Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved nearly$5.5 million in funding (<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/telecom/2024-09-24%20NUSF-92.64%20Order%20Granting%20Application,%20In%20Part.pdf" target="_blank">NUSF-92.64</a>) for the construction of 10 cellular towers through the Nebraska Universal Service Fund (NUSF) Dedicated Wireless Fund Program.

“Utilizing the Nebraska Universal Service Fund for the support and buildout of cell towers hasproven to be yet another avenue the Commission employs to help improve communication tounserved and underserved areas,” said Commission Chair Dan Watermeier.

UScellular will receive $5,493,500 in grant funding support to build 10 tower sites near the communities of Bancroft, Bradshaw, Clearwater, Garland, Glenvil, Orleans, Page, Plymouth, Rising City and Sterling. UScellular has committed to completing construction of the towers within 24 months of approval of the funding.

The PSC allocated just over seven million dollars in Wireless Fund Program Support for the2024 funding year. The remaining dedicated support allocated but not awarded will be rolled into the next wireless fund grant cycle.

PSCLincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved nearly$5.5 million in funding (<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/telecom/2024-09-24%20NUSF-92.64%20Order%20Granting%20Application,%20In%20Part.pdf" target="_blank">NUSF-92.64</a>) for the construction of 10 cellular towers through the Nebraska Universal Service Fund (NUSF) Dedicated Wireless Fund Program.“Utilizing the Nebraska Universal Service Fund for the support and buildout of cell towers hasproven to be yet another avenue the Commission employs to help improve communication tounserved and underserved areas,” said Commission Chair Dan Watermeier.UScellular will receive $5,493,500 in grant funding support to build 10 tower sites near the communities of Bancroft, Bradshaw, Clearwater, Garland, Glenvil, Orleans, Page, Plymouth, Rising City and Sterling. UScellular has committed to completing construction of the towers within 24 months of approval of the funding.The PSC allocated just over seven million dollars in Wireless Fund Program Support for the2024 funding year. The remaining dedicated support allocated but not awarded will be rolled into the next wireless fund grant cycle.

PSC NUSF-92 Program Supports Cell Tower Construction

Lincoln, NE ‐ October 7, 2024 ‐ One lucky player who bought a Lotto America® ticket for the Saturday, October 5 drawing is holding a ticket worth $20,000.

The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Saturday's $10.51 million Lotto America® draw matched all five red ball numbers but not the Star Ball number. The ticket was sold at Casey's #2712, 420 E 3rd St, in Superior. The winning numbers from Saturday's Lotto America draw were and 08, 15, 17, 32, 36, and the Star Ball was 02.

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

The Nebraska Lottery has offered Lotto America since May 2024. Sales of Nebraska Lotto America have helped raise a total of over $1.003 billion million for the Nebraska Lottery's beneficiary funds. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

Neil WatsonNebraska LotteryLincoln, NE ‐ October 7, 2024 ‐ One lucky player who bought a Lotto America® ticket for the Saturday, October 5 drawing is holding a ticket worth $20,000.The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Saturday's $10.51 million Lotto America® draw matched all five red ball numbers but not the Star Ball number. The ticket was sold at Casey's #2712, 420 E 3rd St, in Superior. The winning numbers from Saturday's Lotto America draw were and 08, 15, 17, 32, 36, and the Star Ball was 02.Prizes for Nebraska Lottery Lotto games can be claimed up to 180 days after the draw date. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website,&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling 800-587-5200.The Nebraska Lottery has offered Lotto America since May 2024. Sales of Nebraska Lotto America have helped raise a total of over $1.003 billion million for the Nebraska Lottery's beneficiary funds. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

$20,000 Lotto America® Winning Ticket Sold in Superior

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen announced that all U.S. and Nebraska flags are to be flown at half-staff on Monday, October 7 to honor the victims of the terror attack on Israel. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the attack which killed 1,200 men, women and children. More than 250 were taken hostage and of those, over 100 are still missing, including four Americans. Flags should be flown from sunrise to sunset.

The directive to lower flags is the latest action by Gov. Pillen in recognition and remembrance of last year’s orchestrated attack on Israel by Hamas. The State Capitol will be illuminated in blue tomorrow evening – symbolizing Nebraska’s ongoing support of Israel. Additionally, the Governor will meet with representatives from Nebraska’s Jewish community, as they gather to commemorate the terror attack. The Governor will also issue a proclamation marking the anniversary and reiterating Nebraska’s unwavering support for Israel, and its condemnation of antisemitism and terrorism.

Last week, Gov. Pillen issued the following statement: “Israel remains the target of state-sponsored terrorism. This is a dangerous and devastating situation, not only for those living in Israel, but also the Jewish communities here in Nebraska. We must stand up to antisemitism and discrimination in every form. Lighting the Capitol is a visual representation of that commitment.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Office of Governor Jim PillenLINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen announced that all U.S. and Nebraska flags are to be flown at half-staff on Monday, October 7 to honor the victims of the terror attack on Israel. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the attack which killed 1,200 men, women and children. More than 250 were taken hostage and of those, over 100 are still missing, including four Americans. Flags should be flown from sunrise to sunset.The directive to lower flags is the latest action by Gov. Pillen in recognition and remembrance of last year’s orchestrated attack on Israel by Hamas. The State Capitol will be illuminated in blue tomorrow evening – symbolizing Nebraska’s ongoing support of Israel. Additionally, the Governor will meet with representatives from Nebraska’s Jewish community, as they gather to commemorate the terror attack. The Governor will also issue a proclamation marking the anniversary and reiterating Nebraska’s unwavering support for Israel, and its condemnation of antisemitism and terrorism.Last week, Gov. Pillen issued the following statement: “Israel remains the target of state-sponsored terrorism. This is a dangerous and devastating situation, not only for those living in Israel, but also the Jewish communities here in Nebraska. We must stand up to antisemitism and discrimination in every form. Lighting the Capitol is a visual representation of that commitment.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gov. Pillen Directs Flags be Flown at Half-Staff Honoring Victims of Terror Attack on Israel

WASHINGTON —The United States will provide nearly $157 million in new U.S. humanitarian&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;to support populations affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region, according to a statement from the U..S Department of State.

&nbsp;This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them.&nbsp; The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighboring Syria.&nbsp;

This life-saving assistance from the American people includes nearly $82 million immediately available through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and $75 million through the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.&nbsp; 

Of this total, USAID has already deployed $11.5 million, and working with Congress plans to make another $63.5 million available in the coming weeks, to ensure that vital humanitarian assistance can continue to reach the most vulnerable communities in need.&nbsp;&nbsp;This&nbsp;emergency food, shelter, blankets, hygiene kits, protection, water, and sanitation assistance will be a critical lifeline for those who have endured unimaginable hardships.

The United States provided nearly $386 million over the last year to support vulnerable populations in Lebanon and Syria impacted by the increase in conflict.&nbsp; This new humanitarian assistance comes at a time of devastating humanitarian crisis for Lebanon, with more than a million people displaced from their homes. &nbsp;The United States is committed to helping those most vulnerable in Lebanon and throughout the region. &nbsp;We&nbsp;urge other donors to join us in stepping up to contribute to these new humanitarian needs.

WASHINGTON —The United States will provide nearly $157 million in new U.S. humanitarian&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;to support populations affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region, according to a statement from the U..S Department of State.&nbsp;This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them.&nbsp; The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighboring Syria.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there. To that end, the United States will provide…&mdash; Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1842710797241434259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This life-saving assistance from the American people includes nearly $82 million immediately available through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and $75 million through the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.&nbsp; Of this total, USAID has already deployed $11.5 million, and working with Congress plans to make another $63.5 million available in the coming weeks, to ensure that vital humanitarian assistance can continue to reach the most vulnerable communities in need.&nbsp;&nbsp;This&nbsp;emergency food, shelter, blankets, hygiene kits, protection, water, and sanitation assistance will be a critical lifeline for those who have endured unimaginable hardships.The United States provided nearly $386 million over the last year to support vulnerable populations in Lebanon and Syria impacted by the increase in conflict.&nbsp; This new humanitarian assistance comes at a time of devastating humanitarian crisis for Lebanon, with more than a million people displaced from their homes. &nbsp;The United States is committed to helping those most vulnerable in Lebanon and throughout the region. &nbsp;We&nbsp;urge other donors to join us in stepping up to contribute to these new humanitarian needs.

US to give $157 million in aid in response to Lebanon crisis

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education is launching the first testing period for its phased rollout of the 2025-26 form to apply for federal financial student aid on Tuesday, with more students set to partake in this beginning testing stage than initially expected.

The department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-gradually-roll-out-new-fafsa-form-dec-1" target="_blank">announced in August</a>&nbsp;it would be using a staggered approach to launch the 2025-26&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/dont-give-fafsa-advocates-student-financial-aid-urge" target="_blank">Free Application for Federal Student Aid</a>&nbsp;— or FAFSA — in order to address any issues that might arise before the form opens up to everyone by Dec. 1. The number of students able to complete the form will gradually increase throughout four separate testing stages, with the first one beginning Oct. 1.

The phased rollout makes the form fully available two months later than usual and comes as the 2024-25 form — which got a makeover after Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in late 2020 — faced a series of highly publicized hiccups that the department has worked to fix.

Earlier in September, the department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-open-new-financial-aid-form-more-applicants" target="_blank">announced six community-based organizations</a>&nbsp;chosen to participate in the first testing period: Alabama Possible; Bridge 2 Life, in Florida; College AIM, in Georgia; Education is Freedom, in Texas; the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, in California; and the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, in Virginia.

“Thanks to the wonderful organizations, we expect closer to 1,000 students in Beta 1 as opposed to the 100 we initially thought,” FAFSA executive adviser Jeremy Singer said on a call with reporters Monday regarding the 2025-26 form.

During this first testing stage, U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal said the department will process students’ FAFSAs, “give students an opportunity to make corrections, if needed, and send the records to colleges and state agencies.”

“Colleges will be able to use these same records when it’s time for them to make financial aid offers,” said Kvaal, who oversees higher education and financial aid, including the Office of Federal Student Aid.

The department on Monday also named 78 community-based organizations, governmental entities, high schools, school districts and institutions of higher education to participate in its three subsequent testing periods for the 2025-26 form.

Three of the community-based organizations chosen to take part in the first testing period — Florida’s Bridge 2 Life; Texas’ Education is Freedom; and Virginia’s&nbsp; Scholarship Fund of Alexandria — will also participate in subsequent testing stages.

To help students and families prepare for the 2025-26 application cycle, the department said this week it’s releasing a revised&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/" target="_blank">Federal Student Aid Estimator</a>, updated resources for creating a&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/" target="_blank">StudentAid.Gov account</a>, including a “parent wizard,” as well as an updated prototype of the 2025-26 FAFSA.

Last week, the department released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/2024-09/AFocusonImprovingtheFAFSAExperience.pdf" target="_blank">a report</a>&nbsp;outlining 10 steps it’s taking to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gaps-fafsa-rollout-are-closing-watchdog-tells-us-house-panel" target="_blank">improve the FAFSA application process</a>. Part of those efforts include the department strengthening its leadership team and working to address issues for families without Social Security numbers when completing the form, in addition to vendors adding more than 700 new call center agents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727807641728.png" alt=" A sign reminding people to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known as FAFSA — appears on a bus near Union Station in Washington, D.C. (Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption> A sign reminding people to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known as FAFSA — appears on a bus near Union Station in Washington, D.C. (Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> <a href="https://statesnewsroom.com/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education is launching the first testing period for its phased rollout of the 2025-26 form to apply for federal financial student aid on Tuesday, with more students set to partake in this beginning testing stage than initially expected.The department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-gradually-roll-out-new-fafsa-form-dec-1" target="_blank">announced in August</a>&nbsp;it would be using a staggered approach to launch the 2025-26&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/dont-give-fafsa-advocates-student-financial-aid-urge" target="_blank">Free Application for Federal Student Aid</a>&nbsp;— or FAFSA — in order to address any issues that might arise before the form opens up to everyone by Dec. 1. The number of students able to complete the form will gradually increase throughout four separate testing stages, with the first one beginning Oct. 1.The phased rollout makes the form fully available two months later than usual and comes as the 2024-25 form — which got a makeover after Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in late 2020 — faced a series of highly publicized hiccups that the department has worked to fix.Earlier in September, the department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-open-new-financial-aid-form-more-applicants" target="_blank">announced six community-based organizations</a>&nbsp;chosen to participate in the first testing period: Alabama Possible; Bridge 2 Life, in Florida; College AIM, in Georgia; Education is Freedom, in Texas; the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, in California; and the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, in Virginia.“Thanks to the wonderful organizations, we expect closer to 1,000 students in Beta 1 as opposed to the 100 we initially thought,” FAFSA executive adviser Jeremy Singer said on a call with reporters Monday regarding the 2025-26 form.During this first testing stage, U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal said the department will process students’ FAFSAs, “give students an opportunity to make corrections, if needed, and send the records to colleges and state agencies.”“Colleges will be able to use these same records when it’s time for them to make financial aid offers,” said Kvaal, who oversees higher education and financial aid, including the Office of Federal Student Aid.<h2>Three more testing periods</h2>The department on Monday also named 78 community-based organizations, governmental entities, high schools, school districts and institutions of higher education to participate in its three subsequent testing periods for the 2025-26 form.Three of the community-based organizations chosen to take part in the first testing period — Florida’s Bridge 2 Life; Texas’ Education is Freedom; and Virginia’s&nbsp; Scholarship Fund of Alexandria — will also participate in subsequent testing stages.To help students and families prepare for the 2025-26 application cycle, the department said this week it’s releasing a revised&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/" target="_blank">Federal Student Aid Estimator</a>, updated resources for creating a&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/" target="_blank">StudentAid.Gov account</a>, including a “parent wizard,” as well as an updated prototype of the 2025-26 FAFSA.Last week, the department released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/2024-09/AFocusonImprovingtheFAFSAExperience.pdf" target="_blank">a report</a>&nbsp;outlining 10 steps it’s taking to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gaps-fafsa-rollout-are-closing-watchdog-tells-us-house-panel" target="_blank">improve the FAFSA application process</a>. Part of those efforts include the department strengthening its leadership team and working to address issues for families without Social Security numbers when completing the form, in addition to vendors adding more than 700 new call center agents.

U.S. Department of Education begins testing new FAFSA form

JERUSALEM —U.S. forces conducted strikes on 15 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at approximately 5p.m. on Friday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

These targets included Houthi offensive military capabilities. "These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels," according to the Central Command.

On Monday the Pentagon announced it was sending a “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to defend Israel if necessary.&nbsp;

The additional forces would raise the total number of troops in the region to as many as 43,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728066701383.png" alt="A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor -photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor -photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM —U.S. forces conducted strikes on 15 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at approximately 5p.m. on Friday, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.These targets included Houthi offensive military capabilities. "These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels," according to the Central Command.On Monday the Pentagon announced it was sending a “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to defend Israel if necessary.&nbsp;The additional forces would raise the total number of troops in the region to as many as 43,000.

U.S. Forces conduct air-strikes on terrorist sites in Yemen

The Justice Department this week announced that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested 3,421 violent fugitives, including 216 for homicide, 803 for assault, and 482 for weapons offenses, during the latest phase of its high-impact fugitive apprehension initiative called Operation North Star FY 2024 (ONS FY24), according to a media release.

ONS FY24 enforcement activities covered 74 operational days, from May 10 to Sept. 13, and targeted fugitives and violent offenders in 10 metropolitan areas, prioritizing those who used firearms in the commission of crimes or signaled high risk factors for violence. ONS FY24 targeted violent offenders wanted on warrants for homicide, sexual offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, and firearms violations. During the operation, investigators also seized 534 firearms, more than $508,000 in U.S. currency, and 456 kilograms in illegal narcotics, including 138 pounds and over 550,000 pills of deadly fentanyl.

The 10 metropolitan areas selected for ONS FY24 were identified using data from the National Crime Information Center and the FBI Uniform Crime Report, and included Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Charleston and North Charleston, South Carolina; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Phoenix; St. Louis (to include East St. Louis, Illinois); Birmingham, Alabama; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Dayton, Ohio; and San Antonio.

“We first launched Operation North Star in 2022 to identify and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and violent offenders,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “From May to September of this year, the U.S. Marshals Service worked with state and local law enforcement partners in 10 metropolitan areas to arrest more than 3,400 fugitives and violent offenders and seize large quantities of firearms and fentanyl. I am deeply grateful to every Deputy U.S. Marshal, Task Force Officer, investigator, and police officer who carried out these arrests, and who did so at great risk to themselves.”

“Over the past year, the Marshals Service conducted Operation North Star in 10 cities across the country experiencing high levels of gun violence,” said USMS Director Ronald L. Davis. “Over 3,000 dangerous fugitives, including over 200 homicide suspects, were apprehended and removed from neighborhoods. The success of this operation is the result of the outstanding combined efforts of our Deputies and Task Force Officers, along with strong collaboration with the community and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”

Since July 2022, in a total of 30 locations, USMS Operation North Star initiatives have resulted in the apprehension of more than 10,200 wanted fugitives, including 1,153 charged with homicide, in addition to the removal of more than 1,425 weapons associated with violent crime. The agency utilized a data-driven, evidence-based approach to remove the dangerous criminals who are the drivers of violence in those communities. The concept behind interagency law enforcement operations such as ONS evolved largely from regional and district fugitive task forces. Since the 1980s, the USMS has combined its resources and expertise with local, state, and federal agencies to find and apprehend dangerous fugitives.

Aaron Michael Jones was arrested on May 20, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by members of the Middle Louisiana Task Force. He was wanted by the Baton Rouge Police Department for home invasion, domestic abuse battery, and child endangerment.

Hayden Bates-Vellmure, Jordan Elijah Jackson, Allan Gilbert, and Patrick Biscoe were arrested on May 22, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas, by members of the North Texas Fugitive Task Force. The four were wanted on charges relating to a drive-by shooting, which injured multiple children. The arrest team recovered nine handguns and one shotgun.

Garron Stevenson was arrested on May 21, in St. Louis, by USMS personnel from the Eastern District of Missouri. He was wanted for the unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree murder after opening fire at a street racing event, striking seven people and killing a 14-year-old. An AR-15 style rifle and a revolver were recovered during the arrest.

Michael Muldovan was arrested on Aug. 15, in Sterling, Virginia, by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was wanted in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for first degree statutory rape and indecent liberties with a child.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727864343156.png" alt="Photo U.S. Marshal's Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Marshal's Service</figcaption>
 </figure>The Justice Department this week announced that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested 3,421 violent fugitives, including 216 for homicide, 803 for assault, and 482 for weapons offenses, during the latest phase of its high-impact fugitive apprehension initiative called Operation North Star FY 2024 (ONS FY24), according to a media release.ONS FY24 enforcement activities covered 74 operational days, from May 10 to Sept. 13, and targeted fugitives and violent offenders in 10 metropolitan areas, prioritizing those who used firearms in the commission of crimes or signaled high risk factors for violence. ONS FY24 targeted violent offenders wanted on warrants for homicide, sexual offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, and firearms violations. During the operation, investigators also seized 534 firearms, more than $508,000 in U.S. currency, and 456 kilograms in illegal narcotics, including 138 pounds and over 550,000 pills of deadly fentanyl.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727864316487.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The 10 metropolitan areas selected for ONS FY24 were identified using data from the National Crime Information Center and the FBI Uniform Crime Report, and included Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Charleston and North Charleston, South Carolina; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Phoenix; St. Louis (to include East St. Louis, Illinois); Birmingham, Alabama; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Dayton, Ohio; and San Antonio.“We first launched Operation North Star in 2022 to identify and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and violent offenders,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “From May to September of this year, the U.S. Marshals Service worked with state and local law enforcement partners in 10 metropolitan areas to arrest more than 3,400 fugitives and violent offenders and seize large quantities of firearms and fentanyl. I am deeply grateful to every Deputy U.S. Marshal, Task Force Officer, investigator, and police officer who carried out these arrests, and who did so at great risk to themselves.”“Over the past year, the Marshals Service conducted Operation North Star in 10 cities across the country experiencing high levels of gun violence,” said USMS Director Ronald L. Davis. “Over 3,000 dangerous fugitives, including over 200 homicide suspects, were apprehended and removed from neighborhoods. The success of this operation is the result of the outstanding combined efforts of our Deputies and Task Force Officers, along with strong collaboration with the community and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”Since July 2022, in a total of 30 locations, USMS Operation North Star initiatives have resulted in the apprehension of more than 10,200 wanted fugitives, including 1,153 charged with homicide, in addition to the removal of more than 1,425 weapons associated with violent crime. The agency utilized a data-driven, evidence-based approach to remove the dangerous criminals who are the drivers of violence in those communities. The concept behind interagency law enforcement operations such as ONS evolved largely from regional and district fugitive task forces. Since the 1980s, the USMS has combined its resources and expertise with local, state, and federal agencies to find and apprehend dangerous fugitives.Significant arrests:Aaron Michael Jones was arrested on May 20, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by members of the Middle Louisiana Task Force. He was wanted by the Baton Rouge Police Department for home invasion, domestic abuse battery, and child endangerment.Hayden Bates-Vellmure, Jordan Elijah Jackson, Allan Gilbert, and Patrick Biscoe were arrested on May 22, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas, by members of the North Texas Fugitive Task Force. The four were wanted on charges relating to a drive-by shooting, which injured multiple children. The arrest team recovered nine handguns and one shotgun.Garron Stevenson was arrested on May 21, in St. Louis, by USMS personnel from the Eastern District of Missouri. He was wanted for the unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree murder after opening fire at a street racing event, striking seven people and killing a 14-year-old. An AR-15 style rifle and a revolver were recovered during the arrest.Michael Muldovan was arrested on Aug. 15, in Sterling, Virginia, by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was wanted in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for first degree statutory rape and indecent liberties with a child.

U.S. Marshals arrest hundreds of fugitives, seize 550,000  fentanyl pills

WASHINGTON— President Biden made a rare appearance Friday at the White House press briefing.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Biden also had terse words for&nbsp;Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, and said he didn't know whether the Israeli leader was holding up a peace deal in order to influence the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Biden, was responding to comments made by one of his allies, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who said on CNN this week that he was concerned Netanyahu had little interest in a peace deal in part because of U.S. politics.

Israel has pressed forward on two fronts, pursuing a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah that left eight Israeli soldiers dead and conducting strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children. And the nation has vowed to retaliate for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-01-2024-eb175dff6e46906caea8b9e43dfbd3da">Iran’s ballistic missile attack</a>&nbsp;this week, as the region braced for further escalation.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON— President Biden made a rare appearance Friday at the White House press briefing.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Do you have confidence that it will be a free and fair election and that it will be peaceful?&quot; President Biden: &quot;I&#39;m confident it will be free and fair. I don&#39;t know whether it will be peaceful. The things that Trump has said...were very dangerous.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/HrhpaooEHe">pic.twitter.com/HrhpaooEHe</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1842271469838962742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;Biden also had terse words for&nbsp;Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, and said he didn't know whether the Israeli leader was holding up a peace deal in order to influence the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Do you want to re-consider dropping out of the race?&quot; President Biden jokingly, &quot;I&#39;m back in!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/WIyhRwbjjk">pic.twitter.com/WIyhRwbjjk</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1842272465117921726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden, was responding to comments made by one of his allies, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who said on CNN this week that he was concerned Netanyahu had little interest in a peace deal in part because of U.S. politics.Israel has pressed forward on two fronts, pursuing a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah that left eight Israeli soldiers dead and conducting strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children. And the nation has vowed to retaliate for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-01-2024-eb175dff6e46906caea8b9e43dfbd3da">Iran’s ballistic missile attack</a>&nbsp;this week, as the region braced for further escalation.-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

🎥President Biden said he doesn't know if the election will be peaceful

Her husband was partially responsible for overturning&nbsp;Roe v. Wade. but Melania Trump&nbsp;has revealed her support for abortion rights ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir. 

&nbsp;Donald Trump has struggled to find a consistent message on abortion since the Supreme Court decision on Roe.

Her husband was partially responsible for overturning&nbsp;Roe v. Wade. but Melania Trump&nbsp;has revealed her support for abortion rights ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/ZCTwZSqZND">https://t.co/ZCTwZSqZND</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y9MT3uj97b">pic.twitter.com/Y9MT3uj97b</a>&mdash; MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1841806743216537870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;Donald Trump has struggled to find a consistent message on abortion since the Supreme Court decision on Roe.

🎥In new video Melania Trump explains her support for abortion rights

HOUSTON — The union representing striking U.S. dockworkers has reached a deal to suspend their strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.

Workers were expected to return to work Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727996714529.png" alt="Photo courtesy ILA" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy ILA</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON — The union representing striking U.S. dockworkers has reached a deal to suspend their strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FILAUnion%2Fposts%2Fpfbid09yphJDe2LCn4Be71qibtsJ6cmiaZP8rp9WW613EZHTCKFLSASZW1SnsvDiyQLUF8l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="512" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Workers were expected to return to work Friday.

Port strike ends: Workers agree to tentative deal on wages, contract extension

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana statement below:

LINCOLN, NE - Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM), is confident it satisfied all constitutional and statutory requirements for placement on the ballot.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana statement below:LINCOLN, NE - Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM), is confident it satisfied all constitutional and statutory requirements for placement on the ballot.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana press statement

OMAHA, NE – As the community celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s important to recognize the unique challenges that Alzheimer’s disease poses to Hispanic and Latino communities. Hispanic Americans are 1.5 times more likely to develop the disease compared to older White Americans. Despite the increased risk, Hispanic Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials, which limits the understanding of how racial and ethnic differences impact the effectiveness of new treatments.

Nubia Quiros, a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association – Nebraska Chapter, has witnessed how crucial it is to bring the gap in Alzheimer’s awareness within the Hispanic Community.

“I became interested in the Alzheimer’s Association when I started working with the hospital’s geriatrics department and began interacting with the Hispanic community,” Quiros said. “I noticed that Hispanic patients were not always getting a full understanding of senior health concerns because of the language barrier. I support the Alzheimer’s Association because I want to help make sure that all seniors in the Hispanic community understand Alzheimer’s and what can be done to try to prevent and manage it.”

By 2060, the number of Hispanics and Latinos living with Alzheimer’s is projected to increase nine-fold, reaching 3.5 million. Many of these individuals will be diagnosed in the later stages of the disease, which can result in more severe cognitive and physical impairments. Early detection and support are essential to help manage the disease effectively.

“I would tell anyone to go to their doctor if they notice any changes in their memory,” Quiros said. “The Alzheimer’s Association has resources in Spanish if themselves or a loved one is dealing with Alzheimer’s. They also have a 24/7 Helpline [800-272-3900] to get any assistance you may need.”

To bring attention to this growing gap, the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s plays a vital role. In 2023, over 350,000 people across the country participated in the Walk, raising more than $100 million for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. In Nebraska, more than 36,000 people are currently living with Alzheimer’s, and 40,000 caregivers who are typically family members or friends providing care.

If you are interested in registering for your local Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://act.alz.org/Nebraska" target="_blank">act.alz.org/Nebraska</a>. For more information on dementia support and resources, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://alz.org/nebraska" target="_blank">alz.org/nebraska</a>&nbsp;or contact our 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.

The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit<a href="http://www.alz.org/" target="_blank">&nbsp;alz.org</a>&nbsp;or call 800.272.3900.

Jenna Hynek (She/Her)&nbsp;| Director of Communications | Alzheimer's Association, Nebraska Chapter | office: 402.260.7916 ext 8246 |&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jmhynek@alz.org" target="_blank">jmhynek@alz.org</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alz.org/" target="_blank">alz.org/nebraska</a>

Jenna HynekOMAHA, NE – As the community celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s important to recognize the unique challenges that Alzheimer’s disease poses to Hispanic and Latino communities. Hispanic Americans are 1.5 times more likely to develop the disease compared to older White Americans. Despite the increased risk, Hispanic Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials, which limits the understanding of how racial and ethnic differences impact the effectiveness of new treatments.Nubia Quiros, a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association – Nebraska Chapter, has witnessed how crucial it is to bring the gap in Alzheimer’s awareness within the Hispanic Community.“I became interested in the Alzheimer’s Association when I started working with the hospital’s geriatrics department and began interacting with the Hispanic community,” Quiros said. “I noticed that Hispanic patients were not always getting a full understanding of senior health concerns because of the language barrier. I support the Alzheimer’s Association because I want to help make sure that all seniors in the Hispanic community understand Alzheimer’s and what can be done to try to prevent and manage it.”By 2060, the number of Hispanics and Latinos living with Alzheimer’s is projected to increase nine-fold, reaching 3.5 million. Many of these individuals will be diagnosed in the later stages of the disease, which can result in more severe cognitive and physical impairments. Early detection and support are essential to help manage the disease effectively.“I would tell anyone to go to their doctor if they notice any changes in their memory,” Quiros said. “The Alzheimer’s Association has resources in Spanish if themselves or a loved one is dealing with Alzheimer’s. They also have a 24/7 Helpline [800-272-3900] to get any assistance you may need.”To bring attention to this growing gap, the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s plays a vital role. In 2023, over 350,000 people across the country participated in the Walk, raising more than $100 million for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. In Nebraska, more than 36,000 people are currently living with Alzheimer’s, and 40,000 caregivers who are typically family members or friends providing care.If you are interested in registering for your local Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://act.alz.org/Nebraska" target="_blank">act.alz.org/Nebraska</a>. For more information on dementia support and resources, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://alz.org/nebraska" target="_blank">alz.org/nebraska</a>&nbsp;or contact our 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.Alzheimer's Association®The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit<a href="http://www.alz.org/" target="_blank">&nbsp;alz.org</a>&nbsp;or call 800.272.3900.--Jenna Hynek (She/Her)&nbsp;| Director of Communications | Alzheimer's Association, Nebraska Chapter | office: 402.260.7916 ext 8246 |&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jmhynek@alz.org" target="_blank">jmhynek@alz.org</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alz.org/" target="_blank">alz.org/nebraska</a><figure>
 <img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZ3gif5cOSh-nhpiheC8go-Z5eWwqhBD3SAJxR0rh_H8HJEqSQ-Z1LSX3nIIU3bPl9hppaDNpLroE5EwLnfFEw1M8_U54M1BKOs_ziGQF40-0AkW-x35Jf0fnCCR0Fw8hLUuz7kVJhjuIi6CyQgybIvTUerBrM6VEvs2q6GtvJH33Znc-mGmPDXceVBUzAnvT3gYwI=s0-d-e1-ft#https://alzcloud.sharepoint.com/sites/intranet/Concern-Awareness/PublishingImages/alz-logo-email-signature-new.png?ctag=240708" alt="" />
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 </figure>

Raising Awareness During Hispanic Heritage Month: Hispanic Americans Face 1.5 Times Higher Risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia

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

WASHINGTON — U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan unsealed a lengthy and partly redacted motion Wednesday that charts special counsel Jack Smith’s final argument before November that former President Donald Trump acted in a private capacity when he co-conspired to overturn the 2020 election.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25182568-usa-v-trump-unsealed-govt-immunity-motion-1022024">Click here to read the new</a>&nbsp;motion ref. presidential immunity

Much of the motion concerns Trump’s interactions with individuals in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as he sought to disrupt election results, Smith alleged.

The document, due on Chutkan’s desk late last month, is central to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trumps-jan-6-case-extend-beyond-election-day-under-timeline-laid-out-judge%C2%A0-2" target="_blank">reanimating the case</a>&nbsp;after months of delay as Trump argued for complete criminal immunity from the government’s fraud and obstruction charges related to his actions after the 2020 presidential contest, which Joe Biden won.

The U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/presidential-immunity-covers-some-official-acts-supreme-court-rules-trump-case" target="_blank">returned</a>&nbsp;Trump’s case to Chutkan after ruling that former presidents enjoy criminal immunity for core constitutional acts, presumed immunity for acts on the perimeter of official duties, and no immunity for personal ones. At that point it became clear that the case against the Republican presidential nominee would not be tried prior to Election Day.

Smith’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/special-counsel-smith-files-new-indictment-trumps-jan-6-case" target="_blank">superseding indictment</a>&nbsp;shortly thereafter retained all four felony counts against Trump, and Chutkan is tasked with parsing which allegations can stand in light of the Supreme Court decision.

In his unsealed 165-page&nbsp;<a href="https://documentcloud.org/documents/25182600-smithfiling" target="_blank">motion</a>, Smith outlines Trump’s alleged plots with private lawyers and political allies — names redacted — to ultimately deliver false slates of electors to Congress so that he appeared the winner over Biden in the seven states.

“Working with a team of private co-conspirators, the defendant acted as a candidate when he pursued multiple criminal means to disrupt, through fraud and deceit, the government function by which votes are collected and counted — a function in which the defendant, as President, had no official role,” Smith wrote.

Trump slammed the court filing on social media in numerous posts, writing in a mix of upper and lowercase letters that “Democrats are Weaponizing the Justice Department against me because they know I am WINNING, and they are desperate to prop up their failing Candidate, Kamala Harris.”

“The DOJ pushed out this latest ‘hit job’ today because JD Vance humiliated Tim Walz last night in the Debate. The DOJ has become nothing more than an extension of Joe’s, and now Kamala’s, Campaign. This is egregious PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT, and should not have been released right before the Election,” he continued in just one of his many reactions on his platform, Truth Social.

Trump’s running mate, Ohio GOP Sen. J.D. Vance,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/tim-walz-and-jd-vance-tangle-wonky-largely-cordial-vice-presidential-debate-5" target="_blank">faced</a>&nbsp;Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, in a vice presidential debate on Tuesday night.

Here are key arguments from Smith’s filing, which alleges efforts by Trump and allies to subvert voters’ will during the last presidential election:

Smith detailed calls to and communications with various Arizona officials, including the governor and speaker of the Arizona state House, arguing the interactions were made in Trump’s “capacity as a candidate.”

Smith plans to introduce into evidence Trump’s communications, in his personal capacity, with Georgia’s attorney general, including a call on Dec. 8, 2020, and to the secretary of state.

The document details an Oval Office meeting Trump held with Michigan’s Senate majority leader and speaker of the House on Nov. 20, 2020, during which Trump tried to acquire evidence of voter fraud in Detroit.

The filing said that directly following the 2020 election, Trump and his “private operatives sought to create chaos, rather than seek clarity, at polling places where states were continuing to tabulate votes.”

Smith will argue that Trump, outside his official presidential duties, tried to persuade political allies in Michigan to sway the election in his favor.

In Nevada, Trump allegedly ignored warnings about spreading lies about the state’s election results. Smith wrote: “Notwithstanding the RNC Chief Counsel’s warning, the defendant re-tweeted and amplified news of the lawsuit on November 24, calling it ‘Big News!’ that a Nevada Court had agreed to hear it. But the defendant did not similarly promote the fact that within two weeks, on December 4, the Nevada District Court dismissed Law v. Whitmer, finding in a detailed opinion that ‘there is no credible or reliable evidence that the 2020 General Election in Nevada was affected by fraud,’ including through the signature-match machines, and that Biden won the election in the state.”

In the Keystone State, officials warned Trump there was no smoke and no fire related to election fraud in the commonwealth, Smith wrote.

Smith wrote Trump ignored reality in Wisconsin as well.

Trump responded by rebuking the Wisconsin Supreme Court judge who had signed the majority opinion that rejected the lawsuit, forcing the state marshals responsible for the judge’s security to enhance protection due to a rise in “threatening communications.”

Smith alleged that as Trump and co-conspirators faltered at overturning states’ official election results, they turned their attention to fake slates of electors.

As early as December 2020, Trump and his allies “developed a new plan regarding targeted states that the defendant had lost (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin): to organize the people who would have served as the defendant’s electors had he won the popular vote, and cause them to sign and send to Pence, as President of the Senate, certificates in which they falsely represent themselves as legitimate electors who had cast electoral votes for the defendant,” Smith wrote.

Trump and his allies lied to Vice President Mike Pence heading toward Jan. 6, “telling him that there was substantial election fraud and concealing their orchestration of the plan to manufacture fraudulent elector slates, as well as their intention to use the fake slates to attempt to obstruct the congressional certification.”

Trump’s alleged lies to Pence and the public “created a tinderbox that he purposely ignited on January 6.”

The filing details numerous people, including Trump, pressuring Pence for weeks to use his role overseeing Congress’ certification of the Electoral College vote to overturn the election results.

On the morning of Jan. 6, Pence, once again, told Trump he would not go along with the plan.

“So on January 6, the defendant sent to the Capitol a crowd of angry supporters, whom the defendant had called to the city and inundated with false claims of outcome-determinative election fraud, to induce Pence not to certify the legitimate electoral vote and to obstruct the certification.”

“Although the attack on the Capitol successfully delayed the certification for approximately six hours, the House and Senate resumed the Joint Session at 11:35 p.m. But the conspirators were not done.”

The filing alleges a co-conspirator once again urged Pence to “violate the law” by delaying the certification for 10 days. He refused.

Smith must prove that Trump’s pressure on Pence was outside of their official duties together, and therefore can not be considered immune from prosecution.

Smith plans to introduce evidence of private phone calls and conversations between Trump and his VP, including some with campaign staff, essentially tying their interactions to their interests as those seeking office again, “as running mates in the post-election period.” Smith also plans to highlight that Pence’s role in certifying the election was largely ceremonial and within the realm of the Senate, and strictly outside the bounds of the Oval Office.&nbsp; Among Smith’s points made in his motion:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727719069573.png" alt="File photo Former President Trump during a visit to Georgia on Monday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Former President Trump during a visit to Georgia on Monday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan unsealed a lengthy and partly redacted motion Wednesday that charts special counsel Jack Smith’s final argument before November that former President Donald Trump acted in a private capacity when he co-conspired to overturn the 2020 election.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25182568-usa-v-trump-unsealed-govt-immunity-motion-1022024">Click here to read the new</a>&nbsp;motion ref. presidential immunityMuch of the motion concerns Trump’s interactions with individuals in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as he sought to disrupt election results, Smith alleged.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727903830272.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The document, due on Chutkan’s desk late last month, is central to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trumps-jan-6-case-extend-beyond-election-day-under-timeline-laid-out-judge%C2%A0-2" target="_blank">reanimating the case</a>&nbsp;after months of delay as Trump argued for complete criminal immunity from the government’s fraud and obstruction charges related to his actions after the 2020 presidential contest, which Joe Biden won.The U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/presidential-immunity-covers-some-official-acts-supreme-court-rules-trump-case" target="_blank">returned</a>&nbsp;Trump’s case to Chutkan after ruling that former presidents enjoy criminal immunity for core constitutional acts, presumed immunity for acts on the perimeter of official duties, and no immunity for personal ones. At that point it became clear that the case against the Republican presidential nominee would not be tried prior to Election Day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727958885785.png" alt="Trump" />
 <figcaption>Trump</figcaption>
 </figure>Smith’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/special-counsel-smith-files-new-indictment-trumps-jan-6-case" target="_blank">superseding indictment</a>&nbsp;shortly thereafter retained all four felony counts against Trump, and Chutkan is tasked with parsing which allegations can stand in light of the Supreme Court decision.In his unsealed 165-page&nbsp;<a href="https://documentcloud.org/documents/25182600-smithfiling" target="_blank">motion</a>, Smith outlines Trump’s alleged plots with private lawyers and political allies — names redacted — to ultimately deliver false slates of electors to Congress so that he appeared the winner over Biden in the seven states.“Working with a team of private co-conspirators, the defendant acted as a candidate when he pursued multiple criminal means to disrupt, through fraud and deceit, the government function by which votes are collected and counted — a function in which the defendant, as President, had no official role,” Smith wrote.Trump slammed the court filing on social media in numerous posts, writing in a mix of upper and lowercase letters that “Democrats are Weaponizing the Justice Department against me because they know I am WINNING, and they are desperate to prop up their failing Candidate, Kamala Harris.”“The DOJ pushed out this latest ‘hit job’ today because JD Vance humiliated Tim Walz last night in the Debate. The DOJ has become nothing more than an extension of Joe’s, and now Kamala’s, Campaign. This is egregious PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT, and should not have been released right before the Election,” he continued in just one of his many reactions on his platform, Truth Social.Trump’s running mate, Ohio GOP Sen. J.D. Vance,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/tim-walz-and-jd-vance-tangle-wonky-largely-cordial-vice-presidential-debate-5" target="_blank">faced</a>&nbsp;Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, in a vice presidential debate on Tuesday night.Here are key arguments from Smith’s filing, which alleges efforts by Trump and allies to subvert voters’ will during the last presidential election:<h2>Arizona</h2>Smith detailed calls to and communications with various Arizona officials, including the governor and speaker of the Arizona state House, arguing the interactions were made in Trump’s “capacity as a candidate.”<ul>
 <li>“The defendant and his co-conspirators also demonstrated their deliberate disregard for the truth — and thus their knowledge of falsity — when they repeatedly changed the numbers in their baseless fraud allegations from day to day. At trial, the Government will introduce several instances of this pattern, in which the defendant and conspirators’ lies were proved by the fact that they made up figures from whole cloth. One example concerns the defendant and conspirators’ claims about non-citizen voters in Arizona. The conspirators started with the allegation that 36,000 non-citizens voted in Arizona; five days later, it was ‘beyond credulity that a few hundred thousand didn’t vote’: three weeks later, ‘the bare minimum [was] 40 or 50,000. The reality is about 250,000’; days after that, the assertion was 32,000; and ultimately the conspirators landed back where they started at 36,000 — a false figure that they never verified or corroborated.”</li>
 </ul><h2>Georgia</h2>Smith plans to introduce into evidence Trump’s communications, in his personal capacity, with Georgia’s attorney general, including a call on Dec. 8, 2020, and to the secretary of state.<ul>
 <li>Trump “had early notice that his claims of election fraud in Georgia were false. Around mid-November, Campaign advisor [redacted] told the defendant that his claim that a large number of dead people had voted in Georgia was false. The defendant continued to press the claim anyway, including in a press appearance on November 29, when he suggested that a large enough number of dead voters had cast ballots to change the outcome of the election in Georgia.”</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>“In the post-election period, [redacted] also took on the role of updating the defendant on a near-daily basis on the Campaign’s unsuccessful efforts to support any fraud claims…. He told the defendant that if the Campaign took these claims to court, they would get slaughtered, because the claims are all ‘bullshit.’ [Redacted] was privy in real time to the findings of the two expert consulting firms the Campaign retained to investigate fraud claims — [redacted] and [redacted] — and discussed with the defendant their debunkings on all major claims. For example, [redacted] told the defendant that Georgia’s audit disproved claims that [redacted] had altered votes.”</li>
 </ul><h2>Michigan</h2>The document details an Oval Office meeting Trump held with Michigan’s Senate majority leader and speaker of the House on Nov. 20, 2020, during which Trump tried to acquire evidence of voter fraud in Detroit.<ul>
 <li>“Despite failing to establish any valid fraud claims, [redacted] followed up with [redacted] and [redacted] and attempted to pressure them to use the Michigan legislature to overturn the valid election result.”</li>
 </ul><h2>Michigan and Pennsylvania</h2>The filing said that directly following the 2020 election, Trump and his “private operatives sought to create chaos, rather than seek clarity, at polling places where states were continuing to tabulate votes.”<ul>
 <li>“For example, on November 4, [redacted]—a Campaign employee, agent, and co-conspirator of the defendant—tried to sow confusion when the ongoing vote count at the TCF Center in Detroit, Michigan, looked unfavorable for the defendant.”</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>“When a colleague suggested that there was about to be unrest reminiscent of the Brooks Brothers Riot, a violent effort to stop the vote count in Florida after the 2000 presidential election, [redacted] responded ‘Make them riot’ and ‘Do it!!!’ The defendant’s Campaign operatives and supporters used similar tactics at other tabulation centers, including in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the defendant sometimes used the resulting confrontations to falsely claim that his election observers were being denied proper access, thus serving as a predicate to the defendant’s claim that fraud must have occurred in the observers’ absence.”</li>
 </ul><h2>Michigan voting machines</h2>Smith will argue that Trump, outside his official presidential duties, tried to persuade political allies in Michigan to sway the election in his favor.<ul>
 <li>Among the evidence he will introduce: The former president held a meeting, “private in nature,” with Michigan legislators at the White House.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Smith also wrote that “In mid-December, the defendant spoke with RNC Chairwoman [redacted] and asked her to publicize and promote a private report that had been related on December 13 that purported to identify flaws in the use of [redacted] machines in Antrim County, Michigan. [Redacted] refused, telling the defendant that she already had discussed this report with [redacted] Michigan’s Speaker of the House, who had told her that the report was inaccurate. [Redacted] conveyed to the defendant [redacted] exact assessment: the report was ‘f—— nuts.’”</li>
 </ul><h2>Nevada</h2>In Nevada, Trump allegedly ignored warnings about spreading lies about the state’s election results. Smith wrote: “Notwithstanding the RNC Chief Counsel’s warning, the defendant re-tweeted and amplified news of the lawsuit on November 24, calling it ‘Big News!’ that a Nevada Court had agreed to hear it. But the defendant did not similarly promote the fact that within two weeks, on December 4, the Nevada District Court dismissed Law v. Whitmer, finding in a detailed opinion that ‘there is no credible or reliable evidence that the 2020 General Election in Nevada was affected by fraud,’ including through the signature-match machines, and that Biden won the election in the state.”<ul>
 <li>Trump continued to repeat false claims in tweets and speeches “as a candidate, not as an office holder,” Smith wrote.</li>
 </ul><h2>Pennsylvania&nbsp;</h2>In the Keystone State, officials warned Trump there was no smoke and no fire related to election fraud in the commonwealth, Smith wrote.<ul>
 <li>“Two days after the election, on November 6, the defendant called [redacted], the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party—the entity responsible for supporting Republican candidates in the commonwealth at the federal, state and local level. [Redacted] had a prior relationship with the defendant, including having represented him in litigation in Pennsylvania after the 2016 presidential election. The defendant asked [redacted] how, without fraud, he had gone from winning Pennsylvania on election day to trailing in the day afterward. Consistent with what Campaign staff already had told the defendant, [redacted] confirmed that it was not fraud; it was that there were roughly 1,750,000 mail-in ballots still being counted in Pennsylvania, which were expected to be eighty percent for Biden. Over the following two months, the defendant spread false claims of fraud in Pennsylvania anyway.”</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>“In early November, in a Campaign meeting, when the defendant suggested that more people in Pennsylvania voted than had checked in to vote, Deputy Campaign Manager [redacted] corrected him.”</li>
 </ul><h2>Wisconsin</h2>Smith wrote Trump ignored reality in Wisconsin as well.<ul>
 <li>“On November 29, a recount that the defendant’s campaign had petitioned and paid for confirmed that Biden had won in Wisconsin — and increased the defendant’s margin of defeat. On December 14, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected the Campaign’s election lawsuit there. As a result, on December 21, Wisconsin’s Governor signed a certificate of final determination confirming the prior certificate of ascertainment that established Biden’s electors as the valid electors for the state.”</li>
 </ul>Trump responded by rebuking the Wisconsin Supreme Court judge who had signed the majority opinion that rejected the lawsuit, forcing the state marshals responsible for the judge’s security to enhance protection due to a rise in “threatening communications.”<h2>Fake electors&nbsp;</h2>Smith alleged that as Trump and co-conspirators faltered at overturning states’ official election results, they turned their attention to fake slates of electors.As early as December 2020, Trump and his allies “developed a new plan regarding targeted states that the defendant had lost (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin): to organize the people who would have served as the defendant’s electors had he won the popular vote, and cause them to sign and send to Pence, as President of the Senate, certificates in which they falsely represent themselves as legitimate electors who had cast electoral votes for the defendant,” Smith wrote.Trump and his allies lied to Vice President Mike Pence heading toward Jan. 6, “telling him that there was substantial election fraud and concealing their orchestration of the plan to manufacture fraudulent elector slates, as well as their intention to use the fake slates to attempt to obstruct the congressional certification.”Trump’s alleged lies to Pence and the public “created a tinderbox that he purposely ignited on January 6.”The filing details numerous people, including Trump, pressuring Pence for weeks to use his role overseeing Congress’ certification of the Electoral College vote to overturn the election results.On the morning of Jan. 6, Pence, once again, told Trump he would not go along with the plan.“So on January 6, the defendant sent to the Capitol a crowd of angry supporters, whom the defendant had called to the city and inundated with false claims of outcome-determinative election fraud, to induce Pence not to certify the legitimate electoral vote and to obstruct the certification.”“Although the attack on the Capitol successfully delayed the certification for approximately six hours, the House and Senate resumed the Joint Session at 11:35 p.m. But the conspirators were not done.”The filing alleges a co-conspirator once again urged Pence to “violate the law” by delaying the certification for 10 days. He refused.<h2>Pressure on Pence</h2>Smith must prove that Trump’s pressure on Pence was outside of their official duties together, and therefore can not be considered immune from prosecution.Smith plans to introduce evidence of private phone calls and conversations between Trump and his VP, including some with campaign staff, essentially tying their interactions to their interests as those seeking office again, “as running mates in the post-election period.” Smith also plans to highlight that Pence’s role in certifying the election was largely ceremonial and within the realm of the Senate, and strictly outside the bounds of the Oval Office.&nbsp; Among Smith’s points made in his motion:<ul>
 <li>“Because the Vice President’s role is and has always been ministerial, rather than substantive or discretionary, it is difficult to imagine an occasion in which a President would have any valid reason to try to influence it. As such, criminalizing a President’s efforts to affect the Vice President’s role as the President of the Senate overseeing the certification of Electoral College results would not jeopardize an Executive Branch function or authority.”</li>
 </ul>

Special counsel reveals new evidence against Trump in 2020 election case

On Wednesday, President Biden announced 1,000 active-duty troops will be immediately deployed to assist with response and recovery efforts&nbsp;for those areas affected Hurricane Helene.

President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to mobilize an intensive Federal response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene. The Administration is prioritizing life-saving and life-sustaining response efforts in impacted communities, as well as ensuring people displaced from the storm have prompt access to Federal resources that will enable them to both purchase essential items and begin their road to recovery and rebuilding, according to a statement from the White House.

As part of this coordinated response, Biden announced he has directed the Department of Defense to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support the delivery of food, water, and other critical commodities to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The announcement is effective immediately, and these forces will be available for deployment starting today. This action will provide additional manpower and logistics capabilities, enabling FEMA and other interagency partners to reach the hardest hit areas as quickly as possible.

This comes as the President is traveling to North Carolina and South Carolina. He will take an aerial tour of areas impacted by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, receive operational briefings, and meet with first responders and local officials. He will also engage with first responders and officials in South Carolina. The President will also visit Florida and Georgia in the coming days. The Vice President will travel to Georgia today. She will receive operational briefings, meet with residents impacted by the storm, and provide updates to local officials on actions that are being taken to support emergency response and recovery efforts in Georgia. She will also travel to North Carolina in the coming days.

Yesterday, President Biden received a briefing from his Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall and leaders across his Administration, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, Department of Defense Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves, Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer LTG William H. (Butch) Graham Jr., Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed, Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Robert Bonnie, and Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Dawn O’Connell.

Additional updates on the Administration’s response efforts include:

Mobilizing Defense Department Resources to Support Prompt and Effective Hurricane Response

Today, the President is announcing he has directed the Department of Defense to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support response efforts. These soldiers are part of an Infantry Battalion Task Force, based out of Fort Liberty, North Carolina, which includes a Forward Support Company with the necessary support structure (fuel, water, mechanics, etc.) to conduct operations.

These soldiers are in addition to the support the Department of Defense is already providing to FEMA for the response to Hurricane Helene including:

At the President’s direction, the Department of Defense has activated 22 helicopters to aid in search and rescue operations and provided dozens of high-water vehicles. The National Guard, in its state capacity, is also aiding these efforts. 700 National Guard from North Carolina are supporting debris removal, air lifts, and search and rescue. They are accompanied by National Guard from eight additional states under Emergency Mutual Assistance Compacts, with helicopters and rescue vehicles to further assist with road clearance, commodities, transport, and search and rescue.

Although not operating under Department of Defense authority, over 6,000 National Guard personnel from 12 states are spearheading the response effort across the impacted region in support of their Governors, providing critical life-saving and life-sustaining support to the victims of this unprecedented natural disaster.

Supporting On-The-Ground Response and Emergency Efforts

More than 4,800 personnel from across the Federal workforce are deployed and supporting state-led response efforts across the region. FEMA and other agencies have more than 1,200 personnel in North Carolina, with more resources and staff arriving daily.

Search and rescue efforts by state, local, and Federal partners are ongoing, and nearly 600 additional personnel are arriving in the region in the coming days, increasing the total number of Urban Search and Rescue personnel to over 1,250.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra declared Public Health Emergencies for South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. These declarations give the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services’ health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. HHS has established a National Disaster Medical System medical treatment site at the Mission Hospital campus in Asheville and Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pines, North Carolina. HHS Health and Medical Task Force Teams are supporting state medical needs shelters in Hickory and Mills Springs, North Carolina. An HHS Incident Management Team is working closely with state officials to identify health care needs including in rural communities and areas which may be cut off from transportation systems. HHS has also deployed two Disaster Mortuary Assistance Team (DMAT) to assist state mortuary services in mortuary care of victim identification. HHS has made 9 DMAT teams available nationwide. Additionally, 200 Federal ambulances have been provided to North Carolina.

In total, FEMA has shipped over 8.5 million meals, more than 7 million liters of water, 150 generators and over 220,000 tarps to aid response efforts for this historic storm.

Restoring Power and Communications to Impacted Communities

Power outage numbers are improving as restoration teams from across the nation gain access to communities and debris is removed, although much more work remains to bring power back to badly impacted areas across the region. As of this morning, approximately 1.6 million customers are still without power, which is a reduction of more than 65% from the region-wide peak of 4.6 million on September 27.

In addition to intensive efforts to restore power, crews are working around the clock to restore cell service and communications to impacted communities. FEMA, the FCC, and private telecommunications providers are working together to help restore temporary communications as quickly as possible by establishing temporary cell sites and allowing for roaming where possible, where a resident can connect to any network available, even if they aren’t subscribed to that network.

FEMA has provided 50 Starlink satellite systems to help with responder communications and 65 satellite phones have been shipped to assist with communications.

The Department of Transportation activated&nbsp;its 24-hour toll-free Routing Assistance Hotline to provide routing assistance for first responders conducting relief missions. The Hotline supports the movement of Federal, state, local, Tribal, and Territorial response personnel and contractors, equipment, and goods by providing recommended safe routes using a variety of data sources. To reach the&nbsp;Hotline, responders can call 511 from their mobile phones or 833–99-ROADS (833-997-6237). &nbsp;The Department of Transportation also announced that with the President’s approval of Emergency Disaster Declarations it has initiated a 14-day period of emergency regulatory relief from Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations, including maximum driving time for property- and passenger-carrying vehicles from the date of declaration. This allows truck drivers to get essential supplies to affected areas.&nbsp;

Extending Housing Aid to Impacted Families

Following President Biden’s approval of a Major Disaster declaration in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) began implementing supplemental assistance, which includes a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of FHA-insured mortgages and mortgages guaranteed under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program, as well as an automatic 90-day extension for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages.

Anyone whose home has been destroyed or severely damaged&nbsp;is also eligible to apply for HUD&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/ins/203h-dft">mortgage insurance</a>. HUD is also enabling homeowners to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/203k/203k--df">finance</a>&nbsp;rehabilitation and repairs for damaged homes.

To support households and communities through disaster recovery, HUD will provide Housing Counseling assistance and offer waivers and additional flexibilities to Public Housing Agencies, Tribes, and recipients of designated federal funding to allow&nbsp;communities to use existing resources to aid in response and recovery efforts.&nbsp;Additionally, HUD offered a suite of waivers and alternative requirements to allow impacted communities to use existing community development and homelessness assistance funds to aid in response and recovery efforts.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Approving Additional Emergency Assistance

President Biden has now also approved Major Disaster Declarations for Georgia and Virginia, allowing individuals in 41 counties in Georgia and 6 in Virginia to apply for FEMA assistance. Administration officials are in touch with Georgia emergency management officials, and based on their ongoing assessments of impacts on the ground, FEMA is in the process of approving federal assistance for additional counties. This is in addition to approving Major Disaster declarations for Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina earlier in the weekend.

To date, more than $10 million in Individual Assistance has been provided to survivors who have been affected by Hurricane Helene, and we expect that number to increase over the coming days. In North Carolina, through the expedited Serious Needs Assistance program, FEMA has paid out more than $1 million to over 1,400 households in less than 24 hours.

FEMA assistance in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia can include a one-time $750 payment to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies. After registering for disaster assistance, individuals may also qualify to receive disaster-related financial assistance to repair storm-related damage to homes and replace personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay. Homeowners and renters with damage to their home or personal property from previous disasters, whether they received FEMA funds or not, are still eligible to apply for and receive assistance for Hurricane Helene.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are deployed to Florida and North Carolina to help survivors register for disaster assistance, visiting shelters and going door to door to help people get Federal assistance where they need it as quickly as feasible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727896281695.png" alt="Photo courtesy FEMA" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy FEMA</figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday, President Biden announced 1,000 active-duty troops will be immediately deployed to assist with response and recovery efforts&nbsp;for those areas affected Hurricane Helene.President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to mobilize an intensive Federal response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene. The Administration is prioritizing life-saving and life-sustaining response efforts in impacted communities, as well as ensuring people displaced from the storm have prompt access to Federal resources that will enable them to both purchase essential items and begin their road to recovery and rebuilding, according to a statement from the White House.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727895882663.png" alt="Photo&nbsp;Urban Search and Rescue Team from Fairfax County Virginia" />
 <figcaption>Photo&nbsp;Urban Search and Rescue Team from Fairfax County Virginia</figcaption>
 </figure>As part of this coordinated response, Biden announced he has directed the Department of Defense to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support the delivery of food, water, and other critical commodities to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The announcement is effective immediately, and these forces will be available for deployment starting today. This action will provide additional manpower and logistics capabilities, enabling FEMA and other interagency partners to reach the hardest hit areas as quickly as possible.This comes as the President is traveling to North Carolina and South Carolina. He will take an aerial tour of areas impacted by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, receive operational briefings, and meet with first responders and local officials. He will also engage with first responders and officials in South Carolina. The President will also visit Florida and Georgia in the coming days. The Vice President will travel to Georgia today. She will receive operational briefings, meet with residents impacted by the storm, and provide updates to local officials on actions that are being taken to support emergency response and recovery efforts in Georgia. She will also travel to North Carolina in the coming days.Yesterday, President Biden received a briefing from his Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall and leaders across his Administration, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, Department of Defense Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves, Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer LTG William H. (Butch) Graham Jr., Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed, Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Robert Bonnie, and Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Dawn O’Connell.Additional updates on the Administration’s response efforts include:Mobilizing Defense Department Resources to Support Prompt and Effective Hurricane ResponseToday, the President is announcing he has directed the Department of Defense to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support response efforts. These soldiers are part of an Infantry Battalion Task Force, based out of Fort Liberty, North Carolina, which includes a Forward Support Company with the necessary support structure (fuel, water, mechanics, etc.) to conduct operations.These soldiers are in addition to the support the Department of Defense is already providing to FEMA for the response to Hurricane Helene including:<ul>
 <li>US Army and US Navy helicopters, soldiers, and sailors to provide critical capability to move personnel and supplies in areas where access via roads is not available or viable.</li><li>US Air Force aircraft, helicopters, and airmen to provide search-and-rescue capabilities.</li><li>US Army soldiers and high wheeled vehicles to move personnel and supplies over roads and terrain damaged or impassable to normal vehicles.</li><li>The Army Corps of Engineers is supporting with response efforts with Temporary Power Teams and subject matter experts to support for debris removal, water and wastewater management, and bridge inspections.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>At the President’s direction, the Department of Defense has activated 22 helicopters to aid in search and rescue operations and provided dozens of high-water vehicles. The National Guard, in its state capacity, is also aiding these efforts. 700 National Guard from North Carolina are supporting debris removal, air lifts, and search and rescue. They are accompanied by National Guard from eight additional states under Emergency Mutual Assistance Compacts, with helicopters and rescue vehicles to further assist with road clearance, commodities, transport, and search and rescue.Although not operating under Department of Defense authority, over 6,000 National Guard personnel from 12 states are spearheading the response effort across the impacted region in support of their Governors, providing critical life-saving and life-sustaining support to the victims of this unprecedented natural disaster.Supporting On-The-Ground Response and Emergency EffortsMore than 4,800 personnel from across the Federal workforce are deployed and supporting state-led response efforts across the region. FEMA and other agencies have more than 1,200 personnel in North Carolina, with more resources and staff arriving daily.Search and rescue efforts by state, local, and Federal partners are ongoing, and nearly 600 additional personnel are arriving in the region in the coming days, increasing the total number of Urban Search and Rescue personnel to over 1,250.The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra declared Public Health Emergencies for South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. These declarations give the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services’ health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. HHS has established a National Disaster Medical System medical treatment site at the Mission Hospital campus in Asheville and Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pines, North Carolina. HHS Health and Medical Task Force Teams are supporting state medical needs shelters in Hickory and Mills Springs, North Carolina. An HHS Incident Management Team is working closely with state officials to identify health care needs including in rural communities and areas which may be cut off from transportation systems. HHS has also deployed two Disaster Mortuary Assistance Team (DMAT) to assist state mortuary services in mortuary care of victim identification. HHS has made 9 DMAT teams available nationwide. Additionally, 200 Federal ambulances have been provided to North Carolina.In total, FEMA has shipped over 8.5 million meals, more than 7 million liters of water, 150 generators and over 220,000 tarps to aid response efforts for this historic storm.Restoring Power and Communications to Impacted CommunitiesPower outage numbers are improving as restoration teams from across the nation gain access to communities and debris is removed, although much more work remains to bring power back to badly impacted areas across the region. As of this morning, approximately 1.6 million customers are still without power, which is a reduction of more than 65% from the region-wide peak of 4.6 million on September 27.In addition to intensive efforts to restore power, crews are working around the clock to restore cell service and communications to impacted communities. FEMA, the FCC, and private telecommunications providers are working together to help restore temporary communications as quickly as possible by establishing temporary cell sites and allowing for roaming where possible, where a resident can connect to any network available, even if they aren’t subscribed to that network.FEMA has provided 50 Starlink satellite systems to help with responder communications and 65 satellite phones have been shipped to assist with communications.Restoring Road AccessThe Department of Transportation activated&nbsp;its 24-hour toll-free Routing Assistance Hotline to provide routing assistance for first responders conducting relief missions. The Hotline supports the movement of Federal, state, local, Tribal, and Territorial response personnel and contractors, equipment, and goods by providing recommended safe routes using a variety of data sources. To reach the&nbsp;Hotline, responders can call 511 from their mobile phones or 833–99-ROADS (833-997-6237). &nbsp;The Department of Transportation also announced that with the President’s approval of Emergency Disaster Declarations it has initiated a 14-day period of emergency regulatory relief from Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations, including maximum driving time for property- and passenger-carrying vehicles from the date of declaration. This allows truck drivers to get essential supplies to affected areas.&nbsp;Extending Housing Aid to Impacted FamiliesFollowing President Biden’s approval of a Major Disaster declaration in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) began implementing supplemental assistance, which includes a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of FHA-insured mortgages and mortgages guaranteed under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program, as well as an automatic 90-day extension for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages.Anyone whose home has been destroyed or severely damaged&nbsp;is also eligible to apply for HUD&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/ins/203h-dft">mortgage insurance</a>. HUD is also enabling homeowners to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/203k/203k--df">finance</a>&nbsp;rehabilitation and repairs for damaged homes.To support households and communities through disaster recovery, HUD will provide Housing Counseling assistance and offer waivers and additional flexibilities to Public Housing Agencies, Tribes, and recipients of designated federal funding to allow&nbsp;communities to use existing resources to aid in response and recovery efforts.&nbsp;Additionally, HUD offered a suite of waivers and alternative requirements to allow impacted communities to use existing community development and homelessness assistance funds to aid in response and recovery efforts.&nbsp;&nbsp;Approving Additional Emergency AssistancePresident Biden has now also approved Major Disaster Declarations for Georgia and Virginia, allowing individuals in 41 counties in Georgia and 6 in Virginia to apply for FEMA assistance. Administration officials are in touch with Georgia emergency management officials, and based on their ongoing assessments of impacts on the ground, FEMA is in the process of approving federal assistance for additional counties. This is in addition to approving Major Disaster declarations for Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina earlier in the weekend.To date, more than $10 million in Individual Assistance has been provided to survivors who have been affected by Hurricane Helene, and we expect that number to increase over the coming days. In North Carolina, through the expedited Serious Needs Assistance program, FEMA has paid out more than $1 million to over 1,400 households in less than 24 hours.FEMA assistance in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia can include a one-time $750 payment to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies. After registering for disaster assistance, individuals may also qualify to receive disaster-related financial assistance to repair storm-related damage to homes and replace personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay. Homeowners and renters with damage to their home or personal property from previous disasters, whether they received FEMA funds or not, are still eligible to apply for and receive assistance for Hurricane Helene.FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are deployed to Florida and North Carolina to help survivors register for disaster assistance, visiting shelters and going door to door to help people get Federal assistance where they need it as quickly as feasible.

Biden sending troops to aid hurricane Helene relief effort

&nbsp; WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) issued the statement below following Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel:

“Tuesday's attack should be the final lesson for those who believe leniency will do anything other than strengthen Iran. The Biden-Harris administration should stop fence-sitting and unequivocally back Israel against our shared enemies. Nebraskans hope and pray for the safety of our friends in Israel, which is fighting for its right to live in peace.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer&nbsp; WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) issued the statement below following Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel:“Tuesday's attack should be the final lesson for those who believe leniency will do anything other than strengthen Iran. The Biden-Harris administration should stop fence-sitting and unequivocally back Israel against our shared enemies. Nebraskans hope and pray for the safety of our friends in Israel, which is fighting for its right to live in peace.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fischer Statement on Iran’s Missile Attacks

Lincoln––School's back in session for Nebraska’s kids, and according to a new survey out today, 87% of Cornhusker State parents say they're satisfied with the quality of schools their children attend.

According to the survey, conducted by 50CAN and released today by Navigate School Choice, 41% of moms and dads described themselves as “very satisfied,” while 34% said they were “somewhat satisfied.”

In addition, parents were more likely to say that their children were excelling at, and were performing above grade level, in reading (47%) than in math (44%).

Still, more than one in five (24%) Cornhusker State parents say that if they had a choice, they’d choose a different school for their child. And 32% of families in the state said they did not have a choice of where to send their child to school in the first place.

According to Shelby Doyle, vice president of Navigate School Choice, these results––high parent satisfaction but a desire for more options––might seem contradictory but reflect a national trend.

&nbsp;"We know that parents' education options are expanding in states across the country at a never-before-seen rate. Yet, even still, 32% of parents do not feel they have a real choice in where their child goes to school," said Shelby Doyle, vice president of public awareness at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. "Whether they live in school choice deserts, lack access to timely and easy-to-understand information about their options, or face obstacles such as the practicalities of transportation and accommodation needs, we owe it to families to remain curious about the work that remains to turn education options into education solutions for them."

Nebraska parents who want to learn more about their school choice options can visit the newly-launched myschoolchoice.com, which provides comprehensive and jargon-free information about the traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, home, and nontraditional education choices available in the Cornhusker State.

More information and resources for journalists can be found at&nbsp;https://50can.org/education-opportunity-survey/ and<a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC6cFM-2BreStCoWmYnIvxF5sw4fIKMBQ84gFDviPyIZn9FcnEPJ-2BXliVp5hLFlRKYFtLGDzyc2VNlFMhVG1Yyi9zA-3DoxQx_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWuGdyTZVLxgL-2BKTq0qcyYnNBJg-2BS2Q-2BIvTcXUaaZMfX8owv6M0Q5fc5Lt9rrigHj-2B1JEHqUWFC123MQaJ12BXgiVXK8nuz0aQhOhLKn-2B619zY2S-2FuxXf1DW4VD-2B8QvGWf2CoaLGmkAktMerIxKXEgRGsVm2MG8At0yvB4bbIn5bkzmFzgh442SgtPSXsbq3V49-2BEeQmDYeB1GflllgbIJw0oEqNR8tgHVEu-2B7UJCd9yqjP98udLkljSHO5jut3ITGUcKgSllNFqIptqDOVm8C8I-3D">&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC6cFM-2BreStCoWmYnIvxF5sw4fIKMBQ84gFDviPyIZn9FcnEPJ-2BXliVp5hLFlRKYFtLGDzyc2VNlFMhVG1Yyi9zA-3DiOId_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWuGdyTZVLxgL-2BKTq0qcyYnNBJg-2BS2Q-2BIvTcXUaaZMfX8owv6M0Q5fc5Lt9rrigHj-2B1JEHqUWFC123MQaJ12BXgiVXK8nuz0aQhOhLKn-2B619zY2S-2FuxXf1DW4VD-2B8QvGWf6UxwpXgy4DDMwHQxKaWw-2F3CFG1Gg7-2FgFsvAckRB2XbRuGprsiybr1WQU-2Fu-2Fr78Egr-2BOGGaYer0F9-2FPNHzt-2FWspW3XMUyzmg9QP407g-2FbfOeoqIUQp70FSb9B85NQQm1QirhovzOFWZfPmDNN1MqwKA-3D">schoolchoiceawareness.org/school-choice-interview</a>. Information about Navigate School Choice can be found at<a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzESzQW-2B4ZNfksxpL63IVYICHNLLVuRiEZYl3BPLYooS3-AC_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWuGdyTZVLxgL-2BKTq0qcyYnNBJg-2BS2Q-2BIvTcXUaaZMfX8owv6M0Q5fc5Lt9rrigHj-2B1JEHqUWFC123MQaJ12BXgiVXK8nuz0aQhOhLKn-2B619zY2S-2FuxXf1DW4VD-2B8QvGWf5iDPCGmt1eAPd8UXd4JMC0uNC8EcvKkBKJZJSqE47yp-2B33ermuIJAwkCv99AI2mhCwp1FzJdT-2FJOoLXtRZwxXpe3ltWSnA5nolI-2BSBAxGtsywKwjC3jmeG8csuj44UFbRytZ-2BJ2uZ18HLF6alSRd50-3D">&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzESzQW-2B4ZNfksxpL63IVYICHNLLVuRiEZYl3BPLYooSpVwO_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWuGdyTZVLxgL-2BKTq0qcyYnNBJg-2BS2Q-2BIvTcXUaaZMfX8owv6M0Q5fc5Lt9rrigHj-2B1JEHqUWFC123MQaJ12BXgiVXK8nuz0aQhOhLKn-2B619zY2S-2FuxXf1DW4VD-2B8QvGWf2PP6mlbFXnhIfftDwk1ptOd4z3f86G-2FzOFGcADL17-2FxmBKvA9t-2FvjE-2FzOKZYgZH0D3lhnLclnN6F7qGW4IvHFrQmSQcWvITWBa8plGNiatoOSkqh8kDVVoXCG-2BHAfq7ubaotcj-2Bl44I-2BwqF-2BteeaeY-3D">myschoolchoice.com</a>.

Lucía MatamorosLincoln––School's back in session for Nebraska’s kids, and according to a new survey out today, 87% of Cornhusker State parents say they're satisfied with the quality of schools their children attend.According to the survey, conducted by 50CAN and released today by Navigate School Choice, 41% of moms and dads described themselves as “very satisfied,” while 34% said they were “somewhat satisfied.”In addition, parents were more likely to say that their children were excelling at, and were performing above grade level, in reading (47%) than in math (44%).Still, more than one in five (24%) Cornhusker State parents say that if they had a choice, they’d choose a different school for their child. And 32% of families in the state said they did not have a choice of where to send their child to school in the first place.According to Shelby Doyle, vice president of Navigate School Choice, these results––high parent satisfaction but a desire for more options––might seem contradictory but reflect a national trend.&nbsp;"We know that parents' education options are expanding in states across the country at a never-before-seen rate. Yet, even still, 32% of parents do not feel they have a real choice in where their child goes to school," said Shelby Doyle, vice president of public awareness at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. "Whether they live in school choice deserts, lack access to timely and easy-to-understand information about their options, or face obstacles such as the practicalities of transportation and accommodation needs, we owe it to families to remain curious about the work that remains to turn education options into education solutions for them."Nebraska parents who want to learn more about their school choice options can visit the newly-launched myschoolchoice.com, which provides comprehensive and jargon-free information about the traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, home, and nontraditional education choices available in the Cornhusker State.More information and resources for journalists can be found at&nbsp;https://50can.org/education-opportunity-survey/ and<a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC6cFM-2BreStCoWmYnIvxF5sw4fIKMBQ84gFDviPyIZn9FcnEPJ-2BXliVp5hLFlRKYFtLGDzyc2VNlFMhVG1Yyi9zA-3DoxQx_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWuGdyTZVLxgL-2BKTq0qcyYnNBJg-2BS2Q-2BIvTcXUaaZMfX8owv6M0Q5fc5Lt9rrigHj-2B1JEHqUWFC123MQaJ12BXgiVXK8nuz0aQhOhLKn-2B619zY2S-2FuxXf1DW4VD-2B8QvGWf2CoaLGmkAktMerIxKXEgRGsVm2MG8At0yvB4bbIn5bkzmFzgh442SgtPSXsbq3V49-2BEeQmDYeB1GflllgbIJw0oEqNR8tgHVEu-2B7UJCd9yqjP98udLkljSHO5jut3ITGUcKgSllNFqIptqDOVm8C8I-3D">&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC6cFM-2BreStCoWmYnIvxF5sw4fIKMBQ84gFDviPyIZn9FcnEPJ-2BXliVp5hLFlRKYFtLGDzyc2VNlFMhVG1Yyi9zA-3DiOId_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWuGdyTZVLxgL-2BKTq0qcyYnNBJg-2BS2Q-2BIvTcXUaaZMfX8owv6M0Q5fc5Lt9rrigHj-2B1JEHqUWFC123MQaJ12BXgiVXK8nuz0aQhOhLKn-2B619zY2S-2FuxXf1DW4VD-2B8QvGWf6UxwpXgy4DDMwHQxKaWw-2F3CFG1Gg7-2FgFsvAckRB2XbRuGprsiybr1WQU-2Fu-2Fr78Egr-2BOGGaYer0F9-2FPNHzt-2FWspW3XMUyzmg9QP407g-2FbfOeoqIUQp70FSb9B85NQQm1QirhovzOFWZfPmDNN1MqwKA-3D">schoolchoiceawareness.org/school-choice-interview</a>. Information about Navigate School Choice can be found at<a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzESzQW-2B4ZNfksxpL63IVYICHNLLVuRiEZYl3BPLYooS3-AC_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWuGdyTZVLxgL-2BKTq0qcyYnNBJg-2BS2Q-2BIvTcXUaaZMfX8owv6M0Q5fc5Lt9rrigHj-2B1JEHqUWFC123MQaJ12BXgiVXK8nuz0aQhOhLKn-2B619zY2S-2FuxXf1DW4VD-2B8QvGWf5iDPCGmt1eAPd8UXd4JMC0uNC8EcvKkBKJZJSqE47yp-2B33ermuIJAwkCv99AI2mhCwp1FzJdT-2FJOoLXtRZwxXpe3ltWSnA5nolI-2BSBAxGtsywKwjC3jmeG8csuj44UFbRytZ-2BJ2uZ18HLF6alSRd50-3D">&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rCzESzQW-2B4ZNfksxpL63IVYICHNLLVuRiEZYl3BPLYooSpVwO_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWuGdyTZVLxgL-2BKTq0qcyYnNBJg-2BS2Q-2BIvTcXUaaZMfX8owv6M0Q5fc5Lt9rrigHj-2B1JEHqUWFC123MQaJ12BXgiVXK8nuz0aQhOhLKn-2B619zY2S-2FuxXf1DW4VD-2B8QvGWf2PP6mlbFXnhIfftDwk1ptOd4z3f86G-2FzOFGcADL17-2FxmBKvA9t-2FvjE-2FzOKZYgZH0D3lhnLclnN6F7qGW4IvHFrQmSQcWvITWBa8plGNiatoOSkqh8kDVVoXCG-2BHAfq7ubaotcj-2Bl44I-2BwqF-2BteeaeY-3D">myschoolchoice.com</a>.

New Poll: NE Parents Largely Satisfied with K–12 Schools, but 1 in 4 Would Make a Change

Nebraska Department of Transportation

 (Lincoln, Neb.) — Nebraska football returns to Lincoln this weekend as it hosts Rutgers for its fifth home game this season. The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) encourages drivers to plan for higher-than-normal traffic on roadways this Saturday. 

Additionally, NDOT reminds people to designate a sober driver or find a sober ride if their gameday festivities includes consuming alcohol.

For fans traveling to Lincoln, be prepared for heavier traffic and road construction along the way. Drivers should allow more time to get to their destination and be ready for an increase in traffic on the roadways in the afternoon and evening hours. Travelers need to be aware that construction is active for the following areas:

• I-80 from the Pleasant Dale interchange (MM 388) to NW 48th Street interchange (MM 395) in Lincoln. The speed limit is 65 miles per hour in this construction zone.

• Hwy 77 and Hwy 109 Junction near Wahoo. This is a one lane, head-to-head traffic pattern with a reduced speed limit. 

• I-80 from the Elm Creek interchange (MM 252) to the Odessa interchange (MM 264). This is a one lane, head-to-head traffic pattern with a 65 miles per hour speed limit, zipper merge when necessary.

• I-80 from the Lexington interchange (MM 237) to the Overton interchange (MM 248). This is reduced to one lane, each direction, with a 65 miles per hour speed limit, zipper merge when necessary.

When driving on Interstate 180 (I-180) use caution near Memorial Stadium, I-180 will have lane restrictions to accommodate pedestrian traffic due to hotel construction in downtown Lincoln. Before leaving to enjoy the game, add your destination into your favorite navigation app, this is a great resource for traffic updates along route. The best way to start your gameday travel is to always buckle up and put the phone down.

For more information about construction projects and lane closures, check 511 Nebraska and the Lincoln Transportation and Utilities website, Facebook or X. For gameday information, visit the Husker’s website.

Nebraska Department of Transportation (Lincoln, Neb.) — Nebraska football returns to Lincoln this weekend as it hosts Rutgers for its fifth home game this season. The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) encourages drivers to plan for higher-than-normal traffic on roadways this Saturday. Additionally, NDOT reminds people to designate a sober driver or find a sober ride if their gameday festivities includes consuming alcohol.For fans traveling to Lincoln, be prepared for heavier traffic and road construction along the way. Drivers should allow more time to get to their destination and be ready for an increase in traffic on the roadways in the afternoon and evening hours. Travelers need to be aware that construction is active for the following areas:• I-80 from the Pleasant Dale interchange (MM 388) to NW 48th Street interchange (MM 395) in Lincoln. The speed limit is 65 miles per hour in this construction zone.• Hwy 77 and Hwy 109 Junction near Wahoo. This is a one lane, head-to-head traffic pattern with a reduced speed limit. • I-80 from the Elm Creek interchange (MM 252) to the Odessa interchange (MM 264). This is a one lane, head-to-head traffic pattern with a 65 miles per hour speed limit, zipper merge when necessary.• I-80 from the Lexington interchange (MM 237) to the Overton interchange (MM 248). This is reduced to one lane, each direction, with a 65 miles per hour speed limit, zipper merge when necessary.When driving on Interstate 180 (I-180) use caution near Memorial Stadium, I-180 will have lane restrictions to accommodate pedestrian traffic due to hotel construction in downtown Lincoln. Before leaving to enjoy the game, add your destination into your favorite navigation app, this is a great resource for traffic updates along route. The best way to start your gameday travel is to always buckle up and put the phone down.For more information about construction projects and lane closures, check 511 Nebraska and the Lincoln Transportation and Utilities website, Facebook or X. For gameday information, visit the Husker’s website.

Gameday Traffic Returns As Huskers Welcome Scarlet Knights

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/nickevans/">NICK EVANS</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/christopheringraham/">CHRISTOPHER INGRAHAM</a>

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance faced off Tuesday in their first and only vice presidential debate.

But both brought up claims that were nothing new.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538521-1/simulcast-cbs-news-vice-presidential-debate">Click here to watch a full replay of the debate&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>via CSPAN courtesy CBS&nbsp;

Here’s a look at some of those claims and States Newsroom’s assessment of the facts.

CLAIM: Walz said Vance called his running mate, former President Donald Trump, unfit for the office of the presidency.

THE FACTS: True. Vance said it in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/04/opinion/campaign-stops/why-trumps-antiwar-message-resonates-with-white-america.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share" target="_blank">New York Times op-ed in 2016.</a>&nbsp;The Washington Post&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/27/jd-vance-messages-trump-criticism-2020/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that as recently as 2020 Vance criticized the Trump administration’s record, saying Trump “thoroughly failed to deliver.”

Nevertheless, from the earliest stages of his U.S. Senate campaign in 2022, Vance described and defended his change of heart. At a&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/01/18/j-d-vance-takes-campaign-to-delaware-shooting-range/" target="_blank">campaign event in January that year</a>, he said, “I’m not gonna hide from the fact that I did not see Trump’s promise in the beginning but you know, he delivered,” Vance said. “He delivered, and he cared about people. And I think that’s important. It’s important (to) change your mind.”

CLAIM: Vance argued schools, hospitals and housing in Springfield, Ohio, are overwhelmed or unaffordable “because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants.” He added American citizens in Springfield have “had their lives destroyed by Kamala Harris’s open border.”

THE FACTS: Vance and Trump have been the driving force behind&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/09/19/vance-spread-springfield-rumors-even-after-his-staff-was-told-they-were-false-news-report-says/" target="_blank">several smears of the Haitian community</a>&nbsp;in Springfield. Although the population influx&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/09/23/springfields-haitian-community-ready-for-attention-to-move-elsewhere/" target="_blank">has strained resources, state</a>&nbsp;and local officials – some of them Republicans – have rejected Vance’s false characterization of the Haitian people living there.

Those migrants are primarily in the country legally under a program called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/temporary-protected-status-overview" target="_blank">Temporary Protected Status</a>. It offers work authorization for people who would face danger in their home countries, and has been in place since 1990.

CLAIM: In response to moderator Norah O’Donnell asking about Donald Trump’s claim that Walz supports abortions “in the ninth month,” Walz said “In Minnesota, what we did was restore Roe v. Wade.”

THE FACTS: Minnesota Democrats, with Walz’s support,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-minnesota-state-government-timothy-walz-11c3b1d5269c929e442b979ff1bac73b" target="_blank">passed a bill in 2023</a>&nbsp;enshrining Minnesota’s existing abortion protections into law after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the nationwide right the year before. Abortion had already been protected under a 1995 state Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing women the right to an abortion.

The 2023 bill modified<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/10/01/this-minnesota-mom-detests-trumps-lies-about-abortion-and-her-pain/" target="_blank">&nbsp;some language governing care requirements</a>&nbsp;for infants “born alive” following an abortion procedure, but the law still states that any such infants “shall be fully recognized as a human person.” Abortions during the third trimester<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/abortions-later-in-pregnancy-in-a-post-dobbs-era/" target="_blank">&nbsp;typically only happen in the case of severe fetal abnormalities or threats</a>&nbsp;to the health of the mother.

There is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/state-indicator/gestational-limit-abortions/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank">no gestational limit on abortions under Minnesota law</a>, but data from the state Department of Health<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240702062449/https://www.health.state.mn.us/data/mchs/pubs/abrpt/docs/2022abrpt.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;shows that only one or two abortions per year</a>&nbsp;happen at any point in the third trimester. More than 90% of abortions in the state happen during the first trimester.

CLAIM: Vance argued he and Trump would pursue “pro-family” policies and make fertility treatment more accessible. He also stated he never favored a national abortion ban, but rather described his position as “setting some minimum national standard.”

THE FACTS: Vance has repeatedly insisted he supports access to in vitro fertilization treatment, but he voted against a Senate measure to establish protections for it in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00197.htm" target="_blank">June&nbsp;</a>and skipped the vote when it came up again in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00242.htm" target="_blank">September</a>.

Vance’s framing of his position – minimum standards versus a ban – is little more than semantics. During his&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/10/19/three-takeaways-from-the-final-u-s-senate-debate/" target="_blank">2022 Senate campaign</a>, he expressed support for a bill cutting off access to abortion anywhere in the country after 15 weeks.

“You can have some minimum national standards, which is my view,” he said, “while allowing the states to make up their minds. California is going to have a different view than Ohio, that’s totally fine.”

Under that proposal states would be able to set abortion policies more restrictive than that 15-week cut off.

Vance was unwilling in that 2022 campaign to embrace the typical exceptions of rape, incest or the life of the mother.

“An incest exception looks different at three weeks of pregnancy versus 39 weeks of pregnancy,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727835042038.png" alt="Photo courtesy CBS via CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy CBS via CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/nickevans/">NICK EVANS</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/christopheringraham/">CHRISTOPHER INGRAHAM</a>Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance faced off Tuesday in their first and only vice presidential debate.But both brought up claims that were nothing new.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538521-1/simulcast-cbs-news-vice-presidential-debate">Click here to watch a full replay of the debate&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>via CSPAN courtesy CBS&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a> on abortion: &quot;This is about health care. In Minnesota we are ranked first in health care for a reason. We trust women. We trust doctors.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3YZpr6jrbz">pic.twitter.com/3YZpr6jrbz</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841298078038438056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> on abortion: &quot;My party, we&#39;ve got to do so much better of a job at earning the American people&#39;s trust back on this issue where they, frankly, they just don&#39;t trust us...I want us as a Republican Party to be pro family is the fullest sense of the word.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/l1GE9Qfhzx">pic.twitter.com/l1GE9Qfhzx</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841298293181038670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a>: &quot;The audience can&#39;t hear you because your mics are cut.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VPDebate2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VPDebate2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/2BNCEhcK3l">pic.twitter.com/2BNCEhcK3l</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841293277384856041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> on his past comments on Donald Trump: &quot;I was wrong on Donald Trump.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VPDebate2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VPDebate2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/EmbDyD6dER">pic.twitter.com/EmbDyD6dER</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841297881279467778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> on building new homes: &quot;We don&#39;t want to blame immigrants for higher housing prices. But, we do want to blame Kamala Harris for letting in millions of illegal aliens into this country which does drive up costs.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/eeIrIPhXZM">pic.twitter.com/eeIrIPhXZM</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841302412025327877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">During exchange on gun violence: Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a>: &quot;We have to empower law enforcement...our schools, we&#39;ve got to talk about more security.&quot; Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a>: &quot;I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I&#39;ve become friends with school shooters. I&#39;ve seen it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/idFExcHbef">pic.twitter.com/idFExcHbef</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841308417744425458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a>: &quot;Did he lose the 2020 election?&quot; Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a>: &quot;Tim, I&#39;m focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?&quot; Walz: &quot;That&#39;s a damning non-answer.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/v0PXnbuewL">pic.twitter.com/v0PXnbuewL</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841309223096897957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a> closing statement. <a href="https://t.co/iyjc6DT8Mu">pic.twitter.com/iyjc6DT8Mu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841312345404182981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> closing statement. <a href="https://t.co/E4q4WtYkNu">pic.twitter.com/E4q4WtYkNu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841312447740739940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Here’s a look at some of those claims and States Newsroom’s assessment of the facts.___CLAIM: Walz said Vance called his running mate, former President Donald Trump, unfit for the office of the presidency.THE FACTS: True. Vance said it in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/04/opinion/campaign-stops/why-trumps-antiwar-message-resonates-with-white-america.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share" target="_blank">New York Times op-ed in 2016.</a>&nbsp;The Washington Post&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/27/jd-vance-messages-trump-criticism-2020/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that as recently as 2020 Vance criticized the Trump administration’s record, saying Trump “thoroughly failed to deliver.”Nevertheless, from the earliest stages of his U.S. Senate campaign in 2022, Vance described and defended his change of heart. At a&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/01/18/j-d-vance-takes-campaign-to-delaware-shooting-range/" target="_blank">campaign event in January that year</a>, he said, “I’m not gonna hide from the fact that I did not see Trump’s promise in the beginning but you know, he delivered,” Vance said. “He delivered, and he cared about people. And I think that’s important. It’s important (to) change your mind.”___CLAIM: Vance argued schools, hospitals and housing in Springfield, Ohio, are overwhelmed or unaffordable “because we brought in millions of illegal immigrants.” He added American citizens in Springfield have “had their lives destroyed by Kamala Harris’s open border.”THE FACTS: Vance and Trump have been the driving force behind&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/09/19/vance-spread-springfield-rumors-even-after-his-staff-was-told-they-were-false-news-report-says/" target="_blank">several smears of the Haitian community</a>&nbsp;in Springfield. Although the population influx&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/09/23/springfields-haitian-community-ready-for-attention-to-move-elsewhere/" target="_blank">has strained resources, state</a>&nbsp;and local officials – some of them Republicans – have rejected Vance’s false characterization of the Haitian people living there.Those migrants are primarily in the country legally under a program called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/temporary-protected-status-overview" target="_blank">Temporary Protected Status</a>. It offers work authorization for people who would face danger in their home countries, and has been in place since 1990.___CLAIM: In response to moderator Norah O’Donnell asking about Donald Trump’s claim that Walz supports abortions “in the ninth month,” Walz said “In Minnesota, what we did was restore Roe v. Wade.”THE FACTS: Minnesota Democrats, with Walz’s support,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-minnesota-state-government-timothy-walz-11c3b1d5269c929e442b979ff1bac73b" target="_blank">passed a bill in 2023</a>&nbsp;enshrining Minnesota’s existing abortion protections into law after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the nationwide right the year before. Abortion had already been protected under a 1995 state Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing women the right to an abortion.The 2023 bill modified<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/10/01/this-minnesota-mom-detests-trumps-lies-about-abortion-and-her-pain/" target="_blank">&nbsp;some language governing care requirements</a>&nbsp;for infants “born alive” following an abortion procedure, but the law still states that any such infants “shall be fully recognized as a human person.” Abortions during the third trimester<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/abortions-later-in-pregnancy-in-a-post-dobbs-era/" target="_blank">&nbsp;typically only happen in the case of severe fetal abnormalities or threats</a>&nbsp;to the health of the mother.There is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/state-indicator/gestational-limit-abortions/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank">no gestational limit on abortions under Minnesota law</a>, but data from the state Department of Health<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240702062449/https://www.health.state.mn.us/data/mchs/pubs/abrpt/docs/2022abrpt.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;shows that only one or two abortions per year</a>&nbsp;happen at any point in the third trimester. More than 90% of abortions in the state happen during the first trimester.___CLAIM: Vance argued he and Trump would pursue “pro-family” policies and make fertility treatment more accessible. He also stated he never favored a national abortion ban, but rather described his position as “setting some minimum national standard.”THE FACTS: Vance has repeatedly insisted he supports access to in vitro fertilization treatment, but he voted against a Senate measure to establish protections for it in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00197.htm" target="_blank">June&nbsp;</a>and skipped the vote when it came up again in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00242.htm" target="_blank">September</a>.Vance’s framing of his position – minimum standards versus a ban – is little more than semantics. During his&nbsp;<a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/10/19/three-takeaways-from-the-final-u-s-senate-debate/" target="_blank">2022 Senate campaign</a>, he expressed support for a bill cutting off access to abortion anywhere in the country after 15 weeks.“You can have some minimum national standards, which is my view,” he said, “while allowing the states to make up their minds. California is going to have a different view than Ohio, that’s totally fine.”Under that proposal states would be able to set abortion policies more restrictive than that 15-week cut off.Vance was unwilling in that 2022 campaign to embrace the typical exceptions of rape, incest or the life of the mother.“An incest exception looks different at three weeks of pregnancy versus 39 weeks of pregnancy,” he said.___CLAIM: On paid family leave, Walz said “We implemented it in Minnesota and we see growth.”THE FACTS: In 2023, Walz&nbsp;<a href="https://www.house.mn.gov/NewLaws/story/2023/5501" target="_blank">signed Minnesota’s family and medical leave bill into law</a>. The bill creates a state-run insurance program guaranteeing up to 20 weeks paid time off per year to deal with family or medical issues. The program is funded, in part, by a new tax on employers and employees.However the law&nbsp;<a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/05/13/deed-says-minnesota-paid-leave-program-will-start-with-25-higher-payroll-tax-than-first-proposed/" target="_blank">will not take force until 2026</a>, and certain details — including the final payroll rate — are still being ironed out by state regulators. The effect on Minnesota’s economy remains unknown,&nbsp;<a href="https://equitablegrowth.org/factsheet-what-does-the-research-say-about-the-economics-of-paid-leave/" target="_blank">although many studies have shown</a>&nbsp;that paid leave requirements in other states and countries increase womens’ workforce participation and boost economic growth.___CLAIM: Vance claimed illegal immigration is driving up the cost of housing and alluded to a Federal Reserve study that drew a link between the two.THE FACTS: Vance posed the idea to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell himself&nbsp;<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/republicans-test-run-a-new-argument-immigration-can-cause-inflation-132337761.html" target="_blank">in July</a>. Powell expressed skepticism at the time, noting in the long run, immigration likely has a neutral impact on inflation, but he acknowledged there may be regional impacts on housing. A pair of Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas studies released that month bolster Powell’s argument. One suggested immigrants boosted the U.S. economy without contributing to inflation; the other noted immigrants “could put upward pressure on rents and house prices, particularly in the short run before new supply can be built.”There doesn’t appear to be a Federal Reserve study drawing a bright line between immigration in housing prices. If anything, University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers argued&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JustinWolfers/status/1660712752946479105" target="_blank">last May</a>&nbsp;that the relationship between those variables is the opposite of what Vance suggested.<a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-rental-housing-crisis-is-a-supply-problem-that-needs-supply-solutions/" target="_blank">Housing experts&nbsp;</a>have consistently said that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/when-will-housing-affordability-improve-spoiler-alert-it-will-take-some-time" target="_blank">an ongoing shortage</a>&nbsp;in housing supply has driven up costs.___CLAIM: Walz was asked to explain the discrepancy between his account of being in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/01/politics/tim-walz-china-tiananmen-square/index.html" target="_blank">reporting</a>&nbsp;showing he wasn’t there until months later.THE FACTS: Walz acknowledged he was wrong: “I have not been perfect, and I have been a knucklehead at times. … All I said on this was, I got there that summer and misspoke on this. That is what I have said. So, I was in Hong Kong and China during the democracy protests, went in and from that I learned a lot of what needed to be in governance.”