PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A U.S. missionary couple was shot and killed by criminal gang members in Haiti’s capital after they were abducted while leaving a youth group activity held at a local church, according to a police official and a religious group.

A third person also was killed during the attack Thursday evening in the community of Lizon in northern Port-au-Prince, Lionel Lazarre, head of a Haitian police union, told The Associated Press on Friday.

The slayings occurred as the capital crumbles under the relentless assault of violent gangs that control 80% of Port-au-Prince while authorities await the arrival of a police force from Kenya as part of a U.N.-backed deployment aimed at quelling gang violence in the troubled Caribbean country.

Two of the victims were a young married couple, Davy and Natalie Lloyd, according to a Facebook posting from Natalie Lloyd’s father, Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker. The name of the third person killed wasn’t immediately available.

“My heart is broken in a thousand pieces,” Baker wrote on Facebook on Thursday. “I’ve never felt this kind of pain. Most of you know my daughter and son-in-law Davy and Natalie Lloyd are full time missionaries in Haiti. They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed. They went to Heaven together.”

The couple worked for Missions in Haiti Inc. The Claremore, Oklahoma, organization was founded by David and Alicia Lloyd, Davy Lloyd’s parents. Natalie Lloyd’s Facebook page said the couple married on June 18, 2022, and she began working with the missionary organization in August 2022. She frequently posted photos of Haitian children on her page.

The mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It runs a school in Lizon for more than 240 students that it opened in September 2008, according to its website.

A Facebook posting on the Missions for Haiti page late Thursday stated that Davy and Natalie, along with children, were leaving a church when “they were ambushed by a gang of 3 trucks full of guys.”

The posting said Davy Lloyd was taken to a house, where he was tied up and beaten. The post later said that Davy, Natalie and a third person, listed only as Jude, were at the house when shooting broke out. It said that gang members “shot all the windows out of the house and continue to shoot. Their lives are in danger."

Three hours later, another posting from Missions in Haiti read: “Around midnight: Davy and Natalie and Jude were shot and killed by the gang about 9 o’clock this evening. We all are devastated.”

It wasn’t immediately clear which gang or gangs were responsible for the fatal shootings.

However, a gang leader called Chyen Mechan, which means “mean dog” in Haitian Creole, controls the area where the shooting occurred. His real name is Claudy Célestin, and he is a dismissed civil servant from Haiti’s Ministry of the Interior.

The leader of another gang known as General Jeff also controls territory near the neighborhood where the couple was killed. Both gangs are part of a coalition known as Viv Ansanm, which means “Live Together.”

The coalition is responsible for launching large-scale attacks on key government infrastructure starting Feb. 29. Gunmen have attacked police stations, opened fire on the main international airport that remained closed for nearly three months before opening earlier this week and stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.

Gangs also are blamed for killing or injuring more than 2,500 people across Haiti from January to March, a 50% increase compared with the same period last year, according to the United Nations.

Kidnappings also are rampant, with targets including U.S. missionaries.

In October 2021, gang members kidnapped 17 missionaries, the majority U.S. citizens. Many in the group, which included five children, were held captive for more than two months before escaping.

Then in July 2023, gangs kidnapped a U.S. nurse and her daughter from the campus of a Christian-run school near Port-au-Prince. They were released nearly two weeks later.

The U.S. Department of State has long had a “do not travel” advisory for Haiti and urges any U.S. citizens in the country to depart as soon as possible.

On the Missions for Haiti website, the founders wrote that the organization was founded in 2000. It said it aimed to help with “the country's biggest need — its children.”

"Although the entire nation is steeped in poverty, the children suffer the worst. Thousands are malnourished, uneducated, and headed for hopeless lives apart from Christ,” the website said.

A May 2023 newsletter posted on the mission website said Natalie “has been helping with the kids at the House of Compassion and assisting in our ACE school. Davy has been working on a lot of badly needed projects around our compound,” including building a laundry room and repairing bathrooms.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716572749882.png" alt="Photo courtesy Missions in Haiti, Inc" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Missions in Haiti, Inc</figcaption>
 </figure>PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A U.S. missionary couple was shot and killed by criminal gang members in Haiti’s capital after they were abducted while leaving a youth group activity held at a local church, according to a police official and a religious group.A third person also was killed during the attack Thursday evening in the community of Lizon in northern Port-au-Prince, Lionel Lazarre, head of a Haitian police union, told The Associated Press on Friday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fben.r.baker%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0uSePSFF7xqugpeMptsqveTj3W48WADSz3wnvQy6ZgjLEMteBu2rNGoXCPdRaLXJel&show_text=true&width=500&is_preview=true" width="500" height="686" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The slayings occurred as the capital crumbles under the relentless assault of violent gangs that control 80% of Port-au-Prince while authorities await the arrival of a police force from Kenya as part of a U.N.-backed deployment aimed at quelling gang violence in the troubled Caribbean country.Two of the victims were a young married couple, Davy and Natalie Lloyd, according to a Facebook posting from Natalie Lloyd’s father, Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker. The name of the third person killed wasn’t immediately available.“My heart is broken in a thousand pieces,” Baker wrote on Facebook on Thursday. “I’ve never felt this kind of pain. Most of you know my daughter and son-in-law Davy and Natalie Lloyd are full time missionaries in Haiti. They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed. They went to Heaven together.”The couple worked for Missions in Haiti Inc. The Claremore, Oklahoma, organization was founded by David and Alicia Lloyd, Davy Lloyd’s parents. Natalie Lloyd’s Facebook page said the couple married on June 18, 2022, and she began working with the missionary organization in August 2022. She frequently posted photos of Haitian children on her page.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid035raQK1fkFfUKKDQVtfjNVFAULhzubYC4MBPCzke5APm7o3jSNSAnuiNVTGbpJdYFl%26id%3D100064274396167&show_text=true&width=500&is_preview=true" width="500" height="170" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It runs a school in Lizon for more than 240 students that it opened in September 2008, according to its website.A Facebook posting on the Missions for Haiti page late Thursday stated that Davy and Natalie, along with children, were leaving a church when “they were ambushed by a gang of 3 trucks full of guys.”The posting said Davy Lloyd was taken to a house, where he was tied up and beaten. The post later said that Davy, Natalie and a third person, listed only as Jude, were at the house when shooting broke out. It said that gang members “shot all the windows out of the house and continue to shoot. Their lives are in danger."Three hours later, another posting from Missions in Haiti read: “Around midnight: Davy and Natalie and Jude were shot and killed by the gang about 9 o’clock this evening. We all are devastated.”It wasn’t immediately clear which gang or gangs were responsible for the fatal shootings.However, a gang leader called Chyen Mechan, which means “mean dog” in Haitian Creole, controls the area where the shooting occurred. His real name is Claudy Célestin, and he is a dismissed civil servant from Haiti’s Ministry of the Interior.The leader of another gang known as General Jeff also controls territory near the neighborhood where the couple was killed. Both gangs are part of a coalition known as Viv Ansanm, which means “Live Together.”The coalition is responsible for launching large-scale attacks on key government infrastructure starting Feb. 29. Gunmen have attacked police stations, opened fire on the main international airport that remained closed for nearly three months before opening earlier this week and stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.Gangs also are blamed for killing or injuring more than 2,500 people across Haiti from January to March, a 50% increase compared with the same period last year, according to the United Nations.Kidnappings also are rampant, with targets including U.S. missionaries.In October 2021, gang members kidnapped 17 missionaries, the majority U.S. citizens. Many in the group, which included five children, were held captive for more than two months before escaping.Then in July 2023, gangs kidnapped a U.S. nurse and her daughter from the campus of a Christian-run school near Port-au-Prince. They were released nearly two weeks later.The U.S. Department of State has long had a “do not travel” advisory for Haiti and urges any U.S. citizens in the country to depart as soon as possible.On the Missions for Haiti website, the founders wrote that the organization was founded in 2000. It said it aimed to help with “the country's biggest need — its children.”"Although the entire nation is steeped in poverty, the children suffer the worst. Thousands are malnourished, uneducated, and headed for hopeless lives apart from Christ,” the website said.A May 2023 newsletter posted on the mission website said Natalie “has been helping with the kids at the House of Compassion and assisting in our ACE school. Davy has been working on a lot of badly needed projects around our compound,” including building a laundry room and repairing bathrooms.___

Gunmen in Haiti abduct and kill American missionary couple

When things are at their worst, Nebraskans are at their best. It’s what makes our state the greatest in the nation – our people. &nbsp;

That was true Arbor Day weekend and has been apparent ever since – neighbors helping neighbors. I returned to communities affected by tornadoes just last week, checking in with National Guard members who are providing added safety and security. &nbsp;They, and troopers from the Nebraska State Patrol, have been supplementing the efforts of local law enforcement while the recovery continues.

Quick action by fire departments, law enforcement and other local and state officials expedited the storm response. The initial request for a federal disaster declaration was approved the day after it was submitted through my office. Community-based organizations have continued to accept financial donations. Volunteers with the Red Cross have distributed more than 3,500 emergency relief supplies to those who were impacted. It has been a collective effort to rally around those who, undoubtedly, will be dealing with the aftermath for many months to come.

Nebraska Strong is not just a moniker. It’s a state of mind. It’s our resilient spirit. Moments after tornadoes struck, helping hands were at the ready, cutting away trees, hauling debris, checking on friends down the street and offering a place to sleep.&nbsp;

One of the most difficult aspects of being a Governor is witnessing the aftermath of a disaster and knowing the lives of citizens are deeply impacted. The brightest part is serving witness to the amazing way we rally and rebuild.

Photos include Gov. Pillen's visit to Douglas County last week to check in with National Guard members.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716556988206.jpeg" alt="(Courtesy of Governor Pillen's Office)" />
 <figcaption>(Courtesy of Governor Pillen's Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Governor Jim PillenMay 21, 2024When things are at their worst, Nebraskans are at their best. It’s what makes our state the greatest in the nation – our people. &nbsp;That was true Arbor Day weekend and has been apparent ever since – neighbors helping neighbors. I returned to communities affected by tornadoes just last week, checking in with National Guard members who are providing added safety and security. &nbsp;They, and troopers from the Nebraska State Patrol, have been supplementing the efforts of local law enforcement while the recovery continues.Quick action by fire departments, law enforcement and other local and state officials expedited the storm response. The initial request for a federal disaster declaration was approved the day after it was submitted through my office. Community-based organizations have continued to accept financial donations. Volunteers with the Red Cross have distributed more than 3,500 emergency relief supplies to those who were impacted. It has been a collective effort to rally around those who, undoubtedly, will be dealing with the aftermath for many months to come.Nebraska Strong is not just a moniker. It’s a state of mind. It’s our resilient spirit. Moments after tornadoes struck, helping hands were at the ready, cutting away trees, hauling debris, checking on friends down the street and offering a place to sleep.&nbsp;One of the most difficult aspects of being a Governor is witnessing the aftermath of a disaster and knowing the lives of citizens are deeply impacted. The brightest part is serving witness to the amazing way we rally and rebuild.Photos include Gov. Pillen's visit to Douglas County last week to check in with National Guard members.

Neighbors Help Neighbors in Aftermath of Tornadoes

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The bodies of three more hostages killed on Oct 7. were recovered overnight from Gaza, Israel's army said Friday, as the top United Nations court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-court-ceasefire-01d093d21a1eadaa31af5708cf1cbf38">prepares to rule</a>&nbsp;on whether Israel must halt its military operations and withdraw from the enclave.

The bodies of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-israel-unaccounted-people-095f64d06108416ff9c58ea7550b9a74">Hanan Yablonka</a>, Michel Nisenbaum, and Orion Hernandez Radoux were found and their families have been notified. The army said they were killed on the day of the attack at the Mefalsim intersection and their bodies were taken to Gaza.

The announcement comes less than a week after the army said it found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-hostages-shani-louk-a37e4fd656b46be36c4c659a9c2aac7d">the bodies of three other Israeli hostages</a>&nbsp;killed on Oct. 7.

Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others in the Oct. 7 attack. Around half of those hostages&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-25-2023-7d83895eb736c09fab3eada4c31524b0">have since been freed</a>, most in swaps for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November.

Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of at least 39 more, while 17 bodies of hostages have been recovered.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to both eliminate Hamas and bring all the hostages back, but he’s made little progress. He faces pressure to resign, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-weapons-shipment-us-eed365ebef0477ba74bf9848cacae4f4">U.S. has threatened to scale back</a>&nbsp;its support over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

On Friday Netanyahu said the country had a duty to do everything to return those abducted, both those killed and those who are alive.

In a post on X Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron gave condolences to the family of Hernández-Radoux, a French-Mexican citizen, saying France remains committed to releasing the hostages.

The country is also expecting a ruling Friday afternoon by the International Court of Justice to decide on an urgent plea by South Africa to order Israel to cease operations. Israel is unlikely to comply with any such order. Even so, a cease-fire order by judges of the International Court of Justice would heap more pressure on an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norway-palestinian-state-ddfd774a23d39f77f5977b9c89c43dbc">increasingly isolated Israel</a>.

On the hostages, Israelis are divided into two main camps: those who want the government to put the war on hold and free the hostages, and others who think the hostages are an unfortunate price to pay for eradicating Hamas. On-and-off negotiations mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt have yielded little.

Anger is growing at home at the government’s handling of the hostage crisis.

Earlier this week a group representing the families of hostages&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-gaza-hostages-dcb39658d1afcd00341d2c1cd54c38b0">released new video footage</a>&nbsp;showing Hamas’ capture of five female Israeli soldiers near the Gaza border on Oct. 7.

The video shows several of the young soldiers bloody and wounded. In one scene, a militant tells one of the terrified women she is beautiful.

The video sparked more protests across the country calling for the hostages’ release.

The army said on Friday the hostages were found during an operation in Jabaliya. Military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a news conference that the army was able to retrieve the bodies based on “critical intelligence” uncovered last week by Israeli forces operating in Gaza.

The group representing the families of the hostages said the bodies had been returned to their families for burial.

Nisenbaum, 59, was a Brazilian-Israeli from the southern city of Sderot. He was taken hostage when he went to rescue his 4-year-old granddaughter.

Oryon Hernandez Radoux, 30, was taken from the Nova music festival, which he attended with his partner Shani Louk. Louk's body was one of those found by the army nearly a week ago.

Yablonka, 42, a father of two, was also taken from the music festival. His family in December told the AP that he loved music. Yablonka’s family had no news of him for nearly two months after he’d been taken, not knowing if he was alive or dead.

Israel’s offensive since the war began has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and has caused a humanitarian crisis and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">near-famine.</a>

While it has weakened Hamas' capabilities, after nearly eight months of war, militants are regrouping in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza and resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities. Israel says its troops are operating in Rafah in the south, in central Gaza and in Jabaliya in the north.

Associated Press reporters Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv and John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, contributed

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716546463209.png" alt="L-R: Hostages Michel Nisenbaum, Orion Hernandez, Hanan Yablonka. Their bodies were recovered from northern Gaza's Jabaliya in an operation announced May 24, 2024. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>L-R: Hostages Michel Nisenbaum, Orion Hernandez, Hanan Yablonka. Their bodies were recovered from northern Gaza's Jabaliya in an operation announced May 24, 2024. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The bodies of three more hostages killed on Oct 7. were recovered overnight from Gaza, Israel's army said Friday, as the top United Nations court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-court-ceasefire-01d093d21a1eadaa31af5708cf1cbf38">prepares to rule</a>&nbsp;on whether Israel must halt its military operations and withdraw from the enclave.The bodies of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-israel-unaccounted-people-095f64d06108416ff9c58ea7550b9a74">Hanan Yablonka</a>, Michel Nisenbaum, and Orion Hernandez Radoux were found and their families have been notified. The army said they were killed on the day of the attack at the Mefalsim intersection and their bodies were taken to Gaza.The announcement comes less than a week after the army said it found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-hostages-shani-louk-a37e4fd656b46be36c4c659a9c2aac7d">the bodies of three other Israeli hostages</a>&nbsp;killed on Oct. 7.Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others in the Oct. 7 attack. Around half of those hostages&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-25-2023-7d83895eb736c09fab3eada4c31524b0">have since been freed</a>, most in swaps for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November.Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of at least 39 more, while 17 bodies of hostages have been recovered.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to both eliminate Hamas and bring all the hostages back, but he’s made little progress. He faces pressure to resign, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-weapons-shipment-us-eed365ebef0477ba74bf9848cacae4f4">U.S. has threatened to scale back</a>&nbsp;its support over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.On Friday Netanyahu said the country had a duty to do everything to return those abducted, both those killed and those who are alive.In a post on X Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron gave condolences to the family of Hernández-Radoux, a French-Mexican citizen, saying France remains committed to releasing the hostages.The country is also expecting a ruling Friday afternoon by the International Court of Justice to decide on an urgent plea by South Africa to order Israel to cease operations. Israel is unlikely to comply with any such order. Even so, a cease-fire order by judges of the International Court of Justice would heap more pressure on an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norway-palestinian-state-ddfd774a23d39f77f5977b9c89c43dbc">increasingly isolated Israel</a>.On the hostages, Israelis are divided into two main camps: those who want the government to put the war on hold and free the hostages, and others who think the hostages are an unfortunate price to pay for eradicating Hamas. On-and-off negotiations mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt have yielded little.Anger is growing at home at the government’s handling of the hostage crisis.Earlier this week a group representing the families of hostages&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-gaza-hostages-dcb39658d1afcd00341d2c1cd54c38b0">released new video footage</a>&nbsp;showing Hamas’ capture of five female Israeli soldiers near the Gaza border on Oct. 7.The video shows several of the young soldiers bloody and wounded. In one scene, a militant tells one of the terrified women she is beautiful.The video sparked more protests across the country calling for the hostages’ release.The army said on Friday the hostages were found during an operation in Jabaliya. Military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a news conference that the army was able to retrieve the bodies based on “critical intelligence” uncovered last week by Israeli forces operating in Gaza.The group representing the families of the hostages said the bodies had been returned to their families for burial.Nisenbaum, 59, was a Brazilian-Israeli from the southern city of Sderot. He was taken hostage when he went to rescue his 4-year-old granddaughter.Oryon Hernandez Radoux, 30, was taken from the Nova music festival, which he attended with his partner Shani Louk. Louk's body was one of those found by the army nearly a week ago.Yablonka, 42, a father of two, was also taken from the music festival. His family in December told the AP that he loved music. Yablonka’s family had no news of him for nearly two months after he’d been taken, not knowing if he was alive or dead.Israel’s offensive since the war began has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and has caused a humanitarian crisis and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">near-famine.</a>While it has weakened Hamas' capabilities, after nearly eight months of war, militants are regrouping in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza and resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities. Israel says its troops are operating in Rafah in the south, in central Gaza and in Jabaliya in the north.——Associated Press reporters Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv and John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, contributed

Israeli Army recovers bodies of 3 more hostages from Gaza 

LINCOLN, NEB. –&nbsp;“Today’s passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 otherwise known as the Farm Bill, is a positive first step. As we often say, food security is an essential component of national security. Without a stable and reliable food supply, our nation is vulnerable to economic instability and geopolitical threats. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 recognizes this fundamental connection and takes significant steps to strengthen our agricultural industry, protect our nation's food security, fund important conservation programs, provide funding for crucial trade promotion and agricultural research programs, improve federal agricultural lending programs, ensure activists within one state cannot set animal welfare standards for livestock producers across the country, and much more.”

“I want to thank House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson for his tireless efforts to not only move this process forward, but more importantly, putting together a solid bill that will positively affect each and every citizen in our great nation. I also want to thank Nebraska 2nd&nbsp;Congressional District Rep. Don Bacon for his work to bring the priorities of Nebraska’s farm and ranch families to the forefront as this bill was put together. Their combined work culminated in a bill that will benefit farmers, ranchers, and all of our state and nation’s citizens.”

LINCOLN, NEB. –&nbsp;“Today’s passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 otherwise known as the Farm Bill, is a positive first step. As we often say, food security is an essential component of national security. Without a stable and reliable food supply, our nation is vulnerable to economic instability and geopolitical threats. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 recognizes this fundamental connection and takes significant steps to strengthen our agricultural industry, protect our nation's food security, fund important conservation programs, provide funding for crucial trade promotion and agricultural research programs, improve federal agricultural lending programs, ensure activists within one state cannot set animal welfare standards for livestock producers across the country, and much more.”“I want to thank House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson for his tireless efforts to not only move this process forward, but more importantly, putting together a solid bill that will positively affect each and every citizen in our great nation. I also want to thank Nebraska 2nd&nbsp;Congressional District Rep. Don Bacon for his work to bring the priorities of Nebraska’s farm and ranch families to the forefront as this bill was put together. Their combined work culminated in a bill that will benefit farmers, ranchers, and all of our state and nation’s citizens.”

Statement by Mark McHargue, President, Regarding the  Advancement of the House Farm Bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans again blocked a bill meant to clamp down on the number of migrants allowed to claim asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border as Senate Majority Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;sought Thursday to underscore GOP resistance to the proposal.

The legislation, negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-a39e188fa2c6a563203d2c69eaabdc6d">already rejected by most Republicans</a>&nbsp;in February when it was linked to a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies. But with immigration and border security becoming one of the top issues of this year's election, Democrats are looking for an answer to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-immigration-trump-biden-rhetoric-2024-election-327c08045edcc200f850d893de6a79d6">barrage of GOP attacks</a>, led by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

“We gave Republicans a second chance to show where they stand,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said after the vote. “Do they want to fix this so-called emergency or do they want to show blind allegiance to the former president even when they know he's wrong?”

Schumer is trying to defend a narrow Senate majority in this year's election and sees the Republican's rejection of the deal they negotiated as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-border-security-congress-trump-57f62a34ce9c4c08d6e00795fcb24764">political “gift” for Democrats</a>. Seeking to highlight Republican resistance to popular measures, Schumer is also planning to push forward a bill in June that would protect access to contraception.

The Democratic leader said it would “show the public who’s on what side and in June we’re going to spend a significant amount of time talking about reproductive rights.”

On Thursday, most Senate Democrats again supported the procedural vote to begin debate on the border bill, but it failed to advance 43-50 after all but one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted against it. Nebraska U.S. Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Rickets voted with the majority.

When the proposal was brought up in February, the test vote failed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00039.htm">49-50</a>&nbsp;— well shy of the 60 votes needed to advance.

This time, not even some of the bill's primary authors, Sens. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, and Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent, voted for Schumer's move.

“Today is not a bill, today is a prop,” Lankford said on the floor ahead of the vote. “Everyone sees it for what it is.”

Sinema called the vote “political theater” that will do nothing to solve problems at the border.

“To use this failure as a political punching bag only punishes those who were courageous enough to do the hard work in the first place," she said.

Republican leaders spent much of the week decrying the vote as a bald-faced political maneuver and amplifying a well-worn criticism of President Joe Biden: That he bears responsibility for the historic number of migrants who have made their way to the U.S. in recent years.

“We're nearing the end of President Biden' s term, and the American people's patience for his failing to secure the southern border is running thin,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday.

Earlier in the week, McConnell told reporters, “The president needs to step up to it — do everything he can do on his own because legislation is obviously not going to clear this year."

Since the collapse of the Senate's legislation in February, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-immigration-border-donald-trump-f0ca943f0f148e165bc6e8ebfd149f14">Biden administration has been considering</a>&nbsp;executive orders on border policy and immigration. It has already made&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-immigration-border-asylum-c2f1e8bf45182a5f74567a47ca4ab641">some changes to the asylum system</a>&nbsp;meant to speed up processing and potential removal of migrants. Yet the Senate's test vote this week was widely seen as part of a lead-up to Biden issuing more sweeping border measures, potentially as early as June.

Following the failed vote, Biden in a statement said that he was “committed to taking action to address our broken immigration system.”

He also slammed Republicans for blocking the bill, saying, it showed they “do not care about securing the border or fixing America’s broken immigration system.”

The Democratic president has considered using a provision in federal immigration law that gives leeway to block entry of certain immigrants into the U.S. if it would be “detrimental” to the national interest of the United States. The authority was repeatedly tapped by Trump when he was in the White House, but some of those actions faced legal challenges.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Monday that legislation to address problems at the border — as opposed to executive actions by the president — would be more effective. The Senate legislation would provide more money for Customs and Border Protection officials, asylum officers, immigration judges and scanning technology at the border — all things that officials have said the underfunded immigration and border protection system needs.

“The legislation provides tools that executive action cannot,” Mayorkas said.

The Senate bill is aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-biden-cf4aa608de350a480fabd8e6a3e062ff">gaining control of an asylum system</a>&nbsp;that has sometimes been overwhelmed in the last year. It would provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-border-package-asylum-ukraine-1dde30b223ebe854a48fde0497c9f227">faster and tougher enforcement</a>&nbsp;of the asylum process, as well as give presidents new powers to immediately expel migrants if the numbers encountered by border officials exceed an average of 4,000 per day over a week.

Even before the bill was fully released earlier this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-trump-a8601ec6629ddc5b769028ca99ad9879">Trump effectively killed</a>&nbsp;the proposal by labeling it “meaningless” and a “gift” for Biden's reelection chances. Top Republicans soon followed his lead and even McConnell, who had initially demanded the negotiation over the border measures, voted against moving forward.

A significant number of Democrats have also criticized the proposal, mostly because it does not include any broad relief for immigrants who have already established lives in the United States. On the left, four Democrats, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent of Maine, voted against advancing the bill.

“It fails to address the root causes of migration or to establish more lawful pathways,” said Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus said in a statement this week that the Senate's bill “fails to meet the moment by putting forth enforcement-only policies and failing to include provisions that will keep families together.” They have urged executive actions that would provide protections from deportation for immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years or who have family ties to U.S. citizens.

Amid the tension, Biden's reelection campaign met with CHC leadership Wednesday to discuss outreach to Latino communities, and Biden spoke on the phone with Rep. Nanette Barragán, the chair of the group. She discussed the reasons for the group's opposition, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

Schumer said that if Democrats win majorities in the Senate and House next year, he wants to advance “comprehensive immigration reform."

Still, for Democratic senators facing tough reelection battles this year, the vote Thursday provided another opportunity to show they were supportive of stronger border measures as well as distance themselves from Biden's handling of the border.

As Sen. Jon Tester attempts to hold a Democratic seat in the red-leaning state of Montana, he said in a statement, “This common sense bill would push back on the Biden administration’s failed border policies by forcing the president to shut down the border, strengthen our asylum laws, and end catch and release.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683898210525.png" alt="Photo Texas Dept. of Public Safety" />
 <figcaption>Photo Texas Dept. of Public Safety</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans again blocked a bill meant to clamp down on the number of migrants allowed to claim asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border as Senate Majority Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/charles-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a>&nbsp;sought Thursday to underscore GOP resistance to the proposal.The legislation, negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-a39e188fa2c6a563203d2c69eaabdc6d">already rejected by most Republicans</a>&nbsp;in February when it was linked to a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies. But with immigration and border security becoming one of the top issues of this year's election, Democrats are looking for an answer to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-immigration-trump-biden-rhetoric-2024-election-327c08045edcc200f850d893de6a79d6">barrage of GOP attacks</a>, led by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.“We gave Republicans a second chance to show where they stand,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said after the vote. “Do they want to fix this so-called emergency or do they want to show blind allegiance to the former president even when they know he's wrong?”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Let me make a few things clear: Congressional Republicans do not care about securing the border or fixing America’s broken immigration system. If they did, they would have voted for the toughest border enforcement in history. By blocking the bipartisan border agreement, they…&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1793775964213625234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Schumer is trying to defend a narrow Senate majority in this year's election and sees the Republican's rejection of the deal they negotiated as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-border-security-congress-trump-57f62a34ce9c4c08d6e00795fcb24764">political “gift” for Democrats</a>. Seeking to highlight Republican resistance to popular measures, Schumer is also planning to push forward a bill in June that would protect access to contraception.The Democratic leader said it would “show the public who’s on what side and in June we’re going to spend a significant amount of time talking about reproductive rights.”On Thursday, most Senate Democrats again supported the procedural vote to begin debate on the border bill, but it failed to advance 43-50 after all but one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted against it. Nebraska U.S. Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Rickets voted with the majority.When the proposal was brought up in February, the test vote failed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00039.htm">49-50</a>&nbsp;— well shy of the 60 votes needed to advance.This time, not even some of the bill's primary authors, Sens. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, and Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent, voted for Schumer's move.“Today is not a bill, today is a prop,” Lankford said on the floor ahead of the vote. “Everyone sees it for what it is.”Sinema called the vote “political theater” that will do nothing to solve problems at the border.“To use this failure as a political punching bag only punishes those who were courageous enough to do the hard work in the first place," she said.Republican leaders spent much of the week decrying the vote as a bald-faced political maneuver and amplifying a well-worn criticism of President Joe Biden: That he bears responsibility for the historic number of migrants who have made their way to the U.S. in recent years.“We're nearing the end of President Biden' s term, and the American people's patience for his failing to secure the southern border is running thin,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday.Earlier in the week, McConnell told reporters, “The president needs to step up to it — do everything he can do on his own because legislation is obviously not going to clear this year."Since the collapse of the Senate's legislation in February, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-immigration-border-donald-trump-f0ca943f0f148e165bc6e8ebfd149f14">Biden administration has been considering</a>&nbsp;executive orders on border policy and immigration. It has already made&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-immigration-border-asylum-c2f1e8bf45182a5f74567a47ca4ab641">some changes to the asylum system</a>&nbsp;meant to speed up processing and potential removal of migrants. Yet the Senate's test vote this week was widely seen as part of a lead-up to Biden issuing more sweeping border measures, potentially as early as June.Following the failed vote, Biden in a statement said that he was “committed to taking action to address our broken immigration system.”He also slammed Republicans for blocking the bill, saying, it showed they “do not care about securing the border or fixing America’s broken immigration system.”The Democratic president has considered using a provision in federal immigration law that gives leeway to block entry of certain immigrants into the U.S. if it would be “detrimental” to the national interest of the United States. The authority was repeatedly tapped by Trump when he was in the White House, but some of those actions faced legal challenges.Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Monday that legislation to address problems at the border — as opposed to executive actions by the president — would be more effective. The Senate legislation would provide more money for Customs and Border Protection officials, asylum officers, immigration judges and scanning technology at the border — all things that officials have said the underfunded immigration and border protection system needs.“The legislation provides tools that executive action cannot,” Mayorkas said.The Senate bill is aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-biden-cf4aa608de350a480fabd8e6a3e062ff">gaining control of an asylum system</a>&nbsp;that has sometimes been overwhelmed in the last year. It would provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-border-package-asylum-ukraine-1dde30b223ebe854a48fde0497c9f227">faster and tougher enforcement</a>&nbsp;of the asylum process, as well as give presidents new powers to immediately expel migrants if the numbers encountered by border officials exceed an average of 4,000 per day over a week.Even before the bill was fully released earlier this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-trump-a8601ec6629ddc5b769028ca99ad9879">Trump effectively killed</a>&nbsp;the proposal by labeling it “meaningless” and a “gift” for Biden's reelection chances. Top Republicans soon followed his lead and even McConnell, who had initially demanded the negotiation over the border measures, voted against moving forward.A significant number of Democrats have also criticized the proposal, mostly because it does not include any broad relief for immigrants who have already established lives in the United States. On the left, four Democrats, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent of Maine, voted against advancing the bill.“It fails to address the root causes of migration or to establish more lawful pathways,” said Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat.The Congressional Hispanic Caucus said in a statement this week that the Senate's bill “fails to meet the moment by putting forth enforcement-only policies and failing to include provisions that will keep families together.” They have urged executive actions that would provide protections from deportation for immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years or who have family ties to U.S. citizens.Amid the tension, Biden's reelection campaign met with CHC leadership Wednesday to discuss outreach to Latino communities, and Biden spoke on the phone with Rep. Nanette Barragán, the chair of the group. She discussed the reasons for the group's opposition, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.Schumer said that if Democrats win majorities in the Senate and House next year, he wants to advance “comprehensive immigration reform."Still, for Democratic senators facing tough reelection battles this year, the vote Thursday provided another opportunity to show they were supportive of stronger border measures as well as distance themselves from Biden's handling of the border.As Sen. Jon Tester attempts to hold a Democratic seat in the red-leaning state of Montana, he said in a statement, “This common sense bill would push back on the Biden administration’s failed border policies by forcing the president to shut down the border, strengthen our asylum laws, and end catch and release.”

Fischer, Ricketts vote to kill latest border security bill

JERUSALEM (AP)— Three U.S. service members assigned to the floating pier system that is helping bring aid into Gaza received injuries while at sea working on the distribution process, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of Central Command, told reporters on a call Thursday.

One of the service members was on a ship. Cooper did not provide details on the other two, but said two of the troops had already returned to duty, while a third was receiving care at an Israeli hospital.

Ships deliver aid to the floating pier, which is large enough that forklifts can be driven on it to move pallets of cargo around. The pallets are transferred onto trucks, which in turn are loaded onto smaller Army boats. The boats then shuttle the trucks from the pier to a floating causeway, which is anchored to the shore.

No U.S. service members are on the causeway or on the ground in Gaza, Cooper said.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Israel is bracing for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-court-ceasefire-01d093d21a1eadaa31af5708cf1cbf38">top United Nations court to rule</a>&nbsp;Friday on whether it must halt its military operations and withdraw from Gaza.

After seven brutal months of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war with Israel</a>, Hamas has regrouped in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza, resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities. Israel says its troops are operating in Rafah, central Gaza and in Jabaliya in the north.

Israel launched its war in Gaza after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack</a>&nbsp;in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducted about 250. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more. The Israeli army said Friday that it recovered the bodies of three more hostages killed on Oct. 7.

Israel faces global criticism over the mounting death toll and devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More than 900,000 Palestinians have been displaced by fighting in the past few weeks alone, and now lack shelter, food, water and other essentials, the U.N. humanitarian agency said Wednesday.

At least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">according to the Health Ministry</a>, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716517473525.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP)— Three U.S. service members assigned to the floating pier system that is helping bring aid into Gaza received injuries while at sea working on the distribution process, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of Central Command, told reporters on a call Thursday.One of the service members was on a ship. Cooper did not provide details on the other two, but said two of the troops had already returned to duty, while a third was receiving care at an Israeli hospital.Ships deliver aid to the floating pier, which is large enough that forklifts can be driven on it to move pallets of cargo around. The pallets are transferred onto trucks, which in turn are loaded onto smaller Army boats. The boats then shuttle the trucks from the pier to a floating causeway, which is anchored to the shore.No U.S. service members are on the causeway or on the ground in Gaza, Cooper said.Meanwhile,&nbsp;Israel is bracing for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-court-ceasefire-01d093d21a1eadaa31af5708cf1cbf38">top United Nations court to rule</a>&nbsp;Friday on whether it must halt its military operations and withdraw from Gaza.After seven brutal months of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war with Israel</a>, Hamas has regrouped in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza, resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities. Israel says its troops are operating in Rafah, central Gaza and in Jabaliya in the north.Israel launched its war in Gaza after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack</a>&nbsp;in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducted about 250. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more. The Israeli army said Friday that it recovered the bodies of three more hostages killed on Oct. 7.Israel faces global criticism over the mounting death toll and devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More than 900,000 Palestinians have been displaced by fighting in the past few weeks alone, and now lack shelter, food, water and other essentials, the U.N. humanitarian agency said Wednesday.At least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">according to the Health Ministry</a>, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.

US service members treated for injuries related to pier off Gaza

NEW YORK (AP) —The NCAA and the nation's five biggest conferences have agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9a01e3058fee79cbd69bfce7d861e3c9">pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims</a>,a monumental decision that sets the stage for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start directing millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon as the 2025 fall semester.

The Pac-12 became the final conference to sign off on the proposal Thursday when its university leaders voted to approve, according to a person with direct knowledge of the results.

The Southeastern Conference presidents and chancellors unanimously approved the deal earlier Thursday, another person with knowledge of that decision told The Associated Press. Both spoke spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement between the Pac-12, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA was still being prepared.

The other organizations voted to approve earlier in the week ahead of a Thursday deadline given by the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

The deal still must be approved by the federal judge overseeing the case and challenges could arise, but if the agreement stands it will mark the beginning of a new era in college sports where athletes are compensated more like professionals and schools can compete for talent using direct payments.

The details in the plan signal the end of the NCAA’s bedrock amateurism model that dates to its founding in 1906. Indeed, the days of NCAA punishments for athletes driving booster-provided cars started vanishing three years ago when the organization&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-sports-sports-0aee610b0152c02dcd5d3eddb4d29f76">lifted restrictions on endorsement deals</a>&nbsp;backed by so-called name, image and likeness money.

Now it is not far-fetched to look ahead to seasons where a star quarterback or top prospect on a college basketball team are not only cashing in big-money NIL deals but have a $100,000 school payment in the bank to play.

There are a host of details still to be determined, but the agreement calls for the NCAA and the conferences to pay $2.77 billion over 10 years to more than 14,000 former and current college athletes who say now-defunct rules prevented them from earning money from endorsement and sponsorship deals dating to 2016.

Some of that money will come from NCAA reserve funds and insurance but even though the lawsuit specifically targeted five conferences that are comprised of 69 schools (including Notre Dame),&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuit-settlement-752156fdb0ea01445f52b1b109d14922">dozens of other NCAA member schools</a>&nbsp;will see smaller distributions from the NCAA to cover the mammoth payout.

Schools in the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences will end up bearing the brunt of the settlement at a cost of about $300 million each over 10 years, the majority of which will be paid to athletes going forward.

The Pac-12 is also part of the settlement, with all 12 sharing responsibility even though Washington State and Oregon State will be the only league members left by this fall after the other 10 schools leave.

In the new compensation model, each school will be permitted but not required to set aside up to $21 million in revenue to share with athletes per year, though as revenues rise so could the cap.

Athletes in all sports would be eligible for payments and schools would be given the freedom to decide how that money is divvied up among sports programs. Scholarship limits by sport will be replaced by roster restrictions.

Whether the new compensation model is subject to the Title IX gender equity law is unknown along with whether schools will be able to bring NIL activities in-house as they hope and squeeze out the booster-run collectives that have sprouted up in the last few years to pay athletes. Both topics could lead to more lawsuits.

The class-action federal lawsuit at the center of the settlement,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9a01e3058fee79cbd69bfce7d861e3c9">House v. the NCAA,</a>&nbsp;was set to go to trial in January. The complaint, brought by former Arizona State swimmer Grant House and Sedona Prince, a former Oregon and current TCU basketball player, said the NCAA, along with the five wealthiest conferences, improperly barred athletes from earning endorsement money.

The suit also made the case that athletes were entitled to a piece of the billions of dollars the NCAA and those conferences earn from media rights agreements with television networks.

Amid political and public pressure, and facing the prospect of another court loss that some in college sports claimed could reach $20 billion in damages, NCAA and conference officials conceded on what has long been a core principal of the enterprise: That schools don't directly pay the athletes to play beyond a scholarship.

That principle had already been dented numerous times over the last decade.

Notably, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-supreme-court-alston-college-athlete-benefits-5be12caeaf014da7d71baf0bb60646fe">against the NCAA in 2021</a>&nbsp;in a case related to education-related benefits. The narrow focus of the Alston case didn't collapse the collegiate sports system, but the strong rebuke of the NCAA's model of amateurism flung the door open to more lawsuits. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a former Yale athlete, put it bluntly: “The bottom line is that the NCAA and its member colleges are suppressing the pay of student athletes who collectively generate billions of dollars in revenues for colleges every year."

The settlement is expected to cover two other antitrust cases facing the NCAA and major conferences that challenge athlete compensation rules. Hubbard vs. the NCAA and Carter vs. the NCAA are also currently in front of judges in the Northern District of California.

A fourth case, Fontenot vs, NCAA, creates a potential complication as it remains in a Colorado court after a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-settlement-3e26c017980afe0ee1c6a28f77abcf5a">denied a request</a>&nbsp;to combine it with Carter. Whether Fontenot becomes part of the settlement is unknown and it matters because the NCAA and its conferences don't want to be on the hook for more damages should they lose in court.

“We’re going to continue to litigate our case in Colorado and look forward to hearing about the terms of a settlement proposal once they’re actually released and put in front of a court,” said George Zelcs, a plaintiffs' attorney in Fontenot.

The solution agreed to in the settlement is landmark, but not surprising. College sports has been trending in this direction for years, with athletes receiving more and more monetary benefits and rights they say were long overdue.

In December, NCAA President Charlie Baker, the former Massachusetts governor who has been on the job for 14 months,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-baker-nil-c26542c528df277385fea7167026dbe6">proposed creating a new tier of Division I athletics</a>&nbsp;where the schools with the most resources would be required to pay at least half their athletes $30,000 per year. That suggestion, along with many other possibilities, remain under discussion.

The settlement does not make every issue facing college sports go away. There is still a question of whether athletes should be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Dartmouth+apnews+ralph+russo&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1095US1095&amp;oq=Dartmouth+apnews+ralph+russo&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigAdIBCjEzMTU2ajFqMTWoAgiwAgE&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">deemed employees</a>&nbsp;of their schools, something Baker and other college sports leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-nil-charlie-baker-hearing-senate-83ed8f9e1fb267db1ce5e24d6b79617a">are fighting against.</a>

Some type of federal legislation or antitrust exemption is likely still needed to codify the terms of the settlement, protect the NCAA from future litigation and pre-empt state laws that attempt to neuter the organization's authority. As it is,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuits-d3abf6cdbe606668eb9a91ffd2218f72">the NCAA is still facing lawsuits</a>&nbsp;that challenge its ability to govern itself, including setting rules limiting multiple-time transfers.

Federal lawmakers have indicated they would like to get something done, but while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-congress-nil-f8b4d71460b9950694bfc66e2e6479e2">several bills have been introduced</a>&nbsp;none have gone anywhere.

Despite the unanswered questions, one thing is clear: Major college athletics is about to become more like professional sports than ever before.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587379293613.jpeg" alt="The settlement could cost the University of Nebraska millions" />
 <figcaption>The settlement could cost the University of Nebraska millions</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —The NCAA and the nation's five biggest conferences have agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9a01e3058fee79cbd69bfce7d861e3c9">pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims</a>,a monumental decision that sets the stage for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start directing millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon as the 2025 fall semester.The Pac-12 became the final conference to sign off on the proposal Thursday when its university leaders voted to approve, according to a person with direct knowledge of the results.The Southeastern Conference presidents and chancellors unanimously approved the deal earlier Thursday, another person with knowledge of that decision told The Associated Press. Both spoke spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement between the Pac-12, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA was still being prepared.The other organizations voted to approve earlier in the week ahead of a Thursday deadline given by the plaintiffs’ attorneys.The deal still must be approved by the federal judge overseeing the case and challenges could arise, but if the agreement stands it will mark the beginning of a new era in college sports where athletes are compensated more like professionals and schools can compete for talent using direct payments.The details in the plan signal the end of the NCAA’s bedrock amateurism model that dates to its founding in 1906. Indeed, the days of NCAA punishments for athletes driving booster-provided cars started vanishing three years ago when the organization&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-sports-sports-0aee610b0152c02dcd5d3eddb4d29f76">lifted restrictions on endorsement deals</a>&nbsp;backed by so-called name, image and likeness money.Now it is not far-fetched to look ahead to seasons where a star quarterback or top prospect on a college basketball team are not only cashing in big-money NIL deals but have a $100,000 school payment in the bank to play.There are a host of details still to be determined, but the agreement calls for the NCAA and the conferences to pay $2.77 billion over 10 years to more than 14,000 former and current college athletes who say now-defunct rules prevented them from earning money from endorsement and sponsorship deals dating to 2016.Some of that money will come from NCAA reserve funds and insurance but even though the lawsuit specifically targeted five conferences that are comprised of 69 schools (including Notre Dame),&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuit-settlement-752156fdb0ea01445f52b1b109d14922">dozens of other NCAA member schools</a>&nbsp;will see smaller distributions from the NCAA to cover the mammoth payout.Schools in the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences will end up bearing the brunt of the settlement at a cost of about $300 million each over 10 years, the majority of which will be paid to athletes going forward.The Pac-12 is also part of the settlement, with all 12 sharing responsibility even though Washington State and Oregon State will be the only league members left by this fall after the other 10 schools leave.PAYING ATHLETESIn the new compensation model, each school will be permitted but not required to set aside up to $21 million in revenue to share with athletes per year, though as revenues rise so could the cap.Athletes in all sports would be eligible for payments and schools would be given the freedom to decide how that money is divvied up among sports programs. Scholarship limits by sport will be replaced by roster restrictions.Whether the new compensation model is subject to the Title IX gender equity law is unknown along with whether schools will be able to bring NIL activities in-house as they hope and squeeze out the booster-run collectives that have sprouted up in the last few years to pay athletes. Both topics could lead to more lawsuits.THE CASEThe class-action federal lawsuit at the center of the settlement,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9a01e3058fee79cbd69bfce7d861e3c9">House v. the NCAA,</a>&nbsp;was set to go to trial in January. The complaint, brought by former Arizona State swimmer Grant House and Sedona Prince, a former Oregon and current TCU basketball player, said the NCAA, along with the five wealthiest conferences, improperly barred athletes from earning endorsement money.The suit also made the case that athletes were entitled to a piece of the billions of dollars the NCAA and those conferences earn from media rights agreements with television networks.Amid political and public pressure, and facing the prospect of another court loss that some in college sports claimed could reach $20 billion in damages, NCAA and conference officials conceded on what has long been a core principal of the enterprise: That schools don't directly pay the athletes to play beyond a scholarship.That principle had already been dented numerous times over the last decade.Notably, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-supreme-court-alston-college-athlete-benefits-5be12caeaf014da7d71baf0bb60646fe">against the NCAA in 2021</a>&nbsp;in a case related to education-related benefits. The narrow focus of the Alston case didn't collapse the collegiate sports system, but the strong rebuke of the NCAA's model of amateurism flung the door open to more lawsuits. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a former Yale athlete, put it bluntly: “The bottom line is that the NCAA and its member colleges are suppressing the pay of student athletes who collectively generate billions of dollars in revenues for colleges every year."THE OTHER CASESThe settlement is expected to cover two other antitrust cases facing the NCAA and major conferences that challenge athlete compensation rules. Hubbard vs. the NCAA and Carter vs. the NCAA are also currently in front of judges in the Northern District of California.A fourth case, Fontenot vs, NCAA, creates a potential complication as it remains in a Colorado court after a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-settlement-3e26c017980afe0ee1c6a28f77abcf5a">denied a request</a>&nbsp;to combine it with Carter. Whether Fontenot becomes part of the settlement is unknown and it matters because the NCAA and its conferences don't want to be on the hook for more damages should they lose in court.“We’re going to continue to litigate our case in Colorado and look forward to hearing about the terms of a settlement proposal once they’re actually released and put in front of a court,” said George Zelcs, a plaintiffs' attorney in Fontenot.COLLEGE ATHLETICS OVERHAULThe solution agreed to in the settlement is landmark, but not surprising. College sports has been trending in this direction for years, with athletes receiving more and more monetary benefits and rights they say were long overdue.In December, NCAA President Charlie Baker, the former Massachusetts governor who has been on the job for 14 months,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-baker-nil-c26542c528df277385fea7167026dbe6">proposed creating a new tier of Division I athletics</a>&nbsp;where the schools with the most resources would be required to pay at least half their athletes $30,000 per year. That suggestion, along with many other possibilities, remain under discussion.The settlement does not make every issue facing college sports go away. There is still a question of whether athletes should be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Dartmouth+apnews+ralph+russo&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1095US1095&amp;oq=Dartmouth+apnews+ralph+russo&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigAdIBCjEzMTU2ajFqMTWoAgiwAgE&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">deemed employees</a>&nbsp;of their schools, something Baker and other college sports leaders&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-nil-charlie-baker-hearing-senate-83ed8f9e1fb267db1ce5e24d6b79617a">are fighting against.</a>Some type of federal legislation or antitrust exemption is likely still needed to codify the terms of the settlement, protect the NCAA from future litigation and pre-empt state laws that attempt to neuter the organization's authority. As it is,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-lawsuits-d3abf6cdbe606668eb9a91ffd2218f72">the NCAA is still facing lawsuits</a>&nbsp;that challenge its ability to govern itself, including setting rules limiting multiple-time transfers.Federal lawmakers have indicated they would like to get something done, but while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-congress-nil-f8b4d71460b9950694bfc66e2e6479e2">several bills have been introduced</a>&nbsp;none have gone anywhere.Despite the unanswered questions, one thing is clear: Major college athletics is about to become more like professional sports than ever before.___

NCAA, nation's biggest conferences ok $2.8 billion lawsuit settlement

CARTHAGE, Mo. (AP) — Sam Butcher, the artist who created the Precious Moments figurines depicting angelic teardrop-eyed children, has died. He was 85.

The company said in a Facebook&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPreciousMoments/posts/pfbid02CjXCJ7LRLisyo7DmHYwatfjtQXyMQUi3y2Sos6wh235po4BB9CPhzyDeaBcCLH41l">post</a>&nbsp;that he died early Monday surrounded by family. It said his life's mission was “to share God’s gift of love with the world.” No details about his cause of death were provided.

Some of the Christian-themed figurines feature Bible verses or children praying. Fans have collections numbering in the hundreds, while critics deride them as kitsch.

Butcher's childhood love of illustrating got a wider audience when he began telling Bible stories on a children’s ministry television show while he drew. That experience led to him cofounding a business in 1974 named Jonathan &amp; David after the biblical figures, according to his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity-deaths/sam-butcher-1939-2024-precious-moments-founder-and-artist/">online obituary.</a>

Early offerings included greeting cards. And within a few years, those drawings were transformed into porcelain figurines.

Thousands of designs have been produced over the decades, and fans of his work flock each year to the Precious Moments Inspiration Park and Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, Missouri.

The cornerstone of the pastel-painted, non-denominational oasis is the chapel, which Butcher was inspired to build by a 1983 trip to the Sistine Chapel in Rome. It includes 84 Biblical murals that cover more than 5,000 square feet.

CARTHAGE, Mo. (AP) — Sam Butcher, the artist who created the Precious Moments figurines depicting angelic teardrop-eyed children, has died. He was 85.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FOfficialPreciousMoments%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02CjXCJ7LRLisyo7DmHYwatfjtQXyMQUi3y2Sos6wh235po4BB9CPhzyDeaBcCLH41l&show_text=true&width=500&is_preview=true" width="500" height="764" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The company said in a Facebook&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPreciousMoments/posts/pfbid02CjXCJ7LRLisyo7DmHYwatfjtQXyMQUi3y2Sos6wh235po4BB9CPhzyDeaBcCLH41l">post</a>&nbsp;that he died early Monday surrounded by family. It said his life's mission was “to share God’s gift of love with the world.” No details about his cause of death were provided.Some of the Christian-themed figurines feature Bible verses or children praying. Fans have collections numbering in the hundreds, while critics deride them as kitsch.Butcher's childhood love of illustrating got a wider audience when he began telling Bible stories on a children’s ministry television show while he drew. That experience led to him cofounding a business in 1974 named Jonathan &amp; David after the biblical figures, according to his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity-deaths/sam-butcher-1939-2024-precious-moments-founder-and-artist/">online obituary.</a>Early offerings included greeting cards. And within a few years, those drawings were transformed into porcelain figurines.Thousands of designs have been produced over the decades, and fans of his work flock each year to the Precious Moments Inspiration Park and Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, Missouri.The cornerstone of the pastel-painted, non-denominational oasis is the chapel, which Butcher was inspired to build by a 1983 trip to the Sistine Chapel in Rome. It includes 84 Biblical murals that cover more than 5,000 square feet.

Precious Moments creator Sam Butcher dies at 85

Nebraska Natural Resource District

LINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– Amid a series of intense rainstorms, eastern Nebraska faced a deluge that brought up to 10 inches of rain within hours. Thanks to a network of floodwater-reduction dams, lives were saved, and property damage was significantly mitigated.

These dams, built through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in partnership with Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs), proved their worth during this extreme weather event on May 21.

<a>Within the 51,000-acre Bellwood Creek Watershed, 13 dams south of Bellwood, Nebraska, in Butler County, prevented an estimated $1 million in damages to downstream property and infrastructure. The Lower Platte North&nbsp;NRD is responsible for the operation and maintenance of these 13&nbsp;structures.</a>

Similarly, the 34,000-acre Cottonwood Creek sub-watershed, northwest of Wahoo, Nebraska, in Saunders County, benefitted from 12 dams that prevented an estimated $300,000 in damages. Despite these protective measures, the town of Wahoo still experienced significant flooding. However, the presence of the dams helped reduce the overall impact. The towns of Prague and Malmo also saw benefits from these dams. The Lower Platte North NRD manages these structures.

“While we understand we will never able to control all flooding we are working hard to reduce flooding and flood-related damages throughout our 1 million+ acre district,” said Eric Gottschalk, Lower Platte North NRD general manager.

In the 63,000-acre North Oak sub-watershed, spanning portions of Butler, Saunders and Lancaster Counties, 16 dams prevented an estimated $800,000 in property and infrastructure damage. The towns of Valparaiso and Raymond are located within this watershed. The Lower Platte South NRD oversees the maintenance of these dams.

“NRCS has been a proud partner with Natural Resources Districts by providing technical and financial assistance for over 50 years,” said Nebraska NRCS State Conservationist Rob Lawson. “One of our priorities is assisting local sponsors in identifying and completing floodwater prevention projects to enhance public safety and reduce property damage. The performance of these watersheds structures is a proud accomplishment for NRCS, NRD sponsors, and the stakeholders who implemented this infrastructure.”

Lawson added that many residents within these watersheds or downstream may not realize the existence of these dams, but their value becomes evident during torrential rain events.

Recognizing the ongoing flood risks, the Lower Platte North NRD and NRCS approved the Upper Wahoo Creek Watershed Plan in 2022. This $19.7 million project aims to construct nine floodwater-reduction dams within a 100-square-mile area in the Wahoo Creek Watershed, generally located west of Wahoo, in Saunders County. The plan includes the construction of nine wet dams on sites south of Prague, west of Weston, and west of Wahoo.

“This project provides a critical link in reducing flood damages in the Wahoo Creek Watershed,” Gottschalk said. “After many years of planning, it is satisfying to see all components come together for completion by the end of 2026.”

Since their inception in 1972, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts have been building and maintaining flood control structures to protect lives, property and the future.&nbsp;NRDs have taken on the operations and maintenance of watershed dams built with federal support from NRCS.

Nebraska’s extensive network of over 700 watershed structures is a critical component of its flood reduction infrastructure. The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Act, also known as PL-566, authorizes the NRCS to assist local organizations and government units in planning and implementing watershed projects. Nebraska’s NRDs have effectively utilized this federal funding in partnership with NRCS to enhance flood protection across the state.

The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property, and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>.

Nebraska Natural Resource DistrictLINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– Amid a series of intense rainstorms, eastern Nebraska faced a deluge that brought up to 10 inches of rain within hours. Thanks to a network of floodwater-reduction dams, lives were saved, and property damage was significantly mitigated.These dams, built through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in partnership with Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs), proved their worth during this extreme weather event on May 21.<a>Within the 51,000-acre Bellwood Creek Watershed, 13 dams south of Bellwood, Nebraska, in Butler County, prevented an estimated $1 million in damages to downstream property and infrastructure. The Lower Platte North&nbsp;NRD is responsible for the operation and maintenance of these 13&nbsp;structures.</a>Similarly, the 34,000-acre Cottonwood Creek sub-watershed, northwest of Wahoo, Nebraska, in Saunders County, benefitted from 12 dams that prevented an estimated $300,000 in damages. Despite these protective measures, the town of Wahoo still experienced significant flooding. However, the presence of the dams helped reduce the overall impact. The towns of Prague and Malmo also saw benefits from these dams. The Lower Platte North NRD manages these structures.“While we understand we will never able to control all flooding we are working hard to reduce flooding and flood-related damages throughout our 1 million+ acre district,” said Eric Gottschalk, Lower Platte North NRD general manager.In the 63,000-acre North Oak sub-watershed, spanning portions of Butler, Saunders and Lancaster Counties, 16 dams prevented an estimated $800,000 in property and infrastructure damage. The towns of Valparaiso and Raymond are located within this watershed. The Lower Platte South NRD oversees the maintenance of these dams.“NRCS has been a proud partner with Natural Resources Districts by providing technical and financial assistance for over 50 years,” said Nebraska NRCS State Conservationist Rob Lawson. “One of our priorities is assisting local sponsors in identifying and completing floodwater prevention projects to enhance public safety and reduce property damage. The performance of these watersheds structures is a proud accomplishment for NRCS, NRD sponsors, and the stakeholders who implemented this infrastructure.”Lawson added that many residents within these watersheds or downstream may not realize the existence of these dams, but their value becomes evident during torrential rain events.Recognizing the ongoing flood risks, the Lower Platte North NRD and NRCS approved the Upper Wahoo Creek Watershed Plan in 2022. This $19.7 million project aims to construct nine floodwater-reduction dams within a 100-square-mile area in the Wahoo Creek Watershed, generally located west of Wahoo, in Saunders County. The plan includes the construction of nine wet dams on sites south of Prague, west of Weston, and west of Wahoo.“This project provides a critical link in reducing flood damages in the Wahoo Creek Watershed,” Gottschalk said. “After many years of planning, it is satisfying to see all components come together for completion by the end of 2026.”Since their inception in 1972, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts have been building and maintaining flood control structures to protect lives, property and the future.&nbsp;NRDs have taken on the operations and maintenance of watershed dams built with federal support from NRCS.Nebraska’s extensive network of over 700 watershed structures is a critical component of its flood reduction infrastructure. The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Act, also known as PL-566, authorizes the NRCS to assist local organizations and government units in planning and implementing watershed projects. Nebraska’s NRDs have effectively utilized this federal funding in partnership with NRCS to enhance flood protection across the state.The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property, and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>.

   Dams Protect Lives and Property During Intense Rainstorms

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/23/nebraska-advocates-fear-catastrophic-nursing-home-staffing-rule-will-lead-to-closures/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Some Nebraska advocates and lawmakers are fearing more nursing home closures in light of a finalized federal rule for minimum staffing requirements.

In May, the U.S. Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/10/2024-08273/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-minimum-staffing-standards-for-long-term-care-facilities-and-medicaid">published a rule</a>&nbsp;that will set, for the first time, the minimum number of daily nursing hours per resident that facilities must meet (3.48), with a registered nurse on hand at all times. Implementation will be staggered in the next two to five years, differing for rural and urban facilities, and hardship exemptions are available.

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the agency administrator, said the changes —&nbsp;part of a handful of new regulations —&nbsp;ensure eligible people can benefit from the “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-takes-historic-action-increase-access-quality-care-and-support-families#:~:text=CMS%20is%20developing%20a%20%2475,to%20work%20in%20nursing%20homes.">critical lifeline</a>” of health coverage.

“Now, CMS has set its sights on an equally ambitious goal: making sure that coverage connects people to consistently high-quality care, regardless of where they live or receive care,” Brooks-La-Sure said in a statement.

The rule comes partially in response to many nursing home closures and resident deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bradley.com/insights/publications/2024/05/cms-publishes-final-rule-for-minimum-staffing-standards-in-skilled-nursing-facilities#:~:text=Deb%20Fischer%20(R%2DNE),on%20the%20nursing%20home%20workforce.">Many congressional lawmakers</a>&nbsp;have tried to stop the rule and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-health-associations-federal-lawmakers-criticize-nursing-home-staffing-proposal/">vowed to defeat it</a>, saying it would have disparate impacts, particularly in rural communities.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., was one lawmaker who introduced bipartisan legislation to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3410">prevent the rule’s publication</a>&nbsp;and establish an advisory panel on nursing home workforce issues. It was referred to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Finance.

Gov. Jim Pillen, during a property tax town hall in Grand Island last week, said he has been to Washington, D.C., twice and met with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leadership&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-and-14-other-states-pen-letter-against-federal-nursing-home-staffing-proposal/">regarding the rule</a>. He said he’s asked for special exceptions.

“For crying out loud, we don’t have enough registered nurses to do that,” Pillen said.

Kierstin Reed, CEO of LeadingAge Nebraska, told the Nebraska Examiner that the state has more licensed practical nurses than registered nurses, for example.&nbsp;

“They [LPNs] have less education but more practical experience and they can pretty much do everything that an RN can do except for that clinical diagnosis that says, ‘Yes, this is what this is,’” Reed said.

Reed predicted the rule will lead to one of three outcomes: closures; reduced or eliminated services to lower the number of required staff; or some alternative workaround, such as decertification, which would prevent residents from paying for care with Medicare or Medicaid.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us/">KFF</a>, which conducts&nbsp; health policy research, estimates that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/a-closer-look-at-the-final-nursing-facility-rule-and-which-facilities-might-meet-new-staffing-requirements/">19% of facilities nationwide</a>&nbsp;currently meet all staffing minimums in the rule.

The federal nursing home staffing requirements will take effect in stages over the next five years, beginning with enhanced facility-wide staffing assessment requirements.

Next, a registered nurse must be on hand at all times, and residents must have at least 3.48 daily hours of dedicated nursing care.&nbsp;

Finally, the 3.48 care hours per resident must include at least 0.55 hours with a registered nurse and 2.45 hours with nurse aides. The final 0.48 hours can be with any nursing staff type, including licensed practical nurses.

Nearly 60% of facilities meet the interim requirement of 3.48 hours of nursing care per resident per day, KFF states. A Nebraska-specific analysis estimates that for 179 facilities in the state, the following percentage of facilities are already meeting the rule’s components:

In&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/press-release/in-45-states-fewer-than-half-of-nursing-facilities-have-enough-staff-to-meet-new-federal-requirements/">more than half of the country</a>, facilities meet less than 25% of the rule requirements, consisting of the most populous states.

The federal agency has estimated that facilities would need to hire about 16,000 RNs and 35,306 nurse aides, KFF states, with&nbsp;nonprofit and government facilities being closer to the goal.

Todd Stubbendieck, director of AARP Nebraska, said his organization represents the people in the facilities, not the industry, and said better staffing leads to better health outcomes.

“Our point also is that these residents deserve the best quality of care possible,” he said.

Nancy LeaMond, executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer for the national AARP, described the rule as “long overdue” for minimum staffing levels that “will help protect the basic rights of residents to live in dignity.”

“Ensuring nursing homes are adequately staffed will improve the quality of care residents receive and can give family caregivers peace of mind, knowing their loved ones are living with the quality of life they deserve,” LeaMond said in an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://press.aarp.org/Statement-CMS-Final-Nursing-Home-Staffing-Rule#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFor%20years%2C%20AARP%20has%20fought,residents%20to%20live%20in%20dignity.">April 22 statement</a>.

Stubbendieck said that while staffing problems are sometimes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, a staffing crisis has existed for a long time. He said AARP Nebraska has supported efforts to increase provider reimbursement rates and to train and equip more direct care staff.

“There’s one side to the story about these rules, but I think the exemptions and the staggered timelines in the amount of time facilities are being given to address these rules is another important part of the story,” Stubbendieck said.

Jalene Carpenter, president and CEO of the Nebraska Health Care Association, said the rule is “catastrophic” and brings no funding to specifically address the RN shortage in Nebraska. It also doesn’t account for “logical technological use,” such as telehealth.

Nebraska operators are already committed to quality and adequate staffing, she said, and regulations already require facilities to have enough staff to meet residents’ needs.

“This rule goes a significant step farther and says, ‘Here is a one-size-fits all [rule], doesn’t matter who your residents are or what their care levels are, you have to have this specific number,’ which we argue is a poor choice,” Carpenter said.

The federal government has announced plans to develop a $75 million national nursing home staffing campaign, which mirrors state-level efforts to attract more nurses and medical students.

Reed said a majority of registered nurses in the state work in hospitals and in rural communities, so they’d likely take jobs in hospitals instead of nursing homes. She envisioned more&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/17/state-makes-changes-to-nursing-scholarship-fund-to-reach-more-ne-students-before-deadline/#:~:text=By%3A%20Cindy%20Gonzalez%20%2D%20May%2017%2C%202024%205%3A45%20am&amp;text=In%202022%2C%20the%20Nebraska%20Legislature,workers%20into%20the%20field%20faster.">state-provided nursing scholarships</a>&nbsp;and state support would be needed.

“These are all very well-intentioned rules,” Reed said. “They’re unfunded though.”

State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward said she worries about rural communities, though the impacts will spread to urban areas, and she agreed with Reed about the good intention behind the rules. However, Hughes said, the federal agency may have to go back to the drawing board.

“Closing them [nursing homes] is not the solution either, so I think we have got to start over, do better — something’s got to change,” Hughes said.

Pillen said while the state’s congressional delegation is working to stall or kill the rule, he and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services are working in case it goes through.

“We’re not going to allow more nursing homes to close,” Pillen said.

The available hardship exemptions might be difficult to obtain, Reed said, and would be open to facilities that make good-faith efforts to try to match workforce needs and which are located in areas with workforce unavailability (a provider-to-population rate at least 20% lower than the national average). Nebraska already has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.

If approved, the exemption status would need to be posted in a “prominent and publicly viewable location” and shared with current and prospective residents.

“Nebraska is nothing if not resilient,” Reed said. “We will figure it out.”

Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/23/nebraska-advocates-fear-catastrophic-nursing-home-staffing-rule-will-lead-to-closures/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Some Nebraska advocates and lawmakers are fearing more nursing home closures in light of a finalized federal rule for minimum staffing requirements.In May, the U.S. Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/10/2024-08273/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-minimum-staffing-standards-for-long-term-care-facilities-and-medicaid">published a rule</a>&nbsp;that will set, for the first time, the minimum number of daily nursing hours per resident that facilities must meet (3.48), with a registered nurse on hand at all times. Implementation will be staggered in the next two to five years, differing for rural and urban facilities, and hardship exemptions are available.Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the agency administrator, said the changes —&nbsp;part of a handful of new regulations —&nbsp;ensure eligible people can benefit from the “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-takes-historic-action-increase-access-quality-care-and-support-families#:~:text=CMS%20is%20developing%20a%20%2475,to%20work%20in%20nursing%20homes.">critical lifeline</a>” of health coverage.“Now, CMS has set its sights on an equally ambitious goal: making sure that coverage connects people to consistently high-quality care, regardless of where they live or receive care,” Brooks-La-Sure said in a statement.The rule comes partially in response to many nursing home closures and resident deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bradley.com/insights/publications/2024/05/cms-publishes-final-rule-for-minimum-staffing-standards-in-skilled-nursing-facilities#:~:text=Deb%20Fischer%20(R%2DNE),on%20the%20nursing%20home%20workforce.">Many congressional lawmakers</a>&nbsp;have tried to stop the rule and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-health-associations-federal-lawmakers-criticize-nursing-home-staffing-proposal/">vowed to defeat it</a>, saying it would have disparate impacts, particularly in rural communities.<h2>Nebraska lacks sufficient nurses</h2>U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., was one lawmaker who introduced bipartisan legislation to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3410">prevent the rule’s publication</a>&nbsp;and establish an advisory panel on nursing home workforce issues. It was referred to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Finance.Gov. Jim Pillen, during a property tax town hall in Grand Island last week, said he has been to Washington, D.C., twice and met with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leadership&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-and-14-other-states-pen-letter-against-federal-nursing-home-staffing-proposal/">regarding the rule</a>. He said he’s asked for special exceptions.“For crying out loud, we don’t have enough registered nurses to do that,” Pillen said.Kierstin Reed, CEO of LeadingAge Nebraska, told the Nebraska Examiner that the state has more licensed practical nurses than registered nurses, for example.&nbsp;“They [LPNs] have less education but more practical experience and they can pretty much do everything that an RN can do except for that clinical diagnosis that says, ‘Yes, this is what this is,’” Reed said.Reed predicted the rule will lead to one of three outcomes: closures; reduced or eliminated services to lower the number of required staff; or some alternative workaround, such as decertification, which would prevent residents from paying for care with Medicare or Medicaid.<h2>How Nebraska shapes up compliance</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us/">KFF</a>, which conducts&nbsp; health policy research, estimates that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/a-closer-look-at-the-final-nursing-facility-rule-and-which-facilities-might-meet-new-staffing-requirements/">19% of facilities nationwide</a>&nbsp;currently meet all staffing minimums in the rule.<h2>Staggered implementation</h2>The federal nursing home staffing requirements will take effect in stages over the next five years, beginning with enhanced facility-wide staffing assessment requirements.<ul>
 <li>For both urban and rural facilities: Aug. 8, 2024.</li>
 </ul>Next, a registered nurse must be on hand at all times, and residents must have at least 3.48 daily hours of dedicated nursing care.&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Urban facilities: May 2026.</li><li>Rural facilities: May 2027.</li>
 </ul>Finally, the 3.48 care hours per resident must include at least 0.55 hours with a registered nurse and 2.45 hours with nurse aides. The final 0.48 hours can be with any nursing staff type, including licensed practical nurses.<ul>
 <li>Urban facilities: May 2027.</li><li>Rural facilities: May 2029.</li>
 </ul>Nearly 60% of facilities meet the interim requirement of 3.48 hours of nursing care per resident per day, KFF states. A Nebraska-specific analysis estimates that for 179 facilities in the state, the following percentage of facilities are already meeting the rule’s components:<ul>
 <li>65% meet the registered nurse requirement of 0.55 hours of care per resident per day.</li><li>59% meet the nurse aide requirement of 2.45 hours of care per resident per day.</li><li>73% meet the total 3.48 hours of care per resident per day requirement.</li><li>46% meet all three requirements.</li>
 </ul>In&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/press-release/in-45-states-fewer-than-half-of-nursing-facilities-have-enough-staff-to-meet-new-federal-requirements/">more than half of the country</a>, facilities meet less than 25% of the rule requirements, consisting of the most populous states.The federal agency has estimated that facilities would need to hire about 16,000 RNs and 35,306 nurse aides, KFF states, with&nbsp;nonprofit and government facilities being closer to the goal.<h2>‘Best quality of care possible’</h2>Todd Stubbendieck, director of AARP Nebraska, said his organization represents the people in the facilities, not the industry, and said better staffing leads to better health outcomes.“Our point also is that these residents deserve the best quality of care possible,” he said.Nancy LeaMond, executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer for the national AARP, described the rule as “long overdue” for minimum staffing levels that “will help protect the basic rights of residents to live in dignity.”“Ensuring nursing homes are adequately staffed will improve the quality of care residents receive and can give family caregivers peace of mind, knowing their loved ones are living with the quality of life they deserve,” LeaMond said in an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://press.aarp.org/Statement-CMS-Final-Nursing-Home-Staffing-Rule#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFor%20years%2C%20AARP%20has%20fought,residents%20to%20live%20in%20dignity.">April 22 statement</a>.Stubbendieck said that while staffing problems are sometimes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, a staffing crisis has existed for a long time. He said AARP Nebraska has supported efforts to increase provider reimbursement rates and to train and equip more direct care staff.“There’s one side to the story about these rules, but I think the exemptions and the staggered timelines in the amount of time facilities are being given to address these rules is another important part of the story,” Stubbendieck said.<h2>‘Catastrophic’ repercussions</h2>Jalene Carpenter, president and CEO of the Nebraska Health Care Association, said the rule is “catastrophic” and brings no funding to specifically address the RN shortage in Nebraska. It also doesn’t account for “logical technological use,” such as telehealth.Nebraska operators are already committed to quality and adequate staffing, she said, and regulations already require facilities to have enough staff to meet residents’ needs.“This rule goes a significant step farther and says, ‘Here is a one-size-fits all [rule], doesn’t matter who your residents are or what their care levels are, you have to have this specific number,’ which we argue is a poor choice,” Carpenter said.The federal government has announced plans to develop a $75 million national nursing home staffing campaign, which mirrors state-level efforts to attract more nurses and medical students.Reed said a majority of registered nurses in the state work in hospitals and in rural communities, so they’d likely take jobs in hospitals instead of nursing homes. She envisioned more&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/17/state-makes-changes-to-nursing-scholarship-fund-to-reach-more-ne-students-before-deadline/#:~:text=By%3A%20Cindy%20Gonzalez%20%2D%20May%2017%2C%202024%205%3A45%20am&amp;text=In%202022%2C%20the%20Nebraska%20Legislature,workers%20into%20the%20field%20faster.">state-provided nursing scholarships</a>&nbsp;and state support would be needed.“These are all very well-intentioned rules,” Reed said. “They’re unfunded though.”<h2>‘We will figure it out’</h2>State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward said she worries about rural communities, though the impacts will spread to urban areas, and she agreed with Reed about the good intention behind the rules. However, Hughes said, the federal agency may have to go back to the drawing board.“Closing them [nursing homes] is not the solution either, so I think we have got to start over, do better — something’s got to change,” Hughes said.Pillen said while the state’s congressional delegation is working to stall or kill the rule, he and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services are working in case it goes through.“We’re not going to allow more nursing homes to close,” Pillen said.The available hardship exemptions might be difficult to obtain, Reed said, and would be open to facilities that make good-faith efforts to try to match workforce needs and which are located in areas with workforce unavailability (a provider-to-population rate at least 20% lower than the national average). Nebraska already has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.If approved, the exemption status would need to be posted in a “prominent and publicly viewable location” and shared with current and prospective residents.“Nebraska is nothing if not resilient,” Reed said. “We will figure it out.”

Nebraska advocates fear ‘catastrophic’ nursing home staffing rule will lead to closures

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– ﻿Governor Jim Pillen has joined the governors of 23 other states in opposition to the Biden administration’s expected commitment to two international agreements that would strengthen the World Health Organization’s (WHO) power to declare public health emergencies and grant the WHO Director-General authority over member states during such perceived emergencies. 

The agreements opposed would modify the WHO’s current International Health Regulations (IHRs) amendments and create a “Pandemic Agreement,” or treaty, that would significantly interfere with U.S. sovereignty and the ability of states to establish health policies and responses to public health emergencies.

The letter to President Joe Biden warns that the proposed instruments would empower the WHO with “the authority to restrict the rights of U.S. citizens, including freedoms such as speech, privacy, travel, choice of medical care, and informed consent.”

Governors from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming joined Gov. Pillen in signing the letter to the President.

Office of Govenor Jim PillenLINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– ﻿Governor Jim Pillen has joined the governors of 23 other states in opposition to the Biden administration’s expected commitment to two international agreements that would strengthen the World Health Organization’s (WHO) power to declare public health emergencies and grant the WHO Director-General authority over member states during such perceived emergencies. The agreements opposed would modify the WHO’s current International Health Regulations (IHRs) amendments and create a “Pandemic Agreement,” or treaty, that would significantly interfere with U.S. sovereignty and the ability of states to establish health policies and responses to public health emergencies.The letter to President Joe Biden warns that the proposed instruments would empower the WHO with “the authority to restrict the rights of U.S. citizens, including freedoms such as speech, privacy, travel, choice of medical care, and informed consent.”Governors from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming joined Gov. Pillen in signing the letter to the President.The full letter is attached.<a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/press/5-22-24-Final-Joint-Letter-WHO-Pandemic-Treaty.pdf">5.22.24 Final Joint Letter WHO Pandemic Treaty</a>