<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/opportunity-scholarships-act-repeal-is-pulled-from-ballot-after-lb-1402-adopted/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen on Thursday made official what the Legislature already made obvious: that there will be no need to vote this November on the repeal of the original Opportunity Scholarships Act.

A conservative majority in the officially nonpartisan Legislature redesigned and repealed the initial tax credit for donors to scholarships for private K-12 education, State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan’s Legislative Bill 753 from 2023.

Unions representing public school teachers and Nebraskans who want public funds spent only on public schools had petitioned to give voters a chance to repeal that version of the law. Polling indicated they were likely to do so.

Lawmakers seeking to protect the point of the school choice law sidestepped the petition effort this year by repealing LB 753 as part of creating a more direct $10 million annual appropriation for private K-12 scholarships or vouchers in Legislative Bill 1402.

Linehan acknowledged as much during debate. However, she said she was also trying to address many of the most common public criticisms of the scholarship tax credit, including that it seemed to benefit donors with a dollar-for-dollar credit.

She and other voucher advocates have said students and families who aren’t succeeding in the public school system where they live need options that might work better for them.

Opponents of both measures, including Support Our Schools Nebraska and the Nebraska State Education Association, said they would not let senators avoid voters and have launched a second petition drive, this one against LB 1402.

They want voters to weigh in on whether the state should spend tax dollars on private K-12 education. Organizers argue that funding private education poses a long-term risk to state general funds for other services, including public schools.

Support Our Schools has until July 17 to gather signatures for the ballot initiative against LB 1402. They’ll have to gather valid signatures from 5% of Nebraska’s registered voters and gather 5% in at least 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.

Evnen, in announcing his decision Thursday, said the adoption of LB 1402 will repeal LB 753 on July 19, rendering any vote on that measure moot. He said he consulted with the Attorney General’s Office before making the decision.

“Since the previous law will no longer be in effect by the time of the general election, I do not intend to place the original referendum on the ballot,” Evnen said.

The newest petition language would repeal the section of LB 1402 creating the new version of the scholarship or voucher program. The section of LB 1402 that repeals LB 753 would remain in state law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715963228081.jpeg" alt="Last fall, teachers and other backers of Support Our Schools wheel out boxes of voter-signed petitions seeking to repeal the Opportunity Scholarships Act on the 2024 ballot. The vote would be cancelled if a new Opportunity Scholarship Act is passed by the 2024 Legislature, a move some have called “underhanded.” (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Last fall, teachers and other backers of Support Our Schools wheel out boxes of voter-signed petitions seeking to repeal the Opportunity Scholarships Act on the 2024 ballot. The vote would be cancelled if a new Opportunity Scholarship Act is passed by the 2024 Legislature, a move some have called “underhanded.” (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/opportunity-scholarships-act-repeal-is-pulled-from-ballot-after-lb-1402-adopted/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen on Thursday made official what the Legislature already made obvious: that there will be no need to vote this November on the repeal of the original Opportunity Scholarships Act.A conservative majority in the officially nonpartisan Legislature redesigned and repealed the initial tax credit for donors to scholarships for private K-12 education, State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan’s Legislative Bill 753 from 2023.Unions representing public school teachers and Nebraskans who want public funds spent only on public schools had petitioned to give voters a chance to repeal that version of the law. Polling indicated they were likely to do so.Lawmakers seeking to protect the point of the school choice law sidestepped the petition effort this year by repealing LB 753 as part of creating a more direct $10 million annual appropriation for private K-12 scholarships or vouchers in Legislative Bill 1402.<h2>Families need a choice, Linehan says</h2>Linehan acknowledged as much during debate. However, she said she was also trying to address many of the most common public criticisms of the scholarship tax credit, including that it seemed to benefit donors with a dollar-for-dollar credit.She and other voucher advocates have said students and families who aren’t succeeding in the public school system where they live need options that might work better for them.Opponents of both measures, including Support Our Schools Nebraska and the Nebraska State Education Association, said they would not let senators avoid voters and have launched a second petition drive, this one against LB 1402.They want voters to weigh in on whether the state should spend tax dollars on private K-12 education. Organizers argue that funding private education poses a long-term risk to state general funds for other services, including public schools.<h2>Consulted with attorney general</h2>Support Our Schools has until July 17 to gather signatures for the ballot initiative against LB 1402. They’ll have to gather valid signatures from 5% of Nebraska’s registered voters and gather 5% in at least 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.Evnen, in announcing his decision Thursday, said the adoption of LB 1402 will repeal LB 753 on July 19, rendering any vote on that measure moot. He said he consulted with the Attorney General’s Office before making the decision.“Since the previous law will no longer be in effect by the time of the general election, I do not intend to place the original referendum on the ballot,” Evnen said.The newest petition language would repeal the section of LB 1402 creating the new version of the scholarship or voucher program. The section of LB 1402 that repeals LB 753 would remain in state law.

Opportunity Scholarships Act repeal is pulled from ballot after LB 1402 adopted

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Nebraska has become aware of an Impersonation Scam using Ms. Lehr’s name, image, and title to attempt to defraud victims via email.&nbsp; On May 15, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office received several calls from concerned citizens regarding emails they received purporting to be from United States Attorney Lehr. 

U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel quickly determined this was a scam and directed callers to report the scam to the FBI Tip Line&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ic3.gov/" target="_blank">www.ic3.gov</a>&nbsp;and FTC Fraud Line&nbsp;<a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/</a>.&nbsp; None of the callers suffered a financial loss related to the scam.&nbsp;

If you receive an email demanding payment to the US Attorney’s Office, do not open any attachments, or respond providing any personal information. Please submit a report to the FBI at&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ic3.gov/" target="_blank">www.ic3.gov</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/</a>.

According to Ms. Lehr, “the only time the U.S. Attorney’s Office is involved in the collection of money is for restitution purposes in a criminal case after a judicial finding.”&nbsp;

“Scammers are experts at manipulation; they carry out various phone or email scams with unsuspecting victims. In this case they posed as a United States government official. We are grateful to the citizens who brought this our attention and that no one suffered any loss in this scheme. I would encourage the public to continue to exercise their due diligence when solicited for funds by emails or phone to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”

You can find additional information related to some common scams below.

How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam. Scammers pretend to be from government agencies like the FTC, Social Security Administration, and IRS — or say they’re calling about your Medicare benefits. They contact you and say that, if you don’t pay or give them your personal information, something bad will happen. Or maybe you’ll miss out on some government benefit. But it’s a scam. Learn the signs and avoid the scam.

Here are some other examples of government impersonation scams:

Scammers impersonate “the national consumer protection agency.” They might say they’re from the non-existent National Sweepstakes Bureau or another made-up agency. If you’re in doubt, check out the list of real federal agencies at&nbsp;<a href="http://usa.gov/" target="_blank">usa.gov</a>.

Scammers impersonate your local sheriff’s office or a court official. They might say there’s a warrant out for your arrest and that you’ll go to jail if you don’t pay immediately. Or that they’re from the local court and you need to pay a penalty for missing jury duty. This is most likely a scam. But if you’re worried, look up the real number for the government agency or office the caller mentioned. Then contact them directly to get the real story.

Scammers impersonate representatives of immigration authorities.&nbsp;They might say they’re calling from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) or another agency, there’s a problem with an immigration application or petition, and you have to pay them to solve that issue. This is a scam. If you’re concerned, contact USCIS directly. Also read Avoid Immigration Scams and Get Real Help.

Source:&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam" target="_blank">https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam</a>

United States AttorneyUnited States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Nebraska has become aware of an Impersonation Scam using Ms. Lehr’s name, image, and title to attempt to defraud victims via email.&nbsp; On May 15, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office received several calls from concerned citizens regarding emails they received purporting to be from United States Attorney Lehr. U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel quickly determined this was a scam and directed callers to report the scam to the FBI Tip Line&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ic3.gov/" target="_blank">www.ic3.gov</a>&nbsp;and FTC Fraud Line&nbsp;<a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/</a>.&nbsp; None of the callers suffered a financial loss related to the scam.&nbsp;If you receive an email demanding payment to the US Attorney’s Office, do not open any attachments, or respond providing any personal information. Please submit a report to the FBI at&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ic3.gov/" target="_blank">www.ic3.gov</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/</a>.According to Ms. Lehr, “the only time the U.S. Attorney’s Office is involved in the collection of money is for restitution purposes in a criminal case after a judicial finding.”&nbsp;“Scammers are experts at manipulation; they carry out various phone or email scams with unsuspecting victims. In this case they posed as a United States government official. We are grateful to the citizens who brought this our attention and that no one suffered any loss in this scheme. I would encourage the public to continue to exercise their due diligence when solicited for funds by emails or phone to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”You can find additional information related to some common scams below.How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam. Scammers pretend to be from government agencies like the FTC, Social Security Administration, and IRS — or say they’re calling about your Medicare benefits. They contact you and say that, if you don’t pay or give them your personal information, something bad will happen. Or maybe you’ll miss out on some government benefit. But it’s a scam. Learn the signs and avoid the scam.Here are some other examples of government impersonation scams:Scammers impersonate “the national consumer protection agency.” They might say they’re from the non-existent National Sweepstakes Bureau or another made-up agency. If you’re in doubt, check out the list of real federal agencies at&nbsp;<a href="http://usa.gov/" target="_blank">usa.gov</a>.Scammers impersonate your local sheriff’s office or a court official. They might say there’s a warrant out for your arrest and that you’ll go to jail if you don’t pay immediately. Or that they’re from the local court and you need to pay a penalty for missing jury duty. This is most likely a scam. But if you’re worried, look up the real number for the government agency or office the caller mentioned. Then contact them directly to get the real story.Scammers impersonate representatives of immigration authorities.&nbsp;They might say they’re calling from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) or another agency, there’s a problem with an immigration application or petition, and you have to pay them to solve that issue. This is a scam. If you’re concerned, contact USCIS directly. Also read Avoid Immigration Scams and Get Real Help.Source:&nbsp;<a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam" target="_blank">https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam</a>

Impersonation Scam Using US Attorney’s Office Information   

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.

Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley handed down the sentence for David DePape, 44, whom jurors found guilty last November of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. Prosecutors had asked for a 40-year prison term.

DePape was given 20 years for one count and 30 years for another count. The sentences will run concurrently. He was also given credit for the 18 months that he's been in custody.

DePape stood silently as Judge Corley handed the sentence and looked down at times. His public defense attorneys had asked the judge to sentence him to 14 years, pointing out that he was going through a difficult time in his life and had no prior criminal history.

Corley said she took into account when giving DePape’s sentence the fact that he broke into the home of public official, an unprecedented act in the history of the country.

“He actually went to the home, that is completely, completely unprecedented,” she said.

Before sentencing, Christine Pelosis read victim statements on behalf of her father and mother, explaining how the violent attack changed their lives.

“The Pelosi family couldn’t be prouder of their Pop and his tremendous courage in saving his own life on the night of the attack and in testifying in this case,” Aaron Bennett, a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement. “Speaker Pelosi and her family are immensely grateful to all who have sent love and prayers over the last eighteen months, as Mr. Pelosi continues his recovery.”

DePape&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-nancy-pelosi-depape-hammer-attacked-san-francisco-aeab3fb8f30fbc6a40f334033f5becf0">admitted during trial testimony</a>&nbsp;that he broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco home Oct. 28, 2022, intending to hold the speaker hostage and “break her kneecaps” if she lied to him. He also admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after police showed up, saying his plan to end what he viewed as government corruption was unraveling.

The attack on Paul Pelosi, who was 82 at the time, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-attack-video-c35ecf3131109f69f0cb66b84e986ba2">captured on police body camera video</a>&nbsp;just days before the midterm elections and sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">shockwaves through the political world</a>.

Defense attorneys argued DePape was motivated by his political beliefs, not because he wanted to interfere with Nancy Pelosi’s official duties as a member of Congress, making the charges against him invalid.

One of his attorneys,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pelosi-depape-hammer-attack-e27f2633be324e1d0823b30b66a20062">Angela Chuang, said during closing arguments</a>&nbsp;that DePape was caught up in conspiracy theories.

At trial DePape, a Canadian who moved to the U.S. more than 20 years ago, testified that he believed news outlets repeatedly lied about former President Donald Trump. In rants posted on a blog and online forum that were taken down after his arrest, DePape echoed the baseless, right-wing QAnon conspiracy theory that claims a cabal of devil-worshipping pedophiles runs the U.S. government.

DePape also told jurors he had planned to wear an inflatable unicorn costume and record his interrogation of the Democratic speaker, who was not at the home at the time of the attack, to upload it online.

Prosecutors said he had rope and&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/">z</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-government-and-politics-paul-ba57573b581adbc12d2741f801934fc8">ip ties</a>&nbsp;with him, and detectives found body cameras, a computer and a tablet.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/david-depape-paul-pelosi-attack-trial-fb32db568be375e4c4fc26f41d283d7a">Paul Pelosi also testified</a>&nbsp;at the trial, recalling how he was awakened by a large man bursting into the bedroom and asking, “Where’s Nancy?” He said that when he responded that his wife was in Washington, DePape said he would tie him up while they waited for her.

“It was a tremendous sense of shock to recognize that somebody had broken into the house, and looking at him and looking at the hammer and the ties, I recognized that I was in serious danger, so I tried to stay as calm as possible,” Pelosi told jurors.

DePape is also charged in state court with assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other felonies. Jury selection in that trial is expected to start Wednesday.

Paul Pelosi suffered two head wounds in the attack, including a skull fracture that was mended with plates and screws he will have for the rest of his life. His right arm and hand were also injured.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674845796426.png" alt="The body-camera footage shows suspect David DePape wrest the tool from 82-year-old Paul Pelosi and lunge toward him the hammer over his head -image SFPD" />
 <figcaption>The body-camera footage shows suspect David DePape wrest the tool from 82-year-old Paul Pelosi and lunge toward him the hammer over his head -image SFPD</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley handed down the sentence for David DePape, 44, whom jurors found guilty last November of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. Prosecutors had asked for a 40-year prison term.DePape was given 20 years for one count and 30 years for another count. The sentences will run concurrently. He was also given credit for the 18 months that he's been in custody.DePape stood silently as Judge Corley handed the sentence and looked down at times. His public defense attorneys had asked the judge to sentence him to 14 years, pointing out that he was going through a difficult time in his life and had no prior criminal history.Corley said she took into account when giving DePape’s sentence the fact that he broke into the home of public official, an unprecedented act in the history of the country.“He actually went to the home, that is completely, completely unprecedented,” she said.Before sentencing, Christine Pelosis read victim statements on behalf of her father and mother, explaining how the violent attack changed their lives.“The Pelosi family couldn’t be prouder of their Pop and his tremendous courage in saving his own life on the night of the attack and in testifying in this case,” Aaron Bennett, a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement. “Speaker Pelosi and her family are immensely grateful to all who have sent love and prayers over the last eighteen months, as Mr. Pelosi continues his recovery.”DePape&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-nancy-pelosi-depape-hammer-attacked-san-francisco-aeab3fb8f30fbc6a40f334033f5becf0">admitted during trial testimony</a>&nbsp;that he broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco home Oct. 28, 2022, intending to hold the speaker hostage and “break her kneecaps” if she lied to him. He also admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after police showed up, saying his plan to end what he viewed as government corruption was unraveling.The attack on Paul Pelosi, who was 82 at the time, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paul-pelosi-attack-video-c35ecf3131109f69f0cb66b84e986ba2">captured on police body camera video</a>&nbsp;just days before the midterm elections and sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">shockwaves through the political world</a>.Defense attorneys argued DePape was motivated by his political beliefs, not because he wanted to interfere with Nancy Pelosi’s official duties as a member of Congress, making the charges against him invalid.One of his attorneys,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pelosi-depape-hammer-attack-e27f2633be324e1d0823b30b66a20062">Angela Chuang, said during closing arguments</a>&nbsp;that DePape was caught up in conspiracy theories.At trial DePape, a Canadian who moved to the U.S. more than 20 years ago, testified that he believed news outlets repeatedly lied about former President Donald Trump. In rants posted on a blog and online forum that were taken down after his arrest, DePape echoed the baseless, right-wing QAnon conspiracy theory that claims a cabal of devil-worshipping pedophiles runs the U.S. government.DePape also told jurors he had planned to wear an inflatable unicorn costume and record his interrogation of the Democratic speaker, who was not at the home at the time of the attack, to upload it online.Prosecutors said he had rope and&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/">z</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-government-and-politics-paul-ba57573b581adbc12d2741f801934fc8">ip ties</a>&nbsp;with him, and detectives found body cameras, a computer and a tablet.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/david-depape-paul-pelosi-attack-trial-fb32db568be375e4c4fc26f41d283d7a">Paul Pelosi also testified</a>&nbsp;at the trial, recalling how he was awakened by a large man bursting into the bedroom and asking, “Where’s Nancy?” He said that when he responded that his wife was in Washington, DePape said he would tie him up while they waited for her.“It was a tremendous sense of shock to recognize that somebody had broken into the house, and looking at him and looking at the hammer and the ties, I recognized that I was in serious danger, so I tried to stay as calm as possible,” Pelosi told jurors.DePape is also charged in state court with assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other felonies. Jury selection in that trial is expected to start Wednesday.Paul Pelosi suffered two head wounds in the attack, including a skull fracture that was mended with plates and screws he will have for the rest of his life. His right arm and hand were also injured.

Nancy Pelosi's husband's attacker sentenced to years in prison

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/masters-2024-augusta-national-8f9bcddc2f3c8aa4298a83c016286918">Masters champion Scottie Scheffler</a>&nbsp;was arrested Friday morning on his way to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/scottie-scheffler-pga-championship-dc43b1facb4b7c5e6a8c9b29159a6ae2">PGA Championship</a>, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was taken to jail for not following police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.

In a span of four hours, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/scottie-scheffler-tiger-woods-players-championship-387cadc831f8bf7f63e00673166d6add">top-ranked golfer</a>&nbsp;in the world was arrested wearing gym shorts and a T-shirt, dressed in an orange jail shirt for his mug shot, stretched in a jail cell to stay loose and returned to Valhalla Golf Club dressed and ready for his 10:08 a.m. tee time.

Louisville Metro Police Department said Scheffler was booked on four charges, including second-degree assault of a police officer after his vehicle dragged an officer to the ground.

Scheffler said the incident was a “big misunderstanding amid a chaotic situation.”

“I feel like my head is still spinning. I can't really explain what happened this morning,” Scheffler said after remarkably posting another 5-under 66 that kept him in the mix for a second straight major championship.

He said he could not offer specifics on the arrest because it was under investigation. In a statement released before his round, he said never intended to disregard police instructions outside the entrance to the club.

“I definitely never imagined ever going to jail, and I definitely never imagined going to jail the morning before one of my tee times for sure,” Scheffler said. “I was grateful to be able to go out there and compete and yeah, it was definitely a nice round of golf.”

His attorney, Steve Romines in Louisville, also described it as a misunderstanding and told The Associated Press, “We will litigate the case as it goes.”

Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg said tournament vendor John Mills was the pedestrian killed and offered sympathies to his family. Greenberg also said the incident involving Scheffler and LMPD was “unfortunate” and that the police department was investigating.

Traffic was backed up for about a mile in both directions on the only road that leads to Valhalla in the morning darkness with light rain, with dozens of police vehicles flashing red-and-blue lights near the entrance.

Police approached the long line of cars waiting to say a pedestrian had been struck by a bus while crossing the road in a lane that was dedicated to tournament traffic.

Mills, 69, was working for a PGA Championship vendor. He was pronounced dead at the scene about 5:09 a.m.

ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington witnessed the incident and said Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world who was to start the second round at 8:48 a.m., drove past a police officer a little after 6 a.m. in his SUV with markings on the door indicating it was a PGA Championship vehicle.

The officer screamed at him to stop and then grabbed onto the car until Scheffler stopped about 10 yards later, Darlington said. The officer, identified in the arrest report as Det. Gillis, was dragged “to the ground” and suffered “pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist” after the car “accelerated forward,” according to Louisville police.

Scheffler was booked at 7:28 a.m. — about 2 1/2 hours before his updated tee time after the second round was delayed because of the fatality. In addition to the assault charge, he was booked on charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

“The main thing is he was proceeding exactly as he was directed in a marked vehicle with credentials," Romines said. “He didn’t do anything intentionally wrong.”

The officer was dressed in a high visibility reflective jacket when he stopped Scheffler’s car to give instructions, the arrest sheet said. Gillis was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

Darlington said police pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs.

“Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back, in handcuffs, very stunned about what was happening, looked toward me as he was in those handcuffs and said, ‘Please help me,’" Darlington said. “He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation. It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively.”

Scheffler was released by police and returned to the course at 9:12 a.m. He made his way to the practice area around 9:30 a.m. and was welcomed by fans — one shouted “free Scottie!” and others arrived later wearing “Free Scottie” T-shirts.

Scheffler seemed like his normal, relaxed self, sharing a few laughs on the driving range.

“I was never angry. I was just in shock,” Scheffler said. “I was shaking the whole time. I was shaking for like an hour. It was definitely a new feeling for me.”

He could see from a TV in the jail that tee times were pushed back 1 hour, 20 minutes because of the traffic situation, and realized when an officer knocked on the door and said, “Let's go,” that he had a chance to play.

He made birdie on his first hole of the day after sticking his approach shot to 3 feet.

Darlington, the ESPN reporter, said police were not sure who Scheffler was at first. He said an officer asked him to leave and when he identified himself being with the media, he was told, “There's nothing you can do. He's going to jail.”

Darlington said another police officer later approached with a notepad and asked if he knew the name of the person they put in handcuffs.

Scheffler said he never told police who he was except to say, “I'm sorry, I'm just trying to get to my tee time.”

Louisville police have attracted negative national attention in recent years after the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in 2020 and a federal investigation into its policing practices.

A Department of Justice report released last year said Louisville officers use excessive force and conduct searches based on invalid warrants. The report said Black motorists in Louisville were more likely to be searched during traffic stops, and officers used neck restraints, police dogs and Tasers against people who posed no imminent threat.

Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was shot by officers in who had come to her apartment with a warrant that federal officials later said was falsified.

PGA of America, which runs the PGA Championship, offered sympathies for Mills' family and said in a statement, “As it relates to the incident involving Scottie Scheffler, we are fully cooperating as local authorities review what took place.”

Scheffler is coming off four victories in his last five tournaments, including his second Masters title. He was home in Dallas the last three weeks waiting on the birth of his first child, a son that was born May 8.

Scheffler, who has won four of his last five tournaments, is trying to become only the fifth player since 1960 to win the first two majors of the year.

In a span of four hours, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/scottie-scheffler-tiger-woods-players-championship-387cadc831f8bf7f63e00673166d6add">top-ranked golfer</a>&nbsp;in the world was arrested wearing gym shorts and a T-shirt, dressed in an orange jail shirt for his mug shot, returned to Valhalla Golf Club in golf clothes and made his 10:08 a.m. second-round tee time.

“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers,” he said in a statement released as he was warming up on the range. "It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do.

“I never intended to disregard any of the instructions,” he said. “I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today. Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”

Police said a pedestrian had been struck by a bus while crossing the road in a lane that was dedicated to tournament traffic and was pronounced dead at the scene about 5:09 a.m. The PGA of America identified the man as an employee of one of its vendors.

ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington said Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world who was to start the second round at 8:48 a.m., drove past a police officer a little after 6 a.m. in his SUV with markings on the door indicating it was a PGA Championship vehicle.

The officer screamed at him to stop and then grabbed onto the car until Scheffler stopped about 10 yards later. The officer, identified in the arrest report as Det. Gillis, was dragged “to the ground” and suffered “pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist” after the car “accelerated forward,” according to Louisville police.

Scheffler was booked at 7:28 a.m. — about 2 1/2 hours before his updated tee time after the second round was delayed because of the fatality. Police said he was booked for second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

Darlington watched it unfold. He said police pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs.

Mitchell told Louisville radio station WHAS the man was crossing Shelbyville Road about 5 a.m. and the bus didn't see him. Mitchell said the man was pronounced dead on the scene.

Scheffler was released by police and returned to the course at 9:12 a.m. He made his way to the practice area around 9:30 a.m. and was welcomed by fans — one shouted “free Scottie!”

Scheffler seemed like his normal, relaxed self, sharing a few laughs on the driving range. Then he went out and made a birdie on his first hole of the day after sticking his approach shot to three feet.

With cars backed up in the morning darkness, other PGA-marked vehicles tried to move slowly toward the entrance. Traffic finally began to move gradually a little before 7 a.m.

It was a surreal start to what already has been a wild week of weather — the Masters champion and top-ranked player in the world, dressed in workout clothes with his hands in cuffs behind his back amid flashing flights.

Darlington said police were not sure who Scheffler was. He said an officer asked him to leave and when he identified himself being with the media, he was told, “There's nothing you can do. He's going to jail.”

Scheffler opened with a 4-under 67 and was five shots out of the lead as he tries to become only the fifth player since 1960 to win the first two majors of the year.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was arrested Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was taken to jail for not following police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.

In a span of four hours, the top-ranked golfer in the world was arrested wearing gym shorts and a tee shirt, dressed in an orange jail shirt for his mug shot, returned to Valhalla Golf Club in golf clothes and made his 10:08 a.m. second-round tee time.

“This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones,” the PGA said in a statement.

The officer screamed at him to stop and then grabbed onto the car until Scheffler stopped about 10 yards later.

Scheffler was booked at 7:28 a.m. — about 2 1/2 hours before he was scheduled to start his second round. Police said he was booked for second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

Louisville Metro police spokesman Dwight Mitchell did not immediately return a call seeking comment and information.

The PGA Championship posted a notice that play would be delayed because of the accident. The second round was to start 1 hour, 20 minutes later than scheduled tee times, meaning Scheffler was not due to start until 10:08 a.m.

In a span of three hours, Scheffler was arrested wearing gym shorts and a tee shirt, was dressed in an orange jail shirt for his mug shot, and returned to Valhalla Golf Club in golf clothes 56 minutes before he was to tee off in the second round.

Police said a pedestrian had been struck by a bus while crossing the road in a lane that was dedicated to tournament traffic and was pronounced dead at the scene about 5:09 a.m.

The PGA Championship posted a notice that play would be delayed because of the accident. The second round was to start 1 hour, 20 minutes later than scheduled tee times, meaning Scheffler was not due to start until a little after 10 a.m.

No. 1 golfer in the world charged with assault after officer dragged near fatal crash

&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.

<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.”