By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/16/death-penalty-opponents-say-its-time-for-another-statewide-vote-on-the-issue/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Opponents of the death penalty argued Thursday 
that it’s time to give Nebraskans another opportunity to repeal a 
punishment they called “cruel and inhumane.”&nbsp;

“We say we care about lives and values, but we still 
support this horrible piece of policy,” said State Sen. Terrell McKinney
 of Omaha.

At a press conference, McKinney was joined by 
representatives of Nebraskans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, 
ACLU of Nebraska, the Nebraska Catholic Conference and Amnesty 
International in calling for passage of a proposed constitutional 
amendment to prohibit capital punishment.

If &nbsp;the Legislature approved <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Intro/LR17CA.pdf">Legislative Resolution 17CA</a>,
 it would go before voters in 2024. The proposal would replace the death
 penalty with life in prison for the most serious murders.

A vote in 2024&nbsp;would be six years after voters overwhelmingly approved restoring the death penalty — by a 3-to-2 margin.

That vote followed a historic decision by the Nebraska 
Legislature in 2015 to repeal capital punishment — a repeal that 
overcame a veto by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts. The millionaire governor, 
along with his family, helped finance the petition drive to put the 
matter on the ballot.

When advocates for repeal were asked why another vote was 
needed after the resounding defeat in 2016, they said that nationally, 
support for the death penalty has waned and that since 2016, four states
 — Virginia, Colorado, New Hampshire and Washington — have repealed 
capital punishment.

Nebraska is one of 27 states that have a death penalty, according to 
the Death Penalty Information Center, though in four of those states, 
executions have been put on hold in part due to concerns about botched 
executions. The federal government has also placed a moratorium on 
executions pending a review of capital punishment protocols.

McKinney and others said that getting the issue on the ballot would provide an opportunity to educate voters on the issue.

Former Attorney General Don Stenberg, who co-chaired the effort to 
restore the death penalty, said he doubted whether public opinion on the
 issue had changed.

Majority see it as ‘appropriate penalty’

“I think a majority of Nebraskans think if someone commits
 a mass murder or tortures children like John Joubert did, the death 
penalty is an appropriate penalty,” Stenberg said.

Joubert, an airman at Offutt Air Force Base, was executed in Nebraska
 in 1996 for the torture-slayings of two young boys in Sarpy County. He 
also admitted to killing another boy in his home state of Maine in 1982.

Fran Kaye, a longtime death penalty opponent, said it was 
dogged work with state senators that led to the repeal vote in 2015, 
informing them about how death penalty is inhumane, is 
disproportionately applied to people of color and is not a deterrent to 
crime.&nbsp;

Such an educational effort, Kaye said, could also convince voters to also support repeal.

Supporters of repeal said another reason to end capital punishment 
was the possibility&nbsp;of executing an innocent person for a murder they 
didn’t commit.

Since 1976, 191 people sentenced to death have been exonerated nationally.

No one testified against LR 17CA during a public hearing before the 
Legislature’s Judiciary Committee on Thursday. But a spokeswoman for the
 Nebraska Attorney General’s Office indicated that the office opposed 
the proposal.

Curt Messner, whose sister Janet and another woman were 
murdered by Randy Reeves at a Quaker meeting house in Nebraska in 1980, 
was among those urging repeal of the death sentence on Thursday.

Messner said that when Reeves, who was a foster child 
taken in by the Messner family, was sentenced to die, it increased 
Messner’s grief.

“I know it was not right,” he said of the sentence.

Reeves came within two days of being executed in 1999, but
 his sentence was later reduced to life in prison after a ruling by the 
Nebraska Supreme Court. Reeves died in prison in 2016.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679059828078.png" alt="State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha discusses his proposal to let Nebraskans vote to repeal the death penalty. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha discusses his proposal to let Nebraskans vote to repeal the death penalty. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/16/death-penalty-opponents-say-its-time-for-another-statewide-vote-on-the-issue/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Opponents of the death penalty argued Thursday 
that it’s time to give Nebraskans another opportunity to repeal a 
punishment they called “cruel and inhumane.”&nbsp;“We say we care about lives and values, but we still 
support this horrible piece of policy,” said State Sen. Terrell McKinney
 of Omaha.At a press conference, McKinney was joined by 
representatives of Nebraskans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, 
ACLU of Nebraska, the Nebraska Catholic Conference and Amnesty 
International in calling for passage of a proposed constitutional 
amendment to prohibit capital punishment.<h2>Life sentence would replace execution</h2>If &nbsp;the Legislature approved <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Intro/LR17CA.pdf">Legislative Resolution 17CA</a>,
 it would go before voters in 2024. The proposal would replace the death
 penalty with life in prison for the most serious murders.A vote in 2024&nbsp;would be six years after voters overwhelmingly approved restoring the death penalty — by a 3-to-2 margin.That vote followed a historic decision by the Nebraska 
Legislature in 2015 to repeal capital punishment — a repeal that 
overcame a veto by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts. The millionaire governor, 
along with his family, helped finance the petition drive to put the 
matter on the ballot.<h2>Repeal passed in four states</h2>When advocates for repeal were asked why another vote was 
needed after the resounding defeat in 2016, they said that nationally, 
support for the death penalty has waned and that since 2016, four states
 — Virginia, Colorado, New Hampshire and Washington — have repealed 
capital punishment.Nebraska is one of 27 states that have a death penalty, according to 
the Death Penalty Information Center, though in four of those states, 
executions have been put on hold in part due to concerns about botched 
executions. The federal government has also placed a moratorium on 
executions pending a review of capital punishment protocols.McKinney and others said that getting the issue on the ballot would provide an opportunity to educate voters on the issue.Former Attorney General Don Stenberg, who co-chaired the effort to 
restore the death penalty, said he doubted whether public opinion on the
 issue had changed.<h2>Majority see it as ‘appropriate penalty’</h2>“I think a majority of Nebraskans think if someone commits
 a mass murder or tortures children like John Joubert did, the death 
penalty is an appropriate penalty,” Stenberg said.Joubert, an airman at Offutt Air Force Base, was executed in Nebraska
 in 1996 for the torture-slayings of two young boys in Sarpy County. He 
also admitted to killing another boy in his home state of Maine in 1982.Fran Kaye, a longtime death penalty opponent, said it was 
dogged work with state senators that led to the repeal vote in 2015, 
informing them about how death penalty is inhumane, is 
disproportionately applied to people of color and is not a deterrent to 
crime.&nbsp;Such an educational effort, Kaye said, could also convince voters to also support repeal.Supporters of repeal said another reason to end capital punishment 
was the possibility&nbsp;of executing an innocent person for a murder they 
didn’t commit.Since 1976, 191 people sentenced to death have been exonerated nationally.No one testified against LR 17CA during a public hearing before the 
Legislature’s Judiciary Committee on Thursday. But a spokeswoman for the
 Nebraska Attorney General’s Office indicated that the office opposed 
the proposal.<h2>Victim’s brother urges repeal</h2>Curt Messner, whose sister Janet and another woman were 
murdered by Randy Reeves at a Quaker meeting house in Nebraska in 1980, 
was among those urging repeal of the death sentence on Thursday.Messner said that when Reeves, who was a foster child 
taken in by the Messner family, was sentenced to die, it increased 
Messner’s grief.“I know it was not right,” he said of the sentence.Reeves came within two days of being executed in 1999, but
 his sentence was later reduced to life in prison after a ruling by the 
Nebraska Supreme Court. Reeves died in prison in 2016.

Death penalty opponents: Time for statewide vote on the issue

United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Kyle A. Halsey, 33, of Elizabeth, N.J., was sentenced on March 15 by the United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher to 24 months imprisonment for illegal transaction with an access device. After his release from prison, Halsey will begin a three-year term of supervised release.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system. Halsey was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,544.24.&nbsp;

In February 2022, Halsey used a credit card that belonged to another person to purchase a skid loader and bucket from a business in Nebraska and had the equipment delivered to New Jersey.&nbsp; The total for the transaction was $46,230.87, and Halsey paid with a credit card that did not belong to him.&nbsp; Police in New Jersey recovered the skid loader in March 2022, while Halsey was in the process of selling it to another person.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ho-Ho-Kus and Paramus Police Departments in New Jersey.&nbsp;

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Kyle A. Halsey, 33, of Elizabeth, N.J., was sentenced on March 15 by the United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher to 24 months imprisonment for illegal transaction with an access device. After his release from prison, Halsey will begin a three-year term of supervised release.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal system. Halsey was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,544.24.&nbsp;In February 2022, Halsey used a credit card that belonged to another person to purchase a skid loader and bucket from a business in Nebraska and had the equipment delivered to New Jersey.&nbsp; The total for the transaction was $46,230.87, and Halsey paid with a credit card that did not belong to him.&nbsp; Police in New Jersey recovered the skid loader in March 2022, while Halsey was in the process of selling it to another person.This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ho-Ho-Kus and Paramus Police Departments in New Jersey.&nbsp;

N.J. man sentenced after fraudulent purchase of Neb. skid steer

NEW YORK (AP) — Eleven of the biggest banks in the country announced a $30 billion rescue package for First Republic Bank on Thursday, in an effort to prevent the California-based bank from becoming the third bank to fail in less than a week.

First Republic serves a similar clientele as Silicon Valley Bank, which failed Friday after depositors withdrew about $40 billion. It appears that First Republic, which had deposits totaling $176.4 billion as of Dec. 31, was facing a similar crisis.

In a statement, the group of banks confirmed that other unnamed banks had seen large amounts of withdrawals of uninsured deposits, which are those that exceed the $250,000 level insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. First Republic's shares dropped more than 60% Monday, even after the bank said it had secured additional funding from JPMorgan and the Federal Reserve.

Thursday the bank’s shares were down as much as 36%, but rallied after reports the rescue package was in the works, and closed up nearly 9%.

JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo have agreed to each put $5 billion in uninsured deposits into First Republic. Meanwhile Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs would deposit $2.5 billion each into the bank. The remaining $5 billion would consist of $1 billion contributions from BNY Mellon, State Street, PNC Bank, Truist and US Bank.

“The actions of America's largest banks reflect their confidence in the country's banking system,” the banks said in their statement.

The nation's banking regulators also issued a statement in support of the bank rescue package.

“This show of support by a group of large banks is most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg.

The news could help calm the nerves of bank investors after the collapse last week of Silicon Valley Bank, which was the second biggest bank failure in U.S. history after the demise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/08aeb5a6c9d542ccb6d6154d4fa1e3a6">Washington Mutual</a>&nbsp;in 2008.

The shuttering of Silicon Valley Bank Friday and of New York-based Signature Bank two days later has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/banks-federal-reserve-silicon-valley-lending-rescue-a04875a164165b50e971ff4576bf4e27">revived bad memories</a>&nbsp;of the financial crisis that plunged the United States into the Great Recession of 2007-2009.

Over the weekend the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-wall-street-silicon-valley-banks-trump-e6c27850d35d7f782fc6af9498925e7f">federal government</a>, determined to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">restore public confidence</a>&nbsp;in the banking system, moved to protect all the banks' deposits, even those that exceeded the FDIC’s $250,000 limit per individual account.

NEW YORK (AP) — A group of Wall Street banks is planning a rescue package of at least $20 billion for <a href="https://www.firstrepublic.com/locations?gnav=globalheader;locations-view-all-locations">First Republic Bank, </a>sources told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The rescue package comes as San Francisco-based First Republic has been battered by investors and worries have grown that the midsized bank might be the next to fail, after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

Sources familiar with the matter said that JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs are part of the group of banks pulling together the package. It is likely to consist of $20 billion in deposits and capital for First Republic, but it might be as high as $30 billion.

The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because the package was still being developed.

A First Republic spokesman declined to comment on the reports.

First Republic Bank's stock has faltered as customers began pulling their deposits out. But it was up more than 3% Thursday after reports of the recue package surfaced.

The news comes after the collapse last week of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">Silicon Valley Bank</a>, which was the second biggest bank failure in U.S. history after the demise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/08aeb5a6c9d542ccb6d6154d4fa1e3a6">Washington Mutual</a>&nbsp;in 2008.

The shuttering of Silicon Valley Bank Friday and of New York-based&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/signature-bank-fdic-new-york-svb-40c361918e2bc9c20d7b19b683b01f65">Signature Bank</a>&nbsp;two days later has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/banks-federal-reserve-silicon-valley-lending-rescue-a04875a164165b50e971ff4576bf4e27">revived bad memories</a>&nbsp;of the financial crisis that plunged the United States into the Great Recession of 2007-2009.

The White House had no comment Thursday on the reports of the rescue package for First Republic Bank, which has more than $200 billion in assets.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678995137267.png" alt="First Republic Bank's stock has faltered as customers began pulling their deposits out. But it was up more than 3% Thursday after reports of the recue package surfaced-photo courtesy First Republic Bank" />
 <figcaption>First Republic Bank's stock has faltered as customers began pulling their deposits out. But it was up more than 3% Thursday after reports of the recue package surfaced-photo courtesy First Republic Bank</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Eleven of the biggest banks in the country announced a $30 billion rescue package for First Republic Bank on Thursday, in an effort to prevent the California-based bank from becoming the third bank to fail in less than a week.First Republic serves a similar clientele as Silicon Valley Bank, which failed Friday after depositors withdrew about $40 billion. It appears that First Republic, which had deposits totaling $176.4 billion as of Dec. 31, was facing a similar crisis.In a statement, the group of banks confirmed that other unnamed banks had seen large amounts of withdrawals of uninsured deposits, which are those that exceed the $250,000 level insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. First Republic's shares dropped more than 60% Monday, even after the bank said it had secured additional funding from JPMorgan and the Federal Reserve.Thursday the bank’s shares were down as much as 36%, but rallied after reports the rescue package was in the works, and closed up nearly 9%.JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo have agreed to each put $5 billion in uninsured deposits into First Republic. Meanwhile Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs would deposit $2.5 billion each into the bank. The remaining $5 billion would consist of $1 billion contributions from BNY Mellon, State Street, PNC Bank, Truist and US Bank.“The actions of America's largest banks reflect their confidence in the country's banking system,” the banks said in their statement.The nation's banking regulators also issued a statement in support of the bank rescue package.“This show of support by a group of large banks is most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg.The news could help calm the nerves of bank investors after the collapse last week of Silicon Valley Bank, which was the second biggest bank failure in U.S. history after the demise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/08aeb5a6c9d542ccb6d6154d4fa1e3a6">Washington Mutual</a>&nbsp;in 2008.The shuttering of Silicon Valley Bank Friday and of New York-based Signature Bank two days later has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/banks-federal-reserve-silicon-valley-lending-rescue-a04875a164165b50e971ff4576bf4e27">revived bad memories</a>&nbsp;of the financial crisis that plunged the United States into the Great Recession of 2007-2009.Over the weekend the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-wall-street-silicon-valley-banks-trump-e6c27850d35d7f782fc6af9498925e7f">federal government</a>, determined to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">restore public confidence</a>&nbsp;in the banking system, moved to protect all the banks' deposits, even those that exceeded the FDIC’s $250,000 limit per individual account.----------------NEW YORK (AP) — A group of Wall Street banks is planning a rescue package of at least $20 billion for <a href="https://www.firstrepublic.com/locations?gnav=globalheader;locations-view-all-locations">First Republic Bank, </a>sources told The Associated Press on Thursday.The rescue package comes as San Francisco-based First Republic has been battered by investors and worries have grown that the midsized bank might be the next to fail, after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.Sources familiar with the matter said that JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs are part of the group of banks pulling together the package. It is likely to consist of $20 billion in deposits and capital for First Republic, but it might be as high as $30 billion.The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because the package was still being developed.A First Republic spokesman declined to comment on the reports.First Republic Bank's stock has faltered as customers began pulling their deposits out. But it was up more than 3% Thursday after reports of the recue package surfaced.The news comes after the collapse last week of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">Silicon Valley Bank</a>, which was the second biggest bank failure in U.S. history after the demise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/08aeb5a6c9d542ccb6d6154d4fa1e3a6">Washington Mutual</a>&nbsp;in 2008.The shuttering of Silicon Valley Bank Friday and of New York-based&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/signature-bank-fdic-new-york-svb-40c361918e2bc9c20d7b19b683b01f65">Signature Bank</a>&nbsp;two days later has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/banks-federal-reserve-silicon-valley-lending-rescue-a04875a164165b50e971ff4576bf4e27">revived bad memories</a>&nbsp;of the financial crisis that plunged the United States into the Great Recession of 2007-2009.Over the weekend the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-wall-street-silicon-valley-banks-trump-e6c27850d35d7f782fc6af9498925e7f">federal government</a>, determined to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">restore public confidence</a>&nbsp;in the banking system, moved to protect all the banks' deposits, even those that exceeded the FDIC’s $250,000 limit per individual account.The White House had no comment Thursday on the reports of the rescue package for First Republic Bank, which has more than $200 billion in assets.

Effort underway on $30 billion rescue plan for failing U.S. bank

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The stakes are higher in Ohio this year for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">March Madness</a>&nbsp;— and not just because it's a regional host for the first round of the men's NCAA basketball tournament.

For the first time, Ohio sports fans can click on a mobile app or tap into kiosks at bars, restaurants or grocery stores and legally bet on the famed tournament.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-legislature-betting-dodge-city-3dd926041924c63c3cdbf4ba950b1d98">Kansas</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-sports-betting-addiction-mobile-massachusetts-2a82643a86d6d17a42a1e52c27215854">Massachusetts</a>&nbsp;and Maryland also are new additions to the world of online sports betting since the NCAA tournament last tipped off. A total of 33 states and the District of Columbia now offer at least some form of sports wagering — each scrambling for shares of a multibillion-dollar enterprise that has rapidly expanded after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nv-state-wire-north-america-courts-supreme-courts-gambling-industry-f3fa1f71b8f44378a7e2c51d321b13b4">the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it</a>&nbsp;nearly five years ago.

Ohio got off to a booming start when it launched sports betting in January. In its first month, Ohio bettors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-sports-betting-gambling-acedf48f0a29188936c9f95a16d4ca7a">wagered more than $1.1 billion</a>, generating more than $20 million in state tax revenue. That nearly tripled the revenue amount that legislative analysts had projected for the entire first six months of operation. But no one's blaming them for missing the mark.

“They couldn’t know how big of a market we were going to have on day one,” said Jessica Franks, communications director at the Ohio Casino Control Commission.

Whereas some states started with limited in-person sports betting and gradually added mobile apps, Ohio began more aggressively — simultaneously launching numerous mobile options and retail locations. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine is now proposing to double the tax rate on sports betting.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d09a306184914ed28c402251176cec8d">New York began allowing sports betting</a>&nbsp;in 2019, but only in person at four upstate casinos, limiting the market. Betting boomed when the state began allowing people to make sports bets through cell phones and computers in January 2022. In the first month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-business-football-new-york-new-jersey-5dd240f1375493c5c08066ec74034890">more than $1.6 billion was wagered</a>&nbsp;through online sports betting, compared to just $15 million through in-person sports bets at casinos.

New York charges a 51% tax on revenue from mobile sports betting — a far higher rate than other states — with most revenue going to education. Budget officials originally projected that mobile sports betting would generate $357 million in state tax revenue for the 2023 fiscal year, which ends March 31. Bettors have blown that away. Through February, mobile sports betting had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gaming.ny.gov/pdf/mobile/Monthly%20Mobile%20Sports%20Wagering%20Report%20Statewide.pdf">generated $661 million of tax revenue</a>&nbsp;for education.

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr., who advocated for sports betting as chair of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, said even he is amazed at the results.

“There is an appetite, certainly, to do sports betting with a mobile device," Addabbo said.

New York and Ohio both have large populations and multiple professional sports teams to help drive interest in sports betting.

Arkansas, a much smaller state without major league sports teams, began in-person sports betting at casinos in July 2019. Things really took off last year when it launched mobile sports betting. State figures show nearly $3 million was wagered on this year's Super Bowl — more than three times the annual amount before mobile betting was allowed.

State officials expect people from neighboring states to cross into Arkansas to bet on March Madness.

“We will be surprised if March doesn’t set a new monthly record for sports betting in the state,” said Scott Hardin, spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.

Other states also have exceeded expectations for sports betting revenues.

Indiana's sports wagering taxes topped $31 million in the 2022 fiscal year — well more than&nbsp;<a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/house/1015#document-e379226d">the $12 million projection</a>&nbsp;when lawmakers authorized it in 2019. New Hampshire's tax take of nearly $24 million from sports betting easily doubled its original projection for the 2022 fiscal year.

But not every state is banking as many bucks as projected from sports betting.

Legislative analysts in Montana, which allows sports bets only from online networks inside bars and casinos, had anticipated that $79 million of bets would be cast last fiscal year, generating $4.8 million of state tax revenue. The actual results were about half that — $2.4 million of state tax revenue from about $45 million of sports bets.

Connecticut received less than $20 million in sports betting taxes in the first 16 months since wagering began in October 2021. Legislative analysts had projected $21 million in its first full fiscal year.

Nationwide, legal sports betting has generated more than $3 billion in state and federal taxes since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling allowing it, according to the American Gaming Association. It's producing about three-quarters of what eventually could be expected from a fully mature market.

The debate about sports betting has shifted from "`Is this something we should consider?' to 'How should we go about doing this in a way that best serves our constituencies?’” said Casey Clark, the association's senior vice president.

The prospects for sports betting to expand into more states this year appear mixed.

A bill legalizing sports betting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-gambling-legalized-betting-wagering-kentucky-8031ecb4f4568769eb4d22b6fc1201b6">passed the Kentucky House</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-gambling-legalized-betting-kentucky-legislature-5d51206d19c953e173c5036f92d9bb61">advanced Wednesday to the Senate</a>&nbsp;but still faces a high hurdle. Similar bills have died in the past in the Senate, and this year's version would a need three-fifths vote to pass.

Supporters also are taking another run at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-minnesota-state-government-business-72906b8d372a2e1b9c7da3bcfd5005e1">a sports betting bill in Minnesota</a>&nbsp;and various other states.

In Missouri, attempts to authorize sports betting have gotten bogged down in the Senate over whether to pair them with regulations on slot-machine-style games that have been popping up in convenience stores.

In Georgia,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gambling-gaming-sports-betting-georgia-51ba7da58835cf3ae47bf3dc67eb9324">sports betting bills have stalled</a>&nbsp;amid debate about whether a constitutional amendment is needed, how to spend the potential tax revenue and whether to pair sports betting with the legalization of casinos and horse racing tracks.

The three most populous states — California, Texas and Florida — all currently lack online sports betting. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which received exclusive state rights to run sports betting,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-business-florida-district-of-columbia-sports-betting-c1eaff80b40aeea9d243abeb5d760e01">shut down its online app</a>&nbsp;in December 2021 after federal courts ruled it violated a rule requiring people to be physically present on tribal land when wagering.

After the most expensive ballot issue battle in U.S. history, California voters last November rejected a pair of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-technology-sports-business-california-7552c76ea151ba145e8c85ee7b277838">rival sports betting initiatives</a>&nbsp;backed by Native American tribes and the gambling industry. Supporters are likely to try again, though it's unclear when that might occur.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678989435605.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID A. LIEB&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP) —The stakes are higher in Ohio this year for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness">March Madness</a>&nbsp;— and not just because it's a regional host for the first round of the men's NCAA basketball tournament.For the first time, Ohio sports fans can click on a mobile app or tap into kiosks at bars, restaurants or grocery stores and legally bet on the famed tournament.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-legislature-betting-dodge-city-3dd926041924c63c3cdbf4ba950b1d98">Kansas</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-sports-betting-addiction-mobile-massachusetts-2a82643a86d6d17a42a1e52c27215854">Massachusetts</a>&nbsp;and Maryland also are new additions to the world of online sports betting since the NCAA tournament last tipped off. A total of 33 states and the District of Columbia now offer at least some form of sports wagering — each scrambling for shares of a multibillion-dollar enterprise that has rapidly expanded after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nv-state-wire-north-america-courts-supreme-courts-gambling-industry-f3fa1f71b8f44378a7e2c51d321b13b4">the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it</a>&nbsp;nearly five years ago.Ohio got off to a booming start when it launched sports betting in January. In its first month, Ohio bettors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-sports-betting-gambling-acedf48f0a29188936c9f95a16d4ca7a">wagered more than $1.1 billion</a>, generating more than $20 million in state tax revenue. That nearly tripled the revenue amount that legislative analysts had projected for the entire first six months of operation. But no one's blaming them for missing the mark.“They couldn’t know how big of a market we were going to have on day one,” said Jessica Franks, communications director at the Ohio Casino Control Commission.Whereas some states started with limited in-person sports betting and gradually added mobile apps, Ohio began more aggressively — simultaneously launching numerous mobile options and retail locations. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine is now proposing to double the tax rate on sports betting.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d09a306184914ed28c402251176cec8d">New York began allowing sports betting</a>&nbsp;in 2019, but only in person at four upstate casinos, limiting the market. Betting boomed when the state began allowing people to make sports bets through cell phones and computers in January 2022. In the first month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-business-football-new-york-new-jersey-5dd240f1375493c5c08066ec74034890">more than $1.6 billion was wagered</a>&nbsp;through online sports betting, compared to just $15 million through in-person sports bets at casinos.New York charges a 51% tax on revenue from mobile sports betting — a far higher rate than other states — with most revenue going to education. Budget officials originally projected that mobile sports betting would generate $357 million in state tax revenue for the 2023 fiscal year, which ends March 31. Bettors have blown that away. Through February, mobile sports betting had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gaming.ny.gov/pdf/mobile/Monthly%20Mobile%20Sports%20Wagering%20Report%20Statewide.pdf">generated $661 million of tax revenue</a>&nbsp;for education.State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr., who advocated for sports betting as chair of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, said even he is amazed at the results.“There is an appetite, certainly, to do sports betting with a mobile device," Addabbo said.New York and Ohio both have large populations and multiple professional sports teams to help drive interest in sports betting.Arkansas, a much smaller state without major league sports teams, began in-person sports betting at casinos in July 2019. Things really took off last year when it launched mobile sports betting. State figures show nearly $3 million was wagered on this year's Super Bowl — more than three times the annual amount before mobile betting was allowed.State officials expect people from neighboring states to cross into Arkansas to bet on March Madness.“We will be surprised if March doesn’t set a new monthly record for sports betting in the state,” said Scott Hardin, spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.Other states also have exceeded expectations for sports betting revenues.Indiana's sports wagering taxes topped $31 million in the 2022 fiscal year — well more than&nbsp;<a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/house/1015#document-e379226d">the $12 million projection</a>&nbsp;when lawmakers authorized it in 2019. New Hampshire's tax take of nearly $24 million from sports betting easily doubled its original projection for the 2022 fiscal year.But not every state is banking as many bucks as projected from sports betting.Legislative analysts in Montana, which allows sports bets only from online networks inside bars and casinos, had anticipated that $79 million of bets would be cast last fiscal year, generating $4.8 million of state tax revenue. The actual results were about half that — $2.4 million of state tax revenue from about $45 million of sports bets.Connecticut received less than $20 million in sports betting taxes in the first 16 months since wagering began in October 2021. Legislative analysts had projected $21 million in its first full fiscal year.Nationwide, legal sports betting has generated more than $3 billion in state and federal taxes since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling allowing it, according to the American Gaming Association. It's producing about three-quarters of what eventually could be expected from a fully mature market.The debate about sports betting has shifted from "`Is this something we should consider?' to 'How should we go about doing this in a way that best serves our constituencies?’” said Casey Clark, the association's senior vice president.The prospects for sports betting to expand into more states this year appear mixed.A bill legalizing sports betting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-gambling-legalized-betting-wagering-kentucky-8031ecb4f4568769eb4d22b6fc1201b6">passed the Kentucky House</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-gambling-legalized-betting-kentucky-legislature-5d51206d19c953e173c5036f92d9bb61">advanced Wednesday to the Senate</a>&nbsp;but still faces a high hurdle. Similar bills have died in the past in the Senate, and this year's version would a need three-fifths vote to pass.Supporters also are taking another run at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-minnesota-state-government-business-72906b8d372a2e1b9c7da3bcfd5005e1">a sports betting bill in Minnesota</a>&nbsp;and various other states.In Missouri, attempts to authorize sports betting have gotten bogged down in the Senate over whether to pair them with regulations on slot-machine-style games that have been popping up in convenience stores.In Georgia,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gambling-gaming-sports-betting-georgia-51ba7da58835cf3ae47bf3dc67eb9324">sports betting bills have stalled</a>&nbsp;amid debate about whether a constitutional amendment is needed, how to spend the potential tax revenue and whether to pair sports betting with the legalization of casinos and horse racing tracks.The three most populous states — California, Texas and Florida — all currently lack online sports betting. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which received exclusive state rights to run sports betting,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-business-florida-district-of-columbia-sports-betting-c1eaff80b40aeea9d243abeb5d760e01">shut down its online app</a>&nbsp;in December 2021 after federal courts ruled it violated a rule requiring people to be physically present on tribal land when wagering.After the most expensive ballot issue battle in U.S. history, California voters last November rejected a pair of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-technology-sports-business-california-7552c76ea151ba145e8c85ee7b277838">rival sports betting initiatives</a>&nbsp;backed by Native American tribes and the gambling industry. Supporters are likely to try again, though it's unclear when that might occur.

Mobile sports bets booming in some states as others shy away

By JOSH FUNK Associated Press

OMAHA,
 Neb. (AP) — A mining company that wants to extract a collection of rare
 elements from beneath southeast Nebraska raised funds Wednesday toward 
its goal of finding the $1.1 billion it needs to build the mine that has
 been in the works for decades.

Shareholders of a special purpose 
acquisition company called GX Acquisition Corp. II overwhelmingly 
approved merging with NioCorp, a Centennial, Colorado-based mining 
company, according to a regulatory filing. About $15 million from the 
deal will go to NioCorp, the company said.

The GXII deal involves one of the risky shell companies once popular on Wall Street before <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-initial-public-offerings-ab35dc239220860c608daa7a4e574d5f">many fell out of favor</a>
 and had to be liquidated before they ever completed a deal. The SPACs, 
as they are known, are essentially companies created solely to merge 
with another business to invest in it.

NioCorp shareholders also approved an $81 million financing deal with Yorkville Advisors Global last week.

But
 the mine the company hopes to build about 80 miles (130 kilometers) 
south of Omaha near the town of Elk Creek could get an even bigger boost
 later this year. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bbc1592772c94748adeebdbfde3c05df">The Export-Import Bank of the United States</a>
 recently issued a formal "letter of interest" saying that NioCorp may 
qualify for up to $800 million in financing. If that comes through after
 the bank conducts a detailed review of the project, NioCorp would have 
enough cash to build the mine.

First the project will have to 
undergo at least six to nine months of review by the bank. The letter 
from the Export-Import Bank is just a preliminary step, but it has 
NioCorp officials extremely optimistic.

“It’s unbelievably 
exciting. Sleep is a little hard to come by for our team right now,” 
NioCorp CEO Mark Smith said. “We see what’s happening and this project 
is actually going to happen.”

NioCorp has raised more than $80 
million since 2013 to explore the site, but development of the project 
dates back to the 1970s when a different company first started drilling 
samples. The proposed mine is expected to create over 400 jobs if it is 
built.

The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-united-states-environment-nebraska-6f820e066c12ad04853fc832e674a33e">main element NioCorp plans to produce</a>
 is a heat-resistant element called niobium, which is used to make steel
 lighter and stronger. The mine could also produce scandium that can be 
used to make aluminum stronger and titanium that would be used in paint 
production. The company has said analysis of samples from the site shows
 there is also a significant amount of rare earth elements used in a 
variety of high-tech products that are primarily produced in China. But 
it’s not yet clear whether it will be economically feasible to mine 
those rare earth elements that President Joe Biden wants to see more of 
produced domestically.

The letter the bank issued to NioCorp is 
one of the first given to a U.S. project since the Export-Import Bank 
decided last year — in response a Biden executive order — to expand 
funding to domestic projects proposed by companies planning to export 
their products. A bank spokeswoman said NioCorp operates in an industry 
the bank is eager to support because so few critical minerals are 
produced in the United States.

NioCorp officials say getting 
funding from the bank, which is run by the government under 
congressional authorization, would help level the playing field with 
Chinese companies that are heavily subsidized by their government. The 
Export-Import Bank would likely offer better terms than commercial 
banks, but NioCorp continues to talk with other banks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678987339106.jpeg" alt="NioCorp CEO Mark Smith talks to a group of investors Oct. 6, 2021, about the prospects for a proposed mine the company hopes to build near Elk Creek in southeast Nebraska. (AP Photo/Josh Funk)" />
 <figcaption>NioCorp CEO Mark Smith talks to a group of investors Oct. 6, 2021, about the prospects for a proposed mine the company hopes to build near Elk Creek in southeast Nebraska. (AP Photo/Josh Funk)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOSH FUNK Associated PressOMAHA,
 Neb. (AP) — A mining company that wants to extract a collection of rare
 elements from beneath southeast Nebraska raised funds Wednesday toward 
its goal of finding the $1.1 billion it needs to build the mine that has
 been in the works for decades.Shareholders of a special purpose 
acquisition company called GX Acquisition Corp. II overwhelmingly 
approved merging with NioCorp, a Centennial, Colorado-based mining 
company, according to a regulatory filing. About $15 million from the 
deal will go to NioCorp, the company said.The GXII deal involves one of the risky shell companies once popular on Wall Street before <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-initial-public-offerings-ab35dc239220860c608daa7a4e574d5f">many fell out of favor</a>
 and had to be liquidated before they ever completed a deal. The SPACs, 
as they are known, are essentially companies created solely to merge 
with another business to invest in it.NioCorp shareholders also approved an $81 million financing deal with Yorkville Advisors Global last week.But
 the mine the company hopes to build about 80 miles (130 kilometers) 
south of Omaha near the town of Elk Creek could get an even bigger boost
 later this year. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bbc1592772c94748adeebdbfde3c05df">The Export-Import Bank of the United States</a>
 recently issued a formal "letter of interest" saying that NioCorp may 
qualify for up to $800 million in financing. If that comes through after
 the bank conducts a detailed review of the project, NioCorp would have 
enough cash to build the mine.First the project will have to 
undergo at least six to nine months of review by the bank. The letter 
from the Export-Import Bank is just a preliminary step, but it has 
NioCorp officials extremely optimistic.“It’s unbelievably 
exciting. Sleep is a little hard to come by for our team right now,” 
NioCorp CEO Mark Smith said. “We see what’s happening and this project 
is actually going to happen.”NioCorp has raised more than $80 
million since 2013 to explore the site, but development of the project 
dates back to the 1970s when a different company first started drilling 
samples. The proposed mine is expected to create over 400 jobs if it is 
built.The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-united-states-environment-nebraska-6f820e066c12ad04853fc832e674a33e">main element NioCorp plans to produce</a>
 is a heat-resistant element called niobium, which is used to make steel
 lighter and stronger. The mine could also produce scandium that can be 
used to make aluminum stronger and titanium that would be used in paint 
production. The company has said analysis of samples from the site shows
 there is also a significant amount of rare earth elements used in a 
variety of high-tech products that are primarily produced in China. But 
it’s not yet clear whether it will be economically feasible to mine 
those rare earth elements that President Joe Biden wants to see more of 
produced domestically.The letter the bank issued to NioCorp is 
one of the first given to a U.S. project since the Export-Import Bank 
decided last year — in response a Biden executive order — to expand 
funding to domestic projects proposed by companies planning to export 
their products. A bank spokeswoman said NioCorp operates in an industry 
the bank is eager to support because so few critical minerals are 
produced in the United States.NioCorp officials say getting 
funding from the bank, which is run by the government under 
congressional authorization, would help level the playing field with 
Chinese companies that are heavily subsidized by their government. The 
Export-Import Bank would likely offer better terms than commercial 
banks, but NioCorp continues to talk with other banks.

Company gets a bit closer to raising $1.1B it needs for Neb. mine

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/15/nebraska-state-senator-proposes-12-week-abortion-ban-instead-of-cardiac-activity-ban/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The path to passage for a 
proposed ban on Nebraska abortions after an ultrasound detects cardiac 
activity ran into a Ralston-sized roadblock on Wednesday.

Ralston State Sen. Merve Riepe, a 
former hospital administrator who supported previous efforts to restrict
 abortion, proposed amending the restriction in Legislative Bill 626 to 
instead make abortions illegal <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/AM/AM626.pdf">after 12 weeks</a>.&nbsp;

He said he and other senators who 
oppose abortion but prefer a “measured approach” want to discuss an 
alternative to the “heartbeat bill,” which sponsors have said would 
essentially ban abortions after about six weeks of gestation.

“I wish we would’ve had the debate 
before things got introduced, but we didn’t,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve
 got to do what it takes when something deserves a discussion.”

Riepe said he filed the amendment and
 walked over to explain his reasons for filing it to State Sen. Joni 
Albrecht of Thurston, who sponsored LB 626. Riepe was a co-sponsor of 
the more restrictive bill.

Riepe said the “six-week ban is 
tantamount to a total ban,” which many of his constituents oppose, he 
said. His comments echoed the views of most of the doctors who <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/cardiac-activity-abortion-ban-bill-draws-hundreds-to-nebraska-capitol/">testified against LB 626</a> in a public hearing.

Riepe said that he doesn’t like 
surprises and that he didn’t like surprising anyone with his amendment. 
But, he said, he was surprised when LB 626 was introduced instead of a 
12-week ban.

Albrecht told him Wednesday she was 
disappointed by his amendment. She told reporters that losing Riepe’s 
vote for cloture might put the bill at risk of falling to a filibuster 
from abortion rights advocates.

The bill needs 33 votes to overcome a
 filibuster. Albrecht said she has just enough support to get the bill 
over the line, but a single supporter’s departure could stall it.

She said Riepe’s 12-week ban “is not 
acceptable to myself or the other 32 (supporters).” She argued that her 
bill is “not about a ban.”

“It’s sad,” she said, adding that his amendment has created confusion about whether he will ultimately <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/11/nebraska-anti-abortion-senators-proposing-heartbeat-bill/">vote for the bill or not</a>.

Riepe said he has no problem being the 33rd
 vote to get LB 626 past the first round of debate. But he wants “a full
 and fair debate” on his amendment in the second round of debate, he 
said.&nbsp;


  State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston speaks during debate in the 
Nebraska Legislature. (Unicameral Information Office/Unicameral Update)

Riepe said he knows this is going to 
turn people against him, but he said the discussion is worth having, 
even if it means he has to “get a dog so I can have a friend.”

Anti-abortion groups including 
Nebraska Right to Life and the Nebraska Family Alliance have argued that
 Nebraska should ban abortion outright. The state currently bans 
abortions after 20 weeks.

In the last legislative session, 
senators fell two votes short of passing a bill put forward by Albrecht 
and then-Sen. Mike Flood to ban abortion in Nebraska if Roe v. Wade was 
overturned.

After the U.S. Supreme Court took 
that step in June and sent the decision back to the states, Riepe said 
he gladly signed onto a letter last summer by then-Speaker of the 
Legislature Mike Hilgers to support a 12-week ban in a special session, 
but supporters couldn’t find the 33 senators needed.

He said he was surprised to see the 
new legislation come back using cardiac activity as the standard, 
because that usually occurs around six weeks of gestational age.

Riepe said he has heard from doctors 
and constituents that most women won’t know they are pregnant in time to
 make an ultrasound appointment, let alone decide.

He worries that women who want to terminate their pregnancies might try to induce their own abortions or harm themselves.

He said he also worries that LB 626 
will encourage women who miss the cardiac deadline to accuse a partner 
of sexual assault, which could lead to criminal investigations and 
charges.

Andi Curry Grubb of Planned 
Parenthood of Nebraska said her group is not celebrating Riepe’s 
amendment, because it still restricts a woman’s ability to exercise 
autonomy over her body.

Grubb said state senators who oppose 
abortion are figuring out that Nebraskans don’t want them to pass a bill
 “as extreme as LB 626.” And women and their allies need to keep 
working.

“It’s interesting that there is 
someone who is this conservative and has been so conservative … that he 
would be the one raising these questions,” Grubb said.

“The outlook on this bill has changed
 literally every day for the last three weeks,” she said. “We cannot 
relax until the bill is defeated.”

Anti-abortion activists huddled Wednesday to figure out a way forward.

Nate Grasz of the Nebraska Family 
Alliance and Sandy Danek of Nebraska Right to Life said their 
organizations oppose Riepe’s amendment.

“This amendment will cost 1,700 lives,” Grasz said.&nbsp;

Danek said LB 626 would stop more 
than 2,000 abortions a year, based on 2021 statistics compiled by the 
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. About 300 abortions a 
year in Nebraska are performed after 12 weeks.

Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678987115961.png" alt="State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston talks with legislative staff on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston talks with legislative staff on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/03/15/nebraska-state-senator-proposes-12-week-abortion-ban-instead-of-cardiac-activity-ban/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The path to passage for a 
proposed ban on Nebraska abortions after an ultrasound detects cardiac 
activity ran into a Ralston-sized roadblock on Wednesday.Ralston State Sen. Merve Riepe, a 
former hospital administrator who supported previous efforts to restrict
 abortion, proposed amending the restriction in Legislative Bill 626 to 
instead make abortions illegal <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/AM/AM626.pdf">after 12 weeks</a>.&nbsp;He said he and other senators who 
oppose abortion but prefer a “measured approach” want to discuss an 
alternative to the “heartbeat bill,” which sponsors have said would 
essentially ban abortions after about six weeks of gestation.“I wish we would’ve had the debate 
before things got introduced, but we didn’t,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve
 got to do what it takes when something deserves a discussion.”Riepe said he filed the amendment and
 walked over to explain his reasons for filing it to State Sen. Joni 
Albrecht of Thurston, who sponsored LB 626. Riepe was a co-sponsor of 
the more restrictive bill.Riepe said the “six-week ban is 
tantamount to a total ban,” which many of his constituents oppose, he 
said. His comments echoed the views of most of the doctors who <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/cardiac-activity-abortion-ban-bill-draws-hundreds-to-nebraska-capitol/">testified against LB 626</a> in a public hearing.Riepe said that he doesn’t like 
surprises and that he didn’t like surprising anyone with his amendment. 
But, he said, he was surprised when LB 626 was introduced instead of a 
12-week ban.<h2>Albrecht disappointed</h2>Albrecht told him Wednesday she was 
disappointed by his amendment. She told reporters that losing Riepe’s 
vote for cloture might put the bill at risk of falling to a filibuster 
from abortion rights advocates.The bill needs 33 votes to overcome a
 filibuster. Albrecht said she has just enough support to get the bill 
over the line, but a single supporter’s departure could stall it.She said Riepe’s 12-week ban “is not 
acceptable to myself or the other 32 (supporters).” She argued that her 
bill is “not about a ban.”“It’s sad,” she said, adding that his amendment has created confusion about whether he will ultimately <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/11/nebraska-anti-abortion-senators-proposing-heartbeat-bill/">vote for the bill or not</a>.Riepe said he has no problem being the 33rd
 vote to get LB 626 past the first round of debate. But he wants “a full
 and fair debate” on his amendment in the second round of debate, he 
said.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678987203022.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston (Unicameral Information Office/Unicameral Update)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston (Unicameral Information Office/Unicameral Update)</figcaption>
 </figure>Riepe said he has no problem being the 33rd
 vote to get LB 626 past the first round of debate. But he wants “a full
 and fair debate” on his amendment in the second round of debate, he 
said.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/dist17_02-200x300.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
 State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston speaks during debate in the 
Nebraska Legislature. (Unicameral Information Office/Unicameral Update)Riepe said he knows this is going to 
turn people against him, but he said the discussion is worth having, 
even if it means he has to “get a dog so I can have a friend.”<h2>Senators had discussed 12 weeks</h2>Anti-abortion groups including 
Nebraska Right to Life and the Nebraska Family Alliance have argued that
 Nebraska should ban abortion outright. The state currently bans 
abortions after 20 weeks.In the last legislative session, 
senators fell two votes short of passing a bill put forward by Albrecht 
and then-Sen. Mike Flood to ban abortion in Nebraska if Roe v. Wade was 
overturned.After the U.S. Supreme Court took 
that step in June and sent the decision back to the states, Riepe said 
he gladly signed onto a letter last summer by then-Speaker of the 
Legislature Mike Hilgers to support a 12-week ban in a special session, 
but supporters couldn’t find the 33 senators needed.He said he was surprised to see the 
new legislation come back using cardiac activity as the standard, 
because that usually occurs around six weeks of gestational age.Riepe said he has heard from doctors 
and constituents that most women won’t know they are pregnant in time to
 make an ultrasound appointment, let alone decide.He worries that women who want to terminate their pregnancies might try to induce their own abortions or harm themselves.He said he also worries that LB 626 
will encourage women who miss the cardiac deadline to accuse a partner 
of sexual assault, which could lead to criminal investigations and 
charges.<h2>All sides watching</h2>Andi Curry Grubb of Planned 
Parenthood of Nebraska said her group is not celebrating Riepe’s 
amendment, because it still restricts a woman’s ability to exercise 
autonomy over her body.Grubb said state senators who oppose 
abortion are figuring out that Nebraskans don’t want them to pass a bill
 “as extreme as LB 626.” And women and their allies need to keep 
working.“It’s interesting that there is 
someone who is this conservative and has been so conservative … that he 
would be the one raising these questions,” Grubb said.“The outlook on this bill has changed
 literally every day for the last three weeks,” she said. “We cannot 
relax until the bill is defeated.”Anti-abortion activists huddled Wednesday to figure out a way forward.Nate Grasz of the Nebraska Family 
Alliance and Sandy Danek of Nebraska Right to Life said their 
organizations oppose Riepe’s amendment.“This amendment will cost 1,700 lives,” Grasz said.&nbsp;Danek said LB 626 would stop more 
than 2,000 abortions a year, based on 2021 statistics compiled by the 
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. About 300 abortions a 
year in Nebraska are performed after 12 weeks.Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.

Neb. senator proposes less stringent, 12-week abortion ban

WASHINGTON (AP) — A week after the second-largest bank collapse in U.S. history, Treasury Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/janet-yellen">Janet Yellen</a>&nbsp;told the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday that the nation's banking system “remains sound” and Americans "can feel confident” about their deposits.

Yellen is the first Biden administration official to face lawmakers over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-deposits-fdic-8011ea377d8f9941032790ce1d704c5a?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_03">the decision to protect uninsured money</a>&nbsp;at two failed regional banks, a move that some Republicans have criticized as a bank “bailout.”

“The government took decisive and forceful actions to strengthen public confidence” in the U.S. banking system, Yellen said in testimony before the committee. “I can reassure the members of the Committee that our banking system remains sound, and that Americans can feel confident that their deposits will be there when they need them."

In less than a week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">Silicon Valley Bank</a>, based in Santa Clara, California, failed after depositors rushed to withdraw money amid anxiety over the bank’s health. Then, regulators convened over the weekend and announced that New York-based Signature Bank also failed. They ensured all depositors, including those holding uninsured funds exceeding $250,000, were protected by federal deposit insurance.

The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission have since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bank-collapse-justice-sec-cc9b1f724d87e79b94592d730d24dcb7">launched investigations</a>&nbsp;into the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.

Thursday's hearing, meant to address President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-budget-debt-limit-deficit-republicans-56ed3a1b2ed906f89bc84edc435d3e7d">budget proposal</a>, comes after the sudden collapse of the nation’s 16th-biggest bank and go-to financial institution for tech entrepreneurs. While Yellen prepared to talk about spending proposals, the hearing inevitably turned to the government's decision-making process to intervene in the bank failure.

“Nerves are certainly frayed at this moment,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, chairman of the committee. “One of the most important steps the Congress can take now is make sure there are no questions about the full faith and credit of the United States,” he said, referring to raising the debt ceiling.

Mike Crapo of Idaho, the committee's top Republican, said, “I’m concerned about the precedent of guaranteeing all deposits,” calling the federal rescue action a “moral hazard."

Yellen said on CBS' “Face the Nation” last Sunday that a bailout was not on the table, stating, “we’re not going to do that again," referring to the U.S. government's response to the 2008 financial crisis, which led to massive government rescue policies to large U.S. banks.

Yellen, a former Federal Reserve chair and past president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve during the 2008 financial crisis, was a leading figure in the resolution this past weekend, which was engineered to prevent a wider systemic problem in the banking sector.

"This week’s actions demonstrate our resolute commitment to ensure that depositors’ savings remain safe,” she said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A week after the second-largest bank collapse in U.S. history, Treasury Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/janet-yellen">Janet Yellen</a>&nbsp;told the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday that the nation's banking system “remains sound” and Americans "can feel confident” about their deposits.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecYellen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecYellen</a>: &quot;This week the government took decisive and forceful actions to stabilize and strengthen public confidence in our financial system.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9zYIEuLLg8">pic.twitter.com/9zYIEuLLg8</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1636377651806892032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Yellen is the first Biden administration official to face lawmakers over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-deposits-fdic-8011ea377d8f9941032790ce1d704c5a?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_03">the decision to protect uninsured money</a>&nbsp;at two failed regional banks, a move that some Republicans have criticized as a bank “bailout.”“The government took decisive and forceful actions to strengthen public confidence” in the U.S. banking system, Yellen said in testimony before the committee. “I can reassure the members of the Committee that our banking system remains sound, and that Americans can feel confident that their deposits will be there when they need them."In less than a week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">Silicon Valley Bank</a>, based in Santa Clara, California, failed after depositors rushed to withdraw money amid anxiety over the bank’s health. Then, regulators convened over the weekend and announced that New York-based Signature Bank also failed. They ensured all depositors, including those holding uninsured funds exceeding $250,000, were protected by federal deposit insurance.The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission have since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bank-collapse-justice-sec-cc9b1f724d87e79b94592d730d24dcb7">launched investigations</a>&nbsp;into the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.Thursday's hearing, meant to address President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-budget-debt-limit-deficit-republicans-56ed3a1b2ed906f89bc84edc435d3e7d">budget proposal</a>, comes after the sudden collapse of the nation’s 16th-biggest bank and go-to financial institution for tech entrepreneurs. While Yellen prepared to talk about spending proposals, the hearing inevitably turned to the government's decision-making process to intervene in the bank failure.“Nerves are certainly frayed at this moment,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, chairman of the committee. “One of the most important steps the Congress can take now is make sure there are no questions about the full faith and credit of the United States,” he said, referring to raising the debt ceiling.Mike Crapo of Idaho, the committee's top Republican, said, “I’m concerned about the precedent of guaranteeing all deposits,” calling the federal rescue action a “moral hazard."Yellen said on CBS' “Face the Nation” last Sunday that a bailout was not on the table, stating, “we’re not going to do that again," referring to the U.S. government's response to the 2008 financial crisis, which led to massive government rescue policies to large U.S. banks.Yellen, a former Federal Reserve chair and past president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve during the 2008 financial crisis, was a leading figure in the resolution this past weekend, which was engineered to prevent a wider systemic problem in the banking sector."This week’s actions demonstrate our resolute commitment to ensure that depositors’ savings remain safe,” she said.

🎥 Treasury Sec. tells Congress US banking system 'remains sound'

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Pentagon on Thursday released footage of what it said was a Russian aircraft pouring fuel on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kramatorsk-peace-plan-fde09a8ea4d9b692637ad8f76cd05f3a">a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone</a>&nbsp;and clipping the drone's propeller in international airspace over the Black Sea.

(click the video below to watch courtesy U.S. European Command)

The 42-second video shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said. Dumping the fuel appeared to be aimed at blinding its optical instruments and driving it out of the area.

On a second approach, either the same jet or another Russian fighter that had been shadowing the MQ-9 struck the drone’s propeller, damaging one blade, according to the U.S. military.

The U.S. military said it ditched the MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after what it described as the Russian fighter making an unsafe intercept of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

The video excerpt released by the Pentagon does not show events before or after the apparent fuel-dumping confrontation.

Russia said its warplanes didn’t strike the drone and claimed the unmanned aerial vehicle went down after making a sharp maneuver over the sea.

Asked Thursday if Russia would try to recover the drone debris, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the decision was up to the military. “If they consider it necessary to do so in the Black Sea for the benefit of our interests and our security, they will do it,” he said.

Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said Wednesday that Moscow would try to recover the drone fragments.

U.S. officials have expressed confidence that nothing of military value would remain from the drone even if Russia managed to retrieve the wreckage.

While intercept attempts are not uncommon, the incident amid the war in Ukraine has raised concerns it could bring the United States and Russia closer to a direct conflict.

Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 and illegally annexed.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-drone-pentagon-9f4b3e8fdd719c0fa91a0683228b9e51">top U.S. and Russian defense and military leaders</a>&nbsp;spoke Wednesday about the encounter over the Black Sea, underscoring its seriousness.

The calls between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russian General Staff, were the first since October.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in its report of the call with Austin that Shoigu accused the U.S. of provoking the incident by ignoring flight restrictions the Kremlin had imposed because of its military operations in Ukraine.

The Kremlin argues that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the war, which is now in its 13th month.

Russia also blamed “the intensification of intelligence activities against the interests of the Russian Federation,” the Defense Ministry said.

Such U.S. actions “are fraught with escalation of the situation in the Black Sea area,” the ministry said, warning that Moscow “will respond in kind to all provocations.”

Sergei Aksenov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea, said he thinks Russia should act even more forcefully to put an end the U.S. surveillance flights in the area.

“I personally think that our response in such situations should be tougher,” Aksenov said on his messaging app channel. “We realize that attempted attacks on Crimea have been launched with Americans’ guidance. In fact, they are a warring party.”

The MQ-9, which has a 66-foot (20-meter) wingspan, includes a ground control station and satellite equipment. It is capable of carrying munitions, but Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, would not say whether the ditched drone had been armed.

Ryder said the incident occurred at 7:03 a.m. Central European time (0603 GMT; 2:03 a.m. EST) over international waters, and well clear of Ukraine, after the Russian jets had flown in the vicinity of the drone for 30 to 40 minutes.

There did not appear to be any communications between the aircraft before the collision, Ryder added.

The U.S. has not recovered the crashed drone, U.S. Air Forces-Europe said in a statement, and neither has Russia, Ryder said. Russian officials said Wednesday that they would try to salvage fragments of the MQ-9 from the Black Sea.

U.S. officials have left open the possibility of trying to recover portions of the downed $32 million drone, which they said crashed into waters that were 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 meters) deep.

Other U.S. officials said the U.S. does not have military ships in the region likely won't attempt to recover the wreckage.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678968513854.png" alt="This photo taken from video released on Thursday, March 16, 2023, shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, over the Black Sea, the Pentagon said. The Pentagon has released footage of what it says is a Russian aircraft conducting an unsafe intercept of a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone in international airspace over the Black Sea. (US Department of Defense via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This photo taken from video released on Thursday, March 16, 2023, shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, over the Black Sea, the Pentagon said. The Pentagon has released footage of what it says is a Russian aircraft conducting an unsafe intercept of a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone in international airspace over the Black Sea. (US Department of Defense via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Pentagon on Thursday released footage of what it said was a Russian aircraft pouring fuel on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kramatorsk-peace-plan-fde09a8ea4d9b692637ad8f76cd05f3a">a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone</a>&nbsp;and clipping the drone's propeller in international airspace over the Black Sea.(click the video below to watch courtesy U.S. European Command)<div><iframe src="https://www.dvidshub.net/video/embed/876667" width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" allowtransparency allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The 42-second video shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said. Dumping the fuel appeared to be aimed at blinding its optical instruments and driving it out of the area.On a second approach, either the same jet or another Russian fighter that had been shadowing the MQ-9 struck the drone’s propeller, damaging one blade, according to the U.S. military.The U.S. military said it ditched the MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after what it described as the Russian fighter making an unsafe intercept of the unmanned aerial vehicle.The video excerpt released by the Pentagon does not show events before or after the apparent fuel-dumping confrontation.Russia said its warplanes didn’t strike the drone and claimed the unmanned aerial vehicle went down after making a sharp maneuver over the sea.Asked Thursday if Russia would try to recover the drone debris, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the decision was up to the military. “If they consider it necessary to do so in the Black Sea for the benefit of our interests and our security, they will do it,” he said.Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said Wednesday that Moscow would try to recover the drone fragments.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> Austin: &quot;I just got off the phone with my Russian counterpart, Minister Shoigu. As I&#39;ve said repeatedly, it&#39;s important that great powers be models of transparency and communication.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LPqwdCiPnP">pic.twitter.com/LPqwdCiPnP</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1636073165540544512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. officials have expressed confidence that nothing of military value would remain from the drone even if Russia managed to retrieve the wreckage.While intercept attempts are not uncommon, the incident amid the war in Ukraine has raised concerns it could bring the United States and Russia closer to a direct conflict.Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 and illegally annexed.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-drone-pentagon-9f4b3e8fdd719c0fa91a0683228b9e51">top U.S. and Russian defense and military leaders</a>&nbsp;spoke Wednesday about the encounter over the Black Sea, underscoring its seriousness.The calls between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russian General Staff, were the first since October.The Russian Defense Ministry said in its report of the call with Austin that Shoigu accused the U.S. of provoking the incident by ignoring flight restrictions the Kremlin had imposed because of its military operations in Ukraine.The Kremlin argues that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the war, which is now in its 13th month.Russia also blamed “the intensification of intelligence activities against the interests of the Russian Federation,” the Defense Ministry said.Such U.S. actions “are fraught with escalation of the situation in the Black Sea area,” the ministry said, warning that Moscow “will respond in kind to all provocations.”Sergei Aksenov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea, said he thinks Russia should act even more forcefully to put an end the U.S. surveillance flights in the area.“I personally think that our response in such situations should be tougher,” Aksenov said on his messaging app channel. “We realize that attempted attacks on Crimea have been launched with Americans’ guidance. In fact, they are a warring party.”The MQ-9, which has a 66-foot (20-meter) wingspan, includes a ground control station and satellite equipment. It is capable of carrying munitions, but Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, would not say whether the ditched drone had been armed.Ryder said the incident occurred at 7:03 a.m. Central European time (0603 GMT; 2:03 a.m. EST) over international waters, and well clear of Ukraine, after the Russian jets had flown in the vicinity of the drone for 30 to 40 minutes.There did not appear to be any communications between the aircraft before the collision, Ryder added.The U.S. has not recovered the crashed drone, U.S. Air Forces-Europe said in a statement, and neither has Russia, Ryder said. Russian officials said Wednesday that they would try to salvage fragments of the MQ-9 from the Black Sea.U.S. officials have left open the possibility of trying to recover portions of the downed $32 million drone, which they said crashed into waters that were 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 meters) deep.Other U.S. officials said the U.S. does not have military ships in the region likely won't attempt to recover the wreckage.___

🎥 Video shows Russian fighter jet dumping fuel on U.S. drone

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas raised questions Wednesday about a Christian group's effort to overturn federal regulators' decades-old approval of a leading abortion drug, in a case that could threaten the country's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">most common method</a>&nbsp;for ending pregnancies.

Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard more than four hours of debate over the Alliance Defending Freedom's request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">revoke or suspend the Food and Drug Administration’s approval</a>&nbsp;of mifepristone. Such a step would be an unprecedented challenge to the FDA and its authority in deciding which drugs to permit on the market.

Kacsmaryk said he would rule “as soon as possible,” without giving any clear indication of how he might decide and leaving open the question of whether access to the standard regimen for medication abortions might soon be curtailed throughout the country.

Mifepristone, when combined with a second pill, was approved in 2000 and is used to end pregnancies until their 10th week. It has been increasingly prescribed since last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade.</a>

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-lawsuits-71b8e54b97b016bf2cc0d9380d478991">Texas lawsuit</a>&nbsp;has become the latest high-stakes legal battle over access to abortion since the question of its legality was returned to the states.

Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former president Donald Trump, saved some of his most pointed questions for attorneys representing the alliance, which filed the case in Amarillo in anticipation of getting a favorable ruling.

“Explain to me why this court has that sweeping authority?” Kacsmaryk asked, in reference to the group's request to pull mifepristone from the market.

The judge also questioned whether the group had the legal standing to obtain a pretrial ruling, grilling both sides on U.S. Supreme Court cases that set out when such extraordinary relief is allowed.

Still, the judge also posed questions suggesting he was considering how he might draft a preliminary injunction in the plaintiffs' favor, at one point asking the alliance's lawyers if the issue of standing had been clearly addressed by appellate courts. At another point, he told them that their outline for the order of their arguments “tracks the elements for an injunction nicely.”

Lawyers representing the FDA argued that pulling mifepristone would disrupt reproductive care for women across the U.S.

“An injunction here would interfere with the interests of every state in the country” said Julie Harris of the U.S. Justice Department, which represented the FDA.

Harris and her colleagues also questioned whether the alliance — which filed its case on behalf of several anti-abortion doctors — had standing to bring the lawsuit, given that none of the plaintiffs could show the type of harm typically needed for such a legal action.

One of the chief arguments leveled against the FDA in the lawsuit is that the agency misused its authority when it originally approved the abortion pill.

The FDA reviewed the drug under its so-called accelerated approval program, which was created in the early 1990s to speed access to the first HIV drugs. Since then, it has been used to expedite drugs for cancer and other “serious or life-threatening diseases."

“The plain text is clear it applies to illnesses,” argued Erik Baptist, the alliance's lead attorney. “Mifepristone is used to end pregnancies, and pregnancy isn’t an illness.”

The FDA rejected the group’s argument on multiple accounts. First, attorneys said FDA regulations make clear that pregnancy is considered a “medical condition” that can be serious and life-threatening in some cases.

Second, government attorneys said the terms of mifepristone’s use were replaced more than a decade ago by subsequent FDA programs passed by Congress, rendering the argument irrelevant.

Finally, while the FDA reviewed the drug under its accelerated approval regime, it didn’t expedite the drug’s review. In fact, approval only came after four years of deliberation. Instead, the FDA used regulatory powers under the accelerated program to add extra safety restrictions to mifepristone.

Legal experts have long been deeply skeptical of many of the arguments made by the alliance. And there is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling an FDA drug approval decision.

At one point, Kacsmaryk asked the alliance's attorneys about the possibility of suspending mifepristone's approval, without withdrawing it completely.

“Any relief you grant must be complete” and apply nationwide, Baptist said. “The harms of these abortion drugs know no bounds.”

Kacsmaryk gave each side two hours to make their arguments — with time for rebuttal — in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">high-stakes case</a>. Mifepristone’s manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, joined the FDA in arguing to keep the pill available.

A ruling could come any time. A decision against the drug would be swiftly appealed by the Justice Department, which would also likely seek an emergency stay to stop it from taking effect while the case proceeds.

Members of the Women’s March advocacy group rallied outside the courthouse, including one dressed as a kangaroo to decry the proceedings as a “kangaroo court.”

Ultimately, courthouse officials allowed 20 members of the media and 20 members of the general public to attend the hearing.

If Kacsmaryk rules against the FDA, it’s unclear how quickly access to mifepristone could be curtailed or how the process would work. The FDA has its own procedures for revoking drug approvals that involve public hearings and scientific deliberations, which can take months or years.

If mifepristone is sidelined, clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination say they would switch to using only misoprostol, the other drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">used in the two-drug combination</a>. That single-drug approach has a slightly lower rate of effectiveness in ending pregnancies but is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.

In addition to challenging mifepristone's approval process, the lawsuit takes aim at several later FDA decisions that loosened restrictions on the pill, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-medication-a6634601a37fb048aecdd9f030e0863a">eliminating a requirement</a>&nbsp;that women pick it up in person.

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-texas-judge-christian-kacsmaryk-3cfb483f1b9266df2e0cc31cc892d605">conservative federal judge in Texas</a>&nbsp;heard arguments Wednesday from a Christian group seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of an abortion medication, in a case that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medical-abortion-pill-challenge-d7ef9bb29b8720e51b0b103f59c862d2">could threaten</a>&nbsp;the most common form of abortion in the U.S.

Lawyers for the group Alliance Defending Freedom asked Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk during the hearing in Amarillo, Texas, to issue an immediate order that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-lawsuits-71b8e54b97b016bf2cc0d9380d478991">revoke or suspend the drug mifepristone's approval</a>. Such a step would be an unprecedented challenge to the FDA, which approved mifepristone in combination with a second pill as a safe and effective method for ending pregnancy in 2000.

During a 90-minute presentation to the court, alliance attorney Erik Baptist told the judge that removing mifepristone from the market “would restore proper policing power to the states” — a reference to last summer's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and left it to states to decide on the legality of abortion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678911159638.png" alt="Lindsay London holds protest sign in front of federal court building in support of access to abortion medication outside the Federal Courthouse on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Amarillo, Texas. A conservative federal judge heard arguments Wednesday from a Christian group seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of an abortion medication, in a case that could threaten the most common form of abortion in the U.S. (AP Photo/David Erickson)" />
 <figcaption>Lindsay London holds protest sign in front of federal court building in support of access to abortion medication outside the Federal Courthouse on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Amarillo, Texas. A conservative federal judge heard arguments Wednesday from a Christian group seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of an abortion medication, in a case that could threaten the most common form of abortion in the U.S. (AP Photo/David Erickson)</figcaption>
 </figure>AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas raised questions Wednesday about a Christian group's effort to overturn federal regulators' decades-old approval of a leading abortion drug, in a case that could threaten the country's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">most common method</a>&nbsp;for ending pregnancies.Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard more than four hours of debate over the Alliance Defending Freedom's request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">revoke or suspend the Food and Drug Administration’s approval</a>&nbsp;of mifepristone. Such a step would be an unprecedented challenge to the FDA and its authority in deciding which drugs to permit on the market.Kacsmaryk said he would rule “as soon as possible,” without giving any clear indication of how he might decide and leaving open the question of whether access to the standard regimen for medication abortions might soon be curtailed throughout the country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581004285984.jpeg" alt=" About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Mifepristone, when combined with a second pill, was approved in 2000 and is used to end pregnancies until their 10th week. It has been increasingly prescribed since last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade.</a>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-lawsuits-71b8e54b97b016bf2cc0d9380d478991">Texas lawsuit</a>&nbsp;has become the latest high-stakes legal battle over access to abortion since the question of its legality was returned to the states.Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former president Donald Trump, saved some of his most pointed questions for attorneys representing the alliance, which filed the case in Amarillo in anticipation of getting a favorable ruling.“Explain to me why this court has that sweeping authority?” Kacsmaryk asked, in reference to the group's request to pull mifepristone from the market.The judge also questioned whether the group had the legal standing to obtain a pretrial ruling, grilling both sides on U.S. Supreme Court cases that set out when such extraordinary relief is allowed.Still, the judge also posed questions suggesting he was considering how he might draft a preliminary injunction in the plaintiffs' favor, at one point asking the alliance's lawyers if the issue of standing had been clearly addressed by appellate courts. At another point, he told them that their outline for the order of their arguments “tracks the elements for an injunction nicely.”Lawyers representing the FDA argued that pulling mifepristone would disrupt reproductive care for women across the U.S.“An injunction here would interfere with the interests of every state in the country” said Julie Harris of the U.S. Justice Department, which represented the FDA.Harris and her colleagues also questioned whether the alliance — which filed its case on behalf of several anti-abortion doctors — had standing to bring the lawsuit, given that none of the plaintiffs could show the type of harm typically needed for such a legal action.One of the chief arguments leveled against the FDA in the lawsuit is that the agency misused its authority when it originally approved the abortion pill.The FDA reviewed the drug under its so-called accelerated approval program, which was created in the early 1990s to speed access to the first HIV drugs. Since then, it has been used to expedite drugs for cancer and other “serious or life-threatening diseases."“The plain text is clear it applies to illnesses,” argued Erik Baptist, the alliance's lead attorney. “Mifepristone is used to end pregnancies, and pregnancy isn’t an illness.”The FDA rejected the group’s argument on multiple accounts. First, attorneys said FDA regulations make clear that pregnancy is considered a “medical condition” that can be serious and life-threatening in some cases.Second, government attorneys said the terms of mifepristone’s use were replaced more than a decade ago by subsequent FDA programs passed by Congress, rendering the argument irrelevant.Finally, while the FDA reviewed the drug under its accelerated approval regime, it didn’t expedite the drug’s review. In fact, approval only came after four years of deliberation. Instead, the FDA used regulatory powers under the accelerated program to add extra safety restrictions to mifepristone.Legal experts have long been deeply skeptical of many of the arguments made by the alliance. And there is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling an FDA drug approval decision.At one point, Kacsmaryk asked the alliance's attorneys about the possibility of suspending mifepristone's approval, without withdrawing it completely.“Any relief you grant must be complete” and apply nationwide, Baptist said. “The harms of these abortion drugs know no bounds.”Kacsmaryk gave each side two hours to make their arguments — with time for rebuttal — in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">high-stakes case</a>. Mifepristone’s manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, joined the FDA in arguing to keep the pill available.A ruling could come any time. A decision against the drug would be swiftly appealed by the Justice Department, which would also likely seek an emergency stay to stop it from taking effect while the case proceeds.Members of the Women’s March advocacy group rallied outside the courthouse, including one dressed as a kangaroo to decry the proceedings as a “kangaroo court.”Ultimately, courthouse officials allowed 20 members of the media and 20 members of the general public to attend the hearing.If Kacsmaryk rules against the FDA, it’s unclear how quickly access to mifepristone could be curtailed or how the process would work. The FDA has its own procedures for revoking drug approvals that involve public hearings and scientific deliberations, which can take months or years.If mifepristone is sidelined, clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination say they would switch to using only misoprostol, the other drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">used in the two-drug combination</a>. That single-drug approach has a slightly lower rate of effectiveness in ending pregnancies but is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.In addition to challenging mifepristone's approval process, the lawsuit takes aim at several later FDA decisions that loosened restrictions on the pill, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-medication-a6634601a37fb048aecdd9f030e0863a">eliminating a requirement</a>&nbsp;that women pick it up in person.___AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-texas-judge-christian-kacsmaryk-3cfb483f1b9266df2e0cc31cc892d605">conservative federal judge in Texas</a>&nbsp;heard arguments Wednesday from a Christian group seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of an abortion medication, in a case that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medical-abortion-pill-challenge-d7ef9bb29b8720e51b0b103f59c862d2">could threaten</a>&nbsp;the most common form of abortion in the U.S.Lawyers for the group Alliance Defending Freedom asked Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk during the hearing in Amarillo, Texas, to issue an immediate order that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-lawsuits-71b8e54b97b016bf2cc0d9380d478991">revoke or suspend the drug mifepristone's approval</a>. Such a step would be an unprecedented challenge to the FDA, which approved mifepristone in combination with a second pill as a safe and effective method for ending pregnancy in 2000.During a 90-minute presentation to the court, alliance attorney Erik Baptist told the judge that removing mifepristone from the market “would restore proper policing power to the states” — a reference to last summer's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and left it to states to decide on the legality of abortion.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582813176978.jpeg" alt=" Mifepristone, commonly called the abortion pill, is the most common form of abortion in Kansas.&nbsp; photo by Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Mifepristone, commonly called the abortion pill, is the most common form of abortion in Kansas.&nbsp; photo by Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Mifepristone, when combined with a second pill, has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">the most common method of abortion</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. and has been increasingly prescribed since Roe was overturned.Acknowledging the significance of the case, Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump, asked Baptist if he could cite a prior example of a court removing an FDA-approved drug after many years on the market.Baptist acknowledged that there are no prior examples, but he blamed the drug's longevity on the FDA's “stonewalling” of his group's prior requests to remove the drug. The group petitioned the FDA in 2002 and in 2019 seeking to curb access to the pill.Lawyers for the FDA are expected to argue that pulling mifepristone would upend reproductive care for U.S. women and undermine the government’s scientific oversight of prescription drugs.Kacsmaryk gave each side two hours to make their arguments — with time for rebuttal — in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">high-stakes case</a>. Mifepristone’s manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, will join the FDA in arguing to keep the pill available.A ruling could come any time after arguments conclude. A decision against the drug would be swiftly appealed by U.S. Department of Justice attorneys representing the FDA, who would also likely seek an emergency stay to stop it from taking effect while the case proceeds.One of the alliance’s chief arguments against the FDA is that it misused its authorities when it originally approved the pill.The FDA reviewed the drug under its so-called accelerated approval program, which was created in the early 1990s to speed access to the first HIV drugs. Since then, it’s been used to expedite drugs for cancer and other “serious or life-threatening diseases.”The alliance, which was also involved in the lawsuit that led the Supreme Court to overturn Roe, argues that pregnancy is not a disease and therefore mifepristone should not have been considered for accelerated approval.“The contrast between these illnesses and the FDA jamming pregnancy into ... the FDA regulations could not be more stark,” Baptist told Kacsmaryk.But the FDA says the group’s argument is flawed on multiple counts. First, FDA regulations make clear that pregnancy is considered a “medical condition” that can be serious and life-threatening in some cases.Second, while the FDA reviewed the drug under its accelerated approval regime, it didn’t expedite the drug’s review. In fact, approval only came after four years of deliberation. Instead, the FDA used regulatory powers under the accelerated program to add extra safety restrictions to mifepristone, including requiring physicians to be certified before prescribing it.The hearing is the first in the case and is being closely watched by groups on both sides of the abortion issue in light of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">reversal of Roe.</a>. Removing mifepristone from the market would curb access to abortion even in states where it’s legal.Members of the Women’s March advocacy group rallied outside the courthouse, including one dressed as a kangaroo to decry the proceedings as a “kangaroo court.”If Kacsmaryk rules against the FDA, it’s unclear how quickly access to mifepristone could be curtailed or how the process would work. The FDA has its own procedures for revoking drug approvals that involve public hearings and scientific deliberations, which can take months or years.If mifepristone is sidelined, clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination say they would switch to using only misoprostol, the other drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">used in the two-drug combination</a>. That single-drug approach has a slightly lower rate of effectiveness in ending pregnancies but is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.In addition to challenging mifepristone's approval process, the lawsuit takes aim at several later FDA decisions that loosened restrictions on the pill, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-medication-a6634601a37fb048aecdd9f030e0863a">eliminating a requirement</a>&nbsp;that women pick it up in person.Lawyers for the FDA have pointed out that serious side effects with mifepristone are rare, and the agency has repeatedly affirmed the drug’s safety by reviewing subsequent studies and data. Pulling the drug more than 20 years after approval would be “extraordinary and unprecedented,” the government stated in its legal response.