<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/04/supreme-court-ruling-raises-concern-about-hauling-people-back-to-county-jails/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A ruling Friday by the Nebraska Supreme Court is raising concerns that some criminal offenders might have to return to a county jail to serve out more days behind bars.

That, some officials said, would be an expensive endeavor for counties and one that could exacerbate overcrowding in local jails, though one prosecutor said the impact will be limited.

The state’s highest court, in a rare, 4-3 split decision, ruled Friday that county jail inmates must serve 15 days on every separate conviction before any “good-time” reductions can be applied to their confinement.

Several counties, including at least Lancaster and Hall Counties, now calculate good time (a reduction in a sentence for good behavior) contrary to Friday’s ruling. They read the state law to mean that inmates must serve 15 days on their entire jail sentence, which possibly covers several separate convictions.&nbsp;

That results in a shorter stay in jail than if the 15 days of so-called “hard time” must be served on each conviction.

Lancaster County Public Defender Kristi Egger called the ruling “shortsighted” because it did not explain how county jails should respond to the decision. If it means some defendants have to return to jail for a few more days, Egger said that could lead to increased overcrowding in county jails, such as Lancaster County.

Egger cited a pointed dissenting opinion written by retiring Chief Justice Mike Heavican, who wrote that it took a “Sisyphean attempt” by the majority to conclude that state law required the 15 days behind bars for every separate offense before getting good time.

“If significant work must be done to discover whether a statute is unambiguous, that statute is probably ambiguous,” Heavican wrote.&nbsp;

If a statute is ambiguous, the “rule of lenity” dictates that an issue be decided in favor of a defendant, he said.

The attorney who argued the case before the Supreme Court said Monday he doubts whether Friday’s ruling will require anyone to be “hauled back to jail,” as happened a decade ago,when the state corrections department miscalculated the release date of dozens of inmates, requiring several to return to prison.

Travis Rodak, who argued the case for Box Butte County, said Friday’s case and what happened in the state prison system in 2014 were like comparing “apples and oranges.”&nbsp;

“I don’t see this impacting a lot of current cases,” Rodak said.

For one thing, he said, there aren’t many offenders who are serving consecutive sentences for two totally different crimes. It’s more common for offenders to serve sentences concurrently — and such concurrent sentences are unaffected by Friday’s ruling.

In an email, Kearney County Attorney Melanie Bellamy, president of the state county attorneys association, said she was glad the Supreme Court had clarified the good time issue, adding that it would be up to each&nbsp;individual county, “working with local courts and law enforcement,” to comply with the Mullins v. Box Butte decision.

Longtime Hall County Public Defender Gerald Piccolo said he expects his county to explore returning some people back to jail to finish out the extra days they didn’t serve, based on the Supreme Court’s ruling. He added, however, he wouldn’t do that if he was running the jail because of the expense involved in tracking down those people and housing them.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The case argued before the Supreme Court involved Samuel Mullins, now 35, who pleaded no contest to resisting arrest in December 2022 and then to domestic assault in January 2023. Those were two separate misdemeanor offenses.&nbsp;

In Box Butte County, the state law was interpreted to mean that the two separate offenses required two separate stints of 15 days in jail before good time reductions could be applied.

Bell Island, a defense attorney who represented Mullins, appealed the county’s interpretation as being wrong. The Nebraska Defense Attorneys Association, represented by Lincoln lawyer Spike Eickholt, joined the case, arguing that the 15-day wait should be applied to the “sum of all sentences” to be served.&nbsp;

The unsigned majority opinion on Friday agreed with the arguments raised by Rodak, who argued that “common sense, legislative intent, and public policy would seem to dictate that convictions for separate offenses, unless ordered to be served concurrently by the Court, must have separate and independent sentencing calculations.”

The court majority concluded that it was unnecessary to&nbsp;“depend upon legislative materials such as committee reports or floor debates” and to “scour such legislative materials” to determine if state law concerning county jail good time calculation was ambiguous or not because the statutory language appeared clear.

That prompted disagreement from Heavican — who retired as of Oct. 31 — as well as a separate dissent written by Justice Jonathan Papik and signed by Justice Stephanie Stacy.&nbsp;

Egger, the Lancaster County public defender, said the ruling did a “disservice” by not looking at legislative discussion and lawmakers’ attempt to standardize criminal sentences across the state.

&nbsp;“At a time when the jails are full and the cost of housing people in custody is higher and higher, and when it is obvious that Legislature was trying to do something to give appropriate credit where credit was due by changing the good time statute, the majority opinion in Mullins misses the mark,” Egger said.

Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/04/supreme-court-ruling-raises-concern-about-hauling-people-back-to-county-jails/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A ruling Friday by the Nebraska Supreme Court is raising concerns that some criminal offenders might have to return to a county jail to serve out more days behind bars.That, some officials said, would be an expensive endeavor for counties and one that could exacerbate overcrowding in local jails, though one prosecutor said the impact will be limited.The state’s highest court, in a rare, 4-3 split decision, ruled Friday that county jail inmates must serve 15 days on every separate conviction before any “good-time” reductions can be applied to their confinement.Several counties, including at least Lancaster and Hall Counties, now calculate good time (a reduction in a sentence for good behavior) contrary to Friday’s ruling. They read the state law to mean that inmates must serve 15 days on their entire jail sentence, which possibly covers several separate convictions.&nbsp;That results in a shorter stay in jail than if the 15 days of so-called “hard time” must be served on each conviction.Lancaster County Public Defender Kristi Egger called the ruling “shortsighted” because it did not explain how county jails should respond to the decision. If it means some defendants have to return to jail for a few more days, Egger said that could lead to increased overcrowding in county jails, such as Lancaster County.Egger cited a pointed dissenting opinion written by retiring Chief Justice Mike Heavican, who wrote that it took a “Sisyphean attempt” by the majority to conclude that state law required the 15 days behind bars for every separate offense before getting good time.“If significant work must be done to discover whether a statute is unambiguous, that statute is probably ambiguous,” Heavican wrote.&nbsp;If a statute is ambiguous, the “rule of lenity” dictates that an issue be decided in favor of a defendant, he said.<h2>‘Apples and oranges’</h2>The attorney who argued the case before the Supreme Court said Monday he doubts whether Friday’s ruling will require anyone to be “hauled back to jail,” as happened a decade ago,when the state corrections department miscalculated the release date of dozens of inmates, requiring several to return to prison.Travis Rodak, who argued the case for Box Butte County, said Friday’s case and what happened in the state prison system in 2014 were like comparing “apples and oranges.”&nbsp;“I don’t see this impacting a lot of current cases,” Rodak said.For one thing, he said, there aren’t many offenders who are serving consecutive sentences for two totally different crimes. It’s more common for offenders to serve sentences concurrently — and such concurrent sentences are unaffected by Friday’s ruling.In an email, Kearney County Attorney Melanie Bellamy, president of the state county attorneys association, said she was glad the Supreme Court had clarified the good time issue, adding that it would be up to each&nbsp;individual county, “working with local courts and law enforcement,” to comply with the Mullins v. Box Butte decision.Longtime Hall County Public Defender Gerald Piccolo said he expects his county to explore returning some people back to jail to finish out the extra days they didn’t serve, based on the Supreme Court’s ruling. He added, however, he wouldn’t do that if he was running the jail because of the expense involved in tracking down those people and housing them.&nbsp;&nbsp;The case argued before the Supreme Court involved Samuel Mullins, now 35, who pleaded no contest to resisting arrest in December 2022 and then to domestic assault in January 2023. Those were two separate misdemeanor offenses.&nbsp;In Box Butte County, the state law was interpreted to mean that the two separate offenses required two separate stints of 15 days in jail before good time reductions could be applied.<h2>County’s interpretation appealed</h2>Bell Island, a defense attorney who represented Mullins, appealed the county’s interpretation as being wrong. The Nebraska Defense Attorneys Association, represented by Lincoln lawyer Spike Eickholt, joined the case, arguing that the 15-day wait should be applied to the “sum of all sentences” to be served.&nbsp;The unsigned majority opinion on Friday agreed with the arguments raised by Rodak, who argued that “common sense, legislative intent, and public policy would seem to dictate that convictions for separate offenses, unless ordered to be served concurrently by the Court, must have separate and independent sentencing calculations.”The court majority concluded that it was unnecessary to&nbsp;“depend upon legislative materials such as committee reports or floor debates” and to “scour such legislative materials” to determine if state law concerning county jail good time calculation was ambiguous or not because the statutory language appeared clear.That prompted disagreement from Heavican — who retired as of Oct. 31 — as well as a separate dissent written by Justice Jonathan Papik and signed by Justice Stephanie Stacy.&nbsp;Egger, the Lancaster County public defender, said the ruling did a “disservice” by not looking at legislative discussion and lawmakers’ attempt to standardize criminal sentences across the state.&nbsp;“At a time when the jails are full and the cost of housing people in custody is higher and higher, and when it is obvious that Legislature was trying to do something to give appropriate credit where credit was due by changing the good time statute, the majority opinion in Mullins misses the mark,” Egger said.

Supreme Court ruling raises concern about ‘hauling’ people back to county jails

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/04/attorneys-make-final-arguments-in-trial-against-nebraska-medical-cannabis-petitions/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Attorneys on the final day in Nebraska’s civil trial involving two medical cannabis ballot measures summed up the case in very different ways: They were either isolated mistakes and “human error,” or they were widespread, “serious, intentional wrongdoing.”

Monday marked the fourth and final day of the trial before Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong. A final decision won’t come for at least two weeks, as attorneys file post-trial briefs directing Strong’s attention to evidence for or against disqualifying the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/04/ballot-measure-fundraising-nears-40-million-ahead-of-nebraska-2024-election/">measures</a>.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/28/parents-patients-make-final-push-for-nebraskans-to-support-medical-cannabis/">efforts</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;Initiative Measure 437 to legalize medical cannabis and Initiative Measure 438 to regulate the drug —&nbsp;remain on Tuesday’s ballot. The&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/2024-elections" target="_blank">votes</a>&nbsp;will be&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/01/judge-rules-nebraska-medical-cannabis-votes-will-be-counted-and-is-leaning-against-delaying-trial/">counted and the results made public</a>.

Steven Guenzel, one of four attorneys who brought the initial Sept. 12 lawsuit on behalf of John Kuehn, a former state senator and former State Board of Health member, said Monday that the case wasn’t about the legitimacy of marijuana or a “few isolated situations.”

Guenzel said he believes the advocates for the Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana campaign were zealous and cared very much, yet for some, “that zeal gave way to something worse.”

“That zeal gave way to, ‘The ends justify the means,’” Guenzel said.

Deputy Solicitor General Zach Viglianco, defending Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen in the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/12/lawsuit-seeks-to-invalidate-nebraskas-medical-marijuana-ballot-measures/">lawsuit</a>, in opposition to the campaign’s three ballot sponsors, said it isn’t unprecedented to ask the judiciary to be the state’s “constitutional watchdog.”

But what is unprecedented, Viglianco argued, is the “widespread, pervasive and serious, intentional wrongdoing that was undertaken by individuals associated with the petition campaign.”

The attorneys for Kuehn and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office have joined forces to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/07/ag-secretary-of-state-target-nearly-100000-signatures-on-nebraska-medical-cannabis-petitions/">challenge</a>&nbsp;at least 80,000 signatures on the two campaigns, largely by extending observed circulator fraud or notary malfeasance to every petition those individuals touched.

Evnen previously certified nearly 90,000 valid signatures on both petitions. They need at least 86,499 valid signatures, which local county election officials are charged with verifying.

‘Potentially disastrous consequences’

Daniel Gutman, an attorney for the ballot sponsors, dismissed those arguments, stating that no court has said improper notarizations should discredit all other documents they touched.

Viglianco and Assistant Attorneys General Justin Hall and Phoebe Lurz offered multiple examples of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/29/trial-begins-in-case-against-nebraskas-medical-cannabis-ballot-measures/">improper notarizations</a>, including a circulator notarizing the signatures they gathered, notaries putting the wrong date when they notarized, notaries signing off on a sheet that lacked a circulator’s oath and sheets where a notary’s stamp was crossed off and replaced.

Gutman said some of those were mistakes, while the AG’s Office argued they were fraud or malfeasance. Gutman said that argument could be extended to other notarized documents, such as wills, mortgages, purchase agreements and affidavits.

“The imagination doesn’t have to wander far to grasp the potentially disastrous consequences of the legal arguments advanced in this case,” Gutman said.

Gutman said the attorneys for Evnen and Kuehn assumed the worst but still couldn’t find enough signatures to toss the campaigns, finding about 706 direct instances of purported fraud or malfeasance on one petition, and 394 direct instances on the other.

Viglianco said those instances “cast an inescapable shadow of fraud on every single signature that the NMM campaign submitted,” so it’s impossible to tell what is “genuine.”

One paid petition circulator, Michael Egbert of Grand Island, testified that he used a phone book to forge signatures and to fill in information for voters who didn’t sign the petitions.&nbsp;

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/31/paid-petition-circulator-with-troubled-past-takes-the-stand-in-nebraska-medical-cannabis-trial/">Jennifer Henning</a>&nbsp;of Omaha, another paid circulator, alleged that ballot sponsor Crista Eggers, the campaign manager, told her to pick up petitions she didn’t circulate, and that Henning later signed off on those signatures from Seward on Eggers’ behalf.

“That narrative, that entire story, is so compelling because it illustrates in one discrete story the intentional wrongdoing — the fraud, the malfeasance, the wrongful conduct — that exists throughout this case,” Viglianco said.

The AG’s Office showed a text between Henning and Eggers, in which Eggers told Henning, “As long as you just sign your petitions, I am comfortable notarizing them. I know you and that you are who you say you are.”

Gutman blasted Henning as having “absolutely no credibility” as she is currently on probation for two counts of felony insurance fraud; has previously submitted fraudulent documents to multiple Nebraska courts; and was sanctioned by a Douglas County district judge in 2020.&nbsp;

Henning was sick when the trial began but appeared on the second day, which Gutman said raised suspicion.

“She went from allegedly having ulcerative lesions in her vocal cords — ’I can’t talk,’ she emails the court — to having a very spirited and very vocal conversation with my colleague,” Gutman told Strong.

Viglianco asked why Henning, who must follow the law and talk to law enforcement as part of her probation and who vigorously supports medical marijuana, would lie.

Henning testified that she is “scared to death” of punishment, Gutman said, arguing that when the Attorney General’s Office called, she told them “exactly what they want to hear.”

Connely, Eggers and three other notaries pleaded a Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination while on the stand or during depositions, citing ongoing criminal investigations.

Evnen’s attorneys also showed a text between Eggers and Garrett Connely, a 22-year-old circulator and notary for the campaign, in which Eggers said “there is no more nice campaign.”

“We don’t follow the rules anymore,” Eggers responded. “And we just pay the consequences and hope it’s OK.”

Egbert, who has been charged with a felony, testified that he has a neurological condition that affects his memory. Egbert said local and state law enforcement had promised him that if he told the truth, it&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/01/judge-rules-nebraska-medical-cannabis-votes-will-be-counted-and-is-leaning-against-delaying-trial/">wouldn’t impact his criminal case</a>&nbsp;in Hall County.

Hall County officials trained to catch invalidities caught Egbert, Gutman said, but it was the AG’s Office that assumed the worst of everyone involved with the campaign.&nbsp;

Gutman said, Egbert was used by Evnen’s attorneys “as a means of obtaining a political end and ensure that no Nebraskan has the opportunity to vote on medical cannabis.”

Viglianco said that the case wasn’t about “two bad apples” and that asking local officials to be “hypervigilant fraud and malfeasance detectors” is asking too much.

Jacy Todd of York, the notary charged in connection with Egbert’s admitted wrongdoing, has “vigorously” denied that he ever notarized a petition when Egbert wasn’t in front of him. Medical issues prevented Todd from testifying in person.

In another text, Eggers told a campaign volunteer that she couldn’t add anything to petition sheets, including ZIP codes, because it could invalidate the signatures.

Viglianco said that the texts corroborated the testimony of Egbert and Henning and that Eggers knew the campaign was breaking the rules.

“She rolled the dice. She made the choice to try her luck,” Viglianco said of Eggers. “She gambled. And she lost.”

Gutman and other attorneys for the ballot sponsors have argued that Eggers’ texts are being taken out of context.

Todd and Egbert and the only people who have been criminally charged in connection to the campaign, based on public court documents.

Viglianco asked broadly why the ballot sponsors’ attorneys didn’t call State Sen. Anna Wishart or former State Sen. Adam Morfeld, the other two sponsors, as witnesses and why they didn’t show training documents or proof of training or outline other communications proving respect for the “rules.”

“The simple explanation is that that evidence wasn’t introduced because it does not exist,” Viglianco said. “Evidence of a rule-following, clean campaign has not been introduced because that was not the campaign that was run.”

Gutman read a deposition transcript from Connely, who told the AG’s Office that human error is “a part of life.”

Asked whether the state’s notary exam said human error in notarizations is allowed, Connely said no, “but you would like to think better of your government than to go after people for human error.”

“I think Garrett Connely speaks for tens of thousands of people who signed this petition, and maybe the electorate more generally: Why is our government so committed to undermining these initiatives?” Gutman told Strong. “Why is the government prosecuting people civilly and criminally for human error?”

Strong ordered the attorneys for Evnen and Kuehn to submit post-trial briefs by Nov. 12. Ballot sponsors are to respond by Nov. 15. Kuehn and Evnen may respond by Nov. 18.

If Strong sides with Evnen and Kuehn, the ballot sponsors could be allowed to “cure” or prove the legitimacy of any challenged signatures. If she sides with the sponsors, the case would end at the district court level.

No matter who prevails, Strong and multiple attorneys have said the case will likely be appealed to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Nebraska’s constitutional officers will meet Dec. 2 to certify Tuesday’s election results. Legal challenges can continue after that date.

Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/04/attorneys-make-final-arguments-in-trial-against-nebraska-medical-cannabis-petitions/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Attorneys on the final day in Nebraska’s civil trial involving two medical cannabis ballot measures summed up the case in very different ways: They were either isolated mistakes and “human error,” or they were widespread, “serious, intentional wrongdoing.”Monday marked the fourth and final day of the trial before Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong. A final decision won’t come for at least two weeks, as attorneys file post-trial briefs directing Strong’s attention to evidence for or against disqualifying the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/04/ballot-measure-fundraising-nears-40-million-ahead-of-nebraska-2024-election/">measures</a>.The&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/28/parents-patients-make-final-push-for-nebraskans-to-support-medical-cannabis/">efforts</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;Initiative Measure 437 to legalize medical cannabis and Initiative Measure 438 to regulate the drug —&nbsp;remain on Tuesday’s ballot. The&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/2024-elections" target="_blank">votes</a>&nbsp;will be&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/01/judge-rules-nebraska-medical-cannabis-votes-will-be-counted-and-is-leaning-against-delaying-trial/">counted and the results made public</a>.<h2>‘The ends justify the means’</h2>Steven Guenzel, one of four attorneys who brought the initial Sept. 12 lawsuit on behalf of John Kuehn, a former state senator and former State Board of Health member, said Monday that the case wasn’t about the legitimacy of marijuana or a “few isolated situations.”Guenzel said he believes the advocates for the Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana campaign were zealous and cared very much, yet for some, “that zeal gave way to something worse.”“That zeal gave way to, ‘The ends justify the means,’” Guenzel said.Deputy Solicitor General Zach Viglianco, defending Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen in the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/12/lawsuit-seeks-to-invalidate-nebraskas-medical-marijuana-ballot-measures/">lawsuit</a>, in opposition to the campaign’s three ballot sponsors, said it isn’t unprecedented to ask the judiciary to be the state’s “constitutional watchdog.”But what is unprecedented, Viglianco argued, is the “widespread, pervasive and serious, intentional wrongdoing that was undertaken by individuals associated with the petition campaign.”The attorneys for Kuehn and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office have joined forces to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/07/ag-secretary-of-state-target-nearly-100000-signatures-on-nebraska-medical-cannabis-petitions/">challenge</a>&nbsp;at least 80,000 signatures on the two campaigns, largely by extending observed circulator fraud or notary malfeasance to every petition those individuals touched.Evnen previously certified nearly 90,000 valid signatures on both petitions. They need at least 86,499 valid signatures, which local county election officials are charged with verifying.<h2>‘Potentially disastrous consequences’</h2>Daniel Gutman, an attorney for the ballot sponsors, dismissed those arguments, stating that no court has said improper notarizations should discredit all other documents they touched.Viglianco and Assistant Attorneys General Justin Hall and Phoebe Lurz offered multiple examples of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/29/trial-begins-in-case-against-nebraskas-medical-cannabis-ballot-measures/">improper notarizations</a>, including a circulator notarizing the signatures they gathered, notaries putting the wrong date when they notarized, notaries signing off on a sheet that lacked a circulator’s oath and sheets where a notary’s stamp was crossed off and replaced.Gutman said some of those were mistakes, while the AG’s Office argued they were fraud or malfeasance. Gutman said that argument could be extended to other notarized documents, such as wills, mortgages, purchase agreements and affidavits.“The imagination doesn’t have to wander far to grasp the potentially disastrous consequences of the legal arguments advanced in this case,” Gutman said.Gutman said the attorneys for Evnen and Kuehn assumed the worst but still couldn’t find enough signatures to toss the campaigns, finding about 706 direct instances of purported fraud or malfeasance on one petition, and 394 direct instances on the other.Viglianco said those instances “cast an inescapable shadow of fraud on every single signature that the NMM campaign submitted,” so it’s impossible to tell what is “genuine.”<h2>State’s key witnesses</h2>One paid petition circulator, Michael Egbert of Grand Island, testified that he used a phone book to forge signatures and to fill in information for voters who didn’t sign the petitions.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/31/paid-petition-circulator-with-troubled-past-takes-the-stand-in-nebraska-medical-cannabis-trial/">Jennifer Henning</a>&nbsp;of Omaha, another paid circulator, alleged that ballot sponsor Crista Eggers, the campaign manager, told her to pick up petitions she didn’t circulate, and that Henning later signed off on those signatures from Seward on Eggers’ behalf.“That narrative, that entire story, is so compelling because it illustrates in one discrete story the intentional wrongdoing — the fraud, the malfeasance, the wrongful conduct — that exists throughout this case,” Viglianco said.The AG’s Office showed a text between Henning and Eggers, in which Eggers told Henning, “As long as you just sign your petitions, I am comfortable notarizing them. I know you and that you are who you say you are.”Gutman blasted Henning as having “absolutely no credibility” as she is currently on probation for two counts of felony insurance fraud; has previously submitted fraudulent documents to multiple Nebraska courts; and was sanctioned by a Douglas County district judge in 2020.&nbsp;Henning was sick when the trial began but appeared on the second day, which Gutman said raised suspicion.“She went from allegedly having ulcerative lesions in her vocal cords — ’I can’t talk,’ she emails the court — to having a very spirited and very vocal conversation with my colleague,” Gutman told Strong.Viglianco asked why Henning, who must follow the law and talk to law enforcement as part of her probation and who vigorously supports medical marijuana, would lie.Henning testified that she is “scared to death” of punishment, Gutman said, arguing that when the Attorney General’s Office called, she told them “exactly what they want to hear.”Connely, Eggers and three other notaries pleaded a Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination while on the stand or during depositions, citing ongoing criminal investigations.<h2>‘She rolled the dice’</h2>Evnen’s attorneys also showed a text between Eggers and Garrett Connely, a 22-year-old circulator and notary for the campaign, in which Eggers said “there is no more nice campaign.”“We don’t follow the rules anymore,” Eggers responded. “And we just pay the consequences and hope it’s OK.”Egbert, who has been charged with a felony, testified that he has a neurological condition that affects his memory. Egbert said local and state law enforcement had promised him that if he told the truth, it&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/01/judge-rules-nebraska-medical-cannabis-votes-will-be-counted-and-is-leaning-against-delaying-trial/">wouldn’t impact his criminal case</a>&nbsp;in Hall County.Hall County officials trained to catch invalidities caught Egbert, Gutman said, but it was the AG’s Office that assumed the worst of everyone involved with the campaign.&nbsp;Gutman said, Egbert was used by Evnen’s attorneys “as a means of obtaining a political end and ensure that no Nebraskan has the opportunity to vote on medical cannabis.”Viglianco said that the case wasn’t about “two bad apples” and that asking local officials to be “hypervigilant fraud and malfeasance detectors” is asking too much.Jacy Todd of York, the notary charged in connection with Egbert’s admitted wrongdoing, has “vigorously” denied that he ever notarized a petition when Egbert wasn’t in front of him. Medical issues prevented Todd from testifying in person.In another text, Eggers told a campaign volunteer that she couldn’t add anything to petition sheets, including ZIP codes, because it could invalidate the signatures.Viglianco said that the texts corroborated the testimony of Egbert and Henning and that Eggers knew the campaign was breaking the rules.“She rolled the dice. She made the choice to try her luck,” Viglianco said of Eggers. “She gambled. And she lost.”Gutman and other attorneys for the ballot sponsors have argued that Eggers’ texts are being taken out of context.Todd and Egbert and the only people who have been criminally charged in connection to the campaign, based on public court documents.<h2>‘Human error’</h2>Viglianco asked broadly why the ballot sponsors’ attorneys didn’t call State Sen. Anna Wishart or former State Sen. Adam Morfeld, the other two sponsors, as witnesses and why they didn’t show training documents or proof of training or outline other communications proving respect for the “rules.”“The simple explanation is that that evidence wasn’t introduced because it does not exist,” Viglianco said. “Evidence of a rule-following, clean campaign has not been introduced because that was not the campaign that was run.”Gutman read a deposition transcript from Connely, who told the AG’s Office that human error is “a part of life.”Asked whether the state’s notary exam said human error in notarizations is allowed, Connely said no, “but you would like to think better of your government than to go after people for human error.”“I think Garrett Connely speaks for tens of thousands of people who signed this petition, and maybe the electorate more generally: Why is our government so committed to undermining these initiatives?” Gutman told Strong. “Why is the government prosecuting people civilly and criminally for human error?”Strong ordered the attorneys for Evnen and Kuehn to submit post-trial briefs by Nov. 12. Ballot sponsors are to respond by Nov. 15. Kuehn and Evnen may respond by Nov. 18.If Strong sides with Evnen and Kuehn, the ballot sponsors could be allowed to “cure” or prove the legitimacy of any challenged signatures. If she sides with the sponsors, the case would end at the district court level.No matter who prevails, Strong and multiple attorneys have said the case will likely be appealed to the Nebraska Supreme Court.Nebraska’s constitutional officers will meet Dec. 2 to certify Tuesday’s election results. Legal challenges can continue after that date.

Attorneys make final arguments in trial against Nebraska medical cannabis petitions

The FBI was made aware of two instances of its name and insignia being misused in promoting false narratives surrounding the election. The first is a fabricated news clip purporting to be a terrorist warning issued by the FBI. 

The fabricated news clip reports falsely that the FBI purportedly stated that Americans should “vote remotely” due to a high terror threat at polling stations. This video is not authentic and does not accurately represent the current threat posture or polling location safety.

Additionally, a fabricated video containing a fabricated FBI press release alleges that the management of five prisons in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona rigged inmate voting and colluded with a political party. This video is also not authentic, and its contents are false.

Election integrity is among our highest priorities, and the FBI is working closely with state and local law enforcement partners to respond to election threats and protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. Attempts to deceive the public with false content about FBI threat assessments and activities aim to undermine our democratic process and erode trust in the electoral system. &nbsp;

The FBI encourages everyone to seek election and voting information from reliable sources, such as your local election office. And if you suspect criminal activity, we ask that you report that information to state or local law enforcement or by contacting the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or by submitting a tip online to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/tips">tips.fbi.gov</a>.

Federal Bureau of InvestigationThe FBI was made aware of two instances of its name and insignia being misused in promoting false narratives surrounding the election. The first is a fabricated news clip purporting to be a terrorist warning issued by the FBI. The fabricated news clip reports falsely that the FBI purportedly stated that Americans should “vote remotely” due to a high terror threat at polling stations. This video is not authentic and does not accurately represent the current threat posture or polling location safety.Additionally, a fabricated video containing a fabricated FBI press release alleges that the management of five prisons in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona rigged inmate voting and colluded with a political party. This video is also not authentic, and its contents are false.Election integrity is among our highest priorities, and the FBI is working closely with state and local law enforcement partners to respond to election threats and protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. Attempts to deceive the public with false content about FBI threat assessments and activities aim to undermine our democratic process and erode trust in the electoral system. &nbsp;The FBI encourages everyone to seek election and voting information from reliable sources, such as your local election office. And if you suspect criminal activity, we ask that you report that information to state or local law enforcement or by contacting the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or by submitting a tip online to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/tips">tips.fbi.gov</a>.

FBI warns voters of fabricated videos misusing its name and insignia

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/ne-secretary-of-state-bob-evnen-predicts-72-statewide-voter-turnout/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen is predicting a 72% statewide voter turnout for the 2024 general election, an estimate based on early voting and turnout trends in recent general elections.

That’s in the same league as the statewide 76% turnout for the 2020 presidential election, which was&nbsp;fueled by overwhelming amounts of early voting connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evnen, in a press release Monday, said county election offices have done a “remarkable job” of helping early voters cast their ballots securely.

“Nebraskans continue to fulfill the new voter ID requirement before voting, and we expect that to continue on Election Day,” he said.

Nebraska has 1,264,149 registered voters. So far, Evnen said, 332,455 registered voters have successfully cast ballots for the Nov. 5 general election.

Of those, 72,049 have voted early in person at county election offices and 260,406 have voted early by mail including voters in by-mail counties or precincts.

Today (Monday Nov. 4) is the final day voters can vote early in person at county election offices.

Tuesday (Nov. 5) is the final day voters can return their early voting ballots to county election offices.

To be counted, early voting ballots must be returned to county election offices by the close of polls (8 p.m. Central Time, 7 p.m. Mountain Time) on Election Day. Late ballots will not be accepted, even if postmarked on or before Election Day.&nbsp;

Evnen’s staff said Monday that it is too late for voters to mail their early voting ballots. Voters should use&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/nebraska-drop-box-locator" target="_blank">secure drop boxes&nbsp;</a>to return their early voting ballots before the close of polls on Election Day.

Nebraskans can find their polling place on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/voterview" target="_blank">VoterCheck</a>.

Voters should be prepared to vote with an acceptable ID: Nebraska driver’s license or state ID; U.S. passport; military ID; Tribal ID; hospital, intermediate care facility, assisted-living facility or nursing home record; Nebraska political subdivision ID (state, county, city, school, etc.); Nebraska college or university ID (public or private).

The ID must have the voter’s name and photo. IDs can be expired. Nebraska’s new law does not require Nebraska voters to re-register to vote. Voter ID educational material is available in English and Spanish at&nbsp;<a href="http://voterid.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">voterID.nebraska.gov.</a>

Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/ne-secretary-of-state-bob-evnen-predicts-72-statewide-voter-turnout/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen is predicting a 72% statewide voter turnout for the 2024 general election, an estimate based on early voting and turnout trends in recent general elections.That’s in the same league as the statewide 76% turnout for the 2020 presidential election, which was&nbsp;fueled by overwhelming amounts of early voting connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.Evnen, in a press release Monday, said county election offices have done a “remarkable job” of helping early voters cast their ballots securely.“Nebraskans continue to fulfill the new voter ID requirement before voting, and we expect that to continue on Election Day,” he said.Nebraska has 1,264,149 registered voters. So far, Evnen said, 332,455 registered voters have successfully cast ballots for the Nov. 5 general election.Of those, 72,049 have voted early in person at county election offices and 260,406 have voted early by mail including voters in by-mail counties or precincts.His office offered a few key reminders:Today (Monday Nov. 4) is the final day voters can vote early in person at county election offices.Tuesday (Nov. 5) is the final day voters can return their early voting ballots to county election offices.To be counted, early voting ballots must be returned to county election offices by the close of polls (8 p.m. Central Time, 7 p.m. Mountain Time) on Election Day. Late ballots will not be accepted, even if postmarked on or before Election Day.&nbsp;Evnen’s staff said Monday that it is too late for voters to mail their early voting ballots. Voters should use&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/nebraska-drop-box-locator" target="_blank">secure drop boxes&nbsp;</a>to return their early voting ballots before the close of polls on Election Day.Nebraskans can find their polling place on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/voterview" target="_blank">VoterCheck</a>.Voters should be prepared to vote with an acceptable ID: Nebraska driver’s license or state ID; U.S. passport; military ID; Tribal ID; hospital, intermediate care facility, assisted-living facility or nursing home record; Nebraska political subdivision ID (state, county, city, school, etc.); Nebraska college or university ID (public or private).The ID must have the voter’s name and photo. IDs can be expired. Nebraska’s new law does not require Nebraska voters to re-register to vote. Voter ID educational material is available in English and Spanish at&nbsp;<a href="http://voterid.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">voterID.nebraska.gov.</a>

NE Secretary of State Bob Evnen predicts 72% statewide voter turnout

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Monday hopscotched across swing states and prepared for what could be an exceedingly tense election night watch as the 2024 presidential election sped to a close.

So far, more than 80.6 million Americans have voted, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://election.lab.ufl.edu/early-vote/2024-early-voting/" target="_blank">the University of Florida’s Election Lab.</a>

In a presidential contest that pollsters say is virtually a toss-up, seven battleground states likely will determine the outcome of the election. The results could take days, election officials repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/final-results-may-lag-deadlocked-presidential-contest-anxious-election-officials-warn">have warned</a>&nbsp;and stressed again Monday. The 2020 presidential race was called for President Joe Biden the Saturday following Election Day.

“Election Day is not results day,” said&nbsp;Quentin Turner, the Common Cause Michigan executive director, during a Monday webinar.

Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, made similar remarks during a Monday call with reporters, but still issued predictions as to when the campaign expects to know some results from key states.

She said the campaign understands that results could take a while based on each state’s law. Some states begin counting votes after the polls close, some as they come in.

O’Malley Dillon said because of that, the campaign expects on election night to have “near complete results” for North Carolina, Michigan and Georgia, “and then partial results from Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona.”

She said the campaign expects by Wednesday morning to have most of the “results in from Wisconsin and additional results from Pennsylvania and potentially Michigan.”

“And then on Wednesday and beyond, we expect additional results from Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada,” she said. “So we think some of this stuff will trickle in, but keep in mind that some ballots will continue to be counted for many days.”

Democracy groups like Common Cause said during the webinar that they are prepared for high voter turnout on Election Day.

Bob Phillips, the Common Cause North Carolina executive director, said he expects about 1 to 1.5 million voters in his state on Election Day.

“For the most part, we’ve seen a lot of voter enthusiasm,” he said.

He added that there have been more calls on the voter help hotline than in the previous elections.

“There is definitely higher tension, more emotion, particularly among the electioneering that goes on outside the precincts, as well as some issues since this is our first major election where we’ve had the voter ID requirements,”&nbsp;Phillips said.

Harris is closing out her campaign in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, which offers the most electoral votes of the swing states at 19.

O’Malley Dillon said the campaign will have get-out-the-vote rallies late Monday night in the seven swing states with Harris and surrogates.&nbsp;

“We’ve believed all along this race is going to be incredibly close, and so it’s really going to come down to mobilization, and that’s why an event like tonight matters so much,” she said.

Harris will head to Scranton and then to Allentown, a city with a large Puerto Rican population that Democrats have courted following racist remarks by a comedian at a Trump rally that referred to the island of Puerto Rico as “garbage.” She’ll then rally in Philadelphia with musical performances from The Roots and Lady Gaga among others.

Trump will make four stops in three states — starting in Raleigh, North Carolina, stopping twice in Pennsylvania at&nbsp;Reading and Pittsburgh and finishing in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

<a href="https://ncnewsline.com/2024/11/04/trump-in-final-nc-rally-looks-for-a-third-straight-win-harris-barnstorms-pennsylvania/" target="_blank">While at his first campaign stop in North Carolina</a>&nbsp;on Monday, he told supporters that if he wins another term he will levy a 25% tariff on Mexico if migrants continue to head from that country to the U.S.-Mexico border.

“You’re the first I’ve told this to,” Trump told the crowd. “And if that doesn’t work, we’ll go up to 50. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll go to 75.”

Trump will hold his election night watch party at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Harris will have hers at her alma mater at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Polls published over the weekend still showed a tight race, but one in Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/harris-takes-slim-lead-over-trump-final-iowa-poll-2024-election">rattled the Trump campaign</a>, showing that Harris had a lead in a state that the former president easily won in 2016 and 2020.

The highly regarded pollster — somewhat of a Midwestern oracle — showed that independent and women voters were breaking for Harris.

Both candidates are within the margin of error in all seven swing states meaning any of the states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — could tip to either one.

Over the weekend, Harris appeared on NBC’s live sketch comedy show, “Saturday Night Live.”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/nbc-donald-trump-campaign-free-ad-time-nascar-race-kamala-harris-snl-sketch-1236052709/" target="_blank">Trump also appeared</a>&nbsp;on a free commercial during NBC’s broadcast of a Sunday NASCAR race in compliance with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/political_programming_fact_sheet.pdf" target="_blank">FCC’s Equal Time rule.</a>

<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/11/04/harris-vows-to-end-war-in-gaza-during-final-michigan-rally-at-msu/" target="_blank">On Sunday, while at Michigan State University,</a>&nbsp;Harris pledged that she would do “everything in her power” to end the war in Gaza if she were to win the White House. Michigan has a high Arab American population that has been critical of Democrats’ handling of the Israel-Hamas war, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker" target="_blank">more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed.</a>

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/harris-takes-slim-lead-over-trump-final-iowa-poll-2024-election">During a Sunday rally</a>&nbsp;in Pennsylvania, Trump told supporters that he shouldn’t have left the White House after losing the 2020 presidential race and then he joked about not minding if journalists were shot while covering his campaign event.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730773867298.png" alt="Vice President Harris knocked on doors in Pennsylvania Monday night-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Harris knocked on doors in Pennsylvania Monday night-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Monday hopscotched across swing states and prepared for what could be an exceedingly tense election night watch as the 2024 presidential election sped to a close.So far, more than 80.6 million Americans have voted, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://election.lab.ufl.edu/early-vote/2024-early-voting/" target="_blank">the University of Florida’s Election Lab.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730814909704.png" alt="Former President Donald Trump with his family on stage late Monday in Michigan. Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications" />
 <figcaption>Former President Donald Trump with his family on stage late Monday in Michigan. Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>In a presidential contest that pollsters say is virtually a toss-up, seven battleground states likely will determine the outcome of the election. The results could take days, election officials repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/final-results-may-lag-deadlocked-presidential-contest-anxious-election-officials-warn">have warned</a>&nbsp;and stressed again Monday. The 2020 presidential race was called for President Joe Biden the Saturday following Election Day.“Election Day is not results day,” said&nbsp;Quentin Turner, the Common Cause Michigan executive director, during a Monday webinar.Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, made similar remarks during a Monday call with reporters, but still issued predictions as to when the campaign expects to know some results from key states.She said the campaign understands that results could take a while based on each state’s law. Some states begin counting votes after the polls close, some as they come in.O’Malley Dillon said because of that, the campaign expects on election night to have “near complete results” for North Carolina, Michigan and Georgia, “and then partial results from Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona.”She said the campaign expects by Wednesday morning to have most of the “results in from Wisconsin and additional results from Pennsylvania and potentially Michigan.”“And then on Wednesday and beyond, we expect additional results from Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada,” she said. “So we think some of this stuff will trickle in, but keep in mind that some ballots will continue to be counted for many days.”Democracy groups like Common Cause said during the webinar that they are prepared for high voter turnout on Election Day.Bob Phillips, the Common Cause North Carolina executive director, said he expects about 1 to 1.5 million voters in his state on Election Day.“For the most part, we’ve seen a lot of voter enthusiasm,” he said.He added that there have been more calls on the voter help hotline than in the previous elections.“There is definitely higher tension, more emotion, particularly among the electioneering that goes on outside the precincts, as well as some issues since this is our first major election where we’ve had the voter ID requirements,”&nbsp;Phillips said.<h2>It’s all about Pennsylvania (almost)</h2>Harris is closing out her campaign in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, which offers the most electoral votes of the swing states at 19.O’Malley Dillon said the campaign will have get-out-the-vote rallies late Monday night in the seven swing states with Harris and surrogates.&nbsp;“We’ve believed all along this race is going to be incredibly close, and so it’s really going to come down to mobilization, and that’s why an event like tonight matters so much,” she said.Harris will head to Scranton and then to Allentown, a city with a large Puerto Rican population that Democrats have courted following racist remarks by a comedian at a Trump rally that referred to the island of Puerto Rico as “garbage.” She’ll then rally in Philadelphia with musical performances from The Roots and Lady Gaga among others.Trump will make four stops in three states — starting in Raleigh, North Carolina, stopping twice in Pennsylvania at&nbsp;Reading and Pittsburgh and finishing in Grand Rapids, Michigan.<a href="https://ncnewsline.com/2024/11/04/trump-in-final-nc-rally-looks-for-a-third-straight-win-harris-barnstorms-pennsylvania/" target="_blank">While at his first campaign stop in North Carolina</a>&nbsp;on Monday, he told supporters that if he wins another term he will levy a 25% tariff on Mexico if migrants continue to head from that country to the U.S.-Mexico border.“You’re the first I’ve told this to,” Trump told the crowd. “And if that doesn’t work, we’ll go up to 50. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll go to 75.”Trump will hold his election night watch party at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Harris will have hers at her alma mater at Howard University in Washington, D.C.<h2>Polling puzzles</h2>Polls published over the weekend still showed a tight race, but one in Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/harris-takes-slim-lead-over-trump-final-iowa-poll-2024-election">rattled the Trump campaign</a>, showing that Harris had a lead in a state that the former president easily won in 2016 and 2020.The highly regarded pollster — somewhat of a Midwestern oracle — showed that independent and women voters were breaking for Harris.Both candidates are within the margin of error in all seven swing states meaning any of the states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — could tip to either one.Over the weekend, Harris appeared on NBC’s live sketch comedy show, “Saturday Night Live.”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/nbc-donald-trump-campaign-free-ad-time-nascar-race-kamala-harris-snl-sketch-1236052709/" target="_blank">Trump also appeared</a>&nbsp;on a free commercial during NBC’s broadcast of a Sunday NASCAR race in compliance with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/political_programming_fact_sheet.pdf" target="_blank">FCC’s Equal Time rule.</a><a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/11/04/harris-vows-to-end-war-in-gaza-during-final-michigan-rally-at-msu/" target="_blank">On Sunday, while at Michigan State University,</a>&nbsp;Harris pledged that she would do “everything in her power” to end the war in Gaza if she were to win the White House. Michigan has a high Arab American population that has been critical of Democrats’ handling of the Israel-Hamas war, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker" target="_blank">more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed.</a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/harris-takes-slim-lead-over-trump-final-iowa-poll-2024-election">During a Sunday rally</a>&nbsp;in Pennsylvania, Trump told supporters that he shouldn’t have left the White House after losing the 2020 presidential race and then he joked about not minding if journalists were shot while covering his campaign event.&nbsp;

‘Election Day is not results day’: Get ready for a wait to find out who’s president

The FBI, in conjunction with key partners, is operating a 24/7 national election command post (NECP) from the Strategic Information and Operations Center (SIOC) at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., during the 2024 national election, according to a media release from the agency.

Numerous FBI Headquarters divisions are represented in the NECP, as well as federal partners from a variety of agencies,&nbsp;including the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police, Department of Homeland Security, Election Assistance Commission, and Federal Communications Commission.&nbsp;

The NECP's purpose is to ensure the FBI is well-positioned to respond to any election security issue that may arise, including federal election crimes, threats to election workers, foreign malign influence operations, cyber threats, and acts of domestic terrorism. The NECP will track significant complaints from all 55 FBI field offices through their respective command posts.

“The purpose of the command post is to ensure the FBI is well positioned to respond to threats that would come in or information that would come in that would affect our election security,” said James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the Bureau’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Those threats include criminal threats such as threats to election workers, foreign malign influence, cyber threats and acts of domestic violence.”

About 80 personnel from the FBI and about a dozen partner agencies are staffing the command post in the FBI’s Strategic Information Operations Center. The command post opened on November 1 and will run through at least November 9.

“We feel like we're well positioned to handle and triage information that comes in,” Barnacle said. “We have the people in place. We've identified the right people at the different agencies. We've developed those partnerships over the last few years. We're going to take the information that comes in, and we're going to take it through our process, and we're going to share that information.”

Barnacle said that each of the FBI’s 55 field offices is also staffing a command post that is closely connected with their partner agencies and election officials. That way information or complaints that are fielded at the local level or though the FBI’s tip line,<a href="http://%20tips.fbi.gov/" target="_blank">&nbsp;tips.fbi.gov</a>, get to the people who can triage and best determine a response.

“We look at that threat information,” Barnacle said. “We run it through our indices. We engage with our partners. There's a lot of partner agencies here at the command post. So we triage that information. We also work with Department of Justice to ensure that we are staying within policy and taking the information and then sending it back out to the field or to state or local election officials.”

In the days leading up to Election Day, SIOC’s National Crisis Coordination Center (NC3) was humming with activity. The space hosts command posts for other high-profile events, such as presidential inaugurations and State of the Union speeches. Created in 1989, SIOC began with just seven employees and 3,000 square feet of space. Today, its footprint has grown to 40,000 square feet.

The FBI is mandated by National Security Presidential Memorandum 32 to provide timely information about national security incidents so leaders have the information to manage a crisis and support national security decision-making. SIOC is part of the FBI’s information flow under the NSPM-32 process.

Partner agencies in the election security command post include the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Capitol Police, the Election Assistance Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and multiple components of the Department of Justice, including the Public Integrity Section.

“What all of these folks are doing is triaging information,” Barnacle said. “We've had information coming in to the FBI in the last few days. Some of it has been maybe state or local matters, and we're just making sure it gets to state and local officials.”

“When information is threatening and it rises to the violation of federal laws,” Barnacle added, “then we look to take action.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730748693468.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>The FBI, in conjunction with key partners, is operating a 24/7 national election command post (NECP) from the Strategic Information and Operations Center (SIOC) at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., during the 2024 national election, according to a media release from the agency.Numerous FBI Headquarters divisions are represented in the NECP, as well as federal partners from a variety of agencies,&nbsp;including the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police, Department of Homeland Security, Election Assistance Commission, and Federal Communications Commission.&nbsp;The NECP's purpose is to ensure the FBI is well-positioned to respond to any election security issue that may arise, including federal election crimes, threats to election workers, foreign malign influence operations, cyber threats, and acts of domestic terrorism. The NECP will track significant complaints from all 55 FBI field offices through their respective command posts.“The purpose of the command post is to ensure the FBI is well positioned to respond to threats that would come in or information that would come in that would affect our election security,” said James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the Bureau’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Those threats include criminal threats such as threats to election workers, foreign malign influence, cyber threats and acts of domestic violence.”About 80 personnel from the FBI and about a dozen partner agencies are staffing the command post in the FBI’s Strategic Information Operations Center. The command post opened on November 1 and will run through at least November 9.“We feel like we're well positioned to handle and triage information that comes in,” Barnacle said. “We have the people in place. We've identified the right people at the different agencies. We've developed those partnerships over the last few years. We're going to take the information that comes in, and we're going to take it through our process, and we're going to share that information.”Barnacle said that each of the FBI’s 55 field offices is also staffing a command post that is closely connected with their partner agencies and election officials. That way information or complaints that are fielded at the local level or though the FBI’s tip line,<a href="http://%20tips.fbi.gov/" target="_blank">&nbsp;tips.fbi.gov</a>, get to the people who can triage and best determine a response.“We look at that threat information,” Barnacle said. “We run it through our indices. We engage with our partners. There's a lot of partner agencies here at the command post. So we triage that information. We also work with Department of Justice to ensure that we are staying within policy and taking the information and then sending it back out to the field or to state or local election officials.”In the days leading up to Election Day, SIOC’s National Crisis Coordination Center (NC3) was humming with activity. The space hosts command posts for other high-profile events, such as presidential inaugurations and State of the Union speeches. Created in 1989, SIOC began with just seven employees and 3,000 square feet of space. Today, its footprint has grown to 40,000 square feet.The FBI is mandated by National Security Presidential Memorandum 32 to provide timely information about national security incidents so leaders have the information to manage a crisis and support national security decision-making. SIOC is part of the FBI’s information flow under the NSPM-32 process.Partner agencies in the election security command post include the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Capitol Police, the Election Assistance Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and multiple components of the Department of Justice, including the Public Integrity Section.“What all of these folks are doing is triaging information,” Barnacle said. “We've had information coming in to the FBI in the last few days. Some of it has been maybe state or local matters, and we're just making sure it gets to state and local officials.”“When information is threatening and it rises to the violation of federal laws,” Barnacle added, “then we look to take action.”

FBI national command post monitoring election security threats

SEATTLE&nbsp;– 33,000 frontline workers at Boeing, members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Districts 751 and W24 voted to ratify a new union contract with the company that has instantly set a new standard for compensation and wages for aerospace industry workers, according to a media release from the union.

The deal followed a vigorous strike lasting nearly two months by the workers in Washington state, Oregon and California that made international headlines and drew widespread public support and bipartisan political support.&nbsp;

The new contract includes a 43.65% compounded wage increase – 38% before compounding – over the four-year life of the contract. In recent weeks, acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su worked on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration to help restart and reach a positive resolution to negotiations that had previously stalled.

Jon Holden, President of IAM District 751 and Brandon Bryant, President of IAM District W24, issued the following joint statement following the votes being tallied:&nbsp;

“Working people know what it’s like when a company overreaches and takes away more than is fair. Through this strike and the resulting victory, frontline workers at Boeing have done their part to begin rebalancing the scales in favor of the middle class – and in doing so, we hope to inspire other workers in our industry and beyond to continue standing up for justice at work. Through this victory and the strike that made it possible, IAM members have taken a stand for respect and fair wages in the workplace. Our members perform high quality and flight critical work for the airplanes we build and deserve a return on their labor investment that provides for the quality of life worthy of that labor.

“This contract also creates a new foundation to build on for the future and that future begins today. We are ready to help Boeing change direction and return to building the highest quality and safest airplanes in the world. Our members are critical to that mission, and now have a stronger voice in the decision making process to ensure those needed improvements are made. ‘There is no Boeing without the IAM’ has been our battle cry, and we are ready, again, to do our part to bring this company back to the standard that it never should have strayed from.

“Livable wages and benefits that can support a family are essential – not optional – and this strike underscored that reality. This contract will have a positive and generational impact on the lives of workers at Boeing and their families. We hope these gains inspire other workers to organize and join a union. Frontline Boeing workers have used their voices, their collective power, and their solidarity to do what is right, to stand up for what is fair – and to win.”

Brian Bryant, IAM International President, issued the following statement:&nbsp;

“This agreement represents a new standard in the aerospace industry – one that sends a clear statement that aerospace jobs must be middle class careers in which workers can thrive. Workers in the aerospace industry, led by the IAM — the most powerful aerospace union in the world — will not settle for anything less than the respect and family-sustaining wages and benefits they need and deserve. This agreement reflects the positive results of workers sticking together, participating in workplace democracy, and demonstrating solidarity with each other and with the community during a necessary and effective strike.&nbsp;

“Nearly every worker in America knows what it’s like for a company to take too much and give too little. A contract like this sends an inspiring message to all workers in the United States who are seeking to join unions or who have been shortchanged by their employer. We remain very thankful to Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su, who on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration helped to bring the employer and the members together for productive talks to reach this agreement.”

Highlights of the latest tentative agreement approved Monday night by the union members include:

Further details of the negotiated resolution can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.iam751.org/2024StrikeProposal">iam751.org/2024StrikeProposal</a>.&nbsp;

“For many frontline Boeing workers in the IAM Union, the terms of this contract will be life-changing,”&nbsp;said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary R. Allen. “It’s the most significant upgrade we’ve had to our collective bargaining agreement in a decade – and it will prove to be an example for the rest of the industry to live up to. Their strike was a great example of workers standing up for not just themselves, but also their families and communities.”

“Our members went on strike for better wages and better working conditions – and they won by staying united and exercising democracy in the workplace,”&nbsp;said IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett. “They hit the streets, held strong, and have been rewarded with an excellent contract. These provisions are not just deserved by this dedicated frontline workforce — they are also overdue. This will set a new standard for aerospace across the region, the nation, and the industry.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730804690093.png" alt="Image courtesy IAM 571" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy IAM 571</figcaption>
 </figure>SEATTLE&nbsp;– 33,000 frontline workers at Boeing, members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Districts 751 and W24 voted to ratify a new union contract with the company that has instantly set a new standard for compensation and wages for aerospace industry workers, according to a media release from the union.The deal followed a vigorous strike lasting nearly two months by the workers in Washington state, Oregon and California that made international headlines and drew widespread public support and bipartisan political support.&nbsp;The new contract includes a 43.65% compounded wage increase – 38% before compounding – over the four-year life of the contract. In recent weeks, acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su worked on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration to help restart and reach a positive resolution to negotiations that had previously stalled.Jon Holden, President of IAM District 751 and Brandon Bryant, President of IAM District W24, issued the following joint statement following the votes being tallied:&nbsp;“Working people know what it’s like when a company overreaches and takes away more than is fair. Through this strike and the resulting victory, frontline workers at Boeing have done their part to begin rebalancing the scales in favor of the middle class – and in doing so, we hope to inspire other workers in our industry and beyond to continue standing up for justice at work. Through this victory and the strike that made it possible, IAM members have taken a stand for respect and fair wages in the workplace. Our members perform high quality and flight critical work for the airplanes we build and deserve a return on their labor investment that provides for the quality of life worthy of that labor.“This contract also creates a new foundation to build on for the future and that future begins today. We are ready to help Boeing change direction and return to building the highest quality and safest airplanes in the world. Our members are critical to that mission, and now have a stronger voice in the decision making process to ensure those needed improvements are made. ‘There is no Boeing without the IAM’ has been our battle cry, and we are ready, again, to do our part to bring this company back to the standard that it never should have strayed from.“Livable wages and benefits that can support a family are essential – not optional – and this strike underscored that reality. This contract will have a positive and generational impact on the lives of workers at Boeing and their families. We hope these gains inspire other workers to organize and join a union. Frontline Boeing workers have used their voices, their collective power, and their solidarity to do what is right, to stand up for what is fair – and to win.”Brian Bryant, IAM International President, issued the following statement:&nbsp;“This agreement represents a new standard in the aerospace industry – one that sends a clear statement that aerospace jobs must be middle class careers in which workers can thrive. Workers in the aerospace industry, led by the IAM — the most powerful aerospace union in the world — will not settle for anything less than the respect and family-sustaining wages and benefits they need and deserve. This agreement reflects the positive results of workers sticking together, participating in workplace democracy, and demonstrating solidarity with each other and with the community during a necessary and effective strike.&nbsp;“Nearly every worker in America knows what it’s like for a company to take too much and give too little. A contract like this sends an inspiring message to all workers in the United States who are seeking to join unions or who have been shortchanged by their employer. We remain very thankful to Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su, who on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration helped to bring the employer and the members together for productive talks to reach this agreement.”Highlights of the latest tentative agreement approved Monday night by the union members include:<ul>
 <li>38% general wage increase over four years – 13%, 9%, 9%, 7% which compounds to 43.65% over the life of the agreement&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>$12,000 Ratification Bonus: The ratification bonus combines the previous $7,000 ratification bonus and the $5,000 lump sum into the 401(k). Now, union members can choose how this total amount is received – in their paycheck, contribution to 401(k), or a combination of both.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>AMPP incentive plan is reinstated, with a guaranteed minimum annual payout of 4%, including 2024 payout in February 2025</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>401(k) employer match of 100% up to 8%</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Special company retirement contribution of 4% into 401(k) maintained</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>$105 pension multiplier per year for those vested in the pension plan</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Call-in language back to current contract</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>New long-term disability plan and big improvement to short term disability plan</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Health care cost containment</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Improved overtime rules</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Key job security provisions</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Increased Minimum Rates that now increase with COLA increases.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Further details of the negotiated resolution can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.iam751.org/2024StrikeProposal">iam751.org/2024StrikeProposal</a>.&nbsp;“For many frontline Boeing workers in the IAM Union, the terms of this contract will be life-changing,”&nbsp;said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary R. Allen. “It’s the most significant upgrade we’ve had to our collective bargaining agreement in a decade – and it will prove to be an example for the rest of the industry to live up to. Their strike was a great example of workers standing up for not just themselves, but also their families and communities.”“Our members went on strike for better wages and better working conditions – and they won by staying united and exercising democracy in the workplace,”&nbsp;said IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett. “They hit the streets, held strong, and have been rewarded with an excellent contract. These provisions are not just deserved by this dedicated frontline workforce — they are also overdue. This will set a new standard for aerospace across the region, the nation, and the industry.”

Boeing factory strike ends as workers vote to accept contract

United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Christopher Ferretti and Shereece Dendy-Sanders will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.&nbsp; AUSAs Ferretti and Dendy-Sanders have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the District of Nebraska, and in that capacity are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; United States Attorney Lehr said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.&nbsp; Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.&nbsp; The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.&nbsp; The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.&nbsp;The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.&nbsp; It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.&nbsp; The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; United States Attorney Lehr stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.&nbsp; We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.&nbsp;In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSAs/DEOs Ferretti and Dendy-Sanders will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.&nbsp; They can be reached by the public at (402) 661-3700.”

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.&nbsp; The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (402) 493-8688.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at&nbsp;<a href="https://civilrights.justice.gov/">https://civilrights.justice.gov/</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 800-253-3931.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; United States Attorney Lehr said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.&nbsp; It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.&nbsp; State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.&nbsp;

United States Attorneys OfficeUnited States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Christopher Ferretti and Shereece Dendy-Sanders will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.&nbsp; AUSAs Ferretti and Dendy-Sanders have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the District of Nebraska, and in that capacity are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; United States Attorney Lehr said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.&nbsp; Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.&nbsp; The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.&nbsp; The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.&nbsp;The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.&nbsp; It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.&nbsp; The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; United States Attorney Lehr stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.&nbsp; We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.&nbsp;In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSAs/DEOs Ferretti and Dendy-Sanders will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.&nbsp; They can be reached by the public at (402) 661-3700.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.&nbsp; The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (402) 493-8688.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at&nbsp;<a href="https://civilrights.justice.gov/">https://civilrights.justice.gov/</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 800-253-3931.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; United States Attorney Lehr said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.&nbsp; It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.&nbsp; State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.&nbsp;

U.S. Attorney Announces District Election Officers

UNMC research continues to grow, with total research expenditures increasing by 8% to $217.7 million in fiscal year 2024, the largest total in UNMC’s history.

“In the last two years, we’ve seen a big jump in research activity taking place,” said Ken Bayles, PhD, vice chancellor for research. “Clinical trials continue to be strong, and basic science research is expanding, bolstered by the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence&nbsp;(CoBRE) grant that Dr. Rebekah Gundry received. In addition, Department of Defense-funded research through NSRI continues to grow.”

Dr. Bayles noted that research funding received from federal agencies reached a new record of $141 million. “Federal awards continue to be the strongest source of funding for our faculty. This indicator shows we’re heading in the right direction.”

UNMC estimates that research funding brings about 30 jobs to Nebraska per $1 million in funding, meaning more than 5,000 jobs will be created in Nebraska from the 2024 awards.

Dr. Bayles also noted that UNMC received three new institutional training grants from the National Institutes of Health, expanding UNMC’s ability to recruit and train students and postdoctoral scholars in health-related areas of high need.

“An important part of our research mission is to train and mentor the next generation of scientists and scholars,” said UNMC Interim Chancellor Dele Davies, MD. “These new grants add to the strength of our training programs, and I’m excited to see the impact they will have on driving discoveries.”

Still, the steady rise of expenditures, he said, is the most accurate gauge of how UNMC’s research efforts continue to expand and is how UNMC is compared to other universities.

While award metrics reflect the funding transferred to UNMC in a given year, research expenditures better represent actual research activity. Expenditures also account for research funded by donors, academic health center partners and state-aided funds.

“This is the best reflection of the work that our scientists are doing,” Dr. Bayles said. “We continue to expand our research in impactful areas and our growing support from federal agencies suggest this will continue well into the future.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730730280584.jpeg" alt="Ken Bayles, PhD, UNMC vice chancellor for research (Courtesy)" />
 <figcaption>Ken Bayles, PhD, UNMC vice chancellor for research (Courtesy)</figcaption>
 </figure>UNMCUNMC research continues to grow, with total research expenditures increasing by 8% to $217.7 million in fiscal year 2024, the largest total in UNMC’s history.“In the last two years, we’ve seen a big jump in research activity taking place,” said Ken Bayles, PhD, vice chancellor for research. “Clinical trials continue to be strong, and basic science research is expanding, bolstered by the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence&nbsp;(CoBRE) grant that Dr. Rebekah Gundry received. In addition, Department of Defense-funded research through NSRI continues to grow.”Dr. Bayles noted that research funding received from federal agencies reached a new record of $141 million. “Federal awards continue to be the strongest source of funding for our faculty. This indicator shows we’re heading in the right direction.”UNMC estimates that research funding brings about 30 jobs to Nebraska per $1 million in funding, meaning more than 5,000 jobs will be created in Nebraska from the 2024 awards.Dr. Bayles also noted that UNMC received three new institutional training grants from the National Institutes of Health, expanding UNMC’s ability to recruit and train students and postdoctoral scholars in health-related areas of high need.“An important part of our research mission is to train and mentor the next generation of scientists and scholars,” said UNMC Interim Chancellor Dele Davies, MD. “These new grants add to the strength of our training programs, and I’m excited to see the impact they will have on driving discoveries.”Still, the steady rise of expenditures, he said, is the most accurate gauge of how UNMC’s research efforts continue to expand and is how UNMC is compared to other universities.While award metrics reflect the funding transferred to UNMC in a given year, research expenditures better represent actual research activity. Expenditures also account for research funded by donors, academic health center partners and state-aided funds.“This is the best reflection of the work that our scientists are doing,” Dr. Bayles said. “We continue to expand our research in impactful areas and our growing support from federal agencies suggest this will continue well into the future.”

UNMC research continues to reach new levels

Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts

LINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) are now accepting orders for conservation tree seedlings for spring planting. By ordering early, you can secure your preferred species and make a lasting contribution to the environment.

Since 1972, Nebraska’s NRDs have partnered with landowners to plant over 101 million trees statewide. At just $1.20 per seedling, and with cost-share programs available in many districts, these conservation trees provide immense benefits to people, wildlife, and the environment. They offer shade, shelter homes, reduce soil erosion, protect crops and livestock, support wildlife by providing food and cover, buffer noise, and add beauty to the landscape.

“The NRD Conservation Tree Program is about more than just trees—it’s about protecting our natural resources like soil, water, and wildlife,” said Martin Graff, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts president. “Every tree seedling planted helps prevent soil erosion, shields crops and livestock, filters water, and acts as a natural defense against harsh weather.”

As windbreaks mature, NRD foresters recommend landowners consider rehabilitating old windbreaks or planning new plantings. The NRD Conservation Tree Program provides an affordable way for landowners to safeguard their property. NRD staff and foresters collaborate with landowners to choose the best tree species, create planting plans, and, in many cases, even handle the planting.

A notable collaboration in tree planting began in December 2021 when Lincoln-based Executive Travel launched its ETGreen campaign, pledging to plant 1 million trees in partnership with Nebraska’s NRDs. The campaign funded over 162,000 trees between 2022 and 2024, and Executive Travel has committed another $50,000 for tree planting in 2025. This partnership offsets seedling costs for Nebraska landowners while supporting Executive Travel’s long-term tree planting goal. Learn more about ETGreen:&nbsp;<a href="https://vimeo.com/648711812" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/648711812</a>

NRD tree programs offer various services such as planting assistance, weed barrier installation, weed control, and drip irrigation. Popular tree species sell out quickly, so don’t miss the opportunity to get your order in early for the best selection. To learn more about cost-share options or to place an order, contact your local NRD or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>&nbsp;and click on “Find Your NRD.”

For more information on the NRD Conservation Tree Program, 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>.

Nebraska's Natural Resources DistrictsLINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) are now accepting orders for conservation tree seedlings for spring planting. By ordering early, you can secure your preferred species and make a lasting contribution to the environment.Since 1972, Nebraska’s NRDs have partnered with landowners to plant over 101 million trees statewide. At just $1.20 per seedling, and with cost-share programs available in many districts, these conservation trees provide immense benefits to people, wildlife, and the environment. They offer shade, shelter homes, reduce soil erosion, protect crops and livestock, support wildlife by providing food and cover, buffer noise, and add beauty to the landscape.“The NRD Conservation Tree Program is about more than just trees—it’s about protecting our natural resources like soil, water, and wildlife,” said Martin Graff, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts president. “Every tree seedling planted helps prevent soil erosion, shields crops and livestock, filters water, and acts as a natural defense against harsh weather.”As windbreaks mature, NRD foresters recommend landowners consider rehabilitating old windbreaks or planning new plantings. The NRD Conservation Tree Program provides an affordable way for landowners to safeguard their property. NRD staff and foresters collaborate with landowners to choose the best tree species, create planting plans, and, in many cases, even handle the planting.A notable collaboration in tree planting began in December 2021 when Lincoln-based Executive Travel launched its ETGreen campaign, pledging to plant 1 million trees in partnership with Nebraska’s NRDs. The campaign funded over 162,000 trees between 2022 and 2024, and Executive Travel has committed another $50,000 for tree planting in 2025. This partnership offsets seedling costs for Nebraska landowners while supporting Executive Travel’s long-term tree planting goal. Learn more about ETGreen:&nbsp;<a href="https://vimeo.com/648711812" target="_blank">https://vimeo.com/648711812</a>NRD tree programs offer various services such as planting assistance, weed barrier installation, weed control, and drip irrigation. Popular tree species sell out quickly, so don’t miss the opportunity to get your order in early for the best selection. To learn more about cost-share options or to place an order, contact your local NRD or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>&nbsp;and click on “Find Your NRD.”For more information on the NRD Conservation Tree Program, 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 Now Taking Orders for Spring Tree Seedlings

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/02/love-makes-history-again-while-ricketts-lays-groundwork-for-second-run-in-2026/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — Making history has become a political habit for Preston Love Jr., the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Nebraska, who is facing U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Republican incumbent.

In 2020, Love became the state’s first Black candidate for the U.S. Senate backed by a major political party after the Nebraska Democratic Party abandoned its nominee, Chris Janicek.

This year, Love became the first Black Nebraskan to win a major party’s Senate nomination. His opponent, Ricketts, is a two-term governor who was appointed to the Senate by his successor.

Love also managed the barrier-breaking presidential campaign of the Rev. Jesse Jackson in the mid-1980s, a campaign credited with broadening who Americans might accept as president.

Love has made no bones about the steep climb he faces Tuesday against Ricketts, the political face of one of the most influential donor families in conservative politics nationally.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730740028087.jpeg" alt="U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., right, is running for the final two years of a U.S. Senate term against Democratic challenger Preston Love Jr. (Candidate photos courtesy of their campaigns. Capitol photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., right, is running for the final two years of a U.S. Senate term against Democratic challenger Preston Love Jr. (Candidate photos courtesy of their campaigns. Capitol photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/11/02/love-makes-history-again-while-ricketts-lays-groundwork-for-second-run-in-2026/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — Making history has become a political habit for Preston Love Jr., the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Nebraska, who is facing U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Republican incumbent.In 2020, Love became the state’s first Black candidate for the U.S. Senate backed by a major political party after the Nebraska Democratic Party abandoned its nominee, Chris Janicek.This year, Love became the first Black Nebraskan to win a major party’s Senate nomination. His opponent, Ricketts, is a two-term governor who was appointed to the Senate by his successor.Love also managed the barrier-breaking presidential campaign of the Rev. Jesse Jackson in the mid-1980s, a campaign credited with broadening who Americans might accept as president.Love has made no bones about the steep climb he faces Tuesday against Ricketts, the political face of one of the most influential donor families in conservative politics nationally.&nbsp;Love compared his upstart campaign to David in search of a rock to knock off Goliath. He acknowledged that his campaign is at least partially aimed at boosting turnout for other races.&nbsp;<h2>Love wants to boost turnout</h2>Love, who has helped run voter turnout efforts in North Omaha, said he wants his campaign to help motivate poorer voters who too often lose hope in the value of the process.&nbsp;He said it could make a difference in Nebraska’s 2nd District U.S. House race between Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas and U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and in the presidential contest.“I didn’t really choose the race,” Love told “Picking Corn,” the Nebraska Examiner’s political podcast. “I chose the time to run. If there were others, I would not run and (would) support them.”His campaign raised $236,000, spent $195,000 and has $41,000 in cash on hand, campaign finance filings show. Ricketts has raised $5.4 million, spent $4.2 million and has $1.2 million in cash.A separate Pete Ricketts Victory Fund raised $4.5 million and spent $4.4 million, sending much of that money to national Republicans, political committees and Ricketts’ Senate campaign.Love had support from some small television advertising buys from an outside group tied to local progressives earlier in the campaign. He went on the air more meaningfully this week, he announced on Twitter, or X.<h2>Ricketts aims to win and win again</h2>Ricketts is campaigning like an incumbent who knows he represents a state where Republicans outnumber Democrats 2 to 1 and where nonpartisans make up about a quarter of the electorate.&nbsp;He is an overwhelming favorite to fill out the final two years of former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse’s term. Ricketts’ spending seems aimed at laying the groundwork to run for a six-year term in 2026.Ricketts &nbsp;has run waves of television and radio ads focused on national issues, such as U.S. competition with China, national security and&nbsp; fighting bureaucratic overreach in Washington, D.C.He is barnstorming the state this weekend with other members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation to boost GOP turnout statewide and to help Republicans in key races, including Bacon.Ricketts has spent much of the campaign telling conservatives he would block the worst spending impulses of President Joe Biden and his potential successor, Vice President Kamala Harris.He also pledged to be a reliable vote for tax and regulatory cuts sought by former President Donald Trump. He held the state’s purse strings tightly as governor.&nbsp;<h2>Ricketts has a record</h2>On the stump, Ricketts has mainly ignored Love, focusing on what he describes as the missteps of the Biden administration and the need for GOP stewardship of the economy.He said he still believes, as he did when he ran for governor, that governments benefit from his private sector experience with his father’s company, which became TD Ameritrade.Ricketts pointed to customer-service-focused improvements in how quickly Nebraskans can access the Supplemental Nutrition Aid Program, or SNAP, which he has also pushed at the federal level.&nbsp;“Really that’s what we did is we took that business experience to run government more like a business and we improved the level of services we provided,” Ricketts told the Examiner.Ricketts has emphasized national defense and said the Senate needed a stricter immigration bill than the bipartisan border bill proposed by Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford.That bill, which the Border Patrol union called the strongest in a generation, died after Trump intervened. Trump and some of his supporters wanted to avoid giving Biden a win on the issue.Ricketts is no stranger to controversy. He has angered advocates for people in need and people with disabilities, who say he cares more about costs than people.He angered some local Latinos by sending members of the Nebraska State Patrol and the Nebraska National Guard to the U.S.-Mexican border to help Texas with enforcement challenges there.Some in the Nebraska Republican Party have questioned Ricketts’ loyalty to Trump, although he endorsed the former president once it became clear Trump would win the GOP nomination.However, rank-and-file Republicans did not criticize Ricketts’ state spending on immigration, typically handled by the federal government. Gov. Jim Pillen has continued border deployments.&nbsp;<h2>Love wants change at the top</h2>Love, a longtime civil rights activist, criticized the state’s results from one-party rule. He argues that more competition for people’s votes and voices would better serve Nebraska.He said people have to go beyond caring about which party wins more from a public stance than finding a compromise policy approach that better solves people’s problems.But Love said Trump presents unique challenges.“Trump has become a wedge in our country,” Love said. “So we no longer have the luxury of just having divisions. … And so when do we take a stand? Each of us. … It’s now.”As he told the Examiner’s podcast, Love studied economics while playing football for Coach Bob Devaney at the University of Nebraska and worked for IBM for over a decade.He owned a computer store in Atlanta, where he said he met and joined luminaries of the civil rights movement. He still takes people from Nebraska on trips there to experience the past.He has said he would protect a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health decisions and that he would protect voting rights by passing federal legislation named after the late civil rights leader John Lewis.He has said economic development needs to be broader and more inclusive, helping communities where private investment sometimes leaves people to fend for themselves or at the whims of nonprofits.He is open about his past struggles with addiction, saying it helps inform the sensitivities of his rehabilitation-and-treatment-focused approach to drugs he’d like to see adopted.<h2>Abortion and more</h2>Ricketts backed Initiative 434, a constitutional amendment that would ban abortion after the first trimester, with some exceptions. Love supported Initiative 439, an abortion-rights amendment that would add a right to abortion to the Nebraska Constitution until fetal viability, the timing of which would be defined by a treating health care practitioner.Both candidates stressed the need to fix Congress’ broken budget process, with Ricketts and Love saying the Senate needs to go back to regular appropriations and clearer committee work.Both said they support U.S. military aid to Israel and Ukraine, though Love stressed the importance of doing more to make sure that innocent Palestinian civilians are protected.Ricketts said it was important that the U.S. help its allies defend themselves without placing unreasonable limits on how. He said Israel needs full American backing against Hamas.“Hamas started a war, and wars are horrible,” Ricketts told the podcast. “This is why you don’t start wars.”They both also backed the need for a focus on improving crop insurance in the next farm bill, which Love said has taken too long for Congress to fix.Ricketts lost his first Senate race in 2006 to former U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., in what was then the most expensive Senate race in Nebraska history. Nelson beat him 64%-36%.Ricketts mostly self-financed that campaign and later described his decision as a mistake. He has raised more funds from supporters for his successful gubernatorial bids and his 2024 campaign.&nbsp;