PHILADELPHIA (AP) — As political gridlock puts the government at risk of defaulting, President Joe Biden on Thursday made an opening bid with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-budget-deficit-trillion-republicans-economy-810ff80dcd8812f2138eef571f2444f3">budget plan</a>&nbsp;that would cut deficits by $2.9 trillion over the next decade — a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-budget-highlights-taxes-deficits-medicare-3f0d64293eb6bf84d114d937627119b8">proposal that Republicans already intend to reject</a>. (Click below to watch the President's comments)

It's part of a broader attempt by the president to call out House Republicans who are demanding severe cuts to spending in return for lifting the government's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-department-of-the-treasury-united-states-government-janet-yellen-business-6fe9b54dcdfea58bead0f4c5f9f89a64">legal borrowing limit</a>. But the GOP has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-kevin-mccarthy-895d66dcb52739ea06a505859ac9fff3">no counteroffer</a>&nbsp;so far, other than a flat “no” to a Biden blueprint with tax increases on the wealthy that could form the policy backbone of Biden's yet-to-be-declared campaign for reelection in 2024.

Striding around a stage at a union training center in Philadelphia, Biden seemed to be in full campaign mode as he spoke about his plan for the government's finances and how his values contrasted with Republican priorities.

“I just laid out the bulk of my budget,” Biden said. “Republicans in Congress should do the same thing. Then we can sit down and see where we disagree.”

Yet the president doubted that GOP lawmakers could make their numbers match their calls for a balanced budget and he suggested that any efforts to do so could come at the expense of middle-class families.

“How are they going to make the math work?" Biden said. "What are they going to cut?”

Biden’s package of tax and spending priorities is unlikely to pass the GOP-run House or the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim edge, as proposed.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said the president's proposed deficit reduction was inadequate. “It just seems like it’s going to create the biggest government in history. I don’t think that’s what we need at this time,” he said.

In addition to deficit reduction, Biden's 10-year budget largely revolves around the idea of taxing the wealthy to help fund programs for the middle class, older adults and families. It would raise $4.7 trillion from higher taxes, with an additional $800 billion in savings from changes to programs.

The tax increases include a reversal of the 2017 tax cuts made by President Donald Trump on people earning more than $400,000 a year.

Biden has floated a new 25% minimum tax on households worth $100 million or more. Also, the tax that companies pay on stock buybacks would rise fourfold and those earning more than $400,000 would pay an additional Medicare tax that would help to keep the program solvent beyond the year 2050. Medicare could negotiate on the prices of more prescription drugs, helping to save the government money.

Accompanying that would be $2.6 trillion worth of new spending, including the restoration of the expanded child tax credit that would give families as much as $3,600 per child, compared with the current level of $2,000. That credit would be “fully refundable,” which means households could receive all of that sum even if they don’t owe any taxes. The budget proposal would impose a $35-a-month cap on insulin prices, matching a change that Biden already put in place for Medicare recipients.

At a time of increased tensions with Russia and China, the budget shows a decline in military spending as a share of the U.S. economy over the next decade. But federal spending would be equal to roughly one-quarter of economic output as the spending on Social Security and Medicare climbs, essentially keeping the government the same size as it is currently.

The budget would seek to close the “carried interest” loophole that allows wealthy hedge fund managers and others to pay their taxes at a lower rate, and prevent billionaires from being able to set aside large amounts of their holdings in tax-favored retirement accounts. The plan also projects saving $24 billion over 10 years by removing a tax subsidy for cryptocurrency transactions.

McCarthy has called for putting the U.S. government on a path toward a balanced budget. But by refusing to raise taxes or cut Social Security and Medicare spending, GOP lawmakers face some harsh math that makes it hard to reduce deficits without risking a voter backlash before a presidential election. He has said his plan's release was pushed back because Biden's proposal was only now coming out.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., expressed skepticism that McCarthy has any coherent plan that House Republicans can coalesce around. “Enough with the dodging, enough with the excuses," Schumer said. "Show us your plan. And then show us how it’s going to get 218 votes on your side of the aisle.”

Biden's deficit reduction goal is significantly higher than the $2 trillion that he had promised in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-the-union-biden-2023-b9bebd876a42a9510f068a04a3f2a348">State of the Union</a>&nbsp;address last month.

With the economy already in a fragile state because of high inflation, if Biden and Congress cannot agree to raise the statutory debt cap of $31.4 trillion by this summer, the government could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-department-of-the-treasury-united-states-government-district-columbia-china-0f7f0d85ed38353940a18cd262de8b09">default on payments</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-department-of-the-treasury-united-states-government-janet-yellen-business-6fe9b54dcdfea58bead0f4c5f9f89a64">perhaps shove the country into a recession.</a>

The budget also shows the shadow of Trump's legacy, as provisions in his 2017 tax cuts will expire after 2025. Biden wants to eliminate elements of that overhaul, arguing that lower taxes failed to produce the growth that Trump promised. But Biden's budget does not address tax cuts that benefited households making less than $400,000: Their expiration could amount to a tax increase that would violate a pledge by Biden to only raise taxes on the wealthy.

Based off the data, the cost of extending the tax breaks for people making less than $400,000 would be $1.5 trillion, according to Kyle Pomerleau, a senior fellow at the center-right American Enterprise Institute. That would halve the deficit savings being promoted by Biden, but Pomerleau cautioned that his estimates might be high because the president's plan includes the cost of the expanded child tax credit.

Biden’s proposal would increase the top marginal tax rate to 39.6% on income above $400,000. For households with $1 million in income, earnings from capital gains, such as stocks or property sales, would no longer enjoy a discounted tax rate compared with wages. The president would increase the corporate tax rate to 28% and increase the tax rate on U.S. multinationals’ foreign earnings from 10.5% to 21%.

In February, the nonpartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-02/58848-Outlook.pdf">Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;estimated that the national debt held by the public will grow by more than $20 trillion over the next decade. The publicly held debt, which reflects the cumulative impact of yearly deficits, would be equal to 118% of U.S. gross domestic product, compared with 98% this year. Biden's budget would reduce the debt, though it would still be high relative to historical levels.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — As political gridlock puts the government at risk of defaulting, President Joe Biden on Thursday made an opening bid with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-budget-deficit-trillion-republicans-economy-810ff80dcd8812f2138eef571f2444f3">budget plan</a>&nbsp;that would cut deficits by $2.9 trillion over the next decade — a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-budget-highlights-taxes-deficits-medicare-3f0d64293eb6bf84d114d937627119b8">proposal that Republicans already intend to reject</a>. (Click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qpJnCELX3Ag?start=814" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>It's part of a broader attempt by the president to call out House Republicans who are demanding severe cuts to spending in return for lifting the government's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-department-of-the-treasury-united-states-government-janet-yellen-business-6fe9b54dcdfea58bead0f4c5f9f89a64">legal borrowing limit</a>. But the GOP has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-kevin-mccarthy-895d66dcb52739ea06a505859ac9fff3">no counteroffer</a>&nbsp;so far, other than a flat “no” to a Biden blueprint with tax increases on the wealthy that could form the policy backbone of Biden's yet-to-be-declared campaign for reelection in 2024.Striding around a stage at a union training center in Philadelphia, Biden seemed to be in full campaign mode as he spoke about his plan for the government's finances and how his values contrasted with Republican priorities.“I just laid out the bulk of my budget,” Biden said. “Republicans in Congress should do the same thing. Then we can sit down and see where we disagree.”Yet the president doubted that GOP lawmakers could make their numbers match their calls for a balanced budget and he suggested that any efforts to do so could come at the expense of middle-class families.“How are they going to make the math work?" Biden said. "What are they going to cut?”Biden’s package of tax and spending priorities is unlikely to pass the GOP-run House or the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim edge, as proposed.House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said the president's proposed deficit reduction was inadequate. “It just seems like it’s going to create the biggest government in history. I don’t think that’s what we need at this time,” he said.In addition to deficit reduction, Biden's 10-year budget largely revolves around the idea of taxing the wealthy to help fund programs for the middle class, older adults and families. It would raise $4.7 trillion from higher taxes, with an additional $800 billion in savings from changes to programs.The tax increases include a reversal of the 2017 tax cuts made by President Donald Trump on people earning more than $400,000 a year.Biden has floated a new 25% minimum tax on households worth $100 million or more. Also, the tax that companies pay on stock buybacks would rise fourfold and those earning more than $400,000 would pay an additional Medicare tax that would help to keep the program solvent beyond the year 2050. Medicare could negotiate on the prices of more prescription drugs, helping to save the government money.Accompanying that would be $2.6 trillion worth of new spending, including the restoration of the expanded child tax credit that would give families as much as $3,600 per child, compared with the current level of $2,000. That credit would be “fully refundable,” which means households could receive all of that sum even if they don’t owe any taxes. The budget proposal would impose a $35-a-month cap on insulin prices, matching a change that Biden already put in place for Medicare recipients.At a time of increased tensions with Russia and China, the budget shows a decline in military spending as a share of the U.S. economy over the next decade. But federal spending would be equal to roughly one-quarter of economic output as the spending on Social Security and Medicare climbs, essentially keeping the government the same size as it is currently.The budget would seek to close the “carried interest” loophole that allows wealthy hedge fund managers and others to pay their taxes at a lower rate, and prevent billionaires from being able to set aside large amounts of their holdings in tax-favored retirement accounts. The plan also projects saving $24 billion over 10 years by removing a tax subsidy for cryptocurrency transactions.McCarthy has called for putting the U.S. government on a path toward a balanced budget. But by refusing to raise taxes or cut Social Security and Medicare spending, GOP lawmakers face some harsh math that makes it hard to reduce deficits without risking a voter backlash before a presidential election. He has said his plan's release was pushed back because Biden's proposal was only now coming out.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., expressed skepticism that McCarthy has any coherent plan that House Republicans can coalesce around. “Enough with the dodging, enough with the excuses," Schumer said. "Show us your plan. And then show us how it’s going to get 218 votes on your side of the aisle.”Biden's deficit reduction goal is significantly higher than the $2 trillion that he had promised in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-the-union-biden-2023-b9bebd876a42a9510f068a04a3f2a348">State of the Union</a>&nbsp;address last month.With the economy already in a fragile state because of high inflation, if Biden and Congress cannot agree to raise the statutory debt cap of $31.4 trillion by this summer, the government could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-department-of-the-treasury-united-states-government-district-columbia-china-0f7f0d85ed38353940a18cd262de8b09">default on payments</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-department-of-the-treasury-united-states-government-janet-yellen-business-6fe9b54dcdfea58bead0f4c5f9f89a64">perhaps shove the country into a recession.</a>The budget also shows the shadow of Trump's legacy, as provisions in his 2017 tax cuts will expire after 2025. Biden wants to eliminate elements of that overhaul, arguing that lower taxes failed to produce the growth that Trump promised. But Biden's budget does not address tax cuts that benefited households making less than $400,000: Their expiration could amount to a tax increase that would violate a pledge by Biden to only raise taxes on the wealthy.Based off the data, the cost of extending the tax breaks for people making less than $400,000 would be $1.5 trillion, according to Kyle Pomerleau, a senior fellow at the center-right American Enterprise Institute. That would halve the deficit savings being promoted by Biden, but Pomerleau cautioned that his estimates might be high because the president's plan includes the cost of the expanded child tax credit.Biden’s proposal would increase the top marginal tax rate to 39.6% on income above $400,000. For households with $1 million in income, earnings from capital gains, such as stocks or property sales, would no longer enjoy a discounted tax rate compared with wages. The president would increase the corporate tax rate to 28% and increase the tax rate on U.S. multinationals’ foreign earnings from 10.5% to 21%.In February, the nonpartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-02/58848-Outlook.pdf">Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;estimated that the national debt held by the public will grow by more than $20 trillion over the next decade. The publicly held debt, which reflects the cumulative impact of yearly deficits, would be equal to 118% of U.S. gross domestic product, compared with 98% this year. Biden's budget would reduce the debt, though it would still be high relative to historical levels.___

🎥Biden rolls out $6.8T budget plan, challenges GOP to follow suit

By STEPHEN GROVES and JOSH FUNK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern's CEO earnestly apologized before Congress on Thursday for last month's fiery <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">hazardous materials train derailment</a>
 on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and pledged millions of dollars to help
 the local town recover. But he stopped short of fully endorsing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">tougher safety regulations</a> or specific commitments to pay for long-term health and economic harm.

In
 a packed Senate hearing, CEO Alan Shaw said his railroad firmly 
supports the goal of improving rail safety, but he also defended his 
company's record. He was questioned closely by both Democrats and 
Republicans about the decision making that led to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">release and burn of toxic vinyl chloride</a> from five tanker cars — as well as the company's commitment to safety and helping the people of East Palestine, Ohio.

“I’m
 terribly sorry for the impact this derailment has had on the folks of 
that community,” Shaw said. “We’re going to be there for as long as it 
takes to help East Palestine thrive and recover.”

But the 
condolences and commitment of $20 million in aid so far hardly satisfied
 lawmakers or several East Palestine residents who traveled to 
Washington for the hearing.

“How do we trust that man with our 
health and the health of our children, when he won’t even answer the 
questions that we need answered,” said Jami Cozza, adding that her 
family continues to suffer from illnesses over a month after the 
derailment.

The company has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-norfolk-southern-railroad-171b7d3f8e0dbced1336efafb098badf">announced</a>
 several voluntary safety upgrades. Senators, however, are looking to 
act themselves as they investigate the derailment, the Biden 
administration's response and the company's safety practices after the 
toppling of 38 railcars, including 11 carrying hazardous materials.

Norfolk
 Southern is also under pressure from federal regulators. The National 
Transportation Safety Board and Federal Railroad Administration both <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-safety-investigation-2c819f2c469102332d4b1abf4c6e8923">announced investigations this week</a> of the East Palestine derailment and other accidents, including the death of a train conductor Tuesday.

Just Thursday, a Norfolk Southern <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-ohio-49e36d8b7f89a8e23ed8cd4e9cf96c55">train derailed in Alabama</a>. Company and local officials said there was no threat to the public.

In
 the East Palestine crash, no one was injured but half of the roughly 
5,000 local residents were evacuated. Scenes of billowing smoke above 
the town, alongside complaints <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-east-palestine-1e676947c663fefff3bb5ef70b12a642">from residents</a>
 that they are still suffering from illnesses, have turned national 
attention to railroad safety and the ways dangerous materials are 
transported.

It's all sparked a show of bipartisanship in the 
Senate. The committee on Thursday also heard from Ohio and Pennsylvania 
senators — Republican JD Vance and Democrats Sherrod Brown and Bob Casey
 — who are proposing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">new safety regulations</a> under a Railway Safety Act of 2023.

Train derailments have been getting less common, but there were still more than 1,000 last year, according to data the <a href="https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/summary.aspx">Federal Railroad Administration</a>. And as East Palestine shows, even a single train derailment involving hazardous materials can be disastrous.

Hazardous
 materials shipments account for 7% to 8% of the roughly 30 million 
shipments railroads deliver across the U.S. each year. But railroads 
often mix shipments and might have one or two cars of hazardous 
materials on almost any train. The Association of American Railroads 
trade group says 99.9% of hazardous materials shipments reach their 
destinations safely.

Norfolk Southern's Shaw is backing proposals 
to tighten standards for tank cars that the railroads don’t own, expand 
hazardous materials training for first responders and establish 
standards for the trackside detectors railroads use to spot problems. 
The company has also said it is adding “approximately 200 hot bearing 
detectors” to its network. The NTSB has said <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">a detector warned the crew operating</a>
 the train that derailed Feb. 3 outside East Palestine, but they 
couldn’t stop the train before more than three dozen cars came off the 
tracks and caught fire.

Some lawmakers want to push beyond 
voluntary safety upgrades. The Railway Safety Act of 2023, which has 
gained support from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would 
require more hot bearing detectors to be installed, set limits on train 
length and make sure railroads notify states about the hazardous 
materials they are transporting.

Some Republicans have hesitated to support the proposal, resisting efforts to impose new regulations.

Vance,
 an Ohio senator who first won election last November, slammed those in 
his party who have dismissed his bill, saying they are ignoring a shift 
in the GOP to appeal to blue-collar voters.

“We have a choice: Are we for big business and big government, or are we for the people of East Palestine?” he said.

Republicans, at the same time, are more eager to delve into the emergency response to the East Palestine derailment.

Thursday’s
 hearing also featured environmental protection officials from the 
federal, state and local levels. They acknowledged communication 
problems in the days immediately after the derailment including around 
the decision to release and burn the vinyl chloride.

Republicans 
have criticized President Joe Biden for not visiting the community in 
the aftermath of the derailment. The Democratic president has said he 
will visit at some point, and the White House notes that Transportation 
Secretary Pete Buttigieg went to East Palestine and has pressed for 
increased safety protocols for trains.

The Senate bill also 
touches on a disagreement between railroad worker unions and operators 
by requiring train crews to continue to have two people. Unions argue 
that railroads are riskier because of job cuts in the industry over the 
past six years. Nearly one-third of all rail jobs were eliminated and 
train crews, they say, deal with fatigue because they are on call night 
and day.

Shaw said Norfolk Southern has gone on a “hiring spree” 
in the past year, but he didn't back a requirement to maintain 
two-person crews on freight railroads.

He pointed to over $1 
billion the company spent on safety last year, but he acknowledged that 
Norfolk Southern also spent more than $3 billion buying back its own 
stock and recorded a $3.3 billion profit in 2022.

"I am committed to making Norfolk Southern’s safety culture the best in the industry,” he told the Senate panel.

Democratic
 Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts rejected Shaw’s talk of safety after a 
recent string of incidents including another derailment last Saturday 
near Springfield, Ohio, and the death of a conductor this week at a 
steel plant in Cleveland.

"It seems like every week there’s 
another accident that Norfolk Southern is a part of in our country. So 
you might think that you’ve put in enough but the facts are saying just 
the opposite,” Markey said.

The senator also pressed Shaw to make 
specific commitments including paying for the loss of home values in 
East Palestine. Shaw repeated this refrain: “I am committed to do what's
 right.”

Markey retorted, “What’s right for the community will 
then be balanced — which is what we can see from the stock buybacks — 
with what’s right from Norfolk Southern, and that’s going to be to sue, 
to fight, to resist full compensation for these communities.”

Misti
 Allison, an East Palestine resident, said she also was frustrated by 
the lack of specifics from Shaw. She prepared to fly back to her home 
where a chemical odor still lingers as authorities remove contaminated 
soil.

“It’s heartbreaking because people have real valid concerns 
right now. People are sick," Allison said. "That contaminated soil that 
they were talking about — it's still there. They’re driving it down our 
roads.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678397746865.jpeg" alt="Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testifies before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing to examine protecting public health and the environment in the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)" />
 <figcaption>Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testifies before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing to examine protecting public health and the environment in the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHEN GROVES and JOSH FUNK Associated PressWASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern's CEO earnestly apologized before Congress on Thursday for last month's fiery <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">hazardous materials train derailment</a>
 on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and pledged millions of dollars to help
 the local town recover. But he stopped short of fully endorsing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">tougher safety regulations</a> or specific commitments to pay for long-term health and economic harm.In
 a packed Senate hearing, CEO Alan Shaw said his railroad firmly 
supports the goal of improving rail safety, but he also defended his 
company's record. He was questioned closely by both Democrats and 
Republicans about the decision making that led to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">release and burn of toxic vinyl chloride</a> from five tanker cars — as well as the company's commitment to safety and helping the people of East Palestine, Ohio.“I’m
 terribly sorry for the impact this derailment has had on the folks of 
that community,” Shaw said. “We’re going to be there for as long as it 
takes to help East Palestine thrive and recover.”But the 
condolences and commitment of $20 million in aid so far hardly satisfied
 lawmakers or several East Palestine residents who traveled to 
Washington for the hearing.“How do we trust that man with our 
health and the health of our children, when he won’t even answer the 
questions that we need answered,” said Jami Cozza, adding that her 
family continues to suffer from illnesses over a month after the 
derailment.The company has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-norfolk-southern-railroad-171b7d3f8e0dbced1336efafb098badf">announced</a>
 several voluntary safety upgrades. Senators, however, are looking to 
act themselves as they investigate the derailment, the Biden 
administration's response and the company's safety practices after the 
toppling of 38 railcars, including 11 carrying hazardous materials.Norfolk
 Southern is also under pressure from federal regulators. The National 
Transportation Safety Board and Federal Railroad Administration both <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-safety-investigation-2c819f2c469102332d4b1abf4c6e8923">announced investigations this week</a> of the East Palestine derailment and other accidents, including the death of a train conductor Tuesday.Just Thursday, a Norfolk Southern <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-ohio-49e36d8b7f89a8e23ed8cd4e9cf96c55">train derailed in Alabama</a>. Company and local officials said there was no threat to the public.In
 the East Palestine crash, no one was injured but half of the roughly 
5,000 local residents were evacuated. Scenes of billowing smoke above 
the town, alongside complaints <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-east-palestine-1e676947c663fefff3bb5ef70b12a642">from residents</a>
 that they are still suffering from illnesses, have turned national 
attention to railroad safety and the ways dangerous materials are 
transported.It's all sparked a show of bipartisanship in the 
Senate. The committee on Thursday also heard from Ohio and Pennsylvania 
senators — Republican JD Vance and Democrats Sherrod Brown and Bob Casey
 — who are proposing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">new safety regulations</a> under a Railway Safety Act of 2023.Train derailments have been getting less common, but there were still more than 1,000 last year, according to data the <a href="https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/summary.aspx">Federal Railroad Administration</a>. And as East Palestine shows, even a single train derailment involving hazardous materials can be disastrous.Hazardous
 materials shipments account for 7% to 8% of the roughly 30 million 
shipments railroads deliver across the U.S. each year. But railroads 
often mix shipments and might have one or two cars of hazardous 
materials on almost any train. The Association of American Railroads 
trade group says 99.9% of hazardous materials shipments reach their 
destinations safely.Norfolk Southern's Shaw is backing proposals 
to tighten standards for tank cars that the railroads don’t own, expand 
hazardous materials training for first responders and establish 
standards for the trackside detectors railroads use to spot problems. 
The company has also said it is adding “approximately 200 hot bearing 
detectors” to its network. The NTSB has said <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">a detector warned the crew operating</a>
 the train that derailed Feb. 3 outside East Palestine, but they 
couldn’t stop the train before more than three dozen cars came off the 
tracks and caught fire.Some lawmakers want to push beyond 
voluntary safety upgrades. The Railway Safety Act of 2023, which has 
gained support from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would 
require more hot bearing detectors to be installed, set limits on train 
length and make sure railroads notify states about the hazardous 
materials they are transporting.Some Republicans have hesitated to support the proposal, resisting efforts to impose new regulations.Vance,
 an Ohio senator who first won election last November, slammed those in 
his party who have dismissed his bill, saying they are ignoring a shift 
in the GOP to appeal to blue-collar voters.“We have a choice: Are we for big business and big government, or are we for the people of East Palestine?” he said.Republicans, at the same time, are more eager to delve into the emergency response to the East Palestine derailment.Thursday’s
 hearing also featured environmental protection officials from the 
federal, state and local levels. They acknowledged communication 
problems in the days immediately after the derailment including around 
the decision to release and burn the vinyl chloride.Republicans 
have criticized President Joe Biden for not visiting the community in 
the aftermath of the derailment. The Democratic president has said he 
will visit at some point, and the White House notes that Transportation 
Secretary Pete Buttigieg went to East Palestine and has pressed for 
increased safety protocols for trains.The Senate bill also 
touches on a disagreement between railroad worker unions and operators 
by requiring train crews to continue to have two people. Unions argue 
that railroads are riskier because of job cuts in the industry over the 
past six years. Nearly one-third of all rail jobs were eliminated and 
train crews, they say, deal with fatigue because they are on call night 
and day.Shaw said Norfolk Southern has gone on a “hiring spree” 
in the past year, but he didn't back a requirement to maintain 
two-person crews on freight railroads.He pointed to over $1 
billion the company spent on safety last year, but he acknowledged that 
Norfolk Southern also spent more than $3 billion buying back its own 
stock and recorded a $3.3 billion profit in 2022."I am committed to making Norfolk Southern’s safety culture the best in the industry,” he told the Senate panel.Democratic
 Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts rejected Shaw’s talk of safety after a 
recent string of incidents including another derailment last Saturday 
near Springfield, Ohio, and the death of a conductor this week at a 
steel plant in Cleveland."It seems like every week there’s 
another accident that Norfolk Southern is a part of in our country. So 
you might think that you’ve put in enough but the facts are saying just 
the opposite,” Markey said.The senator also pressed Shaw to make 
specific commitments including paying for the loss of home values in 
East Palestine. Shaw repeated this refrain: “I am committed to do what's
 right.”Markey retorted, “What’s right for the community will 
then be balanced — which is what we can see from the stock buybacks — 
with what’s right from Norfolk Southern, and that’s going to be to sue, 
to fight, to resist full compensation for these communities.”Misti
 Allison, an East Palestine resident, said she also was frustrated by 
the lack of specifics from Shaw. She prepared to fly back to her home 
where a chemical odor still lingers as authorities remove contaminated 
soil.“It’s heartbreaking because people have real valid concerns 
right now. People are sick," Allison said. "That contaminated soil that 
they were talking about — it's still there. They’re driving it down our 
roads.”

Railroad CEO 'sorry,' but avoids specifics at Senate hearing

OMAHA, NE (AP) — The major freight railroads announced a number of steps Wednesday that they are taking to improve safety in the wake of last month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">fiery Ohio derailment</a>, but it’s not clear if their actions will be enough to satisfy regulators and members of Congress who are pushing for changes.

Many of the proposals from the Association of American Railroads trade group focus on strengthening the network of trackside detectors that railroads use to spot problems before they can cause derailments. The railroads plan to do this by installing 1,000 more of the detectors nationwide and tweaking the way railroads use the data from them.

Norfolk Southern, the railroad responsible for the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-norfolk-southern-railroad-171b7d3f8e0dbced1336efafb098badf">proposed similar changes</a>&nbsp;earlier this week, but the Federal Railroad Administration responded saying the company wasn't doing nearly enough.

And several members of Congress — led by Ohio's two senators — have proposed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">sweeping package of rail reforms</a>&nbsp;that go well beyond what the industry is proposing. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-accidents-transportation-pete-buttigieg-ohio-pennsylvania-f1cd9d79cdd66b1f45d1dcdf1e53ff58">urged the railroads</a>&nbsp;to make immediate changes.

Federal regulators didn't immediately respond Wednesday to questions about the industry's proposals. Congress plans to scrutinize Norfolk Southern's safety record and its response to the Ohio derailment at a Senate hearing Thursday morning that will also examine the reforms Ohio's senators proposed. Two federal agencies also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-safety-investigation-2c819f2c469102332d4b1abf4c6e8923">announced broad investigations</a>&nbsp;into Norfolk Southern's safety record Tuesday.

Overall, railroads are proud of their safety record, which reflects a decline in derailments over the past several years, and they like to tout the statistic that 99.9% of all hazardous materials shipments railroads handle reach their destinations safely. Still, there were 1,049 derailments nationwide last year — and the East Palestine one showed how even a single mishap involving hazardous materials can be disastrous.

“Rail is indisputably the safest way to move dangerous commodities,” AAR President Ian Jefferies said. “Yet we fully appreciate that these data do not comfort the residents of East Palestine and that public trust must be restored through action."

The major freight railroads — which include Norfolk Southern, CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF, Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern and Canadian National — said they will tighten up the spacing between the hot-bearing detectors to ensure they average no more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) apart along the main routes they use to transport hazardous chemicals. Currently, there are no federal rules on those detectors, which can be spaced up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) apart in places, though most of them are much closer together.

Rail safety expert Allan Zarembski said the existing network of detectors was already quite effective and allowed only a handful of derailments every year related to overheating bearings. But these changes will undoubtedly catch even more of these problems, said the University of Delaware professor who leads the railroad engineering and safety program there.

Zarembski said he believes these changes are likely to be “pretty effective.”

The railroads said they will also commit to stopping and inspecting any train that has a bearing that registers more than 170 degrees above the outside temperature. That’s in line with the standards Norfolk Southern already uses.

The National Transportation Safety Board&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Documents/RRD23MR005%20East%20Palestine%20OH%20Prelim.pdf">has said</a>&nbsp;the Norfolk Southern crew&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">received a warning</a>&nbsp;about an overheating bearing just before the derailment but wasn’t able to stop the train before 38 cars, including 11 carrying hazardous materials, jumped off the tracks and caught fire. About half the town of East Palestine — about 2,500 residents — had to evacuate a couple days later because officials were worried that five of the cars carrying vinyl chloride might explode. They then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">released the chemical and burned</a>&nbsp;it off.

In addition to stopping trains anytime a bearing exceeds 170 degrees, the railroads also analyze the data from sensors all across their networks to identify problems even before a bearing hits that threshold. The trade group said all the major railroads plan to discuss ways to improve that analysis by the end of March.

The railroads said they also plan to train about 20,000 first responders nationwide this year to deal with hazardous materials incidents. As part of that, Norfolk Southern announced plans Wednesday to build a new regional training center in Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine praised the effort.

“The derailment in East Palestine made clear that ensuring first responders are prepared for disasters involving hazardous materials is vitally important to the safety of communities,” DeWine said. “Often, first responders are volunteers, and their need to have the most up-to-date training and equipment is vitally important."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678141665059.png" alt="&nbsp;Union&nbsp; Pacific train derailment on March 4 in Sumner County Kansas -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Union&nbsp; Pacific train derailment on March 4 in Sumner County Kansas -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, NE (AP) — The major freight railroads announced a number of steps Wednesday that they are taking to improve safety in the wake of last month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">fiery Ohio derailment</a>, but it’s not clear if their actions will be enough to satisfy regulators and members of Congress who are pushing for changes.Many of the proposals from the Association of American Railroads trade group focus on strengthening the network of trackside detectors that railroads use to spot problems before they can cause derailments. The railroads plan to do this by installing 1,000 more of the detectors nationwide and tweaking the way railroads use the data from them.Norfolk Southern, the railroad responsible for the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-norfolk-southern-railroad-171b7d3f8e0dbced1336efafb098badf">proposed similar changes</a>&nbsp;earlier this week, but the Federal Railroad Administration responded saying the company wasn't doing nearly enough.And several members of Congress — led by Ohio's two senators — have proposed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">sweeping package of rail reforms</a>&nbsp;that go well beyond what the industry is proposing. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-accidents-transportation-pete-buttigieg-ohio-pennsylvania-f1cd9d79cdd66b1f45d1dcdf1e53ff58">urged the railroads</a>&nbsp;to make immediate changes.Federal regulators didn't immediately respond Wednesday to questions about the industry's proposals. Congress plans to scrutinize Norfolk Southern's safety record and its response to the Ohio derailment at a Senate hearing Thursday morning that will also examine the reforms Ohio's senators proposed. Two federal agencies also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-safety-investigation-2c819f2c469102332d4b1abf4c6e8923">announced broad investigations</a>&nbsp;into Norfolk Southern's safety record Tuesday.Overall, railroads are proud of their safety record, which reflects a decline in derailments over the past several years, and they like to tout the statistic that 99.9% of all hazardous materials shipments railroads handle reach their destinations safely. Still, there were 1,049 derailments nationwide last year — and the East Palestine one showed how even a single mishap involving hazardous materials can be disastrous.“Rail is indisputably the safest way to move dangerous commodities,” AAR President Ian Jefferies said. “Yet we fully appreciate that these data do not comfort the residents of East Palestine and that public trust must be restored through action."The major freight railroads — which include Norfolk Southern, CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF, Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern and Canadian National — said they will tighten up the spacing between the hot-bearing detectors to ensure they average no more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) apart along the main routes they use to transport hazardous chemicals. Currently, there are no federal rules on those detectors, which can be spaced up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) apart in places, though most of them are much closer together.Rail safety expert Allan Zarembski said the existing network of detectors was already quite effective and allowed only a handful of derailments every year related to overheating bearings. But these changes will undoubtedly catch even more of these problems, said the University of Delaware professor who leads the railroad engineering and safety program there.Zarembski said he believes these changes are likely to be “pretty effective.”The railroads said they will also commit to stopping and inspecting any train that has a bearing that registers more than 170 degrees above the outside temperature. That’s in line with the standards Norfolk Southern already uses.The National Transportation Safety Board&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Documents/RRD23MR005%20East%20Palestine%20OH%20Prelim.pdf">has said</a>&nbsp;the Norfolk Southern crew&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">received a warning</a>&nbsp;about an overheating bearing just before the derailment but wasn’t able to stop the train before 38 cars, including 11 carrying hazardous materials, jumped off the tracks and caught fire. About half the town of East Palestine — about 2,500 residents — had to evacuate a couple days later because officials were worried that five of the cars carrying vinyl chloride might explode. They then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">released the chemical and burned</a>&nbsp;it off.In addition to stopping trains anytime a bearing exceeds 170 degrees, the railroads also analyze the data from sensors all across their networks to identify problems even before a bearing hits that threshold. The trade group said all the major railroads plan to discuss ways to improve that analysis by the end of March.The railroads said they also plan to train about 20,000 first responders nationwide this year to deal with hazardous materials incidents. As part of that, Norfolk Southern announced plans Wednesday to build a new regional training center in Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine praised the effort.“The derailment in East Palestine made clear that ensuring first responders are prepared for disasters involving hazardous materials is vitally important to the safety of communities,” DeWine said. “Often, first responders are volunteers, and their need to have the most up-to-date training and equipment is vitally important."

Railroads propose safety reforms after fiery Ohio derailment

DETROIT
 (AP) — General Motors is offering buyouts to most of its U.S. salaried 
workforce and some global executives in an effort to trim costs as it 
makes the transition to electric vehicles.

The Detroit automaker 
wouldn't say how many workers it is targeting, but confirmed that the 
move is aimed at accelerating attrition to meet a previously announced 
goal of $2 billion in cost cuts by the end of next year. GM has about 
58,000 salaried workers in the U.S.

The company says the offers also are designed to avoid any possible firings at a later date.

Offers
 will go to white-collar workers with at least five years of service, 
and global executives who have been with the company at least two years.

The
 decision to offer buyouts comes at an uncertain time for the auto 
industry, which is in the midst of a transition from internal combustion
 to electric vehicles. GM has a goal of selling only electric passenger 
vehicles by 2035.

The switch is requiring more research and 
development spending on both types of vehicles, as well as huge capital 
outlays for battery factories and updating assembly plants, as well as 
spending to get scarce metals needed for EVs.

The cuts also are 
being made to prepare for any potential economic downturn or recession, 
Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson told an analyst conference in 
February.

Although GM's auto sales remain strong, the company is 
seeing prices for its vehicles starting to ease, he said. “We want to be
 cautious because we don’t want to ignore the macro signs that are out 
there, because I don’t want to be up here a year from now saying, ah, we
 missed it,” Jacobson told the Wolfe Research conference.

The cost
 cuts were announced when GM released fourth-quarter earnings in 
January, when Jacobson said they would be accomplished in part by 
filling only strategically important jobs vacated due to attrition.

The
 company said Thursday that it also will cut costs by reducing the 
complexity of its vehicles and more sharing of components between both 
internal combustion and electric models. GM plans to cut discretionary 
spending companywide and focus on growth initiatives to make benefits 
come faster.

Guidehouse Research e-Mobility analyst Sam Abuelsamid
 said the cost cuts may be needed because there's significant risk of a 
slowdown in auto sales, just as automakers are starting to increase 
production that was hobbled by a global shortage of computer chips.

“Up
 to this point the auto markets have been pretty lucky because there has
 been so much pent-up demand over the last couple of years,” he said. 
“Over the course of this year, it’s going to get to the point where that
 supply and demand even out.”

GM and other automakers also are 
offering few lower-cost models these days, so they're looking at a 
smaller number of buyers who can afford their vehicles, Abuelsamid said.

GM
 will probably shed some engineers who work on internal combustion 
engines with the offers, he said, adding that the company already has 
gone through staff cuts to reduce expenses.

Automakers like GM 
face huge outlays to convert factories from making combustion vehicles 
to electric, Abuelsamid said. GM's “Factory Zero” in Detroit went 
through the conversion, but just about everything inside the walls was 
changed, he said.

Employees who want to take the buyouts have to 
sign up by March 24, and those who are approved for the packages have to
 leave the company by June 30.

U.S. salaried workers are being 
offered one month of pay for every year of service, up to 12 months. 
They’ll also be offered COBRA health care and part of the bonuses they 
would receive this year.

DETROIT
 (AP) — General Motors is offering buyouts to most of its U.S. salaried 
workforce and some global executives in an effort to trim costs as it 
makes the transition to electric vehicles.The Detroit automaker 
wouldn't say how many workers it is targeting, but confirmed that the 
move is aimed at accelerating attrition to meet a previously announced 
goal of $2 billion in cost cuts by the end of next year. GM has about 
58,000 salaried workers in the U.S.The company says the offers also are designed to avoid any possible firings at a later date.Offers
 will go to white-collar workers with at least five years of service, 
and global executives who have been with the company at least two years.The
 decision to offer buyouts comes at an uncertain time for the auto 
industry, which is in the midst of a transition from internal combustion
 to electric vehicles. GM has a goal of selling only electric passenger 
vehicles by 2035.The switch is requiring more research and 
development spending on both types of vehicles, as well as huge capital 
outlays for battery factories and updating assembly plants, as well as 
spending to get scarce metals needed for EVs.The cuts also are 
being made to prepare for any potential economic downturn or recession, 
Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson told an analyst conference in 
February.Although GM's auto sales remain strong, the company is 
seeing prices for its vehicles starting to ease, he said. “We want to be
 cautious because we don’t want to ignore the macro signs that are out 
there, because I don’t want to be up here a year from now saying, ah, we
 missed it,” Jacobson told the Wolfe Research conference.The cost
 cuts were announced when GM released fourth-quarter earnings in 
January, when Jacobson said they would be accomplished in part by 
filling only strategically important jobs vacated due to attrition.The
 company said Thursday that it also will cut costs by reducing the 
complexity of its vehicles and more sharing of components between both 
internal combustion and electric models. GM plans to cut discretionary 
spending companywide and focus on growth initiatives to make benefits 
come faster.Guidehouse Research e-Mobility analyst Sam Abuelsamid
 said the cost cuts may be needed because there's significant risk of a 
slowdown in auto sales, just as automakers are starting to increase 
production that was hobbled by a global shortage of computer chips.“Up
 to this point the auto markets have been pretty lucky because there has
 been so much pent-up demand over the last couple of years,” he said. 
“Over the course of this year, it’s going to get to the point where that
 supply and demand even out.”GM and other automakers also are 
offering few lower-cost models these days, so they're looking at a 
smaller number of buyers who can afford their vehicles, Abuelsamid said.GM
 will probably shed some engineers who work on internal combustion 
engines with the offers, he said, adding that the company already has 
gone through staff cuts to reduce expenses.Automakers like GM 
face huge outlays to convert factories from making combustion vehicles 
to electric, Abuelsamid said. GM's “Factory Zero” in Detroit went 
through the conversion, but just about everything inside the walls was 
changed, he said.Employees who want to take the buyouts have to 
sign up by March 24, and those who are approved for the packages have to
 leave the company by June 30.U.S. salaried workers are being 
offered one month of pay for every year of service, up to 12 months. 
They’ll also be offered COBRA health care and part of the bonuses they 
would receive this year.

GM offers buyouts to most US salaried workers to trim costs

WASHINGTON (AP) — After three nasty years, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-weather-climate-and-environment-storms-europe-819908345ed948e078d72e7de9fcd4bb">La Nina weather phenomenon</a>
 that increases Atlantic hurricane activity and worsens western drought 
is gone, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said 
Thursday.

That’s usually <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-el-nino-storms-droughts-fires-8e547d1f6c20e5f529b6d80d4ec84462">good news</a> for the United States and other parts of the world, including drought-stricken northeast Africa, scientists said.

The
 globe is now in what’s considered a “neutral” condition and probably 
trending to an El Nino in late summer or fall, said climate scientist 
Michelle L’Heureux, head of NOAA’s El Nino/La Nina forecast office.

“It’s
 over,” said research scientist Azhar Ehsan, who heads Columbia 
University’s El Nino/La Nina forecasting. “Mother Nature thought to get 
rid of this one because it’s enough.”

La Nina is a natural and temporary cooling of parts of the Pacific Ocean <a href="https://apnews.com/article/floods-australia-victoria-new-south-wales-tasmania-c690a27e6a4fb9be3f27dd07bc95748a">that changes weather worldwide.</a>
 In the United States, because La Nina is connected to more Atlantic 
storms and deeper droughts and wildfires in the West, La Ninas often are
 more damaging and expensive than their more famous flip side, El Nino, 
experts said and studies show.

Generally, American agriculture is 
more damaged by La Nina than El Nino. If the globe jumps into El Nino it
 means more rain for the Midwestern corn belt and grains in general and 
could be beneficial, said Michael Ferrari, chief scientific officer of 
Climate Alpha, a firm that advises investors on financial decisions 
based on climate.

When there’s a La Nina, there are more storms in
 the Atlantic during hurricane season because it removes conditions that
 suppress storm formation. Neutral or El Nino conditions make it harder 
for storms to get going, but not impossible, scientists said.

Over
 the last three years, the U.S. has been hit by 14 hurricanes and 
tropical storms that caused a billion dollars or more in damage, 
totaling $252 billion in costs, according to NOAA economist and 
meteorologist Adam Smith said. La Nina and people building in harm's way
 were factors, he said.

Climate change is a major factor in 
worsening extreme weather, alongside La Nina, scientists said and 
numerous studies and reports show. Human-caused warming is like an 
escalator going up: It makes temperatures increase and extremes worse, 
while La Nina and El Nino are like jumping up and down on the escalator,
 according to Northern Illinois University atmospheric sciences 
professor Victor Gensini.

La Nina has also slightly dampened 
global average temperatures, keeping warming from breaking annual 
temperature records, while El Nino slightly turbocharges those 
temperatures often setting records, scientists said.

La Nina tends
 to make Western Africa wet, but Eastern Africa, around Somalia, dry. 
The opposite happens in El Nino with drought-struck Somalia likely to 
get steady “short rains,” Ehsan said. La Nina has wetter conditions for 
Indonesia, parts of Australia and the Amazon, but those areas are drier 
in El Nino, according to NOAA.

El Nino means more heat waves for India and Pakistan and other parts of South Asia and weaker monsoons there, Ehsan said.

This
 particular La Nina, which started in September 2020 but is considered 
three years old because it affected three different winters, was unusual
 and one of the longest on record. It took a brief break in 2021 but 
came roaring back with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-la-nina-drought-wildfires-hurricanes-619a4a1a928fdb80d301c7dca0c45dcf">record intensity.</a>

“I’m sick of this La Nina,” Ehsan said. L’Heureux agreed, saying she’s ready to talk about something else.

The
 few other times that there’s been a triple-dip La Nina have come after 
strong El Ninos and there’s clear physics on why that happens. But 
that’s not what happened with this La Nina, L’Heureux said. This one 
didn’t have a strong El Nino before it.

Even though this La Nina 
has confounded scientists in the past, they say the signs of it leaving 
are clear: Water in the key part of the central Pacific warmed to a bit 
more than the threshold for a La Nina in February, the atmosphere showed
 some changes and along the eastern Pacific near Peru, there’s already 
El Nino-like warming brewing on the coast, L’Heureux said.

Think 
of a La Nina or El Nino as something that pushes the weather system from
 the Pacific with ripple effects worldwide, L’Heureux said. When there 
are neutral conditions like now, there’s less push from the Pacific. 
That means other climatic factors, including the long-term warming 
trend, have more influence in day-to-day weather, she said.

Without
 an El Nino or La Nina, forecasters have a harder time predicting 
seasonal weather trends for summer or fall because the Pacific Ocean has
 such a big footprint in weeks-long forecasts.

El Nino forecasts 
made in the spring are generally less reliable than ones made other 
times of year, so scientists are less sure about what will happen next, 
L’Heureux said. But NOAA’s forecast said there’s a 60% chance that El 
Nino will take charge come fall.

There’s also a 5% chance that La 
Nina will return for an unprecedented fourth dip. L’Heureux said she 
really doesn’t want that but the scientist in her would find that 
interesting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649436331517.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — After three nasty years, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-weather-climate-and-environment-storms-europe-819908345ed948e078d72e7de9fcd4bb">La Nina weather phenomenon</a>
 that increases Atlantic hurricane activity and worsens western drought 
is gone, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said 
Thursday.That’s usually <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-el-nino-storms-droughts-fires-8e547d1f6c20e5f529b6d80d4ec84462">good news</a> for the United States and other parts of the world, including drought-stricken northeast Africa, scientists said.The
 globe is now in what’s considered a “neutral” condition and probably 
trending to an El Nino in late summer or fall, said climate scientist 
Michelle L’Heureux, head of NOAA’s El Nino/La Nina forecast office.“It’s
 over,” said research scientist Azhar Ehsan, who heads Columbia 
University’s El Nino/La Nina forecasting. “Mother Nature thought to get 
rid of this one because it’s enough.”La Nina is a natural and temporary cooling of parts of the Pacific Ocean <a href="https://apnews.com/article/floods-australia-victoria-new-south-wales-tasmania-c690a27e6a4fb9be3f27dd07bc95748a">that changes weather worldwide.</a>
 In the United States, because La Nina is connected to more Atlantic 
storms and deeper droughts and wildfires in the West, La Ninas often are
 more damaging and expensive than their more famous flip side, El Nino, 
experts said and studies show.Generally, American agriculture is 
more damaged by La Nina than El Nino. If the globe jumps into El Nino it
 means more rain for the Midwestern corn belt and grains in general and 
could be beneficial, said Michael Ferrari, chief scientific officer of 
Climate Alpha, a firm that advises investors on financial decisions 
based on climate.When there’s a La Nina, there are more storms in
 the Atlantic during hurricane season because it removes conditions that
 suppress storm formation. Neutral or El Nino conditions make it harder 
for storms to get going, but not impossible, scientists said.Over
 the last three years, the U.S. has been hit by 14 hurricanes and 
tropical storms that caused a billion dollars or more in damage, 
totaling $252 billion in costs, according to NOAA economist and 
meteorologist Adam Smith said. La Nina and people building in harm's way
 were factors, he said.Climate change is a major factor in 
worsening extreme weather, alongside La Nina, scientists said and 
numerous studies and reports show. Human-caused warming is like an 
escalator going up: It makes temperatures increase and extremes worse, 
while La Nina and El Nino are like jumping up and down on the escalator,
 according to Northern Illinois University atmospheric sciences 
professor Victor Gensini.La Nina has also slightly dampened 
global average temperatures, keeping warming from breaking annual 
temperature records, while El Nino slightly turbocharges those 
temperatures often setting records, scientists said.La Nina tends
 to make Western Africa wet, but Eastern Africa, around Somalia, dry. 
The opposite happens in El Nino with drought-struck Somalia likely to 
get steady “short rains,” Ehsan said. La Nina has wetter conditions for 
Indonesia, parts of Australia and the Amazon, but those areas are drier 
in El Nino, according to NOAA.El Nino means more heat waves for India and Pakistan and other parts of South Asia and weaker monsoons there, Ehsan said.This
 particular La Nina, which started in September 2020 but is considered 
three years old because it affected three different winters, was unusual
 and one of the longest on record. It took a brief break in 2021 but 
came roaring back with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-la-nina-drought-wildfires-hurricanes-619a4a1a928fdb80d301c7dca0c45dcf">record intensity.</a>“I’m sick of this La Nina,” Ehsan said. L’Heureux agreed, saying she’s ready to talk about something else.The
 few other times that there’s been a triple-dip La Nina have come after 
strong El Ninos and there’s clear physics on why that happens. But 
that’s not what happened with this La Nina, L’Heureux said. This one 
didn’t have a strong El Nino before it.Even though this La Nina 
has confounded scientists in the past, they say the signs of it leaving 
are clear: Water in the key part of the central Pacific warmed to a bit 
more than the threshold for a La Nina in February, the atmosphere showed
 some changes and along the eastern Pacific near Peru, there’s already 
El Nino-like warming brewing on the coast, L’Heureux said.Think 
of a La Nina or El Nino as something that pushes the weather system from
 the Pacific with ripple effects worldwide, L’Heureux said. When there 
are neutral conditions like now, there’s less push from the Pacific. 
That means other climatic factors, including the long-term warming 
trend, have more influence in day-to-day weather, she said.Without
 an El Nino or La Nina, forecasters have a harder time predicting 
seasonal weather trends for summer or fall because the Pacific Ocean has
 such a big footprint in weeks-long forecasts.El Nino forecasts 
made in the spring are generally less reliable than ones made other 
times of year, so scientists are less sure about what will happen next, 
L’Heureux said. But NOAA’s forecast said there’s a 60% chance that El 
Nino will take charge come fall.There’s also a 5% chance that La 
Nina will return for an unprecedented fourth dip. L’Heureux said she 
really doesn’t want that but the scientist in her would find that 
interesting.

La Nina, which worsens hurricanes and drought, is gone

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Tammy Brady began her career as an Atlantic City
 casino dealer at the age of 18. Now 55, she has stage 2 breast cancer.

“While
 I'm not sure we will ever know the exact cause of my illness, I can't 
help but wonder if it would have happened if the casinos hadn't forced 
me to work in second-hand smoke,” said Brady, who works at the Borgata 
casino.

Holly Diebler, a craps dealer at Tropicana, is undergoing chemotherapy for throat cancer.

“I
 don't even know how long I'm going to live,” she said. “I love my job; I
 don't want to leave it. But all my oncologists have told me this is a 
life-and-death choice.”

They were among numerous casino employees 
who testified Thursday before two state Assembly committees in favor of a
 bill that would prohibit smoking in Atlantic City's nine casinos.

No
 vote was taken on the bill, as in an identical hearing on Feb. 13. Gov.
 Phil Murphy has promised to sign the bill if it passes the Legislature,
 but thus far, leaders of the Democrat-controlled Assembly and Senate 
have not committed to allowing the bill to move forward and be voted 
upon.

The bill would close a loophole in the state’s 2006 indoor 
smoking law. That measure was written specifically to exempt casinos 
from bans on smoking indoors. Currently, smoking is permitted on 25% of a
 casino floor in Atlantic City.

“I don't want to take away your 
right to kill yourself by smoking,” said Assemblyman Don Guardian, a 
former mayor of Atlantic City. “I do want to take away your right to 
kill someone else by smoking in a casino.”

The casino industry 
opposes a smoking ban, saying it would lose customers and revenue if 
smoking were banned while still being allowed in casinos in nearby 
states.

But Andrew Klebenow of Las Vegas-based C3 Gaming, said 
many casinos that have ended smoking are thriving financially, including
 casinos near Washington, D.C., and Boston, and in Maryland.

Business
 groups opposed a ban, and Bob McDevitt, president of Local 54 of the 
Unite Here casino workers union, predicted that prohibiting smoking 
would cost the industry 10% of its revenue and cause the closure of at 
least one casino.

“Down south, there are no other jobs,” he said. 
“It's like Hooterville. No one is for cancer. The issue is do we end up 
closing a casino or not?"

The Casino Association of New Jersey 
said the true impact of a smoking ban could be closer to 20 to 25% of 
casino revenue being lost.

“The Atlantic City casino industry is 
still very much in a rebuilding and recovery phase from where it was at 
the start of the pandemic,” its statement read. “Visitation to Atlantic 
City is near a 20-year low, while gas and toll prices are increasing. 
Adding a smoking ban could cause a devastating effect to the community 
and state in this difficult economy.”

Iris Sanchez, a housekeeper at Caesars, said she fears being laid off if smoking is banned and business levels decrease.

“I'm not opposed to smoking; I'm opposed to losing jobs," she said.

But many more casino workers felt differently.

Every
 time Robin Vitulle clocks in at her job as a dealer at Hard Rock, she 
has the same thought: “Is this the day I inhale the cloud of smoke that 
gives me cancer? Or is it too late already?”

Dealers say they are forbidden by their employers from waving the smoke away.

“They
 say it would embarrass the customer,” said Janice Green, 62, a craps 
dealer at the Tropicana. “I think, ‘You mean the customer that’s killing
 me?'”

Whether to ban smoking is one of the most controversial 
issues not only in Atlantic City, but in casinos in other states where 
workers have expressed concern about secondhand smoke. They are waging 
similar campaigns in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The 
issue is among the most divisive in Atlantic City, where even though 
casino revenue matched its all time high of $5.2 billion last year, only
 half that amount was won from in-person gamblers. The other half was 
won online and must be shared with third parties including tech 
platforms and sports books.

Just three of the nine casinos — 
Borgata, Ocean and Resorts — surpassed their pre-pandemic revenue levels
 in terms of money won from in-person gamblers last year.

Support for a smoking ban is widespread among New Jersey lawmakers, with a bipartisan majority in both chambers.

The
 bill needs to be voted upon in committees of the Senate and Assembly, 
then voted on by the full membership of those legislative bodies before 
going to the governor. Those hearings and votes have not yet been 
scheduled.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678387122745.jpeg" alt="A gambler plays a slot machine while smoking in the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City N.J. on Feb. 10, 2022. On Thursday, March 9, 2023, New Jersey legislators held a second hearing on a bill that would prohibit smoking at Atlantic City's casinos, but again did not vote on it. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)" />
 <figcaption>A gambler plays a slot machine while smoking in the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City N.J. on Feb. 10, 2022. On Thursday, March 9, 2023, New Jersey legislators held a second hearing on a bill that would prohibit smoking at Atlantic City's casinos, but again did not vote on it. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)</figcaption>
 </figure>TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Tammy Brady began her career as an Atlantic City
 casino dealer at the age of 18. Now 55, she has stage 2 breast cancer.“While
 I'm not sure we will ever know the exact cause of my illness, I can't 
help but wonder if it would have happened if the casinos hadn't forced 
me to work in second-hand smoke,” said Brady, who works at the Borgata 
casino.Holly Diebler, a craps dealer at Tropicana, is undergoing chemotherapy for throat cancer.“I
 don't even know how long I'm going to live,” she said. “I love my job; I
 don't want to leave it. But all my oncologists have told me this is a 
life-and-death choice.”They were among numerous casino employees 
who testified Thursday before two state Assembly committees in favor of a
 bill that would prohibit smoking in Atlantic City's nine casinos.No
 vote was taken on the bill, as in an identical hearing on Feb. 13. Gov.
 Phil Murphy has promised to sign the bill if it passes the Legislature,
 but thus far, leaders of the Democrat-controlled Assembly and Senate 
have not committed to allowing the bill to move forward and be voted 
upon.The bill would close a loophole in the state’s 2006 indoor 
smoking law. That measure was written specifically to exempt casinos 
from bans on smoking indoors. Currently, smoking is permitted on 25% of a
 casino floor in Atlantic City.“I don't want to take away your 
right to kill yourself by smoking,” said Assemblyman Don Guardian, a 
former mayor of Atlantic City. “I do want to take away your right to 
kill someone else by smoking in a casino.”The casino industry 
opposes a smoking ban, saying it would lose customers and revenue if 
smoking were banned while still being allowed in casinos in nearby 
states.But Andrew Klebenow of Las Vegas-based C3 Gaming, said 
many casinos that have ended smoking are thriving financially, including
 casinos near Washington, D.C., and Boston, and in Maryland.Business
 groups opposed a ban, and Bob McDevitt, president of Local 54 of the 
Unite Here casino workers union, predicted that prohibiting smoking 
would cost the industry 10% of its revenue and cause the closure of at 
least one casino.“Down south, there are no other jobs,” he said. 
“It's like Hooterville. No one is for cancer. The issue is do we end up 
closing a casino or not?"The Casino Association of New Jersey 
said the true impact of a smoking ban could be closer to 20 to 25% of 
casino revenue being lost.“The Atlantic City casino industry is 
still very much in a rebuilding and recovery phase from where it was at 
the start of the pandemic,” its statement read. “Visitation to Atlantic 
City is near a 20-year low, while gas and toll prices are increasing. 
Adding a smoking ban could cause a devastating effect to the community 
and state in this difficult economy.”Iris Sanchez, a housekeeper at Caesars, said she fears being laid off if smoking is banned and business levels decrease.“I'm not opposed to smoking; I'm opposed to losing jobs," she said.But many more casino workers felt differently.Every
 time Robin Vitulle clocks in at her job as a dealer at Hard Rock, she 
has the same thought: “Is this the day I inhale the cloud of smoke that 
gives me cancer? Or is it too late already?”Dealers say they are forbidden by their employers from waving the smoke away.“They
 say it would embarrass the customer,” said Janice Green, 62, a craps 
dealer at the Tropicana. “I think, ‘You mean the customer that’s killing
 me?'”Whether to ban smoking is one of the most controversial 
issues not only in Atlantic City, but in casinos in other states where 
workers have expressed concern about secondhand smoke. They are waging 
similar campaigns in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Virginia.The 
issue is among the most divisive in Atlantic City, where even though 
casino revenue matched its all time high of $5.2 billion last year, only
 half that amount was won from in-person gamblers. The other half was 
won online and must be shared with third parties including tech 
platforms and sports books.Just three of the nine casinos — 
Borgata, Ocean and Resorts — surpassed their pre-pandemic revenue levels
 in terms of money won from in-person gamblers last year.Support for a smoking ban is widespread among New Jersey lawmakers, with a bipartisan majority in both chambers.The
 bill needs to be voted upon in committees of the Senate and Assembly, 
then voted on by the full membership of those legislative bodies before 
going to the governor. Those hearings and votes have not yet been 
scheduled.

Dealers with cancer beg for Atlantic City casino smoking ban

U.S. product regulators said Thursday that Yeti has recalled 1.9 million coolers and gear cases because magnets can come detached from them, posing a risk of serious injury or death.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said consumers should immediately stop using the four recalled products and contact Yeti for refund information.

<a href="https://stg.yeti.com/M20-M30-sidekick-product-recall.html">CLICK HERE for</a> additional details on the recall

The closures on the recalled products can fail, resulting in detached magnets, the CPSC said. If swallowed, two or more high-powered magnets can attract to each other or to another metal object and get stuck in the digestive system. The CPSC said if that happens, it can cause perforations, twisting and blockage of the intestines, potentially resulting in infection, blood poisoning and death.

The products being recalled are the Sidekick dry gear case, M20 soft backpack cooler and M30 soft cooler, version 1.0 and 2.0.

The coolers and gear bags were sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ace Hardware, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Yeti and other stores, including Amazon, from March 2018 to January 2023. The gear case sells for about $50 and the coolers for between $300 and $350.

The firm has received 1,399 reports of the magnet-lined closures degrading or failing, including reports of missing or detached magnets. No magnet ingestions or injuries have been reported.

Consumers can contact Yeti toll-free at 833-444-3151 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT Monday through Sunday. The Austin, Texas company can also be contact by email at productrecall (at) yeti.com or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://stg.yeti.com/M20-M30-sidekick-product-recall.html">https://stg.yeti.com/M20-M30-sidekick-product-recall.html</a>&nbsp;or at www.yeti.com. Consumers should click on “Product Recall” at the bottom of the page for details.

More than 40,000 of the recalled products were sold in Canada.

Shares in Yeti were down about 1.5% in midday trading Thursday.

U.S. product regulators said Thursday that Yeti has recalled 1.9 million coolers and gear cases because magnets can come detached from them, posing a risk of serious injury or death.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FYeti%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02aRheZAnRkXxS6o52YA1GUF4729PGk2z6sgK1ibEqzBWpRh9pMfGUKWVAhvQa5trfl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="819" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The Consumer Product Safety Commission said consumers should immediately stop using the four recalled products and contact Yeti for refund information.<a href="https://stg.yeti.com/M20-M30-sidekick-product-recall.html">CLICK HERE for</a> additional details on the recallThe closures on the recalled products can fail, resulting in detached magnets, the CPSC said. If swallowed, two or more high-powered magnets can attract to each other or to another metal object and get stuck in the digestive system. The CPSC said if that happens, it can cause perforations, twisting and blockage of the intestines, potentially resulting in infection, blood poisoning and death.The products being recalled are the Sidekick dry gear case, M20 soft backpack cooler and M30 soft cooler, version 1.0 and 2.0.The coolers and gear bags were sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ace Hardware, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Yeti and other stores, including Amazon, from March 2018 to January 2023. The gear case sells for about $50 and the coolers for between $300 and $350.The firm has received 1,399 reports of the magnet-lined closures degrading or failing, including reports of missing or detached magnets. No magnet ingestions or injuries have been reported.Consumers can contact Yeti toll-free at 833-444-3151 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT Monday through Sunday. The Austin, Texas company can also be contact by email at productrecall (at) yeti.com or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://stg.yeti.com/M20-M30-sidekick-product-recall.html">https://stg.yeti.com/M20-M30-sidekick-product-recall.html</a>&nbsp;or at www.yeti.com. Consumers should click on “Product Recall” at the bottom of the page for details.More than 40,000 of the recalled products were sold in Canada.Shares in Yeti were down about 1.5% in midday trading Thursday.

Yeti recalls 1.9 million coolers and cases for magnet hazard

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-lawmaker-proposes-nonpartisan-elections-for-statewide-candidates/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraskans could decide in 2024 whether the state’s 
constitutional officers, such as the governor or secretary of state, 
should be elected on a nonpartisan basis.

<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49986">Legislative Resolution 3CA</a>,
 proposed by State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, would provide that the 
top two vote-getters for governor, attorney general, secretary of state,
 auditor of public accounts and state treasurer advance to the general 
election, regardless of party.

If the Legislature approves LR 3CA, voters would have the final say in 2024.

“It has worked well for the Nebraska Legislature for nearly 90 
years,” Cavanaugh said. “It’s time that we gave our voters the choice to
 make our statewide elections nonpartisan as well.”

For the Legislature, Republicans, Democrats and third parties often 
recruit and support candidates, though their party registration does not
 appear on the ballot. The top two candidates in the open primary 
advance to the November general election.

Elected state senators also do not officially organize around their 
party affiliation, though they may vote together on some issues.

Cavanaugh, a Democrat, said that some may think his proposal would 
get more Democrats elected to statewide office, but he noted that two 
Republicans would have advanced in 2022 for four of the five 
constitutional offices.

The only election where that would not have been the case was for 
governor, which was also the only race among the statewide offices where
 a Democrat ran.

In that race, Gov. Jim Pillen still would have faced State Sen. Carol
 Blood in November, since she got about 8,000 more votes in the primary 
than Charles Herbster, the Republican <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/13/where-herbster-stumbled-and-how-pillen-won-nebraskas-gop-gubernatorial-primary/">runner-up</a>.

Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek, who ran for the Legislature in 2022, said 
registered nonpartisans such as herself do not get to fully participate 
in the state’s primary elections, which often require voters to be a 
member of a political party, and the party decides who its nominee is.

Cavanaugh’s proposal would change that.

Larry Storer of Omaha said he supported Republican Robert Borer for 
Nebraska secretary of state in 2022, the runner-up to Republican Bob 
Evnen, who was the incumbent.

However, because of Nebraska’s election system, Evnen advanced 
alongside Libertarian Katrina Tomsen — the Libertarian and Legal 
Marijuana NOW parties each can nominate a candidate, in addition to the 
Republican and Democratic Parties.

Unless someone is a Republican or Democrat, Storer said, they have 
little power. He added that George Washington and James Madison warned 
against political factions

“Unfortunately, we didn’t learn our lessons,” Storer said.

Cavanaugh said some Democrats have criticized the proposal, as well, 
saying it would bar some Democrats from advancing past the primary.

However, Cavanaugh said, he did not introduce the proposal for 
political expediency or to get more people who agree with him elected.

Steve Davies testified against the bill. He said it would remove the 
single “easily observable description” of a candidate’s philosophy and 
policies.&nbsp;Davies said he worried the proposal would further limit 
whether voters are informed.

“If this proposal succeeds, the parties may wither away, taking away 
the structure and benefits,” Davies said. “This is one of a number of 
proposals that purport to bring a more enlightened, responsive and civil
 government but in reality deliver much less.”

Cavanaugh said voters often know candidates’ parties anyway. He also 
said he is not interested in taking candidates’ party affiliation off 
the ballot, though he said political parties should not be 
“institutionalized.”

State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, chair of the committee, said the 
committee received 60 letters in opposition to the bill and five in 
support.

The committee took no action on the bill at the end of the hearing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678372785822.png" alt="State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha proposes changing all statewide executive officers such as the governor to be chosen in nonpartisan elections. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha proposes changing all statewide executive officers such as the governor to be chosen in nonpartisan elections. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-lawmaker-proposes-nonpartisan-elections-for-statewide-candidates/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraskans could decide in 2024 whether the state’s 
constitutional officers, such as the governor or secretary of state, 
should be elected on a nonpartisan basis.<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49986">Legislative Resolution 3CA</a>,
 proposed by State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, would provide that the 
top two vote-getters for governor, attorney general, secretary of state,
 auditor of public accounts and state treasurer advance to the general 
election, regardless of party.If the Legislature approves LR 3CA, voters would have the final say in 2024.“It has worked well for the Nebraska Legislature for nearly 90 
years,” Cavanaugh said. “It’s time that we gave our voters the choice to
 make our statewide elections nonpartisan as well.”For the Legislature, Republicans, Democrats and third parties often 
recruit and support candidates, though their party registration does not
 appear on the ballot. The top two candidates in the open primary 
advance to the November general election.Elected state senators also do not officially organize around their 
party affiliation, though they may vote together on some issues.<h2>Opening primaries</h2>Cavanaugh, a Democrat, said that some may think his proposal would 
get more Democrats elected to statewide office, but he noted that two 
Republicans would have advanced in 2022 for four of the five 
constitutional offices.The only election where that would not have been the case was for 
governor, which was also the only race among the statewide offices where
 a Democrat ran.In that race, Gov. Jim Pillen still would have faced State Sen. Carol
 Blood in November, since she got about 8,000 more votes in the primary 
than Charles Herbster, the Republican <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/13/where-herbster-stumbled-and-how-pillen-won-nebraskas-gop-gubernatorial-primary/">runner-up</a>.Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek, who ran for the Legislature in 2022, said 
registered nonpartisans such as herself do not get to fully participate 
in the state’s primary elections, which often require voters to be a 
member of a political party, and the party decides who its nominee is.Cavanaugh’s proposal would change that.<h2>Lessons of political factions</h2>Larry Storer of Omaha said he supported Republican Robert Borer for 
Nebraska secretary of state in 2022, the runner-up to Republican Bob 
Evnen, who was the incumbent.However, because of Nebraska’s election system, Evnen advanced 
alongside Libertarian Katrina Tomsen — the Libertarian and Legal 
Marijuana NOW parties each can nominate a candidate, in addition to the 
Republican and Democratic Parties.Unless someone is a Republican or Democrat, Storer said, they have 
little power. He added that George Washington and James Madison warned 
against political factions“Unfortunately, we didn’t learn our lessons,” Storer said.Cavanaugh said some Democrats have criticized the proposal, as well, 
saying it would bar some Democrats from advancing past the primary.However, Cavanaugh said, he did not introduce the proposal for 
political expediency or to get more people who agree with him elected.<h2>‘Easily observable description’</h2>Steve Davies testified against the bill. He said it would remove the 
single “easily observable description” of a candidate’s philosophy and 
policies.&nbsp;Davies said he worried the proposal would further limit 
whether voters are informed.“If this proposal succeeds, the parties may wither away, taking away 
the structure and benefits,” Davies said. “This is one of a number of 
proposals that purport to bring a more enlightened, responsive and civil
 government but in reality deliver much less.”Cavanaugh said voters often know candidates’ parties anyway. He also 
said he is not interested in taking candidates’ party affiliation off 
the ballot, though he said political parties should not be 
“institutionalized.”State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, chair of the committee, said the 
committee received 60 letters in opposition to the bill and five in 
support.The committee took no action on the bill at the end of the hearing.

Neb. lawmaker pitches nonpartisan elections for statewide offices

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/08/housing-measures-have-legislature-hopping/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — If the third time’s a charm, State Sen. Tony Vargas might move past 
the finish line this year with proposed legislation that would make it 
unlawful to deny an apartment to someone based on source of income.

The Omaha senator told a legislative 
committee Wednesday that nearly 20 other states and 100 cities have 
enacted bans similar to Legislative Bill 248.

Aimed at opening more doors to people
 who rely on benefits such as Social Security and federal housing 
vouchers to cover rent, Vargas said that landlords still would be able 
to use screening methods such as credit and background checks.

He envisions the bill reducing 
segregation and, for low-income families who use federal housing 
vouchers, creating inroads to living in newer areas with better public 
services.&nbsp;

“We need to make sure we are removing
 barriers,” Vargas told the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee. “This is 
going to impact long-term earnings, childhood educational achievement 
and the likelihood of ending up in our justice system.”

Public testimony on the proposal 
lasted nearly three hours, and was followed by hearings on five more 
landlord-tenant related bills, introduced by various senators, that 
stretched another four hours.

In a different public hearing room 
across the State Capitol, five other housing bills —&nbsp;which together seek
 a state infusion of $600 million into housing development programs — 
were being aired before the Appropriations Committee.

The day of hearings, which drew fans and critics from across the state, reinforced Nebraska’s increased attention to an a<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/06/nebraska-housing-council-launches-with-plan-for-35000-new-affordable-dwellings/">ffordable housing crunch</a> that several testifiers said also has inhibited economic and job growth, particularly in rural areas.

Erin Feichtinger, policy director for
 the Women’s Fund of Omaha, was among those who scooted between the two 
committee rooms to speak on more than one bill.

In advocating for LB 248, Feichtinger
 said housing needs should be attacked on more than one front. Many look
 for solutions in “bricks and mortar” — building more housing, she said.

Important also, said Feichtinger, are
 access efforts such as LB 238, which would make more existing housing 
dwellings available to low- to moderate-income families.&nbsp;

“It will give families a better chance of success,” she said.

To show the sizable demand and use of
 government rental vouchers, Vargas told the committee that the Omaha 
Housing Authority a few years ago advertised that its Section 8 list 
would open up for one day to receive applicants. He said the agency, in 
response, received 10,000 calls.

Alicia Christensen, director of 
public housing at the nonprofit Together Omaha, said people shouldn’t be
 shut out of places solely because rent is subsidized by the government.
 She and others noted that the federal rental payment goes straight to 
the landlord.

“How we pay for something shouldn’t 
determine what we can buy,” Christensen said. “Shoppers paying with cash
 don’t enjoy a wider selection at the grocery store than those paying 
with a check.”

Multiple landlords and other 
opponents spoke against the proposal. Most said their objection was with
 unresponsive housing agencies and onerous government requirements 
rather than with tenants.

Scott Hoffman, a landlord for 40 years, said he testified against the proposal the last two times it was introduced.

He noted a new element in the latest 
iteration: A landlord guarantee program, funded by $50,000 from the 
state, would be established to reimburse landlords for unpaid rent or 
tenant damages.

Hoffman said that might have been 
added because of his past criticism. But he said that the amount falls 
short and that he doesn’t think the state “should be in the business of 
bailing out the federal government.”

Said Hoffman: “Now you as a state want to fund it with $50k? That’s a joke.”

Lynn Fisher, of Nebraska Real Estate 
Owners and Management Association of Lincoln, said his organization 
includes members who accept government rental vouchers and others who 
don’t. But he said the consensus of members was to oppose the bill.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678372679059.jpg" alt="The costs of construction — from materials to labor — lead many developers to favor luxury home building over starter homes because they offer a higher return per square foot. Pixabay photo " />
 <figcaption>The costs of construction — from materials to labor — lead many developers to favor luxury home building over starter homes because they offer a higher return per square foot. Pixabay photo </figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/08/housing-measures-have-legislature-hopping/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — If the third time’s a charm, State Sen. Tony Vargas might move past 
the finish line this year with proposed legislation that would make it 
unlawful to deny an apartment to someone based on source of income.The Omaha senator told a legislative 
committee Wednesday that nearly 20 other states and 100 cities have 
enacted bans similar to Legislative Bill 248.Aimed at opening more doors to people
 who rely on benefits such as Social Security and federal housing 
vouchers to cover rent, Vargas said that landlords still would be able 
to use screening methods such as credit and background checks.<h2>‘Removing barriers’ </h2>He envisions the bill reducing 
segregation and, for low-income families who use federal housing 
vouchers, creating inroads to living in newer areas with better public 
services.&nbsp;“We need to make sure we are removing
 barriers,” Vargas told the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee. “This is 
going to impact long-term earnings, childhood educational achievement 
and the likelihood of ending up in our justice system.”Public testimony on the proposal 
lasted nearly three hours, and was followed by hearings on five more 
landlord-tenant related bills, introduced by various senators, that 
stretched another four hours.In a different public hearing room 
across the State Capitol, five other housing bills —&nbsp;which together seek
 a state infusion of $600 million into housing development programs — 
were being aired before the Appropriations Committee.The day of hearings, which drew fans and critics from across the state, reinforced Nebraska’s increased attention to an a<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/06/nebraska-housing-council-launches-with-plan-for-35000-new-affordable-dwellings/">ffordable housing crunch</a> that several testifiers said also has inhibited economic and job growth, particularly in rural areas.<h2>Crisis </h2>Erin Feichtinger, policy director for
 the Women’s Fund of Omaha, was among those who scooted between the two 
committee rooms to speak on more than one bill.In advocating for LB 248, Feichtinger
 said housing needs should be attacked on more than one front. Many look
 for solutions in “bricks and mortar” — building more housing, she said.Important also, said Feichtinger, are
 access efforts such as LB 238, which would make more existing housing 
dwellings available to low- to moderate-income families.&nbsp;“It will give families a better chance of success,” she said.To show the sizable demand and use of
 government rental vouchers, Vargas told the committee that the Omaha 
Housing Authority a few years ago advertised that its Section 8 list 
would open up for one day to receive applicants. He said the agency, in 
response, received 10,000 calls.<h2>Burdensome requirements</h2>Alicia Christensen, director of 
public housing at the nonprofit Together Omaha, said people shouldn’t be
 shut out of places solely because rent is subsidized by the government.
 She and others noted that the federal rental payment goes straight to 
the landlord.“How we pay for something shouldn’t 
determine what we can buy,” Christensen said. “Shoppers paying with cash
 don’t enjoy a wider selection at the grocery store than those paying 
with a check.”Multiple landlords and other 
opponents spoke against the proposal. Most said their objection was with
 unresponsive housing agencies and onerous government requirements 
rather than with tenants.Scott Hoffman, a landlord for 40 years, said he testified against the proposal the last two times it was introduced.He noted a new element in the latest 
iteration: A landlord guarantee program, funded by $50,000 from the 
state, would be established to reimburse landlords for unpaid rent or 
tenant damages.<h2>‘That’s a joke’</h2>Hoffman said that might have been 
added because of his past criticism. But he said that the amount falls 
short and that he doesn’t think the state “should be in the business of 
bailing out the federal government.”Said Hoffman: “Now you as a state want to fund it with $50k? That’s a joke.”Lynn Fisher, of Nebraska Real Estate 
Owners and Management Association of Lincoln, said his organization 
includes members who accept government rental vouchers and others who 
don’t. But he said the consensus of members was to oppose the bill.“It’s a program that can be worked 
with, but it should be a choice of the owner,” Fisher said. “A private 
property rights choice.”Kristy Lamb, a vice president at NP 
Dodge, said the property management company oversees 4,000 apartments in
 Lincoln and Omaha and about 40% are dedicated to low- and 
moderate-income residents. Still, the company is opposed to LB 248, 
believing that property owners should have the ability to choose whether
 they want to participate in a government program such as the housing 
assistance vouchers.The Judiciary Committee took no action on advancing the bill to the full Legislature for debate.<h2>$600 million </h2>In the Appropriations Committee hearings, Vargas presented two more bills related to housing.Legislative Bill 741 asks the state 
to invest $100 million into the Rural Housing Investment and Affordable 
Housing Funds, two existing programs aimed at developing housing 
accessible to working-class people.Legislative Bill 801 calls for $200 
million for the Middle Income Workforce Housing Investment And the 
Affordable Housing Trust Fund.The Appropriations Committee also heard public testimony on three other bills:<ul>
 <li>LB
 504, introduced by Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island, seeks a $100 
million state investment into the Rural Housing Investment and 
Affordable Housing Funds.</li><li>LB
 786, introduced by Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, seeks $100 million 
in state funds to create mixed-income housing within two miles of an 
airport, essentially North Omaha.</li><li>LB 789, by Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, requests $100 million for “innovative housing solutions.”</li>
 </ul>