WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would have canceled his plan to forgive student debt.

The measure had been pushed by Republicans, but it garnered a handful of Democratic votes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-cancellation-debt-college-biden-veto-df3b377dd651153cbc7d5e04bfb7094f">in the Senate</a>&nbsp;as well. Kansas Senators voted to end Biden's plan.

Despite the veto, Biden’s plan still isn’t secure. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;will have the final say on the issue. A decision from the court is expected this summer.

“It is a shame for working families across the country that lawmakers continue to pursue this unprecedented attempt to deny critical relief to millions of their own constituents,” Biden said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/06/07/message-to-the-house-of-representatives-presidents-veto-of-h-j-res-45/">in a statement</a>&nbsp;when announcing his veto.

If enacted, Biden’s plan would forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 per year.

Student loan payments were paused at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-repayment-a6560bab75419007049cba34a30d6657">they will resume</a>&nbsp;in August for anyone whose debt is not wiped out by Biden’s plan.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would have canceled his plan to forgive student debt.The measure had been pushed by Republicans, but it garnered a handful of Democratic votes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-cancellation-debt-college-biden-veto-df3b377dd651153cbc7d5e04bfb7094f">in the Senate</a>&nbsp;as well. Kansas Senators voted to end Biden's plan.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congressional Republicans led an effort to pass a bill blocking my Administration’s plan to provide up to $20,000 in student debt relief to working and middle class Americans. I won’t back down on helping hardworking folks. That’s why I’m vetoing this bill. <a href="https://t.co/ZeYEm4LOjz">pic.twitter.com/ZeYEm4LOjz</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1666567992929394689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Despite the veto, Biden’s plan still isn’t secure. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;will have the final say on the issue. A decision from the court is expected this summer.“It is a shame for working families across the country that lawmakers continue to pursue this unprecedented attempt to deny critical relief to millions of their own constituents,” Biden said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/06/07/message-to-the-house-of-representatives-presidents-veto-of-h-j-res-45/">in a statement</a>&nbsp;when announcing his veto.If enacted, Biden’s plan would forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 per year.Student loan payments were paused at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-repayment-a6560bab75419007049cba34a30d6657">they will resume</a>&nbsp;in August for anyone whose debt is not wiped out by Biden’s plan.

🎥 Supreme Court will have final say on student debt loan relief plan

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died. He was 93.

Robertson's death Thursday was announced by his broadcasting network. No cause was given.

Robertson’s enterprises also included Regent University, an evangelical Christian school in Virginia Beach; the American Center for Law and Justice, which defends the First Amendment rights of religious people; and Operation Blessing, an international humanitarian organization.

For more than a half-century, Robertson was a familiar presence in American living rooms, known for his “700 Club” television show, and in later years, his televised pronouncements of God’s judgment, blaming natural disasters on everything from homosexuality to the teaching of evolution.

The money poured in as he solicited donations, his influence soared, and he brought a huge following with him when he moved directly into politics by seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 1988.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-evangelical-abortion-iowa-0707607982651226d6859733637a453e">Robertson pioneered the now-common strategy</a>&nbsp;of courting Iowa’s network of evangelical Christian churches, and finished in second place in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Vice President George H.W. Bush.

His masterstroke was insisting that three million followers across the U.S. sign petitions before he would decide to run, Robertson biographer Jeffrey K. Hadden said. The tactic gave him an army.

″He asked people to pledge that they’d work for him, pray for him and give him money,” Hadden, a University of Virginia sociologist,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3265228b1b14e865922bd51ac0bf1bc9">told The Associated Press in 1988</a>. ″Political historians may view it as one of the most ingenious things a candidate ever did.″

Robertson later endorsed Bush, who won the presidency. Pursuit of Iowa’s evangelicals is now a ritual for Republican hopefuls, including those currently seeking the White House in 2024.

Robertson started the Christian Coalition in Chesapeake in 1989, saying it would further his campaign’s ideals. The coalition became a major political force in the 1990s, mobilizing conservative voters through grass-roots activities.

By the time of his resignation as the coalition's president in 2001 — Robertson said he wanted to concentrate on ministerial work — his impact on both religion and politics in the U.S. was “enormous,” according to John C. Green, an emeritus political science professor at The University of Akron.

Many followed the path Robertson cut in religious broadcasting,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pat-robertson-700-club-steps-down-as-host-cf058279cc326ce21e089fef05357382#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20will%20no%20longer%20be,to%20thank%20all%20of%20you.%E2%80%9D">Green told the AP in 2021</a>. In American politics, Robertson helped “cement the alliance between conservative Christians and the Republican Party.”

Marion Gordon “Pat” Robertson was born March 22, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia, to Absalom Willis Robertson and Gladys Churchill Robertson. His father served for 36 years as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Virginia.

After graduating from Washington and Lee University, he served as assistant adjutant of the 1st Marine Division in Korea.

He received a law degree from Yale University Law School, but failed the bar exam and chose not to pursue a law career.

Robertson met his wife, Adelia “Dede” Elmer, at Yale in 1952. He was a Southern Baptist, she was a Catholic, earning a master’s in nursing. Eighteen months later, they ran off to be married by a justice of the peace, knowing neither family would approve.

Robertson was interested in politics until he found religion, Dede Robertson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-television-united-states-virginia-norfolk-b345bab8c17c66e7836ff7db3488ebd7#:~:text=NORFOLK%2C%20Va.,Robertson%20was%2094.">told the AP in 1987</a>. He stunned her by pouring out their liquor, tearing a nude print off the wall and declaring he had found the Lord.

They moved into a commune in New York City’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood because Robertson said God told him to sell all his possessions and minister to the poor. She was tempted to return home to Ohio, “but I realized that was not what the Lord would have me do ... I had promised to stay, so I did,” she told the AP.

Robertson received a master’s in divinity from New York Theological Seminary in 1959, then drove south with his family to buy a bankrupt UHF television station in Portsmouth, Va. He said he had just $70 in his pocket, but soon found investors, and CBN went on the air on Oct. 1, 1961. Established as a tax-exempt religious nonprofit, CBN brought in hundreds of millions, disclosing $321 million in “ministry support” in 2022 alone.

One of Robertson’s innovations was to use the secular talk-show format on the network’s flagship show, the “700 Club,” which grew out of a telethon when Robertson asked 700 viewers for monthly $10 contributions. It was more suited to television than traditional revival meetings or church services, and gained a huge audience.

“Here’s a well-educated person having sophisticated conversations with a wide variety of guests on a wide variety of topics,” said Green, the University of Akron political science professor. “It was with a religious inflection to be sure. But it was an approach that took up everyday concerns.”

His guests eventually included several U.S. presidents — Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.

At times, his on-air pronouncements drew criticism.

He claimed that the terrorist attacks that killed thousands of Americans on Sept. 11, 2001 were caused by God, angered by the federal courts, pornography, abortion rights and church-state separation. Talking again about 9-11 on his TV show a year later, Robertson described Islam as a violent religion that wants to “dominate” and “destroy,” prompting President George W. Bush to distance himself and say Islam is a peaceful and respectful religion.

He called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2005. Later that year, he warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town not to be surprised if disaster struck them because they voted out school board members who favored teaching “intelligent design” over evolution. And in 1998, he said Orlando, Florida, should beware of hurricanes after allowing the annual Gay Days event.

In 2014, he angered Kenyans when he warned that towels in Kenya could transmit AIDS. CBN issued a correction, saying Robertson “misspoke about the possibility of getting AIDS through towels.”

Robertson also could be unpredictable: In 2010, he called for ending mandatory prison sentences for marijuana possession convictions. Two years later, he said on the “700 Club” that marijuana should be legalized and treated like alcohol because the government’s war on drugs had failed.

Robertson condemned Democrats caught up in sex scandals, saying for example that President Bill Clinton turned the White House into a playpen for sexual freedom. But he helped solidify evangelical support for Donald Trump, dismissing the candidate's sexually predatory comments about women as an attempt “to look like he’s macho.”

After Trump took office, Robertson interviewed the president at the White House. And CBN welcomed Trump advisers, such as Kellyanne Conway, as guests.

But after President Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, Robertson said Trump was living in an “alternate reality” and should “move on,” news outlets reported.

Robertson’s son, Gordon, succeeded him in December 2007 as chief executive of CBN, which is now based in Virginia Beach. Robertson remained chairman of the network and continued to appear on the “700 Club.”

Robertson stepped down as host of the show after half a century in 2021, with his son Gordon taking over the weekday show.

Robertson also was founder and chairman of International Family Entertainment Inc., parent of The Family Channel basic cable TV network. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. bought IFE in 1997.

Regent University, where classes began in Virginia Beach in 1978, now has more than 30,000 alumni, CBN said in a statement.

Robertson wrote 15 books, including “The Turning Tide” and “The New World Order.”

His wife Dede, who was a founding board member of CBN,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-television-united-states-virginia-norfolk-b345bab8c17c66e7836ff7db3488ebd7#:~:text=NORFOLK%2C%20Va.,Robertson%20was%2094.">died last year at the age of 94</a>. The couple had four children, 14 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren, CBN said in a statement.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died. He was 93.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">With great sadness, we announce that Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson has gone home to be with his Lord and Savior today, June 8, 2023. Thank you for your prayers for the Robertson family and the ministry of CBN at this time. For more details on Pat’s life and legacy, visit… <a href="https://t.co/vxbvrNxEG8">pic.twitter.com/vxbvrNxEG8</a>&mdash; CBN News (@CBNNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBNNews/status/1666776042969653249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Robertson's death Thursday was announced by his broadcasting network. No cause was given.Robertson’s enterprises also included Regent University, an evangelical Christian school in Virginia Beach; the American Center for Law and Justice, which defends the First Amendment rights of religious people; and Operation Blessing, an international humanitarian organization.For more than a half-century, Robertson was a familiar presence in American living rooms, known for his “700 Club” television show, and in later years, his televised pronouncements of God’s judgment, blaming natural disasters on everything from homosexuality to the teaching of evolution.The money poured in as he solicited donations, his influence soared, and he brought a huge following with him when he moved directly into politics by seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 1988.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-evangelical-abortion-iowa-0707607982651226d6859733637a453e">Robertson pioneered the now-common strategy</a>&nbsp;of courting Iowa’s network of evangelical Christian churches, and finished in second place in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Vice President George H.W. Bush.His masterstroke was insisting that three million followers across the U.S. sign petitions before he would decide to run, Robertson biographer Jeffrey K. Hadden said. The tactic gave him an army.″He asked people to pledge that they’d work for him, pray for him and give him money,” Hadden, a University of Virginia sociologist,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3265228b1b14e865922bd51ac0bf1bc9">told The Associated Press in 1988</a>. ″Political historians may view it as one of the most ingenious things a candidate ever did.″Robertson later endorsed Bush, who won the presidency. Pursuit of Iowa’s evangelicals is now a ritual for Republican hopefuls, including those currently seeking the White House in 2024.Robertson started the Christian Coalition in Chesapeake in 1989, saying it would further his campaign’s ideals. The coalition became a major political force in the 1990s, mobilizing conservative voters through grass-roots activities.By the time of his resignation as the coalition's president in 2001 — Robertson said he wanted to concentrate on ministerial work — his impact on both religion and politics in the U.S. was “enormous,” according to John C. Green, an emeritus political science professor at The University of Akron.Many followed the path Robertson cut in religious broadcasting,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pat-robertson-700-club-steps-down-as-host-cf058279cc326ce21e089fef05357382#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20will%20no%20longer%20be,to%20thank%20all%20of%20you.%E2%80%9D">Green told the AP in 2021</a>. In American politics, Robertson helped “cement the alliance between conservative Christians and the Republican Party.”Marion Gordon “Pat” Robertson was born March 22, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia, to Absalom Willis Robertson and Gladys Churchill Robertson. His father served for 36 years as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Virginia.After graduating from Washington and Lee University, he served as assistant adjutant of the 1st Marine Division in Korea.He received a law degree from Yale University Law School, but failed the bar exam and chose not to pursue a law career.Robertson met his wife, Adelia “Dede” Elmer, at Yale in 1952. He was a Southern Baptist, she was a Catholic, earning a master’s in nursing. Eighteen months later, they ran off to be married by a justice of the peace, knowing neither family would approve.Robertson was interested in politics until he found religion, Dede Robertson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-television-united-states-virginia-norfolk-b345bab8c17c66e7836ff7db3488ebd7#:~:text=NORFOLK%2C%20Va.,Robertson%20was%2094.">told the AP in 1987</a>. He stunned her by pouring out their liquor, tearing a nude print off the wall and declaring he had found the Lord.They moved into a commune in New York City’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood because Robertson said God told him to sell all his possessions and minister to the poor. She was tempted to return home to Ohio, “but I realized that was not what the Lord would have me do ... I had promised to stay, so I did,” she told the AP.Robertson received a master’s in divinity from New York Theological Seminary in 1959, then drove south with his family to buy a bankrupt UHF television station in Portsmouth, Va. He said he had just $70 in his pocket, but soon found investors, and CBN went on the air on Oct. 1, 1961. Established as a tax-exempt religious nonprofit, CBN brought in hundreds of millions, disclosing $321 million in “ministry support” in 2022 alone.One of Robertson’s innovations was to use the secular talk-show format on the network’s flagship show, the “700 Club,” which grew out of a telethon when Robertson asked 700 viewers for monthly $10 contributions. It was more suited to television than traditional revival meetings or church services, and gained a huge audience.“Here’s a well-educated person having sophisticated conversations with a wide variety of guests on a wide variety of topics,” said Green, the University of Akron political science professor. “It was with a religious inflection to be sure. But it was an approach that took up everyday concerns.”His guests eventually included several U.S. presidents — Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.At times, his on-air pronouncements drew criticism.He claimed that the terrorist attacks that killed thousands of Americans on Sept. 11, 2001 were caused by God, angered by the federal courts, pornography, abortion rights and church-state separation. Talking again about 9-11 on his TV show a year later, Robertson described Islam as a violent religion that wants to “dominate” and “destroy,” prompting President George W. Bush to distance himself and say Islam is a peaceful and respectful religion.He called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2005. Later that year, he warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town not to be surprised if disaster struck them because they voted out school board members who favored teaching “intelligent design” over evolution. And in 1998, he said Orlando, Florida, should beware of hurricanes after allowing the annual Gay Days event.In 2014, he angered Kenyans when he warned that towels in Kenya could transmit AIDS. CBN issued a correction, saying Robertson “misspoke about the possibility of getting AIDS through towels.”Robertson also could be unpredictable: In 2010, he called for ending mandatory prison sentences for marijuana possession convictions. Two years later, he said on the “700 Club” that marijuana should be legalized and treated like alcohol because the government’s war on drugs had failed.Robertson condemned Democrats caught up in sex scandals, saying for example that President Bill Clinton turned the White House into a playpen for sexual freedom. But he helped solidify evangelical support for Donald Trump, dismissing the candidate's sexually predatory comments about women as an attempt “to look like he’s macho.”After Trump took office, Robertson interviewed the president at the White House. And CBN welcomed Trump advisers, such as Kellyanne Conway, as guests.But after President Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, Robertson said Trump was living in an “alternate reality” and should “move on,” news outlets reported.Robertson’s son, Gordon, succeeded him in December 2007 as chief executive of CBN, which is now based in Virginia Beach. Robertson remained chairman of the network and continued to appear on the “700 Club.”Robertson stepped down as host of the show after half a century in 2021, with his son Gordon taking over the weekday show.Robertson also was founder and chairman of International Family Entertainment Inc., parent of The Family Channel basic cable TV network. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. bought IFE in 1997.Regent University, where classes began in Virginia Beach in 1978, now has more than 30,000 alumni, CBN said in a statement.Robertson wrote 15 books, including “The Turning Tide” and “The New World Order.”His wife Dede, who was a founding board member of CBN,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-television-united-states-virginia-norfolk-b345bab8c17c66e7836ff7db3488ebd7#:~:text=NORFOLK%2C%20Va.,Robertson%20was%2094.">died last year at the age of 94</a>. The couple had four children, 14 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren, CBN said in a statement.

Pat Robertson, broadcaster, former presidential candidate has died

Omaha philanthropists Barbara and Wally Weitz have made a $25 million gift commitment to invest in strategic priorities and leadership at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and redevelop a historic building at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) in Curtis, Nebraska, to support student growth and success.

The Weitzes have pledged $19 million to UNO and $6 million to NCTA through the University of Nebraska Foundation.

The Weitzes’ gift was made as part of&nbsp;Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future. The campaign is a historic effort to encourage at least 150,000 benefactors to give $3 billion to support University of Nebraska students, faculty, academic and clinical programs and research to address the needs of the state.

At UNO, the couple’s gift will create the Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund and establish the Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership.

“It is thrilling to be a part of a place that is doing the kind of things that are happening at UNO,” Barbara Weitz said. “This institution, and the University of Nebraska as a whole, are incredibly valuable because of the education they provide and for their importance to the economy of the state. We must have well-educated citizens for Nebraska.”

UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, said she is humbled by the gift.

“On behalf of UNO, thank you for making this smart investment in our university,” she said. “This sends a signal to our faculty and staff that you believe in the work they do, as well as UNO’s strategic focus on improving the economic and social mobility of our students. This gift is significant, and it means a great deal to our campus.”

The Weitzes designated $14 million of their gift to create the Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund, to be awarded to strategic UNO priorities that may benefit from new investment. The fund’s purpose is to elevate particularly good programs to nationally recognized ones while addressing critical areas of need in Omaha and the state of Nebraska.

“UNO will have discretion in how to use these funds. We have trust in the people doing the work to come up with the best ideas for our students and the community,” Wally Weitz said.

From 2024 through 2029, the UNO chancellor will annually ask for proposals. An evaluation committee, made up of senior faculty, will then review the proposals based on criteria that include how well a proposal addresses a campus priority, the nature of the need being addressed and the likelihood of success.

“Truly, this gift is an investment not only in UNO, but also in the entire Omaha community and the state of Nebraska,” Chancellor Li said. “The Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund will support our faculty to dream big and realize opportunities to make the future of Nebraska’s teaching, working and learning a reality. All projects supported through this funding will be selected with an eye toward how they strengthen our community as a whole.”

Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership

The Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership, supported by a $5 million gift, is the first endowed chair in higher education leadership to be attached to a chancellor’s position in the University of Nebraska System.

The endowed chair, to be awarded to the UNO chancellor, will aid in the recruitment and retention of top leadership at the university.

The gift will be invested permanently in the endowment and provide an estimated $200,000 in annual distributions to support the UNO chancellor and her/his strategic priorities.

“We are living in a time of immense change and opportunity, requiring skilled, strategic leadership from people who not only deeply understand the issues, but can set a bold vision for the future and inspire others to come along,” University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter said. “The Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership will help to ensure UNO always has strong leadership to move the university and the Omaha community forward.”

At NCTA, the couple’s gift will support a $12 million project to create the Student Success and Activity Center on campus. The Weitzes’ challenge gift will be matched by $6 million in other private funding, with work to begin after fundraising is complete. Donations may be made&nbsp;<a href="https://web.unomaha.edu/e3t/Ctc/2K+113/cCkYH04/VWX2lf565N2sW4kTycs1SGV7KW1vWpFD4_vQc6N3X6VHt3lLBGV1-WJV7CgXTnW82kb-P7GWQZQW8vM8kk5HH-6hW5cdqZM8y6P58W5yr3s92S4fCMW7k15L93GzCJDV4sC_55bgC-WW5B0P_Z7wp8jNW1nZxPv7Ws8sBW1fCby85vsPh6N2w9cd82VspTW4KzmBn6h0MGxW6LzTnq8gvWWvW7XQ4k97pBhbMW8-jhDb3FJ31dW4Z0gYN8M0xp4W93mfFf5kFsK5N92hwbxYnf36W8gVq_27shQ5JW2LmkF16j-NvxW7SmZ7W2q-xPxW5wDrKJ48JHScW4VB8Qt9fYsSdW8lg0RD7f1m0rW4YFJ4f6fh_cW37591" target="_blank">online</a>.

“It took visionaries to create this rural arm of the University of Nebraska over a century ago, and now the Weitzes are the visionaries who are helping to lead us into the future,” said NCTA Dean Larry Gossen, Ph.D. “We are truly overjoyed to receive a gift of this magnitude to allow our campus to evolve with a new Student Success and Activity Center. It will be an awe-inspiring gathering place to be proud of — for students to study together, have social events, and, most importantly, an accessible dining hall. It will draw in students living off-campus and generate the energy and excitement our students need to feel a sense of belonging.”

The gift to renovate and expand “The Barn,” originally built in 1917, will be the single largest monetary donation ever received by NCTA.

“This campus in Curtis charmed me after my first visit to attend graduation. It is a seemingly small but remarkably important part of our commitment to bring resources, faculty and students to improving our agricultural knowledge and workforce in Nebraska,” Barbara Weitz said. "NCTA is a too well-kept secret south of North Platte.”

The gift was inspired by a desire to promote workforce development in the agriculture sector and improve educational opportunities in rural Nebraska.

“At NCTA, we are teaching agriculture ‘in the field’ at the collegiate level, with the latest technology and practices in our academic programs,” Dean Gossen said. “These include agronomy, animal science, ag education, equine industry management, ag mechanics, irrigation technology, agribusiness and veterinary technology. Improvements to campus facilities are included in NCTA’s master plan and are central to our enrollment goals to grow from under 300 to 500 students in the next 10 years.”

Omaha philanthropists Barbara and Wally Weitz have made a $25 million gift commitment to invest in strategic priorities and leadership at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and redevelop a historic building at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) in Curtis, Nebraska, to support student growth and success.The Weitzes have pledged $19 million to UNO and $6 million to NCTA through the University of Nebraska Foundation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686156808827.jpeg" alt="Barbara and Wally Weitz" />
 <figcaption>Barbara and Wally Weitz</figcaption>
 </figure>The Weitzes’ gift was made as part of&nbsp;Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future. The campaign is a historic effort to encourage at least 150,000 benefactors to give $3 billion to support University of Nebraska students, faculty, academic and clinical programs and research to address the needs of the state.At UNO, the couple’s gift will create the Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund and establish the Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership.“It is thrilling to be a part of a place that is doing the kind of things that are happening at UNO,” Barbara Weitz said. “This institution, and the University of Nebraska as a whole, are incredibly valuable because of the education they provide and for their importance to the economy of the state. We must have well-educated citizens for Nebraska.”UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, said she is humbled by the gift.“On behalf of UNO, thank you for making this smart investment in our university,” she said. “This sends a signal to our faculty and staff that you believe in the work they do, as well as UNO’s strategic focus on improving the economic and social mobility of our students. This gift is significant, and it means a great deal to our campus.”<h2>Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund</h2>The Weitzes designated $14 million of their gift to create the Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund, to be awarded to strategic UNO priorities that may benefit from new investment. The fund’s purpose is to elevate particularly good programs to nationally recognized ones while addressing critical areas of need in Omaha and the state of Nebraska.“UNO will have discretion in how to use these funds. We have trust in the people doing the work to come up with the best ideas for our students and the community,” Wally Weitz said.From 2024 through 2029, the UNO chancellor will annually ask for proposals. An evaluation committee, made up of senior faculty, will then review the proposals based on criteria that include how well a proposal addresses a campus priority, the nature of the need being addressed and the likelihood of success.“Truly, this gift is an investment not only in UNO, but also in the entire Omaha community and the state of Nebraska,” Chancellor Li said. “The Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund will support our faculty to dream big and realize opportunities to make the future of Nebraska’s teaching, working and learning a reality. All projects supported through this funding will be selected with an eye toward how they strengthen our community as a whole.”<h2>Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership</h2>The Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership, supported by a $5 million gift, is the first endowed chair in higher education leadership to be attached to a chancellor’s position in the University of Nebraska System.The endowed chair, to be awarded to the UNO chancellor, will aid in the recruitment and retention of top leadership at the university.The gift will be invested permanently in the endowment and provide an estimated $200,000 in annual distributions to support the UNO chancellor and her/his strategic priorities.“We are living in a time of immense change and opportunity, requiring skilled, strategic leadership from people who not only deeply understand the issues, but can set a bold vision for the future and inspire others to come along,” University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter said. “The Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership will help to ensure UNO always has strong leadership to move the university and the Omaha community forward.”<h2>Student Success and Activity Center</h2>At NCTA, the couple’s gift will support a $12 million project to create the Student Success and Activity Center on campus. The Weitzes’ challenge gift will be matched by $6 million in other private funding, with work to begin after fundraising is complete. Donations may be made&nbsp;<a href="https://web.unomaha.edu/e3t/Ctc/2K+113/cCkYH04/VWX2lf565N2sW4kTycs1SGV7KW1vWpFD4_vQc6N3X6VHt3lLBGV1-WJV7CgXTnW82kb-P7GWQZQW8vM8kk5HH-6hW5cdqZM8y6P58W5yr3s92S4fCMW7k15L93GzCJDV4sC_55bgC-WW5B0P_Z7wp8jNW1nZxPv7Ws8sBW1fCby85vsPh6N2w9cd82VspTW4KzmBn6h0MGxW6LzTnq8gvWWvW7XQ4k97pBhbMW8-jhDb3FJ31dW4Z0gYN8M0xp4W93mfFf5kFsK5N92hwbxYnf36W8gVq_27shQ5JW2LmkF16j-NvxW7SmZ7W2q-xPxW5wDrKJ48JHScW4VB8Qt9fYsSdW8lg0RD7f1m0rW4YFJ4f6fh_cW37591" target="_blank">online</a>.“It took visionaries to create this rural arm of the University of Nebraska over a century ago, and now the Weitzes are the visionaries who are helping to lead us into the future,” said NCTA Dean Larry Gossen, Ph.D. “We are truly overjoyed to receive a gift of this magnitude to allow our campus to evolve with a new Student Success and Activity Center. It will be an awe-inspiring gathering place to be proud of — for students to study together, have social events, and, most importantly, an accessible dining hall. It will draw in students living off-campus and generate the energy and excitement our students need to feel a sense of belonging.”The gift to renovate and expand “The Barn,” originally built in 1917, will be the single largest monetary donation ever received by NCTA.“This campus in Curtis charmed me after my first visit to attend graduation. It is a seemingly small but remarkably important part of our commitment to bring resources, faculty and students to improving our agricultural knowledge and workforce in Nebraska,” Barbara Weitz said. "NCTA is a too well-kept secret south of North Platte.”The gift was inspired by a desire to promote workforce development in the agriculture sector and improve educational opportunities in rural Nebraska.“At NCTA, we are teaching agriculture ‘in the field’ at the collegiate level, with the latest technology and practices in our academic programs,” Dean Gossen said. “These include agronomy, animal science, ag education, equine industry management, ag mechanics, irrigation technology, agribusiness and veterinary technology. Improvements to campus facilities are included in NCTA’s master plan and are central to our enrollment goals to grow from under 300 to 500 students in the next 10 years.”

Barbara and Wally Weitz Pledge $25 Million to Only in Nebraska Campaign

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-pence">Former Vice President Mike Pence</a>&nbsp;opened his bid for the Republican nomination for president Wednesday with a firm denunciation of former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump,</a>&nbsp;accusing his two-time running mate of abandoning conservative principles and being guilty of dereliction of duty on Jan. 6, 2021.

Pence, launching his campaign in a suburb of Des Moines, became the first vice president in modern history to challenge the president under whom he served. He said Trump had disqualified himself when he insisted that Pence had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-senate-elections-elections-aaa00b96179c454426453a99ca1e2e30">the power to keep him in office</a>&nbsp;— even though he did not.

Trump, he said, “endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol” on the 6th. "But the American people deserve to know that on that day, President Trump also demanded I choose between him and our Constitution. Now voters will be faced with the same choice.”

“I believe anyone that puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States, and anyone who asks someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president of the United Sates again," he said.

Pence has spent much of the past two-and-a-half-years obliquely criticizing Trump, trying to navigate his political future in a party that has been transformed in Trump's image. But Wednesday, as he made his pitch to voters for the first time as a declared candidate, he did not hold his tongue.

He accused the former president of abandoning the conservative values he ran on, including on abortion. Pence, who supports a national ban on the procedure said that, “After leading the most pro-life administration in American history, Donald Trump and others in this race are retreating from the cause of the unborn. The sanctity of life has been our party’s calling for half a century — long before Donald Trump was a part of it. Now he treats it as an inconvenience, even blaming our election losses in 2022 on overturning Roe v. Wade.”

Trump has declined to say what limits he supports nationally and has blamed some midterm candidates’ rhetoric for their losses last November.

Pence also bemoaned the current politics of “grudges and grievances," saying the country needs leaders who know the difference between the “politics of outrage and standing firm."

“We will restore a threshold of civility in public life,” he pledged.

With Pence's entry into the race, on his 64th birthday, the GOP field is largely set. It includes Trump, who's leading in early polls, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who remains in second, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-burgum-north-dakota-president-1b187576423968c422d2adbd70c9b3dc">launched his campaign Wednesday</a>.

Pence's campaign will test the party's appetite for a socially conservative, mild-mannered and deeply religious candidate who has criticized the populist tide that has swept through his party under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>. And it will show whether Pence has a political future when many in his party still believe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump's false statements</a>&nbsp;that the 2020 election was stolen and that Pence had the power to reject the results of the election,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">won by Democrat Joe Biden</a>.

Pence and his advisers see Iowa — the state that will cast the first votes of the GOP nominating calendar — as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-announcement-2024-presidential-trump-iowa-35c99dfa2f4f265b346b1aeddb6d7cae">key to his potential pathway to the nomination</a>. Its caucusgoers include a large portion of evangelical Christian voters, whom they see as a natural constituency for Pence, a social conservative who supports a national ban on abortion and often talks about his faith. They also think Pence, who represented Indiana in Congress and as governor, is a good personality fit with the Midwestern state.

“We believe the path to victory runs through Iowa and all of its 99 counties," said Scott Reed, co-chair of a super PAC that launched last month to support Pence's candidacy.

But Pence also faces steep challenges. Despite being one of the best-known Republican candidates in the crowded field, he is also saddled with high unfavorability ratings. Trump critics consider him complicit in the former president's most indefensible actions, while Trump loyalists have maligned him as a traitor.

A CNN poll conducted last month found 45% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they would not support Pence under any circumstance. Only 16% said the same about Trump.

Pence’s favorability has also slipped in Iowa, according to The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll. The poll also found Pence with higher unfavorable ratings than all of the other candidates it asked about, including Trump and DeSantis, with 26% of Republicans polled saying they have a “somewhat” or “very” unfavorable view of him.

But Pence, who has visited Iowa more than a dozen times since leaving office, has been warmly welcomed by voters during his trips. During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-desantis-republican-presidential-candidates-iowa-26a86acff94e204362586c45ab0bc00f">a “Roast and Ride” event</a>&nbsp;over the weekend that drew a long list of 2024 candidates, Pence stood out as the only contender to actually mount a Harley and participate in the event’s annual motorcycle ride. When he arrived at a barbecue at the state fairgrounds, he moved easily from table to table, greeting and chatting with attendees.

But there remains lingering skepticism among many Republican voters who still believe Pence could have stopped Biden from becoming president. Trump's lies about mass voting fraud and Pence lacking the “courage” to do the right thing led&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">a mob of his supporters</a>&nbsp;to storm the Capitol, with some chanting “Hang Mike Pence!”

Pence advisers say they recognize the challenge and intend to explain to voters directly that Pence was adhering to his constitutional duty and never had the power to impact the vote.

“I think it’s something you have to walk straight through,” said his longtime adviser Marc Short.

Beyond Jan. 6, his team sees their primary goal as reintroducing Pence to a country that largely knows him as Trump's second-in-command. They want to remind voters of his time in congressional leadership and as governor and envision a campaign heavy with town halls, house parties and visits to local diners and Pizza Ranch restaurants — more intimate settings that will help voters get to know him personally.

“People have seen Mike Pence the vice president. I think what people are going to see is Mike Pence the person," said Todd Huston, the Indiana House speaker and a longtime friend who has signed on to help with outreach to state legislators.

Reed believes there is a strong desire in the party for a candidate like Pence who espouses Reagan-style conservatism, including traditional social values, hawkish foreign policy and small government economics.

“We think this nomination fight is going to be an epic battle for the heart and soul of the conservative, traditional wing of the Republican Party. And Pence is going to campaign as a classic conservative. His credentials are unmatched,” he said.

Unlike Trump and DeSantis, Pence has argued that cuts to Social Security and Medicare must be on the table and has blasted those who have questioned why the U.S. should continue to send&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">aid to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression</a>.

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-pence">Former Vice President Mike Pence</a>&nbsp;opened his bid for the Republican nomination for president Wednesday with a firm denunciation of former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump,</a>&nbsp;accusing his two-time running mate of abandoning conservative principles and being guilty of dereliction of duty on Jan. 6, 2021.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Hello, Iowa! Indiana will always be home, but <a href="https://twitter.com/KarenPence?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KarenPence</a> and I wanted to be here today, in person, because we know this is where the great American Comeback begins! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pence2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pence2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/mPYBaFwbng">pic.twitter.com/mPYBaFwbng</a>&mdash; Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Pence/status/1666531712833028096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Pence, launching his campaign in a suburb of Des Moines, became the first vice president in modern history to challenge the president under whom he served. He said Trump had disqualified himself when he insisted that Pence had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-senate-elections-elections-aaa00b96179c454426453a99ca1e2e30">the power to keep him in office</a>&nbsp;— even though he did not.Trump, he said, “endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol” on the 6th. "But the American people deserve to know that on that day, President Trump also demanded I choose between him and our Constitution. Now voters will be faced with the same choice.”“I believe anyone that puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States, and anyone who asks someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president of the United Sates again," he said.Pence has spent much of the past two-and-a-half-years obliquely criticizing Trump, trying to navigate his political future in a party that has been transformed in Trump's image. But Wednesday, as he made his pitch to voters for the first time as a declared candidate, he did not hold his tongue.He accused the former president of abandoning the conservative values he ran on, including on abortion. Pence, who supports a national ban on the procedure said that, “After leading the most pro-life administration in American history, Donald Trump and others in this race are retreating from the cause of the unborn. The sanctity of life has been our party’s calling for half a century — long before Donald Trump was a part of it. Now he treats it as an inconvenience, even blaming our election losses in 2022 on overturning Roe v. Wade.”Trump has declined to say what limits he supports nationally and has blamed some midterm candidates’ rhetoric for their losses last November.Pence also bemoaned the current politics of “grudges and grievances," saying the country needs leaders who know the difference between the “politics of outrage and standing firm."“We will restore a threshold of civility in public life,” he pledged.With Pence's entry into the race, on his 64th birthday, the GOP field is largely set. It includes Trump, who's leading in early polls, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who remains in second, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-burgum-north-dakota-president-1b187576423968c422d2adbd70c9b3dc">launched his campaign Wednesday</a>.Pence's campaign will test the party's appetite for a socially conservative, mild-mannered and deeply religious candidate who has criticized the populist tide that has swept through his party under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>. And it will show whether Pence has a political future when many in his party still believe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump's false statements</a>&nbsp;that the 2020 election was stolen and that Pence had the power to reject the results of the election,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">won by Democrat Joe Biden</a>.Pence and his advisers see Iowa — the state that will cast the first votes of the GOP nominating calendar — as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-announcement-2024-presidential-trump-iowa-35c99dfa2f4f265b346b1aeddb6d7cae">key to his potential pathway to the nomination</a>. Its caucusgoers include a large portion of evangelical Christian voters, whom they see as a natural constituency for Pence, a social conservative who supports a national ban on abortion and often talks about his faith. They also think Pence, who represented Indiana in Congress and as governor, is a good personality fit with the Midwestern state.“We believe the path to victory runs through Iowa and all of its 99 counties," said Scott Reed, co-chair of a super PAC that launched last month to support Pence's candidacy.But Pence also faces steep challenges. Despite being one of the best-known Republican candidates in the crowded field, he is also saddled with high unfavorability ratings. Trump critics consider him complicit in the former president's most indefensible actions, while Trump loyalists have maligned him as a traitor.A CNN poll conducted last month found 45% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they would not support Pence under any circumstance. Only 16% said the same about Trump.Pence’s favorability has also slipped in Iowa, according to The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll. The poll also found Pence with higher unfavorable ratings than all of the other candidates it asked about, including Trump and DeSantis, with 26% of Republicans polled saying they have a “somewhat” or “very” unfavorable view of him.But Pence, who has visited Iowa more than a dozen times since leaving office, has been warmly welcomed by voters during his trips. During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-desantis-republican-presidential-candidates-iowa-26a86acff94e204362586c45ab0bc00f">a “Roast and Ride” event</a>&nbsp;over the weekend that drew a long list of 2024 candidates, Pence stood out as the only contender to actually mount a Harley and participate in the event’s annual motorcycle ride. When he arrived at a barbecue at the state fairgrounds, he moved easily from table to table, greeting and chatting with attendees.But there remains lingering skepticism among many Republican voters who still believe Pence could have stopped Biden from becoming president. Trump's lies about mass voting fraud and Pence lacking the “courage” to do the right thing led&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">a mob of his supporters</a>&nbsp;to storm the Capitol, with some chanting “Hang Mike Pence!”Pence advisers say they recognize the challenge and intend to explain to voters directly that Pence was adhering to his constitutional duty and never had the power to impact the vote.“I think it’s something you have to walk straight through,” said his longtime adviser Marc Short.Beyond Jan. 6, his team sees their primary goal as reintroducing Pence to a country that largely knows him as Trump's second-in-command. They want to remind voters of his time in congressional leadership and as governor and envision a campaign heavy with town halls, house parties and visits to local diners and Pizza Ranch restaurants — more intimate settings that will help voters get to know him personally.“People have seen Mike Pence the vice president. I think what people are going to see is Mike Pence the person," said Todd Huston, the Indiana House speaker and a longtime friend who has signed on to help with outreach to state legislators.Reed believes there is a strong desire in the party for a candidate like Pence who espouses Reagan-style conservatism, including traditional social values, hawkish foreign policy and small government economics.“We think this nomination fight is going to be an epic battle for the heart and soul of the conservative, traditional wing of the Republican Party. And Pence is going to campaign as a classic conservative. His credentials are unmatched,” he said.Unlike Trump and DeSantis, Pence has argued that cuts to Social Security and Medicare must be on the table and has blasted those who have questioned why the U.S. should continue to send&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">aid to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression</a>.

Pence opens presidential bid with denunciation of Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — Global prices for wheat and corn soared Tuesday after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kakhovka-dam-flood-evacuation-eecc9952c2d9f500c38b0a873f69438c">major dam in Ukraine collapsed</a>, renewing market fears about the fragility of the country's ability to ship food to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia as it fights a war with Russia.

Wheat prices gained 2.4% in early trading Tuesday on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, to $6.39 a bushel. The cost of corn rose more than 1%, to $6.04 a bushel, and oats gained 0.73%, to $3.46 per unit. Prices were higher earlier in the day but faded.

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station, which sits in a Russian-controlled area on the Dnieper River, raised concerns about disruption to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-africa-lifestyle-middle-east-1b41faaa7ac0984d0673023b68d39a70">Ukraine's affordable supplies of wheat</a>, barley, corn and sunflower oil getting to developing nations where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunger-africa-sahel-jihadi-violence-7c9e54def06b88d0e60b9e53a814301f">people are struggling with hunger</a>&nbsp;and high food prices.

“Anytime this war shows signs of getting further escalated, there’s a lot of concern,” said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute. “Markets react to that.”

Ukraine and Russia are both major agricultural suppliers and the war's disruption to their exports&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-politics-health-middle-east-58bb99da6bf9fc6af5a5a645022bc4d7">worsened a global food crisis</a>&nbsp;tied to droughts and other factors. Breakthrough agreements brokered by the U.N. and Turkey last year got food moving again through the Black Sea, but it's faced setbacks.

Russia briefly pulled out of the deal last year, has threatened to leave again, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-grain-ships-fertilizer-limit-e683cfb5e79559b39d0c983aea563291">accused of slowing shipments from Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-grain-food-security-67e9fd1b5ee8b46fdd9c28955dbcb465">only agreed to renew the deal for two months</a>&nbsp;at a time.

“People are going to be watching to see what happens with the agreement,” said Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “This reminds everyone that it’s not just pro forma, that this could be a very serious development if indeed the agreement is broken.”

There are massive agricultural fields in southern Ukraine where the dam burst, and while the collapse has endangered crops in the path of the floodwaters, Glauber says&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-grain-farmers-food-a9df0827d8009c3fef347378061f9dd7">less wheat has been planted</a>&nbsp;in that area because it's near the fighting and a lot is growing elsewhere.

The collapse has threatened drinking water supplies, with officials also warning of a looming environmental disaster — pointing to oil escaping from the dam machinery and significant flooding.

Andrey Sizov, managing director of Black Sea agricultural markets research firm SovEcon, said the dam collapse looked "like a big escalation with dire consequences and huge headline risk.”

“This could be just the start of the bull run,” Sizov&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/sizov_andre/status/1665938993769316354?cxt=HHwWhIC80YaszZ4uAAAA">wrote on Twitter</a>&nbsp;early Tuesday.

The wheat futures rally overnight and early Tuesday lost steam as the day progressed. As of around 3 p.m. ET, for example, the price of wheat was down to $6.27 a bushel.

Wheat, vegetable oil and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-health-business-climate-and-environment-00539505ec5db37de5877137b9febeb8">food commodity prices have fallen from record highs</a>&nbsp;last year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine — thanks in part to the Black Sea grain deal — but the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-prices-inflation-ukraine-war-economy-8daa7e3d92666d290d87932dc8f25a94">relief in prices has not made it to markets</a>, grocery stores and kitchen tables.

Citi commodities analysts called the dam breach a “reminder of lingering inflationary risk in the goods market.”

It's possible temporary jumps in prices follow significant news events, like the dam collapse, analysts say.

But circumstances are key — and expectations for food exports from Ukraine will likely “continue to diminish as we recognize that Ukrainian production will continue to be severely impaired because of the war,” said Joe Janzen, assistant professor at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

The supply of grain Ukraine is able to export is 40% lower than it was two years ago, Glauber said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686057672800.png" alt="Image made from video provided by Ukraine's Presidential Office&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Image made from video provided by Ukraine's Presidential Office&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Global prices for wheat and corn soared Tuesday after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kakhovka-dam-flood-evacuation-eecc9952c2d9f500c38b0a873f69438c">major dam in Ukraine collapsed</a>, renewing market fears about the fragility of the country's ability to ship food to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia as it fights a war with Russia.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RussiaIsATerroristState?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RussiaIsATerroristState</a> and the only way to stop it, is to kick it out of Ukraine. Blowing up the Kakhovska HPP will have devastating consequences,incl drowning in the region, long term water shortage, irreparable damages to thousands of lives of innocent civilians and ecosystem <a href="https://t.co/Cj2lTaoVZd">pic.twitter.com/Cj2lTaoVZd</a>&mdash; MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) <a href="https://twitter.com/MFA_Ukraine/status/1665964127477481473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Wheat prices gained 2.4% in early trading Tuesday on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, to $6.39 a bushel. The cost of corn rose more than 1%, to $6.04 a bushel, and oats gained 0.73%, to $3.46 per unit. Prices were higher earlier in the day but faded.The destruction of the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station, which sits in a Russian-controlled area on the Dnieper River, raised concerns about disruption to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-africa-lifestyle-middle-east-1b41faaa7ac0984d0673023b68d39a70">Ukraine's affordable supplies of wheat</a>, barley, corn and sunflower oil getting to developing nations where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunger-africa-sahel-jihadi-violence-7c9e54def06b88d0e60b9e53a814301f">people are struggling with hunger</a>&nbsp;and high food prices.“Anytime this war shows signs of getting further escalated, there’s a lot of concern,” said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute. “Markets react to that.”Ukraine and Russia are both major agricultural suppliers and the war's disruption to their exports&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-covid-politics-health-middle-east-58bb99da6bf9fc6af5a5a645022bc4d7">worsened a global food crisis</a>&nbsp;tied to droughts and other factors. Breakthrough agreements brokered by the U.N. and Turkey last year got food moving again through the Black Sea, but it's faced setbacks.Russia briefly pulled out of the deal last year, has threatened to leave again, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-grain-ships-fertilizer-limit-e683cfb5e79559b39d0c983aea563291">accused of slowing shipments from Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-grain-food-security-67e9fd1b5ee8b46fdd9c28955dbcb465">only agreed to renew the deal for two months</a>&nbsp;at a time.“People are going to be watching to see what happens with the agreement,” said Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “This reminds everyone that it’s not just pro forma, that this could be a very serious development if indeed the agreement is broken.”There are massive agricultural fields in southern Ukraine where the dam burst, and while the collapse has endangered crops in the path of the floodwaters, Glauber says&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-grain-farmers-food-a9df0827d8009c3fef347378061f9dd7">less wheat has been planted</a>&nbsp;in that area because it's near the fighting and a lot is growing elsewhere.The collapse has threatened drinking water supplies, with officials also warning of a looming environmental disaster — pointing to oil escaping from the dam machinery and significant flooding.Andrey Sizov, managing director of Black Sea agricultural markets research firm SovEcon, said the dam collapse looked "like a big escalation with dire consequences and huge headline risk.”“This could be just the start of the bull run,” Sizov&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/sizov_andre/status/1665938993769316354?cxt=HHwWhIC80YaszZ4uAAAA">wrote on Twitter</a>&nbsp;early Tuesday.The wheat futures rally overnight and early Tuesday lost steam as the day progressed. As of around 3 p.m. ET, for example, the price of wheat was down to $6.27 a bushel.Wheat, vegetable oil and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-health-business-climate-and-environment-00539505ec5db37de5877137b9febeb8">food commodity prices have fallen from record highs</a>&nbsp;last year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine — thanks in part to the Black Sea grain deal — but the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/food-prices-inflation-ukraine-war-economy-8daa7e3d92666d290d87932dc8f25a94">relief in prices has not made it to markets</a>, grocery stores and kitchen tables.Citi commodities analysts called the dam breach a “reminder of lingering inflationary risk in the goods market.”It's possible temporary jumps in prices follow significant news events, like the dam collapse, analysts say.But circumstances are key — and expectations for food exports from Ukraine will likely “continue to diminish as we recognize that Ukrainian production will continue to be severely impaired because of the war,” said Joe Janzen, assistant professor at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.The supply of grain Ukraine is able to export is 40% lower than it was two years ago, Glauber said.

Wheat prices jump following collapse of major dam in Ukraine

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-hospital-health-intestine-64750f0392511ea6dc6824b8f8db4f5a">latest malady</a>&nbsp;to befall the 86-year-old pontiff who had part of his colon removed two years ago.

The Vatican said there were no complications during the three-hour surgery, which required Francis to be under general anesthesia. Soon after the procedure, the surgeon who performed the operation said the pope was awake and fine and that the hernia was fixed.

The pontiff was expected to remain at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several days. As a precaution, all papal audiences were canceled through June 18, the Vatican said.

While hernia operations are rarely performed on an emergency basis, the procedure appeared somewhat urgent, scheduled just a day after Francis went to the hospital for tests. The pontiff's doctors no doubt also wanted to give him ample time for recovery ahead of a busy travel schedule later this summer.

The pope was suffering from a “painful and worsening” hernia that formed over a previous scar, presumably from his 2021 colon surgery. Experts said the formation of the hernia, called a laparocele, is a known complication from intestinal surgery. The concern is that a portion of his intestine may have bulged through the tear and become trapped.

At three hours, the pope’s procedure was considerably longer than the standard 60 to 90 minutes doctors say the operation usually takes.

Spending more time under anesthesia, coupled with being on a ventilator for so long — in someone who has lost part of one lung as a young man — could put the pontiff at risk of breathing complications or a longer-than-expected recovery time.

It was also unclear if doctors removed any more sections of the pope’s colon, which may have been made necessary by the hernia.

Francis went to the hospital for previously unannounced tests Tuesday, returned to the Vatican and presided over his audience Wednesday morning, but then went straight to Gemelli for the procedure afterward.

“When the intestines are trapped, the blood supply to the bowel is compromised. And if you don’t take care of it, the bowel will die, and you will have gangrenous intestines,” said Dr. Walter Longo, chief of colon and rectal surgery at Yale University School of Medicine.

He said Francis should be OK after a few weeks of recovery, but he noted that the aging pope is already frail. “There’s the risk of going through surgery, operating on a fragile individual, but if he can get through it, he will be fine,” he said.

Francis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-21bf68ed6376f57cd9e0a0af631b11d7">remains in charge</a>&nbsp;of the Vatican and the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church, even while unconscious and in the hospital, according to canon law.

In July 2021, Francis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-religion-pope-francis-bfb9d24c1f6c430dcd9312221a62fc5d">spent 10 days</a>&nbsp;at Gemelli to remove 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his large intestine.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-retirement-papacy-dcca464e7c1fd910568d07d6bf4d9994">In an interview with The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;in January, Francis said the diverticulosis, or bulges in his intestinal wall, that prompted that surgery had returned.

After that surgery, Francis lamented that he hadn’t responded well to the general anesthetic used in the longer-than-expected procedure. That reaction in part explained his refusal to have surgery to repair strained knee ligaments that have forced him to use a wheelchair and walker for over a year.

Dr. Manish Chand, a professor of surgery at University College London who specializes in colorectal surgery, said the surgery itself is usually straightforward — but it does require general anesthesia. In the procedure, a surgeon typically frees the trapped intestine and then repairs the hernia and implants a prosthetic, most likely a piece of mesh.

He said the greatest issue afterwards would be pain management and making sure the wound heals properly.

“In the first six weeks after this type of surgery, you’re at risk of getting a recurrence again,” he said. To avoid that, patients are advised not to do anything strenuous.

Dr. Robin Phillips, an emeritus professor of colorectal surgery at Imperial College London, pointed out that abdominal surgery can also compromise lung function.

The Argentine pope had part of one lung removed when he was a young man. In late March, Francis spent three days at Gemelli&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-hospital-26d91fdd7a880e9c309581110c00e8bd?0=utm_source=ground.news&amp;1=utm_medium=referral">for bronchitis</a>&nbsp;and was treated with intravenous antibiotics. He emerged April 1 saying “Still alive!”

“I suspect they are doing it now because they are worried it might become more complicated and result in an emergency operation, which would carry an even bigger risk than leaving it alone or operating now,” Phillips said.

After celebrating his weekly general audience, the pope was driven in his Fiat 500 out of the Vatican shortly after 11 a.m. and arrived at the Gemelli some 20 minutes later, escorted by police.

“The stay at the health facility will last several days to allow for the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery,” the Vatican said in a statement. An update was not expected until after the procedure.

The pope had appeared in good form Wednesday morning at his audience in St. Peter’s Square, zipping around the square in his popemobile greeting the faithful. He also had two meetings beforehand, the Vatican said.

Francis has had a packed schedule of late, with multiple audiences each day. The Vatican recently confirmed a travel-filled August, when the Holy See and Italy are usually on vacation, with a four-day visit to Portugal the first week of August and a similarly long trip to Mongolia starting Aug. 31.

In a sign that the trips were still on, the Vatican on Tuesday released the planned itinerary for Francis’ visit to Portugal for World Youth Day events from Aug. 2 to Aug. 6. The busy schedule includes all the protocol meetings of an official state visit plus multiple events with young people and a day trip to the Marian shrine at Fatima.

The Vatican said there were no complications after the three-hour surgery, during which Francis was under general anesthesia. The 86-year-old pontiff was expected to remain at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several days. As a precaution, all papal audiences were canceled through June 18, the Vatican said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603292366279.png" alt="Francis went to the hospital for previously unannounced tests Tuesday, returned to the Vatican and presided over his audience Wednesday morning, but then went straight to Gemelli for the procedure afterward.image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Francis went to the hospital for previously unannounced tests Tuesday, returned to the Vatican and presided over his audience Wednesday morning, but then went straight to Gemelli for the procedure afterward.image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ROME (AP) — Pope Francis underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-hospital-health-intestine-64750f0392511ea6dc6824b8f8db4f5a">latest malady</a>&nbsp;to befall the 86-year-old pontiff who had part of his colon removed two years ago.The Vatican said there were no complications during the three-hour surgery, which required Francis to be under general anesthesia. Soon after the procedure, the surgeon who performed the operation said the pope was awake and fine and that the hernia was fixed.The pontiff was expected to remain at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several days. As a precaution, all papal audiences were canceled through June 18, the Vatican said.While hernia operations are rarely performed on an emergency basis, the procedure appeared somewhat urgent, scheduled just a day after Francis went to the hospital for tests. The pontiff's doctors no doubt also wanted to give him ample time for recovery ahead of a busy travel schedule later this summer.The pope was suffering from a “painful and worsening” hernia that formed over a previous scar, presumably from his 2021 colon surgery. Experts said the formation of the hernia, called a laparocele, is a known complication from intestinal surgery. The concern is that a portion of his intestine may have bulged through the tear and become trapped.At three hours, the pope’s procedure was considerably longer than the standard 60 to 90 minutes doctors say the operation usually takes.Spending more time under anesthesia, coupled with being on a ventilator for so long — in someone who has lost part of one lung as a young man — could put the pontiff at risk of breathing complications or a longer-than-expected recovery time.It was also unclear if doctors removed any more sections of the pope’s colon, which may have been made necessary by the hernia.Francis went to the hospital for previously unannounced tests Tuesday, returned to the Vatican and presided over his audience Wednesday morning, but then went straight to Gemelli for the procedure afterward.“When the intestines are trapped, the blood supply to the bowel is compromised. And if you don’t take care of it, the bowel will die, and you will have gangrenous intestines,” said Dr. Walter Longo, chief of colon and rectal surgery at Yale University School of Medicine.He said Francis should be OK after a few weeks of recovery, but he noted that the aging pope is already frail. “There’s the risk of going through surgery, operating on a fragile individual, but if he can get through it, he will be fine,” he said.Francis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-21bf68ed6376f57cd9e0a0af631b11d7">remains in charge</a>&nbsp;of the Vatican and the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church, even while unconscious and in the hospital, according to canon law.In July 2021, Francis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-religion-pope-francis-bfb9d24c1f6c430dcd9312221a62fc5d">spent 10 days</a>&nbsp;at Gemelli to remove 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his large intestine.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-retirement-papacy-dcca464e7c1fd910568d07d6bf4d9994">In an interview with The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;in January, Francis said the diverticulosis, or bulges in his intestinal wall, that prompted that surgery had returned.After that surgery, Francis lamented that he hadn’t responded well to the general anesthetic used in the longer-than-expected procedure. That reaction in part explained his refusal to have surgery to repair strained knee ligaments that have forced him to use a wheelchair and walker for over a year.Dr. Manish Chand, a professor of surgery at University College London who specializes in colorectal surgery, said the surgery itself is usually straightforward — but it does require general anesthesia. In the procedure, a surgeon typically frees the trapped intestine and then repairs the hernia and implants a prosthetic, most likely a piece of mesh.He said the greatest issue afterwards would be pain management and making sure the wound heals properly.“In the first six weeks after this type of surgery, you’re at risk of getting a recurrence again,” he said. To avoid that, patients are advised not to do anything strenuous.Dr. Robin Phillips, an emeritus professor of colorectal surgery at Imperial College London, pointed out that abdominal surgery can also compromise lung function.The Argentine pope had part of one lung removed when he was a young man. In late March, Francis spent three days at Gemelli&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-hospital-26d91fdd7a880e9c309581110c00e8bd?0=utm_source=ground.news&amp;1=utm_medium=referral">for bronchitis</a>&nbsp;and was treated with intravenous antibiotics. He emerged April 1 saying “Still alive!”“I suspect they are doing it now because they are worried it might become more complicated and result in an emergency operation, which would carry an even bigger risk than leaving it alone or operating now,” Phillips said.After celebrating his weekly general audience, the pope was driven in his Fiat 500 out of the Vatican shortly after 11 a.m. and arrived at the Gemelli some 20 minutes later, escorted by police.“The stay at the health facility will last several days to allow for the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery,” the Vatican said in a statement. An update was not expected until after the procedure.The pope had appeared in good form Wednesday morning at his audience in St. Peter’s Square, zipping around the square in his popemobile greeting the faithful. He also had two meetings beforehand, the Vatican said.Francis has had a packed schedule of late, with multiple audiences each day. The Vatican recently confirmed a travel-filled August, when the Holy See and Italy are usually on vacation, with a four-day visit to Portugal the first week of August and a similarly long trip to Mongolia starting Aug. 31.In a sign that the trips were still on, the Vatican on Tuesday released the planned itinerary for Francis’ visit to Portugal for World Youth Day events from Aug. 2 to Aug. 6. The busy schedule includes all the protocol meetings of an official state visit plus multiple events with young people and a day trip to the Marian shrine at Fatima.-------------ROME (AP) — Pope Francis underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-hospital-health-intestine-64750f0392511ea6dc6824b8f8db4f5a">latest malady</a>&nbsp;to befall the 86-year-old pontiff who had part of his colon removed two years ago.The Vatican said there were no complications after the three-hour surgery, during which Francis was under general anesthesia. The 86-year-old pontiff was expected to remain at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several days. As a precaution, all papal audiences were canceled through June 18, the Vatican said.While hernia operations are rarely performed on an emergency basis, the procedure appeared somewhat urgent, scheduled just a day after Francis went to the hospital for tests. The pontiff's doctors no doubt also wanted to give him ample time for recovery ahead of a busy travel schedule later this summer.The pope was suffering from a “painful and worsening” hernia that formed over a previous scar, presumably from his 2021 colon surgery. Experts said the formation of the hernia, called a laparocele, is a known complication from intestinal surgery. The concern is that a portion of his intestine may have bulged through the tear and become trapped.Francis went to the hospital for previously unannounced tests Tuesday, returned to the Vatican and presided over his audience Wednesday morning, but then went straight to Gemelli for the procedure afterward.“When the intestines are trapped, the blood supply to the bowel is compromised. And if you don’t take care of it, the bowel will die, and you will have gangrenous intestines,” said Dr. Walter Longo, chief of colon and rectal surgery at Yale University School of Medicine.He said Francis should be OK after a few weeks of recovery, but he noted that the aging pope is already frail. “There’s the risk of going through surgery, operating on a fragile individual, but if he can get through it, he will be fine,” he said.Francis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-21bf68ed6376f57cd9e0a0af631b11d7">remains in charge</a>&nbsp;of the Vatican and the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church, even while unconscious and in the hospital, according to canon law.In July 2021, Francis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-religion-pope-francis-bfb9d24c1f6c430dcd9312221a62fc5d">spent 10 days</a>&nbsp;at Gemelli to remove 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his large intestine.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-retirement-papacy-dcca464e7c1fd910568d07d6bf4d9994">In an interview with The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;in January, Francis said the diverticulosis, or bulges in his intestinal wall, that prompted that surgery had returned.After that surgery, Francis lamented that he hadn’t responded well to the general anesthetic used in the longer-than-expected procedure. That reaction in part explained his refusal to have surgery to repair strained knee ligaments that have forced him to use a wheelchair and walker for over a year.Dr. Manish Chand, a professor of surgery at University College London who specializes in colorectal surgery, said the surgery itself is usually straightforward — but it does require general anesthesia. In the procedure, a surgeon typically frees the trapped intestine and then repairs the hernia and implants a prosthetic, most likely a piece of mesh.He said the greatest issue afterwards would be pain management and making sure the wound heals properly.“In the first six weeks after this type of surgery, you’re at risk of getting a recurrence again,” he said. To avoid that, patients are advised not to do anything strenuous.Dr. Robin Phillips, an emeritus professor of colorectal surgery at Imperial College London, pointed out that abdominal surgery can also compromise lung function.The Argentine pope had part of one lung removed when he was a young man. In late March, Francis spent three days at Gemelli&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-hospital-26d91fdd7a880e9c309581110c00e8bd?0=utm_source=ground.news&amp;1=utm_medium=referral">for bronchitis</a>&nbsp;and was treated with intravenous antibiotics. He emerged April 1 saying “Still alive!”“I suspect they are doing it now because they are worried it might become more complicated and result in an emergency operation, which would carry an even bigger risk than leaving it alone or operating now,” Phillips said.After celebrating his weekly general audience, the pope was driven in his Fiat 500 out of the Vatican shortly after 11 a.m. and arrived at the Gemelli some 20 minutes later, escorted by police.“The stay at the health facility will last several days to allow for the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery,” the Vatican said in a statement. An update was not expected until after the procedure.The pope had appeared in good form Wednesday morning at his audience in St. Peter’s Square, zipping around the square in his popemobile greeting the faithful. He also had two meetings beforehand, the Vatican said.Francis has had a packed schedule of late, with multiple audiences each day. The Vatican recently confirmed a travel-filled August, when the Holy See and Italy are usually on vacation, with a four-day visit to Portugal the first week of August and a similarly long trip to Mongolia starting Aug. 31.In a sign that the trips were still on, the Vatican on Tuesday released the planned itinerary for Francis’ visit to Portugal for World Youth Day events from Aug. 2 to Aug. 6. The busy schedule includes all the protocol meetings of an official state visit plus multiple events with young people and a day trip to the Marian shrine at Fatima.

Pope Francis emerges from 3-hour abdominal surgery without complications

By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Drought conditions in eastern Nebraska are prompting recommendations to proactively conserve water when irrigating lawns, washing clothes and even brushing your teeth.

The City of Lincoln&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/LTU/Utilities/LWS/Restriction">last week instituted voluntary conservation</a>&nbsp;steps, including alternating which days residents should water lawns and gardens.

That hasn’t happened yet in Omaha and surrounding communities, but it’s likely to happen, according to Paul Winkler, the general manager of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District.

“Why not do it now, because it’s coming,”&nbsp; Winkler said Tuesday. “The more we can conserve now, the better.”

A large swath of east-central Nebraska, from Geneva northward to near South Sioux City, is listed as in “exceptional drought” in the current&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.drought.gov/states/nebraska">U.S. drought monitor map</a>.

The year 2022 was the fourth driest on record in Nebraska, with most of the state receiving less than 70% of normal precipitation.

Winkler said he’s never seen reservoirs so low in his NRD, which covers most of eastern Nebraska.

Despite some recent rains, the eastern part of Nebraska is still running behind on precipitation this year. Nearly 70% of the entire state is labeled as being in exceptional, extreme or severe drought.

That prompted the&nbsp;Lower Platte River Consortium this week to&nbsp; encourage the public to take proactive steps to conserve water.&nbsp;

Among the water conservation steps encouraged by the federal Environmental Protection Agency:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686141057310.png" alt="The state drought monitor map, as of May 30, shows a deep red area of “exceptional” drought across east-central Nebraska. (Courtesy of the National Integrated Drought Information System)" />
 <figcaption>The state drought monitor map, as of May 30, shows a deep red area of “exceptional” drought across east-central Nebraska. (Courtesy of the National Integrated Drought Information System)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Drought conditions in eastern Nebraska are prompting recommendations to proactively conserve water when irrigating lawns, washing clothes and even brushing your teeth.The City of Lincoln&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/LTU/Utilities/LWS/Restriction">last week instituted voluntary conservation</a>&nbsp;steps, including alternating which days residents should water lawns and gardens.<h2>Reservoir levels low</h2>That hasn’t happened yet in Omaha and surrounding communities, but it’s likely to happen, according to Paul Winkler, the general manager of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District.“Why not do it now, because it’s coming,”&nbsp; Winkler said Tuesday. “The more we can conserve now, the better.”A large swath of east-central Nebraska, from Geneva northward to near South Sioux City, is listed as in “exceptional drought” in the current&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.drought.gov/states/nebraska">U.S. drought monitor map</a>.The year 2022 was the fourth driest on record in Nebraska, with most of the state receiving less than 70% of normal precipitation.Winkler said he’s never seen reservoirs so low in his NRD, which covers most of eastern Nebraska.Despite some recent rains, the eastern part of Nebraska is still running behind on precipitation this year. Nearly 70% of the entire state is labeled as being in exceptional, extreme or severe drought.<h2>Several steps encouraged by EPA</h2>That prompted the&nbsp;Lower Platte River Consortium this week to&nbsp; encourage the public to take proactive steps to conserve water.&nbsp;Among the water conservation steps encouraged by the federal Environmental Protection Agency:<ul>
 <li>Take short showers instead of tub baths. Turn off the water flow while soaping or shampooing.</li><li>Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.</li><li>Operate the dishwasher only when completely full.</li><li>Use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.</li><li>Sweep driveways, sidewalks and steps rather than hosing off.</li><li>Wash the car with water from a bucket, or consider using a commercial car wash that recycles water.</li><li>Repair all leaks. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day.</li><li>Water the lawn or garden during the coolest part of the day (early morning is best). Do not water on windy days.</li><li>Water trees and shrubs, which have deep root systems, longer and less frequently.</li><li>Raise your lawn mower cutting height — longer grass blades help shade each other, cut down on evaporation and inhibit weed growth.</li>
 </ul>

Public asked to conserve water in lower Platte River basin

The Kearney Park and Recreation Department is now taking registrations for the UNK Sapphire&nbsp; Dance Camp for kids 6-9 years old. The camp will be held from 10:30am-11:45am, July 12-14,&nbsp; at the Harmon Park Activity Center. The UNK Sapphires will teach and enhance dance&nbsp; techniques and fundamentals during this three-day camp. Participants will learn a&nbsp; choreographed dance and perform it on Friday, July 14 for parents and guests to see. The&nbsp; cost is $30 per camper. To register or for more information: Stop by the Park and Recreation&nbsp; office at 1930 University Drive, call 308-237-4644, or sign up online at kprreg.org.&nbsp;

Marty Browne - City of KearneyThe Kearney Park and Recreation Department is now taking registrations for the UNK Sapphire&nbsp; Dance Camp for kids 6-9 years old. The camp will be held from 10:30am-11:45am, July 12-14,&nbsp; at the Harmon Park Activity Center. The UNK Sapphires will teach and enhance dance&nbsp; techniques and fundamentals during this three-day camp. Participants will learn a&nbsp; choreographed dance and perform it on Friday, July 14 for parents and guests to see. The&nbsp; cost is $30 per camper. To register or for more information: Stop by the Park and Recreation&nbsp; office at 1930 University Drive, call 308-237-4644, or sign up online at kprreg.org.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667474224678.png" alt="University of Nebraska Kearney" />
 <figcaption>University of Nebraska Kearney</figcaption>
 </figure>

UNK Sapphire Dance Camp 

LINCOLN — A trio of Nebraska food stamp recipients is pushing back on the new expansion of work requirements to obtain the food aid, saying the requirements don’t work and will harm families in need.

The new requirements, included in the recent compromise over the federal debt ceiling, raises from age 50 to age 54 a requirement that a person without dependents must work or obtain job training for at least 80 hours a month to qualify for food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/2023/05/work-requirements-what-are-they-do-they-work.html">Studies have shown</a>&nbsp;that work requirements don’t translate into long-term employment and discourage people from participating due to the paperwork, and instead work to push people off such food aid, according to Eric Savaiano, who manages programs for food and nutrition access at Nebraska Appleseed, which advocates for the poor.

‘Basic needs’ should not have been on table

“Their basic needs should never have been on the table in the debt ceiling negotiations,” Savaiano said.

Three food stamp recipients interviewed by Appleseed echoed those feelings.

“I worry about the older adults who are at risk of losing their SNAP now,” said one of the three, Sierra Edmisten of Hastings. “Everyone needs to eat. It’s a human right so why are we making it harder to access?”

The expanded work requirements for SNAP, as well as a modernization of the work requirements for federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, were part of the debt-ceiling compromise reached last week between Congress and President Joe Biden.

U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., was among those supporting the compromise, saying it was a step toward “fiscal sanity” that would reduce the federal deficit by a projected $2.1 trillion over the next six years.

<a target="_blank" href="https://adriansmith.house.gov/media/column/fiscal-responsibility">Smith, in a column,</a>&nbsp;also said that the work requirement changes for SNAP and TANF “will help get Americans off the sidelines of our economy and back into the workforce while preserving these programs for those who truly need them.”

Advocates: Requirements don’t lead to jobs

But advocates, and the three recipients of the programs, said the changes don’t promote access to jobs and financial security, but will cause fewer people to get help with food and other basic needs while they are seeking stability.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/debt-ceiling-agreements-snap-changes-would-increase-hunger-and-poverty-for">Center on Budget and Policy Priorities</a>&nbsp;estimated that almost 750,000 older adults ages 50-54 would be at risk of losing food assistance under the new job requirements.

Savaiano said that the debt-ceiling compromise did include one positive SNAP policy change — providing exemptions to preserve food access for people experiencing homelessness, veterans and former foster youth.

But, he said, the fact that these new categories of people had to be singled out for protection shows that current policies aren’t working.

“If people experiencing homelessness don’t qualify (now) for the existing ‘hardship’ exemption, it is hard to know who would,” Savaiano said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1571410354379.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A trio of Nebraska food stamp recipients is pushing back on the new expansion of work requirements to obtain the food aid, saying the requirements don’t work and will harm families in need.The new requirements, included in the recent compromise over the federal debt ceiling, raises from age 50 to age 54 a requirement that a person without dependents must work or obtain job training for at least 80 hours a month to qualify for food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/2023/05/work-requirements-what-are-they-do-they-work.html">Studies have shown</a>&nbsp;that work requirements don’t translate into long-term employment and discourage people from participating due to the paperwork, and instead work to push people off such food aid, according to Eric Savaiano, who manages programs for food and nutrition access at Nebraska Appleseed, which advocates for the poor.<h2>‘Basic needs’ should not have been on table</h2>“Their basic needs should never have been on the table in the debt ceiling negotiations,” Savaiano said.Three food stamp recipients interviewed by Appleseed echoed those feelings.“I worry about the older adults who are at risk of losing their SNAP now,” said one of the three, Sierra Edmisten of Hastings. “Everyone needs to eat. It’s a human right so why are we making it harder to access?”The expanded work requirements for SNAP, as well as a modernization of the work requirements for federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, were part of the debt-ceiling compromise reached last week between Congress and President Joe Biden.U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., was among those supporting the compromise, saying it was a step toward “fiscal sanity” that would reduce the federal deficit by a projected $2.1 trillion over the next six years.<a target="_blank" href="https://adriansmith.house.gov/media/column/fiscal-responsibility">Smith, in a column,</a>&nbsp;also said that the work requirement changes for SNAP and TANF “will help get Americans off the sidelines of our economy and back into the workforce while preserving these programs for those who truly need them.”<h2>Advocates: Requirements don’t lead to jobs</h2>But advocates, and the three recipients of the programs, said the changes don’t promote access to jobs and financial security, but will cause fewer people to get help with food and other basic needs while they are seeking stability.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/debt-ceiling-agreements-snap-changes-would-increase-hunger-and-poverty-for">Center on Budget and Policy Priorities</a>&nbsp;estimated that almost 750,000 older adults ages 50-54 would be at risk of losing food assistance under the new job requirements.Savaiano said that the debt-ceiling compromise did include one positive SNAP policy change — providing exemptions to preserve food access for people experiencing homelessness, veterans and former foster youth.But, he said, the fact that these new categories of people had to be singled out for protection shows that current policies aren’t working.“If people experiencing homelessness don’t qualify (now) for the existing ‘hardship’ exemption, it is hard to know who would,” Savaiano said.

Neb. food stamp recipients push back on new work requirements

LINCOLN — A former employee in the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office is facing possible criminal charges for allegedly changing the title of a vehicle for her son’s girlfriend.

A recent state audit uncovered the 2022 incident in which Tammy Biesecker, then working as a clerk in the office, removed a lien and then issued a new, “clean” title, on a 2005 Jeep Cherokee owned by the girlfriend.

The action raised auditors’ suspicions initially because the girlfriend lived in Kearney, 50 miles north of the Franklin County Courthouse, and had licensed the vehicle in Buffalo County.

Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley has issued a letter to the Franklin County Board detailing his concerns, which have been forwarded to a special prosecutor.

“Elected officials bear a special responsibility to be guardians of the public trust,” Foley said Monday. “What happened in Franklin County is simply disgusting.”

Biesecker was not immediately available by phone or email Monday to respond to a request for comment.

She was fired from her job a year ago, just before American Auto Exchange Inc. contacted the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office about the removal of its lien on the vehicle. The girlfriend still owed money on the Jeep, officials said.

According to state auditors, when Biesecker was confronted with the question of an improper title change, she produced a “lien release” letter from the auto company.

But the letter, auditors said, had several irregularities, including the lack of a date and an address for the vehicle owner and a “completely illegible signature,” coupled with no printed name or title for the lien holder’s representative. Biesecker also claimed the letter had been mailed, when it was clearly marked as “Sent from my iPhone.”

Auditors also alleged that Biesecker aided the girlfriend in evading sales taxes during a prior purchase of another automobile.

Franklin County Attorney Henry Schenker said Monday that he had appointed a special prosecutor in the case because of a conflict of interest. The appointed prosecutor, Kearney County Attorney&nbsp;Melodie Bellamy, declined to comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685212630285.png" alt="&nbsp;Only one budget override was sustained by state lawmakers: extra funding for the Nebraska State Auditor’s Office to address non-competitive salaries. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Only one budget override was sustained by state lawmakers: extra funding for the Nebraska State Auditor’s Office to address non-competitive salaries. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A former employee in the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office is facing possible criminal charges for allegedly changing the title of a vehicle for her son’s girlfriend.A recent state audit uncovered the 2022 incident in which Tammy Biesecker, then working as a clerk in the office, removed a lien and then issued a new, “clean” title, on a 2005 Jeep Cherokee owned by the girlfriend.The action raised auditors’ suspicions initially because the girlfriend lived in Kearney, 50 miles north of the Franklin County Courthouse, and had licensed the vehicle in Buffalo County.Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley has issued a letter to the Franklin County Board detailing his concerns, which have been forwarded to a special prosecutor.“Elected officials bear a special responsibility to be guardians of the public trust,” Foley said Monday. “What happened in Franklin County is simply disgusting.”Biesecker was not immediately available by phone or email Monday to respond to a request for comment.She was fired from her job a year ago, just before American Auto Exchange Inc. contacted the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office about the removal of its lien on the vehicle. The girlfriend still owed money on the Jeep, officials said.According to state auditors, when Biesecker was confronted with the question of an improper title change, she produced a “lien release” letter from the auto company.But the letter, auditors said, had several irregularities, including the lack of a date and an address for the vehicle owner and a “completely illegible signature,” coupled with no printed name or title for the lien holder’s representative. Biesecker also claimed the letter had been mailed, when it was clearly marked as “Sent from my iPhone.”Auditors also alleged that Biesecker aided the girlfriend in evading sales taxes during a prior purchase of another automobile.Franklin County Attorney Henry Schenker said Monday that he had appointed a special prosecutor in the case because of a conflict of interest. The appointed prosecutor, Kearney County Attorney&nbsp;Melodie Bellamy, declined to comment.

Former county treasurer worker in hot water over changing auto title for son’s girlfriend

Emily Glenn has been named the new dean of the McGoogan Health Sciences Library at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, pending NU Board of Regents approval and effective July 1.

Dele Davies, MD, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, said Glenn, who has been serving as interim director of the library since September 2022, impressed the selection committee with her background,&nbsp;vision&nbsp;and accomplishments in the interim role.&nbsp;

“Members of the committee and the numerous stakeholders who were consulted were impressed with Emily’s stewardship of the library over the past eight months, and we believe she is the person to steer the library into the future,” Dr. Davies said. “The library is the cornerstone of the success of any academic institution, and we feel certain that, under Emily Glenn’s leadership, the McGoogan Health Sciences Library will continue to grow, innovate and serve UNMC’s faculty, students and staff, as well as the wider community with excellence.”&nbsp;

UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, stressed the importance of Glenn’s new role.

“With the opening of the Wigton Heritage Center in summer of 2021 and the continued growth of our nationally prominent rare book collections, the library’s role at UNMC has become even more visible,” Dr. Gold said. “Through her innovation and leadership, Emily has shown that she is not only a committed steward of UNMC’s history but also the creative and visionary leader we need to take the McGoogan Library into the future.”

Glenn said she was invigorated by the appointment, adding that as she went through the interview process, she was excited to speak to colleagues and learn about their interest in the library’s future.

“I got to share some vision items and reflections, talk about what the next several years may look like – including new activities to support the educational and research missions of the university,” Glenn said. “I am excited to reach across the state, including to other UNMC campuses, to share more of our historical collections, offer student wellness initiatives and roll out an effort to help our students get a leg up on professional publications and research activities.”

Glenn, who joined UNMC in 2016, called the appointment “a natural next step,” enabling her to “engage with the partners and grow the relationships I have developed over the past several years. It’s a privilege to have a role in creating the vision of what’s next for the library and the libraries of the University of Nebraska system.”

Prior to being named interim dean, Glenn – who holds a master’s degree in library science&nbsp;–&nbsp;served as the library's associate dean, overseeing user services, collections, education and teaching, and technology. Glenn brings more than two decades of experience in corporate,&nbsp;academic&nbsp;and special libraries to her new role.&nbsp;

She previously held roles at the University of Washington, where she was the community health outreach coordinator with the Network of the National Library of Medicine for Region 5; chief librarian at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College in Ethiopia; librarian at a university-affiliated biomedical research institute in Seattle, and head of archives technical services at Duke University Medical Center Library and Archives in Durham, North Carolina.

Emily Glenn has been named the new dean of the McGoogan Health Sciences Library at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, pending NU Board of Regents approval and effective July 1.Dele Davies, MD, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, said Glenn, who has been serving as interim director of the library since September 2022, impressed the selection committee with her background,&nbsp;vision&nbsp;and accomplishments in the interim role.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686062522312.jpeg" alt="Emily Glenn" />
 <figcaption>Emily Glenn</figcaption>
 </figure>“Members of the committee and the numerous stakeholders who were consulted were impressed with Emily’s stewardship of the library over the past eight months, and we believe she is the person to steer the library into the future,” Dr. Davies said. “The library is the cornerstone of the success of any academic institution, and we feel certain that, under Emily Glenn’s leadership, the McGoogan Health Sciences Library will continue to grow, innovate and serve UNMC’s faculty, students and staff, as well as the wider community with excellence.”&nbsp;UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, stressed the importance of Glenn’s new role.“With the opening of the Wigton Heritage Center in summer of 2021 and the continued growth of our nationally prominent rare book collections, the library’s role at UNMC has become even more visible,” Dr. Gold said. “Through her innovation and leadership, Emily has shown that she is not only a committed steward of UNMC’s history but also the creative and visionary leader we need to take the McGoogan Library into the future.”Glenn said she was invigorated by the appointment, adding that as she went through the interview process, she was excited to speak to colleagues and learn about their interest in the library’s future.“I got to share some vision items and reflections, talk about what the next several years may look like – including new activities to support the educational and research missions of the university,” Glenn said. “I am excited to reach across the state, including to other UNMC campuses, to share more of our historical collections, offer student wellness initiatives and roll out an effort to help our students get a leg up on professional publications and research activities.”Glenn, who joined UNMC in 2016, called the appointment “a natural next step,” enabling her to “engage with the partners and grow the relationships I have developed over the past several years. It’s a privilege to have a role in creating the vision of what’s next for the library and the libraries of the University of Nebraska system.”Prior to being named interim dean, Glenn – who holds a master’s degree in library science&nbsp;–&nbsp;served as the library's associate dean, overseeing user services, collections, education and teaching, and technology. Glenn brings more than two decades of experience in corporate,&nbsp;academic&nbsp;and special libraries to her new role.&nbsp;She previously held roles at the University of Washington, where she was the community health outreach coordinator with the Network of the National Library of Medicine for Region 5; chief librarian at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College in Ethiopia; librarian at a university-affiliated biomedical research institute in Seattle, and head of archives technical services at Duke University Medical Center Library and Archives in Durham, North Carolina.