<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/26/in-unusual-move-major-tax-bill-is-re-advanced-from-committee-after-concerns-raised/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — In an unusual move, a state legislative committee pulled back and then voted to re-advance a bill Tuesday calling for a hike in state sales taxes to facilitate a shift away from local property taxes.

Legislative Bill 388 — the major property tax relief proposal from Gov. Jim Pillen — was voted out of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee on Thursday.

But objections were raised saying the vote violated a legislative rule that requires an actual draft of an amendment or bill to be present before it could be voted out to the full Legislature for debate.

State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, who raised the objection, said that voting without having an actual draft of a bill or amendment available to a committee “is not a good way to adopt major tax policy.”

On Thursday, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who chairs the Revenue Committee, had laid out the concepts that the Governor’s Office had agreed to and told her fellow committee members that the Legislature’s bill drafters would craft an amendment this week containing those ideas in what’s been called a “make-it-so” amendment.

The Governor’s Office, in a memo distributed Tuesday, estimated that LB 388 would address a long-held gripe that the state doesn’t adequately contribute to K-12 education, thus leaving the burden of funding to local property taxes.

The Pillen administration projected that per-pupil state support of local schooling would rise from $4,925 in 2022 — when Nebraska ranked 46th in the country — to $11,181, which would place the state at No. 8.

Local property taxes would fall by “over 30%” when coupled with other recent property tax relief bills, according to the Governor’s Office, which is short of the 40% reduction&nbsp;Gov. Jim Pillen had sought.

The tradeoff would be an increase of up to 1-cent in the state sales tax, plus increased taxes on cigarettes, vaping products, skill games and cannabis edibles. Tax exemptions on several items would be eliminated, including soda pop and candy, storage facilities, dry cleaning, non-livestock veterinary services and some advertising.

Revenue Committee members voted 7-0 last week to advance the conceptual bill with one member, Lincoln Sen. George Dungan, absent (he later filed a “no” vote).

To fend off any rules challenges to LB 388, the committee pulled back the bill and the voted 7-1 to advance it, along with a 62-page amendment unveiled Tuesday.

The new amendment corrected some errors in the proposal that committee members said happened during the bill-drafting process.

LB 388 — which would shift funding of K-12 education onto state sales taxes to lower local property taxes — could come up for floor debate Wednesday, which is Day 51 of the 60-day session.

Some school groups, including the Omaha Public Schools, told the Examiner they are still digesting what’s in LB 388, which boosts per-pupil foundation aid to $3,000 from the current $1,500 and imposes a harder cap on spending increases by school districts.

Liz Standish, an associate superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools, said Tuesday it appears that the newest version of LB 388 addresses concerns about the new revenue cap being too restrictive.

“But it’s something we’ll be keeping a close eye on,” Standish said.

Dave Welsch, a school board member from Milford, said that while the bill has made “a good first step” on property tax relief, the boost in foundation aid doesn’t correct an inequity between school districts in property taxes.

The property tax levy in the Milford School District, Welsch said, is twice as high as the neighboring Centennial School District, which translates into much higher property taxes in Milford on property with identical valuations.

Welsch has been among rural school officials who have touted another solution, known as the “Nebraska Plan,” which would direct more property tax relief to school districts with the highest tax levies.

He said he did support the portion of the bill that would “front-load” tax credits offered for a portion of property tax payments. Lee Will, the governor’s budget chief, said large percentages of taxpayers&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/20/one-state-property-tax-credit-rises-slightly-in-2023-while-another-still-isnt-being-fully-claimed/">were not taking the tax credits</a>, which must be claimed on income tax filings.

LB 388 is expected to draw opposition from both ends of the political spectrum, with progressives in the Legislature opposing “regressive” higher taxes on low-income Nebraskans, and some conservative senators opposing an increase in taxes as not delivering “tax relief” but instead creating a tax shift.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711556196596.jpeg" alt="Earlier this year, Gov. Jim Pillen urged members of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee to “tune out the noise” and have the courage to pass his proposal to swap higher sales taxes for lower property taxes. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Earlier this year, Gov. Jim Pillen urged members of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee to “tune out the noise” and have the courage to pass his proposal to swap higher sales taxes for lower property taxes. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/26/in-unusual-move-major-tax-bill-is-re-advanced-from-committee-after-concerns-raised/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — In an unusual move, a state legislative committee pulled back and then voted to re-advance a bill Tuesday calling for a hike in state sales taxes to facilitate a shift away from local property taxes.Legislative Bill 388 — the major property tax relief proposal from Gov. Jim Pillen — was voted out of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee on Thursday.But objections were raised saying the vote violated a legislative rule that requires an actual draft of an amendment or bill to be present before it could be voted out to the full Legislature for debate.State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, who raised the objection, said that voting without having an actual draft of a bill or amendment available to a committee “is not a good way to adopt major tax policy.”On Thursday, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who chairs the Revenue Committee, had laid out the concepts that the Governor’s Office had agreed to and told her fellow committee members that the Legislature’s bill drafters would craft an amendment this week containing those ideas in what’s been called a “make-it-so” amendment.<h2>Bolstering K-12 funding</h2>The Governor’s Office, in a memo distributed Tuesday, estimated that LB 388 would address a long-held gripe that the state doesn’t adequately contribute to K-12 education, thus leaving the burden of funding to local property taxes.The Pillen administration projected that per-pupil state support of local schooling would rise from $4,925 in 2022 — when Nebraska ranked 46th in the country — to $11,181, which would place the state at No. 8.Local property taxes would fall by “over 30%” when coupled with other recent property tax relief bills, according to the Governor’s Office, which is short of the 40% reduction&nbsp;Gov. Jim Pillen had sought.The tradeoff would be an increase of up to 1-cent in the state sales tax, plus increased taxes on cigarettes, vaping products, skill games and cannabis edibles. Tax exemptions on several items would be eliminated, including soda pop and candy, storage facilities, dry cleaning, non-livestock veterinary services and some advertising.Revenue Committee members voted 7-0 last week to advance the conceptual bill with one member, Lincoln Sen. George Dungan, absent (he later filed a “no” vote).To fend off any rules challenges to LB 388, the committee pulled back the bill and the voted 7-1 to advance it, along with a 62-page amendment unveiled Tuesday.The new amendment corrected some errors in the proposal that committee members said happened during the bill-drafting process.LB 388 — which would shift funding of K-12 education onto state sales taxes to lower local property taxes — could come up for floor debate Wednesday, which is Day 51 of the 60-day session.Some school groups, including the Omaha Public Schools, told the Examiner they are still digesting what’s in LB 388, which boosts per-pupil foundation aid to $3,000 from the current $1,500 and imposes a harder cap on spending increases by school districts.Liz Standish, an associate superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools, said Tuesday it appears that the newest version of LB 388 addresses concerns about the new revenue cap being too restrictive.“But it’s something we’ll be keeping a close eye on,” Standish said.Dave Welsch, a school board member from Milford, said that while the bill has made “a good first step” on property tax relief, the boost in foundation aid doesn’t correct an inequity between school districts in property taxes.The property tax levy in the Milford School District, Welsch said, is twice as high as the neighboring Centennial School District, which translates into much higher property taxes in Milford on property with identical valuations.Welsch has been among rural school officials who have touted another solution, known as the “Nebraska Plan,” which would direct more property tax relief to school districts with the highest tax levies.He said he did support the portion of the bill that would “front-load” tax credits offered for a portion of property tax payments. Lee Will, the governor’s budget chief, said large percentages of taxpayers&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/20/one-state-property-tax-credit-rises-slightly-in-2023-while-another-still-isnt-being-fully-claimed/">were not taking the tax credits</a>, which must be claimed on income tax filings.LB 388 is expected to draw opposition from both ends of the political spectrum, with progressives in the Legislature opposing “regressive” higher taxes on low-income Nebraskans, and some conservative senators opposing an increase in taxes as not delivering “tax relief” but instead creating a tax shift.

In unusual move, major tax bill is re-advanced from committee after concerns raised

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/26/state-auditor-exposes-questionable-handling-by-dhhs-of-tens-of-millions-of-federal-dollars/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — More than $21 million in questionable spending of federal pandemic funds by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services was revealed in a newly released statewide audit.

The expenditures on such services as talent recruitment for nursing homes are considered suspect, State Auditor Mike Foley said Tuesday, because his team was unable to find adequate documentation that the money was distributed and used properly.

He noted that examples cited in the audit are “far from comprehensive” — and said pandemic-related dollars are just a part of ineffective oversight by DHHS, including its handling of Medicaid funds.&nbsp;

Overall, his team pointed to possibly tens of millions of misspent or unaccounted for federal dollars.

While disappointed by what he called a poor showing, Foley said he has faith in CEO Steve Corsi to implement corrective action on the audit findings.&nbsp;

“He inherited an agency with some major issues,” the state auditor said, calling Corsi a “no-nonsense” kind of person.

Corsi has reviewed the findings and, according to a statement, has reaffirmed his intention to correct internal safeguards on monitoring and using tax dollars.

“DHHS can and will resolve these issues,” said Corsi. “We will do the work and make the changes necessary to ensure tax dollars are spent both wisely and appropriately.”

The annual<a target="_blank" href="https://auditors.nebraska.gov/APA_Reports/2024/SA200-03202024-July_1_2022_through_June_30_2023_Statewide_Single_Report.pdf">&nbsp;statewide single audit</a>&nbsp;report of more than 250 pages examined all state agencies through last June, but Foley said he focused on DHHS for now because of its size and lion’s share of federal funding.

He found the latest audit more concerning overall than in past years in part because it reflected a large infusion of federal pandemic dollars. Much of that money was “not spent wisely, it was spent fast,” Foley said.

The audit followed a management letter that Foley released a month ago on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/28/ne-auditor-flagrant-abuses-up-to-1-5m-in-questionable-billings-suspected-in-dhhs-program/">“longstanding fraud and abuse”</a>&nbsp;in the DHHS-administered “personal assistance services” program, which is funded by Medicaid.

That letter was a prelude to the full audit, Foley said. He said Corsi has started to address the longstanding problems in the personal assistance services program.

But Foley said the full audit report exposed “further examples of mishandling, including lack of proper oversight, of federal funds by DHHS.”

The auditing team noted as “particularly disturbing” the “apparent inability” of two DHHS investigatory programs to adequately safeguard Medicaid funds.

Auditors tested 20 cases in the Program Integrity division, which investigates cases of potential Medicaid fraud, and six cases in the Special Investigations Unit, which pursues allegations of recipient fraud.

That testing found five cases of suspected wrongdoing that had not been brought to satisfactory resolution.

Foley’s statement said that “whether the result of human error or ineptness,” the examples cited by his team were not all-encompassing. “Nevertheless, they account for tens of millions of possibly misspent or unaccounted for federal dollars.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711545729812.png" alt="State Auditor Mike Foley (Courtesy of Nebraska State Auditor’s Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Auditor Mike Foley (Courtesy of Nebraska State Auditor’s Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/26/state-auditor-exposes-questionable-handling-by-dhhs-of-tens-of-millions-of-federal-dollars/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — More than $21 million in questionable spending of federal pandemic funds by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services was revealed in a newly released statewide audit.The expenditures on such services as talent recruitment for nursing homes are considered suspect, State Auditor Mike Foley said Tuesday, because his team was unable to find adequate documentation that the money was distributed and used properly.He noted that examples cited in the audit are “far from comprehensive” — and said pandemic-related dollars are just a part of ineffective oversight by DHHS, including its handling of Medicaid funds.&nbsp;Overall, his team pointed to possibly tens of millions of misspent or unaccounted for federal dollars.<h2>DHHS pledges attention</h2>While disappointed by what he called a poor showing, Foley said he has faith in CEO Steve Corsi to implement corrective action on the audit findings.&nbsp;“He inherited an agency with some major issues,” the state auditor said, calling Corsi a “no-nonsense” kind of person.Corsi has reviewed the findings and, according to a statement, has reaffirmed his intention to correct internal safeguards on monitoring and using tax dollars.“DHHS can and will resolve these issues,” said Corsi. “We will do the work and make the changes necessary to ensure tax dollars are spent both wisely and appropriately.”The annual<a target="_blank" href="https://auditors.nebraska.gov/APA_Reports/2024/SA200-03202024-July_1_2022_through_June_30_2023_Statewide_Single_Report.pdf">&nbsp;statewide single audit</a>&nbsp;report of more than 250 pages examined all state agencies through last June, but Foley said he focused on DHHS for now because of its size and lion’s share of federal funding.He found the latest audit more concerning overall than in past years in part because it reflected a large infusion of federal pandemic dollars. Much of that money was “not spent wisely, it was spent fast,” Foley said.<h2>‘Longstanding fraud and abuse’</h2>The audit followed a management letter that Foley released a month ago on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/28/ne-auditor-flagrant-abuses-up-to-1-5m-in-questionable-billings-suspected-in-dhhs-program/">“longstanding fraud and abuse”</a>&nbsp;in the DHHS-administered “personal assistance services” program, which is funded by Medicaid.That letter was a prelude to the full audit, Foley said. He said Corsi has started to address the longstanding problems in the personal assistance services program.But Foley said the full audit report exposed “further examples of mishandling, including lack of proper oversight, of federal funds by DHHS.”The auditing team noted as “particularly disturbing” the “apparent inability” of two DHHS investigatory programs to adequately safeguard Medicaid funds.Auditors tested 20 cases in the Program Integrity division, which investigates cases of potential Medicaid fraud, and six cases in the Special Investigations Unit, which pursues allegations of recipient fraud.That testing found five cases of suspected wrongdoing that had not been brought to satisfactory resolution.Foley’s statement said that “whether the result of human error or ineptness,” the examples cited by his team were not all-encompassing. “Nevertheless, they account for tens of millions of possibly misspent or unaccounted for federal dollars.”<h2>Examples cited by auditors</h2>Among the audit findings:<ul>
 <li>“Known questioned costs” of $21,410,994 are due to the “inability” of DHHS to properly document spending of federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF). Those monies, the auditing team said, were allocated by the Nebraska Legislature for employee retention and recruitment by nursing and assisted-living facilities and providers of developmental disability services. However, they were reportedly disbursed without subsequent verification that recipients used the funds as they were supposed to.&nbsp;</li><li>DHHS reported having paid $5,000 in the coronavirus funds for allegedly fraudulent nursing scholarship applications submitted by a person who claimed falsely to be enrolled in a nursing program.</li><li>Another $1.9 million in “known questioned costs” was noted because of DHHS’ “ineffective control procedures” when disbursing federal child care and development block grant funds. The federal regulations required those dollars to be obligated by Sept. 30, 2022; however, auditors noted that DHHS was spending them as late as June 28, 2023.</li><li>Furthermore, $32,000 in the federal child care and development block grant monies were designated as questioned costs because DHHS did not ensure that recipients met criteria for increased awards. An example, the auditors said, was that one recipient received an additional $5,000 in student loan reduction for having a master’s degree, but it was learned she had yet to complete her schooling. “Even worse, she had not completed a class since 2012,” the auditors said. Because the questioned costs were based upon a sample, the potential dollars at risk were estimated to be $5,293,516.</li><li>DHHS reportedly spent $163,622 in federal child care development funds in violation of federal and state requirements. The auditors noted a lack of support for disbursements, duplicate claims and payments surpassing amounts authorized. One example that was said to be “unreasonable” included billed hours when school-age children should have been in school. Another provider billed 240 hours of overtime in one month, but no documentation could be found to support that amount. “Shockingly, previous audits of DHHS have produced similar findings for the past 17 years,” the auditor team said.</li><li>A sample testing of 25 long-term care facility payments revealed the “known misuse” of $20,153 in Medicaid funds by DHHS. Errors were attributed mostly to DHHS not property verifying recipient income and resources to ensure eligibility. In one example, a recipient sold a home for $144,000, but DHHS did not confirm the proceeds when determining eligibility. Based on the sample tested, the auditors put the potential dollars at risk at an estimated $31,763,196.</li>
 </ul>

State auditor exposes questionable handling by DHHS of tens of millions of federal dollars

The Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is piloting a new diagnostic tool that could dramatically cut waitlists for an autism diagnosis.

Alice Shillingsburg, PhD, director of the integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at MMI, has been a site investigator for the new technology -- EarliPoint™ Evaluation for Autism – since last year. MMI is one of a handful of sites involved in research that is testing its efficacy among older children. It is the first in Nebraska using the device clinically.

The device first received FDA approval for use with children ages 16-30 months in 2023, and MMI now is using it as part of some autism diagnosis procedures.

Dr. Shillingsburg and her co-investigator at MMI, Patricia Zemantic, PhD, program director of the Autism Diagnostic Clinic, describe the device as a game-changer.

“For many children, we will be able to use this device to confirm the presence of autism, when combined with clinical judgment and developmental history,” Dr. Zemantic said. “In cases where we might be uncertain, we can prioritize additional testing and assessments. But if we only do these more complicated, complex evaluations on a smaller number of patients, we're going to be able to see more patients more quickly.”

Dr. Shillingsburg estimates that hundreds of families in Nebraska are on waiting lists for autism diagnoses.

The device is a tablet that shows short videos. Research has shown that children 16 to 30 months old on the autism spectrum concentrate more on different areas of the video – objects instead of faces, for example – than their neurotypically developing peers. The device tracks eye movement 120 times per second and has shown a high degree of accuracy in identifying children on the autism spectrum.

“The research piece is still ongoing, specifically studies to validate the use of the device in older kids,” Dr. Zemantic said. “But since the clinical device has already been FDA approved for children between the ages of 16 and 30 months, we’ve begun clinical use with the device.

“This is a total game changer in terms of being able to help people access diagnoses quickly and efficiently,” she said. “And hopefully, we find out this device is effective for older children as well.”

MMI is one of a handful of sites taking part in the ongoing research, which explores the device’s efficacy with children ages 31-84 months.

The device, which the company said has an accuracy rating of about 80%, will not be considered the final word on a diagnosis, Dr. Zemantic said. It will be used in conjunction with other accepted diagnostic tools.

“The video evaluation takes 20 or so minutes,” she said. “We do additional observation, including tests such as the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, to ensure diagnostic accuracy. But we estimate appointments using the device will be about an hour and 15 minutes long overall. Currently, they take about four hours.”

The huge time savings will help bring down waitlists not only in Nebraska but across the country, Dr. Shillingsburg said.

The portability of the tablet-sized device also will help MMI and other providers reach underserved areas. Clinics with trained therapists could be held across the state.

“Diagnoses open the door to intervention,” Dr. Shillingsburg said. “We know that early intervention is key to best-case trajectory and development. Nationwide, the average age of diagnosis is 4 or 5 years old, and ‘early’ intervention isn't applicable at that age. You can see what this means for hundreds of thousands of families in terms of getting an early diagnosis and then accessing care.”

MMI currently has two devices for clinical use. Clinicians&nbsp;will be using the device in a toddler clinic starting in April 2024, and plan to increase toddler appointment slots early in summer 2024. Interested families should start by getting on the Autism Diagnostic Center’s waitlist for an autism evaluation by contacting the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/mmi/services/resources/appointments.html" target="_blank">MMI patient information office</a>.

John Reviere, vice president of clinical affairs, EarliTec Diagnostics, Inc., said the company was&nbsp;“thrilled” to partner with MMI on clinical implementation of EarliPoint™️ to accelerate early and efficient diagnosis of autism in young toddlers. &nbsp;

“MMI's innovative philosophy lends itself to using technology to provide an objective assessment that increases the clinician's confidence in making a consequential diagnosis,” Reviere said. “Beyond clinical use, MMI is also a research partner, as one of only 15 centers across the United States participating in the MEASURE-ASD research program. The center’s extensive experience in diagnosing and treating children with autism, combined with its world-class facilities, makes MMI and ideal site for this important research.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711547419596.jpeg" alt="EarliPoint™ Evaluation for Autism tracks eye movement 120 times per second and has shown a high degree of accuracy in identifying children on the autism spectrum. Photo courtesy EarliTec Diagnostics, Inc." />
 <figcaption>EarliPoint™ Evaluation for Autism tracks eye movement 120 times per second and has shown a high degree of accuracy in identifying children on the autism spectrum. Photo courtesy EarliTec Diagnostics, Inc.</figcaption>
 </figure>UNMCThe Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is piloting a new diagnostic tool that could dramatically cut waitlists for an autism diagnosis.Alice Shillingsburg, PhD, director of the integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at MMI, has been a site investigator for the new technology -- EarliPoint™ Evaluation for Autism – since last year. MMI is one of a handful of sites involved in research that is testing its efficacy among older children. It is the first in Nebraska using the device clinically.The device first received FDA approval for use with children ages 16-30 months in 2023, and MMI now is using it as part of some autism diagnosis procedures.Dr. Shillingsburg and her co-investigator at MMI, Patricia Zemantic, PhD, program director of the Autism Diagnostic Clinic, describe the device as a game-changer.“For many children, we will be able to use this device to confirm the presence of autism, when combined with clinical judgment and developmental history,” Dr. Zemantic said. “In cases where we might be uncertain, we can prioritize additional testing and assessments. But if we only do these more complicated, complex evaluations on a smaller number of patients, we're going to be able to see more patients more quickly.”Dr. Shillingsburg estimates that hundreds of families in Nebraska are on waiting lists for autism diagnoses.The device is a tablet that shows short videos. Research has shown that children 16 to 30 months old on the autism spectrum concentrate more on different areas of the video – objects instead of faces, for example – than their neurotypically developing peers. The device tracks eye movement 120 times per second and has shown a high degree of accuracy in identifying children on the autism spectrum.“The research piece is still ongoing, specifically studies to validate the use of the device in older kids,” Dr. Zemantic said. “But since the clinical device has already been FDA approved for children between the ages of 16 and 30 months, we’ve begun clinical use with the device.“This is a total game changer in terms of being able to help people access diagnoses quickly and efficiently,” she said. “And hopefully, we find out this device is effective for older children as well.”MMI is one of a handful of sites taking part in the ongoing research, which explores the device’s efficacy with children ages 31-84 months.The device, which the company said has an accuracy rating of about 80%, will not be considered the final word on a diagnosis, Dr. Zemantic said. It will be used in conjunction with other accepted diagnostic tools.“The video evaluation takes 20 or so minutes,” she said. “We do additional observation, including tests such as the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, to ensure diagnostic accuracy. But we estimate appointments using the device will be about an hour and 15 minutes long overall. Currently, they take about four hours.”The huge time savings will help bring down waitlists not only in Nebraska but across the country, Dr. Shillingsburg said.The portability of the tablet-sized device also will help MMI and other providers reach underserved areas. Clinics with trained therapists could be held across the state.“Diagnoses open the door to intervention,” Dr. Shillingsburg said. “We know that early intervention is key to best-case trajectory and development. Nationwide, the average age of diagnosis is 4 or 5 years old, and ‘early’ intervention isn't applicable at that age. You can see what this means for hundreds of thousands of families in terms of getting an early diagnosis and then accessing care.”MMI currently has two devices for clinical use. Clinicians&nbsp;will be using the device in a toddler clinic starting in April 2024, and plan to increase toddler appointment slots early in summer 2024. Interested families should start by getting on the Autism Diagnostic Center’s waitlist for an autism evaluation by contacting the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/mmi/services/resources/appointments.html" target="_blank">MMI patient information office</a>.John Reviere, vice president of clinical affairs, EarliTec Diagnostics, Inc., said the company was&nbsp;“thrilled” to partner with MMI on clinical implementation of EarliPoint™️ to accelerate early and efficient diagnosis of autism in young toddlers. &nbsp;“MMI's innovative philosophy lends itself to using technology to provide an objective assessment that increases the clinician's confidence in making a consequential diagnosis,” Reviere said. “Beyond clinical use, MMI is also a research partner, as one of only 15 centers across the United States participating in the MEASURE-ASD research program. The center’s extensive experience in diagnosing and treating children with autism, combined with its world-class facilities, makes MMI and ideal site for this important research.”

 UNMC’s Munroe-Meyer Institute pilots new autism diagnostic tool

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal March 22 crash in Kansas City, Kansas have identified the victims as 59-year-old Jay M. Franklin of Overland Park, Kansas and&nbsp; 59-year-old Rodney Chmidling of Kansas City, Missouri.

According to Kansas City, Kansas police, just after 6:30p.m. Friday, two vehicles were involved in the crash in the 1000 Block of Southwest Boulevard.&nbsp; Franklin and Chmidling were pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported two other men to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The accident remains under investigation. Police reported no additional details.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal March 22 crash in Kansas City, Kansas have identified the victims as 59-year-old Jay M. Franklin of Overland Park, Kansas and&nbsp; 59-year-old Rodney Chmidling of Kansas City, Missouri.According to Kansas City, Kansas police, just after 6:30p.m. Friday, two vehicles were involved in the crash in the 1000 Block of Southwest Boulevard.&nbsp; Franklin and Chmidling were pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported two other men to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.The accident remains under investigation. Police reported no additional details.

Police ID two men who died after 2-vehicle Kansas crash

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is now <a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">selling Bibles</a> as he runs to return to the White House.

Trump, who became the presumptive Republican nominee earlier this month, released a video on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday urging his supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible,” which is inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad. Trump takes the stage to the song at each of his rallies and has appeared with Greenwood at events.

“Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless the USA Bible,” Trump wrote, directing his supporters<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/"> to a website</a> selling the book for $59.99.

The effort comes as Trump has faced a serious money crunch amid mounting legal bills while he fights four criminal indictments along with a series of civil charges. Trump was given a reprieve Monday when a New York appeals court agreed to hold off on collecting the more than $454 million he owes following a civil fraud judgment if he puts up $175 million within 10 days. Trump has already posted a $92 million bond in connection with defamation cases brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual assault.

“All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book,” Trump said in the video posted on Truth Social. “I’m proud to endorse and encourage you to get this Bible. We must make America pray again.”

Billing itself as “the only Bible endorsed by President Trump!” the new venture’s website calls it “Easy-to-read” with “large print” and a “slim design” that “invites you to explore God’s Word anywhere, any time.”

Besides a King James Version translation, it includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as a handwritten chorus of the famous Greenwood song.

The Bible is just the latest commercial venture that Trump has pursued while campaigning.

Last month, he debuted a new line of Trump-branded sneakers, including $399 gold “Never Surrender High-Tops,” at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia. The venture behind the shoes, 45Footwear, also sells other Trump-branded footwear, cologne and perfume.

Trump has also dabbled in NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, and last year reported earning between $100,000 and $1 million from a series of digital trading cards that portrayed him in cartoon-like images, including as an astronaut, a cowboy and a superhero.

He has also released books featuring photos of his time in office and letters written to him through the years.

<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">The Bible’s website</a> states the product “is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign.”

“<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">GodBlessTheUSABible.com</a> is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates,” it says.

Instead, it says, “<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">GodBlessTheUSABible.com</a> uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”

CIC Ventures LLC, a company that Trump reported owning in his 2023 financial disclosure, has a similar arrangement with 45Footwear, which also says it uses Trump’s “name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”

A Trump spokesperson and God Bless the USA Bible did not immediately respond to questions about how much Trump was paid for the licensing deal or stands to make from each book sale.

Trump remains deeply popular with white evangelical Christians, who are among his most ardent supporters, even though the thrice-married former reality TV star has a long history of behavior that often seemed at odds with teachings espoused by Christ in the Gospels.

When he was running in 2016, Trump raised eyebrows when he cited “Two Corinthians” at Liberty University, instead of the standard “Second Corinthians.”

When asked to share his favorite Bible verse in an interview with Bloomberg Politics in 2015, he demurred.

“I wouldn’t want to get into it. Because to me, that’s very personal,” he said. “The Bible means a lot to me, but I don’t want to get into specifics.”

When he was president, law enforcement officers aggressively removed racial justice protesters from a park near the White House, allowing Trump to walk to nearby St. John’s Church, where he stood alone and raised a Bible. The scene was condemned at the time by the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

Before he ran for office, Trump famously hawked everything from frozen steaks to vodka to a venture named Trump University, which was later sued for fraud.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711546280758.png" alt="Image from the&nbsp;<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">GodBlessTheUSABible.com</a>&nbsp;web site" />
 <figcaption>Image from the&nbsp;<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">GodBlessTheUSABible.com</a>&nbsp;web site</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is now <a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">selling Bibles</a> as he runs to return to the White House.Trump, who became the presumptive Republican nominee earlier this month, released a video on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday urging his supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible,” which is inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad. Trump takes the stage to the song at each of his rallies and has appeared with Greenwood at events.“Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless the USA Bible,” Trump wrote, directing his supporters<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/"> to a website</a> selling the book for $59.99.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591061208159.png" alt="FILE – President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John’s Church across Lafayette Park from the White House, June 1, 2020, (File)Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>FILE – President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John’s Church across Lafayette Park from the White House, June 1, 2020, (File)Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The effort comes as Trump has faced a serious money crunch amid mounting legal bills while he fights four criminal indictments along with a series of civil charges. Trump was given a reprieve Monday when a New York appeals court agreed to hold off on collecting the more than $454 million he owes following a civil fraud judgment if he puts up $175 million within 10 days. Trump has already posted a $92 million bond in connection with defamation cases brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual assault.“All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book,” Trump said in the video posted on Truth Social. “I’m proud to endorse and encourage you to get this Bible. We must make America pray again.”Billing itself as “the only Bible endorsed by President Trump!” the new venture’s website calls it “Easy-to-read” with “large print” and a “slim design” that “invites you to explore God’s Word anywhere, any time.”Besides a King James Version translation, it includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as a handwritten chorus of the famous Greenwood song.The Bible is just the latest commercial venture that Trump has pursued while campaigning.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708263707417.png" alt="Photo by Margo Martin, Donald Trump for President Deputy Director of Communications" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Margo Martin, Donald Trump for President Deputy Director of Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>Last month, he debuted a new line of Trump-branded sneakers, including $399 gold “Never Surrender High-Tops,” at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia. The venture behind the shoes, 45Footwear, also sells other Trump-branded footwear, cologne and perfume.Trump has also dabbled in NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, and last year reported earning between $100,000 and $1 million from a series of digital trading cards that portrayed him in cartoon-like images, including as an astronaut, a cowboy and a superhero.He has also released books featuring photos of his time in office and letters written to him through the years.<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">The Bible’s website</a> states the product “is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign.”“<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">GodBlessTheUSABible.com</a> is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates,” it says.Instead, it says, “<a href="https://godblesstheusabible.com/">GodBlessTheUSABible.com</a> uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”CIC Ventures LLC, a company that Trump reported owning in his 2023 financial disclosure, has a similar arrangement with 45Footwear, which also says it uses Trump’s “name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”A Trump spokesperson and God Bless the USA Bible did not immediately respond to questions about how much Trump was paid for the licensing deal or stands to make from each book sale.Trump remains deeply popular with white evangelical Christians, who are among his most ardent supporters, even though the thrice-married former reality TV star has a long history of behavior that often seemed at odds with teachings espoused by Christ in the Gospels.When he was running in 2016, Trump raised eyebrows when he cited “Two Corinthians” at Liberty University, instead of the standard “Second Corinthians.”When asked to share his favorite Bible verse in an interview with Bloomberg Politics in 2015, he demurred.“I wouldn’t want to get into it. Because to me, that’s very personal,” he said. “The Bible means a lot to me, but I don’t want to get into specifics.”When he was president, law enforcement officers aggressively removed racial justice protesters from a park near the White House, allowing Trump to walk to nearby St. John’s Church, where he stood alone and raised a Bible. The scene was condemned at the time by the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.Before he ran for office, Trump famously hawked everything from frozen steaks to vodka to a venture named Trump University, which was later sued for fraud.

Make America pray again: Trump is now selling Bibles

NEPTUNE, N.J. (AP) — Someone in New Jersey overcame the odds Tuesday night and won the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot, breaking a winless streak that dated to last December.

The numbers drawn were: 7, 11, 22, 29, 38 and the gold Mega Ball 4. State lottery officials said the winning ticket was sold at ShopRite Wines &amp; Spirits of Neptune, which is located on the Jersey Shore.

Until the latest drawing, no one had matched all six numbers and won the Mega Millions jackpot since Dec. 8. That amounted to 30 straight drawings without a big winner.

It’s tough to win the Mega Millions jackpot because the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-mega-millions-winning-odds-numbers-a3e5a8e8e7ed15d7500c1d6acdab6785">odds are so long</a>, at 1 in 302.6 million.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpots-mega-millions-powerball-80fcb836622ba8e18883ce778786c1cc">prize is the 8th largest</a>&nbsp;in U.S. lottery history.

The $1.13 billion jackpot is for a winner who is paid through an annuity, with an initial payment and then 29 annual payments. Most winners choose a cash payout, which would be $537.5 million.

The next big U.S. lottery drawing will be Wednesday night for an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-drawing-lottery-7d0721b7df0fe62e725d564bc1354aca">$865 million Powerball jackpot</a>. No one has won that prize since New Year’s Day, making for 36 drawings without a winner.

NEPTUNE, N.J. (AP) — Someone in New Jersey overcame the odds Tuesday night and won the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot, breaking a winless streak that dated to last December.The numbers drawn were: 7, 11, 22, 29, 38 and the gold Mega Ball 4. State lottery officials said the winning ticket was sold at ShopRite Wines &amp; Spirits of Neptune, which is located on the Jersey Shore.Until the latest drawing, no one had matched all six numbers and won the Mega Millions jackpot since Dec. 8. That amounted to 30 straight drawings without a big winner.It’s tough to win the Mega Millions jackpot because the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-mega-millions-winning-odds-numbers-a3e5a8e8e7ed15d7500c1d6acdab6785">odds are so long</a>, at 1 in 302.6 million.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpots-mega-millions-powerball-80fcb836622ba8e18883ce778786c1cc">prize is the 8th largest</a>&nbsp;in U.S. lottery history.The $1.13 billion jackpot is for a winner who is paid through an annuity, with an initial payment and then 29 annual payments. Most winners choose a cash payout, which would be $537.5 million.The next big U.S. lottery drawing will be Wednesday night for an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-drawing-lottery-7d0721b7df0fe62e725d564bc1354aca">$865 million Powerball jackpot</a>. No one has won that prize since New Year’s Day, making for 36 drawings without a winner.

Winless streak over: Single ticket takes $1.12 billion Mega Millions jackpot

BALTIMORE (AP) —&nbsp;The head of a supply chain management company says Americans should expect shortages of goods as the Baltimore bridge collapse affects ocean container shipping and East Coast trucking logistics.

“It’s not just the port of Baltimore that’s going to be impacted,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport.

Petersen says attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea connecting Asia with Europe and the United States have forced traffic away from the Suez Canal and around the tip of Africa. At the same time, there’s been increased congestion in the Panama Canal. Petersen says U.S. importers are increasingly shifting to West Coast ports which in turn may have their own back-ups.

“You get this vicious feedback loop,” he said.

Petersen was working with his team Tuesday to reroute about 800 shipping containers currently making their way to Baltimore’s port.

“It’s a scramble because each of those containers has now a new journey to clear customs, you’ve got to get a different truck to pick it up at a different port, it creates a whole lot of downstream work,” he said.

A cargo ship lost power and rammed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711474552130.png" alt="Photo courtesy WTTG TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WTTG TV</figcaption>
 </figure>BALTIMORE (AP) —&nbsp;The head of a supply chain management company says Americans should expect shortages of goods as the Baltimore bridge collapse affects ocean container shipping and East Coast trucking logistics.“It’s not just the port of Baltimore that’s going to be impacted,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport.Petersen says attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea connecting Asia with Europe and the United States have forced traffic away from the Suez Canal and around the tip of Africa. At the same time, there’s been increased congestion in the Panama Canal. Petersen says U.S. importers are increasingly shifting to West Coast ports which in turn may have their own back-ups.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Volunteer Firefighters from <a href="https://twitter.com/jmvfc8?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jmvfc8</a>, the Volunteer Swift Water Team and the <a href="https://twitter.com/HarfordCoDES?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarfordCoDES</a> Special Operations Team are assisting the Unified Command at the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. <a href="https://t.co/ipoTR2HljY">pic.twitter.com/ipoTR2HljY</a>&mdash; Harford Co., MD Fire &amp; EMS (@HarforCoFireEMS) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarforCoFireEMS/status/1772531201904873564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“You get this vicious feedback loop,” he said.Petersen was working with his team Tuesday to reroute about 800 shipping containers currently making their way to Baltimore’s port.“It’s a scramble because each of those containers has now a new journey to clear customs, you’ve got to get a different truck to pick it up at a different port, it creates a whole lot of downstream work,” he said.A cargo ship lost power and rammed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river.

Supply chain manager: Expect shortages after ship crash that collapsed bridge

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday seemed likely to preserve access to a medication that was used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-supreme-court-27d18f91242eb08c4d805880ddb5bb60">nearly two-thirds of all abortions</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. last year, in the court’s first abortion case since conservative justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;two years ago.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/23-235">Click here to listen to</a> a replay of the oral arguments

In nearly 90 minutes of arguments, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-arguments-highlights-7fe897ec4f5b3121dc73d5b74b5a0d6d">consensus appeared to emerge</a>&nbsp;that the abortion opponents who challenged the FDA's approval of the medication, mifepristone, and subsequent actions to ease access to it, lack the legal right or standing to sue.

Such a decision would leave in place the current rules that allow patients to receive the drug through the mail, without any need for an in-person visit with a doctor, and to take the medication to induce an abortion through 10 weeks of pregnancy. Should the court take the no-standing route, it would avoid the more politically sensitive aspects of the case.

The high court’s return to the abortion thicket is taking place in a political and regulatory landscape that was reshaped by its abortion decision in 2022 that led many Republican-led states to ban or severely restrict abortion.

Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, said the court should dismiss the case and make clear that anti-abortion doctors and organizations don’t “come within 100 miles” of having standing.

Even three justices who were in the majority to overturn Roe posed skeptical questions about standing to the lawyer for the abortion opponents. Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh are former President Donald Trump’s three Supreme Court appointees.

Barrett, for example, seemed to doubt that two doctors identified by lawyer Erin Hawley could show that they were actually harmed by the FDA's actions, one of the requirements for showing standing.

“I think the difficulty here is that, at least to me, these affidavits do read more like the conscience objection is strictly to actually participating in the abortion to end the life of the embryo or fetus. And I don’t read either ... to say that they ever participated in that,” Barrett said.

Kavanaugh had only one question during the entire session and it too seemed to be focused on the technical issue of standing. He asked Prelogar to confirm that “under federal law, no doctors can be forced against their consciences to perform or assist in an abortion.”

Abortion opponents are asking the justices to ratify&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-restrictions-appeals-court-402be732d162af449c40ed1315cfb851">a ruling</a>&nbsp;from a conservative federal appeals court that would limit access to mifepristone, one of two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">drugs used in medication abortions</a>.

That ruling had immediate political consequences, and the outcome in the current case, expected by early summer, could affect races for Congress and the White House.

Another abortion case already is on the docket. Next month, the justices will hear arguments over whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-medical-emergencies-idaho-8ca89d7de0c1fa9256dcd27d1847e144">a federal law on emergency treatment</a>&nbsp;at hospitals must include abortions, even in states that have otherwise banned them.

The scene outside the Supreme Court was lively Tuesday morning, with demonstrators occupying the streets surrounding the court and groups on both sides of the issue marching and chanting. The police blocked traffic surrounding the court as well.

The practical consequences of a ruling for abortion opponents would be dramatic, including possibly halting the delivery of mifepristone through the mail and at large pharmacy chains, and ending increasingly popular telehealth visits at which the drug can be prescribed.

President Joe Biden's administration and drug manufacturers warn that such an outcome also could undermine the FDA's drug approval process more widely by inviting judges to second-guess the agency's scientific judgments. The Democratic administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, which makes mifepristone, say that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-abortion-pill-supreme-court-1d2221251197a391c9bca833918e4554">drug is among the safest</a>&nbsp;the FDA has ever approved.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Biden appointee who joined the court just after the last abortion case, signaled her agreement with some of those arguments when she asked Jessica Ellsworth, Danco's lawyer, whether she has concerns “about judges parsing medical and scientific studies.”

The abortion opponents argue that the FDA's decisions in 2016 and 2021 to relax restrictions on getting the drug were unreasonable and, as Hawley wrote in her clients' main legal brief, “jeopardize women's health across the nation.” She argued Tuesday that she was asking the court to affirm a ruling that “merely restored longstanding and crucial protections under which millions of women used abortion drugs.” Her husband, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and one of their children were in the courtroom to watch her first arguments.

The mifepristone case began five months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Abortion opponents initially won a sweeping ruling nearly a year ago from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk</a>, a Trump nominee in Texas, which would have revoked the drug’s approval entirely. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals left intact the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone. But it would reverse changes regulators made in 2016 and 2021 that eased some conditions for administering the drug.

The Supreme Court put the appeals court’s modified ruling on hold, then agreed to hear the case, though Justices Samuel Alito, the author of the decision overturning Roe, and Clarence Thomas would have allowed some restrictions to take effect while the case proceeded.

In arguments highly focused on technical legal issues, Alito and Thomas asked some of the few questions Tuesday on the substance of the case, including about sending mifepristone through the mail.

They referred to the Comstock Act, a rarely used, 151-year-old criminal law that has been revived by anti-abortion advocates seeking to block the delivery of mifepristone through the U.S. mail. Addressing Ellsworth, Thomas said the law is “fairly broad, and it specifically covers drugs such as yours.”

Even if the court doesn't address the Comstock Act in its ruling, some abortion rights advocates fear that a future administration that favors abortion restrictions could invoke the law to roll back access to mifepristone.

More than 6 million people have used mifepristone since 2000. It is one of two drugs used in medication abortions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">Mifepristone</a>&nbsp;blocks the hormone progesterone, and also primes the uterus to respond to the contraction-causing effect of another drug, misoprostol.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation">The two-drug regimen</a>&nbsp;is used to end a pregnancy through 10 weeks gestation.

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

Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is hearing arguments Tuesday in its first abortion case since conservative justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned the constitutional right to an abortion</a>&nbsp;two years ago. At stake is ease of access to a medication that was used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-supreme-court-27d18f91242eb08c4d805880ddb5bb60">nearly two-thirds of all abortions</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. last year.

Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay of the oral arguments

The high court's return to the abortion thicket is taking place in a political and regulatory landscape that was reshaped by the abortion decision in 2022 that led many Republican-led states to ban or severely restrict abortion.

That ruling had immediate political consequences, and the outcome in the new case, expected by early summer, could affect races for Congress and the White House.

The practical consequences of a ruling for abortion opponents would be dramatic, possibly halting the delivery of mifepristone through the mail and at large pharmacy chains, reducing the period in pregnancy when it can be used from 10 to seven weeks and ending increasingly popular telehealth visits at which the drug can be prescribed.

President Joe Biden's administration and drug manufacturers warn that such an outcome also could undermine the FDA's drug approval process more widely by inviting judges to second-guess the agency's scientific judgments.

Anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations argue that the FDA's decisions in 2016 and 2021 to relax restrictions on getting the drug were unreasonable and “jeopardize women's health across the nation.” The Democratic administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, which makes mifepristone, respond that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-abortion-pill-supreme-court-1d2221251197a391c9bca833918e4554">drug is among the safest</a>&nbsp;the FDA has ever approved.

In one possible resolution, the justices could avoid touching on the more politically sensitive aspects of the case while preserving access to mifepristone. The administration and Danco argue that the challengers lack the legal right, or standing, to sue. If the high court agrees, it would essentially dismiss the case and erase the appellate ruling.

Mifepristone is one of two drugs, along with misoprostol, used in medication abortions. Their numbers have been rising for years. More than 6 million people have used mifepristone since 2000.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">Mifepristone</a>&nbsp;is taken first to dilate the cervix and block the hormone progesterone, which is needed to sustain a pregnancy. Misoprostol is taken 24 to 48 hours later, causing the uterus to contract and expel pregnancy tissue.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="Photo AP" />
 <figcaption>Photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday seemed likely to preserve access to a medication that was used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-supreme-court-27d18f91242eb08c4d805880ddb5bb60">nearly two-thirds of all abortions</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. last year, in the court’s first abortion case since conservative justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;two years ago.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/23-235">Click here to listen to</a> a replay of the oral argumentsIn nearly 90 minutes of arguments, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-arguments-highlights-7fe897ec4f5b3121dc73d5b74b5a0d6d">consensus appeared to emerge</a>&nbsp;that the abortion opponents who challenged the FDA's approval of the medication, mifepristone, and subsequent actions to ease access to it, lack the legal right or standing to sue.Such a decision would leave in place the current rules that allow patients to receive the drug through the mail, without any need for an in-person visit with a doctor, and to take the medication to induce an abortion through 10 weeks of pregnancy. Should the court take the no-standing route, it would avoid the more politically sensitive aspects of the case.The high court’s return to the abortion thicket is taking place in a political and regulatory landscape that was reshaped by its abortion decision in 2022 that led many Republican-led states to ban or severely restrict abortion.Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, said the court should dismiss the case and make clear that anti-abortion doctors and organizations don’t “come within 100 miles” of having standing.Even three justices who were in the majority to overturn Roe posed skeptical questions about standing to the lawyer for the abortion opponents. Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh are former President Donald Trump’s three Supreme Court appointees.Barrett, for example, seemed to doubt that two doctors identified by lawyer Erin Hawley could show that they were actually harmed by the FDA's actions, one of the requirements for showing standing.“I think the difficulty here is that, at least to me, these affidavits do read more like the conscience objection is strictly to actually participating in the abortion to end the life of the embryo or fetus. And I don’t read either ... to say that they ever participated in that,” Barrett said.Kavanaugh had only one question during the entire session and it too seemed to be focused on the technical issue of standing. He asked Prelogar to confirm that “under federal law, no doctors can be forced against their consciences to perform or assist in an abortion.”Abortion opponents are asking the justices to ratify&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-restrictions-appeals-court-402be732d162af449c40ed1315cfb851">a ruling</a>&nbsp;from a conservative federal appeals court that would limit access to mifepristone, one of two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">drugs used in medication abortions</a>.That ruling had immediate political consequences, and the outcome in the current case, expected by early summer, could affect races for Congress and the White House.Another abortion case already is on the docket. Next month, the justices will hear arguments over whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-medical-emergencies-idaho-8ca89d7de0c1fa9256dcd27d1847e144">a federal law on emergency treatment</a>&nbsp;at hospitals must include abortions, even in states that have otherwise banned them.The scene outside the Supreme Court was lively Tuesday morning, with demonstrators occupying the streets surrounding the court and groups on both sides of the issue marching and chanting. The police blocked traffic surrounding the court as well.The practical consequences of a ruling for abortion opponents would be dramatic, including possibly halting the delivery of mifepristone through the mail and at large pharmacy chains, and ending increasingly popular telehealth visits at which the drug can be prescribed.President Joe Biden's administration and drug manufacturers warn that such an outcome also could undermine the FDA's drug approval process more widely by inviting judges to second-guess the agency's scientific judgments. The Democratic administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, which makes mifepristone, say that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-abortion-pill-supreme-court-1d2221251197a391c9bca833918e4554">drug is among the safest</a>&nbsp;the FDA has ever approved.Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Biden appointee who joined the court just after the last abortion case, signaled her agreement with some of those arguments when she asked Jessica Ellsworth, Danco's lawyer, whether she has concerns “about judges parsing medical and scientific studies.”The abortion opponents argue that the FDA's decisions in 2016 and 2021 to relax restrictions on getting the drug were unreasonable and, as Hawley wrote in her clients' main legal brief, “jeopardize women's health across the nation.” She argued Tuesday that she was asking the court to affirm a ruling that “merely restored longstanding and crucial protections under which millions of women used abortion drugs.” Her husband, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and one of their children were in the courtroom to watch her first arguments.The mifepristone case began five months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Abortion opponents initially won a sweeping ruling nearly a year ago from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk</a>, a Trump nominee in Texas, which would have revoked the drug’s approval entirely. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals left intact the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone. But it would reverse changes regulators made in 2016 and 2021 that eased some conditions for administering the drug.The Supreme Court put the appeals court’s modified ruling on hold, then agreed to hear the case, though Justices Samuel Alito, the author of the decision overturning Roe, and Clarence Thomas would have allowed some restrictions to take effect while the case proceeded.In arguments highly focused on technical legal issues, Alito and Thomas asked some of the few questions Tuesday on the substance of the case, including about sending mifepristone through the mail.They referred to the Comstock Act, a rarely used, 151-year-old criminal law that has been revived by anti-abortion advocates seeking to block the delivery of mifepristone through the U.S. mail. Addressing Ellsworth, Thomas said the law is “fairly broad, and it specifically covers drugs such as yours.”Even if the court doesn't address the Comstock Act in its ruling, some abortion rights advocates fear that a future administration that favors abortion restrictions could invoke the law to roll back access to mifepristone.More than 6 million people have used mifepristone since 2000. It is one of two drugs used in medication abortions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">Mifepristone</a>&nbsp;blocks the hormone progesterone, and also primes the uterus to respond to the contraction-causing effect of another drug, misoprostol.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation">The two-drug regimen</a>&nbsp;is used to end a pregnancy through 10 weeks gestation.Health care providers have said that if mifepristone is no longer available or is too hard to obtain, they would switch to using only misoprostol, which is somewhat less effective in ending pregnancies.___Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.___----------WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is hearing arguments Tuesday in its first abortion case since conservative justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned the constitutional right to an abortion</a>&nbsp;two years ago. At stake is ease of access to a medication that was used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-supreme-court-27d18f91242eb08c4d805880ddb5bb60">nearly two-thirds of all abortions</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. last year.Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay of the oral argumentsAbortion opponents are asking the justices to ratify&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-restrictions-appeals-court-402be732d162af449c40ed1315cfb851">a ruling</a>&nbsp;from a conservative federal appeals court that would limit access to mifepristone, one of two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">drugs used in medication abortions</a>.The high court's return to the abortion thicket is taking place in a political and regulatory landscape that was reshaped by the abortion decision in 2022 that led many Republican-led states to ban or severely restrict abortion.That ruling had immediate political consequences, and the outcome in the new case, expected by early summer, could affect races for Congress and the White House.The scene outside the Supreme Court was lively Tuesday morning, with demonstrators occupying the streets surrounding the court and groups on both sides of the issue marching and chanting. The police blocked traffic surrounding the court as well.The practical consequences of a ruling for abortion opponents would be dramatic, possibly halting the delivery of mifepristone through the mail and at large pharmacy chains, reducing the period in pregnancy when it can be used from 10 to seven weeks and ending increasingly popular telehealth visits at which the drug can be prescribed.President Joe Biden's administration and drug manufacturers warn that such an outcome also could undermine the FDA's drug approval process more widely by inviting judges to second-guess the agency's scientific judgments.Anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations argue that the FDA's decisions in 2016 and 2021 to relax restrictions on getting the drug were unreasonable and “jeopardize women's health across the nation.” The Democratic administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, which makes mifepristone, respond that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-abortion-pill-supreme-court-1d2221251197a391c9bca833918e4554">drug is among the safest</a>&nbsp;the FDA has ever approved.In one possible resolution, the justices could avoid touching on the more politically sensitive aspects of the case while preserving access to mifepristone. The administration and Danco argue that the challengers lack the legal right, or standing, to sue. If the high court agrees, it would essentially dismiss the case and erase the appellate ruling.Another abortion case already is on the docket. Next month, the justices will hear arguments over whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-medical-emergencies-idaho-8ca89d7de0c1fa9256dcd27d1847e144">a federal law on emergency treatment</a>&nbsp;at hospitals must include abortions, even in states that have otherwise banned them.The mifepristone case began five months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Abortion opponents initially won a sweeping ruling nearly a year ago from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk</a>, a Trump nominee in Texas, which would have revoked the drug’s approval entirely. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals left intact the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone. But it would reverse changes regulators made in 2016 and 2021 that eased some conditions for administering the drug.The Supreme Court put the appeals court’s modified ruling on hold, then agreed to hear the case, though Justices Samuel Alito, the author of the decision overturning Roe, and Clarence Thomas would have allowed some restrictions to take effect while the case proceeded.Mifepristone is one of two drugs, along with misoprostol, used in medication abortions. Their numbers have been rising for years. More than 6 million people have used mifepristone since 2000.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">Mifepristone</a>&nbsp;is taken first to dilate the cervix and block the hormone progesterone, which is needed to sustain a pregnancy. Misoprostol is taken 24 to 48 hours later, causing the uterus to contract and expel pregnancy tissue.Health care providers have said that if mifepristone is no longer available or is too hard to obtain, they would switch to using only misoprostol, which is somewhat less effective in ending pregnancies.___

🎧 Supreme Court battle in biggest abortion case since the fall of Roe

Lincoln, March 26, 2024- The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) issued an Order in docket&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/telecom/2024-03-26%20NUSF-131%20PO%20NO%202%20Order%20Issuing%20Initial%20Auction%20Results.pdf" target="_blank">NUSF-131</a>&nbsp;awarding nearly $21 million in&nbsp; winning bids for broadband buildout to more than 1,100 unserved Nebraska households as a result of its 2024 Reverse Auction.&nbsp;

The 2024 reverse auction was designed to provide broadband capable voice service to rural areas where telecommunication carriers Frontier and Windstream have traditionally provided only voice service by redistributing Nebraska Universal Service Fund (NUSF) support that was either unused or withheld from the two companies.

“We are extremely pleased with participation and outcome of the 2024 reverse auction,” said Commission Chair Dan Watermeier. “The bids awarded will help these companies connect unserved households in rural Nebraska.”

Bidding in the reverse auction began on January 22 with the final round held on March 11. Four entities were ultimately awarded bids in the reverse auction. The winning bidders consisted of Great Plains Communications, the Hamilton Consortium, Midstates Communications and Pinpoint Communications. More details on the areas that were awarded bids can be found on the Commissions broadband map at &lt;&nbsp;<a href="https://broadbandmap.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">https://broadbandmap.nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp; &gt;.

The PSC awarded $5,726,880 of an available $5,845,893 in support for&nbsp;Windstream&nbsp;areas and$15,235,366 of an available $15,996,054.50 for&nbsp;Frontier&nbsp;areas.

Commissioner Watermeier said, “This process is proving to be a valuable method in ensuring distributed NUSF funds are being used for broadband buildout to Nebraska’s unserved areas.”&nbsp;

Deb CollinsPublic Service CommissionLincoln, March 26, 2024- The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) issued an Order in docket&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/telecom/2024-03-26%20NUSF-131%20PO%20NO%202%20Order%20Issuing%20Initial%20Auction%20Results.pdf" target="_blank">NUSF-131</a>&nbsp;awarding nearly $21 million in&nbsp; winning bids for broadband buildout to more than 1,100 unserved Nebraska households as a result of its 2024 Reverse Auction.&nbsp;The 2024 reverse auction was designed to provide broadband capable voice service to rural areas where telecommunication carriers Frontier and Windstream have traditionally provided only voice service by redistributing Nebraska Universal Service Fund (NUSF) support that was either unused or withheld from the two companies.“We are extremely pleased with participation and outcome of the 2024 reverse auction,” said Commission Chair Dan Watermeier. “The bids awarded will help these companies connect unserved households in rural Nebraska.”Bidding in the reverse auction began on January 22 with the final round held on March 11. Four entities were ultimately awarded bids in the reverse auction. The winning bidders consisted of Great Plains Communications, the Hamilton Consortium, Midstates Communications and Pinpoint Communications. More details on the areas that were awarded bids can be found on the Commissions broadband map at &lt;&nbsp;<a href="https://broadbandmap.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">https://broadbandmap.nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp; &gt;.The PSC awarded $5,726,880 of an available $5,845,893 in support for&nbsp;Windstream&nbsp;areas and$15,235,366 of an available $15,996,054.50 for&nbsp;Frontier&nbsp;areas.Commissioner Watermeier said, “This process is proving to be a valuable method in ensuring distributed NUSF funds are being used for broadband buildout to Nebraska’s unserved areas.”&nbsp;

 PSC AWARDS WINNING BIDS IN 2024 REVERSE AUCTION

Nebraska Department of Transportation

March 26, 2024 (Ainsworth, Neb.) — Weather permitting, work will begin April 1 on N-7, from South Street to US-20/4th Street, and from reference post 43+00 to reference post 43+60, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

A &amp; R Construction of Plainview is the prime contractor for this project. Work includes replacement of water lines, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, lighting, concrete pavement, and sidewalks. Construction will be completed in five phases (segments) with work beginning at US-20 and progressing south. Each phase is estimated to take two months to substantially complete. 

Work on phase 1 will begin the week of April 1 with complete closure of N-7 (Main Street) from 2nd Street to US-20. Local traffic access to Main Street will be maintained while phases are not under construction. Phases with active construction will utilize side street parking with pedestrian access to the businesses maintained during business hours.

Additional information will be provided as the project advances. N-7 traffic will be detoured utilizing 877th Road and 431st Avenue/Pine Street. A 12-foot width restriction will be in effect. Anticipated competition is Dec. 2024.

Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.


Nebraska Department of TransportationMarch 26, 2024 (Ainsworth, Neb.) — Weather permitting, work will begin April 1 on N-7, from South Street to US-20/4th Street, and from reference post 43+00 to reference post 43+60, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.A &amp; R Construction of Plainview is the prime contractor for this project. Work includes replacement of water lines, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, lighting, concrete pavement, and sidewalks. Construction will be completed in five phases (segments) with work beginning at US-20 and progressing south. Each phase is estimated to take two months to substantially complete. Work on phase 1 will begin the week of April 1 with complete closure of N-7 (Main Street) from 2nd Street to US-20. Local traffic access to Main Street will be maintained while phases are not under construction. Phases with active construction will utilize side street parking with pedestrian access to the businesses maintained during business hours.Additional information will be provided as the project advances. N-7 traffic will be detoured utilizing 877th Road and 431st Avenue/Pine Street. A 12-foot width restriction will be in effect. Anticipated competition is Dec. 2024.Motorists are reminded to drive cautiously in and near work zones, to buckle up, and to put phones down.

Work Will Begin on N-7, In Ainsworth

WASHINGTON —An indictment was unsealed Monday charging seven nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in a PRC-based hacking group that spent approximately 14 years targeting U.S. and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials in furtherance of the PRC’s economic espionage and foreign intelligence objectives, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The defendants are Ni Gaobin (倪高彬), 38; Weng Ming (翁明), 37; Cheng Feng (程锋), 34; Peng Yaowen (彭耀文), 38; Sun Xiaohui (孙小辉), 38; Xiong Wang (熊旺), 35; and Zhao Guangzong (赵光宗), 38. All are believed to reside in the PRC.

“The Justice Department will not tolerate efforts by the Chinese government to intimidate Americans who serve the public, silence the dissidents who are protected by American laws, or steal from American businesses,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This case serves as a reminder of the ends to which the Chinese government is willing to go to target and intimidate its critics, including launching malicious cyber operations aimed at threatening the national security of the United States and our allies.”

“Over 10,000 malicious emails, impacting thousands of victims, across multiple continents. As alleged in today’s indictment, this prolific global hacking operation – backed by the PRC government – targeted journalists, political officials, and companies to repress critics of the Chinese regime, compromise government institutions, and steal trade secrets,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue, expose, and hold accountable cyber criminals who would undermine democracies and threaten our national security.”&nbsp;

"Monday's announcement exposes China's continuous and brash efforts to undermine our nation's cybersecurity and target Americans and our innovation,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "As long as China continues to target the US and our partners, the FBI will&nbsp;continue to send a clear message that cyber espionage will not be tolerated,&nbsp;and we will tirelessly pursue those who threaten our nation’s security and prosperity. This indictment underscores our unwavering commitment to disrupt and deter malicious cyber activity, and safeguard our citizens, businesses, and critical infrastructure from threats&nbsp;in cyberspace."

“The indictment unsealed today, together with statements from our foreign partners regarding related activity, shed further light on the PRC Ministry of State Security’s aggressive cyber espionage and transnational repression activities worldwide,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s announcements underscore the need to remain vigilant to cybersecurity threats and the potential for cyber-enabled foreign malign influence efforts, especially as we approach the 2024 election cycle. The Department of Justice will continue to leverage all tools to disrupt malicious cyber actors who threaten our national security and aim to repress fundamental freedoms worldwide.”

“These allegations pull back the curtain on China’s vast illegal hacking operation that targeted sensitive data from U.S. elected and government officials, journalists, and academics; valuable information from American companies; and political dissidents in America and abroad. Their sinister scheme victimized thousands of people and entities across the world, and lasted for well over a decade,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “America’s sovereignty extends to its cyberspace. Today’s charges demonstrate my office’s commitment to upholding and protecting that jurisdiction, and to putting an end to malicious nation state cyber activity.”

“The recent indictments against the Chinese actors reaffirm the FBI’s relentless dedication to combating cyber threats,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI Cyber Division. “They serve as a reminder that cyber adversaries who seek to compromise our nation’s systems and target US officials cannot rely on the cloak of anonymity and will face consequences for their actions.”

“APT31 Group’s practices further demonstrate the size and scope of the PRC’s state-sponsored hacking apparatus,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler Jr. of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “FBI Chicago worked tirelessly to uncover this complex web of alleged foreign intelligence and economic espionage crimes. Thanks to these efforts, as well as our partnerships with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and fellow Field Offices, the FBI continues to be successful in holding groups accountable and protecting national security.”

As alleged in the indictment and court filings, the defendants, along with dozens of identified PRC Ministry of State Security (MSS) intelligence officers, contractor hackers, and support personnel, were members of a hacking group operating in the PRC and known within the cybersecurity community as Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (the APT31 Group). The APT31 Group was part of a cyberespionage program run by the MSS’s Hubei State Security Department, located in the city of Wuhan. Through their involvement with the APT31 Group, since at least 2010, the defendants conducted global campaigns of computer hacking targeting political dissidents and perceived supporters located inside and outside of China, government and political officials, candidates, and campaign personnel in the United States and elsewhere and American companies.

The defendants and others in the APT31 Group targeted thousands of U.S. and foreign individuals and companies. Some of this activity resulted in successful compromises of the targets’ networks, email accounts, cloud storage accounts, and telephone call records, with some surveillance of compromised email accounts lasting many years.

The more than 10,000 malicious emails that the defendants and others in the APT31 Group sent to these targets often appeared to be from prominent news outlets or journalists and appeared to contain legitimate news articles. The malicious emails contained hidden tracking links, such that if the recipient simply opened the email, information about the recipient, including the recipient’s location, internet protocol (IP) addresses, network schematics, and specific devices used to access the pertinent email accounts, was transmitted to a server controlled by the defendants and those working with them. The defendants and others in the APT31 Group then used this information to enable more direct and sophisticated targeted hacking, such as compromising the recipients’ home routers and other electronic devices.

The defendants and others in the APT31 Group also sent malicious tracking-link emails to government officials across the world who expressed criticism of the PRC government. For example, in or about 2021, the conspirators targeted the email accounts of various foreign government individuals who were part of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group founded in 2020 on the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests whose stated purpose was to counter the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to the international order and democratic principles. The targets included every European Union member of IPAC, and 43 United Kingdom parliamentary accounts, most of whom were members of IPAC or had been outspoken on topics relating to the PRC government.

To gain and maintain access to the victim computer networks, the defendants and others in the APT31 Group employed sophisticated hacking techniques including zero-day exploits, which are exploits that the hackers became aware of before the manufacturer, or the victim were able to patch or fix the vulnerability. These activities resulted in the confirmed and potential compromise of economic plans, intellectual property, and trade secrets belonging to American businesses, and contributed to the estimated billions of dollars lost every year as a result of the PRC’s state-sponsored apparatus to transfer U.S. technology to the PRC.

Targeting of U.S. Government Officials and U.S. and Foreign Politicians and Campaigns

The targeted U.S. government officials included individuals working in the White House, at the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Treasury, and State, and U.S. Senators and Representatives of both political parties. The defendants and others in the APT31 Group targeted these individuals at both professional and personal email addresses. Additionally in some cases, the defendants also targeted victims’ spouses, including the spouses of a high-ranking Department of Justice official, high-ranking White House officials, and multiple U.S. Senators. Targets also included election campaign staff from both major U.S. political parties in advance of the 2020 election.

The allegations in the indictment regarding the malicious cyber activity targeting political officials, candidates, and campaign personnel are consistent with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/joint-statement-departments-justice-and-homeland-security-assessing-impact-foreign">March 2021 Joint Report</a>&nbsp;of the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security on Foreign Interference Targeting Election Infrastructure or Political Organization, Campaign, or Candidate Infrastructure Related to the 2020 US Federal Elections. That report cited incidents when Chinese government-affiliated actors “materially impacted the security of networks associated with or pertaining to U.S. political organizations, candidates, and campaigns during the 2020 federal elections.” That report also concluded that “such actors gathered at least some information they could have released in influence operations,” but which the Chinese actors did not ultimately deploy in such a manner. Consistent with that conclusion, the indictment does not allege that the hacking furthered any Chinese government influence operations against the United States. The indictment’s allegations nonetheless serve to underscore the need for U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/china-state-affiliated-actors-target-uk-democratic-institutions-parliamentarians" target="_blank">(and allied)</a>&nbsp;political organizations, candidates, and campaigns to remain vigilant in their cybersecurity posture and in otherwise protecting their sensitive information from foreign intelligence services, particularly in light of the U.S. Intelligence Community’s recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.odni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ATA-2024-Unclassified-Report.pdf" target="_blank">assessment</a>&nbsp;that “[t]he PRC may attempt to influence the U.S. elections in 2024 at some level because of its desire to sideline critics of China and magnify U.S. societal divisions.”

The defendants and others in the APT31 Group also targeted individuals and dozens of companies operating in areas of national economic importance, including the defense, information technology, telecommunications, manufacturing and trade, finance, consulting, legal, and research industries. The defendants and others in the APT31 Group hacked and attempted to hack dozens of companies or entities operating in these industries, including multiple cleared defense contractors who provide products and services to the U.S. military, multiple managed service providers who managed the computer networks and security for other companies, a leading provider of 5G network equipment, and a leading global provider of wireless technology, among many others.

Targeting for Transnational Repression of Dissidents

The defendants and the APT31 Group also targeted individual dissidents around the world and other individuals who were perceived as supporting such dissidents. For example, in 2018, after several activists who spearheaded Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the defendants and the APT31 Group targeted Norwegian government officials and a Norwegian managed service provider. The conspirators also successfully compromised Hong Kong pro-democracy activists and their associates located in Hong Kong, the United States, and other foreign locations with identical malware.

The charged defendants’ roles in the conspiracy consisted of testing and exploiting the malware used to conduct these intrusions, managing infrastructure associated with these intrusions, and conducting surveillance and intrusions against specific U.S. entities. For example:

WASHINGTON —An indictment was unsealed Monday charging seven nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in a PRC-based hacking group that spent approximately 14 years targeting U.S. and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials in furtherance of the PRC’s economic espionage and foreign intelligence objectives, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.The defendants are Ni Gaobin (倪高彬), 38; Weng Ming (翁明), 37; Cheng Feng (程锋), 34; Peng Yaowen (彭耀文), 38; Sun Xiaohui (孙小辉), 38; Xiong Wang (熊旺), 35; and Zhao Guangzong (赵光宗), 38. All are believed to reside in the PRC.“The Justice Department will not tolerate efforts by the Chinese government to intimidate Americans who serve the public, silence the dissidents who are protected by American laws, or steal from American businesses,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This case serves as a reminder of the ends to which the Chinese government is willing to go to target and intimidate its critics, including launching malicious cyber operations aimed at threatening the national security of the United States and our allies.”“Over 10,000 malicious emails, impacting thousands of victims, across multiple continents. As alleged in today’s indictment, this prolific global hacking operation – backed by the PRC government – targeted journalists, political officials, and companies to repress critics of the Chinese regime, compromise government institutions, and steal trade secrets,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue, expose, and hold accountable cyber criminals who would undermine democracies and threaten our national security.”&nbsp;"Monday's announcement exposes China's continuous and brash efforts to undermine our nation's cybersecurity and target Americans and our innovation,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "As long as China continues to target the US and our partners, the FBI will&nbsp;continue to send a clear message that cyber espionage will not be tolerated,&nbsp;and we will tirelessly pursue those who threaten our nation’s security and prosperity. This indictment underscores our unwavering commitment to disrupt and deter malicious cyber activity, and safeguard our citizens, businesses, and critical infrastructure from threats&nbsp;in cyberspace."“The indictment unsealed today, together with statements from our foreign partners regarding related activity, shed further light on the PRC Ministry of State Security’s aggressive cyber espionage and transnational repression activities worldwide,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s announcements underscore the need to remain vigilant to cybersecurity threats and the potential for cyber-enabled foreign malign influence efforts, especially as we approach the 2024 election cycle. The Department of Justice will continue to leverage all tools to disrupt malicious cyber actors who threaten our national security and aim to repress fundamental freedoms worldwide.”“These allegations pull back the curtain on China’s vast illegal hacking operation that targeted sensitive data from U.S. elected and government officials, journalists, and academics; valuable information from American companies; and political dissidents in America and abroad. Their sinister scheme victimized thousands of people and entities across the world, and lasted for well over a decade,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “America’s sovereignty extends to its cyberspace. Today’s charges demonstrate my office’s commitment to upholding and protecting that jurisdiction, and to putting an end to malicious nation state cyber activity.”“The recent indictments against the Chinese actors reaffirm the FBI’s relentless dedication to combating cyber threats,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI Cyber Division. “They serve as a reminder that cyber adversaries who seek to compromise our nation’s systems and target US officials cannot rely on the cloak of anonymity and will face consequences for their actions.”“APT31 Group’s practices further demonstrate the size and scope of the PRC’s state-sponsored hacking apparatus,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler Jr. of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “FBI Chicago worked tirelessly to uncover this complex web of alleged foreign intelligence and economic espionage crimes. Thanks to these efforts, as well as our partnerships with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and fellow Field Offices, the FBI continues to be successful in holding groups accountable and protecting national security.”OverviewAs alleged in the indictment and court filings, the defendants, along with dozens of identified PRC Ministry of State Security (MSS) intelligence officers, contractor hackers, and support personnel, were members of a hacking group operating in the PRC and known within the cybersecurity community as Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (the APT31 Group). The APT31 Group was part of a cyberespionage program run by the MSS’s Hubei State Security Department, located in the city of Wuhan. Through their involvement with the APT31 Group, since at least 2010, the defendants conducted global campaigns of computer hacking targeting political dissidents and perceived supporters located inside and outside of China, government and political officials, candidates, and campaign personnel in the United States and elsewhere and American companies.The defendants and others in the APT31 Group targeted thousands of U.S. and foreign individuals and companies. Some of this activity resulted in successful compromises of the targets’ networks, email accounts, cloud storage accounts, and telephone call records, with some surveillance of compromised email accounts lasting many years.Hacking SchemeThe more than 10,000 malicious emails that the defendants and others in the APT31 Group sent to these targets often appeared to be from prominent news outlets or journalists and appeared to contain legitimate news articles. The malicious emails contained hidden tracking links, such that if the recipient simply opened the email, information about the recipient, including the recipient’s location, internet protocol (IP) addresses, network schematics, and specific devices used to access the pertinent email accounts, was transmitted to a server controlled by the defendants and those working with them. The defendants and others in the APT31 Group then used this information to enable more direct and sophisticated targeted hacking, such as compromising the recipients’ home routers and other electronic devices.The defendants and others in the APT31 Group also sent malicious tracking-link emails to government officials across the world who expressed criticism of the PRC government. For example, in or about 2021, the conspirators targeted the email accounts of various foreign government individuals who were part of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group founded in 2020 on the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests whose stated purpose was to counter the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to the international order and democratic principles. The targets included every European Union member of IPAC, and 43 United Kingdom parliamentary accounts, most of whom were members of IPAC or had been outspoken on topics relating to the PRC government.To gain and maintain access to the victim computer networks, the defendants and others in the APT31 Group employed sophisticated hacking techniques including zero-day exploits, which are exploits that the hackers became aware of before the manufacturer, or the victim were able to patch or fix the vulnerability. These activities resulted in the confirmed and potential compromise of economic plans, intellectual property, and trade secrets belonging to American businesses, and contributed to the estimated billions of dollars lost every year as a result of the PRC’s state-sponsored apparatus to transfer U.S. technology to the PRC.Targeting of U.S. Government Officials and U.S. and Foreign Politicians and CampaignsThe targeted U.S. government officials included individuals working in the White House, at the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Treasury, and State, and U.S. Senators and Representatives of both political parties. The defendants and others in the APT31 Group targeted these individuals at both professional and personal email addresses. Additionally in some cases, the defendants also targeted victims’ spouses, including the spouses of a high-ranking Department of Justice official, high-ranking White House officials, and multiple U.S. Senators. Targets also included election campaign staff from both major U.S. political parties in advance of the 2020 election.The allegations in the indictment regarding the malicious cyber activity targeting political officials, candidates, and campaign personnel are consistent with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/joint-statement-departments-justice-and-homeland-security-assessing-impact-foreign">March 2021 Joint Report</a>&nbsp;of the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security on Foreign Interference Targeting Election Infrastructure or Political Organization, Campaign, or Candidate Infrastructure Related to the 2020 US Federal Elections. That report cited incidents when Chinese government-affiliated actors “materially impacted the security of networks associated with or pertaining to U.S. political organizations, candidates, and campaigns during the 2020 federal elections.” That report also concluded that “such actors gathered at least some information they could have released in influence operations,” but which the Chinese actors did not ultimately deploy in such a manner. Consistent with that conclusion, the indictment does not allege that the hacking furthered any Chinese government influence operations against the United States. The indictment’s allegations nonetheless serve to underscore the need for U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/china-state-affiliated-actors-target-uk-democratic-institutions-parliamentarians" target="_blank">(and allied)</a>&nbsp;political organizations, candidates, and campaigns to remain vigilant in their cybersecurity posture and in otherwise protecting their sensitive information from foreign intelligence services, particularly in light of the U.S. Intelligence Community’s recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.odni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ATA-2024-Unclassified-Report.pdf" target="_blank">assessment</a>&nbsp;that “[t]he PRC may attempt to influence the U.S. elections in 2024 at some level because of its desire to sideline critics of China and magnify U.S. societal divisions.”Targeting of U.S. CompaniesThe defendants and others in the APT31 Group also targeted individuals and dozens of companies operating in areas of national economic importance, including the defense, information technology, telecommunications, manufacturing and trade, finance, consulting, legal, and research industries. The defendants and others in the APT31 Group hacked and attempted to hack dozens of companies or entities operating in these industries, including multiple cleared defense contractors who provide products and services to the U.S. military, multiple managed service providers who managed the computer networks and security for other companies, a leading provider of 5G network equipment, and a leading global provider of wireless technology, among many others.Targeting for Transnational Repression of DissidentsThe defendants and the APT31 Group also targeted individual dissidents around the world and other individuals who were perceived as supporting such dissidents. For example, in 2018, after several activists who spearheaded Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the defendants and the APT31 Group targeted Norwegian government officials and a Norwegian managed service provider. The conspirators also successfully compromised Hong Kong pro-democracy activists and their associates located in Hong Kong, the United States, and other foreign locations with identical malware.The charged defendants’ roles in the conspiracy consisted of testing and exploiting the malware used to conduct these intrusions, managing infrastructure associated with these intrusions, and conducting surveillance and intrusions against specific U.S. entities. For example:<ul>
 <li>Cheng Feng, Sun Xiaohui, Weng Ming, Xiong Wang, and Zhao Guangzong were involved in testing and exploiting malware, including malware used in some of these intrusions.</li><li>Cheng and Ni Gaobin managed infrastructure associated with some of these intrusions, including the domain name for a command-and-control server that accessed at least 59 unique victim computers, including a telecommunications company that was a leading provider of 5G network equipment in the United States, an Alabama-based research corporation in the aerospace and defense industries, and a Maryland-based professional support services company.</li><li>Sun and Weng operated the infrastructure used in an intrusion into a U.S. company known for its public opinion polls. Sun and Peng Yaowen conducted research and reconnaissance on several additional U.S. entities that were later the victims of the APT31 Group’s intrusion campaigns.</li><li>Ni and Zhao sent emails with links to files containing malware to PRC dissidents, specifically Hong Kong legislators and democracy advocates, as well as targeting U.S. entities focusing on PRC-related issues.</li>
 </ul>

Chinese hackers charged with sweeping attacks on U.S. targets

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. chose Nicole Shanahan on Tuesday to be his vice presidential pick as he mounts an independent White House bid that has spooked national Democrats.

Shanahan, 38, is a California lawyer and philanthropist who’s never held elected office. Shanahan leads Bia-Echo Foundation, an organization she founded to direct money toward issues including women’s reproductive science, criminal justice reform and environmental causes.

Kennedy, a former Democrat, made the announcement in Oakland, California.

“Nicole and I both left the Democratic Party," he said. "Our values didn’t change. The Democratic Party did.”

Without the backing of a party, Kennedy faces an arduous task to get on the ballot, with varying rules across the 50 states. He’s picking a running mate now because about half of the states require him to designate one before he can apply for ballot access.

In advance of an event Tuesday in Oakland, Kennedy and his aides circulated the names of several contenders, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-rfk-rodgers-ventura-453c6078714b867f5af736ee8f97d8fe">celebrities with no experience in politics</a>.

Two hours before Kennedy’s rally was scheduled to begin at a performing arts venue, a handful of supporters were lined up outside. Broken-down cars, discarded bicycles, tents and all manner of household goods took up the sidewalk and a park directly outside, a visual reminder of the housing crisis that has plagued California.

Dozens of men in black suits made up a heavy security presence for a candidate who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-arrest-los-angeles-impersonation-dcd6a12a95ea4ba46df649989edecb2d">loudly complained</a>&nbsp;that he has not been granted protection from the U.S. Secret Service. Kennedy’s campaign has spent millions of dollars with the security company owned by Gavin de Becker, who has been a major donor to his campaign and associated super PAC.

Sarah Morris, a Kennedy supporter from Olympia, Washington, who flew to Oakland for the rally, said Kennedy should pick somebody who would “complement him well and balance him out.”

“It would be nice to see a VP who leans a little more right than he does,” said the 47-year-old real estate agent. “I just hope he picks a good partner. I hope he doesn’t pick somebody that’s polarizing.”

A list of speakers includes Angela Stanton-King, a woman pardoned by then-President Donald Trump for her role in a car theft ring that led to a 2004 federal conspiracy conviction and two years in prison; Metta World Peace, the NBA all-star player formerly known as Ron Artest; and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford Medical School professor who questioned the efficacy of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and was part of Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential launch event last year.

Kennedy's campaign has spooked Democrats, who are fighting third-party options that could draw support from President Joe Biden and help Trump. As they head into a 2020 rematch, Biden and Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-campaign-democrats-republicans-440088966619e68dbf89f745788bb372">are broadly unpopular with the U.S. public</a>&nbsp;and will compete for the votes of people who aren't enthusiastic about either of them.

The requirement is already bedeviling Kennedy's ballot access effort in Nevada, where Democratic Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said in a March 7 letter to independent candidates that they must nominate a vice presidential candidate before collecting signatures. The letter came days after Kennedy's campaign announced he'd collected enough signatures in the state. If Aguilar's opinion survives a likely legal challenge, Kennedy will have to start again in collecting just over 10,000 signatures in the state.

"This is the epitome of corruption,” said Paul Rossi, a Kennedy campaign lawyer, in a statement Monday, accusing Aguilar of doing the bidding of the Democratic National Committee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711485258873.png" alt="Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan during Tuesday's announcement in Oakland-courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan during Tuesday's announcement in Oakland-courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. chose Nicole Shanahan on Tuesday to be his vice presidential pick as he mounts an independent White House bid that has spooked national Democrats.Shanahan, 38, is a California lawyer and philanthropist who’s never held elected office. Shanahan leads Bia-Echo Foundation, an organization she founded to direct money toward issues including women’s reproductive science, criminal justice reform and environmental causes.Kennedy, a former Democrat, made the announcement in Oakland, California.“Nicole and I both left the Democratic Party," he said. "Our values didn’t change. The Democratic Party did.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711482633483.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Without the backing of a party, Kennedy faces an arduous task to get on the ballot, with varying rules across the 50 states. He’s picking a running mate now because about half of the states require him to designate one before he can apply for ballot access.In advance of an event Tuesday in Oakland, Kennedy and his aides circulated the names of several contenders, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-rfk-rodgers-ventura-453c6078714b867f5af736ee8f97d8fe">celebrities with no experience in politics</a>.Two hours before Kennedy’s rally was scheduled to begin at a performing arts venue, a handful of supporters were lined up outside. Broken-down cars, discarded bicycles, tents and all manner of household goods took up the sidewalk and a park directly outside, a visual reminder of the housing crisis that has plagued California.Dozens of men in black suits made up a heavy security presence for a candidate who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-arrest-los-angeles-impersonation-dcd6a12a95ea4ba46df649989edecb2d">loudly complained</a>&nbsp;that he has not been granted protection from the U.S. Secret Service. Kennedy’s campaign has spent millions of dollars with the security company owned by Gavin de Becker, who has been a major donor to his campaign and associated super PAC.Sarah Morris, a Kennedy supporter from Olympia, Washington, who flew to Oakland for the rally, said Kennedy should pick somebody who would “complement him well and balance him out.”“It would be nice to see a VP who leans a little more right than he does,” said the 47-year-old real estate agent. “I just hope he picks a good partner. I hope he doesn’t pick somebody that’s polarizing.”A list of speakers includes Angela Stanton-King, a woman pardoned by then-President Donald Trump for her role in a car theft ring that led to a 2004 federal conspiracy conviction and two years in prison; Metta World Peace, the NBA all-star player formerly known as Ron Artest; and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford Medical School professor who questioned the efficacy of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and was part of Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential launch event last year.Kennedy's campaign has spooked Democrats, who are fighting third-party options that could draw support from President Joe Biden and help Trump. As they head into a 2020 rematch, Biden and Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-campaign-democrats-republicans-440088966619e68dbf89f745788bb372">are broadly unpopular with the U.S. public</a>&nbsp;and will compete for the votes of people who aren't enthusiastic about either of them.Without the backing of a party, Kennedy faces an arduous task to get on the ballot, with varying rules across the 50 states. He’s picking a running mate now because about half of the states require him to designate one before he can apply for ballot access.The requirement is already bedeviling Kennedy's ballot access effort in Nevada, where Democratic Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said in a March 7 letter to independent candidates that they must nominate a vice presidential candidate before collecting signatures. The letter came days after Kennedy's campaign announced he'd collected enough signatures in the state. If Aguilar's opinion survives a likely legal challenge, Kennedy will have to start again in collecting just over 10,000 signatures in the state."This is the epitome of corruption,” said Paul Rossi, a Kennedy campaign lawyer, in a statement Monday, accusing Aguilar of doing the bidding of the Democratic National Committee.Kennedy has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-president-election-utah-ballot-863513ec2bf75d1efc9b202cb8ddcc4a">secured access to the ballot in Utah</a>. He and an allied super PAC,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dnc-fec-complaint-kenedy-trump-biden-09d42502ca757cd4656b4829c4b4c00d">American Values 2024</a>, say they’ve collected enough signatures to qualify in several other states, including swing states Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, but election officials there have not yet signed off.Kennedy is a descendant of a storied Democratic family that includes his father, Robert F. Kennedy, who was a U.S. senator, attorney general and presidential candidate, and his uncle former President John F. Kennedy.He began his campaign as a primary challenge to Biden but last fall said he'd run as an independent instead.Kennedy was a teenager when his father, known as RFK, was assassinated during his own presidential campaign in 1968. RFK Jr. built a reputation of his own as an activist, author and lawyer who fought for environmental causes such as clean water.Along the way, his activism has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-rfk-jr-built-anti-vaccine-juggernaut-amid-covid-4997be1bcf591fe8b7f1f90d16c9321e">veered into conspiracies</a>&nbsp;and contradicted scientific consensus,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-kennedy-election-vaccines-2ccde2df146f57b5e8c26e8494f0a16a">most infamously on vaccines</a>. Some members of his family have publicly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-joe-biden-2024-democrat-super-bowl-e4dee4be456e643be11735c6e4029377">criticized his views</a>. Dozens of Kennedy family members sent a message when they posed with Biden at a St. Patrick’s Day reception at the White House in a photo his sister Kerry Kennedy posted to social media.An anti-vaccine group Kennedy led has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.RFK Jr. is leveraging a network of loyal supporters he's built over years, many of them drawn to his anti-vaccine activism and his message that the U.S. government is beholden to corporations.The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, is gearing up to take on Kennedy and other third-party options, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-labels-election-2024-2859270c8a1e52b8cb92d2e6fd166e5b">No Labels</a>, a well-funded group working to recruit a centrist ticket. The effort is overseen by veteran strategist Mary Beth Cahill, whose resume includes chief of staff to the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, another of RFK Jr.'s uncles.Many Democrats blame Green Party candidates for Al Gore’s loss to George W. Bush in 2000 and Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump in 2016.---------------OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-097ac973a32ddf2e8e4edecd6a8f3153">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;plans to announce his running mate Tuesday as he races to secure a place on the ballot for his independent campaign for president.In advance of an event Tuesday in Oakland, Kennedy and his aides have circulated the names of several contenders, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-rfk-rodgers-ventura-453c6078714b867f5af736ee8f97d8fe">celebrities with no political experience</a>. Those names include NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, “Dirty Jobs” star Mike Rowe and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, who was a wrestler and actor. Speculation most recently has centered on Nicole Shanahan, a lawyer and philanthropist who bankrolled a Super Bowl ad for Kennedy.“This announcement is really going to shake up the political establishment,” Kennedy said in a video he posted on social media last week.Two hours before Kennedy’s rally was scheduled to begin at a performing arts venue, a handful of supporters were lined up outside. Broken-down cars, discarded bicycles, tents and all manner of household goods took up the sidewalk and a park directly outside, a visual reminder of the housing crisis that has plagued California.Dozens of men in black suits made up a heavy security presence for a candidate who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-arrest-los-angeles-impersonation-dcd6a12a95ea4ba46df649989edecb2d">loudly complained</a>&nbsp;that he has not been granted protection from the U.S. Secret Service. Kennedy’s campaign has spent millions of dollars with the security company owned by Gavin de Becker, who has been a major donor to his campaign and associated super PAC.Sarah Morris, a Kennedy supporter from Olympia, Washington, who flew to Oakland for the rally, said Kennedy should pick somebody who would “complement him well and balance him out.”“It would be nice to see a VP who leans a little more right than he does,” said the 47-year-old real estate agent. “I just hope he picks a good partner. I hope he doesn’t pick somebody that’s polarizing.”A list of speakers includes Angela Stanton-King, a woman pardoned by then-President Donald Trump for her role in a car theft ring that led to a 2004 federal conspiracy conviction and two years in prison; Metta World Peace, the NBA all-star player formerly known as Ron Artest; and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford Medical School professor who questioned the efficacy of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and was part of Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential launch event last year.Kennedy's campaign has spooked Democrats, who are fighting third-party options that could draw support from President Joe Biden and help Trump. As they head into a 2020 rematch, Biden and Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-campaign-democrats-republicans-440088966619e68dbf89f745788bb372">are broadly unpopular with the U.S. public</a>&nbsp;and will compete for the votes of people who aren't enthusiastic about either of them.Without the backing of a party, Kennedy faces an arduous task to get on the ballot, with varying rules across the 50 states. He’s picking a running mate now because about half of the states require him to designate one before he can apply for ballot access.The requirement is already bedeviling Kennedy's ballot access effort in Nevada, where Democratic Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said in a March 7 letter to independent candidates that they must nominate a vice presidential candidate before collecting signatures. The letter came days after Kennedy's campaign announced he'd collected enough signatures in the state. If Aguilar's opinion survives a likely legal challenge, Kennedy will have to start again in collecting just over 10,000 signatures in the state."This is the epitome of corruption,” said Paul Rossi, a Kennedy campaign lawyer, in a statement Monday, accusing Aguilar of doing the bidding of the Democratic National Committee.Kennedy has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-president-election-utah-ballot-863513ec2bf75d1efc9b202cb8ddcc4a">secured access to the ballot in Utah</a>. He and an allied super PAC,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dnc-fec-complaint-kenedy-trump-biden-09d42502ca757cd4656b4829c4b4c00d">American Values 2024</a>, say they’ve collected enough signatures to qualify in several other states, including swing states Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, but election officials there have not yet signed off.Kennedy is a descendant of a storied Democratic family that includes his father, Robert F. Kennedy, who was a U.S. senator, attorney general and presidential candidate, and his uncle former President John F. Kennedy.He began his campaign as a primary challenge to Biden but last fall said he'd run as an independent instead.Kennedy was a teenager when his father, known as RFK, was assassinated during his own presidential campaign in 1968. RFK Jr. built a reputation of his own as an activist, author and lawyer who fought for environmental causes such as clean water.Along the way, his activism has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-rfk-jr-built-anti-vaccine-juggernaut-amid-covid-4997be1bcf591fe8b7f1f90d16c9321e">veered into conspiracies</a>&nbsp;and contradicted scientific consensus,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-kennedy-election-vaccines-2ccde2df146f57b5e8c26e8494f0a16a">most infamously on vaccines</a>. Some members of his family have publicly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-joe-biden-2024-democrat-super-bowl-e4dee4be456e643be11735c6e4029377">criticized his views</a>. Dozens of Kennedy family members sent a message when they posed with Biden at a St. Patrick’s Day reception at the White House in a photo his sister Kerry Kennedy posted to social media.RFK Jr. is leveraging a network of loyal supporters he's built over years, many of them drawn to his anti-vaccine activism and his message that the U.S. government is beholden to corporations.The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, is gearing up to take on Kennedy and other third-party options, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-labels-election-2024-2859270c8a1e52b8cb92d2e6fd166e5b">No Labels</a>, a well-funded group working to recruit a centrist ticket. The effort is overseen by veteran strategist Mary Beth Cahill, whose resume includes chief of staff to the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, another of RFK Jr.'s uncles.