choice, as in a conventional election. The top four or five finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general.

In the general, voters use RCV to pick the winner. They fill out their ballot by ranking as many of the candidates as they want, by order of preference.

If no candidate wins a majority of first-place votes, the candidate who finished last is eliminated, and his or her supporters’ second-place votes are allocated. If there’s still no candidate with a majority, the process is repeated with the next-to-last candidate. This continues until someone gains a majority and is declared the winner.

Supporters of the system say the Final Four/Five primary gives a voice to a broader share of voters, while the use of RCV in the general helps ensure a fairer result. Under the current system, two similar candidates together may win a clear majority but split voters between them, allowing a third candidate to win with a minority of votes.

BY Zachary Roth&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>&nbsp;With U.S. democracy plagued by extremism, polarization and a growing disconnect between voters and lawmakers, a set of reforms that could dramatically upend how Americans vote is gaining momentum at surprising speed in Western states.Ranked choice voting, which asks voters to rank multiple candidates in order of preference, has seen its profile steadily expand since 2016, when Maine became the first state to adopt it. But increasingly, RCV is being paired with a new system for primaries known as Final Five — or in some cases, Final Four — that advances multiple candidates, regardless of party, to the general election.Together, proponents argue, these twin reforms deliver fairer outcomes that better reflect the will of voters, while disempowering the extremes and encouraging candidates and elected officials to prioritize conciliation and compromise.Ultimately, they say, the new system can help create a government focused not on partisan point-scoring but on delivering tangible results that improve voters’ lives.Alaska, the only state currently using RCV-plus-Final Four or Final-Five, appears to be seeing some benefits to its political culture already: After years of partisan rancor, both legislative chambers are now controlled by bipartisan majorities eager to find common ground and respond to the needs of voters, say lawmakers in the state who have embraced the new system.A slew of other states could soon follow in Alaska’s footsteps. Last year, Nevada voters approved a constitutional amendment that would create an RCV-plus-Final-Five system — for the measure to take effect, voters must approve it again next year.Efforts also are underway to get RCV-plus-Final-Five on Arizona’s 2024 ballot, and RCV-plus-Final-Four in Colorado and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/idaho-open-primary-ballot-initiative-reaches-50000-signature-milestone%C2%A0">Idaho</a>&nbsp;— where organizers announced earlier this month that they’ve gathered 50,000 signatures (they need around 63,000 to qualify). Even Wisconsin Republicans, who in the redistricting sphere have fought reform efforts tooth and nail, in December held a hearing for bipartisan legislation that would create RCV-plus-Final-Five, though its prospects appear dim.Meanwhile, Oregon voters will decide next year whether to adopt RCV alone. And this year, Minnesota and Illinois lawmakers passed bills to study RCV, while Connecticut approved a measure that allows local governments to use it.There are even flickers of interest at the national level. In December alone, two leading Washington, D.C. think tanks that often find themselves on opposite sides — the conservative American Enterprise Institute and the liberal Center for American Progress — each held separate panel discussions that considered RCV-plus-Final-Four/Five.Katherine Gehl, the founder of the Institute for Political Innovation, and the designer of the Final Four/Five system, calls RCV-plus-Final-Five “transformational.” (Her organization now says advancing five candidates to the general works best, by giving voters more choices.)“There’s a huge pressure on reformers to say, this is not a silver bullet,” said Gehl. “And OK, I get that.”But, she added, “I think it’s as close to a silver bullet as you can come.”Meanwhile, a backlash to change is brewing, with several Republican-led states banning RCV in recent years. A coalition of national conservative election groups last month&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://electiontransparency.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/11/ETI_WI_Coalition_Letter.pdf">warned</a>&nbsp;Wisconsin’s legislative leaders that RCV and Final Five are “intended to dramatically push our politics to the Left.”<h2>Understanding the process</h2>Here’s how RCV-plus-Final-Four/Five works.In the primary election, candidates from all parties compete against each other, with voters picking only their top choice, as in a conventional election. The top four or five finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general.In the general, voters use RCV to pick the winner. They fill out their ballot by ranking as many of the candidates as they want, by order of preference.If no candidate wins a majority of first-place votes, the candidate who finished last is eliminated, and his or her supporters’ second-place votes are allocated. If there’s still no candidate with a majority, the process is repeated with the next-to-last candidate. This continues until someone gains a majority and is declared the winner.Supporters of the system say the Final Four/Five primary gives a voice to a broader share of voters, while the use of RCV in the general helps ensure a fairer result. Under the current system, two similar candidates together may win a clear majority but split voters between them, allowing a third candidate to win with a minority of votes.But even more important, many advocates argue, is how the two reforms together can change how candidates and elected officials of all stripes approach their jobs, by adjusting the incentive structure they operate under.Increasingly, many states and districts are solidly red or blue, meaning the general election is uncompetitive, and the key race takes place in the primary. That’s a problem, because the primary electorate is by and large smaller, more partisan and more extreme than the general electorate.Right now, with politicians worrying more about the primary than the general, they’re more focused on playing to their base than on reaching beyond it and solving problems, critics argue. It isn’t hard to find evidence for this lately, both in Washington and in state capitals across the country.By allowing multiple candidates to advance, Final Four/Five shifts the crucial election from the primary to the general. And RCV means the votes of Democrats in red districts and Republicans in blue ones still matter, even if their top choice remains unlikely to win.Together, it means candidates are rewarded for paying attention to the entire general electorate, not just a small slice of staunch supporters. As a result, it encourages candidates — and elected officials, once in office — toward moderation and problem-solving, and away from extremism.“People do what it takes to get and keep their jobs,” said Gehl, the Final Four/Five designer. “So if you change who hires and fires, which is to say, November voters instead of primary voters, and you change the system so that there’s real competition in November every time, even once you’re an incumbent, that forces accountability.”<h2>A success story from the Last Frontier?</h2>The experience of Alaska, whose voters passed an RCV-plus-Final-Four system in 2020, offers an illustration.At its first use in 2022, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an independent-minded Republican distrusted by the party’s conservative wing, was reelected. Mary Peltola, a moderate Democrat who kept in place her Republican predecessor’s chief of staff, was elected to the U.S. House, defeating Sarah Palin, the conservative Republican former governor. (Murkowski and Peltola endorsed each other).Meanwhile, voters reelected Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a conservative Republican – suggesting, reformers say, that the system can produce a wide range of outcomes.And more women ran in 2022 than in the five previous cycles combined — highlighting how allowing anyone to run, regardless of party, can boost opportunities for under-represented groups.But the effect on how candidates and lawmakers have approached their jobs has been more dramatic still, advocates say.Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, a Republican, told the Center for American Progress event that, after angering GOP voters by working collaboratively with Democrats, she lost her 2020 primary, held under the old election system, to a staunch conservative. Giessel had been in office since 2011.Giessel said that when she ran again last year under RCV-plus-Final-Four, her campaign didn’t even buy the database showing voters’ party affiliations that most candidates rely on to identify supporters, because she needed to target voters of all stripes. Helped by being the second choice of many Democratic voters in the general election, Giessel won back her seat.“You’re requiring us as candidates to be much more authentic,” said Giessel of the new system. “We’re not speaking to a party platform anymore. We’re speaking to the citizens.”Giessel now leads a bipartisan majority coalition, formed within days of the election. Members have focused on consensus issues that are priorities for voters, including boosting education funding, lowering the cost of energy and passing a balanced budget.“We have seen much more collaboration on the budget,” said Giessel. “There’s a much more open process now, understanding that everyone needs to have input.“An&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/REALFINAL_policy-short-no-122-no-embargo.pdf">analysis</a>&nbsp;by the R Street Institute, a center-right Washington, D.C. think tank, found that Alaska’s new election system “gave citizens greater choice and elevated the most broadly appealing candidates, in turn improving representation.”Reformers in Nevada — gearing up for next year’s campaign to pass RCV-plus-Final-Five a second time after it won with 53% of the vote last year — have noticed Alaska’s early success.Over 40% of all registered voters in the Silver State aren’t affiliated with a major party, and the figure is growing. It was these voters’ frustration over being denied a voice in the state’s taxpayer-funded closed primaries that initially drove the push for reform, said Mike Draper, the communications director for Nevada Voters First, a political action committee that organized the ballot measure.As in Alaska and elsewhere, there was also a related concern about politicians playing only to their base.“Candidates and electeds, through no fault of their own, are not incentivized to … work to solve problems,” said Draper. “The primary incentive is to make sure they stay in the good graces either of the party, or of that fringe group that’s active in the primaries.”Top figures in both major parties, including Nevada’s Republican governor and its two Democratic U.S. senators, oppose reform. A lawsuit brought by Democratic super-lawyer Marc Elias that aimed to keep the measure off the 2022 ballot was rejected by a judge.<h2>‘A scheme of the Left’?</h2>Though elected Democrats in Nevada and some other blue states have come out against reform, the most vocal opponents have been red-state Republicans and national conservative groups. They argue it would confuse voters and further reduce confidence in election results.Some even see a progressive plot. An October&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thefga.org/research/ranked-choice-voting-partisan-plot-to-disrupt-elections/">analysis</a>&nbsp;by the conservative Foundation for Government Accountability called RCV a “scheme of the Left to disenfranchise voters and elect more Democrats.”Florida, Tennessee, Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota — all Republican-controlled states — have passed legislation in recent years to ban RCV. Arizona’s GOP-controlled legislature also passed an RCV ban, but it was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat.In Alaska, conservatives have launched a campaign to advance a ballot measure repealing their state’s reform. Palin, who has blamed the system for her loss to Peltola last year, calling it “wack,” is playing a prominent role in the effort.Still, advocates say there are also signs of emerging interest among some Republicans in other states.Last year, the GOP lost several winnable statewide races after primary voters nominated extremists like Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania and Kari Lake in Arizona. Now, some in the party think reform could allow them to advance more electable candidates.“Even among Republicans, I’ve had my fair share of conversations where they are starting to recognize that the system isn’t putting forward candidates who are necessarily the best general election winners,” said Matt Germer, an associate director and elections fellow at the R Street Institute.“So there’s even some growing interest among Republican electeds to say, hey, what we’re doing now is not growing our party. And if we really want to change our country, we’re going to need to grow our party, and that means appealing to enough voters to win elections.”<a target="_blank" href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>&nbsp;is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. 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