OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — A spelling champion from Nebraska did an outstanding job but was eliminated in round 8 of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;Sarah Fernandes, a 12-year-old 6th grade at St. Stephan the Martyr Catholic School just missed a trip to the finals. She misspelled&nbsp;opelu. She spelled it opalu.

Fernandes had plenty of company among the 140 spellers eliminated on Wednesday, spelling's saddest day.

“I didn't expect to get out, but I did, and I guess I have to accept the truth now,” said Achyut Ethiraj, an eighth-grader from Fort Wayne, Indiana. “I'm happy to do high school and do other things, but I'm kind of confused what to do now that I'm done with spelling."

“It's my last year, and I expected to do better, but I guess it is what it is," he said. "And I have to move on.”

The structure of the spelling bee has undergone plenty of changes over time, but over the past three years under executive director Corrie Loeffler, the competition has gotten very hard, very fast for spellers who make it past the preliminary rounds.

The morning began with 148 spellers. By the end of the first quarterfinal round, there were 59 left, and 46 of those got through a vocabulary round to reach the semifinals. By the end of the day, eight finalists remained. They will return Thursday night, when the winner will receive a trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.

The champion won't be Shradha Rachamreddy, who finished third last year and was a consensus favorite to go all the way. She was eliminated on exactly the sort of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/scripps-national-spelling-bee-preliminary-2024-6331732d552c3b07bab29e5485fc813c">“super short, tricky word”</a>&nbsp;she said she concentrated on studying after misspelling “orle” last year. This year it was “varan,” a type of lizard. She added an extra “r,” and former spellers in the audience gasped at her mistake.

“I am in shock and despair,” said Dev Shah, the 2023 champion.

“We all thought she was going to win,” added Charlotte Walsh, last year's runner-up.

Starting in the quarterfinals,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-spelling-bee-word-list-6b67fd86e9008d3f61cc7f256dbad480">the bee's word panel</a>&nbsp;can use any of the more than half a million words in Webster's Unabridged dictionary, plus some geographical names that aren't even listed in that volume. While the panel tries to maintain a consistent level of difficulty in each round, it can vary from word to word.

Achyut was asked to spell the word “sistine.” Derived from the Sistine Chapel, it's an adjective meaning “a light blue color.” He went with “cistine,” and his coach, Grace Walters, was second-guessing herself.

“I'm sure when I was making my lists, I just assumed, ‘Oh, everybody knows the Sistine Chapel.’ But the reality is these kids are like 10 to 14. They might not have the ... cultural knowledge that us older people have,” said the 22-year-old Walters, a former speller. “So that's definitely something I feel like I overlooked in helping him prepare.”

Two years ago, Achyut finished in a tie for 14th place, and last year he tied for 23rd. This year, he tied for 60th place alongside the 88 others eliminated in the round.

“My rank has been going lower. But the reality is my preparation has been increasing a lot,” Achyut said. “And I don't know how that matches up, but I know that I know the words and I deserve a good break.”

He has plenty of company. Rare is a speller like Vanya Shivashankar, who came in with enormous buzz in 2015 after years of strong finishes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-52b763355a874abfacdb02fc290ceaed">ended up winning</a>. Even Shivashankar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article22176948.html">had a setback the previous year</a>&nbsp;when a written spelling and vocabulary test kept her out of the finals.

Naysa Modi,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5d8561545c954ac28b82f2a3d889c1a7">the 2018 runner-up</a>, didn't make the finals the following year. Ishika Varipilli, who hoped to make a run at the trophy this year in her third and final attempt, bowed out in a tie for 47th after missing a vocabulary word, “swanky," and said afterward she was “trying to keep it together.”

In the semifinals, Shradha was followed to the exit by two more top-ten finishers from 2023: Aryan Khedkar and Sarah Fernandes. Aryan got a long hug from fellow competitor Faizan Zaki before leaving the stage.

“These kids put a lot of pressure on themselves. I think they get nervous. They get worried. They get more focused on, ‘What if I don’t make it? What if this happens? What if that happens?'” Walters said. “The kids feel it around them that, you know, they're being looked up to as previous finalists, previous semifinalists, and they internalize that people expect something from them.”

Aliyah Alpert, who finished ninth in 2022, missed the bee entirely last year because she flubbed the word “recoup” in the Yavapai County spelling bee in her home state of Arizona.

“It was on-list, I totally knew the word, but I blanked. Choked,” said 13-year-old Aliyah, who returned this year and was ousted in the semifinals.

Matthew Bader came in knowing he might not improve upon his finish last year, a tie for 57th.

“The farther you make it in the competition one year, that's the more chance you'll do worse next year,” said Matthew, a 14-year-old from Peachtree City, Georgia. “Actually, I didn’t really mind getting out. Win or lose, to be here, it’s a pretty big accomplishment.”

Ananth Chepuri of Bradenton, Florida, thought his daughter, 11-year-old Amara, was eliminated by one of the most difficult words ("ephectic") of what he called an inconsistent round.

“It's been brutal,” Chepuri said. “The first kid, I felt so sorry for him. This was a bloodbath!”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716913401526.png" alt="Sarah Grace Fernandes, 12, 6th grade, St. Stephan the Martyr Catholic School, Omaha-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Sarah Grace Fernandes, 12, 6th grade, St. Stephan the Martyr Catholic School, Omaha-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — A spelling champion from Nebraska did an outstanding job but was eliminated in round 8 of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sarah Fernandes, a 12-year-old 6th grade at St. Stephan the Martyr Catholic School just missed a trip to the finals. She misspelled&nbsp;opelu. She spelled it opalu.Fernandes had plenty of company among the 140 spellers eliminated on Wednesday, spelling's saddest day.“I didn't expect to get out, but I did, and I guess I have to accept the truth now,” said Achyut Ethiraj, an eighth-grader from Fort Wayne, Indiana. “I'm happy to do high school and do other things, but I'm kind of confused what to do now that I'm done with spelling."“It's my last year, and I expected to do better, but I guess it is what it is," he said. "And I have to move on.”The structure of the spelling bee has undergone plenty of changes over time, but over the past three years under executive director Corrie Loeffler, the competition has gotten very hard, very fast for spellers who make it past the preliminary rounds.The morning began with 148 spellers. By the end of the first quarterfinal round, there were 59 left, and 46 of those got through a vocabulary round to reach the semifinals. By the end of the day, eight finalists remained. They will return Thursday night, when the winner will receive a trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.The champion won't be Shradha Rachamreddy, who finished third last year and was a consensus favorite to go all the way. She was eliminated on exactly the sort of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/scripps-national-spelling-bee-preliminary-2024-6331732d552c3b07bab29e5485fc813c">“super short, tricky word”</a>&nbsp;she said she concentrated on studying after misspelling “orle” last year. This year it was “varan,” a type of lizard. She added an extra “r,” and former spellers in the audience gasped at her mistake.“I am in shock and despair,” said Dev Shah, the 2023 champion.“We all thought she was going to win,” added Charlotte Walsh, last year's runner-up.Starting in the quarterfinals,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-spelling-bee-word-list-6b67fd86e9008d3f61cc7f256dbad480">the bee's word panel</a>&nbsp;can use any of the more than half a million words in Webster's Unabridged dictionary, plus some geographical names that aren't even listed in that volume. While the panel tries to maintain a consistent level of difficulty in each round, it can vary from word to word.That's when luck comes into play.Achyut was asked to spell the word “sistine.” Derived from the Sistine Chapel, it's an adjective meaning “a light blue color.” He went with “cistine,” and his coach, Grace Walters, was second-guessing herself.“I'm sure when I was making my lists, I just assumed, ‘Oh, everybody knows the Sistine Chapel.’ But the reality is these kids are like 10 to 14. They might not have the ... cultural knowledge that us older people have,” said the 22-year-old Walters, a former speller. “So that's definitely something I feel like I overlooked in helping him prepare.”Two years ago, Achyut finished in a tie for 14th place, and last year he tied for 23rd. This year, he tied for 60th place alongside the 88 others eliminated in the round.“My rank has been going lower. But the reality is my preparation has been increasing a lot,” Achyut said. “And I don't know how that matches up, but I know that I know the words and I deserve a good break.”He has plenty of company. Rare is a speller like Vanya Shivashankar, who came in with enormous buzz in 2015 after years of strong finishes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-52b763355a874abfacdb02fc290ceaed">ended up winning</a>. Even Shivashankar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article22176948.html">had a setback the previous year</a>&nbsp;when a written spelling and vocabulary test kept her out of the finals.Naysa Modi,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5d8561545c954ac28b82f2a3d889c1a7">the 2018 runner-up</a>, didn't make the finals the following year. Ishika Varipilli, who hoped to make a run at the trophy this year in her third and final attempt, bowed out in a tie for 47th after missing a vocabulary word, “swanky," and said afterward she was “trying to keep it together.”In the semifinals, Shradha was followed to the exit by two more top-ten finishers from 2023: Aryan Khedkar and Sarah Fernandes. Aryan got a long hug from fellow competitor Faizan Zaki before leaving the stage.“These kids put a lot of pressure on themselves. I think they get nervous. They get worried. They get more focused on, ‘What if I don’t make it? What if this happens? What if that happens?'” Walters said. “The kids feel it around them that, you know, they're being looked up to as previous finalists, previous semifinalists, and they internalize that people expect something from them.”Aliyah Alpert, who finished ninth in 2022, missed the bee entirely last year because she flubbed the word “recoup” in the Yavapai County spelling bee in her home state of Arizona.“It was on-list, I totally knew the word, but I blanked. Choked,” said 13-year-old Aliyah, who returned this year and was ousted in the semifinals.Matthew Bader came in knowing he might not improve upon his finish last year, a tie for 57th.“The farther you make it in the competition one year, that's the more chance you'll do worse next year,” said Matthew, a 14-year-old from Peachtree City, Georgia. “Actually, I didn’t really mind getting out. Win or lose, to be here, it’s a pretty big accomplishment.”Ananth Chepuri of Bradenton, Florida, thought his daughter, 11-year-old Amara, was eliminated by one of the most difficult words ("ephectic") of what he called an inconsistent round.“It's been brutal,” Chepuri said. “The first kid, I felt so sorry for him. This was a bloodbath!”

Nebraska girl just misses National Spelling Bee finals

NODAWAY COUNTY, Missouri—Two people were injured in an accident just after 9:30a.m. Wednesday in Nodaway County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Mitsubishi Endeavor driven by Lindsey L. Storm, 35, Omaha, was northbound on MO 113 two miles south of Quitman.

The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at MO 46.&nbsp; The SUV struck the drivers side front tire on a westbound 2019 Chrysler Pacifica driven by Kathleen J. Leus, 72, Maryville, Missouri.

Life-Flight air ambulance transported Storm to an Omaha hospital. Nodaway County EMS transported Leus to Mosaic in Maryville. Storm was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

NODAWAY COUNTY, Missouri—Two people were injured in an accident just after 9:30a.m. Wednesday in Nodaway County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Mitsubishi Endeavor driven by Lindsey L. Storm, 35, Omaha, was northbound on MO 113 two miles south of Quitman.The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at MO 46.&nbsp; The SUV struck the drivers side front tire on a westbound 2019 Chrysler Pacifica driven by Kathleen J. Leus, 72, Maryville, Missouri.Life-Flight air ambulance transported Storm to an Omaha hospital. Nodaway County EMS transported Leus to Mosaic in Maryville. Storm was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Nebraska woman air-lifted to hospital after Missouri crash

NEW YORK (AP) — The first day of jury deliberations in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial concluded after the panel sent their first two notes to the judge Wednesday afternoon, just a few hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-judge-verdict-390f045e9e8a37f069e82576edd7a842">beginning deliberations</a>.

They requested to rehear jury instructions, as well as rehear testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker about the August 2015 Trump Tower meeting where he agreed to identify negative stories for Trump, a phone call he says he had with Trump about the Karen McDougal deal, and his decision not to sell the rights to McDougal’s story to Trump.

The jury also asked to hear Michael Cohen's testimony about the same Trump Tower meeting.

Judge Juan M. Merchan said it would take some time to gather the requested testimony and about a half hour to re-read it to the jury. Deliberations will resume Thursday morning.

The historic deliberations followed Tuesday's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-jury-hush-money-stormy-daniels-e262d1fe4a9ca624f2f983ca1000eb55">whirlwind of closing arguments</a>, which stretched into the evening as prosecutor Joshua Steinglass accused Trump of intentionally deceiving voters by allegedly participating in a “catch-and-kill” scheme to bury stories that might obliterate his 2016 presidential bid.

The defense approached its summation much in the same way it approached cross-examination: by targeting the credibility of star witness Michael Cohen.

Trump faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">34 felony counts</a>&nbsp;of falsifying business records, charges which are punishable by up to four years in prison. He has denied all wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.

At&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-trial-closing-arguments-ed9e28cd63502c0949e9fafcc6f0a991">the heart of the charges</a>&nbsp;are reimbursements paid to Cohen for a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in exchange for not going public with her claim about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.

Prosecutors say the reimbursements were falsely logged as “legal expenses” to hide the true nature of the transactions.

The case is the first of&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">Trump's four indictments</a>&nbsp;to reach trial and is the first-ever criminal case against a former U.S. president.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716986622777.png" alt="Trump leaving the court house late Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Trump leaving the court house late Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The first day of jury deliberations in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial concluded after the panel sent their first two notes to the judge Wednesday afternoon, just a few hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-judge-verdict-390f045e9e8a37f069e82576edd7a842">beginning deliberations</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump: &quot;Mother Teresa could not beat these charges. These charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged. The whole country&#39;s a mess between the borders and fake elections and you have a trial like this...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pfHWUSkWx9">pic.twitter.com/pfHWUSkWx9</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1795847409433555154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>They requested to rehear jury instructions, as well as rehear testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker about the August 2015 Trump Tower meeting where he agreed to identify negative stories for Trump, a phone call he says he had with Trump about the Karen McDougal deal, and his decision not to sell the rights to McDougal’s story to Trump.The jury also asked to hear Michael Cohen's testimony about the same Trump Tower meeting.Judge Juan M. Merchan said it would take some time to gather the requested testimony and about a half hour to re-read it to the jury. Deliberations will resume Thursday morning.The historic deliberations followed Tuesday's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-jury-hush-money-stormy-daniels-e262d1fe4a9ca624f2f983ca1000eb55">whirlwind of closing arguments</a>, which stretched into the evening as prosecutor Joshua Steinglass accused Trump of intentionally deceiving voters by allegedly participating in a “catch-and-kill” scheme to bury stories that might obliterate his 2016 presidential bid.The defense approached its summation much in the same way it approached cross-examination: by targeting the credibility of star witness Michael Cohen.Trump faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">34 felony counts</a>&nbsp;of falsifying business records, charges which are punishable by up to four years in prison. He has denied all wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.At&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-trial-closing-arguments-ed9e28cd63502c0949e9fafcc6f0a991">the heart of the charges</a>&nbsp;are reimbursements paid to Cohen for a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in exchange for not going public with her claim about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.Prosecutors say the reimbursements were falsely logged as “legal expenses” to hide the true nature of the transactions.The case is the first of&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">Trump's four indictments</a>&nbsp;to reach trial and is the first-ever criminal case against a former U.S. president.

🎥 Trump: Mother Teresa could not beat these charges

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Criminal charges against Scottie Scheffler have been dismissed, ending a legal saga that began with images of the world’s top male golfer being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/scheffler-pga-police-fatality-a421bfdb346f00dec95c95a0ab04e4d9">arrested and handcuffed</a>&nbsp;in Louisville during the PGA Championship.

(Click below to watch videos from a street pole camera of encounter)

Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell asked a judge Wednesday afternoon to drop the four charges against Scheffler, who was not required to be in the courtroom. The prosecutor said his team reviewed the case in a “thorough and expeditious manner.”

“Based upon the totality of the evidence, my office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler," O'Connell said during the hearing that lasted less than 10 minutes. "Mr. Scheffler’s characterization that this was ‘a big misunderstanding’ is corroborated by the evidence.”

Scheffler was charged with a felony for assaulting a police officer with his vehicle, along with three misdemeanors. The arresting officer, Detective Bryan Gillis, was outside the gate of Valhalla Golf Course May 17 directing traffic after a pedestrian death when he encountered Scheffler.

The prosecutor said the findings of his office’s review of the case led him to request the dismissal of the charges.

“The evidence we reviewed supports the conclusion that Detective Gillis was concerned for public safety at the scene when he initiated contact with Mr. Scheffler,” O’Connell said. “However, Mr. Scheffler’s actions and the evidence surrounding their exchange during this misunderstanding do not satisfy the elements of any criminal offenses.”

Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, was asked if he wanted to comment. Romines replied: “Judge, it’s taken me a long time to understand that when I’m winning, don’t talk. So I have nothing to say, your honor.”

The judge then accepted the dismissal motion.

Scheffler, 27, was driving a PGA courtesy vehicle when Gillis said he “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging” Gillis to the ground. Gillis said his uniform pants were damaged in the fall and he was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

A surveillance video released by Louisville police last week showed Gillis pursuing Scheffler’s vehicle on foot and stopping him from entering the course. Scheffler is later pulled from the car and cuffed. But the video did not show Gillis’ first contact with Scheffler, authorities said.

Gillis has been disciplined for not activating his body-worn camera during the arrest. In a report on that failure, Gillis wrote that Scheffler had “demanded to be let in” the golf course.

Scheffler has said he simply misunderstood the commands coming from traffic officers.

The famous golfer spent a brief stint in a jail cell, then returned to the course for the second round. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/scottie-scheffler-pga-championship-15f6041dc4d9fd00ab65f742737f0f34">finished the tournament</a>&nbsp;tied for eighth place.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715949652837.png" alt="Scheffler's booking photo Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Scheffler's booking photo Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Criminal charges against Scottie Scheffler have been dismissed, ending a legal saga that began with images of the world’s top male golfer being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/scheffler-pga-police-fatality-a421bfdb346f00dec95c95a0ab04e4d9">arrested and handcuffed</a>&nbsp;in Louisville during the PGA Championship.(Click below to watch videos from a street pole camera of encounter)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mnWeQfNMLmM?si=ZRSVVZfgFYR4Z5k4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mnWeQfNMLmM?si=ZRSVVZfgFYR4Z5k4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell asked a judge Wednesday afternoon to drop the four charges against Scheffler, who was not required to be in the courtroom. The prosecutor said his team reviewed the case in a “thorough and expeditious manner.”“Based upon the totality of the evidence, my office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler," O'Connell said during the hearing that lasted less than 10 minutes. "Mr. Scheffler’s characterization that this was ‘a big misunderstanding’ is corroborated by the evidence.”Scheffler was charged with a felony for assaulting a police officer with his vehicle, along with three misdemeanors. The arresting officer, Detective Bryan Gillis, was outside the gate of Valhalla Golf Course May 17 directing traffic after a pedestrian death when he encountered Scheffler.The prosecutor said the findings of his office’s review of the case led him to request the dismissal of the charges.“The evidence we reviewed supports the conclusion that Detective Gillis was concerned for public safety at the scene when he initiated contact with Mr. Scheffler,” O’Connell said. “However, Mr. Scheffler’s actions and the evidence surrounding their exchange during this misunderstanding do not satisfy the elements of any criminal offenses.”Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, was asked if he wanted to comment. Romines replied: “Judge, it’s taken me a long time to understand that when I’m winning, don’t talk. So I have nothing to say, your honor.”The judge then accepted the dismissal motion.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715949915421.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Scheffler, 27, was driving a PGA courtesy vehicle when Gillis said he “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging” Gillis to the ground. Gillis said his uniform pants were damaged in the fall and he was taken to the hospital for his injuries.A surveillance video released by Louisville police last week showed Gillis pursuing Scheffler’s vehicle on foot and stopping him from entering the course. Scheffler is later pulled from the car and cuffed. But the video did not show Gillis’ first contact with Scheffler, authorities said.Gillis has been disciplined for not activating his body-worn camera during the arrest. In a report on that failure, Gillis wrote that Scheffler had “demanded to be let in” the golf course.Scheffler has said he simply misunderstood the commands coming from traffic officers.The famous golfer spent a brief stint in a jail cell, then returned to the course for the second round. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/scottie-scheffler-pga-championship-15f6041dc4d9fd00ab65f742737f0f34">finished the tournament</a>&nbsp;tied for eighth place.

🎥 Why charges against world's top golfer were dropped after arrest

OMAHA, NE&nbsp;(May 29, 2024) ­— Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and a period known as the “100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers,” which runs through Labor Day weekend. This is a time when there is an increase in the number of fatal crashes involving teen drivers.

“The risk gets higher during the summer for teen drivers and everyone else they share the road with,” said Brian Ortner, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Now that school is out, these young, inexperienced drivers will spend more time on the road with their friends.”

According to NHTSA, nearly half of teen driver-related deaths occur during the 100 Deadliest Days. A total of nearly 6,700 people were killed during this period, from 2013-2022. In 2022 alone, 707 people were killed in these types of crashes – a 10% increase over pre-pandemic 2019.

“The important thing to realize is the people killed in these crashes are not always the teen driver, but it can be their passengers or anyone else they encounter on the road,” Ortner continued. “AAA shares this information to remind all drivers to stay alert while behind the wheel this summer. We also encourage parents to have a serious discussion with their teen about the importance of being a safe driver.”&nbsp;

Common&nbsp;Risk Factors for Teen Drivers

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens ages 16-19.&nbsp;For every mile driven,&nbsp;new teen&nbsp;drivers&nbsp;(ages 16 – 17) are&nbsp;three times more likely&nbsp;to be involved in a deadly crash compared to adults.

“The single most important thing parents can do to help their teens become safe drivers is to be involved in their ‘learning to drive’ process,” said Rachel Wilson, Director of Driver Education Programs, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Spend time coaching your teen while they’re behind the wheel and have a serious discussion about safety. While parents can be great teachers, it also helps to seek out professional training courses, like those provided by AAA.”

AAA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC3aSBp28tdSCGv-2B1Y5a-2FDO6jpO6h1m7YAaFnbFuf659CMlI5_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWsmOXCB0QXKTVWYmorXs5sBFPDEjGgr7zyPKlvloMr7N38BrWKouHCbkiSVZ3TSab1qHBS-2FTBocUPbLCQxCrgnlIw4hUQtAVt7o45xLsgGRRWLvXITlMUJDm8ImyaA3WANvtbUQ5fdGTJoPIEU9v-2FflllYly5wGaPEX1G-2BzQVNVMWJXR92FfmXjSQCvHzaCFcw7Zx4GDkNM3VKAmURY3-2FfE9-2BBGyR44xNu0M4n-2BI4YR7cRBaTPnX2iwATS803SznbCooW1Qot0WtRujuWDjVQLk-3D" target="_blank">How to Drive Online</a>&nbsp;provides a solid foundation of the knowledge and skills necessary to reduce a teen’s risk behind the wheel. This supplemental program is an online, 25-hour course that features:

The&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2B8djxCGAgHdT8cDOCbm60DuKxgyLQfY1cAMM9jORTEwNhKsUMrVM3x9C4cZtvjBxQ-3D-3DCrqg_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWsmOXCB0QXKTVWYmorXs5sBFPDEjGgr7zyPKlvloMr7N38BrWKouHCbkiSVZ3TSab1qHBS-2FTBocUPbLCQxCrgnlIw4hUQtAVt7o45xLsgGRRWLvXITlMUJDm8ImyaA3WAO5Q5pd2cHpEV42BGlAQYyG1dYLBlO8apU0OJKcs3KC2tbeDJOU3DnYpCSTYi57LUm3ludsrg36ZrGNMpS-2B3Gh6AqnGVdhcwgiIb8zX2DrMvcZ2GIKDyMjwt4FmUT3-2FkT31bacLW-2FxEJXaVd2THpcAk-3D" target="_blank">AAA Approved Driving School Network</a>&nbsp;helps identify the best driver training resources in your local community. These schools have passed AAA’s stringent standards and offer quality curriculum as well as the best value for students.

OMAHA, NE&nbsp;(May 29, 2024) ­— Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and a period known as the “100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers,” which runs through Labor Day weekend. This is a time when there is an increase in the number of fatal crashes involving teen drivers.“The risk gets higher during the summer for teen drivers and everyone else they share the road with,” said Brian Ortner, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Now that school is out, these young, inexperienced drivers will spend more time on the road with their friends.”According to NHTSA, nearly half of teen driver-related deaths occur during the 100 Deadliest Days. A total of nearly 6,700 people were killed during this period, from 2013-2022. In 2022 alone, 707 people were killed in these types of crashes – a 10% increase over pre-pandemic 2019.“The important thing to realize is the people killed in these crashes are not always the teen driver, but it can be their passengers or anyone else they encounter on the road,” Ortner continued. “AAA shares this information to remind all drivers to stay alert while behind the wheel this summer. We also encourage parents to have a serious discussion with their teen about the importance of being a safe driver.”&nbsp;Common&nbsp;Risk Factors for Teen DriversTraffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens ages 16-19.&nbsp;For every mile driven,&nbsp;new teen&nbsp;drivers&nbsp;(ages 16 – 17) are&nbsp;three times more likely&nbsp;to be involved in a deadly crash compared to adults.<ul>
 <li>Distracted driving.&nbsp;Distraction plays a role in nearly&nbsp;six out of ten teen crashes. Electronics like cell phones and in-vehicle infotainment systems are considered the second-biggest distraction to teen drivers. The biggest distractions are teen passengers.</li><li>Driving with teen passengers.&nbsp;Research shows that the&nbsp;risk of a fatal crash increases in direct relation to the number of teenagers in a car&nbsp;(NHTSA). Having other passengers in the car can contribute to peer pressure and the impulse to engage in dangerous habits like speeding and aggressive driving.</li><li>Speeding.&nbsp;Speeding is a factor in nearly&nbsp;30 percent of fatal crashes&nbsp;involving teen drivers.</li><li>Not wearing a safety belt.&nbsp;Teens who buckle up significantly reduce their risk of dying or being seriously injured in a crash.</li>
 </ul>AAA’s Advice for Parents“The single most important thing parents can do to help their teens become safe drivers is to be involved in their ‘learning to drive’ process,” said Rachel Wilson, Director of Driver Education Programs, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Spend time coaching your teen while they’re behind the wheel and have a serious discussion about safety. While parents can be great teachers, it also helps to seek out professional training courses, like those provided by AAA.”<ul>
 <li>Lead by example.&nbsp;Minimize risky behavior when you drive. Don’t drive aggressively, avoid distractions, and always wear your seatbelt. Your&nbsp;driving&nbsp;skills and judgement behind the wheel shape your child’s view of safe driving habits, even before they’re old enough to drive. Make safe driving a priority in your own life.</li><li>Conduct at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving.&nbsp;Let your teen drive in a variety of conditions including inclement weather, busy interstates, and at night. This will help them become a more confident driver in imperfect situations.</li><li>Teach defensive driving skills. Help your teen anticipate potential risks by constantly scanning the road for hazards. Then share advice for how to safely avoid them.&nbsp;</li><li>Establish a parent-teen driving agreement&nbsp;which sets family rules like when the teen can drive, where they can go and with who. Then clearly outline the consequences for breaking the rules and rewards for driving safe.</li>
 </ul>AAA offers an Online Driving CourseAAA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC3aSBp28tdSCGv-2B1Y5a-2FDO6jpO6h1m7YAaFnbFuf659CMlI5_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWsmOXCB0QXKTVWYmorXs5sBFPDEjGgr7zyPKlvloMr7N38BrWKouHCbkiSVZ3TSab1qHBS-2FTBocUPbLCQxCrgnlIw4hUQtAVt7o45xLsgGRRWLvXITlMUJDm8ImyaA3WANvtbUQ5fdGTJoPIEU9v-2FflllYly5wGaPEX1G-2BzQVNVMWJXR92FfmXjSQCvHzaCFcw7Zx4GDkNM3VKAmURY3-2FfE9-2BBGyR44xNu0M4n-2BI4YR7cRBaTPnX2iwATS803SznbCooW1Qot0WtRujuWDjVQLk-3D" target="_blank">How to Drive Online</a>&nbsp;provides a solid foundation of the knowledge and skills necessary to reduce a teen’s risk behind the wheel. This supplemental program is an online, 25-hour course that features:<ul>
 <li>Convenient, self-paced delivery.</li><li>Research-based curriculum.</li><li>Videos, simulations, and interactive exercises to enhance content retention.</li><li>Optional virtual parent session to help educate parents on the learning to drive process.</li>
 </ul>Behind the Wheel Driving CoursesThe&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC-2B8djxCGAgHdT8cDOCbm60DuKxgyLQfY1cAMM9jORTEwNhKsUMrVM3x9C4cZtvjBxQ-3D-3DCrqg_zEOLHw6mHPpUboszb4lxzn-2FWfgiGZZljUWwyilPPfcrXXfmVBzHnavjtNkTOYjqEx5eOh2mcWHIGY492PIfsWsmOXCB0QXKTVWYmorXs5sBFPDEjGgr7zyPKlvloMr7N38BrWKouHCbkiSVZ3TSab1qHBS-2FTBocUPbLCQxCrgnlIw4hUQtAVt7o45xLsgGRRWLvXITlMUJDm8ImyaA3WAO5Q5pd2cHpEV42BGlAQYyG1dYLBlO8apU0OJKcs3KC2tbeDJOU3DnYpCSTYi57LUm3ludsrg36ZrGNMpS-2B3Gh6AqnGVdhcwgiIb8zX2DrMvcZ2GIKDyMjwt4FmUT3-2FkT31bacLW-2FxEJXaVd2THpcAk-3D" target="_blank">AAA Approved Driving School Network</a>&nbsp;helps identify the best driver training resources in your local community. These schools have passed AAA’s stringent standards and offer quality curriculum as well as the best value for students.

 AAA: The 100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers Have Begun

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that David Mark Platt, 58, formerly of Washington state, was sentenced on May 28, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for one count of transporting a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Platt to 348 months (29 years) imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. He was further sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release following his release from prison. Additionally, Platt was ordered to pay $29,000 in restitution.

In Spring of 2022, Platt met a 15-year-old through social media website Quora where the minor victim was posting about wanting to run away from home. Platt made a plan to pick up the minor victim from California and travel across the country with the minor victim in his semi-truck. The minor victim told Platt their age throughout conversations with him on social media. On May 12, 2022, Platt picked up the minor victim and shortly thereafter the minor victim was reported missing by their family.

On May 15, 2022, Platt’s semi-truck was pulled over by law enforcement near Lexington, Nebraska, and the minor victim was identified as a passenger. During the stop, Platt admitted to touching the minor victim in a sexual manner. The minor victim was taken to a child advocacy center, where they disclosed that Platt had sexually assaulted them each day of the four-day trip. The minor victim told the same information to a medical examiner.

Search warrant results from the social media platform where Platt and minor victim communicated revealed that the minor victim did inform Platt of their age, that he expected the minor to have sexual intercourse with him, the plan for picking the minor victim up and travelling, and other various things he expected of the minor victim. The search warrant results additionally showed Platt’s sexual preference for preteen to teenage girls and his pattern in attempting to find a child to travel with him for sex and his preference for BDSM sexual relationships.

In 2012, Platt was found guilty of sexual assault in violation of Texas Penal Code § 22.011(a)(1) which is a felony in the second degree. He was on the sex offender registry at the time of the crime in this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/" target="_blank">www.projectsafechildhood.gov</a>.

This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

United States AttorneyUnited States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that David Mark Platt, 58, formerly of Washington state, was sentenced on May 28, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for one count of transporting a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Platt to 348 months (29 years) imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. He was further sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release following his release from prison. Additionally, Platt was ordered to pay $29,000 in restitution.In Spring of 2022, Platt met a 15-year-old through social media website Quora where the minor victim was posting about wanting to run away from home. Platt made a plan to pick up the minor victim from California and travel across the country with the minor victim in his semi-truck. The minor victim told Platt their age throughout conversations with him on social media. On May 12, 2022, Platt picked up the minor victim and shortly thereafter the minor victim was reported missing by their family.On May 15, 2022, Platt’s semi-truck was pulled over by law enforcement near Lexington, Nebraska, and the minor victim was identified as a passenger. During the stop, Platt admitted to touching the minor victim in a sexual manner. The minor victim was taken to a child advocacy center, where they disclosed that Platt had sexually assaulted them each day of the four-day trip. The minor victim told the same information to a medical examiner.Search warrant results from the social media platform where Platt and minor victim communicated revealed that the minor victim did inform Platt of their age, that he expected the minor to have sexual intercourse with him, the plan for picking the minor victim up and travelling, and other various things he expected of the minor victim. The search warrant results additionally showed Platt’s sexual preference for preteen to teenage girls and his pattern in attempting to find a child to travel with him for sex and his preference for BDSM sexual relationships.In 2012, Platt was found guilty of sexual assault in violation of Texas Penal Code § 22.011(a)(1) which is a felony in the second degree. He was on the sex offender registry at the time of the crime in this case.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/" target="_blank">www.projectsafechildhood.gov</a>.This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

 Truck Driver Pulled Over In Lexington Sentenced to 29 Years 

DETROIT (AP) — Nissan is urging the owners of about 84,000 older vehicles to stop driving them because their Takata air bag inflators have an increased risk of exploding in a crash and hurling dangerous metal fragments.

Wednesday's urgent request comes after one person in a Nissan was killed by an exploding front-passenger inflator, and as many as 58 people were injured since 2015.

“Due to the age of the vehicles equipped with defective Takata air bag inflators, there is an increased risk the inflator could explode during an air bag deployment, propelling sharp metal fragments which can cause serious injury or death,” Nissan said in a statement.

Nissan said the “do not drive” warning covers certain 2002 through 2006 Sentra small cars, as well as some 2002 through 2004 Pathfinder SUVs, and 2002 and 2003 Infiniti QX4 SUVs. Owners can find out if their vehicles are affected by going to&nbsp;<a href="file:///C:/Users/X780800/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/HSWBL88K/nissanusa.com/takata-airbag-recall">nissanusa.com/takata-airbag-recall</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="file:///C:/Users/X780800/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/HSWBL88K/infinitiusa.com/takata-airbag-recall">infinitiusa.com/takata-airbag-recall</a>&nbsp;and keying in their 17-digit vehicle identification number.

The company says owners should contact their dealer to set up an appointment to have inflators replaced for free. Nissan also is offering free towing to dealers, and in some locations mobile service and loaner cars are available.

“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries," the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement. “Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk, as the age of the air bag is one of the contributing factors.”

Nissan originally recalled 736,422 of the vehicles in 2020 to replace the Takata inflators. The company said around 84,000 remain unrepaired and are believed to still be in use.

Nissan said it has made numerous attempts to reach the owners with unrepaired Takata inflators.

The death was reported to NHTSA in 2018, the company said. The person killed was in a 2006 Sentra, according to Nissan.

The death is one of 27 in the U.S. caused by the faulty inflators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/takata-air-bag-inflator-explosion-killed-ram-pickup-2003-571d22e2f6682f01f149f592d8c1c78b">which used volatile ammonium nitrate</a>&nbsp;to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. The chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. It can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel. More than 400 people in the U.S. have been hurt.

Worldwide at least 35 people have been killed by Takata inflators in Malaysia, Australia and the U.S.

Potential for a dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. The U.S. government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding air bags sent Takata&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4e456cf44b454cf581e4fc06dc8ad338">into bankruptcy</a>.

Honda, Ford, BMW, Toyota and Stellantis and Mazda&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toyota-takata-air-bag-explode-shrapnel-3c03be0d9454856cf52e48aaa6bda711">have issued similar “do not drive”</a>&nbsp;warnings for some of their vehicles equipped with Takata inflators.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576782225717.png" alt="Photo&nbsp; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration" />
 <figcaption>Photo&nbsp; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Nissan is urging the owners of about 84,000 older vehicles to stop driving them because their Takata air bag inflators have an increased risk of exploding in a crash and hurling dangerous metal fragments.Wednesday's urgent request comes after one person in a Nissan was killed by an exploding front-passenger inflator, and as many as 58 people were injured since 2015.“Due to the age of the vehicles equipped with defective Takata air bag inflators, there is an increased risk the inflator could explode during an air bag deployment, propelling sharp metal fragments which can cause serious injury or death,” Nissan said in a statement.Nissan said the “do not drive” warning covers certain 2002 through 2006 Sentra small cars, as well as some 2002 through 2004 Pathfinder SUVs, and 2002 and 2003 Infiniti QX4 SUVs. Owners can find out if their vehicles are affected by going to&nbsp;<a href="file:///C:/Users/X780800/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/HSWBL88K/nissanusa.com/takata-airbag-recall">nissanusa.com/takata-airbag-recall</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="file:///C:/Users/X780800/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/HSWBL88K/infinitiusa.com/takata-airbag-recall">infinitiusa.com/takata-airbag-recall</a>&nbsp;and keying in their 17-digit vehicle identification number.The company says owners should contact their dealer to set up an appointment to have inflators replaced for free. Nissan also is offering free towing to dealers, and in some locations mobile service and loaner cars are available.“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries," the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement. “Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk, as the age of the air bag is one of the contributing factors.”Nissan originally recalled 736,422 of the vehicles in 2020 to replace the Takata inflators. The company said around 84,000 remain unrepaired and are believed to still be in use.Nissan said it has made numerous attempts to reach the owners with unrepaired Takata inflators.The death was reported to NHTSA in 2018, the company said. The person killed was in a 2006 Sentra, according to Nissan.The death is one of 27 in the U.S. caused by the faulty inflators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/takata-air-bag-inflator-explosion-killed-ram-pickup-2003-571d22e2f6682f01f149f592d8c1c78b">which used volatile ammonium nitrate</a>&nbsp;to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. The chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. It can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel. More than 400 people in the U.S. have been hurt.Worldwide at least 35 people have been killed by Takata inflators in Malaysia, Australia and the U.S.Potential for a dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. The U.S. government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding air bags sent Takata&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4e456cf44b454cf581e4fc06dc8ad338">into bankruptcy</a>.Honda, Ford, BMW, Toyota and Stellantis and Mazda&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toyota-takata-air-bag-explode-shrapnel-3c03be0d9454856cf52e48aaa6bda711">have issued similar “do not drive”</a>&nbsp;warnings for some of their vehicles equipped with Takata inflators.

Nissan warns owners of older vehicles of exploding air bag inflators

Phelps County Attorney and Holdrege Police Department joint press release

Holdrege, Neb. -&nbsp;Jason Remmenga, 24, of Holdrege, has been charged with intentional child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.  Holdrege Police Department Officers were notified that Remmenga took his four-month-old daughter to the emergency room on May 20, 2024.  Medical staff later determined that the child had severe, nonaccidental, abusive head trauma. 

The child remains in critical condition at Children’s Hospital in Omaha.  The mother of the juvenile, Elaina Nietfeld, 21 of Holdrege, has also been charged with intentional child abuse.  The Holdrege Police Department’s investigation is currently ongoing.  

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716990813592.jpeg" alt="Jason Remmenga (Courtesy of Phelps County Jail)" />
 <figcaption>Jason Remmenga (Courtesy of Phelps County Jail)</figcaption>
 </figure>Phelps County Attorney and Holdrege Police Department joint press releaseHoldrege, Neb. -&nbsp;Jason Remmenga, 24, of Holdrege, has been charged with intentional child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. Holdrege Police Department Officers were notified that Remmenga took his four-month-old daughter to the emergency room on May 20, 2024. Medical staff later determined that the child had severe, nonaccidental, abusive head trauma. The child remains in critical condition at Children’s Hospital in Omaha. The mother of the juvenile, Elaina Nietfeld, 21 of Holdrege, has also been charged with intentional child abuse. The Holdrege Police Department’s investigation is currently ongoing.

Two charged in South-Central Nebraska with intentional child abuse

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office is issuing a&nbsp;Consumer Alert&nbsp;involving a text scam concerning toll roads that is circulating in Nebraska.&nbsp;

Nebraskans are receiving texts claiming they must pay an outstanding balance for a SunPass toll road to avoid a $50 penalty. The text contains a link to make a payment.&nbsp;Do not&nbsp;click on the link.

Please note that the Nebraska Department of Transportation verifies that there are no toll roads in Nebraska. There is only one toll bridge in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. Nebraskans may have traveled to other states for work or holidays where there are existing toll roads, but be alert to a&nbsp;false&nbsp;text message.

The technique is known as “smishing,” a combination of “SMS” (“short message service” or what is commonly known as text) and the scam technique known as “phishing”—smishing attempts to trick people into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information, or sending money to cybercriminals.

Contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Affairs Response Team at 402-471-2682 or visit our consumer website at&nbsp;<a href="https://protectthegoodlife.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">ProtectTheGoodLife.Nebraska.gov</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716989303073.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Nebraska Attorney OfficeThe Nebraska Attorney General’s Office is issuing a&nbsp;Consumer Alert&nbsp;involving a text scam concerning toll roads that is circulating in Nebraska.&nbsp;Nebraskans are receiving texts claiming they must pay an outstanding balance for a SunPass toll road to avoid a $50 penalty. The text contains a link to make a payment.&nbsp;Do not&nbsp;click on the link.Please note that the Nebraska Department of Transportation verifies that there are no toll roads in Nebraska. There is only one toll bridge in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. Nebraskans may have traveled to other states for work or holidays where there are existing toll roads, but be alert to a&nbsp;false&nbsp;text message.To protect yourself:<ul>
 <li>Don’t click on links or download files provided in unsolicited messages.</li><li>Verify the source by contacting the organization directly through information provided on their website.</li><li>Do not provide personal or financial information in response to unsolicited messages, emails, or phone calls.</li><li>Block the number sending the text and delete the message.&nbsp;</li><li>If you clicked any link or provided personal information, make sure you dispute any unfamiliar charge and take efforts to&nbsp;<a href="https://protectthegoodlife.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/Identity%20Theft%20June%202023.pdf" target="_blank">secure your financial accounts</a>.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>The technique is known as “smishing,” a combination of “SMS” (“short message service” or what is commonly known as text) and the scam technique known as “phishing”—smishing attempts to trick people into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information, or sending money to cybercriminals.Contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Affairs Response Team at 402-471-2682 or visit our consumer website at&nbsp;<a href="https://protectthegoodlife.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">ProtectTheGoodLife.Nebraska.gov</a>.

Nebraska Attorney General's Office Issues Consumer Alert Regarding Scam Text Messages for SunPass Toll Roads

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — A Nebraska girl&nbsp; advanced to the quarterfinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Tuesday.&nbsp; The quarterfinals and semifinals are Wednesday.

Sarah Grace Fernandes, 12,&nbsp; a 6th grader is representing St. Stephan the Martyr Catholic School, Omaha.

There are spellers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Texas has the largest representation with 20 national competitors. California and Ohio are next with 17 each, followed by Florida, Illinois and New York with 13 each.&nbsp;

As the competition continues, spellers try to address weaknesses, including 'super short, tricky words.

Last year, a four-letter word sent Shradha Rachamreddy to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2023-spelling-bee-finals-updates-1b09d39ba7631d26f3a3c833f7aeefea">a third-place finish</a>&nbsp;in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

As the remaining spellers dwindled, Shradha was given “orle,” a heraldry term that means several small charges arranged to form a border within the edge of a field. It sounds exactly like “oral.” Shradha went with “orel” and heard the dreaded bell that signals a misspelled word.

“I overcomplicated it,” Shradha said nearly a year later. “It looks simple. It should have been simple, but I missed it.”

The good news for Shradha was that she nearly won it all as a seventh-grader, meaning she had one year of eligibility left. The 14-year-old from San Jose, California, returned as one of 245 spellers competing in this year's bee, which began with Tuesday's preliminary rounds at a convention center outside Washington, D.C.

Like other returning spellers, Shradha tried to learn from her mistake. She devoted part of her studying this year to the sorts of words she tends to miss.

“I did miss on a four-letter word, so my weakness tends to be those super short, tricky words, and I worked on compiling those into one list,” Shradha said. “I try to identify the words that seem likely to show up. If they're not spelled particularly the way they sound, then I'm like, ‘OK, it’s fair game,’ and I study that.”

Learning as many words as possible isn't a foolproof approach. No one in the nearly century-long history of the bee has been able to memorize the more than 500,000 words in Webster's Unabridged dictionary, any of which can be selected for inclusion by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-spelling-bee-word-list-6b67fd86e9008d3f61cc7f256dbad480">Scripps' word panel</a>&nbsp;of former bee champions, linguists and other experts.

Last year's champion, Dev Shah, wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/28/dev-shah-spelling-bee-winner/">in a Washington Post op-ed</a>&nbsp;that to become a champion speller, you must accept that you'll be asked a word you don't know — and be calm enough to figure it out.

“The skill of guessing is everything,” he wrote.

Aryan Khedkhar, a 13-year-old from Rochester Hills, Michigan, who finished tied for fifth last year, breaks down tricky words into categories.

“There are words with roots and words without roots that you just have to memorize. The ones that you have to memorize, I use language patterns. That really helps. If it doesn't have language patterns, I just try to use the simplest way possible,” Aryan said. “That's what the spelling bee is about. It's not about knowing as many words as you can.”

Aditi Muthukumar said she tried to address her weaknesses on words derived from French or from the many languages of the Indian subcontinent. But the 13-year-old from Westminster, Colorado, expects she'll have to confront a word she doesn't know while competing in her final bee.

“I mean, probably,” she said, “and I hope I'll be OK with it.”

This year's three spellers from Ghana showed up in a uniform — black turtlenecks, white pants, shoes adorned with the Ghanian flag. The centerpiece: custom-designed jackets with sleeves made of woven kente fabric.

“We have to wear it,” speller Abena Kwaffo said with a laugh.

Spelling is an individual pursuit, but Team Ghana was unified by national pride. Ghana has sent a contingent of spellers for years, long enough that former competitor Darren Sackey is coaching this year's trio.

“It's teamwork. The spellers work very hard together,” said Salome Dzakpasu, the Ghanian program director. “Training together on weekends, on weekdays, sometimes evenings, learning how to combine schoolwork and preparing for the bee.”

While the past quarter-century of the bee has been dominated by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spelling-bee-indian-americans-immigration-b14ba87533dfcd8af813de568ee5958f">the offspring of Indian immigrants</a>, the only international champion was Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica in 1998. Ghana's best finish was a tie for 18th by Afua Ansah in 2016.

N'Dom Darko-Asare, a Ghanian seventh-grader competing for the third time, is more comfortable than ever.

“You may be scared of standing on stage. Once you've been there before, it doesn't really intimidate you as much,” 13-year-old N'Dom said.

Spellers have been asked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-spelling-bees-198b3c72f86dc81954de8d344e838b18">multiple-choice vocabulary questions</a>&nbsp;onstage since 2021, and before that, vocabulary was part of a written test that determined which spellers made the semifinals.

Nonetheless, Scripps treated “vocabulary” like a dirty word, instead employing a euphemism: “word meaning.” That meant when introducing the vocabulary questions, pronouncers Jacques Bailly and the Rev. Brian Sietsema were forced to use the awkward construction, “Your word meaning word is ...”

In Tuesday's preliminary rounds, Sietsema handled pronunciation duties for the first batch of spellers. Those who spelled their first word correctly remained at the microphone while Sietsema told them, to cite one example, “Your vocabulary word is ‘terrarium.’” (Jordin Oremosu, a 14-year-old speller from Florida, giggled with relief when she was asked to define that word.)

“There were discussions about it,” Bailly said, adding though he wasn't responsible for the change, “I always thought it should be ‘vocabulary.’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716913401526.png" alt="Sarah Grace Fernandes, 12, 6th grade, St. Stephan the Martyr Catholic School, Omaha-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Sarah Grace Fernandes, 12, 6th grade, St. Stephan the Martyr Catholic School, Omaha-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — A Nebraska girl&nbsp; advanced to the quarterfinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Tuesday.&nbsp; The quarterfinals and semifinals are Wednesday.Sarah Grace Fernandes, 12,&nbsp; a 6th grader is representing St. Stephan the Martyr Catholic School, Omaha.There are spellers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Texas has the largest representation with 20 national competitors. California and Ohio are next with 17 each, followed by Florida, Illinois and New York with 13 each.&nbsp;As the competition continues, spellers try to address weaknesses, including 'super short, tricky words.Last year, a four-letter word sent Shradha Rachamreddy to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2023-spelling-bee-finals-updates-1b09d39ba7631d26f3a3c833f7aeefea">a third-place finish</a>&nbsp;in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.As the remaining spellers dwindled, Shradha was given “orle,” a heraldry term that means several small charges arranged to form a border within the edge of a field. It sounds exactly like “oral.” Shradha went with “orel” and heard the dreaded bell that signals a misspelled word.“I overcomplicated it,” Shradha said nearly a year later. “It looks simple. It should have been simple, but I missed it.”The good news for Shradha was that she nearly won it all as a seventh-grader, meaning she had one year of eligibility left. The 14-year-old from San Jose, California, returned as one of 245 spellers competing in this year's bee, which began with Tuesday's preliminary rounds at a convention center outside Washington, D.C.Like other returning spellers, Shradha tried to learn from her mistake. She devoted part of her studying this year to the sorts of words she tends to miss.“I did miss on a four-letter word, so my weakness tends to be those super short, tricky words, and I worked on compiling those into one list,” Shradha said. “I try to identify the words that seem likely to show up. If they're not spelled particularly the way they sound, then I'm like, ‘OK, it’s fair game,’ and I study that.”Learning as many words as possible isn't a foolproof approach. No one in the nearly century-long history of the bee has been able to memorize the more than 500,000 words in Webster's Unabridged dictionary, any of which can be selected for inclusion by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-spelling-bee-word-list-6b67fd86e9008d3f61cc7f256dbad480">Scripps' word panel</a>&nbsp;of former bee champions, linguists and other experts.Last year's champion, Dev Shah, wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/28/dev-shah-spelling-bee-winner/">in a Washington Post op-ed</a>&nbsp;that to become a champion speller, you must accept that you'll be asked a word you don't know — and be calm enough to figure it out.“The skill of guessing is everything,” he wrote.Aryan Khedkhar, a 13-year-old from Rochester Hills, Michigan, who finished tied for fifth last year, breaks down tricky words into categories.“There are words with roots and words without roots that you just have to memorize. The ones that you have to memorize, I use language patterns. That really helps. If it doesn't have language patterns, I just try to use the simplest way possible,” Aryan said. “That's what the spelling bee is about. It's not about knowing as many words as you can.”Aditi Muthukumar said she tried to address her weaknesses on words derived from French or from the many languages of the Indian subcontinent. But the 13-year-old from Westminster, Colorado, expects she'll have to confront a word she doesn't know while competing in her final bee.“I mean, probably,” she said, “and I hope I'll be OK with it.”TEAM GHANAThis year's three spellers from Ghana showed up in a uniform — black turtlenecks, white pants, shoes adorned with the Ghanian flag. The centerpiece: custom-designed jackets with sleeves made of woven kente fabric.“We have to wear it,” speller Abena Kwaffo said with a laugh.Spelling is an individual pursuit, but Team Ghana was unified by national pride. Ghana has sent a contingent of spellers for years, long enough that former competitor Darren Sackey is coaching this year's trio.“It's teamwork. The spellers work very hard together,” said Salome Dzakpasu, the Ghanian program director. “Training together on weekends, on weekdays, sometimes evenings, learning how to combine schoolwork and preparing for the bee.”While the past quarter-century of the bee has been dominated by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/spelling-bee-indian-americans-immigration-b14ba87533dfcd8af813de568ee5958f">the offspring of Indian immigrants</a>, the only international champion was Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica in 1998. Ghana's best finish was a tie for 18th by Afua Ansah in 2016.N'Dom Darko-Asare, a Ghanian seventh-grader competing for the third time, is more comfortable than ever.“You may be scared of standing on stage. Once you've been there before, it doesn't really intimidate you as much,” 13-year-old N'Dom said.VOCABULARY, DEFINEDSpellers have been asked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-spelling-bees-198b3c72f86dc81954de8d344e838b18">multiple-choice vocabulary questions</a>&nbsp;onstage since 2021, and before that, vocabulary was part of a written test that determined which spellers made the semifinals.Nonetheless, Scripps treated “vocabulary” like a dirty word, instead employing a euphemism: “word meaning.” That meant when introducing the vocabulary questions, pronouncers Jacques Bailly and the Rev. Brian Sietsema were forced to use the awkward construction, “Your word meaning word is ...”In Tuesday's preliminary rounds, Sietsema handled pronunciation duties for the first batch of spellers. Those who spelled their first word correctly remained at the microphone while Sietsema told them, to cite one example, “Your vocabulary word is ‘terrarium.’” (Jordin Oremosu, a 14-year-old speller from Florida, giggled with relief when she was asked to define that word.)“There were discussions about it,” Bailly said, adding though he wasn't responsible for the change, “I always thought it should be ‘vocabulary.’”

Nebraska girl advanced to quarterfinals at Scripps National Spelling Bee

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Missile attacks twice damaged a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned ship Tuesday in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, with a private security firm saying radio traffic suggested the vessel took on water after being struck.

No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion fell on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen's Houthi rebels</a>, who have launched a number of attacks targeting ships over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The first attack on the bulk carrier Laax happened off the port city of Hodeida in the southern Red Sea, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links it to the Gulf of Aden, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. The vessel “sustained damage” in the assault and later reported an “impact in the water in close proximity to the vessel,” the UKMTO said.

“The crew are reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call,” the center said.

The private security firm Ambrey said the vessel reported by radio of having “sustained damage to the cargo hold and was taking on water.”

Late Tuesday night, the UKMTO reported the Laax “sustained further damage” in a second missile attack near Mokha in the Bab el-Mandeb.

The U.S. military’s Central Command also identified the targeted ship as the Laax. The vessel reported being headed to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.

Grehel Ship Management of Piraeus, Greece, manages the Laax. A man who answered the phone at Grehel declined to answer questions about the attack and an emailed request for comment was not returned.

Central Command separately said it destroyed five Houthi drones over the Red Sea amid the attacks.

The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the attack, though it can take the rebels hours or even days to claim their assaults.

The Houthis have launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in recent months, demanding that Israel ends the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war in Gaza</a>, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-ship-attack-6e133626776f4264e66d9f1d0b58315f">rebels have launched more than 50 attacks</a>&nbsp;on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the United States Maritime Administration.

Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. In recent weeks, the tempo of Houthi attacks has dropped, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-drone-war-gaza-7bbbcd1a1484baf581832da6f4d4dd18">the rebels have claimed shooting down U.S. surveillance drones</a>.

Yemen has been wracked by conflict since the rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war on the side of Yemen's exiled government in 2015, but the conflict has remained at a stalemate for years as Riyadh tries to reach a peace deal with the Houthis.

Speaking Tuesday in Dubai, the prime minister of Yemen's exiled, internationally recognized government urged the world to see past the Houthis' claims of backing the Palestinians through their attacks.

“The Houthis’ exploitation of a very just cause such as the cause of our people in Palestine and what is happening in Gaza is to escape the benefits of peace and lead us to major complications that exist,” Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak told the Arab Media Forum. “Peace is a strategic choice. We must reach peace. The war must stop. This is a must. Our people need security and stability. The region itself needs stability.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703990687604.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Missile attacks twice damaged a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned ship Tuesday in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, with a private security firm saying radio traffic suggested the vessel took on water after being struck.No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion fell on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen's Houthi rebels</a>, who have launched a number of attacks targeting ships over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.The first attack on the bulk carrier Laax happened off the port city of Hodeida in the southern Red Sea, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links it to the Gulf of Aden, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. The vessel “sustained damage” in the assault and later reported an “impact in the water in close proximity to the vessel,” the UKMTO said.“The crew are reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call,” the center said.The private security firm Ambrey said the vessel reported by radio of having “sustained damage to the cargo hold and was taking on water.”Late Tuesday night, the UKMTO reported the Laax “sustained further damage” in a second missile attack near Mokha in the Bab el-Mandeb.The U.S. military’s Central Command also identified the targeted ship as the Laax. The vessel reported being headed to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.Grehel Ship Management of Piraeus, Greece, manages the Laax. A man who answered the phone at Grehel declined to answer questions about the attack and an emailed request for comment was not returned.Central Command separately said it destroyed five Houthi drones over the Red Sea amid the attacks.The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the attack, though it can take the rebels hours or even days to claim their assaults.The Houthis have launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in recent months, demanding that Israel ends the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war in Gaza</a>, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-ship-attack-6e133626776f4264e66d9f1d0b58315f">rebels have launched more than 50 attacks</a>&nbsp;on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the United States Maritime Administration.Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. In recent weeks, the tempo of Houthi attacks has dropped, though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-drone-war-gaza-7bbbcd1a1484baf581832da6f4d4dd18">the rebels have claimed shooting down U.S. surveillance drones</a>.Yemen has been wracked by conflict since the rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war on the side of Yemen's exiled government in 2015, but the conflict has remained at a stalemate for years as Riyadh tries to reach a peace deal with the Houthis.Speaking Tuesday in Dubai, the prime minister of Yemen's exiled, internationally recognized government urged the world to see past the Houthis' claims of backing the Palestinians through their attacks.“The Houthis’ exploitation of a very just cause such as the cause of our people in Palestine and what is happening in Gaza is to escape the benefits of peace and lead us to major complications that exist,” Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak told the Arab Media Forum. “Peace is a strategic choice. We must reach peace. The war must stop. This is a must. Our people need security and stability. The region itself needs stability.”

U.S. military: Missile attacks damage ship in the Red Sea 

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/24/gov-pillen-outlines-some-funding-levers-in-his-quest-to-lower-nebraska-property-taxes/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

BEATRICE — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said Friday he hopes to trim state spending by at least $500 million in the next couple of years and capture more federal dollars for property tax relief.

Pillen made those commitments at the third of his&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/03/pillens-property-tax-road-show-targets-possible-yes-votes/">property tax town halls</a>, echoing a previous plan for tax relief that failed to garner enough senators’ support this spring. The town halls are designed to drum up enough support so at least 33 lawmakers will support the governor during an expected special session for property tax relief.

“Some have said, ‘Well, you know we’ve been talking about property tax for 60 years and it’s the same old song,’” Pillen told the roughly three dozen people at the &nbsp;public library in Beatrice. “No, this song’s different.”

The Governor’s Office on Friday announced the second leg of Pillen’s property tax town halls for next Thursday and Friday:

When Pillen came into office, he said, he walked into a situation that “scared the bejesus” out of him, where the state’s revenue coffers were plentiful but agencies wanted to increase spending.&nbsp;

This set him on a path to reduce 40% in property taxes, or about $2 billion.

Lawmakers nearly took another major step in April, but State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, Revenue Committee chair,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/18/stunning-last-minute-defeat-for-pillen-tax-shift-bill-likely-ensures-special-session/">pulled</a>&nbsp;her&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49980">Legislative Bill 388</a>&nbsp;after it appeared to have fewer than 33 senators in support. That’s the minimum number of votes required to end debate on heated measures.

“I’ve already told the Revenue Committee that we’re going to be working this summer,” she told the Nebraska Examiner&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/18/nebraska-lawmakers-adjourn-but-break-will-be-short-lived-as-special-session-looms-this-summer/">after that vote</a>.

The governor remained committed to calling for hard caps on local spending, at about 2% or 3%, and to front-load property tax credits, allowing taxpayers to capitalize immediately rather than applying later for credits based on how much income tax they pay.

To fund his ideas, Pillen wants to trim about $500 million in state funding in the next couple of years that he said would enhance but not reduce state services. The state contracted with a Utah-based firm seeking to find similar efficiencies.

“We’re just doing business practices of improving processes, streamlining, looking at things as a systems approach and making a difference,” Pillen told reporters.

Pillen is also looking at about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revenue.nebraska.gov/about/information-guides/nebraska-sales-tax-exemptions">120 sales tax exemptions</a>&nbsp;that “pick winners and losers” and reviewing which should be eliminated, such as exemptions on pop and candy that were part of the latest tax package.

State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, who lives 10 miles east of Beatrice, gave his support for looking at sales tax exemptions, adding Nebraska leads nationwide in those carve-outs.

“The sky is not going to fall if we take this stuff,” Brandt said of the exemption on pop and candy.

Filling in for State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, who represents Beatrice but had a prior obligation, Brandt attended the town hall and said he trusts that the “49 personalities in the Legislature” will find a common sense solution for a governor who is “on the right track.”

“I’m fully in support of whatever we come up with, and I appreciate that the governor is asking you for input,” Brandt said.

In part, Pillen wants to reduce state government spending to what it was around 2012, during a deflationary period, and “correct those sins” when lawmakers increased obligations.

Another funding suggestion is a philosophical change away from what Pillen said is “goober politics” where some lawmakers believe they must curry political favors for reelection.

“There’s some senators who think their job is to take money to their community — that’s not Nebraska,” Pillen said. “That’s a different vision, different view.”

Federal funding, increased tax obligations

The governor is also seeking to increase how many federal dollars the state draws down, building off some successes in the past two years, including State Sens. Mike Jacobson of North Platte for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/16/health-care-proposals-will-top-nebraska-lawmakers-spending-in-2024/">hospital assessments</a>; Anna Wishart of Lincoln for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics; and Dorn for nursing home assessments.

“Green light, pedal to the metal,” Pillen recalled telling his cabinet members on securing such funding this week. “No strings attached, but we have to get more than our fair share.”

“Sin taxes” might be increased, such as those on tobacco, vaping products or alcohol, as well as on agriculture inputs, Pillen said.

The governor also suggested a future plan could be the state taking on more,&nbsp;or all,&nbsp;of local obligations to fund K-12 education, similar to what happened with community colleges in 2023.

One man in the audience, who said he lives close to the Kansas border, said he’s worried Pillen’s 40% reduction to property taxes still wouldn’t be enough.

“Yeah, that helps, but it’s still not in the range of being competitive with our next-door neighbors,” the man said.

Pillen responded that he overall wants to decrease state taxes, noting that for surrounding states with no income or property taxes, they might have higher sales taxes as a tradeoff.

“Operation Clean the Closets Out” is also on the table, which Pillen described as outlining what unfunded mandates exist for county and city governments and undoing those. Pillen said approximately 22% of county government costs come from unfunded mandates.

“We have to get the unfunded mandates out, and same for cities,” Pillen said. “We have to say no. We have to clean up government.”

State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, who ran against Pillen for governor two years ago, has tried for years to tackle unfunded and underfunded mandates, proposing a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50026">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;that would let Nebraskans vote on ending future obligations unless they come with funding.

Blood said Friday that Pillen hasn’t reached out to her on the mandates. She said a list of them already exists because of previous legislative studies.&nbsp;

At a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Transcripts/Government/2023-02-24.pdf">2023 hearing</a>, she pointed to many such mandates, including supervision and transportation of juvenile offenders, election ballot printing and autopsy or grand jury costs after a prisoner’s death.

“We know it’s a good idea, but nobody, nobody would listen to us,” Blood said.

She said the Legislature had a chance to act sooner but put good ideas “in the dumpster,” which is part of the reason she’s not willing to go into a special session.

“They say they want our ideas, but they don’t really,” Blood said. “I’m not going to have them shove something down my throat that I know is just going to make it harder for the middle class and people that are struggling financially.”

Special sessions cost thousands of dollars each day, which Blood said might be one reason to wait on proposals that might not be guaranteed to pass. Pillen dodged a question on special session costs, stating that “really good savings” could come from senators introducing fewer bills.

Asked why he thinks the town halls would change the spring outcome, Pillen told reporters he understands he faces a game of “33-17,” needing at least 33 votes but failing if 17 or more senators are opposed.

However, he said, he believes in the people of Nebraska and believes they must be part of a solution, which comes at the same time as an election year for some key senators who Pillen might need to support his tax proposals.

“If the citizens of Nebraska aren’t engaged with the members of the Unicameral, they can be rest assured special interest groups are, and they don’t have the citizens of Nebraska’s backs,” Pillen said.

Pillen said he expects to call a special session before school starts in August, scheduling around a summer trade mission to Indonesia.

“We will get it fixed, but we need your help,” Pillen told the Beatrice.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716904581882.jpeg" alt="Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen greets attendees at one of his property tax town halls Friday, May 24, 2024, in Beatrice. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen greets attendees at one of his property tax town halls Friday, May 24, 2024, in Beatrice. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/24/gov-pillen-outlines-some-funding-levers-in-his-quest-to-lower-nebraska-property-taxes/">Nebraska Examiner</a>BEATRICE — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said Friday he hopes to trim state spending by at least $500 million in the next couple of years and capture more federal dollars for property tax relief.Pillen made those commitments at the third of his&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/03/pillens-property-tax-road-show-targets-possible-yes-votes/">property tax town halls</a>, echoing a previous plan for tax relief that failed to garner enough senators’ support this spring. The town halls are designed to drum up enough support so at least 33 lawmakers will support the governor during an expected special session for property tax relief.“Some have said, ‘Well, you know we’ve been talking about property tax for 60 years and it’s the same old song,’” Pillen told the roughly three dozen people at the &nbsp;public library in Beatrice. “No, this song’s different.”The Governor’s Office on Friday announced the second leg of Pillen’s property tax town halls for next Thursday and Friday:<ul>
 <li>May 30 at noon —&nbsp;SCC Learning Center, 537 Main St., Plattsmouth.</li><li>May 31 at 11:30 a.m. —&nbsp;Seward Memorial Library, 233 S. Fifth St., Seward.</li><li>May 31 at 2 p.m. —&nbsp;Holthus Convention Center, Room I, 3130 Holen Ave., York.</li>
 </ul><h2>Reduction goal: $2 billion</h2>When Pillen came into office, he said, he walked into a situation that “scared the bejesus” out of him, where the state’s revenue coffers were plentiful but agencies wanted to increase spending.&nbsp;This set him on a path to reduce 40% in property taxes, or about $2 billion.Lawmakers nearly took another major step in April, but State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, Revenue Committee chair,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/18/stunning-last-minute-defeat-for-pillen-tax-shift-bill-likely-ensures-special-session/">pulled</a>&nbsp;her&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49980">Legislative Bill 388</a>&nbsp;after it appeared to have fewer than 33 senators in support. That’s the minimum number of votes required to end debate on heated measures.“I’ve already told the Revenue Committee that we’re going to be working this summer,” she told the Nebraska Examiner&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/18/nebraska-lawmakers-adjourn-but-break-will-be-short-lived-as-special-session-looms-this-summer/">after that vote</a>.The governor remained committed to calling for hard caps on local spending, at about 2% or 3%, and to front-load property tax credits, allowing taxpayers to capitalize immediately rather than applying later for credits based on how much income tax they pay.<h2>State spending and sales taxes</h2>To fund his ideas, Pillen wants to trim about $500 million in state funding in the next couple of years that he said would enhance but not reduce state services. The state contracted with a Utah-based firm seeking to find similar efficiencies.“We’re just doing business practices of improving processes, streamlining, looking at things as a systems approach and making a difference,” Pillen told reporters.Pillen is also looking at about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revenue.nebraska.gov/about/information-guides/nebraska-sales-tax-exemptions">120 sales tax exemptions</a>&nbsp;that “pick winners and losers” and reviewing which should be eliminated, such as exemptions on pop and candy that were part of the latest tax package.State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, who lives 10 miles east of Beatrice, gave his support for looking at sales tax exemptions, adding Nebraska leads nationwide in those carve-outs.“The sky is not going to fall if we take this stuff,” Brandt said of the exemption on pop and candy.Filling in for State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, who represents Beatrice but had a prior obligation, Brandt attended the town hall and said he trusts that the “49 personalities in the Legislature” will find a common sense solution for a governor who is “on the right track.”“I’m fully in support of whatever we come up with, and I appreciate that the governor is asking you for input,” Brandt said.In part, Pillen wants to reduce state government spending to what it was around 2012, during a deflationary period, and “correct those sins” when lawmakers increased obligations.Another funding suggestion is a philosophical change away from what Pillen said is “goober politics” where some lawmakers believe they must curry political favors for reelection.“There’s some senators who think their job is to take money to their community — that’s not Nebraska,” Pillen said. “That’s a different vision, different view.”<h2>Federal funding, increased tax obligations</h2>The governor is also seeking to increase how many federal dollars the state draws down, building off some successes in the past two years, including State Sens. Mike Jacobson of North Platte for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/16/health-care-proposals-will-top-nebraska-lawmakers-spending-in-2024/">hospital assessments</a>; Anna Wishart of Lincoln for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics; and Dorn for nursing home assessments.“Green light, pedal to the metal,” Pillen recalled telling his cabinet members on securing such funding this week. “No strings attached, but we have to get more than our fair share.”“Sin taxes” might be increased, such as those on tobacco, vaping products or alcohol, as well as on agriculture inputs, Pillen said.The governor also suggested a future plan could be the state taking on more,&nbsp;or all,&nbsp;of local obligations to fund K-12 education, similar to what happened with community colleges in 2023.One man in the audience, who said he lives close to the Kansas border, said he’s worried Pillen’s 40% reduction to property taxes still wouldn’t be enough.“Yeah, that helps, but it’s still not in the range of being competitive with our next-door neighbors,” the man said.Pillen responded that he overall wants to decrease state taxes, noting that for surrounding states with no income or property taxes, they might have higher sales taxes as a tradeoff.<h2>Unfunded and underfunded mandates</h2>“Operation Clean the Closets Out” is also on the table, which Pillen described as outlining what unfunded mandates exist for county and city governments and undoing those. Pillen said approximately 22% of county government costs come from unfunded mandates.“We have to get the unfunded mandates out, and same for cities,” Pillen said. “We have to say no. We have to clean up government.”State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, who ran against Pillen for governor two years ago, has tried for years to tackle unfunded and underfunded mandates, proposing a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50026">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;that would let Nebraskans vote on ending future obligations unless they come with funding.Blood said Friday that Pillen hasn’t reached out to her on the mandates. She said a list of them already exists because of previous legislative studies.&nbsp;At a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Transcripts/Government/2023-02-24.pdf">2023 hearing</a>, she pointed to many such mandates, including supervision and transportation of juvenile offenders, election ballot printing and autopsy or grand jury costs after a prisoner’s death.“We know it’s a good idea, but nobody, nobody would listen to us,” Blood said.She said the Legislature had a chance to act sooner but put good ideas “in the dumpster,” which is part of the reason she’s not willing to go into a special session.“They say they want our ideas, but they don’t really,” Blood said. “I’m not going to have them shove something down my throat that I know is just going to make it harder for the middle class and people that are struggling financially.”<h2>Summer special session goal</h2>Special sessions cost thousands of dollars each day, which Blood said might be one reason to wait on proposals that might not be guaranteed to pass. Pillen dodged a question on special session costs, stating that “really good savings” could come from senators introducing fewer bills.Asked why he thinks the town halls would change the spring outcome, Pillen told reporters he understands he faces a game of “33-17,” needing at least 33 votes but failing if 17 or more senators are opposed.However, he said, he believes in the people of Nebraska and believes they must be part of a solution, which comes at the same time as an election year for some key senators who Pillen might need to support his tax proposals.“If the citizens of Nebraska aren’t engaged with the members of the Unicameral, they can be rest assured special interest groups are, and they don’t have the citizens of Nebraska’s backs,” Pillen said.Pillen said he expects to call a special session before school starts in August, scheduling around a summer trade mission to Indonesia.“We will get it fixed, but we need your help,” Pillen told the Beatrice.

Gov. Pillen outlines some funding levers in his quest to lower Nebraska property taxes

Drug Enforcement Administration - Omaha Division

Drug Enforcement Administration - Omaha Division<a>OMAHA, NE&nbsp;</a>–&nbsp;Overdose trends in Omaha have dropped nearly 40 percent since the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division Overdose Response Task Force (ODRTF) began making arrests in January 2023. For their efforts,&nbsp;the eight-person team&nbsp;was presented with the Midwest Region High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Overdose Reduction Award.Since its inception, ODRTF investigations have led to 41 arrests for drug trafficking, including 19 federal charges for distribution resulting in death or serious bodily injury. These investigations resulted in the closure of more than 17 death investigations, several of which occurred years earlier. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska played a pivotal role in the success of the task force.“We will leverage any tool necessary to spare families from suffering the devastating loss of life to a drug poisoning or overdose,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “This task force has proven that the combined efforts of state, local and federal partners can make immediate and impactful results in our communities.”<a>Omaha, like many other cities across the nation, faced a spiraling overdose trend, with Omaha Police Department (OPD) officers getting called to roughly five overdoses a week in the three years leading up to September 2022. Conversations began between DEA and OPD in September to form a task force assigned specifically to overdose investigations. Within weeks, an Omaha Overdose Response Task Force was formed combining investigators from the DEA, OPD, Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO).</a>"Receiving national recognition from HIDTA is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the Overdose Response Task Force,” OPD Chief Todd Schmaderer said. “The collaborative efforts within the Omaha Metro Area have been crucial in addressing and mitigating the impact of the opioid crisis. This acknowledgment highlights the importance of our ongoing commitment to innovative strategies and partnerships aimed at saving lives and enhancing community safety."<a></a><a>Since January 2023, the ODRTF has seized approximately 345 fake fentanyl pills and more than 1,000 grams of fentanyl powder. While these seizures may seem small, they combine for nearly 98,000 deadly doses seized in Omaha alone.</a>