BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>

WASHINGTON — With the clock ticking on former President Donald Trump’s signature 2017 tax law, and high housing, food and child care costs darkening Americans’ mood, tax cuts have become the star of the 2024 presidential contest between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump wants to overall extend his tax provisions beyond the 2025 expiration date and then some, promising to lower the corporate tax rate even further and lift the cap on the state and local taxes deduction.

He argues the loss in federal revenue will be made up by imposing steep tariffs on imported goods.

Tariff is a “beautiful word,” he told a crowd in Savannah, Georgia, Tuesday night, “one of the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard.”

“We will take in hundreds of billions of dollars into our treasury and use that money to benefit the American citizens,” he said.

Harris is running on an “opportunity economy” platform that keeps the Biden administration’s promises to not raise taxes on those making less than $400,000 and enact a “billionaire” tax.

The vice president has also vowed to give tax deductions and credits to budding entrepreneurs and first-time homebuyers, and permanently expand the Child Tax Credit.

“Under my plan, more than 100 million Americans will get a middle-class tax break that includes $6,000 for new parents during the first year of their child’s life,” Harris said Wednesday at a campaign speech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Whoever wins the Oval Office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/racing-toward-election-day-control-us-senate-and-house-grabs%C2%A0" target="_blank">will need</a>&nbsp;a cooperative Congress to enact these policies — with the exception of tariffs, over which the president enjoys wide&nbsp;<a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11030" target="_blank">latitude</a>.

The barrage of proposals has kept economists busy with near-constant and evolving&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/issue-area/us-budget-watch-2024" target="_blank">analyses</a>&nbsp;of how much the&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2024/8/26/harris-campaign-policy-proposals-2024?te=1&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240903" target="_blank">tax</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2024/8/26/trump-campaign-policy-proposals-2024?te=1&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240903" target="_blank">cut</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://taxfoundation.org/research/federal-tax/2024-tax-plans/?utm_content=308246052&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;hss_channel=tw-16686673" target="_blank">promises</a>&nbsp;would add to the nation’s ballooning federal deficit and change the economy.

Both candidates’ plans come with a price tag in the trillions of dollars, though Trump’s is the more expensive of the two.

Models released in late August by the Penn Wharton Budget Model project Trump’s plan&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2024/8/26/trump-campaign-policy-proposals-2024?te=1&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240903" target="_blank">would add</a>&nbsp;up to $5.8 trillion to the deficit over 10 years, while Harris’ plan would&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2024/8/26/harris-campaign-policy-proposals-2024?te=1&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240903" target="_blank">increase</a>&nbsp;the deficit by up to $2 trillion over the same time period.

“I think that both candidates are missing the mark when it comes to fiscal responsibility and economic responsibility,” the Tax Foundation’s Erica York told States Newsroom in an interview Monday.

“Neither of them have really outlined a plan that would get us on a sustainable path in terms of debt and deficits, nor that would boost growth and opportunity in the economy. Both are likely to have a negative impact on the economy,” said York, senior economist and research director for the foundation, which generally favors lower taxes.

Trump, followed by Harris, has proposed to nix taxes on tipped workers — though Harris has suggested limiting the benefit to workers in the service and hospitality industries who earn less than $75,000.

She has also said the tax break would not apply to payroll taxes, meaning the contribution workers pay toward Social Security and Medicare. Trump has not detailed any limits on his proposal for tipped workers.

Economists across the board&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-floats-plan-end-taxes-tips-though-experts-raise-doubts" target="_blank">warn</a>&nbsp;Trump’s plan could incentivize more tipped work. They also question whether Trump and Harris’ proposals would actually benefit low-income workers.

After all, tax benefits for lower income workers who have children phase in as the person earns income. Reporting less income means those taxpayers could ultimately see less help from the Child Tax Credit or the Earned Income Tax Credit.

“If you work and you report income, you get these provisions. But if you don’t, you don’t get these provisions. Well, you add exemptions into the tax code that reduces the amount of earned income that you report to the IRS, you could potentially reduce the value of these credits for very low-income households,” Kyle Pomerleau, senior fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, told States Newsroom in an interview Monday.

For instance, a tipped worker who has one child and earns $24,000 annually, half of which comes from tips, could see a $300 decrease in refundable tax credits under this policy, Pomerleau and senior AEI fellows Alex Brill and Stan Veuger&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aei.org/economics/a-tip-exemption-is-not-sound-tax-policy/" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;in August.

The same principle for lower income taxpayers applies to Trump’s recent promise to eliminate taxes on overtime.

“There could be a negative effect there, depending on how this is structured,” Pomerleau said Monday.

The nonpartisan watchdog Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/donald-trumps-proposal-end-taxes-overtime" target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;an elimination of taxes on all overtime would cost the country $1.7 trillion in lost revenue over 10 years. With no guardrails preventing workers switching from salaried to hourly, the price tag could reach up to $6 trillion in the most extreme case, CRFB estimates.

Economists monitoring the nation’s Social Security coffers continue to sound alarm bells on the program’s solvency — with little reaction on the campaign trail.

The fund that provides money to senior citizens and people with disabilities is on track to be depleted by 2035, and recipients would face an immediate 17% cut in benefits, as the Tax Foundation’s Alex Durante&nbsp;<a href="https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/social-security-reform-options/?utm_content=309361439&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;hss_channel=tw-16686673" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;Tuesday.

Trump has mentioned Social Security during campaign rallies and on his social media platform, but in the context of eliminating taxes on the benefit payments.

While low-income recipients do not pay taxes on their benefits, others do and are projected to contribute $94 billion this year back into the fund.

Nixing those taxes could speed up Social Security’s insolvency by one year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/donald-trumps-suggestion-end-taxation-social-security-benefits" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Promise: New corporate tax rates and tariffs

Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which cleared Congress strictly along party lines, permanently lowered the top corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%.

Harris has vowed, if elected, she will bump the rate up to 28%.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/kamala-harris-proposal-raise-corporate-tax-rate-28" target="_blank">Analyses</a>&nbsp;from the CFRB, the Tax Foundation, Penn Wharton and the Yale Budget Lab estimate the increase would raise roughly $1 trillion to $1.2 trillion in federal revenue over the next decade.

The former president wants to&nbsp;<a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/09/05/trump-promotes-raising-tariffs-corporate-tax-cut-in-battle-over-economy-with-harris/" target="_blank">cut</a>&nbsp;the rate even further to 15%, a&nbsp;<a href="https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/federal/historical-corporate-tax-rates-brackets/" target="_blank">level</a>&nbsp;not seen in the U.S. since the 1930s. Economists&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/donald-trumps-proposal-lower-corporate-tax-rate-15" target="_blank">estimate</a>&nbsp;the cut would reduce revenue anywhere from $460 billion to $673 billion over 10 years.

“Here is the deal that I will be offering to every major company and manufacturer on Earth: I will give you the lowest taxes, the lowest energy costs, the lowest regulatory burden and free access to the best and biggest market on the planet, but only if you make your product here in America,” Trump said in Georgia Tuesday.

Trump has big plans for products imported into the U.S. He’s planning to impose up to 20% tariffs on most imports, reaching as high as 60% on Chinese goods and 100% on countries that turn away from the U.S. dollar.

That could cost the typical American household about $2,600 a year as costs on consumer goods would shift to the customer, particularly affecting those with lower incomes,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.piie.com/research/piie-charts/2024/trumps-bigger-tariff-proposals-would-cost-typical-american-household-over?te=1&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240903" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to economists Kimberly Clausing and Mary Lovely at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Speaking at a farming roundtable in Pennsylvania Monday, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538599-1/president-trump-speaks-farming-roundtable-smithton-pennsylvania" target="_blank">publicly warned</a>&nbsp;John Deere that if the company moves manufacturing to Mexico, he’ll impose a 200% tariff on tractors coming back over the border.

Experts warn another downside is that the policy invites foreign retaliation.

“So if we are, say, exporting Kentucky bourbon to China, China may say, well, to retaliate for the 60% tax on imports, we’re going to place taxes on this export, and that’s going to have a direct impact on the incomes of Americans and make us poorer,” Pomerleau said.

A familiar refrain from Harris and the Biden administration is that billionaires and wealthy corporations should pay their “fair share.”

The U.S. individual tax rate already progresses with an earner’s income, meaning that the higher your income, the higher your tax rate.

Both Harris and Trump want to keep individual tax rates that were lowered across the board in the 2017 law, but Harris is seeking to increase taxes on long-term capital gains, and levy a minimum tax on unrealized capital gains for very high earners.

For those earning upwards of $1 million a year, Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/09/05/trump-promotes-raising-tariffs-corporate-tax-cut-in-battle-over-economy-with-harris/" target="_blank">proposed</a>&nbsp;raising taxes to 28%, up from 20%, on profits made from the sale of an asset, like stocks, bonds, or real estate, that have been held by the owner for more than a year.

The vice president also proposes quadrupling the&nbsp;<a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/how-the-u-s-taxes-stock-buybacks-and-dividends/" target="_blank">stock buyback tax</a>&nbsp;to 4%, up from 1%.

For ultra-wealthy households that have more than $100 million in assets, Harris follows Biden in proposing a 25% tax rate — sometimes referred to as the “billionaire tax.”

Those high-wealth individuals would need to calculate their regular income tax liability and compare it to their total net worth, meaning income plus unrealized capital gains, multiplied by 25%.

“Whichever is greater you pay,” Pomerleau explains. “So if you are in a situation where you have a low effective tax rate relative to this broader definition of income, the minimum tax will kick in and you’ll start paying increments.”

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/kamala-harris-plan-taxing-capital-income" target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;the plan could raise $750 billion in revenue over ten years.

Ahead of a mid-September campaign rally on Long Island, New York, Trump pledged to abandon the cap in his 2017 law on the state and local tax deduction — simply known in tax parlance as SALT.

As the law stands now, taxpayers can only deduct up to $10,000 of their state and local tax bill from their federal tax liability.

A full SALT deduction is more valuable for higher income taxpayers, and prior to the 2017 cap, 91% of taxpayers who claimed it lived in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://taxfoundation.org/taxedu/glossary/salt-deduction/" target="_blank">analysis</a>&nbsp;by the Tax Foundation.

Eliminating the cap would cut taxes by an average of more than $140,000 for the highest earning 0.1% of households, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/repealing-salt-cap-would-overwhelmingly-benefit-those-high-incomes" target="_blank">modeling</a>&nbsp;by the Tax Policy Center, a collaboration between the left-leaning Urban Institute and Brookings Institution.

The Committee for a Responsible Budget&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/salt-cap-expiration-could-be-costly-mistake#:~:text=Some%20policymakers%20have%20suggested%20allowing,%241.2%20trillion%20over%20a%20decade." target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;the move could cost $1.2 trillion over a ten-year budget window.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724867447394.png" alt="Photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>WASHINGTON — With the clock ticking on former President Donald Trump’s signature 2017 tax law, and high housing, food and child care costs darkening Americans’ mood, tax cuts have become the star of the 2024 presidential contest between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.Trump wants to overall extend his tax provisions beyond the 2025 expiration date and then some, promising to lower the corporate tax rate even further and lift the cap on the state and local taxes deduction.He argues the loss in federal revenue will be made up by imposing steep tariffs on imported goods.Tariff is a “beautiful word,” he told a crowd in Savannah, Georgia, Tuesday night, “one of the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard.”“We will take in hundreds of billions of dollars into our treasury and use that money to benefit the American citizens,” he said.Harris is running on an “opportunity economy” platform that keeps the Biden administration’s promises to not raise taxes on those making less than $400,000 and enact a “billionaire” tax.The vice president has also vowed to give tax deductions and credits to budding entrepreneurs and first-time homebuyers, and permanently expand the Child Tax Credit.“Under my plan, more than 100 million Americans will get a middle-class tax break that includes $6,000 for new parents during the first year of their child’s life,” Harris said Wednesday at a campaign speech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Whoever wins the Oval Office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/racing-toward-election-day-control-us-senate-and-house-grabs%C2%A0" target="_blank">will need</a>&nbsp;a cooperative Congress to enact these policies — with the exception of tariffs, over which the president enjoys wide&nbsp;<a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11030" target="_blank">latitude</a>.<h2>What would it cost?</h2>The barrage of proposals has kept economists busy with near-constant and evolving&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/issue-area/us-budget-watch-2024" target="_blank">analyses</a>&nbsp;of how much the&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2024/8/26/harris-campaign-policy-proposals-2024?te=1&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240903" target="_blank">tax</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2024/8/26/trump-campaign-policy-proposals-2024?te=1&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240903" target="_blank">cut</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://taxfoundation.org/research/federal-tax/2024-tax-plans/?utm_content=308246052&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;hss_channel=tw-16686673" target="_blank">promises</a>&nbsp;would add to the nation’s ballooning federal deficit and change the economy.Both candidates’ plans come with a price tag in the trillions of dollars, though Trump’s is the more expensive of the two.Models released in late August by the Penn Wharton Budget Model project Trump’s plan&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2024/8/26/trump-campaign-policy-proposals-2024?te=1&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240903" target="_blank">would add</a>&nbsp;up to $5.8 trillion to the deficit over 10 years, while Harris’ plan would&nbsp;<a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2024/8/26/harris-campaign-policy-proposals-2024?te=1&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240903" target="_blank">increase</a>&nbsp;the deficit by up to $2 trillion over the same time period.“I think that both candidates are missing the mark when it comes to fiscal responsibility and economic responsibility,” the Tax Foundation’s Erica York told States Newsroom in an interview Monday.“Neither of them have really outlined a plan that would get us on a sustainable path in terms of debt and deficits, nor that would boost growth and opportunity in the economy. Both are likely to have a negative impact on the economy,” said York, senior economist and research director for the foundation, which generally favors lower taxes.<h2>Promise: No taxes on tips, overtime</h2>Trump, followed by Harris, has proposed to nix taxes on tipped workers — though Harris has suggested limiting the benefit to workers in the service and hospitality industries who earn less than $75,000.She has also said the tax break would not apply to payroll taxes, meaning the contribution workers pay toward Social Security and Medicare. Trump has not detailed any limits on his proposal for tipped workers.Economists across the board&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-floats-plan-end-taxes-tips-though-experts-raise-doubts" target="_blank">warn</a>&nbsp;Trump’s plan could incentivize more tipped work. They also question whether Trump and Harris’ proposals would actually benefit low-income workers.After all, tax benefits for lower income workers who have children phase in as the person earns income. Reporting less income means those taxpayers could ultimately see less help from the Child Tax Credit or the Earned Income Tax Credit.“If you work and you report income, you get these provisions. But if you don’t, you don’t get these provisions. Well, you add exemptions into the tax code that reduces the amount of earned income that you report to the IRS, you could potentially reduce the value of these credits for very low-income households,” Kyle Pomerleau, senior fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, told States Newsroom in an interview Monday.For instance, a tipped worker who has one child and earns $24,000 annually, half of which comes from tips, could see a $300 decrease in refundable tax credits under this policy, Pomerleau and senior AEI fellows Alex Brill and Stan Veuger&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aei.org/economics/a-tip-exemption-is-not-sound-tax-policy/" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;in August.The same principle for lower income taxpayers applies to Trump’s recent promise to eliminate taxes on overtime.“There could be a negative effect there, depending on how this is structured,” Pomerleau said Monday.The nonpartisan watchdog Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/donald-trumps-proposal-end-taxes-overtime" target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;an elimination of taxes on all overtime would cost the country $1.7 trillion in lost revenue over 10 years. With no guardrails preventing workers switching from salaried to hourly, the price tag could reach up to $6 trillion in the most extreme case, CRFB estimates.<h2>Promise: No taxes on Social Security</h2>Economists monitoring the nation’s Social Security coffers continue to sound alarm bells on the program’s solvency — with little reaction on the campaign trail.The fund that provides money to senior citizens and people with disabilities is on track to be depleted by 2035, and recipients would face an immediate 17% cut in benefits, as the Tax Foundation’s Alex Durante&nbsp;<a href="https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/social-security-reform-options/?utm_content=309361439&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;hss_channel=tw-16686673" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;Tuesday.Trump has mentioned Social Security during campaign rallies and on his social media platform, but in the context of eliminating taxes on the benefit payments.While low-income recipients do not pay taxes on their benefits, others do and are projected to contribute $94 billion this year back into the fund.Nixing those taxes could speed up Social Security’s insolvency by one year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/donald-trumps-suggestion-end-taxation-social-security-benefits" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.<h2>Promise: New corporate tax rates and tariffs</h2>Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which cleared Congress strictly along party lines, permanently lowered the top corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%.Harris has vowed, if elected, she will bump the rate up to 28%.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/kamala-harris-proposal-raise-corporate-tax-rate-28" target="_blank">Analyses</a>&nbsp;from the CFRB, the Tax Foundation, Penn Wharton and the Yale Budget Lab estimate the increase would raise roughly $1 trillion to $1.2 trillion in federal revenue over the next decade.The former president wants to&nbsp;<a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/09/05/trump-promotes-raising-tariffs-corporate-tax-cut-in-battle-over-economy-with-harris/" target="_blank">cut</a>&nbsp;the rate even further to 15%, a&nbsp;<a href="https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/federal/historical-corporate-tax-rates-brackets/" target="_blank">level</a>&nbsp;not seen in the U.S. since the 1930s. Economists&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/donald-trumps-proposal-lower-corporate-tax-rate-15" target="_blank">estimate</a>&nbsp;the cut would reduce revenue anywhere from $460 billion to $673 billion over 10 years.“Here is the deal that I will be offering to every major company and manufacturer on Earth: I will give you the lowest taxes, the lowest energy costs, the lowest regulatory burden and free access to the best and biggest market on the planet, but only if you make your product here in America,” Trump said in Georgia Tuesday.Trump has big plans for products imported into the U.S. He’s planning to impose up to 20% tariffs on most imports, reaching as high as 60% on Chinese goods and 100% on countries that turn away from the U.S. dollar.That could cost the typical American household about $2,600 a year as costs on consumer goods would shift to the customer, particularly affecting those with lower incomes,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.piie.com/research/piie-charts/2024/trumps-bigger-tariff-proposals-would-cost-typical-american-household-over?te=1&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240903" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to economists Kimberly Clausing and Mary Lovely at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.Speaking at a farming roundtable in Pennsylvania Monday, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538599-1/president-trump-speaks-farming-roundtable-smithton-pennsylvania" target="_blank">publicly warned</a>&nbsp;John Deere that if the company moves manufacturing to Mexico, he’ll impose a 200% tariff on tractors coming back over the border.Experts warn another downside is that the policy invites foreign retaliation.“So if we are, say, exporting Kentucky bourbon to China, China may say, well, to retaliate for the 60% tax on imports, we’re going to place taxes on this export, and that’s going to have a direct impact on the incomes of Americans and make us poorer,” Pomerleau said.<h2>Promise: A billionaire tax</h2>A familiar refrain from Harris and the Biden administration is that billionaires and wealthy corporations should pay their “fair share.”The U.S. individual tax rate already progresses with an earner’s income, meaning that the higher your income, the higher your tax rate.Both Harris and Trump want to keep individual tax rates that were lowered across the board in the 2017 law, but Harris is seeking to increase taxes on long-term capital gains, and levy a minimum tax on unrealized capital gains for very high earners.For those earning upwards of $1 million a year, Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/09/05/trump-promotes-raising-tariffs-corporate-tax-cut-in-battle-over-economy-with-harris/" target="_blank">proposed</a>&nbsp;raising taxes to 28%, up from 20%, on profits made from the sale of an asset, like stocks, bonds, or real estate, that have been held by the owner for more than a year.The vice president also proposes quadrupling the&nbsp;<a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/how-the-u-s-taxes-stock-buybacks-and-dividends/" target="_blank">stock buyback tax</a>&nbsp;to 4%, up from 1%.For ultra-wealthy households that have more than $100 million in assets, Harris follows Biden in proposing a 25% tax rate — sometimes referred to as the “billionaire tax.”Those high-wealth individuals would need to calculate their regular income tax liability and compare it to their total net worth, meaning income plus unrealized capital gains, multiplied by 25%.“Whichever is greater you pay,” Pomerleau explains. “So if you are in a situation where you have a low effective tax rate relative to this broader definition of income, the minimum tax will kick in and you’ll start paying increments.”The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/kamala-harris-plan-taxing-capital-income" target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;the plan could raise $750 billion in revenue over ten years.<h2>Promise: No SALT cap</h2>Ahead of a mid-September campaign rally on Long Island, New York, Trump pledged to abandon the cap in his 2017 law on the state and local tax deduction — simply known in tax parlance as SALT.As the law stands now, taxpayers can only deduct up to $10,000 of their state and local tax bill from their federal tax liability.A full SALT deduction is more valuable for higher income taxpayers, and prior to the 2017 cap, 91% of taxpayers who claimed it lived in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://taxfoundation.org/taxedu/glossary/salt-deduction/" target="_blank">analysis</a>&nbsp;by the Tax Foundation.Eliminating the cap would cut taxes by an average of more than $140,000 for the highest earning 0.1% of households, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/repealing-salt-cap-would-overwhelmingly-benefit-those-high-incomes" target="_blank">modeling</a>&nbsp;by the Tax Policy Center, a collaboration between the left-leaning Urban Institute and Brookings Institution.The Committee for a Responsible Budget&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/salt-cap-expiration-could-be-costly-mistake#:~:text=Some%20policymakers%20have%20suggested%20allowing,%241.2%20trillion%20over%20a%20decade." target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;the move could cost $1.2 trillion over a ten-year budget window.

Taxes: Where do Trump and Harris stand?

DAMASCUS –&nbsp;U.S.Forces conducted two targeted strikes in Syria, killing 37 terrorist operatives, including multiple senior leaders of the terrorist organizations of ISIS and Hurras al-Din, an Al Qaeda affiliate, according to a media release from the U.S. Central Command.

The airstrikes are part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.

On Sept. 24, CENTCOM Forces conducted a targeted strike in northwest Syria, killing nine terrorist operatives, including Marwan Bassam 'Abd-al-Ra'uf, a senior Hurras al-Din leader responsible for overseeing military operations from Syria. Hurras al-Din is an Al Qaeda-affiliated organization based in Syria with global aspirations to conduct attacks against U.S. and Western interests. The successful strike against Marwan Bassam 'Abd-al-Ra'uf comes a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3883634/us-central-command-forces-killed-hurras-al-din-senior-leader/">a successful strike that killed another Hurras al-Din senior leader, Abu-'Abd al-Rahman al Makki.</a>

Additionally, on the early morning of Sept. 16, CENTCOM forces conducted a large-scale airstrike on a remote ISIS training camp in central Syria, killing at least 28 ISIS operatives, including at least four senior leaders. The airstrike will disrupt ISIS' capability to conduct operations against U.S. interests, as well as our allies and partners.

“These strikes against leadership and operatives of ISIS and the Al Qaeda affiliate, Hurras al-Din, represent CENTCOM's commitment to the enduring defeat of terrorist organizations in the CENTCOM area of responsibility and our support to regional stability," said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command.

There is no indication any civilians were harmed in either strike.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708813391502.png" alt="File photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DAMASCUS –&nbsp;U.S.Forces conducted two targeted strikes in Syria, killing 37 terrorist operatives, including multiple senior leaders of the terrorist organizations of ISIS and Hurras al-Din, an Al Qaeda affiliate, according to a media release from the U.S. Central Command.The airstrikes are part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.On Sept. 24, CENTCOM Forces conducted a targeted strike in northwest Syria, killing nine terrorist operatives, including Marwan Bassam 'Abd-al-Ra'uf, a senior Hurras al-Din leader responsible for overseeing military operations from Syria. Hurras al-Din is an Al Qaeda-affiliated organization based in Syria with global aspirations to conduct attacks against U.S. and Western interests. The successful strike against Marwan Bassam 'Abd-al-Ra'uf comes a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3883634/us-central-command-forces-killed-hurras-al-din-senior-leader/">a successful strike that killed another Hurras al-Din senior leader, Abu-'Abd al-Rahman al Makki.</a>Additionally, on the early morning of Sept. 16, CENTCOM forces conducted a large-scale airstrike on a remote ISIS training camp in central Syria, killing at least 28 ISIS operatives, including at least four senior leaders. The airstrike will disrupt ISIS' capability to conduct operations against U.S. interests, as well as our allies and partners.“These strikes against leadership and operatives of ISIS and the Al Qaeda affiliate, Hurras al-Din, represent CENTCOM's commitment to the enduring defeat of terrorist organizations in the CENTCOM area of responsibility and our support to regional stability," said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command.There is no indication any civilians were harmed in either strike.

U.S. airstrikes on Syria kill 37 militants affiliated with extremist groups

WASHINGTON —The Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obituary-nasrallah-lebanon-israel-2da3789a02fd4e2e88511a7f59174d19">Hassan Nasrallah</a>&nbsp;was a “measure of justice" for victims of a four-decade “reign of terror,” President Joe Biden said Saturday.

In a statement on issued from the White House, Biden said, "Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror.&nbsp; His death from an Israeli airstrike is a&nbsp;measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians."

'The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas’s massacre on October 7, 2023.&nbsp; Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a “northern front” against Israel."

"The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis,&nbsp;and any&nbsp;other Iranian-supported terrorist groups.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war."

"Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means. &nbsp;In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.&nbsp; In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon.&nbsp; It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability."

WASHINGTON —The Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obituary-nasrallah-lebanon-israel-2da3789a02fd4e2e88511a7f59174d19">Hassan Nasrallah</a>&nbsp;was a “measure of justice" for victims of a four-decade “reign of terror,” President Joe Biden said Saturday. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world. <a href="https://t.co/gBWxK9FW2F">pic.twitter.com/gBWxK9FW2F</a>&mdash; Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAFsite/status/1839951448190099460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a statement on issued from the White House, Biden said, "Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror.&nbsp; His death from an Israeli airstrike is a&nbsp;measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians."'The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas’s massacre on October 7, 2023.&nbsp; Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a “northern front” against Israel.""The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis,&nbsp;and any&nbsp;other Iranian-supported terrorist groups.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.""Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means. &nbsp;In Gaza, we have been pursuing a deal backed by the UN Security Council for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.&nbsp; In Lebanon, we have been negotiating a deal that would return people safely to their homes in Israel and southern Lebanon.&nbsp; It is time for these deals to close, for the threats to Israel to be removed, and for the broader Middle East region to gain greater stability."

Biden: Israeli strike killing terrorist leader a 'measure of justice'

(LINCOLN, NE)&nbsp;– On Tuesday, October 1, at 10:00 AM CT,&nbsp;Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) President Jeremy Nordquist&nbsp;will join hospital leaders and local health care advocates via Zoom to showcase NHA’s recent member survey results regarding the negative impact of Medicare Advantage plans.

In a survey of its 92 member hospitals, the Nebraska Hospital Association asked for input on their experiences working with Medicare Advantage plans. The result? Medicare Advantage is failing patients and jeopardizing Nebraska hospitals.

Patient access to health care is eroding as some Medicare Advantage plans restrict access to health services by inappropriately denying covered services that are medically necessary, requiring unreasonable levels of documentation to demonstrate clinical appropriateness, and changing health plan rules in the middle of a contract year.

Negative patient experience, financial impacts and administrative burdens, are all affecting Nebraska hospitals and policy changes are needed.

On this call, we’ll hear from hospital leaders across the state on their firsthand experiences working with Medicare Advantage plans at their respective facilities.

WHEN:Tuesday, October 1, 202410:00 AM CT

Join Zoom Meeting<a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81247001746?pwd=DAuYO0nRMyRqb1NurWFkHPiDAV7Gcl.1" target="_blank">https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81247001746?pwd=DAuYO0nRMyRqb1NurWFkHPiDAV7Gcl.1</a>

AGENDA:Welcome, opening statement (Nordquist) and background on surveyStories/experiences from hospital leadersClosing remarks/Q&amp;A – (Nordquist)

ZOOM calls will be recorded and the media will be able to record separately.

(LINCOLN, NE)&nbsp;– On Tuesday, October 1, at 10:00 AM CT,&nbsp;Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) President Jeremy Nordquist&nbsp;will join hospital leaders and local health care advocates via Zoom to showcase NHA’s recent member survey results regarding the negative impact of Medicare Advantage plans.In a survey of its 92 member hospitals, the Nebraska Hospital Association asked for input on their experiences working with Medicare Advantage plans. The result? Medicare Advantage is failing patients and jeopardizing Nebraska hospitals.Patient access to health care is eroding as some Medicare Advantage plans restrict access to health services by inappropriately denying covered services that are medically necessary, requiring unreasonable levels of documentation to demonstrate clinical appropriateness, and changing health plan rules in the middle of a contract year.Negative patient experience, financial impacts and administrative burdens, are all affecting Nebraska hospitals and policy changes are needed.On this call, we’ll hear from hospital leaders across the state on their firsthand experiences working with Medicare Advantage plans at their respective facilities.WHO:<ul>
 <li>Jeremy Nordquist, President, Nebraska Hospital Association</li><li>Ivan Mitchell, CEO, Great Plains Health (North Platte)</li><li>Neil Hilton, President/CEO Perkins County Health Services (Grant)</li><li>Dr. Stephen Mohring, Internal Medicine, Nebraska Medicine (Omaha)</li><li>Jed Hansen, Executive Director, Nebraska Rural Health Association</li>
 </ul>WHEN:Tuesday, October 1, 202410:00 AM CTWHERE:&nbsp;via ZoomZOOM INFO:Join Zoom Meeting<a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81247001746?pwd=DAuYO0nRMyRqb1NurWFkHPiDAV7Gcl.1" target="_blank">https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81247001746?pwd=DAuYO0nRMyRqb1NurWFkHPiDAV7Gcl.1</a>AGENDA:Welcome, opening statement (Nordquist) and background on surveyStories/experiences from hospital leadersClosing remarks/Q&amp;A – (Nordquist)ZOOM calls will be recorded and the media will be able to record separately.

Nebraska Hospital Association and Local Leaders to Highlight Negative Impact of Medicare Advantage on Nebraska Seniors and Hospitals

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/26/lawmaker-formally-challenges-nebraskas-gender-care-rules-and-regulations/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;A state lawmaker is formally challenging Nebraska’s rules and regulations on gender care treatments for transgender youths and minors with gender dysphoria.

State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, who staunchly opposed&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49961" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 574</a>&nbsp;that granted the rulemaking authority in 2023, has issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LB-574-Rules-Regulation-Challenge-Letter-1.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to State Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island objecting to the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/181-NAC-8-03-17-2024.pdf">regulations</a>. Aguilar chairs the Legislature’s Executive Board, the highest-ranking committee that oversees internal affairs.

Under&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=84-907.10" target="_blank">state law</a>, any state senator can challenge a set of rules or regulations if they feel it is unconstitutional, inconsistent with legislative intent or “creates an undue burden in a manner that significantly outweighs its benefit to the public.”

State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha sponsored LB 574, the “Let Them Grow Act,” which Cavanaugh fought throughout the 2023 legislative session. That opposition brought the legislative process to a crawl.

Cavanaugh said in her letter that the gender care regulations impose significant barriers to the treatments —&nbsp;primarily puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones —&nbsp;on the basis of gender identity. She said the regulations represent a “profound injustice.”

“The regulations, motivated by animus toward the affected class, undermine their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Cavanaugh wrote to Aguilar, referring to the Nebraska Constitution’s Bill of Rights. “Access to necessary health care is a fundamental aspect of these rights, determined by the individual, their medical provider and their family.”

LB 574 set out a minimum four-part standard for eventual regulations that the state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Timothy Tesmer, would need to adopt:

The&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/17/final-draft-regulations-for-nebraska-gender-care-law-released-ahead-of-november-hearing/">final regulations</a>&nbsp;from Tesmer and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services mandated at least 40 hours of clinically objective and non-biased gender-identity-focused therapy, required youths to live primarily as their preferred gender for at least six months and imposed a seven-day waiting period between informed patient consent and prescription.

No more than two hours per week of therapy can be banked, pushing the minimum timeline to at least five months. Injectable medications are required to be performed in a doctor’s office.

LB 574 took effect Oct. 1, 2023, alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/01/nebraska-approves-emergency-regulations-regarding-gender-care-for-minors/">emergency regulations</a>. Gov. Jim Pillen approved the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/12/gov-pillen-approves-nebraska-gender-care-regulations/">final, slightly modified set of regulations</a>&nbsp;March 12, and the regulations took effect five days later.

Many of the concerns Cavanaugh shared in her letter mirror those that transgender Nebraskans and their providers told DHHS officials about at a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/28/nebraskans-testify-largely-against-gender-care-regulations-ask-for-looser-restrictions/">12-hour hearing last November</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/07/05/you-need-to-know-us-trans-youths-describe-life-in-nebraska/">Transgender youths</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/07/nebraska-gender-care-law-causes-confusion-among-mental-health-providers/">mental health providers</a>&nbsp;shared similar concerns with the Nebraska Examiner.

Cavanaugh said she’s heard from many of those same testifiers since the regulations took effect. She said she filed the complaint as soon as she could after learning this summer of the law to challenge a regulation.

Cavanaugh’s letter cites the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Nebraska Constitution in stating that the regulations delay care and “ignore the specific clinical needs of transgender individuals.” Cavanaugh said the set of guidelines also “disregards the urgency and individualized nature of treating gender dysphoria.”

For example, Cavanaugh said, requirements are different for patients with gender dysphoria compared to requirements for other patients who use puberty blockers and hormones for non-gender-dysphoria-related reasons.

Kauth and others have argued there needs to be extra care for youths before deciding whether they should be prescribed puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones that will impact them for the rest of their lives. LB 574, as introduced, would have banned the medications before age 19.

Complaint referred to legislative committee

Aguilar, reached Thursday, said he will refer the complaint to the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, of which Cavanaugh is a member.

“Nobody’s ever come to me and said anything about it,” Aguilar said about the set of regulations. “I just want to leave it alone.”

Under the law, if the Health and Human Services Committee concludes “that the complaint has merit,” it can take various steps, such as requesting:

DHHS would need to respond within 60 days, should the committee make such a request.

State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, who chairs the committee, was also the key lawmaker who wrote the final amendment to LB 574,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/10/final-say-on-nebraska-gender-care-legislation-would-be-delegated-to-executive-appointee-and-dhhs/">delegating the regulations</a>&nbsp;to the chief medical officer. He did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Kauth said she was reviewing the complaint letter and had no immediate comment. A spokesperson for DHHS said the agency promulgated regulations “in accordance with the law.”

The HHS Committee, with support from Hansen and Cavanaugh, requested an in-person briefing from Dr. Tesmer on Feb. 29.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-chief-medical-officer-a-no-show-at-nebraska-gender-care-briefing/">He did not show up</a>. The agency’s chief legal officer said Tesmer had to “respectfully decline” because the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office was at the time reviewing the regulations.

Cavanaugh had&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/legislative-proposal-to-repeal-nebraskas-2023-abortion-and-gender-care-law-withdrawn/">withdrawn another bill</a>&nbsp;this year to repeal LB 574 in exchange for the briefing, which she said was to get more clarity. She said Thursday she will keep fighting.

“I will continue to use every tool available to me to advocate for and fight for transgender youth and all youth in Nebraska and across the country,” Cavanaugh said in a phone call. “As soon as I realized that I had this tool available to me, I found a way forward to utilize it.”

The U.S. Supreme Court is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024/23-477" target="_blank">poised to take up a similar case</a>&nbsp;dealing with treatments for youths with gender dysphoria in its next term this fall, on an appeal from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeal deals with prohibitions on care in Kentucky and Tennessee.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is in the process of&nbsp;<a href="https://arkansasadvocate.com/2024/04/11/federal-court-hears-oral-arguments-in-safe-act-appeal/#:~:text=Arkansas%20Attorney%20General%20Tim%20Griffin,and%20often%20permanent%20for%20them." target="_blank">weighing an appeal</a>&nbsp;from Arkansas after a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/20/federal-judge-strikes-down-arkansas-ban-on-gender-affirming-health-care-for-transgender-youth/">federal judge struck down</a>&nbsp;a related gender care law in June 2023. Nebraska is part of the 8th Circuit, and Nebraska lawmakers said they&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/23/nebraska-lawmakers-respond-to-arkansas-court-decision-striking-gender-care-law/">would be watching for the 8th Circuit decision</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727451752656.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha. Aug. 16, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha. Aug. 16, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/26/lawmaker-formally-challenges-nebraskas-gender-care-rules-and-regulations/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;A state lawmaker is formally challenging Nebraska’s rules and regulations on gender care treatments for transgender youths and minors with gender dysphoria.State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, who staunchly opposed&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49961" target="_blank">Legislative Bill 574</a>&nbsp;that granted the rulemaking authority in 2023, has issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LB-574-Rules-Regulation-Challenge-Letter-1.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to State Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island objecting to the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/181-NAC-8-03-17-2024.pdf">regulations</a>. Aguilar chairs the Legislature’s Executive Board, the highest-ranking committee that oversees internal affairs.Under&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=84-907.10" target="_blank">state law</a>, any state senator can challenge a set of rules or regulations if they feel it is unconstitutional, inconsistent with legislative intent or “creates an undue burden in a manner that significantly outweighs its benefit to the public.”State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha sponsored LB 574, the “Let Them Grow Act,” which Cavanaugh fought throughout the 2023 legislative session. That opposition brought the legislative process to a crawl.Cavanaugh said in her letter that the gender care regulations impose significant barriers to the treatments —&nbsp;primarily puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones —&nbsp;on the basis of gender identity. She said the regulations represent a “profound injustice.”“The regulations, motivated by animus toward the affected class, undermine their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Cavanaugh wrote to Aguilar, referring to the Nebraska Constitution’s Bill of Rights. “Access to necessary health care is a fundamental aspect of these rights, determined by the individual, their medical provider and their family.”<h2>History of the regulations</h2>LB 574 set out a minimum four-part standard for eventual regulations that the state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Timothy Tesmer, would need to adopt:<ul>
 <li>A minimum number of “gender-identify-focused” hours of therapy.</li><li>Patient advisory requirements.</li><li>Patient medical documentation requirements.</li><li>A minimum waiting period between informed patient consent and the administration, prescription or delivery of such medications.</li>
 </ul>The&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/17/final-draft-regulations-for-nebraska-gender-care-law-released-ahead-of-november-hearing/">final regulations</a>&nbsp;from Tesmer and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services mandated at least 40 hours of clinically objective and non-biased gender-identity-focused therapy, required youths to live primarily as their preferred gender for at least six months and imposed a seven-day waiting period between informed patient consent and prescription.No more than two hours per week of therapy can be banked, pushing the minimum timeline to at least five months. Injectable medications are required to be performed in a doctor’s office.LB 574 took effect Oct. 1, 2023, alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/01/nebraska-approves-emergency-regulations-regarding-gender-care-for-minors/">emergency regulations</a>. Gov. Jim Pillen approved the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/12/gov-pillen-approves-nebraska-gender-care-regulations/">final, slightly modified set of regulations</a>&nbsp;March 12, and the regulations took effect five days later.<h2>Similar concerns already aired</h2>Many of the concerns Cavanaugh shared in her letter mirror those that transgender Nebraskans and their providers told DHHS officials about at a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/28/nebraskans-testify-largely-against-gender-care-regulations-ask-for-looser-restrictions/">12-hour hearing last November</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/07/05/you-need-to-know-us-trans-youths-describe-life-in-nebraska/">Transgender youths</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/07/nebraska-gender-care-law-causes-confusion-among-mental-health-providers/">mental health providers</a>&nbsp;shared similar concerns with the Nebraska Examiner.Cavanaugh said she’s heard from many of those same testifiers since the regulations took effect. She said she filed the complaint as soon as she could after learning this summer of the law to challenge a regulation.Cavanaugh’s letter cites the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Nebraska Constitution in stating that the regulations delay care and “ignore the specific clinical needs of transgender individuals.” Cavanaugh said the set of guidelines also “disregards the urgency and individualized nature of treating gender dysphoria.”For example, Cavanaugh said, requirements are different for patients with gender dysphoria compared to requirements for other patients who use puberty blockers and hormones for non-gender-dysphoria-related reasons.Kauth and others have argued there needs to be extra care for youths before deciding whether they should be prescribed puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones that will impact them for the rest of their lives. LB 574, as introduced, would have banned the medications before age 19.<h2>Complaint referred to legislative committee</h2>Aguilar, reached Thursday, said he will refer the complaint to the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, of which Cavanaugh is a member.“Nobody’s ever come to me and said anything about it,” Aguilar said about the set of regulations. “I just want to leave it alone.”Under the law, if the Health and Human Services Committee concludes “that the complaint has merit,” it can take various steps, such as requesting:<ul>
 <li>A description of the regulations.</li><li>An explanation of how the regulations abide by legislative intent and the state and federal constitution and are “not an undue burden.”</li><li>A statement on why the regulations are necessary.</li><li>An explanation on how&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-hhs-makes-no-changes-to-draft-regs-on-gender-care-for-trans-minors-after-public-hearing/">public comment</a>&nbsp;was taken into consideration by the agency with respect to drafting the rules and regulations.</li>
 </ul>DHHS would need to respond within 60 days, should the committee make such a request.State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, who chairs the committee, was also the key lawmaker who wrote the final amendment to LB 574,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/10/final-say-on-nebraska-gender-care-legislation-would-be-delegated-to-executive-appointee-and-dhhs/">delegating the regulations</a>&nbsp;to the chief medical officer. He did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.Kauth said she was reviewing the complaint letter and had no immediate comment. A spokesperson for DHHS said the agency promulgated regulations “in accordance with the law.”<h2>Senator vows to continue fighting</h2>The HHS Committee, with support from Hansen and Cavanaugh, requested an in-person briefing from Dr. Tesmer on Feb. 29.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-chief-medical-officer-a-no-show-at-nebraska-gender-care-briefing/">He did not show up</a>. The agency’s chief legal officer said Tesmer had to “respectfully decline” because the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office was at the time reviewing the regulations.Cavanaugh had&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/legislative-proposal-to-repeal-nebraskas-2023-abortion-and-gender-care-law-withdrawn/">withdrawn another bill</a>&nbsp;this year to repeal LB 574 in exchange for the briefing, which she said was to get more clarity. She said Thursday she will keep fighting.“I will continue to use every tool available to me to advocate for and fight for transgender youth and all youth in Nebraska and across the country,” Cavanaugh said in a phone call. “As soon as I realized that I had this tool available to me, I found a way forward to utilize it.”The U.S. Supreme Court is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024/23-477" target="_blank">poised to take up a similar case</a>&nbsp;dealing with treatments for youths with gender dysphoria in its next term this fall, on an appeal from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeal deals with prohibitions on care in Kentucky and Tennessee.The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is in the process of&nbsp;<a href="https://arkansasadvocate.com/2024/04/11/federal-court-hears-oral-arguments-in-safe-act-appeal/#:~:text=Arkansas%20Attorney%20General%20Tim%20Griffin,and%20often%20permanent%20for%20them." target="_blank">weighing an appeal</a>&nbsp;from Arkansas after a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/20/federal-judge-strikes-down-arkansas-ban-on-gender-affirming-health-care-for-transgender-youth/">federal judge struck down</a>&nbsp;a related gender care law in June 2023. Nebraska is part of the 8th Circuit, and Nebraska lawmakers said they&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/23/nebraska-lawmakers-respond-to-arkansas-court-decision-striking-gender-care-law/">would be watching for the 8th Circuit decision</a>.

Lawmaker formally challenges Nebraska’s gender care rules and regulations

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen is announcing two cabinet level appointments. The first is the appointment of Lee Will as chief operating officer (COO) and director for the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services (DAS), effective Sept. 28. &nbsp;Will has been with the state since 2015 and has served as a budget management analyst and deputy budget administrator prior to his appointment to state budget administrator in 2020 and his reappointed by Gov. Pillen in 2023.

“Lee has been an exemplary leader over the state’s budget processes, to the benefit of all Nebraskans,” said Gov. Pillen. “Through his direction, the state enacted the most fiscally conservative budget in its history. Lee has worked closely with state agencies and our legislative partners to provide sound forecasting and budget advice. At DAS, he will be able to implement additional spending reductions through direct oversight of the state’s procurement, facilities and vehicle fleet operations. I am excited for what he will bring to this new role.”&nbsp;

Will replaces Jason Jackson, who has led DAS since 2018. Neil Sullivan has been appointed by Gov. Pillen to fill the role vacated by Will as state budget administrator. Sullivan has been with the state since 2014. Before becoming deputy state budget administrator in 2020, he was a budget management analyst and prior to that, business manager at the Grand Island Veterans Home.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Office of Governor Jim PillenLINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen is announcing two cabinet level appointments. The first is the appointment of Lee Will as chief operating officer (COO) and director for the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services (DAS), effective Sept. 28. &nbsp;Will has been with the state since 2015 and has served as a budget management analyst and deputy budget administrator prior to his appointment to state budget administrator in 2020 and his reappointed by Gov. Pillen in 2023.“Lee has been an exemplary leader over the state’s budget processes, to the benefit of all Nebraskans,” said Gov. Pillen. “Through his direction, the state enacted the most fiscally conservative budget in its history. Lee has worked closely with state agencies and our legislative partners to provide sound forecasting and budget advice. At DAS, he will be able to implement additional spending reductions through direct oversight of the state’s procurement, facilities and vehicle fleet operations. I am excited for what he will bring to this new role.”&nbsp;Will replaces Jason Jackson, who has led DAS since 2018. Neil Sullivan has been appointed by Gov. Pillen to fill the role vacated by Will as state budget administrator. Sullivan has been with the state since 2014. Before becoming deputy state budget administrator in 2020, he was a budget management analyst and prior to that, business manager at the Grand Island Veterans Home.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Governor Pillen Announces Cabinet Level Appointments

TAMPA BAY—United State Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater saved a man and his dog on Thursday during hurricane Helene, after his 36-ft sailboat became disabled and started taking on water approximately 25 miles off Sanibel Island, Florida, according to a social media report from the U.S. Coast Guard.

&nbsp;Emergency crews continue work to rescue people trapped in flooded homes after the hurricane roared ashore as a powerful Category 4 storm.

Kansas deployed a Type 1 swift water search and rescue team, Kansas Task Force 1, through the Office of the State Fire Marshal to assist the state of Florida and local crews responding to the storm.

The Kansas team will conduct search and rescue operations, provide basic life support (BLS) medical care, transport humans and animals to the nearest location for secondary air or land transport, provide shore-based and boat-based water rescue, provide animal rescues, and support helicopter and urban search and rescue in water environments.

As of noon Friday, at least 21 people were reported dead in four states.

The storm generated a massive storm surge and knocked out power to millions of customers in several states.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727457363913.png" alt="Photo U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater</figcaption>
 </figure>TAMPA BAY—United State Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater saved a man and his dog on Thursday during hurricane Helene, after his 36-ft sailboat became disabled and started taking on water approximately 25 miles off Sanibel Island, Florida, according to a social media report from the U.S. Coast Guard.&nbsp;Emergency crews continue work to rescue people trapped in flooded homes after the hurricane roared ashore as a powerful Category 4 storm.Kansas deployed a Type 1 swift water search and rescue team, Kansas Task Force 1, through the Office of the State Fire Marshal to assist the state of Florida and local crews responding to the storm.The Kansas team will conduct search and rescue operations, provide basic life support (BLS) medical care, transport humans and animals to the nearest location for secondary air or land transport, provide shore-based and boat-based water rescue, provide animal rescues, and support helicopter and urban search and rescue in water environments.As of noon Friday, at least 21 people were reported dead in four states.The storm generated a massive storm surge and knocked out power to millions of customers in several states.

Man and his dog rescued off Florida coast after boat sank in Hurricane Helene

University of Nebraska Board of Regents

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents will meet on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in Room 120 of the Regional Engagement Center, located just south of U.S. Highway 30 on the UNK campus.

The meeting is open to the public and will also be live-streamed at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nebraska.edu/">www.nebraska.edu</a>.

A detailed agenda for the Board meeting is available&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraska.edu/regents/agendas-minutes">here</a>.

The Board will consider allowing alcohol sales and consumption at all University of Nebraska athletic events. If approved, university leaders would be able to move forward with selling alcohol at athletic events once they have a plan in place to do so, without coming back to the Board for case-by-case approvals.

Contingent on Board approval next week, Husker Athletics intends to move forward with plans to offer alcohol at athletic events for the 2025-26 season, including football and volleyball games beginning next fall.

“The University of Nebraska has put a great deal of thought and care into how we approach alcohol at our athletic events. I’m very pleased that we have shown we can do this safely, responsibly and in a way that makes sense for our fans, our student-athletes and the institution as a whole,” said President Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. “This is the next step as we consider how best to meet our fans’ expectations, carefully monitor safety and at the same time bring Nebraska in line with our peers in today’s changing college athletics landscape.”

Dr. Gold added that the university will use a portion of the revenues generated from alcohol sales to increase its investment in alcohol safety programs.

Athletic Director Troy Dannen said: “We are committed to providing a first-class game-day experience and amenities in all our athletic venues. Alcohol sales have been successfully and safely implemented at Pinnacle Bank Arena and Haymarket Park in recent years. Our success in those venues with alcohol sales, combined with our recent and planned infrastructure upgrades, has informed us we are prepared to provide the same opportunity at Memorial Stadium, the Bob Devaney Sports Center, and our other facilities, beginning with the 2025-26 athletic season.”

In 2022, the Board amended its policy regarding alcohol on university property to allow alcohol at designated athletic events, with the caveat that the administration would come back to the Board for approval for each individual event or venue.

Since that time, the Board has approved alcohol sales at Pinnacle Bank Arena for Husker men’s and women’s basketball, as well as Haymarket Park for Husker baseball and softball. In addition, regents approved alcohol sales at the 2022 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Pinnacle Bank Arena, and at Volleyball Day in Memorial Stadium in 2023. No major alcohol-related incidents have occurred at any of these events. Alcohol has also long been sold safely at Maverick hockey games.

Nebraska is the only Big Ten institution that is not currently approved to sell alcohol at football games.

Other items for the Board’s consideration include:

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Creation of a bachelor’s degree in applied leadership studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. (Addendum XI-A-3)

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Allowing the president to finalize a contract to replace two grass practice fields for Husker Football located north of the Osborne Legacy Complex. The project will result in improved safety for student-athletes and overall maintenance of the practice fields. (Addendum XI-B-2)

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A budget increase for the outdoor track replacement project at Husker Athletics which would allow for phase II of work to proceed. The second phase includes a press box, stadium seating, restrooms, concessions and IT infrastructure work. (Addendum XI-B-3)

Dr. Gold will also offer remarks, expanding on the opportunities he discussed when he was installed as NU’s ninth president earlier this month and updating the Board on current priorities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726986035396.jpeg" alt="Nebraska running back Dante Dowdell (23) runs through defenders while Illinois defender Gabe Jacas (17) attempts to pull him down/ Photo courtesy of Nebraska Football on X" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska running back Dante Dowdell (23) runs through defenders while Illinois defender Gabe Jacas (17) attempts to pull him down/ Photo courtesy of Nebraska Football on X</figcaption>
 </figure>University of Nebraska Board of RegentsThe University of Nebraska Board of Regents will meet on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in Room 120 of the Regional Engagement Center, located just south of U.S. Highway 30 on the UNK campus.The meeting is open to the public and will also be live-streamed at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nebraska.edu/">www.nebraska.edu</a>.A detailed agenda for the Board meeting is available&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraska.edu/regents/agendas-minutes">here</a>.The Board will consider allowing alcohol sales and consumption at all University of Nebraska athletic events. If approved, university leaders would be able to move forward with selling alcohol at athletic events once they have a plan in place to do so, without coming back to the Board for case-by-case approvals.Contingent on Board approval next week, Husker Athletics intends to move forward with plans to offer alcohol at athletic events for the 2025-26 season, including football and volleyball games beginning next fall.“The University of Nebraska has put a great deal of thought and care into how we approach alcohol at our athletic events. I’m very pleased that we have shown we can do this safely, responsibly and in a way that makes sense for our fans, our student-athletes and the institution as a whole,” said President Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. “This is the next step as we consider how best to meet our fans’ expectations, carefully monitor safety and at the same time bring Nebraska in line with our peers in today’s changing college athletics landscape.”Dr. Gold added that the university will use a portion of the revenues generated from alcohol sales to increase its investment in alcohol safety programs.Athletic Director Troy Dannen said: “We are committed to providing a first-class game-day experience and amenities in all our athletic venues. Alcohol sales have been successfully and safely implemented at Pinnacle Bank Arena and Haymarket Park in recent years. Our success in those venues with alcohol sales, combined with our recent and planned infrastructure upgrades, has informed us we are prepared to provide the same opportunity at Memorial Stadium, the Bob Devaney Sports Center, and our other facilities, beginning with the 2025-26 athletic season.”In 2022, the Board amended its policy regarding alcohol on university property to allow alcohol at designated athletic events, with the caveat that the administration would come back to the Board for approval for each individual event or venue.Since that time, the Board has approved alcohol sales at Pinnacle Bank Arena for Husker men’s and women’s basketball, as well as Haymarket Park for Husker baseball and softball. In addition, regents approved alcohol sales at the 2022 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Pinnacle Bank Arena, and at Volleyball Day in Memorial Stadium in 2023. No major alcohol-related incidents have occurred at any of these events. Alcohol has also long been sold safely at Maverick hockey games.Nebraska is the only Big Ten institution that is not currently approved to sell alcohol at football games.Other items for the Board’s consideration include:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Creation of a bachelor’s degree in applied leadership studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. (Addendum XI-A-3)·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Allowing the president to finalize a contract to replace two grass practice fields for Husker Football located north of the Osborne Legacy Complex. The project will result in improved safety for student-athletes and overall maintenance of the practice fields. (Addendum XI-B-2)·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A budget increase for the outdoor track replacement project at Husker Athletics which would allow for phase II of work to proceed. The second phase includes a press box, stadium seating, restrooms, concessions and IT infrastructure work. (Addendum XI-B-3)Dr. Gold will also offer remarks, expanding on the opportunities he discussed when he was installed as NU’s ninth president earlier this month and updating the Board on current priorities.

University of Nebraska Board of Regents to vote on alcohol sales and consumption at football/volleyball for 2025-2026 year

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen has joined 25 other Republican governors calling for passage of legislation in the U.S. Senate reinforcing Jewish civil rights. The unified message comes ahead of the Oct. 7 anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israeli and American citizens. The letter draws attention to the recent deaths of hostages and the dozens more still held captive, as well as the rising acts of antisemitism in the United States.

The letter, addressed to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, requests passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA) which codifies the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism.&nbsp; In May, that legislation received strong bipartisan support and was passed in the U.S. House.

Quickly following last year’s attack by Hamas, Gov. Pillen issued a proclamation affirming the state’s adoption of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and directed all state code agencies charged with enforcing non-discrimination laws to utilize the definition when investigating complaints of anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination. At the same time, he requested that the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) review personnel and procurement policies, to further ensure the state’s stance against antisemitism.

Other states signing the letter to U.S. Senator Schumer include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

A copy of the letter is attached to this email along with the link to proclamation (release) issued by Gov. Pillen last fall:&nbsp;

<a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/press/IHRA%20Joint%20Letter%20to%20Sen.%20Schumer%209.23.24.pdf">IHRA Joint Letter to Sen. Schumer </a>

<a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/press/IHRA%20Joint%20Letter%20to%20Sen.%20Schumer%209.23.24.pdf">9.23.24</a><a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/gov-pillen-issues-proclamation-announces-actions-fight-antisemitism-and-support-nebraska%E2%80%99s" target="_blank">https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/gov-pillen-issues-proclamation-announces-actions-fight-antisemitism-and-support-nebraska%E2%80%99s</a>

Office of Governor Jim Pillen LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen has joined 25 other Republican governors calling for passage of legislation in the U.S. Senate reinforcing Jewish civil rights. The unified message comes ahead of the Oct. 7 anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israeli and American citizens. The letter draws attention to the recent deaths of hostages and the dozens more still held captive, as well as the rising acts of antisemitism in the United States.The letter, addressed to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, requests passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA) which codifies the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism.&nbsp; In May, that legislation received strong bipartisan support and was passed in the U.S. House.Quickly following last year’s attack by Hamas, Gov. Pillen issued a proclamation affirming the state’s adoption of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and directed all state code agencies charged with enforcing non-discrimination laws to utilize the definition when investigating complaints of anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination. At the same time, he requested that the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) review personnel and procurement policies, to further ensure the state’s stance against antisemitism.Other states signing the letter to U.S. Senator Schumer include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.A copy of the letter is attached to this email along with the link to proclamation (release) issued by Gov. Pillen last fall:&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/press/IHRA%20Joint%20Letter%20to%20Sen.%20Schumer%209.23.24.pdf">IHRA Joint Letter to Sen. Schumer </a><a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/press/IHRA%20Joint%20Letter%20to%20Sen.%20Schumer%209.23.24.pdf">9.23.24</a><a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/gov-pillen-issues-proclamation-announces-actions-fight-antisemitism-and-support-nebraska%E2%80%99s" target="_blank">https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/gov-pillen-issues-proclamation-announces-actions-fight-antisemitism-and-support-nebraska%E2%80%99s</a>

Gov. Pillen Joins 25 Republican Governors in Calling for Passage  of Federal Antisemitism Legislation

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;

The Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, laid out more of her economic vision Wednesday during her first one-on-one cable TV interview.

Harris and former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, are laying out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/taxes-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">dueling economic agendas</a>&nbsp;this week as the two vie for the Oval Office in an extremely close race.

“I really love and am so energized by what I know to be the spirit and character of the American people — we have ambition, we have aspirations, we have dreams, we can see what’s possible, we have an incredible work ethic, but not everyone has the access to the opportunities that allow them to achieve those things, but we don’t lack for those things, but not everyone gets handed stuff on a silver platter,” Harris told MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle.

“My vision for the economy — I call it an opportunity economy — is about making sure that all Americans — wherever they start, wherever they are — have the ability to actually achieve those dreams and those ambitions, which include, for middle-class families, just being able to know that their hard work allows them to get ahead,” she said.

Earlier on Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/election-2024/harris-touts-economic-plans-in-pittsburgh-the-best-way-to-predict-the-future-is-to-invent-it/" target="_blank">Harris touted her economic plans</a>&nbsp;in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at Carnegie Mellon University. During her MSNBC interview later in the day, she reiterated her plan to cut taxes for more than 100 million Americans, including $6,000 in tax relief for new parents in the first year of their child’s life.

In that first year, Harris said these parents are going to “need help buying a crib, buying a car seat, and we all benefit when they’re actually able to do what they naturally want to do to take care of their child.”

Part of her economic agenda also includes as much as $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and an up to $50,000 tax break for first-time small businesses.

She also took jabs at Trump when it comes to the economy, saying he’s “just not very serious about how he thinks about some of these issues.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/news/8760cee3-7340-4dcc-9fc5-3457aa5953bd" target="_blank">Trump campaign</a>&nbsp;clapped back at her MSNBC appearance on Wednesday, saying “it was (another) reminder why she never does interviews,” and that she’s “not competent enough — and she has no plans to offer Americans.”

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/09/24/trump-pitches-economic-plan-in-savannah-while-insulting-democrats-praising-kemp/" target="_blank">pitched his economic plan</a>&nbsp;earlier this week in Georgia, part of which includes levying tariffs on exported goods, and he vowed to place a 100% tariff on cars imported from Mexico.

Harris also touched on immigration, telling Ruhle “we do have a broken immigration system, and it needs to be fixed.”

She also said she would bring back and sign into law a major&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bleak-future-immigration-action-after-us-senate-gop-abandons-border-security-deal" target="_blank">bipartisan border security bill</a>&nbsp;from earlier this year while pinning its legislative failure on Trump.

“He killed a bill that would have actually been a solution because he wants to run on a problem instead of fixing the problem, and that’s part of what needs to be addressed,” Harris said.

The veep is set to visit the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday for the first time since becoming the Democratic nominee. Her Douglas, Arizona, visit comes as she’s faced repeated criticism and backlash from both sides of the aisle for her efforts surrounding immigration.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113193502568945796" target="_blank">Truth Social post</a>&nbsp;earlier this week regarding her upcoming visit, Trump again dubbed Harris a “border czar,” saying “what a disgrace that she waited so long, allowing millions of people to enter our Country from prisons, mental institutions, and criminal cells all over the World, not just South America, many of those coming are terrorists, and at a level never seen before!”

President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/what-know-about-vice-president-kamala-harris-endorsed-biden-his-successor" target="_blank">tapped Harris back in 2021</a>&nbsp;to help address the “root causes” of migration in Central America, but he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2024/08/trump-tv-ad-repeats-false-border-czar-illegal-immigration-claims/" target="_blank">did not give her</a>&nbsp;the title of “border czar.” The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of border security.

What’s next for Harris, Trump campaigns

Harris was set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday afternoon.

The meeting between the two leaders “serves as a reminder that the Vice President has been a champion for the United States, advancing our security and prosperity on the world stage and standing up to dictators and autocrats,” her campaign said in a Thursday press release.

This will be her seventh meeting with Zelenskyy, according to her campaign, which noted that as vice president, “she helped rally a global coalition of 50 allies and partners to help Ukraine defend itself.”

Trump is set to deliver remarks in Walker, Michigan, on Friday. Later in the day, he will also host a town hall in Warren, Michigan.

And in the thick of the college football season, Trump is set to attend the Alabama-Georgia football game on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, the University of Alabama&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-says-jewish-voters-would-be-partly-blame-election-loss" target="_blank">confirmed to States Newsroom last week</a>.

Harris’ running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is set to attend the Michigan-Minnesota football game Saturday in Ann Arbor, the Harris-Walz campaign announced.

He’s also slated to campaign there and will “speak with students about the power of their vote and the importance of registering to vote ahead of the November election,” per the announcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727438181004.png" alt="Vice President Harris during a White House press conference on Thursday image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Harris during a White House press conference on Thursday image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;The Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, laid out more of her economic vision Wednesday during her first one-on-one cable TV interview.Harris and former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, are laying out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/taxes-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">dueling economic agendas</a>&nbsp;this week as the two vie for the Oval Office in an extremely close race.“I really love and am so energized by what I know to be the spirit and character of the American people — we have ambition, we have aspirations, we have dreams, we can see what’s possible, we have an incredible work ethic, but not everyone has the access to the opportunities that allow them to achieve those things, but we don’t lack for those things, but not everyone gets handed stuff on a silver platter,” Harris told MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle.“My vision for the economy — I call it an opportunity economy — is about making sure that all Americans — wherever they start, wherever they are — have the ability to actually achieve those dreams and those ambitions, which include, for middle-class families, just being able to know that their hard work allows them to get ahead,” she said.Earlier on Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/election-2024/harris-touts-economic-plans-in-pittsburgh-the-best-way-to-predict-the-future-is-to-invent-it/" target="_blank">Harris touted her economic plans</a>&nbsp;in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at Carnegie Mellon University. During her MSNBC interview later in the day, she reiterated her plan to cut taxes for more than 100 million Americans, including $6,000 in tax relief for new parents in the first year of their child’s life.In that first year, Harris said these parents are going to “need help buying a crib, buying a car seat, and we all benefit when they’re actually able to do what they naturally want to do to take care of their child.”Part of her economic agenda also includes as much as $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and an up to $50,000 tax break for first-time small businesses.She also took jabs at Trump when it comes to the economy, saying he’s “just not very serious about how he thinks about some of these issues.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/news/8760cee3-7340-4dcc-9fc5-3457aa5953bd" target="_blank">Trump campaign</a>&nbsp;clapped back at her MSNBC appearance on Wednesday, saying “it was (another) reminder why she never does interviews,” and that she’s “not competent enough — and she has no plans to offer Americans.”Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/09/24/trump-pitches-economic-plan-in-savannah-while-insulting-democrats-praising-kemp/" target="_blank">pitched his economic plan</a>&nbsp;earlier this week in Georgia, part of which includes levying tariffs on exported goods, and he vowed to place a 100% tariff on cars imported from Mexico.<h2>Harris to visit southern border&nbsp;</h2>Harris also touched on immigration, telling Ruhle “we do have a broken immigration system, and it needs to be fixed.”She also said she would bring back and sign into law a major&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bleak-future-immigration-action-after-us-senate-gop-abandons-border-security-deal" target="_blank">bipartisan border security bill</a>&nbsp;from earlier this year while pinning its legislative failure on Trump.“He killed a bill that would have actually been a solution because he wants to run on a problem instead of fixing the problem, and that’s part of what needs to be addressed,” Harris said.The veep is set to visit the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday for the first time since becoming the Democratic nominee. Her Douglas, Arizona, visit comes as she’s faced repeated criticism and backlash from both sides of the aisle for her efforts surrounding immigration.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113193502568945796" target="_blank">Truth Social post</a>&nbsp;earlier this week regarding her upcoming visit, Trump again dubbed Harris a “border czar,” saying “what a disgrace that she waited so long, allowing millions of people to enter our Country from prisons, mental institutions, and criminal cells all over the World, not just South America, many of those coming are terrorists, and at a level never seen before!”President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/what-know-about-vice-president-kamala-harris-endorsed-biden-his-successor" target="_blank">tapped Harris back in 2021</a>&nbsp;to help address the “root causes” of migration in Central America, but he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2024/08/trump-tv-ad-repeats-false-border-czar-illegal-immigration-claims/" target="_blank">did not give her</a>&nbsp;the title of “border czar.” The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of border security.<h2>What’s next for Harris, Trump campaigns</h2>Harris was set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday afternoon.The meeting between the two leaders “serves as a reminder that the Vice President has been a champion for the United States, advancing our security and prosperity on the world stage and standing up to dictators and autocrats,” her campaign said in a Thursday press release.This will be her seventh meeting with Zelenskyy, according to her campaign, which noted that as vice president, “she helped rally a global coalition of 50 allies and partners to help Ukraine defend itself.”Trump is set to deliver remarks in Walker, Michigan, on Friday. Later in the day, he will also host a town hall in Warren, Michigan.And in the thick of the college football season, Trump is set to attend the Alabama-Georgia football game on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, the University of Alabama&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-says-jewish-voters-would-be-partly-blame-election-loss" target="_blank">confirmed to States Newsroom last week</a>.Harris’ running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is set to attend the Michigan-Minnesota football game Saturday in Ann Arbor, the Harris-Walz campaign announced.He’s also slated to campaign there and will “speak with students about the power of their vote and the importance of registering to vote ahead of the November election,” per the announcement.

Harris pitches an ‘opportunity economy’ in debut one-on-one TV interview 

WASHINGTON —On Thursday, as part of the surge of assistance that President Biden directed ahead of his meeting with President Zelenskyy, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced a significant new security assistance package to ensure Ukraine has the tools it needs to prevail in its fight against Russian aggression, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense.

This security assistance package commits an additional $2.4 billion in support through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) that will provide Ukraine with additional air defense, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and air-to-ground munitions, as well as strengthen Ukraine’s defense industrial base and support its maintenance and sustainment requirements.&nbsp;

The capabilities in this announcement include:

This is the Biden Administration’s twenty-first USAI package. The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated capability coalitions to provide the support Ukraine needs to win the war.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727380260471.png" alt="Ukrainian President Zelenskyy watches as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signs bombs that will used in the war against Russia-photo Office of Gov. Shapiro" />
 <figcaption>Ukrainian President Zelenskyy watches as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signs bombs that will used in the war against Russia-photo Office of Gov. Shapiro</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —On Thursday, as part of the surge of assistance that President Biden directed ahead of his meeting with President Zelenskyy, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced a significant new security assistance package to ensure Ukraine has the tools it needs to prevail in its fight against Russian aggression, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense.This security assistance package commits an additional $2.4 billion in support through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) that will provide Ukraine with additional air defense, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and air-to-ground munitions, as well as strengthen Ukraine’s defense industrial base and support its maintenance and sustainment requirements.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727392281821.png" alt="-President Zelenskyy and Vice President Harris at the White House on Thursday-White House image" />
 <figcaption>-President Zelenskyy and Vice President Harris at the White House on Thursday-White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>The capabilities in this announcement include:<ul>
 <li>Munitions and support for Ukrainian air defense systems;</li><li>Air-to-ground munitions;</li><li>Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and components to support Ukrainian production of UAS;</li><li>Counter-UAS equipment;&nbsp; Unmanned surface vessels;</li><li>Secure communications equipment;</li><li>Equipment and materiel to support Ukrainian munitions production; and&nbsp;</li><li>Spare parts, maintenance and sustainment support, and other ancillary equipment.</li>
 </ul><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727380341399.png" alt="Ukraine President Zelenskyy and President Biden at the White House on Thursday-White House image" />
 <figcaption>Ukraine President Zelenskyy and President Biden at the White House on Thursday-White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>This is the Biden Administration’s twenty-first USAI package. The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated capability coalitions to provide the support Ukraine needs to win the war.

U.S. to spend another $2.4 billion on security assistance for Ukraine

Office of U.S. Senator Deb Fischer

&nbsp; WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer’s (R-Neb.) Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2023/11/senate-unanimously-approves-fischer-s-bipartisan-legislation-to-expand-vets-access-to-cdl-schools">passed</a>&nbsp;the Senate in November 2023, will expand veterans’ training opportunities in the trucking industry. The bill now awaits the president’s signature.

Current laws prevent new trucking school locations from accepting GI Bill benefits for two years after opening, including new locations opened by schools that are already established. Senator Fischer’s legislation will allow new facilities to accept GI Bill benefits if their primary institutions have already received regulatory approval.

“Our veterans deserve every opportunity to participate in the American dream they’ve fought to protect. But when their service is over, many veterans face unfair roadblocks when they look for jobs,” said Senator Fischer. “My legislation makes it easier for veterans to get their CDL licenses and earn a good living.”

Senator Fischer&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2023/3/fischer-padilla-reintroduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-expand-vets-access-to-cdl-schools">introduced</a>&nbsp;this bipartisan, bicameral legislation with Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) in March 2023. It was introduced in the House by Representatives Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.).

Veteran Service Organizations:&nbsp;American Legion, Moving Veterans Forward, Student Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Great Plains Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Nebraska Military Officers Association of America.

Labor Organizations:&nbsp;International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Trucking Industry Groups:&nbsp;Werner Trucking, American Trucking Association, Commercial Vehicle Training Association, and Nebraska Trucking Association.

Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/f5947372-59b2-4755-9891-e4390a6b0358/cdl.pdf">here</a>&nbsp;to read the text of the bill.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Office of U.S. Senator Deb Fischer&nbsp; WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer’s (R-Neb.) Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2023/11/senate-unanimously-approves-fischer-s-bipartisan-legislation-to-expand-vets-access-to-cdl-schools">passed</a>&nbsp;the Senate in November 2023, will expand veterans’ training opportunities in the trucking industry. The bill now awaits the president’s signature.Current laws prevent new trucking school locations from accepting GI Bill benefits for two years after opening, including new locations opened by schools that are already established. Senator Fischer’s legislation will allow new facilities to accept GI Bill benefits if their primary institutions have already received regulatory approval.“Our veterans deserve every opportunity to participate in the American dream they’ve fought to protect. But when their service is over, many veterans face unfair roadblocks when they look for jobs,” said Senator Fischer. “My legislation makes it easier for veterans to get their CDL licenses and earn a good living.”Senator Fischer&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2023/3/fischer-padilla-reintroduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-expand-vets-access-to-cdl-schools">introduced</a>&nbsp;this bipartisan, bicameral legislation with Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) in March 2023. It was introduced in the House by Representatives Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.).The bill has received endorsements from:Veteran Service Organizations:&nbsp;American Legion, Moving Veterans Forward, Student Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Great Plains Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Nebraska Military Officers Association of America.Labor Organizations:&nbsp;International Brotherhood of Teamsters.Trucking Industry Groups:&nbsp;Werner Trucking, American Trucking Association, Commercial Vehicle Training Association, and Nebraska Trucking Association.Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/f5947372-59b2-4755-9891-e4390a6b0358/cdl.pdf">here</a>&nbsp;to read the text of the bill.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fischer Bill Expanding Vets’ Access to CDL Schools Heads to President

Gary Premus has been located. Unfortunately, he has been found deceased.

&nbsp; An Endangered Missing Advisory has been activated to determine the whereabouts of Gary Premus.

Gary Premus was last seen at 1725 MT on 9/25/24 at 320 West 42nd Street in Scottsbluff. Gary is an 84 years old white male, 5'9, 290lbs, possibly driving a 1997 Buick Park Avenue, beige with Nebraska plate 21-P624. Gary is heavily reliant on oxygen and becomes disoriented when not on oxygen. He may be traveling to Fort Pierre, SD where he has other family.

Gary's phone has been shut off. Contact Scottsbluff Police Department at 308-632-7176 with any information about Gary Premus' location.

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 </figure>UPDATE 9/26/24Gary Premus has been located. Unfortunately, he has been found deceased.-----&nbsp; An Endangered Missing Advisory has been activated to determine the whereabouts of Gary Premus.Gary Premus was last seen at 1725 MT on 9/25/24 at 320 West 42nd Street in Scottsbluff. Gary is an 84 years old white male, 5'9, 290lbs, possibly driving a 1997 Buick Park Avenue, beige with Nebraska plate 21-P624. Gary is heavily reliant on oxygen and becomes disoriented when not on oxygen. He may be traveling to Fort Pierre, SD where he has other family.Gary's phone has been shut off. Contact Scottsbluff Police Department at 308-632-7176 with any information about Gary Premus' location.