OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska prosecutors have decided not to seek the death penalty in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-stabbed-rectory-gutgsell-c48a12fd9ad044709e8ebbb8f53e4eab">December killing</a>&nbsp;of a Catholic priest inside his home but will pursue execution in the brutal killing of a retiree during a break-in that happened in the same tiny town four months earlier.

Kierre Williams has been charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/priest-catholic-nebraska-attack-archdiocese-eb7a0cba27d5c11ca075f0ba479ce5a6">fatally stabbing</a>&nbsp;the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, 65, during a break-in at the rectory next door to St. John the Baptist Church in Fort Calhoun just hours before he was scheduled to lead mass on Dec. 10.

William Collins, meanwhile, has been charged with shooting Linda Childers, 71, with a crossbow three times in her back, neck and face before slitting her throat after breaking into her isolated home about a mile north of the community in August.

Investigators haven't found any connection between the suspects and victims in either case, which is part of what has made them&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-priest-woman-killed-community-reacts-896ccd64f049303fb79bc36e08b92d01">so troubling</a>&nbsp;to the roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-killed-gutgsell-e634b68f496074893b58eb45229805ed">1,100 residents</a>&nbsp;of the town that sits only 8 miles (12.87 kilometers) north of Omaha near the Missouri River.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to murder, burglary and weapons charges; Collins also faces assault and theft charges that he's pleaded not guilty to. They're both scheduled to return to court next Tuesday to ask the judge to order prosecutors to provide more details about the charges against them.

Collins' attorney didn't immediately respond to a message about his case Tuesday, but has previously declined to discuss the case outside of court. Judge Bryan Meismer earlier this month rejected a motion to have the death penalty ruled out as unconstitutional in Collins’ case on grounds that courts have held in other cases that Nebraska’s death penalty is constitutional and it’s too early to determine if it is being applied fairly.

Williams’ attorney, Brian Craig, said the charges against him don’t include any of the requirements under state law for someone to be sentenced to death. A sheriff’s deputy who responded to the priest’s 911 call found Williams, 43, sprawled across Gutgsell, who was bleeding profusely.

“Based on the allegations, as they’ve been set forth, there aren’t any aggravating circumstances ... that would support a finding of aggravating circumstances that would subject Mr. Williams to the death penalty,” said Craig, who is with the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy that serves as the public defender in many murder cases across the state.

In the charges against Collins, prosecutors spelled out three aggravating circumstances they plan to prove to justify the death penalty if he is convicted. They say Childers' killing was especially heinous and cruel, and she was killed partly to conceal Collins' identity or another crime.

A family member found Childers' body in a pool of blood in her kitchen a day after she was killed.

Authorities have said Collins took her vehicle, purse and shotgun and fled to Texas where the 30-year-old was arrested about two weeks later.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707420437890.jpeg" alt="FILE - Kierre Williams, right, sits with his attorneys in court, Jan. 3, 2024, in Blair, Neb. Williams of Sioux City, Iowa, pleaded not guilty Thursday, Feb. 8, in the attack that killed the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, who was fatally stabbed on Dec. 10, 2023, inside the rectory for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in tiny Fort Calhoun, Neb. (AP Photo/Josh Funk, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Kierre Williams, right, sits with his attorneys in court, Jan. 3, 2024, in Blair, Neb. Williams of Sioux City, Iowa, pleaded not guilty Thursday, Feb. 8, in the attack that killed the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, who was fatally stabbed on Dec. 10, 2023, inside the rectory for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in tiny Fort Calhoun, Neb. (AP Photo/Josh Funk, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska prosecutors have decided not to seek the death penalty in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-stabbed-rectory-gutgsell-c48a12fd9ad044709e8ebbb8f53e4eab">December killing</a>&nbsp;of a Catholic priest inside his home but will pursue execution in the brutal killing of a retiree during a break-in that happened in the same tiny town four months earlier.Kierre Williams has been charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/priest-catholic-nebraska-attack-archdiocese-eb7a0cba27d5c11ca075f0ba479ce5a6">fatally stabbing</a>&nbsp;the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, 65, during a break-in at the rectory next door to St. John the Baptist Church in Fort Calhoun just hours before he was scheduled to lead mass on Dec. 10.William Collins, meanwhile, has been charged with shooting Linda Childers, 71, with a crossbow three times in her back, neck and face before slitting her throat after breaking into her isolated home about a mile north of the community in August.Investigators haven't found any connection between the suspects and victims in either case, which is part of what has made them&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-priest-woman-killed-community-reacts-896ccd64f049303fb79bc36e08b92d01">so troubling</a>&nbsp;to the roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-killed-gutgsell-e634b68f496074893b58eb45229805ed">1,100 residents</a>&nbsp;of the town that sits only 8 miles (12.87 kilometers) north of Omaha near the Missouri River.Both men have pleaded not guilty to murder, burglary and weapons charges; Collins also faces assault and theft charges that he's pleaded not guilty to. They're both scheduled to return to court next Tuesday to ask the judge to order prosecutors to provide more details about the charges against them.Collins' attorney didn't immediately respond to a message about his case Tuesday, but has previously declined to discuss the case outside of court. Judge Bryan Meismer earlier this month rejected a motion to have the death penalty ruled out as unconstitutional in Collins’ case on grounds that courts have held in other cases that Nebraska’s death penalty is constitutional and it’s too early to determine if it is being applied fairly.Williams’ attorney, Brian Craig, said the charges against him don’t include any of the requirements under state law for someone to be sentenced to death. A sheriff’s deputy who responded to the priest’s 911 call found Williams, 43, sprawled across Gutgsell, who was bleeding profusely.“Based on the allegations, as they’ve been set forth, there aren’t any aggravating circumstances ... that would support a finding of aggravating circumstances that would subject Mr. Williams to the death penalty,” said Craig, who is with the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy that serves as the public defender in many murder cases across the state.In the charges against Collins, prosecutors spelled out three aggravating circumstances they plan to prove to justify the death penalty if he is convicted. They say Childers' killing was especially heinous and cruel, and she was killed partly to conceal Collins' identity or another crime.A family member found Childers' body in a pool of blood in her kitchen a day after she was killed.Authorities have said Collins took her vehicle, purse and shotgun and fled to Texas where the 30-year-old was arrested about two weeks later.

Nebraska prosecutors to pursue death penalty in only one of two grisly small-town killings

NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” has died. He was 76.

Lewis, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/richard-lewis-parkinsons-b61b2a314bc230d933903ff67ca1cbff">revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease</a>&nbsp;in 2023, died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack, according to his publicist Jeff Abraham.

A regular performer in clubs and on late-night TV for decades, Lewis also played Marty Gold, the romantic co-lead opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, in the ABC series “Anything But Love” and the reliably neurotic Prince John in “Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men In Tights.” He re-introduced himself to a new generation opposite Larry David in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” kvetching regularly.

“I'm paranoid about everything in my life. Even at home. On my stationary bike, I have a rear-view mirror, which I'm not thrilled about,” he once joked onstage. To Jimmy Kimmel he said: “This morning, I tried to go to bed. I couldn't sleep. I counted sheep but I only had six of them and they all had hip replacements.”

Comedy Central named Lewis one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time and he earned a berth in GQ magazine’s list of the “20th Century’s Most Influential Humorists.” He lent his humor for charity causes, including Comic Relief and Comedy Gives Back.

“Watching his stand-up is like sitting in on a very funny and often dark therapy session,” the Los Angeles Times said in 2014. The Philadelphia’s City Paper called him “the Jimi Hendrix of monologists.” Mel Brooks once said he "may just be the Franz Kafka of modern-day comedy.”

Comedians took to social media Wednesday to share their thoughts, including Albert Books who called Lewis “a brilliantly funny man who will missed by all. The world needed him now more than ever” on X, formerly Twitter. Other tributes came from Bette Midler, Michael McKean and Paul Feig, who called Lewis "one of the funniest people on the planet."

Following his graduation from The Ohio State University in 1969, the New York-born Lewis began a stand-up career, honing his craft on the circuit with other contemporaries also just starting out like Jay Leno, Freddie Prinze and Billy Crystal.

He recalled Rodney Dangerfield hiring him for $75 to fill in at his New York club, Dangerfield’s. “I had a lot of great friends early on who believed in me, and I met pretty iconic people who really helped me, told me to keep working on my material. And I never looked back,” he told The Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2010.

Unlike contemporary Robin Williams, Lewis allowed audiences into his world and melancholy, pouring his torment and pain onto the stage. Fans favorably compared him to the ground-breaking comedian Lenny Bruce.

“I take great pains not to be mean-spirited,” Lewis told The Palm Beach Post in 2007. “I don’t like to take real handicaps that people have to overcome with no hope in sight. I steer clear of that. That’s not funny to me. Tragedy is funny to other humorists, but it’s not to me, unless you can make a point that’s helpful.”

Singer Billy Joel has said he was referring to Lewis when he sang in “My Life” of an old friend who “bought a ticket to the West Coast/Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A.”

In 1989 at Carnegie Hall, he appeared with six feet of yellow legal sheets filled with material and taped together for a 2½-hour set that led to two standing ovations. The night was “the highlight of my career,” he told The Washington Post in 2020.

Lewis told GQ his signature look came incidentally, saying his obsession with dressing in black came from watching the television Western “Have Gun – Will Travel,” with a cowboy in all-black, when he was a kid. He also popularized the term “from hell” — as in “the date from hell” or “the job from hell.”

“That just came out of my brain one day and I kept repeating it a lot for some reason. Same thing with the black clothes. I just felt really comfortable from the early ’80s on and I never wore anything else. I never looked back.”

After getting sober from drugs and alcohol in 1994, Lewis put out his 2008 memoir, “The Other Great Depression” — a collection of fearless, essay style riffs on his life — and “Reflections from Hell.”

Lewis was the youngest of three siblings — his brother was older than him by six years, and his sister by nine. His father died young and his mother had emotional problems. “She didn’t get me at all. I owe my career to my mother. I should have given her my agent’s commission,” he told The Washington Post in 2020.

“Looking back on it now, as a full-blown, middle-aged, functioning anxiety collector, I can admit without cringing that my parents had their fair share of tremendous qualities, yet, being human much of the day, had more than just a handful of flaws as well,” he wrote in his memoir.

Lewis quickly found a new family performing at New York’s Improv. “I was 23, and all sorts of people were coming in and out and watching me, like Steve Allen and Bette Midler. David Brenner certainly took me under his wing. To drive home to my little dump in New Jersey often knowing that Steve Allen said, ‘You got it,’ that validation kept me going in a big, big way.”

He had a cameo in “Leaving Las Vegas,” which led to his first major dramatic role as Jimmy Epstein, an addict fighting for his life in the indie film, “Drunks.” He played Don Rickles’ son on one season of “Daddy Dearest” and a rabbi on “7th Heaven.”

Lewis’ recurring role on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” can be credited directly to his friendship with fellow comedian, producer and series star Larry David. Both native Brooklynites — born in the same Brooklyn hospital — they first met and became friends as rivals while attending the same summer camp at age 13. He was cast from the beginning, bickering with David on unpaid bills and common courtesies.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce Lapinsky.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709156751673.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” has died. He was 76.Lewis, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/richard-lewis-parkinsons-b61b2a314bc230d933903ff67ca1cbff">revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease</a>&nbsp;in 2023, died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack, according to his publicist Jeff Abraham.A regular performer in clubs and on late-night TV for decades, Lewis also played Marty Gold, the romantic co-lead opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, in the ABC series “Anything But Love” and the reliably neurotic Prince John in “Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men In Tights.” He re-introduced himself to a new generation opposite Larry David in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” kvetching regularly.“I'm paranoid about everything in my life. Even at home. On my stationary bike, I have a rear-view mirror, which I'm not thrilled about,” he once joked onstage. To Jimmy Kimmel he said: “This morning, I tried to go to bed. I couldn't sleep. I counted sheep but I only had six of them and they all had hip replacements.”Comedy Central named Lewis one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time and he earned a berth in GQ magazine’s list of the “20th Century’s Most Influential Humorists.” He lent his humor for charity causes, including Comic Relief and Comedy Gives Back.“Watching his stand-up is like sitting in on a very funny and often dark therapy session,” the Los Angeles Times said in 2014. The Philadelphia’s City Paper called him “the Jimi Hendrix of monologists.” Mel Brooks once said he "may just be the Franz Kafka of modern-day comedy.”Comedians took to social media Wednesday to share their thoughts, including Albert Books who called Lewis “a brilliantly funny man who will missed by all. The world needed him now more than ever” on X, formerly Twitter. Other tributes came from Bette Midler, Michael McKean and Paul Feig, who called Lewis "one of the funniest people on the planet."Following his graduation from The Ohio State University in 1969, the New York-born Lewis began a stand-up career, honing his craft on the circuit with other contemporaries also just starting out like Jay Leno, Freddie Prinze and Billy Crystal.He recalled Rodney Dangerfield hiring him for $75 to fill in at his New York club, Dangerfield’s. “I had a lot of great friends early on who believed in me, and I met pretty iconic people who really helped me, told me to keep working on my material. And I never looked back,” he told The Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2010.Unlike contemporary Robin Williams, Lewis allowed audiences into his world and melancholy, pouring his torment and pain onto the stage. Fans favorably compared him to the ground-breaking comedian Lenny Bruce.“I take great pains not to be mean-spirited,” Lewis told The Palm Beach Post in 2007. “I don’t like to take real handicaps that people have to overcome with no hope in sight. I steer clear of that. That’s not funny to me. Tragedy is funny to other humorists, but it’s not to me, unless you can make a point that’s helpful.”Singer Billy Joel has said he was referring to Lewis when he sang in “My Life” of an old friend who “bought a ticket to the West Coast/Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A.”In 1989 at Carnegie Hall, he appeared with six feet of yellow legal sheets filled with material and taped together for a 2½-hour set that led to two standing ovations. The night was “the highlight of my career,” he told The Washington Post in 2020.Lewis told GQ his signature look came incidentally, saying his obsession with dressing in black came from watching the television Western “Have Gun – Will Travel,” with a cowboy in all-black, when he was a kid. He also popularized the term “from hell” — as in “the date from hell” or “the job from hell.”“That just came out of my brain one day and I kept repeating it a lot for some reason. Same thing with the black clothes. I just felt really comfortable from the early ’80s on and I never wore anything else. I never looked back.”After getting sober from drugs and alcohol in 1994, Lewis put out his 2008 memoir, “The Other Great Depression” — a collection of fearless, essay style riffs on his life — and “Reflections from Hell.”Lewis was the youngest of three siblings — his brother was older than him by six years, and his sister by nine. His father died young and his mother had emotional problems. “She didn’t get me at all. I owe my career to my mother. I should have given her my agent’s commission,” he told The Washington Post in 2020.“Looking back on it now, as a full-blown, middle-aged, functioning anxiety collector, I can admit without cringing that my parents had their fair share of tremendous qualities, yet, being human much of the day, had more than just a handful of flaws as well,” he wrote in his memoir.Lewis quickly found a new family performing at New York’s Improv. “I was 23, and all sorts of people were coming in and out and watching me, like Steve Allen and Bette Midler. David Brenner certainly took me under his wing. To drive home to my little dump in New Jersey often knowing that Steve Allen said, ‘You got it,’ that validation kept me going in a big, big way.”He had a cameo in “Leaving Las Vegas,” which led to his first major dramatic role as Jimmy Epstein, an addict fighting for his life in the indie film, “Drunks.” He played Don Rickles’ son on one season of “Daddy Dearest” and a rabbi on “7th Heaven.”Lewis’ recurring role on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” can be credited directly to his friendship with fellow comedian, producer and series star Larry David. Both native Brooklynites — born in the same Brooklyn hospital — they first met and became friends as rivals while attending the same summer camp at age 13. He was cast from the beginning, bickering with David on unpaid bills and common courtesies.He is survived by his wife, Joyce Lapinsky.

Richard Lewis, comedian and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ star, dies at 76

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/senators/majority-minority-leaders.htm">longest-serving Senate leader in history</a>&nbsp;who maintained his power in the face of dramatic convulsions in the Republican Party for almost two decades, will step down from that position in November.

McConnell, who turned 82 last week, was set to announce his decision Wednesday in the well of the Senate, a place where he looked in awe from its back benches in 1985 when he arrived and where he grew increasingly comfortable in the front row seat afforded the party leaders.

“One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” he said in prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press. “So I stand before you today ... to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”

His decision punctuates a powerful ideological transition underway in the Republican Party, from Ronald Reagan’s brand of traditional conservatism and strong international alliances, to the fiery, often isolationist populism of former President Donald Trump.

McConnell said he plans to serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027, “albeit from a different seat in the chamber.” Aides said McConnell’s announcement about the leadership post was unrelated to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-mitch-mcconnell-freeze-health-concussion-960af7f541b05754011171754acfe94f">his health</a>. The Kentucky senator had a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-fetterman-feinstein-absence-return-fall-d210f345020c9593ba2940edc71874ac">concussion</a>&nbsp;from a fall last year and two public episodes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-gop-leader-mcconnell-health-freeze-up-c5b43745251daa0bb63636ceff4edce2">where his face briefly froze</a>&nbsp;while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-freeze-senate-fall-republican-leader-f18008b314c5907ba0111f6891c9a0d3">he was speaking.</a>

“As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work,” McConnell said in his prepared remarks. “A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. It arrived today.”

The senator had been under increasing pressure from the restive, and at times hostile wing of his party that has aligned firmly with Trump.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-trump-fed-lies-to-mob-36871d68df56a10be1c46ed364ad6de6">The two have been estranged</a>&nbsp;since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-gop-electoral-college-34fb478601b72b3e8049f12371670001">December 2020</a>, when McConnell refused to abide Trump’s lie that the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president was the product of fraud.

But while McConnell's critics within the GOP conference had grown louder, their numbers had not grown appreciably larger, a marker of McConnell’s strategic and tactical skill and his ability to understand the needs of his fellow Republican senators.

McConnell gave no specific reason for the timing of his decision, which he has been contemplating for months, but he cited the recent death of his wife's youngest sister as a moment that prompted introspection. “The end of my contributions are closer than I’d prefer,” McConnell said.

But his remarks were also light at times as he talked about the arc of his Senate career.

He noted that when he arrived in the Senate, “I was just happy if anybody remembered my name.” During his campaign in 1984, when Reagan was visiting Kentucky, the president called him “Mitch O’Donnell.”

McConnell endorsed Reagan’s view of America’s role in the world and the senator has persisted in face of opposition, including from Trump, that Congress should include a foreign assistance package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine.

“I am unconflicted about the good within our country and the irreplaceable role we play as the leader of the free world," McConnell said.

Against long odds he managed to secure 22 Republican votes for the package now being considered by the House.

“Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time. I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them," McConnell said. "That said, I believe more strongly than ever that America’s global leadership is essential to preserving the shining city on a hill that Ronald Reagan discussed. For as long as I am drawing breath on this earth I will defend American exceptionalism.”

Trump has pulled the party hard to the ideological right, questioning longtime military alliances such as NATO, international trade agreements and pushing for a severe crackdown on immigration, all the while clinging to the falsehood that the election was stolen from him in 2020.

McConnell and Trump had worked together in Trump’s first term, remaking the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary in a far more conservative image, and on tax legislation. But there was also friction from the start, with Trump frequently sniping at the senator.

Their relationship has essentially been over since Trump refused to accept the results of the Electoral College. But the rupture deepened dramatically after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. McConnell assigned blame and responsibility to Trump and said that he should be held to account through the criminal justice system for his actions.

McConnell’s critics insist he could have done more, including voting to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-impeachments-trump-impeachment-mitch-mcconnell-0a14d2e41e376331580b98a992f7d856#:~:text=Mitch%20McConnell%20delivered%20a%20scalding,face%20trial%20in%20the%20Senate.">McConnell did not</a>, arguing that since Trump was no longer in office, he could not be subject to impeachment.

Rather than fade from prominence after the Capitol riot, Trump continued to assert his control over the party, and finds himself on a clear glidepath to the Republican nomination. Other members of the Republican Senate leadership have endorsed Trump. McConnell has not, and that has drawn criticism from other Republican senators.

McConnell’s path to power was hardly linear, but from the day he walked onto the Senate floor in 1985 and took his seat as the most junior Republican senator, he set his sights on being the party leader. What set him apart was that so many other Senate leaders wanted to run for president. McConnell wanted to run the Senate. He lost races for lower party positions before steadily ascending, and finally became party leader in 2006 and has won nine straight elections.

He most recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-mitch-mcconnell-congress-9f1be1d3635127dbb3e17a3fae1ac86d">beat back a challenge</a>&nbsp;led by Sen. Rick Scott of Florida last November.

McConnell built his power base by a combination of care and nurturing of his members, including understanding their political imperatives. After seeing the potential peril of a rising Tea Party, he also established a super political action committee, The Senate Leadership Fund, which has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Republican candidates.

Despite the concerns about his health, colleagues have said in recent months that they believe he has recovered. McConnell was not impaired cognitively, but did have some additional physical limitations.

“I love the Senate,” he said in his prepared remarks. “It has been my life. There may be more distinguished members of this body throughout our history, but I doubt there are any with more admiration for it.”

But, he added, "Father Time remains undefeated. I am no longer the young man sitting in the back, hoping colleagues would remember my name. It is time for the next generation of leadership.”

There would be a time to reminisce, he said, but not today.

“I still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm which they have become accustomed.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709141686980.png" alt="Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell during his resignation announcement Wednesday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell during his resignation announcement Wednesday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/senators/majority-minority-leaders.htm">longest-serving Senate leader in history</a>&nbsp;who maintained his power in the face of dramatic convulsions in the Republican Party for almost two decades, will step down from that position in November.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderMcConnell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderMcConnell</a>: &quot;I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace&quot; about the sunset of my work. A moment when he is certain he has helped preserve the ideals he so strongly believe. That day arrived today.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/i7WHBKrevg">pic.twitter.com/i7WHBKrevg</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1762896662136070491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>McConnell, who turned 82 last week, was set to announce his decision Wednesday in the well of the Senate, a place where he looked in awe from its back benches in 1985 when he arrived and where he grew increasingly comfortable in the front row seat afforded the party leaders.“One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” he said in prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press. “So I stand before you today ... to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”His decision punctuates a powerful ideological transition underway in the Republican Party, from Ronald Reagan’s brand of traditional conservatism and strong international alliances, to the fiery, often isolationist populism of former President Donald Trump.McConnell said he plans to serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027, “albeit from a different seat in the chamber.” Aides said McConnell’s announcement about the leadership post was unrelated to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-mitch-mcconnell-freeze-health-concussion-960af7f541b05754011171754acfe94f">his health</a>. The Kentucky senator had a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-fetterman-feinstein-absence-return-fall-d210f345020c9593ba2940edc71874ac">concussion</a>&nbsp;from a fall last year and two public episodes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-gop-leader-mcconnell-health-freeze-up-c5b43745251daa0bb63636ceff4edce2">where his face briefly froze</a>&nbsp;while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-freeze-senate-fall-republican-leader-f18008b314c5907ba0111f6891c9a0d3">he was speaking.</a>“As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work,” McConnell said in his prepared remarks. “A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. It arrived today.”The senator had been under increasing pressure from the restive, and at times hostile wing of his party that has aligned firmly with Trump.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-trump-fed-lies-to-mob-36871d68df56a10be1c46ed364ad6de6">The two have been estranged</a>&nbsp;since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-gop-electoral-college-34fb478601b72b3e8049f12371670001">December 2020</a>, when McConnell refused to abide Trump’s lie that the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president was the product of fraud.But while McConnell's critics within the GOP conference had grown louder, their numbers had not grown appreciably larger, a marker of McConnell’s strategic and tactical skill and his ability to understand the needs of his fellow Republican senators.McConnell gave no specific reason for the timing of his decision, which he has been contemplating for months, but he cited the recent death of his wife's youngest sister as a moment that prompted introspection. “The end of my contributions are closer than I’d prefer,” McConnell said.But his remarks were also light at times as he talked about the arc of his Senate career.He noted that when he arrived in the Senate, “I was just happy if anybody remembered my name.” During his campaign in 1984, when Reagan was visiting Kentucky, the president called him “Mitch O’Donnell.”McConnell endorsed Reagan’s view of America’s role in the world and the senator has persisted in face of opposition, including from Trump, that Congress should include a foreign assistance package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine.“I am unconflicted about the good within our country and the irreplaceable role we play as the leader of the free world," McConnell said.Against long odds he managed to secure 22 Republican votes for the package now being considered by the House.“Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time. I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them," McConnell said. "That said, I believe more strongly than ever that America’s global leadership is essential to preserving the shining city on a hill that Ronald Reagan discussed. For as long as I am drawing breath on this earth I will defend American exceptionalism.”Trump has pulled the party hard to the ideological right, questioning longtime military alliances such as NATO, international trade agreements and pushing for a severe crackdown on immigration, all the while clinging to the falsehood that the election was stolen from him in 2020.McConnell and Trump had worked together in Trump’s first term, remaking the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary in a far more conservative image, and on tax legislation. But there was also friction from the start, with Trump frequently sniping at the senator.Their relationship has essentially been over since Trump refused to accept the results of the Electoral College. But the rupture deepened dramatically after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. McConnell assigned blame and responsibility to Trump and said that he should be held to account through the criminal justice system for his actions.McConnell’s critics insist he could have done more, including voting to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-impeachments-trump-impeachment-mitch-mcconnell-0a14d2e41e376331580b98a992f7d856#:~:text=Mitch%20McConnell%20delivered%20a%20scalding,face%20trial%20in%20the%20Senate.">McConnell did not</a>, arguing that since Trump was no longer in office, he could not be subject to impeachment.Rather than fade from prominence after the Capitol riot, Trump continued to assert his control over the party, and finds himself on a clear glidepath to the Republican nomination. Other members of the Republican Senate leadership have endorsed Trump. McConnell has not, and that has drawn criticism from other Republican senators.McConnell’s path to power was hardly linear, but from the day he walked onto the Senate floor in 1985 and took his seat as the most junior Republican senator, he set his sights on being the party leader. What set him apart was that so many other Senate leaders wanted to run for president. McConnell wanted to run the Senate. He lost races for lower party positions before steadily ascending, and finally became party leader in 2006 and has won nine straight elections.He most recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-mitch-mcconnell-congress-9f1be1d3635127dbb3e17a3fae1ac86d">beat back a challenge</a>&nbsp;led by Sen. Rick Scott of Florida last November.McConnell built his power base by a combination of care and nurturing of his members, including understanding their political imperatives. After seeing the potential peril of a rising Tea Party, he also established a super political action committee, The Senate Leadership Fund, which has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Republican candidates.Despite the concerns about his health, colleagues have said in recent months that they believe he has recovered. McConnell was not impaired cognitively, but did have some additional physical limitations.“I love the Senate,” he said in his prepared remarks. “It has been my life. There may be more distinguished members of this body throughout our history, but I doubt there are any with more admiration for it.”But, he added, "Father Time remains undefeated. I am no longer the young man sitting in the back, hoping colleagues would remember my name. It is time for the next generation of leadership.”There would be a time to reminisce, he said, but not today.“I still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm which they have become accustomed.”

🎥 McConnell will step down as Senate GOP Leader 

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jack Brown Wilson, 44, of Big Springs, Nebraska, was sentenced February 27, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for failing to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Wilson to time served. He will now begin a 5-year term of supervised release and still register as a sex offender.

Judge Gerrard noted that Wilson’s case was “unique” in that the investigation revealed that Wilson had attempted to register in Cheyenne County as a sex offender. However, Cheyenne County acknowledged that their system did not save his completed sex offender registration. Further investigation revealed the defendant’s attempt at registration fell outside of the time requirements under federal law. Mr. Wilson was given the opportunity to explain what had happened as the investigation commenced, but failed to attend the scheduled meeting and stopped answering his phone. Approximately a week later, he moved to another state. “You could have saved yourself a lot of pain with a little bit of effort” the Judge noted in imposing his sentence.

SORNA, also known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations.&nbsp; Wilson’ was required to register as a sex offender because he had been convicted of one count of sexual contact with a minor in 2017 in the District Court for Sedgwick County, Colorado.&nbsp; This conviction required that Wilson register as a sex offender in the state of Colorado, and by federal law, in any other state to which he moved. Wilson became a resident in Nebraska in 2021 and failed to register.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals.

Department of JusticeUnited States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jack Brown Wilson, 44, of Big Springs, Nebraska, was sentenced February 27, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for failing to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Wilson to time served. He will now begin a 5-year term of supervised release and still register as a sex offender.Judge Gerrard noted that Wilson’s case was “unique” in that the investigation revealed that Wilson had attempted to register in Cheyenne County as a sex offender. However, Cheyenne County acknowledged that their system did not save his completed sex offender registration. Further investigation revealed the defendant’s attempt at registration fell outside of the time requirements under federal law. Mr. Wilson was given the opportunity to explain what had happened as the investigation commenced, but failed to attend the scheduled meeting and stopped answering his phone. Approximately a week later, he moved to another state. “You could have saved yourself a lot of pain with a little bit of effort” the Judge noted in imposing his sentence.SORNA, also known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations.&nbsp; Wilson’ was required to register as a sex offender because he had been convicted of one count of sexual contact with a minor in 2017 in the District Court for Sedgwick County, Colorado.&nbsp; This conviction required that Wilson register as a sex offender in the state of Colorado, and by federal law, in any other state to which he moved. Wilson became a resident in Nebraska in 2021 and failed to register.This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals.

Sidney Man Sentenced for Sex Offender Registration Violation

TEL AVIV, Israel&nbsp; (AP)— The families of hostages held in Gaza and their supporters are launching a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their loved ones be set free.

The march comes as negotiations are underway in Qatar to bring about a deal between Hamas and Israel that would lead to a cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages. U.S. President Joe Biden has said such a deal was at hand but officials from Israel and Hamas were skeptical of his optimism.

Negotiators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are working on a framework deal under which Hamas would free some of the dozens of hostages it holds in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a six-week halt in fighting. During the temporary pause, negotiations would continue over the release of the remaining hostages.

The war has unleashed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-humanitarian-aid-gaza-1ce556a8a839803c8a1624b1b69b0a13">a humanitarian catastrophe</a>&nbsp;in Gaza and sparked global concern over the situation in Rafah,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-rafah-israel-hamas-war-photo-gallery-2a93ded7d44b9720d941f7e53c5bf45e">Gaza’s southernmost town</a>&nbsp;along the border with Egypt, where 1.4 million Palestinians have sought safety from Israel's daily bombardments.

Nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed after almost five months of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">the Health Ministry</a>, which does not distinguish in its count between fighters and noncombatants. Israel says it has killed 10,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war began after Hamas-led militants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">stormed across southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701204582165.png" alt="File photo -Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel Oct. 7 (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)" />
 <figcaption>File photo -Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel Oct. 7 (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)</figcaption>
 </figure>TEL AVIV, Israel&nbsp; (AP)— The families of hostages held in Gaza and their supporters are launching a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their loved ones be set free.The march comes as negotiations are underway in Qatar to bring about a deal between Hamas and Israel that would lead to a cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages. U.S. President Joe Biden has said such a deal was at hand but officials from Israel and Hamas were skeptical of his optimism.Negotiators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are working on a framework deal under which Hamas would free some of the dozens of hostages it holds in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a six-week halt in fighting. During the temporary pause, negotiations would continue over the release of the remaining hostages.The war has unleashed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-humanitarian-aid-gaza-1ce556a8a839803c8a1624b1b69b0a13">a humanitarian catastrophe</a>&nbsp;in Gaza and sparked global concern over the situation in Rafah,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-rafah-israel-hamas-war-photo-gallery-2a93ded7d44b9720d941f7e53c5bf45e">Gaza’s southernmost town</a>&nbsp;along the border with Egypt, where 1.4 million Palestinians have sought safety from Israel's daily bombardments.Nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed after almost five months of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">the Health Ministry</a>, which does not distinguish in its count between fighters and noncombatants. Israel says it has killed 10,000 militants, without providing evidence.The war began after Hamas-led militants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">stormed across southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage.

Families of hostages held in Gaza begin march to demand their freedom

Don’t miss your opportunity to obtain free tickets to animal scientist and autism self-advocate Temple Grandin, PhD, who will share her unique perspective on animals when she headlines the 2024 Nebraska Science Festival on March 26.

Tickets for general admission seating&nbsp;to&nbsp;“Visual Thinking and Animal Behavior”&nbsp;will be released online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-temple-grandin-tickets-845987209517?aff=oddtdtcreator" target="_blank">Eventbrite</a>&nbsp;(up to four per person) at 6 a.m. on March 1 on a first-come, first-served basis (the link will go live that morning); check&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nescifest.com/" target="_blank">nescifest.com</a>&nbsp;for more information. Although the March 26 presentation is free, tickets are required for admittance.

Dr. Grandin’s 7:30 p.m. presentation will help attendees better understand animals in their sensory-based world as well as provide insights into solving problems. Her presentation will be at The Garden Theater, 3125 Oak View Drive in Omaha, and is suggested for ages 12 and older.&nbsp;

Tickets for past keynote speakers have gone quickly. If you are unable to obtain tickets online, you may come to the venue on March 26 and any open seats at 7:25 p.m. will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Dr. Grandin’s presentation kicks off the 2024 Nebraska Science Festival, which runs from April 1-30, and&nbsp;features an array of science- and technology-related activities in communities across the state. The festival is geared toward making science accessible, interactive, relevant and fun for all ages. SciFest events continue to be posted on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nescifest.com/" target="_blank">nescifest.com</a>&nbsp;as they become available.

A professor of animal science at Colorado State University, Dr. Grandin is a pioneer in improving the handling and welfare of farm animals.&nbsp;Half the cattle in the U.S. and Canada are handled in equipment she has designed for meat plants. She has developed animal welfare guidelines for the meat industry and consulted with companies on animal welfare. Widely published, she continues her research at Colorado State University and teaches courses on livestock handling and facility design. Her achievements are remarkable because she was an autistic child, and she has become an internationally known autism self-advocate.

Presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Nebraska Science Festival is a collaboration of organizations and individuals interested in the advancement of science literacy. In addition to UNMC, other sponsors, to date, are Boys Town, Metro Credit Union, KETV and the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

In addition to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nescifest.com/" target="_blank">NeSciFest.com</a>, SciFest updates and information are available on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/NESciFest" target="_blank">@NESciFest</a>) and Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/NE-SciFest/100069035612693/" target="_blank">NE SciFest)</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709130471339.jpeg" alt="Temple Grandin, PhD" />
 <figcaption>Temple Grandin, PhD</figcaption>
 </figure>UNMCDon’t miss your opportunity to obtain free tickets to animal scientist and autism self-advocate Temple Grandin, PhD, who will share her unique perspective on animals when she headlines the 2024 Nebraska Science Festival on March 26.Tickets for general admission seating&nbsp;to&nbsp;“Visual Thinking and Animal Behavior”&nbsp;will be released online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-temple-grandin-tickets-845987209517?aff=oddtdtcreator" target="_blank">Eventbrite</a>&nbsp;(up to four per person) at 6 a.m. on March 1 on a first-come, first-served basis (the link will go live that morning); check&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nescifest.com/" target="_blank">nescifest.com</a>&nbsp;for more information. Although the March 26 presentation is free, tickets are required for admittance.Dr. Grandin’s 7:30 p.m. presentation will help attendees better understand animals in their sensory-based world as well as provide insights into solving problems. Her presentation will be at The Garden Theater, 3125 Oak View Drive in Omaha, and is suggested for ages 12 and older.&nbsp;Tickets for past keynote speakers have gone quickly. If you are unable to obtain tickets online, you may come to the venue on March 26 and any open seats at 7:25 p.m. will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.Dr. Grandin’s presentation kicks off the 2024 Nebraska Science Festival, which runs from April 1-30, and&nbsp;features an array of science- and technology-related activities in communities across the state. The festival is geared toward making science accessible, interactive, relevant and fun for all ages. SciFest events continue to be posted on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nescifest.com/" target="_blank">nescifest.com</a>&nbsp;as they become available.A professor of animal science at Colorado State University, Dr. Grandin is a pioneer in improving the handling and welfare of farm animals.&nbsp;Half the cattle in the U.S. and Canada are handled in equipment she has designed for meat plants. She has developed animal welfare guidelines for the meat industry and consulted with companies on animal welfare. Widely published, she continues her research at Colorado State University and teaches courses on livestock handling and facility design. Her achievements are remarkable because she was an autistic child, and she has become an internationally known autism self-advocate.Presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Nebraska Science Festival is a collaboration of organizations and individuals interested in the advancement of science literacy. In addition to UNMC, other sponsors, to date, are Boys Town, Metro Credit Union, KETV and the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.In addition to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nescifest.com/" target="_blank">NeSciFest.com</a>, SciFest updates and information are available on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/NESciFest" target="_blank">@NESciFest</a>) and Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/NE-SciFest/100069035612693/" target="_blank">NE SciFest)</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

   Tickets for animal scientist Temple Grandin available March 1

DETROIT (AP) —Chrysler is recalling more than 330,00 Jeep Grand Cherokees because of a steering wheel issue that may cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles.

The recall is for 338,238 of Chrysler's 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles.

The automaker says in documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the upper control arm ball joint and steering knuckle may separate and cause the wheel to fall outward, which could result in losing control of the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Individuals with impacted vehicles will be able to go to dealers to have the upper control arm pinch bolts replaced for free.

DETROIT (AP) —Chrysler is recalling more than 330,00 Jeep Grand Cherokees because of a steering wheel issue that may cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles.The recall is for 338,238 of Chrysler's 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles.The automaker says in documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the upper control arm ball joint and steering knuckle may separate and cause the wheel to fall outward, which could result in losing control of the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.Individuals with impacted vehicles will be able to go to dealers to have the upper control arm pinch bolts replaced for free.

Chrysler recalling more than 330,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A rocket exploded late Tuesday night off the side of a ship traveling through the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, authorities said, the latest suspected attack to be carried out by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen's Houthi rebels</a>.

The attack comes as the Houthis continue a series of assaults at sea over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip</a>&nbsp;and as the U.S. and its allies launch airstrikes trying to stop them.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which oversees shipping in the Mideast, reported the attack happened about 110 kilometers (70 miles) off the coast of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida. The rocket exploded several miles off the bow of the vessel, it said.

“The crew and vessel are reported to be safe and are proceeding to next port of call,” the UKMTO said.

The private security firm Ambrey reported that the vessel targeted appeared to be a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier in the area at the time. Another ship, a Panama-flagged, Emirati-owned chemical tanker was nearby as well, Ambrey said.

The Associated Press could not immediately identify the vessels involved.

The Houthis typically take several hours to claim their assaults and have not yet done so for the assault late Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military's Central Command said an American and an allied warship shot down five Houthi bomb-carrying drones in the Red Sea on Tuesday night.

The drones originated “from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and (it was) determined they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy and coalition ships in the region,” Central Command said in a statement.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. Those vessels have included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">at least one with cargo for Iran</a>, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.

Despite over a month of U.S.-led airstrikes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">Houthi rebels remain capable</a>&nbsp;of launching significant attacks. Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-red-sea-israel-hamas-6ac2a1bf5032ed0531258816907cfe2c">they severely damaged a ship in a crucial strait and downed an American drone</a>&nbsp;worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.

On Saturday, Central Command said a Houthi attack on a Belize-flagged ship on Feb. 18 caused an 18-mile (29-kilometer) oil slick and warned of the danger of a spill from the vessel’s cargo of fertilizer. The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-attack-israel-hamas-war-gaza-67cf1acc17f4e17d04075a99688e4da8">was attacked while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait</a>&nbsp;that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite group, seized Yemen’s capital in 2014 and have battled a Saudi-led coalition since 2015. Their Zaydi people ran a 1,000-year kingdom in Yemen up until 1962.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703418619283.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A rocket exploded late Tuesday night off the side of a ship traveling through the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, authorities said, the latest suspected attack to be carried out by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen's Houthi rebels</a>.The attack comes as the Houthis continue a series of assaults at sea over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip</a>&nbsp;and as the U.S. and its allies launch airstrikes trying to stop them.The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which oversees shipping in the Mideast, reported the attack happened about 110 kilometers (70 miles) off the coast of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida. The rocket exploded several miles off the bow of the vessel, it said.“The crew and vessel are reported to be safe and are proceeding to next port of call,” the UKMTO said.The private security firm Ambrey reported that the vessel targeted appeared to be a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier in the area at the time. Another ship, a Panama-flagged, Emirati-owned chemical tanker was nearby as well, Ambrey said.The Associated Press could not immediately identify the vessels involved.The Houthis typically take several hours to claim their assaults and have not yet done so for the assault late Tuesday.Meanwhile, the U.S. military's Central Command said an American and an allied warship shot down five Houthi bomb-carrying drones in the Red Sea on Tuesday night.The drones originated “from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and (it was) determined they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy and coalition ships in the region,” Central Command said in a statement.Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. Those vessels have included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">at least one with cargo for Iran</a>, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.Despite over a month of U.S.-led airstrikes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">Houthi rebels remain capable</a>&nbsp;of launching significant attacks. Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-red-sea-israel-hamas-6ac2a1bf5032ed0531258816907cfe2c">they severely damaged a ship in a crucial strait and downed an American drone</a>&nbsp;worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.On Saturday, Central Command said a Houthi attack on a Belize-flagged ship on Feb. 18 caused an 18-mile (29-kilometer) oil slick and warned of the danger of a spill from the vessel’s cargo of fertilizer. The Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-attack-israel-hamas-war-gaza-67cf1acc17f4e17d04075a99688e4da8">was attacked while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait</a>&nbsp;that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.The Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite group, seized Yemen’s capital in 2014 and have battled a Saudi-led coalition since 2015. Their Zaydi people ran a 1,000-year kingdom in Yemen up until 1962.

U.S. warship shot down 5 bomb-carrying drones in Red Sea

LANSING, Mich. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;easily won their party’s primaries in Michigan, but Tuesday’s results showed that both candidates have cause for concern in their bid to to win the swing state in November.

An “uncommitted” vote in Michigan's Democratic primary was the first indication of how backlash over President Biden's handling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;in Gaza might impact his reelection campaign. Trump won his primary by a large margin, but support for rival Nikki Haley once again showed that some Republican voters may have misgivings about giving the former president another four years in the general election.

Biden, Trump each move closer to party's nomination

Michigan was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-michigan-election-2024-results">last major primary state before</a>&nbsp;Super Tuesday, and both sides were watching closely for implications for the November general election in one of the few genuine swing states left in the country.

Biden has now cruised to victories over lesser known candidates in South Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire, which he won in a write-in campaign. Tuesday's results show that his standing is still strong in Michigan, which Biden returned to the Democratic column in 2020.

Trump has swept all five of the early state contests, including South Carolina, the home state of rival Haley. He now heads into Super Tuesday, when 15 states and one territory hold Republican nominating contests, as the overwhelming favorite to lock up the Republican nomination.

Michigan was one of three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-virus-outbreak-wisconsin-pennsylvania-27d3205028e5e43fa0031913c40b0b7d">so-called blue wall</a>&nbsp;states, including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, that Trump won in 2016. He predicted a big win beforehand.

Just 16 of Michigan’s 55 Republican presidential delegates will be determined by the primary results, while the remaining delegates will be allocated during a March 2 convention. Trump’s anticipated dominance at the state convention, where grassroots activists will play a key role, will decide the allocation of the remaining 39 GOP delegates.

Some Democrats express anger over Gaza with ‘uncommitted’ vote

Michigan has become the focal point of Democratic frustration regarding the White House’s actions in the Israel-Hamas conflict. It has the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the nation.

That anger came through loud and clear on Tuesday as some voters marked “uncommitted” on their ballot in the Democratic primary. Biden still dominated the primary, but the result could be a concern in a state he won by less than 3% in 2020 and likely can’t afford to lose this year.

Organizers of the “uncommitted” movement had purposely kept expectations low, having only seriously begun their push a few weeks ago. The “Listen to Michigan” campaign that organized the push said they were hoping for 10,000 votes, pointing to Trump’s win of less than 11,000 votes in 2016 to show the significance of that number.

When Barack Obama ran for reelection in 2012, the last time a Democratic presidential incumbent sought re-election, the “uncommitted” option received close to 21,000 votes — or 11 percentage points.

The “uncommitted” vote totals would need to be between 20 and 30 percentage points for Democrats to worry about their impact in November, said Richard Czuba, a pollster who has long tracked Michigan politics.

“Twenty percent gets my attention. If it rises to 25%, that gets a lot more attention and if it rises above 30%, I think that’s a signal that Joe Biden has pretty substantial issues in his base,” said Czuba.

Much of the “uncommitted” vote was expected to come from the east side of the state, in communities such as Dearborn and Hamtramck, where Arab Americans represent close to half of the population. Biden won Dearborn by a roughly 3-to-1 advantage in 2020 and Hamtramck by a 5 to 1 margin.

Despite Trump's clear victory in Michigan, Haley still saw significant support from the swing state's Republicans.

Some of her best results came in Oakland and Kent counties, where Democrats have been gaining ground in recent years, contributing to their recent statewide success. She also performed better in counties where the state’s largest universities are located, Washtenaw and Ingham counties.

Trump has dominated in primaries with help from his base but his strength among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">general election</a>&nbsp;voters remains unclear. The former president has appeared in Michigan regularly in the eight years since he became president, while Haley only began stumping in the state over the weekend.

AP VoteCast reveals that a large portion of Trump’s opposition within the Republican primaries has come from voters who abandoned him before this year.

All three statewide Republican candidates that Trump endorsed in the 2022 midterms were crushed by Democratic incumbents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709081885197.png" alt="An “uncommitted” vote in Michigan's Democratic primary was the first indication of how backlash over President Biden's handling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;in Gaza might impact his reelection campaign-image from video on Biden campaign social media page." />
 <figcaption>An “uncommitted” vote in Michigan's Democratic primary was the first indication of how backlash over President Biden's handling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;in Gaza might impact his reelection campaign-image from video on Biden campaign social media page.</figcaption>
 </figure>LANSING, Mich. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;easily won their party’s primaries in Michigan, but Tuesday’s results showed that both candidates have cause for concern in their bid to to win the swing state in November.An “uncommitted” vote in Michigan's Democratic primary was the first indication of how backlash over President Biden's handling of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;in Gaza might impact his reelection campaign. Trump won his primary by a large margin, but support for rival Nikki Haley once again showed that some Republican voters may have misgivings about giving the former president another four years in the general election.Here are some takeaways from Michigan:Biden, Trump each move closer to party's nominationMichigan was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-michigan-election-2024-results">last major primary state before</a>&nbsp;Super Tuesday, and both sides were watching closely for implications for the November general election in one of the few genuine swing states left in the country.Biden has now cruised to victories over lesser known candidates in South Carolina, Nevada and New Hampshire, which he won in a write-in campaign. Tuesday's results show that his standing is still strong in Michigan, which Biden returned to the Democratic column in 2020.Trump has swept all five of the early state contests, including South Carolina, the home state of rival Haley. He now heads into Super Tuesday, when 15 states and one territory hold Republican nominating contests, as the overwhelming favorite to lock up the Republican nomination.Michigan was one of three&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-virus-outbreak-wisconsin-pennsylvania-27d3205028e5e43fa0031913c40b0b7d">so-called blue wall</a>&nbsp;states, including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, that Trump won in 2016. He predicted a big win beforehand.Just 16 of Michigan’s 55 Republican presidential delegates will be determined by the primary results, while the remaining delegates will be allocated during a March 2 convention. Trump’s anticipated dominance at the state convention, where grassroots activists will play a key role, will decide the allocation of the remaining 39 GOP delegates.Some Democrats express anger over Gaza with ‘uncommitted’ voteMichigan has become the focal point of Democratic frustration regarding the White House’s actions in the Israel-Hamas conflict. It has the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the nation.That anger came through loud and clear on Tuesday as some voters marked “uncommitted” on their ballot in the Democratic primary. Biden still dominated the primary, but the result could be a concern in a state he won by less than 3% in 2020 and likely can’t afford to lose this year.Organizers of the “uncommitted” movement had purposely kept expectations low, having only seriously begun their push a few weeks ago. The “Listen to Michigan” campaign that organized the push said they were hoping for 10,000 votes, pointing to Trump’s win of less than 11,000 votes in 2016 to show the significance of that number.When Barack Obama ran for reelection in 2012, the last time a Democratic presidential incumbent sought re-election, the “uncommitted” option received close to 21,000 votes — or 11 percentage points.The “uncommitted” vote totals would need to be between 20 and 30 percentage points for Democrats to worry about their impact in November, said Richard Czuba, a pollster who has long tracked Michigan politics.“Twenty percent gets my attention. If it rises to 25%, that gets a lot more attention and if it rises above 30%, I think that’s a signal that Joe Biden has pretty substantial issues in his base,” said Czuba.Much of the “uncommitted” vote was expected to come from the east side of the state, in communities such as Dearborn and Hamtramck, where Arab Americans represent close to half of the population. Biden won Dearborn by a roughly 3-to-1 advantage in 2020 and Hamtramck by a 5 to 1 margin.Some Republicans still oppose TrumpDespite Trump's clear victory in Michigan, Haley still saw significant support from the swing state's Republicans.Some of her best results came in Oakland and Kent counties, where Democrats have been gaining ground in recent years, contributing to their recent statewide success. She also performed better in counties where the state’s largest universities are located, Washtenaw and Ingham counties.Trump has dominated in primaries with help from his base but his strength among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">general election</a>&nbsp;voters remains unclear. The former president has appeared in Michigan regularly in the eight years since he became president, while Haley only began stumping in the state over the weekend.AP VoteCast reveals that a large portion of Trump’s opposition within the Republican primaries has come from voters who abandoned him before this year.All three statewide Republican candidates that Trump endorsed in the 2022 midterms were crushed by Democratic incumbents.

Trump, Biden win Michigan primary but both face warning signs

By Governor Jim Pillen and University of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek

In Nebraska, we never give up on a kid. Our kids are our future. That’s why we need to do everything we can to encourage our young people to get an education, start their careers and put down roots right here in the great state of Nebraska.

That’s the thinking behind the newly launched Presidential Scholars Program. It covers the full cost of undergraduate attendance at the University of Nebraska, plus stipends, for any Nebraska kid who scores a perfect 36 on the ACT.

Just like the Huskers compete hard for homegrown, 5-star athletes like Jordy Bahl and Britt Prince, we’re going to compete equally hard to keep our top-tier academic talent from getting away. This initiative lets them know: We want you on Team Nebraska!

As lifelong Nebraskans hailing from Platte and Butler counties, respectively, we knew this was the place we could chase our dreams, raise our families and pursue ample opportunities. We want young Nebraskans – the next generation – to have those same opportunities. To keep top talent within our state, we need to get more competitive with other states in providing scholarships. With the President’s Scholarship, we’ll make sure Nebraska is at the top of the list for those smart and hard-working kids.

Since the announcement of the program, positive messages have poured in.&nbsp; One father shared his 13-year-old daughter was set on attending another school but has now experienced a change of heart. Those are the kinds of stories we want to hear.

Our vision extends beyond students who score a 36. As parents, we know that one test doesn’t decide the future. They don’t have to ace the ACT to be the next great cancer doctor, teacher, rancher. We would like to expand the program, so those who score near the top, are also not left out.&nbsp; Our message to every student, no matter their circumstance is -- if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and work hard, there’s a spot for you on Team Nebraska!

To the parents, teachers, coaches and mentors out there – help us spread the word and give those kids the encouragement they need to find their life’s journey in their home state of Nebraska. We promise, you won’t regret it.

By Governor Jim Pillen and University of Nebraska Interim President Chris KabourekIn Nebraska, we never give up on a kid. Our kids are our future. That’s why we need to do everything we can to encourage our young people to get an education, start their careers and put down roots right here in the great state of Nebraska.That’s the thinking behind the newly launched Presidential Scholars Program. It covers the full cost of undergraduate attendance at the University of Nebraska, plus stipends, for any Nebraska kid who scores a perfect 36 on the ACT.Just like the Huskers compete hard for homegrown, 5-star athletes like Jordy Bahl and Britt Prince, we’re going to compete equally hard to keep our top-tier academic talent from getting away. This initiative lets them know: We want you on Team Nebraska!As lifelong Nebraskans hailing from Platte and Butler counties, respectively, we knew this was the place we could chase our dreams, raise our families and pursue ample opportunities. We want young Nebraskans – the next generation – to have those same opportunities. To keep top talent within our state, we need to get more competitive with other states in providing scholarships. With the President’s Scholarship, we’ll make sure Nebraska is at the top of the list for those smart and hard-working kids.Since the announcement of the program, positive messages have poured in.&nbsp; One father shared his 13-year-old daughter was set on attending another school but has now experienced a change of heart. Those are the kinds of stories we want to hear.Our vision extends beyond students who score a 36. As parents, we know that one test doesn’t decide the future. They don’t have to ace the ACT to be the next great cancer doctor, teacher, rancher. We would like to expand the program, so those who score near the top, are also not left out.&nbsp; Our message to every student, no matter their circumstance is -- if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and work hard, there’s a spot for you on Team Nebraska!To the parents, teachers, coaches and mentors out there – help us spread the word and give those kids the encouragement they need to find their life’s journey in their home state of Nebraska. We promise, you won’t regret it.

 Competing to Keep Our Best & Brightest Kids on Team Nebraska

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/26/judge-rejects-plea-to-drop-charges-against-former-history-nebraska-director/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A Lancaster County judge has rejected a request by former History Nebraska Director Trevor Jones to dismiss the felony theft charge he faces.

District Judge Susan Strong, in an eight-page decision released Monday, ruled that the State of Nebraska had provided enough evidence to show that the case against Jones should proceed to trial.

Jones, through his attorney, John Ball of Lincoln, had contested a recent decision to bind his case over from county court for a trial,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/judge-takes-request-under-advisement-to-drop-felony-charge-against-former-history-nebraska-chief/">prompting a hearing before Strong a</a>&nbsp;month ago.

The judge ruled that state prosecutors had met their burden of providing “probable cause” that a crime had been committed.

Jones, 51, faces up to 20 years in prison for felony theft by deception, a charge that was spawned by&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/15/former-head-of-history-nebraska-might-have-violated-state-law-state-auditors-probe-says/">a critical state audit</a>&nbsp;in 2022 — an audit first reported by the Examiner.

Jones, who resigned shortly before that audit came out, is accused of redirecting about $270,000 in funds provided by the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation to cover financial losses caused by COVID-19.

Instead of depositing the fund with the state treasurer, as required, Jones deposited the funds into a private foundation he had helped create, to bolster its accounts.

Investigators also testified that the funds were never used for their intended purpose — to cover lost revenue due to the pandemic.

Jones, according to court files, has maintained that he was directed to deposit the funds into the newly created History Nebraska Foundation by the executive committee of the History Nebraska Board of Trustees.

The former director also argued that he had full discretion on how to spend the money, a contention disputed by the donor of the funds, which were provided, at Jones’ request, for the purpose of covering financial losses caused by the closing of history museums during the pandemic.

Corey O’Brien, a chief prosecutor in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, has maintained that Jones either lied about his intended use of the money or failed to correct a false impression in order to get the $270,000 donated.

Judge Strong, in her ruling, said that “the evidence supports the inference that defendant knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully obtained the funds by deception.”

&nbsp;“This evidence is sufficient to establish probable cause to believe that the Defendant committed the crime of theft by deception,” she added.&nbsp;

Jones’ stint at History Nebraska director covered six years and was marked by efforts to modernize the agency’s collections, but also by employees’ complaints about unnecessary and heavy-handed supervision of their work.

He also spatted with the long-established Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation, a spat that prompted him eventually to establish a new replacement to raise funds, the History Nebraska Foundation.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/history-nebraska-would-become-code-agency-under-control-of-governor-under-legislative-proposal/">bill is pending in the Nebraska Legislature</a>&nbsp;to end History Nebraska’s status as an independent state agency and put it under the governor’s director. Debate on Legislative Bill 1169 has not yet been scheduled.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709065119268.jpeg" alt=" Former History Nebraska Director Trevor Jones, at left, arrives at a court hearing last year with his lawyer, John Ball of Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Former History Nebraska Director Trevor Jones, at left, arrives at a court hearing last year with his lawyer, John Ball of Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/26/judge-rejects-plea-to-drop-charges-against-former-history-nebraska-director/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A Lancaster County judge has rejected a request by former History Nebraska Director Trevor Jones to dismiss the felony theft charge he faces.District Judge Susan Strong, in an eight-page decision released Monday, ruled that the State of Nebraska had provided enough evidence to show that the case against Jones should proceed to trial.Jones, through his attorney, John Ball of Lincoln, had contested a recent decision to bind his case over from county court for a trial,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/judge-takes-request-under-advisement-to-drop-felony-charge-against-former-history-nebraska-chief/">prompting a hearing before Strong a</a>&nbsp;month ago.The judge ruled that state prosecutors had met their burden of providing “probable cause” that a crime had been committed.Jones, 51, faces up to 20 years in prison for felony theft by deception, a charge that was spawned by&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/08/15/former-head-of-history-nebraska-might-have-violated-state-law-state-auditors-probe-says/">a critical state audit</a>&nbsp;in 2022 — an audit first reported by the Examiner.Jones, who resigned shortly before that audit came out, is accused of redirecting about $270,000 in funds provided by the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation to cover financial losses caused by COVID-19.Instead of depositing the fund with the state treasurer, as required, Jones deposited the funds into a private foundation he had helped create, to bolster its accounts.<h2>Money never used for intended purpose</h2>Investigators also testified that the funds were never used for their intended purpose — to cover lost revenue due to the pandemic.Jones, according to court files, has maintained that he was directed to deposit the funds into the newly created History Nebraska Foundation by the executive committee of the History Nebraska Board of Trustees.The former director also argued that he had full discretion on how to spend the money, a contention disputed by the donor of the funds, which were provided, at Jones’ request, for the purpose of covering financial losses caused by the closing of history museums during the pandemic.Corey O’Brien, a chief prosecutor in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, has maintained that Jones either lied about his intended use of the money or failed to correct a false impression in order to get the $270,000 donated.<h2>Enough evidence to bind over for a trial</h2>Judge Strong, in her ruling, said that “the evidence supports the inference that defendant knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully obtained the funds by deception.”&nbsp;“This evidence is sufficient to establish probable cause to believe that the Defendant committed the crime of theft by deception,” she added.&nbsp;Jones’ stint at History Nebraska director covered six years and was marked by efforts to modernize the agency’s collections, but also by employees’ complaints about unnecessary and heavy-handed supervision of their work.He also spatted with the long-established Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation, a spat that prompted him eventually to establish a new replacement to raise funds, the History Nebraska Foundation.A&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/history-nebraska-would-become-code-agency-under-control-of-governor-under-legislative-proposal/">bill is pending in the Nebraska Legislature</a>&nbsp;to end History Nebraska’s status as an independent state agency and put it under the governor’s director. Debate on Legislative Bill 1169 has not yet been scheduled.

Judge rejects plea to drop charges against former History Nebraska director

NEW YORK (AP) — Seated in a courtroom witness box, Don Henley opened a large brown envelope Tuesday and paged through the aging yellow sheets of a legal pad.

“Well, it's got two song titles written on the top,” he explained when asked what it contained. “'After the Thrill is Gone' and ‘One of These Nights.’”

Then came another envelope and pad, and another, and one more. They bore 1970s drafts of lyrics to two other Eagles hits, “The Long Run" and "The Sad Cafe," in what Henley identified as his handwriting and occasionally that of band co-founder Glenn Frey.

It was the first glimpse in court of some of the physical pages at the heart of a trial involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">handwritten drafts of lyrics</a>&nbsp;to several Eagles songs, including the megahit “Hotel California," and Henley's decade-long effort to reclaim the documents.

After spending Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-aa5300708de790099f9f7d0ba3b8afcf">telling the New York court</a>&nbsp;about topics ranging from Eagles songwriting to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-henley-eagles-hotel-california-sex-worker-dae5d3c41ae5ad1071a06dbc74a957d7">past personal troubles</a>, the Eagles co-founder underwent further questioning Tuesday from lawyers for three collectibles experts who are on trial.

Henley was asked about the writing of "Hotel California" and how he didn't notice for decades that the handwritten pages were missing. He was also asked about his past cocaine use — retorting that he was no “drug-filled zombie” — and even about a $96 limousine bill from 1973.

He continued to insist that he never voluntarily gave up handwritten sheets from the Eagles’ 1976 release “Hotel California," the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-best-selling album ever</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.

“I believed that my property was stolen,” Henley said.

The album produced one of rock's most enduring hits, the song “Hotel California,” credited to Frey, Henley and guitarist Don Felder. Henley recalled that Felder provided a “very basic” tape with guitar chords and a drum-machine beat. Frey and Henley worked from that to craft the lyrics and three guitarists — “four, if you count the bass” — contributed, Henley said.

A prosecutor objected that the questions weren't relevant, but Judge Curtis Farber let them continue.

“I don’t know the relevance, but it’s interesting,” the judge said to laughter from the courtroom audience.

The defendants — Edward Kosinski, Craig Inciardi and Glenn Horowitz — are charged with scheming to conceal the lyrics pages' disputed ownership and sell them despite knowing that Henley claimed they had no right. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to criminally possess stolen property.

They're not accused of actually stealing the roughly 100 legal-pad sheets. Horowitz bought them in 2005 from writer Ed Sanders, who had worked with the Eagles decades earlier on a band&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-1b873edc7596bb736428fbf8fb431c1d">biography that never got published</a>. Horowitz later sold the documents to Inciardi and Kosinski, who then put some pages up for auction.

Sanders, who hasn't responded to messages about the case, isn't charged with any crime.

Henley bought back four pages of “Hotel California” song lyrics in 2012. He also went to authorities at the time, and again when more pages — some from the hit “Life in the Fast Lane” — turned up for sale in 2014 and 2016.

At the trial, Henley has testified that Sanders had no permission to keep or sell the pages, though he was allowed to view them in the course of writing the book.

“Mr. Sanders kept it in his residence, his garage, for 30 years, and then it was up for sale on the internet. I believed that that was a crime,” Henley told the court Tuesday.

He testified Monday that he didn't give permission for the “very personal, very private” lyrics drafts to be removed from his property in Malibu, California, though he acknowledged that he didn't recall the entirety of his conversations with the writer in the late 1970s and early '80s.

In a tape of a 1980 phone call that was played Monday in court, Henley said he'd “try to dig through” his lyrics drafts in order to aid Sanders' book.

Asked about the recording, Henley said he was talking about affording the writer “access. It’s not giving, it’s not gifting.”

Defense lawyers have sought to show that the Eagles provided Sanders with copious insider material. Attorney Scott Edelman pointed to the 1973 car-service receipt, which authorities said they found when searching Sanders' home.

Someone typed “Don Henley's offending limousine bill” on the slip, and Henley filled the margins with hand-written comments, according to testimony. The jottings weren't read aloud in court.

The defense also has tried to raise doubts about how clearly Henley remembers whatever he told Sanders during the book project, which spanned a tumultuous and fast-living period in Henley's past.

The Eagles broke up in 1980, and he was arrested that year after authorities said they found a 16-year-old girl naked and suffering from a drug overdose in his Los Angeles home. He later wrote to a probation officer that “my environment has led me to accept drugs as part of everyday life,” according to a letter presented in court. "

“Cocaine, by inducing feelings of confidence and even delusions of grandeur, gave me the courage I sometimes lacked to write songs and put my innermost feelings and emotions on public display,” Henley wrote in the undated letter in which he said he was giving up drugs. He had been sentenced to probation and a $2,500 fine after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

“Isn’t it a fact, sir, that you were using a significant amount of cocaine prior to the November (1980 arrest)?" Edelman asked.

“Significant?” Henley replied. “You know, ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’ is not revelatory.”

He said he used cocaine “intermittently” throughout the 1970s, but was always lucid when performing or doing business.

“If I was some sort of a drug-filled zombie, I couldn’t have accomplished everything I accomplished before 1980 and after 1980,” Henley said.

NEW YORK (AP) — Don Henley resumed testifying Tuesday in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">a trial over handwritten drafts of lyrics</a>&nbsp;to some of the Eagles' biggest hits, including “Hotel California," and his decade-long effort to reclaim the pages.

After spending Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-aa5300708de790099f9f7d0ba3b8afcf">telling the New York court</a>&nbsp;about topics ranging from Eagles songwriting to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-henley-eagles-hotel-california-sex-worker-dae5d3c41ae5ad1071a06dbc74a957d7">past personal troubles</a>, the Eagles co-founder underwent further questioning Tuesday from lawyers for the three men on trial in the case.

Edward Kosinski, Craig Inciardi and Glenn Horowitz are charged with scheming to conceal the pages' disputed ownership and sell them despite knowing that Henley claimed they had no right. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to criminally possess stolen property.

They're not charged with actually stealing the roughly 100 legal-pad sheets from the development of the Eagles' 1976 release “Hotel California," the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-best-selling album ever</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. The sheets include drafts of the words to the song “Hotel California,” one of rock's most enduring hits.

Horowitz bought the pages in 2005 from writer Ed Sanders, who worked with the Eagles decades earlier on a band&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-1b873edc7596bb736428fbf8fb431c1d">biography that never got published</a>. Horowitz later sold the the documents to Inciardi and Kosinski, who then put some pages up for auction.

Sanders isn't charged with any crime. He hasn't responded to messages about the case.

“I believed that my property was stolen, Mr. Sanders kept it in his residence, his garage, for 30 years, and then it was up for sale on the internet. I believed that that was a crime,” Henley told the court Tuesday.

In a tape Monday of a 1980 phone call that was played Monday in court, Henley said he'd “try to dig through” his lyrics drafts in order to aid Sanders' book.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708429319229.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Seated in a courtroom witness box, Don Henley opened a large brown envelope Tuesday and paged through the aging yellow sheets of a legal pad.“Well, it's got two song titles written on the top,” he explained when asked what it contained. “'After the Thrill is Gone' and ‘One of These Nights.’”Then came another envelope and pad, and another, and one more. They bore 1970s drafts of lyrics to two other Eagles hits, “The Long Run" and "The Sad Cafe," in what Henley identified as his handwriting and occasionally that of band co-founder Glenn Frey.It was the first glimpse in court of some of the physical pages at the heart of a trial involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">handwritten drafts of lyrics</a>&nbsp;to several Eagles songs, including the megahit “Hotel California," and Henley's decade-long effort to reclaim the documents.After spending Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-aa5300708de790099f9f7d0ba3b8afcf">telling the New York court</a>&nbsp;about topics ranging from Eagles songwriting to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-henley-eagles-hotel-california-sex-worker-dae5d3c41ae5ad1071a06dbc74a957d7">past personal troubles</a>, the Eagles co-founder underwent further questioning Tuesday from lawyers for three collectibles experts who are on trial.Henley was asked about the writing of "Hotel California" and how he didn't notice for decades that the handwritten pages were missing. He was also asked about his past cocaine use — retorting that he was no “drug-filled zombie” — and even about a $96 limousine bill from 1973.He continued to insist that he never voluntarily gave up handwritten sheets from the Eagles’ 1976 release “Hotel California," the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-best-selling album ever</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.“I believed that my property was stolen,” Henley said.The album produced one of rock's most enduring hits, the song “Hotel California,” credited to Frey, Henley and guitarist Don Felder. Henley recalled that Felder provided a “very basic” tape with guitar chords and a drum-machine beat. Frey and Henley worked from that to craft the lyrics and three guitarists — “four, if you count the bass” — contributed, Henley said.A prosecutor objected that the questions weren't relevant, but Judge Curtis Farber let them continue.“I don’t know the relevance, but it’s interesting,” the judge said to laughter from the courtroom audience.The defendants — Edward Kosinski, Craig Inciardi and Glenn Horowitz — are charged with scheming to conceal the lyrics pages' disputed ownership and sell them despite knowing that Henley claimed they had no right. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to criminally possess stolen property.They're not accused of actually stealing the roughly 100 legal-pad sheets. Horowitz bought them in 2005 from writer Ed Sanders, who had worked with the Eagles decades earlier on a band&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-1b873edc7596bb736428fbf8fb431c1d">biography that never got published</a>. Horowitz later sold the documents to Inciardi and Kosinski, who then put some pages up for auction.Sanders, who hasn't responded to messages about the case, isn't charged with any crime.Henley bought back four pages of “Hotel California” song lyrics in 2012. He also went to authorities at the time, and again when more pages — some from the hit “Life in the Fast Lane” — turned up for sale in 2014 and 2016.At the trial, Henley has testified that Sanders had no permission to keep or sell the pages, though he was allowed to view them in the course of writing the book.“Mr. Sanders kept it in his residence, his garage, for 30 years, and then it was up for sale on the internet. I believed that that was a crime,” Henley told the court Tuesday.He testified Monday that he didn't give permission for the “very personal, very private” lyrics drafts to be removed from his property in Malibu, California, though he acknowledged that he didn't recall the entirety of his conversations with the writer in the late 1970s and early '80s.In a tape of a 1980 phone call that was played Monday in court, Henley said he'd “try to dig through” his lyrics drafts in order to aid Sanders' book.Asked about the recording, Henley said he was talking about affording the writer “access. It’s not giving, it’s not gifting.”Defense lawyers have sought to show that the Eagles provided Sanders with copious insider material. Attorney Scott Edelman pointed to the 1973 car-service receipt, which authorities said they found when searching Sanders' home.Someone typed “Don Henley's offending limousine bill” on the slip, and Henley filled the margins with hand-written comments, according to testimony. The jottings weren't read aloud in court.The defense also has tried to raise doubts about how clearly Henley remembers whatever he told Sanders during the book project, which spanned a tumultuous and fast-living period in Henley's past.The Eagles broke up in 1980, and he was arrested that year after authorities said they found a 16-year-old girl naked and suffering from a drug overdose in his Los Angeles home. He later wrote to a probation officer that “my environment has led me to accept drugs as part of everyday life,” according to a letter presented in court. "“Cocaine, by inducing feelings of confidence and even delusions of grandeur, gave me the courage I sometimes lacked to write songs and put my innermost feelings and emotions on public display,” Henley wrote in the undated letter in which he said he was giving up drugs. He had been sentenced to probation and a $2,500 fine after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.“Isn’t it a fact, sir, that you were using a significant amount of cocaine prior to the November (1980 arrest)?" Edelman asked.“Significant?” Henley replied. “You know, ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’ is not revelatory.”He said he used cocaine “intermittently” throughout the 1970s, but was always lucid when performing or doing business.“If I was some sort of a drug-filled zombie, I couldn’t have accomplished everything I accomplished before 1980 and after 1980,” Henley said.-----------------------NEW YORK (AP) — Don Henley resumed testifying Tuesday in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">a trial over handwritten drafts of lyrics</a>&nbsp;to some of the Eagles' biggest hits, including “Hotel California," and his decade-long effort to reclaim the pages.After spending Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-aa5300708de790099f9f7d0ba3b8afcf">telling the New York court</a>&nbsp;about topics ranging from Eagles songwriting to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-henley-eagles-hotel-california-sex-worker-dae5d3c41ae5ad1071a06dbc74a957d7">past personal troubles</a>, the Eagles co-founder underwent further questioning Tuesday from lawyers for the three men on trial in the case.Edward Kosinski, Craig Inciardi and Glenn Horowitz are charged with scheming to conceal the pages' disputed ownership and sell them despite knowing that Henley claimed they had no right. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to criminally possess stolen property.They're not charged with actually stealing the roughly 100 legal-pad sheets from the development of the Eagles' 1976 release “Hotel California," the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-best-selling album ever</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. The sheets include drafts of the words to the song “Hotel California,” one of rock's most enduring hits.Horowitz bought the pages in 2005 from writer Ed Sanders, who worked with the Eagles decades earlier on a band&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-1b873edc7596bb736428fbf8fb431c1d">biography that never got published</a>. Horowitz later sold the the documents to Inciardi and Kosinski, who then put some pages up for auction.Sanders isn't charged with any crime. He hasn't responded to messages about the case.Henley bought back four pages of “Hotel California” song lyrics in 2012. He also went to authorities at the time, and again when more pages — some from the hit “Life in the Fast Lane” — turned up for sale in 2014 and 2016.At the trial, Henley has testified that Sanders had no permission to keep or sell the pages, though he was allowed to view them in the course of writing the book.“I believed that my property was stolen, Mr. Sanders kept it in his residence, his garage, for 30 years, and then it was up for sale on the internet. I believed that that was a crime,” Henley told the court Tuesday.He testified Monday that he didn't give permission for the “very personal, very private” lyrics drafts to be removed from his property in Malibu, California, though he acknowledged that he didn't recall the entirety of his conversations with the writer in the late 1970s and early '80s.In a tape Monday of a 1980 phone call that was played Monday in court, Henley said he'd “try to dig through” his lyrics drafts in order to aid Sanders' book.Asked about the recording, Henley said he was talking about affording the writer “access. It’s not giving, it’s not gifting.”