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After several unsuccessful attempts to conceive a baby through in vitro fertilization, a Massachusetts couple learned last year that they were expecting a baby girl, court records state.
Months into the pregnancy, their obstetrician recommended the mother undergo genetic testing to rule out abnormalities. The baby was OK, court records state, but the test results revealed something the couple never saw coming: There was a zero percent probability the couple - identified only as Jane and John Doe - were the biological parents.
Specialists at the New York Fertility Institute, which they had paid for the IVF procedure, repeatedly assured the couple that the test was not a problem and that they were, in fact, the biological parents, court records state.
The doctors first allegedly claimed the test was inaccurate before diagnosing the mother with a rare condition, saying her body contained two sets of DNA.
But the parents worried the test was accurate - that they weren't the parents and that the clinic had transferred a stranger's embryo into the woman's uterus. Fearing the emotional toll of a potential custody battle once the baby was born, the couple chose to terminate the six-month pregnancy days before it would have been illegal to do so, according to court records.
Now, the couple is suing the New York Fertility Institute, embryologist Michael Femi Obasaju, and fertility specialists Khalid Sultan and Majid Fateh for allegedly impregnating the mother-to-be with a stranger's embryo. They also accuse the clinic of losing Jane Doe's embryos and failing to disclose whether those were implanted into a stranger, potentially giving away their biological child, according to a lawsuit filed last month in the U.S. Southern District Court of New York.
An attorney representing the couple did not respond to messages from The Washington Post. The New York Fertility Clinic, Obasaju, Sultan and Fateh also did not respond to several requests seeking comment. Court records do not list attorneys for any of the defendants.
In the lawsuit, the couple also alleges the clinic and all three doctors purposefully covered up that Obasaju "has a history of mistakenly implanting a stranger's embryo into the wrong patient."
"Each of these errors have caused Mr. and Ms. Doe incomprehensible physical and emotional pain and suffering and, ultimately, when the errors were discovered, led to a termination of Ms. Doe's pregnancy," the suit states.
According to the lawsuit, the couple - who met in 2010 and dreamed of raising four children - consulted with several fertility specialists to try to have what would be their fourth and last baby. They had their first consultation with Fateh on April 28, 2020.
In that visit, court records state, Fateh told the couple that the fertility clinic "is not a factory" and assured them that "he would oversee every aspect of the process for them."
The woman underwent three egg retrievals at the clinic between October 2020 and April 2021, court records state.
On July 7, 2021, Sultan implanted what was supposed to be the couple's embryo into the woman's uterus during a visit to the clinic, court records state. The following month, the couple confirmed they were expecting a baby. The pregnancy progressed normally - then the couple's obstetrician asked for the genetic tests that later revealed their DNA did not match that of the fetus, court records state.
When the woman inquired about the results, Sultan allegedly assured her it was a "lab error" and said "she shouldn't be concerned." About a month later, when the woman had a second genetic test that revealed the same results, Sultan stated that the clinic did not transfer the wrong embryo because she "was the only implant that entire week," according to the lawsuit.
In October, the couple visited a genetic counselor who suggested additional DNA tests. The result again said they were not the parents, court records state.
Sultan and Fateh assured the woman she was carrying her "own child," according to the lawsuit. Sultan also told the woman the test results were likely due to a rare condition called mosaicism, where a person can have two sets of DNA in their body, court records state. In that call, Sultan allegedly told her that he had "never heard of [mosaicism] before," adding that "even for him - a doctor - this was a complex situation and very hard to understand." He also said that the priority was for the woman to have a healthy baby and that "this will be an interesting research paper to write," the lawsuit sates.
The couple then hired an independent embryologist as the legal termination date for a pregnancy - six months - was approaching. The independent embryologist sought to meet with the doctors, but the clinic did not allow Obasaju, the clinic's embryologist, to meet with them nor provide the evidence confirming the embryo transferred that summer was indeed the couple's, court records state.
On Dec. 1, 2021 - near the end of the woman's second trimester - the couple had an abortion.
"Defendants' misconduct robbed Ms. Doe of the ability to carry her own child," the lawsuit states. "Ms. Doe and Mr. Doe are haunted by questions about what became of their embryos. They have needed to worry about whether their embryos were transferred to another unwitting couple, and whether they have another child or children out in the world whom they have never met?"
The state health department is now investigating the New York Fertility Institute and "views these most recent allegations . . . with the utmost concern," a spokesman told the New York Post.
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| 2022-04-06T15:13:52
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| 2022-04-06T15:13:58
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The U.S. Department of Defense's outgoing chief data officer called for the Pentagon to make urgent investments to defend against potential espionage from quantum computers -- nascent technology that could one day break the encryption that protects American secrets.
In his first interview since leaving his post last month, David Spirk, who spent two years in his role, told Bloomberg News that the Pentagon needs to speed up efforts to counter adversaries who are developing military tools supported by advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and eventually quantum science.
Quantum computing may prove far more able than existing technology to solve mathematical problems at exponentially faster speeds. That could enable operators to unscramble the algorithms that underpin encryption protocols, unlocking an array of sensitive data.
"I don't think that there's enough senior leaders getting their heads around the implications of quantum," Spirk said. "Like AI, I think that's a new wave of compute that when it arrives is going to be a pretty shocking moment to industry and government alike."
"We have to pick up pace because we have competitors who are also attempting to accelerate," he added.
Spirk's comments come amid warnings that U.S. adversaries, particularly China, are aggressively pursuing advanced technologies that could radically accelerate the pace of modern warfare. China is investing in AI and quantum sciences as part of its plan to become an innovation superpower, according to the Pentagon's latest annual report to Congress on China's military power. China is "at or near the lead on numerous science fields," including AI and quantum, it said.
The National Security Agency, meanwhile, said last year that the adversarial use of a quantum computer "could be devastating" to the U.S. and its national security systems. The NSA said it could take 20 years or more to roll out new post-quantum cryptography that would resist such code-cracking.
Tim Gorman, a spokesperson at the Pentagon, said the Department of Defense was taking post-quantum cryptography seriously and coordinating with Congress and across government agencies. He added there was "a significant effort" underway.
A January presidential memo further charged agencies with establishing a timeline for transitioning to quantum resistant cryptography.
Among the efforts underway to bolster defenses against quantum-based attacks, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, known as NIST, is seeking to select new quantum-proof encryption algorithms from seven finalists shortly as part of a global competition.
Jonathan Katz, computer science professor at the University of Maryland who submitted a "post-quantum algorithm" to the NIST competition, said the stakes in the NIST competition were high: an algorithm that later proved vulnerable would be "a disaster." Once a choice is made, the U.S. Department of Defense faces a huge task in upgrading all its software and hardware that features algorithms, he said, adding that included not only servers and laptops but also parts of submarines, tanks, helicopters and weapons systems.
Experts generally assess large-scale quantum computing may be 15 to 20 years away if it is ever even developed, but the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Agency, or DARPA, launched a project this February to explore the possibility that a breakthrough could be developed "much sooner."
Joe Altepeter, who manages DARPA's new quantum project, told Bloomberg there was a lot of "hype" over industry claims about the arrival of quantum computing, with several "hardware miracles" still standing in the way. Some of the smartest physicists he knew were divided over whether useful quantum computing would ever exist, Altepeter said, adding that the risk was such that it was important to develop resilient systems.
Spirk said the Pentagon needs to start preparing "now," arguing military applications for quantum computing could be only five to 10 years away. The Pentagon needed to work at the same speed as commercial vendors that are already exploring ways to use quantum-resistant cryptography to safeguard financial and health-care sectors, he said.
If the U.S. doesn't make the right investments in defensive quantum today, "then our concepts around encryption, data security and cybersecurity will be obsolete because the computers will break our cryptography," Spirk said. He added that all the encrypted data that adversaries have already gathered would also risk exposure.
Spirk, a former U.S. Marine, became the first chief data officer at Special Operations Command before he joined the Pentagon. He said he left the chief data officer post after a two-year commitment to rejoin his family in Florida. The departure follows last year's resignation of the U.S. Air Force's first chief software officer, Nicolas Chaillan, who previously told the Financial Times that the U.S. was losing the AI race to China.
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| 2022-04-06T15:14:04
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KYIV, Ukraine - Inside a warehouse, in a bustling section of this capital, the incessant cracking sound of gunfire echoed off walls. Men in olive-colored camouflage were training for war. Most wore helmets and bulletproof jackets. Some wore high-top sneakers. All clutched AK-47 rifles and waited for their turn to shoot at a round target 50 yards away.
It was centered with Russian President Vladimir Putin's face - and peppered with bullet holes.
Invisible, yet palpable, was the shadow cast over this new regiment, like every unit of the Azov Battalion. Alexi Suliyma knew about its ugly past, but he joined anyway. Two friends were in the force, and he felt the Azov would best train him to defend his motherland.
"These are guys who simply love their country and Ukrainian people," said Suliyma, 23, a former construction worker. "I never knew them to be Nazis or fascists, never heard them make calls for the Third Reich."
Of all the Ukrainian forces fighting the invading Russian military, the most controversial is the Azov Battalion. It is among Ukraine's most adept military units and has battled Russian forces in key sites, including the besieged city of Mariupol and near the capital, Kyiv. With Russian forces withdrawing from areas north of Kyiv last week and possibly repositioning in southern and eastern Ukraine, which Moscow has declared as its primary focus, the Azov forces could grow in significance.
But the battalion's far-right nationalist ideology has raised concerns that it is attracting extremists, including white supremacist neo-Nazis, who could pose a future threat. When Putin cast his assault on Ukraine as a quest to "de-Nazify" the country, seeking to delegitimize the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian nationalism as fascist, he was partly referring to the Azov forces. While they are now fighting for a Jewish president whose relatives were killed fighting the Nazis, they have continued to be fodder for Russian propaganda as Putin seeks to convince Russians that his costly invasion of Ukraine was necessary.
Yet interviews with Azov fighters and one of its founders, as well as experts who have tracked the battalion from its beginnings, provide a more nuanced picture of its current state, which is more complex than what is conventionally known.
The battalion's own leaders and fighters concede that some extremists remain in their ranks, but it has evolved since its emergence in 2014 during the conflict in eastern Ukraine against Russian forces and Moscow-backed separatists.
Under pressure from U.S. and Ukrainian authorities, the Azov battalion has toned down its extremist elements. And the Ukrainian military has also become stronger in the past eight years and therefore less reliant on paramilitary groups. Moreover, today's war against Russia is far different than in 2014, fueled less by political ideology than a sense of patriotism and moral outrage at Russia's unprovoked assault on Ukraine, especially its civilian population. Extremists do not appear to make up a large part of the foreigners who have arrived here to take up arms against Russia, analysts said.
"You have fighters now coming from all over the world that are energized by what Putin has done," said Colin P. Clarke, director of research at the Soufan Group, an intelligence and security consulting firm. "And so it's not even that they're in favor of one ideology or another - they're just aghast by what they've seen the Russians doing."
"That certainly wasn't the same in 2014," he added. "So while the far-right element is still a factor, I think it's a much smaller part of the overall whole. It's been diluted, in some respects."
Analysts also noted that Ukraine's far-right movement is not just small in Ukraine, but also is dwarfed by far-right movements in other parts of Europe.
In an interview, the force's co-founder and top commander, Col. Andriy Biletskiy, did not dispute his far-right ultraconservative leanings or the presence of some extremists in his units. But he rejected the allegations of Nazism and white supremacist views, describing such charges as Russian propaganda.
"We don't identify ourselves with the Nazi ideology," said Biletskiy, 41. "We have people of conservative political views, and I see myself as such. But, as any person, I don't want my views to be defined by others. I'm not a Nazi. We completely reject it."
Michael Colborne, who monitors and researches the far right and wrote a book about the Azov, said that he "wouldn't call it explicitly a neo-Nazi movement."
"There are clearly neo-Nazis within its ranks," said Colborne, author of "From the Fires of War: Ukraine's Azov Movement and the Global Far Right."
"There are elements in it who are, you know, neo-fascist and there are elements who are maybe more kind of old-school Ukrainian nationalist," he said. "At its core, it's hostile to liberal democracy. It's hostile to every everything that comes with liberal democracy, minority rights, voting rights, things like that."
The Azov rose up initially in the spring of 2014 as a volunteer force launched by the ultranationalist Patriot of Ukraine and the extremist Social National Assembly. Both groups engaged in xenophobic assaults on migrants, the Roma community and other minorities.
Biletskiy, who served as the leader of both groups, said in 2010 that Ukraine's purpose was to "lead the white races of the world in a final crusade . . . against Semite-led Untermenschen [inferior races]," according to local reports. His supporters called him "Bely Vozd" - "White Ruler."
Biletskiy denied the allegations of xenophobia, saying that Azov forces have attracted Jews from the Israeli Defense Forces as well as Muslim Chechens, which "doesn't really go along with white supremacy." Still, Biletskiy has been quoted in the past expressing white supremacist beliefs; he has denied making those statements.
In 2014, Biletskiy was elected to parliament, where he remained a lawmaker until 2019. In 2016, he created the far-right National Corps party, made up largely of Azov veterans.
The paramilitary unit was initially funded by wealthy Ukrainians and assisted by the nation's then-interior minister, and the investment soon paid off. After the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014, the Azov fighters fended off Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region and kept the strategic port city of Mariupol in Ukrainian hands. "These are our best warriors," Ukraine's then-president, Petro Poroshenko, said publicly at the time.
Transnational support for Azov has been wide, and Ukraine has emerged as a new hub for the far right across the world. Both the Ukrainian and Russian sides have attracted neo-Nazis and far-right extremists, although Moscow's use of them has attracted far less attention in the Western media. Men from across three continents, including members of American and European extremist groups, have been documented to join the Azov units to seek combat experience, engage in similar ideology and as a training ground for operations in their home countries.
Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, an independent group following extremist organizations, said the war's allure for far-right volunteer fighters is not surprising.
"There's nothing shocking about it," he said. "It's the only conflict you can join." He added: "Where you want to go? To Syria, where Muslims killing Muslims, to West Africa, where Black people kill Black people? As you're a Nazi, that's not the conflict you want to join."
Biletskiy disputed this, describing stories about foreign fighters as "strongly exaggerated." Azov's forces are between 95% to 98% Ukrainian, he said, adding that most foreigners are from Georgia and Belarus with some Americans, Europeans and Canadians. They include, he said, "military adventurists," "devoted anti-communists" and Americans and Europeans of Ukrainian origins fighting for "their ancestors' motherland."
Despite their military successes, the Azov continued to be criticized as adherents to neo-Nazi ideology. Even as they have consistently denied any Nazi affiliations, their uniforms and tattoos on many their fighters display a number of fascist and Nazi symbols, including swastikas and SS symbols. In 2015, Andriy Diachenko, the spokesperson for the regiment at the time, told USA Today that 10 to 20 percent of Azov's recruits were Nazis.
In the following years, U.N. human rights officials accused the Azov regiment of violating international humanitarian laws; both the United States and Canada declared that its forces would not train the Azov fighters due to the unit's links to neo-Nazis, though Washington has since lifted the ban. Some U.S. lawmakers have continued to urge for Azov to be designated a foreign terrorist organization.
Facebook, too, designated the Azov as a "dangerous organization" and banned it from its platforms two years ago. But after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Facebook reversed its ban, saying it would make "a narrow exception for praise of the Azov regiment strictly in the context of defending Ukraine, or in their role as part of the Ukraine national guard."
The social media giant stressed that it had not lifted the ban on "all hate speech, hate symbolism, praise of violence, generic praise, support, or representation of the Azov regiment." Today, the Azov battalion is getting much praise for strong stand against Russia in Mariupol. The battalion's various Telegram channels post news of their exploits in addition to battlefield videos, detailing their victories in gruesome detail.
The battalion has more than a thousand fighters in Kyiv, Kharviv and Dnipro, and smaller units in six other cities and towns across the nation, said Biletskiy, who estimated the total number of Azov forces at little more than 10,000. In Mariupol alone, he said last week, there were roughly 3,000 fighters taking on 14,000 Russian troops "fighting on the ground, on water and in the Navy SEALs."
Unlike them, the broader Azov political movement, which has a stronger extremist bent, is far less popular, judging by their performance in Ukraine's last elections. Despite slickly produced videos that gave the impression of a massive movement, National Corps, the Azov political arm, won only about 2% of the vote, even though they ran on a united slate with other far-right parties. Most experts put the figures of their core adherents in the hundreds.
The Azov battalion is also not what it was in 2014. Ever since it was incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard late that year, they "had to purge a lot of those extremist elements," said Mollie Saltskog, a senior intelligence analyst at the Soufan Group. "There was much more control exerted over who is affiliated with the battalions."
In contrast to the earlier conflict, many recruits are processed through the official conduit of the newly formed International Legion, where Ukrainian officials said they are properly vetted and asked to respond to questions about their ideology and political leanings.
The war in Ukraine today is also different than it was in 2014. It is attracting volunteers of all political stripes, including from the far left as well as the far right. For even the more hardcore elements in the Azov regiments, ideology has taken a back seat for the moment, analysts said.
"I honestly don't see them pushing a hard line right now," says Colborne. "They want people who know how to fight, and that's going to include some people on the far right and some who don't come from far-right backgrounds."
The Azov forces today, said Biletskiy, now include writers and other liberals, even members of the extreme left and antifascists. "We are at war for the very existence of Ukraine at the moment," he said. "In the past month, I have never asked a person that came to join us about his political views. Today, Ukrainians have only one option of political orientation: for or against Ukraine."
Russia, too, has a long history of supporting or turning a blind eye to neo-Nazi groups and individuals, and far-right figures in the United States and elsewhere have praised Putin since the invasion began. Putin has provided safe haven for the Russian Imperial Movement, a white supremacist militant organization that previously helped Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine, according to the Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation. Members of the Wagner Group, a secretive Russian mercenary organization, also have neo-Nazi leanings and are now widely believed to be operating in Ukraine.
If the war drags on, the extremists' presence and influence among the Ukrainians, however minute it is now, could grow, analysts said. Foreigners who joined the fight for other reasons could become radicalized from fighting alongside extremist individuals, the effects of post-traumatic stress syndrome or frustration at Western countries for not doing more to help Ukraine.
"Do these people go back to their countries of origin, particularly in Europe, with a newfound anger against their host nation governments?" asked Clarke of the Soufan Center.
Kyrylo, 35, a bespectacled soldier who wears an Azov patch on his sleeve, said he joined the nationwide call to arms because he wanted to protect his home city of Dnipro. He enlisted in Azov because he shared its far-right nationalist ideology. Before the war he gave "private historical lectures" for the group and previously served on Dnipro's city council, he said.
"People who come to us already have a specific set of values," he said, but he claimed that Azov is not neo-Nazi. "Would Nazis be fighting for the liberal democratic government in Ukraine?"
The pride of the Azov is its special forces battling in Mariupol, as Russian troops have put the city under weeks of siege, choking off supplies and cutting communications, water and electricity. Since Russian forces broke through their front lines earlier this month, they've been waging a guerrilla war against the Russian forces in the city.
"The guys are holding strong against the enemy and will never capitulate," said Andriy, 26, who joined Azov when he was 18 years old and has a "Valhalla Awaits" tattoo stamped on his neck and now commands a unit. "They will fight to their last bullet and their last breath."
Some desperate civilians who arrive in battered cars to the safety of Zaporizhzhia, 135 miles northwest, hailed Azov as "heroes" for holding the lines.
In Kyiv, Suliyma described the Nazi accusations as propaganda peddled by Russia. He said the only convictions that's shared by all Azov fighters was to defeat Moscow. He and his unit, he said, had already engaged in clashes outside of Kyiv, including in Moshchun, a village north of the capital where they pushed the Russians out.
"Moshchun is Ukrainian now," Suliyma said with pride.
Biletskiy said they are trying to weed out the neo-Nazi tattoos and other symbols among Azov fighters, but in the current war he cannot afford to lose any soldier because of political ideology, left or right.
"Every soldier that fights for Ukraine is of value now," he said. "And of value to the Western world, because if Ukraine will break, the next in trouble will be the collective West."
- - -
The Washington Post's Elizabeth Dwoskin in San Francisco contributed to this report.
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| 2022-04-06T15:14:10
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LVIV, Ukraine/DUBLIN - Artillery pounded key cities in Ukraine on Wednesday, as its president urged the West to act decisively in imposing new and tougher sanctions being readied against Russia in response to civilian killings widely condemned as war crimes.
Western sanctions over Russia's invasion have gained new impetus this week after dead civilians shot at close range were found in the town of Bucha after it was retaken from Russian forces.
As Pope Francis described the killings there as a "massacre," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the West needed to act decisively in taking "more rigid" steps.
"When we are hearing new rhetoric about sanctions... I can't tolerate any indecisiveness after everything that Russian troops have done," Zelenskiy told Irish lawmakers by videolink.
The White House said it and its allies would target Russian banks and officials with new sanctions on Wednesday and ban new investment in Russia, and the head of the European Commission signaled further sanctions - including examining energy imports - on top of ones unveiled by the bloc on Tuesday.
But a crack in a unified EU front emerged on Wednesday, as Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his government was prepared to accede to Russia's demand, rejected by Brussels, to pay in roubles for Russian gas.
Western policymakers have denounced the killings in Bucha as a war crime, and Ukrainian officials say a mass grave by a church there contain between 150 and 300 bodies. Satellite images taken weeks ago in the town, situated north of the capital Kyiv, show bodies of civilians on a street, a private U.S. company said.
Moscow, which refers to the conflict as a "special military operation" designed to demilitarize Ukraine, denied targeting civilians there or elsewhere and called the evidence presented a forgery staged by the West to discredit it.
On Wednesday, to the south, a siege of the southern port of Mariupol - under bombardment through most of the invasion that began on Feb. 24 - continued, trapping tens of thousands of residents without food, water or power.
"The humanitarian situation in the city is worsening," British military intelligence said on Wednesday, while Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said people trying to flee would have to use their own vehicles..
Reuters could not immediately verify the British report.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said its team has successfully led a convoy of buses and private cars with more than 500 Mariupol residents to nearby Zaporizhzhia after the civilians fled on their own.
Vereshchuk said authorities would try to evacuate civilians trapped elsewhere through 11 humanitarian corridors.
ATTACKS ELSEWHERE
Ukraine's foreign minister said that, while he welcomed the latest set of EU sanctions, only an embargo on Russian gas and oil and cutting off all Russian banks from the global financial system could halt the war.
"It will take a gas/oil embargo and de-SWIFTing of all Russian banks to stop Putin. Difficult times require difficult decisions," Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.
Since pulling back from outside Kyiv last week, Russian forces have shifted their assault towards Ukraine's south and east.
Ukraine's general staff said the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the country's second-largest, remained under attack, while authorities in the eastern region of Luhansk urged residents to leave an area it also expects to be the target of a new offensive.
Ten high-rise buildings were on fire in Sievierodonetsk after Russian forces shelled the town on Wednesday, the region's governor said in an online post.
Further south, the governor of the Donetsk region said at least two civilians were killed and five wounded when Russian artillery struck a humanitarian aid distribution point in the town of Vuhledar.
Reuters was unable to immediately verify that account.
ENERGY SANCTIONS PUSH?
Speaking a day after the EU announced new sanctions, including a ban on Russian coal imports, the head of the EU executive, Ursula von der Leyen, said there was more to come.
"Now we have to look into oil and revenues Russia gets from fossil fuels," she told European Parliament.
Moscow last week demanded payments for gas in roubles from countries it deemed "unfriendly," but Brussels said those with euro or dollar contracts should stick to them.
Germany, Europe's largest economy which relies on Russian gas for much of its energy needs, warned that while it supported ending Russian energy imports as soon as possible it could not do it overnight.
While still short of what Kyiv has been pleading for, Western sanctions have already isolated Russia to an extent unprecedented for an economy of its size.
On Wednesday, the Kremlin acknowledged Russia could find itself technically in default after it was forced to make payments on its dollar-denominated bonds in roubles because its foreign reserves were blocked by sanctions.
As the war, which has already killed thousands, turned entire cities into rubble and left a fourth of Ukraine's population homeless, heads into its seventh week, the risk that it could escalate into a broader conflict remains a concern.
Reflecting such fears, the EU executive said on Wednesday it had begun a stockpiling operation to boost its defenses against chemical, nuclear and biological incidents.
($1 = 0.9186 euros)
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/military/russian-forces-pound-key-cities-as-ukraine-demands-tougher-sanctions/article_1708a9cf-ff4a-5a03-9dd5-1e76e4d40758.html
| 2022-04-06T15:14:16
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Democrats in Michigan plan to ask the national party to make their state the location of the first presidential nominating contest in 2024, challenging the election-year status of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, according to people involved in the effort.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said Tuesday that she had spoken with stakeholders throughout the state, including the office of Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., about putting together a bid later this spring, when the Democratic Rules and Bylaws Committee is expected to open the process for applications for the next nomination order. Others spoke on the condition of anonymity to reflect private conversations.
Dingell said Michigan is perfectly situated to start the nominating process.
"First of all, we are purple. The issues we are facing reflect the diversity of what the country is facing, from rural areas to urban areas, manufacturing areas to farming areas," Dingell said. "We are a mini-America."
The Michigan Democratic effort marks the first time that a new state has made a play to dethrone the early-voting order that has ruled presidential nominating contests for more than a decade. It follows moves by Democratic leaders to rethink the calendar after the tumult of the 2020 election, and Nevada's parallel attempt to become the first nominating state, after it passed a law last year that switched the state's voting process from a caucus to a primary system.
Democratic National Committee officials are expected to vote later this month to allow any state and territory to apply for the opportunity to hold its nominating contest in the early window in 2024, before the first Tuesday in March. They are expected to allow as many as five states to cast votes early and have proposed a framework that would prioritize states that can show a diverse electorate, general-election competitiveness and an "inclusive nominating process," a reference to state-run primaries.
Several people involved in the process have described an interest among Democratic leaders to bring another Midwestern state into the primary process, especially if Iowa, as expected, is pushed out of the official Democratic order because it fails to perform well in the three criteria.
In nearby Wisconsin, Democratic leaders have ruled out making a play for an earlier role. "Our presidential primary is set in statute as the first Tuesday in April, so we won't be applying to go early," Iris Riis, the communications director for the Wisconsin state party, wrote in an email.
"We believe Michigan's voice should be heard," Lavora Barnes, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, said in a statement Tuesday. "Our voices must be heard in the primary and the general. There is a lot of interest across our party in the process."
Dingell said she had formed a working group to develop a proposal, following in the footsteps of the late Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who had long argued for the state to play a bigger role in presidential campaigns. She said she had spoken about the plan with several union leaders in the state, including Ron Bieber, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO, United Auto Workers President Ray Curry, and David Hecker, head of the American Federation of Teachers in Michigan. Curry is a member of the DNC's Rules and Bylaws committee.
The Michigan primary date is currently set by statute, and changing the timing would probably require the cooperation of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D, and the Republican-controlled state legislature. Dingell said she had not yet approached her Republican counterparts.
Michigan has been a closely divided swing state in recent presidential elections. President Joe Biden won the state by less than three percentage points in 2020, and former president Donald Trump won the state by less than a quarter of a percentage point in 2016.
"We have got to go do that work and we are going to do that work now," Dingell said. "We know how to roll up our sleeves and do the work."
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/michigan-democrats-to-lobby-to-be-first-in-2024-presidential-contest/article_209a2d0d-59d2-5a95-8362-b79bd6b0ce6e.html
| 2022-04-06T15:14:23
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/michigan-democrats-to-lobby-to-be-first-in-2024-presidential-contest/article_209a2d0d-59d2-5a95-8362-b79bd6b0ce6e.html
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Republican primary opponents pounced Tuesday on 1st Congressional District candidate Matt Mowers after voting records showed he voted in two different states during the 2016 presidential primary cycle.
Even 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton weighed in, accusing Mowers, an aide in former President Donald Trump’s State Department, of committing voter fraud despite the national GOP’s use of that claim as a “flimsy pretense” to restrict voting.
“Republican officials are so determined to transform voter fraud from a flimsy pretense for suppressing votes to an actual phenomenon, they keep committing it themselves,” Clinton posted on Twitter.
Election records show Mowers, state director of 2016 presidential candidate Chris Christie’s campaign, voted in the New Hampshire primary by absentee ballot in February 2016.
Christie dropped out a day after his disappointing sixth-place finish here.
Mowers left the state and returned to his native New Jersey, gave his parents’ address to register to vote there in March and then voted for Donald Trump in New Jersey’s presidential primary on June 7.
Federal law bars voting more than once in any election, including in separate states for the same contest like a presidential primary, but the statute of limitations for voter fraud is five years, which has run out in this case.
When the Associated Press first reported on Mowers’ voting record, the candidate didn’t comment other than to issue a campaign statement that didn’t directly address the issue. Meanwhile a lawyer connected with the campaign belittled the controversy.
But after the story surfaced Tuesday, Republican foes Karoline Leavitt of Hampton, Gail Huff Brown of Rye, Timothy Baxter of Seabrook and Julian Acciard of Salem all attacked Mowers.
“My opponent @mowers potentially violated election law and he is hiding behind his attorney, calling the report ‘silly,’” said Leavitt, who served in Trump’s White House communications office.
“This is a very, very serious allegation. Election integrity matters. Voters deserves truth and @mowers owes them an honest answer.”
Integrity questioned
Brown said the GOP would abandon a signature issue if it nominates Mowers to challenge U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas again this November. The Manchester Democrat beat Mowers by 5% in 2020.
“The Republican Party is the party of election integrity, and we cannot nominate someone who has engaged in voter fraud and expect to be taken seriously on the topic,” Brown said. “We can do better.”
Mowers responded Tuesday afternoon with a detailed defense against the claim he had broken federal election law.
“I was proud to work for President Trump as the GOP establishment was working to undermine his nomination and accepted a job with his campaign in 2016, registered to vote and casted my vote in accordance with the law, and served as an elected Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention,” Mowers said in his statement.
“I was proud to be part of the historic effort to prevent Hillary Clinton from re-entering the White House, and we shouldn’t be surprised she’s joined in smearing my record.”
The Mowers campaign said New Jersey law requires someone to live in the state 30 days before voting, which he did.
“Being young and mobile is not a crime in New Hampshire and the fact is he had a lease at the time and had clearly established an intention to stay in the Granite State for the foreseeable future means that he easily met the requirements to cast a ballot in our elections,” said state Rep. Ross Berry, R-Manchester.
The Mowers campaign said the candidate moved to take a job with Trump’s campaign and ended up as a full-time national field coordinator and director of battleground states working at Trump Tower in Manhattan.
‘Raises a huge question mark’
Like other GOP contenders in this race, Mowers said voter fraud is a legitimate concern and he supports legislation to conduct audits to confirm election results.
“We need to make sure we have confidence in our elections,” Mowers told WMUR in January. “It is one of the most sacred obligations that we have.”
Former Democratic Party Chairman Kathy Sullivan of Manchester called the controversy a “game-changer” that could cost Mowers a Trump endorsement.
“It’s so hypocritical and raises a huge question mark about his judgment or lack thereof and his sincerity when he talks about voting,” Sullivan said.
“I think it’s a huge game-changer because it reveals him to be the arrogant phony that leading Democrats have always known he is.”
Possible reason offered
Others contend there is another legal defense for Mowers’ actions: June 7, 2016 was also the date New Jersey held its state primary election for other elective offices, large and small, up and down the ballot.
“You can make the argument that’s not the same election if, in addition to Trump, you are voting for candidates for state rep or Congress who might have solicited you to vote for them,” said Greg Moore, state director of Americans for Prosperity, a fiscally conservative group that has taken no position in the 1st District race.
Wayne Lesperance, provost with New England College, said the matter is a potential “vulnerability” Mowers needed to confront.
“On paper, you can imagine the attack ads the Democrats will run if this has any legs,” he began.
But Lesperance said it remains to be seen whether this is a significant controversy that deeply harms his chances for a primary victory.
“It would strike me as highly unlikely that Matt Mowers would intentionally vote illegally,” Lesperance said.
“It would be such a reckless decision to do otherwise for a young man who, by 2016, obviously had a bright political future.”
The story emerged the morning after former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley campaigned here for Mowers.
Mowers has already won the endorsement of five Republican state senators.
“All the other candidates aren’t getting any traction right now,” Lesperance said.
“The real goal for Matt Mowers is how to make this a one-day story, and that may be by plainly addressing it once, and then moving on.”
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/mowers-defends-voting-twice-in-2016-primary-elections/article_5a41021e-668a-51df-b951-2b8ed17e95ea.html
| 2022-04-06T15:14:29
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/voters/mowers-defends-voting-twice-in-2016-primary-elections/article_5a41021e-668a-51df-b951-2b8ed17e95ea.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/death-of-an-infant-under-investigation-in-somersworth/article_9fd5736e-c006-58c8-9874-152a58008167.html
| 2022-04-06T15:14:35
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/death-of-an-infant-under-investigation-in-somersworth/article_9fd5736e-c006-58c8-9874-152a58008167.html
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The boxer Tyson Fury didn’t become great by taking the lineal heavyweight boxing crown when he beat Ukrainian war hero Wladimir Klitchko in what amounted to a 12-round dance off years ago. Fury became great by getting off the canvas to salvage a draw against Deontay Wilder years later. A win is an outcome, greatness comes from overcoming adversity.
Make America great again? Someone is pulling our leg. America doesn’t suddenly stop being great. It has taken on terrorism, economic collapse, a pandemic, antifa fascists and MAGA’s brand of national socialism. Yet America keeps on coming. And that’s why we like democracy. It was never designed to be pretty, it was made to take a punch.
The current war that threatens a $1,500 tab to fill a home oil tank in America while enslaving a nation overseas is now in its second month, but the weather is getting warmer and Russia is retreating like a vampire at dawn. Send a message to Vladimir Putin. Turn off your furnace early this year, turn down the thermostat, caulk your windows. Don’t drive a little slower to be nice, do it to put old Vlad on the canvas.
We hope the new spokesman for New Hampshire’s Attorney General misspoke last week. In refusing to provide the public with records regarding a fired state police officer, the spokesman said this is a case “about protecting the private, personnel records of the tens of thousands of public empl…
One good thing about the price of gasoline: It underscores how New Hampshire’s low-tax philosophy has kept motorists here in better shape than other states.
Whatever the spin or slant of the particular media back home, the work of on-the-ground correspondents in covering the horrendous war in Ukraine has been nothing short of admirable and in some ways astonishing.
Gov. Chris Sununu is getting it from all sides, which usually means he’s doing something right. In this case, it was his promise to veto a redistricting plan for New Hampshire’s two congressional districts. As drawn, the map might have made Elbridge Gerry (of Gerrymandering fame) green with envy.
It is dawning on more legislators that using state run stores to peddle pot may not be a great branding image for New Hampshire. Plus, the scheme isn’t likely to make anywhere near the money initially estimated. Perhaps smoke got in their eyes?
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/editorials/no-april-fools-america-isn-t-a-joke/article_c3c62407-a00b-59a7-84e7-27f29b17269a.html
| 2022-04-06T15:14:41
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/editorials/no-april-fools-america-isn-t-a-joke/article_c3c62407-a00b-59a7-84e7-27f29b17269a.html
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-republican-electioneering-is-threat-to-our-primary/article_04ec0332-40ec-5d45-9d40-067ac00b2ee1.html
| 2022-04-06T15:14:47
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https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-republican-electioneering-is-threat-to-our-primary/article_04ec0332-40ec-5d45-9d40-067ac00b2ee1.html
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Minnesota prosecutors declined to file charges Wednesday against a Minneapolis police SWAT team officer who fatally shot Amir Locke while executing an early morning no-knock search warrant in a downtown apartment in February.
Locke, 22, who was Black, was staying on a couch in the apartment when authorities entered it on Feb. 2 without knocking as part of an investigation into a homicide in neighboring St. Paul.
Locke, who was not named in the warrant, was shot seconds after authorities say he pointed a gun in the direction of officers. Locke’s family has questioned that. Body camera footage shows Locke holding a gun before he was shot.
Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office reviewed the case, said prosecutors determined Officer Mark Hanneman was justified in firing his weapon.
“After a thorough review of all available evidence, however, there is insufficient admissible evidence to file criminal charges in this case. Specifically, the State would be unable to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt any of the elements of Minnesota’s use-of-deadly-force statute that authorizes the use of force by Officer Hanneman. Nor would the State be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a criminal charge against any other officer involved in the decision-making that led to the death of Amir Locke,” Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman said in a joint statement.
Locke’s death came as three former Minneapolis police officers were on trial in federal court in St. Paul in George Floyd’s killing. It sparked protests and a reexamination of no-knock search warrants. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced an immediate moratorium on such warrants, and in March, he announced a new policy that requires officers to knock and wait before entering a residence. Some lawmakers also have been pushing for a statewide ban on no-knock warrants, except in rare circumstances.
In their applications for search warrants of the Minneapolis apartment and other locations, authorities said a no-knock warrant was necessary to protect the public and officers as they looked for guns, drugs and clothing worn by people suspected in a violent killing. Authorities asked that officers be allowed to conduct the search without knocking, and outside the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., because the suspects being sought in the Jan. 10 killing of Otis Elder had a history of violence.
Locke was killed seconds after the SWAT team entered the apartment where his family said he was staying. Body camera video shows an officer using a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at least four officers in uniform and protective vests, time-stamped at about 6:48 a.m. As they enter, they repeatedly shout, “Police, search warrant!” They also shout “Hands!” and “Get on the ground!”
The video shows an officer kicking a sectional sofa, and Locke is seen wrapped in a comforter, holding a pistol. Three shots are heard and the video ends.
Locke’s parents have said it appeared to them that their son was startled awake and his mother, Karen Wells, called his death “an execution.”
Police have said Locke was not named in the search warrant. His 17-year-old cousin, Mekhi Camden Speed, was named and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in Elder’s killing.
The search warrants were carried out as part of an investigation into Elder’s death. Elder, a 38-year-old father, was found shot and laying in the street in what police believe was an apparent robbery. Drugs and money were found in Elder’s SUV, according to court documents.
The police department hired Hanneman in 2015. City records show there were three complaints made about him and that all were closed without him being disciplined, but they give no details. Data on the website of the citizen group Communities United Against Police Brutality shows a fourth complaint, in 2018, that remains open. No details were given.
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Associated Press writer Amy Forliti contributed.
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Find AP’s full coverage of the death of Amir Locke at: https://apnews.com/hub/amir-locke
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https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/06/no-charges-filed-in-no-knock-warrant-killing-of-amir-locke/
| 2022-04-06T15:20:47
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https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/06/no-charges-filed-in-no-knock-warrant-killing-of-amir-locke/
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By SAMUEL PETREQUIN and AAMER MADHANI
BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two adult daughters and said it was toughening penalties against Russian banks in retaliation for “war crimes” in Ukraine.
The United Kingdom and the European Union were set to take additional steps, including a ban on new investment in Russian and an EU embargo on coal, after the recent evidence of atrocities that has emerged in the wake of the retreat by Russian forces from areas around Kyiv, including the town of Bucha.
The U.S. acted against two of Russia’s largest banks, Sberbank and Alfa Bank, prohibiting assets from going through the U.S. financial system and barring Americans from doing business with those two institutions.
In addition to sanctions aimed at Putin’s adult daughters, Mariya Putina and Katerina Tikhonova, the U.S. is targeting Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin; the wife and children of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; and members of Russia’s Security Council, including Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and prime minister.
The penalties cut off all of Putin’s close family members from the U.S. financial system and freeze any assets they hold in the United States.
President Joe Biden called the latest round of sanctions “devastating.”
“I made clear that Russia would pay a severe and immediate price for its atrocities in Bucha,” Biden said in a tweet.
Biden was expected to will sign an an executive order that would ban new investment in Russia by Americans no matter where they are living. The U.S. Treasury Department is preparing more sanctions against major Russian state-owned enterprises, according to the White House.
Videos and images of bodies in the streets of Bucha after it was recaptured from Russian forces have unleashed a wave of indignation among Western allies, who have drawn up new sanctions as a response.
The European Commission’s proposed ban on coal imports would be the first EU sanctions targeting Russia’s lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said energy was key to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war coffers.
“A billion euro is what we pay Putin every day for the energy he provides us since the beginning of the war. We have given him 35 billion euro. Compare that to the one billion that we have given to the Ukraine in arms and weapons,” Borrell said.
After several European countries announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats, the European Commission proposed a fifth package of sanctions including a ban on coal imports that could be adopted as soon as Wednesday once unanimously approved by the 27-nation bloc’s ambassadors.
The United States and Western allies plan to impose a ban on all new investment in Russia. Among the other measures being taken against Russia are greater sanctions on its financial institutions and state-owned enterprises, and sanctions on government officials and their family members, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Separately, the Treasury Department moved Tuesday to block any Russian government debt payments with U.S. dollars from accounts at U.S. financial institutions, making it harder for Russia to meet its financial obligations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the coal ban is worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year and that the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports.
She didn’t mention natural gas, with consensus among the 27 EU countries on targeting the fuel used to generate electricity and heat homes difficult to secure amid opposition from gas-dependent members like Germany, the bloc’s largest economy.
But European Council President Charles Michel said the bloc should keep up the pressure on the Kremlin, suggesting that an embargo on gas imports should also be required at some point in the future.
“The new package includes a ban on coal imports,” Michel said on Wednesday. “I think that measures on oil, and even gas, will also be needed, sooner or later.”
The new package of measures proposed by the commission also includes sanctions on more individuals and four key Russian banks, among them VTB, the second-largest Russian bank. The bloc also would ban Russian vessels and Russian-operated vessels from EU ports.
Further targeted export bans, worth 10 billion euros, in sectors covering quantum computers, advanced semiconductors, sensitive machinery and transportation equipment also were proposed.
“I appreciate the strengthening of the 5th EU sanctions package: bans on Russian coal, vessels accessing EU ports, and road transport operators,” Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “But it will take a gas/oil embargo and de-SWIFTing of all Russian banks to stop Putin. Difficult times require difficult decisions.”
Western allies have already cut out several Russian banks of the SWIFT financial messaging system, which daily moves countless billions of dollars around more than 11,000 banks and other financial institutions around the world.
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Madhani reporter from Washington.
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Over a month after his last in-person address at the Capitol, Governor Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday covered a range of topics from getting his second booster shot to addressing next steps in combating violent crime in Arkansas.
"Our nation has been plagued with a rise in violent crime over the last couple of years. Arkansas is not exempt from this increase in violent crime," Hutchinson said.
And that's also seen on the local level as according to a recent Little Rock Police report, violent crime in the city is up nearly 30% over the last five years.
This rise has prompted the governor to announce "an expansion of the intensive supervision program."
The expansion would more closely monitor people on parole -- adding more officers and covering more counties.
The Pulaski County Sheriff's office welcomes the proposed addition.
Lieutenant for the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office Cody Burk saying the new plan "would most likely help us reduce some crime, to what extent that would reduce crime that will, you know, time and statistics will show that."
Leaders also say their goal for the program isn't to restrict those following parole, but take a closer look at those at a high risk for committing future crimes.
Secretary of Corrections Solomon Graves sharing at the podium that the program is geared towards people "that have demonstrated a history of violence that have demonstrated a history of gang affiliation."
But with more eyes looking out for violations, prison space is a concern.
"When someone violates parole, though, they take them to the county jail to house them for their parole hearing that will increase our population," Burk said.
But the Department of Corrections plans to make room by moving county prisoners to state facilities-- facilities that already got the green light for their expansion in the last legislative session.
"While we're making the adjustments that are needed now we know that that population can grow. And we're making accommodations for that," Hutchinson added.
The intensified supervision program is estimated to cost just over a million dollars the first year, and over $800,000 every year after that.
Hutchinson has not said when the general assembly would meet to pass a bill like this proposal but the next regular legislative session is not until next spring.
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JACKSONVILLE, Ark. — An Arkansas special education teacher is celebrating her students after she helped them write and illustrate a book.
Kathy Eason, a teacher at Jacksonville Middle School, had her sixth, seventh, and eighth students create the book Kindness Matters.
The book is a series of thoughts, feelings, and observations from the students on what kindness means to them.
At a press conference Tuesday, the children had the opportunity to read their own page.
Not only are they published authors now, but published artists as well.
They worked on it the whole first semester producing the feel good book of the year and one proud teacher.
"This just makes me so happy to see them work so hard for something and to be proud of their work," Eason said.
If you'd like a copy, click here, enter the PIN number 8112665, confirm the teacher and then you can buy your copy.
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LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — The first medical marijuana dispensary in Arkansas opened in the spring of 2019.
Since then, Arkansans have purchased $600 million worth of medical marijuana.
Some of that money is going back to cancer research, and it couldn't be at a better time as the state looks to help patients get care never provided here before.
"It's very exciting for cancer patients in Arkansas. They absolutely deserve an NCI designated cancer center," said Dr. Michael Birrer, Director of Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
Thanks to the Arkansans who buy medical marijuana those tax dollars are going to UAMS for a new cancer research facility.
The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute will have a new oncology and radiation center, which will provide new clinical trials, therapies, and treatments.
"It will guarantee them a level of cancer care that I don't think they have right now," said Dr. Birrer.
There's a 10.5% tax on medical marijuana.
Four percent of that is earmarked for the UAMS Cancer Institute and the other 6.5% goes into a state holding fund where that money will be given out at the end of the fiscal year to reimburse state agencies that assist in the medical marijuana program. The rest goes back to the UAMS Cancer Institute.
So far, the tax has generated $65 million.
"Resources and the dollars from the state are incredibly important," said Dr. Birrer.
It will take a couple more years before UAMS finishes building those additions to the facility, as well as finalizing the applications to be accredited by the National Cancer Institute.
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Biden nominates first woman to lead military branch
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 9:58 AM CDT|Updated: 29 minutes ago
(CNN) - President Joe Biden has picked a woman to be the next leader of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Adm. Linda Fagan was nominated to serve as the next commandant.
If she is confirmed, she would be the first woman to lead one of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Fagan has served on all seven continents and spent 36 years in the Coast Guard service. She is the No. 2 in charge right now.
Her nomination will be under consideration by the Senate committee on commerce, science and transportation, but she’s getting support from both sides of the aisle.
The current commandant is required to retire May 31.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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Gerber is looking for its next ‘spokesbaby’
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 9:46 AM CDT|Updated: 41 minutes ago
(Gray News) - Gerber is looking for a baby to be the next face of the company.
The company said it is searching for its next “Chief Growing Officer and Spokesbaby.”
The job requirements are simple. Applicants must be between 0-4 years old, have a “playful smile that can light up the room,” and an “irresistible giggle and undeniably loveable personality.”
The winner will also receive $25,000.
To apply, visit Gerber’s website here.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Missing Indiana couple found in Nevada desert; man dead, wife hospitalized, family says
ESMERALDA COUNTY, Nev. (Gray News) – A couple from Indiana who was reported missing more than a week ago in Nevada has been found, according to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.
Ronnie and Beverly Barker’s nephew, Travis Peters, posted an update on Facebook Tuesday night saying rescue teams found the couple near Silver Peak, according to KVVU.
He said Ronnie had died and Beverly was being airlifted to a hospital in Reno where she is doing OK.
KOLO reports the couple left Oregon on March 26, and were headed to Tucson, Arizona.
Their daughter, Jennifer Whaley, says all contact with her parents ceased over a week ago – all cell phone pings stopped March 27.
“It is literally like they fell off the face of the earth. Like they just vanished,” Whaley said.
According to a missing persons flyer shared by the Nye County Sheriff’s Office, they were driving a 2015 Forest River Sunseeker RV with a gold stripe and Indiana license plate C128H.
Ronnie and Beverly also were towing a white 2020 Kia Soul with Indiana license plate FL211A.
Family members say the couple’s RV was found stuck in the mud and their car was not at the scene.
AZFamily reports the Esmeralda County Sheriff’s Office said the couple never made it to the campground at Nellis AFB, where they were supposed to spend the night before hitting the road to Tucson again.
“My parents were supposed to meet them in Tucson on Tuesday evening March 29. That’s when they were supposed to be pulling into the campgrounds in Tucson. They didn’t show up,” Whaley said about her parents meeting up with their friends in Tucson who they’ve known for more than three decades.
Peters told KVVU it is unclear to them what happened to the couple as details surrounding Ronnie’s death have not been released.
He said the Mineral County undersheriff provided them with limited information and only said that Beverly was OK.
“Thank God that Beverly is alive, because she will be able to fill in those blanks that we don’t know. Why did they go up the mountain? What happened?” Peters said.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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No charges filed in no-knock warrant killing of Amir Locke
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota prosecutors declined to file charges Wednesday against a Minneapolis police SWAT team officer who fatally shot Amir Locke while executing an early morning no-knock search warrant in a downtown apartment in February.
Locke, 22, who was Black, was staying on a couch in the apartment when authorities entered it on Feb. 2 without knocking as part of an investigation into a homicide in neighboring St. Paul.
Locke, who was not named in the warrant, was shot seconds after authorities say he pointed a gun in the direction of officers. Locke’s family has questioned that. Body camera footage shows Locke holding a gun before he was shot.
Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office reviewed the case, said prosecutors determined Officer Mark Hanneman was justified in firing his weapon.
“After a thorough review of all available evidence, however, there is insufficient admissible evidence to file criminal charges in this case. Specifically, the State would be unable to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt any of the elements of Minnesota’s use-of-deadly-force statute that authorizes the use of force by Officer Hanneman. Nor would the State be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a criminal charge against any other officer involved in the decision-making that led to the death of Amir Locke,” Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman said in a joint statement.
Locke’s death came as three former Minneapolis police officers were on trial in federal court in St. Paul in George Floyd’s killing. It sparked protests and a reexamination of no-knock search warrants. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced an immediate moratorium on such warrants, and in March, he announced a new policy that requires officers to knock and wait before entering a residence. Some lawmakers also have been pushing for a statewide ban on no-knock warrants, except in rare circumstances.
In their applications for search warrants of the Minneapolis apartment and other locations, authorities said a no-knock warrant was necessary to protect the public and officers as they looked for guns, drugs and clothing worn by people suspected in a violent killing. Authorities asked that officers be allowed to conduct the search without knocking, and outside the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., because the suspects being sought in the Jan. 10 killing of Otis Elder had a history of violence.
Locke was killed seconds after the SWAT team entered the apartment where his family said he was staying. Body camera video shows an officer using a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at least four officers in uniform and protective vests, time-stamped at about 6:48 a.m. As they enter, they repeatedly shout, “Police, search warrant!” They also shout “Hands!” and “Get on the ground!”
The video shows an officer kicking a sectional sofa, and Locke is seen wrapped in a comforter, holding a pistol. Three shots are heard and the video ends.
Locke’s parents have said it appeared to them that their son was startled awake and his mother, Karen Wells, called his death “an execution.”
Police have said Locke was not named in the search warrant. His 17-year-old cousin, Mekhi Camden Speed, was named and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in Elder’s killing.
The search warrants were carried out as part of an investigation into Elder’s death. Elder, a 38-year-old father, was found shot and laying in the street in what police believe was an apparent robbery. Drugs and money were found in Elder’s SUV, according to court documents.
The police department hired Hanneman in 2015. City records show there were three complaints made about him and that all were closed without him being disciplined, but they give no details. Data on the website of the citizen group Communities United Against Police Brutality shows a fourth complaint, in 2018, that remains open. No details were given.
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Associated Press writer Amy Forliti contributed.
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Find AP’s full coverage of the death of Amir Locke at: https://apnews.com/hub/amir-locke
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Schools in Alabama county end prayer over PA system at football games
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - Prayers will no longer be said over loudspeakers before football games this fall for at least two Alabama high schools.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation says it received complaints last fall about the prayers over the PA system, WBRC reported. The organization sent a letter to Jefferson County schools, saying that prayers before the games, including Gardendale High School and Pinson Valley, are inappropriate and unconstitutional.
The organization says the Supreme Court has struck down school-sponsored prayer in public schools.
Freedom From Religion Foundation said it received word from the school district’s attorney that after the superintendent met with principals, the administration will not allow prayers at school-sponsored events.
A staff attorney for the organization says its purpose it to protect the separation of church and state.
“There are people affected by this. I think some people treat it as, ‘Oh, they just don’t want to hear prayer. They don’t like that Christians exist.’ It has nothing to do with that. It truly is just that public schools are a neutral place. They should be neutral with regard to religion,” said Chris Line with Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Walter B. Gonsoulin Jr. and the board of education issued a statement that the complaint was resolved at the school level and not as a result of board action or policy.
“That resolution was based on the board’s legal obligations that have been established by binding court precedent,” Gonsoulin stated. “However, the board’s adherence to those rulings should not be understood as a rejection of students’ religious rights and liberties in the school setting. The Jefferson County Board of Education remains firmly committed to respecting and protecting those rights and liberties in every way permitted by the Constitution and laws of the United States.”
Copyright 2022 WBRC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Suspect wanted in Stewartville surveying company equipment theft
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 10:04 AM CDT|Updated: 23 minutes ago
STEWARTVILLE, Minn. (KTTC) – Olmsted County Deputies are looking for a suspect accused of stealing equipment from a surveying company in Stewartville.
The theft happened sometime between January 1 and April 4 of this year.
An employee, who does not work during that time frame, was returning to his company-owned pickup truck in the 300 block of 2nd Street Northwest on Tuesday, April 5 when he noticed five company items were missing.
The value of the stolen equipment is just over $53,000.
Deputies are investigating the incident.
If you know who may be involved, you’re asked to call the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.
Copyright 2022 KTTC. All rights reserved.
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US charges Russian oligarch, dismantles cybercrime operation
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has charged a Russian oligarch with violating U.S. government sanctions and has disrupted a cybercrime operation launched by a Russian military intelligence agency, officials said Wednesday.
The action came as the Justice Department said it was accelerating efforts to track down illicit Russian assets and as U.S. prosecutors helped European counterparts gather evidence on potential war crimes committed by Russia during its war on Ukraine. FBI and Justice Department officials announced the moves as the U.S. separately revealed sanctions against the two adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We have our eyes on every dollar and jet. We have our eyes on every piece of art and real estate, purchased with dirty money and on every bitcoin wallet filled with proceeds of theft, and other crimes,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said. “Together with our partners around the world, our goal is to ensure that sanctioned Russian oligarchs and cyber criminals will not find safe haven.”
The indictment against Konstantin Malofeyev, a Russian media baron and founder of Russian Orthodox news channel, Tsargrad TV, is the first of an oligarch since the Russian invasion in February. The case accuses him of evading Treasury Department sanctions resulting from his financing of Russians promoting separatism in Crimea.
Though sanctions bar U.S. citizens from working for or doing business with him, Malofeyev hired an American television producer to work for him in networks in Russia and Greece and tried to buy a television network in Bulgaria, prosecutors said. Jack Hanick, a former CNBC and Fox News employee, was arrested last month for his work as a television producer for Malofeyev.
The Justice Department also announced that it had taken down a botnet — a network of hijacked computers typically used for malicious activity — that was controlled by the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU. The botnet was dismantled before it could cause any damage, said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Wednesday’s announcements came two days after U.S. officials seized a huge yacht in Spain belonging to a Russian oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, with close ties to Russian President Putin.
The Justice Department in the past year has taken aim against Russia-based cybercrime, recovering in June most of a multimillion-dollar ransom that Colonial Pipeline paid to hackers after a ransomware attack that halted operations. And the department announced charges last fall against two suspected ransomware operators.
WARNING: The following video contains graphic content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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US targets Putin’s daughters, Russian banks in new sanctions
BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two adult daughters and said it was toughening penalties against Russian banks in retaliation for “war crimes” in Ukraine.
The United Kingdom and the European Union were set to take additional steps, including a ban on new investment in Russian and an EU embargo on coal, after the recent evidence of atrocities that has emerged in the wake of the retreat by Russian forces from areas around Kyiv, including the town of Bucha.
The U.S. acted against two of Russia’s largest banks, Sberbank and Alfa Bank, prohibiting assets from going through the U.S. financial system and barring Americans from doing business with those two institutions.
In addition to sanctions aimed at Putin’s adult daughters, Mariya Putina and Katerina Tikhonova, the U.S. is targeting Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin; the wife and children of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; and members of Russia’s Security Council, including Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and prime minister.
The penalties cut of all of Putin’s close family members off from the U.S. financial system and freeze any assets they hold in the United States.
WARNING: Videos in this story may contain graphic content.
President Joe Biden called the latest round of sanctions “devastating.”
“I made clear that Russia would pay a severe and immediate price for its atrocities in Bucha,” Biden said in a tweet.
Biden was expected to will sign an an executive order that would ban new investment in Russia by Americans no matter where they are living. The U.S. Treasury Department is preparing more sanctions against major Russian state-owned enterprises, according to the White House.
Videos and images of bodies in the streets of Bucha after it was recaptured from Russian forces have unleashed a wave of indignation among Western allies, who have drawn up new sanctions as a response.
The European Commission’s proposed ban on coal imports would be the first EU sanctions targeting Russia’s lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said energy was key to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war coffers.
“A billion euro is what we pay Putin every day for the energy he provides us since the beginning of the war. We have given him 35 billion euro. Compare that to the one billion that we have given to the Ukraine in arms and weapons,” Borrell said.
After several European countries announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats, the European Commission proposed a fifth package of sanctions including a ban on coal imports that could be adopted as soon as Wednesday once unanimously approved by the 27-nation bloc’s ambassadors.
The United States and Western allies plan to impose a ban on all new investment in Russia. Among the other measures being taken against Russia are greater sanctions on its financial institutions and state-owned enterprises, and sanctions on government officials and their family members, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Separately, the Treasury Department moved Tuesday to block any Russian government debt payments with U.S. dollars from accounts at U.S. financial institutions, making it harder for Russia to meet its financial obligations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the coal ban is worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year and that the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports.
She didn’t mention natural gas, with consensus among the 27 EU countries on targeting the fuel used to generate electricity and heat homes difficult to secure amid opposition from gas-dependent members like Germany, the bloc’s largest economy.
But European Council President Charles Michel said the bloc should keep up the pressure on the Kremlin, suggesting that an embargo on gas imports should also be required at some point in the future.
“The new package includes a ban on coal imports,” Michel said on Wednesday. “I think that measures on oil, and even gas, will also be needed, sooner or later.”
The new package of measures proposed by the commission also includes sanctions on more individuals and four key Russian banks, among them VTB, the second-largest Russian bank. The bloc also would ban Russian vessels and Russian-operated vessels from EU ports.
Further targeted export bans, worth 10 billion euros, in sectors covering quantum computers, advanced semiconductors, sensitive machinery and transportation equipment also were proposed.
“I appreciate the strengthening of the 5th EU sanctions package: bans on Russian coal, vessels accessing EU ports, and road transport operators,” Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “But it will take a gas/oil embargo and de-SWIFTing of all Russian banks to stop Putin. Difficult times require difficult decisions.”
Western allies have already cut out several Russian banks of the SWIFT financial messaging system, which daily moves countless billions of dollars around more than 11,000 banks and other financial institutions around the world.
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Madhani reporter from Washington.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Drone light show, Trashion Refashion event, music movies on tap
Through this weekend you can watch 75 drones create art in the sky, audition for a Shakespeare play, hear live jazz groups, catch a fashion show, hear Soccer Mommy or see a movie directed by Douglas Sirk.
Soccer Mommy at the Bluebird
Soccer Mommy, or really, Sophie Regina Allison, is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Nashville, Tennessee. She will entertain at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Bluebird. Her first studio album, "Clean," came out in 2018. She followed that with "Color Theory" in 2020.
“Soccer Mommy” had been her Twitter handle; it took. She started using it to list her songs for Bandcamp, an online record store that attracts music fans and allows them to connect with musicians they like. See Soccer Mommy for $22 at the Bluebird, 216 N. Walnut St., 812-336-3984, thebluebird.ws.
75-drone light show — and it's free
A 75-aerial-drone light show is coming to The Mill Friday night. It's part of a conference called Combine, but the outdoor drone show is open to the public at no charge.
The show is customized for Bloomington and will include artwork and animations. Drones will take flight around 9 p.m. at The Mill, 642 N. Madison St., 812-250-9714, hello@dimensionmill.org.
Sky Elements has produced drone shows at — and over — events throughout the United States, including Super Bowl LIII. The performances are eco-friendly, with pilots using solar generators to power equipment where needed. All shows abide by all FAA safety requirements.
Emmet Cohen Trio will join IU jazz group
The Emmet Cohen Trio will join Indiana University Jacobs School of Music’s Brent Wallarab Jazz Ensemble for a Saturday show. Wallarab is David N. Baker associate professor of jazz studies at Jacobs.
American composer and jazz pianist Emmet Cohen started Suzuki method piano lessons when he was 3. Using his blend of concept and technique, Cohen shows that playing jazz "communicates humanity and individuality."
Cohen also goes beyond performing. According to allaboutjazz.com, he avidly supports artistic knowledge transfer among different generations. An alumnus of the YoungArts Foundation, he produces and directs high school YoungArts programs nationally.
Enjoy IU's annual Jazz Celebration at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Musical Arts Center, 101 N. Eagleson Ave. Tickets are $5 for students and start at $10 for adults. To order by phone call the box office at 812-855-7433. Order online at https://bit.ly/3Ke29Tz.
Trashion Refashion proves trash can be fashionable
The 13th Trashion Refashion show will feature more than 70 original looks made out of discarded items. Local artists have created what other local people will model at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Audience members will get two couture runway shows plus a musical performance by singer-songwriter Tom Roznowski, with violinist Carolyn Dutton.
The shows are juried, and each fashion consists of at least 90% discarded materials, either rescued from the waste stream (trashion) or made from under-used garments (refashion). On parade will be things such as blown bicycle tires, broken camp chairs, and unfortunate bridesmaid’s dresses, redesigned into anything from easy-to-wear to haute couture. The show commits to cultivating diversity among its models with regard to gender, age, race, body type and other categories.
Plato’s Closet hosts this town-and-gown sustainability event. Doors open at 6 p.m. at 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. General admission tickets for the all-ages show are available for $15 in advance, $20 day of show, and $10 for children and students at the BCT box office or on its website at https://bit.ly/36QJOhf.
More information is available at https://bloomingtontrashion.org/.
IU Cinema to show 'Sleep, My Love'
Be careful the next time your spouse serves you a hot cocoa, with a grin.
Indiana University Cinema will show "Sleep, My Love" (1948), directed by Douglas Sirk, at 1 p.m. Sunday at 1213 E. Seventh St.
A rich New Yorker has nary a clue as to how she landed on a train to Boston. It seems there's a plan to get the socialite to kill herself; there's a lot of money to inherit.
Douglas Sirk (born Hans Detlef Sierck in Germany in1897) directed this drama. He started his career in 1922 on the German stage. By the 1930s, he was directing both short and feature films. His political views and his Jewish wife forced the couple to leave Nazi Germany in 1937.
The showing is free but ticketed. Due to limited seating, Patrons are encouraged to buy tickets online in advance at https://bit.ly/3x40qww.
Civic theater seeks Shakespeare performers
Bloomington's all volunteer theater seeks performers for William Shakespeare's history play "King Henry IV." Monroe County Civic Theater is known for its Shakespeare productions, its specialty.
Many roles are open, including Henry IV himself as well as roles for children. Those who audition may read from scripts, available at info@mcct.org. Auditions are 6-9 p.m. Thursday in room 2A and noon-3 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium at the Monroe County Public Library, 303 E Kirkwood Ave., 812-349-3050. Learn more about the group at mcct.org.
Lucinda Williams at BCT next week
Some seats remain for rock, folk and country star Lucinda Williams' rescheduled show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, set for 8 p.m. Thursday, April 14.
The three-time Grammy winner has traveled a long road since her 1979 debut, "Ramblin’ on My Mind," followed by "Happy Woman Blues," her first album of originals released in 1980.
Her current tour with her band features gritty blues songs from her latest album, "Good Souls Better Angels." Learn more at lucindawilliams.com.
Wearing a mask and vaccine verification or proof of a recent negative COVID test is required. Tickets are $50-$60 at https://bit.ly/3x5M3aS.
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Bloomington-based senior living company pays $115,000 settlement in discrimination lawsuit
Heart of CarDon, a Bloomington-based senior living company that owns Bell Trace in Bloomington and 20 other senior living communities in southern and central Indiana, has agreed to pay $115,000 and make policy changes after an Anderson-area employee accused the company of disability discrimination.
The suit was filed in early 2020 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in U.S. District Court for the Southern Indiana District of Indiana. The suit alleges a certified nursing assistant was unable to perform essential functions of her job due to lifting restrictions from a work injury. Although there were several jobs she was qualified to perform without violating the lifting restrictions, the company refused to transfer her to one of several such vacant positions, the suit alleged.
The consent degree settling the lawsuit requires Heart of CarDon to pay $115,000 to the former employee. It also requires the company to assign a human resources manager to work with employees who have suffered a disability that keeps them from being able perform their job duties, evaluating transfers to other positions. The company must also train its employees on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Heart of CarDon is owned by Kathy Headley, David Moore, Dan Moore and Stephen Moore.
Officials with CarDon could not be reached for comment.
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Joy Wang
Created: April 06, 2022 07:17 AM
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – If you've been outside lately, you've likely noticed it has been hotter and much windier – Albuquerque Fire Rescue has taken notice and has been preparing ahead of time for fire season.
"I'd say our spring's really, really busy for us," AFR Lt. Joseph Kandel said. "As far as what we're doing, we got a jump start on our refresher training this year and we were pretty much done by the end of March."
AFR's jump-start is happening because they expect weather patterns to remain dry and windy. All 700 members have completed tests and wildfire refresher training to ensure they're ready to tackle any flames that may spark – wherever they may occur in the metro. They've also started informal patrols.
"If we're going to have red flags that day, we're going to have trucks out patrolling," Lt. Kandel said. "Once we get further into the season, we're going to look at doing our formal patrols where you're going to see those trucks out every day, no matter what that condition is unless we're getting an obvious downpour of rain."
So what can you do to help? AFR says to:
"When they're out there, they see these fires start, they call us right away and we can keep them small. That's going to be critical this year," Lt. Kandel stated. "We have to keep these fires small with these conditions because if they're allowed to grow, they may very well get out of control very quickly."
AFR says the lack of moisture this winter, record temperatures, high winds and low moisture are all contributing to them getting ready early.
Copyright 2022 - KOB-TV LLC, A Hubbard Broadcasting Company
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AP
Created: April 06, 2022 08:09 AM
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation has loosened coronavirus pandemic restrictions to allow more people into businesses and to gather socially and for outdoor events.
The tribe has been more cautious in reopening than the states that surround it. Residents and visitors on the Navajo Nation are still required to wear a mask when in public.
Tribal President Jonathan Nez says the new guidelines for businesses, schools and gatherings are based on a consistent decline in daily coronavirus cases since a large spike in January after the holidays.
Businesses, including the tribe's four casinos, now can operate at 75% capacity, up from 50%.
(Copyright 2022 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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https://www.kob.com/new-mexico-news/navajo-nation-eases-covid-restrictions-mask-mandate-remains/6438578/?cat=500
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Steve Stucker
Updated: April 06, 2022 07:20 AM
Created: April 06, 2022 07:08 AM
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – This morning, much of the state is seeing cooler conditions after a breezy and warm Tuesday.
We are calling for 'gusty and dusty' conditions, especially in the northwest and central portions of the state where advisories are posted.
Temperatures will be in the 50s and lower-60s across northern New Mexico, while places such as Socorro and Roswell will see temperatures solidly in the 70s.
Steve Stucker has full details in his Wednesday morning forecast.
Click the video above to view Steve's full forecast.
Copyright 2022 - KOB-TV LLC, A Hubbard Broadcasting Company
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Biden nominates first woman to lead Coast Guard
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 9:58 AM CDT|Updated: 30 minutes ago
(CNN) - President Joe Biden has picked a woman to be the next leader of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Adm. Linda Fagan was nominated to serve as the next commandant.
If she is confirmed, she would be the first woman to lead the branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Fagan has served on all seven continents and spent 36 years in the Coast Guard service. She is the No. 2 in charge right now.
Her nomination will be under consideration by the Senate committee on commerce, science and transportation, but she’s getting support from both sides of the aisle.
The current commandant is required to retire May 31.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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Gerber is looking for its next ‘spokesbaby’
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 9:46 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
(Gray News) - Gerber is looking for a baby to be the next face of the company.
The company said it is searching for its next “Chief Growing Officer and Spokesbaby.”
The job requirements are simple. Applicants must be between 0-4 years old, have a “playful smile that can light up the room,” and an “irresistible giggle and undeniably loveable personality.”
The winner will also receive $25,000.
To apply, visit Gerber’s website here.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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LSO: Employee quits Malcolm restaurant, turns on faucet & causes flooding damage
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 10:27 AM CDT|Updated: 41 minutes ago
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office cited a man they say quit a Malcolm restaurant and caused flooding damage.
Sheriff Terry Wagner said on Saturday the 27-year-old manager at Genoa Food Co. quit, but when he left, the man plugged the sinks in the kitchen, turned the water on, locked the door and left.
According to Sheriff Wagner, the next day there was four inches of water in the kitchen and bar area.
Deputies estimate the damage to be around $208 and they’re checking for more damage.
Sheriff Wagner said the 27-year-old man was cited for criminal mischief.
Copyright 2022 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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Missing Indiana couple found in Nevada desert; man dead, wife hospitalized, family says
ESMERALDA COUNTY, Nev. (Gray News) – A couple from Indiana who was reported missing more than a week ago in Nevada has been found, according to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.
Ronnie and Beverly Barker’s nephew, Travis Peters, posted an update on Facebook Tuesday night saying rescue teams found the couple near Silver Peak, according to KVVU.
He said Ronnie had died and Beverly was being airlifted to a hospital in Reno where she is doing OK.
KOLO reports the couple left Oregon on March 26, and were headed to Tucson, Arizona.
Their daughter, Jennifer Whaley, says all contact with her parents ceased over a week ago – all cell phone pings stopped March 27.
“It is literally like they fell off the face of the earth. Like they just vanished,” Whaley said.
According to a missing persons flyer shared by the Nye County Sheriff’s Office, they were driving a 2015 Forest River Sunseeker RV with a gold stripe and Indiana license plate C128H.
Ronnie and Beverly also were towing a white 2020 Kia Soul with Indiana license plate FL211A.
Family members say the couple’s RV was found stuck in the mud and their car was not at the scene.
AZFamily reports the Esmeralda County Sheriff’s Office said the couple never made it to the campground at Nellis AFB, where they were supposed to spend the night before hitting the road to Tucson again.
“My parents were supposed to meet them in Tucson on Tuesday evening March 29. That’s when they were supposed to be pulling into the campgrounds in Tucson. They didn’t show up,” Whaley said about her parents meeting up with their friends in Tucson who they’ve known for more than three decades.
Peters told KVVU it is unclear to them what happened to the couple as details surrounding Ronnie’s death have not been released.
He said the Mineral County undersheriff provided them with limited information and only said that Beverly was OK.
“Thank God that Beverly is alive, because she will be able to fill in those blanks that we don’t know. Why did they go up the mountain? What happened?” Peters said.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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No charges filed in no-knock warrant killing of Amir Locke
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota prosecutors declined to file charges Wednesday against a Minneapolis police SWAT team officer who fatally shot Amir Locke while executing an early morning no-knock search warrant in a downtown apartment in February.
Locke, 22, who was Black, was staying on a couch in the apartment when authorities entered it on Feb. 2 without knocking as part of an investigation into a homicide in neighboring St. Paul.
Locke, who was not named in the warrant, was shot seconds after authorities say he pointed a gun in the direction of officers. Locke’s family has questioned that. Body camera footage shows Locke holding a gun before he was shot.
Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office reviewed the case, said prosecutors determined Officer Mark Hanneman was justified in firing his weapon.
“After a thorough review of all available evidence, however, there is insufficient admissible evidence to file criminal charges in this case. Specifically, the State would be unable to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt any of the elements of Minnesota’s use-of-deadly-force statute that authorizes the use of force by Officer Hanneman. Nor would the State be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a criminal charge against any other officer involved in the decision-making that led to the death of Amir Locke,” Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman said in a joint statement.
Locke’s death came as three former Minneapolis police officers were on trial in federal court in St. Paul in George Floyd’s killing. It sparked protests and a reexamination of no-knock search warrants. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced an immediate moratorium on such warrants, and in March, he announced a new policy that requires officers to knock and wait before entering a residence. Some lawmakers also have been pushing for a statewide ban on no-knock warrants, except in rare circumstances.
In their applications for search warrants of the Minneapolis apartment and other locations, authorities said a no-knock warrant was necessary to protect the public and officers as they looked for guns, drugs and clothing worn by people suspected in a violent killing. Authorities asked that officers be allowed to conduct the search without knocking, and outside the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., because the suspects being sought in the Jan. 10 killing of Otis Elder had a history of violence.
Locke was killed seconds after the SWAT team entered the apartment where his family said he was staying. Body camera video shows an officer using a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at least four officers in uniform and protective vests, time-stamped at about 6:48 a.m. As they enter, they repeatedly shout, “Police, search warrant!” They also shout “Hands!” and “Get on the ground!”
The video shows an officer kicking a sectional sofa, and Locke is seen wrapped in a comforter, holding a pistol. Three shots are heard and the video ends.
Locke’s parents have said it appeared to them that their son was startled awake and his mother, Karen Wells, called his death “an execution.”
Police have said Locke was not named in the search warrant. His 17-year-old cousin, Mekhi Camden Speed, was named and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in Elder’s killing.
The search warrants were carried out as part of an investigation into Elder’s death. Elder, a 38-year-old father, was found shot and laying in the street in what police believe was an apparent robbery. Drugs and money were found in Elder’s SUV, according to court documents.
The police department hired Hanneman in 2015. City records show there were three complaints made about him and that all were closed without him being disciplined, but they give no details. Data on the website of the citizen group Communities United Against Police Brutality shows a fourth complaint, in 2018, that remains open. No details were given.
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Associated Press writer Amy Forliti contributed.
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Find AP’s full coverage of the death of Amir Locke at: https://apnews.com/hub/amir-locke
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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US charges Russian oligarch, dismantles cybercrime operation
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has charged a Russian oligarch with violating U.S. government sanctions and has disrupted a cybercrime operation launched by a Russian military intelligence agency, officials said Wednesday.
The action came as the Justice Department said it was accelerating efforts to track down illicit Russian assets and as U.S. prosecutors helped European counterparts gather evidence on potential war crimes committed by Russia during its war on Ukraine. FBI and Justice Department officials announced the moves as the U.S. separately revealed sanctions against the two adult daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We have our eyes on every dollar and jet. We have our eyes on every piece of art and real estate, purchased with dirty money and on every bitcoin wallet filled with proceeds of theft, and other crimes,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said. “Together with our partners around the world, our goal is to ensure that sanctioned Russian oligarchs and cyber criminals will not find safe haven.”
The indictment against Konstantin Malofeyev, a Russian media baron and founder of Russian Orthodox news channel, Tsargrad TV, is the first of an oligarch since the Russian invasion in February. The case accuses him of evading Treasury Department sanctions resulting from his financing of Russians promoting separatism in Crimea.
Though sanctions bar U.S. citizens from working for or doing business with him, Malofeyev hired an American television producer to work for him in networks in Russia and Greece and tried to buy a television network in Bulgaria, prosecutors said. Jack Hanick, a former CNBC and Fox News employee, was arrested last month for his work as a television producer for Malofeyev.
The Justice Department also announced that it had taken down a botnet — a network of hijacked computers typically used for malicious activity — that was controlled by the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU. The botnet was dismantled before it could cause any damage, said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Wednesday’s announcements came two days after U.S. officials seized a huge yacht in Spain belonging to a Russian oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, with close ties to Russian President Putin.
The Justice Department in the past year has taken aim against Russia-based cybercrime, recovering in June most of a multimillion-dollar ransom that Colonial Pipeline paid to hackers after a ransomware attack that halted operations. And the department announced charges last fall against two suspected ransomware operators.
WARNING: The following video contains graphic content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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US targets Putin’s daughters, Russian banks in new sanctions
BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two adult daughters and said it was toughening penalties against Russian banks in retaliation for “war crimes” in Ukraine.
The United Kingdom and the European Union were set to take additional steps, including a ban on new investment in Russian and an EU embargo on coal, after the recent evidence of atrocities that has emerged in the wake of the retreat by Russian forces from areas around Kyiv, including the town of Bucha.
The U.S. acted against two of Russia’s largest banks, Sberbank and Alfa Bank, prohibiting assets from going through the U.S. financial system and barring Americans from doing business with those two institutions.
In addition to sanctions aimed at Putin’s adult daughters, Mariya Putina and Katerina Tikhonova, the U.S. is targeting Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin; the wife and children of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; and members of Russia’s Security Council, including Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and prime minister.
The penalties cut of all of Putin’s close family members off from the U.S. financial system and freeze any assets they hold in the United States.
WARNING: Videos in this story may contain graphic content.
President Joe Biden called the latest round of sanctions “devastating.”
“I made clear that Russia would pay a severe and immediate price for its atrocities in Bucha,” Biden said in a tweet.
Biden was expected to will sign an an executive order that would ban new investment in Russia by Americans no matter where they are living. The U.S. Treasury Department is preparing more sanctions against major Russian state-owned enterprises, according to the White House.
Videos and images of bodies in the streets of Bucha after it was recaptured from Russian forces have unleashed a wave of indignation among Western allies, who have drawn up new sanctions as a response.
The European Commission’s proposed ban on coal imports would be the first EU sanctions targeting Russia’s lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said energy was key to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war coffers.
“A billion euro is what we pay Putin every day for the energy he provides us since the beginning of the war. We have given him 35 billion euro. Compare that to the one billion that we have given to the Ukraine in arms and weapons,” Borrell said.
After several European countries announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats, the European Commission proposed a fifth package of sanctions including a ban on coal imports that could be adopted as soon as Wednesday once unanimously approved by the 27-nation bloc’s ambassadors.
The United States and Western allies plan to impose a ban on all new investment in Russia. Among the other measures being taken against Russia are greater sanctions on its financial institutions and state-owned enterprises, and sanctions on government officials and their family members, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Separately, the Treasury Department moved Tuesday to block any Russian government debt payments with U.S. dollars from accounts at U.S. financial institutions, making it harder for Russia to meet its financial obligations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the coal ban is worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year and that the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports.
She didn’t mention natural gas, with consensus among the 27 EU countries on targeting the fuel used to generate electricity and heat homes difficult to secure amid opposition from gas-dependent members like Germany, the bloc’s largest economy.
But European Council President Charles Michel said the bloc should keep up the pressure on the Kremlin, suggesting that an embargo on gas imports should also be required at some point in the future.
“The new package includes a ban on coal imports,” Michel said on Wednesday. “I think that measures on oil, and even gas, will also be needed, sooner or later.”
The new package of measures proposed by the commission also includes sanctions on more individuals and four key Russian banks, among them VTB, the second-largest Russian bank. The bloc also would ban Russian vessels and Russian-operated vessels from EU ports.
Further targeted export bans, worth 10 billion euros, in sectors covering quantum computers, advanced semiconductors, sensitive machinery and transportation equipment also were proposed.
“I appreciate the strengthening of the 5th EU sanctions package: bans on Russian coal, vessels accessing EU ports, and road transport operators,” Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “But it will take a gas/oil embargo and de-SWIFTing of all Russian banks to stop Putin. Difficult times require difficult decisions.”
Western allies have already cut out several Russian banks of the SWIFT financial messaging system, which daily moves countless billions of dollars around more than 11,000 banks and other financial institutions around the world.
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Madhani reporter from Washington.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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VOTER’S GUIDE: First Congressional District
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Four republicans are competing in the primary for a full term to succeed fellow Republican Jeff Fortenberry, who resigned from his seat after being found guilty on three felony charges in March.
Nebraska’s First Congressional District is comprised of ten counties and two split counties, and stretches from east central Nebraska, down to Lincoln and over to south of Omaha.
State Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk has the support of many top Republican leaders, including Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Dave Heineman and the Nebraska Farm Bureau.
Republicans Curtis Huffman and John Weaver reside in the Omaha area.
Candidate Thireena Connely is from Palmyra.
Patty Pansing Brooks, a Lincoln state senator, was also chosen by the Nebraska Democratic Party to run in the June 28 special election to fill the remainder of Fortenberry’s term. Pansing Brooks will also compete in the Democratic primary for full term.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln student Jazari Zakaria is also running for the democratic nomination in the May 10 primary.
Fortenberry’s name will appear on the republican primary ballot, but he is no longer a candidate for political office this year.
We sent questionnaires to each candidate in the race. Responses from candidates are posted verbatim and not edited for spelling, grammar, or content.
Curtis D. Huffman
Political Party: Republican
Tell us about yourself.
I was Born and raised in Papillion, NE. I Enlisted in the U. S. Air Force and spent 20 years in the Security Forces Career Field. During that time I deployed multiple times to various locations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. After I retired from the USAF, I decided to change career fields, so I went back to college and completed a Bachelors in Accounting.
Why are you running for this office?
For a while now I have felt that our elected leaders have lost touch with the majority of the people. If given the opportunity, I am looking forward to being the voice of Nebraskans.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
1. Eliminating Fraud, Waste and Abuse of taxpayers money
2. Limited Federal Government
3. Term limits for Congress
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
Do you want another politician or lawyer in Congress, or do you want to send an Accountant?
Nebraskans are paying more for food, gas and rent. How do you plan on addressing concerns over the rise in inflation?
We need to stop the economy destroying policies of the current Administration .
What is your message to Nebraska business owners who are dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
I will support policies that remove burdensome regulations and get the Government out of the way of small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. We all need to support our local economy by buying and banking locally.
A recent Pew Research Poll found “strengthening the economy” should be the number one priority for the president and congress. How would you help make that happen?
I plan to support policies that remove unneeded regulations and get the Federal Government out of the way.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
YES
Is illegal immigration a problem? What changes to current policy would you propose?
Yes, illegal immigration is a problem. I would propose finishing the Wall on the southern border. At the same time the U.S. Congress needs to reform our immigration system to streamline the process for those waiting legally in line to become U.S. citizens.
Should any additional steps be taken by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
No, the Federal Government and Medical establishment need to get out of the way of the American people. Each person should be able to talk to their family Doctor on what would work best for themselves and their families.
Do you support President Biden’s response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine? What other measures, if any, would you propose?
President Biden’s response was too little too late. Instead of taking steps to prevent Russian aggression, this administration has been completely reactionary. The types of sanctions that have been imposed are appropriate; they were just too late to be able to prevent this invasion.
Thireena Connely
Political Party: Republican
Tell us about yourself.
I am a homeschool mother. I design curriculum, do editing, and am also an author. In the community, I have taught Government and Politics but this semester, I am teaching War History. In the evenings, I teach dance, gymnastics, and fitness.
Why are you running for this office?
I am running because I’m tired of not having a voice and watching the disappointments we have put in office. I wanted to have someone who can represent the values that we should have but I find that some people have no backbone to say what really needs to be said.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Reducing government spending, restoring our rights and freedoms in our constitution, supporting policies that put America first.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
I have not held public office, I’m not a politician. I know how government SHOULD run and what ordinary citizens like me need.
Nebraskans are paying more for food, gas and rent. How do you plan on addressing concerns over the rise in inflation?
Restricting the fed and putting American economics first. Before we can help other countries, we need to make sure that we are stable. We should also have less restrictive policies on the gas and oil that we can produce here in America.
What is your message to Nebraska business owners who are dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
The supply chain has mostly been disrupted by the kneejerk reaction from the pandemic. We are also seeing that dockworkers may strike as well, which would have devastating consequences. There are several reasons for the labor shortages. First, workers have recently felt like they are being taken care of by the government due to stimulus and extra unemployment which is something that cannot be reversed now. Another reason is the fact that most businesses are struggling to stay competitive with rising minimum wage rates. Unfortunately, this is not a problem that can be helped with a simple bill. There are several things that would contribute to the failure of businesses during this time and most of them are because of government overreach.
A recent Pew Research Poll found “strengthening the economy” should be the number one priority for the president and congress. How would you help make that happen?
I wouldn’t allow the US to be sending “aid” to other countries. Many times, I’ve seen that this aid is to push certain agendas that will not provide the US with anything in return. We cannot help others if we are broken.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
No. There have been many instances where there were witnesses and reports of security issues within our own election system and it just gets brushed aside.
Is illegal immigration a problem? What changes to current policy would you propose?
Yes. Other countries have their own immigration and border security, yet America has a hard time controlling this. There should be policies in place that do not allow sanctuary cities. There should be a clear pathway to citizenship, open to anyone but only after a thorough vetting process.
Should any additional steps be taken by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
No. The government overstepped in its reaction to Covid. The government should have put into place “suggestions” instead of mandates and regulations, especially after more facts and information about the virus came out.
John Weaver
Political Party: Republican
Tell us about yourself.
My name is US Air Force Retired Lt. Col. John Glen Weaver and I am a republican running to serve as the Congressman for the 1st District of Nebraska. I have served all around the globe in national security roles ranging from flying combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan to the Pentagon advising the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. I have extensive experience in the intelligence community and military dealing with issues in the Middle East, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Cyber. Most recently, I served at Offutt Air Force Base as the director of the Nuclear Command Post leading a large team that directed nuclear operations. I have deployed 11 times with numerous deployments to many Middle East and Southwest Asia combat zones over the last 22 years flying on the Offutt based RC-135 collecting top secret intelligence. I speak and majored in Russian and I am very familiar with the threat Russia poses to our country. Additionally, I have two graduate degrees in Economics and Military Science. I am also a small real estate business owner and I have a family farm that has been in the family for generations. I am also a passionate instructor pilot and teach for the University of Nebraska aviation program. I am a proud husband, father, and a Christian. I met my wife, Brianna a physician at UNMC in January of 2019. We have a daughter Bravery and a son due in July.
Why are you running for this office?
I desire to serve as a member of the House of Representatives to continue my service to my community, country and constitution. I have a deep desire to commit my life in the service to this great Nation. Only 17% of congressional leaders are veterans and I believe in and want to serve America with my whole heart. The haphazard withdrawal from Afghanistan in Aug 2021 made me realize that my country needs my leadership. My priorities will be the economy, lowering inflation, securing our border, building a wall, strengthening national defense, expanding Offutt Air Force Base’s mission, and growing agriculture.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top 3 priorities would be 1) Immigration (building a wall) 2) Lowering inflation (balanced budget amendment) 3) National Defense (expanding Offutt AFB by building another runway and getting the B-21 bomber here) 4) Ag Policies
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
Up until college, I grew up on a small family farm raising crops and livestock all the while being homeschooled. This gave me a connection to agriculture and a farming community. It is this love for country and community that inspired me to serve America in the US Air Force for 22 years. These 22 years included many leadership experiences at Offutt Air Force Base and 11 deployments all over the world; to include many combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. I also served in the Pentagon for 3 years writing war plans.
Nebraskans are paying more for food, gas and rent. How do you plan on addressing concerns over the rise in inflation?
The first and main thing that I will do in congress is stop government COVID stimulus spending. The surge in government spending over the past 2 years is the key driver for this inflation we have. Second, we need to make America produce again. Because of excessive government regulations, companies have moved overseas. Americans are the most skilled and competent workforce and we need to produce goods in the USA. This will also help solve supply chain issues. Lastly, I will make certain that the US Government stops controlling and intimidating people with COVID mandates and vaccines. Mask and vaccine mandates have people on edge and they are killing our economy. Lastly, I am against raising interest rates because that puts pressure on the people when the real problem is the government overspending.
What is your message to Nebraska business owners who are dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
There are two main things we can do to reduce supply chain issues. The first is to increase the number of truckers on the road by making it easier to become a truck driver. We must get rid of all the red tape and bureaucracy with getting certified and licensed. Second, at our ports we need to change zoning laws to allow for denser storage of shipping containers. The port of Long Beach, Calif., is allowing containers to be stacked twice as high as before which should be replicated in other ports. Lastly, we need more products made in America so that we don’t have to import them from other countries.
A recent Pew Research Poll found “strengthening the economy” should be the number one priority for the president and congress. How would you help make that happen?
Fundamental tax reform is long overdue. As the debate in Congress rages on we must stick to free-market principles. We must lower the corporate rate while also removing unnecessary special-interest deductions. We have to give corporations the incentives to repatriate their profits so we can grow our tax base, and encourage investments in THIS country. Corporations are not evil, they create jobs, employ Americans, and grow our economy. We must simplify the individual income tax, and remove deductions that distort our economy and reduce revenue unnecessarily. We must stand for pro-growth policies, because we cannot lift the poor out of poverty or raise middle class wages without a strong and growing economy. This is common sense economics, and we must show leadership to make it happen.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
Yes, but to make them even more secure, I would author legislation that would secure our borders, build a wall, and establish a national voter ID. We need a national voter ID system. I spent 22 years defending our American way of life and when in congress I will continue this with an ID system.
Is illegal immigration a problem? What changes to current policy would you propose?
Yes. Absolutely. It’s the #1 or #2 issue to voters in NE-01. With porous unsecure borders we are seeing a flood of illegals that are bringing with them drugs that are killing our citizens. In the Air Force I learned that to have a secure base you must secure the perimeter. We need to build a wall and increase the capability of the Border Patrol. Border security must come first, before we have any other conversation. Enough is enough, let’s enforce our laws. We should not only build the wall but also ramp up tech-savvy ways to secure our border, like drones and sensors. My background in national security makes me uniquely qualified to assess different proposals and find the right solution. Furthermore, border security leads to better legal immigration laws. When we finally secure the border – a proposal that used to be bipartisan – we can then talk about next steps for immigration reform. America is still the shining city on the hill, and we need good, legal immigrants with skills, a hard work ethic, and conservative values to come into this country. But they should do it legally, and we should welcome them. We should move to a merit-based immigration system, so that we get the best of the best in our country. Sanctuary cities are an affront to our law enforcement and national security. When illegal immigrants commit crimes, we should enforce both criminal law AND immigration law. Encouraging law enforcement agencies to cooperate with one another is common sense, and good policy.
Should any additional steps be taken by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
No. Just the opposite. I will oppose ALL mandates (vaccine, mask, etc.) when I am in Congress. I will fire Fauchi and I won’t let doctors make policy decisions that I will be elected to do.
Do you support President Biden’s response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine? What other measures, if any, would you propose?
No. I speak Russian, majored in Russian, and lived in Russia so I am very familiar with the threat Russia poses to Ukraine and the world. Just like the pullout of Afghanistan, Biden’s Ukraine plan is a poor strategy that was executed too late. Our model should have been the 1980s Afghanistan, where the US ran a successful campaign to sustain the Mujahideen against the Soviets. As soon as Putin began massing forces on the border in 2021, I would have sent the Ukrainians a steady flow of small arms ammunition, counter drone rifles, javelin anti tank weapons, and stinger anti-air missiles as well as secure communication systems and medical supplies. Anti-air missiles are especially critical for protecting Ukrainian ground units from Russian air attack. I believe that if the US would have sent these weapons to Ukraine earlier, we possibly could have deterred Russia from invading. I flew combat and combat support missions in two no fly zones over Iraq (Operations Northern and Southern Watch) and do not support a no-fly zone. An air-to-air engagement between the US and Russia would expand the conflict and increase the chance for nuclear war between the US and Russia.
Mike Flood
Political Party: Republican
Tell us about yourself.
I am a lifelong Nebraskan and a conservative Republican from Norfolk, Nebraska. I am a husband, father, broadcaster, business owner, lawyer, and Nebraska State Senator representing District 19. When I was 24 years old, I started my first business, a rural radio station in my hometown of Norfolk. I’ve made a payroll every two weeks since then and know the challenges and joys that come with running a business. I have always felt the call to public service, and in 2005 I entered the Nebraska Legislature. Two years later my colleagues voted for me to become the youngest and longest-serving Speaker in Nebraska history. During my time in the Unicameral I championed a 20 week ban on abortion, the first of its kind in the nation. I led the effort to preserve the death penalty, codified concealed carry into our state law, and paved the way for state approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. After serving in the Legislature, I briefly announced a run for governor but withdrew from the race after my wife, Mandi, was diagnosed with breast cancer. I’m glad to say that Mandi is now cancer free. I’m blessed that both her and our two boys are healthy, still calling Norfolk home. After completing my term as Speaker, I went back home to invest in my broadcasting business which has now grown into 15 radio stations and 7 TV stations across rural Nebraska. Today, I’m proud to be back in the Legislature continuing my public service representing northeast Nebraska and look forward to representing the First District in Congress.
Why are you running for this office?
I’m running for this office because the path for Republicans to retake the House runs right through the First Congressional District. I’m the Republican who can win in November. I want to fire Nancy Pelosi as Speaker and put a check on Joe Biden’s reckless government overreach. I have a proven record of being able to get things done in a legislative environment. I enjoy working on tough, complicated issues that make an impact for the State of Nebraska. When elected, I will be a voice in Congress and will show up for you when it matters, not just when it’s convenient.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities are fighting inflation, growing Nebraska’s rural communities, and securing our southern border.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
I have been successful in a legislative body and have a record of being able to get things done. During my time in the legislature, I’ve provided good constituent services. I will take that same attitude with me to Washington and insure that the people of the first district have an accessible, accountable representative who will always fight for them. I am also a business owner and know the impact that government has on a business.
Nebraskans are paying more for food, gas and rent. How do you plan on addressing concerns over the rise in inflation?
Inflation is a major issue and getting it under control is a top priority of mine. Every Nebraskan feels the effects at the grocery store, at the gas pump, and when simply going through everyday life. The first thing we need to do to fight inflation is stop the out-of-control spending that has been happening under the democrats rule in Congress, cut taxes, and cut regulation. As a member of the Nebraska Legislature, we are statutorily required to pass a balanced budget. I want to take that same common sense to Washington to get inflation under control and bring prosperity back to families and businesses.
What is your message to Nebraska business owners who are dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
My message to businesses dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortage is I understand and feel these challenges in my own business. One of the largest issues facing Nebraska right now is the need for more workforce. Nebraska has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation and in our nation’s history. Finding a skilled high-quality workforce is a major challenge, especially after the disruptions brought because of the pandemic. I’ve worked on workforce development in the legislature and have made a meaningful impact helping to solve this issue, but more must be done. One of my legislative priorities this year is LB 1167, it appropriates federal funds to the Nebraska Departments of Economic Development and Labor for enhancing and retaining Nebraska’s workforce. In Congress, I will continue to work to make sure Nebraska is a great place to run a business ensuring we have a skilled, high-quality workforce to keep Nebraska the best place in the world.
A recent Pew Research Poll found “strengthening the economy” should be the number one priority for the president and congress. How would you help make that happen?
I believe our economy is strong because of our people, business leaders, and innovators. The federal government’s job is to allow for the best business climate possible while ensuring business operates in a safe and legal way. As a member of Congress, I will work to cut the red-tape, take back regulatory authority from the Executive Branch, and facilitate a business climate that works for Nebraska’s families and businesses. I will also strengthen our economy by working to cut taxes and expand global markets for our agricultural producers. Nebraska produces some of the highest quality products and we must continue to expand access to markets for Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
I understand the concern that many Nebraskans hold that the 2020 election was stolen. I trust Nebraska’s election system but think we should always act to increase security and be vigilant. That’s why I support Voter ID.
Is illegal immigration a problem? What changes to current policy would you propose?
I believe that illegal immigration is a major problem facing our country and it is one of my top priorities when in Congress. We need to build the wall, strongly enforce our immigration laws, and empower our border patrol agents to get control of the border. The Biden administration’s handling of this issue has been a complete failure. An unsecure border is a threat to our national security, public safety, and undermines the rule of law.
Should any additional steps be taken by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
No.
Do you support President Biden’s response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine? What other measures, if any, would you propose?
Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine is despicable. Putin is a thug. He’s costing thousands of lives, thwarting the world economy, and has an utter disregard for the idea of Ukrainian sovereignty. America must stand against Tyranny. I support the sanctions that have been placed on Russian oligarchs who fund and finance Putin’s misdeeds and hold on power. We must have the strongest support for Ukraine possible aiding them with weapons, intelligence, and humanitarian support. The impact this crisis has here in the United States is also evident. Gas prices are astronomical, and President Biden’s solutions simply do not cut it. President Biden should immediately unleash the full ability of domestic oil and gas producers making the United States a net exporter of not importer. Doing this would help the rising cost of energy here at home, our allies overseas, and allow the United States to be self-sufficient rather than dependent on our enemies.
Patty Pansing Brooks
Political Party: Democrat
Tell us about yourself.
I am a state senator, attorney, small business owner, and lifelong community organizer. I was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, where my family has lived for five generations. I graduated from Southeast High School, then received a B.A. in Political Science from Colorado College. I received my law degree at the University of Nebraska College of Law.
I live with my husband, Loel, in Lincoln, where we work together as law partners. We are longtime members of First-Plymouth Congregational Church, where we were married (as were my parents, Lu and Tom). We have three children, Taylor, Graham, and Avary, who have grown into bright, kind and civic-minded young adults who fill our hearts with blessings and joy every day!
Why are you running for this office?
I feel like I have been running to do good for Nebraska all of my adult life. After steering 56 of my bills into law in the Nebraska Legislature and tackling some of our state’s most important issues for children and working families, I know I have more to give – and I also know there is a lot more work to do. So the question is perhaps better stated: “How can I stop running?” I am running because I can’t possibly do anything but run. I look at what’s happening in Washington, and I think, “What are they doing? Why can’t they get things done? Where are all the problem solvers?” And I know I am not alone in feeling this way.
We need people in Washington who aren’t afraid to do the right thing, who don’t take directions from political parties or corporate PACS. Sadly, we have not had that kind of leadership under the current congressman.
And we need that leadership, because the best things happen when those in positions of power are willing to use that power for the common good.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
As our congresswoman, I will work to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, help communities thrive by promoting workforce development, expand infrastructure, including critical broadband, to expand affordable housing and create a rural and urban economic renaissance for our entire state.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
I have a proven track record of values-led policymaking and coalition building to make positive change. I was the co-chair of the $6 million Union Plaza Fundraising Campaign to create Lincoln’s first urban park. I also served as co-chair of the $9.6 million Centennial Mall renovation project, which helped make the seven blocks between our Capitol and our state university a beautiful, historic celebration of Nebraska for all visitors. Finally, I was co-chair of the $250 million Lincoln Public Schools bond issue in 2007 with former Sen. and friend Kathy Campbell. That bond issue improved every school in every zip code in Lincoln.
In my two terms as a State Senator representing Nebraska’s 28th District, I have fought hard and achieved victories for our most vulnerable neighbors, particularly children. One focus of my legislative career has been youth justice reform. I introduced several bills that have expanded children’s rights to legal representation in the justice system, established automatic sealing of children’s court records when they have completed their sentences, and reoriented the purpose of school peacekeeping officers to keep schools safe while keeping kids out of the school-to-prison pipeline.
Additional legislative victories include protecting victims of human trafficking and enacting stricter punishment for people who benefit from trafficking; creating and leading the Whiteclay Public Health Emergency Task Force that ultimately stopped the abusive alcohol sales which had plagued Native Americans for generations and allowed the Oglala Sioux to reclaim sovereignty over their public health; protecting workers who discuss their wages from employer retaliation; codifying the Nebraska Department of Education’s definition of dyslexia as a learning disability, requiring schools to offer evidence-based reading support; and establishing Nebraska’s first officially recognized Indigenous People’s Day.
Nebraskans are paying more for food, gas and rent. How do you plan on addressing concerns over the rise in inflation?
One of the most immediate issues we need to address is inflation. The rising prices of goods and services are hurting families and small businesses. We need to lower prescription drug prices, lower premiums under the Affordable Care Act, continue to release petroleum reserves and stop price gouging. Other measures crucial to those struggling to get by include expanding Medicare to cover hearing, dental and vision. We also need student loan debt forgiveness so young people aren’t strapped for food, gas and rent. As a member of Congress, I will support measures to enhance rental assistance and ensure access, eligibility and funding for SNAP.
What is your message to Nebraska business owners who are dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
We must do everything we can to repair our supply chains and infrastructure to ease bottlenecks. We also need to enhance efforts to recruit and retain workers to fill jobs. Nebraska’s unemployment rate is 2.2%, and it is always among the lowest in the nation, so employers were having problems filling vacancies even before the pandemic. We have to do everything we can ensuring Nebraska continues to be an attractive place to young people by creating a welcoming environment for everyone and making investments in job training so workers can fill the jobs that are available in our communities.
A recent Pew Research Poll found “strengthening the economy” should be the number one priority for the president and congress. How would you help make that happen?
Strengthening the economy is our No. 1 priority, and there are many things we can do to make that happen. Even though U.S. economic growth is gaining momentum and production is up, inflationary pressures are holding us back. We must take action to stop price gouging because people are struggling to make their paychecks go further. Critical measures like lowering the cost of prescription drugs, releasing petroleum reserves and lowering premiums under the ACA can also ease the squeeze and should be among our top priorities.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
I have complete faith in our Nebraska elections. We must take every measure necessary to ensure that this remains the case, not only in Nebraska, but across the country. I believe Congress needs to take steps at the national level to protect future elections and ensure the right to vote for all of our citizens.
Is illegal immigration a problem? What changes to current policy would you propose?
We need comprehensive immigration reform that prioritizes border security, creates an earned pathway to citizenship, maintains families and helps grow our economy. I will support comprehensive immigration reform as a member of Congress and believe it’s long past time to set the politics aside on this issue and move forward on good, sound policy solutions.
Should any additional steps be taken by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
We have moved beyond the point at which Covid should disrupt our daily lives. This doesn’t mean the pandemic is over, but it does mean the availability of vaccines, boosters, treatments, tests and masks make this something we treat and protect against, rather than regard as a constant crisis. With that said, we must remain vigilant to anything that changes with the variants and rely on sound science to inform all of our decisions. If the pandemic taught us anything, it should be that these types of health crises must be taken seriously. As far as the federal government, it should continue to address the economic impacts we continue to feel as a result of the pandemic.
Do you support President Biden’s response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine? What other measures, if any, would you propose?
Vladmir Putin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine is a heinous act. I believe the economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and our NATO allies have been the appropriate response, and they have worked to inflict a cost on Russia for its acts of bloodshed and destruction. I believe we must continue these economic sanctions, work with our allies and keep the avenue open for diplomacy, even as we stand firm in defense of our NATO allies.
Jazari Zakaria
Political Party: Democrat
Tell us about yourself.
I was born here in the United States shortly after my family immigrated here as refugees from South Sudan. I grew up in Lincoln, attending elementary, middle, and high school in this beautiful city. I am currently a double major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I will be the first college graduate in my family with not one but two degrees. In broadcasting media production and journalism, with a minor in English.
Over the years, I have used my talents to creatively give back to the community. I am a videographer, photographer, live streamer, and all-around content creator by day. I have worked with several different media publications as a contributor and correspondent. I take pride in being a community reporter and covering events and topics affecting our community.
In addition, I have advocated for various groups and causes using my online presence, reaching a broader audience.
I participate in many hunger relief efforts here in Lincoln. For example, I am a co-founder of LNK Freedges, which aims to eradicate food insecurity by placing mini-refrigerators around town full of food for those who need it to take. My team members and I created this venture during our enrollment in Leadership Lincoln’s 14th Advocates cohort.
I currently sit on two different non-profit boards and have received back-to-back nominations for a Young Lincoln Leader Award.
I, myself, see running for office as a form of service. A responsibility to take our energy and passion to the next level and create the change we all seek. There are so many issues that I am passionate about fixing that affect my community and me. That adds so much gravity and relatability to my run in this race.
If we give up the fight and lay down our pens, we are renouncing our rights as the authors of a bright and golden future.
I truly hope the people of Nebraska’s First Congressional District grant me their vote and trust me to represent them in the hallowed halls of our nation’s Capital.
Why are you running for this office?
Congress has not been reflective of what America looks like today. Diversity among minorities and age groups is diminutive within the federal government. Young Americans make up a large part of our country’s population, yet there is only one person under 30 in Congress.
My mission is to focus on legislation that affects the future of many young Americans, including, but not limited to, climate change, healthcare, college tuition, housing & food, criminal justice, and social justice & equity.
These days, people are distancing themselves from politics because they feel they do not have a voice or anyone who has their best interest at heart, fighting for them and their families. However, this is the time we have to exercise our constitutional rights to elect people who will do so.
I have done a lot of volunteer work and advocacy for my community, and being in Congress will be a way to elevate and amplify the good I have done and continue to do.
I am running for this office because I will be there for Nebraskans every single day and every single time.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Affordable college tuition
Climate Change
Legal immigration reform
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
My background as a journalist and social media creator has made me a leader within the community as a trusted source of information on current events and an advocate for social and political issues.
Being a working-class citizen, I have faced the same challenges many Nebraskans face. I have had to work three jobs at once, struggled to pay rent, for food, and afford my college bills.
I have taken the pain and struggle of my life experience and turned it into advocacy for our community through social media.
When it is cold outside, my friends and I hand out hot meals to those who do not have a roof over their heads. We also help them seek shelter and relief from the bitter cold.
I help those in need whenever I can and as best as I can. That is the kind of neighbor we need, and that is the kind of representative we need in Congress. Someone who lives in the same reality as the people they campaign to represent.
Nebraskans are paying more for food, gas and rent. How do you plan on addressing concerns over the rise in inflation?
I believe we can combat inflation by giving the American people a true tax break. 0T40, “Zero Tax after 40,” would eliminate federal taxes from overtime pay.
Nebraska has a lot of production jobs where overtime is required. I would support legislation to eliminate federal tax on overtime pay so that workers can pay off their debts, save for a down payment on a home, save for their children’s college tuition, or start their own business.
Tipped employees have significantly struggled throughout the pandemic, and 0T40 would halt federal tax collection on tips.
Before 1984, a federal tax on social security checks was non-existent, and this legislation would reverse that taxation.
Lastly, increasing the federal minimum wage so that Americans can make a living wage will help them meet their needs.
What is your message to Nebraska business owners who are dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
Supply chain shortages and inflation have negatively affected our country. The current state of the world has proven we need to be more self-sufficient. Investing in our economy, specifically local and small businesses, and creating more jobs for the American people will help address these issues.
Infusing more capital into agriculture will help Nebraska farmers and us become more self-sufficient with our food production. We need to limit the number of imported foods and increase our production and export of it to help decrease the cost.
A recent Pew Research Poll found “strengthening the economy” should be the number one priority for the president and congress. How would you help make that happen?
To strengthen the American economy, we must build from the ground up. So often, federal politics focuses on helping large corporate industries while forgetting about smaller businesses. Yet, working-class and middle-class Americans and small business owners are the lifelines of our economy. Investing in local economies will help build state economies, which will then help strengthen our national economy.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
Yes.
Is illegal immigration a problem? What changes to current policy would you propose?
Security at our borders is essential and needs to remain. However, illegal immigration has become an issue associated with terrorism and used to evoke fear. When people are trying to get into the United States, they pursue a better life for their families. Immigrating to the U.S. or even visiting requires documents and monetary requirements that some countries either do not issue or people cannot afford. Our immigration system has become complex and inaccessible to so many people. We need to reconstruct our immigration policies and procedures to safely open our doors to bright, ambitious, and talented individuals who can help our nation progress.
Should any additional steps be taken by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
The federal government should take more action with the eviction moratorium. This will continue to impact low-income households for years to come.
Staffing shortages and lack of necessary resources have affected the quality of education for k-12 students. Congress should now focus on the recovery from COVID-19 by investing more in our public education system and youth mental health.
Do you support President Biden’s response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine? What other measures, if any, would you propose?
Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a delicate situation, but I believe President Biden has done well. At this time, we are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. So we must avoid any aggression that may lead to the United States entering a war with Russia. We must continue to focus on humanitarian aid to Ukraine, which will be less costly than our American military fighting a war.
Copyright 2022 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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VOTER’S GUIDE: Governor
LINCOLN, Neb. - Nebraskans will vote for a new governor this November, as incumbent Governor Pete Ricketts is barred from running for a third consecutive term.
Twelve candidates are running in the race to succeed Ricketts for a four year term, including nine republicans, two democrats and one libertarian.
On the republican side, Charles Herbster, a Falls City farm owner, had the race to himself for months. He’s backed by former President Donald Trump.
Two other republicans hold elected office, including State Sen. Brett Lindstrom and University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen, who has the backing of much of the state party, including Ricketts.
Theresa Thibodeau, who was Pillen’s running-mate for a short time, launched her own campaign.
Other GOP candidates include Donna Carpenter, Michael Connely, Lela McNinch, Breland Ridenour and Troy Wentz.
In the democratic primary, State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue will take on Roy Harris.
Libertarian Scott Zimmerman is the only third party candidate in the race.
The primary is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10.
We sent questionnaires to each candidate in the race. Responses from candidates are posted verbatim and not edited for spelling, grammar, or content.
Michael Connely
Political Party: Republican
Tell us about yourself.
When I was a kid, I did stupid things just like everyone else.
My youthful choice of stupidity included, jumping off corn quonsets into hay stacks (painful), jumping over our house with a 125 Kawasaki motorcycle (successful), going water skiing when there was still ice on the water (bad idea), and ripping flesh from my shin bone trying to show off how high I could jump, and then sewing it back up. (that stings, and you need pliers as well as a needle and thread).
I have cleaned pigsties and toilets, loaded iron and stacked concrete, detasseled in the cornfields and stacked hay, been a driver, a store clerk, a waiter, a newspaper boy, and a worker on an assembly line. I have worn most hats.
In the military I have walked through machine gun nests (allies, nearly got tagged by friendly fire during joint military exercises), been blown down runways (some pilot thinking it was fun to fire up his engine at the wrong time), and have huddled half frozen on the Korean plains during operation Team Spirit.
I am just an average Nebraskan, originally from Broken Bow. My family has been in Nebraska for 7 generations. I know what Nebraska was, and what we have lost. I want it back.
Why are you running for this office?
I am not running for title or for money. I am running for survival. I have been monitoring the massive Military buildup in Communist China. They are planning for war and we in Nebraska are not prepared. My family has been in Nebraska for 7 generations. My family, friends, and neighbors are here. I am running for Governor to both stop the Socialist spread and to protect my home, and prepare us for what is coming.
What would be your top priority if elected?
If my initiatives make it on the November ballot, my first year agenda will be: Reducing the State Board of Education from over 500 to about a dozen, dropping property taxes, and returning education to the local level; Eliminating the inheritance tax; Eliminating ALL forced mask and vaccine mandates; Enforcing 1st Amendment Rights and stopping forced gender pronoun usage, Working with Rex Schroder to clean up election fraud potential, Banning transgenders from female sports. Read my book for the rest.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
An individual can be exceptionally bright, have influential contacts, and other positive qualities, but if that individual is unwilling to join in the battle for the soul of our state, then those qualities have no importance. My greatest quality is the one that I am bringing RIGHT NOW, before the election. I am a man of action. My initiatives, my unicameral testimonies, my recruitment and promotion of high quality state candidates that I am doing now, sets me apart.
My work in construction, manufacturing, transportation, education, sales, and agriculture allows me to understand the needs of most Nebraskans.
My law enforcement training and military police work qualifies me to interact smoothly with our vital law enforcement agencies. My military intelligence and overseas work gives me a view that extends beyond Nebraska for advanced planning. Highly successful Executive positions both in Nebraska and overseas show I have experience leading team leaders. Look at www.michaelconnely.org to see details of my experiences.
For those who prefer to look at a resume instead of character, I have over 300 semester credit hours of college with a 3.82 GPA . My majors include: Political Science, Sociology, Business, Education, Medical Lab, Aviation Electronics.
I am a Marine Corp Sgt vet with work on Helicopter Communications and Navigation, Military Intelligence, Military Police, Medical Lab and a few other minor areas.
Executive Experience includes State Quality Assurance Director for the US Census (promoted 5 times in 2 years) International Educational Advisor for the Japanese Ministry of Education, Educational Director, and Founder of multiple businesses.
I am a Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award winner, Top Economics student #1 of 17,000 in college, and I have receive multiple military letters of commendation.
Do you support tax relief for Nebraskans? If so, what type and how would you make it happen?
It amazes me that everyone talks about tax relief and avoids talking about the root of the problem. Our government spends too much money and that is why we have a tax problem. Yes there are elements of our taxes that need changed, but first I want to implement MY version of 30 x 30. I want to eliminate 30% of the Nebraska Government within 30 months. THAT would make tax reforms much more attractive.
Nebraska has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates during the pandemic. How would you continue the streak as governor?
We have labor problems. It is not that our low unemployment is a bad thing, but we need more people to fill the vacant positions. I will push for lowered regulations making it easier for businesses to operate, and hire more workers. We also need apprentice programs in our schools which will provide workers in the industrial and other areas.
What plan do you have to make housing more affordable for Nebraskans?
Remember my comment about fixing government spending before fixing taxes. If expenses drop then housing will drop too. We also need to simplify regulations. More details will be on my book “Restore the Good Live” (a Patriot’s Guide to Retaking American One State at a Time.”
How would you address concerns from business owners across the state dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
This is a Biden issue. I will need more research to decide the best course of action for Nebraska. If anyone has ideas to fix this short term DC caused situation, they can write to me at Connely2022@gmail. As for long term issues. We need apprenticeship programs beginning at the JR. High school level with a labor representative at schools so students do not have to wander around blind in the employment market. Additionally, alternative forms of post high school education are available. You can find a sampling of those on my site www.michaelconnely.org
As governor, how would you address overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services?
I have multiple relatives working for corrections in all areas. Because of this, I have inside view of the problems (but of course they maintain confidentiality). There are many individuals who should not be in prison in the first place, ones who simply strayed accidentally outside of administrative law. There are others in for victimless crimes who would be better off on state sponsored probation/work programs. One other point is that I want to contract to send all our illegal alien prisoners to a corrections facility in South America. It will be cheaper, and when they get out, it will be a heck of a long walk back to the USA.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
Absolutely not. I also want Nebraska citizens from every county to come to my website to see how they can assist me in cleaning up our corrupted voter rolls. That is merely one method that bad actors can use. I can not address the others unless I and the members of my team win in the May 10 primary. www.michaelconnely.org is where people need to go in order to help me clean up voter rolls before the primary.
Brett Lindstrom
Political Party: Republican
Running Mate: Dave Rippe
Tell us about yourself.
I am a lifelong Nebraskan - graduating from Millard West High School and following in the footsteps of my father and two uncles to play football for the Huskers. I enjoy spending my free time in Omaha with my wife, Leigh, and our three young children, Colette, Barron, and Olivia.
Why are you running for this office?
It’s time for a New Generation of Leadership to lead Nebraska forward. I’m running for Governor to make our state competitive, and one where our children want to grow and stay. As Governor I will cut taxes and grow our economy. I am tired of Nebraska being 49th and 50th and want to make sure Nebraska not only competes but leads moving forward.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Slash the income tax for working Nebraskans. To grow Nebraska’s economy, I would eliminate the income tax for the majority of Nebraskans.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
I believe the experiences I have gained and relationships I have developed during my 8 years in the Legislature not only set me apart from the other candidates – but prepare me to step right into the Governorship and get to work for Nebraska on day one. I’ve worked to cut taxes, spurring economic growth, and making Nebraska a great place to work and to save.
Do you support tax relief for Nebraskans? If so, what type and how would you make it happen?
Tax cuts are my top priority, in particular the income tax. I would cut the rate to 0% on incomes under $50,000 for single filing individuals, and under $100,000 for married filing jointly. The tax rate would be slashed to 5.60% on all income above $50,000 for single filers, and above $100,000 for joint filers. Eventually, the plan would cut the second bracket to 4.99%.
Nebraska’s property taxes put our agricultural producers at a competitive disadvantage, and they stifle growth throughout our state. By reducing the Local Effort Rate and increasing the Allocated Income Tax, we can facilitate significant property tax relief rapidly. Nebraska currently ranks 49th in the United States for state aid to education, with 87 of 244 school districts receiving state aid. This results in drastically different funding amounts for rural and urban schools. My plan creates a fair funding model for education, while making Nebraska more competitive for growth.
Nebraska has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates during the pandemic. How would you continue the streak as governor?
Low unemployment rates are a good headline but are not good for business - to compete, Nebraska must focus on developing its workforce. Workforce development is essential for Nebraska to reverse the brain drain of our best and brightest young people. Focusing on developing educational opportunities for critical industries, like healthcare and manufacturing, will ensure access to opportunities and services in all parts of Nebraska.
As Governor, I will work with leaders across our state to build and market a Nebraska that is able to grow. I will tackle rural economic development head-on, address workforce housing, better connect our schools and kids to employment and opportunity, and work to develop solutions that allow Nebraska to compete with any state in the country.
What plan do you have to make housing more affordable for Nebraskans?
I support the Rural Workforce Housing Act, which will strengthen our communities and ensure that Nebraska’s main streets remain competitive places to live and to do business. Programs like the Rural Workforce Housing Act must maintain funding and allow for opportunities in our rural communities. These programs provide vital grant funding to nonprofit development organizations in eligible communities in Nebraska. My plan would allow for continued funding to address the demand for quality and affordable housing.
How would you address concerns from business owners across the state dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
There are currently more than 60,000 available jobs in Nebraska. Without a plan, without immediate action, Nebraska will face a critical shortage of medical personnel by 2025 and numerous other sectors of Nebraska are already facing shortages that are decreasing their competitiveness.
Nebraska is well suited to expand our manufacturing and other skilled sectors with high-paying, highly skilled jobs with the right advocate leading our state. We must encourage and invest in more partnerships between K-12 schools, community colleges, and our state’s colleges and universities to prepare our young people to enter the workforce, skilled and ready to earn a competitive wage. We will continue to develop world class programs to encourage internships and apprenticeships. When we invest in Nebraskans, we cannot lose.
In addition, infrastructure investment is long overdue throughout Nebraska, and the next Governor will have a unique opportunity to invest in our state. Every Nebraska business relies on safe roads, reliable utilities, and a comprehensive infrastructure backbone that connects Nebraska to the world. These resources need to be modernized and upgraded to be competitive in a global economy.
As governor, how would you address overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services?
I would like to see us funding and addressing the addiction, mental health, job training and workforce issues of the current inmate population before we build another prison. I think there is a distinction between violent criminals and for example those who were locked up for nonviolent offenses. Obviously violent offenders belong in prison, but I think there are people who we can do a better job rehabilitating. I’m not inclined to support building another prison until we do a better job with the current inmate population.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
I believe Nebraska has had free and fair elections. I have heard a lot of concerns from voters and believe that it’s important to be proactive instead of reactive to make sure we have transparency around our elections process. One way to do this is implementation of stricter voter identification laws to add a sense of trust in the way our elections are conducted. I was a cosponsor of Senator Slama’s bill (LR3CA) for stricter voter ID requirements.
Donna Carpenter
Political Party: Republican
Tell us about yourself.
U.S. airforce, Rc -135, top 1/10 percent of all military. COMMUNICATIONS, WEAPON SYSTEMS, Nuclear, Biological,Chemicle.
QUADROUPLE DEGREE: Electricle, Mechanical Engineering. MINOR A AND P.
US. GOV. AGENT. (Camilion).
Alternative fuel systems.
One of only 1300 PASSED (UBE) without going to law school.
Wrote DOC. DEGREE on (CRISPR), 20 years before its time. Super Model Actress. (CAMILION).
Why are you running for this office?
I am the only qualified canidate. My only interest is being a full time Governor! My only interest is the people of this state. I have taken no money from any special interest groups and my decisions will be based on what is best for Nebraskans.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Expand Nebraska energy markets, water, business, cut waistfull spending. Develope ethanole and alternative fuel systems. Better supply chains.
Use additional revenues to cut property tax, death taxes, fuel taxes. Use additional revenues to give state employees raises to keep state employees, and to offset inflation. Veto unnecessary spending and bad spending bills.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
Only one to pass bar exam. (UBE). Only one qualified to understand new tech business. Only one with Law Enforcement background! Only one to understand enviremental issues, and only one with a current (CDL). Only one that wrote the book on vaccines, ( Covid 19 vaccines). (CRISPR), 20 YEARS BEFORE ITS TIME). ONLY ONE THAT SERVED AT OFFUTT AFB.
Do you support tax relief for Nebraskans? If so, what type and how would you make it happen?
Three parts, fuel tax, property tax, and death taxes.
Nebraska has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates during the pandemic. How would you continue the streak as governor?
First, create high tech jobs, second, push for new industries in space and alternative fuels and fuel cells. Work with new companies and small business to come to Nebraska.
What plan do you have to make housing more affordable for Nebraskans?
Push for lower property taxes, push for Veterans and more low income housing with revenues from cut spending and my energery programs.
How would you address concerns from business owners across the state dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
Candidate didn’t answer.
As governor, how would you address overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services?
First is to address the issues with the Justice system. We put more people in jail than Communist Countries! This is not being a free nation. Second thing is to enforce peoples rights to defend them selves. Lastly i would increase house arrest for non violent crimes.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
State wise i have found to be pretty fair. Its places like PBS that wont let me debate the other canadates just because i refuse to take money from anyone. In other words the big dollar canidates and ones fluenced the most by special interest groups get the billing at the debates.
Lela McNinch
Political Party: Republican
Tell us about yourself.
For all 56 years of my life, I have lived in Nebraska, growing up and spending most of my adult life in York. For a year and a half, I lived in Grand Island, and for the past 15 years have lived in Lincoln. The Presbyterian Church in York is where I received the foundation of my belief in Christianity, which amplified when I attended York College where I studied the gospels and minor prophets and attended daily chapel at the Church of Christ. Later I attended the University of Nebraska Kearney and graduated with a degree in Education.
Returning “home” to York, I began substitute teaching for York Public School District for three years before taking a full-time job at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, where I worked in security for five years before transferring to the Lincoln Correctional Center, (LCC). For seven more years I worked in security, a trainer in emergency preparedness response and hostage negotiations at LCC, Airpark Treatment Center and Nebraska State Penitentiary.
The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency recruited and hired me as an Exercise Training Officer, where I served all counties, first responders and State agencies for the preparedness of threats, risks, and hazards to the State, focusing on mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery to all hazards. Additionally, I was the 9-1-1 Director and Emergency Manager for Grand Island and Hall County.
My next service to Nebraskans came as the Director of School Safety for the Nebraska Department of Education, (NDE). Providing guidance, training, and resources to all school districts throughout Nebraska in school safety and security. My priority was to ensure the safety of our children, educators, and facilities. After 10 years, budget cuts at NDE left me without a job, but I would not give up the cause and worked with Nesbitt and Associates to develop “School Security Services.” Together the team developed up-to-date school safety plans, protocol and advanced training for public and private schools, colleges, and universities across the State.
As founder, President/CEO of Global Strategic Security Solutions, GS₃, LLC, I teach safety planning, implementing a business model of planning, training, exercising, and sustainability.
Currently I am an Adjunct Professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology for the University of Nebraska-Omaha as a subject matter expert on school violence.
I was married and divorced which resulted in being a single mom of three young daughters for about 12 years. In that time, I survived an abusive relationship and faced the social and financial challenges associated with being a single parent working both full-time and part-time jobs, donating plasma and participating in medical studies to supplement my income. In 2008 I married my husband, Jerry McNinch. Together, Jerry and I have five daughters and seven grandchildren, creating a total of seven generations to make Nebraska their home.
In 2008 I married my husband, Jerry McNinch. Together, Jerry and I have five daughters and seven grandchildren, creating a total of seven generations to make Nebraska their home.
Why are you running for this office?
I am running for Governor because I see the need, based on the current conditions of our State and our Nation, to use my knowledge, skills, and abilities to serve, lead, protect, be the voice and role model for all Nebraskans. Our founding fathers meant for ordinary citizens to step out of our daily lives to serve others in the State when called to do so, and once the service is complete, to step back among those we have served. Because I am stepping out of the everyday life of Nebraskans, I am in touch with the true concerns, fears and hopes of the people. We need to think big, be persistent, and have an unobstructed vision for our future.
Now is the time to push Nebraska forward to a stronger, post-covid economy, demonstrating our faith, resilience, creativity, unity, and power as a State. People should use their circumstances for motivation to seek opportunity rather than allow their circumstances to define who they are. I can serve as a role model, example, and mentor to many who find themselves in less-than-ideal circumstances, but still able to have an unclouded vision for success. One of my goals is to help heal and united us as one Nebraska and to be a servant to the people, hearing their voice and being the second house to ensure the will of the people succeeds.
What would be your top priority if elected?
When elected, my top priority will be the safety and protection of all Nebraskans.
Know that safety encompasses allowing citizens to have more money in their pockets to help provide the basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter, which means lowering our taxes and bringing in well-paying jobs with benefits. To have safety through strong, consistent, fair, responsible law enforcement. Safety by ensuring our roads and infrastructure is sound so we can work, play and travel safely throughout the State. And to mitigate hazards, to keep all Nebraskans alive and safe. Food safety and availability though assisting our farmers and ranchers to be able to have the resources they need to grow, transport, and sell their products and make a fair profit.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
The most relevant experience I bring to the office of Governor is my selfless continued service to others. As a trained negotiator I truly listen to the wants, needs, hopes, and fears of others, which is paramount in the leadership of our State. There is a tremendous responsibility to all people in serving at this level. I can set aside my ideas and opinions to hear the ideas and concerns of others, to wisely and confidently make the decisions which will best serve most people.
I have a broad base of firsthand experience dealing with private and State agencies throughout Nebraska, and a proven record in collaborating and managing crisis and threats throughout the State. Every day in my service to Nebraska I have worked to protect all Nebraskans and visitors.
I have worked behind the walls in our prison system and understand the operational standards and administrative requirements to achieve accreditation while providing a safe environment for inmates to serve their sentences and for staff to work safely in volatile and potentially hostile environment. I understand the challenges associated with the job because I worked behind the walls for 12 years. The ability to address the issues of overcrowding and challenges within the prison system will come with firsthand knowledge of the issues.
I have worked behind the walls in our prison system and understand the operational standards and administrative requirements to achieve accreditation while providing a safe environment for inmates to serve their sentences and for staff to work safely in volatile and potentially hostile environment. I understand the challenges associated with the job because I worked behind the walls for 12 years. The ability to address the issues of overcrowding and challenges within the prison system will come with firsthand knowledge of the issues.
Serving at the State level in education, I helped the Educational Service Units, public and private schools as well as colleges and universities. I helped create protocol and exacting standards to ensure the safety of our children, educators, and facilities. Developing and enhancing safety plans and providing training to educators across the state. In such I have created a safer Nebraska and am aware of the growing needs for safety and change in education.
In my leadership positions I have managed multi-year, multi-department and multimillion dollar budgets for Nebraska and Homeland Security grants simultaneously.
I am already seen as a trusted agent to the State and was appointed to the US Attorney’s Antiterrorism Advisory Council, and the Nebraska Infrastructure Protection Committee. I have collaborated with the teams of unique specialists on the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals and the Nebraska Suicide Prevention Coalition. My commitment to all people in Nebraska has remained constant.
Overall, I bring to the office my knowledge of safety, preparedness, prevention, communication and coordination of people, ideas, finances, and results. In each role of my service to Nebraskans, I have been bound by the restrictions of money, required to do the best for the most people with limited funds. Even with those restrictions, I successfully completed our expected goals and objectives.
I hold a Certificate of advanced Homeland Security Studies from Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Emergency Preparedness Response Certificate, from Law Enforcement Training Research Associates (LETRA), Campbell, California; Certification in National Incident Management Systems (NIMS), Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Programs (HSEEP), and Professional Development Series of Emergency Management from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Emergency Management from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA). I am certified in National Incident Management Systems, (NIMS), and Incident Command Systems (ICS) with the knowledge and ability to work with all agencies, local, State, Tribal, and National, in a seamless coordinated fashion to all-hazards or incidents. I am a trained certified Crisis Negotiator bringing in advanced active listening and communication skills to the table. As an instructor I guide, teach, mentor, and explain complex issues and ideas to individuals with clear expectations, desired outcomes, and required deadlines. I have coordinated teams of subject matter experts to develop guidance, protocol, and foundational standards in educational mandates. While serving in State agencies, I routinely reviewed proposed legislative bills to determine their validity to the needs of the agencies or populations to which they were directed.
I have worked with and trained first responders in all ninety-three counties as well as worked with and in Nebraska State Agencies, assisting with continuity of operations (COOP) and continuity of government (COG). I work with and train educators and students throughout Nebraska and am known to unite people of all cultures, colors, genders, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds to work towards the good and benefit of all people. I have worked with agriculture sectors specifically the livestock emergency disaster response systems (LEDRS) to train and coordinate the response to a contagious animal disease in Nebraska. I assisted with the activation, storage, and planned distribution of the Strategic National Stockpile to the State. I was appointed as liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services for the H1N1 Bird flu and assisted in the development of a response and recovery plan for the pandemic.
Do you support tax relief for Nebraskans? If so, what type and how would you make it happen?
I do support tax relief for Nebraskans. I am grateful that there is now tax relief for our veterans in their retirement system. I believe that the proposed 5-year program to eliminate social security tax should be acted upon immediately, rather than extending it to five years. I will encourage and support our legislature to move on this proposal to provide immediate relief. Our senior citizens have a fixed income and with the rising cost of our basic human needs it is becoming more difficult to be comfortable in the senior years. Our seniors need relief immediately.
My focus will be reducing spending as well as limiting spending growth. We must live within our means while taking care of our existing infrastructure and residents. Relief will also come by taking a hard looks at what we truly need in the State. There are wish lists and there are essentials for success and survival. Rather than building new, there are hundreds of empty buildings throughout Nebraska which can be used and remodeled at a fraction of the cost for many projects and State needs. Accessing unused facilities for inmate housing or youth facilities is inexpensive in comparison to the creation of new facilities. Reducing spending smartly will also reduce spending at a local level to keep taxes low. Together the legislature and I as Governor will discuss the best solution to provide care and services while reducing spending.
We need to promote Nebraska on a global level. This means we need to be bold, driven and have the confidence to move Nebraska forward to bring in people and jobs to secure economic development and “The Good Life” for generations to come. We will need to make changes while preserving our solidarity, integrity, and unity as a State.
We must be willing to take bold steps and take chances on new markets, products, ideas, and innovations. We took a chance with Ethanol in Nebraska; we need to be willing to take chances in exploring other products to boost our economy and international trade, to include dairy cattle, processing plants for milk and cheese products. Locally owned packing l
Raising the THC level of Cannabis sativa, hemp to 1% will allow farmers to grow a less restrictive product. For hemp to be productive for the State, we will need to bring in processing, manufacturing, and distribution for new products. Each of these actions will bring in well-paying jobs with benefits which will allow growth to the State, broadening our tax base to lift the burden of taxes from everyone. I also believe in and support the legalization of medical marijuana. Appropriately taxing THC products will provide an additional income to Nebraska. I will engage our legislature to win additional support of cannabis for textile and building products as well as encourage the introduction of processing and manufacturing to our State.
Nebraska has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates during the pandemic. How would you continue the streak as governor?
I will continue the streak of low unemployment rates by encouraging and supporting companies who invest in employee education benefits. Likewise promote work-life balance for employees with families through flexible work hours or locations. I do support an increase in the minimum wage to allow individuals to earn more and have more discretionary money. It should be more rewarding and beneficial to work and earn a living rather than be given had outs
What plan do you have to make housing more affordable for Nebraskans?
Candidate did not answer.
How would you address concerns from business owners across the state dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
Regarding labor shortages and the supply chain we need to bring in companies who can build and develop our own supplies thereby eliminating the challenges associated with the supply chain. We have the capability to be self-sufficient in all areas if we allow the growth to come to our State. Part of labor shortages to the State is unaffordability due to high taxes. Once we correct the taxation issue, we will attract more people to Nebraska. We also could hire, legally, migrant workers to help throughout the state in agriculture, tourism, and services. We need to utilize our human resources responsibly to benefit the migrant workers and their families as well as our own businesses and people
As governor, how would you address overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services?
Several ideas for addressing overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services include rather than imprisoning non-violent crimes, I suggest the discipline be changed to house arrest with ankle bracelet monitoring and restrictive movements to work and home. Authorized activity such as attending family sporting events would be allowed. Additionally, everyone as part of their restitution would have to participate in community service weekly until their sentencing is complete. Individuals would continue to contribute to society while caring for their families.
Secondly, use the unoccupied buildings throughout Nebraska, such as the Hastings Regional Center campus, to house specific groups of inmates or specific custody levels.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
I do believe Nebraska elections are free, with every Nebraskan having the ability to vote. We have in person voting, absentee voting and mail in ballots. Regarding fairness, as a first-time candidate running for office and being excluded from multiple forums even after a call or email, I question the fairness of elections. As a voter it is my right to see and hear all the candidates regardless of funding and their war chest of money. Candidates should earn a vote rather than buying a vote. I believe we can enhance the security of our voting by bringing polling booths into senior living homes, rather than having a second individual “drop off” their ballot in a vote box. Also, re-registering to vote each time we renew our ID or driver’s license would help to eliminate dead people voting. Additionally, I believe a “hand count” of votes by a human should take place first, followed by a machine count to verify the information. Any machine used should be subject to inspection at any time to ensure the security of the count and the machine.
Theresa Thibodeau
Political Party: Republican
Running Mate: Trent Loos
Tell us about yourself.
I have an extensive background that has afforded me the opportunities to build relationships with everyday Nebraskans. I have worked in Human Resources and managed multi-million dollar accounts. I have stayed at home with my children, and have prepared thousands of children for school through my early learning academy, thus having first-hand experience of the concerns of moms and parents. In addition to my personal and business experience, I have served on government boards, served the Nebraska legislature, and have worked to support the community. I have had experience with the government as a lawmaker, business owner, and resident. I am the only candidate who has worked to improve all levels of government, from city planning to the state level.
Why are you running for this office?
I’ve been involved in local and state politics for over ten years and played an instrumental role in getting conservative candidates elected in Douglas County up and down the ballot. I’ve served in the legislature, chaired the Douglas County Republican Party, and served on the Omaha Personnel Board and a Judicial nominating committee. I reviewed the slate of candidates and felt that I had the public and private business experience to lead our great state. Having worked in Human Resources, served on multiple boards, and owned my own business, I have spoken and listened to Nebraska families and what is important to them. I have developed relationships and focused on open communication in my endeavors. I believe a personal connection builds trust in leadership and lets people know that you are listening, that you care, and that no matter your decision, they have been heard. I have the ideas and vision to lead this state and have Nebraska serve as an example for the rest of our nation.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Nebraska’s governor should concentrate on the issues that most affect our state.
My economic priorities would include:
- Aggressively scouring the state budget to find spending cuts.
- Digging into our tax policy to find taxes we can cut.
- Stopping the passage of any new taxes.
I would push to get parents more involved in their children’s school decisions in education, whether curriculum or social policies. I would also oppose any efforts to reduce voter oversight of education policy.
Public safety must also be a priority. That means supporting our law enforcement professionals as they do tough jobs.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
For over ten years, my involvement in local and state politics has played an instrumental role in getting conservative candidates elected in Douglas County up and down the ballot. I’ve served in the legislature, chaired the Douglas County Republican Party, and served on the Omaha Personnel Board and a Judicial nominating committee. I’m experienced in Human Resources, have served on multiple non-profit boards, and owned a successful small business that I built from the ground up. I have spoken and listened to Nebraska families and what is important to them. Through all of my experience, I have seen and witnessed first-hand what works and what doesn’t for Nebraskans.
Do you support tax relief for Nebraskans? If so, what type and how would you make it happen?
Nebraskans are suffering from the burdens of property taxes, and property tax relief will be my first priority. Once we have provided true property tax relief, we can further reduce income tax, address the inheritance tax, and address the cost to license automobiles. However, property tax relief must come first. I propose that the State of Nebraska replace the current school funding formula and fund our education per student. Each school district will know its budget and plan accordingly on how it would like to spend it.
Nebraska has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates during the pandemic. How would you continue the streak as governor?
Having a low unemployment rate does not always mean economic growth. While Nebraska kept a low unemployment rate, employers across the state have been struggling to fill open positions, even to the point where they have had to shut down due to not having enough employees to meet the needs of the business. The low unemployment rate does not consider the number of people who have left the workforce. The governor must work with private businesses, colleges, universities, and high schools to graduate young people ready to enter the workforce.
What plan do you have to make housing more affordable for Nebraskans?
The State of Nebraska should work side by side with non-profits that support the development of first-time homes and apartments and organizations that train and mentor new builders. Promoting NIFA loans and cutting red tape for builders to cut costs and make it profitable for companies to build more affordable housing.
How would you address concerns from business owners across the state dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
The governor cannot directly affect the supply chain. Still, they can create a more inviting environment to increase the recruitment of manufacturing companies and promote entrepreneurship by reducing the burden of high taxes and red tape. Also, realizing that our state is not a one-size-fits-all, we need to work and promote the economic drivers specific to each community. Work with high schools and community colleges to promote expanded dual enrollment and various opportunities available after high school.
As governor, how would you address overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services?
Nebraska needs a new prison. The new prison will help address the overcrowding issue and allow a safer work environment for corrections officers and others who enter the building to offer services.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
Moving forward, to ensure election integrity, I would like to put forward many initiatives. Voter ID is a must, creating more efficient ways to clean up the voter rolls and make sure deceased individuals are removed, tightening up ballot harvesting laws, and putting harsh penalties on anyone who breaks the law. Removing ballot boxes and reducing early voting to 10 days before any election. Requiring mail-in ballots to contain a copy of an individual’s ID and accepting mail-in ballots only from people who are away at school or serving in our military.
Jim Pillen
Political Party: Republican
Running Mate: Joe Kelly
Tell us about yourself.
I’m a Christian, conservative Republican, a livestock producer, a businessman, a farmer, and a veterinarian. I’ve spent my entire life in Nebraska agriculture, growing up farming with my dad and brothers. I played football for Coach Osborne at UNL, became a veterinarian, and then partnered with my dad, Dale, to raise 60 sows and 1,200 market hogs on a dirt lot on our home farm. Starting from that dirt lot, I founded Pillen Family Farms, a family-owned, family-run business that has created over 1,000 Nebraska jobs. At the center of my life are my faith and my family: my wife, Suzanne; our four children, Sarah, Brock, Polly, and Izic; and our seven grandchildren, Will, Halle, Eloise, Henry, Harrison, Ava, and Thomas
Why are you running for this office?
I’m running for governor to keep Nebraska great for all our kids and grandkids. That means fixing our broken property tax system, keeping more of our kids here, strengthening our rural communities, defending agriculture, and preserving the Christian, conservative values that make Nebraska so special.
What would be your top priority if elected?
We need transformational change to solve our property tax problem. High property taxes hurt every Nebraskan and make our state less competitive. Governor Ricketts has made good on his promise to address property taxes every year he’s been in office, but still, property taxes remain too high. The problems have to be addressed, starting with local spending.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
I’ve spent my entire life in Nebraska agriculture. I’ve built a successful agribusiness from the ground up, creating over 1,000 Nebraska jobs. I know how to grow our economy because I’ve built, invested, and hired here. I know how to support our farmers and ranchers because I’m one of them. My wife, Suzanne, and I have been raising kids here for over 40 years, so we know what it takes to ensure our young people can succeed. I’ll bring all of this experience to the table as Nebraska’s next governor.
Do you support tax relief for Nebraskans? If so, what type and how would you make it happen?
Nebraska is a high-tax state across the board, but my first priority is addressing the property tax issue. We need tighter spending controls at all levels of government, because your property tax dollars are levied and spent locally, not by the state. Next, we need to provide additional property tax relief to saw the property tax “leg” of the “three-legged stool” of Nebraska’s tax code down to size. We need to adopt an income-based assessment system to more fairly value ag land. Finally, we need to reform how we distribute state aid to education. The current system is outdated and unfair.
Nebraska has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates during the pandemic. How would you continue the streak as governor?
The best thing we can do is to keep more of our kids here and ensure that every one of them has an advanced skillset so that they can get a good job.
What plan do you have to make housing more affordable for Nebraskans?
I believe in the free market, and I want to work with business leaders and community leaders alike to make sure we have housing where we need it, especially in rural Nebraska. Housing is critical for attracting new investments, opportunities, and people to our rural communities.
How would you address concerns from business owners across the state dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
As governor, I will use every tool in the toolbox to help job creators attract and retain world-class talent, starting right here at home. I will do everything in my power to cut red tape and regulations and make it easier to do business in Nebraska. Nebraska is the very best of America, and if we do a better job of telling people about it, improving education, and competing for talent, we’re going to see even greater results.
As governor, how would you address overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services?
Public safety is a core function of government, and our prison system plays a big role. We need to make additional investments in our corrections system to expand capacity, enhance programming, and reduce recidivism. We cannot allow dangerous criminals back onto our streets before they’ve served their time.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
We need a voter ID requirement to ensure the security of our elections. That’s why I strongly support the Voter ID ballot initiative. Nebraskans deserve the confidence of knowing that this commonsense measure is in place to prevent fraudulent votes from being cast.
Troy Wentz
Political Party: Republican
Tell us about yourself.
At my website TroyWe.xyz you can learn about my beliefs and ideas and if you pick About Me you’ll read: I am a spiritual person who enjoys creating & helping others. Grew up on a farm, became a programmer analyst and manufacturing engineering technician, then moved back to the country to help my parents farm. It gave me more time to create & become a Jack of many trades. Some of my interests are inventing, reiki, problem solving, dowsing, movies, welding, yoga & writing a screenplay: Thee Unknown God. I care about our Earth and take time to listen to our Nature’s God.
Why are you running for this office?
I don’t like the direction Biden is taking America. Nebraska’s government is taking to much money. I’d like to bring Republicans, Independents and Democrats together to: Rise up against the Demon crats. * Change our property taxes from a Market Value to Size system. * Cut our government by 40% to create a balanced, smaller & efficient one. * Create secure & transparent voting for our Republic & more.
What would be your top priority if elected?
So many, but one: Property Tax system Change from Market Value to Size. You have a $100,000 house. People around you are paying $150,000 or more for houses. Your property taxes go up. The Size system. People pay more around you, your property taxes Stay The Same unless you make your house larger. Yes, you will have to vote more, whether to give the government schools/agencies more money, but your property taxes will not increase automatically if market values go higher.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
Being a Jack of many, not all trades. Working in a wide range of jobs from farming to paid daily temporary jobs, computer programming, manufacturing engineering and more. Being a polymathic type of person with some knowledge in many areas. People who are masters in their field can do things quicker than I but I can see the many parts to find a solution to a problem. Not a radical Green New Deal person but connected to Nature’s God.
Do you support tax relief for Nebraskans? If so, what type and how would you make it happen?
Yes, support. See Why are you running for this office? and What would be your top priority if elected? and multiple pages on my website TroyWe.xyz. I would eliminate many of the sales tax exemptions but I want to have sales taxes and a reformed property tax system be the only 2 taxes. Eliminating income and death taxes.
Nebraska has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates during the pandemic. How would you continue the streak as governor?
We have low unemployment but employers can’t find workers because Nursing Home Joe Biden, the Obama people who control him and Pete Buttigieg are incompetent, stupid people. Stop paying people not to work. Stop firing people because they won’t get a covid shot?
What plan do you have to make housing more affordable for Nebraskans?
This is something I will have to bring people together to find a solution, because I don’t have this problem. I converted a barn swallow, mouse occupied 1 level 12 x 26 junk shed into a 2 level Little House on the Prairie after salvaging a barn for a cost of less than $3,000.
How would you address concerns from business owners across the state dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
We have low unemployment but employers can’t find workers because Nursing Home Joe Biden, the Obama people who control him and Pete Buttigieg are incompetent, stupid people. Stop paying people not to work. Stop firing people because they won’t get a covid shot?
As governor, how would you address overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services?
First find the reasons people are committing crimes? Are government programs such as the welfare system creating more crime? Are some public schools adding to crime when kids can’t read and write? And are there better solutions than prison, such as the Delancey Street Foundation programs? I have a link on my website and I was impressed when I visited their facility.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
I believe the elections are free but not fair and secure. When Lancaster election officials took money from Facebook, that was wrong and people should go to jail. I believe in having voter ID and have other thoughts in the section of my website //TroyWe.xyz/VoteUnicam.pdf
Charles Herbster
Political Party: Republican
Candidate did not respond to survey.
Breland Ridenour
Political Party: Republican
Tell us about yourself.
I was raised and homeschooled in rural Nebraska. Currently, I am an IT Manager for an Omaha-based company. My background is in technology within the military, healthcare, and private sectors. I am married with two children.
Why are you running for this office?
Our state needs a leader that relates to the needs of ALL Nebraskans and will prioritize those needs, and who will fight for the liberties of all Nebraskans. We need a leader who will lead our state to greater success by implementing sustainable solutions with an objective perspective that is not influenced by an outside agenda. I am running because I am that leader. I want Nebraska known for leading by example in all areas, to include education, economy, and liberty. I want to bring honesty, integrity, and transparency into our highest elected office. We need a leader that Nebraskans can trust. I have been proving my trustworthiness by my actions and consistency of my principles.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Protecting the life and liberties of Nebraskans.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
I am a seasoned manager and leader due to my personal training endeavors and professional experiences. I pride myself on my ability to communicate, especially with parties of different opinions. I am experienced in making the tough call, finding the middle ground, and taking the initiative to lead by example. I have personally thrown myself into challenging scenarios and have learned to adapt and overcome grueling obstacles. Furthermore, my extensive experience in technology will allow me to ensure Nebraska stays relevant in this technological age. Technology can be leveraged to better our local industries, save tax money, and grow our state.
Do you support tax relief for Nebraskans? If so, what type and how would you make it happen?
Our current tax system is a ticking time-bomb. Tax relief is a top priority for me. As a middle-class citizen, I feel the sting of exorbitant property taxes.I propose eliminating property, income, corporate, and inheritance taxes. This can be done by working with our legislature to implement the EPIC tax plan.
Nebraska has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates during the pandemic. How would you continue the streak as governor?
I aim to support our local businesses and invest in our infrastructure so local businesses can continue to grow and provide employment opportunities. Simultaneously, I will continue to expand the population in our state by addressing and fixing the issues which have crippled population increase and retention.
What plan do you have to make housing more affordable for Nebraskans?
I will leverage the free market and work with our local builders and municipalities to develop “right-sized” housing. I will address the core causes to the rising cost of housing, i.e., property taxes, supply limitations, unnecessary regulations, local zoning requirements, etc
How would you address concerns from business owners across the state dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
As governor, I will constantly be interfacing with our fellow states to expedite and ensure Nebraska businesses are receiving the supplies they need. We must address the core issues of supply chain interruptions. One of the issues is a loss of personal liberties enforced by other states and businesses. Personal liberties must be protected, or we will continue to see disruption in our supply chain. I will also work with our federal government to keep the ports and shipping hubs open, even during a pandemic or crisis. Shutting down the economy should not be an option.
Labor shortages are being caused by a multitude of issues including: a lack of population growth in Nebraska, bad social service policies, failure to retain our population, infringement on the medical rights of employees, and parents staying home with their kids due to local schools making policies that are harmful to their children.
As governor, how would you address overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services?
I would work to reform our corrections system. We need to establish training and rehabilitation to get non-violent, non-reoffending criminals integrated back into society as productive citizens while keeping the dangerous criminals locked away. I also support the death penalty.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
It has been proven that there are multiple vulnerabilities in our local election system. Identifying and fixing all these vulnerabilities is a critical priority for me. Nebraskans are losing faith in our election system, for good reason, and we need to ensure that integrity is maintained for all political parties.
Carol Blood
Political Party: Democrat
Running Mate: Al Davis
Tell us about yourself.
I am a Nebraska Native, Born in McCook, raised in rural Adams County and I raised my own family in Sarpy County. We also have a family farm in Clay County, Nebraska. My husband Joe and I have been married for 35 years and we have three adult children and ten grandchildren. We have lived in Bellevue for 30 years. By trade I write business plans and feasibility assessments and help with corporate training. Prior to that I was a director of a Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce.
Why are you running for this office?
It is clear Nebraskans want a governor who will work hard to bring our residents back together by inspiring hope and working to transform our divisions. We can once, again, normalize listening to understand each other when we talk about the issues that divide us. We can extend grace and seek out common interests to build a better Nebraska because when we find our common ground, we are strong. We can start to tear away labels that keep us apart and find ways to generate productive civic action and policies that benefit most Nebraskans, not just a small privileged few. This US vs THEM narrative is killing this country and running good government.
Together our voices are strong. We can work together to make a better Nebraska. Our shared future depends on us. We can work together to heal Nebraska from toxic polarization, one Nebraskan at a time. I know we can make this a reality because I refuse to participate in the rhetoric and was the only candidate who came out immediately with solutions and a platform for all instead to trying to anger the masses or create fear in voters. I believe when candidates do these things, they don’t really have to address the true issues that touch Nebraskans on a daily basis. This negative narrative is meant to distract voters. I bring a more effective type of leadership where we can bring all voices to the table, even when we don’t agree. My track record shows a long history of me doing this very thing.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Protecting Nebraska Ag after experiencing supply chain issues, drought, property rights issues and the recent threats of eminent domain. Provide sustainable tax relief. Implement long-term solutions to the overcrowding in Nebraska prisons. Push forward technology to protect the state from cybersecurity threats and streamline services to the public. Create a K-14 education that allows Nebraskans the ability to receive two years of community college to address workforce shortages. Tackle workforce holistically including childcare, housing, training and recruitment. Make Nebraska better for all.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
I served for eight years on the Bellevue City Council as the At-Large (city-wide) representative from 2008 to 2016. I was then elected to serve four years in the Nebraska Legislature in District 3 (Western Bellevue/Eastern Papillion), and re-elected to serve a second term. As a State Senator I have successfully brought forward over 30 items of legislation that has been successfully passed with strong bi-partisan support. While on the Bellevue City Council, I championed efforts that saved our local taxpayers over twenty million dollars. Prior to serving as an elected official, I served for decades as a community volunteer and advocate for a variety of area causes. There are too many to list, but include serving on the Bellevue Public Safety Foundation in support of our first responders for ten years (8 years as chair), serving on the Sarpy County Museum Board, serving as the volunteer manager of the Bellevue Farmers’ Market, facilitating food drives for area pantries and homeless shelters, facilitating events for area Veterans and Military Families, facilitating Period Poverty Drives for area schools and shelters, facilitating events at area assisted living facilities and much more. I believe it is important to serve as a steward in as many capacities as is possible.
Do you support tax relief for Nebraskans? If so, what type and how would you make it happen?
I do support tax relief for Nebraskans but feel it is necessary to select methods that are sustainable and will create true relief, and not kick the can down the road as what has happened for several decades in Nebraska. It needs to be tackled in several ways. First of all, Nebraska has passed down unfunded and underfunded mandates to Nebraska subdivisions for decades. Counties are creatures of the state and when we hand down millions of extra costs, they have few choices to balance their budget and unfortunately the choice is to raise property taxes. Yet the state tends to create the illusion that they play no role in raising your property taxes. I encourage you to read my blog on my campaign website, for a comprehensive explanation on this issue. Secondly, we must fully fund our schools as the current TEEOSA formula is ineffective. Lastly, I would insist that Nebraska start implementing what are known as circuit-breaker threshold bills to reduce property taxes for Nebraskans including Nebraska Farms. Targeted tax breaks provide property tax relief when a taxpayer needs it the most and when a property tax bill exceeds a certain percentage of a taxpayer’s income, this is especially effective when Nebraska Agriculture experiences a crisis such as drought or when a family experiences a loss of income. This will set a strong foundation to allow us to address the bigger issue of how we change our overall tax structure.
Nebraska has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates during the pandemic. How would you continue the streak as governor?
I think it is very important that we point out that our unemployment rate is actually only those who are looking for a job. We can continue to keep Nebraskans employed and recruit new workers by restructuring our development strategies such as tapping into the talent pool of retired Nebraskans, continue to remove licensure hurdles to employment, support K-14 education that allows all Nebraskans the ability to receive two years of free community college or certification classes, encourage “grow where you are” programming in areas such as healthcare helping those already in the system such as housekeeping, intake, etc. go up the ladder to become nurses/techs/nursing assistants and more, grow programming that allows high school students to earn certifications and college credits while still in the K-12 system. Nebraska needs an inclusive economic development plant to move forward in dynamic industries to recruit from historically overlooked communities and provide good paying jobs. Nebraska must work on affordable housing options, invest in broader childcare options and create a welcoming environment for all.
What plan do you have to make housing more affordable for Nebraskans?
Nebraska continues to invest millions of dollars into workforce and affordable housing in both rural and urban Nebraska. In order to move this forward in a timelier manner, it is necessary to find creative ways to make this happen. Working together with local government tools such as inclusionary zoning and changing building codes to make it easier for stakeholders to rehabilitate older buildings, and create additional funding models. Nebraska can continue to embrace programming such as revolving affordable housing loan funds for affordable housing projects with a focus on transportation allowing those who live in this housing to have easy access to things like bus service, bike paths and walking paths when available. Nebraska needs to help local communities access tools such as buy-down programs that allows the fund to cover the difference between market rate and affordable rent and allows for more attainable housing units for the public. Nebraska is missing out on building artist communities, much as they have in Iowa. These development often work on a bonus equity basis where its residents build equity of up to $10,000 over a period of ten years and can then use those funds for a down payment on a future home. Lease to purchase programs also provide options for families to go from renter to home owner after 10-15 years. There are many creative options that do not involve taxpayer dollars, but do involve good legislation at the state level.
How would you address concerns from business owners across the state dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
I feel I did address the labor shortage issue when speaking about the unemployment rate on an earlier question. With that said, one of the more simple ways to address our supply chain issues is to buy local. When you make your supply chain local and reshore, you bring your supply chain closer such as using local supply centers. In a global economy, many have sought their products using cheaper labor overseas. If we tap into our local power, we can be more resilient and source from multiple locations instead of one, encourage our businesses to hold inventory as safety stock, build back up capacity, clearly map out your supply networks utilize AI, when possible, to save money and time and make sure our infrastructure has continued investment because in a global society it is paramount that we have the ability to get from Point A to Point B, have easily accessed transportation systems such as rail or air and have appropriate access to broadband for all.
As governor, how would you address overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services?
Nebraska can’t build its way out of this crisis. It needs to be a multi-faceted approach. Although it is clear that new facilities are needed, we must work on decarceration strategies because the vast majority of those who are incarcerated will one day be our neighbors and rehabilitation is key to helping them integrate into our communities and become good citizens. Nebraska needs to work on Justice Reform that uses evidence-based practices and works toward successful reentry and integration into their communities. Continue to support pre-trial or deferred prosecution programming using problem-solving courts such as drug courts, veteran’s courts, and other focused courts that are combined with treatment options, incentives, drug testing and aftercare. Grow our centralized reentry planning using trained specialists with of being released instead of jamming out with now programming. Project our cost savings to our taxpayers using effective programming instead of only incarcerations to educate the public on the importance of protecting the public through rehabilitation.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
Based on the data and science provided by our Secretary of State’s office and our local election commissioners, I do believe our elections are free, fair and secure.
Roy Harris
Political Party: Democrat
Candidate did not respond to survey.
Scott Zimmerman
Political Party: Libertarian
Tell us about yourself.
I am a Master Certified Educator, husband, father and grandfather. I am a 6th Generation Nebraskan who will be laid to rest in the same cemetery as my Nebraska ancestors. I have a vested interest in Nebraska and a strong desire to see Nebraska emerge as a leader in our Nation. I am a true servant leader. I build coalitions to accomplish tasks and believe that state leadership must make serving the people their only priority.
Why are you running for this office?
I believe that Nebraska deserves better! I became frustrated by the political climate and politics as usual to the point that I had to do something. I want Nebraska to be a place my children never feel as if they need to leave in order to live their lives.
What would be your top priority if elected?
My top priority would be to revitalize education in the state of Nebraska. We need to focus on allowing teachers to teach and making it easier to grow in that responsibility. The Public education sector is doing the absolute best it can, with the resources and constraints they are provided. The way our children learn and develop has changed dynamically in the last ten years and it is time for us to change the way we expect them to learn. I will work to bring Nebraska to the forefront of education in our Nation.
What relevant experience would you bring to the office?
With over 2 decades of Leadership experience, I excel at building highly effective teams and at retaining talented individuals. I put the right people in the right places at the right time to do the best job that can be done. As a Libertarian candidate, I am able to serve the people of our state, in all decisions, and will always hold the needs of Nebraskans first.
Do you support tax relief for Nebraskans? If so, what type and how would you make it happen?
Tax relief is on top of my list of priorities in Nebraska. We really have an over dependence on Government funded resources. There are many opportunities for us to utilize funds to re-invest in our economy and build our communities out of this dependency. By reducing the size and scope of these Government funded resources, I will be able to begin with ending property tax burdens to those Nebrakans which own their property, free and clear, without liens or subsidies, and are of retirement age. I will then eliminate income tax withholding from those workers who are under 18 years of age.
Nebraska has consistently recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates during the pandemic. How would you continue the streak as governor?
Nebraskans need to work. As governor of Nebraska, I will advocate diligently, to expand private post-secondary opportunities in Nebraska. I will focus on bringing Trade schools, focused on high demand fields, to help retain and attract future residents in Nebraska. With our Nebraska reputation of a strong work ethic and access to highly qualified professionals, I will focus on getting small businesses up and operational and I will work to eliminate any government regulations which might interfere with the expansion within our communities!
What plan do you have to make housing more affordable for Nebraskans?
Ultimately, we need to reduce the property tax burden on our land and property owners. I would propose eliminating the market value tax evaluations and replacing them with an incremental increase, dependent on your Deed or lien holders interest in the property. Properties for profit, would also be subjected to the same incremental increase, dependent on revenue generated.
How would you address concerns from business owners across the state dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages?
I would focus on deregulating and getting government involvement out of the way of progress. With a focus on educating and retaining talent in Nebraska, we can get Nebraska working again!
As governor, how would you address overcrowding within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services?
Incarceration in our state prisons should be a last resort and reserved for violent offenders and individuals who are a true threat to our safety and security. I will work to reduce the burden on this system by revising or eliminating prison terms for offenders of victimless crimes, which are the majority in the system today. I will divert resources into rehabilitation and mental health programs in order to support these individuals’ transition to becoming better citizens of Nebraska. The Judicial system must be non-political and I will work to ensure equality before the law is the top priority in our Judicial system.
Do you believe Nebraska’s elections are free, fair and secure?
Personally, I have never had a concern about voting in Nebraska. Recently, this has become a main topic. I have listened to individuals on both sides and there are very valid points from each. When election integrity is of concern, the Election commissioners in each county should be held to the highest standards and be subjected to audits and validations. These individuals have a responsibility to serve their communities and take an oath to protect our constitutional rights. Voting is an essential component of that protection.
Copyright 2022 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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WATCH: People jump from boat being crushed under drawbridge
JUPITER, Fla. (WPEC) - It was a close call for this group of boaters last week when a drawbridge in Florida began to move, partially crushing their pontoon and sending some jumping over the edge in fear.
Thankfully, no one was hurt.
“I think they were trying to move the boat, but the bridge ended up folding on them so they couldn’t move,” said Gillian Pisciotto, who witnessed the incident.
Pisciotto captured now-viral footage of the terrifying moment.
She said she is relieved that the group all walked away unharmed.
“Well, I started screaming at them to move,” she said. “I thought everyone was not going to make it.”
It’s still not clear what the boaters were doing under the bridge. Instead of passing under the main channel, it appears as if the group stopped under a portion of the bridge close to the intercoastal waterway.
There are signs there clearly marked “unauthorized personnel prohibited” and “danger moving machinery.”
The bridge is operated by Palm Beach County.
The county’s public works department was asked if there are cameras under the bridge that the tender on duty could have checked before raising the bridge.
A spokesperson said there are some cameras in the vicinity but couldn’t say where they’re positioned.
Pisciotto said she believes there should be more surveillance under those bridges.
“Yeah, I think would be best just to make sure that like cops could come and make sure they know what happened, instead of having like people just guess what happened,” she said.
According to a manual for bridgetenders in the county, operators are supposed to check for boats, but it’s not clear if every bridge has the equipment to do so.
Copyright 2022 WPEC via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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President Joe Biden has nominated Adm. Linda Fagan to serve as the next commandant of the US Coast Guard.
If confirmed, Fagan would be the first woman to lead a US armed service and to lead the Coast Guard.
Fagan currently serves as the No 2. in the US Coast Guard, a role she's held since June 2021.
Her nomination will be under consideration by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the committee's chair, praised Fagan's nomination and said it will "inspire generations of American women to strive to serve at the highest level in the Armed Forces."
Cantwell and Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin had written to Biden on Friday, requesting the "prompt nomination" of the Coast Guard commandant while noting that the current commandant is required to retire on May 31.
"Given the time required to confirm the nomination in the Senate, it is imperative that we receive the official as soon as possible. Ensuring continuity of leadership is of the utmost importance to our national and economic security," the two senators wrote.
If confirmed, Fagan would become the 27th Commandant during a change of command ceremony scheduled for June 1 in Washington. Adm. Karl Schultz, the current commandant, will retire after the ceremony.
In a Twitter post Tuesday, Republicans on the committee said that Biden has "finally nominated an outstanding leader" for the Coast Guard and that it's "important for the Commerce Committee to proceed efficiently so the Coast Guard is not left without a leader."
Fagan has 36 years of Coast Guard service and has served on all seven continents, according to her military biography.
As the Coast Guard's vice commandant, Fagan was the service's first female four-star admiral.
She most recently served as the commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area and also served on the icebreaker USCGC POLAR STAR. Fagan also was the first woman to serve as commander of Sector New York. As the longest serving active duty Marine Safety Officer, she was recognized as the Coast Guard's first Gold Ancient Trident.
"Admiral Fagan is an exceptional senior Coast Guard officer and nominee, possessing the keen intellect, the depth of operational experience, and the well-honed leadership and managerial acumen to serve with distinction as our Service's 27th Commandant," Schultz said in a statement.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Fagan is "a tremendous leader, trailblazer, and respected public servant who will lead the Coast Guard across its critical missions with honor."
He urged the Senate to swiftly confirm Fagan.
The-CNN-Wire
& 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
Biden Nominates Linden Fagan to be the first woman to lead a US military branch
By Veronica Stracqualursi,
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These are the best hiking spots in New Jersey
A trip to New Jersey doesn't have to be all about the beach. Our state has some incredible trails, waterfalls and lakes to enjoy.
From the Pine Barrens to the Appalachian Trail to the hidden gems of New Jersey, you have plenty of options for a great hike. Hiking is such a great way to spend time outdoors and enjoy nature, plus it's a great workout.
Before you go out on the trails and explore some of our listeners' suggestions, I have some tips on hiking etiquette from American Hiking Society.
If you are going downhill and run into an uphill hiker, step to the side and give the uphill hiker space. A hiker going uphill has the right of way unless they stop to catch their breath.
Always stay on the trail, you may see side paths, unless they are marked as an official trail, steer clear of them. By going off trail you may cause damage to the ecosystems around the trail, the plants and wildlife that live there.
You also do not want to disturb the wildlife you encounter, just keep your distance from the wildlife and continue hiking.
Bicyclists should yield to hikers and horses. Hikers should also yield to horses, but I’m not sure how many horses you will encounter on the trails in New Jersey.
If you are thinking of bringing your dog on your hike, they should be leashed, and make sure to clean up all pet waste.
Lastly, be mindful of the weather, if the trail is too muddy, it's probably best to save your hike for another day.
I asked our listeners for their suggestions of the best hiking spots in New Jersey, check out their suggestions:
Robert Sohl
Sunfish Pond by the Water Gap in Hardwick Township
Margaret Turner
Ken Lockwood Gorge in Califon ... a walk along the river, scenic & goes on for miles
Shannon Rogers
Tillman Ravine near stokes state forest! Following the stream to larger pools in the spring and summer are so nice to walk through! It is beautiful and so lush green!
EF McAdams
I love the Paulinskill Trail in Lafayette. It’s wide, shaded and scenic, with lots of parking and a restroom
Kevin Ross
Wyanokie Hi Point trail in Ringwood
Vicky Rina
South Mountain Reservation Fairy Trail. Not really hiking, more of a walk in the woods but so much fun with kids. They get to look for fairy houses while you walk and end at a stream they can go in when it’s warm or throw rocks in.
@StephenKrug
Batona trail through Batsto Village
@RyanSBurnett
Spilt Rock Reservoir!! Great trails and scenery!!!
@CW_Money
Mount Tammany in Delaware Water Gap NP! Beautiful views of PA & NJ!
Erin Heffernan-Casbarro
The backside of Stairway to Heaven from Barry lakes — high breeze wildflowers lead to beautiful wooden bridge over peaceful stream amidst peaceful serenity of the quiet woods.
@SpattyAl
Stairway to Heaven, Vernon.
Mala Eumnath
Stairway to heaven ... beautiful scenery and challenging
James Petroski
Hacklebarney State Park because of the waterfalls you can climb down.
Becky Slutter
Sourlands preserve as they have boulders to climb on and several different trails
High Point Monument Trail
Alexis Sajewski
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| 2022-04-06T16:17:00
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Clark, NJ mayor apologizes: Admits racist, sexist comments caught on tape
CLARK — After dodging questions on whether a police whistleblower's secret recordings were of him, Mayor Sal Bonaccorso apologized on Tuesday for making the racist and sexual comments caught on tape.
Audio recordings published by NJ.com captured a myriad of racial slurs, comments, and misogynistic remarks by Bonaccorso. Gov. Phil Murphy was among those calling for Bonaccorso to resign.
“I’m here today to say I’ve made mistakes and I’d like to apologize to the residents of Clark, my family, my friends and all those who were offended by my comments," Bonaccorso, a long-time Republican officeholder, says in the video. "They had a right to expect more from me. My words should not reflect on any of them."
Calling his words “hurtful and insensitive,” the mayor says he is “embarrassed and ashamed to have spoken that way about a race of people. I have learned, and I have changed and it will not happen again.”
Changed by the BLM marches
The mayor says that he began to learn more about discrimination during the Black Lives Matters marches in 2020, which he says revealed his personal “blind spots" after listening to the message of protesters. The mayor says he is now a different person than he was two years ago.
"I went to those marches in 2020 thinking I was going to hear people out. Instead, I heard much more inside my own head," Bonaccorso says. "I now realize that not sharing my insights and lessons from those rallies with this community was a missed opportunity."
Bonaccorso also apologized for his "insensitive" comments about a woman police officer.
"They were hurtful and I'm sorry. They were also part of a larger difficult conversation we were having about performances of several officers employed by Clark PD," Bonaccorso says in the video.
The mayor admitted he does not recall every conversation he has ever had but said he is a different person than he was four years ago.
"Because the world is a teacher and I've gotten through good fortune to learn from it a person's age doesn't determine growth. It's ongoing," the mayor says.
Continuing to learn with action
Bonaccorso, who has served as mayor since 2000, said he will be continuing his learning by working with Rahway resident Mark Bullock and his group New Life CDC to help bring people together.
"After a long, heartfelt, truthful conversation with Mark I've decided to continue my learning with action," Bonaccorso says. "I will invite members of the community to join me as well. I look forward to working to change the perception of myself and of Clark. For those who don't live here, we will come to understand that Clark is a loving, caring community that accepts everyone."
New Life CDC’s stated mission is to “meet people's needs in all areas of living through community outreach and collaborative efforts that would result in a better community.”
The mayor did not address the $400,000 that the township paid to police Lt. Antonio Manata to keep the recordings secret. They became public as part of a whistleblower lawsuit filed by Manata.
Ties to a previous incident
The comments on the audio reference a 2017 incident at Arthur L. Johnson High School. A Black puppet was left hanging by a string for the Plainfield girls basketball team to find before a game against Clark. Just days after the image garnered public outrage on Facebook, Bonaccorso went to the Plainfield City Council to formally apologize.
Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp, who is Black and a Democrat, told New Jersey 101.5 he was offended by the racist and misogynistic remarks. He called them "astounding" and "reprehensible and called for Bonaccorso to resign.
The mother of a student whose friend left the sculpture said it was a "misunderstanding" and that the puppet was meant to resemble basketball player Lebron James for a class assignment.
Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com
Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.
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| 2022-04-06T16:17:06
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Do you believe in space aliens? A new Pentagon report is released (Opinion)
As you know if you've been listening for a while, I don't believe that there are space aliens.
I have no issue believing that we are alone in the universe as the only intelligent life. Although given two years of lockdowns and masks during COVID, I do have my doubts about the "intelligent" portion of that statement.
That said, it seems that people are fascinated by the potential for other life forms that are stalking our planet and occasionally interacting with residents.
For the doubters, like me, there's a report that has been released from the Pentagon that details eyewitness accounts of injuries and, yes, a pregnancy resulting from alien contact. Here's the pull quote from the report on Live Science:
Encounters with UFOs have reportedly left Americans suffering from radiation burns, brain and nervous system damage, and even "unaccounted for pregnancy," according to a massive database of U.S. government reports recently made public through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The database of documents includes more than 1,500 pages of UFO-related material from the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) — a secretive U.S Department of Defense program that ran from 2007 to 2012.
I don't think I'll get through reading the full 1,500 pages that were released but even if I did, I don't buy eyewitness accounts. We can't even get eyewitness accounts for a fender bender at an intersection to line up. Ten witnesses, 10versions of the same accident.
So for me, I will continue to be a skeptic. The question for you is do you believe? Are there aliens flying overhead waiting for the right time to interact with humans? Are there aliens who are impregnating humans in order to create some hybrid race on earth?
Makes you think, right? Actually no it doesn't. I'm gonna stick to the discussion of the real aliens who are harming humans, we call them politicians.
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.
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| 2022-04-06T16:17:11
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Here is why you should support NJ kids playing ‘Assassin’ (Opinion)
Typical New Jersey school bureaucrats trying to discourage kids by panicking parents over a game that is essentially neighborhood-wide "tag" with water guns.
Across the country, high school kids are playing the game "Assassin" teaming up with friends and eliminating other teams by "assassinating" other players with water guns.
The game has been going on for years and to my knowledge has never ended up in a police standoff with firearms.
Facts be damned, however, when it comes to fear-mongering and clickbait. The letter to parents as reported by ABC7NY included the following information:
In a letter to the Bridgewater-Raritan High School parents, officials are asking parents to warn their children about this matter. Officials say students have been participating in the game across the nation, and they fear any realistic looking water guns could lead to dangerous encounters with police.
C'mon. Give me a break. Better yet, give the kids a break. This is one of the most active, diverse, inclusive, team sports around. And the kids don't need certified teachers, coaches, or school administrators to guide them. They just made it up. And it's about time that the kids can get back to being kids and have some fun.
For school officials to act as if water gun fights are dangerous flies in the face of reason ad common sense. This should be left alone.
The only thing worse than having the school admin warning about this would be to have school officials try to organize future games. Just leave the kids alone.
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.
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| 2022-04-06T16:17:15
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Iconic South Jersey pizza place moving into Philadelphia
Ask anyone in South Jersey or Philly where the best pizza at the shore is and 9 out of 10 will tell you it's Manco & Manco's in Ocean City.
People in New Jersey have a strong emotional attachment to their favorite pizza, so it's always controversial to say which one is 'the best,' but in this case I happen to agree.
So do the people at the Philadelphia Phillies and Citizens Bank Park, where you can get your Manco & Manco's pizza without driving to the shore this spring and summer.
There's a part of the ballpark called Ashburn's Alley where fans can stand and enjoy the game along with some beverages and their favorite local foods, and that's where you'll find the Manco & Manco stand.
The ballpark is also debuting a new favorite, local South Jersey fried chicken franchise called Colbie's Southern Kissed Chicken from Mount Holly. The chicken franchised is partially owned by former Phillies superstar Ryan Howard.
Back in the day ballpark food was limited to hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn and maybe some nachos. Now you can find popular local restaurant satellite locations in these stadiums. Citizens Bank Park will even be offering some other food choices thanks to a partnership between Aramark and Stephen Starr the famous local restauranteur.
These days the event or destination is secondary. It's all about the food and drinks being offered and I wouldn't be surprised if some people are lured into the stadium by a shorter drive to get some Manco & Manco pizza.
Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.
You can now listen to Dennis & Judi — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite best friends anytime, anywhere and any day of the week. Download the Dennis & Judi show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now:
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| 2022-04-06T16:17:27
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‘It’s barbaric’ — big rally to put an end to smoking in Atlantic City, NJ casinos
Sixteen years in the making, a rally scheduled for later this month aims to be the loudest voice yet in favor of putting a permanent end to smoking inside Atlantic City casinos.
As gaming halls and local business leaders fight to keep things the same — smoking is permitted on a portion of a casino floor — folks in favor of a ban believe now's the best time to make the move.
"Certainly having it gone for a year during the pandemic showed us that it's not going to be the end of the world," state Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Linwood, told New Jersey 101.5.
Legislation that would eliminate a smoking ban exemption for casinos and simulcasting facilities has more than 40 sponsors and co-sponsors — Republicans and Democrats — across the Senate And Assembly. The sponsor/co-sponsor tally for the exemption was 15 during the 2020-2021 legislative session.
Casinos in Atlantic City were required to remain smoke-free for about a year when they reopened in July 2020 from their pandemic-induced shutdown. The rule was a breath of fresh air for many dealers and other casino workers.
Casino Employees Against Smoking's Effects (CEASE), a group that has more than 2,000 members on Facebook, has a rally scheduled for April 12 at McClinton Park, during which casino workers and lawmakers are expected to continue their push for passage of the pending legislation.
The week of April 12 marks the anniversary of the launch of New Jersey's original Smokefree Air Act in 2006.
"Sixteen years, we've been left out of the protection that the state gives everyone else," said Nicole Vitola, a dealer of 21 years. "You can't say it's detrimental to everyone else's health, but it's not detrimental to our health."
Lamont White, who's been dealing since 1985, said on a daily basis, he's hoping he's not sent to a smoking table. Casinos are permitted, but not required, to allow smoking on up to 25% of the floor; no Atlantic City casinos have implemented their own smoking bans.
"Any day I could be faced with four guys chain-smoking on a blackjack table two feet in front of me," White said. "It's just my job to stand there ... and take the smoke. It's barbaric."
According to an analysis from Spectrum Gaming Group, commissioned by the Casino Association of New Jersey, a total smoking ban in Atlantic City casinos would result in a decline of up to 11% in gaming revenue and tens of millions more in non-gaming revenue, along with the loss of 1,000 to 2,500 jobs.
Noting the region continues to feel the adverse effects of the lingering coronavirus pandemic, the Greater Atlantic City Chamber said efforts to impose a permanent smoking ban at casinos "should be halted. President Michael Chait said any negative impact of a ban on the casino industry would hurt local businesses and vendors that rely on the local gaming industry.
In February 2022, in-person gaming revenue at Atlantic City casinos was 43% higher than a year prior. Revenue was down 3% compared to February 2020, right before the pandemic took hold of the Garden State.
Online gaming continues to boost the monthly numbers.
"The truth is employment and visitation are at 20 year low," Chait said. "Land-based gaming revenues are down from 2019 and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. As the numbers demonstrate, this is not the time to enact policy changes that could inflict yet another blow to an already struggling industry and the employees, families and businesses that it supports."
Casino workers suggest this debate isn't a business issue, but strictly a health issue.
Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com
Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.
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| 2022-04-06T16:17:36
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Meet The Voxies! NJ original band opening for Bon Jovi in Charlotte
The Voxies never would have imagined when they were all out-of-work musicians during the heart of the COVID pandemic that just a year later they would be in a band so incredible that after just a couple of performances at places like The Bitter End and the Cutting Room they would be asked to open for Bon Jovi in Charlotte on April 8.
That's exactly what happened, according to trumpet player Ken Nigri, who hails from Howell.
"We started in early 2021 when everything was closed and all musicians were out of work. We got together and began creating."
What they created was an original rock-reggae sound
"The Voxies Band has cultivated their own unique and original sound by creating forward-thinking funky rock 'n' roll that is set to stand the test of time. This may be unique to your senses as this group serves up a blend not heard in the world of original music. While keeping true to our cultivated sound you will get reggae, old school rock, and some funky stuff, while sitting within a contemporary vibe. Very little can top world-class vocals and a horn section to complete the sound."
Nigri on how it all began
"Long-time industry friends came together in need on the back end of COVID-19 while out of work. With the burning passion to perform and very few outlets available- we decided to collaborate, write, and create our own music as recently as February March 2021. This became the defining moment and The Voxies Band was born."
How did they get to open for Bon Jovi at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte on April 8?
"We were very fortunate to be selected. Bon Jovi and his camp liked our song (video). He's awesome and believes selects local original bands and giving them a shot."
When you hear the Voxies you'll know they are a shot worth taking and could be the start of something big. Next comes a tour starting in the northeast. You can also be one of the first to listen to their upcoming non-released song here.
The Voxies members are all from New Jersey:
Ken Negri — Trumpet
Audrey Martells — Lead vocalist
Alex Phayme — Drummer
Warren McCrae — Bass
Etienne Stadjwick — Keyboards
Meredith Foreman — Tenor sax
Stefanie Londino — Backing vocals
Jason Draven — Guitar and vocals
Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise only. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.
You can now listen to Steve Trevelise — On Demand! Discover more about New Jersey’s personalities and what makes the Garden State interesting . Download the Steve Trevelise show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now:
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| 2022-04-06T16:17:42
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NJ detectives hospitalized after crashing into hydrant in Trenton
TRENTON — Detectives from the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office were involved in a crash Monday morning heading to an assignment.
Trenton police spokesman Guy Ponticello said the two detectives were in an unmarked car on Chambers Avenue and swerved in an attempt to avoid hitting a white SUV that was making a turn onto Walnut Street. The detectives wound up hitting the SUV, a fire hydrant and a utility pole, according to Ponticello.
Ponticello told New Jersey 101.5 Wednesday morning that the investigation is ongoing and he did yet know how fast the detectives were traveling at the time of the crash.
One of the two detectives remained hospitalized on Wednesday in stable conditions with broken bones, according to Ponticello.
Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com
Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.
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https://nj1015.com/nj-detectives-hospitalized-after-crashing-into-hydrant-in-trenton/
| 2022-04-06T16:17:46
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See the New Jersey Pinelands like you’ve never seen them before
Everybody in New Jersey knows about the "Pine Barrens" or the "Jersey Pines," officially called the New Jersey Pinelands. It's an incredible natural resource that, thankfully, there are people dedicated to preserving them from development.
To most New Jerseyans, the Pines are a punchline of a disparaging description for people who live near the area, commonly referred to as "Pineys." If you polled people who live here in the state, most have probably never been there.
Sure, you have to watch out for ticks and it's pretty easy to get lost in there if you drive your SUV in there too far. But it is one of the most unique forests in the world. One of only a few on the East Coast where you'll find the kind of vegetation and wildlife that inhabits the Pinelands.
It also sits atop and helps recharge the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer which has some of the purest water in the United States. So, if you're still not ready for a trip deep into the woods to check out how cool the place really is, you're in luck.
The Pinelands Preservation Alliance is presenting a photography exhibit over the next few weeks at the PPA's renovated barn in Southampton. You can learn more here.
Over 695 photos from 170 photographers showcasing the flora, fauna, structures, and people of the Pinelands. Maybe you're not the outdoors type and perhaps you're not even the exhibit type, but if you live in New Jersey, you'll enjoy this unique close-up look and one of the state's most valuable treasure.
Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.
You can now listen to Dennis & Judi — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite best friends anytime, anywhere and any day of the week. Download the Dennis & Judi show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now:
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| 2022-04-06T16:17:52
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Yes, they really did that! Looking back on Atlantic City’s Diving Horse
Today it would never happen thanks to animal cruelty laws, but once upon a time in Atlantic City women used to ride diving horses into an 11-foot tank at the Steel Pier.
The idea of a diving horse act came about when William "Doc" Carver, who was a champion marksman and partner of Buffalo Bill Cody and his traveling Wild West Show, left after a falling out to form his own troupe.
According to womenofageridinghorses.com, "Carver got the idea while attempting to outrun outlaws, he started over a bridge which gave way throwing he and his horse into a stream below." They started it at Electric Park in San Antonio Texas where people came from miles around to pay as much as 50 cents to see it.
When Carver died his son took AJ took over the business and married the rider Sonora Webster. They would settle the show in Atlantic City.
The way they did it in Atlantic City had the horse run up a 40-foot carpeted ramp with the rider waiting on top to mount as the horse ran by to take the plunge together. The horse would then dive into an 11-foot tank and push off the bottom to spring back up. They would also throw their head so the rider had to make sure to keep her head to the side.
According to womenofagegridinghorses.com, no horse was ever injured, but the girls riding them suffered broken bones and black eyes.
Tragically for Sonora Webster, in 1931, her horse Red Lips slipped while attempting a dive and fell nearly straight down, Sonora, in an attempt to avoid him flipping over sat as far back as she could but she hit the water with her eyes open. She would eventually go blind from the incident and the audience never knew.
Webster's story became a Disney film in 1991 called "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken."
Later, Webster's sister would tell the New York Times:
"The movie made a big deal about having the courage to go on riding after she lost her sight. But, the truth was, riding the horse was the most fun you could have and we just loved it so. We didn't want to give it up. Once you were on the horse, there really wasn't much to do but hold on. The horse was in charge."
Horse diving lasted until 1978 when pressure from animal rights groups forced it to shut down.
Among the women riders was Sarah Detwiler Hart wife of the late Philadelphia Flyers announcer Gene Hart. In 1994, Donald Trump's organization tried to bring it back with mules and miniature horses but to no avail.
I polled my audience to see what they've heard of the legend of the diving horses:
Deena Gordon
I remember the diving horse. Animal abuse.
Mark Shepperd
I remember the Chicken Man episode about it!
Gina Preston Caplan
I read a book about them years ago.
Eric Davis
I was a kid. My first taste of showbiz. It was overwhelming.
Brian Brown
I remember Thorton Mellon used to appear there with the diving horse. Years later, he went to college with his son Jason and joined the swim team. He did the triple lindy, lol.
Fred Layser
It was on the end of the steel pier. We would play the arcade games, wheels,and go on rides waiting for the next jump. I think they did it every hour or 2, Was so cool. Would spend the day on the steel pier and beach and watch the horse jump off the pier
Glenn Summers
I seem to recall hearing once that Gene Hart of the Flyers was the stage announcer for the Diving Horse
Michael Baldwin
I suppose a diving horse when I was in Cub Scouts at the Steel Pier. Years later they had Atlantic City antiques and had gathered the girls who used to ride the horse. The ladies were all up there in age and they were all in wheelchairs! I talked to a couple of them and they blame the cold Waters of the Atlantic instead of the actual dive from the top. The comedian Alan King did a all routine upon it and how they got the horses to jump by shoving a cattle prod where the sun don't shine on horses!
Annette Georgios
Saw it many times. Now I think it was cruel
Jersey Steve Tortu
They made a movie about it it was pretty accurate
Bob Palio
Yes, the diving horse was scary to watch as a kid, but they also had coin-operated vending cages of "basketball" chickens where you put money in, the bell rang and they used their beaks to make baskets with a ping pong ball, then the chicken feed would fill the cup for the chicken to eat. As a kid it was funny, as an adult now, it was very sad
Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise only. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.
You can now listen to Steve Trevelise — On Demand! Discover more about New Jersey’s personalities and what makes the Garden State interesting . Download the Steve Trevelise show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now:
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| 2022-04-06T16:17:58
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Biden nominates first woman to lead Coast Guard
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 10:58 AM EDT|Updated: 44 minutes ago
(CNN) - President Joe Biden has picked a woman to be the next leader of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Adm. Linda Fagan was nominated to serve as the next commandant.
If she is confirmed, she would be the first woman to lead the branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Fagan has served on all seven continents and spent 36 years in the Coast Guard service. She is the No. 2 in charge right now.
Her nomination will be under consideration by the Senate committee on commerce, science and transportation, but she’s getting support from both sides of the aisle.
The current commandant is required to retire May 31.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/06/biden-nominates-first-woman-lead-military-branch/
| 2022-04-06T16:24:08
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Biden to speak to trade union national conference
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 12:07 PM EDT|Updated: 15 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Gray News) - President Joe Biden is scheduled to speak Wednesday to the North America’s Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference.
Biden will speak to “thousands of national, state and local building trades leaders from across the country,” according to a statement.
The NABTU works to create economic security and job opportunities for its construction workers, according to the organization’s website. It represents more than 3 million professionals in the U.S. and Canada.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-06T16:24:15
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Judge rules against proposal to build Costco in Stuart
The city of Stuart was hit with another setback in its pursuit to build a Costco on South Kanner Highway.
An administrative law judge with the state ruled against the city, saying it didn't correctly assign a future land-use designation for the 49-acre property.
"There is no question that the City failed to consider the maximum development potential made available through designation of the Property as Neighborhood Special District," Judge Francine M. Ffolkes said in the ruling. "The [land-use] amendment is not supported by a professionally acceptable methodology that analyzes the availability of central water supply, wastewater services, and traffic impact on the level of service of Kanner Highway and adjacent roadways."
The project includes building a gas station, 378 apartments, retail and restaurant space.
Many Stuart residents have been very open about their opposition to the location of the development.
They contend that it will make traffic near Martin County High School worse and ruin the area's wetlands.
Representatives of the city said they were surprised by the decision, but that there are still steps in this process before the issue is decided.
Read the judge's full ruling below:
Scripps Only Content 2022
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| 2022-04-06T16:24:21
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Man comes home to find tornado damage after taking wife off life support
WETUMPKA, Ala. (WSFA/Gray News) - A man in Alabama came home to find his house severely damaged by a tornado after taking his wife off life support at the hospital earlier that day.
Frank Senn’s wife fell down the stairs and broke her neck two weeks ago, severing her spinal cord. Eventually, doctors told him there was nothing else they could do for his wife, and the decision was made to take her off life support Tuesday.
“My world is gone,” Senn said.
Senn had been at a hospital in Birmingham for days staying by his wife’s side before she died. Then, he came home to find his property in Wetumpka destroyed.
Officials confirmed at least one tornado touched down in Wetumpka on Tuesday with a path of damage 11 miles long. Senn believes that tornado directly hit his property.
The siding of his home has been damaged, and his barn, boat and Camaro were flattened by trees.
“The barn was a two-story barn from 1944, but it looks like a tornado took care of it,” Senn said, pointing to the roof of his barn now missing.
After facing the heartbreak of losing his wife, Senn now faces another battle – cleaning up after the storm.
Senn’s family said it has been a really difficult time, and they are asking for prayers. If you would like to help him financially, you can send money to his Cash App account $rangerfarms.
Copyright 2022 WSFA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-06T16:24:27
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Missing Indiana couple found in Nevada desert; man dead, wife hospitalized, family says
ESMERALDA COUNTY, Nev. (Gray News) – A couple from Indiana who was reported missing more than a week ago in Nevada has been found, according to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.
Ronnie and Beverly Barker’s nephew, Travis Peters, posted an update on Facebook Tuesday night saying rescue teams found the couple near Silver Peak, according to KVVU.
He said Ronnie had died and Beverly was being airlifted to a hospital in Reno where she is doing OK.
KOLO reports the couple left Oregon on March 26, and were headed to Tucson, Arizona.
Their daughter, Jennifer Whaley, says all contact with her parents ceased over a week ago – all cell phone pings stopped March 27.
“It is literally like they fell off the face of the earth. Like they just vanished,” Whaley said.
According to a missing persons flyer shared by the Nye County Sheriff’s Office, they were driving a 2015 Forest River Sunseeker RV with a gold stripe and Indiana license plate C128H.
Ronnie and Beverly also were towing a white 2020 Kia Soul with Indiana license plate FL211A.
Family members say the couple’s RV was found stuck in the mud and their car was not at the scene.
AZFamily reports the Esmeralda County Sheriff’s Office said the couple never made it to the campground at Nellis AFB, where they were supposed to spend the night before hitting the road to Tucson again.
“My parents were supposed to meet them in Tucson on Tuesday evening March 29. That’s when they were supposed to be pulling into the campgrounds in Tucson. They didn’t show up,” Whaley said about her parents meeting up with their friends in Tucson who they’ve known for more than three decades.
Peters told KVVU it is unclear to them what happened to the couple as details surrounding Ronnie’s death have not been released.
He said the Mineral County undersheriff provided them with limited information and only said that Beverly was OK.
“Thank God that Beverly is alive, because she will be able to fill in those blanks that we don’t know. Why did they go up the mountain? What happened?” Peters said.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-06T16:24:33
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Nikolas Cruz's defense team won't ask for mistrial
Court resumed Wednesday morning for the jury selection in the Nikolas Cruz sentencing trial after the defense team raised concerns about a possible procedural misstep.
Cruz's attorneys stated Wednesday that, at this point, they do not feel like the case suffered any prejudice and will not ask for a mistrial.
However, the defense team said they would like the chance to speak with the 11 jurors that were excused on Tuesday after they said could not follow the law.
State attorneys also stated they want to proceed with the third day of jury selection.
RELATED: Who's who in Parkland shooting sentencing
Prosecutors asked to enter an order for the sheriff's department to deliver a summons and letter from the court directing those 11 people not to discuss the case any further.
Broward County Judge Elizabeth Scherer offered to start jury selection all over, saying she doesn't believe all 11 potential jurors that were excused will show up again.
Scherer was concerned if that happens then a request to strike the panel will happen later, wasting more time in the trial.
Defense attorneys then reiterated that they do not want a mistrial.
Jury pre-selection is now continuing Wednesday with a new panel of 60 potential jurors entering the courtroom just after 10 a.m.
Cruz has already pleaded guilty to killing 17 people during the 2018 rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The 12 jurors selected will have to decide whether Cruz will face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
Scripps Only Content 2022
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| 2022-04-06T16:24:40
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No charges filed in no-knock warrant killing of Amir Locke
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota prosecutors declined to file charges Wednesday against a Minneapolis police SWAT team officer who fatally shot Amir Locke while executing an early morning no-knock search warrant in a downtown apartment in February.
Locke, 22, who was Black, was staying on a couch in the apartment when authorities entered it on Feb. 2 without knocking as part of an investigation into a homicide in neighboring St. Paul.
Locke, who was not named in the warrant, was shot seconds after authorities say he pointed a gun in the direction of officers. Locke’s family has questioned that. Body camera footage shows Locke holding a gun before he was shot.
Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office reviewed the case, said prosecutors determined Officer Mark Hanneman was justified in firing his weapon.
“After a thorough review of all available evidence, however, there is insufficient admissible evidence to file criminal charges in this case. Specifically, the State would be unable to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt any of the elements of Minnesota’s use-of-deadly-force statute that authorizes the use of force by Officer Hanneman. Nor would the State be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a criminal charge against any other officer involved in the decision-making that led to the death of Amir Locke,” Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman said in a joint statement.
Locke’s death came as three former Minneapolis police officers were on trial in federal court in St. Paul in George Floyd’s killing. It sparked protests and a reexamination of no-knock search warrants. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced an immediate moratorium on such warrants, and in March, he announced a new policy that requires officers to knock and wait before entering a residence. Some lawmakers also have been pushing for a statewide ban on no-knock warrants, except in rare circumstances.
In their applications for search warrants of the Minneapolis apartment and other locations, authorities said a no-knock warrant was necessary to protect the public and officers as they looked for guns, drugs and clothing worn by people suspected in a violent killing. Authorities asked that officers be allowed to conduct the search without knocking, and outside the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., because the suspects being sought in the Jan. 10 killing of Otis Elder had a history of violence.
Locke was killed seconds after the SWAT team entered the apartment where his family said he was staying. Body camera video shows an officer using a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at least four officers in uniform and protective vests, time-stamped at about 6:48 a.m. As they enter, they repeatedly shout, “Police, search warrant!” They also shout “Hands!” and “Get on the ground!”
The video shows an officer kicking a sectional sofa, and Locke is seen wrapped in a comforter, holding a pistol. Three shots are heard and the video ends.
Locke’s parents have said it appeared to them that their son was startled awake and his mother, Karen Wells, called his death “an execution.”
Police have said Locke was not named in the search warrant. His 17-year-old cousin, Mekhi Camden Speed, was named and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in Elder’s killing.
The search warrants were carried out as part of an investigation into Elder’s death. Elder, a 38-year-old father, was found shot and laying in the street in what police believe was an apparent robbery. Drugs and money were found in Elder’s SUV, according to court documents.
The police department hired Hanneman in 2015. City records show there were three complaints made about him and that all were closed without him being disciplined, but they give no details. Data on the website of the citizen group Communities United Against Police Brutality shows a fourth complaint, in 2018, that remains open. No details were given.
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Associated Press writer Amy Forliti contributed.
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Find AP’s full coverage of the death of Amir Locke at: https://apnews.com/hub/amir-locke
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-06T16:24:53
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Residents clear trees, assess damage from southern storms
PEMBROKE, Ga. (AP) — Southerners were clearing trees from roads and buildings as weather forecasters planned to survey damage from several possible tornadoes in Georgia and South Carolina, but said that effort could be interrupted by the potential for more storms Wednesday.
Tuesday’s storms killed at least two people — one in Texas and another in Georgia — and left thousands of people without power across the South.
More than 7,000 customers in Texas and more than 5,000 in Georgia remained without power early Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.
In southeast Georgia, a woman was found dead Tuesday night amid the shredded wreckage of her mobile home in the unincorporated community of Ellabell, said Bryan County Coroner Bill Cox.
“It was just completely ripped to pieces,” Cox said Wednesday. “It’s like it exploded.”
Cox said the dead woman’s husband was taken to a hospital with injuries. He did not give her name, saying relatives were still being notified.
A motorist’s cellphone video taken in Bryan County showed a large funnel cloud crossing Interstate 16 as drivers braked and pulled to the side of the roadway about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Savannah.
In the county seat of Pembroke, large sections of roof got torn off the courthouse and the entryway to a government building across was demolished. Several people in nearby neighborhoods were injured as their homes were damaged, said Matthew Kent, a Bryan County government spokesperson.
In East Texas, W. M. Soloman, 71, died when storm winds toppled a tree onto his home in Whitehouse, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Dallas, Whitehouse Mayor James Wansley said.
As the storms moved into South Carolina late Tuesday, a debate was delayed for nearly an hour in the South Carolina legislature after the state House chamber was evacuated for a tornado warning for Columbia. The legislation being debated would require athletes to compete with the gender listed on their birth certificates.
About a dozen homes were destroyed or heavily damaged in Allendale County, South Carolina. Tractors and other equipment were flipped and twisted on a number of farms in South Carolina’s least populated county. Other storms caused damage to solar panels near Bowman and flipped vehicles and shopping carts in a Walmart parking lot in Manning.
In Alabama, the weather service said it was sending survey teams to examine potential tornado damage in the Wetumpka area. Lightning struck a flea market in the northern Alabama community of Lacey’s Spring, causing a fire that gutted the building, news outlets reported.
In Mississippi, fallen trees and limbs closed a stretch of highway for hours in Newton County.
Several tornadoes are expected across a large part of the South on Wednesday, the national Storm Prediction Center said.
“The atmosphere will be primed again for more severe storms as we go through Wednesday,” said Jared Guyer, a forecaster at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
Parts of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee will be at greatest risk of severe weather. That area of heightened risk includes several large cities, including Atlanta; Birmingham, Alabama; and Knoxville, Tennessee.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-06T16:24:59
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US targets Putin’s daughters, Russian banks in new sanctions
BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two adult daughters and said it was toughening penalties against Russian banks in retaliation for “war crimes” in Ukraine.
The United Kingdom and the European Union were set to take additional steps, including a ban on new investment in Russian and an EU embargo on coal, after the recent evidence of atrocities that has emerged in the wake of the retreat by Russian forces from areas around Kyiv, including the town of Bucha.
The U.S. acted against two of Russia’s largest banks, Sberbank and Alfa Bank, prohibiting assets from going through the U.S. financial system and barring Americans from doing business with those two institutions.
In addition to sanctions aimed at Putin’s adult daughters, Mariya Putina and Katerina Tikhonova, the U.S. is targeting Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin; the wife and children of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; and members of Russia’s Security Council, including Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and prime minister.
The penalties cut of all of Putin’s close family members off from the U.S. financial system and freeze any assets they hold in the United States.
WARNING: Videos in this story may contain graphic content.
President Joe Biden called the latest round of sanctions “devastating.”
“I made clear that Russia would pay a severe and immediate price for its atrocities in Bucha,” Biden said in a tweet.
Biden was expected to will sign an an executive order that would ban new investment in Russia by Americans no matter where they are living. The U.S. Treasury Department is preparing more sanctions against major Russian state-owned enterprises, according to the White House.
Videos and images of bodies in the streets of Bucha after it was recaptured from Russian forces have unleashed a wave of indignation among Western allies, who have drawn up new sanctions as a response.
The European Commission’s proposed ban on coal imports would be the first EU sanctions targeting Russia’s lucrative energy industry over its war in Ukraine.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said energy was key to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war coffers.
“A billion euro is what we pay Putin every day for the energy he provides us since the beginning of the war. We have given him 35 billion euro. Compare that to the one billion that we have given to the Ukraine in arms and weapons,” Borrell said.
After several European countries announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats, the European Commission proposed a fifth package of sanctions including a ban on coal imports that could be adopted as soon as Wednesday once unanimously approved by the 27-nation bloc’s ambassadors.
The United States and Western allies plan to impose a ban on all new investment in Russia. Among the other measures being taken against Russia are greater sanctions on its financial institutions and state-owned enterprises, and sanctions on government officials and their family members, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Separately, the Treasury Department moved Tuesday to block any Russian government debt payments with U.S. dollars from accounts at U.S. financial institutions, making it harder for Russia to meet its financial obligations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the coal ban is worth 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) per year and that the EU has already started working on additional sanctions, including on oil imports.
She didn’t mention natural gas, with consensus among the 27 EU countries on targeting the fuel used to generate electricity and heat homes difficult to secure amid opposition from gas-dependent members like Germany, the bloc’s largest economy.
But European Council President Charles Michel said the bloc should keep up the pressure on the Kremlin, suggesting that an embargo on gas imports should also be required at some point in the future.
“The new package includes a ban on coal imports,” Michel said on Wednesday. “I think that measures on oil, and even gas, will also be needed, sooner or later.”
The new package of measures proposed by the commission also includes sanctions on more individuals and four key Russian banks, among them VTB, the second-largest Russian bank. The bloc also would ban Russian vessels and Russian-operated vessels from EU ports.
Further targeted export bans, worth 10 billion euros, in sectors covering quantum computers, advanced semiconductors, sensitive machinery and transportation equipment also were proposed.
“I appreciate the strengthening of the 5th EU sanctions package: bans on Russian coal, vessels accessing EU ports, and road transport operators,” Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. “But it will take a gas/oil embargo and de-SWIFTing of all Russian banks to stop Putin. Difficult times require difficult decisions.”
Western allies have already cut out several Russian banks of the SWIFT financial messaging system, which daily moves countless billions of dollars around more than 11,000 banks and other financial institutions around the world.
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Madhani reporter from Washington.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-06T16:25:05
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Earlier this week, a source told CNN that West did not want to take the stage in the midst of his divorce battle with Kim Kardashian and in the wake of his one-sided feud with "Daily Show" host Trevor Noah.
In the past several weeks West has taken to social media to air his grievances about co-parenting issues with Kardashian.
The Party & The After Party pic.twitter.com/8gT2bF3x5j
— Coachella (@coachella) April 6, 2022
The annual event is held over two weekends at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, and this year is scheduled to take place April 15-17 and April 22-24.
DEVELOPING: More details will be added to this report as they become available.
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| 2022-04-06T16:30:55
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NEWBURGH, Ind. – Months after a Louisville man tried to save a woman’s life by jumping into the Ohio River, his remains were found about 100 miles downstream in southwestern Indiana.
The Warrick County Coroner’s Office identified remains found at the Old Lock and Dam area on Saturday as those of 34-year-old Adam L. Thomas.
The coroner’s office and Newburgh Police Department appealed for help from the public after the remains were found over the weekend. One key piece of evidence was a back tattoo with the wording “Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat” (“fortune favors the bold” is a common translation) with a large cross below it.
The tattoo proved to be key in determining the remains belonged to Thomas, who disappeared on Jan. 13, 2022, after leaping into the Ohio River in an attempt to rescue a woman who’d jumped in.
Neither Thomas nor the woman made it back to the riverbank. Investigators called off their search after a few hours and presumed both had drowned.
Police described Thomas as a hero who died while trying to help someone else.
“The actions of Mr. Thomas were a true act of heroism and took great courage,” Newburgh police wrote. “Mr. Thomas placed himself in harm’s way in order to help another and ultimately sacrificed his life in doing so.”
The woman’s name has not been publicly disclosed. Her remains have not been found.
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| 2022-04-06T16:38:42
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INDIANAPOLIS – Beth & Jillian played a fun round of the Indy Now Pop Quiz!
Let’s get social: follow your friends at Indy Now
Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for behind-the-scenes fun, the latest on what’s happening in central Indiana, information about the local businesses featured on the show, and much more.
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| 2022-04-06T16:38:48
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INDIANAPOLIS – Here’s today’s round of Lyrical Lightning featuring songs from Jillian’s playlist!
Let’s get social: follow your friends at Indy Now
Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for behind-the-scenes fun, the latest on what’s happening in central Indiana, information about the local businesses featured on the show, and much more.
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| 2022-04-06T16:38:54
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INDIANAPOLIS — After a first generation graduate learned her commencement at IUPUI would not look as she hoped, she started a petition.
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INDIANAPOLIS — After a first generation graduate learned her commencement at IUPUI would not look as she hoped, she started a petition.
Have a question for Angela? Use the form below!
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| 2022-04-06T16:39:00
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INDIANAPOLIS — Comedian Chris Distefano, host of podcasts “Chrissy Chaos” and “Hey Babe”, is making a stop in Indy on Friday, April 8th. He spoke with Angela Ganote via zoom about Friday’s show.
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INDIANAPOLIS — Comedian Chris Distefano, host of podcasts “Chrissy Chaos” and “Hey Babe”, is making a stop in Indy on Friday, April 8th. He spoke with Angela Ganote via zoom about Friday’s show.
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| 2022-04-06T16:39:06
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INDIANAPOLIS — Indy Maven is celebrating all things women and literature with a night filled with books, sharing and literary-inspired cocktails.
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INDIANAPOLIS — Indy Maven is celebrating all things women and literature with a night filled with books, sharing and literary-inspired cocktails.
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| 2022-04-06T16:39:12
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INDIANAPOLIS — With many people looking to change jobs, the Better Business Bureau is warning people to be on the lookout for scammers posing as potential employers.
The BBB relayed a recent report on the BBB Scam Tracker from a Noblesville woman. The woman went through a rapid interview process and was hired after applying for a position on LinkedIn through a recruiter.
One week into the new job, however, the BBB said the woman asked about a paycheck and was ignored. She then refused the employer’s request to open a bank account in her name to book a conference. The company’s website domain was later found to be suspended.
The BBB says this scam works by a person getting a LinkedIn message from a supposed recruiter. They encourage the potential victim to apply for a job. After uploading a resume, the victim is prompted to provide personal information ranging from their address to their social security number.
Other times, the BBB says the scam may look like a potential victim responding to the recruiter’s message and being “hired for the job. After being hired, the victim is asked to pay upfront for training or other expenses.
No matter the details, the job never materializes. The scammer takes the money or information and disappears. If the victim provided personal information, they may become victims of identity theft.
People can protect themselves from this scam by:
- Setting their LinkedIn privacy settings. People can limit which LinkedIn users can send them messages or connection requests.
- Don’t accept every request. Check out the user’s profile for completeness and correct grammar. Just because a user has several connections in common does not mean they are real. Scammers frequently create a large network to look more legitimate.
- Ask to talk on the phone. If a recruiter contacts a user through email, ask to speak by phone. Scammers will try to dodge this with excuses, such as being out of the country.
- Check out BBB Tips: Many job scams use similar techniques, see bbb.org/employmentscam for more advice.
Anyone who has been the victim of this or a similar scam should report it to the BBB Scam Tracker. Reports can help educate other consumers by raising awareness of scammers’ tactics.
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| 2022-04-06T16:39:18
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(NewsNation) — The Federal Reserve reports U.S. corporate profits have surged 25%, which is the biggest annual increase in close to 50 years.
Some lawmakers are accusing companies of using the pandemic and supply chain issues as excuses to raise prices. Now, legislators may be taking steps to regulate potential corporate gouging.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is among those who says big corporations are using the pandemic and war in Ukraine to make money. During a Senate Budget Committee Hearing, Sanders accused companies such as Tyson and Amazon, who he says prioritize corporate greed, for causing inflation.
“Corporations are making record breaking profits, and over 700 billionaires in America became nearly $2 trillion wealthier,” Sanders said.
Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse says competition usually drives the price of items down, but that isn’t happening in the gas or meat industries.
“There something unusual about those two markets that seemingly causes this market theory not to pertain in those markets,” Whitehouse said.
Sanders and Whitehouse believe these corporations should have to pay a windfall tax for their profiteering. But Republicans say Democrats are pointing the finger at the wrong culprit.
“Best calls for inflation lies in the policy choices of this administration,” South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said.
Graham says higher corporate taxes aren’t a solution.
“If we impose new taxes now on businesses who change their business model in light of COVID, we’re going to make a huge mistake,” Graham said.
Graham believes this issue should be decided by the voters in November.
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| 2022-04-06T16:39:22
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(NewsNation) — Nancy Crampton Brophy, a 71-year-old romance novelist, has authored nearly a dozen books, but it’s a blog post she wrote in 2011 titled “How to Murder Your Husband” that’s now turning heads.
More than a decade after penning the post, Brophy is on trial for the murder of her 63-year-old husband.
Chef Daniel Brophy was found dead inside the Oregon Culinary Institute in 2018 as students arrived for their classes. Nearly four years after the well-known chef’s shooting death, the murder trial is underway and expected to last weeks.
One key point in the trial is that Crampton Brophy’s “How to Murder Your Husband” blog post has been excluded from the trial. The novelist wrote the post for a writers workshop, and it has garnered loads of attention since her arrest.
“I find it easier to wish people dead than to actually kill them,” part of the blog post reads.
“…But the thing I know about murder … is that every one of us have it in him/her when pushed far enough,” she also wrote in the post.
At the beginning of the trial Monday, Judge Christopher Ramras ruled that the blog post would not be used as evidence since it was written years ago and is “substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice and confusion of the issues.”
The exclusion serves as a big win for the defense, which says the Brophys were a “loving couple who cared about one another” and had been happily married for 27 years before the chef was gunned down at work.
On the contrary, prosecutors are painting a picture of a cash-strapped couple with a big life insurance policy as the ticket for financial freedom.
KOIN reports that Crampton Brophy was the beneficiary of $1.4 million and that she asked law enforcement for a letter to send to a life insurance company.
Prosecutors are also pointing to Crampton Brophy’s internet searches for ghost guns and her multiple gun purchases. While investigators believe this could have been the start of Crampton Brophy’s alleged plans to kill her husband, the defense says it was all part of research she was conducting for a novel.
Crampton Brophy entered a not guilty plea. She has been held without bond since 2018 and is expected to take the stand in her own defense during the trial.
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| 2022-04-06T16:39:28
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Lee Rose, who led Purdue and Charlotte to the men’s Final Four, has died. He was 85.
UNC Charlotte said Rose died Tuesday in Charlotte. The school did not provide a cause of death.
Rose led the 49ers to the 1976 NIT championship game and to the school’s only Final Four in 1977. He went 72-18 in three years at Charlotte before taking over at Purdue. He spent just two seasons with the Boilermakers, going 50-18 and going to the Final Four in 1979.
After that, he spent the next six years at South Florida amassing a 106-69 record, although the Bulls never made the NCAA Tournament.
Rose moved from a 27-year collegiate coaching into the NBA as an assistant coach with San Antonio, New Jersey, Milwaukee and the Charlotte Hornets and Bobcats.
Through it all, Rose remained a fan of the Charlotte 49ers program, regularly attending home basketball games at Halton Arena after retiring. He was elected to the Charlotte 49ers Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of its inaugural class.
“I am deeply honored to be named to the Inaugural Class for the (49ers) Athletic Hall of Fame,” Rose said at the time. “The team was known as the ‘Mean Green’ and came from being an unknown to the national stage.”
He is survived by his wife, Eleanor, their sons Mike and Mark and four grandchildren.
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| 2022-04-06T16:39:34
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(The Hill) — The Biden administration on Wednesday announced a wave of new sanctions targeting Russia’s two largest banks, daughters, the wife and daughter of Russia’s top diplomat and blacklisted members of Russia’s Security Council.
A senior administration official said the measures are being imposed in alignment with allies in the Group of Seven nations and the European Union and are in response to “the sickening brutality” recently discovered in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha following the retreat of Russian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of committing genocide, while the U.S. and other international leaders have said the images of civilians discovered bound, shot at close range, piled in cellars and left for dead on the street likely amount to war crimes.
The senior administration official said the U.S. and allies are “intensifying the most severe sanctions ever levied on a major economy” and that the result is to send Russia “into economic and financial and technological isolation.” The official added the country will “go back to Soviet-style living standards from the 1980s.”
The administration allowed a carve-out for energy, given the E.U.’s dependence on Russian oil and gas, but said it is working with allied nations to reduce such imports.
The measures announced Wednesday impose full blocking sanctions on Russia’s largest state-owned bank, Sberbank, and its largest private bank, Alfa Bank, freezing any assets “touching” the U.S. financial system and prohibiting Americans from doing business with them.
“Any transaction, in any currency with a U.S. person or U.S. institution is prohibited,” the official said of the full blocking sanctions, targeting Russian efforts to receive payment in currencies other than the U.S. dollar to undercut sanctions.
“This is the most severe action we can take in terms of financial measures,” the official said.
Alfa Bank is Russia’s largest privately-owned financial institution and its fourth-largest financial institution overall. The administration had sanctioned Sberbank on Feb. 24, the day Russia launched its invasion, blocking all U.S. business with the financial institution.
Sberbank is Russia’s largest bank, controls about a third of all bank assets in Russia and is majority-owned by the government.
“In total, we’ve now fully blocked more than two-thirds of the Russian banking sector, which before the invasion held about $1.4 trillion in assets,” the senior administration official said.
The administration imposed personal sanctions against two of Putin’s adult daughters, Maria Putina and Katerina Tikhonova and the wife and daughter on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The U.S. also imposed sanctions on former President and Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, who is a prominent voice supporting Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
“These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people. Some of them are responsible for providing the support necessary to underpin Putin’s war on Ukraine,” the administration said in a statement. “This action cuts them off from the U.S. financial system and freezes any assets they hold in the United States.”
Other sanctions include a ban on new investment in Russia, which will be imposed with an executive order by President Joe Biden. It adds to the exit of nearly 600 multinational companies, the administration official said, and robs the Russian economy of “private sector know-how and skills that travel with investment.”
“The knock-on effects to the ongoing brain drain from Russia will be profound,” the official said.
The official said that the administration on Monday had “cut off Russia’s ability to use its frozen central bank funds to make debt payments,” requiring Moscow to find “new sources of dollars from outside the U.S. and to find a new payment route other than U.S. banks, to avoid falling into default.”
The Russian Finance Ministry on Wednesday said it was forced to pay $649.2 million to foreign debt-holders in rubles amid the sanctions, with the Moscow Times reporting it raised the prospect of Moscow potentially defaulting on its debt.
The U.S. sanctions, however, include carve-outs to support access to telecommunications and information to provide “outside perspectives to the Russian people,” the administration said. There are also carve-outs to allow access to medicine and medical devices and humanitarian efforts, including to ensure the availability of basic foodstuffs and agricultural commodities.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions response by the international community is contributing to a spike in food, energy and fertilizer costs impacting 1.2 billion people in 74 developing countries.
Russia’s war against Ukraine is entering its second month and while Moscow’s retreat from Kyiv is being viewed as an important victory for Ukraine, Ukrainian officials and other global leaders are warning that the Kremlin is massing forces to focus on the east of the country, in particular the Donbas, and cities in the South.
The Ukrainian southern port city of Mariupol, under a Russian siege for more than a month, is viewed as suffering some of the most heinous atrocities of the war. The U.N. coordinator for humanitarian efforts, Martin Griffith, described it as the “center of hell” during a Security Council meeting on Tuesday.
The Biden administration said its sanctions are meant as a broader strategy that includes support for Ukraine’s military to push back against Moscow’s offense.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Tuesday that the U.S. would provide an additional $100 million in security assistance to Ukraine, in particular Javelin anti-armor systems, and brings the total amount provided by the U.S. since the start of the invasion to more than $1.7 billion.
“The world has been shocked and appalled by the atrocities committed by Russia’s forces in Bucha and across Ukraine. Ukraine’s forces bravely continue to defend their country and their freedom, and the United States, along with our Allies and partners, stand steadfast in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Blinken said in a statement.
In total, the Biden administration has provided $2.4 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since January 2021.
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https://fox59.com/ukraine-crisis/biden-targets-putins-daughters-russian-banks-in-new-wave-of-sanctions/
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https://fox59.com/ukraine-crisis/biden-targets-putins-daughters-russian-banks-in-new-wave-of-sanctions/
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Itawamba Community College is continuing its Summer Edge program, and the enhanced version will offer all students an opportunity to take up to six credit hours (two three-credit hour classes) with tuition and all fees waived.
Classes include both online and face-to-face.
“Itawamba Community College is committed to student success and has worked diligently over the past two years to ensure all students are receiving the resources they need to be successful,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “We feel that this is a significant opportunity to reengage/engage students who continue to experience economic barriers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will enable students to get an edge in classes through quality instruction at ICC. That is our continuing commitment.”
ICC’s summer schedule enables students to take classes they need or those that will enable them to have an edge in their college career. The summer opportunities are also perfect for adults who want to explore other careers, upskill on their own or enroll in classes they never had an opportunity to take.
The summer session beginning dates include intersession, May 16; traditional full-term and first term, eLearning full-term and first four-week, June 1; and traditional second term and eLearning second four-week, June 27.
For more information on the Summer Edge program, visit iccms.edu/Summer Edge.
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https://www.djournal.com/itawamba/news/iccs-enhanced-summer-edge-program-offers-tuition-free-up-to-six-hours-and-waived-fees/article_9f64272c-5f58-5982-a338-3a491e3599fe.html
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https://www.djournal.com/itawamba/news/woodmenlife-honors-education-professionals/article_62e6b9da-6cfd-5c9b-bee1-c533782bb453.html
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Tupelo High School's Theatre Company will present Thespian Palooza, a fundraising performance for the International Thespian Festival in June. The event will be held at the THS Fine Arts Auditorium on Friday, April 8 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10. All funds raised will help cover the cost of the students' trip to Indiana.
TUPELO • Tupelo High School's Theatre Company will take the THS Fine Arts Auditorium stage Friday, April 8 at 7 p.m. to present Thespian Palooza.
The upcoming event will serve as a fundraiser for their summer trip to the International Thespian Festival in Bloomington, Indiana. Tickets are $10.
The THS Theatre Company was recently selected to perform "That's Not How I Remember It," a comedy play by Don Zolidis, for the Chapter Select Showcase at the International Thespian Festival this June.
Sixteen Tupelo High School students were chosen to advance to the festival after their performance was picked as Mississippi's representative for the showcase.
The evening will consist of lip sync performances to Disney songs, excerpts from "Hamilton," "Mean Girls," "The Odd Couple" and more.
"Thespian Palooza is a smorgasbord of artistic performances," said Allana Austin, Theatre Director at Tupelo High School and a 1993 Golden Wave graduate.
Since the cost to send each student is rather steep, the THS Theatre Boosters have organized Thespian Palooza as a way to sponsor the young performers' trip.
Austin said the show will include a diverse selection of student repertoires including original plays and scenes that THS thespians have created.
The International Thespian Festival happens every June. Thespian troupes from all over the country attend the week-long event that consists of workshops and performances.
All funds raised from Tupelo High's Theatre Company's Thespian Palooza will benefit the high school's Thespian Troupe 1949 as they travel to Indiana in just a few months.
The troupe is also accepting donations for their trip. To contribute, email Allana Austin at aaustin@tupeloschools.com for more information.
BROOKE BULLOCK BURLESON is a digital producer for the Daily Journal. Contact her at brooke.burleson@djournal.com.
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https://www.djournal.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/tupelo-high-schools-theatre-company-presents-thespian-palooza/article_66bb1e84-461b-5981-8d40-85fedaf92025.html
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By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and ZEKE MILLER
WASHINGTON (AP) — Confronting the pandemic’s lasting shadow, President Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered a new national research push on long COVID, while also directing federal agencies to support patients dealing with the mysterious and debilitating condition.
Biden assigned the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate an urgent new initiative across federal agencies, building on research already under way at the National Institutes of Health.
He also directed federal agencies to support patients and doctors by providing science-based best practices for treating long COVID, maintaining access to insurance coverage, and protecting the rights of workers coping with the uncertainties of the malaise. Of particular concern are effects on mental health.
Long COVID is the catch-all term for a hydra-headed condition whose symptoms can include brain fog, recurring shortness of breath, pain and fatigue. Rough estimates are that it affects as many as 1 in 3 people who recover from COVID-19, although the severity and duration of symptoms vary. Despite intense investigation, the causes of long COVID are not well understood and treatment largely focuses on helping patients cope with their symptoms as they try to rebalance daily routines.
The White House also acknowledged that long COVID appears to be a disability, meaning that patients could be entitled to the protection of federal laws that prohibit discrimination based on health conditions and call for accommodations to allow people to lead productive lives.
“The administration recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in new members of the disability community and has had a tremendous impact on people with disabilities,” said a White House overview.
Some independent experts praised the administration for its comprehensive plan but noted the lack of a timeline for results.
“This is a very important move on the part of the Biden administration to acknowledge that long COVID is real, that it is a significant threat, and that much more needs to be done,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a former Baltimore health commissioner and commentator on the pandemic. “The emphasis on treatment for long COVID, and recognizing that this could be a source of ongoing disability, are long overdue.”
A prominent advocate for COVID patients sensed a breakthrough.
“This is the first effort that truly comports with the needs of people who are suffering,’ said Diana Berrent, founder of Survivor Corps, a support group that connects patients with government and private researchers.
Advocates have been clamoring “for the government to create a command center for long COVID,” she added. “Up until now, that hasn’t existed.’
“I see this as a global, comprehensive approach to an extremely thorny issue that has previously received a scattershot approach,” Berrent said.
Medical research thus far has led to theories about what causes long COVID, but no single root. One theory revolves around lingering infection or virus remnants that may trigger inflammation in the body. Another possibility involves autoimmune system responses that mistakenly attack normal cells. Researchers are also investigating the role of tiny clots.
The White House said Biden’s order will expand and build on a $1 billion research study already underway at NIH, called the RECOVER Initiative. One goal is to speed signing up 40,000 people with and without long COVID into the study. Around that effort, Health and Human Services will coordinate a government-wide research plan on long COVID.
HHS will also deliver a report to the nation on long COVID later this year. “Millions of Americans may be struggling with lingering health effects,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “COVID is having effects long after the actual virus has escaped us.”
Biden’s order puts a major focus on treatment. An HHS unit called the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality will investigate best practices and get useful guidance to doctors, hospitals and patients. The Department of Veterans Affairs, which already has 18 facilities running long COVID programs, will serve as an incubator of ideas and strategies. The administration is seeking $20 million from Congress for “centers of excellence” to develop templates for care.
Dr. Fernando Carnavali of Mount Sinai’s Center for Post-COVID Care in New York, said he understands complaints that the government hasn’t made enough progress on long COVID.
“For our culture today, which needs answers yesterday, it’s just hard,’ Carnavali said. “In chronic disease, in general it’s not how it works. We have other examples, from HIV, answers did not come right away.”
Finally, the administration said its plan will provide direct support for patients by safeguarding access to insurance coverage and extending the umbrella of civil rights protections to people with long COVID. In keeping with Biden’s focus on reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health care, part of the emphasis will be on minority communities that have borne a high toll from COVID-19.
Federal health programs, which can serve as a model for private insurance, will look for ways to make sure that treatments for long COVID are covered and paid for. “The administration is working to make long COVID care as accessible as possible,” said a White House overview of Biden’s plan.
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AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner contributed to this report.
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https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/05/biden-orders-push-on-long-covid-pandemics-shadowy-mystery/
| 2022-04-06T16:56:07
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https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/05/biden-orders-push-on-long-covid-pandemics-shadowy-mystery/
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Tuesday was an emotional day for Damone Presley Sr. as he saw the man charged with killing his daughter and three others for the first time in a St. Paul courtroom.
“A lot of anger, frustration,” Presley said after the hearing. “I feel the loss. And that question of, ‘Why?’ ”
Antoine Darnique Suggs was recently extradited from Arizona to the Ramsey County jail. He was charged in September in a quadruple murder case — police believe four people were fatally shot in St. Paul’s West Seventh Street area and their bodies were found in a vehicle left in a Dunn County, Wis., cornfield.
Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Andrew Johnson requested that Suggs’ bail be set at $10 million. He cited the seriousness of the offenses and said Sugg is a flight risk.
Suggs’ attorney, Kevin DeVore, did not make a bail argument during Tuesday’s hearing. Senior Judge Janet Poston set Suggs’ bail at $10 million.
VICTIMS LAST SEEN IN ST. PAUL
The Ramsey County attorney’s office charged Suggs with four counts of murder in the shootings of Jasmine Christine Sturm, 30; Sturm’s brother, Matthew Isiah Pettus, 26; Sturm’s boyfriend, Loyace Foreman III, 35; and Sturm’s lifelong friend, Nitosha Lee Flug-Presley, 30.
After a warrant for Suggs’ arrest was issued, he turned himself in to police in Gilbert, Ariz., a suburb of Phoenix. The 38-year-old was a resident of Scottsdale, Ariz.
On the night of Sept. 11 and into the early of morning of Sept. 12, Sturm, Forman, Pettus and Flug-Presley had been at Shamrocks and the White Squirrel Bar on St. Paul’s West Seventh Street.
A witness identified Suggs as a man seen in the White Squirrel with some in the group, according to the criminal complaint. They left in a sport utility vehicle.
A farmer in the Town of Sheridan, Wis., found an abandoned Mercedes-Benz in a cornfield on the afternoon of Sept. 12 and the four bodies were inside.
Suggs “told his father that he snapped and shot a couple of people,” according to the complaint. The complaint didn’t otherwise explain a motive.
Suggs’ father, Darren Lee Osborne, is charged in Ramsey County with aiding an offender, accomplice after the fact. The 57-year-old is accused of following Suggs to the cornfield and giving him a ride back after he ditched the Mercedes.
Presley was among the victims’ family members who attended Tuesday’s brief hearing. He said his daughter was acquainted with Suggs and Suggs had been a friend of family members — “he wasn’t just a stranger,” Presley said — but he doesn’t know what led to the shootings.
BRIEF COURT APPEARANCE
Suggs, who was in prison in Arizona since his September arrest, lost his challenge to an extradition request, according to the Maricopa County, Ariz., attorney’s office. Two Ramsey County sheriff’s deputies went to Arizona, took Suggs into custody and flew back to Minnesota with him on March 28, said Ramsey County Undersheriff Mike Martin.
A virtual Ramsey County District Court appearance was held March 29, but Suggs was in the process of retaining a private attorney and requested to appear in court with him at another date. The in-person hearing was set for Tuesday at the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center.
Suggs answered Judge Poston’s questions about his date of birth and address, but didn’t otherwise speak. His next hearing is scheduled for May.
DeVore declined to comment to the Pioneer Press outside the courtroom.
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https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/05/extradited-from-arizona-to-ramsey-county-jail-man-charged-in-killing-4-makes-first-in-person-court-appearance/
| 2022-04-06T16:56:13
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https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/05/extradited-from-arizona-to-ramsey-county-jail-man-charged-in-killing-4-makes-first-in-person-court-appearance/
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By ALAN FRAM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt Tuesday to begin Senate debate on a $10 billion COVID-19 compromise, pressing to entangle the bipartisan package with an election-year showdown over immigration restrictions that poses a politically uncomfortable fight for Democrats.
A day after Democratic and GOP bargainers reached agreement on providing the money for treatments, vaccines and testing, a Democratic move to push the measure past a procedural hurdle failed 52-47. All 50 Republicans opposed the move, leaving Democrats 13 votes short of the 60 they needed to prevail.
Hours earlier, Republicans said they’d withhold crucial support for the measure unless Democrats agreed to votes on an amendment preventing President Joe Biden from lifting Trump-era curbs on migrants entering the U.S. With Biden polling poorly on his handling of immigration and Democrats divided on the issue, Republicans see a focus on migrants as a fertile line of attack.
“I think there will have to be” an amendment preserving the immigration restrictions “in order to move the bill” bolstering federal pandemic efforts, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters.
At least 10 GOP votes will be needed in the 50-50 Senate for the measure to reach the 60 votes it must have for approval. Republicans could withhold that support until Democrats permit a vote on an immigration amendment.
Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., want Congress to approve the pandemic bill before lawmakers leave in days for a two-week recess. Tuesday’s vote suggested that could be hard.
”This is a potentially devastating vote for every single American who was worried about the possibility of a new variant rearing its nasty head within a few months,” Schumer said after the vote.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “Today’s Senate vote is a step backward for our ability to respond to this virus.”
The new omicron variant, BA.2, is expected to spark a fresh increase in U.S. COVID-19 cases. Around 980,000 Americans and over 6 million people worldwide have died from the disease.
The $10 billion pandemic package is far less than the $22.5 billion Biden initially sought. It also lacks $5 billion Biden wanted to battle the pandemic overseas after the two sides couldn’t agree on budget savings to pay for it, as Republicans demanded.
At least half the bill would finance research and production of therapeutics to treat COVID-19. Money would also be used to buy vaccines and tests and to research new variants.
The measure is paid for by pulling back unspent pandemic funds provided earlier for protecting aviation manufacturing jobs, closed entertainment venues and other programs.
Administration officials have said the government has run out of money to finance COVID-19 testing and treatments for people without insurance, and is running low on money for boosters, free monoclonal antibody treatments and care for people with immune system weaknesses.
At the 2020 height of the pandemic, President Donald Trump imposed immigration curbs letting authorities immediately expel asylum seekers and migrants for public health reasons. The ban is set to expire May 23, triggering what by all accounts will be a massive increase in people trying to cross the Mexican border into the U.S.
That confronts Democrats with messy choices ahead of fall elections when they’re expected to struggle to retain their hair-breadth House and Senate majorities.
Many of the party’s lawmakers and their liberal supporters want the U.S. to open its doors to more immigrants. But moderates and some Democrats confronting tight November reelections worry about lifting the restrictions and alienating centrist voters.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., who faces a competitive reelection this fall, declined to say whether she would support retaining the Trump-era ban but said more needs to be done.
“I need a plan, we need a plan,” she said in a brief interview. “There’s going to be a surge at the border. There should be a plan and I’ve been calling for it all along.”
Shortly before Tuesday’s vote, Schumer showed no taste for exposing his party to a divisive immigration vote.
“This is a bipartisan agreement that does a whole lot of important good for the American people. Vaccines, testing, therapeutics,” he said. “It should not be held hostage for an extraneous issue.”
Jeff Zients, head of White House COVID-19 task force, expressed the same view.
“This should not be included on any funding bill,” he said of immigration. “The decision should be made by the CDC. That’s where it has been, and that’s where it belongs.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which initiated the move two years ago, said earlier this month that it would lift the ban next month. The restrictions, known as Title 42, have been harder to justify as pandemic restrictions have eased.
Trump administration officials cast the curb as a way to keep COVID-19 from spreading further in the U.S. Democrats considered that an excuse for Trump, whose anti-immigrant rhetoric was a hallmark of his presidency, to keep migrants from entering the country.
Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said she supported terminating Trump’s curb and questioned GOP motives for seeking to reinstate it.
“I find it very ironic for those who haven’t wanted to have a vaccination mandate, for those who did not want to have masks in the classroom, for them to suddenly be very interested in protecting the public,” she said.
But Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he would support a Senate COVID-19 aid bill if it included the GOP effort to retain the Trump immigration restrictions.
“Why wouldn’t I?” he said in a brief interview.
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AP congressional correspondent Lisa Mascaro and reporters Chris Megerian and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.
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https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/05/gop-blocks-senate-covid-bill-demands-votes-on-immigration/
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By OLEKSANDR STASHEVSKYI
BUCHA, Ukraine (AP) — One blackened body had arms raised in supplication, the face contorted in a horrible scream. The skull of another had a bullet hole in the left temple. The small blackened foot of a child could be seen in the tangle of charred bodies piled together in Bucha, the town outside of Kyiv where graphic evidence of killings and torture has emerged following the withdrawal of Russian forces.
The six burned and blackened corpses were just the latest gruesome scene to emerge from Bucha as world leaders push for Russia to be held accountable, including for possible war crimes.
It was not clear who the people were or under what circumstances they were killed.
The pile of bodies, seen by Associated Press journalists Tuesday, was just off a residential street, near a colorful and empty playground, visible to passersby as they warily went outdoors to collect aid.
In a house nearby, the twisted and bloody body of a young man who had been shot to death lay in the basement entrance. At least four other bodies lay strewn in the street, one with the eye gouged out, apparently by a bullet.
“It’s horrible,” said Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky at the scene, which included other journalists. The minister said Russian President Vladimir Putin should “go to hell.”
Andrii Nebytov, head of police in the Kyiv region, noted one of the charred bodies was a child.
The AP has seen dozens of dead bodies around Bucha, where Russian forces withdrew in the past week. The images, which included some with their arms bound, have horrified the world. Many victims appeared to have been shot at close range, some in the head. At least two had their hands tied.
High-resolution satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies showed that many of the bodies had been lying in the open for weeks, during the time that Russian forces were in the town.
Ukrainian officials have said the bodies of at least 410 civilians have been found in towns around Kyiv that were recaptured from Russian forces in recent days. The Ukrainian prosecutor-general’s office has described one room discovered in Bucha as a “torture chamber.”
The grisly images of battered and burned corpses left out in the open or hastily buried has led to calls for tougher sanctions against the Kremlin, especially a cutoff of fuel imports from Russia. Germany and France reacted by expelling dozens of Russian diplomats, suggesting they were spies, and U.S. President Joe Biden said Putin should be tried for war crimes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week left Kyiv for his first reported trip since the war began nearly six weeks ago to see for himself what he called the “genocide” and “war crimes” in Bucha.
The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court at The Hague opened an investigation a month ago into possible war crimes in Ukraine.
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| 2022-04-06T16:56:26
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By MARY CLARE JALONICK, LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ivanka Trump, former President Donald Trump’s daughter and one of those closest to him during the insurrection at the Capitol, is testifying before the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.
Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committee’s chairman, said Tuesday afternoon that she had been answering investigators’ questions on a video teleconference since the morning and was not “chatty” but had been helpful to the probe.
“She came in on her own” and did not have to be subpoenaed, Thompson said.
Ivanka Trump, who was with her father in the White House that day, is one of more than 800 witnesses the committee has interviewed as it works to compile a record of the attack, the worst on the Capitol in more than two centuries. She the first of Trump’s children known to speak to the committee and one of the closest people to her father.
Whether she gives the committee new information or not, her decision to cooperate is significant for the panel, which has been trying to secure an interview with her since late January. The nine-member panel is particularly focused on what the former president was doing as his supporters broke into the Capitol and interrupted the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.
Ivanka Trump’s testimony comes less than a week after her husband, Jared Kushner, testified to the committee in a separate virtual meeting that lasted more than six hours. Members of the panel said his testimony was helpful and were hoping to further fill in the gaps with her help.
The panel is using the interviews to compile a comprehensive record and will begin to release information in the coming months as it holds public hearings and releases a series of reports on the insurrection. While Congress doesn’t have power to charge anyone with a crime, members of the panel say the objective is to create the most comprehensive record possible so nothing like it ever happens again.
Lawmakers have said they want to discuss what Ivanka Trump knew about her father’s efforts, including a telephone call they say she witnessed, to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject Biden’s 2020 election win as part of his ceremonial role overseeing the electoral count. Pence rejected those efforts.
The committee is also interested in any concerns she may have heard from Pence’s staff, members of Congress and the White House counsel’s office about Trump’s pressure on Pence.
Ivanka Trump’s cooperation stands in contrast with some of her father’s other top advisers, several of whom have refused to cooperate as the former president has fought the probe. Trump has tried to exert executive privilege over documents and interviews, but in many cases has been overruled by courts or Biden, who has that authority as the sitting president.
The House is expected to vote this week to recommend contempt charges for Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino, both of whom the committee says have been uncooperative. The committee previously voted to recommend contempt charges against longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon, who defied a congressional subpoena, and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who ceased cooperating with the panel.
Bannon was later indicted by a federal grand jury and is awaiting prosecution by the Justice Department. The Justice Department has not taken any action against Meadows.
Other witnesses who are still close to the former president — and several who were in the White House that day — have declined to answer the committee’s questions.
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| 2022-04-06T16:56:32
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A Dakota County jury has found a St. Paul man guilty in the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old man outside an Eagan hotel in 2020.
The jury deliberated for about four hours Monday before convicting Robert Lee Baker III of second-degree murder in the killing of Maurice Antonio Anderson of Minneapolis at the Sonesta Suites hotel on Nov. 9, 2020. The trial began March 28.
Baker, 30, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17 in Dakota County District Court.
Baker told police that he shot Anderson after Anderson and another man robbed him, according to charges. Anderson was shot 11 times, including once in the head.
Baker last month pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge that also stemmed from Anderson’s killing.
Baker was released from prison six months before the killing after serving a 2016 sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was also convicted of second-degree assault in 2011 in Hennepin County and first-degree aggravated robbery in 2012, also in Hennepin County.
According to the 2020 criminal complaint, Eagan police officers were sent to the hotel around 9 p.m. after reports of a man on the ground outside. A red car was seen driving away from the scene.
Upon arrival at Eagandale Place and Lone Oak Road, officers found Anderson and tried reviving him before he was pronounced dead.
Officers then located the red car and arrested both the driver and Baker.
The driver told police that after she and Baker picked up one of her friends from the hotel, two men with handguns entered the back seat of the car and told her to drive. She said after she drove to an adjacent hotel parking lot, the two men robbed her and Baker, the complaint said.
Baker told police that after the robbery, he chased the suspects with a gun and yelled at them to return his possessions, according to the complaint. Baker said he fired at one of the men after either one of the suspects or both pointed their guns at him.
At the crime scene, police found 16 discharged casings — all fired from a .40-caliber handgun that police found in the car Baker had been riding in and that he later admitted he used to shoot Anderson, the complaint said. A gun was not found near Anderson’s body.
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| 2022-04-06T16:56:38
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Minnesota Senate Republicans and House Democrats have rolled out starkly different proposals to alleviate the state’s shortage of affordable housing.
The Senate GOP majority leaders call for spending $50 million of the state’s projected $9.25 billion budget surplus on a plan that emphasizes development of single-family homes. Their top budget priority this year is tax cuts.
Leaders of the DFL-controlled House on Tuesday proposed spending $230 million on a wide range of housing programs, plus borrowing a record $400 million to trigger more public and private housing investments.
While the two parties differ on how to fix the problem, they agree it’s a big one: the shortage is often pegged at around 50,000 housing units.
COMPETING WITH INVESTORS
The House DFL proposal includes borrowing $100 million to preserve the supply of “affordable homes that the middle class can still afford,” said DFL Rep. Alice Hausman of Falcon Heights, chair of the House housing committee.
National corporate investment firms are buying much of the state’s “naturally occurring affordable housing,” she said, exacerbating the shortage of residences available to working-class Minnesotans. The state funding would encourage nonprofits to buy more of those properties and rent them at affordable prices.
EASING RESTRICTIONS
Senate Housing Committee Chair Rich Draheim, R-Madison Lake, said he wants to try a different approach. “Historically we have spent 99 percent of our (state housing) resources on rent. That hasn’t gotten us very far…
“This year I want to focus more on single-family housing than we have in the past,” he said.
To that end, he wants to lower costs of buying homes, using “free-market solutions” that encourage — but not mandate — cities to ease building and energy codes, zoning restrictions and permit fees that drive up housing prices beyond the reach of many would-be buyers.
Minnesota has some of the most stringent construction codes and highest housing fees in the nation, Draheim said, and they keep thousands of Minnesotans from buying homes.
“Home ownership is the first step to build wealth,” he said. “Let’s get people on that path.”
But that doesn’t mean lawmakers “don’t need to worry about rental housing stability. We do,” he added. Just not so much this year.
DOWN-PAYMENT, RENTER ASSISTANCE
Hausman and Gov. Tim Walz’s top adviser on the subject, state Housing Finance Commissioner Jennifer Ho, agree with Draheim that promoting home ownership is an important step toward meeting the state’s shelter needs.
“In an ideal world, everyone would own a house because that’s how you build wealth,” Hausman said. “If you rent forever, you never have that asset.”
She and Ho, who consulted together on the proposals, contend that in addition to the local government regulations that Draheim emphasized, other factors, such as the cost of land and lumber, are increasing housing construction costs.
The House bill, Hausman said, would help more people purchase homes by, for the first time, providing down payment assistance to “first-generation home buyers.” Those households often can afford mortgage payments, but they lack money for a big deposit on a house.
Housing Committee Vice Chair Mike Howard, DFL-Richfield, estimated $50 million in home buyers’ assistance in the House bill would benefit 1,667 first-time buyers.
Renters also need more help, Ho and Hausman asserted. “A renter who is paying more than 50 percent of their income on rent is never going to be in a position to be able to suddenly buy a home,” Ho said. “We’ve got to give people economic help as renters so they can prepare to become owners.”
Another new provision in the House bill would require landlords to give renters written notice 14 days before an eviction. Hausman said that would give the parties time to iron out differences, find money to pay the rent or locate another place to live.
“We tried to do a little bit of everything,” she said. The legislation includes incentives for developing workforce housing in greater Minnesota, new legal protections for owners of mobile homes and other manufactured housing and housing rehabilitation assistance for both home owners and renters.
The biggest single investment in the bill — $400 million in housing infrastructure bonds — would create an estimated 2,667 housing units providing shelter for more than 6,000 people, Howard said.
But Draheim said lawmakers have approved more housing infrastructure bonds in the last five years than all previous years combined, and he intentionally left them out of the Senate bill.
RACIAL GAP, RENT CONTROL
Both bills include provisions to help close Minnesota’s racial homeownership gap by providing assistance to people of color to buy their first homes. In the Twin Cities, about three in four white families own their homes, compared to one in four Black families. That’s one of the worst racial gaps in the nation.
The two chambers will have another debate over rent control this year. Last year, the GOP-controlled Senate passed a measure that would have blocked all cities from enacting rent control, but Walz and House DFLers rejected that move.
Republican senators inserted a similar retroactive rent control ban in their current housing bill, but Walz and House Democrats still oppose it. This time, however, Senate Republicans added another provision to require the state housing agency to conduct a detailed study of the impact on rent controls across the nation and the globe.
The House housing bill isn’t the only measure that affects housing. Hausman said other housing provisions will be included in the tax, bonding and human services finance bills.
In all, she said, the House proposals will include more than $1 billion for housing in at least 30 different programs.
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| 2022-04-06T16:56:44
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AUBURN, Ala. — Sunisa Lee needed a respite from the exhausting, all-consuming world of elite gymnastics.
She wanted to go to school, and the ability now for college athletes to make money off name, image and likeness (NIL) deals made it an easy call.
The Olympic all-around champion who has her sights set on defending her title in Paris in 2024 has capitalized on her still-newfound fame with appearances on “Dancing with the Stars” among other endeavors. The 19-year-old from St. Paul is hardly a normal college freshman.
“Even without the NIL, I knew I wanted to go to college anyway just because I had to come find my love for the sport again,” Lee said. “I had to get out of the elite world just because it is so different. This is so much more fun, and having the team be so supportive.”
The new NIL rules allowed her to parlay her success in Tokyo last summer into financial security without sacrificing the college experience and education. And without spending all day holed up in the gym.
Lee has helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA championships, from April 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas, for the first time since 2016. She scored her fifth 10 of the season in the regional at Auburn’s Neville Arena, this one on the balance beam to help the Tigers edge Kentucky.
The All-American came in ranked first nationally in the uneven bars — where she won bronze in Tokyo — tied for first on the balance beam and second in the all-around.
“I think if the Olympics were a year earlier and this happened, she couldn’t make that decision” to attend college, said Auburn coach Jeff Graba, whose twin brother Jess has been Lee’s longtime personal coach.
While Lee is competing for NCAA titles, she also feels she has much to prove. Lee’s all-around gold came after favorite Simone Biles withdrew from the competition citing mental health concerns. Lee said she doesn’t think she’s reached her full potential yet and that is indeed gold medal-worthy.
“I think it’s something I just want to prove to myself, because I think I have a lot of doubters,” said Lee, a Hmong American. “And prove it to everybody else, but more importantly to myself.
“I don’t want to look back and be, like, I could have done so much more. I want to look back and know I gave it everything I had and if I didn’t succeed, I didn’t. But I gave it my all.”
Lee has a leotard line with GK Elite and a clothing line with Pretty Little Thing, which she tracks while living in a dormitory like other Auburn freshmen with roommate/teammate Sara Hubbard. She has splurged on a car and her first designer bag but mostly fears spending too much now and not having enough later.
“I’m so scared to actually use my money,” Lee said. “I’m so cautious with it because I have to be.”
She is still taking online courses and spent the fall in Los Angeles for “Dancing With the Stars” before officially joining the team in Auburn in December. Lee feels like appearing on the dancing competition show — she made it to the semifinals with partner Sasha Farber — makes her “more of an exciting person.”
“It just makes it interesting,” Lee said. “It’s really cool that I’m getting to do all this at such a young age. But then I’m scared. When I get older, what am I going to do then? Because if I do everything now, what am I going to do in the future?
“But I don’t know, it’s really exciting.”
Lee has also dealt with the sudden fame that comes with being an Olympic champion. She can’t just pop into the grocery store or have a quiet dinner out. She even stopped going to Auburn basketball games. It’s all a part of the new normal for a teenager who isn’t yet fully accustomed to the spotlight but is eager not to ever come off as standoffish.
“It’s really hard, because even grabbing food, people come up to her and are just like, ‘Hold my baby. Take my picture. Sign my shoes,’ ” Hubbard said of her roommate. “I think it’s just overwhelming. It’s kind of scary when a bunch of random people are just all in your business.”
But Graba and Lee’s teammates said that in the practice gym and around them, she’s just another Auburn gymnast. Dealing with high expectations is part of the challenge.
“She’s probably the one who puts the most pressure on herself,” teammate Cassie Stevens said. “But I think she’s doing a lot better job handling it, listening to what we have to say. Like, just being you is good enough. It’s great, actually.”
But, added Graba: “You don’t win an Olympic gold medal without having that tough-as-nails mentality.”
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By COLLIN BINKLEY and ZEKE MILLER
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration plans to freeze federal student loan payments through Aug. 31, extending a moratorium that has allowed millions of Americans to postpone payments during the coronavirus pandemic, according to an administration official familiar with the White House’s decision-making.
Student loan payments were scheduled to resume May 1 after being halted since early in the pandemic. But following calls from Democrats in Congress, the White House plans to give borrowers additional time to prepare for payments.
The action applies to more than 43 million Americans who owe a combined $1.6 trillion in student debt held by the federal government, according to the latest data from the Education Department. That includes more than 7 million borrowers who have defaulted on student loans, meaning they are at least 270 days late on payments.
Borrowers will not be asked to make payments until after Aug. 31, and interest rates are expected to remain at 0% during that period.
The extension was first reported Tuesday by Bloomberg.
Democrats on education panels in the House and Senate recently urged President Joe Biden to extend the moratorium through the end of the year, citing continued economic upheaval.
Sen. Patty Murray said more time is needed to help Americans prepare for repayment and to rethink the government’s existing system for repaying student debt.
“It is ruining lives and holding people back,” she said in a statement last month. “Borrowers are struggling with rising costs, struggling to get their feet back under them after public health and economic crises, and struggling with a broken student loan system — and all this is felt especially hard by borrowers of color.”
Murray called on the Biden administration to lift all borrowers out of default to provide a “fresh start” following the pandemic.
The decision is being made amid rising concern that large numbers of Americans would quickly fall behind if payments restarted in May.
In March, the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank warned that resuming loan payments could place a heavy burden on borrowers who faced financial hardship during the pandemic. It said the impact would be hardest on Black families, who are more likely to rely on student loans to pay for college.
“Serious delinquency rates for student debt could snap back from historic lows to their previous highs in which 10% or more of the debt was past due,” the bank said.
The Trump administration initially gave Americans the option to suspend loan payments in March 2020, and Congress made it automatic soon after. The pause was extended twice by the Trump administration and twice more under Biden.
It remains in question whether Biden will pursue widespread debt forgiveness to reduce the nation’s student debt. Some Democrats in Congress have pressed Biden to use executive action to cancel $50,000 for all student loan borrowers, saying it would jumpstart the economy and help Black Americans who on average face higher levels of student debt.
Last year, Biden asked the Education and Justice departments to review the legality of widespread debt cancellation, but no decision has been announced. Biden previously said he supports canceling up to $10,000, but he argued it should be done through congressional action.
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Binkley reported from Boston.
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| 2022-04-06T16:56:56
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Observations and other notes of interest from Tuesday night’s 144-115 victory over the Charlotte Hornets:
— First, appreciate that even with Chris Quinn coaching in place of Erik Spoelstra, who is in NBA health-and-safety protocols, this remains all choreographed by Spoelstra.
— Quinn acknowledged as much pregame, speaking of the constant communication between the two, as Spoelstra remains in NBA quarantine.
— So Victor Oladipo not playing as a rotation player a game after his breakout performance in Toronto was not done on a Quinn whim.
— Instead, even with Kyle Lowry sitting this one out, it was made clear that Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin rank ahead in the perimeter rotation.
— Which also short-circuits the debate of an Oladipo spot in the playoff rotation.
— With Robinson showing in this one that his 3-point shooting still matters.
— Even as his defense constantly is attacked.
— And no Markieff Morris this time as a rotation player, either.
— A game after he started in Toronto.
— And not even in uniform.
— After spending Monday night in New Orleans, rooting on his Kansas Jayhawks.
— Listed out with a strained hip flexor.
— And he could have been used, with P.J. Tucker lost for the night with a calf strain in the third period.
— With less than a week to go in the regular season, the Heat made clear who is in.
— And who is out.
— It was a night off, nothing more, for Lowry, after he pushed through both of the games in Chicago and Toronto during the weekend back-to-back set.
— That again had Vincent in the starting lineup.
— With the first five rounded out by Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, P.J. Tucker and Max Strus.
— Butler and Tucker had been given Sunday off in Toronto.
— As for the notion of instead starting Oladipo instead of Vincent, that likely would have resulted in somewhat taking the ball out of the hands of Butler and Adebayo.
— Vincent, by contrast, consistently have deferred this season.
— The Heat opened 0 for 5, with the Hornets jumping to a 9-0 lead.
— The Heat’s first points did not come until a pair of Adebayo free throws 2:03 into the game.
— Before the Hornets then moved to 3 of 3 on 3s for a 12-2 lead.
— The Heat’s first basket came on an Adebayo jumper with 9:23 left in the opening period.
— The Hornets opened 5 of 5 from the field.
— Eventually the Heat pulled even.
— Tyler Herro played as Heat sixth man.
— With Martin, Robinson and Omer Yurtseven entering together to round out the first nine.
— Yurtseven’s chance came with Dewayne Dedmon given the night off due to an ankle sprain.
— Herro’s first 3-pointer moved him past Kelly Olynyk for 12th on the Heat all-time list.
— Butler’s second steal tied Alonzo Mourning for 15th on the Heat all-time list.
— Quinn had said pregame he has not been surprised by Oladipo’s ability to step in and step up.
— “It’s what we expected based on what we see,” Quinn said, “and how much work he’s put in to build his strength back, his conditioning levels and all that stuff.”
— Because that’s what coaches say.
— Of the Heat’s week-to-week turnaround, Quinn said, “It was kind of one week to another week pretty drastic. But guys just stuck together. There was some slight rotational changes with our team, but the vibe around the team, everyone is really enjoying each other.”
— He added, “And you could see about our play, they’re helping each other on the court. The ball movement, the player movement on that road trip was definitely taken to a new level, and out of necessity, to beat some really good teams.”
— Quinn said if he had a vote for Defensive Player of the Year, it would go to Adebayo.
— “In my opinion, he is the Defensive Player of the Year,” Quinn said. “For us, he does everything defensively. We’re obviously asking him to switch so much. To really have the ability to guard one through five, and guard it the way he does, is very unique. And to be a part of a winning team and a winning defense, and pretty much we put it all on him.”
— Gordon Hayward was a late scratch for the Hornets, due to a sore left foot.
— “Just precautionary,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “A little bit of work here the last couple of days, a little soreness. So just out of precaution.”
— Hayward only had recently returned.
— “After being off 22-plus days, games off, that’s a significant amount of time,” Borrego said. “Especially the injury and where it is and some of his history. There’s some soreness there, so we just gotta manage it.”
— Borrego on the Heat, “Miami is a hell of a team. They are a physical, aggressive.”
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| 2022-04-06T16:57:02
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LIVE: Biden speaks to trade union national conference
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 11:07 AM CDT|Updated: moments ago
WASHINGTON (Gray News) - President Joe Biden is speaking Wednesday to the North America’s Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference.
Biden will speak to “thousands of national, state and local building trades leaders from across the country,” according to a statement.
The NABTU works to create economic security and job opportunities for its construction workers, according to the organization’s website. It represents more than 3 million professionals in the U.S. and Canada.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-06T16:59:14
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Cracker Jack adds a new face to its roster
(Gray News) – As one of baseball’s most iconic snacks, Cracker Jack is adding a new face to its roster – Cracker Jill.
“We’ve been so inspired by how girls and women are changing the face of the game, so in this spirit, we introduce Cracker Jill to show girls that they’re represented even in our most iconic snacks,” said Tina Mahal, vice president, marketing at Frito-Lay North America.
Cracker Jill is represented in five different ways on a series of special-edition bags that will be sold in baseball parks across the country.
The intention is for Jill to continue to join Sailor Jack as a member of the team and part of the brand moving forward.
Frito-Lay also collaborated with award-winning artist Normani to put a new spin on the old classic, “Take Me out the Ballgame,” encouraging females in sports.
“As a young girl, I remember being inspired by athletes and artists who looked like me,” said Normani. “They made me believe that I could also achieve greatness as I watched them break barriers for women.”
Cracker Jack is donating $200,000 to the Women’s Sports Foundation and will send a Cracker Jill back to fans who donate at least $5 to the national non-profit, while supplies last.
“Our Foundation is an ally, advocate and catalyst to help unlock the possibilities in every girl and woman through the power of sport,” said Danette Leighton, WSF CEO. “Representation matters - it encourages and inspires the next generation. It’s wonderful to see Cracker Jill come to life, emphasizing the power that representation can have by celebrating women who’ve broken barriers.”
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-06T16:59:21
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GOP-backed school board candidates win in Milwaukee suburbs
Republican-backed candidates in local school board races came out as big winners in the Milwaukee suburbs that are critical for the GOP in statewide elections, but had mixed results in other parts of battleground Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican-backed candidates in local school board races came out as big winners in the Milwaukee suburbs that are critical for the Wisconsin GOP in statewide elections, but they had mixed results in other parts of the presidential battleground state.
The school board elections Tuesday in Wisconsin were among the earliest nationwide this year and are the latest sign of how politicized typically nonpartisan races for local offices are becoming across the country.
Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, a Republican candidate for governor, took the unusual step of endorsing 48 school board candidates. Of those, 34 won including eight incumbents, based on preliminary results. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, a former teacher, school administrator and state superintendent, did not endorse in any race.
“The pattern was traditional GOP areas, the endorsed candidates did well," said Michael Ford, an associate professor of public administration at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh who studies school board races. "Places where it's more ideologically balanced it didn't seem to matter all that much.”
Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, was buoyed by the results, saying Republicans should have performed better in a year that is supposed to favor them. They needed to perform better in swing parts of the state, he said.
“What we saw last night is a sharply divided state that’s likely to come down to the wire in the fall,” Wikler said.
Conservative candidates picked up school board seats in Waukesha, Wausau and Kenosha, but lost races in Beloit and the western Wisconsin cities of La Crosse and Eau Claire.
The results reinforce the idea that the goal of Republicans getting behind school board candidates in a way they haven't in the past was to reinforce their base ahead of the midterm elections, Ford said. It also shows that key voters in Milwaukee's suburbs, who were uncomfortable voting for Donald Trump, swung back and voted for conservatives in the school board races, he said.
That could be a good sign for Republicans heading into the fall, when Evers and Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson are up for reelection in November. Johnson last year talked about the importance of local elections heading into the midterm and encouraged constituents to “take back our school boards, our county boards, our city councils.”
Republicans also saw wins beyond school board races. The Republican-backed candidate for a state appeals court seat in southeastern Wisconsin, Maria Lazar, defeated a sitting judge who was appointed by Evers. And Republican state Rep. Samantha Kerkman won the race for Kenosha County executive, making her the first Republican ever to hold that officially nonpartisan office.
Kleefisch has made education one of her top issues and said Wednesday the wins “show that Wisconsinites are fed up and want to take back control of their communities, schools and courts.”
The GOP-backed school board candidates largely focused their campaigns on the response to COVID-19 in schools, like mask mandates and vaccination requirements, and on exerting more control over what can be taught, particularly as it relates to race, sex and gender issues.
Ballotpedia, which tracks election data, found that there were 53 school board elections in Wisconsin in which candidates took a stance on how race is taught, how schools or districts responded to the pandemic, or school-related sex and gender issues.
Here's a look at some of the more noteworthy races:
— Three Waukesha School Board candidates endorsed by the Republican Party and Kleefisch won, defeating a slate of candidates backed by the statewide teachers union.
— One of the organizers of an unsuccessful school board recall election in suburban Milwaukee last fall, Mequon-Thiensville board member Scarlett Johnson, lost reelection along with another conservative candidate.
— Eau Claire school board candidate Marquell Johnson, who was backed by Democrats, won. Johnson, who is Black, made public an email he received during the campaign calling for a “Thank You White People Day.”
— Eau Claire school board president Tim Nordin, who urged his community not to “cede to fear,” won. He received a death threat after three conservative candidates for school board seats criticized a teacher training program that they claimed could exclude parents from conversations about their children's gender identity or sexual orientation.
— Three candidates endorsed by the teachers union in La Crosse, including the incumbent school board president, defeated conservative challengers.
— In the small town of Holmen, a social media post in February showed a flyer asking voters to contact two conservative candidates for school board to “Keep Holmen Schools White and Christian.” Both of the named candidates who were also endorsed by Kleefisch — Josh Neumann and Chad Updyke — lost. They decried the postcard, which has not been connected to them. They ran as critics of the school district’s COVID-19 restrictions and against the teaching of a “divisive curriculum.”
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| 2022-04-06T16:59:31
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Man comes home to find tornado damage after taking wife off life support
WETUMPKA, Ala. (WSFA/Gray News) - A man in Alabama came home to find his house severely damaged by a tornado after taking his wife off life support at the hospital earlier that day.
Frank Senn’s wife fell down the stairs and broke her neck two weeks ago, severing her spinal cord. Eventually, doctors told him there was nothing else they could do for his wife, and the decision was made to take her off life support Tuesday.
“My world is gone,” Senn said.
Senn had been at a hospital in Birmingham for days staying by his wife’s side before she died. Then, he came home to find his property in Wetumpka destroyed.
Officials confirmed at least one tornado touched down in Wetumpka on Tuesday with a path of damage 11 miles long. Senn believes that tornado directly hit his property.
The siding of his home has been damaged, and his barn, boat and Camaro were flattened by trees.
“The barn was a two-story barn from 1944, but it looks like a tornado took care of it,” Senn said, pointing to the roof of his barn now missing.
After facing the heartbreak of losing his wife, Senn now faces another battle – cleaning up after the storm.
Senn’s family said it has been a really difficult time, and they are asking for prayers. If you would like to help him financially, you can send money to his Cash App account $rangerfarms.
Copyright 2022 WSFA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-06T16:59:40
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Residents clear trees, assess damage from southern storms
PEMBROKE, Ga. (AP) — Southerners were clearing trees from roads and buildings as weather forecasters planned to survey damage from several possible tornadoes in Georgia and South Carolina, but said that effort could be interrupted by the potential for more storms Wednesday.
Tuesday’s storms killed at least two people — one in Texas and another in Georgia — and left thousands of people without power across the South.
More than 7,000 customers in Texas and more than 5,000 in Georgia remained without power early Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.
In southeast Georgia, a woman was found dead Tuesday night amid the shredded wreckage of her mobile home in the unincorporated community of Ellabell, said Bryan County Coroner Bill Cox.
“It was just completely ripped to pieces,” Cox said Wednesday. “It’s like it exploded.”
Cox said the dead woman’s husband was taken to a hospital with injuries. He did not give her name, saying relatives were still being notified.
A motorist’s cellphone video taken in Bryan County showed a large funnel cloud crossing Interstate 16 as drivers braked and pulled to the side of the roadway about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Savannah.
In the county seat of Pembroke, large sections of roof got torn off the courthouse and the entryway to a government building across was demolished. Several people in nearby neighborhoods were injured as their homes were damaged, said Matthew Kent, a Bryan County government spokesperson.
In East Texas, W. M. Soloman, 71, died when storm winds toppled a tree onto his home in Whitehouse, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Dallas, Whitehouse Mayor James Wansley said.
As the storms moved into South Carolina late Tuesday, a debate was delayed for nearly an hour in the South Carolina legislature after the state House chamber was evacuated for a tornado warning for Columbia. The legislation being debated would require athletes to compete with the gender listed on their birth certificates.
About a dozen homes were destroyed or heavily damaged in Allendale County, South Carolina. Tractors and other equipment were flipped and twisted on a number of farms in South Carolina’s least populated county. Other storms caused damage to solar panels near Bowman and flipped vehicles and shopping carts in a Walmart parking lot in Manning.
In Alabama, the weather service said it was sending survey teams to examine potential tornado damage in the Wetumpka area. Lightning struck a flea market in the northern Alabama community of Lacey’s Spring, causing a fire that gutted the building, news outlets reported.
In Mississippi, fallen trees and limbs closed a stretch of highway for hours in Newton County.
Several tornadoes are expected across a large part of the South on Wednesday, the national Storm Prediction Center said.
“The atmosphere will be primed again for more severe storms as we go through Wednesday,” said Jared Guyer, a forecaster at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
Parts of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee will be at greatest risk of severe weather. That area of heightened risk includes several large cities, including Atlanta; Birmingham, Alabama; and Knoxville, Tennessee.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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WATCH: People jump from boat being crushed under drawbridge
JUPITER, Fla. (WPEC) - It was a close call for this group of boaters last week when a drawbridge in Florida began to move, partially crushing their pontoon and sending some jumping over the edge in fear.
Thankfully, no one was hurt.
“I think they were trying to move the boat, but the bridge ended up folding on them so they couldn’t move,” said Gillian Pisciotto, who witnessed the incident.
Pisciotto captured now-viral footage of the terrifying moment.
She said she is relieved that the group all walked away unharmed.
“Well, I started screaming at them to move,” she said. “I thought everyone was not going to make it.”
It’s still not clear what the boaters were doing under the bridge. Instead of passing under the main channel, it appears as if the group stopped under a portion of the bridge close to the intercoastal waterway.
There are signs there clearly marked “unauthorized personnel prohibited” and “danger moving machinery.”
The bridge is operated by Palm Beach County.
The county’s public works department was asked if there are cameras under the bridge that the tender on duty could have checked before raising the bridge.
A spokesperson said there are some cameras in the vicinity but couldn’t say where they’re positioned.
Pisciotto said she believes there should be more surveillance under those bridges.
“Yeah, I think would be best just to make sure that like cops could come and make sure they know what happened, instead of having like people just guess what happened,” she said.
According to a manual for bridgetenders in the county, operators are supposed to check for boats, but it’s not clear if every bridge has the equipment to do so.
Copyright 2022 WPEC via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-06T16:59:53
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An anonymous donor has contributed $1 million to the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley, an early investment in a planned capital campaign to build a state-of-the-art care campus in St. Paul.
The donation is one of the largest in the organization’s 144-year-old history.
“This gift recognizes the important place animals hold in our lives and our communities — and the critical role AHS plays in supporting animals and the people who love them,” said president and chief executive officer Janelle Dixon in a written statement Wednesday.
The unnamed donor was quoted as saying, “It’s certainly a privilege to be able to support this organization and help make the world a better place for animals.”
The humane society in recent years closed its outdated Como location but opened a teaching clinic on University Avenue near Lexington Parkway in St. Paul.
It has purchased a warehouse near Kasota Avenue and Minnesota 280 in St. Paul with the goal of opening a sizable new care campus. In 2020, it received a $3 million gift toward the campus in 2020 from the late Ken Melrose, the former CEO and chairman of Toro.
The society takes in more than 22,000 animals each year, more than every other animal welfare organization and municipal shelter in the Twin Cities combined. More than 94 percent of the animals are returned to the community.
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| 2022-04-06T17:17:55
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RJ Barrett has said all the right things, acted the part of a worthy investment and flashed his star potential on the court after the All-Star break. Now Barrett’s waiting for his money. The REAL money.
Barrett becomes eligible for an extension in the offseason and can max out at five years, $181 million. It’s a hefty price tag for a player who disappointed as a rookie and bombed in his only playoff appearance, but Barrett is also bringing his impressive third season to the negotiating table.
“I just think this year I’ve shown who I am. I’ve shown toughness. I’ve shown that I’m resilient just being that everyday guy,” Barrett said. “I had COVID. I got hurt a couple games. But just try to be here through anything.
“More than that, I just wanna be a team guy. I just wanna win. I wanna win. So, it hasn’t gone perfect. It hasn’t gone the way we planned it, but we haven’t let go of the rope. Really proud of how we’ve been playing since the All-Star break. That just showed a lot about us, as well, so for me I just go out there and just try to show who RJ Barrett is and then the rest of it happens by itself.”
In terms of recent precedent, here is Barrett’s competition for max contracts off rookie deals:
- Luka Doncic (Dallas)
- Trae Young (Atlanta)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)
- Michael Porter Jr. (Denver)
- Donovan Mitchell (Utah)
- Jayson Tatum (Boston)
- Bam Adebayo (Miami)
- De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento)
- Ben Simmons (Philadelphia)
- Jamal Murray (Denver)
- Pascal Siakam (Toronto)
In Barrett’s 2019 draft class, only Memphis’ Ja Morant is a lock to sign a max extension, although Cleveland’s Darius Garland and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson could easily join the list.
Where does Barrett fit in this group? It’s tough to project, but there are areas for Barrett to press his leverage.
He entered Wednesday’s game against the Nets averaging 20.1 points per game with bonus points for durability and age (still just 21 years old). He also has the full backing of the fanbase, which has ditched Julius Randle and embraced Barrett as the franchise face.
The Knicks haven’t re-signed a draft pick off his rookie deal since Charlie Ward, a factoid frequently presented as a symbol of the franchise’s two-decade run of misery. Barrett is poised to break the streak and end the taunts, so long as the Knicks agree to his desired number.
“I’ve said it since day one that I wanted to come here. I didn’t work out for any other team (in the draft),” Barrett said. “This is where I wanna be. I love playing for the Knicks. I love playing in the Garden. I love how we got to the playoffs last year and looking to do that again. I love everything about being a Knick. Yeah, 100% the place I wanna be.”
On the flip side, Barrett has only sporadically demonstrated the potential for a max contract. His efficiency remains underwhelming (just 41% from the floor, 35% on 3-pointers and 72% on foul shots). Without elite athleticism, Barrett’s ceiling isn’t as high. He’s been billed as a defensive stopper, but the analytics and eye test suggest otherwise.
The Knicks maxed out Randle off one spectacular season, and already the deal is regrettable. Leon Rose’s other options with Barrett would be stopping offers at less than the max, or allowing him to hit restricted free agency in 2023.
It’s among the biggest storylines of the Knicks’ impending offseason.
“Of course I’m interested to see (what happens)?” Barrett said. “You know what I mean? Of course I’m interested to see how that’s gonna end up and how that’s gonna work out, but for right now, I’m still in the moment.”
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Through the Miami Dolphins’ busy offseason, they still haven’t filled one vacant opening: Punter.
The Dolphins are taking a step toward that on Wednesday by bringing in longtime New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead to Miami Gardens for a visit on Wednesday, according to a league source.
Morstead, 36, spent the first 12 of his 13 NFL seasons in New Orleans, where he was teammates with Dolphins’ free-agent left tackle acquisition Terron Armstead. Morstead is a one-time Pro Bowl selection, in 2012, while winning a Super Bowl that took place in South Florida as a member of the 2009 Saints.
He split time in 2021 between the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets, playing in seven games with each for a total of 14. Despite the two teams facing the Dolphins a combined three times last season, he did not punt against Miami.
Morstead owns a career average of 46.6 yards on his punts.
Last year, the Dolphins had Michael Palardy, a Margate native and St. Thomas Aquinas High alum, as punter. Palardy struggled early in the season but found his groove in the second half. He posted a 44.7 yards-per-punt average, and he and gunner Mack Hollins combined to down multiple balls in close to opponents’ goal lines.
Hollins, also a wide receiver, was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. Dolphins free-agent acquisitions of cornerback Keion Crossen and wide receiver Trent Sherfield can fill that void.
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| 2022-04-06T17:18:07
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There are times when the confidence can veer into cockiness, almost arrogance.
Tyler Herro navigated that path in the fourth quarter Tuesday night against the Charlotte Hornets. And, in fact, did it with a smile.
Such are the nights for the Miami Heat when everything is falling.
And Tuesday certainly was one of those nights, the Heat setting a franchise record with their 23 3-pointers in the 144-115 victory that put them on the cusp of the No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
“I mean, they said I was crazy,” Herro said of his teammates, on the play when open layup opportunity instead turned into missed 3-pointer. “But, I mean, I was just having fun. That’s why I was smiling even after I missed it. It was just a good feeling out there.”
How could it not have been, with the Heat setting a franchise record for most points in a non-overtime game, including a career regular-season best of 35 from Herro?
To some, Herro’s hard left instead of a layup might have been a case of acting up in front of a substitute teacher, with assistant Chris Quinn coaching the team in place of Erik Spoelstra, who missed a second consecutive game in NBA health-and-safety protocols.
But even old-school Quinn recognized that the times have changed.
“It is 2022, right?” Quinn said with a smile. “So you pass up the layup to get the threes.”
And the Heat got plenty.
Duncan Robinson was 7 of 11 from beyond arc.
Herro 6 of 10.
Caleb Martin 3 of 3.
Max Strus 3 of 5.
And even a pair from Jimmy Butler.
No, not a case of attempting to emulate Mike D’Antoni’s Phoenix Suns or those threes-gone-wild recent seasons by the Houston Rockets.
But the possibility has been there the entire season, with the Heat four previous times tying the franchise record of 22 3-pointers.
Lately, though, after Spoelstra reworked the lineups to spread the shooting throughout the rotation, the longball has been particularly impressive, the Heat .479 on 3-pointers during the five-game winning streak that coincides with the reconfiguration.
The Heat are now 28-2 when shooting 40 percent or better on threes, and 8-0 when shooting 50 percent or better, as was the case with Tuesday night’s 23 of 42.
“Not every night is going to be like this,” Robinson said. “But obviously we are capable, as well. We’ve got a lot of guys that can score it, and especially when we’re playing unselfish like that, five people in spots where they can be successful. We can be pretty tough to guard.”
Which was exactly the thought when Spoelstra reconfigured.
“I think it’s just continuing to play to our strengths,” Robinson said of the shooters spacing so teammates such as Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry can put pressure on the defense while operating in space. “And for them, that’s been getting them the ball in situations where they can put pressure on the rim and be successful.
“It’s a symbiotic relationship in that sense. Them putting pressure on the rim allows 3-point shooters to get open. And then once you hit shots, then it creates more space for them.”
Those players, in turn, have the confidence to now kick the ball back out to open shooters.
“The confidence with the ball movement always helps, whenever guys see the ball go in,” Butler said, with the Heat with the opportunity to extend their winning streak to a season best six on Friday night against the visiting Atlanta Hawks. “And we’re just always looking to find the open guy. I think sometimes we’re a little bit too unselfish, and then it results in a couple of turnovers. But I like a lot of the shots we were taking.”
Because now it is the right shots in the right places from the right players.
“I think it’s our spacing has improved,” Quinn said. “And guys are working to help each other to get shots. Tyler is shooting more open shots. Duncan, obviously. Last game it was Max, in place of Duncan.
“But our guys are really, really doing a good job of helping one another and enjoying each other, playing well on the offensive end of the court.”
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Lonzo Ball will not return this season after setbacks in his recovery from knee surgery, the Chicago Bulls announced Wednesday.
Ball underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee Jan. 28. Despite initially receiving a recovery prognosis of six to eight weeks, Ball has been sidelined further because of a deep bone bruise in the same knee incurred before the meniscus tear.
Although the team’s medical staff said Ball recovered completely from the surgery, he continues to experience pain and discomfort when attempting to run or cut at full speed.
Ball ceased running March 21 in an attempt to give his body a 10-day break to fully recover. But coach Billy Donovan said the guard experienced discomfort again when he attempted sprinting drills Tuesday, forcing another halt in his activities.
The hope of bringing Ball back for a late-season boost often bolstered the Bulls throughout a skid after the All-Star break. Ball averaged 13 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals this season, but his biggest impact came from the intangibles — swarming opponents in perimeter defense and sparking the Bulls offense with a keen court vision.
“He brings a different type of swagger to us,” forward DeMar DeRozan said. “When he plays, I’m pretty sure you can pinpoint that. The whole dynamic of the game changes with Zo out there. It’s definitely been tough for us not to have him.”
Injuries have plagued Ball’s NBA career. He sprained his MCL and missed games with a shoulder injury throughout his rookie season, then tore a ligament in his ankle in 2019. The 2020-21 season with the Los Angeles Lakers was Ball’s only year free of long-term injury since he was drafted.
Ball — who is signed through 2024 — will now refocus his rehabilitation plan to prepare for the 2022-23 season.
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| 2022-04-06T17:18:19
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UCF offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey is just as curious about the Knights’ quarterback battle as everyone else.
“Where will this pecking order fall? I’m sure it won’t be answered until the fall I guess, but who knows,” said Lindsey, who also serves as the quarterbacks coach.
Lindsey is hoping to see the quarterbacks — sophomore Mikey Keene, senior John Rhys Plumlee, freshman Thomas Castellanos and redshirt sophomore Parker Navarro — close strong in the final six practices of spring camp.
“You’d like them to take a big step, where that way in the summer during captains practice they can lead them and they know what they’re doing,” Lindsey said. “Then in the fall, it’s not like we’d have to repeat the basic things.”
Keene and Plumlee, a transfer from Ole Miss, have taken the majority of snaps with the starters in spring camp but Castellanos, an early enrollee from the 2022 signing class, has shown some flashes as the quarterbacks rotate.
One big difference between the three quarterbacks is that Plumlee had played wide receiver his final year at Ole Miss. Lindsey said Plumlee has grown tremendously throwing the ball again in UCF’s nine spring practices.
“Now you’re getting into the details of playing the position, like seeing different [defensive] fronts and different coverages, making sure we get the protections right and the RPO game, and just the little details of everything,” Lindsey said.
“The more he’s that, the better he’s going to get. That’s kind of probably where he’s missed the most but at the same time, he’s a quick learner and he’s sharp.”
While Plumlee has the ability to use his legs more than Keene — having caught 19 passes for 201 yards in 2021 while also rushing 9 times for 72 yards as a receiver — Keene has more experience with 10 starts at UCF.
“You can tell Mikey’s played in this offense,” Lindsey said. “You can see that in the way he handles himself, his demeanor and the way he handles communication. He doesn’t have to think as hard about some things.
“He’s pretty much going to be able to make the right decision most of the time.”
While Keene might have the upper hand on the playbook, Lindsey pointed out one negative attribute.
”It’s just sometimes speeding up the decision,” the UCF coach said.
Then there’s Castellanos, who hasn’t even attended his high school senior prom yet. Lindsey had high praise.
“The growth he’s had coming from high school is just tremendous,” Lindsey said. “I told him walking down the hallway, from all of the early enrollees I’ve been with in the past, he’s right up there at the top from a standpoint of growth and maturity.”
Of course, the quarterback battle isn’t the only remaining question Lindsey wants answered going into the fall.
UCF still is looking to rebuild an offensive line that lost multiyear starters Cole Schneider and Marcus Tatum but added transfers Ryan Swoboda (Virginia) and Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State).
“We’ve got some talent there for sure, but what combination works best? This guy here or there? Coach [Herb] Hand does a great job at that,” Lindsey said.
“It’s just us getting the right combination of guys, figuring out what guys do the best and trying to get them in those spots as many times as you can.”
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.
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A man armed with a rifle shot at officers in Roseville Tuesday night, wounding one in the face, the police chief said Wednesday.
Later in the incident, a Roseville officer returned fire and the suspect was fatally injured, according to Chief Erika Scheider.
The 53-year-old suspect fired about 100 rounds at officers and into homes, which broke windows, Scheider said. Officers were initially called to the 2900 block of West Owasso Boulevard, but the police chief said the crime scene is a large one that covered a three-block area.
The officer who was hospitalized was in stable condition as of Wednesday morning.
“I could not be prouder of the bravery and courage that was demonstrated by our officers,” Scheider said during a Wednesday media briefing. “Knowing innocent lives were on the line, they ran to the threat and they did exactly what they were trained to do. All of this knowing that their partner had just been struck by gunfire.”
The suspect lived in the neighborhood and there is a record of “several mental health-related incidents involving this individual and his family,” Scheider said.
CHIEF: OFFICERS ‘IMMEDIATELY CAME UNDER FIRE’
Police were dispatched about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday after people reported hearing multiple shots fired. One person reported the suspect was armed with a scoped rifle, according to Scheider.
“When our officers arrived in the area, they immediately came under fire with continuous rifle rounds being fired at the officers and their squad cars,” Scheider said. “Officers were unable to determine where the shots were coming from because the suspect had taken up a concealed position in a wooded residential area.”
In the “initial first minutes” a Roseville officer was shot and injured by the suspect, Scheider said.
“Officers did a tremendous job recognizing that the officer needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible, especially being shot in the head,” she said, adding that his partners dragged him to a squad car and “didn’t waste any time in getting him loaded into a squad car” and driving him to a hospital.
MOTIVE UNDER INVESTIGATION
People continued reporting their homes were being struck by gunfire from the suspect, and the Ramsey County Emergency Communications Center sent out alerts to residents in the vicinity to “shelter in place.”
The man fired multiple shots at a time, then he would stop and started again.
“The suspect was obviously moving” and because it was a wooded area and under the cover of darkness, officers weren’t able to find him, Scheider said. “But they could hear and literally feel and see the shots being fired at them and past them during that hour timeframe.”
At 8:34 p.m., an hour into the incident, a Roseville officer found the suspect outside a nearby residence. That’s when Scheider said the officer returned fire and the suspect was wounded in his groin area.
Officers provided medical aid to the man, who was taken to the hospital and died a short time later.
“We’re still trying to figure out what the motive is and what exactly led up to this event,” Scheider said. “… It was a chaotic scene. It was over an hour of gunfire being fired at multiple different residences, different officers, different squad cars.”
BODY CAM FOOTAGE TURNED OVER TO BCA
Police did not release the names of the man who died or the injured officer on Wednesday morning. The officer has been with Roseville police for almost three years.
“We are so grateful that the officer is is doing OK,” Scheider said. “Anytime you have this serious of an injury in the face, obviously we were very concerned.”
The police chief said their thoughts are also with the family of the man who died.
“Our officers are dedicated to serving as guardians of our community and preserving life whenever possible,” Scheider said. “Unfortunately, our officers had to take deadly-force action last night to protect protect lives in the immediate area. This is not taken lightly.”
There were about 15 past police calls for service involving the man, including recent reports, but Scheider said she didn’t have details on Wednesday.
Roseville officers wear body cameras and all video footage from the incident has been turned over to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which will be the lead investigating agency, Scheider said.
The BCA was processing evidence at the scene on Wednesday.
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| 2022-04-06T17:18:32
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota prosecutors declined to file charges Wednesday against a Minneapolis police SWAT team officer who fatally shot Amir Locke while executing an early morning no-knock search warrant in a downtown apartment in February.
Locke, 22, who was Black, was staying on a couch in the apartment when authorities entered it on Feb. 2 without knocking as part of an investigation into a homicide in neighboring St. Paul.
His parents have said that from what they saw of the police body camera footage, it appeared that their son was startled awake. His mother, Karen Wells, has called his death "an execution." Their attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Locke, who was not named in the warrant, was shot seconds after authorities say he pointed a gun in the direction of officers. Locke's family has questioned that. The body camera footage shows Locke holding a gun before he was shot.
Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman, whose offices reviewed the case, said they determined that Officer Mark Hanneman was justified in firing his weapon.
"There is insufficient admissible evidence to file criminal charges in this case. Specifically, the State would be unable to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt any of the elements of Minnesota's use-of-deadly-force statute that authorizes the use of force by Officer Hanneman," Ellison and Freeman said in a joint statement.
Locke's death came as three former Minneapolis police officers were on trial in federal court in St. Paul in George Floyd's killing. It sparked protests and a reexamination of no-knock search warrants. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced an immediate moratorium on such warrants, and on Tuesday, he formalized a new policy that will take effect Friday requiring officers to knock and wait before entering a residence. Some lawmakers also have been pushing for a statewide ban on no-knock warrants, except in rare circumstances.
"Amir Locke is a victim," Ellison and Freeman said. "This tragedy may not have occurred absent the no-knock warrant used in this case.
In their applications for search warrants of the Minneapolis apartment and other locations, authorities said a no-knock warrant was necessary to protect the public and officers as they looked for guns, drugs and clothing worn by people suspected in a violent killing. Authorities asked that officers be allowed to conduct the search without knocking, and outside the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., because the suspects being sought in the Jan. 10 killing of Otis Elder had a history of violence.
Locke was killed seconds after the SWAT team entered the apartment where his family said he was staying. Body camera video shows an officer using a key to unlock the door and enter, followed by at least four officers in uniform and protective vests, time-stamped at about 6:48 a.m. As they enter, they repeatedly shout, "Police, search warrant!" They also shout "Hands!" and "Get on the ground!"
The video shows an officer kicking a sectional sofa, and Locke is seen wrapped in a comforter, holding a pistol. Three shots are heard and the video ends.
Ellison and Freeman said the case shows that no-knock warrants are "highly risky" and can pose "significant dangers" to people who aren't engaged in criminal activity.
"Local, state, and federal policy makers should seriously weigh the benefits of no-knock warrants, which are dangerous for both law enforcement and the public alike. Other cities, like Saint Paul, and some states, have ended the use of no-knock warrants entirely," they said.
While Locke was not named in the warrant, his 17-year-old cousin, Mekhi Camden Speed, was named and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in Elder's killing.
The search warrants were carried out as part of an investigation into Elder's death. Elder, a 38-year-old father, was found shot and laying in the street in what police believe was an apparent robbery. Drugs and money were found in Elder's SUV, according to court documents.
The police department hired Hanneman in 2015. City records show there were three complaints made about him and that all were closed without him being disciplined, but they give no details. Data on the website of the citizen group Communities United Against Police Brutality shows a fourth complaint, in 2018, that remains open. No details were given.
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Associated Press writer Amy Forliti contributed.
No charges filed in no-knock warrant killing of Amir Locke
Locke was on a couch in the apartment when officers entered it without knocking as part of an investigation into a homicide.
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| 2022-04-06T17:44:48
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Tampa, Florida -- When Suzanne Perry and her husband, Roger, moved to the Tampa Bay area, they found themselves with extra time on their hands.
That presented them with an opportunity to act on a dream to open a big restaurant.
And "Datz" just what they did.
Datz Restaurant is inspired by historic Midwest and Northeast delicatessens that offer huge servings, even down to the name, with the faint echo of restaurants with "Z" in their names, like Katz's Delicatessen in New York City.
But that's where the similarities end.
"Our customers here in South Tampa told us that they wanted a little bit of something different. They liked the general idea of the deli sandwiches and what not, but they really wanted more comfort food," Perry said,
If it's comfort customers wanted, it's comfort customers got.
Datz closed for a few days and reopened with the concept that exists today -- over-the-top American comfort food, including favorites like the Nashville chicken sandwich, featuring two big tenders slathered in hot sauce.
But the big cheese on the menu, that has attracted attention from the likes of "Good Morning America," is The Cheesy Todd.
"It's just a burger, and instead of a regular bun, it has fried mac and cheese. And we have people come in from out of town to eat that, a lot of locals love it. It's a giant big eat, which is what we're known for," said Datz project manager John Camisa.
"I want them to leave out of here almost disgustingly full and talking about it to other people. like 'Go there hungry, make sure you're real hungry when you walk in the door there because they're going to leave out of their real real full," Camisa said.
The staff prides itself on offering a unique, relaxed experience, reflected even in its quirky name, chosen from hundreds of contenders, but never Googled in advance. It turns out there's a family by that name living just a couple of blocks from the restaurant.
"They're probably to this very day getting phone calls about the pastrami sandwich from Datz," Perry said.
The Datz experience, after all, is about having fun.
"What makes Datz really unique and different is it's a place to have fun. Just come, relax, let your hair down, wear your shorts, wear your golf clothes or tennis outfit, home from the beach, and have an excellent down-home American comfort food, but spun up a little bit," Perry said.
Florida restaurant is big on comfort food, including the epic Cheesy Todd
LOCALISH
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RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Meredith College announced plans Wednesday to change the name of Joyner Hall.
The name change is apart of a college wide initiative on anti racism, which the school says is focused on making Meredith more inclusive and welcoming in the present while also leading efforts to understand the realities of the College's history.
Joyner Hall was named for an advocate for white supremacy and unequal funding for schools based on race. The colleges board of trustees voted in March of this year to rename the building.
According to the colleges website, the Board took into consideration both history and the ongoing impact when making their decision.
The college plans to place QR codes on signs on each of its buildings to provide the history behind the names the buildings were named after.
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https://abc11.com/joyner-hall-meredith-college-building-name-change-hall-raleigh/11716738/
| 2022-04-06T17:45:00
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Biden speaks to trade union national conference
Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 11:07 AM CDT|Updated: 55 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Gray News) - President Joe Biden made remarks Wednesday to the North America’s Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference.
Biden spoke to “thousands of national, state and local building trades leaders from across the country,” according to a statement.
The NABTU works to create economic security and job opportunities for its construction workers, according to the organization’s website. It represents more than 3 million professionals in the U.S. and Canada.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.1011now.com/2022/04/06/biden-speak-trade-union-national-conference/
| 2022-04-06T17:50:58
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