WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to prevent a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;after new Republican Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;was forced to reach across the aisle to Democrats when hard-right conservatives revolted against his plan.

The bipartisan tally — 336-95 with 93 Republicans voting no including Kansas 4th District Representative Ron Este.

The vote total showed Johnson’s willingness to leave his right-flank Republicans behind and work with Democrats to temporarily keep government running — the same political move that cost the last House speaker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Kevin McCarthy,</a>&nbsp;his job just weeks ago.

This time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Johnson</a>&nbsp;of Louisiana appeared on track for a temporarily better outcome. His approach, which the Senate is expected to approve by week’s end, effectively pushes a final showdown over government funding to the new year.

“Making sure that government stays in operation is a matter of conscience for all of us. We owe that to the American people," Johnson said earlier Tuesday at a news conference at the Capitol.

The new Republican leader faced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-e7d934001b1e00817deb8f33a2b6852f">same political problem</a>&nbsp;that led to McCarthy's ouster — angry, frustrated, hard-right GOP lawmakers rejected his approach, demanded budget cuts and voted against the plan. Rather than the applause and handshakes that usually follow passage of a bill, several hardline conservatives animatedly confronted the speaker as they exited the chamber.

Without enough support from his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mike-johnson-conservatives-republicans-92b118abced14e4b221f3ab0daf4e757#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20New%20House,that%20toppled%20previous%20House%20speakers.">Republican majority</a>, Johnson had little choice but to rely on Democrats to ensure passage to keep the federal government running. Shortly before the Tuesday evening vote, House Democratic leaders issued a joint statement saying that the package met all their requirements and they would support it.

Johnson's proposal puts forward a unique — critics say bizarre —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-mike-johnson-d942acf1a8b163f0b52f209da42953c6">two-part process</a>&nbsp;that temporarily funds some federal agencies to Jan. 19 and others to Feb. 2. It’s a continuing resolution, or CR, that comes without any of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-house-republicans-spending-cuts-deff84c0e2ff7d3bd076b8c38e14cca4">deep cuts</a>&nbsp;conservatives have demanded all year. It also fails to include President Joe Biden’s request for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">nearly $106 billion</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel, border security and other supplemental funds.

“We're not surrendering,” Johnson assured after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans Tuesday morning, vowing he would not support another stopgap. “But you have to choose fights you can win.”

Johnson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-johnson-donald-trump-2024-c0d8304f44bd7158415ac80673eb8c7f">announced his endorsement Tuesday of Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;as the Republican nominee for president, hit the airwaves to sell his approach and met privately Monday night with the conservative Freedom Caucus.

Johnson says the innovative approach would position House Republicans to “go into the fight” for deeper spending cuts in the new year, but many Republicans are skeptical there will be any better outcome in January.

The House Freedom Caucus announced its opposition, ensuring dozens of votes against the plan.

“I think it’s a very big mistake," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the hard-right group of lawmakers.

“It's wrong,” said Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn.

It left Johnson with few other options than to skip what's typically a party-only procedural vote, and rely on another process that requires a two-thirds tally with Democrats for passage.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in a letter to colleagues noted that the GOP package met the Democratic demands to keep funding at current levels without steep reductions or divisive Republican policy priorities.

“Extreme MAGA Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that they cannot govern without House Democrats,” Jeffries said on NPR. “That will be the case this week in the context of avoiding a government shutdown."

Winning bipartisan approval of a continuing resolution is the same move that led McCarthy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-republican-lawmakers-house-opponents-33c7d984964916f29d548b5b1dfe508b">hard-right flank</a>&nbsp;to oust him in October, days after the Sept. 30 vote to avert a federal shutdown. For now, Johnson appears to be benefiting from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-israel-ukraine-9148bd12c1bfda97c3eff03cb1c6a4be">political honeymoon</a>&nbsp;in one of his first big tests on the job.

“Look, we’re going to trust the speaker’s move here," said Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-Ga.

But Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a McCarthy ally who opposed his ouster, said Johnson should be held to the same standard. “What’s the point in throwing out one speaker if nothing changes? The only way to make sure that real changes happen is make the red line stay the same for every speaker.”

The Senate, where Democrats have a slim majority, has signaled its willingness to accept Johnson's package ahead of Friday's deadline to fund the government.

Senate Republican leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>&nbsp;called the House package “a solution” and said he expected it to pass Congress with bipartisan support.

“It’s nice to see us working together to avoid a government shutdown," he said.

But McConnell, R-Ky., has noted that Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-ukraine-russia-senate-israel-bf8dc4899d1e99fd186028a387023b57">still has work to do</a>&nbsp;toward Biden's request to provide U.S. military aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-11-13-2023-b5c94b23717f5f2d8d19414baf8d7caa">Israel</a>&nbsp;and for other needs. Senators are trying to devise a separate package to fund U.S. supplies for the overseas wars and to bolster border security, but it remains a work in progress.

If approved, passage of the continuing resolution would be a less-than-triumphant capstone to the House GOP's first year in the majority. The Republicans have worked tirelessly to cut federal government spending only to find their own GOP colleagues unwilling to go along with the most conservative priorities. Two of the Republican bills collapsed last week as moderates revolted.

Instead, the Republicans are left funding the government essentially on autopilot at the levels that were set in bipartisan fashion at the end of 2022, when Democrats had control of Congress but the two parties came together to agree on budget terms.

All that could change in the new year when 1% cuts across the board to all departments would be triggered if Congress failed to agree to new budget terms and pass the traditional appropriation bills to fund the government by springtime.

The 1% automatic cuts, which would take hold in April, are despised by all sides — Republicans say they are not enough, Democrats say they are too steep and many lawmakers prefer to boost defense funds. But they are part of the debt deal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=The%20final%20agreement%2C%20passed%20by,election%20%E2%80%94%20and%20restricts%20government%20spending.">McCarthy and Biden struck</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. The idea was to push Congress to do better.

The legislation also extends farm bill programs through September, the end of the current fiscal year. That addition was an important win for some farm-state lawmakers. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., for example, warned that without the extension, milk prices would have soared and hurt producers back in his home state.

“The farm bill extension was the biggest sweetener for me,” said Pocan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700005234771.png" alt="Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal puts forward a unique — critics say bizarre —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-mike-johnson-d942acf1a8b163f0b52f209da42953c6">two-part process</a>&nbsp;that temporarily funds some federal agencies to Jan. 19 and others to Feb. 2" />
 <figcaption>Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal puts forward a unique — critics say bizarre —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-mike-johnson-d942acf1a8b163f0b52f209da42953c6">two-part process</a>&nbsp;that temporarily funds some federal agencies to Jan. 19 and others to Feb. 2</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to prevent a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;after new Republican Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;was forced to reach across the aisle to Democrats when hard-right conservatives revolted against his plan.The bipartisan tally — 336-95 with 93 Republicans voting no including Kansas 4th District Representative Ron Este.The vote total showed Johnson’s willingness to leave his right-flank Republicans behind and work with Democrats to temporarily keep government running — the same political move that cost the last House speaker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Kevin McCarthy,</a>&nbsp;his job just weeks ago.This time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Johnson</a>&nbsp;of Louisiana appeared on track for a temporarily better outcome. His approach, which the Senate is expected to approve by week’s end, effectively pushes a final showdown over government funding to the new year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700006113080.png" alt="Just after the vote count ended on the House floor Tuesday photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Just after the vote count ended on the House floor Tuesday photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>“Making sure that government stays in operation is a matter of conscience for all of us. We owe that to the American people," Johnson said earlier Tuesday at a news conference at the Capitol.The new Republican leader faced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-e7d934001b1e00817deb8f33a2b6852f">same political problem</a>&nbsp;that led to McCarthy's ouster — angry, frustrated, hard-right GOP lawmakers rejected his approach, demanded budget cuts and voted against the plan. Rather than the applause and handshakes that usually follow passage of a bill, several hardline conservatives animatedly confronted the speaker as they exited the chamber.Without enough support from his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mike-johnson-conservatives-republicans-92b118abced14e4b221f3ab0daf4e757#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20New%20House,that%20toppled%20previous%20House%20speakers.">Republican majority</a>, Johnson had little choice but to rely on Democrats to ensure passage to keep the federal government running. Shortly before the Tuesday evening vote, House Democratic leaders issued a joint statement saying that the package met all their requirements and they would support it.Johnson's proposal puts forward a unique — critics say bizarre —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-mike-johnson-d942acf1a8b163f0b52f209da42953c6">two-part process</a>&nbsp;that temporarily funds some federal agencies to Jan. 19 and others to Feb. 2. It’s a continuing resolution, or CR, that comes without any of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-house-republicans-spending-cuts-deff84c0e2ff7d3bd076b8c38e14cca4">deep cuts</a>&nbsp;conservatives have demanded all year. It also fails to include President Joe Biden’s request for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">nearly $106 billion</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel, border security and other supplemental funds.“We're not surrendering,” Johnson assured after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans Tuesday morning, vowing he would not support another stopgap. “But you have to choose fights you can win.”Johnson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-johnson-donald-trump-2024-c0d8304f44bd7158415ac80673eb8c7f">announced his endorsement Tuesday of Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;as the Republican nominee for president, hit the airwaves to sell his approach and met privately Monday night with the conservative Freedom Caucus.Johnson says the innovative approach would position House Republicans to “go into the fight” for deeper spending cuts in the new year, but many Republicans are skeptical there will be any better outcome in January.The House Freedom Caucus announced its opposition, ensuring dozens of votes against the plan.“I think it’s a very big mistake," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the hard-right group of lawmakers.“It's wrong,” said Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn.It left Johnson with few other options than to skip what's typically a party-only procedural vote, and rely on another process that requires a two-thirds tally with Democrats for passage.Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in a letter to colleagues noted that the GOP package met the Democratic demands to keep funding at current levels without steep reductions or divisive Republican policy priorities.“Extreme MAGA Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that they cannot govern without House Democrats,” Jeffries said on NPR. “That will be the case this week in the context of avoiding a government shutdown."Winning bipartisan approval of a continuing resolution is the same move that led McCarthy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-republican-lawmakers-house-opponents-33c7d984964916f29d548b5b1dfe508b">hard-right flank</a>&nbsp;to oust him in October, days after the Sept. 30 vote to avert a federal shutdown. For now, Johnson appears to be benefiting from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-israel-ukraine-9148bd12c1bfda97c3eff03cb1c6a4be">political honeymoon</a>&nbsp;in one of his first big tests on the job.“Look, we’re going to trust the speaker’s move here," said Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-Ga.But Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a McCarthy ally who opposed his ouster, said Johnson should be held to the same standard. “What’s the point in throwing out one speaker if nothing changes? The only way to make sure that real changes happen is make the red line stay the same for every speaker.”The Senate, where Democrats have a slim majority, has signaled its willingness to accept Johnson's package ahead of Friday's deadline to fund the government.Senate Republican leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>&nbsp;called the House package “a solution” and said he expected it to pass Congress with bipartisan support.“It’s nice to see us working together to avoid a government shutdown," he said.But McConnell, R-Ky., has noted that Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-ukraine-russia-senate-israel-bf8dc4899d1e99fd186028a387023b57">still has work to do</a>&nbsp;toward Biden's request to provide U.S. military aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-11-13-2023-b5c94b23717f5f2d8d19414baf8d7caa">Israel</a>&nbsp;and for other needs. Senators are trying to devise a separate package to fund U.S. supplies for the overseas wars and to bolster border security, but it remains a work in progress.If approved, passage of the continuing resolution would be a less-than-triumphant capstone to the House GOP's first year in the majority. The Republicans have worked tirelessly to cut federal government spending only to find their own GOP colleagues unwilling to go along with the most conservative priorities. Two of the Republican bills collapsed last week as moderates revolted.Instead, the Republicans are left funding the government essentially on autopilot at the levels that were set in bipartisan fashion at the end of 2022, when Democrats had control of Congress but the two parties came together to agree on budget terms.All that could change in the new year when 1% cuts across the board to all departments would be triggered if Congress failed to agree to new budget terms and pass the traditional appropriation bills to fund the government by springtime.The 1% automatic cuts, which would take hold in April, are despised by all sides — Republicans say they are not enough, Democrats say they are too steep and many lawmakers prefer to boost defense funds. But they are part of the debt deal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=The%20final%20agreement%2C%20passed%20by,election%20%E2%80%94%20and%20restricts%20government%20spending.">McCarthy and Biden struck</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. The idea was to push Congress to do better.The legislation also extends farm bill programs through September, the end of the current fiscal year. That addition was an important win for some farm-state lawmakers. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., for example, warned that without the extension, milk prices would have soared and hurt producers back in his home state.“The farm bill extension was the biggest sweetener for me,” said Pocan.

Dems help Johnson pass GOP bill to avoid government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional hearing devolved into an angry confrontation between a senator and a witness on Tuesday after Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma challenged Sean O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, to “stand your butt up” and settle longstanding differences right there in the room.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the chairman of the Senate panel that was holding the hearing, yelled at Mullin to sit down after he challenged O’Brien to a fight. Mullin had stood up from his seat at the dais and appeared to start taking his ring off.

“This is the time, this is the place,” Mullin told O’Brien after reading a series of critical tweets O’Brien had sent about him in the past. “If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here.”

The two men never came face to face in the hearing room. But they hurled insults at each other for around six minutes as Sanders repeatedly banged his gavel and tried to cut them off. Sanders, a longtime union ally, pleaded with them to focus on the economic issues that were the focus of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, which Sanders was holding to review how unions help working families.&nbsp;

“You are a United States senator!” Sanders yelled at Mullin at one point.&nbsp;Kansas Senator Roger Marshall is a member of the committee.

Mullin, a frequent critic of unions, and the Teamsters head have sparred before. Earlier this year, O’Brien posted repeatedly about Mullin on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling him a “moron” and “full of s---” after Mullin criticized him in a hearing.

In another social media post, which Mullin read aloud at Tuesday’s hearing, O’Brien appeared to challenge Mullin to a fight. “You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy,” O’Brien had posted.

The exchange escalated from there, with Mullin telling O’Brien that “this is the place” and asking if he wanted to do it right now.

“I’d love to do it right now,” O’Brien said.

Mullin replied: “Well, stand your butt up then.”

“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien shot back.

When Mullin got up from his chair, Sanders yelled at him to sit down, banged his gavel several times and told both of them to stop talking.

“This is a hearing, and God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress, let’s not make it worse,” Sanders said.

As Mullin persisted, O’Brien retorted: “You challenged me to a cage match, acting like a twelve year old schoolyard bully."

The two traded angry insults for several more minutes — each called the other a “thug” — with Mullin at one point suggesting they fight for charity at an event next spring.

O’Brien declined, instead suggesting they meet for coffee and work out their differences. Mullin accepted, but the two kept shouting at each other until the next senator, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, started her questioning by talking over them.

After the hearing, Sanders called the exchange “absurd.”

“We were there to be talking about, and did talk about, the crisis facing working families in this country, the growing gap between the very rich and everybody else and the role that unions are playing in improving the standard of living of the American people,” Sanders said. “We’re not there to talk about cage-fighting.”

Asked later about the skirmish, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell demurred. “It’s very difficult to control the behavior of everybody who is in the building,” McConnell said. “I don’t view that as my responsibility.”

Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said that references were made to the back-and-forth in a GOP conference meeting after the hearing but that no one should take it too seriously.

“It’s a dynamic place," Cramer said. "We don’t wear the white wigs anymore.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional hearing devolved into an angry confrontation between a senator and a witness on Tuesday after Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma challenged Sean O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, to “stand your butt up” and settle longstanding differences right there in the room.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenMullin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenMullin</a> (R-OK) challenges Teamster President Sean O&#39;Brian to fight during a Senate hearing on cooperate greed. Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BernieSanders</a> tried multiple times to reclaim order and asked the Senator to direct a question to the witness. <a href="https://t.co/C7PAXicoD2">pic.twitter.com/C7PAXicoD2</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1724503185019015251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the chairman of the Senate panel that was holding the hearing, yelled at Mullin to sit down after he challenged O’Brien to a fight. Mullin had stood up from his seat at the dais and appeared to start taking his ring off.“This is the time, this is the place,” Mullin told O’Brien after reading a series of critical tweets O’Brien had sent about him in the past. “If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here.”The two men never came face to face in the hearing room. But they hurled insults at each other for around six minutes as Sanders repeatedly banged his gavel and tried to cut them off. Sanders, a longtime union ally, pleaded with them to focus on the economic issues that were the focus of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, which Sanders was holding to review how unions help working families.&nbsp;“You are a United States senator!” Sanders yelled at Mullin at one point.&nbsp;Kansas Senator Roger Marshall is a member of the committee.Mullin, a frequent critic of unions, and the Teamsters head have sparred before. Earlier this year, O’Brien posted repeatedly about Mullin on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling him a “moron” and “full of s---” after Mullin criticized him in a hearing.In another social media post, which Mullin read aloud at Tuesday’s hearing, O’Brien appeared to challenge Mullin to a fight. “You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy,” O’Brien had posted.The exchange escalated from there, with Mullin telling O’Brien that “this is the place” and asking if he wanted to do it right now.“I’d love to do it right now,” O’Brien said.Mullin replied: “Well, stand your butt up then.”“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien shot back.When Mullin got up from his chair, Sanders yelled at him to sit down, banged his gavel several times and told both of them to stop talking.“This is a hearing, and God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress, let’s not make it worse,” Sanders said.As Mullin persisted, O’Brien retorted: “You challenged me to a cage match, acting like a twelve year old schoolyard bully."The two traded angry insults for several more minutes — each called the other a “thug” — with Mullin at one point suggesting they fight for charity at an event next spring.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said &quot;its very difficult to control the behavior&quot; of those in the building and that it was the responsibility of Capitol Police to deal with the behavior on the Hill, not his. <a href="https://t.co/ALiEr8XdOS">pic.twitter.com/ALiEr8XdOS</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1724533244132045197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>O’Brien declined, instead suggesting they meet for coffee and work out their differences. Mullin accepted, but the two kept shouting at each other until the next senator, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, started her questioning by talking over them.After the hearing, Sanders called the exchange “absurd.”“We were there to be talking about, and did talk about, the crisis facing working families in this country, the growing gap between the very rich and everybody else and the role that unions are playing in improving the standard of living of the American people,” Sanders said. “We’re not there to talk about cage-fighting.”Asked later about the skirmish, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell demurred. “It’s very difficult to control the behavior of everybody who is in the building,” McConnell said. “I don’t view that as my responsibility.”Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said that references were made to the back-and-forth in a GOP conference meeting after the hearing but that no one should take it too seriously.“It’s a dynamic place," Cramer said. "We don’t wear the white wigs anymore.”

🎥U.S. Senator challenges witness to fight during hearing

Lincoln, November 14, 2023- The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) has approvednearly $3.5 million in funding (<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/telecom/2023-11-07%20NUSF-92.63%20Order%20Granting%20Application,%20In%20Part.pdf" target="_blank">NUSF-92.63</a>) for the construction of six cellular towers throughthe Nebraska Universal Service Fund (NUSF) Dedicated Wireless Fund Program.

“Funding the buildout of cell towers through the Nebraska Universal Service Fund is yet anotherway the Commission is working to help improve communication to unserved and underservedareas,” said Commission Chair Dan Watermeier.

U.S. Cellular Corporation will receive $3,463,850 in grant funding support to build six towersites near the communities of Beaver Crossing, Beemer, Memphis, Monroe, Naponee, andNehawka. U.S. Cellular has committed to completing construction of the towers within 24months of approval of the funding.

The PSC allocated six million dollars in Wireless Fund Program Support for the 2023 funding year. The remaining dedicated support allocated but not awarded will be rolled into the next wireless fund grant cycle.&nbsp;

Lincoln, November 14, 2023- The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) has approvednearly $3.5 million in funding (<a href="https://www.nebraska.gov/psc/orders/telecom/2023-11-07%20NUSF-92.63%20Order%20Granting%20Application,%20In%20Part.pdf" target="_blank">NUSF-92.63</a>) for the construction of six cellular towers throughthe Nebraska Universal Service Fund (NUSF) Dedicated Wireless Fund Program.“Funding the buildout of cell towers through the Nebraska Universal Service Fund is yet anotherway the Commission is working to help improve communication to unserved and underservedareas,” said Commission Chair Dan Watermeier.U.S. Cellular Corporation will receive $3,463,850 in grant funding support to build six towersites near the communities of Beaver Crossing, Beemer, Memphis, Monroe, Naponee, andNehawka. U.S. Cellular has committed to completing construction of the towers within 24months of approval of the funding.The PSC allocated six million dollars in Wireless Fund Program Support for the 2023 funding year. The remaining dedicated support allocated but not awarded will be rolled into the next wireless fund grant cycle.&nbsp;

PSC APPROVES NUSF SUPPORT FOR CELL TOWER CONSTRUCTION

LINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) are pleased to announce a new collaboration with Corteva Agriscience on the development of a groundbreaking web and mobile application suite, Producer Connect. Producer Connect is designed to empower agricultural producers with the tools they need to optimize inputs, enhance agricultural profitability, improve water quality, and increase irrigation efficiency.

“In collaboration with Corteva, Producer Connect is poised to become a comprehensive platform for growers, offering valuable insights and resources to enhance nitrogen management and sustainable farming practices,” said Dr. Orval Gigstad, NARD President. “Through this program, we aim to equip growers with the necessary tools and information to make informed decisions and contribute to the overall health of Nebraska’s agriculture and water resources.”

Additional participants on the project include the Nebraska Corn Board, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Central Valley Ag, 17 of Nebraska's 23 NRDs, the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) and the NARD Foundation.

“We’re committed to leveraging innovation to help farmers achieve success,” said Jon Stofer, Corteva Agriscience Nutrient Maximizer Strategic Account Manager, Nebraska. “We’re proud to work with Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts on this new tool to support Nebraska producers in growing the food and fuel the world needs, profitably and sustainably.”

Producer Connect will be free to producers and offer a wide range of features designed to simplify nitrogen and water management, including:

Producer Connect is currently in its initial stages of development and is expected to launch in June 2024. The initial rollout will focus on Phase 2 and Phase 3 Groundwater Quality Management Areas and areas with irrigation allocations.

The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>.

Megan GrimesLINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) are pleased to announce a new collaboration with Corteva Agriscience on the development of a groundbreaking web and mobile application suite, Producer Connect. Producer Connect is designed to empower agricultural producers with the tools they need to optimize inputs, enhance agricultural profitability, improve water quality, and increase irrigation efficiency.“In collaboration with Corteva, Producer Connect is poised to become a comprehensive platform for growers, offering valuable insights and resources to enhance nitrogen management and sustainable farming practices,” said Dr. Orval Gigstad, NARD President. “Through this program, we aim to equip growers with the necessary tools and information to make informed decisions and contribute to the overall health of Nebraska’s agriculture and water resources.”Additional participants on the project include the Nebraska Corn Board, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Central Valley Ag, 17 of Nebraska's 23 NRDs, the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) and the NARD Foundation.“We’re committed to leveraging innovation to help farmers achieve success,” said Jon Stofer, Corteva Agriscience Nutrient Maximizer Strategic Account Manager, Nebraska. “We’re proud to work with Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts on this new tool to support Nebraska producers in growing the food and fuel the world needs, profitably and sustainably.”Producer Connect will be free to producers and offer a wide range of features designed to simplify nitrogen and water management, including:<ul>
 <li>Producer-specific data</li><li>Protected data</li><li>Customizable nitrogen recommendations</li><li>Irrigation efficiency</li><li>Historical data analysis</li><li>Economic analysis of nitrogen applications</li><li>Information exchange</li>
 </ul>Producer Connect is currently in its initial stages of development and is expected to launch in June 2024. The initial rollout will focus on Phase 2 and Phase 3 Groundwater Quality Management Areas and areas with irrigation allocations.The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>.

Corteva Agriscience Partners with NRDs on Producer Connect

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🎥Congress nears another government shutdown deadline is Friday at midnight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the Supreme Court's new code of conduct

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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