By JACOB FISCHLER,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The development of artificial intelligence presents far-reaching challenges for virtually every aspect of modern society, including campaigns, national security and journalism, members of a U.S. Senate panel said at a Tuesday hearing.

Technology experts invited to testify at a hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee said Congress should pursue comprehensive standards for companies developing and deploying AI to ensure consumers are protected.

AI has the potential to help with a host of tasks, subcommittee Chair John Hickenlooper said, but could also be misused by bad actors.

“AI is a transformative technology that has both benefits and risks,” the Colorado Democrat said. “Congress will play a role in setting reasonable rules of the road to inform and protect consumers.”

Victoria Espinel, the CEO of the industry group BSA | The Software Alliance, told the panel that using “impact assessments” to identify the biggest risks from AI and how to mitigate them would be vital to gaining consumer trust. Congress should legislate a requirement to continuously assess the risks from AI, she said.

“Consumers need to have confidence that if AI is being used in a way that will have an impact on their rights, or have significant consequences for their life, that that AI is being vetted and that it is being continuously monitored,” Espinel said. “Having a strong national law from the United States I think is very important in terms of protecting consumers and our economy.”

The hearing touched on myriad challenges related to the technology.

Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar said she was concerned about AI “deep fakes” being used in campaign advertising. Political operatives could use AI to impersonate opposing candidates, she said.

Klobuchar introduced a bill Tuesday with Republicans Josh Hawley of Missouri and Susan Collins of Maine and Delaware Democrat Chris Coons to address fraudulent AI-generated campaign content, she said.

Using watermarks to authenticate ads and labeling AI-generated content could help, Klobuchar said.

Other senators and witnesses said they also favored disclosure of AI use in contexts beyond campaign ads. Consumers messaging chatbots, for example, should be told that they are interacting with an AI device instead of a human, they said.

Kansas Republican Jerry Moran asked Rob Strayer, the executive vice president of policy at the industry group Information Technology Industry Council, about the risks to national security if the United States falls behind China or other adversarial countries in developing AI.

“We really need to have a strong discussion with the private sector about how you can do the minimal amount of damage to future (research and development) and revenues for U.S.-based companies while ensuring that none of these tools end up in the hands of adversaries who are going to use those for military purposes,” Gregory said.

Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell said she was concerned about the impact AI could have on journalists.

Sam Gregory, the executive director of the human rights organization WITNESS, told Cantwell journalists might lack the “digital literacy” to identify AI-generated fraud, which could lead to spreading misinformation.

The hearing and a simultaneous meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee were among the first steps Congress is taking to address AI, which is perhaps the dominant policy focus in Congress this week.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is hosting a closed-door forum Wednesday for senators to discuss the issue with leading industry and advocacy groups. Participants are expected to include leaders of Google, Microsoft, Meta, X and labor groups.

Earlier Tuesday, the White House said the Biden administration has extracted voluntary commitments from eight leading AI companies on how they would proceed with developing the technology.

The companies, Adobe, Cohere, IBM, Nvidia, Palantir, Salesforce, Scale AI, and Stability, agreed to test their AI systems before deploying them, sharing best practices, investing in cybersecurity and researching societal risks, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/12/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-secures-voluntary-commitments-from-eight-additional-artificial-intelligence-companies-to-manage-the-risks-posed-by-ai/">a White House fact sheet</a>.

The House Oversight Committee will also hold a hearing on the issue Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694620541099.png" alt="Image from the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee during the hearing on Tuesday" />
 <figcaption>Image from the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee during the hearing on Tuesday</figcaption>
 </figure>By JACOB FISCHLER,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The development of artificial intelligence presents far-reaching challenges for virtually every aspect of modern society, including campaigns, national security and journalism, members of a U.S. Senate panel said at a Tuesday hearing.(click below to watch the hearing)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zgczHh5qA7k?si=0wQkBmJ9bz5TUuaU&amp;start=779" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Technology experts invited to testify at a hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee said Congress should pursue comprehensive standards for companies developing and deploying AI to ensure consumers are protected.AI has the potential to help with a host of tasks, subcommittee Chair John Hickenlooper said, but could also be misused by bad actors.“AI is a transformative technology that has both benefits and risks,” the Colorado Democrat said. “Congress will play a role in setting reasonable rules of the road to inform and protect consumers.”Victoria Espinel, the CEO of the industry group BSA | The Software Alliance, told the panel that using “impact assessments” to identify the biggest risks from AI and how to mitigate them would be vital to gaining consumer trust. Congress should legislate a requirement to continuously assess the risks from AI, she said.“Consumers need to have confidence that if AI is being used in a way that will have an impact on their rights, or have significant consequences for their life, that that AI is being vetted and that it is being continuously monitored,” Espinel said. “Having a strong national law from the United States I think is very important in terms of protecting consumers and our economy.”<h2>Worries about ‘deep fakes’</h2>The hearing touched on myriad challenges related to the technology.Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar said she was concerned about AI “deep fakes” being used in campaign advertising. Political operatives could use AI to impersonate opposing candidates, she said.Klobuchar introduced a bill Tuesday with Republicans Josh Hawley of Missouri and Susan Collins of Maine and Delaware Democrat Chris Coons to address fraudulent AI-generated campaign content, she said.Using watermarks to authenticate ads and labeling AI-generated content could help, Klobuchar said.Other senators and witnesses said they also favored disclosure of AI use in contexts beyond campaign ads. Consumers messaging chatbots, for example, should be told that they are interacting with an AI device instead of a human, they said.Kansas Republican Jerry Moran asked Rob Strayer, the executive vice president of policy at the industry group Information Technology Industry Council, about the risks to national security if the United States falls behind China or other adversarial countries in developing AI.“We really need to have a strong discussion with the private sector about how you can do the minimal amount of damage to future (research and development) and revenues for U.S.-based companies while ensuring that none of these tools end up in the hands of adversaries who are going to use those for military purposes,” Gregory said.Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell said she was concerned about the impact AI could have on journalists.Sam Gregory, the executive director of the human rights organization WITNESS, told Cantwell journalists might lack the “digital literacy” to identify AI-generated fraud, which could lead to spreading misinformation.<h2>Recent focus on AI</h2>The hearing and a simultaneous meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee were among the first steps Congress is taking to address AI, which is perhaps the dominant policy focus in Congress this week.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is hosting a closed-door forum Wednesday for senators to discuss the issue with leading industry and advocacy groups. Participants are expected to include leaders of Google, Microsoft, Meta, X and labor groups.Earlier Tuesday, the White House said the Biden administration has extracted voluntary commitments from eight leading AI companies on how they would proceed with developing the technology.The companies, Adobe, Cohere, IBM, Nvidia, Palantir, Salesforce, Scale AI, and Stability, agreed to test their AI systems before deploying them, sharing best practices, investing in cybersecurity and researching societal risks, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/12/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-secures-voluntary-commitments-from-eight-additional-artificial-intelligence-companies-to-manage-the-risks-posed-by-ai/">a White House fact sheet</a>.The House Oversight Committee will also hold a hearing on the issue Thursday.

🎥Congress starts trying to figure out how to set AI ‘rules of the road’

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-biden-impeachment-shutdown-house-republicans-b187202be8814f7acbdd6e2e937e23d4">launching an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden</a>, yielding to mounting pressure from former President Donald Trump and his allies in what's shaping up as an election-year clash between Congress and the White House.

In a statement Tuesday, McCarthy said the House investigations into the Biden family this year have uncovered a “culture of corruption” that demands deeper review.

"These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption," McCarthy said.

McCarthy said he will direct the chairmen of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees to lead the impeachment inquiry. The panels have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-whistleblowers-oversight-joe-biden-1db3aadcdf7f544c16df681a25853827">working together</a>&nbsp;for months on various probes related to the Biden family and have yet to directly connect the president to any of it.

The White House called the effort “extreme politics at its worst.”

“House Republicans have been investigating the President for 9 months, and they’ve turned up no evidence of wrongdoing," Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson said in a statement. “His own Republican members have said so.”

Here's a look at what happens next as House Republicans inch closer to possible impeachment charges against Biden:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXZQAPTyn1s">An impeachment inquiry</a>&nbsp;is an investigation of possible wrongdoing by a federal official, such as the president of the United States, Cabinet officials or judges. The process is written into the Constitution and is the most powerful check that Congress has on the executive branch.

While the House of Representatives wields the power to impeach a federal official, only the Senate has the ability to convict and remove an individual from office.

To date, no president has ever been forced from the White House through impeachment. But former Republican President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 as the House was preparing to take a vote on impeachment articles against him.

WHY ARE REPUBLICANS PURSUING IT AGAINST BIDEN?

Since gaining the House majority in January, House Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-donald-trump-business-9af868065b776b21f81fa73e7bafb97d">aggressively investigated Biden and his son</a>, claiming without evidence that they engaged in an influence-peddling scheme. The allegations echo those that former President Donald Trump has made for years against Biden and his family.

Republicans have focused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-fbi-congress-christopher-wray-comer-0492df31356ddb171dfeee2e4c324bdb">much attention on an unverified tip to the FBI</a>&nbsp;that alleged a bribery scheme involving Biden when he was vice president. The bribery claim, which emerged in 2019 and was part of Trump's first impeachment, relates to the allegation that Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop an investigation into Burisma, the oil-and-gas company where Hunter Biden was on the board.

Democrats have reiterated that the Justice Department investigated the Burisma claim when Trump was president and closed the matter after eight months, finding “insufficient evidence” to pursue it further. Other countries were also pushing for the firing of the Ukrainian official, viewing him as corrupt. And a former business partner of Hunter Biden's has testified to Congress that the bribery allegation is untrue.

Nonetheless, three House committees have been pursuing lines of inquiry related to the president and his son, including the ways that Hunter used the “Biden brand” to advance his business with foreign clients. They've also delved deeply into the Justice Department investigation into the younger Biden,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-justice-department-irs-congress-d242a84d4d6d8e90db68febab168fef7">citing whistleblower testimony</a>, to suggest that Hunter has received special treatment.

And while Republicans have sought to directly connect Hunter Biden's financial affairs to his father, they have failed to produce evidence that the president directly participated in his son's work, though he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-congress-oversight-republicans-devon-archer-4b706443a04e0c40a80c65e24d7d69dc">sometimes had dinner with Hunter Biden's clients or said hello</a>&nbsp;to them on calls.

DOES THIS MEAN THAT BIDEN WILL BE IMPEACHED?

Not necessarily. While all inquiries opened in recent history have resulted in the impeachment of a president, Republicans have been treading carefully around the term and its potential political implications.

To impeach Biden, the House would have to approve at least one impeachment charge against him, which requires a majority vote. An impeachment inquiry can also be closed without charges being brought.

McCarthy has said an impeachment inquiry is necessary to ensure Congress can use the full weight of its oversight authority to pursue its investigation of the Biden family.

“Everyone should understand, impeachment is not the goal,” Rep. Darrell Issa, a senior Republican on House Judiciary Committee, one of the panel's tasked with investigating Biden, told reporters recently. “Impeachment is a way of saying this is not a legislative oversight, but in fact an oversight of possible wrongdoing.”

Regardless, the inquiry will loom over Biden as the probe potentially drags into next year when the president, who is running for reelection, confronts a Republican field led by Trump, who was impeached twice.

House Republicans — led by Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee — have obtained thousands of pages of financial records from various members of the Biden family and their associates through subpoenas to the Treasury Department and various financial institutions.

Comer has repeatedly claimed — without substantial evidence — that there is enough in those documents to draw a clear line between Hunter Biden trading on his father's name and policy decisions Biden made while vice president. No such connection has been proven.

Comer also joined forces in June with the Republican chairmen of the Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees to launch a larger investigation into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-plea-deal-congress-republicans-investigation-ad80b195c8c0f48241740881cf9b9bce">yearslong Justice Department probe of Hunter Biden</a>. The FBI and IRS have been investigating Hunter Biden for years and the case appeared headed toward a plea deal this summer until a judge rejected the terms of that agreement.

The breakdown happened after two IRS agents claimed in congressional testimony that the Justice Department improperly interfered in the case, which was first opened in 2018.

Attorney General Merrick Garland last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-investigation-justice-garland-ad1034e274570d65032f8e4f47c0c8f6">appointed</a>&nbsp;the prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden as a special counsel, likely extending the investigation further.

McCarthy said he's asked Comer to take the lead on the impeachment inquiry, working alongside House Judiciary chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.

While McCarthy had previously said the House would hold a vote to launch the inquiry, he made no such promise on Tuesday.

The Constitution does not require a vote to start an impeachment inquiry, and neither do the rules governing the House. But authorizing resolutions have been passed in previous presidential impeachments.

It's not clear McCarthy would have enough votes in the House to approve an impeachment resolution. Some House Republicans are opposed to launching an inquiry, saying there is insufficient evidence against the president.

Once an impeachment inquiry is complete, the House has traditionally tasked the Judiciary Committee — the panel authorized to introduce articles of impeachment — to hold hearings and draft impeachment charges.

There are no rules to how long an impeachment inquiry can or must last. The probe into Biden could last as short as a few months or as long as a year, depending on what McCarthy and Republican leadership believe is the right time to conclude or move to articles of impeachment.

The only real deadline would be the end of this Congress, which is Jan. 2, 2025.

WHAT HAPPENS IF REPUBLICANS DO DECIDE TO IMPEACH?

If Republicans decide there is enough evidence of wrongdoing and abuse of power by Biden to move forward, the Judiciary Committee would likely mark up the articles of impeachment. If those articles are voted out of committee by a simple majority, it would come to the House floor where a majority vote would be required to impeach Biden.

Only three other presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and Trump, who was impeached twice.

The impeachment charges would then move to the Senate, where Democratic leaders would likely have no choice but to hold a trial.

The trial is similar to what's seen in the legal system, with the senators acting as jurors and select House members acting as prosecutors, or impeachment managers. The chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over that process. If the Senate approves an article of impeachment with a two-thirds vote of “guilty,” the president is convicted and removed from office. If all the articles are rejected, the president is acquitted.

If Biden were convicted by the Senate, he would be the first president to ever be removed from office. But such an outcome seems far-fetched, given that Democrats have a 52-48 majority.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-biden-impeachment-shutdown-house-republicans-b187202be8814f7acbdd6e2e937e23d4">launching an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden</a>, yielding to mounting pressure from former President Donald Trump and his allies in what's shaping up as an election-year clash between Congress and the White House.In a statement Tuesday, McCarthy said the House investigations into the Biden family this year have uncovered a “culture of corruption” that demands deeper review."These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption," McCarthy said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am directing our House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Over the past several months, House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden’s conduct—a culture of corruption. <a href="https://t.co/3uoDlUB3Sy">https://t.co/3uoDlUB3Sy</a>&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1701616470793547969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>McCarthy said he will direct the chairmen of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees to lead the impeachment inquiry. The panels have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-whistleblowers-oversight-joe-biden-1db3aadcdf7f544c16df681a25853827">working together</a>&nbsp;for months on various probes related to the Biden family and have yet to directly connect the president to any of it.The White House called the effort “extreme politics at its worst.”“House Republicans have been investigating the President for 9 months, and they’ve turned up no evidence of wrongdoing," Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson said in a statement. “His own Republican members have said so.”Here's a look at what happens next as House Republicans inch closer to possible impeachment charges against Biden:WHAT IS AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY?<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXZQAPTyn1s">An impeachment inquiry</a>&nbsp;is an investigation of possible wrongdoing by a federal official, such as the president of the United States, Cabinet officials or judges. The process is written into the Constitution and is the most powerful check that Congress has on the executive branch.While the House of Representatives wields the power to impeach a federal official, only the Senate has the ability to convict and remove an individual from office.To date, no president has ever been forced from the White House through impeachment. But former Republican President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 as the House was preparing to take a vote on impeachment articles against him.WHY ARE REPUBLICANS PURSUING IT AGAINST BIDEN?Since gaining the House majority in January, House Republicans have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-donald-trump-business-9af868065b776b21f81fa73e7bafb97d">aggressively investigated Biden and his son</a>, claiming without evidence that they engaged in an influence-peddling scheme. The allegations echo those that former President Donald Trump has made for years against Biden and his family.Republicans have focused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-fbi-congress-christopher-wray-comer-0492df31356ddb171dfeee2e4c324bdb">much attention on an unverified tip to the FBI</a>&nbsp;that alleged a bribery scheme involving Biden when he was vice president. The bribery claim, which emerged in 2019 and was part of Trump's first impeachment, relates to the allegation that Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop an investigation into Burisma, the oil-and-gas company where Hunter Biden was on the board.Democrats have reiterated that the Justice Department investigated the Burisma claim when Trump was president and closed the matter after eight months, finding “insufficient evidence” to pursue it further. Other countries were also pushing for the firing of the Ukrainian official, viewing him as corrupt. And a former business partner of Hunter Biden's has testified to Congress that the bribery allegation is untrue.Nonetheless, three House committees have been pursuing lines of inquiry related to the president and his son, including the ways that Hunter used the “Biden brand” to advance his business with foreign clients. They've also delved deeply into the Justice Department investigation into the younger Biden,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-justice-department-irs-congress-d242a84d4d6d8e90db68febab168fef7">citing whistleblower testimony</a>, to suggest that Hunter has received special treatment.And while Republicans have sought to directly connect Hunter Biden's financial affairs to his father, they have failed to produce evidence that the president directly participated in his son's work, though he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-congress-oversight-republicans-devon-archer-4b706443a04e0c40a80c65e24d7d69dc">sometimes had dinner with Hunter Biden's clients or said hello</a>&nbsp;to them on calls.DOES THIS MEAN THAT BIDEN WILL BE IMPEACHED?Not necessarily. While all inquiries opened in recent history have resulted in the impeachment of a president, Republicans have been treading carefully around the term and its potential political implications.To impeach Biden, the House would have to approve at least one impeachment charge against him, which requires a majority vote. An impeachment inquiry can also be closed without charges being brought.McCarthy has said an impeachment inquiry is necessary to ensure Congress can use the full weight of its oversight authority to pursue its investigation of the Biden family.“Everyone should understand, impeachment is not the goal,” Rep. Darrell Issa, a senior Republican on House Judiciary Committee, one of the panel's tasked with investigating Biden, told reporters recently. “Impeachment is a way of saying this is not a legislative oversight, but in fact an oversight of possible wrongdoing.”Regardless, the inquiry will loom over Biden as the probe potentially drags into next year when the president, who is running for reelection, confronts a Republican field led by Trump, who was impeached twice.WHAT EVIDENCE DO THEY HAVE?House Republicans — led by Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee — have obtained thousands of pages of financial records from various members of the Biden family and their associates through subpoenas to the Treasury Department and various financial institutions.Comer has repeatedly claimed — without substantial evidence — that there is enough in those documents to draw a clear line between Hunter Biden trading on his father's name and policy decisions Biden made while vice president. No such connection has been proven.Comer also joined forces in June with the Republican chairmen of the Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees to launch a larger investigation into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-plea-deal-congress-republicans-investigation-ad80b195c8c0f48241740881cf9b9bce">yearslong Justice Department probe of Hunter Biden</a>. The FBI and IRS have been investigating Hunter Biden for years and the case appeared headed toward a plea deal this summer until a judge rejected the terms of that agreement.The breakdown happened after two IRS agents claimed in congressional testimony that the Justice Department improperly interfered in the case, which was first opened in 2018.Attorney General Merrick Garland last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-investigation-justice-garland-ad1034e274570d65032f8e4f47c0c8f6">appointed</a>&nbsp;the prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden as a special counsel, likely extending the investigation further.HOW WILL THE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY WORK?McCarthy said he's asked Comer to take the lead on the impeachment inquiry, working alongside House Judiciary chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.While McCarthy had previously said the House would hold a vote to launch the inquiry, he made no such promise on Tuesday.The Constitution does not require a vote to start an impeachment inquiry, and neither do the rules governing the House. But authorizing resolutions have been passed in previous presidential impeachments.It's not clear McCarthy would have enough votes in the House to approve an impeachment resolution. Some House Republicans are opposed to launching an inquiry, saying there is insufficient evidence against the president.Once an impeachment inquiry is complete, the House has traditionally tasked the Judiciary Committee — the panel authorized to introduce articles of impeachment — to hold hearings and draft impeachment charges.HOW LONG WILL THE INQUIRY TAKE?There are no rules to how long an impeachment inquiry can or must last. The probe into Biden could last as short as a few months or as long as a year, depending on what McCarthy and Republican leadership believe is the right time to conclude or move to articles of impeachment.The only real deadline would be the end of this Congress, which is Jan. 2, 2025.WHAT HAPPENS IF REPUBLICANS DO DECIDE TO IMPEACH?If Republicans decide there is enough evidence of wrongdoing and abuse of power by Biden to move forward, the Judiciary Committee would likely mark up the articles of impeachment. If those articles are voted out of committee by a simple majority, it would come to the House floor where a majority vote would be required to impeach Biden.Only three other presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and Trump, who was impeached twice.The impeachment charges would then move to the Senate, where Democratic leaders would likely have no choice but to hold a trial.The trial is similar to what's seen in the legal system, with the senators acting as jurors and select House members acting as prosecutors, or impeachment managers. The chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over that process. If the Senate approves an article of impeachment with a two-thirds vote of “guilty,” the president is convicted and removed from office. If all the articles are rejected, the president is acquitted.If Biden were convicted by the Senate, he would be the first president to ever be removed from office. But such an outcome seems far-fetched, given that Democrats have a 52-48 majority.

🎥What to expect in impeachment inquiry of President Biden

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The deadline to join the next class of Nebraska State Troopers is this Friday. Apply at&nbsp;<a>NebraskaTroopers.com</a>&nbsp;by Friday, September 15, at 11:59 p.m. to be a part of the next NSP training camp, which starts in January.

“The journey to a fulfilling career as a Nebraska State Trooper starts with an application,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Once you start the journey, a career with great pay and benefits, statewide positions, and limitless opportunity is waiting.”

The Nebraska State Patrol offers career paths including SWAT, drone operations, Carrier Enforcement, crisis negotiations, K9 handler, criminal investigations, aviation, Bomb Squad, Executive Protection, patrolling Nebraska’s roadways and more. You define your career as a Nebraska State Trooper.

Troopers receive a starting salary of $30 per hour ($62,400 annually) upon graduating from the NSP Training Academy. Troopers also start with a four-day work week while working in the patrol division. Bilingual troopers are also eligible for a 2.5% pay increase.

Recruits are paid $27.46 per hour while attending the 22-week training program at the NSP Training Academy. Troopers receive excellent benefits, including medical and life insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, and a great retirement program.

The next class of recruits will begin the NSP Training Academy on January 2, 2024 and are scheduled to graduate on June 14, 2024. Applicants must be a United States citizen and at least 21 years of age by graduation. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED equivalence. Additional information about the hiring process, including physical requirements and benefits of serving as a trooper, can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nebraskatroopers.com/" target="_blank">NebraskaTroopers.com.</a>

Cody ThomasSEPTEMBER 12, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The deadline to join the next class of Nebraska State Troopers is this Friday. Apply at&nbsp;<a>NebraskaTroopers.com</a>&nbsp;by Friday, September 15, at 11:59 p.m. to be a part of the next NSP training camp, which starts in January.“The journey to a fulfilling career as a Nebraska State Trooper starts with an application,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Once you start the journey, a career with great pay and benefits, statewide positions, and limitless opportunity is waiting.”The Nebraska State Patrol offers career paths including SWAT, drone operations, Carrier Enforcement, crisis negotiations, K9 handler, criminal investigations, aviation, Bomb Squad, Executive Protection, patrolling Nebraska’s roadways and more. You define your career as a Nebraska State Trooper.Troopers receive a starting salary of $30 per hour ($62,400 annually) upon graduating from the NSP Training Academy. Troopers also start with a four-day work week while working in the patrol division. Bilingual troopers are also eligible for a 2.5% pay increase.Recruits are paid $27.46 per hour while attending the 22-week training program at the NSP Training Academy. Troopers receive excellent benefits, including medical and life insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, and a great retirement program.The next class of recruits will begin the NSP Training Academy on January 2, 2024 and are scheduled to graduate on June 14, 2024. Applicants must be a United States citizen and at least 21 years of age by graduation. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED equivalence. Additional information about the hiring process, including physical requirements and benefits of serving as a trooper, can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nebraskatroopers.com/" target="_blank">NebraskaTroopers.com.</a>

Nebraska State Patrol Applications Close Friday

Lincoln, September 12, 2023- On Tuesday, September 12, the Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) opened separate investigations into recent 911 outages involving telecommunication carriers Lumen (<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/state911/2023-09-12%20911-075%20PI-248%20Order%20Opening%20Investigation.pdf" target="_blank">911-075/PI 248</a>) and Windstream (<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/state911/2023-09-12%20911-076%20PI-249%20Order%20Opening%20Investigation.pdf" target="_blank">911-076/PI 249</a>).

“The disruptions in 911 service that occurred in these two separate incidents is unacceptable,”said Commission Chair Dan Watermeier. “The Commission expects 911 service providers tomaintain diverse and redundant connections between 911centers and their networks.”

<a>Determining why the outage resulted in the loss of 911 service over such a wide area ofNebraska will be essential to the Lumen investigation (</a><a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/state911/2023-09-12%20911-075%20PI-248%20Order%20Opening%20Investigation.pdf" target="_blank">911-075/PI 248</a>).A primary focus of the Windstream investigation (<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/state911/2023-09-12%20911-076%20PI-249%20Order%20Opening%20Investigation.pdf" target="_blank">911-076/PI 249</a>) will be to determine why afire and loss of electrical power at a single Windstream facility resulted in a disruption of 911service to a large portion of southeast Nebraska.

In both investigations the Commission seeks an explanation as to why the redundancy requiredof both telecommunications carriers failed and a solution to prevent this from happening again.

Commissioner Watermeier said, “The highest level of service is expected and required of our911 service providers. There are no exceptions.”&nbsp;

Deb CollinsLincoln, September 12, 2023- On Tuesday, September 12, the Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) opened separate investigations into recent 911 outages involving telecommunication carriers Lumen (<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/state911/2023-09-12%20911-075%20PI-248%20Order%20Opening%20Investigation.pdf" target="_blank">911-075/PI 248</a>) and Windstream (<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/state911/2023-09-12%20911-076%20PI-249%20Order%20Opening%20Investigation.pdf" target="_blank">911-076/PI 249</a>).“The disruptions in 911 service that occurred in these two separate incidents is unacceptable,”said Commission Chair Dan Watermeier. “The Commission expects 911 service providers tomaintain diverse and redundant connections between 911centers and their networks.”<a>Determining why the outage resulted in the loss of 911 service over such a wide area ofNebraska will be essential to the Lumen investigation (</a><a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/state911/2023-09-12%20911-075%20PI-248%20Order%20Opening%20Investigation.pdf" target="_blank">911-075/PI 248</a>).A primary focus of the Windstream investigation (<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/state911/2023-09-12%20911-076%20PI-249%20Order%20Opening%20Investigation.pdf" target="_blank">911-076/PI 249</a>) will be to determine why afire and loss of electrical power at a single Windstream facility resulted in a disruption of 911service to a large portion of southeast Nebraska.In both investigations the Commission seeks an explanation as to why the redundancy requiredof both telecommunications carriers failed and a solution to prevent this from happening again.Commissioner Watermeier said, “The highest level of service is expected and required of our911 service providers. There are no exceptions.”&nbsp;

PSC OPENS INVESTIGATIONS INTO 911 OUTAGES

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena announced today at Morgan Stanley's 11th Annual Laguna Conference that the railroad's Mexico intermodal products – Eagle and Falcon Premium – create unmatched intermodal services, connecting the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Union Pacific recently removed a full day of transit time for customers shipping on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.up.com/up/customers/premium/resource-center/eagle-premium/index.htm" target="_blank">Eagle&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.up.com/up/customers/premium/mexico-to-canada/index.htm" target="_blank">Falcon Premium</a>.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.up.com/up/customers/premium/resource-center/eagle-premium/index.htm" target="_blank">Eagle Premium</a>&nbsp;delivers seamless interchange between Mexico, Chicago, the West Coast, and eastern U.S. points, including Detroit, Michigan and Louisville, Kentucky.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.up.com/up/customers/premium/mexico-to-canada/index.htm" target="_blank">Falcon Premium</a>, developed jointly with Canadian National (CN) and Grupo Mexico (GMXT), serves all CN points within Canada and Detroit, Michigan.

Both Eagle and Falcon Premium take advantage of Union Pacific's route between Texas and Chicago. The services provide customers an environmentally responsible alternative to truck along a critical trade corridor, just in time to serve companies that have recently relocated to Mexico. Union Pacific's transit improvements directly compete with truck and benefit intermodal customers shipping automotive parts, food, FAK (freight all kinds), home appliances and temperature-controlled products.

“Union Pacific has a great network, and we will continue leveraging it to offer our customers competitive, world-class service,” said Vena. “I'm optimistic about the strong performance and the growth potential as a result of our operational excellence and opportunities created by the nearshoring trend in Mexico.”

Advantages for Union Pacific's customers include:

“Hundreds of miles are saved on the Union Pacific route from Mexico to Chicago, eastern U.S. cities and Canada compared to other solutions, and for our customers, this translates into service dependability and total delivered cost savings,” said Kenny Rocker, Union Pacific executive vice president – Marketing and Sales. “We're excited to offer this one-of-a-kind service and expect our customers to win in the marketplace.”

Union PacificUnion Pacific CEO Jim Vena announced today at Morgan Stanley's 11th Annual Laguna Conference that the railroad's Mexico intermodal products – Eagle and Falcon Premium – create unmatched intermodal services, connecting the United States, Mexico and Canada.Union Pacific recently removed a full day of transit time for customers shipping on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.up.com/up/customers/premium/resource-center/eagle-premium/index.htm" target="_blank">Eagle&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.up.com/up/customers/premium/mexico-to-canada/index.htm" target="_blank">Falcon Premium</a>.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.up.com/up/customers/premium/resource-center/eagle-premium/index.htm" target="_blank">Eagle Premium</a>&nbsp;delivers seamless interchange between Mexico, Chicago, the West Coast, and eastern U.S. points, including Detroit, Michigan and Louisville, Kentucky.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.up.com/up/customers/premium/mexico-to-canada/index.htm" target="_blank">Falcon Premium</a>, developed jointly with Canadian National (CN) and Grupo Mexico (GMXT), serves all CN points within Canada and Detroit, Michigan.Both Eagle and Falcon Premium take advantage of Union Pacific's route between Texas and Chicago. The services provide customers an environmentally responsible alternative to truck along a critical trade corridor, just in time to serve companies that have recently relocated to Mexico. Union Pacific's transit improvements directly compete with truck and benefit intermodal customers shipping automotive parts, food, FAK (freight all kinds), home appliances and temperature-controlled products.“Union Pacific has a great network, and we will continue leveraging it to offer our customers competitive, world-class service,” said Vena. “I'm optimistic about the strong performance and the growth potential as a result of our operational excellence and opportunities created by the nearshoring trend in Mexico.”Advantages for Union Pacific's customers include:<ul>
 <li>The most reliable, proven network connecting Mexico to the U.S. and Canada, leveraging each railroad's best services and routes including Union Pacific's 30-year history in Mexico. Union Pacific remains the only railroad to serve all six of Mexico's major gateways.</li><li>Seven-day per week service between GMXT terminals in Mexico: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, and Silao, Guanajuato. Service includes both interchange with GMXT at Eagle Pass, Texas, as well as through Union Pacific's Port Laredo Intermodal Terminal at Laredo, Texas, which is the shortest route and provides the most efficient delivery time with the least amount of elevation gain and crew changes.</li>
 </ul>“Hundreds of miles are saved on the Union Pacific route from Mexico to Chicago, eastern U.S. cities and Canada compared to other solutions, and for our customers, this translates into service dependability and total delivered cost savings,” said Kenny Rocker, Union Pacific executive vice president – Marketing and Sales. “We're excited to offer this one-of-a-kind service and expect our customers to win in the marketplace.”

Union Pacific's Newest Offering Removes Full Day of Transit Between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, Creating Unmatched Service for Customers

OTOE COUNTY —The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating a crash that involved a school bus on Tuesday morning on Highway 2 east of Palmyra, according to a media release from the patrol. Several students were injured in the crash.

At approximately 7:35 a.m. Tuesday, NSP received a report of a crash involving a school bus approximately one mile east of Palmyra. Troopers, Otoe County Sheriff’s Deputies, and rescue crews from Palmyra, Douglas, Syracuse, and Nebraska City all responded.

Upon arrival, several students were found with mostly minor injuries. All nine students aboard the bus were transported to Bryan Health Center West Campus with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. The students were all between ages 5 and 14. Parents were reunited with their kids at the hospital. Both drivers involved were also transported with non-life-threatening injuries.

Preliminary investigation shows that the bus was westbound on Highway 2 when it was slowing to turn onto a driveway. A westbound Ford F-150 then failed to slow down and rear-ended the bus causing it to roll onto its side. NSP is investigating the crash. That investigation is ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694549876083.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH TV</figcaption>
 </figure>OTOE COUNTY —The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating a crash that involved a school bus on Tuesday morning on Highway 2 east of Palmyra, according to a media release from the patrol. Several students were injured in the crash.At approximately 7:35 a.m. Tuesday, NSP received a report of a crash involving a school bus approximately one mile east of Palmyra. Troopers, Otoe County Sheriff’s Deputies, and rescue crews from Palmyra, Douglas, Syracuse, and Nebraska City all responded.Upon arrival, several students were found with mostly minor injuries. All nine students aboard the bus were transported to Bryan Health Center West Campus with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. The students were all between ages 5 and 14. Parents were reunited with their kids at the hospital. Both drivers involved were also transported with non-life-threatening injuries.Preliminary investigation shows that the bus was westbound on Highway 2 when it was slowing to turn onto a driveway. A westbound Ford F-150 then failed to slow down and rear-ended the bus causing it to roll onto its side. NSP is investigating the crash. That investigation is ongoing.

NSP investigating crash involving school bus

By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court to decide whether the abortion pill should remain on the market after two lower courts issued differing opinions about its use.

The case, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will likely be the second time the conservative-leaning Supreme Court rules on access to abortion since former President Donald Trump nominated three new justices, shifting the balance of power.

“The loss of access to mifepristone would be damaging for women and healthcare providers around the Nation,” the DOJ wrote in the 42-page document. “For many patients, mifepristone is the best method to lawfully terminate their early pregnancies. They may choose mifepristone over surgical abortion because of medical necessity, a desire for privacy, or past trauma.”

“Surgical abortion is an invasive medical procedure that can have greater health risks for some patients, such as those who are allergic to anesthesia,” DOJ added.

The DOJ called on the Supreme Court to take up the case by arguing that lower courts erred in several ways, including by making “serious legal errors.”

“The court scarcely acknowledged FDA’s detailed analysis of the available scientific evidence,” DOJ wrote. “Instead, it faulted FDA for failing to cite studies that do not exist and for failing to explicitly respond to unfounded objections that were not raised during the administrative process.”

Alliance Defending Freedom, an anti-abortion legal organization,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-could-decide-soon-february-yank-abortion-pill-nationwide">filed the lawsuit in November</a>&nbsp;on behalf of four anti-abortion medical organizations and four anti-abortion doctors.

The case argued the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas should overturn the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2000 approval of mifepristone, the first of two drugs used in medication abortion.

The original filing in the case said that if the judge didn’t end legal access to mifepristone, the court should revert prescribing and dosage to what was approved before 2016.

District Court Judge Matthew Joseph Kacsmaryk&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-administration-appeals-judges-ruling-ordering-abortion-pill-us-market">issued a ruling in April</a>&nbsp;that essentially overturned the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone, which is also commonly used in miscarriage treatment.

The U.S. Supreme Court later&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-supreme-court-preserves-access-abortion-pill-lawsuit-continues">issued a temporary stay of that ruling,</a>&nbsp;keeping mifepristone on the market until the justices decide whether to take up the case as part of the appeals process.

The district court ruling from Kacsmaryk was appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/three-judge-panel-us-appeals-court-hears-arguments-abortion-pill-case">heard oral arguments&nbsp;</a>in May and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/abortion-pill-stay-market-until-us-supreme-court-ruling-after-appeals-court-order-0">issued its ruling&nbsp;</a>in August.

The three-judge panel, made up of Republican-nominated judges, rejected the district judge’s decision to overturn the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone. But the appeals court ruled the FDA should revert prescribing and dosage to what was in place before 2016.

The 5th Circuit wrote in its opinion that in “loosening mifepristone’s safety restrictions, FDA failed to address several important concerns about whether the drug would be safe for the women who use it.”

“It failed to consider the cumulative effect of removing several important safeguards at the same time. It failed to consider whether those ‘major’ and ‘interrelated’ changes might alter the risk profile, such that the agency should continue to mandate reporting of non-fatal adverse events,” the appeals judges wrote. “And it failed to gather evidence that affirmatively showed that mifepristone could be used safely without being prescribed and dispensed in person.”

That ruling remains on hold until the Supreme Court issues its own opinion, or refuses to hear the case. That means mifepristone remains an FDA-approved drug that health care providers can continue prescribing in line with current standards.

If the Supreme Court orders the FDA to revert to pre-2016 use and dosage of mifepristone, it would lead to several changes.

Mifepristone could only be used to end a pregnancy in patients up to seven weeks gestation, not the current 10-week benchmark.

Only doctors, not other healthcare providers with the authority to prescribe medications, would be able to administer mifepristone.

Patients would need to attend three in-person doctor’s office visits, removing the option to prescribe the drug via telehealth and send it to patients through the mail.

The dosage of mifepristone would revert to what was used before 2016, as would the timing of when patients take a second medication known as misoprostol.

A Department of Justice spokesperson said following the appeals court’s ruling in August that the “Department strongly disagrees with the Fifth Circuit’s decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA and will be seeking Supreme Court review of that decision.”

In the writ of certiorari the Department of Justice sent to the Supreme Court on Friday asking the justices to hear the case, its attorneys argued that the 5th Circuit decision could have “especially disruptive implications for the pharmaceutical industry and those who depend upon the drugs it supplies.”

“Indeed, a wide range of industry participants have warned that the lower courts’ approach would ‘result in a seismic shift in the clinical development and drug approval processes, erecting unnecessary and unscientific barriers to the approval of lifesaving medicines, chilling drug development and investment, threatening patient access, and destabilizing the rigorous, well-established, and long-standing drug approval process.’”

The Department of Justice lawyers also wrote the 5th Circuit decision “did not conclude that mifepristone is unsafe.”

“Instead, the court held that FDA did not adequately explain its 2016 and 2021 actions,” DOJ attorneys wrote. “Even if that were true, those asserted failures of explanation would at most have justified a direction to FDA to further consider the relevant issues, without additional relief that would bar distribution of mifepristone as presently approved.”

If the U.S. Supreme Court decides to take up the case, the justices could issue a ruling as soon as next summer, just months before the 2024 presidential election.

The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-supreme-court-overturns-right-abortion-landmark-decision-16">ruled in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that Americans no longer had the constitutional right to abortion that was established nearly 50 years before in the landmark Roe v. Wade case.

The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf">wrote</a>&nbsp;that “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="In 23 years, the FDA has reported out of more than 5 million medication-abortion patients, 28 deaths, but not all necessarily because of mifepristone. -AP photo" />
 <figcaption>In 23 years, the FDA has reported out of more than 5 million medication-abortion patients, 28 deaths, but not all necessarily because of mifepristone. -AP photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court to decide whether the abortion pill should remain on the market after two lower courts issued differing opinions about its use.The case, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will likely be the second time the conservative-leaning Supreme Court rules on access to abortion since former President Donald Trump nominated three new justices, shifting the balance of power.“The loss of access to mifepristone would be damaging for women and healthcare providers around the Nation,” the DOJ wrote in the 42-page document. “For many patients, mifepristone is the best method to lawfully terminate their early pregnancies. They may choose mifepristone over surgical abortion because of medical necessity, a desire for privacy, or past trauma.”“Surgical abortion is an invasive medical procedure that can have greater health risks for some patients, such as those who are allergic to anesthesia,” DOJ added.The DOJ called on the Supreme Court to take up the case by arguing that lower courts erred in several ways, including by making “serious legal errors.”“The court scarcely acknowledged FDA’s detailed analysis of the available scientific evidence,” DOJ wrote. “Instead, it faulted FDA for failing to cite studies that do not exist and for failing to explicitly respond to unfounded objections that were not raised during the administrative process.”Alliance Defending Freedom, an anti-abortion legal organization,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-could-decide-soon-february-yank-abortion-pill-nationwide">filed the lawsuit in November</a>&nbsp;on behalf of four anti-abortion medical organizations and four anti-abortion doctors.The case argued the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas should overturn the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2000 approval of mifepristone, the first of two drugs used in medication abortion.The original filing in the case said that if the judge didn’t end legal access to mifepristone, the court should revert prescribing and dosage to what was approved before 2016.District Court Judge Matthew Joseph Kacsmaryk&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-administration-appeals-judges-ruling-ordering-abortion-pill-us-market">issued a ruling in April</a>&nbsp;that essentially overturned the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone, which is also commonly used in miscarriage treatment.The U.S. Supreme Court later&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-supreme-court-preserves-access-abortion-pill-lawsuit-continues">issued a temporary stay of that ruling,</a>&nbsp;keeping mifepristone on the market until the justices decide whether to take up the case as part of the appeals process.The district court ruling from Kacsmaryk was appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/three-judge-panel-us-appeals-court-hears-arguments-abortion-pill-case">heard oral arguments&nbsp;</a>in May and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/abortion-pill-stay-market-until-us-supreme-court-ruling-after-appeals-court-order-0">issued its ruling&nbsp;</a>in August.The three-judge panel, made up of Republican-nominated judges, rejected the district judge’s decision to overturn the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone. But the appeals court ruled the FDA should revert prescribing and dosage to what was in place before 2016.The 5th Circuit wrote in its opinion that in “loosening mifepristone’s safety restrictions, FDA failed to address several important concerns about whether the drug would be safe for the women who use it.”“It failed to consider the cumulative effect of removing several important safeguards at the same time. It failed to consider whether those ‘major’ and ‘interrelated’ changes might alter the risk profile, such that the agency should continue to mandate reporting of non-fatal adverse events,” the appeals judges wrote. “And it failed to gather evidence that affirmatively showed that mifepristone could be used safely without being prescribed and dispensed in person.”That ruling remains on hold until the Supreme Court issues its own opinion, or refuses to hear the case. That means mifepristone remains an FDA-approved drug that health care providers can continue prescribing in line with current standards.If the Supreme Court orders the FDA to revert to pre-2016 use and dosage of mifepristone, it would lead to several changes.Mifepristone could only be used to end a pregnancy in patients up to seven weeks gestation, not the current 10-week benchmark.Only doctors, not other healthcare providers with the authority to prescribe medications, would be able to administer mifepristone.Patients would need to attend three in-person doctor’s office visits, removing the option to prescribe the drug via telehealth and send it to patients through the mail.The dosage of mifepristone would revert to what was used before 2016, as would the timing of when patients take a second medication known as misoprostol.A Department of Justice spokesperson said following the appeals court’s ruling in August that the “Department strongly disagrees with the Fifth Circuit’s decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA and will be seeking Supreme Court review of that decision.”In the writ of certiorari the Department of Justice sent to the Supreme Court on Friday asking the justices to hear the case, its attorneys argued that the 5th Circuit decision could have “especially disruptive implications for the pharmaceutical industry and those who depend upon the drugs it supplies.”“Indeed, a wide range of industry participants have warned that the lower courts’ approach would ‘result in a seismic shift in the clinical development and drug approval processes, erecting unnecessary and unscientific barriers to the approval of lifesaving medicines, chilling drug development and investment, threatening patient access, and destabilizing the rigorous, well-established, and long-standing drug approval process.’”The Department of Justice lawyers also wrote the 5th Circuit decision “did not conclude that mifepristone is unsafe.”“Instead, the court held that FDA did not adequately explain its 2016 and 2021 actions,” DOJ attorneys wrote. “Even if that were true, those asserted failures of explanation would at most have justified a direction to FDA to further consider the relevant issues, without additional relief that would bar distribution of mifepristone as presently approved.”If the U.S. Supreme Court decides to take up the case, the justices could issue a ruling as soon as next summer, just months before the 2024 presidential election.The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-supreme-court-overturns-right-abortion-landmark-decision-16">ruled in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that Americans no longer had the constitutional right to abortion that was established nearly 50 years before in the landmark Roe v. Wade case.The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf">wrote</a>&nbsp;that “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/plugins/states-newsroom/republisher/assets/img/ccwhite.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Justice Department wants Supreme Court to take up abortion pill case

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday he is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-speaker-biden-impeachment-republicans-shutdown-4d8c314763252429a6f87e7d13ad2b43">directing a House committee</a>&nbsp;to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his family's business dealings, launching historic proceedings ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-poll-old-corrupt-12b806876e2072790f9a67793761c688">2024 election.</a>

McCarthy said the House Oversight Committee's investigation so far has found a “culture of corruption” around the Biden family as Republicans probe the business dealings of Biden's son,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>, from before the Democratic president took office.

“These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said outside the speaker's office at the Capitol. "That’s why today I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.”

The announcement comes as the Republican leader faces mounting pressure from his right flank to take action against Biden while he also is struggling to pass legislation needed to avoid a federal government shutdown at the end of the month.

An inquiry is step toward impeachment, and McCarthy essentially outlined potential charges. He is is planning to convene lawmakers behind closed doors multiple times this week, including for a meeting to discuss the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Biden</a>&nbsp;impeachment.

The Republican leader is once again at a political crossroads — trying to keep his most conservative lawmakers satisfied and prevent his own ouster. It’s a familiar political bind for McCarthy,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">who is juggling</a>&nbsp;the impeachment inquiry and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-impeachment-congress-funding-048dee639bb0dcb6604f05ba2f0782a8">government shutdown threat</a>&nbsp;with no clear end game.

Government funding is to run out on Sept. 30, which is the end of the federal fiscal year, and Congress must pass new funding bills or risk a shutdown and the interruption of government services.

Biden’s White House has dismissed the impeachment push as politically motivated.

“Speaker McCarthy shouldn’t cave to the extreme, far-right members who are threatening to shut down the government unless they get a baseless, evidence-free impeachment of President Biden. The consequences for the American people are too serious,” White House spokesman Ian Sams has said.

The impeachment push comes as Trump, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">twice impeached</a>&nbsp;by the House but acquitted by the Senate, faces more serious charges in court. Trump has been indicted four times this year, including for trying to overturn the 2020 election Biden won.

"This is a transparent effort to boost Donald Trump’s campaign by establishing a false moral equivalency between Trump — the four time-indicted former president" and Biden, who faces “zero evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

House Republicans are probing the business dealings of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;but so far have not produced hard evidence linking them and the president. They have shown a few instances largely during the time the elder Biden was Barack Obama's vice president when he spoke by phone with his son and stopped by dinners his son was hosting with business partners.

An impeachment inquiry would provide more heft to the House investigation, especially as it battles in court for access to Biden family financial records.

Republicans contend the Justice Department has not fully probed the allegations against Hunter Biden, and say he received preferential treatment in what they call a sweetheart plea deal that recently collapsed. The Department of Justice has appointed a special prosecutor in that probe.

"We will go wherever the evidence takes us,” McCarthy said.

The White House has insisted Biden was not involved in his son’s business dealings. And Democrats on the Oversight Committee are stepping up to fight against what they view as unfounded claims against him ahead of the 2024 election.

Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman leading the Oversight Committee, is digging into the Biden family finances and is expected to seek banking records for Hunter Biden as the panel tries to follow the flow of money.

On Tuesday, Comer demanded the State Department produce documents about the work Biden did as vice president during the Obama administration to clean up corruption in Ukraine. Comer wants to understand the State Department's views of former Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, whom Biden and many Western allies wanted removed from office because of allegations of corruption.

This comes as federal government funding is set to run out on Sept. 30, which is the end of the federal fiscal year, and Congress must pass new funding bills or risk a shutdown and the interruption of government services.

Conservatives who power McCarty's majority want to slash spending, and the hard right is unwilling to approve spending levels the speaker negotiated with Biden earlier this year.

McCarthy is trying to float a 30-day stopgap measure to keep government running to Nov. 1, but conservatives are balking at what's called a continuing resolution, or CR, as they pursue cuts.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said late Monday exiting McCarthy's office she has “red lines" against any new money being spent for COVID-19 vaccines or mandates or Russia's war in Ukraine.

Another Republican, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a top Trump ally, is warning that McCarthy could face blowback from conservatives if he does not push hard for spending cuts.

At the start of the year, Gaetz and other Republicans secured agreements from McCarthy as he struggled to win their votes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">become House speaker</a>.

Under the House rules, McCarthy's opponents are able to call a vote at any time to try to oust the speaker from office.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday he is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-speaker-biden-impeachment-republicans-shutdown-4d8c314763252429a6f87e7d13ad2b43">directing a House committee</a>&nbsp;to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his family's business dealings, launching historic proceedings ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-poll-old-corrupt-12b806876e2072790f9a67793761c688">2024 election.</a><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">House Speaker McCarthy: &quot;I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ynjJXEZ5fT">pic.twitter.com/ynjJXEZ5fT</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1701626243404157141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>McCarthy said the House Oversight Committee's investigation so far has found a “culture of corruption” around the Biden family as Republicans probe the business dealings of Biden's son,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>, from before the Democratic president took office.“These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said outside the speaker's office at the Capitol. "That’s why today I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Biden Crime Family, LLC.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1701661375754322261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The announcement comes as the Republican leader faces mounting pressure from his right flank to take action against Biden while he also is struggling to pass legislation needed to avoid a federal government shutdown at the end of the month.An inquiry is step toward impeachment, and McCarthy essentially outlined potential charges. He is is planning to convene lawmakers behind closed doors multiple times this week, including for a meeting to discuss the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Biden</a>&nbsp;impeachment.The Republican leader is once again at a political crossroads — trying to keep his most conservative lawmakers satisfied and prevent his own ouster. It’s a familiar political bind for McCarthy,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">who is juggling</a>&nbsp;the impeachment inquiry and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-impeachment-congress-funding-048dee639bb0dcb6604f05ba2f0782a8">government shutdown threat</a>&nbsp;with no clear end game.Government funding is to run out on Sept. 30, which is the end of the federal fiscal year, and Congress must pass new funding bills or risk a shutdown and the interruption of government services.Biden’s White House has dismissed the impeachment push as politically motivated.“Speaker McCarthy shouldn’t cave to the extreme, far-right members who are threatening to shut down the government unless they get a baseless, evidence-free impeachment of President Biden. The consequences for the American people are too serious,” White House spokesman Ian Sams has said.The impeachment push comes as Trump, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">twice impeached</a>&nbsp;by the House but acquitted by the Senate, faces more serious charges in court. Trump has been indicted four times this year, including for trying to overturn the 2020 election Biden won."This is a transparent effort to boost Donald Trump’s campaign by establishing a false moral equivalency between Trump — the four time-indicted former president" and Biden, who faces “zero evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.House Republicans are probing the business dealings of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;but so far have not produced hard evidence linking them and the president. They have shown a few instances largely during the time the elder Biden was Barack Obama's vice president when he spoke by phone with his son and stopped by dinners his son was hosting with business partners.An impeachment inquiry would provide more heft to the House investigation, especially as it battles in court for access to Biden family financial records.Republicans contend the Justice Department has not fully probed the allegations against Hunter Biden, and say he received preferential treatment in what they call a sweetheart plea deal that recently collapsed. The Department of Justice has appointed a special prosecutor in that probe."We will go wherever the evidence takes us,” McCarthy said.The White House has insisted Biden was not involved in his son’s business dealings. And Democrats on the Oversight Committee are stepping up to fight against what they view as unfounded claims against him ahead of the 2024 election.Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman leading the Oversight Committee, is digging into the Biden family finances and is expected to seek banking records for Hunter Biden as the panel tries to follow the flow of money.On Tuesday, Comer demanded the State Department produce documents about the work Biden did as vice president during the Obama administration to clean up corruption in Ukraine. Comer wants to understand the State Department's views of former Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, whom Biden and many Western allies wanted removed from office because of allegations of corruption.This comes as federal government funding is set to run out on Sept. 30, which is the end of the federal fiscal year, and Congress must pass new funding bills or risk a shutdown and the interruption of government services.Conservatives who power McCarty's majority want to slash spending, and the hard right is unwilling to approve spending levels the speaker negotiated with Biden earlier this year.McCarthy is trying to float a 30-day stopgap measure to keep government running to Nov. 1, but conservatives are balking at what's called a continuing resolution, or CR, as they pursue cuts.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said late Monday exiting McCarthy's office she has “red lines" against any new money being spent for COVID-19 vaccines or mandates or Russia's war in Ukraine.Another Republican, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a top Trump ally, is warning that McCarthy could face blowback from conservatives if he does not push hard for spending cuts.At the start of the year, Gaetz and other Republicans secured agreements from McCarthy as he struggled to win their votes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">become House speaker</a>.Under the House rules, McCarthy's opponents are able to call a vote at any time to try to oust the speaker from office.

🎥House panel to open impeachment inquiry of President Biden

LINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;— September 12, 2023 —&nbsp;Four Nebraska-made products have advanced to the semifinals of the “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” tournament.

Public voting for the top four semifinalists in the bracket-style competition will be held Tuesday, September 12, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 17 at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nemanufacturingalliance.com/top-4-voting-2023.html" target="_blank">nemanufacturingalliance.com</a>.&nbsp;Each voter is permitted one vote per matchup, per round. The first two rounds of the competition drew about 40,000 votes total.

The following Nebraska manufacturers and their featured products are semifinalists.

The&nbsp;contest, hosted by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nemanufacturingalliance.com/" target="_blank">NE Manufacturing Alliance</a>&nbsp;and powered by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nechamber.com/" target="_blank">NE Chamber</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nppd.com/?locale=en" target="_blank">Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD</a>)&nbsp;– together with your local public power utility, celebrates the state’s thriving manufacturing industry with Nebraska residents, students, educators, community leaders, manufacturers and especially, the more than 100,000 Nebraska makers working in manufacturing every day.

The tournament leads Nebraskans into the annual celebration of NE Manufacturing Month this October. The champion will be announced October 10 at the&nbsp;<a href="https://web.nechamber.com/events/2023NE%20Chamber%20Manufacturing%20Summit-527/details" target="_blank">NE Chamber’s Manufacturing Summit</a>&nbsp;in La Vista, where the top 16 finalists are invited to display their products.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694528717467.jpeg" alt="coolest thing bracket 2023 round 3/Photo provided by&nbsp; Coolest Thing Made In Nebraska" />
 <figcaption>coolest thing bracket 2023 round 3/Photo provided by&nbsp; Coolest Thing Made In Nebraska</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;— September 12, 2023 —&nbsp;Four Nebraska-made products have advanced to the semifinals of the “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” tournament.Public voting for the top four semifinalists in the bracket-style competition will be held Tuesday, September 12, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 17 at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nemanufacturingalliance.com/top-4-voting-2023.html" target="_blank">nemanufacturingalliance.com</a>.&nbsp;Each voter is permitted one vote per matchup, per round. The first two rounds of the competition drew about 40,000 votes total.The following Nebraska manufacturers and their featured products are semifinalists.<ul>
 <li>Endicott Invisi-Lug Clay Paver,&nbsp;Endicott Clay Products Company, Endicott</li><li>Fire Truck,&nbsp;Danko Emergency Equipment, Snyder</li><li>Ignis Firefighting System,&nbsp;Drone Amplifed, Lincoln</li><li>Rocket Mobility All-Terrain Tracked Wheelchair, Rocket Mobility, Columbus</li>
 </ul>The&nbsp;contest, hosted by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nemanufacturingalliance.com/" target="_blank">NE Manufacturing Alliance</a>&nbsp;and powered by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nechamber.com/" target="_blank">NE Chamber</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nppd.com/?locale=en" target="_blank">Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD</a>)&nbsp;– together with your local public power utility, celebrates the state’s thriving manufacturing industry with Nebraska residents, students, educators, community leaders, manufacturers and especially, the more than 100,000 Nebraska makers working in manufacturing every day.The tournament leads Nebraskans into the annual celebration of NE Manufacturing Month this October. The champion will be announced October 10 at the&nbsp;<a href="https://web.nechamber.com/events/2023NE%20Chamber%20Manufacturing%20Summit-527/details" target="_blank">NE Chamber’s Manufacturing Summit</a>&nbsp;in La Vista, where the top 16 finalists are invited to display their products.

Four products make semifinals in ‘Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska’ contest

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/11/nebraska-legislature-hires-outside-lawyer-to-advise-about-work-of-inspectors-general/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Legislature has hired an outside lawyer to help senators find a legislative solution to last month’s opinion by the state attorney general’s that limited lawmakers’ oversight of the state’s child welfare and prison systems.

Speaker of the Legislature John Arch and State Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, chair of the Executive Committee, confirmed they had hired the lawyer. Briese said some state lawmakers had “expressed serious concerns about the impact this opinion could have on the Legislature’s ability to conduct meaningful oversight.”

It was not immediately clear in the letter Briese sent to members of the Legislature how much hiring the lawyer could cost taxpayers. Briese wrote that senators would benefit from an opinion outside of in-house counsel.

In a statement Monday, Arch said the Legislature’s Executive Board hired Marnie Jensen of Omaha law firm Husch Blackwell. Arch said they hired her to advise them on how the inspectors general of child welfare and corrections can still do their jobs without having unfettered access to state data from the executive and judicial branches of government.&nbsp;

Arch said the outside lawyer also would help state lawmakers “craft a constitutionally sound long-term solution.” Briese told the Examiner he and Arch want to find a “fairly agreeable way” to provide legislative oversight of the child welfare system, which is run by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and the prison system, run by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, and juvenile probation, which is run by the state’s court system via the Supreme Court.

In 2021, Jensen previously helped the Legislature’s special investigative committee on child welfare in eastern Nebraska.

The Legislature hired Jensen in response to a mid-August opinion from Attorney General Mike Hilgers. In it, Hilgers said the Legislature’s design of the powers of the inspectors general to control and access state information from other branches of government violated the state constitution’s separation of powers.&nbsp;

Part of the problem, Hilgers wrote, was the lack of direct legislative oversight of the inspectors. The independence the Legislature built into the offices to ensure a freer flow of accurate information may have added constitutional questions.

Both inspectors general were created after problems that surfaced during previous gubernatorial administrations in managing the child welfare and prison systems. The office of the child welfare inspector general was created in 2012. The inspector general’s office for corrections was created in 2015. That same year, the Legislature added oversight of juvenile probation to the office of inspector general for child welfare.&nbsp;

The state agencies that are the subject of the inspectors’ work have often pushed back against requests for information and against the inspectors’ findings.

“I’m still confident we can arrive at a legislative solution to fix some of these things and arrive at a level of legislative oversight … while still addressing the concerns of the attorney general,” Briese said. “We’ve got to assess it and evaluate it and see where the solution lies.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694524771274.jpeg" alt="State senators work on the final day of the 2023 session of the Nebraska Legislature (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State senators work on the final day of the 2023 session of the Nebraska Legislature (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/11/nebraska-legislature-hires-outside-lawyer-to-advise-about-work-of-inspectors-general/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN – The Nebraska Legislature has hired an outside lawyer to help senators find a legislative solution to last month’s opinion by the state attorney general’s that limited lawmakers’ oversight of the state’s child welfare and prison systems.Speaker of the Legislature John Arch and State Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, chair of the Executive Committee, confirmed they had hired the lawyer. Briese said some state lawmakers had “expressed serious concerns about the impact this opinion could have on the Legislature’s ability to conduct meaningful oversight.”It was not immediately clear in the letter Briese sent to members of the Legislature how much hiring the lawyer could cost taxpayers. Briese wrote that senators would benefit from an opinion outside of in-house counsel.In a statement Monday, Arch said the Legislature’s Executive Board hired Marnie Jensen of Omaha law firm Husch Blackwell. Arch said they hired her to advise them on how the inspectors general of child welfare and corrections can still do their jobs without having unfettered access to state data from the executive and judicial branches of government.&nbsp;Arch said the outside lawyer also would help state lawmakers “craft a constitutionally sound long-term solution.” Briese told the Examiner he and Arch want to find a “fairly agreeable way” to provide legislative oversight of the child welfare system, which is run by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and the prison system, run by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, and juvenile probation, which is run by the state’s court system via the Supreme Court.<h2>Experienced lawyer</h2>In 2021, Jensen previously helped the Legislature’s special investigative committee on child welfare in eastern Nebraska.The Legislature hired Jensen in response to a mid-August opinion from Attorney General Mike Hilgers. In it, Hilgers said the Legislature’s design of the powers of the inspectors general to control and access state information from other branches of government violated the state constitution’s separation of powers.&nbsp;Part of the problem, Hilgers wrote, was the lack of direct legislative oversight of the inspectors. The independence the Legislature built into the offices to ensure a freer flow of accurate information may have added constitutional questions.Both inspectors general were created after problems that surfaced during previous gubernatorial administrations in managing the child welfare and prison systems. The office of the child welfare inspector general was created in 2012. The inspector general’s office for corrections was created in 2015. That same year, the Legislature added oversight of juvenile probation to the office of inspector general for child welfare.&nbsp;The state agencies that are the subject of the inspectors’ work have often pushed back against requests for information and against the inspectors’ findings.“I’m still confident we can arrive at a legislative solution to fix some of these things and arrive at a level of legislative oversight … while still addressing the concerns of the attorney general,” Briese said. “We’ve got to assess it and evaluate it and see where the solution lies.”

Nebraska Legislature hires outside lawyer to advise about work of inspectors general

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. approved updated COVID-19 vaccines Monday, hoping to rev up protection against the latest coronavirus strains and blunt any surge this fall and winter.

The Food and Drug Administration decision opens the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-flu-rsv-vaccines-tripledemic-2a55728638c1c0879ce58deeeb0196bf">newest shots</a>&nbsp;from Moderna and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to most Americans even if they’ve never had a coronavirus vaccination. It’s part of a shift to treat fall updates of the COVID-19 vaccine much like getting a yearly flu shot.

There’s still another step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must sign off. A CDC advisory panel is set to issue recommendations Tuesday on who most needs the updated shots. Vaccinations could begin later this week, and both the COVID-19 and flu shot can be given at the same visit.

A third vaccine maker, Novavax, said its updated shot is still being reviewed by the FDA.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have been rising since late summer although –- thanks to lasting immunity from prior vaccinations and infections –- not nearly as much as this time last year.

But protection wanes over time and the coronavirus continually churns out new variants that can dodge prior immunity. It’s been a year since the last time the vaccines were tweaked, and only about 20% of adults ever received that earlier update.

“Vaccination remains critical to public health and continued protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said in a statement. “We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated.”

Just like earlier vaccinations, the fall round is cleared for adults and children as young as age 6 months. FDA said starting at age 5, most people can get a single dose even if they’ve never had a prior COVID-19 shot. Younger children might need additional doses depending on their history of COVID-19 infections and vaccinations.

The FDA pointedly isn’t calling this latest round a “booster” but instead a vaccine updated to better match the currently circulating virus. The new recipe targets an omicron variant named XBB.1.5 — replacing outdated combination vaccines that mixed protection against the original coronavirus strain and an older version of omicron.

And while even the XBB.1.5 variant is no longer dominant, FDA determined that it’s close enough to coronavirus strains causing most COVID-19 illnesses today to offer good cross-protection. Like earlier versions, they're expected to be most protective against COVID-19's worst consequences rather than mild infection.

But while the FDA's decision allows for wide use of the updated shots, the CDC will decide how strongly different groups are urged to get them.

Federal officials have said the shots still will be free to most Americans through private insurance or Medicare. But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/bridge/index.html">for the uninsured or underinsured,</a>&nbsp;the CDC is working with health departments, clinics and certain pharmacies to temporarily provide free shots.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694460878166.png" alt="This photo provided by Pfizer in September 2023 shows single-dose vials of the company's updated COVID vaccine for adults. U.S. regulators have approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, shots aimed at revving up protection this fall and winter. The Food and Drug Administration's decision Monday, Sept. 11, 2023 is part of a shift to treat fall COVID-19 vaccine updates much like getting a yearly flu shot. (Pfizer via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This photo provided by Pfizer in September 2023 shows single-dose vials of the company's updated COVID vaccine for adults. U.S. regulators have approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, shots aimed at revving up protection this fall and winter. The Food and Drug Administration's decision Monday, Sept. 11, 2023 is part of a shift to treat fall COVID-19 vaccine updates much like getting a yearly flu shot. (Pfizer via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. approved updated COVID-19 vaccines Monday, hoping to rev up protection against the latest coronavirus strains and blunt any surge this fall and winter.The Food and Drug Administration decision opens the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-flu-rsv-vaccines-tripledemic-2a55728638c1c0879ce58deeeb0196bf">newest shots</a>&nbsp;from Moderna and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to most Americans even if they’ve never had a coronavirus vaccination. It’s part of a shift to treat fall updates of the COVID-19 vaccine much like getting a yearly flu shot.There’s still another step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must sign off. A CDC advisory panel is set to issue recommendations Tuesday on who most needs the updated shots. Vaccinations could begin later this week, and both the COVID-19 and flu shot can be given at the same visit.A third vaccine maker, Novavax, said its updated shot is still being reviewed by the FDA.COVID-19 hospitalizations have been rising since late summer although –- thanks to lasting immunity from prior vaccinations and infections –- not nearly as much as this time last year.But protection wanes over time and the coronavirus continually churns out new variants that can dodge prior immunity. It’s been a year since the last time the vaccines were tweaked, and only about 20% of adults ever received that earlier update.“Vaccination remains critical to public health and continued protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said in a statement. “We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated.”Just like earlier vaccinations, the fall round is cleared for adults and children as young as age 6 months. FDA said starting at age 5, most people can get a single dose even if they’ve never had a prior COVID-19 shot. Younger children might need additional doses depending on their history of COVID-19 infections and vaccinations.The FDA pointedly isn’t calling this latest round a “booster” but instead a vaccine updated to better match the currently circulating virus. The new recipe targets an omicron variant named XBB.1.5 — replacing outdated combination vaccines that mixed protection against the original coronavirus strain and an older version of omicron.And while even the XBB.1.5 variant is no longer dominant, FDA determined that it’s close enough to coronavirus strains causing most COVID-19 illnesses today to offer good cross-protection. Like earlier versions, they're expected to be most protective against COVID-19's worst consequences rather than mild infection.But while the FDA's decision allows for wide use of the updated shots, the CDC will decide how strongly different groups are urged to get them.Federal officials have said the shots still will be free to most Americans through private insurance or Medicare. But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/bridge/index.html">for the uninsured or underinsured,</a>&nbsp;the CDC is working with health departments, clinics and certain pharmacies to temporarily provide free shots.

2 new COVID vaccines approved for your protection this fall

NEW YORK (AP) —The U.S. government is taking aim at what has been an indomitable empire: Google’s ubiquitous search engine that has become the internet’s main gateway.

The legal attack will swing into full force Tuesday in a Washington D.C. federal courtroom that will serve as the battleground for the biggest U.S. antitrust trial since regulators went after Microsoft and its dominance of personal computer software a quarter century ago.

The 10-week trial before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta is expected to include potentially revelatory testimony from top executives at Google and its corporate parent Alphabet, as well as other powerful technology companies. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who succeeded Google co-founder Larry Page in 2019, will be among the most prominent witnesses likely to testify. Court documents also indicate one of Apple's highest-ranking executives, Eddy Cue, might be called to the stand.

The case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-microsoft-doj-6a800b51cc9b6b1c4d1b23bad4510040">Google mirrors the one brought against Microsoft</a>&nbsp;in many ways, including the existential threat it poses to a renowned tech giant whose products are relied on by billions of people.

The trial is scheduled to continue into late November before its first phase wraps, after which another round of court filings and arguments are expected. Mehta isn’t expected to issue a ruling until early next year. If he decides Google has been breaking the law, it will trigger another trial to determine what measures should be taken to rein in the Mountain View, California, company.

Although Google products such as the Chrome web browser, Gmail, YouTube and online maps all are hugely popular, none have become as indispensable — or as valuable — as the internet search engine invented by Page and a fellow Stanford University graduate student, Sergey Brin, during the late 1990s.

The trial is beginning just a couple weeks after the 25th anniversary of the first investment in the company — a $100,000 check written by Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim that enabled Page and Brin to set up shop in a Silicon Valley garage.

Today, Google's corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., is worth $1.7 trillion and employs 182,000 people, with most of the money coming from $224 billion in annual ad sales flowing through a network of digital services anchored by a search engine that fields billions of queries a day.

Google could be hobbled if the antitrust trial culminates in concessions that undercut its power. One possibility is that the company could be forced to stop paying Apple and other companies to make Google the default search engine on smartphones and computers.

Or the legal battle could cause Google to lose focus. That's what happened to Microsoft after its antitrust showdown with the Justice Department: Distracted, the software giant struggled to adapt to the impact of internet search and smartphones. Google capitalized on that distraction to leap from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-lawsuit-doj-f8f82967dc0d53a42c240b31d1559ccf">its startup roots into an imposing powerhouse.</a>

Nearly three years&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-justice-department-antitrust-0510e8f9047956254455ec5d4db06044">after filing its antitrust lawsuit</a>&nbsp;during the Trump administration, lawyers from the U.S. Justice Department will try to prove Google has been abusing the power of its search engine to stifle competition in ways that discouraged innovation. Critics say the quality of search results has deteriorated, too, as Google used its engine to sell ads and promote its own products, like Google restaurant reviews instead of those offered by Yelp.

Dozens of state attorneys general, led by Colorado, have waded into the battle and will have a chance to prove Google turned into an illegal monopoly that's harming consumers.

The crux of the Justice Department's argument will boil down to its contention that Google's search engine has become like digital air almost everyone breathes, and that it needs to be cleaned up because the company's tactics have polluted the atmosphere.

NEW YORK (AP) —The U.S. government is taking aim at what has been an indomitable empire: Google’s ubiquitous search engine that has become the internet’s main gateway.The legal attack will swing into full force Tuesday in a Washington D.C. federal courtroom that will serve as the battleground for the biggest U.S. antitrust trial since regulators went after Microsoft and its dominance of personal computer software a quarter century ago.The 10-week trial before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta is expected to include potentially revelatory testimony from top executives at Google and its corporate parent Alphabet, as well as other powerful technology companies. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who succeeded Google co-founder Larry Page in 2019, will be among the most prominent witnesses likely to testify. Court documents also indicate one of Apple's highest-ranking executives, Eddy Cue, might be called to the stand.The case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-microsoft-doj-6a800b51cc9b6b1c4d1b23bad4510040">Google mirrors the one brought against Microsoft</a>&nbsp;in many ways, including the existential threat it poses to a renowned tech giant whose products are relied on by billions of people.The trial is scheduled to continue into late November before its first phase wraps, after which another round of court filings and arguments are expected. Mehta isn’t expected to issue a ruling until early next year. If he decides Google has been breaking the law, it will trigger another trial to determine what measures should be taken to rein in the Mountain View, California, company.Although Google products such as the Chrome web browser, Gmail, YouTube and online maps all are hugely popular, none have become as indispensable — or as valuable — as the internet search engine invented by Page and a fellow Stanford University graduate student, Sergey Brin, during the late 1990s.The trial is beginning just a couple weeks after the 25th anniversary of the first investment in the company — a $100,000 check written by Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim that enabled Page and Brin to set up shop in a Silicon Valley garage.Today, Google's corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., is worth $1.7 trillion and employs 182,000 people, with most of the money coming from $224 billion in annual ad sales flowing through a network of digital services anchored by a search engine that fields billions of queries a day.Google could be hobbled if the antitrust trial culminates in concessions that undercut its power. One possibility is that the company could be forced to stop paying Apple and other companies to make Google the default search engine on smartphones and computers.Or the legal battle could cause Google to lose focus. That's what happened to Microsoft after its antitrust showdown with the Justice Department: Distracted, the software giant struggled to adapt to the impact of internet search and smartphones. Google capitalized on that distraction to leap from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-lawsuit-doj-f8f82967dc0d53a42c240b31d1559ccf">its startup roots into an imposing powerhouse.</a>Nearly three years&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-justice-department-antitrust-0510e8f9047956254455ec5d4db06044">after filing its antitrust lawsuit</a>&nbsp;during the Trump administration, lawyers from the U.S. Justice Department will try to prove Google has been abusing the power of its search engine to stifle competition in ways that discouraged innovation. Critics say the quality of search results has deteriorated, too, as Google used its engine to sell ads and promote its own products, like Google restaurant reviews instead of those offered by Yelp.Dozens of state attorneys general, led by Colorado, have waded into the battle and will have a chance to prove Google turned into an illegal monopoly that's harming consumers.The crux of the Justice Department's argument will boil down to its contention that Google's search engine has become like digital air almost everyone breathes, and that it needs to be cleaned up because the company's tactics have polluted the atmosphere.Google's vast legal team is expected to counter that the company has never stopped improving its search engine, executing its original mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible to anyone with an internet connection. From Google's perspective, the perpetual improvements explain why most people almost reflexively gravitate to its search engine, a habit that long ago made “Googling” synonymous with looking things up.Despite commanding about 90% of the internet search market, Google argues it faces a wide range of competition ranging from other search engines such as Microsoft's Bing and DuckDuckGo to websites such as Amazon and Yelp, where people research questions about what product to buy or where to eat.The Justice Department contends Google's claim that it dominates the market by supplying the best search engine is a canard. They allege Google protects its franchise through a form of payola, shelling out billions of dollars annually to be the default search engine on the iPhone and web browser such as Apple's Safari and Mozilla's Firefox.Regulators also allege Google has illegally rigged the market in its favor by requiring its search engine to be bundled with its Android software for smartphones if the device manufacturers want full access to the Android app store.By locking in Google's search engine as the default choice in so many places, the Justice Department contends the company has made it more difficult for people to find the best results as quickly as possible.Regulators allege the company's deals ensure Google's automatic access to billions of queries that provide data for its search engine, while boxing out Bing and DuckDuckGo from getting information that could help them improve their results.The tactics have created a toxic situation allowing Google to cram more ads at the top of its search results, increasing its profits and Alphabet's stock price, according to the Justice Department. That practice requires consumers to dig ever deeper to answer their questions, something that regulators believe could be avoided if rival services were able to collect as much information as Google does through its lock-in agreements.Google insists that consumers could easily switch their default settings to another search engine.The company also argues that it does face competition from evolving technology: Microsoft, for example, is baking artificial intelligence from its business partner Open AI into its Bing search engine. That move in early February prodded Google to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-artificial-intelligence-search-engine-chatgpt-microsoft-fd0538018df958388991772ced6e693d">start equipping its search engine with AI-fueled results</a>&nbsp;too — a sign that the company says shows competition continues to thrive.