VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;warned Friday that Donald Trump's efforts to retake the White House in 2024 pose a grave threat to the country, the day before the third anniversary of the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol by then-President Trump’s supporters aiming to keep him in power.

(Click below to watch President Biden's speech)

Speaking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-democracy-threat-national-traumas-66167f70a167592c23067180fbe55910">near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania</a>, where George Washington and the Continental Army spent a bleak winter nearly 250 years ago, Biden said that Jan. 6 2021, marked a moment where “we nearly lost America — lost it all.” He said the presidential race — a likely rematch with Trump, who is the far and away GOP frontrunner — is “all about” whether American democracy will survive.

The speech, the president's first political event of the election year, was intended to clarify the expected choice for voters this fall. Biden, who reentered political life because he felt he was best capable of defeating Trump in 2020, believes focusing on defending democracy to be central for persuading voters to reject Trump once again.

“We all know who Donald Trump is,” Biden said. “The question we have to answer is who are we?”

Biden, laid out Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-committee-final-report-trump-bcfea6162fe9cfa0d120e86d069af0e4">role in the Capitol attack</a>, as a mob of the Republican’s supporters overran the building while lawmakers were counting Electoral College votes that certified Democrat Biden's win. More than 100 police officers were bloodied, beaten and attacked by the rioters who overwhelmed authorities to break into the building.

“What’s Trump done? He’s called these insurrectionists ‘patriots,’” Biden said, “and he promised to pardon them if he returns to office.” He excoriated Trump for “glorifying” rather than condemning political violence

At least nine people who were at the Capitol that day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-crime-riots-donald-trump-capitol-siege-f7f8dead93998991cfc728e83ea31602">died during or after the rioting</a>, including several officers who died of suicide, a woman who was shot and killed by police as she tried to break into the House chamber, and three other Trump supporters who authorities said suffered medical emergencies.

Biden said that by “trying to rewrite the facts of Jan. 6, Trump is trying to steal history the same way he tried to steal the election."

Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-investigations-other-charges-b8b064a00caad4306fb54d2f6a320468">faces 91 criminal charges</a>&nbsp;stemming from his efforts to overturn his loss to Biden and three other felony cases,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-democracy-election-2024-f2f824f056ae9f81f4e688fe590f41b4">argues that Biden and top Democrats</a>&nbsp;are themselves seeking to undermine democracy by using the legal system to thwart the campaign of his chief rival.

“The only reason Biden is at Valley Forge abusing George Washington’s legacy to slander 75 million Americans is that he knows he can’t show his face at the Southwest Border, or in East Palestine, Ohio, or at the autoworkers’ factories in Michigan where he is destroying hundreds of thousands of jobs,” Trump was to say at a campaign event in Sioux Center, Iowa on Friday according to prepared remarks released by his campaign.

Biden, in his remarks, seized on Trump's grievances and his pledges to get retribution on his political enemies.

“Donald Trump’s campaign is about him," Biden said. "Not America. Not you. Donald Trump’s campaign is obsessed with the past, not the future.”

He added: “There’s no confusion about who Trump is or what he intends to do.”

Before his remarks, Biden, joined by his wife Jill, participated in a wreath laying ceremony at Valley Forge National Arch, which honors the troops who camped there from December 1777 to June 1778. He also toured the home that served as Washington’s headquarters.

Biden invoked Washington’s decision to resign his commission as the leader of the Continental Army after American independence was won — and the painting commemorating that moment that resides in the Capitol Rotunda — to cast Trump as unworthy of Washington’s legacy.

“He could have held onto that power as long as he wanted,” Biden said of Washington. “But that wasn’t the America he and the American troops of Valley Forge had fought for. In America, our leaders don’t hold on to power relentlessly. Our leaders return power to the people – willingly.”

Although the chaos of Jan. 6 came down on members of both political parties, it is being remembered in a largely polarized fashion now, like other aspects of political life in a divided country.

In the days after the attack, 52% of U.S. adults said Trump bore a lot of responsibility for Jan. 6, according to the Pew Research Center. By early 2022, that had declined to 43%. The number of Americans who said Trump bore no responsibility increased from 24% in 2021 to 32% in 2022.

A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released this week found that about 7 in 10 Republicans say too much is being made of the attack. Just 18% of GOP supporters say that protesters who entered the Capitol were “mostly violent,” down from 26% in 2021, while 77% of Democrats and 54% of independents say the protesters were mostly violent, essentially unchanged from 2021.

Biden said that “politics, fear, money” have led many Republicans to abandon their criticism of Trump after the Jan. 6 attack.

"These MAGA voices who know the truth about Trump and Jan. 6th have abandoned the truth and abandoned democracy,” Biden said. “They’ve made their choice. Now the rest of us – Democrats, Independents, mainstream Republicans – we have to make our choice. I know mine. And I believe I know America’s.”

Biden has frequently invoked the dangers of Jan. 6 since his 2021 inauguration on the same Capitol steps where police officers were struggling to battle back rioters just two weeks earlier. On the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, Biden had stood in the Capitol's Statuary Hall, a historic spot where the House of Representatives used to meet before the Civil War. On Jan. 6, rioters filled the area, some looking for lawmakers who had run for cover.

“They weren’t looking to uphold the will of the people,” Biden said of the rioters. “They were looking to deny the will of the people.”

On the second anniversary,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan6-capitol-riots-second-anniversary-8014969520b61bf7f4d86689fc16e7f7">Biden presented the nation's second highest civilian award</a>&nbsp;to 12 people who were involved in defending the Capitol during the attack.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704488620969.png" alt="Biden's kicking off 2024 by delving into some of the country’s darkest moments-image from the campaign video" />
 <figcaption>Biden's kicking off 2024 by delving into some of the country’s darkest moments-image from the campaign video</figcaption>
 </figure>VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;warned Friday that Donald Trump's efforts to retake the White House in 2024 pose a grave threat to the country, the day before the third anniversary of the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol by then-President Trump’s supporters aiming to keep him in power.(Click below to watch President Biden's speech)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjoebiden%2Fvideos%2F893835879104758%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=202" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Speaking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-democracy-threat-national-traumas-66167f70a167592c23067180fbe55910">near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania</a>, where George Washington and the Continental Army spent a bleak winter nearly 250 years ago, Biden said that Jan. 6 2021, marked a moment where “we nearly lost America — lost it all.” He said the presidential race — a likely rematch with Trump, who is the far and away GOP frontrunner — is “all about” whether American democracy will survive.The speech, the president's first political event of the election year, was intended to clarify the expected choice for voters this fall. Biden, who reentered political life because he felt he was best capable of defeating Trump in 2020, believes focusing on defending democracy to be central for persuading voters to reject Trump once again.“We all know who Donald Trump is,” Biden said. “The question we have to answer is who are we?”Biden, laid out Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-committee-final-report-trump-bcfea6162fe9cfa0d120e86d069af0e4">role in the Capitol attack</a>, as a mob of the Republican’s supporters overran the building while lawmakers were counting Electoral College votes that certified Democrat Biden's win. More than 100 police officers were bloodied, beaten and attacked by the rioters who overwhelmed authorities to break into the building.“What’s Trump done? He’s called these insurrectionists ‘patriots,’” Biden said, “and he promised to pardon them if he returns to office.” He excoriated Trump for “glorifying” rather than condemning political violenceAt least nine people who were at the Capitol that day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-crime-riots-donald-trump-capitol-siege-f7f8dead93998991cfc728e83ea31602">died during or after the rioting</a>, including several officers who died of suicide, a woman who was shot and killed by police as she tried to break into the House chamber, and three other Trump supporters who authorities said suffered medical emergencies.Biden said that by “trying to rewrite the facts of Jan. 6, Trump is trying to steal history the same way he tried to steal the election."Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-investigations-other-charges-b8b064a00caad4306fb54d2f6a320468">faces 91 criminal charges</a>&nbsp;stemming from his efforts to overturn his loss to Biden and three other felony cases,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-democracy-election-2024-f2f824f056ae9f81f4e688fe590f41b4">argues that Biden and top Democrats</a>&nbsp;are themselves seeking to undermine democracy by using the legal system to thwart the campaign of his chief rival.“The only reason Biden is at Valley Forge abusing George Washington’s legacy to slander 75 million Americans is that he knows he can’t show his face at the Southwest Border, or in East Palestine, Ohio, or at the autoworkers’ factories in Michigan where he is destroying hundreds of thousands of jobs,” Trump was to say at a campaign event in Sioux Center, Iowa on Friday according to prepared remarks released by his campaign.Biden, in his remarks, seized on Trump's grievances and his pledges to get retribution on his political enemies.“Donald Trump’s campaign is about him," Biden said. "Not America. Not you. Donald Trump’s campaign is obsessed with the past, not the future.”He added: “There’s no confusion about who Trump is or what he intends to do.”Before his remarks, Biden, joined by his wife Jill, participated in a wreath laying ceremony at Valley Forge National Arch, which honors the troops who camped there from December 1777 to June 1778. He also toured the home that served as Washington’s headquarters.Biden invoked Washington’s decision to resign his commission as the leader of the Continental Army after American independence was won — and the painting commemorating that moment that resides in the Capitol Rotunda — to cast Trump as unworthy of Washington’s legacy.“He could have held onto that power as long as he wanted,” Biden said of Washington. “But that wasn’t the America he and the American troops of Valley Forge had fought for. In America, our leaders don’t hold on to power relentlessly. Our leaders return power to the people – willingly.”Although the chaos of Jan. 6 came down on members of both political parties, it is being remembered in a largely polarized fashion now, like other aspects of political life in a divided country.In the days after the attack, 52% of U.S. adults said Trump bore a lot of responsibility for Jan. 6, according to the Pew Research Center. By early 2022, that had declined to 43%. The number of Americans who said Trump bore no responsibility increased from 24% in 2021 to 32% in 2022.A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released this week found that about 7 in 10 Republicans say too much is being made of the attack. Just 18% of GOP supporters say that protesters who entered the Capitol were “mostly violent,” down from 26% in 2021, while 77% of Democrats and 54% of independents say the protesters were mostly violent, essentially unchanged from 2021.Biden said that “politics, fear, money” have led many Republicans to abandon their criticism of Trump after the Jan. 6 attack."These MAGA voices who know the truth about Trump and Jan. 6th have abandoned the truth and abandoned democracy,” Biden said. “They’ve made their choice. Now the rest of us – Democrats, Independents, mainstream Republicans – we have to make our choice. I know mine. And I believe I know America’s.”Biden has frequently invoked the dangers of Jan. 6 since his 2021 inauguration on the same Capitol steps where police officers were struggling to battle back rioters just two weeks earlier. On the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, Biden had stood in the Capitol's Statuary Hall, a historic spot where the House of Representatives used to meet before the Civil War. On Jan. 6, rioters filled the area, some looking for lawmakers who had run for cover.“They weren’t looking to uphold the will of the people,” Biden said of the rioters. “They were looking to deny the will of the people.”On the second anniversary,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan6-capitol-riots-second-anniversary-8014969520b61bf7f4d86689fc16e7f7">Biden presented the nation's second highest civilian award</a>&nbsp;to 12 people who were involved in defending the Capitol during the attack.

🎥Biden kicks off 2024 campaign in Valley Forge, rips MAGA

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/01/05/u-s-rep-don-bacon-likely-to-face-a-challenger-on-his-right/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — Republican Dan Frei, a blast from Nebraska’s tea party past, said this week he is seriously considering running against Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb.

Frei’s upstart bid in the 2014 GOP primary fell six points short of upsetting U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., 53%-47%, in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.&nbsp;

“I’ve not made any decision that I’m going to run, but my frustration is probably as great, if not greater, than it was with Lee Terry when I ran 10 years ago,” Frei said.

Multiple GOP sources said they expect Frei to announce a run soon. He recently repurchased the rights to his old political website,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.votefrei.com/">www.votefrei.com</a>.

Some credit Frei’s insurgent campaign in 2014 with proving Terry’s vulnerability. Others blamed Frei for Terry losing the general election that year to Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb.

Frei had the ear of libertarian-leaning Republicans in 2014, including many who embraced his anger about Terry’s support for economic bailouts for big banks.

This time, Frei would be courting the populist wing of the Republican Party loyal to former President Donald Trump, the early favorite for the GOP nomination for president.

Trump has criticized Bacon and some of his votes, including his support for a bipartisan infrastructure package. During a 2022 visit to the state, Trump called Bacon “a bad guy.”

Frei’s prospects could depend on whether Trump endorses him, though some political observers have questioned how much weight the former president holds in the swing district.&nbsp;

Bacon has noted he outpolled Trump in the district in 2020. President Joe Biden beat Trump in the district, as well.

Trump’s political team and local Republicans devoted to him have tried for months to recruit a primary challenger for Bacon.

Bacon and the state GOP clashed last year over the party’s treatment of longtime Sarpy County GOP chair Nora Sandine, whom Bacon has defended. The state GOP helped local Republicans oust her.

Another candidate who has publicly flirted with running against Bacon, Robert Anthony, helped the Sarpy County GOP oust Sandine.

Anthony, reached Thursday, said he would support Frei but is willing to move back to Sarpy County from Cass County to give voters a choice if Frei decides against a bid. He called himself a “break glass in case of emergency candidate.”

Anthony, a real estate broker who ran for the Nebraska State Board of Education in 2020, knew Bacon from the Air Force. He has helped Bacon’s campaign in previous races, but has criticized him as insufficiently conservative.&nbsp;

Anthony has also worked with the Nebraska Freedom Coalition, which helped populist conservatives and others take over the Nebraska Republican Party in 2022.

Bacon, by the end of September, had raised $1.88 million in campaign funds and showed $1.06 million in cash on hand. In 2014, Frei raised and spent about $51,000 against eight-term incumbent Terry, who raised seven figures.&nbsp;

Waiting in the wings for whoever wins the GOP primary is State Sen. Tony Vargas, who reported raising nearly $868,000 by the end of September. He lost to Bacon in 2022 by less than 3 percentage points. Vargas is currently the only Democrat in the race.

In 2014, Frei described himself as a fiscal and social conservative. He told the Omaha World-Herald that he admired then-U.S. Reps. Steve King of Iowa and Trey Gowdy of South Carolina.

This week, Frei, of Omaha, said he is angry about the national debt. He said he’s also upset about border enforcement, an issue that Bacon and other Republicans have raised during negotiations with the Biden administration over funding bills.

“It doesn’t feel like we’re headed in any better direction,” Frei said.

Frei has worked in banking, sales and information technology. His LinkedIn profile described him as a regional sales director for GreatAmerica Financial Services.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Friday morning, Bacon picked up his first official GOP primary opponent. Michael Connely of York filed to run as a pauper. Filing that way means he sought an exception to paying the filing fee. York is outside of the 2nd District.

Connely was one of a host of Republicans who ran for governor in 2022. He earned 1% of the primary vote.

Bacon’s campaign had no immediate comment Thursday on the prospect of a challenger to his right. Campaign surrogates have contended that Bacon is more popular than Terry was in 2014.

Vargas’ campaign had no immediate comment.

Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/01/05/u-s-rep-don-bacon-likely-to-face-a-challenger-on-his-right/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — Republican Dan Frei, a blast from Nebraska’s tea party past, said this week he is seriously considering running against Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb.Frei’s upstart bid in the 2014 GOP primary fell six points short of upsetting U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., 53%-47%, in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.&nbsp;“I’ve not made any decision that I’m going to run, but my frustration is probably as great, if not greater, than it was with Lee Terry when I ran 10 years ago,” Frei said.Multiple GOP sources said they expect Frei to announce a run soon. He recently repurchased the rights to his old political website,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.votefrei.com/">www.votefrei.com</a>.Some credit Frei’s insurgent campaign in 2014 with proving Terry’s vulnerability. Others blamed Frei for Terry losing the general election that year to Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb.Frei had the ear of libertarian-leaning Republicans in 2014, including many who embraced his anger about Terry’s support for economic bailouts for big banks.<h2>The Trump factor</h2>This time, Frei would be courting the populist wing of the Republican Party loyal to former President Donald Trump, the early favorite for the GOP nomination for president.Trump has criticized Bacon and some of his votes, including his support for a bipartisan infrastructure package. During a 2022 visit to the state, Trump called Bacon “a bad guy.”Frei’s prospects could depend on whether Trump endorses him, though some political observers have questioned how much weight the former president holds in the swing district.&nbsp;Bacon has noted he outpolled Trump in the district in 2020. President Joe Biden beat Trump in the district, as well.Trump’s political team and local Republicans devoted to him have tried for months to recruit a primary challenger for Bacon.Bacon and the state GOP clashed last year over the party’s treatment of longtime Sarpy County GOP chair Nora Sandine, whom Bacon has defended. The state GOP helped local Republicans oust her.<h2>Anthony also considering bid</h2>Another candidate who has publicly flirted with running against Bacon, Robert Anthony, helped the Sarpy County GOP oust Sandine.Anthony, reached Thursday, said he would support Frei but is willing to move back to Sarpy County from Cass County to give voters a choice if Frei decides against a bid. He called himself a “break glass in case of emergency candidate.”Anthony, a real estate broker who ran for the Nebraska State Board of Education in 2020, knew Bacon from the Air Force. He has helped Bacon’s campaign in previous races, but has criticized him as insufficiently conservative.&nbsp;Anthony has also worked with the Nebraska Freedom Coalition, which helped populist conservatives and others take over the Nebraska Republican Party in 2022.Bacon, by the end of September, had raised $1.88 million in campaign funds and showed $1.06 million in cash on hand. In 2014, Frei raised and spent about $51,000 against eight-term incumbent Terry, who raised seven figures.&nbsp;<h2>Vargas waits</h2>Waiting in the wings for whoever wins the GOP primary is State Sen. Tony Vargas, who reported raising nearly $868,000 by the end of September. He lost to Bacon in 2022 by less than 3 percentage points. Vargas is currently the only Democrat in the race.In 2014, Frei described himself as a fiscal and social conservative. He told the Omaha World-Herald that he admired then-U.S. Reps. Steve King of Iowa and Trey Gowdy of South Carolina.This week, Frei, of Omaha, said he is angry about the national debt. He said he’s also upset about border enforcement, an issue that Bacon and other Republicans have raised during negotiations with the Biden administration over funding bills.“It doesn’t feel like we’re headed in any better direction,” Frei said.Frei has worked in banking, sales and information technology. His LinkedIn profile described him as a regional sales director for GreatAmerica Financial Services.&nbsp;&nbsp;On Friday morning, Bacon picked up his first official GOP primary opponent. Michael Connely of York filed to run as a pauper. Filing that way means he sought an exception to paying the filing fee. York is outside of the 2nd District.Connely was one of a host of Republicans who ran for governor in 2022. He earned 1% of the primary vote.Bacon’s campaign had no immediate comment Thursday on the prospect of a challenger to his right. Campaign surrogates have contended that Bacon is more popular than Terry was in 2014.Vargas’ campaign had no immediate comment.

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon likely to face a challenger on his right

NEW YORK (AP) — The longtime head of the National Rifle Association said Friday he is resigning, just days before the start of a civil trial over allegations he diverted millions of dollars from the powerful gun rights organization to pay for personal travel and other lavish perks.

Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president and chief executive officer, said his departure is effective Jan. 31. The trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against him, the NRA and others who have served as organization executives is scheduled to start on Monday. LaPierre and ex-NRA President Oliver North are among the witnesses expected to testify.

LaPierre, 74, has led&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/national-rifle-association">the NRA</a>&nbsp;’s day-to-day operations since 1991, acting as the face and vehement voice of its gun rights agenda. He once warned of “jack-booted government thugs” seizing guns, called for armed guards in every school after a spate of shootings, and condemned foes backing gun control measures as “opportunists” who “exploit tragedy for gain.”

In recent years though, the NRA has been beset by dwindling membership and financial troubles, along with lingering questions about LaPierre's leadership and spending. One of LaPierre’s top lieutenants, Andrew Arulanandam, will assume his roles on an interim basis, the organization said.

Phillip Journey, a former NRA board member who is set to testify at the upcoming trial in New York, said LaPierre’s resignation doesn’t resolve the open questions before the court nor remedy what he sees as persistent rot within the gun lobbying group. “Honestly, the grifters are a snake with many heads and this is just one,” said Journey, a Kansas judge who’s running to retake a seat on the NRA’s board.

Journey also testified at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nra-bankruptcy-dismissed-a281b888b64d391374f24539a820d60f">NRA’s bankruptcy trial in Texas</a>&nbsp;and said he anticipates there is enough evidence for the New York attorney general to prove her case. “It’s a tragic end to a career that had many high points,” Journey said of LaPierre stepping down. “It’s one of his own making.”

“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA,” LaPierre said in a statement released by the organization. “I’ve been a card-carrying member of this organization for most of my adult life, and I will never stop supporting the NRA and its fight to defend Second Amendment freedom. My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever.”

James, a Democrat, accuses LaPierre and other executives of illegally diverting tens of millions of dollars from the NRA and spending organization funds on personal trips, no-show contracts and other questionable expenditures. LaPierre is accused in the lawsuit of spending millions on private jet flights and personal security and accepting expensive gifts — such as African safaris and use of a 107-foot (32-meter) yacht — from vendors.

He is also accused of setting himself up with a $17 million contract with the NRA if he were to exit the organization, spending NRA money on travel consultants, luxury car services, and private jet flights for himself and his family — including more than $500,000 on eight trips to the Bahamas over a three-year span.

James is seeking to ban LaPierre and the other executives from serving in leadership positions of any not-for-profit or charitable organization conducting business in New York, which would effectively remove them from any involvement with the NRA.

Some of the NRA’s excess spending was kept secret, the lawsuit said, under an arrangement with the organization’s former advertising agency, Ackerman McQueen. The advertising firm would pick up the tab for expenses for LaPierre and other NRA executives and then send a lump sum bill to the organization for “out-of-pocket expenses,” the lawsuit said.

LaPierre has defended himself, saying in previous testimony that cruising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-dallas-parkland-florida-school-shooting-gun-politics-school-shootings-727d30a8cfa50c937012e9de29aa5127">the Bahamas on a yacht was a “security retreat”</a>&nbsp;because he was facing threats after mass shootings. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-dallas-trials-bahamas-gun-politics-6961ee94222eb28e788030d4f9461f61">conceded not reporting the trips</a>&nbsp;on conflict-of-interest forms, testifying: “It’s one of the mistakes I’ve made.”

“He’s been the leading political force of the NRA for over 30 years,” said Robert Spitzer, a political science professor at the State University of New York-Cortland and author several books on gun politics. “He has been the leading edge of the very sharp political voice of the organization.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704484548498.png" alt="Wayne LaPierre during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Wayne LaPierre during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The longtime head of the National Rifle Association said Friday he is resigning, just days before the start of a civil trial over allegations he diverted millions of dollars from the powerful gun rights organization to pay for personal travel and other lavish perks.Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president and chief executive officer, said his departure is effective Jan. 31. The trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against him, the NRA and others who have served as organization executives is scheduled to start on Monday. LaPierre and ex-NRA President Oliver North are among the witnesses expected to testify.LaPierre, 74, has led&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/national-rifle-association">the NRA</a>&nbsp;’s day-to-day operations since 1991, acting as the face and vehement voice of its gun rights agenda. He once warned of “jack-booted government thugs” seizing guns, called for armed guards in every school after a spate of shootings, and condemned foes backing gun control measures as “opportunists” who “exploit tragedy for gain.”In recent years though, the NRA has been beset by dwindling membership and financial troubles, along with lingering questions about LaPierre's leadership and spending. One of LaPierre’s top lieutenants, Andrew Arulanandam, will assume his roles on an interim basis, the organization said.Phillip Journey, a former NRA board member who is set to testify at the upcoming trial in New York, said LaPierre’s resignation doesn’t resolve the open questions before the court nor remedy what he sees as persistent rot within the gun lobbying group. “Honestly, the grifters are a snake with many heads and this is just one,” said Journey, a Kansas judge who’s running to retake a seat on the NRA’s board.Journey also testified at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nra-bankruptcy-dismissed-a281b888b64d391374f24539a820d60f">NRA’s bankruptcy trial in Texas</a>&nbsp;and said he anticipates there is enough evidence for the New York attorney general to prove her case. “It’s a tragic end to a career that had many high points,” Journey said of LaPierre stepping down. “It’s one of his own making.”“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA,” LaPierre said in a statement released by the organization. “I’ve been a card-carrying member of this organization for most of my adult life, and I will never stop supporting the NRA and its fight to defend Second Amendment freedom. My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever.”James, a Democrat, accuses LaPierre and other executives of illegally diverting tens of millions of dollars from the NRA and spending organization funds on personal trips, no-show contracts and other questionable expenditures. LaPierre is accused in the lawsuit of spending millions on private jet flights and personal security and accepting expensive gifts — such as African safaris and use of a 107-foot (32-meter) yacht — from vendors.He is also accused of setting himself up with a $17 million contract with the NRA if he were to exit the organization, spending NRA money on travel consultants, luxury car services, and private jet flights for himself and his family — including more than $500,000 on eight trips to the Bahamas over a three-year span.James is seeking to ban LaPierre and the other executives from serving in leadership positions of any not-for-profit or charitable organization conducting business in New York, which would effectively remove them from any involvement with the NRA.Some of the NRA’s excess spending was kept secret, the lawsuit said, under an arrangement with the organization’s former advertising agency, Ackerman McQueen. The advertising firm would pick up the tab for expenses for LaPierre and other NRA executives and then send a lump sum bill to the organization for “out-of-pocket expenses,” the lawsuit said.LaPierre has defended himself, saying in previous testimony that cruising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-dallas-parkland-florida-school-shooting-gun-politics-school-shootings-727d30a8cfa50c937012e9de29aa5127">the Bahamas on a yacht was a “security retreat”</a>&nbsp;because he was facing threats after mass shootings. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-dallas-trials-bahamas-gun-politics-6961ee94222eb28e788030d4f9461f61">conceded not reporting the trips</a>&nbsp;on conflict-of-interest forms, testifying: “It’s one of the mistakes I’ve made.”“He’s been the leading political force of the NRA for over 30 years,” said Robert Spitzer, a political science professor at the State University of New York-Cortland and author several books on gun politics. “He has been the leading edge of the very sharp political voice of the organization.”

NRA chief resigning days before trial scrutinizing his leadership, spending

Lincoln, NE ‐ January 5, 2024 ‐ One lucky player who bought a 2by2 ticket for the Thursday, January 4 drawing is holding a ticket worth $22,000.

The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Thursday's 2by2 draw matched all four winning numbers for the $22,000 top prize. The ticket was sold at Bootlegger Liquor, 1108 2nd St, in St Paul. The winning numbers from Thursday's 2by2 draw were Red 03, 07, and White 11, 22. Players are encouraged to check their tickets at any Nebraska Lottery retailer, online at&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling the Lottery office at 402-471-6100.

Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website,&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling 800-587-5200.

2by2 is run by the Multi-State Lottery Association and was introduced in June 2002. Players in Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming have the opportunity to win up to $22,000 Monday through Sunday by playing 2by2. The odds of winning the $22,000 2by2 top prize are 1 in 105,625. The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.59.

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $965 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery's beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

Neil WatsonNebraska LotteryLincoln, NE ‐ January 5, 2024 ‐ One lucky player who bought a 2by2 ticket for the Thursday, January 4 drawing is holding a ticket worth $22,000.The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Thursday's 2by2 draw matched all four winning numbers for the $22,000 top prize. The ticket was sold at Bootlegger Liquor, 1108 2nd St, in St Paul. The winning numbers from Thursday's 2by2 draw were Red 03, 07, and White 11, 22. Players are encouraged to check their tickets at any Nebraska Lottery retailer, online at&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling the Lottery office at 402-471-6100.Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website,&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling 800-587-5200.2by2 is run by the Multi-State Lottery Association and was introduced in June 2002. Players in Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming have the opportunity to win up to $22,000 Monday through Sunday by playing 2by2. The odds of winning the $22,000 2by2 top prize are 1 in 105,625. The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.59.The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $965 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery's beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

$22,000 2by2 Winning Ticket Sold in St Paul

LONDON (AP) — Actor-singer David Soul, a 1970s heartthrob who co-starred as the blond half of the crime-fighting duo “Starsky &amp; Hutch” and topped the music charts with the ballad “Don't Give Up on Us," has died at the age of 80.

His wife, Helen Snell, said Friday that “David Soul – beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother – died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family."

“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend," Snell said in a statement. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”

Born David Solberg, Soul was a Chicago native whose acting career dated back to the 1960s, when he joined the avant-garde Firehouse Theater in Minnesota. He continued to appear on stage and screen well into the 20th century, but he was best known for his work in the 1970s.

Soul portrayed detective Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson alongside dark-haired Paul Michael Glaser as detective David Starsky in “Starsky &amp; Hutch, which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1979 and grew so popular it spawned a line of children's toys.

He also had success as a singer, starting in 1976 with “Don’t Give Up on Us" and following with such hits as “Going in With My Eyes Open” and “Silver Lady.”

Soul first gained national fame in the 1960s appearing on "The Merv Griffin Show” as “The Covered Man,” a singer disguised in a stocking cap who shouted out lyrics such as “That is why I hide my face, because a man has to be free.”

His other TV credits included early appearances on “Star Trek,” “All in the Family” and “”I Dream of Jeannie," the miniseries “Salem's Lot” and a short-lived version of the film classic “Casablanca,” in which Soul took on Humphrey Bogart's role as nightclub owner Rock Blaine.

Soul's movies included “Magnum Force,” “The Hanoi Hilton” and a cameo with Glaser in the 2004 big-screen remake of “Starsky &amp; Hutch,” starring Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch.

By the 1990s, Soul had moved to Britain, where he performed several stage roles. In 2001, he won a libel case against a journalist who called “The Dead Monkey,” a play that Soul was in, the worst production he had ever seen - without having seen it. He also played the titular talk-show host in “Jerry Springer - The Opera" in London's West End.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704472879249.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Actor-singer David Soul, a 1970s heartthrob who co-starred as the blond half of the crime-fighting duo “Starsky &amp; Hutch” and topped the music charts with the ballad “Don't Give Up on Us," has died at the age of 80.His wife, Helen Snell, said Friday that “David Soul – beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother – died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family."“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend," Snell said in a statement. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”Born David Solberg, Soul was a Chicago native whose acting career dated back to the 1960s, when he joined the avant-garde Firehouse Theater in Minnesota. He continued to appear on stage and screen well into the 20th century, but he was best known for his work in the 1970s.Soul portrayed detective Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson alongside dark-haired Paul Michael Glaser as detective David Starsky in “Starsky &amp; Hutch, which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1979 and grew so popular it spawned a line of children's toys.He also had success as a singer, starting in 1976 with “Don’t Give Up on Us" and following with such hits as “Going in With My Eyes Open” and “Silver Lady.”Soul first gained national fame in the 1960s appearing on "The Merv Griffin Show” as “The Covered Man,” a singer disguised in a stocking cap who shouted out lyrics such as “That is why I hide my face, because a man has to be free.”His other TV credits included early appearances on “Star Trek,” “All in the Family” and “”I Dream of Jeannie," the miniseries “Salem's Lot” and a short-lived version of the film classic “Casablanca,” in which Soul took on Humphrey Bogart's role as nightclub owner Rock Blaine.Soul's movies included “Magnum Force,” “The Hanoi Hilton” and a cameo with Glaser in the 2004 big-screen remake of “Starsky &amp; Hutch,” starring Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch.By the 1990s, Soul had moved to Britain, where he performed several stage roles. In 2001, he won a libel case against a journalist who called “The Dead Monkey,” a play that Soul was in, the worst production he had ever seen - without having seen it. He also played the titular talk-show host in “Jerry Springer - The Opera" in London's West End.

David Soul: Singer, Starsky and Hutch actor dies at 80

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature returned to the Capitol in Lincoln on Wednesday for the start of the short 2024 session that could end up as contentious as last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-legislature-filibuster-nonpartisan-814790373744b59cd1822f472f6ab3ec">historically combative session</a>, with a key lawmaker reviving her efforts to target LGBTQ+ youth.

As one of her first acts in the new 60-day session that ends in April, conservative Omaha state Sen. Kathleen Kauth followed through on her promise to prioritize a bill that would restrict transgender student participation in high school sports and limit trans students' access to bathrooms and locker rooms.

On the other end of the political spectrum, progressive Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, of Omaha, introduced a bill to repeal a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">hybrid measure</a>&nbsp;passed last year that included Kauth's restriction on gender-confirming care for transgender minors as well as a 12-week abortion ban.

It was conservatives’ push for those measures that led Cavanaugh and a handful of other progressive lawmakers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/filibuster-transgender-gender-affirming-therapy-bill-nebraska-cavanaugh-b9018fd1bf72112ca984ff58679eda6d">filibuster</a>&nbsp;nearly every bill of the 2023 session — even ones they supported. Despite that effort, Republican lawmakers who dominate the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature aggressively pushed conservative legislation, passing measures allowing people to carry concealed guns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/constitutional-carry-bill-nebraska-a8168215d00c1e4bf51017e82e8da80b">without a permit</a>, a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-voter-photo-id-bill-df896c3d8349cc6cea4d1d7d907d3e51">voter ID requirement</a>, and a measure that funnels millions in taxpayer money to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/private-school-scholarships-nebraska-taxpayers-c7be118aa5a43b3ebc2da82aacaa4e29">scholarships for private school tuition</a>.

Most senators are hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's session that was peppered with yelling, name-calling, crying and the refusal of some lawmakers to even speak to each other. None of that acrimony was evident Wednesday as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle hugged and greeted one another with smiles following the more than six-month break from last session.

Many lawmakers from across the political spectrum made efforts during that time to meet with one another and get to know one another better, said Sen. John Arch, speaker of the Legislature.

“We want to hit the reset button this session," Arch said.

Getting there will require a return to the congeniality of legislatures past, he said, when lawmakers often met political adversaries outside the chamber for lunch or dinner or even drinks to talk compromise.

“We have to learn how to debate controversial bills and have our have our debates, have our issues, have our fights, whatever they might be, and then move on,” he said. “Because this also this isn’t a one-year event where we have one controversial bill. We are going to have other controversial bills in the future. And so I say we kind of have to build and build muscle memory of what that feels like to take it to filibuster, to debate strongly, to take the vote up or down and then move to other work that we have to do.”

Lincoln Sen. Carol Blood, a Democrat entering the last of her eight years as a term-limited lawmaker, said she appreciated Arch's words, but is not as optimistic that lawmakers will take on those issues she says concern Nebraskans most: access to affordable child care, health care, housing and “real help with soaring taxes.”

“As a freshman senator, I was such a Pollyanna,” she said. “But last year showed me that, while previous legislative bodies may have worked together for the good of the state, times have changed. Politics has become hyper-partisan, and this body reflects that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704464364135.jpeg" alt="Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature Sen. John Arch, left, discusses state business with Sen. Danielle Conrad on the first day of the 2024 session Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, at the state Capitol in Lincoln, Neb. The Nebraska Legislature returned to the Capitol on Wednesday for the start of the short 2024 session that could end up as contentious as last year’s historically combative session, with a key lawmaker reviving her efforts to target LGBTQ+ youth. (AP Photo/Margery Beck)" />
 <figcaption>Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature Sen. John Arch, left, discusses state business with Sen. Danielle Conrad on the first day of the 2024 session Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, at the state Capitol in Lincoln, Neb. The Nebraska Legislature returned to the Capitol on Wednesday for the start of the short 2024 session that could end up as contentious as last year’s historically combative session, with a key lawmaker reviving her efforts to target LGBTQ+ youth. (AP Photo/Margery Beck)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature returned to the Capitol in Lincoln on Wednesday for the start of the short 2024 session that could end up as contentious as last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-legislature-filibuster-nonpartisan-814790373744b59cd1822f472f6ab3ec">historically combative session</a>, with a key lawmaker reviving her efforts to target LGBTQ+ youth.As one of her first acts in the new 60-day session that ends in April, conservative Omaha state Sen. Kathleen Kauth followed through on her promise to prioritize a bill that would restrict transgender student participation in high school sports and limit trans students' access to bathrooms and locker rooms.On the other end of the political spectrum, progressive Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, of Omaha, introduced a bill to repeal a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">hybrid measure</a>&nbsp;passed last year that included Kauth's restriction on gender-confirming care for transgender minors as well as a 12-week abortion ban.It was conservatives’ push for those measures that led Cavanaugh and a handful of other progressive lawmakers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/filibuster-transgender-gender-affirming-therapy-bill-nebraska-cavanaugh-b9018fd1bf72112ca984ff58679eda6d">filibuster</a>&nbsp;nearly every bill of the 2023 session — even ones they supported. Despite that effort, Republican lawmakers who dominate the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature aggressively pushed conservative legislation, passing measures allowing people to carry concealed guns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/constitutional-carry-bill-nebraska-a8168215d00c1e4bf51017e82e8da80b">without a permit</a>, a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-voter-photo-id-bill-df896c3d8349cc6cea4d1d7d907d3e51">voter ID requirement</a>, and a measure that funnels millions in taxpayer money to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/private-school-scholarships-nebraska-taxpayers-c7be118aa5a43b3ebc2da82aacaa4e29">scholarships for private school tuition</a>.Most senators are hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's session that was peppered with yelling, name-calling, crying and the refusal of some lawmakers to even speak to each other. None of that acrimony was evident Wednesday as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle hugged and greeted one another with smiles following the more than six-month break from last session.Many lawmakers from across the political spectrum made efforts during that time to meet with one another and get to know one another better, said Sen. John Arch, speaker of the Legislature.“We want to hit the reset button this session," Arch said.Getting there will require a return to the congeniality of legislatures past, he said, when lawmakers often met political adversaries outside the chamber for lunch or dinner or even drinks to talk compromise.“We have to learn how to debate controversial bills and have our have our debates, have our issues, have our fights, whatever they might be, and then move on,” he said. “Because this also this isn’t a one-year event where we have one controversial bill. We are going to have other controversial bills in the future. And so I say we kind of have to build and build muscle memory of what that feels like to take it to filibuster, to debate strongly, to take the vote up or down and then move to other work that we have to do.”Lincoln Sen. Carol Blood, a Democrat entering the last of her eight years as a term-limited lawmaker, said she appreciated Arch's words, but is not as optimistic that lawmakers will take on those issues she says concern Nebraskans most: access to affordable child care, health care, housing and “real help with soaring taxes.”“As a freshman senator, I was such a Pollyanna,” she said. “But last year showed me that, while previous legislative bodies may have worked together for the good of the state, times have changed. Politics has become hyper-partisan, and this body reflects that.”

Nebraska lawmakers reconvene for new session that could shape up to be as contentious as the last

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — A teen armed with a shotgun and a handgun unleashed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/perry-high-school-shooting-iowa-1defc6260e074362240a31a7f30cf1b9">terror at an Iowa high school</a>&nbsp;on the first day of classes in the new year, authorities said, killing a sixth grader and wounding five others as people hunkered down in classrooms, barricaded offices and fled the barrage of bullets.

The suspect, a 17-year-old student at the school in Perry, died of what investigators believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation official said. An administrator, later identified by his alma mater as Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger, was among those wounded Thursday as students returned from winter break.

Authorities identified the shooter as Dylan Butler but provided no information about a possible motive. Two friends and their mother who spoke with The Associated Press said Butler was a quiet person who had been bullied for years.

Authorities said Butler had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mitch Mortvedt, the state investigation division's assistant director, said during a news conference that authorities also found a “pretty rudimentary” improvised explosive device and rendered it safe.

A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said federal and state investigators were interviewing Butler’s friends and analyzing Butler’s social media profiles, including posts on TikTok and Reddit.

Shortly before Thursday’s shooting, Butler posted a photo on TikTok inside the bathroom of Perry High School, the official said. The photo was captioned “now we wait” and the song “Stray Bullet” by the German band KMFDM accompanied it. Investigators have also found other photos Butler posted posing with firearms, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Sisters Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, said alongside their mother, Alita, that Butler was bullied relentlessly since elementary school, but it escalated recently when his younger sister started getting picked on, too.

“He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," Yesenia Roeder Hall said. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no.”

Calls to Perry Community Schools' Superintendent Clark Wicks, as well as school board members, were unanswered Thursday, and an emailed request for comment was not immediately returned.

Police arrived within minutes after an active shooter was reported at 7:37 a.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Perry High School senior Ava Augustus was awaiting a counselor in a school office when she heard three shots. Unable to flee through a small window, she and others barricaded the door and were ready to throw things if necessary.

“And then we hear ‘He’s down. You can go out,’” Augustus said through tears. ”And I run and you can just see glass everywhere, blood on the floor. I get to my car and they’re taking a girl out of the auditorium who had been shot in her leg.”

Three gunshot victims were treated at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, a spokesperson said. Others were taken to a second hospital, a spokesperson for MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center confirmed.

Mortvedt said one person was in critical condition but the injuries didn't appear to be life-threatening, and the others were stable.

In a Facebook post, Marburger's daughter said he was in “surgery all day, and is currently stable.”

Claire Marburger called her father a “gentle giant” who would want more attention on the other victims and their families, and less on himself.

On Thursday night, hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil at a park where hours earlier, students had been brought to reunite with their families after the shooting. Bundled up against freezing temperatures, they listened to clergy from many faiths and heard a message of hope in both English and Spanish.

A post on the high school's Facebook page said it would be closed Friday and counseling services would be available for students, faculty and others in the community.

“This senseless tragedy has shaken our entire state to its core,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said.

In Washington, President Joe Biden and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland were briefed on the shooting.

Mass shootings across the U.S. have long brought calls for stricter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gun-politics">gun laws</a>&nbsp;from gun safety advocates, and Thursday's did within hours. But the idea has been a non-starter for many Republicans, particularly in rural, GOP-leaning states like Iowa, which will hold its first-in-the-nation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-iowa-caucus-works-2024-democrats-republicans-592ab40b9b9b948c0540f2cf132bab5c">presidential caucuses</a>&nbsp;Jan. 15.

As of July 2021, Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ia-state-wire-iowa-gun-politics-business-laws-656a5ba4382a64f2d93790f56050ce3c">does not require a permit</a>&nbsp;to purchase a handgun or carry a firearm in public, but it does mandate a background check for anyone buying a handgun without a permit.

Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital’s metropolitan area. It is home to a large pork-processing plant and low-slung, single-story homes spread among trees now shorn of their leaves by winter. The high school and middle school are connected, sitting on the east edge of town.

The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Perry is more diverse than Iowa as a whole. Census figures show 31% of its residents are Hispanic, compared with less than 7% statewide. Those figures also show nearly 19% of the town’s residents were born outside the U.S.

Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway when he heard shots and dashed into a classroom, according to his father, Kevin Shelley. Zander was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his father.

Kevin Shelley, who drives a garbage truck, told his boss he had to run. “It was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life,” he said.

He later posted a photo on Facebook of his son being treated at the Methodist Medical Center and said the boy was feeling fine.

“I am still shaking,” he added, “and tho I dont show it I’m not OK.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704470490447.png" alt="&nbsp;hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil at a park where hours earlier, students had been brought to reunite with their families-photo courtesy KCCI TF" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil at a park where hours earlier, students had been brought to reunite with their families-photo courtesy KCCI TF</figcaption>
 </figure>PERRY, Iowa (AP) — A teen armed with a shotgun and a handgun unleashed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/perry-high-school-shooting-iowa-1defc6260e074362240a31a7f30cf1b9">terror at an Iowa high school</a>&nbsp;on the first day of classes in the new year, authorities said, killing a sixth grader and wounding five others as people hunkered down in classrooms, barricaded offices and fled the barrage of bullets.The suspect, a 17-year-old student at the school in Perry, died of what investigators believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation official said. An administrator, later identified by his alma mater as Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger, was among those wounded Thursday as students returned from winter break.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704402515704.png" alt="First responders at the high school Thursday -photo courtesy KCCI TV" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the high school Thursday -photo courtesy KCCI TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Authorities identified the shooter as Dylan Butler but provided no information about a possible motive. Two friends and their mother who spoke with The Associated Press said Butler was a quiet person who had been bullied for years.Authorities said Butler had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mitch Mortvedt, the state investigation division's assistant director, said during a news conference that authorities also found a “pretty rudimentary” improvised explosive device and rendered it safe.A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said federal and state investigators were interviewing Butler’s friends and analyzing Butler’s social media profiles, including posts on TikTok and Reddit.Shortly before Thursday’s shooting, Butler posted a photo on TikTok inside the bathroom of Perry High School, the official said. The photo was captioned “now we wait” and the song “Stray Bullet” by the German band KMFDM accompanied it. Investigators have also found other photos Butler posted posing with firearms, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.Sisters Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, said alongside their mother, Alita, that Butler was bullied relentlessly since elementary school, but it escalated recently when his younger sister started getting picked on, too.“He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," Yesenia Roeder Hall said. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no.”Calls to Perry Community Schools' Superintendent Clark Wicks, as well as school board members, were unanswered Thursday, and an emailed request for comment was not immediately returned.Police arrived within minutes after an active shooter was reported at 7:37 a.m. Thursday, authorities said.Perry High School senior Ava Augustus was awaiting a counselor in a school office when she heard three shots. Unable to flee through a small window, she and others barricaded the door and were ready to throw things if necessary.“And then we hear ‘He’s down. You can go out,’” Augustus said through tears. ”And I run and you can just see glass everywhere, blood on the floor. I get to my car and they’re taking a girl out of the auditorium who had been shot in her leg.”Three gunshot victims were treated at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, a spokesperson said. Others were taken to a second hospital, a spokesperson for MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center confirmed.Mortvedt said one person was in critical condition but the injuries didn't appear to be life-threatening, and the others were stable.In a Facebook post, Marburger's daughter said he was in “surgery all day, and is currently stable.”Claire Marburger called her father a “gentle giant” who would want more attention on the other victims and their families, and less on himself.On Thursday night, hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil at a park where hours earlier, students had been brought to reunite with their families after the shooting. Bundled up against freezing temperatures, they listened to clergy from many faiths and heard a message of hope in both English and Spanish.A post on the high school's Facebook page said it would be closed Friday and counseling services would be available for students, faculty and others in the community.“This senseless tragedy has shaken our entire state to its core,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said.In Washington, President Joe Biden and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland were briefed on the shooting.Mass shootings across the U.S. have long brought calls for stricter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gun-politics">gun laws</a>&nbsp;from gun safety advocates, and Thursday's did within hours. But the idea has been a non-starter for many Republicans, particularly in rural, GOP-leaning states like Iowa, which will hold its first-in-the-nation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-iowa-caucus-works-2024-democrats-republicans-592ab40b9b9b948c0540f2cf132bab5c">presidential caucuses</a>&nbsp;Jan. 15.As of July 2021, Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ia-state-wire-iowa-gun-politics-business-laws-656a5ba4382a64f2d93790f56050ce3c">does not require a permit</a>&nbsp;to purchase a handgun or carry a firearm in public, but it does mandate a background check for anyone buying a handgun without a permit.Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital’s metropolitan area. It is home to a large pork-processing plant and low-slung, single-story homes spread among trees now shorn of their leaves by winter. The high school and middle school are connected, sitting on the east edge of town.The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Perry is more diverse than Iowa as a whole. Census figures show 31% of its residents are Hispanic, compared with less than 7% statewide. Those figures also show nearly 19% of the town’s residents were born outside the U.S.Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway when he heard shots and dashed into a classroom, according to his father, Kevin Shelley. Zander was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his father.Kevin Shelley, who drives a garbage truck, told his boss he had to run. “It was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life,” he said.He later posted a photo on Facebook of his son being treated at the Methodist Medical Center and said the boy was feeling fine.“I am still shaking,” he added, “and tho I dont show it I’m not OK.”

Candlelight prayer vigil held for victims in Iowa school shooting

The suspect, a 17-year-old student at the school in Perry, died of what investigators believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation official said. An administrator, later identified by his alma mater as Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger, was among the five wounded Thursday as students returned from winter break.

Authorities identified the shooter as Dylan Butler, 17, but provided no information about a possible motive. Two friends and their mother who spoke with The Associated Press said Butler was a quiet person who had been bullied for years.

The suspect's motive was being investigated and authorities were looking into “a number of social media posts” he made around the time of the shooting, Mortvedt added.

Sisters Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, said alongside their mother, Alita, that Butler was bullied relentlessly since elementary school, but it escalated recently when his younger sister started getting picked on, too. His parents brought it up to the school, they said, and that was the “last straw” for Butler.

“He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," Yesenia Roeder Hall, 17, said. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no.”

Hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil Thursday evening at a park where hours earlier, students had been brought to reunite with their families after the shooting. Bundled up against freezing temperatures, they listened to pastors from many faiths and heard a message of hope in both English and Spanish.

As of July 2021, Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ia-state-wire-iowa-gun-politics-business-laws-656a5ba4382a64f2d93790f56050ce3c">does not require a permit</a>&nbsp;to purchase a handgun or carry a firearm in public, though it mandates a background check for anyone buying a handgun without a permit.

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — A teen armed with a shotgun and a handgun unleashed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/perry-high-school-shooting-iowa-1defc6260e074362240a31a7f30cf1b9">terror at an Iowa high school</a>&nbsp;on the first day of classes in the new year, authorities said, killing a sixth grader and wounding five others as people hunkered down in classrooms, barricaded offices and fled the barrage of bullets.The suspect, a 17-year-old student at the school in Perry, died of what investigators believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation official said. An administrator, later identified by his alma mater as Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger, was among the five wounded Thursday as students returned from winter break.Authorities identified the shooter as Dylan Butler, 17, but provided no information about a possible motive. Two friends and their mother who spoke with The Associated Press said Butler was a quiet person who had been bullied for years.Authorities said Butler had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mitch Mortvedt, the state investigation division's assistant director, said during a news conference that authorities also found a “pretty rudimentary” improvised explosive device and rendered it safe.The suspect's motive was being investigated and authorities were looking into “a number of social media posts” he made around the time of the shooting, Mortvedt added.A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said federal and state investigators were interviewing Butler’s friends and analyzing Butler’s social media profiles, including posts on TikTok and Reddit.Shortly before Thursday’s shooting, Butler posted a photo on TikTok inside the bathroom of Perry High School, the official said. The photo was captioned “now we wait” and the song “Stray Bullet” by the German band KMFDM accompanied it. Investigators have also found other photos Butler posted posing with firearms, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.Sisters Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, said alongside their mother, Alita, that Butler was bullied relentlessly since elementary school, but it escalated recently when his younger sister started getting picked on, too. His parents brought it up to the school, they said, and that was the “last straw” for Butler.“He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," Yesenia Roeder Hall, 17, said. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no.”Calls to Perry Community Schools' Superintendent Clark Wicks, as well as school board members, were unanswered Thursday, and an emailed request for comment was not immediately returned.Police arrived within minutes after an active shooter was reported at 7:37 a.m. Thursday, authorities said.Perry High School senior Ava Augustus was awaiting a counselor in a school office when she heard three shots. Unable to flee through a small window, she and others barricaded the door and were ready to throw things if necessary.“And then we hear ‘He’s down. You can go out,’” Augustus said through tears. ”And I run and you can just see glass everywhere, blood on the floor. I get to my car and they’re taking a girl out of the auditorium who had been shot in her leg.”Three gunshot victims were treated at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, a spokesperson said. Others were taken to a second hospital, a spokesperson for MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center confirmed.Mortvedt said one person was in critical condition but the injuries didn't appear to be life-threatening, and the others were stable.Hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil Thursday evening at a park where hours earlier, students had been brought to reunite with their families after the shooting. Bundled up against freezing temperatures, they listened to pastors from many faiths and heard a message of hope in both English and Spanish.A post on the high school's Facebook page said it would be closed Friday and counseling services would be available for students, faculty and others in the community.“This senseless tragedy has shaken our entire state to its core,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said.In Washington, President Joe Biden and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland were briefed on the shooting.Mass shootings across the U.S. have long brought calls for stricter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gun-politics">gun laws</a>&nbsp;from gun safety advocates, and Thursday's did within hours. But the idea has been a non-starter for many Republicans, particularly in rural, GOP-leaning states like Iowa, which will hold its first-in-the-nation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-iowa-caucus-works-2024-democrats-republicans-592ab40b9b9b948c0540f2cf132bab5c">presidential caucuses</a>&nbsp;Jan. 15.As of July 2021, Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ia-state-wire-iowa-gun-politics-business-laws-656a5ba4382a64f2d93790f56050ce3c">does not require a permit</a>&nbsp;to purchase a handgun or carry a firearm in public, though it mandates a background check for anyone buying a handgun without a permit.Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital’s metropolitan area. It is home to a large pork-processing plant and low-slung, single-story homes spread among trees now shorn of their leaves by winter. The high school and middle school are connected, sitting on the east edge of town.The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Perry is more diverse than Iowa as a whole. Census figures show 31% of its residents are Hispanic, compared with less than 7% statewide. Those figures also show nearly 19% of the town’s residents were born outside the U.S.Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway when he heard shots and dashed into a classroom, according to his father, Kevin Shelley. Zander was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his father.Kevin Shelley, who drives a garbage truck, told his boss he had to run. “It was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life,” he said.He later posted a photo on Facebook of his son being treated at the Methodist Medical Center and said the boy was feeling fine.

Teen kills 6th grader, wounds 5 others and takes own life in Iowa high school shooting, police say

By&nbsp;C. Todd Lopez, Department of Defense&nbsp;&nbsp;

U.S. forces in Iraq Thursday conducted a self-defense strike which killed Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al-Jawari, a leader of the Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba terrorist group that is operating both in Iraq and Syria, said the Pentagon press secretary.

<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3631953/pentagon-press-secretary-maj-gen-pat-ryder-holds-a-press-briefing/">Click here to read </a>a transcript of the briefing

Al-Jawari, also known as Abu Taqwa, was actively involved in planning and carrying out attacks against American personnel. Abu Taqwa, along with another member of Harakat al-Nujaba, were both killed in a strike that took place around noon, Jan. 4, in Iraq, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder during a briefing today.&nbsp;

"It is important to note that the strike was taken in self-defense, that no civilians were harmed, and that no infrastructure or facilities were struck," Ryder said.&nbsp;

The U.S. currently has a military presence in Iraq as part of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve. The CJTF-OIR mission is to advise, assist and enable partnered forces in the defeat of ISIS within designated areas of Iraq and Syria. Inside Iraq, the U.S. works in partnership with both the Iraqi Security Forces and the Kurdish Security Forces to carry out that mission.&nbsp;

"U.S. forces are in Iraq at the invitation of the government of Iraq," Ryder said. "They're there for one reason, which is to support the defeat-ISIS mission. We'll continue to work very closely with our Iraqi partners when it comes to the safety and security of our forces. When those forces are threatened, just like we would anywhere else in the world, we will maintain the inherent right of self-defense to protect our forces."

The mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria has been ongoing for nearly a decade, and Ryder said the successes of CJTF-OIR are worth maintaining.&nbsp;

"It was 10 years ago this coming summer that ISIS was approximately 24 kilometers outside of Baghdad, when we kicked off the counter-ISIS mission after they had subsumed large swaths of Syria and Iraq," Ryder said. "No one wants to see a return of ISIS ... our focus is going to continue to remain on the defeat-ISIS mission. But again, we're not going to hesitate to protect our forces if they're threatened."&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Friday condemned the United States' strike in central Baghdad that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-militia-pmf-airstrike-baghdad-e6cd1c3c7ad16c953495e1d625a1154a">killed a high-ranking militia commander</a>&nbsp;as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. He reiterated recent calls for withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.

A U.S. defense official confirmed Thursday that U.S. forces carried out the strike, saying that Abu Taqwa was targeted because he was actively involved in attacks on U.S. personnel. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, a group of Iranian-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has carried out more than 100 attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. The group has said the attacks are in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel and that they aim to push U.S. forces out of Iraq.

Sudani said Friday that the U.S. had bypassed the Iraqi government, which is “the body authorized to impose the law.” He added that the Popular Mobilization Force “represent an official presence affiliated with the state … and an integral part of our armed forces” and that “attacks targeting our security forces go beyond the spirit and letter of the mandate that created the international coalition,” referring to a U.S.-led coalition that assisted in the fight against the Islamic State militant group and maintains forces in Iraq.

He said his government is following up on procedures that would end in the coalition’s withdrawal from Iraq.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704418635503.png" alt="Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder answers questions during a briefing Thursday" />
 <figcaption>Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder answers questions during a briefing Thursday</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;C. Todd Lopez, Department of Defense&nbsp;&nbsp;U.S. forces in Iraq Thursday conducted a self-defense strike which killed Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al-Jawari, a leader of the Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba terrorist group that is operating both in Iraq and Syria, said the Pentagon press secretary.<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3631953/pentagon-press-secretary-maj-gen-pat-ryder-holds-a-press-briefing/">Click here to read </a>a transcript of the briefingAl-Jawari, also known as Abu Taqwa, was actively involved in planning and carrying out attacks against American personnel. Abu Taqwa, along with another member of Harakat al-Nujaba, were both killed in a strike that took place around noon, Jan. 4, in Iraq, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder during a briefing today.&nbsp;"It is important to note that the strike was taken in self-defense, that no civilians were harmed, and that no infrastructure or facilities were struck," Ryder said.&nbsp;The U.S. currently has a military presence in Iraq as part of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve. The CJTF-OIR mission is to advise, assist and enable partnered forces in the defeat of ISIS within designated areas of Iraq and Syria. Inside Iraq, the U.S. works in partnership with both the Iraqi Security Forces and the Kurdish Security Forces to carry out that mission.&nbsp;"U.S. forces are in Iraq at the invitation of the government of Iraq," Ryder said. "They're there for one reason, which is to support the defeat-ISIS mission. We'll continue to work very closely with our Iraqi partners when it comes to the safety and security of our forces. When those forces are threatened, just like we would anywhere else in the world, we will maintain the inherent right of self-defense to protect our forces."The mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria has been ongoing for nearly a decade, and Ryder said the successes of CJTF-OIR are worth maintaining.&nbsp;"It was 10 years ago this coming summer that ISIS was approximately 24 kilometers outside of Baghdad, when we kicked off the counter-ISIS mission after they had subsumed large swaths of Syria and Iraq," Ryder said. "No one wants to see a return of ISIS ... our focus is going to continue to remain on the defeat-ISIS mission. But again, we're not going to hesitate to protect our forces if they're threatened."&nbsp;Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Friday condemned the United States' strike in central Baghdad that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-militia-pmf-airstrike-baghdad-e6cd1c3c7ad16c953495e1d625a1154a">killed a high-ranking militia commander</a>&nbsp;as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. He reiterated recent calls for withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.A U.S. defense official confirmed Thursday that U.S. forces carried out the strike, saying that Abu Taqwa was targeted because he was actively involved in attacks on U.S. personnel. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, a group of Iranian-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has carried out more than 100 attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. The group has said the attacks are in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel and that they aim to push U.S. forces out of Iraq.Sudani said Friday that the U.S. had bypassed the Iraqi government, which is “the body authorized to impose the law.” He added that the Popular Mobilization Force “represent an official presence affiliated with the state … and an integral part of our armed forces” and that “attacks targeting our security forces go beyond the spirit and letter of the mandate that created the international coalition,” referring to a U.S.-led coalition that assisted in the fight against the Islamic State militant group and maintains forces in Iraq.He said his government is following up on procedures that would end in the coalition’s withdrawal from Iraq.

Pentagon reveals more details on strike that killed terrorist leader

NEW YORK (AP) — A new batch of unsealed documents pertaining to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-court-records-587fa5a6bedf93bc958bdc3a933006bc">Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;of teenage girls was released Thursday, adding several hundred pages to the fountain of information detailing how the financier leveraged connections to the rich, powerful and famous to recruit his victims and cover up his crimes.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24253996-1424-epstein-documents-combined">Click here to read</a> the documents released 1/4/24 (caution Adult content)

The 19 documents, or about 300 pages, were half as many as the over 40&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-virginia-giuffre-3af500d4788ad45301be426628846d71">released Wednesday</a>. The documents so far — with more to come — were sprinkled with names of celebrities and politicians who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">socialized with Epstein</a>&nbsp;or worked with him in the years before he was publicly accused nearly two decades ago of paying underage girls for sex.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-bill-clinton-donald-trump-385ccf8d49d337ae4866022877aa9a90">Most of those names were familiar</a>&nbsp;to anyone who has followed the scandal closely, including the criminal trial of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>, who was Epstein's former girlfriend, household manager and chief recruiter of young, vulnerable females.

It was during Maxwell's criminal trial two years ago that Epstein's victims, some of whom aspired to be models or artists, described how he dropped the names of his famous and influential friends to suggest that he was the victims' ticket to reaching their dreams. Maxwell, 62, was convicted of sex-trafficking charges and is serving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epstein-sentencing-aeac127f9cc3811d975ce8e10d171260">a 20-year prison sentence</a>.

The roughly 250 documents being unsealed, starting this week, in one of the lawsuits against Maxwell mostly rehash what has long been known about a man who traveled in elite circles until his July 2019 sex-trafficking arrest left him so cornered that he took his own life in jail.

But they have included a few fresh details about a pyramid of abuse that grew over three decades and damaged dozens of teenage girls and young women.

Among the famous people in Epstein's orbit before he was exposed as a sexual predator were former Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, singer Michael Jackson and magician David Copperfield, according to the accounts of his victims and other witnesses quoted in newly released documents. None of those men were accused of wrongdoing.

There were also repetitions of well-known stories about Britain’s Prince Andrew. He was sued by one of Epstein's victims,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14">Virginia Giuffre</a>, who said she had sexual encounters with the royal when she was 17. The prince, who denied the allegations,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-lawsuit-settlement-8b04c775aa46f761d81c05ef12e3a94f">settled the lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in 2022.

The court documents being released now are related to a 2015 lawsuit that Giuffre brought against Maxwell. Thousands of pages of documents in that lawsuit had been made public previously, but some sections had been blacked out because of privacy concerns.

U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska ordered last month that those redactions be lifted, mostly because names in the documents had already been made public through news coverage or through other court proceedings.

The documents released Thursday largely focused on legal squabbles over Giuffre’s lawsuit and her connection to a British tabloid reporter whom Maxwell’s lawyers accused of compelling her to fabricate some of her allegations. They didn’t offer much new insight into individuals in Epstein and Maxwell’s world or the sexual abuse they were alleged to have perpetrated.

Among the more interesting documents released Wednesday was the May 2016 deposition of Johanna Sjoberg, who worked as a masseuse in Epstein's household. Sjoberg said she once met Michael Jackson at Epstein’s Palm Beach, Florida, home, but that nothing untoward happened with the late pop icon. Epstein also had homes in Manhattan, New Mexico and the Virgin Islands.

She also described an April 2001 trip to New York in which she said Prince Andrew touched her breast while they posed for a photo at Epstein’s Manhattan town house.

Clinton previously said through a spokesperson that although he traveled on Epstein’s jet several times, he never visited his homes, had no knowledge of his crimes, and hadn’t spoken to him since his conviction. Trump has also said he once thought Epstein was a “terrific guy,” but that they later had a falling-out.

Sjoberg also testified that she once went to a dinner at one of Epstein’s homes that was also attended by magician David Copperfield.

She said Copperfield did magic tricks before asking if she was aware “that girls were getting paid to find other girls.” One allegation against Epstein and Maxwell was that some girls he paid for sexual acts later recruited other victims. Sjoberg said Copperfield didn’t get more specific about what he meant. A Copperfield publicist didn't respond to an email seeking comment.

The newly released records also include many references to Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent who was close to Epstein and who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-arts-and-entertainment-paris-jeffrey-epstein-edfbdb84c6cdd5f736ac7e1c2bac657b">killed himself in a Paris jail</a>&nbsp;in 2022 while awaiting trial on charges that he raped underage girls. Giuffre was among the women who accused Brunel of sexual abuse.

Separately, Brunel’s estate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24253769-lawsuit-against-estate-of-jean-luc-brunel?responsive=1&amp;title=1">was sued this week</a>&nbsp;by a woman who alleges that he and others sexually assaulted her while she was working as a model in New York. She says that on one occasion, she was driven to a home in Canada and kept there for several days while men abused her. The lawsuit, filed in state court in California, does not mention Epstein or Maxwell.

More documents were expected to be released on Friday and Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704416234390.png" alt="FILE — Audrey Strauss, acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell during a news conference, July 2, 2020, in New York. Social media is abuzz with news that a judge is about to release a list of “clients,” or “associates” or maybe “co-conspirators,” of Jeffrey Epstein, the jet-setting financier who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. While some previously sealed court records are indeed being made public, the great majority of the people whose names appear in those documents are not accused of any wrongdoing. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE — Audrey Strauss, acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell during a news conference, July 2, 2020, in New York. Social media is abuzz with news that a judge is about to release a list of “clients,” or “associates” or maybe “co-conspirators,” of Jeffrey Epstein, the jet-setting financier who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. While some previously sealed court records are indeed being made public, the great majority of the people whose names appear in those documents are not accused of any wrongdoing. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — A new batch of unsealed documents pertaining to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-court-records-587fa5a6bedf93bc958bdc3a933006bc">Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;of teenage girls was released Thursday, adding several hundred pages to the fountain of information detailing how the financier leveraged connections to the rich, powerful and famous to recruit his victims and cover up his crimes.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24253996-1424-epstein-documents-combined">Click here to read</a> the documents released 1/4/24 (caution Adult content)The 19 documents, or about 300 pages, were half as many as the over 40&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-virginia-giuffre-3af500d4788ad45301be426628846d71">released Wednesday</a>. The documents so far — with more to come — were sprinkled with names of celebrities and politicians who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein">socialized with Epstein</a>&nbsp;or worked with him in the years before he was publicly accused nearly two decades ago of paying underage girls for sex.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-bill-clinton-donald-trump-385ccf8d49d337ae4866022877aa9a90">Most of those names were familiar</a>&nbsp;to anyone who has followed the scandal closely, including the criminal trial of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ghislaine-maxwell">Ghislaine Maxwell</a>, who was Epstein's former girlfriend, household manager and chief recruiter of young, vulnerable females.It was during Maxwell's criminal trial two years ago that Epstein's victims, some of whom aspired to be models or artists, described how he dropped the names of his famous and influential friends to suggest that he was the victims' ticket to reaching their dreams. Maxwell, 62, was convicted of sex-trafficking charges and is serving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-jeffrey-epstein-sentencing-aeac127f9cc3811d975ce8e10d171260">a 20-year prison sentence</a>.The roughly 250 documents being unsealed, starting this week, in one of the lawsuits against Maxwell mostly rehash what has long been known about a man who traveled in elite circles until his July 2019 sex-trafficking arrest left him so cornered that he took his own life in jail.But they have included a few fresh details about a pyramid of abuse that grew over three decades and damaged dozens of teenage girls and young women.Among the famous people in Epstein's orbit before he was exposed as a sexual predator were former Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, singer Michael Jackson and magician David Copperfield, according to the accounts of his victims and other witnesses quoted in newly released documents. None of those men were accused of wrongdoing.There were also repetitions of well-known stories about Britain’s Prince Andrew. He was sued by one of Epstein's victims,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14">Virginia Giuffre</a>, who said she had sexual encounters with the royal when she was 17. The prince, who denied the allegations,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-lawsuit-settlement-8b04c775aa46f761d81c05ef12e3a94f">settled the lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in 2022.The court documents being released now are related to a 2015 lawsuit that Giuffre brought against Maxwell. Thousands of pages of documents in that lawsuit had been made public previously, but some sections had been blacked out because of privacy concerns.U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska ordered last month that those redactions be lifted, mostly because names in the documents had already been made public through news coverage or through other court proceedings.The documents released Thursday largely focused on legal squabbles over Giuffre’s lawsuit and her connection to a British tabloid reporter whom Maxwell’s lawyers accused of compelling her to fabricate some of her allegations. They didn’t offer much new insight into individuals in Epstein and Maxwell’s world or the sexual abuse they were alleged to have perpetrated.Among the more interesting documents released Wednesday was the May 2016 deposition of Johanna Sjoberg, who worked as a masseuse in Epstein's household. Sjoberg said she once met Michael Jackson at Epstein’s Palm Beach, Florida, home, but that nothing untoward happened with the late pop icon. Epstein also had homes in Manhattan, New Mexico and the Virgin Islands.She also described an April 2001 trip to New York in which she said Prince Andrew touched her breast while they posed for a photo at Epstein’s Manhattan town house.Clinton previously said through a spokesperson that although he traveled on Epstein’s jet several times, he never visited his homes, had no knowledge of his crimes, and hadn’t spoken to him since his conviction. Trump has also said he once thought Epstein was a “terrific guy,” but that they later had a falling-out.Sjoberg also testified that she once went to a dinner at one of Epstein’s homes that was also attended by magician David Copperfield.She said Copperfield did magic tricks before asking if she was aware “that girls were getting paid to find other girls.” One allegation against Epstein and Maxwell was that some girls he paid for sexual acts later recruited other victims. Sjoberg said Copperfield didn’t get more specific about what he meant. A Copperfield publicist didn't respond to an email seeking comment.The newly released records also include many references to Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent who was close to Epstein and who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-arts-and-entertainment-paris-jeffrey-epstein-edfbdb84c6cdd5f736ac7e1c2bac657b">killed himself in a Paris jail</a>&nbsp;in 2022 while awaiting trial on charges that he raped underage girls. Giuffre was among the women who accused Brunel of sexual abuse.Separately, Brunel’s estate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24253769-lawsuit-against-estate-of-jean-luc-brunel?responsive=1&amp;title=1">was sued this week</a>&nbsp;by a woman who alleges that he and others sexually assaulted her while she was working as a model in New York. She says that on one occasion, she was driven to a home in Canada and kept there for several days while men abused her. The lawsuit, filed in state court in California, does not mention Epstein or Maxwell.More documents were expected to be released on Friday and Monday.___

Read 2nd batch of Epstein documents released Thursday

BLAIR, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska judge agreed Wednesday that the fact that the suspect was found lying on top of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-stabbed-rectory-gutgsell-c48a12fd9ad044709e8ebbb8f53e4eab">badly wounded priest</a>&nbsp;covered in blood stains last month inside the home where the priest lived next door to his small-town church suggests that Kierre Williams was responsible for the killing.

Washington County Judge Edward Matney ruled there was probable cause for the murder case against Williams, 43, to move forward. He will continue being held without bond until he is due back in court early next month to enter a plea to the murder and weapons charges he faces. His attorney has declined to discuss the case.

Prosecutors have said there doesn't appear to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-killed-gutgsell-e634b68f496074893b58eb45229805ed">any connection</a>&nbsp;between Williams and the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, who was fatally stabbed on Dec. 10 inside the rectory for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in tiny Fort Calhoun. The one-story home was still wrapped in crime scene tape Wednesday nearly a month after the attack.

The priest's death came just four months after another seemingly random home invasion killing in the town of 1,100 that is eight miles north of Omaha and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-priest-woman-killed-community-reacts-896ccd64f049303fb79bc36e08b92d01">shook residents' confidence</a>&nbsp;in their safety.

Chief Deputy Washington County Attorney Erik Petersen recapped the key evidence against Williams Wednesday that he had mostly outlined in court documents last month. Sheriff's Deputy Brady Tucker talked about what he saw after he rushed to the home minutes after the priest reported an intruder that Sunday morning, and a detective recounted what the initial investigation showed.

Tucker testified that he found Williams lying crossways on top of Gutgsell, whose face was covered with blood. Williams complied with commands to show his hands and get off the priest, and he was quickly taken into custody.

Though Williams didn't have a weapon when he was arrested, investigators later found a broken knife with a serrated blade lying in the middle of a blood stain on the floor of Gutgsell's bedroom.

When Williams was interviewed at the jail hours after the 65-year-old priest died at an Omaha hospital, he bore evidence of the attack. An autopsy confirmed that he died from multiple stab wounds.

"He was wearing ski pants, a coat, tennis shoes and kind of some winter gear," Detective Greg Corns said. “There was blood on the exterior of the pants, the shoes and the shirt. There’s blood on the bottom of his shoes and some blood spatter on the top of the shoes as well.”

Prosecutors haven't yet decided whether to pursue the death penalty in this case.

Williams has an extensive criminal history with several felony convictions in other states. But at the time of the killing, he was working in a meatpacking plant in Sioux City, Iowa. It is not clear what brought him to Fort Calhoun.

The Archdiocese of Omaha said the church Gutgsell served in Fort Calhoun will now have to share a priest with two other churches in the nearby small towns of Blair and Tekamah. Daily Mass will rotate between the three churches during the week.

Archdiocese spokesman Riley Johnson said it is still too soon to determine what will happen to the St. John the Baptist rectory once authorities complete their investigation there. The priest assigned to the three small churches is based in Blair.

Gutgsell's brother thanked the Fort Calhoun congregation in a message in the church bulletin last weekend for joining with nearly 1,000 other mourners at the priest's funeral last month. The Rev. Michael Gutgsell said he and his siblings will keep St. John the Baptist Church in their prayers.

Parishioners of the three small churches will decide in the months ahead how to honor Gutgsell's memory, Johnson said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702486772350.jpeg" alt="Crime scene tape surrounds the rectory at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Neb., Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, one day after a priest was fatally stabbed there during a break-in. (AP Photo/Josh Funk)" />
 <figcaption>Crime scene tape surrounds the rectory at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Neb., Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, one day after a priest was fatally stabbed there during a break-in. (AP Photo/Josh Funk)</figcaption>
 </figure>BLAIR, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska judge agreed Wednesday that the fact that the suspect was found lying on top of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-stabbed-rectory-gutgsell-c48a12fd9ad044709e8ebbb8f53e4eab">badly wounded priest</a>&nbsp;covered in blood stains last month inside the home where the priest lived next door to his small-town church suggests that Kierre Williams was responsible for the killing.Washington County Judge Edward Matney ruled there was probable cause for the murder case against Williams, 43, to move forward. He will continue being held without bond until he is due back in court early next month to enter a plea to the murder and weapons charges he faces. His attorney has declined to discuss the case.Prosecutors have said there doesn't appear to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-killed-gutgsell-e634b68f496074893b58eb45229805ed">any connection</a>&nbsp;between Williams and the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, who was fatally stabbed on Dec. 10 inside the rectory for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in tiny Fort Calhoun. The one-story home was still wrapped in crime scene tape Wednesday nearly a month after the attack.The priest's death came just four months after another seemingly random home invasion killing in the town of 1,100 that is eight miles north of Omaha and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-priest-woman-killed-community-reacts-896ccd64f049303fb79bc36e08b92d01">shook residents' confidence</a>&nbsp;in their safety.Chief Deputy Washington County Attorney Erik Petersen recapped the key evidence against Williams Wednesday that he had mostly outlined in court documents last month. Sheriff's Deputy Brady Tucker talked about what he saw after he rushed to the home minutes after the priest reported an intruder that Sunday morning, and a detective recounted what the initial investigation showed.Tucker testified that he found Williams lying crossways on top of Gutgsell, whose face was covered with blood. Williams complied with commands to show his hands and get off the priest, and he was quickly taken into custody.Though Williams didn't have a weapon when he was arrested, investigators later found a broken knife with a serrated blade lying in the middle of a blood stain on the floor of Gutgsell's bedroom.When Williams was interviewed at the jail hours after the 65-year-old priest died at an Omaha hospital, he bore evidence of the attack. An autopsy confirmed that he died from multiple stab wounds."He was wearing ski pants, a coat, tennis shoes and kind of some winter gear," Detective Greg Corns said. “There was blood on the exterior of the pants, the shoes and the shirt. There’s blood on the bottom of his shoes and some blood spatter on the top of the shoes as well.”Prosecutors haven't yet decided whether to pursue the death penalty in this case.Williams has an extensive criminal history with several felony convictions in other states. But at the time of the killing, he was working in a meatpacking plant in Sioux City, Iowa. It is not clear what brought him to Fort Calhoun.The Archdiocese of Omaha said the church Gutgsell served in Fort Calhoun will now have to share a priest with two other churches in the nearby small towns of Blair and Tekamah. Daily Mass will rotate between the three churches during the week.Archdiocese spokesman Riley Johnson said it is still too soon to determine what will happen to the St. John the Baptist rectory once authorities complete their investigation there. The priest assigned to the three small churches is based in Blair.Gutgsell's brother thanked the Fort Calhoun congregation in a message in the church bulletin last weekend for joining with nearly 1,000 other mourners at the priest's funeral last month. The Rev. Michael Gutgsell said he and his siblings will keep St. John the Baptist Church in their prayers.Parishioners of the three small churches will decide in the months ahead how to honor Gutgsell's memory, Johnson said.

Nebraska judge allows murder case to proceed against suspect in killing of small-town priest

WASHINGTON (AP) — An armed unmanned surface vessel launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen got within a “couple of miles” of U.S. Navy and commercial vessels in the Red Sea before detonating on Thursday, just hours after the White House and a host of partner nations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-hamas-houthis-red-sea-fef8d446852b6eae33d38ffd8f6b2d64">issued a “final warning”</a>&nbsp;to the Iran-backed militia group to cease the attacks or face potential military action.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Navy operations in the Middle East, said it was the first time the Houthis had used an unmanned surface vessel, or USV, since their harassment of commercial ships in the Red Sea began after the outbreak of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>. They have, however, used them in years past.

Fabian Hinz, a missile expert and research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the USV’s are a key part of the Houthi maritime arsenal and were used during previous battles against the Saudi coalition forces that intervened in Yemen's war. They have regularly been used as suicide drone boats that explode upon impact.

Most of the Houthis’ USVs are likely assembled in Yemen but often fitted with components made in Iran, such as computerized guidance systems, Hinz said.

At the United Nations, U.S. deputy ambassador Christopher Lu said at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-un-yemen-houthis-shipping-red-sea-08d42a18873ce55979c755ea1a9cc1b5">emergency Security Council meeting</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday that Iran has supplied the Houthis with money and advanced weapons systems, including drones, land attack cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. He said Iran also has been deeply involved in planning the Houthis' attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699124273212.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — An armed unmanned surface vessel launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen got within a “couple of miles” of U.S. Navy and commercial vessels in the Red Sea before detonating on Thursday, just hours after the White House and a host of partner nations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-hamas-houthis-red-sea-fef8d446852b6eae33d38ffd8f6b2d64">issued a “final warning”</a>&nbsp;to the Iran-backed militia group to cease the attacks or face potential military action.Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Navy operations in the Middle East, said it was the first time the Houthis had used an unmanned surface vessel, or USV, since their harassment of commercial ships in the Red Sea began after the outbreak of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>. They have, however, used them in years past.Fabian Hinz, a missile expert and research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the USV’s are a key part of the Houthi maritime arsenal and were used during previous battles against the Saudi coalition forces that intervened in Yemen's war. They have regularly been used as suicide drone boats that explode upon impact.Most of the Houthis’ USVs are likely assembled in Yemen but often fitted with components made in Iran, such as computerized guidance systems, Hinz said.At the United Nations, U.S. deputy ambassador Christopher Lu said at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-un-yemen-houthis-shipping-red-sea-08d42a18873ce55979c755ea1a9cc1b5">emergency Security Council meeting</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday that Iran has supplied the Houthis with money and advanced weapons systems, including drones, land attack cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. He said Iran also has been deeply involved in planning the Houthis' attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.He said the United States isn’t seeking a confrontation with Iran, but Tehran has a choice.“It can continue its current course,” Lu said, “or it can withhold its support without which the Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels navigating shipping lanes through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”This raises questions as to whether any action against the Houthis would also address Iran's role in any way, which could risk widening the conflict.A statement Wednesday signed by the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom gave the Houthis what a senior Biden administration official described as a final warning.“Let our message now be clear: we call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews,” the countries said in the statement. “The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.”Since late October, the Houthis have launched scores of one-way attack drones and missiles at commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea. U.S. Navy warships have also intercepted ballistic missiles the Pentagon says were headed toward Israel. Cooper said a total of 61 missiles and drones have been shot down by U.S. warships.In response to the Houthi attacks, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in December announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, with the United States and other countries sending additional ships to the southern Red Sea to provide protection for commercial vessels passing through the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait.Cooper said 1,500 commercial ships have been able to transit safely since the operation was launched on Dec. 18.However, the Houthis have continued to launch missiles and attack drones, prompting the White House and 12 allies to issue what amounted to a final warning Wednesday to cease their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-shipping-houthi-attacks-drones-missiles-1acc4ca5ebcaf6fee932a2061d451f59">attacks on vessels in the Red Sea</a>&nbsp;or face potential targeted military action.Cooper said Operation Prosperity Guardian was solely defensive in nature and separate from any military action the U.S. might take if the Houthi attacks continue.The U.S., United Kingdom and France are providing most of the warships now, and Greece and Denmark will also be providing vessels, he said.