WASHINGTON (AP) — Living in New York City, working full time and without a car, Jessica Ray and her husband have come to rely on deliveries of food and just about everything else for their home. It has meant more free time on weekends with their young son, rather than standing in line for toilet paper or dragging heavy bags of dog food back to their apartment.

"I don't even know where to buy dog food," said Jessica Ray of the specialty food she buys for the family's aging dog.

There are millions of families like the Rays who have swapped store visits for doorstep deliveries in recent years, meaning that contentious labor negotiations now underway at UPS could become vastly more disruptive than the last time it happened in 1997, when a scrappy upstart called Amazon.com became a public company.

UPS delivers millions more packages every day than it did just five years ago and its 350,000 unionized workers, represented by the Teamsters, still seethe about a contract they feel was forced on them in 2018.

In an environment of energized labor movements and lingering resentment among UPS workers, the Teamsters are expected to dig in, with the potential to cow a major logistical force in the U.S.

The 24 million packages UPS ships on an average day amounts to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes, or as UPS puts it, the equivalent of about 6% of nation's gross domestic product.

Higher prices and long wait times are all but certain if there is an impasse.

"Something's got to give," said Thomas Goldsby, logistics chairman in the Supply Chain Management Department at the University of Tennessee. "The python can't swallow the alligator, and that's going to be felt by all of us."

In other words, brace yourself for Supply Chain Breakdown: The Sequel.

In the second half of 2021, the phrase "global supply chain" began to enter casual conversations as the world emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses struggled to get what they needed, raising prices and wait times. Automakers held vehicles just off the assembly line because they didn't have all the parts.

Some of those problems still linger and a strike at UPS threatens to extend the suffering.

Those who have come to rely on doorstep deliveries for the basic may have to rethink weekly schedules.

"We finally reached a point where we finally feel pretty good about it," Ray said. "We can take a Saturday afternoon and do a fun family activity and not feel the burden of making everything work for the day-to-day functioning of our household."

UPS workers feel they have played a part in the transformation of how Americans shop since the last contract was ratified in 2018, while helping to make UPS a much more valuable company.

Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were before the 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 frontline UPS workers deserve some of that windfall.

"Our members worked really hard over the pandemic," said Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz. "They need to see their fair share."

Union members rejected the contract they were offered in 2018, but it was pushed through by union leadership based on a technicality. The acrimony over the current contract was so fierce that last year workers rejected a candidate to lead the Teamsters favored by longtime union head James Hoffa, instead choosing the more combative Sean O'Brien.

O'Brien went on a nationwide tour of local Teamsters shops preparing frontline workers ahead of negotiations.

In addition to addressing part-time pay, and what workers say is excessive overtime, the union wants to eliminate a contract provision that created two separate hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. Driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, is also in the mix.

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

Teamsters are attempting to organize Amazon workers and dozens of company delivery drivers and dispatchers in California joined the union last month. There are also prominent labor organization campaigns at Apple, Starbucks, Trader Joe's, Apple, even strippers at a dance club in Los Angeles.

"This has just huge implications for the entire labor movement in the United States," said John Logan, the director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University, referring to labor talks at UPS. "There's greater assertiveness and militancy on the part of a lot of young labor activists and some sectors of the labor establishment. Sean O'Brien is representative of that."

When dozens of UPS locals met with Teamsters leadership early this year, O'Brien delivered a message of urgency.

"We're going into these negotiations with a clear message to UPS that we're not going past August 1," O'Brien told the gathering.

It would be the first work stoppage since a walkout by 185,000 workers crippled the company a quarter century ago.

UPS CEO Carol Tomé has remained optimistic publicly, telling investors recently that the company and the Teamsters were not far apart on major issues.

"While we expect to hear a great deal of noise during the negotiation, I remain confident that a win-win-win contract is very achievable and that UPS and the Teamsters will reach agreement by the end of July," Tomé said.

If Tomé is wrong, Americans may need to put aside more time to shop like they used to do.

"It has the potential to be significantly impactful," Ray said. "My husband and I have invested a lot in figuring out how to remove the burden of just making sure we always have toilet paper."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686015102842.png" alt="UPS delivers millions more packages every day than it did just five years ago-photo courtesy UPS" />
 <figcaption>UPS delivers millions more packages every day than it did just five years ago-photo courtesy UPS</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Living in New York City, working full time and without a car, Jessica Ray and her husband have come to rely on deliveries of food and just about everything else for their home. It has meant more free time on weekends with their young son, rather than standing in line for toilet paper or dragging heavy bags of dog food back to their apartment."I don't even know where to buy dog food," said Jessica Ray of the specialty food she buys for the family's aging dog.There are millions of families like the Rays who have swapped store visits for doorstep deliveries in recent years, meaning that contentious labor negotiations now underway at UPS could become vastly more disruptive than the last time it happened in 1997, when a scrappy upstart called Amazon.com became a public company.UPS delivers millions more packages every day than it did just five years ago and its 350,000 unionized workers, represented by the Teamsters, still seethe about a contract they feel was forced on them in 2018.In an environment of energized labor movements and lingering resentment among UPS workers, the Teamsters are expected to dig in, with the potential to cow a major logistical force in the U.S.The 24 million packages UPS ships on an average day amounts to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes, or as UPS puts it, the equivalent of about 6% of nation's gross domestic product.Higher prices and long wait times are all but certain if there is an impasse."Something's got to give," said Thomas Goldsby, logistics chairman in the Supply Chain Management Department at the University of Tennessee. "The python can't swallow the alligator, and that's going to be felt by all of us."In other words, brace yourself for Supply Chain Breakdown: The Sequel.In the second half of 2021, the phrase "global supply chain" began to enter casual conversations as the world emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses struggled to get what they needed, raising prices and wait times. Automakers held vehicles just off the assembly line because they didn't have all the parts.Some of those problems still linger and a strike at UPS threatens to extend the suffering.Those who have come to rely on doorstep deliveries for the basic may have to rethink weekly schedules."We finally reached a point where we finally feel pretty good about it," Ray said. "We can take a Saturday afternoon and do a fun family activity and not feel the burden of making everything work for the day-to-day functioning of our household."UPS workers feel they have played a part in the transformation of how Americans shop since the last contract was ratified in 2018, while helping to make UPS a much more valuable company.Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were before the 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 frontline UPS workers deserve some of that windfall."Our members worked really hard over the pandemic," said Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz. "They need to see their fair share."Union members rejected the contract they were offered in 2018, but it was pushed through by union leadership based on a technicality. The acrimony over the current contract was so fierce that last year workers rejected a candidate to lead the Teamsters favored by longtime union head James Hoffa, instead choosing the more combative Sean O'Brien.O'Brien went on a nationwide tour of local Teamsters shops preparing frontline workers ahead of negotiations.In addition to addressing part-time pay, and what workers say is excessive overtime, the union wants to eliminate a contract provision that created two separate hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. Driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, is also in the mix.A win at UPS could have implications for the organized labor outside the company.Teamsters are attempting to organize Amazon workers and dozens of company delivery drivers and dispatchers in California joined the union last month. There are also prominent labor organization campaigns at Apple, Starbucks, Trader Joe's, Apple, even strippers at a dance club in Los Angeles."This has just huge implications for the entire labor movement in the United States," said John Logan, the director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University, referring to labor talks at UPS. "There's greater assertiveness and militancy on the part of a lot of young labor activists and some sectors of the labor establishment. Sean O'Brien is representative of that."When dozens of UPS locals met with Teamsters leadership early this year, O'Brien delivered a message of urgency."We're going into these negotiations with a clear message to UPS that we're not going past August 1," O'Brien told the gathering.It would be the first work stoppage since a walkout by 185,000 workers crippled the company a quarter century ago.UPS CEO Carol Tomé has remained optimistic publicly, telling investors recently that the company and the Teamsters were not far apart on major issues."While we expect to hear a great deal of noise during the negotiation, I remain confident that a win-win-win contract is very achievable and that UPS and the Teamsters will reach agreement by the end of July," Tomé said.If Tomé is wrong, Americans may need to put aside more time to shop like they used to do."It has the potential to be significantly impactful," Ray said. "My husband and I have invested a lot in figuring out how to remove the burden of just making sure we always have toilet paper."

UPS strike looms in a world grown reliant on everything delivered all the time

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 — Action Monday by the nation’s highest court voided two decisions of the Nebraska Supreme Court that upheld what critics have been calling state-assisted “home equity theft.”

The U.S. Supreme Court justices sent both cases back for reconsideration by the state’s Supreme Court. The move was made in light of the high court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/25/nations-high-court-rules-on-home-equity-theft-validating-an-effort-in-the-nebraska-legislature/">May 25 decision</a>&nbsp;in a similar Minnesota case.

All nine justices in that case, Tyler v. Hennepin, agreed that the tax sale process in Minnesota’s Hennepin County (akin to that of Nebraska’s) was unconstitutional and violates the “takings clause.”&nbsp;

State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha called the U.S. Supreme Court’s actions on Monday as well as on May 25 “vindication” and reinforcement that he and others seeking to change Nebraska’s delinquent tax sale process were on the right side.

Shortly before the Nebraska Legislature wrapped up its session Thursday, lawmakers approved legislation, pushed in part by Cavanaugh, to amend the state’s process — ensuring that homeowners are compensated for the equity they have built up if their home is seized for property tax debts.

Expected to be endorsed by Gov. Jim Pillen, Legislative Bill 727 would lay out a different tax sale process moving forward, including improved notice to homeowners of any tax delinquency.&nbsp;

Reconsideration of the two Nebraska cases could bring good news to plaintiffs in the cases of Kevin and Terry Fair of Scottsbluff and Sandra Nieveen of Lincoln. In both cases, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the state’s tax sale process laws but allowed the families to stay in their homes pending the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court.&nbsp;

“It has taken a long time to get to this point,” said Jennifer Gaughan, chief of legal strategy for Legal Aid of Nebraska, which represented both homeowner families in state court. “We look forward to resolving these cases and seeing justice served for our clients who have lived for years under the stress of not only the threat of homelessness but also the loss of equity in their property without any compensation — stripped of their only asset and left with nothing to be able to get another place to live.”

Gaughan believes the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Minnesota case means that Nebraska’s current tax sale process is unconstitutional, as well.&nbsp;

Pacific Legal Foundation, which has led nationwide efforts to end “home equity theft” where it is practiced, helped represent the Fairs and Nieveen free-of-charge in the U.S. Supreme Court. Their respective cases have been going on for more than four years.&nbsp;

Christina Martin of Pacific Legal called the Supreme Court’s actions a “major victory” for protecting homeowner property rights. According to Pacific Legal, Nebraska is among a dozen states with laws under which homeowners&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/07/spotlight-to-shine-in-nebraska-and-nationally-on-what-critics-call-home-equity-theft/">can lose the full value</a>&nbsp;of their home for nonpayment of a much smaller property tax debt.

How it has worked in Nebraska: Counties could sell the tax lien on a property to a third party who pays a homeowner’s overdue taxes. After three years of paying taxes on the property, the third-party investor can seek the legal deed to the property, although the investor is supposed to notify and give the owner a shot at holding onto the property by paying the delinquent tax and interest.

If that doesn’t happen, the investor can reap a windfall on a sale, since state law doesn’t require reimbursement of equity the owner has built up.

Martin says that, in all, 21 states practice some form of so-called “home equity theft” and “are now on notice” to change laws or face financial damages in court.

Legal Aid’s Mark Bestul said that if Legal Aid and Pacific Legal had not challenged the Nebraska process, the Fair and Nieveen families would have lost their homes years ago.

In the Fair case, the couple had lived in their Scottsbluff home for nearly three decades but fell behind on taxes. The county eventually transferred the couple’s $60,000 home to a private investor, who paid off the Fairs’ $5,268 county debt and kept the profit.&nbsp;

In the second case, Sandra Nieveen had lived in her Lincoln residence for a half-century when a private investor paid her tax debt of less than $4,000, and ultimately obtained the home, then valued at about $62,000.

Most people affected by the tax sale process are older, sick and financially struggling homeowners, civic rights advocates say, with a disproportionate impact on people of color.&nbsp;

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 — Action Monday by the nation’s highest court voided two decisions of the Nebraska Supreme Court that upheld what critics have been calling state-assisted “home equity theft.”The U.S. Supreme Court justices sent both cases back for reconsideration by the state’s Supreme Court. The move was made in light of the high court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/25/nations-high-court-rules-on-home-equity-theft-validating-an-effort-in-the-nebraska-legislature/">May 25 decision</a>&nbsp;in a similar Minnesota case.All nine justices in that case, Tyler v. Hennepin, agreed that the tax sale process in Minnesota’s Hennepin County (akin to that of Nebraska’s) was unconstitutional and violates the “takings clause.”&nbsp;State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha called the U.S. Supreme Court’s actions on Monday as well as on May 25 “vindication” and reinforcement that he and others seeking to change Nebraska’s delinquent tax sale process were on the right side.Shortly before the Nebraska Legislature wrapped up its session Thursday, lawmakers approved legislation, pushed in part by Cavanaugh, to amend the state’s process — ensuring that homeowners are compensated for the equity they have built up if their home is seized for property tax debts.Expected to be endorsed by Gov. Jim Pillen, Legislative Bill 727 would lay out a different tax sale process moving forward, including improved notice to homeowners of any tax delinquency.&nbsp;Reconsideration of the two Nebraska cases could bring good news to plaintiffs in the cases of Kevin and Terry Fair of Scottsbluff and Sandra Nieveen of Lincoln. In both cases, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld the state’s tax sale process laws but allowed the families to stay in their homes pending the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court.&nbsp;“It has taken a long time to get to this point,” said Jennifer Gaughan, chief of legal strategy for Legal Aid of Nebraska, which represented both homeowner families in state court. “We look forward to resolving these cases and seeing justice served for our clients who have lived for years under the stress of not only the threat of homelessness but also the loss of equity in their property without any compensation — stripped of their only asset and left with nothing to be able to get another place to live.”Gaughan believes the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Minnesota case means that Nebraska’s current tax sale process is unconstitutional, as well.&nbsp;Pacific Legal Foundation, which has led nationwide efforts to end “home equity theft” where it is practiced, helped represent the Fairs and Nieveen free-of-charge in the U.S. Supreme Court. Their respective cases have been going on for more than four years.&nbsp;Christina Martin of Pacific Legal called the Supreme Court’s actions a “major victory” for protecting homeowner property rights. According to Pacific Legal, Nebraska is among a dozen states with laws under which homeowners&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/07/spotlight-to-shine-in-nebraska-and-nationally-on-what-critics-call-home-equity-theft/">can lose the full value</a>&nbsp;of their home for nonpayment of a much smaller property tax debt.How it has worked in Nebraska: Counties could sell the tax lien on a property to a third party who pays a homeowner’s overdue taxes. After three years of paying taxes on the property, the third-party investor can seek the legal deed to the property, although the investor is supposed to notify and give the owner a shot at holding onto the property by paying the delinquent tax and interest.If that doesn’t happen, the investor can reap a windfall on a sale, since state law doesn’t require reimbursement of equity the owner has built up.Martin says that, in all, 21 states practice some form of so-called “home equity theft” and “are now on notice” to change laws or face financial damages in court.Legal Aid’s Mark Bestul said that if Legal Aid and Pacific Legal had not challenged the Nebraska process, the Fair and Nieveen families would have lost their homes years ago.In the Fair case, the couple had lived in their Scottsbluff home for nearly three decades but fell behind on taxes. The county eventually transferred the couple’s $60,000 home to a private investor, who paid off the Fairs’ $5,268 county debt and kept the profit.&nbsp;In the second case, Sandra Nieveen had lived in her Lincoln residence for a half-century when a private investor paid her tax debt of less than $4,000, and ultimately obtained the home, then valued at about $62,000.Most people affected by the tax sale process are older, sick and financially struggling homeowners, civic rights advocates say, with a disproportionate impact on people of color.&nbsp;

U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on Nebraska ‘home equity theft’ cases

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The wall of a major dam in southern Ukraine collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war</a>&nbsp;scrambled to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the destruction.

Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kakhovka-dam-ukraine-russia-war-whats-at-stake-a417dafefa79462bef5e4e63c0a94c8c">the Kakhovka dam</a>&nbsp;and hydroelectric power station on the Dnieper River in an area that Moscow controls, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian bombardment in the contested area. It was not possible to verify the claims.

The potentially far-reaching environmental and social consequences of the disaster quickly became clear as homes, streets and businesses flooded downstream and emergency crews began evacuations; officials raced to check cooling systems at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-climate-and-environment-government-politics-6147e518d263393eedefb90759651b3c">Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant</a>; and authorities expressed concern about supplies of drinking water to the south in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities brought in trains and buses for residents. About 22,000 people live in areas at risk of flooding in Russian-controlled areas, while 16,000 live in the most critical zone in Ukrainian-held territory, according to official tallies. Neither side reported any deaths or injuries.

The dam break added a stunning new dimension to Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its 16th month. Ukrainian forces were widely seen to be moving forward with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-counteroffensive-moscow-kyiv-tactics-337f12cfe0766376afcf32c5b9d75f23">long-anticipated counteroffensive</a>&nbsp;in patches along more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of front line in the east and south.

It was not immediately clear whether either side benefits from the damage to the dam, since both Russian-controlled and Ukrainian-held lands are at risk. The damage could also hinder Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south and distract its government, while Russia depends on the dam to supply water to Crimea.

Although Kyiv officials claimed Russia blew up the dam to hinder the counteroffensive, observers note that crossing the broad Dnieper would be extremely challenging for the Ukrainian military. Other sectors of the front line are more likely avenues of attack, analysts say.

Even so, Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the alleged Russian destruction of the dam “betrays a lack of confidence, a lack of confidence, a profoundly defensive measure, the lack of confidence in Russia’s longer-term prospects” in the war.

Experts have previously said the dam was in disrepair, which could also have led to the breach. David Helms, a retired American scientist who has monitored the reservoir since the start of the war, said in an email that it wasn’t clear if the damage was deliberate or simple neglect from Russian forces occupying the facility.

But Helms also noted a Russian history of attacking dams.

Authorities, experts and residents have expressed concern for months about water flows through — and over — the Kakhovka dam. After heavy rains and snow melt last month, water levels rose beyond normal levels,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-nuclear-dnipro-river-flood-df2aaa99cab8b0e0d7a4b26bd77cad0f">flooding nearby villages</a>. Satellite images showed water washing over damaged sluice gates.

Amid official outrage, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council. He alleged Russian forces set off a blast inside the dam structure at 2:50 a.m. (2350 GMT Monday) and said about 80 settlements were in danger. Zelenskyy said in October his government had information that Russia had mined the dam and power plant.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it “a deliberate act of sabotage by the Ukrainian side … aimed at cutting water supplies to Crimea.”

Both sides warned of a looming environmental disaster. Ukraine’s Presidential Office said some 150 metric tons of oil escaped from the dam machinery and that another 300 metric tons could still leak out.

Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s President’s Office, posted a video showing swans swimming near an administrative building in the flooded streets of Russian-occupied Nova Kakhovka, a city in the Kherson region where some 45,000 people lived before the war. Other footage he posted showed flood waters reaching the second floor of the building.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry urged residents of 10 villages on the Dnieper’s right bank and parts of the city of Kherson downriver to gather essential documents and pets, turn off appliances, and leave, while cautioning against possible disinformation.

The Russian-installed mayor of occupied Nova Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontyev, said it was being evacuated as water poured into the city.

Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said via Telegram that the damage to the dam “could have negative consequences” for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-climate-and-environment-government-politics-6147e518d263393eedefb90759651b3c">Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant</a>, which is Europe’s biggest, but wrote that for now the situation is “controllable.”

The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency said there was “no immediate risk to the safety of the plant,” which requires water for its cooling system. It said that IAEA staff on site have been told the dam level is falling by 5 centimeters (2 inches) an hour. At that rate, the supply from the reservoir should last a few days, it said.

The plant also has alternative sources of water, including a large cooling pond than can provide water “for some months,” the statement said.

Ukrainian authorities have previously warned that the dam’s failure could unleash 18 million cubic meters (4.8 billion gallons) of water and flood Kherson and dozens of other areas where thousands of people live.

The World Data Center for Geoinformatics and Sustainable Development, a Ukrainian nongovernmental organization, estimated that nearly 100 villages and towns would be flooded. It also reckoned that the water level would start dropping only after five-seven days.

A total collapse in the dam would wash away much of the broad river's left bank, according to the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Working Group, an organization of environmental activists and experts documenting the war’s environmental effects.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that “a global ecological disaster is playing out now, online, and thousands of animals and ecosystems will be destroyed in the next few hours.”

Video posted online showed floodwaters inundating a long roadway; another showed a beaver scurrying for high ground from rising waters.

The incident also drew international condemnation, including from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who said the “outrageous act … demonstrates once again the brutality of Russia’s war in Ukraine.”

Ukraine controls five of the six dams along the Dnieper, which runs from its northern border with Belarus down to the Black Sea and is crucial for the country’s drinking water and power supply.

Ukraine’s state hydro power generating company wrote in a statement that “The station cannot be restored.” Ukrhydroenergo also claimed Russia blew up the station from inside the engine room.

Leontyev, the Russian-appointed mayor, said numerous Ukrainian strikes on the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant destroyed its valves, and “water from the Kakhovka reservoir began to uncontrollably flow downstream.” Leontyev added that damage to the station was beyond repair, and it would have to be rebuilt.

Ukraine and Russia have previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-moscow-europe-donetsk-10b79dcbd6bf91e7ce258a0225a82a7f">accused each other</a>&nbsp;of targeting the dam with attacks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686057672800.png" alt="Image made from video provided by Ukraine's Presidential Office&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Image made from video provided by Ukraine's Presidential Office&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The wall of a major dam in southern Ukraine collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the war</a>&nbsp;scrambled to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the destruction.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RussiaIsATerroristState?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RussiaIsATerroristState</a> and the only way to stop it, is to kick it out of Ukraine. Blowing up the Kakhovska HPP will have devastating consequences,incl drowning in the region, long term water shortage, irreparable damages to thousands of lives of innocent civilians and ecosystem <a href="https://t.co/Cj2lTaoVZd">pic.twitter.com/Cj2lTaoVZd</a>&mdash; MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) <a href="https://twitter.com/MFA_Ukraine/status/1665964127477481473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kakhovka-dam-ukraine-russia-war-whats-at-stake-a417dafefa79462bef5e4e63c0a94c8c">the Kakhovka dam</a>&nbsp;and hydroelectric power station on the Dnieper River in an area that Moscow controls, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian bombardment in the contested area. It was not possible to verify the claims.The potentially far-reaching environmental and social consequences of the disaster quickly became clear as homes, streets and businesses flooded downstream and emergency crews began evacuations; officials raced to check cooling systems at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-climate-and-environment-government-politics-6147e518d263393eedefb90759651b3c">Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant</a>; and authorities expressed concern about supplies of drinking water to the south in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities brought in trains and buses for residents. About 22,000 people live in areas at risk of flooding in Russian-controlled areas, while 16,000 live in the most critical zone in Ukrainian-held territory, according to official tallies. Neither side reported any deaths or injuries.The dam break added a stunning new dimension to Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its 16th month. Ukrainian forces were widely seen to be moving forward with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-counteroffensive-moscow-kyiv-tactics-337f12cfe0766376afcf32c5b9d75f23">long-anticipated counteroffensive</a>&nbsp;in patches along more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of front line in the east and south.It was not immediately clear whether either side benefits from the damage to the dam, since both Russian-controlled and Ukrainian-held lands are at risk. The damage could also hinder Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south and distract its government, while Russia depends on the dam to supply water to Crimea.Although Kyiv officials claimed Russia blew up the dam to hinder the counteroffensive, observers note that crossing the broad Dnieper would be extremely challenging for the Ukrainian military. Other sectors of the front line are more likely avenues of attack, analysts say.Even so, Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the alleged Russian destruction of the dam “betrays a lack of confidence, a lack of confidence, a profoundly defensive measure, the lack of confidence in Russia’s longer-term prospects” in the war.Experts have previously said the dam was in disrepair, which could also have led to the breach. David Helms, a retired American scientist who has monitored the reservoir since the start of the war, said in an email that it wasn’t clear if the damage was deliberate or simple neglect from Russian forces occupying the facility.But Helms also noted a Russian history of attacking dams.Authorities, experts and residents have expressed concern for months about water flows through — and over — the Kakhovka dam. After heavy rains and snow melt last month, water levels rose beyond normal levels,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-nuclear-dnipro-river-flood-df2aaa99cab8b0e0d7a4b26bd77cad0f">flooding nearby villages</a>. Satellite images showed water washing over damaged sluice gates.Amid official outrage, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council. He alleged Russian forces set off a blast inside the dam structure at 2:50 a.m. (2350 GMT Monday) and said about 80 settlements were in danger. Zelenskyy said in October his government had information that Russia had mined the dam and power plant.But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it “a deliberate act of sabotage by the Ukrainian side … aimed at cutting water supplies to Crimea.”Both sides warned of a looming environmental disaster. Ukraine’s Presidential Office said some 150 metric tons of oil escaped from the dam machinery and that another 300 metric tons could still leak out.Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s President’s Office, posted a video showing swans swimming near an administrative building in the flooded streets of Russian-occupied Nova Kakhovka, a city in the Kherson region where some 45,000 people lived before the war. Other footage he posted showed flood waters reaching the second floor of the building.Ukraine's Interior Ministry urged residents of 10 villages on the Dnieper’s right bank and parts of the city of Kherson downriver to gather essential documents and pets, turn off appliances, and leave, while cautioning against possible disinformation.The Russian-installed mayor of occupied Nova Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontyev, said it was being evacuated as water poured into the city.Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom said via Telegram that the damage to the dam “could have negative consequences” for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-climate-and-environment-government-politics-6147e518d263393eedefb90759651b3c">Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant</a>, which is Europe’s biggest, but wrote that for now the situation is “controllable.”The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency said there was “no immediate risk to the safety of the plant,” which requires water for its cooling system. It said that IAEA staff on site have been told the dam level is falling by 5 centimeters (2 inches) an hour. At that rate, the supply from the reservoir should last a few days, it said.The plant also has alternative sources of water, including a large cooling pond than can provide water “for some months,” the statement said.Ukrainian authorities have previously warned that the dam’s failure could unleash 18 million cubic meters (4.8 billion gallons) of water and flood Kherson and dozens of other areas where thousands of people live.The World Data Center for Geoinformatics and Sustainable Development, a Ukrainian nongovernmental organization, estimated that nearly 100 villages and towns would be flooded. It also reckoned that the water level would start dropping only after five-seven days.A total collapse in the dam would wash away much of the broad river's left bank, according to the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Working Group, an organization of environmental activists and experts documenting the war’s environmental effects.Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that “a global ecological disaster is playing out now, online, and thousands of animals and ecosystems will be destroyed in the next few hours.”Video posted online showed floodwaters inundating a long roadway; another showed a beaver scurrying for high ground from rising waters.The incident also drew international condemnation, including from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who said the “outrageous act … demonstrates once again the brutality of Russia’s war in Ukraine.”Ukraine controls five of the six dams along the Dnieper, which runs from its northern border with Belarus down to the Black Sea and is crucial for the country’s drinking water and power supply.Ukraine’s state hydro power generating company wrote in a statement that “The station cannot be restored.” Ukrhydroenergo also claimed Russia blew up the station from inside the engine room.Leontyev, the Russian-appointed mayor, said numerous Ukrainian strikes on the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant destroyed its valves, and “water from the Kakhovka reservoir began to uncontrollably flow downstream.” Leontyev added that damage to the station was beyond repair, and it would have to be rebuilt.Ukraine and Russia have previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-moscow-europe-donetsk-10b79dcbd6bf91e7ce258a0225a82a7f">accused each other</a>&nbsp;of targeting the dam with attacks.

🎥Collapse of major dam in Ukraine triggers emergency

JUNE 6, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol removed 65 impaired drivers from the road during the annual campaign&nbsp;Click It or Ticket&nbsp;campaign to begin the summer travel season.

“Nebraska roadways have had a busy start to summer,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Our troopers were also busy over the last three weeks, working to help start the summer travel season safely across Nebraska.”

During the campaign, which ran from May 15 through June 4, troopers arrested 65 drivers for driving under the influence. Troopers also issued over 100 citations for seat belt and child safety seat violations.&nbsp;Click It or Ticket&nbsp;is a nationwide campaign designed to increase seat belt use through enforcement and education efforts.

Troopers also issued citations for speeding (1,587), including 65 citations for speeding at over 100 miles per hour, no seat belt (79), improper child restraint (24), open alcohol container (34), minor in possession (28), and driving under suspension (109). Troopers also performed 870 motorist assists during the campaign.

“Summer is just getting started and safe travel will be a key to making great memories on your summer road trips,” said Colonel Bolduc. “No matter where the road takes you this summer, wear your seat belt, always drive sober, put your phone down, and have a safe trip.”

Throughout the summer, troopers will be participating in several localized campaigns to promote safe travel in communities across the entire state.&nbsp;Click It or Ticket&nbsp;was made possible thanks in part to a grant from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office.

Cody Thomas&nbsp;JUNE 6, 2023 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol removed 65 impaired drivers from the road during the annual campaign&nbsp;Click It or Ticket&nbsp;campaign to begin the summer travel season.“Nebraska roadways have had a busy start to summer,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Our troopers were also busy over the last three weeks, working to help start the summer travel season safely across Nebraska.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669217828162.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>During the campaign, which ran from May 15 through June 4, troopers arrested 65 drivers for driving under the influence. Troopers also issued over 100 citations for seat belt and child safety seat violations.&nbsp;Click It or Ticket&nbsp;is a nationwide campaign designed to increase seat belt use through enforcement and education efforts.Troopers also issued citations for speeding (1,587), including 65 citations for speeding at over 100 miles per hour, no seat belt (79), improper child restraint (24), open alcohol container (34), minor in possession (28), and driving under suspension (109). Troopers also performed 870 motorist assists during the campaign.“Summer is just getting started and safe travel will be a key to making great memories on your summer road trips,” said Colonel Bolduc. “No matter where the road takes you this summer, wear your seat belt, always drive sober, put your phone down, and have a safe trip.”Throughout the summer, troopers will be participating in several localized campaigns to promote safe travel in communities across the entire state.&nbsp;Click It or Ticket&nbsp;was made possible thanks in part to a grant from the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office.

Troopers Arrest 65 Impaired Drivers During Click It or Ticket

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Saudi Arabia will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy, taking a unilateral step to prop up the sagging price of crude after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opec-oil-supply-gasoline-prices-saudi-russia-27e7b8785ff6fa3ca5df590d64cedb57">two previous cuts to supply</a>&nbsp;by major producing countries in the OPEC+ alliance failed to push oil higher.

The Saudi cut of 1 million barrels per day, to start in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers agreed in a meeting in Vienna to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">extend earlier production cuts</a>&nbsp;through next year.

Calling the reduction a “lollipop,” Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said at a news conference that “we wanted to ice the cake.” He said the cut could be extended and that the group “will do whatever is necessary to bring stability to this market.”

The new cut would likely push up oil prices in the short term, but the impact after that would depend on whether Saudi Arabia decides to extend it, said Jorge Leon, senior vice president of oil markets research at Rystad Energy.

The move provides “a price floor because the Saudis can play with the voluntary cut as much as they like,” he said.

The slump in oil prices has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-5f010ed0b66fb71e8d46040419a70203">U.S. drivers fill their tanks more cheaply</a>&nbsp;and gave consumers worldwide some relief from inflation.

“Gas is not going to become cheaper," Leon said. ”If anything, it will become marginally more expensive.”

That the Saudis felt another cut was necessary underlines the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/imf-world-bank-interest-rates-fiscal-policy-1f3ad9e4bf87b3e95db84ba7c49b959f">uncertain outlook for demand</a>&nbsp;for fuel in the months ahead. There are concerns about economic weakness in the U.S. and Europe, while China’s rebound from COVID-19 restrictions has been less robust than many had hoped.

Saudi Arabia, the dominant producer in the OPEC oil cartel, was one of several members that agreed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">surprise cut of 1.6 million barrels per day</a>&nbsp;in April. The kingdom’s share was 500,000. That followed OPEC+ announcing in October that it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-health-germany-elections-d873521f8b165774de3902439dd5a6ee">slash 2 million barrels</a>&nbsp;per day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-saudi-arabia-middle-east-ea75287315c4e8a78014a4eccb114abe">angering U.S. President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;by threatening higher gasoline prices a month before the midterm elections.

All told, OPEC+ has now dropped production on paper by 4.6 million barrels a day. But some countries can't produce their quotas, so the actual reduction is around 3.5 million barrels per day, or over 3% of global supply.

The previous cuts gave little lasting boost to oil prices. International benchmark Brent crude climbed as high as $87 per barrel but has given up its post-cut gains and been loitering below $75 per barrel in recent days. U.S. crude has recently dipped below $70.

That has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-travel-inflation-airlines-hotels-b1ec8b577b6cae248923236b1c8c120c">U.S. drivers kicking off the summer travel season</a>, with prices at the pump averaging $3.55, down $1.02 from a year ago, according to auto club AAA. Falling energy prices also helped inflation in the 20 European countries that use the euro&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-europe-food-prices-77c0d22dd3ff5aad439a995542a8e6a8">drop to the lowest level</a>&nbsp;since before Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Saudis need&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-aramco-2022-financial-earnings-oil-energy-c42b0a0b7b5a70db1f2a0ea732434051">sustained high oil revenue</a>&nbsp;to fund ambitious development projects aimed at diversifying the country’s economy.

The International Monetary Fund estimates the kingdom needs $80.90 per barrel to meet its envisioned spending commitments, which include a planned $500 billion futuristic desert city project called Neom.

The U.S. recently replenished its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-opec-business-government-and-politics-climate-environment-59aa11307b222550d48fb42ff0c3bd59">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a>&nbsp;— after Biden announced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">largest release from the national reserve</a>&nbsp;in American history last year — in an indicator that U.S. officials may be less worried about OPEC cuts than in months past.

While oil producers like Saudi Arabia need revenue to fund their state budgets, they also have to take into account the impact of higher prices on oil-consuming countries.

Oil prices that go too high can fuel inflation, sapping consumer purchasing power and pushing central banks like the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-recession-powell-50be3ad208848b75df2498aa5da6156b">U.S. Federal Reserve toward further interest rate hikes</a>&nbsp;that can slow economic growth.

The Saudi production cut and any increase to oil prices could add to the profits that are helping Russia pay for its war against Ukraine. Russia has found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-business-china-middle-east-b6a90423ee7e2245e3eafc713083896f">new oil customers in India, China</a>&nbsp;and Turkey amid Western sanctions designed to limit Moscow’s crucial energy income.

However, higher crude prices risk complicating trade by the world’s No. 3 oil producer if they exceed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-health-covid-prices-european-union-65de1c4934227208bfa68bb7d4c47716">$60-per-barrel price cap</a>&nbsp;imposed by the Group of Seven major democracies.

Russia has found ways to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-moscow-europe-european-union-825506b6a349cce7e5971c0ac550aeaa">evade the price cap</a>&nbsp;through “dark fleet” tankers, which tamper with location data or transfer oil from ship to ship to disguise its origin. But those efforts add costs.

Under the OPEC+ deal, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow will extend its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-65edbc5ba28370c0face621b7db0ce74">voluntary cut of 500,000 barrels a day</a>&nbsp;through next year, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

But Russia might not be following through on its promises. Moscow’s total exports of oil and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-union-russia-government-moscow-europe-china-a855facf78132a8805c9ba52dd0fab60">refined products such as diesel fuel</a>&nbsp;rose in April to a post-invasion high of 8.3 million barrels per day, the International Energy Agency said in its April oil market report.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Saudi Arabia will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy, taking a unilateral step to prop up the sagging price of crude after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/opec-oil-supply-gasoline-prices-saudi-russia-27e7b8785ff6fa3ca5df590d64cedb57">two previous cuts to supply</a>&nbsp;by major producing countries in the OPEC+ alliance failed to push oil higher.The Saudi cut of 1 million barrels per day, to start in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers agreed in a meeting in Vienna to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">extend earlier production cuts</a>&nbsp;through next year.Calling the reduction a “lollipop,” Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said at a news conference that “we wanted to ice the cake.” He said the cut could be extended and that the group “will do whatever is necessary to bring stability to this market.”The new cut would likely push up oil prices in the short term, but the impact after that would depend on whether Saudi Arabia decides to extend it, said Jorge Leon, senior vice president of oil markets research at Rystad Energy.The move provides “a price floor because the Saudis can play with the voluntary cut as much as they like,” he said.The slump in oil prices has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-5f010ed0b66fb71e8d46040419a70203">U.S. drivers fill their tanks more cheaply</a>&nbsp;and gave consumers worldwide some relief from inflation.“Gas is not going to become cheaper," Leon said. ”If anything, it will become marginally more expensive.”That the Saudis felt another cut was necessary underlines the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/imf-world-bank-interest-rates-fiscal-policy-1f3ad9e4bf87b3e95db84ba7c49b959f">uncertain outlook for demand</a>&nbsp;for fuel in the months ahead. There are concerns about economic weakness in the U.S. and Europe, while China’s rebound from COVID-19 restrictions has been less robust than many had hoped.Saudi Arabia, the dominant producer in the OPEC oil cartel, was one of several members that agreed on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">surprise cut of 1.6 million barrels per day</a>&nbsp;in April. The kingdom’s share was 500,000. That followed OPEC+ announcing in October that it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-health-germany-elections-d873521f8b165774de3902439dd5a6ee">slash 2 million barrels</a>&nbsp;per day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-saudi-arabia-middle-east-ea75287315c4e8a78014a4eccb114abe">angering U.S. President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;by threatening higher gasoline prices a month before the midterm elections.All told, OPEC+ has now dropped production on paper by 4.6 million barrels a day. But some countries can't produce their quotas, so the actual reduction is around 3.5 million barrels per day, or over 3% of global supply.The previous cuts gave little lasting boost to oil prices. International benchmark Brent crude climbed as high as $87 per barrel but has given up its post-cut gains and been loitering below $75 per barrel in recent days. U.S. crude has recently dipped below $70.That has helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-travel-inflation-airlines-hotels-b1ec8b577b6cae248923236b1c8c120c">U.S. drivers kicking off the summer travel season</a>, with prices at the pump averaging $3.55, down $1.02 from a year ago, according to auto club AAA. Falling energy prices also helped inflation in the 20 European countries that use the euro&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-europe-food-prices-77c0d22dd3ff5aad439a995542a8e6a8">drop to the lowest level</a>&nbsp;since before Russia invaded Ukraine.The Saudis need&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-aramco-2022-financial-earnings-oil-energy-c42b0a0b7b5a70db1f2a0ea732434051">sustained high oil revenue</a>&nbsp;to fund ambitious development projects aimed at diversifying the country’s economy.The International Monetary Fund estimates the kingdom needs $80.90 per barrel to meet its envisioned spending commitments, which include a planned $500 billion futuristic desert city project called Neom.The U.S. recently replenished its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-opec-business-government-and-politics-climate-environment-59aa11307b222550d48fb42ff0c3bd59">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a>&nbsp;— after Biden announced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">largest release from the national reserve</a>&nbsp;in American history last year — in an indicator that U.S. officials may be less worried about OPEC cuts than in months past.While oil producers like Saudi Arabia need revenue to fund their state budgets, they also have to take into account the impact of higher prices on oil-consuming countries.Oil prices that go too high can fuel inflation, sapping consumer purchasing power and pushing central banks like the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-recession-powell-50be3ad208848b75df2498aa5da6156b">U.S. Federal Reserve toward further interest rate hikes</a>&nbsp;that can slow economic growth.The Saudi production cut and any increase to oil prices could add to the profits that are helping Russia pay for its war against Ukraine. Russia has found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-business-china-middle-east-b6a90423ee7e2245e3eafc713083896f">new oil customers in India, China</a>&nbsp;and Turkey amid Western sanctions designed to limit Moscow’s crucial energy income.However, higher crude prices risk complicating trade by the world’s No. 3 oil producer if they exceed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-health-covid-prices-european-union-65de1c4934227208bfa68bb7d4c47716">$60-per-barrel price cap</a>&nbsp;imposed by the Group of Seven major democracies.Russia has found ways to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-moscow-europe-european-union-825506b6a349cce7e5971c0ac550aeaa">evade the price cap</a>&nbsp;through “dark fleet” tankers, which tamper with location data or transfer oil from ship to ship to disguise its origin. But those efforts add costs.Under the OPEC+ deal, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow will extend its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-65edbc5ba28370c0face621b7db0ce74">voluntary cut of 500,000 barrels a day</a>&nbsp;through next year, according to Russian state news agency Tass.But Russia might not be following through on its promises. Moscow’s total exports of oil and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/european-union-russia-government-moscow-europe-china-a855facf78132a8805c9ba52dd0fab60">refined products such as diesel fuel</a>&nbsp;rose in April to a post-invasion high of 8.3 million barrels per day, the International Energy Agency said in its April oil market report.

Expect higher gas prices as Saudis slash oil supply

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

LINCOLN — Nebraska state senators headed home last week after a particularly brutal and bitter 2023 session.

But one lawmaker isn’t packing up his office — he has packed his bag for a return trip to the war front in Ukraine.

Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, a decorated military veteran nearing his 65th birthday, has gone to the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/01/nebraska-state-senator-returns-to-ukraine-to-deliver-bibles-stove-food-and-a-message-of-support/">war-ravaged country twice before.</a>

But the old soldier in him can’t stay away. And he figures he can help.

“You go through life and you have skills, and things you’ve learned.&nbsp;And you want to use those skills until you physically can’t anymore,” Brewer said.&nbsp;

“In my case, it just happens that after almost 37 years in uniform, that’s what I know.”

“They need help if they’re going to be able to win the war,” he added.

Brewer, 64, has battled leukemia and sickening chemo treatments in recent years and has a bad back that leaves him with a stiff walk. In addition, he underwent sinus surgery in December.

He visited Ukraine twice last year, in June and October, but the retired Army colonel believes that visits from an American to the battlefield helps boost the morale of the scrappy Ukrainians. And, as a veteran of firefights in Afghanistan, he thinks he can help them.

“I was of less value to them (last year) when they were using Russian equipment. Now, they’re using systems I know,” he said. “I know the Bradley (fighting vehicle), I know the Abrams (tank), I know the Stryker (armored vehicle) ….”

&nbsp;“You can actually come and advise, and help them learn how to better win the war quicker,” Brewer said.

Observers can also, he said, see if the U.S. “invested right” — in the right armaments sent to the conflict.

That can’t happen, Brewer said, if one rides the specially armored train that transports dignitaries and cargo to Kyiv and then you “stop, shake a few hands, take some pics, and get back on the train.”

“If you go forward, you’re at risk,” he said, “but if you want to understand what’s going on, you have to go there to see it.”

Brewer left Nebraska Saturday and was expected to travel into Ukraine on Sunday.

He will once again be distributing Bibles to wounded soldiers, and he was given some personal items by Ukrainian refugees in Texas recently to return to loved ones who remain in the country. He will meet with&nbsp; Ukraine’s minister of intelligence — an official who has helped facilitate his interpreter and travels — and a deputy minister of defense.

“We’re not ruling out the chance to meet President Zelenskyy,” Brewer added.

He is also bringing speech-secure radios, which will allow Ukrainian troops to communicate with each other without betraying their location to the Russians, who continue to bombard the front with artillery

During Brewer’s last visit, he escaped injury when some artillery fire missed his vehicle or failed to detonate nearby

This trip will be more dangerous, he said. The Russians have learned how to counter some of the Ukrainian forces’ “playbook.” And soon — perhaps as they arrive — “probably between 50,000 and 75,000 Ukrainians are going to smash into 50,000 to 75,000 Russians with thousands of armored vehicles.

“It will be World War II type battle,” Brewer said.

Is there a risk of igniting another world war? Or prompting a nuclear strike from President Putin?

To the first question, Brewer doesn’t think so — Russia won’t risk engaging NATO, he said.

But, he said, he can’t rule out that Putin might use a tactical nuclear bomb if the war goes badly for his troops. Brewer said Russia would not tolerate losing its main naval base at Sevastopol, on the Crimea Peninsula, which Putin annexed in 2014.

“He’d rather see it a smoking hole,” Brewer said.

Because of that, he is bringing iodine and taking other precautions in the event of a nuclear attack.

The senator said he admires the “passion” of the Ukrainians and how they remind him of&nbsp;people in Nebraska and Iowa.

They’re common people, in an agricultural region with weather and terrain much like the Midwest, he said.

The fight for Ukraine, Brewer said, reminds him of the Americans during their war of independence from England in 1775 — facing a bigger country with more military might.

&nbsp;But, Brewer said, like the outgunned American forces of the 1770s, the Ukrainians have something to fight for.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“They’re hungry to get their country back and their lives back,” he said. “And I think they’re willing to die to do it.”

Brewer said the Russian prisoners of war that he’s seen were conscripts, or prison inmates released to fight at the front.

&nbsp;“I don’t know how you motivate a solider like that to risk their life and do the hard stuff,” he said

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686015396294.png" alt=" Ukrainians from across Nebraska join with State Sen. Tom Brewer (holding the flag on the right) outside the Nebraska State Capitol in support of LB 199 on Feb. 14, 2023. To Brewer’s left is Noah Philson of Elmwood, who helped Brewer in his travels to Ukraine in 2022. (Courtesy of Noah Philson)" />
 <figcaption> Ukrainians from across Nebraska join with State Sen. Tom Brewer (holding the flag on the right) outside the Nebraska State Capitol in support of LB 199 on Feb. 14, 2023. To Brewer’s left is Noah Philson of Elmwood, who helped Brewer in his travels to Ukraine in 2022. (Courtesy of Noah Philson)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska state senators headed home last week after a particularly brutal and bitter 2023 session.But one lawmaker isn’t packing up his office — he has packed his bag for a return trip to the war front in Ukraine.Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, a decorated military veteran nearing his 65th birthday, has gone to the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/01/nebraska-state-senator-returns-to-ukraine-to-deliver-bibles-stove-food-and-a-message-of-support/">war-ravaged country twice before.</a>But the old soldier in him can’t stay away. And he figures he can help.“You go through life and you have skills, and things you’ve learned.&nbsp;And you want to use those skills until you physically can’t anymore,” Brewer said.&nbsp;“In my case, it just happens that after almost 37 years in uniform, that’s what I know.”<h2>‘They need help … to win’</h2>“They need help if they’re going to be able to win the war,” he added.Brewer, 64, has battled leukemia and sickening chemo treatments in recent years and has a bad back that leaves him with a stiff walk. In addition, he underwent sinus surgery in December.He visited Ukraine twice last year, in June and October, but the retired Army colonel believes that visits from an American to the battlefield helps boost the morale of the scrappy Ukrainians. And, as a veteran of firefights in Afghanistan, he thinks he can help them.“I was of less value to them (last year) when they were using Russian equipment. Now, they’re using systems I know,” he said. “I know the Bradley (fighting vehicle), I know the Abrams (tank), I know the Stryker (armored vehicle) ….”&nbsp;“You can actually come and advise, and help them learn how to better win the war quicker,” Brewer said.Observers can also, he said, see if the U.S. “invested right” — in the right armaments sent to the conflict.That can’t happen, Brewer said, if one rides the specially armored train that transports dignitaries and cargo to Kyiv and then you “stop, shake a few hands, take some pics, and get back on the train.”<h2>‘You’re at risk’</h2>“If you go forward, you’re at risk,” he said, “but if you want to understand what’s going on, you have to go there to see it.”Brewer left Nebraska Saturday and was expected to travel into Ukraine on Sunday.He will once again be distributing Bibles to wounded soldiers, and he was given some personal items by Ukrainian refugees in Texas recently to return to loved ones who remain in the country. He will meet with&nbsp; Ukraine’s minister of intelligence — an official who has helped facilitate his interpreter and travels — and a deputy minister of defense.<h2>Radios among cargo</h2>“We’re not ruling out the chance to meet President Zelenskyy,” Brewer added.He is also bringing speech-secure radios, which will allow Ukrainian troops to communicate with each other without betraying their location to the Russians, who continue to bombard the front with artilleryDuring Brewer’s last visit, he escaped injury when some artillery fire missed his vehicle or failed to detonate nearbyThis trip will be more dangerous, he said. The Russians have learned how to counter some of the Ukrainian forces’ “playbook.” And soon — perhaps as they arrive — “probably between 50,000 and 75,000 Ukrainians are going to smash into 50,000 to 75,000 Russians with thousands of armored vehicles.“It will be World War II type battle,” Brewer said.Is there a risk of igniting another world war? Or prompting a nuclear strike from President Putin?<h2>Bringing iodine, other precautions</h2>To the first question, Brewer doesn’t think so — Russia won’t risk engaging NATO, he said.But, he said, he can’t rule out that Putin might use a tactical nuclear bomb if the war goes badly for his troops. Brewer said Russia would not tolerate losing its main naval base at Sevastopol, on the Crimea Peninsula, which Putin annexed in 2014.“He’d rather see it a smoking hole,” Brewer said.Because of that, he is bringing iodine and taking other precautions in the event of a nuclear attack.The senator said he admires the “passion” of the Ukrainians and how they remind him of&nbsp;people in Nebraska and Iowa.They’re common people, in an agricultural region with weather and terrain much like the Midwest, he said.The fight for Ukraine, Brewer said, reminds him of the Americans during their war of independence from England in 1775 — facing a bigger country with more military might.&nbsp;But, Brewer said, like the outgunned American forces of the 1770s, the Ukrainians have something to fight for.&nbsp;&nbsp;“They’re hungry to get their country back and their lives back,” he said. “And I think they’re willing to die to do it.”Brewer said the Russian prisoners of war that he’s seen were conscripts, or prison inmates released to fight at the front.&nbsp;“I don’t know how you motivate a solider like that to risk their life and do the hard stuff,” he said

As Neb. state senators head home, one heads to the battlefield in Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said the Kansas City Chiefs are "building a dynasty” as he hosted the team at the White House Monday to mark their Super Bowl victory in February.

Speaking on the South Lawn, Biden praised the team for playing with “the real joy of the game and love for each other and the great city you represent.” He also praised the team for their charitable work off the field, saying, “as these guys know about football, they know about life and how to use their platform to make a difference. ”

Biden joked that first lady Jill Biden, a “rabid” Philadelphia fan, is still not over the dramatic end to the game, which included a controversial holding penalty against the Eagles that set the Chiefs up for their game-winning field goal. The president added, “I have to be careful what I say today,” even thoughhis wife was out of the country.

Biden led the crowd in a moment of silence to mark the death Sunday of Norma Hunt, wife of the late team founder Lamar Hunt, saying he was sending “our condolences to the entire Hunt family.”

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the game's most valuable player, and tight end Travis Kelce presented Biden with a personalized Kansas City Chiefs jersey before posing for a team photo with the president.

Before the ceremony, the team was given a tour of the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said the Kansas City Chiefs are "building a dynasty” as he hosted the team at the White House Monday to mark their Super Bowl victory in February.(Click below to watch the ceremony)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F128853000214485%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=48" 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>Speaking on the South Lawn, Biden praised the team for playing with “the real joy of the game and love for each other and the great city you represent.” He also praised the team for their charitable work off the field, saying, “as these guys know about football, they know about life and how to use their platform to make a difference. ”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The celebration of the <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> Super Bowl victory continues! I&#39;m happy to be in D.C. today to congratulate the team in person — and I was lucky enough to get MVP <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatrickMahomes</a> to sign my football with <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>! 🏈 <a href="https://t.co/66pFyiwqks">pic.twitter.com/66pFyiwqks</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1665843404159287296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A HUGE welcome to the SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS, the Kansas City <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChiefsKingdom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChiefsKingdom</a> <a href="https://t.co/6m0uTSZGxu">pic.twitter.com/6m0uTSZGxu</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1665900083550773248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden joked that first lady Jill Biden, a “rabid” Philadelphia fan, is still not over the dramatic end to the game, which included a controversial holding penalty against the Eagles that set the Chiefs up for their game-winning field goal. The president added, “I have to be careful what I say today,” even thoughhis wife was out of the country.Biden led the crowd in a moment of silence to mark the death Sunday of Norma Hunt, wife of the late team founder Lamar Hunt, saying he was sending “our condolences to the entire Hunt family.”Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the game's most valuable player, and tight end Travis Kelce presented Biden with a personalized Kansas City Chiefs jersey before posing for a team photo with the president.Before the ceremony, the team was given a tour of the White House.

🎥 Biden hosts Super Bowl champs at the White House

JUNE 5, 2022 (GRAND ISLAND, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) Carrier Enforcement Investigator Kris Hunzeker has captured first place honors for the third time in the Nebraska Inspector Championships. The annual competition was held in conjunction with the Nebraska Truck Driving Championships in Grand Island this weekend.

Investigator Hunzeker is a 19-year veteran of NSP, stationed in Lincoln, and is assigned to the Carrier Enforcement Division. Hunzeker previously won the competition in 2017 and 2018. Sergeant Matt Ramsey placed second in the competition. Ramsey is a 22-year veteran of NSP.

During the competition, each participant goes through a table-top exercise, various hands-on inspections, and a personal interview. Carrier Enforcement commanders also assist with the truck driving competition.

Investigator Hunzeker will now represent Nebraska at the North American Inspector Championships (NAIC) in Columbus, Ohio in August. During the NAIC, inspectors from across North America are tested in a series of timed events, in which they demonstrate their knowledge of the North American Standard Inspection Program.

In addition to the competition, each inspector receives training on the latest safety information, technology, standards, and inspection procedures. The NAIC is held in conjunction with the American Trucking Association National Truck Driving Championships.

JUNE 5, 2022 (GRAND ISLAND, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) Carrier Enforcement Investigator Kris Hunzeker has captured first place honors for the third time in the Nebraska Inspector Championships. The annual competition was held in conjunction with the Nebraska Truck Driving Championships in Grand Island this weekend.Investigator Hunzeker is a 19-year veteran of NSP, stationed in Lincoln, and is assigned to the Carrier Enforcement Division. Hunzeker previously won the competition in 2017 and 2018. Sergeant Matt Ramsey placed second in the competition. Ramsey is a 22-year veteran of NSP.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685991201185.jpeg" alt=" Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) Carrier Enforcement Investigator Kris Hunzeker " />
 <figcaption> Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) Carrier Enforcement Investigator Kris Hunzeker </figcaption>
 </figure>During the competition, each participant goes through a table-top exercise, various hands-on inspections, and a personal interview. Carrier Enforcement commanders also assist with the truck driving competition.Investigator Hunzeker will now represent Nebraska at the North American Inspector Championships (NAIC) in Columbus, Ohio in August. During the NAIC, inspectors from across North America are tested in a series of timed events, in which they demonstrate their knowledge of the North American Standard Inspection Program.In addition to the competition, each inspector receives training on the latest safety information, technology, standards, and inspection procedures. The NAIC is held in conjunction with the American Trucking Association National Truck Driving Championships.

Investigator Hunzeker Wins Nebraska Inspector Championship

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are deeply conflicted about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">food aid requirements</a>&nbsp;that President Joe Biden negotiated as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-limit-budget-36bd8dbb08192ba7f7507cab16184d93">debt ceiling deal</a>, fearing damage has been done to safety net programs that will be difficult to unravel in the years ahead as Republicans demand further cuts.

Bargaining over toughening work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, became the focal point for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-debt-limit-aee6d1dd48f53bedadfe1212e231f48f">White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy</a>, R-Calif., up until the end. Negotiators from both sides made clear, publicly and privately, that it was the biggest area of disagreement and almost led to the talks breaking down several times.

In the end, Democrats warily accepted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">new requirements</a>&nbsp;for some able-bodied recipients in exchange for food aid. Republicans agreed to drop some work requirements for veterans, homeless people and others.

The result of the tense back-and-forth was a deal that played to both sides, but one that many Democrats agonized over as they weighed whether to vote for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the package</a>&nbsp;this past week. Many struggled to square cutting access to food for marginalized communities with an outcome that allowed the United States to avoid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-default-government-shutdown-explainer-b38474f210e519aeb3f48107ca2657ba">defaulting on its debt.</a>

“In order for this country to not default on its bills, we then turned and made our most vulnerable communities default," said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. Years before she came to Congress, Bush lived in a car with her then-husband and two young children after the family had been evicted from their rental home.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant-recipient">federal aid program</a>&nbsp;provides monthly funds — sometimes as little as $6 a day — to allow low-income individuals and families to buy groceries. It is the largest program in the country focused on fighting hunger, with 41 million people using benefits last year alone to purchase food, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, which administers the program.

By 2025, new requirements will apply to able-bodied adults from age 49 to 54 without dependents — an increase of five years. Those individuals will be required to work or attend training programs for at least 80 hours a month if they want to receive more than three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period.

Republicans have tried for decades to expand work requirements for these government assistance programs, arguing they result in more people returning to the workforce, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57702">several studies</a>&nbsp;that have found they have little impact on employment.

“We’re going to return these programs to being a life vest, not a lifestyle. A hand up, not a handout and that has always been the American way,” Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the vice chair of the House Republican conference, told reporters.

The White House countered that Republican proposition by getting GOP lawmakers to waive the work requirements for new groups — veterans, individuals who are homeless or facing housing instability and youth aging out of foster care — to balance out the number of people who would now be facing these new restrictions.

The end result could be more people receiving SNAP benefits overall.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-05/hr3746_Letter_McCarthy.pdf">An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;released Tuesday said that the changes in the debt ceiling package would add almost 80,000 people to the rolls of SNAP in an average month.

But the trade-off of seemingly helping some groups while hurting others still left the left flank of the Democratic Party — lawmakers who have supported Biden and helped pass his agenda for the first two years of his term — frustrated by the outcome. That was especially the case as advocates, including the nonpartisan National Alliance to End Homelessness, warned of a disturbing trend across the country of an increase in the number of older adults who are becoming homeless, some for the first time.

“What we should not be playing is oppression Olympics,” Bush said. “Like which one gets to hurt today? Which one gets to get to that finish line to hurt today? That’s not where we should be as a society.”

Bush, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, voted “no” on the debt limit deal on Wednesday night after she spent days hearing from advocate groups and constituents on the issue.

“I think it’s important that (Biden) understands that it’s good for us to have a strong, no vote because this isn’t a deal that he would have made if we hadn’t been held hostage,” Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, chair of the Progressive Caucus, told The Associated Press this past week.

They weren't alone. Several dozen Democrats in the House and a handful in the Senate voted against the compromise, arguing that the bill allowed for Republican hostage-taking and could open the door for future cuts to these government programs in the next several months.

“I did not agree to these SNAP restrictions, and I won’t give Republicans an opening to try and take food from more food insecure Americans in Farm Bill negotiations later this year," Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said in a statement.

The White House and Democrats who ended up supporting the negotiated deal said they believe the issue of work requirements and risk posed by Republicans have been put to bed.

"The most important thing to me is the fact that this closes the door on that debate," said Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who leads the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and has been a longtime champion and defender of the SNAP program. “We are not going to bring it up again in the farm bill. This is not something that’s going to be renegotiated. It’s done.”

But advocates warn that could change because the debt limit bill was the most substantial change of the work rules for food aid and other government assistance programs since they were put into place in the 1996 welfare overhaul.

Some of the most conservative Republicans in Congress — part of the right flank whom McCarthy had to pacify to become speaker — have criticized the plan for being “weak” and are itching to go even further to clamp down on these programs.

“In this bill, we have temporary work requirements, but we’ve added permanent new exceptions,” said Texas Rep. Keith Self, a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus that overwhelmingly rejected the bill. “That, ladies and gentlemen, is a sleight of hand.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685825980602.png" alt="With just two days to spare, President Joe Biden on Saturday signed legislation that lifts the nation’s debt ceiling- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>With just two days to spare, President Joe Biden on Saturday signed legislation that lifts the nation’s debt ceiling- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are deeply conflicted about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">food aid requirements</a>&nbsp;that President Joe Biden negotiated as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-limit-budget-36bd8dbb08192ba7f7507cab16184d93">debt ceiling deal</a>, fearing damage has been done to safety net programs that will be difficult to unravel in the years ahead as Republicans demand further cuts.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685800546207.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Bargaining over toughening work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, became the focal point for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-debt-limit-aee6d1dd48f53bedadfe1212e231f48f">White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy</a>, R-Calif., up until the end. Negotiators from both sides made clear, publicly and privately, that it was the biggest area of disagreement and almost led to the talks breaking down several times.In the end, Democrats warily accepted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">new requirements</a>&nbsp;for some able-bodied recipients in exchange for food aid. Republicans agreed to drop some work requirements for veterans, homeless people and others.The result of the tense back-and-forth was a deal that played to both sides, but one that many Democrats agonized over as they weighed whether to vote for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the package</a>&nbsp;this past week. Many struggled to square cutting access to food for marginalized communities with an outcome that allowed the United States to avoid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-default-government-shutdown-explainer-b38474f210e519aeb3f48107ca2657ba">defaulting on its debt.</a>“In order for this country to not default on its bills, we then turned and made our most vulnerable communities default," said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. Years before she came to Congress, Bush lived in a car with her then-husband and two young children after the family had been evicted from their rental home.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant-recipient">federal aid program</a>&nbsp;provides monthly funds — sometimes as little as $6 a day — to allow low-income individuals and families to buy groceries. It is the largest program in the country focused on fighting hunger, with 41 million people using benefits last year alone to purchase food, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, which administers the program.By 2025, new requirements will apply to able-bodied adults from age 49 to 54 without dependents — an increase of five years. Those individuals will be required to work or attend training programs for at least 80 hours a month if they want to receive more than three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period.Republicans have tried for decades to expand work requirements for these government assistance programs, arguing they result in more people returning to the workforce, despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57702">several studies</a>&nbsp;that have found they have little impact on employment.“We’re going to return these programs to being a life vest, not a lifestyle. A hand up, not a handout and that has always been the American way,” Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, the vice chair of the House Republican conference, told reporters.The White House countered that Republican proposition by getting GOP lawmakers to waive the work requirements for new groups — veterans, individuals who are homeless or facing housing instability and youth aging out of foster care — to balance out the number of people who would now be facing these new restrictions.The end result could be more people receiving SNAP benefits overall.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-05/hr3746_Letter_McCarthy.pdf">An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;released Tuesday said that the changes in the debt ceiling package would add almost 80,000 people to the rolls of SNAP in an average month.But the trade-off of seemingly helping some groups while hurting others still left the left flank of the Democratic Party — lawmakers who have supported Biden and helped pass his agenda for the first two years of his term — frustrated by the outcome. That was especially the case as advocates, including the nonpartisan National Alliance to End Homelessness, warned of a disturbing trend across the country of an increase in the number of older adults who are becoming homeless, some for the first time.“What we should not be playing is oppression Olympics,” Bush said. “Like which one gets to hurt today? Which one gets to get to that finish line to hurt today? That’s not where we should be as a society.”Bush, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, voted “no” on the debt limit deal on Wednesday night after she spent days hearing from advocate groups and constituents on the issue.“I think it’s important that (Biden) understands that it’s good for us to have a strong, no vote because this isn’t a deal that he would have made if we hadn’t been held hostage,” Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, chair of the Progressive Caucus, told The Associated Press this past week.They weren't alone. Several dozen Democrats in the House and a handful in the Senate voted against the compromise, arguing that the bill allowed for Republican hostage-taking and could open the door for future cuts to these government programs in the next several months.“I did not agree to these SNAP restrictions, and I won’t give Republicans an opening to try and take food from more food insecure Americans in Farm Bill negotiations later this year," Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said in a statement.The White House and Democrats who ended up supporting the negotiated deal said they believe the issue of work requirements and risk posed by Republicans have been put to bed."The most important thing to me is the fact that this closes the door on that debate," said Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who leads the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and has been a longtime champion and defender of the SNAP program. “We are not going to bring it up again in the farm bill. This is not something that’s going to be renegotiated. It’s done.”But advocates warn that could change because the debt limit bill was the most substantial change of the work rules for food aid and other government assistance programs since they were put into place in the 1996 welfare overhaul.Some of the most conservative Republicans in Congress — part of the right flank whom McCarthy had to pacify to become speaker — have criticized the plan for being “weak” and are itching to go even further to clamp down on these programs.“In this bill, we have temporary work requirements, but we’ve added permanent new exceptions,” said Texas Rep. Keith Self, a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus that overwhelmingly rejected the bill. “That, ladies and gentlemen, is a sleight of hand.”

Debt deal: New work requirements for food aid frustrate many

By CASEY QUINLAN <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>

More than 500,000 people across 11 states have lost their Medicaid coverage since the unwinding of a policy that allowed people to stay in the program throughout the pandemic.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/what-do-the-early-medicaid-unwinding-data-tell-us/">data</a>, reported by the states and tracked by health policy researcher KFF, show that of the five states providing data on people who lost Medicaid coverage for procedural reasons rather than not meeting eligibility requirements, Indiana and Arkansas have the largest share. The rate of disenrollment is highest in Florida among the nine states that provided public data for the number of people renewed for Medicaid and the number of people who lost coverage.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Congress passed legislation that boosted Medicaid funds to the states. In return, the legislation required state Medicaid programs to guarantee recipients continuous coverage and suspended a requirement for patients to prove annually that they qualified.

In April, KFF researchers estimated that between&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/how-many-people-might-lose-medicaid-when-states-unwind-continuous-enrollment/">8 million and 24 million</a>&nbsp;people would lose their coverage by May 2024. They also pointed out that many people eligible for Medicaid would lose coverage simply because of problems with paperwork or other procedural reasons.

That has proved true in several states. In Indiana and Arkansas, 88.5% of those who lost coverage did so because they did not complete the enrollment process. The numbers were also high in Florida, with the state unable to confirm eligibility for more than 82.2% of those dropped.

Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health reform and an associate director for the program on Medicaid and the uninsured at KFF, said there needs to be more data to understand how widespread the procedural problems are. But nearly two-thirds of Medicaid enrollees said they did not have a change in circumstances that would make them ineligible in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/poll-finding/the-unwinding-of-medicaid-continuous-enrollment-knowledge-and-experiences-of-enrollees/">survey</a>&nbsp;from KFF taken in February and March.

“Even among these states where we have early data, I think we need another month or two of data to understand whether what we’re seeing is sort of a trend and indicative of … an underlying issue or whether the people some of these states are targeting were people that hadn’t responded to requests, and that the groups going forward, the subsequent renewals, people will be more likely to respond, and so we won’t see such high procedural disenrollment rates,” she said.

Nearly 250,000 Floridians have been disenrolled since the process began in April. In Arkansas, 72,800 people lost Medicaid and 53,000 people were disenrolled in Indiana. The lowest disenrollments were in Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska. Idaho paused disenrollments in April because of technical problems and Pennsylvania decided to report disenrollments only for people who had maintained coverage because of continuous enrollment, not the full number of people who lost coverage, according to KFF. The disenrollment rate also ranges widely from state to state, with a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/what-do-the-early-medicaid-unwinding-data-tell-us/">54%</a>&nbsp;disenrollment rate in Florida compared to 10% in Virginia and Pennsylvania.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685972703963.png" alt="In April, KFF researchers estimated that between&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/how-many-people-might-lose-medicaid-when-states-unwind-continuous-enrollment/">8 million and 24 million</a>&nbsp;people would lose their coverage by May 2024.-photo Sen. Bernie Sanders" />
 <figcaption>In April, KFF researchers estimated that between&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/how-many-people-might-lose-medicaid-when-states-unwind-continuous-enrollment/">8 million and 24 million</a>&nbsp;people would lose their coverage by May 2024.-photo Sen. Bernie Sanders</figcaption>
 </figure>By CASEY QUINLAN <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a> More than 500,000 people across 11 states have lost their Medicaid coverage since the unwinding of a policy that allowed people to stay in the program throughout the pandemic.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/what-do-the-early-medicaid-unwinding-data-tell-us/">data</a>, reported by the states and tracked by health policy researcher KFF, show that of the five states providing data on people who lost Medicaid coverage for procedural reasons rather than not meeting eligibility requirements, Indiana and Arkansas have the largest share. The rate of disenrollment is highest in Florida among the nine states that provided public data for the number of people renewed for Medicaid and the number of people who lost coverage.At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Congress passed legislation that boosted Medicaid funds to the states. In return, the legislation required state Medicaid programs to guarantee recipients continuous coverage and suspended a requirement for patients to prove annually that they qualified.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685972424070.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>In April, KFF researchers estimated that between&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/how-many-people-might-lose-medicaid-when-states-unwind-continuous-enrollment/">8 million and 24 million</a>&nbsp;people would lose their coverage by May 2024. They also pointed out that many people eligible for Medicaid would lose coverage simply because of problems with paperwork or other procedural reasons.That has proved true in several states. In Indiana and Arkansas, 88.5% of those who lost coverage did so because they did not complete the enrollment process. The numbers were also high in Florida, with the state unable to confirm eligibility for more than 82.2% of those dropped.Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health reform and an associate director for the program on Medicaid and the uninsured at KFF, said there needs to be more data to understand how widespread the procedural problems are. But nearly two-thirds of Medicaid enrollees said they did not have a change in circumstances that would make them ineligible in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/poll-finding/the-unwinding-of-medicaid-continuous-enrollment-knowledge-and-experiences-of-enrollees/">survey</a>&nbsp;from KFF taken in February and March.“Even among these states where we have early data, I think we need another month or two of data to understand whether what we’re seeing is sort of a trend and indicative of … an underlying issue or whether the people some of these states are targeting were people that hadn’t responded to requests, and that the groups going forward, the subsequent renewals, people will be more likely to respond, and so we won’t see such high procedural disenrollment rates,” she said.Nearly 250,000 Floridians have been disenrolled since the process began in April. In Arkansas, 72,800 people lost Medicaid and 53,000 people were disenrolled in Indiana. The lowest disenrollments were in Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska. Idaho paused disenrollments in April because of technical problems and Pennsylvania decided to report disenrollments only for people who had maintained coverage because of continuous enrollment, not the full number of people who lost coverage, according to KFF. The disenrollment rate also ranges widely from state to state, with a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/what-do-the-early-medicaid-unwinding-data-tell-us/">54%</a>&nbsp;disenrollment rate in Florida compared to 10% in Virginia and Pennsylvania.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685972312533.png" alt="Note: Due to difference in reporting periods some state reported data are for April. Source KFF analysis" />
 <figcaption>Note: Due to difference in reporting periods some state reported data are for April. Source KFF analysis</figcaption>
 </figure>“We don’t know exactly why that is the case, but possibly because states are taking different approaches to these early renewals, and you have states like Florida and Arkansas that are targeting people they think are no longer eligible,” Tolbert said.&nbsp; “Other states like Pennsylvania, like Virginia, are just doing a time-based approach where they’re renewing people in the month that their renewal is due. So they’re not targeting individuals who they think are no longer eligible. That could partially explain some of the differences.”Tolbert cautioned that it’s important not to wait too long to assess the data for possible policy issues that are contributing to people losing Medicaid.“I think the challenge is you don’t want it to go too far because if it truly is a problem that warrants addressing in some way, you don’t want to get to the point where you’re six months down the road and millions of people have lost coverage inappropriately.”KFF has not revised its estimate for the Medicaid coverage loss from its April analysis. The timeline for people losing Medicaid began in some states&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-enrollment-and-unwinding-tracker/">earlier than others</a>. In April, five states started the disenrollment process and in May, 14 states began theirs. By October, the last state to start its process, Oregon, will join the rest of the country. But that doesn’t mean we’ll know the disenrollment numbers when the states have them. Although states are required to communicate that data to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), states won’t necessarily release it to the public immediately, Tolbert said. However, CMS is required to make this data public.CMS has the ability to pause procedural disenrollment if states have “compliance issues,” Tolbert said, but it’s unclear what kinds of problems would be severe enough to warrant CMS taking action or how long that pause could last.“… That’s a little bit of a subjective decision, to decide when the state has taken enough steps to correct whatever issues that CMS has identified, Tolbert said. “That hasn’t come into play yet.”