VATICAN CITY (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis" target="_blank">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions, responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality ahead of a big meeting where LGBTQ+ Catholics are on the agenda.

The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote to the cardinals on July 11 after receiving a list of five questions, or “dubia,” from them a day earlier. In it, Francis suggests that such blessings could be studied if they didn’t confuse the blessing with sacramental marriage.

New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics, said the letter “significantly advances” efforts to make LGBTQ+ Catholics welcomed in the church and “one big straw towards breaking the camel’s back” in their marginalization.

The Vatican holds that marriage is an indissoluble union between man and woman. As a result, it has long opposed gay marriage. But even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-vatican-civil-union-comment-8f53e237da41da9891564268f1a2e66a" target="_blank">Francis has voiced support for civil laws</a>&nbsp;extending legal benefits to same-sex spouses, and Catholic priests in parts of Europe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-lifestyle-religion-f94e1e634f3b80e209d82ce29927deab" target="_blank">have been blessing same-sex unions</a>&nbsp;without Vatican censure.

Francis’ response to the cardinals, however, marks a reversal from the Vatican’s current official position. In an explanatory note in 2021, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said flat-out that the church couldn’t bless gay unions because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-decree-same-sex-unions-cannot-bless-sin-077944750c975313ad253328e4cf7443" target="_blank">“God cannot bless sin.”</a>

In his new letter, Francis reiterated that matrimony is a union between a man and a woman. But responding to the cardinals’ question about homosexual unions and blessings, he said “pastoral charity” requires patience and understanding and that regardless, priests cannot become judges “who only deny, reject and exclude.”

“For this reason, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of benediction, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage,” he wrote. “Because when a benediction is requested, it is expressing a request for help from God, a plea to be able to live better, a trust in a father who can help us to live better.”

He noted that there are situations that are objectively “not morally acceptable.” But he said the same “pastoral charity” requires that people be treated as sinners who might not be fully at fault for their situations.

Francis added that there is no need for dioceses or bishops conferences to turn such pastoral charity into fixed norms or protocols, saying the issue could be dealt with on a case-by-case basis “because the life of the church runs on channels beyond norms.”

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, welcomed the pope’s openness.

""The allowance for pastoral ministers to bless same-gender couples implies that the church does indeed recognize that holy love can exist between same-gender couples, and the love of these couples mirrors the love of God,” he said in a statement. “Those recognitions, while not completely what LGBTQ+ Catholics would want, are an enormous advance towards fuller and more comprehensive equality.”

The five cardinals, all of them conservative prelates from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, had challenged Francis to affirm church teaching on gays, women’s ordination, the authority of the pope and other issues in their letter.

They published the material two days before the start of a major three-week synod, or meeting, at the Vatican at which LGBTQ+ Catholics and their place in the church are on the agenda.

The signatories were some of Francis’ most vocal critics, all of them retired and of the more doctrinaire generation of cardinals appointed by St. John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI.

They were Cardinals Walter Brandmueller of Germany, a former Vatican historian;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6a0eef0fa28f47abafc243e9ac06e5cd" target="_blank">Raymond Burke</a>&nbsp;of the United States, whom Francis axed as head of the Vatican supreme court; Juan Sandoval of Mexico, the retired archbishop of Guadalajara;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0967d5598e4c36a34b3f5babc5ebde87" target="_blank">Robert Sarah of Guinea</a>, the retired head of the Vatican’s liturgy office; and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ffbf5f969e5e47078e71a9254682032f" target="_blank">Joseph Zen</a>, the retired archbishop of Hong Kong.

Brandmueller and Burke were among four signatories of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/28a3c18640c344c2a6a32dbbda2fd92f" target="_blank">a previous round of “dubia”</a>&nbsp;to Francis in 2016 following his controversial opening to letting divorced and civilly remarried couples receive Communion. Then, the cardinals were concerned that Francis’ position violated church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. Francis never responded to their questions, and two of their co-signatories subsequently died.

Francis did respond this time around. The cardinals didn’t publish his reply, but they apparently found it so unsatisfactory that they reformulated their five questions, submitted them to him again and asked him to simply respond with a yes or no. When he didn’t, the cardinals decided to make the texts public and issue a “notification” warning to the faithful.

The Vatican’s doctrine office published his reply to them a few hours later, though it did so without his introduction in which he urged the cardinals to not be afraid of the synod.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603292366279.png" alt="Francis’ response to the cardinals, however, marks a reversal from the Vatican’s current official position. photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Francis’ response to the cardinals, however, marks a reversal from the Vatican’s current official position. photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>VATICAN CITY (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis" target="_blank">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions, responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality ahead of a big meeting where LGBTQ+ Catholics are on the agenda.The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote to the cardinals on July 11 after receiving a list of five questions, or “dubia,” from them a day earlier. In it, Francis suggests that such blessings could be studied if they didn’t confuse the blessing with sacramental marriage.New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics, said the letter “significantly advances” efforts to make LGBTQ+ Catholics welcomed in the church and “one big straw towards breaking the camel’s back” in their marginalization.The Vatican holds that marriage is an indissoluble union between man and woman. As a result, it has long opposed gay marriage. But even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-vatican-civil-union-comment-8f53e237da41da9891564268f1a2e66a" target="_blank">Francis has voiced support for civil laws</a>&nbsp;extending legal benefits to same-sex spouses, and Catholic priests in parts of Europe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-lifestyle-religion-f94e1e634f3b80e209d82ce29927deab" target="_blank">have been blessing same-sex unions</a>&nbsp;without Vatican censure.Francis’ response to the cardinals, however, marks a reversal from the Vatican’s current official position. In an explanatory note in 2021, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said flat-out that the church couldn’t bless gay unions because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-decree-same-sex-unions-cannot-bless-sin-077944750c975313ad253328e4cf7443" target="_blank">“God cannot bless sin.”</a>In his new letter, Francis reiterated that matrimony is a union between a man and a woman. But responding to the cardinals’ question about homosexual unions and blessings, he said “pastoral charity” requires patience and understanding and that regardless, priests cannot become judges “who only deny, reject and exclude.”“For this reason, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of benediction, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage,” he wrote. “Because when a benediction is requested, it is expressing a request for help from God, a plea to be able to live better, a trust in a father who can help us to live better.”He noted that there are situations that are objectively “not morally acceptable.” But he said the same “pastoral charity” requires that people be treated as sinners who might not be fully at fault for their situations.Francis added that there is no need for dioceses or bishops conferences to turn such pastoral charity into fixed norms or protocols, saying the issue could be dealt with on a case-by-case basis “because the life of the church runs on channels beyond norms.”Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, welcomed the pope’s openness.""The allowance for pastoral ministers to bless same-gender couples implies that the church does indeed recognize that holy love can exist between same-gender couples, and the love of these couples mirrors the love of God,” he said in a statement. “Those recognitions, while not completely what LGBTQ+ Catholics would want, are an enormous advance towards fuller and more comprehensive equality.”The five cardinals, all of them conservative prelates from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, had challenged Francis to affirm church teaching on gays, women’s ordination, the authority of the pope and other issues in their letter.They published the material two days before the start of a major three-week synod, or meeting, at the Vatican at which LGBTQ+ Catholics and their place in the church are on the agenda.The signatories were some of Francis’ most vocal critics, all of them retired and of the more doctrinaire generation of cardinals appointed by St. John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI.They were Cardinals Walter Brandmueller of Germany, a former Vatican historian;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6a0eef0fa28f47abafc243e9ac06e5cd" target="_blank">Raymond Burke</a>&nbsp;of the United States, whom Francis axed as head of the Vatican supreme court; Juan Sandoval of Mexico, the retired archbishop of Guadalajara;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0967d5598e4c36a34b3f5babc5ebde87" target="_blank">Robert Sarah of Guinea</a>, the retired head of the Vatican’s liturgy office; and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ffbf5f969e5e47078e71a9254682032f" target="_blank">Joseph Zen</a>, the retired archbishop of Hong Kong.Brandmueller and Burke were among four signatories of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/28a3c18640c344c2a6a32dbbda2fd92f" target="_blank">a previous round of “dubia”</a>&nbsp;to Francis in 2016 following his controversial opening to letting divorced and civilly remarried couples receive Communion. Then, the cardinals were concerned that Francis’ position violated church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. Francis never responded to their questions, and two of their co-signatories subsequently died.Francis did respond this time around. The cardinals didn’t publish his reply, but they apparently found it so unsatisfactory that they reformulated their five questions, submitted them to him again and asked him to simply respond with a yes or no. When he didn’t, the cardinals decided to make the texts public and issue a “notification” warning to the faithful.The Vatican’s doctrine office published his reply to them a few hours later, though it did so without his introduction in which he urged the cardinals to not be afraid of the synod.

Pope suggests Catholic Church could bless same-sex unions

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/03/round-two-of-emergency-rent-aid-once-a-political-hot-potato-now-available-to-91-nebraska-counties/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

BELLEVUE — Just a few days into accepting applications for a new batch of emergency rent aid, the State of Nebraska already has fielded more than 600 requests from 55 counties.&nbsp;

“It’s been insanely busy,” Tanya Gifford of Lift Up Sarpy County said Monday between visits with clients seeking the federal assistance.

Her organization is among those helping the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority in the distribution of $48 million in pandemic-related rent and utility aid. The funds are to go to the state’s 91 smaller, more rural counties.

Douglas and Lancaster Counties were large enough to apply for and to receive (which they did) their own second-round allotments of Emergency Rental Assistance authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act and funneled through the U.S. Treasury Department.

Funding for the 91 counties had become&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/07/08/latest-on-emergency-rent-aid-saga-gov-jim-pillen-accepted-the-federal-funds/">weighted in controversy</a>, however, as then Gov. Pete Ricketts refused to tap ERA II dollars that the federal government had set aside for them. Ricketts said the pandemic was over and that Nebraska should guard against becoming a “welfare state”

State lawmakers got involved, but the Legislature fell one vote short of overriding a gubernatorial veto on a bill that would have forced Ricketts’ hand.&nbsp;

Gov. Jim Pillen, upon taking office earlier this year, bucked his predecessor’s stance and accepted what was left of the original $120 million that was to go to the state’s smaller counties.

A spokeswoman at the time said that Pillen recognized that housing stability and affordability issues still existed in rural Nebraska, and that accepting the funds would address those issues.

By that time, certain deadlines had been missed and much of the original allocation had been redirected to other states.

Thursday, NIFA and statewide advocacy organizations began accepting applications for the $48 million still available for the 91 counties.

“Keeping people in their homes and ensuring they have access to necessary utilities is vital to maintaining healthy communities,” said Shannon Harner, executive director of NIFA, which is managing the distribution process. “We strongly encourage anyone who believes they may be eligible to apply.”

To qualify, an applicant must have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskarenthelp.org/">household income at or below 80% of area median income,</a>&nbsp;must be a legal resident of the United States and rent their primary residence in one of the 91 counties.

Applicants also must demonstrate that they had a financial hardship during the pandemic, she said.&nbsp;

Households can receive up to $30,000 for past-due and future rent and utility payments.&nbsp;A household may not receive more than 18 months of total combined assistance from the first and second emergency rental aid rounds.

And no more than $4,000 of assistance can be applied toward past-due utilities.

Harner said Sarpy County is heavily represented in the more than 600 applications received from 55 counties as of Monday afternoon. “We’re pretty happy with that (overall) number so far,” she said.&nbsp;

Housing advocates said the busy pace in the first days of the application process reflects pent up demand and need. Sarpy County, for example, has been averaging about 18 eviction cases per week, Gifford said.

Gifford said the application portal is working smoothly and that the call center has been effective in responding to questions.

That’s a change from how many advocates, renters and landlords described management of the first round of emergency rental aid. They said the previous contractor, Deloitte,&nbsp; an audit and financial services firm, created a cumbersome online application process that kept many needy Nebraskans from accessing the aid.

The latest rent and utility assistance is to be distributed until the dollars run out, or until September 2025. The funds will not need to be paid back.

Payments will be made directly to landlords and utility companies, Harner said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658602432416.jpg" alt="Photo on file" />
 <figcaption>Photo on file</figcaption>
 </figure>Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/03/round-two-of-emergency-rent-aid-once-a-political-hot-potato-now-available-to-91-nebraska-counties/">Nebraska Examiner</a>BELLEVUE — Just a few days into accepting applications for a new batch of emergency rent aid, the State of Nebraska already has fielded more than 600 requests from 55 counties.&nbsp;“It’s been insanely busy,” Tanya Gifford of Lift Up Sarpy County said Monday between visits with clients seeking the federal assistance.Her organization is among those helping the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority in the distribution of $48 million in pandemic-related rent and utility aid. The funds are to go to the state’s 91 smaller, more rural counties.Douglas and Lancaster Counties were large enough to apply for and to receive (which they did) their own second-round allotments of Emergency Rental Assistance authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act and funneled through the U.S. Treasury Department.Funding for the 91 counties had become&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/07/08/latest-on-emergency-rent-aid-saga-gov-jim-pillen-accepted-the-federal-funds/">weighted in controversy</a>, however, as then Gov. Pete Ricketts refused to tap ERA II dollars that the federal government had set aside for them. Ricketts said the pandemic was over and that Nebraska should guard against becoming a “welfare state”State lawmakers got involved, but the Legislature fell one vote short of overriding a gubernatorial veto on a bill that would have forced Ricketts’ hand.&nbsp;Gov. Jim Pillen, upon taking office earlier this year, bucked his predecessor’s stance and accepted what was left of the original $120 million that was to go to the state’s smaller counties.A spokeswoman at the time said that Pillen recognized that housing stability and affordability issues still existed in rural Nebraska, and that accepting the funds would address those issues.By that time, certain deadlines had been missed and much of the original allocation had been redirected to other states.Thursday, NIFA and statewide advocacy organizations began accepting applications for the $48 million still available for the 91 counties.“Keeping people in their homes and ensuring they have access to necessary utilities is vital to maintaining healthy communities,” said Shannon Harner, executive director of NIFA, which is managing the distribution process. “We strongly encourage anyone who believes they may be eligible to apply.”To qualify, an applicant must have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskarenthelp.org/">household income at or below 80% of area median income,</a>&nbsp;must be a legal resident of the United States and rent their primary residence in one of the 91 counties.Applicants also must demonstrate that they had a financial hardship during the pandemic, she said.&nbsp;Households can receive up to $30,000 for past-due and future rent and utility payments.&nbsp;A household may not receive more than 18 months of total combined assistance from the first and second emergency rental aid rounds.And no more than $4,000 of assistance can be applied toward past-due utilities.Harner said Sarpy County is heavily represented in the more than 600 applications received from 55 counties as of Monday afternoon. “We’re pretty happy with that (overall) number so far,” she said.&nbsp;Housing advocates said the busy pace in the first days of the application process reflects pent up demand and need. Sarpy County, for example, has been averaging about 18 eviction cases per week, Gifford said.Gifford said the application portal is working smoothly and that the call center has been effective in responding to questions.That’s a change from how many advocates, renters and landlords described management of the first round of emergency rental aid. They said the previous contractor, Deloitte,&nbsp; an audit and financial services firm, created a cumbersome online application process that kept many needy Nebraskans from accessing the aid.The latest rent and utility assistance is to be distributed until the dollars run out, or until September 2025. The funds will not need to be paid back.Payments will be made directly to landlords and utility companies, Harner said.&nbsp;

Round two of emergency rent aid, once a political hot potato, now available to 91 Nebraska counties

Lincoln, NE – October 3, 2023 – Sales produced by large Powerball® and Mega Millions® jackpots plus strong Scratch ticket sales contributed to the 120th allocation of proceeds to the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery was established in 1993.

A total of $15,482,624, derived from a share of Scratch and Lotto ticket sales from the previous three months, was distributed the week of September 29 among the beneficiaries in the following manner:

Nebraska Education Improvement Fund, $6,667,268;Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund, $6,667,268;Nebraska State Fair Support and Improvement Fund, $1,498,262; andCompulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund, $649,826.

The largest quarterly beneficiary transfer occurred in December 2022 when $15,817,263 was distributed. A total of $951,748,496 in proceeds has been distributed since the Nebraska Lottery began operation on September 11, 1993.

“We’re happy to make another significant transfer of lottery proceeds to our beneficiary funds,” said Nebraska Lottery Director Brian Rockey. “Each purchase of a Nebraska Lottery ticket supports important work in every part of our state. And as we continue to celebrate our 30th anniversary, we want to express our gratitude to the 1,200 Lottery retailers who have been essential for our success. Together, we are helping to build a better Nebraska.”

The funds' respective totals to date are:

Nebraska Education Improvement Fund, $151,459,522;Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund, $408,150,844;Nebraska State Fair Support and Improvement Fund, $72,177,327; andCompulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund, $21,347,489.

Prior to July 1, 2016, the Education Innovation Fund received proceeds totaling $174,222,842, and the Nebraska Opportunity Grant Fund received proceeds totaling $100,929,476.

Prior to July 1, 1997, the Solid Waste Landfill Closure Assistance Fund received proceeds totaling $18,460,996. In 2004, the Legislature directed that a one-time transfer of $5 million be made to the State General Fund.

Criteria for the use of proceeds are established by the beneficiary funds in accordance with legislative mandates. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>&nbsp;for additional information on Nebraska Lottery beneficiary funds.

The Nebraska Lottery marked $3.5 billion in total sales (since 1993) in December 2021.

Lincoln, NE – October 3, 2023 – Sales produced by large Powerball® and Mega Millions® jackpots plus strong Scratch ticket sales contributed to the 120th allocation of proceeds to the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery was established in 1993.A total of $15,482,624, derived from a share of Scratch and Lotto ticket sales from the previous three months, was distributed the week of September 29 among the beneficiaries in the following manner:Nebraska Education Improvement Fund, $6,667,268;Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund, $6,667,268;Nebraska State Fair Support and Improvement Fund, $1,498,262; andCompulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund, $649,826.The largest quarterly beneficiary transfer occurred in December 2022 when $15,817,263 was distributed. A total of $951,748,496 in proceeds has been distributed since the Nebraska Lottery began operation on September 11, 1993.“We’re happy to make another significant transfer of lottery proceeds to our beneficiary funds,” said Nebraska Lottery Director Brian Rockey. “Each purchase of a Nebraska Lottery ticket supports important work in every part of our state. And as we continue to celebrate our 30th anniversary, we want to express our gratitude to the 1,200 Lottery retailers who have been essential for our success. Together, we are helping to build a better Nebraska.”The funds' respective totals to date are:Nebraska Education Improvement Fund, $151,459,522;Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund, $408,150,844;Nebraska State Fair Support and Improvement Fund, $72,177,327; andCompulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund, $21,347,489.Prior to July 1, 2016, the Education Innovation Fund received proceeds totaling $174,222,842, and the Nebraska Opportunity Grant Fund received proceeds totaling $100,929,476.Prior to July 1, 1997, the Solid Waste Landfill Closure Assistance Fund received proceeds totaling $18,460,996. In 2004, the Legislature directed that a one-time transfer of $5 million be made to the State General Fund.Criteria for the use of proceeds are established by the beneficiary funds in accordance with legislative mandates. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>&nbsp;for additional information on Nebraska Lottery beneficiary funds.The Nebraska Lottery marked $3.5 billion in total sales (since 1993) in December 2021.

Nebraska Lottery Grows Support for Beneficiaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;is facing an extraordinary referendum on his leadership of the House after a conservative member of his own Republican majority, a longtime critic, moved to launch a vote to oust him from the helm.

Late Monday, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., rose in the chamber as the House was almost done for the day to file the motion — a resolution that would set a snap vote in coming days that even Gaetz acknowledged may not have enough support to remove the speaker from the job.

“I have enough Republicans where at this point next week, one of two things will happen: Kevin McCarthy won’t be the speaker of the House or he’ll be the speaker of the House working at the pleasure of the Democrats," Gaetz told reporters afterward outside the Capitol.

McCarthy responded minutes later on social media, “Bring it on.”

Gaetz soon retorted in a post, “Just did.”

It’s a historic moment: the first time in more than 100 years that a lawmaker may actually force a vote using the legislative tool that has been threatened against other House speakers, including in 2015, but never fully employed to try to remove them.

The bold strike to confront McCarthy carries potentially dire ramifications if enough lawmakers decide to remove his hold on the gavel, but also for Gaetz if it fizzles out. It also puts on stark display the warring factions that have roiled the Republican majority this year in the House and beyond.

So far, despite the deep divides over McCarthy's leadership, only a handful of hard-right Republicans have signaled they are willing to vote to remove him. Others who have aligned with Gaetz on spending cuts or other priorities are parting ways with him on this one.

“It’s a really bad idea,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., one of the more conservative lawmakers in the House.

Gaetz has for months threatened to use the procedural tool — called a motion to vacate — to try to strip McCarthy of his office. Those threats escalated over the weekend after McCarthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">relied on Democrats</a>&nbsp;to provide the necessary votes to fund the government.

That decision has set McCarthy up for what will likely be the ultimate test of his leadership and may force him to again look across the aisle to Democrats for support. But how the vote will ultimately unfold remains unclear as Democrats weigh whether to help McCarthy, join the effort to oust him, or simply withhold their votes or rely on parliamentary maneuvering that could sway the outcome.

“Do we side with a sociopath or an incompetent?” said Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., a progressive leader. “I don’t know?”

And allies of McCarthy have said for weeks they were ready for a motion to come.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said he has spoken privately to some Democrats who have told him they would vote to help McCarthy remain in office. “I’m sure Mr. Gaetz will have some allies who will go with him. But I don’t see enough.”

The vote ahead could result in humiliation — the first speaker ever ousted from the job through such a motion — or newfound strength as he overcomes yet another obstacle while trying to lead a narrow, unwieldy majority.

Conservative critics have been hounding McCarthy from the start, denying him votes and thwarting his plans. But McCarthy has leaned into the fight and suggested it’s an opportunity to set aside his critics once and for all.

Gaetz acknowledged the effort is likely to fail. He responded to questions about what he hoped to accomplish by saying Americans need to know who's in charge.

In a speech on the House floor earlier in the day, Gaetz accused McCarthy of making a deal with the White House during funding negotiations to bring forward legislation to help fund Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Brushing off the threat, McCarthy told reporters earlier at the Capitol, “I’m focused on doing the work that has to be done.” He added that there was “no side deal” on Ukraine, noting he has not spoken to Biden.

A motion to vacate is a rare and strong procedural tool that has only been used twice in the past century against Republican speakers. But in recent years, conservatives have wielded the motion as a weapon against their leaders.

In January, McCarthy, hoping to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-office-of-congressional-ethics-pandemics-60b4f098523b982b549823f4b3e8f9e4">appease some on the hard right</a>&nbsp;like Gaetz as he fought to gain their vote for speaker, agreed to give as few as five Republican members the ability to initiate a vote to remove him. But when that wasn’t good enough for his critics, he agreed to reduce that threshold to one — the system that historically has been the norm.

The motion Gaetz introduced is a privileged resolution, a designation that gives it priority over other measures. The next step is for House leaders to schedule a vote on the resolution within two legislative days.

It would take a simple majority of the House — 218 votes, when no seats are vacant — to remove McCarthy from his post.

However, there are several procedural motions that members of either party could introduce to slow down or stop the process altogether.

But among McCarthy's detractors, passions run deep.

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who has long wanted McCarthy gone, said the speaker’s weekend deal with Democrats to keep the government running without any of the conservative priorities is just another reason he will be voting for the ouster.

Still, other far-right members and allies of Gaetz as they fought the spending deal and other issues were less sure. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., said his position on the motion was “to be determined.”

Showing the tough road ahead to win over conservative support for ousting the speaker, Massie said the real history-making moment has been the House working through its regular job of trying to pass spending bills, and he worries this effort will quash all that.

“If you’re asking how I feel, I am sad that this might be the end of that experiment,” he said.

Democrats were largely treating the moment as another episode in a Republican-led House that has been full of chaotic twists since the start of the year, and declining to say whether they would work to help McCarthy keep his job or vote to oust him.

“Another day at the show,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;is facing an extraordinary referendum on his leadership of the House after a conservative member of his own Republican majority, a longtime critic, moved to launch a vote to oust him from the helm.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a motion to vacate the chair, setting up a vote to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) within two legislative days. <a href="https://t.co/lBOdFJqp6c">pic.twitter.com/lBOdFJqp6c</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1708989259732885711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Late Monday, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., rose in the chamber as the House was almost done for the day to file the motion — a resolution that would set a snap vote in coming days that even Gaetz acknowledged may not have enough support to remove the speaker from the job.“I have enough Republicans where at this point next week, one of two things will happen: Kevin McCarthy won’t be the speaker of the House or he’ll be the speaker of the House working at the pleasure of the Democrats," Gaetz told reporters afterward outside the Capitol.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Just did. <a href="https://t.co/zdQk3GblbV">https://t.co/zdQk3GblbV</a>&mdash; Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/1708991508458639420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>McCarthy responded minutes later on social media, “Bring it on.”Gaetz soon retorted in a post, “Just did.”It’s a historic moment: the first time in more than 100 years that a lawmaker may actually force a vote using the legislative tool that has been threatened against other House speakers, including in 2015, but never fully employed to try to remove them.The bold strike to confront McCarthy carries potentially dire ramifications if enough lawmakers decide to remove his hold on the gavel, but also for Gaetz if it fizzles out. It also puts on stark display the warring factions that have roiled the Republican majority this year in the House and beyond.So far, despite the deep divides over McCarthy's leadership, only a handful of hard-right Republicans have signaled they are willing to vote to remove him. Others who have aligned with Gaetz on spending cuts or other priorities are parting ways with him on this one.“It’s a really bad idea,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., one of the more conservative lawmakers in the House.Gaetz has for months threatened to use the procedural tool — called a motion to vacate — to try to strip McCarthy of his office. Those threats escalated over the weekend after McCarthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">relied on Democrats</a>&nbsp;to provide the necessary votes to fund the government.That decision has set McCarthy up for what will likely be the ultimate test of his leadership and may force him to again look across the aisle to Democrats for support. But how the vote will ultimately unfold remains unclear as Democrats weigh whether to help McCarthy, join the effort to oust him, or simply withhold their votes or rely on parliamentary maneuvering that could sway the outcome.“Do we side with a sociopath or an incompetent?” said Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., a progressive leader. “I don’t know?”And allies of McCarthy have said for weeks they were ready for a motion to come.Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said he has spoken privately to some Democrats who have told him they would vote to help McCarthy remain in office. “I’m sure Mr. Gaetz will have some allies who will go with him. But I don’t see enough.”The vote ahead could result in humiliation — the first speaker ever ousted from the job through such a motion — or newfound strength as he overcomes yet another obstacle while trying to lead a narrow, unwieldy majority.Conservative critics have been hounding McCarthy from the start, denying him votes and thwarting his plans. But McCarthy has leaned into the fight and suggested it’s an opportunity to set aside his critics once and for all.Gaetz acknowledged the effort is likely to fail. He responded to questions about what he hoped to accomplish by saying Americans need to know who's in charge.In a speech on the House floor earlier in the day, Gaetz accused McCarthy of making a deal with the White House during funding negotiations to bring forward legislation to help fund Ukraine in its war against Russia.Brushing off the threat, McCarthy told reporters earlier at the Capitol, “I’m focused on doing the work that has to be done.” He added that there was “no side deal” on Ukraine, noting he has not spoken to Biden.A motion to vacate is a rare and strong procedural tool that has only been used twice in the past century against Republican speakers. But in recent years, conservatives have wielded the motion as a weapon against their leaders.In January, McCarthy, hoping to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-office-of-congressional-ethics-pandemics-60b4f098523b982b549823f4b3e8f9e4">appease some on the hard right</a>&nbsp;like Gaetz as he fought to gain their vote for speaker, agreed to give as few as five Republican members the ability to initiate a vote to remove him. But when that wasn’t good enough for his critics, he agreed to reduce that threshold to one — the system that historically has been the norm.The motion Gaetz introduced is a privileged resolution, a designation that gives it priority over other measures. The next step is for House leaders to schedule a vote on the resolution within two legislative days.It would take a simple majority of the House — 218 votes, when no seats are vacant — to remove McCarthy from his post.However, there are several procedural motions that members of either party could introduce to slow down or stop the process altogether.But among McCarthy's detractors, passions run deep.Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who has long wanted McCarthy gone, said the speaker’s weekend deal with Democrats to keep the government running without any of the conservative priorities is just another reason he will be voting for the ouster.“We got nothing,” he said Monday.Still, other far-right members and allies of Gaetz as they fought the spending deal and other issues were less sure. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., said his position on the motion was “to be determined.”Showing the tough road ahead to win over conservative support for ousting the speaker, Massie said the real history-making moment has been the House working through its regular job of trying to pass spending bills, and he worries this effort will quash all that.“If you’re asking how I feel, I am sad that this might be the end of that experiment,” he said.Democrats were largely treating the moment as another episode in a Republican-led House that has been full of chaotic twists since the start of the year, and declining to say whether they would work to help McCarthy keep his job or vote to oust him.“Another day at the show,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y.

🎥 Power struggle: Historic move to oust House Speaker 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.2 billion after no players hit it big Monday night.

The winning numbers announced were: 12, 26, 27, 43, 47 and the Powerball 5.

The jackpot for the next drawing Wednesday night will be among the largest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpot-mega-millions-powerball-b77dd9c7de3f0ab09545a01113b1f111">lottery prizes of all time</a>, behind earlier prizes in the Powerball and Mega Millions games.

The prize has grown so massive because there have been 33 consecutive drawings since someone matched all five white balls and the Powerball to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">win the jackpot</a>, dating back to July 19.

That losing streak reflects the stunningly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">long odds of winning</a>&nbsp;the jackpot, at 1 in 292.2 million.

The new $1.2 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who chooses to receive the winnings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">through an annuity</a>, paid annually over 30 years. Winners nearly always pick the cash option, which for Wednesday night’s drawing would be an estimated $551 million.

A Powerball ticket costs $2 in most states and players can pick their own numbers or have a computer make the selection.

Powerball is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.2 billion after no players hit it big Monday night.The winning numbers announced were: 12, 26, 27, 43, 47 and the Powerball 5.The jackpot for the next drawing Wednesday night will be among the largest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpot-mega-millions-powerball-b77dd9c7de3f0ab09545a01113b1f111">lottery prizes of all time</a>, behind earlier prizes in the Powerball and Mega Millions games.The prize has grown so massive because there have been 33 consecutive drawings since someone matched all five white balls and the Powerball to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">win the jackpot</a>, dating back to July 19.That losing streak reflects the stunningly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">long odds of winning</a>&nbsp;the jackpot, at 1 in 292.2 million.The new $1.2 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who chooses to receive the winnings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">through an annuity</a>, paid annually over 30 years. Winners nearly always pick the cash option, which for Wednesday night’s drawing would be an estimated $551 million.A Powerball ticket costs $2 in most states and players can pick their own numbers or have a computer make the selection.Powerball is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Powerball jackpot rises to $1.2 billion after another drawing without a big winner

MOREAU, N.Y. (AP) — A 9-year-old girl who vanished during a family camping trip in upstate New York was “safe and in good health” Monday after a massive two-day search ended with her rescue and an arrest of a person suspected in her abduction, police said.

Charlotte Sena disappeared while riding her bike early Saturday evening at Moreau Lake State Park, a heavily wooded park some 35 miles north of Albany. Police on Monday searched multiple residences linked to a suspect, who investigators believed had been in the area around the time the girl went missing.

Gov. Kathy Hochul told Spectrum News that investigators were able to identify fingerprints from a ransom note.

Charlotte was found at about 6:30 p.m., according to state police. The suspect, who was taken into custody, has not been identified by authorities.

“We are overjoyed at the news that Charlotte Sena has been located safely this evening after an intense days-long search,” Hochul said in a prepared statement. “Our hearts are with her family as they welcome her home.”

Authorities said it was still an active investigation and didn’t immediately release further details, but promised more information at a news conference Tuesday.

The rescue marked the end of an intense search. About 400 people took part in the hunt for the girl Monday, including forest rangers, police officers and firefighters. The search had expanded over 46 linear miles (74 linear kilometers).

Charlotte, a fourth grader from nearby Greenfield, had been riding her bike around a campsite loop in the park with other children when she decided to ride around one more time by herself. Her parents became alarmed when she failed to return after 15 minutes, Hochul said at a briefing Sunday.

The girl’s mother called 911 after her bicycle was found at around 6:45 p.m. Saturday.

Officials issued an Amber Alert on Sunday morning after an exhaustive search because “it was quite possible that an abduction had taken place,” state police Lt. Colonel Richard Mazzone said. The alert described her as a white girl with blonde hair and green eyes who is about 4 feet 6 inches tall (1.37 meters).

The girl’s family pleaded with the public for help in finding Charlotte, including providing any tips to the state police.

“We just want her returned safely like any parent would,” the family said in a statement earlier Monday. “No tip is too small, please call if you know anything at all.”

Troopers had set up several checkpoints on the winding, rural roads around the park. They stopped drivers and asked if they knew the family, had seen the girl’s photo or had any other information that could help the search. They also had some drivers open their trunks.

The park remained closed because of the search, and officials asked members of the public who showed up hoping to help to stay away and leave the search to professionals. Federal authorities also issued a temporary flight restriction over the park for the safety of law enforcement air operations.

The Corinth Central School District said it had extra counselors at Charlotte’s elementary school for any students or staff who need support.

“Our hearts go out to the Sena family,” the district said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696290494329.png" alt="Charlotte Sena-photo NY Amber Alert" />
 <figcaption>Charlotte Sena-photo NY Amber Alert</figcaption>
 </figure>MOREAU, N.Y. (AP) — A 9-year-old girl who vanished during a family camping trip in upstate New York was “safe and in good health” Monday after a massive two-day search ended with her rescue and an arrest of a person suspected in her abduction, police said.Charlotte Sena disappeared while riding her bike early Saturday evening at Moreau Lake State Park, a heavily wooded park some 35 miles north of Albany. Police on Monday searched multiple residences linked to a suspect, who investigators believed had been in the area around the time the girl went missing.Gov. Kathy Hochul told Spectrum News that investigators were able to identify fingerprints from a ransom note.Charlotte was found at about 6:30 p.m., according to state police. The suspect, who was taken into custody, has not been identified by authorities.“We are overjoyed at the news that Charlotte Sena has been located safely this evening after an intense days-long search,” Hochul said in a prepared statement. “Our hearts are with her family as they welcome her home.”Authorities said it was still an active investigation and didn’t immediately release further details, but promised more information at a news conference Tuesday.The rescue marked the end of an intense search. About 400 people took part in the hunt for the girl Monday, including forest rangers, police officers and firefighters. The search had expanded over 46 linear miles (74 linear kilometers).Charlotte, a fourth grader from nearby Greenfield, had been riding her bike around a campsite loop in the park with other children when she decided to ride around one more time by herself. Her parents became alarmed when she failed to return after 15 minutes, Hochul said at a briefing Sunday.The girl’s mother called 911 after her bicycle was found at around 6:45 p.m. Saturday.Officials issued an Amber Alert on Sunday morning after an exhaustive search because “it was quite possible that an abduction had taken place,” state police Lt. Colonel Richard Mazzone said. The alert described her as a white girl with blonde hair and green eyes who is about 4 feet 6 inches tall (1.37 meters).The girl’s family pleaded with the public for help in finding Charlotte, including providing any tips to the state police.“We just want her returned safely like any parent would,” the family said in a statement earlier Monday. “No tip is too small, please call if you know anything at all.”Troopers had set up several checkpoints on the winding, rural roads around the park. They stopped drivers and asked if they knew the family, had seen the girl’s photo or had any other information that could help the search. They also had some drivers open their trunks.The park remained closed because of the search, and officials asked members of the public who showed up hoping to help to stay away and leave the search to professionals. Federal authorities also issued a temporary flight restriction over the park for the safety of law enforcement air operations.The Corinth Central School District said it had extra counselors at Charlotte’s elementary school for any students or staff who need support.“Our hearts go out to the Sena family,” the district said in a statement.---------------

Police: 9-year-old girl who vanished from state park found safe

OCTOBER 2, 2023 (GRAND ISLAND, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol took two minors into custody early Saturday morning following a pursuit in central Nebraska.

At approximately 11:45 p.m. Friday, a trooper observed a Jeep Liberty speeding on Interstate 80 near Gibbon, at mile marker 286. The Jeep pulled over to the shoulder, but the driver accelerated when the trooper exited his patrol unit. The vehicle fled eastbound in excess of 100 miles per hour. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

The driver turned off all vehicle lights as it fled eastbound on I-80. Another trooper was able to successfully deploy stop sticks to slow the vehicle near mile marker 312. The Jeep then crossed the median and began traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-80. A trooper was able to quickly perform a tactical vehicle intervention to bring the vehicle to a stop.

The driver, identified as an 18-year-old male from Grand Island, was taken into custody without further incident. A female passenger fled from the vehicle on foot. The 15-year-old female from Grand Island was located a short time later and was transported to Cedars in Lincoln at the request of juvenile probation. The driver was lodged in Hall County Jail for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, no operator’s license, fictitious license plates, obstructing a peace officer, and several traffic violations.

Cody ThomasOCTOBER 2, 2023 (GRAND ISLAND, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol took two minors into custody early Saturday morning following a pursuit in central Nebraska.At approximately 11:45 p.m. Friday, a trooper observed a Jeep Liberty speeding on Interstate 80 near Gibbon, at mile marker 286. The Jeep pulled over to the shoulder, but the driver accelerated when the trooper exited his patrol unit. The vehicle fled eastbound in excess of 100 miles per hour. The trooper initiated a pursuit.The driver turned off all vehicle lights as it fled eastbound on I-80. Another trooper was able to successfully deploy stop sticks to slow the vehicle near mile marker 312. The Jeep then crossed the median and began traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-80. A trooper was able to quickly perform a tactical vehicle intervention to bring the vehicle to a stop.The driver, identified as an 18-year-old male from Grand Island, was taken into custody without further incident. A female passenger fled from the vehicle on foot. The 15-year-old female from Grand Island was located a short time later and was transported to Cedars in Lincoln at the request of juvenile probation. The driver was lodged in Hall County Jail for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, no operator’s license, fictitious license plates, obstructing a peace officer, and several traffic violations.

Two Minors in Custody Following Pursuit in Central Nebraska

NEW YORK (AP) — Aggrieved and defiant, former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;sat through hours of sometimes testy opening statements Monday in a fraud lawsuit that could cost him control of Trump Tower and other prized properties.

“Disgraceful trial,” he declared during a lunch break, after listening to lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James excoriate him as a habitual liar. The state's lawsuit accuses the business-mogul-turned-politician and his company of deceiving banks, insurers and others by misstating his wealth for years in financial statements.

“They were lying year after year after year,” Kevin Wallace, a lawyer in James' office, said as Trump sat at the defense table. He looked straight ahead, arms crossed, facing away from a screen that showed details of Wallace's presentation.

Defense lawyers, in response, said the financial statements were legitimate. Trump's holdings are "Mona Lisa properties" that can command top dollar, attorney Alina Habba said.

“That is not fraud. That is real estate," she said, accusing the attorney general's office of "setting a very dangerous precedent for all business owners in the state of New York.”

Trump voluntarily attended a trial that he called a “sham," a “scam,” a waste of the state's time and “a continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time.” Currently the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-presidential-candidates-who-is-running-e89fbfee94e7e7980594a9ce3994fec7">Republican front-runner</a>&nbsp;in the 2024 presidential race, he reiterated claims that James, a Democrat, is trying to thwart&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-presidential-candidates-who-is-running-e89fbfee94e7e7980594a9ce3994fec7">his bid to return to the White House</a>.

“What we have here is an attempt to hurt me in an election,” he said outside court, adding: “I don’t think the people of this country are going to stand for it.”

Trump sneered at James as he passed her on his way out at lunchtime; she, by turn, left smiling. Meanwhile, his campaign immediately began fundraising off the appearance.

Judge Arthur Engoron ruled last week that Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-fraud-lawsuit-1569245a9284427117b8d3ba5da74249">committed fraud in his business dealings</a>. If upheld on appeal, the ruling could force Trump to give up New York properties including Trump Tower, a Wall Street office building, golf courses and a suburban estate. Trump has called it a “a corporate death penalty” and insisted the judge is unfair and out to get him.

The non-jury trial concerns six remaining claims in the lawsuit, including allegations of conspiracy, falsifying business records and insurance fraud. Engoron said that neither side sought a jury and that state law doesn't allow for juries when suits seek not only money but a court order setting out something a defendant must do or not do.

James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York.

“No matter how powerful you are, and no matter how much money you think you have, no one is above the law," she said on her way into the courthouse.

Trump denies wrongdoing. He says that James and the judge are undervaluing such assets as his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and he emphasizes that his financial statements had a disclaimer that says they shouldn’t be trusted. The yearly snapshots of his holdings were given to banks to secure loans and to financial magazines to justify his place among the world’s billionaires.

The former president, his two eldest sons, Trump Organization executives and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-cohen">lawyer-turned-foe Michael Cohen</a>&nbsp;are all listed among dozens of potential witnesses.

Trump isn’t expected to testify for several weeks. His trip to court Monday marked a remarkable departure from his past practice.

Trump didn't go to court as either a witness or a spectator when his company and one of its top executives was convicted of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-legal-proceedings-new-york-city-donald-trump-manhattan-e2f1d01525dafb64be8738c8b4f32085">tax fraud</a>&nbsp;last year. He didn't show, either, for a civil trial earlier this year in which a jury found him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rape-carroll-trial-fe68259a4b98bb3947d42af9ec83d7db">liable for sexually assaulting the writer E. Jean Carroll</a>&nbsp;in a department store dressing room.

This time, “I wanted to watch this witch hunt myself,” he said outside court.

In a recent court filing, James' office alleged Trump exaggerated his wealth by as much as $3.6 billion.

He claimed his three-story Trump Tower penthouse, replete with gold-plated fixtures, was nearly three times its actual size and worth $327 million, far more than any New York City apartment ever has fetched, James said. He valued Mar-a-Lago as high as $739 million — more than 10 times a more reasonable estimate of its worth, James maintained.

“Every estimate was determined by Mr. Trump," Wallace said in his opening statement. He pointed to pretrial testimony by Trump Organization figures and ex-insiders including Cohen, who said the company estimated assets to get to a predetermined number “that Mr. Trump wanted.”

Wallace said the alleged scheme got the company better loan rates, saving it $100 million in interest.

“They hid their weaknesses and convinced these banks to take on hundreds of millions of dollars in risk," he said, adding: “While the defendants can exaggerate to Forbes magazine or on television, they cannot do it while conducting business in the state of New York.”

Trump lawyer Christopher Kise said defense experts will testify that assigning values to properties is, by nature, a matter of opinion.

“There is no such thing as objective valuation,” Kise said in an opening statement.

Any discrepancies in values don't amount to fraud, he said, and disclaimers on the financial statements made clear that these were estimates and that banks would have to perform their own analysis.

Trump and his lawyers have also argued that no one was harmed by anything in the financial statements. Banks that made loans to him were fully repaid. Business partners made money. And Trump's own company flourished.

Kise blasted last week’s fraud ruling, telling the judge he shouldn't have made a decision before hearing expert trial testimony on property valuations. Engoron, tiring of the defense’s criticism, shot back: “Respectfully, what’s that expression? You’re stalking the dead horse here.”

Testimony began Wednesday afternoon with Donald Bender, a longtime partner at accounting firm Mazars LLP, describing how he spent 50 to 60 hours a year preparing Trump's financial statements. Mazars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-new-york-donald-trump-6949c069d081f7d79a987a72cb80af34">cut ties with Trump</a>&nbsp;last year after James’ office raised questions about the statements' reliability.

James’ lawsuit is one of several legal headaches for Trump as he campaigns to return to the White House. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-investigations-other-charges-b8b064a00caad4306fb54d2f6a320468">has been indicted four times</a>&nbsp;since March, accused of plotting to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, hoarding classified documents and falsifying business records related to hush money paid on his behalf. He has pleaded not guilty to all the allegations.

The New York fraud trial is expected to last into December, Engoron said.

NEW YORK (AP) — Aggrieved and defiant, former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;sat through hours of sometimes testy opening statements Monday in a fraud lawsuit that could cost him control of Trump Tower and other prized properties.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Outside the NYC courtroom, former President Donald Trump said the judge assigned to the case was &quot;rogue&quot;, New York Attorney General Leticia James was &quot;racist,&quot; and the entire trial is a coordinated effort of the Biden Administration&#39;s Justice Department. <a href="https://t.co/AaFy7ESqaz">pic.twitter.com/AaFy7ESqaz</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1708943614636658907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Disgraceful trial,” he declared during a lunch break, after listening to lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James excoriate him as a habitual liar. The state's lawsuit accuses the business-mogul-turned-politician and his company of deceiving banks, insurers and others by misstating his wealth for years in financial statements.“They were lying year after year after year,” Kevin Wallace, a lawyer in James' office, said as Trump sat at the defense table. He looked straight ahead, arms crossed, facing away from a screen that showed details of Wallace's presentation.Defense lawyers, in response, said the financial statements were legitimate. Trump's holdings are "Mona Lisa properties" that can command top dollar, attorney Alina Habba said.“That is not fraud. That is real estate," she said, accusing the attorney general's office of "setting a very dangerous precedent for all business owners in the state of New York.”Trump voluntarily attended a trial that he called a “sham," a “scam,” a waste of the state's time and “a continuation of the single greatest witch hunt of all time.” Currently the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-presidential-candidates-who-is-running-e89fbfee94e7e7980594a9ce3994fec7">Republican front-runner</a>&nbsp;in the 2024 presidential race, he reiterated claims that James, a Democrat, is trying to thwart&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-presidential-candidates-who-is-running-e89fbfee94e7e7980594a9ce3994fec7">his bid to return to the White House</a>.“What we have here is an attempt to hurt me in an election,” he said outside court, adding: “I don’t think the people of this country are going to stand for it.”Trump sneered at James as he passed her on his way out at lunchtime; she, by turn, left smiling. Meanwhile, his campaign immediately began fundraising off the appearance.Judge Arthur Engoron ruled last week that Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-fraud-lawsuit-1569245a9284427117b8d3ba5da74249">committed fraud in his business dealings</a>. If upheld on appeal, the ruling could force Trump to give up New York properties including Trump Tower, a Wall Street office building, golf courses and a suburban estate. Trump has called it a “a corporate death penalty” and insisted the judge is unfair and out to get him.The non-jury trial concerns six remaining claims in the lawsuit, including allegations of conspiracy, falsifying business records and insurance fraud. Engoron said that neither side sought a jury and that state law doesn't allow for juries when suits seek not only money but a court order setting out something a defendant must do or not do.James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York.“No matter how powerful you are, and no matter how much money you think you have, no one is above the law," she said on her way into the courthouse.Trump denies wrongdoing. He says that James and the judge are undervaluing such assets as his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and he emphasizes that his financial statements had a disclaimer that says they shouldn’t be trusted. The yearly snapshots of his holdings were given to banks to secure loans and to financial magazines to justify his place among the world’s billionaires.The former president, his two eldest sons, Trump Organization executives and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-cohen">lawyer-turned-foe Michael Cohen</a>&nbsp;are all listed among dozens of potential witnesses.Trump isn’t expected to testify for several weeks. His trip to court Monday marked a remarkable departure from his past practice.Trump didn't go to court as either a witness or a spectator when his company and one of its top executives was convicted of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-legal-proceedings-new-york-city-donald-trump-manhattan-e2f1d01525dafb64be8738c8b4f32085">tax fraud</a>&nbsp;last year. He didn't show, either, for a civil trial earlier this year in which a jury found him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rape-carroll-trial-fe68259a4b98bb3947d42af9ec83d7db">liable for sexually assaulting the writer E. Jean Carroll</a>&nbsp;in a department store dressing room.This time, “I wanted to watch this witch hunt myself,” he said outside court.In a recent court filing, James' office alleged Trump exaggerated his wealth by as much as $3.6 billion.He claimed his three-story Trump Tower penthouse, replete with gold-plated fixtures, was nearly three times its actual size and worth $327 million, far more than any New York City apartment ever has fetched, James said. He valued Mar-a-Lago as high as $739 million — more than 10 times a more reasonable estimate of its worth, James maintained.“Every estimate was determined by Mr. Trump," Wallace said in his opening statement. He pointed to pretrial testimony by Trump Organization figures and ex-insiders including Cohen, who said the company estimated assets to get to a predetermined number “that Mr. Trump wanted.”Wallace said the alleged scheme got the company better loan rates, saving it $100 million in interest.“They hid their weaknesses and convinced these banks to take on hundreds of millions of dollars in risk," he said, adding: “While the defendants can exaggerate to Forbes magazine or on television, they cannot do it while conducting business in the state of New York.”Trump lawyer Christopher Kise said defense experts will testify that assigning values to properties is, by nature, a matter of opinion.“There is no such thing as objective valuation,” Kise said in an opening statement.Any discrepancies in values don't amount to fraud, he said, and disclaimers on the financial statements made clear that these were estimates and that banks would have to perform their own analysis.Trump and his lawyers have also argued that no one was harmed by anything in the financial statements. Banks that made loans to him were fully repaid. Business partners made money. And Trump's own company flourished.Kise blasted last week’s fraud ruling, telling the judge he shouldn't have made a decision before hearing expert trial testimony on property valuations. Engoron, tiring of the defense’s criticism, shot back: “Respectfully, what’s that expression? You’re stalking the dead horse here.”Testimony began Wednesday afternoon with Donald Bender, a longtime partner at accounting firm Mazars LLP, describing how he spent 50 to 60 hours a year preparing Trump's financial statements. Mazars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-new-york-donald-trump-6949c069d081f7d79a987a72cb80af34">cut ties with Trump</a>&nbsp;last year after James’ office raised questions about the statements' reliability.James’ lawsuit is one of several legal headaches for Trump as he campaigns to return to the White House. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-investigations-other-charges-b8b064a00caad4306fb54d2f6a320468">has been indicted four times</a>&nbsp;since March, accused of plotting to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, hoarding classified documents and falsifying business records related to hush money paid on his behalf. He has pleaded not guilty to all the allegations.The New York fraud trial is expected to last into December, Engoron said.

🎥 Trump attacks attorney general, judge ahead of fraud trial

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has selected Laphonza Butler, a Democratic strategist and adviser to Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, to fill the U.S. Senate seat made vacant by the death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-dead-c831f3228ac44faa9653234570bb8ce9#:~:text=politics%2C%20has%20died.-,She%20was%2090.,a%20giant%20in%20the%20Senate.%E2%80%9D">Sen. Dianne Feinstein</a>.

In choosing Butler on Sunday, Newsom fulfilled his pledge to appoint a Black woman if Feinstein’s seat became open. However, he had been facing pressure from some Black politicians and advocacy groups to select&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-senate-2022-midterm-elections-barbara-lee-0b9c08553e3eb13919c0b291fb785a8a">Barbara Lee</a>, a prominent Black congresswoman who is already running for the seat.

Butler will be the only Black woman serving in the U.S. Senate and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent California in the chamber.

Newsom said in a statement that the priorities Feinstein fought for in Congress — reproductive freedom, equal protection and safety from gun violence — were under assault in the nation. "Laphonza will carry the baton left by Sen. Feinstein (and) continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.,” he said.

Butler leads Emily’s List, a political organization that supports Democratic women candidates who favor abortion rights. She also is a former labor leader with SEIU 2015, a powerful force in California politics.

Her appointment sets up a potentially tricky political calculus in the crowded 2024 contest to succeed Feinstein, which has been underway since the beginning of the year.

Newsom spokesman Anthony York said the governor did not ask Butler to commit to staying out of the race. The deadline for candidates to submit paperwork to seek the office is Dec. 8. Should Butler enter the contest, she could set up a competition for the relatively small but influential group of Black voters in California and possibly undercut Lee's chances.

Emily's List is known as a fundraising powerhouse, and raising huge sums of campaign cash is a must in any statewide California race. Newsom's statement said she will step down from the organization.

The decision carried the threat of political fallout for Newsom, who is seen as a potential future national candidate. The candidate favored by Black voters has won the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination every cycle since 1992. The Congressional Black Caucus was among the groups and Black politicians that had urged Newsom to appoint Lee, calling her the best qualified choice for the post.

The long-serving Feinstein&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-death-legacy-senate-women-tributes-37e8ba38f4cac4ebbe25d31a49e29c75">died Thursday</a>&nbsp;at age 90 after a series of illnesses.

Butler currently lives in Maryland, according to her Emily's List biography. Izzy Gardon, a spokesman for Newsom, said Butler owns a home in California. She is expected to reregister to vote in California before being sworn in. That could happen as early as Tuesday evening when the Senate returns to session.

Butler said Monday she she had accepted Newsom's nomination to serve “a state I have made my home."

“No one will ever measure up to the legacy of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, but I will do my best to honor her legacy and leadership by committing to work for women and girls, workers and unions, struggling parents, and all of California. I am ready to serve,” she said.

Democrats control the Senate 51-49, though Feinstein’s seat is vacant. A quick appointment by Newsom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/feinstein-death-vacant-seat-senate-shutdown-a00cbe7adbf3f80a5ce6aa621f2f3ac9">will give the Democratic caucus more wiggle room</a>&nbsp;on close votes, including nominations that Republicans uniformly oppose.

Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress and the longest-serving woman in the Senate, said in February she would not seek reelection in 2024. Lee is one of several prominent Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-california-state-government-united-states-senate-donald-trump-5426f7c2539d14210f098bf7f8c0d9d7">competing for the seat</a>, including Democratic U.S. Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff. Newsom said he did not want to appoint any of the candidates because it would give them an unfair advantage in the race.

Butler has never held elected office but has a long track record in California politics. She served as a senior adviser to Harris's 2020 presidential campaign while working at a political firm filled with strategists who have worked for Newsom and many other prominent state Democrats. She also briefly worked in the private sector for Airbnb.

She called Feinstein “a legendary figure for women in politics and around the country,” in a statement posted after Feinstein's death.

Emily's List, the group Butler leads, focuses on electing Democratic women who support abortion rights. With the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn women's constitutional right to abortion, the issue has become a galvanizing one for many Democrats.

Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, said the appointment “will give our ... community another voice in Congress at a time when our rights and freedoms are under attack across the country.”

It’s not Newsom’s first time selecting a U.S. senator, after being tasked with choosing a replacement for Kamala Harris when she was elected vice president; at that time he selected California Secretary of State Alex Padilla for the post. It was one of a string of appointments Newsom made in late 2020 and early 2021, a power that gave him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-sacramento-california-gavin-newsom-kamala-harris-983ab328c56768cd0c87a28fcc59870c">kingmaker status</a>&nbsp;among the state’s ambitious Democrats.

The seat is expected to stay in Democratic hands in the 2024 election. Democrats in the liberal-leaning state have not lost a statewide election since 2006, and the party holds a nearly 2-to-1 voter registration advantage over Republicans.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has selected Laphonza Butler, a Democratic strategist and adviser to Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, to fill the U.S. Senate seat made vacant by the death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-dead-c831f3228ac44faa9653234570bb8ce9#:~:text=politics%2C%20has%20died.-,She%20was%2090.,a%20giant%20in%20the%20Senate.%E2%80%9D">Sen. Dianne Feinstein</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I&#39;m proud to announce California&#39;s new United States Senator -- Laphonza Butler. As we mourn the enormous loss of Sen. Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for -- reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence -- have never been under greater assault.… <a href="https://t.co/SOnbfVPmXj">pic.twitter.com/SOnbfVPmXj</a>&mdash; Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1708699205206933871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In choosing Butler on Sunday, Newsom fulfilled his pledge to appoint a Black woman if Feinstein’s seat became open. However, he had been facing pressure from some Black politicians and advocacy groups to select&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-senate-2022-midterm-elections-barbara-lee-0b9c08553e3eb13919c0b291fb785a8a">Barbara Lee</a>, a prominent Black congresswoman who is already running for the seat.Butler will be the only Black woman serving in the U.S. Senate and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent California in the chamber.Newsom said in a statement that the priorities Feinstein fought for in Congress — reproductive freedom, equal protection and safety from gun violence — were under assault in the nation. "Laphonza will carry the baton left by Sen. Feinstein (and) continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.,” he said.Butler leads Emily’s List, a political organization that supports Democratic women candidates who favor abortion rights. She also is a former labor leader with SEIU 2015, a powerful force in California politics.Her appointment sets up a potentially tricky political calculus in the crowded 2024 contest to succeed Feinstein, which has been underway since the beginning of the year.Newsom spokesman Anthony York said the governor did not ask Butler to commit to staying out of the race. The deadline for candidates to submit paperwork to seek the office is Dec. 8. Should Butler enter the contest, she could set up a competition for the relatively small but influential group of Black voters in California and possibly undercut Lee's chances.Emily's List is known as a fundraising powerhouse, and raising huge sums of campaign cash is a must in any statewide California race. Newsom's statement said she will step down from the organization.The decision carried the threat of political fallout for Newsom, who is seen as a potential future national candidate. The candidate favored by Black voters has won the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination every cycle since 1992. The Congressional Black Caucus was among the groups and Black politicians that had urged Newsom to appoint Lee, calling her the best qualified choice for the post.The long-serving Feinstein&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-death-legacy-senate-women-tributes-37e8ba38f4cac4ebbe25d31a49e29c75">died Thursday</a>&nbsp;at age 90 after a series of illnesses.Butler currently lives in Maryland, according to her Emily's List biography. Izzy Gardon, a spokesman for Newsom, said Butler owns a home in California. She is expected to reregister to vote in California before being sworn in. That could happen as early as Tuesday evening when the Senate returns to session.Butler said Monday she she had accepted Newsom's nomination to serve “a state I have made my home."“No one will ever measure up to the legacy of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, but I will do my best to honor her legacy and leadership by committing to work for women and girls, workers and unions, struggling parents, and all of California. I am ready to serve,” she said.Democrats control the Senate 51-49, though Feinstein’s seat is vacant. A quick appointment by Newsom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/feinstein-death-vacant-seat-senate-shutdown-a00cbe7adbf3f80a5ce6aa621f2f3ac9">will give the Democratic caucus more wiggle room</a>&nbsp;on close votes, including nominations that Republicans uniformly oppose.Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress and the longest-serving woman in the Senate, said in February she would not seek reelection in 2024. Lee is one of several prominent Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-california-state-government-united-states-senate-donald-trump-5426f7c2539d14210f098bf7f8c0d9d7">competing for the seat</a>, including Democratic U.S. Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff. Newsom said he did not want to appoint any of the candidates because it would give them an unfair advantage in the race.Butler has never held elected office but has a long track record in California politics. She served as a senior adviser to Harris's 2020 presidential campaign while working at a political firm filled with strategists who have worked for Newsom and many other prominent state Democrats. She also briefly worked in the private sector for Airbnb.She called Feinstein “a legendary figure for women in politics and around the country,” in a statement posted after Feinstein's death.Emily's List, the group Butler leads, focuses on electing Democratic women who support abortion rights. With the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn women's constitutional right to abortion, the issue has become a galvanizing one for many Democrats.Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, said the appointment “will give our ... community another voice in Congress at a time when our rights and freedoms are under attack across the country.”It’s not Newsom’s first time selecting a U.S. senator, after being tasked with choosing a replacement for Kamala Harris when she was elected vice president; at that time he selected California Secretary of State Alex Padilla for the post. It was one of a string of appointments Newsom made in late 2020 and early 2021, a power that gave him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-sacramento-california-gavin-newsom-kamala-harris-983ab328c56768cd0c87a28fcc59870c">kingmaker status</a>&nbsp;among the state’s ambitious Democrats.The seat is expected to stay in Democratic hands in the 2024 election. Democrats in the liberal-leaning state have not lost a statewide election since 2006, and the party holds a nearly 2-to-1 voter registration advantage over Republicans.

Former adviser to Vice President Harris named to open U.S. Senate seat

LINCOLN, NE - Governor Jim Pillen provided the statement below, upon approving emergency regulations submitted by the Chief Medical Officer of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) relative to the&nbsp;Let them Grow Act&nbsp;in LB574.

“I appreciate the thorough work put in by Dr. Tesmer and his team to get the emergency regulations drafted and to me for approval on the effective date of the law. These regulations provide the guidance necessary to ensure that Nebraska kids are protected from medical treatments and surgeries that could result in irreparable harm.”

LINCOLN, NE - Governor Jim Pillen provided the statement below, upon approving emergency regulations submitted by the Chief Medical Officer of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) relative to the&nbsp;Let them Grow Act&nbsp;in LB574.“I appreciate the thorough work put in by Dr. Tesmer and his team to get the emergency regulations drafted and to me for approval on the effective date of the law. These regulations provide the guidance necessary to ensure that Nebraska kids are protected from medical treatments and surgeries that could result in irreparable harm.”

Gov. Pillen’s Statement Upon Approving Emergency Regulations for Let Them Grow Act

WASHINGTON --&nbsp;FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test">nationwide test</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-system">Emergency Alert System</a>&nbsp;(EAS) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/public/wireless-emergency-alerts">Wireless Emergency Alerts</a>&nbsp;(WEA) this fall.

The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.

The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.

FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers&nbsp;and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test.

The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11.&nbsp;

The WEA portion of the test will be initiated using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system">FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)</a>, a centralized internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks. The WEA test will be administered via a code sent to cell phones.&nbsp;

This year the EAS message will be disseminated as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN).

All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:

WEA alerts are created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government agencies through IPAWS to participating wireless providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration.&nbsp;

Important information about the EAS test:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695205625537.png" alt="Photo FEMA" />
 <figcaption>Photo FEMA</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON --&nbsp;FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test">nationwide test</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-system">Emergency Alert System</a>&nbsp;(EAS) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/public/wireless-emergency-alerts">Wireless Emergency Alerts</a>&nbsp;(WEA) this fall.The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers&nbsp;and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test.The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11.&nbsp;The WEA portion of the test will be initiated using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system">FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)</a>, a centralized internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks. The WEA test will be administered via a code sent to cell phones.&nbsp;This year the EAS message will be disseminated as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN).All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:<ul>
 <li>Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message.&nbsp;</li><li>For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”</li><li>Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”</li>
 </ul>WEA alerts are created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government agencies through IPAWS to participating wireless providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration.&nbsp;Important information about the EAS test:<ul>
 <li>The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute and will be conducted with the participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers&nbsp;and wireline video providers.</li><li>The test message will be similar to the regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar. It will state: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.</li>
 </ul>

Nationwide emergency alert test scheduled this week

Lincoln, Neb. (Oct. 2, 2023) — All Nebraskans are invited to participate in a free web-based activity challenge that offers virtual badges and actual prizes for achieving and logging some extra physical activity ahead of the holidays.

It’s the WellPower Movement Fall Fresh Air Challenge, sponsored by the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0010Ik4LhUFIFQdjBp4b6Sgb4hVtElx_M1lmhozixHXZNfmPxZtAmDL0oS7HzLv47jntFaZ2VXhs3t-9GLih0h3fA1wzcb2WloeRU_n_yqEgAAaTttX1nNXx3YxAxfc1KwJ-ATIOQf9f_BXhlyRWuTo9UMz1NIKrS4M&amp;c=dJV187ef1_k9Mc9Gbug6gehjda2XUbdMo-ESSE8QQyc7pM-KoSWjbw==&amp;ch=cV3GWfLDE4uW2NOsZyrfcUBWeKFm1im-qupmSVD4kbSFfQkg3IN2VA==" target="_blank">Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association</a>, and it runs Nov. 1-22.&nbsp;The program encourages individuals to increase their daily physical activity with the opportunity to earn virtual badges and qualify for weekly gift-card drawings.

The Fall Fresh Air Challenge is the final component of 2023 for the WellPower Movement, a year-round activity-tracking website hosted by the Nebraska Sports Council. To take the challenge, participants log activity miles on a personal dashboard they establish for free at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0010Ik4LhUFIFQdjBp4b6Sgb4hVtElx_M1lmhozixHXZNfmPxZtAmDL0jCPR3w856djDlI3TB1xN3-4bcZtgu9fuQOeBjPJ6xC-wHmKbZlhb6OGM-T-yQ7dTA-Db8zE2G2jp47Z3eCP2kYO-SotxvkUodyoU1rWsWGC&amp;c=dJV187ef1_k9Mc9Gbug6gehjda2XUbdMo-ESSE8QQyc7pM-KoSWjbw==&amp;ch=cV3GWfLDE4uW2NOsZyrfcUBWeKFm1im-qupmSVD4kbSFfQkg3IN2VA==" target="_blank">WellPowerMovement.com</a>.&nbsp;

The main goal of the WellPower Movement Fall Fresh Air Challenge is to log at least 25 miles between Nov. 1-22.&nbsp;Activity miles can be achieved by walking, running, biking and/or converting other physical and mental health activities.&nbsp;Participants who log miles will be eligible for weekly prize drawings. Fall Fresh Air Challenge Badges are earned for each five-mile increment up to 50 miles.

The WellPower Movement is a program of the Nebraska Sports Council, which also conducts the Cornhusker State Games, the Pumpkin Run and Lincoln and Omaha Corporate Games.&nbsp;Learn more at

Lincoln, Neb. (Oct. 2, 2023) — All Nebraskans are invited to participate in a free web-based activity challenge that offers virtual badges and actual prizes for achieving and logging some extra physical activity ahead of the holidays.It’s the WellPower Movement Fall Fresh Air Challenge, sponsored by the&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0010Ik4LhUFIFQdjBp4b6Sgb4hVtElx_M1lmhozixHXZNfmPxZtAmDL0oS7HzLv47jntFaZ2VXhs3t-9GLih0h3fA1wzcb2WloeRU_n_yqEgAAaTttX1nNXx3YxAxfc1KwJ-ATIOQf9f_BXhlyRWuTo9UMz1NIKrS4M&amp;c=dJV187ef1_k9Mc9Gbug6gehjda2XUbdMo-ESSE8QQyc7pM-KoSWjbw==&amp;ch=cV3GWfLDE4uW2NOsZyrfcUBWeKFm1im-qupmSVD4kbSFfQkg3IN2VA==" target="_blank">Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association</a>, and it runs Nov. 1-22.&nbsp;The program encourages individuals to increase their daily physical activity with the opportunity to earn virtual badges and qualify for weekly gift-card drawings.The Fall Fresh Air Challenge is the final component of 2023 for the WellPower Movement, a year-round activity-tracking website hosted by the Nebraska Sports Council. To take the challenge, participants log activity miles on a personal dashboard they establish for free at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0010Ik4LhUFIFQdjBp4b6Sgb4hVtElx_M1lmhozixHXZNfmPxZtAmDL0jCPR3w856djDlI3TB1xN3-4bcZtgu9fuQOeBjPJ6xC-wHmKbZlhb6OGM-T-yQ7dTA-Db8zE2G2jp47Z3eCP2kYO-SotxvkUodyoU1rWsWGC&amp;c=dJV187ef1_k9Mc9Gbug6gehjda2XUbdMo-ESSE8QQyc7pM-KoSWjbw==&amp;ch=cV3GWfLDE4uW2NOsZyrfcUBWeKFm1im-qupmSVD4kbSFfQkg3IN2VA==" target="_blank">WellPowerMovement.com</a>.&nbsp;The main goal of the WellPower Movement Fall Fresh Air Challenge is to log at least 25 miles between Nov. 1-22.&nbsp;Activity miles can be achieved by walking, running, biking and/or converting other physical and mental health activities.&nbsp;Participants who log miles will be eligible for weekly prize drawings. Fall Fresh Air Challenge Badges are earned for each five-mile increment up to 50 miles.The WellPower Movement is a program of the Nebraska Sports Council, which also conducts the Cornhusker State Games, the Pumpkin Run and Lincoln and Omaha Corporate Games.&nbsp;Learn more at<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0010Ik4LhUFIFQdjBp4b6Sgb4hVtElx_M1lmhozixHXZNfmPxZtAmDL0nW7rS1CaCw6BRr-5loo6awO8ZB4EVGenmG_X7ztP7qOg8qg7d4ZPFaBWbNTxyBnPv_NFk8WXcxzOqXeIWZITXF44lvkOAfofeVRcxYDKyv_&amp;c=dJV187ef1_k9Mc9Gbug6gehjda2XUbdMo-ESSE8QQyc7pM-KoSWjbw==&amp;ch=cV3GWfLDE4uW2NOsZyrfcUBWeKFm1im-qupmSVD4kbSFfQkg3IN2VA==" target="_blank">NebraskaSportsCouncil.com</a>.