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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

White House meetings continue on efforts to free hostages 

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

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

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

Oxford Man Convicted for Felon in Possession of Firearm

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winter Storm Keeps Trooper Busy on Christmas Day   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FDA: Fake Ozempic shots being sold through some legitimate sources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a statement Tuesday, Sudani condemned both the militia attack in Irbil and the U.S. response.

Attacks on “foreign diplomatic mission headquarters and sites hosting military advisors from friendly nations … infringe upon Iraq’s sovereignty and are deemed unacceptable under any circumstances,” the statement said.

However, it added that that the retaliatory strikes by the U.S. on “Iraqi military sites” — referring to the militia — “constitute a clear hostile act.” Sudani said some of those injured in the strikes were civilians.

&nbsp;Baghdad (AP) — &nbsp;In response to multiple attacks against coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, U.S. military forces conducted airstrikes against multiple facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq at 8:45 p.m. (EST) on Dec. 25, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.


Earlier in the day, Iranian sponsored Kataib Hezbollah terrorists and affiliated groups attacked coalition forces at Erbil, Iraq resulting in several injuries.



Early assessments indicate that these U.S. airstrikes destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants.  There are no indications that any civilian lives were affected. 

 The U.S. military will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of these strikes.

"These strikes are intended to hold accountable those elements directly responsible for attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and Syria and degrade their ability to continue attacks.  We will always protect our forces," said General Michael Erik Kurilla, U.S. Central Command Commander

Meanwhile, An Israeli airstrike Monday in a Damascus neighborhood killed a high-ranking Iranian general, Iranian state media said.

Iranian officials and allied militant groups in the region vowed revenge for the killing but did not immediately launch any retaliatory strike.

The killing of Seyed Razi Mousavi, a longtime adviser of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Syria, comes amid ongoing fears of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;sparking a regional spillover. Iran-backed groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq have launched attacks on Israel and its allies in support of Hamas.

Clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border between Hezbollah and Israel have continued to intensify, with daily exchanges of missiles, airstrikes and shelling across the frontier.

In the Red Sea,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-ship-attacks-bp-yemen-houthis-dcece18717aa59648ff9a6b04fbc798c">attacks by Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;in Yemen against ships they believe to be connected to Israel have disrupted trade and prompted the launch of a U.S.-led multinational naval operation to protect shipping routes.

Israeli strikes killed two other generals earlier this month in Syria.

Israel on Monday struck the Sayida Zeinab neighborhood, located near a Shiite Muslim shrine, Iran’s official news agency IRNA and Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. IRNA described Mousavi as a close companion of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-politics-government-iraq-qassim-soleimani-3353602bd30e683afec45d8c78196886">Gen. Qassim Soleimani</a>, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-ap-top-news-tehran-international-news-iraq-3bb7af59e8b1bfd3e15222a98395ee85">slain in a U.S. drone strike</a>&nbsp;in Iraq in January 2020.

Neither the Israeli military nor Syrian state media immediately issued a statement about Monday's attack. Israeli officials declined to comment.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi in a statement said that Mousavi was “martyred while serving as an adviser for the resistance front, defending holy shrines in Syria as well as safeguarding Islamic ideals.” He threatened that the “Israeli regime will definitely pay for this crime.”

Hossein Akbari, Iran’s ambassador to Syria, condemned the killing, saying that Mousavi was in Syria as a “formal military advisor.”

“(Israel) will definitely get a response to this crime at the right time and the right situation,” Akbari said, speaking from Damascus.

Though IRNA didn't provide other details about the attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Israeli military targeted Mousavi after he entered a farm in the area, which allegedly was one of several offices for Hezbollah. The Lebanese militant group, alongside Iran and Russia, has played a key military role in keeping President Bashar Assad's government in power throughout the Syrian conflict.

Hezbollah in a statement called Mousavi “one of the best of brothers who worked to support the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon for decades of his honorable life.”

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

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

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

Biden orders strikes on Iranian-aligned group after US troops injured in attack

Lincoln, NE&nbsp; – The Educators Health Alliance (EHA) Board of Directors has approved a new health insurance option for some early retirees and other members in the Direct Bill plan.&nbsp; The EHA is a consortium of three statewide public school groups that manages the medical and dental insurance plans used by nearly every Nebraska school district.

Currently, EHA’s lowest deductible plan for early retirees provides a $1,050 deductible. Come Sept. 1, 2024, members may select a plan with a $400 deductible packaged with one of the two alternate networks in the regions of Nebraska where they are available. The two networks are Premier Select BlueChoice and Blueprint Health.

“The EHA Board continues to look for cost-savings for its members, and we are pleased to be able to offer these alternate network options with lower out-of-pocket costs to our retired members,” said Board Chair Trish Guinan.

Earlier this fall, the EHA Board of Directors voted to limit the 2024 rate increase for its medical and dental plans to only 1.99%. The rate increase takes effect Sept. 1, 2024, and there will be no benefit changes made to any of the plan designs.&nbsp;

“Given the rate of inflation, we are pleased we’ve been able to maintain our streak of more than 20 years without a double-digit increase in rates and to average an increase of 4.45% for the last decade,” said Beth Kernes Krause, EHA Vice Chair and Auburn Public Schools Board of Education member.

“This rate increase is well below the national average,” said Mike Dulaney, executive director of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators. “Our goal is to continue to provide a quality, affordable health insurance plan well into the future.”

“The EHA Board understands the financial concerns of our members as well as the fiscal constraints facing school districts,” said Colby Coash, associate executive director of the Nebraska Association of School Boards. “With 80,000 members in the plan,&nbsp;EHA has the largest risk pool in the state, which allows more predictability and stability in rates. This benefits both districts and individuals and their families.”

Karen KilgarinLincoln, NE&nbsp; – The Educators Health Alliance (EHA) Board of Directors has approved a new health insurance option for some early retirees and other members in the Direct Bill plan.&nbsp; The EHA is a consortium of three statewide public school groups that manages the medical and dental insurance plans used by nearly every Nebraska school district.Currently, EHA’s lowest deductible plan for early retirees provides a $1,050 deductible. Come Sept. 1, 2024, members may select a plan with a $400 deductible packaged with one of the two alternate networks in the regions of Nebraska where they are available. The two networks are Premier Select BlueChoice and Blueprint Health.“The EHA Board continues to look for cost-savings for its members, and we are pleased to be able to offer these alternate network options with lower out-of-pocket costs to our retired members,” said Board Chair Trish Guinan.Earlier this fall, the EHA Board of Directors voted to limit the 2024 rate increase for its medical and dental plans to only 1.99%. The rate increase takes effect Sept. 1, 2024, and there will be no benefit changes made to any of the plan designs.&nbsp;“Given the rate of inflation, we are pleased we’ve been able to maintain our streak of more than 20 years without a double-digit increase in rates and to average an increase of 4.45% for the last decade,” said Beth Kernes Krause, EHA Vice Chair and Auburn Public Schools Board of Education member.“This rate increase is well below the national average,” said Mike Dulaney, executive director of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators. “Our goal is to continue to provide a quality, affordable health insurance plan well into the future.”“The EHA Board understands the financial concerns of our members as well as the fiscal constraints facing school districts,” said Colby Coash, associate executive director of the Nebraska Association of School Boards. “With 80,000 members in the plan,&nbsp;EHA has the largest risk pool in the state, which allows more predictability and stability in rates. This benefits both districts and individuals and their families.”

The Gift of Health: New Option for Retired Educators

NEW YORK (AP) — Look for flu and COVID-19 infections to ramp up in the coming weeks, U.S. health officials say, with increases fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily.

High levels of flu-like illnesses were reported last week in 17 states — up from 14 the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

“Folks are traveling a lot more this season. They want to see their families,” said the CDC's Dr. Manisha Patel. "And all of that sort of adds to the mix” in the spread of viruses.

Health officials are keeping an eye on a version of the ever-evolving coronavirus, known as JN.1. The omicron variant was first detected in the U.S. in September and now accounts for an estimated 20% of cases. The CDC expects it to reach 50% in the next two weeks, Patel said.

It may spread easier or be better at evading our immune systems, but there is no evidence that the strain causes more severe disease than other recent variants, health officials say. And current evidence indicates vaccines and antiviral medications work against it.

As for flu, early signs suggest current vaccines are well-matched to the strain that is causing the most illnesses, and that strain usually doesn't cause as many deaths and hospitalizations as some other versions.

But the bad news is vaccinations are down this year, officials say. About 42% of U.S. adults had gotten flu shots by the first week of December, down from about 45% at the same time last year, according to the CDC.

Americans have also been slow to get other vaccinations. Only about 18% have gotten an updated COVID-19 shot that became available in September. At nursing homes, about a third of residents are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

And only 17% of adults 60 and older had received new shots against another respiratory virus. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of mild coldlike symptoms but it can be dangerous for infants and older people.

The CDC last week took the unusual step of sending a health alert to U.S. doctors urging them to immunize their patients against the trio of viruses.

The Carolinas are currently seeing the heaviest traffic for respiratory infections in emergency rooms, according to CDC data posted this week.

It's not as dire as some past winters, but some patients are still waiting days to get a hospital bed, noted Dr. Scott Curry, an infectious diseases specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

“We've barely been cold in South Carolina, and flu tends to hit us very hard when people actually get some cold weather to deal with,” he said. “We could get worse, very easily, in the next four to eight weeks.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703335286337.png" alt="A flu vaccine is readied at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans’ Community Resource Center in Lynwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)" />
 <figcaption>A flu vaccine is readied at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans’ Community Resource Center in Lynwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Look for flu and COVID-19 infections to ramp up in the coming weeks, U.S. health officials say, with increases fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily.High levels of flu-like illnesses were reported last week in 17 states — up from 14 the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.“Folks are traveling a lot more this season. They want to see their families,” said the CDC's Dr. Manisha Patel. "And all of that sort of adds to the mix” in the spread of viruses.Health officials are keeping an eye on a version of the ever-evolving coronavirus, known as JN.1. The omicron variant was first detected in the U.S. in September and now accounts for an estimated 20% of cases. The CDC expects it to reach 50% in the next two weeks, Patel said.It may spread easier or be better at evading our immune systems, but there is no evidence that the strain causes more severe disease than other recent variants, health officials say. And current evidence indicates vaccines and antiviral medications work against it.As for flu, early signs suggest current vaccines are well-matched to the strain that is causing the most illnesses, and that strain usually doesn't cause as many deaths and hospitalizations as some other versions.But the bad news is vaccinations are down this year, officials say. About 42% of U.S. adults had gotten flu shots by the first week of December, down from about 45% at the same time last year, according to the CDC.Americans have also been slow to get other vaccinations. Only about 18% have gotten an updated COVID-19 shot that became available in September. At nursing homes, about a third of residents are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.And only 17% of adults 60 and older had received new shots against another respiratory virus. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of mild coldlike symptoms but it can be dangerous for infants and older people.The CDC last week took the unusual step of sending a health alert to U.S. doctors urging them to immunize their patients against the trio of viruses.The Carolinas are currently seeing the heaviest traffic for respiratory infections in emergency rooms, according to CDC data posted this week.It's not as dire as some past winters, but some patients are still waiting days to get a hospital bed, noted Dr. Scott Curry, an infectious diseases specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.“We've barely been cold in South Carolina, and flu tends to hit us very hard when people actually get some cold weather to deal with,” he said. “We could get worse, very easily, in the next four to eight weeks.”___

CDC: Flu and COVID infections rising, could get worse over the holidays

DECEMBER 24, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska Department of Transportation are urging travelers be prepared for a winter storm that will bring potentially hazardous driving conditions.

“The expected severity of this storm has increased over the last couple of days and will now pose significant travel challenges across the state,” said Vicki Kramer, Director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation. “NDOT is ready as this storm affects Nebraska, but we urge travelers to assess whether their travel is absolutely necessary before hitting the road.”

The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for many counties in western, central, and northeast Nebraska, which begins at 12:00 a.m. CT, Monday, Christmas Day and will last until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from late tonight through Tuesday night for most of eastern and southeast Nebraska. Most of the state is expected to be impacted by the storm, with the heaviest snowfall projections occurring in central and northern Nebraska.

Do not attempt to travel in blizzard conditions. Travel may be difficult to impossible. Should you become stranded, it may be impossible for help to reach you until the blizzard ends.

“This is going to be a white Christmas for most of Nebraska, but it will come with dangerous driving conditions,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Please adjust your travel plans for before and after Christmas so that you don’t get stuck in this dangerous winter storm.”

Nebraska 511 contains valuable information regarding travel across the state. Motorists can view live cameras to assess conditions, view of a map of road conditions throughout the state, check live radar to see the storm’s current location, view the locations of NDOT plows on the road, and access many more features.

If any motorists become stranded, call the NSP Highway Helpline at *55 or 800-525-5555 to speak directly with an NSP dispatcher who can send help.

NSP and NDOT offer these tips for safe winter travel:

Motorists are reminded to make sure everyone in their vehicle wears a seat belt and children are in a car safety seat. Do not use cruise control in wet or snowy weather and keep a full gas tank. For safe-driving tips and winter weather information, visit NDOT’s website,&nbsp;<a href="http://dot.nebraska.gov/safety/driving/winter" target="_blank">http://dot.nebraska.gov/safety/driving/winter</a>.

Cody ThomasDECEMBER 24, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska Department of Transportation are urging travelers be prepared for a winter storm that will bring potentially hazardous driving conditions.“The expected severity of this storm has increased over the last couple of days and will now pose significant travel challenges across the state,” said Vicki Kramer, Director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation. “NDOT is ready as this storm affects Nebraska, but we urge travelers to assess whether their travel is absolutely necessary before hitting the road.”The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for many counties in western, central, and northeast Nebraska, which begins at 12:00 a.m. CT, Monday, Christmas Day and will last until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from late tonight through Tuesday night for most of eastern and southeast Nebraska. Most of the state is expected to be impacted by the storm, with the heaviest snowfall projections occurring in central and northern Nebraska.Do not attempt to travel in blizzard conditions. Travel may be difficult to impossible. Should you become stranded, it may be impossible for help to reach you until the blizzard ends.“This is going to be a white Christmas for most of Nebraska, but it will come with dangerous driving conditions,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Please adjust your travel plans for before and after Christmas so that you don’t get stuck in this dangerous winter storm.”Nebraska 511 contains valuable information regarding travel across the state. Motorists can view live cameras to assess conditions, view of a map of road conditions throughout the state, check live radar to see the storm’s current location, view the locations of NDOT plows on the road, and access many more features.If any motorists become stranded, call the NSP Highway Helpline at *55 or 800-525-5555 to speak directly with an NSP dispatcher who can send help.NSP and NDOT offer these tips for safe winter travel:<ul>
 <li>Know before you go. Check&nbsp;<a href="http://www.511.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">511.Nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;for road conditions and other valuable travel information.</li><li>Have a winter survival kit in your vehicle with warm clothes, water, food, cell phone charger, and other items you may need if you become stranded.</li><li>Have a full tank of gas before you leave town.</li><li>Drive to the conditions. Winter storms can greatly reduce visibility and cause slick roads.</li><li>Tell someone your route and expected arrival time.</li><li>If you become stranded, stay with your vehicle and call for help.</li><li>Don’t crowd the plow. Allow snow fighters the room they need to clear the roads.</li>
 </ul>Motorists are reminded to make sure everyone in their vehicle wears a seat belt and children are in a car safety seat. Do not use cruise control in wet or snowy weather and keep a full gas tank. For safe-driving tips and winter weather information, visit NDOT’s website,&nbsp;<a href="http://dot.nebraska.gov/safety/driving/winter" target="_blank">http://dot.nebraska.gov/safety/driving/winter</a>.

NSP, NDOT Urge Drivers to Prepare for Christmas Day Winter Storm

WASHINGTON —On Friday, President Biden signed into law:H.R. 2670, the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024,” which authorizes fiscal year 2024, according to a statement from the White House.The bill extends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; and other matters

Lawmakers have been negotiating a final defense policy bill for months after each chamber passed strikingly different versions in July. Some of the priorities championed by social conservatives were a no-go for Democrats. Negotiators dropped them from the final version to get it over the finish line.

That did not go over well with some Republican lawmakers, though most did end up voting for a bill that traditionally has broad, bipartisan support. About twice as many Republicans voted for the bill as voted against it.&nbsp;Kansas GOP Representatives Ron Estes and Tracey Man voted against the bill.

“You almost feel like a parent who's sent a child off to summer camp and they came back a monster,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said in opposing the bill. “That's what we've done. This bill came back in far worse shape.”

As an example, Gaetz said the House bill eliminated the position of the chief diversity officer at the Defense Department, but the final measure did not include that provision.

Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, chided the bill's critics for what he described as an unwillingness to compromise.

“Apparently, you don't like democracy because that's what democracy is. You compromise and you work with people and you do it all the time,” Smith said.

Most notably, the bill does not include language sought by House Republicans to restrict gender-affirming health care for transgender service members and it does not block the Pentagon’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-dc6a0317775596ffc7945acc79b7559e">abortion travel</a>&nbsp;policy, which allows reimbursement for travel expenses when a service member has to go out of state for an abortion or other reproductive care.

Republicans did win some concessions on diversity and inclusion training in the military. For example, the bill freezes hiring for such training until a full accounting of the programming and costs is completed and reported to Congress.

One of the most divisive aspects of the bill was a short-term extension of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-fisa-702-congress-reform-7dc1b506b58ce74de0d7983dfba98909">surveillance program</a>&nbsp;aimed at preventing terrorism and catching spies. The program has detractors on both sides of the political aisle who view it as a threat to the privacy of ordinary Americans.

Some House Republicans were incensed that the extension was included in the defense policy bill and not voted upon separately through other legislation that included proposed changes to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA.

The extension continues a tool that permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country, in an effort to gather foreign intelligence.

U.S. officials have said the tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and other national security threats. It has produced vital intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-ayman-al-zawahri-qaida-biden-united-states-171556fce4719d012726fb979a14cc81">killing last year</a>&nbsp;of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.

But the administration’s efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have encountered strong bipartisan pushback. Lawmakers are demanding better privacy protections for those Americans caught up in the monitoring. They wanted a separate vote on legislation making changes to the program.

“The FBI under President Biden has been weaponized against the American people and major reform is needed,” said Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont. “FISA should not be combined with our national defense. And it is unacceptable that leadership is bypassing regular order to jam members by forcing them to vote on two unrelated bills with one vote.”

Matthew G. Olsen, an assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, praised the passage of the extension.

He said: “We cannot afford to be blinded to the many threats we face from foreign adversaries, including Iran and China, as well as terrorist organizations like Hamas and ISIS," or the Islamic State group.

Enough opposition to the bill had developed within the GOP ranks that it forced House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to tee up the defense policy bill for a vote through a process generally reserved for noncontroversial legislation.

Under that process, at least two-thirds of the House had to vote in favor of the legislation for it to pass, but going that route avoided the prospect of a small number of Republicans blocking it from the floor.

Consideration of the bill comes at a dangerous time for the world, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and as China increasingly flexes its military might in the South China Sea.

On Ukraine, the bill includes the creation of a special inspector general for Ukraine to address concerns about whether taxpayer dollars are being spent in Ukraine as intended. That’s on top of oversight work already being conducted by other agency watchdogs.

“We will continue to stay on top of this, but I want to assure my colleagues that there has been no evidence of diversion of weapons provided to Ukraine or any other assistance,” GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told lawmakers this week in advocating for the bill.

On China, the bill establishes a new training program with Taiwan, requires a plan to accelerate deliveries of Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Taiwan, and approves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-united-states-nuclear-submarines-biden-aukus-64a1d6c416ad9206153ad601c177869b">an agreement</a>&nbsp;that enables Australia to access nuclear-powered submarines, which are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered vessels.

WASHINGTON —On Friday, President Biden signed into law:H.R. 2670, the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024,” which authorizes fiscal year 2024, according to a statement from the White House.The bill extends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; and other mattersLawmakers have been negotiating a final defense policy bill for months after each chamber passed strikingly different versions in July. Some of the priorities championed by social conservatives were a no-go for Democrats. Negotiators dropped them from the final version to get it over the finish line.That did not go over well with some Republican lawmakers, though most did end up voting for a bill that traditionally has broad, bipartisan support. About twice as many Republicans voted for the bill as voted against it.&nbsp;Kansas GOP Representatives Ron Estes and Tracey Man voted against the bill.“You almost feel like a parent who's sent a child off to summer camp and they came back a monster,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said in opposing the bill. “That's what we've done. This bill came back in far worse shape.”As an example, Gaetz said the House bill eliminated the position of the chief diversity officer at the Defense Department, but the final measure did not include that provision.Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, chided the bill's critics for what he described as an unwillingness to compromise.“Apparently, you don't like democracy because that's what democracy is. You compromise and you work with people and you do it all the time,” Smith said.Most notably, the bill does not include language sought by House Republicans to restrict gender-affirming health care for transgender service members and it does not block the Pentagon’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-dc6a0317775596ffc7945acc79b7559e">abortion travel</a>&nbsp;policy, which allows reimbursement for travel expenses when a service member has to go out of state for an abortion or other reproductive care.Republicans did win some concessions on diversity and inclusion training in the military. For example, the bill freezes hiring for such training until a full accounting of the programming and costs is completed and reported to Congress.One of the most divisive aspects of the bill was a short-term extension of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-fisa-702-congress-reform-7dc1b506b58ce74de0d7983dfba98909">surveillance program</a>&nbsp;aimed at preventing terrorism and catching spies. The program has detractors on both sides of the political aisle who view it as a threat to the privacy of ordinary Americans.Some House Republicans were incensed that the extension was included in the defense policy bill and not voted upon separately through other legislation that included proposed changes to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA.The extension continues a tool that permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country, in an effort to gather foreign intelligence.U.S. officials have said the tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and other national security threats. It has produced vital intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-ayman-al-zawahri-qaida-biden-united-states-171556fce4719d012726fb979a14cc81">killing last year</a>&nbsp;of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.But the administration’s efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have encountered strong bipartisan pushback. Lawmakers are demanding better privacy protections for those Americans caught up in the monitoring. They wanted a separate vote on legislation making changes to the program.“The FBI under President Biden has been weaponized against the American people and major reform is needed,” said Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont. “FISA should not be combined with our national defense. And it is unacceptable that leadership is bypassing regular order to jam members by forcing them to vote on two unrelated bills with one vote.”Matthew G. Olsen, an assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, praised the passage of the extension.He said: “We cannot afford to be blinded to the many threats we face from foreign adversaries, including Iran and China, as well as terrorist organizations like Hamas and ISIS," or the Islamic State group.Enough opposition to the bill had developed within the GOP ranks that it forced House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to tee up the defense policy bill for a vote through a process generally reserved for noncontroversial legislation.Under that process, at least two-thirds of the House had to vote in favor of the legislation for it to pass, but going that route avoided the prospect of a small number of Republicans blocking it from the floor.Consideration of the bill comes at a dangerous time for the world, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and as China increasingly flexes its military might in the South China Sea.On Ukraine, the bill includes the creation of a special inspector general for Ukraine to address concerns about whether taxpayer dollars are being spent in Ukraine as intended. That’s on top of oversight work already being conducted by other agency watchdogs.“We will continue to stay on top of this, but I want to assure my colleagues that there has been no evidence of diversion of weapons provided to Ukraine or any other assistance,” GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told lawmakers this week in advocating for the bill.On China, the bill establishes a new training program with Taiwan, requires a plan to accelerate deliveries of Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Taiwan, and approves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-united-states-nuclear-submarines-biden-aukus-64a1d6c416ad9206153ad601c177869b">an agreement</a>&nbsp;that enables Australia to access nuclear-powered submarines, which are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered vessels.

Biden signs $886B defense bill, extending controversial spying program

NEW YORK (AP) — If anything about Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” annoys you, best to avoid shopping malls now. Or the radio. Maybe music altogether, for that matter.

Her 1994 carol dominates holiday music like nothing else.

The Christmas colossus has reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart the past four years in a row — measuring the most popular songs each week by airplay, sales and streaming, not just the holiday-themed — and it’s reasonable to assume 2023 will be no different. One expert predicts it will soon exceed $100 million in earnings. Even its ringtone has sold millions.

“That song is just embedded in history now,” says&nbsp;<a href="https://davidfoster.com/">David Foster</a>, the 16-time Grammy-winning composer and producer. “It’s embedded in Christmas. When you think of Christmas right now, you think of that song.”

Yet the story behind “All I Want for Christmas is You” is not all holly and mistletoe.

The song’s co-authors, Carey and Walter Afanasieff, are in a mystifying feud. The authors of a different song with the same title have sued seeking $20 million in damages. While Carey calls herself the Queen of Christmas, her bid to trademark that title failed.

Every year on Nov. 1, the song’s hibernation ends when Carey posts on social media that “it’s time” to play it again. This year’s message depicted her being freed from a block of ice to make the declaration.

In both music and lyrics, the song was perfectly engineered for success, says&nbsp;<a href="https://college.berklee.edu/faculty/joe-bennett">Joe Bennett</a>, musicologist and professor at the Berklee College of Music. And it came from an artist who was at the top of her game at the time.

“All I Want for Christmas is You” works as a love and holiday song. Carey sets it up: She doesn’t care about all the holiday trappings, she has one thing — one person — on her mind. She sprinkles in specific holiday references, from Santa Claus to mistletoe.

The instruments and brisk arrangement recall Phil Spector’s 1965 album, “A Christmas Gift for You,” itself a holiday classic. To top it off, part of the melody slyly references “White Christmas,” Bennett says.

“That was my goal, to do something timeless,” Carey explained in a recent “Good Morning America” interview.

Billboard has produced lists of top seasonal hits since 2010, and “All I Want for Christmas is You” has been No. 1 for 57 of the 62 weeks it has run, said Gary Trust, chart director. Will Page, Spotify’s former chief economist and author of the book “Pivot,” estimates the song will exceed $100 million in earnings this holiday season.

“By most objective measures,” Bennett says, “it’s the most successful Christmas song of all time.”

As Afanasieff has told it, much of the work on “All I Want for Christmas is You” was done by him and Carey working in a rented house in the summer of 1994. The team had a history, working on Carey's albums “Emotions” and “Music Box.”

He started with a boogie-woogie piano, tossing out melodic ideas that Carey would respond to with lyrics, he said on&nbsp;<a href="https://wdrv.com/mariah-careys-co-writer-says-her-version-of-how-her-christmas-hit-was-written-is-a-tall-tale/">last year’s podcast</a>, “Hot Takes &amp; Deep Dives with Jess Rothschild” (Afanasieff did not return messages from The Associated Press). Later, Carey completed the lyrics herself and Afanasieff recorded all the instruments, he said.

Then things became complicated. Carey was married at the time to Tommy Mottola, head of Sony Music. They broke up in 1997 and her relationship with Afanasieff, who kept working for Mottola, became a casualty of that fractured marriage. Afanasieff said they've spoken once in more than 20 years, and it his contributions have been written out of Carey's telling of the song's creation.

On “Good Morning America” last month, she said, "I was working on it by myself so I was writing on this little Casio keyboard, writing down words and thinking about, ’What do I think about Christmas? What do I love? What do I want? What do I dream of?” she says. “And that’s what started it.”

Afanasieff sounds almost bewildered by the turn of events. He&nbsp;<a href="https://variety.com/2019/music/news/mariah-carey-all-i-want-for-christmas-co-writer-walter-afanasieff-interview-1203447527/">told Variety in 1999</a>&nbsp;that every holiday season he has to defend himself against people who don’t believe he co-wrote the song.

“Mariah has been very wonderful, positive and a force of nature,” he told Variety. “She’s the one that made the song a hit and she’s awesome. But she definitely does not share credit where credit is due."

Last month, songwriters Andy Stone and Troy Powers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/11/03/mariah-carey-is-being-sued-over-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-again/?sh=4d07dc9d2667">sued Carey and Afanasieff</a>&nbsp;in federal court in California, seeking $20 million in copyright infringement and citing their own 1989 country song, “All I Want for Christmas is You.”

Their song has a similar theme, with a narrator desiring a love interest before Christmas comforts. The writers cite an “overwhelming likelihood” that Carey and Afanasieff had heard their song.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703367567358.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — If anything about Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” annoys you, best to avoid shopping malls now. Or the radio. Maybe music altogether, for that matter.Her 1994 carol dominates holiday music like nothing else.The Christmas colossus has reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart the past four years in a row — measuring the most popular songs each week by airplay, sales and streaming, not just the holiday-themed — and it’s reasonable to assume 2023 will be no different. One expert predicts it will soon exceed $100 million in earnings. Even its ringtone has sold millions.“That song is just embedded in history now,” says&nbsp;<a href="https://davidfoster.com/">David Foster</a>, the 16-time Grammy-winning composer and producer. “It’s embedded in Christmas. When you think of Christmas right now, you think of that song.”Yet the story behind “All I Want for Christmas is You” is not all holly and mistletoe.The song’s co-authors, Carey and Walter Afanasieff, are in a mystifying feud. The authors of a different song with the same title have sued seeking $20 million in damages. While Carey calls herself the Queen of Christmas, her bid to trademark that title failed.Every year on Nov. 1, the song’s hibernation ends when Carey posts on social media that “it’s time” to play it again. This year’s message depicted her being freed from a block of ice to make the declaration.In both music and lyrics, the song was perfectly engineered for success, says&nbsp;<a href="https://college.berklee.edu/faculty/joe-bennett">Joe Bennett</a>, musicologist and professor at the Berklee College of Music. And it came from an artist who was at the top of her game at the time.“All I Want for Christmas is You” works as a love and holiday song. Carey sets it up: She doesn’t care about all the holiday trappings, she has one thing — one person — on her mind. She sprinkles in specific holiday references, from Santa Claus to mistletoe.The instruments and brisk arrangement recall Phil Spector’s 1965 album, “A Christmas Gift for You,” itself a holiday classic. To top it off, part of the melody slyly references “White Christmas,” Bennett says.“That was my goal, to do something timeless,” Carey explained in a recent “Good Morning America” interview.Billboard has produced lists of top seasonal hits since 2010, and “All I Want for Christmas is You” has been No. 1 for 57 of the 62 weeks it has run, said Gary Trust, chart director. Will Page, Spotify’s former chief economist and author of the book “Pivot,” estimates the song will exceed $100 million in earnings this holiday season.“By most objective measures,” Bennett says, “it’s the most successful Christmas song of all time.”As Afanasieff has told it, much of the work on “All I Want for Christmas is You” was done by him and Carey working in a rented house in the summer of 1994. The team had a history, working on Carey's albums “Emotions” and “Music Box.”He started with a boogie-woogie piano, tossing out melodic ideas that Carey would respond to with lyrics, he said on&nbsp;<a href="https://wdrv.com/mariah-careys-co-writer-says-her-version-of-how-her-christmas-hit-was-written-is-a-tall-tale/">last year’s podcast</a>, “Hot Takes &amp; Deep Dives with Jess Rothschild” (Afanasieff did not return messages from The Associated Press). Later, Carey completed the lyrics herself and Afanasieff recorded all the instruments, he said.Then things became complicated. Carey was married at the time to Tommy Mottola, head of Sony Music. They broke up in 1997 and her relationship with Afanasieff, who kept working for Mottola, became a casualty of that fractured marriage. Afanasieff said they've spoken once in more than 20 years, and it his contributions have been written out of Carey's telling of the song's creation.On “Good Morning America” last month, she said, "I was working on it by myself so I was writing on this little Casio keyboard, writing down words and thinking about, ’What do I think about Christmas? What do I love? What do I want? What do I dream of?” she says. “And that’s what started it.”Afanasieff sounds almost bewildered by the turn of events. He&nbsp;<a href="https://variety.com/2019/music/news/mariah-carey-all-i-want-for-christmas-co-writer-walter-afanasieff-interview-1203447527/">told Variety in 1999</a>&nbsp;that every holiday season he has to defend himself against people who don’t believe he co-wrote the song.“Mariah has been very wonderful, positive and a force of nature,” he told Variety. “She’s the one that made the song a hit and she’s awesome. But she definitely does not share credit where credit is due."Last month, songwriters Andy Stone and Troy Powers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/11/03/mariah-carey-is-being-sued-over-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-again/?sh=4d07dc9d2667">sued Carey and Afanasieff</a>&nbsp;in federal court in California, seeking $20 million in copyright infringement and citing their own 1989 country song, “All I Want for Christmas is You.”Their song has a similar theme, with a narrator desiring a love interest before Christmas comforts. The writers cite an “overwhelming likelihood” that Carey and Afanasieff had heard their song.The two songs have no musical similarities, Berklee’s Bennett says, and the theme is hardly unique. He pointed out Bing Crosby’s “You’re All I Want for Christmas,” Carla Thomas’ “All I Want for Christmas is You” and Buck Owens’ “All I Want for Christmas, Dear, is You.”Says the musicologist: “It’s nonsense.”In his podcast appearance, Afanasieff noted how Foster once told him that “All I Want for Christmas is You” was the last song to enter the Christmas canon and “that vault is sealed.”Foster told AP he exaggerated a little, but not a lot. Writing a new holiday song is brutally hard, since you’re competing with not just current hits but hundreds of years of songs and memories. The old classics never go away.“I just stay away from them, because they scare me,” Foster says. “Lyrically, it’s sort of all been done before — better than I can ever do.”While he appreciates Foster’s compliment, Afanasieff told Rothschild that he hoped others don’t take it to heart.