<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/28/nebraskans-testify-largely-against-gender-care-regulations-ask-for-looser-restrictions/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraskans weighed in Tuesday on the state’s proposed gender care regulations, with testifiers seeking fewer regulations outnumbered those supporting a full ban on such care, 25 to one.

By 2 p.m. — seven hours into the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/17/final-draft-regulations-for-nebraska-gender-care-law-released-ahead-of-november-hearing/">12-hour hearing</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;the first supporter of stricter regulations spoke, following testimony from 49 others who included health care providers, clergy, transgender youths and parents.&nbsp;

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/17/final-draft-regulations-for-nebraska-gender-care-law-released-ahead-of-november-hearing/">The regulations</a>, required under Legislative Bill 574 approved by the Legislature last spring, address puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. LB 574, when it took effect Oct. 1, also prohibited transition surgeries.&nbsp;

These guidelines set a new baseline for&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/07/05/you-need-to-know-us-trans-youths-describe-life-in-nebraska/">youths</a>&nbsp;seeking care, including 40 hours of gender-identity-focused therapy and a seven-day waiting period between informed patient consent and the dispersal of medications.

With the state’s current shortage of mental health providers, a requirement that youths cannot bank more than two hours of therapy in a week, combined with other financial or travel barriers, multiple testifiers said the regulations —&nbsp;as written —&nbsp;could act as a de facto ban for youths or prevent care for at least five to 10 months (with therapy once or twice a week) and possibly for several years.

“Would you want to be told that you could not get a life-saving medication because you had not had enough therapeutic sessions to meet the government’s requirements?” Jill Dibbern Manhart, an Omaha mother, testified. One of her children is trans.

LaDonna Hart and Amy Arndt, nurse practitioners who co-own Hart &amp; Arndt Family Health in Lincoln, testified that a requirement that youths receive hormone injections in the doctor’s office differs from all other types of care.&nbsp;

“Parents and guardians are partners in health care,” Arndt testified, noting they can be trained to give the medications at home, similar to Type 1 diabetes.

Dr. Alex Dworak, a physician with OneWorld Community Health Centers, said no medical literature, including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, includes a minimum requirement for therapy.

“It impugns the expertise of Nebraska mental health professionals and the commitment of loving parents of trans youth,” Dworak said.

Leslie Dvorak, a nurse practitioner from Omaha, said her most memorable patients have been trans youths and their families and said she was often told by parents, “thank you for giving me back my child.”

Dana Maaske, whose teenage child is trans, testified in tears about the toll LB 574 and regulations have had on her and the experiences she had with state lawmakers this year.

“I hope all the supporters of this bill will be remembered in history as the terrorizers of trans children and their families that they truly are,” Maaske said.

LB 574 sets the following base level for regulations, with no additional guidance:

Dr. Timothy Tesmer, the state’s chief medical officer, wrote the guidelines and will finalize the regulations if any changes are needed. Substantive changes would require another hearing.

Tesmer did not attend Tuesday’s hearing. Jeff Powell, a DHHS spokesperson, said Tesmer had a previously scheduled surgery and said that all comments, written or spoken, will be “equally reviewed.”&nbsp;

The state’s temporary regulations will expire in December and could be extended once more, for a 90-day period, at which time DHHS anticipates final regulations to be approved by Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Gov. Jim Pillen.

The number of individuals who submitted written comments was not immediately available. Written comments were being&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://dhhs.regulations@nebraska.gov/">accepted</a>&nbsp;through the end of the day Tuesday.

In total, 77 people had testified, according to a count by the Examiner. Three advocated for a full ban, more in line with how LB 574 was initially introduced in January.

Marilyn Asher of Omaha, a former state prison staff member and president of Nebraskans for Founders Values, equated the regulations to the story of a young prison inmate who had a lot of potential but had the numbers “1” and “8” tattooed on his face to show solidarity with his gang.&nbsp;

“The change will be much more than cosmetic,” Asher said of puberty blockers, hormones or surgeries.

Also in support of a full ban was Sherry Jones of Grand Island, a member of the State Board of Education and a retired teacher of 35 years.

In her experience, Jones testified, youths need counseling, not gender care, and said that if they were given therapy, they would not pursue a gender treatments as adults. Medical professionals have testified this is not the case and have said youths know who they are. No medical providers testified in favor of the regulations.

Asher and Jones told the Nebraska Examiner that the medical care in question requires an adult decision and said that while they may not agree with the care, people would be free to seek it after the age of 19.

Those youths who testified Tuesday said they know who they are.

Levi White said they grew up feeling like a “two-hearted creature” trying to blend in before they found the word “transgender” to describe their feelings.

Aiden Whalen, a senior and student body president of Omaha Central High School, who is trans, testified with a request to those in favor of the regulations: “I want you to look me in the eyes, deep in my soul, and tell me why you are threatened by my joy.”

“I want you to look into the eyes of 13-year-old me, curled up in his bedroom corner with a stomach full of pills because you wanted death to take him from from a state that did not, does not want him,” Whalen testified.

“And I want you to tell him that the bill is ‘Let Them Grow’ —&nbsp;growing roots into the ground from inside a coffin … growing used to the lack of respect of basic human decency because your transgender identity means that while you are the child they claim to protect, claim to help grow, you are nothing more than a monster,” Whalen continued.

Charlie Yale, also a senior at Omaha Central, shared a letter signed earlier this year by more than 400 K-12 and college students, health care providers and parents. According to a list of names provided to the Examiner, signatories ranged from 13- to 76-year-olds.

The letter cites walkouts by hundreds of students in March and April in support of trans youths and calls for Gov. Jim Pillen to listen to trans voices when they say legislation will harm them.

“Our message was simple then, and our message remains simple now: transgender youth deserve respect and dignity,” the letter states.

Nebraska Examiner Senior Reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701272346612.jpeg" alt="Isabella Manhart of Omaha, who is nonbinary, testifies on the state’s proposed gender care regulations Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Isabella Manhart of Omaha, who is nonbinary, testifies on the state’s proposed gender care regulations Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/28/nebraskans-testify-largely-against-gender-care-regulations-ask-for-looser-restrictions/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraskans weighed in Tuesday on the state’s proposed gender care regulations, with testifiers seeking fewer regulations outnumbered those supporting a full ban on such care, 25 to one.By 2 p.m. — seven hours into the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/17/final-draft-regulations-for-nebraska-gender-care-law-released-ahead-of-november-hearing/">12-hour hearing</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;the first supporter of stricter regulations spoke, following testimony from 49 others who included health care providers, clergy, transgender youths and parents.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/17/final-draft-regulations-for-nebraska-gender-care-law-released-ahead-of-november-hearing/">The regulations</a>, required under Legislative Bill 574 approved by the Legislature last spring, address puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. LB 574, when it took effect Oct. 1, also prohibited transition surgeries.&nbsp;These guidelines set a new baseline for&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/07/05/you-need-to-know-us-trans-youths-describe-life-in-nebraska/">youths</a>&nbsp;seeking care, including 40 hours of gender-identity-focused therapy and a seven-day waiting period between informed patient consent and the dispersal of medications.With the state’s current shortage of mental health providers, a requirement that youths cannot bank more than two hours of therapy in a week, combined with other financial or travel barriers, multiple testifiers said the regulations —&nbsp;as written —&nbsp;could act as a de facto ban for youths or prevent care for at least five to 10 months (with therapy once or twice a week) and possibly for several years.“Would you want to be told that you could not get a life-saving medication because you had not had enough therapeutic sessions to meet the government’s requirements?” Jill Dibbern Manhart, an Omaha mother, testified. One of her children is trans.<h2>‘Impugns the expertise’ of providers</h2>LaDonna Hart and Amy Arndt, nurse practitioners who co-own Hart &amp; Arndt Family Health in Lincoln, testified that a requirement that youths receive hormone injections in the doctor’s office differs from all other types of care.&nbsp;“Parents and guardians are partners in health care,” Arndt testified, noting they can be trained to give the medications at home, similar to Type 1 diabetes.Dr. Alex Dworak, a physician with OneWorld Community Health Centers, said no medical literature, including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, includes a minimum requirement for therapy.“It impugns the expertise of Nebraska mental health professionals and the commitment of loving parents of trans youth,” Dworak said.Leslie Dvorak, a nurse practitioner from Omaha, said her most memorable patients have been trans youths and their families and said she was often told by parents, “thank you for giving me back my child.”Dana Maaske, whose teenage child is trans, testified in tears about the toll LB 574 and regulations have had on her and the experiences she had with state lawmakers this year.“I hope all the supporters of this bill will be remembered in history as the terrorizers of trans children and their families that they truly are,” Maaske said.<h2>Minimum regulations requirement</h2>LB 574 sets the following base level for regulations, with no additional guidance:<ul>
 <li>A minimum number of gender-identity-focused therapy hours.</li><li>A waiting period between consent and the administration, prescription and delivery of blockers or hormones.</li><li>Steps to obtain informed patient consent and to document patient medical records.</li>
 </ul>Dr. Timothy Tesmer, the state’s chief medical officer, wrote the guidelines and will finalize the regulations if any changes are needed. Substantive changes would require another hearing.Tesmer did not attend Tuesday’s hearing. Jeff Powell, a DHHS spokesperson, said Tesmer had a previously scheduled surgery and said that all comments, written or spoken, will be “equally reviewed.”&nbsp;The state’s temporary regulations will expire in December and could be extended once more, for a 90-day period, at which time DHHS anticipates final regulations to be approved by Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Gov. Jim Pillen.The number of individuals who submitted written comments was not immediately available. Written comments were being&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://dhhs.regulations@nebraska.gov/">accepted</a>&nbsp;through the end of the day Tuesday.<h2>Three speak in favor of a full ban</h2>In total, 77 people had testified, according to a count by the Examiner. Three advocated for a full ban, more in line with how LB 574 was initially introduced in January.Marilyn Asher of Omaha, a former state prison staff member and president of Nebraskans for Founders Values, equated the regulations to the story of a young prison inmate who had a lot of potential but had the numbers “1” and “8” tattooed on his face to show solidarity with his gang.&nbsp;“The change will be much more than cosmetic,” Asher said of puberty blockers, hormones or surgeries.Also in support of a full ban was Sherry Jones of Grand Island, a member of the State Board of Education and a retired teacher of 35 years.In her experience, Jones testified, youths need counseling, not gender care, and said that if they were given therapy, they would not pursue a gender treatments as adults. Medical professionals have testified this is not the case and have said youths know who they are. No medical providers testified in favor of the regulations.Asher and Jones told the Nebraska Examiner that the medical care in question requires an adult decision and said that while they may not agree with the care, people would be free to seek it after the age of 19.<h2>‘Our message remains simple’</h2>Those youths who testified Tuesday said they know who they are.Levi White said they grew up feeling like a “two-hearted creature” trying to blend in before they found the word “transgender” to describe their feelings.Aiden Whalen, a senior and student body president of Omaha Central High School, who is trans, testified with a request to those in favor of the regulations: “I want you to look me in the eyes, deep in my soul, and tell me why you are threatened by my joy.”“I want you to look into the eyes of 13-year-old me, curled up in his bedroom corner with a stomach full of pills because you wanted death to take him from from a state that did not, does not want him,” Whalen testified.“And I want you to tell him that the bill is ‘Let Them Grow’ —&nbsp;growing roots into the ground from inside a coffin … growing used to the lack of respect of basic human decency because your transgender identity means that while you are the child they claim to protect, claim to help grow, you are nothing more than a monster,” Whalen continued.Charlie Yale, also a senior at Omaha Central, shared a letter signed earlier this year by more than 400 K-12 and college students, health care providers and parents. According to a list of names provided to the Examiner, signatories ranged from 13- to 76-year-olds.The letter cites walkouts by hundreds of students in March and April in support of trans youths and calls for Gov. Jim Pillen to listen to trans voices when they say legislation will harm them.“Our message was simple then, and our message remains simple now: transgender youth deserve respect and dignity,” the letter states.Nebraska Examiner Senior Reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.

Nebraskans testify largely against gender care regulations, ask for looser restrictions

TOKYO (AP) — A U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed during a training mission Wednesday off of the country's southern coast, killing at least one of the eight crew members, the Japanese coast guard said.

The cause of the crash and the status of the seven others on board were not immediately known, Japanese coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said.

U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement that the CV-22B Osprey belonged to the 353rd Special Operations Wing assigned to Yokota Air Base. The crash occurred “while performing a routine training mission off the shore of Yakushima Island,” the command said.

While the U.S. Marine Corps flies most of the Ospreys based in Japan, the Air Force also has some deployed there.

Air Force Special Operations Command said search and rescue operations were underway. A U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the crash could not provide further information on the crew's condition pending notification of next of kin.

The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but during flight can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane.

Ospreys have had a number of accidents in the past, including in Japan, where they are deployed at U.S. and Japanese military bases. In Okinawa, where about half of the 50,000 American troops are based, Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters Wednesday that he would ask the U.S. military to suspend all Osprey flights in Japan.

Ogawa said the coast guard received an emergency call Wednesday afternoon from a fishing boat near the crash site off Yakushima, an island south of Kagoshima on the southern main island of Kyushu.

Coast guard aircraft and patrol boats found one person, identified only as male, who was later pronounced dead by a doctor at a nearby port, Ogawa said. They also found gray debris believed to be from the aircraft and an empty inflatable life raft in an area about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) off the eastern coast of Yakushima, he said.

The coast guard said it planned to continue searching through the night.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Osprey disappeared from radar a few minutes before the coast guard received the emergency call. The aircraft requested an emergency landing at the Yakushima airport about five minutes before it was lost from radar, NHK public television and other news outlets reported.

NHK quoted a Yakushima resident as saying he saw the aircraft turned upside down, with fire coming from one of its engines, and then an explosion before it fell to the sea.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he planned to seek a further explanation from the U.S. military, but he declined to say whether he would seek a temporary suspension of Osprey operations in Japan.

Ogawa said the aircraft had departed from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi prefecture and crashed on its way to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.

Japanese Vice Defense Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa said it had attempted an emergency sea landing and quoted the U.S. military as saying its pilot “did everything possible until the last minute."

Yokota Air Base is home to U.S. Forces Japan and the Fifth Air Force. Six CV-22 Ospreys have been deployed at Yokota, including the one that crashed.

In December 2016, a U.S. Marine Corps Osprey&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b5db3444ee9a4ef48387c4bc029f1ea0">crashed off the Okinawa coast</a>, injuring two of the five crew members and triggering complaints from local residents about the U.S. bases in Okinawa and the Osprey's safety record.

TOKYO (AP) — A U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed during a training mission Wednesday off of the country's southern coast, killing at least one of the eight crew members, the Japanese coast guard said.The cause of the crash and the status of the seven others on board were not immediately known, Japanese coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said.U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement that the CV-22B Osprey belonged to the 353rd Special Operations Wing assigned to Yokota Air Base. The crash occurred “while performing a routine training mission off the shore of Yakushima Island,” the command said.While the U.S. Marine Corps flies most of the Ospreys based in Japan, the Air Force also has some deployed there.Air Force Special Operations Command said search and rescue operations were underway. A U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the crash could not provide further information on the crew's condition pending notification of next of kin.The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but during flight can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane.Ospreys have had a number of accidents in the past, including in Japan, where they are deployed at U.S. and Japanese military bases. In Okinawa, where about half of the 50,000 American troops are based, Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters Wednesday that he would ask the U.S. military to suspend all Osprey flights in Japan.Ogawa said the coast guard received an emergency call Wednesday afternoon from a fishing boat near the crash site off Yakushima, an island south of Kagoshima on the southern main island of Kyushu.Coast guard aircraft and patrol boats found one person, identified only as male, who was later pronounced dead by a doctor at a nearby port, Ogawa said. They also found gray debris believed to be from the aircraft and an empty inflatable life raft in an area about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) off the eastern coast of Yakushima, he said.The coast guard said it planned to continue searching through the night.Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Osprey disappeared from radar a few minutes before the coast guard received the emergency call. The aircraft requested an emergency landing at the Yakushima airport about five minutes before it was lost from radar, NHK public television and other news outlets reported.NHK quoted a Yakushima resident as saying he saw the aircraft turned upside down, with fire coming from one of its engines, and then an explosion before it fell to the sea.Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he planned to seek a further explanation from the U.S. military, but he declined to say whether he would seek a temporary suspension of Osprey operations in Japan.Ogawa said the aircraft had departed from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi prefecture and crashed on its way to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.Japanese Vice Defense Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa said it had attempted an emergency sea landing and quoted the U.S. military as saying its pilot “did everything possible until the last minute."Yokota Air Base is home to U.S. Forces Japan and the Fifth Air Force. Six CV-22 Ospreys have been deployed at Yokota, including the one that crashed.In December 2016, a U.S. Marine Corps Osprey&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b5db3444ee9a4ef48387c4bc029f1ea0">crashed off the Okinawa coast</a>, injuring two of the five crew members and triggering complaints from local residents about the U.S. bases in Okinawa and the Osprey's safety record.

U.S. Air Force investigating deadly Osprey crash off Japan

TEL AVIV — Four-year-old Abigail Edan was discharged from the hospital late Tuesday night, following her release after more than 50 days as a hostage in Gaza, a spokesperson for Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikvah said.

The Israeli-American dual citizen was the first U.S. hostage to be released under the cease-fire. Abigail marked her fourth birthday in captivity.

Both of her parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">on Oct. 7</a>. During the rampage, she ran to a neighbor’s home for shelter, and the Brodutch family took her in before militants took the family to Gaza.

Hagar Brodutch and her three children were also released on Sunday. President Joe Biden celebrated her release, telling reporters, “I wish I were there to hold her.”

Meanwhile,&nbsp;With hours left to go before a truce in Gaza expires, international mediators worked to extend it to facilitate the release of militant-held hostages and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The cease-fire has paused the deadliest fighting between Israel and Palestinians in decades.

Israel has agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-29-2023-57e73a26c647ecd97e77afe19c08e077">extend the truce</a>, which was originally set to expire on Monday, by one day for every 10 hostages freed, and Hamas is expected to release another group of hostages later Wednesday. Twelve hostages, including 10 Israelis, were released Tuesday, bringing the total number of people freed during the truce to 81.

Israel has vowed to resume the war in an effort to end Hamas' 16-year rule of Gaza, but it's facing mounting international pressure to extend the truce and spare south Gaza a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-humanitarian-shifa-29388314e3286b2b0f1152f7d15e2d7b">devastating ground offensive</a>&nbsp;like the one that has demolished much of the north.

Hamas' ability to negotiate and implement the cease-fire suggests that Israel's air and ground campaigns have not seriously challenged the group's control of Gaza, despite killing thousands of Palestinians and driving three out of four people in the territory from their homes.

Roughly 240 hostages were captured by Hamas in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel</a>&nbsp;that ignited the war. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Hamas-controlled Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;in Gaza. About 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the initial incursion by Hamas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701012372596.png" alt="Abigail Edan in family hand out photo TAL EDAN VIA AP" />
 <figcaption>Abigail Edan in family hand out photo TAL EDAN VIA AP</figcaption>
 </figure>TEL AVIV — Four-year-old Abigail Edan was discharged from the hospital late Tuesday night, following her release after more than 50 days as a hostage in Gaza, a spokesperson for Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikvah said.The Israeli-American dual citizen was the first U.S. hostage to be released under the cease-fire. Abigail marked her fourth birthday in captivity.Both of her parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">on Oct. 7</a>. During the rampage, she ran to a neighbor’s home for shelter, and the Brodutch family took her in before militants took the family to Gaza.Hagar Brodutch and her three children were also released on Sunday. President Joe Biden celebrated her release, telling reporters, “I wish I were there to hold her.”Meanwhile,&nbsp;With hours left to go before a truce in Gaza expires, international mediators worked to extend it to facilitate the release of militant-held hostages and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The cease-fire has paused the deadliest fighting between Israel and Palestinians in decades.Israel has agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-29-2023-57e73a26c647ecd97e77afe19c08e077">extend the truce</a>, which was originally set to expire on Monday, by one day for every 10 hostages freed, and Hamas is expected to release another group of hostages later Wednesday. Twelve hostages, including 10 Israelis, were released Tuesday, bringing the total number of people freed during the truce to 81.Israel has vowed to resume the war in an effort to end Hamas' 16-year rule of Gaza, but it's facing mounting international pressure to extend the truce and spare south Gaza a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-humanitarian-shifa-29388314e3286b2b0f1152f7d15e2d7b">devastating ground offensive</a>&nbsp;like the one that has demolished much of the north.Hamas' ability to negotiate and implement the cease-fire suggests that Israel's air and ground campaigns have not seriously challenged the group's control of Gaza, despite killing thousands of Palestinians and driving three out of four people in the territory from their homes.Roughly 240 hostages were captured by Hamas in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel</a>&nbsp;that ignited the war. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Hamas-controlled Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;in Gaza. About 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the initial incursion by Hamas.

4-year-old American out of hospital after 50 days as hostage  

By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/71410/david-vergun/">David Vergun</a>&nbsp;, Department of Defense

The United States airlifted more than 54,000 pounds of United Nations humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza on Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a Pentagon news conference.

The aid includes vitally needed medical supplies, warm clothing, food and nutrition assistance. At the request of U.S. Agency for International Development, the supplies were transported via Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft and arrived in Al-Arish, Egypt, where they will be transported via ground transportation to Gaza and distributed by U.N. agencies, Ryder said.

Additional flights are expected in the coming days, he added.

This aid is in addition to the more than 500,000 pounds of food assistance delivered by the United States last week by USAID-contracted aircraft to Al-Arish, for onward travel to Gaza, he said.

"With 1.7 million people internally displaced and 2.2 million in need of humanitarian assistance [in Gaza], increased humanitarian supplies are essential to saving lives and alleviating suffering for the most vulnerable," according to a USAID news release.

The United States has mobilized $100 million in humanitarian assistance to help civilians affected by the conflict. The aid is meant to help thousands of people during a humanitarian pause in hostilities intended to further a surge of lifesaving assistance to Palestinian civilians, said a USAID statement.

The United States will continue to lead the humanitarian response in Gaza to further support those in desperate need. The United States is by far the largest donor to the U.N.'s humanitarian efforts in Gaza, according to USAID.

"We are grateful for the additional contributions from a number of donor partners who have already pledged significant funding, and we continue to advocate for others to do the same.

"The U.N.'s global appeal in response to the crisis remains woefully underfunded with only 21% funded, and we call on the international community to urgently step-up their support and deliver on commitments pledged," said the USAID statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701211889159.png" alt="A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III carries more than 54,000 pounds of vitally needed medical supplies, warm clothing, food and nutrition assistance to the people of Gaza from undisclosed locations throughout the Middle East, Nov. 28, 2023." />
 <figcaption>A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III carries more than 54,000 pounds of vitally needed medical supplies, warm clothing, food and nutrition assistance to the people of Gaza from undisclosed locations throughout the Middle East, Nov. 28, 2023.</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/71410/david-vergun/">David Vergun</a>&nbsp;, Department of DefenseThe United States airlifted more than 54,000 pounds of United Nations humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza on Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a Pentagon news conference.The aid includes vitally needed medical supplies, warm clothing, food and nutrition assistance. At the request of U.S. Agency for International Development, the supplies were transported via Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft and arrived in Al-Arish, Egypt, where they will be transported via ground transportation to Gaza and distributed by U.N. agencies, Ryder said.Additional flights are expected in the coming days, he added.This aid is in addition to the more than 500,000 pounds of food assistance delivered by the United States last week by USAID-contracted aircraft to Al-Arish, for onward travel to Gaza, he said."With 1.7 million people internally displaced and 2.2 million in need of humanitarian assistance [in Gaza], increased humanitarian supplies are essential to saving lives and alleviating suffering for the most vulnerable," according to a USAID news release.The United States has mobilized $100 million in humanitarian assistance to help civilians affected by the conflict. The aid is meant to help thousands of people during a humanitarian pause in hostilities intended to further a surge of lifesaving assistance to Palestinian civilians, said a USAID statement.The United States will continue to lead the humanitarian response in Gaza to further support those in desperate need. The United States is by far the largest donor to the U.N.'s humanitarian efforts in Gaza, according to USAID.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701211967412.png" alt="ir Force Staff Sgt. Jeanne Caron, an 89th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, coordinates the movement of humanitarian aid aboard a C-17 Globemaster III for the people of Gaza, Nov. 28, 2023. U.S. government partners will distribute these supplies to meet humanitarian needs in Gaza." />
 <figcaption>ir Force Staff Sgt. Jeanne Caron, an 89th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, coordinates the movement of humanitarian aid aboard a C-17 Globemaster III for the people of Gaza, Nov. 28, 2023. U.S. government partners will distribute these supplies to meet humanitarian needs in Gaza.</figcaption>
 </figure>"We are grateful for the additional contributions from a number of donor partners who have already pledged significant funding, and we continue to advocate for others to do the same."The U.N.'s global appeal in response to the crisis remains woefully underfunded with only 21% funded, and we call on the international community to urgently step-up their support and deliver on commitments pledged," said the USAID statement.

U.S. ships tons of medical items, food for residents of Gaza 

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The latest swap of Hamas militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel took place Tuesday evening as part of an ongoing cease-fire agreement between the warring sides.

Ten Israeli hostages — nine women and a 17-year-old girl — as well as two Thais were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza and were back in Israeli territory, the military said. About an hour later, Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel and Hamas have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-28-2023-a909a0a0c9c76ce80d1ff3e94bbe2ec4">agreed to extend their cease-fire</a>&nbsp;until Wednesday, raising the prospect of further exchanges and a longer halt to their deadliest and most destructive war. Since last Friday, Hamas has released 81 hostages, mostly Israeli nationals, while Israel has freed 180 Palestinian prisoner.

An extended case-fire would also allow more aid into Gaza, which has been battered by weeks of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">Israeli siege and bombardment</a>&nbsp;and a ground offensive that has driven three out of every four people in Gaza from their homes. The territory is home to 2.3 million people.

But Israel says it remains committed to crushing Hamas’ military capabilities and ending the group's 16-year rule over Gaza. That would likely mean&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-humanitarian-shifa-29388314e3286b2b0f1152f7d15e2d7b">expanding a ground offensive</a>&nbsp;from devastated northern Gaza into the south.

The cease-fire has allowed residents who remained in Gaza City and other parts of the north to venture out to survey the destruction and try to locate and bury relatives.

In northern Gaza's Jabaliya refugee camp, which Israel bombarded heavily for weeks and which troops surrounded in heavy fighting with militants, “you come across whole city blocks that have been demolished, just a pancake of concrete layered as buildings have collapsed,” said Thomas White, the Gaza director for the U.N. agency caring for Palestinian refugees.

The agency delivered six trucks of aid to the camp, including supplies for a medical center. Footage of White’s visit showed streets lined with destroyed buildings, cars, and piles of rubble.

<a href="https://sheltercluster.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/public/docs/SC-PC%20Joint%20advocacy%20note_241123-1.pdf?VersionId=kPEn3lsQx.2lA5.f5YXzNV3vuWmntrxi">A U.N.-led aid consortium</a>&nbsp;estimates that, across Gaza, over 234,000 homes have been damaged and 46,000 completely destroyed, amounting to around 60% of the territory’s housing stock. In the north, the destruction “severely compromises the ability to meet basic requirements to sustain life,” it said.

More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza</a>, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. More than 1,200 people have been killed on the Israeli side, mostly civilians killed in the initial attack.

At least 77 soldiers have been killed in Israel’s ground offensive. Israel says it has killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.

Authorities were able to reopen the dialysis department at Gaza City’s Shifa hospital after medical teams brought a small generator. Around 20 patients there had gone two or three weeks without dialysis, Dr. Mutasim Salah told Al-Jazeera TV from the hospital.

Two weeks ago, Israeli forces seized the hospital, which Israel had contended was used as a major base by Hamas, an accusation that the group and hospital staff deny.

Israel’s bombardment and ground offensive have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">displaced more than 1.8 million people</a>, nearly 80% of Gaza’s population, with most having sought refuge in the south, according to the U.N. Hundreds of thousands of people have packed into U.N.-run schools and other facilities, with many forced to sleep on the streets outside because of overcrowding.

Though, rain and cold winds sweeping across Gaza have made conditions even more miserable.

On Tuesday, Hanan Tayeh returned to her destroyed home in the central town of Johor al-Deek, scouring for any belongings in the wreckage.

“I came to get anything for my daughters. Winter has come, and I have nothing for them to wear,” she said. “It is cold, we are homeless.”

The cease-fire has allowed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-truce-red-cross-crescent-14cd8cae0f6e064484167c66bbcecf8f">increased aid of 160 to 200 trucks a day into Gaza</a>, bringing desperately needed food, water and medicine, as well as fuel for homes, hospitals and water treatment plants. Still, it is less than half what Gaza was importing before the fighting, even as humanitarian needs have soared.

Juliette Toma, a spokesperson for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, said people come to shelters asking for heavy clothes, mattresses and blankets, and that some are sleeping in damaged vehicles.

“The needs are overwhelming,” she told The Associated Press. “They lost everything, and they need everything.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701204582165.png" alt="Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event, as Israeli DJs spun music, to commemorate the October 7, massacre, near Kibbutz Re'im, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)" />
 <figcaption>Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event, as Israeli DJs spun music, to commemorate the October 7, massacre, near Kibbutz Re'im, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)</figcaption>
 </figure>DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The latest swap of Hamas militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel took place Tuesday evening as part of an ongoing cease-fire agreement between the warring sides.Ten Israeli hostages — nine women and a 17-year-old girl — as well as two Thais were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza and were back in Israeli territory, the military said. About an hour later, Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners.Israel and Hamas have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-28-2023-a909a0a0c9c76ce80d1ff3e94bbe2ec4">agreed to extend their cease-fire</a>&nbsp;until Wednesday, raising the prospect of further exchanges and a longer halt to their deadliest and most destructive war. Since last Friday, Hamas has released 81 hostages, mostly Israeli nationals, while Israel has freed 180 Palestinian prisoner.An extended case-fire would also allow more aid into Gaza, which has been battered by weeks of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">Israeli siege and bombardment</a>&nbsp;and a ground offensive that has driven three out of every four people in Gaza from their homes. The territory is home to 2.3 million people.But Israel says it remains committed to crushing Hamas’ military capabilities and ending the group's 16-year rule over Gaza. That would likely mean&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-humanitarian-shifa-29388314e3286b2b0f1152f7d15e2d7b">expanding a ground offensive</a>&nbsp;from devastated northern Gaza into the south.Roughly 240 hostages were captured by Hamas in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel</a>&nbsp;that ignited the war. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Hamas-controlled Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;in Gaza. About 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the initial incursion by Hamas.NORTHERN GAZA IN RUINSThe cease-fire has allowed residents who remained in Gaza City and other parts of the north to venture out to survey the destruction and try to locate and bury relatives.In northern Gaza's Jabaliya refugee camp, which Israel bombarded heavily for weeks and which troops surrounded in heavy fighting with militants, “you come across whole city blocks that have been demolished, just a pancake of concrete layered as buildings have collapsed,” said Thomas White, the Gaza director for the U.N. agency caring for Palestinian refugees.The agency delivered six trucks of aid to the camp, including supplies for a medical center. Footage of White’s visit showed streets lined with destroyed buildings, cars, and piles of rubble.<a href="https://sheltercluster.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/public/docs/SC-PC%20Joint%20advocacy%20note_241123-1.pdf?VersionId=kPEn3lsQx.2lA5.f5YXzNV3vuWmntrxi">A U.N.-led aid consortium</a>&nbsp;estimates that, across Gaza, over 234,000 homes have been damaged and 46,000 completely destroyed, amounting to around 60% of the territory’s housing stock. In the north, the destruction “severely compromises the ability to meet basic requirements to sustain life,” it said.More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza</a>, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. More than 1,200 people have been killed on the Israeli side, mostly civilians killed in the initial attack.At least 77 soldiers have been killed in Israel’s ground offensive. Israel says it has killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.Authorities were able to reopen the dialysis department at Gaza City’s Shifa hospital after medical teams brought a small generator. Around 20 patients there had gone two or three weeks without dialysis, Dr. Mutasim Salah told Al-Jazeera TV from the hospital.Two weeks ago, Israeli forces seized the hospital, which Israel had contended was used as a major base by Hamas, an accusation that the group and hospital staff deny.FEARS FOR THE SOUTHIsrael’s bombardment and ground offensive have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">displaced more than 1.8 million people</a>, nearly 80% of Gaza’s population, with most having sought refuge in the south, according to the U.N. Hundreds of thousands of people have packed into U.N.-run schools and other facilities, with many forced to sleep on the streets outside because of overcrowding.Though, rain and cold winds sweeping across Gaza have made conditions even more miserable.On Tuesday, Hanan Tayeh returned to her destroyed home in the central town of Johor al-Deek, scouring for any belongings in the wreckage.“I came to get anything for my daughters. Winter has come, and I have nothing for them to wear,” she said. “It is cold, we are homeless.”The cease-fire has allowed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-truce-red-cross-crescent-14cd8cae0f6e064484167c66bbcecf8f">increased aid of 160 to 200 trucks a day into Gaza</a>, bringing desperately needed food, water and medicine, as well as fuel for homes, hospitals and water treatment plants. Still, it is less than half what Gaza was importing before the fighting, even as humanitarian needs have soared.Juliette Toma, a spokesperson for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, said people come to shelters asking for heavy clothes, mattresses and blankets, and that some are sleeping in damaged vehicles.“The needs are overwhelming,” she told The Associated Press. “They lost everything, and they need everything.”___

5th hostage release: 9 women, teenager and no Americans 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Charlie Munger, who helped Warren Buffett build Berkshire Hathaway into an investment powerhouse, has died at a California hospital. He was 99.

Berkshire Hathaway said in a statement that Munger’s family told the company that he died Tuesday morning at the hospital just over a month before his 100th birthday.

“Berkshire Hathaway could not have been built to its present status without Charlie’s inspiration, wisdom and participation,” Buffett said in a statement.

Munger served as Buffett’s sounding board on investments and business decisions and helped lead Berkshire for more than five decades and served as its longtime vice chairman.

Munger had been using a wheelchair to get around for several years but he had remained mentally sharp. That was on display while he fielded hours of questions at the annual meetings of Berkshire and the Daily Journal Corp. earlier this year, and in recent interviews on an investing&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/charlie-munger/id1050462261?i=1000633030747">podcast</a>&nbsp;with The Wall Street Journal.

Munger preferred to stay in the background and let Buffett be the face of Berkshire, and he often downplayed his contributions to the company’s remarkable success.

But Buffett always credited Munger with pushing him beyond his early value investing strategies to buy great businesses at good prices like See’s Candy.

“Charlie has taught me a lot about valuing businesses and about human nature,” Buffett said in 2008.

Buffett’s early successes were based on what he learned from former Columbia University professor Ben Graham. He would buy stock in companies that were selling cheaply for less than their assets were worth, and then, when the market price improved, sell the shares.

Munger and Buffett began buying Berkshire Hathaway shares in 1962 for $7 and $8 per share, and they took control of the New England textile mill in 1965. Over time, the two men reshaped Berkshire into the conglomerate it is today by using proceeds from its businesses to buy other companies like Geico insurance and BNSF railroad, while also maintaining a high-profile stock portfolio with major investments in Apple and Coca-Cola. The shares have grown to $546,869 Tuesday, and many investors became wealthy by holding onto the stock.

During the entire time they worked together, Buffett and Munger lived more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) apart, but Buffett said he would call Munger in Los Angeles or Pasadena to consult on every major decision he made.

Munger grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, about five blocks away from Buffett’s current home, but because Munger is seven years older the two men didn’t meet as children, even though both worked at the grocery store Buffett’s grandfather and uncle ran.

When the two men met in 1959 at an Omaha dinner party, Munger was practicing law in Southern California and Buffett was running an investment partnership in Omaha.

Buffett and Munger hit it off at that initial meeting and then kept in touch through frequent telephone calls and lengthy letters, according to the biography in the definitive book on Munger called “Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger.”

The two men shared investment ideas and occasionally bought into the same companies during the 1960s and ’70s. They became the two biggest shareholders in one of their common investments, trading stamp maker Blue Chip Stamp Co., and through that acquired See’s Candy, the Buffalo News and Wesco. Munger became Berkshire’s vice chairman in 1978, and chairman and president of Wesco Financial in 1984.

Berkshire’s legions of devoted shareholders who regularly packed an Omaha arena to listen to the two men will remember the curmudgeonly quips Munger offered while answering questions alongside Buffett at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-shareholders-meeting-munger-125f7fd2fc2830d74fb8f246727fedcd">annual meetings</a>.

Munger was known for repeating “I have nothing to add” after many of Buffett’s expansive answers at the Berkshire meetings. But Munger also often offered sharp answers that cut straight to the heart of an issue, such as the advice he offered in 2012 on spotting a good investment.

“If it’s got a really high commission on it, don’t bother looking at it,” he said.

Munger was known as a voracious reader and a student of human behavior. He employed a variety of different models borrowed from disciplines like psychology, physics and mathematics to evaluate potential investments.

Munger studied mathematics at the University of Michigan in the 1940s, but dropped out of college to serve as a meteorologist in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

Then he went on to earn a law degree from Harvard University in 1948 even though he hadn’t finished a bachelor’s degree.

Munger built a fortune worth more than $2 billion at one point and earned a spot on the list of the richest Americans. Munger’s wealth decreased over time as he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-munger-berkshire-hathaway-donation-huntington-library-c71d80110e356665ffbe8135b36daa08">gave more of his fortune away</a>, but the ever increasing value of Berkshire’s stock kept him wealthy.

Munger has given significant gifts to Harvard-Westlake, Stanford University Law School, the University of Michigan and the Huntington Library as well as other charities. He also gave a significant portion of his Berkshire stock to his eight children after his wife died in 2010.

Munger also served on the boards of Good Samaritan Hospital and the private Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. And Munger served on the board of Costco Wholesale Corp. and for years as chairman of the Daily Journal Corp.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696601036200.jpeg" alt=" Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charlie Munger listens to a question during an interview on May 7, 2018, in Omaha, Neb. Berkshire Hathaway says Munger, who helped Warren Buffett build an investment powerhouse, has died. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)" />
 <figcaption> Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charlie Munger listens to a question during an interview on May 7, 2018, in Omaha, Neb. Berkshire Hathaway says Munger, who helped Warren Buffett build an investment powerhouse, has died. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Charlie Munger, who helped Warren Buffett build Berkshire Hathaway into an investment powerhouse, has died at a California hospital. He was 99.Berkshire Hathaway said in a statement that Munger’s family told the company that he died Tuesday morning at the hospital just over a month before his 100th birthday.“Berkshire Hathaway could not have been built to its present status without Charlie’s inspiration, wisdom and participation,” Buffett said in a statement.Munger served as Buffett’s sounding board on investments and business decisions and helped lead Berkshire for more than five decades and served as its longtime vice chairman.Munger had been using a wheelchair to get around for several years but he had remained mentally sharp. That was on display while he fielded hours of questions at the annual meetings of Berkshire and the Daily Journal Corp. earlier this year, and in recent interviews on an investing&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/charlie-munger/id1050462261?i=1000633030747">podcast</a>&nbsp;with The Wall Street Journal.Munger preferred to stay in the background and let Buffett be the face of Berkshire, and he often downplayed his contributions to the company’s remarkable success.But Buffett always credited Munger with pushing him beyond his early value investing strategies to buy great businesses at good prices like See’s Candy.“Charlie has taught me a lot about valuing businesses and about human nature,” Buffett said in 2008.Buffett’s early successes were based on what he learned from former Columbia University professor Ben Graham. He would buy stock in companies that were selling cheaply for less than their assets were worth, and then, when the market price improved, sell the shares.Munger and Buffett began buying Berkshire Hathaway shares in 1962 for $7 and $8 per share, and they took control of the New England textile mill in 1965. Over time, the two men reshaped Berkshire into the conglomerate it is today by using proceeds from its businesses to buy other companies like Geico insurance and BNSF railroad, while also maintaining a high-profile stock portfolio with major investments in Apple and Coca-Cola. The shares have grown to $546,869 Tuesday, and many investors became wealthy by holding onto the stock.During the entire time they worked together, Buffett and Munger lived more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) apart, but Buffett said he would call Munger in Los Angeles or Pasadena to consult on every major decision he made.Munger grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, about five blocks away from Buffett’s current home, but because Munger is seven years older the two men didn’t meet as children, even though both worked at the grocery store Buffett’s grandfather and uncle ran.When the two men met in 1959 at an Omaha dinner party, Munger was practicing law in Southern California and Buffett was running an investment partnership in Omaha.Buffett and Munger hit it off at that initial meeting and then kept in touch through frequent telephone calls and lengthy letters, according to the biography in the definitive book on Munger called “Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger.”The two men shared investment ideas and occasionally bought into the same companies during the 1960s and ’70s. They became the two biggest shareholders in one of their common investments, trading stamp maker Blue Chip Stamp Co., and through that acquired See’s Candy, the Buffalo News and Wesco. Munger became Berkshire’s vice chairman in 1978, and chairman and president of Wesco Financial in 1984.Berkshire’s legions of devoted shareholders who regularly packed an Omaha arena to listen to the two men will remember the curmudgeonly quips Munger offered while answering questions alongside Buffett at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-shareholders-meeting-munger-125f7fd2fc2830d74fb8f246727fedcd">annual meetings</a>.Munger was known for repeating “I have nothing to add” after many of Buffett’s expansive answers at the Berkshire meetings. But Munger also often offered sharp answers that cut straight to the heart of an issue, such as the advice he offered in 2012 on spotting a good investment.“If it’s got a really high commission on it, don’t bother looking at it,” he said.Munger was known as a voracious reader and a student of human behavior. He employed a variety of different models borrowed from disciplines like psychology, physics and mathematics to evaluate potential investments.Munger studied mathematics at the University of Michigan in the 1940s, but dropped out of college to serve as a meteorologist in the Army Air Corps during World War II.Then he went on to earn a law degree from Harvard University in 1948 even though he hadn’t finished a bachelor’s degree.Munger built a fortune worth more than $2 billion at one point and earned a spot on the list of the richest Americans. Munger’s wealth decreased over time as he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-munger-berkshire-hathaway-donation-huntington-library-c71d80110e356665ffbe8135b36daa08">gave more of his fortune away</a>, but the ever increasing value of Berkshire’s stock kept him wealthy.Munger has given significant gifts to Harvard-Westlake, Stanford University Law School, the University of Michigan and the Huntington Library as well as other charities. He also gave a significant portion of his Berkshire stock to his eight children after his wife died in 2010.Munger also served on the boards of Good Samaritan Hospital and the private Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. And Munger served on the board of Costco Wholesale Corp. and for years as chairman of the Daily Journal Corp.

Berkshire Hathaway says Charlie Munger, who helped Warren Buffett build an investment powerhouse, has died.

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans for Prosperity, the political arm of the powerful Koch network, formally endorsed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley's presidential campaign</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday, promising to commit its nationwide coalition of activists — and virtually unlimited funds — to helping Haley defeat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in the GOP primary contest.

“AFP Action is proud to throw our full support behind Nikki Haley, who offers America the opportunity to turn the page on the current political era, to win the Republican primary and defeat Joe Biden next November,” AFP president and CEO Emily Seidel wrote in a memo announcing the group's decision.

“She has what it takes to lead a policy agenda to take on our nation’s biggest challenges and help ensure our country’s best days are ahead. With the grassroots and data capability we bring to bear in this race, no other organization is better equipped to help her do it.”

The endorsement may help Haley address one of her biggest strategic liabilities.

Despite seizing some polling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-president-republican-desantis-trump-c93fa155032fc7e3607a54816163f2b2">momentum</a>&nbsp;in recent months, especially in early primary states, the former United Nations ambassador's campaign has been lacking significant resources on the ground to ensure her supporters turn out to vote. But now, she inherits the organizational heft of what may be the most powerful conservative grassroots organization in the nation. The Koch network, previously referred to as the Koch Brothers, has been building a network of paid conservative activists and volunteers in key states for several years.

Through last summer and the fall alone, Americans for Prosperity activists communicated with 6 million primary voters, either in person at their doors or on the phone, Seidel said.

The endorsement marks a particularly painful blow to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>, who had championed conservative priorities in Florida, but struggled to emerge as the clear Trump alternative in the 2024 GOP primary contest. It's unclear, however, whether the endorsement can help weaken Trump's grip on the Republican presidential nomination given his commanding lead over DeSantis and Haley in virtually every poll.

Back in the spring, the Koch network began running ads across Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina — the first three states on the GOP’s presidential primary calendar — focusing on questions about Trump’s electability in next fall’s general election against Biden. And still, Trump remains the overwhelming front-runner in the race.

Seidel said Tuesday that Americans for Prosperity would immediately begin refocusing its efforts on boosting Haley’s primary and general election campaigns with strategic advertising investments, mailers and voter contacts through the group’s network of thousands of conservative activists, which has spent recent months collecting information from Republican primary voters to determine the most effective arguments against Trump.

At the same time, Seidel said that her organization would focus on persuading reliable general election voters, who typically don’t vote in primaries, to show up for Haley in this year’s fast-approaching nomination contests.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed Americans for Prosperity as “the political arm of the China-first, America-last movement.”

“No amount of shady money from George Soros, Democrats and Never-Trump RINOs in partnership with endless-war swamp creatures in Washington will stop the MAGA movement or President Trump from being the Republican nominee and defeating Crooked Joe Biden,” Cheung wrote in a statement responding to the Haley endorsement.

The feud between Trump and the Koch network has been years in the making.

The Kochs, long demonized by Democrats for having outsize influence in Washington, refused to support Trump's reelection in 2020. The group’s leaders argued that his populist policies, especially on trade, didn’t adhere to traditional conservative values, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f548cc23360542578829834b9cc015c8">decrying</a>&nbsp;his divisive leadership style.

News of the endorsement Tuesday quickly rippled across the political world.

Speaking in Washington, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney predicted it would be a “huge boost” to Haley’s campaign.

Romney, a vocal Trump critic, said Haley has proved naysayers wrong before “and she’s doing it again." He added: "I think it’s a huge boost for her campaign and may create the kind of momentum she needs.”

In a statement, DeSantis spokesperson Andrew Romeo likened the Koch endorsement to a contribution to the Trump campaign.

“Congratulations to Donald Trump on securing the Koch endorsement. Like clockwork, the pro-open borders, pro-jail break bill establishment is lining up behind a moderate who has no mathematical pathway of defeating the former president,” Romeo wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Every dollar spent on Nikki Haley’s candidacy should be reported as an in-kind to the Trump campaign. No one has a stronger record of beating the establishment than Ron DeSantis, and this time will be no different.”

Yet the Koch network is convinced that Haley is better positioned to defeat Trump — and Biden — than DeSantis.

In a polling memo, senior adviser Michael Palmer highlighted Haley's “sustained momentum in recent months,” while noting that many primary voters in Iowa and New Hampshire are only just beginning to pay close attention to the contest.

“Gov. DeSantis has been a tremendous leader of the state of Florida," Seidel said in a Tuesday conference call. "But all of the evidence we’ve already shared on this call point to the fact that Nikki Haley is the strongest candidate in this race and that’s why we decided to support her.”

Meanwhile, Haley said she was honored to have the support of Americans for Prosperity, “including its millions of grassroots members all across the country.”

“AFP Action’s members know that there is too much at stake in this election to sit on the sidelines," she said in a statement. "This is a choice between freedom and socialism, individual liberty and big government, fiscal responsibility and spiraling debt. We have a country to save, and I’m grateful to have AFP Action by our side.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691516540473.png" alt=" Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s annual BBQ Bash in Cedar Rapids&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;photo by Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch" />
 <figcaption> Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s annual BBQ Bash in Cedar Rapids&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;photo by Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Americans for Prosperity, the political arm of the powerful Koch network, formally endorsed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley's presidential campaign</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday, promising to commit its nationwide coalition of activists — and virtually unlimited funds — to helping Haley defeat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in the GOP primary contest.“AFP Action is proud to throw our full support behind Nikki Haley, who offers America the opportunity to turn the page on the current political era, to win the Republican primary and defeat Joe Biden next November,” AFP president and CEO Emily Seidel wrote in a memo announcing the group's decision.“She has what it takes to lead a policy agenda to take on our nation’s biggest challenges and help ensure our country’s best days are ahead. With the grassroots and data capability we bring to bear in this race, no other organization is better equipped to help her do it.”The endorsement may help Haley address one of her biggest strategic liabilities.Despite seizing some polling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-president-republican-desantis-trump-c93fa155032fc7e3607a54816163f2b2">momentum</a>&nbsp;in recent months, especially in early primary states, the former United Nations ambassador's campaign has been lacking significant resources on the ground to ensure her supporters turn out to vote. But now, she inherits the organizational heft of what may be the most powerful conservative grassroots organization in the nation. The Koch network, previously referred to as the Koch Brothers, has been building a network of paid conservative activists and volunteers in key states for several years.Through last summer and the fall alone, Americans for Prosperity activists communicated with 6 million primary voters, either in person at their doors or on the phone, Seidel said.The endorsement marks a particularly painful blow to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>, who had championed conservative priorities in Florida, but struggled to emerge as the clear Trump alternative in the 2024 GOP primary contest. It's unclear, however, whether the endorsement can help weaken Trump's grip on the Republican presidential nomination given his commanding lead over DeSantis and Haley in virtually every poll.Back in the spring, the Koch network began running ads across Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina — the first three states on the GOP’s presidential primary calendar — focusing on questions about Trump’s electability in next fall’s general election against Biden. And still, Trump remains the overwhelming front-runner in the race.Seidel said Tuesday that Americans for Prosperity would immediately begin refocusing its efforts on boosting Haley’s primary and general election campaigns with strategic advertising investments, mailers and voter contacts through the group’s network of thousands of conservative activists, which has spent recent months collecting information from Republican primary voters to determine the most effective arguments against Trump.At the same time, Seidel said that her organization would focus on persuading reliable general election voters, who typically don’t vote in primaries, to show up for Haley in this year’s fast-approaching nomination contests.Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed Americans for Prosperity as “the political arm of the China-first, America-last movement.”“No amount of shady money from George Soros, Democrats and Never-Trump RINOs in partnership with endless-war swamp creatures in Washington will stop the MAGA movement or President Trump from being the Republican nominee and defeating Crooked Joe Biden,” Cheung wrote in a statement responding to the Haley endorsement.The feud between Trump and the Koch network has been years in the making.The Kochs, long demonized by Democrats for having outsize influence in Washington, refused to support Trump's reelection in 2020. The group’s leaders argued that his populist policies, especially on trade, didn’t adhere to traditional conservative values, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f548cc23360542578829834b9cc015c8">decrying</a>&nbsp;his divisive leadership style.News of the endorsement Tuesday quickly rippled across the political world.Speaking in Washington, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney predicted it would be a “huge boost” to Haley’s campaign.Romney, a vocal Trump critic, said Haley has proved naysayers wrong before “and she’s doing it again." He added: "I think it’s a huge boost for her campaign and may create the kind of momentum she needs.”The DeSantis camp was not pleased.In a statement, DeSantis spokesperson Andrew Romeo likened the Koch endorsement to a contribution to the Trump campaign.“Congratulations to Donald Trump on securing the Koch endorsement. Like clockwork, the pro-open borders, pro-jail break bill establishment is lining up behind a moderate who has no mathematical pathway of defeating the former president,” Romeo wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Every dollar spent on Nikki Haley’s candidacy should be reported as an in-kind to the Trump campaign. No one has a stronger record of beating the establishment than Ron DeSantis, and this time will be no different.”Yet the Koch network is convinced that Haley is better positioned to defeat Trump — and Biden — than DeSantis.In a polling memo, senior adviser Michael Palmer highlighted Haley's “sustained momentum in recent months,” while noting that many primary voters in Iowa and New Hampshire are only just beginning to pay close attention to the contest.“Gov. DeSantis has been a tremendous leader of the state of Florida," Seidel said in a Tuesday conference call. "But all of the evidence we’ve already shared on this call point to the fact that Nikki Haley is the strongest candidate in this race and that’s why we decided to support her.”Meanwhile, Haley said she was honored to have the support of Americans for Prosperity, “including its millions of grassroots members all across the country.”“AFP Action’s members know that there is too much at stake in this election to sit on the sidelines," she said in a statement. "This is a choice between freedom and socialism, individual liberty and big government, fiscal responsibility and spiraling debt. We have a country to save, and I’m grateful to have AFP Action by our side.”

Nikki Haley wins backing from Koch network as she aims to take on Trump

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/governor-chokes-up-with-emotion-urges-nebraskans-to-adopt-children-or-become-foster-parents/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen choked up with emotion momentarily Monday as he related his own family’s experience with adopting a child.

Pillen called the adoption of his now 19-year-old son, Izic, “the greatest gift of grace that Suzanne and I and our family could ever” experience.

“I probably did not fully grasp and would sometimes say, ‘How can an adoptive parent love a child like their own?’ ” the governor said.

“Guess what — that was really, really shallow,” Pillen added.

During a press conference Monday to designate November as “Adoption Month” in the state, the governor urged other Nebraskans to “answer the calling” to adopt children or become foster parents.

“Every child, no matter their circumstance, deserves a loving, safe and caring home,” he said.

Izic, whom the Pillens took into their home at 4 months, was one of 331 children adopted in Nebraska so far this year.

But 200 other children are still waiting to be adopted, the governor said, including 27 under age 4.

“You will really, really understand that love conquers all,” he said.

State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha revealed at the event that she has applied to become a foster parent.

She noted that the Legislature had updated state laws in recent years to make it easier for families to adopt.

“People in Nebraska care about adoption, and I think that’s wonderful,” DeBoer said.

Also joining the governor at the press conference was Laura Opfer, the deputy director of the Children and Family Services Division of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Opfer, the adoptive parent to three daughters, said there is also a need for relatives and foster parents to take in children.

There are 2,321 foster families in the state, she said.

The state’s top goal, Opfer said, is to reunify children with their parents after temporary placement with other family members. So far this year, 855 children have been reunified with their parents, she said.

Among others speaking at Monday’s press conference were Craig and Miranda Coleman, the adoptive parents of Malachi Coleman, a Nebraska football player who has established a foundation, “Fly Like Chi,” which encourages helping children in the foster care system.

The Colemans adopted Malachi and his sister, Nevaeh, at the ages of 10 and 7, respectively.

“The foster care system not only changed my life — it saved it. It gave me the beautiful family I have today and has given me a second chance at life,” Malachi said in a statement read by his mother.

She said that the children “have made us better humans, more compassionate neighbors, more confident advocates, and taught us how to live looking forward.”

Those speaking Monday emphasized that the state, through a contract with the Nebraska Children and Home Society, provides training and support for adoptive families and foster caregivers.

Persons interested in becoming foster or adoptive parents can call 1-800-772-7368 or access the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Adoption.aspx">DHHS adoption page</a>. The Nebraska Children’s Home Society also has information at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nchs.org/">www.nchs.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701181911002.jpeg" alt=" Gov. Jim Pillen, surrounded by advocates for child adoption and foster care, related his family’s personal experience with adoption on Monday. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Jim Pillen, surrounded by advocates for child adoption and foster care, related his family’s personal experience with adoption on Monday. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/governor-chokes-up-with-emotion-urges-nebraskans-to-adopt-children-or-become-foster-parents/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen choked up with emotion momentarily Monday as he related his own family’s experience with adopting a child.Pillen called the adoption of his now 19-year-old son, Izic, “the greatest gift of grace that Suzanne and I and our family could ever” experience.“I probably did not fully grasp and would sometimes say, ‘How can an adoptive parent love a child like their own?’ ” the governor said.“Guess what — that was really, really shallow,” Pillen added.<h2>‘Adoption month’</h2>During a press conference Monday to designate November as “Adoption Month” in the state, the governor urged other Nebraskans to “answer the calling” to adopt children or become foster parents.“Every child, no matter their circumstance, deserves a loving, safe and caring home,” he said.Izic, whom the Pillens took into their home at 4 months, was one of 331 children adopted in Nebraska so far this year.But 200 other children are still waiting to be adopted, the governor said, including 27 under age 4.“You will really, really understand that love conquers all,” he said.State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha revealed at the event that she has applied to become a foster parent.She noted that the Legislature had updated state laws in recent years to make it easier for families to adopt.“People in Nebraska care about adoption, and I think that’s wonderful,” DeBoer said.Also joining the governor at the press conference was Laura Opfer, the deputy director of the Children and Family Services Division of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.Opfer, the adoptive parent to three daughters, said there is also a need for relatives and foster parents to take in children.There are 2,321 foster families in the state, she said.The state’s top goal, Opfer said, is to reunify children with their parents after temporary placement with other family members. So far this year, 855 children have been reunified with their parents, she said.<h2>‘Saved’ my life</h2>Among others speaking at Monday’s press conference were Craig and Miranda Coleman, the adoptive parents of Malachi Coleman, a Nebraska football player who has established a foundation, “Fly Like Chi,” which encourages helping children in the foster care system.The Colemans adopted Malachi and his sister, Nevaeh, at the ages of 10 and 7, respectively.“The foster care system not only changed my life — it saved it. It gave me the beautiful family I have today and has given me a second chance at life,” Malachi said in a statement read by his mother.She said that the children “have made us better humans, more compassionate neighbors, more confident advocates, and taught us how to live looking forward.”Those speaking Monday emphasized that the state, through a contract with the Nebraska Children and Home Society, provides training and support for adoptive families and foster caregivers.Persons interested in becoming foster or adoptive parents can call 1-800-772-7368 or access the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Adoption.aspx">DHHS adoption page</a>. The Nebraska Children’s Home Society also has information at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nchs.org/">www.nchs.org</a>.

Governor chokes up with emotion, urges Nebraskans to adopt children or become foster parents

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/27/pillen-stops-short-of-saying-no-state-funds-should-be-used-for-memorial-stadium-renovation/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen praised the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Department on Monday for being “self-funded” and operating without state funds.

But when asked whether that should continue and if no state money should be devoted to the $450 million renovation of Memorial Stadium, Pillen stopped short of agreeing.

The governor, a former NU football player, said providing state funding for the stadium renovation, as some have suggested, is a “discussion” but not his top priority.

“My focus right now is making sure the State of Nebraska can compete, and the first place we have to compete is in tax policy,” Pillen said. “We have to make sure we’re a fiscally conservative state and we have the courage to say ‘no.’ "

The governor’s comments to the Examiner, following a press conference Monday on a different subject, come as some athletic department donors and state senators are raising questions about the size and feasibility of the renovation project, which will be largely funded via private donors.

The concerns also come as&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/18/a-cost-we-cant-afford-faculty-blast-state-for-not-investing-in-university/">UNL faces a $58 million budget shortfall,</a>&nbsp;forcing proposed cuts in staff and academic programs, and just after private donors ponied up most of the $165 million needed for a new football performance and training table facility.

While private donors to UNL declined to be quoted by name, State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard said what many were thinking — that the optics aren’t good when you’re seeking nearly a half-billion dollars for a football field and at the same time cutting university programs and raising tuition.

As one donor told the Examiner, the 100-year-old stadium needs improved seating with backs to replace the current benches, but $450 million for a lot of other things is a stretch.

Pillen, in comments Monday, said Nebraskans “don’t do enough bragging about the extraordinary things” in the state, and that includes the “self-funded” UNL athletic program.

It is among the top three programs nationally in financial strength, he said, and contributes $10 million of its surplus funds each year to UNL academic programs.

That is unlike most Division I athletic programs, which need state funds to function.

“We have been self-supporting because of the great Nebraska fans. There’s never been a tax dollar used, there’s never been a fee used,” Pillen said.

(Cigarette smokers might disagree — the construction of the Devaney Sports Center, which opened in 1976 at a cost of $13 million, was financed via state tobacco tax revenue.)

The proposed funding for the Memorial Stadium renovation has a $125 million hole, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/should-nebraska-state-tax-dollars-help-plug-gap-in-450-million-memorial-stadium-renovation/article_00fe27a0-81cc-5e9d-b052-22b9e2604d8d.html">Omaha World-Herald reported.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;The $450 million project includes $225 million in private donations and $100 million from the athletic department, making it $125 million short.

A key question facing state lawmakers is whether they can say “no” to a request for state funds for the UNL stadium — famous for being the state’s third-largest city on game days — after recently granting $30 million for a new baseball field for Creighton University and providing state sales taxes for numerous youth soccer and baseball complexes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701120040077.jpeg" alt=" Renovation of Memorial Stadium will include demolition and replacement of the South Stadium (in red) as well as enhancements in other areas of the structure, first used 100 years ago. (Courtesy of the University of Nebraska)" />
 <figcaption> Renovation of Memorial Stadium will include demolition and replacement of the South Stadium (in red) as well as enhancements in other areas of the structure, first used 100 years ago. (Courtesy of the University of Nebraska)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/27/pillen-stops-short-of-saying-no-state-funds-should-be-used-for-memorial-stadium-renovation/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen praised the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Department on Monday for being “self-funded” and operating without state funds.But when asked whether that should continue and if no state money should be devoted to the $450 million renovation of Memorial Stadium, Pillen stopped short of agreeing.The governor, a former NU football player, said providing state funding for the stadium renovation, as some have suggested, is a “discussion” but not his top priority.<h2>Have the courage to say ‘no’</h2>“My focus right now is making sure the State of Nebraska can compete, and the first place we have to compete is in tax policy,” Pillen said. “We have to make sure we’re a fiscally conservative state and we have the courage to say ‘no.’ "The governor’s comments to the Examiner, following a press conference Monday on a different subject, come as some athletic department donors and state senators are raising questions about the size and feasibility of the renovation project, which will be largely funded via private donors.The concerns also come as&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/18/a-cost-we-cant-afford-faculty-blast-state-for-not-investing-in-university/">UNL faces a $58 million budget shortfall,</a>&nbsp;forcing proposed cuts in staff and academic programs, and just after private donors ponied up most of the $165 million needed for a new football performance and training table facility.While private donors to UNL declined to be quoted by name, State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard said what many were thinking — that the optics aren’t good when you’re seeking nearly a half-billion dollars for a football field and at the same time cutting university programs and raising tuition.As one donor told the Examiner, the 100-year-old stadium needs improved seating with backs to replace the current benches, but $450 million for a lot of other things is a stretch.Pillen, in comments Monday, said Nebraskans “don’t do enough bragging about the extraordinary things” in the state, and that includes the “self-funded” UNL athletic program.It is among the top three programs nationally in financial strength, he said, and contributes $10 million of its surplus funds each year to UNL academic programs.That is unlike most Division I athletic programs, which need state funds to function.“We have been self-supporting because of the great Nebraska fans. There’s never been a tax dollar used, there’s never been a fee used,” Pillen said.(Cigarette smokers might disagree — the construction of the Devaney Sports Center, which opened in 1976 at a cost of $13 million, was financed via state tobacco tax revenue.)The proposed funding for the Memorial Stadium renovation has a $125 million hole, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/should-nebraska-state-tax-dollars-help-plug-gap-in-450-million-memorial-stadium-renovation/article_00fe27a0-81cc-5e9d-b052-22b9e2604d8d.html">Omaha World-Herald reported.&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;The $450 million project includes $225 million in private donations and $100 million from the athletic department, making it $125 million short.A key question facing state lawmakers is whether they can say “no” to a request for state funds for the UNL stadium — famous for being the state’s third-largest city on game days — after recently granting $30 million for a new baseball field for Creighton University and providing state sales taxes for numerous youth soccer and baseball complexes.

Pillen stops short of saying no state funds should be used for Memorial Stadium renovation

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel and Hamas agreed to extend their cease-fire for two more days past Monday, raising the prospect of further exchanges of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and a longer halt to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">their deadliest and most destructive war</a>.

(Click below to watch White House spokesman John Kirby's comments on American hostages)

Eleven Israeli women and children, freed by Hamas, entered Israel Monday night after more than seven weeks in captivity in Gaza in the fourth swap under the original four-day truce, which began Friday and was due to run out. Thirty-three Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived early Tuesday in east Jerusalem and the West Bank town of Ramallah. The prisoners were greeted by loud cheers as their bus made its way through the streets of Ramallah.

The deal for two additional days of cease-fire, announced by Qatar, raised hopes for further extensions, which also allow more aid into Gaza. Conditions there have remained dire for 2.3 million Palestinians, battered by weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground offensive that have driven three-quarters of the population from their homes.

Israel has said it would extend the cease-fire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released. After the announcement by Qatar —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-war-hostage-qatar-0126c6443a9b3b32fe97032b81eaa515">a key mediator in the conflict,</a>&nbsp;along with the United States and Egypt — Hamas confirmed it had agreed to a two-day extension “under the same terms.”

But Israel says it remains committed to crushing Hamas’ military capabilities and ending its 16-year rule over Gaza after its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel</a>. That would likely mean&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-humanitarian-shifa-29388314e3286b2b0f1152f7d15e2d7b">expanding a ground offensive</a>&nbsp;from devastated northern Gaza to the south.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel and Hamas agreed to extend their cease-fire for two more days past Monday, raising the prospect of further exchanges of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and a longer halt to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">their deadliest and most destructive war</a>.(Click below to watch White House spokesman John Kirby's comments on American hostages)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F362152339550909%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=839" 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>Eleven Israeli women and children, freed by Hamas, entered Israel Monday night after more than seven weeks in captivity in Gaza in the fourth swap under the original four-day truce, which began Friday and was due to run out. Thirty-three Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived early Tuesday in east Jerusalem and the West Bank town of Ramallah. The prisoners were greeted by loud cheers as their bus made its way through the streets of Ramallah.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We will not stop working until we bring the hostages being held by Hamas home.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1729512069458690115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The deal for two additional days of cease-fire, announced by Qatar, raised hopes for further extensions, which also allow more aid into Gaza. Conditions there have remained dire for 2.3 million Palestinians, battered by weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground offensive that have driven three-quarters of the population from their homes.Israel has said it would extend the cease-fire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released. After the announcement by Qatar —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-war-hostage-qatar-0126c6443a9b3b32fe97032b81eaa515">a key mediator in the conflict,</a>&nbsp;along with the United States and Egypt — Hamas confirmed it had agreed to a two-day extension “under the same terms.”But Israel says it remains committed to crushing Hamas’ military capabilities and ending its 16-year rule over Gaza after its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel</a>. That would likely mean&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-humanitarian-shifa-29388314e3286b2b0f1152f7d15e2d7b">expanding a ground offensive</a>&nbsp;from devastated northern Gaza to the south.Monday’s releases bring to 51 the number of Israelis freed under the truce, along with 19 hostages of other nationalities. So far, 150 Palestinians have been released from Israeli prisons.After weeks of national trauma over the roughly 240 people abducted by Hamas and other militants, scenes of the women and children reuniting with families have rallied Israelis behind calls to return those who remain in captivity.“We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing,” two relatives of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/children-hostages-israel-palestinians-gaza-orphan-c8e9f6dd703a9c14161eeb6ca9e25417">Abigail Edan</a>, a 4-year-old girl and dual Israeli-American citizen who was released Sunday, said in a statement.Hamas and other militants could still be holding up to 175 hostages, enough to potentially extend the cease-fire for two and a half weeks. But those include a number of soldiers, and Hamas is likely to make much greater demands for their release.FOURTH RELEASEThe newly released hostages included three women and nine children — including 3-year-old twin girls and their mother — from the kibbutz Nir Oz, a community near Gaza that was hard hit in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The kibbutz said 49 of its residents remain in captivity, including the father of the twins. The Israeli military said late Monday that the hostages were undergoing initial medical checks in Israel before being reunited with their families.Most of the hostages freed so far have appeared to be physically well. But 84-year-old Elma Avraham, released Sunday, was airlifted to Israel’s Soroka Medical Center in life-threatening condition because of inadequate care, the hospital said.Avraham’s daughter, Tali Amano, said her mother was “hours from death” when she was brought to the hospital. Avraham is currently sedated and has a breathing tube, but Amano said she told her of a new great-grandchild who was born while she was in captivity.Avraham suffered from several chronic conditions that required regular medications but was stable before she was kidnapped, Amano said Monday.So far, 19 people of other nationalities have been freed during the truce, mostly Thai nationals. Eight or nine Americans remain as hostages, according to&nbsp;White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-war-thai-workers-dd03c7a7d133eacacf314668b4dee493">Thais work in Israel</a>, largely as farm laborers.France said three of the hostages released Monday were French-Israeli dual citizens, two 12-year-olds and one 16-year-old. The French government is ‘’working tirelessly’’ to free five other French citizens held hostage, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.The Palestinian prisoners released so far have been mostly teenagers accused of throwing stones and firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces, or of less-serious offenses. But some were convicted in alleged attempts to carry out stabbings, bombings and shootings. Many Palestinians view&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-israel-prisons-arrests-west-bank-fc894c6f56318fb6fb2f080555b40b6f">prisoners held by Israel</a>, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation.The freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-hamas-war-israel-gaza-captivity-militants-612542191742082f330d55433c012a05">details of their captivity</a>&nbsp;have started to trickle out.Merav Raviv, whose three relatives were released Friday, said they had been fed irregularly and lost weight. One reported eating mainly bread and rice and sleeping on a makeshift bed of chairs pushed together. Hostages sometimes had to wait for hours to use the bathroom, she said.In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby welcomed the extension of the truce.“We would, of course, hope to see the pause extended further, and that will depend upon Hamas continuing to release hostages,” Kirby told reporters.RESPITE IN GAZAMore than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza</a>, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. More than 1,200 people have been killed on the Israeli side, mostly civilians killed in the initial attack. At least 77 soldiers have been killed in Israel’s ground offensive.The calm from the truce allowed glimpses of the destruction wreaked by weeks of Israeli bombardment that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">leveled entire neighborhoods</a>.Footage showed a complex of several dozen multistory residential buildings that had been pummeled into a landscape of wreckage in the northern town of Beit Hanoun. Nearly every building was destroyed or severely damaged, some reduced to concrete frames half-slumped over. At a nearby U.N. school, the buildings were intact but partially burned and riddled with holes.The Israeli assault has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">driven three-quarters of Gaza’s population</a>&nbsp;from their homes, and now most of its 2.3 million people are crowded into the south. More than 1 million are living in U.N. shelters. The Israeli military has barred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/northern-gaza-palestinians-israel-hamas-war-36109635f7bc90f403f0383d53a352e9">hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled south</a>&nbsp;from returning north.Rain and wind added to the hardship of displaced Palestinians sheltering in the compound of Al-Aqsa hospital in central Gaza. Palestinians in coats baked flatbreads over a makeshift fire among tents set up on the muddy grounds.Alaa Mansour said the conditions are simply horrendous.“My clothes are all wet, and I am unable to change them.” said Mansour, who is disabled. “I have not drunk water for two days, and there’s no bathroom to use.”The U.N. says the truce made it possible to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-truce-red-cross-crescent-14cd8cae0f6e064484167c66bbcecf8f">scale up the delivery</a>&nbsp;of food, water and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war. But the 160 to 200 trucks a day is still less than half what Gaza was importing before the fighting, even as humanitarian needs have soared.Long lines formed outside stations distributing cooking fuel, allowed in for the first time. Fuel for generators has been brought for key service providers, including hospitals and water and sanitation facilities, but bakeries have been unable to resume work, the U.N. said.Iyad Ghafary, a vendor in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, said many families were still unable to retrieve the dead from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-buried-rubble-airstrikes-89c0e8d0934d573d94d2fbfeba44d933">under the rubble</a>&nbsp;left by Israeli airstrikes, and that local authorities weren’t equipped to deal with the level of destruction.Many say the aid is not nearly enough.Amani Taha, a widow and mother of three who fled northern Gaza, said she had only managed to get one canned meal from a U.N. distribution center since the cease-fire began.She said the crowds have overwhelmed local markets and gas stations as people try to stock up on basics. “People were desperate and went out to buy whenever they could,” she said. “They are extremely worried that the war will return.”