United States Attorney Steven A. Russell&nbsp;announced that Victoria Bindas, 43, of Omaha was sentenced last week by&nbsp;United States District Judge&nbsp;Brian C. Buescher&nbsp;for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.&nbsp; Bindas received a sentence of 121 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp;

Beginning in mid-2018, a&nbsp;<a>Drug Enforcement Administration&nbsp;</a>led task force started investigating the methamphetamine distribution operation of David Duane Short, based out of the Omaha, Nebraska, metro area.&nbsp;&nbsp; This investigation included a court ordered Title III interception of phone calls and text messages, allowing agents to identify the scope of the conspiracy and its’ members.&nbsp; Bindas was intercepted on numerous occasions contacting Short and was obtaining mutli-ounce quantities of methamphetamine.&nbsp; These deals between Short and Bindas were monitored by law enforcement.&nbsp; Bindas was ultimately held responsible for her in buying at least 1200 grams of methamphetamine from Short to distribute.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In addition to Bindas, several members of this multi-state drug trafficking organization have now been sentenced.&nbsp; Edward Glen Summers (Council Bluffs) was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment, Kaden Henry (Wisner, Nebraska) was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment, Rose Ellen Points (Council Bluffs) was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment, Chelsea Leigh Short (Omaha) was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment, Christian Gonzalez-Gardea (El Paso, Texas) was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment, Rex Lee Kmiecik (Omaha) was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment, Robert Root (Council Bluffs) was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment, and David Duane Short (Omaha) was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment.&nbsp;

This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF">https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF</a>.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, IRS’s Criminal Investigations, and the Pottawattamie County (Iowa) Sheriff’s Office.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven A. Russell&nbsp;announced that Victoria Bindas, 43, of Omaha was sentenced last week by&nbsp;United States District Judge&nbsp;Brian C. Buescher&nbsp;for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.&nbsp; Bindas received a sentence of 121 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp;Beginning in mid-2018, a&nbsp;<a>Drug Enforcement Administration&nbsp;</a>led task force started investigating the methamphetamine distribution operation of David Duane Short, based out of the Omaha, Nebraska, metro area.&nbsp;&nbsp; This investigation included a court ordered Title III interception of phone calls and text messages, allowing agents to identify the scope of the conspiracy and its’ members.&nbsp; Bindas was intercepted on numerous occasions contacting Short and was obtaining mutli-ounce quantities of methamphetamine.&nbsp; These deals between Short and Bindas were monitored by law enforcement.&nbsp; Bindas was ultimately held responsible for her in buying at least 1200 grams of methamphetamine from Short to distribute.&nbsp;&nbsp;In addition to Bindas, several members of this multi-state drug trafficking organization have now been sentenced.&nbsp; Edward Glen Summers (Council Bluffs) was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment, Kaden Henry (Wisner, Nebraska) was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment, Rose Ellen Points (Council Bluffs) was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment, Chelsea Leigh Short (Omaha) was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment, Christian Gonzalez-Gardea (El Paso, Texas) was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment, Rex Lee Kmiecik (Omaha) was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment, Robert Root (Council Bluffs) was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment, and David Duane Short (Omaha) was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment.&nbsp;This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF">https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF</a>.This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, IRS’s Criminal Investigations, and the Pottawattamie County (Iowa) Sheriff’s Office.

Nebraska woman sentenced for drug conspiracy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S. plunged into uncertainty Friday following conflicting court rulings over the legality of the abortion medication mifepristone that has been widely available for more than 20 years. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ordered a hold on federal approval of mifepristone in a decision that overruled decades of scientific approval.&nbsp;

President Biden criticized&nbsp;Kacsmaryk's decision. In a statement from the White House, Biden said, "a single federal district judge in Texas ruled that a prescription medication that has been available for more than 22 years, approved by the FDA and used safely and effectively by millions of women here and around the world, should no longer be approved in the United States."

"The Court in this case has substituted its judgment for FDA, the expert agency that approves drugs. If this ruling were to stand, then there will be virtually no prescription, approved by the FDA, that would be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks." "The prescription medication in question in this case is used for medication abortion, and medication abortion accounts for over half the abortions in America.&nbsp; The lawsuit, and this ruling, is another unprecedented step in taking away basic freedoms from women and putting their health at risk.&nbsp; This does not just affect women in Texas – if it stands, it would prevent women in every state from accessing the medication, regardless of whether abortion is legal in a state.&nbsp; It is the next big step toward the national ban on abortion that Republican elected officials have vowed to make law in America." "My Administration will fight this ruling.&nbsp; The Department of Justice has already filed an appeal and will seek an immediate stay of the decision.&nbsp; But let’s be clear – the only way to stop those who are committed to taking away women’s rights and freedoms in every state is to elect a Congress who will pass a law restoring Roe versus Wade."&nbsp;

"I will continue to lead the fight to protect a woman’s right to an abortion, and to make her own decisions about her own health.&nbsp; That is our commitment."

Vice President Kamala Harris issued a similar statement, "Each person in our nation should have the right to access safe and effective medication which has been approved by the FDA. In the face of attacks on a woman’s right to access an abortion, our Administration will continue to fight to protect reproductive freedom and the ability of all Americans to make health care decisions with their doctors free from political interference."

Kacsmaryk's decision in Texas came at nearly the same time that U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice, an Obama appointee, essentially&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-abortion-pills-lawsuit-fda-1857d1a4fd356c61ad76e00621e93b44">ordered the opposite</a>&nbsp;and directed U.S. authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in at least 17 states where Democrats sued in an effort to protect availability.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="Boxes of the drug mifepristone.&nbsp;About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed, File)" />
 <figcaption>Boxes of the drug mifepristone.&nbsp;About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S. plunged into uncertainty Friday following conflicting court rulings over the legality of the abortion medication mifepristone that has been widely available for more than 20 years. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ordered a hold on federal approval of mifepristone in a decision that overruled decades of scientific approval.&nbsp;President Biden criticized&nbsp;Kacsmaryk's decision. In a statement from the White House, Biden said, "a single federal district judge in Texas ruled that a prescription medication that has been available for more than 22 years, approved by the FDA and used safely and effectively by millions of women here and around the world, should no longer be approved in the United States.""The Court in this case has substituted its judgment for FDA, the expert agency that approves drugs. If this ruling were to stand, then there will be virtually no prescription, approved by the FDA, that would be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks." "The prescription medication in question in this case is used for medication abortion, and medication abortion accounts for over half the abortions in America.&nbsp; The lawsuit, and this ruling, is another unprecedented step in taking away basic freedoms from women and putting their health at risk.&nbsp; This does not just affect women in Texas – if it stands, it would prevent women in every state from accessing the medication, regardless of whether abortion is legal in a state.&nbsp; It is the next big step toward the national ban on abortion that Republican elected officials have vowed to make law in America." "My Administration will fight this ruling.&nbsp; The Department of Justice has already filed an appeal and will seek an immediate stay of the decision.&nbsp; But let’s be clear – the only way to stop those who are committed to taking away women’s rights and freedoms in every state is to elect a Congress who will pass a law restoring Roe versus Wade."&nbsp; "I will continue to lead the fight to protect a woman’s right to an abortion, and to make her own decisions about her own health.&nbsp; That is our commitment."Vice President Kamala Harris issued a similar statement, "Each person in our nation should have the right to access safe and effective medication which has been approved by the FDA. In the face of attacks on a woman’s right to access an abortion, our Administration will continue to fight to protect reproductive freedom and the ability of all Americans to make health care decisions with their doctors free from political interference." Kacsmaryk's decision in Texas came at nearly the same time that U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice, an Obama appointee, essentially&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-abortion-pills-lawsuit-fda-1857d1a4fd356c61ad76e00621e93b44">ordered the opposite</a>&nbsp;and directed U.S. authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in at least 17 states where Democrats sued in an effort to protect availability.

Biden vows to fight controversial ruling on access to abortion pill

DETROIT (AP) — Nearly 43,000 people died in U.S. traffic crashes in 2021, the highest number in 16 years with deaths due to speeding and impaired or distracted driving on the rise.

The 2021 final numbers,&nbsp;<a href="https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813435">released Monday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration</a>, confirmed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-government-and-politics-pandemics-transportation-8388d8ca4b1ad141939fe07ce00f9c7f">earlier estimates by the agency</a>&nbsp;showing a 10.5% increase in deaths over 2020. That's the highest number since 2005 and the largest percentage increase since 1975.

Data shows a 12% rise in fatal crashes involving at least one distracted driver, with 3,522 people killed. That prompted the agency to kick off a $5 million advertising campaign in an effort to keep drivers focused on the road. Agency officials said such cases likely are under-reported by police.

The number of pedestrians killed rose 13%, and cyclist fatalities were up 2% for the year. The number of unbelted passengers killed rose 8.1%, while fatalities involving alcohol-impaired driving were up 14%.

Speeding-related deaths increased 7.9%, while crash deaths involving large trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds were up 17%.

At a news conference Monday in Seattle, NHTSA focused on distracted driving fatalities, which speakers said are entirely preventable if people stop using their cell phones, eating, or doing other things that divert attention from the road.

“Remember it only takes a moment to change your life forever,” said Sophie Shulman, NHTSA deputy administrator.

Steve Kiefer, a retired General Motors executive whose son, Mitchel, was killed in a 2016 distracted driving crash, said cell phones are a primary cause of distraction. But technology is available to prevent it including “do not disturb” modes, as well as apps and in-car systems that watch drivers to make sure they're paying attention.

“All of this technology is available today, and there's no reason we can't use it and roll it out quickly,” Kiefer said.

Distracted driving deaths are related to America's addiction to cell phones, said Kiefer, who started a foundation with the goal of ending distracted driving. He said 90% of people are aware of the danger of distracted driving, yet 80% admit to doing it. In 25 states with laws against hand-held cell phone use, traffic deaths, crashes and insurance rates have dropped, he said.

"We believe that legislation will change behavior," Kiefer said.

Mitchel Kiefer was driving from home to Michigan State University on Interstate 96 when traffic slowed and his car was hit from behind by a driver who was distracted by her phone, Kiefer said. His car was knocked across the median and into oncoming traffic, where he was killed instantly.

The crash was not reported as involving a distracted driver, illustrating how distracted driving deaths are under-reported, Kiefer said.

Part of the increase in crash deaths is due to people driving more as the coronavirus pandemic waned. NHTSA reported that the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled increased 2.2% to 1.37 in 2021.

NHTSA also estimates that 2.5 million people were injured in crashes during 2021, up 9.4% from 2020.

The agency said it will release preliminary 2022 traffic death data in the coming weeks. NHTSA estimates that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/recessions-and-depressions-accidents-detroit-business-34890b827ea0d3cf3e4eff8f3a8df6b6">31,785 people were killed in crashes from January through September last year,</a>&nbsp;down 0.2% from the same period of 2021.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640619556891.png" alt="-A Kansas man died in a crash on Christmas Day 2021 in Sedgwick County. Speed was a contributing factor, according to Officer Charley Davidson -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>-A Kansas man died in a crash on Christmas Day 2021 in Sedgwick County. Speed was a contributing factor, according to Officer Charley Davidson -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Nearly 43,000 people died in U.S. traffic crashes in 2021, the highest number in 16 years with deaths due to speeding and impaired or distracted driving on the rise.The 2021 final numbers,&nbsp;<a href="https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813435">released Monday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration</a>, confirmed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-government-and-politics-pandemics-transportation-8388d8ca4b1ad141939fe07ce00f9c7f">earlier estimates by the agency</a>&nbsp;showing a 10.5% increase in deaths over 2020. That's the highest number since 2005 and the largest percentage increase since 1975.Data shows a 12% rise in fatal crashes involving at least one distracted driver, with 3,522 people killed. That prompted the agency to kick off a $5 million advertising campaign in an effort to keep drivers focused on the road. Agency officials said such cases likely are under-reported by police.The number of pedestrians killed rose 13%, and cyclist fatalities were up 2% for the year. The number of unbelted passengers killed rose 8.1%, while fatalities involving alcohol-impaired driving were up 14%.Speeding-related deaths increased 7.9%, while crash deaths involving large trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds were up 17%.At a news conference Monday in Seattle, NHTSA focused on distracted driving fatalities, which speakers said are entirely preventable if people stop using their cell phones, eating, or doing other things that divert attention from the road.“Remember it only takes a moment to change your life forever,” said Sophie Shulman, NHTSA deputy administrator.Steve Kiefer, a retired General Motors executive whose son, Mitchel, was killed in a 2016 distracted driving crash, said cell phones are a primary cause of distraction. But technology is available to prevent it including “do not disturb” modes, as well as apps and in-car systems that watch drivers to make sure they're paying attention.“All of this technology is available today, and there's no reason we can't use it and roll it out quickly,” Kiefer said.Distracted driving deaths are related to America's addiction to cell phones, said Kiefer, who started a foundation with the goal of ending distracted driving. He said 90% of people are aware of the danger of distracted driving, yet 80% admit to doing it. In 25 states with laws against hand-held cell phone use, traffic deaths, crashes and insurance rates have dropped, he said."We believe that legislation will change behavior," Kiefer said.Mitchel Kiefer was driving from home to Michigan State University on Interstate 96 when traffic slowed and his car was hit from behind by a driver who was distracted by her phone, Kiefer said. His car was knocked across the median and into oncoming traffic, where he was killed instantly.The crash was not reported as involving a distracted driver, illustrating how distracted driving deaths are under-reported, Kiefer said.Part of the increase in crash deaths is due to people driving more as the coronavirus pandemic waned. NHTSA reported that the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled increased 2.2% to 1.37 in 2021.NHTSA also estimates that 2.5 million people were injured in crashes during 2021, up 9.4% from 2020.The agency said it will release preliminary 2022 traffic death data in the coming weeks. NHTSA estimates that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/recessions-and-depressions-accidents-detroit-business-34890b827ea0d3cf3e4eff8f3a8df6b6">31,785 people were killed in crashes from January through September last year,</a>&nbsp;down 0.2% from the same period of 2021.

Report: 2021 saw the highest number of traffic deaths in years

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-proposal-to-require-school-dress-code-advances-after-being-amended-into-separate-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 —&nbsp;A proposal to require all Nebraska school districts to adopt a 
written dress code and grooming policy is just one stage away from 
becoming law.

This time last week, the bill’s sponsor, State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, voiced concerns about whether <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50449">Legislative Bill 630</a>
 would&nbsp; be scheduled for debate this year. But lawmakers on Tuesday 
amended LB 630 into a different bill that has advanced to the final 
stage of debate.

Senators voted 37-0 to attach LB 630 to <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50239">LB 298</a>,
 proposed by State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn to require school 
districts to report information on dyslexia to the Nebraska Department 
of Education.

McKinney said LB 630 is another step toward decreasing discrimination in the state.&nbsp;

“I was glad it got pushed forward because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” McKinney said.

Some existing dress codes have racial
 or religious implications, such as prohibitions on headscarves and 
durags, disproportionately impacting students of color. In spring 2020, a
 school secretary cut <a target="_blank" href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-school-sees-a-lice-check-lakota-people-sense-centuries-of-repression/">two Lakota girls’ hair</a> without parental consent.

Each school board would be required 
to adopt a policy by July 1, 2025, consistent with a statewide dress 
code developed by the Education Department. Punishments for violating 
the written dress codes could not include long-term suspension or 
expulsion, under the bill.

McKinney said LB 630 would provide a 
uniform policy instead of a “hodgepodge” of restrictions between 
districts. This could protect hairstyles, natural hair, certain head 
coverings and the right of Indigenous students to wear regalia 
statewide.

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/23/nebraska-legislature-advances-bill-to-restrict-trans-health-care-for-minors/">Endless filibusters</a> this session have come largely in response to <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49961">LB 574</a>, which is related to gender-affirming procedures, raising concerns some prioritized legislation may not be debated.

McKinney and State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha criticized the “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/31/nebraska-lawmakers-criticize-zero-sum-games-in-legislature-lack-of-support-for-north-omaha/">zero-sum games</a>” of “either side” that hurt bills such as LB 630.

Linehan, who is a member of the 
Education Committee, said she voted to advance LB 630 to the full 
Legislature and was happy to amend it into her bill.

She added that she’s been working on 
dyslexia issues since she took office, with LB 298 another step forward 
in work that she said is not yet done.

Linehan said amending bills into one 
another isn’t a new concept, nor is it “unique.” She said some bills 
have included more than a dozen amendments of this kind.&nbsp;

Some observers have criticized the Legislature for not doing more in its 90-day session, having passed no legislation thus far.&nbsp;

However, Linehan said lawmakers are still on track for a productive session.

“The first year I was here we argued 
about the rules for 30 days —&nbsp;we still got a lot done,” Linehan said. 
“We’re going to get a lot done this session.”

Linehan said this session is also “one big fight going on instead of 20 little ones.”

LB 298 is now one debate stage away from being sent to Gov. Jim Pillen to become law.

McKinney said his proposal sends a 
message that students can go to school and be themselves without fear of
 punishment for their hair or what they wear.

“Overall for the state, it shows that
 Nebraska is a place where people can come and raise their kids and not 
have to worry about discrimination at school based on how they wear 
their hair,” McKinney said.

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-proposal-to-require-school-dress-code-advances-after-being-amended-into-separate-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 —&nbsp;A proposal to require all Nebraska school districts to adopt a 
written dress code and grooming policy is just one stage away from 
becoming law.This time last week, the bill’s sponsor, State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, voiced concerns about whether <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50449">Legislative Bill 630</a>
 would&nbsp; be scheduled for debate this year. But lawmakers on Tuesday 
amended LB 630 into a different bill that has advanced to the final 
stage of debate.Senators voted 37-0 to attach LB 630 to <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50239">LB 298</a>,
 proposed by State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn to require school 
districts to report information on dyslexia to the Nebraska Department 
of Education.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680891672253.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska News Service)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska News Service)</figcaption>
 </figure>McKinney said LB 630 is another step toward decreasing discrimination in the state.&nbsp;“I was glad it got pushed forward because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” McKinney said.Some existing dress codes have racial
 or religious implications, such as prohibitions on headscarves and 
durags, disproportionately impacting students of color. In spring 2020, a
 school secretary cut <a target="_blank" href="https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-school-sees-a-lice-check-lakota-people-sense-centuries-of-repression/">two Lakota girls’ hair</a> without parental consent.Each school board would be required 
to adopt a policy by July 1, 2025, consistent with a statewide dress 
code developed by the Education Department. Punishments for violating 
the written dress codes could not include long-term suspension or 
expulsion, under the bill.McKinney said LB 630 would provide a 
uniform policy instead of a “hodgepodge” of restrictions between 
districts. This could protect hairstyles, natural hair, certain head 
coverings and the right of Indigenous students to wear regalia 
statewide.<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/23/nebraska-legislature-advances-bill-to-restrict-trans-health-care-for-minors/">Endless filibusters</a> this session have come largely in response to <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49961">LB 574</a>, which is related to gender-affirming procedures, raising concerns some prioritized legislation may not be debated.McKinney and State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha criticized the “<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/31/nebraska-lawmakers-criticize-zero-sum-games-in-legislature-lack-of-support-for-north-omaha/">zero-sum games</a>” of “either side” that hurt bills such as LB 630.Linehan, who is a member of the 
Education Committee, said she voted to advance LB 630 to the full 
Legislature and was happy to amend it into her bill.She added that she’s been working on 
dyslexia issues since she took office, with LB 298 another step forward 
in work that she said is not yet done.Linehan said amending bills into one 
another isn’t a new concept, nor is it “unique.” She said some bills 
have included more than a dozen amendments of this kind.&nbsp;Some observers have criticized the Legislature for not doing more in its 90-day session, having passed no legislation thus far.&nbsp;However, Linehan said lawmakers are still on track for a productive session.“The first year I was here we argued 
about the rules for 30 days —&nbsp;we still got a lot done,” Linehan said. 
“We’re going to get a lot done this session.”Linehan said this session is also “one big fight going on instead of 20 little ones.”LB 298 is now one debate stage away from being sent to Gov. Jim Pillen to become law.McKinney said his proposal sends a 
message that students can go to school and be themselves without fear of
 punishment for their hair or what they wear.“Overall for the state, it shows that
 Nebraska is a place where people can come and raise their kids and not 
have to worry about discrimination at school based on how they wear 
their hair,” McKinney said.

Nebraska school dress code proposal advances in Legislature

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S. plunged into uncertainty Friday following conflicting court rulings over the legality of the abortion medication mifepristone that has been widely available for more than 20 years.

For now, the drug the Food and Drug Administration approved in 2000 appeared to remain at least immediately available in wake of two separate rulings that were issued just minutes apart by federal judges in Texas and Washington.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, ordered a hold on federal approval of mifepristone in a decision that overruled decades of scientific approval. But that decision came at nearly same time that U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice, an Obama appointee, essentially&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-abortion-pills-lawsuit-fda-1857d1a4fd356c61ad76e00621e93b44">ordered the opposite</a>&nbsp;and directed U.S. authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in at least 17 states where Democrats sued in an effort to protect availability.

The extraordinary timing of the competing orders revealed the high stakes surrounding the drug nearly a year after the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and curtailed access to abortion across the country.

“FDA is under one order that says you can do nothing and another that says in seven days I’m going to require you to vacate the approval of mifepristone,” said Glenn Cohen of Harvard Law School.

The abortion drug has been widely used in the U.S. since securing FDA approval and there is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling the medical decisions of the Food and Drug Administration. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63?utm_source=apnews&amp;utm_medium=relatedcontentmodule">medication abortion</a>&nbsp;in the United States, along with misoprostol, which is also used to treat other medical conditions.

Kacsmaryk signed an injunction directing the FDA to stay mifepristone’s approval while a lawsuit challenging the safety and approval of the drug continues. His 67-page order gave the government seven days to appeal.

“Simply put, FDA stonewalled judicial review — until now,” Kacsmaryk wrote.

He didn’t go as far as the plaintiffs wanted by withdrawing or suspending approval of the chemical abortion drug and removing it from the list of approved drugs.

Federal lawyers representing the FDA are expected to swiftly appeal. The White House was reviewing the decision.

Clinics and doctors that prescribe the two-drug combination have said that if mifepristone were pulled from the market, they would switch to using only the second drug, misoprostol. That single-drug approach has a slightly lower rate of effectiveness in ending pregnancies, but it is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.

Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen that has long been the standard for medication abortion in the U.S. Clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination have said they plan to switch to using only misoprostol. The single-drug approach is slightly less effective at ending pregnancies.

The lawsuit in the Texas case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom</a>, which was also involved in the Mississippi case that led to Roe v. Wade being overturned. At the core of the lawsuit is the allegation that the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone was flawed because it did not adequately review its safety risks.

Courts have long deferred to the FDA on issues of drug safety and effectiveness. But the agency’s authority faces new challenges in a post-Roe legal environment in which abortions are banned or unavailable in 14 states, while 16 states have laws specifically targeting abortion medications.

Democrats and abortion rights groups slammed the ruling out of Texas.

“Abortion is still legal and accessible here in California and we won’t stand by as fundamental freedoms are stripped away," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.

Legal experts warned that the ruling could upend decades of precedent, setting the stage for political groups to overturn other FDA approvals of controversial drugs and vaccines.

“This has never happened before in history — it’s a huge deal,” said Greer Donley, a professor specializing in reproductive health care at the University of Pittsburgh Law School. “You have a federal judge who has zero scientific background second guessing every scientific decision that the FDA made."

Still, because of the contradictory nature of the rulings, Greer and other experts said there would be little immediate impact.

“In the short term, nothing’s going to change,” Greer said. “This is the time to be preparing for the fact that in a week, potentially, mifepristone becomes an unapproved drug in this country.”

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — Washington state has purchased a three-year supply of a leading abortion medication in anticipation of a court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medication-abortion-pill-texas-judge-f2ffc6fca3ad4b8cd8171eef65a9c29e">ruling that could limit its availability</a>, Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday.

The Democratic governor said he ordered the Department of Corrections, which has a pharmacy license, to buy 30,000 doses of the generic version of mifepristone at a cost of about $1.28 million, or $42.50 per pill. The shipment arrived in late March.

A two-pill combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is the most common form of abortion in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-medication-abortion-783874945633">Research shows</a>&nbsp;that medication-induced abortions are safe and effective. They were approved by the Food and Drug Administration over 20 years ago.

The awaited ruling in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-texas-fda-roe-wade-5306714113f3be4233a9e11a84a992aa">Texas lawsuit</a>&nbsp;brought by a Christian group — in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision last year to strip away the constitutional right to end a pregnancy — would affect states where abortion is legal as well as those that outlaw it.

“This Texas lawsuit is a clear and present danger to patients and providers all across the country," Inslee said in a statement. “Washington will not sit by idly and risk the devastating consequences of inaction.”

Former President Donald Trump-appointed Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard debate in March over the Alliance Defending Freedom’s request to revoke or suspend the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. The conservative group claims it was improperly approved.

Kacsmaryk said he would rule “as soon as possible” without giving any clear indication of how he might decide.

The bulk pill purchase also comes as Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson pursues the issue from another angle: He's helping to lead a multistate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-challenges-fda-over-unlawful-unnecessary-restrictions-medication#:~:text=In%20the%20lawsuit%2C%20Ferguson%20notes,Washington%20state%20were%20medication%20abortions.">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in federal court meant to further ease restrictions to the medication.

The lawsuit filed with Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum in February against the FDA accuses it of singling out mifepristone for excessively burdensome regulation despite evidence that the drug is safer than Tylenol, Ferguson said in a statement at the time.

The lawsuit asks the court to find certain FDA restrictions unlawful and to stop the federal agency from enforcing or applying them to mifepristone.

State lawmakers are also bringing legislation that will authorize the state Department of Corrections to sell or distribute the drug stockpile to licensed providers in Washington.

The bill's co-sponsor, Sen. Karen Keiser, of Des Moines, said the last year has made it clear that they can't be complacent when it comes to reproductive health.

“The Legislature is taking a number of crucial steps this session to protect abortion rights," Keiser said, “but those rights are meaningless without access to care.”

Several moves have been made in Washington to strengthen abortion access, including a directive from Inslee instructing the Washington State Patrol not to cooperate with out-of-state abortion investigations. Other abortion and gender-affirming care bills are expected to pass the Washington Legislature this session.

Abortion has been legal in Washington since a 1970 statewide ballot referendum.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680709134368.png" alt="Washington state has purchased a three-year supply of a leading abortion medication in anticipation of the court&nbsp;ruling, Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday.-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Washington state has purchased a three-year supply of a leading abortion medication in anticipation of the court&nbsp;ruling, Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday.-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S. plunged into uncertainty Friday following conflicting court rulings over the legality of the abortion medication mifepristone that has been widely available for more than 20 years.For now, the drug the Food and Drug Administration approved in 2000 appeared to remain at least immediately available in wake of two separate rulings that were issued just minutes apart by federal judges in Texas and Washington.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581004285984.jpeg" alt=" About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, ordered a hold on federal approval of mifepristone in a decision that overruled decades of scientific approval. But that decision came at nearly same time that U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice, an Obama appointee, essentially&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-abortion-pills-lawsuit-fda-1857d1a4fd356c61ad76e00621e93b44">ordered the opposite</a>&nbsp;and directed U.S. authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in at least 17 states where Democrats sued in an effort to protect availability.The extraordinary timing of the competing orders revealed the high stakes surrounding the drug nearly a year after the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and curtailed access to abortion across the country.“FDA is under one order that says you can do nothing and another that says in seven days I’m going to require you to vacate the approval of mifepristone,” said Glenn Cohen of Harvard Law School.The abortion drug has been widely used in the U.S. since securing FDA approval and there is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling the medical decisions of the Food and Drug Administration. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63?utm_source=apnews&amp;utm_medium=relatedcontentmodule">medication abortion</a>&nbsp;in the United States, along with misoprostol, which is also used to treat other medical conditions.Kacsmaryk signed an injunction directing the FDA to stay mifepristone’s approval while a lawsuit challenging the safety and approval of the drug continues. His 67-page order gave the government seven days to appeal.“Simply put, FDA stonewalled judicial review — until now,” Kacsmaryk wrote.He didn’t go as far as the plaintiffs wanted by withdrawing or suspending approval of the chemical abortion drug and removing it from the list of approved drugs.Federal lawyers representing the FDA are expected to swiftly appeal. The White House was reviewing the decision.Clinics and doctors that prescribe the two-drug combination have said that if mifepristone were pulled from the market, they would switch to using only the second drug, misoprostol. That single-drug approach has a slightly lower rate of effectiveness in ending pregnancies, but it is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen that has long been the standard for medication abortion in the U.S. Clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination have said they plan to switch to using only misoprostol. The single-drug approach is slightly less effective at ending pregnancies.The lawsuit in the Texas case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom</a>, which was also involved in the Mississippi case that led to Roe v. Wade being overturned. At the core of the lawsuit is the allegation that the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone was flawed because it did not adequately review its safety risks.Courts have long deferred to the FDA on issues of drug safety and effectiveness. But the agency’s authority faces new challenges in a post-Roe legal environment in which abortions are banned or unavailable in 14 states, while 16 states have laws specifically targeting abortion medications.Democrats and abortion rights groups slammed the ruling out of Texas.“Abortion is still legal and accessible here in California and we won’t stand by as fundamental freedoms are stripped away," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.Legal experts warned that the ruling could upend decades of precedent, setting the stage for political groups to overturn other FDA approvals of controversial drugs and vaccines.“This has never happened before in history — it’s a huge deal,” said Greer Donley, a professor specializing in reproductive health care at the University of Pittsburgh Law School. “You have a federal judge who has zero scientific background second guessing every scientific decision that the FDA made."Still, because of the contradictory nature of the rulings, Greer and other experts said there would be little immediate impact.“In the short term, nothing’s going to change,” Greer said. “This is the time to be preparing for the fact that in a week, potentially, mifepristone becomes an unapproved drug in this country.”___BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — Washington state has purchased a three-year supply of a leading abortion medication in anticipation of a court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medication-abortion-pill-texas-judge-f2ffc6fca3ad4b8cd8171eef65a9c29e">ruling that could limit its availability</a>, Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday.The Democratic governor said he ordered the Department of Corrections, which has a pharmacy license, to buy 30,000 doses of the generic version of mifepristone at a cost of about $1.28 million, or $42.50 per pill. The shipment arrived in late March.A two-pill combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is the most common form of abortion in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-medication-abortion-783874945633">Research shows</a>&nbsp;that medication-induced abortions are safe and effective. They were approved by the Food and Drug Administration over 20 years ago.The awaited ruling in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-texas-fda-roe-wade-5306714113f3be4233a9e11a84a992aa">Texas lawsuit</a>&nbsp;brought by a Christian group — in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision last year to strip away the constitutional right to end a pregnancy — would affect states where abortion is legal as well as those that outlaw it.“This Texas lawsuit is a clear and present danger to patients and providers all across the country," Inslee said in a statement. “Washington will not sit by idly and risk the devastating consequences of inaction.”Former President Donald Trump-appointed Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard debate in March over the Alliance Defending Freedom’s request to revoke or suspend the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. The conservative group claims it was improperly approved.Kacsmaryk said he would rule “as soon as possible” without giving any clear indication of how he might decide.The bulk pill purchase also comes as Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson pursues the issue from another angle: He's helping to lead a multistate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-challenges-fda-over-unlawful-unnecessary-restrictions-medication#:~:text=In%20the%20lawsuit%2C%20Ferguson%20notes,Washington%20state%20were%20medication%20abortions.">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in federal court meant to further ease restrictions to the medication.The lawsuit filed with Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum in February against the FDA accuses it of singling out mifepristone for excessively burdensome regulation despite evidence that the drug is safer than Tylenol, Ferguson said in a statement at the time.The lawsuit asks the court to find certain FDA restrictions unlawful and to stop the federal agency from enforcing or applying them to mifepristone.State lawmakers are also bringing legislation that will authorize the state Department of Corrections to sell or distribute the drug stockpile to licensed providers in Washington.The bill's co-sponsor, Sen. Karen Keiser, of Des Moines, said the last year has made it clear that they can't be complacent when it comes to reproductive health.“The Legislature is taking a number of crucial steps this session to protect abortion rights," Keiser said, “but those rights are meaningless without access to care.”Several moves have been made in Washington to strengthen abortion access, including a directive from Inslee instructing the Washington State Patrol not to cooperate with out-of-state abortion investigations. Other abortion and gender-affirming care bills are expected to pass the Washington Legislature this session.Abortion has been legal in Washington since a 1970 statewide ballot referendum.

Judge halts FDA approval of abortion pill; 2nd judge protects access

United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that&nbsp;Kenneth Flowers, 48,&nbsp;was sentenced on April 6 in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. United States District Judge&nbsp;Brian C. Buescher sentenced&nbsp;Flowers&nbsp;to 40 months imprisonment.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison,&nbsp;Flowers&nbsp;will begin a five-year term of supervised release.

On March 18, 2021, the DEA Criminal Interdiction Unit, while working at the U.S. Post Office in Omaha, Nebraska, intercepted a package containing 1,585 grams of pure methamphetamine.&nbsp; The package was destined to be delivered to an address in Omaha.&nbsp; Undercover special agents delivered the package to the listed address and observed Flowers pick up the package and deliver the package to the residence of Elmer Hernandez.&nbsp; Flowers was then arrested.&nbsp; Hernandez was later arrested for drug and firearm offenses.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hernandez has pled guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on April 19, 2023.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that&nbsp;Kenneth Flowers, 48,&nbsp;was sentenced on April 6 in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. United States District Judge&nbsp;Brian C. Buescher sentenced&nbsp;Flowers&nbsp;to 40 months imprisonment.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison,&nbsp;Flowers&nbsp;will begin a five-year term of supervised release.On March 18, 2021, the DEA Criminal Interdiction Unit, while working at the U.S. Post Office in Omaha, Nebraska, intercepted a package containing 1,585 grams of pure methamphetamine.&nbsp; The package was destined to be delivered to an address in Omaha.&nbsp; Undercover special agents delivered the package to the listed address and observed Flowers pick up the package and deliver the package to the residence of Elmer Hernandez.&nbsp; Flowers was then arrested.&nbsp; Hernandez was later arrested for drug and firearm offenses.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hernandez has pled guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on April 19, 2023.This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Nebraska resident sentenced for drug trafficking conspiracy

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. Navy has deployed a guided-missile submarine capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles to the Middle East, a spokesman said Saturday, in what appeared to be a show of force toward Iran following recent tensions.

The Navy rarely acknowledges the location or deployment of submarines. Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the 5th Fleet based in the Gulf nation of Bahrain, declined to comment on the submarine's mission or what had prompted the deployment.

He said the nuclear-powered submarine, based out of Kings Bay, Georgia, passed through the Suez Canal on Friday. “It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability,” Hawkins said.

The 5th Fleet patrols the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil transits. Its region includes the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Yemen and the Red Sea stretching up to the Suez Canal, the Egyptian waterway linking the Mideast to the Mediterranean Sea.

The U.S., the U.K. and Israel have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-business-iran-persian-gulf-tensions-419efc522acbd213a79696c9876af6dc">accused Iran of targeting oil tankers and commercial ships</a>&nbsp;in recent years, allegations denied by Tehran. The U.S. Navy has also reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-iran-navy-dubai-abf52e1f3bc472239906a5ebaf4156f1">a series of tense encounters at sea</a>&nbsp;with Iranian forces that it said were being recklessly aggressive.

Last month, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-syria-iran-db9ac72843a0a71c995d6ea04392cdbf">launched airstrikes</a>&nbsp;against Iran-backed forces in Syria after a rocket attack killed a U.S. contractor and wounded seven other Americans in that country's northeast.

Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from ships or submarines can hit targets up to 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles away). They were famously employed during the opening hours of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-syria-ap-top-news-george-w-bush-cbe39f31fcc84dacbbc05fa1f8820c12">in response to a Syrian chemical weapons attack in 2018</a>.

U.S.-Iranian tensions have soared since then-President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 agreement with world powers that provided sanctions relief in return for Iran curbing its nuclear activities and placing them under enhanced surveillance.

The Biden administration's efforts to restore the agreement hit a wall last year. The tensions have worsened as Iran has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-europe-middle-east-dubai-united-arab-emirates-c1255814129259a97e301d84548a37bb">supplied attack drones to Russian forces</a>&nbsp;in Ukraine and as Israel and Iran have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-israel-strikes-iran-shadow-8c34143296c23593d35aa1078c2c6067">escalated their yearslong shadow war</a>&nbsp;in the Middle East.

In addition to drawing closer to Moscow, Tehran has sought improved relations with China, which brokered an agreement last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-iran-saudi-diplomatic-relations-beijing-d12dc5dc4049052c6228caceaa2a2b9f">to restore diplomatic ties</a>&nbsp;between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. Navy has deployed a guided-missile submarine capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles to the Middle East, a spokesman said Saturday, in what appeared to be a show of force toward Iran following recent tensions.The Navy rarely acknowledges the location or deployment of submarines. Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the 5th Fleet based in the Gulf nation of Bahrain, declined to comment on the submarine's mission or what had prompted the deployment.He said the nuclear-powered submarine, based out of Kings Bay, Georgia, passed through the Suez Canal on Friday. “It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability,” Hawkins said.The 5th Fleet patrols the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil transits. Its region includes the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Yemen and the Red Sea stretching up to the Suez Canal, the Egyptian waterway linking the Mideast to the Mediterranean Sea.The U.S., the U.K. and Israel have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-business-iran-persian-gulf-tensions-419efc522acbd213a79696c9876af6dc">accused Iran of targeting oil tankers and commercial ships</a>&nbsp;in recent years, allegations denied by Tehran. The U.S. Navy has also reported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-iran-navy-dubai-abf52e1f3bc472239906a5ebaf4156f1">a series of tense encounters at sea</a>&nbsp;with Iranian forces that it said were being recklessly aggressive.Last month, the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-syria-iran-db9ac72843a0a71c995d6ea04392cdbf">launched airstrikes</a>&nbsp;against Iran-backed forces in Syria after a rocket attack killed a U.S. contractor and wounded seven other Americans in that country's northeast.Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from ships or submarines can hit targets up to 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles away). They were famously employed during the opening hours of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-syria-ap-top-news-george-w-bush-cbe39f31fcc84dacbbc05fa1f8820c12">in response to a Syrian chemical weapons attack in 2018</a>.U.S.-Iranian tensions have soared since then-President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 agreement with world powers that provided sanctions relief in return for Iran curbing its nuclear activities and placing them under enhanced surveillance.The Biden administration's efforts to restore the agreement hit a wall last year. The tensions have worsened as Iran has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-europe-middle-east-dubai-united-arab-emirates-c1255814129259a97e301d84548a37bb">supplied attack drones to Russian forces</a>&nbsp;in Ukraine and as Israel and Iran have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-israel-strikes-iran-shadow-8c34143296c23593d35aa1078c2c6067">escalated their yearslong shadow war</a>&nbsp;in the Middle East.In addition to drawing closer to Moscow, Tehran has sought improved relations with China, which brokered an agreement last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-iran-saudi-diplomatic-relations-beijing-d12dc5dc4049052c6228caceaa2a2b9f">to restore diplomatic ties</a>&nbsp;between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

US deploys guided-missile submarine amid tensions with Iran

<a href="http://ianr.unl.edu">Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources</a>

LINCOLN — A spring snowstorm couldn’t stop Dr. Charlie Stoltenow, dean and 
director of Nebraska Extension, from visiting several extensions and 
faculty April 4-7.

On Wednesday, April 5, Stoltenow visited with the faculty and 
staff at the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in 
Scottsbluff.&nbsp;

“This is part of an ongoing effort I have to get out and visit 
our counties,” Stoltenow said. “So, we have 93 counties and 83 offices, 
and on this swing, I’ll get almost all completed. I’ll have reached 79 
or 80 of our county offices.”

Stoltenow emphasized the importance of visiting all the county offices.

“The county system, the county, is so important to Nebraska 
Extension, and that’s what sets Nebraska Extension apart from other 
extensions in the country,” he said.&nbsp;

Stoltenow met with the faculty to update them on the extension 
and to hear about concerns in each area. One of the concerns dealt with 
the budget.

“I told them we have had some budget contractions, and there could be a little more, but it should be manageable,” he said.&nbsp;

Nebraska Extension is waiting for more information, including 
the Nebraska Unicameral and the request for a tuition increase, in front
 of the regents.&nbsp;

“Until those two bodies make their decisions, it's more of a wait-and-see. Then we’ll make our decisions,” Stoltenow said.

The faculty also discussed the need for more student housing on the PREEC campus and travel expenses and reimbursements.

Stoltenow was accompanied by Jentry Barrett, Nebraska Extension Campus Engagement Zone 12 Coordinator.&nbsp;

The two visited extension in the Panhandle with stops in 
Oshkosh, Kimball, Chappell, and Ogallala before heading back east with 
more stops scheduled.

<a href="http://ianr.unl.edu">Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources</a>LINCOLN — A spring snowstorm couldn’t stop Dr. Charlie Stoltenow, dean and 
director of Nebraska Extension, from visiting several extensions and 
faculty April 4-7.On Wednesday, April 5, Stoltenow visited with the faculty and 
staff at the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in 
Scottsbluff.&nbsp;“This is part of an ongoing effort I have to get out and visit 
our counties,” Stoltenow said. “So, we have 93 counties and 83 offices, 
and on this swing, I’ll get almost all completed. I’ll have reached 79 
or 80 of our county offices.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679669723625.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Stoltenow emphasized the importance of visiting all the county offices.“The county system, the county, is so important to Nebraska 
Extension, and that’s what sets Nebraska Extension apart from other 
extensions in the country,” he said.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680892074361.png" alt="Dr. Charlie Stoltenow / UNL photo" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Charlie Stoltenow / UNL photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Stoltenow met with the faculty to update them on the extension 
and to hear about concerns in each area. One of the concerns dealt with 
the budget.“I told them we have had some budget contractions, and there could be a little more, but it should be manageable,” he said.&nbsp;Nebraska Extension is waiting for more information, including 
the Nebraska Unicameral and the request for a tuition increase, in front
 of the regents.&nbsp;“Until those two bodies make their decisions, it's more of a wait-and-see. Then we’ll make our decisions,” Stoltenow said.The faculty also discussed the need for more student housing on the PREEC campus and travel expenses and reimbursements.Stoltenow was accompanied by Jentry Barrett, Nebraska Extension Campus Engagement Zone 12 Coordinator.&nbsp;The two visited extension in the Panhandle with stops in 
Oshkosh, Kimball, Chappell, and Ogallala before heading back east with 
more stops scheduled.

Panhandle extensions host dean/director of Nebraska Extension

LINCOLN — Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, have arrested a Lincoln man after a child exploitation investigation.

Thursday morning, NSP performed a search warrant at the residence of 2305 S. 35th&nbsp;St., in Lincoln. The search of the residence involved a child exploitation investigation.&nbsp;

The resident — Kameron B. Emel, 33 — was arrested for possession of child pornography. Emel was lodged in Lancaster County jail. The investigation remains ongoing.

NSPLINCOLN — Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, have arrested a Lincoln man after a child exploitation investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1565129733856.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Thursday morning, NSP performed a search warrant at the residence of 2305 S. 35th&nbsp;St., in Lincoln. The search of the residence involved a child exploitation investigation.&nbsp;The resident — Kameron B. Emel, 33 — was arrested for possession of child pornography. Emel was lodged in Lancaster County jail. The investigation remains ongoing.

NSP arrests Lincoln man in child exploitation investigation

BY CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/06/nebraska-two-partner-states-bid-to-be-hydrogen-hub-that-could-bring-1-billion-in-federal-funds/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A Nebraska lawmaker is 
seeking to muscle up the state’s bid to become a “hydrogen hub” — a 
designation that could bring more than $1 billion in federal dollars to 
the area to help produce, store and use clean energy.

Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard said
 that Nebraska, in partnership with Iowa and Missouri, was among 33 of 
79 applicants encouraged by the federal government to move to the next 
stage of the selection process.

He is now asking lawmakers, via 
Legislative Bill 565, to allocate $500,000 for engineering and other 
work necessary to help manage the hub and lay the foundation for even 
more federal funding.

Six to 10 regional hubs are to be named, perhaps by year’s end, said an official involved in the process.

“Nebraska has a tremendous 
opportunity to lead in the growing hydrogen economy — benefiting 
Nebraskans by creating new products and markets for our ag industry, 
providing high quality jobs, including in rural communities, and 
solidifying access to fertilizer as necessary for Nebraska and our 
region,” Bostelman said.

Bostelman, the chairman of the 
Natural Resources Committee, introduced the hydrogen hub proposal, which
 was later amended and named a committee priority.&nbsp; The
 Legislature did not act on the proposal before it adjourned for the 
weekend on Thursday, and is to take up the discussion next week.&nbsp;

LB 565 is an extension of sorts to 
legislation last year that created the state’s “hydrogen hub working 
group,” a team charged with applying for the designation. About $8 
billion has been set aside, from the federal Infrastructure and Jobs 
Act, for the so-called H2Hubs program. It is aimed at linking producers 
with industrial users to expand the use of hydrogen to generate power or
 fuel planes, trains and tractors.

The local working group includes 
representatives of companies including Monolith Materials, Werner 
Trucking, Union Pacific, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Tallgrass Energy and the 
Nebraska Public Power District.

Courtney Dentlinger of NPPD described
 the hub as not one physical site, but rather a region — in Nebraska’s 
case, a three-state region — that would receive up to $1.25 billion from
 the federal government to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean 
energy.

She said the Nebraska-Iowa-Missouri 
team is known as the Midcontinent Clean Energy Hydrogen Hub, or MCH2. 
Their application has identified a half-dozen projects or companies that
 would, if the bid is successful, receive a chunk of the funds, which 
require a 50% financial match.

Among those companies is Monolith in 
Hallam, Nebraska. Monolith has said it plans to use most of its hydrogen
 to produce anhydrous ammonia fertilizer. Officials said it is to become
 the state’s largest user of electricity.

Dentlinger said there is potential for regional hydrogen hubs to get future federal funding beyond the first phase of money.

With President Joe Biden’s goal of a 
net-zero carbon economy by 2050, the hubs are seen as&nbsp; playing a key 
role in climate change goals. Nebraska state senators also see the 
program as promoting economic development.

Bostelman said Nebraska businesses 
and producers could further diversify their product offerings with 
hydrogen-enhanced biofuels.

“It helps create better and more 
secure access to fertilizer necessary to continue being a leader in 
global ag production,” Bostelman said. “And it creates an opportunity 
for our transportation industries and electric-generating utilities to 
further diversify their fuel sources.”

LINCOLN — A few other legislative 
proposals have been rolled into the Legislative Bill 565 package, and 
Thursday’s discussion centered on one that’s related to the Perkins 
County Canal.

That measure, originally LB 723, 
would create the Public Water and Natural Resources Project Contract 
Act. State Sen. Bruce Bostelman said it essentially would enable the 
Department of Natural Resources to use an alternative method of 
contracting for water-related projects.

He said other state departments, including Transportation, currently use the method he said was more cost-efficient.

Saying that “time is money,” State 
Sen. Mike Jacobsen of North Platte said he supports the move toward 
“design-build” contracting, where the state works, early on, with a 
single contractor on design and development services.

State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha 
noted that a key motivation behind the proposal is to make construction 
of the proposed Perkins County Canal more cost-efficient.

He said his support should not be 
mistaken as an endorsement of the canal — he said he remains skeptical. 
But if the project ultimately was built, Cavanaugh said, the alternate 
contracting method is expected to result in a faster and less expensive 
build.

The Legislature last year authorized 
planning of the controversial canal, which would divert water from the 
South Platte River in Colorado to storage reservoirs in Nebraska. The 
water would be used to enhance flows in the Platte River through 
Nebraska or for irrigation.

Some officials have said the $500 
million-plus canal is the only way Nebraska can claim flows it was 
granted in a century-old compact with Colorado over rights to water from
 the South Platte.

The Legislature is to resume discussion next week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680876273435.png" alt="Monolith Materials says its plant south of Lincoln is the largest facility of its kind in the world in producing clean hydrogen from natural gas. (Courtesy of Monolith Materials) " />
 <figcaption>Monolith Materials says its plant south of Lincoln is the largest facility of its kind in the world in producing clean hydrogen from natural gas. (Courtesy of Monolith Materials) </figcaption>
 </figure>BY CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/06/nebraska-two-partner-states-bid-to-be-hydrogen-hub-that-could-bring-1-billion-in-federal-funds/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A Nebraska lawmaker is 
seeking to muscle up the state’s bid to become a “hydrogen hub” — a 
designation that could bring more than $1 billion in federal dollars to 
the area to help produce, store and use clean energy.Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard said
 that Nebraska, in partnership with Iowa and Missouri, was among 33 of 
79 applicants encouraged by the federal government to move to the next 
stage of the selection process.He is now asking lawmakers, via 
Legislative Bill 565, to allocate $500,000 for engineering and other 
work necessary to help manage the hub and lay the foundation for even 
more federal funding.Six to 10 regional hubs are to be named, perhaps by year’s end, said an official involved in the process.“Nebraska has a tremendous 
opportunity to lead in the growing hydrogen economy — benefiting 
Nebraskans by creating new products and markets for our ag industry, 
providing high quality jobs, including in rural communities, and 
solidifying access to fertilizer as necessary for Nebraska and our 
region,” Bostelman said.Bostelman, the chairman of the 
Natural Resources Committee, introduced the hydrogen hub proposal, which
 was later amended and named a committee priority.&nbsp; The
 Legislature did not act on the proposal before it adjourned for the 
weekend on Thursday, and is to take up the discussion next week.&nbsp;LB 565 is an extension of sorts to 
legislation last year that created the state’s “hydrogen hub working 
group,” a team charged with applying for the designation. About $8 
billion has been set aside, from the federal Infrastructure and Jobs 
Act, for the so-called H2Hubs program. It is aimed at linking producers 
with industrial users to expand the use of hydrogen to generate power or
 fuel planes, trains and tractors.The local working group includes 
representatives of companies including Monolith Materials, Werner 
Trucking, Union Pacific, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Tallgrass Energy and the 
Nebraska Public Power District.Courtney Dentlinger of NPPD described
 the hub as not one physical site, but rather a region — in Nebraska’s 
case, a three-state region — that would receive up to $1.25 billion from
 the federal government to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean 
energy.She said the Nebraska-Iowa-Missouri 
team is known as the Midcontinent Clean Energy Hydrogen Hub, or MCH2. 
Their application has identified a half-dozen projects or companies that
 would, if the bid is successful, receive a chunk of the funds, which 
require a 50% financial match.Among those companies is Monolith in 
Hallam, Nebraska. Monolith has said it plans to use most of its hydrogen
 to produce anhydrous ammonia fertilizer. Officials said it is to become
 the state’s largest user of electricity.Dentlinger said there is potential for regional hydrogen hubs to get future federal funding beyond the first phase of money.With President Joe Biden’s goal of a 
net-zero carbon economy by 2050, the hubs are seen as&nbsp; playing a key 
role in climate change goals. Nebraska state senators also see the 
program as promoting economic development.Bostelman said Nebraska businesses 
and producers could further diversify their product offerings with 
hydrogen-enhanced biofuels.“It helps create better and more 
secure access to fertilizer necessary to continue being a leader in 
global ag production,” Bostelman said. “And it creates an opportunity 
for our transportation industries and electric-generating utilities to 
further diversify their fuel sources.”<h2>‘Design-build’ contracting sought</h2>LINCOLN — A few other legislative 
proposals have been rolled into the Legislative Bill 565 package, and 
Thursday’s discussion centered on one that’s related to the Perkins 
County Canal.That measure, originally LB 723, 
would create the Public Water and Natural Resources Project Contract 
Act. State Sen. Bruce Bostelman said it essentially would enable the 
Department of Natural Resources to use an alternative method of 
contracting for water-related projects.He said other state departments, including Transportation, currently use the method he said was more cost-efficient.Saying that “time is money,” State 
Sen. Mike Jacobsen of North Platte said he supports the move toward 
“design-build” contracting, where the state works, early on, with a 
single contractor on design and development services.State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha 
noted that a key motivation behind the proposal is to make construction 
of the proposed Perkins County Canal more cost-efficient.He said his support should not be 
mistaken as an endorsement of the canal — he said he remains skeptical. 
But if the project ultimately was built, Cavanaugh said, the alternate 
contracting method is expected to result in a faster and less expensive 
build.The Legislature last year authorized 
planning of the controversial canal, which would divert water from the 
South Platte River in Colorado to storage reservoirs in Nebraska. The 
water would be used to enhance flows in the Platte River through 
Nebraska or for irrigation.Some officials have said the $500 
million-plus canal is the only way Nebraska can claim flows it was 
granted in a century-old compact with Colorado over rights to water from
 the South Platte.The Legislature is to resume discussion next week.

Neb, Mo., Iowa bid to be ‘hydrogen hub’ that could bring $1B in federal funds

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/06/appropriations-committee-votes-to-recommend-final-funding-for-366-million-new-prison/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The State of Nebraska is one step closer to embarking on perhaps its most expensive construction project in history.

On an 8-0 vote, with one member absent, the Legislature’s 
Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to recommend a final transfer of
 $95.8 million to complete the funding of a new, 1,500-bed prison in 
eastern Nebraska.

That final funding would bring the total cost of the facility to 
nearly $366 million, which would likely set a record for construction of
 a single state project.

By comparison, the new Nebraska football complex is costing $165 
million, and the Buffett Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska 
Medical Center cost $323 million. The just-completed Lincoln South 
Beltway cost $352 million.

Initial cost estimates of $270 million for the new prison have risen 
steadily because of inflation, and the $365.7 million total includes 
$14.9 million already spent on design and engineering work.

The spending must be approved by the full Legislature and signed by 
Gov. Jim Pillen, who had requested the final funding for the 
much-delayed prison in his proposed budget.

Nebraska has not built a new, stand-alone prison since 2001, when the 960-bed Tecumseh State Prison opened.

A new prison has been discussed for more than a decade to address the
 state’s chronic prison overcrowding, which ranks among the worst in the
 country. Talk was put on hold for attempts at reforms to reduce the 
prison population and avoid building a new prison, but those efforts 
have fallen short of projected reductions.

Nebraska’s nine prison facilities routinely hold about 1,600 more 
inmates than they’re designed to house. That problem, and a shortage of 
staff, has contributed to disruption of rehabilitation programming, 
recreation and family visitation. Dozens of plastic floor cots are 
spread out each night at one prison for inmates to sleep on due to the 
lack of cell space.

Two key senators on corrections issues indicated Thursday that they 
will oppose spending for a new prison unless funds are devoted to 
increasing job opportunities and improving rehabilitation of inmates.

“I hope we find money in the budget for re-entry programs and 
economic development that prevents people from going to prison,” said 
State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, who chairs the Legislature’s Judiciary
 Committee, the committee that deals with prison issues.

Fellow Omaha Sen. Terrell McKinney, also a member of the Judiciary 
Committee, also indicated that he was opposed to the new construction.

He, along with<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/02/will-nebraska-need-not-one-but-two-new-prisons-at-a-cost-of-nearly-500-million/"> former State Sen. Steve Lathrop</a>,
 have said that without reforms in criminal sentencing and development 
of alternatives to incarceration, the state will be saddled <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/new-prison-report-recommends-not-just-one-new-prison-but-another-1500-beds-in-a-decade/">with building two new prisons</a>&nbsp;— not one — at a total cost of more than $1 billion.

“It will be overcrowded on Day 1,” McKinney tweeted Thursday, referring to a new prison.

Little discussion preceded the vote by the nine-member Appropriations Committee on Thursday (Sen. Steve Erdman was absent).

Elmwood Sen. Robert Clements, who chairs the budget-writing 
Appropriations Committee, said after the vote that it is time to build a
 replacement for the State Penitentiary in Lincoln, the state’s oldest 
and largest prison.

“It’s falling apart,” Clements said of the State Pen. “The cost of rehabilitating it is getting close to the cost of building a new prison.”

The senator added that a new prison would be designed to include 
space for rehabilitation programming, unlike the aging State Pen.

McKinney has been skeptical of the narrative by corrections officials
 that the State Pen must be replaced, saying that maintenance has been 
ignored at the prison — first opened in 1869 — which has led to some 
recent, well-publicized water main breaks there.

Meanwhile, Clements said there are criminal justice reforms he would 
support that could hold down the expected growth in state prison inmates
 and avoid construction of a second, pricey facility.

A master plan for state prison facilities, released earlier this 
year, projected that Nebraska would need 1,300 additional prison beds by
 the year 2030, which would be a couple of years after the planned new 
prison is opened.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680876101918.png" alt="Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln is the state’s oldest prison. (Rebecca S. Gratz for the Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln is the state’s oldest prison. (Rebecca S. Gratz for the Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/06/appropriations-committee-votes-to-recommend-final-funding-for-366-million-new-prison/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The State of Nebraska is one step closer to embarking on perhaps its most expensive construction project in history.On an 8-0 vote, with one member absent, the Legislature’s 
Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to recommend a final transfer of
 $95.8 million to complete the funding of a new, 1,500-bed prison in 
eastern Nebraska.That final funding would bring the total cost of the facility to 
nearly $366 million, which would likely set a record for construction of
 a single state project.By comparison, the new Nebraska football complex is costing $165 
million, and the Buffett Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska 
Medical Center cost $323 million. The just-completed Lincoln South 
Beltway cost $352 million.Initial cost estimates of $270 million for the new prison have risen 
steadily because of inflation, and the $365.7 million total includes 
$14.9 million already spent on design and engineering work.The spending must be approved by the full Legislature and signed by 
Gov. Jim Pillen, who had requested the final funding for the 
much-delayed prison in his proposed budget.<h2>First new prison since 2001</h2>Nebraska has not built a new, stand-alone prison since 2001, when the 960-bed Tecumseh State Prison opened.A new prison has been discussed for more than a decade to address the
 state’s chronic prison overcrowding, which ranks among the worst in the
 country. Talk was put on hold for attempts at reforms to reduce the 
prison population and avoid building a new prison, but those efforts 
have fallen short of projected reductions.Nebraska’s nine prison facilities routinely hold about 1,600 more 
inmates than they’re designed to house. That problem, and a shortage of 
staff, has contributed to disruption of rehabilitation programming, 
recreation and family visitation. Dozens of plastic floor cots are 
spread out each night at one prison for inmates to sleep on due to the 
lack of cell space.<h2>Two senators opposed</h2>Two key senators on corrections issues indicated Thursday that they 
will oppose spending for a new prison unless funds are devoted to 
increasing job opportunities and improving rehabilitation of inmates.“I hope we find money in the budget for re-entry programs and 
economic development that prevents people from going to prison,” said 
State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, who chairs the Legislature’s Judiciary
 Committee, the committee that deals with prison issues.Fellow Omaha Sen. Terrell McKinney, also a member of the Judiciary 
Committee, also indicated that he was opposed to the new construction.He, along with<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/02/will-nebraska-need-not-one-but-two-new-prisons-at-a-cost-of-nearly-500-million/"> former State Sen. Steve Lathrop</a>,
 have said that without reforms in criminal sentencing and development 
of alternatives to incarceration, the state will be saddled <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/new-prison-report-recommends-not-just-one-new-prison-but-another-1500-beds-in-a-decade/">with building two new prisons</a>&nbsp;— not one — at a total cost of more than $1 billion.<h2>‘Overcrowded on Day 1’</h2>“It will be overcrowded on Day 1,” McKinney tweeted Thursday, referring to a new prison.Little discussion preceded the vote by the nine-member Appropriations Committee on Thursday (Sen. Steve Erdman was absent).Elmwood Sen. Robert Clements, who chairs the budget-writing 
Appropriations Committee, said after the vote that it is time to build a
 replacement for the State Penitentiary in Lincoln, the state’s oldest 
and largest prison.“It’s falling apart,” Clements said of the State Pen. “The cost of rehabilitating it is getting close to the cost of building a new prison.”<h2>Space for rehab’</h2>The senator added that a new prison would be designed to include 
space for rehabilitation programming, unlike the aging State Pen.McKinney has been skeptical of the narrative by corrections officials
 that the State Pen must be replaced, saying that maintenance has been 
ignored at the prison — first opened in 1869 — which has led to some 
recent, well-publicized water main breaks there.Meanwhile, Clements said there are criminal justice reforms he would 
support that could hold down the expected growth in state prison inmates
 and avoid construction of a second, pricey facility.A master plan for state prison facilities, released earlier this 
year, projected that Nebraska would need 1,300 additional prison beds by
 the year 2030, which would be a couple of years after the planned new 
prison is opened.

Neb. panel votes to recommend funding for $366M new prison

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. review led by the National Security Council of the chaotic 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan largely lays the blame on former President Donald Trump, saying President Joe Biden was “severely constrained" by the decisions of his predecessor.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-Withdrawal-from-Afghanistan.pdf">CLICK here</a> to read the report

(Click below watch National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on the report.)

The White House on Thursday publicly released a 12-page summary of the results of the so-called “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-military-withdrawal-biden-government-review-f64d6ef65b1b892b00f0d830e5c11ddd">hotwash</a>&nbsp;” of U.S. policies around the ending of the nation's longest war, taking little responsibility for its own actions during some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-afghanistan-biden-al-qaida-ayman-zawahri-92a61266ea72b54aeefe14fe2450792b">darkest moments of Biden's presidency</a>.

The administration said most of the after-action reviews, which were transmitted privately to Congress on Thursday, were highly classified and would not be released publicly.

“President Biden’s choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan were severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor,” the White House summary states, noting that when Biden entered office, “the Taliban were in the strongest military position that they had been in since 2001, controlling or contesting nearly half of the country.”

The report does fault overly optimistic intelligence community assessments about the Afghan army's willingness to fight, and says Biden followed military commanders' recommendations for the pacing of the drawdown of U.S. forces.

The White House asserts the mistakes of Afghanistan informed its handling of Ukraine, where the Biden administration has been credited for supporting Kyiv’s defense against Russia’s invasion. The White House says it simulated worst-case scenarios prior to the February 2022 invasion and moved to release intelligence about Moscow’s intentions months beforehand.

“We now prioritize earlier evacuations when faced with a degrading security situation,” the White House said.

In an apparent attempt to defend its national security decision-making, the Biden administration also notes that it released pre-war warnings over “strong objections from senior officials in the Ukrainian government.”

Republicans in Congress have sharply criticized the Afghanistan withdrawal, focusing on the deaths of 13 service members in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport.

Former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who was badly wounded in the explosion, told a congressional hearing last month that the withdrawal “was a catastrophe” and “there was an inexcusable lack of accountability.”

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby credited U.S. forces for their actions in running the largest airborne evacuation of noncombatants in history during the chaos of Kabul's fall.

“They ended our nation’s longest war," he told reporters. “That was never going to be an easy thing to do. And as the president himself has said, it was never going to be low grade or low risk or low cost.”

Since the U.S. withdrawal, Biden has blamed the February 2020 agreement Trump reached with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, saying it boxed the U.S. into leaving the country. The agreement gave the Taliban significant legitimacy and has been blamed by analysts for undercutting the U.S.-backed government, which would collapse so quickly a year later.

But the agreement also gave the U.S. the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-middle-east-taliban-doha-e6f48507848aef2ee849154604aa11be">right to withdraw</a>&nbsp;from the accord if Afghan peace talks failed — which they did.

The agreement required the U.S. to remove all forces by May 1, 2021. Biden pushed a full withdrawal to September but declined to delay further, saying it would prolong a war that had long needed to end.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1630691600635.png" alt="U.S. Army soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division escort evacuees to buses at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021. -photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Army soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division escort evacuees to buses at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021. -photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. review led by the National Security Council of the chaotic 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan largely lays the blame on former President Donald Trump, saying President Joe Biden was “severely constrained" by the decisions of his predecessor.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-Withdrawal-from-Afghanistan.pdf">CLICK here</a> to read the report(Click below watch National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on the report.)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1869887000041300%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=466" 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>The White House on Thursday publicly released a 12-page summary of the results of the so-called “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-military-withdrawal-biden-government-review-f64d6ef65b1b892b00f0d830e5c11ddd">hotwash</a>&nbsp;” of U.S. policies around the ending of the nation's longest war, taking little responsibility for its own actions during some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-afghanistan-biden-al-qaida-ayman-zawahri-92a61266ea72b54aeefe14fe2450792b">darkest moments of Biden's presidency</a>.The administration said most of the after-action reviews, which were transmitted privately to Congress on Thursday, were highly classified and would not be released publicly.“President Biden’s choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan were severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor,” the White House summary states, noting that when Biden entered office, “the Taliban were in the strongest military position that they had been in since 2001, controlling or contesting nearly half of the country.”The report does fault overly optimistic intelligence community assessments about the Afghan army's willingness to fight, and says Biden followed military commanders' recommendations for the pacing of the drawdown of U.S. forces.The White House asserts the mistakes of Afghanistan informed its handling of Ukraine, where the Biden administration has been credited for supporting Kyiv’s defense against Russia’s invasion. The White House says it simulated worst-case scenarios prior to the February 2022 invasion and moved to release intelligence about Moscow’s intentions months beforehand.“We now prioritize earlier evacuations when faced with a degrading security situation,” the White House said.In an apparent attempt to defend its national security decision-making, the Biden administration also notes that it released pre-war warnings over “strong objections from senior officials in the Ukrainian government.”Republicans in Congress have sharply criticized the Afghanistan withdrawal, focusing on the deaths of 13 service members in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport.Former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who was badly wounded in the explosion, told a congressional hearing last month that the withdrawal “was a catastrophe” and “there was an inexcusable lack of accountability.”National Security Council spokesman John Kirby credited U.S. forces for their actions in running the largest airborne evacuation of noncombatants in history during the chaos of Kabul's fall.“They ended our nation’s longest war," he told reporters. “That was never going to be an easy thing to do. And as the president himself has said, it was never going to be low grade or low risk or low cost.”Since the U.S. withdrawal, Biden has blamed the February 2020 agreement Trump reached with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, saying it boxed the U.S. into leaving the country. The agreement gave the Taliban significant legitimacy and has been blamed by analysts for undercutting the U.S.-backed government, which would collapse so quickly a year later.But the agreement also gave the U.S. the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-middle-east-taliban-doha-e6f48507848aef2ee849154604aa11be">right to withdraw</a>&nbsp;from the accord if Afghan peace talks failed — which they did.The agreement required the U.S. to remove all forces by May 1, 2021. Biden pushed a full withdrawal to September but declined to delay further, saying it would prolong a war that had long needed to end.—