Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested two people during a drug investigation in Albion.

This morning, NSP investigators executed a search warrant at a residence at 512 S. 6th&nbsp;street in Albion. Investigators located methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and drug manufacturing equipment, as well as a knife/iron knuckles weapon. The home was approximately 111 feet from the Boone Central Schools building,

The residents, Devin Samuelson, 31, and Kristi Samuelson, 30, were both arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of marijuana, manufacturing a controlled substance, and violation of a school zone. Devin Samuelson was also arrested for possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person.

Devin and Kristi Samuelson are married. Devin Samuelson was lodged in Boone County Jail. Kristi Samuelson was lodged in Antelope County Jail.

News Release NSPInvestigators with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested two people during a drug investigation in Albion.This morning, NSP investigators executed a search warrant at a residence at 512 S. 6th&nbsp;street in Albion. Investigators located methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and drug manufacturing equipment, as well as a knife/iron knuckles weapon. The home was approximately 111 feet from the Boone Central Schools building,The residents, Devin Samuelson, 31, and Kristi Samuelson, 30, were both arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of marijuana, manufacturing a controlled substance, and violation of a school zone. Devin Samuelson was also arrested for possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person.Devin and Kristi Samuelson are married. Devin Samuelson was lodged in Boone County Jail. Kristi Samuelson was lodged in Antelope County Jail.

Albion couple arrested on numerous drug charges

PLAINVIEW, Neb. (AP) - The start of the school year has been delayed in Plainview, after the public school superintendent tested positive for COVID-19.

Superintendent Darron Arlt received his positive test results Wednesday, less than 24 hours before school was scheduled to start. The Board of Education held an emergency meeting that night and voted to delay the school year until Aug. 24, The Norfolk Daily News&nbsp;<a href="https://norfolkdailynews.com/news/plainview-superintendent-tests-positive-fall-semester-delayed-to-aug-24/article_7db7a0aa-de6e-11ea-b4bd-8f4d58ef8824.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Arlt said he was in several meetings with staff on Monday and Tuesday, when he began feeling flu-like symptoms. He said he sat within 6 feet of five teachers at one point. The delay was partly to allow those teachers time to quarantine.

About 50 other staff members were in the building at the time of the exposures, Arlt said. Shortly after the meeting Wednesday, families were notified and all staff were asked to leave while facilities were disinfected.

All staff members, except for custodians, aren't allowed to return to school until Aug. 20, which is 10 days after the exposure. Activities, including athletic practices, will resume Aug. 21.

PLAINVIEW, Neb. (AP) - The start of the school year has been delayed in Plainview, after the public school superintendent tested positive for COVID-19.Superintendent Darron Arlt received his positive test results Wednesday, less than 24 hours before school was scheduled to start. The Board of Education held an emergency meeting that night and voted to delay the school year until Aug. 24, The Norfolk Daily News&nbsp;<a href="https://norfolkdailynews.com/news/plainview-superintendent-tests-positive-fall-semester-delayed-to-aug-24/article_7db7a0aa-de6e-11ea-b4bd-8f4d58ef8824.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.Arlt said he was in several meetings with staff on Monday and Tuesday, when he began feeling flu-like symptoms. He said he sat within 6 feet of five teachers at one point. The delay was partly to allow those teachers time to quarantine.About 50 other staff members were in the building at the time of the exposures, Arlt said. Shortly after the meeting Wednesday, families were notified and all staff were asked to leave while facilities were disinfected.All staff members, except for custodians, aren't allowed to return to school until Aug. 20, which is 10 days after the exposure. Activities, including athletic practices, will resume Aug. 21.

Plainview superintendent has COVID-19, school start delayed

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Federal officials need to figure out better ways to track the coronavirus in rural, sparsely populated areas where fewer people are getting tested, a top White House coronavirus official said Friday.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House's coronavirus task force, said health officials are struggling at times to get a sense of how the virus is spreading outside metro areas.

People in rural areas are often more self-reliant and reluctant to get tested, and in some remote counties, one positive case can lead people to conclude that the virus is more widespread than it actually is, Birx said after meeting with Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Her comments echoed Ricketts' remark last week that some Nebraska counties are so remote that even one confirmed case would result in an abnormally high rate of positive cases.

"What this trip has taught us is we really need to create rural indicators, particularly for rural areas with very low populations," Birx said at the Nebraska Capitol. Her Midwestern tour includes stops in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Birx said Nebraska's virus outlook has improved over the last 10 days after a sharp rise in cases last month that prompted federal officials to put it in a "red zone" of high-risk states.

The red zone indicator means a state has seen more than 100 new cases per 100,000 within the last week. Birx said federal officials have since placed Nebraska in a lower-risk yellow category because of a drop in the percentage of positive cases.

Ricketts raised a similar issue last week as he criticized the White House's decision to designate Nebraska as a red zone state.

Ricketts, a Republican and vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, said the federal government has been counting multiple tests on the same person as different cases. For example, he said nursing home residents who are hospitalized with the virus are tested numerous times before they're allowed to return home.

"The White House putting us on that list in my opinion was a mistake," Ricketts said Monday at an unrelated press briefing.

Statewide, Nebraska officials have confirmed 29,660 coronavirus cases and 360 deaths, although the actual number is likely higher because some people haven't been tested. A total of 314,516 people have been tested so far, and state officials confirmed 416 new cases on Thursday.

Rural residents may have a false sense of security because the virus didn't strike those areas right away, said Brian Depew, executive director of the Center for Rural Affairs, a rural advocacy group based in Nebraska.

It's more difficult to get tested in rural areas because many drive-thru testing sites are set up in larger and mid-sized towns, and rural residents often aren't as willing to wear masks as city dwellers, Depew said.

"I think in a lot of ways, rural areas in the Midwest were lucky early on, and we've seen a lag in adopting some of the safety measures because of that," he said.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness.

Nebraska's online tracking portal says 36% of hospital beds and 80% of its ventilators are available in the state.

Health officials have confirmed more than 5.2 million cases nationwide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The states with the most confirmed cases are California, Florida, Texas and Georgia.

By GRANT SCHULTE-Associated Press LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Federal officials need to figure out better ways to track the coronavirus in rural, sparsely populated areas where fewer people are getting tested, a top White House coronavirus official said Friday.Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House's coronavirus task force, said health officials are struggling at times to get a sense of how the virus is spreading outside metro areas.People in rural areas are often more self-reliant and reluctant to get tested, and in some remote counties, one positive case can lead people to conclude that the virus is more widespread than it actually is, Birx said after meeting with Gov. Pete Ricketts.Her comments echoed Ricketts' remark last week that some Nebraska counties are so remote that even one confirmed case would result in an abnormally high rate of positive cases."What this trip has taught us is we really need to create rural indicators, particularly for rural areas with very low populations," Birx said at the Nebraska Capitol. Her Midwestern tour includes stops in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.Birx said Nebraska's virus outlook has improved over the last 10 days after a sharp rise in cases last month that prompted federal officials to put it in a "red zone" of high-risk states.The red zone indicator means a state has seen more than 100 new cases per 100,000 within the last week. Birx said federal officials have since placed Nebraska in a lower-risk yellow category because of a drop in the percentage of positive cases.Ricketts raised a similar issue last week as he criticized the White House's decision to designate Nebraska as a red zone state.Ricketts, a Republican and vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, said the federal government has been counting multiple tests on the same person as different cases. For example, he said nursing home residents who are hospitalized with the virus are tested numerous times before they're allowed to return home."The White House putting us on that list in my opinion was a mistake," Ricketts said Monday at an unrelated press briefing.Statewide, Nebraska officials have confirmed 29,660 coronavirus cases and 360 deaths, although the actual number is likely higher because some people haven't been tested. A total of 314,516 people have been tested so far, and state officials confirmed 416 new cases on Thursday.Rural residents may have a false sense of security because the virus didn't strike those areas right away, said Brian Depew, executive director of the Center for Rural Affairs, a rural advocacy group based in Nebraska.It's more difficult to get tested in rural areas because many drive-thru testing sites are set up in larger and mid-sized towns, and rural residents often aren't as willing to wear masks as city dwellers, Depew said."I think in a lot of ways, rural areas in the Midwest were lucky early on, and we've seen a lag in adopting some of the safety measures because of that," he said.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness.Nebraska's online tracking portal says 36% of hospital beds and 80% of its ventilators are available in the state.Health officials have confirmed more than 5.2 million cases nationwide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The states with the most confirmed cases are California, Florida, Texas and Georgia.

Birx: Tracking the coronavirus is a challenge in rural areas

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The city of Omaha has agreed to pay more than a half-million dollars to the mother of a mentally ill man who died in a confrontation with police in 2017.

The city will pay $550,000 to Renita Chalepah, the mother of 29-year-old Zachary Bearheels, to settle her wrongful death lawsuit, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/city-of-omaha-reaches-550-000-settlement-with-zachary-bear-heels-mother/article_229c3503-e649-5e45-9038-0113beb838d2.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">reported&nbsp;</a>Friday.

Four city police officers were fired in the aftermath of Bearheels death on June 5, 2017, when the officers were called to an Omaha convenience store that Bearheels had refused to leave. Bearheels' family has said he suffered from mental illness and had been on his way to Oklahoma when he was kicked off a bus in Omaha for erratic behavior.

Police cruiser video showed Bearheels being repeatedly shocked with a stun gun and punched in the face by officers, with some of the blows coming after he was handcuffed and sitting limply on the ground.

Prosecutors later charged Scotty Payne, the officer who had used the stun gun on Bearheels, with assault and weapons use in the case, but a jury acquitted Payne in 2018.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/61dcdcdbce293664d678a62cf4dd0696" target="_blank">Earlier this year</a>, an arbitration panel reinstated three of the fired officers in the case, but upheld Payne's firing.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The city of Omaha has agreed to pay more than a half-million dollars to the mother of a mentally ill man who died in a confrontation with police in 2017.The city will pay $550,000 to Renita Chalepah, the mother of 29-year-old Zachary Bearheels, to settle her wrongful death lawsuit, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/city-of-omaha-reaches-550-000-settlement-with-zachary-bear-heels-mother/article_229c3503-e649-5e45-9038-0113beb838d2.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">reported&nbsp;</a>Friday.Four city police officers were fired in the aftermath of Bearheels death on June 5, 2017, when the officers were called to an Omaha convenience store that Bearheels had refused to leave. Bearheels' family has said he suffered from mental illness and had been on his way to Oklahoma when he was kicked off a bus in Omaha for erratic behavior.Police cruiser video showed Bearheels being repeatedly shocked with a stun gun and punched in the face by officers, with some of the blows coming after he was handcuffed and sitting limply on the ground.Prosecutors later charged Scotty Payne, the officer who had used the stun gun on Bearheels, with assault and weapons use in the case, but a jury acquitted Payne in 2018.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/61dcdcdbce293664d678a62cf4dd0696" target="_blank">Earlier this year</a>, an arbitration panel reinstated three of the fired officers in the case, but upheld Payne's firing.

Omaha to pay more than $500K in stun gun death settlement

LINCOLN, Neb.-Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested a Lincoln man during a child pornography investigation.

Friday morning, August 14, the NSP Special Operations Division Technical Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at 4115 South Street in Lincoln. The warrant was served as a result of a cybertip NSP received through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The cybertip alerted NSP that a user at the residence was uploading images of child pornography onto the internet.

Following the search warrant, investigators arrested Jon Bogart, 59, for possession and distribution of child pornography. Bogart was lodged at the Lancaster County Detention Center.

LINCOLN, Neb.-Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested a Lincoln man during a child pornography investigation.Friday morning, August 14, the NSP Special Operations Division Technical Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at 4115 South Street in Lincoln. The warrant was served as a result of a cybertip NSP received through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The cybertip alerted NSP that a user at the residence was uploading images of child pornography onto the internet.Following the search warrant, investigators arrested Jon Bogart, 59, for possession and distribution of child pornography. Bogart was lodged at the Lancaster County Detention Center.The investigation remains ongoing.

Lincoln man arrested in child pornography investigation

DALLAS (AP) — With air traffic nearing a five-month high, airport security is finding guns in passenger carry-on bags at three times the rate recorded before the pandemic.

The discoveries at airports comes at a time when U.S. gun sales are surging, and analysts believe many of those purchases are being made by first-time buyers.

Officers seized just over 300 guns in July, or 15.3 guns for every million people screened, compared with 5.1 per million people in July of last year, the Transportation Security Administration said Monday.

TSA Administrator David Pekoske said there has been a significant increase in loaded guns at checkpoints. He said screeners are already working in conditions of heightened risks and that “no one should be introducing new ones.”

The number of loaded guns, Pekoske said, “is just an accident waiting to happen.”

Background checks on gun buyers have been rising every month compared with a year earlier since April 2019, but they picked up even faster this year. The number of checks topped 3 million in four of the last five months. They had not exceeded 3 million in one month since December 2015.

<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/nics_firearm_checks_-_day_month_year.pdf/view" target="_blank">FBI figures show</a>&nbsp;that there were more than 3.6 million firearms background checks requested on buyers in July, a 79% increase from July 2019, following a 70% increase in June.

Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr, who tracks gun sales, said the increases are likely due to fear about COVID-19 lockdowns, civil unrest, and former Vice President Joe Biden’s lead over President Donald Trump in polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election “given his more restrictive stance on gun control relative to President Trump.”

The analyst said an outsized rise in handgun sales in June and July indicates that many purchases are being made by first-time gun owners.

John Donohue, a Stanford University law professor who has served as an expert witness against efforts to weaken gun-control laws in California, said the increased sales are mostly a response to images of protests after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. He also cited warnings by Trump and the National Rifle Association about crime.

“Fear drives a lot of gun sales,” he said.

National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said higher gun sales were due to widespread concern that, first because of the pandemic and later because of protests and riots, police might be slower to respond to emergency calls.

“It’s a natural reaction,” he said.

It is legal to transport guns in checked bags if they are unloaded and in a locked case. The TSA can impose civil penalties and suspend people from faster-screening programs such as TSA PreCheck, but decisions on whether to file criminal charges are usually left to local authorities.

The NRA’s Arulanandam said guns show up at airports because “people forget they have a firearm in their handbag or their backpack, and they go to the check-in counter and they realize, ‘Look, I forgot I had this in there.’”

Atlanta’s major airport had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/tsa-gun-catches-by-airport-july-2020.pdf" target="_blank">the most gun seizures last month,</a>&nbsp;with 27, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver at 13 each and 12 at the Nashville airport.

Last year, TSA seized&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2020/01/15/number-guns-brought-airport-checkpoints-2019-5-percent" target="_blank">a record 4,432 guns</a>&nbsp;in carry-on bags, or about 12.1 per day, and 87% were loaded.

TSA’s public appeal to follow gun rules occurred the same day that it reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput" target="_blank">screening 831,789 people on Sunday</a>. It was the first time checkpoint traffic in U.S. airports has topped 800,000 since March 17. That is still down 69% from the comparable Sunday a year ago.

DALLAS (AP) — With air traffic nearing a five-month high, airport security is finding guns in passenger carry-on bags at three times the rate recorded before the pandemic.And 80% of the guns are loaded.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">On Saturday <a href="https://twitter.com/portlandjetport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@portlandjetport</a> a <a href="https://twitter.com/TSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TSA</a> officer discovered an improperly packed &quot;pink&quot; firearm during a checked bag search. The firearm case was unlocked and there was no declaration in the bag. Be sure you know the rules for travelling with guns. <a href="https://t.co/NuY8hJ70fX">https://t.co/NuY8hJ70fX</a> <a href="https://t.co/CcEPMNaxFz">pic.twitter.com/CcEPMNaxFz</a>&mdash; TSA_NewEngland (@TSA_NewEngland) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSA_NewEngland/status/1292891046242922497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The discoveries at airports comes at a time when U.S. gun sales are surging, and analysts believe many of those purchases are being made by first-time buyers.Officers seized just over 300 guns in July, or 15.3 guns for every million people screened, compared with 5.1 per million people in July of last year, the Transportation Security Administration said Monday.TSA Administrator David Pekoske said there has been a significant increase in loaded guns at checkpoints. He said screeners are already working in conditions of heightened risks and that “no one should be introducing new ones.”The number of loaded guns, Pekoske said, “is just an accident waiting to happen.”Background checks on gun buyers have been rising every month compared with a year earlier since April 2019, but they picked up even faster this year. The number of checks topped 3 million in four of the last five months. They had not exceeded 3 million in one month since December 2015.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Travelers should never bring a firearm to a checkpoint, even if you have a concealed carry permit. Doing so will be an inconvenient &amp; expensive mistake. Civil financial penalty for bringing an unloaded gun to a checkpoint is $2,050 &amp; starts at $4,100 if the gun is loaded. <a href="https://t.co/WviQPH9Cch">pic.twitter.com/WviQPH9Cch</a>&mdash; TSA (@TSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSA/status/1293583019954012163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/nics_firearm_checks_-_day_month_year.pdf/view" target="_blank">FBI figures show</a>&nbsp;that there were more than 3.6 million firearms background checks requested on buyers in July, a 79% increase from July 2019, following a 70% increase in June.Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr, who tracks gun sales, said the increases are likely due to fear about COVID-19 lockdowns, civil unrest, and former Vice President Joe Biden’s lead over President Donald Trump in polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election “given his more restrictive stance on gun control relative to President Trump.”The analyst said an outsized rise in handgun sales in June and July indicates that many purchases are being made by first-time gun owners.John Donohue, a Stanford University law professor who has served as an expert witness against efforts to weaken gun-control laws in California, said the increased sales are mostly a response to images of protests after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. He also cited warnings by Trump and the National Rifle Association about crime.“Fear drives a lot of gun sales,” he said.National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said higher gun sales were due to widespread concern that, first because of the pandemic and later because of protests and riots, police might be slower to respond to emergency calls.“It’s a natural reaction,” he said.It is legal to transport guns in checked bags if they are unloaded and in a locked case. The TSA can impose civil penalties and suspend people from faster-screening programs such as TSA PreCheck, but decisions on whether to file criminal charges are usually left to local authorities.The NRA’s Arulanandam said guns show up at airports because “people forget they have a firearm in their handbag or their backpack, and they go to the check-in counter and they realize, ‘Look, I forgot I had this in there.’”Atlanta’s major airport had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/tsa-gun-catches-by-airport-july-2020.pdf" target="_blank">the most gun seizures last month,</a>&nbsp;with 27, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver at 13 each and 12 at the Nashville airport.Last year, TSA seized&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2020/01/15/number-guns-brought-airport-checkpoints-2019-5-percent" target="_blank">a record 4,432 guns</a>&nbsp;in carry-on bags, or about 12.1 per day, and 87% were loaded.TSA’s public appeal to follow gun rules occurred the same day that it reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput" target="_blank">screening 831,789 people on Sunday</a>. It was the first time checkpoint traffic in U.S. airports has topped 800,000 since March 17. That is still down 69% from the comparable Sunday a year ago.___

Air traffic is down, gun seizures up at US airports

From the <a href="https://www.stormlakepilottribune.com/?fbclid=IwAR0sslrg34iukwnNyHNlJ05wARakI41ppzNbExv1OfWF0JE0nbVW4GC0o48">Storm Lake Tribune&nbsp; &nbsp;</a>

A Nebraska man who attempted to entice a 13-year old from the&nbsp;Storm Lake area for sex was sentenced Monday to more than 10 years in federal prison. In addition, the man, who had a prior conviction for domestic assault and stalking, illegally possessed ammunition.

Jeremy Kozak, age 39, from Columbus, Nebraska, received the 128-month prison term after pleading guilty to one count of attempted enticement of a minor. In a plea agreement, Kozak admitted he used the username “Boredguy4girls” online to communicate with an underage victim he knew to be only 13. Law enforcement became aware of Kozak’s sexually explicit communications with the victim while investigating other inappropriate contacts adults have had with the girl. They found messages with graphic languages and pictures Kozak had sent to the child. Kodak had reportedly also been in contact with other underage people.

Undercover officers took over the victim’s account and posed as the child while continuing communications with Kozak. Believing he was still communicating with a child, Kozak made plans to drive the three hours from Nebraska to Iowa, to meet the 13-year old victim at a local park and engage in sexual activity. Kozak directed what the child should wear and when to leave home to meet him.

On August 12, 2019, Kozak arrived at the park and after seeing a decoy dressed in the agreed-upon attire, Kozak drove towards the decoy and was apprehended. Inside Kozak’s vehicle officers found a box of condoms, and shotgun ammunition that was illegal for Kozak to possess, as a domestic abuse convict.

Kozak was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to a U.S. Attorney’s Office statement Friday, 10 years was the minimum sentence Kozak faced, and he could have been sentences to a maximum of life in prison.

Authorities fear that under quarantine, children may be more vulnerable to online predators.

“As children are spending more and more time online due to COVID-19, we all need to do our part to keep them safe,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan. “Child predators like Jeremy Kozak will use this time to try to manipulate kids into having sex or posing for sexually explicit photos. Parents and loved ones can help protect children by monitoring their computer and cell phone use and teaching them about the risks of communicating online with someone they don’t know.”

U.S. Attorney Deegan also acknowledged the great work of Iowa’s law enforcement in bringing Kozak to justice. “Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the cooperation of the Buena Vista County Attorney’s Office, a child predator was stopped. We can all be proud of Iowa’s state and local law enforcement and their dedication to protecting children.”

Paul Allen, Buena Vista County Attorney agreed. “This case represents what can be achieved when state and federal prosecutors and law enforcement work collectively to hold dangerous individuals accountable.”

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Darrell Simmons added, “Today I would like to recognize the outstanding team work and professionalism of Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Special Agent Matthew Burns and Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Joey Speers for their dedication and hard work on this important investigation. Throughout the investigation, Mr. Kozak made numerous contacts with the minor and the ‘undercover officer’ eliciting inappropriate sexual acts and photographs of the 13-year old. I have no doubt that if not for the intervention of Law Enforcement, not only would this 13-year old child have been victimized, other children would have been at risk from Mr. Kozak’s tactics.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.&nbsp;&nbsp;

From the <a href="https://www.stormlakepilottribune.com/?fbclid=IwAR0sslrg34iukwnNyHNlJ05wARakI41ppzNbExv1OfWF0JE0nbVW4GC0o48">Storm Lake Tribune&nbsp; &nbsp;</a>A Nebraska man who attempted to entice a 13-year old from the&nbsp;Storm Lake area for sex was sentenced Monday to more than 10 years in federal prison. In addition, the man, who had a prior conviction for domestic assault and stalking, illegally possessed ammunition. Jeremy Kozak, age 39, from Columbus, Nebraska, received the 128-month prison term after pleading guilty to one count of attempted enticement of a minor. In a plea agreement, Kozak admitted he used the username “Boredguy4girls” online to communicate with an underage victim he knew to be only 13. Law enforcement became aware of Kozak’s sexually explicit communications with the victim while investigating other inappropriate contacts adults have had with the girl. They found messages with graphic languages and pictures Kozak had sent to the child. Kodak had reportedly also been in contact with other underage people. Undercover officers took over the victim’s account and posed as the child while continuing communications with Kozak. Believing he was still communicating with a child, Kozak made plans to drive the three hours from Nebraska to Iowa, to meet the 13-year old victim at a local park and engage in sexual activity. Kozak directed what the child should wear and when to leave home to meet him. On August 12, 2019, Kozak arrived at the park and after seeing a decoy dressed in the agreed-upon attire, Kozak drove towards the decoy and was apprehended. Inside Kozak’s vehicle officers found a box of condoms, and shotgun ammunition that was illegal for Kozak to possess, as a domestic abuse convict. Kozak was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. According to a U.S. Attorney’s Office statement Friday, 10 years was the minimum sentence Kozak faced, and he could have been sentences to a maximum of life in prison. Authorities fear that under quarantine, children may be more vulnerable to online predators. “As children are spending more and more time online due to COVID-19, we all need to do our part to keep them safe,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan. “Child predators like Jeremy Kozak will use this time to try to manipulate kids into having sex or posing for sexually explicit photos. Parents and loved ones can help protect children by monitoring their computer and cell phone use and teaching them about the risks of communicating online with someone they don’t know.” U.S. Attorney Deegan also acknowledged the great work of Iowa’s law enforcement in bringing Kozak to justice. “Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the cooperation of the Buena Vista County Attorney’s Office, a child predator was stopped. We can all be proud of Iowa’s state and local law enforcement and their dedication to protecting children.” Paul Allen, Buena Vista County Attorney agreed. “This case represents what can be achieved when state and federal prosecutors and law enforcement work collectively to hold dangerous individuals accountable.” Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Darrell Simmons added, “Today I would like to recognize the outstanding team work and professionalism of Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Special Agent Matthew Burns and Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Joey Speers for their dedication and hard work on this important investigation. Throughout the investigation, Mr. Kozak made numerous contacts with the minor and the ‘undercover officer’ eliciting inappropriate sexual acts and photographs of the 13-year old. I have no doubt that if not for the intervention of Law Enforcement, not only would this 13-year old child have been victimized, other children would have been at risk from Mr. Kozak’s tactics.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Columbus man gets 10 years for child enticement

WASHINGTON (AP) — With talks on emergency coronavirus aid having stalled out, both sides played the blame game Thursday rather than make any serious moves to try to break their stalemate. Official Washington is emptying, national politics is consuming the airwaves and the chasm between the warring sides appears too great for now.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed the case for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/eecd34df92249d8218bda442f76d47f6">funding for the U.S. Postal Service</a>, rental assistance, food aid and rapid testing for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the virus</a>&nbsp;at her weekly press event, blasting Republicans as not giving a damn and declaring flatly that “people will die” if the delay grinds into September.

“Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gave a damn,” Pelosi said when asked if she should accept a smaller COVID-19 rescue package rather than endure weeks of possible gridlock. “That isn’t the case.”

All of the chief combatants have exited Washington after a several-day display of staying put as to not get blamed for abandoning the talks. The political risk for President Donald Trump is continued pain in U.S. households and a struggling economy — both of which promise to hurt him in the September campaign. For Democrats, there is genuine disappointment at being unable to deliver a deal but apparent comfort in holding firm for a sweeping measure instead of the few pieces that Trump wants most.

At the White House, Trump suggested that one main holdup is the amount of money Democrats want for cash-strapped states and cities, which he dismissed as “bailouts.” It’s a view shared by top Republicans.

A modest Trump administration overture on Wednesday to restart talks generated nothing but stepped-up carping and accusations of bad faith.

“It’s a stalemate,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Thursday.

Across a nearly empty Capitol, the Senate’s top Republican sought to cast the blame on Pelosi, whose ambitious demands have frustrated administration negotiators like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/39a57f0a4a784bff3fc0bf5ae7a89e67">White House chief of staff Mark Meadows</a>.

“They are still rejecting any more relief for anyone unless they get a flood of demands with no real relationship to COVID-19,” said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. McConnell has kept the talks at arm’s length, nursing deep divisions among Republicans on the foundering relief measure.

Among the items lost is perhaps $10 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service to help improve service as its role in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/Election2020">the fall election</a>&nbsp;takes on greater importance, given an expected surge in mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump is against $3.4 billion demanded by Pelosi for helping states with the crush of mail-in ballots.

Trump seemed to take advantage of the stalemate to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/14a2ceda724623604cc8d8e5ab9890ed">press his case against voting by mail</a>. He said Thursday on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” that among the sticking points were Democrats’ demand for billions of dollars to assist states in protecting the election and to help postal workers process mail-in ballots.

“They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said. “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.”

The White House and congressional leaders are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/767b6140f1b456a9db44eb6ca6512435">far apart&nbsp;</a>on the aid for shoring up households,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1bd44b60f9bb9ea769146c97e5fcd0f1">reopening schools</a>&nbsp;and launching a national strategy to contain the virus, which has infected more than 5.2 million people in the United States and has killed more than 166,000, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University</a>.

Trump’s top negotiator, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, tried to revive stalled talks Wednesday, but Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the overture, saying the Trump administration was still refusing to meet them halfway. Congressional Republicans are largely sitting out the talks.

With the House and Senate essentially closed, and lawmakers on call to return with 24 hours’ notice, hopes for a swift compromise have dwindled. Instead, the politics of blame have taken hold, as the parties focus on this month’s presidential nominating conventions and lawmakers’ own reelection campaigns.

All indications are talks will not resume in full until Congress resumes in September, despite the mounting coronavirus death toll.

For Americans, that means&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f3caeadfc8c7f88900470ac96820a36c">the end of a $600 weekly unemployment benefit</a>&nbsp;that has expired, as has a federal ban on evictions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9282728e7dac47d8809264e1fb9c0598">Schools</a>&nbsp;hoping for cash from the federal government to help provide safety measures are left empty-handed. States and cities staring down red ink with the shattered economy have few options.

Trump’s executive actions appeared to provide a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f67dd310113355f4effe13dfcf4ac3b8">temporary reprieve</a>, offering $300 in jobless benefits and some other aid. But it could take weeks for those programs to ramp up, and the help is far slimmer than what Congress was considering. More than 20 million Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/833d91877e2f0fa913c5258978a9e83c">risk evictions</a>, and more are out of work.

The Democrats said they are waiting for the White House to put a new offer on the table: “We have again made clear to the Administration that we are willing to resume negotiations once they start to take this process seriously,” they said in a statement.

But Mnuchin shot back with his own statement, saying, “The Democrats have no interest in negotiating.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597401508692.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi provided this poster to show what she said are the differences between the democrats and republicans in the virus relief negotiations.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi provided this poster to show what she said are the differences between the democrats and republicans in the virus relief negotiations.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — With talks on emergency coronavirus aid having stalled out, both sides played the blame game Thursday rather than make any serious moves to try to break their stalemate. Official Washington is emptying, national politics is consuming the airwaves and the chasm between the warring sides appears too great for now.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed the case for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/eecd34df92249d8218bda442f76d47f6">funding for the U.S. Postal Service</a>, rental assistance, food aid and rapid testing for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the virus</a>&nbsp;at her weekly press event, blasting Republicans as not giving a damn and declaring flatly that “people will die” if the delay grinds into September.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597401420725.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her press conference Thursday.-Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her press conference Thursday.-Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>“Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gave a damn,” Pelosi said when asked if she should accept a smaller COVID-19 rescue package rather than endure weeks of possible gridlock. “That isn’t the case.”All of the chief combatants have exited Washington after a several-day display of staying put as to not get blamed for abandoning the talks. The political risk for President Donald Trump is continued pain in U.S. households and a struggling economy — both of which promise to hurt him in the September campaign. For Democrats, there is genuine disappointment at being unable to deliver a deal but apparent comfort in holding firm for a sweeping measure instead of the few pieces that Trump wants most.At the White House, Trump suggested that one main holdup is the amount of money Democrats want for cash-strapped states and cities, which he dismissed as “bailouts.” It’s a view shared by top Republicans.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597401777883.png" alt="President Trump spoke during Thursday's press briefing. He is offering $300 in jobless benefits and some other aid. But it could take weeks for those programs to begin. - Photo courtesy White House&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>President Trump spoke during Thursday's press briefing. He is offering $300 in jobless benefits and some other aid. But it could take weeks for those programs to begin. - Photo courtesy White House&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>A modest Trump administration overture on Wednesday to restart talks generated nothing but stepped-up carping and accusations of bad faith.“It’s a stalemate,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Thursday.Across a nearly empty Capitol, the Senate’s top Republican sought to cast the blame on Pelosi, whose ambitious demands have frustrated administration negotiators like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/39a57f0a4a784bff3fc0bf5ae7a89e67">White House chief of staff Mark Meadows</a>.“They are still rejecting any more relief for anyone unless they get a flood of demands with no real relationship to COVID-19,” said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. McConnell has kept the talks at arm’s length, nursing deep divisions among Republicans on the foundering relief measure.Among the items lost is perhaps $10 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service to help improve service as its role in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/Election2020">the fall election</a>&nbsp;takes on greater importance, given an expected surge in mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump is against $3.4 billion demanded by Pelosi for helping states with the crush of mail-in ballots.Trump seemed to take advantage of the stalemate to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/14a2ceda724623604cc8d8e5ab9890ed">press his case against voting by mail</a>. He said Thursday on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” that among the sticking points were Democrats’ demand for billions of dollars to assist states in protecting the election and to help postal workers process mail-in ballots.“They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said. “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.”The White House and congressional leaders are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/767b6140f1b456a9db44eb6ca6512435">far apart&nbsp;</a>on the aid for shoring up households,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1bd44b60f9bb9ea769146c97e5fcd0f1">reopening schools</a>&nbsp;and launching a national strategy to contain the virus, which has infected more than 5.2 million people in the United States and has killed more than 166,000, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University</a>.Trump’s top negotiator, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, tried to revive stalled talks Wednesday, but Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the overture, saying the Trump administration was still refusing to meet them halfway. Congressional Republicans are largely sitting out the talks.With the House and Senate essentially closed, and lawmakers on call to return with 24 hours’ notice, hopes for a swift compromise have dwindled. Instead, the politics of blame have taken hold, as the parties focus on this month’s presidential nominating conventions and lawmakers’ own reelection campaigns.All indications are talks will not resume in full until Congress resumes in September, despite the mounting coronavirus death toll.For Americans, that means&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f3caeadfc8c7f88900470ac96820a36c">the end of a $600 weekly unemployment benefit</a>&nbsp;that has expired, as has a federal ban on evictions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9282728e7dac47d8809264e1fb9c0598">Schools</a>&nbsp;hoping for cash from the federal government to help provide safety measures are left empty-handed. States and cities staring down red ink with the shattered economy have few options.Trump’s executive actions appeared to provide a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f67dd310113355f4effe13dfcf4ac3b8">temporary reprieve</a>, offering $300 in jobless benefits and some other aid. But it could take weeks for those programs to ramp up, and the help is far slimmer than what Congress was considering. More than 20 million Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/833d91877e2f0fa913c5258978a9e83c">risk evictions</a>, and more are out of work.The Democrats said they are waiting for the White House to put a new offer on the table: “We have again made clear to the Administration that we are willing to resume negotiations once they start to take this process seriously,” they said in a statement.But Mnuchin shot back with his own statement, saying, “The Democrats have no interest in negotiating.”___

Both sides play the blame game as virus relief talks stall

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is undoing Obama-era rules designed to limit potent greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas fields and pipelines, formalizing the changes Thursday in the heart of the nation’s most prolific natural gas reservoir and in the premier presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Andrew Wheeler, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, signed the rollback of the 2016 methane emissions rule in Pittsburgh as the agency touted the Trump administration’s efforts to “strengthen and promote American energy.”

The EPA first proposed the rollback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e2872a46eb3e43bd928707bba2f2c031">last year</a>, accusing the Obama administration of enacting a legally flawed rule, and agency officials said it would save companies tens of millions of dollars a year in compliance requirements without changing the trajectory of methane emissions.

But states, including California, and a coalition of environmental advocacy groups warned that the changes are illegal — not to mention a setback in the fight against climate change — and expect to quickly sue to block it.

“It’s not only negligent, it’s unlawful,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We won’t sit silently while the EPA allows this super pollutant to rapidly warm our atmosphere.”

The White House took the event to Pittsburgh, the headquarters for many companies exploring the Marcellus Shale, the booming reservoir that vaulted Pennsylvania to the nation’s No. 2 natural gas state, behind Texas.

“EPA has been working hard to fulfill President Trump’s promise to cut burdensome and ineffective regulations for our domestic energy industry,” Wheeler said in a statement.

Reflecting the pervasive politics of the presidential campaign, Wheeler cast blame onto the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, saying “regulatory burdens put into place by the Obama-Biden Administration fell heavily on small and medium-sized energy businesses.”

Pennsylvania is of prime importance in November’s presidential election, and the natural gas industry is playing a central role in TV attack ads being aired in the state by Trump’s allies.

In recent years, preventing methane leaks from well-site equipment and pipelines has become important for regulators because methane is a potent greenhouse gas.

The oil and gas industry was responsible for nearly 30% of the nation’s methane emissions in 2018, and methane accounted for 10% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA.

The Trump administration is eliminating the twice-yearly requirement for companies to inspect for methane leaks on equipment installed after 2015 at well sites and downstream segments, such as pipelines, compressor stations and storage tanks. Leaks must be fixed.

Supporters of the rule maintained that, based on reports the companies file, it seemed to be helping reduce methane emissions. They also pointed to the EPA’s acknowledgment in its technical analysis that its rule changes will increase emissions of methane and smog-forming compounds.

Operators will still have to check equipment for leaks of smog-forming compounds at some higher-producing well sites, but Thursday’s changes relaxed those standards and producers won’t have to inspect pipelines or downstream equipment anymore.

Any leaks they fix help capture methane, and companies say they have a financial incentive to voluntarily fix leaks to ensure that methane gets to customers, rather than going into the atmosphere.

But, far more importantly, killing the methane emissions rule also blocks a legal requirement for the EPA to extend the rule to cover many more pieces of equipment installed before 2015, environmental advocates say.

“We’ll see them in court because this is blatantly illegal,” said David Doniger, senior strategic director of the climate and clean energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Robert Howarth, an ecology professor at Cornell University, estimated that shale oil and gas production in North America accounted for one-third of the total global increase in methane emissions over the past year.

Rolling back methane measures now is “dangerously reckless,” Howarth said. “Methane emissions are increasing rapidly, and the oil and gas industry is clearly part of the problem.”

Peter Zalzal, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, said that, without federal leadership, stronger state regulation will be even more important.

Some states — such as California, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Wyoming — have methane standards that are comparable or stronger than the EPA’s 2016 rule. But many big oil and gas states — such as Texas — do not, Zalzal said.

Oil and gas industry representatives pushed for the methane rollbacks, fearing more expensive rules covering emissions from older equipment. Smaller, independent operators hailed the changes as important to their survival.

“The issue for producers has never been whether regulations were necessary; it has always been whether the regulations were sound and cost effective,” the Independent Petroleum Association of America said.

Still, some companies opposed a rollback, noting they had pledged to reduce emissions or pointing out that they were already exceeding the rule’s requirements.

Some oil majors including BP, Shell and ExxonMobil have called on Trump to strengthen efforts to cap methane emissions. The Trump administration’s move is “frustrating and disappointing,” Shell’s U.S. president, Gretchen Watkins, said in a statement.

In 2016′s election, Trump eked out a win in Pennsylvania — the first Republican presidential candidate to capture it since 1988 — by piling up support with Pennsylvania’s rural areas and working-class whites.

Since then, Trump has eagerly promoted the state’s gas industry, underscoring his focus on shoring up his base as his appointees have moved to expand extraction on federal lands, boost the export of liquefied natural gas and restrict the ability of states to block pipelines.

Meanwhile, a pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action, is running TV ads in Pennsylvania accusing Biden of wanting to ban “fracking,” the process that along with horizontal drilling has unlocked a torrent of oil and natural gas across the United States in the past decade.

Biden’s campaign counters that that is flatly untrue.

Biden would only ban new gas-drilling permits on public lands, his campaign said, pointing out that about 90% of fracking is on private land.

And while Trump often ridicules the science behind increasingly urgent warnings for immediate action to stave off the worst of climate damage by cutting fossil fuel emissions, Biden’s campaign said it recognizes that “climate change is an urgent problem and that all Americans have the right to clean air and clean water.”

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is undoing Obama-era rules designed to limit potent greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas fields and pipelines, formalizing the changes Thursday in the heart of the nation’s most prolific natural gas reservoir and in the premier presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania.Andrew Wheeler, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, signed the rollback of the 2016 methane emissions rule in Pittsburgh as the agency touted the Trump administration’s efforts to “strengthen and promote American energy.”The EPA first proposed the rollback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e2872a46eb3e43bd928707bba2f2c031">last year</a>, accusing the Obama administration of enacting a legally flawed rule, and agency officials said it would save companies tens of millions of dollars a year in compliance requirements without changing the trajectory of methane emissions.But states, including California, and a coalition of environmental advocacy groups warned that the changes are illegal — not to mention a setback in the fight against climate change — and expect to quickly sue to block it.“It’s not only negligent, it’s unlawful,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We won’t sit silently while the EPA allows this super pollutant to rapidly warm our atmosphere.”The White House took the event to Pittsburgh, the headquarters for many companies exploring the Marcellus Shale, the booming reservoir that vaulted Pennsylvania to the nation’s No. 2 natural gas state, behind Texas.“EPA has been working hard to fulfill President Trump’s promise to cut burdensome and ineffective regulations for our domestic energy industry,” Wheeler said in a statement.Reflecting the pervasive politics of the presidential campaign, Wheeler cast blame onto the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, saying “regulatory burdens put into place by the Obama-Biden Administration fell heavily on small and medium-sized energy businesses.”Pennsylvania is of prime importance in November’s presidential election, and the natural gas industry is playing a central role in TV attack ads being aired in the state by Trump’s allies.In recent years, preventing methane leaks from well-site equipment and pipelines has become important for regulators because methane is a potent greenhouse gas.The oil and gas industry was responsible for nearly 30% of the nation’s methane emissions in 2018, and methane accounted for 10% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA.The Trump administration is eliminating the twice-yearly requirement for companies to inspect for methane leaks on equipment installed after 2015 at well sites and downstream segments, such as pipelines, compressor stations and storage tanks. Leaks must be fixed.Supporters of the rule maintained that, based on reports the companies file, it seemed to be helping reduce methane emissions. They also pointed to the EPA’s acknowledgment in its technical analysis that its rule changes will increase emissions of methane and smog-forming compounds.Operators will still have to check equipment for leaks of smog-forming compounds at some higher-producing well sites, but Thursday’s changes relaxed those standards and producers won’t have to inspect pipelines or downstream equipment anymore.Any leaks they fix help capture methane, and companies say they have a financial incentive to voluntarily fix leaks to ensure that methane gets to customers, rather than going into the atmosphere.But, far more importantly, killing the methane emissions rule also blocks a legal requirement for the EPA to extend the rule to cover many more pieces of equipment installed before 2015, environmental advocates say.“We’ll see them in court because this is blatantly illegal,” said David Doniger, senior strategic director of the climate and clean energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.Robert Howarth, an ecology professor at Cornell University, estimated that shale oil and gas production in North America accounted for one-third of the total global increase in methane emissions over the past year.Rolling back methane measures now is “dangerously reckless,” Howarth said. “Methane emissions are increasing rapidly, and the oil and gas industry is clearly part of the problem.”Peter Zalzal, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, said that, without federal leadership, stronger state regulation will be even more important.Some states — such as California, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Wyoming — have methane standards that are comparable or stronger than the EPA’s 2016 rule. But many big oil and gas states — such as Texas — do not, Zalzal said.Oil and gas industry representatives pushed for the methane rollbacks, fearing more expensive rules covering emissions from older equipment. Smaller, independent operators hailed the changes as important to their survival.“The issue for producers has never been whether regulations were necessary; it has always been whether the regulations were sound and cost effective,” the Independent Petroleum Association of America said.Still, some companies opposed a rollback, noting they had pledged to reduce emissions or pointing out that they were already exceeding the rule’s requirements.Some oil majors including BP, Shell and ExxonMobil have called on Trump to strengthen efforts to cap methane emissions. The Trump administration’s move is “frustrating and disappointing,” Shell’s U.S. president, Gretchen Watkins, said in a statement.In 2016′s election, Trump eked out a win in Pennsylvania — the first Republican presidential candidate to capture it since 1988 — by piling up support with Pennsylvania’s rural areas and working-class whites.Since then, Trump has eagerly promoted the state’s gas industry, underscoring his focus on shoring up his base as his appointees have moved to expand extraction on federal lands, boost the export of liquefied natural gas and restrict the ability of states to block pipelines.Meanwhile, a pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action, is running TV ads in Pennsylvania accusing Biden of wanting to ban “fracking,” the process that along with horizontal drilling has unlocked a torrent of oil and natural gas across the United States in the past decade.Biden’s campaign counters that that is flatly untrue.Biden would only ban new gas-drilling permits on public lands, his campaign said, pointing out that about 90% of fracking is on private land.And while Trump often ridicules the science behind increasingly urgent warnings for immediate action to stave off the worst of climate damage by cutting fossil fuel emissions, Biden’s campaign said it recognizes that “climate change is an urgent problem and that all Americans have the right to clean air and clean water.”___

Trump's EPA dumps methane emissions rule for oil, gas fields

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A 33-year-old Lincoln man has been found guilty of taking two teenage girls to Colorado and Iowa to have sex for money.

Devin Ashford was convicted Wednesday of sex trafficking of a minor, producing child pornography and several other charges. When he is sentenced in November, he will face minimum sentences of 15 years on three charges and a possible life sentence on one charge.

Federal prosecutors say Ashford used social media to recruit young women to engage in prostitution and work for him.

Prosecutors said Ashford recruited minors to engage in commercial sex acts so that he could get the financial proceeds. The evidence at trial showed that at least three of the minors had either run away from home or were in the foster care system when Ashford targeted them.

Authorities also found sexually explicit photos of two different 17-year-old girls as part of their investigation.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A 33-year-old Lincoln man has been found guilty of taking two teenage girls to Colorado and Iowa to have sex for money.Devin Ashford was convicted Wednesday of sex trafficking of a minor, producing child pornography and several other charges. When he is sentenced in November, he will face minimum sentences of 15 years on three charges and a possible life sentence on one charge.Federal prosecutors say Ashford used social media to recruit young women to engage in prostitution and work for him.Prosecutors said Ashford recruited minors to engage in commercial sex acts so that he could get the financial proceeds. The evidence at trial showed that at least three of the minors had either run away from home or were in the foster care system when Ashford targeted them.Authorities also found sexually explicit photos of two different 17-year-old girls as part of their investigation.

Lincoln man convicted of sex trafficking of teenage girls

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Schools in the Omaha area are reporting new cases of the coronavirus just days after opening classes to in-person attendance during a global pandemic.

Officials with Millard Public Schools disclosed two confirmed cases this week at the district's Reagan Elementary School, while Ralston Public Schools also sent notice of a confirmed case in its Blumfield Elementary School, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/education/positive-cases-of-covid-19-reported-in-ralston-millard-elementary-schools/article_234f4131-6a3d-5d87-9fdc-b56c7d0732da.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">reported</a>.

The Millard district opened classrooms on Monday and has been on a staggered attendance system this week, with a quarter of its students attending each day. The district was set to bring back all students who have chosen in-person learning by next week, but Superintendent Jim Sutfin acknowledged that could change, given the new virus cases. Sutfin said he might decide to divide high school students into two groups who would attend classes in person every other day.

Blumfield Elementary Principal Casey Knight informed parents Wednesday that a person who was involved with the pre-kindergarten classroom but who is not a student had tested positive for the virus. The notice came a day after Ralston schools opened to students. Ralston is also on a staggered attendance system, with students divided into two groups and attending school on alternate days.

Both districts said that the people infected and those who have been in close contact with them have been told to self-quarantine, and both schools where the infections were reported were being deep-cleaned.

Nebraska continues to see new virus cases reported daily. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska decreased from 281 new cases per day as of July 29 to about 265 new cases per day as of Aug. 12. However, the seven-day daily average of COVID-19 deaths over the past two weeks has increased, to 2.71 deaths per day as of Aug. 12, from 1.57 deaths per day as of July 29.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Schools in the Omaha area are reporting new cases of the coronavirus just days after opening classes to in-person attendance during a global pandemic.Officials with Millard Public Schools disclosed two confirmed cases this week at the district's Reagan Elementary School, while Ralston Public Schools also sent notice of a confirmed case in its Blumfield Elementary School, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/education/positive-cases-of-covid-19-reported-in-ralston-millard-elementary-schools/article_234f4131-6a3d-5d87-9fdc-b56c7d0732da.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">reported</a>.The Millard district opened classrooms on Monday and has been on a staggered attendance system this week, with a quarter of its students attending each day. The district was set to bring back all students who have chosen in-person learning by next week, but Superintendent Jim Sutfin acknowledged that could change, given the new virus cases. Sutfin said he might decide to divide high school students into two groups who would attend classes in person every other day.Blumfield Elementary Principal Casey Knight informed parents Wednesday that a person who was involved with the pre-kindergarten classroom but who is not a student had tested positive for the virus. The notice came a day after Ralston schools opened to students. Ralston is also on a staggered attendance system, with students divided into two groups and attending school on alternate days.Both districts said that the people infected and those who have been in close contact with them have been told to self-quarantine, and both schools where the infections were reported were being deep-cleaned.Nebraska continues to see new virus cases reported daily. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska decreased from 281 new cases per day as of July 29 to about 265 new cases per day as of Aug. 12. However, the seven-day daily average of COVID-19 deaths over the past two weeks has increased, to 2.71 deaths per day as of Aug. 12, from 1.57 deaths per day as of July 29.

Omaha-area schools report COVID-19 cases days after opening

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) - A Nebraska county that owes $28.1 million to six people wrongfully convicted of murder reached a settlement with several insurance companies to help pay part of the judgment.

The Gage County board approved agreements with six insurers on Wednesday to secure $5.98 million to help pay the county's debt off sooner. Officials already increased property taxes and approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9eb90139f3cd4e65a3b582eb4710b681" target="_blank">half-cent sales tax&nbsp;</a>to pay the judgment off over several years.

The people known as the Beatrice Six spent more than 70 years in prison collectively for a 1985 rape and killing in Beatrice, Nebraska, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Lincoln. DNA evidence exonerated them in 2008. The slaying of 68-year-old Helen Wilson has since been linked to a former Beatrice resident who died in 1992.

The Beatrice Six sued Gage County after their release, alleging the county ran a reckless investigation. A federal jury awarded them&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/38d3a4bdb597403fb634dc5100eddaae" target="_blank">$28.1 million&nbsp;</a>in 2016, plus interest and attorney fees that raise the total to more than $30 million. The county wasn't properly insured when the six were convicted, and its appeals were all rejected.

"We started with an understanding that there may or may not be any coverage," County Board Chairman Erich Tiemann said. "We reached this point, and I think we all are in agreement that this is the best possible outcome at this time."

The county made the first payment to the former inmates last June, and officials now expect it to take about five years to pay off the judgment. One of the six was killed in a 2011 factory accident in Alabama, and several others are aging and have health problems.

Employers Mutual Casualty will pay the biggest share of the settlements, $3.9 million, and the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association will pay $1.98 million, attorney Joel Bacon said. Four other insurers will pay the remaining $95,000.

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) - A Nebraska county that owes $28.1 million to six people wrongfully convicted of murder reached a settlement with several insurance companies to help pay part of the judgment.The Gage County board approved agreements with six insurers on Wednesday to secure $5.98 million to help pay the county's debt off sooner. Officials already increased property taxes and approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9eb90139f3cd4e65a3b582eb4710b681" target="_blank">half-cent sales tax&nbsp;</a>to pay the judgment off over several years.The people known as the Beatrice Six spent more than 70 years in prison collectively for a 1985 rape and killing in Beatrice, Nebraska, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Lincoln. DNA evidence exonerated them in 2008. The slaying of 68-year-old Helen Wilson has since been linked to a former Beatrice resident who died in 1992.The Beatrice Six sued Gage County after their release, alleging the county ran a reckless investigation. A federal jury awarded them&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/38d3a4bdb597403fb634dc5100eddaae" target="_blank">$28.1 million&nbsp;</a>in 2016, plus interest and attorney fees that raise the total to more than $30 million. The county wasn't properly insured when the six were convicted, and its appeals were all rejected."We started with an understanding that there may or may not be any coverage," County Board Chairman Erich Tiemann said. "We reached this point, and I think we all are in agreement that this is the best possible outcome at this time."The county made the first payment to the former inmates last June, and officials now expect it to take about five years to pay off the judgment. One of the six was killed in a 2011 factory accident in Alabama, and several others are aging and have health problems.Employers Mutual Casualty will pay the biggest share of the settlements, $3.9 million, and the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association will pay $1.98 million, attorney Joel Bacon said. Four other insurers will pay the remaining $95,000.

Insurers to help pay 6 exonerated in Nebraska slaying

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.

The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel.

Trump tweeted a statement from the countries, acknowledging the deal. He then told reporters in the Oval Office that it was “a truly historic moment.”

“Now that the ice has been broken I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates,” he said.

The recognition grants a rare diplomatic win to Trump ahead of the November election as his efforts to see an end to the war in Afghanistan have yet to come to fruition while efforts to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians have made no headway. Israel and the UAE also have been among Trump’s closest foreign allies.

For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged. 

Netanyahu said the announcement has ushered in a “new era” in Israel’s relations with the Arab world.&nbsp;

Netanyahu has sought to build settlements on lands sought by the Palestinians and embraced a Trump proposal that would allow him to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank while granting Palestinians limited autonomy in other areas.

For the UAE, home to skyscraper-studded Dubai and the rolling, oil-rich sand dunes of Abu Dhabi, it further burnishes its international campaign to be seen as a beacon of tolerance in the Middle East despite being governed by autocratic rulers. It also puts the UAE out first in a regional recognition race among neighboring Gulf Arab states.

And for the Palestinians, who long have relied on Arab backing in their struggle for independence, the announcement marked both a win and setback. While Thursday’s deal halts Israeli annexation plans, the Palestinians have repeatedly urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached.

“Israel got rewarded for not declaring openly what it’s been doing to Palestine illegally &amp; persistently since the beginning of the occupation,” senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi wrote on Twitter. She also said the UAE has come forward with its “secret dealings/normalization with Israel.”

“Please don’t do us a favor. We are nobody’s fig leaf!” she wrote.

The militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, called the deal by the Emiratis “a stabbing in the back of our people.”

The joint statement from the U.S., the UAE and Israel said delegations would meet in the coming weeks to sign deals on direct flights, security, telecommunications, energy, tourism and health care. The two countries also will partner on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

“Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economics will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations,” said the statement by Trump, Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the day-to-day ruler of the UAE. It said the leaders had a three-way call discussing the deal.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised the deal.

“This is a remarkable achievement for two of the world’s most forward leaning, technologically advanced states, and reflects their shared regional vision of an economically integrated region,” he said in a statement. “It also illustrates their commitment to confronting common threats, as small — but strong — nations.”

He added: “Blessed are the peacemakers. Mabruk and Mazal Tov.”

Netanyahu tweeted an Israeli flag with a short message in Hebrew: “Historic Day.”

Among Arab nations, only Egypt and Jordan have active diplomatic ties with Israel. Egypt made a peace deal with Israel in 1979, followed by Jordan in 1994. Mauritania recognized Israel in 1999, but later ended relations in 2009 over the Israel’s war in Gaza at the time.

In addition to Trump, the main U.S. mediators for agreement were the president’s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, special Mideast envoy Avi Berkowitz and David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

The UAE is a U.S.-allied federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula. Formed in 1971, the country like other Arab nations at the time did not recognize Israel over its occupation of land home to the Palestinians.

“Arab oil is not dearer than Arab blood,” the UAE’s founding ruler, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, once pronounced when agreeing to an oil boycott over U.S. military support to Israel in the 1973 Mideast war.

The UAE relied on white-collar Palestinians in creating its nation. Over time, it maintained its stance that Israel allow the creation of a Palestinian state on land it seized in the 1967 war.

But in recent years, ties between Gulf Arab nations and Israel have quietly grown, in part over their shared enmity of Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Prince Mohammed also shares Israel’s distrust of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the militant group Hamas that holds the Gaza Strip.

The UAE’s state-run WAM news agency acknowledged the deal, framing it as not just a move that helps the UAE and Israel, but one that also carries benefits for the Palestinians. Top Emirati official Anwar Gargash said the move dealt a “death blow” to moves by Israel to annex Palestinian lands.

It remains unclear what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now. In June, the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the U.S. warned in an Israeli newspaper op-ed that Israel’s planned annexing the Jordan Valley and other parts of the occupied West Bank would “upend” Israel’s efforts to improve ties with Arab nations.

The agreement gives Netanyahu a domestic boost at a time when Israel’s shaky coalition government is plagued by infighting and facing the possibility of early elections in the coming months. Netanyahu has seen his popularity plummet as the country grapples with a renewed coronavirus outbreak and skyrocketing unemployment as the result of earlier lockdown measures.

Netanyahu also delivered a valuable diplomatic achievement to his good friend, Trump, ahead of U.S. elections.

Still, by dropping the annexation plan Netanyahu may be hedging his bets ahead of a possible change in the White House. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has made clear that he would oppose any moves by Israel to unilaterally redraw the Mideast map and annex lands sought by the Palestinians.

Netanyahu also risked criticism inside his own hard-line Likud Party, whose members strongly supported annexation. Netanyahu appears to be betting that Likud members — and the small, but influential settler movement — will agree the peace agreement delivers more benefits than unilateral annexation. Opinion polls have shown that annexation is not a high priority for the vast majority of the Israeli public.

Abandoning its annexation plan changes little on the ground. Israel already holds overall control of the West Bank and continues to expand its settlements there, while granting the Palestinians autonomy in a series of disconnected enclaves. Some 500,000 Israelis now live in the rapidly expanding West Bank settlements.

Next year, Israel will take part in the UAE’s delayed Expo 2020, the world’s fair being hosted by Dubai. A secret synagogue also draws practicing Jews in Dubai. The UAE also has announced plans to build the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, which will house a mosque, a church and a synagogue.

Israelis traveling with Western passports routinely enter the UAE without a problem, though one still can’t make a phone call between the two countries. Israelis also work in Dubai’s gold and diamond trade as well.

Emirati officials also have allowed Israeli officials to visit and the Israeli national anthem was played after an athlete won gold in an Abu Dhabi judo tournament. Israel also has a small mission representing its interests at the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597334632566.png" alt="President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday morning.&nbsp;White House senior adviser Jared Kushner is at right. The President said&nbsp;that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.- Photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday morning.&nbsp;White House senior adviser Jared Kushner is at right. The President said&nbsp;that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.- Photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel.Trump tweeted a statement from the countries, acknowledging the deal. He then told reporters in the Oval Office that it was “a truly historic moment.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joint Statement of the United States, the State of Israel, and the United Arab Emirates <a href="https://t.co/oVyjLxf0jd">pic.twitter.com/oVyjLxf0jd</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1293922803419353088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Now that the ice has been broken I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates,” he said.The recognition grants a rare diplomatic win to Trump ahead of the November election as his efforts to see an end to the war in Afghanistan have yet to come to fruition while efforts to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians have made no headway. Israel and the UAE also have been among Trump’s closest foreign allies.For Israel, the announcement comes after years of boasting by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government enjoys closer ties to Arab nations than publicly acknowledged. Netanyahu said the announcement has ushered in a “new era” in Israel’s relations with the Arab world.&nbsp;Netanyahu has sought to build settlements on lands sought by the Palestinians and embraced a Trump proposal that would allow him to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank while granting Palestinians limited autonomy in other areas.For the UAE, home to skyscraper-studded Dubai and the rolling, oil-rich sand dunes of Abu Dhabi, it further burnishes its international campaign to be seen as a beacon of tolerance in the Middle East despite being governed by autocratic rulers. It also puts the UAE out first in a regional recognition race among neighboring Gulf Arab states.And for the Palestinians, who long have relied on Arab backing in their struggle for independence, the announcement marked both a win and setback. While Thursday’s deal halts Israeli annexation plans, the Palestinians have repeatedly urged Arab governments not to normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement establishing an independent Palestinian state is reached.“Israel got rewarded for not declaring openly what it’s been doing to Palestine illegally &amp; persistently since the beginning of the occupation,” senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi wrote on Twitter. She also said the UAE has come forward with its “secret dealings/normalization with Israel.”“Please don’t do us a favor. We are nobody’s fig leaf!” she wrote.The militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, called the deal by the Emiratis “a stabbing in the back of our people.”The joint statement from the U.S., the UAE and Israel said delegations would meet in the coming weeks to sign deals on direct flights, security, telecommunications, energy, tourism and health care. The two countries also will partner on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.“Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economics will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations,” said the statement by Trump, Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the day-to-day ruler of the UAE. It said the leaders had a three-way call discussing the deal.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised the deal.“This is a remarkable achievement for two of the world’s most forward leaning, technologically advanced states, and reflects their shared regional vision of an economically integrated region,” he said in a statement. “It also illustrates their commitment to confronting common threats, as small — but strong — nations.”He added: “Blessed are the peacemakers. Mabruk and Mazal Tov.”Netanyahu tweeted an Israeli flag with a short message in Hebrew: “Historic Day.”Among Arab nations, only Egypt and Jordan have active diplomatic ties with Israel. Egypt made a peace deal with Israel in 1979, followed by Jordan in 1994. Mauritania recognized Israel in 1999, but later ended relations in 2009 over the Israel’s war in Gaza at the time.In addition to Trump, the main U.S. mediators for agreement were the president’s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, special Mideast envoy Avi Berkowitz and David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel.The UAE is a U.S.-allied federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula. Formed in 1971, the country like other Arab nations at the time did not recognize Israel over its occupation of land home to the Palestinians.“Arab oil is not dearer than Arab blood,” the UAE’s founding ruler, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, once pronounced when agreeing to an oil boycott over U.S. military support to Israel in the 1973 Mideast war.The UAE relied on white-collar Palestinians in creating its nation. Over time, it maintained its stance that Israel allow the creation of a Palestinian state on land it seized in the 1967 war.But in recent years, ties between Gulf Arab nations and Israel have quietly grown, in part over their shared enmity of Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Prince Mohammed also shares Israel’s distrust of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the militant group Hamas that holds the Gaza Strip.The UAE’s state-run WAM news agency acknowledged the deal, framing it as not just a move that helps the UAE and Israel, but one that also carries benefits for the Palestinians. Top Emirati official Anwar Gargash said the move dealt a “death blow” to moves by Israel to annex Palestinian lands.It remains unclear what prompted Israel and the UAE to make the announcement now. In June, the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the U.S. warned in an Israeli newspaper op-ed that Israel’s planned annexing the Jordan Valley and other parts of the occupied West Bank would “upend” Israel’s efforts to improve ties with Arab nations.The agreement gives Netanyahu a domestic boost at a time when Israel’s shaky coalition government is plagued by infighting and facing the possibility of early elections in the coming months. Netanyahu has seen his popularity plummet as the country grapples with a renewed coronavirus outbreak and skyrocketing unemployment as the result of earlier lockdown measures.Netanyahu also delivered a valuable diplomatic achievement to his good friend, Trump, ahead of U.S. elections.Still, by dropping the annexation plan Netanyahu may be hedging his bets ahead of a possible change in the White House. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has made clear that he would oppose any moves by Israel to unilaterally redraw the Mideast map and annex lands sought by the Palestinians.Netanyahu also risked criticism inside his own hard-line Likud Party, whose members strongly supported annexation. Netanyahu appears to be betting that Likud members — and the small, but influential settler movement — will agree the peace agreement delivers more benefits than unilateral annexation. Opinion polls have shown that annexation is not a high priority for the vast majority of the Israeli public.Abandoning its annexation plan changes little on the ground. Israel already holds overall control of the West Bank and continues to expand its settlements there, while granting the Palestinians autonomy in a series of disconnected enclaves. Some 500,000 Israelis now live in the rapidly expanding West Bank settlements.Next year, Israel will take part in the UAE’s delayed Expo 2020, the world’s fair being hosted by Dubai. A secret synagogue also draws practicing Jews in Dubai. The UAE also has announced plans to build the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, which will house a mosque, a church and a synagogue.Israelis traveling with Western passports routinely enter the UAE without a problem, though one still can’t make a phone call between the two countries. Israelis also work in Dubai’s gold and diamond trade as well.Emirati officials also have allowed Israeli officials to visit and the Israeli national anthem was played after an athlete won gold in an Abu Dhabi judo tournament. Israel also has a small mission representing its interests at the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi.___

Trump helps Israel, UAE reach 'historic peace deal'

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday allowed the Education Department to move forward with new rules governing how schools and universities respond to complaints of sexual assault.

The rules, which take effect Friday, expand the rights of the accused, narrow the definition of sexual harassment and reduce the scope of cases that schools are required to investigate, among other changes.

In a suit challenging the rules, attorneys general from 17 states and the District of Columbia argued that the policy would block schools from investigating certain sexual abuse complaints and would discourage students from reporting assaults.

“As a result, fewer sexual harassment complaints will be filed, and schools will be less well equipped to protect their students’ safety and rid their programs and activities of the pernicious effects of sex discrimination,” the suit said.

But U.S. District Judge Carl. J. Nichols rejected those arguments.

“Plaintiffs are free to investigate and punish as violations of their codes of conduct or of state law behavior that does not meet the new definition of sexual harassment under the Final Rule,”&nbsp;<a href="https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2020cv1468-97" target="_blank">Nichols wrote.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597268489165.png" alt="Education Secretary Betsy Devos speaking at the Kids First: Getting America's Children Back to School event Wednesday at the White House-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Education Secretary Betsy Devos speaking at the Kids First: Getting America's Children Back to School event Wednesday at the White House-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday allowed the Education Department to move forward with new rules governing how schools and universities respond to complaints of sexual assault.The rules, which take effect Friday, expand the rights of the accused, narrow the definition of sexual harassment and reduce the scope of cases that schools are required to investigate, among other changes.In a suit challenging the rules, attorneys general from 17 states and the District of Columbia argued that the policy would block schools from investigating certain sexual abuse complaints and would discourage students from reporting assaults.“As a result, fewer sexual harassment complaints will be filed, and schools will be less well equipped to protect their students’ safety and rid their programs and activities of the pernicious effects of sex discrimination,” the suit said.But U.S. District Judge Carl. J. Nichols rejected those arguments.“Plaintiffs are free to investigate and punish as violations of their codes of conduct or of state law behavior that does not meet the new definition of sexual harassment under the Final Rule,”&nbsp;<a href="https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2020cv1468-97" target="_blank">Nichols wrote.</a>He also turned aside an argument that the rules would bring heavy costs for schools and limit their ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.“The Court recognizes the obvious seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he wrote. “In fact, for these and other reasons, a later effective date might have been a preferable policy decision.”Still, he said, the Education Department took the pandemic into account when it issued the new rules, and schools have long known that a new policy would be coming.Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the ruling is “yet another victory for students and reaffirms that students’ rights under Title IX go hand in hand with basic American principles of fairness and due process.”DeVos issued her policy May 6 after rescinding earlier guidelines from the Obama administration in 2017. Victims’ advocates say the 2017 rules forced colleges to confront sexual abuse after ignoring it for years. But DeVos has said the guidelines turned campus disciplinary panels into “kangaroo courts” that were too quick to punish accused students.DeVos’ rules, which carry the weight of law, tell schools how to implement Title IX, the 1972 law barring discrimination based on sex in education.Under her overhaul, the definition of sexual harassment is narrowed to “unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive” that it denies a person access to a school’s education programs or activity.The policy will now require colleges to investigate claims only if they’re reported to certain officials, and schools can be held accountable for mishandling complaints only if they acted with “deliberate indifference.” Opponents also took exception with a provision allowing students to question one another through representatives at live hearings.DeVos on Wednesday said the rules require schools to “to act in meaningful ways to support survivors of sexual misconduct without sacrificing important safeguards to protect free speech and provide all students with a transparent, reliable process.”The case challenging the rules was led by attorneys general in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California, with backing from a total of 17 states and the District of Columbia.The California and Pennsylvania attorneys general didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.The challenge was supported by the American Council on Education, an association of university presidents, along with 24 other higher education organizations. In a June legal brief, the groups said the policy ordered a “sea change” for colleges but gave them less than three months to implement it.“In the best of times, that deadline would be unreasonable. But in light of the extraordinary burdens that have been placed on American colleges and universities in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic, that August 14 implementation deadline is problematic in the extreme,” the groups wrote.—