The United States is facing an enormous crisis on our Southern Border. Failed policies and a broken immigration system have resulted in homeland security risks, a humanitarian disaster, and a loss of confidence in the Biden administration’s ability to address the crisis.

State and local resources have been overwhelmed by the number of individuals crossing the border illegally. Earlier this summer, New York City resorted to crafting plans to use public school gymnasiums to shelter the influx of migrants. Dangerous cartels have continued to terrorize border communities and conduct deadly human and drug trafficking operations.

The crisis has an incredibly tragic impact on vulnerable individuals. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) numbers, more than 300,000 unaccompanied minors have been encountered by CBP over the last four fiscal years. The New York Times has reported that Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) Unaccompanied Children Program (UCP) immediately loses contact with one-third of the children released to sponsors through the UCP. This is both heartbreaking and unacceptable.&nbsp;

We must also acknowledge how unfair our broken immigration system is to those who respect the rule of law. Expecting every person who wants to immigrate to the U.S. to come through legal avenues is not too much to ask. It shouldn’t cost thousands of dollars and require extensive waiting periods to come to the U.S. legally, but we also shouldn’t reward those who disregard the law. The need for reform is clear, and the Biden administration has shown no leadership.

In fact, as the border crisis continues, the Biden administration’s policies incentivize illegal activity and work against the states most impacted. Rather than fulfilling its constitutional duty to secure our border and delivering the support needed by border states, President Biden’s Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Texas for their border enforcement efforts.

The state of Texas launched Operation Lone Star in March of 2021 to address the border crisis where the federal government has failed. Through Operation Lone Star, Texas has identified and implemented solutions – such as leveraging advanced technology to monitor smuggling routes and deployment of floating barriers in the Rio Grande– to improve the disastrous state of the Southern Border. Instead of working against these successful policies, the administration should be doing everything possible to get the border under control.

To effectively address this crisis, Congress must take action to secure our border and stop illegal immigration and asylum claim abuse. House Republicans are doing our part to confront this issue through the passage of the Schools Not Shelters Act (H.R. 3491) and the Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2). H.R. 3491 would block the use of publicly funded school facilities for housing non-U.S. nationals and H.R. 2 would enact disincentives to illegal immigration – limiting false asylum claims and making improvements to U.S. employment eligibility verification. I supported passage of both these bills in the House and urge Senate Democrats and the White House to act on them.

Additionally, earlier this year, I sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to demand answers about ORR practices which have resulted in lost contact with minors and the processing practices for children in their care. We must get to the bottom of what has happened to the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children failed by the ORR.

Weak border security and bad policy have had severe consequences. Those who come to the United States legally, seeking a better life for their families, should not be undercut by a failing system; Americans everywhere deserve to know their communities are safe; and those who come to the United States illegally should face consequences for their actions. This should not be controversial, and the Biden administration needs to step up to the plate.

Adrian SmithThe United States is facing an enormous crisis on our Southern Border. Failed policies and a broken immigration system have resulted in homeland security risks, a humanitarian disaster, and a loss of confidence in the Biden administration’s ability to address the crisis.State and local resources have been overwhelmed by the number of individuals crossing the border illegally. Earlier this summer, New York City resorted to crafting plans to use public school gymnasiums to shelter the influx of migrants. Dangerous cartels have continued to terrorize border communities and conduct deadly human and drug trafficking operations.The crisis has an incredibly tragic impact on vulnerable individuals. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) numbers, more than 300,000 unaccompanied minors have been encountered by CBP over the last four fiscal years. The New York Times has reported that Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) Unaccompanied Children Program (UCP) immediately loses contact with one-third of the children released to sponsors through the UCP. This is both heartbreaking and unacceptable.&nbsp;We must also acknowledge how unfair our broken immigration system is to those who respect the rule of law. Expecting every person who wants to immigrate to the U.S. to come through legal avenues is not too much to ask. It shouldn’t cost thousands of dollars and require extensive waiting periods to come to the U.S. legally, but we also shouldn’t reward those who disregard the law. The need for reform is clear, and the Biden administration has shown no leadership.In fact, as the border crisis continues, the Biden administration’s policies incentivize illegal activity and work against the states most impacted. Rather than fulfilling its constitutional duty to secure our border and delivering the support needed by border states, President Biden’s Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Texas for their border enforcement efforts.The state of Texas launched Operation Lone Star in March of 2021 to address the border crisis where the federal government has failed. Through Operation Lone Star, Texas has identified and implemented solutions – such as leveraging advanced technology to monitor smuggling routes and deployment of floating barriers in the Rio Grande– to improve the disastrous state of the Southern Border. Instead of working against these successful policies, the administration should be doing everything possible to get the border under control.To effectively address this crisis, Congress must take action to secure our border and stop illegal immigration and asylum claim abuse. House Republicans are doing our part to confront this issue through the passage of the Schools Not Shelters Act (H.R. 3491) and the Secure the Border Act (H.R. 2). H.R. 3491 would block the use of publicly funded school facilities for housing non-U.S. nationals and H.R. 2 would enact disincentives to illegal immigration – limiting false asylum claims and making improvements to U.S. employment eligibility verification. I supported passage of both these bills in the House and urge Senate Democrats and the White House to act on them.Additionally, earlier this year, I sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to demand answers about ORR practices which have resulted in lost contact with minors and the processing practices for children in their care. We must get to the bottom of what has happened to the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children failed by the ORR.Weak border security and bad policy have had severe consequences. Those who come to the United States legally, seeking a better life for their families, should not be undercut by a failing system; Americans everywhere deserve to know their communities are safe; and those who come to the United States illegally should face consequences for their actions. This should not be controversial, and the Biden administration needs to step up to the plate.

The Urgent Need for Border Security

	Every parent and child in Nebraska should have the right to pick a school they believe best suits their unique situation. The Opportunity Scholarships Act passed this last session in the Legislature provides this much needed choice for Nebraska’s children. This is long overdue in Nebraska as 48 states provide this choice for their parents and children.

	Yet just as Nebraska is progressing forward with the times, a well-funded petition group has organized paid petitioners to seek the repeal of this bill and send us backwards. They claim that this bill will drain revenue from public education even as this session approved 305 million dollars in extra funding for our public schools. A one-billion-dollar Education Future Fund was also created in order to deal with any future funding issues. You can clearly see that the Legislature carefully planned for public education funding and increases it!

	In Nebraska we love our public schools and our schools, teachers and students are always on the honor roll when academic performance is considered. We can continue this great tradition AND move forward, allowing parents and the children to seek the education they believe is best tailored to them. In a liberty loving nation like the United States this should not be controversial.&nbsp;

	Yet, even as the vast majority of our schools and school districts perform at a high level, sometimes our children can fall between the cracks or a school or school district can under perform. The Opportunity Scholarships Act allows parents and the children the choice to find another school; public or private. Priority is given to low-income families and this scholarship will fully cover their expenses at the school of their choice and allow them the academic freedom which should be assumed in this nation.

Senator Dave Murman&nbsp;	Every parent and child in Nebraska should have the right to pick a school they believe best suits their unique situation. The Opportunity Scholarships Act passed this last session in the Legislature provides this much needed choice for Nebraska’s children. This is long overdue in Nebraska as 48 states provide this choice for their parents and children.	Yet just as Nebraska is progressing forward with the times, a well-funded petition group has organized paid petitioners to seek the repeal of this bill and send us backwards. They claim that this bill will drain revenue from public education even as this session approved 305 million dollars in extra funding for our public schools. A one-billion-dollar Education Future Fund was also created in order to deal with any future funding issues. You can clearly see that the Legislature carefully planned for public education funding and increases it!	In Nebraska we love our public schools and our schools, teachers and students are always on the honor roll when academic performance is considered. We can continue this great tradition AND move forward, allowing parents and the children to seek the education they believe is best tailored to them. In a liberty loving nation like the United States this should not be controversial.&nbsp;	Yet, even as the vast majority of our schools and school districts perform at a high level, sometimes our children can fall between the cracks or a school or school district can under perform. The Opportunity Scholarships Act allows parents and the children the choice to find another school; public or private. Priority is given to low-income families and this scholarship will fully cover their expenses at the school of their choice and allow them the academic freedom which should be assumed in this nation.

Decline to Sign, Statement from Senator Dave Murman

The lawsuit was originally filed by attorneys general in Missouri and Louisiana last year alleging the federal government colluded with social media companies to suppress free speech

By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Attorneys for the Biden administration argued this week that a district judge in Louisiana overstepped his authority by barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies to urge them to moderate information deemed harmful or misleading.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments over whether it should lift an injunction issued by a lower court in July that concluded the government wrongly pushed social media companies to suppress disfavored political views.&nbsp;

Daniel Tenny, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, made the case Thursday that the injunction hampers the government’s ability to deal with misinformation during emergencies and violates the government’s own right to speak freely.

“Plaintiffs have urged, for example, that if there were a natural disaster and there were untrue statements circulating on social media that were damaging to the public interest, the government would be powerless under the injunction to discourage social media companies from further disseminating those incorrect statements,” said Daniel Tenny of the U.S. Department of Justice.&nbsp;

The lawsuit was filed last year by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. It alleges the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to suppress the freedom of speech.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty ruled July 4 that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-limits-biden-administration-contact-with-social-media-platforms-in-censorship-case/">officials under both Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump coerced social media companies to censor content&nbsp;</a>over concerns it would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections.

Doughty, a Trump appointee, said the “widespread censorship campaign” violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment’s free speech guarantees. His order barred government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from contacting social media companies “for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”

The Biden administration quickly appealed, and the 5th Circuit temporarily put the judge’s ruling on hold.

During Thursday’s hearing, judges asked Tenny directly about communications between the government and social media companies, which they said at times felt coercive.

“What appears to be in the record are these irate messages, from time to time, from high ranking government officials who say ‘you didn’t do this yet,’” ”said Judge Edith Brown Clement, an appointee of former President George W. Bush. “And so it’s like, jump, and how high.”

Judge Don Willett, a Trump appointee, said he believes it’s “perfectly fine for the government to call out publicly someone for posting or publishing something that the government believes is false or believes is dangerous.”

But the conversations at the heart of this lawsuit took place in private, Willett said, and seem to have relied on “a fairly unsubtle kind of strong arming.”

“That’s a really nice social media platform you got there,” Willett continued, “it’d be a shame if something happened to it.”

D. John Sauer, the former solicitor general of Missouri who argued Thursday on behalf of the Louisiana attorney general, equated the government’s communications with social media companies to hypothetically pressuring booksellers to create a “book burning program.”&nbsp;

“In July of 2021, you see the platform’s having resisted the White House pressure for a significant period of time, all of a sudden after public threats combined with the private pressure campaign that had lasted for months and months, you see the platform just giving in,” Sauer said.&nbsp;

The result, Sauer argued, was the deplatforming of conservative voices and the silencing of “prominent critics of the administration.”

Biden administration attorneys argued federal officials don’t have the authority to order content removed from social media platforms, accusing GOP attorneys general of misrepresenting communications with companies about public health disinformation and election conspiracies.

There is no evidence of threats by the administration, Tenny said Thursday.&nbsp;

“The district court identified no evidence suggesting that a threat accompanied any request for the removal of content,” Tenny argued in a brief asking for the injunction to be lifted.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;whole&nbsp;theory&nbsp;of&nbsp;coercion, Tenny said, “falls&nbsp;apart&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;facts.”

The lawsuit has garnered widespread attention, and attracted co-plaintiffs with long histories of spreading misinformation and debunked conspiracy theories.

That includes Jim Hoft, founder of the right-wing conspiracy website Gateway Pundit, who was added to the lawsuit in August and has built a career on promulgating conspiracies on a wide range of topics, from the 2018 Parkland school shooting to former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.

More recently, Hoft has been among the biggest purveyors of election fraud lies. He currently faces&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/28/missouri-lawsuit-isnt-the-only-defamation-case-against-far-right-site-gateway-pundit/">defamation lawsuit in St. Louis circuit court</a>&nbsp;filed by two Georgia election workers who faced death threats following Gateway Pundit’s false stories about a vote-rigging scheme.&nbsp;

Sauer cited Hoft directly during Thursday’s argument, claiming that he is “currently&nbsp;subjected&nbsp;to&nbsp;an&nbsp;ongoing&nbsp;campaign&nbsp;by&nbsp;federal&nbsp;officials&nbsp;to&nbsp;target&nbsp;the&nbsp;content&nbsp;on&nbsp;his&nbsp;website.”&nbsp;

The lawsuit also attracted support from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/06/anti-vaxxers-seek-to-intervene-in-missouri-ag-eric-schmitts-social-media-lawsuit/">presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>., who has a long history of promoting medical misinformation such as the idea that vaccines cause autism and Wi-Fi causes cancer.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578090484280.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The lawsuit was originally filed by attorneys general in Missouri and Louisiana last year alleging the federal government colluded with social media companies to suppress free speech</h2>By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>Attorneys for the Biden administration argued this week that a district judge in Louisiana overstepped his authority by barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies to urge them to moderate information deemed harmful or misleading.A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments over whether it should lift an injunction issued by a lower court in July that concluded the government wrongly pushed social media companies to suppress disfavored political views.&nbsp;Daniel Tenny, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, made the case Thursday that the injunction hampers the government’s ability to deal with misinformation during emergencies and violates the government’s own right to speak freely.“Plaintiffs have urged, for example, that if there were a natural disaster and there were untrue statements circulating on social media that were damaging to the public interest, the government would be powerless under the injunction to discourage social media companies from further disseminating those incorrect statements,” said Daniel Tenny of the U.S. Department of Justice.&nbsp;The lawsuit was filed last year by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. It alleges the federal government colluded with social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to suppress the freedom of speech.U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty ruled July 4 that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-limits-biden-administration-contact-with-social-media-platforms-in-censorship-case/">officials under both Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump coerced social media companies to censor content&nbsp;</a>over concerns it would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections.Doughty, a Trump appointee, said the “widespread censorship campaign” violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment’s free speech guarantees. His order barred government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from contacting social media companies “for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”The Biden administration quickly appealed, and the 5th Circuit temporarily put the judge’s ruling on hold.During Thursday’s hearing, judges asked Tenny directly about communications between the government and social media companies, which they said at times felt coercive.“What appears to be in the record are these irate messages, from time to time, from high ranking government officials who say ‘you didn’t do this yet,’” ”said Judge Edith Brown Clement, an appointee of former President George W. Bush. “And so it’s like, jump, and how high.”Judge Don Willett, a Trump appointee, said he believes it’s “perfectly fine for the government to call out publicly someone for posting or publishing something that the government believes is false or believes is dangerous.”But the conversations at the heart of this lawsuit took place in private, Willett said, and seem to have relied on “a fairly unsubtle kind of strong arming.”“That’s a really nice social media platform you got there,” Willett continued, “it’d be a shame if something happened to it.”D. John Sauer, the former solicitor general of Missouri who argued Thursday on behalf of the Louisiana attorney general, equated the government’s communications with social media companies to hypothetically pressuring booksellers to create a “book burning program.”&nbsp;“In July of 2021, you see the platform’s having resisted the White House pressure for a significant period of time, all of a sudden after public threats combined with the private pressure campaign that had lasted for months and months, you see the platform just giving in,” Sauer said.&nbsp;The result, Sauer argued, was the deplatforming of conservative voices and the silencing of “prominent critics of the administration.”Biden administration attorneys argued federal officials don’t have the authority to order content removed from social media platforms, accusing GOP attorneys general of misrepresenting communications with companies about public health disinformation and election conspiracies.There is no evidence of threats by the administration, Tenny said Thursday.&nbsp;“The district court identified no evidence suggesting that a threat accompanied any request for the removal of content,” Tenny argued in a brief asking for the injunction to be lifted.&nbsp;The&nbsp;whole&nbsp;theory&nbsp;of&nbsp;coercion, Tenny said, “falls&nbsp;apart&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;facts.”The lawsuit has garnered widespread attention, and attracted co-plaintiffs with long histories of spreading misinformation and debunked conspiracy theories.That includes Jim Hoft, founder of the right-wing conspiracy website Gateway Pundit, who was added to the lawsuit in August and has built a career on promulgating conspiracies on a wide range of topics, from the 2018 Parkland school shooting to former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.More recently, Hoft has been among the biggest purveyors of election fraud lies. He currently faces&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/28/missouri-lawsuit-isnt-the-only-defamation-case-against-far-right-site-gateway-pundit/">defamation lawsuit in St. Louis circuit court</a>&nbsp;filed by two Georgia election workers who faced death threats following Gateway Pundit’s false stories about a vote-rigging scheme.&nbsp;Sauer cited Hoft directly during Thursday’s argument, claiming that he is “currently&nbsp;subjected&nbsp;to&nbsp;an&nbsp;ongoing&nbsp;campaign&nbsp;by&nbsp;federal&nbsp;officials&nbsp;to&nbsp;target&nbsp;the&nbsp;content&nbsp;on&nbsp;his&nbsp;website.”&nbsp;The lawsuit also attracted support from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/06/anti-vaxxers-seek-to-intervene-in-missouri-ag-eric-schmitts-social-media-lawsuit/">presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr</a>., who has a long history of promoting medical misinformation such as the idea that vaccines cause autism and Wi-Fi causes cancer.&nbsp;

Court weighs limits on Biden administration contact with social media platforms

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Richard E. Tripp, 71, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was found guilty today by a jury in federal court in Lincoln. Tripp was convicted of one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Sentencing has been set for November 9, 2023, at 1 p.m. before Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Tripp faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 40 years in prison for the distribution count. For the possession count, Tripp faces a minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison.

Imgur, LLC reported uploads of 38 suspected child pornography image files to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). In turn, NCMEC issued Cybertipline Reports to investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, an investigative unit of the Nebraska State Patrol. Based upon information provided in the Cybertipline Reports, investigators were able to determine that the images were uploaded to the Internet from Tripp’s residence in Lincoln, where he was living with two registered sex offenders. After examining his devices, investigators found more than 1,400 files containing child pornography involving prepubescent children, toddlers, and infants. Some of the children depicted in the image files were subjected to bondage, and some were subjected to bestiality.

Tripp is a registered sex offender, convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child in the first degree in 2007. There were two victims involved in the 2007 case.

This case was investigated by&nbsp;the Nebraska State Patrol.

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Richard E. Tripp, 71, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was found guilty today by a jury in federal court in Lincoln. Tripp was convicted of one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Sentencing has been set for November 9, 2023, at 1 p.m. before Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Tripp faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 40 years in prison for the distribution count. For the possession count, Tripp faces a minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison.Imgur, LLC reported uploads of 38 suspected child pornography image files to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). In turn, NCMEC issued Cybertipline Reports to investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, an investigative unit of the Nebraska State Patrol. Based upon information provided in the Cybertipline Reports, investigators were able to determine that the images were uploaded to the Internet from Tripp’s residence in Lincoln, where he was living with two registered sex offenders. After examining his devices, investigators found more than 1,400 files containing child pornography involving prepubescent children, toddlers, and infants. Some of the children depicted in the image files were subjected to bondage, and some were subjected to bestiality.Tripp is a registered sex offender, convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child in the first degree in 2007. There were two victims involved in the 2007 case.This case was investigated by&nbsp;the Nebraska State Patrol.

Lincoln Man Found Guilty of Possession and Distribution of Child Pornography

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Yesterday, the Judicial Nominating Commission for the County Court Judge for the Sixth Judicial District (Burt, Cedar, Dakota, Dixon, Dodge, Thurston and Washington Counties) provided the following four names for consideration by Governor Jim Pillen: Sara Bauer, Fremont, NE; Luke Henderson, Norfolk, NE; Louvontree Hunter, Dakota City, NE; and Patrick Runge, Omaha, NE. &nbsp;

The primary place of office for the judicial vacancy is Hartington, Cedar County, Nebraska. The vacancy is due to the resignation of Judge Douglas L. Luebe.

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Yesterday, the Judicial Nominating Commission for the County Court Judge for the Sixth Judicial District (Burt, Cedar, Dakota, Dixon, Dodge, Thurston and Washington Counties) provided the following four names for consideration by Governor Jim Pillen: Sara Bauer, Fremont, NE; Luke Henderson, Norfolk, NE; Louvontree Hunter, Dakota City, NE; and Patrick Runge, Omaha, NE. &nbsp;The primary place of office for the judicial vacancy is Hartington, Cedar County, Nebraska. The vacancy is due to the resignation of Judge Douglas L. Luebe.

Four Nominees Forwarded for County Court Judge in the Sixth Judicial District

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The death toll has risen to 80 as a result of the wildfires that decimated parts of the island of Maui this past week, officials in Hawaii said Friday.

The number of confirmed fatalities in the 9 p.m. announcement by the County of Maui increased from the previous figure of 67.

Gov. Josh Green had previously warned the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. Authorities set a curfew from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday.

“The recovery’s going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely, because it’s pretty dangerous,” Green told Hawaii News Now.

Cadaver-sniffing dogs were deployed to search for the dead, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.

Blackened hulks of burned-out cars, the pavement streaked with melted and then rehardened chrome. Block after block of flattened homes and businesses. Incinerated telephone poles and elevator shafts rising from ashy lots where apartment buildings once stood. A truck bed full of glass bottles, warped into surreal shapes by the furious heat.

Anthony Garcia assessed the devastation as he stood under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">Lahaina’s</a>&nbsp;iconic banyan tree, now charred, and swept twisted branches into neat piles next to another heap filled with dead animals: cats, roosters and other birds killed by the smoke and flames. Somehow it made sense in a world turned upside-down.

“If I don’t do something, I’ll go nuts,” said Garcia, who lost everything he owned. “I’m losing my faith in God.”

Garcia and other residents were faced with widespread destruction as they took stock of their shattered homes and lives Friday resulting from the wildfires that tore through parts of Maui this week and were still short of full containment.

A new fire Friday evening triggered the evacuation of Kaanapali in West Maui, a community northeast of the area that burned earlier, the Maui Police Department announced on social media.

The fire, which was completely extinguished before 8:30 p.m., occurred in an area where a county fueling station was set up to distribute about 3,000 gallons (11,356 liters) of gasoline and 500 gallons (1,892 liters) of diesel fuel for about 400 waiting vehicles. Fuel would not be distributed on Saturday, the county said in a statement.

Attorney General Anne Lopez announced plans to conduct a comprehensive review of decision-making and standing policies impacting the response to the deadly wildfires.

“My Department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review,” Lopez said in a statement.

The wildfires are the state’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 on the Big Island, prompted development of a territory-wide emergency system with sirens that are tested monthly.

Many fire survivors said they didn’t hear any sirens or receive a warning giving them enough time to prepare, realizing they were in danger only when they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/live-updates-maui-fire-hawaii-wildfire-162a9fcdefe648d6bcd6557af70d894f">saw flames or heard explosions</a>.

“There was no warning," said Lynn Robinson, who lost her home.

Hawaii emergency management records do no indicate warning sirens sounded before people had to run for their lives. Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

Fueled by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfires-climate-change-92c0930be7c28ec9ac71392a83c87582">dry summer</a>&nbsp;and strong winds from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfire-maui-dora-winds-ec23c16abfbeb6ba689f1a98263720db">passing hurricane</a>, at least three wildfires erupted on Maui, racing through parched brush covering the island.

The most serious blaze swept into Lahaina on Tuesday and left a grid of gray rubble wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes. Associated Press journalists found the devastation included nearly every building on Front Street, the heart of historic Lahaina and the economic hub of Maui.

There was an eerie traffic jam of charred cars that didn’t escape the inferno as surviving roosters meandered through the ashes. Skeletal remains of buildings bowed under roofs that pancaked in the blaze. Palm trees were torched, boats in the harbor were scorched and the stench of burning lingered.

“It hit so quick, it was incredible,” Kyle Scharnhorst said as he surveyed his damaged apartment complex.

Summer and Gilles Gerling sought to salvage keepsakes from the ashes of their home. All they could find was the piggy bank Summer Gerling’s father gave her as a child, their daughter’s jade bracelet and watches they gifted each other for their wedding. Their wedding rings were gone.

They described their fear as the strong wind whipped the smoke and flames closer, but said they were happy to have made it out alive with their two children.

“Safety was the main concern. These are all material things,” Gilles Gerling said.

The wildfire is already projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to disaster and risk modeling firm Karen Clark &amp; Company. The fire is the deadliest in the U.S. since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-gavin-newsom-paradise-dbae2ef725b32d91ff4c612de38f01e2">2018 Camp Fire</a>&nbsp;in California, which killed at least 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise.

The danger on Maui was well known. Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan updated in 2020 identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and several buildings at risk. The report also noted West Maui had the island’s second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.

“This may limit the population’s ability to receive, understand and take expedient action during hazard events,” the plan stated.

Maui’s firefighting efforts may have been hampered by limited staff and equipment.

Bobby Lee, president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association, said there are a maximum of 65 county firefighters working at any given time with responsibility for three islands: Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

The department has about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but no off-road vehicles to thoroughly attack brush fires before they reach roads or populated areas, he said.

Maui water officials warned Kula and Lahaina residents not to drink running water, which may be contaminated even after boiling, and to only take short, lukewarm showers in well-ventilated rooms to avoid possible chemical vapor exposure.

Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University engineering professor whose team assisted with the Camp Fire and Colorado's 2021 Marshall Fire, said showering in water potentially containing hazardous waste levels of benzene is not advisable and a do-not-use order would be appropriate until analysis is complete.

Lahaina resident Lana Vierra, who filled out FEMA assistance forms Friday at a relative’s house, fled Tuesday and was eager to return, despite knowing the home where she raised five children and treasured items like baby pictures and yearbooks were gone.

“To actually stand there on your burnt grounds and get your wheels turning on how to move forward — I think it will give families that peace," she said.

Riley Curran said he fled his Front Street home after climbing up a neighboring building to get a better look. He doubts county officials could have done more due to the speed of the onrushing flames.

“It’s not that people didn’t try to do anything," Curran said. “The fire went from 0 to 100.”

Curran had seen horrendous wildfires growing up in California, but “I’ve never seen one eat an entire town in four hours.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691662929011.png" alt="mage taken from a helicopter shows the vast destruction of Lahaina, a historic town in Hawaii. Courtesy: Vince Carter/Air Maui" />
 <figcaption>mage taken from a helicopter shows the vast destruction of Lahaina, a historic town in Hawaii. Courtesy: Vince Carter/Air Maui</figcaption>
 </figure>LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The death toll has risen to 80 as a result of the wildfires that decimated parts of the island of Maui this past week, officials in Hawaii said Friday.The number of confirmed fatalities in the 9 p.m. announcement by the County of Maui increased from the previous figure of 67.Gov. Josh Green had previously warned the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue. Authorities set a curfew from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday.“The recovery’s going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely, because it’s pretty dangerous,” Green told Hawaii News Now.Cadaver-sniffing dogs were deployed to search for the dead, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said.Blackened hulks of burned-out cars, the pavement streaked with melted and then rehardened chrome. Block after block of flattened homes and businesses. Incinerated telephone poles and elevator shafts rising from ashy lots where apartment buildings once stood. A truck bed full of glass bottles, warped into surreal shapes by the furious heat.Anthony Garcia assessed the devastation as he stood under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">Lahaina’s</a>&nbsp;iconic banyan tree, now charred, and swept twisted branches into neat piles next to another heap filled with dead animals: cats, roosters and other birds killed by the smoke and flames. Somehow it made sense in a world turned upside-down.“If I don’t do something, I’ll go nuts,” said Garcia, who lost everything he owned. “I’m losing my faith in God.”Garcia and other residents were faced with widespread destruction as they took stock of their shattered homes and lives Friday resulting from the wildfires that tore through parts of Maui this week and were still short of full containment.A new fire Friday evening triggered the evacuation of Kaanapali in West Maui, a community northeast of the area that burned earlier, the Maui Police Department announced on social media.The fire, which was completely extinguished before 8:30 p.m., occurred in an area where a county fueling station was set up to distribute about 3,000 gallons (11,356 liters) of gasoline and 500 gallons (1,892 liters) of diesel fuel for about 400 waiting vehicles. Fuel would not be distributed on Saturday, the county said in a statement.Attorney General Anne Lopez announced plans to conduct a comprehensive review of decision-making and standing policies impacting the response to the deadly wildfires.“My Department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review,” Lopez said in a statement.The wildfires are the state’s deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 on the Big Island, prompted development of a territory-wide emergency system with sirens that are tested monthly.Many fire survivors said they didn’t hear any sirens or receive a warning giving them enough time to prepare, realizing they were in danger only when they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/live-updates-maui-fire-hawaii-wildfire-162a9fcdefe648d6bcd6557af70d894f">saw flames or heard explosions</a>.“There was no warning," said Lynn Robinson, who lost her home.Hawaii emergency management records do no indicate warning sirens sounded before people had to run for their lives. Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.Fueled by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfires-climate-change-92c0930be7c28ec9ac71392a83c87582">dry summer</a>&nbsp;and strong winds from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfire-maui-dora-winds-ec23c16abfbeb6ba689f1a98263720db">passing hurricane</a>, at least three wildfires erupted on Maui, racing through parched brush covering the island.The most serious blaze swept into Lahaina on Tuesday and left a grid of gray rubble wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes. Associated Press journalists found the devastation included nearly every building on Front Street, the heart of historic Lahaina and the economic hub of Maui.There was an eerie traffic jam of charred cars that didn’t escape the inferno as surviving roosters meandered through the ashes. Skeletal remains of buildings bowed under roofs that pancaked in the blaze. Palm trees were torched, boats in the harbor were scorched and the stench of burning lingered.“It hit so quick, it was incredible,” Kyle Scharnhorst said as he surveyed his damaged apartment complex.Summer and Gilles Gerling sought to salvage keepsakes from the ashes of their home. All they could find was the piggy bank Summer Gerling’s father gave her as a child, their daughter’s jade bracelet and watches they gifted each other for their wedding. Their wedding rings were gone.They described their fear as the strong wind whipped the smoke and flames closer, but said they were happy to have made it out alive with their two children.“Safety was the main concern. These are all material things,” Gilles Gerling said.The wildfire is already projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaii history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to disaster and risk modeling firm Karen Clark &amp; Company. The fire is the deadliest in the U.S. since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-gavin-newsom-paradise-dbae2ef725b32d91ff4c612de38f01e2">2018 Camp Fire</a>&nbsp;in California, which killed at least 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise.The danger on Maui was well known. Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan updated in 2020 identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and several buildings at risk. The report also noted West Maui had the island’s second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.“This may limit the population’s ability to receive, understand and take expedient action during hazard events,” the plan stated.Maui’s firefighting efforts may have been hampered by limited staff and equipment.Bobby Lee, president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association, said there are a maximum of 65 county firefighters working at any given time with responsibility for three islands: Maui, Molokai and Lanai.The department has about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but no off-road vehicles to thoroughly attack brush fires before they reach roads or populated areas, he said.Maui water officials warned Kula and Lahaina residents not to drink running water, which may be contaminated even after boiling, and to only take short, lukewarm showers in well-ventilated rooms to avoid possible chemical vapor exposure.Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University engineering professor whose team assisted with the Camp Fire and Colorado's 2021 Marshall Fire, said showering in water potentially containing hazardous waste levels of benzene is not advisable and a do-not-use order would be appropriate until analysis is complete.Lahaina resident Lana Vierra, who filled out FEMA assistance forms Friday at a relative’s house, fled Tuesday and was eager to return, despite knowing the home where she raised five children and treasured items like baby pictures and yearbooks were gone.“To actually stand there on your burnt grounds and get your wheels turning on how to move forward — I think it will give families that peace," she said.Riley Curran said he fled his Front Street home after climbing up a neighboring building to get a better look. He doubts county officials could have done more due to the speed of the onrushing flames.“It’s not that people didn’t try to do anything," Curran said. “The fire went from 0 to 100.”Curran had seen horrendous wildfires growing up in California, but “I’ve never seen one eat an entire town in four hours.”___

Death toll from Maui wildfires rises as survivors return to communities in ruins

NEW YORK (AP) — About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to new government data posted Thursday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/suicide-data-statistics.html">posted the numbers</a>, has not yet calculated a suicide rate for the year, but available data suggests suicides are more common in the U.S. than at any time since the dawn of World War II.

“There's something wrong. The number should not be going up,” said Christina Wilbur, a 45-year-old Florida woman whose son shot himself to death last year.

“My son should not have died,” she said. "I know it's complicated, I really do. But we have to be able to do something. Something that we're not doing. Because whatever we're doing right now is not helping."

Experts caution that suicide is complicated, and that recent increases might be driven by a range of factors, including higher rates of depression and limited availability of mental health services.

But a main driver is the growing availability of guns, said Jill Harkavy-Friedman, senior vice president of research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Suicide attempts involving guns end in death far more often than those with other means, and gun sales have boomed — placing firearms in more and more homes.

A recent Johns Hopkins University&nbsp;<a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/cdc-provisional-data-gun-suicides-reach-all-time-high-in-2022-gun-homicides-down-slightly-from-2021">analysis</a>&nbsp;used preliminary 2022 data to calculate that the nation’s overall gun suicide rate rose last year to an all-time high. For the first time, the gun suicide rate among Black teens surpassed the rate among white teens, the researchers found.

“I don’t know if you can talk about suicide without talking about firearms,” Harkavy-Friedman said.

U.S. suicides steadily rose from the early 2000s until 2018, when the national rate hit its highest level since 1941. That year saw about 48,300 suicide deaths — or 14.2 for every 100,000 Americans.

The rate fell slightly in 2019. It dropped again in 2020, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some experts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-suicide-prevention-coronavirus-pandemic-d8d9168403baa6660e5125c040b2ae81">tied that to a phenomenon</a>&nbsp;seen in the early stages of wars and natural disasters, when people pull together and support each other.

But in 2021, suicides rose 4%. Last year, according to the new data, the number jumped by more than 1,000, to 49,449 — about a 3% increase vs. the year before. The provisional data comes from U.S. death certificates and is considered almost complete, but it may change slightly as death information is reviewed in the months ahead.

The largest increases were seen in older adults. Deaths rose nearly 7% in people ages 45 to 64, and more than 8% in people 65 and older. White men, in particular, have very high rates, the CDC said.

Many middle-aged and elderly people experience problems like losing a job or losing a spouse, and it's important to reduce stigma and other obstacles to them getting assistance, said Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer.

Suicides in adults ages 25 to 44 grew about 1%. The new data indicates that suicide became the second leading cause of death in that age group in 2022, up from No. 4 in 2021.

Despite the grim statistics, some say there is reason for optimism. A national crisis line&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mental-health-hotline-988-ac50f02b74b8b89be5592be3f3605ff5">launched</a>&nbsp;a year ago, meaning anyone in the U.S. can dial&nbsp;<a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988">988</a>&nbsp;to reach mental health specialists.

The CDC is expanding a suicide program to fund more prevention work in different communities. And there's growing awareness of the issue and that it's OK to ask for help, health officials say.

There was a more than 8% drop in suicides in people ages 10 to 24 in 2022. That may be due to increased attention to youth mental health issues and a push for schools and others to focus on the problem, CDC officials said.

But even the smaller number masks tragedy for families.

Christina Wilbur lost her 21-year-old son, Cale, on June 16 last year. He died in her home in Land O’ Lakes, Florida.

Cale Wilbur had lost two friends and an uncle to suicide and had been dealing with depression. On that horrible morning, he and his mother were having an argument. She had confronted him about his drug use, his mother said. She left his bedroom and when she returned he had a gun.

“I was begging him not too, and to calm down,” she said. “It looked like he relaxed for a second, but then he killed himself.”

She describes her life since as black hole of emptiness and sorrow, and had found it hard to talk to friends or even family about Cale.

“There’s just this huge 6-foot-2 hole, everywhere,” she said. “Everything reminds me of what’s missing.”

It's hard to find professionals to help, and those that are around can be expensive, she said. She turned to support groups, including an organization called Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors that operates a 24/7 online forum.

“There's nothing like being with people who get it,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691785394905.jpeg" alt="In this Nov. 20, 2015 file photo, a man walks along a trail during sunset near Manhattan, Kan. In 2022, about 49,500 people took their own lives in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)" />
 <figcaption>In this Nov. 20, 2015 file photo, a man walks along a trail during sunset near Manhattan, Kan. In 2022, about 49,500 people took their own lives in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to new government data posted Thursday.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/suicide-data-statistics.html">posted the numbers</a>, has not yet calculated a suicide rate for the year, but available data suggests suicides are more common in the U.S. than at any time since the dawn of World War II.“There's something wrong. The number should not be going up,” said Christina Wilbur, a 45-year-old Florida woman whose son shot himself to death last year.“My son should not have died,” she said. "I know it's complicated, I really do. But we have to be able to do something. Something that we're not doing. Because whatever we're doing right now is not helping."Experts caution that suicide is complicated, and that recent increases might be driven by a range of factors, including higher rates of depression and limited availability of mental health services.But a main driver is the growing availability of guns, said Jill Harkavy-Friedman, senior vice president of research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.Suicide attempts involving guns end in death far more often than those with other means, and gun sales have boomed — placing firearms in more and more homes.A recent Johns Hopkins University&nbsp;<a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/cdc-provisional-data-gun-suicides-reach-all-time-high-in-2022-gun-homicides-down-slightly-from-2021">analysis</a>&nbsp;used preliminary 2022 data to calculate that the nation’s overall gun suicide rate rose last year to an all-time high. For the first time, the gun suicide rate among Black teens surpassed the rate among white teens, the researchers found.“I don’t know if you can talk about suicide without talking about firearms,” Harkavy-Friedman said.U.S. suicides steadily rose from the early 2000s until 2018, when the national rate hit its highest level since 1941. That year saw about 48,300 suicide deaths — or 14.2 for every 100,000 Americans.The rate fell slightly in 2019. It dropped again in 2020, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some experts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-suicide-prevention-coronavirus-pandemic-d8d9168403baa6660e5125c040b2ae81">tied that to a phenomenon</a>&nbsp;seen in the early stages of wars and natural disasters, when people pull together and support each other.But in 2021, suicides rose 4%. Last year, according to the new data, the number jumped by more than 1,000, to 49,449 — about a 3% increase vs. the year before. The provisional data comes from U.S. death certificates and is considered almost complete, but it may change slightly as death information is reviewed in the months ahead.The largest increases were seen in older adults. Deaths rose nearly 7% in people ages 45 to 64, and more than 8% in people 65 and older. White men, in particular, have very high rates, the CDC said.Many middle-aged and elderly people experience problems like losing a job or losing a spouse, and it's important to reduce stigma and other obstacles to them getting assistance, said Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer.Suicides in adults ages 25 to 44 grew about 1%. The new data indicates that suicide became the second leading cause of death in that age group in 2022, up from No. 4 in 2021.Despite the grim statistics, some say there is reason for optimism. A national crisis line&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mental-health-hotline-988-ac50f02b74b8b89be5592be3f3605ff5">launched</a>&nbsp;a year ago, meaning anyone in the U.S. can dial&nbsp;<a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988">988</a>&nbsp;to reach mental health specialists.The CDC is expanding a suicide program to fund more prevention work in different communities. And there's growing awareness of the issue and that it's OK to ask for help, health officials say.There was a more than 8% drop in suicides in people ages 10 to 24 in 2022. That may be due to increased attention to youth mental health issues and a push for schools and others to focus on the problem, CDC officials said.But even the smaller number masks tragedy for families.Christina Wilbur lost her 21-year-old son, Cale, on June 16 last year. He died in her home in Land O’ Lakes, Florida.Cale Wilbur had lost two friends and an uncle to suicide and had been dealing with depression. On that horrible morning, he and his mother were having an argument. She had confronted him about his drug use, his mother said. She left his bedroom and when she returned he had a gun.“I was begging him not too, and to calm down,” she said. “It looked like he relaxed for a second, but then he killed himself.”She describes her life since as black hole of emptiness and sorrow, and had found it hard to talk to friends or even family about Cale.“There’s just this huge 6-foot-2 hole, everywhere,” she said. “Everything reminds me of what’s missing.”It's hard to find professionals to help, and those that are around can be expensive, she said. She turned to support groups, including an organization called Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors that operates a 24/7 online forum.“There's nothing like being with people who get it,” she said.

US suicides hit an all-time high last year

DETROIT (AP) — New versions of the Mustang muscle car will begin shipping next week and more than two thirds of the orders include the big, 5-liter V-8 engine, Ford said Friday.

Demand for roaring engines remains strong in an era when Detroit automakers are starting to phase out the rumbling gas burners and transition to electric vehicles in order to meet strict government emissions and fuel economy requirements.

There are about 13,000 U.S. orders for the 2024 Mustangs, Ford says, which also can be equipped with a four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Of those orders, 67% have the V-8, and more than a quarter of the people seeking that Mustang want the six-speed manual transmission, spokesman Mike Levine says.

But muscle cars, at least new ones, are on their way out.

General Motors announced in March that it will stop making the Chevrolet Camaro early next year as a 2024 model. The company wouldn't rule out a replacement for the Camaro at a future date.

Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, will stop making gas versions of the Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars by the end of this year. But the company has plans to roll out a battery-powered Charger performance car sometime in 2024.

Levine wouldn't say whether this version of the Mustang would be the company's last gas-powered muscle car. “That remains to be seen,” he said.

There also could be an electric Mustang sports car in the future. Electric cars, with instant torque and a low center of gravity, often are faster and handle better than internal combustion vehicles.

People are going for V-8 Mustangs with stick shifts in part because they may be the last of the gas-powered muscle car era, said Guidehouse Insights eMobility analyst Sam Abuelsamid.

“The most hard-core fans, they're going to go out and grab one of these because you don’t know when it’s going to end,” he said.

When a new Mustang comes out, the V-8 order rate is almost always higher than the other available engines, as is the demand for manual transmissions, because fervent Mustang fans are often the first to order, Abuelsamid said.

“We tend to see more demand from enthusiasts for the V-8 whenever an all-new Mustang is introduced,” Jim Owens, Mustang brand manager, said in a prepared statement.

The new Mustang, which is on the same underpinnings as the current version, is built at a factory in Flat Rock, Michigan, south of Detroit. Most of the V-8s will produce 486 horsepower, but a Dark Horse version puts out 500.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691784572267.jpeg" alt="Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, introduces one of the models of the 2024 Ford Mustang, the performance vehicle Dark Horse, at the North American International Auto Show, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, in Detroit. New versions of the Mustang muscle car will begin shipping next week and more than two thirds of the orders include the big, 5-liter V-8 engine, Ford said Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez, File)" />
 <figcaption>Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, introduces one of the models of the 2024 Ford Mustang, the performance vehicle Dark Horse, at the North American International Auto Show, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, in Detroit. New versions of the Mustang muscle car will begin shipping next week and more than two thirds of the orders include the big, 5-liter V-8 engine, Ford said Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — New versions of the Mustang muscle car will begin shipping next week and more than two thirds of the orders include the big, 5-liter V-8 engine, Ford said Friday.Demand for roaring engines remains strong in an era when Detroit automakers are starting to phase out the rumbling gas burners and transition to electric vehicles in order to meet strict government emissions and fuel economy requirements.There are about 13,000 U.S. orders for the 2024 Mustangs, Ford says, which also can be equipped with a four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Of those orders, 67% have the V-8, and more than a quarter of the people seeking that Mustang want the six-speed manual transmission, spokesman Mike Levine says.But muscle cars, at least new ones, are on their way out.General Motors announced in March that it will stop making the Chevrolet Camaro early next year as a 2024 model. The company wouldn't rule out a replacement for the Camaro at a future date.Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, will stop making gas versions of the Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars by the end of this year. But the company has plans to roll out a battery-powered Charger performance car sometime in 2024.Levine wouldn't say whether this version of the Mustang would be the company's last gas-powered muscle car. “That remains to be seen,” he said.There also could be an electric Mustang sports car in the future. Electric cars, with instant torque and a low center of gravity, often are faster and handle better than internal combustion vehicles.People are going for V-8 Mustangs with stick shifts in part because they may be the last of the gas-powered muscle car era, said Guidehouse Insights eMobility analyst Sam Abuelsamid.“The most hard-core fans, they're going to go out and grab one of these because you don’t know when it’s going to end,” he said.When a new Mustang comes out, the V-8 order rate is almost always higher than the other available engines, as is the demand for manual transmissions, because fervent Mustang fans are often the first to order, Abuelsamid said.“We tend to see more demand from enthusiasts for the V-8 whenever an all-new Mustang is introduced,” Jim Owens, Mustang brand manager, said in a prepared statement.The new Mustang, which is on the same underpinnings as the current version, is built at a factory in Flat Rock, Michigan, south of Detroit. Most of the V-8s will produce 486 horsepower, but a Dark Horse version puts out 500.

In the twilight of the muscle car era, demand for the new 486-horsepower V-8 Ford Mustang is roaring

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/11/judge-mulling-motion-to-dismiss-lawmaker-megan-hunts-defamation-suit-against-freedom-coalition/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — An attempt Friday by an attorney for the Nebraska Freedom Coalition to sidestep State Sen. Megan Hunt’s defamation lawsuit is being taken under advisement for at least the weekend by a Douglas County District Court judge.

District Judge Todd Engleman will decide on the motion to dismiss. He is hearing the civil case that hinges on whether the sometimes aggressive populist conservative group’s online statements went too far when someone operating their social media accounts accused Hunt of “grooming children, including her own.”

Hunt’s attorney, Adam Morfeld, argued in court and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/view-img.cgi_.pdf">in a legal brief</a>&nbsp;that Freedom Coalition statements about Hunt were not only untrue but could be generally understood by the public as accusing her of criminal behavior, inclination or both. Morfeld’s Nebraska Legal Action Fund group&nbsp;is helping her sue.

“They’re trying to argue that they did not accuse (Hunt) of a specific crime, but in defamation case law you don’t need to accuse them of a specific crime,” Morfeld said. “You simply need to accuse them of something that would be a crime.”

Hunt is a politically progressive senator from Omaha who, along with State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, filibustered much of the 2023 legislative session to delay the passage of legislation that targeted health care for trans youth.

During the debate on Legislative Bill 574, which the Freedom Coalition supported, she explained how the bill might harm her son, who is trans. Hunt has blamed some of the online statements for an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/28/state-sen-megan-hunt-files-defamation-lawsuit-against-conservative-group/">increase in threats</a>&nbsp;she said she and her family faced.

Freedom Coalition attorney Robert Sullivan argued in court and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/view-img.cgi-3.pdf">in his motion</a>&nbsp;that the group called Hunt a “groomer,” but did not expressly say that her actions were criminal, nor did they accuse her of wanting to sexually abuse a child.&nbsp;

Sullivan argued that Hunt’s lawsuit “adds language to the things the defendant did publish.” The law, he argued, sets the bar higher for libel or slander against a public official. He said the group was making a general statement, not an accusation.

“There is a statement,” Sullivan said. “Now there are pleadings and additional information being provided that add words to it. That’s certainly one person’s interpretation of maybe what the people meant … but that’s not what you have in front of you.”

At one point in the hearing, Morfeld argued that the Freedom Coalition or its members had provided their own definition of a groomer online. Morfeld said it lined up with how state law defines the term.&nbsp;

Sullivan said the Freedom Coalition only offered the word’s definition, not a legal definition or an accusation. Hunt attended the hearing with her lawyers. Sullivan appeared on behalf of the Freedom Coalition members.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691779664288.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha. (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha. (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/11/judge-mulling-motion-to-dismiss-lawmaker-megan-hunts-defamation-suit-against-freedom-coalition/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — An attempt Friday by an attorney for the Nebraska Freedom Coalition to sidestep State Sen. Megan Hunt’s defamation lawsuit is being taken under advisement for at least the weekend by a Douglas County District Court judge.District Judge Todd Engleman will decide on the motion to dismiss. He is hearing the civil case that hinges on whether the sometimes aggressive populist conservative group’s online statements went too far when someone operating their social media accounts accused Hunt of “grooming children, including her own.”Hunt’s attorney, Adam Morfeld, argued in court and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/view-img.cgi_.pdf">in a legal brief</a>&nbsp;that Freedom Coalition statements about Hunt were not only untrue but could be generally understood by the public as accusing her of criminal behavior, inclination or both. Morfeld’s Nebraska Legal Action Fund group&nbsp;is helping her sue.“They’re trying to argue that they did not accuse (Hunt) of a specific crime, but in defamation case law you don’t need to accuse them of a specific crime,” Morfeld said. “You simply need to accuse them of something that would be a crime.”<h2>Fight over trans health care</h2>Hunt is a politically progressive senator from Omaha who, along with State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, filibustered much of the 2023 legislative session to delay the passage of legislation that targeted health care for trans youth.During the debate on Legislative Bill 574, which the Freedom Coalition supported, she explained how the bill might harm her son, who is trans. Hunt has blamed some of the online statements for an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/28/state-sen-megan-hunt-files-defamation-lawsuit-against-conservative-group/">increase in threats</a>&nbsp;she said she and her family faced.Freedom Coalition attorney Robert Sullivan argued in court and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/view-img.cgi-3.pdf">in his motion</a>&nbsp;that the group called Hunt a “groomer,” but did not expressly say that her actions were criminal, nor did they accuse her of wanting to sexually abuse a child.&nbsp;Sullivan argued that Hunt’s lawsuit “adds language to the things the defendant did publish.” The law, he argued, sets the bar higher for libel or slander against a public official. He said the group was making a general statement, not an accusation.“There is a statement,” Sullivan said. “Now there are pleadings and additional information being provided that add words to it. That’s certainly one person’s interpretation of maybe what the people meant … but that’s not what you have in front of you.”At one point in the hearing, Morfeld argued that the Freedom Coalition or its members had provided their own definition of a groomer online. Morfeld said it lined up with how state law defines the term.&nbsp;Sullivan said the Freedom Coalition only offered the word’s definition, not a legal definition or an accusation. Hunt attended the hearing with her lawyers. Sullivan appeared on behalf of the Freedom Coalition members.

Judge mulling motion to dismiss lawmaker Megan Hunt’s defamation suit against Freedom Coalition

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday he has appointed a special counsel in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;probe, deepening the investigation of the president's son ahead of the 2024 election.

Garland said he was naming David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who has been probing the financial and business dealings of the president's son, as the special counsel.

Just as his appointment as special counsel was announced, Weiss notified a federal judge in Delaware that plea deal talks in the Hunter Biden case were at an “impasse.”

Garland noted the “extraordinary circumstances” of the matter as he made the announcement at the Justice Department. He said that Weiss asked to be appointed to the position and told him that “in his judgment, his investigation has reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel."

“Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel,” Garland said.

The move is a momentous development from the typically cautious Garland and comes amid a pair of sweeping Justice Department probes into Donald Trump, the former president, and President Joe Biden's chief rival in next year's election.

It also comes as House Republicans are mounting their own investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings.

Last month, Hunter Biden’s plea deal over tax evasion collapsed after U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed by President Donald Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-plea-deal-taxes-gun-drugs-690d38f1ffae4dfce2c171d21e7d3594">raised multiple concerns</a>&nbsp;about the specifics.

Republicans had derided that agreement as a “sweetheart” deal as they pushed their own probe.

The Republicans claimed Weiss was being blocked from becoming a special counsel a claim he and the Justice Department denied.

By being named special counsel Weiss will have broader authority to conduct a more sweeping investigation across various areas.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday he has appointed a special counsel in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;probe, deepening the investigation of the president's son ahead of the 2024 election.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Attorney General announces appointment of David Weiss as Special Counsel: &quot;Beginning in 2019, Mr. Weiss in his capacity as U.S. Attorney...began investigating allegations of certain criminal conduct by, among others, Robert Hunter Biden...that investigation remains ongoing.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/eeAdVtBAxX">pic.twitter.com/eeAdVtBAxX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1690040363329761294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Garland said he was naming David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who has been probing the financial and business dealings of the president's son, as the special counsel.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This action by Biden’s DOJ cannot be used to obstruct congressional investigations or whitewash the Biden family corruption. If Weiss negotiated the sweetheart deal that couldn’t get approved, how can he be trusted as a Special Counsel? House Republicans will continue to pursue…&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1690049403824807939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Just as his appointment as special counsel was announced, Weiss notified a federal judge in Delaware that plea deal talks in the Hunter Biden case were at an “impasse.”Garland noted the “extraordinary circumstances” of the matter as he made the announcement at the Justice Department. He said that Weiss asked to be appointed to the position and told him that “in his judgment, his investigation has reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel."“Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel,” Garland said.The move is a momentous development from the typically cautious Garland and comes amid a pair of sweeping Justice Department probes into Donald Trump, the former president, and President Joe Biden's chief rival in next year's election.It also comes as House Republicans are mounting their own investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings.Last month, Hunter Biden’s plea deal over tax evasion collapsed after U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed by President Donald Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-plea-deal-taxes-gun-drugs-690d38f1ffae4dfce2c171d21e7d3594">raised multiple concerns</a>&nbsp;about the specifics.Republicans had derided that agreement as a “sweetheart” deal as they pushed their own probe.The Republicans claimed Weiss was being blocked from becoming a special counsel a claim he and the Justice Department denied.By being named special counsel Weiss will have broader authority to conduct a more sweeping investigation across various areas.

🎥 Trump-appointee named special counsel in Hunter Biden probe

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/11/nebraska-to-use-up-to-2-million-in-pandemic-funds-for-national-guard-border-deployment/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraskans are paying to send their public servants to the U.S. border with Mexico for the second time in two months. This time, the state is using federal COVID-19 recovery funds, money some lawmakers say should be spent in the state.

Gov. Jim Pillen, fresh off sending 10 Nebraska state troopers to Texas for law enforcement along the border, announced last week that he would also deploy more than 60 Nebraska Army National Guard members to the Lone Star State for border work.

Pillen, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and other Republican governors who answered Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for help agreed not to bill Texas, a rare step for any state requesting aid through the multi-state disaster-response system.&nbsp;

Instead, Nebraska taxpayers will pay for the two border trips out of different fiscal pockets.&nbsp;

The Nebraska State Patrol’s July trip will cost state taxpayers at least $128,000 from the Patrol’s general fund budget,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/07/24/critics-question-taxpayers-footing-the-bill-for-nebraska-state-patrol-border-missions/">early state estimates show</a>. Nebraska sent drone pilots for two weeks as an eye in the sky, watching movement near the border.&nbsp;

The Guard’s August trip to monitor sections of the border could cost up to about $2 million, the Guard said. The state will cover a month of costs and then refill the Guard’s coffers with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, Pillen’s office said.

Nebraska and other states are taking advantage of flexibility Congress provided in using federal recovery funds set aside to stabilize state and local governments in the wake of COVID-19. The state received $1.04 billion in these State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.&nbsp;

Iowa is covering its costs using pandemic funds, too. Texas covered $1 billion in new border security spending by shifting state funds allocated to public health and safety agencies and backfilling with federal dollars,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/09/texas-federal-coronavirus-border-greg-abbott/">the Texas Tribune reported</a>.

A Treasury Department spokeswoman said this week she believes that states spending federal relief funds this way are using a section of the law allowing the funds to cover a loss of revenue that typically pays for a regular function of state government.

State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, a Democrat who ran against Pillen for governor in 2022 and advocates for putting the state government’s fiscal house in order, called on State Auditor Mike Foley to dig into how pandemic relief funds are being used.&nbsp;

She worries about the state playing “shell games” with the funds for a political purpose.

“I think of all the small businesses and workforce shortages and all the things we could spend this money on,” Blood said. “Why would we tap these resources to help another state when we have all these people we could help in Nebraska?”

State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, a Republican who chairs the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee and a frequent defender of the Pillen administration, said using federal funds to cover a federal responsibility should not be controversial.&nbsp;

“The state’s total ARPA funding was more than $1 billion,” Clements said. “Two million out of that total is a very small number. I’m glad to see federal dollars being used to support a federal problem. … I think it was a good choice of funding.”

Pillen visited the border with other Republican governors in May and has described both deployments as needed. He, like Abbott, argues the federal government has not done enough to secure the border from unauthorized crossings by migrants.

Pillen, in a statement, said he supports using federal funds for this purpose, saying “we must do everything we can to protect them, especially from fentanyl and other dangerous drugs smuggled into this country by drug traffickers.”

Nebraskans deployed to the border have described the situation as a serious humanitarian crisis with real impacts on people, neighborhoods, businesses and criminal justice. Pillen has said every state deals with the impacts of an unsecured border.

Nebraskans of Latino heritage have described the negative personal impacts of the increased political focus on illegal border crossings and immigration, including discrimination and threats, no matter how long they’ve lived here.

Some say the state is taking a risk by embracing Abbott while he is under scrutiny for placing barriers in the middle of the Rio Grande River that have ensnared migrants, risking lives. Recent stories highlighted a barrier with saw blades between floats.

Rebecca Gonzales, a Lincoln advocate for Nebraska Latinos, expressed disappointment in Pillen using pandemic dollars along the border. She considers the effort a political ploy and an ineffective “drop in the bucket” when the federal government already spends more than $17.5 billion on customs and border enforcement.

“I don’t think that’s what that money was meant for,” Gonzales said of the pandemic relief funds. “I’d like to see that money go to mental health, helping our kids who suffered so much during that time, getting them back on track.”

Gonzales said she and a family member recently returned from a trip to the border and said she did not see a situation that matched the fever pitch of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/08/state-local-chambers-press-nebraska-delegation-for-smaller-scale-immigration-fixes/">what Nebraska politicians have described</a>.

Nebraska may be home to more than 60,000 undocumented workers, based on academic estimates of the state-by-state impact. Immigrant and refugee labor contribute more than 8% of the state’s economic output, an OpenSky Policy Institute study indicated.

Pillen has hardened his immigration rhetoric since 2022, when he faced criticism during the contested Republican primary for governor about his Columbus-based hog operation and whether he properly screened his employees for legal status. He has said he did.

Illegal border crossings, after being high for months, dropped in June to their lowest level since February 2021, with 99,545 law enforcement encounters, according to federal statistics. They increased again in July by 30%, to 130,000.

GOP governors have not sent border help to California, Arizona or New Mexico under the Biden administration. Those states’ Democratic governors have not requested help from other states.&nbsp;

Republican Gov. Abbott of Texas has requested help more often since President Joe Biden took office. The Defense Department deployed about 1,500 troops for a 90-day deployment to the border in May,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4135636-iowa-governor-taps-covid-funds-to-send-troops-to-mexico-border/">The Hill reported</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691761580125.jpeg" alt="Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers listen to Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly before being deployed to the U.S. border with Mexico as part of a state response to a request for help from Texas. (Courtesy of Nebraska Army National Guard, via Staff Sgt. Lisa Crawford)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers listen to Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly before being deployed to the U.S. border with Mexico as part of a state response to a request for help from Texas. (Courtesy of Nebraska Army National Guard, via Staff Sgt. Lisa Crawford)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/11/nebraska-to-use-up-to-2-million-in-pandemic-funds-for-national-guard-border-deployment/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraskans are paying to send their public servants to the U.S. border with Mexico for the second time in two months. This time, the state is using federal COVID-19 recovery funds, money some lawmakers say should be spent in the state.Gov. Jim Pillen, fresh off sending 10 Nebraska state troopers to Texas for law enforcement along the border, announced last week that he would also deploy more than 60 Nebraska Army National Guard members to the Lone Star State for border work.Pillen, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and other Republican governors who answered Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for help agreed not to bill Texas, a rare step for any state requesting aid through the multi-state disaster-response system.&nbsp;<h2>Who foots the bill?</h2>Instead, Nebraska taxpayers will pay for the two border trips out of different fiscal pockets.&nbsp;The Nebraska State Patrol’s July trip will cost state taxpayers at least $128,000 from the Patrol’s general fund budget,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/07/24/critics-question-taxpayers-footing-the-bill-for-nebraska-state-patrol-border-missions/">early state estimates show</a>. Nebraska sent drone pilots for two weeks as an eye in the sky, watching movement near the border.&nbsp;The Guard’s August trip to monitor sections of the border could cost up to about $2 million, the Guard said. The state will cover a month of costs and then refill the Guard’s coffers with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, Pillen’s office said.Nebraska and other states are taking advantage of flexibility Congress provided in using federal recovery funds set aside to stabilize state and local governments in the wake of COVID-19. The state received $1.04 billion in these State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.&nbsp;Iowa is covering its costs using pandemic funds, too. Texas covered $1 billion in new border security spending by shifting state funds allocated to public health and safety agencies and backfilling with federal dollars,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/09/texas-federal-coronavirus-border-greg-abbott/">the Texas Tribune reported</a>.A Treasury Department spokeswoman said this week she believes that states spending federal relief funds this way are using a section of the law allowing the funds to cover a loss of revenue that typically pays for a regular function of state government.<h2>‘Shell games’</h2>State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, a Democrat who ran against Pillen for governor in 2022 and advocates for putting the state government’s fiscal house in order, called on State Auditor Mike Foley to dig into how pandemic relief funds are being used.&nbsp;She worries about the state playing “shell games” with the funds for a political purpose.“I think of all the small businesses and workforce shortages and all the things we could spend this money on,” Blood said. “Why would we tap these resources to help another state when we have all these people we could help in Nebraska?”State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, a Republican who chairs the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee and a frequent defender of the Pillen administration, said using federal funds to cover a federal responsibility should not be controversial.&nbsp;“The state’s total ARPA funding was more than $1 billion,” Clements said. “Two million out of that total is a very small number. I’m glad to see federal dollars being used to support a federal problem. … I think it was a good choice of funding.”<h2>Pillen’s reasons</h2>Pillen visited the border with other Republican governors in May and has described both deployments as needed. He, like Abbott, argues the federal government has not done enough to secure the border from unauthorized crossings by migrants.Pillen, in a statement, said he supports using federal funds for this purpose, saying “we must do everything we can to protect them, especially from fentanyl and other dangerous drugs smuggled into this country by drug traffickers.”Nebraskans deployed to the border have described the situation as a serious humanitarian crisis with real impacts on people, neighborhoods, businesses and criminal justice. Pillen has said every state deals with the impacts of an unsecured border.<h2>Risks to some Nebraskans</h2>Nebraskans of Latino heritage have described the negative personal impacts of the increased political focus on illegal border crossings and immigration, including discrimination and threats, no matter how long they’ve lived here.Some say the state is taking a risk by embracing Abbott while he is under scrutiny for placing barriers in the middle of the Rio Grande River that have ensnared migrants, risking lives. Recent stories highlighted a barrier with saw blades between floats.Rebecca Gonzales, a Lincoln advocate for Nebraska Latinos, expressed disappointment in Pillen using pandemic dollars along the border. She considers the effort a political ploy and an ineffective “drop in the bucket” when the federal government already spends more than $17.5 billion on customs and border enforcement.“I don’t think that’s what that money was meant for,” Gonzales said of the pandemic relief funds. “I’d like to see that money go to mental health, helping our kids who suffered so much during that time, getting them back on track.”Gonzales said she and a family member recently returned from a trip to the border and said she did not see a situation that matched the fever pitch of&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/08/state-local-chambers-press-nebraska-delegation-for-smaller-scale-immigration-fixes/">what Nebraska politicians have described</a>.<h2>Rhetoric and reality</h2>Nebraska may be home to more than 60,000 undocumented workers, based on academic estimates of the state-by-state impact. Immigrant and refugee labor contribute more than 8% of the state’s economic output, an OpenSky Policy Institute study indicated.Pillen has hardened his immigration rhetoric since 2022, when he faced criticism during the contested Republican primary for governor about his Columbus-based hog operation and whether he properly screened his employees for legal status. He has said he did.Illegal border crossings, after being high for months, dropped in June to their lowest level since February 2021, with 99,545 law enforcement encounters, according to federal statistics. They increased again in July by 30%, to 130,000.GOP governors have not sent border help to California, Arizona or New Mexico under the Biden administration. Those states’ Democratic governors have not requested help from other states.&nbsp;Republican Gov. Abbott of Texas has requested help more often since President Joe Biden took office. The Defense Department deployed about 1,500 troops for a 90-day deployment to the border in May,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4135636-iowa-governor-taps-covid-funds-to-send-troops-to-mexico-border/">The Hill reported</a>.&nbsp;

Nebraska to use up to $2 million in pandemic funds for National Guard border trip

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday asked Congress to provide more than $13 billion in emergency defense aid to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year, another massive infusion of cash as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the Russian invasion</a>&nbsp;wears on and Ukraine pushes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-counteroffensive-major-push-12334bbee83b608221dafced4727369e">a counteroffensive</a>&nbsp;against the Kremlin's deeply entrenched forces.

The package includes $12 billion to replenish U.S. federal disaster funds at home after a deadly climate season of heat and storms, and funds to bolster the enforcement at the Southern border with Mexico, including money to curb the flow of deadly fentanyl. All told, it’s a $40 billion package.

While&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-europe-congress-government-and-politics-bddc8fc02afcc2a072bbdd388dc1a658">the last such supplemental spending request</a>&nbsp;from the White House for Ukraine funding was easily approved in 2022 despite reservations from Republicans, there’s a different dynamic this time.

A political divide on the issue has steadily grown, with the Republican-led House facing enormous pressure to demonstrate support for the party's leader, Donald Trump, who has been very skeptical of the war. And American support for the effort has been slowly softening.

White House budget director Shalanda Young, in a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, urged swift action to follow through on the U.S. “commitment to the Ukrainian peoples’ defense of their homeland and to democracy around the world” as well as other needs.

The request was crafted with an eye to picking up support from Republicans, as well as Democrats, particularly with increased domestic funding around border issues — a top priority for the GOP. The Republicans have been been highly critical of the Biden administration’s approach to halting the flow of migrants crossing from Mexico.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676898415388.png" alt="Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a&nbsp; February visit in Ukraine -White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a&nbsp; February visit in Ukraine -White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday asked Congress to provide more than $13 billion in emergency defense aid to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year, another massive infusion of cash as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the Russian invasion</a>&nbsp;wears on and Ukraine pushes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-counteroffensive-major-push-12334bbee83b608221dafced4727369e">a counteroffensive</a>&nbsp;against the Kremlin's deeply entrenched forces.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It’s Groundhog Day - again. The Biden Family LLC is asking for another $24B from your family’s paycheck to Ukraine. Remember when Congress didn’t have the fortitude to spend $20B to build the wall &amp; secure the Mexico border? We could’ve paid for it 8x w/ the money sent to Ukraine&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1689983630158811136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The package includes $12 billion to replenish U.S. federal disaster funds at home after a deadly climate season of heat and storms, and funds to bolster the enforcement at the Southern border with Mexico, including money to curb the flow of deadly fentanyl. All told, it’s a $40 billion package.While&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-europe-congress-government-and-politics-bddc8fc02afcc2a072bbdd388dc1a658">the last such supplemental spending request</a>&nbsp;from the White House for Ukraine funding was easily approved in 2022 despite reservations from Republicans, there’s a different dynamic this time.A political divide on the issue has steadily grown, with the Republican-led House facing enormous pressure to demonstrate support for the party's leader, Donald Trump, who has been very skeptical of the war. And American support for the effort has been slowly softening.White House budget director Shalanda Young, in a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, urged swift action to follow through on the U.S. “commitment to the Ukrainian peoples’ defense of their homeland and to democracy around the world” as well as other needs.The request was crafted with an eye to picking up support from Republicans, as well as Democrats, particularly with increased domestic funding around border issues — a top priority for the GOP. The Republicans have been been highly critical of the Biden administration’s approach to halting the flow of migrants crossing from Mexico.Still, the price tag of $40 billion may be too much for Republicans who are fighting to slash, not raise, federal outlays. As a supplemental request, the package the White House is sending to Congress falls outside the budget caps both parties agreed to as part of the debt ceiling showdown earlier this year.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement there was strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate.“The latest request from the Biden administration shows America’s continued commitment to helping Americans here at home and our friends abroad,” he said. "We hope to join with our Republican colleagues this fall to avert an unnecessary government shutdown and fund this critical emergency supplemental request.”Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who has championed of support for Ukraine, was more subdued.“I look forward to carefully reviewing the Administration’s request to make sure it is necessary and appropriate," McConnell said in a statement, "to keep America safe, secure our borders, support our allies, and help communities rebuild after disasters.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671657547305.png" alt="Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to Washington in December-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to Washington in December-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>President Joe Biden and his senior national security team have repeatedly said the United States will help Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-zelenskyy-washington-4d5fc23be5518e689fbbcac334769d59">“as long as it takes”</a>&nbsp;to oust Russia from its borders. Privately, administration officials have warned Ukrainian officials that there is a limit to the patience of a narrowly divided Congress — and American public — for the costs of a war with no clear end.“For people who might be concerned the costs are getting too high, we’d ask them what the costs — not just in treasure but in blood, perhaps even American blood — could be if Putin subjugates Ukraine,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said this week.Support among the American public for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-military-and-defense-0f550a262fb6178a7d91b8be6e2c601b">providing Ukraine weaponry</a>&nbsp;and direct economic assistance has softened with time. An AP-NORC poll conducted in January 2023 around the one-year mark of the conflict, found that 48% favored the U.S. providing weapons to Ukraine, down from the 60% of U.S. adults who were in favor sending Ukraine weapons in May 2022. While Democrats have generally been more supportive than Republicans of offering weaponry, their support dropped slightly from 71% to 63% in the same period. Republicans’ support dropped more, from 53% to 39%.Dozens of Republicans in the House and some GOP senators have expressed reservations, and even voted against, spending more federal dollars for the war effort. Many of those Republicans are aligning with Trump’s objections to the U.S. involvement overseas.That means any final vote on Ukraine aid will likely need to rely on a hefty coalition led by Democrats from Biden’s party to ensure approval.The funding includes money to counter Russian and Chinese influence elsewhere by bolstering the World Bank and providing aid to resist Russian-aligned Wagner forces in Africa. Domestically, there’s an additional $60 million to address increased wildfires that have erupted nationwide. And the request includes $4 billion for the Southern border, including $2.2 billion for border management and $766 million to stop the flow of fentanyl and provide prevention and recovery support. There is also $100 million earmarked for the Department of Labor to ramp up investigations of suspected child labor violations.To ease passage, Congress would likely try to attach the package to a must-pass measure for broader government funding in the U.S. that’s needed by Oct. 1 to prevent any shutdown in federal offices.Members of Congress have repeatedly pressed Defense Department leaders on how closely the U.S. is tracking its aid to Ukraine to ensure that it is not subject to fraud or ending up in the wrong hands. The Pentagon has said it has a “robust program” to track the aid as it crosses the border into Ukraine and to keep tabs on it once it is there, depending on the sensitivity of each weapons system.Ukraine is pushing through with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-counteroffensive-explainer-ff774fce8608b464a406ae087b1a3607">its ongoing counteroffensive</a>, in an effort to dislodge the Kremlin’s forces from territory they’ve occupied since a full-scale invasion in February 2022. The counteroffensive has come up against heavily mined terrain and reinforced defensive fortifications.The U.S. has approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-texas-michael-mccaul-114e61bdd752d387a3df813638dab68a">four rounds of aid</a>&nbsp;to Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion, totaling about $113 billion, with some of that money going toward replenishment of U.S. military equipment that was sent to the frontlines. Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-nancy-pelosi-ed54dbd327c4362ee052f851f497fcd4">approved the latest round of aid</a>&nbsp;in December, totaling roughly $45 billion for Ukraine and NATO allies. While the package was designed to last through the end of the fiscal year in September, much depends upon events on the ground.“We remain confident that we’ll be able to continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” said Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.There were questions in November about waning Republican support to approve the package, but it ultimately passed. Now, though, House Speaker McCarthy is facing pressure to impeach Biden over unproven claims of financial misconduct and it’s not clear whether a quick show of support for Ukraine could cause political damage in what’s expected to be a bruising 2024 reelection campaign.Trump contends that American involvement has only drawn Russia closer to other adversarial states like China, and has condemned the tens of billions of dollars that the United States has provided in aid for Ukraine.