WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;agreed on Wednesday to take up a dispute over a medication used in the most common method of abortion in the United States, its first abortion case since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">it overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;last year.

The justices will hear appeals from the Biden administration and the maker of the drug mifepristone asking the high court to reverse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-restrictions-appeals-court-402be732d162af449c40ed1315cfb851">an appellate ruling</a>&nbsp;that would cut off access to the drug through the mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal. The restrictions include shortening from the current 10 weeks to seven weeks the time during which mifepristone can be used in pregnancy.

The nine justices rejected a separate appeal from abortion opponents who challenged the Food and Drug Administration's initial approval of mifepristone as safe and effective in 2000.

The case will be argued in the spring, with a decision likely by late June, in the middle of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-presidential-candidates-gop-2024-32f0b379ef6610aec0219e9c197bbbde">the 2024 presidential and congressional campaigns</a>.

Mifepristone, made by New York-based Danco Laboratories, is one of two drugs used in medication abortions, which account for more than half of all abortions in the United States. More than 5 million people have used it since 2000.

The Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in June 2022. That ruling has led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-anniversary-state-laws-51c2a83899f133556e715342abfcface">bans on abortion</a>&nbsp;at all stages of pregnancy in 14 states, with some exceptions, and once cardiac activity can be detected, which is around six weeks, in two others.

Abortion opponents filed their challenge to mifepristone the following November and initially won a sweeping ruling six months later revoking the drug’s approval entirely. The appeals court left intact the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone. But it would reverse changes regulators made in 2016 and 2021 that eased some conditions for administering the drug.

The justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-mifepristone-access-f781488016640bf571faf36096339ea4">blocked that ruling</a>&nbsp;from taking effect while the case played out, though Justices Samuel Alito, the author of last year’s decision overturning Roe, and Clarence Thomas said they would have allowed some restrictions to take effect while the case proceeded.

Women seeking to end their pregnancies in the first 10 weeks without more invasive surgical abortion can take mifepristone, along with misoprostol. The FDA has eased the terms of mifepristone’s use over the years, including allowing it to be sent through the mail in states that allow access.

In its appeal, the Democratic administration said the appeals court ignored the FDA’s scientific judgment about mifepristone’s safety and effectiveness since its approval in 2000.

Lawyers for the anti-abortion medical groups and individual physicians who have challenged the use of mifepristone had urged the Supreme Court to turn away the appeals.

“The modest decision below merely restores the common-sense safeguards under which millions of women have taken chemical abortion drugs,” wrote lawyers for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which describes itself as a Christian law firm. The lead attorney on the Supreme Court filing is Erin Hawley, wife of Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk</a>, an appointee of President Donald Trump in Texas, initially revoked FDA approval of mifepristone.

Responding to a quick appeal, two more Trump appointees on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23774813-5th-circuit-abortion-pill-stay-order">the FDA’s original approval would stand for now</a>. But Judges Andrew Oldham and Kurt Engelhardt said most of the rest of Kacsmaryk’s ruling could take effect while the case winds through federal courts.

Besides reducing the time during which the drug can be taken and halting distribution through the mail, patients who are seeking medication abortions would have had to make three in-person visits with a doctor. Women also might have been required to take a higher dosage of the drug than the FDA says is necessary.

Health care providers have said that if mifepristone is no longer available or is too hard to obtain, they would switch to using only misoprostol, which is somewhat less effective in ending pregnancies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="Mifepristone, made by New York-based Danco Laboratories, is one of two drugs used in medication abortions, which account for more than half of all abortions in the United States. More than 5 million people have used it since 2000.-photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Mifepristone, made by New York-based Danco Laboratories, is one of two drugs used in medication abortions, which account for more than half of all abortions in the United States. More than 5 million people have used it since 2000.-photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;agreed on Wednesday to take up a dispute over a medication used in the most common method of abortion in the United States, its first abortion case since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">it overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;last year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702480129262.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The justices will hear appeals from the Biden administration and the maker of the drug mifepristone asking the high court to reverse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-restrictions-appeals-court-402be732d162af449c40ed1315cfb851">an appellate ruling</a>&nbsp;that would cut off access to the drug through the mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal. The restrictions include shortening from the current 10 weeks to seven weeks the time during which mifepristone can be used in pregnancy.The nine justices rejected a separate appeal from abortion opponents who challenged the Food and Drug Administration's initial approval of mifepristone as safe and effective in 2000.The case will be argued in the spring, with a decision likely by late June, in the middle of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-presidential-candidates-gop-2024-32f0b379ef6610aec0219e9c197bbbde">the 2024 presidential and congressional campaigns</a>.Mifepristone, made by New York-based Danco Laboratories, is one of two drugs used in medication abortions, which account for more than half of all abortions in the United States. More than 5 million people have used it since 2000.The Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in June 2022. That ruling has led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-anniversary-state-laws-51c2a83899f133556e715342abfcface">bans on abortion</a>&nbsp;at all stages of pregnancy in 14 states, with some exceptions, and once cardiac activity can be detected, which is around six weeks, in two others.Abortion opponents filed their challenge to mifepristone the following November and initially won a sweeping ruling six months later revoking the drug’s approval entirely. The appeals court left intact the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone. But it would reverse changes regulators made in 2016 and 2021 that eased some conditions for administering the drug.The justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-mifepristone-access-f781488016640bf571faf36096339ea4">blocked that ruling</a>&nbsp;from taking effect while the case played out, though Justices Samuel Alito, the author of last year’s decision overturning Roe, and Clarence Thomas said they would have allowed some restrictions to take effect while the case proceeded.Women seeking to end their pregnancies in the first 10 weeks without more invasive surgical abortion can take mifepristone, along with misoprostol. The FDA has eased the terms of mifepristone’s use over the years, including allowing it to be sent through the mail in states that allow access.In its appeal, the Democratic administration said the appeals court ignored the FDA’s scientific judgment about mifepristone’s safety and effectiveness since its approval in 2000.Lawyers for the anti-abortion medical groups and individual physicians who have challenged the use of mifepristone had urged the Supreme Court to turn away the appeals.“The modest decision below merely restores the common-sense safeguards under which millions of women have taken chemical abortion drugs,” wrote lawyers for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which describes itself as a Christian law firm. The lead attorney on the Supreme Court filing is Erin Hawley, wife of Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk</a>, an appointee of President Donald Trump in Texas, initially revoked FDA approval of mifepristone.Responding to a quick appeal, two more Trump appointees on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23774813-5th-circuit-abortion-pill-stay-order">the FDA’s original approval would stand for now</a>. But Judges Andrew Oldham and Kurt Engelhardt said most of the rest of Kacsmaryk’s ruling could take effect while the case winds through federal courts.Besides reducing the time during which the drug can be taken and halting distribution through the mail, patients who are seeking medication abortions would have had to make three in-person visits with a doctor. Women also might have been required to take a higher dosage of the drug than the FDA says is necessary.Health care providers have said that if mifepristone is no longer available or is too hard to obtain, they would switch to using only misoprostol, which is somewhat less effective in ending pregnancies.

Supreme Court agrees to decide access to key abortion medication

Nebraska Broadcasters Association Foundation

Omaha, NE: The Nebraska Broadcasters Association Foundation (NBAF) has awarded $23,500.00 in scholarships to five students who are currently attending Nebraska universities with aspirations to work in broadcasting upon their graduation.&nbsp; The following students have been awarded a NBAF scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year:&nbsp;&nbsp;

Krystin Collins, a junior at University of Nebraska – Lincoln is pursuing a double major in Broadcasting and Sports Media &amp; Communications.

 Daytin Inserra-Cunningham, a senior at University of Nebraska – Omaha is pursuing a major in Journalism &amp; Media Communication.

Lindsay Tague, a senior at University of Nebraska – Omaha is pursuing a major in Journalism &amp; Media Communication.

Lance Vie, a senior at University of Nebraska – Lincoln is pursuing a major in Broadcasting and Jon Willis, a junior at University of Nebraska – Kearney is pursuing a major in Sports Communication.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Current NBA Board Chairperson Shannon Booth, vice president/general manager of the Gray Media Group, Inc., television stations in Lincoln, Hastings and North Platte, said: “These students are our future! The Nebraska Broadcasters Association Foundation is honored to support and award these scholarships. We congratulate these students for their hard work and dedication to this exciting field. The future is bright for broadcasters!”&nbsp;

The NBAF offers scholarships to assist students enrolled in radio and/or television broadcasting or broadcast journalism educational programs at designated higher education institutions in Nebraska.&nbsp; Qualified applications are reviewed by a panel of NBA board members.&nbsp; Scholarship levels are $5,000.00 (Marty Riemenschneider Scholarship), $3,500 (Dick Palmquist Scholarship) and $2,500.00 (NBA Foundation Scholarship).&nbsp; The number of scholarships and total dollar amount awarded each year is at the discretion of the NBA board of directors based on application quality and quantity.&nbsp; More than $350,000 in college scholarships have been awarded by the NBA and NBAF since the NBA first began awarding such scholarships in 1977.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702478147724.jpeg" alt="Jon Willis" />
 <figcaption>Jon Willis</figcaption>
 </figure>Nebraska Broadcasters Association FoundationOmaha, NE: The Nebraska Broadcasters Association Foundation (NBAF) has awarded $23,500.00 in scholarships to five students who are currently attending Nebraska universities with aspirations to work in broadcasting upon their graduation.&nbsp; The following students have been awarded a NBAF scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year:&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702478177671.jpeg" alt="Krystin Collins" />
 <figcaption>Krystin Collins</figcaption>
 </figure>Krystin Collins, a junior at University of Nebraska – Lincoln is pursuing a double major in Broadcasting and Sports Media &amp; Communications.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702478213871.jpeg" alt="Daytin Inserra-Cunningham.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Daytin Inserra-Cunningham.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure> Daytin Inserra-Cunningham, a senior at University of Nebraska – Omaha is pursuing a major in Journalism &amp; Media Communication.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702478236994.jpeg" alt="Lindsay Tague" />
 <figcaption>Lindsay Tague</figcaption>
 </figure>Lindsay Tague, a senior at University of Nebraska – Omaha is pursuing a major in Journalism &amp; Media Communication.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702478273890.jpeg" alt="Lance Vie" />
 <figcaption>Lance Vie</figcaption>
 </figure>Lance Vie, a senior at University of Nebraska – Lincoln is pursuing a major in Broadcasting and Jon Willis, a junior at University of Nebraska – Kearney is pursuing a major in Sports Communication.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Current NBA Board Chairperson Shannon Booth, vice president/general manager of the Gray Media Group, Inc., television stations in Lincoln, Hastings and North Platte, said: “These students are our future! The Nebraska Broadcasters Association Foundation is honored to support and award these scholarships. We congratulate these students for their hard work and dedication to this exciting field. The future is bright for broadcasters!”&nbsp;The NBAF offers scholarships to assist students enrolled in radio and/or television broadcasting or broadcast journalism educational programs at designated higher education institutions in Nebraska.&nbsp; Qualified applications are reviewed by a panel of NBA board members.&nbsp; Scholarship levels are $5,000.00 (Marty Riemenschneider Scholarship), $3,500 (Dick Palmquist Scholarship) and $2,500.00 (NBA Foundation Scholarship).&nbsp; The number of scholarships and total dollar amount awarded each year is at the discretion of the NBA board of directors based on application quality and quantity.&nbsp; More than $350,000 in college scholarships have been awarded by the NBA and NBAF since the NBA first began awarding such scholarships in 1977.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nebraska Broadcasters Association Foundation awards $23,500 in Scholarships to five Nebraska College Students 

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla is recalling nearly all vehicles sold in the U.S., more than 2 million, to update software and fix a defective system that’s supposed to ensure drivers are paying attention&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-autopilot-crash-investigation-self-driving-3c6ec0bf9c1c204d546769386f94bcb7">when using Autopilot</a>.

Documents posted Wednesday by U.S. safety regulators say the update will increase warnings and alerts to drivers and even limit the areas where basic versions of Autopilot can operate.

The recall comes after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-health-business-8fc617fc492847d15bf253558ed1f925">a two-year investigation</a>&nbsp;by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a series of crashes that happened while the Autopilot partially automated driving system was in use.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-virginia-crash-autopilot-investigation-b34f24ebb7db674f87f2bd80af7b72e6">Some were deadly.</a>

The agency says its investigation found Autopilot's method of making sure that drivers are paying attention can be inadequate and can lead to “foreseeable misuse of the system.”

The added controls and alerts will “further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility,” the documents said.

But safety experts said while the recall is a good step, it still makes the driver responsible and doesn't fix the underlying problem that Tesla's automated systems have trouble spotting and stopping for obstacles in their path.

The recall covers models Y, S, 3 and X produced between Oct. 5, 2012, and Dec. 7 of this year. The update was to be sent to certain affected vehicles on Tuesday, with the rest getting it later.

Autopilot includes features called Autosteer and Traffic Aware Cruise Control, with Autosteer intended for use on limited access freeways when it’s not operating with a more sophisticated feature called Autosteer on City Streets.

The software update will limit where Autosteer can be used. “If the driver attempts to engage Autosteer when conditions are not met for engagement, the feature will alert the driver it is unavailable through visual and audible alerts, and Autosteer will not engage,” the recall documents said.

Depending on a Tesla’s hardware, the added controls include “increasing prominence” of visual alerts, simplifying how Autosteer is turned on and off, and additional checks on whether Autosteer is being used outside of controlled access roads and when approaching traffic control devices. A driver could be suspended from using Autosteer if they repeatedly fail "to demonstrate continuous and sustained driving responsibility,” the documents say.

According to&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V838-8276.PDF">recall documents</a>, agency investigators met with Tesla starting in October to explain “tentative conclusions” about the fixing the monitoring system. Tesla did not concur with NHTSA's analysis but agreed to the recall on Dec. 5 in an effort to resolve the investigation.

Auto safety advocates for years have been calling for stronger regulation of the driver monitoring system, which mainly detects whether a driver's hands are on the steering wheel. They have called for cameras to make sure a driver is paying attention, which are used by other automakers with similar systems.

Philip Koopman, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University who studies autonomous vehicle safety, called the software update a compromise that doesn't address a lack of night vision cameras to watch drivers' eyes, as well as Teslas failing to spot and stop for obstacles.

“The compromise is disappointing because it does not fix the problem that the older cars do not have adequate hardware for driver monitoring,” Koopman said.

Koopman and Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, contend that crashing into emergency vehicles is a safety defect that isn't addressed. “It’s not digging at the root of what the investigation is looking at,” Brooks said. “It's not answering the question of why are Teslas on Autopilot not detecting and responding to emergency activity?”

Koopman said NHTSA apparently decided that the software change was the most it could get from the company, “and the benefits of doing this now outweigh the costs of spending another year wrangling with Tesla.”

In its statement Wednesday, NHTSA said the investigation remains open “as we monitor the efficacy of Tesla’s remedies and continue to work with the automaker to ensure the highest level of safety.”

Autopilot can steer, accelerate and brake automatically in its lane, but is a driver-assist system and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-autopilot-buttigieg-investigation-crash-musk-1455d194b18fe17609554dd68864654c">cannot drive itself despite its name</a>. Independent tests have found that the monitoring system is easy to fool, so much that drivers have been caught while driving drunk&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ca-state-wire-california-arrests-business-technology-388ae97b2c5c8a7ca7ae816323e7b829">or even sitting in the back seat</a>.

In its defect report filed with the safety agency, Tesla said Autopilot's controls “may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse.”

A message was left early Wednesday seeking further comment from the Austin, Texas, company.

Tesla says on its website that Autopilot and a more sophisticated Full Self Driving system are meant to help drivers who have to be ready to intervene at all times. Full Self Driving is being tested by Tesla owners on public roads.

In a statement posted Monday on X, formerly Twitter, Tesla said safety is stronger when Autopilot is engaged.

NHTSA has dispatched investigators to 35 Tesla crashes since 2016 in which the agency suspects the vehicles were running on an automated system. At least 17 people have been killed.

The investigations are part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-health-business-8fc617fc492847d15bf253558ed1f925">a larger probe by the NHTSA</a>&nbsp;into multiple instances of Teslas using Autopilot crashing into emergency vehicles. NHTSA has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-tesla-electric-vehicle-steering-wheel-c69867f4eb15bc582d956c309aeba95b">become more aggressive</a>&nbsp;in pursuing safety problems with Teslas, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-recalls-full-self-driving-cars-875b54d4b71e97d43a17e968d7b856ae">recall of Full Self Driving software</a>.

In May, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose department includes NHTSA, said Tesla&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-autopilot-buttigieg-investigation-crash-musk-1455d194b18fe17609554dd68864654c">shouldn’t be calling the system Autopilot</a>&nbsp;because it can’t drive itself.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689862965931.jpeg" alt="photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Tesla is recalling nearly all vehicles sold in the U.S., more than 2 million, to update software and fix a defective system that’s supposed to ensure drivers are paying attention&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-autopilot-crash-investigation-self-driving-3c6ec0bf9c1c204d546769386f94bcb7">when using Autopilot</a>.Documents posted Wednesday by U.S. safety regulators say the update will increase warnings and alerts to drivers and even limit the areas where basic versions of Autopilot can operate.The recall comes after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-health-business-8fc617fc492847d15bf253558ed1f925">a two-year investigation</a>&nbsp;by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a series of crashes that happened while the Autopilot partially automated driving system was in use.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-virginia-crash-autopilot-investigation-b34f24ebb7db674f87f2bd80af7b72e6">Some were deadly.</a>The agency says its investigation found Autopilot's method of making sure that drivers are paying attention can be inadequate and can lead to “foreseeable misuse of the system.”The added controls and alerts will “further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility,” the documents said.But safety experts said while the recall is a good step, it still makes the driver responsible and doesn't fix the underlying problem that Tesla's automated systems have trouble spotting and stopping for obstacles in their path.The recall covers models Y, S, 3 and X produced between Oct. 5, 2012, and Dec. 7 of this year. The update was to be sent to certain affected vehicles on Tuesday, with the rest getting it later.Autopilot includes features called Autosteer and Traffic Aware Cruise Control, with Autosteer intended for use on limited access freeways when it’s not operating with a more sophisticated feature called Autosteer on City Streets.The software update will limit where Autosteer can be used. “If the driver attempts to engage Autosteer when conditions are not met for engagement, the feature will alert the driver it is unavailable through visual and audible alerts, and Autosteer will not engage,” the recall documents said.Depending on a Tesla’s hardware, the added controls include “increasing prominence” of visual alerts, simplifying how Autosteer is turned on and off, and additional checks on whether Autosteer is being used outside of controlled access roads and when approaching traffic control devices. A driver could be suspended from using Autosteer if they repeatedly fail "to demonstrate continuous and sustained driving responsibility,” the documents say.According to&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V838-8276.PDF">recall documents</a>, agency investigators met with Tesla starting in October to explain “tentative conclusions” about the fixing the monitoring system. Tesla did not concur with NHTSA's analysis but agreed to the recall on Dec. 5 in an effort to resolve the investigation.Auto safety advocates for years have been calling for stronger regulation of the driver monitoring system, which mainly detects whether a driver's hands are on the steering wheel. They have called for cameras to make sure a driver is paying attention, which are used by other automakers with similar systems.Philip Koopman, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University who studies autonomous vehicle safety, called the software update a compromise that doesn't address a lack of night vision cameras to watch drivers' eyes, as well as Teslas failing to spot and stop for obstacles.“The compromise is disappointing because it does not fix the problem that the older cars do not have adequate hardware for driver monitoring,” Koopman said.Koopman and Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, contend that crashing into emergency vehicles is a safety defect that isn't addressed. “It’s not digging at the root of what the investigation is looking at,” Brooks said. “It's not answering the question of why are Teslas on Autopilot not detecting and responding to emergency activity?”Koopman said NHTSA apparently decided that the software change was the most it could get from the company, “and the benefits of doing this now outweigh the costs of spending another year wrangling with Tesla.”In its statement Wednesday, NHTSA said the investigation remains open “as we monitor the efficacy of Tesla’s remedies and continue to work with the automaker to ensure the highest level of safety.”Autopilot can steer, accelerate and brake automatically in its lane, but is a driver-assist system and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-autopilot-buttigieg-investigation-crash-musk-1455d194b18fe17609554dd68864654c">cannot drive itself despite its name</a>. Independent tests have found that the monitoring system is easy to fool, so much that drivers have been caught while driving drunk&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ca-state-wire-california-arrests-business-technology-388ae97b2c5c8a7ca7ae816323e7b829">or even sitting in the back seat</a>.In its defect report filed with the safety agency, Tesla said Autopilot's controls “may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse.”A message was left early Wednesday seeking further comment from the Austin, Texas, company.Tesla says on its website that Autopilot and a more sophisticated Full Self Driving system are meant to help drivers who have to be ready to intervene at all times. Full Self Driving is being tested by Tesla owners on public roads.In a statement posted Monday on X, formerly Twitter, Tesla said safety is stronger when Autopilot is engaged.NHTSA has dispatched investigators to 35 Tesla crashes since 2016 in which the agency suspects the vehicles were running on an automated system. At least 17 people have been killed.The investigations are part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-health-business-8fc617fc492847d15bf253558ed1f925">a larger probe by the NHTSA</a>&nbsp;into multiple instances of Teslas using Autopilot crashing into emergency vehicles. NHTSA has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-tesla-electric-vehicle-steering-wheel-c69867f4eb15bc582d956c309aeba95b">become more aggressive</a>&nbsp;in pursuing safety problems with Teslas, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-recalls-full-self-driving-cars-875b54d4b71e97d43a17e968d7b856ae">recall of Full Self Driving software</a>.In May, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose department includes NHTSA, said Tesla&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tesla-autopilot-buttigieg-investigation-crash-musk-1455d194b18fe17609554dd68864654c">shouldn’t be calling the system Autopilot</a>&nbsp;because it can’t drive itself.

Tesla recalls nearly all vehicles sold in United States

WASHINGTON —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Americans his country is fighting for “our freedom and yours” as he made an impassioned for Congress to approve more assistance to fight Russia’s invasion. But prospects for additional U.S. aid to Ukraine are seriously delayed, if not in grave doubt, despite his whirlwind diplomacy in Washington on Tuesday.

President Joe Biden pledged that the U.S. will continue to stand with Ukraine following his meeting today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.

Biden praised Ukraine's defenders who have pushed back against Russia's full-scale assault for nearly two years, adding that the "American people can and should be incredibly proud of the part they played in supporting Ukraine's success."

"Mr. President, I will not walk away from Ukraine, and neither will the American people," Biden said.&nbsp;

The two leaders met amid negotiations on Capitol Hill over Biden's supplemental funding request to continue critical military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

He said he would continue to provide U.S. military assistance for as long as Congressionally approved funds are available. &nbsp;&nbsp;

During his address, Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3615582/biden-administration-announces-new-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">announced his approval on the latest round of military assistance</a>, valued at $200 million, which includes critically needed air defense interceptors, artillery and ammunition. &nbsp;

"Without supplemental funding, we are rapidly coming to an end of our ability to help Ukraine respond to the urgent operational demands that it has," he said.

"Putin is banking on the United States failing to deliver for Ukraine," he continued. "We must prove him wrong." &nbsp;

While in Washington, Zelenskyy met with defense officials and lawmakers to extend his gratitude for the United States' support and underscore the urgent need for that support to continue.

In introductory remarks yesterday ahead of Zelenskyy's address at National Defense University in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III underscored the United States' "unshakable" commitment to support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression.

"Ukraine matters profoundly to America's security, and to the trajectory of global security in the 21st century," Austin said. "That's why the United States has committed more than $44 billion in security assistance to Ukraine's brave defenders."

He added that the U.S.-led coalition of allies and partners have also contributed more than $37 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. Those contributions include capabilities that "are making a crucial difference on the battlefield," Austin said, and have helped Ukraine recoup more than half of the territory seized by Russia since February 2022.

He said the U.S. and its allies and partners remain "determined to help Ukraine consolidate and extend its battlefield gains, and to build a future force that can ward off Russian aggression in the years ahead."--

-Joseph Clark, Department of Defense contributed to the report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702416493983.png" alt="President Joe Biden shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday-photo courtesy CSPAN&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday-photo courtesy CSPAN&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Americans his country is fighting for “our freedom and yours” as he made an impassioned for Congress to approve more assistance to fight Russia’s invasion. But prospects for additional U.S. aid to Ukraine are seriously delayed, if not in grave doubt, despite his whirlwind diplomacy in Washington on Tuesday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1726010394564145%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=343" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>President Joe Biden pledged that the U.S. will continue to stand with Ukraine following his meeting today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.Biden praised Ukraine's defenders who have pushed back against Russia's full-scale assault for nearly two years, adding that the "American people can and should be incredibly proud of the part they played in supporting Ukraine's success.""Mr. President, I will not walk away from Ukraine, and neither will the American people," Biden said.&nbsp;The two leaders met amid negotiations on Capitol Hill over Biden's supplemental funding request to continue critical military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.He said he would continue to provide U.S. military assistance for as long as Congressionally approved funds are available. &nbsp;&nbsp;During his address, Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3615582/biden-administration-announces-new-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">announced his approval on the latest round of military assistance</a>, valued at $200 million, which includes critically needed air defense interceptors, artillery and ammunition. &nbsp;"Without supplemental funding, we are rapidly coming to an end of our ability to help Ukraine respond to the urgent operational demands that it has," he said."Putin is banking on the United States failing to deliver for Ukraine," he continued. "We must prove him wrong." &nbsp;While in Washington, Zelenskyy met with defense officials and lawmakers to extend his gratitude for the United States' support and underscore the urgent need for that support to continue.In introductory remarks yesterday ahead of Zelenskyy's address at National Defense University in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III underscored the United States' "unshakable" commitment to support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression."Ukraine matters profoundly to America's security, and to the trajectory of global security in the 21st century," Austin said. "That's why the United States has committed more than $44 billion in security assistance to Ukraine's brave defenders."He added that the U.S.-led coalition of allies and partners have also contributed more than $37 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. Those contributions include capabilities that "are making a crucial difference on the battlefield," Austin said, and have helped Ukraine recoup more than half of the territory seized by Russia since February 2022.He said the U.S. and its allies and partners remain "determined to help Ukraine consolidate and extend its battlefield gains, and to build a future force that can ward off Russian aggression in the years ahead."---Joseph Clark, Department of Defense contributed to the report.

🎥Biden OKs another $200M in military assistance for Ukraine

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli army announced on Tuesday that they had retrieved the bodies of two hostages from Gaza in an operation that killed two Israeli soldiers.

Soldiers retrieved the bodies of Eden Zakaria, 27, who was kidnapped from the music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, and Ziv Dado, 36, a soldier serving near the Gaza border. Dado was killed on October 7 and his body was taken to Gaza. Zakaria was wounded on October 7, and it was unclear if she was taken alive or dead to Gaza, according to reports on Israel’s Channel 12.

During the operation to rescue the bodies, two soldiers, Gal Meir Eizenkot and Eyal Meir Berkowitz, were killed. Gal Eisenkot is the son of Gadi Eizenkot, who served as military chief of staff from 2015 to 2019 and sits on the war cabinet.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Israel pressed ahead Tuesday with an offensive against Gaza’s Hamas rulers that it says could go on for weeks or months. Ahead of a non-binding vote at the United Nations later Tuesday, Israel and the United States faced global calls for a cease-fire in Gaza.

More than 17,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, around two-thirds of them women and children, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory</a>. About 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced within the besieged territory, where United Nations agencies say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-war-90e02d26420b8fe3157f73c256f9ed6a">there is no safe place to flee</a>. With only a trickle of humanitarian aid reaching a small portion of Gaza, residents face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-war-southern-gaza-humanitarian-conditions-4da8410ab2e849adef8aff18c79b310c">severe shortages of food, water and other basic goods</a>.

Israel says 97 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">about 240 hostages</a>. Qatar, which has played a key mediating role, says efforts to stop the war and have all hostages released will continue, but a willingness to discuss a cease-fire is fading.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696679013332.png" alt="Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. File photo (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)" />
 <figcaption>Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. File photo (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli army announced on Tuesday that they had retrieved the bodies of two hostages from Gaza in an operation that killed two Israeli soldiers.Soldiers retrieved the bodies of Eden Zakaria, 27, who was kidnapped from the music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, and Ziv Dado, 36, a soldier serving near the Gaza border. Dado was killed on October 7 and his body was taken to Gaza. Zakaria was wounded on October 7, and it was unclear if she was taken alive or dead to Gaza, according to reports on Israel’s Channel 12.During the operation to rescue the bodies, two soldiers, Gal Meir Eizenkot and Eyal Meir Berkowitz, were killed. Gal Eisenkot is the son of Gadi Eizenkot, who served as military chief of staff from 2015 to 2019 and sits on the war cabinet.Meanwhile,&nbsp;Israel pressed ahead Tuesday with an offensive against Gaza’s Hamas rulers that it says could go on for weeks or months. Ahead of a non-binding vote at the United Nations later Tuesday, Israel and the United States faced global calls for a cease-fire in Gaza.More than 17,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, around two-thirds of them women and children, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory</a>. About 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced within the besieged territory, where United Nations agencies say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-war-90e02d26420b8fe3157f73c256f9ed6a">there is no safe place to flee</a>. With only a trickle of humanitarian aid reaching a small portion of Gaza, residents face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-war-southern-gaza-humanitarian-conditions-4da8410ab2e849adef8aff18c79b310c">severe shortages of food, water and other basic goods</a>.Israel says 97 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">about 240 hostages</a>. Qatar, which has played a key mediating role, says efforts to stop the war and have all hostages released will continue, but a willingness to discuss a cease-fire is fading.

2 soldiers killed retrieving bodies of 2 hostages in Gaza

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/12/jury-finds-inmate-guilty-of-murder-in-mob-slaying-of-fellow-inmate-during-2017-riot/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

WILBER, Nebraska — After hearing testimony over 16 days, a jury here took less than eight hours to find Eric Ramos guilty of first-degree murder in the “mob” slaying of a fellow inmate during a 2017 riot at the Tecumseh State Prison.

Ramos, 33,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/11/jurors-begin-deliberating-in-murder-of-prison-inmate-during-2017-riot-at-tecumseh-state-prison/">was also found guilty</a>&nbsp;Tuesday of use of a deadly weapon and concealing evidence in the death of 31-year-old Michael Galindo, who was found dead in his smoke-filled cell after being beaten by a group of inmates and stabbed by at least four inmates.

A second inmate,&nbsp;&nbsp;Damon Fitzgerald, was also found dead following the riot, which was sparked when prison authorities began searching cells in a high-security housing unit for illegal stashes of “hooch,” a crude alcohol brewed by inmates.

Prosecutors from the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office did not comment after the verdict from the jury of six men and six women, but a statement from that office expressed gratitude for the verdict and the “hard work” of the jury over the past month.

Tim Noerrlinger, one of Ramos’ attorneys, said he was disappointed by the verdict but that “there’s some pretty viable appeal issues.”&nbsp;

One came up during the trial, in which prosecutors handed over statements on the 15th day of the trial that were made by two brothers who were inmates at Tecumseh. Noerrlinger moved for a mistrial, maintaining that the statements contradicted the testimony of one of the brothers earlier in the trial. The motion was denied.

Members of the Galindo family filed out of the Saline County Courthouse after the verdict, telling a reporter they were withholding comment until after Ramos is sentenced. He faces a mandatory life sentence for the slaying.

District Judge Rick Schreiner set Feb. 2 for sentencing.

Galindo was beaten and stabbed repeatedly — over 130 times according to an autopsy — in a savage attack by what prosecutors described as a “mob” that was mostly captured on surveillance video. Galindo eventually took refuge in his cell, but inmates broke out the window on the cell door and started a smoky fire within the room. Galindo eventually died of smoke inhalation.

The lead prosecutor, Corey O’Brien of the Attorney General’s Office, told jurors Monday during closing arguments that a motive for the slaying of Galindo may never be known.

“All we know is that a group of inmates on that day decided to play God,” he said.

A big question now is whether more inmates might be charged for the prison riot murders. During the trial, attorneys named at least three other inmates they suspected might have been involved, yet Ramos has been the only inmate charged in the two deaths.

The Ramos case was delayed by several years after an initial trial, in 2018, ended in a mistrial, and asattorneys awaited rulings on appeals spawned by the first trial.

The trial hinged on the credibility of a prison intelligence officer — who testified that she was 100% sure Ramos could be seen on surveillance video attacking Galindo — and whether sometimes grainy video of the initial assault and stabbing showed who was involved. During the rampage, inmates wore towels over their faces and stocking caps, making identification difficult, and some surveillance cameras were disabled or had blind spots.

The jurors began deliberating at 2:20 p.m. Monday and worked till 8:30 p.m., then announced that they had reached a decision at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, after about 90 minutes of discussion.

The 2017 riot was one of two that rocked the rural prison in Tecumseh. Two years earlier, on Mother’s Day, an inmate uprising began after a disturbance on the prison yard. Two inmates were found dead after that riot, which also caused millions of dollars of damage to the prison. No one has been charged in those slayings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702413665992.png" alt="Nebraska prison inmate Eric Ramos, center, enters court Monday for the final day of his trial on murder charges escorted by Saline County Sheriff’s deputies. (Pool photo by Lori Pilger/Lincoln Journal Star)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska prison inmate Eric Ramos, center, enters court Monday for the final day of his trial on murder charges escorted by Saline County Sheriff’s deputies. (Pool photo by Lori Pilger/Lincoln Journal Star)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/12/jury-finds-inmate-guilty-of-murder-in-mob-slaying-of-fellow-inmate-during-2017-riot/">Nebraska Examiner</a>WILBER, Nebraska — After hearing testimony over 16 days, a jury here took less than eight hours to find Eric Ramos guilty of first-degree murder in the “mob” slaying of a fellow inmate during a 2017 riot at the Tecumseh State Prison.Ramos, 33,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/11/jurors-begin-deliberating-in-murder-of-prison-inmate-during-2017-riot-at-tecumseh-state-prison/">was also found guilty</a>&nbsp;Tuesday of use of a deadly weapon and concealing evidence in the death of 31-year-old Michael Galindo, who was found dead in his smoke-filled cell after being beaten by a group of inmates and stabbed by at least four inmates.A second inmate,&nbsp;&nbsp;Damon Fitzgerald, was also found dead following the riot, which was sparked when prison authorities began searching cells in a high-security housing unit for illegal stashes of “hooch,” a crude alcohol brewed by inmates.Prosecutors from the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office did not comment after the verdict from the jury of six men and six women, but a statement from that office expressed gratitude for the verdict and the “hard work” of the jury over the past month.Tim Noerrlinger, one of Ramos’ attorneys, said he was disappointed by the verdict but that “there’s some pretty viable appeal issues.”&nbsp;<h2>Mistrial motion denied</h2>One came up during the trial, in which prosecutors handed over statements on the 15th day of the trial that were made by two brothers who were inmates at Tecumseh. Noerrlinger moved for a mistrial, maintaining that the statements contradicted the testimony of one of the brothers earlier in the trial. The motion was denied.Members of the Galindo family filed out of the Saline County Courthouse after the verdict, telling a reporter they were withholding comment until after Ramos is sentenced. He faces a mandatory life sentence for the slaying.District Judge Rick Schreiner set Feb. 2 for sentencing.Galindo was beaten and stabbed repeatedly — over 130 times according to an autopsy — in a savage attack by what prosecutors described as a “mob” that was mostly captured on surveillance video. Galindo eventually took refuge in his cell, but inmates broke out the window on the cell door and started a smoky fire within the room. Galindo eventually died of smoke inhalation.<h2>Inmates ‘played God’</h2>The lead prosecutor, Corey O’Brien of the Attorney General’s Office, told jurors Monday during closing arguments that a motive for the slaying of Galindo may never be known.“All we know is that a group of inmates on that day decided to play God,” he said.A big question now is whether more inmates might be charged for the prison riot murders. During the trial, attorneys named at least three other inmates they suspected might have been involved, yet Ramos has been the only inmate charged in the two deaths.The Ramos case was delayed by several years after an initial trial, in 2018, ended in a mistrial, and asattorneys awaited rulings on appeals spawned by the first trial.The trial hinged on the credibility of a prison intelligence officer — who testified that she was 100% sure Ramos could be seen on surveillance video attacking Galindo — and whether sometimes grainy video of the initial assault and stabbing showed who was involved. During the rampage, inmates wore towels over their faces and stocking caps, making identification difficult, and some surveillance cameras were disabled or had blind spots.The jurors began deliberating at 2:20 p.m. Monday and worked till 8:30 p.m., then announced that they had reached a decision at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, after about 90 minutes of discussion.The 2017 riot was one of two that rocked the rural prison in Tecumseh. Two years earlier, on Mother’s Day, an inmate uprising began after a disturbance on the prison yard. Two inmates were found dead after that riot, which also caused millions of dollars of damage to the prison. No one has been charged in those slayings.

Jury finds inmate guilty of murder in ‘mob’ slaying of fellow inmate during 2017 riot

FORT CALHOUN, Neb. (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/priest-catholic-nebraska-attack-archdiocese-eb7a0cba27d5c11ca075f0ba479ce5a6">fatal stabbing</a>&nbsp;of a Catholic priest inside the church rectory where he lived has rocked the eastern Nebraska community of Fort Calhoun, a one-stoplight town where people tend not to worry if they forget to lock their doors at night.

The Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, who served at St. John the Baptist church, was attacked during what authorities called a break-in early Sunday. The 65-year-old died despite being rushed to an Omaha hospital. Authorities with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man, who was still in the church rectory when they arrived six minutes after the priest called 911.

“It’s a crazy world I guess. Anything can happen to anybody,” said longtime Fort Calhoun resident Stephen Green, who said he did not know Gutgsell personally, but has attended Lenten fish fries at the church and sent his kids to vacation Bible school there.

By Monday the church, nestled in a neighborhood a block away from the elementary school, was clear of crime scene tape as it prepared to host a wake for one of its members, but the yellow plastic continued to encircle the rectory — the modest home next to the church.

A stack of church bulletins sat unused just outside the sanctuary — with a note from Gutgsell about how he had planned to preach about St. John the Baptist’s namesake on Sunday. On the way into town, the lighted sign along the highway welcoming visitors to Fort Calhoun asked for “prayers for our church and our community.”

Gutgsell was attacked just one day after the Christmas in Calhoun celebration, where many of the town's residents celebrated with a full day of events including a Boy Scout pancake breakfast at St. John the Baptist. The small congregation of more than 250 families is an active one known for its fish fries during Lent and its vacation Bible school programs every summer.

Fort Calhoun hosts only about 1,000 residents, located about 16 miles (26 kilometers) north of Omaha. The town is best known for being home to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/places/fort-atkinson.htm#:~:text=In%201819%2C%20Fort%20Atkinson%20was,it%20was%20abandoned%20in%201827.">Fort Atkinson</a>, the first U.S. military post west of the Missouri River, where volunteers dress up in clothes from the period as part of a living history program. It is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Sioux City, Iowa, where authorities say the suspect in Gutgsell's death was from.

But the priest's stabbing was the second killing to happen this year in the small town.

“You know, there’s no murders forever and ever, and then all of a sudden, bam!” said Kevin Schultz, one of two pastors at the Cherry Hill church and ice cream shop on the main highway just a few blocks away from St. John the Baptist.

A day following the attack with little new details released, residents were left to speculate about Gutgsell's killing. Prosecutors said they expect to file formal homicide and weapons charges on Tuesday against Kierre L. Williams, 43, who was arrested inside the rectory. He does not have a lawyer yet and likely won't appear in court until Wednesday.

“It seems like there's more to the story,” Schultz said.

Court records in Iowa show Williams is facing a misdemeanor assault charge; he is accused of punching someone at a soup kitchen in Sioux City after getting in an argument in July. The criminal charge against him in that case lists him as homeless.

Green, who has lived in Fort Calhoun since he was 5 years old, said he has always known the town to be safe and he remembers riding his bike all over town when he was young. But he said the killing of Gutgsell — and the August killing of 71-year-old Linda Childers — are eye opening.

In August, Childers was found dead in her rural home in Fort Calhoun in what authorities believe was a home invasion by a man she did not know. In that case, William P. Collins has been charged with first-degree murder and other counts.

“It shouldn’t happen in a small town like this,” said Andy Faucher, who owns the Longhorn Bar and Grill where people gathered to eat and talk about what happened. Faucher said the fact that this latest killing involved a priest only “intensifies the scariness of the situation.”

On Sunday evening, the congregation held a vigil at St. John the Baptist to remember Gutgsell, who served at several different parishes across the Archdiocese of Omaha during his 39 years as a priest. In addition to leading St. John the Baptist in Fort Calhoun, Gutgsell helped at St. Francis Borgia in Blair, where the archbishop held a special service after the stabbing Sunday and met with members of the congregation.

“We continue to pray that the Lord of mercy and love will welcome Father Gutgsell into his Heavenly kingdom,” Archbishop of Omaha George J. Lucas said in a statement. “May Our Blessed Mother intercede for us all as we grieve his death.”

The Archdiocese said Gutgsell was a native of Kansas City, Missouri, who graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 1980 and attended the St. Paul Seminary in Minnesota before joining the priesthood in 1984.

Funeral arrangements for Gutgsell are pending.

Kelly Tegels told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/fort-calhoun-community-mourns-priest-murdered-early-sunday/46086763">KETV that</a>&nbsp;she had just seen Gutgsell at Mass on Saturday night, so his death did not feel real yet.

FORT CALHOUN, Neb. (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/priest-catholic-nebraska-attack-archdiocese-eb7a0cba27d5c11ca075f0ba479ce5a6">fatal stabbing</a>&nbsp;of a Catholic priest inside the church rectory where he lived has rocked the eastern Nebraska community of Fort Calhoun, a one-stoplight town where people tend not to worry if they forget to lock their doors at night.The Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, who served at St. John the Baptist church, was attacked during what authorities called a break-in early Sunday. The 65-year-old died despite being rushed to an Omaha hospital. Authorities with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man, who was still in the church rectory when they arrived six minutes after the priest called 911.“It’s a crazy world I guess. Anything can happen to anybody,” said longtime Fort Calhoun resident Stephen Green, who said he did not know Gutgsell personally, but has attended Lenten fish fries at the church and sent his kids to vacation Bible school there.By Monday the church, nestled in a neighborhood a block away from the elementary school, was clear of crime scene tape as it prepared to host a wake for one of its members, but the yellow plastic continued to encircle the rectory — the modest home next to the church.A stack of church bulletins sat unused just outside the sanctuary — with a note from Gutgsell about how he had planned to preach about St. John the Baptist’s namesake on Sunday. On the way into town, the lighted sign along the highway welcoming visitors to Fort Calhoun asked for “prayers for our church and our community.”Gutgsell was attacked just one day after the Christmas in Calhoun celebration, where many of the town's residents celebrated with a full day of events including a Boy Scout pancake breakfast at St. John the Baptist. The small congregation of more than 250 families is an active one known for its fish fries during Lent and its vacation Bible school programs every summer.Fort Calhoun hosts only about 1,000 residents, located about 16 miles (26 kilometers) north of Omaha. The town is best known for being home to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/places/fort-atkinson.htm#:~:text=In%201819%2C%20Fort%20Atkinson%20was,it%20was%20abandoned%20in%201827.">Fort Atkinson</a>, the first U.S. military post west of the Missouri River, where volunteers dress up in clothes from the period as part of a living history program. It is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Sioux City, Iowa, where authorities say the suspect in Gutgsell's death was from.But the priest's stabbing was the second killing to happen this year in the small town.“You know, there’s no murders forever and ever, and then all of a sudden, bam!” said Kevin Schultz, one of two pastors at the Cherry Hill church and ice cream shop on the main highway just a few blocks away from St. John the Baptist.A day following the attack with little new details released, residents were left to speculate about Gutgsell's killing. Prosecutors said they expect to file formal homicide and weapons charges on Tuesday against Kierre L. Williams, 43, who was arrested inside the rectory. He does not have a lawyer yet and likely won't appear in court until Wednesday.“It seems like there's more to the story,” Schultz said.Court records in Iowa show Williams is facing a misdemeanor assault charge; he is accused of punching someone at a soup kitchen in Sioux City after getting in an argument in July. The criminal charge against him in that case lists him as homeless.Green, who has lived in Fort Calhoun since he was 5 years old, said he has always known the town to be safe and he remembers riding his bike all over town when he was young. But he said the killing of Gutgsell — and the August killing of 71-year-old Linda Childers — are eye opening.In August, Childers was found dead in her rural home in Fort Calhoun in what authorities believe was a home invasion by a man she did not know. In that case, William P. Collins has been charged with first-degree murder and other counts.“It shouldn’t happen in a small town like this,” said Andy Faucher, who owns the Longhorn Bar and Grill where people gathered to eat and talk about what happened. Faucher said the fact that this latest killing involved a priest only “intensifies the scariness of the situation.”On Sunday evening, the congregation held a vigil at St. John the Baptist to remember Gutgsell, who served at several different parishes across the Archdiocese of Omaha during his 39 years as a priest. In addition to leading St. John the Baptist in Fort Calhoun, Gutgsell helped at St. Francis Borgia in Blair, where the archbishop held a special service after the stabbing Sunday and met with members of the congregation.“We continue to pray that the Lord of mercy and love will welcome Father Gutgsell into his Heavenly kingdom,” Archbishop of Omaha George J. Lucas said in a statement. “May Our Blessed Mother intercede for us all as we grieve his death.”The Archdiocese said Gutgsell was a native of Kansas City, Missouri, who graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 1980 and attended the St. Paul Seminary in Minnesota before joining the priesthood in 1984.Funeral arrangements for Gutgsell are pending.Kelly Tegels told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/fort-calhoun-community-mourns-priest-murdered-early-sunday/46086763">KETV that</a>&nbsp;she had just seen Gutgsell at Mass on Saturday night, so his death did not feel real yet.

As few details are released, fatal stabbing of Catholic priest rocks small Nebraska community

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen issued the following statement in response to Congressman Mike Flood’s introduction of a resolution condemning the United Nations (UN) Food Strategy released at the COP28:

“I appreciate Congressman Flood’s leadership on this very important issue. The United Nations’ radical attack on agriculture undermines the livelihoods of Nebraska farmers and ranchers, as well as those in other states where agriculture is an economic driver. Anti-agriculture activism damages the world’s food system and hurts the hungry. In Nebraska, our farmers and ranchers raise their products using sustainable methods, designed to protect the land and resources on which they rely. I urge the House of Representatives to pass Congressman Flood’s resolution, recognizing Nebraska’s collective role in feeding the world and saving the planet.”

A copy of Congressman Flood’s introduced resolution can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fscl%2Ffi%2Fdxie2vqo1wc41sq7p8dd4%2FFLOOD_Meat-Resolution.pdf%3Frlkey%3Dylnjpjbv5htf411ps9n37jbwk%26dl%3D0&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C933812dd9d45494e766a08dbfab33902%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C638379419894590556%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ydDH6HUFJ1iXz8QaOXDZ2RFpSKOvSQnVZw6szm3No1U%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>. A copy of the Food &amp; Agriculture Organization report released over the weekend at COP28 can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fao.org%2Finteractive%2Fsdg2-roadmap%2Fassets%2F3d-models%2Finbrief-roadmap.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C933812dd9d45494e766a08dbfab33902%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C638379419894590556%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=dgWaZfs%2BK0qCL2Y%2FWG4ChcxnRY65kWzpcTyhYuXW%2F5g%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>.

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen issued the following statement in response to Congressman Mike Flood’s introduction of a resolution condemning the United Nations (UN) Food Strategy released at the COP28:“I appreciate Congressman Flood’s leadership on this very important issue. The United Nations’ radical attack on agriculture undermines the livelihoods of Nebraska farmers and ranchers, as well as those in other states where agriculture is an economic driver. Anti-agriculture activism damages the world’s food system and hurts the hungry. In Nebraska, our farmers and ranchers raise their products using sustainable methods, designed to protect the land and resources on which they rely. I urge the House of Representatives to pass Congressman Flood’s resolution, recognizing Nebraska’s collective role in feeding the world and saving the planet.”A copy of Congressman Flood’s introduced resolution can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fscl%2Ffi%2Fdxie2vqo1wc41sq7p8dd4%2FFLOOD_Meat-Resolution.pdf%3Frlkey%3Dylnjpjbv5htf411ps9n37jbwk%26dl%3D0&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C933812dd9d45494e766a08dbfab33902%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C638379419894590556%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ydDH6HUFJ1iXz8QaOXDZ2RFpSKOvSQnVZw6szm3No1U%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>. A copy of the Food &amp; Agriculture Organization report released over the weekend at COP28 can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fao.org%2Finteractive%2Fsdg2-roadmap%2Fassets%2F3d-models%2Finbrief-roadmap.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C933812dd9d45494e766a08dbfab33902%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C638379419894590556%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=dgWaZfs%2BK0qCL2Y%2FWG4ChcxnRY65kWzpcTyhYuXW%2F5g%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>.

Governor Pillen Statement in Response to the United Nations Food Strategy 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A pregnant Texas woman whose fetus has a fatal condition left the state to get an abortion elsewhere before the state Supreme Court on Monday rejected her unprecedented challenge of one of the most restrictive bans in the U.S.

Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two, had spent nearly a week seeking court permission in Texas to end her pregnancy, but her attorneys said she could not wait any longer and left the state. Her baby has a condition known as trisomy 18, which has low survival rates, and her lawsuit argued that continuing the pregnancy jeopardized both her health and ability to have more children.

Texas’ abortion ban makes narrow exceptions when the life of the mother is in danger but not for fetal anomalies. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that Cox had not shown that any of the complications in her pregnancy rose to the level of threatening her life.

“Her health is on the line. She’s been in and out of the emergency room and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-care-wait-times-us-roe-dobbs-7b0a328bb34b0acb3d37e359a63712fc">she couldn’t wait any longer,”</a>&nbsp;said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which was representing Cox.

The organization did not disclose where Cox went. On Monday, she would have been 20 weeks and six days pregnant.

Hours after Cox's attorneys announced she had left Texas, the state Supreme Court issued its decision that ruled against Cox. It came three days after the court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-ban-supreme-court-decision-10767891a475e7ce2c82b1404450908a#:~:text=AUSTIN%2C%20Texas%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,restrictive%20bans%20in%20the%20U.S.">temporarily halted</a>&nbsp;a lower judge's ruling that gave Cox permission to get an abortion.

"No one disputes that Ms. Cox’s pregnancy has been extremely complicated. Any parents would be devastated to learn of their unborn child’s trisomy 18 diagnosis," the court wrote. “Some difficulties in pregnancy, however, even serious ones, do not pose the heightened risks to the mother the exception encompasses.”

Cox, who lives in the Dallas area, was believed to be the first woman in the U.S. to ask a court for permission for an abortion since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-anniversary-state-laws-51c2a83899f133556e715342abfcface">Roe v. Wade was overturned last year.</a>&nbsp;Her lawsuit quickly became a high-profile test of bans in Texas and a dozen other GOP-controlled states, where abortion is prohibited at nearly all stages of pregnancy.

Days after Cox filed her lawsuit, a pregnant woman in Kentucky also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-kentucky-aclu-lawsuit-14df6d5e8a5aaa36009557d080b1c779">asked a court to allow an abortion.</a>&nbsp;There has been no ruling yet in that case.

In Texas, Paxton mounted an aggressive defense to try to prevent Cox from having an abortion. He sent three Houston hospitals letters warning of legal consequences — both criminal and civil — if they allowed Cox's physician to provide the procedure. He also argued that Cox had not demonstrated that her life was at imminent risk, including noting that she was sent home after her multiple visits to emergency rooms.

Cox had cesarean surgeries during her first two pregnancies. Her lawsuit argued that inducing labor would carry a risk of a uterine rupture because of her prior C-sections, and that another one at full term would would endanger her ability to carry another child. But Paxton contended those arguments still fell short.

“Rather, the only question is whether Ms. Cox’s condition meets the exception, regardless of how long the child is expected to live,” Paxton's office told the court in a filing over the weekend.

Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung, a maternal fetal medicine specialist in Colorado and a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, said when lethal fetal anomalies are diagnosed “there’s only risk to that pregnant person and no benefit unfortunately for that innocent child.”

“You are putting your body through risks without any benefit because prolonging the pregnancy doesn’t change the survival rate,” Zahedi-Spung said.

Doctors told Cox that her fetus has a condition known as trisomy 18, which is when a baby has an extra copy of chromosome 18. The diagnosis has a very high likelihood of miscarriage or stillbirth, and low survival rate. Doctors told Cox that inducing labor or carrying the baby to term could jeopardize her ability to have another child.

Trisomy 18 occurs in approximately 1 in 2,500 diagnosed pregnancies, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. There is no live birth in about 70% of pregnancies involving the diagnosis that proceed past 12 weeks gestational age, according to a legal filing that the two groups submitted to the court.

The termination of pregnancies because of fetal anomalies or other often-fatal medical problems&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ending-pregnancies-over-grave-medical-problems-e504e595f5f4ea6139db3f7b5155ca85">is seldom discussed</a>&nbsp;in national debates over abortion. There are no recent statistics on the frequency of terminations for fetal anomalies in the U.S. but experts say it’s a small percentage of total procedures.

Texas has long been at the forefront of strict abortion laws in the U.S., and even now, there are ongoing efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-travel-ban-roads-west-texas-3997304c4156f131ee90bb1363735ba3">make it harder for pregnant women to leave Texas</a>&nbsp;for states where the procedure is legal. This year, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the bans do not apply to helping women get abortions out of state.

Under Texas’ bans, doctors who provide an abortion can face criminal charges that carry punishments of up to life in prison. They could also face lawsuits from private citizens, who are empowered to sue a person who helps a woman obtain an abortion, such as the doctor’s staff. The laws do not threaten the mother with any legal consequences.

Dr. Christina Bourne, medical director for abortion provider Trust Women, which provides abortion care in Wichita, Kansas, and also has a clinic in Oklahoma City, said that whether someone’s life is at risk can be subjective.

Doctors are now operating in a confusing atmosphere, Bourne said,

“If you are a pregnant person in a legally restrictive state, I am concerned about your health outcomes,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702131734401.png" alt="Kate Cox.Courtesy The Center for Reproductive Rights" />
 <figcaption>Kate Cox.Courtesy The Center for Reproductive Rights</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A pregnant Texas woman whose fetus has a fatal condition left the state to get an abortion elsewhere before the state Supreme Court on Monday rejected her unprecedented challenge of one of the most restrictive bans in the U.S.Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two, had spent nearly a week seeking court permission in Texas to end her pregnancy, but her attorneys said she could not wait any longer and left the state. Her baby has a condition known as trisomy 18, which has low survival rates, and her lawsuit argued that continuing the pregnancy jeopardized both her health and ability to have more children.Texas’ abortion ban makes narrow exceptions when the life of the mother is in danger but not for fetal anomalies. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that Cox had not shown that any of the complications in her pregnancy rose to the level of threatening her life.“Her health is on the line. She’s been in and out of the emergency room and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-care-wait-times-us-roe-dobbs-7b0a328bb34b0acb3d37e359a63712fc">she couldn’t wait any longer,”</a>&nbsp;said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which was representing Cox.The organization did not disclose where Cox went. On Monday, she would have been 20 weeks and six days pregnant.Hours after Cox's attorneys announced she had left Texas, the state Supreme Court issued its decision that ruled against Cox. It came three days after the court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-ban-supreme-court-decision-10767891a475e7ce2c82b1404450908a#:~:text=AUSTIN%2C%20Texas%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,restrictive%20bans%20in%20the%20U.S.">temporarily halted</a>&nbsp;a lower judge's ruling that gave Cox permission to get an abortion."No one disputes that Ms. Cox’s pregnancy has been extremely complicated. Any parents would be devastated to learn of their unborn child’s trisomy 18 diagnosis," the court wrote. “Some difficulties in pregnancy, however, even serious ones, do not pose the heightened risks to the mother the exception encompasses.”Cox, who lives in the Dallas area, was believed to be the first woman in the U.S. to ask a court for permission for an abortion since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-anniversary-state-laws-51c2a83899f133556e715342abfcface">Roe v. Wade was overturned last year.</a>&nbsp;Her lawsuit quickly became a high-profile test of bans in Texas and a dozen other GOP-controlled states, where abortion is prohibited at nearly all stages of pregnancy.Days after Cox filed her lawsuit, a pregnant woman in Kentucky also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-kentucky-aclu-lawsuit-14df6d5e8a5aaa36009557d080b1c779">asked a court to allow an abortion.</a>&nbsp;There has been no ruling yet in that case.In Texas, Paxton mounted an aggressive defense to try to prevent Cox from having an abortion. He sent three Houston hospitals letters warning of legal consequences — both criminal and civil — if they allowed Cox's physician to provide the procedure. He also argued that Cox had not demonstrated that her life was at imminent risk, including noting that she was sent home after her multiple visits to emergency rooms.Cox had cesarean surgeries during her first two pregnancies. Her lawsuit argued that inducing labor would carry a risk of a uterine rupture because of her prior C-sections, and that another one at full term would would endanger her ability to carry another child. But Paxton contended those arguments still fell short.“Rather, the only question is whether Ms. Cox’s condition meets the exception, regardless of how long the child is expected to live,” Paxton's office told the court in a filing over the weekend.Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung, a maternal fetal medicine specialist in Colorado and a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, said when lethal fetal anomalies are diagnosed “there’s only risk to that pregnant person and no benefit unfortunately for that innocent child.”“You are putting your body through risks without any benefit because prolonging the pregnancy doesn’t change the survival rate,” Zahedi-Spung said.Doctors told Cox that her fetus has a condition known as trisomy 18, which is when a baby has an extra copy of chromosome 18. The diagnosis has a very high likelihood of miscarriage or stillbirth, and low survival rate. Doctors told Cox that inducing labor or carrying the baby to term could jeopardize her ability to have another child.Trisomy 18 occurs in approximately 1 in 2,500 diagnosed pregnancies, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. There is no live birth in about 70% of pregnancies involving the diagnosis that proceed past 12 weeks gestational age, according to a legal filing that the two groups submitted to the court.The termination of pregnancies because of fetal anomalies or other often-fatal medical problems&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ending-pregnancies-over-grave-medical-problems-e504e595f5f4ea6139db3f7b5155ca85">is seldom discussed</a>&nbsp;in national debates over abortion. There are no recent statistics on the frequency of terminations for fetal anomalies in the U.S. but experts say it’s a small percentage of total procedures.Texas has long been at the forefront of strict abortion laws in the U.S., and even now, there are ongoing efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-travel-ban-roads-west-texas-3997304c4156f131ee90bb1363735ba3">make it harder for pregnant women to leave Texas</a>&nbsp;for states where the procedure is legal. This year, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the bans do not apply to helping women get abortions out of state.Under Texas’ bans, doctors who provide an abortion can face criminal charges that carry punishments of up to life in prison. They could also face lawsuits from private citizens, who are empowered to sue a person who helps a woman obtain an abortion, such as the doctor’s staff. The laws do not threaten the mother with any legal consequences.Dr. Christina Bourne, medical director for abortion provider Trust Women, which provides abortion care in Wichita, Kansas, and also has a clinic in Oklahoma City, said that whether someone’s life is at risk can be subjective.Doctors are now operating in a confusing atmosphere, Bourne said,“If you are a pregnant person in a legally restrictive state, I am concerned about your health outcomes,” she said.

Court rules against first woman to seek court-approved abortion in 50 years

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/11/nifa-warns-of-scams-associated-with-nebraskas-emergency-rent-aid-program/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraskans are being warned of scam artists using social media platforms to purportedly help applicants get emergency rental assistance.

The Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, which is currently managing the federally funded ERA program for the State of Nebraska, is alerting people to be cautious of fake website links and fraudulent offers related to the program.

One Facebook post, for example, asks for personal information as well as a fee to help get rental aid applications approved.

Nebraskans who have been contacted by a company or person requesting a fee for an application or claiming they can send funds directly to the applicant are encouraged to report such fraud at NebraskaRentHelp.org/report-fraud.

Applications and additional information about eligibility requirements can be found at NebraskaRentHelp.org.

Robin Ambroz, NIFA spokeswoman, told the Nebraska Examiner that she is unaware of anyone in Nebraska who has been taken advantage of or fallen prey to such offers. But she said NIFA has seen suspicious social media activity and felt compelled to be proactive. It has issued guidance to avoid scams.

The NIFA-managed Nebraska ERA program provides help for past-due rent, utility and internet payments to income-qualified Nebraskans outside of Douglas and Lancaster Counties who experienced financial hardship during the pandemic.

(Because of their size, Douglas and Lancaster Counties applied for their own federally funded emergency rental assistance programs. Other entities manage those programs, while NIFA administers ERA for the state’s 91 smaller and more rural counties.)

To qualify for the emergency rental assistance, applicants must have experienced a financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic; have an income at or below 80% of the area median income; rent their primary home in Nebraska; and be a legal resident.

The funds NIFA is now distributing is the State of Nebraska’s second batch of emergency rent and utility aid. That funding had become weighted in controversy as then-Gov. Pete Ricketts refused to tap ERA II dollars that the federal government had set aside for the 91 counties. Ricketts at that time said the pandemic was over and that Nebraska should guard against becoming a “welfare state.”

Gov. Jim Pillen bucked his predecessor’s stance and ended up accepting what was left of that $120 million second tranche, about $48 million.

NIFA, at the end of September, began accepting renter applications for that allotment. Since then, Ambroz said, about&nbsp;$587,000 in assistance has been paid out.&nbsp;

Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/11/nifa-warns-of-scams-associated-with-nebraskas-emergency-rent-aid-program/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraskans are being warned of scam artists using social media platforms to purportedly help applicants get emergency rental assistance.The Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, which is currently managing the federally funded ERA program for the State of Nebraska, is alerting people to be cautious of fake website links and fraudulent offers related to the program.One Facebook post, for example, asks for personal information as well as a fee to help get rental aid applications approved.<h2>Suspicious activity</h2>Nebraskans who have been contacted by a company or person requesting a fee for an application or claiming they can send funds directly to the applicant are encouraged to report such fraud at NebraskaRentHelp.org/report-fraud.Applications and additional information about eligibility requirements can be found at NebraskaRentHelp.org.Robin Ambroz, NIFA spokeswoman, told the Nebraska Examiner that she is unaware of anyone in Nebraska who has been taken advantage of or fallen prey to such offers. But she said NIFA has seen suspicious social media activity and felt compelled to be proactive. It has issued guidance to avoid scams.The NIFA-managed Nebraska ERA program provides help for past-due rent, utility and internet payments to income-qualified Nebraskans outside of Douglas and Lancaster Counties who experienced financial hardship during the pandemic.(Because of their size, Douglas and Lancaster Counties applied for their own federally funded emergency rental assistance programs. Other entities manage those programs, while NIFA administers ERA for the state’s 91 smaller and more rural counties.)<h2>Tips and guidance offered by NIFA:</h2><ul>
 <li>The only authentic way to apply for the program is online at NebraskaRentHelp.org, in person at a local Community Collaborative or by phone at 1-844-429-6575.</li><li>Only officials with the Nebraska ERA program can determine an applicant’s eligibility for rental and utility assistance. Applicants who are approved for assistance will be notified by email.</li><li>There is no fee to apply or to receive application help from the call center or Community Collaboratives.</li><li>Applicants will never be asked for their personal information through a social media message.</li><li>Funds will be sent directly to landlords or utility providers.</li>
 </ul>To qualify for the emergency rental assistance, applicants must have experienced a financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic; have an income at or below 80% of the area median income; rent their primary home in Nebraska; and be a legal resident.The funds NIFA is now distributing is the State of Nebraska’s second batch of emergency rent and utility aid. That funding had become weighted in controversy as then-Gov. Pete Ricketts refused to tap ERA II dollars that the federal government had set aside for the 91 counties. Ricketts at that time said the pandemic was over and that Nebraska should guard against becoming a “welfare state.”Gov. Jim Pillen bucked his predecessor’s stance and ended up accepting what was left of that $120 million second tranche, about $48 million.NIFA, at the end of September, began accepting renter applications for that allotment. Since then, Ambroz said, about&nbsp;$587,000 in assistance has been paid out.&nbsp;

NIFA warns of scams associated with Nebraska’s emergency rent aid program

LINCOLN— A Nebraska State Trooper has begun his recovery after being injured Monday when a suspect rammed his patrol vehicle during a pursuit between Lincoln and Omaha, according to a media release from the Nebraska State Patrol.

The trooper suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. He has undergone successful surgery at Bryan Medical Center West Campus. A long recovery lies ahead, but he is alert and in good spirits this morning.

The suspect, an 18-year-old from La Vista, was not injured in the crash. He refused medical treatment at the scene and was lodged in Lancaster County Jail for assault on an officer, assault on an officer using a motor vehicle, willful reckless driving, and flight to avoid arrest.

&nbsp;(LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after a pursuit, during which the suspect rammed his vehicle into an NSP cruiser and injured a trooper.

At approximately 12:40 p.m. Monday, a trooper observed a Ford Fusion traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour on Interstate 80 in Lincoln, near mile marker 403. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to yield and fled westbound. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

During the pursuit, the driver passed numerous vehicles on the shoulder and continued westbound at speeds above 100 miles per hour. When the vehicle reached the Milford interchange, at mile marker 382, it exited and reentered I-80 traveling eastbound toward Lincoln.

The NSP AirWing took over the pursuit from the air as the vehicle continued at a high rate of speed through the Lincoln area. After passing through Lincoln, patrol units continued their pursuit on the ground. At approximately 1:15 p.m. the suspect rammed a trooper’s patrol vehicle, causing both vehicles to roll near mile marker 422. The trooper’s cruiser came to rest in the median. The suspect’s vehicle crossed the westbound lanes and came to rest in the north ditch.

The suspect was taken into custody without further incident. The trooper has been transported to Bryan Medical Center West Campus with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect refused medical treatment at the scene and has been transported to Lancaster County Jail. Charges are pending as the investigation remains ongoing.

Interstate 80 was closed for both directions of travel for approximately 75 minutes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702405737769.png" alt="Photo Nebraska State Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photo Nebraska State Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN— A Nebraska State Trooper has begun his recovery after being injured Monday when a suspect rammed his patrol vehicle during a pursuit between Lincoln and Omaha, according to a media release from the Nebraska State Patrol.The trooper suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. He has undergone successful surgery at Bryan Medical Center West Campus. A long recovery lies ahead, but he is alert and in good spirits this morning.The suspect, an 18-year-old from La Vista, was not injured in the crash. He refused medical treatment at the scene and was lodged in Lancaster County Jail for assault on an officer, assault on an officer using a motor vehicle, willful reckless driving, and flight to avoid arrest.Original press release&nbsp;(LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after a pursuit, during which the suspect rammed his vehicle into an NSP cruiser and injured a trooper.At approximately 12:40 p.m. Monday, a trooper observed a Ford Fusion traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour on Interstate 80 in Lincoln, near mile marker 403. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to yield and fled westbound. The trooper initiated a pursuit.During the pursuit, the driver passed numerous vehicles on the shoulder and continued westbound at speeds above 100 miles per hour. When the vehicle reached the Milford interchange, at mile marker 382, it exited and reentered I-80 traveling eastbound toward Lincoln.The NSP AirWing took over the pursuit from the air as the vehicle continued at a high rate of speed through the Lincoln area. After passing through Lincoln, patrol units continued their pursuit on the ground. At approximately 1:15 p.m. the suspect rammed a trooper’s patrol vehicle, causing both vehicles to roll near mile marker 422. The trooper’s cruiser came to rest in the median. The suspect’s vehicle crossed the westbound lanes and came to rest in the north ditch.The suspect was taken into custody without further incident. The trooper has been transported to Bryan Medical Center West Campus with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect refused medical treatment at the scene and has been transported to Lancaster County Jail. Charges are pending as the investigation remains ongoing.Interstate 80 was closed for both directions of travel for approximately 75 minutes.

Update: Trooper Recovering, Suspect Charged with Assault on an Officer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard President Claudine Gay will remain leader of the prestigious Ivy League school following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ivy-league-presidents-backlash-women-021ec60af6a5a5279c644376de065738">her comments last week</a>&nbsp;at a congressional hearing on antisemitism, the university's highest governing body announced Tuesday.

“Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing,” the Harvard Corporation said in a statement following its meeting Monday night.

Only months into her leadership, Gay came under intense scrutiny following the hearing in which she and two of her peers struggled to answer questions about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-hamas-college-protest-tulane-29dca6e670639b73f5bfe7bfcf6befee">campus antisemitism</a>. Their academic responses provoked a backlash from Republican opponents, along with alumni and donors who say the university leaders are failing to stand up for Jewish students on their campuses.

Some lawmakers and donors to the the university called for Gay to step down, following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-governor-antisemitism-colleges-israel-gaza-ae1294d644b3305cc51e8d9bb7252766">the resignation of Liz Magill</a>&nbsp;as president of the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday.

The Harvard Crimson student newspaper first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/12/gay-stays-in-office-corporation-support/">reported Tuesday</a>&nbsp;that Gay, who became Harvard’s first Black president in July, will remain in office with the support of the Harvard Corporation following the conclusion of the board’s meeting. It cited an unnamed source familiar with the decision.

A petition signed by more than 600 faculty members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-penn-mit-antisemitism-ivy-league-aff2c8e58088654953cac9c334170444">asked the school's governing body</a>&nbsp;to keep Gay in charge.

“So many people have suffered tremendous damage and pain because of Hamas's brutal terrorist attack, and the university's initial statement should have been an immediate, direct, and unequivocal condemnation,” the corporation's statement said. “Calls for genocide are despicable and contrary to fundamental human values. President Gay has apologized for how she handled her congressional testimony and has committed to redoubling the university's fight against antisemitism."

In an interview with The Crimson last week, Gay said she got caught up in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-mit-penn-campus-antisemitism-backlash-2c89312cdd0d2652a9b57ce71f1533fd">a heated exchange at the House committee hearing</a>&nbsp;and failed to properly denounce threats of violence against Jewish students.

“What I should have had the presence of mind to do in that moment was return to my guiding truth, which is that calls for violence against our Jewish community — threats to our Jewish students — have no place at Harvard, and will never go unchallenged,” Gay said.

Testimony from Gay and Magill drew intense national backlash, as have similar responses from the president of MIT, who also testified before the Republican-led House Education and Workforce Committee.

The corporation also addressed allegations of plagiarism against Gay, saying that Harvard became aware of them in late October regarding three articles she had written. It initiated an independent review at Gay's request.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Harvard President Claudine Gay will remain leader of the prestigious Ivy League school following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ivy-league-presidents-backlash-women-021ec60af6a5a5279c644376de065738">her comments last week</a>&nbsp;at a congressional hearing on antisemitism, the university's highest governing body announced Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill resigned Saturday after facing backlash from her congressional testimony earlier this week on antisemitism on college campuses. Here&#39;s the exchange. <a href="https://t.co/EVrAMy33qh">pic.twitter.com/EVrAMy33qh</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1733607598803292487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing,” the Harvard Corporation said in a statement following its meeting Monday night.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702390765330.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Only months into her leadership, Gay came under intense scrutiny following the hearing in which she and two of her peers struggled to answer questions about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-hamas-college-protest-tulane-29dca6e670639b73f5bfe7bfcf6befee">campus antisemitism</a>. Their academic responses provoked a backlash from Republican opponents, along with alumni and donors who say the university leaders are failing to stand up for Jewish students on their campuses.Some lawmakers and donors to the the university called for Gay to step down, following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-governor-antisemitism-colleges-israel-gaza-ae1294d644b3305cc51e8d9bb7252766">the resignation of Liz Magill</a>&nbsp;as president of the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday.The Harvard Crimson student newspaper first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/12/gay-stays-in-office-corporation-support/">reported Tuesday</a>&nbsp;that Gay, who became Harvard’s first Black president in July, will remain in office with the support of the Harvard Corporation following the conclusion of the board’s meeting. It cited an unnamed source familiar with the decision.A petition signed by more than 600 faculty members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-penn-mit-antisemitism-ivy-league-aff2c8e58088654953cac9c334170444">asked the school's governing body</a>&nbsp;to keep Gay in charge.“So many people have suffered tremendous damage and pain because of Hamas's brutal terrorist attack, and the university's initial statement should have been an immediate, direct, and unequivocal condemnation,” the corporation's statement said. “Calls for genocide are despicable and contrary to fundamental human values. President Gay has apologized for how she handled her congressional testimony and has committed to redoubling the university's fight against antisemitism."In an interview with The Crimson last week, Gay said she got caught up in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-mit-penn-campus-antisemitism-backlash-2c89312cdd0d2652a9b57ce71f1533fd">a heated exchange at the House committee hearing</a>&nbsp;and failed to properly denounce threats of violence against Jewish students.“What I should have had the presence of mind to do in that moment was return to my guiding truth, which is that calls for violence against our Jewish community — threats to our Jewish students — have no place at Harvard, and will never go unchallenged,” Gay said.Testimony from Gay and Magill drew intense national backlash, as have similar responses from the president of MIT, who also testified before the Republican-led House Education and Workforce Committee.The corporation also addressed allegations of plagiarism against Gay, saying that Harvard became aware of them in late October regarding three articles she had written. It initiated an independent review at Gay's request.

🎥Why Harvard won't fire president following antisemitism testimony

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels slammed into a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen near a key maritime chokepoint, the rebels and authorities said Tuesday.

The assault on the oil and chemical tanker Strinda expands a campaign by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-houthi-yemen-ships-attack-israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-716770f0a780160e9abed98d3c48fbde">Iranian-backed rebels targeting ships</a>&nbsp;close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into apparently now striking those that have no clear ties to Israel. That potentially imperils cargo and energy shipments coming through the Suez Canal and further widens the international impact of the Israel-Hamas war now raging in the Gaza Strip.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-15d10ed74c7f3cc7fd36fa0f77f73e54">Houthi</a>&nbsp;military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree issued a video statement saying the rebels only fired on the vessel when it “rejected all warning calls.”

The U.S. military's Central Command issued a statement Tuesday saying an anti-ship cruise missile “launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen” hit the Strinda.

“There were no U.S. ships in the vicinity at the time of the attack, but the USS Mason responded … and is currently rendering assistance,” Central Command said. The Mason is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in several of the recent incidents off Yemen.

The private intelligence firms Ambrey and Dryad Global had earlier confirmed the attack happened near the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.

Geir Belsnes, the CEO of the Strinda's operator, J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, also confirmed the attack took place.

“All crew members are unhurt and safe,” Belsnes said. “The vessel is now proceeding to a safe port.”

The Strinda was coming from Malaysia and was bound for the Suez Canal and then on to Italy with a cargo of palm oil, Belsnes said. Saree alleged without offering any evidence that the ship was bound for Israel.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, earlier reported a fire aboard an unidentified vessel off Mokha, Yemen, with all the crew aboard being safe. The coordinates of that fire correspond to the last known location of the Strinda based off satellite tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press.

The Houthis have carried out a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and also launched drones and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-israeli-houthi-gaza-war-3e48ff43f1225ccd98c9a56929fb8f57">missiles targeting Israel</a>. In recent days, they have threatened to attack any vessel they believe is either going to or coming from Israel, though there was no immediate apparent link between the Strinda and Israel.

Israel’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, said over the weekend that Israel has called on its Western allies to address the threats from Yemen and would give them “some time” to organize a response. But he said if the threats persist, “we will act to remove this blockade.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels slammed into a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen near a key maritime chokepoint, the rebels and authorities said Tuesday.The assault on the oil and chemical tanker Strinda expands a campaign by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-houthi-yemen-ships-attack-israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-716770f0a780160e9abed98d3c48fbde">Iranian-backed rebels targeting ships</a>&nbsp;close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into apparently now striking those that have no clear ties to Israel. That potentially imperils cargo and energy shipments coming through the Suez Canal and further widens the international impact of the Israel-Hamas war now raging in the Gaza Strip.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-15d10ed74c7f3cc7fd36fa0f77f73e54">Houthi</a>&nbsp;military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree issued a video statement saying the rebels only fired on the vessel when it “rejected all warning calls.”The U.S. military's Central Command issued a statement Tuesday saying an anti-ship cruise missile “launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen” hit the Strinda.“There were no U.S. ships in the vicinity at the time of the attack, but the USS Mason responded … and is currently rendering assistance,” Central Command said. The Mason is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in several of the recent incidents off Yemen.The private intelligence firms Ambrey and Dryad Global had earlier confirmed the attack happened near the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.Geir Belsnes, the CEO of the Strinda's operator, J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, also confirmed the attack took place.“All crew members are unhurt and safe,” Belsnes said. “The vessel is now proceeding to a safe port.”The Strinda was coming from Malaysia and was bound for the Suez Canal and then on to Italy with a cargo of palm oil, Belsnes said. Saree alleged without offering any evidence that the ship was bound for Israel.The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, earlier reported a fire aboard an unidentified vessel off Mokha, Yemen, with all the crew aboard being safe. The coordinates of that fire correspond to the last known location of the Strinda based off satellite tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press.The Houthis have carried out a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and also launched drones and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-israeli-houthi-gaza-war-3e48ff43f1225ccd98c9a56929fb8f57">missiles targeting Israel</a>. In recent days, they have threatened to attack any vessel they believe is either going to or coming from Israel, though there was no immediate apparent link between the Strinda and Israel.Israel’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, said over the weekend that Israel has called on its Western allies to address the threats from Yemen and would give them “some time” to organize a response. But he said if the threats persist, “we will act to remove this blockade.”Analysts suggest the Houthis hope to shore up waning popular support after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-saudi-rebels-exchange-537ea06a0ecbf90d57ede80a50aacd6e">years of civil war in Yemen</a>&nbsp;between it and Saudi-backed forces.France and the United States have stopped short of saying their ships were targeted in rebel attacks, but have said Houthi drones have headed toward their ships and were shot down in self-defense. Washington so far has declined to directly respond to the attacks, as has Israel, whose military continues to describe the ships as not having links to their country.Global shipping has increasingly been targeted as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;threatens to become a wider regional conflict — even during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">brief pause in fighting</a>&nbsp;during which Hamas exchanged hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The collapse of the truce and the resumption of a punishing Israeli ground offensive and airstrikes on Gaza have raised the risk of more sea attacks.The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is only 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide at its narrowest point, limiting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound shipments, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nearly 10% of all oil traded at sea passes through it.In November, Houthis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-red-sea-ship-yemen-houthis-65b611ff878a411900037e7c9a8ee17b">seized a vehicle transport ship</a>&nbsp;linked to Israel in the Red Sea off Yemen. The rebels still hold the vessel near the port city of Hodeida. Separately, a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-ship-drone-attack-symi-39929cae42a191b2f242896a053123a7">came under attack</a>&nbsp;by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean.A separate, tentative cease-fire between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of Yemen's exiled government has held for months despite that country's long war. That's raised concerns that any wider conflict in the sea — or a potential reprisal strike from Western forces — could reignite those tensions in the Arab world's poorest nation.