<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/13/leader-of-veterans-group-targeting-neo-nazis-set-to-speak-at-unl/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The leader of a veterans group that works to undermine white supremacist organizations and their influence on politics and members of the military is visiting the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Tuesday Nov. 14 for a lecture.

Kristofer Goldsmith, an Iraq War veteran and former Army sergeant, told the Nebraska Examiner that his goal in speaking to the Harris Center for Judaic Studies is to help people learn what they can do to fight back.

He doesn’t expect every mom-and-pop Nebraskan or every college student to join an organization like his Task Force Butler, which identifies neo-Nazi groups such as the Patriot Front and helps law enforcement agencies prosecute them using open-source investigations.&nbsp;

But the Sept. 11 ethos of “see something, say something” can be applied in the fight against supremacists, too, Goldsmith said. The group created a checklist for how to help, including ways to document and report property damage and assaults to the FBI.

The threat is real, he and others studying extremist movements say. Modern white supremacists take Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” and Mussolini’s writings and “apply an Instagram filter to them.” He said such groups create new “climates of fear” and want to “undermine democracy.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Back in the day, if a neo-Nazi wanted to recruit, they had to go to the corner and protest and hand out lit (literature) and hope they didn’t get punched in the face,” he said. “Now they can promote the same propaganda from anonymous posts and profiles online.”

One challenge of fighting fascist movements today, he said, is defining fascism.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://taskforcebutler.org/what-is-fascism">His group defines it</a>&nbsp;as the fetishization of power and the use of violence to quash opponents, demanding absolute loyalty and sharing a sense of grievance.

He said he expects some attending the UNL event to ask about the recent political rhetoric of former President Donald Trump, who has threatened an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/22/trump-2025-radical-plan-second-term">ideological test for civil service jobs</a>&nbsp;and to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/05/trump-revenge-second-term/">investigate and jail and seek revenge</a>&nbsp;against his political enemies.&nbsp;

He expects others to ask about the indictments of Trump. The former president faces state and federal criminal charges based on his business practices, his effort to reject the results of the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents.

Part of changing the dynamic is educating people about fascism, he said.

Another part is working to recognize and draw more attention to online efforts directing harassment at people for their race, creed or sexual orientation, he said.&nbsp;

His discussion will touch on Jan. 6, 2021, and the storming of the U.S. Capitol by people aiming to disrupt the counting of Electoral College votes. That day ratcheted up his group’s work with veterans, he said, because many of the people charged afterward were veterans.

Research shows veterans are slightly less likely than the general public to embrace conspiracy theories, he said, but Task Force Butler investigates them because they are often effective leaders, for good or ill.&nbsp;

“Veterans are targeted by extremist organizations for the same reason they are by JP Morgan Chase,” he said. “We bring credibility to any organization they are a part of.”

His group gathers evidence on the often-masked people who go out and destroy property or assault people based on hatred. They have online sleuths who cross-reference information with reams of photographic and video evidence and share that with authorities.&nbsp;

The group recently dug into Patriot Front marches in Boston and Philadelphia, he said, and helped head off another one in Idaho.&nbsp;

He said the group’s efforts are modeled after the work of Marine Corps Gen. Smedley Butler, who led veterans in the 1930s investigating an effort by domestic extremists to depose President Franklin D. Roosevelt and replace him with a leader of their choosing.

The group’s aim, he said, is transparency and accountability for extremists.

“Our objective is to help people understand that when you fight back against hate, you do it as part of the community,” he said. “We get our best reviews from the Nazis,” he said. “They call us Republican Antifa (an anti-fascist).”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699978241766.jpeg" alt=" The online promotion for a visit to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln by Kristofer Goldsmith, founder of Task Force Butler, a group of veterans that push back against white supremacist movements. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska-Lincoln)" />
 <figcaption> The online promotion for a visit to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln by Kristofer Goldsmith, founder of Task Force Butler, a group of veterans that push back against white supremacist movements. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska-Lincoln)</figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/13/leader-of-veterans-group-targeting-neo-nazis-set-to-speak-at-unl/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The leader of a veterans group that works to undermine white supremacist organizations and their influence on politics and members of the military is visiting the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Tuesday Nov. 14 for a lecture.Kristofer Goldsmith, an Iraq War veteran and former Army sergeant, told the Nebraska Examiner that his goal in speaking to the Harris Center for Judaic Studies is to help people learn what they can do to fight back.He doesn’t expect every mom-and-pop Nebraskan or every college student to join an organization like his Task Force Butler, which identifies neo-Nazi groups such as the Patriot Front and helps law enforcement agencies prosecute them using open-source investigations.&nbsp;But the Sept. 11 ethos of “see something, say something” can be applied in the fight against supremacists, too, Goldsmith said. The group created a checklist for how to help, including ways to document and report property damage and assaults to the FBI.<h2>Extremist threat</h2>The threat is real, he and others studying extremist movements say. Modern white supremacists take Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” and Mussolini’s writings and “apply an Instagram filter to them.” He said such groups create new “climates of fear” and want to “undermine democracy.”&nbsp;&nbsp;“Back in the day, if a neo-Nazi wanted to recruit, they had to go to the corner and protest and hand out lit (literature) and hope they didn’t get punched in the face,” he said. “Now they can promote the same propaganda from anonymous posts and profiles online.”One challenge of fighting fascist movements today, he said, is defining fascism.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://taskforcebutler.org/what-is-fascism">His group defines it</a>&nbsp;as the fetishization of power and the use of violence to quash opponents, demanding absolute loyalty and sharing a sense of grievance.He said he expects some attending the UNL event to ask about the recent political rhetoric of former President Donald Trump, who has threatened an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/22/trump-2025-radical-plan-second-term">ideological test for civil service jobs</a>&nbsp;and to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/05/trump-revenge-second-term/">investigate and jail and seek revenge</a>&nbsp;against his political enemies.&nbsp;He expects others to ask about the indictments of Trump. The former president faces state and federal criminal charges based on his business practices, his effort to reject the results of the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents.<h2>Changing the discussion</h2>Part of changing the dynamic is educating people about fascism, he said.Another part is working to recognize and draw more attention to online efforts directing harassment at people for their race, creed or sexual orientation, he said.&nbsp;His discussion will touch on Jan. 6, 2021, and the storming of the U.S. Capitol by people aiming to disrupt the counting of Electoral College votes. That day ratcheted up his group’s work with veterans, he said, because many of the people charged afterward were veterans.Research shows veterans are slightly less likely than the general public to embrace conspiracy theories, he said, but Task Force Butler investigates them because they are often effective leaders, for good or ill.&nbsp;“Veterans are targeted by extremist organizations for the same reason they are by JP Morgan Chase,” he said. “We bring credibility to any organization they are a part of.”<h2>Doing the work</h2>His group gathers evidence on the often-masked people who go out and destroy property or assault people based on hatred. They have online sleuths who cross-reference information with reams of photographic and video evidence and share that with authorities.&nbsp;The group recently dug into Patriot Front marches in Boston and Philadelphia, he said, and helped head off another one in Idaho.&nbsp;He said the group’s efforts are modeled after the work of Marine Corps Gen. Smedley Butler, who led veterans in the 1930s investigating an effort by domestic extremists to depose President Franklin D. Roosevelt and replace him with a leader of their choosing.The group’s aim, he said, is transparency and accountability for extremists.“Our objective is to help people understand that when you fight back against hate, you do it as part of the community,” he said. “We get our best reviews from the Nazis,” he said. “They call us Republican Antifa (an anti-fascist).”&nbsp;

Leader of veterans group targeting neo-Nazis set to speak at UNL

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration’s plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas calls for a “movable” design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement.

The plans for the nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) of new barrier in Starr County were made public in September when the federal government sought public input. The following month, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-wall-biden-immigration-texas-rio-grande-147d7ab497e6991e9ea929242f21ceb2">waived 26 federal laws</a>&nbsp;protecting the environment and certain species to speed up the construction process.

“The United States Border Patrol did not ask for this downgraded border wall," Rodney Scott, a former U.S. Border Patrol chief said.

Construction is moving forward despite President Joe Biden's campaign promise not to build&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-mexico-immigration-nancy-pelosi-0524645024b4ff1919aa35fc3f3e7db8">more wall</a>&nbsp;and amid an increase in migrants coming to the nation's southern border from across Latin America and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-emigration-us-mexico-border-darien-381c215ff30f0f2349c2ea118aa280c6">other parts of the world</a>&nbsp;to seek&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d">asylum</a>. Illegal crossings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-arrests-venezuela-mexico-a89f66759ac97c7ec62e4559af4e48a3">topped 2 million</a>&nbsp;for the second year in a row for the government’s budget year that ended Sept. 30.

People such as Scott who want more border security believe the barriers won't be strong enough to stop people from crossing illegally. Environmentalists, meanwhile, say the design actually poses a greater risk to animal habitat than former President Donald Trump’s border wall.

Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979">defended the administration's decision</a>&nbsp;by saying he had to use the Trump-era funding for it. The law requires the funding for the new barriers to be used as approved and for the construction to be completed in 2023.

Most barriers on the border were erected in the last 20 years under Trump and former President George W. Bush. Those sections of border wall include Normandy-style fencing that resembles big X's and bollard-style fencing made of upright steel posts.

Biden's barrier will be much shorter than the 18- to 30- foot (5.5 to 9-meter) concrete-filled steel bollard panels of Trump’s wall. It also could be temporary.

An example of the style of barrier his administration will use can be seen in Brownsville, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) southeast of Starr County. Metal bollards embedded into 4-foot-high (1.2-meter-high) cement blocks that taper toward the top sit along the southern part of a neighborhood not far from the curving Rio Grande.

Over the last year, the Rio Grande Valley region was the fourth-busiest area for the number of people crossing into the U.S. illegally, though it was the busiest in previous years.

With the design planned for Starr County, federal border agents will be able to move around the fencing, said Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents Starr County. “So it’s one of those things where if they want to direct traffic, they can move it.”

Scott agreed that the “moveable” fences can be used as an emergency stopgap measure to block off access in some areas. But he warned that if the fencing isn't placed far enough into the ground, someone might be able to use a vehicle to shove it out of the way, provided they don't mind damaging the vehicle.

Laiken Jordahl, a conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, said mountain lions, bobcats, javelinas, coyotes, white-tail deer, armadillos, jack rabbits, ground squirrels, and two endangered, federally protected plants — Zapata bladderpod and prostrate milkweed — may be affected.

Jordahl said the design the Biden administration is using “will block even the smallest species of animals from passing through the barrier.”

“The one advantage for making it shorter is, I guess if somebody falls while they’re climbing over it, they aren’t falling as far,” Scott Nicol, a board member of the Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, said.

Nicol, who lives in the Rio Grande Valley, is familiar with the type of barriers Biden's administration will use, the terrain, and the weather in Starr County. He is concerned about unintended consequences, particularly on the Rio Grande that separates U.S. and Mexico.

“You know, if Starr County gets hit by a big rainstorm and the water has to drain into the river, these walls — whether it’s the bollard walls or the Jersey barrier walls — are going to block the movement of that water and dam it up,” Nicol said.

Last month, the Center for Biological Diversity along with about 100 other organizations sent the U.S. government a letter pleading for reconsideration of environmental protection laws. To date, they have not received an answer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699711082093.png" alt="A truck passes through a section of border fence in Brownsville, Texas, on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. The Biden administration's plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border calls for a "movable" design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement. (AP Photo/Valerie Gonzalez)" />
 <figcaption>A truck passes through a section of border fence in Brownsville, Texas, on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. The Biden administration's plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border calls for a "movable" design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement. (AP Photo/Valerie Gonzalez)</figcaption>
 </figure>McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration’s plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas calls for a “movable” design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement.The plans for the nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) of new barrier in Starr County were made public in September when the federal government sought public input. The following month, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-wall-biden-immigration-texas-rio-grande-147d7ab497e6991e9ea929242f21ceb2">waived 26 federal laws</a>&nbsp;protecting the environment and certain species to speed up the construction process.“The United States Border Patrol did not ask for this downgraded border wall," Rodney Scott, a former U.S. Border Patrol chief said.Construction is moving forward despite President Joe Biden's campaign promise not to build&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-mexico-immigration-nancy-pelosi-0524645024b4ff1919aa35fc3f3e7db8">more wall</a>&nbsp;and amid an increase in migrants coming to the nation's southern border from across Latin America and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-emigration-us-mexico-border-darien-381c215ff30f0f2349c2ea118aa280c6">other parts of the world</a>&nbsp;to seek&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d">asylum</a>. Illegal crossings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-arrests-venezuela-mexico-a89f66759ac97c7ec62e4559af4e48a3">topped 2 million</a>&nbsp;for the second year in a row for the government’s budget year that ended Sept. 30.People such as Scott who want more border security believe the barriers won't be strong enough to stop people from crossing illegally. Environmentalists, meanwhile, say the design actually poses a greater risk to animal habitat than former President Donald Trump’s border wall.Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979">defended the administration's decision</a>&nbsp;by saying he had to use the Trump-era funding for it. The law requires the funding for the new barriers to be used as approved and for the construction to be completed in 2023.Most barriers on the border were erected in the last 20 years under Trump and former President George W. Bush. Those sections of border wall include Normandy-style fencing that resembles big X's and bollard-style fencing made of upright steel posts.Biden's barrier will be much shorter than the 18- to 30- foot (5.5 to 9-meter) concrete-filled steel bollard panels of Trump’s wall. It also could be temporary.An example of the style of barrier his administration will use can be seen in Brownsville, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) southeast of Starr County. Metal bollards embedded into 4-foot-high (1.2-meter-high) cement blocks that taper toward the top sit along the southern part of a neighborhood not far from the curving Rio Grande.Over the last year, the Rio Grande Valley region was the fourth-busiest area for the number of people crossing into the U.S. illegally, though it was the busiest in previous years.With the design planned for Starr County, federal border agents will be able to move around the fencing, said Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents Starr County. “So it’s one of those things where if they want to direct traffic, they can move it.”Scott agreed that the “moveable” fences can be used as an emergency stopgap measure to block off access in some areas. But he warned that if the fencing isn't placed far enough into the ground, someone might be able to use a vehicle to shove it out of the way, provided they don't mind damaging the vehicle.Laiken Jordahl, a conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, said mountain lions, bobcats, javelinas, coyotes, white-tail deer, armadillos, jack rabbits, ground squirrels, and two endangered, federally protected plants — Zapata bladderpod and prostrate milkweed — may be affected.Jordahl said the design the Biden administration is using “will block even the smallest species of animals from passing through the barrier.”“The one advantage for making it shorter is, I guess if somebody falls while they’re climbing over it, they aren’t falling as far,” Scott Nicol, a board member of the Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, said.Nicol, who lives in the Rio Grande Valley, is familiar with the type of barriers Biden's administration will use, the terrain, and the weather in Starr County. He is concerned about unintended consequences, particularly on the Rio Grande that separates U.S. and Mexico.“You know, if Starr County gets hit by a big rainstorm and the water has to drain into the river, these walls — whether it’s the bollard walls or the Jersey barrier walls — are going to block the movement of that water and dam it up,” Nicol said.Last month, the Center for Biological Diversity along with about 100 other organizations sent the U.S. government a letter pleading for reconsideration of environmental protection laws. To date, they have not received an answer.

Biden's movable wall criticized by those who want more border security

LONDON (AP) — Police in England arrested a man Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by a skate during a game.

Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers on Oct. 28 when he was struck by an opponent's skate blade in the Elite Ice Hockey League game at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.

South Yorkshire Police did not name the suspect or provide his age. He was in police custody.

Matt Petgrave, 31, who plays for Sheffield, was the other player involved in the grisly incident that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hockey-player-adam-johnson-dies-ab5b059012fe119cca2dfd12724f3156">reverberated around the hockey community</a>&nbsp;and led to moments of silence in the NHL.

Video of the incident shows Johnson skating with the puck toward the Steelers net. Petgrave skates toward Johnson and collides with another Panthers player. Petgrave's left skate kicks up as he begins to fall and the blade hits Johnson in the neck.

Both players land on the ice. Petgrave immediately got to his feet. Johnson rose more slowly and as he is helped off the ice, his jersey is covered in blood. He later died at a local hospital.

“Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive inquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said.

Fans had a moment of silence for Johnson at the Steelers next game and gave Petgrave, who didn't play in that game, a standing ovation.

Johnson was a Minnesota native who appeared in a total of 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

The English Ice Hockey Association, which governs the sport below the Elite League, reacted to Johnson's death by requiring all players in England to wear neck guards from the start of 2024.

LONDON (AP) — Police in England arrested a man Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by a skate during a game.Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers on Oct. 28 when he was struck by an opponent's skate blade in the Elite Ice Hockey League game at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.South Yorkshire Police did not name the suspect or provide his age. He was in police custody.Matt Petgrave, 31, who plays for Sheffield, was the other player involved in the grisly incident that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hockey-player-adam-johnson-dies-ab5b059012fe119cca2dfd12724f3156">reverberated around the hockey community</a>&nbsp;and led to moments of silence in the NHL.Video of the incident shows Johnson skating with the puck toward the Steelers net. Petgrave skates toward Johnson and collides with another Panthers player. Petgrave's left skate kicks up as he begins to fall and the blade hits Johnson in the neck.Both players land on the ice. Petgrave immediately got to his feet. Johnson rose more slowly and as he is helped off the ice, his jersey is covered in blood. He later died at a local hospital.“Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive inquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said.Fans had a moment of silence for Johnson at the Steelers next game and gave Petgrave, who didn't play in that game, a standing ovation.Johnson was a Minnesota native who appeared in a total of 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.The English Ice Hockey Association, which governs the sport below the Elite League, reacted to Johnson's death by requiring all players in England to wear neck guards from the start of 2024.

Manslaughter arrest in death of hockey player whose neck was cut with skate blade during game

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON — Congress on Monday appeared to be on the edge of approving another short-term government funding bill this week, though several hurdles remain if lawmakers want to stave off a partial government shutdown when the current funding law expires at the end of the week.

Democratic leaders and President Joe Biden expressed some skepticism about House Republicans’ so-called “laddered” stopgap spending bill on Monday, but they didn’t rule out voting for the measure that would fund parts of the government through mid-January and other programs through early February. Approving it would mean lawmakers could leave for the Thanksgiving holiday without an immediate spending crisis hanging over them.

The top three House Democrats — Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California — wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter they were “carefully evaluating the proposal.”

“While House Republicans have abandoned a laddered funding approach with multiple expiration dates, we remain concerned with the bifurcation of the continuing resolution in January and February 2024,” they wrote. “In addition, the failure of House Republicans to address the national security and domestic supplemental funding priorities of the American people is also troublesome.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, offered lukewarm comments about the stopgap spending bill that’s often referred to as a continuing resolution, or CR. It would avert a partial shutdown when the current CR ends on Friday at midnight.

“For now, I am pleased that Speaker Johnson seems to be moving in our direction by advancing a CR that does not include the highly partisan cuts that Democrats have warned against,” Schumer said, referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican.

“The speaker’s proposal is far from perfect, but the most important thing is that it refrains from making steep cuts, while also extending funding for Defense in the second tranche of bills in February, not the first in January,” he said.

Schumer noted there could be obstacles to getting the short-term funding bill out of the House, given growing opposition from far-right members of the House Republican Conference.

“The next few days will tell all in the House and I hope the speaker does not buckle to the loud voices on his hard right flank to add partisan cuts as the price for keeping the government open,” Schumer said.

Biden didn’t commit to signing or vetoing the short-term spending bill on Monday, saying he wants to see what happens.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, backed the House’s short-term spending bill, saying it would avoid a partial government shutdown from beginning just before Thanksgiving and allow Congress to keep working on must-pass legislation.

“There’s a lot of work left to do — aside from the remaining full-year appropriations bills, glaring national security priorities continue to demand our attention from Israel to Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific and of course our southern border.” McConnell said.

“House Republicans have produced a responsible measure that will keep the lights on, avoid a harmful lapse in government funding and provide the time and space to finish that important work,” McConnell added.

Johnson, facing his first real test of governing, on Saturday released the “laddered” spending bill that would fund some of the federal government through mid-January and the rest through early February.

That, in theory, could give Congress and the Biden administration more time to reach agreement on the dozen, full-year government funding bills that were supposed to become law by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1.

The 32-page&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/FY24CR2FINAL_xml%5B76%5D.pdf">stopgap spending bill</a>&nbsp;would provide funding until Jan. 19 for the departments and agencies within the Agriculture-FDA, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD spending bills.

The remaining federal programs funded in the other eight spending bills would be covered until Feb. 2. Those include the Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations bills.

The legislation would also extend many of the programs within the farm bill through Sept, 30, 2024, giving lawmakers significantly more time to work out a bipartisan version of the legislation that passes every five years.

The House could vote on the bill as soon as Tuesday, showing whether Democrats are willing to support the legislation.

Several House Republicans have already announced their opposition to the bill, including Ohio’s Warren Davidson, Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, Virginia’s Bob Good and Pennsylvania’s Scott Perry.

“I will not support a status quo that fails to acknowledge fiscal irresponsibility, and changes absolutely nothing while emboldening a do-nothing Senate and a fiscally illiterate President,” Perry wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Davidson wrote on X that the “current short-term funding proposal includes a 1-year extension of the Farm Bill (no reform), status quo policies, and status quo funding levels. Disappointing is as polite as I can muster. I will be voting NO.”

“Hopefully, the consensus will result in a more reasonable bill,” Davidson wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699976489623.png" alt="U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La.&nbsp; during a Tuesday press conference -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La.&nbsp; during a Tuesday press conference -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON — Congress on Monday appeared to be on the edge of approving another short-term government funding bill this week, though several hurdles remain if lawmakers want to stave off a partial government shutdown when the current funding law expires at the end of the week.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The two-step CR achieves the critical goal of avoiding a disastrous Christmas omnibus spending package. We are changing the way Washington works. <a href="https://t.co/6dvjYgcS6F">pic.twitter.com/6dvjYgcS6F</a>&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1724425911603245197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Democratic leaders and President Joe Biden expressed some skepticism about House Republicans’ so-called “laddered” stopgap spending bill on Monday, but they didn’t rule out voting for the measure that would fund parts of the government through mid-January and other programs through early February. Approving it would mean lawmakers could leave for the Thanksgiving holiday without an immediate spending crisis hanging over them.The top three House Democrats — Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California — wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter they were “carefully evaluating the proposal.”“While House Republicans have abandoned a laddered funding approach with multiple expiration dates, we remain concerned with the bifurcation of the continuing resolution in January and February 2024,” they wrote. “In addition, the failure of House Republicans to address the national security and domestic supplemental funding priorities of the American people is also troublesome.”Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, offered lukewarm comments about the stopgap spending bill that’s often referred to as a continuing resolution, or CR. It would avert a partial shutdown when the current CR ends on Friday at midnight.“For now, I am pleased that Speaker Johnson seems to be moving in our direction by advancing a CR that does not include the highly partisan cuts that Democrats have warned against,” Schumer said, referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican.“The speaker’s proposal is far from perfect, but the most important thing is that it refrains from making steep cuts, while also extending funding for Defense in the second tranche of bills in February, not the first in January,” he said.Schumer noted there could be obstacles to getting the short-term funding bill out of the House, given growing opposition from far-right members of the House Republican Conference.“The next few days will tell all in the House and I hope the speaker does not buckle to the loud voices on his hard right flank to add partisan cuts as the price for keeping the government open,” Schumer said.Biden didn’t commit to signing or vetoing the short-term spending bill on Monday, saying he wants to see what happens.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, backed the House’s short-term spending bill, saying it would avoid a partial government shutdown from beginning just before Thanksgiving and allow Congress to keep working on must-pass legislation.“There’s a lot of work left to do — aside from the remaining full-year appropriations bills, glaring national security priorities continue to demand our attention from Israel to Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific and of course our southern border.” McConnell said.“House Republicans have produced a responsible measure that will keep the lights on, avoid a harmful lapse in government funding and provide the time and space to finish that important work,” McConnell added.<h2>Spending bill has two new deadlines</h2>Johnson, facing his first real test of governing, on Saturday released the “laddered” spending bill that would fund some of the federal government through mid-January and the rest through early February.That, in theory, could give Congress and the Biden administration more time to reach agreement on the dozen, full-year government funding bills that were supposed to become law by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1.The 32-page&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/FY24CR2FINAL_xml%5B76%5D.pdf">stopgap spending bill</a>&nbsp;would provide funding until Jan. 19 for the departments and agencies within the Agriculture-FDA, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD spending bills.The remaining federal programs funded in the other eight spending bills would be covered until Feb. 2. Those include the Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations bills.The legislation would also extend many of the programs within the farm bill through Sept, 30, 2024, giving lawmakers significantly more time to work out a bipartisan version of the legislation that passes every five years.The House could vote on the bill as soon as Tuesday, showing whether Democrats are willing to support the legislation.Several House Republicans have already announced their opposition to the bill, including Ohio’s Warren Davidson, Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, Virginia’s Bob Good and Pennsylvania’s Scott Perry.“I will not support a status quo that fails to acknowledge fiscal irresponsibility, and changes absolutely nothing while emboldening a do-nothing Senate and a fiscally illiterate President,” Perry wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.Davidson wrote on X that the “current short-term funding proposal includes a 1-year extension of the Farm Bill (no reform), status quo policies, and status quo funding levels. Disappointing is as polite as I can muster. I will be voting NO.”“Hopefully, the consensus will result in a more reasonable bill,” Davidson wrote.

🎥Congress nears another government shutdown deadline is Friday at midnight

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/13/governor-orders-end-to-remote-work-directs-state-workers-back-to-offices/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen, stating that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, has ordered an end to remote work for state employees, directing them to return to their offices full time by Jan. 2.

But while Pillen characterized the move as fitting a “common sense expectation” that workers are most productive working together in an office, a state union official expressed fears that the move will hurt recruiting and retaining state employees at a time when many state agencies are short-staffed.

The most recent report on vacancies in state agencies showed more than 2,500 unfilled jobs as of Sept. 30.

Justin Hubly, the executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees (NAPE), which represents nearly 8,000 state workers, said that he’s aware of few problems with state workers toiling at home, or working “hybrid” hours split between a couple days a week at home and the rest at a work site.

Remote work, which increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, might have saved the state money, Hubly said, by reducing the “footprint” of state offices required — a contention one state agency said saved $500,000.

He said it is very appropriate for some jobs to be done remotel, such asy accounting and payroll supervision, that don’t require meeting the public.

“We’re still super short staffed,” he said. “I’m really fearful if we force people back, we’re going to lose a workforce.”

Pillen, in his executive order, said that the pandemic is over and that Nebraskans expect their leaders to “restore” the state’s workforce “to the posture it was prior to the pandemic.”

The executive order also appears to seek an end to flexible work schedules — something that is advertised on the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://statejobs.nebraska.gov/">statejobs.nebraska.gov website</a>&nbsp;as an advantage of working for the State of Nebraska.

“Say goodbye to burnout and hello to work-life balance with flexible work schedules,” says the webpage in pitching working for the state.

Pillen’s executive order states, ” … The regular work hours of all public servants employed by the State of Nebraska shall be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., each day except Saturdays, Sundays and (holidays).”

However, the executive order adds that agency heads can make individual exceptions to sustain “critical operations” in agencies with worker shortages, in the event office space is lacking, or when an employee’s regular work hours are outside of 8-to-5.

The Governor’s Office provided the results of state agency surveys of remote work done in August. For instance, the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance responded that 98% of its examiners, licensing and telephone answering workforce are allowed to work remotely one day out of a two-week period.

The Department of Administrative Services, which includes the state personnel division, responded that 20% of its 350 workers, along with two administrators, are on permanent remote or hybrid work status.

DAS said the remote work policy preceded the pandemic and was implemented to “maximize” leased office space by allowing the Department of Insurance to move into state-owned offices, saving $500,000 a year.

The agency included 2016 state guidelines for “telecommuting,” which stated it was an voluntary arrangement that was another alternative for meeting an agency’s needs. Co-locating teams of workers, the agency pointed out, also has it advantages.

Hubly said that remote work is a bargaining subject in the state union contract and that NAPE will decide whether it wants reopen bargaining on its contract now, given the directive.

He disagreed with the governor’s characterization that the “common sense expectation” of people was that workers were most productive at an office.

The expectation of taxpayers, Hubly said, is “that&nbsp;their public services are provided as efficiently as possible.”

Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/13/governor-orders-end-to-remote-work-directs-state-workers-back-to-offices/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen, stating that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, has ordered an end to remote work for state employees, directing them to return to their offices full time by Jan. 2.But while Pillen characterized the move as fitting a “common sense expectation” that workers are most productive working together in an office, a state union official expressed fears that the move will hurt recruiting and retaining state employees at a time when many state agencies are short-staffed.The most recent report on vacancies in state agencies showed more than 2,500 unfilled jobs as of Sept. 30.Justin Hubly, the executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees (NAPE), which represents nearly 8,000 state workers, said that he’s aware of few problems with state workers toiling at home, or working “hybrid” hours split between a couple days a week at home and the rest at a work site.Remote work, which increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, might have saved the state money, Hubly said, by reducing the “footprint” of state offices required — a contention one state agency said saved $500,000.He said it is very appropriate for some jobs to be done remotel, such asy accounting and payroll supervision, that don’t require meeting the public.“We’re still super short staffed,” he said. “I’m really fearful if we force people back, we’re going to lose a workforce.”Pillen, in his executive order, said that the pandemic is over and that Nebraskans expect their leaders to “restore” the state’s workforce “to the posture it was prior to the pandemic.”The executive order also appears to seek an end to flexible work schedules — something that is advertised on the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://statejobs.nebraska.gov/">statejobs.nebraska.gov website</a>&nbsp;as an advantage of working for the State of Nebraska.<h2>Website pitches flexible hours</h2>“Say goodbye to burnout and hello to work-life balance with flexible work schedules,” says the webpage in pitching working for the state.Pillen’s executive order states, ” … The regular work hours of all public servants employed by the State of Nebraska shall be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., each day except Saturdays, Sundays and (holidays).”However, the executive order adds that agency heads can make individual exceptions to sustain “critical operations” in agencies with worker shortages, in the event office space is lacking, or when an employee’s regular work hours are outside of 8-to-5.The Governor’s Office provided the results of state agency surveys of remote work done in August. For instance, the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance responded that 98% of its examiners, licensing and telephone answering workforce are allowed to work remotely one day out of a two-week period.The Department of Administrative Services, which includes the state personnel division, responded that 20% of its 350 workers, along with two administrators, are on permanent remote or hybrid work status.<h2>Telework saved $500,000 in office leases</h2>DAS said the remote work policy preceded the pandemic and was implemented to “maximize” leased office space by allowing the Department of Insurance to move into state-owned offices, saving $500,000 a year.The agency included 2016 state guidelines for “telecommuting,” which stated it was an voluntary arrangement that was another alternative for meeting an agency’s needs. Co-locating teams of workers, the agency pointed out, also has it advantages.Hubly said that remote work is a bargaining subject in the state union contract and that NAPE will decide whether it wants reopen bargaining on its contract now, given the directive.He disagreed with the governor’s characterization that the “common sense expectation” of people was that workers were most productive at an office.The expectation of taxpayers, Hubly said, is “that&nbsp;their public services are provided as efficiently as possible.”

Governor orders end to remote work, directs state workers back to offices

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court" target="_blank">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Monday adopted its first code of ethics, in the face of sustained criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/Code-of-Conduct-for-Justices_November_13_2023.pdf">Click here to read</a> the 15-page document

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24164533-supreme-court-code-of-conduct" target="_blank">The policy</a>, agreed to by all nine justices, does not appear to impose any significant new requirements on them, and, indeed, they said in an unsigned statement that they have long adhered to ethics standards.

“The absence of a Code, however, has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,” the justices wrote. “To dispel this misunderstanding, we are issuing this Code, which largely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.”

The code leaves compliance to the justices themselves and does not create any other means of enforcement.

The issue has vexed the court for several months, over a series of stories questioning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utXfYIM7kZI" target="_blank">the ethical practices of the justices</a>. Many of those stories focused on Justice Clarence Thomas and his failure to disclose travel and other financial ties with wealthy conservative donors including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-finances-justices-thomas-alito-08ec6e88a7c29c55c9d3991903ca0db7" target="_blank">Harlan Crow</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-secretly-attended-koch-brothers-donor-events-scotus" target="_blank">the Koch brothers</a>. But Justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alito-supreme-court-ethics-fishing-trip-thomas-924606543d555cdfc87595428fd7619c" target="_blank">Samuel Alito</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-sotomayor-book-sales-ethics-colleges-b2cb93493f927f995829762cb8338c02" target="_blank">Sonia Sotomayor</a>&nbsp;also have been under scrutiny.

Three justices,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-justice-amy-coney-barrett-ethics-9088cbf33256ff6995b740087f78c698" target="_blank">Amy Coney Barrett</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elena-kagan-supreme-court-oregon-ethics-4b70b05db01eabfee58fd245d75b8cbb" target="_blank">Elena Kagan</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-justice-kavanaugh-ethics-thomas-76c1e5474093d17127707535ccdea852" target="_blank">Brett Kavanaugh</a>, have voiced support for an ethics code in recent months. In May, Chief Justice John Roberts said there was more the court could do to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-john-roberts-ethics-5a3a356831e418140a7da78624718ef6" target="_blank">“adhere to the highest ethical standards,”</a>&nbsp;without providing any specifics.

Public trust in and approval of the court is hovering near record lows, according to a Gallup Poll released just before the court’s new term began on Oct. 2.

As recently as last week, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the justices could quiet some of the criticism and a Democratic push to impose an ethics code on the court by putting in place their own policy.

Durbin’s panel has been planning to subpoena Crow and conservative activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eea7dac688f0408b97be0ebf605a583e" target="_blank">Leonard Leo</a>&nbsp;about their roles in organizing and paying for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-clarence-thomas-ethics-trips-920da69fb952beaa69f84ad16562f60f" target="_blank">justices’ luxury travel</a>.

The committee has been investigating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-documents-conflicts-9fa2847e60e11601c872c3ba3eea12a3" target="_blank">the court’s ethics</a>&nbsp;and passed an ethics code, though all 10 Republicans on the panel voted against it.

Republicans complained that Democrats were mostly reacting to decisions they didn’t like from the conservative-dominated court,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0" target="_blank">including overturning the nationwide right to an abortion</a>.

The proposal would require that justices provide more information about potential conflicts of interest. It would allow impartial panels of judges to review justices’ decisions not to step aside from cases and require public, written explanations about their decisions not to recuse. It would also seek to improve transparency around gifts received by justices and set up a process to investigate and enforce violations around required disclosures. The Democratic bill had little prospect of becoming law in the Republican-controlled House, much less the closely divided Senate.

The push for an ethics code was jump-started by a series of stories by the investigative news site ProPublica detailing the relationship between Crow and Thomas. Crow has for more than two decades paid for nearly annual vacations, purchased from Thomas and others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-supreme-court-ethics-7e5d967b1174f224497e53955c55434f" target="_blank">the Georgia home</a>&nbsp;in which the justice’s mother still lives and helped pay for the private schooling for a relative.

ProPublica also reported on Alito’s Alaskan fishing trip with a GOP donor, travel that Leo helped arrange.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-donors-politics-4b6dc4ae23aac75d4fccb1bcff0b7e0b" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>&nbsp;that Sotomayor, aided by her staff, has advanced sales of her books through college visits over the past decade.

The court’s initial step on ethics, in the spring, did not mollify critics. Roberts declined an invitation from Durbin to testify before the Judiciary panel, but the chief justice provided a “Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices” signed by all nine justices that described the ethical rules they follow about travel, gifts and outside income.

The statement provided by Roberts said that the nine justices “reaffirm and restate foundational ethics principles and practices to which they subscribe in carrying out their responsibilities as Members of the Supreme Court of the United States.”

The statement promised at least some small additional disclosure when one or more among them opts not to take part in a case. But the justices have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-thomas-kagan-alito-a398a4093576eff1694dcfc3374b2a1a" target="_blank">inconsistent in doing so</a>&nbsp;since.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672235865420.png" alt="Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States" />
 <figcaption>Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court" target="_blank">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Monday adopted its first code of ethics, in the face of sustained criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/Code-of-Conduct-for-Justices_November_13_2023.pdf">Click here to read</a> the 15-page document<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24164533-supreme-court-code-of-conduct" target="_blank">The policy</a>, agreed to by all nine justices, does not appear to impose any significant new requirements on them, and, indeed, they said in an unsigned statement that they have long adhered to ethics standards.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699905899449.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“The absence of a Code, however, has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,” the justices wrote. “To dispel this misunderstanding, we are issuing this Code, which largely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.”The code leaves compliance to the justices themselves and does not create any other means of enforcement.The issue has vexed the court for several months, over a series of stories questioning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utXfYIM7kZI" target="_blank">the ethical practices of the justices</a>. Many of those stories focused on Justice Clarence Thomas and his failure to disclose travel and other financial ties with wealthy conservative donors including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-finances-justices-thomas-alito-08ec6e88a7c29c55c9d3991903ca0db7" target="_blank">Harlan Crow</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-secretly-attended-koch-brothers-donor-events-scotus" target="_blank">the Koch brothers</a>. But Justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alito-supreme-court-ethics-fishing-trip-thomas-924606543d555cdfc87595428fd7619c" target="_blank">Samuel Alito</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-sotomayor-book-sales-ethics-colleges-b2cb93493f927f995829762cb8338c02" target="_blank">Sonia Sotomayor</a>&nbsp;also have been under scrutiny.Three justices,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-justice-amy-coney-barrett-ethics-9088cbf33256ff6995b740087f78c698" target="_blank">Amy Coney Barrett</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elena-kagan-supreme-court-oregon-ethics-4b70b05db01eabfee58fd245d75b8cbb" target="_blank">Elena Kagan</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-justice-kavanaugh-ethics-thomas-76c1e5474093d17127707535ccdea852" target="_blank">Brett Kavanaugh</a>, have voiced support for an ethics code in recent months. In May, Chief Justice John Roberts said there was more the court could do to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-john-roberts-ethics-5a3a356831e418140a7da78624718ef6" target="_blank">“adhere to the highest ethical standards,”</a>&nbsp;without providing any specifics.Public trust in and approval of the court is hovering near record lows, according to a Gallup Poll released just before the court’s new term began on Oct. 2.As recently as last week, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the justices could quiet some of the criticism and a Democratic push to impose an ethics code on the court by putting in place their own policy.Durbin’s panel has been planning to subpoena Crow and conservative activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eea7dac688f0408b97be0ebf605a583e" target="_blank">Leonard Leo</a>&nbsp;about their roles in organizing and paying for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-clarence-thomas-ethics-trips-920da69fb952beaa69f84ad16562f60f" target="_blank">justices’ luxury travel</a>.The committee has been investigating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-documents-conflicts-9fa2847e60e11601c872c3ba3eea12a3" target="_blank">the court’s ethics</a>&nbsp;and passed an ethics code, though all 10 Republicans on the panel voted against it.Republicans complained that Democrats were mostly reacting to decisions they didn’t like from the conservative-dominated court,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0" target="_blank">including overturning the nationwide right to an abortion</a>.The proposal would require that justices provide more information about potential conflicts of interest. It would allow impartial panels of judges to review justices’ decisions not to step aside from cases and require public, written explanations about their decisions not to recuse. It would also seek to improve transparency around gifts received by justices and set up a process to investigate and enforce violations around required disclosures. The Democratic bill had little prospect of becoming law in the Republican-controlled House, much less the closely divided Senate.ADVERTISEMENTThe push for an ethics code was jump-started by a series of stories by the investigative news site ProPublica detailing the relationship between Crow and Thomas. Crow has for more than two decades paid for nearly annual vacations, purchased from Thomas and others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-supreme-court-ethics-7e5d967b1174f224497e53955c55434f" target="_blank">the Georgia home</a>&nbsp;in which the justice’s mother still lives and helped pay for the private schooling for a relative.ProPublica also reported on Alito’s Alaskan fishing trip with a GOP donor, travel that Leo helped arrange.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-donors-politics-4b6dc4ae23aac75d4fccb1bcff0b7e0b" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>&nbsp;that Sotomayor, aided by her staff, has advanced sales of her books through college visits over the past decade.The court’s initial step on ethics, in the spring, did not mollify critics. Roberts declined an invitation from Durbin to testify before the Judiciary panel, but the chief justice provided a “Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices” signed by all nine justices that described the ethical rules they follow about travel, gifts and outside income.The statement provided by Roberts said that the nine justices “reaffirm and restate foundational ethics principles and practices to which they subscribe in carrying out their responsibilities as Members of the Supreme Court of the United States.”The statement promised at least some small additional disclosure when one or more among them opts not to take part in a case. But the justices have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-thomas-kagan-alito-a398a4093576eff1694dcfc3374b2a1a" target="_blank">inconsistent in doing so</a>&nbsp;since.

Read the Supreme Court's new code of conduct

WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. health officials are warning doctors to be on the lookout for possible cases of lead poisoning in children after at least 22 toddlers in 14 states were sickened by lead linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lead-fruit-pouch-recall-schnucks-fda-ff3ade3e5032357e922d6036cff81c8c">tainted pouches</a>&nbsp;of cinnamon apple puree and applesauce.

Children ages 1 to 3 were affected, and at least one child showed a blood lead level eight times higher than the level that raises concern, the&nbsp;<a href="https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2023/han00500.asp?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_511-DM117142&amp;ACSTrackingLabel=HAN%20500%20-%20General%20Public&amp;deliveryName=USCDC_511-DM117142">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>&nbsp;said.

There’s no safe level of lead exposure, but the CDC uses a marker of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to identify children with higher levels than most. The affected children's blood lead levels ranged from 4 to 29 micrograms per deciliter.

The reported symptoms included headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, a change in activity level and anemia.

The illnesses are part of an outbreak tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-cinnamon-applesauce-pouches-november-2023?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">recalled pouches</a>&nbsp;of fruit puree marketed to kids from the brands WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree and Schnucks and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches. The products were sold in stores and online.

Parents and caregivers should not buy or serve the products, and kids who may have eaten them should be tested for lead levels. Children who are affected may show no symptoms, experts said.

Lead exposure can lead to serious learning and behavior problems. Heavy metals like lead can get into food products from soil, air, water or industrial processes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The CDC said there were cases in the following states as of Nov. 7: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699279077387.png" alt="Image FDA" />
 <figcaption>Image FDA</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. health officials are warning doctors to be on the lookout for possible cases of lead poisoning in children after at least 22 toddlers in 14 states were sickened by lead linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lead-fruit-pouch-recall-schnucks-fda-ff3ade3e5032357e922d6036cff81c8c">tainted pouches</a>&nbsp;of cinnamon apple puree and applesauce.Children ages 1 to 3 were affected, and at least one child showed a blood lead level eight times higher than the level that raises concern, the&nbsp;<a href="https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2023/han00500.asp?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_511-DM117142&amp;ACSTrackingLabel=HAN%20500%20-%20General%20Public&amp;deliveryName=USCDC_511-DM117142">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>&nbsp;said.There’s no safe level of lead exposure, but the CDC uses a marker of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to identify children with higher levels than most. The affected children's blood lead levels ranged from 4 to 29 micrograms per deciliter.The reported symptoms included headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, a change in activity level and anemia.The illnesses are part of an outbreak tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-cinnamon-applesauce-pouches-november-2023?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">recalled pouches</a>&nbsp;of fruit puree marketed to kids from the brands WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree and Schnucks and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches. The products were sold in stores and online.Parents and caregivers should not buy or serve the products, and kids who may have eaten them should be tested for lead levels. Children who are affected may show no symptoms, experts said.Lead exposure can lead to serious learning and behavior problems. Heavy metals like lead can get into food products from soil, air, water or industrial processes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.The CDC said there were cases in the following states as of Nov. 7: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.___

More children sickened by lead in tainted applesauce pouches

WASHINGTON (AP) — The congressional delegations from Nebraska and Iowa have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=159D3F35-9120-49E6-833A-71850F8885BC">thrown their support behind legislation</a>&nbsp;that would return land to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska that the federal government took decades ago but never developed.

The Army Corps of Engineers took the roughly 2.5-square-mile (6.5-square-kilometer) tract of land along the Missouri River in Iowa in 1970 through eminent domain for a recreation project, but it was never built. The tribe has been trying to get it back.

“The Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to condemn and seize land from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska was a classic case of government overreach," Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, of Nebraska, said in a statement last week. "My colleagues in the Nebraska and Iowa delegations and I want to see this wrong corrected, and the land returned to the Winnebago people.”

In recent years,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-forests-california-native-americans-00156ebf0d5a16eea463b3944e828e8b">some tribes</a>&nbsp;in the U.S., Canada and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-environment-and-nature-australia-forests-5627215be2449e56c8623cf3bb75b2a9">Australia</a>&nbsp;have gotten their rights to ancestral lands restored with the growth of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-sacramento-gavin-newsom-climate-and-environment-government-politics-f3a37f53129ef43ffd60f9b58506247b">Land Back movement</a>, which seeks to return land to Indigenous people. Minnesota is in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-native-american-land-back-b09c0dc8dd6289a1545684e04599f94f">process of returning</a>&nbsp;to the Upper Sioux Community tribe part of a state park that holds secret burial sites of the Dakota people.

The U.S. federal government has never transferred a national park to a tribal nation, but several are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-business-environment-native-americans-parks-4f39c7980c9f8ec9bef96e1ad2116ace">co-managed with tribes,</a>&nbsp;including Grand Portage National Monument in northern Minnesota, Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona and Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska.

The land that would be returned to the Winnebago Tribe if the legislation passes was originally part of the reservation created for the tribe in northeastern Nebraska by a treaty in 1865. Part of the land wound up in Iowa because the Missouri River has shifted west over the years.

Another parcel of land on the Nebraska side of the river that was taken at the same time has already been returned to the tribe, but the Iowa land remains in the federal government's hands. Neither the Corps nor the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which has been managing the land, objects to returning the land to the tribe, which should help clear the path for the proposal to pass.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The congressional delegations from Nebraska and Iowa have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=159D3F35-9120-49E6-833A-71850F8885BC">thrown their support behind legislation</a>&nbsp;that would return land to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska that the federal government took decades ago but never developed.The Army Corps of Engineers took the roughly 2.5-square-mile (6.5-square-kilometer) tract of land along the Missouri River in Iowa in 1970 through eminent domain for a recreation project, but it was never built. The tribe has been trying to get it back.“The Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to condemn and seize land from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska was a classic case of government overreach," Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, of Nebraska, said in a statement last week. "My colleagues in the Nebraska and Iowa delegations and I want to see this wrong corrected, and the land returned to the Winnebago people.”In recent years,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-forests-california-native-americans-00156ebf0d5a16eea463b3944e828e8b">some tribes</a>&nbsp;in the U.S., Canada and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-environment-and-nature-australia-forests-5627215be2449e56c8623cf3bb75b2a9">Australia</a>&nbsp;have gotten their rights to ancestral lands restored with the growth of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-sacramento-gavin-newsom-climate-and-environment-government-politics-f3a37f53129ef43ffd60f9b58506247b">Land Back movement</a>, which seeks to return land to Indigenous people. Minnesota is in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-native-american-land-back-b09c0dc8dd6289a1545684e04599f94f">process of returning</a>&nbsp;to the Upper Sioux Community tribe part of a state park that holds secret burial sites of the Dakota people.The U.S. federal government has never transferred a national park to a tribal nation, but several are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-business-environment-native-americans-parks-4f39c7980c9f8ec9bef96e1ad2116ace">co-managed with tribes,</a>&nbsp;including Grand Portage National Monument in northern Minnesota, Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona and Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska.The land that would be returned to the Winnebago Tribe if the legislation passes was originally part of the reservation created for the tribe in northeastern Nebraska by a treaty in 1865. Part of the land wound up in Iowa because the Missouri River has shifted west over the years.Another parcel of land on the Nebraska side of the river that was taken at the same time has already been returned to the tribe, but the Iowa land remains in the federal government's hands. Neither the Corps nor the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which has been managing the land, objects to returning the land to the tribe, which should help clear the path for the proposal to pass.

Congressional delegations back bill that would return land to Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;unveiled his proposal on Saturday to avoid a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-e7d934001b1e00817deb8f33a2b6852f">partial government shutdown</a>&nbsp;by extending government funding for some agencies and programs until Jan. 19 and continuing funding for others until Feb. 2.

<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20231113/FY24CR2FINAL_xml[76].pdf">Click here to read</a> the bill

The approach is unusual for a stopgap spending bill. Usually, lawmakers extend funding until a certain date for all programs. Johnson decided to go with the combination approach, addressing concerns from GOP lawmakers seeking to avoid being presented with a massive spending bill just before the holidays.

“This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories," Johnson said in a statement after speaking with GOP lawmakers in an afternoon conference call. “The bill will stop the absurd holiday-season omnibus tradition of massive, loaded up spending bills introduced right before the Christmas recess."

The bill excludes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">funding requested by President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;for Israel, Ukraine and the U.S. border with Mexico. Johnson said separating Biden's request for an emergency supplemental bill from the temporary, stopgap measure “places our conference in the best position to fight for fiscal responsibility, oversight over Ukraine aid, and meaningful policy changes at our Southern border.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mike-johnson-conservatives-republicans-92b118abced14e4b221f3ab0daf4e757">Hardline conservatives</a>, usually loathe to support temporary spending measures of any sort, had indicated they would give Johnson some leeway to pass legislation, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, to give Congress more time to negotiate a long-term agreement.

But some were critical in their reactions following the conference call.

"My opposition to the clean CR just announced by the Speaker to the @HouseGOP cannot be overstated," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, tweeted on X. “Funding Pelosi level spending &amp; policies for 75 days - for future ‘promises.’”

The White House, meanwhile, panned the plan as “unserious,” unworkable and a threat to national security and domestic programs.

"This proposal is just a recipe for more Republican chaos and more shutdowns—full stop," said press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, pointing to opposition from members of both parties. “House Republicans need to stop wasting time on their own political divisions, do their jobs, and work in a bipartisan way to prevent a shutdown.”

The federal government is operating under funding levels approved last year by a Democratic-led House and Senate. Facing a government shutdown when the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, Congress passed a 47-day continuing resolution, but the fallout was severe. Kevin McCarthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20Speaker%20Kevin,its%20Republican%20leadership%20into%20chaos.">was booted</a>&nbsp;from the speakership days later, and the House was effectively paralyzed for most of the month while Republicans tried to elect a replacement.

Republicans eventually were unanimous in electing Johnson speaker, but his elevation has hardly eased the dynamic that led to McCarthy’s removal — a conference torn on policy as well as how much to spend on federal programs. This past week, Republicans had to pull two spending bills from the floor — one to fund transportation and housing programs and the other to fund the Treasury Department, Small Business Administration and other agencies — because they didn’t have the votes in their own party to push them through the House.

A document explaining Johnson’s proposal to House Republicans, obtained by The Associated Press, said funding for four spending bills would be extended until Jan. 19. Veterans programs, and bills dealing with transportation, housing, agriculture and energy, would be part of that extension.

Funding for the eight other spending bills, which include defense, the State Department, Homeland Security and other government agencies would be extended until Feb. 2.

The document sent to GOP lawmakers and key staff states that Johnson inherited a budget mess. He took office less than three weeks ago and immediately began considering appropriations bills through regular order. Still, with just days remaining before a shutdown, a continuing resolution is now required.

Underscoring the concerns about the possibility of a shutdown, the credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on the U.S. government’s debt on Friday to “negative” from “stable,” citing the cost of rising interest rates and political polarization in Congress.

House Republicans pointed to the national debt, now exceeding $33 trillion, for Moody's decision. Analysts have warned that with interest rates heading higher, interest costs on the national debt will eat up a rising share of tax revenue.

Johnson said in reaction to the Moody's announcement that House Republicans are committed to working in a bipartisan fashion for fiscal restraint, beginning with the introduction of a debt commission.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;unveiled his proposal on Saturday to avoid a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-e7d934001b1e00817deb8f33a2b6852f">partial government shutdown</a>&nbsp;by extending government funding for some agencies and programs until Jan. 19 and continuing funding for others until Feb. 2.<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20231113/FY24CR2FINAL_xml[76].pdf">Click here to read</a> the bill<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This proposal is just a recipe for more Republican chaos and more shutdowns—full stop. <a href="https://t.co/1ZlXFPLrPj">https://t.co/1ZlXFPLrPj</a>&mdash; Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1723534629796290838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The approach is unusual for a stopgap spending bill. Usually, lawmakers extend funding until a certain date for all programs. Johnson decided to go with the combination approach, addressing concerns from GOP lawmakers seeking to avoid being presented with a massive spending bill just before the holidays.“This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories," Johnson said in a statement after speaking with GOP lawmakers in an afternoon conference call. “The bill will stop the absurd holiday-season omnibus tradition of massive, loaded up spending bills introduced right before the Christmas recess."The bill excludes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">funding requested by President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;for Israel, Ukraine and the U.S. border with Mexico. Johnson said separating Biden's request for an emergency supplemental bill from the temporary, stopgap measure “places our conference in the best position to fight for fiscal responsibility, oversight over Ukraine aid, and meaningful policy changes at our Southern border.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mike-johnson-conservatives-republicans-92b118abced14e4b221f3ab0daf4e757">Hardline conservatives</a>, usually loathe to support temporary spending measures of any sort, had indicated they would give Johnson some leeway to pass legislation, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, to give Congress more time to negotiate a long-term agreement.But some were critical in their reactions following the conference call."My opposition to the clean CR just announced by the Speaker to the @HouseGOP cannot be overstated," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, tweeted on X. “Funding Pelosi level spending &amp; policies for 75 days - for future ‘promises.’”The White House, meanwhile, panned the plan as “unserious,” unworkable and a threat to national security and domestic programs."This proposal is just a recipe for more Republican chaos and more shutdowns—full stop," said press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, pointing to opposition from members of both parties. “House Republicans need to stop wasting time on their own political divisions, do their jobs, and work in a bipartisan way to prevent a shutdown.”The federal government is operating under funding levels approved last year by a Democratic-led House and Senate. Facing a government shutdown when the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, Congress passed a 47-day continuing resolution, but the fallout was severe. Kevin McCarthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20Speaker%20Kevin,its%20Republican%20leadership%20into%20chaos.">was booted</a>&nbsp;from the speakership days later, and the House was effectively paralyzed for most of the month while Republicans tried to elect a replacement.Republicans eventually were unanimous in electing Johnson speaker, but his elevation has hardly eased the dynamic that led to McCarthy’s removal — a conference torn on policy as well as how much to spend on federal programs. This past week, Republicans had to pull two spending bills from the floor — one to fund transportation and housing programs and the other to fund the Treasury Department, Small Business Administration and other agencies — because they didn’t have the votes in their own party to push them through the House.A document explaining Johnson’s proposal to House Republicans, obtained by The Associated Press, said funding for four spending bills would be extended until Jan. 19. Veterans programs, and bills dealing with transportation, housing, agriculture and energy, would be part of that extension.Funding for the eight other spending bills, which include defense, the State Department, Homeland Security and other government agencies would be extended until Feb. 2.The document sent to GOP lawmakers and key staff states that Johnson inherited a budget mess. He took office less than three weeks ago and immediately began considering appropriations bills through regular order. Still, with just days remaining before a shutdown, a continuing resolution is now required.Underscoring the concerns about the possibility of a shutdown, the credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on the U.S. government’s debt on Friday to “negative” from “stable,” citing the cost of rising interest rates and political polarization in Congress.House Republicans pointed to the national debt, now exceeding $33 trillion, for Moody's decision. Analysts have warned that with interest rates heading higher, interest costs on the national debt will eat up a rising share of tax revenue.Johnson said in reaction to the Moody's announcement that House Republicans are committed to working in a bipartisan fashion for fiscal restraint, beginning with the introduction of a debt commission.

Government shutdown showdown: Read the unique GOP plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secret Service agents protecting President Joe Biden’s granddaughter opened fire after three people tried to break into an unmarked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-secret-service" target="_blank">Secret Service</a>&nbsp;vehicle in the nation’s capital, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

The agents, assigned to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-weddings-government-and-politics-0891f4680200675263b158a9dddfb0c3" target="_blank">Naomi Biden</a>, were out with her in the Georgetown neighborhood late Sunday night when they saw the three people breaking a window of the parked and unoccupied SUV, the official said. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on Monday on the condition of anonymity.

One of the agents opened fire, but no one was struck by the gunfire, the Secret Service said in a statement. The three people were seen fleeing in a red car, and the Secret Service said it put out a regional bulletin to Metropolitan Police to be on the lookout for it.

Washington has seen a significant rise in the number of carjackings and car thefts this year. Police have reported more than 750 carjackings this year and more than 6,000 reports of stolen vehicles in the district. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-henry-cuellar-carjacking-capitol-texas-87eddb457f20ec614fbb473115480987" target="_blank">carjacked near the Capitol</a>&nbsp;last month by three armed assailants, who stole his car but didn’t physically harm him.

Violent crime in Washington has also been on the rise this year, up more than 40% compared with last year. In February, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congresswoman-angie-craig-assault-minnesota-4f6bcfe0dea259dbc5bd4a243351e43a" target="_blank">assaulted in her apartment building</a>, suffering bruises while escaping serious injury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689281802758.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Secret Service agents protecting President Joe Biden’s granddaughter opened fire after three people tried to break into an unmarked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-secret-service" target="_blank">Secret Service</a>&nbsp;vehicle in the nation’s capital, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.The agents, assigned to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-weddings-government-and-politics-0891f4680200675263b158a9dddfb0c3" target="_blank">Naomi Biden</a>, were out with her in the Georgetown neighborhood late Sunday night when they saw the three people breaking a window of the parked and unoccupied SUV, the official said. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on Monday on the condition of anonymity.One of the agents opened fire, but no one was struck by the gunfire, the Secret Service said in a statement. The three people were seen fleeing in a red car, and the Secret Service said it put out a regional bulletin to Metropolitan Police to be on the lookout for it.Washington has seen a significant rise in the number of carjackings and car thefts this year. Police have reported more than 750 carjackings this year and more than 6,000 reports of stolen vehicles in the district. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-henry-cuellar-carjacking-capitol-texas-87eddb457f20ec614fbb473115480987" target="_blank">carjacked near the Capitol</a>&nbsp;last month by three armed assailants, who stole his car but didn’t physically harm him.Violent crime in Washington has also been on the rise this year, up more than 40% compared with last year. In February, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congresswoman-angie-craig-assault-minnesota-4f6bcfe0dea259dbc5bd4a243351e43a" target="_blank">assaulted in her apartment building</a>, suffering bruises while escaping serious injury.

Secret Service for Biden's granddaughter fired gun on suspect

Lincoln, NE ‐ November 13, 2023 ‐ One lucky player who bought a Nebraska Pick 5 ticket for the Saturday, November 11 drawing is holding a ticket worth $310,000.

The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Saturday's Nebraska Pick 5 draw matched all five winning numbers for the $310,000 jackpot. The ticket was sold at Pump &amp; Pantry #32, 604 E Hwy 30, in Cozad. The winning numbers from Saturday's Nebraska Pick 5 draw were 07, 18, 35, 36, 38. Players are encouraged to check their tickets at any Nebraska Lottery retailer, online at&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling the Lottery office at 402-471-6100.

Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website,&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling 800-587-5200.

Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska's unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers. The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $10,000 each drawing that it is not won, are 1 in 658,008. The overall odds of winning any Nebraska Pick 5 prize which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 9.2.

Neil WatsonLincoln, NE ‐ November 13, 2023 ‐ One lucky player who bought a Nebraska Pick 5 ticket for the Saturday, November 11 drawing is holding a ticket worth $310,000.The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Saturday's Nebraska Pick 5 draw matched all five winning numbers for the $310,000 jackpot. The ticket was sold at Pump &amp; Pantry #32, 604 E Hwy 30, in Cozad. The winning numbers from Saturday's Nebraska Pick 5 draw were 07, 18, 35, 36, 38. Players are encouraged to check their tickets at any Nebraska Lottery retailer, online at&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling the Lottery office at 402-471-6100.Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website,&nbsp;<a href="http://nelottery.com/" target="_blank">nelottery.com</a>, or by calling 800-587-5200.Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska's unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers. The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $10,000 each drawing that it is not won, are 1 in 658,008. The overall odds of winning any Nebraska Pick 5 prize which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 9.2.ADVERTISING

$310,000 Nebraska Pick 5 Winning Ticket Sold in Cozad

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military conducted airstrikes on two locations in eastern Syria involving Iranian-backed groups, hitting a training location and a weapons facility, according to the Pentagon and U.S. officials. It marks the third time in a bit more than two weeks that the U.S. has retaliated against the militants for what has been a growing number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-navy-warship-missiles-intercepted-2f5fc9c8a3737f762b29d5c53ec08a5b" target="_blank">attacks on bases housing U.S. troops</a>&nbsp;in Iraq and Syria.

In a statement, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes targeted sites near Abukama and Mayadin and were used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as well as Iran-backed militias.

“The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” Austin said.

A U.S. official said one site also included weapons storage. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of a military operation.

The militant groups, many operating under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, have carried out nearly 50 attacks since Oct. 17 on bases housing U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria.

That was the day a powerful explosion rocked a Gaza hospital, killing hundreds and triggering protests in a number of Muslim nations. The Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2" target="_blank">devastating Hamas rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7</a>. And a number of groups have vowed retaliation against the U.S. for backing Israel in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">war against Hamas</a>.

According to the Pentagon, about 56 U.S. personnel have been injured in the attacks in Syria and Iraq, but all have returned to duty. Their injuries are a combination of traumatic brain injury and other minor wounds.

<a href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&amp;utm_source=associatedpress-apnews&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=rec-reel-2n5-a-2:Mid%20Article%20Reco%20Reel%20Slider:" target="_blank">by Taboola&nbsp;</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military conducted airstrikes on two locations in eastern Syria involving Iranian-backed groups, hitting a training location and a weapons facility, according to the Pentagon and U.S. officials. It marks the third time in a bit more than two weeks that the U.S. has retaliated against the militants for what has been a growing number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-navy-warship-missiles-intercepted-2f5fc9c8a3737f762b29d5c53ec08a5b" target="_blank">attacks on bases housing U.S. troops</a>&nbsp;in Iraq and Syria.In a statement, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes targeted sites near Abukama and Mayadin and were used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as well as Iran-backed militias.“The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” Austin said.ADVERTISEMENTA U.S. official said one site also included weapons storage. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of a military operation.The militant groups, many operating under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, have carried out nearly 50 attacks since Oct. 17 on bases housing U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria.That was the day a powerful explosion rocked a Gaza hospital, killing hundreds and triggering protests in a number of Muslim nations. The Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2" target="_blank">devastating Hamas rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7</a>. And a number of groups have vowed retaliation against the U.S. for backing Israel in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">war against Hamas</a>.According to the Pentagon, about 56 U.S. personnel have been injured in the attacks in Syria and Iraq, but all have returned to duty. Their injuries are a combination of traumatic brain injury and other minor wounds.<a href="https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&amp;utm_source=associatedpress-apnews&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=rec-reel-2n5-a-2:Mid%20Article%20Reco%20Reel%20Slider:" target="_blank">by Taboola&nbsp;</a>

US launches additional airstrikes on Iran-backed groups in Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) — The credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on the U.S. government’s debt on Friday to “negative” from “stable,” citing the cost of rising interest rates and political polarization in Congress.

Moody’s retained its top triple-A credit rating on U.S. government debt, though it is the last of the three major credit rating agencies to do so. Fitch Ratings lowered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/credit-rating-downgrade-deficit-68fb6c578190d8361b6639e603714e5a" target="_blank">its rating to AA+ from AAA in August</a>, and Standard &amp; Poor’s downgraded the U.S. in 2011. A reduced outlook, however, raises the risk that Moody’s could eventually strip its triple-A rating from the U.S. as well.

A lower rating on U.S. debt could cost taxpayers if it leads borrowers to demand higher interest rates on Treasury bills and notes. The yield on the 10-year Treasury has risen significantly since July, from about 3.9% to 4.6% Friday, an unusually sharp rise.

Some market analysts have said the August Fitch downgrade may have contributed to that increase, though most point to other factors as bigger drivers, such as the Federal Reserve’s commitment to keeping its benchmark rate at a 22-year high to battle inflation.

“In the context of higher interest rates, without effective fiscal policy measures to reduce government spending or increase revenues, Moody’s expects that the U.S.'s fiscal deficits will remain very large, significantly weakening debt affordability,” the agency said in a statement.

The Biden administration criticized Moody’s decision.

“While the statement by Moody’s maintains the United States’ Aaa rating, we disagree with the shift to a negative outlook,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said. “The American economy remains strong, and Treasury securities are the world’s preeminent safe and liquid asset.”

The federal government’s budget deficit jumped to $1.7 trillion in the budget year that ended Sept. 30, up from $1.38 trillion the previous year. Analysts have warned that with interest rates heading higher, interest costs on the national debt will eat up a rising share of tax revenue.

Separately, congressional lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-e7d934001b1e00817deb8f33a2b6852f" target="_blank">left Washington for the weekend</a>&nbsp;without a plan to avoid a potential government shutdown that could occur by Nov. 17. Moody’s cited congressional dysfunction as one reason it lowered its outlook on U.S. debt.

“Recently, multiple events have illustrated the depth of political divisions in the U.S.: Renewed debt limit brinkmanship, the first ouster of a House Speaker in U.S. history, prolonged inability of Congress to select a new House Speaker, and increased threats of another partial government shutdown,” Moody’s said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on the U.S. government’s debt on Friday to “negative” from “stable,” citing the cost of rising interest rates and political polarization in Congress.Moody’s retained its top triple-A credit rating on U.S. government debt, though it is the last of the three major credit rating agencies to do so. Fitch Ratings lowered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/credit-rating-downgrade-deficit-68fb6c578190d8361b6639e603714e5a" target="_blank">its rating to AA+ from AAA in August</a>, and Standard &amp; Poor’s downgraded the U.S. in 2011. A reduced outlook, however, raises the risk that Moody’s could eventually strip its triple-A rating from the U.S. as well.A lower rating on U.S. debt could cost taxpayers if it leads borrowers to demand higher interest rates on Treasury bills and notes. The yield on the 10-year Treasury has risen significantly since July, from about 3.9% to 4.6% Friday, an unusually sharp rise.Some market analysts have said the August Fitch downgrade may have contributed to that increase, though most point to other factors as bigger drivers, such as the Federal Reserve’s commitment to keeping its benchmark rate at a 22-year high to battle inflation.“In the context of higher interest rates, without effective fiscal policy measures to reduce government spending or increase revenues, Moody’s expects that the U.S.'s fiscal deficits will remain very large, significantly weakening debt affordability,” the agency said in a statement.The Biden administration criticized Moody’s decision.“While the statement by Moody’s maintains the United States’ Aaa rating, we disagree with the shift to a negative outlook,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said. “The American economy remains strong, and Treasury securities are the world’s preeminent safe and liquid asset.”The federal government’s budget deficit jumped to $1.7 trillion in the budget year that ended Sept. 30, up from $1.38 trillion the previous year. Analysts have warned that with interest rates heading higher, interest costs on the national debt will eat up a rising share of tax revenue.Separately, congressional lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-e7d934001b1e00817deb8f33a2b6852f" target="_blank">left Washington for the weekend</a>&nbsp;without a plan to avoid a potential government shutdown that could occur by Nov. 17. Moody’s cited congressional dysfunction as one reason it lowered its outlook on U.S. debt.“Recently, multiple events have illustrated the depth of political divisions in the U.S.: Renewed debt limit brinkmanship, the first ouster of a House Speaker in U.S. history, prolonged inability of Congress to select a new House Speaker, and increased threats of another partial government shutdown,” Moody’s said.

Moody's warns America: AAA credit rating is at risk

BERLIN (AP) — Five U.S. servicepeople were killed when a military helicopter crashed over the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a training mission, U.S. officials said Sunday.

The military's European Command said all five crew members on board were killed when the aircraft went down “during a routine air refueling mission as part of military training.”

The military first announced the crash&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-aircraft-crash-mediterranean-50b45d9fc4956ede96076a7d21f42eb4">on Saturday</a>&nbsp;and said that the cause is under investigation, but there are no indications of any hostile activity involved. It said on Sunday that “search and rescue efforts began immediately, including nearby U.S. military aircraft and ships.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that “we mourn the tragic loss of five U.S. service members during a training accident in the Mediterranean Sea early Saturday morning."

“While we continue to gather more information about this deadly crash, it is another stark reminder that the brave men and women who defend our great nation put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our country safe,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699821775651.png" alt="U.S. European Command" />
 <figcaption>U.S. European Command</figcaption>
 </figure>BERLIN (AP) — Five U.S. servicepeople were killed when a military helicopter crashed over the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a training mission, U.S. officials said Sunday.The military's European Command said all five crew members on board were killed when the aircraft went down “during a routine air refueling mission as part of military training.”The military first announced the crash&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-aircraft-crash-mediterranean-50b45d9fc4956ede96076a7d21f42eb4">on Saturday</a>&nbsp;and said that the cause is under investigation, but there are no indications of any hostile activity involved. It said on Sunday that “search and rescue efforts began immediately, including nearby U.S. military aircraft and ships.”U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that “we mourn the tragic loss of five U.S. service members during a training accident in the Mediterranean Sea early Saturday morning."“While we continue to gather more information about this deadly crash, it is another stark reminder that the brave men and women who defend our great nation put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our country safe,” he said.European Command said that out of respect for the families of the service members and in line with Department of Defense policy, the identities of the crew members are being withheld for 24 hours until the families of those killed have been notified.It wasn’t immediately clear which military service the aircraft belonged to. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/air-force">Air Force</a>&nbsp;has sent additional squadrons to the region and the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, which has an array of aircraft on board, has also been operating in the eastern Mediterranean.