COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr" target="_blank">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;has challenged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to a head-to-head debate for when both address a Libertarian convention later this month, a move that comes as the presumptive GOP nominee has ramped up both criticism of Kennedy's independent bid and demands that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden" target="_blank">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;meet him on a debate stage.

Arguing that he is “drawing a lot of voters from your former supporters,” Kennedy said to Trump in an open letter posted Tuesday to X that the Libertarian convention provides “perfect neutral territory for you and me to have a debate where you can defend your record for your wavering supporters.”

Trump has been bullish in calling on Biden to debate him ahead of the November general election but has shied away from other rivals’ previous debate entreaties. Trump skipped the 2024&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-republican-primary-debate-9b6c7e74c7ce908cd082df3bb192535f" target="_blank">GOP primary debates</a>, saying it was unnecessary because voters know him and his record.

Kennedy, who last year challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination before launching an independent bid, has argued that his relatively strong showing in a few national polls gives his candidacy heft. Polls during the 2016 presidential campaign regularly put libertarian Gary Johnson’s support in the high single or low double digits, but he ultimately received only about 3% of the vote nationwide.

In the open letter to Trump, Kennedy said their debate could “show the American public that at least two of the major candidates aren’t afraid to debate each other." Kennedy wrote that convention organizers "are game for us to use our time there to bring the American people the debate they deserve!”

Spokespeople for the Trump campaign and the Libertarian Party did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Kennedy's debate challenge.

Kennedy and Trump are scheduled to appear on separate days before attendees at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-libertarian-rfk-jr-voters-gop-biden-659e6f19dec85344bfe1f93e0ea1c0a1" target="_blank">Libertarian National Convention</a>&nbsp;in Washington, D.C. later this month. Both candidates have been courting support from libertarian-leaning voters, although Kennedy — who is working to appear on all 50 ballots, a state-by-state petition process — has ruled out officially running as a Libertarian candidate.

In recent weeks, Trump's campaign has ramped up its attacks against Kennedy, who has appealed to disaffected Democrats and Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-presidential-campaign-independent-2024-30d940109c4956de9c81f332ec418463" target="_blank">looking for an alternative</a>&nbsp;to the pending rematch of the 2020 election.

Last month, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “RFK Jr. is a Democrat ‘Plant,’ a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden." MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump's candidacy, has also issued its own critical posts and created an anti-Kennedy website.

Leaving court one day last week after his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-stormy-daniels-cohen-9be06e3d33c25af7060552a44001cc1a" target="_blank">hush money trial</a>, Trump told reporters asking about Kennedy’s campaign that he didn’t feel threatened by it, pointing to polling.

“He might hurt me, I don’t know. But he has very low numbers, certainly not numbers that he can debate with, and he’s got to get his numbers up a lot higher before he’s credible,” Trump said. “The numbers that he’s taking away, they say will be against Biden. I don’t know, it could be a little bit against me, but I don’t see him as a factor.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711482471368.png" alt="Courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr" target="_blank">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;has challenged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to a head-to-head debate for when both address a Libertarian convention later this month, a move that comes as the presumptive GOP nominee has ramped up both criticism of Kennedy's independent bid and demands that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden" target="_blank">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;meet him on a debate stage.Arguing that he is “drawing a lot of voters from your former supporters,” Kennedy said to Trump in an open letter posted Tuesday to X that the Libertarian convention provides “perfect neutral territory for you and me to have a debate where you can defend your record for your wavering supporters.”Trump has been bullish in calling on Biden to debate him ahead of the November general election but has shied away from other rivals’ previous debate entreaties. Trump skipped the 2024&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-republican-primary-debate-9b6c7e74c7ce908cd082df3bb192535f" target="_blank">GOP primary debates</a>, saying it was unnecessary because voters know him and his record.Kennedy, who last year challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination before launching an independent bid, has argued that his relatively strong showing in a few national polls gives his candidacy heft. Polls during the 2016 presidential campaign regularly put libertarian Gary Johnson’s support in the high single or low double digits, but he ultimately received only about 3% of the vote nationwide.In the open letter to Trump, Kennedy said their debate could “show the American public that at least two of the major candidates aren’t afraid to debate each other." Kennedy wrote that convention organizers "are game for us to use our time there to bring the American people the debate they deserve!”Spokespeople for the Trump campaign and the Libertarian Party did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Kennedy's debate challenge.Kennedy and Trump are scheduled to appear on separate days before attendees at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-libertarian-rfk-jr-voters-gop-biden-659e6f19dec85344bfe1f93e0ea1c0a1" target="_blank">Libertarian National Convention</a>&nbsp;in Washington, D.C. later this month. Both candidates have been courting support from libertarian-leaning voters, although Kennedy — who is working to appear on all 50 ballots, a state-by-state petition process — has ruled out officially running as a Libertarian candidate.In recent weeks, Trump's campaign has ramped up its attacks against Kennedy, who has appealed to disaffected Democrats and Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-presidential-campaign-independent-2024-30d940109c4956de9c81f332ec418463" target="_blank">looking for an alternative</a>&nbsp;to the pending rematch of the 2020 election.Last month, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “RFK Jr. is a Democrat ‘Plant,’ a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden." MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump's candidacy, has also issued its own critical posts and created an anti-Kennedy website.Leaving court one day last week after his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-stormy-daniels-cohen-9be06e3d33c25af7060552a44001cc1a" target="_blank">hush money trial</a>, Trump told reporters asking about Kennedy’s campaign that he didn’t feel threatened by it, pointing to polling.“He might hurt me, I don’t know. But he has very low numbers, certainly not numbers that he can debate with, and he’s got to get his numbers up a lot higher before he’s credible,” Trump said. “The numbers that he’s taking away, they say will be against Biden. I don’t know, it could be a little bit against me, but I don’t see him as a factor.”___

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. challenges Donald Trump to debate

OMAHA, Neb. — The Internal Revenue Service announced today tax relief for individuals and businesses in Nebraska that were affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes that began on April 25, 2024. These taxpayers now have until Sept. 3, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

Following the disaster declaration issued by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/" target="_blank">Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA</a>),&nbsp;individuals and households that reside or have a business in&nbsp;Douglas and Washington counties qualify for tax relief.

The declaration permits the IRS to postpone certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area. For instance, certain deadlines falling on or after April 25, 2024, and&nbsp;before&nbsp;Sept. 3, 2024,&nbsp;are&nbsp;granted&nbsp;additional&nbsp;time to&nbsp;file through Sept. 3, 2024.&nbsp;As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Sept. 3, 2024, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period.

The Sept. 3, 2024, deadline also applies to any payment normally due during this period, including the quarterly estimated tax payment due on June 17, 2024, and the quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on May 1 and July 31, 2024.&nbsp; In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after April 25, 2024, and before May 10, 2024, will be abated as long as the tax deposits are made by May 10, 2024.

If an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original filing, payment or deposit due date that falls within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the telephone number on the notice to have the IRS abate the penalty.

The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and applies filing and payment relief. But affected taxpayers who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area should call the IRS disaster hotline at&nbsp;<a href="tel:866-562-5227" target="_blank">866-562-5227</a>&nbsp;to request this tax relief.&nbsp;Disaster area tax preparers with clients located outside the disaster area can choose to use the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/bulk-requests-from-practitioners-for-disaster-relief" target="_blank">Bulk Requests from Practitioners for Disaster Relief</a>&nbsp;option, described on IRS.gov.

The localities listed above constitutes a covered disaster area for purposes of Treas. Reg. §301.7508A-1(d)(2) and are entitled to the relief detailed below.

Taxpayers considered to be affected taxpayers eligible for the postponement of time to file returns, pay taxes and perform other time-sensitive acts are those taxpayers listed in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(d)(1), and include individuals who live, and businesses (including tax-exempt organizations) whose principal place of business is located, in the covered disaster area. Taxpayers not in the covered disaster area, but whose records necessary to meet a deadline listed in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(c) are in the covered disaster area, are also entitled to relief. In addition, all relief workers affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization assisting in the relief activities in the covered disaster area and any individual visiting the covered disaster area who was killed or injured as a result of the disaster are entitled to relief.

Under section 7508A, the IRS gives affected taxpayers until Sept, 3, 2024, to file most tax returns (including individual, corporate, and estate and trust income tax returns; partnership returns, S corporation returns, and trust returns; estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax returns; annual information returns of tax-exempt organizations; and employment and certain excise tax returns), that have either an original or extended due date occurring on or after&nbsp;April 25, 2024, and&nbsp;before&nbsp;Sept. 3,&nbsp;2024,&nbsp;are&nbsp;granted&nbsp;additional&nbsp;time to&nbsp;file&nbsp;through&nbsp;Sept. 3, 2024.

Affected taxpayers that have an estimated income tax payment originally due on or after April 25, 2024, are postponed through Sept. 3, 2024, will not be subject to penalties for failure to pay estimated tax installments as long as such payments are paid on or before Sept. 3, 2024.

The IRS also gives affected taxpayers until Sept. 3, 2024, to perform other time-sensitive actions described in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(c)(1) and Rev. Proc. 2018-58, 2018-50 IRB 990 (December 10, 2018), that are due to be performed on or after&nbsp;May 3,&nbsp;2024, and&nbsp;before&nbsp;Sept. 3, 2024,&nbsp;are&nbsp;granted&nbsp;additional&nbsp;time to&nbsp;file&nbsp;through&nbsp;Sept. 3, 2024.

This relief also includes the filing of Form 5500 series returns that were required to be filed on or after&nbsp;April 25,&nbsp;2024, and&nbsp;before&nbsp;Sept. 3, 2024,&nbsp;are&nbsp;postponed through Sept. 3, 2024, in the manner described in section 8 of Rev. Proc. 2018-58. The relief described in section 17 of Rev. Proc. 2018-58, pertaining to like-kind exchanges of property, also applies to certain taxpayers who are not otherwise affected taxpayers and may include acts required to be performed before or after the period above.

Unless an act is specifically listed in Rev. Proc. 2018-58, the postponement of time to file and pay does not apply to information returns in the W-2, 1094, 1095, 1097, 1098 or 1099 series; to Forms 1042-S, 3921, 3922 or 8027; or to employment and excise tax deposits. However, penalties on deposits due on or after&nbsp;April 25, 2024, and before May 10, 2024, will be abated as long as the tax deposits were made by May 10, 2024.

Affected taxpayers in a federally declared disaster area have the option of claiming disaster-related casualty losses on their federal income tax return for either the year in which the event occurred, or the prior year. Taxpayers choosing to claim their losses on their 2022 return have extra time, until Oct. 15, 2024, to make this election. See&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-547" target="_blank">Publication 547</a>&nbsp;for details. Individuals may deduct personal property losses that are not covered by insurance or other reimbursements. For details, see&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4684.pdf" target="_blank">Form 4684, Casualties and Thefts</a>&nbsp;and its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i4684.pdf" target="_blank">instructions</a>. Affected taxpayers claiming the disaster loss on their return should put FEMA disaster declaration number,&nbsp;4778-DR&nbsp;on any return. See&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-547" target="_blank">Publication 547</a>&nbsp;for details.

The IRS will waive the usual fees and requests for copies of previously filed tax returns for affected taxpayers. Taxpayers should put the assigned FEMA declaration number&nbsp;(4778-DR), in bold letters at the top of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf" target="_blank">Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf" target="_blank">Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return, as appropriate</a>,&nbsp;and submit it to the IRS.

Qualified disaster relief payments are generally excluded from gross income. This means that affected taxpayers can exclude from their gross income amounts received from a government agency for reasonable and necessary personal, family, living or funeral expenses, as well as for the repair or rehabilitation of their home, or for the repair or replacement of its contents. See&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-525" target="_blank">Publication 525</a>&nbsp;for details.

<a>Additional relief may be available to affected taxpayers who participate in a retirement plan or individual retirement arrangement (IRA). For example, a taxpayer may be eligible to take a special disaster distribution that would not be subject to the additional 10% early distribution tax and allows the taxpayer to spread the income over three years. Taxpayers may also be eligible to make a hardship withdrawal. Each plan or IRA has specific rules and guidance for their participants to follow.</a>

The IRS may provide additional disaster relief in the future.

Affected taxpayers who are contacted by the IRS on a collection or examination matter should explain how the disaster impacts them so that the IRS can provide appropriate consideration to their case. Taxpayers may&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions" target="_blank">download forms and publications</a>&nbsp;from the official IRS website, IRS.gov.

Reminder about tax return preparation options

Another Free File option is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms" target="_blank">Free File Fillable Forms</a>. These are electronic federal tax forms, equivalent to a paper 1040 and are designed for taxpayers who are comfortable filling out IRS tax forms. Anyone, regardless of income, can use this option.

IRSOMAHA, Neb. — The Internal Revenue Service announced today tax relief for individuals and businesses in Nebraska that were affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes that began on April 25, 2024. These taxpayers now have until Sept. 3, 2024, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.Following the disaster declaration issued by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/" target="_blank">Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA</a>),&nbsp;individuals and households that reside or have a business in&nbsp;Douglas and Washington counties qualify for tax relief.The declaration permits the IRS to postpone certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area. For instance, certain deadlines falling on or after April 25, 2024, and&nbsp;before&nbsp;Sept. 3, 2024,&nbsp;are&nbsp;granted&nbsp;additional&nbsp;time to&nbsp;file through Sept. 3, 2024.&nbsp;As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Sept. 3, 2024, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period.The Sept. 3, 2024, deadline also applies to any payment normally due during this period, including the quarterly estimated tax payment due on June 17, 2024, and the quarterly payroll and excise tax returns normally due on May 1 and July 31, 2024.&nbsp; In addition, penalties on payroll and excise tax deposits due on or after April 25, 2024, and before May 10, 2024, will be abated as long as the tax deposits are made by May 10, 2024.If an affected taxpayer receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS that has an original filing, payment or deposit due date that falls within the postponement period, the taxpayer should call the telephone number on the notice to have the IRS abate the penalty.The IRS automatically identifies taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and applies filing and payment relief. But affected taxpayers who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area should call the IRS disaster hotline at&nbsp;<a href="tel:866-562-5227" target="_blank">866-562-5227</a>&nbsp;to request this tax relief.&nbsp;Disaster area tax preparers with clients located outside the disaster area can choose to use the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/bulk-requests-from-practitioners-for-disaster-relief" target="_blank">Bulk Requests from Practitioners for Disaster Relief</a>&nbsp;option, described on IRS.gov.<h2>Covered disaster area</h2>The localities listed above constitutes a covered disaster area for purposes of Treas. Reg. §301.7508A-1(d)(2) and are entitled to the relief detailed below.<h2>Affected taxpayers</h2>Taxpayers considered to be affected taxpayers eligible for the postponement of time to file returns, pay taxes and perform other time-sensitive acts are those taxpayers listed in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(d)(1), and include individuals who live, and businesses (including tax-exempt organizations) whose principal place of business is located, in the covered disaster area. Taxpayers not in the covered disaster area, but whose records necessary to meet a deadline listed in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(c) are in the covered disaster area, are also entitled to relief. In addition, all relief workers affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization assisting in the relief activities in the covered disaster area and any individual visiting the covered disaster area who was killed or injured as a result of the disaster are entitled to relief.Under section 7508A, the IRS gives affected taxpayers until Sept, 3, 2024, to file most tax returns (including individual, corporate, and estate and trust income tax returns; partnership returns, S corporation returns, and trust returns; estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax returns; annual information returns of tax-exempt organizations; and employment and certain excise tax returns), that have either an original or extended due date occurring on or after&nbsp;April 25, 2024, and&nbsp;before&nbsp;Sept. 3,&nbsp;2024,&nbsp;are&nbsp;granted&nbsp;additional&nbsp;time to&nbsp;file&nbsp;through&nbsp;Sept. 3, 2024.Affected taxpayers that have an estimated income tax payment originally due on or after April 25, 2024, are postponed through Sept. 3, 2024, will not be subject to penalties for failure to pay estimated tax installments as long as such payments are paid on or before Sept. 3, 2024.The IRS also gives affected taxpayers until Sept. 3, 2024, to perform other time-sensitive actions described in Treas. Reg. § 301.7508A-1(c)(1) and Rev. Proc. 2018-58, 2018-50 IRB 990 (December 10, 2018), that are due to be performed on or after&nbsp;May 3,&nbsp;2024, and&nbsp;before&nbsp;Sept. 3, 2024,&nbsp;are&nbsp;granted&nbsp;additional&nbsp;time to&nbsp;file&nbsp;through&nbsp;Sept. 3, 2024.This relief also includes the filing of Form 5500 series returns that were required to be filed on or after&nbsp;April 25,&nbsp;2024, and&nbsp;before&nbsp;Sept. 3, 2024,&nbsp;are&nbsp;postponed through Sept. 3, 2024, in the manner described in section 8 of Rev. Proc. 2018-58. The relief described in section 17 of Rev. Proc. 2018-58, pertaining to like-kind exchanges of property, also applies to certain taxpayers who are not otherwise affected taxpayers and may include acts required to be performed before or after the period above.Unless an act is specifically listed in Rev. Proc. 2018-58, the postponement of time to file and pay does not apply to information returns in the W-2, 1094, 1095, 1097, 1098 or 1099 series; to Forms 1042-S, 3921, 3922 or 8027; or to employment and excise tax deposits. However, penalties on deposits due on or after&nbsp;April 25, 2024, and before May 10, 2024, will be abated as long as the tax deposits were made by May 10, 2024.<h2>Casualty Losses</h2>Affected taxpayers in a federally declared disaster area have the option of claiming disaster-related casualty losses on their federal income tax return for either the year in which the event occurred, or the prior year. Taxpayers choosing to claim their losses on their 2022 return have extra time, until Oct. 15, 2024, to make this election. See&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-547" target="_blank">Publication 547</a>&nbsp;for details. Individuals may deduct personal property losses that are not covered by insurance or other reimbursements. For details, see&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4684.pdf" target="_blank">Form 4684, Casualties and Thefts</a>&nbsp;and its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i4684.pdf" target="_blank">instructions</a>. Affected taxpayers claiming the disaster loss on their return should put FEMA disaster declaration number,&nbsp;4778-DR&nbsp;on any return. See&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-547" target="_blank">Publication 547</a>&nbsp;for details.<h2>Other relief</h2>The IRS will waive the usual fees and requests for copies of previously filed tax returns for affected taxpayers. Taxpayers should put the assigned FEMA declaration number&nbsp;(4778-DR), in bold letters at the top of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf" target="_blank">Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf" target="_blank">Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return, as appropriate</a>,&nbsp;and submit it to the IRS.Qualified disaster relief payments are generally excluded from gross income. This means that affected taxpayers can exclude from their gross income amounts received from a government agency for reasonable and necessary personal, family, living or funeral expenses, as well as for the repair or rehabilitation of their home, or for the repair or replacement of its contents. See&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-525" target="_blank">Publication 525</a>&nbsp;for details.<a>Additional relief may be available to affected taxpayers who participate in a retirement plan or individual retirement arrangement (IRA). For example, a taxpayer may be eligible to take a special disaster distribution that would not be subject to the additional 10% early distribution tax and allows the taxpayer to spread the income over three years. Taxpayers may also be eligible to make a hardship withdrawal. Each plan or IRA has specific rules and guidance for their participants to follow.</a>The IRS may provide additional disaster relief in the future.Affected taxpayers who are contacted by the IRS on a collection or examination matter should explain how the disaster impacts them so that the IRS can provide appropriate consideration to their case. Taxpayers may&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions" target="_blank">download forms and publications</a>&nbsp;from the official IRS website, IRS.gov.Reminder about tax return preparation options<ul>
 <li>Eligible individuals or families can get free help preparing their tax return at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers" target="_blank">Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)</a>&nbsp;sites. To find the closest free tax help site, use the&nbsp;<a href="https://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep/" target="_blank">VITA Locator Tool</a>&nbsp;or call&nbsp;<a href="tel:800-906-9887" target="_blank">800-906-9887</a>.&nbsp; Note that normally, VITA sites cannot help claim disaster losses.</li><li>To find an AARP Tax-Aide site, use the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/locations.html" target="_blank">AARP Site Locator Tool</a>&nbsp;or call&nbsp;<a href="tel:888-227-7669" target="_blank">888-227-7669</a>.</li><li>Any individual or family whose adjusted gross income (AGI) was $79,000 or less in 2023 can use&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free" target="_blank">IRS Free File’s Guided Tax Software</a>&nbsp;at no cost. There are products in English and Spanish.</li>
 </ul>Another Free File option is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms" target="_blank">Free File Fillable Forms</a>. These are electronic federal tax forms, equivalent to a paper 1040 and are designed for taxpayers who are comfortable filling out IRS tax forms. Anyone, regardless of income, can use this option.<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/free-online-tax-help-for-military-members-and-their-families" target="_blank">MilTax</a>, a Department of Defense program, offers free return preparation software and electronic filing for federal tax returns and up to three state income tax returns. It’s available for all military members and some veterans, with no income limit.</li>
 </ul>

IRS announces tax relief for taxpayers impacted by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes in Nebraska

Office of Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers

Lincoln—Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has filed a lawsuit against Everlight Solar for unlawful door-to-door sales tactics and misleading consumers while selling solar panel systems.

Everlight’s salespeople make deceptive representations about the potential cost savings associated with solar panels. For example, Everlight has misled customers into believing falsely that purchasing panels would lead to the total elimination of their electric bills or that customers would generate enough power to receive a reimbursement check. Everlight also uses misleading savings models that omit relevant information and accurate data that could result in projections that show consumers spending more on panels than they would save.

Everlight’s salespeople also engage in prohibited solicitation tactics that are aggressive and intrusive. For example, they ignore “no solicitation” signs, knock on doors outside of permitted solicitation hours, including as late as 9:00 p.m., and refuse to leave until they’ve secured a sale. As evidenced in numerous online reviews, Everlight is unapologetic and defends its salespeople’s unlawful behavior.

“Despite many complaints, Everlight continues to use unlawful sales tactics that disturb Nebraskans in their homes and violate solicitation codes. Consumers have also complained that Everlight misled them to believe the panels would save them money and perform in manners they do not,” said Attorney General Mike Hilgers. “Our office is stepping in to put a stop to these unlawful tactics and misrepresentations that seek to take advantage of Nebraskans in a tough economy.”

The lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska. The complaint alleges Everlight Solar violated the Consumer Protection Act and the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

The Attorney General is asking the court to order Everlight to stop its unfair and deceptive sales tactics and pay penalties, among other relief.

For more information or to file a complaint related to this case, consumers can contact the Nebraska Attorney General’s office at ProtectTheGoodLife.Nebraska.gov.

Office of Nebraska Attorney General Mike HilgersLincoln—Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has filed a lawsuit against Everlight Solar for unlawful door-to-door sales tactics and misleading consumers while selling solar panel systems.Everlight’s salespeople make deceptive representations about the potential cost savings associated with solar panels. For example, Everlight has misled customers into believing falsely that purchasing panels would lead to the total elimination of their electric bills or that customers would generate enough power to receive a reimbursement check. Everlight also uses misleading savings models that omit relevant information and accurate data that could result in projections that show consumers spending more on panels than they would save.Everlight’s salespeople also engage in prohibited solicitation tactics that are aggressive and intrusive. For example, they ignore “no solicitation” signs, knock on doors outside of permitted solicitation hours, including as late as 9:00 p.m., and refuse to leave until they’ve secured a sale. As evidenced in numerous online reviews, Everlight is unapologetic and defends its salespeople’s unlawful behavior.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715262504620.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Despite many complaints, Everlight continues to use unlawful sales tactics that disturb Nebraskans in their homes and violate solicitation codes. Consumers have also complained that Everlight misled them to believe the panels would save them money and perform in manners they do not,” said Attorney General Mike Hilgers. “Our office is stepping in to put a stop to these unlawful tactics and misrepresentations that seek to take advantage of Nebraskans in a tough economy.”The lawsuit focuses on:<ul>
 <li>Unlawful Sales Tactics:&nbsp;Everlight’s salespeople unlawfully harass consumers in the sanctity of their homes by ignoring “no solicitation” signs, refusing to leave after consumers decline services or ask them to leave, and visiting homes outside of permitted solicitation hours.</li><li>Deceptive Representations Regarding Potential Cost Savings:&nbsp;Everlight uses misleading cost estimates, causing consumers to purchase costly solar systems that may cost more than they save, and misleads consumers to believe that they will no longer incur an electric bill or that they will receive reimbursement checks when neither is the case.</li><li>Deceptive Representations Regarding Partnerships:&nbsp;Everlight’s salespeople take advantage of the goodwill of Nebraska institutions, such as OPPD and local athletic programs, by misrepresenting their relationship and causing consumers to believe that these institutions tacitly endorse Everlight’s sales tactics, services, and products.</li>
 </ul>The lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska. The complaint alleges Everlight Solar violated the Consumer Protection Act and the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act.The Attorney General is asking the court to order Everlight to stop its unfair and deceptive sales tactics and pay penalties, among other relief.For more information or to file a complaint related to this case, consumers can contact the Nebraska Attorney General’s office at ProtectTheGoodLife.Nebraska.gov.

Attorney General Mike Hilgers Files Lawsuit against Everlight Solar for Unlawful Door-to-Door Sales Tactics & Misleading Consumers

The University of Nebraska Medical Center will be supporting the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health in leading a novel approach to nationwide planning for disasters and other types of large-scale health crises.

UNMC, Nebraska Medicine and the med center’s Global Center for Health Security – with funding through the NCDMPH – will convene federal agencies and others across academia and industry to strategically develop worst-case scenario-based and operationally driven plans for meeting medical and public health requirements during national emergencies.

Such plans would reduce the need to “build on the fly,” an approach used during the COVID-19 pandemic when public health and medical communities were forced to quickly adapt to growing needs and develop hospital capacity on an ad hoc basis.

“As a nation, we must develop the ability to ‘build on the fly&nbsp;by design,’” said UNMC’s Lauren Sauer, associate director of research in the Global Center for Health Security. “As history has shown, when catastrophic events occur, the rules may not apply. A national plan that reflects this reality will enable us to identify and adopt opportunities for how we can more effectively respond in moments of crisis when minutes count.”

Sauer said development of a more dynamic plan for health crises is part of ongoing efforts to fortify the National Disaster Medical System, which Congress established to provide care for U.S. military casualties during the height of the Cold War. In 2020, recognizing the limits of the National Disaster Medical System to meet the requirements of a large-scale, potentially catastrophic event, Congress directed the Department of Defense to conduct a five-year NDMS Pilot Program to assess and improve the capacity and interoperability of the National Disaster Medical System. Led by the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, the NDMS Pilot Program has been assessing gaps, developing and validating solutions and making recommendations to Congress on policy changes and additional investments.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, additional lessons were learned, Sauer said. “We did a lot of things on the fly and now recognize the need for a proactive plan for when things are outside the norm,” she said. “Developing a business model for preparedness will help us address emergencies more quickly and effectively and create ‘build on the fly by design’ opportunities.”

A “build on the fly design” approach could include discussions ranging from state-based health professions licensing to rapid scale development and deployment of therapeutics to solutions for quickly hiring, training and retaining more clinical staff, especially when the types of licensed professionals needed are simply unavailable.

“In the most severe of health crises, the standard approach to response will not succeed. We have to be ready to operate in an environment where the rules may not apply and the mission is paramount,” said Jeffrey Freeman, PhD, National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health director.

Any proactive national plan, Sauer said, must be dynamic and imagine worst-case scenarios for large-scale events, identify unconstrainted solutions and define courses of action. Planning participants will span government, academia and industry with diversity of experience as critical as expertise.

“UNMC is honored to partner with NCDMPH on this critically important collaboration, which fits squarely with the broader work of the Global Center for Health Security, the priorities of UNMC and our commitment to national preparedness,” said Chris Kratochvil, MD, vice chancellor for external relations at UNMC.

The National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health is a federal organization and component of the Uniformed Services University, with a mission to advance the nation’s medical and public health readiness for disasters. The center is governed by the federal interagency as a collaboration between the Departments of Defense, State, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Transportation and Veterans Affairs.

“We’re fortunate to have a partner like UNMC supporting this critical effort,” Dr. Freeman said. “From Ebola to COVID-19, UNMC has effectively delivered the cutting-edge science and technology to the leading edge of some of our nation’s greatest challenges, and we are confident they’ll do the same in this national effort.”

Photo caption:&nbsp;Chris Kratochvil, MD, vice chancellor for external relations at UNMC, and Lauren Sauer, associate director of research in the Global Center for Health Security

UNMCThe University of Nebraska Medical Center will be supporting the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health in leading a novel approach to nationwide planning for disasters and other types of large-scale health crises.UNMC, Nebraska Medicine and the med center’s Global Center for Health Security – with funding through the NCDMPH – will convene federal agencies and others across academia and industry to strategically develop worst-case scenario-based and operationally driven plans for meeting medical and public health requirements during national emergencies.Such plans would reduce the need to “build on the fly,” an approach used during the COVID-19 pandemic when public health and medical communities were forced to quickly adapt to growing needs and develop hospital capacity on an ad hoc basis.“As a nation, we must develop the ability to ‘build on the fly&nbsp;by design,’” said UNMC’s Lauren Sauer, associate director of research in the Global Center for Health Security. “As history has shown, when catastrophic events occur, the rules may not apply. A national plan that reflects this reality will enable us to identify and adopt opportunities for how we can more effectively respond in moments of crisis when minutes count.”Sauer said development of a more dynamic plan for health crises is part of ongoing efforts to fortify the National Disaster Medical System, which Congress established to provide care for U.S. military casualties during the height of the Cold War. In 2020, recognizing the limits of the National Disaster Medical System to meet the requirements of a large-scale, potentially catastrophic event, Congress directed the Department of Defense to conduct a five-year NDMS Pilot Program to assess and improve the capacity and interoperability of the National Disaster Medical System. Led by the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, the NDMS Pilot Program has been assessing gaps, developing and validating solutions and making recommendations to Congress on policy changes and additional investments.With the COVID-19 pandemic, additional lessons were learned, Sauer said. “We did a lot of things on the fly and now recognize the need for a proactive plan for when things are outside the norm,” she said. “Developing a business model for preparedness will help us address emergencies more quickly and effectively and create ‘build on the fly by design’ opportunities.”A “build on the fly design” approach could include discussions ranging from state-based health professions licensing to rapid scale development and deployment of therapeutics to solutions for quickly hiring, training and retaining more clinical staff, especially when the types of licensed professionals needed are simply unavailable.“In the most severe of health crises, the standard approach to response will not succeed. We have to be ready to operate in an environment where the rules may not apply and the mission is paramount,” said Jeffrey Freeman, PhD, National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health director.Any proactive national plan, Sauer said, must be dynamic and imagine worst-case scenarios for large-scale events, identify unconstrainted solutions and define courses of action. Planning participants will span government, academia and industry with diversity of experience as critical as expertise.“UNMC is honored to partner with NCDMPH on this critically important collaboration, which fits squarely with the broader work of the Global Center for Health Security, the priorities of UNMC and our commitment to national preparedness,” said Chris Kratochvil, MD, vice chancellor for external relations at UNMC.The National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health is a federal organization and component of the Uniformed Services University, with a mission to advance the nation’s medical and public health readiness for disasters. The center is governed by the federal interagency as a collaboration between the Departments of Defense, State, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Transportation and Veterans Affairs.“We’re fortunate to have a partner like UNMC supporting this critical effort,” Dr. Freeman said. “From Ebola to COVID-19, UNMC has effectively delivered the cutting-edge science and technology to the leading edge of some of our nation’s greatest challenges, and we are confident they’ll do the same in this national effort.”Photo caption:&nbsp;Chris Kratochvil, MD, vice chancellor for external relations at UNMC, and Lauren Sauer, associate director of research in the Global Center for Health Security

Med center to spearhead novel approach to disaster planning

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/signatures-being-gathered-seeking-to-stop-nebraskas-revamped-school-choice-law/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The union representing Nebraska’s K-12 public school teachers and its supporters can now gather signatures seeking to stop a new state law that helps some students pay for private schooling.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Bob Evnen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/Petitions/2024/Private%20Education%20Scholarship%20Partial%20Referendum.pdf">released the language</a>&nbsp;that petition gatherers are using to target much of Legislative Bill 1402, the latest version of a scholarship or voucher program for students attending private K-12 schools.&nbsp;

The petition seeks to “repeal section 1 of LB 1402 … which directs $10 million dollars annually for financial grants-in-aid for eligible students to attend a qualifying privately operated elementary or secondary school in Nebraska.”&nbsp;

Support Our Schools had no immediate comment about approval of the petition language. The group has until mid-July to gather about 61,000 signatures from about 5% of registered voters statewide, plus 5% from voters in at least 38 counties.

Its leaders have argued that people who want to spend public dollars on private education revamped the first version of the scholarship program, passed last year, in order to derail Support Our Schools’ first effort to let voters decide on the issue.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha and other scholarship program supporters also had no immediate comment on the language, other than Linehan saying that the state Department of Education approves which schools are eligible.

The scholarship program started as a privately funded effort backed by a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $25 million a year for donors. The program shifted under LB 1402 into a direct appropriation of $10 million to the State Treasurer’s Office to distribute.

Some have questioned the constitutionality of the appropriation and whether there’s enough of a step between state money and private schools. Others have questioned whether a ballot measure can repeal a legislative appropriation.

Program advocates, including Linehan and State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, have said families with kids in public schools that don’t work well for them need options and can’t afford to wait years for school systems to change.&nbsp;

Critics of the school choice push say many other states that have started with small scholarship programs like this one later expanded into costly voucher programs that pull tax dollars out away from other priorities, including public schools.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715262152345.jpeg" alt="Tim Royers of the NSEA answers questions from reporters on Aug. 30, 2023, about the petition drive for Support Our Schools. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Tim Royers of the NSEA answers questions from reporters on Aug. 30, 2023, about the petition drive for Support Our Schools. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/signatures-being-gathered-seeking-to-stop-nebraskas-revamped-school-choice-law/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The union representing Nebraska’s K-12 public school teachers and its supporters can now gather signatures seeking to stop a new state law that helps some students pay for private schooling.On Wednesday, Secretary of State Bob Evnen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/Petitions/2024/Private%20Education%20Scholarship%20Partial%20Referendum.pdf">released the language</a>&nbsp;that petition gatherers are using to target much of Legislative Bill 1402, the latest version of a scholarship or voucher program for students attending private K-12 schools.&nbsp;The petition seeks to “repeal section 1 of LB 1402 … which directs $10 million dollars annually for financial grants-in-aid for eligible students to attend a qualifying privately operated elementary or secondary school in Nebraska.”&nbsp;Support Our Schools had no immediate comment about approval of the petition language. The group has until mid-July to gather about 61,000 signatures from about 5% of registered voters statewide, plus 5% from voters in at least 38 counties.Its leaders have argued that people who want to spend public dollars on private education revamped the first version of the scholarship program, passed last year, in order to derail Support Our Schools’ first effort to let voters decide on the issue.<h2>Direct appropriation of $10 million</h2>State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha and other scholarship program supporters also had no immediate comment on the language, other than Linehan saying that the state Department of Education approves which schools are eligible.The scholarship program started as a privately funded effort backed by a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $25 million a year for donors. The program shifted under LB 1402 into a direct appropriation of $10 million to the State Treasurer’s Office to distribute.Some have questioned the constitutionality of the appropriation and whether there’s enough of a step between state money and private schools. Others have questioned whether a ballot measure can repeal a legislative appropriation.Program advocates, including Linehan and State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, have said families with kids in public schools that don’t work well for them need options and can’t afford to wait years for school systems to change.&nbsp;Critics of the school choice push say many other states that have started with small scholarship programs like this one later expanded into costly voucher programs that pull tax dollars out away from other priorities, including public schools.

Signatures being gathered seeking to stop Nebraska’s revamped school choice law

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">all-out assault on Rafah</a>&nbsp;— the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza — over concern for the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there.

Biden, in an interview with CNN, said the U.S. was still committed to Israel's defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, “we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used.”

&nbsp;On social media, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall wrote, " catering to his pro-terrorist, pro-Hamas faction of his party, Joe Biden is blocking aid to Israel. We are demanding answers.

The U.S. has historically provided enormous amounts of military aid to Israel. That has only accelerated in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 in Israel and led to about 250 being taken captive by militants. Biden's comments and his decision last week to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel are the most striking manifestations of the growing daylight between his administration and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Biden has said that Israel needs to do far more to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza.

The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225-kilogram) bombs, according to a senior U.S. administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. The focus of U.S. concern was the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban area.

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden told CNN. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier Wednesday confirmed the weapons delay, telling the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense that the U.S. paused “one shipment of high payload munitions.”

“We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself,” Austin said. “But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah.”

It also comes as the Biden administration is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-leahy-biden-nsm-military-aid-812864bc424b93c886226e33f5c3f0e5">due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict</a>&nbsp;this week on whether the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">airstrikes on Gaza and restrictions on delivery of aid</a>&nbsp;have violated international and U.S. laws designed to spare civilians from the worst horrors of war. A decision against Israel would further add to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-commencement-protests-gaza-9bb8051253c45947509feb32ced78f8c">pressure on Biden</a>&nbsp;to curb the flow of weapons and money to Israel’s military.

Biden signed off on the pause in an order conveyed last week to the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials who were not authorized to comment on the matter. The White House National Security Council sought to keep the decision out of the public eye for several days until it had a better understanding of the scope of Israel’s intensified military operations in Rafah and until Biden could deliver a long-planned speech on Tuesday to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Biden’s administration in April began reviewing future transfers of military assistance as Netanyahu’s government appeared to move closer toward an invasion of Rafah, despite months of opposition from the White House. The official said the decision to pause the shipment was made last week and no final decision had been made yet on whether to proceed with the shipment at a later date.

U.S. officials had declined for days to comment on the halted transfer, word of which came as Biden on Tuesday described U.S. support for Israel as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gaza-israel-jewish-congress-f2f84c9e7c52345c35e5cb4c2d00a417">“ironclad, even when we disagree.”</a>

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 TV news, said the decision to pause the shipment was “a very disappointing decision, even frustrating." He suggested the move stemmed from political pressure on Biden from Congress, the U.S. campus protests and the upcoming election.

The decision also drew a sharp rebuke from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who said they only learned about the military aid holdup from press reports, despite assurances from the Biden administration that no such pauses were in the works. The Republicans called on Biden in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.speaker.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SMJ-MM-5.8.24-Letter.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to swiftly end the blockage, saying it “risks emboldening Israel's enemies,” and to brief lawmakers on the nature of the policy reviews.

Biden has faced pressure from some on the left — and condemnation from the critics on the right who say Biden has moderated his support for an essential Mideast ally.

“If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., his voice rising in anger during an exchange with Austin. “This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they can’t afford to lose.”

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a Biden ally, said in a statement the pause on big bombs must be a “first step.”

“Our leverage is clear,” Sanders said. “Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Netanyahu’s horrific war against the Palestinian people.”

Austin, meanwhile, told lawmakers that "it’s about having the right kinds of weapons for the task at hand.”

"A small diameter bomb, which is a precision weapon, that’s very useful in a dense, built-up environment,” he said, “but maybe not so much a 2,000-pound bomb that could create a lot of collateral damage.” He said the U.S. wants to see Israel do “more precise” operations.

Israeli troops on Tuesday seized control of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-offensive-israel-netanyahu-hamas-palestinians-014b2d850bbe28897b624bc5e5378320">Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing</a>&nbsp;in what the White House described as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">limited operation</a>&nbsp;that stopped short of the full-on Israeli invasion of the city that Biden has repeatedly warned against on humanitarian grounds, most recently in a Monday call with Netanyahu.

Israel has ordered the evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians from the city. Israeli forces have also carried out what it describes as “targeted strikes” on the eastern part of Rafah and captured the Rafah crossing, a critical conduit for the flow of humanitarian aid along the Gaza-Egypt border.

Privately, concern has mounted inside the White House about what’s unfolding in Rafah, but publicly administration officials have stressed that they did not think the operations had defied Biden’s warnings against a widescale operation in the city.

The State Department is separately considering whether to approve the continued transfer of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, which place precision guidance systems onto bombs, to Israel, but the review didn’t pertain to imminent shipments.

Itamar Yaar, former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council said the U.S. move is largely symbolic, but a sign of trouble and could become more of a problem if it is sustained.

“It’s not some kind of American embargo on American munitions support, but I think its some kind of diplomatic message to Mr. Netanyahu that he needs to take into consideration American interests more than he has over the last few months," he said. "At least for now it will not impact Israeli capability but it’s some kind of a signal, a ‘be careful.’”

The U.S. dropped the 2,000-pound bomb sparingly in its long war against the Islamic State militant group. Israel, by contrast, has used the bomb frequently in the seven-month Gaza war. Experts say the use of the weapon, in part, has helped drive the enormous Palestinian casualty count that the Hamas-run health ministry puts at more than 34,000 dead, though it doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians.

The U.S.-Israel relationship has been close through both Democratic and Republican administrations. But there have been other moments of deep tension since Israel's founding in which U.S. leaders have threatened to hold up aid in attempt to sway Israeli leadership.

President Dwight Eisenhower pressured Israel with the threat of sanctions into withdrawing from the Sinai in 1957 in the midst of the Suez Crisis. Ronald Reagan delayed the delivery of F16 fighter jets to Israel at a time of escalating violence in the Middle East. President George H.W. Bush held up $10 billion in loan guarantees to force the cessation of Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As it targets Hamas’ underground tunnels in Gaza, Israel has relied on powerful 2,000-pound bombs provided by the United States. But now those deliveries are on hold.

The U.S. is pausing a shipment of 1,800 of the bombs, as well as 1,700 500-pound bombs, U.S. officials said. The decision comes as Israel is planning an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah in an attempt to root out the final elements of Hamas.

With more than 1 million refugees sheltering in Rafah, U.S. officials are concerned the bombs could inflict massive casualties. Human rights groups have long said that Israel’s use of powerful bombs has caused the indiscriminate killings of civilians.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-weapons-shipment-us-eed365ebef0477ba74bf9848cacae4f4">told a Senate panel Wednesday</a>&nbsp;that smaller, more precise weapons are needed for a densely populated area like Rafah.

Still, he made clear the decision wasn’t final.

“We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself,” Austin said. “But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">unfolding events in Rafah</a>.”

A look at the 2,000-pound bomb and why there’s so much concern about its use in Rafah.

While the U.S. has dropped 2,000-pound bombs off its aircraft since World War II, current versions date back to the Vietnam War. It's an air-dropped munition, one that can carry a higher payload because it doesn't have an engine. It's one of the larger munitions in the U.S. inventory, said Ryan Brobst, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies' Center on Military and Political Power.

The 2,000-pound bomb has multiple variants — some are designed to penetrate deep, underground targets while others detonate above ground and cause widespread damage. Depending on the variant, and whether the munition is dropped in an open or urban area, its blast radius can be as far as a quarter mile away or a much more confined area.

The bombs are “dumb” or unguided bombs but can be turned into more precise weapons with the addition of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, or JDAM kits which add a tail fin and navigation.

That added kit enables troops to guide the munition to a target, rather than simply dropping it from a fighter jet onto the ground. The kits make the weapons more precise, but in a densely populated urban environment, a JDAM kit is not going to make much of a difference — a precise hit will still have the reach to kill unintended bystanders.

U.S. fighter jets, bombers and drones can all fire the JDAMs, and the U.S. began providing the munitions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-e48cceaba41f1ec55e35f9dec099fe44">to Ukraine in 2022,</a>&nbsp;a slightly modified version that could be launched from Ukrainian aircraft. After the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, the U.S. provided 2,000-pound munitions to Israel to assist in its defense.

And unlike other types of munitions in the U.S. inventory, the military has an ample supply of them, so providing them doesn’t involve the same type of stockpile pressures the U.S. has with other more limited munitions like the 155mm artillery rounds.

The Israeli military has said little about what kinds of bombs and artillery it is using in Gaza. But from blast fragments found on-site and analyses of strike footage, experts are confident that the vast majority of bombs dropped on the besieged enclave are U.S.-made. They say the 2,000-pound bombs have killed hundreds in densely populated areas.

Brobst said the 2,000-pound bombs are still needed to assist Israel in striking Hamas' tunnel network in Rafah.

Wes Bryant, a weapons expert and retired American Air Force master sergeant who served on an independent task force for the State and Defense Departments on Israel's use of weapons in Gaza, said that the pause would be a “huge hit” to the Israeli arsenal.

The 2,000- and 500-pound bombs are some of the main munitions used by Israel in its seven-month war campaign, Bryant said.

“They have been burning right through them,” said Bryant. He said the munitions are made by major American weapons manufacturers like Raytheon, Northrop, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and General Atomics.

A report compiled by the independent task force for the State and Defense Departments last month said U.S. sources informed one of its members that 300,000 munitions had been dropped on or fired in Gaza during the first six months of the war.

It cited “credible” media investigations that in the first month of the Israeli campaign alone, there were at least 500 craters in Gaza consistent with the use of 2,000-pound bombs.

The potential use of 2,000-pound bombs in Rafah, where more than 1 million people have sheltered because they have nowhere else to go, has drawn significant administration concern.

At the hearing, Austin questioned whether the 2,000-pound bomb was the right tool for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-hamas-latest-05-08-2024-385416e25c74f57c4286fbc2eb93ebc1">Rafah operation.</a>

“It’s about having the right kinds of weapons for the task at hand. And a small diameter bomb, which is a precision weapon, that’s very useful in a dense, built-up environment,” said Austin, “but maybe not so much a 2,000-pound bomb that could create a lot of collateral damage.” He said the U.S. wants to see Israel do “more precise” operations.

Israel reacted strongly to the U.S. decision. Its U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the pause “a very disappointing decision, even frustrating,” in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 TV news. He suggested that the move stemmed from political pressure on Biden from Congress, campus protests and the upcoming election.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697623511291.png" alt="File -President Biden greets Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last fall- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>File -President Biden greets Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last fall- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">all-out assault on Rafah</a>&nbsp;— the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza — over concern for the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there.Biden, in an interview with CNN, said the U.S. was still committed to Israel's defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, “we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used.”&nbsp;On social media, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall wrote, " catering to his pro-terrorist, pro-Hamas faction of his party, Joe Biden is blocking aid to Israel. We are demanding answers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715134220290.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price. This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they can&#39;t afford to lose. This is Hiroshima &amp; Nagasaki on steroids&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LindseyGrahamSC</a> <a href="https://t.co/YU8w3346Cd">pic.twitter.com/YU8w3346Cd</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1788240461922009549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The U.S. has historically provided enormous amounts of military aid to Israel. That has only accelerated in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 in Israel and led to about 250 being taken captive by militants. Biden's comments and his decision last week to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel are the most striking manifestations of the growing daylight between his administration and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Biden has said that Israel needs to do far more to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza.The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225-kilogram) bombs, according to a senior U.S. administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. The focus of U.S. concern was the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban area.“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden told CNN. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem.”Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier Wednesday confirmed the weapons delay, telling the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense that the U.S. paused “one shipment of high payload munitions.”“We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself,” Austin said. “But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah.”It also comes as the Biden administration is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-leahy-biden-nsm-military-aid-812864bc424b93c886226e33f5c3f0e5">due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict</a>&nbsp;this week on whether the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">airstrikes on Gaza and restrictions on delivery of aid</a>&nbsp;have violated international and U.S. laws designed to spare civilians from the worst horrors of war. A decision against Israel would further add to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/columbia-commencement-protests-gaza-9bb8051253c45947509feb32ced78f8c">pressure on Biden</a>&nbsp;to curb the flow of weapons and money to Israel’s military.Biden signed off on the pause in an order conveyed last week to the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials who were not authorized to comment on the matter. The White House National Security Council sought to keep the decision out of the public eye for several days until it had a better understanding of the scope of Israel’s intensified military operations in Rafah and until Biden could deliver a long-planned speech on Tuesday to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.Biden’s administration in April began reviewing future transfers of military assistance as Netanyahu’s government appeared to move closer toward an invasion of Rafah, despite months of opposition from the White House. The official said the decision to pause the shipment was made last week and no final decision had been made yet on whether to proceed with the shipment at a later date.U.S. officials had declined for days to comment on the halted transfer, word of which came as Biden on Tuesday described U.S. support for Israel as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gaza-israel-jewish-congress-f2f84c9e7c52345c35e5cb4c2d00a417">“ironclad, even when we disagree.”</a>Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 TV news, said the decision to pause the shipment was “a very disappointing decision, even frustrating." He suggested the move stemmed from political pressure on Biden from Congress, the U.S. campus protests and the upcoming election.The decision also drew a sharp rebuke from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who said they only learned about the military aid holdup from press reports, despite assurances from the Biden administration that no such pauses were in the works. The Republicans called on Biden in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.speaker.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SMJ-MM-5.8.24-Letter.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to swiftly end the blockage, saying it “risks emboldening Israel's enemies,” and to brief lawmakers on the nature of the policy reviews.Biden has faced pressure from some on the left — and condemnation from the critics on the right who say Biden has moderated his support for an essential Mideast ally.“If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., his voice rising in anger during an exchange with Austin. “This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they can’t afford to lose.”Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a Biden ally, said in a statement the pause on big bombs must be a “first step.”“Our leverage is clear,” Sanders said. “Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Netanyahu’s horrific war against the Palestinian people.”Austin, meanwhile, told lawmakers that "it’s about having the right kinds of weapons for the task at hand.”"A small diameter bomb, which is a precision weapon, that’s very useful in a dense, built-up environment,” he said, “but maybe not so much a 2,000-pound bomb that could create a lot of collateral damage.” He said the U.S. wants to see Israel do “more precise” operations.Israeli troops on Tuesday seized control of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-offensive-israel-netanyahu-hamas-palestinians-014b2d850bbe28897b624bc5e5378320">Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing</a>&nbsp;in what the White House described as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">limited operation</a>&nbsp;that stopped short of the full-on Israeli invasion of the city that Biden has repeatedly warned against on humanitarian grounds, most recently in a Monday call with Netanyahu.Israel has ordered the evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians from the city. Israeli forces have also carried out what it describes as “targeted strikes” on the eastern part of Rafah and captured the Rafah crossing, a critical conduit for the flow of humanitarian aid along the Gaza-Egypt border.Privately, concern has mounted inside the White House about what’s unfolding in Rafah, but publicly administration officials have stressed that they did not think the operations had defied Biden’s warnings against a widescale operation in the city.The State Department is separately considering whether to approve the continued transfer of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, which place precision guidance systems onto bombs, to Israel, but the review didn’t pertain to imminent shipments.Itamar Yaar, former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council said the U.S. move is largely symbolic, but a sign of trouble and could become more of a problem if it is sustained.“It’s not some kind of American embargo on American munitions support, but I think its some kind of diplomatic message to Mr. Netanyahu that he needs to take into consideration American interests more than he has over the last few months," he said. "At least for now it will not impact Israeli capability but it’s some kind of a signal, a ‘be careful.’”The U.S. dropped the 2,000-pound bomb sparingly in its long war against the Islamic State militant group. Israel, by contrast, has used the bomb frequently in the seven-month Gaza war. Experts say the use of the weapon, in part, has helped drive the enormous Palestinian casualty count that the Hamas-run health ministry puts at more than 34,000 dead, though it doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians.The U.S.-Israel relationship has been close through both Democratic and Republican administrations. But there have been other moments of deep tension since Israel's founding in which U.S. leaders have threatened to hold up aid in attempt to sway Israeli leadership.President Dwight Eisenhower pressured Israel with the threat of sanctions into withdrawing from the Sinai in 1957 in the midst of the Suez Crisis. Ronald Reagan delayed the delivery of F16 fighter jets to Israel at a time of escalating violence in the Middle East. President George H.W. Bush held up $10 billion in loan guarantees to force the cessation of Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories.----------------WASHINGTON (AP) — As it targets Hamas’ underground tunnels in Gaza, Israel has relied on powerful 2,000-pound bombs provided by the United States. But now those deliveries are on hold.The U.S. is pausing a shipment of 1,800 of the bombs, as well as 1,700 500-pound bombs, U.S. officials said. The decision comes as Israel is planning an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah in an attempt to root out the final elements of Hamas.With more than 1 million refugees sheltering in Rafah, U.S. officials are concerned the bombs could inflict massive casualties. Human rights groups have long said that Israel’s use of powerful bombs has caused the indiscriminate killings of civilians.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-weapons-shipment-us-eed365ebef0477ba74bf9848cacae4f4">told a Senate panel Wednesday</a>&nbsp;that smaller, more precise weapons are needed for a densely populated area like Rafah.Still, he made clear the decision wasn’t final.“We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself,” Austin said. “But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">unfolding events in Rafah</a>.”A look at the 2,000-pound bomb and why there’s so much concern about its use in Rafah.2,000-POUND BOMBSWhile the U.S. has dropped 2,000-pound bombs off its aircraft since World War II, current versions date back to the Vietnam War. It's an air-dropped munition, one that can carry a higher payload because it doesn't have an engine. It's one of the larger munitions in the U.S. inventory, said Ryan Brobst, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies' Center on Military and Political Power.The 2,000-pound bomb has multiple variants — some are designed to penetrate deep, underground targets while others detonate above ground and cause widespread damage. Depending on the variant, and whether the munition is dropped in an open or urban area, its blast radius can be as far as a quarter mile away or a much more confined area.The bombs are “dumb” or unguided bombs but can be turned into more precise weapons with the addition of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, or JDAM kits which add a tail fin and navigation.That added kit enables troops to guide the munition to a target, rather than simply dropping it from a fighter jet onto the ground. The kits make the weapons more precise, but in a densely populated urban environment, a JDAM kit is not going to make much of a difference — a precise hit will still have the reach to kill unintended bystanders.U.S. fighter jets, bombers and drones can all fire the JDAMs, and the U.S. began providing the munitions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-e48cceaba41f1ec55e35f9dec099fe44">to Ukraine in 2022,</a>&nbsp;a slightly modified version that could be launched from Ukrainian aircraft. After the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, the U.S. provided 2,000-pound munitions to Israel to assist in its defense.And unlike other types of munitions in the U.S. inventory, the military has an ample supply of them, so providing them doesn’t involve the same type of stockpile pressures the U.S. has with other more limited munitions like the 155mm artillery rounds.USE IN GAZAThe Israeli military has said little about what kinds of bombs and artillery it is using in Gaza. But from blast fragments found on-site and analyses of strike footage, experts are confident that the vast majority of bombs dropped on the besieged enclave are U.S.-made. They say the 2,000-pound bombs have killed hundreds in densely populated areas.Brobst said the 2,000-pound bombs are still needed to assist Israel in striking Hamas' tunnel network in Rafah.Wes Bryant, a weapons expert and retired American Air Force master sergeant who served on an independent task force for the State and Defense Departments on Israel's use of weapons in Gaza, said that the pause would be a “huge hit” to the Israeli arsenal.The 2,000- and 500-pound bombs are some of the main munitions used by Israel in its seven-month war campaign, Bryant said.“They have been burning right through them,” said Bryant. He said the munitions are made by major American weapons manufacturers like Raytheon, Northrop, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and General Atomics.THE PERIL FOR RAFAHA report compiled by the independent task force for the State and Defense Departments last month said U.S. sources informed one of its members that 300,000 munitions had been dropped on or fired in Gaza during the first six months of the war.It cited “credible” media investigations that in the first month of the Israeli campaign alone, there were at least 500 craters in Gaza consistent with the use of 2,000-pound bombs.The potential use of 2,000-pound bombs in Rafah, where more than 1 million people have sheltered because they have nowhere else to go, has drawn significant administration concern.At the hearing, Austin questioned whether the 2,000-pound bomb was the right tool for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-hamas-latest-05-08-2024-385416e25c74f57c4286fbc2eb93ebc1">Rafah operation.</a>“It’s about having the right kinds of weapons for the task at hand. And a small diameter bomb, which is a precision weapon, that’s very useful in a dense, built-up environment,” said Austin, “but maybe not so much a 2,000-pound bomb that could create a lot of collateral damage.” He said the U.S. wants to see Israel do “more precise” operations.Israel reacted strongly to the U.S. decision. Its U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the pause “a very disappointing decision, even frustrating,” in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 TV news. He suggested that the move stemmed from political pressure on Biden from Congress, campus protests and the upcoming election.

U.S. bomb shipment to Israel remains on hold in dispute over attack

JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Thursday claimed responsibility for two missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden on two Panama-flagged container ships that caused no damage. Meanwhile, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader again threatened that Tehran could build a nuclear weapon if it chose to pursue atomic armaments.

The comments by Yemeni military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree and former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi come as the allies of Hamas continue to pressure Israel over its continuing war on the militant group in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthis insist their assaults on shipping through the crucial waterway leading to the Suez Canal and onward to the Mediterranean Sea will continue as long as the war goes on. Meanwhile, Iran already has launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel amid the war, bringing a yearslong shadow conflict between the two nations out into the light.

Saree in a prerecorded statement claimed attacks on the MSC Diego and MSC Gina. The Joint Maritime Information Center, a U.S.-led coalition of nations operating in the Mideast, said those two missile attacks happened early Tuesday.

"Neither were hit and all crew on board are safe," the center said. “The vessels were last reported proceeding to next port of call.”

The center added that the vessels were “likely targeted due to perceived Israeli affiliation.”

Both vessels were operating for Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Co., which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Saree did not say why it took the rebels two day to claim the attacks. He also claimed the Houthis targeted the MSC Vittoria, another container ship, in the Indian Ocean. An attack on that vessel, however, has not been reported or acknowledged by any authorities.

The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war against Hamas in Gaza</a>, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there, according to local health officials. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.

The Houthis have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebel-attack-israel-hamas-war-bf077f026a9f177ec87f4131d695cafc">launched more than 50 attacks</a>&nbsp;on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.

Meanwhile Thursday, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency carried the comments made by Kharrazi, a former foreign minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami.

Speaking to the Al Jazeera news network in an interview that appeared not to have been immediately aired, Kharrazi elaborated on an atomic bomb threat he made to the channel back in 2022 amid tensions with the West over Iran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

“If Iran’s existence is threatened, we will have to change our nuclear doctrine,” Kharrazi said, according to IRNA. "Recently, the military officials also announced that if Israel wants to attack nuclear facilities, it is possible and imaginable to revise Iran’s nuclear doctrine and policies and divert from the previous declaration considerations.”

Tensions have grown between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Tehran’s nuclear deal. Since then, Iran has abandoned all limits the deal put on its program and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity — near weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and Israel have hit a new high. Tehran launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strait-of-hormuz-vessel-33fcffde2d867380e98c89403776a8ac">drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month</a>&nbsp;after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">Israel’s apparent attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria</a>&nbsp;killed two Iranian generals and others.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-s300-radar-hit-isfahan-attack-ce6719d3df8ebf5af08b035427ee215c">The Iranian city of Isfahan then apparently came under Israeli fire</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks, despite being surrounded by sensitive nuclear sites.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Thursday claimed responsibility for two missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden on two Panama-flagged container ships that caused no damage. Meanwhile, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader again threatened that Tehran could build a nuclear weapon if it chose to pursue atomic armaments.The comments by Yemeni military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree and former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi come as the allies of Hamas continue to pressure Israel over its continuing war on the militant group in the Gaza Strip.The Houthis insist their assaults on shipping through the crucial waterway leading to the Suez Canal and onward to the Mediterranean Sea will continue as long as the war goes on. Meanwhile, Iran already has launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel amid the war, bringing a yearslong shadow conflict between the two nations out into the light.Saree in a prerecorded statement claimed attacks on the MSC Diego and MSC Gina. The Joint Maritime Information Center, a U.S.-led coalition of nations operating in the Mideast, said those two missile attacks happened early Tuesday."Neither were hit and all crew on board are safe," the center said. “The vessels were last reported proceeding to next port of call.”The center added that the vessels were “likely targeted due to perceived Israeli affiliation.”Both vessels were operating for Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Co., which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Saree did not say why it took the rebels two day to claim the attacks. He also claimed the Houthis targeted the MSC Vittoria, another container ship, in the Indian Ocean. An attack on that vessel, however, has not been reported or acknowledged by any authorities.The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war against Hamas in Gaza</a>, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there, according to local health officials. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.The Houthis have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebel-attack-israel-hamas-war-bf077f026a9f177ec87f4131d695cafc">launched more than 50 attacks</a>&nbsp;on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.Meanwhile Thursday, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency carried the comments made by Kharrazi, a former foreign minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami.Speaking to the Al Jazeera news network in an interview that appeared not to have been immediately aired, Kharrazi elaborated on an atomic bomb threat he made to the channel back in 2022 amid tensions with the West over Iran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.“If Iran’s existence is threatened, we will have to change our nuclear doctrine,” Kharrazi said, according to IRNA. "Recently, the military officials also announced that if Israel wants to attack nuclear facilities, it is possible and imaginable to revise Iran’s nuclear doctrine and policies and divert from the previous declaration considerations.”Tensions have grown between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Tehran’s nuclear deal. Since then, Iran has abandoned all limits the deal put on its program and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity — near weapons-grade levels of 90%.Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and Israel have hit a new high. Tehran launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strait-of-hormuz-vessel-33fcffde2d867380e98c89403776a8ac">drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month</a>&nbsp;after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240">Israel’s apparent attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria</a>&nbsp;killed two Iranian generals and others.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-s300-radar-hit-isfahan-attack-ce6719d3df8ebf5af08b035427ee215c">The Iranian city of Isfahan then apparently came under Israeli fire</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks, despite being surrounded by sensitive nuclear sites.

Iran backed terrorist claim 2 attacks as official renews nuclear bomb threats

NEW YORK (AP) — Porn actor Stormy Daniels&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/trump-trial-updates-day-13">took the witness stand</a>&nbsp;Tuesday in the hush money case against Donald Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/manhattan-new-york-new-york-city-michael-cohen-courts-73d00a3a59fa49489358d5120a2688cc">looked on</a>&nbsp;as she detailed their alleged sexual encounter and the payment she got to keep it quiet.

<a href="https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts/5-7-2024/00054.html">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the full transcript of Stormy Daniels testimony

Prosecutors allege Trump paid Daniels to keep quiet about the claims as he ran for president in 2016. Her testimony aired them very publicly as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee seeks to win the White House again.

Trump denies having sex with Daniels, and his lawyers unsuccessfully pushed for a mistrial midway through her testimony.

It's the biggest spectacle yet in the first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-criminal-trial-hush-money-stormy-daniels-5fdc819697a76536ed83cbf28d4a523c">criminal trial</a>&nbsp;of a former American president, now in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-gag-order-d853768fff5fafbdee55623579889140">third week of testimony</a>&nbsp;in Manhattan.

Here are some takeaways from Daniels' testimony:

The case centers on a $130,000 payment to Daniels from Trump's then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, in the final weeks of Trump’s 2016 campaign. Prosecutors say it was part of a scheme to illegally influence the campaign by burying negative stories about him.

His lawyers have sought to show that Trump was trying to protect his reputation and family — not his campaign — by shielding them from embarrassing stories about his personal life.

Daniels, whose real name is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephanie-clifford">Stephanie Clifford</a>, told jurors that she started exotic dancing in high school and appearing in adult films at age 23, eventually moving on to direct more than 150 films and winning a roster of porn industry awards.

Daniels testified she first met and chatted with Trump at a 2006 Lake Tahoe celebrity golf outing where her studio was a sponsor.

He referred to her as “the smart one” and asked her if she wanted to go to dinner, she said. Daniels testified that she accepted Trump’s invitation because she wanted to avoid dinner with her co-workers and thought it might help her career. Trump had his bodyguard get her number, she said.

When they met up later in his penthouse, she appreciated that he seemed interested in the business aspects of the industry rather than the “sexy stuff." He also suggested putting her on his TV show, “The Apprentice,” a possibility she hoped could help establish her as a writer and director.

She left to use the bathroom and was startled to find Trump in his underwear when she returned, she said. She didn’t feel physically or verbally threatened but realized that he was “bigger and blocking the way,” she testified.

“The next thing I know was: I was on the bed,” and they were having sex, Daniels recalled. The encounter was brief but left her “shaking,” she said. “I just wanted to leave,” she testified.

Daniels was asked if Trump ever told her to keep things between them confidential and said, “Absolutely not.” She said she learned in 2011 that a magazine had learned the story of their encounter and she agreed to do an interview for $15,000 to make money and “control the narrative.” The story never ran.

In 2016, when Trump was running for president, Daniels said she authorized her manager to shop the story around but did not initially receive interest from news outlets. She said that changed in October with the release of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-access-hollywood-hush-money-new-york-2c52279a45ede2a111ff1fe447d2fdac">“Access Hollywood” tape</a>&nbsp;in which Trump bragged about grabbing women sexually without asking permission. She said she learned that Cohen wanted to buy her silence.

Midway through her testimony, Trump's lawyers moved for a mistrial.

Defense lawyer Todd Blanche argued that Daniels' testimony about the alleged encounter and other meetings with him had “nothing to do with this case,” and would unfairly prejudice the jury.

The judge rejected it, and he faulted defense attorneys for not raising more of their objections while she was testifying.

Before Daniels took the stand, Trump’s lawyers had tried to stop her from testifying about the encounter's details, saying it was irrelevant in “a case about books and records.”

Prosecutors countered that Daniels’ testimony gets at what Trump was trying to hide and they were “very mindful” not to draw too much graphic detail. Before Daniels took the stand, they told the judge the testimony would be “really basic,” and would not “involve any details of genitalia.”

While the judge didn’t side with Trump’s lawyers, he acknowledged that some details were excessive. The objections could potentially be used by Trump’s lawyers if he is convicted and they file an appeal.

Trump's lawyers tried to attack Daniels' credibility, suggesting she was motivated by money and that her account has shifted over the years.

“Am I correct that you hate President Trump?” Defense lawyer Susan Necheles asked Daniels at one point. Daniels acknowledged she did.

“And you want him to go to jail?” the lawyer asked.

“I want him to be held accountable,” Daniels said. Pressed again whether that meant going to jail, she said, “If he’s convicted.”

The defense pressed Daniels on the fact that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stormy-daniels-trump-defamation-lawsuit-0ee5623fc8965ad3d2fc77a7126d24c7">owes Trump hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees</a>&nbsp;stemming from an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit and on a 2022 tweet in which she said she “will go to jail before I pay a penny.” Daniels dug in at times in the face of pointed questions, forcefully denying the idea that she had tried to extort Trump.

Trump whispered frequently to his attorney during Daniels’ testimony, and his expression seemed to be pained at one point as she recounted details about the dinner she says they shared. He shook his head and appeared to say something under his breath as Daniels testified that Trump told her he didn’t sleep in the same room as his wife.

At one point, the judge told defense lawyers during a sidebar conversation — out of earshot of the jury and the public — that he could hear Trump “cursing audibly" and see him shaking his head, according to a transcript of the proceedings.

“I am speaking to you here at the bench because I don’t want to embarrass him,” Judge Juan Merchan told Blanche, Trump's lawyer. Blanche assured the judge he would talk to his client.

“You need to speak to him. I won’t tolerate that,” the judge said.

On the way out of the courthouse, Trump called it “a very revealing day." He didn't address Daniels' testimony explicitly but claimed the prosecutors' case was “totally falling apart.”

Trump’s appearance in court Tuesday, like all other days he’s stuck in the courtroom, means he can’t be out on the campaign trail as he runs for president a third time. It’s a frequent source of his complaints, but Daniels' testimony in particular might underscore how much of a distraction the trial is from the business of running for president.

While Trump was stuck in a Manhattan courthouse away from voters and unable to speak for much of the day, his rival, Democratic President Joe Biden, was attending a Holocaust remembrance ceremony and condemning antisemitism.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715113495617.png" alt="-Photo of Trump and Stormy Daniels entered into evidence released by the New York State Court System&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>-Photo of Trump and Stormy Daniels entered into evidence released by the New York State Court System&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Porn actor Stormy Daniels&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/trump-trial-updates-day-13">took the witness stand</a>&nbsp;Tuesday in the hush money case against Donald Trump, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/manhattan-new-york-new-york-city-michael-cohen-courts-73d00a3a59fa49489358d5120a2688cc">looked on</a>&nbsp;as she detailed their alleged sexual encounter and the payment she got to keep it quiet.<a href="https://pdfs.nycourts.gov/PeopleVs.DTrump-71543/transcripts/5-7-2024/00054.html">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the full transcript of Stormy Daniels testimony<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715221476288.png" alt="On Wednesday night, the New York Courts released Stormy Daniels' testimony from the historic trump trial&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>On Wednesday night, the New York Courts released Stormy Daniels' testimony from the historic trump trial&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Prosecutors allege Trump paid Daniels to keep quiet about the claims as he ran for president in 2016. Her testimony aired them very publicly as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee seeks to win the White House again.Trump denies having sex with Daniels, and his lawyers unsuccessfully pushed for a mistrial midway through her testimony.It's the biggest spectacle yet in the first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-criminal-trial-hush-money-stormy-daniels-5fdc819697a76536ed83cbf28d4a523c">criminal trial</a>&nbsp;of a former American president, now in its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-gag-order-d853768fff5fafbdee55623579889140">third week of testimony</a>&nbsp;in Manhattan.Here are some takeaways from Daniels' testimony:WHO IS STORMY DANIELS?The case centers on a $130,000 payment to Daniels from Trump's then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, in the final weeks of Trump’s 2016 campaign. Prosecutors say it was part of a scheme to illegally influence the campaign by burying negative stories about him.His lawyers have sought to show that Trump was trying to protect his reputation and family — not his campaign — by shielding them from embarrassing stories about his personal life.Daniels, whose real name is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephanie-clifford">Stephanie Clifford</a>, told jurors that she started exotic dancing in high school and appearing in adult films at age 23, eventually moving on to direct more than 150 films and winning a roster of porn industry awards.MEETING TRUMPDaniels testified she first met and chatted with Trump at a 2006 Lake Tahoe celebrity golf outing where her studio was a sponsor.He referred to her as “the smart one” and asked her if she wanted to go to dinner, she said. Daniels testified that she accepted Trump’s invitation because she wanted to avoid dinner with her co-workers and thought it might help her career. Trump had his bodyguard get her number, she said.When they met up later in his penthouse, she appreciated that he seemed interested in the business aspects of the industry rather than the “sexy stuff." He also suggested putting her on his TV show, “The Apprentice,” a possibility she hoped could help establish her as a writer and director.She left to use the bathroom and was startled to find Trump in his underwear when she returned, she said. She didn’t feel physically or verbally threatened but realized that he was “bigger and blocking the way,” she testified.“The next thing I know was: I was on the bed,” and they were having sex, Daniels recalled. The encounter was brief but left her “shaking,” she said. “I just wanted to leave,” she testified.PAYMENTS FOR SILENCEDaniels was asked if Trump ever told her to keep things between them confidential and said, “Absolutely not.” She said she learned in 2011 that a magazine had learned the story of their encounter and she agreed to do an interview for $15,000 to make money and “control the narrative.” The story never ran.In 2016, when Trump was running for president, Daniels said she authorized her manager to shop the story around but did not initially receive interest from news outlets. She said that changed in October with the release of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-access-hollywood-hush-money-new-york-2c52279a45ede2a111ff1fe447d2fdac">“Access Hollywood” tape</a>&nbsp;in which Trump bragged about grabbing women sexually without asking permission. She said she learned that Cohen wanted to buy her silence.MISTRIAL PUSHMidway through her testimony, Trump's lawyers moved for a mistrial.Defense lawyer Todd Blanche argued that Daniels' testimony about the alleged encounter and other meetings with him had “nothing to do with this case,” and would unfairly prejudice the jury.The judge rejected it, and he faulted defense attorneys for not raising more of their objections while she was testifying.Before Daniels took the stand, Trump’s lawyers had tried to stop her from testifying about the encounter's details, saying it was irrelevant in “a case about books and records.”Prosecutors countered that Daniels’ testimony gets at what Trump was trying to hide and they were “very mindful” not to draw too much graphic detail. Before Daniels took the stand, they told the judge the testimony would be “really basic,” and would not “involve any details of genitalia.”While the judge didn’t side with Trump’s lawyers, he acknowledged that some details were excessive. The objections could potentially be used by Trump’s lawyers if he is convicted and they file an appeal.CROSS-EXAMINATIONTrump's lawyers tried to attack Daniels' credibility, suggesting she was motivated by money and that her account has shifted over the years.“Am I correct that you hate President Trump?” Defense lawyer Susan Necheles asked Daniels at one point. Daniels acknowledged she did.“And you want him to go to jail?” the lawyer asked.“I want him to be held accountable,” Daniels said. Pressed again whether that meant going to jail, she said, “If he’s convicted.”The defense pressed Daniels on the fact that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stormy-daniels-trump-defamation-lawsuit-0ee5623fc8965ad3d2fc77a7126d24c7">owes Trump hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees</a>&nbsp;stemming from an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit and on a 2022 tweet in which she said she “will go to jail before I pay a penny.” Daniels dug in at times in the face of pointed questions, forcefully denying the idea that she had tried to extort Trump.TRUMP IN COURTTrump whispered frequently to his attorney during Daniels’ testimony, and his expression seemed to be pained at one point as she recounted details about the dinner she says they shared. He shook his head and appeared to say something under his breath as Daniels testified that Trump told her he didn’t sleep in the same room as his wife.At one point, the judge told defense lawyers during a sidebar conversation — out of earshot of the jury and the public — that he could hear Trump “cursing audibly" and see him shaking his head, according to a transcript of the proceedings.“I am speaking to you here at the bench because I don’t want to embarrass him,” Judge Juan Merchan told Blanche, Trump's lawyer. Blanche assured the judge he would talk to his client.“You need to speak to him. I won’t tolerate that,” the judge said.On the way out of the courthouse, Trump called it “a very revealing day." He didn't address Daniels' testimony explicitly but claimed the prosecutors' case was “totally falling apart.”A JARRING SPLIT SCREENTrump’s appearance in court Tuesday, like all other days he’s stuck in the courtroom, means he can’t be out on the campaign trail as he runs for president a third time. It’s a frequent source of his complaints, but Daniels' testimony in particular might underscore how much of a distraction the trial is from the business of running for president.While Trump was stuck in a Manhattan courthouse away from voters and unable to speak for much of the day, his rival, Democratic President Joe Biden, was attending a Holocaust remembrance ceremony and condemning antisemitism.

Read transcript of Stormy Daniels testimony in historic Trump trial

MAY 8, 2024 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested two people following an investigation into reported sexual assault of a child in Jefferson County.

The investigation began in April, when the Nebraska State Patrol received a report of a sexual assault of a child. On Thursday, May 2, investigators arrested Brandon Myers, 40, of Fairbury, for 3rd&nbsp;degree assault, 3rd&nbsp;degree sexual assault of a child, and child abuse. Myers,&nbsp;an employee of the Jefferson County Jail,&nbsp;was lodged in Thayer County Jail.

After further investigation, Bobbi Myers, 44, of Fairbury, Brandon Myers’ spouse, was arrested on Monday, May 7, for child abuse and failure to report child abuse. Bobbi Myers was lodged in Jefferson County Jail.

The investigation remains ongoing. Further details are being withheld at this time to protect the victim. If anyone has additional information regarding this investigation, please call the Nebraska State Patrol Investigative Services Division at 402-471-0112

Cody ThomasNebraska State PatrolMAY 8, 2024 (LINCOLN, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested two people following an investigation into reported sexual assault of a child in Jefferson County.The investigation began in April, when the Nebraska State Patrol received a report of a sexual assault of a child. On Thursday, May 2, investigators arrested Brandon Myers, 40, of Fairbury, for 3rd&nbsp;degree assault, 3rd&nbsp;degree sexual assault of a child, and child abuse. Myers,&nbsp;an employee of the Jefferson County Jail,&nbsp;was lodged in Thayer County Jail.After further investigation, Bobbi Myers, 44, of Fairbury, Brandon Myers’ spouse, was arrested on Monday, May 7, for child abuse and failure to report child abuse. Bobbi Myers was lodged in Jefferson County Jail.The investigation remains ongoing. Further details are being withheld at this time to protect the victim. If anyone has additional information regarding this investigation, please call the Nebraska State Patrol Investigative Services Division at 402-471-0112

Two Arrested Jefferson County Following Child Sexual Assault Investigation

LONDON (AP) — The pharma giant AstraZeneca has requested that the European authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine be pulled, according to the EU medicines regulator.

In an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/vaxzevria-previously-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca" target="_blank">update</a>&nbsp;on the European Medicines Agency’s website Wednesday, the regulator said that the approval for AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria had been withdrawn “at the request of the marketing authorization holder.”

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine was first given the nod by the EMA in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-authorizes-astrazeneca-vaccine-adults-18b545dd51ea56f422ff28cdeb2dd08b">January 2021</a>. Within weeks, however, concerns grew about the vaccine’s safety, when dozens of countries suspended the vaccine’s use after unusual but rare blood clots were detected in a small number of immunized people. The EU regulator concluded AstraZeneca’s shot didn’t raise the overall risk of clots, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astrazeneca-vaccine-reputation-missteps-01332124d4c18aba556a53b1a57bcc84">doubts remained.</a>

Partial results from its first major trial — which Britain used to authorize the vaccine — were clouded by a manufacturing mistake that researchers didn’t immediately acknowledge. Insufficient data about how well the vaccine protected older people led some countries to initially restrict its use to younger populations before reversing course.

Billions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were distributed to poorer countries through a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poorer-countries-coronavirus-vaccine-0980fa905b6e1ce2f14a149cd2c438cd">U.N.-coordinated program,</a>&nbsp;as it was cheaper and easier to produce and distribute. But studies later suggested that the pricier messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna provided better protection against COVID-19 and its many variants, and most countries switched to those shots.

The U.K.'s national coronavirus immunization program in 2021 heavily relied on AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which was largely developed by scientists at Oxford University with significant financial government support. But even Britain later resorted to buying the mRNA vaccines for its COVID booster vaccination programs and the AstraZeneca vaccine is now rarely used globally.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616409995625.png" alt="Photo courtesy AstraZeneca" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy AstraZeneca</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — The pharma giant AstraZeneca has requested that the European authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine be pulled, according to the EU medicines regulator.In an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/vaxzevria-previously-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca" target="_blank">update</a>&nbsp;on the European Medicines Agency’s website Wednesday, the regulator said that the approval for AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria had been withdrawn “at the request of the marketing authorization holder.”AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine was first given the nod by the EMA in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-authorizes-astrazeneca-vaccine-adults-18b545dd51ea56f422ff28cdeb2dd08b">January 2021</a>. Within weeks, however, concerns grew about the vaccine’s safety, when dozens of countries suspended the vaccine’s use after unusual but rare blood clots were detected in a small number of immunized people. The EU regulator concluded AstraZeneca’s shot didn’t raise the overall risk of clots, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astrazeneca-vaccine-reputation-missteps-01332124d4c18aba556a53b1a57bcc84">doubts remained.</a>Partial results from its first major trial — which Britain used to authorize the vaccine — were clouded by a manufacturing mistake that researchers didn’t immediately acknowledge. Insufficient data about how well the vaccine protected older people led some countries to initially restrict its use to younger populations before reversing course.Billions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were distributed to poorer countries through a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poorer-countries-coronavirus-vaccine-0980fa905b6e1ce2f14a149cd2c438cd">U.N.-coordinated program,</a>&nbsp;as it was cheaper and easier to produce and distribute. But studies later suggested that the pricier messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna provided better protection against COVID-19 and its many variants, and most countries switched to those shots.The U.K.'s national coronavirus immunization program in 2021 heavily relied on AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which was largely developed by scientists at Oxford University with significant financial government support. But even Britain later resorted to buying the mRNA vaccines for its COVID booster vaccination programs and the AstraZeneca vaccine is now rarely used globally.

AstraZeneca withdraws  COVID-19 vaccine from global market

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of State announced Tuesday a&nbsp;reward of up to $10,000,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction in any country of 31-year-old Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev for participating in, conspiring to participate in, or attempting to participate in LockBit ransomware activities, according to a media release.

Since January 2020, the LockBit ransomware variant has executed attacks against over 2,500 victims around the world, to include approximately 1,800 in the United States, issuing hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in ransom demands and receiving at least as much as $150 million in actual ransom payments made in the form of digital currency.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that prevents a user from accessing computer files, systems, or networks until a ransom is paid for their return.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ransomware incidents can cause costly disruptions to operations and the loss of critical information and data.

In addition, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed charges Tuesday against Khoroshev for his alleged role as the creator, developer, and administrator of the LockBit ransomware group from its inception in September 2019 through the present. At times, LockBit was the most prolific ransomware group in the world.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715178127363.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of State announced Tuesday a&nbsp;reward of up to $10,000,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction in any country of 31-year-old Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev for participating in, conspiring to participate in, or attempting to participate in LockBit ransomware activities, according to a media release.Since January 2020, the LockBit ransomware variant has executed attacks against over 2,500 victims around the world, to include approximately 1,800 in the United States, issuing hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in ransom demands and receiving at least as much as $150 million in actual ransom payments made in the form of digital currency.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that prevents a user from accessing computer files, systems, or networks until a ransom is paid for their return.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ransomware incidents can cause costly disruptions to operations and the loss of critical information and data.In addition, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed charges Tuesday against Khoroshev for his alleged role as the creator, developer, and administrator of the LockBit ransomware group from its inception in September 2019 through the present. At times, LockBit was the most prolific ransomware group in the world.Khoroshev also known as LockBitSupp, LockBit, and putinkrab, Voronezh, Russia, is charged by a 26-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the District of New Jersey.The indictment against Khoroshev unsealed Tuesday follows a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-and-uk-disrupt-lockbit-ransomware-variant">disruption</a>&nbsp;of LockBit ransomware in February by the U.K. National Crime Agency’s (NCA) Cyber Division, which worked in cooperation with the Justice Department, FBI, and other international law enforcement partners. As previously announced by the Department, authorities disrupted LockBit by seizing numerous public-facing websites used by LockBit to connect to the organization’s infrastructure and by seizing control of servers used by LockBit administrators, thereby disrupting the ability of LockBit actors to attack and encrypt networks and extort victims by threatening to publish stolen data. That disruption succeeded in greatly diminishing LockBit’s reputation and its ability to attack further victims, as alleged by the indictment unsealed today.“Dmitry Khoroshev conceived, developed, and administered Lockbit, the most prolific ransomware variant and group in the world, enabling himself and his affiliates to wreak havoc and cause billions of dollars in damage to thousands of victims around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “He thought he could do so hidden by his notorious moniker ‘LockBitSupp,’ anonymous and free of any consequence, while he personally pocketed $100 million extorted from Lockbit’s victims. Through relentless investigation and coordination with our partners at the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the FBI and abroad, we have proven him and his coconspirators wrong. Today’s indictment marks a significant milestone in the investigation and prosecution of LockBit, which has already led to charges against five other LockBit affiliates—two of whom are in custody awaiting trial—and a major disruption of the now discredited LockBit operation.”In addition, as previously announced, law enforcement developed decryption capabilities that may enable hundreds of victims around the world to restore systems encrypted using the LockBit ransomware variant. Victims targeted by this malware are encouraged to contact the FBI at&nbsp;<a href="https://lockbitvictims.ic3.gov/" target="_blank">https://lockbitvictims.ic3.gov/</a>&nbsp;to enable law enforcement to determine whether affected systems can be successfully decrypted.The FBI does not support the payment of a ransom in response to a ransomware attack.&nbsp;&nbsp;Paying ransom demands encourages more ransomware incidents and provides an incentive to become involved in this type of illegal activity.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you are the victim of a ransomware incident, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://stopransomware.gov/">stopransomware.gov</a>.Please direct information in response to the reward offer to the FBI via Signal at @FBISupp.01, via Telegram at @LockbitRewards, or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:fbisupp@fbi.gov">fbisupp@fbi.gov</a>.ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.