DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Stung by paying billions of dollars for settlements and trials, chemical giant Bayer has been lobbying lawmakers in three states to pass bills providing it a legal shield from lawsuits that claim its popular weedkiller Roundup causes cancer.

Nearly identical bills introduced in Iowa, Missouri and Idaho this year — with wording supplied by Bayer — would protect pesticide companies from claims they failed to warn that their product causes cancer, if their labels otherwise complied with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations.

But legal experts warn the legislation could have broader consequences — extending to any product liability claim or, in Iowa’s case, providing immunity from lawsuits of any kind. Critics say it could spread nationwide.

"It’s just not good government to give a company immunity for things that they’re not telling their consumers,” said Matt Clement, a Jefferson City, Missouri, attorney who represents people suing Bayer. “If they’re successful in getting this passed in Missouri, I think they’ll be trying to do this all over the country.”

Bayer described the legislation as one strategy to address the “headwinds” it faces. About 167,000&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a12603a80c8238d1f7af3705cfec610a">legal claims</a>&nbsp;against Bayer assert Roundup causes a cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which Bayer disputes. The company has won some cases, settled many others but also has suffered several losses in which juries awarded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weed-killer-roundup-philadelphia-verdict-cancer-6c777d7fd4e7c38ec8fe28a6f1566d24?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">huge initial judgments</a>. It has paid about $10 billion while thousands of claims linger in court.

Though some studies associate Roundup's key ingredient with cancer, the EPA has regularly concluded it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed.

The costs of “defending a safe, approved product” are unsustainable, said Jess Christiansen, head of communications for Bayer's crop science division.

The legislation was introduced in targeted states pivotal to Bayer's Roundup operations and is at a different stage in each. It&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=SF%202412&amp;ga=90">passed the Iowa Senate</a>, is awaiting debate in the&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?year=2024&amp;bill=HB2763&amp;code=R%20&amp;cal=1">Missouri House</a>&nbsp;and was&nbsp;<a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/S1245/">defeated in Idaho</a>, where this year's legislative session ended.

Farmers overwhelmingly rely on Roundup, which was introduced 50 years ago as a more efficient way to control weeds and reduce tilling and soil erosion. For crops like corn, soybeans and cotton, it’s designed to work with genetically modified seeds that resist Roundup’s deadly effect.

Missouri state Rep. Dane Diehl, a farmer who worked with Bayer to sponsor the legislation, cited concerns that costly lawsuits could force Bayer to pull Roundup from the U.S. market, leaving farmers to depend on alternative chemicals from China.

“This product, ultimately, is a tool that we need," said Diehl, a Republican.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, said in an email the legislation maintains the integrity of the regulatory process and, without it, “Iowa risks losing hundreds of jobs” in Muscatine, an eastern Iowa city where Roundup is mostly produced.

The Associated Press is seeking public records on Bayer’s communications with Reynolds’ office.

Bayer, like other companies, hires lobbyists in states to advocate for its interests. The company backs this legislation in the states where “we have a big, direct economic impact,” Christiansen said.

Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, is derived from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-phosphate-mine-bayer-roundup-1d15250044d8894f347f3094c20c2c66">phosphate mined in Idaho</a>. And St. Louis is the headquarters of its North America crop science division, acquired in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/87401fb0464a40e7877b20389a4c083d">its 2018 purchase of Monsanto</a>. Because of that, many of the lawsuits are filed in Missouri.

The five lobbyists registered for Bayer in Iowa and three in Idaho is largely consistent with recent years, but the number working in Missouri this year ballooned from four to nine. Lobbyist expenditures exceeded $8,000 in Idaho this year; similar information was not available in Iowa or Missouri.

Led by Bayer, a coalition of agricultural organizations called Modern Ag Alliance also is spending tens of thousands of dollars on radio and print advertisements claiming that trial lawyers and litigation threaten the availability of glyphosate.

On its website, the group asserts that at risk are 500 jobs connected to glyphosate production in Iowa, and 800 jobs in Idaho.

Bayer stopped short of threatening closures. The Iowa facilities, including in Muscatine, “are very critical facilities to our business, so we'll remain at some sort of support level,” Christiansen said.

At issue in the lawsuits and legislation is how Bayer – and any other pesticide company — communicates with consumers about the safety of its products.

Companies are required to register products with the EPA, which evaluates — and then reevaluates every 15 years — a pesticide and its label. The EPA reiterated in 2020 that glyphosate used as directed posed no health risks to humans. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-climate-and-environment-government-politics-cancer-e1d47c554bc97537880f22c26c2eb229">a federal appeals court panel</a>&nbsp;in 2022 ruled that decision “was not supported by substantial evidence” and ordered the EPA to review further.

The debate over glyphosate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-congress-716e2a6e6ff14f1b8920c17e61c64353">escalated</a>&nbsp;when a 2015 report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, said it's “probably carcinogenic to humans" based on “limited” evidence of cancer in people and “sufficient” evidence in study animals.

Based on that international report,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-8671f0f2bd7b4c62b745b85c1cee66c2">California sought to add</a>&nbsp;a cancer warning label to products containing glyphosate. But a federal appeals court ruled against California last November, concluding such a warning wasn't factual.

Christiansen emphasized that many regulatory agencies worldwide agree with the EPA and insisted Bayer has to stick to EPA labeling to ensure it isn't providing false or misleading information. She added that the company is transparent in the information it does provide.

Critics of the legislation aren't convinced, citing examples such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/purdue-pharma-opioid-crisis-guilty-plea-5704ad896e964222a011f053949e0cc0">opioids</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-asbestos-cancer-brakes-biden-72b0fa8b36adedaff6000034d35c2acd">asbestos</a>&nbsp;that had been deemed safe for use as directed — until they weren't.

There also are concerns that the legislation could stifle any product liability claim since most rely on the argument that a company failed to warn, said Andrew Mertens, executive director of the Iowa Association for Justice, an organization for trial lawyers.

Jonathan Cardi, a product liability and torts expert at Wake Forest University School of Law, also said a strict reading of the Iowa legislation extends beyond liability claims, and “the way it’s drafted makes it interpretable to mean nobody could bring any suit.”

In lobbying lawmakers and in speaking with the AP, Bayer representatives disputed that the legislation would cut off other legal actions. Several legal experts said the legislation is unlikely to affect the 18,000 lawsuits already pending in Missouri’s capital of Jefferson City, and wouldn’t prevent similar claims in states that don’t adopt similar legislation.

In Idaho, the Republican-led Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/S1245/">narrowly defeated</a>&nbsp;the bill amid concerns about relying on federal agencies' safety standards and limiting the ability of harmed individuals to sue.

John Gilbert, who farms in Iowa Falls, Iowa, with limited use of Roundup, called Republicans hypocritical for attempting to protect corporate interests after campaigning on standing up for Iowans.

The bill “invites a lot of reckless disregard," said Gilbert, who is on the board for the Iowa Farmers Union. “No amount of perfume’s gonna make it anything but a skunk."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593022262288.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Stung by paying billions of dollars for settlements and trials, chemical giant Bayer has been lobbying lawmakers in three states to pass bills providing it a legal shield from lawsuits that claim its popular weedkiller Roundup causes cancer.Nearly identical bills introduced in Iowa, Missouri and Idaho this year — with wording supplied by Bayer — would protect pesticide companies from claims they failed to warn that their product causes cancer, if their labels otherwise complied with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations.But legal experts warn the legislation could have broader consequences — extending to any product liability claim or, in Iowa’s case, providing immunity from lawsuits of any kind. Critics say it could spread nationwide."It’s just not good government to give a company immunity for things that they’re not telling their consumers,” said Matt Clement, a Jefferson City, Missouri, attorney who represents people suing Bayer. “If they’re successful in getting this passed in Missouri, I think they’ll be trying to do this all over the country.”Bayer described the legislation as one strategy to address the “headwinds” it faces. About 167,000&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a12603a80c8238d1f7af3705cfec610a">legal claims</a>&nbsp;against Bayer assert Roundup causes a cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which Bayer disputes. The company has won some cases, settled many others but also has suffered several losses in which juries awarded&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weed-killer-roundup-philadelphia-verdict-cancer-6c777d7fd4e7c38ec8fe28a6f1566d24?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">huge initial judgments</a>. It has paid about $10 billion while thousands of claims linger in court.Though some studies associate Roundup's key ingredient with cancer, the EPA has regularly concluded it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed.The costs of “defending a safe, approved product” are unsustainable, said Jess Christiansen, head of communications for Bayer's crop science division.The legislation was introduced in targeted states pivotal to Bayer's Roundup operations and is at a different stage in each. It&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=SF%202412&amp;ga=90">passed the Iowa Senate</a>, is awaiting debate in the&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?year=2024&amp;bill=HB2763&amp;code=R%20&amp;cal=1">Missouri House</a>&nbsp;and was&nbsp;<a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/S1245/">defeated in Idaho</a>, where this year's legislative session ended.Farmers overwhelmingly rely on Roundup, which was introduced 50 years ago as a more efficient way to control weeds and reduce tilling and soil erosion. For crops like corn, soybeans and cotton, it’s designed to work with genetically modified seeds that resist Roundup’s deadly effect.Missouri state Rep. Dane Diehl, a farmer who worked with Bayer to sponsor the legislation, cited concerns that costly lawsuits could force Bayer to pull Roundup from the U.S. market, leaving farmers to depend on alternative chemicals from China.“This product, ultimately, is a tool that we need," said Diehl, a Republican.Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, said in an email the legislation maintains the integrity of the regulatory process and, without it, “Iowa risks losing hundreds of jobs” in Muscatine, an eastern Iowa city where Roundup is mostly produced.The Associated Press is seeking public records on Bayer’s communications with Reynolds’ office.Bayer, like other companies, hires lobbyists in states to advocate for its interests. The company backs this legislation in the states where “we have a big, direct economic impact,” Christiansen said.Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, is derived from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-phosphate-mine-bayer-roundup-1d15250044d8894f347f3094c20c2c66">phosphate mined in Idaho</a>. And St. Louis is the headquarters of its North America crop science division, acquired in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/87401fb0464a40e7877b20389a4c083d">its 2018 purchase of Monsanto</a>. Because of that, many of the lawsuits are filed in Missouri.The five lobbyists registered for Bayer in Iowa and three in Idaho is largely consistent with recent years, but the number working in Missouri this year ballooned from four to nine. Lobbyist expenditures exceeded $8,000 in Idaho this year; similar information was not available in Iowa or Missouri.Led by Bayer, a coalition of agricultural organizations called Modern Ag Alliance also is spending tens of thousands of dollars on radio and print advertisements claiming that trial lawyers and litigation threaten the availability of glyphosate.On its website, the group asserts that at risk are 500 jobs connected to glyphosate production in Iowa, and 800 jobs in Idaho.Bayer stopped short of threatening closures. The Iowa facilities, including in Muscatine, “are very critical facilities to our business, so we'll remain at some sort of support level,” Christiansen said.At issue in the lawsuits and legislation is how Bayer – and any other pesticide company — communicates with consumers about the safety of its products.Companies are required to register products with the EPA, which evaluates — and then reevaluates every 15 years — a pesticide and its label. The EPA reiterated in 2020 that glyphosate used as directed posed no health risks to humans. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-climate-and-environment-government-politics-cancer-e1d47c554bc97537880f22c26c2eb229">a federal appeals court panel</a>&nbsp;in 2022 ruled that decision “was not supported by substantial evidence” and ordered the EPA to review further.The debate over glyphosate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-congress-716e2a6e6ff14f1b8920c17e61c64353">escalated</a>&nbsp;when a 2015 report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, said it's “probably carcinogenic to humans" based on “limited” evidence of cancer in people and “sufficient” evidence in study animals.Based on that international report,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-8671f0f2bd7b4c62b745b85c1cee66c2">California sought to add</a>&nbsp;a cancer warning label to products containing glyphosate. But a federal appeals court ruled against California last November, concluding such a warning wasn't factual.Christiansen emphasized that many regulatory agencies worldwide agree with the EPA and insisted Bayer has to stick to EPA labeling to ensure it isn't providing false or misleading information. She added that the company is transparent in the information it does provide.Critics of the legislation aren't convinced, citing examples such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/purdue-pharma-opioid-crisis-guilty-plea-5704ad896e964222a011f053949e0cc0">opioids</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-asbestos-cancer-brakes-biden-72b0fa8b36adedaff6000034d35c2acd">asbestos</a>&nbsp;that had been deemed safe for use as directed — until they weren't.There also are concerns that the legislation could stifle any product liability claim since most rely on the argument that a company failed to warn, said Andrew Mertens, executive director of the Iowa Association for Justice, an organization for trial lawyers.Jonathan Cardi, a product liability and torts expert at Wake Forest University School of Law, also said a strict reading of the Iowa legislation extends beyond liability claims, and “the way it’s drafted makes it interpretable to mean nobody could bring any suit.”In lobbying lawmakers and in speaking with the AP, Bayer representatives disputed that the legislation would cut off other legal actions. Several legal experts said the legislation is unlikely to affect the 18,000 lawsuits already pending in Missouri’s capital of Jefferson City, and wouldn’t prevent similar claims in states that don’t adopt similar legislation.In Idaho, the Republican-led Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/S1245/">narrowly defeated</a>&nbsp;the bill amid concerns about relying on federal agencies' safety standards and limiting the ability of harmed individuals to sue.John Gilbert, who farms in Iowa Falls, Iowa, with limited use of Roundup, called Republicans hypocritical for attempting to protect corporate interests after campaigning on standing up for Iowans.The bill “invites a lot of reckless disregard," said Gilbert, who is on the board for the Iowa Farmers Union. “No amount of perfume’s gonna make it anything but a skunk."

Weedkiller manufacturer working to squelch claims it failed to warn about cancer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House swiftly approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-israel-gaza-aid-speaker-johnson-9097da3511a7cd9b0e9a7b9ce52141b3">$95 billion in foreign aid</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies in a rare Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s invasion.</a>

With an overwhelming vote 311-112, the $61 billion in aid for Ukraine passed in a matter of minutes, a strong showing as American lawmakers race to deliver a fresh round of U.S. support to the war-torn ally. All three members of the Nebraska House delegation voted in favor of funding for Ukraine.

After the vote count many Democrats cheered on the House floor and waved blue-and-yellow flags of Ukraine.&nbsp;

Aid to Israel and the other allies also won approval by healthy margins, as did a measure to clamp down on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-us-ban-sale-china-congress-de12b4d22aa8095e62cb0982a6e62235">the popular platform TikTok</a>, with unique coalitions forming to push the separate bills forward. The whole package will go to the Senate, which could pass it as soon as Tuesday. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.

“We did our work here, and I think history will judge it well,” said a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-ukraine-aid-speaker-ouster-c525efc953d532242d6d441c55724992">weary Speaker Mike Johnson</a>, R-La., who risked his own job to marshal the package to passage.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Biden, in a statement, thanked Johnson, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers “who voted to put our national security first.”

“I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs,” the president said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said he was “grateful” to both parties in the House and “personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

The scene in Congress was a striking display of action after months of dysfunction and stalemate fueled by Republicans, who hold the majority but are deeply split over foreign aid, particularly for Ukraine.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-ukraine-aid-speaker-ouster-c525efc953d532242d6d441c55724992">Johnson</a>&nbsp;relied on Democrats to ensure the military and humanitarian funding — the first major package for Ukraine since December 2022 — won approval.

The morning opened with a somber and serious debate and an unusual sense of purpose as Republican and Democratic leaders united to urge quick approval, saying that would ensure the United States supported its allies and remained a leader on the world stage. The House’s visitor galleries were crowded with onlookers.

“The eyes of the world are upon us, and history will judge what we do here and now,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee

Passage through the House cleared away the biggest hurdle to Biden’s funding request, first made in October as Ukraine’s military supplies began to run low.

The GOP-controlled House struggled for months over what to do, first demanding that any assistance for Ukraine be tied to policy changes at the U.S.-Mexico border, only to immediately reject a bipartisan Senate offer along those very lines.

Reaching an endgame has been an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-israel-taiwan-congress-aid-house-speaker-21cc09d310a33d1d8ca88eadea896a36">excruciating lift for Johnson</a>&nbsp;that has tested both his resolve and his support among Republicans, with a small but growing number now openly urging his removal from the speaker’s office. Yet congressional leaders cast the votes as a turning point in history — an urgent sacrifice as U.S. allies are beleaguered by wars and threats from continental Europe to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific.

“Sometimes when you are living history, as we are today, you don’t understand the significance of the actions of the votes that we make on this House floor, of the effect that it will have down the road,” said New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “This is a historic moment.”

Opponents, particularly the hard-right Republicans from Johnson’s majority, argued that the U.S. should focus on the home front, addressing domestic border security and the nation’s rising debt load, and they warned against spending more money, which largely flows to American defense manufacturers, to produce weaponry used overseas.

Still, Congress has seen a stream of world leaders visit in recent months, from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;to Japanese Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/fumio-kishida">Fumio Kishida</a>, all but pleading with lawmakers to approve the aid. Globally, the delay left many questioning America’s commitment to its allies.

At stake has been one of Biden’s top foreign policy priorities — halting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s advance in Europe. After engaging in quiet talks with Johnson, the president quickly endorsed Johnson’s plan, paving the way for Democrats to give their rare support to clear the procedural hurdles needed for a final vote.

“We have a responsibility, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans to defend democracy wherever it is at risk,” Jeffries said during the debate.

While aid for Ukraine failed to win a majority of Republicans, several dozen progressive Democrats voted against the bill aiding Israel as they demanded an end to the bombardment of Gaza that has killed thousands of civilians. A group of roughly 20 hard-right Republicans voted against every portion of the aid package, including for allies like Israel and Taiwan that have traditionally enjoyed support from the GOP.

At the same time, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has loomed large over the fight, weighing in from afar via social media statements and direct phone calls with lawmakers as he tilts the GOP to a more isolationist stance with his “America First” brand of politics.

Ukraine’s defense once enjoyed robust, bipartisan support in Congress, but as the war enters its third year, a majority of Republicans opposed further aid. Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., offered an amendment to zero out the money, but it was rejected.

The ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus has derided the legislation as the “America Last” foreign wars package and urged lawmakers to defy Republican leadership and oppose it because the bills did not include border security measures.

Johnson’s hold on the speaker’s gavel has also grown more tenuous in recent days as three Republicans, led by Greene, supported a “motion to vacate” that can lead to a vote on removing the speaker. Egged on by far-right personalities, she is also being joined by a growing number of lawmakers including Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is urging Johnson to voluntarily step aside.

The package included several Republican priorities that Democrats endorsed, or at least are willing to accept. Those include proposals that allow the U.S. to seize frozen Russian central bank assets to rebuild Ukraine; impose sanctions on Iran, Russia, China and criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl; and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-house-vote-china-national-security-8fa7258fae1a4902d344c9d978d58a37">legislation</a>&nbsp;to require the China-based owner of the popular video app TikTok to sell its stake within a year or face a ban in the United States.

Still, the all-out push to get the bills through Congress is a reflection not only of politics, but realities on the ground in Ukraine. Top lawmakers on national security committees, who are privy to classified briefings, have grown gravely concerned about the tide of the war as Russia pummels Ukrainian forces beset by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-parliament-recruit-army-russia-war-5b7d9f58bb398b4ad1296311b8130b92">shortage of troops</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-g7-ukraine-russia-israel-gaza-iran-73d2a4a62a0bbd5f6d60fb1b4338d207">ammunition</a>.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the Senate would begin procedural votes on the package Tuesday, saying, “Our allies across the world have been waiting for this moment.”

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, as he prepared to overcome objections from his right flank next week, said, “The task before us is urgent. It is once again the Senate’s turn to make history.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713638370235.png" alt="“We did our work here, and I think history will judge it well,” said a weary Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who risked his own job to marshal the package to passage.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>“We did our work here, and I think history will judge it well,” said a weary Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who risked his own job to marshal the package to passage.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House swiftly approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-israel-gaza-aid-speaker-johnson-9097da3511a7cd9b0e9a7b9ce52141b3">$95 billion in foreign aid</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies in a rare Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s invasion.</a><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> (R-LA): &quot;I don’t walk around this building being worried about a motion to vacate. I have to do my job. We did. I&#39;ve done here what I believe to be the right thing and that is to allow the House to work its will.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Bmordvy1Zj">pic.twitter.com/Bmordvy1Zj</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1781757010230345924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With an overwhelming vote 311-112, the $61 billion in aid for Ukraine passed in a matter of minutes, a strong showing as American lawmakers race to deliver a fresh round of U.S. support to the war-torn ally. All three members of the Nebraska House delegation voted in favor of funding for Ukraine.After the vote count many Democrats cheered on the House floor and waved blue-and-yellow flags of Ukraine.&nbsp;Aid to Israel and the other allies also won approval by healthy margins, as did a measure to clamp down on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-us-ban-sale-china-congress-de12b4d22aa8095e62cb0982a6e62235">the popular platform TikTok</a>, with unique coalitions forming to push the separate bills forward. The whole package will go to the Senate, which could pass it as soon as Tuesday. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.“We did our work here, and I think history will judge it well,” said a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-ukraine-aid-speaker-ouster-c525efc953d532242d6d441c55724992">weary Speaker Mike Johnson</a>, R-La., who risked his own job to marshal the package to passage.&nbsp;&nbsp;Biden, in a statement, thanked Johnson, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers “who voted to put our national security first.”“I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs,” the president said.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said he was “grateful” to both parties in the House and “personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.“Thank you, America!” he said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Я вдячний Палаті представників Конгресу США, обом партіям і особисто спікеру Майку Джонсону за рішення, яке зберігає правильний хід історії. Демократія та свобода завжди матимуть значення у світі й ніколи не зазнають поразки, доки Америка допомагатиме їх захищати. Життєво…&mdash; Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1781743035287531558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The scene in Congress was a striking display of action after months of dysfunction and stalemate fueled by Republicans, who hold the majority but are deeply split over foreign aid, particularly for Ukraine.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-ukraine-aid-speaker-ouster-c525efc953d532242d6d441c55724992">Johnson</a>&nbsp;relied on Democrats to ensure the military and humanitarian funding — the first major package for Ukraine since December 2022 — won approval.The morning opened with a somber and serious debate and an unusual sense of purpose as Republican and Democratic leaders united to urge quick approval, saying that would ensure the United States supported its allies and remained a leader on the world stage. The House’s visitor galleries were crowded with onlookers.“The eyes of the world are upon us, and history will judge what we do here and now,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs CommitteePassage through the House cleared away the biggest hurdle to Biden’s funding request, first made in October as Ukraine’s military supplies began to run low.The GOP-controlled House struggled for months over what to do, first demanding that any assistance for Ukraine be tied to policy changes at the U.S.-Mexico border, only to immediately reject a bipartisan Senate offer along those very lines.Reaching an endgame has been an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-israel-taiwan-congress-aid-house-speaker-21cc09d310a33d1d8ca88eadea896a36">excruciating lift for Johnson</a>&nbsp;that has tested both his resolve and his support among Republicans, with a small but growing number now openly urging his removal from the speaker’s office. Yet congressional leaders cast the votes as a turning point in history — an urgent sacrifice as U.S. allies are beleaguered by wars and threats from continental Europe to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific.“Sometimes when you are living history, as we are today, you don’t understand the significance of the actions of the votes that we make on this House floor, of the effect that it will have down the road,” said New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “This is a historic moment.”Opponents, particularly the hard-right Republicans from Johnson’s majority, argued that the U.S. should focus on the home front, addressing domestic border security and the nation’s rising debt load, and they warned against spending more money, which largely flows to American defense manufacturers, to produce weaponry used overseas.Still, Congress has seen a stream of world leaders visit in recent months, from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;to Japanese Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/fumio-kishida">Fumio Kishida</a>, all but pleading with lawmakers to approve the aid. Globally, the delay left many questioning America’s commitment to its allies.At stake has been one of Biden’s top foreign policy priorities — halting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s advance in Europe. After engaging in quiet talks with Johnson, the president quickly endorsed Johnson’s plan, paving the way for Democrats to give their rare support to clear the procedural hurdles needed for a final vote.“We have a responsibility, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans to defend democracy wherever it is at risk,” Jeffries said during the debate.While aid for Ukraine failed to win a majority of Republicans, several dozen progressive Democrats voted against the bill aiding Israel as they demanded an end to the bombardment of Gaza that has killed thousands of civilians. A group of roughly 20 hard-right Republicans voted against every portion of the aid package, including for allies like Israel and Taiwan that have traditionally enjoyed support from the GOP.At the same time, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has loomed large over the fight, weighing in from afar via social media statements and direct phone calls with lawmakers as he tilts the GOP to a more isolationist stance with his “America First” brand of politics.Ukraine’s defense once enjoyed robust, bipartisan support in Congress, but as the war enters its third year, a majority of Republicans opposed further aid. Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., offered an amendment to zero out the money, but it was rejected.The ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus has derided the legislation as the “America Last” foreign wars package and urged lawmakers to defy Republican leadership and oppose it because the bills did not include border security measures.Johnson’s hold on the speaker’s gavel has also grown more tenuous in recent days as three Republicans, led by Greene, supported a “motion to vacate” that can lead to a vote on removing the speaker. Egged on by far-right personalities, she is also being joined by a growing number of lawmakers including Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is urging Johnson to voluntarily step aside.The package included several Republican priorities that Democrats endorsed, or at least are willing to accept. Those include proposals that allow the U.S. to seize frozen Russian central bank assets to rebuild Ukraine; impose sanctions on Iran, Russia, China and criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl; and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-house-vote-china-national-security-8fa7258fae1a4902d344c9d978d58a37">legislation</a>&nbsp;to require the China-based owner of the popular video app TikTok to sell its stake within a year or face a ban in the United States.Still, the all-out push to get the bills through Congress is a reflection not only of politics, but realities on the ground in Ukraine. Top lawmakers on national security committees, who are privy to classified briefings, have grown gravely concerned about the tide of the war as Russia pummels Ukrainian forces beset by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-parliament-recruit-army-russia-war-5b7d9f58bb398b4ad1296311b8130b92">shortage of troops</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-g7-ukraine-russia-israel-gaza-iran-73d2a4a62a0bbd5f6d60fb1b4338d207">ammunition</a>.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the Senate would begin procedural votes on the package Tuesday, saying, “Our allies across the world have been waiting for this moment.”Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, as he prepared to overcome objections from his right flank next week, said, “The task before us is urgent. It is once again the Senate’s turn to make history.”

🎥Neb. lawmakers vote for Ukraine funding as House OKs $95 Billion aid bill

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/"></a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education on Friday announced a final rule that will update Title IX regulations governing how schools respond to sexual misconduct, undoing changes made under the Trump administration and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

“For more than 50 years, Title IX has promised an equal opportunity to learn and thrive in our nation’s schools free from sex discrimination,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said on a call with reporters on Thursday night. “These final regulations build on the legacy of Title IX by clarifying that all our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights.”

This new rule will roll back Title IX changes overseen by DeVos. Those regulations narrowly defined sexual harassment, and directed schools to conduct live hearings to allow those who were accused of sexual harassment or assault to cross-examine their accusers.

Many advocates&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nwlc.org/press-release/nwlc-responds-to-the-department-of-educations-attempt-to-weaken-protections-against-sexual-assault/">argued</a>&nbsp;that practice would discourage victims of sexual misconduct from coming forward. President Joe Biden during his campaign in 2020 promised to nix the Trump administration’s Title IX regulations.

The final rule will protect students and employees from sex-based discrimination, such as sexual violence and other forms of sex-based harassment. It would also require schools to have in place measures to offer support to those who make complaints.

The rule also sets guidelines for schools, such as treating all forms of sexual discrimination complaints equitably and promptly.

The new rule codifies protections for transgender students from sex discrimination. It prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ students and employees based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.

“The final regulations clarify that a school must not separate or treat people differently based on sex in a manner that subjects them to more than de minimis harm, except in limited circumstances permitted by Title IX,” according to a fact sheet.

“The final regulations further recognize that preventing someone from participating in school (including in sex-separate activities) consistent with their gender identity causes that person more than de minimis harm.”

The rule does not establish new criteria for transgender athletes, which is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/04/06/biden-rule-on-transgender-athletes-would-set-conditions-on-school-sports-bans/">a separate rule</a>&nbsp;the Department of Education is still finalizing, a senior administration official said. That rule would prevent blanket bans on transgender athletes competing in sports that align with their gender identity. So far,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans">&nbsp;24 states have passed laws</a>&nbsp;that ban transgender athletes from competing in sports that align with their gender identity.

The new rule also protects students, employees and applicants from discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, recovery from pregnancy and other reproductive care.

It requires schools to “provide reasonable modifications for students based on pregnancy or related conditions, allow for reasonable break time for lactation for employees, and access to a clean, private lactation space for students and employees,” according to a fact sheet.

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education Catherine Lhamon said on a call with reporters that the final regulations clarify the requirements that schools should follow to address all forms of sex discrimination.

“We look forward to working with schools, students, and families to prevent and eliminate sex discrimination,” Lhamon said.

Cardona said that the new rule will go into effect Aug. 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585353417200.png" alt="File photo White House -Trump administration&nbsp; Education Secretary Betsy DeVoss" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House -Trump administration&nbsp; Education Secretary Betsy DeVoss</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/"></a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education on Friday announced a final rule that will update Title IX regulations governing how schools respond to sexual misconduct, undoing changes made under the Trump administration and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.“For more than 50 years, Title IX has promised an equal opportunity to learn and thrive in our nation’s schools free from sex discrimination,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said on a call with reporters on Thursday night. “These final regulations build on the legacy of Title IX by clarifying that all our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights.”This new rule will roll back Title IX changes overseen by DeVos. Those regulations narrowly defined sexual harassment, and directed schools to conduct live hearings to allow those who were accused of sexual harassment or assault to cross-examine their accusers.Many advocates&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nwlc.org/press-release/nwlc-responds-to-the-department-of-educations-attempt-to-weaken-protections-against-sexual-assault/">argued</a>&nbsp;that practice would discourage victims of sexual misconduct from coming forward. President Joe Biden during his campaign in 2020 promised to nix the Trump administration’s Title IX regulations.The final rule will protect students and employees from sex-based discrimination, such as sexual violence and other forms of sex-based harassment. It would also require schools to have in place measures to offer support to those who make complaints.The rule also sets guidelines for schools, such as treating all forms of sexual discrimination complaints equitably and promptly.The new rule codifies protections for transgender students from sex discrimination. It prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ students and employees based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.“The final regulations clarify that a school must not separate or treat people differently based on sex in a manner that subjects them to more than de minimis harm, except in limited circumstances permitted by Title IX,” according to a fact sheet.“The final regulations further recognize that preventing someone from participating in school (including in sex-separate activities) consistent with their gender identity causes that person more than de minimis harm.”The rule does not establish new criteria for transgender athletes, which is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/04/06/biden-rule-on-transgender-athletes-would-set-conditions-on-school-sports-bans/">a separate rule</a>&nbsp;the Department of Education is still finalizing, a senior administration official said. That rule would prevent blanket bans on transgender athletes competing in sports that align with their gender identity. So far,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans">&nbsp;24 states have passed laws</a>&nbsp;that ban transgender athletes from competing in sports that align with their gender identity.The new rule also protects students, employees and applicants from discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, recovery from pregnancy and other reproductive care.It requires schools to “provide reasonable modifications for students based on pregnancy or related conditions, allow for reasonable break time for lactation for employees, and access to a clean, private lactation space for students and employees,” according to a fact sheet.Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education Catherine Lhamon said on a call with reporters that the final regulations clarify the requirements that schools should follow to address all forms of sex discrimination.“We look forward to working with schools, students, and families to prevent and eliminate sex discrimination,” Lhamon said.Cardona said that the new rule will go into effect Aug. 1.

Biden administration to roll back the Betsy DeVos Title IX rules

LINCOLN, NEB. – "We are pleased to again see the EPA grant a waiver to allow for the use of E15 nationwide this summer. Today's announcement comes on the heels of EPA's announcement earlier this year to grant a year-round E15 waiver for eight states including Nebraska beginning in 2025. We appreciate EPA's decision to provide consumers with an affordable and sustainable fuel option, however, it also highlights the need for a permanent solution.”

“It is well past time for Congress to take up and pass the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act introduced by Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Adrian Smith, which would permanently allow for the use of ethanol blends higher than E10 nationwide throughout the year. Nebraska Farm Bureau is again calling on Congress to move this vital piece of legislation through Congress and to the President's desk so that it can be signed into law, ending years of unnecessary regulatory uncertainty.”

The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 55,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefb.org/" target="_blank">www.nefb.org</a>.

Nebraska Farm BureauLINCOLN, NEB. – "We are pleased to again see the EPA grant a waiver to allow for the use of E15 nationwide this summer. Today's announcement comes on the heels of EPA's announcement earlier this year to grant a year-round E15 waiver for eight states including Nebraska beginning in 2025. We appreciate EPA's decision to provide consumers with an affordable and sustainable fuel option, however, it also highlights the need for a permanent solution.”“It is well past time for Congress to take up and pass the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act introduced by Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Adrian Smith, which would permanently allow for the use of ethanol blends higher than E10 nationwide throughout the year. Nebraska Farm Bureau is again calling on Congress to move this vital piece of legislation through Congress and to the President's desk so that it can be signed into law, ending years of unnecessary regulatory uncertainty.”The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 55,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefb.org/" target="_blank">www.nefb.org</a>.

Statement by Mark McHargue, President, Regarding EPA Granting Wavier to Allow Use of E15 this Summer

WASHINGTON (AP) — After its midnight deadline, the Senate voted early Saturday to reauthorize a key&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-surveillance">U.S. surveillance law</a>&nbsp;after divisions over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans’ data nearly forced the statute to lapse.

The legislation approved 60-34 with bipartisan support would extend for two years the program known as Section 702 of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-section-702-c69db6741ca9f4c26f24ebf5941a5cb0">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act</a>. It now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden "will swiftly sign the bill."&nbsp;&nbsp;Both Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Rickets voted for the bill along with Kansas Senator Jerry Moran. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri Senator Josh Hawley voted against the bill. Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt was among six who did not vote.

“In the nick of time, we are reauthorizing FISA right before it expires at midnight,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said when voting on final passage began 15 minutes before the deadline. “All day long, we persisted and we persisted in trying to reach a breakthrough and in the end, we have succeeded.”

U.S. officials have said the surveillance tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions, and foreign espionage and has also produced intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations, such as the 2022 killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ayman-al-zawahri">al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.</a>

“If you miss a key piece of intelligence, you may miss some event overseas or put troops in harm’s way," Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said. "You may miss a plot to harm the country here, domestically, or somewhere else. So in this particular case, there’s real-life implications.”

The proposal would renew the program, which permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country to gather foreign intelligence. The reauthorization faced a long and bumpy road to final passage Friday after months of clashes between privacy advocates and national security hawks pushed consideration of the legislation to the brink of expiration.

Though the spy program was technically set to expire at midnight, the Biden administration had said it expected its authority to collect intelligence to remain operational for at least another year, thanks to an opinion earlier this month from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which receives surveillance applications.

Still, officials had said that court approval shouldn’t be a substitute for congressional authorization, especially since communications companies could cease cooperation with the government if the program is allowed to lapse.

Hours before the law was set to expire, U.S. officials were already scrambling after two major U.S. communication providers said they would stop complying with orders through the surveillance program, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.

Attorney General Merrick Garland praised the reauthorization and reiterated how “indispensable” the tool is to the Justice Department.

“This reauthorization of Section 702 gives the United States the authority to continue to collect foreign intelligence information about non-U.S. persons located outside the United States, while at the same time codifying important reforms the Justice Department has adopted to ensure the protection of Americans’ privacy and civil liberties," Garland said in a statement Saturday.

But despite the Biden administration's urging and classified briefings to senators this week on the crucial role they say the spy program plays in protecting national security, a group of progressive and conservative lawmakers who were agitating for further changes had refused to accept the version of the bill the House sent over last week.

The lawmakers had demanded that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer allow votes on amendments to the legislation that would seek to address what they see as civil liberty loopholes in the bill. In the end, Schumer was able to cut a deal that would allow critics to receive floor votes on their amendments in exchange for speeding up the process for passage.

The six amendments ultimately failed to garner the necessary support on the floor to be included in the final passage.

One of the major changes detractors had proposed centered around restricting the FBI’s access to information about Americans through the program. Though the surveillance tool only targets non-Americans in other countries, it also collects communications of Americans when they are in contact with those targeted foreigners. Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, had been pushing a proposal that would require U.S. officials to get a warrant before accessing American communications.

“If the government wants to spy on my private communications or the private communications of any American, they should be required to get approval from a judge, just as our Founding Fathers intended in writing the Constitution,” Durbin said.

In the past year, U.S. officials have revealed a series of abuses and mistakes by FBI analysts in improperly querying the intelligence repository for information about Americans or others in the U.S., including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fisa-foreign-surveillance-fbi-3f7d4cc0ef413cdf20bc0b70548cde84">member of Congress</a>&nbsp;and participants in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fbi-surveillance-75c466a64e838ab12eaef96f6335f3cd">racial justice protests of 2020</a>&nbsp;and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

But members on both the House and Senate intelligence committees as well as the Justice Department warned requiring a warrant would severely handicap officials from quickly responding to imminent national security threats.

“I think that is a risk that we cannot afford to take with the vast array of challenges our nation faces around the world,” Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713611092442.png" alt="Early Saturday in the U.S. Senate -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Early Saturday in the U.S. Senate -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — After its midnight deadline, the Senate voted early Saturday to reauthorize a key&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-surveillance">U.S. surveillance law</a>&nbsp;after divisions over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans’ data nearly forced the statute to lapse.The legislation approved 60-34 with bipartisan support would extend for two years the program known as Section 702 of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-section-702-c69db6741ca9f4c26f24ebf5941a5cb0">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act</a>. It now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden "will swiftly sign the bill."&nbsp;&nbsp;Both Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Rickets voted for the bill along with Kansas Senator Jerry Moran. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall and Missouri Senator Josh Hawley voted against the bill. Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt was among six who did not vote.“In the nick of time, we are reauthorizing FISA right before it expires at midnight,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said when voting on final passage began 15 minutes before the deadline. “All day long, we persisted and we persisted in trying to reach a breakthrough and in the end, we have succeeded.”U.S. officials have said the surveillance tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions, and foreign espionage and has also produced intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations, such as the 2022 killing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ayman-al-zawahri">al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.</a>“If you miss a key piece of intelligence, you may miss some event overseas or put troops in harm’s way," Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said. "You may miss a plot to harm the country here, domestically, or somewhere else. So in this particular case, there’s real-life implications.”The proposal would renew the program, which permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country to gather foreign intelligence. The reauthorization faced a long and bumpy road to final passage Friday after months of clashes between privacy advocates and national security hawks pushed consideration of the legislation to the brink of expiration.Though the spy program was technically set to expire at midnight, the Biden administration had said it expected its authority to collect intelligence to remain operational for at least another year, thanks to an opinion earlier this month from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which receives surveillance applications.Still, officials had said that court approval shouldn’t be a substitute for congressional authorization, especially since communications companies could cease cooperation with the government if the program is allowed to lapse.Hours before the law was set to expire, U.S. officials were already scrambling after two major U.S. communication providers said they would stop complying with orders through the surveillance program, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.Attorney General Merrick Garland praised the reauthorization and reiterated how “indispensable” the tool is to the Justice Department.“This reauthorization of Section 702 gives the United States the authority to continue to collect foreign intelligence information about non-U.S. persons located outside the United States, while at the same time codifying important reforms the Justice Department has adopted to ensure the protection of Americans’ privacy and civil liberties," Garland said in a statement Saturday.But despite the Biden administration's urging and classified briefings to senators this week on the crucial role they say the spy program plays in protecting national security, a group of progressive and conservative lawmakers who were agitating for further changes had refused to accept the version of the bill the House sent over last week.The lawmakers had demanded that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer allow votes on amendments to the legislation that would seek to address what they see as civil liberty loopholes in the bill. In the end, Schumer was able to cut a deal that would allow critics to receive floor votes on their amendments in exchange for speeding up the process for passage.The six amendments ultimately failed to garner the necessary support on the floor to be included in the final passage.One of the major changes detractors had proposed centered around restricting the FBI’s access to information about Americans through the program. Though the surveillance tool only targets non-Americans in other countries, it also collects communications of Americans when they are in contact with those targeted foreigners. Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, had been pushing a proposal that would require U.S. officials to get a warrant before accessing American communications.“If the government wants to spy on my private communications or the private communications of any American, they should be required to get approval from a judge, just as our Founding Fathers intended in writing the Constitution,” Durbin said.In the past year, U.S. officials have revealed a series of abuses and mistakes by FBI analysts in improperly querying the intelligence repository for information about Americans or others in the U.S., including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fisa-foreign-surveillance-fbi-3f7d4cc0ef413cdf20bc0b70548cde84">member of Congress</a>&nbsp;and participants in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fbi-surveillance-75c466a64e838ab12eaef96f6335f3cd">racial justice protests of 2020</a>&nbsp;and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.But members on both the House and Senate intelligence committees as well as the Justice Department warned requiring a warrant would severely handicap officials from quickly responding to imminent national security threats.“I think that is a risk that we cannot afford to take with the vast array of challenges our nation faces around the world,” Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Friday.

Fischer, Ricketts vote yes: Senate passes controversial surveillance bill

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/18/state-lawmakers-pass-updated-opportunity-scholarship-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to an updated bill that will devote $10 million a year in state funds for scholarships to attend K-12 private or parochial schools.

The 32-15 approval of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/02/nebraska-would-fund-private-k-12-scholarships-regardless-of-ballot-measure-under-new-proposal/">Legislative Bill 1402</a>&nbsp;on the final day of the 2024 legislative session would end Nebraska’s distinction as one of only two states that don’t allow some form of school choice.

Gov. Jim Pillen has pledged to sign the bill into law, but the measure faces an almost certain challenge, either in the courts or at the ballot box.

LB 1402 has been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/06/passionate-battle-over-school-choice-resumes-in-nebraska-legislature/">described as “an end run”</a>&nbsp;around a planned referendum on the November ballot over a school choice law passed last year, LB 753. That law allows taxpayers to devote up to half of their state income tax liability to “scholarship granting organizations” that hand out scholarships to private and parochial schools. LB 753 allowed up to $25 million a year for that purpose.

Jenni Benson, the president of the Nebraska State Education Association, called the passage of LB 1402 “a slap in the face to voters,” who&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/10/public-school-advocates-qualify-referendum-on-opportunity-scholarship-law-for-2024-election/">signed petitions to place the issue</a>&nbsp;of school choice, as designed under LB 753, on the November ballot.

It’s likely that with the passage of LB 1402, the referendum on last year’s bill will be disqualified from the ballot, though Secretary of State Bob Evnen has not announced his intention.

The NSEA, in a press release after Thursday’s vote, pledged to either challenge the new law in court or mount another petition drive to force a referendum on it.

“We will continue the fight to ensure voters’ wishes on this issue are heard and respected,” Benson said.

Lauren Gage, a spokeswoman for Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska, a scholarship granting organization, said supporters of LB 1402 are expecting it to be challenged.

“This has been an uphill battle to help kiddos, and I don’t expect that battle to end,” Gage said.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who has fought throughout her eight-year career for school choice, argued during the final-round debate Thursday that it wasn’t right that kids from low-income families don’t have the same choice to attend a private school, because of the cost, as children from more wealthy families.

“How can that be fair?” Linehan asked. “I’m fighting for school choice because I fight for kids.”

Linehan’s daughter, Katie, is employed by the American Federation for Children, a leading national advocate for school choice.

Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne argued that LB 1402 was a “different issue” than last year’s Opportunity Scholarships Act because it was a direct appropriation rather than a tax credit.

Linehan, he said, listened to criticism that last year’s bill was a “tax credit for the rich,” so she brought a different proposal in 2024. LB 1402 was also amended, to attract more support, to a $10 million a year measure rather than $25 million.

Wayne, a former member of the Omaha School Board, said students in low-performing schools in his northeast Omaha district deserve options.

Bellevue Sen. Carol Blood asked, if school choice was so popular, “why are you so scared to take this to a vote?”

“It’s wrong to create barriers to voting,” she said.

Others, including Norfolk Sen. Rob Dover, said providing low-income kids the opportunity to attend a different school could steer some away from gangs, “saving lives and keeping kids out of prison.”

LB 1402 could present some strange legal twists, according to Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad, a lawyer and opponent of the bill, because part of the measure repeals last year’s Opportunity Scholarship Act.

If LB 1402 is challenged in court and ruled unconstitutional because it allocates public funds to non-public education, it would render the entire bill void, she said, and thus leave LB 753 in place.

If the secretary of state decides to take the current referendum about LB 753 off the ballot — and that’s very possible because “advisory votes” are not allowed on the ballot — and if LB 1402 is struck down, the senator said it would leave last year’s law in place, without the planned referendum.

A former state lawmaker and lawyer, Paul Schumacher of Columbus, provided a similar legal analysis to the Examiner earlier Thursday.

“It’s a neat chess game, but all the pieces fall together,” said Schumacher, who was term-limited and left the Legislature in 2019.

Gage, of the scholarship granting organization, said she could not speak to those legal opinions. “I’m sure a lot of lawyers will be looking into this,” she said.

So far, she said, 1,143 students have applied for Opportunity Scholarships under last year’s law, and 2,500 applicants are expected by the end of the month, which is the deadline to apply.

Meanwhile, the NSEA has scheduled a rally against LB 1402 for 9 a.m. Saturday at the State Capitol.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713538177461.jpeg" alt="Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen speaks at a “school choice” rally in the Rotunda at the Nebraska Capitol on Jan. 24, 2023. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen speaks at a “school choice” rally in the Rotunda at the Nebraska Capitol on Jan. 24, 2023. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/18/state-lawmakers-pass-updated-opportunity-scholarship-bill/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to an updated bill that will devote $10 million a year in state funds for scholarships to attend K-12 private or parochial schools.The 32-15 approval of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/02/nebraska-would-fund-private-k-12-scholarships-regardless-of-ballot-measure-under-new-proposal/">Legislative Bill 1402</a>&nbsp;on the final day of the 2024 legislative session would end Nebraska’s distinction as one of only two states that don’t allow some form of school choice.Gov. Jim Pillen has pledged to sign the bill into law, but the measure faces an almost certain challenge, either in the courts or at the ballot box.<h2>‘An end run’ around referendum</h2>LB 1402 has been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/06/passionate-battle-over-school-choice-resumes-in-nebraska-legislature/">described as “an end run”</a>&nbsp;around a planned referendum on the November ballot over a school choice law passed last year, LB 753. That law allows taxpayers to devote up to half of their state income tax liability to “scholarship granting organizations” that hand out scholarships to private and parochial schools. LB 753 allowed up to $25 million a year for that purpose.Jenni Benson, the president of the Nebraska State Education Association, called the passage of LB 1402 “a slap in the face to voters,” who&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/10/10/public-school-advocates-qualify-referendum-on-opportunity-scholarship-law-for-2024-election/">signed petitions to place the issue</a>&nbsp;of school choice, as designed under LB 753, on the November ballot.It’s likely that with the passage of LB 1402, the referendum on last year’s bill will be disqualified from the ballot, though Secretary of State Bob Evnen has not announced his intention.The NSEA, in a press release after Thursday’s vote, pledged to either challenge the new law in court or mount another petition drive to force a referendum on it.“We will continue the fight to ensure voters’ wishes on this issue are heard and respected,” Benson said.Lauren Gage, a spokeswoman for Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska, a scholarship granting organization, said supporters of LB 1402 are expecting it to be challenged.“This has been an uphill battle to help kiddos, and I don’t expect that battle to end,” Gage said.State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who has fought throughout her eight-year career for school choice, argued during the final-round debate Thursday that it wasn’t right that kids from low-income families don’t have the same choice to attend a private school, because of the cost, as children from more wealthy families.“How can that be fair?” Linehan asked. “I’m fighting for school choice because I fight for kids.”Linehan’s daughter, Katie, is employed by the American Federation for Children, a leading national advocate for school choice.Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne argued that LB 1402 was a “different issue” than last year’s Opportunity Scholarships Act because it was a direct appropriation rather than a tax credit.Linehan, he said, listened to criticism that last year’s bill was a “tax credit for the rich,” so she brought a different proposal in 2024. LB 1402 was also amended, to attract more support, to a $10 million a year measure rather than $25 million.Wayne, a former member of the Omaha School Board, said students in low-performing schools in his northeast Omaha district deserve options.Bellevue Sen. Carol Blood asked, if school choice was so popular, “why are you so scared to take this to a vote?”“It’s wrong to create barriers to voting,” she said.Others, including Norfolk Sen. Rob Dover, said providing low-income kids the opportunity to attend a different school could steer some away from gangs, “saving lives and keeping kids out of prison.”<h2>Legal challenge possible</h2>LB 1402 could present some strange legal twists, according to Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad, a lawyer and opponent of the bill, because part of the measure repeals last year’s Opportunity Scholarship Act.If LB 1402 is challenged in court and ruled unconstitutional because it allocates public funds to non-public education, it would render the entire bill void, she said, and thus leave LB 753 in place.There’s more, Conrad said.If the secretary of state decides to take the current referendum about LB 753 off the ballot — and that’s very possible because “advisory votes” are not allowed on the ballot — and if LB 1402 is struck down, the senator said it would leave last year’s law in place, without the planned referendum.A former state lawmaker and lawyer, Paul Schumacher of Columbus, provided a similar legal analysis to the Examiner earlier Thursday.“It’s a neat chess game, but all the pieces fall together,” said Schumacher, who was term-limited and left the Legislature in 2019.Gage, of the scholarship granting organization, said she could not speak to those legal opinions. “I’m sure a lot of lawyers will be looking into this,” she said.So far, she said, 1,143 students have applied for Opportunity Scholarships under last year’s law, and 2,500 applicants are expected by the end of the month, which is the deadline to apply.Meanwhile, the NSEA has scheduled a rally against LB 1402 for 9 a.m. Saturday at the State Capitol.

State lawmakers pass updated ‘Opportunity Scholarship’ bill

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mandisa, a contemporary Christian singer who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album ‘Overcomer’, has died. She was 47.

A representative for the singer told The Associated Press that the singer was found dead in her home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday. The representative said the cause of Mandisa's death was not yet known.

Mandisa, whose full name was Mandisa Lynn Hundley, was born near Sacramento, California, and grew up singing in church. She gained stardom after finishing ninth on “American Idol” in 2006.

As she left, host Ryan Seacrest told the singer that she was “a great spirit on the show."

Mandisa moved on, releasing her debut album in 2007 called “True Beauty,” which received a Grammy nomination that year for best pop and contemporary gospel album.

She went on to release five more albums, including a Christmas album.

In 2014, she won a Grammy for best contemporary Christian music album for “Overcomer,” her fifth album.

Mandisa spoke openly about her struggles with depression, releasing a memoir entitled “Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy” in 2022 that detailed her experiences with severe depression, weight-related challenges, the coronavirus pandemic and her faith.

On Friday, the Christian radio network K-Love paid tribute to the singer on social media, saying: “Mandisa struggled, and she was vulnerable enough to share that with us, which helped us talk about our own struggles.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713556575642.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mandisa, a contemporary Christian singer who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album ‘Overcomer’, has died. She was 47.A representative for the singer told The Associated Press that the singer was found dead in her home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday. The representative said the cause of Mandisa's death was not yet known.Mandisa, whose full name was Mandisa Lynn Hundley, was born near Sacramento, California, and grew up singing in church. She gained stardom after finishing ninth on “American Idol” in 2006.As she left, host Ryan Seacrest told the singer that she was “a great spirit on the show."Mandisa moved on, releasing her debut album in 2007 called “True Beauty,” which received a Grammy nomination that year for best pop and contemporary gospel album.She went on to release five more albums, including a Christmas album.In 2014, she won a Grammy for best contemporary Christian music album for “Overcomer,” her fifth album.Mandisa spoke openly about her struggles with depression, releasing a memoir entitled “Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God’s Joy” in 2022 that detailed her experiences with severe depression, weight-related challenges, the coronavirus pandemic and her faith.On Friday, the Christian radio network K-Love paid tribute to the singer on social media, saying: “Mandisa struggled, and she was vulnerable enough to share that with us, which helped us talk about our own struggles.”

Mandisa, Grammy-winning singer and 'American Idol' alum, dies at 47

WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake won a major boost late Wednesday when House Republican leaders included it in a package of bills that would send aid to Ukraine and Israel. The bill could be law as soon as next week if Congress moves quickly.

The TikTok legislation, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-house-vote-china-national-security-8fa7258fae1a4902d344c9d978d58a37">passed the House</a>&nbsp;in March and has widespread support in both chambers, was included in the House package as leaders have worked to win votes for the foreign aid bills and after negotiations with the Senate over how long the Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. would have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/divesting-tiktok-buyer-330c3a10d80aa9223facbfba0296a608">to sell its stake</a>&nbsp;in the app to continue operating in the United States. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the TikTok legislation if it reaches his desk.

The new version of the legislation won a key endorsement from Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell, who said in a statement that she had successfully pushed to extend the period from six months to a year to give the company enough time to find a buyer. While the original bill had a six-month deadline for TikTok to be sold, the revised legislation would give nine months and a possible three-month extension if a sale was in progress.

“Extending the divestment period is necessary to ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done,” said Cantwell, who had previously expressed doubts about the bill. ”I support this updated legislation.”

If Congress passes the TikTok bill, it would be an extraordinary and unusual moment in which both parties unite against one company – something lawmakers are usually reluctant to do. But the popular social media app has prompted widespread outrage on Capitol Hill, where there is bipartisan concern about Chinese threats to the United States and where few members use the platform themselves.

Opponents say they believe the ban would be unconstitutional, and there would be likely court challenges if it passes. There has been aggressive pushback from the company, content creators who make money on the app and some of the platform’s 170 million U.S. users, many of whom are young. In some cases, lawmakers have received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-tiktok-ban-lobbying-congress-china-a340cf30b05343816380793af1c5d186">profanity-laced calls</a>&nbsp;from users who were prompted by the app to call their representatives in Congress.

To date, the U.S. government has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tiktok-security-technology-social-media-2245e433b5854010ebd99b7987fc78ca">not provided</a>&nbsp;evidence that shows TikTok shared U.S. user data with the Chinese government, or that Chinese authorities have tinkered with the company’s popular algorithm, which influences what Americans see.

Since mid-March, TikTok has spent $5 million on TV ads opposing the legislation, according to AdImpact, an advertising tracking firm. The ads have included a range of content creators, including a nun, extolling the positive impacts of the platform on their lives and arguing a ban would trample on the First Amendment.

TikTok has also spent money on Facebook and Instagram ads that, among other things, talk about investments in data safety. In addition, the company has mounted a lobbying campaign in Washington that included flying in content creators who rely on the platform for income.

Alex Haurek, a spokesman for the company, said in a statement Thursday that “It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually.”

Nadya Okamoto, a content creator who has roughly four million followers on TikTok, said she’s been having conversations with other creators who are experiencing “so much anger and anxiety” about the bill and how it’s going to impact their lives. The 26-year-old, whose company “August” sells menstrual products and is known for her advocacy around destigmatizing menstrual periods, makes most of her income from TikTok.

“This is going to have real repercussions,” she said.

Dan Ives, a tech analyst at the financial advisory firm Wedbush Securities, said such a sale would be very complex to carry out, even with an extended timeline.

The platform would come with a hefty price tag that only the biggest tech companies could afford, something that’s likely to raise antitrust concerns. Then, there’s the issue of TikTok’s algorithm, the app’s secret sauce that recommends videos to users. The bill bars ByteDance from controlling TikTok’s algorithm, and a potential sale is likely to face opposition from China, which has been clamping down on exports of recommendation algorithms by Chinese tech companies.

“Buying TikTok without the algorithm would be like buying a Ferrari without the engine,” said Ives.

Some investors, including former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary, have already voiced interest in buying TikTok’s U.S. business. If a sale isn’t approved and the platform does get banned, Ives said it would be a “dream scenario” for Snapchat, Meta and YouTube, which have faced stiff competition from TikTok the past few years.

If the bill does pass, it would be the most significant step Congress has taken in decades to regulate the tech industry. For years Congress has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-technology-regulation-tiktok-155d696fd44a450a43ce8cb9802e40bb">failed to act</a>&nbsp;on legislation that would protect users’ privacy, protect children online, make companies more liable for their content and put loose guardrails around artificial intelligence, among other things.

Still, it is a narrow shot at one company when many lawmakers would like to see broader change.

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been pushing for years for tech regulation. If the TikTok bill passes, he said, “it will be the first guardrail we put on anything on social media."

Warner said there are a lot of other things that Congress needs to do, “but you've got to start someplace.”

While most lawmakers support the TikTok bill, some have said it would set a dangerous precedent.

“The passage of the House TikTok ban is not just a misguided overreach; it’s a draconian measure that stifles free expression, tramples constitutional rights, and disrupts the economic pursuits of millions of Americans,” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul posted on X after the House passed it.

Others are defending the app’s loyal users.

“I am a NO on the TikTok bill we are about to vote on,” Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost posted on X before the House vote. At 27, Frost is much younger than most of his colleagues.

“I believe the bill does set TikTok up to be banned," Frost said. "There are first amendment issues I see with taking away a platform that over 170 million Americans use, and this won’t fix the serious issues we have with data privacy."

Jenna Leventoff, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, previewed potential First Amendment challenges to the bill.

“Congress cannot take away the rights of over 170 million Americans who use TikTok to express themselves, engage in political advocacy, and access information from around the world,” she said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake won a major boost late Wednesday when House Republican leaders included it in a package of bills that would send aid to Ukraine and Israel. The bill could be law as soon as next week if Congress moves quickly.The TikTok legislation, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-house-vote-china-national-security-8fa7258fae1a4902d344c9d978d58a37">passed the House</a>&nbsp;in March and has widespread support in both chambers, was included in the House package as leaders have worked to win votes for the foreign aid bills and after negotiations with the Senate over how long the Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. would have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/divesting-tiktok-buyer-330c3a10d80aa9223facbfba0296a608">to sell its stake</a>&nbsp;in the app to continue operating in the United States. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the TikTok legislation if it reaches his desk.The new version of the legislation won a key endorsement from Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell, who said in a statement that she had successfully pushed to extend the period from six months to a year to give the company enough time to find a buyer. While the original bill had a six-month deadline for TikTok to be sold, the revised legislation would give nine months and a possible three-month extension if a sale was in progress.“Extending the divestment period is necessary to ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done,” said Cantwell, who had previously expressed doubts about the bill. ”I support this updated legislation.”If Congress passes the TikTok bill, it would be an extraordinary and unusual moment in which both parties unite against one company – something lawmakers are usually reluctant to do. But the popular social media app has prompted widespread outrage on Capitol Hill, where there is bipartisan concern about Chinese threats to the United States and where few members use the platform themselves.Opponents say they believe the ban would be unconstitutional, and there would be likely court challenges if it passes. There has been aggressive pushback from the company, content creators who make money on the app and some of the platform’s 170 million U.S. users, many of whom are young. In some cases, lawmakers have received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-tiktok-ban-lobbying-congress-china-a340cf30b05343816380793af1c5d186">profanity-laced calls</a>&nbsp;from users who were prompted by the app to call their representatives in Congress.To date, the U.S. government has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-tiktok-security-technology-social-media-2245e433b5854010ebd99b7987fc78ca">not provided</a>&nbsp;evidence that shows TikTok shared U.S. user data with the Chinese government, or that Chinese authorities have tinkered with the company’s popular algorithm, which influences what Americans see.Since mid-March, TikTok has spent $5 million on TV ads opposing the legislation, according to AdImpact, an advertising tracking firm. The ads have included a range of content creators, including a nun, extolling the positive impacts of the platform on their lives and arguing a ban would trample on the First Amendment.TikTok has also spent money on Facebook and Instagram ads that, among other things, talk about investments in data safety. In addition, the company has mounted a lobbying campaign in Washington that included flying in content creators who rely on the platform for income.Alex Haurek, a spokesman for the company, said in a statement Thursday that “It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually.”Nadya Okamoto, a content creator who has roughly four million followers on TikTok, said she’s been having conversations with other creators who are experiencing “so much anger and anxiety” about the bill and how it’s going to impact their lives. The 26-year-old, whose company “August” sells menstrual products and is known for her advocacy around destigmatizing menstrual periods, makes most of her income from TikTok.“This is going to have real repercussions,” she said.Dan Ives, a tech analyst at the financial advisory firm Wedbush Securities, said such a sale would be very complex to carry out, even with an extended timeline.The platform would come with a hefty price tag that only the biggest tech companies could afford, something that’s likely to raise antitrust concerns. Then, there’s the issue of TikTok’s algorithm, the app’s secret sauce that recommends videos to users. The bill bars ByteDance from controlling TikTok’s algorithm, and a potential sale is likely to face opposition from China, which has been clamping down on exports of recommendation algorithms by Chinese tech companies.“Buying TikTok without the algorithm would be like buying a Ferrari without the engine,” said Ives.Some investors, including former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary, have already voiced interest in buying TikTok’s U.S. business. If a sale isn’t approved and the platform does get banned, Ives said it would be a “dream scenario” for Snapchat, Meta and YouTube, which have faced stiff competition from TikTok the past few years.If the bill does pass, it would be the most significant step Congress has taken in decades to regulate the tech industry. For years Congress has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-technology-regulation-tiktok-155d696fd44a450a43ce8cb9802e40bb">failed to act</a>&nbsp;on legislation that would protect users’ privacy, protect children online, make companies more liable for their content and put loose guardrails around artificial intelligence, among other things.Still, it is a narrow shot at one company when many lawmakers would like to see broader change.Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been pushing for years for tech regulation. If the TikTok bill passes, he said, “it will be the first guardrail we put on anything on social media."Warner said there are a lot of other things that Congress needs to do, “but you've got to start someplace.”While most lawmakers support the TikTok bill, some have said it would set a dangerous precedent.“The passage of the House TikTok ban is not just a misguided overreach; it’s a draconian measure that stifles free expression, tramples constitutional rights, and disrupts the economic pursuits of millions of Americans,” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul posted on X after the House passed it.Others are defending the app’s loyal users.“I am a NO on the TikTok bill we are about to vote on,” Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost posted on X before the House vote. At 27, Frost is much younger than most of his colleagues.“I believe the bill does set TikTok up to be banned," Frost said. "There are first amendment issues I see with taking away a platform that over 170 million Americans use, and this won’t fix the serious issues we have with data privacy."Jenna Leventoff, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, previewed potential First Amendment challenges to the bill.“Congress cannot take away the rights of over 170 million Americans who use TikTok to express themselves, engage in political advocacy, and access information from around the world,” she said.

Legislation that could force a TikTok ban revived as part of House foreign aid package

Since 2018, Nebraska Bank has actively invested in the business and agriculture leaders of tomorrow through the Nebraska Bank Scholarship program. As of April 2024, the bank has awarded $53,000 in education scholarships to high school seniors across Nebraska.&nbsp;

For consideration, applicants must have expressed interest in pursuing a banking, business, or an agriculture related degree. In addition, the scholarship is intended to benefit students who would consider returning to a rural community in Nebraska upon graduation. Lastly, selected recipients have also demonstrated an exceptional interest in community as well as the ability to balance academics and extracurricular activities during high school. Each winning applicant will receive a $1,000 scholarship toward their education this fall.&nbsp;

Nebraska Bank is pleased to announce the 2024 Nebraska Bank Scholarship recipients: (name, home town, high school)&nbsp;

Meg Anderson, Dodge (West Point-Beemer)&nbsp;

Harrison Barnette, Bridgeport (Bridgeport Public Schools)&nbsp;

Kenli Boeselager, Chadron (Chadron High School)&nbsp;

Paige Drueke, Naper (Boyd County Schools)&nbsp;

Chloe Frerking, Martell (Norris High School)&nbsp;

Cory Gubbels, Stuart (Stuart High School)&nbsp;

Amelia Hakl, Spencer (Boyd County Schools)&nbsp;

Jake Harder, Belden (Randolph High School)&nbsp;

Carlye Kresl, Hemingford (Hemingford High School)&nbsp;

Faith Oldemeyer, Firth (Oldemeyer Academy of Learning)&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713537691499.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Sarah Sasse-Kildow&nbsp;Nebraska BankSince 2018, Nebraska Bank has actively invested in the business and agriculture leaders of tomorrow through the Nebraska Bank Scholarship program. As of April 2024, the bank has awarded $53,000 in education scholarships to high school seniors across Nebraska.&nbsp;For consideration, applicants must have expressed interest in pursuing a banking, business, or an agriculture related degree. In addition, the scholarship is intended to benefit students who would consider returning to a rural community in Nebraska upon graduation. Lastly, selected recipients have also demonstrated an exceptional interest in community as well as the ability to balance academics and extracurricular activities during high school. Each winning applicant will receive a $1,000 scholarship toward their education this fall.&nbsp;Nebraska Bank is pleased to announce the 2024 Nebraska Bank Scholarship recipients: (name, home town, high school)&nbsp;Meg Anderson, Dodge (West Point-Beemer)&nbsp;Harrison Barnette, Bridgeport (Bridgeport Public Schools)&nbsp;Kenli Boeselager, Chadron (Chadron High School)&nbsp;Paige Drueke, Naper (Boyd County Schools)&nbsp;Chloe Frerking, Martell (Norris High School)&nbsp;Cory Gubbels, Stuart (Stuart High School)&nbsp;Amelia Hakl, Spencer (Boyd County Schools)&nbsp;Jake Harder, Belden (Randolph High School)&nbsp;Carlye Kresl, Hemingford (Hemingford High School)&nbsp;Faith Oldemeyer, Firth (Oldemeyer Academy of Learning)&nbsp;

Nebraska Bank Awards Ten College Scholarships featuring three students from the Panhandle

LINCOLN, NEB. – “We are extremely disappointed the Nebraska Legislature was unable to deliver a property tax relief measure before closing out the 2024 legislative session. Nebraskans expected more and deserved better. Yesterday, opponents of LB 388 helped ensure that property taxes will continue to increase on Nebraskans’ homes, farms, and businesses into the future. 

We thank Governor Pillen, Revenue Committee Chair Lou Ann Linehan, and those senators who supported LB 388 for their work to try and provide property tax relief for hard working Nebraskans. Nebraska Farm Bureau is about finding solutions. Clearly there is more work to be done. We look forward to finding solutions with those who similarly share a true commitment to solving Nebraska’s property tax problem.”

The Nebraska Farm Bureau is grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 55,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefb.org/" target="_blank">www.nefb.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713537007622.jpeg" alt="Mark McHargue (Courtesy of Nebraska Farm Bureau0" />
 <figcaption>Mark McHargue (Courtesy of Nebraska Farm Bureau0</figcaption>
 </figure>Nebraska Farm BureauLINCOLN, NEB. – “We are extremely disappointed the Nebraska Legislature was unable to deliver a property tax relief measure before closing out the 2024 legislative session. Nebraskans expected more and deserved better. Yesterday, opponents of LB 388 helped ensure that property taxes will continue to increase on Nebraskans’ homes, farms, and businesses into the future. We thank Governor Pillen, Revenue Committee Chair Lou Ann Linehan, and those senators who supported LB 388 for their work to try and provide property tax relief for hard working Nebraskans. Nebraska Farm Bureau is about finding solutions. Clearly there is more work to be done. We look forward to finding solutions with those who similarly share a true commitment to solving Nebraska’s property tax problem.”The Nebraska Farm Bureau is grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 55,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefb.org/" target="_blank">www.nefb.org</a>.

 Statement by Mark McHargue, President, Regarding Legislature’s Failure to Act on Property Tax Relief

Nebraska lawmakers adjourned Thursday knowing they'll be called back by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen for a summer session to ease soaring property taxes.

A Pillen-backed sales tax expansion failed on the last day of the session after its author, Omaha Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, pulled it from consideration because it lacked support.

“Because of this legislature's inaction this morning, Nebraskans will not see a penny of property tax relief this session,” Pillen told lawmakers as he announced the special session. “It's unacceptable from my seat.”

The unique one-chamber, officially nonpartisan Legislature's 60-day session began more collegially than last year, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">a measure</a>&nbsp;to greatly restrict gender-affirming care for transgender minors generated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-legislature-filibuster-nonpartisan-814790373744b59cd1822f472f6ab3ec">bitter acrimony</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/filibuster-transgender-gender-affirming-therapy-bill-nebraska-cavanaugh-b9018fd1bf72112ca984ff58679eda6d">epic filibuster</a>&nbsp;before passing — along with a 12-week abortion ban.

Associated PressNebraska lawmakers adjourned Thursday knowing they'll be called back by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen for a summer session to ease soaring property taxes.A Pillen-backed sales tax expansion failed on the last day of the session after its author, Omaha Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, pulled it from consideration because it lacked support.“Because of this legislature's inaction this morning, Nebraskans will not see a penny of property tax relief this session,” Pillen told lawmakers as he announced the special session. “It's unacceptable from my seat.”The unique one-chamber, officially nonpartisan Legislature's 60-day session began more collegially than last year, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">a measure</a>&nbsp;to greatly restrict gender-affirming care for transgender minors generated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-legislature-filibuster-nonpartisan-814790373744b59cd1822f472f6ab3ec">bitter acrimony</a>&nbsp;and an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/filibuster-transgender-gender-affirming-therapy-bill-nebraska-cavanaugh-b9018fd1bf72112ca984ff58679eda6d">epic filibuster</a>&nbsp;before passing — along with a 12-week abortion ban.This session, a lawmaker was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-graphic-description-of-rape-0fc4001d222026a3ce9390979da83ac1">reprimanded</a>&nbsp;by the Legislature's governing board after invoking the name of a colleague while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-halloran-rape-415eb8066a43c973128ec2601dee85a8">reading a graphic account</a>&nbsp;of rape on the floor.Here’s a look at legislation that passed this session — and some that didn't.TAXESLinehan's bill would have shifted the state's growing property tax burden to sales and other taxes, raising the sales tax by 1 cent and creating an array of new taxes on candy, tobacco, CBD products and digital advertising.The bill was stripped of the sales tax increase before it reached a final debate Thursday but still didn't have enough support to pass, and Linehan pulled it.Pillen had been unable to find a lawmaker willing to sponsor a bill that would have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-governor-state-address-fccfa23e3b12fe8a508484e369a2e9c4">reduced property taxes 40%</a>&nbsp;while creating the nation's highest sales tax on goods and services, at 7.5%.VOTING<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-felons-nebraska-elections-49dee80b7787a60d33b25a35aefa6e98">A new Nebraska law</a>, enacted Thursday without the governor's endorsement, eliminates a two-year waiting period for regaining voting rights for those who have served their sentences for felonies, including prison and parole time.The waiting period was established in 2005. Before that, a person convicted of a felony lost their right to vote indefinitely.TRANSGENDER RIGHTSRestrictions on transgender rights drew acrimony late in the session. A bill was resurrected at the 11th hour to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-bathrooms-sports-nebraska-01b7eeeb56874e2338e58d368765f66a">restrict transgender students</a>&nbsp;in bathrooms, locker rooms and sports.Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth's measure failed by two votes to end a filibuster.EDUCATIONOn the session's last day, lawmakers passed a bill that repeals and replaces 2023 legislation to divert income tax receipts to pay for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-choice-nebraska-bill-ballot-6597a1a657b98604214d48aa3b07db2b">private school scholarships</a>. The bill represents the first time lawmakers have passed legislation that would block voters from deciding a ballot measure initiated by constituents.A failed bill would have held&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-libraries-obscenity-bill-2dc43c6f4f1bc602a02d7bb66b6d137f">librarians and teachers</a>&nbsp;criminally responsible for providing “obscene material” to students in grades K-12. State Sen. Joni Albrecht introduced the bill to close a “loophole” in the state’s obscenity laws, which prohibit adults from giving such material to minors. But critics panned it as a way for a vocal minority to ban books they don’t like from school and public library shelves.MALCOLM XA bill passed to recognize&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/malcolm-x-day-nebraska-272738484ecac71fba0b7919fba94407">Malcolm X</a>&nbsp;every May 19, the day he was born Malcolm Little in 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. The legislation fell short of declaring the day a state holiday. Instead, it sets aside Malcolm X Day to allow Nebraska schools to hold exercises on the civil rights icon.CHILD CARELawmakers passed a whittled-down bill offering child care works an easier path to child care subsidies after stripping the legislation of its $10 million funding due to budget restrictions. Omaha Sen. John Fredrickson modeled the bill on Kentucky legislation that successfully eased a child care worker shortage.