MIAMI (AP) — The first big test of whether privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States will launch Friday when Florida's Brightline begins running trains between Miami and Orlando, reaching speeds of 125 mph (200 kph).

It's a $5 billion bet Brightline's owner, Fortress Investment Group, is making, believing that eventually 8 million people annually will take the 3.5-hour, 235-mile (378-kilometer) trip between the state's biggest tourist hubs — about 30 minutes less than the average drive between the two cities. The company is charging single riders $158 round-trip for business class and $298 for first-class, with families and groups able to buy four round-trip tickets for $398. Thirty-two trains will run daily.

Brightline, which began running its neon-yellow trains the 70 miles (112 kilometers) between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2018, is the first private intercity passenger service to begin U.S. operations in a century. It's also building a line connecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bullet-train-vegas-los-angeles-nevada-california-e6ac480fd784e2947dba49304cb4fe20">Southern California and Las Vegas</a>&nbsp;that it hopes to open in 2027 with trains that will reach 190 mph (305 kph). The only other U.S. high-speed line is Amtrak's Acela service between Boston and Washington, D.C., which began in 2000. Amtrak is owned by the federal government.

“This is a pretty important moment, whether you’re thinking about it in the context of the state of Florida or what it might mean for these kinds of products as they develop elsewhere in the United States," Brightline CEO Mike Reininger said in a recent interview. “The idea that my car is the only way for me to get where I need to go is being challenged by a new product. A new product that’s safer, that’s greener, that is a great value proposition (and) it’s fun.”

The Florida trains,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biofuels-ethanol-biodiesel-g20-climate-change-leaders-summit-ab58f3904e3215abdcccf0a4e6f555ba">which run on biodiesel</a>, will travel up to 79 mph (127 kph) in urban areas, 110 mph (177 kph) in less-populated regions and 125 mph (200 kph) through central Florida’s farmland. Brightline plans possible extensions to Tampa and Jacksonville.

John Renne, director of Florida Atlantic University's Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions, said the Miami-Orlando corridor is a perfect spot for high-speed rail — about 40 million Floridians and visitors make the trip annually, with more than 90% of them driving.

If Brightline succeeds that could lead to more high-speed lines between major cities 200 to 300 miles (320 to 480 kilometers) apart, both by Brightline and competitors, he said.

“It is quite exciting for South Florida to kind of be a test bed for what could be seen as a new paradigm for transportation, particularly high-speed rail transportation, in the United States,” Renne said.

Because Brightline is privately owned and seeking a profit, it was more sensitive to getting the project completed quickly to save money. On the government side, Renne pointed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eab3e5e3d0504547b6456eb3c62509b9">California’s effort</a>&nbsp;to build a high-speed rail system. Approved by voters in 2008, it isn’t near fruition, has already cost billions more than expected and its prospects for completion are uncertain as finding a route through mountains is proving difficult and politicians added dubious side projects. Brightline began planning in 2012.

Brightline's development has suffered setbacks, though. COVID-19 shut down the Miami-West Palm Beach line for 17 months.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0ddc85f43ae047dfb2b96b9e90d9bc01">A 2018 partnership</a>&nbsp;with Richard Branson's Virgin Group to rebrand Brightline as Virgin Trains USA quickly soured.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-u-s-news-fort-lauderdale-florida-travel-530777f8d01b8c8973cd4185b100739a">Brightline terminated the partnership in 2020</a>&nbsp;and Virgin sued in London. According to the lawsuit, Brightline says Virgin “ceased to constitute a brand of international high repute, largely because of matters related to the pandemic." That case is pending.

Then there is the question of safety for residents near the tracks.

Brightline trains have the highest death rate in the U.S., fatally striking 98 people since Miami-West Palm operations began — about one death for every 32,000 miles (51,500 kilometers) its trains travel, according to an ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-us-news-ap-top-news-transportation-technology-florida-0973281682ed4cc9bbd33a5fd569d5d5">Associated Press analysis</a>&nbsp;of federal data that began in 2019. The next-worst major railroad has a fatality every 130,000 miles (209,200 kilometers).

None of the deaths have been found to be Brightline's fault — most have been suicides, drivers who go around crossing gates or pedestrians running across tracks. The company hasn’t had a fatality since June, its longest stretch except during the pandemic shutdown.

Still, the company's fatality rate concerns officials in the extension area.

Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said a Brightline official seemed callous during a recent meeting, saying he seemed more worried about explaining Brightline’s procedure for getting passengers to their destination after an accident than how it deals with deaths.

“They don’t seem to have any empathy for our community. We’re just in their way,” said Flowers, whose county includes Vero Beach. “It’s a cost of doing business for them that they’re going to run some people over.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-florida-fort-lauderdale-west-palm-beach-3b9b16add1ca8a4c52c77d138e2f5b6c">Brightline has taken steps</a>&nbsp;its leaders believe enhance safety, including adding closed-circuit cameras near tracks, installing better crossing gates and pedestrian barriers and posting signage that includes the suicide prevention hotline.

“We have invested heavily in the infrastructure so that we have a safe corridor,” Reininger said. “We continue to operate literally every day with safety at top of mind.”

Reininger said most of Brightline’s Miami-Orlando passengers will come from those who drive the route regularly and others who stay home because they hate the drive. Prime targets are families headed to Orlando’s theme parks and travelers to South Florida’s nightlife, concerts, sports and cruises.

The drive between Miami and Orlando takes about four hours each way on Florida’s Turnpike with round-trip tolls costing between $40 and $60. Gas costs between $50 and $80, plus wear and tear on the vehicle.

Reininger said his company’s challenge is to convince travelers that its trains’ amenities make any extra cost worthwhile.

“It’s the value of your time,” Reininger said. The train “gives you the ability to use your time that you are dedicating to travel in any number of ways that you can’t do when you are behind the wheel.”

Robert Barr, who lives near Miami and publishes guides on rum and South Florida locales, has taken Brightline to West Palm Beach and looks forward to traveling the line to Orlando. He said Brightline’s accommodations “compare really well to some of the best trains” he’s taken in Europe, where high-speed rail between cities is common.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695327676213.jpeg" alt="A Brightline train approaches the Fort Lauderdale station on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The first big test of whether privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States will launch Friday, Sept. 22, when Florida's Brightline begins running trains between Miami and Orlando, reaching speeds of 125 mph (200 kph). (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)" />
 <figcaption>A Brightline train approaches the Fort Lauderdale station on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The first big test of whether privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States will launch Friday, Sept. 22, when Florida's Brightline begins running trains between Miami and Orlando, reaching speeds of 125 mph (200 kph). (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — The first big test of whether privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States will launch Friday when Florida's Brightline begins running trains between Miami and Orlando, reaching speeds of 125 mph (200 kph).It's a $5 billion bet Brightline's owner, Fortress Investment Group, is making, believing that eventually 8 million people annually will take the 3.5-hour, 235-mile (378-kilometer) trip between the state's biggest tourist hubs — about 30 minutes less than the average drive between the two cities. The company is charging single riders $158 round-trip for business class and $298 for first-class, with families and groups able to buy four round-trip tickets for $398. Thirty-two trains will run daily.Brightline, which began running its neon-yellow trains the 70 miles (112 kilometers) between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2018, is the first private intercity passenger service to begin U.S. operations in a century. It's also building a line connecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bullet-train-vegas-los-angeles-nevada-california-e6ac480fd784e2947dba49304cb4fe20">Southern California and Las Vegas</a>&nbsp;that it hopes to open in 2027 with trains that will reach 190 mph (305 kph). The only other U.S. high-speed line is Amtrak's Acela service between Boston and Washington, D.C., which began in 2000. Amtrak is owned by the federal government.“This is a pretty important moment, whether you’re thinking about it in the context of the state of Florida or what it might mean for these kinds of products as they develop elsewhere in the United States," Brightline CEO Mike Reininger said in a recent interview. “The idea that my car is the only way for me to get where I need to go is being challenged by a new product. A new product that’s safer, that’s greener, that is a great value proposition (and) it’s fun.”The Florida trains,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biofuels-ethanol-biodiesel-g20-climate-change-leaders-summit-ab58f3904e3215abdcccf0a4e6f555ba">which run on biodiesel</a>, will travel up to 79 mph (127 kph) in urban areas, 110 mph (177 kph) in less-populated regions and 125 mph (200 kph) through central Florida’s farmland. Brightline plans possible extensions to Tampa and Jacksonville.John Renne, director of Florida Atlantic University's Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions, said the Miami-Orlando corridor is a perfect spot for high-speed rail — about 40 million Floridians and visitors make the trip annually, with more than 90% of them driving.If Brightline succeeds that could lead to more high-speed lines between major cities 200 to 300 miles (320 to 480 kilometers) apart, both by Brightline and competitors, he said.“It is quite exciting for South Florida to kind of be a test bed for what could be seen as a new paradigm for transportation, particularly high-speed rail transportation, in the United States,” Renne said.Because Brightline is privately owned and seeking a profit, it was more sensitive to getting the project completed quickly to save money. On the government side, Renne pointed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eab3e5e3d0504547b6456eb3c62509b9">California’s effort</a>&nbsp;to build a high-speed rail system. Approved by voters in 2008, it isn’t near fruition, has already cost billions more than expected and its prospects for completion are uncertain as finding a route through mountains is proving difficult and politicians added dubious side projects. Brightline began planning in 2012.Brightline's development has suffered setbacks, though. COVID-19 shut down the Miami-West Palm Beach line for 17 months.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0ddc85f43ae047dfb2b96b9e90d9bc01">A 2018 partnership</a>&nbsp;with Richard Branson's Virgin Group to rebrand Brightline as Virgin Trains USA quickly soured.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-u-s-news-fort-lauderdale-florida-travel-530777f8d01b8c8973cd4185b100739a">Brightline terminated the partnership in 2020</a>&nbsp;and Virgin sued in London. According to the lawsuit, Brightline says Virgin “ceased to constitute a brand of international high repute, largely because of matters related to the pandemic." That case is pending.Then there is the question of safety for residents near the tracks.Brightline trains have the highest death rate in the U.S., fatally striking 98 people since Miami-West Palm operations began — about one death for every 32,000 miles (51,500 kilometers) its trains travel, according to an ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-us-news-ap-top-news-transportation-technology-florida-0973281682ed4cc9bbd33a5fd569d5d5">Associated Press analysis</a>&nbsp;of federal data that began in 2019. The next-worst major railroad has a fatality every 130,000 miles (209,200 kilometers).None of the deaths have been found to be Brightline's fault — most have been suicides, drivers who go around crossing gates or pedestrians running across tracks. The company hasn’t had a fatality since June, its longest stretch except during the pandemic shutdown.Still, the company's fatality rate concerns officials in the extension area.Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said a Brightline official seemed callous during a recent meeting, saying he seemed more worried about explaining Brightline’s procedure for getting passengers to their destination after an accident than how it deals with deaths.“They don’t seem to have any empathy for our community. We’re just in their way,” said Flowers, whose county includes Vero Beach. “It’s a cost of doing business for them that they’re going to run some people over.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-florida-fort-lauderdale-west-palm-beach-3b9b16add1ca8a4c52c77d138e2f5b6c">Brightline has taken steps</a>&nbsp;its leaders believe enhance safety, including adding closed-circuit cameras near tracks, installing better crossing gates and pedestrian barriers and posting signage that includes the suicide prevention hotline.“We have invested heavily in the infrastructure so that we have a safe corridor,” Reininger said. “We continue to operate literally every day with safety at top of mind.”Reininger said most of Brightline’s Miami-Orlando passengers will come from those who drive the route regularly and others who stay home because they hate the drive. Prime targets are families headed to Orlando’s theme parks and travelers to South Florida’s nightlife, concerts, sports and cruises.The drive between Miami and Orlando takes about four hours each way on Florida’s Turnpike with round-trip tolls costing between $40 and $60. Gas costs between $50 and $80, plus wear and tear on the vehicle.Reininger said his company’s challenge is to convince travelers that its trains’ amenities make any extra cost worthwhile.“It’s the value of your time,” Reininger said. The train “gives you the ability to use your time that you are dedicating to travel in any number of ways that you can’t do when you are behind the wheel.”Robert Barr, who lives near Miami and publishes guides on rum and South Florida locales, has taken Brightline to West Palm Beach and looks forward to traveling the line to Orlando. He said Brightline’s accommodations “compare really well to some of the best trains” he’s taken in Europe, where high-speed rail between cities is common.

First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speed

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/u-s-house-passes-wounded-knee-memorial-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

The U.S. House approved by voice vote Wednesday a bill that would help protect land at the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre in South Dakota, where an estimated 350 Lakota were killed by U.S. soldiers.

The site is within the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe purchased 40 acres around the site last year and would retain possession of the land under&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/dustyjohnson.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/wounded-knee-massacre-memorial-and-sacred-site-act.pdf">the bill</a>, lead sponsor Dusty Johnson, a South Dakota Republican, said.

The wounds from the massacre, which included the killing of noncombatant women and children, remain fresh for the state’s Lakota residents, Johnson said on the House floor earlier this week.

Johnson visited the site in June, he said. At nearby St. John’s Church, the floorboards are still stained with the blood of the wounded and dying who retreated there.

Johnson said he heard on his June visit from the grandson of a survivor of the attack, who grew up hearing of the fear and terror the day evinced.

“These are real people, these are real places,” he said. “These are not ancient tales of a distant land.”

The bill would place 40 acres into protected status for the tribes, Johnson said, providing tribes tools to protect the land.

South Dakota’s U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds, both Republicans, introduced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2088/committees?s=5&amp;r=1&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22s+2088%22%7D">an identical bill</a>&nbsp;in the Senate.

Democrats have introduced bills in several sessions of Congress to rescind the 20 Medals of Honor awarded to U.S. service members at Wounded Knee, but that measure has not passed either chamber.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695317463643.jpeg" alt=" U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson speaks on the House floor in September 2023 about his bill to protect land at the Wounded Knee Massacre site. (Courtesy of Rep. Johnson’s office)" />
 <figcaption> U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson speaks on the House floor in September 2023 about his bill to protect land at the Wounded Knee Massacre site. (Courtesy of Rep. Johnson’s office)</figcaption>
 </figure>Jacob Fischler<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/u-s-house-passes-wounded-knee-memorial-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>The U.S. House approved by voice vote Wednesday a bill that would help protect land at the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre in South Dakota, where an estimated 350 Lakota were killed by U.S. soldiers.The site is within the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe purchased 40 acres around the site last year and would retain possession of the land under&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/dustyjohnson.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/wounded-knee-massacre-memorial-and-sacred-site-act.pdf">the bill</a>, lead sponsor Dusty Johnson, a South Dakota Republican, said.The wounds from the massacre, which included the killing of noncombatant women and children, remain fresh for the state’s Lakota residents, Johnson said on the House floor earlier this week.Johnson visited the site in June, he said. At nearby St. John’s Church, the floorboards are still stained with the blood of the wounded and dying who retreated there.Johnson said he heard on his June visit from the grandson of a survivor of the attack, who grew up hearing of the fear and terror the day evinced.“These are real people, these are real places,” he said. “These are not ancient tales of a distant land.”The bill would place 40 acres into protected status for the tribes, Johnson said, providing tribes tools to protect the land.South Dakota’s U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds, both Republicans, introduced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2088/committees?s=5&amp;r=1&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22s+2088%22%7D">an identical bill</a>&nbsp;in the Senate.Democrats have introduced bills in several sessions of Congress to rescind the 20 Medals of Honor awarded to U.S. service members at Wounded Knee, but that measure has not passed either chamber.

U.S. House passes Wounded Knee memorial bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Gen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joint-chiefs-chairman-brown-tuberville-military-42176ceb51300bdd11f7939db888d701">CQ Brown</a>&nbsp;as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, putting him in place to succeed Gen. Mark Milley when he retires at the end of the month.

Brown's confirmation on a 83-11 vote. Nebraska U.S. Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Rickets joined Kansas Senator Jerry Moran voting in favor of the nomination. Kansas junior Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt voted no.

Wednesday's vote came months after President Joe Biden nominated him for the post, comes as Democrats try to maneuver around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-military-holds-senate-officers-45c4230a8aee5222bf32b43823e29acc">holds placed on hundreds of nominations</a>&nbsp;by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville over the Pentagon's abortion policy. The Senate is also expected to confirm&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-chief-recruiting-shortfall-nomination-holds-2f1da426a54694eb333882fe7ec31571">Gen. Randy George</a>&nbsp;to be Army Chief of Staff and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marine-commandant-biden-nomination-iraq-afghanistan-8a1704122edc25c388aa33980ff6592a">Gen. Eric Smith</a>&nbsp;as commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps this week.

Tuberville has been blocking the Senate from the routine process of approving military nominations in groups, frustrating Democrats who had said they would not go through the time-consuming process of bringing up individual nominations for a vote. More than 300 nominees are still stalled amid Tuberville's blockade, and confirming them one-by-one would take months.

But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reversed course on Wednesday and moved to force votes on Brown, George and Smith.

“Senator Tuberville is forcing us to face his obstruction head on,” Schumer said. “I want to make clear to my Republican colleagues — this cannot continue.”

Tuberville did not object to the confirmation votes, saying he will maintain his holds but is fine with bringing up nominations individually for roll call votes.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that Brown’s confirmation, along with expected votes on Smith and George, is positive news. But “we should have never been in this position,” he said.

“While good for these three officers, it doesn’t fix the problem or provide a path forward for the 316 other general and flag officers that are held up by this ridiculous hold,” Kirby told reporters.

Brown, a career fighter pilot, was the Air Force’s first Black commander of the Pacific Air Forces and most recently its first Black chief of staff, making him the first African American to lead any of the military branches. His confirmation will also mark the first time the Pentagon’s top two posts were held by African Americans, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;as the top civilian leader.

In a statement late Wednesday, Austin said Brown would be a “tremendous leader" as the new chairman.

Brown, 60, replaces Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley, who is retiring after four decades in military service. Milley's four-year term as chairman ends on Sept. 30.

Tuberville said on Wednesday that he will continue to hold up the other nominations unless the Pentagon ends its policy of paying for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. The Biden administration instituted the policy after the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion and some states have limited or banned the procedure.

“Let’s do one at a time or change the policy back,” Tuberville said after Schumer put the three nominations up for a vote. “Let’s vote on it.”

In an effort to force Tuberville’s hand, Democrats had said they would not bring up the most senior nominees while the others were still stalled. “There’s an old saying in the military, leave no one behind,” Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed said in July.

But in a frustrated speech on the Senate floor, Schumer said Wednesday he was left with no other choice.

“Senator Tuberville is using them as pawns,” Schumer said of the nominees.

The votes come as a host of military officers have spoken out about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-holds-military-nominations-664c15d00d330b2b06b75ebeda8e3f01">damage of the delays</a>&nbsp;for service members. While Tuberville's holds are focused on all general and flag officers, they carry career impacts on the military’s younger rising officers. Until each general or admiral is confirmed, it blocks an opportunity for a more junior officer to rise.

That affects pay, retirement, lifestyle and future assignments — and in some fields where the private sector will pay more, it becomes harder to convince those highly trained young leaders to stay.

“Senator Tuberville’s continued hold on hundreds of our nation’s military leaders endangers our national security and military readiness. It is well past time to confirm the over 300 other military nominees,” Austin said, noting he would "continue to personally engage with members of Congress in both parties until all of these well-qualified, apolitical officers are confirmed.”

Tuberville said he has not talked to Austin since July about the holds.

The blockade has frustrated members on both sides of the aisle, and it is still unclear how the larger standoff will be resolved. Schumer did not say if he will put additional nominations on the floor.

The monthslong holds have devolved into a convoluted procedural back and forth in recent days.

Tuberville claimed victory after Schumer’s move, even though the Pentagon policy remains unchanged.

“We called them out, and they blinked,” he told reporters of Schumer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695305939334.png" alt="Biden " />
 <figcaption>Biden </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Gen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joint-chiefs-chairman-brown-tuberville-military-42176ceb51300bdd11f7939db888d701">CQ Brown</a>&nbsp;as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, putting him in place to succeed Gen. Mark Milley when he retires at the end of the month.Brown's confirmation on a 83-11 vote. Nebraska U.S. Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Rickets joined Kansas Senator Jerry Moran voting in favor of the nomination. Kansas junior Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt voted no.Wednesday's vote came months after President Joe Biden nominated him for the post, comes as Democrats try to maneuver around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-military-holds-senate-officers-45c4230a8aee5222bf32b43823e29acc">holds placed on hundreds of nominations</a>&nbsp;by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville over the Pentagon's abortion policy. The Senate is also expected to confirm&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-chief-recruiting-shortfall-nomination-holds-2f1da426a54694eb333882fe7ec31571">Gen. Randy George</a>&nbsp;to be Army Chief of Staff and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marine-commandant-biden-nomination-iraq-afghanistan-8a1704122edc25c388aa33980ff6592a">Gen. Eric Smith</a>&nbsp;as commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps this week.Tuberville has been blocking the Senate from the routine process of approving military nominations in groups, frustrating Democrats who had said they would not go through the time-consuming process of bringing up individual nominations for a vote. More than 300 nominees are still stalled amid Tuberville's blockade, and confirming them one-by-one would take months.But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reversed course on Wednesday and moved to force votes on Brown, George and Smith.“Senator Tuberville is forcing us to face his obstruction head on,” Schumer said. “I want to make clear to my Republican colleagues — this cannot continue.”Tuberville did not object to the confirmation votes, saying he will maintain his holds but is fine with bringing up nominations individually for roll call votes.White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that Brown’s confirmation, along with expected votes on Smith and George, is positive news. But “we should have never been in this position,” he said.“While good for these three officers, it doesn’t fix the problem or provide a path forward for the 316 other general and flag officers that are held up by this ridiculous hold,” Kirby told reporters.Brown, a career fighter pilot, was the Air Force’s first Black commander of the Pacific Air Forces and most recently its first Black chief of staff, making him the first African American to lead any of the military branches. His confirmation will also mark the first time the Pentagon’s top two posts were held by African Americans, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;as the top civilian leader.In a statement late Wednesday, Austin said Brown would be a “tremendous leader" as the new chairman.Brown, 60, replaces Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley, who is retiring after four decades in military service. Milley's four-year term as chairman ends on Sept. 30.Tuberville said on Wednesday that he will continue to hold up the other nominations unless the Pentagon ends its policy of paying for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. The Biden administration instituted the policy after the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion and some states have limited or banned the procedure.“Let’s do one at a time or change the policy back,” Tuberville said after Schumer put the three nominations up for a vote. “Let’s vote on it.”In an effort to force Tuberville’s hand, Democrats had said they would not bring up the most senior nominees while the others were still stalled. “There’s an old saying in the military, leave no one behind,” Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed said in July.But in a frustrated speech on the Senate floor, Schumer said Wednesday he was left with no other choice.“Senator Tuberville is using them as pawns,” Schumer said of the nominees.The votes come as a host of military officers have spoken out about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-holds-military-nominations-664c15d00d330b2b06b75ebeda8e3f01">damage of the delays</a>&nbsp;for service members. While Tuberville's holds are focused on all general and flag officers, they carry career impacts on the military’s younger rising officers. Until each general or admiral is confirmed, it blocks an opportunity for a more junior officer to rise.That affects pay, retirement, lifestyle and future assignments — and in some fields where the private sector will pay more, it becomes harder to convince those highly trained young leaders to stay.“Senator Tuberville’s continued hold on hundreds of our nation’s military leaders endangers our national security and military readiness. It is well past time to confirm the over 300 other military nominees,” Austin said, noting he would "continue to personally engage with members of Congress in both parties until all of these well-qualified, apolitical officers are confirmed.”Tuberville said he has not talked to Austin since July about the holds.The blockade has frustrated members on both sides of the aisle, and it is still unclear how the larger standoff will be resolved. Schumer did not say if he will put additional nominations on the floor.The monthslong holds have devolved into a convoluted procedural back and forth in recent days.Tuberville claimed victory after Schumer’s move, even though the Pentagon policy remains unchanged.“We called them out, and they blinked,” he told reporters of Schumer.

Nebraska U.S. Senators vote to confirm next Joint Chiefs chairman

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/20/one-state-property-tax-credit-rises-slightly-in-2023-while-another-still-isnt-being-fully-claimed/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — One state property tax credit will rise slightly in 2023, but all Nebraskans still aren’t claiming a more lucrative tax refund available via their income tax return.

The Nebraska Department of Revenue announced Tuesday that the real property tax credit for tax year 2023 will amount to $220.76 for the owner of a $200,000 home, and $264.90 for the owner of $200,000 worth of farmland.

That credit, which shows up on the yearly property tax statements sent to landowners and homeowners, rose slightly from a year ago, when it was $213 for a $200,000 home and $256 for the owner of a like amount of farm or ranch property.

But all property owners still aren’t claiming a 3-year-old income tax credit that partially refunds property tax payments for K-12 schools and community colleges.

A year ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/15/nebraskans-failing-to-claim-200-million-in-state-income-tax-credits-officials-say/">40% of state taxpayers had failed to take the credit</a>&nbsp;on their state income tax returns as of September, leaving $200 million unclaimed.

Those numbers have improved somewhat in 2023, with about $128 million unclaimed as of mid-September, or about 23% of the $548 million available.

A Revenue Department spokeswoman, Lydia Brasch, said Wednesday that more taxpayers are expected to claim the credit in October, when those who asked for an extension in filing their income tax returns will file.

She added that the department plans to send out postcards to property owners in hopes of increasing the use of the refund, which is intended to soften the impact from the state’s traditionally high property taxes.

The income tax credit is more sizable than the older, automatic credit that shows up on property tax statements and provides more than $1,000 in credits on a home worth $250,000. But state officials have&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-moves-to-make-new-tax-credit-easier-for-taxpayers-to-claim/">struggled to make home and farm owners aware</a>&nbsp;of the tax break.

This was a big year for tax cuts in the Nebraska Legislature, with lawmakers passing increases in both tax credit programs and setting the state on a course to reduce the top state individual and corporate income tax rate to 3.99%. It once stood at 6.84% for individuals, which senators said left the state uncompetitive as other states have lowered tax rates.

Meanwhile, the advent of casino gambling in Nebraska has begun to show up in terms of tax relief, though only slightly.

State Property Tax Administrator Ruth Sorensen said the real property tax credit for 2023 is about 50 cents higher this year for the owner of a $200,000 home because of $1.4 million in new tax revenue from casinos.

The first casino in the state,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/16/impact-of-nebraska-casinos-starting-to-be-felt-by-keno-parlors-other-forms-of-gambling/">WarHorse, in Lincoln, opened a year ago</a>&nbsp;and contributed that amount to the credit fund during 2022, Sorensen said.

Since then, temporary casinos have opened in Grand Island and Columbus.

Through August of this year, the three casinos have contributed $11.3 million in gaming taxes to the state,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://racingcommission.nebraska.gov/application/files/2016/9418/4567/Monthly_for_Website_2023_Gaming_Tax_Spreadsheet.pdf">according to figures</a>&nbsp;kept by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. At that rate, about $17 million will be paid in gaming taxes this year.

Under state law, 70% of the gaming tax revenue will go to the state real property tax credit fund, or about $12 million, while 25% will be split evenly among the city and county where the casino is located. The remaining 5% will be divided between the state’s general fund and a state problem gamblers program.

Nebraska voters, in 2020, approved allowing casino gambling at the state’s six licensed horse racing tracks. Other communities, including Bellevue, Norfolk and Ogallala, also ave expressed interest in building tracks and casinos, though expansion to new tracks appears a few years away.

Gambling proponents have estimated that casinos,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/14/nebraskas-first-casino-has-already-sent-nearly-800000-to-property-tax-relief/">when fully opened, will generate between $45 million and $91 million in additional tax</a>&nbsp;relief.

Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/09/20/one-state-property-tax-credit-rises-slightly-in-2023-while-another-still-isnt-being-fully-claimed/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — One state property tax credit will rise slightly in 2023, but all Nebraskans still aren’t claiming a more lucrative tax refund available via their income tax return.The Nebraska Department of Revenue announced Tuesday that the real property tax credit for tax year 2023 will amount to $220.76 for the owner of a $200,000 home, and $264.90 for the owner of $200,000 worth of farmland.That credit, which shows up on the yearly property tax statements sent to landowners and homeowners, rose slightly from a year ago, when it was $213 for a $200,000 home and $256 for the owner of a like amount of farm or ranch property.<h2>Income tax credits go unclaimed</h2>But all property owners still aren’t claiming a 3-year-old income tax credit that partially refunds property tax payments for K-12 schools and community colleges.A year ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/15/nebraskans-failing-to-claim-200-million-in-state-income-tax-credits-officials-say/">40% of state taxpayers had failed to take the credit</a>&nbsp;on their state income tax returns as of September, leaving $200 million unclaimed.Those numbers have improved somewhat in 2023, with about $128 million unclaimed as of mid-September, or about 23% of the $548 million available.A Revenue Department spokeswoman, Lydia Brasch, said Wednesday that more taxpayers are expected to claim the credit in October, when those who asked for an extension in filing their income tax returns will file.She added that the department plans to send out postcards to property owners in hopes of increasing the use of the refund, which is intended to soften the impact from the state’s traditionally high property taxes.The income tax credit is more sizable than the older, automatic credit that shows up on property tax statements and provides more than $1,000 in credits on a home worth $250,000. But state officials have&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-moves-to-make-new-tax-credit-easier-for-taxpayers-to-claim/">struggled to make home and farm owners aware</a>&nbsp;of the tax break.<h2>A big year for tax cuts</h2>This was a big year for tax cuts in the Nebraska Legislature, with lawmakers passing increases in both tax credit programs and setting the state on a course to reduce the top state individual and corporate income tax rate to 3.99%. It once stood at 6.84% for individuals, which senators said left the state uncompetitive as other states have lowered tax rates.Meanwhile, the advent of casino gambling in Nebraska has begun to show up in terms of tax relief, though only slightly.State Property Tax Administrator Ruth Sorensen said the real property tax credit for 2023 is about 50 cents higher this year for the owner of a $200,000 home because of $1.4 million in new tax revenue from casinos.The first casino in the state,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/16/impact-of-nebraska-casinos-starting-to-be-felt-by-keno-parlors-other-forms-of-gambling/">WarHorse, in Lincoln, opened a year ago</a>&nbsp;and contributed that amount to the credit fund during 2022, Sorensen said.Since then, temporary casinos have opened in Grand Island and Columbus.Through August of this year, the three casinos have contributed $11.3 million in gaming taxes to the state,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://racingcommission.nebraska.gov/application/files/2016/9418/4567/Monthly_for_Website_2023_Gaming_Tax_Spreadsheet.pdf">according to figures</a>&nbsp;kept by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. At that rate, about $17 million will be paid in gaming taxes this year.<h2>More casinos proposed</h2>Under state law, 70% of the gaming tax revenue will go to the state real property tax credit fund, or about $12 million, while 25% will be split evenly among the city and county where the casino is located. The remaining 5% will be divided between the state’s general fund and a state problem gamblers program.Nebraska voters, in 2020, approved allowing casino gambling at the state’s six licensed horse racing tracks. Other communities, including Bellevue, Norfolk and Ogallala, also ave expressed interest in building tracks and casinos, though expansion to new tracks appears a few years away.Gambling proponents have estimated that casinos,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/14/nebraskas-first-casino-has-already-sent-nearly-800000-to-property-tax-relief/">when fully opened, will generate between $45 million and $91 million in additional tax</a>&nbsp;relief.

One state property tax credit rises slightly in 2023, while another still isn’t being fully claimed

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A woman walking her dog on a wooded trail in Colorado's Rocky Mountains spooked a cow moose Wednesday and it charged, headbutting the hiker and stomping on her before she escaped back down the trail, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Authorities said the woman was taken to a hospital but they declined to provide information on the woman's injuries or condition. They said the moose had stomped on her “several times” and that the dog had minor injuries.

The moose attack occurred just west of Boulder and was the third in Boulder County this year, said Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. She added fatal encounters are rare.

Van Hoose said the animals are often aggressive with dogs, which they perceive as a threat. They also become more aggressive during mating season — called the rut — which is just beginning in Colorado.

“If a moose thinks a dog is a threat it’s going to react to it, and that’s normal for a moose," she said.

Wildlife officers couldn’t find the moose, but posted signs warning hikers of the potentially aggressive animal. It will likely be difficult to find the exact moose that attacked without DNA, said Van Hoose.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife warned hikers to keep their pets leashed and be on the lookout for the animals, especially near water or in willow trees. If a moose is spotted, officials said, people should keep their distance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695302009591.png" alt="Photo Colorado Parks and Wildlife" />
 <figcaption>Photo Colorado Parks and Wildlife</figcaption>
 </figure>BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A woman walking her dog on a wooded trail in Colorado's Rocky Mountains spooked a cow moose Wednesday and it charged, headbutting the hiker and stomping on her before she escaped back down the trail, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.Authorities said the woman was taken to a hospital but they declined to provide information on the woman's injuries or condition. They said the moose had stomped on her “several times” and that the dog had minor injuries.The moose attack occurred just west of Boulder and was the third in Boulder County this year, said Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. She added fatal encounters are rare.Van Hoose said the animals are often aggressive with dogs, which they perceive as a threat. They also become more aggressive during mating season — called the rut — which is just beginning in Colorado.“If a moose thinks a dog is a threat it’s going to react to it, and that’s normal for a moose," she said.Wildlife officers couldn’t find the moose, but posted signs warning hikers of the potentially aggressive animal. It will likely be difficult to find the exact moose that attacked without DNA, said Van Hoose.Colorado Parks and Wildlife warned hikers to keep their pets leashed and be on the lookout for the animals, especially near water or in willow trees. If a moose is spotted, officials said, people should keep their distance.___

Woman attacked by moose while walking her dog in Colorado

NEW YORK (AP) — Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old media magnate who created Fox News, is stepping down as leader of both Fox's parent company and his News Corp. media holdings.

Fox said Thursday that Murdoch would become chairman emeritus of both companies. His son, Lachlan, will become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-election-lawsuit-new-york-oregon-c77a0630afca5de243a96265c5815b33">News Corp.</a>&nbsp;chairman and continue as chief executive officer of Fox Corp.

Lachlan Murdoch said that “we are grateful that he will serve as chairman emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies.”

Besides Fox News, Murdoch started the Fox broadcast network, the first to successfully challenge the Big Three of ABC, CBS and NBC. He is owner of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.

Murdoch is a force in the conservative world, where Fox News Channel has profoundly influenced television and the nation's politics since its start in 1996.

Murdoch vowed in a letter to employees that he would remain engaged at Fox.

“In my new role, I can guarantee you that I will be involved every day in the contest of ideas, Murdoch wrote. “Our companies are communities, and I will be an active member of our community. I will be watching our broadcasts with a critical eye, reading our newspapers and websites and books with much interest.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695303516372.png" alt="Rupert Murdoch during a 2017 appearance in New York -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Rupert Murdoch during a 2017 appearance in New York -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old media magnate who created Fox News, is stepping down as leader of both Fox's parent company and his News Corp. media holdings.Fox said Thursday that Murdoch would become chairman emeritus of both companies. His son, Lachlan, will become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fox-election-lawsuit-new-york-oregon-c77a0630afca5de243a96265c5815b33">News Corp.</a>&nbsp;chairman and continue as chief executive officer of Fox Corp.Lachlan Murdoch said that “we are grateful that he will serve as chairman emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies.”Besides Fox News, Murdoch started the Fox broadcast network, the first to successfully challenge the Big Three of ABC, CBS and NBC. He is owner of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.Murdoch is a force in the conservative world, where Fox News Channel has profoundly influenced television and the nation's politics since its start in 1996.Murdoch vowed in a letter to employees that he would remain engaged at Fox.“In my new role, I can guarantee you that I will be involved every day in the contest of ideas, Murdoch wrote. “Our companies are communities, and I will be an active member of our community. I will be watching our broadcasts with a critical eye, reading our newspapers and websites and books with much interest.”

Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox and News Corp

NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden raised “hard issues,” including protecting the “checks and balances” in a democracy, in a Wednesday meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pushing the Israeli leader to find a compromise on a judicial overhaul that has set off months of mass protests in Israel and concerns in Washington.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/20/readout-of-president-joe-bidens-meeting-with-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-of-israel/">Click here to</a> view the White House readout of the meeting

Biden also raised concerns about the far-right Israeli government's treatment of the Palestinians, urging Netanyahu to take steps to improve conditions in the West Bank at a time of heightened violence in the occupied territory.

The two leaders sat down and took time to chat one-on-one on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. It was their first meeting since Netanyahu took office at the helm of his country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-protests-judiciary-overhaul-netanyahu-tel-aviv-8369021c593bafbe7abe84c8aee6bba8">far-right government</a>&nbsp;late last year.

Relations have cooled since Netanyahu returned to office with a coalition of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist partners. His new government has stepped up construction in West Bank settlements, angering the U.S., and pressed ahead with its contentious judicial overhaul plan despite deep divisions at home and criticism from the U.S. and other allies.

Netanyahu tried to play down concerns about the plan, saying there is “one thing that will never change and that is Israel's commitment to democracy."

Biden opened the meeting by stressing the U.S. friendship with Israel as being “ironclad” and saying that “without Israel, there’s not a Jew in the world who is secure. Israel is essential.” But Biden also acknowledged the tensions with Netanyahu’s government and its policies.

“We’re going to discuss some of the hard issues, that is upholding democratic values that lie at the heart of our partnership, including the checks and balances in our systems,” Biden said. He said they would also talk about a path to a negotiated two-state solution with Palestinians and “ensuring that Iran never, never acquires a nuclear weapon.”

A senior Biden administration official said Biden pushed Netanyahu to find a compromise on his planned changes to the Israeli court system. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting, did not want to characterize Netanyahu's reaction to what Biden said, only that the Israeli leader understood the need for a compromise.

Israeli media, citing a senior official, said Netanyahu assured Biden he was seeking a compromise. However, Netanyahu has made similar pledges in recent months while pushing ahead with the plan, drawing accusations from his opponents that he is not negotiating in good faith. His coalition pushed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/netanyahu-israel-hospital-judicial-overhaul-protests-closures-fb595629e7033ee34d246ee9a367c4d4">the first major piece of the legislation</a>&nbsp;through parliament in July.

A statement by Netanyahu's office said the meeting with Biden was primarily about brokering a peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

The prospect of an agreement was also raised by Saudi Crown Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-dubai-united-arab-emirates-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-aba648586c12cf5438836252408b6a76">Mohammed bin Salman</a>, who said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6337512022112">interview with Fox News</a>&nbsp;being aired Wednesday that the two countries are getting closer to normalizing relations. But Saudi Arabia's de facto leader also said it was “very important” to reach a pact on the treatment of Palestinians as part of any agreement.

“We got to see where we go,” he said. “We hope that will reach a place, that it will ease the life of the Palestinians, get Israel as a player in the Middle East.”

The location of Biden and Netanyahu's long-anticipated meeting — a New York hotel room on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meetings rather than the grandeur of the Oval Office — has been widely interpreted in Israel as a sign of U.S. displeasure with Netanyahu’s new government.

Netanyahu has been a frequent White House visitor over the years, and Israeli leaders are typically invited within weeks of starting their tenure to the Oval Office. But his judicial proposals have raised concerns within Israel as well as the U.S. about his commitment to a democratic system.

Bien held out the possibility of the coveted Oval Office meeting, saying, “I hope we’ll see each other in Washington by the end of the year.” The U.S. later formally invited Netanyahu to the White House, eyeing a meeting in November or December.

Biden himself has repeatedly raised concerns about Netanyahu’s plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-court-overhaul-judicial-8a20142f39006e9489e58411c39671fb">overhaul Israel’s judicial system</a>.

Netanyahu says the country’s unelected judges wield too much power over government decision-making. His plan seeks to give more authority to the ruling coalition in parliament, which he heads. Critics say that by weakening the independent judiciary, Netanyahu is pushing Israel toward authoritarian rule.

The plan has divided the nation and led to months of mass protests against his government. Those demonstrations followed him to the United States, with large numbers of Israeli expatriates waving the country's flag in protest Wednesday in New York. Hundreds of Israelis also protested outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.

Early this year, Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-united-states-biden-netanyahu-judicial-overhaul-5d53ba11bfd5ebe0d2e2e668ad2ee5f1">voiced his unhappiness</a>&nbsp;over the judicial overhaul, saying Netanyahu “cannot continue down this road” and urging the Israeli leader to find a compromise.

The Israeli government’s treatment of the Palestinians has also drawn American ire. Netanyahu’s coalition is dominated by far-right ultranationalists who have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-occupation-west-bank-smotrich-netanyahu-e262d0bca6a637d217852ea238ab45b2">greatly expanded Israeli settlement construction</a>&nbsp;on occupied lands claimed by the Palestinians for a future state. Israel’s government also opposes a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians — a cornerstone of White House policy in the region. The deadlock has coincided with a spike in fighting in the West Bank.

According to a White House summary of the talks, Biden stressed the “need to take immediate measures to improve the security and economic situation” in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-killed-gaza-west-bank-0454cf65390d6d8c27ddb55d51a083c4">West Bank</a>, where violence between Israelis and Palestinians over the past 18 months has intensified to its worst levels in roughly two decades. The two leaders also reaffirmed their intention to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The Biden-Netanyahu meeting came at a time of cooling ties between Israel and the Democratic Party. A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that while Americans generally view Israel as a partner or ally, many are questioning whether Netanyahu’s government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-israel-united-states-biden-netanyahu-41ba5cb189185f3e4956f4465c00999f">shares American values</a>. Republicans were significantly more likely than Democrats to call Israel an ally with shared values.

Topping Netanyahu’s wish list were discussions on U.S. efforts to broker a deal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-jake-sullivan-mbs-peace-deal-377e3c1e4b4732124b565ed968c5f0c8">establishing full diplomatic relations</a>&nbsp;between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The White House statement said Biden and Netanyahu discussed the shipping and rail corridor announced at the Group of 20 summit that would connect Israel with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

Netanyahu, who also led Israel when President Donald Trump brokered the “Abraham Accords” between Israel and four Arab countries, said a similar deal with Saudi Arabia would “go a long way” to promoting Israel's relations with the broader Arab and Muslim world and help advance “a genuine peace” with the Palestinians.

The White House has acknowledged that it is seeking such a deal, but obstacles lie in the way. Saudi Arabia is pushing for a nuclear cooperation deal and defense guarantees from the U.S.

The Saudis have also said they expect Israel to make significant concessions to the Palestinians.

The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, told reporters “there is no other way” to solve the conflict than by establishing a Palestinian state. But senior ministers in Netanyahu’s government have already ruled out any concessions to the Palestinians.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695242635278.png" alt="Biden: We discussed several issues, from the progress we have made on integration efforts to the viability of a two-state solution, upholding our democratic values, and countering Iran.- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Biden: We discussed several issues, from the progress we have made on integration efforts to the viability of a two-state solution, upholding our democratic values, and countering Iran.- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden raised “hard issues,” including protecting the “checks and balances” in a democracy, in a Wednesday meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pushing the Israeli leader to find a compromise on a judicial overhaul that has set off months of mass protests in Israel and concerns in Washington.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/20/readout-of-president-joe-bidens-meeting-with-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-of-israel/">Click here to</a> view the White House readout of the meetingBiden also raised concerns about the far-right Israeli government's treatment of the Palestinians, urging Netanyahu to take steps to improve conditions in the West Bank at a time of heightened violence in the occupied territory.The two leaders sat down and took time to chat one-on-one on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. It was their first meeting since Netanyahu took office at the helm of his country’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-protests-judiciary-overhaul-netanyahu-tel-aviv-8369021c593bafbe7abe84c8aee6bba8">far-right government</a>&nbsp;late last year.Relations have cooled since Netanyahu returned to office with a coalition of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist partners. His new government has stepped up construction in West Bank settlements, angering the U.S., and pressed ahead with its contentious judicial overhaul plan despite deep divisions at home and criticism from the U.S. and other allies.Netanyahu tried to play down concerns about the plan, saying there is “one thing that will never change and that is Israel's commitment to democracy."Biden opened the meeting by stressing the U.S. friendship with Israel as being “ironclad” and saying that “without Israel, there’s not a Jew in the world who is secure. Israel is essential.” But Biden also acknowledged the tensions with Netanyahu’s government and its policies.“We’re going to discuss some of the hard issues, that is upholding democratic values that lie at the heart of our partnership, including the checks and balances in our systems,” Biden said. He said they would also talk about a path to a negotiated two-state solution with Palestinians and “ensuring that Iran never, never acquires a nuclear weapon.”A senior Biden administration official said Biden pushed Netanyahu to find a compromise on his planned changes to the Israeli court system. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting, did not want to characterize Netanyahu's reaction to what Biden said, only that the Israeli leader understood the need for a compromise.Israeli media, citing a senior official, said Netanyahu assured Biden he was seeking a compromise. However, Netanyahu has made similar pledges in recent months while pushing ahead with the plan, drawing accusations from his opponents that he is not negotiating in good faith. His coalition pushed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/netanyahu-israel-hospital-judicial-overhaul-protests-closures-fb595629e7033ee34d246ee9a367c4d4">the first major piece of the legislation</a>&nbsp;through parliament in July.A statement by Netanyahu's office said the meeting with Biden was primarily about brokering a peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;The prospect of an agreement was also raised by Saudi Crown Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-dubai-united-arab-emirates-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-aba648586c12cf5438836252408b6a76">Mohammed bin Salman</a>, who said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6337512022112">interview with Fox News</a>&nbsp;being aired Wednesday that the two countries are getting closer to normalizing relations. But Saudi Arabia's de facto leader also said it was “very important” to reach a pact on the treatment of Palestinians as part of any agreement.“We got to see where we go,” he said. “We hope that will reach a place, that it will ease the life of the Palestinians, get Israel as a player in the Middle East.”The location of Biden and Netanyahu's long-anticipated meeting — a New York hotel room on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meetings rather than the grandeur of the Oval Office — has been widely interpreted in Israel as a sign of U.S. displeasure with Netanyahu’s new government.Netanyahu has been a frequent White House visitor over the years, and Israeli leaders are typically invited within weeks of starting their tenure to the Oval Office. But his judicial proposals have raised concerns within Israel as well as the U.S. about his commitment to a democratic system.Bien held out the possibility of the coveted Oval Office meeting, saying, “I hope we’ll see each other in Washington by the end of the year.” The U.S. later formally invited Netanyahu to the White House, eyeing a meeting in November or December.Biden himself has repeatedly raised concerns about Netanyahu’s plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-court-overhaul-judicial-8a20142f39006e9489e58411c39671fb">overhaul Israel’s judicial system</a>.Netanyahu says the country’s unelected judges wield too much power over government decision-making. His plan seeks to give more authority to the ruling coalition in parliament, which he heads. Critics say that by weakening the independent judiciary, Netanyahu is pushing Israel toward authoritarian rule.The plan has divided the nation and led to months of mass protests against his government. Those demonstrations followed him to the United States, with large numbers of Israeli expatriates waving the country's flag in protest Wednesday in New York. Hundreds of Israelis also protested outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.Early this year, Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-united-states-biden-netanyahu-judicial-overhaul-5d53ba11bfd5ebe0d2e2e668ad2ee5f1">voiced his unhappiness</a>&nbsp;over the judicial overhaul, saying Netanyahu “cannot continue down this road” and urging the Israeli leader to find a compromise.The Israeli government’s treatment of the Palestinians has also drawn American ire. Netanyahu’s coalition is dominated by far-right ultranationalists who have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-occupation-west-bank-smotrich-netanyahu-e262d0bca6a637d217852ea238ab45b2">greatly expanded Israeli settlement construction</a>&nbsp;on occupied lands claimed by the Palestinians for a future state. Israel’s government also opposes a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians — a cornerstone of White House policy in the region. The deadlock has coincided with a spike in fighting in the West Bank.According to a White House summary of the talks, Biden stressed the “need to take immediate measures to improve the security and economic situation” in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-killed-gaza-west-bank-0454cf65390d6d8c27ddb55d51a083c4">West Bank</a>, where violence between Israelis and Palestinians over the past 18 months has intensified to its worst levels in roughly two decades. The two leaders also reaffirmed their intention to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.The Biden-Netanyahu meeting came at a time of cooling ties between Israel and the Democratic Party. A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that while Americans generally view Israel as a partner or ally, many are questioning whether Netanyahu’s government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-israel-united-states-biden-netanyahu-41ba5cb189185f3e4956f4465c00999f">shares American values</a>. Republicans were significantly more likely than Democrats to call Israel an ally with shared values.Topping Netanyahu’s wish list were discussions on U.S. efforts to broker a deal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-jake-sullivan-mbs-peace-deal-377e3c1e4b4732124b565ed968c5f0c8">establishing full diplomatic relations</a>&nbsp;between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The White House statement said Biden and Netanyahu discussed the shipping and rail corridor announced at the Group of 20 summit that would connect Israel with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.Netanyahu, who also led Israel when President Donald Trump brokered the “Abraham Accords” between Israel and four Arab countries, said a similar deal with Saudi Arabia would “go a long way” to promoting Israel's relations with the broader Arab and Muslim world and help advance “a genuine peace” with the Palestinians.The White House has acknowledged that it is seeking such a deal, but obstacles lie in the way. Saudi Arabia is pushing for a nuclear cooperation deal and defense guarantees from the U.S.The Saudis have also said they expect Israel to make significant concessions to the Palestinians.The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, told reporters “there is no other way” to solve the conflict than by establishing a Palestinian state. But senior ministers in Netanyahu’s government have already ruled out any concessions to the Palestinians.

Biden, Israel Prime Minister discuss two-state solution, Iran

Kai Koerber was a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when a gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members there on Valentine’s Day in 2018. Seeing his peers — and himself — struggle with returning to normal, he wanted to do something to help people manage their emotions on their own terms.

While some of his classmates at the Parkland, Florida, school have worked on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-david-hogg-fort-lauderdale-gun-politics-parkland-florida-school-shooting-b5388b55a4face4f351efc55bfdee943">advocating for gun control</a>, entered politics or simply took a step back to heal and focus on their studies, Koerber’s background in technology — he’d originally wanted to be a rocket scientist — led him in a different direction: to build a smartphone app.

The result was&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/joy-ai-wellness-platform/id1618609385">Joy: AI Wellness Platform</a>, which uses artificial intelligence to suggest bite-sized mindfulness activities for people based on how they are feeling. The algorithm Koerber’s team built is designed to recognize how a person feels from the sound of their voice — regardless of the words or language they speak.

“In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the first thing that came to mind after we’ve experienced this horrible, traumatic event — how are we going to personally recover?” he said. “It’s great to say OK, we’re going to build a better legal infrastructure to prevent gun sales, increased background checks, all the legislative things. But people really weren’t thinking about ... the mental health side of things.”

Like many of his peers, Koerber said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder for a "very long time" and only recently has it gotten a little better.

“So when I came to Cal, I was like, let me just start a research team that builds some groundbreaking AI and see if that’s possible,” said the 23-year-old, who graduated from the University of California at Berkeley earlier this year. “The idea was to provide a platform to people who were struggling with, let’s say sadness, grief, anger ... to be able to get a mindfulness practice or wellness practice on the go that meets our emotional needs on the go.”

He said it was important to offer activities that can be done quickly, sometimes lasting just a few seconds, wherever the user might be. It wasn’t going to be your parents’ mindfulness practice.

“The notion of mindfulness being a solo activity or something that’s confined to sitting in your room breathing is something that we’re very much trying to dispel,” Koerber said.

Mohammed Zareef-Mustafa, a former classmate of Koerber's who's been using the app for a few months, said the voice-emotion recognition part is “different than anything I've ever seen before.”

“I use the app about three times a week, because the practices are short and easy to get into. It really helps me quickly de-stress before I have to do things like job interviews,” he said.

To use Joy, you simply speak into the app. The AI is supposed to recognize how you are feeling from your voice, then suggest short activities.

It doesn’t always get your mood right, so it's possible to manually pick your disposition. Let’s say you are feeling “neutral” at the moment. The app suggests several activities, such as 15-second exercise called “mindful consumption” that encourages you to “think about all the lives and beings involved in producing what you eat or use that day.”

Yet another activity helps you practice making an effective apology. Another has you write a letter to your future self, with a pen and a paper — remember those? Feeling sad? A suggestion pops up asking you to track how many times you've laughed over a seven-day period and tally it up at the end of the week to see what moments gave you a sense of joy, purpose or satisfaction.

The iPhone app is available for a $8 monthly subscription, with a discount if you subscribe for a whole year. It’s a work in progress, and as it goes with AI, the more people use it, the more accurate it becomes.

“Kai is a leader of this next generation who are thinking intentionally and with focus about how to use technology to meet the mental, physical, and climate crises of our times,” said Dacher Keltner, a professor at UC Berkeley and Koerber’s faculty advisor on the project. “It comes out of his life experience, and, unlike past technologists, he seems to feel this has to be what technology does, make the world healthier.”

A plethora of wellness apps on the market claim to help people with mental health issues, but it’s not always clear whether they work, said Colin Walsh, a professor of biomedical informatics at Vanderbilt University who has studied the use of AI in suicide prevention. According to Walsh, it is feasible to take someone’s voice and glean some aspects of their emotional state.

“The challenge is if you as a user feel like it’s not really representing what you think your current state is like, that’s an issue," he said. "There should be some mechanism by which that feedback can go back.”

The stakes also matter. Facebook, for instance, has faced some criticism in the past for its suicide prevention tool, which used AI (as well as humans) to flag users who may be contemplating suicide, and — in some serious cases — contact law enforcement to check on the person. But if the stakes are lower, Walsh said, if the technology is simply directing someone to spend some time outside, it's unlikely to cause harm.

“The driver is there’s a huge demand there, or at least the perception of a huge demand there” Walsh said of the explosion of wellness and mental health apps in the past few years. “Despite the best of intentions with our current system — and it does a lot of good work — obviously, there’s still gaps. So I think people see technology as a tool to try to bridge that.”

Koerber said people tend to forget, after mass shootings, that survivors don’t just “bounce back right away” from the trauma they experienced. It takes years to recover.

“This is something that people carry with them, in some way, shape or form, for the rest of their lives,” he said.

His work has also been slower and deliberate than tech entrepreneurs of the past.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695237075177.jpeg" alt="Kai Koerber poses for a photograph Thursday, July 27, 2023, in Berkeley, Calif. Koerber was a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when a gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members on Valentine's Day in 2018. Seeing his peers — and himself — struggle with returning to normal, he says he wanted to do something to help people manage their emotions on their own terms. The result was Joy, an app built on AI that helps people struggling with sadness, grief or anger to find help in short, bite-sized prompts and tools. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)" />
 <figcaption>Kai Koerber poses for a photograph Thursday, July 27, 2023, in Berkeley, Calif. Koerber was a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when a gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members on Valentine's Day in 2018. Seeing his peers — and himself — struggle with returning to normal, he says he wanted to do something to help people manage their emotions on their own terms. The result was Joy, an app built on AI that helps people struggling with sadness, grief or anger to find help in short, bite-sized prompts and tools. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)</figcaption>
 </figure>Kai Koerber was a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when a gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members there on Valentine’s Day in 2018. Seeing his peers — and himself — struggle with returning to normal, he wanted to do something to help people manage their emotions on their own terms.While some of his classmates at the Parkland, Florida, school have worked on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-david-hogg-fort-lauderdale-gun-politics-parkland-florida-school-shooting-b5388b55a4face4f351efc55bfdee943">advocating for gun control</a>, entered politics or simply took a step back to heal and focus on their studies, Koerber’s background in technology — he’d originally wanted to be a rocket scientist — led him in a different direction: to build a smartphone app.The result was&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/joy-ai-wellness-platform/id1618609385">Joy: AI Wellness Platform</a>, which uses artificial intelligence to suggest bite-sized mindfulness activities for people based on how they are feeling. The algorithm Koerber’s team built is designed to recognize how a person feels from the sound of their voice — regardless of the words or language they speak.“In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the first thing that came to mind after we’ve experienced this horrible, traumatic event — how are we going to personally recover?” he said. “It’s great to say OK, we’re going to build a better legal infrastructure to prevent gun sales, increased background checks, all the legislative things. But people really weren’t thinking about ... the mental health side of things.”Like many of his peers, Koerber said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder for a "very long time" and only recently has it gotten a little better.“So when I came to Cal, I was like, let me just start a research team that builds some groundbreaking AI and see if that’s possible,” said the 23-year-old, who graduated from the University of California at Berkeley earlier this year. “The idea was to provide a platform to people who were struggling with, let’s say sadness, grief, anger ... to be able to get a mindfulness practice or wellness practice on the go that meets our emotional needs on the go.”He said it was important to offer activities that can be done quickly, sometimes lasting just a few seconds, wherever the user might be. It wasn’t going to be your parents’ mindfulness practice.“The notion of mindfulness being a solo activity or something that’s confined to sitting in your room breathing is something that we’re very much trying to dispel,” Koerber said.Mohammed Zareef-Mustafa, a former classmate of Koerber's who's been using the app for a few months, said the voice-emotion recognition part is “different than anything I've ever seen before.”“I use the app about three times a week, because the practices are short and easy to get into. It really helps me quickly de-stress before I have to do things like job interviews,” he said.To use Joy, you simply speak into the app. The AI is supposed to recognize how you are feeling from your voice, then suggest short activities.It doesn’t always get your mood right, so it's possible to manually pick your disposition. Let’s say you are feeling “neutral” at the moment. The app suggests several activities, such as 15-second exercise called “mindful consumption” that encourages you to “think about all the lives and beings involved in producing what you eat or use that day.”Yet another activity helps you practice making an effective apology. Another has you write a letter to your future self, with a pen and a paper — remember those? Feeling sad? A suggestion pops up asking you to track how many times you've laughed over a seven-day period and tally it up at the end of the week to see what moments gave you a sense of joy, purpose or satisfaction.The iPhone app is available for a $8 monthly subscription, with a discount if you subscribe for a whole year. It’s a work in progress, and as it goes with AI, the more people use it, the more accurate it becomes.“Kai is a leader of this next generation who are thinking intentionally and with focus about how to use technology to meet the mental, physical, and climate crises of our times,” said Dacher Keltner, a professor at UC Berkeley and Koerber’s faculty advisor on the project. “It comes out of his life experience, and, unlike past technologists, he seems to feel this has to be what technology does, make the world healthier.”A plethora of wellness apps on the market claim to help people with mental health issues, but it’s not always clear whether they work, said Colin Walsh, a professor of biomedical informatics at Vanderbilt University who has studied the use of AI in suicide prevention. According to Walsh, it is feasible to take someone’s voice and glean some aspects of their emotional state.“The challenge is if you as a user feel like it’s not really representing what you think your current state is like, that’s an issue," he said. "There should be some mechanism by which that feedback can go back.”The stakes also matter. Facebook, for instance, has faced some criticism in the past for its suicide prevention tool, which used AI (as well as humans) to flag users who may be contemplating suicide, and — in some serious cases — contact law enforcement to check on the person. But if the stakes are lower, Walsh said, if the technology is simply directing someone to spend some time outside, it's unlikely to cause harm.“The driver is there’s a huge demand there, or at least the perception of a huge demand there” Walsh said of the explosion of wellness and mental health apps in the past few years. “Despite the best of intentions with our current system — and it does a lot of good work — obviously, there’s still gaps. So I think people see technology as a tool to try to bridge that.”Koerber said people tend to forget, after mass shootings, that survivors don’t just “bounce back right away” from the trauma they experienced. It takes years to recover.“This is something that people carry with them, in some way, shape or form, for the rest of their lives,” he said.His work has also been slower and deliberate than tech entrepreneurs of the past.

Parkland school shooting survivor develops Joy, an app built on AI that helps people heal

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-afb3d15b59a0212d9297ed2794f91a2a">restarting a website</a>&nbsp;allowing Americans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-at-home-covid-tests-e98c4a7a4ee340345a5786c4c407c5fb">again order up to four free tests per household</a>&nbsp;— aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus cases</a>&nbsp;that has typically come during colder months.

The Department of Health and Human Services says orders can be placed at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid.gov/tests">COVIDTests.gov</a>&nbsp;starting Sept. 25, and that no-cost tests will be delivered for free by the United States Postal Service.

Twelve manufacturers that employ hundreds of people in seven states have been awarded funding and will produce 200 million over-the-counter tests to replenish federal stockpiles for government use, in addition to producing enough tests to meet demand for tests ordered online, the department said. Federal officials said that will help guard against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-pandemics-ap-top-news-global-trade-fresno-4354f8e8026cf8135b74fa19f0d0f048">supply chain issues</a>&nbsp;that sparked some shortages of at-home COVID tests made overseas during past surges in coronavirus cases.

Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said the website will remain functional to receive orders through the holidays and “we reserve the right to keep it open even longer if we're starting to see an increase in cases.”

“If there is a demand for these tests, we want to make sure that they're made available to the American people for free in this way,” O'Connell said. “But, at this point, our focus is getting through the holidays and making sure folks can take a test if they're going to see Grandma for Thanksgiving."

The tests are designed to detect COVID variants currently circulating, and are intended for use by the end of the year. But they will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates, the department said.

The initiative follows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-home-test-78960c4c36422907a2eab3eb0dcdfadd">four previous rounds</a>&nbsp;where federal officials and the U.S. Postal Service provided more than 755 million tests for free to homes nationwide.

It is also meant to complement ongoing federal efforts to provide free COVID tests to long-term care facilities, schools, low-income senior housing, uninsured individuals and underserved communities which are already distributing 4 million per week and have distributed 500 million tests to date, the department said.

O’Connell said manufacturers would be able to spread out the 200 million tests they will produce for federal use over 18 months. That means that, as demand for home tests rises via the website or at U.S. retailers when COVID cases increase around the country, producers can focus on meeting those orders — but that they will then have an additional outlet for the tests they produce during period when demand declines.

“We’ve seen every winter, as people move indoors into heated spaces, away from the outside that, over each of the seasons that COVID’s been a concern, that we have seen cases go up," O'Connell said.

She added that also “there’s always an opportunity or chance for another variant to come” but “we’re not anticipating that.”

“That’s not why we’re doing this,” O'Connell said. "We’re doing this for the fall and winter season ahead and the potential for an increase in cases as a result.”

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that the "Biden-Harris Administration, in partnership with domestic manufacturers, has made great strides in addressing vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain by reducing our reliance on overseas manufacturing.”

“These critical investments will strengthen our nation’s production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus," Becerra said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646323179957.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-afb3d15b59a0212d9297ed2794f91a2a">restarting a website</a>&nbsp;allowing Americans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-at-home-covid-tests-e98c4a7a4ee340345a5786c4c407c5fb">again order up to four free tests per household</a>&nbsp;— aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus cases</a>&nbsp;that has typically come during colder months.The Department of Health and Human Services says orders can be placed at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid.gov/tests">COVIDTests.gov</a>&nbsp;starting Sept. 25, and that no-cost tests will be delivered for free by the United States Postal Service.Twelve manufacturers that employ hundreds of people in seven states have been awarded funding and will produce 200 million over-the-counter tests to replenish federal stockpiles for government use, in addition to producing enough tests to meet demand for tests ordered online, the department said. Federal officials said that will help guard against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-pandemics-ap-top-news-global-trade-fresno-4354f8e8026cf8135b74fa19f0d0f048">supply chain issues</a>&nbsp;that sparked some shortages of at-home COVID tests made overseas during past surges in coronavirus cases.Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said the website will remain functional to receive orders through the holidays and “we reserve the right to keep it open even longer if we're starting to see an increase in cases.”“If there is a demand for these tests, we want to make sure that they're made available to the American people for free in this way,” O'Connell said. “But, at this point, our focus is getting through the holidays and making sure folks can take a test if they're going to see Grandma for Thanksgiving."The tests are designed to detect COVID variants currently circulating, and are intended for use by the end of the year. But they will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates, the department said.The initiative follows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-home-test-78960c4c36422907a2eab3eb0dcdfadd">four previous rounds</a>&nbsp;where federal officials and the U.S. Postal Service provided more than 755 million tests for free to homes nationwide.It is also meant to complement ongoing federal efforts to provide free COVID tests to long-term care facilities, schools, low-income senior housing, uninsured individuals and underserved communities which are already distributing 4 million per week and have distributed 500 million tests to date, the department said.O’Connell said manufacturers would be able to spread out the 200 million tests they will produce for federal use over 18 months. That means that, as demand for home tests rises via the website or at U.S. retailers when COVID cases increase around the country, producers can focus on meeting those orders — but that they will then have an additional outlet for the tests they produce during period when demand declines.“We’ve seen every winter, as people move indoors into heated spaces, away from the outside that, over each of the seasons that COVID’s been a concern, that we have seen cases go up," O'Connell said.She added that also “there’s always an opportunity or chance for another variant to come” but “we’re not anticipating that.”“That’s not why we’re doing this,” O'Connell said. "We’re doing this for the fall and winter season ahead and the potential for an increase in cases as a result.”HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that the "Biden-Harris Administration, in partnership with domestic manufacturers, has made great strides in addressing vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain by reducing our reliance on overseas manufacturing.”“These critical investments will strengthen our nation’s production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus," Becerra said in a statement.

Biden admin. spending $600M to produce new COVID tests

LINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– Natural resources stakeholders and subject matter experts will be in Kearney for the annual Nebraska Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) Conference at the Younes Conference Center Sept. 25-26, 2023.

The conference brings together NRD employees, directors and others integrally involved in conservation, technology and policymaking. The event kicks off with the Ron Bishop Memorial Golf tournament on Sunday, Sept. 24, to raise money for the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) Foundation.

Natural resources partners will open the conference on Monday at 8:30 a.m. with updates from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Topics include an overview and discussion of successful natural resources programs, new technologies and research for future programs. Panelists at the forum will also provide insight on water quality, groundwater management, and natural resources projects.

Recognizing citizens for their conservation efforts, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts also will present awards during the noon luncheon Monday, Sept. 25. Winners include:

Monday evening includes a silent auction for the NARD Foundation, which supports natural resources youth programs, followed by a dinner banquet. Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelley will give the welcome during the banquet and three NRD Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized including:

The annual NRD Conference is presented by Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts with a range of local and national sponsors. Approximately 400 natural resources stakeholders are expected to attend the conference.

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

Megan GrimesLINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– Natural resources stakeholders and subject matter experts will be in Kearney for the annual Nebraska Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) Conference at the Younes Conference Center Sept. 25-26, 2023.The conference brings together NRD employees, directors and others integrally involved in conservation, technology and policymaking. The event kicks off with the Ron Bishop Memorial Golf tournament on Sunday, Sept. 24, to raise money for the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) Foundation.Natural resources partners will open the conference on Monday at 8:30 a.m. with updates from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.Topics include an overview and discussion of successful natural resources programs, new technologies and research for future programs. Panelists at the forum will also provide insight on water quality, groundwater management, and natural resources projects.Recognizing citizens for their conservation efforts, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts also will present awards during the noon luncheon Monday, Sept. 25. Winners include:<ul>
 <li>2023 Tree Planter of the Year: Brian Moes Family – Osmond, Nebraska</li><li>2023 Community Conservation Award: Bob Hansen – Coleridge, Nebraska</li><li>2023 Water Conservation Award: Dave Condon – Creighton, Nebraska</li><li>2023 Soil Stewardship Conservation Award: Daryl Obermeyer – Brownville, Nebraska</li><li>2023 Director of the Year: Marcel Kramer, Lewis &amp; Clark NRD – Crofton, Nebraska</li><li>2023 Educator of the Year: Zeta Greene, Sandhills Public Schools – Dunning, Nebraska</li>
 </ul>Monday evening includes a silent auction for the NARD Foundation, which supports natural resources youth programs, followed by a dinner banquet. Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelley will give the welcome during the banquet and three NRD Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized including:<ul>
 <li>Darwin Anderson, Columbus, Nebraska (2023 NRD Director, Lower Loup NRD)</li><li>Kent O. Miller, North Platte, Nebraska (2023 NRD Employee, Twin Platte NRD)</li><li>Jim Cannia (posthumously), Aqua Geo Frameworks (2023 NRD Supporter)</li>
 </ul>The annual NRD Conference is presented by Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts with a range of local and national sponsors. Approximately 400 natural resources stakeholders are expected to attend the conference.The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>.

Annual NRD Conference Focuses on Water Quality, New Technology

Nebraska Department of Transportation

Sept. 20, 2023 (Lincoln, Neb.) — On Sept. 15, 2023, Governor Jim Pillen signed a proclamation declaring Sept. 18-24, 2023, as Rail Safety Week in Nebraska. A tie-in with the national campaign emphasizing the need for awareness and caution when walking, cycling or driving on or around railroad tracks, this year’s theme is “Stop Track Tragedies” with efforts aimed to avoid preventable crashes.&nbsp;

In 2022, 984 people were killed or injured nationwide in vehicle-train collisions, with 24 of those in Nebraska. Another 1,097 were killed or injured nationwide while walking on or around railroad tracks, with 11 of those in Nebraska. Across the United States, a person or vehicle is hit by a train every three hours.&nbsp;

"Rail safety plays a critical role in the lives of those who work on our highways and railroads, the traveling public and our citizens," said Governor Pillen. "Nebraska remains committed to supporting these ongoing efforts to raise awareness, save lives and prevent injuries caused by rail-related incidents across our state.”&nbsp;

The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) is collaborating with a coalition of safety advocates, including Operation Lifesaver, Inc., the Rail Transportation Safety District (RTSD) and law enforcement to educate Nebraskans about railroad safety, as many incidents on railroad tracks and crossings are&nbsp; preventable.&nbsp;

Operation Lifesaver is a non-profit, public education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries on railroad tracks and at crossings. Their mission emphasizes education, enforcement and engineering to improve the safety of railroad crossings.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I am proud of the partnerships we have with Operation Lifesaver, the RTSD and law enforcement as we work on our commitment to help educate and increase public safety on railroad tracks and crossings throughout Nebraska,” said NDOT Director Vicki Kramer. “It is important to continue to increase awareness as we work together to make all railroad crossings safe in Nebraska with zero fatalities.”&nbsp;

Check Operation Lifesaver’s Rail Safety Week for information on collaborative efforts to increase rail safety and ways to help stop track tragedies.

Nebraska Department of TransportationSept. 20, 2023 (Lincoln, Neb.) — On Sept. 15, 2023, Governor Jim Pillen signed a proclamation declaring Sept. 18-24, 2023, as Rail Safety Week in Nebraska. A tie-in with the national campaign emphasizing the need for awareness and caution when walking, cycling or driving on or around railroad tracks, this year’s theme is “Stop Track Tragedies” with efforts aimed to avoid preventable crashes.&nbsp;In 2022, 984 people were killed or injured nationwide in vehicle-train collisions, with 24 of those in Nebraska. Another 1,097 were killed or injured nationwide while walking on or around railroad tracks, with 11 of those in Nebraska. Across the United States, a person or vehicle is hit by a train every three hours.&nbsp;"Rail safety plays a critical role in the lives of those who work on our highways and railroads, the traveling public and our citizens," said Governor Pillen. "Nebraska remains committed to supporting these ongoing efforts to raise awareness, save lives and prevent injuries caused by rail-related incidents across our state.”&nbsp;The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) is collaborating with a coalition of safety advocates, including Operation Lifesaver, Inc., the Rail Transportation Safety District (RTSD) and law enforcement to educate Nebraskans about railroad safety, as many incidents on railroad tracks and crossings are&nbsp; preventable.&nbsp;Operation Lifesaver is a non-profit, public education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries on railroad tracks and at crossings. Their mission emphasizes education, enforcement and engineering to improve the safety of railroad crossings.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I am proud of the partnerships we have with Operation Lifesaver, the RTSD and law enforcement as we work on our commitment to help educate and increase public safety on railroad tracks and crossings throughout Nebraska,” said NDOT Director Vicki Kramer. “It is important to continue to increase awareness as we work together to make all railroad crossings safe in Nebraska with zero fatalities.”&nbsp;Check Operation Lifesaver’s Rail Safety Week for information on collaborative efforts to increase rail safety and ways to help stop track tragedies.

NDOT joins transportation partners in proclamation signing: Rail Safety Week is September 18-24 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday for the second time in its past three meetings, a sign that it’s moderating its fight against inflation as price pressures have eased. But Fed officials also signaled that they expect to raise rates once more this year.

Consumer inflation has dropped from a year-over-year peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.7%. Yet it’s still well above the Fed’s 2% target, and its policymakers made clear Wednesday that they aren’t close to declaring victory over the worst bout of inflation in 40 years. The Fed's latest decision left its benchmark rate at about 5.4%, the result of 11 rate hikes it unleashed beginning in March 2022.

The Fed’s hikes have significantly raised the costs of consumer and business loans. In fine-tuning its rate policies, the central bank is trying to guide the economy toward a tricky&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-interest-rates-economy-recession-c08901d250144a322f4c423517112e5e">“soft landing”</a>&nbsp;of cooling inflation without triggering a deep recession.

The Fed’s decisions Wednesday underscored that even while its policymakers approach a peak in their benchmark rate, they intend to keep it at or near its high for a prolonged period. Besides forecasting another hike by year’s end, the officials now envision keeping rates high deep into 2024.

They expect to cut interest rates just twice next year, fewer than the four rate cuts they had forecast in June. They predict that their key short-term rate will still be 5.1% at the end of 2024 — higher than it was from the 2008-2009 Great Recession until May of this year.

The policymakers' inclination to keep borrowing rates high for an extended period suggests that they remain concerned that inflation might not be falling fast enough toward their 2% target. The job market and the economy have remained resilient, confounding expectations that the Fed’s series of hikes would cause widespread layoffs and a recession.

“The process of getting inflation sustainably down to 2% has a long way to go," Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. “We’ve seen progress, and we welcome that, but we need to see more progress" before concluding that it's appropriate to end the rate hikes.

At the same time, Powell said he feels confident that the end of the rate-hiking cycle is near: “We’re fairly close, we think, to where we need to get.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday for the second time in its past three meetings, a sign that it’s moderating its fight against inflation as price pressures have eased. But Fed officials also signaled that they expect to raise rates once more this year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announces a pause in interest rate hike: &quot;We decided to leave our policy interest rate unchanged....&quot; <a href="https://t.co/nNYKGIzc8d">pic.twitter.com/nNYKGIzc8d</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1704571273844605214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Consumer inflation has dropped from a year-over-year peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.7%. Yet it’s still well above the Fed’s 2% target, and its policymakers made clear Wednesday that they aren’t close to declaring victory over the worst bout of inflation in 40 years. The Fed's latest decision left its benchmark rate at about 5.4%, the result of 11 rate hikes it unleashed beginning in March 2022.The Fed’s hikes have significantly raised the costs of consumer and business loans. In fine-tuning its rate policies, the central bank is trying to guide the economy toward a tricky&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-interest-rates-economy-recession-c08901d250144a322f4c423517112e5e">“soft landing”</a>&nbsp;of cooling inflation without triggering a deep recession.The Fed’s decisions Wednesday underscored that even while its policymakers approach a peak in their benchmark rate, they intend to keep it at or near its high for a prolonged period. Besides forecasting another hike by year’s end, the officials now envision keeping rates high deep into 2024.They expect to cut interest rates just twice next year, fewer than the four rate cuts they had forecast in June. They predict that their key short-term rate will still be 5.1% at the end of 2024 — higher than it was from the 2008-2009 Great Recession until May of this year.The policymakers' inclination to keep borrowing rates high for an extended period suggests that they remain concerned that inflation might not be falling fast enough toward their 2% target. The job market and the economy have remained resilient, confounding expectations that the Fed’s series of hikes would cause widespread layoffs and a recession.“The process of getting inflation sustainably down to 2% has a long way to go," Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. “We’ve seen progress, and we welcome that, but we need to see more progress" before concluding that it's appropriate to end the rate hikes.At the same time, Powell said he feels confident that the end of the rate-hiking cycle is near: “We’re fairly close, we think, to where we need to get.”“We’re taking advantage of the fact that we moved quickly in the past, he added, to manage rates "a little more carefully now as we sort of find our way to the right level of restriction that we need to get inflation back down to 2%.”Treasury yields moved sharply higher Wednesday after the Fed issued a statement after its latest policy meeting and updated its economic projections. The yield on the two-year Treasury note, which tends to track expectations of future Fed actions, spiked from 5.04% to 5.11%.In their new quarterly projections, the policymakers estimate that the economy will grow faster this year and next year than they had previously envisioned. They now foresee growth reaching 2.1% this year, up from a 1% forecast in June, and 1.5% next year, up from their previous 1.1% forecast.Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices and is considered a good predictor of future trends, is now expected to fall to 3.7% by year's end, better than the 3.9% forecast in June. Core inflation, under the Fed’s preferred measure, is now 4.2%.The approach to rate increases the Fed is now taking reflects an awareness that the risks to the economy of raising rates too high is growing. Previously, the officials had focused more on the risks of not doing enough to slow inflation.In generating sharply higher interest rates throughout the economy, the Fed has sought to slow borrowing — for houses, cars, home renovations, business investment and the like — to help ease spending, moderate the pace of growth and curb inflation.Though clear progress on inflation has been achieved, gas prices have lurched higher again, reaching a national average of $3.88 a gallon as of Tuesday. Oil prices have surged more than 12% in just the past month.And the economy is still expanding at a solid pace as Americans, buoyed by steady job growth and pay raises, have kept spending. Both trends could keep inflation and the Fed’s interest rates high enough and long enough to weaken household and corporate spending and the economy as a whole.While overall inflation has declined, the costs of some services — from auto insurance and car repairs to veterinary services and hair salons — are still climbing faster than they were before the pandemic. Still, most recent data is pointing in the direction the Fed wants to see: Inflation in June and July, excluding volatile food and energy prices, posted its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-9ca16040f3824b498a7129e47b65f363/">two lowest monthly readings</a>&nbsp;in nearly two years.And signs have grown that the job market isn’t as robust as it had been, which helps keep a check on inflation. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-inflation-layoffs-economy-federal-reserve-9a0309b7644eb10f4069d9cab0d66687">pace of hiring has moderated</a>. The number of unfilled openings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-unemployment-economy-recession-be40718e68b9381d5925139d40e2fe8e">fell sharply in June and July</a>. And the number of Americans who have started seeking work has jumped. This has brought labor demand and supply into better balance and eased pressure on employers to raise pay to attract and keep workers – a trend that can lead them to raise prices to offset higher labor costs.Still, the path back to lower inflation has become more uneven: On a monthly basis, consumer prices jumped 0.6% in August, the most in more than a year. Compared with a year earlier, prices rose 3.7%, the second straight such increase.And some factors are threatening to re-ignite inflation, weaken the economy, or both. Rising oil prices, for example, are making gasoline steadily more expensive. Should that trend continue, it would worsen inflation and leave consumers with less money to spend. Even the so-far limited strike by the United Auto Workers union against the Big 3 U.S. automakers could eventually further inflate vehicle prices.