WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Friday.

The missiles will be used to replenish previously supplied Patriot systems. The package also includes more munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and additional gear to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars into Ukraine's existing weaponry, much of which still dates back to the Soviet era.

Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;discussed the need for Patriots early Friday with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of about 50 countries gathering virtually in a Pentagon-led meeting. The meeting fell on the second anniversary of the group, which Austin said has “moved heaven and earth” since April 2022 to source millions of rounds of ammunition, rocket systems, armored vehicles and even jets to help Ukraine rebuff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's invasion</a>.

Zelenskyy said at least seven Patriot systems are needed to protect Ukrainian cities. “We urgently need Patriot systems and missiles for them,” Zelenskyy said. “This is what can and should save lives right now.”

At a Pentagon press conference following the meeting, Austin said the U.S. was working with allies to resource additional Patriot systems but did not commit to sending more U.S. versions. He said he has been speaking one-on-one with a number of his European counterparts in recent days to hash out this issue and others.

“It's not just Patriots that they need, they need other types of systems and interceptors as well,” Austin said. “I would caution us all in terms of making Patriot the silver bullet.”

Austin said he is asking allied nations to “accept a little bit more risk” as they consider what weapons to send to Ukraine. A number of nations have expressed some reluctance to send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine because most don’t have very many and they belieive they need them for their own defense.

U.S. officials said the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defense industry and means that it could take many months or years for the weapons to arrive. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

The new funding — the largest tranche of USAI aid sent to date — also includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, as well as Switchblade and Puma drones, counter drone systems and artillery.

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group has been meeting about monthly for the past two years and is the primary forum for weapons contributions to Kyiv for the war.

Friday's meeting follows the White House decision earlier this week to approve the delivery of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4">$1 billion in weapons and equipment</a>&nbsp;to Ukraine. Those weapons include a variety of ammunition, such as air defense munitions and large amounts of artillery rounds that are much in demand by Ukrainian forces, as well as armored vehicles and other weapons.

That aid, however, will get to Ukraine quickly because it is being pulled off Pentagon shelves, including in warehouses in Europe.

Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the $1 billion weapons package will have a key benefit.

“There's some near-term effects,” said Brown, who stood alongside Austin at the Pentagon briefing. “Now the Ukrainians don't necessarily have to ration what they have because they know things are coming out of this package and there will be follow-on packages.”

The large back-to-back aid approvals are the result of a new infusion of about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4">$61 billion in funding for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on Wednesday. And they provide weapons Kyiv desperately needs to stall gains being made by Russian forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">in the war</a>.

Bitterly divided members of Congress deadlocked over the funding for months, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to cobble together a bipartisan coalition to pass the bill. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-israel-gaza-taiwan-c0645ad3f47f9d919c8988a98593e887">$95 billion foreign aid</a>&nbsp;package, which also included billions of dollars for Israel and Taiwan, passed the House on Saturday, and the Senate approved it Tuesday.

Senior U.S. officials have described dire battlefield conditions in Ukraine, as troops run low on munitions and Russian forces make gains.

Since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Russia’s February 2022 invasion</a>, the U.S. has sent more than $44 billion worth of weapons, maintenance, training and spare parts to Ukraine.

Among the weapons provided to Ukraine were Abrams M1A1 battle tanks. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-abrams-tanks-19d71475d427875653a2130063a8fb7a">Ukraine has now sidelined them</a>&nbsp;in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714164025275.png" alt="Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a Pentagon press briefing Friday-image Defense Department" />
 <figcaption>Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a Pentagon press briefing Friday-image Defense Department</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Friday.The missiles will be used to replenish previously supplied Patriot systems. The package also includes more munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and additional gear to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars into Ukraine's existing weaponry, much of which still dates back to the Soviet era.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714164230975.png" alt="File photo The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command launch a missile target at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., Feb. 8, 2023, while testing new Patriot missile software.-U.S. Army photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command launch a missile target at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., Feb. 8, 2023, while testing new Patriot missile software.-U.S. Army photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;discussed the need for Patriots early Friday with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of about 50 countries gathering virtually in a Pentagon-led meeting. The meeting fell on the second anniversary of the group, which Austin said has “moved heaven and earth” since April 2022 to source millions of rounds of ammunition, rocket systems, armored vehicles and even jets to help Ukraine rebuff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's invasion</a>.Zelenskyy said at least seven Patriot systems are needed to protect Ukrainian cities. “We urgently need Patriot systems and missiles for them,” Zelenskyy said. “This is what can and should save lives right now.”At a Pentagon press conference following the meeting, Austin said the U.S. was working with allies to resource additional Patriot systems but did not commit to sending more U.S. versions. He said he has been speaking one-on-one with a number of his European counterparts in recent days to hash out this issue and others.“It's not just Patriots that they need, they need other types of systems and interceptors as well,” Austin said. “I would caution us all in terms of making Patriot the silver bullet.”Austin said he is asking allied nations to “accept a little bit more risk” as they consider what weapons to send to Ukraine. A number of nations have expressed some reluctance to send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine because most don’t have very many and they belieive they need them for their own defense.U.S. officials said the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defense industry and means that it could take many months or years for the weapons to arrive. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.The new funding — the largest tranche of USAI aid sent to date — also includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, as well as Switchblade and Puma drones, counter drone systems and artillery.The Ukraine Defense Contact Group has been meeting about monthly for the past two years and is the primary forum for weapons contributions to Kyiv for the war.Friday's meeting follows the White House decision earlier this week to approve the delivery of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4">$1 billion in weapons and equipment</a>&nbsp;to Ukraine. Those weapons include a variety of ammunition, such as air defense munitions and large amounts of artillery rounds that are much in demand by Ukrainian forces, as well as armored vehicles and other weapons.That aid, however, will get to Ukraine quickly because it is being pulled off Pentagon shelves, including in warehouses in Europe.Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the $1 billion weapons package will have a key benefit.“There's some near-term effects,” said Brown, who stood alongside Austin at the Pentagon briefing. “Now the Ukrainians don't necessarily have to ration what they have because they know things are coming out of this package and there will be follow-on packages.”The large back-to-back aid approvals are the result of a new infusion of about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4">$61 billion in funding for Ukraine</a>&nbsp;that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on Wednesday. And they provide weapons Kyiv desperately needs to stall gains being made by Russian forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">in the war</a>.Bitterly divided members of Congress deadlocked over the funding for months, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to cobble together a bipartisan coalition to pass the bill. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-israel-gaza-taiwan-c0645ad3f47f9d919c8988a98593e887">$95 billion foreign aid</a>&nbsp;package, which also included billions of dollars for Israel and Taiwan, passed the House on Saturday, and the Senate approved it Tuesday.Senior U.S. officials have described dire battlefield conditions in Ukraine, as troops run low on munitions and Russian forces make gains.Since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">Russia’s February 2022 invasion</a>, the U.S. has sent more than $44 billion worth of weapons, maintenance, training and spare parts to Ukraine.Among the weapons provided to Ukraine were Abrams M1A1 battle tanks. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-abrams-tanks-19d71475d427875653a2130063a8fb7a">Ukraine has now sidelined them</a>&nbsp;in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press.

U.S. to rush  Patriot missiles to Ukraine in $6 Billion package

By JOSH FUNK and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Nebraska.

As of Friday night, there were several reports of injuries but no immediate deaths reported. Tornado warnings continued to be issued into the night in Iowa.

Three people were hurt in Nebraska’s Lancaster County when a tornado hit an industrial building, causing it to collapse with 70 people inside. Several were trapped, but everyone was evacuated and the injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.

One of the most destructive tornadoes moved for miles Friday through mostly rural farmland before chewing up homes and other structures in the suburbs of Omaha, a city of 485,000 people with a metropolitan area population of about 1 million.

Photos on social media showed the small town of Minden, Iowa, about 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) northeast of Omaha also sustained heavy damage.

Jeff Theulen, chief deputy of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, said at a late Friday briefing that 40 to 50 homes had been completely destroyed. Two injuries were reported but none was life-threatening.

School buses have been brought in to give residents a ride out of town if they need one, he said. He asked others to stay away, as it’s a very dangerous area with power lines down and piles of debris where homes used to be.

“It’s heartbreaking to see these people who have lost houses, cars, essentially their life until they have to rebuild it,” he said.

The forecast for Saturday was ominous. The National Weather Service issued tornado watches across parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Forecasters warned that large hail and strong wind gusts were possible.

“It does look like a big outbreak again tomorrow,” said Becky Kern, the warning coordination meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Omaha office. “Maybe slightly farther south.”

Hundreds of houses sustained damage in Omaha on Friday, mostly in the Elkhorn area in the western part of the city, Omaha police Lt. Neal Bonacci said.

“You definitely see the path of the tornado,” Bonacci said, adding that many of the homes were destroyed or severely damaged.

Police and firefighters went door-to-door to help people, going to the “hardest hit area” with a plan to search anywhere someone could be trapped, Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman said.

“We'll be looking throughout properties in debris piles, we'll be looking in basements, trying to find any victims and make sure everybody is rescued who needs assistance,” Bossman said.

In one area of Elkhorn, dozens of newly built, large homes were damaged. At least six were wrecked, including one that was leveled, while others had their top halves ripped off. Dozens of emergency vehicles responded to the area.

“We watched it touch down like 200 yards over there and then we took shelter,” said Pat Woods, who lives in Elkhorn. "We could hear it coming through. When we came up our fence was gone and we looked to the northwest and the whole neighborhood's gone.”

Kim Woods, his wife, added, “The whole neighborhood just to the north of us is pretty flattened.”

Three people, including a child, were in the basement of the leveled home when the tornado hit but got out safely, according to Dhaval Naik, who said he works with home's owner.

KETV-TV video showed one woman being removed from a demolished home on a stretcher in Blair, a city just north of Omaha.

Two people were transported for treatment, both with minor injuries, Bonacci said.

Crews were doing a second search of homes. Fire crews would work throughout the night to check all the unsafe structures and make sure no one is inside, Bonacci said.

“People had warnings of this and that saved lives," Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said of the few serious injuries.

The tornado warning was issued in the Omaha area on Friday afternoon just as children were due to be released from school. Many schools had students shelter in place until the storm passed. Hours later, buses were still transporting children home.

“Was it one long track tornado or was it several tornadoes?” Kern of the National Weather Service said.

The agency planned to send out multiple crews over the next several days to determine the number of tornadoes and their strength, which could take up to two weeks, she said.

“Some appeared to be violent tornadoes,” Kern continued. “There were tornadoes in different areas. And so it’s like forensic meteorology, we call it, like piecing together, all the damage indicators.”

Another tornado hit an area on the eastern edge of Omaha, passing directly through parts of Eppley Airfield, the city's airport. Officials halted aircraft operations to access damage but then reopened the facility, Omaha Airport Authority Chief Strategy Officer Steve McCoy said.

The passenger terminal wasn't hit by the tornado but people rushed to storm shelters until the twister passed, McCoy said.

After passing through the airport, the tornado crossed the Missouri River and into Iowa, north of Council Bluffs.

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Katrina Sperl said Friday afternoon that damage reports were just starting to come in. Taylor Wilson, a spokesperson for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said they hadn’t seen any injuries yet.

In Lancaster County, where three people were injured when an industrial building collapsed, sheriff's officials also said they had reports of a tipped-over train near Waverly, Nebraska.

Two people who were injured in the county were being treated at the trauma center at Bryan Medical Center West Campus in Lincoln, the facility said in a news release. The hospital said the patients were in triage and no details were released on their condition.

The Omaha Public Power District reported nearly 10,000 customers were without power in the Omaha area. The number had dropped to about 7,300 by Friday night.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen posted on the social platform X that he had ordered state resources to be made available to help with the emergency response and to support first responders as they assess the damage.

“Nebraskans are no strangers to severe weather and, as they have countless times before, Nebraskans will help Nebraskans to rebuild,” Pillen said.

Daniel Fienhold, manager of the Pink Poodle Steakhouse in Crescent, Iowa, said he was outside watching the weather with his daughter and restaurant employees, recalling “it looked like a pretty big tornado was forming” northeast of town.

“It started raining, and then it started hailing, and then all the clouds started to kind of swirl and come together, and as soon as the wind started to pick up, that’s when I headed for the basement, but we never saw it,” Fienhold said.

Photos on social media showed the small city of Minden, Iowa, about 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) northeast of Omaha also sustained heavy damage.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A tornado plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday afternoon, damaging hundreds of homes and other structures as the twister tore for miles along farmland and into subdivisions. Some injuries were reported but there were no immediate reports that anyone was killed.

Multiple tornadoes were reported in Nebraska but the most destructive storm moved from a largely rural area into suburbs northwest of Omaha, a city of 485,000 people.

Photos on social media showed ravaged homes and shredded trees. Video showed homes with roofs stripped of shingles, in a rural area near Omaha. Law enforcement were blocking off roads in the area.

Hundreds of houses sustained damage in Omaha, mostly in the Elkhorn area in the western part of the city, Omaha police Lt. Neal Bonacci said.

Police and firefighters are now going door-to-door helping people who are trapped.

Omaha Fire Chief Kathy Bossman said crews had gone to the “hardest hit area” and had a plan to search anywhere someone could be trapped.

“They're going to be putting together a strategic plan for a detailed search of the area, starting with the properties with most damage,” Bossman said. “We'll be looking throughout properties in debris piles, we'll be looking in basements, trying to find any victims and make sure everybody is rescued who needs assistance.”

Bonacci said many homes were destroyed or severely damaged.

"You definitely see the path of the tornado,” Bonacci said.

In one area of Elkhorn, dozens of newly built, large homes were damaged. At least six were wrecked, including one that was leveled, while others had the top half ripped off.

There were dozens of emergency vehicles in the area.

His wife, Kim Woods added, “The whole neighborhood just to the north of us is pretty flattened.”

Dhaval Naik, who said he works with the man whose house was demolished, said three people, including a child, were in the basement when the tornado hit. They got out safely.

KETV-TV video showed one woman being removed from a wrecked home on a stretcher in Blair, a city just north of Omaha.

Bonacci said only two people have been transported for treatment, both with minor injuries.

He said crews are now doing a second search of homes. He said fire crews would work throughout the night to check all the unsafe structures and make sure no one is inside.

“People had warnings of this and that saved lives," Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said, of the few serious injuries.

The tornado warning was issued in the Omaha area on Friday afternoon just as children were due to be released from school. Many schools had students shelter in place until the storm passed. Hours later, buses were still transporting students home.

“Was it one long track tornado or was it several tornadoes?” said Becky Kern, the warning coordination meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Omaha office.

She said the agency planned to send out multiple crews over the next several days to determine the number of tornadoes and their strength, and that it could take up to two weeks to finish the evaluation.

“Some appeared to be violent tornadoes,” she continued. “There were tornadoes in different areas. And so it’s like forensic meteorology, we call it, like piecing together, all the damage indicators.”

Another tornado hit an area on the eastern edge of Omaha, passing directly through parts of Eppley Airfield, the city's airport. Officials closed the airport to aircraft operations to access damage but then reopened the facility, Omaha Airport Authority Chief Strategy Officer Steve McCoy said.

Flight delays are expected Friday evening.

Tornadoes collapse buildings and level homes in Nebraska and Iowa

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump's defense team attacked the credibility of prosecutors' first witness in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">hush money case</a>&nbsp;on Friday, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.

<a href="https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts/4-25-2024/">Click here to read transcript</a> of day 3 of the historic trial&nbsp;(-The court system is posting the daily transcripts of the trial proceedings. The transcript for each day is available before the end of the following business day.)

On the witness stand for a fourth day, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker was grilled about his memory and past statements as the defense tried to poke holes in potentially crucial testimony in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-e40532d3bce7768e296fdaf9591ef05b">first criminal trial of a former American president.</a>

Two other witnesses followed Pecker as prosecutors built the foundation of their case involving a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had a sexual encounter with Trump. Trump's longtime executive assistant told jurors she recalled seeing Daniels in a reception area of Trump Tower, though the date of the visit wasn’t clear.

Pecker’s testimony provided jurors with a stunning inside look at the supermarket tabloid’s “catch-and-kill” practice of purchasing the rights to stories so they never see the light of day. He's believed to be a key witness to bolster prosecutors' theory that Trump sought to illegally influence the 2016 race by suppressing negative stories about his personal life.

Trump, who denies any wrongdoing, slammed the prosecution as he left the courthouse Friday after spending most of the week in his role as criminal defendant instead of political candidate. Trump seized on President Joe Biden's remarks Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-debates-97c527d59bac59c06d2ee0e1edb81d9b">that he's willing to debate Trump</a>. Trump told reporters he's up for it anytime, anywhere.

Under cross-examination, Trump’s lawyers appeared to be laying the groundwork to make the argument that any dealings Trump had with Pecker were intended to protect Trump, his reputation and his family — not his campaign. The defense also sought to show that the National Enquirer was publishing negative stories about Trump’s 2016 rival, Hillary Clinton, long before an August 2015 meeting that is central to the case.

During that meeting, Pecker said he told Trump and then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen he would be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-national-enquirer-d44d4a7ce66cc08edb5981b3afb882ba">“eyes and ears” of the campaign</a>, and would notify Cohen if he heard negative stories about Trump so they could be killed.

Under questioning by Trump lawyer Emil Bove, Pecker acknowledged there was no mention at that meeting of the term “catch-and-kill." Nor was there discussion at the meeting of any “financial dimension,” such as the National Enquirer paying people on Trump’s behalf for the rights to their stories, Pecker said.

Bove also confronted Pecker with statements he made to federal prosecutors in 2018 that the defense lawyer said were “inconsistent” with the former publisher’s testimony.

Pecker told jurors that Trump thanked him during a White House visit in 2017 for his help burying two stories. But according to notes Bove read in court, Pecker told federal authorities that Trump did not express any gratitude to him during the meeting.

“Was that another mistake?” Bove asked Pecker.

Pecker stuck to the account that he gave in court, adding, “I know what the truth is."

Prosecutors challenged the defense’s contention that Trump's arrangement with the National Enquirer wasn't unique. Under questioning from a prosecutor, Pecker acknowledged he had not previously sought out stories and worked the company’s sources on behalf of a presidential candidate or allowed political fixers close access to internal decision-making.

The second witness called to the stand was Rhona Graff, Trump’s longtime executive assistant. Graff, who started working for Trump in 1987 and left the Trump Organization in April 2021, has been described as his gatekeeper and right hand.

Graff testified that she believed she was the one who added contact information for Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal to the Trump Organization’s computer system. The women’s listings were shown in court, with Daniels named in the system simply as “Stormy.” Graff later noted that Trump never used computers.

Trump spoke briefly to Graff as she left the witness stand. He appeared to reach out to her with his hand as an officer guided her away from the witness stand past the defense table. Trump’s lawyers were at the bench, talking with Judge Juan Merchan, when Trump stood up and engaged with Graff.

The case will resume Tuesday with the third prosecution witness, Gary Farro, a banker. Farro testified Friday about helping Cohen form a bank account for the limited liability company he used to facilitate the Daniels payment. Farro said Cohen led him to believe the firm, Essential Consultants LLC, would be involved in real estate consulting.

Friday’s testimony caps a consequential week in the&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">criminal cases the former president faces</a>&nbsp;as he vies to reclaim the White House in November.

At the same time jurors listened to testimony in Manhattan, the Supreme Court on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-prosecution-immunity-72c885c07c77970d4380206f87b2d8ca">signaled it was likely to reject</a>&nbsp;Trump's sweeping claims that he is immune from prosecution in his 2020 election interference case in Washington. But the conservative-majority high court seemed inclined to limit when former presidents could be prosecuted — a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-immunity-jan-6-riot-4813fceb6bc8b0ea2f47bf9315bf7991">ruling that could benefit Trump</a>&nbsp;by delaying that trial, potentially until after the November election.

In New York — the first of Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">four criminal cases to go to trial</a>&nbsp;— the presumptive Republican presidential nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records</a>&nbsp;in connection with the hush money payments.

The charges center on $130,000 that Trump’s company paid to Cohen on Trump’s behalf to keep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-stormy-daniels-karen-mcdougal-26f0b7e7cf464f5fc0681e04efe5fe9b">Daniels</a>&nbsp;from going public with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the encounter ever happened.

Over several days on the witness stand, Pecker described how the tabloid parlayed rumor-mongering into splashy stories that smeared Trump’s opponents and, just as crucially, leveraged his connections to suppress seamy stories about Trump.

Trump's attorney zeroed in on a nonprosecution agreement in 2018 between the federal government and American Media Inc., the parent company of the National Enquirer.

The company admitted to engaging in the “catch-and-kill” practice to help Trump's campaign, and prosecutors agreed to not prosecute the company for paying $150,000 to McDougal for the rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump. Trump denies the affair.

Trump's attorney repeatedly suggested that Pecker may have felt pressured to accept an agreement in order to finalize a deal to sell his company to the newsstand operator Hudson News Group for a proposed $100 million.

“To consummate that deal, you knew you had to clear up the investigations,” Bove said.

After pausing for several seconds, Pecker replied in the affirmative. But Pecker also said he felt “no pressure” to finalize the nonprosecution agreement to complete the transaction.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714184700078.png" alt="One piece of evidence from Trump's civil trial on Tuesday -provided by New York State Court System" />
 <figcaption>One piece of evidence from Trump's civil trial on Tuesday -provided by New York State Court System</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump's defense team attacked the credibility of prosecutors' first witness in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">hush money case</a>&nbsp;on Friday, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.<a href="https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts/4-25-2024/">Click here to read transcript</a> of day 3 of the historic trial&nbsp;(-The court system is posting the daily transcripts of the trial proceedings. The transcript for each day is available before the end of the following business day.)On the witness stand for a fourth day, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker was grilled about his memory and past statements as the defense tried to poke holes in potentially crucial testimony in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-e40532d3bce7768e296fdaf9591ef05b">first criminal trial of a former American president.</a>Two other witnesses followed Pecker as prosecutors built the foundation of their case involving a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had a sexual encounter with Trump. Trump's longtime executive assistant told jurors she recalled seeing Daniels in a reception area of Trump Tower, though the date of the visit wasn’t clear.Pecker’s testimony provided jurors with a stunning inside look at the supermarket tabloid’s “catch-and-kill” practice of purchasing the rights to stories so they never see the light of day. He's believed to be a key witness to bolster prosecutors' theory that Trump sought to illegally influence the 2016 race by suppressing negative stories about his personal life.Trump, who denies any wrongdoing, slammed the prosecution as he left the courthouse Friday after spending most of the week in his role as criminal defendant instead of political candidate. Trump seized on President Joe Biden's remarks Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-debates-97c527d59bac59c06d2ee0e1edb81d9b">that he's willing to debate Trump</a>. Trump told reporters he's up for it anytime, anywhere.Under cross-examination, Trump’s lawyers appeared to be laying the groundwork to make the argument that any dealings Trump had with Pecker were intended to protect Trump, his reputation and his family — not his campaign. The defense also sought to show that the National Enquirer was publishing negative stories about Trump’s 2016 rival, Hillary Clinton, long before an August 2015 meeting that is central to the case.During that meeting, Pecker said he told Trump and then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen he would be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-national-enquirer-d44d4a7ce66cc08edb5981b3afb882ba">“eyes and ears” of the campaign</a>, and would notify Cohen if he heard negative stories about Trump so they could be killed.Under questioning by Trump lawyer Emil Bove, Pecker acknowledged there was no mention at that meeting of the term “catch-and-kill." Nor was there discussion at the meeting of any “financial dimension,” such as the National Enquirer paying people on Trump’s behalf for the rights to their stories, Pecker said.Bove also confronted Pecker with statements he made to federal prosecutors in 2018 that the defense lawyer said were “inconsistent” with the former publisher’s testimony.Pecker told jurors that Trump thanked him during a White House visit in 2017 for his help burying two stories. But according to notes Bove read in court, Pecker told federal authorities that Trump did not express any gratitude to him during the meeting.“Was that another mistake?” Bove asked Pecker.Pecker stuck to the account that he gave in court, adding, “I know what the truth is."Prosecutors challenged the defense’s contention that Trump's arrangement with the National Enquirer wasn't unique. Under questioning from a prosecutor, Pecker acknowledged he had not previously sought out stories and worked the company’s sources on behalf of a presidential candidate or allowed political fixers close access to internal decision-making.“It’s the only one,” Pecker said.The second witness called to the stand was Rhona Graff, Trump’s longtime executive assistant. Graff, who started working for Trump in 1987 and left the Trump Organization in April 2021, has been described as his gatekeeper and right hand.Graff testified that she believed she was the one who added contact information for Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal to the Trump Organization’s computer system. The women’s listings were shown in court, with Daniels named in the system simply as “Stormy.” Graff later noted that Trump never used computers.Trump spoke briefly to Graff as she left the witness stand. He appeared to reach out to her with his hand as an officer guided her away from the witness stand past the defense table. Trump’s lawyers were at the bench, talking with Judge Juan Merchan, when Trump stood up and engaged with Graff.The case will resume Tuesday with the third prosecution witness, Gary Farro, a banker. Farro testified Friday about helping Cohen form a bank account for the limited liability company he used to facilitate the Daniels payment. Farro said Cohen led him to believe the firm, Essential Consultants LLC, would be involved in real estate consulting.Friday’s testimony caps a consequential week in the&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">criminal cases the former president faces</a>&nbsp;as he vies to reclaim the White House in November.At the same time jurors listened to testimony in Manhattan, the Supreme Court on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-capitol-riot-prosecution-immunity-72c885c07c77970d4380206f87b2d8ca">signaled it was likely to reject</a>&nbsp;Trump's sweeping claims that he is immune from prosecution in his 2020 election interference case in Washington. But the conservative-majority high court seemed inclined to limit when former presidents could be prosecuted — a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-immunity-jan-6-riot-4813fceb6bc8b0ea2f47bf9315bf7991">ruling that could benefit Trump</a>&nbsp;by delaying that trial, potentially until after the November election.In New York — the first of Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">four criminal cases to go to trial</a>&nbsp;— the presumptive Republican presidential nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records</a>&nbsp;in connection with the hush money payments.The charges center on $130,000 that Trump’s company paid to Cohen on Trump’s behalf to keep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-stormy-daniels-karen-mcdougal-26f0b7e7cf464f5fc0681e04efe5fe9b">Daniels</a>&nbsp;from going public with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the encounter ever happened.Over several days on the witness stand, Pecker described how the tabloid parlayed rumor-mongering into splashy stories that smeared Trump’s opponents and, just as crucially, leveraged his connections to suppress seamy stories about Trump.Trump's attorney zeroed in on a nonprosecution agreement in 2018 between the federal government and American Media Inc., the parent company of the National Enquirer.The company admitted to engaging in the “catch-and-kill” practice to help Trump's campaign, and prosecutors agreed to not prosecute the company for paying $150,000 to McDougal for the rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump. Trump denies the affair.Trump's attorney repeatedly suggested that Pecker may have felt pressured to accept an agreement in order to finalize a deal to sell his company to the newsstand operator Hudson News Group for a proposed $100 million.“To consummate that deal, you knew you had to clear up the investigations,” Bove said.After pausing for several seconds, Pecker replied in the affirmative. But Pecker also said he felt “no pressure” to finalize the nonprosecution agreement to complete the transaction.In the end, the deal didn't go through.

Read transcript: Day 3 of historic Trump civil trial

LINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– Joined by esteemed guests including Lt. Governor Joe Kelly and representatives from the Nebraska Forest Service, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, Arbor Day Foundation, and Lincoln Parks and Recreation, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) celebrated Arbor Day by planting a Concolor Fir on the southeast lawn of the Nebraska State Capitol.

“Arbor Day is an exciting time of year, because planting trees is a commitment to the future,” said Tom Green, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts director. “Each sapling is the start of added protection, habitat and beauty for generations to come.”

Green was joined by Steve Glenn, Executive Travel chairman. In December 2021, Executive Travel announced a partnership with Nebraska’s NRDs to plant 1 million trees through the ETGreen campaign. In 2022 and 2023, the campaign funded more than 111,000 trees. And in 2024, Executive Travel committed an additional $65,000 for tree planting. This partnership gives Executive Travel the opportunity to assist local landowners in planting all 1 million trees in Nebraska.

“When Executive Travel was building the&nbsp;ETGreen initiative, we wanted to partner with a local organization dedicated to a sustainable future and a beautiful Nebraska,” said Glenn. “The NRDs work with a great network of local landowners who plant hundreds of thousands of trees annually.”

The choice of the Concolor Fir aligns seamlessly with the original landscape plans developed by Ernst Herminghaus, Nebraska’s first professionally trained landscape architect, who designed the capitol landscape plan to enhance the character of the building as viewed from the site and beyond. Over the past 27 years, the Capitol Commission has diligently replanted the same species in their designated locations, in accordance with the landscape blueprint established nearly 90 years ago.

Green noted that extreme weather events, diseases and invasive insects have impacted Nebraska’s tree population, making it vitally important to plant and maintain a diverse mix of tree species.

Since their inception in 1972, Nebraska’s NRDs have been planting conservation trees and shrubs for windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife habitat and other conservation purposes. In the past 52 years, Nebraska’s NRDs have planted more than 100 million trees.

Each NRD program varies, but possible tree program services include planting, weed barrier installation or weed control, and drip irrigation. For more information on cost share availability, designing a plan or ordering trees, contact your local NRD or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdtrees.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdtrees.org</a>.

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

NRDLINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– Joined by esteemed guests including Lt. Governor Joe Kelly and representatives from the Nebraska Forest Service, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, Arbor Day Foundation, and Lincoln Parks and Recreation, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) celebrated Arbor Day by planting a Concolor Fir on the southeast lawn of the Nebraska State Capitol.“Arbor Day is an exciting time of year, because planting trees is a commitment to the future,” said Tom Green, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts director. “Each sapling is the start of added protection, habitat and beauty for generations to come.”Green was joined by Steve Glenn, Executive Travel chairman. In December 2021, Executive Travel announced a partnership with Nebraska’s NRDs to plant 1 million trees through the ETGreen campaign. In 2022 and 2023, the campaign funded more than 111,000 trees. And in 2024, Executive Travel committed an additional $65,000 for tree planting. This partnership gives Executive Travel the opportunity to assist local landowners in planting all 1 million trees in Nebraska.“When Executive Travel was building the&nbsp;ETGreen initiative, we wanted to partner with a local organization dedicated to a sustainable future and a beautiful Nebraska,” said Glenn. “The NRDs work with a great network of local landowners who plant hundreds of thousands of trees annually.”The choice of the Concolor Fir aligns seamlessly with the original landscape plans developed by Ernst Herminghaus, Nebraska’s first professionally trained landscape architect, who designed the capitol landscape plan to enhance the character of the building as viewed from the site and beyond. Over the past 27 years, the Capitol Commission has diligently replanted the same species in their designated locations, in accordance with the landscape blueprint established nearly 90 years ago.Green noted that extreme weather events, diseases and invasive insects have impacted Nebraska’s tree population, making it vitally important to plant and maintain a diverse mix of tree species.Since their inception in 1972, Nebraska’s NRDs have been planting conservation trees and shrubs for windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife habitat and other conservation purposes. In the past 52 years, Nebraska’s NRDs have planted more than 100 million trees.Each NRD program varies, but possible tree program services include planting, weed barrier installation or weed control, and drip irrigation. For more information on cost share availability, designing a plan or ordering trees, contact your local NRD or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdtrees.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdtrees.org</a>.The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>.

NRDs Help Commemorate Arbor Day with Concolor Fir Planting at State Capitol

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Office

<a>OMAHA, NE&nbsp;</a>–The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and its partners will host the 26th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, April 27, at nearly 5,000 locations nationwide, including approximately 170 drop-offs within the five state DEA Omaha Division. The public is invited to safely dispose of tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs at Take Back locations between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps and illicit drugs.&nbsp;Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. Vaping devices and cartridges will also be accepted, as long as lithium batteries are removed.

The DEA Omaha Division encompasses Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.&nbsp;For 15 years, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications<a>—</a>those that are old, unwanted, or expired—some of which can be a gateway to addiction. A complete list of Take Back sites can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.takebackday.com/" target="_blank">www.TakeBackDay.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It happens all too often where leftover prescription medications are forgotten about and sit unused in a medicine cabinet,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “We need to remove that temptation for misuse and experimentation by disposing of prescriptions that are no longer needed in an environmentally safe way. In addition, our hope is that Take Back Day serves as an opportunity for families to have open and honest conversations about the potentially life altering consequences that can come from drug use and abuse.”

There are several ways to misuse prescription medications including taking a medicine prescribed to someone else, using medicine in a way other than it was prescribed, taking medicines to get high or feel numb, or mixing medicine with illicit drugs or alcohol. According to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), opioids, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine, are the most misused prescription pain medications.&nbsp;

Beyond Saturday’s Take Back Day event, there are countless opportunities to routinely and safely dispose of unneeded medications at close to&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1" target="_blank">17,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses</a>.&nbsp;In addition, many police departments provide year-round drop boxes.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Office<a>OMAHA, NE&nbsp;</a>–The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and its partners will host the 26th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, April 27, at nearly 5,000 locations nationwide, including approximately 170 drop-offs within the five state DEA Omaha Division. The public is invited to safely dispose of tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs at Take Back locations between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps and illicit drugs.&nbsp;Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. Vaping devices and cartridges will also be accepted, as long as lithium batteries are removed.The DEA Omaha Division encompasses Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.&nbsp;For 15 years, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications<a>—</a>those that are old, unwanted, or expired—some of which can be a gateway to addiction. A complete list of Take Back sites can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.takebackday.com/" target="_blank">www.TakeBackDay.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It happens all too often where leftover prescription medications are forgotten about and sit unused in a medicine cabinet,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “We need to remove that temptation for misuse and experimentation by disposing of prescriptions that are no longer needed in an environmentally safe way. In addition, our hope is that Take Back Day serves as an opportunity for families to have open and honest conversations about the potentially life altering consequences that can come from drug use and abuse.”There are several ways to misuse prescription medications including taking a medicine prescribed to someone else, using medicine in a way other than it was prescribed, taking medicines to get high or feel numb, or mixing medicine with illicit drugs or alcohol. According to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), opioids, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine, are the most misused prescription pain medications.&nbsp;Beyond Saturday’s Take Back Day event, there are countless opportunities to routinely and safely dispose of unneeded medications at close to&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1" target="_blank">17,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses</a>.&nbsp;In addition, many police departments provide year-round drop boxes.

   National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Returns April 27

APRIL 26, 2024 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Husker Saturday will be in full swing tomorrow with Nebraska football, Nebraska baseball, and Nebraska softball all in action in Lincoln, and Nebraska State Troopers will be working to keep all fans safe on the roadways around Lincoln.

“This is going to be a busy Saturday for Husker fans and we want everyone to stay safe on their way to and from the games,” said Colonel John Bolduc. “Our troopers will be working on the road and in the air to keep traffic flowing before and after the Spring Game, as well as in the stadium assisting with safety operations.”

NSP works with several public safety partners, including UNL Police, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln Police Department, and Nebraska Department of Transportation to maintain public safety in and around Memorial Stadium. The NSP Aviation Support Unit will be in the air to provide an eye in the sky to support traffic operations on the ground. Fans can also hear NSP pregame traffic reports on the Huskers Radio Network.

The motoring public is an important part of the team as well. With increased gameday traffic, all drivers should keep their focus on the road, watch their speed, drive sober, and buckle up. Any motorists who want to report a dangerous driver or need assistance on the road can call *55 to reach the NSP Highway Helpline.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714146385396.jpeg" alt="Husker Traffic (Courtesy of NSP)" />
 <figcaption>Husker Traffic (Courtesy of NSP)</figcaption>
 </figure>Cody ThomasNebraska State PatrolAPRIL 26, 2024 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Husker Saturday will be in full swing tomorrow with Nebraska football, Nebraska baseball, and Nebraska softball all in action in Lincoln, and Nebraska State Troopers will be working to keep all fans safe on the roadways around Lincoln.“This is going to be a busy Saturday for Husker fans and we want everyone to stay safe on their way to and from the games,” said Colonel John Bolduc. “Our troopers will be working on the road and in the air to keep traffic flowing before and after the Spring Game, as well as in the stadium assisting with safety operations.”NSP works with several public safety partners, including UNL Police, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln Police Department, and Nebraska Department of Transportation to maintain public safety in and around Memorial Stadium. The NSP Aviation Support Unit will be in the air to provide an eye in the sky to support traffic operations on the ground. Fans can also hear NSP pregame traffic reports on the Huskers Radio Network.The motoring public is an important part of the team as well. With increased gameday traffic, all drivers should keep their focus on the road, watch their speed, drive sober, and buckle up. Any motorists who want to report a dangerous driver or need assistance on the road can call *55 to reach the NSP Highway Helpline.

Troopers Ready for Busy Spring Husker Saturday

Omaha, NE – April 24, 2023 –&nbsp;Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural “Heartland Hero Award” from Rural Media Group. This distinguished recognition honors Dr. Gold’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to serving rural communities.

"We are thrilled to present Dr. Jeffrey Gold with the inaugural Heartland Hero Award," said Rural Media Group Founder Patrick Gottsch. "Dr. Gold, is a steadfast advocate for our rural communities here in Nebraska and around the country, and I wish to publicly extend my sincere appreciation for his work in bridging the gap between urban and rural healthcare. His exceptional leadership has had a profound impact on healthcare access and outcomes for farmers, ranchers and Rural Americans and he deserves to be recognized and celebrated for these achievements.”

Over the past five years, Chancellor Gold has hosted "Rural Health Matters," a live weekly program on RFD-TV. This platform offers rural viewers a direct line to engage with leading medical experts through an interactive call-in format fostering meaningful conversations tailored to their unique healthcare needs. Everything from living with diabetes in rural areas, to farm safety, to rural allergy triggers, to improving cancer care in rural areas is discussed on the show and the subject changes each week.

Past guests include NIH Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, former NIH Director Francis Collins, former Director of NIAID Dr. Anthony Fauci, Senator Pete Ricketts, Senator Roger Marshall, Senator Bill Cassidy, former Senator Bob Kerrey, and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr.

The Rural Health Matter's initiative not only fosters direct connections between rural Americans and the nation’s leaders through live discussions, but it also raises awareness about the significant challenges in rural healthcare. The show has inspired informed decision-making at the highest governmental levels, ultimately leading to improved policies for rural healthcare and a better quality of life for rural Americans.

Rural Media Group founder Gottsch said: “Dr. Gold, thank you for your unwavering dedication and partnership with RFD-TV, shedding light on the unprecedented needs of rural Americans throughout the pandemic and still today. We look forward to more impactful shows advocating for rural communities, with the hope of driving meaningful change. You haven't missed a single show in five years. Thank you for your remarkable commitment and the difference that you have made for rural Americans.”

UNMCOmaha, NE – April 24, 2023 –&nbsp;Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural “Heartland Hero Award” from Rural Media Group. This distinguished recognition honors Dr. Gold’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to serving rural communities."We are thrilled to present Dr. Jeffrey Gold with the inaugural Heartland Hero Award," said Rural Media Group Founder Patrick Gottsch. "Dr. Gold, is a steadfast advocate for our rural communities here in Nebraska and around the country, and I wish to publicly extend my sincere appreciation for his work in bridging the gap between urban and rural healthcare. His exceptional leadership has had a profound impact on healthcare access and outcomes for farmers, ranchers and Rural Americans and he deserves to be recognized and celebrated for these achievements.”Over the past five years, Chancellor Gold has hosted "Rural Health Matters," a live weekly program on RFD-TV. This platform offers rural viewers a direct line to engage with leading medical experts through an interactive call-in format fostering meaningful conversations tailored to their unique healthcare needs. Everything from living with diabetes in rural areas, to farm safety, to rural allergy triggers, to improving cancer care in rural areas is discussed on the show and the subject changes each week.Past guests include NIH Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, former NIH Director Francis Collins, former Director of NIAID Dr. Anthony Fauci, Senator Pete Ricketts, Senator Roger Marshall, Senator Bill Cassidy, former Senator Bob Kerrey, and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr.The Rural Health Matter's initiative not only fosters direct connections between rural Americans and the nation’s leaders through live discussions, but it also raises awareness about the significant challenges in rural healthcare. The show has inspired informed decision-making at the highest governmental levels, ultimately leading to improved policies for rural healthcare and a better quality of life for rural Americans.Rural Media Group founder Gottsch said: “Dr. Gold, thank you for your unwavering dedication and partnership with RFD-TV, shedding light on the unprecedented needs of rural Americans throughout the pandemic and still today. We look forward to more impactful shows advocating for rural communities, with the hope of driving meaningful change. You haven't missed a single show in five years. Thank you for your remarkable commitment and the difference that you have made for rural Americans.”

UNMC CHANCELLOR DR. JEFFREY GOLD TO RECEIVE INAUGURAL “HEARTLAND HERO AWARD” FROM RURAL MEDIA GROUP   

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — BNSF will become the second major freight railroad to allow some of its employees to report safety concerns anonymously through a federal system without fear of discipline.

The Federal Railroad Administration announced Thursday that the railroad owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway had agreed to let its roughly 650 dispatchers participate in the program that all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-ohio-derailment-hazardous-materials-74d7aec638500c52d1eb9fda0acf9f26">major railroads promised</a>&nbsp;to join after last year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment</a>&nbsp;in Ohio.

“Rail workers deserve to know they’re safe when they’re on the job — and if they experience anything that compromises their safety, they should be able to report it without worrying if their job is in jeopardy,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Buttigieg has been urging the railroads to improve safety ever since the February 2023 derailment.

“We hope this program will further empower our employees to provide confidential feedback on critical safety issues in an actionable, timely manner," BNSF CEO Katie Farmer said.

Until NS became the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norfolk-southern-railroad-safety-hotline-derailment-a28132466f11e25572b28f9c344a6b83">first railroad</a>&nbsp;to sign onto the anonymous reporting system in January, all the major freight railroads&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-derailments-anonymous-hotline-dc509efa21aa51554078998964ba4ea6">resisted joining</a>&nbsp;because they wanted the ability to discipline workers who use the hotline in certain circumstances. The Association of American Railroads trade group has said railroads were worried that the system could be abused by workers who try to avoid discipline by reporting situations a railroad already knows about.

But the idea of disciplining workers who report safety concerns undermines the entire purpose of such a hotline because workers won’t use it if they fear retribution, unions and workplace safety experts said. That's especially important on the railroads where there is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/freight-railroad-whistleblowers-safety-derailments-3cd9619350bacc9c7c01c9a1910f3435">long history</a>&nbsp;of workers being fired for reporting safety violations or injuries.

The president of the American Train Dispatchers Association, Ed Dowell, said this move “marks a pivotal moment for rail safety.”

“As a program focused on proactive safety measures, it will serve as the new standard for reporting, understanding, and preventing rail incidents," Dowell said.

The Norfolk Southern program is also limited in scope. Only about 1,000 members of the two unions representing engineers and conductors who work in three locations on that railroad can participate. Besides Norfolk Southern and now BNSF, only Amtrak and several dozen small railroads use the government reporting program.

The big railroads — that also include Union Pacific, CSX, CPKC and Canadian National — all already have their own internal safety reporting hotlines. But railroad unions have consistently said workers are reluctant to use the railroads’ own safety hotlines because they fear retribution.

“Let’s be perfectly clear, railroads remain committed to joining the program and creating an additional trusted avenue for employees to report potential safety concerns,” said Association of American Railroads spokeswoman Jessica Kahanek.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714142269537.jpeg" alt="A BNSF locomotive heads south out of Oklahoma City, Sept. 14, 2022. BNSF will become the second major freight railroad to allow some of its employees to report safety concerns anonymously through a federal system without fear of discipline, the Federal Railroad Administration announced Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)" />
 <figcaption>A BNSF locomotive heads south out of Oklahoma City, Sept. 14, 2022. BNSF will become the second major freight railroad to allow some of its employees to report safety concerns anonymously through a federal system without fear of discipline, the Federal Railroad Administration announced Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — BNSF will become the second major freight railroad to allow some of its employees to report safety concerns anonymously through a federal system without fear of discipline.The Federal Railroad Administration announced Thursday that the railroad owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway had agreed to let its roughly 650 dispatchers participate in the program that all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-ohio-derailment-hazardous-materials-74d7aec638500c52d1eb9fda0acf9f26">major railroads promised</a>&nbsp;to join after last year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment</a>&nbsp;in Ohio.“Rail workers deserve to know they’re safe when they’re on the job — and if they experience anything that compromises their safety, they should be able to report it without worrying if their job is in jeopardy,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.Buttigieg has been urging the railroads to improve safety ever since the February 2023 derailment.“We hope this program will further empower our employees to provide confidential feedback on critical safety issues in an actionable, timely manner," BNSF CEO Katie Farmer said.Until NS became the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norfolk-southern-railroad-safety-hotline-derailment-a28132466f11e25572b28f9c344a6b83">first railroad</a>&nbsp;to sign onto the anonymous reporting system in January, all the major freight railroads&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-derailments-anonymous-hotline-dc509efa21aa51554078998964ba4ea6">resisted joining</a>&nbsp;because they wanted the ability to discipline workers who use the hotline in certain circumstances. The Association of American Railroads trade group has said railroads were worried that the system could be abused by workers who try to avoid discipline by reporting situations a railroad already knows about.But the idea of disciplining workers who report safety concerns undermines the entire purpose of such a hotline because workers won’t use it if they fear retribution, unions and workplace safety experts said. That's especially important on the railroads where there is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/freight-railroad-whistleblowers-safety-derailments-3cd9619350bacc9c7c01c9a1910f3435">long history</a>&nbsp;of workers being fired for reporting safety violations or injuries.The president of the American Train Dispatchers Association, Ed Dowell, said this move “marks a pivotal moment for rail safety.”“As a program focused on proactive safety measures, it will serve as the new standard for reporting, understanding, and preventing rail incidents," Dowell said.The Norfolk Southern program is also limited in scope. Only about 1,000 members of the two unions representing engineers and conductors who work in three locations on that railroad can participate. Besides Norfolk Southern and now BNSF, only Amtrak and several dozen small railroads use the government reporting program.The big railroads — that also include Union Pacific, CSX, CPKC and Canadian National — all already have their own internal safety reporting hotlines. But railroad unions have consistently said workers are reluctant to use the railroads’ own safety hotlines because they fear retribution.“Let’s be perfectly clear, railroads remain committed to joining the program and creating an additional trusted avenue for employees to report potential safety concerns,” said Association of American Railroads spokeswoman Jessica Kahanek.

BNSF becomes 2nd major railroad to sign on to anonymous federal safety hotline for some workers

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/25/we-were-so-close-nebraska-mother-responds-to-veto-of-child-sexual-assault-and-abuse-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A Nebraska mother whose daughter was sexually assaulted while in the care of Lincoln Public Schools said Thursday a veto of legislation meant for more accountability came as “a gut punch.”

For five years, Loree Woods has advocated on behalf of her daughter Taylor, who is now 27, after she was sexually assaulted on Oct. 10, 2016, by another student in LPS’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lps.org/post/detail.cfm?id=13394">Vocational Opportunity in Community Experience program</a>. VOICE is designed to prepare students with disabilities, primarily those ages 18 to 21, gain skills for a positive transition into adulthood.

Woods said Thursday that as a parent of a child with special needs —&nbsp;severe speech impairment and mild to moderate intellectual disability — she knows to plan for years ahead, but she couldn’t prepare for when Taylor Woods’ future would be “completely shattered.”

That day in 2016, the LPS program was down one para educator who was taking vacation time, Loree Woods explained, leaving one of three groups of students without supervision.

Four students went up to the 13th floor of Abel Hall on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, including Taylor and a male student who Loree Woods said had a history of inappropriate touching.

She said that the LPS program was supposed to bring her daughter independence but that Taylor’s life is now defined by trauma and fear since the assault.

“If you could live in her head for one day, you would not want to be a part of that,” Loree Woods said.

Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/24/pillen-vetoes-nebraska-child-sexual-assault-and-abuse-proposal/">vetoed</a><a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50137">&nbsp;Legislative Bill 25</a>, brought by State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha. The legislation was originally sponsored by State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings last year in the form of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49731">LB 341</a>. The law would have allowed families, such as Loree and Taylor Woods, to sue political subdivisions, such as school districts, if employees failed to protect children in their care.

The sexual assault or abuse would have needed to be a “proximate result” of the subdivision’s failure or an employee’s failure to exercise “reasonable care” for a child in its custody. Such lawsuits are already allowed for private businesses and schools, and remedies against public entities would have been capped at up to $1 million under LB 25.

Former State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha introduced the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=43993">first form of such legislation</a>&nbsp;in 2021 with the Woods family, following the Nebraska Supreme Court’s decision in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://law.justia.com/cases/nebraska/supreme-court/2020/s-19-726.html">Moser v. State of Nebraska</a>&nbsp;that limited certain lawsuits in cases of alleged negligence.

The Woods family was scheduled for a court date just weeks after that court decision came.

“We were so close,” Loree Woods said, noting her daughter would not have benefited from LB 25 due to her age.

Pillen in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-LB-25-Veto-Letter-1.pdf">Wednesday letter</a>&nbsp;said that LB 25 was “overly broad” because it applied to various subdivisions and that it would pass off costs to taxpayers.

“We must hold perpetrators accountable and protect children from abuse by enforcing the criminal laws that exist and by targeting the wrongdoer,” Pillen said. “Taxpayers should not bear this burden.”

Laura Strimple, a spokesperson for Pillen, said Thursday that the governor is dedicated to holding perpetrators against children accountable to the greatest extent possible. She said that several criminal and civil remedies are available and that Pillen will fight “soft-on-crime efforts to water down those protections.”

“The bill does nothing to protect kids and instead opens the floodgates to trial lawyers and potentially frivolous lawsuits,” Strimple said in an email.

Wayne and Conrad, both lawyers, have said attorneys have an ethical duty against “frivolous lawsuits” and that lawsuit rewards would support therapy or other survivors’ needs.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, who hosted an informal news conference in her office Thursday with Loree Woods and reporters, said LB 25 sought to strike a new balance in favor of families and children who have faced government harm yet they continued to face an “uphill battle.”

She said Pillen and other opponents should open their hearts and minds and realize the legislation isn’t political but common sense for Nebraskans such as the Woods family.

“They’re doing everything right,” Conrad said. “They’re playing by the rules. They’re raising their families. They’re working hard. All of a sudden something terrible happens to their family and because there was a government entity involved, they can’t get access to justice.”

Wayne similarly said Pillen chose “the shadow of bureaucracy over justice for children.”

Strimple said Pillen has received an outpouring of support and gratitude since his veto for protecting taxpayers, such as from local officials, business leaders and conservative senators.&nbsp;

She did not answer whether Pillen would be willing to meet with survivors or other advocates behind LB 25 and similar legislation, including the Woods family.

The Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys, which includes attorneys statewide who have represented children and families in such cases, said in a statement that it is often too easy for school administrators to “ignore red flags.”

Instead, the association continued, the proposal “would have protected children on the front end, by incentivizing school administrators to avoid liability on the back end.”

“As long as the government has no accountability for Nebraska children in its care, we, as Nebraskans, will fail to live up to our own proclaimed values,” the association said. “Governor Pillen’s veto of LB 25 makes Nebraska less safe for our children.”

Loree Woods said it hurts her heart to hear Pillen’s argument about taxes, saying that viewpoint values taxation over a person’s life. In the ideal world, she added, the lawsuits would also never come because there wouldn’t be negligence, she added.

When the veto was announced, Loree Woods said she and her husband were in disbelief.

“This can’t continue to happen, and our kids deserve a voice,” she said.

LB 25 passed 28-17 on the final legislative day of the session, April 18. Because lawmakers have adjourned, they have no chance to override Pillen’s veto.

Conrad said that adds “salt to the wound” but said one thing is clear: The fight isn’t over.

“The governor’s exercise with his veto pen will not be the last word on this topic,” Conrad said.

Loree Woods said she and Taylor thought they could stop fighting and heal, and while they found the veto timing “soul crushing,” she said the family will return in 2025.

“We’ll just continue to have the sleepless nights and we’ll work through our problems until we have an opportunity to meet the governor, which I know she would be all in for as well,” Loree Woods said of Taylor. “We can talk about what it’s really like to be a victim and how we need to do better.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714137026329.jpeg" alt="Loree Woods (center left, in blue) embraces her daughter, Taylor, following the final vote in favor of LB 25, which would have expanded certain lawsuits in cases of child sexual assault and abuse within political subdivisions. April 18, 2024. (Courtesy of Loree Woods)" />
 <figcaption>Loree Woods (center left, in blue) embraces her daughter, Taylor, following the final vote in favor of LB 25, which would have expanded certain lawsuits in cases of child sexual assault and abuse within political subdivisions. April 18, 2024. (Courtesy of Loree Woods)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/25/we-were-so-close-nebraska-mother-responds-to-veto-of-child-sexual-assault-and-abuse-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A Nebraska mother whose daughter was sexually assaulted while in the care of Lincoln Public Schools said Thursday a veto of legislation meant for more accountability came as “a gut punch.”For five years, Loree Woods has advocated on behalf of her daughter Taylor, who is now 27, after she was sexually assaulted on Oct. 10, 2016, by another student in LPS’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lps.org/post/detail.cfm?id=13394">Vocational Opportunity in Community Experience program</a>. VOICE is designed to prepare students with disabilities, primarily those ages 18 to 21, gain skills for a positive transition into adulthood.Woods said Thursday that as a parent of a child with special needs —&nbsp;severe speech impairment and mild to moderate intellectual disability — she knows to plan for years ahead, but she couldn’t prepare for when Taylor Woods’ future would be “completely shattered.”That day in 2016, the LPS program was down one para educator who was taking vacation time, Loree Woods explained, leaving one of three groups of students without supervision.Four students went up to the 13th floor of Abel Hall on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, including Taylor and a male student who Loree Woods said had a history of inappropriate touching.She said that the LPS program was supposed to bring her daughter independence but that Taylor’s life is now defined by trauma and fear since the assault.“If you could live in her head for one day, you would not want to be a part of that,” Loree Woods said.<h2>‘We were so close’</h2>Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/24/pillen-vetoes-nebraska-child-sexual-assault-and-abuse-proposal/">vetoed</a><a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50137">&nbsp;Legislative Bill 25</a>, brought by State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha. The legislation was originally sponsored by State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings last year in the form of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49731">LB 341</a>. The law would have allowed families, such as Loree and Taylor Woods, to sue political subdivisions, such as school districts, if employees failed to protect children in their care.The sexual assault or abuse would have needed to be a “proximate result” of the subdivision’s failure or an employee’s failure to exercise “reasonable care” for a child in its custody. Such lawsuits are already allowed for private businesses and schools, and remedies against public entities would have been capped at up to $1 million under LB 25.Former State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha introduced the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=43993">first form of such legislation</a>&nbsp;in 2021 with the Woods family, following the Nebraska Supreme Court’s decision in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://law.justia.com/cases/nebraska/supreme-court/2020/s-19-726.html">Moser v. State of Nebraska</a>&nbsp;that limited certain lawsuits in cases of alleged negligence.The Woods family was scheduled for a court date just weeks after that court decision came.“We were so close,” Loree Woods said, noting her daughter would not have benefited from LB 25 due to her age.<h2>A cost to taxpayers</h2>Pillen in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-LB-25-Veto-Letter-1.pdf">Wednesday letter</a>&nbsp;said that LB 25 was “overly broad” because it applied to various subdivisions and that it would pass off costs to taxpayers.“We must hold perpetrators accountable and protect children from abuse by enforcing the criminal laws that exist and by targeting the wrongdoer,” Pillen said. “Taxpayers should not bear this burden.”Laura Strimple, a spokesperson for Pillen, said Thursday that the governor is dedicated to holding perpetrators against children accountable to the greatest extent possible. She said that several criminal and civil remedies are available and that Pillen will fight “soft-on-crime efforts to water down those protections.”“The bill does nothing to protect kids and instead opens the floodgates to trial lawyers and potentially frivolous lawsuits,” Strimple said in an email.Wayne and Conrad, both lawyers, have said attorneys have an ethical duty against “frivolous lawsuits” and that lawsuit rewards would support therapy or other survivors’ needs.State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, who hosted an informal news conference in her office Thursday with Loree Woods and reporters, said LB 25 sought to strike a new balance in favor of families and children who have faced government harm yet they continued to face an “uphill battle.”She said Pillen and other opponents should open their hearts and minds and realize the legislation isn’t political but common sense for Nebraskans such as the Woods family.“They’re doing everything right,” Conrad said. “They’re playing by the rules. They’re raising their families. They’re working hard. All of a sudden something terrible happens to their family and because there was a government entity involved, they can’t get access to justice.”Wayne similarly said Pillen chose “the shadow of bureaucracy over justice for children.”Strimple said Pillen has received an outpouring of support and gratitude since his veto for protecting taxpayers, such as from local officials, business leaders and conservative senators.&nbsp;She did not answer whether Pillen would be willing to meet with survivors or other advocates behind LB 25 and similar legislation, including the Woods family.<h2>Responsibility of ‘red flags’</h2>The Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys, which includes attorneys statewide who have represented children and families in such cases, said in a statement that it is often too easy for school administrators to “ignore red flags.”Instead, the association continued, the proposal “would have protected children on the front end, by incentivizing school administrators to avoid liability on the back end.”“As long as the government has no accountability for Nebraska children in its care, we, as Nebraskans, will fail to live up to our own proclaimed values,” the association said. “Governor Pillen’s veto of LB 25 makes Nebraska less safe for our children.”Loree Woods said it hurts her heart to hear Pillen’s argument about taxes, saying that viewpoint values taxation over a person’s life. In the ideal world, she added, the lawsuits would also never come because there wouldn’t be negligence, she added.When the veto was announced, Loree Woods said she and her husband were in disbelief.“This can’t continue to happen, and our kids deserve a voice,” she said.<h2>Veto ‘will not be the last word’</h2>LB 25 passed 28-17 on the final legislative day of the session, April 18. Because lawmakers have adjourned, they have no chance to override Pillen’s veto.Conrad said that adds “salt to the wound” but said one thing is clear: The fight isn’t over.“The governor’s exercise with his veto pen will not be the last word on this topic,” Conrad said.Loree Woods said she and Taylor thought they could stop fighting and heal, and while they found the veto timing “soul crushing,” she said the family will return in 2025.“We’ll just continue to have the sleepless nights and we’ll work through our problems until we have an opportunity to meet the governor, which I know she would be all in for as well,” Loree Woods said of Taylor. “We can talk about what it’s really like to be a victim and how we need to do better.”

‘We were so close’: Nebraska mother responds to veto of child sexual assault and abuse bill

KANSAS CITY (AP) —United Methodist delegates have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congregations-leaving-united-methodist-church-lgbtq-bans-70b8c89ea49174597f4548c249bab24f">defusing debates</a>&nbsp;over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church.

Delegates voted 586-164 on Thursday for the “regionalization” proposal on the third day of their 11-day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-methodists-schism-lgbtq-samesex-marriage-8b428597c86901b2d5886afeca5069c8">General Conference</a>, the legislative body of the United Methodist Church, meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.

By PETER SMITH&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP) —United Methodist delegates have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congregations-leaving-united-methodist-church-lgbtq-bans-70b8c89ea49174597f4548c249bab24f">defusing debates</a>&nbsp;over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church.Delegates voted 586-164 on Thursday for the “regionalization” proposal on the third day of their 11-day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-methodists-schism-lgbtq-samesex-marriage-8b428597c86901b2d5886afeca5069c8">General Conference</a>, the legislative body of the United Methodist Church, meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.The plan would create multiple regional conferences — one for the United States and others covering areas ranging from the Philippines to Europe to Africa.Existing regions outside the United States — known as central conferences — already have the flexibility to adapt church rules to their local contexts, but the jurisdictions in the United States do not. This constitutional change would give the U.S. church that flexibility, while defining autonomy more closely for all of the regions.The vote total easily passed the two-thirds majority required for an amendment to the United Methodist Church’s constitution. To become official, however, it will require approval by two-thirds of total votes cast in its annual conferences, or local governing bodies.If ratified, one effect of the change is that it could allow for the American church — where support has been growing for the ordination of LGBTQ people and for same-sex marriage — to authorize such rites, even as international churches with more conservative positions on sexuality would not."The big change this petition brings is really for our brothers and sisters here in the United States, where you would finally be given the right to decide things which only concern you among yourselves, the same right that we have enjoyed for a long time," said Christine Schneider-Oesch of Switzerland, a member of the committee proposing the changes.The measure comes during the first General Conference since one-quarter of U.S. congregations left the denomination over the past four years — most of them conservative churches reacting to the denomination's failure to enforce rules against same-sex marriage and LGBTQ ordination.Advocates hailed the proposal as a way of decolonizing a church some say is too focused on U.S. issues, though one opponent, a Zimbabwean pastor, said the details of the plan are reminiscent of colonial-era divide-and-conquer strategies.LGBTQ issues weren't central to the debate on Thursday, but they are expected to arise in the coming days at the General Conference. Some proposals would lift the current bans on ordaining LGBTQ people and on same-sex marriage.“I believe that the values upon which worldwide regionalization is rooted will give renewed strength, life and vitality to the church,” said the Rev. Jonathan Ulanday of the Philippines. He said it gives autonomy while maintaining connection to the worldwide denomination, which he noted has been helpful in areas ranging from disaster relief to aiding Filipinos working abroad.But the Rev. Forbes Matonga of Zimbabwe said the plan actually perpetuates colonial structures by creating multiple regional conferences in Africa along national lines, compared with a single one in the United States. He noted that many African national borders were created arbitrarily by European colonial mapmakers.“It is this divide and rule,” Matonga said. “Create a region for Africans. Creates a platform for Africans so that we speak as a continent and not as small colonies.”The Rev. Ande Emmanuel of Nigeria said he has been to multiple General Conferences and that many of the discussions are “U.S.-centric,” not relevant to African delegates. Regionalization would let each area of the church manage such issues, he said. “We are not here to control the Americans,” he said. “Neither are our brothers from America here to control us. We are trying to build a platform that is mutual. We’re trying to build an understanding that would move our church together.”But in a small yet notable sign of fragmentation in the denomination, the General Conference also approved the departure of churches in several former Soviet countries which owed their growth in part to post-Cold War missionary work.The conference approved the request of local conferences in parts of its Eurasia Episcopal Area — including Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan — to become independent. The departing conferences have 66 churches and 1,123 members, according to UM News.While the reasons weren't spelled out explicitly at the General Conference, the Russian-area churches are more conservative on matters such as LGBTQ issues.Bishop Eduard Khegay, who leads the Eurasia area, alluded to both theological controversies and “geopolitical struggles between superpowers" in an address Thursday to the General Conference. He also thanked United Methodists for their years of help to the churches in the region and for enabling them to become independent in an orderly way.“Sisters and brothers, I stand in gratitude for your decision,” Khegay said.___