WASHINGTON DC - 2023’s first quarter economic report showed a decline in the U.S. GDP growth rate to 1.1 percent, making clear the lasting impact severe inflation has had on our economy. The damage done by reckless and wasteful spending emphasizes the importance of fiscal responsibility and pro-growth policies. This is especially true as our nation’s debt crisis remains unresolved and we barrel toward reaching our debt ceiling.

This week, the Limit, Save, Grow Act – a bill to bring some fiscal sanity back to Washington – passed the House with my support. While no one bill will solve our fiscal challenges, the Limit, Save, Grow Act is a starting point. I am hopeful the bill will lead to good faith negotiations between Congress and the president. In 2011, then Vice President Biden criticized those with a “my way or the highway approach” to these sorts of negotiations saying, “you have to compromise.” Unfortunately, President Biden has said he will not negotiate with Congress on the debt ceiling, an irresponsible approach that – if not abandoned – will lead to lasting damage to the full faith and credit of our country. Even Democrats are encouraging the president to come to the table to find a path forward.

The Limit, Save, Grow Act responsibly addresses the debt ceiling and includes significant savings—an estimated $3.6 trillion over 10 years – and puts our country on a better trajectory. We do this by cutting wasteful spending, reclaiming the IRS funding intended to increase audits on families and small businesses, stopping the Green New Deal, getting Americans back in the workforce, and ensuring we pay our debts without compromising our ability to compete and advance American energy dominance.

The American Enterprise Institute has estimated more than 40 percent of COVID relief payments ended up in fraudulent hands, and it concerns me greatly that more attention hasn’t been paid to these fraudulent payments. The Limit, Save, Grow Act would also reclaim unspent COVID relief funds, delivering on House Republicans’ commitment to a government that’s accountable.

With the support of many of my Midwestern colleagues, we were able to ensure the bill was amended to preserve important biofuels tax credits. Biofuels are an important part of our all-of-the-above energy portfolio and help lower costs for consumers and increase U.S. energy independence. Furthermore, the industry creates and supports good-paying jobs across the country, especially here in Nebraska.

The debt ceiling exists for a reason – as a lever to address spending – and addressing it requires good faith, bipartisan cooperation.

Washington must confront America’s debt crisis, and I’m grateful House Republicans were able to construct a plan to do so without compromising our ability to meet our financial obligations. The House is doing its part – now it’s time for President Biden to come to the negotiating table.

Sincerely, Adrian Smith (Member of Congress)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682859105310.jpeg" alt="Right: Rep Adian Smith - I enjoyed meeting with former National Rural Education Association President Jon Habben and State Director Jack Moles this week to discuss how federal policy can best support rural schools. It's never been more important to reinforce Nebraska's strong tradition of excellence in education" />
 <figcaption>Right: Rep Adian Smith - I enjoyed meeting with former National Rural Education Association President Jon Habben and State Director Jack Moles this week to discuss how federal policy can best support rural schools. It's never been more important to reinforce Nebraska's strong tradition of excellence in education</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON DC - 2023’s first quarter economic report showed a decline in the U.S. GDP growth rate to 1.1 percent, making clear the lasting impact severe inflation has had on our economy. The damage done by reckless and wasteful spending emphasizes the importance of fiscal responsibility and pro-growth policies. This is especially true as our nation’s debt crisis remains unresolved and we barrel toward reaching our debt ceiling.This week, the Limit, Save, Grow Act – a bill to bring some fiscal sanity back to Washington – passed the House with my support. While no one bill will solve our fiscal challenges, the Limit, Save, Grow Act is a starting point. I am hopeful the bill will lead to good faith negotiations between Congress and the president. In 2011, then Vice President Biden criticized those with a “my way or the highway approach” to these sorts of negotiations saying, “you have to compromise.” Unfortunately, President Biden has said he will not negotiate with Congress on the debt ceiling, an irresponsible approach that – if not abandoned – will lead to lasting damage to the full faith and credit of our country. Even Democrats are encouraging the president to come to the table to find a path forward.The Limit, Save, Grow Act responsibly addresses the debt ceiling and includes significant savings—an estimated $3.6 trillion over 10 years – and puts our country on a better trajectory. We do this by cutting wasteful spending, reclaiming the IRS funding intended to increase audits on families and small businesses, stopping the Green New Deal, getting Americans back in the workforce, and ensuring we pay our debts without compromising our ability to compete and advance American energy dominance.The American Enterprise Institute has estimated more than 40 percent of COVID relief payments ended up in fraudulent hands, and it concerns me greatly that more attention hasn’t been paid to these fraudulent payments. The Limit, Save, Grow Act would also reclaim unspent COVID relief funds, delivering on House Republicans’ commitment to a government that’s accountable.With the support of many of my Midwestern colleagues, we were able to ensure the bill was amended to preserve important biofuels tax credits. Biofuels are an important part of our all-of-the-above energy portfolio and help lower costs for consumers and increase U.S. energy independence. Furthermore, the industry creates and supports good-paying jobs across the country, especially here in Nebraska.The debt ceiling exists for a reason – as a lever to address spending – and addressing it requires good faith, bipartisan cooperation.Washington must confront America’s debt crisis, and I’m grateful House Republicans were able to construct a plan to do so without compromising our ability to meet our financial obligations. The House is doing its part – now it’s time for President Biden to come to the negotiating table.Sincerely, Adrian Smith (Member of Congress)

Letter to the 3rd District - Rep Adrian Smith (Limit, Save, Grow)

SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. Army identified on Saturday the three soldiers who were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-helicopters-crashes-ca1fd876ca7908a35aef224b8cae4f1a">killed when two helicopters collided</a>&nbsp;in Alaska while returning from a training mission.

The helicopters were headed to Fort Wainwright from a mission in the Donnelly Training Area when they crashed at 1:39 p.m. Thursday, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Healy.

The U.S. Army announced Friday that it has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-army-helicopter-crash-alaska-fb1bac08c2392f6ada33a0e4c1958f1b">grounded aviation units for training</a>&nbsp;after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky.

“The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training,” the Army said in a statement.

Killed in Thursday's crash were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo, 39, of Oneonta, New York; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle D. McKenna, 28, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment, 32, of North Logan, Utah.

A fourth soldier was injured and was taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and was listed in stable condition. He was not identified Saturday.

“The battalion is devastated and mourning the loss of three of our best,” said Lt. Col. Matthew C. Carlsen, the 1-25th AB commander. Their loss can't be compared to the suffering felt by the soldiers' families, he said.

“The entire team has come together to focus our thoughts, prayers, and actions to provide and sustain them with whatever comfort and support they need at this time, and I promise that this will continue long into the future,” he said.

A Safety Investigation Team from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, based at Fort Novosel, Alabama, is leading the safety investigation, officials said in an email.

Department of Defense instructions and Army regulations prohibit the investigators from releasing any information to the public concerning the causes, analysis or internal recommendations, the statement said.

“The loss of these Soldiers is devastating and is being felt by family, friends and military communities across Alaska,” said Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division. “The families of Fort Wainwright and 1-25 are as strong a team as I’ve ever seen. Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and loved ones of the fallen.”

SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. Army identified on Saturday the three soldiers who were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-helicopters-crashes-ca1fd876ca7908a35aef224b8cae4f1a">killed when two helicopters collided</a>&nbsp;in Alaska while returning from a training mission.The helicopters were headed to Fort Wainwright from a mission in the Donnelly Training Area when they crashed at 1:39 p.m. Thursday, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Healy.The U.S. Army announced Friday that it has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-army-helicopter-crash-alaska-fb1bac08c2392f6ada33a0e4c1958f1b">grounded aviation units for training</a>&nbsp;after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky.“The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training,” the Army said in a statement.Killed in Thursday's crash were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo, 39, of Oneonta, New York; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle D. McKenna, 28, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment, 32, of North Logan, Utah.A fourth soldier was injured and was taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and was listed in stable condition. He was not identified Saturday.“The battalion is devastated and mourning the loss of three of our best,” said Lt. Col. Matthew C. Carlsen, the 1-25th AB commander. Their loss can't be compared to the suffering felt by the soldiers' families, he said.“The entire team has come together to focus our thoughts, prayers, and actions to provide and sustain them with whatever comfort and support they need at this time, and I promise that this will continue long into the future,” he said.A Safety Investigation Team from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, based at Fort Novosel, Alabama, is leading the safety investigation, officials said in an email.Department of Defense instructions and Army regulations prohibit the investigators from releasing any information to the public concerning the causes, analysis or internal recommendations, the statement said.“The loss of these Soldiers is devastating and is being felt by family, friends and military communities across Alaska,” said Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division. “The families of Fort Wainwright and 1-25 are as strong a team as I’ve ever seen. Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and loved ones of the fallen.”

Army identifies 3 soldiers killed in helicopter crash

WASHINGTON (AP) —As a growing number of overweight Americans clamor for Ozempic and Wegovy — drugs touted by celebrities and on TikTok to pare pounds — an even more powerful obesity medicine is poised to upend treatment.

Tirzepatide, an Eli Lilly and Co. drug approved to treat type 2 diabetes under the brand name Mounjaro, helped people with the disease who were overweight or had obesity lose up to 16% of their body weight, or more than 34 pounds, over nearly 17 months, the company said on Thursday.

The late-stage study of the drug for weight loss adds to earlier evidence that similar participants without diabetes lost up to 22% of their body weight over that period with weekly injections of the drug. For a typical patient on the highest dose, that meant shedding more than 50 pounds.

Having diabetes makes it notoriously difficult to lose weight, said Dr. Nadia Ahmad, Lilly’s medical director of obesity clinical development, which means the recent results are especially significant. “We have not seen this degree of weight reduction,” she said.

Based on the new results, which have not yet been published in full, company officials said they will finalize an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fast-track approval to sell tirzepatide for chronic weight management. A decision could come later this year. A company spokeswoman would not confirm whether the drug would be marketed for weight loss in the U.S. under a different brand name.

If approved for weight loss, tirzepatide could become the most effective drug to date in an arsenal of medications that are transforming the treatment of obesity, which affects more than 4 in 10 American adults and is linked to dozens of diseases that can lead to disability or death.

“If everybody who had obesity in this country lost 20% of their body weight, we would be taking patients off all of these medications for reflux, for diabetes, for hypertension,” said Dr. Caroline Apovian, a director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women's Hospital. “We would not be sending patients for stent replacement.”

Industry analysts predict that tirzepatide could become one of the top-selling drugs ever, with annual sales topping $50 billion. It is expected to outpace Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic — a diabetes drug used so commonly to shed pounds that comedian Jimmy Kimmel joked about it at the Oscars — and Wegovy, a version of the drug also known as semaglutide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-obesity-lifestyle-business-health-c6f992d717c6461ef20f40e6d4ee9d25">approved for weight loss in 2021</a>. Together, those drugs made nearly $10 billion in 2022, with prescriptions continuing to soar, company reports show.

In separate trials, tirzepatide has resulted in greater weight loss than semaglutide, whose users shed about 15% of their body weight over 16 months. A head-to-head trial comparing the two drugs is planned.

Mounjaro was first approved to treat diabetes last year. Since then, thousands of patients have obtained the drug from doctors and telehealth providers who prescribed it “off-label" to help them slim down.

In California, Matthew Barlow, a 48-year-old health technology executive, said he has lost more than 100 pounds since November by using Mounjaro and changing his diet.

“Psychologically, you don’t want to eat,” said Barlow. “Now I can eat two bites of a dessert and be satisfied.”

Rather than relying solely on diet, exercise and willpower to reduce weight, tirzepatide and other new drugs target the digestive and chemical pathways that underlie obesity, suppressing appetite and blunting cravings for food.

“They have entirely changed the landscape,” said Dr. Amy Rothberg, a University of Michigan endocrinologist who directs a virtual weight loss and diabetes program.

Research has shown that with diet and exercise alone, about a third of people will lose 5% or more of their body weight, said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. In the latest tirzepatide trial, more than 86% of patients using the highest dose of the drug lost at least 5% of their body weight. More than half on that dose lost at least 15%, the company said.

The obesity medications help overcome a biological mechanism that kicks in when people diet, triggering a coordinated effort by the body to prevent weight loss.

“That is a real physical phenomenon,” Aronne said. “There are a number of hormones that respond to reduced calorie intake.”

Ozempic and Wegovy are two versions of semaglutide. That drug mimics a key gut hormone, known as GLP-1, that is activated after people eat, boosting the release of insulin and slowing release of sugar from the liver. It delays digestion and reduces appetite, making people feel full longer.

Tirzepatide is the first drug that uses the action of two hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, for greater effects. It also targets the chemical signals sent from the gut to the brain, curbing cravings and thoughts of food.

Though the drugs appear safe, they can cause side effects, some serious. Most common reactions include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, constipation and stomach pain. Some users have developed pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas, others have had gallbladder problems. Mounjaro’s product description warns that it could cause thyroid tumors, including cancer.

There are other downsides: Versions of semaglutide have been on the market for several years, but the long-term effects of taking drugs that override human metabolism are not yet clear. Early evidence suggests that when people stop taking the medications, they gain the weight back.

Plus, the medications are expensive — and in recent months, hard to get because of intermittent shortages. Wegovy is priced at about $1,300 a month. Mounjaro used for diabetes starts at about $1,000 per month.

Apovian said that only about 20% to 30% of patients with private insurance in her practice find the medications are covered. Some insurers who previously paid for the drugs are enacting new rules, requiring six months of documented lifestyle changes or a certain amount of weight loss for continued coverage. Medicare is largely prohibited from paying for weight-loss drugs, though there have been efforts by drugmakers and advocates for Congress to change that.

Still, experts say that the striking effects of tirzepatide — along with Ozempic, Wegovy and other drugs — underscore that losing weight is not merely a matter of willpower. Like high blood pressure, which affects about half of U.S. adults and is managed with medication, obesity should be viewed as a chronic disease, not a character flaw, Aronne emphasized.

It remains to be seen what effect new drug treatments will have on pervasive bias against people with obesity, said Rebecca Puhl, a professor in the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, who studies weight stigma. U.S. culture has “deep-rooted beliefs about body weight and physical appearance” that are hard to change, she said.

“Weight stigma could persist or worsen if taking medication is equated with ‘taking the easy way out’ or ‘not trying hard enough,’” she said.

WASHINGTON (AP) —As a growing number of overweight Americans clamor for Ozempic and Wegovy — drugs touted by celebrities and on TikTok to pare pounds — an even more powerful obesity medicine is poised to upend treatment.Tirzepatide, an Eli Lilly and Co. drug approved to treat type 2 diabetes under the brand name Mounjaro, helped people with the disease who were overweight or had obesity lose up to 16% of their body weight, or more than 34 pounds, over nearly 17 months, the company said on Thursday.The late-stage study of the drug for weight loss adds to earlier evidence that similar participants without diabetes lost up to 22% of their body weight over that period with weekly injections of the drug. For a typical patient on the highest dose, that meant shedding more than 50 pounds.Having diabetes makes it notoriously difficult to lose weight, said Dr. Nadia Ahmad, Lilly’s medical director of obesity clinical development, which means the recent results are especially significant. “We have not seen this degree of weight reduction,” she said.Based on the new results, which have not yet been published in full, company officials said they will finalize an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fast-track approval to sell tirzepatide for chronic weight management. A decision could come later this year. A company spokeswoman would not confirm whether the drug would be marketed for weight loss in the U.S. under a different brand name.If approved for weight loss, tirzepatide could become the most effective drug to date in an arsenal of medications that are transforming the treatment of obesity, which affects more than 4 in 10 American adults and is linked to dozens of diseases that can lead to disability or death.“If everybody who had obesity in this country lost 20% of their body weight, we would be taking patients off all of these medications for reflux, for diabetes, for hypertension,” said Dr. Caroline Apovian, a director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women's Hospital. “We would not be sending patients for stent replacement.”Industry analysts predict that tirzepatide could become one of the top-selling drugs ever, with annual sales topping $50 billion. It is expected to outpace Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic — a diabetes drug used so commonly to shed pounds that comedian Jimmy Kimmel joked about it at the Oscars — and Wegovy, a version of the drug also known as semaglutide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-obesity-lifestyle-business-health-c6f992d717c6461ef20f40e6d4ee9d25">approved for weight loss in 2021</a>. Together, those drugs made nearly $10 billion in 2022, with prescriptions continuing to soar, company reports show.In separate trials, tirzepatide has resulted in greater weight loss than semaglutide, whose users shed about 15% of their body weight over 16 months. A head-to-head trial comparing the two drugs is planned.Mounjaro was first approved to treat diabetes last year. Since then, thousands of patients have obtained the drug from doctors and telehealth providers who prescribed it “off-label" to help them slim down.In California, Matthew Barlow, a 48-year-old health technology executive, said he has lost more than 100 pounds since November by using Mounjaro and changing his diet.“Psychologically, you don’t want to eat,” said Barlow. “Now I can eat two bites of a dessert and be satisfied.”Rather than relying solely on diet, exercise and willpower to reduce weight, tirzepatide and other new drugs target the digestive and chemical pathways that underlie obesity, suppressing appetite and blunting cravings for food.“They have entirely changed the landscape,” said Dr. Amy Rothberg, a University of Michigan endocrinologist who directs a virtual weight loss and diabetes program.Research has shown that with diet and exercise alone, about a third of people will lose 5% or more of their body weight, said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. In the latest tirzepatide trial, more than 86% of patients using the highest dose of the drug lost at least 5% of their body weight. More than half on that dose lost at least 15%, the company said.The obesity medications help overcome a biological mechanism that kicks in when people diet, triggering a coordinated effort by the body to prevent weight loss.“That is a real physical phenomenon,” Aronne said. “There are a number of hormones that respond to reduced calorie intake.”Ozempic and Wegovy are two versions of semaglutide. That drug mimics a key gut hormone, known as GLP-1, that is activated after people eat, boosting the release of insulin and slowing release of sugar from the liver. It delays digestion and reduces appetite, making people feel full longer.Tirzepatide is the first drug that uses the action of two hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, for greater effects. It also targets the chemical signals sent from the gut to the brain, curbing cravings and thoughts of food.Though the drugs appear safe, they can cause side effects, some serious. Most common reactions include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, constipation and stomach pain. Some users have developed pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas, others have had gallbladder problems. Mounjaro’s product description warns that it could cause thyroid tumors, including cancer.There are other downsides: Versions of semaglutide have been on the market for several years, but the long-term effects of taking drugs that override human metabolism are not yet clear. Early evidence suggests that when people stop taking the medications, they gain the weight back.Plus, the medications are expensive — and in recent months, hard to get because of intermittent shortages. Wegovy is priced at about $1,300 a month. Mounjaro used for diabetes starts at about $1,000 per month.Apovian said that only about 20% to 30% of patients with private insurance in her practice find the medications are covered. Some insurers who previously paid for the drugs are enacting new rules, requiring six months of documented lifestyle changes or a certain amount of weight loss for continued coverage. Medicare is largely prohibited from paying for weight-loss drugs, though there have been efforts by drugmakers and advocates for Congress to change that.Still, experts say that the striking effects of tirzepatide — along with Ozempic, Wegovy and other drugs — underscore that losing weight is not merely a matter of willpower. Like high blood pressure, which affects about half of U.S. adults and is managed with medication, obesity should be viewed as a chronic disease, not a character flaw, Aronne emphasized.It remains to be seen what effect new drug treatments will have on pervasive bias against people with obesity, said Rebecca Puhl, a professor in the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, who studies weight stigma. U.S. culture has “deep-rooted beliefs about body weight and physical appearance” that are hard to change, she said.“Weight stigma could persist or worsen if taking medication is equated with ‘taking the easy way out’ or ‘not trying hard enough,’” she said.—-

Powerful new obesity drug poised to upend weight loss care

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Army has grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky, the military branch announced Friday.

The suspension of air operations was effective immediately, with units grounded until they complete the training, said Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, an Army spokesperson. For active-duty units, the training is to take place between May 1 and 5. Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to complete the training.

On Thursday, two Army helicopters collided near Healy, Alaska, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. The aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, were returning from training at the time of the crash, according to the Army. The unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, which is nicknamed the “Arctic Angels.”

Military investigators were making their way to Alaska's interior, with a team from Fort Novosel, Alabama, expected to arrive at the crash site by Saturday, said John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska. Little new information about the crash was released Friday.

The Army on Thursday said two of the soldiers died at the site and the third on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The injured fourth soldier was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition Friday, Pennell said. The names of those who were killed were not immediately released.

“The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel,” Army Chief of Staff James McConville said of the decision to ground flight units for training.

The crash is the second&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-helicopters-crashes-ca1fd876ca7908a35aef224b8cae4f1a">accident involving military helicopters</a>&nbsp;in Alaska this year.

In February, two soldiers were injured when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-alaska-accidents-6b1879e242c05015a5a4229fcac796df">an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna</a>. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright.

In March, nine soldiers were killed when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-helicopters-crash-kentucky-89c9dbcd035b3cc7c637c2b1f0a037a2">two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed</a>&nbsp;during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The Army said that while Thursday's crash and the one in Kentucky remain under investigation, “there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps.”

Healy is home to about 1,000 people roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Denali National Park and Preserve, or about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of Anchorage.

Located on the Parks Highway, the community is a popular place for people to spend the night while visiting Denali Park, which is home to the continent’s tallest mountain.

Healy is also famous for being the town closest to the former bus that had been abandoned in the backcountry and was popularized by the book “Into the Wild” and the movie of the same name.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-us-news-ak-state-wire-alaska-travel-b7be5698e339dc3adfc35b55dd11f1db">The bus was removed and taken to Fairbanks in 2020</a>.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Army has grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky, the military branch announced Friday.The suspension of air operations was effective immediately, with units grounded until they complete the training, said Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, an Army spokesperson. For active-duty units, the training is to take place between May 1 and 5. Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to complete the training.“The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training,” the Army said in a statement.On Thursday, two Army helicopters collided near Healy, Alaska, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. The aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, were returning from training at the time of the crash, according to the Army. The unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, which is nicknamed the “Arctic Angels.”Military investigators were making their way to Alaska's interior, with a team from Fort Novosel, Alabama, expected to arrive at the crash site by Saturday, said John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska. Little new information about the crash was released Friday.The Army on Thursday said two of the soldiers died at the site and the third on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The injured fourth soldier was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition Friday, Pennell said. The names of those who were killed were not immediately released.“The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel,” Army Chief of Staff James McConville said of the decision to ground flight units for training.The crash is the second&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-helicopters-crashes-ca1fd876ca7908a35aef224b8cae4f1a">accident involving military helicopters</a>&nbsp;in Alaska this year.In February, two soldiers were injured when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-alaska-accidents-6b1879e242c05015a5a4229fcac796df">an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna</a>. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright.In March, nine soldiers were killed when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-helicopters-crash-kentucky-89c9dbcd035b3cc7c637c2b1f0a037a2">two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed</a>&nbsp;during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.The Army said that while Thursday's crash and the one in Kentucky remain under investigation, “there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps.”Healy is home to about 1,000 people roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Denali National Park and Preserve, or about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of Anchorage.Located on the Parks Highway, the community is a popular place for people to spend the night while visiting Denali Park, which is home to the continent’s tallest mountain.Healy is also famous for being the town closest to the former bus that had been abandoned in the backcountry and was popularized by the book “Into the Wild” and the movie of the same name.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-us-news-ak-state-wire-alaska-travel-b7be5698e339dc3adfc35b55dd11f1db">The bus was removed and taken to Fairbanks in 2020</a>.

Army grounds aviators for training after fatal crashes

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Abortion bans in deeply conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-heartbeat-bill-nebraska-78b861951e8cc0ca92fa320820e2cbee">Nebraska</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-abortion-ban-legislature-8a3d4c18db8aabfc869b9466aa4f76aa">South Carolina</a>&nbsp;both fell short of advancing in close legislative votes amid heated debates among Republicans, yet another sign that abortion is becoming a difficult issue for the GOP.

In Nebraska, where abortion is banned after 20 weeks of pregnancy, an effort to ban abortion about the sixth week of pregnancy fell one vote short of breaking a filibuster. Cheers erupted outside the legislative chamber as the last vote was cast, with opponents of the bill waving signs and chanting, “Whose house? Our house!”

In South Carolina, lawmakers voted 22-21 to shelve a proposed near-total abortion ban for the rest of the year. Republican Sen. Sandy Senn criticized Majority Leader Shane Massey for repeatedly “taking us off a cliff on abortion.”

“The only thing that we can do when you all, you men in the chamber, metaphorically keep slapping women by raising abortion again and again and again, is for us to slap you back with our words,” she said.

The Nebraska proposal, backed by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, is unlikely to move forward this year. And in South Carolina, where abortion remains legal through 22 weeks of pregnancy, the vote marked the third time a near-total abortion ban has failed in the Republican-led Senate chamber since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last summer.

The state has increasingly served patients across a region where Republican officials have otherwise curtailed access to abortion. Six Republicans helped block motions to end debate and defeated any chance the bill will pass this year.

Fourteen other states have bans in place on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Four other states have bans throughout pregnancy where enforcement is blocked by courts. The majority of those bans were adopted in anticipation of Roe being overturned, and most do not have exceptions for rape or incest.

In Utah, a judge on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-abortion-clinic-ban-b568ddfab7c9bd2c9fdbf9a36e03668f">will consider a request from Planned Parenthood</a>&nbsp;to delay implementing a statewide ban on abortion clinics set to take effect next week. Planned Parenthood argues a state law passed this year will effectively end access to abortion throughout the state when clinics stop being able to apply for the licenses they’ve historically relied on to operate.

In North Dakota,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-north-dakota-ban-exceptions-da5a7b70eb8757cb563529881f3c4b40">Gov. Doug Burgum signed a ban Monday</a>&nbsp;that has narrow exceptions: Abortion is legal in pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but only in the first six weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is allowed later in pregnancy only in specific medical emergencies.

The North Dakota law is intended to replace a previous ban that is not being enforced while a state court weighs its constitutionality.

Pat Neal, 72, of Lincoln, was among those cheering the Nebraska vote Thursday. She, like others in attendance, expressed shock at the bill's failure.

“This gives me hope for the future,” she said. “It gives me hope that the direction we’ve been seeing — across the country — could turn around.”

The bill failed to get the crucial 33rd vote when Sen. Merv Riepe, a former hospital administrator from Ralston, abstained. Riepe was a cosigner of the bill but expressed concern this year that a six-week ban might not give women enough time to know they were pregnant.

Riepe introduced a measure Thursday that would have extended the proposed ban to 12 weeks and add to the bill’s list of exceptions any fetal anomalies deemed incompatible with life.

When he received pushback from fellow Republicans, Riepe warned his conservative colleagues they should heed signs that abortion will galvanize women to vote them out of office.

“We must embrace the future of reproductive rights,” he said.

Independent South Carolina Sen. Mia McLeod criticized leaders who prioritized the near-total ban over efforts to make South Carolina the 49th state in the country with a law allowing harsher punishments for violent hate crimes.

McLeod, who shared during a previous abortion debate that she had been raped, said it is unfortunate that women must reveal intimate experiences to “enlighten and engage” men.

“Just as rape is about power and control, so is this total ban,” McLeod said Thursday. “Those who continue to push legislation like this are raping us again with their indifference, violating us again with their righteous indignation, taunting us again with their insatiable need to play God while they continue to pass laws that are ungodly.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682703916625.jpeg" alt="Pat Neal, left, and Ann Fintell, both of Lincoln, celebrate in the Nebraska Capitol rotunda after the failure of a bill that would have banned abortion around the sixth week of pregnancy, Thursday, April 27, 2023 in Lincoln, Neb. The bill is now likely dead for the year, leaving in place a 2010 law that bans abortions at 20 weeks. (AP Photo/Margery Beck)" />
 <figcaption>Pat Neal, left, and Ann Fintell, both of Lincoln, celebrate in the Nebraska Capitol rotunda after the failure of a bill that would have banned abortion around the sixth week of pregnancy, Thursday, April 27, 2023 in Lincoln, Neb. The bill is now likely dead for the year, leaving in place a 2010 law that bans abortions at 20 weeks. (AP Photo/Margery Beck)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Abortion bans in deeply conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-heartbeat-bill-nebraska-78b861951e8cc0ca92fa320820e2cbee">Nebraska</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-abortion-ban-legislature-8a3d4c18db8aabfc869b9466aa4f76aa">South Carolina</a>&nbsp;both fell short of advancing in close legislative votes amid heated debates among Republicans, yet another sign that abortion is becoming a difficult issue for the GOP.In Nebraska, where abortion is banned after 20 weeks of pregnancy, an effort to ban abortion about the sixth week of pregnancy fell one vote short of breaking a filibuster. Cheers erupted outside the legislative chamber as the last vote was cast, with opponents of the bill waving signs and chanting, “Whose house? Our house!”In South Carolina, lawmakers voted 22-21 to shelve a proposed near-total abortion ban for the rest of the year. Republican Sen. Sandy Senn criticized Majority Leader Shane Massey for repeatedly “taking us off a cliff on abortion.”“The only thing that we can do when you all, you men in the chamber, metaphorically keep slapping women by raising abortion again and again and again, is for us to slap you back with our words,” she said.The Nebraska proposal, backed by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, is unlikely to move forward this year. And in South Carolina, where abortion remains legal through 22 weeks of pregnancy, the vote marked the third time a near-total abortion ban has failed in the Republican-led Senate chamber since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last summer.The state has increasingly served patients across a region where Republican officials have otherwise curtailed access to abortion. Six Republicans helped block motions to end debate and defeated any chance the bill will pass this year.Fourteen other states have bans in place on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Four other states have bans throughout pregnancy where enforcement is blocked by courts. The majority of those bans were adopted in anticipation of Roe being overturned, and most do not have exceptions for rape or incest.In Utah, a judge on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-abortion-clinic-ban-b568ddfab7c9bd2c9fdbf9a36e03668f">will consider a request from Planned Parenthood</a>&nbsp;to delay implementing a statewide ban on abortion clinics set to take effect next week. Planned Parenthood argues a state law passed this year will effectively end access to abortion throughout the state when clinics stop being able to apply for the licenses they’ve historically relied on to operate.In North Dakota,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-north-dakota-ban-exceptions-da5a7b70eb8757cb563529881f3c4b40">Gov. Doug Burgum signed a ban Monday</a>&nbsp;that has narrow exceptions: Abortion is legal in pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but only in the first six weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is allowed later in pregnancy only in specific medical emergencies.The North Dakota law is intended to replace a previous ban that is not being enforced while a state court weighs its constitutionality.Pat Neal, 72, of Lincoln, was among those cheering the Nebraska vote Thursday. She, like others in attendance, expressed shock at the bill's failure.“This gives me hope for the future,” she said. “It gives me hope that the direction we’ve been seeing — across the country — could turn around.”The bill failed to get the crucial 33rd vote when Sen. Merv Riepe, a former hospital administrator from Ralston, abstained. Riepe was a cosigner of the bill but expressed concern this year that a six-week ban might not give women enough time to know they were pregnant.Riepe introduced a measure Thursday that would have extended the proposed ban to 12 weeks and add to the bill’s list of exceptions any fetal anomalies deemed incompatible with life.When he received pushback from fellow Republicans, Riepe warned his conservative colleagues they should heed signs that abortion will galvanize women to vote them out of office.“We must embrace the future of reproductive rights,” he said.Independent South Carolina Sen. Mia McLeod criticized leaders who prioritized the near-total ban over efforts to make South Carolina the 49th state in the country with a law allowing harsher punishments for violent hate crimes.McLeod, who shared during a previous abortion debate that she had been raped, said it is unfortunate that women must reveal intimate experiences to “enlighten and engage” men.“Just as rape is about power and control, so is this total ban,” McLeod said Thursday. “Those who continue to push legislation like this are raping us again with their indifference, violating us again with their righteous indignation, taunting us again with their insatiable need to play God while they continue to pass laws that are ungodly.”

Abortion ban fails in conservative Nebraska

APRIL 27, 2023 (NORTH PLATTE, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested a Washington man following a fatal crash in Furnas County, which claimed the lives of two people and critically injured three others.

At approximately 12:15 p.m. Thursday, a Hyundai Santa Fe was traveling northbound on Highway 283. At that time, a Dodge Ram 3500 pulling an empty car trailer was traveling westbound on Highway 89, which has a stop sign at the Highway 283 intersection. The pickup ran the stop sign and struck the passenger side of the Hyundai.

One occupant of the Hyundai, an adult female, was pronounced deceased on scene. Four additional occupants of the Hyundai were transported to hospitals in critical condition. One of those patients, a female child, was flown by helicopter to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney and has since passed away.

The driver of the Hyundai and another female child were transported to Cambridge Memorial Hospital. The driver has since been flown to Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln. A male child was transported to Norton County Hospital in Norton, Kansas and has since been flown to a hospital in Wichita. All three remain in critical condition. Names are being withheld at this time pending notification of family.

The two occupants of the Dodge were transported to Norton County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Once released from the hospital, the driver of the Dodge, identified as Kyiaz Ulanov, 28, of Lynnwood, Washington, was arrested for motor vehicle homicide. He was lodged in Phelps County Jail.

The Nebraska State Patrol is conducting a full crash reconstruction investigation.

APRIL 27, 2023 (NORTH PLATTE, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested a Washington man following a fatal crash in Furnas County, which claimed the lives of two people and critically injured three others.At approximately 12:15 p.m. Thursday, a Hyundai Santa Fe was traveling northbound on Highway 283. At that time, a Dodge Ram 3500 pulling an empty car trailer was traveling westbound on Highway 89, which has a stop sign at the Highway 283 intersection. The pickup ran the stop sign and struck the passenger side of the Hyundai.One occupant of the Hyundai, an adult female, was pronounced deceased on scene. Four additional occupants of the Hyundai were transported to hospitals in critical condition. One of those patients, a female child, was flown by helicopter to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney and has since passed away.The driver of the Hyundai and another female child were transported to Cambridge Memorial Hospital. The driver has since been flown to Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln. A male child was transported to Norton County Hospital in Norton, Kansas and has since been flown to a hospital in Wichita. All three remain in critical condition. Names are being withheld at this time pending notification of family.The two occupants of the Dodge were transported to Norton County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Once released from the hospital, the driver of the Dodge, identified as Kyiaz Ulanov, 28, of Lynnwood, Washington, was arrested for motor vehicle homicide. He was lodged in Phelps County Jail.The Nebraska State Patrol is conducting a full crash reconstruction investigation.

Driver Arrested After Multi-Fatality Crash in Furnas County

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a Democratic measure to revive the Equal Rights Amendment, dealing yet another blow to supporters who have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-discrimination-constitutions-jackie-speier-1023e4afabc87f7c6dcd552ba02cbe98">pushed for more than five decades</a>&nbsp;to amend the Constitution to prohibit discrimination based on sex.

Democrats failed to win the necessary 60 votes to move forward with the resolution, which would have removed a 1982 deadline for state ratification and reopened the process to amend the Constitution.

The 51-47 vote included support from two Republicans, Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski — well short of the 10 GOP votes needed. Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Rickets voted against the measure.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., put the resolution up for a vote this week, even as it was unlikely to pass. He said it was especially timely in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">to overturn Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and the constitutional right to an abortion.

“Women in America have far fewer rights today than they did even a year ago,” Schumer said.

After the vote, Schumer said the Senate is “not giving up,” and would keep trying to pass the measure.

Congress sent the amendment, which guarantees men and women equal rights under the law, to the states in 1972. It gave states seven years to ratify it, later extending the deadline to 1982. But the amendment wasn’t ratified by the required three-quarters of states before the deadline.

Three years ago, however,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/constitutions-us-news-discrimination-va-state-wire-virginia-fd7f31ce50bc15184317d1abefb08da1">Virginia lawmakers voted to ratify the amendment,</a>&nbsp;becoming the 38th and final state needed.

At the same time, several states — including Nebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky and South Dakota — have attempted to remove their prior approval.

States can support the federal version individually, though it is not ratified into the U.S. Constitution, so those ratifications remain mostly symbolic.

In a statement of policy, the White House said that President Joe Biden “strongly supports” extending the deadline and that it is long past time.

“Gender equality is not only a moral issue – the full participation of women and girls across all aspects of our society is essential to our economic prosperity, our security, and the health of our democracy,” the White House said.

Republicans have argued that Democrats are trying to rewrite history.

“The Democrats’ novel unconstitutional approach bypasses states’ rights and circumvents the process our founders put in place,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., after the vote. “This is simply another liberal wish list item meant to drive a political wedge.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682647247525.png" alt="Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and ERA Caucus marched over to the Senate to push for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. imaage courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and ERA Caucus marched over to the Senate to push for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. imaage courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a Democratic measure to revive the Equal Rights Amendment, dealing yet another blow to supporters who have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-discrimination-constitutions-jackie-speier-1023e4afabc87f7c6dcd552ba02cbe98">pushed for more than five decades</a>&nbsp;to amend the Constitution to prohibit discrimination based on sex.Democrats failed to win the necessary 60 votes to move forward with the resolution, which would have removed a 1982 deadline for state ratification and reopened the process to amend the Constitution.The 51-47 vote included support from two Republicans, Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski — well short of the 10 GOP votes needed. Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Rickets voted against the measure.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., put the resolution up for a vote this week, even as it was unlikely to pass. He said it was especially timely in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">to overturn Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and the constitutional right to an abortion.“Women in America have far fewer rights today than they did even a year ago,” Schumer said.After the vote, Schumer said the Senate is “not giving up,” and would keep trying to pass the measure.Congress sent the amendment, which guarantees men and women equal rights under the law, to the states in 1972. It gave states seven years to ratify it, later extending the deadline to 1982. But the amendment wasn’t ratified by the required three-quarters of states before the deadline.Three years ago, however,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/constitutions-us-news-discrimination-va-state-wire-virginia-fd7f31ce50bc15184317d1abefb08da1">Virginia lawmakers voted to ratify the amendment,</a>&nbsp;becoming the 38th and final state needed.At the same time, several states — including Nebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky and South Dakota — have attempted to remove their prior approval.States can support the federal version individually, though it is not ratified into the U.S. Constitution, so those ratifications remain mostly symbolic.In a statement of policy, the White House said that President Joe Biden “strongly supports” extending the deadline and that it is long past time.“Gender equality is not only a moral issue – the full participation of women and girls across all aspects of our society is essential to our economic prosperity, our security, and the health of our democracy,” the White House said.Republicans have argued that Democrats are trying to rewrite history.“The Democrats’ novel unconstitutional approach bypasses states’ rights and circumvents the process our founders put in place,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., after the vote. “This is simply another liberal wish list item meant to drive a political wedge.”

Fisher, Ricketts vote no: Equal Rights Amendment fails in Senate

WASHINGTON —GHSW, LLC of Houston, Texas is voluntarily recalling 8.55 oz packages of Turkey and Havarti Sandwiches due to undeclared sesame in bread, according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 People who are allergic to sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

The recalled product was shipped to Dillon stores in Kansas, Baker’s stores in Nebraska, Gerbes stores in Missouri, as well as Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana from 01/01/23 to 4/24/23.

The recalled Turkey and Havarti Sandwiches are packaged in 8.55 oz clear plastic clamshells, with UPC 8 2676615584 2, and marked with Sell-by Dates on the front of the packet. All sell-by dates up to and including 4/29/23 are included in this recall. No other products or lots are affected by this recall. Example photos of the recalled product with labels are below.

No reports of illnesses or injury have been received to date.

The recall was initiated after it was discovered by a GHSW internal review/audit that sesame in the bread was not declared as an allergen. Sesame was always an ingredient and should have been declared as an allergen starting January 1, 2023, as it was added to the list of the major food allergens.

GHSW, LLC. is urging customers with any sesame concerns or allergies to dispose of the recalled products or return to the store of purchase for a full refund. Receipts are not required for the return. GHSW, LLC is standing by to answer customer questions at 888.449.9386 Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm PST.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682678193605.png" alt="photo FDA" />
 <figcaption>photo FDA</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —GHSW, LLC of Houston, Texas is voluntarily recalling 8.55 oz packages of Turkey and Havarti Sandwiches due to undeclared sesame in bread, according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. People who are allergic to sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.The recalled product was shipped to Dillon stores in Kansas, Baker’s stores in Nebraska, Gerbes stores in Missouri, as well as Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana from 01/01/23 to 4/24/23.The recalled Turkey and Havarti Sandwiches are packaged in 8.55 oz clear plastic clamshells, with UPC 8 2676615584 2, and marked with Sell-by Dates on the front of the packet. All sell-by dates up to and including 4/29/23 are included in this recall. No other products or lots are affected by this recall. Example photos of the recalled product with labels are below.No reports of illnesses or injury have been received to date.The recall was initiated after it was discovered by a GHSW internal review/audit that sesame in the bread was not declared as an allergen. Sesame was always an ingredient and should have been declared as an allergen starting January 1, 2023, as it was added to the list of the major food allergens.GHSW, LLC. is urging customers with any sesame concerns or allergies to dispose of the recalled products or return to the store of purchase for a full refund. Receipts are not required for the return. GHSW, LLC is standing by to answer customer questions at 888.449.9386 Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm PST.

Sandwiches recalled in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska stores

Washington&nbsp;—U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and U.S. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina led a letter with 16 Republican senators to the Biden Administration's Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Sandra Thompson. This letter expressed the senators’ outrage at Thompson's proposal to penalize Americans who have managed their money responsibly in order to subsidize high-risk borrowers with low credit.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/4.23-FHFA-Mortgage-Fee-Letter-w-sigs.pdf">CLICK here to read</a> a full copy of the letter

“Just when you thought Joe Biden couldn’t be more out of touch with the hardships Americans are facing due to his failed economic agenda, skyrocketing interest rates, and record high Bidenflation, he doubled down, now penalizing responsible Americans with good credit scores,”&nbsp;Senator Marshall said.&nbsp;“This is illogical. The Biden Administration must answer for why they are punishing Americans who have diligently met their financial obligations and earned higher credit scores.”

“This proposed rule by the Biden Administration is a gross injustice that penalizes hard-working Americans who are financially responsible,”&nbsp;said Senator Tillis.&nbsp;“This is yet another example of President Biden working to kill the American dream for hardworking families. I will continue to work with my colleagues to do everything in our power to stop this absurd proposal.”

Proposals like these set a dangerous precedent. In their letter, the Senators wrote in part,

“This shortsighted and counterproductive policy demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the necessity of accurately tailoring housing finance products to credit risk and establishes a perverse incentive that punishes hardworking Americans for their fiscal prudence,”&nbsp;the letter said. “Under your leadership, FHFA has pushed forward a number of policy proposals and changes that seek to social-engineer the U.S. housing market in ways that increase riskiness and promote discrimination…The fact that a proposal flaunting credit risk is being openly pushed by FHFA just a decade-and-a-half after the housing-led 2008 financial crisis is staggering…The housing market should not be exploited as a means to pander to targeted demographics that you have chosen, nor an instrument to secure political favoritism.”

U.S. Senators Mike Braun (IN), Ted Budd (NC), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Tom Cotton (AR), Kevin Cramer (ND), Lindsey Graham (SC), Chuck Grassley (IA), Ron Johnson (WI), James Lankford (OK), Jerry Moran (KS), Mike Rounds (SD), Marco Rubio (FL), Eric Schmitt (MO), Rick Scott (FL), John Thune (SD), and Todd Young (IN)&nbsp; joined Senators Marshall and Tillis on their letter to the FHFA.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624025620777.png" alt="Senator Jerry Moran also signed the letter to Biden-photo by David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Senator Jerry Moran also signed the letter to Biden-photo by David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington&nbsp;—U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and U.S. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina led a letter with 16 Republican senators to the Biden Administration's Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Sandra Thompson. This letter expressed the senators’ outrage at Thompson's proposal to penalize Americans who have managed their money responsibly in order to subsidize high-risk borrowers with low credit.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/4.23-FHFA-Mortgage-Fee-Letter-w-sigs.pdf">CLICK here to read</a> a full copy of the letter“Just when you thought Joe Biden couldn’t be more out of touch with the hardships Americans are facing due to his failed economic agenda, skyrocketing interest rates, and record high Bidenflation, he doubled down, now penalizing responsible Americans with good credit scores,”&nbsp;Senator Marshall said.&nbsp;“This is illogical. The Biden Administration must answer for why they are punishing Americans who have diligently met their financial obligations and earned higher credit scores.”“This proposed rule by the Biden Administration is a gross injustice that penalizes hard-working Americans who are financially responsible,”&nbsp;said Senator Tillis.&nbsp;“This is yet another example of President Biden working to kill the American dream for hardworking families. I will continue to work with my colleagues to do everything in our power to stop this absurd proposal.”Proposals like these set a dangerous precedent. In their letter, the Senators wrote in part,“This shortsighted and counterproductive policy demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the necessity of accurately tailoring housing finance products to credit risk and establishes a perverse incentive that punishes hardworking Americans for their fiscal prudence,”&nbsp;the letter said. “Under your leadership, FHFA has pushed forward a number of policy proposals and changes that seek to social-engineer the U.S. housing market in ways that increase riskiness and promote discrimination…The fact that a proposal flaunting credit risk is being openly pushed by FHFA just a decade-and-a-half after the housing-led 2008 financial crisis is staggering…The housing market should not be exploited as a means to pander to targeted demographics that you have chosen, nor an instrument to secure political favoritism.”U.S. Senators Mike Braun (IN), Ted Budd (NC), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Tom Cotton (AR), Kevin Cramer (ND), Lindsey Graham (SC), Chuck Grassley (IA), Ron Johnson (WI), James Lankford (OK), Jerry Moran (KS), Mike Rounds (SD), Marco Rubio (FL), Eric Schmitt (MO), Rick Scott (FL), John Thune (SD), and Todd Young (IN)&nbsp; joined Senators Marshall and Tillis on their letter to the FHFA.

Marshall: Biden's new mortgage rule will penalize those with good credit scores

CINCINNATI (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jerry-springer">Jerry Springer,</a>&nbsp;the onetime mayor and news anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional families willing to bare all on weekday afternoons including brawls, obscenities and blurred images of nudity, died Thursday at 79.

At its peak,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dbd44e8ecae84d4493ec5b8efb8d8517">“The Jerry Springer Show”</a>&nbsp;was a ratings powerhouse and a U.S. cultural pariah, synonymous with lurid drama. Known for chair-throwing and bleep-filled arguments, the daytime talk show was a favorite American guilty pleasure over its 27-year run, at one point topping Oprah Winfrey’s show.

Springer called it “escapist entertainment,” while others saw the show as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/22de61011232158c1b6a2ade8219f04b">contributing to a dumbing-down decline in American social values.</a>

“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word,” said Jene Galvin, a family spokesperson and friend of Springer's since 1970, in a statement. “He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.”

Springer died peacefully at home in suburban Chicago after a brief illness, the statement said

On his Twitter profile, Springer jokingly declared himself as “Talk show host, ringmaster of civilization’s end.” He also often had told people, tongue in cheek, that his wish for them was “may you never be on my show.”

After more than 4,000 episodes, the show ended in 2018, never straying from its core salaciousness: Some of its last episodes had such titles as “Stripper Sex Turned Me Straight,” “Stop Pimpin’ My Twin Sister,” and “Hooking Up With My Therapist.”

In a “Too Hot For TV” video released as his daily show neared 7 million viewers in the late 1990s, Springer offered a defense against disgust.

“Look, television does not and must not create values, it’s merely a picture of all that’s out there — the good, the bad, the ugly,” Springer said, adding: “Believe this: The politicians and companies that seek to control what each of us may watch are a far greater danger to America and our treasured freedom than any of our guests ever were or could be.”

He also contended that the people on his show volunteered to be subjected to whatever ridicule or humiliation awaited them.

Gerald Norman Springer was born Feb. 13, 1944, in a London underground railway station being used as a bomb shelter. His parents, Richard and Margot, were German Jews who fled to England during the Holocaust, in which other relatives were killed in Nazi gas chambers. They arrived in the United States when their son was 5 and settled in the Queens borough of New York City, where Springer got his first Yankees baseball gear on his way to becoming a lifelong fan.

He studied political science at Tulane University and got a law degree from Northwestern University. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2f16e606593c4bd89a6e6794f68150ab">active in politics</a>&nbsp;much of his adult life, mulling a run for governor of Ohio as recently as 2017.

He entered the arena as an aide in Robert F. Kennedy’s ill-fated 1968 presidential campaign. Springer, working for a Cincinnati law firm, ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1970 before being elected to city council in 1971.

In 1974 — in what The Cincinnati Enquirer reported as “an abrupt move that shook Cincinnati’s political community” — Springer resigned. He cited “very personal family considerations,” but what he didn’t mention was a vice probe involving prostitution. In a subsequent admission that could have been the basis for one of his future shows, Springer said he had paid prostitutes with personal checks.

Then 30, he had married Micki Velton the previous year. The couple had a daughter, Katie, and divorced in 1994.

Springer quickly bounced back politically, winning a council seat in 1975 and serving as mayor in 1977. He later became a local television politics reporter with popular evening commentaries. He and co-anchor Norma Rashid eventually helped build NBC affiliate WLWT-TV’s broadcast into the Cincinnati market’s top-rated news show.

Springer began his talk show in 1991 with more of a traditional format, but after he left WLWT in 1993, it got a sleazy makeover.

TV Guide ranked it No. 1 on a list of “Worst Shows in the History of Television,” but it was ratings gold. It made Springer a celebrity who would go on to host a liberal radio talk show and “America’s Got Talent,” star in a movie called “Ringmaster,” and compete on “Dancing With the Stars.”

“With all the joking I do with the show, I’m fully aware and thank God every day that my life has taken this incredible turn because of this silly show,” Springer told Cincinnati Enquirer media reporter John Kiesewetter in 2011.

Well in advance of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s political rise</a>&nbsp;from reality TV stardom, Springer mulled a Senate run in 2003 that he surmised could draw on “nontraditional voters,” people “who believe most politics are bull.”

“I connect with a whole bunch of people who probably connect more to me right now than to a traditional politician,” Springer told the AP at the time. He opposed the war on Iraq and favored expanding public healthcare, but ultimately did not run.

Springer also spoke often of the country he came to age 5 as “a beacon of light for the rest of world.”

“I have no other motivation but to say I love this country,” Springer said to a Democratic gathering in 2003.

Springer hosted a nationally syndicated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ct-state-wire-jerry-springer-entertainment-talk-shows-north-america-0f6e8642840647e8a56d0ae500541d94">“Judge Jerry”</a>&nbsp;show in 2019 and continued to speak out on whatever was on his mind in a podcast, but his power to shock had dimmed in the new era of reality television and combative cable TV talk shows.

“He was lapped not only by other programs but by real life,” David Bianculli, a television historian and professor at Monmouth University, said in 2018.

Despite the limits Springer’s show put on his political aspirations, he embraced its legacy. In a 2003 fund-raising infomercial ahead of a possible U.S. Senate run the following year, Springer referenced a quote by then National Review commentator Jonah Goldberg, who warned of new people brought to the polls by Springer, including “slack-jawed yokels, hicks, weirdos, pervs and whatnots.”

In the informercial, Springer referred to the quote and talked about wanting to reach out to “regular folks ... who weren’t born with a silver spoon in your mouth.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682606774055.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CINCINNATI (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jerry-springer">Jerry Springer,</a>&nbsp;the onetime mayor and news anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional families willing to bare all on weekday afternoons including brawls, obscenities and blurred images of nudity, died Thursday at 79.At its peak,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dbd44e8ecae84d4493ec5b8efb8d8517">“The Jerry Springer Show”</a>&nbsp;was a ratings powerhouse and a U.S. cultural pariah, synonymous with lurid drama. Known for chair-throwing and bleep-filled arguments, the daytime talk show was a favorite American guilty pleasure over its 27-year run, at one point topping Oprah Winfrey’s show.Springer called it “escapist entertainment,” while others saw the show as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/22de61011232158c1b6a2ade8219f04b">contributing to a dumbing-down decline in American social values.</a>“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word,” said Jene Galvin, a family spokesperson and friend of Springer's since 1970, in a statement. “He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.”Springer died peacefully at home in suburban Chicago after a brief illness, the statement saidOn his Twitter profile, Springer jokingly declared himself as “Talk show host, ringmaster of civilization’s end.” He also often had told people, tongue in cheek, that his wish for them was “may you never be on my show.”After more than 4,000 episodes, the show ended in 2018, never straying from its core salaciousness: Some of its last episodes had such titles as “Stripper Sex Turned Me Straight,” “Stop Pimpin’ My Twin Sister,” and “Hooking Up With My Therapist.”In a “Too Hot For TV” video released as his daily show neared 7 million viewers in the late 1990s, Springer offered a defense against disgust.“Look, television does not and must not create values, it’s merely a picture of all that’s out there — the good, the bad, the ugly,” Springer said, adding: “Believe this: The politicians and companies that seek to control what each of us may watch are a far greater danger to America and our treasured freedom than any of our guests ever were or could be.”He also contended that the people on his show volunteered to be subjected to whatever ridicule or humiliation awaited them.Gerald Norman Springer was born Feb. 13, 1944, in a London underground railway station being used as a bomb shelter. His parents, Richard and Margot, were German Jews who fled to England during the Holocaust, in which other relatives were killed in Nazi gas chambers. They arrived in the United States when their son was 5 and settled in the Queens borough of New York City, where Springer got his first Yankees baseball gear on his way to becoming a lifelong fan.He studied political science at Tulane University and got a law degree from Northwestern University. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2f16e606593c4bd89a6e6794f68150ab">active in politics</a>&nbsp;much of his adult life, mulling a run for governor of Ohio as recently as 2017.He entered the arena as an aide in Robert F. Kennedy’s ill-fated 1968 presidential campaign. Springer, working for a Cincinnati law firm, ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1970 before being elected to city council in 1971.In 1974 — in what The Cincinnati Enquirer reported as “an abrupt move that shook Cincinnati’s political community” — Springer resigned. He cited “very personal family considerations,” but what he didn’t mention was a vice probe involving prostitution. In a subsequent admission that could have been the basis for one of his future shows, Springer said he had paid prostitutes with personal checks.Then 30, he had married Micki Velton the previous year. The couple had a daughter, Katie, and divorced in 1994.Springer quickly bounced back politically, winning a council seat in 1975 and serving as mayor in 1977. He later became a local television politics reporter with popular evening commentaries. He and co-anchor Norma Rashid eventually helped build NBC affiliate WLWT-TV’s broadcast into the Cincinnati market’s top-rated news show.Springer began his talk show in 1991 with more of a traditional format, but after he left WLWT in 1993, it got a sleazy makeover.TV Guide ranked it No. 1 on a list of “Worst Shows in the History of Television,” but it was ratings gold. It made Springer a celebrity who would go on to host a liberal radio talk show and “America’s Got Talent,” star in a movie called “Ringmaster,” and compete on “Dancing With the Stars.”“With all the joking I do with the show, I’m fully aware and thank God every day that my life has taken this incredible turn because of this silly show,” Springer told Cincinnati Enquirer media reporter John Kiesewetter in 2011.Well in advance of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s political rise</a>&nbsp;from reality TV stardom, Springer mulled a Senate run in 2003 that he surmised could draw on “nontraditional voters,” people “who believe most politics are bull.”“I connect with a whole bunch of people who probably connect more to me right now than to a traditional politician,” Springer told the AP at the time. He opposed the war on Iraq and favored expanding public healthcare, but ultimately did not run.Springer also spoke often of the country he came to age 5 as “a beacon of light for the rest of world.”“I have no other motivation but to say I love this country,” Springer said to a Democratic gathering in 2003.Springer hosted a nationally syndicated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ct-state-wire-jerry-springer-entertainment-talk-shows-north-america-0f6e8642840647e8a56d0ae500541d94">“Judge Jerry”</a>&nbsp;show in 2019 and continued to speak out on whatever was on his mind in a podcast, but his power to shock had dimmed in the new era of reality television and combative cable TV talk shows.“He was lapped not only by other programs but by real life,” David Bianculli, a television historian and professor at Monmouth University, said in 2018.Despite the limits Springer’s show put on his political aspirations, he embraced its legacy. In a 2003 fund-raising infomercial ahead of a possible U.S. Senate run the following year, Springer referenced a quote by then National Review commentator Jonah Goldberg, who warned of new people brought to the polls by Springer, including “slack-jawed yokels, hicks, weirdos, pervs and whatnots.”In the informercial, Springer referred to the quote and talked about wanting to reach out to “regular folks ... who weren’t born with a silver spoon in your mouth.”

Jerry Springer, politician-turned-TV ringmaster, dies at 79

United States Attorney Steven Russell
announced that Anthony Jose Franco, 21, of Omaha was sentenced Wednesday by
United States District Judge 
Brian C. Buescher for conspiracy 
to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of 
fentanyl.&nbsp; Franco received a sentence of 120 months’ imprisonment with a
 five-year term of supervised release to follow.&nbsp;
 There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; 

In
 August 2022, Franco became the subject of a DEA investigation for his 
role in distributing fentanyl in Omaha.&nbsp; On August 5, 2022, an 
undercover agent purchased
 21.3 grams of fentanyl directly from Franco.&nbsp; A second undercover buy 
on August 24, 2022, resulted in 29.3 grams of fentanyl being purchased.&nbsp;
 On September 9, 2022, Franco was arrested while delivering 58.7 grams 
of fentanyl to the undercover agent.&nbsp; That
 same day, a search warrant was executed at the residence in which 
Franco was staying.&nbsp; More than 326 fentanyl pills with venue to Franco 
and an AK-47 assault rifle were seized.&nbsp;


This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


U.S. Attorneys OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven Russell
announced that Anthony Jose Franco, 21, of Omaha was sentenced Wednesday by
United States District Judge 
Brian C. Buescher for conspiracy 
to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of 
fentanyl.&nbsp; Franco received a sentence of 120 months’ imprisonment with a
 five-year term of supervised release to follow.&nbsp;
 There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; In
 August 2022, Franco became the subject of a DEA investigation for his 
role in distributing fentanyl in Omaha.&nbsp; On August 5, 2022, an 
undercover agent purchased
 21.3 grams of fentanyl directly from Franco.&nbsp; A second undercover buy 
on August 24, 2022, resulted in 29.3 grams of fentanyl being purchased.&nbsp;
 On September 9, 2022, Franco was arrested while delivering 58.7 grams 
of fentanyl to the undercover agent.&nbsp; That
 same day, a search warrant was executed at the residence in which 
Franco was staying.&nbsp; More than 326 fentanyl pills with venue to Franco 
and an AK-47 assault rifle were seized.&nbsp;
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Neb. man sentenced for fentanyl, firearm conspiracy

‘We can get them out, working jobs,’ says key Nebraska lawmaker

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/25/judiciary-committee-tees-up-proposal-for-mandatory-supervised-release/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Too many of Nebraska’s 
most violent inmates are “jamming out” of prison without participating 
in rehabilitation programs and without supervision once they’re on the 
outside,&nbsp; according to State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha.

On Tuesday, Wayne, the chairman of the Legislature’s Judiciary 
Committee, explained his proposal to require such inmates to serve a 
period of “mandatory” supervision after they’re released, in hopes of 
reducing the need for new prisons and reducing repeat crimes.

Under the proposal, inmates would serve the final 15% of their prison
 sentence outside prison walls, under strict supervision in halfway-type
 houses. while employed and engaged in rehabilitation efforts.

If they misbehave, they would be sent back to prison.

&nbsp;“We can get them out, working jobs and giving them the services they need, without reducing their sentence,” Wayne said.

“It has to be the right people,” he added. “We can’t harm public safety. We have to make sure they’re monitored.”

Such a program would become the featured item in a package of 
criminal justice reform proposals assembled by the Judiciary Committee, 
which deals with criminal sentencing.

Last week, on a 4-3 vote, the committee advanced the package, 
Legislative Bill 50. On Tuesday, committee members met in an executive 
session to discuss aspects of the bill and what aspects had the most 
support.

One senator on the committee, Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, hadn’t yet 
been appointed to join the Judiciary Committee when LB 50 was voted out.

Bosn, who was appointed to fill the vacancy left when Sen. Suzanne 
Geist resigned, is a former Lancaster County deputy prosecutor. Many of 
the queries about “what can you support?” were directed her way during 
the Tuesday executive session because of her experience in court.

Bosn responded with several questions about how “mandatory” supervised release would work and about other aspects of LB 50.

Wayne said the idea of mandatory supervised release came from Douglas
 County Sheriff Aaron Hanson and is something that has been used in 
Florida and Texas.

Right now, the senator said, about one-third of Nebraska’s most 
violent inmates and sex offenders leave prison at the end of their 
sentence — known as “jamming out” — without opting to participate in 
rehabilitation programs or parole supervision.

Wayne said that mandatory supervised release of all inmates — it’s 
now required of low-level offenders — might improve the state’s 
recidivism rate. Right now, just under 30% of all prison inmates 
reoffend within three years of their release.

Moving inmates out of prison and into jobs and monitoring by parole 
officers could also stave off the state’s need to build additional new 
prisons, Wayne said.

Right now, state lawmakers appear ready to approve a new, <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/06/appropriations-committee-votes-to-recommend-final-funding-for-366-million-new-prison/">$366-million prison </a> this year. But inmate <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/02/will-nebraska-need-not-one-but-two-new-prisons-at-a-cost-of-nearly-500-million/">population projections indicate a second, new prison</a> will be needed unless something is done to reduce the sentencing of criminals to behind bars.

Wayne said he wants to get something passed this year so the state 
can begin building up its capability to supervise more inmates. He 
estimated that 500 to 1,000 additional inmates could be put on 
supervised release, if the right job and halfway house programs are put 
in place.

LB 50, Wayne said, could be debated next month, after state lawmakers complete their discussion of the state budget.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664393286634.png" alt="The state Reception and Treatment Center on the western edge of Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The state Reception and Treatment Center on the western edge of Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘We can get them out, working jobs,’ says key Nebraska lawmaker</h2>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/25/judiciary-committee-tees-up-proposal-for-mandatory-supervised-release/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Too many of Nebraska’s 
most violent inmates are “jamming out” of prison without participating 
in rehabilitation programs and without supervision once they’re on the 
outside,&nbsp; according to State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha.On Tuesday, Wayne, the chairman of the Legislature’s Judiciary 
Committee, explained his proposal to require such inmates to serve a 
period of “mandatory” supervision after they’re released, in hopes of 
reducing the need for new prisons and reducing repeat crimes.<h2>Final 15% of sentence out of prison</h2>Under the proposal, inmates would serve the final 15% of their prison
 sentence outside prison walls, under strict supervision in halfway-type
 houses. while employed and engaged in rehabilitation efforts.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674250368592.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Justin Wayne (Rebecca S. Gratz for the Nebraska Examiner)." />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Justin Wayne (Rebecca S. Gratz for the Nebraska Examiner).</figcaption>
 </figure>If they misbehave, they would be sent back to prison.&nbsp;“We can get them out, working jobs and giving them the services they need, without reducing their sentence,” Wayne said.<h2>‘Has to be the right people’</h2>“It has to be the right people,” he added. “We can’t harm public safety. We have to make sure they’re monitored.”Such a program would become the featured item in a package of 
criminal justice reform proposals assembled by the Judiciary Committee, 
which deals with criminal sentencing.Last week, on a 4-3 vote, the committee advanced the package, 
Legislative Bill 50. On Tuesday, committee members met in an executive 
session to discuss aspects of the bill and what aspects had the most 
support.One senator on the committee, Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, hadn’t yet 
been appointed to join the Judiciary Committee when LB 50 was voted out.Bosn, who was appointed to fill the vacancy left when Sen. Suzanne 
Geist resigned, is a former Lancaster County deputy prosecutor. Many of 
the queries about “what can you support?” were directed her way during 
the Tuesday executive session because of her experience in court.Bosn responded with several questions about how “mandatory” supervised release would work and about other aspects of LB 50.Wayne said the idea of mandatory supervised release came from Douglas
 County Sheriff Aaron Hanson and is something that has been used in 
Florida and Texas.Right now, the senator said, about one-third of Nebraska’s most 
violent inmates and sex offenders leave prison at the end of their 
sentence — known as “jamming out” — without opting to participate in 
rehabilitation programs or parole supervision.Wayne said that mandatory supervised release of all inmates — it’s 
now required of low-level offenders — might improve the state’s 
recidivism rate. Right now, just under 30% of all prison inmates 
reoffend within three years of their release.Moving inmates out of prison and into jobs and monitoring by parole 
officers could also stave off the state’s need to build additional new 
prisons, Wayne said.Right now, state lawmakers appear ready to approve a new, <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/06/appropriations-committee-votes-to-recommend-final-funding-for-366-million-new-prison/">$366-million prison </a> this year. But inmate <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/02/will-nebraska-need-not-one-but-two-new-prisons-at-a-cost-of-nearly-500-million/">population projections indicate a second, new prison</a> will be needed unless something is done to reduce the sentencing of criminals to behind bars.Wayne said he wants to get something passed this year so the state 
can begin building up its capability to supervise more inmates. He 
estimated that 500 to 1,000 additional inmates could be put on 
supervised release, if the right job and halfway house programs are put 
in place.LB 50, Wayne said, could be debated next month, after state lawmakers complete their discussion of the state budget.

Neb. panel tees up proposal for ‘mandatory’ supervised release

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-south-korea-north-japan-united-states-government-06eda2aee0a8b33c30419251e06cd69f">South Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol</a>&nbsp;announced Wednesday the two nations will bolster the response to North Korea’s persistent nuclear threat with an agreement that includes plans to dock U.S. nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in over 40 years, bolster training between the two countries and improve information sharing between the allies.

The new extended nuclear deterrence effort was unveiled as Biden hosted Yoon for a state visit at a moment of heightened anxiety over an increased pace of ballistic missile tests by North Korea.

Biden delivered a blunt warning to Pyongyang at an afternoon Rose Garden news conference with Yoon, saying: “A nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable, and will result in the end of whatever regime were to take such an action."

Yoon said that the new commitment by the “righteous alliance” includes plans for bilateral presidential consultations in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack, the establishment of a nuclear consultative group and improved sharing of information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans.

“Sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula does not happen automatically,” Yoon said.

Biden and Yoon aides have been working on details of the plan for months and agreed that “occasional” and “very clear demonstrations of the strength” of U.S. extended deterrence capabilities needed to be an essential aspect of the agreement, according to three senior Biden administration officials who briefed reporters ahead of the announcement.

The officials said the so-called Washington Declaration was designed to allay South Korean fears over the North's aggressive nuclear weapons program and to keep the country from restarting its own nuclear program, which it gave up nearly 50 years ago when it signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Yoon earlier this year said his country was weighing developing its own nuclear weapons or asking the U.S. to redeploy them on the Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. and South Korea also would coordinate more deeply on nuclear response strategy in the event of the North attacking the South — but operational control of such weapons would remain in U.S. control, and no nuclear weapons are being deployed onto South Korean shores.

“We are not going to be stationing nuclear weapons on the peninsula,” Biden underscored.

Biden said coordination between the U.S. and South Korea remains crucial in the face of increased North Korean threats and blatant violation of international sanctions. The president repeated that the U.S. remains open to talks with the North without preconditions.

“At the same time, we continue to seek serious a substantial diplomatic breakthrough for the DPRK to bolster stability on the peninsula,” Biden said of the North.

During a brief appearance before reporters at the start of their Oval Office talks, Biden stressed that both nations are committed to “doubling down on our cooperation as allies" as North Korea “ramps up its challenges.”

The state visit comes as the U.S. and South Korea mark the 70th year of the countries' alliance that began at the end of the Korean War and committed the United States to help South Korea defend itself, particularly from North Korea. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are currently based in South Korea.

“Why did they sacrifice their lives for this faraway country and for the people that you’ve never met?” Yoon said of the U.S. troops who served during the war. “That was for one noble cause: to defend freedom.”

The agreement also calls for the U.S. and South Korean militaries to strengthen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usa-korea-japan-defense-drills-pyongyang-missiles-736bf7b4b6928a40b5ae0758d1e8447c">joint training</a>&nbsp;and better integrate South Korean military assets into the joint strategic deterrence effort. As part of the declaration, South Korea will reaffirm its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, an agreement signed by several major nuclear and non-nuclear powers that pledged their cooperation to stem the spread of nuclear technology, the officials said.

As&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-elections-voting-campaigns-seoul-f29dd8982b18c1f7318d579b9afc83f1">a candidate for the presidency</a>&nbsp;last year, Yoon said he would call for the increased deployment of U.S. bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines to South Korea as he looked to offer a firmer response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missile-launches-us-drills-55e946567117c176b027ee7c4253483e">the North's threats</a>&nbsp;than his predecessor Moon Jae-in.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-south-korea-north-japan-united-states-government-06eda2aee0a8b33c30419251e06cd69f">South Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol</a>&nbsp;announced Wednesday the two nations will bolster the response to North Korea’s persistent nuclear threat with an agreement that includes plans to dock U.S. nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in over 40 years, bolster training between the two countries and improve information sharing between the allies.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Welcome to the White House, President Yoon and Mrs. Kim. <a href="https://t.co/Soolh6Lx9S">pic.twitter.com/Soolh6Lx9S</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1651221357575667712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The new extended nuclear deterrence effort was unveiled as Biden hosted Yoon for a state visit at a moment of heightened anxiety over an increased pace of ballistic missile tests by North Korea.Biden delivered a blunt warning to Pyongyang at an afternoon Rose Garden news conference with Yoon, saying: “A nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable, and will result in the end of whatever regime were to take such an action."Yoon said that the new commitment by the “righteous alliance” includes plans for bilateral presidential consultations in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack, the establishment of a nuclear consultative group and improved sharing of information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans.“Sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula does not happen automatically,” Yoon said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tune in as I hold a joint press conference with President Yoon of the Republic of Korea in the Rose Garden. <a href="https://t.co/eYtkEd4tfg">https://t.co/eYtkEd4tfg</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1651280828872245261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden and Yoon aides have been working on details of the plan for months and agreed that “occasional” and “very clear demonstrations of the strength” of U.S. extended deterrence capabilities needed to be an essential aspect of the agreement, according to three senior Biden administration officials who briefed reporters ahead of the announcement.The officials said the so-called Washington Declaration was designed to allay South Korean fears over the North's aggressive nuclear weapons program and to keep the country from restarting its own nuclear program, which it gave up nearly 50 years ago when it signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Yoon earlier this year said his country was weighing developing its own nuclear weapons or asking the U.S. to redeploy them on the Korean Peninsula.The U.S. and South Korea also would coordinate more deeply on nuclear response strategy in the event of the North attacking the South — but operational control of such weapons would remain in U.S. control, and no nuclear weapons are being deployed onto South Korean shores.“We are not going to be stationing nuclear weapons on the peninsula,” Biden underscored.Biden said coordination between the U.S. and South Korea remains crucial in the face of increased North Korean threats and blatant violation of international sanctions. The president repeated that the U.S. remains open to talks with the North without preconditions.“At the same time, we continue to seek serious a substantial diplomatic breakthrough for the DPRK to bolster stability on the peninsula,” Biden said of the North.During a brief appearance before reporters at the start of their Oval Office talks, Biden stressed that both nations are committed to “doubling down on our cooperation as allies" as North Korea “ramps up its challenges.”The state visit comes as the U.S. and South Korea mark the 70th year of the countries' alliance that began at the end of the Korean War and committed the United States to help South Korea defend itself, particularly from North Korea. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are currently based in South Korea.“Why did they sacrifice their lives for this faraway country and for the people that you’ve never met?” Yoon said of the U.S. troops who served during the war. “That was for one noble cause: to defend freedom.”The agreement also calls for the U.S. and South Korean militaries to strengthen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usa-korea-japan-defense-drills-pyongyang-missiles-736bf7b4b6928a40b5ae0758d1e8447c">joint training</a>&nbsp;and better integrate South Korean military assets into the joint strategic deterrence effort. As part of the declaration, South Korea will reaffirm its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, an agreement signed by several major nuclear and non-nuclear powers that pledged their cooperation to stem the spread of nuclear technology, the officials said.As&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-elections-voting-campaigns-seoul-f29dd8982b18c1f7318d579b9afc83f1">a candidate for the presidency</a>&nbsp;last year, Yoon said he would call for the increased deployment of U.S. bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines to South Korea as he looked to offer a firmer response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missile-launches-us-drills-55e946567117c176b027ee7c4253483e">the North's threats</a>&nbsp;than his predecessor Moon Jae-in.In the midst of the Cold War in the late 1970s, U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines made frequent port visits to South Korea, sometimes two to three visits per month, according to the Federation of American Scientists. It was a period when the U.S. had hundreds of nuclear warheads located in South Korea.But in 1991, the United States withdrew all of its nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula, and the following year Seoul and Pyongyang signed a joint declaration pledging that neither would “test, manufacture, produce, receive, possess, store, deploy or use nuclear weapons.” But as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-north-korea-international-news-asia-pacific-seoul-8009312c92974485a4eef13bdc4ddd8d">the North has repeatedly violated the joint declaration</a>&nbsp;over the years, there's been increased support in South Korea for the United States to return nuclear weapons to the country.One Biden administration official cautioned it is “crystal clear” that there are no plans by the administration for "returning tactical or any other kind of nuclear weapon to the Korean Peninsula.” Instead, administration officials said they envision that the visit of ballistic missile submarines will be followed by the U.S. military more regularly deploying assets such as bombers or aircraft carriers to South Korea.North Korea’s increasing nuclear threats, along with concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-aquilino-china-security-north-korea-bb41e692490b13cfcc0a6e28fd8f9bef">China’s military and economic assertiveness in the region</a>, have pushed the Biden administration to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-asia-indonesia-united-states-china-a9fa80404afe5d16fa9cce953780ab6e">expand its Asian alliance</a>. To that end, Biden has thrown plenty of attention at Yoon as well as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Next week, Biden will host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ferdinand-marcos-jr-philippines-30fa00e8a8e357e201d4f64e43d03466">Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.</a>&nbsp;for Oval Office talks.In the past year, North Korea has been steadily expanding its nuclear arsenal, while China and Russia repeatedly block U.S.-led efforts to toughen sanctions on the North over its barrage of banned missile tests.The stepped-up testing by North Korea includes the flight-testing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-icbm-solid-fuel-kim-jong-un-6382097edf024c2aa43afbd0575f9524">a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile</a>&nbsp;for the first time earlier this month. The recent test is seen as a possible breakthrough in the North’s efforts to acquire a more powerful, harder-to-detect weapon targeting the continental United States.Besides nuclear deterrence, Biden and Yoon, and their aides, also are expected to discuss&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine</a>. The Biden administration has praised South Korea for sending some $230 million in humanitarian aid to Kyiv, but Biden would welcome Seoul taking an even bigger role in helping the Ukrainians repel Russia.Yoon's visit comes just weeks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-leaked-documents-yoon-biden-5d88d7c6624865ca5d5b361ed8ce0d26">the leaks of scores of highly classified documents</a>&nbsp;that have complicated relations with allies, including South Korea. The papers viewed by The Associated Press indicate that South Korea’s National Security Council “grappled” with the U.S. in early March over an American request to provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine.The documents, which cited a signals intelligence report, said then-NSC Director Kim Sung-han suggested the possibility of selling the 330,000 rounds of 155 mm munitions to Poland, since getting the ammunition to Ukraine quickly was the United States’ ultimate goal.Asked at the joint news conference if the leak came up in their private talks, Yoon replied, "We are communicating between our two countries.”Later Wednesday, Biden and first lady Jill Biden will honor Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-state-dinner-south-korea-7df97aaaa3dfd6ef33ac7dcdde1a926c">a state dinner</a>&nbsp;at the White House.--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — Presidents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-south-korea-north-japan-united-states-government-06eda2aee0a8b33c30419251e06cd69f">Yoon Suk Yeol</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday will sign an agreement that includes plans to have U.S. nuclear-armed submarines dock in South Korea for the first time in more than 40 years, a conspicuous show of support to Seoul amid growing concern about nuclear threats by North Korea, according to senior Biden administration officials.The planned dock visits are a key element of what's being dubbed the “Washington Declaration,” aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-nuclear-deterrence-south-korea-north-korea-65f725fa5ab24d3aab98aafa34b23c45">deterring North Korea</a>&nbsp;from carrying out an attack on its neighbor. It is being unveiled as Biden is hosting Yoon for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-state-dinner-south-korea-chef-05270a9fa17a4982edbb7f2ca2b08372">a state visit</a>&nbsp;during a moment of heightened anxiety for both leaders over an increased pace of ballistic missile tests by North Korea over the last several months.The three senior Biden administration officials, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity ahead of the official announcement, said that Biden and Yoon aides have been working on details of the plan for months and agreed that “occasional” and “very clear demonstrations of the strength” of U.S. extended deterrence capabilities needed to be an essential aspect of the agreement.The agreement seeks to allay South Korean fears over the North's aggressive nuclear weapons program and to ward off the country from restarting its own nuclear program, which it gave up nearly 50 years ago when it signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The U.S. and South Korea also would coordinate more deeply on nuclear response strategy in the event of the North attacking the South — but operational control of such weapons would remain in U.S. control, and no nuclear weapons are being deployed onto South Korean shores.The agreement also calls for the U.S. and South Korean militaries to strengthen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/usa-korea-japan-defense-drills-pyongyang-missiles-736bf7b4b6928a40b5ae0758d1e8447c">joint training</a>&nbsp;and better integrate South Korean military assets into the joint strategic deterrence effort. As part of the declaration, South Korea will reaffirm its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, an agreement signed by several major nuclear and non-nuclear powers that pledged their cooperation to stem the spread of nuclear technology, the officials said.As&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-elections-voting-campaigns-seoul-f29dd8982b18c1f7318d579b9afc83f1">a candidate for the presidency</a>&nbsp;last year, Yoon said he would call for the increased deployment of U.S. bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines to South Korea as he looked to offer a firmer response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missile-launches-us-drills-55e946567117c176b027ee7c4253483e">the North's threats</a>&nbsp;than his predecessor Moon Jae-in.In the midst of the Cold War in the late 1970s, U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines made frequent port visits to South Korea, sometimes two to three visits per month, according to the Federation of American Scientists. It was a period when the U.S. had hundreds of nuclear warheads located in South Korea.But in 1991, the United States withdrew all of its nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula, and the following year Seoul and Pyongyang signed a joint declaration pledging that neither would “test, manufacture, produce, receive, possess, store, deploy or use nuclear weapons.” But as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-north-korea-international-news-asia-pacific-seoul-8009312c92974485a4eef13bdc4ddd8d">the North has repeatedly violated the joint declaration</a>&nbsp;over the years, there's been increased support in South Korea for the United States to return nuclear weapons to the country.One Biden administration official cautioned it is “crystal clear” that there are no plans by the administration for "returning tactical or any other kind of nuclear weapon to the Korean Peninsula.” Instead, administration officials said they envision that the visit of ballistic missile submarines will be followed by the U.S. military more regularly deploying assets such as bombers or aircraft carriers to South Korea.North Korea’s increasing nuclear threats, along with concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-aquilino-china-security-north-korea-bb41e692490b13cfcc0a6e28fd8f9bef">China’s military and economic assertiveness in the region</a>, have pushed the Biden administration to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-asia-indonesia-united-states-china-a9fa80404afe5d16fa9cce953780ab6e">expand its Asian alliance</a>. To that end, Biden has thrown plenty of attention at Yoon as well as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Next week, Biden will host&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ferdinand-marcos-jr-philippines-30fa00e8a8e357e201d4f64e43d03466">Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.</a>&nbsp;for Oval Office talks.In the past year, North Korea has been steadily expanding its nuclear arsenal, while China and Russia repeatedly block U.S.-led efforts to toughen sanctions on the North over its barrage of banned missile tests.The stepped-up testing by North Korea includes the flight-testing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-icbm-solid-fuel-kim-jong-un-6382097edf024c2aa43afbd0575f9524">a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile</a>&nbsp;for the first time earlier this month. The recent test is seen as a possible breakthrough in the North’s efforts to acquire a more powerful, harder-to-detect weapon targeting the continental United States.Besides nuclear deterrence, Biden and Yoon, and their aides, also are expected to discuss&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine</a>. The Biden administration has praised South Korea for sending some $230 million in humanitarian aid to Kyiv, but Biden would welcome Seoul taking an even bigger role in helping the Ukrainians repel Russia.Yoon's visit comes just weeks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-leaked-documents-yoon-biden-5d88d7c6624865ca5d5b361ed8ce0d26">the leaks of scores of highly classified documents</a>&nbsp;that have complicated relations with allies, including South Korea. The papers viewed by The Associated Press indicate that South Korea’s National Security Council “grappled” with the U.S. in early March over an American request to provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine.The documents, which cited a signals intelligence report, said then-NSC Director Kim Sung-han suggested the possibility of selling the 330,000 rounds of 155 mm munitions to Poland, since getting the ammunition to Ukraine quickly was the United States’ ultimate goal.One Biden administration official said that Biden planned to talk to Yoon about “what it means for all like-minded allies to continue to support Ukraine” and ask the South Korean leader "what the future of their support might look like.”Besides their talks on Wednesday, Biden and Yoon are scheduled to host a joint news conference. In the evening, Biden and first lady Jill Biden will honor Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-state-dinner-south-korea-7df97aaaa3dfd6ef33ac7dcdde1a926c">a state dinner</a>&nbsp;at the White House.