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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Still, the price tag of $40 billion may be too much for Republicans who are fighting to slash, not raise, federal outlays. As a supplemental request, the package the White House is sending to Congress falls outside the budget caps both parties agreed to as part of the debt ceiling showdown earlier this year.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement there was strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate.

“The latest request from the Biden administration shows America’s continued commitment to helping Americans here at home and our friends abroad,” he said. "We hope to join with our Republican colleagues this fall to avert an unnecessary government shutdown and fund this critical emergency supplemental request.”

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who has championed of support for Ukraine, was more subdued.

“I look forward to carefully reviewing the Administration’s request to make sure it is necessary and appropriate," McConnell said in a statement, "to keep America safe, secure our borders, support our allies, and help communities rebuild after disasters.”

President Joe Biden and his senior national security team have repeatedly said the United States will help Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-zelenskyy-washington-4d5fc23be5518e689fbbcac334769d59">“as long as it takes”</a>&nbsp;to oust Russia from its borders. Privately, administration officials have warned Ukrainian officials that there is a limit to the patience of a narrowly divided Congress — and American public — for the costs of a war with no clear end.

“For people who might be concerned the costs are getting too high, we’d ask them what the costs — not just in treasure but in blood, perhaps even American blood — could be if Putin subjugates Ukraine,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said this week.

Support among the American public for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-military-and-defense-0f550a262fb6178a7d91b8be6e2c601b">providing Ukraine weaponry</a>&nbsp;and direct economic assistance has softened with time. An AP-NORC poll conducted in January 2023 around the one-year mark of the conflict, found that 48% favored the U.S. providing weapons to Ukraine, down from the 60% of U.S. adults who were in favor sending Ukraine weapons in May 2022. While Democrats have generally been more supportive than Republicans of offering weaponry, their support dropped slightly from 71% to 63% in the same period. Republicans’ support dropped more, from 53% to 39%.

Dozens of Republicans in the House and some GOP senators have expressed reservations, and even voted against, spending more federal dollars for the war effort. Many of those Republicans are aligning with Trump’s objections to the U.S. involvement overseas.

That means any final vote on Ukraine aid will likely need to rely on a hefty coalition led by Democrats from Biden’s party to ensure approval.

The funding includes money to counter Russian and Chinese influence elsewhere by bolstering the World Bank and providing aid to resist Russian-aligned Wagner forces in Africa. Domestically, there’s an additional $60 million to address increased wildfires that have erupted nationwide. And the request includes $4 billion for the Southern border, including $2.2 billion for border management and $766 million to stop the flow of fentanyl and provide prevention and recovery support. There is also $100 million earmarked for the Department of Labor to ramp up investigations of suspected child labor violations.

To ease passage, Congress would likely try to attach the package to a must-pass measure for broader government funding in the U.S. that’s needed by Oct. 1 to prevent any shutdown in federal offices.

Members of Congress have repeatedly pressed Defense Department leaders on how closely the U.S. is tracking its aid to Ukraine to ensure that it is not subject to fraud or ending up in the wrong hands. The Pentagon has said it has a “robust program” to track the aid as it crosses the border into Ukraine and to keep tabs on it once it is there, depending on the sensitivity of each weapons system.

Ukraine is pushing through with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-counteroffensive-explainer-ff774fce8608b464a406ae087b1a3607">its ongoing counteroffensive</a>, in an effort to dislodge the Kremlin’s forces from territory they’ve occupied since a full-scale invasion in February 2022. The counteroffensive has come up against heavily mined terrain and reinforced defensive fortifications.

The U.S. has approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-texas-michael-mccaul-114e61bdd752d387a3df813638dab68a">four rounds of aid</a>&nbsp;to Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion, totaling about $113 billion, with some of that money going toward replenishment of U.S. military equipment that was sent to the frontlines. Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-nancy-pelosi-ed54dbd327c4362ee052f851f497fcd4">approved the latest round of aid</a>&nbsp;in December, totaling roughly $45 billion for Ukraine and NATO allies. While the package was designed to last through the end of the fiscal year in September, much depends upon events on the ground.

“We remain confident that we’ll be able to continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” said Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.

There were questions in November about waning Republican support to approve the package, but it ultimately passed. Now, though, House Speaker McCarthy is facing pressure to impeach Biden over unproven claims of financial misconduct and it’s not clear whether a quick show of support for Ukraine could cause political damage in what’s expected to be a bruising 2024 reelection campaign.

Trump contends that American involvement has only drawn Russia closer to other adversarial states like China, and has condemned the tens of billions of dollars that the United States has provided in aid for Ukraine.

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

Biden wants billions in additional funding for Ukraine

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Maui residents who made desperate escapes from oncoming flames, some on foot, asked why Hawaii’s famous emergency warning system didn’t alert them as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/live-updates-maui-fire-hawaii-wildfire-162a9fcdefe648d6bcd6557af70d894f">fires raced</a>&nbsp;toward their homes.

Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens were triggered before a devastating wildfire killed at least 55 people and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">wiped out a historic town</a>, officials confirmed Thursday.

Hawaii boasts what the state describes as the largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning system in the world, with about 400 sirens positioned across the island chain to alert people to various natural disasters and other threats. But many of Lahaina’s survivors said in interviews at evacuation centers that they didn’t hear any sirens and only realized they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby.

Thomas Leonard, a 70-year-old retired mailman from Lahaina,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-fire-maui-lahaina-homes-burned-1b15d9bc4cc0e92cd309928cff865577">didn’t know about the fire</a>&nbsp;until he smelled smoke. Power and cell phone service had both gone out earlier that day, leaving the town with no real-time information about the danger.

He tried to leave in his Jeep, but had to abandon the vehicle and run to the shore when cars nearby began exploding. He hid behind a seawall for hours, the wind blowing hot ash and cinders over him.

Firefighters eventually arrived and escorted Leonard and other survivors through the flames to safety.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Adam Weintraub told The Associated Press on Thursday that the department's records don't show that Maui's warning sirens were triggered on Tuesday. Instead, the county used emergency alerts sent to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, Weintraub said.

It’s not clear if those alerts were sent before widespread power and cellular outages cut off most communication to Lahaina.

Communications have been spotty across Maui, with 911, landline and cellular service failing at times. Power was also out in parts of the island.

Fueled by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfires-climate-change-92c0930be7c28ec9ac71392a83c87582">dry summer</a>&nbsp;and strong winds from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfire-maui-dora-winds-ec23c16abfbeb6ba689f1a98263720db">passing hurricane,</a>&nbsp;the fire started Tuesday and took Maui by surprise, racing through parched brush covering the island and then flattening homes and anything else that lay in its path.

Maui Fire Department Chief Brad Ventura said the fire moved so quickly from brush to neighborhood that it was impossible for to get messages to the emergency management agencies responsible for emergency alerts.

The wildfire is already the state’s deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami, which killed 61 people on the Big Island. During a Thursday press conference, Gov. Josh Green said the death toll will likely rise further as search and rescue operations continue.

“Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions, has been burned down,” Green said after walking the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maui-wildfires-journalist-account-8d6628953db012bfe14b35fc8cb2403e">ruins of the town</a>&nbsp;Thursday morning with Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen. “Without a doubt, it feels like a bomb was dropped on Lahaina.”

The fire is also the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-gavin-newsom-paradise-dbae2ef725b32d91ff4c612de38f01e2">2018 Camp Fire</a>&nbsp;in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise.

Lahaina’s wildfire risk was well known. Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan, last updated in 2020, identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfire ignitions and a large number of buildings at risk of wildfire damage.

The report also noted that West Maui had the island’s highest population of people living in multi-unit housing, the second-highest rate of households without a vehicle, and the highest rate of non-English speakers.

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

Maui’s firefighting efforts may also have been hampered by a small staff, said Bobby Lee, the president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association. There are a maximum of 65 firefighters working at any given time in Maui County, and they are responsible for fighting fires on three islands — Maui, Molokai and Lanai — he said.

Those crews have about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but they are all designed for on-road use. The department does not have any off-road vehicles, he said.

That means fire crews can't attack brush fires thoroughly before they reach roads or populated areas, Lee said. The high winds caused by Hurricane Dora made that extremely difficult, he said.

“You’re basically dealing with trying to fight a blowtorch,” Lee said. “You’ve got to be careful — you don’t want to get caught downwind from that, because you’re going to get run over in a wind-driven fire of that magnitude.”

Mandatory evacuation orders were in place for Lahaina residents, Bissen noted, while tourists in hotels were told to shelter in place so that emergency vehicles could get into the area.

The mayor said that downed power poles added to the chaos as people attempted to flee Lahaina by cutting off two important roads out of town. Speaking at a Thursday afternoon press conference, he said that 29 poles fell with live wires still attached, and leaving only the narrow highway toward Kahakuloa.

Marlon Vasquez, a 31-year-old cook from Guatemala who came to the U.S. in January 2022, said that when he heard fire alarms, it was already too late to flee in his car.

“I opened the door, and the fire was almost on top of us," he said from an evacuation center at a gymnasium. “We ran and ran. We ran almost the whole night and into the next day, because the fire didn’t stop."

Vasquez and his brother Eduardo escaped via roads that were clogged with vehicles full of people. The smoke was so toxic that he vomited. He said he's not sure his roommates and neighbors made it to safety.

Lahaina residents saw the Hale Mahaolu senior living facility erupt in flames as they were escaping.

Chelsey Vierra's great-grandmother, Louise Abihai, was living at Hale Mahaolu, and the family doesn't know if she got out. “She doesn’t have a phone. She’s 97 years old,” Vierra said Thursday. “She can walk. She is strong.”

Relatives are monitoring shelter lists and calling the hospital. “We got to find our loved one, but there’s no communication here,” said Vierra, who fled the flames. “We don’t know who to ask about where she went.”

Tourists were advised to stay away, and tens of thousands of people have crowded airports to leave the island. Officials turned the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu into an assistance center, stocking it with water, food, and volunteers who help visitors arrange travel home.

President Joe Biden declared a major disaster on Maui. Traveling in Utah on Thursday, he pledged that the federal response will ensure that “anyone who’s lost a loved one, or whose home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately.” Biden promised to streamline requests for assistance and said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “surging emergency personnel” on the island.

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — A search of the wildfire devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday revealed a wasteland of obliterated neighborhoods and landmarks charred beyond recognition, as the death toll rose to at least 53 and survivors told harrowing tales of narrow escapes with only the clothes on their backs.

A flyover of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">historic Lahaina</a>&nbsp;showed entire neighborhoods that had been a vibrant vision of color and island life reduced to gray ash. Block after block was nothing but rubble and blackened foundations, including along famous Front Street, where tourists shopped and dined just days ago. Boats in the harbor were scorched, and smoke hovered over the town, which dates to the 1700s and is the biggest community on the island’s west side.

“Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions, has been burned down,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told The Associated Press. More than 1,000 structures were destroyed by fires that were still burning, he said.

Already the state's deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami killed 61 people on the Big Island, the death toll will likely rise further as search and rescue operations continue, Green added.

Many businesses, including one of the town’s oldest shops, were destroyed. As owner Tiffany Kidder Winn assessed the damage Wednesday at the Whaler's Locker gift store, she came upon a line of burned-out vehicles, some with charred bodies inside.

“It looked like they were trying to get out, but were stuck in traffic and couldn’t get off Front Street,” she said. She later spotted a body leaning against a seawall.

Winn said the destruction was so widespread, “I couldn’t even tell where I was, because all the landmarks were gone.”

Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfire-maui-dora-winds-ec23c16abfbeb6ba689f1a98263720db">passing hurricane,</a>&nbsp;the fire started Tuesday and took Maui by surprise, racing through parched growth covering the island and then feasting on homes and anything else that lay in its path.

The official death toll of 53 as of Thursday makes this the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-gavin-newsom-paradise-dbae2ef725b32d91ff4c612de38f01e2">2018 Camp Fire</a>&nbsp;in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise. The Hawaii toll could rise, though, as rescuers reach parts of the island that had been inaccessible due to the three ongoing fires, including the one in Lahaina that was 80% contained on Thursday, according to a Maui County news release. Dozens of people have been injured, some critically.

“We are still in life preservation mode. Search and rescue is still a primary concern,” said Adam Weintraub, a spokesperson for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

Search and rescue teams still won't be able to reach certain areas until the fire lines are secure and access is safe, Weintraub added.

The flames left some people with mere minutes to act and led some to flee into the ocean. A Lahaina man, Bosco Bae,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/681387130/videos/pcb.10159000941762131/995043825254569">posted video on Facebook</a>&nbsp;from Tuesday night that showed fire burning nearly every building on a street as sirens blared and windblown sparks raced by. Bae, who said he was one of the last people to leave the town, was evacuated to the island's main airport and was waiting to be allowed to return home.

Marlon Vasquez, a 31-year-old cook from Guatemala who came to the U.S. in January 2022, said that when he heard the fire alarms, it was already too late to flee in his car.

Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso described their harrowing escape under smoke-filled skies. The couple and their 6-year-old son got back to their apartment after a quick dash to the supermarket for water, and only had time to grab a change of clothes and run as the bushes around them caught fire.

“We barely made it out,” Kawaakoa, 34, said at an evacuation shelter, still unsure if anything was left of their apartment.

As the family fled, they called 911 when they saw the Hale Mahaolu senior living facility across the road erupt in flames.

Communications have been spotty on the island, with 911, landline and cellular service failing at times. Power was also out in parts of Maui.

Tourists were advised to stay away, and about 11,000 flew out of Maui on Wednesday with at least 1,500 more expected to leave Thursday, according to Ed Sniffen, state transportation director. Officials prepared the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu to receive thousands.

In coastal Kihei, southeast of Lahaina, wide swaths of ground glowed red with embers Wednesday night as flames continued to chew through trees and buildings. Gusty winds blew sparks over a black and orange patchwork of charred earth and still-crackling hot spots.

The fires were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-winds-fires-evacuations-7137adb0fe7612a465f6ae2be7f96afb">fanned by strong winds</a>&nbsp;from Hurricane Dora passing far to the south. It's the latest in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment">series of disasters</a>&nbsp;caused by extreme weather around the globe this summer. Experts say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfires-climate-change-92c0930be7c28ec9ac71392a83c87582">climate change</a>&nbsp;is increasing the likelihood of such events.

Wildfires aren't unusual in Hawaii, but the weather of the past few weeks created the fuel for a devastating blaze and, once ignited, the high winds created the disaster, said Thomas Smith an associate professor in Environmental Geography at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Hawaii's Big Island is also currently seeing blazes, Mayor Mitch Roth said, although there were no reports of injuries or destroyed homes there.

With communications hampered, it was difficult for many to check in with friends and family members. Some people were posting messages on social media. A Family Assistance Center opened at the Kahului Community Center for people looking for the missing.

Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, of the Hawaii State Department of Defense, said Wednesday night that officials were working to get communications restored, distribute water and possibly add law enforcement personnel. He said National Guard helicopters had dropped 150,000 gallons (568,000 liters) of water on the fires.

The Coast Guard said it rescued 14 people who jumped into the water to escape the flames and smoke.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said Wednesday that officials hadn't yet begun investigating the immediate cause of the fires.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691662929011.png" alt="Image taken from a helicopter shows the vast destruction of Lahaina, a historic town in Hawaii. Courtesy: Vince Carter/Air Maui" />
 <figcaption>Image taken from a helicopter shows the vast destruction of Lahaina, a historic town in Hawaii. Courtesy: Vince Carter/Air Maui</figcaption>
 </figure>LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Maui residents who made desperate escapes from oncoming flames, some on foot, asked why Hawaii’s famous emergency warning system didn’t alert them as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/live-updates-maui-fire-hawaii-wildfire-162a9fcdefe648d6bcd6557af70d894f">fires raced</a>&nbsp;toward their homes.Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens were triggered before a devastating wildfire killed at least 55 people and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">wiped out a historic town</a>, officials confirmed Thursday.Hawaii boasts what the state describes as the largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning system in the world, with about 400 sirens positioned across the island chain to alert people to various natural disasters and other threats. But many of Lahaina’s survivors said in interviews at evacuation centers that they didn’t hear any sirens and only realized they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby.Thomas Leonard, a 70-year-old retired mailman from Lahaina,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-fire-maui-lahaina-homes-burned-1b15d9bc4cc0e92cd309928cff865577">didn’t know about the fire</a>&nbsp;until he smelled smoke. Power and cell phone service had both gone out earlier that day, leaving the town with no real-time information about the danger.He tried to leave in his Jeep, but had to abandon the vehicle and run to the shore when cars nearby began exploding. He hid behind a seawall for hours, the wind blowing hot ash and cinders over him.Firefighters eventually arrived and escorted Leonard and other survivors through the flames to safety.Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Adam Weintraub told The Associated Press on Thursday that the department's records don't show that Maui's warning sirens were triggered on Tuesday. Instead, the county used emergency alerts sent to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, Weintraub said.It’s not clear if those alerts were sent before widespread power and cellular outages cut off most communication to Lahaina.Communications have been spotty across Maui, with 911, landline and cellular service failing at times. Power was also out in parts of the island.Fueled by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfires-climate-change-92c0930be7c28ec9ac71392a83c87582">dry summer</a>&nbsp;and strong winds from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfire-maui-dora-winds-ec23c16abfbeb6ba689f1a98263720db">passing hurricane,</a>&nbsp;the fire started Tuesday and took Maui by surprise, racing through parched brush covering the island and then flattening homes and anything else that lay in its path.Maui Fire Department Chief Brad Ventura said the fire moved so quickly from brush to neighborhood that it was impossible for to get messages to the emergency management agencies responsible for emergency alerts.The wildfire is already the state’s deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami, which killed 61 people on the Big Island. During a Thursday press conference, Gov. Josh Green said the death toll will likely rise further as search and rescue operations continue.“Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions, has been burned down,” Green said after walking the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maui-wildfires-journalist-account-8d6628953db012bfe14b35fc8cb2403e">ruins of the town</a>&nbsp;Thursday morning with Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen. “Without a doubt, it feels like a bomb was dropped on Lahaina.”The fire is also the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-gavin-newsom-paradise-dbae2ef725b32d91ff4c612de38f01e2">2018 Camp Fire</a>&nbsp;in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise.Lahaina’s wildfire risk was well known. Maui County’s hazard mitigation plan, last updated in 2020, identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfire ignitions and a large number of buildings at risk of wildfire damage.The report also noted that West Maui had the island’s highest population of people living in multi-unit housing, the second-highest rate of households without a vehicle, and the highest rate of non-English speakers.“This may limit the population’s ability to receive, understand and take expedient action during hazard events,” the plan noted.Maui’s firefighting efforts may also have been hampered by a small staff, said Bobby Lee, the president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association. There are a maximum of 65 firefighters working at any given time in Maui County, and they are responsible for fighting fires on three islands — Maui, Molokai and Lanai — he said.Those crews have about 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, but they are all designed for on-road use. The department does not have any off-road vehicles, he said.That means fire crews can't attack brush fires thoroughly before they reach roads or populated areas, Lee said. The high winds caused by Hurricane Dora made that extremely difficult, he said.“You’re basically dealing with trying to fight a blowtorch,” Lee said. “You’ve got to be careful — you don’t want to get caught downwind from that, because you’re going to get run over in a wind-driven fire of that magnitude.”Mandatory evacuation orders were in place for Lahaina residents, Bissen noted, while tourists in hotels were told to shelter in place so that emergency vehicles could get into the area.The mayor said that downed power poles added to the chaos as people attempted to flee Lahaina by cutting off two important roads out of town. Speaking at a Thursday afternoon press conference, he said that 29 poles fell with live wires still attached, and leaving only the narrow highway toward Kahakuloa.Marlon Vasquez, a 31-year-old cook from Guatemala who came to the U.S. in January 2022, said that when he heard fire alarms, it was already too late to flee in his car.“I opened the door, and the fire was almost on top of us," he said from an evacuation center at a gymnasium. “We ran and ran. We ran almost the whole night and into the next day, because the fire didn’t stop."Vasquez and his brother Eduardo escaped via roads that were clogged with vehicles full of people. The smoke was so toxic that he vomited. He said he's not sure his roommates and neighbors made it to safety.Lahaina residents saw the Hale Mahaolu senior living facility erupt in flames as they were escaping.Chelsey Vierra's great-grandmother, Louise Abihai, was living at Hale Mahaolu, and the family doesn't know if she got out. “She doesn’t have a phone. She’s 97 years old,” Vierra said Thursday. “She can walk. She is strong.”Relatives are monitoring shelter lists and calling the hospital. “We got to find our loved one, but there’s no communication here,” said Vierra, who fled the flames. “We don’t know who to ask about where she went.”Tourists were advised to stay away, and tens of thousands of people have crowded airports to leave the island. Officials turned the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu into an assistance center, stocking it with water, food, and volunteers who help visitors arrange travel home.President Joe Biden declared a major disaster on Maui. Traveling in Utah on Thursday, he pledged that the federal response will ensure that “anyone who’s lost a loved one, or whose home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately.” Biden promised to streamline requests for assistance and said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “surging emergency personnel” on the island.___LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — A search of the wildfire devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday revealed a wasteland of obliterated neighborhoods and landmarks charred beyond recognition, as the death toll rose to at least 53 and survivors told harrowing tales of narrow escapes with only the clothes on their backs.A flyover of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">historic Lahaina</a>&nbsp;showed entire neighborhoods that had been a vibrant vision of color and island life reduced to gray ash. Block after block was nothing but rubble and blackened foundations, including along famous Front Street, where tourists shopped and dined just days ago. Boats in the harbor were scorched, and smoke hovered over the town, which dates to the 1700s and is the biggest community on the island’s west side.“Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions, has been burned down,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told The Associated Press. More than 1,000 structures were destroyed by fires that were still burning, he said.Already the state's deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami killed 61 people on the Big Island, the death toll will likely rise further as search and rescue operations continue, Green added.“We are heartsick,” Green said.Many businesses, including one of the town’s oldest shops, were destroyed. As owner Tiffany Kidder Winn assessed the damage Wednesday at the Whaler's Locker gift store, she came upon a line of burned-out vehicles, some with charred bodies inside.“It looked like they were trying to get out, but were stuck in traffic and couldn’t get off Front Street,” she said. She later spotted a body leaning against a seawall.Winn said the destruction was so widespread, “I couldn’t even tell where I was, because all the landmarks were gone.”Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfire-maui-dora-winds-ec23c16abfbeb6ba689f1a98263720db">passing hurricane,</a>&nbsp;the fire started Tuesday and took Maui by surprise, racing through parched growth covering the island and then feasting on homes and anything else that lay in its path.The official death toll of 53 as of Thursday makes this the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-gavin-newsom-paradise-dbae2ef725b32d91ff4c612de38f01e2">2018 Camp Fire</a>&nbsp;in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise. The Hawaii toll could rise, though, as rescuers reach parts of the island that had been inaccessible due to the three ongoing fires, including the one in Lahaina that was 80% contained on Thursday, according to a Maui County news release. Dozens of people have been injured, some critically.“We are still in life preservation mode. Search and rescue is still a primary concern,” said Adam Weintraub, a spokesperson for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.Search and rescue teams still won't be able to reach certain areas until the fire lines are secure and access is safe, Weintraub added.The flames left some people with mere minutes to act and led some to flee into the ocean. A Lahaina man, Bosco Bae,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/681387130/videos/pcb.10159000941762131/995043825254569">posted video on Facebook</a>&nbsp;from Tuesday night that showed fire burning nearly every building on a street as sirens blared and windblown sparks raced by. Bae, who said he was one of the last people to leave the town, was evacuated to the island's main airport and was waiting to be allowed to return home.Marlon Vasquez, a 31-year-old cook from Guatemala who came to the U.S. in January 2022, said that when he heard the fire alarms, it was already too late to flee in his car.“I opened the door, and the fire was almost on top of us," he said from an evacuation center at a gymnasium. “We ran and ran. We ran almost the whole night and into the next day, because the fire didn’t stop."Vasquez and his brother Eduardo escaped via roads that were clogged with vehicles full of people. The smoke was so toxic that he vomited. He said he's not sure his roommates and neighbors made it to safety.Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso described their harrowing escape under smoke-filled skies. The couple and their 6-year-old son got back to their apartment after a quick dash to the supermarket for water, and only had time to grab a change of clothes and run as the bushes around them caught fire.“We barely made it out,” Kawaakoa, 34, said at an evacuation shelter, still unsure if anything was left of their apartment.As the family fled, they called 911 when they saw the Hale Mahaolu senior living facility across the road erupt in flames.Chelsey Vierra's great-grandmother, Louise Abihai, was living at Hale Mahaolu, and the family doesn't know if she got out. “She doesn’t have a phone. She’s 97 years old,” Vierra said Thursday. “She can walk. She is strong.”Relatives are monitoring shelter lists and calling the hospital. “We got to find our loved one, but there’s no communication here,” said Vierra, who fled the flames. “We don’t know who to ask about where she went.”Communications have been spotty on the island, with 911, landline and cellular service failing at times. Power was also out in parts of Maui.Tourists were advised to stay away, and about 11,000 flew out of Maui on Wednesday with at least 1,500 more expected to leave Thursday, according to Ed Sniffen, state transportation director. Officials prepared the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu to receive thousands.In coastal Kihei, southeast of Lahaina, wide swaths of ground glowed red with embers Wednesday night as flames continued to chew through trees and buildings. Gusty winds blew sparks over a black and orange patchwork of charred earth and still-crackling hot spots.The fires were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-winds-fires-evacuations-7137adb0fe7612a465f6ae2be7f96afb">fanned by strong winds</a>&nbsp;from Hurricane Dora passing far to the south. It's the latest in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment">series of disasters</a>&nbsp;caused by extreme weather around the globe this summer. Experts say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfires-climate-change-92c0930be7c28ec9ac71392a83c87582">climate change</a>&nbsp;is increasing the likelihood of such events.Wildfires aren't unusual in Hawaii, but the weather of the past few weeks created the fuel for a devastating blaze and, once ignited, the high winds created the disaster, said Thomas Smith an associate professor in Environmental Geography at the London School of Economics and Political Science.Hawaii's Big Island is also currently seeing blazes, Mayor Mitch Roth said, although there were no reports of injuries or destroyed homes there.With communications hampered, it was difficult for many to check in with friends and family members. Some people were posting messages on social media. A Family Assistance Center opened at the Kahului Community Center for people looking for the missing.Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, of the Hawaii State Department of Defense, said Wednesday night that officials were working to get communications restored, distribute water and possibly add law enforcement personnel. He said National Guard helicopters had dropped 150,000 gallons (568,000 liters) of water on the fires.The Coast Guard said it rescued 14 people who jumped into the water to escape the flames and smoke.Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said Wednesday that officials hadn't yet begun investigating the immediate cause of the fires.President Joe Biden declared a major disaster on Maui. Traveling in Utah on Thursday, he pledged that the federal response will ensure that “anyone who’s lost a loved one, or whose home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately.” Biden promised to streamline requests for assistance and said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “surging emergency personnel” on the island.___

Death toll continues to grow from the wildfires on Maui

Former President Donald Trump is a defendant in three criminal proceedings.

Two cases are federal, brought after investigations by Special Counsel Jack Smith. The other case is in New York state court and is being prosecuted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

A fourth indictment, on state charges in Georgia related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results there,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2023/08/08/fulton-indictment-in-2020-georgia-election-probe-could-increase-polarization-going-into-2024/">could come in the near future.</a>

The indictments lay out the alleged crimes by Trump, the first person who has served as president of the United States to face felony charges. In months to come, the legal proceedings in courts from New York to Florida to D.C. will demand Trump’s time and attention as he wages his campaign for the 2024 GOP nomination for president.

To help readers keep track, States Newsroom put together a timeline showing the accusations and legal battles that have swirled around the ex-president, from Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016 until today.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges. He has also denied having an affair with Daniels.

June 2015-November 2016:&nbsp;Trump’s first presidential campaign.

Oct. 7, 2016:&nbsp;The “Access Hollywood” tape is published showing Trump, years before, bragging about sexually assaulting women. The negative publicity is part of what prompts the Trump campaign to try to limit other negative attention about Trump’s relationships with women, including alleged affairs, according to the New York state court indictment.

Oct. 26, 2016:&nbsp;Cohen wires $130,000 to an attorney for Daniels. In return for that payment, Daniels was to remain silent about an alleged sexual relationship she and Trump had while Trump was married, according to the indictment.

Nov. 8, 2016:&nbsp;Election Day. Trump is elected the 45th president of the United States.

Throughout 2017:&nbsp;Trump makes monthly payments to Cohen to reimburse him for the payment to Daniels, according to the New York indictment. The payments are recorded as legal expenses, according to the indictment.

Nov. 3, 2020:&nbsp;Election Day. Trump appears likely to lose reelection to Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden, but several states remain uncalled for days.

Nov. 7, 2020: News outlets project Biden wins Pennsylvania, reaching the threshold to win the presidential election.

Biden ultimately wins fives states Trump had secured in the previous election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Those states, along with Nevada and New Mexico, would become&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-fake-electors-seven-states-are-central-trump-jan-6-indictment">the focus of Trump’s efforts to overturn the election</a>&nbsp;by recruiting fraudulent slates of electors, according to the election indictment.

November 2020-January 2021:&nbsp;Trump and a group of at least six co-conspirators conceive and attempt a plan to reverse his election loss, according to the indictment of Trump.

Dec. 14, 2020:&nbsp;State electors certify their votes. Slates of false electors in seven states Trump lost attempt to fraudulently certify votes for Trump.

Jan. 2, 2021:&nbsp;Trump calls Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, attempting to have Raffensperger alter the state’s vote count. Trump asks Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to swing the state to him.

Jan. 3, 2021:&nbsp;Trump meets in the Oval Office with U.S. Justice Department leadership and Jeffrey Clark, then the acting head of the DOJ Civil Division, who had drafted a letter to states implying that federal investigations into election fraud were ongoing.

Trump considered firing the top two DOJ officials, who disapproved of the plan and encouraged Trump to accept the election results, and appointing Clark to lead DOJ. He ultimately declined to elevate Clark. Details of the meeting were described in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/just-say-election-was-corrupt-trump-pressure-justice-department-detailed">one</a>&nbsp;of the U.S. House hearings on the Jan. 6 attack and in the election indictment.

Jan. 6, 2021:&nbsp;Trump holds a rally on the White House Ellipse in which he tells supporters to “fight like hell” and implied Vice President Mike Pence could reverse the election result as he certified the state electors, a formality to finalize the 2020 presidential election results.

A large group of Trump supporters violently storm the U.S. Capitol after Trump’s speech to disrupt the certification. Five people died that day or shortly after. Four Capitol Police officers on the scene died by suicide later that year.

According to the prosecutors, the riot was the last step in a multipart plan by Trump to overturn the election results.

Jan. 7, 2021:&nbsp;Congress eventually certifies Biden’s victory at 3:24 a.m.

Jan. 20, 2021:&nbsp;Biden is inaugurated the 46th president of the United States.

Trump leaves the White House for Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. He takes hundreds of classified documents with him, according to a federal grand jury in Florida.

June 9, 2021:&nbsp;The U.S. House votes to form the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6, 2021 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

July 2021:&nbsp;Trump shows “highly confidential” materials to a writer, publisher and two staff members who lacked security clearance to view the materials, according to the federal indictment.

August or September 2021:&nbsp;Trump shows a classified map of a military operation to a political aide who lacked security clearance, according to the indictment.

Jan. 17, 2022:&nbsp;Trump responds to months of demands from the National Archives and Records Administration to provide missing presidential records by sending 15 boxes of documents containing 197 documents with classification markings, according to the indictment.

March 30, 2022:&nbsp;The FBI opens a criminal investigation into unlawful retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

June 3, 2022:&nbsp;In response to a grand jury subpoena, Trump provides 38 more documents with classification markings.

June-December 2022:&nbsp;The U.S. House committee investigating Jan. 6 holds 10&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/jan-6-panel-says-trump-far-right-groups-responsible-insurrection">live</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-spread-claims-election-fraud-debunked-his-own-legal-team-jan-6-panel-says">televised</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/pence-was-within-40-feet-mob-inflamed-trump-jan-6-committee-reveals">hearings</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-led-pressure-campaign-state-election-officials-jan-6-panel-says">documenting</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-had-be-physically-restrained-joining-jan-6-mob-house-panel-told">its</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-tweet-invited-wild-mob-block-transfer-power-jan-6-house-panel-says-10">findings</a>. The panel focuses on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-tweet-invited-wild-mob-block-transfer-power-jan-6-house-panel-says-10">Trump’s efforts</a>&nbsp;to overturn the election.

Aug. 8, 2022:&nbsp;The FBI searches Mar-a-Lago and recovers 108 more classified documents.

Nov. 15, 2022:&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-announces-third-bid-presidency-even-gop-reels-midterm-setback">announces</a>&nbsp;he is a candidate for president in 2024.

Nov. 18, 2022:&nbsp;Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/appointment-special-counsel-0">appoints</a>&nbsp;former federal and international prosecutor Jack Smith to be special counsel overseeing federal investigations into Trump. With Trump a candidate and Biden likely to seek reelection, the move is meant to insulate the investigation from the perception that the Biden administration is targeting a political rival.

Dec. 19, 2022:&nbsp;The U.S. House committee&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-jan-6-panel-report-finds-trump-incited-insurrection-demands-accountability">releases</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.house.gov/committees/committees-no-longer-standing">a report</a>&nbsp;of its findings and makes criminal referrals to the U.S. Justice Department for Trump and attorney John Eastman.

April 4, 2023:&nbsp;Bragg&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-hit-34-felony-counts-falsifying-new-york-state-business-records">announces</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Donald-J.-Trump-Indictment.pdf">34-count indictment</a>&nbsp;against Trump in New York. It’s the first time a former president has been indicted.

April 4, 2023:&nbsp;Trump appears in state court in Manhattan and pleads not guilty.

June 8, 2023:&nbsp;A federal grand jury in Florida&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Trump-fed-indictment.pdf">indicts</a>&nbsp;Trump on 37 charges in the documents case. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee. The indictment is issued under seal and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/indictment-unsealed-trump-faces-37-felony-counts-classified-documents-probe">is unsealed the following day</a>.

June 13, 2023:&nbsp;Trump appears in federal court in Miami and pleads not guilty in the documents case.

July 19, 2023:&nbsp;A New York judge&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-york-indictment-stormy-daniels-cohen-e673f673d205a70275d05510793672f2">denies Trump’s request</a>&nbsp;to move the hush money case to federal court.

July 27, 2023:&nbsp;A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652.85.0_4.pdf">superseding indictment</a>&nbsp;adds three charges in the classified documents case, alleging Trump and co-conspirators sought to delete potentially incriminating security footage.

Aug. 1, 2023:&nbsp;A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C.,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/fueled-lies-trump-charged-seeking-overturn-2020-election-6">indicts Trump</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.1.0_2.pdf">four counts</a>&nbsp;related to his efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election. The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Sue Chutkan, who was appointed by President Barack Obama.

Aug. 3, 2023:&nbsp;Trump appears in federal court in Washington, D.C., and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-pleads-not-guilty-charges-he-sought-subvert-2020-election">pleads not guilty</a>&nbsp;to charges in the election case, appearing before Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya .

Aug. 4, 2023:&nbsp;Trump pleads not guilty to the new charges in the documents case.

Jan. 15, 2024:&nbsp;The Iowa caucuses are the first nominating contest in the Republican presidential primary.

March 25, 2024:&nbsp;Trial in the New York state case scheduled to begin. Subject to change.

May 14, 2024:&nbsp;Trial in the classified documents case scheduled to begin. Subject to change.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691693287739.jpeg" alt="Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for his arraignment at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 4, 2023 in New York City. (Courtesy of Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)" />
 <figcaption>Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for his arraignment at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 4, 2023 in New York City. (Courtesy of Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Jacob FischlerNebraska ExaminerFormer President Donald Trump is a defendant in three criminal proceedings.Two cases are federal, brought after investigations by Special Counsel Jack Smith. The other case is in New York state court and is being prosecuted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.A fourth indictment, on state charges in Georgia related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results there,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2023/08/08/fulton-indictment-in-2020-georgia-election-probe-could-increase-polarization-going-into-2024/">could come in the near future.</a>The indictments lay out the alleged crimes by Trump, the first person who has served as president of the United States to face felony charges. In months to come, the legal proceedings in courts from New York to Florida to D.C. will demand Trump’s time and attention as he wages his campaign for the 2024 GOP nomination for president.To help readers keep track, States Newsroom put together a timeline showing the accusations and legal battles that have swirled around the ex-president, from Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016 until today.There are three separate indictments:<ul>
 <li>Hush money payments, New York state court:&nbsp;Trump is accused of breaking state law against falsifying business records by reporting hush money payments as legal expenses.&nbsp;According to the prosecution led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Trump’s attorney and personal fixer, Michael Cohen, paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to stay silent about an alleged affair between her and Trump. Trump then repaid Cohen through his business, but recorded the transactions as legitimate legal expenses.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Classified documents, U.S. District Court in Fort Pierce, Florida:&nbsp;Trump is accused of taking classified materials from the White House when he left office, improperly storing them in his South Florida estate and refusing to return them to official record keepers with the National Archives and Records Administration.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Election interference, U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.:&nbsp;Trump is accused of seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The alleged conspiracy involved using slates of fraudulent electors in seven states, and it culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.</li>
 </ul>Trump has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges. He has also denied having an affair with Daniels.TimelineJune 2015-November 2016:&nbsp;Trump’s first presidential campaign.Oct. 7, 2016:&nbsp;The “Access Hollywood” tape is published showing Trump, years before, bragging about sexually assaulting women. The negative publicity is part of what prompts the Trump campaign to try to limit other negative attention about Trump’s relationships with women, including alleged affairs, according to the New York state court indictment.Oct. 26, 2016:&nbsp;Cohen wires $130,000 to an attorney for Daniels. In return for that payment, Daniels was to remain silent about an alleged sexual relationship she and Trump had while Trump was married, according to the indictment.Nov. 8, 2016:&nbsp;Election Day. Trump is elected the 45th president of the United States.Throughout 2017:&nbsp;Trump makes monthly payments to Cohen to reimburse him for the payment to Daniels, according to the New York indictment. The payments are recorded as legal expenses, according to the indictment.Nov. 3, 2020:&nbsp;Election Day. Trump appears likely to lose reelection to Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden, but several states remain uncalled for days.Nov. 7, 2020: News outlets project Biden wins Pennsylvania, reaching the threshold to win the presidential election.Biden ultimately wins fives states Trump had secured in the previous election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Those states, along with Nevada and New Mexico, would become&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-fake-electors-seven-states-are-central-trump-jan-6-indictment">the focus of Trump’s efforts to overturn the election</a>&nbsp;by recruiting fraudulent slates of electors, according to the election indictment.November 2020-January 2021:&nbsp;Trump and a group of at least six co-conspirators conceive and attempt a plan to reverse his election loss, according to the indictment of Trump.Dec. 14, 2020:&nbsp;State electors certify their votes. Slates of false electors in seven states Trump lost attempt to fraudulently certify votes for Trump.Jan. 2, 2021:&nbsp;Trump calls Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, attempting to have Raffensperger alter the state’s vote count. Trump asks Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to swing the state to him.Jan. 3, 2021:&nbsp;Trump meets in the Oval Office with U.S. Justice Department leadership and Jeffrey Clark, then the acting head of the DOJ Civil Division, who had drafted a letter to states implying that federal investigations into election fraud were ongoing.Trump considered firing the top two DOJ officials, who disapproved of the plan and encouraged Trump to accept the election results, and appointing Clark to lead DOJ. He ultimately declined to elevate Clark. Details of the meeting were described in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/just-say-election-was-corrupt-trump-pressure-justice-department-detailed">one</a>&nbsp;of the U.S. House hearings on the Jan. 6 attack and in the election indictment.Jan. 6, 2021:&nbsp;Trump holds a rally on the White House Ellipse in which he tells supporters to “fight like hell” and implied Vice President Mike Pence could reverse the election result as he certified the state electors, a formality to finalize the 2020 presidential election results.A large group of Trump supporters violently storm the U.S. Capitol after Trump’s speech to disrupt the certification. Five people died that day or shortly after. Four Capitol Police officers on the scene died by suicide later that year.According to the prosecutors, the riot was the last step in a multipart plan by Trump to overturn the election results.Jan. 7, 2021:&nbsp;Congress eventually certifies Biden’s victory at 3:24 a.m.Jan. 20, 2021:&nbsp;Biden is inaugurated the 46th president of the United States.Trump leaves the White House for Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. He takes hundreds of classified documents with him, according to a federal grand jury in Florida.June 9, 2021:&nbsp;The U.S. House votes to form the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6, 2021 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.July 2021:&nbsp;Trump shows “highly confidential” materials to a writer, publisher and two staff members who lacked security clearance to view the materials, according to the federal indictment.August or September 2021:&nbsp;Trump shows a classified map of a military operation to a political aide who lacked security clearance, according to the indictment.Jan. 17, 2022:&nbsp;Trump responds to months of demands from the National Archives and Records Administration to provide missing presidential records by sending 15 boxes of documents containing 197 documents with classification markings, according to the indictment.March 30, 2022:&nbsp;The FBI opens a criminal investigation into unlawful retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.June 3, 2022:&nbsp;In response to a grand jury subpoena, Trump provides 38 more documents with classification markings.June-December 2022:&nbsp;The U.S. House committee investigating Jan. 6 holds 10&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/jan-6-panel-says-trump-far-right-groups-responsible-insurrection">live</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-spread-claims-election-fraud-debunked-his-own-legal-team-jan-6-panel-says">televised</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/pence-was-within-40-feet-mob-inflamed-trump-jan-6-committee-reveals">hearings</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-led-pressure-campaign-state-election-officials-jan-6-panel-says">documenting</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-had-be-physically-restrained-joining-jan-6-mob-house-panel-told">its</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-tweet-invited-wild-mob-block-transfer-power-jan-6-house-panel-says-10">findings</a>. The panel focuses on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-tweet-invited-wild-mob-block-transfer-power-jan-6-house-panel-says-10">Trump’s efforts</a>&nbsp;to overturn the election.Aug. 8, 2022:&nbsp;The FBI searches Mar-a-Lago and recovers 108 more classified documents.Nov. 15, 2022:&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-announces-third-bid-presidency-even-gop-reels-midterm-setback">announces</a>&nbsp;he is a candidate for president in 2024.Nov. 18, 2022:&nbsp;Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/appointment-special-counsel-0">appoints</a>&nbsp;former federal and international prosecutor Jack Smith to be special counsel overseeing federal investigations into Trump. With Trump a candidate and Biden likely to seek reelection, the move is meant to insulate the investigation from the perception that the Biden administration is targeting a political rival.Dec. 19, 2022:&nbsp;The U.S. House committee&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-jan-6-panel-report-finds-trump-incited-insurrection-demands-accountability">releases</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.house.gov/committees/committees-no-longer-standing">a report</a>&nbsp;of its findings and makes criminal referrals to the U.S. Justice Department for Trump and attorney John Eastman.April 4, 2023:&nbsp;Bragg&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-hit-34-felony-counts-falsifying-new-york-state-business-records">announces</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Donald-J.-Trump-Indictment.pdf">34-count indictment</a>&nbsp;against Trump in New York. It’s the first time a former president has been indicted.April 4, 2023:&nbsp;Trump appears in state court in Manhattan and pleads not guilty.June 8, 2023:&nbsp;A federal grand jury in Florida&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Trump-fed-indictment.pdf">indicts</a>&nbsp;Trump on 37 charges in the documents case. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee. The indictment is issued under seal and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/indictment-unsealed-trump-faces-37-felony-counts-classified-documents-probe">is unsealed the following day</a>.June 13, 2023:&nbsp;Trump appears in federal court in Miami and pleads not guilty in the documents case.July 19, 2023:&nbsp;A New York judge&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-york-indictment-stormy-daniels-cohen-e673f673d205a70275d05510793672f2">denies Trump’s request</a>&nbsp;to move the hush money case to federal court.July 27, 2023:&nbsp;A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652.85.0_4.pdf">superseding indictment</a>&nbsp;adds three charges in the classified documents case, alleging Trump and co-conspirators sought to delete potentially incriminating security footage.Aug. 1, 2023:&nbsp;A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C.,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/fueled-lies-trump-charged-seeking-overturn-2020-election-6">indicts Trump</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.1.0_2.pdf">four counts</a>&nbsp;related to his efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election. The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Sue Chutkan, who was appointed by President Barack Obama.Aug. 3, 2023:&nbsp;Trump appears in federal court in Washington, D.C., and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-pleads-not-guilty-charges-he-sought-subvert-2020-election">pleads not guilty</a>&nbsp;to charges in the election case, appearing before Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya .Aug. 4, 2023:&nbsp;Trump pleads not guilty to the new charges in the documents case.UPCOMINGJan. 15, 2024:&nbsp;The Iowa caucuses are the first nominating contest in the Republican presidential primary.March 25, 2024:&nbsp;Trial in the New York state case scheduled to begin. Subject to change.May 14, 2024:&nbsp;Trial in the classified documents case scheduled to begin. Subject to change.

The Trump indictments: a seven-year timeline of key developments

NEW YORK (AP) — The new CEO of the company formerly known as Twitter says she's spent much of the past eight weeks trying to get big brands back and advertising on the social media platform that's been in upheaval since it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-deal-live-updates-78d68790fb0b9971d6e65b76d97e3670">bought last year by Elon Musk</a>.

X Corp. CEO Linda Yaccarino said Thursday on CNBC that she has been focused on talking with brands like Coca Cola, Visa and State Farm, along with their chief marketing officers and chief executives.

A number of companies had pulled back on ad spending — the platform's chief source of revenue — over concerns that Musk's thinning of content restrictions was enabling hateful and toxic speech to flourish.

“I’ve lived on a lot of planes lately, direct conversations with CMOs and CEOs, and we cover a lot of ground and I focus on those that have either maybe paused or reduced spending to remind them about the power of the platform and the power of the user base and the economic potential of them partnering with us again,” she said in her first media interview since Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-musk-new-ceo-a5df68e9a1e5f982368390c73aeabb50">appointed her as CEO</a>.

Yaccarino suggested that part of the difficulty is that some big advertisers might not have known who to talk to because the company has slashed its staff from about 8,000 workers to 1,500 since Musk's takeover. She also said she's been working to assure advertisers that brand safety initiatives tailored to them will make sure that their ads will “only air next to” content that's appropriate to them.

She said the platform is balancing Musk's free-speech vision with techniques that, while not removing many toxic posts, are supposed to make it hard for them to surface to most users.

“If it is lawful, but it’s awful, it’s extraordinarily difficult to see it,” Yaccarino said.

The former NBCUniversal executive said her role under Musk — who's also the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX — is clearly defined.

“Elon focuses on product design. He leads a team of extraordinary engineers and focuses on new technology,” she said. "So think about it as Elon is working on accelerating the rebrand and working on the future. And I’m responsible for the rest. Running the company from partnerships to legal to sales to finance, all the things.”

She said she has autonomy in doing that and described it as like a relay race.

"Elon works on the technology, dreams up what’s next, passes the baton to me. I bring it to market for economic prosperity, not only for our company, but for all of our customers, like our advertising partners,” she said.

Yaccarino said she's paying close attention to Meta's new Twitter competitor, Threads.

After the initial hype that brought a surge of users to Threads, "it’s dropped off dramatically but you can never, ever take your eye off any competition because they’ll continue iterating," she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691693128960.jpeg" alt="Elon Musk, left, speaks with Linda Yaccarino, April 18, 2023, in Miami Beach, Fla. The new CEO of the company formerly known as Twitter says she's spent much of the past eight weeks trying to get big brands back to advertising on the social media platform that's been in upheaval since it was bought last year by Musk. X Corp. CEO Linda Yaccarino said Thursday, Aug. 10 on CNBC that she been focused on talking with brands like Coca Cola, Visa and State Farm. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)" />
 <figcaption>Elon Musk, left, speaks with Linda Yaccarino, April 18, 2023, in Miami Beach, Fla. The new CEO of the company formerly known as Twitter says she's spent much of the past eight weeks trying to get big brands back to advertising on the social media platform that's been in upheaval since it was bought last year by Musk. X Corp. CEO Linda Yaccarino said Thursday, Aug. 10 on CNBC that she been focused on talking with brands like Coca Cola, Visa and State Farm. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The new CEO of the company formerly known as Twitter says she's spent much of the past eight weeks trying to get big brands back and advertising on the social media platform that's been in upheaval since it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-deal-live-updates-78d68790fb0b9971d6e65b76d97e3670">bought last year by Elon Musk</a>.X Corp. CEO Linda Yaccarino said Thursday on CNBC that she has been focused on talking with brands like Coca Cola, Visa and State Farm, along with their chief marketing officers and chief executives.A number of companies had pulled back on ad spending — the platform's chief source of revenue — over concerns that Musk's thinning of content restrictions was enabling hateful and toxic speech to flourish.“I’ve lived on a lot of planes lately, direct conversations with CMOs and CEOs, and we cover a lot of ground and I focus on those that have either maybe paused or reduced spending to remind them about the power of the platform and the power of the user base and the economic potential of them partnering with us again,” she said in her first media interview since Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-musk-new-ceo-a5df68e9a1e5f982368390c73aeabb50">appointed her as CEO</a>.Yaccarino suggested that part of the difficulty is that some big advertisers might not have known who to talk to because the company has slashed its staff from about 8,000 workers to 1,500 since Musk's takeover. She also said she's been working to assure advertisers that brand safety initiatives tailored to them will make sure that their ads will “only air next to” content that's appropriate to them.She said the platform is balancing Musk's free-speech vision with techniques that, while not removing many toxic posts, are supposed to make it hard for them to surface to most users.“If it is lawful, but it’s awful, it’s extraordinarily difficult to see it,” Yaccarino said.The former NBCUniversal executive said her role under Musk — who's also the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX — is clearly defined.“Elon focuses on product design. He leads a team of extraordinary engineers and focuses on new technology,” she said. "So think about it as Elon is working on accelerating the rebrand and working on the future. And I’m responsible for the rest. Running the company from partnerships to legal to sales to finance, all the things.”She said she has autonomy in doing that and described it as like a relay race."Elon works on the technology, dreams up what’s next, passes the baton to me. I bring it to market for economic prosperity, not only for our company, but for all of our customers, like our advertising partners,” she said.Yaccarino said she's paying close attention to Meta's new Twitter competitor, Threads.After the initial hype that brought a surge of users to Threads, "it’s dropped off dramatically but you can never, ever take your eye off any competition because they’ll continue iterating," she said.

Twitter-turned-X CEO Linda Yaccarino focuses on winning back big brands on Elon Musk's platform

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators have sent a team to investigate a fatal crash in Virginia involving a Tesla suspected of running on a partially automated driving system.

The latest crash, which occurred in July, brings to 35 the number of Tesla crashes under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since June of 2016. In all the cases, the agency suspects the Teslas were operating on a partially automated driving system such as Autopilot. At least 17 people have died.

The safety agency said in documents Thursday that the Tesla ran beneath a heavy truck, but gave no further details.

A spokesman for the Fauquier County Sheriff’s office in Virginia said in a statement that on July 19, a Tesla ran underneath the side of a tractor trailer, killing the Tesla driver. The department says the truck driver was charged with reckless driving. The statement doesn't say if the Tesla was operating on Autopilot.

Messages were left Thursday seeking comment from Tesla.

The U.S. safety agency has been looking into a string of crashes involving Teslas that are suspected of operating on partially automated systems such as Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving.” Neither system can drive itself despite the names. Tesla says on its website that drivers must be ready to intervene at any time.

The agency hasn't made public the results of the special crash investigation teams. At least two of the investigations involved Teslas running beneath tractor-trailers crossing in front of them.

In addition to the special crash investigation teams, NHTSA has opened at least six formal investigations into Tesla safety problems during the past three years.

Investigators are looking into Teslas that can crash into parked emergency vehicles while running on the Autopilot driver-assist system, emergency braking for no reason, suspension failures, steering wheels that can fall off, steering failures, and front seat belts that may not be connected properly.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691692847768.jpeg" alt="A sign bearing the Tesla company logo is displayed outside a Tesla store in Cherry Creek Mall in Denver, Feb. 9, 2019. Mohegan Sun, a casino and entertainment complex in Connecticut owned by the federally recognized Mohegan Tribe, announced on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, that Tesla will open a showroom with a sales and delivery center this fall on its sovereign property. By doing so, it circumvents laws in states that bar vehicle manufacturers from also being retailers in favor of the dealership model. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)" />
 <figcaption>A sign bearing the Tesla company logo is displayed outside a Tesla store in Cherry Creek Mall in Denver, Feb. 9, 2019. Mohegan Sun, a casino and entertainment complex in Connecticut owned by the federally recognized Mohegan Tribe, announced on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, that Tesla will open a showroom with a sales and delivery center this fall on its sovereign property. By doing so, it circumvents laws in states that bar vehicle manufacturers from also being retailers in favor of the dealership model. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators have sent a team to investigate a fatal crash in Virginia involving a Tesla suspected of running on a partially automated driving system.The latest crash, which occurred in July, brings to 35 the number of Tesla crashes under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since June of 2016. In all the cases, the agency suspects the Teslas were operating on a partially automated driving system such as Autopilot. At least 17 people have died.The safety agency said in documents Thursday that the Tesla ran beneath a heavy truck, but gave no further details.A spokesman for the Fauquier County Sheriff’s office in Virginia said in a statement that on July 19, a Tesla ran underneath the side of a tractor trailer, killing the Tesla driver. The department says the truck driver was charged with reckless driving. The statement doesn't say if the Tesla was operating on Autopilot.Messages were left Thursday seeking comment from Tesla.The U.S. safety agency has been looking into a string of crashes involving Teslas that are suspected of operating on partially automated systems such as Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving.” Neither system can drive itself despite the names. Tesla says on its website that drivers must be ready to intervene at any time.The agency hasn't made public the results of the special crash investigation teams. At least two of the investigations involved Teslas running beneath tractor-trailers crossing in front of them.In addition to the special crash investigation teams, NHTSA has opened at least six formal investigations into Tesla safety problems during the past three years.Investigators are looking into Teslas that can crash into parked emergency vehicles while running on the Autopilot driver-assist system, emergency braking for no reason, suspension failures, steering wheels that can fall off, steering failures, and front seat belts that may not be connected properly.

US probing Virginia fatal crash involving Tesla suspected of running on automated driving system

After months of advocating from several tribal nations, Arizona is home to a new national monument, as President Joe Biden this week officially designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, effectively barring mining on roughly a million acres of land near Grand Canyon National Park.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to honoring and respecting Tribal sovereignty, protecting Tribal homelands, and incorporating Indigenous Knowledge and robust Tribal consultation into planning and decision-making,” White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory said.

The Grand Canyon is the ancestral homeland of multiple tribal nations across the Southwest, and tribes still rely on the canyon for natural and cultural resources that are significant and sacred to their communities.

“Today’s designation supports tribally-led conservation efforts and helps address injustices of the past, including when tribes were forcibly removed from lands that later became Grand Canyon National Park,” Mallory said.

In April,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.azmirror.com/2023/04/12/tribal-leaders-support-push-for-creation-of-grand-canyon-national-monument/">tribal leaders, alongside state and federal officials, launched an effort to sustain the natural resources of the Grand Canyon</a>&nbsp;by calling on Biden to designate land surrounding the Grand Canyon National Park a national monument by using his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906.

Their efforts have succeeded, as the White House announced Tuesday that Biden designated the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. The name is a mixture of the traditional Havasupai and Hopi languages. Baaj Nwaavjo means “where tribes roam” for the Havasupai Tribe, and I’tah Kukveni means “our footprints” for the Hopi Tribe.

On Tuesday evening, the president was to sign the proclamation in Arizona at Red Butte, a sacred site known as Wii’i Gdwiisa by the Havasupai Tribe, which towers above the southern portion of the monument.

“Establishing the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument honors our solemn promise to tribal nations to respect sovereignty, preserves America’s iconic landscapes for future generations, and advances my commitment to protect and conserve at least 30% of our nation’s land and waters by 2030,” Biden said in an announcement.

New national monument earns accolades from tribes, environmental advocates

Tribal leaders celebrated the announcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691692553063.jpeg" alt="The public voiced their concerns and support during a public meeting held by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service in Flagstaff on July 18. The public meeting was to hear comments on the proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. (Courtesy of Shondiin Silversmith/Arizona Mirror)" />
 <figcaption>The public voiced their concerns and support during a public meeting held by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service in Flagstaff on July 18. The public meeting was to hear comments on the proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. (Courtesy of Shondiin Silversmith/Arizona Mirror)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Shondiin SilversmithAfter months of advocating from several tribal nations, Arizona is home to a new national monument, as President Joe Biden this week officially designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, effectively barring mining on roughly a million acres of land near Grand Canyon National Park.“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to honoring and respecting Tribal sovereignty, protecting Tribal homelands, and incorporating Indigenous Knowledge and robust Tribal consultation into planning and decision-making,” White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory said.The Grand Canyon is the ancestral homeland of multiple tribal nations across the Southwest, and tribes still rely on the canyon for natural and cultural resources that are significant and sacred to their communities.“Today’s designation supports tribally-led conservation efforts and helps address injustices of the past, including when tribes were forcibly removed from lands that later became Grand Canyon National Park,” Mallory said.In April,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.azmirror.com/2023/04/12/tribal-leaders-support-push-for-creation-of-grand-canyon-national-monument/">tribal leaders, alongside state and federal officials, launched an effort to sustain the natural resources of the Grand Canyon</a>&nbsp;by calling on Biden to designate land surrounding the Grand Canyon National Park a national monument by using his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906.Their efforts have succeeded, as the White House announced Tuesday that Biden designated the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. The name is a mixture of the traditional Havasupai and Hopi languages. Baaj Nwaavjo means “where tribes roam” for the Havasupai Tribe, and I’tah Kukveni means “our footprints” for the Hopi Tribe.On Tuesday evening, the president was to sign the proclamation in Arizona at Red Butte, a sacred site known as Wii’i Gdwiisa by the Havasupai Tribe, which towers above the southern portion of the monument.“Establishing the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument honors our solemn promise to tribal nations to respect sovereignty, preserves America’s iconic landscapes for future generations, and advances my commitment to protect and conserve at least 30% of our nation’s land and waters by 2030,” Biden said in an announcement.<h2>New national monument earns accolades from tribes, environmental advocates</h2>Tribal leaders celebrated the announcement.“Designating areas like Red Butte as a national monument will help protect them from contamination, destruction, exploitation, and the other harmful effects of mining,” said Havasupai Tribe Chairman Thomas Siyuja Sr. “The threat of contaminating our water is real and current.&nbsp; The pure water that flows through Supai Village is under constant attack by uranium mining.&nbsp; We know the threat is real, but with these protections, our suffering from the harmful effects of mining is lessened.”The Hopi Tribe said it was committed to safeguarding the land for future generations: “Life continues here at Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni. Hopi would like to recognize all those in support of protecting itah tutskwa (ancestral land) and preserving sacred places. Hisat Sinom (ancestors) have left us connected to songs, dances, and ceremonies since time immemorial.”Environmental advocates also praised Biden.“National monuments protect the landscapes and ecosystems that make up this country, but they also preserve the stories, sites, and practices that tell us who we are. For the 12 tribes who have called the Greater Grand Canyon area home for centuries, it is the center of the universe,” said Chris Hill, the Sierra Club’s chief conservation officer. “Today, we celebrate President Biden’s protection of this treasured place, and we urge him to continue to build his monumental legacy by protecting more of the lands and waters that we hold so dear.”“With this historic designation, President Biden is permanently safeguarding the magnificent rimlands that flank the Grand Canyon, their rich biodiversity, and life-giving springs and aquifers,” said Taylor McKinnon, southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity.Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukvenis marks the fifth national monument created under Biden’s administration. Mallory said it will conserve nearly one million acres of the greater Grand Canyon landscape sacred to tribal nations and Indigenous peoples.“From Day One, I have taken action on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in our country’s history, and my administration will continue to deliver on these unprecedented goals,” Biden said.The new monument protects thousands of cultural and sacred sites precious to tribal nations in the Southwest, the White House stated. The tribal nations include the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiutes, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes.Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland commended the monument’s creation, saying it builds upon the decades of tribal and community-led efforts to protect these landscapes’ historic and scientific resources.“The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument protects and preserves the rich cultural, ecological, scientific, historic, and scenic value of the greater Grand Canyon landscape,” Haaland said.The monument designation protects the tribes’ sacred places for cultural and spiritual uses, Haaland said, and it also respects the existing livestock grazing permits and preserves access for hunting and fishing.<h2>No new mining</h2>The new monument spans 917,618 acres of public lands managed by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management and the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service.“The national monument designation recognizes and respects valid existing rights,” Haaland said. The proclamation outlines that maintenance and upgrades to water infrastructure will continue, and utility lines, pipelines, and roads will be maintained.“Existing mining claims — predating a 20-year mineral withdraw initiated in 2012 — will remain in place,” Haaland said, and the two approved mining operations within the monument’s boundaries could operate.“The national monument only includes federal lands and does not include state and private lands within the boundary or affect the property rights of the state or private land owners,” she added.The monument will comprise three distinct areas south, northeast, and northwest of Grand Canyon National Park.“It is bordered by the Kanab watershed boundary and Kanab Creek drainage in the northwestern area and the Havasupai Indian Reservation and Navajo Nation in the southern area, and stretches from Marble Canyon to the edge of the Kaibab Plateau in the northeastern area,” Haaland said.The designation is a step toward addressing the history of dispossession and exclusion of tribal nations and Indigenous peoples in the area, Haaland said, noting how tribes were left out when the federal government established the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve in 1893, Grand Canyon National Monument in 1908 and Grand Canyon National Park in 1919.Haaland said that the proclamation establishes the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon Commission, which will work to advance the objective of the co-stewardship of the monument.The creation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni national monument has been met with much support,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.azmirror.com/2023/07/20/too-important-not-to-protect-national-monument-proposed-at-grand-canyon/">especially during a public meeting held by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service</a>&nbsp;in Flagstaff on July 18.The meeting allowed the community to comment on managing the region’s public lands, including a proposal to designate existing public lands as a national monument.Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema voiced their support initially and even introduced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2262?s=1&amp;r=3">The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument Act</a>. Reps. Raúl Grijalva and Ruben Gallego, both Democrats, shared the same support and introduced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4580?s=1&amp;r=3">an identical bill in the U.S. House of Representatives</a>.The bill sought to establish 1,069,970 acres of federal lands currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona as a new Grand Canyon National Monument.The legislation sets standards for the monument, including forming a tribal commission composed of one representative from each of the 12 federally recognized members of the Grand Canyon Associated Tribes to help oversee the development.The monument has been met with some opposition, with several officials from Mohave County stating that it’s a land grab attempt from the Biden administration.<h2>Republicans discount Indigenous culture, bemoan end of mining prospects</h2>Republican House and Senate majority leaders hosted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRHJQd3BRWw">an emergency special meeting in Kingman on Monday</a>, the night before Biden’s designation, to hear testimony from local officials and concerned community members.“The federal government already controls too much of our land,” Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli said in a press release. “The President should not be allowed to take away our land and economic opportunities without the consent of the legislature.”During the special meeting, a majority of the public comments raised concerns about access to public lands, concerns about cutting off&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.azmirror.com/2019/09/17/nuclear-industry-urges-trump-grand-canyon-uranium-mining-public-lands/">proposed uranium mining</a>, and government control of land and water, among other topics.During the public meeting, Travis Lingenfelter, chairman of the Mohave County Board of Supervisors, discussed how the advocating efforts for this monument have been claiming cultural sites to justify its creation.Lingenfelter said that 445,000 acres of the national monument are within Mohave County, and that area is mostly range land. He said non-Indigenous county residents take exception to the claim that all of the land is “one big cultural site.”Lingenfelter said that Mohave County is willing to work to identify and protect specific cultural sites, but “we don’t believe the whole thing is a big cultural site.”He also lamented that the proposed monument would permanently protect the land from uranium mining and contamination, which he said is unnecessary because&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.azmirror.com/2020/12/24/biden-firm-on-uranium-mining-ban-around-jewel-of-the-grand-canyon/">a temporary 20-year mining moratorium</a>&nbsp;already protects it.“We’re already under a moratorium on uranium exploration in this area, which has been identified as some of the richest deposits in our whole country for uranium,” Lingenfelter said.He complained that officials like Grijalva have pushed national monument creations by making “heart-jerking statements” on the legacy of uranium contamination of the water.The Arizona incidents they point to, Lingenfelter said, occurred in Coconino County near the Navajo Nation in the 1940s and 1950s, when “some uranium mines that were not mitigated properly (and) the EPA had to get involved.”“That was in the ’40s and ’50s. It is not 2023,” Lingenfelter said. “Yet, they are citing water scares.”From 1944 to 1986, nearly 30 million tons of uranium ore were extracted from Navajo lands under leases the federal government made with the Navajo Nation. Navajo people often worked in the mines. Some Navajo workers would live and raise their families close to the mines and mills.“Today the mines are closed, but a legacy of uranium contamination remains, including over 500 abandoned uranium mines (AUMs) as well as homes and water sources with elevated levels of radiation,” the EPA stated on its website.