By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/history-nebraska-announces-2023-awardees-from-across-the-state/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — History Nebraska has announced its 2023 awardees from across the 
state to Nebraskans in Beatrice, Hastings, Lincoln, Peru and Omaha.

This year, History Nebraska will 
present five awards at an April 26 event at the Nebraska History Museum 
in Lincoln. The awards recognize people who provide “significant 
contributions to the preservation and interpretation of Nebraska 
history,” according to the organization.

• Champion of History Awards:&nbsp;Richard “Dick” Witt of Hastings; Debora Heard and Claire Du Laney, both of Omaha. • History Nebraska Excellence in Teaching Award:&nbsp;Sara Crook of Peru. • Nebraska State Historic Preservation Award: Main Street Beatrice in Beatrice. • James L. Sellers Award:&nbsp;Gail Blankenau of Lincoln.

The champion award recognizes those who help preserve or interpret Nebraska history.

Witt is honored for being a “driving 
force” in preserving the written history of Adams County, including 
editing the Adams County Historical Society’s “Historical News” 
publication.

Heard is the project coordinator for 
the “Charting Our Path DEAI Strategic Investment Project” at the 
University of Nebraska at Omaha while Du Laney is the UNO Outreach 
Archivist. The project celebrates, promotes and documents the 50th 
anniversary of the UNO Department of Black Studies.

History Nebraska Excellence in Teaching&nbsp;

This teaching award recognizes a teacher who excels in teaching Nebraska history in creative and imaginative ways.

Crook, who has spent 38 years 
teaching history at Peru State College, has “demonstrated a passion for 
getting students to appreciate the state of Nebraska.” A component of 
her course includes the Nebraska Historical Marker program, which led to
 several markers being selected and erected across the state. Crook also
 led various trips nationwide.

Nebraska State Historic Preservation&nbsp;

The historic preservation award recognizes significant achievements in historic preservation by an individual or organization.

Main Street Beatrice has worked 
closely with the State Historical Preservation Office to promote tax 
credit programs, educate the community and create events to engage with 
the public and local politicians. The group’s work has also helped in 
preserving and opening up second stories of downtown buildings.

The memorial award, created in 1967, 
is given annually to the “best article” published in a volume of 
“Nebraska History Magazine.” The author also receives $1,000 from the 
foundation through the support of Catherine Sellers Angle.

The faculty of Nebraska Wesleyan 
University’s History Department judged and selected Blankenau as the 
winner. According to the organization, the judges “were impressed at how
 the article challenged the common assumption that slavery was not a 
part of Nebraska history through a detailed case-study that showed how 
the national debate over slavery played out in the territory.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678830951564.png" alt="History Nebraska, formerly known as the Nebraska State Historical Society, is located just off the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus at 1500 R St. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>History Nebraska, formerly known as the Nebraska State Historical Society, is located just off the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus at 1500 R St. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/history-nebraska-announces-2023-awardees-from-across-the-state/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — History Nebraska has announced its 2023 awardees from across the 
state to Nebraskans in Beatrice, Hastings, Lincoln, Peru and Omaha.This year, History Nebraska will 
present five awards at an April 26 event at the Nebraska History Museum 
in Lincoln. The awards recognize people who provide “significant 
contributions to the preservation and interpretation of Nebraska 
history,” according to the organization.<h2>2023 honorees</h2>• Champion of History Awards:&nbsp;Richard “Dick” Witt of Hastings; Debora Heard and Claire Du Laney, both of Omaha. • History Nebraska Excellence in Teaching Award:&nbsp;Sara Crook of Peru. • Nebraska State Historic Preservation Award: Main Street Beatrice in Beatrice. • James L. Sellers Award:&nbsp;Gail Blankenau of Lincoln.<h2>Champion of History&nbsp;</h2>The champion award recognizes those who help preserve or interpret Nebraska history.Witt is honored for being a “driving 
force” in preserving the written history of Adams County, including 
editing the Adams County Historical Society’s “Historical News” 
publication.Heard is the project coordinator for 
the “Charting Our Path DEAI Strategic Investment Project” at the 
University of Nebraska at Omaha while Du Laney is the UNO Outreach 
Archivist. The project celebrates, promotes and documents the 50th 
anniversary of the UNO Department of Black Studies.<h2>History Nebraska Excellence in Teaching&nbsp;</h2>This teaching award recognizes a teacher who excels in teaching Nebraska history in creative and imaginative ways.Crook, who has spent 38 years 
teaching history at Peru State College, has “demonstrated a passion for 
getting students to appreciate the state of Nebraska.” A component of 
her course includes the Nebraska Historical Marker program, which led to
 several markers being selected and erected across the state. Crook also
 led various trips nationwide.<h2>Nebraska State Historic Preservation&nbsp;</h2>The historic preservation award recognizes significant achievements in historic preservation by an individual or organization.Main Street Beatrice has worked 
closely with the State Historical Preservation Office to promote tax 
credit programs, educate the community and create events to engage with 
the public and local politicians. The group’s work has also helped in 
preserving and opening up second stories of downtown buildings.<h2>James L. Sellers Memorial&nbsp;</h2>The memorial award, created in 1967, 
is given annually to the “best article” published in a volume of 
“Nebraska History Magazine.” The author also receives $1,000 from the 
foundation through the support of Catherine Sellers Angle.The faculty of Nebraska Wesleyan 
University’s History Department judged and selected Blankenau as the 
winner. According to the organization, the judges “were impressed at how
 the article challenged the common assumption that slavery was not a 
part of Nebraska history through a detailed case-study that showed how 
the national debate over slavery played out in the territory.”

History Nebraska announces 2023 awardees from across the state

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-confirms-it-has-applied-for-federal-funding-for-state-climate-plan/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN &nbsp;— A state official confirmed Monday that Nebraska has 
applied for $3 million from the federal Inflation Reduction Act to 
finance a state climate plan.

It remained unclear whether the state will apply for more of the $91 
million set aside for Nebraska via the $700 billion IRA, a proposal of 
President Joe Biden passed on a bipartisan vote of Congress.

There had been some <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-should-seek-its-91-million-share-of-federal-energy-conservation-funds-committee-is-told/">uncertainty about whether Nebraska would seek</a> any portion of the federal funds.

State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue had introduced a bill to require 
the state to seek the “all funds” made available under the act, which 
includes money for weatherization projects in homes and businesses, 
electric vehicle infrastructure and agricultural practices that are 
drought resistant and use less water.

Blood said it didn’t make good “business” sense to allow taxpayer 
dollars provided by Nebraska to go to another state, as happened last 
year when then-Gov. Pete Ricketts declined $120 million in federal 
rental and utility aid.

Jim Macy, director of the Nebraska Department of Environment and 
Energy, told members of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee on 
Monday that the state applied March 10 for $3 million in federal 
funding.

Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart asked Macy if the state would apply for 
additional funds, and the director responded that applications for other
 portions of the IRA have not yet opened.

After the hearing, Wishart said the weatherization funds offered via 
the IRA could be used to help reduce energy bills on older homes.

Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne presented a bill Monday that would add $1 
million a year in funding to NDEE’s Weatherization Assistance Program.

Officials with the Omaha Public Power District, Habitat for Humanity,
 the Nebraska Housing Developers Association and Community Action of 
Nebraska all testified in favor of Wayne’s LB 237.

Weatherization, such as additional insulation and new furnaces, can 
cut energy costs by up to 25%, which is a big boost for low-income 
families struggling to pay other bills, the committee was told.

Tracie McPherson of Habitat for Humanity of Omaha said its 
weatherization program has helped people who don’t even have a furnace 
and have been relying on wood stoves for heat.

Macy, who testified Monday for the NDEE’s budget proposals, also told
 the Appropriations Committee that the agency will seek a third party to
 conduct a $1 million, statewide study of where nitrate pollution in 
groundwater is most problematic.

Macy said that such a study, which was part of Gov. Jim Pillen’s 
budget proposals, would help determine where nitrate levels may be 
rising or falling and where remediation work is most needed.

Last year, the Legislature allocated $150,000 from its American 
Rescue Plan Act funds for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to update a
 climate change assessment done in 2014.

David Corbin of the Sierra Club of Nebraska said Tuesday that he’s 
encouraged that the state will do more and is seeking the federal 
funding.

The state’s decision comes after the Omaha City Council, last week, 
hired a consultant to develop a Climate Action and Resilience Plan for 
the city.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678821370448.png" alt="Jim Macy, director of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, testifies Monday before the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Jim Macy, director of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, testifies Monday before the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-confirms-it-has-applied-for-federal-funding-for-state-climate-plan/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN &nbsp;— A state official confirmed Monday that Nebraska has 
applied for $3 million from the federal Inflation Reduction Act to 
finance a state climate plan.It remained unclear whether the state will apply for more of the $91 
million set aside for Nebraska via the $700 billion IRA, a proposal of 
President Joe Biden passed on a bipartisan vote of Congress.There had been some <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-should-seek-its-91-million-share-of-federal-energy-conservation-funds-committee-is-told/">uncertainty about whether Nebraska would seek</a> any portion of the federal funds.State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue had introduced a bill to require 
the state to seek the “all funds” made available under the act, which 
includes money for weatherization projects in homes and businesses, 
electric vehicle infrastructure and agricultural practices that are 
drought resistant and use less water.Blood said it didn’t make good “business” sense to allow taxpayer 
dollars provided by Nebraska to go to another state, as happened last 
year when then-Gov. Pete Ricketts declined $120 million in federal 
rental and utility aid.Jim Macy, director of the Nebraska Department of Environment and 
Energy, told members of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee on 
Monday that the state applied March 10 for $3 million in federal 
funding.<h2>Will state seek more IRA funds?</h2>Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart asked Macy if the state would apply for 
additional funds, and the director responded that applications for other
 portions of the IRA have not yet opened.After the hearing, Wishart said the weatherization funds offered via 
the IRA could be used to help reduce energy bills on older homes.Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne presented a bill Monday that would add $1 
million a year in funding to NDEE’s Weatherization Assistance Program.Officials with the Omaha Public Power District, Habitat for Humanity,
 the Nebraska Housing Developers Association and Community Action of 
Nebraska all testified in favor of Wayne’s LB 237.<h2>IRA could help weatherization</h2>Weatherization, such as additional insulation and new furnaces, can 
cut energy costs by up to 25%, which is a big boost for low-income 
families struggling to pay other bills, the committee was told.Tracie McPherson of Habitat for Humanity of Omaha said its 
weatherization program has helped people who don’t even have a furnace 
and have been relying on wood stoves for heat.Macy, who testified Monday for the NDEE’s budget proposals, also told
 the Appropriations Committee that the agency will seek a third party to
 conduct a $1 million, statewide study of where nitrate pollution in 
groundwater is most problematic.Macy said that such a study, which was part of Gov. Jim Pillen’s 
budget proposals, would help determine where nitrate levels may be 
rising or falling and where remediation work is most needed.Last year, the Legislature allocated $150,000 from its American 
Rescue Plan Act funds for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to update a
 climate change assessment done in 2014.David Corbin of the Sierra Club of Nebraska said Tuesday that he’s 
encouraged that the state will do more and is seeking the federal 
funding.The state’s decision comes after the Omaha City Council, last week, 
hired a consultant to develop a Climate Action and Resilience Plan for 
the city.

State confirms it has applied for federal funding for state climate plan

United States Attorney 
Steven Russell announced that Jeremy D. Sanders, 32, and Lakeda R. 
Sanders, 27, husband and wife, both of Newnan, Georgia, were sentenced 
on March 10 in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska,
 by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr.&nbsp; Jeremy 
Sanders was sentenced to four years of probation, including three months
 of home confinement, and was ordered to pay restitution of $21,304.88.&nbsp;
 Lakeda Sanders was sentenced to four years
 of probation, including six months of home confinement, and was ordered
 to pay restitution of $27,793.79.&nbsp; Both pled guilty in December 2022 to
 Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;


During 2020 and 2021, 
both Jeremy Sanders and Lakeda Sanders submitted or caused to be 
submitted applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans.&nbsp; 
The PPP loan program was created by the Coronavirus
 Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which was designed to
 provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans 
suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;


Both Jeremy and Lakeda 
Sanders worked with others to prepare and submit loan applications that 
misrepresented payroll for their purported businesses and sole 
proprietorship.&nbsp; The businesses in fact had no employees,
 and the PPP applications were supported by false tax documents.&nbsp; Jeremy
 Sanders and an Omaha-based co-conspirator submitted fraudulent 
applications for loans totaling approximately $41,290, and he obtained 
$20,690.&nbsp; Lakeda Sanders and a co-conspirator submitted
 fraudulent applications for loans totaling approximately $220,000, and 
she obtained $24,166.&nbsp;


On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established 
the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of 
the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government
 to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related
 fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the
 most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists 
agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, 
among other methods, augmenting and incorporating
 existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques 
to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and 
harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement 
efforts. For more information on the Department’s response
 to the pandemic, please visit <a href="https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus" target="_blank">https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus</a>.

Anyone with information about allegations of 
attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the 
Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at:
<a href="https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form" target="_blank">https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form</a>.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney 
Steven Russell announced that Jeremy D. Sanders, 32, and Lakeda R. 
Sanders, 27, husband and wife, both of Newnan, Georgia, were sentenced 
on March 10 in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska,
 by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr.&nbsp; Jeremy 
Sanders was sentenced to four years of probation, including three months
 of home confinement, and was ordered to pay restitution of $21,304.88.&nbsp;
 Lakeda Sanders was sentenced to four years
 of probation, including six months of home confinement, and was ordered
 to pay restitution of $27,793.79.&nbsp; Both pled guilty in December 2022 to
 Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
During 2020 and 2021, 
both Jeremy Sanders and Lakeda Sanders submitted or caused to be 
submitted applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans.&nbsp; 
The PPP loan program was created by the Coronavirus
 Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which was designed to
 provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans 
suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;
Both Jeremy and Lakeda 
Sanders worked with others to prepare and submit loan applications that 
misrepresented payroll for their purported businesses and sole 
proprietorship.&nbsp; The businesses in fact had no employees,
 and the PPP applications were supported by false tax documents.&nbsp; Jeremy
 Sanders and an Omaha-based co-conspirator submitted fraudulent 
applications for loans totaling approximately $41,290, and he obtained 
$20,690.&nbsp; Lakeda Sanders and a co-conspirator submitted
 fraudulent applications for loans totaling approximately $220,000, and 
she obtained $24,166.&nbsp;
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established 
the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of 
the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government
 to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related
 fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the
 most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists 
agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, 
among other methods, augmenting and incorporating
 existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques 
to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and 
harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement 
efforts. For more information on the Department’s response
 to the pandemic, please visit <a href="https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus" target="_blank">https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus</a>.
Anyone with information about allegations of 
attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the 
Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at:
<a href="https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form" target="_blank">https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form</a>.This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Georgia couple sentenced for Paycheck Protection Program fraud

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday in a “brazen violation of international law,” causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S. said.

The incident, which raised tensions over Moscow's war in Ukraine, appeared to mark the first time since the height of the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft was brought down after being hit by a Russian warplane.

U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to White House National Security spokesman John Kirby. He added that U.S. State Department officials would be speaking directly with their Russian counterparts and “expressing our concerns over this unsafe and unprofessional intercept.”

State Department spokesman Ned Price called it a “brazen violation of international law.” He said the U.S. summoned the Russian ambassador to lodge a protest and the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, has made similar representations in Moscow.

The U.S. European Command said in a statement that two Russian Su-27 fighter jets “conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept” of a U.S. MQ-9 drone that was operating within international airspace over the Black Sea.

It said one of the Russian fighters “struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.” Prior to that, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 several times before the collision in “a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” the U.S. European Command said in a statement from Stuttgart, Germany.

“This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,” it added.

U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, said the MQ-9 aircraft was "conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9.” He added that “in fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.”

There was no immediate reaction from Moscow, which has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The Kremlin has charged that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the conflict.

Kirby emphasized that the incident wouldn’t deter the U.S. from continuing their missions in the area.

“if the message is that they want to deter or dissuade us from flying, and operating in international airspace, over the Black Sea, then that message will fail,” Kirby said, adding “that is not going to happen.”

“We’re going to continue to fly and operate in international airspace over international waters,” he said. “The Black Sea belongs to no one nation.”

The U.S. European Command said the incident followed a pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and Allied aircraft over international airspace, including over the Black Sea.

“These aggressive actions by Russian aircrew are dangerous and could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation,” it warned.

Gen. David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, said that this type of collision is his greatest concern, both in that area of Europe as well as in the Pacific.

“Probably my biggest worry both there and in the Pacific is an aggressive Russia or China pilot or vessel captain, or something gets too close, doesn’t realize where they are, and causes a collision,” Berger said, in response to a question at a National Press Club event on Tuesday.

He said that whether an incident is intentional or not, it forces nation’s leaders to try and sort it out quickly from afar.

Amid the continuing fighting in Ukraine, a Russian missile on Tuesday struck an apartment building in the center of Kramatorsk, killing at least one person and wounding nine others in one of Ukraine’s major city strongholds in its eastern Donetsk region.

The victims were among at least seven civilians killed and 30 wounded in 24 hours, Ukraine authorities said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video showing gaping holes in the façade of the low-rise building that bore the brunt of the strike. The impact damaged nine apartment blocks, a kindergarten, a local bank branch and two cars, said regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.

“Russian troops are striking residential buildings, schools and hospitals, leaving cities on fire and in ruins,” Kyrylenko said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking Tuesday during a meeting with workers at a helicopter factory in southern Siberia, once again cast the conflict in Ukraine as an existential one for Russia, charging that unlike the West — which, he said, is seeking to advance its geopolitical clout — it’s fighting for its existence as a state.

“For us, it’s not a geopolitical task," Putin said, "it’s the task of survival of Russian statehood and the creation of conditions for the future development of our country.”

Russia had welcomed a Chinese peace proposal to end the fighting, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Kyiv’s refusal to have talks leaves Moscow with only military options.

“We must achieve our goals,” Peskov told reporters. “Given the current stance of the Kyiv regime, now it’s only possible by military means.”

The Russian onslaught has focused on the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut where Kyiv's troops have been fending off Russian attacks for seven months and which has become a symbol of Ukraine's resistance, as well as a focal point of the war.

Zelenskyy discussed the situation in Bakhmut with the top military brass and they were unanimous in their determination to face down the Russian onslaught, according to the presidential office.

“The defensive operation in (Bakhmut) is of paramount strategic importance to deterring the enemy. It is key for the stability of the defense of the entire frontline,” Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian fighter jet on Tuesday struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea, causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle in international waters, the U.S. military said, an incident that highlighted soaring U.S.-Russian tensions over Moscow's war in Ukraine.

White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident by national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

It said one of the Russian fighters “struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.” Prior to that, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 several times before the collision in “a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” the U.S. European Command said in a statement from Stuttgart, Germany

There was no immediate reaction from Moscow, which has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Amid the continuing fighting in Ukraine, A Russian missile struck an apartment building in the center of Kramatorsk on Tuesday, killing at least one person and wounding nine others in one of Ukraine’s major city strongholds in its eastern Donetsk region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video showing gaping holes in the façade of the low-rise building that bore the brunt of the strike.

The Ukrainian general prosecutor’s office and regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko also reported on the attack, posting photos of the building with mounds of rubble in front of it. The impact damaged nine apartment blocks, a kindergarten, a local bank branch and two cars, Kyrylenko said.

The war, which erupted after Russia’s launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, has brought&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-health-doctors-without-borders-government-and-politics-b87823403f6dc148a8d728e73ad2cbae">heavy civilian casualties</a>. Tuesday’s victims were among at least seven civilians killed and 30 wounded in 24 hours, Ukraine authorities said.

They included a 55-year-old woman killed when a Russian shell hit her car Tuesday in a border town in northeastern Ukraine.

“Russian troops are striking residential buildings, schools and hospitals, leaving cities on fire and in ruins,” Kyrylenko, the regional governor, said on Ukrainian television. “The Russians mark each meter (yard) of their advance in the region not only with their own blood, but also with the (lost) lives of civilians.”

Kramatorsk houses the local Ukrainian army headquarters. Ukrainian authorities say it has been regularly targeted by Russian shelling and other attacks in the past.

A missile strike on the city’s train station last April, which Kyiv and much of the international community blamed on Moscow, killed dozens of people and wounded more than 100.

Ukrainian forces have also dug in, especially in the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut where Kyiv's troops have been fending off Russian attacks for seven months and which has become a symbol of Ukraine's resistance, as well as a focal point of the war.

Putin emphasized that his country’s industries have survived the blow of Western sanctions. But he acknowledged those sanctions could bring longer-term problems for the Russian economy.

Russia had welcomed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/peace-talks-russia-ukraine-china-b6ce7e237f6f9037ad317a69d2f1373a">Chinese peace proposal</a>&nbsp;to end the fighting, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Kyiv's refusal to have talks leaves Moscow with only military options.

Beijing has said it has a “no limits friendship” with Russia and has refused to criticize Moscow’s invasion, or even refer to it as an invasion.

However, Moscow’s pursuit of its goals in Ukraine has been slowed by poor war management and short resources after being beaten back at the end of last year in a Ukrainian counteroffensive, military analysts say.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense said Tuesday that Russia’s artillery ammunition shortages “have likely worsened to the extent that extremely punitive shell-rationing is in force on many parts of the front.”

That shortcoming, it said, has “almost certainly been a key reason why no Russian formation has recently been able to generate operationally significant offensive action.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678817249159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday in a “brazen violation of international law,” causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S. said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PentagonPresSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PentagonPresSec</a> confirms two Russian aircraft conducted &quot;unsafe and unprofessional intercept&quot; with an unmanned <a href="https://twitter.com/usairforce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usairforce</a> aircraft in international airspace: &quot;This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Iox1T1DDFs">pic.twitter.com/Iox1T1DDFs</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1635718468807819296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The incident, which raised tensions over Moscow's war in Ukraine, appeared to mark the first time since the height of the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft was brought down after being hit by a Russian warplane.U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to White House National Security spokesman John Kirby. He added that U.S. State Department officials would be speaking directly with their Russian counterparts and “expressing our concerns over this unsafe and unprofessional intercept.”State Department spokesman Ned Price called it a “brazen violation of international law.” He said the U.S. summoned the Russian ambassador to lodge a protest and the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, has made similar representations in Moscow.The U.S. European Command said in a statement that two Russian Su-27 fighter jets “conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept” of a U.S. MQ-9 drone that was operating within international airspace over the Black Sea.It said one of the Russian fighters “struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.” Prior to that, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 several times before the collision in “a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” the U.S. European Command said in a statement from Stuttgart, Germany.“This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,” it added.U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, said the MQ-9 aircraft was "conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9.” He added that “in fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.”There was no immediate reaction from Moscow, which has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The Kremlin has charged that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the conflict.Kirby emphasized that the incident wouldn’t deter the U.S. from continuing their missions in the area.“if the message is that they want to deter or dissuade us from flying, and operating in international airspace, over the Black Sea, then that message will fail,” Kirby said, adding “that is not going to happen.”“We’re going to continue to fly and operate in international airspace over international waters,” he said. “The Black Sea belongs to no one nation.”The U.S. European Command said the incident followed a pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and Allied aircraft over international airspace, including over the Black Sea.“These aggressive actions by Russian aircrew are dangerous and could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation,” it warned.Gen. David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, said that this type of collision is his greatest concern, both in that area of Europe as well as in the Pacific.“Probably my biggest worry both there and in the Pacific is an aggressive Russia or China pilot or vessel captain, or something gets too close, doesn’t realize where they are, and causes a collision,” Berger said, in response to a question at a National Press Club event on Tuesday.He said that whether an incident is intentional or not, it forces nation’s leaders to try and sort it out quickly from afar.Amid the continuing fighting in Ukraine, a Russian missile on Tuesday struck an apartment building in the center of Kramatorsk, killing at least one person and wounding nine others in one of Ukraine’s major city strongholds in its eastern Donetsk region.The victims were among at least seven civilians killed and 30 wounded in 24 hours, Ukraine authorities said.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video showing gaping holes in the façade of the low-rise building that bore the brunt of the strike. The impact damaged nine apartment blocks, a kindergarten, a local bank branch and two cars, said regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.“Russian troops are striking residential buildings, schools and hospitals, leaving cities on fire and in ruins,” Kyrylenko said.Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking Tuesday during a meeting with workers at a helicopter factory in southern Siberia, once again cast the conflict in Ukraine as an existential one for Russia, charging that unlike the West — which, he said, is seeking to advance its geopolitical clout — it’s fighting for its existence as a state.“For us, it’s not a geopolitical task," Putin said, "it’s the task of survival of Russian statehood and the creation of conditions for the future development of our country.”Russia had welcomed a Chinese peace proposal to end the fighting, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Kyiv’s refusal to have talks leaves Moscow with only military options.“We must achieve our goals,” Peskov told reporters. “Given the current stance of the Kyiv regime, now it’s only possible by military means.”The Russian onslaught has focused on the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut where Kyiv's troops have been fending off Russian attacks for seven months and which has become a symbol of Ukraine's resistance, as well as a focal point of the war.Zelenskyy discussed the situation in Bakhmut with the top military brass and they were unanimous in their determination to face down the Russian onslaught, according to the presidential office.“The defensive operation in (Bakhmut) is of paramount strategic importance to deterring the enemy. It is key for the stability of the defense of the entire frontline,” Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said.-------------------KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian fighter jet on Tuesday struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea, causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle in international waters, the U.S. military said, an incident that highlighted soaring U.S.-Russian tensions over Moscow's war in Ukraine.White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident by national security adviser Jake Sullivan.The U.S. European Command said in a statement that two Russian Su-27 fighter jets “conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept” of a U.S. MQ-9 drone that was operating within international airspace over the Black Sea.It said one of the Russian fighters “struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.” Prior to that, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 several times before the collision in “a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” the U.S. European Command said in a statement from Stuttgart, Germany“This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,” it added.There was no immediate reaction from Moscow, which has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.Amid the continuing fighting in Ukraine, A Russian missile struck an apartment building in the center of Kramatorsk on Tuesday, killing at least one person and wounding nine others in one of Ukraine’s major city strongholds in its eastern Donetsk region.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video showing gaping holes in the façade of the low-rise building that bore the brunt of the strike.The Ukrainian general prosecutor’s office and regional Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko also reported on the attack, posting photos of the building with mounds of rubble in front of it. The impact damaged nine apartment blocks, a kindergarten, a local bank branch and two cars, Kyrylenko said.The war, which erupted after Russia’s launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, has brought&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-health-doctors-without-borders-government-and-politics-b87823403f6dc148a8d728e73ad2cbae">heavy civilian casualties</a>. Tuesday’s victims were among at least seven civilians killed and 30 wounded in 24 hours, Ukraine authorities said.They included a 55-year-old woman killed when a Russian shell hit her car Tuesday in a border town in northeastern Ukraine.“Russian troops are striking residential buildings, schools and hospitals, leaving cities on fire and in ruins,” Kyrylenko, the regional governor, said on Ukrainian television. “The Russians mark each meter (yard) of their advance in the region not only with their own blood, but also with the (lost) lives of civilians.”Kramatorsk houses the local Ukrainian army headquarters. Ukrainian authorities say it has been regularly targeted by Russian shelling and other attacks in the past.A missile strike on the city’s train station last April, which Kyiv and much of the international community blamed on Moscow, killed dozens of people and wounded more than 100.Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking Tuesday during a meeting with workers at a helicopter factory in southern Siberia, once again cast the conflict in Ukraine as an existential one for Russia, charging that unlike the West — which, he said, is seeking to advance its geopolitical clout — it’s fighting for its existence as a state.“For us, it’s not a geopolitical task," Putin said, "it’s the task of survival of Russian statehood and the creation of conditions for the future development of our country.”Ukrainian forces have also dug in, especially in the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut where Kyiv's troops have been fending off Russian attacks for seven months and which has become a symbol of Ukraine's resistance, as well as a focal point of the war.Zelenskyy discussed the situation in Bakhmut with the top military brass and they were unanimous in their determination to face down the Russian onslaught, according to the presidential office.“The defensive operation in (Bakhmut) is of paramount strategic importance to deterring the enemy. It is key for the stability of the defense of the entire frontline,” Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said.Putin emphasized that his country’s industries have survived the blow of Western sanctions. But he acknowledged those sanctions could bring longer-term problems for the Russian economy.Russia had welcomed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/peace-talks-russia-ukraine-china-b6ce7e237f6f9037ad317a69d2f1373a">Chinese peace proposal</a>&nbsp;to end the fighting, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Kyiv's refusal to have talks leaves Moscow with only military options.Beijing has said it has a “no limits friendship” with Russia and has refused to criticize Moscow’s invasion, or even refer to it as an invasion.“We must achieve our goals,” Peskov told reporters. “Given the current stance of the Kyiv regime, now it’s only possible by military means.”However, Moscow’s pursuit of its goals in Ukraine has been slowed by poor war management and short resources after being beaten back at the end of last year in a Ukrainian counteroffensive, military analysts say.The U.K. Ministry of Defense said Tuesday that Russia’s artillery ammunition shortages “have likely worsened to the extent that extremely punitive shell-rationing is in force on many parts of the front.”That shortcoming, it said, has “almost certainly been a key reason why no Russian formation has recently been able to generate operationally significant offensive action.”

🎥Russian fighter jet downs U.S. surveillance drone over Black Sea

United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that 
Neri Mendoza-Rodriguez, 31, was
 sentenced on March 10 in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for 
his participation in a methamphetamine and fentanyl drug conspiracy. 
Chief United States District Judge
Robert F. Rossiter Jr. 
sentenced Mendoza-Rodriguez to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison,
Mendoza-Rodriguez
 will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Mendoza-Rodriguez is
 subject to deportation to Mexico by U.S. immigration authorities when 
he completes his sentence of imprisonment.

In March 2021, a confidential source contacted
<a>Mendoza-Rodriguez </a>to 
arrange the purchase of methamphetamine. On April 5, 2021, the CS met 
with Mendoza-Rodriguez and Mendoza-Rodriguez’s cousin, Rigoberto 
Madrid-Morga, and successfully purchased 399.78 grams of pure 
methamphetamine.&nbsp;

 During this controlled delivery, the CS discussed purchasing M-30 
fentanyl pills from Mendoza-Rodriguez. Mendoza-Rodriguez confirmed he 
had fentanyl pills available, and on April 29, 2021, Madrid-Morga 
delivered 106.79 grams of fentanyl to the CS in Omaha.&nbsp;


This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven Russell announced that 
Neri Mendoza-Rodriguez, 31, was
 sentenced on March 10 in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for 
his participation in a methamphetamine and fentanyl drug conspiracy. 
Chief United States District Judge
Robert F. Rossiter Jr. 
sentenced Mendoza-Rodriguez to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison,
Mendoza-Rodriguez
 will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Mendoza-Rodriguez is
 subject to deportation to Mexico by U.S. immigration authorities when 
he completes his sentence of imprisonment.In March 2021, a confidential source contacted
<a>Mendoza-Rodriguez </a>to 
arrange the purchase of methamphetamine. On April 5, 2021, the CS met 
with Mendoza-Rodriguez and Mendoza-Rodriguez’s cousin, Rigoberto 
Madrid-Morga, and successfully purchased 399.78 grams of pure 
methamphetamine.&nbsp;
 During this controlled delivery, the CS discussed purchasing M-30 
fentanyl pills from Mendoza-Rodriguez. Mendoza-Rodriguez confirmed he 
had fentanyl pills available, and on April 29, 2021, Madrid-Morga 
delivered 106.79 grams of fentanyl to the CS in Omaha.&nbsp;
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Mexican citizen sentenced for meth trafficking conspiracy

SYRIA—Authorities are investigating an attack U.S. Forces in Syria. Just before 8:30p.m. Monday, two rockets landed near coalition forces at Mission Support site Green Village in Northeast Syria, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

No U.S. or Coalition troops were killed or injured. There was no damage to coalition infrastructure or equipment.

U.S. Forces found rocket debris at the point of impact. There were no claims of responsibility late Monday, according to the U.S. Central Command.&nbsp; &nbsp;The U.S. reported similar attacks in October, November and February.

SYRIA—Authorities are investigating an attack U.S. Forces in Syria. Just before 8:30p.m. Monday, two rockets landed near coalition forces at Mission Support site Green Village in Northeast Syria, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.No U.S. or Coalition troops were killed or injured. There was no damage to coalition infrastructure or equipment.U.S. Forces found rocket debris at the point of impact. There were no claims of responsibility late Monday, according to the U.S. Central Command.&nbsp; &nbsp;The U.S. reported similar attacks in October, November and February.

Another rocket attack targets US base in Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two large banks that cater to the tech industry have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">collapsed after a bank run</a>, government agencies are taking emergency measures to backstop the financial system, and President Joe Biden is reassuring Americans that the money they have in banks is safe.

It's all eerily reminiscent of the financial meltdown that began with the bursting of the housing bubble 15 years ago. Yet the initial pace this time around seems even faster.

Over the last three days, the U.S. seized the two financial institutions after a bank run on Silicon Valley Bank, based in Santa Clara, California. It was the largest bank failure since Washington Mutual went under in 2008.

How did we get here? And will the steps the government unveiled over the weekend be enough?

Here are some questions and answers about what has happened and why it matters:

Silicon Valley Bank had already been hit hard by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-snap-inc-amazoncom-business-5012d95678b50f699498cb11b5f3913d">rough patch for technology companies</a>&nbsp;in recent months and the Federal Reserve’s aggressive plan to increase interest rates to combat inflation compounded its problems.

The bank held billions of dollars worth of Treasuries and other bonds, which is typical for most banks as they are considered safe investments. However, the value of previously issued bonds has begun to fall because they pay lower interest rates than comparable bonds issued in today’s higher interest rate environment.

That's usually not an issue either because bonds are considered long term investments and banks are not required to book declining values until they are sold. Such bonds are not sold for a loss unless there is an emergency and the bank needs cash.

Silicon Valley, the bank that collapsed Friday, had an emergency. Its customers were largely startups and other tech-centric companies that needed more cash over the past year, so they began withdrawing their deposits. That forced the bank to sell a chunk of its bonds at a steep loss, and the pace of those withdrawals accelerated as word spread, effectively&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">rendering Silicon Valley Bank insolvent</a>.

The Federal Reserve, the U.S. Treasury Department, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-bailout-yellen-deposits-failure-94f2185742981daf337c4691bbb9ec1e">guarantee all deposits</a>&nbsp;at Silicon Valley Bank, as well as at New York's Signature Bank, which was seized on Sunday. Critically, they agreed to guarantee all deposits, above and beyond the limit on insured deposits of $250,000.

Many of Silicon Valley's startup tech customers and venture capitalists had far more than $250,000 at the bank. As a result, as much as 90% of Silicon Valley's deposits were uninsured. Without the government's decision to backstop them all, many companies would have lost funds needed to meet payroll, pay bills, and keep the lights on.

The goal of the expanded guarantees is to avert bank runs — where customers rush to remove their money — by establishing the Fed’s commitment to protecting the deposits of businesses and individuals and calming nerves after a harrowing few days.

Also late Sunday, the Federal Reserve initiated a broad emergency lending program intended to shore up confidence in the nation’s financial system.

Banks will be allowed to borrow money straight from the Fed in order to cover any potential rush of customer withdrawals without being forced into the type of money-losing bond sales that would threaten their financial stability. Such fire sales are what caused Silicon Valley Bank's collapse.

If all works as planned, the emergency lending program may not actually have to lend much money. Rather, it will reassure the public that the Fed will cover their deposits and that it is willing to lend big to do so. There is no cap on the amount that banks can borrow, other than their ability to provide collateral.

Unlike its more byzantine efforts to rescue the banking system during the financial crisis of 2007-08, the Fed's approach this time is relatively straightforward. It has set up a new lending facility with the bureaucratic moniker, “Bank Term Funding Program.”

The program will provide loans to banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions for up to a year. The banks are being asked to post Treasuries and other government-backed bonds as collateral.

The Fed is being generous in its terms: It will charge a relatively low interest rate — just 0.1 percentage points higher than market rates — and it will lend against the face value of the bonds, rather than the market value. Lending against the face value of bonds is a key provision that will allow banks to borrow more money because the value of those bonds, at least on paper, has fallen as interest rates have moved higher.

As of the end of last year U.S. banks held Treasuries and other securities with about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">$620 billion of unrealized losses</a>, according to the FDIC. That means they would take huge losses if forced to sell those securities to cover a rush of withdrawals.

HOW DID THE BANKS END UP WITH SUCH BIG LOSSES?

Ironically, a big chunk of that $620 billion in unrealized losses can be tied to the Federal Reserve's own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-powell-inflation-rates-economy-debt-89c49a1032527f2d2f1d6d674bafe187">interest-rate policies over the past year</a>.

In its fight to cool the economy and bring down inflation, the Fed has rapidly pushed up its benchmark interest rate from nearly zero to about 4.6%. That has indirectly lifted the yield, or interest paid, on a range of government bonds, particularly two-year Treasuries, which topped 5% until the end of last week.

When new bonds arrive with higher interest rates, it makes existing bonds with lower yields much less valuable if they must be sold. Banks are not forced to recognize such losses on their books until they sell those assets, which Silicon Valley was forced to do.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES?

They're very important. Legally, the FDIC is required to pursue the cheapest route when winding down a bank. In the case of Silicon Valley or Signature, that would have meant sticking to rules on the books, meaning that only the first $250,000 in depositors' accounts would be covered.

Going beyond the $250,000 cap required a decision that the failure of the two banks posed a “systemic risk." The Fed's six-member board unanimously reached that conclusion. The FDIC and the Treasury Secretary went along with the decision as well.

WILL THESE PROGRAMS SPEND TAXPAYER DOLLARS?

The U.S. says that guaranteeing the deposits won't require any taxpayer funds. Instead, any losses from the FDIC's insurance fund would be replenished by a levying an additional fee on banks.

Yet Krishna Guha, an analyst with the investment bank Evercore ISI, said that political opponents will argue that the higher FDIC fees will “ultimately fall on small banks and Main Street business.” That, in theory, could cost consumers and businesses in the long run.

Guha and other analysts say that the government's response is expansive and should stabilize the banking system, though share prices for medium-sized banks, similar to Silicon Valley and Signature, plunged Monday.

“We think the double-barreled bazooka should be enough to quell potential runs at other regional banks and restore relative stability in the days ahead,” Guha wrote in a note to clients.

Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics, said the Fed's lending program means banks should be able to "ride out the storm.”

Yet Ashworth also added a note of caution: “Rationally, this should be enough to stop any contagion from spreading and taking down more banks ... but contagion has always been more about irrational fear, so we would stress that there is no guarantee this will work.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678567122405.png" alt="Silicon Vally Bank branch in Santa Clara, California -Google image" />
 <figcaption>Silicon Vally Bank branch in Santa Clara, California -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Two large banks that cater to the tech industry have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">collapsed after a bank run</a>, government agencies are taking emergency measures to backstop the financial system, and President Joe Biden is reassuring Americans that the money they have in banks is safe.It's all eerily reminiscent of the financial meltdown that began with the bursting of the housing bubble 15 years ago. Yet the initial pace this time around seems even faster.Over the last three days, the U.S. seized the two financial institutions after a bank run on Silicon Valley Bank, based in Santa Clara, California. It was the largest bank failure since Washington Mutual went under in 2008.How did we get here? And will the steps the government unveiled over the weekend be enough?Here are some questions and answers about what has happened and why it matters:WHY DID SILICON VALLEY BANK FAIL?Silicon Valley Bank had already been hit hard by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-snap-inc-amazoncom-business-5012d95678b50f699498cb11b5f3913d">rough patch for technology companies</a>&nbsp;in recent months and the Federal Reserve’s aggressive plan to increase interest rates to combat inflation compounded its problems.The bank held billions of dollars worth of Treasuries and other bonds, which is typical for most banks as they are considered safe investments. However, the value of previously issued bonds has begun to fall because they pay lower interest rates than comparable bonds issued in today’s higher interest rate environment.That's usually not an issue either because bonds are considered long term investments and banks are not required to book declining values until they are sold. Such bonds are not sold for a loss unless there is an emergency and the bank needs cash.Silicon Valley, the bank that collapsed Friday, had an emergency. Its customers were largely startups and other tech-centric companies that needed more cash over the past year, so they began withdrawing their deposits. That forced the bank to sell a chunk of its bonds at a steep loss, and the pace of those withdrawals accelerated as word spread, effectively&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">rendering Silicon Valley Bank insolvent</a>.WHAT DID THE GOVERNMENT DO SUNDAY?The Federal Reserve, the U.S. Treasury Department, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-bailout-yellen-deposits-failure-94f2185742981daf337c4691bbb9ec1e">guarantee all deposits</a>&nbsp;at Silicon Valley Bank, as well as at New York's Signature Bank, which was seized on Sunday. Critically, they agreed to guarantee all deposits, above and beyond the limit on insured deposits of $250,000.Many of Silicon Valley's startup tech customers and venture capitalists had far more than $250,000 at the bank. As a result, as much as 90% of Silicon Valley's deposits were uninsured. Without the government's decision to backstop them all, many companies would have lost funds needed to meet payroll, pay bills, and keep the lights on.The goal of the expanded guarantees is to avert bank runs — where customers rush to remove their money — by establishing the Fed’s commitment to protecting the deposits of businesses and individuals and calming nerves after a harrowing few days.Also late Sunday, the Federal Reserve initiated a broad emergency lending program intended to shore up confidence in the nation’s financial system.Banks will be allowed to borrow money straight from the Fed in order to cover any potential rush of customer withdrawals without being forced into the type of money-losing bond sales that would threaten their financial stability. Such fire sales are what caused Silicon Valley Bank's collapse.If all works as planned, the emergency lending program may not actually have to lend much money. Rather, it will reassure the public that the Fed will cover their deposits and that it is willing to lend big to do so. There is no cap on the amount that banks can borrow, other than their ability to provide collateral.HOW IS THE PROGRAM INTENDED TO WORK?Unlike its more byzantine efforts to rescue the banking system during the financial crisis of 2007-08, the Fed's approach this time is relatively straightforward. It has set up a new lending facility with the bureaucratic moniker, “Bank Term Funding Program.”The program will provide loans to banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions for up to a year. The banks are being asked to post Treasuries and other government-backed bonds as collateral.The Fed is being generous in its terms: It will charge a relatively low interest rate — just 0.1 percentage points higher than market rates — and it will lend against the face value of the bonds, rather than the market value. Lending against the face value of bonds is a key provision that will allow banks to borrow more money because the value of those bonds, at least on paper, has fallen as interest rates have moved higher.As of the end of last year U.S. banks held Treasuries and other securities with about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">$620 billion of unrealized losses</a>, according to the FDIC. That means they would take huge losses if forced to sell those securities to cover a rush of withdrawals.HOW DID THE BANKS END UP WITH SUCH BIG LOSSES?Ironically, a big chunk of that $620 billion in unrealized losses can be tied to the Federal Reserve's own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-powell-inflation-rates-economy-debt-89c49a1032527f2d2f1d6d674bafe187">interest-rate policies over the past year</a>.In its fight to cool the economy and bring down inflation, the Fed has rapidly pushed up its benchmark interest rate from nearly zero to about 4.6%. That has indirectly lifted the yield, or interest paid, on a range of government bonds, particularly two-year Treasuries, which topped 5% until the end of last week.When new bonds arrive with higher interest rates, it makes existing bonds with lower yields much less valuable if they must be sold. Banks are not forced to recognize such losses on their books until they sell those assets, which Silicon Valley was forced to do.HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES?They're very important. Legally, the FDIC is required to pursue the cheapest route when winding down a bank. In the case of Silicon Valley or Signature, that would have meant sticking to rules on the books, meaning that only the first $250,000 in depositors' accounts would be covered.Going beyond the $250,000 cap required a decision that the failure of the two banks posed a “systemic risk." The Fed's six-member board unanimously reached that conclusion. The FDIC and the Treasury Secretary went along with the decision as well.WILL THESE PROGRAMS SPEND TAXPAYER DOLLARS?The U.S. says that guaranteeing the deposits won't require any taxpayer funds. Instead, any losses from the FDIC's insurance fund would be replenished by a levying an additional fee on banks.Yet Krishna Guha, an analyst with the investment bank Evercore ISI, said that political opponents will argue that the higher FDIC fees will “ultimately fall on small banks and Main Street business.” That, in theory, could cost consumers and businesses in the long run.WILL IT ALL WORK?Guha and other analysts say that the government's response is expansive and should stabilize the banking system, though share prices for medium-sized banks, similar to Silicon Valley and Signature, plunged Monday.“We think the double-barreled bazooka should be enough to quell potential runs at other regional banks and restore relative stability in the days ahead,” Guha wrote in a note to clients.Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics, said the Fed's lending program means banks should be able to "ride out the storm.”“These are strong moves,” he said.Yet Ashworth also added a note of caution: “Rationally, this should be enough to stop any contagion from spreading and taking down more banks ... but contagion has always been more about irrational fear, so we would stress that there is no guarantee this will work.”

After two historic US bank failures, here’s what comes next

United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Eric D. Waller, 54, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 10 in federal court in Omaha for distribution of methamphetamine.&nbsp; Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Waller to 60 months’ imprisonment.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release.

On May 16, 2022, Waller sold methamphetamine to a cooperating witness working with law enforcement. Laboratory testing confirmed a net weight of 13.967 grams and purity of 94.3 percent.

This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Eric D. Waller, 54, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 10 in federal court in Omaha for distribution of methamphetamine.&nbsp; Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Waller to 60 months’ imprisonment.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release.On May 16, 2022, Waller sold methamphetamine to a cooperating witness working with law enforcement. Laboratory testing confirmed a net weight of 13.967 grams and purity of 94.3 percent.This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.

Neb. man sentenced for distribution of methamphetamine

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/13/sen-ricketts-says-he-hasnt-yet-made-pick-in-2024-gop-presidential-race/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., says he has not yet taken sides in the 2024 Republican primary race for president.

Ricketts, during an event Friday to 
open his Omaha Senate office, said he is focused on his new job and his 
own 2024 contest. He is running to serve out the final two years of 
former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse’s term.

While Ricketts is keeping his options
 open, his parents, major conservative donors Joe and Marlene Ricketts, 
appear to have a favorite in the presidential primary. They donated 
recently to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.&nbsp;

Ricketts’ mother, Marlene, donated $50,000 to DeSantis’ state political committee in October, two weeks after Sasse announced <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/10/06/u-s-sen-ben-sasse-is-expected-to-announce-resignation-from-senate/">plans to vacate his Senate seat</a>. Gov. Jim Pillen picked Ricketts to fill the vacancy in January.

Then, in mid-February, the senator’s 
father, Joe, gave $1 million to DeSantis’ committee, which could be 
transferred to a presidential campaign.&nbsp;

Sen. Ricketts’ critics have questioned the donations, because DeSantis appointees run the board of governors that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/16/how-desantis-and-florida-republicans-are-reshaping-higher-education-00061980">selected Sasse to become the next president</a> of the University of Florida.

Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane 
Kleeb described Ricketts’ January elevation to the Senate as “very 
convenient for DeSantis,” who had “this opening at the university” for 
Sasse.

“You don’t have to be a conspiracy 
theorist to look at the facts in front of us,” she said. “Ricketts has 
always wanted to be a senator. He couldn’t get elected, so he found a 
way to get appointed.”

Pete Ricketts has faced similar 
criticism from supporters of multi-state agribusinessman Charles 
Herbster, who finished second to Pillen in Nebraska’s 2022 GOP primary 
for governor.

Some of those Herbster supporters and some fervent supporters of 
former President Donald Trump helped wrest the Nebraska Republican Party
 leadership team from a group Ricketts backed, shifting it to a <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/09/old-guard-conservatives-and-trump-populists-take-nebraska-gop-from-ricketts/">new, more populist one.</a>

Herbster backers have pointed out the $1.3 million that then-Gov. Pete Ricketts spent in 2022 to <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/06/nebraskas-costliest-governors-race-left-wild-numbers-in-its-wake/">help elect Pillen</a>, including spending on outside groups that bashed Pillen’s opponents. His parents <a target="_blank" href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nebraska-gov-spent-over-1-3m-boosting-gop-primary-candidate-now-nominee-could-appoint-him-us-senator">donated as well</a>.

The relationship between Trump and 
the Ricketts family hasn’t been smooth. Pete Ricketts had asked Trump 
personally to stay out of the 2022 Nebraska governor’s race. Instead, 
Trump endorsed Herbster, who spent much of the primary campaign as a 
frontrunner.

In 2016, after learning about 
donations members of the Ricketts family had made opposing him during 
the GOP presidential primary, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/in-tweet-donald-trump-blasts-ricketts-family/">Trump tweeted</a>: “They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!”

Joe and Marlene Ricketts gave 
millions to groups aligned with other candidates that year before it 
became clear that Trump would not be defeated.

Marlene Ricketts, for instance, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/02/21/donald-trump-super-pac-marlene-ricketts/80698232/">gave about $3 million</a> during the GOP primary to a Super PAC opposing Trump. The group ran ads and sent political mailers.

In the 2016 general election and the 2020 race, however, Joe and Marlene Ricketts gave groups supporting Trump <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/ricketts-family-pledge-1-million-to-donald-trump/">seven-figure donations</a>, including $1 million for his inaugural celebration.&nbsp;

Sen. Ricketts backed Trump against 
Democrats Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. He spoke at 
Trump’s 2020 rally in Nebraska, and he has defended Trump’s tax cuts as a
 model for GOP governance.&nbsp;

Pete Ricketts stressed the diversity 
of his family’s political beliefs. His wife, Susanne, and sister, Laura,
 have given to Democrats, and his brother Todd raised funds for Trump.

The family owns the Chicago Cubs MLB team. His father, Joe, founded the financial services company that became TD Ameritrade.&nbsp;

“My mom, my dad, my siblings, all of 
them … follow politics,” Pete Ricketts said. “We’re all very 
interesting, and not always on the same side.”

He said Friday that he’s heard that Herbster <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/herbster-says-hes-thinking-about-2024-senate-race-other-political-options/">might run against him</a> in the 2024 GOP Senate primary, along with former 1st District congressional candidate John Glen Weaver.

Ricketts says he didn’t know Sasse was leaving

The senator also said he had no 
advance knowledge that Sasse intended to leave the Senate. He said Sasse
 called him the same day the resignation leaked, Oct. 6, while Ricketts 
was hunting near Chadron.

Sasse and Pillen, too, have denied any coordination.

Different people may have different 
perspectives on what happened before he became a senator, Pete Ricketts 
said, but he didn’t know until that day that Sasse was resigning.

“Most Nebraskans really aren’t 
concerned about this,” he said. “They want to know who’s serving them in
 Washington, D.C., and are you representing their views there well.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678743507027.png" alt="U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., speaks at the grand opening of his Omaha Senate office. Ricketts plans to keep the Senate offices former Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., operated in Omaha, Kearney and Scottsbluff. He’s looking for a different office in Lincoln. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., speaks at the grand opening of his Omaha Senate office. Ricketts plans to keep the Senate offices former Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., operated in Omaha, Kearney and Scottsbluff. He’s looking for a different office in Lincoln. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/13/sen-ricketts-says-he-hasnt-yet-made-pick-in-2024-gop-presidential-race/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., says he has not yet taken sides in the 2024 Republican primary race for president.Ricketts, during an event Friday to 
open his Omaha Senate office, said he is focused on his new job and his 
own 2024 contest. He is running to serve out the final two years of 
former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse’s term.While Ricketts is keeping his options
 open, his parents, major conservative donors Joe and Marlene Ricketts, 
appear to have a favorite in the presidential primary. They donated 
recently to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.&nbsp;Ricketts’ mother, Marlene, donated $50,000 to DeSantis’ state political committee in October, two weeks after Sasse announced <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/10/06/u-s-sen-ben-sasse-is-expected-to-announce-resignation-from-senate/">plans to vacate his Senate seat</a>. Gov. Jim Pillen picked Ricketts to fill the vacancy in January.Then, in mid-February, the senator’s 
father, Joe, gave $1 million to DeSantis’ committee, which could be 
transferred to a presidential campaign.&nbsp;<h2>DeSantis appointees hired Sasse</h2>Sen. Ricketts’ critics have questioned the donations, because DeSantis appointees run the board of governors that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/16/how-desantis-and-florida-republicans-are-reshaping-higher-education-00061980">selected Sasse to become the next president</a> of the University of Florida.Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane 
Kleeb described Ricketts’ January elevation to the Senate as “very 
convenient for DeSantis,” who had “this opening at the university” for 
Sasse.“You don’t have to be a conspiracy 
theorist to look at the facts in front of us,” she said. “Ricketts has 
always wanted to be a senator. He couldn’t get elected, so he found a 
way to get appointed.”Pete Ricketts has faced similar 
criticism from supporters of multi-state agribusinessman Charles 
Herbster, who finished second to Pillen in Nebraska’s 2022 GOP primary 
for governor.Some of those Herbster supporters and some fervent supporters of 
former President Donald Trump helped wrest the Nebraska Republican Party
 leadership team from a group Ricketts backed, shifting it to a <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/09/old-guard-conservatives-and-trump-populists-take-nebraska-gop-from-ricketts/">new, more populist one.</a>Herbster backers have pointed out the $1.3 million that then-Gov. Pete Ricketts spent in 2022 to <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/06/nebraskas-costliest-governors-race-left-wild-numbers-in-its-wake/">help elect Pillen</a>, including spending on outside groups that bashed Pillen’s opponents. His parents <a target="_blank" href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nebraska-gov-spent-over-1-3m-boosting-gop-primary-candidate-now-nominee-could-appoint-him-us-senator">donated as well</a>.<h2>Family history with Trump</h2>The relationship between Trump and 
the Ricketts family hasn’t been smooth. Pete Ricketts had asked Trump 
personally to stay out of the 2022 Nebraska governor’s race. Instead, 
Trump endorsed Herbster, who spent much of the primary campaign as a 
frontrunner.In 2016, after learning about 
donations members of the Ricketts family had made opposing him during 
the GOP presidential primary, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/in-tweet-donald-trump-blasts-ricketts-family/">Trump tweeted</a>: “They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!”Joe and Marlene Ricketts gave 
millions to groups aligned with other candidates that year before it 
became clear that Trump would not be defeated.Marlene Ricketts, for instance, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/02/21/donald-trump-super-pac-marlene-ricketts/80698232/">gave about $3 million</a> during the GOP primary to a Super PAC opposing Trump. The group ran ads and sent political mailers.In the 2016 general election and the 2020 race, however, Joe and Marlene Ricketts gave groups supporting Trump <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/ricketts-family-pledge-1-million-to-donald-trump/">seven-figure donations</a>, including $1 million for his inaugural celebration.&nbsp;Sen. Ricketts backed Trump against 
Democrats Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. He spoke at 
Trump’s 2020 rally in Nebraska, and he has defended Trump’s tax cuts as a
 model for GOP governance.&nbsp;<h2>Politically active family</h2>Pete Ricketts stressed the diversity 
of his family’s political beliefs. His wife, Susanne, and sister, Laura,
 have given to Democrats, and his brother Todd raised funds for Trump.The family owns the Chicago Cubs MLB team. His father, Joe, founded the financial services company that became TD Ameritrade.&nbsp;“My mom, my dad, my siblings, all of 
them … follow politics,” Pete Ricketts said. “We’re all very 
interesting, and not always on the same side.”He said Friday that he’s heard that Herbster <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/herbster-says-hes-thinking-about-2024-senate-race-other-political-options/">might run against him</a> in the 2024 GOP Senate primary, along with former 1st District congressional candidate John Glen Weaver.<h2>Ricketts says he didn’t know Sasse was leaving</h2>The senator also said he had no 
advance knowledge that Sasse intended to leave the Senate. He said Sasse
 called him the same day the resignation leaked, Oct. 6, while Ricketts 
was hunting near Chadron.Sasse and Pillen, too, have denied any coordination.Different people may have different 
perspectives on what happened before he became a senator, Pete Ricketts 
said, but he didn’t know until that day that Sasse was resigning.“Most Nebraskans really aren’t 
concerned about this,” he said. “They want to know who’s serving them in
 Washington, D.C., and are you representing their views there well.”

Ricketts says he hasn’t made pick in '24 GOP presidential race

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted unanimously Friday to declassify U.S. intelligence information about the origins of COVID-19, a sweeping show of bipartisan support near&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-pandemic-anniversary-59f39df14ddf65f786d3437cc9a52e54">the third anniversary</a>&nbsp;of the start of the deadly pandemic.

The 419-0 vote was final congressional approval of the bill, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk. It's unclear whether the president will sign the measure into law, and the White House said the matter was under review.

(Click below to watch the White House comments on the bill)

“We’re taking a look at the bill,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Debate in the House was brief and to the point: Americans have questions about how the deadly virus started and what can be done to prevent future outbreaks.

“The American public deserves answers to every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

That includes, he said, “how this virus was created and, specifically, whether it was a natural occurrence or was the result of a lab-related event.”

The order to declassify focused on intelligence related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-covid-origins-lab-leak-bc0a2eda898c22219e57921ac700d4ec">China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology</a>, citing “potential links” between the research that was done there and the outbreak of COVID-19, which the World Health Organization&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-michael-pence-religion-travel-virus-outbreak-52e12ca90c55b6e0c398d134a2cc286e">declared a pandemic</a>&nbsp;on March 11, 2020.

U.S. intelligence agencies are divided over whether a lab leak or a spillover from animals is the likely source of the deadly virus.

Experts say the true origin of the coronavirus pandemic, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-covid-death-toll-one-million-7cefbd8c3185fd970fd073386e442317">killed more than 1 million Americans</a>, may not be known for many years — if ever.

(Click below to watch U.S. Senator Roger Marshall on&nbsp;CBS Mornings&nbsp;to discuss his ongoing investigation into the origins of COVID-19)

“Transparency is a cornerstone of our democracy,” said Rep. Jim Himes, of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, during the debate.

Led by Republicans, the focus on the virus origins comes as the House launched a select committee with a hearing earlier in the week delving into theories about how the pandemic started.

It offers a rare moment of bipartisanship despite the often heated rhetoric about the origins of the coronavirus and the questions about the response to the virus by U.S. health officials, including former top health adviser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthony-fauci-announces-retirement-7efdacac6a9ff7aa6e2f870b551fe508">Anthony Fauci</a>.

The legislation from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was already approved by the Senate.

Hawley urged Biden to sign the bill into law. "The American people deserve to know the truth,” he said in a statement.

If signed into law, the measure would require within 90 days the declassification of “any and all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of the Coronavirus Disease."

That includes information about research and other activities at the lab and whether any researchers grew ill.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted unanimously Friday to declassify U.S. intelligence information about the origins of COVID-19, a sweeping show of bipartisan support near&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-pandemic-anniversary-59f39df14ddf65f786d3437cc9a52e54">the third anniversary</a>&nbsp;of the start of the deadly pandemic.The 419-0 vote was final congressional approval of the bill, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk. It's unclear whether the president will sign the measure into law, and the White House said the matter was under review.(Click below to watch the White House comments on the bill)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F216996337570998%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=2717" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“We’re taking a look at the bill,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">China has been so worked up about this COVID origins bill, Communist officials wrote to my office earlier this week and demanded I drop it. I thought I’d update President Xi on today’s passage 👇 <a href="https://t.co/uuzGiIebEl">pic.twitter.com/uuzGiIebEl</a>&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1634229246867456010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Debate in the House was brief and to the point: Americans have questions about how the deadly virus started and what can be done to prevent future outbreaks.“The American public deserves answers to every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.That includes, he said, “how this virus was created and, specifically, whether it was a natural occurrence or was the result of a lab-related event.”The order to declassify focused on intelligence related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-covid-origins-lab-leak-bc0a2eda898c22219e57921ac700d4ec">China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology</a>, citing “potential links” between the research that was done there and the outbreak of COVID-19, which the World Health Organization&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-michael-pence-religion-travel-virus-outbreak-52e12ca90c55b6e0c398d134a2cc286e">declared a pandemic</a>&nbsp;on March 11, 2020.U.S. intelligence agencies are divided over whether a lab leak or a spillover from animals is the likely source of the deadly virus.Experts say the true origin of the coronavirus pandemic, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-covid-death-toll-one-million-7cefbd8c3185fd970fd073386e442317">killed more than 1 million Americans</a>, may not be known for many years — if ever.(Click below to watch U.S. Senator Roger Marshall on&nbsp;CBS Mornings&nbsp;to discuss his ongoing investigation into the origins of COVID-19)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fqRC0jrwP54?start=138" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“Transparency is a cornerstone of our democracy,” said Rep. Jim Himes, of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, during the debate.Led by Republicans, the focus on the virus origins comes as the House launched a select committee with a hearing earlier in the week delving into theories about how the pandemic started.It offers a rare moment of bipartisanship despite the often heated rhetoric about the origins of the coronavirus and the questions about the response to the virus by U.S. health officials, including former top health adviser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthony-fauci-announces-retirement-7efdacac6a9ff7aa6e2f870b551fe508">Anthony Fauci</a>.The legislation from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was already approved by the Senate.Hawley urged Biden to sign the bill into law. "The American people deserve to know the truth,” he said in a statement.If signed into law, the measure would require within 90 days the declassification of “any and all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of the Coronavirus Disease."That includes information about research and other activities at the lab and whether any researchers grew ill.__

🎥Will Biden sign the bill to release all info on origins of COVID?    

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/survey-finds-nebraskans-dissatisfied-with-state-government-help-for-working-families/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — A recent survey by the Holland Children’s Institute of 600 registered
 Nebraska voters indicates that a majority of Nebraskans believe the 
state government is not doing enough to help working families get ahead.

The public opinion poll is part of 
the ongoing Nebraska Voters’ Outlook series. Nebraskans were interviewed
 by phone Feb. 1-5 in partnership with Patinkin Research Strategies. The
 survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.

According to the results, 58% of those interviewed believe the state 
government should be doing more for working families, with 47% 
indicating tax reform should be a top priority. Respondents also 
prioritized investments in assistance programs and infrastructure (7%), 
education and child care (6%), transportation and infrastructure (14%) 
and health care or paid family leave (9%).

“Nebraskans are right to be concerned
 about the state government’s failure to invest and focus on the real 
needs of the people,” Holland Children’s Institute CEO Hadley Richters 
said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://hollandinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NVO-March-2023-Press-Release.pdf">Tuesday</a> news release.

Richters stated that many Nebraskans 
are still recovering from the pandemic while trying to keep up with the 
“astronomical height” of inflation. Still, Richters said, these results 
could provide a guide for moving forward.

A couple of questions focused on State Sen. Joni Albrecht’s <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/cardiac-activity-abortion-ban-bill-draws-hundreds-to-nebraska-capitol/">proposed restrictions</a> on abortions, which would outlaw abortion after about six weeks, with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape and incest.

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/survey-finds-nebraskans-dissatisfied-with-state-government-help-for-working-families/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — A recent survey by the Holland Children’s Institute of 600 registered
 Nebraska voters indicates that a majority of Nebraskans believe the 
state government is not doing enough to help working families get ahead.The public opinion poll is part of 
the ongoing Nebraska Voters’ Outlook series. Nebraskans were interviewed
 by phone Feb. 1-5 in partnership with Patinkin Research Strategies. The
 survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.According to the results, 58% of those interviewed believe the state 
government should be doing more for working families, with 47% 
indicating tax reform should be a top priority. Respondents also 
prioritized investments in assistance programs and infrastructure (7%), 
education and child care (6%), transportation and infrastructure (14%) 
and health care or paid family leave (9%).“Nebraskans are right to be concerned
 about the state government’s failure to invest and focus on the real 
needs of the people,” Holland Children’s Institute CEO Hadley Richters 
said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://hollandinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NVO-March-2023-Press-Release.pdf">Tuesday</a> news release.Richters stated that many Nebraskans 
are still recovering from the pandemic while trying to keep up with the 
“astronomical height” of inflation. Still, Richters said, these results 
could provide a guide for moving forward.A couple of questions focused on State Sen. Joni Albrecht’s <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/cardiac-activity-abortion-ban-bill-draws-hundreds-to-nebraska-capitol/">proposed restrictions</a> on abortions, which would outlaw abortion after about six weeks, with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape and incest.Approximately 55% of respondents said
 they would oppose a law of that kind, with 46% in strong opposition. 
Conversely, 41% said they would support the law, with 33% in strong 
support.About 11% of respondents said abortion should be illegal in all cases.The state government also focuses too
 much on partisan bickering, not getting anything done or serving 
themselves, according to 16% of respondents.Results show that 57% of respondents 
were Republicans or Republican-leaning independents, and 33% were 
Democrats or Democrat-leaning independents. Of those interviewed, 92% 
were white.“Lawmakers must consider these 
results to better align legislative action with public policy priorities
 and deliver better outcomes for the people of Nebraska,” the release 
states.