&nbsp; Lincoln, Neb. May 17, 2024 —The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Soil Judging team took home six awards this year from the National Soil Judging Contest hosted by Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

UNL won second place overall team, first place in team judging, first place alternate team, third place individual (Mason Rutgers), first place alternate individual (Adrian Cox) and second place alternate individual (Rachel Clarkson). UNL Soil Judging has qualified for nationals every year since 2016 and received awards or recognition in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024.Student who participate in soil judging learn to identify different soil types, evaluate their composition and other characteristics, and interpret soil information for a variety of uses including agriculture. In the process, they develop a deep understanding of an appreciation for soils and how they form.

"I always describe soil judging as competitively playing in the dirt," said Mason Rutgers, a member of the UNL team majoring in agronomy. "Teams of students from across the country get together in one part of the country for a week and spend time learning about the soils of the region. We describe soil properties like color, texture, and structure and then make interpretations on water movement, cropping suitability, and engineering."

This was not Rutgers's first successful trip to the national contest. Rutgers placed 33rd&nbsp;at nationals in 2022, sixth in 2023, and third this year.

"Placing third this year showed that I am continually improving my skills as a soil scientist and getting the wonderful opportunity to learn more about the world we live in," Rutgers said.

Coaches Judy Turk, associate professor in the School of Natural Resources, and Becky Young, assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, had of team and individual achievements this year to be proud of.

"I was so proud and excited for the students, as they worked so hard throughout the semester and during the practice week," Young said. "It was great to see both new and veteran team members win individual awards and to be there to see the support and happiness their fellow team members had for them."

Team members include College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources students Charlotte Brockman, Julianna Canedo, Rachel Clarkson, Adrian Cox, Will Hernandez, Stephanie Kluthe, Jack Krebs, Nathan Kufner-Rodriguez, Claire Nalty, Anna Newcome, Natalie Robbins, Mason Rutgers, Mason Schumacher and Madi Stock.

"We’re fortunate enough to have the opportunity to mentor students who are excited and interested to learn about the nuances of soil formation and morphology and its connections to land-use suitability and new landscapes, and also voluntarily brave cold, hot, rainy, and/or windy conditions for several long days at a time, to do so," Young said. "It's also great to have the opportunity to watch them work together and learn new techniques or ways of thinking from each other and to grow individually and as a team overtime.&nbsp; The hardest part is saying goodbye to groups of graduating seniors that have been a part of the team for two or three years."

At this year’s national contest, 205 students from 25 teams across the nation spent four days practicing in the Iowan soil pits from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contestants also participated in a geology and area overview lecture as well as attended an all-teams banquet before the scored judging days. On the first day of scoring, contestants worked through three soil pits individually, and on the second day, they judged two pits as teams. Awards or recognition are given to the top 10 individual scoring participants, the top three individual alternates, the top five teams, and the top five overall teams.

A lot of work goes into preparing for the national contest each year. Coach Turk and Coach Young start studying the soils and landscapes of the contest site in the fall semester after the regional qualifier. They also gather student feedback on what the students want to improve on.

In the spring semester, the pair of coaches develop learning guides to help the students become familiar with the soil in the area of the contest. These guides include activities about soil features or topics unique to the contest area and texture and color quizzes to help students build on technique. Students give research presentations to share findings with the team. The team also tries to practice in the soil teaching pits, weather permitting.

Participating in soil judging helps students connect concepts in the classroom to what they have experienced in the field.

"Soil judging has been the most important part of my college career," Rutgers said. "As a kinesthetic learner who loves being outdoors, being able to feel and describe the properties of soils that we learn about in the classroom has significantly increased my understanding of soils."

For some students, soil judging can lead to undergraduate research or new career interests.

"Soil judging has also been a segue into undergraduate research for me," Rutgers said. "I've completed two soil-focused projects with Judy Turk, one of our team's coaches, as my advisor. I presented at last year's Soil Science Society of America annual meeting and won a few awards for my work."

Rutgers will pursue a Master's in Soil Science at Michigan State University where he will also get to coach the soil judging team and continue soil research.

"Soil judging is an excellent experience for those who enjoy spending time outdoors and learning about the ground at our feet," Rutgers said.T

he team is grateful for the support from the departments, college, alumni, and friends that allow them to continue to have impactful field experience and networking opportunities.

UNL&nbsp; Lincoln, Neb. May 17, 2024 —The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Soil Judging team took home six awards this year from the National Soil Judging Contest hosted by Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.UNL won second place overall team, first place in team judging, first place alternate team, third place individual (Mason Rutgers), first place alternate individual (Adrian Cox) and second place alternate individual (Rachel Clarkson). UNL Soil Judging has qualified for nationals every year since 2016 and received awards or recognition in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024.Student who participate in soil judging learn to identify different soil types, evaluate their composition and other characteristics, and interpret soil information for a variety of uses including agriculture. In the process, they develop a deep understanding of an appreciation for soils and how they form."I always describe soil judging as competitively playing in the dirt," said Mason Rutgers, a member of the UNL team majoring in agronomy. "Teams of students from across the country get together in one part of the country for a week and spend time learning about the soils of the region. We describe soil properties like color, texture, and structure and then make interpretations on water movement, cropping suitability, and engineering."This was not Rutgers's first successful trip to the national contest. Rutgers placed 33rd&nbsp;at nationals in 2022, sixth in 2023, and third this year."Placing third this year showed that I am continually improving my skills as a soil scientist and getting the wonderful opportunity to learn more about the world we live in," Rutgers said.Coaches Judy Turk, associate professor in the School of Natural Resources, and Becky Young, assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, had of team and individual achievements this year to be proud of."I was so proud and excited for the students, as they worked so hard throughout the semester and during the practice week," Young said. "It was great to see both new and veteran team members win individual awards and to be there to see the support and happiness their fellow team members had for them."Team members include College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources students Charlotte Brockman, Julianna Canedo, Rachel Clarkson, Adrian Cox, Will Hernandez, Stephanie Kluthe, Jack Krebs, Nathan Kufner-Rodriguez, Claire Nalty, Anna Newcome, Natalie Robbins, Mason Rutgers, Mason Schumacher and Madi Stock."We’re fortunate enough to have the opportunity to mentor students who are excited and interested to learn about the nuances of soil formation and morphology and its connections to land-use suitability and new landscapes, and also voluntarily brave cold, hot, rainy, and/or windy conditions for several long days at a time, to do so," Young said. "It's also great to have the opportunity to watch them work together and learn new techniques or ways of thinking from each other and to grow individually and as a team overtime.&nbsp; The hardest part is saying goodbye to groups of graduating seniors that have been a part of the team for two or three years."At this year’s national contest, 205 students from 25 teams across the nation spent four days practicing in the Iowan soil pits from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contestants also participated in a geology and area overview lecture as well as attended an all-teams banquet before the scored judging days. On the first day of scoring, contestants worked through three soil pits individually, and on the second day, they judged two pits as teams. Awards or recognition are given to the top 10 individual scoring participants, the top three individual alternates, the top five teams, and the top five overall teams.A lot of work goes into preparing for the national contest each year. Coach Turk and Coach Young start studying the soils and landscapes of the contest site in the fall semester after the regional qualifier. They also gather student feedback on what the students want to improve on.In the spring semester, the pair of coaches develop learning guides to help the students become familiar with the soil in the area of the contest. These guides include activities about soil features or topics unique to the contest area and texture and color quizzes to help students build on technique. Students give research presentations to share findings with the team. The team also tries to practice in the soil teaching pits, weather permitting.Participating in soil judging helps students connect concepts in the classroom to what they have experienced in the field."Soil judging has been the most important part of my college career," Rutgers said. "As a kinesthetic learner who loves being outdoors, being able to feel and describe the properties of soils that we learn about in the classroom has significantly increased my understanding of soils."For some students, soil judging can lead to undergraduate research or new career interests."Soil judging has also been a segue into undergraduate research for me," Rutgers said. "I've completed two soil-focused projects with Judy Turk, one of our team's coaches, as my advisor. I presented at last year's Soil Science Society of America annual meeting and won a few awards for my work."Rutgers will pursue a Master's in Soil Science at Michigan State University where he will also get to coach the soil judging team and continue soil research."Soil judging is an excellent experience for those who enjoy spending time outdoors and learning about the ground at our feet," Rutgers said.The team is grateful for the support from the departments, college, alumni, and friends that allow them to continue to have impactful field experience and networking opportunities.

UNL Soil Judging Team takes home runner-up award at the National Soil Judging Contest

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trucks carrying badly needed aid for the Gaza Strip rolled across a newly built U.S. pier and into the besieged enclave for the first time Friday as Israeli restrictions on border crossings and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">heavy fighting</a>&nbsp;hindered the delivery of food and other supplies.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-humanitarian-aid-pier-israel-us-7fd8cf63c60e4155479e761f3c79914d">shipment is the first in an operation</a>&nbsp;that American military officials anticipate could scale up to 150 truckloads a day, all while Israel presses in on the southern city of Rafah in its seven-month offensive against Hamas.

But the U.S. and aid groups warn that the floating pier project is not a substitute for land deliveries that could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aid-gaza-pier-us-military-israel-famine-664f28efb9f4dc7a8629e79102e1175c">bring in all the food, water and fuel needed</a>&nbsp;in Gaza. Before the war, more than 500 truckloads entered the territory on an average day.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-deliveries-us-pier-dangers-israel-f7b351934c22d58d94a48eb6ca5d60ff">operation's success also remains tenuous</a>&nbsp;because of the risk of militant attack, logistical hurdles and a growing shortage of fuel for the aid trucks due to the Israeli blockade of Gaza since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage in that assault on southern Israel. The Israeli offensive since has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, local health officials say, while hundreds more have been killed in the West Bank.

Aid agencies say they are running out of food in southern Gaza and fuel is dwindling, while the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.N. World Food Program say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">famine has already taken hold</a>&nbsp;in Gaza’s north.

Troops finished installing the floating pier on Thursday, and the U.S. military's Central Command said the first aid crossed into Gaza at 9 a.m. Friday. It said no American troops went ashore in the operation.

The Pentagon said no backups were expected in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-crossings-aid-gaza-f654871ba67c42e6345b6f709427b664">distribution process</a>. The U.S. plan is for the United Nations, through its World Food Program, to take charge of the aid once it leaves the pier. This will involve coordinating the arrival of empty trucks and their registration, overseeing the transfer of goods coming through the floating dock to the trucks and their dispatch to warehouses across Gaza, and, finally, handing over the supplies to aid groups for delivery.

The U.K. said some of its aid for Gaza was in the first shipment that went ashore, including the first of 8,400 kits to provide temporary shelter made of plastic sheeting. And it said more aid, including 2,000 additional shelter kits, 900 tents, five forklift trucks and 9,200 hygiene kits, will follow in the coming weeks.

“This is the culmination of a Herculean joint international effort," said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “We know the maritime route is not the only answer. We need to see more land routes open, including via the Rafah crossing, to ensure much more aid gets safely to civilians in desperate need of help.”

Aid distribution had not yet begun as of Friday afternoon, said a U.N. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The official said the process of unloading and reloading cargo was still ongoing.

The U.N. humanitarian aid coordinating agency said the start of the operation was welcome but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-war-hamas-aid-trucks-unrwa-30173642b5c298c829f1457db357071e">not a replacement for deliveries by land</a>.

“I think everyone in the operation has said it: Any and all aid into Gaza is welcome by any route,” Jens Laerke, spokesman of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told journalists in Geneva on Friday. Getting aid to people in Gaza “cannot and should not depend on a floating dock far from where needs are most acute.”

The U.N. earlier said fuel deliveries brought through land routes have all but stopped and that would make it extremely difficult to bring the aid to Gaza’s people.

“It doesn’t matter how the aid comes, whether it’s by sea or whether by land, without fuel, aid won’t get to the people,” U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said Thursday.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the issue of fuel deliveries comes up in all U.S. conversations with the Israelis. She also said the plan is to begin slowly with the sea route and ramp up the truck deliveries over time as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-aid-port-eb8a701b3a7dc8f946422c04323ff913">work the kinks out of the system</a>.

Israel fears Hamas will use fuel in the war, but it asserts it places no limits on the entry of humanitarian aid and blames the U.N. for delays in distributing goods entering Gaza. Under pressure from the U.S., Israel has opened a pair of crossings to deliver aid into the territory’s hard-hit north in recent weeks.

It has said that a series of Hamas attacks on the main crossing, Kerem Shalom, have disrupted the flow of goods. The U.N. says fighting, Israeli fire and chaotic security conditions have hindered delivery. There have also been violent protests by Israelis that disrupted aid shipments.

Israel recently seized the Rafah border crossing in its push against Hamas around that city on the Egyptian border, raising fears about civilians' safety while also cutting off the main entry for aid into the Gaza Strip.

U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the pier project, expected to cost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-aid-gaza-us-port-pier-d4d9ea94550aed2d24a258dfd98d866e">$320 million</a>. The boatloads of aid will be deposited at a port facility built by the Israelis just southwest of Gaza City and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-aid-pier-us-military-e988256270fc0067d2f5524fd542a475">distributed by aid groups</a>.

U.S. officials said the initial shipment totaled as much as 500 tons of aid. The U.S. has closely coordinated with Israel on how to protect the ships and personnel working on the beach.

But there are still questions about the safety of aid workers who distribute the food, said Sonali Korde, assistant to the administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, which is helping with logistics.

“There is a very insecure operating environment,” and aid groups are still struggling to get clearance for their planned movements in Gaza, Korde said.

That concern was highlighted last month when an Israeli strike&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-central-kitchen-jose-andres-gaza-israel-a21b62edbfa1150d0eb78ed5597a03c8">killed seven relief workers from World Central Kitchen</a>&nbsp;whose trip had been coordinated with Israeli officials. The group had also brought aid in by sea.

Pentagon officials have made it clear that security conditions will be monitored closely and could prompt a shutdown of the maritime route, even if just temporarily. Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, a deputy commander at the U.S. military’s Central Command, told reporters Thursday that “we are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved.”

Already, the site has been targeted by mortar fire during its construction, and Hamas has threatened to target any foreign forces who “occupy” the Gaza Strip.

Biden has made it clear that there will be no U.S. forces on the ground in Gaza, so third-country contractors will drive the trucks onto the shore.

Israeli forces are in charge of security on shore, but there are also two U.S. Navy warships nearby that can protect U.S. troops and others.

The aid for the sea route is collected and inspected in Cyprus, then loaded onto ships and taken about 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the large floating pier off the Gaza coast. There, the pallets are transferred onto the trucks that then drive onto the Army boats, which will shuttle the trucks from the pier to a floating causeway anchored to the beach. Once the trucks drop off the aid, they return to the boats.

The shipment is the first in an operation that American military officials anticipate could scale up to 150 truckloads a day, all while Israel presses in on the southern city of Rafah in its 7-month offensive against Hamas.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-deliveries-us-pier-dangers-israel-f7b351934c22d58d94a48eb6ca5d60ff">operation's success also remains tenuous</a>&nbsp;because of the risk of militant attack, logistical hurdles and a growing shortage of fuel for the trucks to run due to the Israeli blockade of Gaza since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage in that assault on southern Israel. The Israeli offensive since has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, local health officials say, while hundreds more have been killed in the West Bank.

Aid agencies say they are running out of food in southern Gaza and fuel is dwindling, while the U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Food Program say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">famine has already taken hold</a>&nbsp;in Gaza’s north.

“This is an ongoing, multinational effort to deliver additional aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza via a maritime corridor that is entirely humanitarian in nature, and will involve aid commodities donated by a number of countries and humanitarian organizations,” the command said.

The Pentagon said no backups were expected in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-crossings-aid-gaza-f654871ba67c42e6345b6f709427b664">distribution process</a>, which is being coordinated by the United Nations.

The U.N. humanitarian aid coordinating agency said the start of the operation was welcome but not a replacement for deliveries by land.

“I think everyone in the operation has said it: Any and all aid into Gaza is welcome by any route,” spokesperson Jens Laerke, of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told journalists in Geneva on Friday. Getting aid to people in Gaza “cannot and should not depend on a floating dock far from where needs are most acute.”

“It doesn’t matter how the aid comes, whether it’s by sea or whether by land, without fuel, aid won’t get to the people,” U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the issue of fuel deliveries comes up in all U.S. conversations with the Israelis. She also said the plan is to begin slowly with the sea route and ramp up the truck deliveries over time as they work the kinks out of the system.

Israel recently seized the key Rafah border crossing in its push against Hamas around that city on the Egyptian border, raising fears about civilians' safety while also cutting off the main entry for aid into the Gaza Strip.

That concern was highlighted last month when Israeli strike&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-central-kitchen-jose-andres-gaza-israel-a21b62edbfa1150d0eb78ed5597a03c8">killed seven relief workers from World Central Kitchen</a>&nbsp;whose trip had been coordinated with Israeli officials. The group had also brought aid in by sea.

The aid for the sea route is collected and inspected in Cyprus, then loaded onto ships and taken about 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-humanitarian-aid-pier-israel-us-7fd8cf63c60e4155479e761f3c79914d">large floating pier</a>&nbsp;off the Gaza coast. There, the pallets are transferred onto the trucks that then drive onto the Army boats, which will shuttle the trucks from the pier to a floating causeway anchored to the beach. Once the trucks drop off the aid, they return to the boats.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715970334608.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Trucks carrying badly needed aid for the Gaza Strip rolled across a newly built U.S. pier and into the besieged enclave for the first time Friday as Israeli restrictions on border crossings and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">heavy fighting</a>&nbsp;hindered the delivery of food and other supplies.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-humanitarian-aid-pier-israel-us-7fd8cf63c60e4155479e761f3c79914d">shipment is the first in an operation</a>&nbsp;that American military officials anticipate could scale up to 150 truckloads a day, all while Israel presses in on the southern city of Rafah in its seven-month offensive against Hamas.But the U.S. and aid groups warn that the floating pier project is not a substitute for land deliveries that could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aid-gaza-pier-us-military-israel-famine-664f28efb9f4dc7a8629e79102e1175c">bring in all the food, water and fuel needed</a>&nbsp;in Gaza. Before the war, more than 500 truckloads entered the territory on an average day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715970463118.png" alt="photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-deliveries-us-pier-dangers-israel-f7b351934c22d58d94a48eb6ca5d60ff">operation's success also remains tenuous</a>&nbsp;because of the risk of militant attack, logistical hurdles and a growing shortage of fuel for the aid trucks due to the Israeli blockade of Gaza since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage in that assault on southern Israel. The Israeli offensive since has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, local health officials say, while hundreds more have been killed in the West Bank.Aid agencies say they are running out of food in southern Gaza and fuel is dwindling, while the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.N. World Food Program say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">famine has already taken hold</a>&nbsp;in Gaza’s north.Troops finished installing the floating pier on Thursday, and the U.S. military's Central Command said the first aid crossed into Gaza at 9 a.m. Friday. It said no American troops went ashore in the operation.The Pentagon said no backups were expected in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-crossings-aid-gaza-f654871ba67c42e6345b6f709427b664">distribution process</a>. The U.S. plan is for the United Nations, through its World Food Program, to take charge of the aid once it leaves the pier. This will involve coordinating the arrival of empty trucks and their registration, overseeing the transfer of goods coming through the floating dock to the trucks and their dispatch to warehouses across Gaza, and, finally, handing over the supplies to aid groups for delivery.The U.K. said some of its aid for Gaza was in the first shipment that went ashore, including the first of 8,400 kits to provide temporary shelter made of plastic sheeting. And it said more aid, including 2,000 additional shelter kits, 900 tents, five forklift trucks and 9,200 hygiene kits, will follow in the coming weeks.“This is the culmination of a Herculean joint international effort," said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “We know the maritime route is not the only answer. We need to see more land routes open, including via the Rafah crossing, to ensure much more aid gets safely to civilians in desperate need of help.”Aid distribution had not yet begun as of Friday afternoon, said a U.N. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The official said the process of unloading and reloading cargo was still ongoing.The U.N. humanitarian aid coordinating agency said the start of the operation was welcome but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-war-hamas-aid-trucks-unrwa-30173642b5c298c829f1457db357071e">not a replacement for deliveries by land</a>.“I think everyone in the operation has said it: Any and all aid into Gaza is welcome by any route,” Jens Laerke, spokesman of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told journalists in Geneva on Friday. Getting aid to people in Gaza “cannot and should not depend on a floating dock far from where needs are most acute.”The U.N. earlier said fuel deliveries brought through land routes have all but stopped and that would make it extremely difficult to bring the aid to Gaza’s people.“It doesn’t matter how the aid comes, whether it’s by sea or whether by land, without fuel, aid won’t get to the people,” U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said Thursday.Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the issue of fuel deliveries comes up in all U.S. conversations with the Israelis. She also said the plan is to begin slowly with the sea route and ramp up the truck deliveries over time as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-aid-port-eb8a701b3a7dc8f946422c04323ff913">work the kinks out of the system</a>.Israel fears Hamas will use fuel in the war, but it asserts it places no limits on the entry of humanitarian aid and blames the U.N. for delays in distributing goods entering Gaza. Under pressure from the U.S., Israel has opened a pair of crossings to deliver aid into the territory’s hard-hit north in recent weeks.It has said that a series of Hamas attacks on the main crossing, Kerem Shalom, have disrupted the flow of goods. The U.N. says fighting, Israeli fire and chaotic security conditions have hindered delivery. There have also been violent protests by Israelis that disrupted aid shipments.Israel recently seized the Rafah border crossing in its push against Hamas around that city on the Egyptian border, raising fears about civilians' safety while also cutting off the main entry for aid into the Gaza Strip.U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the pier project, expected to cost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-aid-gaza-us-port-pier-d4d9ea94550aed2d24a258dfd98d866e">$320 million</a>. The boatloads of aid will be deposited at a port facility built by the Israelis just southwest of Gaza City and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-aid-pier-us-military-e988256270fc0067d2f5524fd542a475">distributed by aid groups</a>.U.S. officials said the initial shipment totaled as much as 500 tons of aid. The U.S. has closely coordinated with Israel on how to protect the ships and personnel working on the beach.But there are still questions about the safety of aid workers who distribute the food, said Sonali Korde, assistant to the administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, which is helping with logistics.“There is a very insecure operating environment,” and aid groups are still struggling to get clearance for their planned movements in Gaza, Korde said.That concern was highlighted last month when an Israeli strike&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-central-kitchen-jose-andres-gaza-israel-a21b62edbfa1150d0eb78ed5597a03c8">killed seven relief workers from World Central Kitchen</a>&nbsp;whose trip had been coordinated with Israeli officials. The group had also brought aid in by sea.Pentagon officials have made it clear that security conditions will be monitored closely and could prompt a shutdown of the maritime route, even if just temporarily. Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, a deputy commander at the U.S. military’s Central Command, told reporters Thursday that “we are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved.”Already, the site has been targeted by mortar fire during its construction, and Hamas has threatened to target any foreign forces who “occupy” the Gaza Strip.Biden has made it clear that there will be no U.S. forces on the ground in Gaza, so third-country contractors will drive the trucks onto the shore.Israeli forces are in charge of security on shore, but there are also two U.S. Navy warships nearby that can protect U.S. troops and others.The aid for the sea route is collected and inspected in Cyprus, then loaded onto ships and taken about 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the large floating pier off the Gaza coast. There, the pallets are transferred onto the trucks that then drive onto the Army boats, which will shuttle the trucks from the pier to a floating causeway anchored to the beach. Once the trucks drop off the aid, they return to the boats.-------------WASHINGTON (AP) — Trucks carrying badly needed aid for the Gaza Strip rolled across a newly built U.S. pier and into the besieged enclave for the first time Friday as Israeli restrictions on border crossings and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">heavy fighting</a>&nbsp;hindered the delivery of food and other supplies.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715940291761.png" alt="U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) use a rope to stabilize humanitarian aid while it is lifted by a crane aboard the MV Roy P. Benavidez to support the Joint Logistics Over-the-shore (JLOTS) operation, in the Port of Ashdod, Israel, May 13, 2024. (Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley/U.S. Army&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) use a rope to stabilize humanitarian aid while it is lifted by a crane aboard the MV Roy P. Benavidez to support the Joint Logistics Over-the-shore (JLOTS) operation, in the Port of Ashdod, Israel, May 13, 2024. (Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley/U.S. Army&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The shipment is the first in an operation that American military officials anticipate could scale up to 150 truckloads a day, all while Israel presses in on the southern city of Rafah in its 7-month offensive against Hamas.But the U.S. and aid groups warn that the floating pier project is not a substitute for land deliveries that could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aid-gaza-pier-us-military-israel-famine-664f28efb9f4dc7a8629e79102e1175c">bring in all the food, water and fuel needed</a>&nbsp;in Gaza. Before the war, more than 500 truckloads entered the territory on an average day.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-deliveries-us-pier-dangers-israel-f7b351934c22d58d94a48eb6ca5d60ff">operation's success also remains tenuous</a>&nbsp;because of the risk of militant attack, logistical hurdles and a growing shortage of fuel for the trucks to run due to the Israeli blockade of Gaza since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage in that assault on southern Israel. The Israeli offensive since has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, local health officials say, while hundreds more have been killed in the West Bank.Aid agencies say they are running out of food in southern Gaza and fuel is dwindling, while the U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Food Program say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">famine has already taken hold</a>&nbsp;in Gaza’s north.Troops finished installing the floating pier on Thursday, and the U.S. military's Central Command said the first aid crossed into Gaza at 9 a.m. Friday. It said no American troops went ashore in the operation.“This is an ongoing, multinational effort to deliver additional aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza via a maritime corridor that is entirely humanitarian in nature, and will involve aid commodities donated by a number of countries and humanitarian organizations,” the command said.The Pentagon said no backups were expected in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-crossings-aid-gaza-f654871ba67c42e6345b6f709427b664">distribution process</a>, which is being coordinated by the United Nations.The U.N. humanitarian aid coordinating agency said the start of the operation was welcome but not a replacement for deliveries by land.“I think everyone in the operation has said it: Any and all aid into Gaza is welcome by any route,” spokesperson Jens Laerke, of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told journalists in Geneva on Friday. Getting aid to people in Gaza “cannot and should not depend on a floating dock far from where needs are most acute.”The U.N. earlier said fuel deliveries brought through land routes have all but stopped and that would make it extremely difficult to bring the aid to Gaza’s people.“It doesn’t matter how the aid comes, whether it’s by sea or whether by land, without fuel, aid won’t get to the people,” U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said.Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the issue of fuel deliveries comes up in all U.S. conversations with the Israelis. She also said the plan is to begin slowly with the sea route and ramp up the truck deliveries over time as they work the kinks out of the system.Israel fears Hamas will use fuel in the war, but it asserts it places no limits on the entry of humanitarian aid and blames the U.N. for delays in distributing goods entering Gaza. Under pressure from the U.S., Israel has opened a pair of crossings to deliver aid into the territory’s hard-hit north in recent weeks.It has said that a series of Hamas attacks on the main crossing, Kerem Shalom, have disrupted the flow of goods. The U.N. says fighting, Israeli fire and chaotic security conditions have hindered delivery. There have also been violent protests by Israelis that disrupted aid shipments.Israel recently seized the key Rafah border crossing in its push against Hamas around that city on the Egyptian border, raising fears about civilians' safety while also cutting off the main entry for aid into the Gaza Strip.U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the pier project, expected to cost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-aid-gaza-us-port-pier-d4d9ea94550aed2d24a258dfd98d866e">$320 million</a>. The boatloads of aid will be deposited at a port facility built by the Israelis just southwest of Gaza City and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-aid-pier-us-military-e988256270fc0067d2f5524fd542a475">distributed by aid groups</a>.U.S. officials said the initial shipment totaled as much as 500 tons of aid. The U.S. has closely coordinated with Israel on how to protect the ships and personnel working on the beach.But there are still questions about the safety of aid workers who distribute the food, said Sonali Korde, assistant to the administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, which is helping with logistics.“There is a very insecure operating environment,” and aid groups are still struggling to get clearance for their planned movements in Gaza, Korde said.That concern was highlighted last month when Israeli strike&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-central-kitchen-jose-andres-gaza-israel-a21b62edbfa1150d0eb78ed5597a03c8">killed seven relief workers from World Central Kitchen</a>&nbsp;whose trip had been coordinated with Israeli officials. The group had also brought aid in by sea.Pentagon officials have made it clear that security conditions will be monitored closely and could prompt a shutdown of the maritime route, even if just temporarily. Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, a deputy commander at the U.S. military’s Central Command, told reporters Thursday that “we are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved.”Already, the site has been targeted by mortar fire during its construction, and Hamas has threatened to target any foreign forces who “occupy” the Gaza Strip.Biden has made it clear that there will be no U.S. forces on the ground in Gaza, so third-country contractors will drive the trucks onto the shore.Israeli forces are in charge of security on shore, but there are also two U.S. Navy warships nearby that can protect U.S. troops and others.The aid for the sea route is collected and inspected in Cyprus, then loaded onto ships and taken about 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-humanitarian-aid-pier-israel-us-7fd8cf63c60e4155479e761f3c79914d">large floating pier</a>&nbsp;off the Gaza coast. There, the pallets are transferred onto the trucks that then drive onto the Army boats, which will shuttle the trucks from the pier to a floating causeway anchored to the beach. Once the trucks drop off the aid, they return to the boats.

Trucks are rolling across a new US pier into Gaza

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged back from their record heights Thursday after the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly topped the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dow-jones-industrial-average-record-rally-22aaf53da73b4550af35e7c40cf30214">40,000 level</a>&nbsp;for the first time.

The Dow slipped 38.62 points, or 0.1%, to 39,869.38. The S&amp;P 500 index, which is much more widely followed on Wall Street, dipped 11.05, or 0.2%, to 5,297.10, and the Nasdaq composite fell 44.07, or 0.3%, to 16,698.32. All three indexes had rallied on Wednesday to all-time highs.

Deere weighed on the market and sank 4.7% despite reporting stronger profit for its latest quarter than expected. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deere-farmer-inflation-7cf9c7adf1d4f2f05b995fced9eeef7b">cut its forecast for upcoming profit</a>&nbsp;this fiscal year, below analysts’ estimates, as farmers buy fewer tractors and other equipment.

Homebuilders also helped drag the market lower following a weaker-than-expected report on the housing industry. They gave back some of their big gains from the day before, when hopes for lower mortgage rates had sent them sharply higher. D.R. Horton sank 4.2%, Lennar fell 3.3% and PulteGroup dropped 2.8%.

Also sinking were GameStop and AMC Entertainment, which slid for a second straight day following their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meme-stocks-wall-street-gamestop-amc-f56af9d8853d77180548028a1a7f3f0f">jaw-dropping starts to the week</a>. They’ve been moving more on excitement drummed up by investors than any changes to their financial prospects.

GameStop fell 30%, though it’s still up nearly 59% for the week so far. AMC Entertainment lost 15.3%.

Such drops helped offset a 7% jump for Walmart, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walmart-firstquarter-earnings-inflation-economy-2dc446f6df16aa8c1cfc76df81a9ae1f">reported stronger profit</a>&nbsp;for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The retailer also said its revenue for the year could top the forecasted range it had earlier given.

Walmart's strength could be an encouraging signal for the broader economy. Worries have been rising about whether U.S. households can keep up with still-high inflation and more expensive credit-card payments, particularly households at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-low-income-squeeze-profits-93d0614a3a0d0a93cf9e15e0985a7271">the lower end of the income spectrum</a>.

Target, which reports its quarterly results next week, climbed following Walmart's report, along with other retailers like Dollar General and Dollar Tree. Each added at least 2%.

Chubb rose 4.7% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-chubb-stock-c84b893df510c5655a02272f1a41c913">Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed</a>&nbsp;it had built an ownership stake in the insurer.

Under Armour swung between losses and gains after it warned that its revenue will be likely down by “a low double-digit percentage rate” this upcoming fiscal year, citing weaker demand from wholesalers and “inconsistent execution across our business.”

The company announced a restructuring plan to cut costs and also announced a program to buy back up to $500 million of its stock. It dropped 1.3%.

Stronger-than-expected profit reports have been one of the main reasons U.S. stock indexes have broadly jumped through May to records following a tough April. Another has been revived hopes that the Federal Reserve will be able to cut its main interest rate at least once this year. The Fed has been keeping its federal funds rate at the highest level in more than two decades.

A string of worse-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-election-federal-reserve-rates-economy-f54d6af95e3eef434bddb72d25e3decf">reports on inflation</a>&nbsp;at the start of the year had put the potential for such cuts in jeopardy, but some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-rates-economy-federal-reserve-biden-d86c5a3a91a61687496f4a985e6bf362">more encouraging data</a>&nbsp;has since arrived.

Treasury yields have largely eased in May as hopes rose that the economy could hit the hoped-for sweet spot, where it cools enough because of high interest rates to stifle inflation but not so much that it causes a bad recession.

Yields rose Thursday following some mixed data on the economy, including the report that hurt homebuilder stocks, which showed the industry broke ground on fewer projects than expected.

One report showed slightly more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-9622d319ed92d48634e87e2ecf12de15">workers applied for unemployment</a>&nbsp;benefits last week than economists expected, though the number remains low compared with history. Others said manufacturing growth in the mid-Atlantic region was weaker than hoped and import prices rose more than forecast.

“Today’s numbers were in line with the overall theme of the week — nothing dramatic, but showing signs of a steady-to-cooling economy,” said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.37% from 4.35% late Wednesday. The two-year yield, which moves more closely with expectations for action by the Fed, rose to 4.79% from 4.72%.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were modestly lower in much of Europe after mostly rising in Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 1.6% after reopening following a holiday, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.4%.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678480429519.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged back from their record heights Thursday after the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly topped the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dow-jones-industrial-average-record-rally-22aaf53da73b4550af35e7c40cf30214">40,000 level</a>&nbsp;for the first time.The Dow slipped 38.62 points, or 0.1%, to 39,869.38. The S&amp;P 500 index, which is much more widely followed on Wall Street, dipped 11.05, or 0.2%, to 5,297.10, and the Nasdaq composite fell 44.07, or 0.3%, to 16,698.32. All three indexes had rallied on Wednesday to all-time highs.Deere weighed on the market and sank 4.7% despite reporting stronger profit for its latest quarter than expected. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deere-farmer-inflation-7cf9c7adf1d4f2f05b995fced9eeef7b">cut its forecast for upcoming profit</a>&nbsp;this fiscal year, below analysts’ estimates, as farmers buy fewer tractors and other equipment.Homebuilders also helped drag the market lower following a weaker-than-expected report on the housing industry. They gave back some of their big gains from the day before, when hopes for lower mortgage rates had sent them sharply higher. D.R. Horton sank 4.2%, Lennar fell 3.3% and PulteGroup dropped 2.8%.Also sinking were GameStop and AMC Entertainment, which slid for a second straight day following their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meme-stocks-wall-street-gamestop-amc-f56af9d8853d77180548028a1a7f3f0f">jaw-dropping starts to the week</a>. They’ve been moving more on excitement drummed up by investors than any changes to their financial prospects.GameStop fell 30%, though it’s still up nearly 59% for the week so far. AMC Entertainment lost 15.3%.Such drops helped offset a 7% jump for Walmart, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walmart-firstquarter-earnings-inflation-economy-2dc446f6df16aa8c1cfc76df81a9ae1f">reported stronger profit</a>&nbsp;for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The retailer also said its revenue for the year could top the forecasted range it had earlier given.Walmart's strength could be an encouraging signal for the broader economy. Worries have been rising about whether U.S. households can keep up with still-high inflation and more expensive credit-card payments, particularly households at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-low-income-squeeze-profits-93d0614a3a0d0a93cf9e15e0985a7271">the lower end of the income spectrum</a>.Target, which reports its quarterly results next week, climbed following Walmart's report, along with other retailers like Dollar General and Dollar Tree. Each added at least 2%.Chubb rose 4.7% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-chubb-stock-c84b893df510c5655a02272f1a41c913">Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed</a>&nbsp;it had built an ownership stake in the insurer.Under Armour swung between losses and gains after it warned that its revenue will be likely down by “a low double-digit percentage rate” this upcoming fiscal year, citing weaker demand from wholesalers and “inconsistent execution across our business.”The company announced a restructuring plan to cut costs and also announced a program to buy back up to $500 million of its stock. It dropped 1.3%.Stronger-than-expected profit reports have been one of the main reasons U.S. stock indexes have broadly jumped through May to records following a tough April. Another has been revived hopes that the Federal Reserve will be able to cut its main interest rate at least once this year. The Fed has been keeping its federal funds rate at the highest level in more than two decades.A string of worse-than-expected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-election-federal-reserve-rates-economy-f54d6af95e3eef434bddb72d25e3decf">reports on inflation</a>&nbsp;at the start of the year had put the potential for such cuts in jeopardy, but some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-rates-economy-federal-reserve-biden-d86c5a3a91a61687496f4a985e6bf362">more encouraging data</a>&nbsp;has since arrived.Treasury yields have largely eased in May as hopes rose that the economy could hit the hoped-for sweet spot, where it cools enough because of high interest rates to stifle inflation but not so much that it causes a bad recession.Yields rose Thursday following some mixed data on the economy, including the report that hurt homebuilder stocks, which showed the industry broke ground on fewer projects than expected.One report showed slightly more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-9622d319ed92d48634e87e2ecf12de15">workers applied for unemployment</a>&nbsp;benefits last week than economists expected, though the number remains low compared with history. Others said manufacturing growth in the mid-Atlantic region was weaker than hoped and import prices rose more than forecast.“Today’s numbers were in line with the overall theme of the week — nothing dramatic, but showing signs of a steady-to-cooling economy,” said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.37% from 4.35% late Wednesday. The two-year yield, which moves more closely with expectations for action by the Fed, rose to 4.79% from 4.72%.In stock markets abroad, indexes were modestly lower in much of Europe after mostly rising in Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 1.6% after reopening following a holiday, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.4%.

History: Wall Street edges back after Dow briefly tops 40,000

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected efforts to roll back guidance from the Treasury Department regarding how state and local governments can spend funding approved by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00168.htm">46-49 vote</a>&nbsp;on the Congressional Review Act resolution ended an attempt by several GOP senators to block the Biden administration from changing the definition of “obligation” as it relates to State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and the timeline for spending some of that money.

Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt said during floor debate that the Treasury Department’s change in guidance, which was released in November, was trying to “pull a fast one” on Congress.

“Treasury’s attempted sleight of hand to keep the COVID spending spigot on is an insult to Congress and those who believe in our Constitution, as well as a complete misuse of taxpayer dollars,” Schmitt said.

The fund for state and local governments, Schmitt said, was intended to assist with “revenue shortfalls tied to the COVID-19 pandemic” and the law clearly stated that “all costs incurred with money from this fund must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2024.”

The interim final rule that the Treasury Department&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Obligation_Interim_Final_Rule_2023.pdf">released</a>&nbsp;around Thanksgiving extended that deadline by two years for “administrative and legal costs, such as compliance costs and internal control requirements,” he said.

“This rule ensures that funding does not go to bridges or broadband, but to bureaucrats,” Schmitt said.

Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden spoke against the CRA resolution during floor debate, saying it could have impacted 17 projects in Georgia, 160 in Michigan, 342 in Ohio, 50 in Arizona, 404 in Montana and 73 in West Virginia.

“Nationwide there could be thousands of projects closed. Tens or even hundreds of jobs lost,” Wyden said. “This one is one of the most unusual votes that I’ve seen recently, a true head scratcher.”

Wyden said he didn’t “see a good reason for the United States Senate to backtrack on solid, bipartisan progress and have this chamber act in a way that leaves more of our nation’s infrastructure in a state of disrepair.”

Schmitt said during a press conference before the vote that the claim the CRA resolution would have impacted projects already underway was a lie.

“Essentially the obligations that are committed before the end of 2024, according to existing law, will be honored,” Schmitt said. “What this says is that you can’t extend that out into ‘25 and ‘26. That was never the congressional intent here.”

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, also speaking at the GOP press conference, said the CRA resolution would claw back about $13 billion and went as far as calling it “illegal spending.”

“The clock is going to run out, but Joe Biden is trying to circumvent the law once again,” Marshall said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic is over and spending from those laws needs to wind down.

Schmitt introduced the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/57/text">two-page CRA resolution</a>&nbsp;in February along with Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Marshall and Rick Scott of Florida.

The National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities and the Government Finance Officers Association urged lawmakers to vote against the CRA in a written statement released Wednesday before the vote.

“The $350 billion SLFRF provided $65.1 billion to every city and county in America, and since 2021, localities have used these crucial resources to meet the unique needs of residents and support long-term economic prosperity,” the statement read.

The three organizations wrote that the Treasury Department’s interim final rule “recognized the importance of flexibility in facilitating the effective rollout of recovery funds, including our ability to use funds for certain personnel costs and to re-obligate funds where necessary.”

The White House&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SAP-SJR57.pdf">released</a>&nbsp;a Statement of Administration Policy on Wednesday, saying that President Joe Biden would veto the CRA had it reached his desk.

The CRA resolution, it said, “could result in projects being canceled midstream, reduced project management and oversight, and higher costs as state and local governments are forced to contract out programs.”

“Nearly all SLFRF funds have been committed to projects, including infrastructure and disaster relief projects made eligible by bipartisan legislation,” the SAP read. “S.J. Res. 57 would create unnecessary uncertainty for recipients that are executing on projects, jeopardize important work underway, and inappropriately constrain Treasury’s ability to address ongoing implementation issues.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715876185403.png" alt="Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall stands at the left and Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is on the right (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall stands at the left and Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is on the right (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected efforts to roll back guidance from the Treasury Department regarding how state and local governments can spend funding approved by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The pandemic is over, but the Biden Administration is going to great lengths to circumvent the rules to keep their COVID slush fund flowing. Under the false pretense of COVID, Joe Biden sidesteps the law to continue its spending spree that is costing $1,200 per family. <a href="https://t.co/HRE1XCZlQb">pic.twitter.com/HRE1XCZlQb</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1790867794126364695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00168.htm">46-49 vote</a>&nbsp;on the Congressional Review Act resolution ended an attempt by several GOP senators to block the Biden administration from changing the definition of “obligation” as it relates to State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and the timeline for spending some of that money.Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt said during floor debate that the Treasury Department’s change in guidance, which was released in November, was trying to “pull a fast one” on Congress.“Treasury’s attempted sleight of hand to keep the COVID spending spigot on is an insult to Congress and those who believe in our Constitution, as well as a complete misuse of taxpayer dollars,” Schmitt said.The fund for state and local governments, Schmitt said, was intended to assist with “revenue shortfalls tied to the COVID-19 pandemic” and the law clearly stated that “all costs incurred with money from this fund must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2024.”The interim final rule that the Treasury Department&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Obligation_Interim_Final_Rule_2023.pdf">released</a>&nbsp;around Thanksgiving extended that deadline by two years for “administrative and legal costs, such as compliance costs and internal control requirements,” he said.“This rule ensures that funding does not go to bridges or broadband, but to bureaucrats,” Schmitt said.<h2>Projects affected in multiple states</h2>Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden spoke against the CRA resolution during floor debate, saying it could have impacted 17 projects in Georgia, 160 in Michigan, 342 in Ohio, 50 in Arizona, 404 in Montana and 73 in West Virginia.“Nationwide there could be thousands of projects closed. Tens or even hundreds of jobs lost,” Wyden said. “This one is one of the most unusual votes that I’ve seen recently, a true head scratcher.”Wyden said he didn’t “see a good reason for the United States Senate to backtrack on solid, bipartisan progress and have this chamber act in a way that leaves more of our nation’s infrastructure in a state of disrepair.”Schmitt said during a press conference before the vote that the claim the CRA resolution would have impacted projects already underway was a lie.“Essentially the obligations that are committed before the end of 2024, according to existing law, will be honored,” Schmitt said. “What this says is that you can’t extend that out into ‘25 and ‘26. That was never the congressional intent here.”Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, also speaking at the GOP press conference, said the CRA resolution would claw back about $13 billion and went as far as calling it “illegal spending.”“The clock is going to run out, but Joe Biden is trying to circumvent the law once again,” Marshall said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic is over and spending from those laws needs to wind down.<h2>Counties, cities opposed</h2>Schmitt introduced the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/57/text">two-page CRA resolution</a>&nbsp;in February along with Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Marshall and Rick Scott of Florida.The National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities and the Government Finance Officers Association urged lawmakers to vote against the CRA in a written statement released Wednesday before the vote.“The $350 billion SLFRF provided $65.1 billion to every city and county in America, and since 2021, localities have used these crucial resources to meet the unique needs of residents and support long-term economic prosperity,” the statement read.The three organizations wrote that the Treasury Department’s interim final rule “recognized the importance of flexibility in facilitating the effective rollout of recovery funds, including our ability to use funds for certain personnel costs and to re-obligate funds where necessary.”The White House&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SAP-SJR57.pdf">released</a>&nbsp;a Statement of Administration Policy on Wednesday, saying that President Joe Biden would veto the CRA had it reached his desk.The CRA resolution, it said, “could result in projects being canceled midstream, reduced project management and oversight, and higher costs as state and local governments are forced to contract out programs.”“Nearly all SLFRF funds have been committed to projects, including infrastructure and disaster relief projects made eligible by bipartisan legislation,” the SAP read. “S.J. Res. 57 would create unnecessary uncertainty for recipients that are executing on projects, jeopardize important work underway, and inappropriately constrain Treasury’s ability to address ongoing implementation issues.”

🎥Senate GOP try to block states from spending some COVID relief cash

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway on Wednesday revealed a new $7 billion stake in fellow insurer Chubb.

Berkshire disclosed the investment it has been building over the past nine months in a quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Buffett's conglomerate had received permission to keep the Chubb investment confidential while it was still buying.

Berkshire said it held nearly 26 million Chubb shares at the end of March, giving it a 6.4% stake in the company. Chubb shares jumped more than 7% in after-hours trading to sell for $271.82 after Berkshire’s investment was revealed.

Many investors follow Berkshire's portfolio closely because of Buffett's remarkably successful track record over the decades, and some will certainly speculate that Berkshire could one day buy all of Chubb.

Berkshire owns many other companies — including BNSF railroad, a number of utilities and an assortment of manufacturing and retail companies — but insurers, like Geico and General Reinsurance, have always been at the core of the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate. So it makes sense that another insurer like Zurich-based Chubb might appeal to Buffett.

CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert said in a note to investors that Chubb is now one of the 10 biggest holdings in Berkshire's portfolio. “We can’t speculate whether Berkshire would pursue an outright acquisition of CB, but we note their business mixes are highly complementary," Seifert wrote.

The quarterly filing doesn't say clearly whether Buffett or one of Berkshire's two other investment managers made the Chubb investment, but Buffett generally handles all the stakes worth $1 billion or more.

Buffett already revealed some of Berkshire's most noteworthy moves at the company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-shareholders-meeting-b345638b402f5ef2f9f9d7080eff0978">annual shareholders meeting</a>&nbsp;earlier this month.

Berkshire sold off a little over 116 million Apple shares in the quarter — accounting for about 13% of its stake — to trim its biggest single investment. But it still holds nearly 790 million Apple shares, and Buffett told shareholders that he expected the iPhone maker to remain a long-term holding.

Buffett also revealed at the annual meeting that Berkshire had sold off all of its Paramount Global investment at a loss. That happened after the first quarter ended because Wednesday's report showed Berkshire still owning more than 7.5 million shares.

Berkshire has also been regularly filing updates as it makes purchases of Liberty Media stock because it holds more than 10% of that stock. At the last reports, Berkshire held 70 million Liberty Media Series C shares and more than 35 million Liberty Media Series A shares. Those stocks track the shares of satellite radio provider Sirius XM holdings and have been selling at what appears to be a discount to Sirius XM shares, according to Morningstar. Berkshire trimmed its stake in Sirius XM during the quarter.

Wednesday's filing revealed a number of other changes during the quarter, including the sale of all of Berkshire's remaining 22.8 million HP Inc. shares. It also trimmed its stakes in Chevron and Louisiana Pacific stocks.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway on Wednesday revealed a new $7 billion stake in fellow insurer Chubb.Berkshire disclosed the investment it has been building over the past nine months in a quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Buffett's conglomerate had received permission to keep the Chubb investment confidential while it was still buying.Berkshire said it held nearly 26 million Chubb shares at the end of March, giving it a 6.4% stake in the company. Chubb shares jumped more than 7% in after-hours trading to sell for $271.82 after Berkshire’s investment was revealed.Many investors follow Berkshire's portfolio closely because of Buffett's remarkably successful track record over the decades, and some will certainly speculate that Berkshire could one day buy all of Chubb.Berkshire owns many other companies — including BNSF railroad, a number of utilities and an assortment of manufacturing and retail companies — but insurers, like Geico and General Reinsurance, have always been at the core of the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate. So it makes sense that another insurer like Zurich-based Chubb might appeal to Buffett.CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert said in a note to investors that Chubb is now one of the 10 biggest holdings in Berkshire's portfolio. “We can’t speculate whether Berkshire would pursue an outright acquisition of CB, but we note their business mixes are highly complementary," Seifert wrote.The quarterly filing doesn't say clearly whether Buffett or one of Berkshire's two other investment managers made the Chubb investment, but Buffett generally handles all the stakes worth $1 billion or more.Buffett already revealed some of Berkshire's most noteworthy moves at the company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berkshire-hathaway-warren-buffett-shareholders-meeting-b345638b402f5ef2f9f9d7080eff0978">annual shareholders meeting</a>&nbsp;earlier this month.Berkshire sold off a little over 116 million Apple shares in the quarter — accounting for about 13% of its stake — to trim its biggest single investment. But it still holds nearly 790 million Apple shares, and Buffett told shareholders that he expected the iPhone maker to remain a long-term holding.Buffett also revealed at the annual meeting that Berkshire had sold off all of its Paramount Global investment at a loss. That happened after the first quarter ended because Wednesday's report showed Berkshire still owning more than 7.5 million shares.Berkshire has also been regularly filing updates as it makes purchases of Liberty Media stock because it holds more than 10% of that stock. At the last reports, Berkshire held 70 million Liberty Media Series C shares and more than 35 million Liberty Media Series A shares. Those stocks track the shares of satellite radio provider Sirius XM holdings and have been selling at what appears to be a discount to Sirius XM shares, according to Morningstar. Berkshire trimmed its stake in Sirius XM during the quarter.Wednesday's filing revealed a number of other changes during the quarter, including the sale of all of Berkshire's remaining 22.8 million HP Inc. shares. It also trimmed its stakes in Chevron and Louisiana Pacific stocks.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway reveals new $7 billion stake in Swiss insurer Chubb

Although Nebraska’s latest health care workforce report suggests&nbsp;steady growth for most professions, challenges remain.

The&nbsp;“2023 Status of the Nebraska Healthcare Workforce”&nbsp;report, commissioned and funded by the Office of Rural Health Initiatives at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the Nebraska Area Health Education Center Program (AHEC),&nbsp;pointed to declining numbers of some health professionals, such as primary care physicians. The report also shows troubling trends as&nbsp; many regions of the state continue to grapple with shortages of health care professionals.

In addition, the report sees a trend of health care workers becoming increasingly concentrated in metropolitan areas such as Omaha and Lincoln.

<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/familymed/_documents/ahec/healthcare-workforce-2024.pdf" target="_blank">These and other key findings can be found in the report</a>.

“As the state’s only academic medical center, UNMC’s mission includes improving the health of our fellow Nebraskans across the entire state," said Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, chancellor of UNMC. "While these findings illustrate real challenges, UNMC already has initiated programming that will help address these shortages, such as expanding our class offerings on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus to include more health professions students and, for the first time, medical students, as well as beginning twice-annual nursing admissions at our Kearney and Lincoln nursing divisions."

Among other challenges highlighted in the report:

The study also noted, although not in detail, the substantial economic impact of the health care workforce to the state -- in 2023, the health care and social assistance industry contributed $9.7 billion to Nebraska’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the fifth largest contributing industry to the GDP, behind such industries as manufacturing ($15 billion) and agriculture ($12 billion).

The report offered strategies for addressed the identified challenges, including:

The report reflects positively on the efforts by UNMC, other institutions of higher learning, and community partners in addressing the health care workforce needs of Nebraska, said Jeffrey Harrison, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Family Medicine and principal investigator of the AHEC grant.

“High-quality health care is always best delivered in a team-based manner, and the expansion of all provider types allows for enhanced delivery of services to Nebraskans,” Dr. Harrison said. “The report reveals the uneven distribution of workforce, driven in part by population density and the resultant economic limitations of the maldistribution. It will be imperative that UNMC and our partners statewide continue to develop innovative health care delivery methods that ensure high quality and accessible care to all communities in the state.”

The study is based on the most recent data from the UNMC Health Professions Tracking Service and the State of Nebraska. The report - prepared by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research - examined 16 health care profession categories ranging from physicians and physician assistants to nursing, dental and allied health professionals.

“UNMC has a longstanding commitment to growing the state’s health workforce, including pathway programs such as our Rural Health Opportunities Program,” said UNMC’s Nicole Carritt, assistant vice chancellor of health workforce education relations. “Although this report delineates areas of need, which is its purpose, we also see areas of growth, such as projected growth of physicians (19%), physician assistants (63%) and advanced practice registered nurses (127%) by 2030. With the help of the information compiled in this report, UNMC will continue to work with the state, community partners and others to address Nebraska health workforce needs.”

Photo captions:&nbsp;Jeffrey Harrison, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Family Medicine and principal investigator of the AHEC grant, and Nicole Carritt, assistant vice chancellor of health workforce education relations &nbsp;

UNMCAlthough Nebraska’s latest health care workforce report suggests&nbsp;steady growth for most professions, challenges remain.The&nbsp;“2023 Status of the Nebraska Healthcare Workforce”&nbsp;report, commissioned and funded by the Office of Rural Health Initiatives at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the Nebraska Area Health Education Center Program (AHEC),&nbsp;pointed to declining numbers of some health professionals, such as primary care physicians. The report also shows troubling trends as&nbsp; many regions of the state continue to grapple with shortages of health care professionals.In addition, the report sees a trend of health care workers becoming increasingly concentrated in metropolitan areas such as Omaha and Lincoln.<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/familymed/_documents/ahec/healthcare-workforce-2024.pdf" target="_blank">These and other key findings can be found in the report</a>.“As the state’s only academic medical center, UNMC’s mission includes improving the health of our fellow Nebraskans across the entire state," said Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, chancellor of UNMC. "While these findings illustrate real challenges, UNMC already has initiated programming that will help address these shortages, such as expanding our class offerings on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus to include more health professions students and, for the first time, medical students, as well as beginning twice-annual nursing admissions at our Kearney and Lincoln nursing divisions."Among other challenges highlighted in the report:<ul>
 <li>Nebraska’s rural communities encounter significant obstacles in both attracting and retaining health care professionals in Nebraska, with 83% of all diagnosing and treating practitioners currently concentrated in metropolitan areas of the state.</li><li>Demographically, health care professionals do not mirror the diverse composition of the state population, with most professionals identifying as White, non-Latino/a. In contrast, 23% of Nebraska's overall population identifies as persons of color.</li>
 </ul>The study also noted, although not in detail, the substantial economic impact of the health care workforce to the state -- in 2023, the health care and social assistance industry contributed $9.7 billion to Nebraska’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the fifth largest contributing industry to the GDP, behind such industries as manufacturing ($15 billion) and agriculture ($12 billion).The report offered strategies for addressed the identified challenges, including:<ul>
 <li>Ensure adequate resources to prepare the next generation of health care professionals.</li><li>Enhance existing pipeline programs and education initiatives targeting rural and underserved urban populations.</li><li>Enhance the availability of scholarships and loan repayment programs for health care students and practitioners, particularly for health professions with significant shortages, to recruit and retain the needed health care workforce.</li><li>Increase the number of medical residency programs in rural and underserved urban areas.</li><li>Expand incentive programs to encourage practitioner retention in rural and underserved urban areas.</li><li>Expand the capacity of telecommunications infrastructure to support the use of telehealth, improving patient access to health care.</li><li>Establish and streamline existing public-private partnerships in the health care sector.</li>
 </ul>The report reflects positively on the efforts by UNMC, other institutions of higher learning, and community partners in addressing the health care workforce needs of Nebraska, said Jeffrey Harrison, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Family Medicine and principal investigator of the AHEC grant.“High-quality health care is always best delivered in a team-based manner, and the expansion of all provider types allows for enhanced delivery of services to Nebraskans,” Dr. Harrison said. “The report reveals the uneven distribution of workforce, driven in part by population density and the resultant economic limitations of the maldistribution. It will be imperative that UNMC and our partners statewide continue to develop innovative health care delivery methods that ensure high quality and accessible care to all communities in the state.”The study is based on the most recent data from the UNMC Health Professions Tracking Service and the State of Nebraska. The report - prepared by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Public Affairs Research - examined 16 health care profession categories ranging from physicians and physician assistants to nursing, dental and allied health professionals.“UNMC has a longstanding commitment to growing the state’s health workforce, including pathway programs such as our Rural Health Opportunities Program,” said UNMC’s Nicole Carritt, assistant vice chancellor of health workforce education relations. “Although this report delineates areas of need, which is its purpose, we also see areas of growth, such as projected growth of physicians (19%), physician assistants (63%) and advanced practice registered nurses (127%) by 2030. With the help of the information compiled in this report, UNMC will continue to work with the state, community partners and others to address Nebraska health workforce needs.”Photo captions:&nbsp;Jeffrey Harrison, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Family Medicine and principal investigator of the AHEC grant, and Nicole Carritt, assistant vice chancellor of health workforce education relations &nbsp;

Health care workforce report highlights challenges, accomplishments

Kearney, Neb. - The Kearney Police Department is currently investigating a burglary which occurred at Kearney Powersports, 511 2nd Avenue south, on May 15, 2024, at approximately 6:15 a.m. Kearney Police received a report that the front door of the business had been smashed to gain access to the building.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to security video from Kearney Powersports and other local businesses, multiple suspects, all wearing masks, entered the business and removed 8 adult dirt bikes and 2 youth&nbsp; dirt bikes. The total value is estimated at $52,000. The dirt bikes were loaded into a box truck&nbsp; U-Haul which departed south on Highway 44 out of Kearney. The U-Haul truck had a picture&nbsp; of a moose on both sides. A picture of the actual U-Haul is attached.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Kearney Police Department is actively investigating this burglary and seeking any information from the public which may assist in identifying the U-Haul truck and the perpetrators or locating the stolen dirt bikes. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Kearney Police Department (308) 237-2104, Buffalo County Crimestoppers (308) 237-3424, or through the See It Say It Send It App.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715866717936.jpeg" alt="(Courtesy of Kearney Police Department)" />
 <figcaption>(Courtesy of Kearney Police Department)</figcaption>
 </figure>Kearney Police DepartmentKearney, Neb. - The Kearney Police Department is currently investigating a burglary which occurred at Kearney Powersports, 511 2nd Avenue south, on May 15, 2024, at approximately 6:15 a.m. Kearney Police received a report that the front door of the business had been smashed to gain access to the building.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to security video from Kearney Powersports and other local businesses, multiple suspects, all wearing masks, entered the business and removed 8 adult dirt bikes and 2 youth&nbsp; dirt bikes. The total value is estimated at $52,000. The dirt bikes were loaded into a box truck&nbsp; U-Haul which departed south on Highway 44 out of Kearney. The U-Haul truck had a picture&nbsp; of a moose on both sides. A picture of the actual U-Haul is attached.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kearney Police Department is actively investigating this burglary and seeking any information from the public which may assist in identifying the U-Haul truck and the perpetrators or locating the stolen dirt bikes. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Kearney Police Department (308) 237-2104, Buffalo County Crimestoppers (308) 237-3424, or through the See It Say It Send It App.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715866758958.jpeg" alt="(Courtesy of Kearney Police Department)" />
 <figcaption>(Courtesy of Kearney Police Department)</figcaption>
 </figure>

Kearney Police investigating 10 dirt bikes stolen from Kearney Powersports

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has asserted executive privilege over audio of his interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-beau-special-counsel-80eaaee6de62c0c7b455c03d39502ecb">special counsel Robert Hur</a>&nbsp;that's at the center a Republican effort to hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;in contempt of Congress, the Justice Department told lawmakers in a letter publicly released on Thursday.

<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476201/biden1-copy.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;transcript of&nbsp;day 1 interview with President Biden.

<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476203/biden-2-copy.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;transcript of day 2 interview with President Biden

It comes as the the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Judiciary Committee are each expected to hold a hearing to recommend that the full House refer Garland to the Justice Department for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-congress-garland-contempt-7db112d63dd1e8159593c32981caa85d">the contempt charges</a>&nbsp;over the department's refusal to hand over the audio.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/storage/report-from-special-counsel-robert-k-hur-february-2024.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the 345 page report following the interview

Garland advised Biden in a letter on Thursday that the audio falls within the scope of executive privilege. Garland told the Democratic president that the “committee's needs are plainly insufficient to outweigh the deleterious effects that the production of the recordings would have on the integrity and effectiveness of similar law enforcement investigations in the future."

Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte urged lawmakers not to proceed with the contempt effort to avoid “unnecessary and unwarranted conflict.”

“It is the longstanding position of the executive branch held by administrations of both parties that an official who asserts the president's claim of executive privilege cannot be held in contempt of Congress,” Uriarte wrote.

White House Counsel Ed Siskel wrote in a separate, scathing letter to Congress on Thursday that lawmakers' effort to obtain the recording was absent any legitimate purpose and lays bare their likely goal — "to chop them up, distort them, and use them for partisan political purposes.”

The White House letter is a tacit admission that there are moments from the Hur interview it fears portray Biden in a negative light in an election year — and that could be exacerbated by the release, or selective release, of the audio.

The transcript of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-age-trump-2024-4791639cc06cc0affee55aba80c7e6b3">the Hur interview</a>&nbsp;showed Biden struggling to recall some dates and occasionally confusing some details — something longtime aides says he’s done for years in both public and private — but otherwise showing deep recall in other areas. Biden and his aides are particularly sensitive to questions about his age. At 81, he’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-birthday-81-age-trump-axelrod-polling-3325ad9d260c17be97d5608349378a91">the oldest ever president</a>, and he's seeking another four-year term.

Hur,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel-biden-d715ffd26adc75f2ba740d1960936a09">a former senior official in the Trump administration Justice Department</a>, was appointed as a special counsel in January 2023 following the discovery of classified documents in multiple locations tied to Biden.

<a href="https://apnews.com/joe-biden-special-counsel-report">Hur’s report</a>&nbsp;said many of the documents recovered at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, in parts of Biden’s Delaware home and in his Senate papers at the University of Delaware were retained by “mistake.”

But investigators did find evidence of willful retention and disclosure related a subset of records found in Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, house, including in a garage, an office and a basement den.

The files pertain to a troop surge in Afghanistan during the Obama administration that Biden had vigorously opposed. Biden kept records that documented his position, including a classified letter to Obama during the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday. Some of that information was shared with a ghostwriter with whom he published memoirs in 2007 and 2017.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715865284940.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has asserted executive privilege over audio of his interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-beau-special-counsel-80eaaee6de62c0c7b455c03d39502ecb">special counsel Robert Hur</a>&nbsp;that's at the center a Republican effort to hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>&nbsp;in contempt of Congress, the Justice Department told lawmakers in a letter publicly released on Thursday.<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476201/biden1-copy.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;transcript of&nbsp;day 1 interview with President Biden.<a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24476203/biden-2-copy.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;transcript of day 2 interview with President BidenIt comes as the the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Judiciary Committee are each expected to hold a hearing to recommend that the full House refer Garland to the Justice Department for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-congress-garland-contempt-7db112d63dd1e8159593c32981caa85d">the contempt charges</a>&nbsp;over the department's refusal to hand over the audio.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/storage/report-from-special-counsel-robert-k-hur-february-2024.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the 345 page report following the interview<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707478982378.png" alt="Page from the special counsel's report that highlight's Biden's memory challenges.- U.S. Department of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Page from the special counsel's report that highlight's Biden's memory challenges.- U.S. Department of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>Garland advised Biden in a letter on Thursday that the audio falls within the scope of executive privilege. Garland told the Democratic president that the “committee's needs are plainly insufficient to outweigh the deleterious effects that the production of the recordings would have on the integrity and effectiveness of similar law enforcement investigations in the future."Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte urged lawmakers not to proceed with the contempt effort to avoid “unnecessary and unwarranted conflict.”“It is the longstanding position of the executive branch held by administrations of both parties that an official who asserts the president's claim of executive privilege cannot be held in contempt of Congress,” Uriarte wrote.White House Counsel Ed Siskel wrote in a separate, scathing letter to Congress on Thursday that lawmakers' effort to obtain the recording was absent any legitimate purpose and lays bare their likely goal — "to chop them up, distort them, and use them for partisan political purposes.”The White House letter is a tacit admission that there are moments from the Hur interview it fears portray Biden in a negative light in an election year — and that could be exacerbated by the release, or selective release, of the audio.The transcript of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-age-trump-2024-4791639cc06cc0affee55aba80c7e6b3">the Hur interview</a>&nbsp;showed Biden struggling to recall some dates and occasionally confusing some details — something longtime aides says he’s done for years in both public and private — but otherwise showing deep recall in other areas. Biden and his aides are particularly sensitive to questions about his age. At 81, he’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-birthday-81-age-trump-axelrod-polling-3325ad9d260c17be97d5608349378a91">the oldest ever president</a>, and he's seeking another four-year term.Hur,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel-biden-d715ffd26adc75f2ba740d1960936a09">a former senior official in the Trump administration Justice Department</a>, was appointed as a special counsel in January 2023 following the discovery of classified documents in multiple locations tied to Biden.<a href="https://apnews.com/joe-biden-special-counsel-report">Hur’s report</a>&nbsp;said many of the documents recovered at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, in parts of Biden’s Delaware home and in his Senate papers at the University of Delaware were retained by “mistake.”But investigators did find evidence of willful retention and disclosure related a subset of records found in Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, house, including in a garage, an office and a basement den.The files pertain to a troop surge in Afghanistan during the Obama administration that Biden had vigorously opposed. Biden kept records that documented his position, including a classified letter to Obama during the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday. Some of that information was shared with a ghostwriter with whom he published memoirs in 2007 and 2017.

Why audio recording of Biden’s special counsel interview will not be released

WASHINGTON —The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is investigating a roughly one-inch by one-inch zip lock bag with a small amount of a white powdery substance, which field tested positive for cocaine, according to a statement from the agenc.

The small bag was found on the floor of a hallway inside USCP headquarters.&nbsp;The hallway is on the second floor in an area that has been a staging spot for furniture and supplies. The area is heavily trafficked by various contractors and employees. It is also near offices such as&nbsp;Prisoner Processing, Crime Scene, Intel and Reports Processing.

The baggie was found in the middle of the floor just before 1:00 p.m. by an officer, who immediately reported it to a supervisor. The residue was field tested and came back positive for cocaine.&nbsp;The USCP Investigations Division has opened an investigation, which will include further testing, including DNA testing of the baggie.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715820270933.png" alt="Photo USCP" />
 <figcaption>Photo USCP</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is investigating a roughly one-inch by one-inch zip lock bag with a small amount of a white powdery substance, which field tested positive for cocaine, according to a statement from the agenc.The small bag was found on the floor of a hallway inside USCP headquarters.&nbsp;The hallway is on the second floor in an area that has been a staging spot for furniture and supplies. The area is heavily trafficked by various contractors and employees. It is also near offices such as&nbsp;Prisoner Processing, Crime Scene, Intel and Reports Processing.The baggie was found in the middle of the floor just before 1:00 p.m. by an officer, who immediately reported it to a supervisor. The residue was field tested and came back positive for cocaine.&nbsp;The USCP Investigations Division has opened an investigation, which will include further testing, including DNA testing of the baggie.&nbsp;

Cocaine found in hallway of U.S. Capitol Police headquarters

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military finished installing a floating pier for the Gaza Strip on Thursday, with officials poised to begin ferrying badly needed humanitarian aid into the enclave besieged over seven months of intense fighting in the Israel-Hamas war.

The final, overnight construction sets up a complicated delivery process more than two months after U.S. President Joe Biden ordered it to help Palestinians facing starvation as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-deliveries-us-pier-dangers-israel-f7b351934c22d58d94a48eb6ca5d60ff">food and other supplies fail to make it</a>&nbsp;in as Israel recently seized the key Rafah border crossing in its push on that southern city on the Egyptian border.

Fraught with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-aid-port-eb8a701b3a7dc8f946422c04323ff913">logistical, weather and security challenges</a>, the maritime route is designed to bolster the amount of aid getting into the Gaza Strip, but it is not considered a substitute for far cheaper land-based deliveries that aid agencies say are much more sustainable. The boatloads of aid will be deposited at a port facility built by the Israelis just southwest of Gaza City and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-aid-pier-us-military-e988256270fc0067d2f5524fd542a475">distributed by aid groups</a>.

Heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants on the outskirts of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-rafah-palestinians-evacuees-refugees-2f4e37cb3e40560f4980d8a70baaa81e">Rafah</a>&nbsp;has displaced some 600,000 people, a quarter of Gaza’s population, U.N. officials say. Another 100,000 civilians have fled parts of northern Gaza now that the Israeli military has restarted combat operations there.

Pentagon officials said the fighting in Gaza wasn’t threatening the new shoreline aid distribution area, but they have made it clear that security conditions will be monitored closely and could prompt a shutdown of the maritime route, even just temporarily. Already, the site has been targeted by mortar fire during its construction and Hamas has threatened to target any foreign forces who “occupy” the Gaza Strip.

The “protection of U.S. forces participating is a top priority. And as such, in the last several weeks, the United States and Israel have developed an integrated security plan to protect all the personnel," said Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, a deputy commander at the U.S. military's Central Command. "We are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved.”

U.S. troops anchored the pier at 7:40 a.m. local time Thursday, the military's Central Command said, stressing that none of its forces entered the Gaza Strip and would not during the pier's operations.

“Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days,” the command said. “The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza.”

It wasn't immediately clear which U.N. agency would be involved.

Israeli forces will be in charge of security on the shore, but there are also two U.S. Navy warships near the area in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Paul Ignatius. Both ships are destroyers equipped with a wide range of weapons and capabilities to protect American troops off shore and allies on the beach.

Aid agencies say they are running out of food in southern Gaza and fuel is dwindling, which will force hospitals to shut down critical operations and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-war-hamas-aid-trucks-unrwa-30173642b5c298c829f1457db357071e">halt truck deliveries of aid</a>. The U.N. and others have warned for weeks that an Israel assault on Rafah would cripple humanitarian operations and cause a disastrous surge in civilian casualties.

More than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-israel-gaza-war-hamas-evacuation-e0754cdae0f3786982038e80feaa159e">1.4 million Palestinians — half of Gaza’s population —</a>&nbsp;have been sheltering in Rafah, most after fleeing Israel’s offensives elsewhere.

The first cargo ship loaded with 475 pallets of food left Cyprus last week to rendezvous with a U.S. military ship, the Roy P. Benavidez, which is off the coast of Gaza. The pallets of aid on the MV Sagamore were moved onto the Benavidez. The Pentagon said moving the aid between ships was an effort to be ready so it could flow quickly once the pier and the causeway were installed.

The installation of the pier several miles (kilometers) off the coast and of the causeway, which is now anchored to the beach, was delayed for nearly two weeks because of bad weather. The sea conditions made it too dangerous for U.S. and Israeli troops to secure the causeway to the shore, U.S. officials said.

Military leaders have said the deliveries of aid will begin slowly to ensure the system works. They will start with about 90 truckloads of aid a day through the sea route, and that number will quickly grow to about 150 a day. But aid agencies say that isn't enough to avert impending famine in Gaza and must be just one part of a broader Israeli effort to open land corridors.

Because land crossings could bring in all the needed aid if Israeli officials allowed, the U.S.-built pier-and-sea route “is a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Scott Paul, an associate director of the Oxfam humanitarian organization.

Biden used his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-07-24-5657eedc005040694a9ab935ce3e39e5">State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;on March 7 to order the military to set up a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, establishing a sea route to deliver food and other aid. Food shipments have been backed up at land crossings amid Israeli restrictions and intensifying fighting.

Under the new sea route, humanitarian aid is dropped off in Cyprus where it will undergo inspection and security checks at Larnaca port. It is then loaded onto ships — mainly commercial vessels — and taken about 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the large floating pier built by the U.S. military off the Gaza coast.

There, the pallets are transferred onto trucks, driven onto smaller Army boats and then shuttled several miles (kilometers) to the floating causeway, which has been anchored onto the beach by the Israeli military. The trucks, which are being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-gaza-pier-92b6986eed29cec9ab33e40584f22543">driven by personnel from another country</a>, will go down the causeway into a secure area on land where they will drop off the aid and immediately turn around and return to the boats.

Aid groups will collect the supplies for distribution on shore, with the U.N. working with the U.S. Agency for International Development to set up the logistics hub on the beach.

Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-aid-gaza-us-port-pier-d4d9ea94550aed2d24a258dfd98d866e">project will cost at least $320 million</a>, including the transportation of the equipment and pier sections from the United States to the coast of Gaza, as well as the construction and aid delivery operations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714471004272.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military finished installing a floating pier for the Gaza Strip on Thursday, with officials poised to begin ferrying badly needed humanitarian aid into the enclave besieged over seven months of intense fighting in the Israel-Hamas war.The final, overnight construction sets up a complicated delivery process more than two months after U.S. President Joe Biden ordered it to help Palestinians facing starvation as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-deliveries-us-pier-dangers-israel-f7b351934c22d58d94a48eb6ca5d60ff">food and other supplies fail to make it</a>&nbsp;in as Israel recently seized the key Rafah border crossing in its push on that southern city on the Egyptian border.Fraught with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-aid-port-eb8a701b3a7dc8f946422c04323ff913">logistical, weather and security challenges</a>, the maritime route is designed to bolster the amount of aid getting into the Gaza Strip, but it is not considered a substitute for far cheaper land-based deliveries that aid agencies say are much more sustainable. The boatloads of aid will be deposited at a port facility built by the Israelis just southwest of Gaza City and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-aid-pier-us-military-e988256270fc0067d2f5524fd542a475">distributed by aid groups</a>.Heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants on the outskirts of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-rafah-palestinians-evacuees-refugees-2f4e37cb3e40560f4980d8a70baaa81e">Rafah</a>&nbsp;has displaced some 600,000 people, a quarter of Gaza’s population, U.N. officials say. Another 100,000 civilians have fled parts of northern Gaza now that the Israeli military has restarted combat operations there.Pentagon officials said the fighting in Gaza wasn’t threatening the new shoreline aid distribution area, but they have made it clear that security conditions will be monitored closely and could prompt a shutdown of the maritime route, even just temporarily. Already, the site has been targeted by mortar fire during its construction and Hamas has threatened to target any foreign forces who “occupy” the Gaza Strip.The “protection of U.S. forces participating is a top priority. And as such, in the last several weeks, the United States and Israel have developed an integrated security plan to protect all the personnel," said Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, a deputy commander at the U.S. military's Central Command. "We are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved.”U.S. troops anchored the pier at 7:40 a.m. local time Thursday, the military's Central Command said, stressing that none of its forces entered the Gaza Strip and would not during the pier's operations.“Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days,” the command said. “The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza.”It wasn't immediately clear which U.N. agency would be involved.Israeli forces will be in charge of security on the shore, but there are also two U.S. Navy warships near the area in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Paul Ignatius. Both ships are destroyers equipped with a wide range of weapons and capabilities to protect American troops off shore and allies on the beach.Aid agencies say they are running out of food in southern Gaza and fuel is dwindling, which will force hospitals to shut down critical operations and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-war-hamas-aid-trucks-unrwa-30173642b5c298c829f1457db357071e">halt truck deliveries of aid</a>. The U.N. and others have warned for weeks that an Israel assault on Rafah would cripple humanitarian operations and cause a disastrous surge in civilian casualties.More than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-israel-gaza-war-hamas-evacuation-e0754cdae0f3786982038e80feaa159e">1.4 million Palestinians — half of Gaza’s population —</a>&nbsp;have been sheltering in Rafah, most after fleeing Israel’s offensives elsewhere.The first cargo ship loaded with 475 pallets of food left Cyprus last week to rendezvous with a U.S. military ship, the Roy P. Benavidez, which is off the coast of Gaza. The pallets of aid on the MV Sagamore were moved onto the Benavidez. The Pentagon said moving the aid between ships was an effort to be ready so it could flow quickly once the pier and the causeway were installed.The installation of the pier several miles (kilometers) off the coast and of the causeway, which is now anchored to the beach, was delayed for nearly two weeks because of bad weather. The sea conditions made it too dangerous for U.S. and Israeli troops to secure the causeway to the shore, U.S. officials said.Military leaders have said the deliveries of aid will begin slowly to ensure the system works. They will start with about 90 truckloads of aid a day through the sea route, and that number will quickly grow to about 150 a day. But aid agencies say that isn't enough to avert impending famine in Gaza and must be just one part of a broader Israeli effort to open land corridors.Because land crossings could bring in all the needed aid if Israeli officials allowed, the U.S.-built pier-and-sea route “is a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Scott Paul, an associate director of the Oxfam humanitarian organization.Biden used his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-07-24-5657eedc005040694a9ab935ce3e39e5">State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;on March 7 to order the military to set up a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza, establishing a sea route to deliver food and other aid. Food shipments have been backed up at land crossings amid Israeli restrictions and intensifying fighting.Under the new sea route, humanitarian aid is dropped off in Cyprus where it will undergo inspection and security checks at Larnaca port. It is then loaded onto ships — mainly commercial vessels — and taken about 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the large floating pier built by the U.S. military off the Gaza coast.There, the pallets are transferred onto trucks, driven onto smaller Army boats and then shuttled several miles (kilometers) to the floating causeway, which has been anchored onto the beach by the Israeli military. The trucks, which are being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-gaza-pier-92b6986eed29cec9ab33e40584f22543">driven by personnel from another country</a>, will go down the causeway into a secure area on land where they will drop off the aid and immediately turn around and return to the boats.Aid groups will collect the supplies for distribution on shore, with the U.N. working with the U.S. Agency for International Development to set up the logistics hub on the beach.Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-aid-gaza-us-port-pier-d4d9ea94550aed2d24a258dfd98d866e">project will cost at least $320 million</a>, including the transportation of the equipment and pier sections from the United States to the coast of Gaza, as well as the construction and aid delivery operations.

U.S. military finishes installing offshore pier to provide aid to Gaza

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump's attorneys&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-cohen-hush-money-stormy-daniels-735aadfd1ce015e05ba955c203a96f1b">started grilling prosecutors' star witness</a>&nbsp;in his hush money trial Tuesday, portraying former attorney Michael Cohen as a media-obsessed liar who's determined to see the former president behind bars.

<a href="https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts/5-13-2024/00045.html">Click here to read Day 1 </a>transcript of Michael Cohen's testimony

Cohen endured intense questioning by defense attorney Todd Blanche after providing pivotal testimony tying the presumptive Republican presidential nominee directly to the hush money scheme at the heart of the case.

Trump's former fixer will return to the witness stand Thursday for more cross-examination before prosecutors rest their case alleging a scheme to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-opening-stormy-daniels-6beee9b99114898ee0dd60185d43bac5">illegally influence the 2016 election</a>&nbsp;by silencing women who alleged sexual encounters with him. Trump denies that he had sex with the women and denies wrongdoing in the case.

Here are some key takeaways from Tuesday's proceedings:

Prosecutors confronted Cohen's history of falsehoods head-on in an attempt to get ahead of an issue Trump lawyers are seizing on to attack the now-disbarred lawyer's credibility. Prosecutors also sought to paint Cohen as a devoted Trump loyalist, whose crimes were committed on the former president’s behalf.

Under questioning from prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, Cohen admitted that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-d08fc20ad50f432886351beaff7bfc7e">he lied to Congress</a>&nbsp;during an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-politics-north-america-28301de8eaa94cc796c5279fc28c1fdb">Cohen pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, admitting that he lied, among other things, about the number of times he spoke with Trump about a real estate project in Moscow.

Hoffinger also asked Cohen about concerns that he may have lied on the witness stand at the former president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-civil-fraud-trial-feb0593a5bbd3837edc0db195554eda1">civil fraud trial last year</a>. In that trial, Cohen insisted he didn't commit tax evasion, and said he had lied to the judge who accepted his guilty plea on the charge in 2018.

Cohen told Hoffinger he did not dispute the facts of his guilty plea, but that he didn’t think he should’ve been charged with a crime “as a first-time offender who always paid his taxes on the due date.”

Cohen also told jurors he lied repeatedly for Trump, including after Cohen paid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-gag-order-d853768fff5fafbdee55623579889140">porn actor Stormy Daniels</a>&nbsp;$130,000 to keep her from going public right before the 2016 election with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump.

Asked by Hoffinger why he would do so, Cohen said: “Out of loyalty and in order to protect him.”

Cohen described to jurors how his life and relationship with Trump were upended after the FBI raided his office, apartment and hotel room in 2018. That would lead to Cohen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-general-news-ed1aead5539b4fc6b7e42cdd6cb8fd3d">pleading guilty to federal charges</a>&nbsp;and implicating Trump in the hush money scheme. Trump was never charged with any crime related to that federal investigation.

Asked by the prosecutor how he felt at the time, Cohen said: “How to describe your life being turned upside-down? Concerned. Despondent. Angry."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715808528947.png" alt="An item of evidence for the defense and released from the New York Court" />
 <figcaption>An item of evidence for the defense and released from the New York Court</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump's attorneys&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-cohen-hush-money-stormy-daniels-735aadfd1ce015e05ba955c203a96f1b">started grilling prosecutors' star witness</a>&nbsp;in his hush money trial Tuesday, portraying former attorney Michael Cohen as a media-obsessed liar who's determined to see the former president behind bars.<a href="https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts/5-13-2024/00045.html">Click here to read Day 1 </a>transcript of Michael Cohen's testimonyCohen endured intense questioning by defense attorney Todd Blanche after providing pivotal testimony tying the presumptive Republican presidential nominee directly to the hush money scheme at the heart of the case.Trump's former fixer will return to the witness stand Thursday for more cross-examination before prosecutors rest their case alleging a scheme to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-opening-stormy-daniels-6beee9b99114898ee0dd60185d43bac5">illegally influence the 2016 election</a>&nbsp;by silencing women who alleged sexual encounters with him. Trump denies that he had sex with the women and denies wrongdoing in the case.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715809011875.png" alt="An item of evidence for the defense and released from the New York Court" />
 <figcaption>An item of evidence for the defense and released from the New York Court</figcaption>
 </figure>Here are some key takeaways from Tuesday's proceedings:ALL OF COHEN'S LIESProsecutors confronted Cohen's history of falsehoods head-on in an attempt to get ahead of an issue Trump lawyers are seizing on to attack the now-disbarred lawyer's credibility. Prosecutors also sought to paint Cohen as a devoted Trump loyalist, whose crimes were committed on the former president’s behalf.Under questioning from prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, Cohen admitted that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-d08fc20ad50f432886351beaff7bfc7e">he lied to Congress</a>&nbsp;during an investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-politics-north-america-28301de8eaa94cc796c5279fc28c1fdb">Cohen pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, admitting that he lied, among other things, about the number of times he spoke with Trump about a real estate project in Moscow.Hoffinger also asked Cohen about concerns that he may have lied on the witness stand at the former president’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-civil-fraud-trial-feb0593a5bbd3837edc0db195554eda1">civil fraud trial last year</a>. In that trial, Cohen insisted he didn't commit tax evasion, and said he had lied to the judge who accepted his guilty plea on the charge in 2018.Cohen told Hoffinger he did not dispute the facts of his guilty plea, but that he didn’t think he should’ve been charged with a crime “as a first-time offender who always paid his taxes on the due date.”Cohen also told jurors he lied repeatedly for Trump, including after Cohen paid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-gag-order-d853768fff5fafbdee55623579889140">porn actor Stormy Daniels</a>&nbsp;$130,000 to keep her from going public right before the 2016 election with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump.Asked by Hoffinger why he would do so, Cohen said: “Out of loyalty and in order to protect him.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715808638156.png" alt="An item of evidence for the defense and released from the New York Court" />
 <figcaption>An item of evidence for the defense and released from the New York Court</figcaption>
 </figure>NO LONGER LOYALCohen described to jurors how his life and relationship with Trump were upended after the FBI raided his office, apartment and hotel room in 2018. That would lead to Cohen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-general-news-ed1aead5539b4fc6b7e42cdd6cb8fd3d">pleading guilty to federal charges</a>&nbsp;and implicating Trump in the hush money scheme. Trump was never charged with any crime related to that federal investigation.Asked by the prosecutor how he felt at the time, Cohen said: “How to describe your life being turned upside-down? Concerned. Despondent. Angry."Initially, Cohen said he felt comforted because Trump, who was in the White House at the time, assured him not to worry. Trump’s lawyers were also continuing to pay his legal fees and he remained part of a joint-defense agreement with Trump and his lawyers, he testified.But his family eventually convinced him to turn on Trump, Cohen said.“My family, my wife, my daughter, my son, all said to me: ‘Why are you holding onto this loyalty? What are you doing? We’re supposed to be your first loyalty,’” Cohen told jurors.After Cohen’s guilty plea, Trump bashed him on Twitter, writing: “If anyone is looking for a good lawyer I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!”DEFENSE'S TURN TO GRILLTrump's team opened their cross-examination by pressing Cohen about critical comments and vulgar social media posts he's made about the former president since the trial began. The defense's questions Tuesday didn't address the facts at the heart of the case but were designed to portray Cohen as a Trump-fixated loyalist who, spurned by his ex-boss, is now on a mission to get fame and revenge.“Is it fair to say you’re motivated by fame?” Blanche, Trump's lawyer, asked Cohen.“No sir, I don’t think that’s fair to say,” Cohen replied. Later he added — in response to a question about whether he was motivated by publicity — that he is "motivated by many things.”Blanche asked Cohen to listen through headphones to an October 2020 podcast episode in which the former lawyer said Trump needs to wear handcuffs and that “people will not be satisfied until this man is sitting inside a cell.”Cohen told Blanche he didn’t recall saying that, but added: "I wouldn’t put it past me.”Blanche also pressed Cohen on whether he wants to see Trump convicted in the case. Cohen initially hedged, saying: “I would like to see accountability. It’s not for me. It’s for the jury and this court.”But asked again, Cohen responded: “Sure.”GAG ORDER UPHELDWhile jurors were hearing testimony from Cohen, Trump suffered another legal blow when an appeals court upheld&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-trial-gag-order-fae616037d3606cc60abbffb0e91f7ee">a gag order</a>&nbsp;that limits what he can say about the case.Trump had challenged the gag order, which bars the former president from commenting publicly about jurors, witnesses and others connected to the case, including the judge’s family and prosecutors other than District Attorney Alvin Bragg.The appeals court ruled that Judge Juan M. Merchan “properly determined” that Trump’s public statements “posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses.”Trump challenged restrictions on his ability to comment about Matthew Colangelo, a former Justice Department official who is a part of the prosecution team, and Merchan’s daughter, the head of a political consulting firm that has worked for Trump’s rival Joe Biden and other Democratic candidates.Trump’s lawyers argued the gag order is an unconstitutional curb on the presumptive Republican nominee’s free speech rights while he’s campaigning for president and fighting criminal charges. The judge has fined Trump for repeatedly violating the gag order and&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/$1,000%20on%20Monday%20and,%20in%20his%20sternest%20warning%20yet,%20told%20the%20former%20president%20that%20future%20gag%20order%20violations%20could%20send%20him%20to%20jail.">has warned the former president</a>&nbsp;that future violations could send him to jail.TRUMP'S SUPPORTERSLimited by what he can say publicly about the case, Trump has been joined at the courthouse by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-daniels-trial-rick-scott-3ae0d6eddb94d2ca1155b0266dc9d35c">a growing entourage</a>&nbsp;of Republican supporters who echo his complaints about the prosecution. U.S. House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;was the latest to do so Tuesday, attacking the legal system as “corrupt” and the case against Trump a “sham.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-speaker-mike-johnson-court-09aef3de395fa77843f2600f40da6ac3">It was a striking moment</a>, underscoring Trump's political power even as he stands trial on criminal charges.In remarks to reporters outside the courthouse, Johnson slammed Cohen as a man who has “trouble with the truth” and is “clearly on a mission for personal revenge.” Painting Trump as the victim of a politically motivated legal system, Johnson said the case is “not about justice."___