PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man who had 665 animals in his home was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for animal cruelty.

Edward Luben, 57, of Papillion, pleaded guilty to three counts of felony cruelty to animals resulting in death. In exchange for the pleas, the Sarpy County Attorney's Office dismissed nine other charges of cruelty to animals, including four felonies, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

Luben was sentenced to three one-year terms to be served consecutively. He also was ordered not own animals for 15 years.

The Nebraska Humane Society and the Papillion Police Department served a search warrant at Luben's home in December 2021.

The animals included exotic birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, authorities said. About 70 of the 665 animals were dead and two had to be euthanized.

Deputy Sarpy County Attorney Dominique Jones said at the time that the animals were living in "deplorable" conditions. Many of them were severely malnourished and had injuries caused by their living conditions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673434927803.png" alt="Luben" />
 <figcaption>Luben</figcaption>
 </figure>PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man who had 665 animals in his home was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for animal cruelty.Edward Luben, 57, of Papillion, pleaded guilty to three counts of felony cruelty to animals resulting in death. In exchange for the pleas, the Sarpy County Attorney's Office dismissed nine other charges of cruelty to animals, including four felonies, the Omaha World-Herald reported.Luben was sentenced to three one-year terms to be served consecutively. He also was ordered not own animals for 15 years.The Nebraska Humane Society and the Papillion Police Department served a search warrant at Luben's home in December 2021.The animals included exotic birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, authorities said. About 70 of the 665 animals were dead and two had to be euthanized.Deputy Sarpy County Attorney Dominique Jones said at the time that the animals were living in "deplorable" conditions. Many of them were severely malnourished and had injuries caused by their living conditions.

Nebraska man sentenced after 665 animals removed from home

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Chickens may not be able to fly very far, but the price of eggs is soaring.

A lingering bird flu outbreak, combined with soaring feed, fuel and labor costs, has led to U.S. egg prices more than doubling over the past year, and hatched a lot of sticker shock on grocery aisles.

The national average price for a dozen eggs hit $3.59 in November, up from $1.72 a year earlier, according to the latest government data. That's putting stress on consumer budgets and the bottom lines of restaurants, bakeries and other food producers that rely heavily on eggs.

Grocery prices that were up 12% in November are driving inflation higher, even though the overall pace of price increases slowed a bit through the fall as gas prices eased.

But egg prices are up significantly more than other foods — even more than chicken or turkey — because egg farmers were hit harder by the bird flu. More than 43 million of the 58 million birds slaughtered over the past year to control the virus have been egg-laying chickens, including some farms with more than a million birds apiece in major egg-producing states like Iowa.

Everyone who approaches the egg case a Hy-Vee grocery store in Omaha, "has a sour face," said shopper Nancy Stom.

But even with the cost increases, eggs remain relatively cheap compared to the price of other proteins like chicken or beef, with a pound of chicken breasts going for $4.42 on average in November and a pound of ground beef selling for $4.85, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"It's still an inexpensive meal," Stom said. But the 70-year-old said that at these prices, she'll watch her eggs more closely in the fridge and try not to let them go bad before they get used.

If prices remain this high, Kelly Fischer said she will start thinking more seriously about building a backyard chicken coop in Chicago because everyone in her family eats eggs.

"We (with neighbors) are contemplating building a chicken coop behind our houses, so eventually I hope not to buy them and have my own eggs and I think the cost comes into that somewhat," the 46-year-old public school teacher said while shopping at HarvesTime Foods on the city's North Side. "For me, it's more of the environmental impact and trying to purchase locally."

In some places, it can even be hard to find eggs on the shelves. But egg supplies overall are holding up because the total flock is only down about 5% from from its normal size of around 320 million hens. Farmers have been working to replace their flocks as soon as they can after an outbreak.

Jakob Werner, 18, said he tries to find the cheapest eggs he can because he eats five or six of them a day while he's trying to gain weight and build muscle.

"For a while, I just stopped eating eggs as they got more expensive. But since they're my favorite food, I came back to them in the end," said Werner, who lives in Chicago. "So I think for like a few months I just stopped eating eggs, waited for the price to come down. It never did. So now I'm buying again."

Purdue University agricultural economist Jayson Lusk said he believes the bird flu outbreak is the biggest driver in the price increases. Unlike past years, the virus lingered throughout the summer and made a resurgence last fall infecting egg and poultry farms.

"Bird flu is not the only factor, but in my view it's the main driver of what we're experiencing at the moment," Lusk said.

But the president and CEO of the American Egg Board trade group, Emily Metz, said she believes all the cost increases farmers have faced in the past year were a bigger factor in the price increases than bird flu.

"When you're looking at fuel costs go up, and you're looking at feed costs go up as much as 60%, labor costs, packaging costs — all of that ... those are much much bigger factors than bird flu for sure," Metz said.

Jada Thomson, a University of Arkansas agricultural economist, said there may be some relief coming in egg prices in the next couple months because egg farmers have been steadily replacing their flocks lost to bird flu last year and demand will ease a bit now that people are done with their holiday baking.

But she said bird flu remains a wildcard that could still drive prices higher if there are more sizeable outbreaks at egg farms.

Farmers are doing all they can to limit the spread, but the disease is easily spread by migrating wild birds and the virus can be picked up on clothing or vehicles.

"But there are some things that are just outside of our control," Thompson said. "You can't control nature sometimes."

Food producers and restaurants are hurting because it's hard to find a good substitute for eggs in their recipes.

Any decrease in egg prices would be welcome at Patti Stobaugh's two restaurants and two bakeries in Conway and Russelville, Arkansas, because all of her ingredients and supplies are more expensive these days. For some of her baked goods, Stobaugh has switched to a frozen egg product that's not quite as pricey, but she's still buying eggs for all the breakfasts she serves.

A case of 15 dozen eggs has gone from $36 to $86 over the last year, but flour, butter, chicken and everything else she buys is also more expensive. Stobaugh said that has her "hyper vigilant about every little item."

She's already increased her prices 8% in the past year, and she may have to soon increase them again. It's a delicate balance of trying not to make it too expensive for people to eat out and hurting sales, but she doesn't have much choice while trying to provide for her 175 employees.

"We have a lot of employees that work for us and we're responsible for making payroll every week and supporting their families. We take that very seriously. But it certainly has been tough," Stobaugh said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673434559283.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOSH FUNK AP Business WriterOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Chickens may not be able to fly very far, but the price of eggs is soaring.A lingering bird flu outbreak, combined with soaring feed, fuel and labor costs, has led to U.S. egg prices more than doubling over the past year, and hatched a lot of sticker shock on grocery aisles.The national average price for a dozen eggs hit $3.59 in November, up from $1.72 a year earlier, according to the latest government data. That's putting stress on consumer budgets and the bottom lines of restaurants, bakeries and other food producers that rely heavily on eggs.Grocery prices that were up 12% in November are driving inflation higher, even though the overall pace of price increases slowed a bit through the fall as gas prices eased.But egg prices are up significantly more than other foods — even more than chicken or turkey — because egg farmers were hit harder by the bird flu. More than 43 million of the 58 million birds slaughtered over the past year to control the virus have been egg-laying chickens, including some farms with more than a million birds apiece in major egg-producing states like Iowa.Everyone who approaches the egg case a Hy-Vee grocery store in Omaha, "has a sour face," said shopper Nancy Stom.But even with the cost increases, eggs remain relatively cheap compared to the price of other proteins like chicken or beef, with a pound of chicken breasts going for $4.42 on average in November and a pound of ground beef selling for $4.85, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics."It's still an inexpensive meal," Stom said. But the 70-year-old said that at these prices, she'll watch her eggs more closely in the fridge and try not to let them go bad before they get used.If prices remain this high, Kelly Fischer said she will start thinking more seriously about building a backyard chicken coop in Chicago because everyone in her family eats eggs."We (with neighbors) are contemplating building a chicken coop behind our houses, so eventually I hope not to buy them and have my own eggs and I think the cost comes into that somewhat," the 46-year-old public school teacher said while shopping at HarvesTime Foods on the city's North Side. "For me, it's more of the environmental impact and trying to purchase locally."In some places, it can even be hard to find eggs on the shelves. But egg supplies overall are holding up because the total flock is only down about 5% from from its normal size of around 320 million hens. Farmers have been working to replace their flocks as soon as they can after an outbreak.Jakob Werner, 18, said he tries to find the cheapest eggs he can because he eats five or six of them a day while he's trying to gain weight and build muscle."For a while, I just stopped eating eggs as they got more expensive. But since they're my favorite food, I came back to them in the end," said Werner, who lives in Chicago. "So I think for like a few months I just stopped eating eggs, waited for the price to come down. It never did. So now I'm buying again."Purdue University agricultural economist Jayson Lusk said he believes the bird flu outbreak is the biggest driver in the price increases. Unlike past years, the virus lingered throughout the summer and made a resurgence last fall infecting egg and poultry farms."Bird flu is not the only factor, but in my view it's the main driver of what we're experiencing at the moment," Lusk said.But the president and CEO of the American Egg Board trade group, Emily Metz, said she believes all the cost increases farmers have faced in the past year were a bigger factor in the price increases than bird flu."When you're looking at fuel costs go up, and you're looking at feed costs go up as much as 60%, labor costs, packaging costs — all of that ... those are much much bigger factors than bird flu for sure," Metz said.Jada Thomson, a University of Arkansas agricultural economist, said there may be some relief coming in egg prices in the next couple months because egg farmers have been steadily replacing their flocks lost to bird flu last year and demand will ease a bit now that people are done with their holiday baking.But she said bird flu remains a wildcard that could still drive prices higher if there are more sizeable outbreaks at egg farms.Farmers are doing all they can to limit the spread, but the disease is easily spread by migrating wild birds and the virus can be picked up on clothing or vehicles."But there are some things that are just outside of our control," Thompson said. "You can't control nature sometimes."Food producers and restaurants are hurting because it's hard to find a good substitute for eggs in their recipes.Any decrease in egg prices would be welcome at Patti Stobaugh's two restaurants and two bakeries in Conway and Russelville, Arkansas, because all of her ingredients and supplies are more expensive these days. For some of her baked goods, Stobaugh has switched to a frozen egg product that's not quite as pricey, but she's still buying eggs for all the breakfasts she serves.A case of 15 dozen eggs has gone from $36 to $86 over the last year, but flour, butter, chicken and everything else she buys is also more expensive. Stobaugh said that has her "hyper vigilant about every little item."She's already increased her prices 8% in the past year, and she may have to soon increase them again. It's a delicate balance of trying not to make it too expensive for people to eat out and hurting sales, but she doesn't have much choice while trying to provide for her 175 employees."We have a lot of employees that work for us and we're responsible for making payroll every week and supporting their families. We take that very seriously. But it certainly has been tough," Stobaugh said.

Soaring US egg prices put pressure on consumers, businesses

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon formally dropped its COVID-19 vaccination mandate Tuesday, but a new memo signed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also gives commanders some discretion in how or whether to deploy troops who are not vaccinated.

Austin’s memo has been widely anticipated ever since legislation signed into law on Dec. 23 gave him 30 days to rescind the mandate. The Defense Department had already stopped all related personnel actions, such as discharging troops who refused the shot.

“The Department will continue to promote and encourage COVID-19 vaccination for all service members,” Austin said in the memo. “Vaccination enhances operational readiness and protects the force.”

Austin said that commanders have the authority to maintain unit readiness and a healthy force. He added, however, that other department policies — including mandates for other vaccines — remain in place. That includes, he said, “the ability of commanders to consider, as appropriate, the individual immunization status of personnel in making deployment, assignment, and other operational decisions, including when vaccination is required for travel to, or entry into, a foreign nation.”

The contentious political issue, which has divided America, forced more than 8,400 troops out of the military for refusing to obey a lawful order when they declined to get the vaccine. Thousands of others sought religious and medical exemptions. Austin’s memo ends those exemption requests.

Austin, who instituted the mandate in August 2021 after the Pfizer vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and as the coronavirus pandemic raged, was staunch in his desire to maintain it insisting the vaccine was necessary to protect the health of the force. He and other defense leaders argued that for decades troops, particularly those deployed overseas, had been required to get as many as 17 different vaccines. No other vaccine mandates were affected by the new law.

But Congress agreed to rescind the mandate, with opponents reluctantly saying that perhaps it had already succeeded in getting the bulk of the force vaccinated. Roughly 99% of active-duty troops in the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps had gotten the vaccine, and 98% of the Army. The Guard and Reserve rates are lower, but generally are more than 90%.

Austin’s memo was unapologetic in his continued support for the vaccine, and his belief that the mandate kept the force healthy and able to protect America. The Pentagon’s vaccine efforts, he said, “will leave a lasting legacy in the many lives we saved, the world-class force we have been able to field, and the high level of readiness we have maintained, amidst difficult public health conditions.”

In addition to ending efforts to discharge troops who refuse the vaccine, Austin’s memo says that those who sought exemptions and were denied will have their records updated and any letters of reprimand will be removed.

Those who were discharged for refusing to obey a lawful order to take the vaccine received either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions. Austin’s memo says that anyone who was discharged can petition their military service to request a change in the “characterization of their discharge” in their personnel records. It does not, however, say what possible corrections could be awarded.

Austin’s decision leaves some discretion to commanders, allowing them to decide whether they can require vaccines in some circumstances, such as certain deployments overseas.

Military officials vividly recall the overwhelming crisis of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the Navy aircraft carrier that was knocked out of duty and sidelined in Guam for 10 weeks in early 2020 as the emerging virus swept through the ship. More than 1,000 crew members eventually became infected, and one sailor died.

Military leaders worry that if troops begin to refuse the vaccine in large numbers, similar outbreaks could occur. The risk is particularly high on small ships or submarines where service members are jammed into close quarters for weeks or months at a time, or on critical combat missions, such as those involving special operations forces that deploy in small teams.

According to data compiled by the military as of early December, the Marine Corps leads the services with 3,717 Marines discharged. There have been 2,041 discharged from the Navy, 1,841 from the Army and 834 from the Air Force. The Air Force data includes the Space Force.

What’s not clear is if the services, who are facing recruiting challenges, will want — or be able to — allow any of those service members to return to duty, if they still meet all necessary fitness and other requirements.

Lawmakers argued that ending the mandate would help with recruiting. Defense officials have pushed back by saying that while it may help a bit, a department survey during the first nine months of last year found that a large majority said the mandate did not change the likelihood they would consider enlisting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635861962000.png" alt="“The Department will continue to promote and encourage COVID-19 vaccination for all service members,” Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin said in the memo.-photo Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>“The Department will continue to promote and encourage COVID-19 vaccination for all service members,” Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin said in the memo.-photo Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon formally dropped its COVID-19 vaccination mandate Tuesday, but a new memo signed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also gives commanders some discretion in how or whether to deploy troops who are not vaccinated.Austin’s memo has been widely anticipated ever since legislation signed into law on Dec. 23 gave him 30 days to rescind the mandate. The Defense Department had already stopped all related personnel actions, such as discharging troops who refused the shot.“The Department will continue to promote and encourage COVID-19 vaccination for all service members,” Austin said in the memo. “Vaccination enhances operational readiness and protects the force.”Austin said that commanders have the authority to maintain unit readiness and a healthy force. He added, however, that other department policies — including mandates for other vaccines — remain in place. That includes, he said, “the ability of commanders to consider, as appropriate, the individual immunization status of personnel in making deployment, assignment, and other operational decisions, including when vaccination is required for travel to, or entry into, a foreign nation.”The contentious political issue, which has divided America, forced more than 8,400 troops out of the military for refusing to obey a lawful order when they declined to get the vaccine. Thousands of others sought religious and medical exemptions. Austin’s memo ends those exemption requests.Austin, who instituted the mandate in August 2021 after the Pfizer vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and as the coronavirus pandemic raged, was staunch in his desire to maintain it insisting the vaccine was necessary to protect the health of the force. He and other defense leaders argued that for decades troops, particularly those deployed overseas, had been required to get as many as 17 different vaccines. No other vaccine mandates were affected by the new law.But Congress agreed to rescind the mandate, with opponents reluctantly saying that perhaps it had already succeeded in getting the bulk of the force vaccinated. Roughly 99% of active-duty troops in the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps had gotten the vaccine, and 98% of the Army. The Guard and Reserve rates are lower, but generally are more than 90%.Austin’s memo was unapologetic in his continued support for the vaccine, and his belief that the mandate kept the force healthy and able to protect America. The Pentagon’s vaccine efforts, he said, “will leave a lasting legacy in the many lives we saved, the world-class force we have been able to field, and the high level of readiness we have maintained, amidst difficult public health conditions.”In addition to ending efforts to discharge troops who refuse the vaccine, Austin’s memo says that those who sought exemptions and were denied will have their records updated and any letters of reprimand will be removed.Those who were discharged for refusing to obey a lawful order to take the vaccine received either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions. Austin’s memo says that anyone who was discharged can petition their military service to request a change in the “characterization of their discharge” in their personnel records. It does not, however, say what possible corrections could be awarded.Austin’s decision leaves some discretion to commanders, allowing them to decide whether they can require vaccines in some circumstances, such as certain deployments overseas.Military officials vividly recall the overwhelming crisis of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the Navy aircraft carrier that was knocked out of duty and sidelined in Guam for 10 weeks in early 2020 as the emerging virus swept through the ship. More than 1,000 crew members eventually became infected, and one sailor died.Military leaders worry that if troops begin to refuse the vaccine in large numbers, similar outbreaks could occur. The risk is particularly high on small ships or submarines where service members are jammed into close quarters for weeks or months at a time, or on critical combat missions, such as those involving special operations forces that deploy in small teams.According to data compiled by the military as of early December, the Marine Corps leads the services with 3,717 Marines discharged. There have been 2,041 discharged from the Navy, 1,841 from the Army and 834 from the Air Force. The Air Force data includes the Space Force.What’s not clear is if the services, who are facing recruiting challenges, will want — or be able to — allow any of those service members to return to duty, if they still meet all necessary fitness and other requirements.Lawmakers argued that ending the mandate would help with recruiting. Defense officials have pushed back by saying that while it may help a bit, a department survey during the first nine months of last year found that a large majority said the mandate did not change the likelihood they would consider enlisting.

Pentagon drops COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-lawmaker-quells-questions-about-a-gun-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — One of Nebraska’s newest lawmakers, State Sen. George Dungan of 
Lincoln, admits that he probably puzzled some by introducing a firearms 
bill in one of his first official legislative actions.

Rest assured, said the Democrat in 
the officially nonpartisan Legislature, he hasn’t changed his stance 
against loosening “common sense gun laws.”

He said he remains a “big believer of gun-free zones in schools.”

Dungan described Legislative Bill 17 
as his proposal to fix a narrow issue for a small population. Currently,
 police officers and military personnel who are on duty or working under
 a school security contract are among exceptions to a state law that 
makes possessing a firearm on school grounds a felony.

Under Dungan’s bill, full-time peace officers who are off duty also would become an exception to the rule.

He said his aim is to make it easier,
 for example, for first responders on the way home from work and in 
possession of their firearm to pick up their kids from school.

“We just want to make sure our law 
enforcement officers aren’t inadvertently committing a felony,” Dunbar 
said. “In no way is it intended to increase the amount of firearms on 
school grounds.”

Dungan, a former Lancaster County 
public defender who started his law career working with kids in juvenile
 court, said he has received comments and questions about the bill since
 it was introduced last week. He said he appreciated the dialogue and 
opportunity to set aside any confusion.

He noted that he is against the bill 
introduced last week by State Sen. Tom Brewer, to allow concealed carry 
of a handgun without a permit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673380273075.png" alt="Nebraska’s unique one-house Unicameral Legislature. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska’s unique one-house Unicameral Legislature. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-lawmaker-quells-questions-about-a-gun-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — One of Nebraska’s newest lawmakers, State Sen. George Dungan of 
Lincoln, admits that he probably puzzled some by introducing a firearms 
bill in one of his first official legislative actions.Rest assured, said the Democrat in 
the officially nonpartisan Legislature, he hasn’t changed his stance 
against loosening “common sense gun laws.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673380342193.jpeg" alt="Nebraska Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln. (Courtesy of Craig Chandler)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln. (Courtesy of Craig Chandler)</figcaption>
 </figure>He said he remains a “big believer of gun-free zones in schools.”Dungan described Legislative Bill 17 
as his proposal to fix a narrow issue for a small population. Currently,
 police officers and military personnel who are on duty or working under
 a school security contract are among exceptions to a state law that 
makes possessing a firearm on school grounds a felony.Under Dungan’s bill, full-time peace officers who are off duty also would become an exception to the rule.He said his aim is to make it easier,
 for example, for first responders on the way home from work and in 
possession of their firearm to pick up their kids from school.“We just want to make sure our law 
enforcement officers aren’t inadvertently committing a felony,” Dunbar 
said. “In no way is it intended to increase the amount of firearms on 
school grounds.”Dungan, a former Lancaster County 
public defender who started his law career working with kids in juvenile
 court, said he has received comments and questions about the bill since
 it was introduced last week. He said he appreciated the dialogue and 
opportunity to set aside any confusion.He noted that he is against the bill 
introduced last week by State Sen. Tom Brewer, to allow concealed carry 
of a handgun without a permit.

Nebraska lawmaker responds to questions about gun bill

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/proposed-lgbtq-legislation-is-workforce-recruitment-tool-says-nebraska-senator/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Among bills introduced Monday in the Nebraska Legislature are two intended to ensure rights of the LGBTQ community.&nbsp;

Legislative Bill 169, introduced by 
Sens. Megan Hunt and John Fredrickson, both of Omaha, would prohibit 
discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identity.

The bill would update the state’s 
nondiscrimination laws to make sure that LBGTQ-plus Nebraskans are 
treated fairly in employment, Hunt said in a social media post.

She added, “No one should be fired because of who they love.”&nbsp;

The separate LB 179, led by 
Fredrickson and co-sponsored by Hunt, would prohibit “conversion 
therapy” on minors and provide for disciplinary sanctions.

The therapy is defined as practice or treatment that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Fredrickson said that, as a mental 
health professional, he has seen the damaging impact that such therapy, 
which he called archaic and shame-perpetuating, can have on minors.

The freshman senator said adoption of
 such legislation is important also to Nebraska’s workforce development 
and talent attraction.

“It sends a clear message: this is a welcoming state,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673380131423.png" alt="The floor of Nebraska’s unique Unicameral Legislature. (Rebecca S. Gratz for Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The floor of Nebraska’s unique Unicameral Legislature. (Rebecca S. Gratz for Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/proposed-lgbtq-legislation-is-workforce-recruitment-tool-says-nebraska-senator/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Among bills introduced Monday in the Nebraska Legislature are two intended to ensure rights of the LGBTQ community.&nbsp;Legislative Bill 169, introduced by 
Sens. Megan Hunt and John Fredrickson, both of Omaha, would prohibit 
discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identity.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645553414913.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>The bill would update the state’s 
nondiscrimination laws to make sure that LBGTQ-plus Nebraskans are 
treated fairly in employment, Hunt said in a social media post.She added, “No one should be fired because of who they love.”&nbsp;The separate LB 179, led by 
Fredrickson and co-sponsored by Hunt, would prohibit “conversion 
therapy” on minors and provide for disciplinary sanctions.The therapy is defined as practice or treatment that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.Fredrickson said that, as a mental 
health professional, he has seen the damaging impact that such therapy, 
which he called archaic and shame-perpetuating, can have on minors.The freshman senator said adoption of
 such legislation is important also to Nebraska’s workforce development 
and talent attraction.“It sends a clear message: this is a welcoming state,” he said.

Neb. senator: Proposed LGBTQ legislation is workforce recruitment tool

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is moving forward with a proposal that would lower student debt payments for millions of Americans now and in the future, offering a new route to repay federal loans under far more generous terms.

President Joe Biden announced the repayment plan in August, but it was overshadowed by his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">sweeping plan to slash or eliminate student debt</a>&nbsp;for 40 million Americans. Despite the low profile of the payment plan, however, some education experts see it as a more powerful tool to make college affordable, especially for those with lower incomes.

<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/new-proposed-regulations-would-transform-income-driven-repayment-cutting-undergraduate-loan-payments-half-and-preventing-unpaid-interest-accumulation?fbclid=IwAR1n8gOvJhy7Jzzw99EdI1gJAlJpFFWSE-iZqq7M3S109-UzxXFzIllM1x4">Education Department officials on Tuesday called the new</a> plan a “student loan safety net" that will prevent borrowers from getting overloaded with debt.

“Student debt has become a dream killer,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. “This is a promise to the American people that, at long last, we will fix a broken system and make student loans affordable.”

Biden, a Democrat, is moving forward with the repayment plan even as his one-time debt cancellation faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-student-loan-cancellation-79f7530363c7f15166d8c9cda3a6cddb">an uncertain fate before the Supreme Court</a>. The White House has asked the court to uphold the plan and reject two legal challenges from conservative opponents. The Biden administration submitted its brief last week, with oral arguments slated for Feb. 28.

The Education Department formally proposed the new repayment plan on Tuesday by publishing it in the Federal Register, starting a public comment period that often takes months to navigate.

If it's finalized, the proposal would give a major overhaul to income-driven repayment plans — one of several payment options offered by the federal government. The resulting plan would have lower monthly payments, an easier path to forgiveness and a promise that unpaid interest will not be added to a borrower’s loan balance.

The federal government now offers four types of income-driven plans, but the proposal would mostly phase out three of them while focusing on one simplified option, scaling back the confusing array of options borrowers now face.

Under existing plans, monthly payments are capped at 10% of a borrower’s discretionary income, and those earning less than $20,400 a year aren’t required to make payments. The new proposal would cap payments for undergraduate loans at 5% of borrowers’ discretionary pay, cutting their bills in half, and require payments only for those who earn more than about $30,000 a year.

As long as borrowers make their monthly payments, any unpaid interest would not be charged. The change is meant to prevent borrowers from having unpaid interest added to their loan balance, a practice that can cause debt to snowball even as borrowers make payments.

Significantly, the proposal would also make it easier to get debt erased after making several years of payments. Existing plans promise to cancel any remaining debt after 20 or 25 years of payments. The new plan would erase all remaining debt after 10 years for those who took out $12,000 or less in loans. For every $1,000 borrowed beyond that, a year would be added.

Typical graduates of a four-year university would save about $2,000 a year compared with today’s plans, the Biden administration says, while 85% of community college borrowers would be debt-free within 10 years.

Supporters see the proposal as a significant stride toward college affordability. Some say it’s so generous that it approaches free community college — a campaign promise that Biden has pushed but failed to deliver.

The Institute for College Access and Success, a nonprofit organization that promotes college affordability, praised the proposal as a significant improvement over existing plans.

“The changes proposed today would provide meaningful financial relief to millions of borrowers and help shield students from debt that has not paid off, including those who start college but do not complete a degree,” said Sameer Gadkaree, the group's president.

Opponents on the right blast the revamped plan as an unfair handout with a steep price tag. The Biden administration estimates the repayment plan would cost nearly $138 billion over the decade, and some critics have put it closer to $200 billion.

Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said the proposal turns the federal loan program into "an untargeted grant with complete disregard for the taxpayers that fund it.”

“Because President Biden couldn’t get his radical free college agenda through Congress, he has resorted to doing it through the backdoor by executive fiat,” Foxx said in a statement.

Even some on the left have questioned the prudence of the idea, saying it's so generous that it effectively turns student loans into grants that don’t need to be repaid. That could lead more students to borrow, they warn, and it could spur colleges to raise tuition prices if they know students won’t be on the hook.

Still others have urged the administration to abandon income-driven payment plans entirely, calling them a failed policy. Critics cite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-education-6ce97ddc9db7f777e8e6fb2d7a8fb2cd">a federal report from last year</a>&nbsp;finding that sloppy oversight of the program left thousands of borrowers stuck with debt that should have been forgiven.

Cardona said his agency is working on other proposals that would hold colleges accountable if their students get overburdened with debt. One idea promoted by Biden is to warn the public about programs that leave graduates saddled with debt.

The Education Department on Tuesday began the process to deliver that goal, asking the public about the best way to identify “low-value” programs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661367707782.png" alt="-President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona announced the repayment plan in August, but it was overshadowed by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">sweeping plan to slash or eliminate student debt</a>&nbsp;for 40 million Americans.- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>-President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona announced the repayment plan in August, but it was overshadowed by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">sweeping plan to slash or eliminate student debt</a>&nbsp;for 40 million Americans.- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is moving forward with a proposal that would lower student debt payments for millions of Americans now and in the future, offering a new route to repay federal loans under far more generous terms.President Joe Biden announced the repayment plan in August, but it was overshadowed by his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">sweeping plan to slash or eliminate student debt</a>&nbsp;for 40 million Americans. Despite the low profile of the payment plan, however, some education experts see it as a more powerful tool to make college affordable, especially for those with lower incomes.<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/new-proposed-regulations-would-transform-income-driven-repayment-cutting-undergraduate-loan-payments-half-and-preventing-unpaid-interest-accumulation?fbclid=IwAR1n8gOvJhy7Jzzw99EdI1gJAlJpFFWSE-iZqq7M3S109-UzxXFzIllM1x4">Education Department officials on Tuesday called the new</a> plan a “student loan safety net" that will prevent borrowers from getting overloaded with debt.“Student debt has become a dream killer,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. “This is a promise to the American people that, at long last, we will fix a broken system and make student loans affordable.”Biden, a Democrat, is moving forward with the repayment plan even as his one-time debt cancellation faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-student-loan-cancellation-79f7530363c7f15166d8c9cda3a6cddb">an uncertain fate before the Supreme Court</a>. The White House has asked the court to uphold the plan and reject two legal challenges from conservative opponents. The Biden administration submitted its brief last week, with oral arguments slated for Feb. 28.The Education Department formally proposed the new repayment plan on Tuesday by publishing it in the Federal Register, starting a public comment period that often takes months to navigate.If it's finalized, the proposal would give a major overhaul to income-driven repayment plans — one of several payment options offered by the federal government. The resulting plan would have lower monthly payments, an easier path to forgiveness and a promise that unpaid interest will not be added to a borrower’s loan balance.The federal government now offers four types of income-driven plans, but the proposal would mostly phase out three of them while focusing on one simplified option, scaling back the confusing array of options borrowers now face.Under existing plans, monthly payments are capped at 10% of a borrower’s discretionary income, and those earning less than $20,400 a year aren’t required to make payments. The new proposal would cap payments for undergraduate loans at 5% of borrowers’ discretionary pay, cutting their bills in half, and require payments only for those who earn more than about $30,000 a year.As long as borrowers make their monthly payments, any unpaid interest would not be charged. The change is meant to prevent borrowers from having unpaid interest added to their loan balance, a practice that can cause debt to snowball even as borrowers make payments.Significantly, the proposal would also make it easier to get debt erased after making several years of payments. Existing plans promise to cancel any remaining debt after 20 or 25 years of payments. The new plan would erase all remaining debt after 10 years for those who took out $12,000 or less in loans. For every $1,000 borrowed beyond that, a year would be added.Typical graduates of a four-year university would save about $2,000 a year compared with today’s plans, the Biden administration says, while 85% of community college borrowers would be debt-free within 10 years.Supporters see the proposal as a significant stride toward college affordability. Some say it’s so generous that it approaches free community college — a campaign promise that Biden has pushed but failed to deliver.The Institute for College Access and Success, a nonprofit organization that promotes college affordability, praised the proposal as a significant improvement over existing plans.“The changes proposed today would provide meaningful financial relief to millions of borrowers and help shield students from debt that has not paid off, including those who start college but do not complete a degree,” said Sameer Gadkaree, the group's president.Opponents on the right blast the revamped plan as an unfair handout with a steep price tag. The Biden administration estimates the repayment plan would cost nearly $138 billion over the decade, and some critics have put it closer to $200 billion.Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said the proposal turns the federal loan program into "an untargeted grant with complete disregard for the taxpayers that fund it.”“Because President Biden couldn’t get his radical free college agenda through Congress, he has resorted to doing it through the backdoor by executive fiat,” Foxx said in a statement.Even some on the left have questioned the prudence of the idea, saying it's so generous that it effectively turns student loans into grants that don’t need to be repaid. That could lead more students to borrow, they warn, and it could spur colleges to raise tuition prices if they know students won’t be on the hook.Still others have urged the administration to abandon income-driven payment plans entirely, calling them a failed policy. Critics cite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-education-6ce97ddc9db7f777e8e6fb2d7a8fb2cd">a federal report from last year</a>&nbsp;finding that sloppy oversight of the program left thousands of borrowers stuck with debt that should have been forgiven.Cardona said his agency is working on other proposals that would hold colleges accountable if their students get overburdened with debt. One idea promoted by Biden is to warn the public about programs that leave graduates saddled with debt.The Education Department on Tuesday began the process to deliver that goal, asking the public about the best way to identify “low-value” programs.___

Feds propose 'student loan safety net' alongside forgiveness

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that it has reached an agreement with a pipeline operator to clean up a spill that dumped 14,000 bathtubs' worth of crude oil into a rural Kansas creek.

The agency said in a news release that the Dec. 7 rupture of the Keystone pipeline affected 3 1/2 miles of the creek as it flows through rural pastureland in Washington County, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.

The order requires TC Oil Pipeline Operations Inc., whose parent company is Canadian-based TC Energy, to recover oil and oil-contaminated soil and vegetation and contain the further spread of oil in the creek.

Meg McCollister, an EPA regional administrator, said in a statement that the federal government and the state are "committed to a thorough cleanup and restoration."

The 2,700-mile (4,345-kilometer) Keystone system carries heavy crude oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to the Gulf Coast and to central Illinois.

The cause of the 14,000-barrel spill hasn't yet been announced. Each barrel is 42 gallons, the size of a household bathtub.

But U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat who chairs the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, raised concerns in a letter Monday about the decision to grant TC Energy a permit that allowed the pressure inside parts of the Keystone system — including the stretch through Kansas — to exceed the typical maximum permitted levels.

"This latest spill is no surprise," Cantwell told the deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in demanding a review of the permit.

The spill was the largest onshore in nine years and larger than 22 previous spills on the Keystone system combined, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.

The company and government officials have said drinking water supplies were not affected. No one was evacuated, and most of the Keystone system was back in operation in eight days.

Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the same system, the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Keystone XL, across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. President Joe Biden's cancelation of a permit for the project led the company to pull the plug on the project last year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673362197220.png" alt="Efforts are underway to clean up the largest spill in the Keystone pipeline’s history, which happened near Washington, Kansas. The pipeline’s owner announced Mill Creek will be temporarily rerouted to help with cleanup (TC Energy)." />
 <figcaption>Efforts are underway to clean up the largest spill in the Keystone pipeline’s history, which happened near Washington, Kansas. The pipeline’s owner announced Mill Creek will be temporarily rerouted to help with cleanup (TC Energy).</figcaption>
 </figure>By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated PressMISSION, Kan. (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that it has reached an agreement with a pipeline operator to clean up a spill that dumped 14,000 bathtubs' worth of crude oil into a rural Kansas creek.The agency said in a news release that the Dec. 7 rupture of the Keystone pipeline affected 3 1/2 miles of the creek as it flows through rural pastureland in Washington County, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.The order requires TC Oil Pipeline Operations Inc., whose parent company is Canadian-based TC Energy, to recover oil and oil-contaminated soil and vegetation and contain the further spread of oil in the creek.Meg McCollister, an EPA regional administrator, said in a statement that the federal government and the state are "committed to a thorough cleanup and restoration."The 2,700-mile (4,345-kilometer) Keystone system carries heavy crude oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to the Gulf Coast and to central Illinois.The cause of the 14,000-barrel spill hasn't yet been announced. Each barrel is 42 gallons, the size of a household bathtub.But U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat who chairs the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, raised concerns in a letter Monday about the decision to grant TC Energy a permit that allowed the pressure inside parts of the Keystone system — including the stretch through Kansas — to exceed the typical maximum permitted levels."This latest spill is no surprise," Cantwell told the deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in demanding a review of the permit.The spill was the largest onshore in nine years and larger than 22 previous spills on the Keystone system combined, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.The company and government officials have said drinking water supplies were not affected. No one was evacuated, and most of the Keystone system was back in operation in eight days.Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the same system, the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Keystone XL, across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. President Joe Biden's cancelation of a permit for the project led the company to pull the plug on the project last year.

EPA, pipeline operator reach deal to clean up Kansas spill

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House Republicans</a>&nbsp;began their tenure in the majority Monday by passing a bill that would rescind nearly $71 billion that Congress had provided the IRS, fulfilling a campaign promise even though the legislation is unlikely to advance further.

Democrats had beefed up the IRS over the next decade to help offset the cost of top health and environmental priorities they passed last year and to replenish an agency struggling to provide basic services to taxpayers and ensure fairness in tax compliance.

The money is on top of what Congress provides the IRS annually through the appropriations process and immediately became a magnet for GOP campaign ads in the fall claiming that the boost would lead to an army of IRS agents harassing hard-working Americans.

The bill to rescind the money passed the House on a party-line vote of 221-210. The Democratic-controlled Senate has vowed to ignore it.

Shortly before the vote, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected that rescinding the extra IRS funding would increase deficits over the coming decade by more than $114 billion. That created an awkward moment for Republicans, who have been saying that addressing deficits would be one of their top concerns in the majority. It offered an early example of how the GOP's bold promises on the campaign trail could get tangled in the messy reality of governing.

Still, the CBO's projection didn't appear to dampen Republican support. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., said the extra IRS funding Democrats provided last year was for one purpose.

“To go after small businesses, hard-working Americans to try to raise money for reckless spending, reckless spending that has caused $31 trillion in debt in this nation," Duncan said.

Duncan and other GOP lawmakers routinely say the extra funding will be used to hire 87,000 new agents to target Americans, but that's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-irs-agents-inflation-reduction-act-871970314297">misleading</a>. The number is based on a Treasury Department plan saying that many IRS employees would be hired over the next decade if it got the money. But those employees will not all be hired at the same time, they will not all be auditors and many will be replacing some 50,000 employees who are expected to quit or retire in coming years.

“This debate about IRS lends itself to be the most dishonest, demagogic rhetoric that I have seen in the Congress at any point in time," said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

Charles Rettig, the former commissioner of the IRS, said in a final message to the agency in November that the additional money would help in many areas, not just beefing up tax enforcement. He said the investments would make it “even less likely for honest taxpayers to hear from the IRS or receive an audit letter.”

Additional funding for the agency has been politically controversial since 2013, when the IRS under the Obama administration was found to have used inappropriate criteria to review tea party groups and other organizations applying for tax-exempt status.

In the ensuing years, the IRS was mostly on the losing end of congressional funding fights, even as a subsequent 2017 report found that both conservative and liberal groups were chosen for scrutiny.

In April, Rettig told lawmakers the agency’s budget has decreased by more than 15% over the past decade when accounting for inflation and said the number of full-time employees — 79,000 in the last fiscal year — was close to 1974 levels.

But Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., and other Republicans weren't buying the argument that the funding would be focused on auditing the wealthy.

“This is meant to nickel-and-dime, audit and harass America's small businesses and families, who they know cannot afford the legal fees to fight this army," Malliotakis said.

Sen. Ron Wyden, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said a decade of Republican-led budget cuts gutted the IRS.

“The only way that House Republicans could make it any more obvious that they’re doing a favor for wealthy tax cheats is by coming out and saying it in exactly those words," Wyden said. “This bill is going nowhere in the Senate.”

And the White House said President Joe Biden would veto the bill if it gets to his desk, saying that the wealthiest 1% of Americans hide about 20% of their income so they don't have to pay taxes on it, shifting more of the tax burden to the middle class.

"With their first economic legislation of the new Congress, House Republicans are making clear that their top economic priority is to allow the rich and multibillion-dollar corporations to skip out on their taxes, while making life harder for ordinary, middle-class families that pay the taxes they owe," the White House said.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House Republicans</a>&nbsp;began their tenure in the majority Monday by passing a bill that would rescind nearly $71 billion that Congress had provided the IRS, fulfilling a campaign promise even though the legislation is unlikely to advance further.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 House Republicans just voted unanimously to repeal the Democrats&#39; army of 87,000 IRS agents 🚨 This was our very first act of the new Congress, because government should work for you, not against you. Promises made. Promises kept.&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1612640200081002496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Democrats had beefed up the IRS over the next decade to help offset the cost of top health and environmental priorities they passed last year and to replenish an agency struggling to provide basic services to taxpayers and ensure fairness in tax compliance.The money is on top of what Congress provides the IRS annually through the appropriations process and immediately became a magnet for GOP campaign ads in the fall claiming that the boost would lead to an army of IRS agents harassing hard-working Americans.The bill to rescind the money passed the House on a party-line vote of 221-210. The Democratic-controlled Senate has vowed to ignore it.Shortly before the vote, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected that rescinding the extra IRS funding would increase deficits over the coming decade by more than $114 billion. That created an awkward moment for Republicans, who have been saying that addressing deficits would be one of their top concerns in the majority. It offered an early example of how the GOP's bold promises on the campaign trail could get tangled in the messy reality of governing.Still, the CBO's projection didn't appear to dampen Republican support. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., said the extra IRS funding Democrats provided last year was for one purpose.“To go after small businesses, hard-working Americans to try to raise money for reckless spending, reckless spending that has caused $31 trillion in debt in this nation," Duncan said.Duncan and other GOP lawmakers routinely say the extra funding will be used to hire 87,000 new agents to target Americans, but that's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-irs-agents-inflation-reduction-act-871970314297">misleading</a>. The number is based on a Treasury Department plan saying that many IRS employees would be hired over the next decade if it got the money. But those employees will not all be hired at the same time, they will not all be auditors and many will be replacing some 50,000 employees who are expected to quit or retire in coming years.“This debate about IRS lends itself to be the most dishonest, demagogic rhetoric that I have seen in the Congress at any point in time," said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.Charles Rettig, the former commissioner of the IRS, said in a final message to the agency in November that the additional money would help in many areas, not just beefing up tax enforcement. He said the investments would make it “even less likely for honest taxpayers to hear from the IRS or receive an audit letter.”Additional funding for the agency has been politically controversial since 2013, when the IRS under the Obama administration was found to have used inappropriate criteria to review tea party groups and other organizations applying for tax-exempt status.In the ensuing years, the IRS was mostly on the losing end of congressional funding fights, even as a subsequent 2017 report found that both conservative and liberal groups were chosen for scrutiny.In April, Rettig told lawmakers the agency’s budget has decreased by more than 15% over the past decade when accounting for inflation and said the number of full-time employees — 79,000 in the last fiscal year — was close to 1974 levels.But Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., and other Republicans weren't buying the argument that the funding would be focused on auditing the wealthy.“This is meant to nickel-and-dime, audit and harass America's small businesses and families, who they know cannot afford the legal fees to fight this army," Malliotakis said.Sen. Ron Wyden, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said a decade of Republican-led budget cuts gutted the IRS.“The only way that House Republicans could make it any more obvious that they’re doing a favor for wealthy tax cheats is by coming out and saying it in exactly those words," Wyden said. “This bill is going nowhere in the Senate.”And the White House said President Joe Biden would veto the bill if it gets to his desk, saying that the wealthiest 1% of Americans hide about 20% of their income so they don't have to pay taxes on it, shifting more of the tax burden to the middle class."With their first economic legislation of the new Congress, House Republicans are making clear that their top economic priority is to allow the rich and multibillion-dollar corporations to skip out on their taxes, while making life harder for ordinary, middle-class families that pay the taxes they owe," the White House said.

House GOP kicks off majority with vote to slash IRS funding

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/09/after-more-than-eight-hours-of-debate-state-lawmakers-approve-committee-appointments/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — After more than eight hours of sometimes rancorous debate 
over two days, state legislators on Monday approved the committee 
assignments for the 2023 session.

The 40-7 vote came after several Democratic senators in the Nebraska 
Legislature criticized the process of picking committee members as 
defying tradition and past practices.

They also said the selection was preordained by Republican senators 
who are seeking to ease the passage of some conservative bills by 
packing committees with supporters.

The delay in approving the committees was seen as a sign that many 
issues in the 2023 session will see difficult debates and that hard 
feelings were arriving early in the session, which began last week.

State Sen. Jen Day of Gretna said she was told prior to the committee
 selections that conservatives were aiming to remove her from the 
Legislature’s Education Committee where she had served the past two 
years. She said her incumbency on the committee was ignored, in defiance
 of past practices.

The Education Committee is expected to be a hotspot for major 
priorities of new Gov. Jim Pillen — priories such as school choice and 
changing state aid to K-12 education that have been blocked in the past.

“I’m not favorable to the types of 
policies they want to move out of that committee, so they replaced me 
with someone who was,” Day said.

But 
Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who headed the 2nd Congressional District 
caucus that guided the committee assignments from that district, said 
other factors were at work.

Linehan,
 who sits on the Education Committee, said that with the election of 
Sen. Dave Murman, of the 3rd Congressional District, as chair of the 
Education Committee, the 2nd District lost one of its three seats on the
 eight-member committee. So someone had to be dropped off from the Omaha
 area, she said.

While Omaha Sen. Terrell McKinney was departing the committee, it was
 decided to fill his spot with a fellow Omaha senator, Justin Wayne, 
because, Linehan said, Wayne had more seniority in the Legislature and 
because the state’s largest school district, Omaha, deserved a seat on 
the committee.

Wayne also defended the decision, saying it was personally important 
to him that the Education Committee continue to have a person of color 
on the panel because of the state’s achievement gap between the state’s 
Black and white students.

Wayne, a Democrat who formerly served on the Omaha Public Schools 
board, has been a supportive of school choice in the past. This year’s&nbsp; 
Education Committee as a whole is seen as more friendly to that issue, 
as well as to changing state aid.

Follow ‘custom, tradition and practices’

The extended debate was led primarily by Omaha Sens. Megan Hunt and Machela Cavanaugh, along with Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad.

Conrad, a lawyer, argued that the Legislature was required to follow 
“custom, tradition and (past) practices” in choosing members of 
legislative committees, but that hadn’t happened.

Critics of the committee choices said they should be balanced by 
geography and political party, and not packed to get a particular policy
 result or cater to a new governor. The best policies, they said, are 
crafted in committees that offer a wide range of opinions on issues, and
 that ends up avoiding longer, more rancorous debates by the full 
Legislature.

Hunt said Democrats were “steamrolled” by Republicans in the 
committee selection process. She said that wasn’t necessary given that 
the GOP has a 32-17 majority in the officially nonpartisan Legislature.

“When you streamroll procedure, you’re not going to get away with it easily,” Hunt said.

The long debate over whether to recommit the committee assignments or
 approve them led to several procedural maneuvers, including votes to 
reconsider votes and an effort to suspend the rules. But in the end, the
 committee appointments were confirmed.

The rancor did result in one change. The Rules Committee, which is 
considering 52 proposed rule changes — an unusually large number — moved
 its public hearing on the proposals from Tuesday to Thursday to give 
senators more time to review them.

Among the proposed rule changes are one expected to generate sparks: 
Hastings Sen. Steve Halloran has proposed to do away with secret ballot 
voting for committee chairs.

Another proposed change that is bound to be controversial is one from
 Bayard Sen. Steve Erdman to bar the news media from attending and 
reporting on executive sessions of committees, where decisions are made 
to advance or kill bills. George Norris, the founder of the state’s 
unique, one-house Unicameral, railed against closed-door conference 
committees — which are used in the U.S. Congress – as corrupting forces 
in politics.

Another proposal, from Sen. Michaela Cavanaugh, would ban firearms in
 the State Capitol except for the military and law enforcement officers.
 A couple of years ago, some gun rights advocates openly carried 
high-powered rifles in the Capitol and into a committee hearing, which 
is not prohibited.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1646089328158.png" alt="The Nebraska State Capitol Building in Lincoln. (Rebecca S. Gratz for Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The Nebraska State Capitol Building in Lincoln. (Rebecca S. Gratz for Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/09/after-more-than-eight-hours-of-debate-state-lawmakers-approve-committee-appointments/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — After more than eight hours of sometimes rancorous debate 
over two days, state legislators on Monday approved the committee 
assignments for the 2023 session.The 40-7 vote came after several Democratic senators in the Nebraska 
Legislature criticized the process of picking committee members as 
defying tradition and past practices.They also said the selection was preordained by Republican senators 
who are seeking to ease the passage of some conservative bills by 
packing committees with supporters.The delay in approving the committees was seen as a sign that many 
issues in the 2023 session will see difficult debates and that hard 
feelings were arriving early in the session, which began last week.State Sen. Jen Day of Gretna said she was told prior to the committee
 selections that conservatives were aiming to remove her from the 
Legislature’s Education Committee where she had served the past two 
years. She said her incumbency on the committee was ignored, in defiance
 of past practices.The Education Committee is expected to be a hotspot for major 
priorities of new Gov. Jim Pillen — priories such as school choice and 
changing state aid to K-12 education that have been blocked in the past.<h2>‘Not favorable’</h2>“I’m not favorable to the types of 
policies they want to move out of that committee, so they replaced me 
with someone who was,” Day said.But 
Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who headed the 2nd Congressional District 
caucus that guided the committee assignments from that district, said 
other factors were at work.Linehan,
 who sits on the Education Committee, said that with the election of 
Sen. Dave Murman, of the 3rd Congressional District, as chair of the 
Education Committee, the 2nd District lost one of its three seats on the
 eight-member committee. So someone had to be dropped off from the Omaha
 area, she said.While Omaha Sen. Terrell McKinney was departing the committee, it was
 decided to fill his spot with a fellow Omaha senator, Justin Wayne, 
because, Linehan said, Wayne had more seniority in the Legislature and 
because the state’s largest school district, Omaha, deserved a seat on 
the committee.Wayne also defended the decision, saying it was personally important 
to him that the Education Committee continue to have a person of color 
on the panel because of the state’s achievement gap between the state’s 
Black and white students.Wayne, a Democrat who formerly served on the Omaha Public Schools 
board, has been a supportive of school choice in the past. This year’s&nbsp; 
Education Committee as a whole is seen as more friendly to that issue, 
as well as to changing state aid.<h2>Follow ‘custom, tradition and practices’</h2>The extended debate was led primarily by Omaha Sens. Megan Hunt and Machela Cavanaugh, along with Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad.Conrad, a lawyer, argued that the Legislature was required to follow 
“custom, tradition and (past) practices” in choosing members of 
legislative committees, but that hadn’t happened.Critics of the committee choices said they should be balanced by 
geography and political party, and not packed to get a particular policy
 result or cater to a new governor. The best policies, they said, are 
crafted in committees that offer a wide range of opinions on issues, and
 that ends up avoiding longer, more rancorous debates by the full 
Legislature.Hunt said Democrats were “steamrolled” by Republicans in the 
committee selection process. She said that wasn’t necessary given that 
the GOP has a 32-17 majority in the officially nonpartisan Legislature.“When you streamroll procedure, you’re not going to get away with it easily,” Hunt said.The long debate over whether to recommit the committee assignments or
 approve them led to several procedural maneuvers, including votes to 
reconsider votes and an effort to suspend the rules. But in the end, the
 committee appointments were confirmed.<h2>Rules changes submitted</h2>The rancor did result in one change. The Rules Committee, which is 
considering 52 proposed rule changes — an unusually large number — moved
 its public hearing on the proposals from Tuesday to Thursday to give 
senators more time to review them.Among the proposed rule changes are one expected to generate sparks: 
Hastings Sen. Steve Halloran has proposed to do away with secret ballot 
voting for committee chairs.Another proposed change that is bound to be controversial is one from
 Bayard Sen. Steve Erdman to bar the news media from attending and 
reporting on executive sessions of committees, where decisions are made 
to advance or kill bills. George Norris, the founder of the state’s 
unique, one-house Unicameral, railed against closed-door conference 
committees — which are used in the U.S. Congress – as corrupting forces 
in politics.Another proposal, from Sen. Michaela Cavanaugh, would ban firearms in
 the State Capitol except for the military and law enforcement officers.
 A couple of years ago, some gun rights advocates openly carried 
high-powered rifles in the Capitol and into a committee hearing, which 
is not prohibited.

After hours of debate, Neb. lawmakers OK committee appointments

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/10/ricketts-lindstrom-dinsdale-slone-ashford-among-nebraska-u-s-senate-applicants/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — The race to be appointed as Nebraska’s next U.S. senator is getting serious, with Gov. Jim Pillen interviewing candidates and mulling an appointment as early as this week.

Pillen, a Republican, said Thursday 
he would name a replacement by the end of January for former U.S. Sen. 
Ben Sasse, R-Neb. Sasse formally resigned his post Sunday to lead the 
University of Florida.&nbsp;

Republican leaders nationally, 
including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have let Pillen’s 
people know they would like someone in place sooner, two well-placed 
sources said. The Senate is out of session until Jan. 23.

The Senate GOP is staring at a 51-48 
disadvantage until Sasse is replaced, requiring the party to persuade 
more Democrats and political independents to cross the aisle on big 
votes.

Most political observers expect 
Pillen to pick his top political patron, former Gov. Pete Ricketts, who 
has confirmed he has an interview scheduled with Pillen.&nbsp;

McConnell has said he would like to 
see Ricketts in the Senate. GOP insiders attending Pillen’s inaugural 
ball on Saturday were abuzz about which staffers Ricketts might take 
with him to Washington.

The Governor’s Office said Monday it 
had nothing new on a Senate appointment timeline. The office has 
declined to release applicants’ names until after Pillen makes his 
pick.&nbsp;

Some of the best-known among those who have applied in addition to Ricketts, based on Nebraska Examiner reporting:

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he 
did not apply but said someone, as a joke or perhaps seriously, applied 
on his behalf. He said he told Pillen’s staffers he hadn’t applied. No 
other members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation did, either.

Pillen has said he intends to appoint
 a senator who reflects the state’s conservative values. He has not yet 
detailed what that means.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673361630998.jpeg" alt="Nebraska Gov.-elect Jim Pillen was endorsed and financially backed by current Gov. Pete Ricketts, who has now asked Pillen to appoint him to a vacant U.S. Senate seat. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska Gov.-elect Jim Pillen was endorsed and financially backed by current Gov. Pete Ricketts, who has now asked Pillen to appoint him to a vacant U.S. Senate seat. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/10/ricketts-lindstrom-dinsdale-slone-ashford-among-nebraska-u-s-senate-applicants/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — The race to be appointed as Nebraska’s next U.S. senator is getting serious, with Gov. Jim Pillen interviewing candidates and mulling an appointment as early as this week.Pillen, a Republican, said Thursday 
he would name a replacement by the end of January for former U.S. Sen. 
Ben Sasse, R-Neb. Sasse formally resigned his post Sunday to lead the 
University of Florida.&nbsp;Republican leaders nationally, 
including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have let Pillen’s 
people know they would like someone in place sooner, two well-placed 
sources said. The Senate is out of session until Jan. 23.The Senate GOP is staring at a 51-48 
disadvantage until Sasse is replaced, requiring the party to persuade 
more Democrats and political independents to cross the aisle on big 
votes.Most political observers expect 
Pillen to pick his top political patron, former Gov. Pete Ricketts, who 
has confirmed he has an interview scheduled with Pillen.&nbsp;McConnell has said he would like to 
see Ricketts in the Senate. GOP insiders attending Pillen’s inaugural 
ball on Saturday were abuzz about which staffers Ricketts might take 
with him to Washington.The Governor’s Office said Monday it 
had nothing new on a Senate appointment timeline. The office has 
declined to release applicants’ names until after Pillen makes his 
pick.&nbsp;Some of the best-known among those who have applied in addition to Ricketts, based on Nebraska Examiner reporting:<ul>
 <li>Former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom. He finished third in last year’s GOP primary race for governor.&nbsp;</li><li>Pinnacle Bank Chairman Sid Dinsdale, who ran for the Senate seat in 2014 but lost the GOP primary to Sasse.&nbsp;</li><li>Bryan
 Slone, the president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 
He is a former GOP gubernatorial candidate. Slone recently re-registered
 as a nonpartisan.&nbsp;</li><li>Greg Ibach, a former longtime director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. His wife, Teresa,&nbsp;won election to the Legislature in November.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>John
 Glen Weaver, who ran unsuccessfully last year for the 1st District 
House GOP nomination. Weaver finished third behind U.S. Rep. Mike Flood 
and former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Ann
 Ashford of Omaha, an attorney and former U.S. House candidate in the 
2nd District. A Democrat, she is the widow of former Rep. Brad Ashford, 
D-Neb.</li>
 </ul>U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he 
did not apply but said someone, as a joke or perhaps seriously, applied 
on his behalf. He said he told Pillen’s staffers he hadn’t applied. No 
other members of Nebraska’s congressional delegation did, either.Pillen has said he intends to appoint
 a senator who reflects the state’s conservative values. He has not yet 
detailed what that means.&nbsp;

Ricketts appears front-runner for Senate seat as applicants finalized

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is reviewing a batch of potentially classified documents found in the Washington office space of President Joe Biden's former institute, the White House said Monday.

Special counsel to the president Richard Sauber said “a small number of documents with classified markings” were discovered as Biden's personal attorneys were clearing out the offices of the Penn Biden Center, where the president kept an office after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his 2020 presidential campaign in 2019. The documents were found on Nov. 2, 2022, in a “locked closet” in the office, Sauber said.

Sauber said the attorneys immediately alerted the White House Counsel's office, who notified the National Archives and Records Administration — which took custody of the documents the next day.

“Since that discovery, the President’s personal attorneys have cooperated with the Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in the possession of the Archives,” Sauber said.

A person who is familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly said Attorney General Merrick Garland asked U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch to review the matter after the Archives referred the issue to the department. Lausch is one of the few U.S. attorneys to be held over from former President Donald Trump's administration.

Irrespective of the Justice Department review, the revelation that Biden potentially mishandled classified or presidential records could prove to be a political headache for the president, who called Trump's decision to keep hundreds of such records at his private club in Florida&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-taiwan-biden-government-and-politics-mar-a-lago-2474104aa0fd9ffaa8de33538813c84e">“irresponsible."</a>

Trump weighed in Monday on his social media site, asking, “When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?”

The revelation comes as Republicans have taken control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House of Representatives</a>&nbsp;and are promising to launch widespread investigations of Biden's administration.

It also may complicate the Justice Department's consideration on whether to bring charges against Trump, who has launched a repeat bid for the White House in 2024 and has repeatedly claimed that the department's inquiry of his own conduct amounted to “corruption."

The National Archives did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Spokespeople for Garland and Lausch declined to comment.

Rep. James Comer, the new GOP chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Monday that the revelation raised questions about the Justice Department’s handling of the Trump probe.

“Is the White House going to be raided tonight? Are they going to raid the Bidens?” he asked reporters. “This is further concern that there’s a two-tier justice system within the DOJ with how they treat Republicans versus Democrats, certainly how they treat the former president versus the current president.”

His Democratic counterpart, Rep. Jamie Raskin, said Biden's attorneys “appear to have taken immediate and proper action.”

“I have confidence that the Attorney General took the appropriate steps to ensure the careful review of the circumstances surrounding the possession and discovery of these documents and make an impartial decision about any further action that may be needed,” he added.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, said Monday that the American public deserved to know earlier about the revelation of classified documents.

“They knew about this a week before the election, maybe the American people should have known that,” Jordan told reporters. “They certainly knew about the the raid on Mar-a-Lago 91 days before this election, but nice if on November 2, the country would have known that there were classified documents at the Biden Center.”

Jordan is among House Republicans pushing for the creation of a “select subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal government” within the Judiciary Committee.

Votes on creating that committee are expected as soon as this week, setting up a showdown between Republicans and the prosecutors leading various federal investigations, including the ones into Trump.

It wasn't immediately clear why the White House didn't disclose the discovery of the documents or the DOJ review sooner. CBS was first to report Monday on the discovery of the potentially classified documents.

The Justice Department for months has been investigating the retention of roughly 300 documents that were marked as classified and were recovered from the Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mar-a-lago">Florida estate.</a>&nbsp;In that instance, prosecutors say, representatives of Trump resisted requests to give back the full stash of classified documents and failed to fully comply with a subpoena that sought their return.

FBI agents in August served a search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago property, removing 15 boxes of records.

That investigation is being led by special counsel Jack Smith. Prosecutors have interviewed an array of Trump associates and have been using a grand jury to hear evidence.

It is not clear when a decision when will be made on whether Trump, or anyone else, should be charged.

The think tank, formally known as the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania and continues to operate independently of the Biden administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673315316984.png" alt="The revelation comes as Republicans have taken control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House of Representatives</a>&nbsp;and are promising to launch widespread investigations of Biden's administration-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The revelation comes as Republicans have taken control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House of Representatives</a>&nbsp;and are promising to launch widespread investigations of Biden's administration-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is reviewing a batch of potentially classified documents found in the Washington office space of President Joe Biden's former institute, the White House said Monday.Special counsel to the president Richard Sauber said “a small number of documents with classified markings” were discovered as Biden's personal attorneys were clearing out the offices of the Penn Biden Center, where the president kept an office after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his 2020 presidential campaign in 2019. The documents were found on Nov. 2, 2022, in a “locked closet” in the office, Sauber said.Sauber said the attorneys immediately alerted the White House Counsel's office, who notified the National Archives and Records Administration — which took custody of the documents the next day.“Since that discovery, the President’s personal attorneys have cooperated with the Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in the possession of the Archives,” Sauber said.A person who is familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly said Attorney General Merrick Garland asked U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch to review the matter after the Archives referred the issue to the department. Lausch is one of the few U.S. attorneys to be held over from former President Donald Trump's administration.Irrespective of the Justice Department review, the revelation that Biden potentially mishandled classified or presidential records could prove to be a political headache for the president, who called Trump's decision to keep hundreds of such records at his private club in Florida&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-taiwan-biden-government-and-politics-mar-a-lago-2474104aa0fd9ffaa8de33538813c84e">“irresponsible."</a>Trump weighed in Monday on his social media site, asking, “When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?”The revelation comes as Republicans have taken control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House of Representatives</a>&nbsp;and are promising to launch widespread investigations of Biden's administration.It also may complicate the Justice Department's consideration on whether to bring charges against Trump, who has launched a repeat bid for the White House in 2024 and has repeatedly claimed that the department's inquiry of his own conduct amounted to “corruption."The National Archives did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Spokespeople for Garland and Lausch declined to comment.Rep. James Comer, the new GOP chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Monday that the revelation raised questions about the Justice Department’s handling of the Trump probe.“Is the White House going to be raided tonight? Are they going to raid the Bidens?” he asked reporters. “This is further concern that there’s a two-tier justice system within the DOJ with how they treat Republicans versus Democrats, certainly how they treat the former president versus the current president.”His Democratic counterpart, Rep. Jamie Raskin, said Biden's attorneys “appear to have taken immediate and proper action.”“I have confidence that the Attorney General took the appropriate steps to ensure the careful review of the circumstances surrounding the possession and discovery of these documents and make an impartial decision about any further action that may be needed,” he added.Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, said Monday that the American public deserved to know earlier about the revelation of classified documents.“They knew about this a week before the election, maybe the American people should have known that,” Jordan told reporters. “They certainly knew about the the raid on Mar-a-Lago 91 days before this election, but nice if on November 2, the country would have known that there were classified documents at the Biden Center.”Jordan is among House Republicans pushing for the creation of a “select subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal government” within the Judiciary Committee.Votes on creating that committee are expected as soon as this week, setting up a showdown between Republicans and the prosecutors leading various federal investigations, including the ones into Trump.It wasn't immediately clear why the White House didn't disclose the discovery of the documents or the DOJ review sooner. CBS was first to report Monday on the discovery of the potentially classified documents.The Justice Department for months has been investigating the retention of roughly 300 documents that were marked as classified and were recovered from the Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mar-a-lago">Florida estate.</a>&nbsp;In that instance, prosecutors say, representatives of Trump resisted requests to give back the full stash of classified documents and failed to fully comply with a subpoena that sought their return.FBI agents in August served a search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago property, removing 15 boxes of records.That investigation is being led by special counsel Jack Smith. Prosecutors have interviewed an array of Trump associates and have been using a grand jury to hear evidence.It is not clear when a decision when will be made on whether Trump, or anyone else, should be charged.The think tank, formally known as the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania and continues to operate independently of the Biden administration.--------------