DAMASCUS —U.S. forces conducted a series of air strikes against several known ISIS camps in Syria in the early evening of Oct. 28, resulting in up to 35 ISIS operatives killed, the U.S. Central Command reported Wednesday.

The strikes targeted multiple ISIS locations in the Syrian desert, targeting multiple ISIS senior leaders. There are no indications of civilian casualties, according to the Central Command.

The strikes will disrupt the ability of ISUS to plan, organize and conduct attacks against civilians as well as U.S. allies and partners throughout the region and beyond.

"Central Command forces alongside allies and partners in the region will continue to aggressively degrade ISUS operation capabilities to ensure its enduring defeat."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730298603773.png" alt="A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II operates over the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility." />
 <figcaption>A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II operates over the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.</figcaption>
 </figure>DAMASCUS —U.S. forces conducted a series of air strikes against several known ISIS camps in Syria in the early evening of Oct. 28, resulting in up to 35 ISIS operatives killed, the U.S. Central Command reported Wednesday.The strikes targeted multiple ISIS locations in the Syrian desert, targeting multiple ISIS senior leaders. There are no indications of civilian casualties, according to the Central Command.The strikes will disrupt the ability of ISUS to plan, organize and conduct attacks against civilians as well as U.S. allies and partners throughout the region and beyond."Central Command forces alongside allies and partners in the region will continue to aggressively degrade ISUS operation capabilities to ensure its enduring defeat."

U.S. forces conduct airstrikes against terrorist camps in Syria

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded UNMC one of 10 Regional Centers for Public Health Preparedness and Response across the nation.

These regional centers will play an essential role over the next five years in advancing the uptake of evidence-based strategies and interventions across communities, enhancing their ability to prepare for and respond to public health threats, according to the CDC.

UNMC will administer the center for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region Seven – Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

The center will work with a coalition of regional partners, including the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Other collaborators will include health departments from across the four states, as well as various rural and tribal partners.

The goal is to implement evidence-based practices in public health and emergency preparedness and response, especially in scenarios such as extreme weather events. The center also will work to address concerns around public health workforce development, workforce resiliency and improving community trust in public health, said principal investigator Rachel Lookadoo, JD, assistant professor of environmental, agricultural and occupational health.

The center will build upon an existing culture of regional cooperation within the four states, as well as a depth of expertise.

“Our preparedness efforts in the region are strong – but we can continue to strengthen them through coordination and collaboration,” said Lauren Sauer, associate professor of environmental, agricultural and occupational health, and associate director of research at the Global Center for Health Security, a co-principal investigator. “And so, we’ll work that our preparedness activities are not siloed and are evidence-based. One of the key goals of this contract is to improve regional coordination and improve a nationwide dialogue on evidence-based practice.”

Lookadoo added, “The goal of this center will be to help create a more interconnected regional approach to responding to some of the public health emergency threats that are particularly concerning to our region.”

The other regional centers are at Harvard University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of Minnesota, Tulane University, University of Utah, University of California San Francisco and University of Washington.

Caption: From left, Rachel Lookadoo, JD, and Lauren Sauer

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730300987168.jpeg" alt=" From left, Rachel Lookadoo, JD, and Lauren Sauer" />
 <figcaption> From left, Rachel Lookadoo, JD, and Lauren Sauer</figcaption>
 </figure>UNMCThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded UNMC one of 10 Regional Centers for Public Health Preparedness and Response across the nation.These regional centers will play an essential role over the next five years in advancing the uptake of evidence-based strategies and interventions across communities, enhancing their ability to prepare for and respond to public health threats, according to the CDC.UNMC will administer the center for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region Seven – Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.The center will work with a coalition of regional partners, including the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Other collaborators will include health departments from across the four states, as well as various rural and tribal partners.The goal is to implement evidence-based practices in public health and emergency preparedness and response, especially in scenarios such as extreme weather events. The center also will work to address concerns around public health workforce development, workforce resiliency and improving community trust in public health, said principal investigator Rachel Lookadoo, JD, assistant professor of environmental, agricultural and occupational health.The center will build upon an existing culture of regional cooperation within the four states, as well as a depth of expertise.“Our preparedness efforts in the region are strong – but we can continue to strengthen them through coordination and collaboration,” said Lauren Sauer, associate professor of environmental, agricultural and occupational health, and associate director of research at the Global Center for Health Security, a co-principal investigator. “And so, we’ll work that our preparedness activities are not siloed and are evidence-based. One of the key goals of this contract is to improve regional coordination and improve a nationwide dialogue on evidence-based practice.”Lookadoo added, “The goal of this center will be to help create a more interconnected regional approach to responding to some of the public health emergency threats that are particularly concerning to our region.”The other regional centers are at Harvard University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of Minnesota, Tulane University, University of Utah, University of California San Francisco and University of Washington.Caption: From left, Rachel Lookadoo, JD, and Lauren Sauer

 UNMC named new public health regional center for CDC

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/29/trial-begins-in-case-against-nebraskas-medical-cannabis-ballot-measures/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The trial over Nebraska’s two medical cannabis ballot measures began Tuesday with a broad examination into notary publics, citizen-led initiatives and the different groups that have reviewed the petition signatures.&nbsp;

The case in Lancaster County District Court involves two petitions from the Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana campaign that would&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2024/2024%20Ballot%20Measures%20Pamphlet.pdf" target="_blank">legalize and regulate medical cannabis</a>. Both petitions remain on the Nov. 5 ballot, but if this week’s legal challenges are successful, that could invalidate the election results. The trial picks back up Thursday.

The medical marijuana campaign needs&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/23/breaking-down-petition-signatures-for-nebraska-2024-ballot-measures/">86,499 valid signatures</a>. Nearly 90,000 signatures were verified on each petition.

Attorneys for John Kuehn, a former state senator and former State Board of Health member who&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/12/lawsuit-seeks-to-invalidate-nebraskas-medical-marijuana-ballot-measures/">filed the Sept. 12 lawsuit</a>, and Secretary of State Bob Evnen, a defendant in the lawsuit, sought to frame the case around one question: “Following the rules.”

Anne Mackin, an Austin-based attorney and one of Kuehn’s lead attorneys, said the question is whether the campaign garnered enough signatures, and said she is being aided by an “unbiased third-party firm” that Kuehn hired to review the signatures. She said the firm found suspicious behavior involving the petition drive.

“These are not isolated incidents. This is large, large-scale, known malfeasance by key campaign workers,” Mackin said. “It’s a larger scale than my client ever could have imagined when initially filing this lawsuit.”

Mackin is a former Texas assistant attorney general who worked as legal counsel for the Texas Senate and Federal Election Commission.

Deputy Solicitor General Zach Viglianco in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, who is defending Evnen, said during opening arguments that “cheating is a choice.” He accused the ballot sponsors and a significant number of campaign circulators and notaries public of cheating Nebraskans.

“The choice those individuals made is an unfortunate one,” Viglianco said. “But it’s not a choice that can be ignored.”

Sydney Hayes, an attorney for the ballot sponsors, said the goal of the opposing attorneys is to find enough questionable signatures to invalidate both petitions.

Hayes told Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong that there isn’t enough evidence of “fraud” or mistakes, noting&nbsp;at most 706 questionable signatures on one petition and 394 signatures on the other.

“They simply can’t meet the numbers,” Hayes said. “In fact, they don’t even come close.”

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and Kuehn’s attorneys are focusing on the behavior of certain notaries, Hayes said, seeking to invalidate any signatures that they touched.

Hayes said invalidating that many signatures is “quite simply” not the law. She and Daniel Gutman, another ballot sponsor attorney, have argued&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/08/medical-cannabis-sponsors-push-back-on-nebraska-officials-claims-of-fraud-and-malfeasance/">no court nationwide has ever accepted</a>.

Wayne Bena, deputy secretary of state for elections, testified that local county officials verify signatures by matching at least two of three identifying details –– printed names, birth dates or home addresses — to a voter’s registration file.

Bena testified that it is possible that county officials would not catch fraud, for example, if a circulator provided a registered voter’s information without their knowledge or consent. He noted county election officials also aren’t handwriting experts.

Much of Kuehn’s initial lawsuit focused on instances where the two-out-of-three rule wasn’t followed, or when the campaign wasn’t disclosing whether circulators were paid. However, Kuen’s attorneys largely avoided&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/27/district-court-judge-dismisses-some-but-not-all-charges-in-nebraska-medical-cannabis-lawsuit/">those arguments&nbsp;</a>on Tuesday,&nbsp;for the most part focusing on notaries and circulators, like Evnen’s attorneys.

David Wilson Jr., associate general counsel for the Secretary of State’s Office and director of licensing, who oversees the work of notaries for the office, explained that notarizations give “presumptive evidence” over a matter’s legal validity.

Wilson said notaries must physically witness an “oath” and confirm the identity of whose documents they are notarizing. In this case, that’s a notarization for a circulator swearing to the validity of the signatures they’ve gathered.

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office has alleged that thousands of signatures were collected where those requirements weren’t met.

Wilson testified that he is unaware of his office having criminal prosecutorial authority over notaries or of instances where one document being invalidated led to every document a particular notary touched being tossed.&nbsp;

At least one notary, Jacy Todd of York, has been criminally charged in the case. He faces 24 counts of alleged malfeasance. Todd is a prospective witness in the case but is currently facing medical issues that raised questions whether he’ll be able to testify in court.

Wilson said he is unaware of any other notaries being criminally charged for malfeasance.

Kait Madsen, an attorney for the ballot sponsors, asked Wilson whether there is additional training or continuing education for notaries, which he said there is not.&nbsp;

Wilson said a mistake doesn’t always mean malfeasance.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” Wilson said. “… It’s fact dependent on what happened.”

Kory Langhofer, a high-profile, Phoenix-based elections attorney and co-founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://signafide.com/about.html" target="_blank">Signafide</a>, a cloud-based petition validation service that Kuehn hired to review the petitions. The firm uses artificial intelligence and manual labor to review petitions nationwide.

Langhofer has represented various clients nationwide, including former President Donald Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns, including questions about the 2020 Arizona election results; Carly Fiorina’s Republican presidential campaign in 2016; and then-Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in 2012.

He testified that he began working in the ballot access field in 2011, has worked in all U.S. states and territories at least twice, and has reviewed at least 17 state ballot measure petitions, one of which involved a client favoring marijuana legalization.

Signafide’s process involves AI and hours of visual review, Langhofer said. However, he noted the firm didn’t receive all the scans of the Nebraska petition pages, so his estimates would likely undercount some alleged irregularities.

Hayes objected to using the network analysis because of Langhofer’s noted limitations. Mackin said the analysis is intended to corroborate evidence from the Attorney General’s Office.

John Brennan, a civil investigator and certified fraud examiner in the Attorney General’s Office, walked Viglianco through a handful of examples of questionable circulator or notary signatures and instances where a circulator notarized his or her own petition sheet.

Brennan said he has never investigated a case involving circulator fraud or notary malfeasance but said it is similar to consumer protection cases he’s investigated.

Brennan said he reviewed more than 25,000 pages and outlined multiple pieces of evidence with some “facial” defects that he said were improperly validated, some of which were forwarded to a handwriting expert who is expected to be called as a witness later this week.

The attorneys for Kuehn and the ballot sponsors will continue questioning Brennan on Thursday.

Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/29/trial-begins-in-case-against-nebraskas-medical-cannabis-ballot-measures/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The trial over Nebraska’s two medical cannabis ballot measures began Tuesday with a broad examination into notary publics, citizen-led initiatives and the different groups that have reviewed the petition signatures.&nbsp;The case in Lancaster County District Court involves two petitions from the Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana campaign that would&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2024/2024%20Ballot%20Measures%20Pamphlet.pdf" target="_blank">legalize and regulate medical cannabis</a>. Both petitions remain on the Nov. 5 ballot, but if this week’s legal challenges are successful, that could invalidate the election results. The trial picks back up Thursday.The medical marijuana campaign needs&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/23/breaking-down-petition-signatures-for-nebraska-2024-ballot-measures/">86,499 valid signatures</a>. Nearly 90,000 signatures were verified on each petition.<h2>‘Cheating is a choice’</h2>Attorneys for John Kuehn, a former state senator and former State Board of Health member who&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/12/lawsuit-seeks-to-invalidate-nebraskas-medical-marijuana-ballot-measures/">filed the Sept. 12 lawsuit</a>, and Secretary of State Bob Evnen, a defendant in the lawsuit, sought to frame the case around one question: “Following the rules.”Anne Mackin, an Austin-based attorney and one of Kuehn’s lead attorneys, said the question is whether the campaign garnered enough signatures, and said she is being aided by an “unbiased third-party firm” that Kuehn hired to review the signatures. She said the firm found suspicious behavior involving the petition drive.“These are not isolated incidents. This is large, large-scale, known malfeasance by key campaign workers,” Mackin said. “It’s a larger scale than my client ever could have imagined when initially filing this lawsuit.”Mackin is a former Texas assistant attorney general who worked as legal counsel for the Texas Senate and Federal Election Commission.Deputy Solicitor General Zach Viglianco in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, who is defending Evnen, said during opening arguments that “cheating is a choice.” He accused the ballot sponsors and a significant number of campaign circulators and notaries public of cheating Nebraskans.“The choice those individuals made is an unfortunate one,” Viglianco said. “But it’s not a choice that can be ignored.”<h2>Pursuit of the ‘magic number’</h2>Sydney Hayes, an attorney for the ballot sponsors, said the goal of the opposing attorneys is to find enough questionable signatures to invalidate both petitions.Hayes told Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong that there isn’t enough evidence of “fraud” or mistakes, noting&nbsp;at most 706 questionable signatures on one petition and 394 signatures on the other.“They simply can’t meet the numbers,” Hayes said. “In fact, they don’t even come close.”The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and Kuehn’s attorneys are focusing on the behavior of certain notaries, Hayes said, seeking to invalidate any signatures that they touched.Hayes said invalidating that many signatures is “quite simply” not the law. She and Daniel Gutman, another ballot sponsor attorney, have argued&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/08/medical-cannabis-sponsors-push-back-on-nebraska-officials-claims-of-fraud-and-malfeasance/">no court nationwide has ever accepted</a>.<h2>Signature validation and notaries</h2>Wayne Bena, deputy secretary of state for elections, testified that local county officials verify signatures by matching at least two of three identifying details –– printed names, birth dates or home addresses — to a voter’s registration file.Bena testified that it is possible that county officials would not catch fraud, for example, if a circulator provided a registered voter’s information without their knowledge or consent. He noted county election officials also aren’t handwriting experts.Much of Kuehn’s initial lawsuit focused on instances where the two-out-of-three rule wasn’t followed, or when the campaign wasn’t disclosing whether circulators were paid. However, Kuen’s attorneys largely avoided&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/27/district-court-judge-dismisses-some-but-not-all-charges-in-nebraska-medical-cannabis-lawsuit/">those arguments&nbsp;</a>on Tuesday,&nbsp;for the most part focusing on notaries and circulators, like Evnen’s attorneys.David Wilson Jr., associate general counsel for the Secretary of State’s Office and director of licensing, who oversees the work of notaries for the office, explained that notarizations give “presumptive evidence” over a matter’s legal validity.Wilson said notaries must physically witness an “oath” and confirm the identity of whose documents they are notarizing. In this case, that’s a notarization for a circulator swearing to the validity of the signatures they’ve gathered.The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office has alleged that thousands of signatures were collected where those requirements weren’t met.Wilson testified that he is unaware of his office having criminal prosecutorial authority over notaries or of instances where one document being invalidated led to every document a particular notary touched being tossed.&nbsp;At least one notary, Jacy Todd of York, has been criminally charged in the case. He faces 24 counts of alleged malfeasance. Todd is a prospective witness in the case but is currently facing medical issues that raised questions whether he’ll be able to testify in court.Wilson said he is unaware of any other notaries being criminally charged for malfeasance.Kait Madsen, an attorney for the ballot sponsors, asked Wilson whether there is additional training or continuing education for notaries, which he said there is not.&nbsp;Wilson said a mistake doesn’t always mean malfeasance.“Everyone makes mistakes,” Wilson said. “… It’s fact dependent on what happened.”<h2>Dual investigations</h2>Kory Langhofer, a high-profile, Phoenix-based elections attorney and co-founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://signafide.com/about.html" target="_blank">Signafide</a>, a cloud-based petition validation service that Kuehn hired to review the petitions. The firm uses artificial intelligence and manual labor to review petitions nationwide.Langhofer has represented various clients nationwide, including former President Donald Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns, including questions about the 2020 Arizona election results; Carly Fiorina’s Republican presidential campaign in 2016; and then-Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in 2012.He testified that he began working in the ballot access field in 2011, has worked in all U.S. states and territories at least twice, and has reviewed at least 17 state ballot measure petitions, one of which involved a client favoring marijuana legalization.Signafide’s process involves AI and hours of visual review, Langhofer said. However, he noted the firm didn’t receive all the scans of the Nebraska petition pages, so his estimates would likely undercount some alleged irregularities.Hayes objected to using the network analysis because of Langhofer’s noted limitations. Mackin said the analysis is intended to corroborate evidence from the Attorney General’s Office.John Brennan, a civil investigator and certified fraud examiner in the Attorney General’s Office, walked Viglianco through a handful of examples of questionable circulator or notary signatures and instances where a circulator notarized his or her own petition sheet.Brennan said he has never investigated a case involving circulator fraud or notary malfeasance but said it is similar to consumer protection cases he’s investigated.Brennan said he reviewed more than 25,000 pages and outlined multiple pieces of evidence with some “facial” defects that he said were improperly validated, some of which were forwarded to a handwriting expert who is expected to be called as a witness later this week.The attorneys for Kuehn and the ballot sponsors will continue questioning Brennan on Thursday.

Trial Begins in Case Against Nebraska’s Medical Cannabis Ballot Measures

LINCOLN, NEB. – Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation awarded six agricultural professionals with scholarships to participate in the Nebraska LEAD program, keeping with the mission of cultivating the future of agriculture.

“These individuals continue to push to make agriculture better across Nebraska,” said Megahn Schafer, executive director of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation. “We are proud to support these individuals as they make an investment in their future, becoming equipped to better serve their communities and agriculture through the Nebraska LEAD program.”

The LEAD Scholarship awards agricultural stakeholders that participate in the Nebraska LEAD program. The LEAD program improves leadership skills and abilities of Nebraska’s future agricultural leaders through exposure to diverse topics, issues, concerns, points of view, and innovative ideas. The winners of the LEAD Scholarship are current Farm Bureau members that commit to serving in a leadership role with Farm Bureau upon completion of the program.

The six winners are Adam Oldemeyer (Ayr); April Delsing (Hemingford); Jake Werner (Lincoln); Jake Judge (Norfolk); Courtney Nelson (Norfolk); and Michelle Bose (Arcadia).

The mission of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is to engage youth, educators, and the general public to promote an understanding of the vital importance of agriculture in the lives of all Nebraskans. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more information about the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefbfoundation.org/" target="_blank">www.nefbfoundation.org</a>.&nbsp;

Nebraska Farm BureauLINCOLN, NEB. – Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation awarded six agricultural professionals with scholarships to participate in the Nebraska LEAD program, keeping with the mission of cultivating the future of agriculture.“These individuals continue to push to make agriculture better across Nebraska,” said Megahn Schafer, executive director of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation. “We are proud to support these individuals as they make an investment in their future, becoming equipped to better serve their communities and agriculture through the Nebraska LEAD program.”The LEAD Scholarship awards agricultural stakeholders that participate in the Nebraska LEAD program. The LEAD program improves leadership skills and abilities of Nebraska’s future agricultural leaders through exposure to diverse topics, issues, concerns, points of view, and innovative ideas. The winners of the LEAD Scholarship are current Farm Bureau members that commit to serving in a leadership role with Farm Bureau upon completion of the program.The six winners are Adam Oldemeyer (Ayr); April Delsing (Hemingford); Jake Werner (Lincoln); Jake Judge (Norfolk); Courtney Nelson (Norfolk); and Michelle Bose (Arcadia).The mission of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is to engage youth, educators, and the general public to promote an understanding of the vital importance of agriculture in the lives of all Nebraskans. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more information about the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefbfoundation.org/" target="_blank">www.nefbfoundation.org</a>.&nbsp;

Nebraska Farm Bureau Awards LEAD Fellow Scholarships

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/center-pivot-machine-outperforms-toilet-paper-for-2024-title-coolest-thing-made-in-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA —&nbsp;A center pivot irrigation machine washed out toilet paper to be named Tuesday as the 2024 “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska.”&nbsp;

The winner of the third annual competition — created to bring awareness and excitement to the state’s No. 2 industry, manufacturing — was announced during the Nebraska Manufacturing Summit in La Vista.

The tournament began in mid-September with 16 products. (Courtesy of Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

Tens of thousands of votes were cast during the bracket-style tournament that kicked off in mid-September, according to the organizer, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Valley Center Pivot by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ValleyIrrigationEnglish" target="_blank">Valley Irrigation&nbsp;</a>emerged as champion following several rounds of public voting that started with 16 products.

Runner-up was toilet paper produced by Omaha-based Outlook Nebraska, which, according to its website, is the largest employer of the blind and visually impaired in Nebraska and a seven-state region.

Matt Ondrejko, senior vice president of product excellence and commercialization at Valley Irrigation, which is a Valmont company, accepted the award during the conference.&nbsp;

He called it a testament to “all the work, innovation and dedication that our team pours into every single pivot.”&nbsp;

According to the company, its center pivots have “revolutionized global agriculture.” Used in more than 90 countries, they conserve water, improve crop yields and use cutting-edge technology such as remote management.&nbsp;

“It’s not just a piece of machinery, it’s a symbol of Nebraska ingenuity,” Ondrejko said of the center pivot. “Together we’re proving that the Heartland isn’t just where food grows, it’s where world-changing ideas take root.”

Outlook Nebraska says it is the sole toilet paper manufacturer in Nebraska and an Omaha not-for-profit with a global reach. (Courtesy of Outlook Nebraska and Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

The&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/top-16-contenders-announced-for-2024-coolest-thing-made-in-nebraska/">16 products that started off</a>&nbsp;the tournament were selected from an original pool of about 65 entries. A Leadership Nebraska alumni group of statewide business and nonprofit representatives narrowed that field of nominees. Then the public vote took over for future rounds.

The summit marked a highlight of Manufacturing Month in Nebraska. State officials said Nebraska’s manufacturing job count, about 109,000, has hit its highest point in more than 20 years, since 2001.

They said the manufacturing industry is second to agriculture in the state and contributes $21.6 billion to Nebraska’s annual gross domestic product, a 57% increase from five years ago.

Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/center-pivot-machine-outperforms-toilet-paper-for-2024-title-coolest-thing-made-in-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA —&nbsp;A center pivot irrigation machine washed out toilet paper to be named Tuesday as the 2024 “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska.”&nbsp;The winner of the third annual competition — created to bring awareness and excitement to the state’s No. 2 industry, manufacturing — was announced during the Nebraska Manufacturing Summit in La Vista.The tournament began in mid-September with 16 products. (Courtesy of Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry)Tens of thousands of votes were cast during the bracket-style tournament that kicked off in mid-September, according to the organizer, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.The Valley Center Pivot by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ValleyIrrigationEnglish" target="_blank">Valley Irrigation&nbsp;</a>emerged as champion following several rounds of public voting that started with 16 products.Runner-up was toilet paper produced by Omaha-based Outlook Nebraska, which, according to its website, is the largest employer of the blind and visually impaired in Nebraska and a seven-state region.Matt Ondrejko, senior vice president of product excellence and commercialization at Valley Irrigation, which is a Valmont company, accepted the award during the conference.&nbsp;He called it a testament to “all the work, innovation and dedication that our team pours into every single pivot.”&nbsp;According to the company, its center pivots have “revolutionized global agriculture.” Used in more than 90 countries, they conserve water, improve crop yields and use cutting-edge technology such as remote management.&nbsp;“It’s not just a piece of machinery, it’s a symbol of Nebraska ingenuity,” Ondrejko said of the center pivot. “Together we’re proving that the Heartland isn’t just where food grows, it’s where world-changing ideas take root.”Outlook Nebraska says it is the sole toilet paper manufacturer in Nebraska and an Omaha not-for-profit with a global reach. (Courtesy of Outlook Nebraska and Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry)The&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/top-16-contenders-announced-for-2024-coolest-thing-made-in-nebraska/">16 products that started off</a>&nbsp;the tournament were selected from an original pool of about 65 entries. A Leadership Nebraska alumni group of statewide business and nonprofit representatives narrowed that field of nominees. Then the public vote took over for future rounds.The summit marked a highlight of Manufacturing Month in Nebraska. State officials said Nebraska’s manufacturing job count, about 109,000, has hit its highest point in more than 20 years, since 2001.They said the manufacturing industry is second to agriculture in the state and contributes $21.6 billion to Nebraska’s annual gross domestic product, a 57% increase from five years ago.

Center pivot machine outperforms toilet paper for 2024 title: “Coolest Thing Made In Nebraska”

Lincoln, October 29, 2024- The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) has set a November hearing date for telecommunications carrier Lumen (&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/state-911/911-075pi-248-lumen-affiliates-911-outage-investigation" target="_blank">911-075/PI-248, 911-077/C-5581/PI-252</a>&nbsp;)concerning three separate service outages/disruptions affecting 911.

The hearing will be held in the Commission hearing room, beginning at 9:00 a.m., on Monday,November 4.&nbsp; The Commission has set aside, Tuesday, November 5, at 9:00 a.m., should asecond day of testimony be required.

The three separate Lumen outages/disruptions occurred on August 31, 2023, April 17 &amp; July 9,2024, impacting 911 service over a wide area of Lumens’ Nebraska network.

An initial public hearing regarding the August 31, 2023, Lumen outage was held by the Commission in January. As the Commission expanded its investigation to include the two 2024disruptions it conducted additional data requests and sought analysis from outside experts on network infrastructure specifically in the area of 911 network requirements. During the hearing Commissioners and legal staff will ask questions and get answers directly from the telecommunications carrier. Testimony during the hearing may also include invited witnesses. A decision regarding the investigations will be made at a later date.

As the proceeding is an investigatory hearing, public comment will not be taken during thehearing.

Those choosing to observe the hearing in-person are reminded the Commission hearing room has a limited capacity. Individuals interested in watching the proceeding may also do so online at&lt;&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/stream" target="_blank">https://psc.nebraska.gov/stream</a>&nbsp; &gt;.

Deb CollinsPSCLincoln, October 29, 2024- The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) has set a November hearing date for telecommunications carrier Lumen (&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/state-911/911-075pi-248-lumen-affiliates-911-outage-investigation" target="_blank">911-075/PI-248, 911-077/C-5581/PI-252</a>&nbsp;)concerning three separate service outages/disruptions affecting 911.The hearing will be held in the Commission hearing room, beginning at 9:00 a.m., on Monday,November 4.&nbsp; The Commission has set aside, Tuesday, November 5, at 9:00 a.m., should asecond day of testimony be required.The three separate Lumen outages/disruptions occurred on August 31, 2023, April 17 &amp; July 9,2024, impacting 911 service over a wide area of Lumens’ Nebraska network.An initial public hearing regarding the August 31, 2023, Lumen outage was held by the Commission in January. As the Commission expanded its investigation to include the two 2024disruptions it conducted additional data requests and sought analysis from outside experts on network infrastructure specifically in the area of 911 network requirements. During the hearing Commissioners and legal staff will ask questions and get answers directly from the telecommunications carrier. Testimony during the hearing may also include invited witnesses. A decision regarding the investigations will be made at a later date.As the proceeding is an investigatory hearing, public comment will not be taken during thehearing.Those choosing to observe the hearing in-person are reminded the Commission hearing room has a limited capacity. Individuals interested in watching the proceeding may also do so online at&lt;&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/stream" target="_blank">https://psc.nebraska.gov/stream</a>&nbsp; &gt;.

PSC Sets Hearing Date for Lumen Outage Investigations

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/grants-available-for-fixing-buildings-on-historic-register/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Grants of between $5,000 and $35,000 are now available for fixing roofs and brickwork on historic structures in Nebraska.

The “Bricks and Mortar” grants, to be handed out by the Nebraska State Historical Society, are aimed at&nbsp;repairing properties on the National Register of Historic Places.

A total of $80,000 is available, which can be used to reimburse 80% of eligible project costs.

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Nov. 15. Applications must be submitted online via the website:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4af6c119278bab53245cdd3e6&amp;id=bcfcf2f2e8&amp;e=9191af6659" target="_blank">history.nebraska.gov/historic-preservation/bricks-and-mortar-roof-grant/</a>

&nbsp;Additional points are given to properties that are in communities with a population of less than 50,000.

The grants are administered by the National Park Service. For more information, contact the State Historical Preservation Office at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hn.hp@nebraska.gov">hn.hp@nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;or 402-805-7392.

Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/grants-available-for-fixing-buildings-on-historic-register/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Grants of between $5,000 and $35,000 are now available for fixing roofs and brickwork on historic structures in Nebraska.The “Bricks and Mortar” grants, to be handed out by the Nebraska State Historical Society, are aimed at&nbsp;repairing properties on the National Register of Historic Places.A total of $80,000 is available, which can be used to reimburse 80% of eligible project costs.The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Nov. 15. Applications must be submitted online via the website:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4af6c119278bab53245cdd3e6&amp;id=bcfcf2f2e8&amp;e=9191af6659" target="_blank">history.nebraska.gov/historic-preservation/bricks-and-mortar-roof-grant/</a>&nbsp;Additional points are given to properties that are in communities with a population of less than 50,000.The grants are administered by the National Park Service. For more information, contact the State Historical Preservation Office at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hn.hp@nebraska.gov">hn.hp@nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;or 402-805-7392.

Grants available for fixing buildings on Historic Register

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/29/lawmakers-public-school-advocates-spar-over-ads-against-using-state-funds-for-ne-private-schools/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska lawmakers made what likely was a final push Monday before Election Day to save the state’s latest “school choice” program to offset attendance costs at private schools.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who sponsored the original&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50326" target="_blank">Legislative Bills 753</a>&nbsp;in 2023 and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=55486" target="_blank">1402</a>&nbsp;this year, joined with about 20 of her legislative colleagues to criticize a new ad from the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/ballot-measures/private-education-scholarship-partial-referendum/">Support Our Schools campaign</a>, which has opposed both of Linehan’s bills. But in the face of a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, Linehan said opponents are intentionally not matching spending.

“I’m not putting much value on a repeal that was funded by $5 million against no opposition,” Linehan said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SOSNebraska/status/1849464803066089834" target="_blank">targeted ad</a>, posted to the campaign’s social media four days ago, shows three men in suits, which the senators took as caricatures of themselves. The men enter a classroom, steal toy blocks from the children, break pencils, knock over dominoes and break a house made of Legos.

“The Legislature’s school voucher bill fails our kids,” a voiceover says.

Linehan herself used Legos at a Monday news conference to demonstrate the issue, placing her left hand on a jug of Legos about a foot high, overflowing with hundreds of blocks, while holding a small cup of about 10 Legos in her right hand.&nbsp;

She said the first represented $5 billion in funds that public schools spend annually from the state, while the other is the $10 million provided to private schools under her legislation.

“The commercials are ridiculous, and they are insulting to the Legislature,” Linehan said.

Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, and Jenni Benson, president of the Support Our Schools campaign, criticized the opponents as rehashing arguments from when the bills passed the Legislature.

Royers, who attended Monday’s news conference, said the decision is in the hands of Nebraska voters. He said the decision is about “a fundamental attack on the integrity of public education within the state.”

“We view this as an existential threat to our capacity to fund our schools in the future,” Royers said. “That’s why we’re committing the resources we are to this.”

As of the campaign’s latest filings, through Oct. 21, the campaign opposing the LB 1402 “education scholarships” raised $4.6 million and spent $4.1 million. LB 1402 provided a direct $10 million to the State Treasurer’s Office to distribute “education scholarships” for students to attend nonpublic K-12 schools.

Much of the news conference focused on allegations in the ad, which lawmakers sought to discredit as “prejudicial,” “in bad taste,” “insulting,” “distasteful” and “disrespectful.” They jointly urged voters to vote to retain LB 1402, as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2024/2024%20Ballot%20Measures%20Pamphlet.pdf" target="_blank">Referendum Measure 435</a>.

“Whoever came up with that idea, I’ll be honest, like my mother used to say, should be ashamed of themselves,” said State Sen. Fred Meyer of St. Paul, a former member of the State Board of Education. “That has no place in the public discourse in Nebraska.”

State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus said “by any measure” state funding is up for public schools. He said the ad was meant to make voters mad. He questioned whether opponents would again spend millions of dollars if similar legislation was reintroduced rather than spending such funds on teacher retirement programs or improving test scores.

“You’re going to have to work with state senators moving forward to try to do the best you can for your schools and for your students,” Moser said. “The Legislature is interested in working with you, but that commercial is over the top.”

Royers said in response: “I thought it was a pretty fun ad. My kids thought it was a pretty fun ad. And candidly, I could run up a bunch of mailers and other ads that I think are far, far worse than an ad with kids in the classroom.”

Multiple speakers, including State Sens. Julie Slama of Dunbar and Justin Wayne of Omaha, criticized Royers on Monday.

“If you’re a dues paying teachers union member, your money is being wasted on advertising like this,” Slama said.

State Sens. Rob Clements of Elmwood, Rita Sanders of Bellevue and Dave Murman of Glenvil pointed to legislation in the past three years as significant investments in public education.

Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee, pointed to the “Education Future Fund,” an initial $1 billion investment in 2023.

Sanders noted legislation to increase state special education reimbursement to 80% of costs and $1,500 in “foundation aid” for all public school students.

Murman, chair of the Education Committee, looked at recent legislation to provide $5,000 in grants for first-year educators for each of five years if they stay in the state, as well as $5,000 in funds if educators add endorsements in special education, science, math or technology.

Murman also pointed to rural schools, with at least 140 nonpublic schools partnering with the largest scholarship-granting organization, Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska.

Wayne, an initial critic of Linehan’s legislation eight years ago, turned into a key ally. The former Omaha Public Schools board member has said he isn’t “pro-school choice” but is pro-“I have no other alternative.”

“Break hold of this ancient belief that we’re destroying public education and embrace the idea that we are giving parents and students a chance for a better future,” Wayne said last week. “If we get it wrong, how worse are we right now than what’s happening in my district, where people aren’t graduating and we are filling up prisons with fourth-grade education requirements?”

Wayne has frequently said his northeast Omaha district can’t wait for improvements in the public schools.&nbsp;

Some public school advocates have pointed to “<a href="https://www.education.ne.gov/fos/enrollment-option-application-instructions-faqs/" target="_blank">option enrollment</a>,” which allows families to choose a different public school district for their children. The state is spending at least&nbsp;<a href="https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2425SA_StateAidCalculatedbySystemStateAidComponents_Annexation.pdf" target="_blank">$124 million</a>&nbsp;for the current school year.

But Wayne criticized those arguments, pointed to a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Agencies/Education__Department_of/846_20240830-102307.pdf" target="_blank">new state report</a>&nbsp;indicating hundreds of option enrollment applications were denied, some because of special education needs.

He and other lawmakers have also noted that the state already provides funding for nonpublic schools, such as textbook loan programs, transportation, teacher grants and school safety funds.

Wayne said every family deserves high quality education, “not by chance, but by right.”

Royers said there is always room for improvement in option enrollment and said he is looking forward to an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/calendar/hearings.php?day=2024-11-07" target="_blank">upcoming Education Committee hearing</a>&nbsp;on the topic.

Benson, who was president of the teacher’s union for the past three years, said she’s watched what happens in other states “once you get a foot in the door” and criticized the goals of billionaires funding the efforts who she said are looking forward to the “decimation of public schools.”

“They let the horse out of the barn, and now they’re all trying to claw it back,” Benson told the Nebraska Examiner. “… If you’ve made the decision to not have accountability, then you’ve made the decision that you shouldn’t have public funds for that.”

Linehan and Royers said if voters reject the legislation Nov. 5, it likely would return in the future.

“I would be surprised that you don’t see more legislation,” Linehan told reporters.

“To us, this is a fundamental issue,” Royers said. “Red line in the sand.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730219179857.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn holds a cup of about 10 Legos compared to an overflowing jug of Legos to her left, which she said is supposed to illustrate the difference in $10 million for nonpublic schools to $5 billion for total public school spending in Nebraska. Oct. 28, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn holds a cup of about 10 Legos compared to an overflowing jug of Legos to her left, which she said is supposed to illustrate the difference in $10 million for nonpublic schools to $5 billion for total public school spending in Nebraska. Oct. 28, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/29/lawmakers-public-school-advocates-spar-over-ads-against-using-state-funds-for-ne-private-schools/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska lawmakers made what likely was a final push Monday before Election Day to save the state’s latest “school choice” program to offset attendance costs at private schools.State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who sponsored the original&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50326" target="_blank">Legislative Bills 753</a>&nbsp;in 2023 and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=55486" target="_blank">1402</a>&nbsp;this year, joined with about 20 of her legislative colleagues to criticize a new ad from the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/ballot-measures/private-education-scholarship-partial-referendum/">Support Our Schools campaign</a>, which has opposed both of Linehan’s bills. But in the face of a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, Linehan said opponents are intentionally not matching spending.“I’m not putting much value on a repeal that was funded by $5 million against no opposition,” Linehan said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SOSNebraska/status/1849464803066089834" target="_blank">targeted ad</a>, posted to the campaign’s social media four days ago, shows three men in suits, which the senators took as caricatures of themselves. The men enter a classroom, steal toy blocks from the children, break pencils, knock over dominoes and break a house made of Legos.“The Legislature’s school voucher bill fails our kids,” a voiceover says.Linehan herself used Legos at a Monday news conference to demonstrate the issue, placing her left hand on a jug of Legos about a foot high, overflowing with hundreds of blocks, while holding a small cup of about 10 Legos in her right hand.&nbsp;She said the first represented $5 billion in funds that public schools spend annually from the state, while the other is the $10 million provided to private schools under her legislation.“The commercials are ridiculous, and they are insulting to the Legislature,” Linehan said.<h2>‘An existential threat’</h2>Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, and Jenni Benson, president of the Support Our Schools campaign, criticized the opponents as rehashing arguments from when the bills passed the Legislature.Royers, who attended Monday’s news conference, said the decision is in the hands of Nebraska voters. He said the decision is about “a fundamental attack on the integrity of public education within the state.”“We view this as an existential threat to our capacity to fund our schools in the future,” Royers said. “That’s why we’re committing the resources we are to this.”As of the campaign’s latest filings, through Oct. 21, the campaign opposing the LB 1402 “education scholarships” raised $4.6 million and spent $4.1 million. LB 1402 provided a direct $10 million to the State Treasurer’s Office to distribute “education scholarships” for students to attend nonpublic K-12 schools.<h2>‘No place in the public discourse’</h2>Much of the news conference focused on allegations in the ad, which lawmakers sought to discredit as “prejudicial,” “in bad taste,” “insulting,” “distasteful” and “disrespectful.” They jointly urged voters to vote to retain LB 1402, as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2024/2024%20Ballot%20Measures%20Pamphlet.pdf" target="_blank">Referendum Measure 435</a>.“Whoever came up with that idea, I’ll be honest, like my mother used to say, should be ashamed of themselves,” said State Sen. Fred Meyer of St. Paul, a former member of the State Board of Education. “That has no place in the public discourse in Nebraska.”State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus said “by any measure” state funding is up for public schools. He said the ad was meant to make voters mad. He questioned whether opponents would again spend millions of dollars if similar legislation was reintroduced rather than spending such funds on teacher retirement programs or improving test scores.“You’re going to have to work with state senators moving forward to try to do the best you can for your schools and for your students,” Moser said. “The Legislature is interested in working with you, but that commercial is over the top.”Royers said in response: “I thought it was a pretty fun ad. My kids thought it was a pretty fun ad. And candidly, I could run up a bunch of mailers and other ads that I think are far, far worse than an ad with kids in the classroom.”Multiple speakers, including State Sens. Julie Slama of Dunbar and Justin Wayne of Omaha, criticized Royers on Monday.“If you’re a dues paying teachers union member, your money is being wasted on advertising like this,” Slama said.<h2>Investments in public education</h2>State Sens. Rob Clements of Elmwood, Rita Sanders of Bellevue and Dave Murman of Glenvil pointed to legislation in the past three years as significant investments in public education.Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee, pointed to the “Education Future Fund,” an initial $1 billion investment in 2023.Sanders noted legislation to increase state special education reimbursement to 80% of costs and $1,500 in “foundation aid” for all public school students.Murman, chair of the Education Committee, looked at recent legislation to provide $5,000 in grants for first-year educators for each of five years if they stay in the state, as well as $5,000 in funds if educators add endorsements in special education, science, math or technology.Murman also pointed to rural schools, with at least 140 nonpublic schools partnering with the largest scholarship-granting organization, Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska.<h2>Public option enrollment</h2>Wayne, an initial critic of Linehan’s legislation eight years ago, turned into a key ally. The former Omaha Public Schools board member has said he isn’t “pro-school choice” but is pro-“I have no other alternative.”“Break hold of this ancient belief that we’re destroying public education and embrace the idea that we are giving parents and students a chance for a better future,” Wayne said last week. “If we get it wrong, how worse are we right now than what’s happening in my district, where people aren’t graduating and we are filling up prisons with fourth-grade education requirements?”Wayne has frequently said his northeast Omaha district can’t wait for improvements in the public schools.&nbsp;Some public school advocates have pointed to “<a href="https://www.education.ne.gov/fos/enrollment-option-application-instructions-faqs/" target="_blank">option enrollment</a>,” which allows families to choose a different public school district for their children. The state is spending at least&nbsp;<a href="https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2425SA_StateAidCalculatedbySystemStateAidComponents_Annexation.pdf" target="_blank">$124 million</a>&nbsp;for the current school year.But Wayne criticized those arguments, pointed to a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Agencies/Education__Department_of/846_20240830-102307.pdf" target="_blank">new state report</a>&nbsp;indicating hundreds of option enrollment applications were denied, some because of special education needs.He and other lawmakers have also noted that the state already provides funding for nonpublic schools, such as textbook loan programs, transportation, teacher grants and school safety funds.Wayne said every family deserves high quality education, “not by chance, but by right.”Royers said there is always room for improvement in option enrollment and said he is looking forward to an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/calendar/hearings.php?day=2024-11-07" target="_blank">upcoming Education Committee hearing</a>&nbsp;on the topic.<h2>Focus is on ‘a foot in the door’</h2>Benson, who was president of the teacher’s union for the past three years, said she’s watched what happens in other states “once you get a foot in the door” and criticized the goals of billionaires funding the efforts who she said are looking forward to the “decimation of public schools.”“They let the horse out of the barn, and now they’re all trying to claw it back,” Benson told the Nebraska Examiner. “… If you’ve made the decision to not have accountability, then you’ve made the decision that you shouldn’t have public funds for that.”Linehan and Royers said if voters reject the legislation Nov. 5, it likely would return in the future.“I would be surprised that you don’t see more legislation,” Linehan told reporters.“To us, this is a fundamental issue,” Royers said. “Red line in the sand.”

Lawmakers, Public School Advocates Spar Over Ads Against Using State Funds for NE Private Schools

PORTLAND, OR—Law enforcement released two photos of the suspect vehicle believed to be involved in the incident at a ballot box in Southeast Portland early Monday morning, according to the FBI.

The vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate. Investigators believe the vehicle is tied to two similar incidents in the Vancouver, Washington area.

Detectives determined the incendiary device that ignited the fire at the Southeast Portland ballot box was attached to the side of the box and not placed in it as originally reported.

“We don’t know the motive behind these acts,” PPB Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan said. “We do know acts like this are targeted and they're intentional and we’re concerned about that intentional act trying to impact the election process. 

We’re dedicated to stopping this kind of behavior.”Anyone with information about the suspect vehicle or the case is asked to contact Detective Meredith Hopper Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov or call the PF&amp;R Fire Investigation Unit’s tip line, 503-823- FIRE (3473). Please reference case number 24-276181.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730151562414.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>PORTLAND, OR—Law enforcement released two photos of the suspect vehicle believed to be involved in the incident at a ballot box in Southeast Portland early Monday morning, according to the FBI.The vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate. Investigators believe the vehicle is tied to two similar incidents in the Vancouver, Washington area.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730165077840.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Detectives determined the incendiary device that ignited the fire at the Southeast Portland ballot box was attached to the side of the box and not placed in it as originally reported.“We don’t know the motive behind these acts,” PPB Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan said. “We do know acts like this are targeted and they're intentional and we’re concerned about that intentional act trying to impact the election process. We’re dedicated to stopping this kind of behavior.”Anyone with information about the suspect vehicle or the case is asked to contact Detective Meredith Hopper Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov or call the PF&amp;R Fire Investigation Unit’s tip line, 503-823- FIRE (3473). Please reference case number 24-276181.

FBI: Fires set in drop boxes destroy hundreds of ballots

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska –Everyone who has flown on a plane knows the rule: Put your own oxygen mask on first.

“A person who can’t breathe can’t really help others,” said Jessica Kingsley of Wholeness Healing Center in Grand Island.

That’s the rationale behind a new program at the Wholeness Healing Center. Kingsley, a social worker and mental health practitioner at WHC, uses support from a unique Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) program to provide resiliency training to providers at WHC, which serves several Nebraska communities including Grand Island, Kearney, Broken Bow, Ord and Albion.

The program helps WHC clinicians deal with issues such as isolation, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma – common occupational hazards for behavioral health professionals that became more prevalent in the wake of COVID, Kingsley said. It is funded through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/bhecn/arpa/index.html" target="_blank">BHECN’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Program</a>.

These issues became particularly pronounced as people started to reengage in their daily activities, she said.

As more people came out of their homes and reengaged in the world, behavioral health providers, teachers and other helping professionals were hit with a deluge of stories about people struggling with serious behavioral health struggles, abusive situations and other adverse scenarios, Kingsley said.

These reports -- combined with the providers’ own pandemic-related trauma and struggles -- led to many behavioral health workers becoming overwhelmed and burned out, she said.

Combatting this burnout and the potential loss of providers in Nebraska’s workforce was a major reason BHECN funded several projects focused on increasing resiliency among providers with the $25.5 million in ARPA funds it was charged with distributing in 2022, said BHECN Director Marley Doyle, MD.

“Compassion fatigue, burnout and secondary trauma are major issues in terms of sustaining our state’s workforce, which already faces a shortage,” Dr. Doyle said. “Thanks to the ARPA project, we can help providers take steps to address these issues and help more of them stay in the field and continue doing their vital work.”

WHC uses its ARPA award to send clinicians to comprehensive trainings in Colorado that fortify them with tools and community to cope with the feelings, trauma and stress that come with their jobs.

Almost half of the WHC team has attended the trainings and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, Kingsley said. Some clinicians have opted to attend the training a second time and many say it has left them reenergized and reengaged with their careers, she said.

“I firmly believe better therapy happens after therapists take care of themselves,” Kingsley said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730123878804.jpeg" alt=" Jessica Kingsley of Wholeness Healing Center in Grand Island (Coutesy)" />
 <figcaption> Jessica Kingsley of Wholeness Healing Center in Grand Island (Coutesy)</figcaption>
 </figure>UNMCGRAND ISLAND, Nebraska –Everyone who has flown on a plane knows the rule: Put your own oxygen mask on first.“A person who can’t breathe can’t really help others,” said Jessica Kingsley of Wholeness Healing Center in Grand Island.That’s the rationale behind a new program at the Wholeness Healing Center. Kingsley, a social worker and mental health practitioner at WHC, uses support from a unique Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) program to provide resiliency training to providers at WHC, which serves several Nebraska communities including Grand Island, Kearney, Broken Bow, Ord and Albion.The program helps WHC clinicians deal with issues such as isolation, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma – common occupational hazards for behavioral health professionals that became more prevalent in the wake of COVID, Kingsley said. It is funded through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/bhecn/arpa/index.html" target="_blank">BHECN’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Program</a>.These issues became particularly pronounced as people started to reengage in their daily activities, she said.As more people came out of their homes and reengaged in the world, behavioral health providers, teachers and other helping professionals were hit with a deluge of stories about people struggling with serious behavioral health struggles, abusive situations and other adverse scenarios, Kingsley said.These reports -- combined with the providers’ own pandemic-related trauma and struggles -- led to many behavioral health workers becoming overwhelmed and burned out, she said.Combatting this burnout and the potential loss of providers in Nebraska’s workforce was a major reason BHECN funded several projects focused on increasing resiliency among providers with the $25.5 million in ARPA funds it was charged with distributing in 2022, said BHECN Director Marley Doyle, MD.“Compassion fatigue, burnout and secondary trauma are major issues in terms of sustaining our state’s workforce, which already faces a shortage,” Dr. Doyle said. “Thanks to the ARPA project, we can help providers take steps to address these issues and help more of them stay in the field and continue doing their vital work.”WHC uses its ARPA award to send clinicians to comprehensive trainings in Colorado that fortify them with tools and community to cope with the feelings, trauma and stress that come with their jobs.Almost half of the WHC team has attended the trainings and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, Kingsley said. Some clinicians have opted to attend the training a second time and many say it has left them reenergized and reengaged with their careers, she said.“I firmly believe better therapy happens after therapists take care of themselves,” Kingsley said.

BHECN-sponsored Wholeness Healing Center program helps behavioral health providers build resilience

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;

The closing of the polls and end of mail-in voting kick off a nearly three-month process before the next president of the United States is sworn in on Inauguration Day in January. New guardrails were enacted by Congress in 2022 to more fully protect the presidential transition, following the Jan. 6, 2021 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters and a failed scheme to install fake electors.

But even before that shift to a new chief executive begins, a presidential victor is unlikely to be announced election night or even the following day.

It’s a result that will possibly take days to determine, given tight margins expected in seven swing states. Officials needed four days to count all the votes to determine President Joe Biden the victor of the 2020 presidential election.

In states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the law does not allow that process to begin for millions of mail-in ballots until Election Day. Other states allow pre-processing of ballots.

Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s former Republican secretary of state, said ballot authentication could be on different timelines across the country after voting ends on Election Day.

“We have 50 states, plus D.C., that pretty much all do it differently,” Grayson, who served as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, told reporters Friday on a call of bipartisan former state election officials who are working to explain the process to the public.

It could mean “in a very close election that we don’t know on election night who the president is or who controls the House or the Senate, but we should feel confident over the next couple of days, as we work through that, that we’re going to get there,” he said.

Those delays, which former President Donald Trump seized on to spread the baseless lie that the election was stolen from him, are expected again in November, especially as all eyes will be on the battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Additionally, there already are hundreds of pre-election lawsuits, mainly filed by Republicans, ranging from election integrity challenges to accusations of noncitizens allowed to vote in federal elections — something that rarely happens and is already illegal. The legal challenges could further spark delays.

“We will not have a winner on election night most likely and so we need to be able to prepare the public for this,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, the president and CEO of the democracy watchdog group Common Cause, during a Tuesday briefing.

She added that her organization will focus on combating misinformation and disinformation on election night and beyond.

“There is the potential that somebody could claim the win before … all of the votes have been counted,” she said.

In the early morning hours after Election Day in 2020, before results from key states were determined, Trump falsely claimed he won in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duE8tnrSmNc&amp;t=3s" target="_blank">an address at the White House.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

On top of that, experts say this year could see election denial erupting in countless courtrooms and meeting rooms in localities and the states, as well as across social media, if doubts are sown about the results.

Recounts could also delay an official election result, and the laws vary from state to state.

For example, in Pennsylvania, if a candidate demands a recount, three voters from each of the over 9,000 precincts have to petition for a recount.

“We’ve never seen that happen actually in Pennsylvania,” Kathy Boockvar, the commonwealth’s former Democratic secretary of state, said on Friday’s call with reporters.

An automatic statewide recount is triggered in Pennsylvania if there’s a difference of a half percent of all votes cast for the winner and loser. The final recount results, by law, are due to the secretary of state by Nov. 26, and results would be announced on Nov. 27, Boockvar said.

The margin in Pennsylvania’s 2020 results for the presidential election was between 1.1% and 1.2%, not enough to trigger the automatic recount, Boockvar said.

State election officials have been preparing for the past year to train poll workers to not only run the voting booths but for possible violence — a precaution put in place after the 2020 election — and have beefed up security around polling locations.

On Friday, Trump posted on X that the election “will be under the closest professional scrutiny and, WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again.”

A reporter asked Grayson about the possibility of aggression from poll watchers. The Republican National Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://gop.com/press-release/trump-campaign-and-rnc-unveil-historic-100000-person-strong-election-integrity-program/" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;in April a “historic move to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process,” establishing party-led trainings for poll watchers.

Poll watchers are not a new concept, and Grayson said clear “safeguards” are in place.

“If you’re intimidating, you’re gone. There’s clear laws in every state on that,” he said.

Celestine Jeffreys, the city clerk in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said during a Wednesday roundtable with election workers that the city has an Election Day protocol in place that includes everything from blocking off streets to City Hall to getting rid of shrubbery.

“We have actually removed bushes in front of City Hall” to ensure no one can be concealed behind them, she said.&nbsp;In the second assassination attempt on Trump earlier this year, a gunman hid in bushes outside Trump’s private golf course.

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said during a Tuesday briefing she is focused on the physical safety of election officials.

During the event with the National Association of Secretaries of State, she said such safety is not only a priority during voting but when officials move to certify the state’s election results in December.

“We have all been spending a lot more time on physical security and making sure that our election officials at all levels are more physically secure this year,” Toulouse Oliver said. “And of course, you know when our electors meet in our states, you know, ensuring for the physical security of that process and those individuals as well.”

On Dec. 17, each state’s electors will meet to vote for the president and vice president. Congress will vote to certify the results on Jan. 6.

“We are thinking a lot more about this in 2024 than we did in 2020, but I think that each one of us… have a playbook in mind for how to handle any unanticipated eventualities in the certification process,” she said.

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/law-enforcement-officials-prepare-possible-post-election-violence-dc" target="_blank">It’s a security precaution</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Secret Service is also taking.

For the first time, Congress’ certification of the Electoral College on Jan. 6 has been designated a National Special Security Event, something that is usually reserved for Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

In 2020, The Associated Press did not call the presidential election for Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.ap.org/behind-the-news/calling-the-2020-presidential-race-state-by-state" target="_blank">until</a>&nbsp;11:26 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 — roughly three-and-a-half days after polls closed. The AP, as well as other media organizations, project election winners after local officials make initial tabulations public.

Those tallies are then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/election-results-canvass-and-certification" target="_blank">canvassed, audited and certified</a>, according to each state’s legal timeline. Recounts may also extend the timeline before final certification.

The vote totals reported in Pennsylvania — a state that carried 20 Electoral College votes in 2020 — put Biden over the top for the 270 needed to win the presidency.

Trump refused to concede the race, and instead promised to take his fight to court.

For the next two months, Trump and his surrogates filed&nbsp;<a href="https://electioncases.osu.edu/case-tracker/?sortby=filing_date_desc&amp;keywords=&amp;status=all&amp;state=all&amp;topic=25" target="_blank">just over 60 lawsuits</a>&nbsp;challenging the results in numerous states. Ultimately none of the judges found evidence of widespread voter fraud.

The next step was for Congress to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2014-title3/html/USCODE-2014-title3-chap1-sec15.htm" target="_blank">count</a>&nbsp;each state’s certified slate of electors, which by law, it must do on the Jan. 6 following a presidential election.

However, in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, Trump and his private lawyers worked to replace legitimate slates of electors with fake ones, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report?path=/GPO/January%206th%20Committee%20Final%20Report%20and%20Supporting%20Materials%20Collection" target="_blank">hundreds</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67656604/266/2/united-states-v-trump/" target="_blank">pages</a>&nbsp;of records compiled by a special congressional investigation, and by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to block ratification of the Electoral College’s vote at the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, because the vice president’s role in the certification of electoral votes was not exactly clear in the Electoral Count Act of 1887.

Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 following a “Stop the Steal” rally at The Ellipse park, south of the White House, where Trump told the crowd “We will never concede.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316487639.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;The closing of the polls and end of mail-in voting kick off a nearly three-month process before the next president of the United States is sworn in on Inauguration Day in January. New guardrails were enacted by Congress in 2022 to more fully protect the presidential transition, following the Jan. 6, 2021 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters and a failed scheme to install fake electors.But even before that shift to a new chief executive begins, a presidential victor is unlikely to be announced election night or even the following day.It’s a result that will possibly take days to determine, given tight margins expected in seven swing states. Officials needed four days to count all the votes to determine President Joe Biden the victor of the 2020 presidential election.In states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the law does not allow that process to begin for millions of mail-in ballots until Election Day. Other states allow pre-processing of ballots.Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s former Republican secretary of state, said ballot authentication could be on different timelines across the country after voting ends on Election Day.“We have 50 states, plus D.C., that pretty much all do it differently,” Grayson, who served as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, told reporters Friday on a call of bipartisan former state election officials who are working to explain the process to the public.It could mean “in a very close election that we don’t know on election night who the president is or who controls the House or the Senate, but we should feel confident over the next couple of days, as we work through that, that we’re going to get there,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730046895799.png" alt="-Source: The National Archives and Records Administration" />
 <figcaption>-Source: The National Archives and Records Administration</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Lawsuits and potential recounts&nbsp;</h2>Those delays, which former President Donald Trump seized on to spread the baseless lie that the election was stolen from him, are expected again in November, especially as all eyes will be on the battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.Additionally, there already are hundreds of pre-election lawsuits, mainly filed by Republicans, ranging from election integrity challenges to accusations of noncitizens allowed to vote in federal elections — something that rarely happens and is already illegal. The legal challenges could further spark delays.“We will not have a winner on election night most likely and so we need to be able to prepare the public for this,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, the president and CEO of the democracy watchdog group Common Cause, during a Tuesday briefing.She added that her organization will focus on combating misinformation and disinformation on election night and beyond.“There is the potential that somebody could claim the win before … all of the votes have been counted,” she said.In the early morning hours after Election Day in 2020, before results from key states were determined, Trump falsely claimed he won in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duE8tnrSmNc&amp;t=3s" target="_blank">an address at the White House.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>On top of that, experts say this year could see election denial erupting in countless courtrooms and meeting rooms in localities and the states, as well as across social media, if doubts are sown about the results.Recounts could also delay an official election result, and the laws vary from state to state.For example, in Pennsylvania, if a candidate demands a recount, three voters from each of the over 9,000 precincts have to petition for a recount.“We’ve never seen that happen actually in Pennsylvania,” Kathy Boockvar, the commonwealth’s former Democratic secretary of state, said on Friday’s call with reporters.An automatic statewide recount is triggered in Pennsylvania if there’s a difference of a half percent of all votes cast for the winner and loser. The final recount results, by law, are due to the secretary of state by Nov. 26, and results would be announced on Nov. 27, Boockvar said.The margin in Pennsylvania’s 2020 results for the presidential election was between 1.1% and 1.2%, not enough to trigger the automatic recount, Boockvar said.<h2>Taking out the shrubs</h2>State election officials have been preparing for the past year to train poll workers to not only run the voting booths but for possible violence — a precaution put in place after the 2020 election — and have beefed up security around polling locations.On Friday, Trump posted on X that the election “will be under the closest professional scrutiny and, WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again.”A reporter asked Grayson about the possibility of aggression from poll watchers. The Republican National Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://gop.com/press-release/trump-campaign-and-rnc-unveil-historic-100000-person-strong-election-integrity-program/" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;in April a “historic move to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process,” establishing party-led trainings for poll watchers.Poll watchers are not a new concept, and Grayson said clear “safeguards” are in place.“If you’re intimidating, you’re gone. There’s clear laws in every state on that,” he said.Celestine Jeffreys, the city clerk in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said during a Wednesday roundtable with election workers that the city has an Election Day protocol in place that includes everything from blocking off streets to City Hall to getting rid of shrubbery.“We have actually removed bushes in front of City Hall” to ensure no one can be concealed behind them, she said.&nbsp;In the second assassination attempt on Trump earlier this year, a gunman hid in bushes outside Trump’s private golf course.New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said during a Tuesday briefing she is focused on the physical safety of election officials.During the event with the National Association of Secretaries of State, she said such safety is not only a priority during voting but when officials move to certify the state’s election results in December.“We have all been spending a lot more time on physical security and making sure that our election officials at all levels are more physically secure this year,” Toulouse Oliver said. “And of course, you know when our electors meet in our states, you know, ensuring for the physical security of that process and those individuals as well.”On Dec. 17, each state’s electors will meet to vote for the president and vice president. Congress will vote to certify the results on Jan. 6.“We are thinking a lot more about this in 2024 than we did in 2020, but I think that each one of us… have a playbook in mind for how to handle any unanticipated eventualities in the certification process,” she said.<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/law-enforcement-officials-prepare-possible-post-election-violence-dc" target="_blank">It’s a security precaution</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Secret Service is also taking.For the first time, Congress’ certification of the Electoral College on Jan. 6 has been designated a National Special Security Event, something that is usually reserved for Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.<h2>The 2020 experience</h2>In 2020, The Associated Press did not call the presidential election for Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.ap.org/behind-the-news/calling-the-2020-presidential-race-state-by-state" target="_blank">until</a>&nbsp;11:26 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 — roughly three-and-a-half days after polls closed. The AP, as well as other media organizations, project election winners after local officials make initial tabulations public.Those tallies are then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/election-results-canvass-and-certification" target="_blank">canvassed, audited and certified</a>, according to each state’s legal timeline. Recounts may also extend the timeline before final certification.The vote totals reported in Pennsylvania — a state that carried 20 Electoral College votes in 2020 — put Biden over the top for the 270 needed to win the presidency.Trump refused to concede the race, and instead promised to take his fight to court.For the next two months, Trump and his surrogates filed&nbsp;<a href="https://electioncases.osu.edu/case-tracker/?sortby=filing_date_desc&amp;keywords=&amp;status=all&amp;state=all&amp;topic=25" target="_blank">just over 60 lawsuits</a>&nbsp;challenging the results in numerous states. Ultimately none of the judges found evidence of widespread voter fraud.The next step was for Congress to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2014-title3/html/USCODE-2014-title3-chap1-sec15.htm" target="_blank">count</a>&nbsp;each state’s certified slate of electors, which by law, it must do on the Jan. 6 following a presidential election.However, in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, Trump and his private lawyers worked to replace legitimate slates of electors with fake ones, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report?path=/GPO/January%206th%20Committee%20Final%20Report%20and%20Supporting%20Materials%20Collection" target="_blank">hundreds</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67656604/266/2/united-states-v-trump/" target="_blank">pages</a>&nbsp;of records compiled by a special congressional investigation, and by the U.S. Department of Justice.Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to block ratification of the Electoral College’s vote at the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, because the vice president’s role in the certification of electoral votes was not exactly clear in the Electoral Count Act of 1887.Pence ultimately refused.Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 following a “Stop the Steal” rally at The Ellipse park, south of the White House, where Trump told the crowd “We will never concede.”The mob assaulted police officers, broke windows to climb inside and hurled violent threats aimed at elected officials, including the desire to “hang” Pence. More than 1,500 defendants&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/44-months-jan-6-attack-us-capitol" target="_blank">have been charged</a>&nbsp;by the Department of Justice.Congress stopped its process of reviewing the state electors in the 2 p.m. Eastern hour as police ushered the lawmakers to safety. The joint session resumed at roughly 11:30 p.m., and Pence called the majority of electoral votes for Biden at nearly 4 a.m. on Jan. 7.<h2>New law on presidential transition</h2>To deter another Jan. 6 insurrection, Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/28/key-u-s-senate-panel-advances-bill-aimed-at-preventing-another-jan-6/" target="_blank">passed</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/JRQ121922.PDF" target="_blank">Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transitional Improvement Act of 2022</a>&nbsp;as part of a massive appropriations bill.The Electoral Count Reform Act codifies into law that the vice president, who also serves as the president of the U.S. Senate, only ceremoniously reads aloud a roll call of the votes.Most notably, the provision raises the threshold for lawmakers to make an objection to electors. Previously, only one U.S. House representative and one U.S. senator would need to make an objection to an elector or slate of electors.But under the new law, it would take one-fifth of members to lodge an objection and under very specific standards — 87 House members and 20 senators.The Electoral Count Reform Act also identifies that each state’s governor is the official responsible for submitting the state’s official document that identifies the state’s appointed electors, and says that Congress cannot accept that document from any official besides the governor, unless otherwise specified by the state’s law.Trump and his allies tried to replace legitimate slates of electors in several states with fake electors who would cast ballots for Trump.The Presidential Transitional Improvement Act provides candidates with funding and resources for transitional planning, even if a candidate has not conceded after the election.There are already issues with the transition of power. The top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin,&nbsp;<a href="https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-oversight.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-10-23.JBR%20to%20Trump%20and%20Vance%20re%20transition%20MOUs.pdf" target="_blank">sent a Wednesday letter</a>&nbsp;to Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, urging them to sign documents to ensure a peaceful transition of power.“With fewer than three weeks left until an election in which the American people will select a new President of the United States, I urge you to put the public’s interest in maintaining a properly functioning government above any personal financial or political interests you may perceive in boycotting the official transition law and process,” Raskin wrote.<h2>Denial expected at all levels of government</h2>Experts warn the effort to delay certification of the vote is largely being fought at the local and state levels, and that several groups are gearing up to sow doubt in the election outcome.Devin Burghart, president of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, said on a press call Wednesday that since 2020, “election denial has shifted away from the capital to county election commission meetings, courtrooms, cyber symposiums and countless conspiracies in preparation for a repeat this November.”“This time, the baseless claim that undocumented immigrants are somehow swamping the polls has fueled the ‘big lie’ machine,” Burghart said.Boockvar said the noncitizen topic is not new.“I’d like to level set and remind everyone that it’s been illegal at the federal level since 1996 and you know, when you think back on 2002 the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/about/help_america_vote_act.aspx" target="_blank">Help America Vote Act</a>&nbsp;basically required voters to provide ID when they register, which is usually a driver’s license or a Social Security number, and states are checking that data against the DMV database. And these protections are enormously successful,” Boockvar said.In two high-profile cases, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Republican-led efforts in&nbsp;<a href="https://alabamareflector.com/2024/10/16/federal-judge-blocks-alabama-secretary-of-states-voter-removal-plan/" target="_blank">Alabama</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/briefs/judge-orders-people-removed-from-voter-rolls-to-be-reinstated-gov-youngkin-to-seek-appeal/" target="_blank">Virginia</a>&nbsp;to purge voter rolls after alleging thousands of noncitizens were registered to vote. Both states were ordered to stop the programs and reinstate voters – though Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin promised Friday to appeal and even escalate to the Supreme Court.In&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/10/22/georgia-supreme-court-delays-ruling-on-controversial-election-board-rules-until-after-nov-5/" target="_blank">Georgia</a>, the state’s Supreme Court delayed new rules until after this election that would have required three poll workers at every precinct to count ballots by hand once the polls closed — essentially delaying unofficial election results.More than 165 electoral process lawsuits across 37 states have been filed by both parties since 2023 leading up to the 2024 presidential election, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2024-election-court-lawsuits-influence-voting/" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;by Bloomberg of pre-election cases. The journalists found that more than half the cases have been filed in swing states, and challenge almost every facet of the voting process, from absentee voting, to voter roll management, voter eligibility and vote certification.Republican and conservative groups have filed roughly 55% of the lawsuits, mostly aimed at narrowing who can vote, and overall most of the cases were filed in August and September, according to the analysis.Courts threw out dozens of lawsuits claiming voter fraud in 2020.Mai Ratakonda, senior counsel at States United Democracy Center, said anti-democracy groups have used litigation “to legitimize their efforts to sow doubt in our election system.”“We’ve unfortunately continued to see this trend of filing lawsuits to bolster and legitimize narratives that our elections are insecure and laying the groundwork to contest results later,” Ratakonda told reporters on a press call Wednesday hosted by the organization, whose stated mission is to protect nonpartisan election administration.