By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/06/minimum-wage-voter-id-petitions-qualify-for-nebraskas-november-ballot/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — Nebraskans will vote this
 fall on a pair of petitions, one that could increase the minimum wage 
to $15 by 2026 and another that could require a photo ID to cast 
ballots.

The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office said Tuesday that both 
petition efforts secured enough valid signatures from Nebraska voters to
 get on November’s general election ballot.

The Legislature added a third item to the ballot, Legislative 
Resolution 283CA. It would allow airports to use money they raise to 
incentivize commercial air service to the airport.



	The petition to legalize medical marijuana did not secure enough 
signatures from enough parts of Nebraska to get onto the ballot this 
year. Organizers have said they’re trying again.

Sponsors of the Raise the Wage campaign celebrated ballot access as a
 milestone for a years-long effort to increase Nebraska’s $9 an hour 
minimum wage to $15 by 2026 and then index that raise to the cost of 
living.

They argued that inflation has hit 150,000 low-income Nebraskans the 
hardest. One in 5 workers who would benefit from the increase are 
parents, Raise the Wage Nebraska said.

“The reality is that the cost of groceries, housing, and basics have 
gone up for years, and the minimum wage hasn’t kept up,” said Nancy 
Williams, president and CEO of No More Empty Pots.



	The minimum wage effort turned in 97,245 signatures validated by county
 election officials, including the required 5% from registered voters in
 38 counties, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. They secured
 more than 5% in 44 counties.

Voter ID petition sponsors, including State Sen. Julie Slama of 
Dunbar, marked another step in a decade-plus process that has seen 
previous efforts to pass a constitutional amendment filibustered or 
defeated.

Organizers said they were working on a press release and would have a comment soon.

The Voter ID petition required signatures from 10% of registered 
voters in Nebraska because it aims to change the state 
constitution.&nbsp;Citizens for Voter ID secured 136,458 valid signatures, 
exceeding the required 5% in 76 of the state’s 93 counties, election 
officials said.

Cover image courtesy Nebraska Examiner

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/06/minimum-wage-voter-id-petitions-qualify-for-nebraskas-november-ballot/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — Nebraskans will vote this
 fall on a pair of petitions, one that could increase the minimum wage 
to $15 by 2026 and another that could require a photo ID to cast 
ballots.The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office said Tuesday that both 
petition efforts secured enough valid signatures from Nebraska voters to
 get on November’s general election ballot.The Legislature added a third item to the ballot, Legislative 
Resolution 283CA. It would allow airports to use money they raise to 
incentivize commercial air service to the airport.<h2>Medical marijuana failed</h2>

	The petition to legalize medical marijuana did not secure enough 
signatures from enough parts of Nebraska to get onto the ballot this 
year. Organizers have said they’re trying again.Sponsors of the Raise the Wage campaign celebrated ballot access as a
 milestone for a years-long effort to increase Nebraska’s $9 an hour 
minimum wage to $15 by 2026 and then index that raise to the cost of 
living.They argued that inflation has hit 150,000 low-income Nebraskans the 
hardest. One in 5 workers who would benefit from the increase are 
parents, Raise the Wage Nebraska said.“The reality is that the cost of groceries, housing, and basics have 
gone up for years, and the minimum wage hasn’t kept up,” said Nancy 
Williams, president and CEO of No More Empty Pots.<h2>Qualified in 44 counties</h2>

	The minimum wage effort turned in 97,245 signatures validated by county
 election officials, including the required 5% from registered voters in
 38 counties, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. They secured
 more than 5% in 44 counties.Voter ID petition sponsors, including State Sen. Julie Slama of 
Dunbar, marked another step in a decade-plus process that has seen 
previous efforts to pass a constitutional amendment filibustered or 
defeated.Organizers said they were working on a press release and would have a comment soon.The Voter ID petition required signatures from 10% of registered 
voters in Nebraska because it aims to change the state 
constitution.&nbsp;Citizens for Voter ID secured 136,458 valid signatures, 
exceeding the required 5% in 76 of the state’s 93 counties, election 
officials said.Cover image courtesy Nebraska Examiner

Minimum wage, voter ID on November ballot in Nebraska

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/06/prairie-preservationists-mourn-loss-of-virgin-prairie-at-google-data-center-site/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

“Anybody can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.” — Willa Cather

OMAHA — A prairie in bloom has a special attraction for biologists like Tom Bragg and Glenn Pollock.

Both can tell stories of being chased
 off a small, private plot of virgin prairie they had individually spied
 while driving along State Street in northwest Omaha.

“The guy who owned it was very 
grumpy, and he’d run people off,” said Pollock, a retired Omaha medical 
technician who has helped manage prairie plots in the metro area for 30 
years.&nbsp;

But these days, these two prairie proponents are in mourning.

That 5-acre prairie plot along State 
Street, which had been harvested for its hay for decades, was bulldozed 
away about a year ago as part of Google’s plan to build a $750 million 
data center just west of Nebraska Highway 133.

Bragg, a University of Nebraska at 
Omaha professor who specializes in prairie ecosystems and manages UNO’s 
525-acre Glacier Creek Preserve, said there’s a special kind of sadness 
when one of Nebraska’s few remaining, never-plowed prairies is lost.

Tallgrass prairie covered 170 million acres

Tallgrass prairies once covered 170 million acres of the Great 
Plains, including most of eastern Nebraska. But farming and development 
have taken out an estimated 98% to 99% of it, leaving only small 
remnants in what was an ocean of grass.

In the Omaha area, only about eight virgin prairie plots remain, compared to about 22 in 1980, said Bragg and Pollock.

Prairies, Pollock said, are “just flat-out beautiful.”

“It’s part of our natural history, our heritage,” he said. “We’re just throwing away the pieces.”

“It’s gone,” Bragg said of the State Street prairie.&nbsp;“It was not in the best spot (near development sites). It was not too surprising that someone did it in.”

But what most disappoints Bragg and Pollock is that the City of Omaha
 has guidelines to protect virgin prairie and, in this case, those 
guidelines weren’t followed.

The City of Omaha’s Master Plan calls
 for “effective measures” to protect “natural features” from 
destruction, features such as ravines, wetlands, Missouri River bluffs 
and prairies.

The plan, more of a guideline than an
 edict, calls for mitigation if a woodland, wetland or virgin prairie is
 to be removed by development. In the case of virgin prairie, two acres 
of such prairie should be replaced for every acre removed.

But Eric Englund, Omaha’s assistant city planner, said the existence 
of a native prairie never came up during discussions in which he was 
present over the Google project, which was a well-kept secret <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/21/google-announces-nebraska-growth-plan-that-includes-new-northwest-omaha-data-center/">until it was announced in April by Mayor Stothert and other officials.</a>

The prairie, Englund said, was identified on a map kept by the City 
Parks Department. But for some reason, it did not come up, he said, 
during the approval process of the Google project.

“I don’t know if it was missed, or if it was agreed that mitigation of the prairie was not necessary,” he said.

While mitigation for removal of wetlands and trees is regularly done 
as part of development agreements, Englund said this is the first time 
in his 16 years with the city that a virgin prairie was involved.

He said he has had some brief conversations with representatives of 
Google about the loss of the prairie plot, but at this point, after the 
city has already approved the development plan, there is no intention of
 requiring the company to replace it.

“If they want to recreate some prairie, that’s up to them,” Englund said.

“The city dropped the ball,” Pollock said.

Both Pollack and Bragg don’t exactly blame Google for the 
destruction, since they may not have been aware they they were scraping 
away virgin prairie.

But they are frustrated that saving the prairie wasn’t considered, 
and wonder why the giant tech company, which touts itself as using 
carbon-free energy and seeking a sustainable future, didn’t do its own 
inventory of the land it purchased — before the bulldozers moved in.

“They should have had a biologist go to look at a site to see what they bought,” Pollock said.&nbsp;

When emailed several questions and asked to comment, Google spokesman
 Devon Smiley responded with one sentence: “We have been working closely
 with our local partners in Omaha to determine a suitable plan.”

Both Bragg and Pollock have been involved in saving prairie plots elsewhere in the metro area.

Bragg worked with the city to preserve one virgin prairie, the 
Bauermeister Prairie at Zorinsky Lake. He also worked on the Bluestem 
Prairie Preserve near 168th and Blondo Streets, which has portions of 
that were virgin prairie.

Bragg has also worked to transform farmland back into prairie at 
UNO’s Glacier Creek Preserve, at 144th and State Streets, which features
 a restored barn that hosts concerts, art shows and meetings.

Pollock helps manage several prairie areas, including the Audubon 
Prairie, near 72nd Street and McKinley Road, of which is half virgin 
prairie. He also helps manage virgin prairie at the Cuming City Cemetery
 near Blair and at Vincent Bluff State Preserve in Council Bluffs.

We can learn a lot about surviving drought and dry weather from 
prairie plants, he said. The deep-rooted prairie plants are the main 
reason Nebraska has such rich soils, he added.

Pollock said he’s not interested in requiring Google to mitigate the 
loss of the prairie, although something similar occurred voluntarily in 
the past.

When Google first built a data center in Council Bluffs 15 years ago,
 workers removed dirt from the sensitive Loess Hills bluffs nearby, he 
said, which raised concerns from conservationists.

Not much happened until a $20,000 check arrived in the mailbox of one
 of those who protested, Pollock said, written out to the Loess Hills 
Preservation Society.

The money, he said, was a big help in restoring and cleaning up the site of the Vincent Bluff Preserve.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662472619600.png" alt="A prairie in spring brings a diversity of grasses and flowering plants. (Courtesy of Tom Bragg)" />
 <figcaption>A prairie in spring brings a diversity of grasses and flowering plants. (Courtesy of Tom Bragg)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/06/prairie-preservationists-mourn-loss-of-virgin-prairie-at-google-data-center-site/">Nebraska Examiner</a>“Anybody can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.” — Willa CatherOMAHA — A prairie in bloom has a special attraction for biologists like Tom Bragg and Glenn Pollock.Both can tell stories of being chased
 off a small, private plot of virgin prairie they had individually spied
 while driving along State Street in northwest Omaha.“The guy who owned it was very 
grumpy, and he’d run people off,” said Pollock, a retired Omaha medical 
technician who has helped manage prairie plots in the metro area for 30 
years.&nbsp;But these days, these two prairie proponents are in mourning.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662472682956.jpeg" alt="A pile of dirt (in the background) is all that remains of a small plot of virgin prairie in northwest Omaha, along State Street just west of Nebraska Highway 133. (Courtesy Tom Bragg)" />
 <figcaption>A pile of dirt (in the background) is all that remains of a small plot of virgin prairie in northwest Omaha, along State Street just west of Nebraska Highway 133. (Courtesy Tom Bragg)</figcaption>
 </figure>That 5-acre prairie plot along State 
Street, which had been harvested for its hay for decades, was bulldozed 
away about a year ago as part of Google’s plan to build a $750 million 
data center just west of Nebraska Highway 133.Bragg, a University of Nebraska at 
Omaha professor who specializes in prairie ecosystems and manages UNO’s 
525-acre Glacier Creek Preserve, said there’s a special kind of sadness 
when one of Nebraska’s few remaining, never-plowed prairies is lost.<h2>Tallgrass prairie covered 170 million acres</h2>Tallgrass prairies once covered 170 million acres of the Great 
Plains, including most of eastern Nebraska. But farming and development 
have taken out an estimated 98% to 99% of it, leaving only small 
remnants in what was an ocean of grass.In the Omaha area, only about eight virgin prairie plots remain, compared to about 22 in 1980, said Bragg and Pollock.Prairies, Pollock said, are “just flat-out beautiful.”“It’s part of our natural history, our heritage,” he said. “We’re just throwing away the pieces.”“It’s gone,” Bragg said of the State Street prairie.&nbsp;“It was not in the best spot (near development sites). It was not too surprising that someone did it in.”But what most disappoints Bragg and Pollock is that the City of Omaha
 has guidelines to protect virgin prairie and, in this case, those 
guidelines weren’t followed.<h2>Master plan calls for protection</h2>The City of Omaha’s Master Plan calls
 for “effective measures” to protect “natural features” from 
destruction, features such as ravines, wetlands, Missouri River bluffs 
and prairies.The plan, more of a guideline than an
 edict, calls for mitigation if a woodland, wetland or virgin prairie is
 to be removed by development. In the case of virgin prairie, two acres 
of such prairie should be replaced for every acre removed.But Eric Englund, Omaha’s assistant city planner, said the existence 
of a native prairie never came up during discussions in which he was 
present over the Google project, which was a well-kept secret <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/21/google-announces-nebraska-growth-plan-that-includes-new-northwest-omaha-data-center/">until it was announced in April by Mayor Stothert and other officials.</a>The prairie, Englund said, was identified on a map kept by the City 
Parks Department. But for some reason, it did not come up, he said, 
during the approval process of the Google project.<h2>‘Don’t know if it was missed’</h2>“I don’t know if it was missed, or if it was agreed that mitigation of the prairie was not necessary,” he said.While mitigation for removal of wetlands and trees is regularly done 
as part of development agreements, Englund said this is the first time 
in his 16 years with the city that a virgin prairie was involved.He said he has had some brief conversations with representatives of 
Google about the loss of the prairie plot, but at this point, after the 
city has already approved the development plan, there is no intention of
 requiring the company to replace it.“If they want to recreate some prairie, that’s up to them,” Englund said.“The city dropped the ball,” Pollock said.Both Pollack and Bragg don’t exactly blame Google for the 
destruction, since they may not have been aware they they were scraping 
away virgin prairie.But they are frustrated that saving the prairie wasn’t considered, 
and wonder why the giant tech company, which touts itself as using 
carbon-free energy and seeking a sustainable future, didn’t do its own 
inventory of the land it purchased — before the bulldozers moved in.“They should have had a biologist go to look at a site to see what they bought,” Pollock said.&nbsp;<h2>Google working with ‘local partners’</h2>When emailed several questions and asked to comment, Google spokesman
 Devon Smiley responded with one sentence: “We have been working closely
 with our local partners in Omaha to determine a suitable plan.”Both Bragg and Pollock have been involved in saving prairie plots elsewhere in the metro area.Bragg worked with the city to preserve one virgin prairie, the 
Bauermeister Prairie at Zorinsky Lake. He also worked on the Bluestem 
Prairie Preserve near 168th and Blondo Streets, which has portions of 
that were virgin prairie.Bragg has also worked to transform farmland back into prairie at 
UNO’s Glacier Creek Preserve, at 144th and State Streets, which features
 a restored barn that hosts concerts, art shows and meetings.Pollock helps manage several prairie areas, including the Audubon 
Prairie, near 72nd Street and McKinley Road, of which is half virgin 
prairie. He also helps manage virgin prairie at the Cuming City Cemetery
 near Blair and at Vincent Bluff State Preserve in Council Bluffs.<h2>Can learn from prairie</h2>We can learn a lot about surviving drought and dry weather from 
prairie plants, he said. The deep-rooted prairie plants are the main 
reason Nebraska has such rich soils, he added.Pollock said he’s not interested in requiring Google to mitigate the 
loss of the prairie, although something similar occurred voluntarily in 
the past.When Google first built a data center in Council Bluffs 15 years ago,
 workers removed dirt from the sensitive Loess Hills bluffs nearby, he 
said, which raised concerns from conservationists.Not much happened until a $20,000 check arrived in the mailbox of one
 of those who protested, Pollock said, written out to the Loess Hills 
Preservation Society.The money, he said, was a big help in restoring and cleaning up the site of the Vincent Bluff Preserve.

Preservationists mourn loss of virgin prairie at Google data center site

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraskas-lincoln-ranked-as-third-best-state-capital-for-living-in-u-s/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — An online financial advice 
firm is ranking Lincoln as the nation’s third best state capital to live
 in, right behind Pierre, South Dakota, and Madison, Wisconsin.

SmartAsset.com rated state capitals 
on a variety of factors, including estimated cost of living, 
unemployment rate, income growth, and high school graduation rate.

&nbsp;Lincoln ranked highest for employment and education as well as for affordability, according to SmartAsset.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Lincoln
 tied for the fifth-lowest June 2022 unemployment rate of 2.4% and had 
the 14th-highest high school graduation rate, 93%.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Nebraska’s
 Capital City also had the 14th-lowest annual cost of living ($23,419) 
and the 15th-lowest down payment-to-income ratio at 60%.

&nbsp;Dover, Delaware was ranked as the worst state capital, with the worst education and employment score among the capitals.

&nbsp;Interestingly,
 Denver, Colorado ranked as the fourth worst state capitol, getting low 
scores for affordability and leisure and safety.

&nbsp;SmartAsset
 said that with so many people moving to new locations, it made sense to
 assess which state capitals would be most attractive.

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraskas-lincoln-ranked-as-third-best-state-capital-for-living-in-u-s/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — An online financial advice 
firm is ranking Lincoln as the nation’s third best state capital to live
 in, right behind Pierre, South Dakota, and Madison, Wisconsin.SmartAsset.com rated state capitals 
on a variety of factors, including estimated cost of living, 
unemployment rate, income growth, and high school graduation rate.&nbsp;Lincoln ranked highest for employment and education as well as for affordability, according to SmartAsset.&nbsp;&nbsp;Lincoln
 tied for the fifth-lowest June 2022 unemployment rate of 2.4% and had 
the 14th-highest high school graduation rate, 93%.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nebraska’s
 Capital City also had the 14th-lowest annual cost of living ($23,419) 
and the 15th-lowest down payment-to-income ratio at 60%.&nbsp;Dover, Delaware was ranked as the worst state capital, with the worst education and employment score among the capitals.&nbsp;Interestingly,
 Denver, Colorado ranked as the fourth worst state capitol, getting low 
scores for affordability and leisure and safety.&nbsp;SmartAsset
 said that with so many people moving to new locations, it made sense to
 assess which state capitals would be most attractive.Cover image courtesy Nebraska Examiner

Nebraska’s Lincoln ranked as third-best state capital for living in U.S.

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-farmer-ordered-to-pay-1-million-in-restitution-for-crop-insurance-fraud/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A a federal judge has 
ordered a Newman Grove farmer to pay $1 million in restitution, as well 
as a $30,000 fine, for making a fraudulent statement on a crop insurance
 claim.

Ross Nelson, 48, of Newman Grove, had provided false losses of 
soybeans and corn when he filed a claim in 2015 with an authorized 
insurance provider that was reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance 
Corporation. He received reimbursement of $700,092 for his losses.

But because Nelson’s losses on his Holt County farmland didn’t match 
that of&nbsp; adjacent farmers, the USDA Risk Management Agency launched an 
investigation. It found that his claims were inaccurate.

Nelson was found guilty of making a false statement in connection 
with federal crop insurance. Besides repaying $1 million, he was 
sentenced to 4 years’ probation as well as 16 weekends of intermittent 
confinement.

The case was&nbsp;investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the USDA.

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-farmer-ordered-to-pay-1-million-in-restitution-for-crop-insurance-fraud/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A a federal judge has 
ordered a Newman Grove farmer to pay $1 million in restitution, as well 
as a $30,000 fine, for making a fraudulent statement on a crop insurance
 claim.Ross Nelson, 48, of Newman Grove, had provided false losses of 
soybeans and corn when he filed a claim in 2015 with an authorized 
insurance provider that was reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance 
Corporation. He received reimbursement of $700,092 for his losses.But because Nelson’s losses on his Holt County farmland didn’t match 
that of&nbsp; adjacent farmers, the USDA Risk Management Agency launched an 
investigation. It found that his claims were inaccurate.Nelson was found guilty of making a false statement in connection 
with federal crop insurance. Besides repaying $1 million, he was 
sentenced to 4 years’ probation as well as 16 weekends of intermittent 
confinement.The case was&nbsp;investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the USDA.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Neb. farmer ordered to pay $1M in restitution for crop insurance fraud

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a legal victory for former President Donald Trump, a federal judge on Monday granted his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-government-and-politics-1cc6c63010da10a19fb8cfc8595ffe38">request for a special master</a>&nbsp;to review documents seized by the FBI from his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">Florida home</a>&nbsp;and temporarily halted the Justice Department’s use of the records for investigative purposes.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon authorizes an outside legal expert to review the records taken during the Aug. 8 search and to weed out from the rest of the investigation any that might be protected by claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. Some of those records may ultimately be returned to Trump, but the judge put off a ruling on that question.

The order&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-fbi-search-outside-expert-e732ef9ea773f4d4eaf49069b8cec325">came despite the strenuous objections of the Justice Department,</a>&nbsp;which said a special master was not necessary in part because officials had already completed their review of potentially privileged documents. The department said Monday that it was reviewing the decision but did not indicate if and when it might appeal.

The order almost certainly slows the pace of the department’s investigation into the presence of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago, particularly given the judge’s directive that the Justice Department may not for the moment use any of the seized materials as part of its investigation into the storage of government secrets at the Florida property. The injunction is in place until the yet-to-be-named special master completes his or her work, or until “further court order.”

“The Court is mindful that restraints on criminal prosecutions are disfavored, but finds that these unprecedented circumstances call for a brief pause to allow for neutral, third-party review to ensure a just process with adequate safeguards,” Cannon, a Trump appointee, wrote in her 24-page order.

Even so, it is not clear that the decision will present a long-term impediment to the investigation's progress or significantly affect investigative decisions or the ultimate outcome of the probe. And a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-0486be7d750ae7546c6b9175f4952857">separate assessment by the U.S. intelligence community</a>&nbsp;of the risk posed by the apparent mishandling of classified records will continue under the judge's order.

“While this is a victory for the former President, it is by no means an overwhelming win for him,” David Weinstein, a Florida criminal defense lawyer and former Justice Department prosecutor, said in an email. “While it is a setback for the government, it is also not a devastating loss for them.”

He noted, for instance, that the judge did not immediately order the seized documents returned to Trump or suppress any of the evidence.

Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said Monday that “the United States is examining the opinion and will consider appropriate next steps in the ongoing litigation.” A lawyer for Trump did not respond to a request for comment.

The department and Trump's lawyers are to submit by Friday a list of proposed special master candidates.

FBI agents in August seized roughly 11,000 documents and 1,800 other items from Mar-a-Lago as part of a criminal investigation into the retention of national defense information there, as well as into efforts to obstruct the probe. About 100 of the documents contained classification markings.

Trump’s lawyers had argued that a special master, usually an outside lawyer or former judge, was necessary to ensure an independent review of records taken during the search and so that any personal information or documents could be filtered out and returned to Trump.

In this case, the seized records “include medical documents, correspondence related to taxes, and accounting information,” the judge's order said.

Cannon said it was too soon to know whether Trump will be entitled to the return of any of the records, but “for now, the circumstances surrounding the seizure in this case and the associated need for adequate procedural safeguards are sufficiently compelling to at least get Plaintiff past the courthouse doors.”

She also said she found persuasive his lawyers' arguments that he faced potentially “irreparable injury” by being denied access to records that might be of significant personal interest to him. She said the investigative process had, so far, been “closed off” to him.

“As a function of Plaintiff’s former position as President of the United States, the stigma associated with the subject seizure is in a league of its own,” Cannon wrote. “A future indictment, based to any degree on property that ought to be returned, would result in reputational harm of a decidedly different order of magnitude.”

The Justice Department had argued against the appointment, saying it was unnecessary because it had already reviewed potentially privileged documents and identified a limited subset that could be covered by attorney-client privilege.

The department had been using a separate “privilege review team” for that work, but Cannon cited at least two instances in which members of the investigative team were “exposed” to potentially privileged material, something she said raised questions about the adequacy of the process.

The department had also said Trump was not entitled to the return of any of the presidential records that were taken since he is no longer president and the documents therefore do not belong to him. And personal items that were recovered were commingled with classified information, giving them potential evidentiary value, the department said.

Though prosecutors had argued that Trump, as a former president, had no legal basis to assert executive privilege over the documents, the judge said he was entitled to raise it as a concern and permitted the special master to look for records that might be covered by that privilege.

“The major sticking point, I think, is that the executive privilege documents were included” in the judge’s decision, said Florida criminal defense lawyer Richard Serafini, a former Justice Department prosecutor.

Cannon, who was nominated by Trump in 2020, had signaled last month that she was inclined to appoint a special master and did so again during arguments last week, asking at one point, “Ultimately, what is the harm in the appointment of a special master to sort through these issues without creating undue delay?”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661990931385.png" alt="This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department says it has uncovered efforts to obstruct its investigation into the discovery of classified records at former President Donald Trump's Florida estate. (Department of Justice via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department says it has uncovered efforts to obstruct its investigation into the discovery of classified records at former President Donald Trump's Florida estate. (Department of Justice via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — In a legal victory for former President Donald Trump, a federal judge on Monday granted his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-government-and-politics-1cc6c63010da10a19fb8cfc8595ffe38">request for a special master</a>&nbsp;to review documents seized by the FBI from his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">Florida home</a>&nbsp;and temporarily halted the Justice Department’s use of the records for investigative purposes.The decision by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon authorizes an outside legal expert to review the records taken during the Aug. 8 search and to weed out from the rest of the investigation any that might be protected by claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. Some of those records may ultimately be returned to Trump, but the judge put off a ruling on that question.The order&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-fbi-search-outside-expert-e732ef9ea773f4d4eaf49069b8cec325">came despite the strenuous objections of the Justice Department,</a>&nbsp;which said a special master was not necessary in part because officials had already completed their review of potentially privileged documents. The department said Monday that it was reviewing the decision but did not indicate if and when it might appeal.The order almost certainly slows the pace of the department’s investigation into the presence of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago, particularly given the judge’s directive that the Justice Department may not for the moment use any of the seized materials as part of its investigation into the storage of government secrets at the Florida property. The injunction is in place until the yet-to-be-named special master completes his or her work, or until “further court order.”“The Court is mindful that restraints on criminal prosecutions are disfavored, but finds that these unprecedented circumstances call for a brief pause to allow for neutral, third-party review to ensure a just process with adequate safeguards,” Cannon, a Trump appointee, wrote in her 24-page order.Even so, it is not clear that the decision will present a long-term impediment to the investigation's progress or significantly affect investigative decisions or the ultimate outcome of the probe. And a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-0486be7d750ae7546c6b9175f4952857">separate assessment by the U.S. intelligence community</a>&nbsp;of the risk posed by the apparent mishandling of classified records will continue under the judge's order.“While this is a victory for the former President, it is by no means an overwhelming win for him,” David Weinstein, a Florida criminal defense lawyer and former Justice Department prosecutor, said in an email. “While it is a setback for the government, it is also not a devastating loss for them.”He noted, for instance, that the judge did not immediately order the seized documents returned to Trump or suppress any of the evidence.Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said Monday that “the United States is examining the opinion and will consider appropriate next steps in the ongoing litigation.” A lawyer for Trump did not respond to a request for comment.The department and Trump's lawyers are to submit by Friday a list of proposed special master candidates.FBI agents in August seized roughly 11,000 documents and 1,800 other items from Mar-a-Lago as part of a criminal investigation into the retention of national defense information there, as well as into efforts to obstruct the probe. About 100 of the documents contained classification markings.Trump’s lawyers had argued that a special master, usually an outside lawyer or former judge, was necessary to ensure an independent review of records taken during the search and so that any personal information or documents could be filtered out and returned to Trump.In this case, the seized records “include medical documents, correspondence related to taxes, and accounting information,” the judge's order said.Cannon said it was too soon to know whether Trump will be entitled to the return of any of the records, but “for now, the circumstances surrounding the seizure in this case and the associated need for adequate procedural safeguards are sufficiently compelling to at least get Plaintiff past the courthouse doors.”She also said she found persuasive his lawyers' arguments that he faced potentially “irreparable injury” by being denied access to records that might be of significant personal interest to him. She said the investigative process had, so far, been “closed off” to him.“As a function of Plaintiff’s former position as President of the United States, the stigma associated with the subject seizure is in a league of its own,” Cannon wrote. “A future indictment, based to any degree on property that ought to be returned, would result in reputational harm of a decidedly different order of magnitude.”The Justice Department had argued against the appointment, saying it was unnecessary because it had already reviewed potentially privileged documents and identified a limited subset that could be covered by attorney-client privilege.The department had been using a separate “privilege review team” for that work, but Cannon cited at least two instances in which members of the investigative team were “exposed” to potentially privileged material, something she said raised questions about the adequacy of the process.The department had also said Trump was not entitled to the return of any of the presidential records that were taken since he is no longer president and the documents therefore do not belong to him. And personal items that were recovered were commingled with classified information, giving them potential evidentiary value, the department said.Though prosecutors had argued that Trump, as a former president, had no legal basis to assert executive privilege over the documents, the judge said he was entitled to raise it as a concern and permitted the special master to look for records that might be covered by that privilege.“The major sticking point, I think, is that the executive privilege documents were included” in the judge’s decision, said Florida criminal defense lawyer Richard Serafini, a former Justice Department prosecutor.Cannon, who was nominated by Trump in 2020, had signaled last month that she was inclined to appoint a special master and did so again during arguments last week, asking at one point, “Ultimately, what is the harm in the appointment of a special master to sort through these issues without creating undue delay?”____

Judge grants Trump a win in battle over FBI document search

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers who pay 
estimated taxes that the deadline to submit their third quarter payment 
is September 15, 2022.

Taxpayers not subject to withholding, such as those who are self-employed, investors or retirees, may need to make <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes">quarterly estimated tax payments</a>.
 Taxpayers with other income not subject to withholding, including 
interest, dividends, capital gains, alimony, cryptocurrency and rental 
income, also normally make estimated tax payments.

In most cases, taxpayers should make estimated tax payments if they expect:

Special rules apply to some groups of taxpayers, such as farmers, fishermen, casualty and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/disaster-assistance-and-emergency-relief-for-individuals-and-businesses">disaster victims</a>, those who recently became disabled, recent retirees and those who receive income unevenly during the year. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>, provides more information on estimated tax rules. The worksheet in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals</a>, or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1120-w">Form 1120-W, Estimated Tax for Corporations</a>, has details on who must pay estimated tax.

To figure estimated tax, individuals must figure their expected 
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), taxable income, taxes, deductions and 
credits for the year.

When figuring 2022 estimated tax, it may be helpful to use income, 
deductions and credits for 2021 as a starting point. Use the 2021 
federal tax return as a guide. Taxpayers can use Form 1040-ES to figure 
their estimated tax.

The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>
 on IRS.gov offers taxpayers a clear, step-by-step method to have their 
employers withhold the right amount of tax from their paycheck. It also 
has instructions to file a new <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-4">Form W-4</a> to give to their employer to adjust the amount withheld each payday.

Taxpayers who underpaid their taxes may have to pay a penalty. This 
applies whether they paid through withholding or through estimated tax 
payments. A penalty may also apply for late estimated tax payments even 
if someone is due a refund when they file their tax return.

To see if they owe a penalty, taxpayers should use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2210">Form 2210, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts</a>. Taxpayers can also see the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i2210">Form 2210 instructions</a>
 under the "Waiver of Penalty" section. The IRS may waive the penalty if
 someone underpaid because of unusual circumstances and not willful 
neglect. Examples include:

The fourth and final 2022 estimated tax payment is due January 17, 2023.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers who pay 
estimated taxes that the deadline to submit their third quarter payment 
is September 15, 2022.Taxpayers not subject to withholding, such as those who are self-employed, investors or retirees, may need to make <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes">quarterly estimated tax payments</a>.
 Taxpayers with other income not subject to withholding, including 
interest, dividends, capital gains, alimony, cryptocurrency and rental 
income, also normally make estimated tax payments.In most cases, taxpayers should make estimated tax payments if they expect:<ul>
 <li>To owe at least $1,000 in taxes for 2022 after subtracting their withholding and tax credits.</li><li>Their withholding and tax credits to be less than the smaller of:
	90% of the tax to be shown on their 2022 tax return or100% of the tax shown on their 2021 tax return. Their 2021 tax return must cover all 12 months.</li><li>90% of the tax to be shown on their 2022 tax return or</li><li>100% of the tax shown on their 2021 tax return. Their 2021 tax return must cover all 12 months.</li>
 </ul>Special rules apply to some groups of taxpayers, such as farmers, fishermen, casualty and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/disaster-assistance-and-emergency-relief-for-individuals-and-businesses">disaster victims</a>, those who recently became disabled, recent retirees and those who receive income unevenly during the year. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>, provides more information on estimated tax rules. The worksheet in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals</a>, or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1120-w">Form 1120-W, Estimated Tax for Corporations</a>, has details on who must pay estimated tax.<h2>How to figure estimated tax</h2>To figure estimated tax, individuals must figure their expected 
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), taxable income, taxes, deductions and 
credits for the year.When figuring 2022 estimated tax, it may be helpful to use income, 
deductions and credits for 2021 as a starting point. Use the 2021 
federal tax return as a guide. Taxpayers can use Form 1040-ES to figure 
their estimated tax.The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>
 on IRS.gov offers taxpayers a clear, step-by-step method to have their 
employers withhold the right amount of tax from their paycheck. It also 
has instructions to file a new <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-4">Form W-4</a> to give to their employer to adjust the amount withheld each payday.<h2>How to avoid an underpayment penalty</h2>Taxpayers who underpaid their taxes may have to pay a penalty. This 
applies whether they paid through withholding or through estimated tax 
payments. A penalty may also apply for late estimated tax payments even 
if someone is due a refund when they file their tax return.To see if they owe a penalty, taxpayers should use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2210">Form 2210, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts</a>. Taxpayers can also see the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i2210">Form 2210 instructions</a>
 under the "Waiver of Penalty" section. The IRS may waive the penalty if
 someone underpaid because of unusual circumstances and not willful 
neglect. Examples include:<ul>
 <li>Casualty, disaster or another unusual situation.</li><li>An individual retired after reaching age 62 during a tax year when estimated tax payments applied.</li><li>An individual became disabled during a tax year when estimated tax payments applied.</li><li>Specific written advice from an IRS agent given in response to a 
specific written request. The taxpayer must provide copies of both.</li>
 </ul>The fourth and final 2022 estimated tax payment is due January 17, 2023.

IRS: Deadline nears for third quarter estimated tax payments

By BLAISE MESA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-01/this-72-year-old-lawyer-thinks-about-retirement-but-rural-kansas-cant-find-enough-attorneys">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA, Kansas — Charles Peckham works 70 hours a week as an attorney. He’s 72.

He daydreams about retirement. But if he closed up shop, clients would just show up at his home in Atwood, Kansas.

“(Stopping) is not workable at this point,” he said.

The next closest attorney is 30 miles away. That might not be accessible for the older population in need of legal help.

Atwood
 boasted six attorneys, counting Peckham, when he first arrived in 1983,
 but that number has dwindled down to two and the other attorney farms 
on the side.

If the town of about 1,300 people in a county with 
some 2,500 had enough lawyers, Peckham could cut back his workload and 
spend more time with his grandchildren. But with nobody around to take 
over his practice, he’ll keep working.

Three
 of four Kansas attorneys are licensed in just five counties. Johnson, 
Sedgwick, Shawnee, Wyandotte and Douglas have 78% of the over 6,500 
lawyers in the state. In the 103 counties statewide, 40 have five or 
fewer licensed lawyers and eight have only one.

The number of 
attorneys in Western Kansas is dropping as older lawyers retire with 
nobody around to take their practice. Attorneys have too much work and 
clients might travel long distances for representation. The attorneys 
that do practice are often general practitioners who handle everything 
from divorces to burglary defendants to farm law.

Shawn Leisinger,
 associate dean for centers and external programs at Washburn 
University, helps with the university’s rural attorney program. He said 
some counties could easily support two to three times the number of 
lawyers that they currently have.

The solution to the problem 
seems simple. If older attorneys are retiring, just find younger ones to
 take over. The demand is there, which should mean those people could 
make a decent income. But Leisinger said it isn’t that simple.

People
 need to understand and connect with the community they represent, they 
can’t just be dropped in, Leisinger said. They need to be mentored.

Washburn’s
 rural attorney program is doing that. It allows students to finish 
their education from anywhere in the state and pairs them with mentors. 
The program has placed a few dozen attorneys into rural Kansas in the 
last five years, but Leisinger says “it's a drop in the bucket based on 
the demand that's out there.”

This isn’t a Kansas-specific problem
 and the state Supreme Court is creating a task force to address the 
issue. It’ll include people from all across Kansas who will eventually 
recommend changes to encourage more attorneys to move out west.

The state could take inspiration from Nebraska or South Dakota – two states that have also attempted to address shortages.

In
 Nebraska, a possible solution came in two waves. First, law students 
were driven to rural corners of the state to talk with community members
 to see what their needs were, and then they set up interviews with 
firms in that area.

The bus tours have since stopped, but twice a 
year job-seeking lawyers meet with law firms that are hiring as part of 
the Rural Practice Initiative program.

In South Dakota, someone 
could sign a contract that pays 90% of one year’s resident tuition and 
fees at the University of South Dakota Law School. In return, that 
person would practice law for a minimum of 35 hours a week for a set 
amount of weeks over the span of five years.

Nebraska’s program 
netted at least 38 attorneys and South Dakota got 13. Even those small 
numbers can make a difference in remote places.

Sam Clinch, 
associate executive director with the Nebraska Bar Association, said 
small towns would start to dry up without the program.

“You have a
 lot of clients that are traveling 100 to 150 miles one way to get a 
simple will drafted, a divorce case or a real estate transaction,” he 
said. “That’s an access to justice issue when you have people that have 
to travel 300 miles round trip to do a simple will.”

Zoom has 
become more prevalent in court cases, but multiple people told the 
Kansas News Service that it’s only a tool and not the sole solution to 
the problem. Local attorneys know their communities, judges and 
potential jurors better. And while big-city lawyers are qualified to 
represent someone over Zoom, they can’t understand the nuances of each 
community.

Peckham has lived in larger cities – like Chicago and 
Washington, D.C. – before moving to rural Kansas. He said people in 
urban and rural settings both fail to understand the perks of living in 
one place or another, but he wants more people to give rural Kansas a 
try.

“You're going to have to be more reliable and independent,” 
he said. “But if you're interested in the family, spending a little more
 time with Mother Nature and avoiding a long commute to do your job, I 
think this is worth looking at.”

Blaise Mesa reports on 
criminal justice and social services for the Kansas News Service in 
Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or email him at 
blaise@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662041874009.png" alt="Attorneys in rural Kansas are growing old, and there aren't enough young lawyers to take their place. Google Maps" />
 <figcaption>Attorneys in rural Kansas are growing old, and there aren't enough young lawyers to take their place. Google Maps</figcaption>
 </figure>By BLAISE MESA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-01/this-72-year-old-lawyer-thinks-about-retirement-but-rural-kansas-cant-find-enough-attorneys">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA, Kansas — Charles Peckham works 70 hours a week as an attorney. He’s 72.He daydreams about retirement. But if he closed up shop, clients would just show up at his home in Atwood, Kansas.“(Stopping) is not workable at this point,” he said.The next closest attorney is 30 miles away. That might not be accessible for the older population in need of legal help.Atwood
 boasted six attorneys, counting Peckham, when he first arrived in 1983,
 but that number has dwindled down to two and the other attorney farms 
on the side.If the town of about 1,300 people in a county with 
some 2,500 had enough lawyers, Peckham could cut back his workload and 
spend more time with his grandchildren. But with nobody around to take 
over his practice, he’ll keep working.Stories like Peckham’s are not unique.Three
 of four Kansas attorneys are licensed in just five counties. Johnson, 
Sedgwick, Shawnee, Wyandotte and Douglas have 78% of the over 6,500 
lawyers in the state. In the 103 counties statewide, 40 have five or 
fewer licensed lawyers and eight have only one.The number of 
attorneys in Western Kansas is dropping as older lawyers retire with 
nobody around to take their practice. Attorneys have too much work and 
clients might travel long distances for representation. The attorneys 
that do practice are often general practitioners who handle everything 
from divorces to burglary defendants to farm law.Shawn Leisinger,
 associate dean for centers and external programs at Washburn 
University, helps with the university’s rural attorney program. He said 
some counties could easily support two to three times the number of 
lawyers that they currently have.The solution to the problem 
seems simple. If older attorneys are retiring, just find younger ones to
 take over. The demand is there, which should mean those people could 
make a decent income. But Leisinger said it isn’t that simple.People
 need to understand and connect with the community they represent, they 
can’t just be dropped in, Leisinger said. They need to be mentored.Washburn’s
 rural attorney program is doing that. It allows students to finish 
their education from anywhere in the state and pairs them with mentors. 
The program has placed a few dozen attorneys into rural Kansas in the 
last five years, but Leisinger says “it's a drop in the bucket based on 
the demand that's out there.”This isn’t a Kansas-specific problem
 and the state Supreme Court is creating a task force to address the 
issue. It’ll include people from all across Kansas who will eventually 
recommend changes to encourage more attorneys to move out west.The state could take inspiration from Nebraska or South Dakota – two states that have also attempted to address shortages.In
 Nebraska, a possible solution came in two waves. First, law students 
were driven to rural corners of the state to talk with community members
 to see what their needs were, and then they set up interviews with 
firms in that area.The bus tours have since stopped, but twice a 
year job-seeking lawyers meet with law firms that are hiring as part of 
the Rural Practice Initiative program.In South Dakota, someone 
could sign a contract that pays 90% of one year’s resident tuition and 
fees at the University of South Dakota Law School. In return, that 
person would practice law for a minimum of 35 hours a week for a set 
amount of weeks over the span of five years.Nebraska’s program 
netted at least 38 attorneys and South Dakota got 13. Even those small 
numbers can make a difference in remote places.Sam Clinch, 
associate executive director with the Nebraska Bar Association, said 
small towns would start to dry up without the program.“You have a
 lot of clients that are traveling 100 to 150 miles one way to get a 
simple will drafted, a divorce case or a real estate transaction,” he 
said. “That’s an access to justice issue when you have people that have 
to travel 300 miles round trip to do a simple will.”Zoom has 
become more prevalent in court cases, but multiple people told the 
Kansas News Service that it’s only a tool and not the sole solution to 
the problem. Local attorneys know their communities, judges and 
potential jurors better. And while big-city lawyers are qualified to 
represent someone over Zoom, they can’t understand the nuances of each 
community.Peckham has lived in larger cities – like Chicago and 
Washington, D.C. – before moving to rural Kansas. He said people in 
urban and rural settings both fail to understand the perks of living in 
one place or another, but he wants more people to give rural Kansas a 
try.“You're going to have to be more reliable and independent,” 
he said. “But if you're interested in the family, spending a little more
 time with Mother Nature and avoiding a long commute to do your job, I 
think this is worth looking at.”Blaise Mesa reports on 
criminal justice and social services for the Kansas News Service in 
Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or email him at 
blaise@kcur.org.

Legal challenge: Rural Kansas can't find enough attorneys

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Reserve’s new real-time payments system known as FedNow is expected to go live as early as May 2023, a Fed official said Monday.

In development for effectively a decade, FedNow is expected to allow banks of any size to send payments to each other in real-time. That will allow bank customers to send real-time payments to one another on the same rails.

The system will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is expected to cost significantly less than fees charged for wire transfers or debit card transactions.

While the Fed has been developing FedNow, other banks and the entire cryptocurrency industry has been pushing for its own alternatives for real-time payments. The banking industry has Zelle, which allows individuals to send payments to each other in real time. There also services like Venmo and PayPal that have grown in popularity.

Speaking Monday via webcast to a FedNow early adopter workshop in Rosemont, Illinois, Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard said she expects the system to launch between May and July next year. Previously the Fed had given vague timetables on when it expected to launch FedNow.

“Having the capacity to manage money in real time could help households avoid costly late payment fees or free up working capital for small businesses to finance growth,” Brainard said. “Indeed, during the pandemic, we witnessed how essential rapid access to funds can be, as many households started spending emergency relief payments on the day they were received.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1646078382072.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Reserve’s new real-time payments system known as FedNow is expected to go live as early as May 2023, a Fed official said Monday.In development for effectively a decade, FedNow is expected to allow banks of any size to send payments to each other in real-time. That will allow bank customers to send real-time payments to one another on the same rails.The system will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is expected to cost significantly less than fees charged for wire transfers or debit card transactions.While the Fed has been developing FedNow, other banks and the entire cryptocurrency industry has been pushing for its own alternatives for real-time payments. The banking industry has Zelle, which allows individuals to send payments to each other in real time. There also services like Venmo and PayPal that have grown in popularity.Speaking Monday via webcast to a FedNow early adopter workshop in Rosemont, Illinois, Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard said she expects the system to launch between May and July next year. Previously the Fed had given vague timetables on when it expected to launch FedNow.“Having the capacity to manage money in real time could help households avoid costly late payment fees or free up working capital for small businesses to finance growth,” Brainard said. “Indeed, during the pandemic, we witnessed how essential rapid access to funds can be, as many households started spending emergency relief payments on the day they were received.”

Fed’s real-time payment system coming as early as May 

By AARON PILKINGTON <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-winner-is-emerging-from-the-war-in-ukraine-but-its-not-who-you-think-189036">The Conversation</a>

The war in Ukraine is helping one country achieve its foreign policy 
and national security objectives, but it’s neither Russia nor Ukraine.

Iran is among Russia’s most <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-war-iran-vladimir-putin-khamenei-nato-us/">vocal supporters</a>
 in the war. This has little to do with Ukraine and everything to do 
with Iran’s long-term strategy vis-à-vis the United States.

As Russia’s war on Ukraine passes six months and continues eroding Russia’s <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62553629">manpower</a>, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/russia-putin-admits-running-out-weapons-ukraine-war-invasion-state-duma-law-1720957">military stores</a>, <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/07/22/russia-economy-sanctions-myths-ruble-business/?tpcc=recirc062921">economy</a> and <a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/russia-isolated-its-postimperial-phantasm">diplomatic connections</a>, leader Vladimir Putin has opted for an unlikely but necessary Iranian <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/19/putin-russia-iran-ukraine-00046646">lifeline</a>
 to salvage victory in Ukraine and also in Syria where, since 2015, 
Russian soldiers have been fighting to keep Bashar al-Assad’s government
 in power.

Putin’s move has, in turn, helped Iran make progress in promoting its national interests.

Since the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w4Ku6l7OEI">Islamic Revolution of 1979</a>, Iran’s leaders have believed the United States is <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-leader-death-to-america-means-policies-not-people/">constantly scheming</a> to <a href="https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/467788/%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%DA%98%D9%86%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%88%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C">topple Iran’s government</a>.
 They view leaders in Washington as the greatest threat and obstacle to 
promoting Iranian national interests – achieving economic 
self-sufficiency, international legitimacy, regional security, power and
 influence.

The fears of Iran’s leaders are not irrational – the long history of U.S. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24316661">meddling</a> in Iranian affairs, continuous <a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2009/09/08/the-axis-of-evil-and-the-great-satan/">open hostility</a> between the two countries and decades of U.S. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-10/guide-to-us-bases-surrounding-iran-in-the-middle-east/11855542">military buildup</a> in close proximity to Iran greatly concern leaders in Tehran.

The U.S. has <a href="https://www.acq.osd.mil/eie/Downloads/BSI/Base%20Structure%20Report%20FY18.pdf#page=74">military forces in many</a> Middle Eastern countries, <a href="https://truthout.org/articles/bases-bases-everywhere-except-in-the-pentagons-report">with or without invitation</a>.
 To promote its national interests, Iran is working to force the U.S. 
military out of the region and reduce U.S. political influence there.

Iran has an even bigger aim: <a href="https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2012/aug/31/part-ii-khamenei-unworld-order">to overthrow</a> what it sees as the U.S.-dominated global political order.

Iran counters U.S. influence by maintaining partnerships with an 
assortment of nonstate militias and governments united by their fierce 
anti-U.S. hostility. The country <a href="https://nowlebanon.com/the-iranian-network/">nurtures a network</a> of militant partner and proxy groups, whose own political preferences and ambitions align with Iran’s objectives, by providing <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2022/05/09/new-mideast-task-force-can-counter-iranian-arms-smuggling-but-more-capabilities-are-needed/">weapons</a>, <a href="https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/iran-lebanon-training-hezbollah">training</a>, <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/big-story/proxies-and-politics-why-iran-funds-foreign-militias">funds</a> – and, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/21/how-do-irans-proxies-actually-work/">in some cases</a>, direction. Among the recipients are <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/hezbollah-revolutionary-irans-most-successful-export/">Hezbollah</a>, <a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/iran-hamas-and-palestinian-islamic-jihad">Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad</a>, friendly <a href="https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2021/nov/10/profiles-pro-iran-militias-iraq">Iraqi militias</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/09/16/why-iran-is-getting-blame-an-attack-saudi-arabia-claimed-by-yemens-houthis/">Ansar Allah</a> in Yemen, better known as the Houthis or the Houthi rebels.

Through these militias and their political arms, Iran extends its 
influence and works to shape an Iran-friendly government in states like 
Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/newsletters/2022/08/15/us-drone-attack-targets-us-base-in-syria-no-casualties/">It threatens</a> U.S. forces and antagonizes Western-allied governments in states such as Israel, <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220714-jordans-position-towards-regional-issues-has-shifted-especially-on-iran/">Jordan</a>, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/bitter-rivals-iran-and-saudi-arabia/">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/kuwait-and-iran-a-fluctuating-history-1.1341755">Kuwait</a>, <a href="https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2017/01/22/Iran-s-export-of-terrorism-poses-threat-to-Bahrain-as-well-as-the-Gulf">Bahrain</a> and the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-de-facto-ruler-sees-iran-islamists-threat-ambitious-gulf-safe-haven-2022-05-13/">United Arab Emirates</a>.

At the national level, Iran maintains no permanent mutual defense treaties. Its closest strategic partners include Syria, <a href="https://www.mei.edu/publications/iran-venezuela-relations-presidents-postures-and-pressures">Venezuela</a>, <a href="https://www.38north.org/2021/11/the-north-korea-iran-relationship-an-anti-american-alliance-or-transactional-partnership/">North Korea</a>, <a href="https://www.uscc.gov/research/china-iran-relations-limited-enduring-strategic-partnership">China</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/08/24/russia-iran-drones-sanctions/">Russia</a>. They cooperate <a href="https://centerforsecuritypolicy.org/china-iran-create-parallel-global-chessboard/">politically</a>, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-china-sign-economic-security-agreement-challenging-u-s-pressure-11616866936">economically</a> and <a href="https://orinocotribune.com/iran-russia-china-to-carry-out-military-drills-in-venezuela/">militarily</a> to create an <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2022/07/the-china-iran-russia-triangle-alternative-world-order/">alternative</a> to what their leaders perceive as the U.S.-led world political order.

That cooperation includes undermining <a href="https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/what-are-americas-national-interests">U.S. national interests</a> and helping ease or circumvent <a href="https://www.chairmont.com.au/post/russia-china-and-iran-circumventing-sanctions-trade-wars-us-dollar-and-blockchain">Western political pressure</a> and <a href="https://orinocotribune.com/venezuelan-deputy-julio-chavez-iran-russia-china-venezuela-alliance-can-circumvent-sanctions/">economic sanctions</a>.

Russia’s current war in Ukraine has <a href="https://www.nato-pa.int/content/finland-sweden-accession">left Moscow with only a handful of sympathetic friends</a>.

Few political leaders understand Putin’s newfound political isolation
 and related animosity toward the United States more than Iranian leader
 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But Iran-Russia relations <a href="https://carnegiemoscow.org/2016/08/18/russia-and-iran-historic-mistrust-and-contemporary-partnership-pub-64365">are complicated</a>.

The two countries found common cause in helping Syrian strongman Assad defeat his country’s <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34710635">opposition forces</a>, but for different national interests.

Saving Assad helps Russia reassert itself as a <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/news/world/how-russia-used-the-war-in-syria-to-reassert-its-global-might/">major power</a> in the Middle East. For Iran, a friendly Syria is a <a href="https://ctc.westpoint.edu/irans-unwavering-support-to-assads-syria/">critical link</a> in Iran’s anti-U.S., anti-Israel coalition.

As Russia and Iran fought to sustain Assad, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syria-war-russia-iran-influence/2021/05/19/7d26851e-a9d1-11eb-bca5-048b2759a489_story.html">they also competed</a> for lucrative postwar reconstruction and infrastructure <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/evolution-russian-and-iranian-cooperation-syria">contracts</a> in that country, and to shape the post-civil war political environment to their advantage.

But neither country was bold enough to influence the way the other 
operated in Syria. Consequently, sometimes Iranian-backed and Russian <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Russia_and_Iran_in_Syria_a_Random_Partnership_or_an_Enduring_Alliance.pdf">forces cooperated</a>, and at other times <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220505-russia-iran-backed-militias-clash-in-syrias-palmyra/">they squabbled</a>. Mostly they <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/evolution-russian-and-iranian-cooperation-syria">left each other alone</a>.

Ultimately, though, Russia’s plight in Ukraine compelled its leader to solicit Iran’s help in two ways. 

First, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a branch of the Iranian military, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/24/russia-ukraine-syria-deployments-iran-israel-confilct/">provided supplementary manpower</a> to fill the void left when Russia reallocated troops from Syria to its Ukraine campaign.

Second, Russia will use Iran’s low-cost and battle-proven unmanned 
aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, to counter Kyiv’s 
Western-supported arsenal and buttress its own <a href="https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2022/03/five-reasons-why-russia-struggling-ukraine/362636/">struggling forces</a> and surprisingly <a href="https://cepa.org/russias-military-failure-on-an-awesome-scale/">inept warfighting capabilities</a>.

In July, Iran hosted numerous Russian officers and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/09/politics/russia-training-drones-iran/index.html">conducted training</a> on Iranian <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDJ8XzJjOeU">Shahed-129</a> and <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2020/08/02/iran-showcases-shahed-181-and-191-drones-during-great-prophet-14-exercise/">Shahed-191</a> drone operations. Anonymous intelligence sources and Ukrainian officials <a href="https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-5">indicated</a> that Russia <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-iran-united-states-d7802180c7ecbdbe5cd06ee72c6d18f7">already has obtained</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/08/24/russia-iran-drones-sanctions/">employed</a> Iranian drones in Ukraine. <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202208063214">Though unconfirmed</a>, this is consistent with a previous <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5023137/iran-provide-unmanned-aircraft-training-russia-ukraine-war-jake-sullivan">White House assessment</a> that Iran would provide Russia with “up to several hundred” drones for use in Ukraine.

This warming alliance may not help Russia defeat Ukraine. It will promote Iran’s national interests.

Russia’s Syria drawdown brought additional Iranian soldiers there to further prove their fighting abilities and <a href="https://breakingdefense.com/2022/04/in-syria-iranian-forces-fill-gaps-left-by-ukraine-bound-russians-sources/">entrench themselves in Syria</a>. That then allows Iran to control territory threatened by <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-who-are-syrias-anti-assad-forces-48527">anti-Assad forces</a> and maintain an open corridor or “<a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2019/06/18/burning-bridge/#:%7E:text=Iran%20and%20its%20proxy%20forces%20are%20establishing%20an,southern%20Lebanon%20and%20the%20Golan%20front%20in%20Syria.">land bridge</a>” by which Iran extends support to its network of anti-America and anti-Israel <a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2020/iran/#:%7E:text=Iran%20supported%20various%20Iraqi%20Shia,'ib%20Ahl%20al%2DHaq.">partners and proxies</a>.

Second, Russia’s acquisition of Iranian arms <a href="https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2022/08/21/2761396/world-powers-eager-to-obtain-iran-s-military-achievements-top-general">will significantly boost</a>
 Iran’s weapons industry, whose primary clientele right now is its own 
militias. Iran’s recent efforts to expand drone manufacturing and 
exports yielded limited success in small, mostly peripheral markets of <a href="https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospace/ethiopia-acquires-iranian-uavs-for-tigray-war/#:%7E:text=In%20the%20latest%20effort%20to,unmanned%20aerial%20vehicles%20(UAVs).">Ethiopia</a>, <a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/2132191/middle-east">Sudan</a>, <a href="https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1401/02/31/2711791/%DA%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B4-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%82-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82%DB%8C-%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B4-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%86%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A2%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%BE%D9%87%D9%BE%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87">Tajikistan</a> and <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-s-apparent-supply-of-combat-drones-to-venezuela-highlights-terrorism-risks/6476585.html">Venezuela</a>.

Moscow is the <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/18417/global-weapons-exports/">second-largest global arms exporter</a>,
 and its surprising transformation to Iranian arms importer signals the 
seriousness of Russia’s problems. It also legitimizes and expands 
Tehran’s weapons industry <a href="https://www.irna.ir/news/83197978/%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%AD-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%83%D9%81%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%83%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%A2%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AE%D8%AA">beyond arms production for the purpose of self-sufficiency</a>. This one alliance moves Iran toward a <a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-695755">more prominent role</a> as a major arms exporter.

Lastly, Russia’s war in Ukraine extends a new avenue by which Iran 
might directly counter U.S.-provided weapons, as well as the opportunity
 to undermine U.S. and NATO influence in Eurasia. Iran’s drones could 
afford Moscow an effective and desperately needed response to U.S. 
weapons wreaking havoc against Russian forces in Ukraine – <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3095394/us-provided-himars-effective-in-ukraine/">the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System</a>, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9CW6fYbT6Y">Javelin</a> anti-tank guided missile, the <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/watch-this-switchblade-suicide-drone-attack-a-russian-tank-in-ukraine">Switchblade</a> “kamikaze” or suicide drone <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/here-e2-80-99s-every-weapon-us-has-supplied-to-ukraine-with-2413-billion/ar-AA117AKN">and others</a>.

Iranian weapons may force Ukraine’s Western benefactors to <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3083102/fact-sheet-on-us-security-assistance-to-ukraine/">allocate additional billions</a> for counter-drone or air defense systems, or aid to replace assets that Iranian weapons potentially neutralize.

This has already happened on the <a href="https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2019/sep/16/timeline-houthi-attacks-saudi-arabia">Arabian Peninsula</a>, where Iran-equipped Ansar Allah’s drone warfare against <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saudi-arabia-drone-attack-oil-infrastructure-ras-tanura-dhahran-houthis-yemen-iran/">Saudi Arabia</a> and the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/11/attacks-on-uae-shows-its-strengths-more-than-vulnerabilities-analysts.html">UAE</a> compels Gulf states to expend <a href="https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/The-iranian-drone-threat#:%7E:text=Further%2C%20it%20is%20costlier%20to%20defend%20against%20drones,against%20a%20drone%20swarm%20an%20extremely%20expensive%20proposition.">disproportionate sums</a> on costly weapons systems and to <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/idex/2021/02/23/from-lasers-to-missiles-idex-exhibitors-are-determined-to-counter-drones/">develop other expensive solutions</a> to counter Iran’s low-cost drones.

Limited tactical victories scored by Iranian drones may prolong and 
further destabilize the war in Ukraine, but they will not tip the scales
 of conflict in Russia’s favor. 

Their greater contribution is to Iran’s national interests: They 
allow Iran to directly check and undermine the U.S. and NATO outside of 
Iran’s usual regional area of operations. They boost Iran’s profile 
among countries that also wish to challenge the United States and NATO’s
 political, military and economic power. And they strengthen solidarity 
among those countries.

As Iran’s fighters, advisers and weapons proliferate to new areas and
 empower U.S. adversaries, Iran further promotes its national interests 
at the expense of U.S. national interests.

Aaron Pilkington is a US Air Force Analyst of Middle East Affairs and PhD Student at Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661889872123.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON PILKINGTON <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-winner-is-emerging-from-the-war-in-ukraine-but-its-not-who-you-think-189036">The Conversation</a>The war in Ukraine is helping one country achieve its foreign policy 
and national security objectives, but it’s neither Russia nor Ukraine.It’s Iran.Iran is among Russia’s most <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-war-iran-vladimir-putin-khamenei-nato-us/">vocal supporters</a>
 in the war. This has little to do with Ukraine and everything to do 
with Iran’s long-term strategy vis-à-vis the United States. As Russia’s war on Ukraine passes six months and continues eroding Russia’s <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62553629">manpower</a>, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/russia-putin-admits-running-out-weapons-ukraine-war-invasion-state-duma-law-1720957">military stores</a>, <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/07/22/russia-economy-sanctions-myths-ruble-business/?tpcc=recirc062921">economy</a> and <a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/russia-isolated-its-postimperial-phantasm">diplomatic connections</a>, leader Vladimir Putin has opted for an unlikely but necessary Iranian <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/19/putin-russia-iran-ukraine-00046646">lifeline</a>
 to salvage victory in Ukraine and also in Syria where, since 2015, 
Russian soldiers have been fighting to keep Bashar al-Assad’s government
 in power.Putin’s move has, in turn, helped Iran make progress in promoting its national interests.<h2>Opposing the US everywhere</h2>Since the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w4Ku6l7OEI">Islamic Revolution of 1979</a>, Iran’s leaders have believed the United States is <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-leader-death-to-america-means-policies-not-people/">constantly scheming</a> to <a href="https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/467788/%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%DA%98%D9%86%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%88%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C">topple Iran’s government</a>.
 They view leaders in Washington as the greatest threat and obstacle to 
promoting Iranian national interests – achieving economic 
self-sufficiency, international legitimacy, regional security, power and
 influence. The fears of Iran’s leaders are not irrational – the long history of U.S. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24316661">meddling</a> in Iranian affairs, continuous <a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2009/09/08/the-axis-of-evil-and-the-great-satan/">open hostility</a> between the two countries and decades of U.S. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-10/guide-to-us-bases-surrounding-iran-in-the-middle-east/11855542">military buildup</a> in close proximity to Iran greatly concern leaders in Tehran. The U.S. has <a href="https://www.acq.osd.mil/eie/Downloads/BSI/Base%20Structure%20Report%20FY18.pdf#page=74">military forces in many</a> Middle Eastern countries, <a href="https://truthout.org/articles/bases-bases-everywhere-except-in-the-pentagons-report">with or without invitation</a>.
 To promote its national interests, Iran is working to force the U.S. 
military out of the region and reduce U.S. political influence there. Iran has an even bigger aim: <a href="https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2012/aug/31/part-ii-khamenei-unworld-order">to overthrow</a> what it sees as the U.S.-dominated global political order. Iran counters U.S. influence by maintaining partnerships with an 
assortment of nonstate militias and governments united by their fierce 
anti-U.S. hostility. The country <a href="https://nowlebanon.com/the-iranian-network/">nurtures a network</a> of militant partner and proxy groups, whose own political preferences and ambitions align with Iran’s objectives, by providing <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2022/05/09/new-mideast-task-force-can-counter-iranian-arms-smuggling-but-more-capabilities-are-needed/">weapons</a>, <a href="https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/iran-lebanon-training-hezbollah">training</a>, <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/big-story/proxies-and-politics-why-iran-funds-foreign-militias">funds</a> – and, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/21/how-do-irans-proxies-actually-work/">in some cases</a>, direction. Among the recipients are <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/hezbollah-revolutionary-irans-most-successful-export/">Hezbollah</a>, <a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/iran-hamas-and-palestinian-islamic-jihad">Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad</a>, friendly <a href="https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2021/nov/10/profiles-pro-iran-militias-iraq">Iraqi militias</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/09/16/why-iran-is-getting-blame-an-attack-saudi-arabia-claimed-by-yemens-houthis/">Ansar Allah</a> in Yemen, better known as the Houthis or the Houthi rebels. Through these militias and their political arms, Iran extends its 
influence and works to shape an Iran-friendly government in states like 
Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/newsletters/2022/08/15/us-drone-attack-targets-us-base-in-syria-no-casualties/">It threatens</a> U.S. forces and antagonizes Western-allied governments in states such as Israel, <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220714-jordans-position-towards-regional-issues-has-shifted-especially-on-iran/">Jordan</a>, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/bitter-rivals-iran-and-saudi-arabia/">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/kuwait-and-iran-a-fluctuating-history-1.1341755">Kuwait</a>, <a href="https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2017/01/22/Iran-s-export-of-terrorism-poses-threat-to-Bahrain-as-well-as-the-Gulf">Bahrain</a> and the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-de-facto-ruler-sees-iran-islamists-threat-ambitious-gulf-safe-haven-2022-05-13/">United Arab Emirates</a>. At the national level, Iran maintains no permanent mutual defense treaties. Its closest strategic partners include Syria, <a href="https://www.mei.edu/publications/iran-venezuela-relations-presidents-postures-and-pressures">Venezuela</a>, <a href="https://www.38north.org/2021/11/the-north-korea-iran-relationship-an-anti-american-alliance-or-transactional-partnership/">North Korea</a>, <a href="https://www.uscc.gov/research/china-iran-relations-limited-enduring-strategic-partnership">China</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/08/24/russia-iran-drones-sanctions/">Russia</a>. They cooperate <a href="https://centerforsecuritypolicy.org/china-iran-create-parallel-global-chessboard/">politically</a>, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-china-sign-economic-security-agreement-challenging-u-s-pressure-11616866936">economically</a> and <a href="https://orinocotribune.com/iran-russia-china-to-carry-out-military-drills-in-venezuela/">militarily</a> to create an <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2022/07/the-china-iran-russia-triangle-alternative-world-order/">alternative</a> to what their leaders perceive as the U.S.-led world political order. That cooperation includes undermining <a href="https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/what-are-americas-national-interests">U.S. national interests</a> and helping ease or circumvent <a href="https://www.chairmont.com.au/post/russia-china-and-iran-circumventing-sanctions-trade-wars-us-dollar-and-blockchain">Western political pressure</a> and <a href="https://orinocotribune.com/venezuelan-deputy-julio-chavez-iran-russia-china-venezuela-alliance-can-circumvent-sanctions/">economic sanctions</a>. <h2>Tehran to the rescue</h2>Russia’s current war in Ukraine has <a href="https://www.nato-pa.int/content/finland-sweden-accession">left Moscow with only a handful of sympathetic friends</a>. Few political leaders understand Putin’s newfound political isolation
 and related animosity toward the United States more than Iranian leader
 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But Iran-Russia relations <a href="https://carnegiemoscow.org/2016/08/18/russia-and-iran-historic-mistrust-and-contemporary-partnership-pub-64365">are complicated</a>. The two countries found common cause in helping Syrian strongman Assad defeat his country’s <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34710635">opposition forces</a>, but for different national interests. Saving Assad helps Russia reassert itself as a <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/news/world/how-russia-used-the-war-in-syria-to-reassert-its-global-might/">major power</a> in the Middle East. For Iran, a friendly Syria is a <a href="https://ctc.westpoint.edu/irans-unwavering-support-to-assads-syria/">critical link</a> in Iran’s anti-U.S., anti-Israel coalition. As Russia and Iran fought to sustain Assad, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syria-war-russia-iran-influence/2021/05/19/7d26851e-a9d1-11eb-bca5-048b2759a489_story.html">they also competed</a> for lucrative postwar reconstruction and infrastructure <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/evolution-russian-and-iranian-cooperation-syria">contracts</a> in that country, and to shape the post-civil war political environment to their advantage. But neither country was bold enough to influence the way the other 
operated in Syria. Consequently, sometimes Iranian-backed and Russian <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Russia_and_Iran_in_Syria_a_Random_Partnership_or_an_Enduring_Alliance.pdf">forces cooperated</a>, and at other times <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220505-russia-iran-backed-militias-clash-in-syrias-palmyra/">they squabbled</a>. Mostly they <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/evolution-russian-and-iranian-cooperation-syria">left each other alone</a>.Ultimately, though, Russia’s plight in Ukraine compelled its leader to solicit Iran’s help in two ways. First, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a branch of the Iranian military, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/24/russia-ukraine-syria-deployments-iran-israel-confilct/">provided supplementary manpower</a> to fill the void left when Russia reallocated troops from Syria to its Ukraine campaign. Second, Russia will use Iran’s low-cost and battle-proven unmanned 
aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, to counter Kyiv’s 
Western-supported arsenal and buttress its own <a href="https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2022/03/five-reasons-why-russia-struggling-ukraine/362636/">struggling forces</a> and surprisingly <a href="https://cepa.org/russias-military-failure-on-an-awesome-scale/">inept warfighting capabilities</a>. In July, Iran hosted numerous Russian officers and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/09/politics/russia-training-drones-iran/index.html">conducted training</a> on Iranian <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDJ8XzJjOeU">Shahed-129</a> and <a href="https://theaviationist.com/2020/08/02/iran-showcases-shahed-181-and-191-drones-during-great-prophet-14-exercise/">Shahed-191</a> drone operations. Anonymous intelligence sources and Ukrainian officials <a href="https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-5">indicated</a> that Russia <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-middle-east-iran-united-states-d7802180c7ecbdbe5cd06ee72c6d18f7">already has obtained</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/08/24/russia-iran-drones-sanctions/">employed</a> Iranian drones in Ukraine. <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202208063214">Though unconfirmed</a>, this is consistent with a previous <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5023137/iran-provide-unmanned-aircraft-training-russia-ukraine-war-jake-sullivan">White House assessment</a> that Iran would provide Russia with “up to several hundred” drones for use in Ukraine. <figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RwbuYhh0FSM"></iframe>
 <figcaption>U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan tells reporters on July 11, 2022, that Iran planned to send ‘several hundred’ drones, including some equipped with weapons, to Russia.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Ukraine war promotes Iran’s interests</h2>This warming alliance may not help Russia defeat Ukraine. It will promote Iran’s national interests.Russia’s Syria drawdown brought additional Iranian soldiers there to further prove their fighting abilities and <a href="https://breakingdefense.com/2022/04/in-syria-iranian-forces-fill-gaps-left-by-ukraine-bound-russians-sources/">entrench themselves in Syria</a>. That then allows Iran to control territory threatened by <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-who-are-syrias-anti-assad-forces-48527">anti-Assad forces</a> and maintain an open corridor or “<a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2019/06/18/burning-bridge/#:%7E:text=Iran%20and%20its%20proxy%20forces%20are%20establishing%20an,southern%20Lebanon%20and%20the%20Golan%20front%20in%20Syria.">land bridge</a>” by which Iran extends support to its network of anti-America and anti-Israel <a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2020/iran/#:%7E:text=Iran%20supported%20various%20Iraqi%20Shia,'ib%20Ahl%20al%2DHaq.">partners and proxies</a>.Second, Russia’s acquisition of Iranian arms <a href="https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2022/08/21/2761396/world-powers-eager-to-obtain-iran-s-military-achievements-top-general">will significantly boost</a>
 Iran’s weapons industry, whose primary clientele right now is its own 
militias. Iran’s recent efforts to expand drone manufacturing and 
exports yielded limited success in small, mostly peripheral markets of <a href="https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospace/ethiopia-acquires-iranian-uavs-for-tigray-war/#:%7E:text=In%20the%20latest%20effort%20to,unmanned%20aerial%20vehicles%20(UAVs).">Ethiopia</a>, <a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/2132191/middle-east">Sudan</a>, <a href="https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1401/02/31/2711791/%DA%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B4-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%82-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82%DB%8C-%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B4-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%86%DB%8C%D9%85-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A2%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%BE%D9%87%D9%BE%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87">Tajikistan</a> and <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-s-apparent-supply-of-combat-drones-to-venezuela-highlights-terrorism-risks/6476585.html">Venezuela</a>. Moscow is the <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/18417/global-weapons-exports/">second-largest global arms exporter</a>,
 and its surprising transformation to Iranian arms importer signals the 
seriousness of Russia’s problems. It also legitimizes and expands 
Tehran’s weapons industry <a href="https://www.irna.ir/news/83197978/%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%AD-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%83%D9%81%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%83%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%A2%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AE%D8%AA">beyond arms production for the purpose of self-sufficiency</a>. This one alliance moves Iran toward a <a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-695755">more prominent role</a> as a major arms exporter.Lastly, Russia’s war in Ukraine extends a new avenue by which Iran 
might directly counter U.S.-provided weapons, as well as the opportunity
 to undermine U.S. and NATO influence in Eurasia. Iran’s drones could 
afford Moscow an effective and desperately needed response to U.S. 
weapons wreaking havoc against Russian forces in Ukraine – <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3095394/us-provided-himars-effective-in-ukraine/">the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System</a>, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9CW6fYbT6Y">Javelin</a> anti-tank guided missile, the <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/watch-this-switchblade-suicide-drone-attack-a-russian-tank-in-ukraine">Switchblade</a> “kamikaze” or suicide drone <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/here-e2-80-99s-every-weapon-us-has-supplied-to-ukraine-with-2413-billion/ar-AA117AKN">and others</a>. Iranian weapons may force Ukraine’s Western benefactors to <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3083102/fact-sheet-on-us-security-assistance-to-ukraine/">allocate additional billions</a> for counter-drone or air defense systems, or aid to replace assets that Iranian weapons potentially neutralize. This has already happened on the <a href="https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2019/sep/16/timeline-houthi-attacks-saudi-arabia">Arabian Peninsula</a>, where Iran-equipped Ansar Allah’s drone warfare against <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saudi-arabia-drone-attack-oil-infrastructure-ras-tanura-dhahran-houthis-yemen-iran/">Saudi Arabia</a> and the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/11/attacks-on-uae-shows-its-strengths-more-than-vulnerabilities-analysts.html">UAE</a> compels Gulf states to expend <a href="https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/The-iranian-drone-threat#:%7E:text=Further%2C%20it%20is%20costlier%20to%20defend%20against%20drones,against%20a%20drone%20swarm%20an%20extremely%20expensive%20proposition.">disproportionate sums</a> on costly weapons systems and to <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/idex/2021/02/23/from-lasers-to-missiles-idex-exhibitors-are-determined-to-counter-drones/">develop other expensive solutions</a> to counter Iran’s low-cost drones.<h2>Zero-sum game</h2>Limited tactical victories scored by Iranian drones may prolong and 
further destabilize the war in Ukraine, but they will not tip the scales
 of conflict in Russia’s favor. Their greater contribution is to Iran’s national interests: They 
allow Iran to directly check and undermine the U.S. and NATO outside of 
Iran’s usual regional area of operations. They boost Iran’s profile 
among countries that also wish to challenge the United States and NATO’s
 political, military and economic power. And they strengthen solidarity 
among those countries.As Iran’s fighters, advisers and weapons proliferate to new areas and
 empower U.S. adversaries, Iran further promotes its national interests 
at the expense of U.S. national interests.Aaron Pilkington is a US Air Force Analyst of Middle East Affairs and PhD Student at Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189036/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>

🎥 Winner emerging from war in Ukraine, but not who you think

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nikiesha Thomas was on her way to work one day when she told her sister that she was thinking about getting involved with domestic violence prevention.

The idea gave Keeda Simpson pause. Her younger sister had never mentioned anything like that before, and she was bringing it up in a phone call just days after filing for a protective order against her ex-boyfriend.

Less than an hour later, Thomas' ex-boyfriend walked up to her parked car in a southeastern neighborhood of the nation's capital and shot through her passenger window, killing the 33-year-old.

It's cases like hers, where warning signs and legal paperwork weren't enough to save a life, that lawmakers had in mind this summer when they crafted the first major&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-gun-violence-bill-live-updates-20f7c9738fee4eba1d7fed155301ee25">bipartisan law</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-mental-gun-violence-government-and-politics-1cf62afca004ec613ad76e8808cbfb50">gun violence</a>&nbsp;in decades.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-gun-violence-bill-c21249287f976c2c164d8753205c2e6d">The measure signed by President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in June was part of a response to a harrowing string of shootings over the summer, including the slaying of 19 children at an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-education-violence-school-31aa135678f8118ed96d893ea77cf8ea">elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.</a>

The package included tougher background checks for the youngest gun buyers and help for states to put in place “red flag” laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people adjudged dangerous.

Also tucked into the bill was a proposal that will make it more difficult for a convicted domestic abuser to obtain firearms even when the abuser is not married to or doesn’t have a child with the victim.

Nearly a decade in the making, lawmakers' move to close the “boyfriend loophole” received far less attention than other aspects of the legislation. But advocates and lawmakers are hopeful this provision will save lives and become a major part of the law's legacy.

“We have so many women killed — one every 14 hours, from domestic partners with guns in this country,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a longtime advocate for the proposal, said before passage of the bill in June. “Sadly, half of those involve dating partners, people who aren’t married to someone, but they are in a romantic relationship with them in some way.”

Federal law has long barred people convicted of domestic violence or subject to a domestic violence restraining order from being able to buy a gun. But that restriction had only applied to an individual who is married to the victim, lived with the victim or had a child with the victim. As a result, it missed a whole group of perpetrators — current and former boyfriends or intimate partners — sometimes with fatal consequences.

At least 19 states and the District of Columbia have taken action on this issue, according to data compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety. Klobuchar and domestic violence advocates have worked for years to do the same on the federal level, with little success.

The struggle over defining a boyfriend in the law remained difficult to the end. Negotiations in Congress nearly broke down over the provision. The same thing happened in March when a similar bipartisan effort to reauthorize a 1990s-era law that extended protections to victims of domestic and sexual violence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-congress-gun-politics-violence-edc7fb5f3bc0261cdbe7a29c50ec7c8e">passed only after Democratic lawmakers took out the loophole provision</a>&nbsp;to ensure Republican support.

“That was the toughest issue in our negotiations,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a lead negotiator of the gun package, said of the loophole proposal. “The biggest discussion that took us a long time at the end was around the question of how you would get your rights back after you had been prohibited."

Murphy and other Democratic negotiators were able to persuade Republicans by including a narrow path to restoring access to firearms for first-time offenders after five years, only if they are not convicted of another misdemeanor for violent crime. For married couples, and those who have had a child together, the firearm ban is permanent.

To some advocates, more change is still needed. The legislation only partially closes the loophole because dating partners subject to a domestic violence restraining order, as in Thomas' case, are still able to buy and maintain access to firearms.

“It will for sure save lives. But also to be clear, this is a partial closure of what’s known as the boyfriend loophole. There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Jennifer Becker, the legal director and senior attorney for Legal Momentum, a legal defense and education fund for women, told The Associated Press.

Federal crime data for 2020 showed that out of all murder victims among intimate partners — including divorced and gay couples — girlfriends accounted for 37%, while wives accounted for 34%. Only 13% of the victims were boyfriends, and 7% were husbands.

In 2018, a group of researchers who looked at intimate partner homicides in 45 states from 1980 to 2013 found that when firearm prohibitions linked to domestic restraining orders included people who were dating, deaths dropped by 13%.

“It suggests that when you cast that wider net, by covering boyfriends, you are able to cover people who are more dangerous and potentially save more lives,” April Zeoli, a researcher at the University of Michigan who was part of that study, told the AP.

Thomas' family hopes the changes in the law will save lives and ensure their daughter's death wasn't in vain. They say Thomas was doing everything she could to protect herself when she left her yearslong relationship with 36-year-old Antoine Oliver in late September 2021.

It was only after her death in October that her family members found out that the protective order Thomas had filed three days earlier, detailing how her former partner had access to firearms and she felt unsafe, was never served. Sheriff’s deputies in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where Oliver lived, had been trying to reach him by phone.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656165369360.png" alt="<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-gun-violence-bill-c21249287f976c2c164d8753205c2e6d">The measure signed by President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in June was part of a response to a harrowing string of shootings over the summer, including the slaying of 19 children at an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-education-violence-school-31aa135678f8118ed96d893ea77cf8ea">elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-gun-violence-bill-c21249287f976c2c164d8753205c2e6d">The measure signed by President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in June was part of a response to a harrowing string of shootings over the summer, including the slaying of 19 children at an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-education-violence-school-31aa135678f8118ed96d893ea77cf8ea">elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.</a></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Nikiesha Thomas was on her way to work one day when she told her sister that she was thinking about getting involved with domestic violence prevention.The idea gave Keeda Simpson pause. Her younger sister had never mentioned anything like that before, and she was bringing it up in a phone call just days after filing for a protective order against her ex-boyfriend.It was their last conversation.Less than an hour later, Thomas' ex-boyfriend walked up to her parked car in a southeastern neighborhood of the nation's capital and shot through her passenger window, killing the 33-year-old.It's cases like hers, where warning signs and legal paperwork weren't enough to save a life, that lawmakers had in mind this summer when they crafted the first major&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-gun-violence-bill-live-updates-20f7c9738fee4eba1d7fed155301ee25">bipartisan law</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-mental-gun-violence-government-and-politics-1cf62afca004ec613ad76e8808cbfb50">gun violence</a>&nbsp;in decades.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-gun-violence-bill-c21249287f976c2c164d8753205c2e6d">The measure signed by President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in June was part of a response to a harrowing string of shootings over the summer, including the slaying of 19 children at an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-education-violence-school-31aa135678f8118ed96d893ea77cf8ea">elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.</a>The package included tougher background checks for the youngest gun buyers and help for states to put in place “red flag” laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people adjudged dangerous.Also tucked into the bill was a proposal that will make it more difficult for a convicted domestic abuser to obtain firearms even when the abuser is not married to or doesn’t have a child with the victim.Nearly a decade in the making, lawmakers' move to close the “boyfriend loophole” received far less attention than other aspects of the legislation. But advocates and lawmakers are hopeful this provision will save lives and become a major part of the law's legacy.“We have so many women killed — one every 14 hours, from domestic partners with guns in this country,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a longtime advocate for the proposal, said before passage of the bill in June. “Sadly, half of those involve dating partners, people who aren’t married to someone, but they are in a romantic relationship with them in some way.”Federal law has long barred people convicted of domestic violence or subject to a domestic violence restraining order from being able to buy a gun. But that restriction had only applied to an individual who is married to the victim, lived with the victim or had a child with the victim. As a result, it missed a whole group of perpetrators — current and former boyfriends or intimate partners — sometimes with fatal consequences.At least 19 states and the District of Columbia have taken action on this issue, according to data compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety. Klobuchar and domestic violence advocates have worked for years to do the same on the federal level, with little success.The struggle over defining a boyfriend in the law remained difficult to the end. Negotiations in Congress nearly broke down over the provision. The same thing happened in March when a similar bipartisan effort to reauthorize a 1990s-era law that extended protections to victims of domestic and sexual violence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-congress-gun-politics-violence-edc7fb5f3bc0261cdbe7a29c50ec7c8e">passed only after Democratic lawmakers took out the loophole provision</a>&nbsp;to ensure Republican support.“That was the toughest issue in our negotiations,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a lead negotiator of the gun package, said of the loophole proposal. “The biggest discussion that took us a long time at the end was around the question of how you would get your rights back after you had been prohibited."Murphy and other Democratic negotiators were able to persuade Republicans by including a narrow path to restoring access to firearms for first-time offenders after five years, only if they are not convicted of another misdemeanor for violent crime. For married couples, and those who have had a child together, the firearm ban is permanent.To some advocates, more change is still needed. The legislation only partially closes the loophole because dating partners subject to a domestic violence restraining order, as in Thomas' case, are still able to buy and maintain access to firearms.“It will for sure save lives. But also to be clear, this is a partial closure of what’s known as the boyfriend loophole. There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Jennifer Becker, the legal director and senior attorney for Legal Momentum, a legal defense and education fund for women, told The Associated Press.Federal crime data for 2020 showed that out of all murder victims among intimate partners — including divorced and gay couples — girlfriends accounted for 37%, while wives accounted for 34%. Only 13% of the victims were boyfriends, and 7% were husbands.In 2018, a group of researchers who looked at intimate partner homicides in 45 states from 1980 to 2013 found that when firearm prohibitions linked to domestic restraining orders included people who were dating, deaths dropped by 13%.“It suggests that when you cast that wider net, by covering boyfriends, you are able to cover people who are more dangerous and potentially save more lives,” April Zeoli, a researcher at the University of Michigan who was part of that study, told the AP.Thomas' family hopes the changes in the law will save lives and ensure their daughter's death wasn't in vain. They say Thomas was doing everything she could to protect herself when she left her yearslong relationship with 36-year-old Antoine Oliver in late September 2021.It was only after her death in October that her family members found out that the protective order Thomas had filed three days earlier, detailing how her former partner had access to firearms and she felt unsafe, was never served. Sheriff’s deputies in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where Oliver lived, had been trying to reach him by phone.When law enforcement finally reached Oliver, he told them he would come to accept service of the judicial order the following day. Instead, authorities said, he killed Thomas that day before fatally shooting himself.“Some days I just sit and review the paper she had filed with the court just a few days prior and just think, what else could she have done to protect herself?" said Nadine Thomas, her mother. Gilbert Thomas, her father, said his daughter did everything she was supposed to do, but it was the system that failed her.“She feared for her life and what did the police do? They called him and made arrangements for him to come to pick up the order,” he said. "There was no urgency placed on it."But now the family is bracing for the anniversary of Thomas' killing. The weight of grief is heavy, particularly for her 11-year-old daughter, Kylei, whom Thomas had from a relationship before she met Oliver.In the months before her death, Thomas had been making plans to buy a home for her and her daughter. She was saving up from her job with the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education, where she was assigned to an intervention program to help some of the district's most challenged students.“We really were starting to map out some things and it just got taken away,” her sister, Keeda Simpson, said. “One of the last things we talked about was her wanting to evoke change for other women.""I’m going to do whatever it takes — even if it’s a small thing — to help someone else that’s in her situation, not to lose their life," she added.___