TOPEKA, KAN. – The Kansas Lottery announced the winning number in the 2023 Holiday Millionaire Raffle. The $1 million winning Raffle ticket, which was sold in the South Central region of Kansas, was announced just before noon Wednesday in the 15th annual Holiday Millionaire Raffle, according to a media release from the organization.

The $1 million winning Raffle number is 096618

Joining the $1 million top prize winner are more than 5,600 other winners, including one $100,000 winner, one $25,000 winner, and two $10,000 winners.

Below are the prizes and number of winners that were drawn.

The $100,000 winning number is 095156; the $25,000 winning number is 024398; and the $10,000 winning numbers are 129239 and 096746!

For a complete list of winning Raffle numbers, visit the lottery website <a href="https://www.kslottery.com/\">here</a>

&nbsp;Raffle tickets may also be checked at any Kansas Lottery retail location, on the PlayOn® app using the Ticket Checker function, or by calling 785-296-5700.

Players must present their original tickets to claim a Raffle prize. Players with $50 and $100 winning tickets can claim their prizes at most Kansas Lottery retail locations. All other prizes must be claimed at the Kansas Lottery in Topeka, either in person or by mail. Players have 365 days from the date of the Raffle drawing to claim their winning tickets.

TOPEKA, KAN. – The Kansas Lottery announced the winning number in the 2023 Holiday Millionaire Raffle. The $1 million winning Raffle ticket, which was sold in the South Central region of Kansas, was announced just before noon Wednesday in the 15th annual Holiday Millionaire Raffle, according to a media release from the organization.The $1 million winning Raffle number is 096618Joining the $1 million top prize winner are more than 5,600 other winners, including one $100,000 winner, one $25,000 winner, and two $10,000 winners.Below are the prizes and number of winners that were drawn.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704312443171.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The $100,000 winning number is 095156; the $25,000 winning number is 024398; and the $10,000 winning numbers are 129239 and 096746!For a complete list of winning Raffle numbers, visit the lottery website <a href="https://www.kslottery.com/\">here</a>&nbsp;Raffle tickets may also be checked at any Kansas Lottery retail location, on the PlayOn® app using the Ticket Checker function, or by calling 785-296-5700.Players must present their original tickets to claim a Raffle prize. Players with $50 and $100 winning tickets can claim their prizes at most Kansas Lottery retail locations. All other prizes must be claimed at the Kansas Lottery in Topeka, either in person or by mail. Players have 365 days from the date of the Raffle drawing to claim their winning tickets.

Kansas Lottery Holiday Millionaire raffle winning number

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government’s gross national debt has surpassed $34 trillion, a record high that foreshadows the coming political and economic challenges to improve America’s balance sheet in the coming years.

The U.S. Treasury Department issued a report Tuesday logging U.S. finances, which have become a source of tension in a politically divided Washington that could possibly see parts of the government shutdown without an annual budget in place.

Republican lawmakers and the White House agreed last June to temporarily lift the nation’s debt limit, staving off the risk of what would be a historic default. That agreement lasts until January 2025. Here are some answers to questions about the new record national debt.

HOW DID THE NATIONAL DEBT HIT $34 TRILLION?

The national debt eclipsed $34 trillion several years sooner than pre-pandemic projections. The Congressional Budget Office’s January 2020 projections had gross federal debt eclipsing $34 trillion in fiscal year 2029.

“So far, Washington has been spending money as if we had unlimited resources,” said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at Loyola Marymount University. “But the bottom line is there is no free lunch,” he said, “and I think the outlook is pretty grim.”

The gross debt includes money that the government owes itself, so most policymakers rely on the total debt held by the public in assessing the government’s finances. This lower figure — $26.9 trillion — is roughly equal in size to the U.S. gross domestic product.

Last June, the Congressional Budget Office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-deficit-congress-spending-budget-biden-d3ec1e9bdbdd2089f31f09a1a8ca80ca" target="_blank">estimated in its 30-year outlook</a>&nbsp;that publicly held debt will be equal to a record 181% of American economic activity by 2053.

The national debt does not appear to be a weight on the U.S. economy right now, as investors are willing to lend the federal government money. This lending allows the government to keep spending on programs without having to raise taxes.

But the debt’s path in the decades to come might put at risk national security and major programs, including Social Security and Medicare, which have become the most prominent drivers of forecasted government spending over the next few decades. Government dysfunction, such as another debt limit showdown, could also be a financial risk if investors worry about lawmakers’ willingness to repay the U.S. debt.

Foreign buyers of U.S. debt — like China, Japan, South Korea and European nations — have already cut down on their holdings of Treasury notes.

A Peterson Foundation analysis states that foreign holdings of U.S. debt peaked at 49 percent in 2011, but dropped to 30 percent by the end of 2022.

“Looking ahead, debt will continue to skyrocket as the Treasury expects to borrow nearly $1 trillion more by the end of March,” said Peterson Foundation CEO Michael Peterson. “Adding trillion after trillion in debt, year after year, should be a flashing red warning sign to any policymaker who cares about the future of our country.

The debt equates to about $100,000 per person in the U.S. That sounds like a lot, but the sum so far has not appeared to threaten U.S. economic growth.

Instead, the risk is long term if the debt keeps rising to uncharted levels. Sohn said a higher debt load could put upward pressure on inflation and cause interest rates to remain elevated, which could also increase the cost of repaying the national debt.

And as the debt challenge evolves over time, choices may become more severe as the costs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid increasingly outstrip tax revenues.

When it could turn into a more dire situation, is anyone’s guess, says Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, “but if and when that happens, it could mean very significant consequences that occur very quickly.”

“It could mean spikes in interest rates, it could mean a recession that leads to lots more unemployment. It could lead to another bout of inflation or weird going on with consumer prices —several of which are things that we’ve experienced just in the past few years,” he said.

Both Democrats and Republicans have called for debt reduction, but they disagree on the appropriate means of doing so.

The Biden administration has been pushing for tax hikes on the wealthy and corporations to reduce budget deficits, in addition to funding its domestic agenda. Biden also increased the budget for the IRS, so that it can collect unpaid taxes and possibly reduce the debt by hundreds of billions of dollars over 10 years.

Republican lawmakers have called for large cuts to non-defense government programs and the repeal of clean energy tax credits and spending passed in the Inflation Reduction Act. But Republicans also want to trim Biden’s IRS funding and cut taxes further, both of which could cause the debt to worsen.

A Treasury Department representative did not respond to a request for comment.

Akabas said, “There is growing concern among investors and rating agencies that the trajectory we’re on is unsustainable — when that turns into a more dire situation is anyone’s guess.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615508965653.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government’s gross national debt has surpassed $34 trillion, a record high that foreshadows the coming political and economic challenges to improve America’s balance sheet in the coming years.The U.S. Treasury Department issued a report Tuesday logging U.S. finances, which have become a source of tension in a politically divided Washington that could possibly see parts of the government shutdown without an annual budget in place.Republican lawmakers and the White House agreed last June to temporarily lift the nation’s debt limit, staving off the risk of what would be a historic default. That agreement lasts until January 2025. Here are some answers to questions about the new record national debt.<h2>HOW DID THE NATIONAL DEBT HIT $34 TRILLION?</h2>The national debt eclipsed $34 trillion several years sooner than pre-pandemic projections. The Congressional Budget Office’s January 2020 projections had gross federal debt eclipsing $34 trillion in fiscal year 2029.“So far, Washington has been spending money as if we had unlimited resources,” said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at Loyola Marymount University. “But the bottom line is there is no free lunch,” he said, “and I think the outlook is pretty grim.”The gross debt includes money that the government owes itself, so most policymakers rely on the total debt held by the public in assessing the government’s finances. This lower figure — $26.9 trillion — is roughly equal in size to the U.S. gross domestic product.Last June, the Congressional Budget Office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-deficit-congress-spending-budget-biden-d3ec1e9bdbdd2089f31f09a1a8ca80ca" target="_blank">estimated in its 30-year outlook</a>&nbsp;that publicly held debt will be equal to a record 181% of American economic activity by 2053.<h2>WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO THE ECONOMY?</h2>The national debt does not appear to be a weight on the U.S. economy right now, as investors are willing to lend the federal government money. This lending allows the government to keep spending on programs without having to raise taxes.But the debt’s path in the decades to come might put at risk national security and major programs, including Social Security and Medicare, which have become the most prominent drivers of forecasted government spending over the next few decades. Government dysfunction, such as another debt limit showdown, could also be a financial risk if investors worry about lawmakers’ willingness to repay the U.S. debt.Foreign buyers of U.S. debt — like China, Japan, South Korea and European nations — have already cut down on their holdings of Treasury notes.A Peterson Foundation analysis states that foreign holdings of U.S. debt peaked at 49 percent in 2011, but dropped to 30 percent by the end of 2022.“Looking ahead, debt will continue to skyrocket as the Treasury expects to borrow nearly $1 trillion more by the end of March,” said Peterson Foundation CEO Michael Peterson. “Adding trillion after trillion in debt, year after year, should be a flashing red warning sign to any policymaker who cares about the future of our country.<h2>HOW COULD IT AFFECT ME?</h2>The debt equates to about $100,000 per person in the U.S. That sounds like a lot, but the sum so far has not appeared to threaten U.S. economic growth.Instead, the risk is long term if the debt keeps rising to uncharted levels. Sohn said a higher debt load could put upward pressure on inflation and cause interest rates to remain elevated, which could also increase the cost of repaying the national debt.And as the debt challenge evolves over time, choices may become more severe as the costs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid increasingly outstrip tax revenues.When it could turn into a more dire situation, is anyone’s guess, says Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, “but if and when that happens, it could mean very significant consequences that occur very quickly.”“It could mean spikes in interest rates, it could mean a recession that leads to lots more unemployment. It could lead to another bout of inflation or weird going on with consumer prices —several of which are things that we’ve experienced just in the past few years,” he said.<h2>HOW DO REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS DIFFER?</h2>Both Democrats and Republicans have called for debt reduction, but they disagree on the appropriate means of doing so.The Biden administration has been pushing for tax hikes on the wealthy and corporations to reduce budget deficits, in addition to funding its domestic agenda. Biden also increased the budget for the IRS, so that it can collect unpaid taxes and possibly reduce the debt by hundreds of billions of dollars over 10 years.Republican lawmakers have called for large cuts to non-defense government programs and the repeal of clean energy tax credits and spending passed in the Inflation Reduction Act. But Republicans also want to trim Biden’s IRS funding and cut taxes further, both of which could cause the debt to worsen.A Treasury Department representative did not respond to a request for comment.Akabas said, “There is growing concern among investors and rating agencies that the trajectory we’re on is unsustainable — when that turns into a more dire situation is anyone’s guess.”

How did US national debt hit record $34 trillion?



Lincoln, Nebraska — Registration is open for the 2024 Local Food and Healthy Farms Conference, which takes place Jan. 25-27 at the River’s Edge Conference Center in Columbus, Neb.

For over 40 years, the Nebraska Sustainable Ag Society’s (NSAS) annual conference has been a mainstay event for farmers to connect and share knowledge. For the third year, the conference is a collaborative partnership with University of Nebraska Extension and Nebraska Specialty Crop Growers&nbsp;to provide the most dynamic and comprehensive farming and local food systems conference in the state.

"Combining both Extension and NSAS’ efforts has allowed the organizing team to think creatively about how we engage this audience and build connections across the food value chain," said Ben Jewell, a Nebraska Extension educator and lead for the Nebraska Regional Food Systems Initiative. "Our attendees come from a wide range of backgrounds, as farmers, ranchers, food entrepreneurs, advocates and researchers—this diverse group being together over two days allows for more robust conversations that get at the root of the challenges facing our local food system."

The conference invites attendees to learn, connect, and collaborate for a more resilient food future.

"One of the main pieces of feedback we received from attendees at last year’s conference was that there wasn’t enough time for networking and engagement," said Jewell. "Our planning team this year has been intentional about building in extra time between sessions and eliminating talks during meals to allow for more in-depth engagement and connection among attendees. With around 220 stakeholders present at the 2023 Local Food and Healthy Farms conference, this event is a rare opportunity to build relationships across the food value chain in Nebraska."

Many of the sessions are developed and led by local farmers, focused on topics that are most relevant to small and mid-size food and farming operations. Other sessions focus on tribal food systems work in Nebraska, indigenous Mayan regenerative agriculture practices, and how chefs incorporate seasonally available local foods into their menus.

"A highlight of this conference is the local food dinner that is served on Friday evening," said Jewell. "Conference organizers work with chefs at the venue to plan a meal that is entirely sourced from local producers. Everything from local beef, small batch cheeses, fresh greens, and even local grains are featured in this meal."

The cost is $80 per day or $150 for both days and includes meals and access to all conference events. Scholarships are available.&nbsp;Register by January 13, 2024, at&nbsp;<a href="https://unl233.lt.acemlnb.com/Prod/link-tracker?redirectUrl=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&amp;sig=C66rpWo379RkYuZLjRPmVijXMK9NoWdSoUH2pXdPC2cW&amp;iat=1704235116&amp;a=%7C%7C68108822%7C%7C&amp;account=unl233%2Eactivehosted%2Ecom&amp;email=yTC9MQ%2Bl6y5T0szs%2FbU7aWl5Fu%2BQ3P4fdaNLUH79kefnYj4%2FQcVXoV0%3D%3Ay6ZQt5MMflVtSwLrTTwrbgreaVg8iMuK&amp;s=073f67d35943f6c01a66f2eac84e284e&amp;i=551A642A50A11117" target="_blank">sustainablenebraska.org/2024conference-registration</a>.The&nbsp;Local Food and Healthy Farms Conference is supported by several sponsors, including Rodale Institute, Center for Rural Affairs, Roberts Seeds, Viking Blue River Organic Seed, Acres USA, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and Buy Fresh Buy Local Nebraska.

Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society (NSAS) is a nonprofit organization serving farmers across the state for over 30 years with resources and networking opportunities including farm tours, grower gatherings and our keystone annual conference.



Lincoln, Nebraska — Registration is open for the 2024 Local Food and Healthy Farms Conference, which takes place Jan. 25-27 at the River’s Edge Conference Center in Columbus, Neb.For over 40 years, the Nebraska Sustainable Ag Society’s (NSAS) annual conference has been a mainstay event for farmers to connect and share knowledge. For the third year, the conference is a collaborative partnership with University of Nebraska Extension and Nebraska Specialty Crop Growers&nbsp;to provide the most dynamic and comprehensive farming and local food systems conference in the state."Combining both Extension and NSAS’ efforts has allowed the organizing team to think creatively about how we engage this audience and build connections across the food value chain," said Ben Jewell, a Nebraska Extension educator and lead for the Nebraska Regional Food Systems Initiative. "Our attendees come from a wide range of backgrounds, as farmers, ranchers, food entrepreneurs, advocates and researchers—this diverse group being together over two days allows for more robust conversations that get at the root of the challenges facing our local food system."The conference invites attendees to learn, connect, and collaborate for a more resilient food future.Conference highlights include:<ul>
 <li>More than 30 sessions on topics that span the agricultural and local food system spectrum, including farm financial and transition planning, farm skills, field crops, livestock, farm and food policy, urban agriculture and local food access, and more.</li><li>New Thursday pre-conference workshops that will provide more in-depth training in regional food systems, communication, and farm/ranch resources.</li><li>Keynote addresses from Nancy Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of No More Empty Pots in Omaha where she and her team have advocated and put into action their mission to improve self-efficacy, regional food security, and economic resilience of urban and rural communities; and Michael Foley, co-owner and operator of Green Uprising Farm, a small (very small), diversified, family farm in Willits, northern California. He is Director of the School of Adaptive Agriculture, also in Willits; market manager for the Willits Farmers Market; and President of the Mendocino County Farmers Market Association. And he is author of&nbsp;Farming for the Long Haul&nbsp;(Chelsea Green, 2019).</li><li>Several opportunities to network with other farmers, researchers, sponsors, service agencies, and consumers including a Friday evening reception and exhibit hall.</li>
 </ul>"One of the main pieces of feedback we received from attendees at last year’s conference was that there wasn’t enough time for networking and engagement," said Jewell. "Our planning team this year has been intentional about building in extra time between sessions and eliminating talks during meals to allow for more in-depth engagement and connection among attendees. With around 220 stakeholders present at the 2023 Local Food and Healthy Farms conference, this event is a rare opportunity to build relationships across the food value chain in Nebraska."Many of the sessions are developed and led by local farmers, focused on topics that are most relevant to small and mid-size food and farming operations. Other sessions focus on tribal food systems work in Nebraska, indigenous Mayan regenerative agriculture practices, and how chefs incorporate seasonally available local foods into their menus."A highlight of this conference is the local food dinner that is served on Friday evening," said Jewell. "Conference organizers work with chefs at the venue to plan a meal that is entirely sourced from local producers. Everything from local beef, small batch cheeses, fresh greens, and even local grains are featured in this meal."The cost is $80 per day or $150 for both days and includes meals and access to all conference events. Scholarships are available.&nbsp;Register by January 13, 2024, at&nbsp;<a href="https://unl233.lt.acemlnb.com/Prod/link-tracker?redirectUrl=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&amp;sig=C66rpWo379RkYuZLjRPmVijXMK9NoWdSoUH2pXdPC2cW&amp;iat=1704235116&amp;a=%7C%7C68108822%7C%7C&amp;account=unl233%2Eactivehosted%2Ecom&amp;email=yTC9MQ%2Bl6y5T0szs%2FbU7aWl5Fu%2BQ3P4fdaNLUH79kefnYj4%2FQcVXoV0%3D%3Ay6ZQt5MMflVtSwLrTTwrbgreaVg8iMuK&amp;s=073f67d35943f6c01a66f2eac84e284e&amp;i=551A642A50A11117" target="_blank">sustainablenebraska.org/2024conference-registration</a>.The&nbsp;Local Food and Healthy Farms Conference is supported by several sponsors, including Rodale Institute, Center for Rural Affairs, Roberts Seeds, Viking Blue River Organic Seed, Acres USA, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and Buy Fresh Buy Local Nebraska.Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society (NSAS) is a nonprofit organization serving farmers across the state for over 30 years with resources and networking opportunities including farm tours, grower gatherings and our keystone annual conference.

Registration is Open for the Annual Local Food & Healthy Farms Conference

WASHINGTON — Congress is staring down a funding cliff in mid-January and a second one in early February, but neither of those deadlines have inspired House and Senate leaders to broker agreement on the dozen bills that were supposed to become law by Oct. 1.

Appropriators are concerned the upcoming election year and competing legislative priorities have pushed their work to the back of the line, increasing the odds that Congress stumbles into a partial government shutdown in the new year.

The lawmakers who work on funding bills are equally frustrated that leaders may simply lean on a third stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded for the rest of the fiscal year, throwing months of work on the dozen full-year spending bills out the window.

Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in mid-December that using a stopgap spending bill, also called a continuing resolution, to fund the government for the entire fiscal year would be “unprecedented and reckless.”

“We cannot just throw up our hands, act like nothing in the world has changed in the past 12 months, abdicate our responsibility to our constituents and box in our nation’s future by putting the government on autopilot,” Murray said.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the top Republican on the committee, has also rejected the idea of Congress using another continuing resolution, saying during a floor speech in late November the “temporary funding patches lead to harmful uncertainties, needless inefficiencies and wasted taxpayer dollars.”

“A year-long continuing resolution would simply fail to provide the resources needed to protect our nation,” Collins said.

A full-year stopgap spending bill would cut defense spending by $34.6 billion compared to what the Senate spending panel approved in its bipartisan bill, she said.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said Tuesday that using a continuing resolution to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year is “unacceptable.”

“It’s devastating, particularly for defense and we’ve got all of these wars going on,” McConnell said. “So we need to reach an agreement on the topline and get about getting an outcome as soon as possible.”

Congress and the Biden administration agreed to spending levels for fiscal year 2024, which began back on Oct. 1, as well as fiscal year 2025 when they brokered the debt limit deal last summer.

The Senate Appropriations Committee wrote all 12 of its annual government funding bills to roughly that level and the committee approved them all following broadly bipartisan votes.

The House spending panel, however, wrote its bills more than $100 billion below those levels and added in dozens of conservative policy changes that infuriated Democrats.

Those differing spending levels are among the many issues that have delayed the House and Senate from heading to conference committees to hammer out their differences.

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said before that chamber left for a three-week winter break that he agreed the spending bills should be written to the funding levels in the debt limit law. But he argued the Senate bills are above those numbers.

“We’re awaiting the other team, the other side, the other chamber to come forward with a number that we can agree upon that we write to,” Johnson said. “And that’s the impasse and that’s what we’re waiting on. But the law is the law.”

Collins said Tuesday that her preference would be for the final bills to reflect the topline spending level in the debt limit law “plus the side deal plus filling in with some emergency spending that” she and Chair Murray agreed to.

The stalemate has aggravated both Democrats and Republicans on the Senate and House committees, who say leadership needs to give them the green light to begin talks ahead of the Jan. 19 deadline for four spending bills and the Feb. 2 deadline for the other eight appropriations measures.

Arkansas Republican Rep. Steve Womack, chair of the Financial Services spending panel, said last week that congressional leaders should have told the committee weeks ago what the total spending level would be for the current fiscal year, known as the topline.

“We’re just in a bad spot. We’ve needed these topline numbers,” Womack said. “I’m anxious to go home for Christmas, but at the end of the day, I know if they gave us a topline today, we are just going to absolutely kill our staffs. These do not happen overnight.”

Maryland Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, ranking member on the Financial Services spending panel, said January will be “chaotic” since the GOP leaders have “created a crisis.”

“They have created a chaotic, almost impossible situation for themselves and the country,” Hoyer said.

A shutdown, he said, is “more likely than it should be because of the timeframe and because of the irresolution and the deep division within the Republican Party.”

Kentucky Rep. Hal Rogers, the top Republican on the Commerce-Justice-Science spending subcommittee, said not having spending levels puts meeting the Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 deadlines in “severe jeopardy.”

Rogers said he believes Speaker Johnson understands the importance of getting agreement on the spending levels, but said that is challenging at the moment.

“I think he fully understands that,” Roger said. “But he’s got to put together the votes to make that happen.”

Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, chair of the Defense spending subcommittee, said Congress should use the topline spending levels that were put in the debt limit law that Republicans and Democrats voted to approve.

“Toplines on appropriations, in my book, are set,” Tester said. “They were agreed to and the speaker of the House voted for them months ago. And to go back is really bad form, bad business, word is not your bond, very anti-Montanan.”

Tester said he would work to get agreement between the Republican House and Democratic Senate on his bill before funding expires on Feb. 2, but said he wasn’t sure that could happen.

“It’s got me very worried because there are no presents to open in January,” Tester said, alluding to the fact that Congress normally negotiates the bills ahead of the winter break.

The prospect of Congress using a stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded for the rest of the fiscal year doesn’t appeal to Tester, who said “God forbid” when asked about the possibility.

Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole, chair of the Transportation-HUD subcommittee, said using another stopgap spending bill, or a series of them, to fund the government — instead of passing the 12 full-year bills — is “very possible.”

“In some ways, it’s even the most likely, but it should not be the desired outcome,” Cole said.

The odds of a partial government shutdown beginning next year are low, Cole said, though he didn’t rule it out entirely.

Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, chair of the Labor-HHS-Education spending subcommittee, said “there’s still nothing from the House” that would allow the chairs and ranking members to begin conference talks.

Given the time crunch, Baldwin said, the best option would be for the House to pass the dozen government funding bills the Senate Appropriations Committee approved earlier this year on broadly bipartisan votes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704223603619.png" alt="House Speaker Mike Johnson-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Mike Johnson-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — Congress is staring down a funding cliff in mid-January and a second one in early February, but neither of those deadlines have inspired House and Senate leaders to broker agreement on the dozen bills that were supposed to become law by Oct. 1.Appropriators are concerned the upcoming election year and competing legislative priorities have pushed their work to the back of the line, increasing the odds that Congress stumbles into a partial government shutdown in the new year.The lawmakers who work on funding bills are equally frustrated that leaders may simply lean on a third stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded for the rest of the fiscal year, throwing months of work on the dozen full-year spending bills out the window.Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in mid-December that using a stopgap spending bill, also called a continuing resolution, to fund the government for the entire fiscal year would be “unprecedented and reckless.”“We cannot just throw up our hands, act like nothing in the world has changed in the past 12 months, abdicate our responsibility to our constituents and box in our nation’s future by putting the government on autopilot,” Murray said.Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the top Republican on the committee, has also rejected the idea of Congress using another continuing resolution, saying during a floor speech in late November the “temporary funding patches lead to harmful uncertainties, needless inefficiencies and wasted taxpayer dollars.”“A year-long continuing resolution would simply fail to provide the resources needed to protect our nation,” Collins said.A full-year stopgap spending bill would cut defense spending by $34.6 billion compared to what the Senate spending panel approved in its bipartisan bill, she said.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said Tuesday that using a continuing resolution to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year is “unacceptable.”“It’s devastating, particularly for defense and we’ve got all of these wars going on,” McConnell said. “So we need to reach an agreement on the topline and get about getting an outcome as soon as possible.”<h2>Spending levels in debt limit deal</h2>Congress and the Biden administration agreed to spending levels for fiscal year 2024, which began back on Oct. 1, as well as fiscal year 2025 when they brokered the debt limit deal last summer.The Senate Appropriations Committee wrote all 12 of its annual government funding bills to roughly that level and the committee approved them all following broadly bipartisan votes.The House spending panel, however, wrote its bills more than $100 billion below those levels and added in dozens of conservative policy changes that infuriated Democrats.Those differing spending levels are among the many issues that have delayed the House and Senate from heading to conference committees to hammer out their differences.Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said before that chamber left for a three-week winter break that he agreed the spending bills should be written to the funding levels in the debt limit law. But he argued the Senate bills are above those numbers.“We’re awaiting the other team, the other side, the other chamber to come forward with a number that we can agree upon that we write to,” Johnson said. “And that’s the impasse and that’s what we’re waiting on. But the law is the law.”Collins said Tuesday that her preference would be for the final bills to reflect the topline spending level in the debt limit law “plus the side deal plus filling in with some emergency spending that” she and Chair Murray agreed to.The stalemate has aggravated both Democrats and Republicans on the Senate and House committees, who say leadership needs to give them the green light to begin talks ahead of the Jan. 19 deadline for four spending bills and the Feb. 2 deadline for the other eight appropriations measures.Arkansas Republican Rep. Steve Womack, chair of the Financial Services spending panel, said last week that congressional leaders should have told the committee weeks ago what the total spending level would be for the current fiscal year, known as the topline.“We’re just in a bad spot. We’ve needed these topline numbers,” Womack said. “I’m anxious to go home for Christmas, but at the end of the day, I know if they gave us a topline today, we are just going to absolutely kill our staffs. These do not happen overnight.”<h2>‘Chaotic’ month predicted</h2>Maryland Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, ranking member on the Financial Services spending panel, said January will be “chaotic” since the GOP leaders have “created a crisis.”“They have created a chaotic, almost impossible situation for themselves and the country,” Hoyer said.A shutdown, he said, is “more likely than it should be because of the timeframe and because of the irresolution and the deep division within the Republican Party.”Kentucky Rep. Hal Rogers, the top Republican on the Commerce-Justice-Science spending subcommittee, said not having spending levels puts meeting the Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 deadlines in “severe jeopardy.”Rogers said he believes Speaker Johnson understands the importance of getting agreement on the spending levels, but said that is challenging at the moment.“I think he fully understands that,” Roger said. “But he’s got to put together the votes to make that happen.”Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, chair of the Defense spending subcommittee, said Congress should use the topline spending levels that were put in the debt limit law that Republicans and Democrats voted to approve.“Toplines on appropriations, in my book, are set,” Tester said. “They were agreed to and the speaker of the House voted for them months ago. And to go back is really bad form, bad business, word is not your bond, very anti-Montanan.”Tester said he would work to get agreement between the Republican House and Democratic Senate on his bill before funding expires on Feb. 2, but said he wasn’t sure that could happen.“It’s got me very worried because there are no presents to open in January,” Tester said, alluding to the fact that Congress normally negotiates the bills ahead of the winter break.The prospect of Congress using a stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded for the rest of the fiscal year doesn’t appeal to Tester, who said “God forbid” when asked about the possibility.Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole, chair of the Transportation-HUD subcommittee, said using another stopgap spending bill, or a series of them, to fund the government — instead of passing the 12 full-year bills — is “very possible.”“In some ways, it’s even the most likely, but it should not be the desired outcome,” Cole said.The odds of a partial government shutdown beginning next year are low, Cole said, though he didn’t rule it out entirely.Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, chair of the Labor-HHS-Education spending subcommittee, said “there’s still nothing from the House” that would allow the chairs and ranking members to begin conference talks.Given the time crunch, Baldwin said, the best option would be for the House to pass the dozen government funding bills the Senate Appropriations Committee approved earlier this year on broadly bipartisan votes.

Congress faces 2 shutdown deadlines; no action yet on spending

JERUSALEM —Just after 9:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), on Tuesday, Iranian-backed Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen into the Southern Red Sea, according to a statement from the. U.S. Central Command.

Multiple commercial ships in the area reported the impact of the ASBMs into the surrounding water though none have reported any damage. 

These illegal actions endangered the lives of dozens of innocent mariners and continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce. This is the 24th attack against merchant shipping in the Southern Red Sea since Nov. 19.

Meanwhile, Israel was on high alert for an escalation with Hezbollah on Wednesday after one of the top leaders of the Palestinian Hamas was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">killed in a strike in Beirut</a>&nbsp;that was widely blamed on Israel and heightened the risk of a broader Middle East conflict.

The killing of Saleh Arouri,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-beirut-explosion-suburbs-hezbollah-israel-2a43fe948e8cb49c64b34bb963d77f64">the most senior Hamas member slain</a>&nbsp;since the war in Gaza erupted nearly three months ago, provided a morale boost for Israelis still reeling from Hamas'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">Oct. 7 attack</a>&nbsp;as the militants put up stiff resistance in Gaza and continue to hold scores of hostages.

But its implications for the war remain unclear. Israel has killed several top Hamas leaders over the years, only to see them quickly replaced. And the strike in Hezbollah's southern Beirut stronghold could cause the low-intensity fighting along the Lebanon border to boil over into all-out war.

Much depends on how Hassan Nasrallah — who has led Hezbollah since an Israeli strike killed his predecessor in 1992 — chooses to respond. He has previously vowed to retaliate for any Israeli targeting of allied militant leaders in Lebanon, and was expected to deliver a speech at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT).

Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire almost daily over the Israeli-Lebanese border since the war in Gaza began, but Nasrallah has appeared reluctant to escalate it further, perhaps fearing a repeat of the monthlong 2006 war, in which Israel heavily bombed Beirut and southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah announced a flurry of rocket launches into northern Israel late Tuesday but did not directly link them to the killing of Arouri. Journalists in southern Lebanon reported heavy Israeli shelling and airstrikes. But there were no reports of casualties, and by early Wednesday the border area was calm.

Israeli officials have not commented on the strike that killed Arouri, but Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said “we are on high readiness for any scenario.”

The United States has sought to prevent any widening of the conflict, including by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uss-gerald-r-ford-aircraft-carrier-israel-20fb033f78bfd37fb4b0cf1df468a731">deploying two aircraft carriers and other military assets to the region</a>. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was expected in the region this week.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to kill Hamas leaders wherever they are. The group's Oct. 7 attack from Gaza into southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, and some 240 others were taken hostage.

Israel claims to have killed a number of mid-level Hamas leaders in Gaza, but this would be the first time since the war that it has reached into another country to target the group's top leaders, many of whom live in exile around the region.

Arouri was the deputy of Hamas’ supreme political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and headed the group’s presence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He was also a key liaison with Hezbollah. The U.S. State Department had listed him as a terrorist and&nbsp;<a href="https://rewardsforjustice.net/rewards/salih-al-aruri/">offered a $5 million reward</a>&nbsp;for information about him.

Haniyeh said Hamas was “more powerful and determined” following the attack, which killed six other members of the group, including two military commanders. “They left behind them strong men who will carry the banner after them,” he said of those killed.

Hezbollah called the strike “a serious attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance.”

“We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment,” it said.

ISRAEL SEEKS A ‘CLEAR VICTORY’ IN GAZA

The focus of the war remains on Gaza, where Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is seeking a “clear victory” over Hamas, which has ruled the territory since 2007.

Israel's air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 22,300 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory</a>. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

The campaign has driven some 85% of Gaza’s population from their homes, forcing hundreds of thousands of people into overcrowded shelters or teeming tent camps in Israeli-designated safe areas that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-war-90e02d26420b8fe3157f73c256f9ed6a">military has nevertheless bombed</a>. A quarter of Gaza's population&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-21-2023-7d9718b32bf0d308c44c7c9e3c4e0deb">face starvation</a>, according to the United Nations, as Israeli restrictions and heavy fighting hinder aid delivery.

The unprecedented death and destruction has led South Africa to accuse Israel of genocide in a case filed with the International Court of Justice, allegations Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-02-2024-08e0eeee96bfc559a2390c60c7db351b">has strongly denied and vowed to contest</a>.

Still, Israel appears far from achieving its goals of crushing Hamas and returning the estimated 129 hostages still held by the group after more than 100 were released in a cease-fire deal in November.

Gallant said several thousand Hamas fighters remain in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops have been battling militants for over two months and where entire neighborhoods have been blasted into rubble.

Heavy fighting is also underway in central Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israeli officials say Hamas' military structure is still largely intact.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-leader-gaza-war-sinwar-7359ae98217aa11aa7c20c2780d5d350">Yehya Sinwar, Hamas' top leader in Gaza</a>, and his deputies have thus far eluded Israeli forces.

Egypt, which along with Qatar has served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan for ending the war in which all hostages would eventually be released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israel would withdraw from Gaza and a government of Palestinian technocrats would govern Gaza and parts of the occupied West Bank until elections are held.

Neither Israel nor Hamas have accepted the plan in its entirety, but neither has rejected it outright.

An Israeli delegation was in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official who was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said the killing of Arouri was likely to hamper the negotiations for a couple days.

JERUSALEM —Just after 9:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), on Tuesday, Iranian-backed Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen into the Southern Red Sea, according to a statement from the. U.S. Central Command.Multiple commercial ships in the area reported the impact of the ASBMs into the surrounding water though none have reported any damage. These illegal actions endangered the lives of dozens of innocent mariners and continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce. This is the 24th attack against merchant shipping in the Southern Red Sea since Nov. 19.Meanwhile, Israel was on high alert for an escalation with Hezbollah on Wednesday after one of the top leaders of the Palestinian Hamas was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">killed in a strike in Beirut</a>&nbsp;that was widely blamed on Israel and heightened the risk of a broader Middle East conflict.The killing of Saleh Arouri,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-beirut-explosion-suburbs-hezbollah-israel-2a43fe948e8cb49c64b34bb963d77f64">the most senior Hamas member slain</a>&nbsp;since the war in Gaza erupted nearly three months ago, provided a morale boost for Israelis still reeling from Hamas'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">Oct. 7 attack</a>&nbsp;as the militants put up stiff resistance in Gaza and continue to hold scores of hostages.But its implications for the war remain unclear. Israel has killed several top Hamas leaders over the years, only to see them quickly replaced. And the strike in Hezbollah's southern Beirut stronghold could cause the low-intensity fighting along the Lebanon border to boil over into all-out war.Much depends on how Hassan Nasrallah — who has led Hezbollah since an Israeli strike killed his predecessor in 1992 — chooses to respond. He has previously vowed to retaliate for any Israeli targeting of allied militant leaders in Lebanon, and was expected to deliver a speech at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT).Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire almost daily over the Israeli-Lebanese border since the war in Gaza began, but Nasrallah has appeared reluctant to escalate it further, perhaps fearing a repeat of the monthlong 2006 war, in which Israel heavily bombed Beirut and southern Lebanon.Hezbollah announced a flurry of rocket launches into northern Israel late Tuesday but did not directly link them to the killing of Arouri. Journalists in southern Lebanon reported heavy Israeli shelling and airstrikes. But there were no reports of casualties, and by early Wednesday the border area was calm.Israeli officials have not commented on the strike that killed Arouri, but Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said “we are on high readiness for any scenario.”The United States has sought to prevent any widening of the conflict, including by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uss-gerald-r-ford-aircraft-carrier-israel-20fb033f78bfd37fb4b0cf1df468a731">deploying two aircraft carriers and other military assets to the region</a>. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was expected in the region this week.A HIGH-PROFILE TARGETPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to kill Hamas leaders wherever they are. The group's Oct. 7 attack from Gaza into southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, and some 240 others were taken hostage.Israel claims to have killed a number of mid-level Hamas leaders in Gaza, but this would be the first time since the war that it has reached into another country to target the group's top leaders, many of whom live in exile around the region.Arouri was the deputy of Hamas’ supreme political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and headed the group’s presence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He was also a key liaison with Hezbollah. The U.S. State Department had listed him as a terrorist and&nbsp;<a href="https://rewardsforjustice.net/rewards/salih-al-aruri/">offered a $5 million reward</a>&nbsp;for information about him.Haniyeh said Hamas was “more powerful and determined” following the attack, which killed six other members of the group, including two military commanders. “They left behind them strong men who will carry the banner after them,” he said of those killed.Hezbollah called the strike “a serious attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance.”“We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment,” it said.ISRAEL SEEKS A ‘CLEAR VICTORY’ IN GAZAThe focus of the war remains on Gaza, where Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is seeking a “clear victory” over Hamas, which has ruled the territory since 2007.Israel's air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 22,300 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory</a>. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.The campaign has driven some 85% of Gaza’s population from their homes, forcing hundreds of thousands of people into overcrowded shelters or teeming tent camps in Israeli-designated safe areas that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-war-90e02d26420b8fe3157f73c256f9ed6a">military has nevertheless bombed</a>. A quarter of Gaza's population&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-21-2023-7d9718b32bf0d308c44c7c9e3c4e0deb">face starvation</a>, according to the United Nations, as Israeli restrictions and heavy fighting hinder aid delivery.The unprecedented death and destruction has led South Africa to accuse Israel of genocide in a case filed with the International Court of Justice, allegations Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-02-2024-08e0eeee96bfc559a2390c60c7db351b">has strongly denied and vowed to contest</a>.Still, Israel appears far from achieving its goals of crushing Hamas and returning the estimated 129 hostages still held by the group after more than 100 were released in a cease-fire deal in November.Gallant said several thousand Hamas fighters remain in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops have been battling militants for over two months and where entire neighborhoods have been blasted into rubble.Heavy fighting is also underway in central Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israeli officials say Hamas' military structure is still largely intact.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-leader-gaza-war-sinwar-7359ae98217aa11aa7c20c2780d5d350">Yehya Sinwar, Hamas' top leader in Gaza</a>, and his deputies have thus far eluded Israeli forces.Egypt, which along with Qatar has served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan for ending the war in which all hostages would eventually be released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israel would withdraw from Gaza and a government of Palestinian technocrats would govern Gaza and parts of the occupied West Bank until elections are held.Neither Israel nor Hamas have accepted the plan in its entirety, but neither has rejected it outright.An Israeli delegation was in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official who was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said the killing of Arouri was likely to hamper the negotiations for a couple days.___

US reports another ballistic missile attack in Red Sea

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Gypsy Rose Blanchard said she has found a way to forgive her mother — and herself. But it has been a long journey from years of abuse and the darkest parts of her life splashed across tabloids to living in prison.

Blanchard, now 32, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gypsy-rose-blanchard-munchausen-mother-killed-b3a792e32b72eb13feed9a73df2065fd">paroled</a>&nbsp;last week from a Missouri women's prison. Her release came 8 1/2 years after she persuaded her boyfriend at the time to kill her abusive mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard — in a desperate bid to be free of her.

For years, her mother forced her to pretend that she was suffering from leukemia, muscular dystrophy and other serious illnesses.

“At first I was really angry with her, very confused. And I’m still confused," Blanchard told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday. “But I understand that she had a lot of mental issues. And so I think that’s brought me to a place of forgiveness by just trying to understand where she was coming from. I don’t believe that she was evil.

"I know, that she was very sick,” she continued. This journey, Blanchard explained, also involved forgiving herself.

Dee Dee Blanchard had essentially kept her daughter prisoner and duped doctors into doing unnecessary procedures by telling them that her daughter's medical records had been lost in Hurricane Katrina. Gypsy Rose Blanchard's attorney said the mother had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through the exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children.

The mother-daughter duo received charitable donations, and even a home near Springfield from Habitat for Humanity.

Forced to use a wheelchair and feeding tube, Gypsy felt trapped. She said her mother, who lied about Gypsy's age to make her seem younger, prevented her from having much of a relationship with her father — or with anyone else.

“I wish I could go back and tell my younger self, ‘Call your dad. Reach out for help with people because they will actually believe you,’" she said. "The main reason why I didn’t is because I really felt like nobody would believe me whenever I said that things just wasn’t right at home.”

When she turned 23, she supplied a knife to her boyfriend, and hid in a bathroom while he repeatedly stabbed her mother, according to the probable cause statement. Then Gypsy and Nicholas Godejohn, who she met on a Christian dating website, made their way by bus to Godejohn's home in Wisconsin, where they were arrested.

Godejohn is serving a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-406c475f13654a588dc300afc3c43236">life sentence</a>&nbsp;in Missouri while prosecutors cut Blanchard a deal because of the abuse she had endured.

Incarceration was “nothing but self-discovery,” she said. She made friends, earned her GED and overcame early shortcomings in her education that left her unable to do basic math. While behind bars, she even met and married someone who forged a relationship with Gypsy by writing to her on a whim.

"I was in a little cocoon. And now that I’m free, I’ve emerged as a butterfly,” she said.

She describes her husband Ryan Scott Anderson, a 37-year-old special education teacher from Lake Charles, Louisiana, as a “teddy bear." In the pre-dawn hours last Thursday, Anderson picked her up at the prison. They had planned to go to the Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday; she dreamed she might even bump into superstar Taylor Swift as she cheered on her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce. Swift's music had been an inspiration to Blanchard.

But going to the game was deemed too much, too soon. Instead she headed to Louisiana and started to settle into post-prison life. Her father also lives in the state, and she said she is finally “getting to know him as an adult.”

“This is what I’ve been wanting for so long," she said. “But it’s an adjustment. But it’s a wonderful adjustment.” She added that given her childhood, it also is her "first taste of actual, real, full fledged freedom.”

This week, she is delighting in the little things. She used a Keurig coffee maker for the first time Tuesday. She played video games with her father using a virtual reality headset. She described both experiences as “amazing.”

She isn't sure yet what will come next and said she wants to give herself a little bit of time before she decides. Eventually, she wants to have children with her husband. But when is a question mark, as is possibilities for employment. The only jobs she has ever had were all in prison, where she took photos and helped out with janitorial tasks.

“Right now, I’m really not sure what my skill is," she said, "so I’m going to have to kind of discover that over time.”

As she adjusts, there has been a fresh round of media coverage. A Lifetime docuseries “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gypsyrose_a_blanchard/">and her own eBook, </a>“Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom” (Penguin Random House) are coming out this month.

Around the U.S. people learned about the bizarre case from the 2017 HBO documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and the 2019 Hulu miniseries “The Act."

While there have been many TV specials and interviews over the years, she steered clear of watching them, fearing it would be “emotionally traumatizing,” she said. This docuseries will be the first she has ever watched.

“I am at least putting myself out there to be a cautionary tale,” she said. "because I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I went through.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704246799693.png" alt="Blanchard-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Blanchard-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Gypsy Rose Blanchard said she has found a way to forgive her mother — and herself. But it has been a long journey from years of abuse and the darkest parts of her life splashed across tabloids to living in prison.Blanchard, now 32, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gypsy-rose-blanchard-munchausen-mother-killed-b3a792e32b72eb13feed9a73df2065fd">paroled</a>&nbsp;last week from a Missouri women's prison. Her release came 8 1/2 years after she persuaded her boyfriend at the time to kill her abusive mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard — in a desperate bid to be free of her.For years, her mother forced her to pretend that she was suffering from leukemia, muscular dystrophy and other serious illnesses.“At first I was really angry with her, very confused. And I’m still confused," Blanchard told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday. “But I understand that she had a lot of mental issues. And so I think that’s brought me to a place of forgiveness by just trying to understand where she was coming from. I don’t believe that she was evil."I know, that she was very sick,” she continued. This journey, Blanchard explained, also involved forgiving herself.Dee Dee Blanchard had essentially kept her daughter prisoner and duped doctors into doing unnecessary procedures by telling them that her daughter's medical records had been lost in Hurricane Katrina. Gypsy Rose Blanchard's attorney said the mother had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through the exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children.The mother-daughter duo received charitable donations, and even a home near Springfield from Habitat for Humanity.Forced to use a wheelchair and feeding tube, Gypsy felt trapped. She said her mother, who lied about Gypsy's age to make her seem younger, prevented her from having much of a relationship with her father — or with anyone else.“I wish I could go back and tell my younger self, ‘Call your dad. Reach out for help with people because they will actually believe you,’" she said. "The main reason why I didn’t is because I really felt like nobody would believe me whenever I said that things just wasn’t right at home.”When she turned 23, she supplied a knife to her boyfriend, and hid in a bathroom while he repeatedly stabbed her mother, according to the probable cause statement. Then Gypsy and Nicholas Godejohn, who she met on a Christian dating website, made their way by bus to Godejohn's home in Wisconsin, where they were arrested.Godejohn is serving a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-406c475f13654a588dc300afc3c43236">life sentence</a>&nbsp;in Missouri while prosecutors cut Blanchard a deal because of the abuse she had endured.Incarceration was “nothing but self-discovery,” she said. She made friends, earned her GED and overcame early shortcomings in her education that left her unable to do basic math. While behind bars, she even met and married someone who forged a relationship with Gypsy by writing to her on a whim."I was in a little cocoon. And now that I’m free, I’ve emerged as a butterfly,” she said.She describes her husband Ryan Scott Anderson, a 37-year-old special education teacher from Lake Charles, Louisiana, as a “teddy bear." In the pre-dawn hours last Thursday, Anderson picked her up at the prison. They had planned to go to the Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday; she dreamed she might even bump into superstar Taylor Swift as she cheered on her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce. Swift's music had been an inspiration to Blanchard.But going to the game was deemed too much, too soon. Instead she headed to Louisiana and started to settle into post-prison life. Her father also lives in the state, and she said she is finally “getting to know him as an adult.”“This is what I’ve been wanting for so long," she said. “But it’s an adjustment. But it’s a wonderful adjustment.” She added that given her childhood, it also is her "first taste of actual, real, full fledged freedom.”This week, she is delighting in the little things. She used a Keurig coffee maker for the first time Tuesday. She played video games with her father using a virtual reality headset. She described both experiences as “amazing.”She isn't sure yet what will come next and said she wants to give herself a little bit of time before she decides. Eventually, she wants to have children with her husband. But when is a question mark, as is possibilities for employment. The only jobs she has ever had were all in prison, where she took photos and helped out with janitorial tasks.“Right now, I’m really not sure what my skill is," she said, "so I’m going to have to kind of discover that over time.”As she adjusts, there has been a fresh round of media coverage. A Lifetime docuseries “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gypsyrose_a_blanchard/">and her own eBook, </a>“Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom” (Penguin Random House) are coming out this month.Around the U.S. people learned about the bizarre case from the 2017 HBO documentary “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and the 2019 Hulu miniseries “The Act."While there have been many TV specials and interviews over the years, she steered clear of watching them, fearing it would be “emotionally traumatizing,” she said. This docuseries will be the first she has ever watched.“I am at least putting myself out there to be a cautionary tale,” she said. "because I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I went through.”

Mo. woman is free and reflecting on prison term for conspiring to kill her abusive mother

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Someone in Michigan won an $842.4 million Powerball jackpot on the first day of 2024, the first time it has been won on New Year’s Day since the game’s start in 1992.

The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball: 1.

Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its earlier estimate of $810 million to $842.4 million at the time of the drawing, making it the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot and 10th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won.

The lucky ticket was sold at the Food Castle convenience store in Grand Blanc Township, near Flint. According to WJRT, Food Castle has been a fixture in the community for nearly 40 years.

“Usually, you hear stuff like that happening in different states,” store owner Bill Nannoshi told the station. “So, it’s great. It’s great for this community. I mean, Grand Blanc is an awesome place to work.”

Before the big win on New Year's, the jackpot had been growing since mid-October.

The chance of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1 in 292.2 million.

The lucky ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $842.4 million, payable over 30 years, or a lump sum payment of $425.2 million. Both prize options are before taxes.

Other top-winning tickets include four sold in California, Connecticut, Florida and Maryland, that matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. Two tickets, from Florida and Texas, matched all five white balls and won $2 million prizes by including the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Someone in Michigan won an $842.4 million Powerball jackpot on the first day of 2024, the first time it has been won on New Year’s Day since the game’s start in 1992.The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball: 1.Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its earlier estimate of $810 million to $842.4 million at the time of the drawing, making it the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot and 10th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won.The lucky ticket was sold at the Food Castle convenience store in Grand Blanc Township, near Flint. According to WJRT, Food Castle has been a fixture in the community for nearly 40 years.“Usually, you hear stuff like that happening in different states,” store owner Bill Nannoshi told the station. “So, it’s great. It’s great for this community. I mean, Grand Blanc is an awesome place to work.”Before the big win on New Year's, the jackpot had been growing since mid-October.The chance of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1 in 292.2 million.The lucky ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $842.4 million, payable over 30 years, or a lump sum payment of $425.2 million. Both prize options are before taxes.Other top-winning tickets include four sold in California, Connecticut, Florida and Maryland, that matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. Two tickets, from Florida and Texas, matched all five white balls and won $2 million prizes by including the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play.

$842 million Powerball ticket: 1st time game has been won on New Year's Day

TOKYO (AP) — A passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday and burst into flames, with five people on the smaller plane killed, officials said.

All 379 people on Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the plane was engulfed in flames, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed. The pilot of the coast guard plane escaped but the five crew members died, Saito said.

Tuesday’s accident was the first time one of the Airbus A350, among the industry’s newest large passenger planes, was severely damaged. It entered commercial service in 2015. Airbus in a statement said it was sending specialists to help Japanese and French authorities and that the plane was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021.

The A350 had flown from Shin Chitose airport near the city of Sapporo, the transport minister said.

Coast guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima said its Bombardier Dash-8 plane, which is based at Haneda, had been due to head to Niigata to deliver relief goods to residents affected by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-earthquake-tsunami-western-coast-1efa06adb0ac8d72165890087b4c36cb">a deadly earthquake</a>&nbsp;in the region on Monday. The turboprop Dash-8 is widely used on short-haul and commuter flights.

The coast guard pilot reported to his base that his aircraft exploded after colliding with the commercial plane, Vice Commander Yoshio Seguchi told reporters.

Shigenori Hiraoka, head of the Transport Ministry Civil Aviation Bureau, said the collision occurred when the JAL plane landed on one of Haneda’s four runways where the coast guard aircraft was preparing to take off. Transport safety officials were analyzing communication between aviation control officials and the two aircraft and planned to interview JAL officials to determine what led to the collision.

Hiraoka praised JAL for “taking appropriate procedures” to safely evacuate all passengers and crew members.

Swede Anton Deibe, 17, a passenger on the Japan Airlines plane, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that “the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.

“The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos," Deibe added.

Another passenger told NHK television that cabin attendants were calm and told everyone to leave their baggage behind, then all lights went off and the temperature inside the cabin started rising. The passenger said she was afraid she might not get off the plane alive.

The transport minister said officials were doing their utmost to prevent any delays in the delivery of relief goods and other operations for the disaster-hit region. Transport officials said the airport's three other runways had reopened.

Haneda is the busier of two major airports serving the Japanese capital, with many international and transcontinental flights. It is particularly favored by business travelers due to its proximity to central parts of the city.

The twin-engine, twin-aisle A350 is used by a number of long-haul international carriers. More than 570 of the aircraft are in operation, according to Airbus.

JAL operates 16 of the A350-900 version aircraft, according to its website. It recently announced details of 13 of the newer A350-1000 variant it plans to bring into service, saying it will become “the airline’s new flagship for international service after nearly 20 years.” The first of those planes arrived a few weeks ago, slated for the Haneda-New York JFK route.

TOKYO (AP) — A passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday and burst into flames, with five people on the smaller plane killed, officials said.All 379 people on Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the plane was engulfed in flames, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed. The pilot of the coast guard plane escaped but the five crew members died, Saito said.Tuesday’s accident was the first time one of the Airbus A350, among the industry’s newest large passenger planes, was severely damaged. It entered commercial service in 2015. Airbus in a statement said it was sending specialists to help Japanese and French authorities and that the plane was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021.The A350 had flown from Shin Chitose airport near the city of Sapporo, the transport minister said.Coast guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima said its Bombardier Dash-8 plane, which is based at Haneda, had been due to head to Niigata to deliver relief goods to residents affected by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-earthquake-tsunami-western-coast-1efa06adb0ac8d72165890087b4c36cb">a deadly earthquake</a>&nbsp;in the region on Monday. The turboprop Dash-8 is widely used on short-haul and commuter flights.The coast guard pilot reported to his base that his aircraft exploded after colliding with the commercial plane, Vice Commander Yoshio Seguchi told reporters.Shigenori Hiraoka, head of the Transport Ministry Civil Aviation Bureau, said the collision occurred when the JAL plane landed on one of Haneda’s four runways where the coast guard aircraft was preparing to take off. Transport safety officials were analyzing communication between aviation control officials and the two aircraft and planned to interview JAL officials to determine what led to the collision.Hiraoka praised JAL for “taking appropriate procedures” to safely evacuate all passengers and crew members.Swede Anton Deibe, 17, a passenger on the Japan Airlines plane, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that “the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.“The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos," Deibe added.Another passenger told NHK television that cabin attendants were calm and told everyone to leave their baggage behind, then all lights went off and the temperature inside the cabin started rising. The passenger said she was afraid she might not get off the plane alive.The transport minister said officials were doing their utmost to prevent any delays in the delivery of relief goods and other operations for the disaster-hit region. Transport officials said the airport's three other runways had reopened.Haneda is the busier of two major airports serving the Japanese capital, with many international and transcontinental flights. It is particularly favored by business travelers due to its proximity to central parts of the city.The twin-engine, twin-aisle A350 is used by a number of long-haul international carriers. More than 570 of the aircraft are in operation, according to Airbus.JAL operates 16 of the A350-900 version aircraft, according to its website. It recently announced details of 13 of the newer A350-1000 variant it plans to bring into service, saying it will become “the airline’s new flagship for international service after nearly 20 years.” The first of those planes arrived a few weeks ago, slated for the Haneda-New York JFK route.

Planes collide and catch fire at Japan's busy Haneda airport, killing 5. Hundreds evacuated safely

The investigation has been ongoing for the last day and a half, and several witnesses have been interviewed. Based on the video surveillance, photographs and statements from witnesses, the Chadron Police Department has arrested a suspect in this case.&nbsp; 20-year-old Sylvanus Lame Jr. was placed under arrest on Friday, December 29, 2023. Lame was booked into custody at the Dawes County Jail for Burglary (a class IIA felony), Criminal Mischief (a class III misdemeanor) and Theft by exercising Control (a class II misdemeanor).

The Chadron Police Department wants to thank everyone who has called into the department with information on this case. The public’s assistance played a vital role in identifying the suspect and making an arrest. The investigation is still continuing, and evidence is still being processed. We would encourage anyone with any information on this case to contact us at the Chadron Communications Center at 308-432-0510.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at approximately 10:47 pm, the Chadron Police Department responded to a burglary alarm at a 301 East Third Street, Homer’s Eagles Roost. Upon arrival, Officers located the glass of the front door to the business broken. The officers cleared the building, locating nobody inside the business at the time of their arrival.

Officer Cafferty and Officer Hanson took photographs and gathered evidence at the scene. In addition, they were provided with video surveillance and pictures of a male suspect, who is pictured below. The video showed the suspect fleeing east on East Third Street.

Chadron Police DepartmentUpdate:The investigation has been ongoing for the last day and a half, and several witnesses have been interviewed. Based on the video surveillance, photographs and statements from witnesses, the Chadron Police Department has arrested a suspect in this case.&nbsp; 20-year-old Sylvanus Lame Jr. was placed under arrest on Friday, December 29, 2023. Lame was booked into custody at the Dawes County Jail for Burglary (a class IIA felony), Criminal Mischief (a class III misdemeanor) and Theft by exercising Control (a class II misdemeanor).The Chadron Police Department wants to thank everyone who has called into the department with information on this case. The public’s assistance played a vital role in identifying the suspect and making an arrest. The investigation is still continuing, and evidence is still being processed. We would encourage anyone with any information on this case to contact us at the Chadron Communications Center at 308-432-0510.&nbsp;&nbsp;Original Press ReleaseOn Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at approximately 10:47 pm, the Chadron Police Department responded to a burglary alarm at a 301 East Third Street, Homer’s Eagles Roost. Upon arrival, Officers located the glass of the front door to the business broken. The officers cleared the building, locating nobody inside the business at the time of their arrival.Officer Cafferty and Officer Hanson took photographs and gathered evidence at the scene. In addition, they were provided with video surveillance and pictures of a male suspect, who is pictured below. The video showed the suspect fleeing east on East Third Street.

Chadron Police arrest 20-year-old with connections to last week's burglary 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-crossings-asylum-ukraine-aid-biden-dba31c3f461e1fa940f9cf00988444f7">grueling negotiations</a>, the contours of a bipartisan border security and immigration deal are beginning to take shape, emerging even as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-congress-border-biden-064246982c828ed820c1c5a47c85901b">Congress leaves town</a>&nbsp;having failed to publicly unveil any details of the package that's central to unlocking stalled aid for Ukraine.

Talks between the White House and key senators have not veered widely from three main areas of discussion: toughening asylum protocols for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border</a>; bolstering border enforcement with more personnel and high-tech systems; and deterring migrants from making the journey in the first place.

As the Senate broke for the holidays, due back Jan. 8, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in a rare joint statement indicated negotiations are progressing. They also met Wednesday to discuss how to advance the border policy alongside President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$110 billion package</a>&nbsp;of wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and other national security priorities.

“We all know there’s a problem at the border,” Schumer said before sending senators home. “Our goal is, as soon as we get back, to get something done.”

McConnell said the negotiations “continue to make headway.”

And as aid for his country hangs in balance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russian-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-news-conference-5440b3d3034a34461d93d0740e0c1ae6">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;said at his own press conference in Kyiv he was confident “the U.S. will not let us down.”

Here’s a look at what’s being discussed as key Senate negotiators and the White House plan to dig in during the weeks ahead:

Senate negotiators have focused on asylum, by which the U.S. offers protection for people facing persecution in their home countries. The senators say they are trying to ensure that migrants who have a credible claim to asylum can safely apply, but that officials can also quickly turn away those who don't qualify.

Critics often say that too many people who pass their initial asylum interview end up ultimately failing in their efforts to win asylum. But because the immigration courts are so backlogged by the time the final determination happens, many have been in the country for years, making it more difficult and expensive to deport them.

The senators and the Biden administration have considered toughening the so-called credible fear standard that's used in the initial interviews to determine if migrants seeking asylum would likely have a winnable case before an immigration judge.

Advocates for immigrants argue that the credible fear standard is deliberately low in recognition of the fact that migrants being interviewed have usually fled desperate conditions, don't have legal representation and are still shaken by their journeys.

It was the Republicans who demanded negotiations over the border, refusing to provide aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion</a>, unless Biden also agreed to changes to cut immigration.

While Biden had initially proposed $14 billion to bolster border security in the national security package, Republicans said money was not enough. They want to enshrine policy changes at the border into law, some echoing Donald Trump, the party’s frontrunner for the presidential nomination, who takes a hard line against immigration.

Still, billions of dollars of funding will almost certainly be part of any deal.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">Border Patrol officers are overwhelmed</a>&nbsp;processing migrants who turn themselves in seeking asylum. Biden had proposed $3.1 billion for additional border agents as well more asylum officers, immigration judge teams and processing personnel. Supporters say the money for the asylum system is crucial to addressing the backlog in immigration courts and essentially getting the process moving faster.

Biden has also suggested $1.2 billion for Customs and Border Protection officers and inspection systems to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl.

While the president also proposed funds to help communities in the U.S. that are taking in the record numbers of new arrivals, Republicans have resisted sending money to the cities, largely Democratic, that are helping house and provide care for the migrants.

Over and over, senators have emerged from hours of closed-door talks with an exasperated conclusion: Immigration policy is complicated.

“Millions of decisions,” said Sen. James Lankford, a Republican of Oklahoma. “Underneath every big idea is 100 smaller decisions that all have to be made, and every one is complicated.”

Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, said: “It’s interconnected. So if you press in one side and it pops out the other, it takes time to get this right.”

One of the toughest issues to resolve has been how to dissuade migrants from even embarking on their journeys to the U.S. in the first place, particularly from countries experiencing unrest, economic calamity or widespread gang violence.

Senators have discussed ways to encourage people to apply for asylum before they arrive at the border — either in their home country, or if that’s not plausible, a country they travel through on their way to the U.S.

The Biden administration had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-united-states-government-caribbean-mexico-mobile-apps-49b38b18869ed3b2260fb6d774153456">launched a new system</a>&nbsp;earlier this year that encourages people seeking asylum to schedule an appointment, via a smartphone app, to seek entry at the border.

In talks, the White House has also insisted on keeping in place&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-immigration-af0643a4fb8f45388fe247e44c9b2c5e">its ability to allow 30,000 people a month</a>&nbsp;from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti entry into the U.S. if they have a financial sponsor and fly into the country.

The idea is to create a more orderly, efficient asylum system that reduces chaos at the border.

But record numbers of migrants are still arriving. Illegal crossings topped 10,000 some days in December.

Negotiators have run into trouble in the talks when it comes to enforcement measures. One potential compromise would set a threshold for the number of border crossings, and once the number is reached, stricter enforcement measures would take effect.

Under that system, if the crossings get too high authorities would shut down the border for asylum claims, enable fast-track removals of migrants who have already entered unlawfully, and detain some migrants while they are screened for valid asylum claims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317716965.png" alt="Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-crossings-asylum-ukraine-aid-biden-dba31c3f461e1fa940f9cf00988444f7">grueling negotiations</a>, the contours of a bipartisan border security and immigration deal are beginning to take shape, emerging even as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-congress-border-biden-064246982c828ed820c1c5a47c85901b">Congress leaves town</a>&nbsp;having failed to publicly unveil any details of the package that's central to unlocking stalled aid for Ukraine.Talks between the White House and key senators have not veered widely from three main areas of discussion: toughening asylum protocols for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border</a>; bolstering border enforcement with more personnel and high-tech systems; and deterring migrants from making the journey in the first place.As the Senate broke for the holidays, due back Jan. 8, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in a rare joint statement indicated negotiations are progressing. They also met Wednesday to discuss how to advance the border policy alongside President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$110 billion package</a>&nbsp;of wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and other national security priorities.“We all know there’s a problem at the border,” Schumer said before sending senators home. “Our goal is, as soon as we get back, to get something done.”McConnell said the negotiations “continue to make headway.”And as aid for his country hangs in balance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russian-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-news-conference-5440b3d3034a34461d93d0740e0c1ae6">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;said at his own press conference in Kyiv he was confident “the U.S. will not let us down.”Here’s a look at what’s being discussed as key Senate negotiators and the White House plan to dig in during the weeks ahead:TOUGHER ASYLUM CLAIMSSenate negotiators have focused on asylum, by which the U.S. offers protection for people facing persecution in their home countries. The senators say they are trying to ensure that migrants who have a credible claim to asylum can safely apply, but that officials can also quickly turn away those who don't qualify.Critics often say that too many people who pass their initial asylum interview end up ultimately failing in their efforts to win asylum. But because the immigration courts are so backlogged by the time the final determination happens, many have been in the country for years, making it more difficult and expensive to deport them.The senators and the Biden administration have considered toughening the so-called credible fear standard that's used in the initial interviews to determine if migrants seeking asylum would likely have a winnable case before an immigration judge.Advocates for immigrants argue that the credible fear standard is deliberately low in recognition of the fact that migrants being interviewed have usually fled desperate conditions, don't have legal representation and are still shaken by their journeys.BORDER SECURITYIt was the Republicans who demanded negotiations over the border, refusing to provide aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion</a>, unless Biden also agreed to changes to cut immigration.While Biden had initially proposed $14 billion to bolster border security in the national security package, Republicans said money was not enough. They want to enshrine policy changes at the border into law, some echoing Donald Trump, the party’s frontrunner for the presidential nomination, who takes a hard line against immigration.Still, billions of dollars of funding will almost certainly be part of any deal.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-border-wall-breaches-asylum-immigration-beddd2ca0ffd02884ce0d0ad1785f538">Border Patrol officers are overwhelmed</a>&nbsp;processing migrants who turn themselves in seeking asylum. Biden had proposed $3.1 billion for additional border agents as well more asylum officers, immigration judge teams and processing personnel. Supporters say the money for the asylum system is crucial to addressing the backlog in immigration courts and essentially getting the process moving faster.Biden has also suggested $1.2 billion for Customs and Border Protection officers and inspection systems to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl.While the president also proposed funds to help communities in the U.S. that are taking in the record numbers of new arrivals, Republicans have resisted sending money to the cities, largely Democratic, that are helping house and provide care for the migrants.REDUCING BORDER BUILD-UPOver and over, senators have emerged from hours of closed-door talks with an exasperated conclusion: Immigration policy is complicated.“Millions of decisions,” said Sen. James Lankford, a Republican of Oklahoma. “Underneath every big idea is 100 smaller decisions that all have to be made, and every one is complicated.”Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, said: “It’s interconnected. So if you press in one side and it pops out the other, it takes time to get this right.”One of the toughest issues to resolve has been how to dissuade migrants from even embarking on their journeys to the U.S. in the first place, particularly from countries experiencing unrest, economic calamity or widespread gang violence.Senators have discussed ways to encourage people to apply for asylum before they arrive at the border — either in their home country, or if that’s not plausible, a country they travel through on their way to the U.S.The Biden administration had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-united-states-government-caribbean-mexico-mobile-apps-49b38b18869ed3b2260fb6d774153456">launched a new system</a>&nbsp;earlier this year that encourages people seeking asylum to schedule an appointment, via a smartphone app, to seek entry at the border.In talks, the White House has also insisted on keeping in place&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mexico-immigration-af0643a4fb8f45388fe247e44c9b2c5e">its ability to allow 30,000 people a month</a>&nbsp;from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti entry into the U.S. if they have a financial sponsor and fly into the country.The idea is to create a more orderly, efficient asylum system that reduces chaos at the border.But record numbers of migrants are still arriving. Illegal crossings topped 10,000 some days in December.ENFORCEMENTNegotiators have run into trouble in the talks when it comes to enforcement measures. One potential compromise would set a threshold for the number of border crossings, and once the number is reached, stricter enforcement measures would take effect.Under that system, if the crossings get too high authorities would shut down the border for asylum claims, enable fast-track removals of migrants who have already entered unlawfully, and detain some migrants while they are screened for valid asylum claims.Funding in the package could also go to bolstering immigration enforcement, including detention facilities, according to one person familiar with the private negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity.Advocates for immigrants worry that some of the restrictions under discussion could just push the build-up of migrants south of the U.S.-Mexico border.“We’re turning Mexico into a staging area for migrants moving north,” said Dylan Corbett, who heads the Hope Border Institute, in a call with reporters. “Mexico doesn’t have the infrastructure to be able to deal with this.”They also warn that the expedited removal measures would strike fear in the millions of immigrants lacking permanent legal status while effectively turning Trump-style administrative policies into law, making them potentially more difficult to challenge in court.Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent central to the negotiations, said that the potentially lasting impact of their work hangs over the talks.“A mistake here will matter for many years,” she said.