LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;–&nbsp; Governor Jim Pillen announced that all U.S. and Nebraska flags are to be flown at half-staff beginning Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at sunrise to honor the victims of the deadly terrorism attacks in Israel.

Flags are to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Thursday, October 12, 2023.

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;–&nbsp; Governor Jim Pillen announced that all U.S. and Nebraska flags are to be flown at half-staff beginning Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at sunrise to honor the victims of the deadly terrorism attacks in Israel.Flags are to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Thursday, October 12, 2023.

Flags to Fly at Half-Staff to Honor Victims of the Terrorist Attacks in Israel

By ASHLEY MURRAY,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — As Congress faces another pressing deadline to fund the government and the U.S. House grinds to a halt without a speaker, the reauthorization of the nation’s agriculture and hunger programs has taken a back seat.

But lawmakers tasked with shepherding the new version maintain their progress is “in good shape.”

The previous farm bill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/08/17/farm-bill-timeline-in-flux-as-a-messy-september-for-congress-nears/">expired</a>&nbsp;Sept. 30 and its renewal, a process that occurs every five years, remains “in the drafting stage,” said Sen. John Boozman, the Arkansas GOP lawmaker and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

“I know myself and Sen. Stabenow, our teams are working together to try and get ideas in the text. And so we’re moving forward,” Boozman told reporters Wednesday.

Stabenow of Michigan chairs the committee.

“It’s been difficult because the appropriations process has kind of sucked all the wind out. But we’re in good shape. We don’t need an extension until the first of the year. If we do need an extension, I think we’ll be looking in the November time frame as we do the CR.”

The CR, or continuing resolution, is the funding&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/congress-clears-bill-avert-shutdown-vote-promised-later-ukraine-aid-3">compromise</a>&nbsp;Congress struck last weekend just hours before a partial government shutdown. The temporary spending measure expires Nov. 17.

The farm bill and long-term government funding are completely different processes, but GOP House majority infighting over appropriations has stalled other priorities.

And, with the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/10/03/u-s-house-votes-to-remove-kevin-mccarthy-as-speaker/">ouster</a>&nbsp;of former House Speaker and California Republican Kevin McCarthy by a handful of far-right party members and all House Democrats, the lower chamber is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/10/04/how-does-a-frozen-u-s-house-function-without-a-speaker-everyones-got-an-opinion/">frozen</a>.

“As with every Farm Bill, there are forces and circumstances out of our control. What is always a complicated process has become a little more complicated, but our work continues to produce an effective Farm Bill,” said Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, who chairs the House Committee on Agriculture, in an emailed statement.

Thompson and fellow lawmakers have spent thousands of hours over the past two years collecting feedback from constituents on what they want to see in the multi-year bill, which is forecast to cost $1.5 trillion.

But some constituents say despite reassurance that the farm bill is progressing, they remain concerned about its delay, as well as funding for several of its programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.

As a mandatory program, SNAP will&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/09/26/the-farm-bill-is-on-the-verge-of-expiring-congress-is-months-away-from-a-new-version/">continue</a>&nbsp;as long as Congress approves either temporary or long-term government funding.

“The delay in considering important legislation, such as agriculture appropriations and the farm bill, creates a great deal of uncertainty for farmers and ranchers. The 2018 farm bill already expired,” Sam Kieffer, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s vice president of public policy, said in a statement.

“All families, including those in rural America, face rising interest rates, high inflation and turbulence in the marketplace,” he continued. “The farm bill provides certainty to those who grow this nation’s food, fuel and fiber and is crucial to ensuring a safe and affordable food supply. Congress has always come through on a farm bill, and they must do it again. Every family in America is counting on it.”

The 2018 farm bill was not signed into law&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47313">until</a>&nbsp;Dec. 20 of that year.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12047">expansive</a>&nbsp;agricultural and food policy bill covers farmer safety net programs, conservation and sustainability incentives, international trade, rural area development, and food and nutrition programs for low-income earners — the last of which accounts for the largest portion of the bill. The legislation is one of Congress’ omnibus packages, meaning it’s made up of numerous provisions from many lawmakers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696870697157.jpeg" alt=" Rows of soybean plants grow in the fields at Seidenstricker Farms, owned by Robert and Cathy Seidenstricker, in De Valls Bluff, Arkansas, on June 25, 2019. (USDA photo by Lance Cheung)" />
 <figcaption> Rows of soybean plants grow in the fields at Seidenstricker Farms, owned by Robert and Cathy Seidenstricker, in De Valls Bluff, Arkansas, on June 25, 2019. (USDA photo by Lance Cheung)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ASHLEY MURRAY,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — As Congress faces another pressing deadline to fund the government and the U.S. House grinds to a halt without a speaker, the reauthorization of the nation’s agriculture and hunger programs has taken a back seat.But lawmakers tasked with shepherding the new version maintain their progress is “in good shape.”The previous farm bill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/08/17/farm-bill-timeline-in-flux-as-a-messy-september-for-congress-nears/">expired</a>&nbsp;Sept. 30 and its renewal, a process that occurs every five years, remains “in the drafting stage,” said Sen. John Boozman, the Arkansas GOP lawmaker and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.“I know myself and Sen. Stabenow, our teams are working together to try and get ideas in the text. And so we’re moving forward,” Boozman told reporters Wednesday.Stabenow of Michigan chairs the committee.“It’s been difficult because the appropriations process has kind of sucked all the wind out. But we’re in good shape. We don’t need an extension until the first of the year. If we do need an extension, I think we’ll be looking in the November time frame as we do the CR.”The CR, or continuing resolution, is the funding&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/congress-clears-bill-avert-shutdown-vote-promised-later-ukraine-aid-3">compromise</a>&nbsp;Congress struck last weekend just hours before a partial government shutdown. The temporary spending measure expires Nov. 17.The farm bill and long-term government funding are completely different processes, but GOP House majority infighting over appropriations has stalled other priorities.And, with the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/10/03/u-s-house-votes-to-remove-kevin-mccarthy-as-speaker/">ouster</a>&nbsp;of former House Speaker and California Republican Kevin McCarthy by a handful of far-right party members and all House Democrats, the lower chamber is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/10/04/how-does-a-frozen-u-s-house-function-without-a-speaker-everyones-got-an-opinion/">frozen</a>.“As with every Farm Bill, there are forces and circumstances out of our control. What is always a complicated process has become a little more complicated, but our work continues to produce an effective Farm Bill,” said Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, who chairs the House Committee on Agriculture, in an emailed statement.<h2>Worries over lack of progress&nbsp;</h2>Thompson and fellow lawmakers have spent thousands of hours over the past two years collecting feedback from constituents on what they want to see in the multi-year bill, which is forecast to cost $1.5 trillion.But some constituents say despite reassurance that the farm bill is progressing, they remain concerned about its delay, as well as funding for several of its programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.As a mandatory program, SNAP will&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/09/26/the-farm-bill-is-on-the-verge-of-expiring-congress-is-months-away-from-a-new-version/">continue</a>&nbsp;as long as Congress approves either temporary or long-term government funding.“The delay in considering important legislation, such as agriculture appropriations and the farm bill, creates a great deal of uncertainty for farmers and ranchers. The 2018 farm bill already expired,” Sam Kieffer, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s vice president of public policy, said in a statement.“All families, including those in rural America, face rising interest rates, high inflation and turbulence in the marketplace,” he continued. “The farm bill provides certainty to those who grow this nation’s food, fuel and fiber and is crucial to ensuring a safe and affordable food supply. Congress has always come through on a farm bill, and they must do it again. Every family in America is counting on it.”The 2018 farm bill was not signed into law&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47313">until</a>&nbsp;Dec. 20 of that year.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12047">expansive</a>&nbsp;agricultural and food policy bill covers farmer safety net programs, conservation and sustainability incentives, international trade, rural area development, and food and nutrition programs for low-income earners — the last of which accounts for the largest portion of the bill. The legislation is one of Congress’ omnibus packages, meaning it’s made up of numerous provisions from many lawmakers.

Farm bill stalled amid U.S. House speaker battle, delay of spending bills

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has been interviewed as part of an independent investigation into his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-812ef44a5333f6d93423a67a683fa024">handling of classified documents</a>, the White House said late Monday. It's a possible sign that the investigation is nearing its end.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel-biden-d715ffd26adc75f2ba740d1960936a09">Special counsel Robert Hur</a>&nbsp;is examining the improper retention of classified documents by Biden from his time as a U.S. senator and as vice president that were found at his Delaware home, as well as at a private office that he used in between his service in the Obama administration and becoming president.

Biden has said he was unaware he had the documents and that "&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-wilmington-merrick-garland-f2384a87dcddbd38796f63e1269c6baf">there's no there there.</a>&nbsp;”

Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House counsel's office, said in a statement that the interview was voluntary and conducted at the White House on Sunday and Monday.

Hur's office likely asked to interview Biden sometime after Aug. 25.

Asked at that time if he planned to sit for an interview with the special counsel, Biden replied, “There's no such request and no such interest.”

The interview could signal that the special counsel investigation is nearing its conclusion.

In 2016, then-FBI Director James Comey announced his recommendation against criminal charges for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. the Democratic presidential nominee, over her handling of classified information just three days after agents interviewed her at FBI headquarters.

Investigators with Hur's office have already cast a broad net in the Biden probe, interviewing a wide range of witnesses about their knowledge of the handling of classified documents.

In his statement, Sams reiterated that Biden and the White House were cooperating. He referred any questions to the Justice Department.

“As we have said from the beginning, the President and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation,” Sams said. "We would refer other questions to the Justice Department at this time.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland in January 2023 named Hur, a former U.S. attorney for Maryland, to handle the politically sensitive Justice Department inquiry in an attempt to avoid conflicts of interest.

It is one of three recent Justice Department investigations into the handling of classified documents.

The investigation into Biden is separate from special counsel Jack Smith’s probe into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-37a360519244eb3c211a56cd9355adc8">handling of classified documents by former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;after he left the White House. Smith’s team has charged Trump with illegally retaining top secret records at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and then obstructing government efforts to get them back. Trump has said he did nothing wrong.

No evidence has emerged to suggest that Biden engaged in comparable conduct or willfully held onto records he wasn’t supposed to have.

Questioned in January about the discovery, Biden told reporters that the documents were immediately turned over to the National Archives and the Justice Department. He said he was cooperating fully with the investigation and was “looking forward to getting this resolved quickly.”

“I think you’re going to find there’s nothing there,” he said. “There’s no there there.”

In June, the Justice Department informed former Vice President Mike Pence's legal team that it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-pence-classified-documents-doj-criminal-investigation-campaign-trump-af4ff0d829e32bf33a60e7a2197c761b">would not pursue criminal charges against him</a>&nbsp;related to the discovery of classified documents at his Indiana home. The news came as Pence finalized plans to launch his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

About a dozen documents with classified markings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-pence-classified-documents-791bba57abaf50377f0938f0d293f36e">were discovered at Pence’s home in January</a>&nbsp;after he asked his lawyers to search his vice presidential belongings “out of an abundance of caution” after the Biden discovery. The items had been “inadvertently boxed and transported” to Pence’s home at the end of the last administration, Pence’s lawyer, Greg Jacob, wrote in a letter to the National Archives.

The FBI then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-michael-pence-classified-documents-indiana-7b3bfba7cdd8d9d8fd828045ab3208e6">discovered an additional document</a>&nbsp;with classified markings at the Indiana house during its own search the following month.

Pence repeatedly had said he was unaware of the documents’ existence, but that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-michael-pence-classified-documents-donald-trump-c4b11d44f11605ccb055a77d54eb2303">“mistakes were made"</a>&nbsp;in his handling of classified material.

It is hardly unprecedented for sitting presidents to be interviewed in criminal investigations.

President George W. Bush sat for a 70-minute interview as part of an investigation into the leak of the identify of a CIA operative. President Bill Clinton in 1998 underwent more than four hours of questioning from independent counsel Kenneth Starr before a federal grand jury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673546739694.png" alt="Biden backing his Corvette into the garage next to stacks of boxes where classified documents were found-image from a 2020 Biden for President campaign ad&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Biden backing his Corvette into the garage next to stacks of boxes where classified documents were found-image from a 2020 Biden for President campaign ad&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has been interviewed as part of an independent investigation into his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-812ef44a5333f6d93423a67a683fa024">handling of classified documents</a>, the White House said late Monday. It's a possible sign that the investigation is nearing its end.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel-biden-d715ffd26adc75f2ba740d1960936a09">Special counsel Robert Hur</a>&nbsp;is examining the improper retention of classified documents by Biden from his time as a U.S. senator and as vice president that were found at his Delaware home, as well as at a private office that he used in between his service in the Obama administration and becoming president.Biden has said he was unaware he had the documents and that "&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-wilmington-merrick-garland-f2384a87dcddbd38796f63e1269c6baf">there's no there there.</a>&nbsp;”Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House counsel's office, said in a statement that the interview was voluntary and conducted at the White House on Sunday and Monday.Hur's office likely asked to interview Biden sometime after Aug. 25.Asked at that time if he planned to sit for an interview with the special counsel, Biden replied, “There's no such request and no such interest.”The interview could signal that the special counsel investigation is nearing its conclusion.In 2016, then-FBI Director James Comey announced his recommendation against criminal charges for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. the Democratic presidential nominee, over her handling of classified information just three days after agents interviewed her at FBI headquarters.Investigators with Hur's office have already cast a broad net in the Biden probe, interviewing a wide range of witnesses about their knowledge of the handling of classified documents.In his statement, Sams reiterated that Biden and the White House were cooperating. He referred any questions to the Justice Department.“As we have said from the beginning, the President and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation,” Sams said. "We would refer other questions to the Justice Department at this time.”Attorney General Merrick Garland in January 2023 named Hur, a former U.S. attorney for Maryland, to handle the politically sensitive Justice Department inquiry in an attempt to avoid conflicts of interest.It is one of three recent Justice Department investigations into the handling of classified documents.The investigation into Biden is separate from special counsel Jack Smith’s probe into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-37a360519244eb3c211a56cd9355adc8">handling of classified documents by former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;after he left the White House. Smith’s team has charged Trump with illegally retaining top secret records at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and then obstructing government efforts to get them back. Trump has said he did nothing wrong.No evidence has emerged to suggest that Biden engaged in comparable conduct or willfully held onto records he wasn’t supposed to have.Questioned in January about the discovery, Biden told reporters that the documents were immediately turned over to the National Archives and the Justice Department. He said he was cooperating fully with the investigation and was “looking forward to getting this resolved quickly.”“I think you’re going to find there’s nothing there,” he said. “There’s no there there.”In June, the Justice Department informed former Vice President Mike Pence's legal team that it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-pence-classified-documents-doj-criminal-investigation-campaign-trump-af4ff0d829e32bf33a60e7a2197c761b">would not pursue criminal charges against him</a>&nbsp;related to the discovery of classified documents at his Indiana home. The news came as Pence finalized plans to launch his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.About a dozen documents with classified markings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-pence-classified-documents-791bba57abaf50377f0938f0d293f36e">were discovered at Pence’s home in January</a>&nbsp;after he asked his lawyers to search his vice presidential belongings “out of an abundance of caution” after the Biden discovery. The items had been “inadvertently boxed and transported” to Pence’s home at the end of the last administration, Pence’s lawyer, Greg Jacob, wrote in a letter to the National Archives.The FBI then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-michael-pence-classified-documents-indiana-7b3bfba7cdd8d9d8fd828045ab3208e6">discovered an additional document</a>&nbsp;with classified markings at the Indiana house during its own search the following month.Pence repeatedly had said he was unaware of the documents’ existence, but that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-michael-pence-classified-documents-donald-trump-c4b11d44f11605ccb055a77d54eb2303">“mistakes were made"</a>&nbsp;in his handling of classified material.It is hardly unprecedented for sitting presidents to be interviewed in criminal investigations.President George W. Bush sat for a 70-minute interview as part of an investigation into the leak of the identify of a CIA operative. President Bill Clinton in 1998 underwent more than four hours of questioning from independent counsel Kenneth Starr before a federal grand jury.

Biden interviewed by special counsel in classified documents case

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.73 billion after no one matched the game’s six numbers Monday and won the giant prize.

The winning numbers announced were: 16, 34, 46, 55, 67 and the Powerball 14.

There has been no winner for 35 consecutive drawings, since the last time someone won the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">top prize on July 19</a>. That streak trails the record of 41 draws set in 2021 and 2022. The largest jackpot ever was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lotteries-iowa-36ef3aefbbc37a15e1c5f172129fa6a6">$2.04 billion Powerball</a>&nbsp;prize hit by a player in California in November 2022.

The scarcity of Powerball jackpot winners reflects the game’s daunting odds of 1 in 292.2 million.

The $1.73 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, with annual checks over 30 years. Most jackpot winners opt for cash, which for the next drawing Wednesday night would be an estimated $756.6 million.

Federal taxes eat into the winnings, and some states also tax big lottery prizes.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.73 billion after no one matched the game’s six numbers Monday and won the giant prize.The winning numbers announced were: 16, 34, 46, 55, 67 and the Powerball 14.There has been no winner for 35 consecutive drawings, since the last time someone won the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">top prize on July 19</a>. That streak trails the record of 41 draws set in 2021 and 2022. The largest jackpot ever was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lotteries-iowa-36ef3aefbbc37a15e1c5f172129fa6a6">$2.04 billion Powerball</a>&nbsp;prize hit by a player in California in November 2022.The scarcity of Powerball jackpot winners reflects the game’s daunting odds of 1 in 292.2 million.The $1.73 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, with annual checks over 30 years. Most jackpot winners opt for cash, which for the next drawing Wednesday night would be an estimated $756.6 million.Federal taxes eat into the winnings, and some states also tax big lottery prizes.

Powerball jackpot up to $1.73 billion as lottery losing streak continues

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/08/projected-farm-income-in-nebraska-ticks-upward-due-to-strong-prices-for-cattle/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A new farm income projection has ticked upward, largely due to higher cattle prices, an agriculture finance center reports.

Nebraska’s farm income is projected to be nearly $7.8 billion in 2023, according to the fall&nbsp;<a href="https://cap.unl.edu/publications/2023/Fall_2023_NE-farm-income-outlook_final.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;released Friday by the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center at the University of Missouri.

The report, produced in conjunction with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability, rose from a projection in March of $7.3 billion in farm income.

While lower crop prices were expected to drop receipts from crops by about 14% in Nebraska, rising receipts from cattle and calves are projected to be up $2.4 billion, more than offsetting that, the report said.

“Higher production expenses year after year are increasingly challenging profit margins, but for now, strong farm income prospects for 2023 show the strength of the agricultural sector in the state,” the report stated.

While drought conditions persisted in Nebraska in 2023, the report said they weren’t projected to have as big of an effect across the state as they did in 2022.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696876268462.jpeg" alt="A combine, grain cart and semi work through a dusty soybean field north of Ashland in October of 2023. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>A combine, grain cart and semi work through a dusty soybean field north of Ashland in October of 2023. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/08/projected-farm-income-in-nebraska-ticks-upward-due-to-strong-prices-for-cattle/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A new farm income projection has ticked upward, largely due to higher cattle prices, an agriculture finance center reports.Nebraska’s farm income is projected to be nearly $7.8 billion in 2023, according to the fall&nbsp;<a href="https://cap.unl.edu/publications/2023/Fall_2023_NE-farm-income-outlook_final.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;released Friday by the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center at the University of Missouri.The report, produced in conjunction with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability, rose from a projection in March of $7.3 billion in farm income.While lower crop prices were expected to drop receipts from crops by about 14% in Nebraska, rising receipts from cattle and calves are projected to be up $2.4 billion, more than offsetting that, the report said.“Higher production expenses year after year are increasingly challenging profit margins, but for now, strong farm income prospects for 2023 show the strength of the agricultural sector in the state,” the report stated.While drought conditions persisted in Nebraska in 2023, the report said they weren’t projected to have as big of an effect across the state as they did in 2022.

Projected farm income in Nebraska ticks upward due to strong prices for cattle

OMAHA – The University of Nebraska continues to move forward on its “Five-Point Plan” to successfully navigate the challenging higher education landscape, System President Ted Carter told the Board of Regents on Thursday.

In remarks to the board during its meeting on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus, Carter highlighted steps NU leaders have taken since unveiling the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/-/media/projects/unca/docs/reinvention/carter-memo-initial-response-to-may-31-charge.pdf">Five-Point Plan</a>&nbsp;to regents in June. With the plan, the university aims to address fiscal challenges brought on by inflation and muted revenues while also better prioritizing its resources for future growth. Central to the plan is a goal to gain readmission into the Association of American Universities, a coalition of the country’s most prestigious research institutions.

“This is the time for us to rethink the way we operate and invest in priorities that will move this university and our state forward,” Carter said.

“Our challenges are real, but we are going to use them as an opportunity to get better, to grow, to become more competitive, more efficient and more impactful for Nebraskans.”

Carter previously shared in an email to all faculty and staff that a modified zero-based budget effort is underway, including a review of non-faculty staffing to assure that expenses are justified. The university is also reviewing functions that remain decentralized or distributed across the system, including information technology, facilities, public relations and communications, business operations and student services. Chancellors have been asked to complete reports by Dec. 1 that will inform conversations between Carter, the vice presidents and chancellors about alignments and staffing that make the most sense for the university system.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696865729431.jpeg" alt="Ted Carter" />
 <figcaption>Ted Carter</figcaption>
 </figure>UNK CommunicationsOMAHA – The University of Nebraska continues to move forward on its “Five-Point Plan” to successfully navigate the challenging higher education landscape, System President Ted Carter told the Board of Regents on Thursday.In remarks to the board during its meeting on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus, Carter highlighted steps NU leaders have taken since unveiling the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/-/media/projects/unca/docs/reinvention/carter-memo-initial-response-to-may-31-charge.pdf">Five-Point Plan</a>&nbsp;to regents in June. With the plan, the university aims to address fiscal challenges brought on by inflation and muted revenues while also better prioritizing its resources for future growth. Central to the plan is a goal to gain readmission into the Association of American Universities, a coalition of the country’s most prestigious research institutions.“This is the time for us to rethink the way we operate and invest in priorities that will move this university and our state forward,” Carter said.“Our challenges are real, but we are going to use them as an opportunity to get better, to grow, to become more competitive, more efficient and more impactful for Nebraskans.”Recent action steps include:<ul>
 <li>Campus financial aid directors have shared feedback on NU’s Regents Scholarship program and potential total cost of attendance scholarship models, part of the university’s goal to offer more competitive scholarship packages to attract top students. Carter credited the financial aid directors for their valuable input and said the next step is to ask the University of Nebraska Foundation to study the feasibility of raising private funds for total cost of attendance scholarships.</li><li>The university is building a dashboard that will allow leadership teams to measure NU’s performance against AAU membership indicators. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett and UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold are set to be briefed on the dashboard model later this month.</li><li>The university is also building a dashboard that will allow for more proactive measurement of NU’s academic programs against Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education performance standards. Carter noted that the CCPE’s minimum performance standard for bachelor’s degree programs is seven graduates per year over a five-year average. The dashboard will allow regents and university leaders to intervene in real time if programs are falling short of CCPE standards.</li><li>Reviews are underway of the university’s investments in its systemwide institutes to determine whether they can achieve a greater return in federal research funding, a key metric for AAU membership.</li>
 </ul>Carter previously shared in an email to all faculty and staff that a modified zero-based budget effort is underway, including a review of non-faculty staffing to assure that expenses are justified. The university is also reviewing functions that remain decentralized or distributed across the system, including information technology, facilities, public relations and communications, business operations and student services. Chancellors have been asked to complete reports by Dec. 1 that will inform conversations between Carter, the vice presidents and chancellors about alignments and staffing that make the most sense for the university system.

President Carter: University moving forward on plans to address fiscal challenges, enhance competitiveness

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;said Monday he'll run for president as an independent and drop his Democratic primary bid, adding a wrinkle to a 2024 race heading toward a likely rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Speaking Monday from Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, where America’s founding documents were adopted, Kennedy said there is a “rising tide of discontent” in the country and said he wants to make a “new Declaration of Independence” — from corporations, the media and the two major political parties.

“I’ve come here today to declare our independence from the tyranny of corruption which robs us of affordable lives, our belief in the future, and our respect for each other,” Kennedy said. “But to do that I must first declare my own independence. Independence from the Democratic Party and from all other political parties.”

Kennedy, a member of one of the most famous Democratic families in politics, was running&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-biden-trump-third-parties-e0f57b636d1365050102a8aebfb65712">a long-shot primary bid</a>&nbsp;and has better favorability ratings among Republicans than Democrats. It’s unclear whether GOP support would translate to a general election when Kennedy would also be running against Trump. Allies of both Biden and Trump have at times questioned whether Kennedy would be a spoiler against their candidate.

“The truth is, they’re both right," Kennedy said in his speech. “My intention is to spoil it for both of them."

Biden’s allies so far have dismissed Kennedy’s primary campaign as unserious. Asked for comment ahead of the announcement, a Democratic National Committee spokesman responded with an eye roll emoji.

The Republican National Committee published a fact sheet before Kennedy's speech titled “Radical DEMOCRAT RFK Jr.” that lists times he supported liberal politicians or ideas. The document also listed times he supported conspiracy theories about COVID-19 or “stolen-election claims” related to the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections that Democrats lost to President George W. Bush. Trump continues to promote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">the disproved theory</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">his loss to Biden</a>&nbsp;was the result of a stolen election.

Hundreds of supporters gathered for Kennedy's remarks, at times chanting, “RFK, all the way!” Campaign signs teased a potential new slogan: “Declare your independence.”

Among Kennedy's fans in the crowd were several voters who said they don’t identify as Democratic or Republican and view Kennedy as a truth teller and a breath of fresh air.

“He tells it how it is,” said Julia Hill, a 23-year-old student from New Jersey. “He doesn’t sound like a politician.”

Other supporters, such as Brent Snyder, a disabled veteran from south Philadelphia, said they had voted for Trump in the past but were looking for a change.

“The last couple years I’ve been noticing the Republican Party’s been going a way I didn’t like,” Snyder said. “Not that I agree with everything that’s happening to Trump, but I think right now he has more baggage than his country needs. The division right now is just terrible. We need someone to bring both sides together to make us work.”

Four of Kennedy's 10 siblings put out a joint statement denouncing his candidacy and saying they were saddened by his announcement.

“The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country,” it read. “Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment.”

Monday's announcement comes less than a week after the progressive activist Cornel West&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cornel-west-president-independent-green-party-2024-57dd7dbc0bccc10ea866005663398823">abandoned his Green Party bid</a>&nbsp;in favor of an independent White House run. Meanwhile, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-labels-bipartisan-presidential-candidate-d230dd3a3da6d78da6707c0165aa6443">centrist group No Labels</a>&nbsp;is actively securing ballot access for a yet-to-be-named candidate.

Kennedy has spent weeks accusing the DNC of “rigging” the party’s primary against him and threatening that he might need to consider alternatives.

In campaign emails and videos, he blasted the DNC’s decision not to host debates between Biden and other candidates and railed against the committee’s plan to give South Carolina rather than Iowa or New Hampshire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-iowa-e46b21ac9ed4ac96be6791bf7afc163d">the leadoff spot on the primary calendar</a>&nbsp;this election cycle.

“If they jam me, I’m going to look at every option,” he said in September at a New Hampshire barbecue held by Republican former Sen. Scott Brown.

Far-right and anti-vaccine influencers close to Kennedy also sent strong signals on social media suggesting he should or would leave the Democratic Party. Last month, Joseph Mercola, an influential anti-vaccine doctor who is allied with Kennedy, ran a poll on X, formerly known as Twitter, asking if Kennedy should quit the party.

While Kennedy has long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-kennedy-election-2024-president-campaign-621c9e9641381a1b2677df9de5a09731">identified as a Democrat</a>&nbsp;and frequently invokes his late father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his uncle President John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail, he has built&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-rfk-jr-built-anti-vaccine-juggernaut-amid-covid-4997be1bcf591fe8b7f1f90d16c9321e">close relationships with far-right figures</a>&nbsp;in recent years. He appeared on a channel run by the Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and headlined a stop on the ReAwaken America Tour, the Christian nationalist road show put together by Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Polls show far more Republicans than Democrats have a favorable opinion of Kennedy. He also has gained support from some far-right conservatives for his fringe views, including his vocal distrust of COVID-19 vaccines, which studies have shown are safe and effective against severe disease and death.

Kennedy’s anti-vaccine organization, Children’s Health Defense, currently has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;said Monday he'll run for president as an independent and drop his Democratic primary bid, adding a wrinkle to a 2024 race heading toward a likely rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A9opkWJn5aE?si=WQExXSDie9KfTFHo&amp;start=1262" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Speaking Monday from Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, where America’s founding documents were adopted, Kennedy said there is a “rising tide of discontent” in the country and said he wants to make a “new Declaration of Independence” — from corporations, the media and the two major political parties.“I’ve come here today to declare our independence from the tyranny of corruption which robs us of affordable lives, our belief in the future, and our respect for each other,” Kennedy said. “But to do that I must first declare my own independence. Independence from the Democratic Party and from all other political parties.”Kennedy, a member of one of the most famous Democratic families in politics, was running&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-biden-trump-third-parties-e0f57b636d1365050102a8aebfb65712">a long-shot primary bid</a>&nbsp;and has better favorability ratings among Republicans than Democrats. It’s unclear whether GOP support would translate to a general election when Kennedy would also be running against Trump. Allies of both Biden and Trump have at times questioned whether Kennedy would be a spoiler against their candidate.“The truth is, they’re both right," Kennedy said in his speech. “My intention is to spoil it for both of them."Biden’s allies so far have dismissed Kennedy’s primary campaign as unserious. Asked for comment ahead of the announcement, a Democratic National Committee spokesman responded with an eye roll emoji.The Republican National Committee published a fact sheet before Kennedy's speech titled “Radical DEMOCRAT RFK Jr.” that lists times he supported liberal politicians or ideas. The document also listed times he supported conspiracy theories about COVID-19 or “stolen-election claims” related to the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections that Democrats lost to President George W. Bush. Trump continues to promote&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">the disproved theory</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">his loss to Biden</a>&nbsp;was the result of a stolen election.Hundreds of supporters gathered for Kennedy's remarks, at times chanting, “RFK, all the way!” Campaign signs teased a potential new slogan: “Declare your independence.”Among Kennedy's fans in the crowd were several voters who said they don’t identify as Democratic or Republican and view Kennedy as a truth teller and a breath of fresh air.“He tells it how it is,” said Julia Hill, a 23-year-old student from New Jersey. “He doesn’t sound like a politician.”Other supporters, such as Brent Snyder, a disabled veteran from south Philadelphia, said they had voted for Trump in the past but were looking for a change.“The last couple years I’ve been noticing the Republican Party’s been going a way I didn’t like,” Snyder said. “Not that I agree with everything that’s happening to Trump, but I think right now he has more baggage than his country needs. The division right now is just terrible. We need someone to bring both sides together to make us work.”Four of Kennedy's 10 siblings put out a joint statement denouncing his candidacy and saying they were saddened by his announcement.“The decision of our brother Bobby to run as a third party candidate against Joe Biden is dangerous to our country,” it read. “Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment.”Monday's announcement comes less than a week after the progressive activist Cornel West&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cornel-west-president-independent-green-party-2024-57dd7dbc0bccc10ea866005663398823">abandoned his Green Party bid</a>&nbsp;in favor of an independent White House run. Meanwhile, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-labels-bipartisan-presidential-candidate-d230dd3a3da6d78da6707c0165aa6443">centrist group No Labels</a>&nbsp;is actively securing ballot access for a yet-to-be-named candidate.Kennedy has spent weeks accusing the DNC of “rigging” the party’s primary against him and threatening that he might need to consider alternatives.In campaign emails and videos, he blasted the DNC’s decision not to host debates between Biden and other candidates and railed against the committee’s plan to give South Carolina rather than Iowa or New Hampshire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-iowa-e46b21ac9ed4ac96be6791bf7afc163d">the leadoff spot on the primary calendar</a>&nbsp;this election cycle.“If they jam me, I’m going to look at every option,” he said in September at a New Hampshire barbecue held by Republican former Sen. Scott Brown.Far-right and anti-vaccine influencers close to Kennedy also sent strong signals on social media suggesting he should or would leave the Democratic Party. Last month, Joseph Mercola, an influential anti-vaccine doctor who is allied with Kennedy, ran a poll on X, formerly known as Twitter, asking if Kennedy should quit the party.While Kennedy has long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-kennedy-election-2024-president-campaign-621c9e9641381a1b2677df9de5a09731">identified as a Democrat</a>&nbsp;and frequently invokes his late father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his uncle President John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail, he has built&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-rfk-jr-built-anti-vaccine-juggernaut-amid-covid-4997be1bcf591fe8b7f1f90d16c9321e">close relationships with far-right figures</a>&nbsp;in recent years. He appeared on a channel run by the Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and headlined a stop on the ReAwaken America Tour, the Christian nationalist road show put together by Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn.Polls show far more Republicans than Democrats have a favorable opinion of Kennedy. He also has gained support from some far-right conservatives for his fringe views, including his vocal distrust of COVID-19 vaccines, which studies have shown are safe and effective against severe disease and death.Kennedy’s anti-vaccine organization, Children’s Health Defense, currently has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.

🎥RFK Jr. launches independent bid for president

CLEVELAND – Just before kickoff at every Cleveland Browns home game, a celebrity with ties to the city is introduced to fire up the crowd.

They walk onto the field, open a guitar case and reveal an instrument representing the opposing team. Then the guitar is smashed over a giant amplifier, sending the fans into a frenzy.

“The atmosphere is incredible,” said Cassidy Stelling, “and I have no problem with my guitars being smashed whatsoever. I actually love it. It’s on TV. It’s in front of thousands of people. And even though they’re booing it because it’s the other team, I’m just like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s something I created.’ It’s super badass and people really love the experience.”

A Kearney native and recent University of Nebraska at Kearney graduate, Stelling designs the guitars for this unique pregame activity, using digital illustration software and her artistic ability to elevate this new tradition, started in 2022 as a nod to the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame located there.

So far, her creations have been destroyed by professional wrestler and television personality The Miz, former Cleveland Cavaliers player Daniel Gibson and Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas. Her designs for six more home opponents – the 49ers, Cardinals, Steelers, Jaguars, Bears and Jets – will be unveiled throughout the regular season. The 22-year-old has complete artistic control over the project.

“What I wanted to do was make the design so killer that when it’s smashed, the reaction feels even better,” she explained. “That was really the vibe I was going for.”

As a digital design intern for the Cleveland Browns, Stelling has a hand in numerous projects that promote the NFL team and its corporate partners. She designs graphics and ads for the website, social media and app, creates content for sweepstakes and email campaigns, and provides in-game scoring updates for followers around the world.

Among her favorite designs are the “100th Battle of Ohio” graphic promoting Cleveland’s game against Cincinnati, “4 Days Until Kickoff” featuring quarterback Deshaun Watson and a post announcing the team’s new “whiteout” helmets and uniforms.

“Those were really cool to make because I know they are fully mine and the reaction that we got on social from the fans was super positive,” she said.

Stelling is at Cleveland Browns Stadium for every home game, and she also has a chance to connect with the community. She photographs the Browns High School Game of the Week every Friday, allowing her to showcase another talent.

“It’s definitely a creative position,” she said. “It’s not just strictly design and sitting in the office. It allows me to get out and be a member of the community, which has greatly added to my experience.”

For Stelling, the opportunity to work for an NFL franchise represents “the best of both worlds.”

Along with art and design, sports are another passion.

“I’ve always been very athletic, so I think that’s kind of where it all started,” she said. “I’ve always been the athlete of the family.”

Stelling participated in volleyball, basketball and track when she was younger, but focused on other activities during her time at Kearney High School, where she was a member of the Bearcat Marching Band. In the classroom, she showed an immediate flair for graphic design and quickly advanced to the upper-level Bearcat Design Project, a capstone course that gives students real-world experience working with clients.

“I remember I did the boys soccer schedule my first year,” Stelling recalled. “The coach had always been a real big stickler on designs, but he liked my designs and wanted me to continue doing projects for the team.”

Because of her experience at Kearney High, Stelling arrived at UNK with a skill level that put her ahead of most classmates.

“She had a really good launch pad,” said Sam Rapien, an associate professor in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unk.edu/academics/art/index.php">UNK Department of Art and Design</a>. “She came in already having pretty good taste in design and a lot of strong foundational skills from Kearney High. The other thing that really set her work apart is that she was looking at a lot of contemporary, professional design, so she was already in that world. She was kind of setting a standard for herself at that professional level.”

Both Rapien and professor Rick Schuessler, a fellow UNK art and design faculty member, immediately recognized her drive and dedication.

“She was one of the most hardworking students I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Rapien said. “She kind of lived and breathed design. Things were never good enough for her. She was constantly trying to find ways to better her work and to hold herself to a really, really high standard. I think that allowed her to continually grow and never plateau. And that’s something that we wish for all of our students.”

“Very early on, she had her goals set and she knew what she wanted to accomplish,” Schuessler added. “Then she just constantly pushed toward that.”

Stelling was involved in the UNK Art Society, UNKlay ceramic club, Phi Eta Sigma honor society and Loper Programming and Activities Council. She also worked as a graphic designer for UNK Student Engagement and photographed Loper football.

Off campus, she connected with 24 Hour Tees co-founder and Nest:Space co-owner Chais Meyer, who helped launch her freelance photography career, and worked on murals in Lincoln and Hastings with fellow Kearney High graduate Ashton Masek.

“I was constantly designing, creating and being artistic, and I think that’s what really helped me in the long run,” said Stelling, who also does freelance design work for Fearless Ink Custom Apparel.

Stelling won multiple American Advertising Federation awards during college, and her senior exhibition was among the best Schuessler has ever seen.

“That senior show really encapsulates her whole experience – her passion, her drive, her visual abilities. It just spoke of her,” Schuessler said. “I can only think of a handful of exhibitions over the time I’ve been here that accomplished what she was able to accomplish.”

And it was about serial killers – not sports.

“I’m a true crime junkie, wholeheartedly, through and through,” Stelling said with a laugh. “I wanted to do something with true crime, but I didn’t really know what to do exactly. I didn’t want to glorify serial killers, but I wanted to make sure I honored the victims, as well, so it was a very tricky and touchy subject to work around.”

The end result was an exhibition promoting “Crime Junkie,” one of her favorite podcasts, with both artistic and psychological elements.

“By the time she left here, a lot of her work didn’t look like student work,” Rapien said. “It looked like work that would come from someone who had about five years in the business already.”

Stelling graduated from UNK in May with a bachelor’s degree in visual communication and design.

Less than a month later, she was offered the paid position with the Cleveland Browns.

“I’m at the highest level of professional football right now, as my first out-of-the-gate experience, and that’s insane,” Stelling said. “The fact that I can showcase my skills at such a high level is incredible. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

She plans to use the internship as a “test run” before deciding which direction to take her career.

“Honestly, I’m very open to whatever comes my way,” she said. “Because the more I experience, the more I grow and the more I learn. I don’t think I want to do one thing for the rest of my life. I just always want to be creating and growing and learning.”

No matter where she ends up, whether it’s professional sports or another industry, she’s destined to succeed.

“As far as I’m concerned, Cassidy is going to write her own check,” Rapien said. “She’s going to push herself and she’s going to find her way to whatever she wants to accomplish.”

“This internship is just the tip of the iceberg,” Schuessler added, “because she is not afraid to open other doors.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696865284085.jpeg" alt="Cassidy Stelling works as a digital design intern for the Cleveland Browns. She graduated from UNK in May with a bachelor’s degree in visual communication and design. (Cleveland Browns)" />
 <figcaption>Cassidy Stelling works as a digital design intern for the Cleveland Browns. She graduated from UNK in May with a bachelor’s degree in visual communication and design. (Cleveland Browns)</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp; By TYLER ELLYSONUNK Communications&nbsp;&nbsp;CLEVELAND – Just before kickoff at every Cleveland Browns home game, a celebrity with ties to the city is introduced to fire up the crowd.They walk onto the field, open a guitar case and reveal an instrument representing the opposing team. Then the guitar is smashed over a giant amplifier, sending the fans into a frenzy.“The atmosphere is incredible,” said Cassidy Stelling, “and I have no problem with my guitars being smashed whatsoever. I actually love it. It’s on TV. It’s in front of thousands of people. And even though they’re booing it because it’s the other team, I’m just like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s something I created.’ It’s super badass and people really love the experience.”A Kearney native and recent University of Nebraska at Kearney graduate, Stelling designs the guitars for this unique pregame activity, using digital illustration software and her artistic ability to elevate this new tradition, started in 2022 as a nod to the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame located there.So far, her creations have been destroyed by professional wrestler and television personality The Miz, former Cleveland Cavaliers player Daniel Gibson and Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas. Her designs for six more home opponents – the 49ers, Cardinals, Steelers, Jaguars, Bears and Jets – will be unveiled throughout the regular season. The 22-year-old has complete artistic control over the project.“What I wanted to do was make the design so killer that when it’s smashed, the reaction feels even better,” she explained. “That was really the vibe I was going for.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">feel like it&#39;s safe to say <a href="https://twitter.com/joethomas73?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@joethomas73</a> is the first hall of famer to smash a guitar in their gold jacket 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/uFz1tXuhsC">pic.twitter.com/uFz1tXuhsC</a>&mdash; Cleveland Browns (@Browns) <a href="https://twitter.com/Browns/status/1708532242799112399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>As a digital design intern for the Cleveland Browns, Stelling has a hand in numerous projects that promote the NFL team and its corporate partners. She designs graphics and ads for the website, social media and app, creates content for sweepstakes and email campaigns, and provides in-game scoring updates for followers around the world.Among her favorite designs are the “100th Battle of Ohio” graphic promoting Cleveland’s game against Cincinnati, “4 Days Until Kickoff” featuring quarterback Deshaun Watson and a post announcing the team’s new “whiteout” helmets and uniforms.“Those were really cool to make because I know they are fully mine and the reaction that we got on social from the fans was super positive,” she said.Stelling is at Cleveland Browns Stadium for every home game, and she also has a chance to connect with the community. She photographs the Browns High School Game of the Week every Friday, allowing her to showcase another talent.“It’s definitely a creative position,” she said. “It’s not just strictly design and sitting in the office. It allows me to get out and be a member of the community, which has greatly added to my experience.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696865499273.jpeg" alt="Cassidy Stelling poses with the guitar she designed for the Cleveland Browns’ season-opening game against Cincinnati. (Cleveland Browns)" />
 <figcaption>Cassidy Stelling poses with the guitar she designed for the Cleveland Browns’ season-opening game against Cincinnati. (Cleveland Browns)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>LAUNCH PAD</h2>For Stelling, the opportunity to work for an NFL franchise represents “the best of both worlds.”Along with art and design, sports are another passion.“I’ve always been very athletic, so I think that’s kind of where it all started,” she said. “I’ve always been the athlete of the family.”Stelling participated in volleyball, basketball and track when she was younger, but focused on other activities during her time at Kearney High School, where she was a member of the Bearcat Marching Band. In the classroom, she showed an immediate flair for graphic design and quickly advanced to the upper-level Bearcat Design Project, a capstone course that gives students real-world experience working with clients.“I remember I did the boys soccer schedule my first year,” Stelling recalled. “The coach had always been a real big stickler on designs, but he liked my designs and wanted me to continue doing projects for the team.”Because of her experience at Kearney High, Stelling arrived at UNK with a skill level that put her ahead of most classmates.“She had a really good launch pad,” said Sam Rapien, an associate professor in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unk.edu/academics/art/index.php">UNK Department of Art and Design</a>. “She came in already having pretty good taste in design and a lot of strong foundational skills from Kearney High. The other thing that really set her work apart is that she was looking at a lot of contemporary, professional design, so she was already in that world. She was kind of setting a standard for herself at that professional level.”Both Rapien and professor Rick Schuessler, a fellow UNK art and design faculty member, immediately recognized her drive and dedication.“She was one of the most hardworking students I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Rapien said. “She kind of lived and breathed design. Things were never good enough for her. She was constantly trying to find ways to better her work and to hold herself to a really, really high standard. I think that allowed her to continually grow and never plateau. And that’s something that we wish for all of our students.”“Very early on, she had her goals set and she knew what she wanted to accomplish,” Schuessler added. “Then she just constantly pushed toward that.”Stelling was involved in the UNK Art Society, UNKlay ceramic club, Phi Eta Sigma honor society and Loper Programming and Activities Council. She also worked as a graphic designer for UNK Student Engagement and photographed Loper football.Off campus, she connected with 24 Hour Tees co-founder and Nest:Space co-owner Chais Meyer, who helped launch her freelance photography career, and worked on murals in Lincoln and Hastings with fellow Kearney High graduate Ashton Masek.“I was constantly designing, creating and being artistic, and I think that’s what really helped me in the long run,” said Stelling, who also does freelance design work for Fearless Ink Custom Apparel.Stelling won multiple American Advertising Federation awards during college, and her senior exhibition was among the best Schuessler has ever seen.“That senior show really encapsulates her whole experience – her passion, her drive, her visual abilities. It just spoke of her,” Schuessler said. “I can only think of a handful of exhibitions over the time I’ve been here that accomplished what she was able to accomplish.”And it was about serial killers – not sports.“I’m a true crime junkie, wholeheartedly, through and through,” Stelling said with a laugh. “I wanted to do something with true crime, but I didn’t really know what to do exactly. I didn’t want to glorify serial killers, but I wanted to make sure I honored the victims, as well, so it was a very tricky and touchy subject to work around.”The end result was an exhibition promoting “Crime Junkie,” one of her favorite podcasts, with both artistic and psychological elements.“By the time she left here, a lot of her work didn’t look like student work,” Rapien said. “It looked like work that would come from someone who had about five years in the business already.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696865550917.jpeg" alt="Cassidy Stelling shows off the guitar she designed for the Cleveland Browns’ home game against Tennessee. (Cleveland Browns)" />
 <figcaption>Cassidy Stelling shows off the guitar she designed for the Cleveland Browns’ home game against Tennessee. (Cleveland Browns)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>BRIGHT FUTURE</h2>Stelling graduated from UNK in May with a bachelor’s degree in visual communication and design.Less than a month later, she was offered the paid position with the Cleveland Browns.“I’m at the highest level of professional football right now, as my first out-of-the-gate experience, and that’s insane,” Stelling said. “The fact that I can showcase my skills at such a high level is incredible. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”She plans to use the internship as a “test run” before deciding which direction to take her career.“Honestly, I’m very open to whatever comes my way,” she said. “Because the more I experience, the more I grow and the more I learn. I don’t think I want to do one thing for the rest of my life. I just always want to be creating and growing and learning.”No matter where she ends up, whether it’s professional sports or another industry, she’s destined to succeed.“As far as I’m concerned, Cassidy is going to write her own check,” Rapien said. “She’s going to push herself and she’s going to find her way to whatever she wants to accomplish.”“This internship is just the tip of the iceberg,” Schuessler added, “because she is not afraid to open other doors.”

Smashing Success: UNK graduate Cassidy Stelling plays big part in Cleveland Browns’ pregame tradition

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/02/banned-book-week-now-a-party-for-adults-too/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

First they came for the textbooks. Then they came for the school library books.

Now they’re coming for your public library books. That’s the latest word from the&nbsp;American Library Association, which tracks the distemper of book banning. In its report on book challenges during the first eight months of 2023, it found 49% of them were titles in public libraries, a threefold increase from the same time period in 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;

You remember public libraries: those big buildings your tax dollars paid for, ostensibly to promote the promise of an informed public and encourage the free exercise of intellectual thought.

Now, the self-righteous, self-appointed cultural police not only want to eliminate books from your kids’ classrooms and libraries, they want to limit what you can check out at the public library. Can telling you what to think be far behind? Nearly four decades after 1984 (year and book)?

It’s Banned Book Week, brothers and sisters. Shout it from the rooftops … especially those of public libraries.

Regular readers know the ill regard with which this space holds book banners such as Ron DeSantis and Moms for Liberty who rant and rave against a widening swath of knowledge, history and information. Others, too, including the Nebraska Legislature and the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, have played footsie with eliminating textbooks on the whim of one parent or limiting the scope of scholarly inquiry on a college campus.&nbsp;

As for content, while ignoring American history has made some inroads among our favorite censors, the usual suspects remain … well … usual. The&nbsp;American Library Association&nbsp;report said, “Most of the challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.”&nbsp;

Those two categories comprise most of the ruckus, but other, seemingly innocuous titles, have also come under the banner’s lash. We once again express our incredulity when challenges are made to “The Adventures of Captain Underpants,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize winner. That gives you an idea of the caliber of complainer with whom we are dealing.

Yet, even in the midst of such moral tumult, public libraries have always appeared safe, a measure apart from their scholastic counterparts, a haven for adults to choose what they read and librarians free to offer titles enough to quench a diverse thirst for knowledge.&nbsp;

Wrong. The&nbsp;Library Association&nbsp;numbers do not include recent physical threats against public libraries, including bomb threats at six suburban Chicago public libraries. They were not alone. Bomb threats and threats against staff have closed public libraries from Davis, Calif., to Iowa City to the Bronx to Hawaii to Nashville to Denver to Boston. Mirroring the bannings in schools and challenges in public libraries, stories or events about LGBTQ issues have preceded a number of the threats.

Of course if you can’t intimidate a public library until you get your way, perhaps you can simply starve it to death. That’s what happened to the Patmos Library in Ottawa County, Mich., after librarians there refused to remove books with LGBTQ themes and characters. Twice voters have put the kibosh on funding the library of 90,000 titles, which has stayed afloat through donations. Such largess will run out in a year if voters say no a third time this November.

If you’re keeping score at home, the scolds have also been busy at our schools. According to a report by free speech advocate, PEN America, public schools suffered a 33% increase in challenged titles&nbsp;during the 2022-23 school year compared to 2021-22. PEN’s report broke down last year’s increase:&nbsp;“… 3,362 book bans affecting 1,557 unique titles,&nbsp; … impacting the work of 1,480 authors, illustrators and translators.”

Some pushback is afoot. While anecdotal, evidence continues to grow that students want a voice in what kind of education they will get and what kind of school library will be there to support it. Student protests have popped up in a number of school districts including Plattsmouth, Neb.

More diverse books at school is an uphill slog. Parent groups that support bans are emboldened as the Nebraska Legislature and others continue to debate a “Parents Bill of Rights,” the inexplicable repeat — at least in Nebraska — of their current rights. At the public library, however, adults get to choose what they want to read.

So try this: If you don’t like the book, don’t check it out. And leave the rest of us — and our books — alone.

George Ayoub<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/02/banned-book-week-now-a-party-for-adults-too/">Nebraska Examiner</a>First they came for the textbooks. Then they came for the school library books.Now they’re coming for your public library books. That’s the latest word from the&nbsp;American Library Association, which tracks the distemper of book banning. In its report on book challenges during the first eight months of 2023, it found 49% of them were titles in public libraries, a threefold increase from the same time period in 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;You remember public libraries: those big buildings your tax dollars paid for, ostensibly to promote the promise of an informed public and encourage the free exercise of intellectual thought.Now, the self-righteous, self-appointed cultural police not only want to eliminate books from your kids’ classrooms and libraries, they want to limit what you can check out at the public library. Can telling you what to think be far behind? Nearly four decades after 1984 (year and book)?It’s Banned Book Week, brothers and sisters. Shout it from the rooftops … especially those of public libraries.Regular readers know the ill regard with which this space holds book banners such as Ron DeSantis and Moms for Liberty who rant and rave against a widening swath of knowledge, history and information. Others, too, including the Nebraska Legislature and the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, have played footsie with eliminating textbooks on the whim of one parent or limiting the scope of scholarly inquiry on a college campus.&nbsp;As for content, while ignoring American history has made some inroads among our favorite censors, the usual suspects remain … well … usual. The&nbsp;American Library Association&nbsp;report said, “Most of the challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.”&nbsp;Those two categories comprise most of the ruckus, but other, seemingly innocuous titles, have also come under the banner’s lash. We once again express our incredulity when challenges are made to “The Adventures of Captain Underpants,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize winner. That gives you an idea of the caliber of complainer with whom we are dealing.Yet, even in the midst of such moral tumult, public libraries have always appeared safe, a measure apart from their scholastic counterparts, a haven for adults to choose what they read and librarians free to offer titles enough to quench a diverse thirst for knowledge.&nbsp;Wrong. The&nbsp;Library Association&nbsp;numbers do not include recent physical threats against public libraries, including bomb threats at six suburban Chicago public libraries. They were not alone. Bomb threats and threats against staff have closed public libraries from Davis, Calif., to Iowa City to the Bronx to Hawaii to Nashville to Denver to Boston. Mirroring the bannings in schools and challenges in public libraries, stories or events about LGBTQ issues have preceded a number of the threats.Of course if you can’t intimidate a public library until you get your way, perhaps you can simply starve it to death. That’s what happened to the Patmos Library in Ottawa County, Mich., after librarians there refused to remove books with LGBTQ themes and characters. Twice voters have put the kibosh on funding the library of 90,000 titles, which has stayed afloat through donations. Such largess will run out in a year if voters say no a third time this November.If you’re keeping score at home, the scolds have also been busy at our schools. According to a report by free speech advocate, PEN America, public schools suffered a 33% increase in challenged titles&nbsp;during the 2022-23 school year compared to 2021-22. PEN’s report broke down last year’s increase:&nbsp;“… 3,362 book bans affecting 1,557 unique titles,&nbsp; … impacting the work of 1,480 authors, illustrators and translators.”Some pushback is afoot. While anecdotal, evidence continues to grow that students want a voice in what kind of education they will get and what kind of school library will be there to support it. Student protests have popped up in a number of school districts including Plattsmouth, Neb.More diverse books at school is an uphill slog. Parent groups that support bans are emboldened as the Nebraska Legislature and others continue to debate a “Parents Bill of Rights,” the inexplicable repeat — at least in Nebraska — of their current rights. At the public library, however, adults get to choose what they want to read.So try this: If you don’t like the book, don’t check it out. And leave the rest of us — and our books — alone.

Banned Book Week now a party for adults, too

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Brenda M. Wynn, 49, of Wood River, Nebraska, was sentenced in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to 33 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 4 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

In April 2021, Wynn sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Grand Island, Nebraska, on three separate occasions, distributing a total of 153 grams of pure methamphetamine and approximately 28 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This case was investigated by&nbsp;the Nebraska State Patrol.

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Brenda M. Wynn, 49, of Wood River, Nebraska, was sentenced in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to 33 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 4 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.In April 2021, Wynn sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Grand Island, Nebraska, on three separate occasions, distributing a total of 153 grams of pure methamphetamine and approximately 28 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine.&nbsp;&nbsp;This case was investigated by&nbsp;the Nebraska State Patrol.

Central Nebraska Woman Sentenced for Distributing Methamphetamine in Grand Island

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel after the surprise attack by Hamas that has left more than 1,000 dead and thousands wounded on both sides.

The USS Gerald R. Ford and its approximately 5,000 sailors and deck of warplanes will be accompanied by cruisers and destroyers in a show of force that is meant to be ready to respond to anything, from possibly interdicting additional weapons from reaching Hamas and conducting surveillance.

The large deployment, which also includes a host of ships and warplanes, underscores the concern that the United States has in trying to deter the conflict from growing. The Israeli government formally declared war Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was trying to verify reports that several Americans were killed and some were taken captive by Hamas.

Along with the Ford the U.S. is sending the cruiser USS Normandy, destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt and the U.S. is augmenting Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.

“The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required,” Austin said in a statement.

In addition, the Biden administration “will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions. The first security assistance will begin moving today and arriving in the coming days,” Austin said.

The Norfolk, Virginia-based carrier strike group( was already in the Mediterranean. Last week it was conducting naval exercises with Italy in the Ionian Sea. It’s the United States newest and most advanced aircraft carrier and this is its first full deployment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696803172229.png" alt="The USS Gerald R. Ford and its approximately 5,000 sailors and deck of warplanes will be accompanied by cruisers and destroyers in a show of force that is meant to be ready to respond to anything, from possibly interdicting additional weapons from reaching Hamas and conducting surveillance.-photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>The USS Gerald R. Ford and its approximately 5,000 sailors and deck of warplanes will be accompanied by cruisers and destroyers in a show of force that is meant to be ready to respond to anything, from possibly interdicting additional weapons from reaching Hamas and conducting surveillance.-photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel after the surprise attack by Hamas that has left more than 1,000 dead and thousands wounded on both sides.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Strengthening our joint force posture, in addition to the materiel support—including munitions—that we will rapidly provide to Israel, underscores the United States’ ironclad support for Israel.&mdash; Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1711075334827675754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The USS Gerald R. Ford and its approximately 5,000 sailors and deck of warplanes will be accompanied by cruisers and destroyers in a show of force that is meant to be ready to respond to anything, from possibly interdicting additional weapons from reaching Hamas and conducting surveillance.The large deployment, which also includes a host of ships and warplanes, underscores the concern that the United States has in trying to deter the conflict from growing. The Israeli government formally declared war Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was trying to verify reports that several Americans were killed and some were taken captive by Hamas.Along with the Ford the U.S. is sending the cruiser USS Normandy, destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt and the U.S. is augmenting Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.“The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required,” Austin said in a statement.In addition, the Biden administration “will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions. The first security assistance will begin moving today and arriving in the coming days,” Austin said.The Norfolk, Virginia-based carrier strike group( was already in the Mediterranean. Last week it was conducting naval exercises with Italy in the Ionian Sea. It’s the United States newest and most advanced aircraft carrier and this is its first full deployment.

 US sending warships, weapons to support Israel

DETROIT (AP) — Union workers at Mack Trucks went on strike Monday after voting down a tentative five-year contract agreement that negotiators had reached with the company.

The United Auto Workers said 4,000 unionized workers walked out at 7 a.m., adding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-workers-strike-ford-general-motors-stellantis-5f185f6615a1b3690af744641508c8e2">labor turmoil in the industry</a>&nbsp;that has ensnared all three big Detroit automakers.

With those workers joining picket lines, the total number of UAW members that are on strike now exceeds 30,000 across 22 states, the union said Monday.

Union President Shawn Fain said in a letter to Mack parent company Volvo Trucks that 73% of workers voted against the deal in results counted on Sunday.

The UAW represents Mack workers in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida. Union leaders had reached a tentative agreement on the deal on Oct. 1.

UAW Locals 171, 677, 1247, 2301, and 2420 in UAW Region 8 and Region 9 represent workers at Mack Trucks in Macungie and Middletown, Pennsylvania; Hagerstown and Baltimore, Maryland; and Jacksonville, Florida.

The deal negotiators had reached with Mack just over a week ago included a 19% pay raise over the life of the contract with 10% upon ratification. There also was a $3,500 ratification bonus, no increase in weekly health care contributions, increased annual lump sum payments for retirees and a $1,000 annual 401(k) lump sum to offset health care costs for employees who don’t get health insurance after retirement.

Fain said in his letter to Volvo Trucks' head of labor relations that employees working early Monday would exit the factories after performing tasks needed to prevent damage to company equipment.

Fain wrote that UAW members and workers across the country are seeking their fair share in wages and benefits.

The company and union are still apart on work schedules, health and safety, pensions, health care, prescription drug coverage, overtime and other issues, he wrote.

The contract may have been sunk by high expectations Fain has set in bargaining with Detroit’s three automakers. In those talks, the UAW has asked for 36% raises over four years, while Ford has offered 23% and the other two firms are at 20%.

“I’m inspired to see UAW members at Mack Trucks holding out for a better deal, and ready to stand up and walk off the job to win it,” Fain said in a prepared statement. “The members have the final say, and it’s their solidarity and organization that will win a fair contract at Mack.”

Mack Trucks President Stephen Roy said in a statement Sunday night that the company is “surprised and disappointed” that the union chose to strike. The union, he wrote, called the tentative agreement a record for the heavy truck industry. “We trust that other stakeholders also appreciate that our market, business and competitive set are very different from those of the passenger car makers,” the statement said.

Mack, he wrote, is part of the only heavy truck manufacturing group that assembles all of its vehicles and engines for North America in the U.S., competing against trucks built in lower-cost countries.

The company is committed to collective bargaining and is confident both sides will reach a deal that delivers competitive wages and benefits while safeguarding the company’s future, the statement said.

The UAW went on strike at selected factories run by automakers General Motors, Ford and Jeep maker Stellantis on Sept. 15. It started with one assembly plant for each company, then spread to 38 GM and Stellantis parts warehouses. Two additional assembly plants at Ford and GM were added later.

DETROIT (AP) — Union workers at Mack Trucks have voted down a tentative five-year contract agreement reached with the company and plan to strike at 7 a.m. Monday, the United Auto Workers union says.

The UAW represents about 4,000 Mack workers in three states. Union leaders had reached a tentative agreement on the deal on Oct. 1.

The deal included a 19% pay raise over the life of the contract with 10% upon ratification. There also was a $3,500 ratification bonus, no increase in weekly health care contributions, increased annual lump sum payments for retirees and a $1,000 annual 401(k) lump sum to offset health care costs for employees who don’t get health insurance after retirement.

Fain said in his letter to Volvo Trucks’ head of labor relations that employees working early Monday will exit the factories after performing tasks needed to prevent damage to company equipment.

The workers are in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida.

Fain wrote that UAW members and workers across the country are seeking their fair share in wages and benefits. “The union remains committed to exploring all options for reaching an agreement, but we clearly are not there yet.”

On Friday, the union decided not to expand the strikes to any more plants for the time being after GM agreed to bring its electric vehicle battery factories into the UAW’s national contract, assuring that they’ll be unionized. The union also reported progress with all three automakers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696847042061.png" alt="The UAW represents about 4,000 Mack workers in three states." />
 <figcaption>The UAW represents about 4,000 Mack workers in three states.</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Union workers at Mack Trucks went on strike Monday after voting down a tentative five-year contract agreement that negotiators had reached with the company.The United Auto Workers said 4,000 unionized workers walked out at 7 a.m., adding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-workers-strike-ford-general-motors-stellantis-5f185f6615a1b3690af744641508c8e2">labor turmoil in the industry</a>&nbsp;that has ensnared all three big Detroit automakers.With those workers joining picket lines, the total number of UAW members that are on strike now exceeds 30,000 across 22 states, the union said Monday.Union President Shawn Fain said in a letter to Mack parent company Volvo Trucks that 73% of workers voted against the deal in results counted on Sunday.The UAW represents Mack workers in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida. Union leaders had reached a tentative agreement on the deal on Oct. 1.UAW Locals 171, 677, 1247, 2301, and 2420 in UAW Region 8 and Region 9 represent workers at Mack Trucks in Macungie and Middletown, Pennsylvania; Hagerstown and Baltimore, Maryland; and Jacksonville, Florida.The deal negotiators had reached with Mack just over a week ago included a 19% pay raise over the life of the contract with 10% upon ratification. There also was a $3,500 ratification bonus, no increase in weekly health care contributions, increased annual lump sum payments for retirees and a $1,000 annual 401(k) lump sum to offset health care costs for employees who don’t get health insurance after retirement.Fain said in his letter to Volvo Trucks' head of labor relations that employees working early Monday would exit the factories after performing tasks needed to prevent damage to company equipment.Fain wrote that UAW members and workers across the country are seeking their fair share in wages and benefits.The company and union are still apart on work schedules, health and safety, pensions, health care, prescription drug coverage, overtime and other issues, he wrote.The contract may have been sunk by high expectations Fain has set in bargaining with Detroit’s three automakers. In those talks, the UAW has asked for 36% raises over four years, while Ford has offered 23% and the other two firms are at 20%.“I’m inspired to see UAW members at Mack Trucks holding out for a better deal, and ready to stand up and walk off the job to win it,” Fain said in a prepared statement. “The members have the final say, and it’s their solidarity and organization that will win a fair contract at Mack.”Mack Trucks President Stephen Roy said in a statement Sunday night that the company is “surprised and disappointed” that the union chose to strike. The union, he wrote, called the tentative agreement a record for the heavy truck industry. “We trust that other stakeholders also appreciate that our market, business and competitive set are very different from those of the passenger car makers,” the statement said.Mack, he wrote, is part of the only heavy truck manufacturing group that assembles all of its vehicles and engines for North America in the U.S., competing against trucks built in lower-cost countries.The company is committed to collective bargaining and is confident both sides will reach a deal that delivers competitive wages and benefits while safeguarding the company’s future, the statement said.The UAW went on strike at selected factories run by automakers General Motors, Ford and Jeep maker Stellantis on Sept. 15. It started with one assembly plant for each company, then spread to 38 GM and Stellantis parts warehouses. Two additional assembly plants at Ford and GM were added later.---------------DETROIT (AP) — Union workers at Mack Trucks have voted down a tentative five-year contract agreement reached with the company and plan to strike at 7 a.m. Monday, the United Auto Workers union says.Union President Shawn Fain said in a letter to Mack parent company Volvo Trucks that 73% of workers voted against the deal in results counted on Sunday.The UAW represents about 4,000 Mack workers in three states. Union leaders had reached a tentative agreement on the deal on Oct. 1.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BREAKING: 4,000 UAW members at Mack Trucks have voted to REJECT a tentative agreement, and will STRIKE at 7 am on Monday. &quot;I&#39;m inspired to see UAW members at Mack holding out for a better deal, and ready to stand up and walk off the job to win it,&quot; said UAW President Shawn Fain. <a href="https://t.co/YFYfqikSMh">pic.twitter.com/YFYfqikSMh</a>&mdash; UAW (@UAW) <a href="https://twitter.com/UAW/status/1711186526153900080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The deal included a 19% pay raise over the life of the contract with 10% upon ratification. There also was a $3,500 ratification bonus, no increase in weekly health care contributions, increased annual lump sum payments for retirees and a $1,000 annual 401(k) lump sum to offset health care costs for employees who don’t get health insurance after retirement.Fain said in his letter to Volvo Trucks’ head of labor relations that employees working early Monday will exit the factories after performing tasks needed to prevent damage to company equipment.The workers are in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida.Fain wrote that UAW members and workers across the country are seeking their fair share in wages and benefits. “The union remains committed to exploring all options for reaching an agreement, but we clearly are not there yet.”The company and union are still apart on work schedules, health and safety, pensions, health care, prescription drug coverage, overtime and other issues, he wrote.The contract may have been sunk by high expectations Fain has set in bargaining with Detroit’s three automakers. In those talks, the UAW has asked for 36% raises over four years, while Ford has offered 23% and the other two firms are at 20%.Mack Trucks President Stephen Roy said in a statement Sunday night that the company is “surprised and disappointed” that the union chose to strike. The union, he wrote, called the tentative agreement a record for the heavy truck industry. “We trust that other stakeholders also appreciate that our market, business and competitive set are very different from those of the passenger car makers,” the statement said.Mack, he wrote, is part of the only heavy truck manufacturing group that assembles all of its vehicles and engines for North America in the U.S., competing against trucks built in lower-cost countries.The company is committed to collective bargaining and is confident both sides will reach a deal that delivers competitive wages and benefits while safeguarding the company’s future, the statement said.The UAW went on strike at selected factories run by automakers General Motors, Ford and Jeep maker Stellantis on Sept. 15. It started with one assembly plant for each company, then spread to 38 GM and Stellantis parts warehouses. Two additional assembly plants at Ford and GM were added later.On Friday, the union decided not to expand the strikes to any more plants for the time being after GM agreed to bring its electric vehicle battery factories into the UAW’s national contract, assuring that they’ll be unionized. The union also reported progress with all three automakers.

Workers at Mack Trucks go on strike after rejecting contract deal

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/inmate-dead-following-fires-set-by-prisoners-at-tecumseh-state-prison/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A 27-year-old inmate at Nebraska’s state prison in Tecumseh is dead following what officials said were fires intentionally set by prisoners Thursday evening.

Jesse Spencer, who was serving a 12- to 20-year sentence for various assault and theft convictions, was found unresponsive inside his cell after prison staff responded to the fires.

A press release from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said Spencer was one of five inmates who intentionally set fires inside their cells at about 6 p.m. Thursday.

When staff responded, the inmates initially refused staff directives to come out of their cells.

Eventually, the agency said, three inmates complied, but two others, including Spencer, continued to refuse.

Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/inmate-dead-following-fires-set-by-prisoners-at-tecumseh-state-prison/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A 27-year-old inmate at Nebraska’s state prison in Tecumseh is dead following what officials said were fires intentionally set by prisoners Thursday evening.Jesse Spencer, who was serving a 12- to 20-year sentence for various assault and theft convictions, was found unresponsive inside his cell after prison staff responded to the fires.A press release from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said Spencer was one of five inmates who intentionally set fires inside their cells at about 6 p.m. Thursday.<h2>Inmates refused orders</h2>When staff responded, the inmates initially refused staff directives to come out of their cells.Eventually, the agency said, three inmates complied, but two others, including Spencer, continued to refuse.When staff members went in to get Spencer, he was found unresponsive in his cell. Efforts to revive him were not successful.Staff members extinguished the fires before local fire crews arrived at the prison just north of Tecumseh.No other housing units at the prison were impacted. Two staff members were examined at the Tecumseh hospital following the incident.<h2>Assaults in same housing unit</h2>The death and fires follow an incident Sept. 30 in which an inmate allegedly assaulted multiple staff members. Two staffers were seriously injured and required medical treatment.The fires were set in another gallery of the same housing unit where the assaults occurred but involved different inmates, a corrections spokeswoman said.The Tecumseh prison, a 960-bed facility for medium- and maximum-security inmates, has been the site of two deadly incidents in recent years.In 2017, two inmates were killed when inmates went on a rampage in one housing unit after refusing staff directives.In 2015, a riot broke out when a staff member unsuccessfully tried to break up a gathering of inmates in the exercise yard.&nbsp; Two inmates were killed, four were injured, and a housing unit was burned and ransacked during a disturbance that took several hours to bring under control.<h2>Staffing problems at Tecumseh</h2>Nebraska has one of the most overcrowded prison systems in the country, housing about 1,600 more inmates than the system was designed to house.But at Tecumseh, overcrowding has not been the issue. A lack of staff has plagued the rural institution since it opened in 2001.About 80 corrections officers are bused in daily from Omaha to ensure that the prison posts are filled. A<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/staffing-emergency-soon-to-end-at-nebraska-state-penitentiary/">&nbsp;“staffing emergency”</a>&nbsp;has been in effect at Tecumseh for several months, which resulted in cutbacks on inmate activities and visits from relatives and friends.Spencer’ began his prison sentence in September 2014. He was serving just over 12 years to 20 years on charges out of Gage, Johnson and Lancaster Counties that included second-degree assault, assault by a confined person, theft, terroristic threats and criminal mischief.The agency said a modified lockdown at Tecumseh is in effect after the fires Thursday. State law requires a grand jury investigation any time someone dies in police, jail or prison custody.