The University of Nebraska Soil Health School will be in North Platte at the West Central Research, Extension, and Education Center (WCREEC) on&nbsp;June 27 and 28.

Sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Nebraska Extension, the&nbsp;free event&nbsp;will bring together scientists, conservationists, and students with farmers, ranchers and agriculture professionals. Attendees will have the opportunity to gain foundational knowledge and hear the latest soil health practices and management options, including many hands-on demonstrations.

A total of 9.5 certified crop advisor CEUs will be offered in nutrient management, soil and water management, and crop management.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided on both days.

Pre-register&nbsp;here:&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://unlcba.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3HT8msaof2zEAOG__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!GERafeRh720lEGwJ3S06wE7gAkrwqiYfuyPUlYLKfT5bng2vyhZb2oQtBpVs4cCGKFSF-_s816xIDxoNP8pztHLWpN8nTw$" target="_blank">https://unlcba.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3HT8msaof2zEAOG</a>

The&nbsp;two-day program&nbsp;will begin with a keynote address from Paul Jasa, Extension Engineer, UNL out-ling a systems approach to no-till practices.

“One of the keys to success is diversity in the system to reduce risks, spread the workload, and better feed the soil system,” Jasa said.

Topics and presenters will include:

• Biological underpinnings of soil health – Rhae Drijber, Professor, UNL

• Plants for healthy soils – Katja Koehler-Cole, Extension Educator, UNL

• Understanding Soil Health and Rapid Assessments – Carlos Villarreal, State Soil Scientist, USDA-NRCS

• Biological nitrogen fixation: one building block of healthy soils – Carolina Córdova, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, UNL

• Harvesting light, feeding the ground – Nicolas Cafaro La Menza, Assistant Professor, UNL

• Livestock grazing and soil health – Jerry Volesky, Extension Specialist, UNL

• Role of manure in soil health – Todd Whitney, Extension Educator, UNL

• Addressing soil health challenges with innovative research – Saurav Das, Assistant Professor, UNL

• Carbon markets – Shannon Sand, Extension Educator, UNL

• Soil health demonstrations and live rainfall simulator – Villarreal

For more information or questions, email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nheldt@unl.edu" target="_blank">nheldt@unl.edu</a>&nbsp;or call 308-632-1372.

The University of Nebraska Soil Health School will be in North Platte at the West Central Research, Extension, and Education Center (WCREEC) on&nbsp;June 27 and 28.Sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Nebraska Extension, the&nbsp;free event&nbsp;will bring together scientists, conservationists, and students with farmers, ranchers and agriculture professionals. Attendees will have the opportunity to gain foundational knowledge and hear the latest soil health practices and management options, including many hands-on demonstrations.A total of 9.5 certified crop advisor CEUs will be offered in nutrient management, soil and water management, and crop management.Lunch and refreshments will be provided on both days.Pre-register&nbsp;here:&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://unlcba.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3HT8msaof2zEAOG__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!GERafeRh720lEGwJ3S06wE7gAkrwqiYfuyPUlYLKfT5bng2vyhZb2oQtBpVs4cCGKFSF-_s816xIDxoNP8pztHLWpN8nTw$" target="_blank">https://unlcba.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3HT8msaof2zEAOG</a>The&nbsp;two-day program&nbsp;will begin with a keynote address from Paul Jasa, Extension Engineer, UNL out-ling a systems approach to no-till practices.“One of the keys to success is diversity in the system to reduce risks, spread the workload, and better feed the soil system,” Jasa said.Topics and presenters will include:• Biological underpinnings of soil health – Rhae Drijber, Professor, UNL• Plants for healthy soils – Katja Koehler-Cole, Extension Educator, UNL• Understanding Soil Health and Rapid Assessments – Carlos Villarreal, State Soil Scientist, USDA-NRCS• Biological nitrogen fixation: one building block of healthy soils – Carolina Córdova, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, UNL• Harvesting light, feeding the ground – Nicolas Cafaro La Menza, Assistant Professor, UNL• Livestock grazing and soil health – Jerry Volesky, Extension Specialist, UNL• Role of manure in soil health – Todd Whitney, Extension Educator, UNL• Addressing soil health challenges with innovative research – Saurav Das, Assistant Professor, UNL• Carbon markets – Shannon Sand, Extension Educator, UNL• No-till and soil health –Jasa• Soil health demonstrations and live rainfall simulator – VillarrealFor more information or questions, email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:nheldt@unl.edu" target="_blank">nheldt@unl.edu</a>&nbsp;or call 308-632-1372.

Nebraska Soil Health School

NEW YORK (AP) — Unionized UPS workers voted overwhelmingly on Friday to authorize a strike, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage if the package delivery company and Teamsters can’t come to an agreement before their contract expires next month.

The Teamsters said 97% of unionized workers voted for the authorization, which the union urged for in order to have more leverage during negotiations with the company. But a yes vote does not mean a strike is imminent.

“If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself," Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a prepared statement. "The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly.”

The Teamsters represent about 340,000 UPS employees, more than half of the company’s workforce in the largest private-sector contract in North America. If a strike occurs, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b198ce2db4be584f82c53afc0dee6930">crippled the company</a>&nbsp;a quarter century ago.

UPS has grown vastly since then and become even more engrained in the U.S. economy. The company says it delivers the equivalent of about 6% of nation’s gross domestic product. That means a strike would carry with it potentially far-reaching implications for the economy.

UPS said in a prepared statement the strike vote does not impact the company's current business operations.

“Authorization votes and approvals are normal steps in labor union negotiations,” the company said. “We continue to make progress on key issues and remain confident that we will reach an agreement that provides wins for our employees, the Teamsters, our company and our customers.”

UPS workers are still seething about the current contract, which they feel was forced on them by prior union leadership in 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4436d6e7384948039a1d83d8e88e0180">based on a technicality</a>. The contract created two hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. The union wants it eliminated.

In addition to addressing part-time pay and what workers say is excessive overtime, the union wants improvements to driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, which has been blamed for the death of a driver and hospitalizations of others.

On Tuesday, the union and the company announced they reached a tentative agreement to equip more trucks with air conditioning equipment. Under the agreement, UPS said it would add air conditioning to U.S. small delivery vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024.

But those changes aren’t extending to vehicles already in operation - at least not yet. Instead, the union says two fans would be installed in all vehicles when a new contract is ratified. It also said the company agreed to add heat shield to some vehicles, and put air vents in all cars within 18 months of a new contract. Under the agreement, UPS says roughly 95% of its existing U.S. package delivery fleet will be enhanced.

Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz said there have been two dozen tentative agreements reached with UPS since the negotiations began in April. The current contract expires on July 31.

UPS delivers around 25 million packages a day, representing about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. That’s about 10 million parcels more than it delivered each day in the years leading up to the pandemic.

UPS profits have soared since the pandemic began in 2020 as millions of Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-delivery-supply-chain-union-labor-16270bd5699419398de376e07ada06ba">grew to rely on the delivery</a>&nbsp;to their doorstops.

Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were pre-pandemic. The Atlanta company returned about $8.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks in 2022, and forecasts another $8.4 billion for shareholders this year.

The Teamsters say that profit growth is largely due to the hard work of UPS drivers and warehouse workers who carry everything from 50-pound bags of dog food and cases of wine to prescriptions.

The acrimony over the current contract was the impetus for workers rejecting a candidate to lead the Teamsters favored by longtime union head James Hoffa. Union members instead chose O’Brien, who has dug in on the Teamsters’ contract demands of UPS.

A win at UPS could also have implications for the organized labor outside the company.

There have been prominent labor organization campaigns at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-new-york-business-oklahoma-city-3faca3dea5a53225f49f73a974a6d895">Apple</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-vote-buffalo-c7dc3c2ec8b838e9f4ed641f54fc9035">Starbucks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-boulder-national-labor-relations-board-business-1cf43df416acd7314b7eaf266c040389">Trader Joe’s</a>, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strippers-union-los-angeles-star-garden-4069df93b149076dc2e23a0bff16438b">strippers at a dance club</a>&nbsp;in Los Angeles. Teamsters are also attempting to organize workers at Amazon. On Friday, the new president of the United Auto Workers gave his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-ford-gm-stellantis-labor-strike-eda3b48bfdfa04e0e7254ce7681972e0">strongest warning</a>&nbsp;yet that the union is preparing for strikes against Detroit’s three automakers when contracts expire in September.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686070070872.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Unionized UPS workers voted overwhelmingly on Friday to authorize a strike, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage if the package delivery company and Teamsters can’t come to an agreement before their contract expires next month.The Teamsters said 97% of unionized workers voted for the authorization, which the union urged for in order to have more leverage during negotiations with the company. But a yes vote does not mean a strike is imminent.“If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself," Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a prepared statement. "The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly.”The Teamsters represent about 340,000 UPS employees, more than half of the company’s workforce in the largest private-sector contract in North America. If a strike occurs, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b198ce2db4be584f82c53afc0dee6930">crippled the company</a>&nbsp;a quarter century ago.UPS has grown vastly since then and become even more engrained in the U.S. economy. The company says it delivers the equivalent of about 6% of nation’s gross domestic product. That means a strike would carry with it potentially far-reaching implications for the economy.UPS said in a prepared statement the strike vote does not impact the company's current business operations.“Authorization votes and approvals are normal steps in labor union negotiations,” the company said. “We continue to make progress on key issues and remain confident that we will reach an agreement that provides wins for our employees, the Teamsters, our company and our customers.”UPS workers are still seething about the current contract, which they feel was forced on them by prior union leadership in 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4436d6e7384948039a1d83d8e88e0180">based on a technicality</a>. The contract created two hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. The union wants it eliminated.In addition to addressing part-time pay and what workers say is excessive overtime, the union wants improvements to driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, which has been blamed for the death of a driver and hospitalizations of others.On Tuesday, the union and the company announced they reached a tentative agreement to equip more trucks with air conditioning equipment. Under the agreement, UPS said it would add air conditioning to U.S. small delivery vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024.But those changes aren’t extending to vehicles already in operation - at least not yet. Instead, the union says two fans would be installed in all vehicles when a new contract is ratified. It also said the company agreed to add heat shield to some vehicles, and put air vents in all cars within 18 months of a new contract. Under the agreement, UPS says roughly 95% of its existing U.S. package delivery fleet will be enhanced.Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz said there have been two dozen tentative agreements reached with UPS since the negotiations began in April. The current contract expires on July 31.UPS delivers around 25 million packages a day, representing about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. That’s about 10 million parcels more than it delivered each day in the years leading up to the pandemic.UPS profits have soared since the pandemic began in 2020 as millions of Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-delivery-supply-chain-union-labor-16270bd5699419398de376e07ada06ba">grew to rely on the delivery</a>&nbsp;to their doorstops.Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were pre-pandemic. The Atlanta company returned about $8.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks in 2022, and forecasts another $8.4 billion for shareholders this year.The Teamsters say that profit growth is largely due to the hard work of UPS drivers and warehouse workers who carry everything from 50-pound bags of dog food and cases of wine to prescriptions.The acrimony over the current contract was the impetus for workers rejecting a candidate to lead the Teamsters favored by longtime union head James Hoffa. Union members instead chose O’Brien, who has dug in on the Teamsters’ contract demands of UPS.A win at UPS could also have implications for the organized labor outside the company.There have been prominent labor organization campaigns at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-new-york-business-oklahoma-city-3faca3dea5a53225f49f73a974a6d895">Apple</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-vote-buffalo-c7dc3c2ec8b838e9f4ed641f54fc9035">Starbucks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-boulder-national-labor-relations-board-business-1cf43df416acd7314b7eaf266c040389">Trader Joe’s</a>, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strippers-union-los-angeles-star-garden-4069df93b149076dc2e23a0bff16438b">strippers at a dance club</a>&nbsp;in Los Angeles. Teamsters are also attempting to organize workers at Amazon. On Friday, the new president of the United Auto Workers gave his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-ford-gm-stellantis-labor-strike-eda3b48bfdfa04e0e7254ce7681972e0">strongest warning</a>&nbsp;yet that the union is preparing for strikes against Detroit’s three automakers when contracts expire in September.

UPS workers vote to authorize a strike this summer

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-no-1-in-labor-force-participation-rate-no-2-in-low-unemployment-rate/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s unemployment rate has dipped to 1.9%, tying with South Dakota and New Hampshire for lowest in the country.

The state’s May preliminary rate, released Friday, is a pinch lower than the 2% reported last month at this time and the 2.1% of a year ago.

Meanwhile, national unemployment went the other way, with the rate rising from 3.4% a month ago (for April) to the latest 3.7%.

That’s all according to seasonally adjusted, preliminary data updated Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nebraska’s Labor Commissioner John Albin called the latest unemployment rate a historical low for the Cornhusker state.

He noted another Nebraska highlight: “The total nonfarm count of filled jobs is at a historical high at 1,044,702, surpassing the prior high count of filled jobs in November 2022 by 1,009.”

Nonfarm employment was up 1,985 jobs over the month and up 18,549 over the year.

The state reported that private industries with the most annual growth, not seasonally adjusted, included private education and health services (up about 6,400 jobs),<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/12/nebraskas-leisure-hospitality-industry-hits-record-job-stride-after-pandemic-plunge/">&nbsp;leisure and hospitality</a>&nbsp;(up about 5,000 jobs), and mining and construction (up about 4,000 jobs).

The counts of employed and unemployed in the labor force were based on a survey conducted by the Census Bureau regarding employment status.

Individuals who are claiming unemployment benefits as well as those who are not claiming them can be counted as unemployed based on their survey responses. Individuals who are not working and not seeking work are not considered part of the labor force, and are not included in the unemployment rate calculator.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687012404818.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-no-1-in-labor-force-participation-rate-no-2-in-low-unemployment-rate/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska’s unemployment rate has dipped to 1.9%, tying with South Dakota and New Hampshire for lowest in the country.The state’s May preliminary rate, released Friday, is a pinch lower than the 2% reported last month at this time and the 2.1% of a year ago.Meanwhile, national unemployment went the other way, with the rate rising from 3.4% a month ago (for April) to the latest 3.7%.That’s all according to seasonally adjusted, preliminary data updated Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Nebraska’s Labor Commissioner John Albin called the latest unemployment rate a historical low for the Cornhusker state.He noted another Nebraska highlight: “The total nonfarm count of filled jobs is at a historical high at 1,044,702, surpassing the prior high count of filled jobs in November 2022 by 1,009.”Nonfarm employment was up 1,985 jobs over the month and up 18,549 over the year.The state reported that private industries with the most annual growth, not seasonally adjusted, included private education and health services (up about 6,400 jobs),<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/06/12/nebraskas-leisure-hospitality-industry-hits-record-job-stride-after-pandemic-plunge/">&nbsp;leisure and hospitality</a>&nbsp;(up about 5,000 jobs), and mining and construction (up about 4,000 jobs).The counts of employed and unemployed in the labor force were based on a survey conducted by the Census Bureau regarding employment status.Individuals who are claiming unemployment benefits as well as those who are not claiming them can be counted as unemployed based on their survey responses. Individuals who are not working and not seeking work are not considered part of the labor force, and are not included in the unemployment rate calculator.

Nebraska unemployment rate dips to three-way tie for lowest in nation

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/6/16/media-center-csmas-signals-its-support-for-removing-cannabis-from-banned-drug-list-and-drug-testing-protocols.aspx">An NCAA panel is calling for the removal of marijuana</a>&nbsp;from the organization's list of banned drugs, suggesting that testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances.

The proposal released Friday from the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports would mark a big change for the NCAA, which has been conducting drug tests at championship events since 1986. Committee members recommended halting cannabis tests at such events until a final decision is made, likely this fall.

Legislation would still have to be introduced and approved by all three NCAA divisions to take effect. Administrators in Divisions II and III had asked the committee to study the issue.

The recommendation comes as the U.S. is seeing more and more states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marijuana">allowing medical or recreational marijuana use.</a>

Earlier this year, the committee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-doping-dc6665133eec71d3c9a62f22f84ec5b0">increased the THC threshold needed for a positive test and recommended revamped penalties</a>&nbsp;for athletes. The threshold for THC — the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — was raised from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter, matching that of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The committee noted last December that marijuana and its byproducts are not considered performance-enhancing substances. Instead of focusing on penalties for cannabis use, the panel suggested stressing policies that focus on the potential threats from marijuana use and the need to reduce the harm and use of cannabis products.

It also recommended schools that test to use those results to help find “problematic” cannabis use. The committee also wants to provide schools with additional guidelines about cannabis.

Separately, the committee proposed setting a threshold of 0.1 nanograms per milliliter as a trace level for the hormone GW1516 in hopes of preventing athletes from becoming ineligible because of ingesting the substance unintentionally from contaminated supplements.

The substance was initially designed for diabetes treatment but was discontinued in 2007. It has been linked to positive doping tests in endurance-related sports.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599127929566.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/6/16/media-center-csmas-signals-its-support-for-removing-cannabis-from-banned-drug-list-and-drug-testing-protocols.aspx">An NCAA panel is calling for the removal of marijuana</a>&nbsp;from the organization's list of banned drugs, suggesting that testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances.The proposal released Friday from the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports would mark a big change for the NCAA, which has been conducting drug tests at championship events since 1986. Committee members recommended halting cannabis tests at such events until a final decision is made, likely this fall.Legislation would still have to be introduced and approved by all three NCAA divisions to take effect. Administrators in Divisions II and III had asked the committee to study the issue.The recommendation comes as the U.S. is seeing more and more states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marijuana">allowing medical or recreational marijuana use.</a>Earlier this year, the committee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-doping-dc6665133eec71d3c9a62f22f84ec5b0">increased the THC threshold needed for a positive test and recommended revamped penalties</a>&nbsp;for athletes. The threshold for THC — the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — was raised from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter, matching that of the World Anti-Doping Agency.The committee noted last December that marijuana and its byproducts are not considered performance-enhancing substances. Instead of focusing on penalties for cannabis use, the panel suggested stressing policies that focus on the potential threats from marijuana use and the need to reduce the harm and use of cannabis products.It also recommended schools that test to use those results to help find “problematic” cannabis use. The committee also wants to provide schools with additional guidelines about cannabis.Separately, the committee proposed setting a threshold of 0.1 nanograms per milliliter as a trace level for the hormone GW1516 in hopes of preventing athletes from becoming ineligible because of ingesting the substance unintentionally from contaminated supplements.The substance was initially designed for diabetes treatment but was discontinued in 2007. It has been linked to positive doping tests in endurance-related sports.

NCAA committee recommends dropping marijuana from banned drug list for athletes

NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Ellsberg, the history-making whistleblower who by leaking the Pentagon Papers revealed longtime government doubts and deceit about the Vietnam War and inspired acts of retaliation by President Richard Nixon that helped lead to his resignation, has died.

Ellsberg, who announced in February that he was terminally ill with pancreatic cancer, died Friday morning, according to a letter from his family released by a spokeswoman, Julia Pacetti.

Until the early 1970s, when he revealed that he was the source for the stunning media reports on the 47-volume, 7,000-page Defense Department study of the U.S. role in Indochina, Ellsberg was a well-placed member of the government-military elite. He was a Harvard graduate and self-defined “cold warrior” who served as a private and government consultant on Vietnam throughout the 1960s, risked his life on the battlefield, received the highest security clearances and came to be trusted by officials in Democratic and Republican administrations.

He was especially valued, he would later note, for his “talent for discretion.”

But like millions of other Americans, in and out of government, he had turned against the yearslong war in Vietnam, the government’s claims that the battle was winnable and that a victory for the North Vietnamese over the U.S.-backed South would lead to the spread of communism throughout the region. Unlike so many other war opponents, he was in a special position to make a difference.

“An entire generation of Vietnam-era insiders had become just as disillusioned as I with a war they saw as hopeless and interminable,” he wrote in his 2002 memoir, “Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers.” “By 1968, if not earlier, they all wanted, as I did, to see us out of this war.”

As much as anyone, Ellsberg embodied the individual of conscience — who answered only to his sense of right and wrong, even if the price was his own freedom. David Halberstam, the late author and Vietnam War correspondent who had known Ellsberg since both were posted overseas, would describe him as no ordinary convert. He was highly intelligent, obsessively curious and profoundly sensitive, a born proselytizer who “saw political events in terms of moral absolutes” and demanded consequences for abuses of power.

As much as anyone, Ellsberg also embodied the fall of American idealism in foreign policy in the 1960s and 1970s and the upending of the post-World War II consensus that Communism, real or suspected, should be opposed worldwide.

The Pentagon Papers had been commissioned in 1967 by then-Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara, a leading public advocate of the war who wanted to leave behind a comprehensive history of the U.S. and Vietnam and to help his successors avoid the kinds of mistakes he would only admit to long after. The papers covered more than 20 years, from France’s failed efforts at colonization in the 1940s and 1950s to the growing involvement of the U.S., including the bombing raids and deployment of hundreds of thousands of ground troops during Lyndon Johnson’s administration. Ellsberg was among those asked to work on the study, focusing on 1961, when the newly-elected President John F. Kennedy began adding advisers and support units.

First published in The New York Times in June 1971, with The Washington Post, The Associated Press and more than a dozen others following, the classified papers documented that the U.S. had defied a 1954 settlement barring a foreign military presence in Vietnam, questioned whether South Vietnam had a viable government, secretly expanded the war to neighboring countries and had plotted to send American soldiers even as Johnson vowed he wouldn’t.

NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Ellsberg, the history-making whistleblower who by leaking the Pentagon Papers revealed longtime government doubts and deceit about the Vietnam War and inspired acts of retaliation by President Richard Nixon that helped lead to his resignation, has died.He was 92.Ellsberg, who announced in February that he was terminally ill with pancreatic cancer, died Friday morning, according to a letter from his family released by a spokeswoman, Julia Pacetti.Until the early 1970s, when he revealed that he was the source for the stunning media reports on the 47-volume, 7,000-page Defense Department study of the U.S. role in Indochina, Ellsberg was a well-placed member of the government-military elite. He was a Harvard graduate and self-defined “cold warrior” who served as a private and government consultant on Vietnam throughout the 1960s, risked his life on the battlefield, received the highest security clearances and came to be trusted by officials in Democratic and Republican administrations.He was especially valued, he would later note, for his “talent for discretion.”But like millions of other Americans, in and out of government, he had turned against the yearslong war in Vietnam, the government’s claims that the battle was winnable and that a victory for the North Vietnamese over the U.S.-backed South would lead to the spread of communism throughout the region. Unlike so many other war opponents, he was in a special position to make a difference.“An entire generation of Vietnam-era insiders had become just as disillusioned as I with a war they saw as hopeless and interminable,” he wrote in his 2002 memoir, “Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers.” “By 1968, if not earlier, they all wanted, as I did, to see us out of this war.”As much as anyone, Ellsberg embodied the individual of conscience — who answered only to his sense of right and wrong, even if the price was his own freedom. David Halberstam, the late author and Vietnam War correspondent who had known Ellsberg since both were posted overseas, would describe him as no ordinary convert. He was highly intelligent, obsessively curious and profoundly sensitive, a born proselytizer who “saw political events in terms of moral absolutes” and demanded consequences for abuses of power.As much as anyone, Ellsberg also embodied the fall of American idealism in foreign policy in the 1960s and 1970s and the upending of the post-World War II consensus that Communism, real or suspected, should be opposed worldwide.The Pentagon Papers had been commissioned in 1967 by then-Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara, a leading public advocate of the war who wanted to leave behind a comprehensive history of the U.S. and Vietnam and to help his successors avoid the kinds of mistakes he would only admit to long after. The papers covered more than 20 years, from France’s failed efforts at colonization in the 1940s and 1950s to the growing involvement of the U.S., including the bombing raids and deployment of hundreds of thousands of ground troops during Lyndon Johnson’s administration. Ellsberg was among those asked to work on the study, focusing on 1961, when the newly-elected President John F. Kennedy began adding advisers and support units.First published in The New York Times in June 1971, with The Washington Post, The Associated Press and more than a dozen others following, the classified papers documented that the U.S. had defied a 1954 settlement barring a foreign military presence in Vietnam, questioned whether South Vietnam had a viable government, secretly expanded the war to neighboring countries and had plotted to send American soldiers even as Johnson vowed he wouldn’t.

Vietnam-era whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked Pentagon Papers, dies at 92

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden highlighted progress in chipping away at so-called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-business-economy-government-and-politics-39153f8d641f587e2fccb53f94371401">junk fees</a>&nbsp;as a “win for consumers” Thursday, as he met at the White House with executives from Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, Seat Geek, Airbnb and other companies that have taken steps to embrace more transparent pricing.

(click below to watch the President's comments)

Biden prioritized the effort to combat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-3f1130fd2636587adfa1fccd809afe19">surprise or undisclosed fees</a>&nbsp;in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-the-union-biden-2023-b9bebd876a42a9510f068a04a3f2a348">State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;and has called for legislation, regulation and private sector action to end them. The president, at Thursday's event, praised actions by companies that have eliminated or plan to eliminate those surprise fees.

The consumer advocacy push is part of Biden's pitch to voters ahead of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">2024 reelection bid</a>&nbsp;that government can help improve their lives in big and small ways.

At the White House, Live Nation, which is based in Beverly Hills, California, announced that it will provide customers with upfront all-in pricing — meaning the actual purchase price including service charges and any other fees — for its owned venues by September and that Ticketmaster will give consumers the option to view all-in pricing up front for other venues on the live-entertainment tickets platform. SeatGeek, based in New York, will also unveil features to make it easier to browse for tickets with the true cost displayed.

San Francisco-based Airbnb rolled out its all-in pricing tool in December, after Biden first called on companies to stop hiding fees.

“These are just the latest private sector leaders who are responding to my call to action," Biden said, saying junk fees "can add hundreds of dollars a month and make it harder for families to pay their bills.”

“I’m asking their competitors to follow suit and adopt an all-in pricing as well," Biden said. “These actions matter and it’s inspiring companies to change their practices."

National Economic Council director Lael Brainard said in a statement that the president “has been working to lower costs for hardworking families by bringing down inflation, capping insulin prices for seniors, and eliminating hidden junk fees.”

"More companies are heeding the President’s call so that Americans know what they’re paying for up front and can save money as a result.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden highlighted progress in chipping away at so-called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-business-economy-government-and-politics-39153f8d641f587e2fccb53f94371401">junk fees</a>&nbsp;as a “win for consumers” Thursday, as he met at the White House with executives from Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, Seat Geek, Airbnb and other companies that have taken steps to embrace more transparent pricing.(click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F142015648847665%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=114" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Biden prioritized the effort to combat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-3f1130fd2636587adfa1fccd809afe19">surprise or undisclosed fees</a>&nbsp;in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-the-union-biden-2023-b9bebd876a42a9510f068a04a3f2a348">State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;and has called for legislation, regulation and private sector action to end them. The president, at Thursday's event, praised actions by companies that have eliminated or plan to eliminate those surprise fees.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, Live Nation, SeatGeek, xBk, Airbnb, The Pablo Center, TickPick, DICE, and the Newport Festivals Foundation have answered my call to address junk fees and provide consumers with honest pricing – improving the purchasing experience for tens of millions of Americans. <a href="https://t.co/InsgqmX9iU">pic.twitter.com/InsgqmX9iU</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1669437446017146880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The consumer advocacy push is part of Biden's pitch to voters ahead of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">2024 reelection bid</a>&nbsp;that government can help improve their lives in big and small ways.At the White House, Live Nation, which is based in Beverly Hills, California, announced that it will provide customers with upfront all-in pricing — meaning the actual purchase price including service charges and any other fees — for its owned venues by September and that Ticketmaster will give consumers the option to view all-in pricing up front for other venues on the live-entertainment tickets platform. SeatGeek, based in New York, will also unveil features to make it easier to browse for tickets with the true cost displayed.San Francisco-based Airbnb rolled out its all-in pricing tool in December, after Biden first called on companies to stop hiding fees.“These are just the latest private sector leaders who are responding to my call to action," Biden said, saying junk fees "can add hundreds of dollars a month and make it harder for families to pay their bills.”“I’m asking their competitors to follow suit and adopt an all-in pricing as well," Biden said. “These actions matter and it’s inspiring companies to change their practices."National Economic Council director Lael Brainard said in a statement that the president “has been working to lower costs for hardworking families by bringing down inflation, capping insulin prices for seniors, and eliminating hidden junk fees.”"More companies are heeding the President’s call so that Americans know what they’re paying for up front and can save money as a result.”

🎥Biden muscles Ticketmaster, SeatGeek to scrap hidden ticket fees

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Department of Energy and several other federal agencies were compromised in a Russian cyber-extortion gang's global hack of a file-transfer program popular with corporations and governments, but the impact was not expected to be great, Homeland Security officials said Thursday.

But for others among what could be hundreds of victims from industry to higher education — including patrons of at least two state motor vehicle agencies — the hack was beginning to show some serious impacts.

Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters that unlike the meticulous,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/solarwinds-hack-email-top-dhs-officials-8bcd4a4eb3be1f8f98244766bae70395">stealthy SolarWinds hacking campaign</a>&nbsp;attributed to state-backed Russian intelligence agents that was months in the making, this campaign was short, relatively superficial and caught quickly.

“Based on discussions we have had with industry partners ... these intrusions are not being leveraged to gain broader access, to gain persistence into targeted systems, or to steal specific high value information— in sum, as we understand it, this attack is largely an opportunistic one,” Easterly said.

“Although we are very concerned about this campaign and working on it with urgency, this is not a campaign like SolarWinds that presents a systemic risk to our national security or our nation’s networks,” she added.

A senior CISA official said neither the U.S. military nor intelligence community was affected. Energy Department spokesperson Chad Smith said two agency entities were compromised but did not provide more detail.

Known victims to date include Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles, Oregon's Department of Transportation, the Nova Scotia provincial government, British Airways, the British Broadcasting Company and the U.K. drugstore chain Boots. The exploited program, MOVEit, is widely used by businesses to securely share files. Security experts say that can include sensitive financial and insurance data.

Louisiana officials said Thursday that people with a driver's license or vehicle registration in the state likely had their personal information exposed. That included their name, address, Social Security number and birthdate. They encouraged Louisiana residents to freeze their credit to guard against identity theft.

The Oregon Department of Transportation confirmed Thursday that the attackers accessed personal information, some sensitive, for about 3.5 million people to whom the state issued identity cards or driver’s licenses.

The Cl0p ransomware syndicate behind the hack announced last week on its dark web site that its victims, who it suggested numbered in the hundreds, had until Wednesday to get in touch to negotiate a ransom or risk having sensitive stolen data dumped online.

The gang, among the world’s most prolific cybercrime syndicates, also claimed it would delete any data stolen from governments, cities and police departments.

The senior CISA official told reporters a “small number” of federal agencies were hit — declining to name them — and said “this is not a widespread campaign affecting a large number of federal agencies.” The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the breach, said no federal agencies had received extortion demands and no data from an affected federal agency had been leaked online by Cl0p.

U.S. officials “have no evidence to suggest coordination between Cl0p and the Russian government," the official said.

The parent company of MOVIEit's U.S. maker,&nbsp;<a href="https://community.progress.com/s/article/MOVEit-Transfer-Critical-Vulnerability-31May2023">Progress Software, alerted customers to the breach on May 31</a>&nbsp;and issued a patch. But cybersecurity researchers say scores if not hundreds of companies could by then have had sensitive data quietly exfiltrated.

"At this point, we are seeing industry estimates of several hundred of victims across the country,” the senior CISA official said. Federal officials encouraged victims to come forward, but they often don't. The U.S. lacks a federal data breach law, and disclosure of hacks varies by state. Publicly traded corporations, health care providers and some critical infrastructure purveyors do have regulatory obligations.

The cybersecurity firm SecurityScorecard says it detected 2,500 vulnerable MOVEit servers across 790 organizations, including 200 government agencies. It said it was not able to break down those agencies by country.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in the Treasury Department uses MOVEit, according to federal contracting data. Spokeswoman Stephanie Collins said the agency was aware of the hack and has been monitoring the situation closely. She said it was “conducting detailed forensic analysis of system activity and has not found any indications of a breach of sensitive information.” She would not say how the agency uses the file-transfer program.

The hackers were actively scanning for targets, penetrating them and stealing data at least as far back as March 29, said SecurityScorecard threat analyst Jared Smith.

This is far from the first time Cl0p has breached a file-transfer program to gain access to data it could then use to extort companies. Other instances include GoAnywhere servers in early 2023 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-politics-europe-eastern-europe-new-zealand-f318ba1ffc971eb17371456b015206a5">Accellion File Transfer Application devices in 2020 and 2021</a>.

The Associated Press emailed Cl0p on Thursday asking what government agencies it had hacked. It did not receive a response, but the gang posted a new message on its dark web leak site saying: “We got a lot of emails about government data, we don't have it we have completely deleted this information we are only interested in business."

Cybersecurity experts say the Cl0p criminals are not to be trusted to keep their word. Allan Liska of the firm Recorded Future has said he is aware of at least three cases in which data stolen by ransomware crooks appeared on the dark web six to 10 months after victims paid ransoms.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Department of Energy and several other federal agencies were compromised in a Russian cyber-extortion gang's global hack of a file-transfer program popular with corporations and governments, but the impact was not expected to be great, Homeland Security officials said Thursday.But for others among what could be hundreds of victims from industry to higher education — including patrons of at least two state motor vehicle agencies — the hack was beginning to show some serious impacts.Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters that unlike the meticulous,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/solarwinds-hack-email-top-dhs-officials-8bcd4a4eb3be1f8f98244766bae70395">stealthy SolarWinds hacking campaign</a>&nbsp;attributed to state-backed Russian intelligence agents that was months in the making, this campaign was short, relatively superficial and caught quickly.“Based on discussions we have had with industry partners ... these intrusions are not being leveraged to gain broader access, to gain persistence into targeted systems, or to steal specific high value information— in sum, as we understand it, this attack is largely an opportunistic one,” Easterly said.“Although we are very concerned about this campaign and working on it with urgency, this is not a campaign like SolarWinds that presents a systemic risk to our national security or our nation’s networks,” she added.A senior CISA official said neither the U.S. military nor intelligence community was affected. Energy Department spokesperson Chad Smith said two agency entities were compromised but did not provide more detail.Known victims to date include Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles, Oregon's Department of Transportation, the Nova Scotia provincial government, British Airways, the British Broadcasting Company and the U.K. drugstore chain Boots. The exploited program, MOVEit, is widely used by businesses to securely share files. Security experts say that can include sensitive financial and insurance data.Louisiana officials said Thursday that people with a driver's license or vehicle registration in the state likely had their personal information exposed. That included their name, address, Social Security number and birthdate. They encouraged Louisiana residents to freeze their credit to guard against identity theft.The Oregon Department of Transportation confirmed Thursday that the attackers accessed personal information, some sensitive, for about 3.5 million people to whom the state issued identity cards or driver’s licenses.The Cl0p ransomware syndicate behind the hack announced last week on its dark web site that its victims, who it suggested numbered in the hundreds, had until Wednesday to get in touch to negotiate a ransom or risk having sensitive stolen data dumped online.The gang, among the world’s most prolific cybercrime syndicates, also claimed it would delete any data stolen from governments, cities and police departments.The senior CISA official told reporters a “small number” of federal agencies were hit — declining to name them — and said “this is not a widespread campaign affecting a large number of federal agencies.” The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the breach, said no federal agencies had received extortion demands and no data from an affected federal agency had been leaked online by Cl0p.U.S. officials “have no evidence to suggest coordination between Cl0p and the Russian government," the official said.The parent company of MOVIEit's U.S. maker,&nbsp;<a href="https://community.progress.com/s/article/MOVEit-Transfer-Critical-Vulnerability-31May2023">Progress Software, alerted customers to the breach on May 31</a>&nbsp;and issued a patch. But cybersecurity researchers say scores if not hundreds of companies could by then have had sensitive data quietly exfiltrated."At this point, we are seeing industry estimates of several hundred of victims across the country,” the senior CISA official said. Federal officials encouraged victims to come forward, but they often don't. The U.S. lacks a federal data breach law, and disclosure of hacks varies by state. Publicly traded corporations, health care providers and some critical infrastructure purveyors do have regulatory obligations.The cybersecurity firm SecurityScorecard says it detected 2,500 vulnerable MOVEit servers across 790 organizations, including 200 government agencies. It said it was not able to break down those agencies by country.The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in the Treasury Department uses MOVEit, according to federal contracting data. Spokeswoman Stephanie Collins said the agency was aware of the hack and has been monitoring the situation closely. She said it was “conducting detailed forensic analysis of system activity and has not found any indications of a breach of sensitive information.” She would not say how the agency uses the file-transfer program.The hackers were actively scanning for targets, penetrating them and stealing data at least as far back as March 29, said SecurityScorecard threat analyst Jared Smith.This is far from the first time Cl0p has breached a file-transfer program to gain access to data it could then use to extort companies. Other instances include GoAnywhere servers in early 2023 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-politics-europe-eastern-europe-new-zealand-f318ba1ffc971eb17371456b015206a5">Accellion File Transfer Application devices in 2020 and 2021</a>.The Associated Press emailed Cl0p on Thursday asking what government agencies it had hacked. It did not receive a response, but the gang posted a new message on its dark web leak site saying: “We got a lot of emails about government data, we don't have it we have completely deleted this information we are only interested in business."Cybersecurity experts say the Cl0p criminals are not to be trusted to keep their word. Allan Liska of the firm Recorded Future has said he is aware of at least three cases in which data stolen by ransomware crooks appeared on the dark web six to 10 months after victims paid ransoms.

U.S. government agency networks hit in global cyberattack 

ROME (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;on Friday was discharged from the Rome hospital where he had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-health-758c3d7b07e6d6f242c4a5ea6f2de154">abdominal surgery</a>&nbsp;nine days earlier to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-surgery-bowel-96b9ed94ed0dcb8c3eec6aa718202196">repair a hernia and remove painful scarring</a>, with his surgeon saying the pontiff is now “better than before” the hospitalization.

Francis, 86, left through Gemelli Polyclinic's main exit in a wheelchair, smiling and waving and saying “thanks” to a crowd of well-wishers, then stood up so he could get into the small Vatican car awaiting him. In the brief distance before he could reach the white Fiat 500, reporters thrust microphones practically at his face, and the pontiff seemed to bat them away, good-naturedly.

"Still alive,'' the pope quipped when a reporter asked how he was.

"The pope is well. He's better than before,'' Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the surgeon who did the three-hour operation on June 7 told reporters after he said goodbye to Francis as the pontiff got into the car.

Following the surgery, Francis will be a "strong pope,'' said Alfieri, who was outside along with the surging crowd as the pontiff exited.

Right after the pontiff returned home, the Vatican press office announced that Francis would make his traditional Sunday noon appearance at an Apostolic window overlooking St. Peter's Square to greet the public, an appointment that lasts about 10 minutes.

But his customary Wednesday general audience with thousands of faithful in the square "has been canceled to safeguard the post-surgical recovery of the Holy Father,'' the announcement said. The general audience lasts about an hour and includes a speech by the pontiff.

When asked by a reporter outside the hospital for a comment about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greece-missing-migrants-kalamata-8d9e8284e27880468d524eb934bb3f2a">migrant disaster off Greece</a>&nbsp;that has claimed dozens of lives and left hundreds missing, Francis replied: “So much sorrow.”

Instead of going straight back to the Vatican, Francis stopped to pray for 10 minutes before an icon of the Virgin Mary at the famous St. Mary Major Basilica, where he often stops by after trips abroad to give thanks. Francis stayed in his wheelchair as he prayed. He also went there after his discharge from the same hospital following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-released-hospital-53e6a136fe9f7b64da551e749a44930a">treatment for bronchitis</a>.

Tourists in the basilica excitedly snapped photos of the pontiff in the basilica, and several people in the crowd outside wept as he left and headed for the Holy See hotel, where he lives on Vatican City grounds.

But before he arrived back home, Francis made two more stops — first at a convent adjacent to the Vatican to greet nuns, and then outside one of the walled city's gates to get out of his car so he could shake hands with and thank police officers who provided a motorcycle escort.

Hours after the surgery, Alfieri said that the scarring, which had resulted from previous abdominal surgeries, had been increasingly causing the pope pain. There was also risk of an intestinal blockage, if adhesions, or scar tissue, weren’t removed, according to the doctors.

No complications occurred during the surgery or while the pope was convalescing in Gemelli’s 10th-floor apartment reserved exclusively for hospitalization of pontiffs, according to the pope’s medical staff.

Alfieri has said that the pontiff, in choosing to have the surgery in June, made his calculations that he would bounce back in time for the August trip to Portugal. “He has confirmed all” his trips, the surgeon said.

“Actually, he’ll be able to tackle them better than before, because now he won’t have the discomfort he had,″ Alfieri said, referring to the scarring known medically as adhesions. The surgeon had said that if the pope hadn’t had the surgery, there would have been a risk of an intestinal blockage.

“He’ll be a stronger pope,″ the surgeon added.

Right after the surgery, the Vatican said all of the pope’s audiences would be canceled through June 18. Among the high-profile appointments Francis is expected to have next week at the Vatican are audiences with the presidents of Cuba and Brazil, although the meetings haven't been officially announced yet by the Vatican.

Commitments that have officially been announced include pilgrimages to Portugal in early August for a Catholic youth jamboree and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-russia-china-mongolia-fbd2cb3b9b8e68ed0e46122ec2ba5129">a trip to Mongolia</a>&nbsp;beginning on Aug. 31, a first-ever visit by a pontiff to that Asian country.

In just under two years, Francis had been hospitalized three times at Gemelli Polyclinic. In July 2021, he underwent surgery to remove a 33-centimeter (13-inch) section of his bowel removed because of narrowing of his intestinal. That, as well as abdominal surgeries years back in his native Argentina before he became pontiff, had contributed to the painful scarring, according to Alfieri. Then in early spring of this year, Francis was back in the hospital to receive intravenous antibiotic treatment for bronchitis, an illness Francis later said caused him pain and fever.

As a young man in his native Argentina, Francis had a portion of one lung removed following infection.

The latest hospitalization came just as Francis seemed to be walking better, with the aid of a cane, following months of often using a wheelchair because of a painful knee problem. He also has suffered from sciatica, a painful inflammation of a nerve that runs down from back to leg.

Alfieri has said that the pontiff, in choosing to have the surgery in June, made his calculations that he would bounce back in time for the August trip to Portugal.

On Friday, the surgeon expressed confidence that the pontiff will pace himself as he resumes his appointment-packed days at the Vatican.

“He'll listen a little more to us, because he has important commitments that he has confirmed, including the trips," Alfieri said.

ROME (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pope-francis">Pope Francis</a>&nbsp;on Friday was discharged from the Rome hospital where he had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-health-758c3d7b07e6d6f242c4a5ea6f2de154">abdominal surgery</a>&nbsp;nine days earlier to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-surgery-bowel-96b9ed94ed0dcb8c3eec6aa718202196">repair a hernia and remove painful scarring</a>, with his surgeon saying the pontiff is now “better than before” the hospitalization.Francis, 86, left through Gemelli Polyclinic's main exit in a wheelchair, smiling and waving and saying “thanks” to a crowd of well-wishers, then stood up so he could get into the small Vatican car awaiting him. In the brief distance before he could reach the white Fiat 500, reporters thrust microphones practically at his face, and the pontiff seemed to bat them away, good-naturedly."Still alive,'' the pope quipped when a reporter asked how he was."The pope is well. He's better than before,'' Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the surgeon who did the three-hour operation on June 7 told reporters after he said goodbye to Francis as the pontiff got into the car.Following the surgery, Francis will be a "strong pope,'' said Alfieri, who was outside along with the surging crowd as the pontiff exited.Right after the pontiff returned home, the Vatican press office announced that Francis would make his traditional Sunday noon appearance at an Apostolic window overlooking St. Peter's Square to greet the public, an appointment that lasts about 10 minutes.But his customary Wednesday general audience with thousands of faithful in the square "has been canceled to safeguard the post-surgical recovery of the Holy Father,'' the announcement said. The general audience lasts about an hour and includes a speech by the pontiff.When asked by a reporter outside the hospital for a comment about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/greece-missing-migrants-kalamata-8d9e8284e27880468d524eb934bb3f2a">migrant disaster off Greece</a>&nbsp;that has claimed dozens of lives and left hundreds missing, Francis replied: “So much sorrow.”Instead of going straight back to the Vatican, Francis stopped to pray for 10 minutes before an icon of the Virgin Mary at the famous St. Mary Major Basilica, where he often stops by after trips abroad to give thanks. Francis stayed in his wheelchair as he prayed. He also went there after his discharge from the same hospital following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-released-hospital-53e6a136fe9f7b64da551e749a44930a">treatment for bronchitis</a>.Tourists in the basilica excitedly snapped photos of the pontiff in the basilica, and several people in the crowd outside wept as he left and headed for the Holy See hotel, where he lives on Vatican City grounds.But before he arrived back home, Francis made two more stops — first at a convent adjacent to the Vatican to greet nuns, and then outside one of the walled city's gates to get out of his car so he could shake hands with and thank police officers who provided a motorcycle escort.Hours after the surgery, Alfieri said that the scarring, which had resulted from previous abdominal surgeries, had been increasingly causing the pope pain. There was also risk of an intestinal blockage, if adhesions, or scar tissue, weren’t removed, according to the doctors.No complications occurred during the surgery or while the pope was convalescing in Gemelli’s 10th-floor apartment reserved exclusively for hospitalization of pontiffs, according to the pope’s medical staff.Alfieri has said that the pontiff, in choosing to have the surgery in June, made his calculations that he would bounce back in time for the August trip to Portugal. “He has confirmed all” his trips, the surgeon said.“Actually, he’ll be able to tackle them better than before, because now he won’t have the discomfort he had,″ Alfieri said, referring to the scarring known medically as adhesions. The surgeon had said that if the pope hadn’t had the surgery, there would have been a risk of an intestinal blockage.“He’ll be a stronger pope,″ the surgeon added.Right after the surgery, the Vatican said all of the pope’s audiences would be canceled through June 18. Among the high-profile appointments Francis is expected to have next week at the Vatican are audiences with the presidents of Cuba and Brazil, although the meetings haven't been officially announced yet by the Vatican.Commitments that have officially been announced include pilgrimages to Portugal in early August for a Catholic youth jamboree and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-russia-china-mongolia-fbd2cb3b9b8e68ed0e46122ec2ba5129">a trip to Mongolia</a>&nbsp;beginning on Aug. 31, a first-ever visit by a pontiff to that Asian country.In just under two years, Francis had been hospitalized three times at Gemelli Polyclinic. In July 2021, he underwent surgery to remove a 33-centimeter (13-inch) section of his bowel removed because of narrowing of his intestinal. That, as well as abdominal surgeries years back in his native Argentina before he became pontiff, had contributed to the painful scarring, according to Alfieri. Then in early spring of this year, Francis was back in the hospital to receive intravenous antibiotic treatment for bronchitis, an illness Francis later said caused him pain and fever.As a young man in his native Argentina, Francis had a portion of one lung removed following infection.The latest hospitalization came just as Francis seemed to be walking better, with the aid of a cane, following months of often using a wheelchair because of a painful knee problem. He also has suffered from sciatica, a painful inflammation of a nerve that runs down from back to leg.Alfieri has said that the pontiff, in choosing to have the surgery in June, made his calculations that he would bounce back in time for the August trip to Portugal.On Friday, the surgeon expressed confidence that the pontiff will pace himself as he resumes his appointment-packed days at the Vatican.“He'll listen a little more to us, because he has important commitments that he has confirmed, including the trips," Alfieri said.

Pope Francis leaves Rome hospital 9 days after surgery

PERRYTON, Texas (AP) — A tornado tore through the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton on Thursday, killing three people, injuring dozens more and causing widespread damage as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storms-tornadoes-damage-texas-georgia-alabama-7db6ee2cb28cca3794a7f074d3129071">another series of fierce storms</a>&nbsp;carved its way through Southern states.

The National Weather Service in Amarillo confirmed that a tornado hit the area shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday. Local officials said Thursday night that two people were missing.

Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher said three people were killed, including at least one person who died in a mobile home park that took a “direct hit” from a tornado. Dutcher said at least 30 trailers were damaged or destroyed.

First responders from surrounding towns and cities and from neighboring Oklahoma descended on the town, which is home to more than 8,000 people and about 115 miles northeast of Amarillo, just south of the Oklahoma line.

Mobile homes were ripped apart and pickup trucks with shattered windshield were slammed against mounds of rubble in residential areas.

Perryton’s downtown also was walloped. About two blocks of businesses were heavily damaged, including an office supply store, a floral shop and a hair salon along the town's Main Street. A minivan was shoved into the outer wall of a theater.

With a few hours of daylight left after the storm passed through, broken windows were being boarded up.

The Ochiltree County Sheriff’s Department said it would enforce a curfew from midnight to 6 a.m. Friday because of downed power lines and other dangers that might not be visible in the dark.

Storm chaser Brian Emfinger told Fox Weather that he watched the twister move through a mobile home park, mangling trailers and uprooting trees.

“I had seen the tornado do some pretty serious destruction to the industrial part of town,” he said. “Unfortunately, just west of there, there is just mobile home, after mobile home, after mobile home that is completely destroyed."

There was no immediate word on the tornado's size or wind speeds, meteorologist Luigi Meccariello said.

Nearly 50,000 customers were without electricity in Texas and Oklahoma, according to the&nbsp;<a href="http://poweroutage.us/">poweroutage.us</a>&nbsp;website.

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OchiltreeHospital?__cft__[0]=AZWx8iuXtpK7JE9vYv_PS3ZU2MCP5f3pY1wFQRHZXZChnNMSAPjonU188fVxWFxe9Oolm7aJPgSoVgKwg8KUSkqalbnO9hTg4su9Tyb7p4IWdsa8iKj-rjcat8Yjy3RWwVS71X2qycFA1KpQIOy2ojw5nu99smRx5Gk3tGYe8ZfH0g&amp;__tn__=-UC%2CP-R">Ochiltree General Hospital</a>&nbsp;in Perryton on Facebook said “Walking/wounded please go to the clinic. All others to the hospital ER.”

“We have seen somewhere between 50 and 100 patients,” said Kelly Judice, the hospital’s interim CEO. Those include about 10 people in critical condition who were transferred to other hospitals.

Patients had minor to major trauma, ranging from “head injuries to collapsed lungs, lacerations, broken bones,” she said.

The hospital also said an American Red Cross shelter had been set up at the Ochiltree County Expo Center.

Chris Samples of local radio station KXDJ-FM said the station was running on auxiliary power.

“The whole city is out of power,” he said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday he had directed the state Division of Emergency Management to help with everything from traffic control to restoring water and other utilities, if needed.

By evening, the weather front was moving southeast across Oklahoma. The weather service said a second round of storms would continue to move through that state and parts of Texas through the evening while the risk of severe weather, including tornados, remained for the metropolitan Oklahoma City area.

Elsewhere in Texas and other Southern states stretching to Florida, heat advisories were in effect Thursday and were forecast into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-juneteenth-f77ddd12436ad02d8124e7d48abe9db4">Juneteenth holiday</a>&nbsp;weekend with temperatures reaching toward 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). It was expected to feel as hot as 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).

The storm system also brought hail and possible tornados to northwestern Ohio.

A barn was smashed and trees toppled in Sandusky County, Ohio, and power lines were downed in northern Toledo, leaving thousands without power. The weather service reported “a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado” over Bellevue and storms showing “signs of rotation” in other areas.

It was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storms-tornadoes-damage-texas-georgia-alabama-7db6ee2cb28cca3794a7f074d3129071">second day in a row that powerful storms struck the U.S.</a>&nbsp;On Wednesday, strong winds toppled trees, damaged buildings and blew cars off a highway from the eastern part of Texas to Georgia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686912045291.png" alt="Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher said three people were killed, including at least one person who died in a mobile home park that took a “direct hit” from a tornado.-photo courtesy KVII TV" />
 <figcaption>Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher said three people were killed, including at least one person who died in a mobile home park that took a “direct hit” from a tornado.-photo courtesy KVII TV</figcaption>
 </figure>PERRYTON, Texas (AP) — A tornado tore through the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton on Thursday, killing three people, injuring dozens more and causing widespread damage as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storms-tornadoes-damage-texas-georgia-alabama-7db6ee2cb28cca3794a7f074d3129071">another series of fierce storms</a>&nbsp;carved its way through Southern states.The National Weather Service in Amarillo confirmed that a tornado hit the area shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday. Local officials said Thursday night that two people were missing.Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher said three people were killed, including at least one person who died in a mobile home park that took a “direct hit” from a tornado. Dutcher said at least 30 trailers were damaged or destroyed.First responders from surrounding towns and cities and from neighboring Oklahoma descended on the town, which is home to more than 8,000 people and about 115 miles northeast of Amarillo, just south of the Oklahoma line.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686912022758.png" alt="Photo courtesy KVII TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KVII TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Mobile homes were ripped apart and pickup trucks with shattered windshield were slammed against mounds of rubble in residential areas.Perryton’s downtown also was walloped. About two blocks of businesses were heavily damaged, including an office supply store, a floral shop and a hair salon along the town's Main Street. A minivan was shoved into the outer wall of a theater.With a few hours of daylight left after the storm passed through, broken windows were being boarded up.The Ochiltree County Sheriff’s Department said it would enforce a curfew from midnight to 6 a.m. Friday because of downed power lines and other dangers that might not be visible in the dark.Storm chaser Brian Emfinger told Fox Weather that he watched the twister move through a mobile home park, mangling trailers and uprooting trees.“I had seen the tornado do some pretty serious destruction to the industrial part of town,” he said. “Unfortunately, just west of there, there is just mobile home, after mobile home, after mobile home that is completely destroyed."There was no immediate word on the tornado's size or wind speeds, meteorologist Luigi Meccariello said.Nearly 50,000 customers were without electricity in Texas and Oklahoma, according to the&nbsp;<a href="http://poweroutage.us/">poweroutage.us</a>&nbsp;website.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/OchiltreeHospital?__cft__[0]=AZWx8iuXtpK7JE9vYv_PS3ZU2MCP5f3pY1wFQRHZXZChnNMSAPjonU188fVxWFxe9Oolm7aJPgSoVgKwg8KUSkqalbnO9hTg4su9Tyb7p4IWdsa8iKj-rjcat8Yjy3RWwVS71X2qycFA1KpQIOy2ojw5nu99smRx5Gk3tGYe8ZfH0g&amp;__tn__=-UC%2CP-R">Ochiltree General Hospital</a>&nbsp;in Perryton on Facebook said “Walking/wounded please go to the clinic. All others to the hospital ER.”“We have seen somewhere between 50 and 100 patients,” said Kelly Judice, the hospital’s interim CEO. Those include about 10 people in critical condition who were transferred to other hospitals.Patients had minor to major trauma, ranging from “head injuries to collapsed lungs, lacerations, broken bones,” she said.The hospital also said an American Red Cross shelter had been set up at the Ochiltree County Expo Center.Chris Samples of local radio station KXDJ-FM said the station was running on auxiliary power.“The whole city is out of power,” he said.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday he had directed the state Division of Emergency Management to help with everything from traffic control to restoring water and other utilities, if needed.By evening, the weather front was moving southeast across Oklahoma. The weather service said a second round of storms would continue to move through that state and parts of Texas through the evening while the risk of severe weather, including tornados, remained for the metropolitan Oklahoma City area.Elsewhere in Texas and other Southern states stretching to Florida, heat advisories were in effect Thursday and were forecast into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-juneteenth-f77ddd12436ad02d8124e7d48abe9db4">Juneteenth holiday</a>&nbsp;weekend with temperatures reaching toward 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). It was expected to feel as hot as 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).The storm system also brought hail and possible tornados to northwestern Ohio.A barn was smashed and trees toppled in Sandusky County, Ohio, and power lines were downed in northern Toledo, leaving thousands without power. The weather service reported “a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado” over Bellevue and storms showing “signs of rotation” in other areas.It was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storms-tornadoes-damage-texas-georgia-alabama-7db6ee2cb28cca3794a7f074d3129071">second day in a row that powerful storms struck the U.S.</a>&nbsp;On Wednesday, strong winds toppled trees, damaged buildings and blew cars off a highway from the eastern part of Texas to Georgia.

Tornado devastates Texas Panhandle town, killing 3

&nbsp;LINCOLN — The recruits of the Nebraska State Patrol’s 67th&nbsp;Basic Recruit Class will graduate during a ceremony at the Nebraska State Capitol this Friday, June 16, 2023. The ceremony will be held at 10:00 a.m. in the Rotunda of the Capitol, 1445 K Street, in Lincoln.

Remarks will be provided by Governor Jim Pillen, Lt. Governor Joe Kelly, and Colonel John Bolduc. The recruits will receive their badges and take the oath office, which will be administered by Secretary of State Robert Evnen.

The class includes recruits from several communities across Nebraska, as well as other states. The twelve graduates will begin their careers as Nebraska State Troopers serving in a variety of communities across the state.

The graduation ceremony will be live-streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NEStatePatrol/" target="_blank">NSP’s Facebook Page.</a>

&nbsp;LINCOLN — The recruits of the Nebraska State Patrol’s 67th&nbsp;Basic Recruit Class will graduate during a ceremony at the Nebraska State Capitol this Friday, June 16, 2023. The ceremony will be held at 10:00 a.m. in the Rotunda of the Capitol, 1445 K Street, in Lincoln.Remarks will be provided by Governor Jim Pillen, Lt. Governor Joe Kelly, and Colonel John Bolduc. The recruits will receive their badges and take the oath office, which will be administered by Secretary of State Robert Evnen.The class includes recruits from several communities across Nebraska, as well as other states. The twelve graduates will begin their careers as Nebraska State Troopers serving in a variety of communities across the state.The graduation ceremony will be live-streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NEStatePatrol/" target="_blank">NSP’s Facebook Page.</a>

Nebraska State Patrol 67th Basic Recruit Camp to Graduate Friday

Megan Grimes, NARD Public Relations Director

LINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– In the wake of flooding that struck southwest Nebraska in recent weeks, the region’s flood infrastructure has emerged as a symbol of resilience and strength.

The flooding, triggered by unprecedented rainfall and the rapidly rising Republican River, swept across southwest Nebraska in late May. However, thanks to the foresight and investment in flood infrastructure, the impact on homes, businesses and agricultural land was significantly mitigated.&nbsp;

The Blackwood Creek watershed, northwest of McCook, Nebraska, has 11 watershed flood reduction structures. These structures were constructed through a partnership between the Middle Republican Natural Resources District (NRD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). While these structures do not actively hold water, when large rainfall events occur, they spring into action capturing then safely releasing floodwater.

The recent heavy rain events saw an average of 4 inches of precipitation in the Blackwood Creek watershed in just six hours. The structures functioned as designed, capturing stormwater and runoff. It is estimated these dams prevented $677,000 in damage to downstream property and infrastructure.

The Dry Creek watershed southwest of McCook saw between 7-10 inches of rainfall during the same storm event. Along that portion of Dry Creek, the Middle Republican NRD’s six watershed structures prevented $37,600 in damages from widespread flooding, safeguarding the surrounding areas.

“Investing in flood infrastructure is a proactive step that mitigates damages, reduces recovery costs, and ensures long-term resilience,” said Jack Russell, Middle Republican NRD general manager. “The benefits go beyond cost savings; these structures can be lifesaving.”

One of the key elements of the flood reduction infrastructure in southwest Nebraska is an extensive network of PL-566 watershed structures. The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, often referred to as PL-566, authorizes USDA-NRCS to help local organizations and units of government plan and implement watershed projects.

Throughout the state, Nebraska’s NRDs have utilized this federal funding and worked in partnership with USDA-NRCS to build and maintain flood reduction infrastructure.

“The proactive measures and robust engineering of the flood protection systems played a crucial role in minimizing the impact on local communities,” said Allen Gehring, USDA-NRCS state conservation engineer. “The larger watershed contains a network of infrastructure that minimized the overall flooding from the Republican River and its tributaries.”

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for every dollar spent on flood mitigation, an average of $6 can be saved in post-disaster recovery costs.

The flood infrastructure in southwest Nebraska was a result of collaborative efforts between local, state, and federal partners, as well as engineering firms and community stakeholders. Through these partnerships, investments in flood mitigation continue to pay off today enhancing their overall effectiveness in the face of extreme weather events.

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

Megan Grimes, NARD Public Relations DirectorLINCOLN, Nebraska&nbsp;– In the wake of flooding that struck southwest Nebraska in recent weeks, the region’s flood infrastructure has emerged as a symbol of resilience and strength.The flooding, triggered by unprecedented rainfall and the rapidly rising Republican River, swept across southwest Nebraska in late May. However, thanks to the foresight and investment in flood infrastructure, the impact on homes, businesses and agricultural land was significantly mitigated.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686855798715.jpeg" alt="Jack Russell, Middle Republican NRD General Manager" />
 <figcaption>Jack Russell, Middle Republican NRD General Manager</figcaption>
 </figure>The Blackwood Creek watershed, northwest of McCook, Nebraska, has 11 watershed flood reduction structures. These structures were constructed through a partnership between the Middle Republican Natural Resources District (NRD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). While these structures do not actively hold water, when large rainfall events occur, they spring into action capturing then safely releasing floodwater.The recent heavy rain events saw an average of 4 inches of precipitation in the Blackwood Creek watershed in just six hours. The structures functioned as designed, capturing stormwater and runoff. It is estimated these dams prevented $677,000 in damage to downstream property and infrastructure.The Dry Creek watershed southwest of McCook saw between 7-10 inches of rainfall during the same storm event. Along that portion of Dry Creek, the Middle Republican NRD’s six watershed structures prevented $37,600 in damages from widespread flooding, safeguarding the surrounding areas.“Investing in flood infrastructure is a proactive step that mitigates damages, reduces recovery costs, and ensures long-term resilience,” said Jack Russell, Middle Republican NRD general manager. “The benefits go beyond cost savings; these structures can be lifesaving.”One of the key elements of the flood reduction infrastructure in southwest Nebraska is an extensive network of PL-566 watershed structures. The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, often referred to as PL-566, authorizes USDA-NRCS to help local organizations and units of government plan and implement watershed projects.Throughout the state, Nebraska’s NRDs have utilized this federal funding and worked in partnership with USDA-NRCS to build and maintain flood reduction infrastructure.“The proactive measures and robust engineering of the flood protection systems played a crucial role in minimizing the impact on local communities,” said Allen Gehring, USDA-NRCS state conservation engineer. “The larger watershed contains a network of infrastructure that minimized the overall flooding from the Republican River and its tributaries.”According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for every dollar spent on flood mitigation, an average of $6 can be saved in post-disaster recovery costs.The flood infrastructure in southwest Nebraska was a result of collaborative efforts between local, state, and federal partners, as well as engineering firms and community stakeholders. Through these partnerships, investments in flood mitigation continue to pay off today enhancing their overall effectiveness in the face of extreme weather events.The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>.

Putting Flood Resiliency to the Test

&nbsp;Approximately 65 directors and staff from Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) along with conservation partners convened in Kearney for the annual NRD Basin Tour hosted by the Central Platte NRD June 12-13, 2023.

The NRD Basin Tour explores a different water basin each year. The hosting NRD showcases conservation projects, partnerships and the local communities in which they live and work.

The Platte River's economic and cultural significance in Nebraska extends from its role in supporting agriculture, tourism, and recreation to its deep connections to Native American heritage, pioneer history, and environmental conservation.

Central Platte NRD General Manager Lyndon Vogt discussed how the Platte Basin is&nbsp;vital for drinking water, irrigation, municipal and industrial uses, wildlife, and recreation in Nebraska as well as water uses in Wyoming and Colorado.

“We appreciate the opportunity to share more about the proactive approach Central Platte NRD has taken to develop projects that conserve our resources and protect water users throughout the Basin,” Vogt said.

The Central Platte NRD boundaries reach from the Lincoln-Dawson county line near Gothenburg to Hwy 81 near Columbus.&nbsp;Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs with local solutions. While all NRDs share 12 main responsibilities, each district sets its own priorities and develops its own programs to best serve local needs.&nbsp;Serving central Nebraska, Central Platte NRD shares many of the same management challenges that other NRDs face across the state.

Vogt along with Assistant Manager Jess Mintken and Information/Education Specialist Marcia Lee led the two-day tour showcasing several projects that protect lives, property and the future in central Nebraska including groundwater recharge, flood reduction infrastructure and habitat restoration.

“Basin tours give NRD directors a unique look at the conservation challenges that are being faced around the state,” said Dr. Orval Gigstad, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts president and Nemaha NRD director. “It is interesting to see the diversity of natural resource issues and how local NRD boards develop solutions to benefit their communities and the state.”

The tour included several stops featuring conservation projects that protect both urban and rural natural resources. Some of the 2023 tour highlights included:

For more information on NRD events and activities, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>.

&nbsp;Approximately 65 directors and staff from Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) along with conservation partners convened in Kearney for the annual NRD Basin Tour hosted by the Central Platte NRD June 12-13, 2023.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686840978412.jpeg" alt="Approximately 65 directors and staff from Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) tour the Platte River Basin for the annual NRD Basin Tour June 12-13, 2023. The tour made at stop at Central Platte NRD’s crane viewing deck near Alda, Nebraska, on June 12." />
 <figcaption>Approximately 65 directors and staff from Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) tour the Platte River Basin for the annual NRD Basin Tour June 12-13, 2023. The tour made at stop at Central Platte NRD’s crane viewing deck near Alda, Nebraska, on June 12.</figcaption>
 </figure>The NRD Basin Tour explores a different water basin each year. The hosting NRD showcases conservation projects, partnerships and the local communities in which they live and work.The Platte River's economic and cultural significance in Nebraska extends from its role in supporting agriculture, tourism, and recreation to its deep connections to Native American heritage, pioneer history, and environmental conservation.Central Platte NRD General Manager Lyndon Vogt discussed how the Platte Basin is&nbsp;vital for drinking water, irrigation, municipal and industrial uses, wildlife, and recreation in Nebraska as well as water uses in Wyoming and Colorado.“We appreciate the opportunity to share more about the proactive approach Central Platte NRD has taken to develop projects that conserve our resources and protect water users throughout the Basin,” Vogt said.The Central Platte NRD boundaries reach from the Lincoln-Dawson county line near Gothenburg to Hwy 81 near Columbus.&nbsp;Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs with local solutions. While all NRDs share 12 main responsibilities, each district sets its own priorities and develops its own programs to best serve local needs.&nbsp;Serving central Nebraska, Central Platte NRD shares many of the same management challenges that other NRDs face across the state.Vogt along with Assistant Manager Jess Mintken and Information/Education Specialist Marcia Lee led the two-day tour showcasing several projects that protect lives, property and the future in central Nebraska including groundwater recharge, flood reduction infrastructure and habitat restoration.“Basin tours give NRD directors a unique look at the conservation challenges that are being faced around the state,” said Dr. Orval Gigstad, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts president and Nemaha NRD director. “It is interesting to see the diversity of natural resource issues and how local NRD boards develop solutions to benefit their communities and the state.”The tour included several stops featuring conservation projects that protect both urban and rural natural resources. Some of the 2023 tour highlights included:<ul>
 <li>Upper Prairie-Silver-Moores Flood Reduction Project (Grand Island)</li><li>State Fairgrounds Outdoor Learning Area (Grand Island)</li><li>Wood River Flood Control - Hall County Park (Grand Island)</li><li>Platte Valley Industrial Park (Grand Island)</li><li>Alda &amp; Plautz Crane Viewing Decks (Alda and Gibbon)</li><li>Elm and Turkey Creeks Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (Elm Creek)</li><li>B1 Reservoir and Wildlife Management Area (Lexington)</li><li>Cozad Ditch Company Headgates (Gothenburg)</li><li>Bayer Crop Science Water Utilization Learning Center (Gothenburg)</li>
 </ul>For more information on NRD events and activities, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>.The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nrdnet.org/" target="_blank">www.nrdnet.org</a>.

NRD Basin Tour Explores the Platte River

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

WASHINGTON — Thursday marks the 11th anniversary of a program that was created during the Obama administration to temporarily protect undocumented children from deportation.

But congressional inaction and legal challenges have led to more than a decade of limbo for the 600,000 people enrolled, with no end in sight. They are often called “Dreamers,” based on never-passed legislation in Congress called the Dream Act.

By ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — Thursday marks the 11th anniversary of a program that was created during the Obama administration to temporarily protect undocumented children from deportation.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, on the 11th Anniversary of DACA, I celebrate the Dreamers who enrich our nation every day, and who deserve lasting stability in the only home they have ever known. Dreamers are Americans — and I want them to know they have an advocate and ally with me in the White House.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1669333352053088256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But congressional inaction and legal challenges have led to more than a decade of limbo for the 600,000 people enrolled, with no end in sight. They are often called “Dreamers,” based on never-passed legislation in Congress called the Dream Act.The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that was meant to be a temporary stopgap is now the only tool that protects those brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. A pending court case out of Texas will determine whether DACA is legal — and what happens next.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I believe wholeheartedly in the American Dream. And I believe in our Dreamers. Today, on the 11th anniversary of DACA, I join Byron, Rex, Juana, and Norma in calling on Congress to provide all Dreamers with permanent protections including a pathway to citizenship. <a href="https://t.co/2MxTvzZzmU">pic.twitter.com/2MxTvzZzmU</a>&mdash; Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1669343317145051137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It’s a little bit of a kick in the gut,” Salma Vizcaino Garcia, a 25-year-old DACA recipient who lives in Ellenwood, Georgia, said of the court case.Vizcaino Garcia, who is preparing to apply to medical school, said she and many DACA recipients aren’t hopeful about the outcome of the Texas case. She said she’s focusing her efforts on advocacy, and educating people about the program.She said she hopes that through collective action, enough people will urge state and federal lawmakers to create a permanent pathway to citizenship.“I genuinely am of the opinion, if I was able to talk to every person that was against us, that I could change their minds,” she said. “We’re just regular people. We’re just trying to live our lives.”<h2>Stalled in Congress</h2>For more than two decades, Congress has tried and failed to pass immigration reform.With the current divided Congress, the only&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/05/24/new-bipartisan-immigration-legislation-proposed-in-u-s-house/">recent bipartisan piece</a>&nbsp;of legislation is from six U.S. House lawmakers called the Dignity Act. The bill doesn’t specifically address DACA recipients, but is aimed at creating a legal pathway to citizenship for the estimated more than 11 million undocumented people in the country.If the bill manages to clear the House on a bipartisan vote, it would still need to reach the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. The last time Congress passed major immigration legislation was during the Reagan administration in 1986.A case in Texas threatens the legality of the DACA program, prompting immigration advocates and attorneys to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6160a38f44d6a328d59c3e3d/t/64186a9dc39bcd4b2608d743/1679321759261/2023.03.20.PUBLISHED.DED4DACA.LawProf_Letter.pdf">lobby</a>&nbsp;the Biden administration to exert its authority to use&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/deferred-enforced-departure">Deferred Enforced Departure</a>, which is not a specific immigration status, but allows those covered to be exempt from deportation for a certain period of time.The Texas challenge is likely to reach the Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority. A decision likely would come in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/01/29/lengthy-timeline-for-daca-legal-fight-puts-lives-on-hold-for-years/">spring of 2024, or later.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>President Joe Biden issued a DACA statement on Thursday urging Congress to act.“While Vice President Harris and I will continue fighting to pass legislation to protect Dreamers and create a path to citizenship, only Congress can provide permanent and lasting stability for these young people and their families,” Biden said. “Congress must act to protect our Dreamers.”On Thursday evening, the White House is hosting a screening with DACA recipients and immigration advocates of the movie “Flamin’ Hot,” a directorial debut from Latina actress Eva Longoria that tells the legendary origin story of “Flamin’ Hot Cheetos,” a popular snack in the Latino community. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-05-16/flamin-hot-cheetos-richard-montanez">L.A. Times has debunked the tale</a>, but it’s still a popular rags-to-riches story.“The Biden-Harris administration continues its effort to lift up and engage the Latino community by showcasing their stories and celebrating their contributions to our country,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday during a press briefing.<h2>‘Unknowns and uncertainty’</h2>Jaime Rangel was part of the first wave of DACA applicants when the program was created. There was a lot of apprehension about applying, but eventually he submitted his high school transcript and went through a background check to enroll.“There was just a lot of unknowns and uncertainty, but we went for it because it provided me an opportunity to have some lawful presence in the country,” Rangel said. “It was better than being in the shadows.”Rangel, who is the regional government relations director for a pro-immigration lobbying group called FWD.us, argues that DACA recipients are in every industry across the U.S. and the nation would feel the effect of an immediate loss of hundreds of thousands of employees.In his home state of Georgia, there are about 20,000 DACA recipients who contribute $100 million in state and local taxes. DACA recipients contribute more than $1.2 billion a year in federal, state and local taxes,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://itep.org/state-local-tax-contributions-of-young-undocumented-immigrants/">according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy</a>, a nonpartisan tax policy organization.A DACA recipient for more than a decade, Rangel is now 32 and married to another DACA recipient. They have a 3-year-old son.“It’s great that we can celebrate 11 years, as DACA recipients, of celebrating our contributions to this country, celebrating all that we have achieved in 11 years. But at the same time, we cannot just stick to celebrating on a program that’s ultimately is going to end and go away,” he said of the Texas court case. “We need Congress to act.”The closest Congress came to bipartisan immigration reform was in 2013, when the “Gang of Eight,” made up of four Republican and four Democratic senators, crafted a bill that would create a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented people. It cleared the Senate, but Republican House Speaker John Boehner never brought it to the floor for a vote.Despite the fight to keep DACA in place, many immigration policy experts have called the program outdated because there are now thousands of undocumented youth who are not eligible for the program, some because they were not even born yet. To qualify, an undocumented youth needs to have continuingly resided in the U.S. since 2007.“Congress’ continued inaction has led to multiple court challenges to DACA, which put DACA recipients and DACA-eligible youth in limbo,” Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, the deputy director of federal advocacy for United We Dream, said in a statement.United We Dream is one of the largest youth immigrant-led advocacy groups.Macedo do Nascimento said that because the program is outdated, it’s led to more than 100,000 undocumented high school graduates who will not be able to qualify for DACA.<h2>Texas case</h2>The same federal judge who ruled in 2021 that the program the Obama administration created was illegal — preventing any new applications — continues to preside over the case.It’s estimated that there are 95,000 applicants that are blocked due to a judge’s order blocking new applicants from being accepted,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/data/DACA_performancedata_fy2022_qtr4.pdf">according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data.&nbsp;</a>In addition, it’s estimated that there are 400,000 eligible undocumented youth who are unable to meet DACA eligibility requirements because they came to the U.S. too recently,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fwd.us/news/daca-anniversary/">according to FWD.us research.</a>U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen initially determined that the program was illegal because the Obama administration failed to follow proper rulemaking procedures when it created the program in 2012 through a memorandum.The Department of Justice appealed the case, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans sided with Hanen. But because the Biden administration was putting forth a new DACA regulation to replace the Obama-era memo that was set to go into effect in October, the appeals court decided that the case&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2022/10/06/daca-ruled-unlawful-by-federal-appeals-court-but-program-continues-for-now/">should be returned to Hanen.&nbsp;</a>Hanen on June 1 heard oral arguments about whether the Biden administration’s new rule, which is nearly identical to the memo creating DACA, is lawful.The Obama-era memo is being challenged by nine Republican-led states who argue the White House overreached in creating a program that should have been left to Congress. Those nine states also argue that under the Biden administration, they were harmed financially by incurring costs for DACA recipients’ health care and education.Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.This Texas case is not the first time the DACA program has been challenged. In 2017, the Trump administration also tried to end the program. Three years later, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the White House inappropriately ended DACA, keeping it in place.