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

WASHINGTON — A U.S. default on its debt would have a significantly broader impact on federal operations, financial markets and the global economy than recent government shutdowns that have left ordinary Americans largely untouched.

While the two have been confused frequently during debate over the debt limit, the federal government has had considerable practice with partial government shutdowns during the past decade — unlike a default on the debt, which would be uncharted territory. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned default could come as soon as June 1 without an agreement between Congress and President Joe Biden.

Government shutdowns don’t hit payments for Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, since Congress places those programs in the mandatory category that’s exempt from the annual government funding process and therefore predominantly exempt from funding lapses.

A default would potentially reduce payments that keep millions of households afloat, as well as payments to states and providers for health care for elderly and low-income Americans.

Government shutdowns don’t affect the financial markets that much anymore, meaning Americans’ retirement accounts typically don’t start shrinking the longer a lapse in government operations extends.

Economists expect that would be much different in an unprecedented debt default.

William Galston, Ezra K. Zilkha chair and senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, said partial government shutdowns and a default on the debt are “almost like mirror images of each other.”

“In the first case, there’s money available but no plan to authorize and appropriate expenditures of that money. That’s when the government shuts down,” explained Galston, who served as a top domestic official in the Clinton administration.

“When you reach the debt limit, the government has already enacted programs — some of which are permanent programs, like Social Security and Medicare — but it no longer has the money to pay for them, because it can’t borrow what it needs to fill the gap between what it’s taking in and what it would have to put out,” he added.

That even includes the military. The Pentagon is bracing for a series of “severe” and unknown consequences for troops and national security should lawmakers fail to address the debt ceiling, officials told States Newsroom.

“Because there is no precedent for a default, it is difficult to know the precise impacts on specific federal programs. But what’s clear is that, without the ability for the federal government to borrow funds, there is a very real potential that any government program or payment would be halted or severely delayed,” a Pentagon spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Here are more of the specific ways a default could roll across America:

Social Security:&nbsp;If the U.S. government defaults, payments to the estimated&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/factsheets/basicfact-alt.pdf">67 million</a>&nbsp;people who are relying on Social Security this year could be delayed.

Social Security is the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11615">largest</a>&nbsp;government program in terms of how many Americans are affected by it, including retired workers and dependents, people with disabilities and surviving dependents of deceased workers who count on Social Security payments as a major source of income.

A temporary disruption in payments to those who depend on Social Security income to pay their own bills could result in “impacts that would ripple through the economy at-large,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/default-would-have-a-catastrophic-impact-on-the-economy/">wrote</a>&nbsp;Jean Ross, a senior fellow for economic policy at the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress.

At the end of 2022, roughly 48.6 million retired workers along with 2.7 million of their dependents relied on Social Security checks that averaged $1,825 a month, according to the Social Security Agency.

The U.S.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/table4a3.html">spent</a>&nbsp;$1.2 trillion on Social Security benefits in 2022.

“The short story here is that U.S. taxpayers owe people money because of legislation enacted in the past. We can talk about what kinds of recent legislation have pushed up federal borrowing means, but in fact some of this legislation was passed 90 years ago,” said Wendy Edelberg,&nbsp;director of The Hamilton Project and a senior fellow in economic studies at the liberal-leaning Brookings Institution, on a call Thursday with a group of economists.

“We owe interest to those who have lent to the U.S. by purchasing Treasury securities. We owe (money to) doctors and hospitals who have treated Medicare and Medicaid patients, and millions of people are entitled to benefits,” said Edelberg.

The Social Security Administration referred all questions about a possible default to the U.S. Treasury. Treasury did not respond to an inquiry for more information.

Veterans benefits:&nbsp;Veterans Administration Press Secretary Terrence Hayes said he does not have a “blueprint for what happens to the VA” if lawmakers do not strike a deal in the coming days. The Treasury Department will soon exhaust all special accounting maneuvers it has been using since January when the U.S. hit its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling.

“Because there is no precedent for a default, it is difficult to know the precise impacts on specific federal programs. But what is clear is that, without the ability for the federal government to borrow funds, there is a very real potential that any government program or payment would be halted or severely delayed,” Hayes said in an emailed statement to States Newsroom.

The Treasury makes payments totaling $25 billion on behalf of the VA each month, according to the agency.

“There are 4 million disabled veterans whose payments are scheduled for June 1, and those payments are now uncertain,” Edelberg, citing recent estimates.

A more detailed list of those payments, according to the VA’s figures, include:

Hayes also said there is a risk that the VA’s vendors could decide “to reduce or completely cease providing goods and services to VA if payment was uncertain.”

“As President Biden has made clear, a default would be catastrophic for the American people and for our nation’s Veterans,” he said.

Medicare and Medicaid:&nbsp;Government payments to physicians, skilled nursing homes, hospitals and insurance companies could lag behind if lawmakers do not raise the U.S. borrowing limit so that the government can pay its bills on time.

As of September 2022, more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cms.gov/pillar/expand-access">65 million</a>&nbsp;Americans were enrolled in Medicare, the federal program that pays for health care for Americans age 65 and up and certain younger people with disabilities.

Medicare plans are categorized into four options — parts A, B, C and D — that range from inpatient hospital stay coverage to prescription drug benefits and various medical services in between. As of 2022, 49 million Americans relied on Medicare Part D for prescription drug coverage.

“Private practices, hospitals, and community health centers, many of which run on tight budgets and rely on timely payments for providing services, would be in the unprecedented situation of being unsure of whether they will be paid for providing care to patients covered by Medicaid and Medicare,” said Antoinette Kraus, spokesperson for the advocacy group Pennsylvania Health Access Network.

“A default would create tremendous uncertainty for doctors and patients alike. Patients who are receiving treatment for a serious health condition or who require regular care for a disability or chronic condition could find themselves unable to get the care they need,” Kraus said.

Low-income individuals, including children, disabled or pregnant persons, and seniors, can receive health care coverage under Medicaid, a joint federal-state program that provides medical and long-term care.

Of the more than 93 million Americans enrolled in some form of Medicaid, 46.2% were children, according to January&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/program-information/medicaid-and-chip-enrollment-data/report-highlights/index.html#:~:text=93%2C008%2C246%20individuals%20were%20enrolled%20in,individuals%20were%20enrolled%20in%20CHIP.">data</a>&nbsp;released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

“It is very likely that federal Medicaid payments to states would, along with many other obligations of the federal government, be delayed,” said Kate McEvoy, head of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. “Default is a very different scenario from an impasse in settling the federal budget, in which case payments for Medicaid and other entitlements continue to be made.”

Most nursing home residents&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10343">rely</a>&nbsp;on Medicaid and Medicare to cover their care, meaning a potential default is especially alarming to the industry.

“With the long term care industry already experiencing a historic workforce crisis and recovering from the pandemic, any disruption of lifeline reimbursements will result in devastating consequences for our nation’s most vulnerable individuals who need access to care. However, we remain optimistic that policymakers will come to a solution,” said a spokesperson for the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which identifies itself as the largest association in the U.S. representing long-term care facilities.

Federal employees:&nbsp;During a partial government shutdown, exempt federal employees report to work without pay, while non-exempt federal workers are sent home without pay — a situation Congress remedies once they reach a funding agreement. The exempt employees keep the government functioning.

American Federation of Government Employees Public Policy Director Jacqueline Simon said a default on the debt that lasts long enough for federal employees to miss a paycheck would be a vastly different experience than what they’ve dealt with during past shutdowns.

The union, which represents 750,000 workers within the federal government and the District of Columbia’s local government, hasn’t sent any guidance to its members about what to do if they don’t get paid during a default.

“This is an unprecedented situation and operations will be in uncharted waters,” Simon said. “And there’s no way to make guidance based on law.”

Public safety employees, Simon said, have worked without pay during past partial government shutdowns with a promise they’d get paid eventually when a bipartisan agreement was struck — something she expects they would do after a debt default is resolved.

“In previous shutdowns, public safety employees have been called into work, expected to show up to work with the promise that they’d get paid eventually when the appropriations bills pass,” Simon said.

“I assume there’d be a similar kind of situation where you don’t even need appropriations bills to pass, you just need the default to end,” she said, later adding that because the United States has never defaulted, “nobody really knows.”

Substance use prevention and recovery, mental health:&nbsp;The U.S. is facing a staggering drug overdose epidemic, and many states and local governments rely on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46426">federal grants</a>&nbsp;for prevention and treatment efforts.

Drug overdose rates in the U.S. have risen fivefold in the past two decades, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm#:~:text=Drug%20overdose%20deaths%20have%20risen,increased%20from%2017.1%20to%2019.6.">study</a>&nbsp;published in December. In 2021

the CDC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/202205.htm">tracked</a>&nbsp;a record 107,622 overdose deaths — 71,238 of them were due to man-made, illegal fentanyl substances, an issue in the crosshairs of both Democrats and Republicans.

Illicit fentanyl ending up in other drugs — for example, counterfeit prescription pills, cocaine and heroin — has been the target of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dea.gov/onepill">federal agencies</a>&nbsp;and the subject of multiple congressional hearings and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/01/26/u-s-house-gop-takes-aim-at-fake-pills-containing-deadly-fentanyl-sold-on-social-media/">roundtables</a>.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, administers two major grant programs: one for substance abuse prevention and treatment services, the other for mental health services.

The agency, housed under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46426">devoted</a>&nbsp;65% of its 5.89 billion program budget in 2020 to treatment programs.

Facilities that receive federal dollars could be in limbo if the government defaults.

“It’s a little hard to tell. I don’t know if the publicly funded facilities would stop accepting patients or if they would assume that it’s going to be paid at a later date. And, you know, it’s just so unclear and up in the air because this is such an unusual situation,” said Mark Dunn, director of public policy for the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers.

SAMHSA did not respond to requests for comment.

National defense:&nbsp;Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/review-of-the-presidents-fiscal-year-2024-budget-request-for-the-department-of-defense">told</a>&nbsp;Senate appropriators on May 11 that a potential default brings uncertainty for the over&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://demographics.militaryonesource.mil/chapter-1-total-military-force">3.4 million</a>&nbsp;military personnel and the U.S. military’s global presence and commitments.

“There is substantial risk to our reputation,” Austin testified. “Again, we are viewed as being a source of stability globally. And we always pay our debts, and there’s just a number of things that we’re working with allies and partners on and that would come into question as to whether or not we’ll be able to execute programs.

“But most importantly, this will affect the livelihood of our troops and our civilians. We won’t be able to pay people like we should and, and I think that’s something that China and everybody else can exploit,” he continued.

USDA food assistance:&nbsp;One in four Americans, from infants to seniors, participate in one of the 15 food and nutrition assistance programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Many of those programs offer monthly assistance, such as the&nbsp;Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, and&nbsp;the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, referred to as WIC.

If the government defaults, monthly payments to more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/34SNAPmonthly-5.pdf">42.5 million Americans on&nbsp;</a>SNAP, and monthly payments to the more than 6 million families on WIC, could be delayed.

The recent bill that House Republicans barely&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-pushes-through-debt-ceiling-increase-coupled-with-massive-spending-cuts/">passed</a>&nbsp;that would&nbsp;temporarily raise the U.S. borrowing limit also tightened access to food and assistance for low-income Americans by&nbsp;expediting the effective dates for safety net work requirements — from 2025 to 2024 for SNAP.

SNAP already has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/work-requirements">two sets of work requirements.</a>

Another program that could be affected if there are delays in payments is the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, where each month USDA sends packed foods to about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/fdpir-program-fact-sheet-2020-for%20website.pdf">84,000 individuals on Native American reservations.</a>

A USDA spokesperson said in an email that the exact impact of certain federal programs can depend on uncertain factors.

“But what’s clear is that, without the ability for the federal government to borrow funds, there is a very real potential that any government program or payment would be halted or severely delayed,” the spokesperson said.

S<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/gallery/chart-detail/?chartId=104891#:~:text=The%20USDA%27s%20National%20School%20Lunch,schools%20and%20residential%20childcare%20institutions.">chool lunches</a>, which USDA provides for more than 30 million children each day, could also be affected.

Other child nutrition programs that could get wrapped up in payment delays include the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program and the Special Milk Program.

Lisa Davis, the senior vice president of the No Kid Hungry campaign at Share Our Strength, said in an email that a default would have a devastating impact on families and individuals who rely on food assistance programs such as SNAP. Share Our Strength is a national organization that aims to end child hunger and poverty in the U.S.

“Not only is SNAP being used as a bargaining chip in these negotiations, but the people who benefit from this critical program will be some of the individuals hit hardest if a government default becomes reality,” she said.

Farmers could also run into problems if there are delays to any USDA payments, ranging from crop insurance payouts to new loans for expanding farming operations.

USDA&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2023/05/01/usda-providing-130-million-assistance-help-farmers-facing-financial">announced</a>&nbsp;in early May an additional $130 million in&nbsp;automatic financial assistance for qualifying farm loan program borrowers who are facing financial risk. For those who qualify, they will receive automatic payments from the Farm Service Agency, but those funds could be delayed if the country were to default on its debt.

Homeland security:&nbsp;If the U.S. government were to default, it would mean the U.S. Department of Homeland Security would have to delay payments to various private contractors such as those that run&nbsp;Immigration and Customs Enforcement&nbsp;detention facilities, and even delays in grants to nonprofits that provide aid and transportation to migrants seeking asylum.

It would also mean that the more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/factsheets/tsa-glance">50,000&nbsp;Transportation Security Administration&nbsp;employee</a>s across more than 440 airports could have their paychecks delayed.

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to States Newsroom’s request for comment.

Court proceedings before immigration judges would also be delayed. There is already a more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/us-immigration-backlogs-mounting-undermine-biden">1.6 million backlog of cases</a>.

The Department of Justice, which handles immigration court proceedings, did not respond to State Newsroom’s request for comment.

Highways and transit:&nbsp;The Highway Trust Fund, which sends money from federal gas and diesel taxes to states for road and transit maintenance and construction, could also see a rare disruption in outlays.

On paper, the trust fund has a healthy balance — it was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwaytrustfund/">$94.2 billion</a>&nbsp;at the beginning of April.

But if Treasury doesn’t have the money to actually spend, that could mean payments from the trust fund would be delayed, said Jeff Davis, a transportation spending expert and senior fellow at the Eno Center for Transportation, a nonpartisan think tank.

After making debt service payments, there’s no clear indication what already-obligated spending would take priority, putting highway and transit funds on par with scores of other programs, Davis said, cautioning that his analysis was provisional because it was not backed by precedent or Treasury Department guidance.

“I think they’re going to have to wait in line with everybody else,” Davis said of Highway Trust Fund payments if the debt limit is hit. “Just because there’s theoretically that much money in the trust fund doesn’t make a difference if there’s actually no dollars in the Treasury.”

Conservation:&nbsp;Conservation advocates won a huge legislative victory in 2020 when Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act that provided $900 million annually for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and removed the fund from the annual appropriations process by classifying it as mandatory spending.

Prior to 2020, the fund, which is filled by fees on offshore oil and gas development and used to protect national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, coasts and other natural areas and provides matching grants for state and local recreation projects, was subject to periodic fights over its funding levels and — at times — its continued existence.

Proponents considered the 2020 law approving the fund in perpetuity a once-in-a-generation victory. Montana Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, a leading proponent of the measure, thanked then-President Donald Trump “for signing the most important piece of conservation legislation in over 50 years.”

But a default could reintroduce the uncertainty proponents thought they’d erased with the 2020 law.

“A default would be an economic disaster across the board — even in ways we don’t know yet,” U.S. House Natural Resources ranking member Raúl Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, said in a written statement. “The Treasury would likely have to make tough calls about extraordinary measures to redirect mandatory funds to pay our debt, so even widely beloved programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund could be at-risk.”

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Interior Department, which manages the fund, declined to comment on what would happen in a potential default.

“We can’t speculate on unforeseen circumstances,” the spokeswoman, Melissa Schwartz, wrote in an email.

Similarly, Daines spokeswoman Rachel Dumke declined to entertain the possibility of default

“Senator Daines does not see a default on the national debt as an option and he is calling on President Biden to make a deal with Speaker McCarthy as soon as possible to avoid a crisis,” she wrote in an email.

Housing assistance:&nbsp;A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said in an email that “without the ability for the federal government to borrow funds, there is a very real potential that any government program or payment would be halted or severely delayed.”

HUD handles rental assistance, housing vouchers, claims of unfair housing practices, obtaining affordable loans and public housing among other things.

“Some of HUD’s key agency programs and initiatives, which play a vital role for Americans across the country, could be halted or severely delayed … which would impact our nation’s most vulnerable communities,” the spokesperson said.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_23_045">Earlier this year</a>, the agency announced more than 2,400 grants totaling $5.6 billion in funding for 1,200 communities across the U.S. for community development, homeless assistance and affordable housing. Payments to those programs could be delayed if the government defaults.

How default on the U.S. debt would be far worse than a gov't shutdown

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

LINCOLN — A 98-year-old flour mill and a ballroom in Schuyler are among the recipients of federal grants for preserving structures on the National Register of Historic Places.

Six projects will share in $328,000 worth of grants allocated by History Nebraska for communities of populations under 30,000.

The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants will be used for:

Nebraska was among 12 applicants to receive the Paul Bruhn grants, named for a former executive director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont. A total of $7 million was awarded nationwide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684761373288.png" alt="A historic flour mill in Wauneta is among the recipients of a federal grant to preserve the structure (Courtesy of History Nebraska)" />
 <figcaption>A historic flour mill in Wauneta is among the recipients of a federal grant to preserve the structure (Courtesy of History Nebraska)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Paul Hamel <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/08/state-approved-use-of-pesticide-coated-seed-corn-for-ethanol-plant-a-decade-ago/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A 98-year-old flour mill and a ballroom in Schuyler are among the recipients of federal grants for preserving structures on the National Register of Historic Places.Six projects will share in $328,000 worth of grants allocated by History Nebraska for communities of populations under 30,000.The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants will be used for:<ul>
 <li>Repairs and accessibility construction to the porch of the Alfred H. and Sarah Frahm House in Fort Calhoun.The Oak Ballroom in Schuyler (Courtesy of History Nebraska)</li><li>Repair and replacement of the roof of the community school in Mason City.</li><li>Repair and restoration of the front porch and trim of the J.L. Miner House in Red Cloud.</li><li>Repair and replacement of degrading windows of the Ponca Tribe Self-Help Community Building and Caretaker’s Cottage in Niobrara.</li><li>HVAC replacement, roof replacement and interior and exterior repairs at the Oak Ballroom in Schuyler.</li><li>Roof replacement for the Wauneta Roller Mills, which closed, reportedly temporarily, a year ago.</li>
 </ul>Nebraska was among 12 applicants to receive the Paul Bruhn grants, named for a former executive director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont. A total of $7 million was awarded nationwide.

Six Nebraska communities awarded grants for historic preservation

WASHINGTON —President Biden and President&nbsp;Zelenskyy&nbsp;met Sunday at the G7 meeting in Hiroshima, Japan to reaffirm that that the United States will continue to stand with our Ukrainian partners as they defend themselves from Russia’s war of aggression.

Pursuant to a delegation of authority from President Biden, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken authorized the 38th drawdown of U.S. arms and equipment for Ukraine.

The $375 million security assistance package&nbsp; includes additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons, armored medical treatment vehicles, trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment, spare parts and other field equipment essential to strengthening Ukraine’s defenders on the battlefield.

In addition, President Biden told leaders in Japan over the weekend that the U.S. will participate in the F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots, and that decisions on providing the jets will come later.

Officials said it's still not clear if the U.S. will simply allow other nations to send F-16s to Ukraine, or if the U.S. will also send some. And there are no estimates on how many of the jets will be provided or when. Officials acknowledge that it will not be in time for the anticipated spring offensive.

&nbsp;The Pentagon also announce Friday it overestimated the value of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-weapons-funding-security-war-russia-d27594b9b26beff6bcee4b7a2ec8424b">weapons it has sent to Ukraine</a>&nbsp;by at least $3 billion — an accounting error that could be a boon for the war effort because it will allow the Defense Department to send more weapons now without asking Congress for more money.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684687231879.png" alt="President Zelensky met with President Biden at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan on Sunday-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>President Zelensky met with President Biden at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan on Sunday-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —President Biden and President&nbsp;Zelenskyy&nbsp;met Sunday at the G7 meeting in Hiroshima, Japan to reaffirm that that the United States will continue to stand with our Ukrainian partners as they defend themselves from Russia’s war of aggression.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The world hears our position. Protection and security guarantees, the return of all our territories, all our people, justice, the implementation of our Peace Formula... We have an understanding with the world majority on every important point for 🇺🇦. And together we will increase… <a href="https://t.co/AIP7ik2URK">pic.twitter.com/AIP7ik2URK</a>&mdash; Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1660346374578135041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Pursuant to a delegation of authority from President Biden, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken authorized the 38th drawdown of U.S. arms and equipment for Ukraine.The $375 million security assistance package&nbsp; includes additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons, armored medical treatment vehicles, trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment, spare parts and other field equipment essential to strengthening Ukraine’s defenders on the battlefield.In addition, President Biden told leaders in Japan over the weekend that the U.S. will participate in the F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots, and that decisions on providing the jets will come later.Officials said it's still not clear if the U.S. will simply allow other nations to send F-16s to Ukraine, or if the U.S. will also send some. And there are no estimates on how many of the jets will be provided or when. Officials acknowledge that it will not be in time for the anticipated spring offensive.&nbsp;The Pentagon also announce Friday it overestimated the value of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-weapons-funding-security-war-russia-d27594b9b26beff6bcee4b7a2ec8424b">weapons it has sent to Ukraine</a>&nbsp;by at least $3 billion — an accounting error that could be a boon for the war effort because it will allow the Defense Department to send more weapons now without asking Congress for more money.

U.S. sending Ukraine another $375 million in additional military aid

WASHINGTON —The Biden administration has launched a new online dashboard to help travelers compare what airlines offer cash compensation, provide travel credits or vouchers, or award frequent flyer miles and cover the costs for other amenities – as well as the airlines that do not.

Click <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">here for&nbsp;FlightRights.gov</a>

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called upon airlines to improve their customer service commitments to passengers, which all have done to varying degrees. 

The new dashboard provides information for air travelers on airlines’ commitments to families flying with young children and customers experiencing significant flight disruptions due to circumstances within the airline’s control.

The U.S. Department of Transportation encourages airlines to continue to strengthen their customer commitments. DOT will update and expand these dashboards as needed.

WASHINGTON —The Biden administration has launched a new online dashboard to help travelers compare what airlines offer cash compensation, provide travel credits or vouchers, or award frequent flyer miles and cover the costs for other amenities – as well as the airlines that do not.Click <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">here for&nbsp;FlightRights.gov</a>U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called upon airlines to improve their customer service commitments to passengers, which all have done to varying degrees. The new dashboard provides information for air travelers on airlines’ commitments to families flying with young children and customers experiencing significant flight disruptions due to circumstances within the airline’s control.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">So far this year, we&#39;ve seen real progress in air travel, with cancellation rates below 2 percent. But no matter what, <a href="https://twitter.com/USDOT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USDOT</a> has your back, and we are here to enforce passenger rights and hold airlines accountable. <a href="https://t.co/ZWuTVN9WwY">pic.twitter.com/ZWuTVN9WwY</a>&mdash; TransportationGov (@USDOT) <a href="https://twitter.com/USDOT/status/1657483268688855040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The U.S. Department of Transportation encourages airlines to continue to strengthen their customer commitments. DOT will update and expand these dashboards as needed.

New airline dashboard will help you compare cash compensation

HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that Republicans in the U.S. House must move off their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">"extreme positions"</a>&nbsp;on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-mccarthy-biden-default-negotiations-1b97de28d26b85da268cfd1c1e4a986a">now-stalled talks</a>&nbsp;over raising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debt-limit-coin-constitution-mccarthy-77be7f00b81cebec44fbaf807b9642ff">America's debt limit</a>&nbsp;and that there would be no agreement to avert a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-default-government-shutdown-explainer-b38474f210e519aeb3f48107ca2657ba">catastrophic default</a>&nbsp;only on their terms.

Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are waging a war of words on social media.

In an effort to get negotiations back on track, Biden planned to call U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from Air Force One on the way back to Washington after a Group of Seven summit in Japan. World leaders at the gathering expressed concern about the dire global ramifications if the United States were to be unable to meet its financial obligations.

“It’s time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely, solely, on their partisan terms," Biden said at a closing news conference before he departed. The president said he had done his part in attempting to raise the borrowing limit so the U.S. government can keep paying its bills, by agreeing to significant cuts in spending. “Now it’s time for the other side to move from their extreme position,” he said.

Biden had been scheduled to travel from Hiroshima to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pacific-debt-limit-papua-new-guinea-434b263a1bcc4320a18c08ba6bf5828c">Papua New Guinea</a>&nbsp;and Australia, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-papua-new-guinea-australia-debt-limit-b2b82fbb82d829f0b8bae87bef741d63">cut short his trip</a>&nbsp;in light of the strained negotiations with Capitol Hill.

“My guess is he’s going to want to deal directly with me in making sure we’re all on the same page," Biden said about McCarthy before their expected conversation. A compromise remained within reach, the president said, despite their differences.

“I’m hoping that Speaker McCarthy is just waiting to negotiate with me when I get home," he said. “I’m waiting to find out.”

GOP lawmakers are holding tight to demands for sharp spending cuts, rejecting the alternatives proposed by the White House for reducing deficits.

McCarthy tweeted on Saturday that it was the White House that was “moving backward in negotiations.” The speaker contended that Biden would “rather be the first president in history to default on the debt than to risk upsetting the radical socialists who are calling the shots for Democrats right now.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-mccarthy-biden-default-negotiations-1b97de28d26b85da268cfd1c1e4a986a">Republicans want work requirements on the Medicaid</a>&nbsp;health care program, though the Biden administration has countered that millions of people could lose coverage. The GOP also introduced new cuts to food aid by restricting states’ ability to waive work requirements in places with high joblessness. That idea, when floated under President Donald Trump, was estimated to cause 700,000 people to lose their food benefits.

GOP lawmakers are also seeking cuts in IRS money and asking the White House to accept parts of their proposed immigration overhaul.

The White House has countered by keeping defense and nondefense spending flat next year, which would save $90 billion in the 2024 budget year and $1 trillion over 10 years.

“I think that we can reach an agreement,” Biden said, though he added this about Republicans: "I can’t guarantee that they wouldn’t force a default by doing something outrageous.”

Republicans had also rejected White House proposals to raise revenues in order to further lower deficits. Among the proposals the GOP objects to are policies that would enable Medicare to pay less for prescription drugs and the closing of a dozen tax loopholes. Republicans have refused to roll back the Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and wealthy households as Biden’s own budget has proposed.

Biden, nonetheless, insisted that “revenue is not off the table.”

For months, Biden had refused to engage in talks over the debt limit, contending that Republicans in Congress were trying to use the borrowing limit vote as leverage to extract administration concessions on other policy priorities.

But with the U.S. Treasury Department saying that it could run out of cash as soon as June 1 and Republicans putting their own legislation on the table, the White House launched talks on a budget deal that could accompany an increase in the debt limit.

The decision to set up a call with McCarthy came after another start-stop day with no outward signs of progress. Food was brought to the negotiating room at the Capitol on Saturday morning, only to be carted away hours later. Talks, though, could resume later Sunday after the Biden-McCarthy conversation.

Biden tried to assure leaders attending the meeting of the world’s most powerful democracies that the United States would not default. U.S. officials said leaders were concerned, but largely confident that Biden and American lawmakers would resolve the crisis.

The president, though, said he was ruling out the possibility of taking action on his own to avoid a default. Any such steps, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/14th-amendment-biden-debt-ceiling-explained-92ebc0db703d49eab2c91d4d4a354cdf">suggestions to invoke the 14th Amendment</a>&nbsp;as a solution, would become tied up in the courts.

“That’s a question that I think is unresolved," Biden said, adding he hopes to try to get the judiciary to weigh in on the notion for the future.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684672043331.png" alt="“It’s time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely, solely, on their partisan terms," Biden said at a closing news conference before he departed the G7 summit in Japan-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>“It’s time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely, solely, on their partisan terms," Biden said at a closing news conference before he departed the G7 summit in Japan-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that Republicans in the U.S. House must move off their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">"extreme positions"</a>&nbsp;on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-mccarthy-biden-default-negotiations-1b97de28d26b85da268cfd1c1e4a986a">now-stalled talks</a>&nbsp;over raising&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-debt-limit-coin-constitution-mccarthy-77be7f00b81cebec44fbaf807b9642ff">America's debt limit</a>&nbsp;and that there would be no agreement to avert a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-default-government-shutdown-explainer-b38474f210e519aeb3f48107ca2657ba">catastrophic default</a>&nbsp;only on their terms.Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are waging a war of words on social media.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden doesn’t think there is a single dollar of savings to be found in the federal government’s budget. He’d rather be the first president in history to default on the debt than to risk upsetting the radical socialists who are calling the shots for Democrats right now.&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1660092979493711872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">According to economists, 8 million Americans could lose their jobs if our nation failed to pay its bills. The consequences would be catastrophic for folks across the country and the globe. Default is not an option.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1659695428571463680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The White House is moving backward in negotiations. Unfortunately, the socialist wing of the Democrat Party appears to be in control—especially with President Biden out of the country.&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1660033659405991936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">No serious lawmaker has ever thought defaulting on America&#39;s debt was a viable option. <a href="https://t.co/L61tbci9vV">pic.twitter.com/L61tbci9vV</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1659574632414957568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In an effort to get negotiations back on track, Biden planned to call U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from Air Force One on the way back to Washington after a Group of Seven summit in Japan. World leaders at the gathering expressed concern about the dire global ramifications if the United States were to be unable to meet its financial obligations.“It’s time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely, solely, on their partisan terms," Biden said at a closing news conference before he departed. The president said he had done his part in attempting to raise the borrowing limit so the U.S. government can keep paying its bills, by agreeing to significant cuts in spending. “Now it’s time for the other side to move from their extreme position,” he said.Biden had been scheduled to travel from Hiroshima to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pacific-debt-limit-papua-new-guinea-434b263a1bcc4320a18c08ba6bf5828c">Papua New Guinea</a>&nbsp;and Australia, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-papua-new-guinea-australia-debt-limit-b2b82fbb82d829f0b8bae87bef741d63">cut short his trip</a>&nbsp;in light of the strained negotiations with Capitol Hill.“My guess is he’s going to want to deal directly with me in making sure we’re all on the same page," Biden said about McCarthy before their expected conversation. A compromise remained within reach, the president said, despite their differences.“I’m hoping that Speaker McCarthy is just waiting to negotiate with me when I get home," he said. “I’m waiting to find out.”GOP lawmakers are holding tight to demands for sharp spending cuts, rejecting the alternatives proposed by the White House for reducing deficits.McCarthy tweeted on Saturday that it was the White House that was “moving backward in negotiations.” The speaker contended that Biden would “rather be the first president in history to default on the debt than to risk upsetting the radical socialists who are calling the shots for Democrats right now.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-mccarthy-biden-default-negotiations-1b97de28d26b85da268cfd1c1e4a986a">Republicans want work requirements on the Medicaid</a>&nbsp;health care program, though the Biden administration has countered that millions of people could lose coverage. The GOP also introduced new cuts to food aid by restricting states’ ability to waive work requirements in places with high joblessness. That idea, when floated under President Donald Trump, was estimated to cause 700,000 people to lose their food benefits.GOP lawmakers are also seeking cuts in IRS money and asking the White House to accept parts of their proposed immigration overhaul.The White House has countered by keeping defense and nondefense spending flat next year, which would save $90 billion in the 2024 budget year and $1 trillion over 10 years.“I think that we can reach an agreement,” Biden said, though he added this about Republicans: "I can’t guarantee that they wouldn’t force a default by doing something outrageous.”Republicans had also rejected White House proposals to raise revenues in order to further lower deficits. Among the proposals the GOP objects to are policies that would enable Medicare to pay less for prescription drugs and the closing of a dozen tax loopholes. Republicans have refused to roll back the Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and wealthy households as Biden’s own budget has proposed.Biden, nonetheless, insisted that “revenue is not off the table.”For months, Biden had refused to engage in talks over the debt limit, contending that Republicans in Congress were trying to use the borrowing limit vote as leverage to extract administration concessions on other policy priorities.But with the U.S. Treasury Department saying that it could run out of cash as soon as June 1 and Republicans putting their own legislation on the table, the White House launched talks on a budget deal that could accompany an increase in the debt limit.The decision to set up a call with McCarthy came after another start-stop day with no outward signs of progress. Food was brought to the negotiating room at the Capitol on Saturday morning, only to be carted away hours later. Talks, though, could resume later Sunday after the Biden-McCarthy conversation.Biden tried to assure leaders attending the meeting of the world’s most powerful democracies that the United States would not default. U.S. officials said leaders were concerned, but largely confident that Biden and American lawmakers would resolve the crisis.The president, though, said he was ruling out the possibility of taking action on his own to avoid a default. Any such steps, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/14th-amendment-biden-debt-ceiling-explained-92ebc0db703d49eab2c91d4d4a354cdf">suggestions to invoke the 14th Amendment</a>&nbsp;as a solution, would become tied up in the courts.“That’s a question that I think is unresolved," Biden said, adding he hopes to try to get the judiciary to weigh in on the notion for the future.

President, Speaker of the House wage debt limit battle on twitter

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;got rid of a pandemic-related immigration case with a single sentence.

(<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-592_5hd5.pdf">Click here to read the entire </a>opinion released by the court. On the final four pages, he explains&nbsp; how covid may have been “the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country.")

Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/neil-gorsuch">Neil Gorsuch</a>&nbsp;had a lot more to say, leveling harsh criticism of how governments, from small towns to the nation's capital, responded to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">gravest public health threat in a century.</a>

The justice, a 55-year-old conservative who was President Donald Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, called emergency measures taken during the COVID-19 crisis that killed more than 1 million Americans perhaps “the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country.”

He pointed to orders closing schools, restricting church services, mandating vaccines and prohibiting evictions. His broadside was aimed at local, state and federal officials — even his colleagues.

“Executive officials across the country issued emergency decrees on a breathtaking scale,” Gorsuch wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-592_5hd5.pdf">an eight-page statement</a>&nbsp;Thursday that accompanied an expected Supreme Court order formally dismissing a case involving the use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d">Title 42 policy</a>&nbsp;to prevent asylum seekers from entering the United States.

The policy was ended last week with the expiration of the public health emergency first declared more than three years ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.

From the start of his Supreme Court tenure in 2017, Gorsuch, a Colorado native who loves to ski and bicycle, has been more willing than most justices to part company with his colleagues, both left and right.

He has mainly voted with the other conservatives in his six years as a justice, joining the majority that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">expanded gun rights</a>&nbsp;last year.

But he has charted a different course on some issues, writing the court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-ef3c19a79b65c060fd9e82b9dd87a1d9">2020 opinion</a>&nbsp;that extended federal protections against workplace discrimination to LGBTQ people. He also has joined with the liberal justices in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-racial-injustice-native-americans-foster-care-child-welfare-94dba582285a6dd9cdaa2a7d49aeac00">support of Native American rights</a>.

When the omicron variant surged in late 2021 and early 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-health-neil-gorsuch-sonia-sotomayor-a064256f6491820d4d3da10f969dc555">Gorsuch was the lone justice to appear in the courtroom unmasked</a>&nbsp;even as his seatmate, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who has diabetes, reportedly did not feel safe in close quarters with people who were not wearing masks.

So Sotomayor, who continues to wear a mask in public, did not take the bench with the other justices in January 2022. The two justices denied reports they were at odds over the issue.

The emergency orders about which Gorsuch complained were first announced in the early days of the pandemic, when Trump was president, and months before the virus was well understood and a vaccine was developed.

The thrust of his complaint is not new. He has written before in individual cases that came to the court during the pandemic, sometimes dissenting from orders that left emergency decrees in place.

The justices intervened in several COVID-related cases.

With Gorsuch and five other conservatives in the majority, they ended the eviction moratorium and blocked a Biden administration plan to require workers at larger companies to be vaccinated or wear a mask and submit to regular testing. Once Amy Coney Barrett joined the court, after Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, they ended restrictions on religious services in some areas.

By a 5-4 vote from which Gorsuch and three conservative colleagues dissented, the court allowed the administration to require many health care workers to be vaccinated.

But on Thursday, Gorsuch gathered his complaints in one place, writing about lessons he hoped might be learned from the past three years.

“One lesson might be this: Fear and the desire for safety are powerful forces. They can lead to a clamor for action —almost any action — as long as someone does something to address a perceived threat. A leader or an expert who claims he can fix everything, if only we do exactly as he says, can prove an irresistible force,” he wrote.

Another possible lesson, he wrote: “The concentration of power in the hands of so few may be efficient and sometimes popular. But it does not tend toward sound government.”

He also had strong words for the Republican-led states that tried to keep the Title 42 policy in place, and the five conservatives justices whose votes extended the policy five months beyond when it would have otherwise ended in late December.

“At the very least, one can hope that the Judiciary will not soon again allow itself to be part of the problem by permitting litigants to manipulate our docket to perpetuate a decree designed for one emergency to address another,” Gorsuch wrote.

In the final paragraph of his statement, Gorsuch acknowledged, but only grudgingly, that emergency orders sometimes are necessary. “Make no mistake — decisive executive action is sometimes necessary and appropriate. But if emergency decrees promise to solve some problems, they threaten to generate others,” he wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672235865420.png" alt="Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/neil-gorsuch">Neil Gorsuch</a>, back row 2nd from left, had a lot more to say, leveling harsh criticism of how governments, from small towns to the nation's capital, responded to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">gravest public health threat in a century.</a>&nbsp;Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States" />
 <figcaption>Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/neil-gorsuch">Neil Gorsuch</a>, back row 2nd from left, had a lot more to say, leveling harsh criticism of how governments, from small towns to the nation's capital, responded to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">gravest public health threat in a century.</a>&nbsp;Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;got rid of a pandemic-related immigration case with a single sentence.(<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-592_5hd5.pdf">Click here to read the entire </a>opinion released by the court. On the final four pages, he explains&nbsp; how covid may have been “the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country.")<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684635232405.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/neil-gorsuch">Neil Gorsuch</a>&nbsp;had a lot more to say, leveling harsh criticism of how governments, from small towns to the nation's capital, responded to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">gravest public health threat in a century.</a>The justice, a 55-year-old conservative who was President Donald Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, called emergency measures taken during the COVID-19 crisis that killed more than 1 million Americans perhaps “the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country.”He pointed to orders closing schools, restricting church services, mandating vaccines and prohibiting evictions. His broadside was aimed at local, state and federal officials — even his colleagues.“Executive officials across the country issued emergency decrees on a breathtaking scale,” Gorsuch wrote in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-592_5hd5.pdf">an eight-page statement</a>&nbsp;Thursday that accompanied an expected Supreme Court order formally dismissing a case involving the use of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d">Title 42 policy</a>&nbsp;to prevent asylum seekers from entering the United States.The policy was ended last week with the expiration of the public health emergency first declared more than three years ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.From the start of his Supreme Court tenure in 2017, Gorsuch, a Colorado native who loves to ski and bicycle, has been more willing than most justices to part company with his colleagues, both left and right.He has mainly voted with the other conservatives in his six years as a justice, joining the majority that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">expanded gun rights</a>&nbsp;last year.But he has charted a different course on some issues, writing the court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/courts-supreme-courts-mi-state-wire-neil-gorsuch-ap-top-news-ef3c19a79b65c060fd9e82b9dd87a1d9">2020 opinion</a>&nbsp;that extended federal protections against workplace discrimination to LGBTQ people. He also has joined with the liberal justices in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-racial-injustice-native-americans-foster-care-child-welfare-94dba582285a6dd9cdaa2a7d49aeac00">support of Native American rights</a>.When the omicron variant surged in late 2021 and early 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-health-neil-gorsuch-sonia-sotomayor-a064256f6491820d4d3da10f969dc555">Gorsuch was the lone justice to appear in the courtroom unmasked</a>&nbsp;even as his seatmate, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who has diabetes, reportedly did not feel safe in close quarters with people who were not wearing masks.So Sotomayor, who continues to wear a mask in public, did not take the bench with the other justices in January 2022. The two justices denied reports they were at odds over the issue.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672235865420.png" alt="Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States" />
 <figcaption>Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States</figcaption>
 </figure>The emergency orders about which Gorsuch complained were first announced in the early days of the pandemic, when Trump was president, and months before the virus was well understood and a vaccine was developed.The thrust of his complaint is not new. He has written before in individual cases that came to the court during the pandemic, sometimes dissenting from orders that left emergency decrees in place.The justices intervened in several COVID-related cases.With Gorsuch and five other conservatives in the majority, they ended the eviction moratorium and blocked a Biden administration plan to require workers at larger companies to be vaccinated or wear a mask and submit to regular testing. Once Amy Coney Barrett joined the court, after Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, they ended restrictions on religious services in some areas.By a 5-4 vote from which Gorsuch and three conservative colleagues dissented, the court allowed the administration to require many health care workers to be vaccinated.But on Thursday, Gorsuch gathered his complaints in one place, writing about lessons he hoped might be learned from the past three years.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606762532009.png" alt="Photo by Carlos Moreno/KCUR&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Carlos Moreno/KCUR&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>“One lesson might be this: Fear and the desire for safety are powerful forces. They can lead to a clamor for action —almost any action — as long as someone does something to address a perceived threat. A leader or an expert who claims he can fix everything, if only we do exactly as he says, can prove an irresistible force,” he wrote.Another possible lesson, he wrote: “The concentration of power in the hands of so few may be efficient and sometimes popular. But it does not tend toward sound government.”He also had strong words for the Republican-led states that tried to keep the Title 42 policy in place, and the five conservatives justices whose votes extended the policy five months beyond when it would have otherwise ended in late December.“At the very least, one can hope that the Judiciary will not soon again allow itself to be part of the problem by permitting litigants to manipulate our docket to perpetuate a decree designed for one emergency to address another,” Gorsuch wrote.In the final paragraph of his statement, Gorsuch acknowledged, but only grudgingly, that emergency orders sometimes are necessary. “Make no mistake — decisive executive action is sometimes necessary and appropriate. But if emergency decrees promise to solve some problems, they threaten to generate others,” he wrote.

Read Supreme Court Justice opinion that slams COVID emergency power

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

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s unemployment rate has dropped from a pandemic-era high of more than 8% three years ago to 2%, according to the latest data released Friday by the Labor Department.

The dip contributed to the Husker state’s top national ranking in a new report by WalletHub that considered various unemployment-related metrics over multiple years.

Nebraska’s unemployment rate for April (preliminary and seasonally adjusted)&nbsp;was down a bit from its March rate of 2.1% and is the same as the rate a year ago in April.

State labor officials said the 2% ties Nebraska’s historic low. While preliminary rates during a few months last year were reported to be even lower than 2%, a Labor Department spokeswoman said those earlier numbers were officially revised up during an annual benchmarking process.

Nationally today, Nebraska’s rate is the second lowest among states. Only South Dakota was lower, 1.9%.

State Labor Commissioner John Albin noted that the number of Nebraskans in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dol.nebraska.gov/webdocs/Resources/Trends/April%202023/LAS%20Area%20Summary%20State.pdf">labor force</a>&nbsp;(either working or looking for work) hit another record.

“The state’s labor force reached a new all-time high for the second straight month,” he said. The 1,061,392 labor force figure includes both employed people, 1,040,229, as well as the 21,163 currently unemployed but active job-seekers.

Economist Ernie Goss, of Omaha’s Creighton University, thinks a part of the labor force rise can be attributed to “labor hoarding” — that is, he said, when employers don’t want to let a worker go for fear they won’t get the worker back.

He said Nebraska’s typical high labor participation rate, juxtaposed with a relatively low supply of workers available to fill new openings, can mean big challenges in growing the state’s economy.

&nbsp;“I would rather have a low than a high unemployment rate,” Goss said. “But there are real issues behind that.”

State Chamber of Commerce leaders, citing as many as 80,000 unfilled jobs across the state, have been focusing on the need to attract and retain more workers.

Of other states, Nevada had the highest unemployment rate, 5.4%. In total, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that 17 states had unemployment rates lower than the national average of 3.4%. It said that eight states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 25 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

Meanwhile, an analysis also released Friday by personal finance site WalletHub ranked Nebraska&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wallethub.com/edu/states-unemployment-rates/74907">at the top of the country</a>&nbsp;in terms of changes in unemployment rate.

The report compared all states on six metrics related to unemployment from April 2023 to key dates in 2023, 2022, 2020 and 2019.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684596315465.png" alt="Five-year trend line for unemployment rate in Nebraska, seasonally adjusted. (Courtesy of Nebraska Department of Labor)" />
 <figcaption>Five-year trend line for unemployment rate in Nebraska, seasonally adjusted. (Courtesy of Nebraska Department of Labor)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-no-1-in-labor-force-participation-rate-no-2-in-low-unemployment-rate/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska’s unemployment rate has dropped from a pandemic-era high of more than 8% three years ago to 2%, according to the latest data released Friday by the Labor Department.The dip contributed to the Husker state’s top national ranking in a new report by WalletHub that considered various unemployment-related metrics over multiple years.Nebraska’s unemployment rate for April (preliminary and seasonally adjusted)&nbsp;was down a bit from its March rate of 2.1% and is the same as the rate a year ago in April.State labor officials said the 2% ties Nebraska’s historic low. While preliminary rates during a few months last year were reported to be even lower than 2%, a Labor Department spokeswoman said those earlier numbers were officially revised up during an annual benchmarking process.Nationally today, Nebraska’s rate is the second lowest among states. Only South Dakota was lower, 1.9%.State Labor Commissioner John Albin noted that the number of Nebraskans in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dol.nebraska.gov/webdocs/Resources/Trends/April%202023/LAS%20Area%20Summary%20State.pdf">labor force</a>&nbsp;(either working or looking for work) hit another record.“The state’s labor force reached a new all-time high for the second straight month,” he said. The 1,061,392 labor force figure includes both employed people, 1,040,229, as well as the 21,163 currently unemployed but active job-seekers.Economist Ernie Goss, of Omaha’s Creighton University, thinks a part of the labor force rise can be attributed to “labor hoarding” — that is, he said, when employers don’t want to let a worker go for fear they won’t get the worker back.He said Nebraska’s typical high labor participation rate, juxtaposed with a relatively low supply of workers available to fill new openings, can mean big challenges in growing the state’s economy.&nbsp;“I would rather have a low than a high unemployment rate,” Goss said. “But there are real issues behind that.”State Chamber of Commerce leaders, citing as many as 80,000 unfilled jobs across the state, have been focusing on the need to attract and retain more workers.Of other states, Nevada had the highest unemployment rate, 5.4%. In total, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that 17 states had unemployment rates lower than the national average of 3.4%. It said that eight states and the District of Columbia had higher rates, and 25 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.Meanwhile, an analysis also released Friday by personal finance site WalletHub ranked Nebraska&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wallethub.com/edu/states-unemployment-rates/74907">at the top of the country</a>&nbsp;in terms of changes in unemployment rate.The report compared all states on six metrics related to unemployment from April 2023 to key dates in 2023, 2022, 2020 and 2019.

Nebraska jobless rate drops slightly; state yearns for more workers

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-default-c0abf8c6d13ac382e9922e3a8a9aaea0">Debt limit</a>&nbsp;talks between the White House and House Republicans stopped, started and stopped again Friday at the U.S. Capitol, a dizzying series of events in high-stakes negotiations to avoid a potentially catastrophic federal default.

President Joe Biden’s administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-default-c0abf8c6d13ac382e9922e3a8a9aaea0">is reaching for a deal</a>&nbsp;with Republicans led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as the nation faces a deadline as soon as June 1 to raise the country's borrowing limit, now at $31 trillion, to keep paying the nation’s bills. Republicans are demanding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-bill-house-republicans-kevin-mccarthy-f73e6c2fce8abdfab4973c727ea79517">steep spending cuts</a>&nbsp;the Democrats oppose.

Negotiations came to an abrupt standstill earlier in the day when McCarthy said it’s time to “pause” talks. But the negotiating teams convened again in the evening only to quickly call it quits for the night.

Top Republican negotiators for McCarthy said after the evening session that they were uncertain on next steps. But the White House publicly expressed optimism that a resolution could be reached if parties negotiated in “good faith.”

Biden, attending the Group of Seven summit in Japan, continued to express optimism that an agreement will be reached, saying that negotiating happens “in stages.”

“I still believe we'll be able to avoid a default and get something done,” he said.

His press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, earlier had acknowledged the difficulty of the talks.

“There’s no question we have serious differences," she said, without outlining any of them.

Top Republican negotiators for McCarthy said after the evening session that they were uncertain on next steps, though it's likely discussions will resume over the weekend. The White House publicly expressed optimism that a resolution could be reached if parties negotiated in “good faith.”

“We reengaged, had a very, very candid discussion, talking about where we are, talking about where things need to be, what’s reasonably acceptable," said Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., a top McCarthy ally leading the talks for his side.

Another Republican negotiator, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, was asked if he was confident an agreement over budget issues could be reached with the White House. He replied, “No.”

As the White House team left the nighttime session, counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, who is leading talks for the Democrats, said he was hopeful. “We're going to keep working,” he said.

Biden had already planned to cut short the rest of his trip and is expected to return to Washington Sunday night.

Earlier in the day, McCarthy said resolution to the standoff is “easy,” if only Biden's team would agree to some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-bill-house-republicans-kevin-mccarthy-f73e6c2fce8abdfab4973c727ea79517">spending cuts</a>&nbsp;Republicans are demanding. The biggest impasse was over the fiscal 2024 top-line budget amount, according to a person briefed on the talks and granted anonymity to discuss them. Democrats staunchly oppose the steep reductions Republicans have put on the table as potentially harmful to Americans, and are insisting that Republicans agree to tax hikes on the wealthy, in addition to spending cuts, to close the deficit.

“We’ve got to get movement by the White House and we don’t have any movement yet,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-house-speaker-100-days-trump-6c028bd4508883cb0afc11ec16af2be0">McCarthy, R-Calif.,</a>&nbsp;told reporters at the Capitol. "So, yeah, we’ve got to pause.”

White House communications director Ben LaBolt said Saturday that “Any serious budget negotiation must include discussion both of spending and of revenues, but Republicans have refused to discuss revenue.”

He added: "President Biden will not accept a wishlist of extreme MAGA priorities that would punish the middle class and neediest Americans and set our economic progress back."

Jean-Pierre insisted Biden was not negotiating on raising the borrowing limit, despite the clear linkage in talks between securing a budget deal and raising the debt ceiling.

“It is not negotiable — we should not be negotiating on the debt,” she said.