SEWARD, Neb. (AP) — A suspect holding a gun was fatally shot by Nebraska deputies after a lengthy chase, authorities said.

The shooting happened Monday afternoon in Seward County. Names of the person killed and the deputies involved have not been released.

The Seward County Sheriff's Office said in a news release Tuesday that deputies tried to stop a vehicle traveling west on Interstate 80, but the vehicle spun around, going east in the westbound lanes for a time before crossing into the eastbound lanes.

The release said deputies chased the vehicle for 7 miles. When the chase ended, deputies told both people in the vehicle to get out. The sheriff's office said the passenger exited but the driver refused and deputies “saw a weapon in the driver's hand.”

The suspect was shot and died at the scene.

The Nebraska State Patrol's Special Investigations Team is investigating.

SEWARD, Neb. (AP) — A suspect holding a gun was fatally shot by Nebraska deputies after a lengthy chase, authorities said.The shooting happened Monday afternoon in Seward County. Names of the person killed and the deputies involved have not been released.The Seward County Sheriff's Office said in a news release Tuesday that deputies tried to stop a vehicle traveling west on Interstate 80, but the vehicle spun around, going east in the westbound lanes for a time before crossing into the eastbound lanes.The release said deputies chased the vehicle for 7 miles. When the chase ended, deputies told both people in the vehicle to get out. The sheriff's office said the passenger exited but the driver refused and deputies “saw a weapon in the driver's hand.”The suspect was shot and died at the scene.The Nebraska State Patrol's Special Investigations Team is investigating.

Suspect killed after confrontation with deputies in Seward County

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was called to the witness stand and then fined $10,000 on Wednesday after a judge concluded that the former president had violated a limited gag order in his civil fraud trial. It was the second time in less than a week that Trump was penalized for his out-of-court comments.

Before imposing the latest fine, Judge Arthur Engoron summoned Trump from the defense table to testify about his comment to reporters hours earlier about “a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside” the judge.

Trump and his lawyers said that comment was about witness Michael Cohen, a former Trump law, and not about the clerk. Trump told the judge from the witness stand that his remark about partisans was aimed at “you and Cohen.”

But Trump did not conceal his frustration with the clerk. “I think she’s very biased against us, I think we’ve made that clear,” Trump said.

Engoron on Oct. 3 had ordered all participants in the trial not to comment publicly about his staff, a restriction issued after a Trump social media post maligning the clerk.

The judge had ordered Trump to take down that post and Trump did, which the former president noted in court Wednesday. But that post had lingered on his campaign website for weeks, prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-fraud-contempt-new-york-ce593e3ee07d95bb6ec7e2de23f47dc9">$5,000 fine</a>&nbsp;for Trump last Friday.

Three of Trump’s attorneys objected to the $10,000 fine and they reiterated Trump's claim that the clerk was biased.

Earlier Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-cohen">Michael Cohen</a>&nbsp;returned to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-michael-cohen-fraud-new-york-8e49619e3f5ebb6931e6947c4dabda87">the witness stand</a>&nbsp;as the defense team tried to undermine the credibility and question the motives of his onetime personal attorney turned adversary.

With Trump at the defense table, his lawyer Alina Habba confronted Cohen with comments he had made praising Trump, before turning on him when Cohen's legal problems started in 2018.

Habba tried to suggest that Cohen had angled unsuccessfully for a job in Trump’s White House — Cohen insisted he never sought one — and asked whether he had “significant animosity" toward Trump.

“Do I have animosity toward him? Yes I do,” Cohen replied.

“You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump, haven’t you?” Habba asked.

After a long pause, Cohen said, “Yes.”

Cohen worked as Trump’s lawyer and fixer for many years, before Cohen’s 2018 federal prosecution, guilty pleas and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8b9d39ea54374ae296a9a8401bf58cb8">prison sentence</a>&nbsp;for tax evasion, making false statements on a bank loan application, lying to Congress and making illegal contributions to Trump’s campaign. The contributions were in the form of payouts to women who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump, who said the women’s stories were false.

Cohen is now a key witness in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil case against Trump. James alleges that Trump habitually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-explainer-judge-business-empire-5e37f1468bd8ef63fff2e284886e3b8c">exaggerated the value of his real estate holdings</a>&nbsp;on financial documents that helped him get loans and insurance and make deals.

Trump denies any wrongdoing and says James, a Democrat, is targeting the leading Republican presidential candidate in 2024 for partisan reasons.

During his first day of testimony Tuesday, Cohen said he and key executives at Trump's company worked to inflate the estimated values of their employer's holdings so documents given to banks and others would match a net worth that Trump had set “arbitrarily.”

In cross-examining Cohen, Habba emphasized his federal criminal convictions and worked to portray him as a liar, especially after he said Tuesday he had lied when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and loan application lies. Cohen asserted that he did not really commit those crimes and he sought to portray his conduct as a matter of omissions and failure to correct paperwork.

Habba returned to those themes Wednesday, underscoring that Cohen had admitted in open court to lying under oath in a federal courthouse next door.

Outside court, Trump said the trial was “very unfair” and a “pure political witch hunt.” Nonetheless, he said, “We’re happy with the way it’s going.”

“We have the facts on our side,” Trump said. He's expected to testify later in the trial but meanwhile has voluntarily attended several days of the proceedings.

Cohen is also expected to be an important prosecution witness in a criminal trial scheduled for next spring in which Trump is accused of falsifying business records. That case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698261736155.png" alt="-Former President Donald Trump during a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court, Wednesday in New York. -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>-Former President Donald Trump during a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court, Wednesday in New York. -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was called to the witness stand and then fined $10,000 on Wednesday after a judge concluded that the former president had violated a limited gag order in his civil fraud trial. It was the second time in less than a week that Trump was penalized for his out-of-court comments.Before imposing the latest fine, Judge Arthur Engoron summoned Trump from the defense table to testify about his comment to reporters hours earlier about “a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside” the judge.Trump and his lawyers said that comment was about witness Michael Cohen, a former Trump law, and not about the clerk. Trump told the judge from the witness stand that his remark about partisans was aimed at “you and Cohen.”But Trump did not conceal his frustration with the clerk. “I think she’s very biased against us, I think we’ve made that clear,” Trump said.Engoron on Oct. 3 had ordered all participants in the trial not to comment publicly about his staff, a restriction issued after a Trump social media post maligning the clerk.The judge had ordered Trump to take down that post and Trump did, which the former president noted in court Wednesday. But that post had lingered on his campaign website for weeks, prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-fraud-contempt-new-york-ce593e3ee07d95bb6ec7e2de23f47dc9">$5,000 fine</a>&nbsp;for Trump last Friday.Three of Trump’s attorneys objected to the $10,000 fine and they reiterated Trump's claim that the clerk was biased.Earlier Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-cohen">Michael Cohen</a>&nbsp;returned to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-michael-cohen-fraud-new-york-8e49619e3f5ebb6931e6947c4dabda87">the witness stand</a>&nbsp;as the defense team tried to undermine the credibility and question the motives of his onetime personal attorney turned adversary.With Trump at the defense table, his lawyer Alina Habba confronted Cohen with comments he had made praising Trump, before turning on him when Cohen's legal problems started in 2018.Habba tried to suggest that Cohen had angled unsuccessfully for a job in Trump’s White House — Cohen insisted he never sought one — and asked whether he had “significant animosity" toward Trump.“Do I have animosity toward him? Yes I do,” Cohen replied.“You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump, haven’t you?” Habba asked.After a long pause, Cohen said, “Yes.”Cohen worked as Trump’s lawyer and fixer for many years, before Cohen’s 2018 federal prosecution, guilty pleas and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8b9d39ea54374ae296a9a8401bf58cb8">prison sentence</a>&nbsp;for tax evasion, making false statements on a bank loan application, lying to Congress and making illegal contributions to Trump’s campaign. The contributions were in the form of payouts to women who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump, who said the women’s stories were false.Cohen is now a key witness in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil case against Trump. James alleges that Trump habitually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-explainer-judge-business-empire-5e37f1468bd8ef63fff2e284886e3b8c">exaggerated the value of his real estate holdings</a>&nbsp;on financial documents that helped him get loans and insurance and make deals.Trump denies any wrongdoing and says James, a Democrat, is targeting the leading Republican presidential candidate in 2024 for partisan reasons.During his first day of testimony Tuesday, Cohen said he and key executives at Trump's company worked to inflate the estimated values of their employer's holdings so documents given to banks and others would match a net worth that Trump had set “arbitrarily.”In cross-examining Cohen, Habba emphasized his federal criminal convictions and worked to portray him as a liar, especially after he said Tuesday he had lied when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and loan application lies. Cohen asserted that he did not really commit those crimes and he sought to portray his conduct as a matter of omissions and failure to correct paperwork.Habba returned to those themes Wednesday, underscoring that Cohen had admitted in open court to lying under oath in a federal courthouse next door.Outside court, Trump said the trial was “very unfair” and a “pure political witch hunt.” Nonetheless, he said, “We’re happy with the way it’s going.”“We have the facts on our side,” Trump said. He's expected to testify later in the trial but meanwhile has voluntarily attended several days of the proceedings.Cohen is also expected to be an important prosecution witness in a criminal trial scheduled for next spring in which Trump is accused of falsifying business records. That case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington.___

Trump fined $10,000 over a comment he made outside court 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans eagerly elected Rep. Mike Johnson as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-republicans-emmer-mccarthy-c7ddb6abf4c7322f9fc44fdaa07791fc">House speaker</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority.

When called for his vote, Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann shouted, "I like Mike!" The GOP members of the House roared with approval.

Johnson, 51, of Louisiana, swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was quickly sworn into office.

“We are ready to get to work again,” he said after taking the gavel.

To the American people watching he said, “Our mission here is to serve you well and to restore the people’s faith in this House.”

A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what had become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Kevin McCarthy's ouster</a>&nbsp;as GOP factions jockeyed for power. While not the party's top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.

“I think he’s gonna be a fantastic speaker,” Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.

Three weeks on without a House speaker, the Republicans have been wasting their majority status — a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

Far-right members had refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives didn't want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during a private party roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-republican-lawmakers-house-opponents-33c7d984964916f29d548b5b1dfe508b">more than enough</a>&nbsp;to sink his nomination.

But when GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to introduce Johnson's name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for a standing ovation.

“House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will never give up,” she said.

Democrats again nominated their leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing Johnson as an architect of Trump's legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

With Republicans controlling the House only 221-212 over Democrats, Johnson could afford just a few detractors to win the gavel. He won 220-209, with a few absences.

Jeffries said House Democrats will work with Republicans whenever possible for the “good of the country.”

Overnight the endorsements for Johnson started pouring in, including from failed speaker hopefuls. Rep. Jim Jordan, the hard-charging Judiciary Committee chairman, gave his support, as did Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the fellow Louisiana congressman, who stood behind Johnson after he won the nomination.

“Mike! Mike! Mike!” lawmakers chanted at a press conference after the late-night internal vote, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.

Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on.

Johnson's rise comes after a tumultuous month, capped by a head-spinning Tuesday that within a span of a few hours saw one candidate, Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-thomas-emmer-united-states-house-of-representatives-hockey-744b602f30285f3398da09d1489f37dd">Tom Emmer</a>, the GOP Whip, nominated and then quickly withdraw when it became clear he would be the third candidate unable to secure enough support from GOP colleagues after Trump bashed his nomination.

“He wasn’t MAGA,” said Trump, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Elevating Johnson to speaker gives Louisianians two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Scalise, who was rejected by hard-liners in his own bid as speaker.

Johnson is affable and well liked, with a fiery belief system, and colleagues swiftly started giving him their support.

“Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system,” Johnson said after winning the nomination. “We’re going to restore your trust in what we do here.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who led a small band of hard-liners to engineer McCarthy's ouster at the start of the month, posted on social media that “Mike Johnson won’t be the Speaker the Swamp wants but, he is the Speaker America needs.”

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">a shutdown</a>&nbsp;in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Biden has asked Congress to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$105 billion in aid</a>&nbsp;— to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Many hard-liners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans don't agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month's funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House was led by a speaker pro tempore,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-interim-congress-north-carolina-15b8b6cc20afa9d8f18d84765d776736">Rep. Patrick McHenry</a>, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job was to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans — and Democrats — wanted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-powers-mchenry-875bebd218096a5252840cd8f52cc137">give McHenry more power</a>&nbsp;to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, declined to back those overtures. He, too, received a standing ovation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698250303541.png" alt="New House Speaker Mike Johnson -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>New House Speaker Mike Johnson -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans eagerly elected Rep. Mike Johnson as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-republicans-emmer-mccarthy-c7ddb6abf4c7322f9fc44fdaa07791fc">House speaker</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority.When called for his vote, Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann shouted, "I like Mike!" The GOP members of the House roared with approval.Johnson, 51, of Louisiana, swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was quickly sworn into office.“We are ready to get to work again,” he said after taking the gavel.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations Speaker Mike Johnson! Mike is a God-fearing father of four and a dedicated public servant. As the House GOP Vice Chair and member of the Judiciary Committee, he has fought to defend our Constitutional rights, hold the Biden administration accountable, and… <a href="https://t.co/iLwpHIcr62">pic.twitter.com/iLwpHIcr62</a>&mdash; Rep. Jake LaTurner (@RepLaTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaTurner/status/1717253014254158322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>To the American people watching he said, “Our mission here is to serve you well and to restore the people’s faith in this House.”A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what had become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Kevin McCarthy's ouster</a>&nbsp;as GOP factions jockeyed for power. While not the party's top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.“I think he’s gonna be a fantastic speaker,” Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.Three weeks on without a House speaker, the Republicans have been wasting their majority status — a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.Far-right members had refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives didn't want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during a private party roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-republican-lawmakers-house-opponents-33c7d984964916f29d548b5b1dfe508b">more than enough</a>&nbsp;to sink his nomination.But when GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to introduce Johnson's name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for a standing ovation.“House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will never give up,” she said.Democrats again nominated their leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing Johnson as an architect of Trump's legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.With Republicans controlling the House only 221-212 over Democrats, Johnson could afford just a few detractors to win the gavel. He won 220-209, with a few absences.Jeffries said House Democrats will work with Republicans whenever possible for the “good of the country.”Overnight the endorsements for Johnson started pouring in, including from failed speaker hopefuls. Rep. Jim Jordan, the hard-charging Judiciary Committee chairman, gave his support, as did Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the fellow Louisiana congressman, who stood behind Johnson after he won the nomination.“Mike! Mike! Mike!” lawmakers chanted at a press conference after the late-night internal vote, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on.Johnson's rise comes after a tumultuous month, capped by a head-spinning Tuesday that within a span of a few hours saw one candidate, Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-thomas-emmer-united-states-house-of-representatives-hockey-744b602f30285f3398da09d1489f37dd">Tom Emmer</a>, the GOP Whip, nominated and then quickly withdraw when it became clear he would be the third candidate unable to secure enough support from GOP colleagues after Trump bashed his nomination.“He wasn’t MAGA,” said Trump, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.Attention quickly turned to Johnson. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.Elevating Johnson to speaker gives Louisianians two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Scalise, who was rejected by hard-liners in his own bid as speaker.Johnson is affable and well liked, with a fiery belief system, and colleagues swiftly started giving him their support.“Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system,” Johnson said after winning the nomination. “We’re going to restore your trust in what we do here.”Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who led a small band of hard-liners to engineer McCarthy's ouster at the start of the month, posted on social media that “Mike Johnson won’t be the Speaker the Swamp wants but, he is the Speaker America needs.”Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.The federal government risks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">a shutdown</a>&nbsp;in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Biden has asked Congress to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$105 billion in aid</a>&nbsp;— to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.Many hard-liners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans don't agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month's funding deadline.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.During the turmoil, the House was led by a speaker pro tempore,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-interim-congress-north-carolina-15b8b6cc20afa9d8f18d84765d776736">Rep. Patrick McHenry</a>, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job was to elect a more permanent speaker.Some Republicans — and Democrats — wanted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-powers-mchenry-875bebd218096a5252840cd8f52cc137">give McHenry more power</a>&nbsp;to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, declined to back those overtures. He, too, received a standing ovation.___

Kan. Congressman: I like Mike; House finally elects new Speaker

&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen announced the appointment of Dr. Alyssa Bish as the Director of Children and Family Services for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS). Dr. Bish will start on Dec. 28.

Dr. Bish has served as the director of personnel and the director of strategy and leadership development for the state of Missouri. Prior to that, she worked for Missouri’s Department of Social Services and in the state’s Children’s Division where she focused on initiatives to improve the quality of foster care services and decrease the backlog of cases.

“Alyssa brings firsthand experience to the Children and Family Services Division of DHHS, having served in multiple roles in Missouri,” said Governor Pillen. “In addition to the success she has had, Alyssa brings a passion for helping children and families through difficult times. I look forward to working with Alyssa as she brings that passion to this role at DHHS.”

“We are grateful Dr. Bish has agreed to return to her native State of Nebraska and bring her wealth of knowledge and expertise to lead the Division of Children and Family Services, and we look forward to working with her to continue our mission of helping Nebraskans live better lives,” said Steve Corsi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DHHS.

Dr. Bish is a native Nebraskan who graduated from Wayne State College with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. She earned her master’s and doctorate degrees from the University in Missouri, with an emphasis on foster care issues.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Governor Jim Pillen announced the appointment of Dr. Alyssa Bish as the Director of Children and Family Services for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS). Dr. Bish will start on Dec. 28.Dr. Bish has served as the director of personnel and the director of strategy and leadership development for the state of Missouri. Prior to that, she worked for Missouri’s Department of Social Services and in the state’s Children’s Division where she focused on initiatives to improve the quality of foster care services and decrease the backlog of cases.“Alyssa brings firsthand experience to the Children and Family Services Division of DHHS, having served in multiple roles in Missouri,” said Governor Pillen. “In addition to the success she has had, Alyssa brings a passion for helping children and families through difficult times. I look forward to working with Alyssa as she brings that passion to this role at DHHS.”“We are grateful Dr. Bish has agreed to return to her native State of Nebraska and bring her wealth of knowledge and expertise to lead the Division of Children and Family Services, and we look forward to working with her to continue our mission of helping Nebraskans live better lives,” said Steve Corsi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DHHS.Dr. Bish is a native Nebraskan who graduated from Wayne State College with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. She earned her master’s and doctorate degrees from the University in Missouri, with an emphasis on foster care issues.&nbsp;

Governor Pillen Appoints New Children & Family Services Director

&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>,&nbsp;Department of Defense

The Pentagon announced that a squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft has arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The aircraft will work alongside an array of capabilities the Defense Department has sent to the region in recent days to further enhance the ability of U.S. forces to defend themselves.

Since Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, militia groups backed by Iran have, on more than a dozen occasions, attacked U.S. forces conducting counterterrorism missions in both Iraq and Syria.&nbsp;

"We know that the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and the Iranian regime," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing today. "What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region, in the very near term, coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran."&nbsp;

In response, this past weekend, the department deployed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group to Centcom, and directed to the region a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery from Fort Bliss, Texas, and additional Patriot missile battalions from both Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma.&nbsp;

The aircraft movement announced today involves F-16s from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.&nbsp;

A variety of military units have been put on prepare-to-deploy orders, though none of those have yet been activated, he said.

The effort to protect U.S. forces in the region is one of three primary objectives the department has focused on since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Ryder said the department is also focused on supporting Israel's right to defend itself from terrorist attacks and deterring a broader conflict in the region.&nbsp;

To assist Israel in its defense he said the U.S. has rushed in security assistance to enable Israel Defense Forces to restore security and protect the Israeli people.&nbsp;

"As we've highlighted, this includes capabilities requested by Israel, to include precision guided munitions, small diameter bombs, artillery, ammunition, Iron Dome interceptors and other critical equipment. We continue to stay in close contact with our Israeli partners on their defense needs and remain committed to the security of Israel," Ryder said.&nbsp;

The department has also provided advisors to Israel to help officials there mitigate civilian casualties as they conduct their military planning. Those advisors, Ryder noted, have deep experience in urban combat.&nbsp;

"Since [the] Hamas terrorist attack, we've also been crystal clear that we do not want to see the situation in Israel [widen] into a broader regional conflict," he said. " ... Our message to any country or group thinking about trying to take advantage of this situation to widen the conflict is: Don't."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698241827937.png" alt="F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 177th Fighter Wing, 119th Fighter Squadron, of the New Jersey Air National Guard, prepare to land at the Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, N.J., July 31, 2021. The squadron has been identified to deploy to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility-photo Department of Defense." />
 <figcaption>F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 177th Fighter Wing, 119th Fighter Squadron, of the New Jersey Air National Guard, prepare to land at the Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, N.J., July 31, 2021. The squadron has been identified to deploy to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility-photo Department of Defense.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>,&nbsp;Department of DefenseThe Pentagon announced that a squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft has arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The aircraft will work alongside an array of capabilities the Defense Department has sent to the region in recent days to further enhance the ability of U.S. forces to defend themselves.Since Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, militia groups backed by Iran have, on more than a dozen occasions, attacked U.S. forces conducting counterterrorism missions in both Iraq and Syria.&nbsp;"We know that the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and the Iranian regime," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing today. "What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region, in the very near term, coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran."&nbsp;In response, this past weekend, the department deployed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group to Centcom, and directed to the region a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery from Fort Bliss, Texas, and additional Patriot missile battalions from both Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma.&nbsp;The aircraft movement announced today involves F-16s from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.&nbsp;A variety of military units have been put on prepare-to-deploy orders, though none of those have yet been activated, he said.The effort to protect U.S. forces in the region is one of three primary objectives the department has focused on since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Ryder said the department is also focused on supporting Israel's right to defend itself from terrorist attacks and deterring a broader conflict in the region.&nbsp;To assist Israel in its defense he said the U.S. has rushed in security assistance to enable Israel Defense Forces to restore security and protect the Israeli people.&nbsp;"As we've highlighted, this includes capabilities requested by Israel, to include precision guided munitions, small diameter bombs, artillery, ammunition, Iron Dome interceptors and other critical equipment. We continue to stay in close contact with our Israeli partners on their defense needs and remain committed to the security of Israel," Ryder said.&nbsp;The department has also provided advisors to Israel to help officials there mitigate civilian casualties as they conduct their military planning. Those advisors, Ryder noted, have deep experience in urban combat.&nbsp;"Since [the] Hamas terrorist attack, we've also been crystal clear that we do not want to see the situation in Israel [widen] into a broader regional conflict," he said. " ... Our message to any country or group thinking about trying to take advantage of this situation to widen the conflict is: Don't."

Squadron of US F-16 fighter jets has arrived in the Middle East

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Tuesday that “prudent contingency planning” is underway to evacuate Americans from the Middle East in case the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;spreads into a broad regional conflict.

(click below to watch White House spokesman John Kirby's statement)

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stressed there are currently no “active efforts” to evacuate Americans from the region beyond charter flights the U.S government began operating earlier this month out of Israel.

“It would be imprudent and irresponsible if we didn’t have folks thinking through a broad range of contingencies and possibilities,” Kirby said. “And certainly evacuations are one of those things.”

The White House addressed the contingency plans amid growing concerns that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-palestinians-live-updates-9a0ddf745bde0ffc46921b99ed34fb65">18-day-old Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;could further escalate. The U.S. has advised Israel that postponing a possible ground invasion of Gaza could be helpful as the U.S. and other partners in the region try to secure the release of more than 200 hostages who were captured in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel soil. The contingency planning was first reported by The Washington Post.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone on Tuesday about the deteriorating situation. It was the two leaders' first interaction since before the Hamas attack on Israel.

Biden and the crown prince spoke about “efforts to deter state and non-state actors from widening the conflict between Israel and Hamas,” according to the White House. Biden administration officials have repeatedly warned Iran not to become involved in the conflict. U.S. forces in the region over the last few days have come under repeated attacks that the Pentagon has said were likely endorsed by Iran, which is the chief sponsor of Hamas, the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, as well as militant groups in Iraq and Yemen.

“The two leaders agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding,” the White House added.

At the Pentagon, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. is preparing for an increase in violence, noting that there have already been at least 13 attacks against troops and installations in Iraq and Syria.

“What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran,” said Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary.

He added that the U.S. won’t hesitate to take action if needed to protect its forces and interests in the region.

Biden said last week he believed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas was motivated to attack Israel</a>&nbsp;in part by a desire to stop that country from normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia.

“One of the reasons ... why Hamas moved on Israel, is because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-saudi-arabia-war-1c376cf1497acd0df05a98721bf88fae">Biden said at a campaign fundraiser.</a>&nbsp;The U.S. president said he thinks Hamas militants launched their deadly assault on Oct. 7 because “guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel” and were near being able to formally do so.

An agreement, which the White House says it continues to pursue, would be a feat of diplomacy that could have enabled broader recognition of Israel by other Arab and Muslim-majority nations that have largely opposed Israel since its creation 75 years ago in a territory where Palestinians have long resided.

But talks were interrupted after Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip where Palestinians live into nearby Israeli towns.

Israel sealed off Gaza in response, and Biden told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that humanitarian aid into the territory wasn't arriving fast enough.

Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water, fuel and medicine. The aid convoys allowed into Gaza so far have carried a fraction of what’s needed.

The president made his comments to reporters about the speed of aid flowing into Gaza after presenting science and technology awards to several Americans for exemplary achievements that have had a positive impact on the United States.

One of the recipients, Sheldon Weinbaum of the City College of New York, wore a “Stop War” button on his suit coat lapel as he received his medal from Biden.

Biden suggested the ceremony was a welcome break from the grim news coming out of the Middle East.

“This is a happy occasion," Biden said at the start of the White House ceremony. "We need some more happy occasions.”

The war is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed and 16,297 wounded. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7.

“This is war. It is combat. It is bloody, it is ugly, and it’s going to be messy,” Kirby said. “I wish I could tell you something different. I wish that that wasn’t going to happen.”

Ryder said several new force protection measures are now underway, including the deployment of air defense systems. He said a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and additional Patriot missile battalions have begun to move to undisclosed locations in the Middle East.

The THAAD is being sent from Fort Bliss, Texas, and the Patriot battalions are from Fort Liberty in North Carolina and Fort Sill in Oklahoma.

Ryder also said that additional forces have moved into the Middle East. He said the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 119 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, with its F-16 fighter jets, arrived on Tuesday, but officials would not say where exactly it went.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Tuesday that “prudent contingency planning” is underway to evacuate Americans from the Middle East in case the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;spreads into a broad regional conflict.(click below to watch White House spokesman John Kirby's statement)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F310166491774001%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=422" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stressed there are currently no “active efforts” to evacuate Americans from the region beyond charter flights the U.S government began operating earlier this month out of Israel.“It would be imprudent and irresponsible if we didn’t have folks thinking through a broad range of contingencies and possibilities,” Kirby said. “And certainly evacuations are one of those things.”The White House addressed the contingency plans amid growing concerns that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-palestinians-live-updates-9a0ddf745bde0ffc46921b99ed34fb65">18-day-old Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;could further escalate. The U.S. has advised Israel that postponing a possible ground invasion of Gaza could be helpful as the U.S. and other partners in the region try to secure the release of more than 200 hostages who were captured in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel soil. The contingency planning was first reported by The Washington Post.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone on Tuesday about the deteriorating situation. It was the two leaders' first interaction since before the Hamas attack on Israel.Biden and the crown prince spoke about “efforts to deter state and non-state actors from widening the conflict between Israel and Hamas,” according to the White House. Biden administration officials have repeatedly warned Iran not to become involved in the conflict. U.S. forces in the region over the last few days have come under repeated attacks that the Pentagon has said were likely endorsed by Iran, which is the chief sponsor of Hamas, the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, as well as militant groups in Iraq and Yemen.“The two leaders agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding,” the White House added.At the Pentagon, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. is preparing for an increase in violence, noting that there have already been at least 13 attacks against troops and installations in Iraq and Syria.“What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran,” said Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary.He added that the U.S. won’t hesitate to take action if needed to protect its forces and interests in the region.Biden said last week he believed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas was motivated to attack Israel</a>&nbsp;in part by a desire to stop that country from normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia.“One of the reasons ... why Hamas moved on Israel, is because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-saudi-arabia-war-1c376cf1497acd0df05a98721bf88fae">Biden said at a campaign fundraiser.</a>&nbsp;The U.S. president said he thinks Hamas militants launched their deadly assault on Oct. 7 because “guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel” and were near being able to formally do so.An agreement, which the White House says it continues to pursue, would be a feat of diplomacy that could have enabled broader recognition of Israel by other Arab and Muslim-majority nations that have largely opposed Israel since its creation 75 years ago in a territory where Palestinians have long resided.But talks were interrupted after Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip where Palestinians live into nearby Israeli towns.Israel sealed off Gaza in response, and Biden told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that humanitarian aid into the territory wasn't arriving fast enough.Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water, fuel and medicine. The aid convoys allowed into Gaza so far have carried a fraction of what’s needed.The president made his comments to reporters about the speed of aid flowing into Gaza after presenting science and technology awards to several Americans for exemplary achievements that have had a positive impact on the United States.One of the recipients, Sheldon Weinbaum of the City College of New York, wore a “Stop War” button on his suit coat lapel as he received his medal from Biden.Biden suggested the ceremony was a welcome break from the grim news coming out of the Middle East.“This is a happy occasion," Biden said at the start of the White House ceremony. "We need some more happy occasions.”The war is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed and 16,297 wounded. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7.“This is war. It is combat. It is bloody, it is ugly, and it’s going to be messy,” Kirby said. “I wish I could tell you something different. I wish that that wasn’t going to happen.”Ryder said several new force protection measures are now underway, including the deployment of air defense systems. He said a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and additional Patriot missile battalions have begun to move to undisclosed locations in the Middle East.The THAAD is being sent from Fort Bliss, Texas, and the Patriot battalions are from Fort Liberty in North Carolina and Fort Sill in Oklahoma.Ryder also said that additional forces have moved into the Middle East. He said the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 119 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, with its F-16 fighter jets, arrived on Tuesday, but officials would not say where exactly it went.___

🎥U.S. readies plans for mass evacuations from the Middle East

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Richard Roundtree, the trailblazing actor who starred as the ultra-smooth private detective in several “Shaft” films beginning in the early 1970s, has died. He was 81.

Roundtree’s longtime manager, Patrick McMinn, said the actor had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and underwent a double mastectomy.

“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men,” McMinn said. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”

Roundtree, who was born in New Rochelle, New York, was considered as the first Black action hero and became one of the leading actors in the blaxploitation genre through his New York street smart John Shaft character in the Gordon Parks-directed film in 1971. At age 28, it was Roundtree’s first feature film appearance after starting his career as a model.

Roundtree’s “Shaft” was part of a change in how Black movies were viewed in Hollywood, which failed to consider Black actors – especially for leading roles — in projects at the time. The blaxploitation films were primarily aimed at the African American audiences.

In the film, his character navigated the world of thugs. He regularly whipped out popular one-liners like “It’s my duty to please that booty.”

“What we were doing was a good, old Saturday afternoon shoot ’em up," Roundtree said in a 2000 interview with The Associated Press.

Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft” theme song — which included the line “You a bad mother— (Shut your mouth)” — helped insinuate the original movie into the pop-cult consciousness. The singer, who died in 2008, said the song was “like the ‘shot heard round the world." His single won an Academy Award for best song in 1971 and two Grammys the following year.

After the film’s success, Roundtree returned in sequels “Shaft’s Big Score” in 1972 and “Shaft in Africa” in 1973. That same year, he played the savvy detective once again on the CBS television series “Shaft,” which lasted only seven episodes.

Roundtree reprised his role in the 2000 “Shaft” film, a revival that starred Samuel L. Jackson. He appeared as Jackson’s uncle in the big-budget film that was aimed at the general audience. Both appeared again in the same roles in the 2019 film starring Jessie T. Usher.

Jackson called Roundtree the “prototype” and the “best to ever do it" in a social media post.

“SHAFT, as we know it is &amp; will always be his Creation," he said of Roundtree. "His passing leaves a deep hole not only in my heart, but I’m sure a lotta y’all’s, too.”

Through his 50-plus year career, Roundtree appeared in a number other notable films including “Earthquake,” “Man Friday” with Peter O’Toole, “Roots,” “Maniac Cop” “Se7en” and “What Men Want” starring Taraji P. Henson. He also made his mark with television roles on “Magnum P.I.,” “The Love Boat,” “Being Mary Jane” and “The Love Boat.”

In 1995, Roundtree received a lifetime achievement award at the MTV Movie &amp; TV awards.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698227923055.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Richard Roundtree, the trailblazing actor who starred as the ultra-smooth private detective in several “Shaft” films beginning in the early 1970s, has died. He was 81.Roundtree’s longtime manager, Patrick McMinn, said the actor had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and underwent a double mastectomy.“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men,” McMinn said. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”Roundtree, who was born in New Rochelle, New York, was considered as the first Black action hero and became one of the leading actors in the blaxploitation genre through his New York street smart John Shaft character in the Gordon Parks-directed film in 1971. At age 28, it was Roundtree’s first feature film appearance after starting his career as a model.Roundtree’s “Shaft” was part of a change in how Black movies were viewed in Hollywood, which failed to consider Black actors – especially for leading roles — in projects at the time. The blaxploitation films were primarily aimed at the African American audiences.In the film, his character navigated the world of thugs. He regularly whipped out popular one-liners like “It’s my duty to please that booty.”“What we were doing was a good, old Saturday afternoon shoot ’em up," Roundtree said in a 2000 interview with The Associated Press.Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft” theme song — which included the line “You a bad mother— (Shut your mouth)” — helped insinuate the original movie into the pop-cult consciousness. The singer, who died in 2008, said the song was “like the ‘shot heard round the world." His single won an Academy Award for best song in 1971 and two Grammys the following year.After the film’s success, Roundtree returned in sequels “Shaft’s Big Score” in 1972 and “Shaft in Africa” in 1973. That same year, he played the savvy detective once again on the CBS television series “Shaft,” which lasted only seven episodes.Roundtree reprised his role in the 2000 “Shaft” film, a revival that starred Samuel L. Jackson. He appeared as Jackson’s uncle in the big-budget film that was aimed at the general audience. Both appeared again in the same roles in the 2019 film starring Jessie T. Usher.Jackson called Roundtree the “prototype” and the “best to ever do it" in a social media post.“SHAFT, as we know it is &amp; will always be his Creation," he said of Roundtree. "His passing leaves a deep hole not only in my heart, but I’m sure a lotta y’all’s, too.”Through his 50-plus year career, Roundtree appeared in a number other notable films including “Earthquake,” “Man Friday” with Peter O’Toole, “Roots,” “Maniac Cop” “Se7en” and “What Men Want” starring Taraji P. Henson. He also made his mark with television roles on “Magnum P.I.,” “The Love Boat,” “Being Mary Jane” and “The Love Boat.”In 1995, Roundtree received a lifetime achievement award at the MTV Movie &amp; TV awards.

'Shaft' star Richard Roundtree, first Black action movie hero, has died 

Lincoln, October 24, 2023- The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) is pleased to honorMatt Effken, Agency Legal Counsel, and Laurie Casados, Budget, and Finance Manager, as its2023 State of Nebraska Excellence in Leadership Award recipients.

A member of the Commissions legal team since 2016, Effken has served as the primary attorneyfor the State 911 Department. In his role Effken has been instrumental in helping the State 911Department and the 911 Centers across the state in the transition from a Legacy 911 system to aNext Generation 911 system.

“Matt has a strong desire to improved public safety for the citizens of Nebraska,” said PSCExecutive Director Thomas Golden. “An outstanding communicator, he has played a key role inall aspects of the Commission’s effort as it works to bring the next generation of 911 services tothe state.”

In her role as Budget, and Finance Manager, Casados has proven she can adapt and respond toextreme challenges. Her ability to research grant requirements and regulations along with her in-depth knowledge of broadband proved to be essential to the successful implementation of twolarge and complex federal grants.

Golden said, “Laurie has shown herself to be an invaluable member of our team. She has aninnate desire to learn and grow and is always welcoming of a challenge.”

Lincoln, October 24, 2023- The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) is pleased to honorMatt Effken, Agency Legal Counsel, and Laurie Casados, Budget, and Finance Manager, as its2023 State of Nebraska Excellence in Leadership Award recipients.A member of the Commissions legal team since 2016, Effken has served as the primary attorneyfor the State 911 Department. In his role Effken has been instrumental in helping the State 911Department and the 911 Centers across the state in the transition from a Legacy 911 system to aNext Generation 911 system.“Matt has a strong desire to improved public safety for the citizens of Nebraska,” said PSCExecutive Director Thomas Golden. “An outstanding communicator, he has played a key role inall aspects of the Commission’s effort as it works to bring the next generation of 911 services tothe state.”In her role as Budget, and Finance Manager, Casados has proven she can adapt and respond toextreme challenges. Her ability to research grant requirements and regulations along with her in-depth knowledge of broadband proved to be essential to the successful implementation of twolarge and complex federal grants.Golden said, “Laurie has shown herself to be an invaluable member of our team. She has aninnate desire to learn and grow and is always welcoming of a challenge.”

PSC Announces Excellence in Leadership Award Recipients

Faculty from the UNMC Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, iEXCEL staff and technology from the Davis Global Center are contributing to the development of breakthroughs using Artificial Intelligence (AI), computational Simulations (S) and Extended Reality (ER). The novel use of these technologies in concert creates not just an acronym, but the first demonstration of a new concept, AISER.

AI, computational simulation and ER have each become crucial tools. But together, as AISER, “their symbiosis and synergy might unlock significant potential in patient-specific health care delivery,” according to a new paper,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jcin.2023.07.022" target="_blank">“Artificial Intelligence, Computational Simulations and Extended Reality: Revolutionary Tools in Cardiovascular Interventions,”</a>&nbsp;published Monday in the Journal of American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions.

“This report demonstrates what can be achieved when the AI that is supporting advanced 3-D imaging at the Davis Global Center is combined with the knowledge and skill of our Nebraska Medicine Interventional Cardiology clinical team,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, one of the paper’s co-authors.

“The successful design, 3-D modeling and clinical care will define the future of ‘serious medicine and extraordinary care,’” Dr. Gold said.

AI and informatics technology are becoming increasingly integrated into health care, and UNMC is among the vanguard. The University of Nebraska established the UNMC Center for Intelligent Health Care (CIHC) in 2020.

John Windle, MD, Holland Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Science, the CIHC’s inaugural director and another of the paper’s co-authors, said that establishing AISER “illustrates the potential that can come from optimizing human and computer integration.”

A handful of UNMC faculty are authors on the publication, which includes collaborators from across the country, Europe and Asia. Senior and corresponding author of the paper is Yiannis Chatzizisis, MD, PhD, now at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Chatzizisis developed the technology and completed the project while chief of interventional cardiology at UNMC.

AI can mine and collect patient information, while S, or computational simulation, takes it to the next level through data analysis and prediction of data. And ER’s role? “Disease complexity, interventional procedures and outcomes can be visualized and learned with extended reality (ER),” the authors wrote.

ER is where iEXCEL comes in. “They (Dr. Chatzizisis and cardiovascular faculty) brought us all of their data, but they didn’t have a good way to visualize or experience it,” said Bill Glass, artistic director, iEXCEL visualization. But Glass and the iEXCEL team created next-level models. “We were one of the first to combine different imaging modalities into one and run it as a simulation,” he explained.

Pamela Boyers, PhD, associate vice chancellor of clinical simulation and iEXCEL, is another of the study’s co-investigators from UNMC.

The use of 3-D modeling through ER, and iEXCEL, proved to be the missing piece to AI and computational simulations – and vice versa.

Through AISER, investigators can instantaneously run through 1,000 or more variations to come up with the best candidates for turning population-sized data sets into personalized precision medicine. For example, creating ER models of potential new heart stents in action, then using patient data and computer programming to see which design would work best.

"It is exciting to see the impact of using AI not only to acquire data but to simulate clinical outcomes,” said Daniel Anderson, MD, PhD, chief of cardiovascular medicine, another co-investigator. “It is impressive to be able to predict how a stent will deploy in a coronary artery when different segments within the area of deployment area are calcified, fibrosed and/or include a soft, fatty plaque.”

Computational stent simulations by Dr. Chatzizisis, iEXCEL and team, and collaboration with industry helped lead to the invention of a new stent, specifically designed for larger and stiffer heart vessels.

The first of these&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nebraskamed.com/heart/megatron-the-largest-arteries-require-the-largest-stents" target="_blank">new stents were successfully implanted in two patients</a>&nbsp;at the Nebraska Medical Center in 2021.

Through AISER, Dr. Anderson said, “We will not only better refine our pre-clinical and clinical research trials, but also enable providers to select appropriate stents and deliver a personalized treatment strategy for atheromatous lesions. Thus, we continue to streamline and elevate our translational clinical research efforts and clinical practice."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698153002828.jpeg" alt="The use of Extended Reality (ER), shown here exploring a potential stent in a laser-CAVE immersive environment, in combination with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computational Simulations (S), has shown potential for personalized medicine breakthroughs. The new concept, created in collaboration with iEXCEL and a handful of UNMC faculty, is called AISER." />
 <figcaption>The use of Extended Reality (ER), shown here exploring a potential stent in a laser-CAVE immersive environment, in combination with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computational Simulations (S), has shown potential for personalized medicine breakthroughs. The new concept, created in collaboration with iEXCEL and a handful of UNMC faculty, is called AISER.</figcaption>
 </figure>UNMCFaculty from the UNMC Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, iEXCEL staff and technology from the Davis Global Center are contributing to the development of breakthroughs using Artificial Intelligence (AI), computational Simulations (S) and Extended Reality (ER). The novel use of these technologies in concert creates not just an acronym, but the first demonstration of a new concept, AISER.AI, computational simulation and ER have each become crucial tools. But together, as AISER, “their symbiosis and synergy might unlock significant potential in patient-specific health care delivery,” according to a new paper,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jcin.2023.07.022" target="_blank">“Artificial Intelligence, Computational Simulations and Extended Reality: Revolutionary Tools in Cardiovascular Interventions,”</a>&nbsp;published Monday in the Journal of American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions.“This report demonstrates what can be achieved when the AI that is supporting advanced 3-D imaging at the Davis Global Center is combined with the knowledge and skill of our Nebraska Medicine Interventional Cardiology clinical team,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, one of the paper’s co-authors.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698153053782.jpeg" alt=" University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD" />
 <figcaption> University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD</figcaption>
 </figure>“The successful design, 3-D modeling and clinical care will define the future of ‘serious medicine and extraordinary care,’” Dr. Gold said.AI and informatics technology are becoming increasingly integrated into health care, and UNMC is among the vanguard. The University of Nebraska established the UNMC Center for Intelligent Health Care (CIHC) in 2020.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698153105778.jpeg" alt=" John Windle, MD" />
 <figcaption> John Windle, MD</figcaption>
 </figure>John Windle, MD, Holland Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Science, the CIHC’s inaugural director and another of the paper’s co-authors, said that establishing AISER “illustrates the potential that can come from optimizing human and computer integration.”A handful of UNMC faculty are authors on the publication, which includes collaborators from across the country, Europe and Asia. Senior and corresponding author of the paper is Yiannis Chatzizisis, MD, PhD, now at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Chatzizisis developed the technology and completed the project while chief of interventional cardiology at UNMC.AI can mine and collect patient information, while S, or computational simulation, takes it to the next level through data analysis and prediction of data. And ER’s role? “Disease complexity, interventional procedures and outcomes can be visualized and learned with extended reality (ER),” the authors wrote.ER is where iEXCEL comes in. “They (Dr. Chatzizisis and cardiovascular faculty) brought us all of their data, but they didn’t have a good way to visualize or experience it,” said Bill Glass, artistic director, iEXCEL visualization. But Glass and the iEXCEL team created next-level models. “We were one of the first to combine different imaging modalities into one and run it as a simulation,” he explained.Pamela Boyers, PhD, associate vice chancellor of clinical simulation and iEXCEL, is another of the study’s co-investigators from UNMC.The use of 3-D modeling through ER, and iEXCEL, proved to be the missing piece to AI and computational simulations – and vice versa.Through AISER, investigators can instantaneously run through 1,000 or more variations to come up with the best candidates for turning population-sized data sets into personalized precision medicine. For example, creating ER models of potential new heart stents in action, then using patient data and computer programming to see which design would work best."It is exciting to see the impact of using AI not only to acquire data but to simulate clinical outcomes,” said Daniel Anderson, MD, PhD, chief of cardiovascular medicine, another co-investigator. “It is impressive to be able to predict how a stent will deploy in a coronary artery when different segments within the area of deployment area are calcified, fibrosed and/or include a soft, fatty plaque.”Computational stent simulations by Dr. Chatzizisis, iEXCEL and team, and collaboration with industry helped lead to the invention of a new stent, specifically designed for larger and stiffer heart vessels.The first of these&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nebraskamed.com/heart/megatron-the-largest-arteries-require-the-largest-stents" target="_blank">new stents were successfully implanted in two patients</a>&nbsp;at the Nebraska Medical Center in 2021.Through AISER, Dr. Anderson said, “We will not only better refine our pre-clinical and clinical research trials, but also enable providers to select appropriate stents and deliver a personalized treatment strategy for atheromatous lesions. Thus, we continue to streamline and elevate our translational clinical research efforts and clinical practice."

UNMC pioneers combination of AI, simulations and extended reality in health care scenarios

NEW YORK (AP) —Dozens of U.S. states, including Kansas, Missouri, California and New York, are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

<a href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2023/10/23.10.24-Doc.-1-Complaint-People-v.-Meta-23cv05448.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the lawsuit

The<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24080215-meta-lawsuit">&nbsp;lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed by 33 states in federal court in California, claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law. In addition, nine attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their respective states, bringing the total number of states taking action to 41 and Washington, D.C.

“Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms,” the complaint says. “It has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children.”

The suits seek financial damages and restitution and an end to Meta’s practices that are in violation of the law.

“Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement. “Meta has profited from children’s pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem.”

In a statement, Meta said it shares “the attorneys general’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.”

“We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path,” the company added.

The broad-ranging federal suit is the result of an investigation led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont. It follows damning newspaper reports, first by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-11631713039">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;in the fall of 2021, based on the Meta’s own research that found that the company knew about the harms Instagram can cause teenagers — especially teen girls — when it comes to mental health and body image issues. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17% of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.

Following the first reports, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-facebook-papers">consortium of news organizations</a>, including The Associated Press, published their own findings based on leaked documents from whistleblower Frances Haugen, who has testified before Congress and a British parliamentary committee about what she found.

“Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “With today’s lawsuit, we are drawing the line.”

The use of social media among teens is nearly universal in the U.S. and many other parts of the world.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/">Almost all teens</a>&nbsp;ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. report using a social media platform, with about a third saying they use social media “almost constantly,” according to the Pew Research Center.

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms — but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents’ consent, and many younger kids have social media accounts. The states’ complaint says Meta knowingly violated this law, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, by collecting data on children without informing and getting permission from their parents.

Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about children’s mental health are also easily circumvented. For instance, TikTok recently introduced a default&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-minors-social-media-china-time-limit-f735bd496ea3513abfc6480e5637abd8">60-minute time limit</a>&nbsp;for users under 18. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a passcode to keep watching. TikTok, Snapchat and other social platforms that have also been blamed for contributing to the youth mental health crisis are not part of Tuesday’s lawsuit.

Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb wouldn’t comment on whether they’re also looking at TikTok or Snapchat. For now they’re focusing on the Meta empire of Facebook and Instagram, he said.

“They’re the worst of the worst when it comes to using technology to addict teenagers to social media, all in the furtherance of putting profits over people.”

In May, U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/surgeon-general-kids-social-media-teens-tiktok-instagram-443530d9baa3f91386bf9fbfb313bbaf">Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy</a>&nbsp;called on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take “immediate action to protect kids now” from the harms of social media.

NEW YORK (AP) —Dozens of U.S. states, including Kansas, Missouri, California and New York, are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.<a href="https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2023/10/23.10.24-Doc.-1-Complaint-People-v.-Meta-23cv05448.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the lawsuitThe<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24080215-meta-lawsuit">&nbsp;lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed by 33 states in federal court in California, claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law. In addition, nine attorneys general are filing lawsuits in their respective states, bringing the total number of states taking action to 41 and Washington, D.C.“Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its social media platforms,” the complaint says. “It has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children.”The suits seek financial damages and restitution and an end to Meta’s practices that are in violation of the law.“Kids and teenagers are suffering from record levels of poor mental health and social media companies like Meta are to blame,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James in a statement. “Meta has profited from children’s pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that make children addicted to their platforms while lowering their self-esteem.”In a statement, Meta said it shares “the attorneys general’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.”“We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path,” the company added.The broad-ranging federal suit is the result of an investigation led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont. It follows damning newspaper reports, first by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-11631713039">The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;in the fall of 2021, based on the Meta’s own research that found that the company knew about the harms Instagram can cause teenagers — especially teen girls — when it comes to mental health and body image issues. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17% of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.Following the first reports, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-facebook-papers">consortium of news organizations</a>, including The Associated Press, published their own findings based on leaked documents from whistleblower Frances Haugen, who has testified before Congress and a British parliamentary committee about what she found.“Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “With today’s lawsuit, we are drawing the line.”The use of social media among teens is nearly universal in the U.S. and many other parts of the world.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/">Almost all teens</a>&nbsp;ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. report using a social media platform, with about a third saying they use social media “almost constantly,” according to the Pew Research Center.To comply with federal regulation, social media companies ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms — but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents’ consent, and many younger kids have social media accounts. The states’ complaint says Meta knowingly violated this law, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, by collecting data on children without informing and getting permission from their parents.Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about children’s mental health are also easily circumvented. For instance, TikTok recently introduced a default&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-minors-social-media-china-time-limit-f735bd496ea3513abfc6480e5637abd8">60-minute time limit</a>&nbsp;for users under 18. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a passcode to keep watching. TikTok, Snapchat and other social platforms that have also been blamed for contributing to the youth mental health crisis are not part of Tuesday’s lawsuit.Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb wouldn’t comment on whether they’re also looking at TikTok or Snapchat. For now they’re focusing on the Meta empire of Facebook and Instagram, he said.“They’re the worst of the worst when it comes to using technology to addict teenagers to social media, all in the furtherance of putting profits over people.”In May, U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/surgeon-general-kids-social-media-teens-tiktok-instagram-443530d9baa3f91386bf9fbfb313bbaf">Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy</a>&nbsp;called on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take “immediate action to protect kids now” from the harms of social media.__

Read lawsuit filed by Neb. claiming Facebook, Instagram harm children's mental health

JERUSALEM — The U.S. is issuing a new warning to ships traveling through the Red Sea after a drone and missile attack launched from Yemen during the Israel-Hamas war.

The U.S. Maritime Administration warning on Tuesday urged vessels to “exercise caution when transiting this region.”

The U.S. Navy says it shot down missiles and drones believed to have been launched by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in recent days amid wider tensions across the Middle East over the war.

In addition, the U.S. Central Command reported the 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Tuesday to bolster U.S. posture to deter further aggression.&nbsp;On Monday, the U.S. military destroyed two one-way attack drones near U.S. and Coalition forces in southwest Syria before they reached their intended targets, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697765298614.png" alt="The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney transits the Suez Canal, Oct. 18. Carney is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. Photo By:Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Lau" />
 <figcaption>The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney transits the Suez Canal, Oct. 18. Carney is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. Photo By:Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Lau</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM — The U.S. is issuing a new warning to ships traveling through the Red Sea after a drone and missile attack launched from Yemen during the Israel-Hamas war.The U.S. Maritime Administration warning on Tuesday urged vessels to “exercise caution when transiting this region.”The U.S. Navy says it shot down missiles and drones believed to have been launched by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in recent days amid wider tensions across the Middle East over the war.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698161439211.png" alt="Photo U.S. Department of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Department of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>In addition, the U.S. Central Command reported the 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Tuesday to bolster U.S. posture to deter further aggression.&nbsp;On Monday, the U.S. military destroyed two one-way attack drones near U.S. and Coalition forces in southwest Syria before they reached their intended targets, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.&nbsp;

U.S. issues warning to ships in the Red Sea 

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/23/mysterious-monument-for-mountain-man-hugh-glass-has-been-moved-to-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

BANCROFT — A 3,200-pound concrete “altar of courage,” holding a mysterious and possibly valuable literary manuscript, found a new home Monday in this northeast Nebraska farm town.&nbsp;

With the help of a powerful forklift, the monument, built by poet/author John Neihardt and others to honor the heroic crawl of mountain man Hugh Glass after he was mauled by a bear and left for dead in 1823, was lowered into the sod at the John Neihardt State Historic Site here.

Neihardt wrote an epic poem about Glass’ ordeal called “The Song of Hugh Glass” and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/09/wayne-state-group-seeks-to-unlock-mysteries-surrounding-lonely-south-dakota-monument/">issued a challenge a century ago</a>&nbsp;to the students from modern-day Wayne State College who helped build the concrete obelisk: Return in 100 years and open up a time capsule inside the monument and celebrate like the mountain men of old.

Neihardt, in 1923, wrote that he left an “original manuscript” in the metal time capsule, among other items, and buried it in the concrete. But no one’s quite sure what the original work might be.

Neihardt’s grandson, Robin, said it’s possible the manuscript might be the original, handwritten version of “The Song of Hugh Glass.”

“That would be something,” Robin Neihardt said, as family members worked to level the monument in its new home.

&nbsp;“We don’t know what’s in there,” he added. “It might be an old sandwich and a burnt cigar.”

Tim Anderson, who wrote a recent biography of Neihardt, “Lonesome Dreamer,” said that it’s possible it could be the original poem.

Anderson said that Neihardt — the poet laureate in perpetuity of Nebraska — wrote his early works in longhand, though the poem was probably typed before it was sent, along with five other poems, to the publisher of “The Cycle of The West,” Neihardt’s decades-long effort to document the heroes of the western frontier and the displacement of the Plains Indians.

The Hugh Glass monument, featuring a bronze plaque entitled an “altar of courage,” was erected near the site of the mauling, at the confluence of two branches of the Grand River near Lemmon, South Dakota. It was erected on the ranch of Otto Weinkauf, a German immigrant who lent his homemade cement mixer for the task.&nbsp;

The epic crawl, which was depicted in the recent Hollywood movie, “The Revenant,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, ended with Glass surviving horrific wounds and forgiving the colleagues who left him behind to die.

Fast forward to today. The process of opening the monument to retrieve the time capsule and manuscript was complicated by determining who really owned the block of concrete and who really controlled the task of opening it. The property on which it sat is part of a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reservoir and is located on land leased for the state park.

Ultimately, it was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/02/tale-of-mysterious-monument-thickens-as-relative-of-famed-author-pledges-to-find-out-whats-inside/">determined that the Neihardt family</a>&nbsp;owned the monument, and the family determined that the old monument would make a nice addition to the historic site dedicated to their grandfather in Nebraska. The site includes the renovated shack where Neihardt wrote “The Song of Hugh Glass” and other early works, a museum/library, and a sculpture depicting Neihardt’s interviews of a Lakota medicine man that led to the book, “Black Elk Speaks.”

The Neihardt family, who hauled the monument from Lemmon to Bancroft on Sunday in a trailer, came armed with drills, chisels, a metal detector and a “borescope” — a rope-like, lighted camera that can be slid inside a drilled hole to see what’s inside.

“I asked a historian and he said make sure you have a borescope,” said Alexis Petri, a great-granddaughter of Neihardt from Kansas City, Missouri.

Coralie Hughes, a granddaughter of Neihardt, said that officials in South Dakota had been very helpful and had already dug up the monument, laid it on a pallet and wrapped it in plastic film by the time she and her husband made the drive from Indiana.

“We’ve been so blessed,” Hughes said. “The weather was perfect up there and the weather is perfect here — it could be so bad in late October.”

A grandson, Robin Neihardt, a classical guitarist and home designer from Arizona, used to own a lumber yard in Herman, Nebraska, and has some experience with breaking into concrete.&nbsp;

He pointed to lines on the concrete monument where it appeared that one pour of the home-mixed concrete ended, and the pour of another batch began.

“Come here and look,” he told a group of about a dozen onlookers Monday morning.

Robin Neihardt speculated that the time capsule, possibly inside a wooden cavity, was buried in the monument toward the bottom, after the first pour of concrete. He said he planned to remove the bronze plaque, use the metal detector to discern the location of the metal time capsule, and then drill a hole to see what the borescope might reveal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698158570525.jpeg" alt=" The descendants of poet/author John Neihardt work to ease a 3,200-pound monument into place at the state historic site dedicated to Neihardt. The study in the background is where Neihardt wrote “The Song of Hugh Glass,” the subject of the monument. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> The descendants of poet/author John Neihardt work to ease a 3,200-pound monument into place at the state historic site dedicated to Neihardt. The study in the background is where Neihardt wrote “The Song of Hugh Glass,” the subject of the monument. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/23/mysterious-monument-for-mountain-man-hugh-glass-has-been-moved-to-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>BANCROFT — A 3,200-pound concrete “altar of courage,” holding a mysterious and possibly valuable literary manuscript, found a new home Monday in this northeast Nebraska farm town.&nbsp;With the help of a powerful forklift, the monument, built by poet/author John Neihardt and others to honor the heroic crawl of mountain man Hugh Glass after he was mauled by a bear and left for dead in 1823, was lowered into the sod at the John Neihardt State Historic Site here.Neihardt wrote an epic poem about Glass’ ordeal called “The Song of Hugh Glass” and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/09/wayne-state-group-seeks-to-unlock-mysteries-surrounding-lonely-south-dakota-monument/">issued a challenge a century ago</a>&nbsp;to the students from modern-day Wayne State College who helped build the concrete obelisk: Return in 100 years and open up a time capsule inside the monument and celebrate like the mountain men of old.Neihardt, in 1923, wrote that he left an “original manuscript” in the metal time capsule, among other items, and buried it in the concrete. But no one’s quite sure what the original work might be.Neihardt’s grandson, Robin, said it’s possible the manuscript might be the original, handwritten version of “The Song of Hugh Glass.”“That would be something,” Robin Neihardt said, as family members worked to level the monument in its new home.&nbsp;“We don’t know what’s in there,” he added. “It might be an old sandwich and a burnt cigar.”Tim Anderson, who wrote a recent biography of Neihardt, “Lonesome Dreamer,” said that it’s possible it could be the original poem.Anderson said that Neihardt — the poet laureate in perpetuity of Nebraska — wrote his early works in longhand, though the poem was probably typed before it was sent, along with five other poems, to the publisher of “The Cycle of The West,” Neihardt’s decades-long effort to document the heroes of the western frontier and the displacement of the Plains Indians.The Hugh Glass monument, featuring a bronze plaque entitled an “altar of courage,” was erected near the site of the mauling, at the confluence of two branches of the Grand River near Lemmon, South Dakota. It was erected on the ranch of Otto Weinkauf, a German immigrant who lent his homemade cement mixer for the task.&nbsp;The epic crawl, which was depicted in the recent Hollywood movie, “The Revenant,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, ended with Glass surviving horrific wounds and forgiving the colleagues who left him behind to die.<h2>Who owned the monument?</h2>Fast forward to today. The process of opening the monument to retrieve the time capsule and manuscript was complicated by determining who really owned the block of concrete and who really controlled the task of opening it. The property on which it sat is part of a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reservoir and is located on land leased for the state park.Ultimately, it was&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/02/tale-of-mysterious-monument-thickens-as-relative-of-famed-author-pledges-to-find-out-whats-inside/">determined that the Neihardt family</a>&nbsp;owned the monument, and the family determined that the old monument would make a nice addition to the historic site dedicated to their grandfather in Nebraska. The site includes the renovated shack where Neihardt wrote “The Song of Hugh Glass” and other early works, a museum/library, and a sculpture depicting Neihardt’s interviews of a Lakota medicine man that led to the book, “Black Elk Speaks.”The Neihardt family, who hauled the monument from Lemmon to Bancroft on Sunday in a trailer, came armed with drills, chisels, a metal detector and a “borescope” — a rope-like, lighted camera that can be slid inside a drilled hole to see what’s inside.“I asked a historian and he said make sure you have a borescope,” said Alexis Petri, a great-granddaughter of Neihardt from Kansas City, Missouri.Coralie Hughes, a granddaughter of Neihardt, said that officials in South Dakota had been very helpful and had already dug up the monument, laid it on a pallet and wrapped it in plastic film by the time she and her husband made the drive from Indiana.“We’ve been so blessed,” Hughes said. “The weather was perfect up there and the weather is perfect here — it could be so bad in late October.”A grandson, Robin Neihardt, a classical guitarist and home designer from Arizona, used to own a lumber yard in Herman, Nebraska, and has some experience with breaking into concrete.&nbsp;He pointed to lines on the concrete monument where it appeared that one pour of the home-mixed concrete ended, and the pour of another batch began.“Come here and look,” he told a group of about a dozen onlookers Monday morning.Robin Neihardt speculated that the time capsule, possibly inside a wooden cavity, was buried in the monument toward the bottom, after the first pour of concrete. He said he planned to remove the bronze plaque, use the metal detector to discern the location of the metal time capsule, and then drill a hole to see what the borescope might reveal.<h2>‘Wait and see’</h2>“We’re just going to wait and see,” Hughes said.There’s some concern about the condition of what’s inside the time capsule.Arlen Saunders, a grandson of Weinkauf, said it was flooded at its original site along the Grand River before being moved to make way for the reservoir. Then it was flooded again, according to&nbsp;&nbsp;Joseph Wiexelman, a now-retired Wayne State history professor who led students up to the Lemmon site in June.&nbsp;Hughes said the family hopes to discern what’s inside later Monday and then repair the monument so it can be displayed at the Neihardt Center. Revealing what’s inside will remain a family secret until April 27, when the Neihardt Foundation holds its annual spring conference at Wayne State College.<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/19/federal-agency-clarifies-it-would-permit-a-replacement-marker-in-south-dakota-for-mountain-man/">Some kind of interpretive sign</a>&nbsp;is planned to be erected in Lemmon to preserve the story of the century-old monument.