WASHINGTON (AP) — The most-watched races in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2023">Tuesday’s off-year general election</a>&nbsp;have all been dominated by the ongoing debate over abortion rights.

From&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-election-governor-beshear-cameron-d015a2fb145dfab9fd0aaf96b7978167">a reelection bid for governor in Kentucky</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-election-abortion-ballot-measure-issue-marijuana-b8a3e625deec79213ea9326b5ca1476a">a statewide ballot measure in Ohio</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-election-state-legislature-what-to-watch-f5901d85cec6081d6c0409321a908d63">state legislative elections in Virginia</a>, access to abortion has been a frequent topic in campaign debates and advertising, as it has since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in June last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe vs. Wade</a>.

Here's a look at three major races and how abortion has shaped each contest.

Ohio constitutional amendment on abortion

Ohio voters will decide whether to amend the state Constitution to protect access to abortion services.

The measure would establish the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions” on matters including abortion, contraception and fertility treatment. It would also allow for abortions to be banned once it has been established that the fetus can survive outside of the womb, unless a physician determines that continuing with the pregnancy would endanger the patient’s “life or health.”

In August, voters rejected a measure that would have made it more difficult to approve Tuesday’s abortion proposal. That contest was seen as a proxy fight on reproductive rights and received national attention.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear seeks a second term in a heavily Republican state Donald Trump carried twice. The GOP nominee is Daniel Cameron, who succeeded Beshear as state attorney general.

Beshear has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-kentucky-louisville-government-and-politics-fe8190f2ec7cb07e4379d4863b177983">called the state’s restrictive abortion law “extremist”</a>&nbsp;for not allowing exceptions in cases of rape and incest. He also vetoed a proposal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-kentucky-legislature-2a8ce08f07db96d843d5304cbea35170">banning abortions after 15 weeks</a>. Cameron says he supports the state law and that as governor he would sign a bill amending it to allow rape and incest exceptions. But at times he has had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-kentucky-governor-campaign-ec767bf7802852d48ea150b7118fc90c">difficulty clarifying what exceptions he favors</a>.

Beshear, the son of former two-term Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, was first elected in 2019 when he defeated GOP incumbent Matt Bevin by less than half a percentage point. Cameron is a former aide to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and endorsed by Trump. If elected, he would become the first Black Republican governor since Reconstruction.

Control of both chambers of Virginia’s state legislature is up for grabs, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-virginia-house-elections-3bbba1e6cbc642dfeaf7e9d2fdee888a">Republicans holding a narrow majority in the state House</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-elections-richmond-virginia-b4de9a0fb11500aa1201e87d07a1da4d">Democrats leading the state Senate</a>. Either or both chambers could flip and possibly give Republicans full control of state government. That would clear the way for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to implement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-legislature-virginia-c7c5fb02f82a0173487b4eba807ca618">a ban on abortions after 15 weeks</a>&nbsp;with exceptions for rape, incest and when the mother’s life is endangered. Democratic candidates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-abortion-state-legislative-races-26951fd38e0017f9d555963a2eb92917">campaigned heavily on the issue</a>.

In addition to the three marquee races in Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia, the Associated Press will report vote totals and winners in 346 contested races in 12 states. Here are some other notable races to watch:

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-tate-reeves-mississippi-ba485155cb4d3d84795dfb65f1938b63">running for a second term</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-governor-reeves-brandon-presley-elvis-cousin-5130a94afb4b78a6601a128964ce55df">Democrat Brandon Presley</a>, a state utility regulator and cousin of rock ’n’ roll legend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elvis-presley">Elvis Presley</a>. Democrats held the Mississippi governorship for almost all of the 20th century, but Republicans have controlled the office for the last 20 years. With help from a sizable cash infusion from the national party,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-governor-election-reeves-presley-855a22c26529f1a51fec304b44a3334c">Presley outraised Reeves</a>&nbsp;this year and essentially matched him in spending, but the incumbent entered the final stretch of the campaign with more money.

Reeves was first elected in 2019 with 52% of the vote. Both chambers of the state legislature are also up for election.

Republican Carolyn Carluccio and Democrat Daniel McCaffery are the nominees to fill a vacant state Supreme Court seat that could play a significant role on voting-related cases during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Democrat Gabe Amo and Republican Gerry Leonard face off in a special election to complete the term of former Democratic U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rhode-island-state-government-david-cicilline-providence-b51e932ebce2ee902c641435fe54d081">resigned in May</a>&nbsp;after seven terms. The district has voted reliably for Democrats. Cicilline was first elected in 2010 and won his last five reelection bids with 60% of the vote or higher. Democrat Patrick Kennedy previously held the seat for 16 years.

In Houston, 17 candidates are vying to replace term-limited Mayor Sylvester Turner. Notable hopefuls include U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire, both Democrats.

In Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School last year, the candidates for mayor are former news reporter Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter was killed in the shooting, former mayor Cody Smith and elementary school teacher Veronica Martinez.

In Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayor Joe Ganim is seeking an eighth term, but on Wednesday, a state judge made the unusual move of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-judge-bridgeport-ganim-mayor-election-1e6d23567703c55430968ffdaa0b6369">ordering a re-do of the September Democratic primary</a>&nbsp;after evidence surfaced of possible ballot stuffing. The date for the new primary has not been set but will take place after Tuesday’s general election. AP will tabulate vote results of the Tuesday election but will not declare a winner until the legal challenges have been resolved.

In Derby, Connecticut, incumbent Mayor Richard Dziekan is running as an independent for a fourth term after losing the Republican primary to alderman Gino DiGiovanni, Jr., who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-january-6-mayor-79b98b74915ece65e8beb22c28444025">charged by federal prosecutors</a>&nbsp;in August with illegally entering the U.S. Capitol during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Criminal justice reform activist Yusef Salaam, who was one of five men convicted and later exonerated in the “Central Park Jogger” rape case, is running unopposed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699281363641.png" alt="Photo courtesy SBA Pro-Life America" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy SBA Pro-Life America</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The most-watched races in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2023">Tuesday’s off-year general election</a>&nbsp;have all been dominated by the ongoing debate over abortion rights.From&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-election-governor-beshear-cameron-d015a2fb145dfab9fd0aaf96b7978167">a reelection bid for governor in Kentucky</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-election-abortion-ballot-measure-issue-marijuana-b8a3e625deec79213ea9326b5ca1476a">a statewide ballot measure in Ohio</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-election-state-legislature-what-to-watch-f5901d85cec6081d6c0409321a908d63">state legislative elections in Virginia</a>, access to abortion has been a frequent topic in campaign debates and advertising, as it has since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in June last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe vs. Wade</a>.Here's a look at three major races and how abortion has shaped each contest.Ohio constitutional amendment on abortionOhio voters will decide whether to amend the state Constitution to protect access to abortion services.The measure would establish the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions” on matters including abortion, contraception and fertility treatment. It would also allow for abortions to be banned once it has been established that the fetus can survive outside of the womb, unless a physician determines that continuing with the pregnancy would endanger the patient’s “life or health.”In August, voters rejected a measure that would have made it more difficult to approve Tuesday’s abortion proposal. That contest was seen as a proxy fight on reproductive rights and received national attention.Kentucky governorDemocratic Gov. Andy Beshear seeks a second term in a heavily Republican state Donald Trump carried twice. The GOP nominee is Daniel Cameron, who succeeded Beshear as state attorney general.Beshear has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-kentucky-louisville-government-and-politics-fe8190f2ec7cb07e4379d4863b177983">called the state’s restrictive abortion law “extremist”</a>&nbsp;for not allowing exceptions in cases of rape and incest. He also vetoed a proposal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-kentucky-legislature-2a8ce08f07db96d843d5304cbea35170">banning abortions after 15 weeks</a>. Cameron says he supports the state law and that as governor he would sign a bill amending it to allow rape and incest exceptions. But at times he has had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-kentucky-governor-campaign-ec767bf7802852d48ea150b7118fc90c">difficulty clarifying what exceptions he favors</a>.Beshear, the son of former two-term Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, was first elected in 2019 when he defeated GOP incumbent Matt Bevin by less than half a percentage point. Cameron is a former aide to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and endorsed by Trump. If elected, he would become the first Black Republican governor since Reconstruction.Virginia General AssemblyControl of both chambers of Virginia’s state legislature is up for grabs, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-virginia-house-elections-3bbba1e6cbc642dfeaf7e9d2fdee888a">Republicans holding a narrow majority in the state House</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-elections-richmond-virginia-b4de9a0fb11500aa1201e87d07a1da4d">Democrats leading the state Senate</a>. Either or both chambers could flip and possibly give Republicans full control of state government. That would clear the way for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to implement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-legislature-virginia-c7c5fb02f82a0173487b4eba807ca618">a ban on abortions after 15 weeks</a>&nbsp;with exceptions for rape, incest and when the mother’s life is endangered. Democratic candidates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-abortion-state-legislative-races-26951fd38e0017f9d555963a2eb92917">campaigned heavily on the issue</a>.___In addition to the three marquee races in Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia, the Associated Press will report vote totals and winners in 346 contested races in 12 states. Here are some other notable races to watch:Mississippi governorRepublican Gov. Tate Reeves is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-tate-reeves-mississippi-ba485155cb4d3d84795dfb65f1938b63">running for a second term</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-governor-reeves-brandon-presley-elvis-cousin-5130a94afb4b78a6601a128964ce55df">Democrat Brandon Presley</a>, a state utility regulator and cousin of rock ’n’ roll legend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elvis-presley">Elvis Presley</a>. Democrats held the Mississippi governorship for almost all of the 20th century, but Republicans have controlled the office for the last 20 years. With help from a sizable cash infusion from the national party,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-governor-election-reeves-presley-855a22c26529f1a51fec304b44a3334c">Presley outraised Reeves</a>&nbsp;this year and essentially matched him in spending, but the incumbent entered the final stretch of the campaign with more money.Reeves was first elected in 2019 with 52% of the vote. Both chambers of the state legislature are also up for election.Pennsylvania Supreme CourtRepublican Carolyn Carluccio and Democrat Daniel McCaffery are the nominees to fill a vacant state Supreme Court seat that could play a significant role on voting-related cases during the 2024 presidential campaign.Rhode Island U.S. House District 1Democrat Gabe Amo and Republican Gerry Leonard face off in a special election to complete the term of former Democratic U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rhode-island-state-government-david-cicilline-providence-b51e932ebce2ee902c641435fe54d081">resigned in May</a>&nbsp;after seven terms. The district has voted reliably for Democrats. Cicilline was first elected in 2010 and won his last five reelection bids with 60% of the vote or higher. Democrat Patrick Kennedy previously held the seat for 16 years.MayorsIn Houston, 17 candidates are vying to replace term-limited Mayor Sylvester Turner. Notable hopefuls include U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire, both Democrats.In Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School last year, the candidates for mayor are former news reporter Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter was killed in the shooting, former mayor Cody Smith and elementary school teacher Veronica Martinez.In Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayor Joe Ganim is seeking an eighth term, but on Wednesday, a state judge made the unusual move of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-judge-bridgeport-ganim-mayor-election-1e6d23567703c55430968ffdaa0b6369">ordering a re-do of the September Democratic primary</a>&nbsp;after evidence surfaced of possible ballot stuffing. The date for the new primary has not been set but will take place after Tuesday’s general election. AP will tabulate vote results of the Tuesday election but will not declare a winner until the legal challenges have been resolved.In Derby, Connecticut, incumbent Mayor Richard Dziekan is running as an independent for a fourth term after losing the Republican primary to alderman Gino DiGiovanni, Jr., who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-january-6-mayor-79b98b74915ece65e8beb22c28444025">charged by federal prosecutors</a>&nbsp;in August with illegally entering the U.S. Capitol during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.New York City Council District 9Criminal justice reform activist Yusef Salaam, who was one of five men convicted and later exonerated in the “Central Park Jogger” rape case, is running unopposed.

Abortion debate dominates the election: Races to watch

&nbsp;JERUSALEM (AP)—Israelis observed a minute of silence on Tuesday morning in memory of the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel and the 348 soldiers killed since the assault, on its one-month anniversary.

Israelis are marking the anniversary as a day of mourning over the attack, in which more than 1,400 people were killed and 242 were taken hostage. The one-month anniversary is a milestone in the timeline of Jewish mourning.

Memorial events are scheduled to be held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem later in the day.

Meanwhile, after more than a week of public pressure from the U.S. for “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday allowed that his government might be open to only “little pauses” in its assault on Hamas. The Israeli leader sought to play down differences with his country’s most vocal backer on the world stage at a time of rising scrutiny of the sharply rising civilian toll of fighting.

Netanyahu spoke after President Joe Biden made a direct appeal to him nearly a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">month into the war</a>&nbsp;seeking to rally support behind securing even limited relief for civilians in the spiraling conflict. The back-and-forth spotlighted the challenges facing Biden and his administration as they seek to manage what is emerging as one of the defining foreign policy crises of his presidency.

The U.S. thus far remains focused on keeping the fighting from exploding into a wider regional war and pushing for limited steps to alleviate civilian suffering. But it has remained steadfastly behind Israel and Netanyahu’s goal of ending Hamas control over Gaza, even as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-death-toll-numbers-injured-5c9dc40bec95a8408c83f3c2fb759da0" target="_blank">death toll in Gaza reached 10,000,</a>&nbsp;according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/11/06/readout-of-president-bidens-call-with-prime-minister-netanyahu-of-israel-8/">Click here to read </a>a transcript of the phone call

Biden used his first conversation with Netanyahu in eight days to repeat in private his public calls for lulls in the fighting to allow civilians to flee Israel’s campaign to crush Hamas and for humanitarian aid to flow to hundreds of thousands in need.

“We consider ourselves at the beginning of this conversation, not at the end of it,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said when describing Biden’s conversation with Netanyahu, “so you can expect that we’re going to continue to advocate for temporary, localized pauses in the fighting.”

Hours later, Netanyahu, in an interview with ABC News, ruled out any widespread cease-fire, but suggested an openness to “little pauses” — though it was not clear whether some kind of small stoppage had been agreed to or whether the U.S. was satisfied with the scope of the Israeli commitment.

“Well, there’ll be no cease-fire, general cease-fire, in Gaza without the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu said when asked about Biden’s call for humanitarian pauses. “As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there. We’ve had them before, I suppose, we’ll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages to leave. But I don’t think there’s going to be a general cease-fire.”

Biden’s engagement with Netanyahu followed Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s frantic weekend of travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the occupied West Bank, Cyprus, Iraq and onto Turkey to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for the humanitarian initiatives.

“All of this is a work in progress,” Blinken said before leaving Turkey. “We don’t obviously agree on everything, but there are common views on some of the imperatives of the moment that we’re working on together.”

CIA Director William Burns also was in the Middle East meeting with intelligence partners and leaders of several countries, a U.S. official said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Burns’ typically off-the-record travel plans. The U.S. intends for his discussions to reinforce American commitment to intelligence cooperation, especially on terror and security, the official said.

The flurry of U.S. diplomacy came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-6-2023-51286d15dddd77ae0dd7ea76ee52bc71" target="_blank">Israeli troops surrounded Gaza City and cut off the northern part of the besieged Hamas-ruled territory</a>. Troops were preparing to enter the city, where they were likely to face militants fighting street by street using a vast network of tunnels. Casualties will likely rise on both sides.

Asked whether the toll gave the U.S. pause for its staunch support for Israel, Kirby said, “I think we all need to remember who they’re fighting,” and he referenced Hamas’ Oct. 7 incursion into Israel that killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and started the war. He insisted no country would tolerate such an attack “without a swift and aggressive response.”

Kirby said the U.S. was having “frank” conversations with Israelis about trying to reduce the civilian death toll, but it was not directly involved in Israel’s targeting decisions nor was it helping develop the country’s operational plans for its invasion of Gaza, home to 2.3 million people.

Blinken said pauses in the war would allow for a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of the more than 200 hostages captured by Hamas while also preventing the conflict from spreading regionally.

“We’ve engaged the Israelis on steps that they can take to minimize civilian casualties,” Blinken said before leaving Ankara. “We’re working, as I said, very aggressively on getting more humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”

“We are very focused on the hostages held by Hamas, including the Americans, and we are doing everything possible to bring them home,” he added.

As Blinken’s meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan got underway, dozens of protesters from an Islamist group waved Turkish and Palestinian flags and held up anti-U.S. and anti-Israel placards outside the Foreign Ministry. Police earlier in the day dispersed a group of students marching toward the ministry chanting “murderer Blinken, get out of Turkey!”

Also Monday, about 150 people rallied outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, carrying a large banner that read “No to genocide!”

Blinken did not meet with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/recep-tayyip-erdogan" target="_blank">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>, who has been highly critical of Netanyahu and an outlier among NATO allies in not expressing full support for Israel’s right to defend itself.

Turkish officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, said Fidan had urged Blinken to prevent the targeting of civilians in Gaza and their forced displacement, and also press for a “full cease-fire.”

Blinken’s mission, his second to the region since the war began, has found only tepid, if any, support for his efforts to contain the fallout from the conflict. Israel had rejected the idea of pauses, while Arab nations were demanding an immediate cease-fire as the casualty toll soared among Palestinian civilians.

Arab states are resisting American suggestions that they play a larger role in resolving the crisis, expressing outrage at the civilian toll of the Israeli military operations and believing Gaza to be a problem largely of Israel’s own making.

U.S. officials are seeking to convince Israel of the strategic importance of respecting the laws of war by protecting non-combatants and significantly boosting deliveries of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s beleaguered civilian population.

It remained unclear, however, if Netanyahu would agree to temporary, rolling pauses in the massive operation to eradicate Hamas — or whether outrage among Palestinians and their supporters could be assuaged if he did.

Already Jordan and Turkey have recalled their ambassadors to Israel to protest its tactics, and the tide of international opinion appears to be turning from sympathy toward Israel in the aftermath of Oct. 7 to revulsion as images of death and destruction in Gaza spread around the world.

On Saturday in Amman, Jordan’s capital, the Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers appeared at a joint news conference with Blinken. The two said Israel’s war had gone beyond self-defense and could no longer be justified as it now amounted to collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

That sentiment was echoed by tens of thousands of demonstrators who marched in the streets of world capitals over the weekend to protest Israel and condemn U.S. support for Israel.

From Turkey, Blinken headed to Asia for a series of events in Japan, South Korea and India where the Gaza conflict will likely share top billing with other international crises — including Russia’s war on Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696679013332.png" alt="File photo-Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)" />
 <figcaption>File photo-Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JERUSALEM (AP)—Israelis observed a minute of silence on Tuesday morning in memory of the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel and the 348 soldiers killed since the assault, on its one-month anniversary.Israelis are marking the anniversary as a day of mourning over the attack, in which more than 1,400 people were killed and 242 were taken hostage. The one-month anniversary is a milestone in the timeline of Jewish mourning.Memorial events are scheduled to be held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem later in the day.Meanwhile, after more than a week of public pressure from the U.S. for “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday allowed that his government might be open to only “little pauses” in its assault on Hamas. The Israeli leader sought to play down differences with his country’s most vocal backer on the world stage at a time of rising scrutiny of the sharply rising civilian toll of fighting.Netanyahu spoke after President Joe Biden made a direct appeal to him nearly a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">month into the war</a>&nbsp;seeking to rally support behind securing even limited relief for civilians in the spiraling conflict. The back-and-forth spotlighted the challenges facing Biden and his administration as they seek to manage what is emerging as one of the defining foreign policy crises of his presidency.The U.S. thus far remains focused on keeping the fighting from exploding into a wider regional war and pushing for limited steps to alleviate civilian suffering. But it has remained steadfastly behind Israel and Netanyahu’s goal of ending Hamas control over Gaza, even as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-death-toll-numbers-injured-5c9dc40bec95a8408c83f3c2fb759da0" target="_blank">death toll in Gaza reached 10,000,</a>&nbsp;according to the Hamas-run health ministry.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/11/06/readout-of-president-bidens-call-with-prime-minister-netanyahu-of-israel-8/">Click here to read </a>a transcript of the phone callBiden used his first conversation with Netanyahu in eight days to repeat in private his public calls for lulls in the fighting to allow civilians to flee Israel’s campaign to crush Hamas and for humanitarian aid to flow to hundreds of thousands in need.“We consider ourselves at the beginning of this conversation, not at the end of it,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said when describing Biden’s conversation with Netanyahu, “so you can expect that we’re going to continue to advocate for temporary, localized pauses in the fighting.”Hours later, Netanyahu, in an interview with ABC News, ruled out any widespread cease-fire, but suggested an openness to “little pauses” — though it was not clear whether some kind of small stoppage had been agreed to or whether the U.S. was satisfied with the scope of the Israeli commitment.“Well, there’ll be no cease-fire, general cease-fire, in Gaza without the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu said when asked about Biden’s call for humanitarian pauses. “As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there. We’ve had them before, I suppose, we’ll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages to leave. But I don’t think there’s going to be a general cease-fire.”Biden’s engagement with Netanyahu followed Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s frantic weekend of travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the occupied West Bank, Cyprus, Iraq and onto Turkey to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for the humanitarian initiatives.“All of this is a work in progress,” Blinken said before leaving Turkey. “We don’t obviously agree on everything, but there are common views on some of the imperatives of the moment that we’re working on together.”CIA Director William Burns also was in the Middle East meeting with intelligence partners and leaders of several countries, a U.S. official said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Burns’ typically off-the-record travel plans. The U.S. intends for his discussions to reinforce American commitment to intelligence cooperation, especially on terror and security, the official said.The flurry of U.S. diplomacy came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-6-2023-51286d15dddd77ae0dd7ea76ee52bc71" target="_blank">Israeli troops surrounded Gaza City and cut off the northern part of the besieged Hamas-ruled territory</a>. Troops were preparing to enter the city, where they were likely to face militants fighting street by street using a vast network of tunnels. Casualties will likely rise on both sides.Asked whether the toll gave the U.S. pause for its staunch support for Israel, Kirby said, “I think we all need to remember who they’re fighting,” and he referenced Hamas’ Oct. 7 incursion into Israel that killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and started the war. He insisted no country would tolerate such an attack “without a swift and aggressive response.”Kirby said the U.S. was having “frank” conversations with Israelis about trying to reduce the civilian death toll, but it was not directly involved in Israel’s targeting decisions nor was it helping develop the country’s operational plans for its invasion of Gaza, home to 2.3 million people.Blinken said pauses in the war would allow for a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of the more than 200 hostages captured by Hamas while also preventing the conflict from spreading regionally.“We’ve engaged the Israelis on steps that they can take to minimize civilian casualties,” Blinken said before leaving Ankara. “We’re working, as I said, very aggressively on getting more humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”“We are very focused on the hostages held by Hamas, including the Americans, and we are doing everything possible to bring them home,” he added.As Blinken’s meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan got underway, dozens of protesters from an Islamist group waved Turkish and Palestinian flags and held up anti-U.S. and anti-Israel placards outside the Foreign Ministry. Police earlier in the day dispersed a group of students marching toward the ministry chanting “murderer Blinken, get out of Turkey!”Also Monday, about 150 people rallied outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, carrying a large banner that read “No to genocide!”Blinken did not meet with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/recep-tayyip-erdogan" target="_blank">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>, who has been highly critical of Netanyahu and an outlier among NATO allies in not expressing full support for Israel’s right to defend itself.Turkish officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, said Fidan had urged Blinken to prevent the targeting of civilians in Gaza and their forced displacement, and also press for a “full cease-fire.”Blinken’s mission, his second to the region since the war began, has found only tepid, if any, support for his efforts to contain the fallout from the conflict. Israel had rejected the idea of pauses, while Arab nations were demanding an immediate cease-fire as the casualty toll soared among Palestinian civilians.Arab states are resisting American suggestions that they play a larger role in resolving the crisis, expressing outrage at the civilian toll of the Israeli military operations and believing Gaza to be a problem largely of Israel’s own making.U.S. officials are seeking to convince Israel of the strategic importance of respecting the laws of war by protecting non-combatants and significantly boosting deliveries of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s beleaguered civilian population.It remained unclear, however, if Netanyahu would agree to temporary, rolling pauses in the massive operation to eradicate Hamas — or whether outrage among Palestinians and their supporters could be assuaged if he did.Already Jordan and Turkey have recalled their ambassadors to Israel to protest its tactics, and the tide of international opinion appears to be turning from sympathy toward Israel in the aftermath of Oct. 7 to revulsion as images of death and destruction in Gaza spread around the world.On Saturday in Amman, Jordan’s capital, the Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers appeared at a joint news conference with Blinken. The two said Israel’s war had gone beyond self-defense and could no longer be justified as it now amounted to collective punishment of the Palestinian people.That sentiment was echoed by tens of thousands of demonstrators who marched in the streets of world capitals over the weekend to protest Israel and condemn U.S. support for Israel.From Turkey, Blinken headed to Asia for a series of events in Japan, South Korea and India where the Gaza conflict will likely share top billing with other international crises — including Russia’s war on Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

Israelis observe one-month anniversary of Hamas assault 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A political leader and oil pipeline opponent from the U.S. Midwest and an environmentalist from Indonesia have been named this year's recipients of grants awarded annually by a nonprofit climate-action organization in San Francisco.

Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party and the founder of pipeline opposition group Bold Nebraska, is the third U.S. recipient of the Climate Breakthrough Award, which is named after the organization. Gita Syahrani, who recently led organizations seeking to accelerate sustainable development in Indonesia, is that country's second recipient. Climate Breakthrough announced the awards on Wednesday in a news release.

Kleeb and Syahrani will each receive a $3 million grant, as well as separate funding for fundraising, legal and communications support and other efforts. Eligible awardees may also receive a $600,000 matching grant toward the end of the three-year grant period to attract additional funding and further support their work.

Kleeb was a key figure in the 12-year fight that successfully&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">ended the Keystone XL pipeline</a>, which would have carried up to 830,000 barrels of crude oil sands daily from Canada through the middle of the U.S. to refineries and export terminals on the Gulf of Mexico. She also helped lead the successful effort to oppose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carbon-dioxide-pipeline-co2-navigator-canceled-73dee04da685b512d6aefa01302cdae3">carbon dioxide-capturing pipelines</a>&nbsp;in the Midwest.

Her efforts through Bold Nebraska brought together an unconventional alliance of farmers and ranchers, Native American tribes and environmental activists to fight attempts by oil and fuel companies to seize land through eminent domain and build pipelines. The opponents were concerned that potential pipeline spills would not only pollute the land where they were laid, but could leach into groundwater.

Kleeb's plans for the grant include creating a dividend that would issue annual payments to residents of rural towns that build clean energy. She also plans to organize in rural towns across the U.S. to promote clean-energy projects and ensure that such projects respect property rights.

“The past decade of stopping risky pipelines with unlikely alliances changed the status quo of climate organizing,” Kleeb said in a written statement. “I'm excited and ready to take on the challenge of building clean energy across rural America with a new economic and cultural model that brings energy freedom and land justice.”

Syahrani convened a network of diverse partners worldwide to help several Indonesian districts reach their target of saving at least 5.5 million hectares (13.5 million acres) of forest and 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres) of peatlands by 2030. She plans to use the grant to help launch 100 nature-based businesses in forest and peatland-rich regions by 2026, and a public awareness campaign.

“If we succeed, we will have excited leaders, thriving entrepreneurs and a policy umbrella to integrate nature-based innovation and bioeconomy approaches into the development plans of all these jurisdictions,” she said in a written statement.

Climate Breakthrough, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization founded in 2016, has awarded the multimillion-dollar grants to 19 people in the past seven years. Donors to the philanthropy include the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the IKEA Foundation and the JPB Foundation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699299197528.jpeg" alt="FILE - Jane Kleeb, founder of Bold Nebraska, participates in a meeting with other anti-Keystone XL pipeline activists, Jan. 15, 2015, in York, Neb. Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party and the founder of pipeline opposition group Bold Nebraska, and Gita Syahrani, who recently led the Sustainable District Association and convened the Earth-Based Economy Coalition to accelerate sustainable development in Indonesia, have been named the recipients of the 2023 Climate Breakthrough Award, which offers the world’s largest climate grant for individuals. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Jane Kleeb, founder of Bold Nebraska, participates in a meeting with other anti-Keystone XL pipeline activists, Jan. 15, 2015, in York, Neb. Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party and the founder of pipeline opposition group Bold Nebraska, and Gita Syahrani, who recently led the Sustainable District Association and convened the Earth-Based Economy Coalition to accelerate sustainable development in Indonesia, have been named the recipients of the 2023 Climate Breakthrough Award, which offers the world’s largest climate grant for individuals. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A political leader and oil pipeline opponent from the U.S. Midwest and an environmentalist from Indonesia have been named this year's recipients of grants awarded annually by a nonprofit climate-action organization in San Francisco.Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party and the founder of pipeline opposition group Bold Nebraska, is the third U.S. recipient of the Climate Breakthrough Award, which is named after the organization. Gita Syahrani, who recently led organizations seeking to accelerate sustainable development in Indonesia, is that country's second recipient. Climate Breakthrough announced the awards on Wednesday in a news release.Kleeb and Syahrani will each receive a $3 million grant, as well as separate funding for fundraising, legal and communications support and other efforts. Eligible awardees may also receive a $600,000 matching grant toward the end of the three-year grant period to attract additional funding and further support their work.Kleeb was a key figure in the 12-year fight that successfully&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">ended the Keystone XL pipeline</a>, which would have carried up to 830,000 barrels of crude oil sands daily from Canada through the middle of the U.S. to refineries and export terminals on the Gulf of Mexico. She also helped lead the successful effort to oppose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carbon-dioxide-pipeline-co2-navigator-canceled-73dee04da685b512d6aefa01302cdae3">carbon dioxide-capturing pipelines</a>&nbsp;in the Midwest.Her efforts through Bold Nebraska brought together an unconventional alliance of farmers and ranchers, Native American tribes and environmental activists to fight attempts by oil and fuel companies to seize land through eminent domain and build pipelines. The opponents were concerned that potential pipeline spills would not only pollute the land where they were laid, but could leach into groundwater.Kleeb's plans for the grant include creating a dividend that would issue annual payments to residents of rural towns that build clean energy. She also plans to organize in rural towns across the U.S. to promote clean-energy projects and ensure that such projects respect property rights.“The past decade of stopping risky pipelines with unlikely alliances changed the status quo of climate organizing,” Kleeb said in a written statement. “I'm excited and ready to take on the challenge of building clean energy across rural America with a new economic and cultural model that brings energy freedom and land justice.”Syahrani convened a network of diverse partners worldwide to help several Indonesian districts reach their target of saving at least 5.5 million hectares (13.5 million acres) of forest and 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres) of peatlands by 2030. She plans to use the grant to help launch 100 nature-based businesses in forest and peatland-rich regions by 2026, and a public awareness campaign.“If we succeed, we will have excited leaders, thriving entrepreneurs and a policy umbrella to integrate nature-based innovation and bioeconomy approaches into the development plans of all these jurisdictions,” she said in a written statement.Climate Breakthrough, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization founded in 2016, has awarded the multimillion-dollar grants to 19 people in the past seven years. Donors to the philanthropy include the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the IKEA Foundation and the JPB Foundation.

Nebraska pipeline opponent, Indonesian environmentalist receive Climate Breakthrough awards

By JILL COLVIN, MICHAEL R. SISAK, JENNIFER PELTZ and ERIC TUCKER

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump vigorously defended his wealth and business on Monday, tangling from the witness stand with the judge overseeing his civil fraud trial and denouncing as a "political witch hunt" a lawsuit accusing him of dramatically inflating his net worth.

Trump's long-awaited testimony about property valuations and financial statements was punctuated by personal jabs at a judge he said was biased against him and at the New York attorney general, whom he derided as a "political hack." He proudly boasted of his real estate business — "I'm worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements" — and disputed claims that he had deceived banks and insurers.

"This is the opposite of fraud," he declared. Referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office brought the lawsuit, he said, "The fraud is her."

The testy exchanges, and frequent rebukes from the judge, underscored Trump's unwillingness to adapt his famously freewheeling rhetorical style to a formal courtroom setting governed by rules of evidence and legal protocol. But while his presence on the stand was a vivid reminder of the legal troubles he faces as he vies to reclaim the White House in 2024, it also functioned as a campaign platform for the former president and leading Republican presidential candidate to raise anew to supporters his claims of political persecution at the hands of government lawyers and judges.

"People are sick and tired of what's happening. I think it is a very sad say for America," Trump told reporters outside the courtroom after roughly three-and-a-half hours on the stand.

Trump's testimony got off to a contentious start Monday, with state Judge Arthur Engoron admonishing him to keep his answers concise and reminding him that "this is not a political rally."

Turning to Trump's attorney at one point, the judge said, "I beseech you to control him if you can. If you can't, I will."

The civil trial is one of numerous legal proceedings Trump is confronting, including federal and state charges accusing him of crimes including illegally hoarding classified documents and scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election. His legal and political strategies have now become completely intertwined as he hopscotches between campaign events and court hearings, a schedule that will only intensify once his criminal trials begin.

Though the fraud case doesn't carry the prospect of prison as the criminal prosecutions do, its allegations of financial impropriety cut to the heart of the brand he spent decades crafting. The suggestion that Trump is worth less than he's claimed has been interpreted by him as a cutting insult.

"I'm worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements," he said, telling a state lawyer, "You go around and try and demean me and try and hurt me, probably for political reasons."

The courtroom at 60 Centre St. has become a familiar destination for Trump. He has spent hours over the past month voluntarily seated at the defense table, observing the proceedings. He took the stand previously, unexpectedly and briefly, after he was accused of violating a partial gag order. He denied violating the rules, but Engoron disagreed and fined him anyway.

His turn as a witness gave him the biggest opportunity yet to respond to allegations against him.

Summoned by lawyers for the state, Trump repeatedly balked at the suggestion that he had ever intended to defraud financial institutions. He said that he'd been misquoted or taken too literally in past public comments about his business dealings and his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, and that disclaimers in his financial statements covered any missteps. And he returned to a familiar position that no one had been victimized.

"Not one bank lost money. Not one insurance company lost money. And the insurance company that you said lost is still my insurance company," he said. "They're one of the biggest insurance companies in the world and they don't know what you're talking about."

Tensions between Engoron and Trump, already on display in recent weeks, when the judge fined him a total of $15,000 for incendiary outside-of-court comments, were evident early on Monday when the ex-president was repeatedly scolded about the length and content of his answers.

Engoron, who determined in a ruling earlier that Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame, will decide the non-jury case. He cautioned at one point that he was prepared to draw "negative inferences" against the former president if he failed to rein in his answers.

"I do not want to hear everything this witness has to say. He has a lot to say that has nothing to do with the case or the questions," the judge said.

"Mr. Kise, can you control your client," Engoron told Trump lawyer Christopher Kise, who himself has clashed with the judge. Kise responded Trump was entitled to latitude as a former president and current candidate taking time away from campaigning to testify.

Despite the testy back-and-forth early in the day, Trump was later able to veer into expansive answers without anyone cutting him off, using the opportunity to rail against James, the judge and the proceedings in general.

"I think that she's a political hack, and I think she used this case to try and become governor and she used it successfully to become attorney general. I think it's a disgrace that this case is going on," Trump said.

Of Engoron, Trump said, "He ruled against me and he said I was a fraud before he knew anything about me."

James, who was in the courtroom, stared straight ahead at Trump as he spoke and was seen chuckling when Trump suggested she didn't know anything about one of his properties that's across the street from her office. Afterward, she told reporters, "He rambled. He hurled insults. But we expected that."

Monday's testimony centered on the core of the allegations by the state attorney general: that Trump and his company intentionally inflated property values and deceived banks and insurers in the pursuit of business deals and loans.

Echoing the stance taken by two of his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric, in their own testimony last week, Trump sought to downplay his direct involvement in preparing and assessing financial statements that the attorney general claims were grossly inflated and fraudulent.

"All I did was authorize and tell people to give whatever is necessary for the accountants to do the statements," he said. As for the results, "I would look at them, I would see them, and maybe on some occasions, I would have some suggestions."

He also played down the significance of the statements, which went to banks and others to secure financing and deals, pointing to a disclaimer that he said amounted to telling recipients to do their own calculating.

"Banks didn't find them very relevant, and they had a disclaimer clause -- you would call it a worthless statement clause," he said, insisting that after decades in real estate, "I probably know banks as well as anybody … I know what they look at. They look at the deal, they look at the location."

He complained that his 2014 financial statements shouldn't be a subject of the lawsuit at all.

"First of all it's so long ago, it's well beyond the statute of limitations," Trump said before turning on Engoron, saying he allowed state lawyers to pursue claims involving such years-old documents "because he always rules against me."

Engoron said: "You can attack me in whichever way you want but please answer the questions."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699284958905.png" alt=""This is the opposite of fraud," he declared. Referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office brought the lawsuit, he said, "The fraud is her."-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>"This is the opposite of fraud," he declared. Referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office brought the lawsuit, he said, "The fraud is her."-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By JILL COLVIN, MICHAEL R. SISAK, JENNIFER PELTZ and ERIC TUCKERNEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump vigorously defended his wealth and business on Monday, tangling from the witness stand with the judge overseeing his civil fraud trial and denouncing as a "political witch hunt" a lawsuit accusing him of dramatically inflating his net worth.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump after testifying at New York civil fraud trial: &quot;This is a scam. And this is a case that should&#39;ve never been brought, and it&#39;s a case that now should be dismissed.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/a6R1ofDDiK">pic.twitter.com/a6R1ofDDiK</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1721645227302101233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump's long-awaited testimony about property valuations and financial statements was punctuated by personal jabs at a judge he said was biased against him and at the New York attorney general, whom he derided as a "political hack." He proudly boasted of his real estate business — "I'm worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements" — and disputed claims that he had deceived banks and insurers."This is the opposite of fraud," he declared. Referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office brought the lawsuit, he said, "The fraud is her."The testy exchanges, and frequent rebukes from the judge, underscored Trump's unwillingness to adapt his famously freewheeling rhetorical style to a formal courtroom setting governed by rules of evidence and legal protocol. But while his presence on the stand was a vivid reminder of the legal troubles he faces as he vies to reclaim the White House in 2024, it also functioned as a campaign platform for the former president and leading Republican presidential candidate to raise anew to supporters his claims of political persecution at the hands of government lawyers and judges."People are sick and tired of what's happening. I think it is a very sad say for America," Trump told reporters outside the courtroom after roughly three-and-a-half hours on the stand.Trump's testimony got off to a contentious start Monday, with state Judge Arthur Engoron admonishing him to keep his answers concise and reminding him that "this is not a political rally."Turning to Trump's attorney at one point, the judge said, "I beseech you to control him if you can. If you can't, I will."The civil trial is one of numerous legal proceedings Trump is confronting, including federal and state charges accusing him of crimes including illegally hoarding classified documents and scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election. His legal and political strategies have now become completely intertwined as he hopscotches between campaign events and court hearings, a schedule that will only intensify once his criminal trials begin.Though the fraud case doesn't carry the prospect of prison as the criminal prosecutions do, its allegations of financial impropriety cut to the heart of the brand he spent decades crafting. The suggestion that Trump is worth less than he's claimed has been interpreted by him as a cutting insult."I'm worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements," he said, telling a state lawyer, "You go around and try and demean me and try and hurt me, probably for political reasons."The courtroom at 60 Centre St. has become a familiar destination for Trump. He has spent hours over the past month voluntarily seated at the defense table, observing the proceedings. He took the stand previously, unexpectedly and briefly, after he was accused of violating a partial gag order. He denied violating the rules, but Engoron disagreed and fined him anyway.His turn as a witness gave him the biggest opportunity yet to respond to allegations against him.Summoned by lawyers for the state, Trump repeatedly balked at the suggestion that he had ever intended to defraud financial institutions. He said that he'd been misquoted or taken too literally in past public comments about his business dealings and his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, and that disclaimers in his financial statements covered any missteps. And he returned to a familiar position that no one had been victimized."Not one bank lost money. Not one insurance company lost money. And the insurance company that you said lost is still my insurance company," he said. "They're one of the biggest insurance companies in the world and they don't know what you're talking about."Tensions between Engoron and Trump, already on display in recent weeks, when the judge fined him a total of $15,000 for incendiary outside-of-court comments, were evident early on Monday when the ex-president was repeatedly scolded about the length and content of his answers.Engoron, who determined in a ruling earlier that Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame, will decide the non-jury case. He cautioned at one point that he was prepared to draw "negative inferences" against the former president if he failed to rein in his answers."I do not want to hear everything this witness has to say. He has a lot to say that has nothing to do with the case or the questions," the judge said."Mr. Kise, can you control your client," Engoron told Trump lawyer Christopher Kise, who himself has clashed with the judge. Kise responded Trump was entitled to latitude as a former president and current candidate taking time away from campaigning to testify.Despite the testy back-and-forth early in the day, Trump was later able to veer into expansive answers without anyone cutting him off, using the opportunity to rail against James, the judge and the proceedings in general."I think that she's a political hack, and I think she used this case to try and become governor and she used it successfully to become attorney general. I think it's a disgrace that this case is going on," Trump said.Of Engoron, Trump said, "He ruled against me and he said I was a fraud before he knew anything about me."James, who was in the courtroom, stared straight ahead at Trump as he spoke and was seen chuckling when Trump suggested she didn't know anything about one of his properties that's across the street from her office. Afterward, she told reporters, "He rambled. He hurled insults. But we expected that."Monday's testimony centered on the core of the allegations by the state attorney general: that Trump and his company intentionally inflated property values and deceived banks and insurers in the pursuit of business deals and loans.Echoing the stance taken by two of his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric, in their own testimony last week, Trump sought to downplay his direct involvement in preparing and assessing financial statements that the attorney general claims were grossly inflated and fraudulent."All I did was authorize and tell people to give whatever is necessary for the accountants to do the statements," he said. As for the results, "I would look at them, I would see them, and maybe on some occasions, I would have some suggestions."He also played down the significance of the statements, which went to banks and others to secure financing and deals, pointing to a disclaimer that he said amounted to telling recipients to do their own calculating."Banks didn't find them very relevant, and they had a disclaimer clause -- you would call it a worthless statement clause," he said, insisting that after decades in real estate, "I probably know banks as well as anybody … I know what they look at. They look at the deal, they look at the location."He complained that his 2014 financial statements shouldn't be a subject of the lawsuit at all."First of all it's so long ago, it's well beyond the statute of limitations," Trump said before turning on Engoron, saying he allowed state lawyers to pursue claims involving such years-old documents "because he always rules against me."Engoron said: "You can attack me in whichever way you want but please answer the questions."___ Tucker reported from Washington.

🎥 History: Trump is first former President to testify in his own defense

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/06/different-special-prosecutor-appointed-in-nebraska-gop-break-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A new special prosecutor is reviewing the police probe into an alleged break-in during the 2022 transition between the old and new leadership teams at the Nebraska Republican Party.

Lincoln lawyer Ryan Swaroff, a former prosecutor in Lancaster County and formerly with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, was tapped to replace Special Prosecutor Tim Noerrlinger.

Noerrlinger,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/09/noerrlinger-named-special-prosecutor-in-alleged-nebraska-gop-break-in/">a registered Republican</a>, filed a court form seeking his replacement in the GOP probe. On Oct. 8, Lancaster County District Judge Andrew Jacobsen appointed Swaroff, a Democrat.

The change was sought because Noerrlinger was hired on Oct. 2 as a staff attorney for the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, essentially the state’s public defender’s office.&nbsp;

Attorneys hired for new jobs or roles often must hand off some of their former cases to other lawyers, said Todd Lancaster, the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/todd-lancaster-named-new-top-lawyer-at-state-public-defenders-office/">commission’s chief counsel</a>, who said he hired Noerrlinger.

Noerrlinger has declined to discuss the progress of his review of the police investigation in the months since Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/03/county-attorney-requests-special-prosecutor-in-alleged-nebraska-gop-break-in/">sought outside help in February</a>.

State law lets county attorneys do so when the potential exists for conflicts of interest. Condon did not immediately return messages Friday seeking comment.

Swaroff did not return messages left at her office, either. Her Rembolt Ludtke&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.remboltlawfirm.com/attorneys/ryan-swaroff">law firm’s website</a>&nbsp;said she works in family law, including divorce, custody and adoption cases.

Nebraska GOP officials had no immediate comment on the new special prosecutor Friday. A spokeswoman said they wanted to share&nbsp;information first with state central committee members.

The new state GOP filed a police report in the summer of 2022 alleging a July 9-10 loss of about $1,000 in property and data from the downtown Lincoln headquarters of the state party.

Items listed as missing included security cameras and physical and digital files. The new team feared sabotage. Many people tied to the old regime resigned, quit or were replaced.&nbsp;

In August, Lincoln police determined that no crime was committed during the incident, which happened shortly after a new group took over the GOP from one tied to former Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Private investigator Tom Nesbitt said during a state GOP meeting this year he disagreed with the Lincoln police investigator’s determination and said he had gathered and shared evidence.

Nesbitt alleged that not all of the missing data and files were returned. He and Nebraska GOP chairman Eric Underwood described difficulties accessing computer data and security footage.&nbsp;

People tied to the former GOP leadership team had said they kept items owned by campaigns, including the personal financial information of some campaign donors.

Now, a new special prosecutor is trying to figure out what happened, one whose law firm bio says she previously prosecuted white-collar cases and corruption.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699289040090.jpeg" alt=" The Nebraska Republican Party headquarters in downtown Lincoln on Oct. 31, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> The Nebraska Republican Party headquarters in downtown Lincoln on Oct. 31, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/06/different-special-prosecutor-appointed-in-nebraska-gop-break-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A new special prosecutor is reviewing the police probe into an alleged break-in during the 2022 transition between the old and new leadership teams at the Nebraska Republican Party.Lincoln lawyer Ryan Swaroff, a former prosecutor in Lancaster County and formerly with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, was tapped to replace Special Prosecutor Tim Noerrlinger.Noerrlinger,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/09/noerrlinger-named-special-prosecutor-in-alleged-nebraska-gop-break-in/">a registered Republican</a>, filed a court form seeking his replacement in the GOP probe. On Oct. 8, Lancaster County District Judge Andrew Jacobsen appointed Swaroff, a Democrat.<h2>A new job</h2>The change was sought because Noerrlinger was hired on Oct. 2 as a staff attorney for the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, essentially the state’s public defender’s office.&nbsp;Attorneys hired for new jobs or roles often must hand off some of their former cases to other lawyers, said Todd Lancaster, the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/todd-lancaster-named-new-top-lawyer-at-state-public-defenders-office/">commission’s chief counsel</a>, who said he hired Noerrlinger.Noerrlinger has declined to discuss the progress of his review of the police investigation in the months since Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/03/county-attorney-requests-special-prosecutor-in-alleged-nebraska-gop-break-in/">sought outside help in February</a>.State law lets county attorneys do so when the potential exists for conflicts of interest. Condon did not immediately return messages Friday seeking comment.Swaroff did not return messages left at her office, either. Her Rembolt Ludtke&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.remboltlawfirm.com/attorneys/ryan-swaroff">law firm’s website</a>&nbsp;said she works in family law, including divorce, custody and adoption cases.<h2>No comment from GOP</h2>Nebraska GOP officials had no immediate comment on the new special prosecutor Friday. A spokeswoman said they wanted to share&nbsp;information first with state central committee members.The new state GOP filed a police report in the summer of 2022 alleging a July 9-10 loss of about $1,000 in property and data from the downtown Lincoln headquarters of the state party.Items listed as missing included security cameras and physical and digital files. The new team feared sabotage. Many people tied to the old regime resigned, quit or were replaced.&nbsp;In August, Lincoln police determined that no crime was committed during the incident, which happened shortly after a new group took over the GOP from one tied to former Gov. Pete Ricketts.<h2>Crime or not?</h2>Private investigator Tom Nesbitt said during a state GOP meeting this year he disagreed with the Lincoln police investigator’s determination and said he had gathered and shared evidence.Nesbitt alleged that not all of the missing data and files were returned. He and Nebraska GOP chairman Eric Underwood described difficulties accessing computer data and security footage.&nbsp;People tied to the former GOP leadership team had said they kept items owned by campaigns, including the personal financial information of some campaign donors.Now, a new special prosecutor is trying to figure out what happened, one whose law firm bio says she previously prosecuted white-collar cases and corruption.

Different special prosecutor appointed in Nebraska GOP break-in

WASHINGTON (AP)— The Ohio-class submarine that U.S. Central Command announced had sailed into Middle East waters on Sunday is an SSGN, a guided missile submarine variant that is not capable of firing nuclear weapons, a defense official told The Associated Press.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

The vessel was photographed as it transited the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, the defense official said.

On Monday, Pentagon press secretary Brig . Gen. Pat Ryder said the submarine would provide “further support our deterrence efforts in the region.”

Although it’s not unusual for a U.S. submarine to transit the canal in Egypt, Central Command’s online statement acknowledging the location of an Ohio-class submarine is rare. There are Ohio-class submarines that can fire nuclear weapons, known as SSBN or ballistic missile submarine variants.

Meahwhile,&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a grueling Middle East diplomatic tour in Turkey after only limited success in forging a regional consensus on how to ease civilian suffering in Gaza as Israel intensifies its war against Hamas.

Blinken met Monday in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan after a weekend of travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the West Bank, Cyprus and Iraq to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s relentless military campaign in Gaza.

The Biden administration hopes that pauses in the war would allow for a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, while also preventing the conflict from spreading regionally.

Israel has rejected the pauses proposal outright while Arab and Muslim nations are instead demanding an immediate cease-fire as the Palestinian casualty toll soars from Israeli bombardments of Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates&nbsp; (AP)— The U.S. military has acknowledged positioning what was originally reported as a a nuclear-capable submarine in the Middle East.

It provided no other details in its online statement Sunday, though it posted an image that appeared to show a submarine in Egypt’s Suez Canal near its Suez Canal Bridge.

U.S. acknowledgment of an Ohio-class submarine location is incredibly rare as they represent part of America's so-called “nuclear triad” of atomic weapons — which also includes land-based ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs aboard strategic bombers.

Several Ohio-class submarines instead carry cruise missiles and the capability to deploy with special operations forces, so it’s unclear if the submarine operating now in the Mideast carries nuclear ballistic missiles.

The U.S. has deployed submarines into the region before and announced its recent presence as tensions were high with Iran.

Central Command separately released an image of a nuclear-capable B-1 bomber also operating in the Mideast on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699268832288.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP)— The Ohio-class submarine that U.S. Central Command announced had sailed into Middle East waters on Sunday is an SSGN, a guided missile submarine variant that is not capable of firing nuclear weapons, a defense official told The Associated Press.The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.The vessel was photographed as it transited the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, the defense official said.On Monday, Pentagon press secretary Brig . Gen. Pat Ryder said the submarine would provide “further support our deterrence efforts in the region.”Although it’s not unusual for a U.S. submarine to transit the canal in Egypt, Central Command’s online statement acknowledging the location of an Ohio-class submarine is rare. There are Ohio-class submarines that can fire nuclear weapons, known as SSBN or ballistic missile submarine variants.Meahwhile,&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a grueling Middle East diplomatic tour in Turkey after only limited success in forging a regional consensus on how to ease civilian suffering in Gaza as Israel intensifies its war against Hamas.Blinken met Monday in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan after a weekend of travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the West Bank, Cyprus and Iraq to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s relentless military campaign in Gaza.“All of this is a work in progress,” Blinken said before leaving Turkey. “We don’t obviously agree on everything, but there are common views on some of the imperatives of the moment that we’re working on together.”The Biden administration hopes that pauses in the war would allow for a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, while also preventing the conflict from spreading regionally.Israel has rejected the pauses proposal outright while Arab and Muslim nations are instead demanding an immediate cease-fire as the Palestinian casualty toll soars from Israeli bombardments of Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack.---------DUBAI, United Arab Emirates&nbsp; (AP)— The U.S. military has acknowledged positioning what was originally reported as a a nuclear-capable submarine in the Middle East.It provided no other details in its online statement Sunday, though it posted an image that appeared to show a submarine in Egypt’s Suez Canal near its Suez Canal Bridge.U.S. acknowledgment of an Ohio-class submarine location is incredibly rare as they represent part of America's so-called “nuclear triad” of atomic weapons — which also includes land-based ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs aboard strategic bombers.Several Ohio-class submarines instead carry cruise missiles and the capability to deploy with special operations forces, so it’s unclear if the submarine operating now in the Mideast carries nuclear ballistic missiles.The U.S. has deployed submarines into the region before and announced its recent presence as tensions were high with Iran.Central Command separately released an image of a nuclear-capable B-1 bomber also operating in the Mideast on Sunday.

US moves guided missile submarine to the Middle East 

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Federal health officials are expanding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wanabana-lead-fruit-pouch-recall-fda-e00acb3437c5ea792de36fa4c1dcb3ed">an investigation</a>&nbsp;into potentially lead-tainted pouches of apple cinnamon fruit puree marketed for children amid reports of more illnesses and additional product recalls.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday it has received&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-applesauce-pouches-november-2023?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">reports of seven illnesses</a>&nbsp;in at least five states possibly linked to contaminated puree.

Two new companies,&nbsp;<a href="https://nourish.schnucks.com/news-releases/schnuck-markets-recalls-select-schnucks-brand-applesauce-pouches/">Schnucks Markets</a>&nbsp;of St. Louis and Weis Markets of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, announced recalls of certain cinnamon applesauce products because they may contain high levels of lead. WanaBana of Coral Gables, Florida, previously&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wanabana-issues-voluntary-recall-wanabana-apple-cinnamon-fruit-puree-pouches-due-elevated-lead">recalled</a>&nbsp;of all lots and expiration dates of its apple cinnamon fruit puree.

Eating the contaminated products could result in “acute toxicity," FDA officials said. Parents and caregivers should not buy or serve the cinnamon applesauce products, which are sold through multiple retailers, including Amazon, Dollar Tree and at Schnucks and Eatwell Markets grocery stores.

Children and others who have consumed the products should be tested for possible lead poisoning, the agency said.

The investigation began in North Carolina, where health officials are looking into reports of four children with elevated blood levels linked to the WanaBana product. State health officials analyzed multiple lots of the product and detected “extremely high” concentrations of lead. The FDA confirmed the results.

The FDA's Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network is leading the investigation in cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health officials.

Lead is toxic to people of all ages, but can be especially harmful to children. Most children have no obvious symptoms, so it’s important that kids who are exposed get tested to check levels of lead in their blood. Short-term exposure to lead can result in symptoms that include headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and anemia, the FDA said.

Heavy metals like lead can get into food products from soil, air, water or industrial processes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Lead exposure can seriously harm children’s health, causing damage to the brain and nervous system and slowed growth and development. There is no known safe level of lead exposure, the AAP said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699279077387.png" alt="FDA image" />
 <figcaption>FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Federal health officials are expanding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wanabana-lead-fruit-pouch-recall-fda-e00acb3437c5ea792de36fa4c1dcb3ed">an investigation</a>&nbsp;into potentially lead-tainted pouches of apple cinnamon fruit puree marketed for children amid reports of more illnesses and additional product recalls.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday it has received&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-applesauce-pouches-november-2023?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">reports of seven illnesses</a>&nbsp;in at least five states possibly linked to contaminated puree.Two new companies,&nbsp;<a href="https://nourish.schnucks.com/news-releases/schnuck-markets-recalls-select-schnucks-brand-applesauce-pouches/">Schnucks Markets</a>&nbsp;of St. Louis and Weis Markets of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, announced recalls of certain cinnamon applesauce products because they may contain high levels of lead. WanaBana of Coral Gables, Florida, previously&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wanabana-issues-voluntary-recall-wanabana-apple-cinnamon-fruit-puree-pouches-due-elevated-lead">recalled</a>&nbsp;of all lots and expiration dates of its apple cinnamon fruit puree.Eating the contaminated products could result in “acute toxicity," FDA officials said. Parents and caregivers should not buy or serve the cinnamon applesauce products, which are sold through multiple retailers, including Amazon, Dollar Tree and at Schnucks and Eatwell Markets grocery stores.Children and others who have consumed the products should be tested for possible lead poisoning, the agency said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698669783345.png" alt="FDA image" />
 <figcaption>FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation began in North Carolina, where health officials are looking into reports of four children with elevated blood levels linked to the WanaBana product. State health officials analyzed multiple lots of the product and detected “extremely high” concentrations of lead. The FDA confirmed the results.The FDA's Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network is leading the investigation in cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health officials.Lead is toxic to people of all ages, but can be especially harmful to children. Most children have no obvious symptoms, so it’s important that kids who are exposed get tested to check levels of lead in their blood. Short-term exposure to lead can result in symptoms that include headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and anemia, the FDA said.Heavy metals like lead can get into food products from soil, air, water or industrial processes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Lead exposure can seriously harm children’s health, causing damage to the brain and nervous system and slowed growth and development. There is no known safe level of lead exposure, the AAP said.___

More fruit pouches for kids recalled; illnesses linked to lead

&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/71410/david-vergun/">David Vergun</a>&nbsp;, Department of Defense News&nbsp;

A mix of weaponry that includes National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, artillery rounds, TOW missiles and Javelin and AT-4 antiarmor systems is earmarked for Ukraine in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3578754/biden-administration-announces-new-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">latest defense package</a>.

Additional material includes laser-guided munitions to counter unmanned aerial systems; more than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades; demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing; Claymore antipersonnel munitions; 12 trucks to transport heavy equipment; cold weather gear; and spare parts, maintenance, and other field equipment.&nbsp;

This package includes security assistance from Defense Department inventories valued at up to $125 million, utilizing assistance authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years under presidential drawdown authority. It's the 50th security package for Ukraine since August 2021.&nbsp;

Other funding totals $300 million in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This package makes use of the funding available under the continuing resolution that Congress recently passed and exhausts the remaining funds currently available to support Ukraine.

Unlike a presidential drawdown —&nbsp;which draws equipment down from DOD stocks, as well as defense services, education and training —&nbsp;USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry for Ukraine.

Last week, President Joe Biden asked Congress for more Ukraine funding; however, lawmakers have yet to provide additional funding.&nbsp;

At an Oct. 31 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III told lawmakers that supplemental aid is needed to help Ukraine continue to defend itself against Russia's ongoing aggression.

"When we send our friends munitions from our stockpiles, the money to replenish our supplies strengthens our military readiness, [as] we invest in American industry and American workers. That also holds true for funding for Israel or Ukraine to procure new equipment off the production line," Austin testified.&nbsp;

"Today's battles against aggression and terrorism will define global security for years to come. And only firm American leadership can ensure that tyrants, thugs and terrorists worldwide are not emboldened to commit more aggression and more atrocities," he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699057750297.png" alt="U.S. M1A1 Abrams tanks arrive at Grafenwoehr, Germany, May 12, 2023. They will be used to train Ukrainian soldiers.&nbsp;Photo By:Army Spc. Adrian Greenwood" />
 <figcaption>U.S. M1A1 Abrams tanks arrive at Grafenwoehr, Germany, May 12, 2023. They will be used to train Ukrainian soldiers.&nbsp;Photo By:Army Spc. Adrian Greenwood</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/71410/david-vergun/">David Vergun</a>&nbsp;, Department of Defense News&nbsp;A mix of weaponry that includes National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, artillery rounds, TOW missiles and Javelin and AT-4 antiarmor systems is earmarked for Ukraine in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3578754/biden-administration-announces-new-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">latest defense package</a>.Additional material includes laser-guided munitions to counter unmanned aerial systems; more than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades; demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing; Claymore antipersonnel munitions; 12 trucks to transport heavy equipment; cold weather gear; and spare parts, maintenance, and other field equipment.&nbsp;This package includes security assistance from Defense Department inventories valued at up to $125 million, utilizing assistance authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years under presidential drawdown authority. It's the 50th security package for Ukraine since August 2021.&nbsp;Other funding totals $300 million in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This package makes use of the funding available under the continuing resolution that Congress recently passed and exhausts the remaining funds currently available to support Ukraine.Unlike a presidential drawdown —&nbsp;which draws equipment down from DOD stocks, as well as defense services, education and training —&nbsp;USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry for Ukraine.Last week, President Joe Biden asked Congress for more Ukraine funding; however, lawmakers have yet to provide additional funding.&nbsp;At an Oct. 31 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III told lawmakers that supplemental aid is needed to help Ukraine continue to defend itself against Russia's ongoing aggression."When we send our friends munitions from our stockpiles, the money to replenish our supplies strengthens our military readiness, [as] we invest in American industry and American workers. That also holds true for funding for Israel or Ukraine to procure new equipment off the production line," Austin testified.&nbsp;"Today's battles against aggression and terrorism will define global security for years to come. And only firm American leadership can ensure that tyrants, thugs and terrorists worldwide are not emboldened to commit more aggression and more atrocities," he said.

U.S. sending millions more in missiles, air defense to Ukraine 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett's company has reported a nearly $13 billion loss in the third quarter as the paper value of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-portfolio-investments-fcb74a2ee0aaf61a9416e96c51983892">investments</a>&nbsp;fell, but the companies it owns — particularly the insurers — generally performed well.

Berkshire Hathaway said Saturday that it lost $12.8 billion, or $8,824 per Class A share, in the quarter. That's significantly bigger than the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-earnings-omaha-warren-buffett-7e237194812d0b04aff584e225d29683">$2.8 billion loss</a>, or $1,907 per Class A share, that it reported a year ago.

But most of those investment losses are unrealized because Berkshire didn't actually sell most of its stocks with its biggest holding being a massive stake in Apple. Accounting rules require it to include the value of its investments, which it put at $341.1 billion at the end of the quarter, in its earnings.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-earnings-second-quarter-9681b4761e8d81d7ca13c7d5507b1996">Last quarter</a>, it said its stock portfolio was worth $353 billion.

That's why Buffett has long said investors are better served focusing on Berkshire's operating earnings, which exclude the value of its investments that can vary widely quarter to quarter. By that measure, Berkshire said its operating profit jumped nearly 41% to $10.8 billion, or $7,437.15 per Class A share. That's up from $7.65 billion, or $5,215.60 per Class A share, a year ago.

The three analysts surveyed by FactSet Research expected Berkshire to report operating earnings per share of $6,540.23 on average.

Berkshire's insurance unit was helped by relatively low losses related to major catastrophes like hurricanes this year and a rebound in Geico's profits. Altogether, Berkshire's insurers contributed $2.4 billion to its operating profit. A year ago, the insurers reported a $1.1 billion loss in the third quarter.

CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert said the insurance results reflect Berkshire's pricing power in commercial and reinsurance because it was able to raise rates on many of its policies, and the changes Geico made.

Geico improved its profits by raising its rates nearly 17% over the past year and cutting the number of policies it writes by 13%. Seifert said that helps in the short run, but investors probably won't learn more about Berkshire's long-term strategy at Geico until the annual meeting next May because Berkshire doesn't take questions on its quarterly reports like most companies do.

“I think strategically investors are going to want to know what the go-forward strategy for Geico is because they’re really pulling back and that’s helping results. Strategically, that’s not always sustainable,” Seifert said.

In addition to insurers, the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate owns BNSF railroad, several major utilities and an eclectic assortment of manufacturing and retail firms including aviation parts maker Precision Castparts, See's Candy, Dairy Queen and Helzberg Diamonds.

Profits fell at the railroad to $1.2 billion from last year's $1.4 billion as BNSF hauled nearly 5% fewer shipments with the biggest drop in volume coming in consumer products.

The utility unit contributed only $498 million to Berkshire's operating profit, down from $1.6 billion a year ago as its operating expenses soared 55% to $3.7 billion. The biggest driver in that increase in expenses was a $1.3 billion loss related to wildfires at its PacifiCorp unit.

Berkshire got a $183 million boost in the quarter from its acquisition of 80% of the Pilot Flying J network of truck stops that it made at the start of the year, but the quarterly report made no mention of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-haslam-pilot-truck-stops-lawsuit-11f34a6f0494e53c80ea8b13635eb21e">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;Pilot's founding family recently filed to settle a dispute over how much Berkshire will pay to eventually acquire the remaining 20%.

Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan said he wonders if that dispute with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-minnesota-timberwolves-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-bd353caa6bfd1e73363e05fa49a6de2b">Haslam family</a>&nbsp;will hurt Berkshire's reputation as a benevolent acquirer of companies. Buffett is known for holding acquisitions long term and largely letting Berkshire's companies run themselves with little interference from headquarters. That hasn't been the case with Pilot, where Berkshire installed a new CEO early this year. The Haslams have said Berkshire was the only company they considered selling to back in 2017 when they agreed to the deal because of their respect for Berkshire and Buffett.

“I wonder if this has harmed his reputation in the marketplace where they might be interested in selling to Berkshire, but then they see this situation with the Haslam family and it gives them some pause,” Shanahan said.

Berkshire did repurchase $1.1 billion of its own stock in the quarter, but the pace of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-bernie-sanders-elizabeth-business-6c69b831189756bd8dcd252c3ac7ab97">its buybacks</a>&nbsp;is down considerably from the first quarter, when it bought $4.4 billion of Berkshire shares. Buffett only buys back Berkshire’s shares when he believes they are selling for a bargain.

Buffett continues to sit on a massive pile of cash because he hasn't made any major investments or acquisitions this year. Berkshire had $157.2 billion in cash at the end of the quarter, up from $147.4 billion at the end of the second quarter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692383300944.jpeg" alt="FILE - Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, smiles as he plays bridge following the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Neb., May 5, 2019. Buffett’s company appears to be betting on the housing market picking up because Berkshire Hathaway bought more than $700 million worth of homebuilder DR Horton’s stock in the spring of 2023 along with smaller stakes in fellow builders Lennar Corp. and NVR Corp. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, smiles as he plays bridge following the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Neb., May 5, 2019. Buffett’s company appears to be betting on the housing market picking up because Berkshire Hathaway bought more than $700 million worth of homebuilder DR Horton’s stock in the spring of 2023 along with smaller stakes in fellow builders Lennar Corp. and NVR Corp. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett's company has reported a nearly $13 billion loss in the third quarter as the paper value of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-portfolio-investments-fcb74a2ee0aaf61a9416e96c51983892">investments</a>&nbsp;fell, but the companies it owns — particularly the insurers — generally performed well.Berkshire Hathaway said Saturday that it lost $12.8 billion, or $8,824 per Class A share, in the quarter. That's significantly bigger than the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-earnings-omaha-warren-buffett-7e237194812d0b04aff584e225d29683">$2.8 billion loss</a>, or $1,907 per Class A share, that it reported a year ago.But most of those investment losses are unrealized because Berkshire didn't actually sell most of its stocks with its biggest holding being a massive stake in Apple. Accounting rules require it to include the value of its investments, which it put at $341.1 billion at the end of the quarter, in its earnings.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-earnings-second-quarter-9681b4761e8d81d7ca13c7d5507b1996">Last quarter</a>, it said its stock portfolio was worth $353 billion.That's why Buffett has long said investors are better served focusing on Berkshire's operating earnings, which exclude the value of its investments that can vary widely quarter to quarter. By that measure, Berkshire said its operating profit jumped nearly 41% to $10.8 billion, or $7,437.15 per Class A share. That's up from $7.65 billion, or $5,215.60 per Class A share, a year ago.The three analysts surveyed by FactSet Research expected Berkshire to report operating earnings per share of $6,540.23 on average.Berkshire's insurance unit was helped by relatively low losses related to major catastrophes like hurricanes this year and a rebound in Geico's profits. Altogether, Berkshire's insurers contributed $2.4 billion to its operating profit. A year ago, the insurers reported a $1.1 billion loss in the third quarter.CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert said the insurance results reflect Berkshire's pricing power in commercial and reinsurance because it was able to raise rates on many of its policies, and the changes Geico made.Geico improved its profits by raising its rates nearly 17% over the past year and cutting the number of policies it writes by 13%. Seifert said that helps in the short run, but investors probably won't learn more about Berkshire's long-term strategy at Geico until the annual meeting next May because Berkshire doesn't take questions on its quarterly reports like most companies do.“I think strategically investors are going to want to know what the go-forward strategy for Geico is because they’re really pulling back and that’s helping results. Strategically, that’s not always sustainable,” Seifert said.In addition to insurers, the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate owns BNSF railroad, several major utilities and an eclectic assortment of manufacturing and retail firms including aviation parts maker Precision Castparts, See's Candy, Dairy Queen and Helzberg Diamonds.Profits fell at the railroad to $1.2 billion from last year's $1.4 billion as BNSF hauled nearly 5% fewer shipments with the biggest drop in volume coming in consumer products.The utility unit contributed only $498 million to Berkshire's operating profit, down from $1.6 billion a year ago as its operating expenses soared 55% to $3.7 billion. The biggest driver in that increase in expenses was a $1.3 billion loss related to wildfires at its PacifiCorp unit.Berkshire got a $183 million boost in the quarter from its acquisition of 80% of the Pilot Flying J network of truck stops that it made at the start of the year, but the quarterly report made no mention of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-haslam-pilot-truck-stops-lawsuit-11f34a6f0494e53c80ea8b13635eb21e">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;Pilot's founding family recently filed to settle a dispute over how much Berkshire will pay to eventually acquire the remaining 20%.Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan said he wonders if that dispute with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-minnesota-timberwolves-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-bd353caa6bfd1e73363e05fa49a6de2b">Haslam family</a>&nbsp;will hurt Berkshire's reputation as a benevolent acquirer of companies. Buffett is known for holding acquisitions long term and largely letting Berkshire's companies run themselves with little interference from headquarters. That hasn't been the case with Pilot, where Berkshire installed a new CEO early this year. The Haslams have said Berkshire was the only company they considered selling to back in 2017 when they agreed to the deal because of their respect for Berkshire and Buffett.“I wonder if this has harmed his reputation in the marketplace where they might be interested in selling to Berkshire, but then they see this situation with the Haslam family and it gives them some pause,” Shanahan said.Berkshire did repurchase $1.1 billion of its own stock in the quarter, but the pace of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-bernie-sanders-elizabeth-business-6c69b831189756bd8dcd252c3ac7ab97">its buybacks</a>&nbsp;is down considerably from the first quarter, when it bought $4.4 billion of Berkshire shares. Buffett only buys back Berkshire’s shares when he believes they are selling for a bargain.Buffett continues to sit on a massive pile of cash because he hasn't made any major investments or acquisitions this year. Berkshire had $157.2 billion in cash at the end of the quarter, up from $147.4 billion at the end of the second quarter.

Warren Buffett's firm reports $12.8 billion loss as investments fall but its insurers performed well

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/03/arizonas-kari-lake-to-headline-nebraska-gop-fundraiser-for-up-to-10000-a-ticket/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The first Nebraska Republican Party fundraiser of 2024 features former television reporter, U.S. Senate candidate and election denier Kari Lake of Arizona. She visits Omaha on Jan. 5, the eve of the third anniversary of the storming of the U.S. Capitol.

Lake, a Republican who lost her 2022 gubernatorial election to Democrat Katie Hobbs in Arizona, is r<a target="_blank" href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/11/01/arizona-senate-polls-whos-leading-between-sinema-gallego-and-lake/71400431007/">unning a 2024 race</a>&nbsp;against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in December. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is running as well.

Like a man she calls her political muse, former President Donald Trump, Lake denies losing her race. Lake rose to national prominence by embracing Trump’s rejection of his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden. She sharply criticized Republicans who acknowledged his defeat.

She is visiting Nebraska during an Iowa campaign trip for Trump. Her event is the latest push to excite the base by new leadership of the Nebraska GOP, which in July 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/09/old-guard-conservatives-and-trump-populists-take-nebraska-gop-from-ricketts/">ousted a team</a>&nbsp;loyal to then-Gov. Pete Ricketts. The new team includes similarly Trump-focused Republicans.

Party spokeswoman Dawn Liphardt said Nebraska conservatives are interested in Republicans retaking the Senate and are interested in Arizona’s race. She called Lake “a strong speaker” who will “get Republicans excited” about the 2024 elections locally, which include two Senate races.

Lake is well-liked among some conservatives for aggressively critiquing members of the press and for her loyalty to Trump and his populist approach to politics. Like him, she emphasizes border security.

The Nebraska GOP announced the event by email, selling $50 general admission tickets, $25 tickets for booster club members, $600 for a book signing with Lake, and a $10,000-per-person VIP event before the candidate speaks at 7 p.m. at CHI Center Omaha.

Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb said the Lake fundraiser shows the Nebraska GOP “doubling down with their election denying and reproductive rights denying strategy.”

That, Kleeb said, risks turning off voters and flipping more seats the Democrats’ way.

GOP-led Nebraska is no swing state. Trump won the state easily in 2020, beating Biden in two of the state’s three congressional districts. But Trump lost an Electoral College vote to Biden in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District.&nbsp;

Nebraska, like Maine, awards a single electoral vote to the presidential popular vote winners in each of the state’s three congressional districts. The Nebraska Legislature has been discussing moving back to winner-take-all elections.

Omaha-area state senators and voters have pushed back against such proposals, arguing that the state benefits economically from the spending by both presidential campaigns competing for the electoral vote that might prove vital in a close race.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699161413112.jpeg" alt="The Nebraska Republican Party is hosting Arizona U.S. Senate candidate, television reporter and election denier Kari Lake on Jan. 5 in Omaha. (Screenshot of tweet from X)" />
 <figcaption>The Nebraska Republican Party is hosting Arizona U.S. Senate candidate, television reporter and election denier Kari Lake on Jan. 5 in Omaha. (Screenshot of tweet from X)</figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/03/arizonas-kari-lake-to-headline-nebraska-gop-fundraiser-for-up-to-10000-a-ticket/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The first Nebraska Republican Party fundraiser of 2024 features former television reporter, U.S. Senate candidate and election denier Kari Lake of Arizona. She visits Omaha on Jan. 5, the eve of the third anniversary of the storming of the U.S. Capitol.Lake, a Republican who lost her 2022 gubernatorial election to Democrat Katie Hobbs in Arizona, is r<a target="_blank" href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/11/01/arizona-senate-polls-whos-leading-between-sinema-gallego-and-lake/71400431007/">unning a 2024 race</a>&nbsp;against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in December. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is running as well.Like a man she calls her political muse, former President Donald Trump, Lake denies losing her race. Lake rose to national prominence by embracing Trump’s rejection of his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden. She sharply criticized Republicans who acknowledged his defeat.She is visiting Nebraska during an Iowa campaign trip for Trump. Her event is the latest push to excite the base by new leadership of the Nebraska GOP, which in July 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/09/old-guard-conservatives-and-trump-populists-take-nebraska-gop-from-ricketts/">ousted a team</a>&nbsp;loyal to then-Gov. Pete Ricketts. The new team includes similarly Trump-focused Republicans.Party spokeswoman Dawn Liphardt said Nebraska conservatives are interested in Republicans retaking the Senate and are interested in Arizona’s race. She called Lake “a strong speaker” who will “get Republicans excited” about the 2024 elections locally, which include two Senate races.Lake is well-liked among some conservatives for aggressively critiquing members of the press and for her loyalty to Trump and his populist approach to politics. Like him, she emphasizes border security.The Nebraska GOP announced the event by email, selling $50 general admission tickets, $25 tickets for booster club members, $600 for a book signing with Lake, and a $10,000-per-person VIP event before the candidate speaks at 7 p.m. at CHI Center Omaha.<h2>‘Doubling down’</h2>Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb said the Lake fundraiser shows the Nebraska GOP “doubling down with their election denying and reproductive rights denying strategy.”That, Kleeb said, risks turning off voters and flipping more seats the Democrats’ way.GOP-led Nebraska is no swing state. Trump won the state easily in 2020, beating Biden in two of the state’s three congressional districts. But Trump lost an Electoral College vote to Biden in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District.&nbsp;Nebraska, like Maine, awards a single electoral vote to the presidential popular vote winners in each of the state’s three congressional districts. The Nebraska Legislature has been discussing moving back to winner-take-all elections.Omaha-area state senators and voters have pushed back against such proposals, arguing that the state benefits economically from the spending by both presidential campaigns competing for the electoral vote that might prove vital in a close race.

Arizona’s Kari Lake to headline Nebraska GOP fundraiser for up to $10,000 a ticket

With the election of Speaker Mike Johnson, the House is back to work. We certainly have our work cut out for us as we fulfill our responsibilities to the American people. Speaker Johnson hit the ground running to responsibly fund our priorities, including our support for Israel.

Supporting our greatest ally in the Middle East as they battle the ruthless enemy that is Hamas is an urgent priority. Regionally, Israel is in a precarious position, and our support for them is vital as their neighbors make clear their desire to wipe Israel off the map.

Immediately following the election of Speaker Johnson, the House acted swiftly to pass a resolution expressing our support of Israel and their right to defend themselves from Hamas’ sudden and barbaric attacks on October 7, 2023. Before and after these horrendous attacks, Hamas has been abundantly clear their goal is total annihilation of Israel and the Jewish people.

I’m pleased Congress acted this week to bolster humanitarian and military support for Israel. To help offset the cost, we included a provision in the bill to rescind the IRS enforcement dollars included Democrats’ Inflation Act. If this sounds familiar it’s because my bill to rescind these funds – the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act – was the first bill passed by the House in the 118th Congress. The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act was supported by every House Republican, but unfortunately the Senate has yet to take up the bill. I’m hopeful Democrats in the House and Senate will take the opportunity to take these funds from IRS and instead use them to responsibly support Israel.&nbsp;

As Ukraine continues to defend itself against Vladimir Putin’s invasion, we must carefully define our objectives and ensure taxpayer dollars are wisely and properly utilized. This is why I recently joined several of my colleagues, led by Rep. Mike Garcia, in sending a letter to President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin outlining why it’s important to address Ukraine and Israel funding as separate questions. The letter outlines 12 key questions the administration must address regarding ongoing American support for Ukraine, including a defined win strategy, cost estimates, the effectiveness of sanctions on Russia, maintaining accountability for the use of resources, and ensuring our commitments to Taiwan, Israel, and other strategic partnerships are not compromised.&nbsp;

Looking ahead, Congress must also finish our work on appropriations. Our best available avenue to address wasteful discretionary spending is by returning to fiscal sanity when considering the 12 annual appropriations bills. As of this week, the House has passed 7 of those 12 bills, and I look forward to finishing this important work in the coming weeks.&nbsp;

Adrian SmithWith the election of Speaker Mike Johnson, the House is back to work. We certainly have our work cut out for us as we fulfill our responsibilities to the American people. Speaker Johnson hit the ground running to responsibly fund our priorities, including our support for Israel.Supporting our greatest ally in the Middle East as they battle the ruthless enemy that is Hamas is an urgent priority. Regionally, Israel is in a precarious position, and our support for them is vital as their neighbors make clear their desire to wipe Israel off the map.Immediately following the election of Speaker Johnson, the House acted swiftly to pass a resolution expressing our support of Israel and their right to defend themselves from Hamas’ sudden and barbaric attacks on October 7, 2023. Before and after these horrendous attacks, Hamas has been abundantly clear their goal is total annihilation of Israel and the Jewish people.I’m pleased Congress acted this week to bolster humanitarian and military support for Israel. To help offset the cost, we included a provision in the bill to rescind the IRS enforcement dollars included Democrats’ Inflation Act. If this sounds familiar it’s because my bill to rescind these funds – the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act – was the first bill passed by the House in the 118th Congress. The Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act was supported by every House Republican, but unfortunately the Senate has yet to take up the bill. I’m hopeful Democrats in the House and Senate will take the opportunity to take these funds from IRS and instead use them to responsibly support Israel.&nbsp;As Ukraine continues to defend itself against Vladimir Putin’s invasion, we must carefully define our objectives and ensure taxpayer dollars are wisely and properly utilized. This is why I recently joined several of my colleagues, led by Rep. Mike Garcia, in sending a letter to President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin outlining why it’s important to address Ukraine and Israel funding as separate questions. The letter outlines 12 key questions the administration must address regarding ongoing American support for Ukraine, including a defined win strategy, cost estimates, the effectiveness of sanctions on Russia, maintaining accountability for the use of resources, and ensuring our commitments to Taiwan, Israel, and other strategic partnerships are not compromised.&nbsp;Looking ahead, Congress must also finish our work on appropriations. Our best available avenue to address wasteful discretionary spending is by returning to fiscal sanity when considering the 12 annual appropriations bills. As of this week, the House has passed 7 of those 12 bills, and I look forward to finishing this important work in the coming weeks.&nbsp;Additionally, I am a strong supporter of a bill, the Fiscal Commission Act, to create a bipartisan, 16-member commission to implement policies to reduce the deficit, cut spending, and improve our nation’s long-term fiscal outlook.Shortly after he was elected, I joined 60 of my House GOP colleagues in a letter to Speaker Johnson urging prioritization of Farm Bill reauthorization. After meeting with the House Agriculture Committee last week, the speaker expressed his desire to get the Farm Bill passed. Realistically, with the end-of-year deadline fast approaching, Congress should be prepared for a temporary Farm Bill extension to ensure these important programs do not lapse while we finish our work on reauthorization.The election of Speaker Johnson is a great step forward for the House and our country. While our challenges are great, I’m glad the House has gotten back to business for the American people.