To date, no medications or lifestyle changes have been shown to reverse Alzheimer’s disease. But new research from a team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) describes a new cellular therapy that protected damaged brain cells and restored brain homeostasis in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Importantly, this treatment also improved learning and memory in these animals.

In the paper, published in the journal&nbsp;Molecular Neurodegeneration&nbsp;and titled “<a href="https://molecularneurodegeneration.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13024-023-00692-7" target="_blank">Amyloid-β Specific Regulatory T Cells Attenuate Alzheimer’s Disease Pathobiology in APP/PS1 Mice,”</a>&nbsp;the UNMC group genetically modified a specific class of immune controlling cells (called regulatory T cells or Treg) to make them specifically react to a key protein known to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease. This protein, called amyloid-beta, “clumps together” in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, forming plaques that disrupt nerve cell vitality. This leads to an inability of nerve cells to send signals and communicate with other nerve cells in and outside the brain. Over time, this eventually results in brain cell death, which in turn triggers the memory loss and behavioral abnormalities seen during progressive human disease.

In the study, the engineered Treg cells were administered to mice by injection into the blood stream. The study’s results showed that the cell treatment reduced amyloid plaque buildup and brain inflammation. Strikingly, the therapy also improved cognitive functions in diseased animals. The APP/PS1 Alzheimer’s mouse model was used as it exhibits amyloid plaque formation and cognitive impairment similar to those seen in human Alzheimer’s disease.

“The link between regulatory T cells, or ‘Treg,’ and the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is well established,” said Howard E. Gendelman, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience (PEN). “This work demonstrates the advantages of antigen specificity for the Tregs. The approach promoted improved therapeutic activities of Treg in Alzheimer’s disease models and more specifically changed some features of the disease course to near normal levels observed in models without the disease.

“No one has yet shown clear pathological and cognitive improvements with therapy,” said Lee Mosley, PhD, a professor and director of the neurodegenerative disease program in UNMC’s PEN department.

The novelty of this study lies in its approach of using the body's immune system to fight against the key factors of Alzheimer’s, as well as using modified cells to improve their effect by directly targeting a key disease-associated protein. By genetically engineering these regulatory T cells to express a receptor that specifically recognizes the amyloid-β protein, these immune cells could provide a targeted and potentially more effective treatment strategy. These immune cells also would be able to reach the brain to impart their effects – which is a significant advantage because many other treatments have difficulty entering the brain due to the blood brain barrier.

Currently, antibody-based therapies that target the amyloid-beta protein are available. However, there can be adverse side effects related to the removal of amyloid from around the blood vessels that may limit who is eligible to receive such therapy. By minimizing the inflammatory response, it might be possible to decrease these side effects and increase the number of eligible patients.&nbsp;

“An imbalance between cytotoxic and neuroprotective classes of T cells may play a role in a whole host of central nervous system (CNS) disease states, which in turn promotes a vicious cycle of microglial activation, chronic neuroinflammation, and neuronal injury,” said William Daley, PhD, the program officer of the NINDS grant that supported this study. “And while previous work has shown that boosting neuroprotective Tregs can help improve this imbalance and break the chronic neuroinflammatory cycle, this current study takes this concept to a whole new level by demonstrating that neuroprotective Tregs can be specifically targeted to diseased areas of the brain with an engineered receptor.”

Avindra Nath, MD, senior investigator and clinical director for the NINDS intramural program, noted that “the study is an important development in the field that advances the possibility of using cell-based therapies for targeting protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases.”

Recent clinical trials have indeed shown potential benefit for the use of regulatory T cells as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders both in animals and in humans with the disease, said Pravin Yeapuri, PhD, a UNMC postdoctoral fellow and a lead author in the study.

“But the limitation has been how to get protective regulatory cells into the regions of the brain most affected in Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Yeapuri said.

This work is a significant first step advance in Alzheimer's research and the potential for a new therapy. While the research requires next step testing in humans to determine clinical disease efficacy, it remains a paradigm shift for the field of Alzheimer’s therapeutics, said Jatin Machhi, PhD, a former instructor in the UNMC pharmacology and experimental neuroscience department and lead study investigator.

UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, congratulated Dr. Gendelman and the research team on the paper. “This is an exciting step forward,” Dr. Gold said of the research. “We are proud of the UNMC team’s work in this important area, which impacts so many. We look forward with great excitement to seeing where this important breakthrough may lead in the fight against Alzheimer’s.”

Stanley Appel, MD, the Edwards Distinguished Endowed Chair for ALS at Houston Methodist and director of the Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics, said: “The development of beta-amyloid-targeted Tregs and the beneficial effects of their infusion in AD-model mice are exciting accomplishments of the Gendelman team. This is clearly the beginning of a new chapter in immunomodulatory therapy for AD.”

Each of the other UNMC faculty, students, and technical co-investigators played pivotal roles in design, data collection, and interpretations in this study included Yaman Lu, Mai Mohamed Abdelmoaty, Rana Kadry, Milankumar Patel, Shaurav Bhattarai, Eugene Lu, Krista Namminga, Katherine Olson, PhD, Emma Foster.&nbsp;

The research was supported by by the National Institutes of Health Grants P01 DA028555, R01 NS36126, P01 NS31492, P01 MH64570, P01 NS43985, P30 MH062261, R01 AG043540, and 2R01 NS034239; the Frances and Louie Blumkin and Harriet Singer Research Foundations, the Carol Swarts, MD Emerging Neuroscience Research Laboratory; and the Margaret R. Larson Professorship. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Study authors include Howard Gendelman, MD; Lee Mosley, PhD; Jatin Macchi, PhD; and Pravin Yeapuri, PhD

UNMCTo date, no medications or lifestyle changes have been shown to reverse Alzheimer’s disease. But new research from a team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) describes a new cellular therapy that protected damaged brain cells and restored brain homeostasis in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Importantly, this treatment also improved learning and memory in these animals.In the paper, published in the journal&nbsp;Molecular Neurodegeneration&nbsp;and titled “<a href="https://molecularneurodegeneration.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13024-023-00692-7" target="_blank">Amyloid-β Specific Regulatory T Cells Attenuate Alzheimer’s Disease Pathobiology in APP/PS1 Mice,”</a>&nbsp;the UNMC group genetically modified a specific class of immune controlling cells (called regulatory T cells or Treg) to make them specifically react to a key protein known to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease. This protein, called amyloid-beta, “clumps together” in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, forming plaques that disrupt nerve cell vitality. This leads to an inability of nerve cells to send signals and communicate with other nerve cells in and outside the brain. Over time, this eventually results in brain cell death, which in turn triggers the memory loss and behavioral abnormalities seen during progressive human disease.In the study, the engineered Treg cells were administered to mice by injection into the blood stream. The study’s results showed that the cell treatment reduced amyloid plaque buildup and brain inflammation. Strikingly, the therapy also improved cognitive functions in diseased animals. The APP/PS1 Alzheimer’s mouse model was used as it exhibits amyloid plaque formation and cognitive impairment similar to those seen in human Alzheimer’s disease.“The link between regulatory T cells, or ‘Treg,’ and the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is well established,” said Howard E. Gendelman, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience (PEN). “This work demonstrates the advantages of antigen specificity for the Tregs. The approach promoted improved therapeutic activities of Treg in Alzheimer’s disease models and more specifically changed some features of the disease course to near normal levels observed in models without the disease.“No one has yet shown clear pathological and cognitive improvements with therapy,” said Lee Mosley, PhD, a professor and director of the neurodegenerative disease program in UNMC’s PEN department.The novelty of this study lies in its approach of using the body's immune system to fight against the key factors of Alzheimer’s, as well as using modified cells to improve their effect by directly targeting a key disease-associated protein. By genetically engineering these regulatory T cells to express a receptor that specifically recognizes the amyloid-β protein, these immune cells could provide a targeted and potentially more effective treatment strategy. These immune cells also would be able to reach the brain to impart their effects – which is a significant advantage because many other treatments have difficulty entering the brain due to the blood brain barrier.Currently, antibody-based therapies that target the amyloid-beta protein are available. However, there can be adverse side effects related to the removal of amyloid from around the blood vessels that may limit who is eligible to receive such therapy. By minimizing the inflammatory response, it might be possible to decrease these side effects and increase the number of eligible patients.&nbsp;“An imbalance between cytotoxic and neuroprotective classes of T cells may play a role in a whole host of central nervous system (CNS) disease states, which in turn promotes a vicious cycle of microglial activation, chronic neuroinflammation, and neuronal injury,” said William Daley, PhD, the program officer of the NINDS grant that supported this study. “And while previous work has shown that boosting neuroprotective Tregs can help improve this imbalance and break the chronic neuroinflammatory cycle, this current study takes this concept to a whole new level by demonstrating that neuroprotective Tregs can be specifically targeted to diseased areas of the brain with an engineered receptor.”Avindra Nath, MD, senior investigator and clinical director for the NINDS intramural program, noted that “the study is an important development in the field that advances the possibility of using cell-based therapies for targeting protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases.”Recent clinical trials have indeed shown potential benefit for the use of regulatory T cells as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders both in animals and in humans with the disease, said Pravin Yeapuri, PhD, a UNMC postdoctoral fellow and a lead author in the study.“But the limitation has been how to get protective regulatory cells into the regions of the brain most affected in Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Yeapuri said.This work is a significant first step advance in Alzheimer's research and the potential for a new therapy. While the research requires next step testing in humans to determine clinical disease efficacy, it remains a paradigm shift for the field of Alzheimer’s therapeutics, said Jatin Machhi, PhD, a former instructor in the UNMC pharmacology and experimental neuroscience department and lead study investigator.UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, congratulated Dr. Gendelman and the research team on the paper. “This is an exciting step forward,” Dr. Gold said of the research. “We are proud of the UNMC team’s work in this important area, which impacts so many. We look forward with great excitement to seeing where this important breakthrough may lead in the fight against Alzheimer’s.”Stanley Appel, MD, the Edwards Distinguished Endowed Chair for ALS at Houston Methodist and director of the Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics, said: “The development of beta-amyloid-targeted Tregs and the beneficial effects of their infusion in AD-model mice are exciting accomplishments of the Gendelman team. This is clearly the beginning of a new chapter in immunomodulatory therapy for AD.”Each of the other UNMC faculty, students, and technical co-investigators played pivotal roles in design, data collection, and interpretations in this study included Yaman Lu, Mai Mohamed Abdelmoaty, Rana Kadry, Milankumar Patel, Shaurav Bhattarai, Eugene Lu, Krista Namminga, Katherine Olson, PhD, Emma Foster.&nbsp;The research was supported by by the National Institutes of Health Grants P01 DA028555, R01 NS36126, P01 NS31492, P01 MH64570, P01 NS43985, P30 MH062261, R01 AG043540, and 2R01 NS034239; the Frances and Louie Blumkin and Harriet Singer Research Foundations, the Carol Swarts, MD Emerging Neuroscience Research Laboratory; and the Margaret R. Larson Professorship. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.Study authors include Howard Gendelman, MD; Lee Mosley, PhD; Jatin Macchi, PhD; and Pravin Yeapuri, PhD

Attenuation of signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s in a living animal

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Tom Smothers, half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium, has died at 86.

The National Comedy Center, on behalf of his family, said in a statement Wednesday that Smothers died Tuesday at home in Santa Rosa, California, following a cancer battle.

“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner. I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years,” his brother and the duo's other half, Dick Smothers, said in the statement. “Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”

When "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" debuted on CBS in the fall of 1967 it was an immediate hit, to the surprise of many who had assumed the network’s expectations were so low it positioned their show opposite the top-rated "Bonanza."

But the Smothers Brothers would prove a turning point in television history, with its sharp eye for pop culture trends and young rock stars such as the Who and Buffalo Springfield, and its daring sketches — ridiculing the Establishment, railing against the Vietnam War and portraying members of the era's hippie counterculture as gentle, fun-loving spirits — found an immediate audience with young baby boomers. The show reached No. 16 in the ratings in its first season.

It also drew the ire of network censors, and after years of battling with the brothers over the show's creative content, the network abruptly canceled the program in 1970, accusing the siblings of failing to submit an episode in time for the censors to review.

Nearly 40 years later, when Smothers was awarded an honorary Emmy for his work on the show, he jokingly thanked the writers he said had gotten him fired. He also showed that the years had not dulled his outspokenness.

“It’s hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war,” Smothers said at the 2008 Emmy Awards as his brother sat in the audience, beaming. He dedicated his award to those “who feel compelled to speak out and are not afraid to speak to power and won’t shut up and refuse to be silenced.”

During the three years the show was on television, the brothers constantly battled with CBS’s censors and occasionally outraged viewers as well, particularly when Smothers joked that Easter “is when Jesus comes out of his tomb and if he sees his shadow, he goes back in and we get six more weeks of winter.” At Christmas, when other show hosts were sending best wishes to soldiers fighting overseas, Smothers offered his to draft dodgers who had moved to Canada.

In still another episode, the brothers returned blacklisted folk singer Pete Seeger to television for the first time in years. He performed his song “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy,” widely viewed as ridiculing President Lyndon Johnson for the Vietnam War. When CBS refused to air the segment, the brothers brought Seeger back for another episode and he sang it again. This time, it made the air.

After the show was canceled, the brothers sued CBS for $31 million and were awarded $775,000. Their battles with the network were chronicled in the 2002 documentary “Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.”

Before the show’s debut, the pair had seemed unlikely to make television history. They had spent the previous several years on the nightclub and college circuits and doing TV guest appearances, honing an offbeat comedy routine that mixed folk music with a healthy dose of sibling rivalry.

They would come on stage, Tom with a guitar in hand and Dick toting an upright bass. They would quickly break into a traditional folk song — perhaps “John Henry” or “Pretoria.” After playing several bars, Tom, positioned as the dumb one, would mess it up, and then quickly claim he had meant to do that. As Dick, the serious, short-tempered one, berated him for failing to acknowledge his error, he would scream in exasperation, “Mom always liked you best!”

They continued that shtick on their show but also surrounded themselves with a talented cast of newcomers, both writers and performers.

Among the crack writing crew that Smothers headed were future actor-producer Rob Reiner, musician Mason Williams and comedian Steve Martin, who presented Smothers with the lifetime Emmy in 2008. Regular musical guests included John Hartford, Glen Campbell and Jennifer Warnes.

Bob Einstein, now better known as stuntman Super Dave Osborne, had a recurring role as Officer Judy, a dour Los Angeles police officer who once cited guest Liberace for playing the piano too fast. Leigh French, as the hippie earth mother in the segment “Share a Little Tea With Goldie,” always appeared to have been drinking something brewed through more than just tea leaves.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703697735062.png" alt="Tom Smothers (left) died Tuesday in California" />
 <figcaption>Tom Smothers (left) died Tuesday in California</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —Tom Smothers, half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium, has died at 86.The National Comedy Center, on behalf of his family, said in a statement Wednesday that Smothers died Tuesday at home in Santa Rosa, California, following a cancer battle.“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner. I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years,” his brother and the duo's other half, Dick Smothers, said in the statement. “Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”When "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" debuted on CBS in the fall of 1967 it was an immediate hit, to the surprise of many who had assumed the network’s expectations were so low it positioned their show opposite the top-rated "Bonanza."But the Smothers Brothers would prove a turning point in television history, with its sharp eye for pop culture trends and young rock stars such as the Who and Buffalo Springfield, and its daring sketches — ridiculing the Establishment, railing against the Vietnam War and portraying members of the era's hippie counterculture as gentle, fun-loving spirits — found an immediate audience with young baby boomers. The show reached No. 16 in the ratings in its first season.It also drew the ire of network censors, and after years of battling with the brothers over the show's creative content, the network abruptly canceled the program in 1970, accusing the siblings of failing to submit an episode in time for the censors to review.Nearly 40 years later, when Smothers was awarded an honorary Emmy for his work on the show, he jokingly thanked the writers he said had gotten him fired. He also showed that the years had not dulled his outspokenness.“It’s hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war,” Smothers said at the 2008 Emmy Awards as his brother sat in the audience, beaming. He dedicated his award to those “who feel compelled to speak out and are not afraid to speak to power and won’t shut up and refuse to be silenced.”During the three years the show was on television, the brothers constantly battled with CBS’s censors and occasionally outraged viewers as well, particularly when Smothers joked that Easter “is when Jesus comes out of his tomb and if he sees his shadow, he goes back in and we get six more weeks of winter.” At Christmas, when other show hosts were sending best wishes to soldiers fighting overseas, Smothers offered his to draft dodgers who had moved to Canada.In still another episode, the brothers returned blacklisted folk singer Pete Seeger to television for the first time in years. He performed his song “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy,” widely viewed as ridiculing President Lyndon Johnson for the Vietnam War. When CBS refused to air the segment, the brothers brought Seeger back for another episode and he sang it again. This time, it made the air.After the show was canceled, the brothers sued CBS for $31 million and were awarded $775,000. Their battles with the network were chronicled in the 2002 documentary “Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.”Before the show’s debut, the pair had seemed unlikely to make television history. They had spent the previous several years on the nightclub and college circuits and doing TV guest appearances, honing an offbeat comedy routine that mixed folk music with a healthy dose of sibling rivalry.They would come on stage, Tom with a guitar in hand and Dick toting an upright bass. They would quickly break into a traditional folk song — perhaps “John Henry” or “Pretoria.” After playing several bars, Tom, positioned as the dumb one, would mess it up, and then quickly claim he had meant to do that. As Dick, the serious, short-tempered one, berated him for failing to acknowledge his error, he would scream in exasperation, “Mom always liked you best!”They continued that shtick on their show but also surrounded themselves with a talented cast of newcomers, both writers and performers.Among the crack writing crew that Smothers headed were future actor-producer Rob Reiner, musician Mason Williams and comedian Steve Martin, who presented Smothers with the lifetime Emmy in 2008. Regular musical guests included John Hartford, Glen Campbell and Jennifer Warnes.Bob Einstein, now better known as stuntman Super Dave Osborne, had a recurring role as Officer Judy, a dour Los Angeles police officer who once cited guest Liberace for playing the piano too fast. Leigh French, as the hippie earth mother in the segment “Share a Little Tea With Goldie,” always appeared to have been drinking something brewed through more than just tea leaves.

Comedian Tom Smothers, one-half of the Smothers Brothers, has died

SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. online retailer Zulily is closing down, surprising customers and laying off hundreds of workers after efforts to salvage the business failed.

The Seattle-based company said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.zulily.com/password">notice on its website</a>&nbsp;that it had tried to fill all pending orders and expected to manage that within the coming two weeks. Zulily said it was trying to ensure that orders that could not be filled were cancelled and refunded and offered a contact for customers who did not get their orders or refunds.

“This decision was not easy nor was it entered into lightly. However, given the challenging business environment in which Zulily operated, and the corresponding financial instability, Zulily decided to take immediate and swift action," said the notice, signed by Ryan C. Baker, vice president at management consultant Douglas Wilson Companies, which is handling the receivership for the company.

Founded in 2010 by Darrell Cavens and Mark Vadon, Zulily made a splash with products catering to families with young children and staged a successful IPO on the Nasdaq in 2013. But it was taken private after it was acquired in 2015 for $2.4 billion by QVC parent company Qurate, formerly known as Liberty Interactive. Zulily's CEO Terry Boyle left the company at the end of October as financial troubles mounted following its acquisition by private equity firm Regent from Qurate in May.

The company's liquidation followed several rounds of layoffs as Zulily struggled to compete with Amazon.

Instead of declaring bankruptcy, Zulily is using an alternative for winding down the business known as an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors, or ABC. The company has transferred all its assets and business in trust to Zulily ABC, LLC, to pay creditors out of proceeds from selling them.

SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. online retailer Zulily is closing down, surprising customers and laying off hundreds of workers after efforts to salvage the business failed.The Seattle-based company said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.zulily.com/password">notice on its website</a>&nbsp;that it had tried to fill all pending orders and expected to manage that within the coming two weeks. Zulily said it was trying to ensure that orders that could not be filled were cancelled and refunded and offered a contact for customers who did not get their orders or refunds.“This decision was not easy nor was it entered into lightly. However, given the challenging business environment in which Zulily operated, and the corresponding financial instability, Zulily decided to take immediate and swift action," said the notice, signed by Ryan C. Baker, vice president at management consultant Douglas Wilson Companies, which is handling the receivership for the company.Founded in 2010 by Darrell Cavens and Mark Vadon, Zulily made a splash with products catering to families with young children and staged a successful IPO on the Nasdaq in 2013. But it was taken private after it was acquired in 2015 for $2.4 billion by QVC parent company Qurate, formerly known as Liberty Interactive. Zulily's CEO Terry Boyle left the company at the end of October as financial troubles mounted following its acquisition by private equity firm Regent from Qurate in May.The company's liquidation followed several rounds of layoffs as Zulily struggled to compete with Amazon.Instead of declaring bankruptcy, Zulily is using an alternative for winding down the business known as an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors, or ABC. The company has transferred all its assets and business in trust to Zulily ABC, LLC, to pay creditors out of proceeds from selling them.

US online retailer Zulily is closing down, surprising customers

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/27/chef-dishes-out-education-on-healthy-eating-along-with-native-american-inspired-cuisine/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

BANCROFT, Nebraska — The first time Anthony Warrior was asked to cater a meal of Native American foods, his client requested fry bread.

Warrior responded that the deep-fat-fried bread dish wasn’t what Native Americans ate, but instead was something created during the Depression to eat.

“That was not our food. We didn’t have flour on the Plains,” said Warrior, an&nbsp;enrolled member of Absentee Shawnee tribes, who is also descended from&nbsp;the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the&nbsp;Sicangu Lakota-Bad Nations.

Since that request, Warrior has been on a mission to educate people about healthy foods and to prepare what he calls “Native-inspired” dishes for dozens of events through his catering business, Warrior’s Palate.

He works out of his home in Santee, on the northeast Nebraska reservation of the Santee Sioux, where he also serves as a human resource director for the&nbsp;Nebraska Indian Community College.

It has been an educational quest for Warrior, who grew up in Oklahoma watching his mother cook in a series of cafes and helping the women of his tribe prepare feasts for special events.&nbsp;

He dreamed of becoming a doctor, but he&nbsp;soon found out that his passion wasn’t tending to sick patients, but cooking.

Warrior eventually found jobs as a chef at Indian casinos from Oklahoma to New York State, where there was some demand for Native American dishes. But it was mostly dishes like Indian tacos, something else that tribes didn’t traditionally eat but were created later as a novelty.

“When I was working with these tribes, I would ask, ‘What was your food?'” Warrior said. “A lot of them didn’t know, they were so removed from it.”

Even dishes that were well-known, such as bison and venison, were sometimes hard to find or were restricted from being served in a restaurant.

&nbsp;“It’s been a lifelong journey to discover what the tribes ate,” he said.

His queries led him to get involved with Native groups seeking to save heritage corn seeds so those varieties did not become extinct.

Today, he caters up to three meals a week, as well as giving presentations at schools across Nebraska and western Iowa.

There’s increased interest in Native American cuisine, in part inspired by the naming last year of an Oglala Lakota chef, Sean Sherman, as winner of a prestigious James Beard Award.

Warrior dresses in traditional Mohawk tribal garb — a gift from a Mohawk friend — and delivers a cautionary message about healthy eating.

“What’s on our plate we can’t call ‘food’ anymore,” Warrior said, terming sugar “one of the kingpin drugs of the world.”

The body doesn’t need three meals a day, seven days a week, he said, and when we eat today, we eat too much.

“The more sugar-based food we pump into our bodies, we create a still of alcohol,” Warrior said. “We’re creating that craving for a sugar high, and that is abuse of our bodies.”&nbsp;

He calls his dishes Native inspired because it’s so hard to find ingredients, produced by Native producers, to match. He uses ingredients used by indigenous people across the continent and into Central and South America.

“I only use ingredients that were known in the Americas,” Warrior said.

&nbsp;At a recent catered meal at the John Neihardt State Historic Site in Bancroft, Warrior dished up bison ribeyes, with charred onions and sweet pepper butter, corn hominy with tomatoes, sweet potatoes, maple encrusted pecans and dried fruit, and dried berries in chocolate wedges.

He relies mostly on a small network of growers and foragers for ingredients. He has purchased corn&nbsp;grown by the Omaha and Kickapoo tribes, bison from a grower near Niobrara and wild rice harvested from the lakes of Canada and Minnesota.

Warrior’s personal story is dramatic — he once weighed more than 500 pounds and was diagnosed as diabetic.

But by avoiding processed foods and using intermittent fasting — as Native Americans would have done — he now weighs below 300 pounds and is looking to slim down more.

“Now my biggest drive is my children, to break them from the curse of unhealthy foods,” Warrior said. “I show them that if they eat better, they can feel better.”

For the past two summers, he has cooked and taught at a “Cultural Connections” youth camp at the Neihardt Center for Native American students. He regularly presents programs at schools and universities and teaches a cooking class in Santee.

“You’ve got to keep yourself healthy,” he said. “Food can drive that.”

Warrior, however, said his catering customers are most often non-Native.

“(Natives)&nbsp;say ‘We’ve been eating that for thousands of years, we don’t want that any anymore,’ ” he said. “It’s really tough to sell the food back to the Natives.”

But he won some converts three years ago in Sioux City, Iowa, after the request for fry bread.

“Just trust me,” he told the catering customer, who was holding a family reunion.

So he prepared a meal of hominy corn grits, beans, squash, braised bison, some smoked duck with wild rice and fish.

“She said ‘I never knew this was Native food,'” Warrior said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703687865337.jpeg" alt="Anthony Warrior, left, dishes up Native American inspired dishes at a recent event at the John Neihardt State Historic Site in Bancroft. Pictured also is Mary Hines, a member of the Neihardt Foundation board. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Anthony Warrior, left, dishes up Native American inspired dishes at a recent event at the John Neihardt State Historic Site in Bancroft. Pictured also is Mary Hines, a member of the Neihardt Foundation board. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/27/chef-dishes-out-education-on-healthy-eating-along-with-native-american-inspired-cuisine/">Nebraska Examiner</a>BANCROFT, Nebraska — The first time Anthony Warrior was asked to cater a meal of Native American foods, his client requested fry bread.Warrior responded that the deep-fat-fried bread dish wasn’t what Native Americans ate, but instead was something created during the Depression to eat.“That was not our food. We didn’t have flour on the Plains,” said Warrior, an&nbsp;enrolled member of Absentee Shawnee tribes, who is also descended from&nbsp;the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the&nbsp;Sicangu Lakota-Bad Nations.Since that request, Warrior has been on a mission to educate people about healthy foods and to prepare what he calls “Native-inspired” dishes for dozens of events through his catering business, Warrior’s Palate.<h2>Based in Santee</h2>He works out of his home in Santee, on the northeast Nebraska reservation of the Santee Sioux, where he also serves as a human resource director for the&nbsp;Nebraska Indian Community College.It has been an educational quest for Warrior, who grew up in Oklahoma watching his mother cook in a series of cafes and helping the women of his tribe prepare feasts for special events.&nbsp;He dreamed of becoming a doctor, but he&nbsp;soon found out that his passion wasn’t tending to sick patients, but cooking.Warrior eventually found jobs as a chef at Indian casinos from Oklahoma to New York State, where there was some demand for Native American dishes. But it was mostly dishes like Indian tacos, something else that tribes didn’t traditionally eat but were created later as a novelty.<h2>‘What was your food?”</h2>“When I was working with these tribes, I would ask, ‘What was your food?'” Warrior said. “A lot of them didn’t know, they were so removed from it.”Even dishes that were well-known, such as bison and venison, were sometimes hard to find or were restricted from being served in a restaurant.&nbsp;“It’s been a lifelong journey to discover what the tribes ate,” he said.His queries led him to get involved with Native groups seeking to save heritage corn seeds so those varieties did not become extinct.Today, he caters up to three meals a week, as well as giving presentations at schools across Nebraska and western Iowa.There’s increased interest in Native American cuisine, in part inspired by the naming last year of an Oglala Lakota chef, Sean Sherman, as winner of a prestigious James Beard Award.Warrior dresses in traditional Mohawk tribal garb — a gift from a Mohawk friend — and delivers a cautionary message about healthy eating.“What’s on our plate we can’t call ‘food’ anymore,” Warrior said, terming sugar “one of the kingpin drugs of the world.”The body doesn’t need three meals a day, seven days a week, he said, and when we eat today, we eat too much.“The more sugar-based food we pump into our bodies, we create a still of alcohol,” Warrior said. “We’re creating that craving for a sugar high, and that is abuse of our bodies.”&nbsp;He calls his dishes Native inspired because it’s so hard to find ingredients, produced by Native producers, to match. He uses ingredients used by indigenous people across the continent and into Central and South America.“I only use ingredients that were known in the Americas,” Warrior said.&nbsp;At a recent catered meal at the John Neihardt State Historic Site in Bancroft, Warrior dished up bison ribeyes, with charred onions and sweet pepper butter, corn hominy with tomatoes, sweet potatoes, maple encrusted pecans and dried fruit, and dried berries in chocolate wedges.<h2>Became healthy via Native foods</h2>He relies mostly on a small network of growers and foragers for ingredients. He has purchased corn&nbsp;grown by the Omaha and Kickapoo tribes, bison from a grower near Niobrara and wild rice harvested from the lakes of Canada and Minnesota.Warrior’s personal story is dramatic — he once weighed more than 500 pounds and was diagnosed as diabetic.But by avoiding processed foods and using intermittent fasting — as Native Americans would have done — he now weighs below 300 pounds and is looking to slim down more.“Now my biggest drive is my children, to break them from the curse of unhealthy foods,” Warrior said. “I show them that if they eat better, they can feel better.”For the past two summers, he has cooked and taught at a “Cultural Connections” youth camp at the Neihardt Center for Native American students. He regularly presents programs at schools and universities and teaches a cooking class in Santee.<h2>Food can drive health</h2>“You’ve got to keep yourself healthy,” he said. “Food can drive that.”Warrior, however, said his catering customers are most often non-Native.“(Natives)&nbsp;say ‘We’ve been eating that for thousands of years, we don’t want that any anymore,’ ” he said. “It’s really tough to sell the food back to the Natives.”But he won some converts three years ago in Sioux City, Iowa, after the request for fry bread.“Just trust me,” he told the catering customer, who was holding a family reunion.So he prepared a meal of hominy corn grits, beans, squash, braised bison, some smoked duck with wild rice and fish.His client loved it.“She said ‘I never knew this was Native food,'” Warrior said.

Chef dishes out education on healthy eating along with Native American-‘inspired’ cuisine

Lincoln, NE ‐ December 27, 2023 ‐ One lucky player who bought a Nebraska Pick 5 ticket for the Tuesday, December 26 drawing is holding a ticket worth $110,000.

The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Tuesday's Nebraska Pick 5 draw matched all five winning numbers for the $110,000 jackpot. The ticket was sold at Kwik Stop #22, 904 W Hwy 30, in Gibbon. The winning numbers from Tuesday's Nebraska Pick 5 draw were 01, 17, 19, 30, 35. Players are encouraged to check their tickets at any Nebraska Lottery retailer, online at&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling the Lottery office at 402-471-6100.

Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website,&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling 800-587-5200.

Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska's unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers. The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $10,000 each drawing that it is not won, are 1 in 658,008. The overall odds of winning any Nebraska Pick 5 prize which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 9.2.

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $951 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery's beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

Neil WatsonLincoln, NE ‐ December 27, 2023 ‐ One lucky player who bought a Nebraska Pick 5 ticket for the Tuesday, December 26 drawing is holding a ticket worth $110,000.The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Tuesday's Nebraska Pick 5 draw matched all five winning numbers for the $110,000 jackpot. The ticket was sold at Kwik Stop #22, 904 W Hwy 30, in Gibbon. The winning numbers from Tuesday's Nebraska Pick 5 draw were 01, 17, 19, 30, 35. Players are encouraged to check their tickets at any Nebraska Lottery retailer, online at&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling the Lottery office at 402-471-6100.Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website,&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling 800-587-5200.Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska's unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers. The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $10,000 each drawing that it is not won, are 1 in 658,008. The overall odds of winning any Nebraska Pick 5 prize which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 9.2.The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $951 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery's beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

$110,000 Nebraska Pick 5 Winning Ticket Sold in Gibbon

DENVER (AP) — Police said Tuesday they are investigating incidents directed at Colorado Supreme Court justices and providing extra patrols around their homes in Denver following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-14th-amendment-2024-colorado-d16dd8f354eeaf450558378c65fd79a2">the court's decision to remove former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;from the state's presidential primary ballot.

The Denver Police Department declined in an email to provide details about its investigations, citing safety and privacy considerations and because they are ongoing.

The department "is currently investigating incidents directed at Colorado Supreme Court justices and will continue working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate any reports of threats or harassment," the email said.

Officers responded to the home of one justice on Thursday evening, but police said it appeared to be a “hoax report.” That case is also still being investigated police said.

The FBI said it is working with local law enforcement on the matter.

"We will vigorously pursue investigations of any threat or use of violence committed by someone who uses extremist views to justify their actions regardless of motivation,” a spokesperson for the Denver's FBI office, Vikki Migoya, said in a statement.

In a 4-3 decision last week, Colorado's highest court overturned a ruling from a district court judge who found that Trump incited an insurrection for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, but had said he could not be barred from the ballot because it was unclear that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-14th-amendment-2024-colorado-79373b5043976588b599fc00ede049e8">U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause</a>&nbsp;was intended to cover the presidency.

The state’s highest court didn’t agree, siding with attorneys for six Colorado Republican and unaffiliated voters who argued that it was nonsensical to imagine that the framers of the amendment, fearful of former confederates returning to power, would bar them from low-level offices but not the highest one in the land.

DENVER (AP) — Police said Tuesday they are investigating incidents directed at Colorado Supreme Court justices and providing extra patrols around their homes in Denver following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-14th-amendment-2024-colorado-d16dd8f354eeaf450558378c65fd79a2">the court's decision to remove former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;from the state's presidential primary ballot.The Denver Police Department declined in an email to provide details about its investigations, citing safety and privacy considerations and because they are ongoing.The department "is currently investigating incidents directed at Colorado Supreme Court justices and will continue working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate any reports of threats or harassment," the email said.Officers responded to the home of one justice on Thursday evening, but police said it appeared to be a “hoax report.” That case is also still being investigated police said.The FBI said it is working with local law enforcement on the matter."We will vigorously pursue investigations of any threat or use of violence committed by someone who uses extremist views to justify their actions regardless of motivation,” a spokesperson for the Denver's FBI office, Vikki Migoya, said in a statement.In a 4-3 decision last week, Colorado's highest court overturned a ruling from a district court judge who found that Trump incited an insurrection for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, but had said he could not be barred from the ballot because it was unclear that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-14th-amendment-2024-colorado-79373b5043976588b599fc00ede049e8">U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause</a>&nbsp;was intended to cover the presidency.The state’s highest court didn’t agree, siding with attorneys for six Colorado Republican and unaffiliated voters who argued that it was nonsensical to imagine that the framers of the amendment, fearful of former confederates returning to power, would bar them from low-level offices but not the highest one in the land.

FBI investigating threats directed at Colorado justices after Trump ruling

JERUSALEM —U.S. assets including the USS Laboon (DDG 58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, shot down twelve one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles in the Southern Red Sea Tuesday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

The drones and missiles were fired by the Houthis over a 10 hour period which began at approximately 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on December 26. There was no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military says it has expanded its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip to the densely populated urban refugee camps in the central part of the territory.

With international pressure for a cease-fire building, top U.S. officials were meeting with Israel’s minister for strategic affairs Tuesday at the White House in Washington.

Residents reported shelling and airstrikes shaking the Nuseirat, Maghazi and Bureij camps. The built-up towns hold Palestinians whose families fled or were driven from their homes in what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s independence.

The camps are now crowded with Palestinians who fled northern Gaza in the early stages of Israel’s ground offensive.

“We have expanded the fighting to an area known as the central camps,” Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, told a news conference.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-death-toll-numbers-de06ce2c5711ce17a4704276f5c1a5c4">More than 20,900 Palestinians</a>, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants among the dead.

About 1,200 people were killed after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">around 240 people taken hostage</a>. Israel says it aims to free the more than 100 hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699124273212.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM —U.S. assets including the USS Laboon (DDG 58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, shot down twelve one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles in the Southern Red Sea Tuesday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.The drones and missiles were fired by the Houthis over a 10 hour period which began at approximately 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on December 26. There was no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries.Meanwhile, the Israeli military says it has expanded its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip to the densely populated urban refugee camps in the central part of the territory.With international pressure for a cease-fire building, top U.S. officials were meeting with Israel’s minister for strategic affairs Tuesday at the White House in Washington.Residents reported shelling and airstrikes shaking the Nuseirat, Maghazi and Bureij camps. The built-up towns hold Palestinians whose families fled or were driven from their homes in what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s independence.The camps are now crowded with Palestinians who fled northern Gaza in the early stages of Israel’s ground offensive.“We have expanded the fighting to an area known as the central camps,” Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, told a news conference.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-death-toll-numbers-de06ce2c5711ce17a4704276f5c1a5c4">More than 20,900 Palestinians</a>, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants among the dead.About 1,200 people were killed after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">around 240 people taken hostage</a>. Israel says it aims to free the more than 100 hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza.

US shoots down more attack drones and missiles in Red Sea

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An appellate court on Tuesday reversed a 2022 federal conviction against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-los-angeles-campaigns-nebraska-congress-66c320661e21eef5d3083254e8a686f7">former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska</a>, ruling that he should not have been tried in Los Angeles.

Fortenberry was convicted in March 2022 on charges that he lied to federal authorities about an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-campaigns-nebraska-congress-jeff-fortenberry-0e8ff76a88e9c99d8c333091953c1f9d">illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign</a>&nbsp;from a foreign billionaire at a 2016 Los Angeles fundraiser. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/campaigns-kevin-mccarthy-legislature-nebraska-nancy-pelosi-7f2bf99b536c5ad93071a544f661e252">resigned his seat days later</a>&nbsp;following pressure from congressional leaders and Nebraska’s GOP governor.

In its Tuesday ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit wrote that the trial venue of Los Angeles was improper because Fortenberry&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-religion-elections-los-angeles-campaigns-f1aa433aa7e35946ba43ac5c7d0d2487">made the false statements during interviews</a>&nbsp;with federal agents at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska, and in his lawyer’s office in Washington.

“Fortenberry’s convictions are reversed so that he may be retried, if at all, in a proper venue,” the decision said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-los-angeles-campaigns-nebraska-lincoln-1f0b93283e4c5941eccae8edd3703987">A federal jury in Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;found the nine-term Republican guilty of concealing information and two counts of making false statements to authorities. He vowed to appeal from the courthouse steps.

Fortenberry and his wife, Celeste Fortenberry, praised the court’s decision.

“We are gratified by the Ninth Circuit’s decision,” Jeff Fortenberry said in a statement. “Celeste and I would like to thank everyone who has stood by us and supported us with their kindness and friendship.”

Thom Mrozek, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, noted that the appellate court left a path open for future proceedings against Fortenberry.

“The ruling does not preclude a retrial on the charges that then-Congressman Fortenberry made multiple false statements to federal agents," Mrozek said in a statement. "We are evaluating potential next steps before deciding how best to move forward.”

Patricia Hartman, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, declined to comment on the ruling’s potential impact for federal prosecutors in Washington.

“We cannot comment on matters where we don’t have charges filed,” she said in an email Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nebraska did not immediately return a phone message.

Fortenberry was charged after denying to the FBI that he was aware he had received illicit funds from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent.

At trial, prosecutors presented recorded phone conversations in which Fortenberry was repeatedly warned that the contributions came from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent. The donations were funneled through three strawmen at the 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles.

The case stemmed from an FBI investigation into $180,000 in illegal campaign contributions to four campaigns from Chagoury, who lived in Paris at the time. Chagoury admitted to the crime in 2019 and agreed to pay a $1.8 million fine.

It was the first trial of a sitting congressman since Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, was convicted of bribery and other felony charges in 2002.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655382995706.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, flanked by his wife and other family members, speaks to reporters after the guilty verdicts. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, flanked by his wife and other family members, speaks to reporters after the guilty verdicts. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — An appellate court on Tuesday reversed a 2022 federal conviction against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-los-angeles-campaigns-nebraska-congress-66c320661e21eef5d3083254e8a686f7">former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska</a>, ruling that he should not have been tried in Los Angeles.Fortenberry was convicted in March 2022 on charges that he lied to federal authorities about an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-campaigns-nebraska-congress-jeff-fortenberry-0e8ff76a88e9c99d8c333091953c1f9d">illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign</a>&nbsp;from a foreign billionaire at a 2016 Los Angeles fundraiser. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/campaigns-kevin-mccarthy-legislature-nebraska-nancy-pelosi-7f2bf99b536c5ad93071a544f661e252">resigned his seat days later</a>&nbsp;following pressure from congressional leaders and Nebraska’s GOP governor.In its Tuesday ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit wrote that the trial venue of Los Angeles was improper because Fortenberry&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-religion-elections-los-angeles-campaigns-f1aa433aa7e35946ba43ac5c7d0d2487">made the false statements during interviews</a>&nbsp;with federal agents at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska, and in his lawyer’s office in Washington.“Fortenberry’s convictions are reversed so that he may be retried, if at all, in a proper venue,” the decision said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-los-angeles-campaigns-nebraska-lincoln-1f0b93283e4c5941eccae8edd3703987">A federal jury in Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;found the nine-term Republican guilty of concealing information and two counts of making false statements to authorities. He vowed to appeal from the courthouse steps.Fortenberry and his wife, Celeste Fortenberry, praised the court’s decision.“We are gratified by the Ninth Circuit’s decision,” Jeff Fortenberry said in a statement. “Celeste and I would like to thank everyone who has stood by us and supported us with their kindness and friendship.”Thom Mrozek, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, noted that the appellate court left a path open for future proceedings against Fortenberry.“The ruling does not preclude a retrial on the charges that then-Congressman Fortenberry made multiple false statements to federal agents," Mrozek said in a statement. "We are evaluating potential next steps before deciding how best to move forward.”Patricia Hartman, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, declined to comment on the ruling’s potential impact for federal prosecutors in Washington.“We cannot comment on matters where we don’t have charges filed,” she said in an email Tuesday.A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nebraska did not immediately return a phone message.Fortenberry was charged after denying to the FBI that he was aware he had received illicit funds from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent.At trial, prosecutors presented recorded phone conversations in which Fortenberry was repeatedly warned that the contributions came from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent. The donations were funneled through three strawmen at the 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles.The case stemmed from an FBI investigation into $180,000 in illegal campaign contributions to four campaigns from Chagoury, who lived in Paris at the time. Chagoury admitted to the crime in 2019 and agreed to pay a $1.8 million fine.It was the first trial of a sitting congressman since Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, was convicted of bribery and other felony charges in 2002.

Court reverses former Nebraska Rep's conviction of lying to feds

Upon entering my first legislative session it was imperative that we tighten the state’s belt. We need to run government like a business, which means doing more with less, cutting spending and growing services. It’s vital that we invest in our future -- our kids -- and have transformative tax policy change.

This year, the state became 100% responsible for funding of community colleges and took on a greater role in funding K-12 education. That allowed us to move from 49th&nbsp;in the nation to 27th.&nbsp;&nbsp;The objective is to shift funding for education away from local property taxes and utilize the state’s investment to provide dollar-for-dollar property tax relief.

Through the infusion of state dollars, as well as the creation of the Education Future Fund, our Nebraska Legislature delivered historic tax relief. While some school districts have taken the funding, and its purpose, to heart – others have not. The increase in property tax attributed to K-12 public schools in 2024 has reached $85 million.&nbsp; As the state has increased its financial commitment to the districts, many have responded by bloating their budgets.

It is fair to say that districts have been saddled with inflationary costs as well as pay increases to keep teachers and staff. Some may have legitimate needs that are long overdue. But to infuse school coffers with $324 million and then watch property taxes rise correspondingly is beyond disappointing. It simply cannot happen.

Since 1972, there have been three attempts to deliver property tax relief by having the state assume a larger portion of school aid. And each time, the promise of reduced property taxes has eroded away. We will work very hard with superintendents this upcoming year to be sure the intent of the law is carried out.

We will continue to partner with our districts, to understand their needs and we will ask them to be better partners in managing their budgets. It is a commitment that requires both sides if it is to be successful.

Nebraska schools deliver when it comes to providing a quality education. They are dedicated to our kids and committed to their success. Together, we can rely on state funding, educate our kids, and cut property taxes.&nbsp;

If you have questions about the state’s investment in public education and property tax relief, please call my office at 402-471-2244 or email me at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jim.pillen@nebraska.gov">jim.pillen@nebraska.gov</a>.

Jim PillenUpon entering my first legislative session it was imperative that we tighten the state’s belt. We need to run government like a business, which means doing more with less, cutting spending and growing services. It’s vital that we invest in our future -- our kids -- and have transformative tax policy change.This year, the state became 100% responsible for funding of community colleges and took on a greater role in funding K-12 education. That allowed us to move from 49th&nbsp;in the nation to 27th.&nbsp;&nbsp;The objective is to shift funding for education away from local property taxes and utilize the state’s investment to provide dollar-for-dollar property tax relief.Through the infusion of state dollars, as well as the creation of the Education Future Fund, our Nebraska Legislature delivered historic tax relief. While some school districts have taken the funding, and its purpose, to heart – others have not. The increase in property tax attributed to K-12 public schools in 2024 has reached $85 million.&nbsp; As the state has increased its financial commitment to the districts, many have responded by bloating their budgets.It is fair to say that districts have been saddled with inflationary costs as well as pay increases to keep teachers and staff. Some may have legitimate needs that are long overdue. But to infuse school coffers with $324 million and then watch property taxes rise correspondingly is beyond disappointing. It simply cannot happen.Since 1972, there have been three attempts to deliver property tax relief by having the state assume a larger portion of school aid. And each time, the promise of reduced property taxes has eroded away. We will work very hard with superintendents this upcoming year to be sure the intent of the law is carried out.We will continue to partner with our districts, to understand their needs and we will ask them to be better partners in managing their budgets. It is a commitment that requires both sides if it is to be successful.Nebraska schools deliver when it comes to providing a quality education. They are dedicated to our kids and committed to their success. Together, we can rely on state funding, educate our kids, and cut property taxes.&nbsp;If you have questions about the state’s investment in public education and property tax relief, please call my office at 402-471-2244 or email me at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jim.pillen@nebraska.gov">jim.pillen@nebraska.gov</a>.

State Investment in Public Education Needs to be Repaid in Property Tax Relief

WASHINGTON (AP)— A top aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at the White House Tuesday for talks with President Joe Biden’s top diplomat and national security adviser on Gaza, as Israel appears poised to expand its offensive there.

Ron Dermer, Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, was meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

Watson said the talks would cover matters related to the war including efforts to free hostages held by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. Dermer’s trip comes as the U.S. presses ally Israel to wrap up the deadliest phase of its offensive in Gaza.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701204582165.png" alt="Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event, as Israeli DJs spun music, to commemorate the October 7, massacre, near Kibbutz Re'im, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)" />
 <figcaption>Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event, as Israeli DJs spun music, to commemorate the October 7, massacre, near Kibbutz Re'im, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP)— A top aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at the White House Tuesday for talks with President Joe Biden’s top diplomat and national security adviser on Gaza, as Israel appears poised to expand its offensive there.Ron Dermer, Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, was meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.Watson said the talks would cover matters related to the war including efforts to free hostages held by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. Dermer’s trip comes as the U.S. presses ally Israel to wrap up the deadliest phase of its offensive in Gaza.Meanwhile, the Israeli military says it has expanded its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip to the densely populated urban refugee camps in the central part of the territory.Residents reported shelling and airstrikes shaking the Nuseirat, Maghazi and Bureij camps. The built-up towns hold Palestinians whose families fled or were driven from their homes in what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s independence.The camps are now crowded with Palestinians who fled northern Gaza in the early stages of Israel’s ground offensive.“We have expanded the fighting to an area known as the central camps,” Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, told a news conference.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-death-toll-numbers-de06ce2c5711ce17a4704276f5c1a5c4">More than 20,900 Palestinians</a>, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants among the dead.About 1,200 people were killed after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">around 240 people taken hostage</a>. Israel says it aims to free the more than 100 hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza.

White House meetings continue on efforts to free hostages 

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Eric L. Eggers, 39, of Oxford, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 19, 2023, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for felon in possession of a firearm. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Eggers to 36 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Eggers’ release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

On August 24, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Eggers’ residence in Furnas County, Nebraska.&nbsp; During the search, law enforcement located 16 firearms in total.&nbsp; Eggers admitted that he knew that the firearms were in his residence and that he knowingly possessed them. He also admitted that he knew he could not legally possess them.&nbsp; Eggers had previously been convicted of a felony in 2012.

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Eric L. Eggers, 39, of Oxford, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 19, 2023, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for felon in possession of a firearm. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Eggers to 36 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Eggers’ release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.On August 24, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Eggers’ residence in Furnas County, Nebraska.&nbsp; During the search, law enforcement located 16 firearms in total.&nbsp; Eggers admitted that he knew that the firearms were in his residence and that he knowingly possessed them. He also admitted that he knew he could not legally possess them.&nbsp; Eggers had previously been convicted of a felony in 2012.

Oxford Man Convicted for Felon in Possession of Firearm

DECEMBER 26, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol responded to nearly 150 weather-related incidents on Nebraska roadways on Christmas Day.

Troopers responded to 28 crashes and performed 117 motorist assists as much of the state experienced a white Christmas. The vast majority of the incidents did not involve injuries.

One crash, which occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. Monday, resulted in the closure of eastbound Interstate 80 for approximately three hours while clean-up took place. There were no injuries reported in that crash.

Winter driving conditions exist across the state on Tuesday and a Blizzard Warning remains in effect for areas of north-central and western Nebraska. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for additional counties. Travelers should check the forecast for their area before attempted to travel.

All travelers are also urged to check&nbsp;<a href="http://www.511.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">511.Nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;for updated road conditions before hitting the road. Any motorist who becomes stranded should stay with their vehicle and call for help. The NSP Highway Helpline is *55.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703611125697.jpeg" alt="12-25-I-80 closure " />
 <figcaption>12-25-I-80 closure </figcaption>
 </figure>Cody ThomasDECEMBER 26, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol responded to nearly 150 weather-related incidents on Nebraska roadways on Christmas Day.Troopers responded to 28 crashes and performed 117 motorist assists as much of the state experienced a white Christmas. The vast majority of the incidents did not involve injuries.One crash, which occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. Monday, resulted in the closure of eastbound Interstate 80 for approximately three hours while clean-up took place. There were no injuries reported in that crash.Winter driving conditions exist across the state on Tuesday and a Blizzard Warning remains in effect for areas of north-central and western Nebraska. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for additional counties. Travelers should check the forecast for their area before attempted to travel.All travelers are also urged to check&nbsp;<a href="http://www.511.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">511.Nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;for updated road conditions before hitting the road. Any motorist who becomes stranded should stay with their vehicle and call for help. The NSP Highway Helpline is *55.

Winter Storm Keeps Trooper Busy on Christmas Day   

This photo combo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows an authentic Ozempic needle (left) and a counterfeit needle (right). The FDA said it has seized "thousands of units" of counterfeit Ozempic, the diabetes drug widely used for weight loss, that had been distributed through legitimate drug supply sources.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has seized “thousands of units” of&nbsp;<a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFDA/bulletins/3813bc8">counterfeit Ozempic</a>, the diabetes drug widely used for weight loss, that had been distributed through legitimate drug supply sources.

The FDA and the drug’s maker, Novo Nordisk, are testing the shots. They do not yet have information about the drugs' identity, quality or safety, according to a statement. Five illnesses have been linked to the fake shots, but none have been serious, the FDA said Thursday.

Some of the fake 1 milligram semaglutide shots may still be for sale, FDA said. In addition to the drug itself, the needles, pen labels, carton and accompanying health care information are also counterfeit, the agency said.

It said the counterfeits were labeled with the lot number NAR0074 and serial number 430834149057.

FDA advised retail pharmacies to buy authentic Ozempic only through authorized distributors and for patients to get it only through state-licensed pharmacies.

Consumers can report suspect Ozempic packages by calling 800-332-1088 or by contacting a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/report-problem-fda/consumer-complaint-coordinators">state complaint coordinator</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703609063339.png" alt="This photo combo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows an authentic Ozempic needle (left) and a counterfeit needle (right). The FDA said it has seized "thousands of units" of counterfeit Ozempic, the diabetes drug widely used for weight loss, that had been distributed through legitimate drug supply sources.&nbsp; &nbsp;FDA via AP" />
 <figcaption>This photo combo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows an authentic Ozempic needle (left) and a counterfeit needle (right). The FDA said it has seized "thousands of units" of counterfeit Ozempic, the diabetes drug widely used for weight loss, that had been distributed through legitimate drug supply sources.&nbsp; &nbsp;FDA via AP</figcaption>
 </figure>This photo combo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows an authentic Ozempic needle (left) and a counterfeit needle (right). The FDA said it has seized "thousands of units" of counterfeit Ozempic, the diabetes drug widely used for weight loss, that had been distributed through legitimate drug supply sources.FDA via APWASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has seized “thousands of units” of&nbsp;<a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFDA/bulletins/3813bc8">counterfeit Ozempic</a>, the diabetes drug widely used for weight loss, that had been distributed through legitimate drug supply sources.The FDA and the drug’s maker, Novo Nordisk, are testing the shots. They do not yet have information about the drugs' identity, quality or safety, according to a statement. Five illnesses have been linked to the fake shots, but none have been serious, the FDA said Thursday.Some of the fake 1 milligram semaglutide shots may still be for sale, FDA said. In addition to the drug itself, the needles, pen labels, carton and accompanying health care information are also counterfeit, the agency said.It said the counterfeits were labeled with the lot number NAR0074 and serial number 430834149057.FDA advised retail pharmacies to buy authentic Ozempic only through authorized distributors and for patients to get it only through state-licensed pharmacies.Consumers can report suspect Ozempic packages by calling 800-332-1088 or by contacting a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/report-problem-fda/consumer-complaint-coordinators">state complaint coordinator</a>.___

FDA: Fake Ozempic shots being sold through some legitimate sources

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/22/two-u-s-mexico-rail-crossings-closed-by-border-patrol-to-reopen-pillen-says/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — American corn, soybean, dairy and rice farmers who depend on trade with Mexico appear poised to get their wish from the Biden administration before Christmas, with the reopening of two train border crossings in Texas.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Friday to let him know the crossings would be reopened right away. Pillen said he had spoken with the secretary days ago to make a case for restoring the flow of ag trade. He and ag-state congressional delegations, including Nebraska’s, have been pressing for a swift resumption of trade.

Pillen said he was grateful Mayorkas listened and followed up on Nebraska’s concerns before producers “suffered the consequences of suspending rail operations.” National ag organizations have said they risked losing millions of dollars in trade a day.&nbsp;

“As a country, we must work together to solve this crisis at the southern border, however we cannot solve it by suspending operations of essential transportation,” Pillen said in a statement.&nbsp;

The two closed crossings at El Paso and Eagle Pass, Texas, carried a combined $3 billion in cross-border trade by rail as recently as October,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/migrant-surge-us-mexico-border-slows-trade-washington-seeks-answers-2023-12-20/">Reuters reported</a>. As recently as 2021, Nebraska exported $9.2 billion in ag products. Mexico is the largest purchaser of Nebraska corn and soybeans. The crossings are two of the six rail systems connecting the U.S. and Mexico.

Nebraskans also have large stakes in Omaha-based Union Pacific and BNSF Railways, owned by Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, working under the Department of Homeland Security, had closed the rail crossings Dec. 18 until they could get more people to the region to process migrants trying to cross the border, including some riding atop cargo train cars.&nbsp;

The Border Patrol stopped nearly 11,000 migrants along the southwest border Monday, Reuters reported, adding that Mexico recently reduced immigration enforcement for budget reasons and said the U.S. rail response might be related.

Increased crossings and Border Patrol stats are part of the 2024 presidential election race. A Mexican government source told Reuters that crossings are expected to level out in January, once spending returns to normal levels.

A Border Patrol spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.&nbsp;

Senate Republicans have been trying to insert changes in the administration’s approach to border security into a spending package that includes aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., has said a deal is possible.&nbsp;

She and Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., have discussed the border situation as a national security issue. Ricketts and seven other GOP senators sent the Secretary a letter calling for reopening the trade routes. Fischer wrote him separately. Many met with him.&nbsp;

In a statement Friday, Ricketts blamed the Biden administration’s failure to address immigration enforcement more seriously for the crossing being shut down. He said the U.S. also needs more help from Mexico.

Local immigrant rights advocates have said people should focus more on the humanitarian crisis.

Mark McHargue, President of the Nebraska Farm Bureau, said he welcomed the re-opening but said the closure should serve as a “wake-up call” to those in Congress about the need to address immigration reform in a way that secures the border and resolves issues “before costing our nation’s agricultural … economy millions of dollars.”

National wheat growers, including the U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers said they were pleased to see the Border Patrol reopen those routes, but they want the federal government to understand the potential costs of “even short disruptions.”

“We trust CBP will take the steps needed to avoid rail closures in the future, and we are grateful for their efforts to maintain border security and facilitate lawful trade,” the statement said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703593240140.jpeg" alt=" Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen meets with troops at the southern border in Texas. (Courtesy of the Governor’s Office)" />
 <figcaption> Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen meets with troops at the southern border in Texas. (Courtesy of the Governor’s Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/22/two-u-s-mexico-rail-crossings-closed-by-border-patrol-to-reopen-pillen-says/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — American corn, soybean, dairy and rice farmers who depend on trade with Mexico appear poised to get their wish from the Biden administration before Christmas, with the reopening of two train border crossings in Texas.Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Friday to let him know the crossings would be reopened right away. Pillen said he had spoken with the secretary days ago to make a case for restoring the flow of ag trade. He and ag-state congressional delegations, including Nebraska’s, have been pressing for a swift resumption of trade.Pillen said he was grateful Mayorkas listened and followed up on Nebraska’s concerns before producers “suffered the consequences of suspending rail operations.” National ag organizations have said they risked losing millions of dollars in trade a day.&nbsp;“As a country, we must work together to solve this crisis at the southern border, however we cannot solve it by suspending operations of essential transportation,” Pillen said in a statement.&nbsp;<h2>High-stakes crossings</h2>The two closed crossings at El Paso and Eagle Pass, Texas, carried a combined $3 billion in cross-border trade by rail as recently as October,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/migrant-surge-us-mexico-border-slows-trade-washington-seeks-answers-2023-12-20/">Reuters reported</a>. As recently as 2021, Nebraska exported $9.2 billion in ag products. Mexico is the largest purchaser of Nebraska corn and soybeans. The crossings are two of the six rail systems connecting the U.S. and Mexico.Nebraskans also have large stakes in Omaha-based Union Pacific and BNSF Railways, owned by Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway.U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, working under the Department of Homeland Security, had closed the rail crossings Dec. 18 until they could get more people to the region to process migrants trying to cross the border, including some riding atop cargo train cars.&nbsp;<h2>Political issues</h2>The Border Patrol stopped nearly 11,000 migrants along the southwest border Monday, Reuters reported, adding that Mexico recently reduced immigration enforcement for budget reasons and said the U.S. rail response might be related.Increased crossings and Border Patrol stats are part of the 2024 presidential election race. A Mexican government source told Reuters that crossings are expected to level out in January, once spending returns to normal levels.A Border Patrol spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.&nbsp;Senate Republicans have been trying to insert changes in the administration’s approach to border security into a spending package that includes aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., has said a deal is possible.&nbsp;She and Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., have discussed the border situation as a national security issue. Ricketts and seven other GOP senators sent the Secretary a letter calling for reopening the trade routes. Fischer wrote him separately. Many met with him.&nbsp;In a statement Friday, Ricketts blamed the Biden administration’s failure to address immigration enforcement more seriously for the crossing being shut down. He said the U.S. also needs more help from Mexico.Local immigrant rights advocates have said people should focus more on the humanitarian crisis.Mark McHargue, President of the Nebraska Farm Bureau, said he welcomed the re-opening but said the closure should serve as a “wake-up call” to those in Congress about the need to address immigration reform in a way that secures the border and resolves issues “before costing our nation’s agricultural … economy millions of dollars.”National wheat growers, including the U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers said they were pleased to see the Border Patrol reopen those routes, but they want the federal government to understand the potential costs of “even short disruptions.”“We trust CBP will take the steps needed to avoid rail closures in the future, and we are grateful for their efforts to maintain border security and facilitate lawful trade,” the statement said.

Two U.S.-Mexico rail crossings closed by Border Patrol to reopen, Pillen says

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;ordered the United States military to carry out retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia groups after three U.S. service members were injured in a drone attack in northern Iraq.

National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said one of the U.S. troops suffered critical injuries in the attack that occurred earlier Monday. The Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups, under an umbrella of Iranian-backed militants, claimed credit for the attack that utilized a one-way attack drone.

Iraqi officials said U.S. strikes targeting militia sites early Tuesday killed one militant and injured 18. They came at a time of heightened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-us-gaza-israel-hamas-0b99659922bf1174f86e390808e5bfde">fears of a regional spillover</a>&nbsp;of the Israel-Hamas war.

Iran announced Monday that an Israeli strike on the outskirts of the Syrian capital of Damascus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-israel-iran-irgc-damascus-airstrike-7ee8496d727ba69834002f0444515a36">killed one of its top generals</a>, Razi Mousavi, who had been a close companion of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the former head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Soleimani was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-politics-government-iraq-qassim-soleimani-3353602bd30e683afec45d8c78196886">slain in a U.S. drone strike</a>&nbsp;in Iraq in January 2020.

Iranian officials vowed revenge for the killing of Mousavi but did not immediately launch a retaliatory strike. The militia attack Monday in northern Iraq was launched prior to the strike in Syria that killed Mousavi.

Biden, who was spending Christmas at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, was alerted about the attack by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan shortly after it occurred Monday and ordered the Pentagon and his top national security aides to prepare response options to the attack on an air base used by American troops in Irbil.

Sullivan consulted with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>. Biden's deputy national security adviser, Jon Finer, was with the president at Camp David and convened top aides to review options, according to a U.S. official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity.

Within hours, Biden convened his national security team for a call in which Austin and Gen. CQ Brown, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed Biden on the response options. Biden opted to target three locations used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups, the official said.

The U.S. strikes were carried out at about 4:45 a.m. Tuesday in Iraq, less than 13 hours after the U.S. personnel were attacked. According to U.S. Central Command, the retaliatory strikes on the three sites "destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants.”

"The President places no higher priority than the protection of American personnel serving in harm’s way," Watson said. “The United States will act at a time and in a manner of our choosing should these attacks continue.”

The latest attack on U.S. troops follows months of escalating threats and actions against American forces in the region since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the devastating war in Gaza.

The dangerous back-and-forth strikes have escalated since Iranian-backed militant groups under the umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Syria began striking U.S. facilities Oct. 17, the date that a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">blast at a hospital in Gaza</a>&nbsp;killed hundreds. Iranian-backed militias have carried out more than 100 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria since the start of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;more than two months ago.

In November,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iraq-airstrike-military-iran-d93d861feeef90cfeac3ba85f1f2f36d">U.S. fighter jets struck</a>&nbsp;a Kataib Hezbollah operations center and command and control node, following a short-range ballistic missile attack on U.S. forces at Al-Assad Air Base in western Iraq. Iranian-backed militias also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-militias-iran-us-base-attack-drone-hamas-israel-war-80f6739c3ab34662afba316285914e39">carried out a drone attack</a>&nbsp;at the same air base in October, causing minor injuries.

The U.S. has also blamed Iran, which has funded and trained&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-gaza-palestinian-authority-israel-war-ed7018dbaae09b81513daf3bda38109a">Hamas</a>, for attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants against commercial and military vessels through a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">critical shipping choke point in the Red Sea</a>.

The Biden administration has sought to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from spiraling into a wider regional conflict that either opens up new fronts of Israeli fighting or draws the U.S. in directly. The administration’s measured response — where not every attempt on American troops has been met with a counterattack — has drawn criticism from Republicans.

The U.S. has thousands of troops in Iraq training Iraqi forces and combating remnants of the Islamic State group, and hundreds in Syria, mostly on the counter-IS mission. They have come under dozens of attacks, though as yet none fatal, since the war began on Oct. 7, with the U.S. attributing responsibility to Iran-backed groups.

"While we do not seek to escalate conflict in the region, we are committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities," Austin said in a statement.

The clashes put the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in a delicate position. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-saudi-arabia-iraq-yemen-4ba00e2759f8e7b7605ab7429b581ca8">came to power in 2022</a>&nbsp;with the backing of a coalition of Iranian-backed parties, some of which are associated with the same militias launching the attacks on U.S. bases.

A group of Iranian-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces were key in the fight against Islamic State militants after the extremist group overran much of Iraq in 2014. The PMF is officially under the command of the Iraqi army, but in practice the militias operate independently.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;ordered the United States military to carry out retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia groups after three U.S. service members were injured in a drone attack in northern Iraq.National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said one of the U.S. troops suffered critical injuries in the attack that occurred earlier Monday. The Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups, under an umbrella of Iranian-backed militants, claimed credit for the attack that utilized a one-way attack drone.Iraqi officials said U.S. strikes targeting militia sites early Tuesday killed one militant and injured 18. They came at a time of heightened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-us-gaza-israel-hamas-0b99659922bf1174f86e390808e5bfde">fears of a regional spillover</a>&nbsp;of the Israel-Hamas war.Iran announced Monday that an Israeli strike on the outskirts of the Syrian capital of Damascus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-israel-iran-irgc-damascus-airstrike-7ee8496d727ba69834002f0444515a36">killed one of its top generals</a>, Razi Mousavi, who had been a close companion of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the former head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Soleimani was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-politics-government-iraq-qassim-soleimani-3353602bd30e683afec45d8c78196886">slain in a U.S. drone strike</a>&nbsp;in Iraq in January 2020.Iranian officials vowed revenge for the killing of Mousavi but did not immediately launch a retaliatory strike. The militia attack Monday in northern Iraq was launched prior to the strike in Syria that killed Mousavi.Biden, who was spending Christmas at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, was alerted about the attack by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan shortly after it occurred Monday and ordered the Pentagon and his top national security aides to prepare response options to the attack on an air base used by American troops in Irbil.Sullivan consulted with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>. Biden's deputy national security adviser, Jon Finer, was with the president at Camp David and convened top aides to review options, according to a U.S. official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity.Within hours, Biden convened his national security team for a call in which Austin and Gen. CQ Brown, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed Biden on the response options. Biden opted to target three locations used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups, the official said.The U.S. strikes were carried out at about 4:45 a.m. Tuesday in Iraq, less than 13 hours after the U.S. personnel were attacked. According to U.S. Central Command, the retaliatory strikes on the three sites "destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants.”"The President places no higher priority than the protection of American personnel serving in harm’s way," Watson said. “The United States will act at a time and in a manner of our choosing should these attacks continue.”The latest attack on U.S. troops follows months of escalating threats and actions against American forces in the region since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the devastating war in Gaza.The dangerous back-and-forth strikes have escalated since Iranian-backed militant groups under the umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Syria began striking U.S. facilities Oct. 17, the date that a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">blast at a hospital in Gaza</a>&nbsp;killed hundreds. Iranian-backed militias have carried out more than 100 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria since the start of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;more than two months ago.In November,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iraq-airstrike-military-iran-d93d861feeef90cfeac3ba85f1f2f36d">U.S. fighter jets struck</a>&nbsp;a Kataib Hezbollah operations center and command and control node, following a short-range ballistic missile attack on U.S. forces at Al-Assad Air Base in western Iraq. Iranian-backed militias also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-militias-iran-us-base-attack-drone-hamas-israel-war-80f6739c3ab34662afba316285914e39">carried out a drone attack</a>&nbsp;at the same air base in October, causing minor injuries.The U.S. has also blamed Iran, which has funded and trained&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-gaza-palestinian-authority-israel-war-ed7018dbaae09b81513daf3bda38109a">Hamas</a>, for attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants against commercial and military vessels through a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">critical shipping choke point in the Red Sea</a>.The Biden administration has sought to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from spiraling into a wider regional conflict that either opens up new fronts of Israeli fighting or draws the U.S. in directly. The administration’s measured response — where not every attempt on American troops has been met with a counterattack — has drawn criticism from Republicans.The U.S. has thousands of troops in Iraq training Iraqi forces and combating remnants of the Islamic State group, and hundreds in Syria, mostly on the counter-IS mission. They have come under dozens of attacks, though as yet none fatal, since the war began on Oct. 7, with the U.S. attributing responsibility to Iran-backed groups."While we do not seek to escalate conflict in the region, we are committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities," Austin said in a statement.The clashes put the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in a delicate position. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-saudi-arabia-iraq-yemen-4ba00e2759f8e7b7605ab7429b581ca8">came to power in 2022</a>&nbsp;with the backing of a coalition of Iranian-backed parties, some of which are associated with the same militias launching the attacks on U.S. bases.A group of Iranian-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces were key in the fight against Islamic State militants after the extremist group overran much of Iraq in 2014. The PMF is officially under the command of the Iraqi army, but in practice the militias operate independently.In a statement Tuesday, Sudani condemned both the militia attack in Irbil and the U.S. response.Attacks on “foreign diplomatic mission headquarters and sites hosting military advisors from friendly nations … infringe upon Iraq’s sovereignty and are deemed unacceptable under any circumstances,” the statement said.However, it added that that the retaliatory strikes by the U.S. on “Iraqi military sites” — referring to the militia — “constitute a clear hostile act.” Sudani said some of those injured in the strikes were civilians.-----------------&nbsp;Baghdad (AP) — &nbsp;In response to multiple attacks against coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, U.S. military forces conducted airstrikes against multiple facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq at 8:45 p.m. (EST) on Dec. 25, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.
Earlier in the day, Iranian sponsored Kataib Hezbollah terrorists and affiliated groups attacked coalition forces at Erbil, Iraq resulting in several injuries.

Early assessments indicate that these U.S. airstrikes destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants. There are no indications that any civilian lives were affected. The U.S. military will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of these strikes.

"These strikes are intended to hold accountable those elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and degrade their ability to continue attacks. We will always protect our forces," said General Michael Erik Kurilla, U.S. Central Command CommanderMeanwhile, An Israeli airstrike Monday in a Damascus neighborhood killed a high-ranking Iranian general, Iranian state media said.Iranian officials and allied militant groups in the region vowed revenge for the killing but did not immediately launch any retaliatory strike.The killing of Seyed Razi Mousavi, a longtime adviser of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Syria, comes amid ongoing fears of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;sparking a regional spillover. Iran-backed groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq have launched attacks on Israel and its allies in support of Hamas.Clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border between Hezbollah and Israel have continued to intensify, with daily exchanges of missiles, airstrikes and shelling across the frontier.In the Red Sea,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-ship-attacks-bp-yemen-houthis-dcece18717aa59648ff9a6b04fbc798c">attacks by Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;in Yemen against ships they believe to be connected to Israel have disrupted trade and prompted the launch of a U.S.-led multinational naval operation to protect shipping routes.Israeli strikes killed two other generals earlier this month in Syria.Israel on Monday struck the Sayida Zeinab neighborhood, located near a Shiite Muslim shrine, Iran’s official news agency IRNA and Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. IRNA described Mousavi as a close companion of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-politics-government-iraq-qassim-soleimani-3353602bd30e683afec45d8c78196886">Gen. Qassim Soleimani</a>, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-ap-top-news-tehran-international-news-iraq-3bb7af59e8b1bfd3e15222a98395ee85">slain in a U.S. drone strike</a>&nbsp;in Iraq in January 2020.Neither the Israeli military nor Syrian state media immediately issued a statement about Monday's attack. Israeli officials declined to comment.Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi in a statement said that Mousavi was “martyred while serving as an adviser for the resistance front, defending holy shrines in Syria as well as safeguarding Islamic ideals.” He threatened that the “Israeli regime will definitely pay for this crime.”Hossein Akbari, Iran’s ambassador to Syria, condemned the killing, saying that Mousavi was in Syria as a “formal military advisor.”“(Israel) will definitely get a response to this crime at the right time and the right situation,” Akbari said, speaking from Damascus.Though IRNA didn't provide other details about the attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Israeli military targeted Mousavi after he entered a farm in the area, which allegedly was one of several offices for Hezbollah. The Lebanese militant group, alongside Iran and Russia, has played a key military role in keeping President Bashar Assad's government in power throughout the Syrian conflict.Hezbollah in a statement called Mousavi “one of the best of brothers who worked to support the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon for decades of his honorable life.”