NEW YORK (AP) — The Biden administration eased some of the restrictions on banking giant Wells Fargo, saying the bank has sufficiently fixed its toxic culture after years of scandals.

The news sent Wells Fargo's stock up sharply Thursday as investors speculated that the bank, which has been kept under a tight leash by regulators for years, may be able to rebuild its reputation and start growing again. The bank's shares closed up 7.2% to $52.04, its highest level since March 2022, in extremely active trading.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the regulator of big national banks like Wells Fargo, on Thursday terminated a consent order that had been in place since September 2016. The order required the bank to overhaul how it sold financial products to customers and provide additional consumer protections, as well as employee protections for whistleblowers.

That consent order was put into place after a series of newspaper and government investigations in 2016 found Wells Fargo to have a poisonous sales culture that pressured employees into selling multiple products to customers even though the products were not needed. Employees — who worked at “stores” not bank branches — were forced to open millions of unauthorized accounts. Customers had their identities stolen and their credit scores impacted. Of the millions of customers effected, a disproportionate number were non-English speaking Americans.

The scandal severely tarnished the reputation of San Francisco-based Wells Fargo, which eight years ago was considered one of the best-run banks in the country by investors and analysts.

Since the scandal broke, Wells Fargo overhauled its board of directors and management, paid more than a billion dollars in fines and penalties, and has spent eight years trying to show the public that the bad practices are a thing of the past. The scandal led to unionization efforts at some branches as employees protested how managers pushed unreasonable sales goals.

In a brief statement Thursday, the Comptroller of the Currency said that Wells Fargo's “safety and soundness” and “compliance with laws and regulations does not require the continued existence of the Order."

The decision is a major victory for Wells Fargo's management and Charles Scharf, who took over as CEO in 2019.

“Confirmation from the OCC that we have effectively implemented what was required is a result of the hard work of so many of our employees, and I’d like to thank everyone at Wells Fargo involved for their dedication to transforming how we do business,” Scharf said in a prepared statement.

Citigroup banking analyst Keith Horwitz said in a note that the OCC's decision was “positive proof” that Wells Fargo's management was making the right decisions to fix the company's culture.

There remains in place a Federal Reserve consent order against Wells Fargo as well as a requirement by the Fed that bank grow no bigger than its current size until it fixes its sales culture. The Fed declined to comment, but the OCC's decision is likely to pressure the Fed to make its own decision regarding its restrictions on Wells Fargo.

Including the Fed's order, Wells Fargo still has eight consent orders that govern its operations. That's down from 14 when Scharf took over the bank. Management says they still have work to do.

“We’ve changed the company across a number of dimensions," said Scott Powell, Well Fargo's chief operating officer, in an interview. Powell joined the bank roughly around the same time as Scharf.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Biden administration eased some of the restrictions on banking giant Wells Fargo, saying the bank has sufficiently fixed its toxic culture after years of scandals.The news sent Wells Fargo's stock up sharply Thursday as investors speculated that the bank, which has been kept under a tight leash by regulators for years, may be able to rebuild its reputation and start growing again. The bank's shares closed up 7.2% to $52.04, its highest level since March 2022, in extremely active trading.The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the regulator of big national banks like Wells Fargo, on Thursday terminated a consent order that had been in place since September 2016. The order required the bank to overhaul how it sold financial products to customers and provide additional consumer protections, as well as employee protections for whistleblowers.That consent order was put into place after a series of newspaper and government investigations in 2016 found Wells Fargo to have a poisonous sales culture that pressured employees into selling multiple products to customers even though the products were not needed. Employees — who worked at “stores” not bank branches — were forced to open millions of unauthorized accounts. Customers had their identities stolen and their credit scores impacted. Of the millions of customers effected, a disproportionate number were non-English speaking Americans.The scandal severely tarnished the reputation of San Francisco-based Wells Fargo, which eight years ago was considered one of the best-run banks in the country by investors and analysts.Since the scandal broke, Wells Fargo overhauled its board of directors and management, paid more than a billion dollars in fines and penalties, and has spent eight years trying to show the public that the bad practices are a thing of the past. The scandal led to unionization efforts at some branches as employees protested how managers pushed unreasonable sales goals.In a brief statement Thursday, the Comptroller of the Currency said that Wells Fargo's “safety and soundness” and “compliance with laws and regulations does not require the continued existence of the Order."The decision is a major victory for Wells Fargo's management and Charles Scharf, who took over as CEO in 2019.“Confirmation from the OCC that we have effectively implemented what was required is a result of the hard work of so many of our employees, and I’d like to thank everyone at Wells Fargo involved for their dedication to transforming how we do business,” Scharf said in a prepared statement.Citigroup banking analyst Keith Horwitz said in a note that the OCC's decision was “positive proof” that Wells Fargo's management was making the right decisions to fix the company's culture.There remains in place a Federal Reserve consent order against Wells Fargo as well as a requirement by the Fed that bank grow no bigger than its current size until it fixes its sales culture. The Fed declined to comment, but the OCC's decision is likely to pressure the Fed to make its own decision regarding its restrictions on Wells Fargo.Including the Fed's order, Wells Fargo still has eight consent orders that govern its operations. That's down from 14 when Scharf took over the bank. Management says they still have work to do.“We’ve changed the company across a number of dimensions," said Scott Powell, Well Fargo's chief operating officer, in an interview. Powell joined the bank roughly around the same time as Scharf.

Wells Fargo: Regulator lifts key penalty tied to fake accounts scandal

JERUSALEM – A U.S. Coast Guard cutter, forward deployed to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, seized advanced conventional weapons and other lethal aid originating in Iran and bound to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen from a vessel in the Arabian Sea the&nbsp; U.S. Central Command revealed in a statement Thursday.

The U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr (WPC 1147), assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, located the vessel and boarded it in the Arabian Sea Jan. 28.

 The boarding team discovered over 200 packages that contained medium-range ballistic missile components, explosives, unmanned underwater/surface vehicle (UUV/USV) components, military-grade communication and network equipment, anti-tank guided missile launcher assemblies, and other military components.

The direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of such aid violates U.N. Security Council Resolution 2216 (as extended and renewed by resolutions 2675 and 2707).

“This is yet another example of Iran’s malign activity in the region, ” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander. “Their continued supply of advanced conventional weapons to the Houthis is in direct violation of international law and continues to undermine the safety of international shipping and the free flow of commerce.”

CENTCOM is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708001885072.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM – A U.S. Coast Guard cutter, forward deployed to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility, seized advanced conventional weapons and other lethal aid originating in Iran and bound to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen from a vessel in the Arabian Sea the&nbsp; U.S. Central Command revealed in a statement Thursday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708001866392.png" alt="photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>The U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr (WPC 1147), assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, located the vessel and boarded it in the Arabian Sea Jan. 28. The boarding team discovered over 200 packages that contained medium-range ballistic missile components, explosives, unmanned underwater/surface vehicle (UUV/USV) components, military-grade communication and network equipment, anti-tank guided missile launcher assemblies, and other military components.The direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of such aid violates U.N. Security Council Resolution 2216 (as extended and renewed by resolutions 2675 and 2707).“This is yet another example of Iran’s malign activity in the region, ” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander. “Their continued supply of advanced conventional weapons to the Houthis is in direct violation of international law and continues to undermine the safety of international shipping and the free flow of commerce.”CENTCOM is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions.

 US intercepts Iranian weapons intended for Houthi rebels

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker who tanked an effort last year by his fellow Republicans to pass a near-total abortion ban has given top priority this year to a bill that would allow abortions beyond the state's 12-week ban in cases of fatal fetal anomalies.

The bill by state Sen. Merv Riepe would amend Nebraska’s 12-week abortion ban, passed last year, to allow abortions in cases when a fetus is unable to survive outside the womb. That diagnosis must come from two doctors who determine that, regardless of any life-saving treatment, a fetus is incompatible with life outside the womb and will result in death upon birth or shortly thereafter. The diagnosis and abortion must come before 20 weeks of pregnancy — a timeline consistent with Nebraska's previous 20-week ban on abortions.

The bill also removes criminal penalties for doctors who perform an abortion outside the exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.

The bill comes as the nation finds itself embroiled in a tug-of-war over abortion access in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning of Roe v. Wade</a>, which had guaranteed the right to abortion nationwide for nearly five decades.

Since then, about two dozen states have enacted some form of abortion restrictions, and that has led to some high-profile cases that have stirred national pushback.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-ban-7d865cdfd75bdc6b2f4186f4d1e6e8bd">Kate Cox</a>, a Texas mother of two, sued last year to obtain an abortion in her state after learning the baby she was carrying had a fatal genetic condition and that carrying to term could leave her infertile. Her request was denied by the Texas Supreme Court, and she left the state to seek an abortion elsewhere.

The uproar over that and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-lawsuits-idaho-tennessee-oklahoma-39257646d84255feff5a82f401f32b79">other cases</a>&nbsp;has been met by a slew of voter initiatives over abortion access, all of which have so far favored the side supported by abortion rights supporters. In Nebraska,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measure-nebraska-0ccae759148162706ab1e2006ecb936e">advocates are trying to collect</a>&nbsp;about 125,000 signatures needed by July 5 to put a constitutional amendment before voters to protect abortion rights until fetal viability.

Riepe delegated his bill as his priority for the session on Wednesday — a day before the deadline to do so. In Nebraska's unique one-chamber, officially nonpartisan Legislature, prioritizing a bill gives it elevated status, making it more likely to be advanced from committee and debated by all 49 state lawmakers.

Riepe, an 81-year-old former hospital administrator, incurred the ire of his fellow Republicans last year when he refused to provide them the final vote needed to pass a bill that would have banned abortion once&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-government-and-politics-health-77c9ba98c4f4ab46fdbd5bcc47b5b938">cardiac activity</a>&nbsp;could be detected, or about six weeks into pregnancy — before most women even know they're pregnant.

Riepe abstained from voting on that bill after his amendment to extend the ban to 12 weeks and add an exception for fatal fetal anomalies was rejected. Following the vote, Riepe took to the mic to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-heartbeat-bill-nebraska-78b861951e8cc0ca92fa320820e2cbee">warn his Republican colleagues</a>&nbsp;that strict abortion bans would galvanize women to vote them out of office.

He pointed to his own slim election victory in 2022, after the fall of Roe v. Wade, over a Democrat who made abortion rights central to her campaign.

“This made the message clear to me how critical abortion will be in 2024,” Riepe said last year. “We must embrace the future of reproductive rights.”

A 12-week ban was eventually folded into a bill to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">restrict gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for minors and enacted last year.

On the national stage, Democrats see the issue of abortion rights as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-biden-abortion-reproductive-rights-election-3d184285cc6edbe733311b26445db2a0">major driver</a>&nbsp;in a presidential election year. Abortion access advocates have pushed hard for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measure-2024-state-vote-e7d635835dc3a440789ad87787553ec1">ballot measure initiatives</a>&nbsp;aiming to protect abortion rights

According to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-poll-roe-dobbs-ban-opinion-fcfdfc5a799ac3be617d99999e92eabe">AP-NORC poll last summer</a>, about two-thirds of Americans say abortion should generally be legal, but only about a quarter say it should always be legal and only about 1 in 10 say it should always be illegal.

Adelle Burk with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska said Riepe’s bill falls well short of restoring full rights to abortion access, but that it “acknowledges some of the harm done by the bill passed last year and tries to control some of that damage.”

More telling, she said, is that a bill to ease abortion restrictions is being championed by a Republican with a long history of supporting abortion bans. It indicates that at least some politicians recognize how unpopular the bans are, she said.

“I think voters are deeply concerned about their rights and the overturning of Roe v. Wade," Burk said. “They're motivated to vote in even larger numbers this year and will be looking to protect and restore their rights.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708016758728.jpeg" alt="FILE - Nebraska Sen. Merv Riepe ponders before voting on a bill to ban abortions in Nebraska after about six weeks, April 27, 2023, at the state Capital in Lincoln, Neb. Riepe, the Nebraska lawmaker who tanked an effort in 2023 by his fellow Republicans to pass a near-total abortion ban, has given top priority this year to a bill that would allow abortions beyond the state's 12-week ban in cases of fatal fetal anomalies. (Larry Robinson/Lincoln Journal Star via AP, File" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Nebraska Sen. Merv Riepe ponders before voting on a bill to ban abortions in Nebraska after about six weeks, April 27, 2023, at the state Capital in Lincoln, Neb. Riepe, the Nebraska lawmaker who tanked an effort in 2023 by his fellow Republicans to pass a near-total abortion ban, has given top priority this year to a bill that would allow abortions beyond the state's 12-week ban in cases of fatal fetal anomalies. (Larry Robinson/Lincoln Journal Star via AP, File</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker who tanked an effort last year by his fellow Republicans to pass a near-total abortion ban has given top priority this year to a bill that would allow abortions beyond the state's 12-week ban in cases of fatal fetal anomalies.The bill by state Sen. Merv Riepe would amend Nebraska’s 12-week abortion ban, passed last year, to allow abortions in cases when a fetus is unable to survive outside the womb. That diagnosis must come from two doctors who determine that, regardless of any life-saving treatment, a fetus is incompatible with life outside the womb and will result in death upon birth or shortly thereafter. The diagnosis and abortion must come before 20 weeks of pregnancy — a timeline consistent with Nebraska's previous 20-week ban on abortions.The bill also removes criminal penalties for doctors who perform an abortion outside the exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.The bill comes as the nation finds itself embroiled in a tug-of-war over abortion access in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning of Roe v. Wade</a>, which had guaranteed the right to abortion nationwide for nearly five decades.Since then, about two dozen states have enacted some form of abortion restrictions, and that has led to some high-profile cases that have stirred national pushback.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-ban-7d865cdfd75bdc6b2f4186f4d1e6e8bd">Kate Cox</a>, a Texas mother of two, sued last year to obtain an abortion in her state after learning the baby she was carrying had a fatal genetic condition and that carrying to term could leave her infertile. Her request was denied by the Texas Supreme Court, and she left the state to seek an abortion elsewhere.The uproar over that and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-lawsuits-idaho-tennessee-oklahoma-39257646d84255feff5a82f401f32b79">other cases</a>&nbsp;has been met by a slew of voter initiatives over abortion access, all of which have so far favored the side supported by abortion rights supporters. In Nebraska,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measure-nebraska-0ccae759148162706ab1e2006ecb936e">advocates are trying to collect</a>&nbsp;about 125,000 signatures needed by July 5 to put a constitutional amendment before voters to protect abortion rights until fetal viability.Riepe delegated his bill as his priority for the session on Wednesday — a day before the deadline to do so. In Nebraska's unique one-chamber, officially nonpartisan Legislature, prioritizing a bill gives it elevated status, making it more likely to be advanced from committee and debated by all 49 state lawmakers.Riepe, an 81-year-old former hospital administrator, incurred the ire of his fellow Republicans last year when he refused to provide them the final vote needed to pass a bill that would have banned abortion once&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-government-and-politics-health-77c9ba98c4f4ab46fdbd5bcc47b5b938">cardiac activity</a>&nbsp;could be detected, or about six weeks into pregnancy — before most women even know they're pregnant.Riepe abstained from voting on that bill after his amendment to extend the ban to 12 weeks and add an exception for fatal fetal anomalies was rejected. Following the vote, Riepe took to the mic to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-heartbeat-bill-nebraska-78b861951e8cc0ca92fa320820e2cbee">warn his Republican colleagues</a>&nbsp;that strict abortion bans would galvanize women to vote them out of office.He pointed to his own slim election victory in 2022, after the fall of Roe v. Wade, over a Democrat who made abortion rights central to her campaign.“This made the message clear to me how critical abortion will be in 2024,” Riepe said last year. “We must embrace the future of reproductive rights.”A 12-week ban was eventually folded into a bill to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">restrict gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for minors and enacted last year.On the national stage, Democrats see the issue of abortion rights as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-biden-abortion-reproductive-rights-election-3d184285cc6edbe733311b26445db2a0">major driver</a>&nbsp;in a presidential election year. Abortion access advocates have pushed hard for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ballot-measure-2024-state-vote-e7d635835dc3a440789ad87787553ec1">ballot measure initiatives</a>&nbsp;aiming to protect abortion rightsAccording to an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-poll-roe-dobbs-ban-opinion-fcfdfc5a799ac3be617d99999e92eabe">AP-NORC poll last summer</a>, about two-thirds of Americans say abortion should generally be legal, but only about a quarter say it should always be legal and only about 1 in 10 say it should always be illegal.Adelle Burk with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska said Riepe’s bill falls well short of restoring full rights to abortion access, but that it “acknowledges some of the harm done by the bill passed last year and tries to control some of that damage.”More telling, she said, is that a bill to ease abortion restrictions is being championed by a Republican with a long history of supporting abortion bans. It indicates that at least some politicians recognize how unpopular the bans are, she said.“I think voters are deeply concerned about their rights and the overturning of Roe v. Wade," Burk said. “They're motivated to vote in even larger numbers this year and will be looking to protect and restore their rights.”

Nebraska Republican gives top priority to bill allowing abortions in cases of fatal fetal anomalies

LINCOLN —&nbsp;For a young middle schooler, a major challenge one day was a history test she had stayed up late studying for, confident she was “going to crush it.”

But as her teacher was passing out the test, the girl felt a “telltale wetness in her underwear”: Her menstrual period had begun.

She knew she couldn’t pull out a crinkly pad in the “dead quiet classroom” or sit bleeding. She could pull her sweatshirt down to cover her pants and walk stiffly to the front of the room to ask to use the restroom. Once there, she could either hope a friend could help or try to go to the nurse.

“But by that time, she’s going to have to go home because her pants are ruined, so goodbye history test,” Lincoln East High School senior Cassidy Bell told the Education Committee on Monday.

“That girl was me, and that girl was just about every woman in this room,” Cassidy continued. “That girl is a lot of girls in Nebraska right now.”

In part because of Cassidy’s advocacy, menstrual products are available in all of Lincoln Public Schools’ middle and high schools, after such a program began earlier at Lincoln East.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln introduced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=54746">Legislative Bill 1050</a>&nbsp;to require school districts to provide menstrual products in girls’ bathrooms or locker rooms by the 2025-26 school year.

The bill does not include an appropriation, but the Nebraska Department of Education, which would be required to supply products,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/FN/LB1050_20240209-124531.pdf">estimates an annual cost</a>&nbsp;of $750,000 for the approximately 84,000 female students in grades 6-12 in public schools. An extra $123,000 would go toward operating expenses and hiring an additional staff member.

The Legislature has previously&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=47162">removed a sales tax on menstrual supplies</a>&nbsp;and provided period products to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/nebraska-prisons-increase-inmate-access-to-tampons-0d5df446ee644898ac004c99e75464f4">incarcerated women and girls</a>, which Conrad described as first steps.

“It goes of course to our dignity and our humanity,” Conrad told the Education Committee.

Alyssa Capek, an eighth grader at Crete Middle School, said it can be “traumatic and embarrassing” for girls when their period starts and they’re 11 years old with no products.&nbsp;

At Crete, Alyssa added, students are not allowed to carry backpacks between classes, and students don’t want to risk getting in trouble for stopping at their locker on a bathroom pass.

Archita Raj of Elkhorn South High School said regardless of income, female students struggle with this issue, and “all understand the feeling of panic when we forget a tampon and how distracting that can be to our learning.”

Cassidy described talking with a woman who had been in the first graduating class of Lincoln East, which opened in 1967, and feeling frustrated as the woman said she tried a similar project decades ago.&nbsp;

Equity, Cassidy testified, requires acknowledging that some barriers are created by one’s body and “treating girls’ bodies as female, menses and all.”

“Once female students hit puberty, we’re given this insurmountable task of being our own nurses and our own janitors,” Cassidy said. “And because we don’t talk about it, we girls never say to each other, ‘Maybe it doesn’t have to be like this.’”

The Nebraska State Education Association, Nebraska Association of School Boards, ACLU of Nebraska and Lincoln and Grand Island Public Schools representatives also testified in support.

No one testified in opposition. The committee took no immediate action.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708016579848.jpeg" alt="Lincoln East High School senior Cassidy Bell, center, is immediately flanked by State Sen. Danielle Conrad and her legislative aide Julia Holmquist after a hearing for a bill to require K-12 Nebraska schools to provide free menstrual products to students. The trio is flanked by Nebraska women and girls who showed up in support on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Lincoln East High School senior Cassidy Bell, center, is immediately flanked by State Sen. Danielle Conrad and her legislative aide Julia Holmquist after a hearing for a bill to require K-12 Nebraska schools to provide free menstrual products to students. The trio is flanked by Nebraska women and girls who showed up in support on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN —&nbsp;For a young middle schooler, a major challenge one day was a history test she had stayed up late studying for, confident she was “going to crush it.”But as her teacher was passing out the test, the girl felt a “telltale wetness in her underwear”: Her menstrual period had begun.She knew she couldn’t pull out a crinkly pad in the “dead quiet classroom” or sit bleeding. She could pull her sweatshirt down to cover her pants and walk stiffly to the front of the room to ask to use the restroom. Once there, she could either hope a friend could help or try to go to the nurse.“But by that time, she’s going to have to go home because her pants are ruined, so goodbye history test,” Lincoln East High School senior Cassidy Bell told the Education Committee on Monday.“That girl was me, and that girl was just about every woman in this room,” Cassidy continued. “That girl is a lot of girls in Nebraska right now.”<h2>‘Our dignity and our humanity’</h2>In part because of Cassidy’s advocacy, menstrual products are available in all of Lincoln Public Schools’ middle and high schools, after such a program began earlier at Lincoln East.State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln introduced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=54746">Legislative Bill 1050</a>&nbsp;to require school districts to provide menstrual products in girls’ bathrooms or locker rooms by the 2025-26 school year.The bill does not include an appropriation, but the Nebraska Department of Education, which would be required to supply products,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/FN/LB1050_20240209-124531.pdf">estimates an annual cost</a>&nbsp;of $750,000 for the approximately 84,000 female students in grades 6-12 in public schools. An extra $123,000 would go toward operating expenses and hiring an additional staff member.The Legislature has previously&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=47162">removed a sales tax on menstrual supplies</a>&nbsp;and provided period products to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/nebraska-prisons-increase-inmate-access-to-tampons-0d5df446ee644898ac004c99e75464f4">incarcerated women and girls</a>, which Conrad described as first steps.“It goes of course to our dignity and our humanity,” Conrad told the Education Committee.<h2>‘Insurmountable task’</h2>Alyssa Capek, an eighth grader at Crete Middle School, said it can be “traumatic and embarrassing” for girls when their period starts and they’re 11 years old with no products.&nbsp;At Crete, Alyssa added, students are not allowed to carry backpacks between classes, and students don’t want to risk getting in trouble for stopping at their locker on a bathroom pass.Archita Raj of Elkhorn South High School said regardless of income, female students struggle with this issue, and “all understand the feeling of panic when we forget a tampon and how distracting that can be to our learning.”Cassidy described talking with a woman who had been in the first graduating class of Lincoln East, which opened in 1967, and feeling frustrated as the woman said she tried a similar project decades ago.&nbsp;Equity, Cassidy testified, requires acknowledging that some barriers are created by one’s body and “treating girls’ bodies as female, menses and all.”“Once female students hit puberty, we’re given this insurmountable task of being our own nurses and our own janitors,” Cassidy said. “And because we don’t talk about it, we girls never say to each other, ‘Maybe it doesn’t have to be like this.’”The Nebraska State Education Association, Nebraska Association of School Boards, ACLU of Nebraska and Lincoln and Grand Island Public Schools representatives also testified in support.No one testified in opposition. The committee took no immediate action.

Nebraska students take fight against ‘period poverty’ to Legislature

The Kearney Police Department is currently investigating an assault that occurred at a residence in Kearney Wednesday morning between 6:15 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. A 37-year-old Kearney woman sustained serious injuries as a result of the assault and is currently being treated at a local hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Shortly after 9:00 a.m. this morning, Kearney Police Officers responded to a 911 call service indicating a female was injured as a result of an assault and needed an ambulance. KPD&nbsp; Officers and CHI Good Samaritan Hospital Paramedics located the woman who was&nbsp; transported by ambulance to a local hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The preliminary investigation indicates that Justin Hadenfeldt, a 37-year-old Kearney man,&nbsp; entered the home and assaulted the female leaving her unconscious with serious injuries. The&nbsp; woman’s two young children were also present in the house at the time. The suspect was last&nbsp; known to be driving a black 2014 Chevy Silverado with Nebraska Farm License Plate 9-2561R.&nbsp;&nbsp;

An arrest warrant for Justin Hadenfeldt for First Degree Assault, a Class II Felony, Strangulation&nbsp; or Suffocation Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, a Class IIA Felony and Burglary, a Class IIA Felony, has been issued. Officers are using all available resources to locate Hadenfeldt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This appears to be an isolated incident and there is no apparent danger to the community. This&nbsp; is an active and ongoing investigation; additional details will be released as available.&nbsp;

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Justin Hadenfeldt, information or video regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Kearney Police Department (308) 237- 2104, Buffalo County Crimestoppers (308) 237-3424, or through the See It Say It Send It App.&nbsp;

Kearney Police DepartmentThe Kearney Police Department is currently investigating an assault that occurred at a residence in Kearney Wednesday morning between 6:15 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. A 37-year-old Kearney woman sustained serious injuries as a result of the assault and is currently being treated at a local hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;Shortly after 9:00 a.m. this morning, Kearney Police Officers responded to a 911 call service indicating a female was injured as a result of an assault and needed an ambulance. KPD&nbsp; Officers and CHI Good Samaritan Hospital Paramedics located the woman who was&nbsp; transported by ambulance to a local hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;The preliminary investigation indicates that Justin Hadenfeldt, a 37-year-old Kearney man,&nbsp; entered the home and assaulted the female leaving her unconscious with serious injuries. The&nbsp; woman’s two young children were also present in the house at the time. The suspect was last&nbsp; known to be driving a black 2014 Chevy Silverado with Nebraska Farm License Plate 9-2561R.&nbsp;&nbsp;An arrest warrant for Justin Hadenfeldt for First Degree Assault, a Class II Felony, Strangulation&nbsp; or Suffocation Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, a Class IIA Felony and Burglary, a Class IIA Felony, has been issued. Officers are using all available resources to locate Hadenfeldt.&nbsp;&nbsp;This appears to be an isolated incident and there is no apparent danger to the community. This&nbsp; is an active and ongoing investigation; additional details will be released as available.&nbsp;Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Justin Hadenfeldt, information or video regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Kearney Police Department (308) 237- 2104, Buffalo County Crimestoppers (308) 237-3424, or through the See It Say It Send It App.&nbsp;

Kearney Police searching for wanted man after Wednesday morning home invasion, woman recovering in hospital

Nebraska Department of Transportation

(Lincoln, Neb.) — The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) is pleased to announce Mick Syslo as its new Deputy Director of Operations. 

Syslo succeeds Moe Jamshidi who will retire at the end of March 2024. Jamshidi has served as the Deputy Director of Operations for the past 13 years, with over 40 total years of state service at NDOT.

Syslo, a licensed professional engineer, has worked at NDOT in a variety of capacities, including the past 29 years in Roadway Design and Materials &amp; Research, where he served as the State Roadway Design Engineer and State Materials &amp; Research Engineer, respectively. He started with NDOT in 1994 as an engineering intern, and after earning his Bachelor of Science – Civil Engineering degree from UNL&nbsp;in 1996, Syslo began his full-time career at NDOT. 

“Mick’s three decades of experience in multiple areas of NDOT make him uniquely qualified to step into an&nbsp;executive leadership role and help guide the agency forward,” said Vicki Kramer, Director of NDOT. 

“I look forward to having his expertise and experience at the table, as NDOT continues to innovate the way we deliver our annual construction program and plan for the future of our state’s infrastructure 

As Deputy Director of Operations, Syslo will oversee NDOT’s annual construction program and maintenance functions in all eight NDOT districts, as well as Materials &amp; Research, Operations, Business&nbsp;Technology, and Human Resource Divisions. Syslo will assume this role on March 30, 2024.

Nebraska Department of Transportation(Lincoln, Neb.) — The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) is pleased to announce Mick Syslo as its new Deputy Director of Operations. Syslo succeeds Moe Jamshidi who will retire at the end of March 2024. Jamshidi has served as the Deputy Director of Operations for the past 13 years, with over 40 total years of state service at NDOT.Syslo, a licensed professional engineer, has worked at NDOT in a variety of capacities, including the past 29 years in Roadway Design and Materials &amp; Research, where he served as the State Roadway Design Engineer and State Materials &amp; Research Engineer, respectively. He started with NDOT in 1994 as an engineering intern, and after earning his Bachelor of Science – Civil Engineering degree from UNL&nbsp;in 1996, Syslo began his full-time career at NDOT. “Mick’s three decades of experience in multiple areas of NDOT make him uniquely qualified to step into an&nbsp;executive leadership role and help guide the agency forward,” said Vicki Kramer, Director of NDOT. “I look forward to having his expertise and experience at the table, as NDOT continues to innovate the way we deliver our annual construction program and plan for the future of our state’s infrastructure system.”As Deputy Director of Operations, Syslo will oversee NDOT’s annual construction program and maintenance functions in all eight NDOT districts, as well as Materials &amp; Research, Operations, Business&nbsp;Technology, and Human Resource Divisions. Syslo will assume this role on March 30, 2024.

NDOT Announces New Deputy Director Mick Syslo

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of Sarah Scott as state property tax administrator. Scott currently leads the field operations team within the Property Assessment Division at the Nebraska Department of Revenue (DOR).

“Sarah has had several positions with the Department of Revenue over the last 15 years. She has expertise in tax assessment, analytics, interpreting statute and regulations as well as training county assessors on a variety of processes,” said Gov. Pillen. “Her broad range of experience makes her a great leader for the agency in this key role.”

“I have had the privilege to lead the Department’s efforts to educate and work with county assessors across the state for the past 15 years, learning the statutory framework they are required to work under and the responsibilities and challenges they face,” said Scott. “I am excited for this opportunity to build stronger relationships with county officials across the state and to work together to improve the property valuation process for the taxpayers of Nebraska.”.&nbsp;

Scott earned her bachelor’s degree in business finance from the University of Nebraska – Kearney.&nbsp; She has been the recipient of two awards during her tenure with DOR including the Tax Commissioner’s Award in 2017 and The Department of Revenue Employee of the Year in 2015.

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of Sarah Scott as state property tax administrator. Scott currently leads the field operations team within the Property Assessment Division at the Nebraska Department of Revenue (DOR).“Sarah has had several positions with the Department of Revenue over the last 15 years. She has expertise in tax assessment, analytics, interpreting statute and regulations as well as training county assessors on a variety of processes,” said Gov. Pillen. “Her broad range of experience makes her a great leader for the agency in this key role.”“I have had the privilege to lead the Department’s efforts to educate and work with county assessors across the state for the past 15 years, learning the statutory framework they are required to work under and the responsibilities and challenges they face,” said Scott. “I am excited for this opportunity to build stronger relationships with county officials across the state and to work together to improve the property valuation process for the taxpayers of Nebraska.”.&nbsp;Scott earned her bachelor’s degree in business finance from the University of Nebraska – Kearney.&nbsp; She has been the recipient of two awards during her tenure with DOR including the Tax Commissioner’s Award in 2017 and The Department of Revenue Employee of the Year in 2015.

Governor Pillen Appoints Sarah Scott as State Property Tax Administrator

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eight children were among 22 people hit by gunfire in a shooting at the end of Wednesday's parade to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-chiefs-dynasty-kansas-city-d16a308684d97a6be2d269c8d56404be">Super Bowl win</a>, authorities said, sending terrified fans running for cover as yet another high-profile public event was marred by gun violence. One of those victims — a mother of two identified by her radio station as a DJ — was killed.

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said three people had been detained as part of the investigation. She said she has heard that fans may have been involved in tackling a suspect but couldn’t immediately confirm that.

“I’m angry at what happened today. The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment.” Graves said. Police did not immediately release any details about the people who were detained or about a possible motive for the shootings. She said firearms had been recovered, but not what kind.

“All of that is being actively investigated,” she said.

It is the latest sports celebration in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-2a500aff2edea212bf54cf6597b2f4f7">to end in gun violence</a>, following a shooting that injured several people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-shooting-nuggets-suspect-ee4869abf1afee855565f1c517bfae1f">last year in downtown Denver</a>&nbsp;after the Nuggets' NBA championship, and gunfire last year at a parking lot near the Texas Rangers' World Series championship parade.

Social media users posted shocking video of police running through a crowded scene as people hurriedly scrambled for cover and fled. One video showed someone apparently performing chest compressions on a shooting victim as another person, seemingly writhing in pain, lay on the ground nearby. People screamed in the background.

Another video showed two people chase and tackle a person, holding them down until two police officers arrived.

Radio station KKFI said in a Facebook post Wednesday evening that Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of “Taste of Tejano,” was killed in the shooting.

“This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” KKFI said in a statement.

Lopez-Galvan, whose DJ name was “Lisa G,” was an extrovert and devoted mother from a prominent Latino family in the area, said Rosa Izurieta and Martha Ramirez, two childhood friends who worked with her at a staffing company. Izurieta said Lopez-Galvan had attended the parade with her husband and her adult son, a die-hard Kansas City sports fan who also was shot.

“She's the type of person who would jump in front of a bullet for anybody — that would be Lisa,” Izurieta said.

The shooting outside Union Station happened despite more than 800 police officers who were in the building and around the area, including on top of nearby buildings, said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who attended with his wife and mother and had to run for cover when gunfire broke out.

“I think that’s something that all of us who are parents, who are just regular people living each day, have to decide what we wish to do about,” Lucas said. “Parades, rallies, schools, movies. It seems like almost nothing is safe.”

Kansas City has long struggled with gun violence, and in 2020 it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/in-state-wire-tn-state-wire-mo-state-wire-politics-oh-state-wire-0950ff59635979d7d2d2d3479f4d9c58">among nine cities</a>&nbsp;targeted by the U.S. Justice Department in an effort to crack down on violent crime. In 2023 the city matched a record with 182 homicides, most of which involved guns.

Lucas has joined with mayors across the country in calling for new laws to reduce gun violence, including mandating universal background checks.

Lisa Money, a resident of the city, was trying to gather some confetti near the end of the parade when she heard somebody yell, “Down, down, everybody down!”

At first Money thought somebody might be joking until she saw the SWAT team jumping over the fence.

“I can’t believe it really happened. Who in their right mind would do something like this? This is supposed to be a day of celebration for everybody in the city and the surrounding area. And then you’ve got some idiot that wants to come along and do something like this,” she said.

Kevin Sanders, 53, of Lenexa, Kansas, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers and then people started running. After that initial flurry, calm returned, and he didn’t think much of it. But 10 minutes later, ambulances started showing up.

“It sucks that someone had to ruin the celebration, but we are in a big city,” Sanders said.

University Health spokeswoman Nancy Lewis said the hospital was treating eight gunshot victims. Two were in critical condition and six were in stable condition, she said. The hospital also was treating four people for other injuries resulting from the chaos after the shooting, Lewis said.

Lisa Augustine, spokesperson for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said the hospital was treating 12 patients from the rally, including 11 children, some of whom suffered gunshot wounds.

St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City received one gunshot patient in critical condition and three walk-ins with injuries that were not life-threatening, spokesperson Laurel Gifford said.

“When you have this many casualties, it’s going to get spread out among a lot of hospitals so that you don’t overwhelm any single ER,” said Jill Jensen Chadwick, news director for University of Kansas Health System, which received at least one person injured in the shooting.

Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said that he was with coach Andy Reid and other coaches and staff members at the time of the shooting, and that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-58db068706aa90b1d174f2b688484df7">team was on buses and returning</a>&nbsp;to Arrowhead Stadium.

“We are truly saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred outside of Union Station at the conclusion of today's parade and rally," the team said in a statement.

Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson and first lady Teresa Parson were at the parade during the gunfire but were unhurt. “Thanks to the professionalism of our security officers and first responders, Teresa and I and our staff are safe and secure,” Parson said in a statement.

President Joe Biden said the shooting “cuts deep in the American soul” and called on people to press Congress to ban assault weapons, to limit high-capacity gun magazines and for other gun measures that have been rejected by Republicans.

“Today’s events should move us, shock us, shame us into acting. What are we waiting for?” he said.

Biden noted that Wednesday was the anniversary of the 2018 high schoool shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people and said there have been more mass shootings in 2024 “than there have been days in the year.”

Areas that had been filled with crowds were empty after the shooting, with police and firefighters standing and talking behind an area restricted by yellow tape.

Throngs had lined the route earlier, with fans climbing trees and street poles or standing on rooftops for a better view. Players rolled through the crowd on double-decker buses, as DJs and drummers heralded their arrival. Owner Clark Hunt was on one of the buses, holding the Lombardi Trophy.

The city and the team each chipped in around $1 million for the event commemorating Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs becoming the first team since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots two decades ago to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/super-bowl-2024-updates">defend their title</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708007281532.jpeg" alt="A law enforcement officer looks around the scene following a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Multiple people were injured, a fire official said.(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>A law enforcement officer looks around the scene following a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Multiple people were injured, a fire official said.(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eight children were among 22 people hit by gunfire in a shooting at the end of Wednesday's parade to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-chiefs-dynasty-kansas-city-d16a308684d97a6be2d269c8d56404be">Super Bowl win</a>, authorities said, sending terrified fans running for cover as yet another high-profile public event was marred by gun violence. One of those victims — a mother of two identified by her radio station as a DJ — was killed.Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said three people had been detained as part of the investigation. She said she has heard that fans may have been involved in tackling a suspect but couldn’t immediately confirm that.“I’m angry at what happened today. The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment.” Graves said. Police did not immediately release any details about the people who were detained or about a possible motive for the shootings. She said firearms had been recovered, but not what kind.“All of that is being actively investigated,” she said.It is the latest sports celebration in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-2a500aff2edea212bf54cf6597b2f4f7">to end in gun violence</a>, following a shooting that injured several people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-shooting-nuggets-suspect-ee4869abf1afee855565f1c517bfae1f">last year in downtown Denver</a>&nbsp;after the Nuggets' NBA championship, and gunfire last year at a parking lot near the Texas Rangers' World Series championship parade.Social media users posted shocking video of police running through a crowded scene as people hurriedly scrambled for cover and fled. One video showed someone apparently performing chest compressions on a shooting victim as another person, seemingly writhing in pain, lay on the ground nearby. People screamed in the background.Another video showed two people chase and tackle a person, holding them down until two police officers arrived.Radio station KKFI said in a Facebook post Wednesday evening that Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of “Taste of Tejano,” was killed in the shooting.“This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” KKFI said in a statement.Lopez-Galvan, whose DJ name was “Lisa G,” was an extrovert and devoted mother from a prominent Latino family in the area, said Rosa Izurieta and Martha Ramirez, two childhood friends who worked with her at a staffing company. Izurieta said Lopez-Galvan had attended the parade with her husband and her adult son, a die-hard Kansas City sports fan who also was shot.“She's the type of person who would jump in front of a bullet for anybody — that would be Lisa,” Izurieta said.The shooting outside Union Station happened despite more than 800 police officers who were in the building and around the area, including on top of nearby buildings, said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who attended with his wife and mother and had to run for cover when gunfire broke out.“I think that’s something that all of us who are parents, who are just regular people living each day, have to decide what we wish to do about,” Lucas said. “Parades, rallies, schools, movies. It seems like almost nothing is safe.”Kansas City has long struggled with gun violence, and in 2020 it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/in-state-wire-tn-state-wire-mo-state-wire-politics-oh-state-wire-0950ff59635979d7d2d2d3479f4d9c58">among nine cities</a>&nbsp;targeted by the U.S. Justice Department in an effort to crack down on violent crime. In 2023 the city matched a record with 182 homicides, most of which involved guns.Lucas has joined with mayors across the country in calling for new laws to reduce gun violence, including mandating universal background checks.Lisa Money, a resident of the city, was trying to gather some confetti near the end of the parade when she heard somebody yell, “Down, down, everybody down!”At first Money thought somebody might be joking until she saw the SWAT team jumping over the fence.“I can’t believe it really happened. Who in their right mind would do something like this? This is supposed to be a day of celebration for everybody in the city and the surrounding area. And then you’ve got some idiot that wants to come along and do something like this,” she said.Kevin Sanders, 53, of Lenexa, Kansas, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers and then people started running. After that initial flurry, calm returned, and he didn’t think much of it. But 10 minutes later, ambulances started showing up.“It sucks that someone had to ruin the celebration, but we are in a big city,” Sanders said.University Health spokeswoman Nancy Lewis said the hospital was treating eight gunshot victims. Two were in critical condition and six were in stable condition, she said. The hospital also was treating four people for other injuries resulting from the chaos after the shooting, Lewis said.Lisa Augustine, spokesperson for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said the hospital was treating 12 patients from the rally, including 11 children, some of whom suffered gunshot wounds.St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City received one gunshot patient in critical condition and three walk-ins with injuries that were not life-threatening, spokesperson Laurel Gifford said.“When you have this many casualties, it’s going to get spread out among a lot of hospitals so that you don’t overwhelm any single ER,” said Jill Jensen Chadwick, news director for University of Kansas Health System, which received at least one person injured in the shooting.Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said that he was with coach Andy Reid and other coaches and staff members at the time of the shooting, and that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-58db068706aa90b1d174f2b688484df7">team was on buses and returning</a>&nbsp;to Arrowhead Stadium.“We are truly saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred outside of Union Station at the conclusion of today's parade and rally," the team said in a statement.Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson and first lady Teresa Parson were at the parade during the gunfire but were unhurt. “Thanks to the professionalism of our security officers and first responders, Teresa and I and our staff are safe and secure,” Parson said in a statement.President Joe Biden said the shooting “cuts deep in the American soul” and called on people to press Congress to ban assault weapons, to limit high-capacity gun magazines and for other gun measures that have been rejected by Republicans.“Today’s events should move us, shock us, shame us into acting. What are we waiting for?” he said.Biden noted that Wednesday was the anniversary of the 2018 high schoool shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people and said there have been more mass shootings in 2024 “than there have been days in the year.”Areas that had been filled with crowds were empty after the shooting, with police and firefighters standing and talking behind an area restricted by yellow tape.Throngs had lined the route earlier, with fans climbing trees and street poles or standing on rooftops for a better view. Players rolled through the crowd on double-decker buses, as DJs and drummers heralded their arrival. Owner Clark Hunt was on one of the buses, holding the Lombardi Trophy.The city and the team each chipped in around $1 million for the event commemorating Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs becoming the first team since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots two decades ago to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/super-bowl-2024-updates">defend their title</a>.

At least 8 children among 22 hit by gunfire at end of Chiefs' Super Bowl parade; 1 person killed

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A historic railway station on the edge of downtown Kansas City became the latest backdrop for a mass shooting as gunfire near the end of the Kansas City Chiefs'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-chiefs-dynasty-kansas-city-d16a308684d97a6be2d269c8d56404be">Super Bowl celebration</a>&nbsp;sent terrified fans scrambling for cover and left 21 people wounded — including at least eight children — and a mother of two dead.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-kansas-city-c373ac902961ded32bccc11c67afbd37">Wednesday's shooting</a>&nbsp;outside Union Station happened despite the presence of more than 800 police officers who were in the building and nearby, including on top of nearby structures, said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who attended with his wife and mother and ran for safety when the shots rang out.

“Parades, rallies, schools, movies. It seems like almost nothing is safe,” Lucas said.

Three people were detained and firearms were recovered, Police Chief Stacey Graves said at an evening news conference. She said police were still piecing together what happened and did not release details about those who were detained or a possible motive.

“I’m angry at what happened today. The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment,” Graves said.

It is the latest sports celebration in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-2a500aff2edea212bf54cf6597b2f4f7">to be marred by gun violence</a>, following a shooting that wounded several people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-shooting-nuggets-suspect-ee4869abf1afee855565f1c517bfae1f">last year in Denver</a>&nbsp;after the Nuggets' NBA championship, and gunfire last year at a parking lot near the Texas Rangers' World Series championship parade.

Social media users posted shocking video of police running through Wednesday's crowded scene as people scrambled for cover and fled. One video showed someone apparently performing chest compressions on a victim as another person, seemingly writhing in pain, lay on the ground nearby. People screamed in the background.

Radio station KKFI said via Facebook that Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of “Taste of Tejano,” was killed.

Lopez-Galvan, whose DJ name was “Lisa G,” was an extrovert and devoted mother from a prominent Latino family in the area, said Rosa Izurieta and Martha Ramirez, two childhood friends who worked with her at a staffing company. Izurieta said Lopez-Galvan attended the parade with her husband and her adult son, a die-hard Kansas City sports fan who also was shot.

Lisa Money of Kansas City was trying to gather some confetti near the end of the parade when she heard somebody yell, “Down, down, everybody down!” At first she thought it might be a joke, until she saw the SWAT team jumping over the fence.

“I can’t believe it really happened,” Money said. “Who in their right mind would do something like this?”

Kevin Sanders of Lenexa, Kansas, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers and then people started running. After that initial flurry, calm returned, and he didn’t think much of it. But 10 minutes later, ambulances started showing up.

University Health spokesperson Nancy Lewis said the hospital was treating eight gunshot victims. Two were in critical condition and six were stable. The hospital also was treating four people for other injuries resulting from the chaos after the shooting, Lewis said.

Stephanie Meyer, chief nursing officer for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said it was treating 12 patients from the rally, including 11 children between the ages of 6 and 15, many of whom suffered gunshot wounds. All were expected to recover, she said.

When asked about the condition of the children, Meyer responded: “Fear. The one word I would use to describe what we saw and how they came to us was fear.”

St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City received one gunshot patient in critical condition, a spokesperson said.

Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said he was with coach Andy Reid and other coaches and staff members at the time of the shooting, and that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-58db068706aa90b1d174f2b688484df7">team was on buses and returning</a>&nbsp;to Arrowhead Stadium.

Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson and first lady Teresa Parson were at the parade during the gunfire but were unhurt. In a statement, he thanked security officers and first responders for their professionalism.

President Joe Biden, who was briefed on the shooting and received updates throughout the day, said the tragedy “cuts deep in the American soul” and called for Congress to take action to prevent gun violence.

“And I ask the country to stand with me,” Biden said in a statement. “To make your voice heard in Congress so we finally act to ban assault weapons, to limit high-capacity magazines, strengthen background checks, keep guns out of the hands of those who have no business owning them or handling them.”

Throngs had lined the parade route before the shooting, with fans climbing trees and street poles or standing on rooftops for a better view. Players rolled through the crowd on double-decker buses, as DJs and drummers heralded their arrival.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A historic railway station on the edge of downtown Kansas City became the latest backdrop for a mass shooting as gunfire near the end of the Kansas City Chiefs'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-chiefs-dynasty-kansas-city-d16a308684d97a6be2d269c8d56404be">Super Bowl celebration</a>&nbsp;sent terrified fans scrambling for cover and left 21 people wounded — including at least eight children — and a mother of two dead.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKKFI901FM%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0tWCioBjQSyDfcoaf1uQxnMdzkQNtHRNmdh5bhNYwtP4D62Yjyn12zUwm9Jhad8LSl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="603" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-kansas-city-c373ac902961ded32bccc11c67afbd37">Wednesday's shooting</a>&nbsp;outside Union Station happened despite the presence of more than 800 police officers who were in the building and nearby, including on top of nearby structures, said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who attended with his wife and mother and ran for safety when the shots rang out.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/wSoBavmXgy">pic.twitter.com/wSoBavmXgy</a>&mdash; Children&#39;s Mercy (@ChildrensMercy) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChildrensMercy/status/1757941249036664876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Parades, rallies, schools, movies. It seems like almost nothing is safe,” Lucas said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Praying for Kansas City… 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽&mdash; Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes/status/1757874492733297003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Three people were detained and firearms were recovered, Police Chief Stacey Graves said at an evening news conference. She said police were still piecing together what happened and did not release details about those who were detained or a possible motive.“I’m angry at what happened today. The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment,” Graves said.It is the latest sports celebration in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-2a500aff2edea212bf54cf6597b2f4f7">to be marred by gun violence</a>, following a shooting that wounded several people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-shooting-nuggets-suspect-ee4869abf1afee855565f1c517bfae1f">last year in Denver</a>&nbsp;after the Nuggets' NBA championship, and gunfire last year at a parking lot near the Texas Rangers' World Series championship parade.Social media users posted shocking video of police running through Wednesday's crowded scene as people scrambled for cover and fled. One video showed someone apparently performing chest compressions on a victim as another person, seemingly writhing in pain, lay on the ground nearby. People screamed in the background.Another video showed two people chase and tackle a person, holding them down until two police officers arrived.Radio station KKFI said via Facebook that Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of “Taste of Tejano,” was killed.“This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” KKFI said in a statement.Lopez-Galvan, whose DJ name was “Lisa G,” was an extrovert and devoted mother from a prominent Latino family in the area, said Rosa Izurieta and Martha Ramirez, two childhood friends who worked with her at a staffing company. Izurieta said Lopez-Galvan attended the parade with her husband and her adult son, a die-hard Kansas City sports fan who also was shot.“She's the type of person who would jump in front of a bullet for anybody — that would be Lisa,” Izurieta said.Kansas City has long struggled with gun violence, and in 2020 it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/in-state-wire-tn-state-wire-mo-state-wire-politics-oh-state-wire-0950ff59635979d7d2d2d3479f4d9c58">among nine cities</a>&nbsp;targeted by the U.S. Justice Department in an effort to crack down on violent crime. In 2023 the city matched a record with 182 homicides, most of which involved guns.Lucas has joined with mayors across the country in calling for new laws to reduce gun violence, including mandating universal background checks.Lisa Money of Kansas City was trying to gather some confetti near the end of the parade when she heard somebody yell, “Down, down, everybody down!” At first she thought it might be a joke, until she saw the SWAT team jumping over the fence.“I can’t believe it really happened,” Money said. “Who in their right mind would do something like this?”Kevin Sanders of Lenexa, Kansas, said he heard what sounded like firecrackers and then people started running. After that initial flurry, calm returned, and he didn’t think much of it. But 10 minutes later, ambulances started showing up.“It sucks that someone had to ruin the celebration, but we are in a big city,” Sanders said.University Health spokesperson Nancy Lewis said the hospital was treating eight gunshot victims. Two were in critical condition and six were stable. The hospital also was treating four people for other injuries resulting from the chaos after the shooting, Lewis said.Stephanie Meyer, chief nursing officer for Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said it was treating 12 patients from the rally, including 11 children between the ages of 6 and 15, many of whom suffered gunshot wounds. All were expected to recover, she said.When asked about the condition of the children, Meyer responded: “Fear. The one word I would use to describe what we saw and how they came to us was fear.”St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City received one gunshot patient in critical condition, a spokesperson said.Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said he was with coach Andy Reid and other coaches and staff members at the time of the shooting, and that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-58db068706aa90b1d174f2b688484df7">team was on buses and returning</a>&nbsp;to Arrowhead Stadium.“We are truly saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred outside of Union Station at the conclusion of today's parade and rally," the team said in a statement.Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson and first lady Teresa Parson were at the parade during the gunfire but were unhurt. In a statement, he thanked security officers and first responders for their professionalism.President Joe Biden, who was briefed on the shooting and received updates throughout the day, said the tragedy “cuts deep in the American soul” and called for Congress to take action to prevent gun violence.“And I ask the country to stand with me,” Biden said in a statement. “To make your voice heard in Congress so we finally act to ban assault weapons, to limit high-capacity magazines, strengthen background checks, keep guns out of the hands of those who have no business owning them or handling them.”Throngs had lined the parade route before the shooting, with fans climbing trees and street poles or standing on rooftops for a better view. Players rolled through the crowd on double-decker buses, as DJs and drummers heralded their arrival.

KC radio station DJ died in shooting at Chiefs Super Bowl rally

JERUSALEM —The U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday that the U.S. military conducted additional self-defense strikes

Just after 2:30p.m., U.S&gt; forces successfully conducted a strike against one mobile anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM), in Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen, that was prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.

Separately, at approximately 9:20 p.m.(Sanaa time), one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) was launched from Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen into the Gulf of Aden.  U.S. Navy ships tracked the missile but took no action because the missile was not projected to impact near any ships. There were no reports of injuries or damage from ships in the area.

&nbsp;Meanwhile, explosions struck a natural gas pipeline in Iran early on Wednesday, with an official blaming the blasts on a “sabotage and terrorist action” in the country as tensions remain high in the Middle East amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip</a>.

Details were scarce, though the blasts hit a natural gas pipeline running from Iran's western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province up north to cities on the Caspian Sea. The roughly 1,270-kilometer (790-mile) pipeline begins in Asaluyeh, a hub for Iran's offshore South Pars gas field.

Saeed Aghli, the manager of Iran's gas network control center, told Iranian state television that a “sabotage and terrorist” action caused explosions along several areas of the line.

There are no known insurgent groups operating in that province, home to the Bakhtiari, a branch of Iran's Lur ethnic group. Aghli did not name any suspects in the blasts.

Iran's Oil Minister Javad Owji, also speaking to state TV, compared the attack to a series of mysterious and unclaimed assaults on gas pipelines in 2011 — including around the anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-islamic-revolution-anniversary-tensions-us-israel-c8ebdc3f98fa23a67e570e45b8875bc9">Tehran marked the 45th anniversary</a>&nbsp;of the revolution on Sunday.

“The goal that the enemies were pursuing was to cut the gas in the major provinces of the country and it did not happen,” Owji said. “Except for the number of villages that were near the gas transmission lines, no province suffered a cut.”

In the past, Arab separatists in southwestern Iran have claimed attacks against oil pipelines. However, attacks elsewhere in Iran against such infrastructure are rare.

Since the revolution, Iran has faced low-level separatist unrest from Kurds in the country's northwest, the Baluch in the east and Arabs in the southwest.

However, tensions have risen in recent years as Iran faces an economy hobbled by international sanctions over its nuclear program. The country has faced years of mass demonstrations, most recently in 2022 over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-mahsa-amini-crackdown-f26a5f687d87785841241d266ca3e872">the death of Mahsa Amini</a>, a young woman who died in custody after her arrest allegedly over how she wore her mandatory headscarf.

Meanwhile, Israel has carried out attacks in Iran that have predominantly targeted its nuclear program. On Tuesday, the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-iaea-gross-israel-hamas-gaza-war-ee164aefb63a533548a54179c952b5e1">Iran is “not entirely transparent” regarding its atomic program</a>, particularly after an official who once led Tehran’s program announced the Islamic Republic has all the pieces for a weapon “in our hands.”

Tensions over Iran's nuclear program comes as groups that Tehran is arming in the region — Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels — have launched attacks targeting Israel over the war in Gaza.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">The Houthis continue to attack commercial shipping</a>&nbsp;in the region, sparking repeated airstrikes from the United States and the United Kingdom.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699124273212.png" alt="photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM —The U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday that the U.S. military conducted additional self-defense strikesJust after 2:30p.m., U.S&gt; forces successfully conducted a strike against one mobile anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM), in Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen, that was prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.Separately, at approximately 9:20 p.m.(Sanaa time), one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) was launched from Iranian-backed Houthi controlled areas of Yemen into the Gulf of Aden. U.S. Navy ships tracked the missile but took no action because the missile was not projected to impact near any ships. There were no reports of injuries or damage from ships in the area.&nbsp;Meanwhile, explosions struck a natural gas pipeline in Iran early on Wednesday, with an official blaming the blasts on a “sabotage and terrorist action” in the country as tensions remain high in the Middle East amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip</a>.Details were scarce, though the blasts hit a natural gas pipeline running from Iran's western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province up north to cities on the Caspian Sea. The roughly 1,270-kilometer (790-mile) pipeline begins in Asaluyeh, a hub for Iran's offshore South Pars gas field.Saeed Aghli, the manager of Iran's gas network control center, told Iranian state television that a “sabotage and terrorist” action caused explosions along several areas of the line.There are no known insurgent groups operating in that province, home to the Bakhtiari, a branch of Iran's Lur ethnic group. Aghli did not name any suspects in the blasts.Iran's Oil Minister Javad Owji, also speaking to state TV, compared the attack to a series of mysterious and unclaimed assaults on gas pipelines in 2011 — including around the anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-islamic-revolution-anniversary-tensions-us-israel-c8ebdc3f98fa23a67e570e45b8875bc9">Tehran marked the 45th anniversary</a>&nbsp;of the revolution on Sunday.“The goal that the enemies were pursuing was to cut the gas in the major provinces of the country and it did not happen,” Owji said. “Except for the number of villages that were near the gas transmission lines, no province suffered a cut.”In the past, Arab separatists in southwestern Iran have claimed attacks against oil pipelines. However, attacks elsewhere in Iran against such infrastructure are rare.Since the revolution, Iran has faced low-level separatist unrest from Kurds in the country's northwest, the Baluch in the east and Arabs in the southwest.However, tensions have risen in recent years as Iran faces an economy hobbled by international sanctions over its nuclear program. The country has faced years of mass demonstrations, most recently in 2022 over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-mahsa-amini-crackdown-f26a5f687d87785841241d266ca3e872">the death of Mahsa Amini</a>, a young woman who died in custody after her arrest allegedly over how she wore her mandatory headscarf.Meanwhile, Israel has carried out attacks in Iran that have predominantly targeted its nuclear program. On Tuesday, the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-program-iaea-gross-israel-hamas-gaza-war-ee164aefb63a533548a54179c952b5e1">Iran is “not entirely transparent” regarding its atomic program</a>, particularly after an official who once led Tehran’s program announced the Islamic Republic has all the pieces for a weapon “in our hands.”Tensions over Iran's nuclear program comes as groups that Tehran is arming in the region — Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels — have launched attacks targeting Israel over the war in Gaza.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">The Houthis continue to attack commercial shipping</a>&nbsp;in the region, sparking repeated airstrikes from the United States and the United Kingdom.

U.S. warships conduct more self defense strikes in Red Sea

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — One state lawmaker wants Nebraska to take measures to protect it from cyberattacks. His answer? Hire its own hacker.

State Sen. Loren Lippincott presented a bill Thursday to the Legislature's government committee that would give the Nebraska State Patrol $200,000 to hire “an ethical hacker.” The hacker would spend his or her days trying to break into the state’s computer network, as well as election equipment and software, to find any vulnerabilities in those systems.

Lippincott said he got the idea from a nephew of his who did similar work. The lawmaker's staff did not find other states that have hired independent hackers, although Missouri has hired a company that employs “white hat hackers” to provide that service.

“We hope to lead the way,” Lippincott said.

His bill also would allow hiring a security company that provide hackers to find weaknesses in the state's system.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-security-2024-threats-cybersecurity-russia-69b130e9896a8e8a229b7a668000183f">Security challenges</a>&nbsp;continue to grow for state and local election officials across the country, including potential&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-security-iran-2020-voting-cybersecurity-c2faa52ffa3009f53232e4d89053980c">cyberattacks</a>&nbsp;waged by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-united-states-government-russia-arizona-3cbfa1c46051416fac1f4183774a0f05">foreign governments</a>, criminal ransomware gangs and election misinformation that has led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-workers-threats-trump-georgia-indictment-5b056e2c97bfd7146b3bd19cf7f9f588">harassment of election officials</a>&nbsp;and undermined public confidence.

Lippincott presented the bill on the heels of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-china-espionage-hacking-db23dd96cfd825e4988852a34a99d4ea">FBI Director Christopher Wray's warning</a>&nbsp;that Chinese government hackers are targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, including water treatment plants, the electrical grid and transportation systems.

The Nebraska bill's hearing was also held on the same day that the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency launched a program aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-security-2024-voting-cybersecurity-8bda7ab6b3f921d363ab3257fd4b378b">boosting election security</a>&nbsp;in the states and after a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-fulton-county-elections-cyberattack-2024-13c815fd5364689002b8e95fbc6614c8">cyberattack</a>&nbsp;on government operations in Georgia that has created some elections challenges ahead of that state’s March presidential primary.

“This idea is that an ethical hacker can find vulnerabilities that can be fixed before they can be exploited by bad actors,” Lippincott said. “They can say, ‘Here’s the hole in the dike.'”

Lippincott's hacker-for-hire bill accompanies an $11 million cybersecurity bill also presented to the committee Thursday that would give the state's chief information officer, local governments and school districts more ability to bolster cybersecurity through the purchase of security software and hardware, training and preparedness drills.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — One state lawmaker wants Nebraska to take measures to protect it from cyberattacks. His answer? Hire its own hacker.State Sen. Loren Lippincott presented a bill Thursday to the Legislature's government committee that would give the Nebraska State Patrol $200,000 to hire “an ethical hacker.” The hacker would spend his or her days trying to break into the state’s computer network, as well as election equipment and software, to find any vulnerabilities in those systems.Lippincott said he got the idea from a nephew of his who did similar work. The lawmaker's staff did not find other states that have hired independent hackers, although Missouri has hired a company that employs “white hat hackers” to provide that service.“We hope to lead the way,” Lippincott said.His bill also would allow hiring a security company that provide hackers to find weaknesses in the state's system.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-security-2024-threats-cybersecurity-russia-69b130e9896a8e8a229b7a668000183f">Security challenges</a>&nbsp;continue to grow for state and local election officials across the country, including potential&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-security-iran-2020-voting-cybersecurity-c2faa52ffa3009f53232e4d89053980c">cyberattacks</a>&nbsp;waged by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-united-states-government-russia-arizona-3cbfa1c46051416fac1f4183774a0f05">foreign governments</a>, criminal ransomware gangs and election misinformation that has led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-workers-threats-trump-georgia-indictment-5b056e2c97bfd7146b3bd19cf7f9f588">harassment of election officials</a>&nbsp;and undermined public confidence.Lippincott presented the bill on the heels of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-china-espionage-hacking-db23dd96cfd825e4988852a34a99d4ea">FBI Director Christopher Wray's warning</a>&nbsp;that Chinese government hackers are targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, including water treatment plants, the electrical grid and transportation systems.The Nebraska bill's hearing was also held on the same day that the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency launched a program aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-security-2024-voting-cybersecurity-8bda7ab6b3f921d363ab3257fd4b378b">boosting election security</a>&nbsp;in the states and after a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-fulton-county-elections-cyberattack-2024-13c815fd5364689002b8e95fbc6614c8">cyberattack</a>&nbsp;on government operations in Georgia that has created some elections challenges ahead of that state’s March presidential primary.“This idea is that an ethical hacker can find vulnerabilities that can be fixed before they can be exploited by bad actors,” Lippincott said. “They can say, ‘Here’s the hole in the dike.'”Lippincott's hacker-for-hire bill accompanies an $11 million cybersecurity bill also presented to the committee Thursday that would give the state's chief information officer, local governments and school districts more ability to bolster cybersecurity through the purchase of security software and hardware, training and preparedness drills.

A Nebraska bill would hire a hacker to probe the state's computer, elections systems

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has gathered highly sensitive intelligence about Russian anti-satellite weapons that has been shared in recent weeks with the upper echelons of government, according to four people who have been briefed on the intelligence. The people, who were not authorized to comment publicly, said the capability was not yet operational.

The intelligence sparked an urgent but vague warning Wednesday from the Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee, who urged the Biden administration to declassify information about what he called a serious national security threat.

Rep. Mike Turner gave no details about the nature of the threat, and the Biden administration also declined to address it. But several leading lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, cautioned against being overly alarmed.

A congressional aide said he understood that the threat relates to a space-deployed Russian anti-satellite weapon. Such a weapon could pose a major danger to U.S. satellites that transmit billions of bytes of data each hour.

The aide, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said it was not yet clear if the Russian weapon has nuclear capability, but said that is the fear.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the claims about a new Russian military capability as a ruse intended to make the U.S. Congress support aid for Ukraine.

“It’s obvious that Washington is trying to force Congress to vote on the aid bill by hook or by crook,” Peskov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. “Let’s see what ruse the White House will use.”

The threat Turner raised concerns about is not an active capability, according to U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence. One added that intelligence officials consider the threat to be significant, but it should not cause panic.

Turner issued a statement urging the administration to declassify the information so the U.S. and its allies can openly discuss how to respond.

He also sent an email to members of Congress saying his committee had “identified an urgent matter with regard to a destabilizing foreign military capability” that should be known to all congressional policy makers. He encouraged them to come to a SCIF, a secure area, to review the intelligence.

Turner has been a voice for stronger U.S. national security, putting him at odds with some Republican colleagues who favor a more isolationist approach. He has called for the renewal of a key U.S. government surveillance tool while some fellow Republicans and liberal Democrats have raised privacy objections.

And he supports continuing U.S. military aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia at a time that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-ukraine-aid-06889e166a5417d5b4bc7795813e37ef">funding remains uncertain</a>&nbsp;because of opposition in the Republican-led House.

Johnson said he was not at liberty to disclose the classified information. “But we just want to assure everyone steady hands are at the wheel. We’re working on it and there’s no need for alarm,” he told reporters at the Capitol.

Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the classified information is “significant” but “not a cause for panic.”

The Senate Intelligence Committee said it has been tracking the issue.

“We continue to take this matter seriously and are discussing an appropriate response with the administration,” Sen. Mark Warner, the Democratic committee chairman, and Sen. Marco Rubio, the Republican vice chairman, said in a statement. "In the meantime, we must be cautious about potentially disclosing sources and methods that may be key to preserving a range of options for U.S. action.”

The rapidly evolving threat in space was one of the primary reasons that the U.S. Space Force was established in 2019. A lot of that threat has to do with new capabilities that China and Russia have already developed that can interfere with critical satellite-based U.S. communications, such as GPS and the ability to quickly detect missile launches.

In recent years the U.S. has seen both China and Russia pursue new ways to jam satellites, intercept their feeds, blind them, shoot them down and even potentially grab them with a robotic arm to pull them out of their programmed orbits. One of the key missions of the Space Force is to train troops skilled in detecting and defending against those threats.

In its 2020 Defense Space Strategy, the Pentagon said China and Russia presented the greatest strategic threat in space due to their aggressive development of counterspace abilities, and their military doctrine calling for extending conflict to space.

The White House and lawmakers expressed frustration at how Turner raised his concerns. His announcement appeared to catch the Biden administration off-guard.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House that he already had been due to brief Turner and other senior congressional leaders on Thursday. Sullivan did not disclose the topic or provide any other details related to Turner’s statement.

“I’m focused on going to see him, sit with him as well as the other House members of the Gang of Eight, tomorrow,” Sullivan said. “And I’m not in a position to say anything further from this podium at this time.”

He acknowledged it was not standard practice to offer such a briefing.

“I’ll just say that I personally reached out to the Gang of Eight. It is highly unusual, in fact, for the national security adviser to do that," Sullivan said. He said he had reached out earlier this week.

Johnson said he sent a letter last month to the White House requesting a meeting with the president to discuss “the serious national security issue that is classified.” He said Sullivan's meeting was in response to his request.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee urged the Biden administration on Wednesday to declassify information about what he called a serious national security threat. A senior congressional aide speaking to The Associated Press pointed to concerns about Russian anti-satellite weapons.

The congressional aide said he understood that the threat relates to a space-deployed Russian anti-satellite weapon that may or may not already have been launched. Such a weapon could pose a major danger to U.S. satellites that transmit billions of bytes of data each hour.

Turner earlier Wednesday sent an email to members of Congress saying his committee had “identified an urgent matter with regard to a destabilizing foreign military capability” that should be known to all congressional policy makers. He encouraged them to come to a SCIF, a secure area, to review the intelligence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707937254112.png" alt="File Rep. Mike Turner image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File Rep. Mike Turner image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has gathered highly sensitive intelligence about Russian anti-satellite weapons that has been shared in recent weeks with the upper echelons of government, according to four people who have been briefed on the intelligence. The people, who were not authorized to comment publicly, said the capability was not yet operational.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMikeTurner?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMikeTurner</a>: <a href="https://t.co/OA9yJuEPlf">pic.twitter.com/OA9yJuEPlf</a>&mdash; House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntel) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseIntel/status/1757805804885823775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The intelligence sparked an urgent but vague warning Wednesday from the Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee, who urged the Biden administration to declassify information about what he called a serious national security threat.Rep. Mike Turner gave no details about the nature of the threat, and the Biden administration also declined to address it. But several leading lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, cautioned against being overly alarmed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707936857850.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A congressional aide said he understood that the threat relates to a space-deployed Russian anti-satellite weapon. Such a weapon could pose a major danger to U.S. satellites that transmit billions of bytes of data each hour.The aide, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said it was not yet clear if the Russian weapon has nuclear capability, but said that is the fear.In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the claims about a new Russian military capability as a ruse intended to make the U.S. Congress support aid for Ukraine.“It’s obvious that Washington is trying to force Congress to vote on the aid bill by hook or by crook,” Peskov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. “Let’s see what ruse the White House will use.”The threat Turner raised concerns about is not an active capability, according to U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence. One added that intelligence officials consider the threat to be significant, but it should not cause panic.Turner issued a statement urging the administration to declassify the information so the U.S. and its allies can openly discuss how to respond.He also sent an email to members of Congress saying his committee had “identified an urgent matter with regard to a destabilizing foreign military capability” that should be known to all congressional policy makers. He encouraged them to come to a SCIF, a secure area, to review the intelligence.Turner has been a voice for stronger U.S. national security, putting him at odds with some Republican colleagues who favor a more isolationist approach. He has called for the renewal of a key U.S. government surveillance tool while some fellow Republicans and liberal Democrats have raised privacy objections.And he supports continuing U.S. military aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia at a time that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-ukraine-aid-06889e166a5417d5b4bc7795813e37ef">funding remains uncertain</a>&nbsp;because of opposition in the Republican-led House.Johnson said he was not at liberty to disclose the classified information. “But we just want to assure everyone steady hands are at the wheel. We’re working on it and there’s no need for alarm,” he told reporters at the Capitol.Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the classified information is “significant” but “not a cause for panic.”The Senate Intelligence Committee said it has been tracking the issue.“We continue to take this matter seriously and are discussing an appropriate response with the administration,” Sen. Mark Warner, the Democratic committee chairman, and Sen. Marco Rubio, the Republican vice chairman, said in a statement. "In the meantime, we must be cautious about potentially disclosing sources and methods that may be key to preserving a range of options for U.S. action.”The rapidly evolving threat in space was one of the primary reasons that the U.S. Space Force was established in 2019. A lot of that threat has to do with new capabilities that China and Russia have already developed that can interfere with critical satellite-based U.S. communications, such as GPS and the ability to quickly detect missile launches.In recent years the U.S. has seen both China and Russia pursue new ways to jam satellites, intercept their feeds, blind them, shoot them down and even potentially grab them with a robotic arm to pull them out of their programmed orbits. One of the key missions of the Space Force is to train troops skilled in detecting and defending against those threats.In its 2020 Defense Space Strategy, the Pentagon said China and Russia presented the greatest strategic threat in space due to their aggressive development of counterspace abilities, and their military doctrine calling for extending conflict to space.The White House and lawmakers expressed frustration at how Turner raised his concerns. His announcement appeared to catch the Biden administration off-guard.National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House that he already had been due to brief Turner and other senior congressional leaders on Thursday. Sullivan did not disclose the topic or provide any other details related to Turner’s statement.“I’m focused on going to see him, sit with him as well as the other House members of the Gang of Eight, tomorrow,” Sullivan said. “And I’m not in a position to say anything further from this podium at this time.”He acknowledged it was not standard practice to offer such a briefing.“I’ll just say that I personally reached out to the Gang of Eight. It is highly unusual, in fact, for the national security adviser to do that," Sullivan said. He said he had reached out earlier this week.Johnson said he sent a letter last month to the White House requesting a meeting with the president to discuss “the serious national security issue that is classified.” He said Sullivan's meeting was in response to his request.---------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee urged the Biden administration on Wednesday to declassify information about what he called a serious national security threat. A senior congressional aide speaking to The Associated Press pointed to concerns about Russian anti-satellite weapons.Rep. Mike Turner gave no details about the nature of the threat, and the Biden administration also declined to address it. But several leading lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, cautioned against being overly alarmed.The congressional aide said he understood that the threat relates to a space-deployed Russian anti-satellite weapon that may or may not already have been launched. Such a weapon could pose a major danger to U.S. satellites that transmit billions of bytes of data each hour.The aide, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said it was not yet clear if the Russian weapon has nuclear capability, but said that is the fear.Turner earlier Wednesday sent an email to members of Congress saying his committee had “identified an urgent matter with regard to a destabilizing foreign military capability” that should be known to all congressional policy makers. He encouraged them to come to a SCIF, a secure area, to review the intelligence.Turner has been a voice for stronger U.S. national security, putting him at odds with some Republican colleagues who favor a more isolationist approach. He has called for the renewal of a key U.S. government surveillance tool while some fellow Republicans and liberal Democrats have raised privacy objections.And he supports continuing U.S. military aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia at a time that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-ukraine-aid-06889e166a5417d5b4bc7795813e37ef">funding remains uncertain</a>&nbsp;because of opposition in the Republican-led House.Johnson said he was not at liberty to disclose the classified information. “But we just want to assure everyone steady hands are at the wheel. We’re working on it and there’s no need for alarm,” he told reporters at the Capitol.Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the classified information is “significant” but “not a cause for panic.”The Senate Intelligence Committee said it has been tracking the issue.“We continue to take this matter seriously and are discussing an appropriate response with the administration,” Sen. Mark Warner, the Democratic committee chairman, and Sen. Marco Rubio, the Republican vice chairman, said in a statement. "In the meantime, we must be cautious about potentially disclosing sources and methods that may be key to preserving a range of options for U.S. action.”The rapidly evolving threat in space was one of the primary reasons that the U.S. Space Force was established in 2019. A lot of that threat has to do with new capabilities that China and Russia have already developed that can interfere with critical satellite-based U.S. communications, such as GPS and the ability to quickly detect missile launches.In recent years the U.S. has seen both China and Russia pursue new ways to jam satellites, intercept their feeds, blind them, shoot them down and even potentially grab them with a robotic arm to pull them out of their programmed orbits. One of the key missions of the Space Force is to train troops skilled in detecting and defending against those threats.In its 2020 Defense Space Strategy, the Pentagon said China and Russia presented the greatest strategic threat in space due to their aggressive development of counterspace abilities, and their military doctrine calling for extending conflict to space.The White House and lawmakers expressed frustration at how Turner raised his concerns. His announcement appeared to catch the Biden administration off-guard.National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House that he already had been due to brief Turner and other senior congressional leaders on Thursday. Sullivan did not disclose the topic or provide any other details related to Turner’s statement.“I’m focused on going to see him, sit with him as well as the other House members of the Gang of Eight, tomorrow,” Sullivan said. “And I’m not in a position to say anything further from this podium at this time.”He acknowledged it was not standard practice to offer such a briefing.“I’ll just say that I personally reached out to the Gang of Eight. It is highly unusual, in fact, for the national security adviser to do that," Sullivan said. He said he had reached out earlier this week.Johnson said he sent a letter last month to the White House requesting a meeting with the president to discuss “the serious national security issue that is classified.” He said Sullivan's meeting was in response to his request.___