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

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

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

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

Another rocket attack targets US base in Syria

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HOW DID THE BANKS END UP WITH SUCH BIG LOSSES?

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

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

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

HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES?

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

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

WILL THESE PROGRAMS SPEND TAXPAYER DOLLARS?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.

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

Neb. man sentenced for distribution of methamphetamine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ricketts says he didn’t know Sasse was leaving

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

Sasse and Pillen, too, have denied any coordination.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Approximately 55% of respondents said
 they would oppose a law of that kind, with 46% in strong opposition. 
Conversely, 41% said they would support the law, with 33% in strong 
support.

About 11% of respondents said abortion should be illegal in all cases.

The state government also focuses too
 much on partisan bickering, not getting anything done or serving 
themselves, according to 16% of respondents.

Results show that 57% of respondents 
were Republicans or Republican-leaning independents, and 33% were 
Democrats or Democrat-leaning independents. Of those interviewed, 92% 
were white.

“Lawmakers must consider these 
results to better align legislative action with public policy priorities
 and deliver better outcomes for the people of Nebraska,” the release 
states.

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

Survey: Nebraskans dissatisfied with state help for working families

NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday told Americans the nation’s financial systems were safe, seeking to project calm following the swift and stunning collapse of two banks that prompted fears of a broader upheaval.&nbsp;

“Your deposits will be there when you need them," he said.

(Click below to watch the President's comments)

U.S. regulators closed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-fdic-tech-vc-f343cdc6a8adee4a3635b756cec1f787">Silicon Valley Bank on Friday</a>&nbsp;after it experienced a traditional bank run, where depositors rushed to withdraw their funds all at once. It is the second largest bank failure in U.S. history, behind only the 2008 failure of Washington Mutual. But the financial bloodletting was swift; New York-based Signature Bank also failed.

The president, speaking from the White House shortly before a trip to the West Coast, said he’d seek to hold those responsible accountable, and pressed for better oversight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-janet-yellen-bailout-fdic-fail-failed-c224cf4d2ef07c70cd27e7d0d3be628b">and regulation of larger banks</a>. And he promised no losses would be borne by taxpayers.

“We must get the full accounting of what happened,” he said. “American can have confidence that the banking system is safe."

Biden also said management of the banks should be fired. “If the bank is taken over by the FDIC, the people running the bank should not work there anymore," he said, referring to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the agency responsible for ensuring the stability of the banking system.

At more than $110 billion in assets, Signature Bank is the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history. Another beleaguered bank, First Republic Bank, announced Sunday that it had bolstered its financial health by gaining access to funding from the Fed and JPMorgan Chase.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-bank-failure-financial-markets-773b1e19fbbe41dc840fda43936573fa">developments left markets jittery</a>&nbsp;as trading began Monday. The Asian and European markets fell but not dramatically, and U.S. futures were down.

In an effort to shore up confidence in the banking system, the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and FDIC said Sunday that all Silicon Valley <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/news/press-releases/2023/pr23019.html">Bank clients would be protected and able to access their money.</a>

“This step will ensure that the U.S. banking system continues to perform its vital roles of protecting deposits and providing access to credit to households and businesses in a manner that promotes strong and sustainable economic growth,” the agencies said in a joint statement.

Under the plan, depositors at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, including those whose holdings exceed the $250,000 insurance limit, will be able to access their money on Monday.

Britain also moved quickly, working throughout the weekend to arrange the sale of Silicon Valley Bank UK Ltd., the California bank’s British arm, for the nominal sum of one pound.

While the bank is small, with less than 0.2% of U.K. bank deposits according to central bank statistics, it had a large role in financing technology and biotech startups that the British government is counting on to fuel economic growth.

Jeremy Hunt, Britain's Treasury chief, said some of the country’s leading tech companies could have been “wiped out."

“When you have very young companies, very promising companies, they’re also fragile,” Hunt told reporters, explaining the why authorities moved so quickly. “They need to pay their staff and they were worried that as of 8 a.m. this morning, they might literally not be able to access their bank account.”

He stressed that there was never a “systemic risk” to Britain's banking system.

Silicon Valley Bank began its slide into insolvency when it was forced to dump some of its treasuries at at a loss to fund its customers’ withdrawals. Under the Fed’s new program, banks can post those securities as collateral and borrow from the emergency facility.

The Treasury has set aside $25 billion to offset any losses incurred. Fed officials said, however, that they do not expect to have to use any of that money, given that the securities posted as collateral have a very low risk of default.

Though Sunday’s steps marked the most extensive government intervention in the banking system since the 2008 financial crisis, the actions are relatively limited compared with what was done 15 years ago. The two failed banks themselves have not been rescued, and taxpayer money has not been provided to them.

Some prominent Silicon Valley executives feared that if Washington didn’t rescue their failed bank, customers would make runs on other financial institutions in the coming days. Stock prices plunged over the last few days at other banks that cater to technology companies, such as First Republic and PacWest Bank.

Among the bank’s customers are a range of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-svb-collapse-customers-ec0148382edb344c27c0bdfdcbd3cf66">companies from California’s wine industry</a>, where many wineries rely on Silicon Valley Bank for loans, and technology startups devoted to combating climate change.

Tiffany Dufu, founder and CEO of The Cru, a New York-based career coaching platform and community for women, posted a video Sunday on LinkedIn from an airport bathroom, saying the bank crisis was testing her resiliency.

Given that her money was tied up at Silicon Valley Bank, she had to pay her employees out of her personal bank account. With two teenagers to support who will be heading to college, she said she was relieved to hear that the government’s intent is to make depositors whole.

“Small businesses and early-stage startups don’t have a lot of access to leverage in a situation like this, and we’re often in a very vulnerable position, particularly when we have to fight so hard to get the wires into your bank account to begin with, particularly for me, as a Black female founder,” Dufu said. ___ Rugaber and Megerian reported from Washington. Sweet and Bussewitz reported from New York. Associated Press Writers Hope Yen in Washington, Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island, and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday told Americans the nation’s financial systems were safe, seeking to project calm following the swift and stunning collapse of two banks that prompted fears of a broader upheaval.&nbsp;“Your deposits will be there when you need them," he said.(Click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F241554121562075%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=4" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>U.S. regulators closed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-fdic-tech-vc-f343cdc6a8adee4a3635b756cec1f787">Silicon Valley Bank on Friday</a>&nbsp;after it experienced a traditional bank run, where depositors rushed to withdraw their funds all at once. It is the second largest bank failure in U.S. history, behind only the 2008 failure of Washington Mutual. But the financial bloodletting was swift; New York-based Signature Bank also failed.The president, speaking from the White House shortly before a trip to the West Coast, said he’d seek to hold those responsible accountable, and pressed for better oversight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-janet-yellen-bailout-fdic-fail-failed-c224cf4d2ef07c70cd27e7d0d3be628b">and regulation of larger banks</a>. And he promised no losses would be borne by taxpayers.“We must get the full accounting of what happened,” he said. “American can have confidence that the banking system is safe."Biden also said management of the banks should be fired. “If the bank is taken over by the FDIC, the people running the bank should not work there anymore," he said, referring to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the agency responsible for ensuring the stability of the banking system.At more than $110 billion in assets, Signature Bank is the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history. Another beleaguered bank, First Republic Bank, announced Sunday that it had bolstered its financial health by gaining access to funding from the Fed and JPMorgan Chase.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-bank-failure-financial-markets-773b1e19fbbe41dc840fda43936573fa">developments left markets jittery</a>&nbsp;as trading began Monday. The Asian and European markets fell but not dramatically, and U.S. futures were down.In an effort to shore up confidence in the banking system, the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and FDIC said Sunday that all Silicon Valley <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/news/press-releases/2023/pr23019.html">Bank clients would be protected and able to access their money.</a>“This step will ensure that the U.S. banking system continues to perform its vital roles of protecting deposits and providing access to credit to households and businesses in a manner that promotes strong and sustainable economic growth,” the agencies said in a joint statement.Under the plan, depositors at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, including those whose holdings exceed the $250,000 insurance limit, will be able to access their money on Monday.Britain also moved quickly, working throughout the weekend to arrange the sale of Silicon Valley Bank UK Ltd., the California bank’s British arm, for the nominal sum of one pound.While the bank is small, with less than 0.2% of U.K. bank deposits according to central bank statistics, it had a large role in financing technology and biotech startups that the British government is counting on to fuel economic growth.Jeremy Hunt, Britain's Treasury chief, said some of the country’s leading tech companies could have been “wiped out."“When you have very young companies, very promising companies, they’re also fragile,” Hunt told reporters, explaining the why authorities moved so quickly. “They need to pay their staff and they were worried that as of 8 a.m. this morning, they might literally not be able to access their bank account.”He stressed that there was never a “systemic risk” to Britain's banking system.Silicon Valley Bank began its slide into insolvency when it was forced to dump some of its treasuries at at a loss to fund its customers’ withdrawals. Under the Fed’s new program, banks can post those securities as collateral and borrow from the emergency facility.The Treasury has set aside $25 billion to offset any losses incurred. Fed officials said, however, that they do not expect to have to use any of that money, given that the securities posted as collateral have a very low risk of default.Though Sunday’s steps marked the most extensive government intervention in the banking system since the 2008 financial crisis, the actions are relatively limited compared with what was done 15 years ago. The two failed banks themselves have not been rescued, and taxpayer money has not been provided to them.Some prominent Silicon Valley executives feared that if Washington didn’t rescue their failed bank, customers would make runs on other financial institutions in the coming days. Stock prices plunged over the last few days at other banks that cater to technology companies, such as First Republic and PacWest Bank.Among the bank’s customers are a range of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-svb-collapse-customers-ec0148382edb344c27c0bdfdcbd3cf66">companies from California’s wine industry</a>, where many wineries rely on Silicon Valley Bank for loans, and technology startups devoted to combating climate change.Tiffany Dufu, founder and CEO of The Cru, a New York-based career coaching platform and community for women, posted a video Sunday on LinkedIn from an airport bathroom, saying the bank crisis was testing her resiliency.Given that her money was tied up at Silicon Valley Bank, she had to pay her employees out of her personal bank account. With two teenagers to support who will be heading to college, she said she was relieved to hear that the government’s intent is to make depositors whole.“Small businesses and early-stage startups don’t have a lot of access to leverage in a situation like this, and we’re often in a very vulnerable position, particularly when we have to fight so hard to get the wires into your bank account to begin with, particularly for me, as a Black female founder,” Dufu said. ___ Rugaber and Megerian reported from Washington. Sweet and Bussewitz reported from New York. Associated Press Writers Hope Yen in Washington, Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island, and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.--------------

🎥 Feds close 2nd bank; Biden tells US to have confidence in banks 

NEW YORK (AP) — Governments in the UK and U.S. took extraordinary steps to stop a potential banking crisis after the historic failure of Silicon Valley Bank, even as another major bank was shut down.

The UK Treasury and the Bank of England announced early Monday that they had facilitated the sale of Silicon Valley Bank UK to HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, ensuring the security of 6.7 billion pounds ($8.1 billion) of deposits.

British officials worked throughout the weekend to find a buyer for the UK subsidiary of the California-based bank. Its collapse was the second-largest bank failure in history.

U.S. regulators also worked all weekend to try to find a buyer. Those efforts appeared to have failed Sunday, but U.S. officials assured all depositors that they could access all their money quickly.

The announcement came amid fears that the factors that caused the Santa Clara, California-based bank to fail could spread.

In a sign of how fast the financial bleeding was occurring, regulators announced that New York-based Signature Bank had also failed and was being seized on Sunday. At more than $110 billion in assets, Signature Bank is the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history.

The near-financial crisis left Asian markets jittery as trading began Monday. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 sank 1.6% in morning trading, Australia’s S&amp;P/ASX 200 lost 0.3% and South Korea’s Kospi shed 0.4%. But Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.4% and the Shanghai Composite increased 0.3%.

In an effort to shore up confidence in the banking system, the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and FDIC said Sunday that all Silicon Valley Bank clients would be protected and able to access their money. They also announced steps that are intended to protect the bank’s customers and prevent additional bank runs.

Also Sunday, another beleaguered bank, First Republic Bank, announced that it had bolstered its financial health by gaining access to funding from the Fed and JPMorgan Chase.

In a separate announcement, the Fed late Sunday announced an expansive emergency lending program that’s intended to prevent a wave of bank runs that would threaten the stability of the banking system and the economy as a whole. Fed officials characterized the program as akin to what central banks have done for decades: Lend freely to the banking system so that customers would be confident that they could access their accounts whenever needed.

The lending facility will allow banks that need to raise cash to pay depositors to borrow that money from the Fed, rather than having to sell Treasuries and other securities to raise the money. Silicon Valley Bank had been forced to dump some of its Treasuries at at a loss to fund its customers’ withdrawals. Under the Fed’s new program, banks can post those securities as collateral and borrow from the emergency facility.

The Treasury has set aside $25 billion to offset any losses incurred under the Fed’s emergency lending facility. Fed officials said, however, that they do not expect to have to use any of that money, given that the securities posted as collateral have a very low risk of default.

Analysts said the Fed’s program should be enough to calm financial markets.

“Monday will surely be a stressful day for many in the regional banking sector, but today’s action dramatically reduces the risk of further contagion,” economists at Jefferies, an investment bank, said in a research note.

Though Sunday’s steps marked the most extensive government intervention in the banking system since the 2008 financial crisis, its actions are relatively limited compared with what was done 15 years ago. The two failed banks themselves have not been rescued, and taxpayer money has not been provided to the banks.

President Joe Biden said Sunday evening as he boarded Air Force One back to Washington that he would speak about the bank situation on Monday. In a statement, Biden also said he was “firmly committed to holding those responsible for this mess fully accountable and to continuing our efforts to strengthen oversight and regulation of larger banks so that we are not in this position again.”

Regulators had to rush to close Silicon Valley Bank, a financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets, on Friday when it experienced a traditional run on the bank where depositors rushed to withdraw their funds all at once. It is the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history, behind only the 2008 failure of Washington Mutual.

Some prominent Silicon Valley executives feared that if Washington didn’t rescue the failed bank, customers would make runs on other financial institutions in the coming days. Stock prices plunged over the last few days at other banks that cater to technology companies, including First Republic Bank and PacWest Bank.

Among the bank’s customers are a range of companies from California’s wine industry, where many wineries rely on Silicon Valley Bank for loans, and technology startups devoted to combating climate change. Sunrun, which sells and leases solar energy systems, had less than $80 million of cash deposits with Silicon Valley. Stitchfix, the clothing retail website, disclosed recently that it had a credit line of up to $100 million with Silicon Valley Bank and other lenders.

Tiffany Dufu, founder and CEO of The Cru, a New York-based career coaching platform and community for women, posted a video Sunday on LinkedIn from an airport bathroom, saying the bank crisis was testing her resiliency. Given that her money was tied up at Silicon Valley Bank, she had to pay her employees out of her personal bank account. With two teenagers to support who will be heading to college, she said she was relieved to hear that the government’s intent is to make depositors whole.

“Small businesses and early-stage startups don’t have a lot of access to leverage in a situation like this, and we’re often in a very vulnerable position, particularly when we have to fight so hard to get the wires into your bank account to begin with, particularly for me, as a Black female founder,” Dufu told The Associated Press.

Silicon Valley Bank began its slide into insolvency when its customers, largely technology companies that needed cash as they struggled to get financing, started withdrawing their deposits. The bank had to sell bonds at a loss to cover the withdrawals, leading to the largest failure of a U.S. financial institution since the height of the financial crisis.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen pointed to rising interest rates, which have been increased by the Federal Reserve to combat inflation, as the core problem for Silicon Valley Bank. Many of its assets, such as bonds or mortgage-backed securities, lost market value as rates climbed.

Sheila Bair, who was chairwoman of the FDIC during the 2008 financial crisis, recalled that with nearly all the bank failures then, “we sold a failed bank to a healthy bank. And usually, the healthy acquirer would also cover the uninsured because they wanted the franchise value of those large depositors so optimally, that’s the best outcome.”

But with Silicon Valley Bank, she told NBC’s “Meet the Press,” “this was a liquidity failure, it was a bank run, so they didn’t have time to prepare to market the bank. So they’re having to do that now, and playing catch-up.”

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. government took extraordinary steps Sunday to stop a potential banking crisis after the historic failure of Silicon Valley Bank, assuring all depositors at the failed institution that they could access all their money quickly, even as another major bank was shut down.

The announcement came amid fears that the factors that caused the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.svb.com/">Santa Clara, California-based bank</a>&nbsp;to fail could spread. Regulators had worked all weekend to try to find a buyer for the bank, which was the second-largest bank failure in history. Those efforts appeared to have failed Sunday.

The near-financial crisis that U.S. regulators had to intervene to prevent left Asian markets jittery as trading began Monday. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 sank 1.6% in morning trading, Australia’s S&amp;P/ASX 200 lost 0.3% and South Korea’s Kospi shed 0.4%. But Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.4% and the Shanghai Composite increased 0.3%.

In a separate announcement, the Fed late Sunday announced an expansive emergency lending program that's intended to prevent a wave of bank runs that would threaten the stability of the banking system and the economy as a whole. Fed officials characterized the program as akin to what central banks have done for decades: Lend freely to the banking system so that customers would be confident that they could access their accounts whenever needed.

Analysts said the Fed’s program should be enough to calm financial markets on Monday.

Though Sunday's steps marked the most extensive government intervention in the banking system since the 2008 financial crisis, its actions are relatively limited compared with what was done 15 years ago. The two failed banks themselves have not been rescued, and taxpayer money has not been provided to the banks.

Some prominent Silicon Valley executives feared that if Washington didn’t rescue the failed bank,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-janet-yellen-bailout-fdic-fail-failed-c224cf4d2ef07c70cd27e7d0d3be628b">customers would make runs on other financial institutions</a>&nbsp;in the coming days. Stock prices plunged over the last few days at other banks that cater to technology companies, including First Republic Bank and PacWest Bank.

Among the bank's customers are a range of companies from California’s wine industry, where many wineries rely on Silicon Valley Bank for loans, and technology startups devoted to combating climate change. Sunrun, which sells and leases solar energy systems, had less than $80 million of cash deposits with Silicon Valley. Stitchfix, the clothing retail website, disclosed recently that it had a credit line of up to $100 million with Silicon Valley Bank and other lenders.

Tiffany Dufu, founder and CEO of The Cru, a New York-based career coaching platform and community for women, posted a video Sunday on LinkedIn from an airport bathroom, saying the bank crisis was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7040727755319037952/">testing her resiliency</a>. Given that her money was tied up at Silicon Valley Bank, she had to pay her employees out of her personal bank account. With two teenagers to support who will be heading to college, she said she was relieved to hear that the government’s intent is to make depositors whole.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen pointed to rising interest rates, which have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-interest-rates-powell-unemployment-79b7ead4530ab381a17638a6c9df2d90">increased by the Federal Reserve</a>&nbsp;to combat inflation, as the core problem for Silicon Valley Bank. Many of its assets, such as bonds or mortgage-backed securities, lost market value as rates climbed.

But with Silicon Valley Bank, she told NBC's “Meet the Press,” “this was a liquidity failure, it was a bank run, so they didn’t have time to prepare to market the bank. So they’re having to do that now, and playing catch-up.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Can Washington come to the rescue of the depositors of failed Silicon Valley Bank? Is it even politically possible?

That was one of the growing questions in Washington Sunday as policymakers tried to figure out whether the U.S. government — and its taxpayers — should bail out a failed bank that largely&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-svb-collapse-customers-ec0148382edb344c27c0bdfdcbd3cf66">served Silicon Valley</a>, with all its wealth and power.

Prominent Silicon Valley personalities and executives have been hitting the giant red “PANIC" button, saying that if Washington does not come to the rescue of Silicon Valley bank’s depositors, more bank runs are likely.

“The gov't has about 48 hours to fix a soon-to-be-irreversible mistake,” Bill Ackman, a prominent Wall Street investor, wrote on Twitter. Ackman has said he does not have any deposits with Silicon Valley Bank but is invested in companies that do.

Some other Silicon Valley personalities have been even more bombastic.

“On Monday 100,000 Americans will be lined up at their regional bank demanding their money — most will not get it,” Jason Calacanis wrote on Twitter. Calacanis, a tech investor, has been close with Elon Musk, who recently took over the social media network.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">Silicon Valley Bank failed on Friday</a>, as fearful depositors withdrew billions of dollars from the bank in a matter of hours, forcing U.S. banking regulators to urgently close the bank in the middle of the workday to stop the bank run. It’s the second-largest bank failure in history, behind the collapse of Washington Mutual at the height of the 2008 financial crisis.

<a href="https://www.svb.com/">Silicon Valley Bank</a>&nbsp;was a unique creature in the banking world. The 16th-largest bank in the country largely served technology startup companies, venture capital firms, and well-paid technology workers, as its name implies. Because of this, the vast majority of the deposits at Silicon Valley Bank were in business accounts with balances significantly above the insured $250,000 limit.

Its failure has caused more than $150 billion in deposits to be now locked up in receivership, which means startups and other businesses may not be able to get to their money for a long time.

Staff at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation — the agency that insures bank deposits under $250,000 — have worked through the weekend looking for a potential buyer for the assets of the failed bank. There have been multiple bidders for assets, but as of Sunday morning, the bank’s corpse remained in the custody of the U.S. government.

Despite the panic from Silicon Valley,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-fdic-tech-vc-f343cdc6a8adee4a3635b756cec1f787">there are no signs</a>&nbsp;that the bank’s failure could lead to a 2008-like crisis. The nation’s banking system is healthy, holds more capital than it has ever held in its history, and has undergone multiple stress tests that shows the overall system could withstand even a substantial economic recession.

Further, it appears that Silicon Valley Bank’s failure appears to be a unique situation where the bank’s executives made poor business decisions by buying bonds just as the Federal Reserve was about to raise interest rates, and the bank was singularly exposed to one particular industry that has seen a severe contraction in the past year.

Investors have been looking for banks in similar situations. The stock of First Republic Bank, a bank that serves the wealthy and technology companies, went down nearly a third in two days. PacWest Bank, a California-based bank that caters to small to medium-sized businesses, plunged 38% on Friday.

While highly unusual, it was clear that a bank failure this size was causing worries. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as well as the White House, has been “watching closely” the developments; the governor of California has&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1634634828204367872?cxt=HHwWgIDTiebtsa8tAAAA">spoken to President Biden</a>; and bills have now been proposed in Congress to up the FDIC insurance limit to temporarily protect depositors.

“I’ve been working all weekend with our banking regulators to design appropriate policies to address this situation,” Yellen said on “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

But Yellen made it clear in her interview that if Silicon Valley is expecting Washington to come to its rescue, it is mistaken. Asked whether a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-bailout-yellen-deposits-failure-94f2185742981daf337c4691bbb9ec1e?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_02">bailout was on the table</a>, Yellen said, “We’re not going to do that again."

“But we are concerned about depositors, and we’re focused on trying to meet their needs,” she added.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, said on ABC's “This Week” that it would be a “moral hazard” to potentially bail out Silicon Valley's uninsured depositors. Moral hazard was a term used often during the 2008 financial crisis for why Washington shouldn't have bailed out Lehman Brothers.

The growing panic narrative among tech industry insiders is many businesses who stored their operating cash at Silicon Valley Bank will be unable to make payroll or pay office expenses in the coming days or weeks of those uninsured deposits are not released. However, the FDIC has said it plans to pay an unspecified “advanced dividend” — i.e. a portion of the uninsured deposits — to depositors this week and said more advances will be paid as assets are sold.

The ideal situation is the FDIC finds a singular buyer of Silicon Valley Bank’s assets, or maybe two or three buyers. It is just as likely that the bank will be sold off piecemeal over the coming weeks. Insured depositors will have access to their funds on Monday, and any uninsured deposits will be available as the FDIC sells off assets to make depositors whole.

Todd Phillips, a consultant and former attorney at the FDIC, said he expects that uninsured depositors will likely get back 85% to 90% of their deposits if the sale of the bank’s assets is done in an orderly manner. He said it was never the intention of Congress to protect business accounts with deposit insurance — that the theory was businesses should be doing their due diligence on banks when storing their cash.

Protecting bank accounts to include businesses would require an act of Congress, Phillips said. It’s unclear whether the banking industry would support higher insurance limits as well, since FDIC insurance is paid for by the banks through assessments and higher limits would require higher assessments.

Philips added the best thing Washington can do is communicate that the overall banking system is safe and that uninsured depositors will get most of their money back.

“Folks in Washington need to be forcefully countering the narrative on Twitter coming from Silicon Valley. If people realize they are going to get 80% to 90% of your deposits back, but it will take awhile, it will do a lot to stop a panic,” he said.

US, UK move to stop potential international banking crisis

KANSAS CITY (AP) — When U.S. officials at the U.S.-Mexico border stamped the Ukrainian passports of Mariia and her daughter last April and gave them permission to stay for a year, she figured she would return home within months.

Now with that year almost up and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-bakhmut-a9f4d5c3d3b1c6f6fcc7e9abc69cc7b6">the war that caused them to flee still raging,</a>&nbsp;their permission to stay in the U.S. — known as humanitarian parole — is set to expire April 23.

“The word `worry’ doesn’t capture what I’m feeling,” said Mariia, who spoke through an interpreter and asked that only her first name be used over concerns that speaking publicly would hurt their immigration case. “This is something that frightens me, mainly because of my daughter and my daughter’s future.”

The 46-year-old woman and her daughter, now 13, are among 20,000 Ukrainians in a similar situation, according to resettlement agencies.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-caribbean-united-states-europe-mexico-6e12c9998ee0d167f327cd28880b3a94">Most arrived to the United States at its southern border after fleeing to Mexico,</a>&nbsp;where it was easier and faster to get a visa to enter the country in the first months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mariia's parole is tied to her work permit, enabling her to earn a living as a nanny, and makes her eligible for food stamps and other public assistance. Her husband flew to the U.S. to join them in July and received humanitarian parole for two years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648233118305.png" alt="In March of 2022, Topeka business, government and community leaders are forming a task force to consider how to assist refugees fleeing Russia’s assault on Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced by the fighting. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Topeka poster on Ukraine)" />
 <figcaption>In March of 2022, Topeka business, government and community leaders are forming a task force to consider how to assist refugees fleeing Russia’s assault on Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced by the fighting. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Topeka poster on Ukraine)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — When U.S. officials at the U.S.-Mexico border stamped the Ukrainian passports of Mariia and her daughter last April and gave them permission to stay for a year, she figured she would return home within months.Now with that year almost up and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-bakhmut-a9f4d5c3d3b1c6f6fcc7e9abc69cc7b6">the war that caused them to flee still raging,</a>&nbsp;their permission to stay in the U.S. — known as humanitarian parole — is set to expire April 23.“The word `worry’ doesn’t capture what I’m feeling,” said Mariia, who spoke through an interpreter and asked that only her first name be used over concerns that speaking publicly would hurt their immigration case. “This is something that frightens me, mainly because of my daughter and my daughter’s future.”The 46-year-old woman and her daughter, now 13, are among 20,000 Ukrainians in a similar situation, according to resettlement agencies.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-caribbean-united-states-europe-mexico-6e12c9998ee0d167f327cd28880b3a94">Most arrived to the United States at its southern border after fleeing to Mexico,</a>&nbsp;where it was easier and faster to get a visa to enter the country in the first months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Mariia's parole is tied to her work permit, enabling her to earn a living as a nanny, and makes her eligible for food stamps and other public assistance. Her husband flew to the U.S. to join them in July and received humanitarian parole for two years.The Biden administration has said it is working on a fix but so far has issued no official guidance on what Ukrainians should do, according to advocates helping the Ukrainians. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.Jewish Federations of North America, which provided support for the agency that helped Mariia’s family get settled, is among the organizations that have written to the&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn.fedweb.org/fed-42/2/Ukraine-HP%2520advocacy%2520sign-on%2520letter_FINAL_SIGNED%255B2%255D.pdf">Biden administration</a>&nbsp;to quickly renew humanitarian parole for Ukrainians.Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, the CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said people are scrambling to figure out what to do. One option would be to apply for asylum, but a war doesn't necessarily qualify someone for that."Even short-term solutions like individual parole extensions are unclear since there’s no uniform guidance, which leads to delays and confusion,” she said.Some Ukrainians have considered returning to the U.S. border crossings where they entered to ask for an extension, but that leaves the decision up to the port director, O’Mara Vignarajah said. It can also be expensive to travel and requires time off work, advocates said.Some have been told by officials to write across the top of the government's parole form “Re-Parole," since there is no option to check for an extension, according to advocates.“It highlights how ad hoc the process is,” O’Mara Vignarajah said. “These requests often go unanswered or are transferred to different agencies, and because there is no clear process in how to handle them, sometimes they are simply denied.”The government turned to humanitarian parole as a quick fix to deal with the fallout from the many world crises that have occurred as the U.S. refugee system that was dismantled by the previous administration was being built back up. Now numerous groups are facing their permission to remain in the United States expiring in coming months, including tens of thousands of Afghans.“Humanitarian parole was never meant to be over relied on at the expense of refugee resettlement or asylum protections," said Meredith Owen of Church World Service.Liliia Lukianchuk, a Ukrainian mother of four, has applied for asylum with the help of Lutheran Social Services, but she and her husband have not gotten an answer. Their parole expires April 16, and it is tied to her husband’s mechanic job in Jacksonville, Florida, where they live. She fears that if they're sent back, her 17-year-old son will end up on the front lines as a solider.“Of course, I’m worried because the worst-case scenario would be to be returned to Ukraine, but I have to be strong for my family,” she said through an interpreter.Mariia and her daughter arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border after trying to settle in four different countries. The lines at Poland's border were too long. In Hungary, they could find a hotel room for only one night at a time and were told by locals that the government was not in favor of hosting Ukrainians. They went on to Belgium, where many Ukrainians were arriving, but the local school had no room for her daughter. Then in Spain, they were told it would be difficult to find work and an apartment. That's when Mariia decided to go to the United States and was told Mexico was the best way.Jewish Family Services of Greenwich helped her find a job, enroll her daughter in school and get settled in Greenwich, Connecticut.Mariia said only recently did she and her daughter start feeling hopeful about rebuilding their lives.“To be honest, the first five months, my eyes to that were closed. My primary goal was to just make sure my child was OK, to calm her down and reassure her that she was safe,” she said.Tania Priatka of Jewish Family Services said Mariia's family is working with a lawyer who has advised them to wait for guidance from the government. If that doesn't happen soon, they plan to go to the nearest airport and ask Customs and Border Protection officials there for help.For now, Mariia tries to stay hopeful, but struggles when her daughter asks what will happen.“I feel lost. I feel hopeless." Mariia said, her voice shaking as she grew emotional. "As a mother, I should be able to give my child an answer that she will be well and that she will be safe.”