NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to cajole the world's largest economies to further isolate Russia diplomatically and economically over its invasion of Ukraine despite a souring global outlook that has tested other nations' resolve.

(Click below to watch President Biden's news conference)

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/11/14/readout-of-president-joe-bidens-meeting-with-president-xi-jinping-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china/">Click here to read</a> a transcript of the Biden, Ki Jinping meeting

In meetings Tuesday at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-business-indonesia-china-026ceb20b07d3630345c7e7a1945a49e">Group of 20 summit</a>&nbsp;in Indonesia, the U.S. leader is to continue a global tour pressing nations to stand up to Russia and in defense of Ukraine’s sovereignty in both symbolic and substantive ways. The effort comes as global inflation and slowing economies have put new pressures on countries that imposed penalties on Russia for the nine-month war that has sent food and energy prices soaring.

A senior U.S. administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the summit discussions, said Tuesday that the summit’s final communique will make clear that “most” of the nations condemn Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, as well the toll it has taken on global food and energy supplies.

It remained to be seen how many nations would embrace the tough language or whether the document would refer to Russia’s actions as a “war” — a phrase Moscow has sought to avoid, despite the devastating losses sustained by its military.

U.S. officials have said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-southeast-asia-trip-china-ukraine-election-f71ee52a79a2bcbd029a9c9cbba32437">Biden's trip</a>&nbsp;has demonstrated that countries large and small are willing to condemn Russian aggression. Indonesian President Joko Widodo invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to virtually address the G-20 summit. It comes days after Ukraine's foreign minister was invited to participate in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-inflation-british-politics-biden-health-96fece8e82b94cd836923747198c14c6">Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit</a>&nbsp;in Cambodia, where it became the latest signatory to the group's treaty of amity and cooperation.

After his&nbsp; nearly three-hour meeting<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-taiwan-indonesia-xi-jinping-government-and-politics-961bb4680962cc53b4375af3bcbc4927">&nbsp;with President Xi Jinping</a>&nbsp;on Monday, Biden said he and the Chinese leader discussed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and “reaffirmed our shared belief” that the use or even the threat of nuclear weapons is “totally unacceptable” — a reference to Moscow’s thinly veiled threats to use atomic weapons as its invasion of Ukraine has faltered. Chinese officials had previously largely refrained from public criticism of Russia’s war, although Beijing has avoided direct support of the Russians, such as supplying arms.

The summit schedule does not include a “family photo” of leaders, which would avoid a potentially awkward moment of interaction with the Russian representative, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. It remained to be seen how Biden and U.S. allies would react when Lavrov is recognized to speak during the summit's closed sessions. Some Europeans have discussed potentially walking out of the meeting in a display of protest of Russia's invasion.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said no one in the U.S. delegation had plans to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often known as MBS, after Biden accused Saudi Arabia of siding with Russia by leading the OPEC+ cartel to cut oil production last month in a bid to sustain the elevated energy prices that Russia uses to fund its war in Ukraine.

It also was not clear whether anyone from the U.S. delegation would meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi or other leaders whose cooperation would be essential to securing a price cap on Russian oil to limit the profits Moscow uses to invest in its defense base.

At the summit, Biden will have his first opportunities to meet with two critical new partners in that effort: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.

Sunak, who took office last month after the disastrously short tenure of Liz Truss, has promised to continue his conservative predecessors’ steadfast support for Ukraine. He and Biden are set to strategize during their Wednesday meeting on new ways to bolster Ukraine’s defenses for the long haul.

Meloni has pledged to continue to provide arms and aid for Ukraine, but questions remain over her far-right coalition’s commitment to stand up to Russia. She will meet with Biden privately on Tuesday afternoon.

The nearly three-hour meeting was the highlight of Biden’s weeklong, round-the-world trip to the Middle East and Asia, and came at a critical juncture for the two countries amid increasing economic and security tensions. Speaking at a news conference afterward, Biden said that when it comes to China, the U.S. would “compete vigorously, but I’m not looking for conflict.”

He added: “I absolutely believe there need not be a new Cold War” between America and the rising Asian power.

Biden reiterated U.S. support for its longstanding “One China” policy, which recognizes the government in Beijing — while allowing for informal American relations and defense ties with Taipei, and “strategic ambiguity” over whether the U.S. would respond militarily if the island were attacked. He also said that despite China's recent saber rattling, he does not believe "there’s any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan.”

Xi, according to the Chinese government’s account of the meeting, “stressed that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.”

Biden said he and Xi also discussed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and “reaffirmed our shared belief” that the use or even the threat of nuclear weapons is "totally unacceptable.” That was a reference to Moscow's thinly veiled threats to use atomic weapons as its nearly nine-month invasion of Ukraine has faltered.

Chinese officials have largely refrained from public criticism of Russia’s war, although Beijing has avoided direct support of the Russians, such as supplying arms.

While there were no watershed breakthroughs, the Biden-Xi meeting brought each side long-sought, if modest, gains. In addition to the shared condemnation of Russian nuclear threats, Biden appeared to secure from Xi the resumption of lower-level cooperation from China on a range of shared global challenges. Meanwhile, Xi, who has aimed to establish China as a geopolitical peer of the U.S., got symbolic home turf for the meeting as well as Biden’s forceful One China policy commitment.

The White House said Biden and Xi agreed to “empower key senior officials" to work on areas of potential cooperation, including tackling climate change and maintaining global financial, health and food stability. Beijing had cut off such contacts with the U.S. in protest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan in August.

China and the U.S. are the world’s worst climate polluters, and their one-on-one climate contacts are seen as vital to staving off some of the most dire scenarios of climate change. Biden's first stop on his long overseas trip was in Egypt for a major climate conference.

The two leaders agreed to have U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken travel to Beijing to continue discussions.

Xi and Biden warmly greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort hotel in Indonesia, where they are attending the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-inflation-british-politics-biden-health-96fece8e82b94cd836923747198c14c6">Group of 20 summit</a>&nbsp;of large economies.

“As the leaders of our two nations, we share responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition from becoming anything ever near conflict, and to find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require our mutual cooperation," Biden said to open the meeting.

Xi called on Biden to “chart the right course" and “elevate the relationship” between China and the U.S. He said he wanted a “candid and in-depth exchange of views."

Both men entered the highly anticipated meeting with bolstered political standing at home. Democrats triumphantly held onto&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/web/search/text?all=false&amp;endDate=2020-08-19T23:20:17.269Z&amp;sourceType=ap&amp;dateRangeType=live&amp;mediaSortType=newest&amp;pagesize=100&amp;viewType=conversation&amp;keyword=wire:dsa%20AND%20election&amp;storyType=all&amp;mediatype=text&amp;startDate=2020-03-01T05:00:00.000Z&amp;pagenumber=0">control of the U.S. Senate,</a>&nbsp;with a chance to boost their ranks by one in a runoff election in Georgia next month, while Xi was&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/web/search/text?all=false&amp;endDate=2020-08-19T23:20:17.269Z&amp;sourceType=ap&amp;dateRangeType=live&amp;mediaSortType=newest&amp;pagesize=100&amp;viewType=conversation&amp;keyword=wire:dsa%20AND%20xi%20AND%20communist&amp;storyType=all&amp;mediatype=text&amp;startDate=2020-03-01T05:00:00.000Z&amp;pagenumber=0">awarded a third five-year term</a>&nbsp;in October by the Communist Party's national congress, a break with tradition.

But relations between the two powers have grown more strained under successive American administrations, with economic, trade, human rights and security differences at the fore.

As president, Biden has repeatedly taken China to task for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-japan-crime-geneva-72426c36d1a4c0ae83d9520d2f19d840">human rights abuses against the Uyghur people</a>&nbsp;and other ethnic minorities, crackdowns on democracy activists in Hong Kong, coercive trade practices, military provocations against self-ruled Taiwan and differences over Russia and Ukraine.

The White House said Biden specifically mentioned U.S. concerns about China's actions in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and the plight of Americans it considers “wrongfully detained” or subject to exit bans in China.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taiwan">Taiwan</a>&nbsp;has emerged as one of the most contentious issues. Multiple times in his presidency,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-biden-china-nancy-pelosi-government-and-politics-abe8b7b0c6600e5fa869effae0d76ef2">Biden has said the U.S. would defend the island</a>&nbsp;— which China has eyed for eventual unification — in case of a Beijing-led invasion. But administration officials have stressed each time that the U.S. China policy has not changed.

Pelosi's trip prompted China, officially the People's Republic of China, to retaliate with military drills and the firing of ballistic missiles into nearby waters.

The White House said Biden “raised U.S. objections to the PRC’s coercive and increasingly aggressive actions toward Taiwan, which undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region, and jeopardize global prosperity.”

In the meeting, Biden said China's economic practices “harm American workers and families, and workers and families around the world," the White House said.

The meeting came just weeks after the Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-technology-china-asia-xi-jinping-cfd6fc9f04cc7ea47f61ee6f04383b57">blocked exports of advanced computer chips</a>&nbsp;to China — a national security move that bolsters U.S. competition against Beijing.

Xi's government said he condemned such moves, saying, “Starting a trade war or a technology war, building walls and barriers, and pushing for decoupling and severing supply chains run counter to the principles of market economy and undermine international trade rules.”

Although the two men have held five phone or video calls during Biden's presidency, White House officials said those encounters were no substitute for an in-person meeting. They said sitting down with Xi was all the more important after the Chinese leader strengthened his grip on power with a third term and because lower-level Chinese officials have been unable or unwilling to speak for their leader.

White House officials and their Chinese counterparts spent weeks negotiating details of the meeting, which was held at Xi’s hotel with translators providing simultaneous interpretation through headsets. Each leader was flanked by nine N-95 mask-wearing aides, and in the case of Xi, at least one official newly elevated in the recent Congress to its top leadership.

U.S. officials were eager to see how Xi approached the meeting after consolidating his position as the unquestioned leader of the state — whether that made him more or less likely to seek out areas of cooperation.

“I didn’t find him more confrontational or more conciliatory,” Biden said. "I found him the way he’s always been, direct and straightforward."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668431755776.png" alt="Biden and Xi, the two without masks just ahead of Monday's meeting-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Biden and Xi, the two without masks just ahead of Monday's meeting-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to cajole the world's largest economies to further isolate Russia diplomatically and economically over its invasion of Ukraine despite a souring global outlook that has tested other nations' resolve.(Click below to watch President Biden's news conference)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1406765220151820%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=30" 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><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/11/14/readout-of-president-joe-bidens-meeting-with-president-xi-jinping-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china/">Click here to read</a> a transcript of the Biden, Ki Jinping meetingIn meetings Tuesday at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-business-indonesia-china-026ceb20b07d3630345c7e7a1945a49e">Group of 20 summit</a>&nbsp;in Indonesia, the U.S. leader is to continue a global tour pressing nations to stand up to Russia and in defense of Ukraine’s sovereignty in both symbolic and substantive ways. The effort comes as global inflation and slowing economies have put new pressures on countries that imposed penalties on Russia for the nine-month war that has sent food and energy prices soaring.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668436660078.png" alt="Xi and Biden greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort hotel in Indonesia, where they are attending the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-inflation-british-politics-biden-health-96fece8e82b94cd836923747198c14c6">Group of 20 summit</a>&nbsp;of large economies.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Xi and Biden greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort hotel in Indonesia, where they are attending the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-inflation-british-politics-biden-health-96fece8e82b94cd836923747198c14c6">Group of 20 summit</a>&nbsp;of large economies.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>A senior U.S. administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the summit discussions, said Tuesday that the summit’s final communique will make clear that “most” of the nations condemn Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, as well the toll it has taken on global food and energy supplies.It remained to be seen how many nations would embrace the tough language or whether the document would refer to Russia’s actions as a “war” — a phrase Moscow has sought to avoid, despite the devastating losses sustained by its military.U.S. officials have said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-southeast-asia-trip-china-ukraine-election-f71ee52a79a2bcbd029a9c9cbba32437">Biden's trip</a>&nbsp;has demonstrated that countries large and small are willing to condemn Russian aggression. Indonesian President Joko Widodo invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to virtually address the G-20 summit. It comes days after Ukraine's foreign minister was invited to participate in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-inflation-british-politics-biden-health-96fece8e82b94cd836923747198c14c6">Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit</a>&nbsp;in Cambodia, where it became the latest signatory to the group's treaty of amity and cooperation.After his&nbsp; nearly three-hour meeting<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-taiwan-indonesia-xi-jinping-government-and-politics-961bb4680962cc53b4375af3bcbc4927">&nbsp;with President Xi Jinping</a>&nbsp;on Monday, Biden said he and the Chinese leader discussed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and “reaffirmed our shared belief” that the use or even the threat of nuclear weapons is “totally unacceptable” — a reference to Moscow’s thinly veiled threats to use atomic weapons as its invasion of Ukraine has faltered. Chinese officials had previously largely refrained from public criticism of Russia’s war, although Beijing has avoided direct support of the Russians, such as supplying arms.The summit schedule does not include a “family photo” of leaders, which would avoid a potentially awkward moment of interaction with the Russian representative, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. It remained to be seen how Biden and U.S. allies would react when Lavrov is recognized to speak during the summit's closed sessions. Some Europeans have discussed potentially walking out of the meeting in a display of protest of Russia's invasion.U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said no one in the U.S. delegation had plans to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often known as MBS, after Biden accused Saudi Arabia of siding with Russia by leading the OPEC+ cartel to cut oil production last month in a bid to sustain the elevated energy prices that Russia uses to fund its war in Ukraine.It also was not clear whether anyone from the U.S. delegation would meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi or other leaders whose cooperation would be essential to securing a price cap on Russian oil to limit the profits Moscow uses to invest in its defense base.At the summit, Biden will have his first opportunities to meet with two critical new partners in that effort: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.Sunak, who took office last month after the disastrously short tenure of Liz Truss, has promised to continue his conservative predecessors’ steadfast support for Ukraine. He and Biden are set to strategize during their Wednesday meeting on new ways to bolster Ukraine’s defenses for the long haul.Meloni has pledged to continue to provide arms and aid for Ukraine, but questions remain over her far-right coalition’s commitment to stand up to Russia. She will meet with Biden privately on Tuesday afternoon.---The nearly three-hour meeting was the highlight of Biden’s weeklong, round-the-world trip to the Middle East and Asia, and came at a critical juncture for the two countries amid increasing economic and security tensions. Speaking at a news conference afterward, Biden said that when it comes to China, the U.S. would “compete vigorously, but I’m not looking for conflict.”He added: “I absolutely believe there need not be a new Cold War” between America and the rising Asian power.Biden reiterated U.S. support for its longstanding “One China” policy, which recognizes the government in Beijing — while allowing for informal American relations and defense ties with Taipei, and “strategic ambiguity” over whether the U.S. would respond militarily if the island were attacked. He also said that despite China's recent saber rattling, he does not believe "there’s any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan.”Xi, according to the Chinese government’s account of the meeting, “stressed that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668436660078.png" alt="Xi and Biden greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort hotel in Indonesia, where they are attending the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-inflation-british-politics-biden-health-96fece8e82b94cd836923747198c14c6">Group of 20 summit</a>&nbsp;of large economies.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Xi and Biden greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort hotel in Indonesia, where they are attending the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-inflation-british-politics-biden-health-96fece8e82b94cd836923747198c14c6">Group of 20 summit</a>&nbsp;of large economies.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Biden said he and Xi also discussed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and “reaffirmed our shared belief” that the use or even the threat of nuclear weapons is "totally unacceptable.” That was a reference to Moscow's thinly veiled threats to use atomic weapons as its nearly nine-month invasion of Ukraine has faltered.Chinese officials have largely refrained from public criticism of Russia’s war, although Beijing has avoided direct support of the Russians, such as supplying arms.While there were no watershed breakthroughs, the Biden-Xi meeting brought each side long-sought, if modest, gains. In addition to the shared condemnation of Russian nuclear threats, Biden appeared to secure from Xi the resumption of lower-level cooperation from China on a range of shared global challenges. Meanwhile, Xi, who has aimed to establish China as a geopolitical peer of the U.S., got symbolic home turf for the meeting as well as Biden’s forceful One China policy commitment.The White House said Biden and Xi agreed to “empower key senior officials" to work on areas of potential cooperation, including tackling climate change and maintaining global financial, health and food stability. Beijing had cut off such contacts with the U.S. in protest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan in August.China and the U.S. are the world’s worst climate polluters, and their one-on-one climate contacts are seen as vital to staving off some of the most dire scenarios of climate change. Biden's first stop on his long overseas trip was in Egypt for a major climate conference.The two leaders agreed to have U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken travel to Beijing to continue discussions.Xi and Biden warmly greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort hotel in Indonesia, where they are attending the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-inflation-british-politics-biden-health-96fece8e82b94cd836923747198c14c6">Group of 20 summit</a>&nbsp;of large economies.“As the leaders of our two nations, we share responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition from becoming anything ever near conflict, and to find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require our mutual cooperation," Biden said to open the meeting.Xi called on Biden to “chart the right course" and “elevate the relationship” between China and the U.S. He said he wanted a “candid and in-depth exchange of views."Both men entered the highly anticipated meeting with bolstered political standing at home. Democrats triumphantly held onto&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/web/search/text?all=false&amp;endDate=2020-08-19T23:20:17.269Z&amp;sourceType=ap&amp;dateRangeType=live&amp;mediaSortType=newest&amp;pagesize=100&amp;viewType=conversation&amp;keyword=wire:dsa%20AND%20election&amp;storyType=all&amp;mediatype=text&amp;startDate=2020-03-01T05:00:00.000Z&amp;pagenumber=0">control of the U.S. Senate,</a>&nbsp;with a chance to boost their ranks by one in a runoff election in Georgia next month, while Xi was&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/web/search/text?all=false&amp;endDate=2020-08-19T23:20:17.269Z&amp;sourceType=ap&amp;dateRangeType=live&amp;mediaSortType=newest&amp;pagesize=100&amp;viewType=conversation&amp;keyword=wire:dsa%20AND%20xi%20AND%20communist&amp;storyType=all&amp;mediatype=text&amp;startDate=2020-03-01T05:00:00.000Z&amp;pagenumber=0">awarded a third five-year term</a>&nbsp;in October by the Communist Party's national congress, a break with tradition.But relations between the two powers have grown more strained under successive American administrations, with economic, trade, human rights and security differences at the fore.As president, Biden has repeatedly taken China to task for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-japan-crime-geneva-72426c36d1a4c0ae83d9520d2f19d840">human rights abuses against the Uyghur people</a>&nbsp;and other ethnic minorities, crackdowns on democracy activists in Hong Kong, coercive trade practices, military provocations against self-ruled Taiwan and differences over Russia and Ukraine.The White House said Biden specifically mentioned U.S. concerns about China's actions in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and the plight of Americans it considers “wrongfully detained” or subject to exit bans in China.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taiwan">Taiwan</a>&nbsp;has emerged as one of the most contentious issues. Multiple times in his presidency,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-biden-china-nancy-pelosi-government-and-politics-abe8b7b0c6600e5fa869effae0d76ef2">Biden has said the U.S. would defend the island</a>&nbsp;— which China has eyed for eventual unification — in case of a Beijing-led invasion. But administration officials have stressed each time that the U.S. China policy has not changed.Pelosi's trip prompted China, officially the People's Republic of China, to retaliate with military drills and the firing of ballistic missiles into nearby waters.The White House said Biden “raised U.S. objections to the PRC’s coercive and increasingly aggressive actions toward Taiwan, which undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region, and jeopardize global prosperity.”In the meeting, Biden said China's economic practices “harm American workers and families, and workers and families around the world," the White House said.The meeting came just weeks after the Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-technology-china-asia-xi-jinping-cfd6fc9f04cc7ea47f61ee6f04383b57">blocked exports of advanced computer chips</a>&nbsp;to China — a national security move that bolsters U.S. competition against Beijing.Xi's government said he condemned such moves, saying, “Starting a trade war or a technology war, building walls and barriers, and pushing for decoupling and severing supply chains run counter to the principles of market economy and undermine international trade rules.”Although the two men have held five phone or video calls during Biden's presidency, White House officials said those encounters were no substitute for an in-person meeting. They said sitting down with Xi was all the more important after the Chinese leader strengthened his grip on power with a third term and because lower-level Chinese officials have been unable or unwilling to speak for their leader.White House officials and their Chinese counterparts spent weeks negotiating details of the meeting, which was held at Xi’s hotel with translators providing simultaneous interpretation through headsets. Each leader was flanked by nine N-95 mask-wearing aides, and in the case of Xi, at least one official newly elevated in the recent Congress to its top leadership.U.S. officials were eager to see how Xi approached the meeting after consolidating his position as the unquestioned leader of the state — whether that made him more or less likely to seek out areas of cooperation.Biden said Xi was as he's always been.“I didn’t find him more confrontational or more conciliatory,” Biden said. "I found him the way he’s always been, direct and straightforward."___

🎥 Biden, China's Xi talk Russia, nuclear weapons in 3-hour meeting 

By PETER SMITH and DAVID CRARY Associated Press

BALTIMORE (AP) — Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Military Services,
 who oversees Catholic ministries to the U.S. armed forces, was elected 
Tuesday as the new president of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-81eacc2fc6d53f81eacdcadc459b500a">U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops</a>.

Broglio,
 70, was elected from a field of 10 candidates. He will succeed 
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who assumed the post in 2019.

The archbishop of Baltimore, William Lori, was elected as vice president.

Usually
 the election of a new USCCB leaders is a formality, with the bishops 
elevating the conference’s vice president to the post. But this year’s 
election was wide open because the incumbent VP — Detroit Archbishop 
Allen Vigneron — will turn 75 soon, making him ineligible to serve.

The <a href="https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/us-bishops-elect-new-leadership-their-episcopal-conference-fall-general-assembly-november">10 candidates</a>
 ranged from the relatively moderate Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle 
to San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, a staunch 
conservative. Cordileone made headlines this year by barring House 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a San Franciscan, from receiving Communion in the 
archdiocese because of her support for abortion rights.

The 
candidates were nominated by their fellow bishops, who bypassed several 
of their colleagues who have been elevated to cardinal by Pope Francis.

The
 bishops’ annual fall meeting will conclude its public sessions on 
Wednesday. During the course of the meeting, there are expected to be 
discussions about the church’s efforts to prevent clergy sex abuse and 
the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June striking down the 
nationwide right to abortion.

Broglio has extensive experience 
outside U.S. borders, having studied in Rome and serving in the 
Vatican's diplomatic corps. And his current archdiocese is based in 
Washington, D.C, which also is home to the USCCB's head office.

Broglio
 grew up in the Cleveland area, attending Catholic schools there before 
attending Boston College and then earning a doctorate in canon law from 
the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was ordained to the priesthood, for the diocese of Cleveland, in May 1977 at a chapel in Rome.

In
 addition to serving as an associate parish pastor and as a college 
lecturer, Broglio engaged extensively in the Vatican's diplomatic 
service. He served as secretary of the apostolic nunciatures in Ivory 
Coast and Paraguay, and from 1990 to 2001 served as Chief of Cabinet to 
Angelo Cardinal Sodano, secretary of state to Saint Pope John Paul II 
and desk officer for Central America.

Broglio was ordained as an 
archbishop by St. John Paul II in March 2001. In 2007, he was named the 
fourth archbishop of the Military Services USA.

As a member of the
 USCCB, Broglio currently serves as secretary of the conference. In the 
past he has served as chairman of the Committee on International Justice
 and Peace and chairman of the Canonical Affairs and Church Governance 
Committee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668548283876.jpeg" alt="Archbishop Timothy Broglio conducts an Easter Sunday Mass in an empty sanctuary at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, Sunday, April 12, 2020. Broglio of the Military Services, who oversees Catholic ministries to the U.S. armed forces, was elected Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, as the new president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)" />
 <figcaption>Archbishop Timothy Broglio conducts an Easter Sunday Mass in an empty sanctuary at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, Sunday, April 12, 2020. Broglio of the Military Services, who oversees Catholic ministries to the U.S. armed forces, was elected Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, as the new president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PETER SMITH and DAVID CRARY Associated PressBALTIMORE (AP) — Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Military Services,
 who oversees Catholic ministries to the U.S. armed forces, was elected 
Tuesday as the new president of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-81eacc2fc6d53f81eacdcadc459b500a">U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops</a>.Broglio,
 70, was elected from a field of 10 candidates. He will succeed 
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who assumed the post in 2019.The archbishop of Baltimore, William Lori, was elected as vice president.Usually
 the election of a new USCCB leaders is a formality, with the bishops 
elevating the conference’s vice president to the post. But this year’s 
election was wide open because the incumbent VP — Detroit Archbishop 
Allen Vigneron — will turn 75 soon, making him ineligible to serve.The <a href="https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/us-bishops-elect-new-leadership-their-episcopal-conference-fall-general-assembly-november">10 candidates</a>
 ranged from the relatively moderate Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle 
to San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, a staunch 
conservative. Cordileone made headlines this year by barring House 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a San Franciscan, from receiving Communion in the 
archdiocese because of her support for abortion rights.The 
candidates were nominated by their fellow bishops, who bypassed several 
of their colleagues who have been elevated to cardinal by Pope Francis.The
 bishops’ annual fall meeting will conclude its public sessions on 
Wednesday. During the course of the meeting, there are expected to be 
discussions about the church’s efforts to prevent clergy sex abuse and 
the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June striking down the 
nationwide right to abortion.Broglio has extensive experience 
outside U.S. borders, having studied in Rome and serving in the 
Vatican's diplomatic corps. And his current archdiocese is based in 
Washington, D.C, which also is home to the USCCB's head office.Broglio
 grew up in the Cleveland area, attending Catholic schools there before 
attending Boston College and then earning a doctorate in canon law from 
the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.He was ordained to the priesthood, for the diocese of Cleveland, in May 1977 at a chapel in Rome.In
 addition to serving as an associate parish pastor and as a college 
lecturer, Broglio engaged extensively in the Vatican's diplomatic 
service. He served as secretary of the apostolic nunciatures in Ivory 
Coast and Paraguay, and from 1990 to 2001 served as Chief of Cabinet to 
Angelo Cardinal Sodano, secretary of state to Saint Pope John Paul II 
and desk officer for Central America.Broglio was ordained as an 
archbishop by St. John Paul II in March 2001. In 2007, he was named the 
fourth archbishop of the Military Services USA.As a member of the
 USCCB, Broglio currently serves as secretary of the conference. In the 
past he has served as chairman of the Committee on International Justice
 and Peace and chairman of the Canonical Affairs and Church Governance 
Committee.

Armed forces leader named Catholic bishop council president

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded those who still need to file their 2021 tax returns that <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">IRS Free File</a> remains open until November 17 and can help those who qualify claim the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-frequently-asked-questions">Child Tax Credit</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">Recovery Rebate Credit</a> or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc">Earned Income Tax Credit</a>.

These and other tax benefits were expanded under last year's American
 Rescue Plan Act and other recent legislation. The only way to get these
 valuable benefits, however, is to file a 2021 tax return.

Last month, the Internal Revenue Service sent letters to more than 9 
million individuals and families who appeared to qualify for a variety 
of key tax benefits but had not yet claimed them by filing a 2021 
federal income tax return.

Many in this group may be eligible to claim some or all of the 2021 
Recovery Rebate Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax 
Credit and other tax credits, depending on their personal and family 
situation. The letter, printed in both English and Spanish, provided a 
brief overview of each of these credits.

Often, individuals and families <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/does-my-childdependent-qualify-for-the-child-tax-credit-or-the-credit-for-other-dependents">can get these expanded tax benefits</a>,
 even if they have little or no income from a job, business or other 
source. This means that many people who don't normally need to file a 
tax return should do so this year, even if they haven't been required to
 file in recent years.

There's no penalty for a refund claimed on a tax return filed after 
the regular April 2022 tax deadline. The fastest and easiest way to get a
 refund is to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">file an accurate return electronically</a> and choose <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts">direct deposit</a>.

To help people claim these benefits without charge, IRS Free File 
will remain open this year, until November 17, 2022. Available only at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">IRS.gov/freefile</a>, IRS Free File lets people whose incomes are $73,000 or less to file a return online for free using brand-name software.

IRS Free File is sponsored by the Free File Alliance, a partnership 
between the IRS and the tax software industry, a public-private 
partnership that provides their brand-name products for free.

IRS Free File provides two ways for taxpayers to prepare and file their 2021 federal income tax return online for free:

Prior year returns can be filed electronically only by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/understanding-tax-return-preparer-credentials-and-qualifications">registered tax preparers</a>&nbsp;for the two previous tax years. Otherwise, taxpayers must print, sign and mail prior year returns.

The IRS <a href="https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf">Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications</a>&nbsp;lists qualified local preparers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded those who still need to file their 2021 tax returns that <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">IRS Free File</a> remains open until November 17 and can help those who qualify claim the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-frequently-asked-questions">Child Tax Credit</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">Recovery Rebate Credit</a> or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc">Earned Income Tax Credit</a>.These and other tax benefits were expanded under last year's American
 Rescue Plan Act and other recent legislation. The only way to get these
 valuable benefits, however, is to file a 2021 tax return.Last month, the Internal Revenue Service sent letters to more than 9 
million individuals and families who appeared to qualify for a variety 
of key tax benefits but had not yet claimed them by filing a 2021 
federal income tax return.Many in this group may be eligible to claim some or all of the 2021 
Recovery Rebate Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax 
Credit and other tax credits, depending on their personal and family 
situation. The letter, printed in both English and Spanish, provided a 
brief overview of each of these credits.Often, individuals and families <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/does-my-childdependent-qualify-for-the-child-tax-credit-or-the-credit-for-other-dependents">can get these expanded tax benefits</a>,
 even if they have little or no income from a job, business or other 
source. This means that many people who don't normally need to file a 
tax return should do so this year, even if they haven't been required to
 file in recent years.There's no penalty for a refund claimed on a tax return filed after 
the regular April 2022 tax deadline. The fastest and easiest way to get a
 refund is to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-options">file an accurate return electronically</a> and choose <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts">direct deposit</a>.To help people claim these benefits without charge, IRS Free File 
will remain open this year, until November 17, 2022. Available only at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">IRS.gov/freefile</a>, IRS Free File lets people whose incomes are $73,000 or less to file a return online for free using brand-name software.IRS Free File is sponsored by the Free File Alliance, a partnership 
between the IRS and the tax software industry, a public-private 
partnership that provides their brand-name products for free.IRS Free File provides two ways for taxpayers to prepare and file their 2021 federal income tax return online for free:<ul>
 <li>IRS Partner Sites. Traditional IRS Free File 
provides free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner 
sites. Individual taxpayers whose adjusted gross income (AGI) is $73,000
 or less qualify for any IRS Free File partner offers. Free File lets 
individuals electronically prepare and file their federal income tax 
online using guided tax preparation.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Free Fillable Forms. For taxpayers whose AGI is greater than $73,000, there's the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms">Free File Fillable Forms</a>
 option. It provides electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out
 and filed online for free. To use this option, taxpayers should know 
how to prepare their own tax return.</li>
 </ul><h2>Always start at&nbsp;IRS.gov:</h2><ul>
 <li>From the homepage, select <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">File Your Taxes for Free</a>.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Use the <a href="https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/general/">IRS Free File Lookup Tool</a> to narrow the list of providers or the <a href="https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/browse-all-offers/">Browse All Offers</a> page to see a full list of providers.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Follow the link to the chosen IRS Free File provider's website.</li>
 </ul>Prior year returns can be filed electronically only by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/understanding-tax-return-preparer-credentials-and-qualifications">registered tax preparers</a>&nbsp;for the two previous tax years. Otherwise, taxpayers must print, sign and mail prior year returns.The IRS <a href="https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf">Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications</a>&nbsp;lists qualified local preparers.

IRS: Free File remains open until Nov. 17

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the death of a toddler have charged his father for the crime.

Just after 10p.m. Thursday,<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=18719567"> police booked </a>30-year-old Jordan W. Lien into the Sedgwick County jail. He has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated endangering a child and use, possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia,<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=18719567"> according to</a>&nbsp;the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

The murder charge&nbsp;is in connection with the death of <a href="https://www.wulfastmortuary.com/obituary/lucca-lien">14-month-old</a> <a href="https://www.wulfastmortuary.com/obituary/lucca-lien">Lucca Lien</a> in July, according to the criminal complaint.

Jordan Lien has previous convictions for drugs, criminal damage to property and criminal possession of a firearm, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He is being held on a $500,000 bond and is due back in court November 28.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668257439843.png" alt="Lien-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Lien-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the death of a toddler have charged his father for the crime.Just after 10p.m. Thursday,<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=18719567"> police booked </a>30-year-old Jordan W. Lien into the Sedgwick County jail. He has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated endangering a child and use, possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia,<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=18719567"> according to</a>&nbsp;the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.The murder charge&nbsp;is in connection with the death of <a href="https://www.wulfastmortuary.com/obituary/lucca-lien">14-month-old</a> <a href="https://www.wulfastmortuary.com/obituary/lucca-lien">Lucca Lien</a> in July, according to the criminal complaint.Jordan Lien has previous convictions for drugs, criminal damage to property and criminal possession of a firearm, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. He is being held on a $500,000 bond and is due back in court November 28.

Kansas man charged for death of his 14-month-old son

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — President Joe Biden and the leaders of Japan and South Korea vowed a unified, coordinated response to North Korea's threatening nuclear and ballistic missile programs, with Biden declaring that the three-way partnership is “even more important than it's ever been” when North Korea is stepping up its provocations.

Biden met separately with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol before all three sat down together on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Cambodia.

The U.S. president began by offering condolences for a crowd surge during Halloween festivities in Seoul that killed more than 150 people, saying the U.S. had grieved with South Korea. The meeting was heavily focused on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's recent escalations, although Biden said the three leaders would also discuss strengthening supply chains and preserving peace across the Taiwan strait, while building on the countries' support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.

Biden had also planned to seek input from Kishida and Yoon on managing China’s assertive posture in the Pacific region on the eve of his face-to-face with President Xi Jinping.

“We face real challenges, but our countries are more aligned than ever, more prepared to take on those challenges than ever,” Biden said. “So I look forward to deepening the bonds of cooperation between our three countries.”

Both Yoon and Kishida discussed the ongoing displays of aggression by North Korea, which has fired dozens of missiles in recent weeks. The launches include an intercontinental ballistic missile 10 days ago that triggered evacuation alerts in northern Japan, and as the allies warn of a looming risk of the isolated country conducting its seventh nuclear test in the coming weeks.

Referring to the crowd surge that occurred in the Itaewon neighborhood in Seoul, Yoon said, through an interpreter: “At a time when South Koreans are grieving in deep sorrow, North Korea pushed ahead with such provocations which lays bare the Kim Jong Un regime's true inclinations.”

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Saturday that Biden would use the meetings to strengthen the three countries' joint response to the dangers posed by North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

“What we would really like to see is enhanced trilateral security cooperation where the three countries are all coming together,” he said. “That’s acutely true with respect to the DPRK because of the common threat and challenge we all face, but it’s also true, more broadly, about our capacity to work together to enhance overall peace and stability in the region.”

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have skyrocketed in recent months as the North continues its weapons demonstrations and the U.S. and South Korea launched stepped-up joint defense exercises.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/5d8f0935f50d013d7e9c375cc27456e5">Earlier this month</a>, the South Korean military said two B-1B bombers trained with four U.S. F-16 fighter jets and four South Korean F-35 jets during the last day of “Vigilant Storm” joint air force drills. It was the first time since December 2017 that the bombers were deployed to the Korean Peninsula. The exercise involved a total of roughly 240 warplanes, including advanced F-35 fighter jets from both countries.

North Korea responded with its own display of force, flying large numbers of warplanes inside its territory.

The Biden administration has said it has sent repeated requests to negotiate with North Korea without preconditions on constraining its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but that Kim Jong Un's government has not responded.

Biden has said he plans to press Xi to use China's unique sway over North Korea to curtail its aggressive behavior, as part of what is expected to be a wide-ranging meeting between the leaders on the margins of the Group of 20 gathering in Bali, Indonesia.

China "has an interest in playing a constructive role in restraining North Korea’s worst tendencies,” Sullivan said Saturday. “Whether they choose to do so or not is, of course, up to them.”

Biden told reporters on Sunday that he’s “always had straightforward discussions” with Xi, and that has prevented either of them from “miscalculations” of their intentions. Their meeting comes weeks after Xi cemented his grip on China’s political system with the conclusion of the Community Party congress in Beijing that gave him a norm-breaking third term as leader.

“His circumstances changed, to state the obvious, at home,” Biden said of Xi. Biden maintained that his own have as well, saying that after Democrats retained control of the Senate in the midterm elections, “I know I’m coming in stronger."

Monday's meeting will be the first in-person sit-down between the leaders since Biden was elected. U.S. officials in the past have expressed frustration that lower-level Chinese officials have proven unable or unwilling to speak for Xi, and are hoping the face-to-face summit will enable progress on areas of mutual concern — and, even more critically, a shared understanding of each others' limitations.

“I know him well, he knows me,” Biden said. “We’ve just got to figure out where the red lines are and what are the most important things to each of us, going into the next two years.”

As president, Biden has repeatedly taken China to task for human rights abuses against the Uyghur people and other ethnic minorities, Beijing’s crackdowns on democracy activists in Hong Kong, coercive trade practices, military provocations against self-ruled Taiwan and differences over Russia’s prosecution of its war against Ukraine.

Xi’s government has criticized the Biden administration’s posture toward Taiwan — which Beijing looks eventually to unify with the communist mainland — as undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese president also has suggested that Washington wants to stifle Beijing’s growing clout as it tries to overtake the U.S. as the world’s largest economy.

Biden also spoke briefly with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has sought out his own meeting with Xi this week in an effort to ease Chinese sanctions against his country.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667483523229.png" alt="A TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage is seen at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. North Korea continued its barrage of weapons tests, firing at least three missiles including a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile that forced the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and temporarily halt trains. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)" />
 <figcaption>A TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage is seen at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. North Korea continued its barrage of weapons tests, firing at least three missiles including a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile that forced the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and temporarily halt trains. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)</figcaption>
 </figure>PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — President Joe Biden and the leaders of Japan and South Korea vowed a unified, coordinated response to North Korea's threatening nuclear and ballistic missile programs, with Biden declaring that the three-way partnership is “even more important than it's ever been” when North Korea is stepping up its provocations.Biden met separately with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol before all three sat down together on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Cambodia.The U.S. president began by offering condolences for a crowd surge during Halloween festivities in Seoul that killed more than 150 people, saying the U.S. had grieved with South Korea. The meeting was heavily focused on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's recent escalations, although Biden said the three leaders would also discuss strengthening supply chains and preserving peace across the Taiwan strait, while building on the countries' support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.Biden had also planned to seek input from Kishida and Yoon on managing China’s assertive posture in the Pacific region on the eve of his face-to-face with President Xi Jinping.“We face real challenges, but our countries are more aligned than ever, more prepared to take on those challenges than ever,” Biden said. “So I look forward to deepening the bonds of cooperation between our three countries.”Both Yoon and Kishida discussed the ongoing displays of aggression by North Korea, which has fired dozens of missiles in recent weeks. The launches include an intercontinental ballistic missile 10 days ago that triggered evacuation alerts in northern Japan, and as the allies warn of a looming risk of the isolated country conducting its seventh nuclear test in the coming weeks.Referring to the crowd surge that occurred in the Itaewon neighborhood in Seoul, Yoon said, through an interpreter: “At a time when South Koreans are grieving in deep sorrow, North Korea pushed ahead with such provocations which lays bare the Kim Jong Un regime's true inclinations.”U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Saturday that Biden would use the meetings to strengthen the three countries' joint response to the dangers posed by North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.“What we would really like to see is enhanced trilateral security cooperation where the three countries are all coming together,” he said. “That’s acutely true with respect to the DPRK because of the common threat and challenge we all face, but it’s also true, more broadly, about our capacity to work together to enhance overall peace and stability in the region.”Tensions on the Korean peninsula have skyrocketed in recent months as the North continues its weapons demonstrations and the U.S. and South Korea launched stepped-up joint defense exercises.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/5d8f0935f50d013d7e9c375cc27456e5">Earlier this month</a>, the South Korean military said two B-1B bombers trained with four U.S. F-16 fighter jets and four South Korean F-35 jets during the last day of “Vigilant Storm” joint air force drills. It was the first time since December 2017 that the bombers were deployed to the Korean Peninsula. The exercise involved a total of roughly 240 warplanes, including advanced F-35 fighter jets from both countries.North Korea responded with its own display of force, flying large numbers of warplanes inside its territory.The Biden administration has said it has sent repeated requests to negotiate with North Korea without preconditions on constraining its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but that Kim Jong Un's government has not responded.Biden has said he plans to press Xi to use China's unique sway over North Korea to curtail its aggressive behavior, as part of what is expected to be a wide-ranging meeting between the leaders on the margins of the Group of 20 gathering in Bali, Indonesia.China "has an interest in playing a constructive role in restraining North Korea’s worst tendencies,” Sullivan said Saturday. “Whether they choose to do so or not is, of course, up to them.”Biden told reporters on Sunday that he’s “always had straightforward discussions” with Xi, and that has prevented either of them from “miscalculations” of their intentions. Their meeting comes weeks after Xi cemented his grip on China’s political system with the conclusion of the Community Party congress in Beijing that gave him a norm-breaking third term as leader.“His circumstances changed, to state the obvious, at home,” Biden said of Xi. Biden maintained that his own have as well, saying that after Democrats retained control of the Senate in the midterm elections, “I know I’m coming in stronger."Monday's meeting will be the first in-person sit-down between the leaders since Biden was elected. U.S. officials in the past have expressed frustration that lower-level Chinese officials have proven unable or unwilling to speak for Xi, and are hoping the face-to-face summit will enable progress on areas of mutual concern — and, even more critically, a shared understanding of each others' limitations.“I know him well, he knows me,” Biden said. “We’ve just got to figure out where the red lines are and what are the most important things to each of us, going into the next two years.”As president, Biden has repeatedly taken China to task for human rights abuses against the Uyghur people and other ethnic minorities, Beijing’s crackdowns on democracy activists in Hong Kong, coercive trade practices, military provocations against self-ruled Taiwan and differences over Russia’s prosecution of its war against Ukraine.Xi’s government has criticized the Biden administration’s posture toward Taiwan — which Beijing looks eventually to unify with the communist mainland — as undermining China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese president also has suggested that Washington wants to stifle Beijing’s growing clout as it tries to overtake the U.S. as the world’s largest economy.Biden also spoke briefly with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has sought out his own meeting with Xi this week in an effort to ease Chinese sanctions against his country.—-

US, Japan, SKorea vow unified response to North Korea threat

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A third railroad union has rejected its agreement with the nation's freight railroads, increasing the chances that Congress may be called upon to settle the dispute and block a strike.

The small International Brotherhood of Boilermakers union on Monday voted down the contract even though it includes the biggest raises workers have seen in more than four decades. The union represents just a few hundred of the roughly 115,000 rail workers involved in the contract dispute with Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, BNSF, Kansas City Southern, CSX and other railroads.

All 12 rail unions must approve their deals to prevent a strike, although no strike is imminent because all the unions have agreed to keep negotiating even if their members vote no, until a deadline early next month.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-strikes-congress-government-and-politics-0ac69bd8a24bbfd74787d198d7140d01">Seven other unions</a>&nbsp;have ratified the five-year deals that include 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. The focus now is on the three unions that have voted down their agreements and the remaining two that haven’t finished voting.

Workers'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-government-and-politics-207229bcd558b6a6c1d58f3f85e2d804">quality-of-life concerns</a>&nbsp;about demanding schedules and the lack of paid sick time in the industry have threatened to derail the agreements even with the sizeable raises railroads are offering.

Contract talks with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-strikes-government-and-politics-581babaeee804c37e4761424c02af21a">two unions that rejected their deals</a>&nbsp;last month remain deadlocked over the issue of paid sick time. So it is looking increasingly likely that Congress will have to step in to settle this dispute

“If we can’t improve the agreement by getting some sort of sick leave, I think Congress is going to have to intervene because I think the railroads are just too stubborn to give us what we want unless we are able to strike," Tony Cardwell, president of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union, said Monday.

The railroads have said they want these contracts to closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-norfolk-government-and-politics-eeedec386f2acba5d63181436ca03f3f">recommendations</a>&nbsp;made this summer by a special board of arbitrators that President Joe Biden appointed. Offering sick leave on top of the raises and bonuses that are already in the deal would require the railroads to spend more.

Congress is expected to block a rail strike and impose contract terms on both sides if they can't come to an agreement before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-economy-business-congress-kansas-city-southern-0daad98e345804513ca568068303cd22">next month's deadline.</a>&nbsp;That's because the stakes are so high for the economy with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">so many businesses relying</a>&nbsp;on railroads to deliver their raw materials and finished products.

When they’re not at the negotiating table, the railroads and unions will be lobbying Congress over the next few weeks about what should be included if lawmakers do decide to impose contract terms on the freight railroads.

If the two biggest unions that represent conductors and engineers also reject their deals when they release the results of their votes next Monday, that would put additional pressure on the railroads. But Cardwell said he doesn't think even that would be enough to get the railroads to budge on sick time.

The railroads declined to comment Monday on the status of the talks with the BMWED and Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen unions, but they have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-business-strikes-940da8fc519f8c526ca614e201d01216">adamant</a>&nbsp;about not offering paid sick time. They say they believe the unions agreed to forego paid sick time over the years in favor of higher wages and strong short-term disability benefits.

One reason the unions object to the railroads' refusal to offer sick time is because federal contractors are required by an executive order to give that to their employees. The railroads insisted they were federal contractors last year when they required employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine but now they say the sick time requirement doesn't apply to them.

Hundreds of business groups have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-economy-congress-government-and-politics-6b60d53fefc7b85f301b0a3e7011715b">written letters</a>&nbsp;to Biden and members of Congress urging them to be prepared to intervene in the contract dispute, if necessary. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh has said he is in daily contact with the railroads and unions urging them to work out a deal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663077336048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A third railroad union has rejected its agreement with the nation's freight railroads, increasing the chances that Congress may be called upon to settle the dispute and block a strike.The small International Brotherhood of Boilermakers union on Monday voted down the contract even though it includes the biggest raises workers have seen in more than four decades. The union represents just a few hundred of the roughly 115,000 rail workers involved in the contract dispute with Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, BNSF, Kansas City Southern, CSX and other railroads.All 12 rail unions must approve their deals to prevent a strike, although no strike is imminent because all the unions have agreed to keep negotiating even if their members vote no, until a deadline early next month.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-strikes-congress-government-and-politics-0ac69bd8a24bbfd74787d198d7140d01">Seven other unions</a>&nbsp;have ratified the five-year deals that include 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. The focus now is on the three unions that have voted down their agreements and the remaining two that haven’t finished voting.Workers'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-government-and-politics-207229bcd558b6a6c1d58f3f85e2d804">quality-of-life concerns</a>&nbsp;about demanding schedules and the lack of paid sick time in the industry have threatened to derail the agreements even with the sizeable raises railroads are offering.Contract talks with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-strikes-government-and-politics-581babaeee804c37e4761424c02af21a">two unions that rejected their deals</a>&nbsp;last month remain deadlocked over the issue of paid sick time. So it is looking increasingly likely that Congress will have to step in to settle this dispute“If we can’t improve the agreement by getting some sort of sick leave, I think Congress is going to have to intervene because I think the railroads are just too stubborn to give us what we want unless we are able to strike," Tony Cardwell, president of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union, said Monday.The railroads have said they want these contracts to closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-norfolk-government-and-politics-eeedec386f2acba5d63181436ca03f3f">recommendations</a>&nbsp;made this summer by a special board of arbitrators that President Joe Biden appointed. Offering sick leave on top of the raises and bonuses that are already in the deal would require the railroads to spend more.Congress is expected to block a rail strike and impose contract terms on both sides if they can't come to an agreement before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-economy-business-congress-kansas-city-southern-0daad98e345804513ca568068303cd22">next month's deadline.</a>&nbsp;That's because the stakes are so high for the economy with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">so many businesses relying</a>&nbsp;on railroads to deliver their raw materials and finished products.When they’re not at the negotiating table, the railroads and unions will be lobbying Congress over the next few weeks about what should be included if lawmakers do decide to impose contract terms on the freight railroads.If the two biggest unions that represent conductors and engineers also reject their deals when they release the results of their votes next Monday, that would put additional pressure on the railroads. But Cardwell said he doesn't think even that would be enough to get the railroads to budge on sick time.The railroads declined to comment Monday on the status of the talks with the BMWED and Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen unions, but they have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-business-strikes-940da8fc519f8c526ca614e201d01216">adamant</a>&nbsp;about not offering paid sick time. They say they believe the unions agreed to forego paid sick time over the years in favor of higher wages and strong short-term disability benefits.One reason the unions object to the railroads' refusal to offer sick time is because federal contractors are required by an executive order to give that to their employees. The railroads insisted they were federal contractors last year when they required employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine but now they say the sick time requirement doesn't apply to them.Hundreds of business groups have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-economy-congress-government-and-politics-6b60d53fefc7b85f301b0a3e7011715b">written letters</a>&nbsp;to Biden and members of Congress urging them to be prepared to intervene in the contract dispute, if necessary. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh has said he is in daily contact with the railroads and unions urging them to work out a deal.

Third union rejects deal with nation's freight railroads

JEFFERSON COUNTY—A member of the<a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/433231/name-released-airman-killed-vehicle-accident?fbclid=IwAR1yEN7dnfecKKLMZNvIwIVFX6nUWF4Uf0nN9lA3fdAvJL8XIYzHaBXVjJA"> Kansas Air National Guard</a> has been identified as the driver who died in an accident just after 11p.m. Saturday in Jefferson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Chevy Silverado driven by Manuel&nbsp;Enriquez, 35, Kansas City, Mo., was eastbound on U.S. 24 just west of 3rd Street.

The pickup crossed the centerline and struck a westbound 2016 Chevy Cruz driven by 23-year-old Cheyanne Louise Branson, Diana, Texas.

Branson was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Barnett Family Funeral Hone. Enriquez was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

&nbsp;Staff Sgt. Branson was assigned to 190th Air Refueling Wing, Force Support Squadron and served 4 ½ years with the Kansas Air National Guard as a Career Development Specialist, <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/433231/name-released-airman-killed-vehicle-accident?fbclid=IwAR1yEN7dnfecKKLMZNvIwIVFX6nUWF4Uf0nN9lA3fdAvJL8XIYzHaBXVjJA">according to a media release</a> from Kansas Air National Guard.

Manuel remains in custody in Jefferson County on requested charges of DUI,&nbsp;murder in the second degree; unintentional but reckless, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668460165789.png" alt="Staff Sgt. Cheyanne Louise Branson Photo By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/portfolio/1659916/?fbclid=IwAR1yEN7dnfecKKLMZNvIwIVFX6nUWF4Uf0nN9lA3fdAvJL8XIYzHaBXVjJA">1st Lt. Briell Zweygardt</a>" />
 <figcaption>Staff Sgt. Cheyanne Louise Branson Photo By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/portfolio/1659916/?fbclid=IwAR1yEN7dnfecKKLMZNvIwIVFX6nUWF4Uf0nN9lA3fdAvJL8XIYzHaBXVjJA">1st Lt. Briell Zweygardt</a></figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON COUNTY—A member of the<a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/433231/name-released-airman-killed-vehicle-accident?fbclid=IwAR1yEN7dnfecKKLMZNvIwIVFX6nUWF4Uf0nN9lA3fdAvJL8XIYzHaBXVjJA"> Kansas Air National Guard</a> has been identified as the driver who died in an accident just after 11p.m. Saturday in Jefferson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Chevy Silverado driven by Manuel&nbsp;Enriquez, 35, Kansas City, Mo., was eastbound on U.S. 24 just west of 3rd Street.The pickup crossed the centerline and struck a westbound 2016 Chevy Cruz driven by 23-year-old Cheyanne Louise Branson, Diana, Texas.Branson was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Barnett Family Funeral Hone. Enriquez was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp;Staff Sgt. Branson was assigned to 190th Air Refueling Wing, Force Support Squadron and served 4 ½ years with the Kansas Air National Guard as a Career Development Specialist, <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/433231/name-released-airman-killed-vehicle-accident?fbclid=IwAR1yEN7dnfecKKLMZNvIwIVFX6nUWF4Uf0nN9lA3fdAvJL8XIYzHaBXVjJA">according to a media release</a> from Kansas Air National Guard.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668461395036.png" alt="Manuel-photo Jefferson Co." />
 <figcaption>Manuel-photo Jefferson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Manuel remains in custody in Jefferson County on requested charges of DUI,&nbsp;murder in the second degree; unintentional but reckless, according to online jail records.

Kan. airman dies in head-on crash; driver jailed for alleged DUI

WASHINGTON (AP )—President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">plan to forgive student loan debt</a>&nbsp;for millions of borrowers lost another battle in court on Monday when a federal appeals court panel agreed to a preliminary injunction halting the program while an appeal plays out.

The ruling by the three-judge panel from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis came days after a federal judge in Texas blocked the program, saying it usurped Congress' power to make laws. The Texas case was appealed and the administration is likely to appeal the 8th Circuit ruling as well.

The debt forgiveness plan would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income. Pell Grant recipients, who typically demonstrate more financial need, would get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.

The cancellation applies to federal student loans used to attend undergraduate and graduate school, along with Parent Plus loans.

A federal judge on Oct. 20 allowed the program to proceed. But the 8th Circuit temporarily put the forgiveness plan on hold Oct. 21 while it considered an effort by the states of Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and South Carolina to block the program.

The new ruling from the panel made up of three Republican appointees — one was appointed by President George W. Bush and two were appointed by President Donald Trump — extends the hold until the issue is resolved in court.

WASHINGTON (AP )—President Joe Biden’s plan to provide millions of borrowers with up to $20,000 apiece in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">federal student-loan forgiveness</a>&nbsp;has been blocked by a second federal court, leaving millions of borrowers to wonder if they'll get debt relief at all.

On Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-texas-education-donald-trump-student-loans-f2e944d85e95792089fa1e2fb9858287">U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman ruled</a>&nbsp;that the program usurped Congress’ power to make laws. The administration immediately filed a notice to appeal.

It's not the only challenge the plan faces. Last month, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-missouri-kansas-nebraska-education-9b73de3404719e08a3910ed58e8481c7">8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in St. Louis put loan forgiveness on temporary hold while it considers a challenge from Kansas and five other Republican-led states.

The fate of the plan will likely eventually end up in the Supreme Court, meaning a final decision is a ways off.

The debt forgiveness plan announced in August would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income. Pell Grant recipients, who typically demonstrate more financial need, would get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.

College students qualify if their loans were disbursed before July 1. The plan makes 43 million borrowers eligible for some debt forgiveness, with 20 million who could get their debt erased entirely, according to the administration.

The Congressional Budget Office has said the program will cost about $400 billion over the next three decades.

The White House said 26 million people have applied for debt relief, and 16 million people had already had their relief approved.

Pittman — an appointee of former President Donald Trump based in Fort Worth, Texas — made it clear that he felt Biden overstepped his authority. He said the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003, commonly known as the HEROES Act, did not provide the authorization for the loan forgiveness program.

The law allows the secretary of education to waive or modify terms of federal student loans in times of war or national emergency. The administration said the COVID-19 pandemic created a national emergency.

But Pittman said such a massive program required clear congressional authorization.

THE PLAN FACES MANY OTHER LEGAL CHALLENGES

In September, the Republican-led states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and South Carolina filed suit to halt the program, arguing that the pandemic no longer qualifies as a national emergency. Justice Department attorney Brian Netter disagreed, telling U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey in October that student loan defaults have skyrocketed over the past 2 1/2 years.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-missouri-kansas-nebraska-education-1818db4383863111b0263125d2eed73c">Autrey ruled on Oct. 20</a>&nbsp;that the states lacked standing, allowing the forgiveness plan to proceed. But the 8th Circuit temporarily halted it the next day while it considers a permanent block. That decision is still pending.

The White House on Friday discontinued accepting&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application">student loan forgiveness applications</a>

The plan has faced other legal challenges. In October,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/justice-barrett-rejects-appeal-over-biden-student-debt-plan/">Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected an appeal</a>&nbsp;from a Wisconsin taxpayers group. A federal judge had earlier dismissed the group’s lawsuit, finding they didn’t have the legal right, or standing, to bring the case.

THE TEXAS RULING WAS A BIGGER BLOW TO THE PLAN

Pittman’s decision strikes down the underlying legal argument used to justify Biden’s plan. Previously, the White House has been able to dodge legal attacks made in lawsuits by tweaking details of the program.

One lawsuit argued that the automatic debt cancellation would leave borrowers paying heavier taxes in states that impose a tax on canceled debt. The administration responded by allowing borrowers to opt out. Another suit alleged that Biden’s plan would hurt financial institutions that earn revenue on certain kinds of federal student loans. The White House responded by carving those loans out of the plan.

The new ruling, however, argues that the HEROES Act does not grant authority for mass debt cancellation. The law grants the Education Department wide flexibility during national emergencies, but the judge ruled that it’s unclear whether debt cancellation was a necessary response to COVID-19, noting that Biden recently declared the pandemic over.

The legal situation is complicated because of the numerous lawsuits. It's likely that the Texas case and the lawsuit filed by Kansas and fiver other states will be appealed to the Supreme Court. Before it reaches that level, the 5th and 8th Circuit appeals courts — both dominated by conservative judges — will rule separately in each case.

The case before the 8th Circuit could end up in the Supreme Court soon, since the six Republican-led states have asked the appeals court to keep the program on hold while the case plays out. If the appeals court grants that request, the administration will likely ask the Supreme Court to intervene. The states also could go to the high court if their request is denied.

Likewise, the administration has signaled it will appeal the Texas ruling. If the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is asked to block Pittman’s ruling pending appeal, the losing side could then turn to the Supreme Court.

In either case, appellate courts would not issue a final ruling on the validity of the program, but on whether it can go forward while challenges proceed.

At the same time, emergency orders can signal how courts will ultimately decide a case. In January, the Supreme Court consolidated challenges to the administration’s authority to impose a vaccine-or-testing requirement on the nation’s large employers. A few days after hearing arguments, the court split 6-3 to block the requirement, saying the challengers were likely to prevail in the end. A separate vaccine mandate for most health care workers was allowed to proceed when the court concluded that a challenge to it was likely to fail.

COMMON SEARCH: ‘IS STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS CANCELED?’

Borrowers are confused about whether their debt will be canceled, or if they'll have to resume making payments on Jan. 1, when a pause prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic is set to expire.

After the Texas ruling, many hit the internet, asking Google: “Is student loan forgiveness canceled?” Overall search traffic for “student loan forgiveness” quadrupled Thursday night and had increased nearly tenfold by Friday morning, according to Google Trends data.

Some borrowers said they were skeptical they would ever see the relief, anyway.Brenna Zimmerman, who graduated from Kansas State University in 2021 with about $30,000 in debt, called the debt forgiveness “a little bit too good to be true." And even though the program would benefit her, Zimmerman, 24, now a graphics coordinator at a packaging company, wonders if it's a good idea.

“I think I’d be a fool not to apply," she said, adding, “I don’t think it’s necessarily fair, especially to people who chose not to go to school.”

Lauren Pete, a 20-year-old junior at Louisiana State University, has $10,000 in student debt and is hoping to go to graduate school. She called the benefits of the loan forgiveness program “a dream come true” that would ease the financial burden for her and for her parents, who didn’t go to college and worked hard to help her with tuition.

“All I want to do is make them proud and make this process much easier for them, especially because I have a younger brother who’s going to be starting (college) next fall,” Pete said.

When 25-year-old Hofstra University graduate Sarah Puckett heard about the plan, she couldn’t believe she might have some of her $26,000 debt forgiven.

“I was frantically calling my dad, frantically saying, what does this mean?” Puckett, now a TV producer for a true crime network, said. “Is this real? I feel like they’re going to take it away from us. I don’t believe it.”

Now, she worries that it really was too good to be true.

“I’m so excited to have applied, but you know, I’m not going to take it to the bank until I see that it’s actually happened,” Puckett said.

Frederick Bell, 30, of New Orleans, has $23,000 in student loan debt and was hopeful to be excused of all but $3,000 of that amount. The 2014 graduate of the University of Washington said being free from debt would allow him to consider furthering his education or buying a house.

“This (Texas) ruling definitely kind of like burst a lot of people’s dreams when it came to the financial freedom after this relief,” Bell said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668197313548.png" alt="The Student Loan relief web site was shut down late last week" />
 <figcaption>The Student Loan relief web site was shut down late last week</figcaption>
 </figure>By JIM SALTER&nbsp;WASHINGTON (AP )—President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">plan to forgive student loan debt</a>&nbsp;for millions of borrowers lost another battle in court on Monday when a federal appeals court panel agreed to a preliminary injunction halting the program while an appeal plays out.The ruling by the three-judge panel from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis came days after a federal judge in Texas blocked the program, saying it usurped Congress' power to make laws. The Texas case was appealed and the administration is likely to appeal the 8th Circuit ruling as well.The debt forgiveness plan would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income. Pell Grant recipients, who typically demonstrate more financial need, would get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.The cancellation applies to federal student loans used to attend undergraduate and graduate school, along with Parent Plus loans.A federal judge on Oct. 20 allowed the program to proceed. But the 8th Circuit temporarily put the forgiveness plan on hold Oct. 21 while it considered an effort by the states of Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and South Carolina to block the program.The new ruling from the panel made up of three Republican appointees — one was appointed by President George W. Bush and two were appointed by President Donald Trump — extends the hold until the issue is resolved in court.--------------By JIM SALTER&nbsp;WASHINGTON (AP )—President Joe Biden’s plan to provide millions of borrowers with up to $20,000 apiece in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">federal student-loan forgiveness</a>&nbsp;has been blocked by a second federal court, leaving millions of borrowers to wonder if they'll get debt relief at all.On Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-texas-education-donald-trump-student-loans-f2e944d85e95792089fa1e2fb9858287">U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman ruled</a>&nbsp;that the program usurped Congress’ power to make laws. The administration immediately filed a notice to appeal.It's not the only challenge the plan faces. Last month, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-missouri-kansas-nebraska-education-9b73de3404719e08a3910ed58e8481c7">8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in St. Louis put loan forgiveness on temporary hold while it considers a challenge from Kansas and five other Republican-led states.The fate of the plan will likely eventually end up in the Supreme Court, meaning a final decision is a ways off.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668197313548.png" alt="The Student Loan relief web site was shut down late last week" />
 <figcaption>The Student Loan relief web site was shut down late last week</figcaption>
 </figure>Here's where things stand:HOW THE FORGIVENESS PLAN WORKSThe debt forgiveness plan announced in August would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income. Pell Grant recipients, who typically demonstrate more financial need, would get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.College students qualify if their loans were disbursed before July 1. The plan makes 43 million borrowers eligible for some debt forgiveness, with 20 million who could get their debt erased entirely, according to the administration.The Congressional Budget Office has said the program will cost about $400 billion over the next three decades.The White House said 26 million people have applied for debt relief, and 16 million people had already had their relief approved.THE TEXAS CASEPittman — an appointee of former President Donald Trump based in Fort Worth, Texas — made it clear that he felt Biden overstepped his authority. He said the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003, commonly known as the HEROES Act, did not provide the authorization for the loan forgiveness program.The law allows the secretary of education to waive or modify terms of federal student loans in times of war or national emergency. The administration said the COVID-19 pandemic created a national emergency.But Pittman said such a massive program required clear congressional authorization.THE PLAN FACES MANY OTHER LEGAL CHALLENGESIn September, the Republican-led states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and South Carolina filed suit to halt the program, arguing that the pandemic no longer qualifies as a national emergency. Justice Department attorney Brian Netter disagreed, telling U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey in October that student loan defaults have skyrocketed over the past 2 1/2 years.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-missouri-kansas-nebraska-education-1818db4383863111b0263125d2eed73c">Autrey ruled on Oct. 20</a>&nbsp;that the states lacked standing, allowing the forgiveness plan to proceed. But the 8th Circuit temporarily halted it the next day while it considers a permanent block. That decision is still pending.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668197313548.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The White House on Friday discontinued accepting&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application">student loan forgiveness applications</a>The plan has faced other legal challenges. In October,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/justice-barrett-rejects-appeal-over-biden-student-debt-plan/">Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected an appeal</a>&nbsp;from a Wisconsin taxpayers group. A federal judge had earlier dismissed the group’s lawsuit, finding they didn’t have the legal right, or standing, to bring the case.THE TEXAS RULING WAS A BIGGER BLOW TO THE PLANPittman’s decision strikes down the underlying legal argument used to justify Biden’s plan. Previously, the White House has been able to dodge legal attacks made in lawsuits by tweaking details of the program.One lawsuit argued that the automatic debt cancellation would leave borrowers paying heavier taxes in states that impose a tax on canceled debt. The administration responded by allowing borrowers to opt out. Another suit alleged that Biden’s plan would hurt financial institutions that earn revenue on certain kinds of federal student loans. The White House responded by carving those loans out of the plan.The new ruling, however, argues that the HEROES Act does not grant authority for mass debt cancellation. The law grants the Education Department wide flexibility during national emergencies, but the judge ruled that it’s unclear whether debt cancellation was a necessary response to COVID-19, noting that Biden recently declared the pandemic over.SUPREME COURT-BOUND?The legal situation is complicated because of the numerous lawsuits. It's likely that the Texas case and the lawsuit filed by Kansas and fiver other states will be appealed to the Supreme Court. Before it reaches that level, the 5th and 8th Circuit appeals courts — both dominated by conservative judges — will rule separately in each case.The case before the 8th Circuit could end up in the Supreme Court soon, since the six Republican-led states have asked the appeals court to keep the program on hold while the case plays out. If the appeals court grants that request, the administration will likely ask the Supreme Court to intervene. The states also could go to the high court if their request is denied.Likewise, the administration has signaled it will appeal the Texas ruling. If the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is asked to block Pittman’s ruling pending appeal, the losing side could then turn to the Supreme Court.In either case, appellate courts would not issue a final ruling on the validity of the program, but on whether it can go forward while challenges proceed.At the same time, emergency orders can signal how courts will ultimately decide a case. In January, the Supreme Court consolidated challenges to the administration’s authority to impose a vaccine-or-testing requirement on the nation’s large employers. A few days after hearing arguments, the court split 6-3 to block the requirement, saying the challengers were likely to prevail in the end. A separate vaccine mandate for most health care workers was allowed to proceed when the court concluded that a challenge to it was likely to fail.COMMON SEARCH: ‘IS STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS CANCELED?’Borrowers are confused about whether their debt will be canceled, or if they'll have to resume making payments on Jan. 1, when a pause prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic is set to expire.After the Texas ruling, many hit the internet, asking Google: “Is student loan forgiveness canceled?” Overall search traffic for “student loan forgiveness” quadrupled Thursday night and had increased nearly tenfold by Friday morning, according to Google Trends data.Some borrowers said they were skeptical they would ever see the relief, anyway.Brenna Zimmerman, who graduated from Kansas State University in 2021 with about $30,000 in debt, called the debt forgiveness “a little bit too good to be true." And even though the program would benefit her, Zimmerman, 24, now a graphics coordinator at a packaging company, wonders if it's a good idea.“I think I’d be a fool not to apply," she said, adding, “I don’t think it’s necessarily fair, especially to people who chose not to go to school.”Lauren Pete, a 20-year-old junior at Louisiana State University, has $10,000 in student debt and is hoping to go to graduate school. She called the benefits of the loan forgiveness program “a dream come true” that would ease the financial burden for her and for her parents, who didn’t go to college and worked hard to help her with tuition.“All I want to do is make them proud and make this process much easier for them, especially because I have a younger brother who’s going to be starting (college) next fall,” Pete said.When 25-year-old Hofstra University graduate Sarah Puckett heard about the plan, she couldn’t believe she might have some of her $26,000 debt forgiven.“I was frantically calling my dad, frantically saying, what does this mean?” Puckett, now a TV producer for a true crime network, said. “Is this real? I feel like they’re going to take it away from us. I don’t believe it.”Now, she worries that it really was too good to be true.“I’m so excited to have applied, but you know, I’m not going to take it to the bank until I see that it’s actually happened,” Puckett said.Frederick Bell, 30, of New Orleans, has $23,000 in student loan debt and was hopeful to be excused of all but $3,000 of that amount. The 2014 graduate of the University of Washington said being free from debt would allow him to consider furthering his education or buying a house.“This (Texas) ruling definitely kind of like burst a lot of people’s dreams when it came to the financial freedom after this relief,” Bell said.___

Appeals court keeps Biden student debt plan on hold

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Ag Expo will return to Lincoln, NE on Dec. 6 to 8 for its 16th annual appearance at the Lancaster Event Center.

Spanning 9.2 acres, the Nebraska Ag Expo is the second largest indoor ag show in the United States, second only to the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY. More than 775 exhibitors will travel from 25 states and 6 Canadian provinces to display their latest products and services in front of Nebraskan producers.

For the first time, attendees can purchase their tickets to the Nebraska Ag Expo online in advance this year. Attendees can skip the line, pay for tickets in advance, and save $5 admission by registering online. Registration information like number of acres farmed, type(s) of livestock raised, and type(s) of crops grown is used for demographic, sponsor, and marketing purposes.

For more information, click <a href="https://nebraskaagexpo.com/">HERE</a>.

What else is new and noteworthy this year?

• Innovation Hub: Attendees will have a new centralized location called the Innovation Hub to discover the most innovative ag technology on the market today. From autonomous equipment to electric vehicles to robotics to artificial intelligence solutions and more, the Innovation Hub will be in Pavilion 3 of the Lancaster Event Center.

• ExpoEDU: Attendees will also be able to dive deeper into specific topics of interest with the new series of educational sessions called ExpoEDU. The speaker sessions will take place at the new ExpoEDU stage in Pavilion 3 of the Lancaster Event Center. ExpoEDU sessions are included with admission to the Nebraska Ag Expo.

• Career Exploration Event: The Nebraska Ag Expo will host a Career Exploration Event for middle and high school students during the show. Approximately 540 students will attend the event to learn about career opportunities available to them in the agriculture industry.

• Organic/Regenerative Ag Categories: Producers who are interested in organic farming and regenerative agriculture will now be able to find all companies in these categories in one place in Pavilion 3 in the Innovation Hub.

Regular admission is $10 at the door or $5 with advance registration. Each ticket is valid for all three days of the Nebraska Ag Expo. Children under 14 years old as well as students with a valid student ID receive free admission. Tickets purchased in advance are non-refundable.

The Nebraska Ag Expo will kick off at 8:30am on Tuesday, December 6. Hours are 8:30am-4:00pm
Tuesday and Wednesday and 8:30am-3:00pm Thursday. The Lancaster Event Center is located at 4100 N
85th Street in Lincoln, NE. Parking is free. ADA accessible parking is available close to the entrances of the
Lincoln Room, Pavilion 1, and Pavilion 3. Overnight visitors are recommended to book their stay with our
supporting hotels (visit nebraskaagexpo.com/lodging).


The Nebraska Ag Expo began in 2007 when it was known as the Nebraska Power Farming Show.
Produced by the Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA), the show was modeled after
INEDA’s successful Iowa Ag Expo, now in its 98th year.


The timing and location of the show is ideal. Held in December, it appeals to producers and exhibitors
alike, with growers and ranchers taking advantage of year-end buying specials and exhibitors looking to
sell. Conveniently located on the eastern edge of Lincoln, the show also offers easy access without the
traffic and parking hassles typically found at urban shows.


In April 2020, the show was renamed the Nebraska Ag Expo to better reflect the evolution of agriculture
and the ag show. Growers are hungry for knowledge and eager to adopt innovation and new
technology, and that is what they will find at the Nebraska Ag Expo.


Stay up to date with the latest Nebraska Ag Expo news and events on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and
our website, NebraskaAgExpo.com.


<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668451536512.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN — The Nebraska Ag Expo will return to Lincoln, NE on Dec. 6 to 8 for its 16th annual appearance at the Lancaster Event Center.Spanning 9.2 acres, the Nebraska Ag Expo is the second largest indoor ag show in the United States, second only to the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY. More than 775 exhibitors will travel from 25 states and 6 Canadian provinces to display their latest products and services in front of Nebraskan producers.For the first time, attendees can purchase their tickets to the Nebraska Ag Expo online in advance this year. Attendees can skip the line, pay for tickets in advance, and save $5 admission by registering online. Registration information like number of acres farmed, type(s) of livestock raised, and type(s) of crops grown is used for demographic, sponsor, and marketing purposes.For more information, click <a href="https://nebraskaagexpo.com/">HERE</a>.What else is new and noteworthy this year?• Innovation Hub: Attendees will have a new centralized location called the Innovation Hub to discover the most innovative ag technology on the market today. From autonomous equipment to electric vehicles to robotics to artificial intelligence solutions and more, the Innovation Hub will be in Pavilion 3 of the Lancaster Event Center.• ExpoEDU: Attendees will also be able to dive deeper into specific topics of interest with the new series of educational sessions called ExpoEDU. The speaker sessions will take place at the new ExpoEDU stage in Pavilion 3 of the Lancaster Event Center. ExpoEDU sessions are included with admission to the Nebraska Ag Expo.• Career Exploration Event: The Nebraska Ag Expo will host a Career Exploration Event for middle and high school students during the show. Approximately 540 students will attend the event to learn about career opportunities available to them in the agriculture industry.• Organic/Regenerative Ag Categories: Producers who are interested in organic farming and regenerative agriculture will now be able to find all companies in these categories in one place in Pavilion 3 in the Innovation Hub.Regular admission is $10 at the door or $5 with advance registration. Each ticket is valid for all three days of the Nebraska Ag Expo. Children under 14 years old as well as students with a valid student ID receive free admission. Tickets purchased in advance are non-refundable.The Nebraska Ag Expo will kick off at 8:30am on Tuesday, December 6. Hours are 8:30am-4:00pm
Tuesday and Wednesday and 8:30am-3:00pm Thursday. The Lancaster Event Center is located at 4100 N
85th Street in Lincoln, NE. Parking is free. ADA accessible parking is available close to the entrances of the
Lincoln Room, Pavilion 1, and Pavilion 3. Overnight visitors are recommended to book their stay with our
supporting hotels (visit nebraskaagexpo.com/lodging).
The Nebraska Ag Expo began in 2007 when it was known as the Nebraska Power Farming Show.
Produced by the Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (INEDA), the show was modeled after
INEDA’s successful Iowa Ag Expo, now in its 98th year.
The timing and location of the show is ideal. Held in December, it appeals to producers and exhibitors
alike, with growers and ranchers taking advantage of year-end buying specials and exhibitors looking to
sell. Conveniently located on the eastern edge of Lincoln, the show also offers easy access without the
traffic and parking hassles typically found at urban shows.
In April 2020, the show was renamed the Nebraska Ag Expo to better reflect the evolution of agriculture
and the ag show. Growers are hungry for knowledge and eager to adopt innovation and new
technology, and that is what they will find at the Nebraska Ag Expo.
Stay up to date with the latest Nebraska Ag Expo news and events on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and
our website, NebraskaAgExpo.com.

Nebraska Ag Expo returns to Lincoln for its 16th year

The Heartland Events Center plays host to country music legends Tracy Lawrence + Clay Walker—One Night, Two Icons: Sharing One Stage, Performing Together with a Full Band, live in Grand Island on, March 11, 2023. The show starts at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event go on sale Friday, November 18, at 10 a.m., at <a href="https://www.eventticketscenter.com/heartland-events-center-grand-island-tickets/45929/e?gclid=CjwKCAiA68ebBhB-EiwALVC-NtxIouYAIjFKn4lWNcYtOWAEMXEAmTuXG2eZnKlrzjZ74hnvxLx2DBoCmBoQAvD_BwE">heartlandeventscenter.com</a>, <a href="https://www.etix.com/ticket/online/?">etix.com</a>, or in-person at the Heartland Events Center Box Office ﻿M-F 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Tracy Lawrence—one of country’s truest traditionalists—is celebrating over 30 years of nonstop hitmaking. His impressive catalog of timeless music has made Lawrence a mainstay in the genre, selling more than THIRTEEN MILLION albums and charting EIGHTEEN No. 1 songs. He has garnered numerous CMA and ACM awards and nominations, as well as a Grammy nomination. Commemorating his three-decade career in 2021, Lawrence released three new albums which include all new music along with some of his favorite career hits. In addition to his chart-topping success, Lawrence hosts the nationally syndicated radio show “Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence,” which has twice been nominated for ACM’s National On-Air Personality of the Year. Tracy has also been honored by the Nashville chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals with “Philanthropist of The Year” for his nationally recognized annual MISSION:POSSIBLE Turkey Fry and Concert, which has raised over $500k to provide meals to the homeless in the Dallas, Louisville, and Nashville areas.

Recording artist, songwriter, and entertainer Clay Walker has earned 31 charted singles, a dozen No. 1s, four platinum albums, and decades of performances to his credit. Titles like “Live Until I Die,” "Dreaming with My Eyes Open," “This Woman and This Man,” "Hypnotize the Moon," "Rumor Has It," “Then What,” “The Chain of Love," "I Can't Sleep" and "She Won't Be Lonely Long” have remained country radio favorites for over fifteen years. With a robust touring schedule of over 80 shows per year, Walker continues to delight fans with his electric performances. His most recent release, the 76-song compilation Clay Walker – The Complete Albums 1993-2002 features chart-toppers like "If I Could Make a Living”—which just celebrated its 25th anniversary of reaching peak airplay.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668445086640.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Fonner ParkThe Heartland Events Center plays host to country music legends Tracy Lawrence + Clay Walker—One Night, Two Icons: Sharing One Stage, Performing Together with a Full Band, live in Grand Island on, March 11, 2023. The show starts at 8:00 p.m.Tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event go on sale Friday, November 18, at 10 a.m., at <a href="https://www.eventticketscenter.com/heartland-events-center-grand-island-tickets/45929/e?gclid=CjwKCAiA68ebBhB-EiwALVC-NtxIouYAIjFKn4lWNcYtOWAEMXEAmTuXG2eZnKlrzjZ74hnvxLx2DBoCmBoQAvD_BwE">heartlandeventscenter.com</a>, <a href="https://www.etix.com/ticket/online/?">etix.com</a>, or in-person at the Heartland Events Center Box Office ﻿M-F 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Tracy Lawrence—one of country’s truest traditionalists—is celebrating over 30 years of nonstop hitmaking. His impressive catalog of timeless music has made Lawrence a mainstay in the genre, selling more than THIRTEEN MILLION albums and charting EIGHTEEN No. 1 songs. He has garnered numerous CMA and ACM awards and nominations, as well as a Grammy nomination. Commemorating his three-decade career in 2021, Lawrence released three new albums which include all new music along with some of his favorite career hits. In addition to his chart-topping success, Lawrence hosts the nationally syndicated radio show “Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence,” which has twice been nominated for ACM’s National On-Air Personality of the Year. Tracy has also been honored by the Nashville chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals with “Philanthropist of The Year” for his nationally recognized annual MISSION:POSSIBLE Turkey Fry and Concert, which has raised over $500k to provide meals to the homeless in the Dallas, Louisville, and Nashville areas.Recording artist, songwriter, and entertainer Clay Walker has earned 31 charted singles, a dozen No. 1s, four platinum albums, and decades of performances to his credit. Titles like “Live Until I Die,” "Dreaming with My Eyes Open," “This Woman and This Man,” "Hypnotize the Moon," "Rumor Has It," “Then What,” “The Chain of Love," "I Can't Sleep" and "She Won't Be Lonely Long” have remained country radio favorites for over fifteen years. With a robust touring schedule of over 80 shows per year, Walker continues to delight fans with his electric performances. His most recent release, the 76-song compilation Clay Walker – The Complete Albums 1993-2002 features chart-toppers like "If I Could Make a Living”—which just celebrated its 25th anniversary of reaching peak airplay.

Tracy Lawrence, Clay Walker bring classic country to Heartland Event Center

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/14/hammering-out-details-of-nebraskas-voter-id-law-wont-be-easy-lawmaker-says/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Now that the Nebraska 
Constitution is going to be amended to require valid photo 
identification to vote, the Legislature is tasked with hammering out 
details of the actual Voter ID law. And it’s poised to be among the 
nation’s strictest.&nbsp;

“There’s a lot of different, possible
 versions of what can come out of this,” said State Sen. Tom Brewer of 
Gordon, who chairs the legislative committee likely to shape the bill 
for delivery to the full lawmaking body. “It’s not going to be easy.”

Brewer said he is braced for loud and long debate during the coming legislative session.

But the decorated military veteran 
said he is bound to a mission: “To make sure nobody is left out, that we
 allow everyone the privilege of voting.”

The enacting legislation, said 
Brewer, who has been a supporter of Voter ID, is to be scrutinized by 
the Secretary of State’s Office, State Attorney General’s Office and the
 Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, 
which he will likely continue to lead.

Critics of Voter ID laws, including 
Civic Nebraska and the American Civil Liberties Union, also will be 
watching as language is honed and the law is implemented.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668445097330.png" alt="Signs show voters where to go inside of an Omaha polling place in a church basement. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Signs show voters where to go inside of an Omaha polling place in a church basement. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/11/14/hammering-out-details-of-nebraskas-voter-id-law-wont-be-easy-lawmaker-says/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Now that the Nebraska 
Constitution is going to be amended to require valid photo 
identification to vote, the Legislature is tasked with hammering out 
details of the actual Voter ID law. And it’s poised to be among the 
nation’s strictest.&nbsp;“There’s a lot of different, possible
 versions of what can come out of this,” said State Sen. Tom Brewer of 
Gordon, who chairs the legislative committee likely to shape the bill 
for delivery to the full lawmaking body. “It’s not going to be easy.”Brewer said he is braced for loud and long debate during the coming legislative session.But the decorated military veteran 
said he is bound to a mission: “To make sure nobody is left out, that we
 allow everyone the privilege of voting.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668445162567.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Stifled voter turnout is concern</h2>The enacting legislation, said 
Brewer, who has been a supporter of Voter ID, is to be scrutinized by 
the Secretary of State’s Office, State Attorney General’s Office and the
 Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, 
which he will likely continue to lead.Critics of Voter ID laws, including 
Civic Nebraska and the American Civil Liberties Union, also will be 
watching as language is honed and the law is implemented.The opponents consider the law 
unnecessary, saying there is no evidence of voter impersonation in 
Nebraska and that extra hurdles stand to stifle the constitutional right
 to vote, especially among people of color, the poor, rural residents 
and people with disabilities.How the new mandate will change 
mail-in voting and cause hardship to those without easy access to copier
 machines are big concerns, said Jane Seu, an attorney with ACLU 
Nebraska.“The greater barrier that presents is the effect that may have on someone’s ability or willingness to vote,” said Seu.Brewer acknowledges, “There are a lot of unknowns.”&nbsp;<h2>Looking for ‘reasonable’</h2>To be decided are questions like: 
Which photo ID documents will suffice? What actions or alternatives 
might be available for voters without such ID?&nbsp;Proponents view voter identification laws as a way to increase public confidence in elections.Brewer said he is interested in 
ensuring “reasonable” identification options. For example, as a member 
of the Oglala Sioux, he thinks tribal ID should suffice.He cited his elderly mother and suggested flexibility should be given to aged voters whose ID has expired.&nbsp;If lawmakers decide to require government-issued identification, Brewer said, it should be provided for free.<h2>Ricketts money drove effort </h2>The detailing of the law follows a petition campaign earlier this year that<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/06/minimum-wage-voter-id-petitions-qualify-for-nebraskas-november-ballot/"> secured enough signatures</a> in enough Nebraska counties to put the Voter ID initiative on the Nov. 8 ballot.&nbsp;Bankrolled primarily by the Ricketts 
family, the initiative passed with 65% of the votes. According to the 
Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, $1.87 million alone 
was contributed by Marlene Ricketts, mother of Nebraska’s outgoing 
governor.Nebraska now joins 35 other states that have Voter ID laws.&nbsp;(In the remaining states and the 
District of Columbia, voters verify who they are through ways that can 
include signing a poll book or registration list after giving poll 
workers their name and address.)<h2>Plenty of examples </h2>All states have procedures for challenging voter eligibility, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.With plenty of Voter ID laws to model and compare, Brewer expects state senators won’t “have to reinvent the wheel.”Some, to be sure, are more restrictive than others.According to the NCSL, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id.aspx#Table%201">which tracks voter identification laws</a> and trends, 18 of the 35 Voter ID states require or ask for an ID with a photo.&nbsp;Of those, eight are considered more 
strict, as voters who don’t show acceptable identification must cast 
provisional ballots and take additional steps, typically after Election 
Day, to be counted.Nebraska, based on language voters approved Nov. 8, likely will be considered part of that more restrictive group.<h2>Variations of Voter ID laws</h2>Here’s a sampling of how, according to information compiled by the NCSL, states handle voting:Kansas requires a photo ID to 
prove identity. The state allows citizens without required photo ID to 
cast a provisional ballot, but they must provide ID in person, mail or 
email before the county board of canvassers meets.&nbsp;Missouri requires a photo ID, 
too. If not presented, a voter can cast a provisional ballot but has to 
return before 7 p.m. that same day to show the ID. A
 provisional ballot is also counted if the signature on a voter’s 
provisional ballot envelope is determined by a local election authority 
to match the signature on the voter’s registration record.Alabama calls for valid photo 
ID, but a voter without one could cast a ballot if he or she is 
identified by two election officials as an eligible voter and both the 
election workers sign a sworn affidavit. If voting a provisional ballot,
 the voter has until 5 p.m. on Friday after the election to bring 
required ID.&nbsp;Tennessee requires a photo ID.
 If not presented at the polls, a voter can cast a provisional ballot 
and return within two days to show the ID, or sign an affidavit 
attesting to indigence or religious objection.Wyoming accepts non-photo ID. 
If not presented, a voter can cast a provisional ballot and go to the 
county clerk before close of business the following day to present the 
qualifying ID.&nbsp;Arizona allows those who don’t
 have a qualifying non-photo ID to fill out a provisional ballot and 
return with an ID, such as utility bill or bank statement, within five 
days.&nbsp;Texas requests photo ID but 
will accept a supporting form of ID, such as a paycheck or original 
birth certificate, if voter executes a “reasonable impediment 
declaration.”South Dakota requests photo ID. If not presented, the voter can sign an affidavit including his or her name and address.&nbsp;Kentucky requests ID but does not require one with a photo. If not presented, voters can sign an oath attesting to their qualifications.New Hampshire requests ID that
 doesn’t have to include a photo. If ID is not presented, a voter signs a
 challenged voter affidavit and votes a regular ballot. After elections,
 a mailing is sent and that voter must sign and return or face 
investigation for voter fraud.&nbsp;Connecticut requests a 
non-photo ID and, if not provided, a voter gives his or her name, 
birthdate and address and then signs under penalty of making a false 
statement.&nbsp;In states including New Mexico, 
Oregon, Maine and Maryland (and previously Nebraska) no document is 
required to cast a vote on Election Day.