NEW YORK (AP) — A woman was seriously injured after a shark bit her on the thigh while she was swimming at a New York City beach, officials said, a highly unusual attack that appears to be the first recorded bite on the city’s shoreline in decades.

The 65-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, was swimming off Rockaway Beach just before 6 p.m. Monday when a shark bit her on the left leg, the city parks department said in a statement.

Lifeguards pulled the woman from the water and administered first aid. The woman was taken to Jamaica Hospital in critical but stable condition with severe lacerations to her thigh, a police spokesperson said.

A photograph of the woman’s injury shared by lifeguards showed a deep gash above her knee, with several inches of outer thigh missing and blood around the wound. The bite appeared to be far more serious than many of the other shark encounters reported in the region, which often involve the predators lightly nibbling the swimmer to determine whether they are prey, then moving on.

“Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites in Rockaway are extremely rare,” parks department spokesperson Meghan Lalor said. “We remain vigilant in monitoring the beach and always clear the water when a shark is spotted. “

Lifeguards cleared all swimmers from the water and police used a helicopter to search the area for sharks but did not find any, the parks department said. Rockaway Beach was closed to swimming and surfing Tuesday as a precaution.

Experts say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shark-bites-summer-beach-safety-98a80236f0eccefc2072b009b4932485">shark bites are extremely rare</a>, with roughly 70 to 80 unprovoked bites worldwide each year. The last recorded shark bite on Rockaway Beach came more than six decades ago, according to a database compiled by the International Shark Attack File. City parks officials said they had no knowledge of another shark bite “in recent memory.”

But shark sightings on New York beaches have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/long-island-shark-drone-patrols-7b8be390a3272ea4e7bdfa6fa7d447ea">increased in recent years</a>, with the predators drawn closer to shore by a growing population of bait fish that have flourished under recent conservation efforts.

On Rockaway Beach, a bustling city shoreline that often attracts more than 100,000 people in a single day, officials have repeatedly closed stretches of water after shark sightings over the past two summers.

Farther east of Rockaway, off the coast of Long Island, the number of shark bites has increased as well. In the past two summers, at least 13 swimmers reported being bitten off the coast of Long Island, officials said, though none of the injuries were considered serious. Before 2022, there were just a dozen known shark bites in New York’s history.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691524716893.jpeg" alt="A red flag warning visitors swimming is prohibited is seen at the entrance to Rockaway beach, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, in the Queens borough of New York. A woman was critically injured when a shark bit her on the leg while she was swimming at a New York City beach, officials said. Rockaway Beach was closed to swimming and surfing on Tuesday as a precaution. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)" />
 <figcaption>A red flag warning visitors swimming is prohibited is seen at the entrance to Rockaway beach, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, in the Queens borough of New York. A woman was critically injured when a shark bit her on the leg while she was swimming at a New York City beach, officials said. Rockaway Beach was closed to swimming and surfing on Tuesday as a precaution. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — A woman was seriously injured after a shark bit her on the thigh while she was swimming at a New York City beach, officials said, a highly unusual attack that appears to be the first recorded bite on the city’s shoreline in decades.The 65-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, was swimming off Rockaway Beach just before 6 p.m. Monday when a shark bit her on the left leg, the city parks department said in a statement.Lifeguards pulled the woman from the water and administered first aid. The woman was taken to Jamaica Hospital in critical but stable condition with severe lacerations to her thigh, a police spokesperson said.A photograph of the woman’s injury shared by lifeguards showed a deep gash above her knee, with several inches of outer thigh missing and blood around the wound. The bite appeared to be far more serious than many of the other shark encounters reported in the region, which often involve the predators lightly nibbling the swimmer to determine whether they are prey, then moving on.“Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites in Rockaway are extremely rare,” parks department spokesperson Meghan Lalor said. “We remain vigilant in monitoring the beach and always clear the water when a shark is spotted. “Lifeguards cleared all swimmers from the water and police used a helicopter to search the area for sharks but did not find any, the parks department said. Rockaway Beach was closed to swimming and surfing Tuesday as a precaution.Experts say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shark-bites-summer-beach-safety-98a80236f0eccefc2072b009b4932485">shark bites are extremely rare</a>, with roughly 70 to 80 unprovoked bites worldwide each year. The last recorded shark bite on Rockaway Beach came more than six decades ago, according to a database compiled by the International Shark Attack File. City parks officials said they had no knowledge of another shark bite “in recent memory.”But shark sightings on New York beaches have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/long-island-shark-drone-patrols-7b8be390a3272ea4e7bdfa6fa7d447ea">increased in recent years</a>, with the predators drawn closer to shore by a growing population of bait fish that have flourished under recent conservation efforts.On Rockaway Beach, a bustling city shoreline that often attracts more than 100,000 people in a single day, officials have repeatedly closed stretches of water after shark sightings over the past two summers.Farther east of Rockaway, off the coast of Long Island, the number of shark bites has increased as well. In the past two summers, at least 13 swimmers reported being bitten off the coast of Long Island, officials said, though none of the injuries were considered serious. Before 2022, there were just a dozen known shark bites in New York’s history.

Woman seriously injured by rare shark bite off NYC's Rockaway Beach

AUGUST 8, 2023 (KEARNEY, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, with assistance from the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, have arrested one person after a road rage incident Monday evening on Interstate 80 near Kearney.

At approximately 6:20 p.m., NSP received a report of a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 80 near mile marker 266. The reporting party stated that one of the vehicles involved, and Audi SQ5, had been forced into the median where it came to a stop. The driver was not injured. NSP also received a description of the vehicle that had left the scene of the crash, a Honda Civic.

A few minutes later, a trooper located the Honda as it was traveling eastbound at approximately 95 miles per hour on I-80, near mile marker 277. The trooper observed damage to the driver’s side of the vehicle. The trooper performed a traffic stop. A Buffalo County Sheriff’s Deputy was also able to make contact with the driver of the Audi and observed damage to the vehicle.

During the investigation, the trooper determined that the driver of the Honda had intentionally struck the Audi twice, forcing it into the median. The driver of the Honda, Marjiek Lual, 20, of Grand Island, was arrested for attempted 2nd&nbsp;degree assault, criminal mischief $5,000+, willful reckless driving, and traffic violations. She was lodged in Buffalo County Jail.

Cody Thomas - Nebraska State PatrolAUGUST 8, 2023 (KEARNEY, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, with assistance from the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, have arrested one person after a road rage incident Monday evening on Interstate 80 near Kearney.At approximately 6:20 p.m., NSP received a report of a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 80 near mile marker 266. The reporting party stated that one of the vehicles involved, and Audi SQ5, had been forced into the median where it came to a stop. The driver was not injured. NSP also received a description of the vehicle that had left the scene of the crash, a Honda Civic.A few minutes later, a trooper located the Honda as it was traveling eastbound at approximately 95 miles per hour on I-80, near mile marker 277. The trooper observed damage to the driver’s side of the vehicle. The trooper performed a traffic stop. A Buffalo County Sheriff’s Deputy was also able to make contact with the driver of the Audi and observed damage to the vehicle.During the investigation, the trooper determined that the driver of the Honda had intentionally struck the Audi twice, forcing it into the median. The driver of the Honda, Marjiek Lual, 20, of Grand Island, was arrested for attempted 2nd&nbsp;degree assault, criminal mischief $5,000+, willful reckless driving, and traffic violations. She was lodged in Buffalo County Jail.

Troopers Arrest Driver After Road Rage Crash near Kearney

CURTIS, Neb. – The fee waiver code “NCTA” saves applicants the $45 application fee until November 1, 2023, at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. This expanded waiver period for Nebraska students supports the NCTA mission of affordability and access.

Beginning now, high school seniors and transfer students from Nebraska applying for the 2024-25 academic year are eligible for the waiver.

“The waiver program has been part of an ongoing system-wide effort to expand access and encourage college-going among students and families,” said NCTA Associate Dean Jennifer McConville, Ph.D.

In recent years, the University system has implemented an online common application, allowing prospective students to apply to any or several NU campuses simultaneously. They can list preferences for types of academic programs and campuses.

“We have found at NCTA in the past three years that new students and their families appreciate the savings on application fees and tuition.” McConville continued,<a>&nbsp;“The timing is ideal for the fee waiver campaign since high school students will soon be attending college fairs throughout Nebraska and can combine those savings with scholarships and other financial aid at NCTA.”</a>

Visit the website to apply:&nbsp;<a href="https://ncta.unl.edu/apply-now" target="_blank">https://ncta.unl.edu/apply-now</a>&nbsp;or call Gaylene Stinman, Admissions Recruiter, at 1(800) 3Curtis.

By NCTA newsCURTIS, Neb. – The fee waiver code “NCTA” saves applicants the $45 application fee until November 1, 2023, at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. This expanded waiver period for Nebraska students supports the NCTA mission of affordability and access.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691520477735.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Beginning now, high school seniors and transfer students from Nebraska applying for the 2024-25 academic year are eligible for the waiver.“The waiver program has been part of an ongoing system-wide effort to expand access and encourage college-going among students and families,” said NCTA Associate Dean Jennifer McConville, Ph.D.In recent years, the University system has implemented an online common application, allowing prospective students to apply to any or several NU campuses simultaneously. They can list preferences for types of academic programs and campuses.“We have found at NCTA in the past three years that new students and their families appreciate the savings on application fees and tuition.” McConville continued,<a>&nbsp;“The timing is ideal for the fee waiver campaign since high school students will soon be attending college fairs throughout Nebraska and can combine those savings with scholarships and other financial aid at NCTA.”</a>Visit the website to apply:&nbsp;<a href="https://ncta.unl.edu/apply-now" target="_blank">https://ncta.unl.edu/apply-now</a>&nbsp;or call Gaylene Stinman, Admissions Recruiter, at 1(800) 3Curtis.

Free to Apply to NCTA

(AP)-U.S. regulators are warning airlines to limit the use of an anti-icing system on Boeing 737 Max jets in dry air to avoid overheating engine-housing parts, which could cause them to break away from the plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the risk to the flying public is serious enough that it will put the order into effect in just 15 days, and without allowing public comment first.

The FAA said if the engine inlet gets too hot, parts of the housing could come off and strike a window, causing decompression and a hazard to passengers in window seats.

The finding affects LEAP-1B engines used on all versions of the Max. The engines are made by CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and France's Safran.

In 2018, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/78500b1dcf784d118855a540ea899a8c">Southwest Airlines passenger died</a>&nbsp;after part of the engine housing on an older version of Boeing's 737 jet flew off and broke the window next to her seat. That engine failure started with a broken fan blade.

The FAA said there have been no reports of the overheating problem occurring on Max flights. It said the potential for damage was discovered during flight testing and analysis in June.

Boeing said overheating of the inlets — which are made by Boeing, not CFM — can only happen under “very specific" conditions and wasn't known until recently.

“Boeing has identified measures to mitigate the potential issue and (is) working with our customers to deploy those measures while a permanent fix is developed,” the company said in a statement.

The problem highlighted by the FAA involves something called engine anti-ice, in which hot air from the engine is used to heat the housing and prevent the formation of ice that could be sucked into the engines.

The FAA is dictating that flight manuals tell pilots and airlines not to use engine anti-ice in dry air for more than five minutes. Otherwise, the FAA said, “during certain combinations of altitude, total air temperature” and engine settings, the engine inlet inner barrel could be heated beyond its design limit. That could cause the inlet barrel to fail and damage a piece of housing called the inlet cowl.

If parts break off from engine housing, it could not only break a window but might hit other key parts of the plane, causing pilots to lose control, the FAA said.

The FAA indicated it will publish the rule in the Federal Register on Thursday.

Two Boeing Max jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. Investigations focused on an automated flight-control system that pushed the nose of the plane down based on faulty sensor readings. Boeing did not tell pilots and airlines about the system until after the first crash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691511284395.jpeg" alt="In this Feb. 5, 2018, file photo a Boeing 737 MAX 7 is displayed during a debut for employees and media of the new jet in Renton, Wash. U.S. regulators are warning airlines to limit the use of an anti-icing system on Boeing 737 Max jets in dry air to avoid overheating engine-housing parts, which could cause them to break away from the plane. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)" />
 <figcaption>In this Feb. 5, 2018, file photo a Boeing 737 MAX 7 is displayed during a debut for employees and media of the new jet in Renton, Wash. U.S. regulators are warning airlines to limit the use of an anti-icing system on Boeing 737 Max jets in dry air to avoid overheating engine-housing parts, which could cause them to break away from the plane. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By David Koenig(AP)-U.S. regulators are warning airlines to limit the use of an anti-icing system on Boeing 737 Max jets in dry air to avoid overheating engine-housing parts, which could cause them to break away from the plane.The Federal Aviation Administration says the risk to the flying public is serious enough that it will put the order into effect in just 15 days, and without allowing public comment first.The FAA said if the engine inlet gets too hot, parts of the housing could come off and strike a window, causing decompression and a hazard to passengers in window seats.The finding affects LEAP-1B engines used on all versions of the Max. The engines are made by CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric and France's Safran.In 2018, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/78500b1dcf784d118855a540ea899a8c">Southwest Airlines passenger died</a>&nbsp;after part of the engine housing on an older version of Boeing's 737 jet flew off and broke the window next to her seat. That engine failure started with a broken fan blade.The FAA said there have been no reports of the overheating problem occurring on Max flights. It said the potential for damage was discovered during flight testing and analysis in June.Boeing said overheating of the inlets — which are made by Boeing, not CFM — can only happen under “very specific" conditions and wasn't known until recently.“Boeing has identified measures to mitigate the potential issue and (is) working with our customers to deploy those measures while a permanent fix is developed,” the company said in a statement.The problem highlighted by the FAA involves something called engine anti-ice, in which hot air from the engine is used to heat the housing and prevent the formation of ice that could be sucked into the engines.The FAA is dictating that flight manuals tell pilots and airlines not to use engine anti-ice in dry air for more than five minutes. Otherwise, the FAA said, “during certain combinations of altitude, total air temperature” and engine settings, the engine inlet inner barrel could be heated beyond its design limit. That could cause the inlet barrel to fail and damage a piece of housing called the inlet cowl.If parts break off from engine housing, it could not only break a window but might hit other key parts of the plane, causing pilots to lose control, the FAA said.The FAA indicated it will publish the rule in the Federal Register on Thursday.Two Boeing Max jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. Investigations focused on an automated flight-control system that pushed the nose of the plane down based on faulty sensor readings. Boeing did not tell pilots and airlines about the system until after the first crash.

FAA warns of safety hazard from overheating engine housing on Boeing Max jets during anti-icing

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is reinstating a regulation aimed at reining in the proliferation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-are-ghost-guns-aab2ded78314603e8e87e92dbe4def3f">ghost guns</a>, firearms without serial numbers that have been turning up at crime scenes across the nation in increasing numbers.

The court on Tuesday voted 5-4 to put on hold a ruling from a federal judge in Texas that invalidated the Biden administration's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives-gun-politics-5f0f26cdb5d3bcbc6f9c5daf471c118d">regulation of ghost gun kits</a>. The regulation will be in effect while the administration appeals the ruling to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans — and potentially the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined with the court's three liberal members to form the majority. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas would have kept the regulation on hold during the appeals process. Neither side provided an explanation.

The Justice Department had told the court that local law enforcement agencies seized more than 19,000 ghost guns at crime scenes in 2021, a more than tenfold increase in just five years.

"The public-safety interests in reversing the flow of ghost guns to dangerous and otherwise prohibited persons easily outweighs the minor costs that respondents will incur,"&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-us-supreme-court-only-on-ap-19ad9190f158f5df1ac5d2f569dcdc80">Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar</a>, the administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, wrote in a court filing.

The new rule was issued last year and changed the definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts, like the frame of a handgun or the receiver of a long gun, so they can be tracked more easily. Those parts must be licensed and include serial numbers. Manufacturers must also run background checks before a sale — as they do with other commercially made firearms. The requirement applies regardless of how the firearm was made, meaning it includes ghost guns made from individual parts or kits or by 3D printers.

The rule does not prohibit people from purchasing a kit or any type of firearm.

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor, in Fort Worth, Texas, struck down the rule in late June, concluding that it exceeded the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' authority. O'Connor wrote that the definition of a firearm in federal law does not cover all the parts of a gun. Congress could change the law, he wrote.

Lawyers for individuals, businesses and advocacy groups challenging the rule told the Supreme Court that O'Connor was right and that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives">the ATF</a>&nbsp;had departed from more than 50 years of regulatory practice in expanding the definition of a firearm.

The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which has long supported regulation of ghost guns, praised the Supreme Court's action. “The challenged rule simply requires that ghost gun kits are regulated like the guns that they are. It will save lives,” David Pucino, the group's deputy chief counsel, said in a statement.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is reinstating a regulation aimed at reining in the proliferation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-are-ghost-guns-aab2ded78314603e8e87e92dbe4def3f">ghost guns</a>, firearms without serial numbers that have been turning up at crime scenes across the nation in increasing numbers.The court on Tuesday voted 5-4 to put on hold a ruling from a federal judge in Texas that invalidated the Biden administration's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives-gun-politics-5f0f26cdb5d3bcbc6f9c5daf471c118d">regulation of ghost gun kits</a>. The regulation will be in effect while the administration appeals the ruling to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans — and potentially the Supreme Court.Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined with the court's three liberal members to form the majority. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas would have kept the regulation on hold during the appeals process. Neither side provided an explanation.The Justice Department had told the court that local law enforcement agencies seized more than 19,000 ghost guns at crime scenes in 2021, a more than tenfold increase in just five years."The public-safety interests in reversing the flow of ghost guns to dangerous and otherwise prohibited persons easily outweighs the minor costs that respondents will incur,"&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-us-supreme-court-only-on-ap-19ad9190f158f5df1ac5d2f569dcdc80">Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar</a>, the administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, wrote in a court filing.The new rule was issued last year and changed the definition of a firearm under federal law to include unfinished parts, like the frame of a handgun or the receiver of a long gun, so they can be tracked more easily. Those parts must be licensed and include serial numbers. Manufacturers must also run background checks before a sale — as they do with other commercially made firearms. The requirement applies regardless of how the firearm was made, meaning it includes ghost guns made from individual parts or kits or by 3D printers.The rule does not prohibit people from purchasing a kit or any type of firearm.U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor, in Fort Worth, Texas, struck down the rule in late June, concluding that it exceeded the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' authority. O'Connor wrote that the definition of a firearm in federal law does not cover all the parts of a gun. Congress could change the law, he wrote.Lawyers for individuals, businesses and advocacy groups challenging the rule told the Supreme Court that O'Connor was right and that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives">the ATF</a>&nbsp;had departed from more than 50 years of regulatory practice in expanding the definition of a firearm.The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which has long supported regulation of ghost guns, praised the Supreme Court's action. “The challenged rule simply requires that ghost gun kits are regulated like the guns that they are. It will save lives,” David Pucino, the group's deputy chief counsel, said in a statement.

Supreme Court allows Biden administration to regulate ghost guns

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/torrid-temperatures-led-to-cattle-losses-in-nebraska-and-calls-by-gov-pillen-and-rep-flood-for-federal-help/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Recent torrid temperatures caused higher-than-normal losses of cattle in feedlots in eastern Nebraska, prompting a call from Gov. Jim Pillen for federal help.

Pillen, in a press release Friday, said he called U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting prompt financial help for livestock producers via the Livestock Indemnity Program.

The governor’s call came four days after U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., sent a letter to the USDA seeking similar help.

The federal indemnity program pays livestock producers roughly 75% of their losses, but losses or injuries must be reported within 30 days to a local Farm Services Agency.

“The weather situation only lasted a few days, but some Nebraska producers were significantly impacted,” Pillen said. “Connecting affected producers with emergency resources available to them is important.”

The Governor’s Office could not provide figures on how many cattle died during the recent heat spell, which sent temperatures soaring to near 100 and above for three days last week in east-central Nebraska, including Pillen’s hometown of Columbus. High humidity and the lack of wind compounded heat-related stress, the governor said.

In northeast Nebraska’s Cuming County, which has the most cattle on feed in the state, reports of cattle losses are still coming in, but they were generally less than anticipated.

Alfredo DiCostanzo, a University of Nebraska livestock extension educator, said he met with a group of feedlot operators there who said their losses were less than 50 head in feedlots with capacities of 5,000 to 7,000.

“I have heard of specific cases with numbers greater than that further west and south of us,” DiCostanzo said.&nbsp;“But the perception around here was that it could have been worse.”

He said he was told that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s research feedlot near Mead lost 18 cattle out of 1,200 head.

Cattle prices are high right now, with the typically feeder steer bringing between $2,500 and $3,000 each, DiCostanzo said.

He said producers may have mitigated their losses by moving cattle most susceptible to heat stress to pens with shade or sprinklers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682007121403.jpg" alt="Photo on File" />
 <figcaption>Photo on File</figcaption>
 </figure>By Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/torrid-temperatures-led-to-cattle-losses-in-nebraska-and-calls-by-gov-pillen-and-rep-flood-for-federal-help/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Recent torrid temperatures caused higher-than-normal losses of cattle in feedlots in eastern Nebraska, prompting a call from Gov. Jim Pillen for federal help.Pillen, in a press release Friday, said he called U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting prompt financial help for livestock producers via the Livestock Indemnity Program.The governor’s call came four days after U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., sent a letter to the USDA seeking similar help.<h2>Federal program covers 75% of losses</h2>The federal indemnity program pays livestock producers roughly 75% of their losses, but losses or injuries must be reported within 30 days to a local Farm Services Agency.“The weather situation only lasted a few days, but some Nebraska producers were significantly impacted,” Pillen said. “Connecting affected producers with emergency resources available to them is important.”The Governor’s Office could not provide figures on how many cattle died during the recent heat spell, which sent temperatures soaring to near 100 and above for three days last week in east-central Nebraska, including Pillen’s hometown of Columbus. High humidity and the lack of wind compounded heat-related stress, the governor said.In northeast Nebraska’s Cuming County, which has the most cattle on feed in the state, reports of cattle losses are still coming in, but they were generally less than anticipated.Alfredo DiCostanzo, a University of Nebraska livestock extension educator, said he met with a group of feedlot operators there who said their losses were less than 50 head in feedlots with capacities of 5,000 to 7,000.<h2>‘Could have been worse’</h2>“I have heard of specific cases with numbers greater than that further west and south of us,” DiCostanzo said.&nbsp;“But the perception around here was that it could have been worse.”He said he was told that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s research feedlot near Mead lost 18 cattle out of 1,200 head.Cattle prices are high right now, with the typically feeder steer bringing between $2,500 and $3,000 each, DiCostanzo said.He said producers may have mitigated their losses by moving cattle most susceptible to heat stress to pens with shade or sprinklers.

Torrid temperatures led to cattle losses in Nebraska and calls by Gov. Pillen and Rep. Flood for federal help

By&nbsp;ROBIN OPSAHL&nbsp;AND&nbsp;JAY WAAGEMEESTER&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

In the wake of former President Donald Trump’s most recent indictments, his opponents in the campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination railed against the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice at a fundraising event Sunday for U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson.

More than 300 people attended Hinson’s BBQ Bash at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids. It was an opportunity for presidential hopefuls to socialize and take photos with potential caucus-goers — and a chance for them to seek the support of Iowans who voted for Hinson and other Republicans in 2022.

Last year, Hinson said, Iowans helped remove U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi as House speaker – and in 2024, she said, they will help remove President Joe Biden from office.

“Taking our country back starts right here in Iowa, and starts right here today,” Hinson said. “And remember this: Iowa picks presidents.”

Seven of the 2024 GOP candidates spoke at the event. Trump, who was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/08/01/trump-indicted-in-connection-with-jan-6-attack-on-the-u-s-capitol/">recently indicted on criminal charges</a>&nbsp;tied to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, was not at the event, but was on the minds of many attending.

Linda Devark of Cedar Rapids said Trump remains her top choice as the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. Devark said she is not concerned about the former president’s indictments, saying the Justice Department’s focus on Trump is meant to draw attention away from the president and his son, Hunter Biden.

“I think it’s interesting that any day that something takes place with Hunter Biden or Joe Biden, by the next day there’s an indictment,” Devark said.

Hinson had expressed similar sentiments on Aug. 1, linking the most recent indictment of Trump to what she called “another Biden scandal,” adding, “We must stop the unAmerican politicization of the judicial system.”

Other Iowans attending Sunday’s event said they’re looking for alternatives to Trump. Rick Ransom, a retired salesman from Benton County said it is too early to make a decision, but Trump’s “baggage” hurts his chances at reclaiming the White House.

“I think his time has passed,” Ransom said. “He’s got too much baggage now. A lot of baggage.”

Ransom said he would vote for Trump if he happens to be the nominee, but until then, it is too early to make a decision.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I want to hear more,” he said, adding that his three preferred candidates are currently Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and South Carolia Sen. Tim Scott.

Don Bayliss of Wellman said Trump has proven himself but said he’s not entirely committed to the former president this far out from the caucuses.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We know what he can do,” Bayliss said. “He did it for four years.”

Bayliss said he is open to other candidates, with DeSantis, Burgum, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Scott ranking as his next choices for president.

“We’re listening,” Bayliss said. “We got to see what there is, what each candidate has to offer and what they would like to do for our country to put it on its feet again.”

Although Trump was not in attendance, members of his campaign team set up a booth at the event.

Here’s what presidential candidates told the crowd at Hinson’s fundraiser:

DeSantis did not bring up Trump, his top rival for the 2024 Iowa caucuses, instead focusing on his conservative victories in Florida.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and DeSantis bantered in their speeches about the competition among states with GOP governors, with Reynolds pointing to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/best-states-to-retire-2023-iowa-florida-bankrate/">a recent study</a>&nbsp;that found Iowa surpassed Florida as the best state to retire based on metrics like affordability, quality of health care, weather and crime.

DeSantis went through his accomplishments as governor, the crowd cheering when he said Florida “stood up” to Disney, cut taxes and served as a “refuge of sanity” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In Florida, most people that run for office, they overpromise and underdeliver,” DeSantis said. “We made bold promises to the people of Florida, we met every single commitment we made, and in fact, we over-delivered on our promises.”

If elected president, DeSantis said, he would end the “weaponization of government,” adding that he would replace FBI Director Christopher Wray on his first day as president and make changes to the Department of Justice. But, he said, voters need to make sure they don’t “squander” the election.

“I’m asking for your support in the January caucuses because I can pledge to you this: I will get the job done,” DeSantis said. “I will not let you down.”

Not only are small-town values the key to a successful White House, Burgum said, they are a driving factor in his campaign.

“When someone tells me that you can’t be from a small town and run for president, it’s just like jumping on my start button, because D.C. needs more small-town values,” Burgum said.

Burgum described America as having two realities, “Two things can happen at the same time that are opposites,” Burgum said.

“You go to communities like this and see neighbors helping neighbors … We need to focus on the best of America, you turn on social media you never hear about the best of America.”

Burgum said the Biden administration “needs a course correction, they are 180 degrees wrong on the economy, energy and on national security.”

America must sell energy to allies instead of purchasing it from enemies, Burgum said, a common line from his stump speech.

Burgum also called for a smaller federal government.

“There’s a huge opportunity to take 10% or 20% of the cost out of the federal government,” Burgum said. “I know how to do that. I’ve done it before.”

Burgum planned to visit the U.S.-Mexico border Monday.

Businessman Perry Johnson, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s annual BBQ Bash in Cedar Rapids Sunday, August 6. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch)Businessman Perry Johnson said he wants to make sure the Republican National Committee is not “corrupt,” calling for all candidates to be included in any polling focused on the 2024 Republican field.

Johnson said “they have done everything to try to get me out of the debate,” but that he now has 40,000 individual donors — meeting the threshold needed to make it onto the Milwaukee debate stage.

“I’m going to have 50,000,” Johnson said. “I just need to make sure they include me in the poll.”

He said other candidates that have not met that threshold should also be included in polling.

Johnson also called for the impeachment of Biden and the pardoning of Trump, who has yet to be convicted of any crimes. The Michigan Republican said that Americans know roughly $10 million went to the Biden family through a “myriad of corporations.”

“They have all these corporations strung together, stealing that money, bribing – who knows what it is,” Johnson said. “But I say let’s investigate it.”

Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur, gathered applause when he said he will “drain the swamp,” if elected.

The youngest candidate in the field called for term limits for “the bureaucracy,” and he also called for term limits for employees of government agencies.

“We will not just reform those agencies, we will get in there and shut them down, that is how we revive our constitutional republic in the United States of America,” Ramaswamy said.

Arguing that America has an identity crisis, Ramaswamy called for a revolution.

“Do you want incremental reform or do you want revolution?” he asked the crowd. He said he “stands on the side of the American Revolution, those 1776 ideals that set this county in motion.”

“We are so starved for purpose and meaning and identity at a time in our national history with the things that used to fill that hunger — faith, patriotism, hard work, family, these things have disappeared,” Ramaswamy said. “And that leaves a black hole or moral vacuum in its wake. And when you have a black hole that runs that deep, that is when the poison fills the void. Wokeism, transgenderism, climateism, COVIDism, globalism, depression, anxiety, fentanyl, suicide. These are symptoms of a deeper void of purpose and meaning in our country.”

Ramaswamy also criticized affirmative action, saying it “has been a cancer on our national soul.”

Larry Elder, who ran for California governor against Gov. Gavin Newsom in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election, brought up his former rival’s agreement to debate DeSantis – one of Elder’s current rivals for the nomination.

“Wouldn’t it have been nice if somebody had pressured him to debate me during the recall election when it mattered?” Elder asked.

In June, Newsom told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he would be willing to debate DeSantis. The Florida governor&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/03/ron-desantis-gavin-newsom-debate/">agreed to the debate</a>&nbsp;when speaking with Hannity, who would moderate, earlier in August.

Both governors have proposed several dates to hold the debate, but have not agreed on proposed rules, such as whether to have a live audience or to give opening remarks.

Elder asked Iowans to donate to his campaign so he can get on the August debate stage, saying he was the only candidate to speak about issues such as the “epidemic of fatherlessness” and to call for a U.S. constitutional amendment that would tie federal spending to a percentage of the country’s GDP.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson took the stage to share his criticisms of Biden and outline his goal of restoring the rule of law.

“Biden has diminished respect for rule of law in this country,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson said he supported rule of law during periods of unrest after the murder of George Floyd by bringing in the National Guard and the state police.

“I’ve met challenges in our country, as governor, we had protests all across the country after the George Floyd murder,” Hutchinson said. “And whatever we have those protests, many of them turned violent. In Little Rock, Arkansas there was no exception. I saw violence in the street, buildings being burned, the Capitol being threatened and I said enough is enough.”

The former governor also thanked the Iowa Legislature for passing a 6-week abortion ban and acknowleged the challenges he faces in his campaign.

“I know that this is an uphill battle, because there’s one candidate in the race that has got, like, 50% of the vote,” he said referring to Trump.

China represents the biggest threat to the U.S. “since Pearl Harbor,” former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said.

China has been “planning war with the United States for years,” she told the crowd, pointing to Chinese companies buying land in the U.S. She cited fentanyl trafficking and intellectual property theft as proof that China is the biggest national security threat that America faces.

“Don’t think for a second China doesn’t know what they’re doing,” Haley said.

If elected president, Haley said, she would take steps such as denying China access to certain U.S.-developed technology, preventing foreign interests from lobbying members of Congress and stopping “favoritism with defense projects” to make sure the country is prepared for potential conflict with China.

She said Americans are “totally distracted” from the threat of China by issues now being discussed in the 2024 presidential campaign.

“We’re talking about a bunch of other things that don’t even matter,” Haley said. “All of these issues are big issues. But if we don’t have national security, none of it matters.”

This article first appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/08/06/gop-presidential-candidates-rally-at-iowa-fundraiser/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>,&nbsp;a sister&nbsp;site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691516540473.png" alt=" Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s annual BBQ Bash in Cedar Rapids Sunday, August 6. (Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch)" />
 <figcaption> Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s annual BBQ Bash in Cedar Rapids Sunday, August 6. (Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;ROBIN OPSAHL&nbsp;AND&nbsp;JAY WAAGEMEESTER&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>In the wake of former President Donald Trump’s most recent indictments, his opponents in the campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination railed against the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice at a fundraising event Sunday for U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson.More than 300 people attended Hinson’s BBQ Bash at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids. It was an opportunity for presidential hopefuls to socialize and take photos with potential caucus-goers — and a chance for them to seek the support of Iowans who voted for Hinson and other Republicans in 2022.Last year, Hinson said, Iowans helped remove U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi as House speaker – and in 2024, she said, they will help remove President Joe Biden from office.“Taking our country back starts right here in Iowa, and starts right here today,” Hinson said. “And remember this: Iowa picks presidents.”Seven of the 2024 GOP candidates spoke at the event. Trump, who was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/08/01/trump-indicted-in-connection-with-jan-6-attack-on-the-u-s-capitol/">recently indicted on criminal charges</a>&nbsp;tied to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, was not at the event, but was on the minds of many attending.Linda Devark of Cedar Rapids said Trump remains her top choice as the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. Devark said she is not concerned about the former president’s indictments, saying the Justice Department’s focus on Trump is meant to draw attention away from the president and his son, Hunter Biden.“I think it’s interesting that any day that something takes place with Hunter Biden or Joe Biden, by the next day there’s an indictment,” Devark said.Hinson had expressed similar sentiments on Aug. 1, linking the most recent indictment of Trump to what she called “another Biden scandal,” adding, “We must stop the unAmerican politicization of the judicial system.”Other Iowans attending Sunday’s event said they’re looking for alternatives to Trump. Rick Ransom, a retired salesman from Benton County said it is too early to make a decision, but Trump’s “baggage” hurts his chances at reclaiming the White House.“I think his time has passed,” Ransom said. “He’s got too much baggage now. A lot of baggage.”Ransom said he would vote for Trump if he happens to be the nominee, but until then, it is too early to make a decision.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I want to hear more,” he said, adding that his three preferred candidates are currently Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and South Carolia Sen. Tim Scott.Don Bayliss of Wellman said Trump has proven himself but said he’s not entirely committed to the former president this far out from the caucuses.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We know what he can do,” Bayliss said. “He did it for four years.”Bayliss said he is open to other candidates, with DeSantis, Burgum, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Scott ranking as his next choices for president.“We’re listening,” Bayliss said. “We got to see what there is, what each candidate has to offer and what they would like to do for our country to put it on its feet again.”Although Trump was not in attendance, members of his campaign team set up a booth at the event.Here’s what presidential candidates told the crowd at Hinson’s fundraiser:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691516631574.png" alt="Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s annual BBQ Bash in Cedar Rapids Sunday, August 6. (Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch)" />
 <figcaption>Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s annual BBQ Bash in Cedar Rapids Sunday, August 6. (Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</h2>DeSantis did not bring up Trump, his top rival for the 2024 Iowa caucuses, instead focusing on his conservative victories in Florida.Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and DeSantis bantered in their speeches about the competition among states with GOP governors, with Reynolds pointing to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/best-states-to-retire-2023-iowa-florida-bankrate/">a recent study</a>&nbsp;that found Iowa surpassed Florida as the best state to retire based on metrics like affordability, quality of health care, weather and crime.DeSantis went through his accomplishments as governor, the crowd cheering when he said Florida “stood up” to Disney, cut taxes and served as a “refuge of sanity” during the COVID-19 pandemic.“In Florida, most people that run for office, they overpromise and underdeliver,” DeSantis said. “We made bold promises to the people of Florida, we met every single commitment we made, and in fact, we over-delivered on our promises.”If elected president, DeSantis said, he would end the “weaponization of government,” adding that he would replace FBI Director Christopher Wray on his first day as president and make changes to the Department of Justice. But, he said, voters need to make sure they don’t “squander” the election.“I’m asking for your support in the January caucuses because I can pledge to you this: I will get the job done,” DeSantis said. “I will not let you down.”<h2>North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum</h2>Not only are small-town values the key to a successful White House, Burgum said, they are a driving factor in his campaign.“When someone tells me that you can’t be from a small town and run for president, it’s just like jumping on my start button, because D.C. needs more small-town values,” Burgum said.Burgum described America as having two realities, “Two things can happen at the same time that are opposites,” Burgum said.“You go to communities like this and see neighbors helping neighbors … We need to focus on the best of America, you turn on social media you never hear about the best of America.”Burgum said the Biden administration “needs a course correction, they are 180 degrees wrong on the economy, energy and on national security.”America must sell energy to allies instead of purchasing it from enemies, Burgum said, a common line from his stump speech.Burgum also called for a smaller federal government.“There’s a huge opportunity to take 10% or 20% of the cost out of the federal government,” Burgum said. “I know how to do that. I’ve done it before.”Burgum planned to visit the U.S.-Mexico border Monday.<h2>Perry Johnson</h2>Businessman Perry Johnson, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s annual BBQ Bash in Cedar Rapids Sunday, August 6. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch)Businessman Perry Johnson said he wants to make sure the Republican National Committee is not “corrupt,” calling for all candidates to be included in any polling focused on the 2024 Republican field.Johnson said “they have done everything to try to get me out of the debate,” but that he now has 40,000 individual donors — meeting the threshold needed to make it onto the Milwaukee debate stage.“I’m going to have 50,000,” Johnson said. “I just need to make sure they include me in the poll.”He said other candidates that have not met that threshold should also be included in polling.Johnson also called for the impeachment of Biden and the pardoning of Trump, who has yet to be convicted of any crimes. The Michigan Republican said that Americans know roughly $10 million went to the Biden family through a “myriad of corporations.”“They have all these corporations strung together, stealing that money, bribing – who knows what it is,” Johnson said. “But I say let’s investigate it.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691516686376.png" alt="Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s annual BBQ Bash in Cedar Rapids Sunday, August 6. (Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)" />
 <figcaption>Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s annual BBQ Bash in Cedar Rapids Sunday, August 6. (Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Vivek Ramaswamy</h2>Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur, gathered applause when he said he will “drain the swamp,” if elected.The youngest candidate in the field called for term limits for “the bureaucracy,” and he also called for term limits for employees of government agencies.“We will not just reform those agencies, we will get in there and shut them down, that is how we revive our constitutional republic in the United States of America,” Ramaswamy said.Arguing that America has an identity crisis, Ramaswamy called for a revolution.“Do you want incremental reform or do you want revolution?” he asked the crowd. He said he “stands on the side of the American Revolution, those 1776 ideals that set this county in motion.”“We are so starved for purpose and meaning and identity at a time in our national history with the things that used to fill that hunger — faith, patriotism, hard work, family, these things have disappeared,” Ramaswamy said. “And that leaves a black hole or moral vacuum in its wake. And when you have a black hole that runs that deep, that is when the poison fills the void. Wokeism, transgenderism, climateism, COVIDism, globalism, depression, anxiety, fentanyl, suicide. These are symptoms of a deeper void of purpose and meaning in our country.”Ramaswamy also criticized affirmative action, saying it “has been a cancer on our national soul.”<h2>Larry Elder</h2>Larry Elder, who ran for California governor against Gov. Gavin Newsom in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election, brought up his former rival’s agreement to debate DeSantis – one of Elder’s current rivals for the nomination.“Wouldn’t it have been nice if somebody had pressured him to debate me during the recall election when it mattered?” Elder asked.In June, Newsom told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he would be willing to debate DeSantis. The Florida governor&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/03/ron-desantis-gavin-newsom-debate/">agreed to the debate</a>&nbsp;when speaking with Hannity, who would moderate, earlier in August.Both governors have proposed several dates to hold the debate, but have not agreed on proposed rules, such as whether to have a live audience or to give opening remarks.Elder asked Iowans to donate to his campaign so he can get on the August debate stage, saying he was the only candidate to speak about issues such as the “epidemic of fatherlessness” and to call for a U.S. constitutional amendment that would tie federal spending to a percentage of the country’s GDP.<h2>Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson</h2>Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson took the stage to share his criticisms of Biden and outline his goal of restoring the rule of law.“Biden has diminished respect for rule of law in this country,” Hutchinson said.Hutchinson said he supported rule of law during periods of unrest after the murder of George Floyd by bringing in the National Guard and the state police.“I’ve met challenges in our country, as governor, we had protests all across the country after the George Floyd murder,” Hutchinson said. “And whatever we have those protests, many of them turned violent. In Little Rock, Arkansas there was no exception. I saw violence in the street, buildings being burned, the Capitol being threatened and I said enough is enough.”The former governor also thanked the Iowa Legislature for passing a 6-week abortion ban and acknowleged the challenges he faces in his campaign.“I know that this is an uphill battle, because there’s one candidate in the race that has got, like, 50% of the vote,” he said referring to Trump.<h2>Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley</h2>China represents the biggest threat to the U.S. “since Pearl Harbor,” former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said.China has been “planning war with the United States for years,” she told the crowd, pointing to Chinese companies buying land in the U.S. She cited fentanyl trafficking and intellectual property theft as proof that China is the biggest national security threat that America faces.“Don’t think for a second China doesn’t know what they’re doing,” Haley said.If elected president, Haley said, she would take steps such as denying China access to certain U.S.-developed technology, preventing foreign interests from lobbying members of Congress and stopping “favoritism with defense projects” to make sure the country is prepared for potential conflict with China.She said Americans are “totally distracted” from the threat of China by issues now being discussed in the 2024 presidential campaign.“We’re talking about a bunch of other things that don’t even matter,” Haley said. “All of these issues are big issues. But if we don’t have national security, none of it matters.”This article first appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/08/06/gop-presidential-candidates-rally-at-iowa-fundraiser/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>,&nbsp;a sister&nbsp;site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

GOP presidential candidates rally at Iowa fundraiser

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/08/states-seek-to-let-teens-as-young-as-14-serve-booze-in-restaurants/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

WASHINGTON — As a former bartender and current tipped worker, Trupti Patel knows that customers tend to get grabby when there is alcohol involved.

After working in the food service industry for more than a decade, she is accustomed to dealing with drunk customers who get out of hand, especially if they become belligerent or make lewd comments. But the District of Columbia resident finds it disturbing to think of teens trying to handle the same situation.

“It’s one thing if a drunk patron wants to scream and yell at me and wants their way. I’m 45, you can scream at me all you want. I’m not scared of you,” she said in an interview with States Newsroom. “But you’re going to scream and yell at a 14-year-old, a 15-year-old, a 16-year-old? They’re not going to handle it the same way.”

Patel is not the only one concerned about a growing trend among states to propose and enact legislation allowing teens — as young as 14 — to serve alcohol in restaurants, among laws rolling back other child labor limits. She’s joined by labor organizers and legal experts, who worry that the easing of these restrictions can increase a teen’s risk of exposure to sexual harassment, especially in an industry where it’s pervasive.

It’s a development that has been lobbied for in the states by the restaurant industry, which argues the laws are needed to help fill a labor shortage. According to<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/JTS7000JOL">&nbsp;Bureau of Labor Statistics data complied by Federal Reserve Economic Data</a>, there are more than 1.3 million openings in the hospitality and leisure industry.

And as the restaurant industry turns to state lawmakers to help fill the gap, teens are a target — there is no federal child labor law or regulation barring those under 18 from serving alcohol, even though they are years away from the legal drinking age of 21.

“The most concerning part of (this trend) is that it exposes women, young girls, at a very young age, to what appropriate behavior is and that follows you for the rest of your life,” Diana Ramírez, senior manager of policy and coalitions at the D.C.-based National Women’s Law Center, said in an interview with States Newsroom.

Since 2021, seven states have enacted laws lowering the age to serve alcohol.

In 2021,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/21%20Regular/bills/house/HB0255.pdf">New Mexico</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/134/sb102">Ohio</a>&nbsp;lowered the age to serve alcohol from 19 to 18 and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=2025&amp;year=2021&amp;sessiontype=RS">West Virginia</a>&nbsp;lowered the age from 18 to 16. Last year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/22rs/hb252.html">Kentucky</a>&nbsp;lowered the age to serve alcohol from 20 to 18;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://legiscan.com/AL/drafts/HB176/2022">Alabama</a>&nbsp;lowered the age from 19 to 18; and Michigan lowered the age from 18 to 17.

<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/26/reynolds-signs-law-loosening-iowas-child-labor-restrictions/">The most recent state</a>&nbsp;to pass a law easing the restrictions for teens to handle alcohol is Iowa, where 16-year-olds are now allowed to serve and sell alcohol. Iowa’s state legislature lobbying records show that the Iowa Restaurant Association, the state affiliation of the NRA, was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/lobbyist/reports/declarations?ga=90&amp;ba=SF542">in favor of the bill.</a>

“A lot of this change in state law was to, I believe, kind of (legalize) things that were already going on,” said Charlie Wishman, the president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

In two more states, legislators have introduced laws that would allow teenagers to serve, sell or handle alcohol while working in restaurants.

This year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/brief/bill-would-allow-14-year-olds-in-wisconsin-to-serve-alcohol/">Wisconsin state Republicans introduced a bill to allow 14-year-olds</a>&nbsp;to serve alcohol, and last year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2022/legislation/s1308/">Idaho</a>&nbsp;state Republicans passed a bill in the Senate to lower the age to serve alcohol from 19 to 17.

While child labor violations tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor do not specify those linked to alcohol, the agency has seen an uptick in child labor violations since 2015. A majority of citations have come from the food industry, from fast food chains to meatpacking facilities, according to DOL statistics.

During fiscal 2022, there were 835 companies that employed more than 3,800 children in violation of labor laws. That’s an increase from fiscal 2015, when 542 companies employed more than 1,000 children in violation of labor laws.

“The (Fair Labor Standards Act) and its child labor protections apply in all states, and no state has the ability to limit these provisions,” U.S. Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda said in a statement to States Newsroom.&nbsp;“The Department will vigorously enforce child labor protections in all states and is closely monitoring state action in this area.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/04/07/kids-at-work-states-try-to-ease-child-labor-laws-at-behest-of-industry/">However, many states have moved</a>&nbsp;to weaken child labor laws, extending hours for children to work and allowing teens to work in hazardous industries.

But the Department of Labor can only do such much when it comes to states passing laws to allow teens to serve alcohol, with no applicable federal law other than general child labor laws.

Eric Edmonds, a professor of economics at Dartmouth College, said there are two distinct threads occurring in the U.S. regarding child labor.

“One is that the U.S. Department of Labor is trying to strengthen fines when it finds child labor violations in workplaces, so we sort of have that national level, this push to strengthen child labor laws,” he said. “And then at the state level, we have a number of conservative states that are trying to roll back child labor laws.”

He said one of the challenges of understanding the prevalence of child labor is the lack of data. Edmonds said under the Biden administration, the Department of Labor has conducted more inspections in certain areas where children are likely to be found working, such as in the food industry.

“You’re seeing reports of increased child labor, but that’s because we’re doing more looking in places where there is child labor,” he said.

Sexual harassment of teens in restaurants

Teenagers are typically the most vulnerable to sexual harassment in the restaurant industry, said Jennifer Drobac, a law professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law who specializes in sexual harassment law.

“The vulnerability combines with the inexperience to create a potentially toxic situation, in which those people who are already engaged in illegal conduct can then exploit younger workers,” she said in an interview with States Newsroom.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission does not collect birthdate data, so it does not know how many sexual harassment complaints filed with the agency are from teens.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eeoc.gov/data/charges-alleging-sex-based-harassment-charges-filed-eeoc-fy-2010-fy-2022">Overall, more than 11,000 sexual harassment</a>&nbsp;complaints were filed at the agency in fiscal 2022.

More than 36% of teens ages 16 to 19 participate in the workforce,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fredblog.stlouisfed.org/2023/04/its-only-teenage-workforce/?utm_source=series_page&amp;utm_medium=related_content&amp;utm_term=related_resources&amp;utm_campaign=fredblog">according to Federal Reserve Economic Data.</a>

Drobac said that it’s not that teens should be kept out of the workforce. But because the teen years are crucial in hard-wiring their brain development, a bad experience such as sexual harassment “can have a really detrimental effect on the development of their personalities.”

“We do not want to prohibit teens from engaging in service and work opportunities that would be good for them, that would help them develop their skills and hone their work ethic,” Drobac said. “But we need to protect them while they’re engaging in these behaviors so that they don’t get psychologically or physically injured while they’re on the job.”

In nearly all the state bills passed or introduced, the local chapters of the National Restaurant Association and local alcohol trade groups lobbied for the easing of restrictions, according to state legislature lobbying records.

The National Restaurant Association, or NRA, did not respond to multiple requests for comment from States Newsroom. The organization represents about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/sponsor/national-restaurant-associationr">500,000 restaurant businesses.&nbsp;</a>

Saru Jayaraman, the president of One Fair Wage, a labor organization that advocates for restaurant workers to be paid a full minimum wage, said the labor shortage is a reflection of workers’ refusal to work jobs that pay a subminimum wage. The federal subminimum wage for tipped workers is currently $2.13 per hour.

Jayaraman said the subminimum wage for tipped workers is “the source of the fact that our industry has the highest rates of sexual harassment of any industry.”

“You’ve got a population that’s actually over two-thirds women, and young women are forced to tolerate all kinds of inappropriate customer behavior in order to get their income in tips rather than an actual wage from their employer,” she said.

Jayaraman said the push from state National Restaurant Association’s is “an effort to address the worst staffing crisis the industry has ever faced in its history.”

“It is insane and outrageous to have children who can’t actually drink alcohol, serve alcohol, but it is because adults and even young adults are not willing to work for these wages right now,” she said.

While a majority of those states moving to lower the age for teens to serve alcohol have Republican-dominated state legislatures, three laws were passed in state’s with a Democratic governor.

Two of those bills were passed and introduced on a bipartisan basis in New Mexico and Kentucky before being signed into law by Democratic governors.

In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill last year to lower the age for teens allowed to serve alcohol from 18 to 17. While Michigan currently has a triple Democratic majority, last year at the state level, the House and Senate were controlled by Republicans.

The Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, an association that represents bar, restaurant and tavern owners, was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlba.org/news/governor-whitmer-to-sign-bill-allowing-17-year-olds-to-serve-alcohol">supportive</a>&nbsp;of the bill.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://miboecfr.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cfr/lobby_detail.cgi?caller%3DSRCHRES%26last_match%3D50%26lobby_type%3D%2A%26lobby_name%3DMICHIGAN+RESTAURANT%26include%3Dactive%261%3D1%26lobby_id%3D432%26last_match%3D0">Lobbying records</a>&nbsp;show that the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association, the state affiliate for the NRA, spent $24,640 in lobbying last year.

Making it easier for teens to serve alcohol is<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/04/07/kids-at-work-states-try-to-ease-child-labor-laws-at-behest-of-industry/">&nbsp;part of a larger trend</a>&nbsp;in which about 11 states have also moved to roll back child labor laws to allow children to work longer hours and in industries that are considered hazardous, such as mining and construction work.

Reid Maki, the director of child labor issues and coordinator at the Child Labor Coalition, said not only is he concerned with teens serving alcohol to adults, but how states are expanding hours for teens to work.

He pointed to New Hampshire, where 14-year-olds can clear off tables with alcohol and can work up to<a target="_blank" href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/briefs/sununu-signs-bill-that-makes-changes-to-youth-employment-rules/">&nbsp;35 hours a week during the school week.</a>&nbsp;In the state, employees still need to be at least 18 years old to serve alcohol.

“When kids work more than 20 hours a week their grades go down, their school completion goes down, and that’s when it moves from child teen work to child labor when it has negative impacts,” he said.

Ramírez, with the National Women’s Law Center, made similar remarks, and said the push to allow teens to work more hours comes down to low wages.

“I know the restaurant industry likes to say we have a labor shortage, but it’s not a labor shortage, it’s a wage shortage,” Ramírez said. “You’re not paying people enough to make them want to put up with this.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667049712934.jpg" alt="Whiskey - Photo on file" />
 <figcaption>Whiskey - Photo on file</figcaption>
 </figure>By Ariana Figueroa<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/08/08/states-seek-to-let-teens-as-young-as-14-serve-booze-in-restaurants/">Nebraska Examiner</a>WASHINGTON — As a former bartender and current tipped worker, Trupti Patel knows that customers tend to get grabby when there is alcohol involved.After working in the food service industry for more than a decade, she is accustomed to dealing with drunk customers who get out of hand, especially if they become belligerent or make lewd comments. But the District of Columbia resident finds it disturbing to think of teens trying to handle the same situation.“It’s one thing if a drunk patron wants to scream and yell at me and wants their way. I’m 45, you can scream at me all you want. I’m not scared of you,” she said in an interview with States Newsroom. “But you’re going to scream and yell at a 14-year-old, a 15-year-old, a 16-year-old? They’re not going to handle it the same way.”Patel is not the only one concerned about a growing trend among states to propose and enact legislation allowing teens — as young as 14 — to serve alcohol in restaurants, among laws rolling back other child labor limits. She’s joined by labor organizers and legal experts, who worry that the easing of these restrictions can increase a teen’s risk of exposure to sexual harassment, especially in an industry where it’s pervasive.It’s a development that has been lobbied for in the states by the restaurant industry, which argues the laws are needed to help fill a labor shortage. According to<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/JTS7000JOL">&nbsp;Bureau of Labor Statistics data complied by Federal Reserve Economic Data</a>, there are more than 1.3 million openings in the hospitality and leisure industry.And as the restaurant industry turns to state lawmakers to help fill the gap, teens are a target — there is no federal child labor law or regulation barring those under 18 from serving alcohol, even though they are years away from the legal drinking age of 21.“The most concerning part of (this trend) is that it exposes women, young girls, at a very young age, to what appropriate behavior is and that follows you for the rest of your life,” Diana Ramírez, senior manager of policy and coalitions at the D.C.-based National Women’s Law Center, said in an interview with States Newsroom.<h2>State actions</h2>Since 2021, seven states have enacted laws lowering the age to serve alcohol.In 2021,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/21%20Regular/bills/house/HB0255.pdf">New Mexico</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/134/sb102">Ohio</a>&nbsp;lowered the age to serve alcohol from 19 to 18 and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=2025&amp;year=2021&amp;sessiontype=RS">West Virginia</a>&nbsp;lowered the age from 18 to 16. Last year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/22rs/hb252.html">Kentucky</a>&nbsp;lowered the age to serve alcohol from 20 to 18;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://legiscan.com/AL/drafts/HB176/2022">Alabama</a>&nbsp;lowered the age from 19 to 18; and Michigan lowered the age from 18 to 17.<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/26/reynolds-signs-law-loosening-iowas-child-labor-restrictions/">The most recent state</a>&nbsp;to pass a law easing the restrictions for teens to handle alcohol is Iowa, where 16-year-olds are now allowed to serve and sell alcohol. Iowa’s state legislature lobbying records show that the Iowa Restaurant Association, the state affiliation of the NRA, was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/lobbyist/reports/declarations?ga=90&amp;ba=SF542">in favor of the bill.</a>“A lot of this change in state law was to, I believe, kind of (legalize) things that were already going on,” said Charlie Wishman, the president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.In two more states, legislators have introduced laws that would allow teenagers to serve, sell or handle alcohol while working in restaurants.This year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/brief/bill-would-allow-14-year-olds-in-wisconsin-to-serve-alcohol/">Wisconsin state Republicans introduced a bill to allow 14-year-olds</a>&nbsp;to serve alcohol, and last year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2022/legislation/s1308/">Idaho</a>&nbsp;state Republicans passed a bill in the Senate to lower the age to serve alcohol from 19 to 17.While child labor violations tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor do not specify those linked to alcohol, the agency has seen an uptick in child labor violations since 2015. A majority of citations have come from the food industry, from fast food chains to meatpacking facilities, according to DOL statistics.During fiscal 2022, there were 835 companies that employed more than 3,800 children in violation of labor laws. That’s an increase from fiscal 2015, when 542 companies employed more than 1,000 children in violation of labor laws.“The (Fair Labor Standards Act) and its child labor protections apply in all states, and no state has the ability to limit these provisions,” U.S. Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda said in a statement to States Newsroom.&nbsp;“The Department will vigorously enforce child labor protections in all states and is closely monitoring state action in this area.”<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/04/07/kids-at-work-states-try-to-ease-child-labor-laws-at-behest-of-industry/">However, many states have moved</a>&nbsp;to weaken child labor laws, extending hours for children to work and allowing teens to work in hazardous industries.But the Department of Labor can only do such much when it comes to states passing laws to allow teens to serve alcohol, with no applicable federal law other than general child labor laws.Eric Edmonds, a professor of economics at Dartmouth College, said there are two distinct threads occurring in the U.S. regarding child labor.“One is that the U.S. Department of Labor is trying to strengthen fines when it finds child labor violations in workplaces, so we sort of have that national level, this push to strengthen child labor laws,” he said. “And then at the state level, we have a number of conservative states that are trying to roll back child labor laws.”He said one of the challenges of understanding the prevalence of child labor is the lack of data. Edmonds said under the Biden administration, the Department of Labor has conducted more inspections in certain areas where children are likely to be found working, such as in the food industry.“You’re seeing reports of increased child labor, but that’s because we’re doing more looking in places where there is child labor,” he said.<h2>Sexual harassment of teens in restaurants</h2>Teenagers are typically the most vulnerable to sexual harassment in the restaurant industry, said Jennifer Drobac, a law professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law who specializes in sexual harassment law.“The vulnerability combines with the inexperience to create a potentially toxic situation, in which those people who are already engaged in illegal conduct can then exploit younger workers,” she said in an interview with States Newsroom.The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission does not collect birthdate data, so it does not know how many sexual harassment complaints filed with the agency are from teens.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eeoc.gov/data/charges-alleging-sex-based-harassment-charges-filed-eeoc-fy-2010-fy-2022">Overall, more than 11,000 sexual harassment</a>&nbsp;complaints were filed at the agency in fiscal 2022.More than 36% of teens ages 16 to 19 participate in the workforce,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fredblog.stlouisfed.org/2023/04/its-only-teenage-workforce/?utm_source=series_page&amp;utm_medium=related_content&amp;utm_term=related_resources&amp;utm_campaign=fredblog">according to Federal Reserve Economic Data.</a>Drobac said that it’s not that teens should be kept out of the workforce. But because the teen years are crucial in hard-wiring their brain development, a bad experience such as sexual harassment “can have a really detrimental effect on the development of their personalities.”“We do not want to prohibit teens from engaging in service and work opportunities that would be good for them, that would help them develop their skills and hone their work ethic,” Drobac said. “But we need to protect them while they’re engaging in these behaviors so that they don’t get psychologically or physically injured while they’re on the job.”<h2>Push from industry</h2>In nearly all the state bills passed or introduced, the local chapters of the National Restaurant Association and local alcohol trade groups lobbied for the easing of restrictions, according to state legislature lobbying records.The National Restaurant Association, or NRA, did not respond to multiple requests for comment from States Newsroom. The organization represents about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/sponsor/national-restaurant-associationr">500,000 restaurant businesses.&nbsp;</a>Saru Jayaraman, the president of One Fair Wage, a labor organization that advocates for restaurant workers to be paid a full minimum wage, said the labor shortage is a reflection of workers’ refusal to work jobs that pay a subminimum wage. The federal subminimum wage for tipped workers is currently $2.13 per hour.Jayaraman said the subminimum wage for tipped workers is “the source of the fact that our industry has the highest rates of sexual harassment of any industry.”“You’ve got a population that’s actually over two-thirds women, and young women are forced to tolerate all kinds of inappropriate customer behavior in order to get their income in tips rather than an actual wage from their employer,” she said.Jayaraman said the push from state National Restaurant Association’s is “an effort to address the worst staffing crisis the industry has ever faced in its history.”“It is insane and outrageous to have children who can’t actually drink alcohol, serve alcohol, but it is because adults and even young adults are not willing to work for these wages right now,” she said.<h2>Red and blue states</h2>While a majority of those states moving to lower the age for teens to serve alcohol have Republican-dominated state legislatures, three laws were passed in state’s with a Democratic governor.Two of those bills were passed and introduced on a bipartisan basis in New Mexico and Kentucky before being signed into law by Democratic governors.In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill last year to lower the age for teens allowed to serve alcohol from 18 to 17. While Michigan currently has a triple Democratic majority, last year at the state level, the House and Senate were controlled by Republicans.The Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, an association that represents bar, restaurant and tavern owners, was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlba.org/news/governor-whitmer-to-sign-bill-allowing-17-year-olds-to-serve-alcohol">supportive</a>&nbsp;of the bill.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://miboecfr.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cfr/lobby_detail.cgi?caller%3DSRCHRES%26last_match%3D50%26lobby_type%3D%2A%26lobby_name%3DMICHIGAN+RESTAURANT%26include%3Dactive%261%3D1%26lobby_id%3D432%26last_match%3D0">Lobbying records</a>&nbsp;show that the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association, the state affiliate for the NRA, spent $24,640 in lobbying last year.Making it easier for teens to serve alcohol is<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/04/07/kids-at-work-states-try-to-ease-child-labor-laws-at-behest-of-industry/">&nbsp;part of a larger trend</a>&nbsp;in which about 11 states have also moved to roll back child labor laws to allow children to work longer hours and in industries that are considered hazardous, such as mining and construction work.Reid Maki, the director of child labor issues and coordinator at the Child Labor Coalition, said not only is he concerned with teens serving alcohol to adults, but how states are expanding hours for teens to work.He pointed to New Hampshire, where 14-year-olds can clear off tables with alcohol and can work up to<a target="_blank" href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/briefs/sununu-signs-bill-that-makes-changes-to-youth-employment-rules/">&nbsp;35 hours a week during the school week.</a>&nbsp;In the state, employees still need to be at least 18 years old to serve alcohol.“When kids work more than 20 hours a week their grades go down, their school completion goes down, and that’s when it moves from child teen work to child labor when it has negative impacts,” he said.Ramírez, with the National Women’s Law Center, made similar remarks, and said the push to allow teens to work more hours comes down to low wages.“I know the restaurant industry likes to say we have a labor shortage, but it’s not a labor shortage, it’s a wage shortage,” Ramírez said. “You’re not paying people enough to make them want to put up with this.”

States seek to let teens as young as 14 serve booze in restaurants

WASHINGTON (AP) —Donald Trump’s legal team told a judge overseeing the election conspiracy case against him on Monday that prosecutors'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-election-capitol-riot-indictment-protective-order-71cd642e876c47fff4e1283c15f8ca01">proposed protective order</a>&nbsp;aimed at preventing the public disclosure of evidence is too broad and would restrict his First Amendment rights.

Lawyers for the early 2024 Republican presidential primary front-runner said the judge should impose a more limited order that would bar the public release only of materials deemed “sensitive" — such as grand jury documents — rather than all evidence handed over by the government in the case accusing Trump of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Prosecutors have said a protective order — not unusual in criminal cases — is particularly important in Trump's case because of his penchant for using social media. They have expressed concern that Trump could improperly share sensitive case information online that could have a “harmful chilling effect on witnesses.”

In their filing Friday seeking the order, prosecutors included a screenshot of a post from Trump’s Truth Social platform that same day in which he wrote, in all capital letters, “If you go after me, I’m coming after you!”

Trump’s lawyers said that citing that post to claim there’s a danger Trump might publish grand jury information was “a provocative claim when searching for headlines, perhaps, but one that falters under minimal scrutiny.”

The former president’s legal team said his post was “generalized political speech” and had nothing to do with the case. A Trump spokesperson said last week that the post was in response to “dishonest special interest groups and Super PACs.”

Trump's lawyers, who have characterized the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith as an attack on his right to free speech, told the judge that the need to protect sensitive information about the case “does not require a blanket gag order over all documents produced by the government.”

“In a trial about First Amendment rights, the government seeks to restrict First Amendment rights,” Trump's lawyers wrote. “Worse, it does so against its administration’s primary political opponent, during an election season in which the administration, prominent party members and media allies have campaigned on the indictment and proliferated its false allegations.”

Trump's lawyers accused President Joe Biden of trying to capitalize on the indictment in posting what they called a “thinly veiled reference” to Trump's prosecution just hours before Trump's court appearance last week. They included a screenshot in their court filing of a tweet from from Biden's campaign account, which included a video of the president drinking from a mug emblazoned with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-fundraising-2024-reelection-campaign-democrats-5b8d97914118bb4ad6ccce5fece43ee4">“Dark Brandon”</a>&nbsp;— a meme featuring Biden with lasers for eyes — and the caption: "A cup of Joe never tasted better."

The defense filing was in response to the request Friday from Smith's team for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-election-capitol-riot-indictment-protective-order-71cd642e876c47fff4e1283c15f8ca01">protective order</a>, which would impose rules on what Trump and his defense team can do with evidence shared with them by the government as they prepare for trial in the case unsealed last week.

Trump’s lawyers on Saturday had asked for an extra three days to respond to prosecutors’ request for the protective order, saying they needed more time for discussion. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-judge-tanya-chutkan-capitol-riot-9ba5c18d315697d759521425ea203012">Judge Tanya Chutkan,</a>&nbsp;who was nominated to the bench by former President Barack Obama, swiftly denied that request.

Prosecutors said that they are ready to hand over a substantial amount of evidence to Trump’s legal team and that much of it includes sensitive and confidential information.

The prosecutors’ proposed order seeks to prevent Trump and his lawyers from disclosing materials provided by the government to anyone other than people on his legal team, possible witnesses, the witnesses’ lawyers or others approved by the court. It would put stricter limits on “sensitive materials,” which prosecutors said would include grand jury witness testimony and materials obtained through sealed search warrants.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the case, as well as another prosecution brought by Smith that accuses him of illegally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-classified-documents-indictment-c15a5f36e4e83417805718d81a035441">hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

He has has characterized all the cases against him as an effort to take down his 2024 campaign. His legal team has indicated that it will argue that he had relied on the advice of attorneys around him in 2020 and that Trump had a right to challenge an election that he believed had been stolen.

Trump pleaded not guilty last week to four felony counts, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and conspiracy to obstruct Congress’ certification of Biden’s electoral victory. The charges could lead to a lengthy prison sentence in the event of a conviction, with the most serious counts calling for up to 20 years.

It’s the third criminal case brought this year against the the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. But it’s the first case to try to hold him responsible for his efforts to remain in power during the chaotic weeks between his election loss and the attack by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Smith also charged Trump in June with dozens of felony counts alleging the former president illegally kept classified records after he left the White House and obstructed government efforts to get them back. A new indictment recently unsealed in that case accuses Trump of scheming with Mar-a-Lago staffers to try to delete security footage sought by investigators.

WASHINGTON (AP) —Donald Trump’s legal team told a judge overseeing the election conspiracy case against him on Monday that prosecutors'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-election-capitol-riot-indictment-protective-order-71cd642e876c47fff4e1283c15f8ca01">proposed protective order</a>&nbsp;aimed at preventing the public disclosure of evidence is too broad and would restrict his First Amendment rights.Lawyers for the early 2024 Republican presidential primary front-runner said the judge should impose a more limited order that would bar the public release only of materials deemed “sensitive" — such as grand jury documents — rather than all evidence handed over by the government in the case accusing Trump of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691447857769.png" alt="On August 3, Donald Trump’s signed acknowledgment of conditions for his release and penalties for violating them-image CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>On August 3, Donald Trump’s signed acknowledgment of conditions for his release and penalties for violating them-image CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Prosecutors have said a protective order — not unusual in criminal cases — is particularly important in Trump's case because of his penchant for using social media. They have expressed concern that Trump could improperly share sensitive case information online that could have a “harmful chilling effect on witnesses.”In their filing Friday seeking the order, prosecutors included a screenshot of a post from Trump’s Truth Social platform that same day in which he wrote, in all capital letters, “If you go after me, I’m coming after you!”Trump’s lawyers said that citing that post to claim there’s a danger Trump might publish grand jury information was “a provocative claim when searching for headlines, perhaps, but one that falters under minimal scrutiny.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691329048946.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The former president’s legal team said his post was “generalized political speech” and had nothing to do with the case. A Trump spokesperson said last week that the post was in response to “dishonest special interest groups and Super PACs.”Trump's lawyers, who have characterized the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith as an attack on his right to free speech, told the judge that the need to protect sensitive information about the case “does not require a blanket gag order over all documents produced by the government.”“In a trial about First Amendment rights, the government seeks to restrict First Amendment rights,” Trump's lawyers wrote. “Worse, it does so against its administration’s primary political opponent, during an election season in which the administration, prominent party members and media allies have campaigned on the indictment and proliferated its false allegations.”Trump's lawyers accused President Joe Biden of trying to capitalize on the indictment in posting what they called a “thinly veiled reference” to Trump's prosecution just hours before Trump's court appearance last week. They included a screenshot in their court filing of a tweet from from Biden's campaign account, which included a video of the president drinking from a mug emblazoned with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-fundraising-2024-reelection-campaign-democrats-5b8d97914118bb4ad6ccce5fece43ee4">“Dark Brandon”</a>&nbsp;— a meme featuring Biden with lasers for eyes — and the caption: "A cup of Joe never tasted better."The defense filing was in response to the request Friday from Smith's team for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-election-capitol-riot-indictment-protective-order-71cd642e876c47fff4e1283c15f8ca01">protective order</a>, which would impose rules on what Trump and his defense team can do with evidence shared with them by the government as they prepare for trial in the case unsealed last week.Trump’s lawyers on Saturday had asked for an extra three days to respond to prosecutors’ request for the protective order, saying they needed more time for discussion. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-judge-tanya-chutkan-capitol-riot-9ba5c18d315697d759521425ea203012">Judge Tanya Chutkan,</a>&nbsp;who was nominated to the bench by former President Barack Obama, swiftly denied that request.Prosecutors said that they are ready to hand over a substantial amount of evidence to Trump’s legal team and that much of it includes sensitive and confidential information.The prosecutors’ proposed order seeks to prevent Trump and his lawyers from disclosing materials provided by the government to anyone other than people on his legal team, possible witnesses, the witnesses’ lawyers or others approved by the court. It would put stricter limits on “sensitive materials,” which prosecutors said would include grand jury witness testimony and materials obtained through sealed search warrants.Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the case, as well as another prosecution brought by Smith that accuses him of illegally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-classified-documents-indictment-c15a5f36e4e83417805718d81a035441">hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.He has has characterized all the cases against him as an effort to take down his 2024 campaign. His legal team has indicated that it will argue that he had relied on the advice of attorneys around him in 2020 and that Trump had a right to challenge an election that he believed had been stolen.Trump pleaded not guilty last week to four felony counts, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and conspiracy to obstruct Congress’ certification of Biden’s electoral victory. The charges could lead to a lengthy prison sentence in the event of a conviction, with the most serious counts calling for up to 20 years.It’s the third criminal case brought this year against the the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. But it’s the first case to try to hold him responsible for his efforts to remain in power during the chaotic weeks between his election loss and the attack by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Smith also charged Trump in June with dozens of felony counts alleging the former president illegally kept classified records after he left the White House and obstructed government efforts to get them back. A new indictment recently unsealed in that case accuses Trump of scheming with Mar-a-Lago staffers to try to delete security footage sought by investigators.Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart in that case imposed a similar protective order in June that prohibits Trump and his legal team from publicly disclosing evidence turned over to them by prosecutors without prior approval.