Lincoln, NE&nbsp; – The Educators Health Alliance (EHA) Board of Directors has approved a new health insurance option for some early retirees and other members in the Direct Bill plan.&nbsp; The EHA is a consortium of three statewide public school groups that manages the medical and dental insurance plans used by nearly every Nebraska school district.

Currently, EHA’s lowest deductible plan for early retirees provides a $1,050 deductible. Come Sept. 1, 2024, members may select a plan with a $400 deductible packaged with one of the two alternate networks in the regions of Nebraska where they are available. The two networks are Premier Select BlueChoice and Blueprint Health.

“The EHA Board continues to look for cost-savings for its members, and we are pleased to be able to offer these alternate network options with lower out-of-pocket costs to our retired members,” said Board Chair Trish Guinan.

Earlier this fall, the EHA Board of Directors voted to limit the 2024 rate increase for its medical and dental plans to only 1.99%. The rate increase takes effect Sept. 1, 2024, and there will be no benefit changes made to any of the plan designs.&nbsp;

“Given the rate of inflation, we are pleased we’ve been able to maintain our streak of more than 20 years without a double-digit increase in rates and to average an increase of 4.45% for the last decade,” said Beth Kernes Krause, EHA Vice Chair and Auburn Public Schools Board of Education member.

“This rate increase is well below the national average,” said Mike Dulaney, executive director of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators. “Our goal is to continue to provide a quality, affordable health insurance plan well into the future.”

“The EHA Board understands the financial concerns of our members as well as the fiscal constraints facing school districts,” said Colby Coash, associate executive director of the Nebraska Association of School Boards. “With 80,000 members in the plan,&nbsp;EHA has the largest risk pool in the state, which allows more predictability and stability in rates. This benefits both districts and individuals and their families.”

Karen KilgarinLincoln, NE&nbsp; – The Educators Health Alliance (EHA) Board of Directors has approved a new health insurance option for some early retirees and other members in the Direct Bill plan.&nbsp; The EHA is a consortium of three statewide public school groups that manages the medical and dental insurance plans used by nearly every Nebraska school district.Currently, EHA’s lowest deductible plan for early retirees provides a $1,050 deductible. Come Sept. 1, 2024, members may select a plan with a $400 deductible packaged with one of the two alternate networks in the regions of Nebraska where they are available. The two networks are Premier Select BlueChoice and Blueprint Health.“The EHA Board continues to look for cost-savings for its members, and we are pleased to be able to offer these alternate network options with lower out-of-pocket costs to our retired members,” said Board Chair Trish Guinan.Earlier this fall, the EHA Board of Directors voted to limit the 2024 rate increase for its medical and dental plans to only 1.99%. The rate increase takes effect Sept. 1, 2024, and there will be no benefit changes made to any of the plan designs.&nbsp;“Given the rate of inflation, we are pleased we’ve been able to maintain our streak of more than 20 years without a double-digit increase in rates and to average an increase of 4.45% for the last decade,” said Beth Kernes Krause, EHA Vice Chair and Auburn Public Schools Board of Education member.“This rate increase is well below the national average,” said Mike Dulaney, executive director of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators. “Our goal is to continue to provide a quality, affordable health insurance plan well into the future.”“The EHA Board understands the financial concerns of our members as well as the fiscal constraints facing school districts,” said Colby Coash, associate executive director of the Nebraska Association of School Boards. “With 80,000 members in the plan,&nbsp;EHA has the largest risk pool in the state, which allows more predictability and stability in rates. This benefits both districts and individuals and their families.”

The Gift of Health: New Option for Retired Educators

NEW YORK (AP) — Look for flu and COVID-19 infections to ramp up in the coming weeks, U.S. health officials say, with increases fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily.

High levels of flu-like illnesses were reported last week in 17 states — up from 14 the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

“Folks are traveling a lot more this season. They want to see their families,” said the CDC's Dr. Manisha Patel. "And all of that sort of adds to the mix” in the spread of viruses.

Health officials are keeping an eye on a version of the ever-evolving coronavirus, known as JN.1. The omicron variant was first detected in the U.S. in September and now accounts for an estimated 20% of cases. The CDC expects it to reach 50% in the next two weeks, Patel said.

It may spread easier or be better at evading our immune systems, but there is no evidence that the strain causes more severe disease than other recent variants, health officials say. And current evidence indicates vaccines and antiviral medications work against it.

As for flu, early signs suggest current vaccines are well-matched to the strain that is causing the most illnesses, and that strain usually doesn't cause as many deaths and hospitalizations as some other versions.

But the bad news is vaccinations are down this year, officials say. About 42% of U.S. adults had gotten flu shots by the first week of December, down from about 45% at the same time last year, according to the CDC.

Americans have also been slow to get other vaccinations. Only about 18% have gotten an updated COVID-19 shot that became available in September. At nursing homes, about a third of residents are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

And only 17% of adults 60 and older had received new shots against another respiratory virus. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of mild coldlike symptoms but it can be dangerous for infants and older people.

The CDC last week took the unusual step of sending a health alert to U.S. doctors urging them to immunize their patients against the trio of viruses.

The Carolinas are currently seeing the heaviest traffic for respiratory infections in emergency rooms, according to CDC data posted this week.

It's not as dire as some past winters, but some patients are still waiting days to get a hospital bed, noted Dr. Scott Curry, an infectious diseases specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

“We've barely been cold in South Carolina, and flu tends to hit us very hard when people actually get some cold weather to deal with,” he said. “We could get worse, very easily, in the next four to eight weeks.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703335286337.png" alt="A flu vaccine is readied at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans’ Community Resource Center in Lynwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)" />
 <figcaption>A flu vaccine is readied at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans’ Community Resource Center in Lynwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Look for flu and COVID-19 infections to ramp up in the coming weeks, U.S. health officials say, with increases fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily.High levels of flu-like illnesses were reported last week in 17 states — up from 14 the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.“Folks are traveling a lot more this season. They want to see their families,” said the CDC's Dr. Manisha Patel. "And all of that sort of adds to the mix” in the spread of viruses.Health officials are keeping an eye on a version of the ever-evolving coronavirus, known as JN.1. The omicron variant was first detected in the U.S. in September and now accounts for an estimated 20% of cases. The CDC expects it to reach 50% in the next two weeks, Patel said.It may spread easier or be better at evading our immune systems, but there is no evidence that the strain causes more severe disease than other recent variants, health officials say. And current evidence indicates vaccines and antiviral medications work against it.As for flu, early signs suggest current vaccines are well-matched to the strain that is causing the most illnesses, and that strain usually doesn't cause as many deaths and hospitalizations as some other versions.But the bad news is vaccinations are down this year, officials say. About 42% of U.S. adults had gotten flu shots by the first week of December, down from about 45% at the same time last year, according to the CDC.Americans have also been slow to get other vaccinations. Only about 18% have gotten an updated COVID-19 shot that became available in September. At nursing homes, about a third of residents are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.And only 17% of adults 60 and older had received new shots against another respiratory virus. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of mild coldlike symptoms but it can be dangerous for infants and older people.The CDC last week took the unusual step of sending a health alert to U.S. doctors urging them to immunize their patients against the trio of viruses.The Carolinas are currently seeing the heaviest traffic for respiratory infections in emergency rooms, according to CDC data posted this week.It's not as dire as some past winters, but some patients are still waiting days to get a hospital bed, noted Dr. Scott Curry, an infectious diseases specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.“We've barely been cold in South Carolina, and flu tends to hit us very hard when people actually get some cold weather to deal with,” he said. “We could get worse, very easily, in the next four to eight weeks.”___

CDC: Flu and COVID infections rising, could get worse over the holidays

DECEMBER 24, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska Department of Transportation are urging travelers be prepared for a winter storm that will bring potentially hazardous driving conditions.

“The expected severity of this storm has increased over the last couple of days and will now pose significant travel challenges across the state,” said Vicki Kramer, Director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation. “NDOT is ready as this storm affects Nebraska, but we urge travelers to assess whether their travel is absolutely necessary before hitting the road.”

The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for many counties in western, central, and northeast Nebraska, which begins at 12:00 a.m. CT, Monday, Christmas Day and will last until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from late tonight through Tuesday night for most of eastern and southeast Nebraska. Most of the state is expected to be impacted by the storm, with the heaviest snowfall projections occurring in central and northern Nebraska.

Do not attempt to travel in blizzard conditions. Travel may be difficult to impossible. Should you become stranded, it may be impossible for help to reach you until the blizzard ends.

“This is going to be a white Christmas for most of Nebraska, but it will come with dangerous driving conditions,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Please adjust your travel plans for before and after Christmas so that you don’t get stuck in this dangerous winter storm.”

Nebraska 511 contains valuable information regarding travel across the state. Motorists can view live cameras to assess conditions, view of a map of road conditions throughout the state, check live radar to see the storm’s current location, view the locations of NDOT plows on the road, and access many more features.

If any motorists become stranded, call the NSP Highway Helpline at *55 or 800-525-5555 to speak directly with an NSP dispatcher who can send help.

NSP and NDOT offer these tips for safe winter travel:

Motorists are reminded to make sure everyone in their vehicle wears a seat belt and children are in a car safety seat. Do not use cruise control in wet or snowy weather and keep a full gas tank. For safe-driving tips and winter weather information, visit NDOT’s website,&nbsp;<a href="http://dot.nebraska.gov/safety/driving/winter" target="_blank">http://dot.nebraska.gov/safety/driving/winter</a>.

Cody ThomasDECEMBER 24, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska Department of Transportation are urging travelers be prepared for a winter storm that will bring potentially hazardous driving conditions.“The expected severity of this storm has increased over the last couple of days and will now pose significant travel challenges across the state,” said Vicki Kramer, Director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation. “NDOT is ready as this storm affects Nebraska, but we urge travelers to assess whether their travel is absolutely necessary before hitting the road.”The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for many counties in western, central, and northeast Nebraska, which begins at 12:00 a.m. CT, Monday, Christmas Day and will last until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect from late tonight through Tuesday night for most of eastern and southeast Nebraska. Most of the state is expected to be impacted by the storm, with the heaviest snowfall projections occurring in central and northern Nebraska.Do not attempt to travel in blizzard conditions. Travel may be difficult to impossible. Should you become stranded, it may be impossible for help to reach you until the blizzard ends.“This is going to be a white Christmas for most of Nebraska, but it will come with dangerous driving conditions,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Please adjust your travel plans for before and after Christmas so that you don’t get stuck in this dangerous winter storm.”Nebraska 511 contains valuable information regarding travel across the state. Motorists can view live cameras to assess conditions, view of a map of road conditions throughout the state, check live radar to see the storm’s current location, view the locations of NDOT plows on the road, and access many more features.If any motorists become stranded, call the NSP Highway Helpline at *55 or 800-525-5555 to speak directly with an NSP dispatcher who can send help.NSP and NDOT offer these tips for safe winter travel:<ul>
 <li>Know before you go. Check&nbsp;<a href="http://www.511.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">511.Nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;for road conditions and other valuable travel information.</li><li>Have a winter survival kit in your vehicle with warm clothes, water, food, cell phone charger, and other items you may need if you become stranded.</li><li>Have a full tank of gas before you leave town.</li><li>Drive to the conditions. Winter storms can greatly reduce visibility and cause slick roads.</li><li>Tell someone your route and expected arrival time.</li><li>If you become stranded, stay with your vehicle and call for help.</li><li>Don’t crowd the plow. Allow snow fighters the room they need to clear the roads.</li>
 </ul>Motorists are reminded to make sure everyone in their vehicle wears a seat belt and children are in a car safety seat. Do not use cruise control in wet or snowy weather and keep a full gas tank. For safe-driving tips and winter weather information, visit NDOT’s website,&nbsp;<a href="http://dot.nebraska.gov/safety/driving/winter" target="_blank">http://dot.nebraska.gov/safety/driving/winter</a>.

NSP, NDOT Urge Drivers to Prepare for Christmas Day Winter Storm

WASHINGTON —On Friday, President Biden signed into law:H.R. 2670, the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024,” which authorizes fiscal year 2024, according to a statement from the White House.The bill extends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; and other matters

Lawmakers have been negotiating a final defense policy bill for months after each chamber passed strikingly different versions in July. Some of the priorities championed by social conservatives were a no-go for Democrats. Negotiators dropped them from the final version to get it over the finish line.

That did not go over well with some Republican lawmakers, though most did end up voting for a bill that traditionally has broad, bipartisan support. About twice as many Republicans voted for the bill as voted against it.&nbsp;Kansas GOP Representatives Ron Estes and Tracey Man voted against the bill.

“You almost feel like a parent who's sent a child off to summer camp and they came back a monster,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said in opposing the bill. “That's what we've done. This bill came back in far worse shape.”

As an example, Gaetz said the House bill eliminated the position of the chief diversity officer at the Defense Department, but the final measure did not include that provision.

Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, chided the bill's critics for what he described as an unwillingness to compromise.

“Apparently, you don't like democracy because that's what democracy is. You compromise and you work with people and you do it all the time,” Smith said.

Most notably, the bill does not include language sought by House Republicans to restrict gender-affirming health care for transgender service members and it does not block the Pentagon’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-dc6a0317775596ffc7945acc79b7559e">abortion travel</a>&nbsp;policy, which allows reimbursement for travel expenses when a service member has to go out of state for an abortion or other reproductive care.

Republicans did win some concessions on diversity and inclusion training in the military. For example, the bill freezes hiring for such training until a full accounting of the programming and costs is completed and reported to Congress.

One of the most divisive aspects of the bill was a short-term extension of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-fisa-702-congress-reform-7dc1b506b58ce74de0d7983dfba98909">surveillance program</a>&nbsp;aimed at preventing terrorism and catching spies. The program has detractors on both sides of the political aisle who view it as a threat to the privacy of ordinary Americans.

Some House Republicans were incensed that the extension was included in the defense policy bill and not voted upon separately through other legislation that included proposed changes to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA.

The extension continues a tool that permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country, in an effort to gather foreign intelligence.

U.S. officials have said the tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and other national security threats. It has produced vital intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-ayman-al-zawahri-qaida-biden-united-states-171556fce4719d012726fb979a14cc81">killing last year</a>&nbsp;of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.

But the administration’s efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have encountered strong bipartisan pushback. Lawmakers are demanding better privacy protections for those Americans caught up in the monitoring. They wanted a separate vote on legislation making changes to the program.

“The FBI under President Biden has been weaponized against the American people and major reform is needed,” said Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont. “FISA should not be combined with our national defense. And it is unacceptable that leadership is bypassing regular order to jam members by forcing them to vote on two unrelated bills with one vote.”

Matthew G. Olsen, an assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, praised the passage of the extension.

He said: “We cannot afford to be blinded to the many threats we face from foreign adversaries, including Iran and China, as well as terrorist organizations like Hamas and ISIS," or the Islamic State group.

Enough opposition to the bill had developed within the GOP ranks that it forced House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to tee up the defense policy bill for a vote through a process generally reserved for noncontroversial legislation.

Under that process, at least two-thirds of the House had to vote in favor of the legislation for it to pass, but going that route avoided the prospect of a small number of Republicans blocking it from the floor.

Consideration of the bill comes at a dangerous time for the world, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and as China increasingly flexes its military might in the South China Sea.

On Ukraine, the bill includes the creation of a special inspector general for Ukraine to address concerns about whether taxpayer dollars are being spent in Ukraine as intended. That’s on top of oversight work already being conducted by other agency watchdogs.

“We will continue to stay on top of this, but I want to assure my colleagues that there has been no evidence of diversion of weapons provided to Ukraine or any other assistance,” GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told lawmakers this week in advocating for the bill.

On China, the bill establishes a new training program with Taiwan, requires a plan to accelerate deliveries of Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Taiwan, and approves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-united-states-nuclear-submarines-biden-aukus-64a1d6c416ad9206153ad601c177869b">an agreement</a>&nbsp;that enables Australia to access nuclear-powered submarines, which are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered vessels.

WASHINGTON —On Friday, President Biden signed into law:H.R. 2670, the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024,” which authorizes fiscal year 2024, according to a statement from the White House.The bill extends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; and other mattersLawmakers have been negotiating a final defense policy bill for months after each chamber passed strikingly different versions in July. Some of the priorities championed by social conservatives were a no-go for Democrats. Negotiators dropped them from the final version to get it over the finish line.That did not go over well with some Republican lawmakers, though most did end up voting for a bill that traditionally has broad, bipartisan support. About twice as many Republicans voted for the bill as voted against it.&nbsp;Kansas GOP Representatives Ron Estes and Tracey Man voted against the bill.“You almost feel like a parent who's sent a child off to summer camp and they came back a monster,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said in opposing the bill. “That's what we've done. This bill came back in far worse shape.”As an example, Gaetz said the House bill eliminated the position of the chief diversity officer at the Defense Department, but the final measure did not include that provision.Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, chided the bill's critics for what he described as an unwillingness to compromise.“Apparently, you don't like democracy because that's what democracy is. You compromise and you work with people and you do it all the time,” Smith said.Most notably, the bill does not include language sought by House Republicans to restrict gender-affirming health care for transgender service members and it does not block the Pentagon’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-dc6a0317775596ffc7945acc79b7559e">abortion travel</a>&nbsp;policy, which allows reimbursement for travel expenses when a service member has to go out of state for an abortion or other reproductive care.Republicans did win some concessions on diversity and inclusion training in the military. For example, the bill freezes hiring for such training until a full accounting of the programming and costs is completed and reported to Congress.One of the most divisive aspects of the bill was a short-term extension of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-fisa-702-congress-reform-7dc1b506b58ce74de0d7983dfba98909">surveillance program</a>&nbsp;aimed at preventing terrorism and catching spies. The program has detractors on both sides of the political aisle who view it as a threat to the privacy of ordinary Americans.Some House Republicans were incensed that the extension was included in the defense policy bill and not voted upon separately through other legislation that included proposed changes to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA.The extension continues a tool that permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country, in an effort to gather foreign intelligence.U.S. officials have said the tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and other national security threats. It has produced vital intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-ayman-al-zawahri-qaida-biden-united-states-171556fce4719d012726fb979a14cc81">killing last year</a>&nbsp;of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.But the administration’s efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have encountered strong bipartisan pushback. Lawmakers are demanding better privacy protections for those Americans caught up in the monitoring. They wanted a separate vote on legislation making changes to the program.“The FBI under President Biden has been weaponized against the American people and major reform is needed,” said Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont. “FISA should not be combined with our national defense. And it is unacceptable that leadership is bypassing regular order to jam members by forcing them to vote on two unrelated bills with one vote.”Matthew G. Olsen, an assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, praised the passage of the extension.He said: “We cannot afford to be blinded to the many threats we face from foreign adversaries, including Iran and China, as well as terrorist organizations like Hamas and ISIS," or the Islamic State group.Enough opposition to the bill had developed within the GOP ranks that it forced House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to tee up the defense policy bill for a vote through a process generally reserved for noncontroversial legislation.Under that process, at least two-thirds of the House had to vote in favor of the legislation for it to pass, but going that route avoided the prospect of a small number of Republicans blocking it from the floor.Consideration of the bill comes at a dangerous time for the world, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and as China increasingly flexes its military might in the South China Sea.On Ukraine, the bill includes the creation of a special inspector general for Ukraine to address concerns about whether taxpayer dollars are being spent in Ukraine as intended. That’s on top of oversight work already being conducted by other agency watchdogs.“We will continue to stay on top of this, but I want to assure my colleagues that there has been no evidence of diversion of weapons provided to Ukraine or any other assistance,” GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told lawmakers this week in advocating for the bill.On China, the bill establishes a new training program with Taiwan, requires a plan to accelerate deliveries of Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Taiwan, and approves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-united-states-nuclear-submarines-biden-aukus-64a1d6c416ad9206153ad601c177869b">an agreement</a>&nbsp;that enables Australia to access nuclear-powered submarines, which are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered vessels.

Biden signs $886B defense bill, extending controversial spying program

NEW YORK (AP) — If anything about Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” annoys you, best to avoid shopping malls now. Or the radio. Maybe music altogether, for that matter.

Her 1994 carol dominates holiday music like nothing else.

The Christmas colossus has reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart the past four years in a row — measuring the most popular songs each week by airplay, sales and streaming, not just the holiday-themed — and it’s reasonable to assume 2023 will be no different. One expert predicts it will soon exceed $100 million in earnings. Even its ringtone has sold millions.

“That song is just embedded in history now,” says&nbsp;<a href="https://davidfoster.com/">David Foster</a>, the 16-time Grammy-winning composer and producer. “It’s embedded in Christmas. When you think of Christmas right now, you think of that song.”

Yet the story behind “All I Want for Christmas is You” is not all holly and mistletoe.

The song’s co-authors, Carey and Walter Afanasieff, are in a mystifying feud. The authors of a different song with the same title have sued seeking $20 million in damages. While Carey calls herself the Queen of Christmas, her bid to trademark that title failed.

Every year on Nov. 1, the song’s hibernation ends when Carey posts on social media that “it’s time” to play it again. This year’s message depicted her being freed from a block of ice to make the declaration.

In both music and lyrics, the song was perfectly engineered for success, says&nbsp;<a href="https://college.berklee.edu/faculty/joe-bennett">Joe Bennett</a>, musicologist and professor at the Berklee College of Music. And it came from an artist who was at the top of her game at the time.

“All I Want for Christmas is You” works as a love and holiday song. Carey sets it up: She doesn’t care about all the holiday trappings, she has one thing — one person — on her mind. She sprinkles in specific holiday references, from Santa Claus to mistletoe.

The instruments and brisk arrangement recall Phil Spector’s 1965 album, “A Christmas Gift for You,” itself a holiday classic. To top it off, part of the melody slyly references “White Christmas,” Bennett says.

“That was my goal, to do something timeless,” Carey explained in a recent “Good Morning America” interview.

Billboard has produced lists of top seasonal hits since 2010, and “All I Want for Christmas is You” has been No. 1 for 57 of the 62 weeks it has run, said Gary Trust, chart director. Will Page, Spotify’s former chief economist and author of the book “Pivot,” estimates the song will exceed $100 million in earnings this holiday season.

“By most objective measures,” Bennett says, “it’s the most successful Christmas song of all time.”

As Afanasieff has told it, much of the work on “All I Want for Christmas is You” was done by him and Carey working in a rented house in the summer of 1994. The team had a history, working on Carey's albums “Emotions” and “Music Box.”

He started with a boogie-woogie piano, tossing out melodic ideas that Carey would respond to with lyrics, he said on&nbsp;<a href="https://wdrv.com/mariah-careys-co-writer-says-her-version-of-how-her-christmas-hit-was-written-is-a-tall-tale/">last year’s podcast</a>, “Hot Takes &amp; Deep Dives with Jess Rothschild” (Afanasieff did not return messages from The Associated Press). Later, Carey completed the lyrics herself and Afanasieff recorded all the instruments, he said.

Then things became complicated. Carey was married at the time to Tommy Mottola, head of Sony Music. They broke up in 1997 and her relationship with Afanasieff, who kept working for Mottola, became a casualty of that fractured marriage. Afanasieff said they've spoken once in more than 20 years, and it his contributions have been written out of Carey's telling of the song's creation.

On “Good Morning America” last month, she said, "I was working on it by myself so I was writing on this little Casio keyboard, writing down words and thinking about, ’What do I think about Christmas? What do I love? What do I want? What do I dream of?” she says. “And that’s what started it.”

Afanasieff sounds almost bewildered by the turn of events. He&nbsp;<a href="https://variety.com/2019/music/news/mariah-carey-all-i-want-for-christmas-co-writer-walter-afanasieff-interview-1203447527/">told Variety in 1999</a>&nbsp;that every holiday season he has to defend himself against people who don’t believe he co-wrote the song.

“Mariah has been very wonderful, positive and a force of nature,” he told Variety. “She’s the one that made the song a hit and she’s awesome. But she definitely does not share credit where credit is due."

Last month, songwriters Andy Stone and Troy Powers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/11/03/mariah-carey-is-being-sued-over-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-again/?sh=4d07dc9d2667">sued Carey and Afanasieff</a>&nbsp;in federal court in California, seeking $20 million in copyright infringement and citing their own 1989 country song, “All I Want for Christmas is You.”

Their song has a similar theme, with a narrator desiring a love interest before Christmas comforts. The writers cite an “overwhelming likelihood” that Carey and Afanasieff had heard their song.

The two songs have no musical similarities, Berklee’s Bennett says, and the theme is hardly unique. He pointed out Bing Crosby’s “You’re All I Want for Christmas,” Carla Thomas’ “All I Want for Christmas is You” and Buck Owens’ “All I Want for Christmas, Dear, is You.”

Says the musicologist: “It’s nonsense.”

In his podcast appearance, Afanasieff noted how Foster once told him that “All I Want for Christmas is You” was the last song to enter the Christmas canon and “that vault is sealed.”

Foster told AP he exaggerated a little, but not a lot. Writing a new holiday song is brutally hard, since you’re competing with not just current hits but hundreds of years of songs and memories. The old classics never go away.

“I just stay away from them, because they scare me,” Foster says. “Lyrically, it’s sort of all been done before — better than I can ever do.”

While he appreciates Foster’s compliment, Afanasieff told Rothschild that he hoped others don’t take it to heart.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703367567358.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — If anything about Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” annoys you, best to avoid shopping malls now. Or the radio. Maybe music altogether, for that matter.Her 1994 carol dominates holiday music like nothing else.The Christmas colossus has reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart the past four years in a row — measuring the most popular songs each week by airplay, sales and streaming, not just the holiday-themed — and it’s reasonable to assume 2023 will be no different. One expert predicts it will soon exceed $100 million in earnings. Even its ringtone has sold millions.“That song is just embedded in history now,” says&nbsp;<a href="https://davidfoster.com/">David Foster</a>, the 16-time Grammy-winning composer and producer. “It’s embedded in Christmas. When you think of Christmas right now, you think of that song.”Yet the story behind “All I Want for Christmas is You” is not all holly and mistletoe.The song’s co-authors, Carey and Walter Afanasieff, are in a mystifying feud. The authors of a different song with the same title have sued seeking $20 million in damages. While Carey calls herself the Queen of Christmas, her bid to trademark that title failed.Every year on Nov. 1, the song’s hibernation ends when Carey posts on social media that “it’s time” to play it again. This year’s message depicted her being freed from a block of ice to make the declaration.In both music and lyrics, the song was perfectly engineered for success, says&nbsp;<a href="https://college.berklee.edu/faculty/joe-bennett">Joe Bennett</a>, musicologist and professor at the Berklee College of Music. And it came from an artist who was at the top of her game at the time.“All I Want for Christmas is You” works as a love and holiday song. Carey sets it up: She doesn’t care about all the holiday trappings, she has one thing — one person — on her mind. She sprinkles in specific holiday references, from Santa Claus to mistletoe.The instruments and brisk arrangement recall Phil Spector’s 1965 album, “A Christmas Gift for You,” itself a holiday classic. To top it off, part of the melody slyly references “White Christmas,” Bennett says.“That was my goal, to do something timeless,” Carey explained in a recent “Good Morning America” interview.Billboard has produced lists of top seasonal hits since 2010, and “All I Want for Christmas is You” has been No. 1 for 57 of the 62 weeks it has run, said Gary Trust, chart director. Will Page, Spotify’s former chief economist and author of the book “Pivot,” estimates the song will exceed $100 million in earnings this holiday season.“By most objective measures,” Bennett says, “it’s the most successful Christmas song of all time.”As Afanasieff has told it, much of the work on “All I Want for Christmas is You” was done by him and Carey working in a rented house in the summer of 1994. The team had a history, working on Carey's albums “Emotions” and “Music Box.”He started with a boogie-woogie piano, tossing out melodic ideas that Carey would respond to with lyrics, he said on&nbsp;<a href="https://wdrv.com/mariah-careys-co-writer-says-her-version-of-how-her-christmas-hit-was-written-is-a-tall-tale/">last year’s podcast</a>, “Hot Takes &amp; Deep Dives with Jess Rothschild” (Afanasieff did not return messages from The Associated Press). Later, Carey completed the lyrics herself and Afanasieff recorded all the instruments, he said.Then things became complicated. Carey was married at the time to Tommy Mottola, head of Sony Music. They broke up in 1997 and her relationship with Afanasieff, who kept working for Mottola, became a casualty of that fractured marriage. Afanasieff said they've spoken once in more than 20 years, and it his contributions have been written out of Carey's telling of the song's creation.On “Good Morning America” last month, she said, "I was working on it by myself so I was writing on this little Casio keyboard, writing down words and thinking about, ’What do I think about Christmas? What do I love? What do I want? What do I dream of?” she says. “And that’s what started it.”Afanasieff sounds almost bewildered by the turn of events. He&nbsp;<a href="https://variety.com/2019/music/news/mariah-carey-all-i-want-for-christmas-co-writer-walter-afanasieff-interview-1203447527/">told Variety in 1999</a>&nbsp;that every holiday season he has to defend himself against people who don’t believe he co-wrote the song.“Mariah has been very wonderful, positive and a force of nature,” he told Variety. “She’s the one that made the song a hit and she’s awesome. But she definitely does not share credit where credit is due."Last month, songwriters Andy Stone and Troy Powers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/11/03/mariah-carey-is-being-sued-over-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-again/?sh=4d07dc9d2667">sued Carey and Afanasieff</a>&nbsp;in federal court in California, seeking $20 million in copyright infringement and citing their own 1989 country song, “All I Want for Christmas is You.”Their song has a similar theme, with a narrator desiring a love interest before Christmas comforts. The writers cite an “overwhelming likelihood” that Carey and Afanasieff had heard their song.The two songs have no musical similarities, Berklee’s Bennett says, and the theme is hardly unique. He pointed out Bing Crosby’s “You’re All I Want for Christmas,” Carla Thomas’ “All I Want for Christmas is You” and Buck Owens’ “All I Want for Christmas, Dear, is You.”Says the musicologist: “It’s nonsense.”In his podcast appearance, Afanasieff noted how Foster once told him that “All I Want for Christmas is You” was the last song to enter the Christmas canon and “that vault is sealed.”Foster told AP he exaggerated a little, but not a lot. Writing a new holiday song is brutally hard, since you’re competing with not just current hits but hundreds of years of songs and memories. The old classics never go away.“I just stay away from them, because they scare me,” Foster says. “Lyrically, it’s sort of all been done before — better than I can ever do.”While he appreciates Foster’s compliment, Afanasieff told Rothschild that he hoped others don’t take it to heart.

Why Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas is You' became so popular

JERUSALEM —On December 23 two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command. No ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles.

Between 3 and 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), the USS LABOON (DDG 58) was patrolling in the Southern Red Sea as part of Operation Properity Guardian(OPG) and shot down four unmanned aerial drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that were inbound to the USS LABOON. There were no injuries or damage in this incident. 

At approximately 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Naval Forces Central Command received reports from two ships in the Southern Red Sea that they were under attack. 

The M/V BLAAMANEN, a Norwegian-flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil tanker, reported a near miss of a Houthi one-way attack drone with no injuries or damage reported. A second vessel, the M/V SAIBABA, a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, reported that it was hit by a one-way attack drone with no injuries reported. 

The USS LABOON (DDG 58) responded to the distress calls from these attacks. These attacks represent&nbsp; the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since Oct. 17.

The United States said Friday that Iran was “deeply involved” in the planning of attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, providing weapons as well as “tactical intelligence” to enable the strikes along a critical sea corridor.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement, citing newly declassified intelligence assessments, that “Iranian support throughout the Gaza crisis has enabled the Houthis to launch attacks against Israel and maritime targets, though Iran has often deferred operational decision-making authority to the Houthis.”

Watson said the U.S. believes that without ongoing Iranian support, “the Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels.”

“Iranian support to these Houthi operations remains critical,” Watson said. “We know the intelligence picture which the Houthis use to operate in the maritime space is reliant on Iranian-provided monitoring systems.”

Iran, which has long backed the Yemen-based group, has provided unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to the Houthis, including those used in recent strikes on commercial and military vessels and attempted attacks on Israel, according to the U.S. assessment.

Additionally, the U.S. believes Iran has provided financial, training and tactical support for attacks by the Houthis, who say their strikes aim to end Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

“We have no reason to believe that Iran is trying to dissuade the Houthis from this reckless behavior,” Watson said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703418619283.png" alt="photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM —On December 23 two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command. No ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles.Between 3 and 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), the USS LABOON (DDG 58) was patrolling in the Southern Red Sea as part of Operation Properity Guardian(OPG) and shot down four unmanned aerial drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that were inbound to the USS LABOON. There were no injuries or damage in this incident. At approximately 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Naval Forces Central Command received reports from two ships in the Southern Red Sea that they were under attack. The M/V BLAAMANEN, a Norwegian-flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil tanker, reported a near miss of a Houthi one-way attack drone with no injuries or damage reported. A second vessel, the M/V SAIBABA, a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, reported that it was hit by a one-way attack drone with no injuries reported. The USS LABOON (DDG 58) responded to the distress calls from these attacks. These attacks represent&nbsp; the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since Oct. 17.The United States said Friday that Iran was “deeply involved” in the planning of attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, providing weapons as well as “tactical intelligence” to enable the strikes along a critical sea corridor.U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement, citing newly declassified intelligence assessments, that “Iranian support throughout the Gaza crisis has enabled the Houthis to launch attacks against Israel and maritime targets, though Iran has often deferred operational decision-making authority to the Houthis.”Watson said the U.S. believes that without ongoing Iranian support, “the Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels.”“Iranian support to these Houthi operations remains critical,” Watson said. “We know the intelligence picture which the Houthis use to operate in the maritime space is reliant on Iranian-provided monitoring systems.”Iran, which has long backed the Yemen-based group, has provided unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to the Houthis, including those used in recent strikes on commercial and military vessels and attempted attacks on Israel, according to the U.S. assessment.Additionally, the U.S. believes Iran has provided financial, training and tactical support for attacks by the Houthis, who say their strikes aim to end Israel’s offensive in Gaza.“We have no reason to believe that Iran is trying to dissuade the Houthis from this reckless behavior,” Watson said.

U.S. warship responds to ballistic missile attack in the Red Sea

LINCOLN, NEB. –&nbsp;"Yesterday's announced reopening of the rail border crossings at El Paso and Eagle Pass, Texas is certainly welcomed news. At the same time, the loss of millions of dollars in economic activity due to the crisis at our southern border should serve as a wake-up call to those currently in negotiations to address this longstanding problem. 

Our nation's border security, immigration, and labor policies are in desperate need of reform, and it is high time for leaders in both parties to address these critical issues. In the future, we call upon the Biden administration to allocate the resources necessary to secure our nation's southern border before costing our nation's agricultural and overall economy millions of dollars. We want to thank Nebraska's Congressional Delegation for their tireless work in reopening these vital crossings."

The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 55,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefb.org/" target="_blank">www.nefb.org</a>.

Nebraska Farm BureauLINCOLN, NEB. –&nbsp;"Yesterday's announced reopening of the rail border crossings at El Paso and Eagle Pass, Texas is certainly welcomed news. At the same time, the loss of millions of dollars in economic activity due to the crisis at our southern border should serve as a wake-up call to those currently in negotiations to address this longstanding problem. Our nation's border security, immigration, and labor policies are in desperate need of reform, and it is high time for leaders in both parties to address these critical issues. In the future, we call upon the Biden administration to allocate the resources necessary to secure our nation's southern border before costing our nation's agricultural and overall economy millions of dollars. We want to thank Nebraska's Congressional Delegation for their tireless work in reopening these vital crossings."The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 55,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefb.org/" target="_blank">www.nefb.org</a>.

Statement from Mark McHargue, President, Regarding Reopening of Rail Crossings at Southern Border

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Deposition testimony from billionaire Jimmy Haslam supports claims by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathway that Haslam&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-haslam-pilot-bribery-berkshire-hathaway-d32258912c4dc773ced286cc802da629">tried to bribe employees</a>&nbsp;at the Pilot truck stop chain amid a dispute with Berkshire over the future of the company, a Berkshire attorney told a judge Thursday.

In a deposition Tuesday, Haslam denied offering a “side payment” to Pilot Travel Centers controller David Clothier if the Haslam family exercises its right to sell its remaining 20% stake in PTC to Berkshire, attorney Ryan Stottmann told Vice Chancellor Morgan Zurn.

Just minutes later, however, Haslam testified that he has an informal agreement with two dozen PTC employees to reinstate their lucrative executive bonus plan if the Haslams sell their stake in the company, according to Stottmann.

Stottmann described Haslam’s admission as “stunning,” given that attorneys for Haslam’s Pilot Corp. have told the judge that Berkshire’s bribery allegations were false, meritless and “wild inventions.”

“Their own client has now confirmed under oath that these were not inventions, but that the shadow executive compensation plan actually exists,” Stottmann said.

At a hearing earlier this month, an attorney for Haslam told Zurn that federal prosecutors had begun an investigation based on Berkshire’s bribery allegations.

On Thursday, Zurn granted a request by Berkshire to take additional deposition testimony from Haslam after the Cleveland Browns owner was repeatedly instructed by his lawyer during this week’s deposition not to answer questions about the informal compensation agreement.

Specifically, Berkshire is seeking the identities of the 24 employees to whom Haslam referred, and the nature of their informal agreements with him, Stottman said.

“These matters go directly to witness bias and credibility,” he told Zurn, noting that both Haslam and Clothier will be key witnesses at a two-day trial early next month over PTC’s accounting practices and valuation.

Stottman said several documents provided by Clothier will be shown at trial, and that there is evidence that Clothier edited some of them in the midst of the legal battle with Berkshire “in a way favorable to Pilot.” He also noted that Clothier, who will be deposed next week, described himself in a text as one of “Jimmy’s bag boys.”

Berton Ashman Jr., an attorney for Pilot Corp. and Haslam, argued that additional testimony from Haslam is not needed, and that Berkshire is trying to obtain information to which it is not entitled.He pointed to earlier rulings by Zurn that barred Berkshire from asserting certain defenses to Pilot’s claims that Berkshire, which owns 80% of PTC, changed accounting practices in order to lower the price Berkshire would have to pay for the rest of the company. Among the defenses that Zurn struck were allegations about side payments, Ashman said.

Zurn, however, rejected Pilot’s argument that the information sought by Berkshire is related solely to the defenses and counterclaims it will not be allowed to argue at trial.

“Just because those are out of the case doesn’t mean that that information is not relevant in another way,” the judge said. “I think it’s relevant to impeachment and bias.”

Zurn also expressed concern about Haslam being told not to answer certain questions during his earlier deposition.

“I’ve heard no basis today for the instruction that the witness not answer the question, which in my view is a remarkable thing to happen in a Delaware deposition,” she said.

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Deposition testimony from billionaire Jimmy Haslam supports claims by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathway that Haslam&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-haslam-pilot-bribery-berkshire-hathaway-d32258912c4dc773ced286cc802da629">tried to bribe employees</a>&nbsp;at the Pilot truck stop chain amid a dispute with Berkshire over the future of the company, a Berkshire attorney told a judge Thursday.In a deposition Tuesday, Haslam denied offering a “side payment” to Pilot Travel Centers controller David Clothier if the Haslam family exercises its right to sell its remaining 20% stake in PTC to Berkshire, attorney Ryan Stottmann told Vice Chancellor Morgan Zurn.Just minutes later, however, Haslam testified that he has an informal agreement with two dozen PTC employees to reinstate their lucrative executive bonus plan if the Haslams sell their stake in the company, according to Stottmann.Stottmann described Haslam’s admission as “stunning,” given that attorneys for Haslam’s Pilot Corp. have told the judge that Berkshire’s bribery allegations were false, meritless and “wild inventions.”“Their own client has now confirmed under oath that these were not inventions, but that the shadow executive compensation plan actually exists,” Stottmann said.At a hearing earlier this month, an attorney for Haslam told Zurn that federal prosecutors had begun an investigation based on Berkshire’s bribery allegations.On Thursday, Zurn granted a request by Berkshire to take additional deposition testimony from Haslam after the Cleveland Browns owner was repeatedly instructed by his lawyer during this week’s deposition not to answer questions about the informal compensation agreement.Specifically, Berkshire is seeking the identities of the 24 employees to whom Haslam referred, and the nature of their informal agreements with him, Stottman said.“These matters go directly to witness bias and credibility,” he told Zurn, noting that both Haslam and Clothier will be key witnesses at a two-day trial early next month over PTC’s accounting practices and valuation.Stottman said several documents provided by Clothier will be shown at trial, and that there is evidence that Clothier edited some of them in the midst of the legal battle with Berkshire “in a way favorable to Pilot.” He also noted that Clothier, who will be deposed next week, described himself in a text as one of “Jimmy’s bag boys.”Berton Ashman Jr., an attorney for Pilot Corp. and Haslam, argued that additional testimony from Haslam is not needed, and that Berkshire is trying to obtain information to which it is not entitled.He pointed to earlier rulings by Zurn that barred Berkshire from asserting certain defenses to Pilot’s claims that Berkshire, which owns 80% of PTC, changed accounting practices in order to lower the price Berkshire would have to pay for the rest of the company. Among the defenses that Zurn struck were allegations about side payments, Ashman said.Zurn, however, rejected Pilot’s argument that the information sought by Berkshire is related solely to the defenses and counterclaims it will not be allowed to argue at trial.“Just because those are out of the case doesn’t mean that that information is not relevant in another way,” the judge said. “I think it’s relevant to impeachment and bias.”Zurn also expressed concern about Haslam being told not to answer certain questions during his earlier deposition.“I’ve heard no basis today for the instruction that the witness not answer the question, which in my view is a remarkable thing to happen in a Delaware deposition,” she said.

Lawyer says Haslam testimony supports Berkshire's bribery allegations in Pilot truck stop chain suit

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a California law that would have banned carrying firearms in most public places, ruling that it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and deprives people of their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones.

The law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-guns-ammunition-tax-school-safety-0870a673a3d4e85c78466897cfd7ff6f">in September</a>&nbsp;was set to take effect Jan. 1. It would have prohibited people from carrying concealed guns in 26 places including public parks and playgrounds, churches, banks and zoos. The ban would apply whether the person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon or not. One exception would be for privately owned businesses that put up signs saying people are allowed to bring guns on their premises.

U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney granted a preliminary injunction blocking the law, which he wrote was “sweeping, repugnant to the Second Amendment, and openly defiant of the Supreme Court.”

The court case against the law will proceed while the law is blocked. The judge wrote that gun rights groups are likely to succeed in proving it unconstitutional, meaning it would be permanently overturned.

The decision is a victory for the California Rifle and Pistol Association, which sued to block the law. The measure overhauled the state’s rules for concealed carry permits in light of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-gun-politics-new-york-violence-kathy-hochul-ebe58ea297c154a25a62650dec935529">U.S. Supreme Court’s decision</a>&nbsp;in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which set several states scrambling to react with their own laws. That decision said the constitutionality of gun laws must be assessed by whether they are “consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”

“California progressive politicians refuse to accept the Supreme Court’s mandate from the Bruen case and are trying every creative ploy they can imagine to get around it,” the California association's president, Chuck Michel, said in a statement. “The Court saw through the State’s gambit.”

Michel said under the law, gun permit holders “wouldn’t be able to drive across town without passing through a prohibited area and breaking the law.” He said the judge's decision makes Californians safer because criminals are deterred when law-abiding citizens can defend themselves.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office will appeal the decision, which he said if allowed to stand “would endanger communities by allowing guns in places where families and children gather.”

Newsom said he will keep pushing for stricter gun measures.

“Defying common sense, this ruling outrageously calls California’s data-backed gun safety efforts ‘repugnant.’ What is repugnant is this ruling, which greenlights the proliferation of guns in our hospitals, libraries, and children’s playgrounds — spaces, which should be safe for all," the governor said in a statement Wednesday evening.

Newsom has positioned himself as a national leader on gun control while he is being increasingly eyed as a potential presidential candidate. He has called for and signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-gun-politics-legislature-gavin-newsom-42081c0b5d0e0a65b73e3c0e846d1851">a variety of bills</a>, including measures targeting untraceable “ghost guns,” the marketing of firearms to children and allowing people to bring lawsuits over gun violence. That legislation was patterned on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-gun-violence-us-supreme-court-politics-gavin-newsom-fbb51411fcbb46276060db967e1d4680">a Texas anti-abortion law</a>.

Carney is a former Orange County Superior Court judge who was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in 2003.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702505915425.png" alt="File photo Aristide Economopoulos" />
 <figcaption>File photo Aristide Economopoulos</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a California law that would have banned carrying firearms in most public places, ruling that it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and deprives people of their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones.The law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-guns-ammunition-tax-school-safety-0870a673a3d4e85c78466897cfd7ff6f">in September</a>&nbsp;was set to take effect Jan. 1. It would have prohibited people from carrying concealed guns in 26 places including public parks and playgrounds, churches, banks and zoos. The ban would apply whether the person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon or not. One exception would be for privately owned businesses that put up signs saying people are allowed to bring guns on their premises.U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney granted a preliminary injunction blocking the law, which he wrote was “sweeping, repugnant to the Second Amendment, and openly defiant of the Supreme Court.”The court case against the law will proceed while the law is blocked. The judge wrote that gun rights groups are likely to succeed in proving it unconstitutional, meaning it would be permanently overturned.The decision is a victory for the California Rifle and Pistol Association, which sued to block the law. The measure overhauled the state’s rules for concealed carry permits in light of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-gun-politics-new-york-violence-kathy-hochul-ebe58ea297c154a25a62650dec935529">U.S. Supreme Court’s decision</a>&nbsp;in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which set several states scrambling to react with their own laws. That decision said the constitutionality of gun laws must be assessed by whether they are “consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”“California progressive politicians refuse to accept the Supreme Court’s mandate from the Bruen case and are trying every creative ploy they can imagine to get around it,” the California association's president, Chuck Michel, said in a statement. “The Court saw through the State’s gambit.”Michel said under the law, gun permit holders “wouldn’t be able to drive across town without passing through a prohibited area and breaking the law.” He said the judge's decision makes Californians safer because criminals are deterred when law-abiding citizens can defend themselves.State Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office will appeal the decision, which he said if allowed to stand “would endanger communities by allowing guns in places where families and children gather.”Newsom said he will keep pushing for stricter gun measures.“Defying common sense, this ruling outrageously calls California’s data-backed gun safety efforts ‘repugnant.’ What is repugnant is this ruling, which greenlights the proliferation of guns in our hospitals, libraries, and children’s playgrounds — spaces, which should be safe for all," the governor said in a statement Wednesday evening.Newsom has positioned himself as a national leader on gun control while he is being increasingly eyed as a potential presidential candidate. He has called for and signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-gun-politics-legislature-gavin-newsom-42081c0b5d0e0a65b73e3c0e846d1851">a variety of bills</a>, including measures targeting untraceable “ghost guns,” the marketing of firearms to children and allowing people to bring lawsuits over gun violence. That legislation was patterned on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-gun-violence-us-supreme-court-politics-gavin-newsom-fbb51411fcbb46276060db967e1d4680">a Texas anti-abortion law</a>.Carney is a former Orange County Superior Court judge who was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in 2003.

Judge blocks first state law that banned carrying guns in public

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen issued a statement following a personal phone call with the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, in which the Secretary indicated that railway crossings and rail operations will resume at the southern border, effective immediately.

“I am grateful Sec. Mayorkas took the time to hear Nebraska’s concerns and issued a quick response, before we suffered the consequences of suspending rail operations,” said Gov. Pillen. “As a country, we must work together to solve the crisis at the southern border, however, we cannot solve it by suspending essential transportation operations. This action would have implications to trade agreements and cause negative impacts to our economy. I look forward to continuing to work with federal partners to ensure decisions made do not adversely affect Nebraska.”

Earlier this week, Gov. Pillen requested a call with Sec. Mayorkas to express concerns with the rail closure. The Governor stressed how this action would adversely impact Nebraska-based rail operations and the trade of agriculture products with Mexico. He is grateful for Sec. Mayorkas’s willingness to promptly meet and his quick response to the request to reopen U.S. – Mexico rail crossings.

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen issued a statement following a personal phone call with the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, in which the Secretary indicated that railway crossings and rail operations will resume at the southern border, effective immediately.“I am grateful Sec. Mayorkas took the time to hear Nebraska’s concerns and issued a quick response, before we suffered the consequences of suspending rail operations,” said Gov. Pillen. “As a country, we must work together to solve the crisis at the southern border, however, we cannot solve it by suspending essential transportation operations. This action would have implications to trade agreements and cause negative impacts to our economy. I look forward to continuing to work with federal partners to ensure decisions made do not adversely affect Nebraska.”Earlier this week, Gov. Pillen requested a call with Sec. Mayorkas to express concerns with the rail closure. The Governor stressed how this action would adversely impact Nebraska-based rail operations and the trade of agriculture products with Mexico. He is grateful for Sec. Mayorkas’s willingness to promptly meet and his quick response to the request to reopen U.S. – Mexico rail crossings.

Gov. Pillen Commends Sec. Mayorkas for Swiftly Answering the Request to Resume Rail Operations at the Southern Border

By Jim Garamone&nbsp;, Department of Defense

Houthi attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea are attacks on the international community and the international community is coming together to defend against the missiles and drones aimed at their vessels, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder at a Pentagon news conference.&nbsp;

The press secretary detailed how Operation Prosperity Guardian will work and called on the Houthis, an Iranian proxy group, to cease targeting international commerce.&nbsp;

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3622360/austin-lauds-key-partnerships-in-middle-east/">announced the operation</a>&nbsp;during a trip to the Middle East that ended last night. The secretary met with leaders in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Israel during the trip. "The secretary emphasized the strong and enduring partnership between the United States and his key partner nations towards furthering our shared goals of security and stability throughout the Middle East region," Ryder said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Austin discussed the importance of freedom of navigation in international waterways and the threat the Houthi attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea pose to world commerce. Between 10 and 15 percent of global shipping flows through the Red Sea, "and these attacks are impacting global trade and commerce, negatively impacting the economies of nations around the world and costing commercial shipping firms billions of dollars," Ryder said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In Bahrain, Austin announced Operation Prosperity Guardian. The operation is a new multinational security operation under the umbrella the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Austin further convened a virtual ministerial from Bahrain with ministers, chiefs of defense and senior representatives from more than 40 countries as well as representatives from the European Union and NATO to discuss the increased threat to maritime security in the Red Sea.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Austin used the forum to highlight the effects of the Houthi attacks and called on the representatives to act collectively. The nations must come together "to address this issue collectively, emphasizing that this is an international problem that requires an international response," Ryder said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There have been solid results: To date more than 20 nations have signed on to participate, Ryder said. "In the days ahead, the United States will continue to consult closely with our allies and partners who share the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation, and we expect to see the coalition continue to grow," he said.&nbsp;

The operation is a global answer to an international issue and the United States will continue to "work with this coalition of the willing where countries will be able to contribute what they feel that they can," Ryder said. Some of these contributions are military assets like ships and aircraft and other contributions include staff and other types of support.&nbsp;

"It's very important to understand that the Houthis aren't attacking just one country, they're really attacking the international community," Ryder said. "They are attacking the economic well-being and prosperity of nations around the world. So in effect, they really become bandits along the international highway that is the Red Sea."&nbsp;

To further this analogy, the forces assigned to Operation Prosperity Guardian, will serve the highway patrol in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden "to respond to and assist as necessary commercial vessels that are transiting this vital international waterway," the general said. "It's a defensive coalition meant to reassure global shipping and mariners that the international community is there to help with safe passage."&nbsp;

The area is large, roughly the distance between Boston and Washington, D.C., and the operation will work to assure safe passage all along the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Last thing I'd say on this is that the Houthis need to stop these attacks, and they need to stop them now," Ryder said. "That's clear and simple. They really need to ask themselves if they've bitten off more than they can chew, when it comes to taking on the entire international community and negatively impacting billions and billions, billions of dollars in global trade, economic prosperity and international law."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703248865569.png" alt="-The guided-missile destroyer USS Mason sails alongside the Japanese destroyer Akebono in the Gulf of Aden, Nov. 25, 2023. Sailors from both ships trained on visit, board, search and seizure procedures, helicopter operations, and division tactic exercises, increasing interoperability between the two allies. The USS Mason is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East.&nbsp;Photo By:Petty Officer 3rd Class Samantha Alaman" />
 <figcaption>-The guided-missile destroyer USS Mason sails alongside the Japanese destroyer Akebono in the Gulf of Aden, Nov. 25, 2023. Sailors from both ships trained on visit, board, search and seizure procedures, helicopter operations, and division tactic exercises, increasing interoperability between the two allies. The USS Mason is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East.&nbsp;Photo By:Petty Officer 3rd Class Samantha Alaman</figcaption>
 </figure>By Jim Garamone&nbsp;, Department of DefenseHouthi attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea are attacks on the international community and the international community is coming together to defend against the missiles and drones aimed at their vessels, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder at a Pentagon news conference.&nbsp;The press secretary detailed how Operation Prosperity Guardian will work and called on the Houthis, an Iranian proxy group, to cease targeting international commerce.&nbsp;Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3622360/austin-lauds-key-partnerships-in-middle-east/">announced the operation</a>&nbsp;during a trip to the Middle East that ended last night. The secretary met with leaders in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Israel during the trip. "The secretary emphasized the strong and enduring partnership between the United States and his key partner nations towards furthering our shared goals of security and stability throughout the Middle East region," Ryder said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Austin discussed the importance of freedom of navigation in international waterways and the threat the Houthi attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea pose to world commerce. Between 10 and 15 percent of global shipping flows through the Red Sea, "and these attacks are impacting global trade and commerce, negatively impacting the economies of nations around the world and costing commercial shipping firms billions of dollars," Ryder said.&nbsp;&nbsp;In Bahrain, Austin announced Operation Prosperity Guardian. The operation is a new multinational security operation under the umbrella the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea.&nbsp;&nbsp;Austin further convened a virtual ministerial from Bahrain with ministers, chiefs of defense and senior representatives from more than 40 countries as well as representatives from the European Union and NATO to discuss the increased threat to maritime security in the Red Sea.&nbsp;&nbsp;Austin used the forum to highlight the effects of the Houthi attacks and called on the representatives to act collectively. The nations must come together "to address this issue collectively, emphasizing that this is an international problem that requires an international response," Ryder said.&nbsp;&nbsp;There have been solid results: To date more than 20 nations have signed on to participate, Ryder said. "In the days ahead, the United States will continue to consult closely with our allies and partners who share the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation, and we expect to see the coalition continue to grow," he said.&nbsp;The operation is a global answer to an international issue and the United States will continue to "work with this coalition of the willing where countries will be able to contribute what they feel that they can," Ryder said. Some of these contributions are military assets like ships and aircraft and other contributions include staff and other types of support.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I spoke with 🇫🇷 Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/SebLecornu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SebLecornu</a> yesterday to discuss the ongoing threat posed by Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. France and the U.S. are working in concert to address these reckless and illegal attacks and ensure the safety of mariners and global shipping.…&mdash; Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1737915918770950445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"It's very important to understand that the Houthis aren't attacking just one country, they're really attacking the international community," Ryder said. "They are attacking the economic well-being and prosperity of nations around the world. So in effect, they really become bandits along the international highway that is the Red Sea."&nbsp;To further this analogy, the forces assigned to Operation Prosperity Guardian, will serve the highway patrol in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden "to respond to and assist as necessary commercial vessels that are transiting this vital international waterway," the general said. "It's a defensive coalition meant to reassure global shipping and mariners that the international community is there to help with safe passage."&nbsp;The area is large, roughly the distance between Boston and Washington, D.C., and the operation will work to assure safe passage all along the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Last thing I'd say on this is that the Houthis need to stop these attacks, and they need to stop them now," Ryder said. "That's clear and simple. They really need to ask themselves if they've bitten off more than they can chew, when it comes to taking on the entire international community and negatively impacting billions and billions, billions of dollars in global trade, economic prosperity and international law."

Details revealed on US effort to stop attacks in the Red Sea

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;said Friday that it will not immediately take up a plea by special counsel Jack Smith to rule on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-prosecution-immunity-f3e7206bdf169c9faa15a19084541824">whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted</a>&nbsp;for his actions to overturn the 2020 election results.

The issue will now be decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which has signaled it will act quickly to decide the case. Special counsel Jack Smith had cautioned that even a rapid appellate decision might not get to the Supreme Court in time for review and final word before the court’s traditional summer break.

Smith had pressed the Supreme Court to intervene over concerns that the legal fight over the issue could delay the start of Trump’s trial, now scheduled for March 4, beyond next year’s presidential election.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-judge-tanya-chutkan-capitol-riot-9ba5c18d315697d759521425ea203012">U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan</a>&nbsp;has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-january-6-appeal-20726ba42ac87cd2f3a3ffc6a2145490">put the case on hold</a>&nbsp;while Trump pursues his claim in higher courts that he is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-lawsuits-donald-trump-election-2020-congress-5cd9c285faf1b08567d565440fcfff5b">immune from prosecution</a>. Chutkan raised the possibility of keeping the March date if the case promptly returns to her court.

She already has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-immunity-donald-trump-a98872759762c95fa925ff831df27388">rejected the Trump team’s arguments</a>&nbsp;that an ex-president could not be prosecuted over acts that fall within the official duties of the job.

“Former presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability,” Chutkan wrote in her Dec. 1 ruling. “Defendant may be subject to federal investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, and punishment for any criminal acts undertaken while in office.”

The Supreme Court separately has agreed to hear a case over the charge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-capitol-riot-obstruction-charge-trump-5cf0db4a71766f0b40ec199dd0d5a1ab">obstruction of an official proceeding</a>&nbsp;that has been brought against Trump as well as more than 300 of his supporters who stormed the Capitol on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">Jan. 6, 2021</a>.

In the immunity case, Smith had tried to persuade the justices to take up the matter directly, bypassing the appeals court.

“This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former president is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office or is constitutionally protected from federal prosecution when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">has been impeached</a>&nbsp;but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-trials-impeachments-b245b52fd7d4a079ae199c954baba452">not convicted</a>&nbsp;before the criminal proceedings begin,” prosecutors wrote.

Underscoring the urgency for prosecutors in securing a quick resolution that can push the case forward, Smith and his team wrote: “It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-immunity-9528a29b2dbebb6ee4a4ebd26780f98c">claims of immunity</a>&nbsp;be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected.”

Justice Department policy prohibits the indictment of a sitting president. Though there’s no such bar against prosecution for a former commander in chief, lawyers for Trump say that he cannot be charged for actions that fell within his official duties as president — a claim that prosecutors have vigorously rejected.

Trump faces charges accusing him of working&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-trump-capitol-10351fe6d555eaee7554379ceed8bb24">to overturn the results</a>&nbsp;of the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violent riot</a>&nbsp;by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. He has denied any wrongdoing.

The high court still could act quickly once the appeals court issues its decision. A Supreme Court case usually lasts several months, but on rare occasions, the justices shift into high gear.

Nearly 50 years ago, the justices acted within two months of being asked to force President Richard Nixon to turn over Oval Office recordings in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/john-dean-richard-nixon-government-and-politics-crime-c7a7b99cca7c685cfc239f5e08b53378">the Watergate scandal</a>. The tapes were then used later in 1974 in the corruption prosecutions of Nixon’s former aides.

It took the high court just a few days to effectively decide the 2000 presidential election for Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692923629903.png" alt="Trump faces charges accusing him of working&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-trump-capitol-10351fe6d555eaee7554379ceed8bb24">to overturn the results</a>&nbsp;of the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violent riot</a>&nbsp;by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. He has denied any wrongdoing.-file photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Trump faces charges accusing him of working&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-trump-capitol-10351fe6d555eaee7554379ceed8bb24">to overturn the results</a>&nbsp;of the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violent riot</a>&nbsp;by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. He has denied any wrongdoing.-file photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;said Friday that it will not immediately take up a plea by special counsel Jack Smith to rule on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-prosecution-immunity-f3e7206bdf169c9faa15a19084541824">whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted</a>&nbsp;for his actions to overturn the 2020 election results.The issue will now be decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which has signaled it will act quickly to decide the case. Special counsel Jack Smith had cautioned that even a rapid appellate decision might not get to the Supreme Court in time for review and final word before the court’s traditional summer break.Smith had pressed the Supreme Court to intervene over concerns that the legal fight over the issue could delay the start of Trump’s trial, now scheduled for March 4, beyond next year’s presidential election.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-judge-tanya-chutkan-capitol-riot-9ba5c18d315697d759521425ea203012">U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan</a>&nbsp;has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-january-6-appeal-20726ba42ac87cd2f3a3ffc6a2145490">put the case on hold</a>&nbsp;while Trump pursues his claim in higher courts that he is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-lawsuits-donald-trump-election-2020-congress-5cd9c285faf1b08567d565440fcfff5b">immune from prosecution</a>. Chutkan raised the possibility of keeping the March date if the case promptly returns to her court.She already has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-immunity-donald-trump-a98872759762c95fa925ff831df27388">rejected the Trump team’s arguments</a>&nbsp;that an ex-president could not be prosecuted over acts that fall within the official duties of the job.“Former presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability,” Chutkan wrote in her Dec. 1 ruling. “Defendant may be subject to federal investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, and punishment for any criminal acts undertaken while in office.”The Supreme Court separately has agreed to hear a case over the charge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-capitol-riot-obstruction-charge-trump-5cf0db4a71766f0b40ec199dd0d5a1ab">obstruction of an official proceeding</a>&nbsp;that has been brought against Trump as well as more than 300 of his supporters who stormed the Capitol on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">Jan. 6, 2021</a>.In the immunity case, Smith had tried to persuade the justices to take up the matter directly, bypassing the appeals court.“This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former president is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office or is constitutionally protected from federal prosecution when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">has been impeached</a>&nbsp;but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-trials-impeachments-b245b52fd7d4a079ae199c954baba452">not convicted</a>&nbsp;before the criminal proceedings begin,” prosecutors wrote.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BREAKING: We have filed a brief at the United States Supreme Court to halt Jack Smith’s move to circumvent the appeals process in his prosecution of President Trump. The DOJ’s attempt to accelerate the prosecution is blatantly partisan, and SCOTUS must reject it. <a href="https://t.co/kJw2krar6U">pic.twitter.com/kJw2krar6U</a>&mdash; Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGAndrewBailey/status/1737857405445353754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Underscoring the urgency for prosecutors in securing a quick resolution that can push the case forward, Smith and his team wrote: “It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-immunity-9528a29b2dbebb6ee4a4ebd26780f98c">claims of immunity</a>&nbsp;be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected.”Justice Department policy prohibits the indictment of a sitting president. Though there’s no such bar against prosecution for a former commander in chief, lawyers for Trump say that he cannot be charged for actions that fell within his official duties as president — a claim that prosecutors have vigorously rejected.Trump faces charges accusing him of working&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-trump-capitol-10351fe6d555eaee7554379ceed8bb24">to overturn the results</a>&nbsp;of the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violent riot</a>&nbsp;by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. He has denied any wrongdoing.The high court still could act quickly once the appeals court issues its decision. A Supreme Court case usually lasts several months, but on rare occasions, the justices shift into high gear.Nearly 50 years ago, the justices acted within two months of being asked to force President Richard Nixon to turn over Oval Office recordings in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/john-dean-richard-nixon-government-and-politics-crime-c7a7b99cca7c685cfc239f5e08b53378">the Watergate scandal</a>. The tapes were then used later in 1974 in the corruption prosecutions of Nixon’s former aides.It took the high court just a few days to effectively decide the 2000 presidential election for Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore

Supreme Court declines to fast-track Trump immunity dispute

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/21/state-labor-court-hears-arguments-over-requested-delay-in-pillens-order-to-end-remote-work/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A state labor court on Thursday took under advisement a request by the state employees’ union to delay an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/13/governor-orders-end-to-remote-work-directs-state-workers-back-to-offices/">executive order by Gov. Jim Pillen</a>&nbsp;to end most remote or hybrid work arrangements by Jan. 2.

Such an order, union representatives argued Thursday, would create “chaos” for state workers and the taxpayers they serve because of adjustments employees would have to adopt quickly or because of an expected exodus of workers to private jobs that allow working from home.

Justin Hubly, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, said that more than one out of every five state jobs are already vacant, and ending remote working arrangements would exacerbate the labor shortage.

“That’s a scary number,” Hubly said of the&nbsp; vacancy rate.

An attorney representing the Pillen administration rejected the “parade of horribles” predicted by the union and said NAPE is making an “extraordinary” attempt to usurp the governor’s power to manage state employees.

Mark Fahleson, a Lincoln attorney appointed by the state to handle the labor dispute, said the state’s labor contract allows the governor to change “the site” of the workforce without bargaining with the union.

Fahleson added that NAPE had submitted a proposal on remote work during collective bargaining a year ago but withdrew it after winning “record (high) salary increases.”

“They’re asking the commission to award them something they voluntarily gave up,” he told the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations.

William Blake, the commission’s head, said that a three-member panel of commissioners would work quickly to rule on the request for a temporary injunction against Pillen’s order going into effect.

Blake also asked attorneys for the NAPE and Pillen to submit written briefs on whether a state law already prohibits any change in “employment status … in any way” while a grievance is being considered by the commission.

On Nov. 9, Pillen issued his back-to-office order, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic is over and that the “common-sense expectation” of the public is that state employees are working in a state office.

It prompted an immediate outcry from the union, which represents about 8,000 state workers, and appeals to the industrial relations commission, which decides labor disputes.

NAPE argues that remote work was allowed prior to the pandemic and that it has, in some cases, saved the state money and helped fill jobs that don’t require meeting the public. The union maintains that any change in conditions of employment must be subject to bargaining.

The order allowed for several exemptions, such as if office space wasn’t available. But&nbsp;Abby Osborn, a Lincoln attorney who represented NAPE, told commissioners the conditions for allowing the exemptions aren’t clear. She predicted that the CIR will be dealing with a flood of grievances over why some workers were allowed to work at home and others weren’t.

Osborn added that the state statute requiring no changes in employment while the CIR hears a grievance is “pretty clear.”

Hubly said about 1,300 state employees work remotely, which is a relatively small number.

He added that the union dropped its request for remote work a year ago as the deadline for signing a labor contract with the state was nearing and after the state offered generous raises.

Fahleson asked the commission not to consider an email survey taken of dues-paying NAPE members that showed that 1,390 of 1,700 respondents are considering or actively looking to leave state jobs due to the order.

He said that should be regarded as “hearsay” because NAPE polled&nbsp;only its 2,600 dues-paying members, while it represents 8,200 state employees.

Overall, Fahleson argued that the governor’s order allows exceptions, if necessary, to work from a state office but that most remote and hybrid work arrangements allowed during the pandemic should end.

He added that there has been no change in the “status quo” because the governor has had the “legitimate” power all along to dictate state employees’ work sites.

One CIR Commissioner, Patricia Vannoy, was unable to attend Thursday’s oral arguments due to illness. But Blake said she will be provided with the arguments and will participate in the commission’s ruling, which is anticipated as soon as late next week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703223974235.jpeg" alt="Members of the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations — a state labor court — heard arguments Thursday over whether Gov. Jim Pillen’s order to end remote work should be suspended. Pictured are commissioners William Blake, center, and Dallas Jones, at right. A third member of the panel, Patricia Vannoy, was ill and could not attend. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Members of the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations — a state labor court — heard arguments Thursday over whether Gov. Jim Pillen’s order to end remote work should be suspended. Pictured are commissioners William Blake, center, and Dallas Jones, at right. A third member of the panel, Patricia Vannoy, was ill and could not attend. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/21/state-labor-court-hears-arguments-over-requested-delay-in-pillens-order-to-end-remote-work/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A state labor court on Thursday took under advisement a request by the state employees’ union to delay an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/13/governor-orders-end-to-remote-work-directs-state-workers-back-to-offices/">executive order by Gov. Jim Pillen</a>&nbsp;to end most remote or hybrid work arrangements by Jan. 2.Such an order, union representatives argued Thursday, would create “chaos” for state workers and the taxpayers they serve because of adjustments employees would have to adopt quickly or because of an expected exodus of workers to private jobs that allow working from home.Justin Hubly, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, said that more than one out of every five state jobs are already vacant, and ending remote working arrangements would exacerbate the labor shortage.“That’s a scary number,” Hubly said of the&nbsp; vacancy rate.An attorney representing the Pillen administration rejected the “parade of horribles” predicted by the union and said NAPE is making an “extraordinary” attempt to usurp the governor’s power to manage state employees.Mark Fahleson, a Lincoln attorney appointed by the state to handle the labor dispute, said the state’s labor contract allows the governor to change “the site” of the workforce without bargaining with the union.<h2>Union withdrew proposal on remote work</h2>Fahleson added that NAPE had submitted a proposal on remote work during collective bargaining a year ago but withdrew it after winning “record (high) salary increases.”“They’re asking the commission to award them something they voluntarily gave up,” he told the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations.William Blake, the commission’s head, said that a three-member panel of commissioners would work quickly to rule on the request for a temporary injunction against Pillen’s order going into effect.Blake also asked attorneys for the NAPE and Pillen to submit written briefs on whether a state law already prohibits any change in “employment status … in any way” while a grievance is being considered by the commission.<h2>‘Common-sense expectation’</h2>On Nov. 9, Pillen issued his back-to-office order, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic is over and that the “common-sense expectation” of the public is that state employees are working in a state office.It prompted an immediate outcry from the union, which represents about 8,000 state workers, and appeals to the industrial relations commission, which decides labor disputes.NAPE argues that remote work was allowed prior to the pandemic and that it has, in some cases, saved the state money and helped fill jobs that don’t require meeting the public. The union maintains that any change in conditions of employment must be subject to bargaining.The order allowed for several exemptions, such as if office space wasn’t available. But&nbsp;Abby Osborn, a Lincoln attorney who represented NAPE, told commissioners the conditions for allowing the exemptions aren’t clear. She predicted that the CIR will be dealing with a flood of grievances over why some workers were allowed to work at home and others weren’t.<h2>State statute called ‘pretty clear’</h2>Osborn added that the state statute requiring no changes in employment while the CIR hears a grievance is “pretty clear.”Hubly said about 1,300 state employees work remotely, which is a relatively small number.He added that the union dropped its request for remote work a year ago as the deadline for signing a labor contract with the state was nearing and after the state offered generous raises.Fahleson asked the commission not to consider an email survey taken of dues-paying NAPE members that showed that 1,390 of 1,700 respondents are considering or actively looking to leave state jobs due to the order.<h2>CIR urged to disregard survey</h2>He said that should be regarded as “hearsay” because NAPE polled&nbsp;only its 2,600 dues-paying members, while it represents 8,200 state employees.Overall, Fahleson argued that the governor’s order allows exceptions, if necessary, to work from a state office but that most remote and hybrid work arrangements allowed during the pandemic should end.He added that there has been no change in the “status quo” because the governor has had the “legitimate” power all along to dictate state employees’ work sites.One CIR Commissioner, Patricia Vannoy, was unable to attend Thursday’s oral arguments due to illness. But Blake said she will be provided with the arguments and will participate in the commission’s ruling, which is anticipated as soon as late next week.