<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVID%20A.%20LIEB%20and%20GEOFF%20MULVIHILL%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVID A. LIEB and GEOFF MULVIHILL</a>

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Fuzzy dice finally will be free to dangle in Illinois.

Starting Monday, police there no longer will be allowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=103-0032">pull over motorists</a>&nbsp;solely because they have something hanging from the rearview mirror of the windshield. That means air fresheners, parking placards and, yes, even those dice are fair game to hang.

The revised Illinois windshield rule is one of hundreds of new laws taking effect with the new year in states across the U.S. While some may seem a bit pedestrian, others have real practical effects or touch on controversial issues such as restrictions on weapons and medical treatments for transgender people.

Though the original Illinois windshield law was meant to improve roadway safety, it came to be seen by some as an excuse for pulling over drivers. The new law still prohibits objects that obstruct a driver's view but forbids law enforcement officers from conducting stops or searches solely because of suspected violations.

“With this new law, we are sending a powerful message that the state does not tolerate racial profiling or other forms of discrimination,” said Democratic state Sen. Christopher Belt, one of the bill's sponsors.

Another new Illinois law seeks to stifle a more modern form of distracted driving by prohibiting people from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&amp;SessionId=112&amp;GA=103&amp;DocTypeId=HB&amp;DocNum=2431&amp;GAID=17&amp;LegID=147512&amp;SpecSess=&amp;Session=">participating in video conferences</a>&nbsp;or scanning social media while behind the wheel.

Several states have new laws regulating guns and online activity.

A Minnesota law will allow authorities to ask courts for “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-control-safety-minnesota-governor-f7f7d0276061b01890b623b535780fd6?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">extreme risk protection orders</a>&nbsp;” to temporarily take guns from people deemed to be an imminent threat to others or themselves. Minnesota will be at least the 20th state with such a red-flag law.

Colorado will become one of a dozen states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghost-gun-firearm-mass-shootings-colorado-b4b2d51884ed09fafa1a8e2ccc8001fb?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">banning so-called ghost guns</a>. The new law prohibits firearms that are assembled at home or 3D-printed without serial numbers, practices that have allowed owners to evade background checks.

The U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-semiautomatic-weapon-ammunition-ban-gun-rights-2b1a3e9795814ba9c05ea8720cbb6f4d?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">declined to block</a>&nbsp;an Illinois law from taking effect Monday that bans high-powered semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines. But a federal judge recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-gun-laws-concealed-carry-c7ebb8506ed99f41b59455350647c0b6?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">blocked a California law</a>&nbsp;that would have banned carrying concealed guns in many public places.

Several state laws delve into acceptable online activities. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/ACT/PA/PDF/2023PA-00056-R00SB-00003-PA.PDF">new Connecticut law</a>&nbsp;requires online dating operators to adopt policies for handling harassment reports by or between users.

A North Carolina law will require pornographic website operators to confirm viewers are at least 18 years old by using a commercially available database. The law lets parents sue companies if their children were allowed to access the pornography. Another new Illinois law will allow lawsuits from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepfake-porn-celebrities-dalle-stable-diffusion-midjourney-ai-e7935e9922cda82fbcfb1e1a88d9443a?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">victims of deepfake pornography</a>, in which videos or images are manipulated without their consent.

Over the past few years, there has been a major push by conservatives to restrict access to gender-affirming treatments for transgender minors. Bans are on the books in 22 states, including some where judges have paused enforcement as they consider challenges to the policies.

New bans on access for minors to puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery, which is rare, are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-ban-kids-idaho-d17ca5b1549509bb4b21ec26e2691968?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-ban-veto-override-louisiana-gender-affirming-5c0291d146ce4db1ff601d26650ad9af?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Louisiana</a>&nbsp;and West Virginia.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-governor-gender-affirming-care-de63a9232fcea329081f667fdf0c24ab?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">The West Virginia law</a>&nbsp;contains an exception: Teens could still access treatment with parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two doctors.

While many Republican-led legislatures have imposed restrictions, many Democrat-dominated states have responded with transgender protections. A law taking effect Monday in Hawaii requires new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/GM1282_.PDF">marriage certificates</a>&nbsp;to be issued to people who request to change how their sex is listed. The state also is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/GM1263_.PDF">replacing gender-specific terms</a>&nbsp;in state law; “mother” is being replaced with “birthing parent” and “father” with “non-birthing parent.”

In Colorado,&nbsp;<a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1057">new buildings</a>&nbsp;wholly or partly owned by government entities will be required to have on every floor where there are public restrooms at least one that does not specify the gender of the users.

The conservative push on LGBTQ+ policies also has come with efforts to keep certain books out of school or public libraries.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-schools-public-libraries-books-ban-f3bad5e3c4ef05267a46a74d72c604b7?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">An Indiana law</a>&nbsp;taking effect makes it easier for parents and others to challenge books in school libraries. By contrast,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/book-ban-library-lgbtq-illinois-f5516941473e474712eaaafda084de76?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">a new Illinois law</a>&nbsp;would block state funding for public libraries that ban or restrict books.

The new year brings a variety of new laws on taxes and wages — perennial issues for state governments.

More than 20 states will raise minimum wages for workers, further widening the gap between state requirements and the federal minimum, which has been static at $7.25 an hour since July 2009. In several states, the new minimum wage will more than double that rate.

Maryland's minimum wage will be set at $15 an hour. In New Jersey, it will be $15.13 an hour for most employees. In Connecticut, $15.69 per hour. In New York City, $16 an hour, though it will be $15 in most of the rest of the state. California's statewide minimum wage also will rise to $16 per hour. And in Washington, the minimum rate will be $16.28.

Residents in some states will gain money by paying less in taxes, continuing a three-year trend in which nearly every state has reduced, rebated or suspended some type of broad-based tax.

In Kansas, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-topeka-04c238396da6305b90de6b7bb6283876?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">sales tax on groceries</a>&nbsp;will drop from 4% to 2% in its next step toward eventual elimination, producing a savings of $208 annually for a family spending an average of $200 weekly on groceries.

About 1 million tax filers are expected to benefit from Connecticut's first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-general-assembly-budget-tax-cut-94f4b37c4d2dadf783ef5f3812a7c7c9?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">income tax rate reduction</a>&nbsp;since the mid-1990s. Lower-income workers and retirees also stand to benefit from expanded tax breaks.

Missouri also will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-corporate-taxes-missouri-columbia-government-and-politics-0f1b81cef03a49fbe16199f24b5e22bd?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">reduce its income tax rate</a>&nbsp;while expanding tax exemptions for Social Security benefits and military training pay. Businesses will be able to claim tax credits for hiring interns or apprentices.

Alabama will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-legislature-overtime-pay-tax-cut-da1c1b17042a0a84d37674453cc8e351?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">exempt overtime pay</a>&nbsp;from the state's income tax, though that lasts only until June 2025 unless renewed by lawmakers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668724103112.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVID%20A.%20LIEB%20and%20GEOFF%20MULVIHILL%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVID A. LIEB and GEOFF MULVIHILL</a>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Fuzzy dice finally will be free to dangle in Illinois.Starting Monday, police there no longer will be allowed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=103-0032">pull over motorists</a>&nbsp;solely because they have something hanging from the rearview mirror of the windshield. That means air fresheners, parking placards and, yes, even those dice are fair game to hang.The revised Illinois windshield rule is one of hundreds of new laws taking effect with the new year in states across the U.S. While some may seem a bit pedestrian, others have real practical effects or touch on controversial issues such as restrictions on weapons and medical treatments for transgender people.Though the original Illinois windshield law was meant to improve roadway safety, it came to be seen by some as an excuse for pulling over drivers. The new law still prohibits objects that obstruct a driver's view but forbids law enforcement officers from conducting stops or searches solely because of suspected violations.“With this new law, we are sending a powerful message that the state does not tolerate racial profiling or other forms of discrimination,” said Democratic state Sen. Christopher Belt, one of the bill's sponsors.Another new Illinois law seeks to stifle a more modern form of distracted driving by prohibiting people from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&amp;SessionId=112&amp;GA=103&amp;DocTypeId=HB&amp;DocNum=2431&amp;GAID=17&amp;LegID=147512&amp;SpecSess=&amp;Session=">participating in video conferences</a>&nbsp;or scanning social media while behind the wheel.GUNS AND PORNOGRAPHYSeveral states have new laws regulating guns and online activity.A Minnesota law will allow authorities to ask courts for “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-control-safety-minnesota-governor-f7f7d0276061b01890b623b535780fd6?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">extreme risk protection orders</a>&nbsp;” to temporarily take guns from people deemed to be an imminent threat to others or themselves. Minnesota will be at least the 20th state with such a red-flag law.Colorado will become one of a dozen states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ghost-gun-firearm-mass-shootings-colorado-b4b2d51884ed09fafa1a8e2ccc8001fb?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">banning so-called ghost guns</a>. The new law prohibits firearms that are assembled at home or 3D-printed without serial numbers, practices that have allowed owners to evade background checks.The U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-semiautomatic-weapon-ammunition-ban-gun-rights-2b1a3e9795814ba9c05ea8720cbb6f4d?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">declined to block</a>&nbsp;an Illinois law from taking effect Monday that bans high-powered semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines. But a federal judge recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-gun-laws-concealed-carry-c7ebb8506ed99f41b59455350647c0b6?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">blocked a California law</a>&nbsp;that would have banned carrying concealed guns in many public places.Several state laws delve into acceptable online activities. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/ACT/PA/PDF/2023PA-00056-R00SB-00003-PA.PDF">new Connecticut law</a>&nbsp;requires online dating operators to adopt policies for handling harassment reports by or between users.A North Carolina law will require pornographic website operators to confirm viewers are at least 18 years old by using a commercially available database. The law lets parents sue companies if their children were allowed to access the pornography. Another new Illinois law will allow lawsuits from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepfake-porn-celebrities-dalle-stable-diffusion-midjourney-ai-e7935e9922cda82fbcfb1e1a88d9443a?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">victims of deepfake pornography</a>, in which videos or images are manipulated without their consent.LGBTQ+ ISSUESOver the past few years, there has been a major push by conservatives to restrict access to gender-affirming treatments for transgender minors. Bans are on the books in 22 states, including some where judges have paused enforcement as they consider challenges to the policies.New bans on access for minors to puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery, which is rare, are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-ban-kids-idaho-d17ca5b1549509bb4b21ec26e2691968?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-ban-veto-override-louisiana-gender-affirming-5c0291d146ce4db1ff601d26650ad9af?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Louisiana</a>&nbsp;and West Virginia.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-governor-gender-affirming-care-de63a9232fcea329081f667fdf0c24ab?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">The West Virginia law</a>&nbsp;contains an exception: Teens could still access treatment with parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two doctors.While many Republican-led legislatures have imposed restrictions, many Democrat-dominated states have responded with transgender protections. A law taking effect Monday in Hawaii requires new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/GM1282_.PDF">marriage certificates</a>&nbsp;to be issued to people who request to change how their sex is listed. The state also is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/GM1263_.PDF">replacing gender-specific terms</a>&nbsp;in state law; “mother” is being replaced with “birthing parent” and “father” with “non-birthing parent.”In Colorado,&nbsp;<a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1057">new buildings</a>&nbsp;wholly or partly owned by government entities will be required to have on every floor where there are public restrooms at least one that does not specify the gender of the users.The conservative push on LGBTQ+ policies also has come with efforts to keep certain books out of school or public libraries.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-schools-public-libraries-books-ban-f3bad5e3c4ef05267a46a74d72c604b7?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">An Indiana law</a>&nbsp;taking effect makes it easier for parents and others to challenge books in school libraries. By contrast,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/book-ban-library-lgbtq-illinois-f5516941473e474712eaaafda084de76?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">a new Illinois law</a>&nbsp;would block state funding for public libraries that ban or restrict books.TAXES AND WAGESThe new year brings a variety of new laws on taxes and wages — perennial issues for state governments.More than 20 states will raise minimum wages for workers, further widening the gap between state requirements and the federal minimum, which has been static at $7.25 an hour since July 2009. In several states, the new minimum wage will more than double that rate.Maryland's minimum wage will be set at $15 an hour. In New Jersey, it will be $15.13 an hour for most employees. In Connecticut, $15.69 per hour. In New York City, $16 an hour, though it will be $15 in most of the rest of the state. California's statewide minimum wage also will rise to $16 per hour. And in Washington, the minimum rate will be $16.28.Residents in some states will gain money by paying less in taxes, continuing a three-year trend in which nearly every state has reduced, rebated or suspended some type of broad-based tax.In Kansas, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-topeka-04c238396da6305b90de6b7bb6283876?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">sales tax on groceries</a>&nbsp;will drop from 4% to 2% in its next step toward eventual elimination, producing a savings of $208 annually for a family spending an average of $200 weekly on groceries.About 1 million tax filers are expected to benefit from Connecticut's first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-general-assembly-budget-tax-cut-94f4b37c4d2dadf783ef5f3812a7c7c9?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">income tax rate reduction</a>&nbsp;since the mid-1990s. Lower-income workers and retirees also stand to benefit from expanded tax breaks.Missouri also will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-corporate-taxes-missouri-columbia-government-and-politics-0f1b81cef03a49fbe16199f24b5e22bd?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">reduce its income tax rate</a>&nbsp;while expanding tax exemptions for Social Security benefits and military training pay. Businesses will be able to claim tax credits for hiring interns or apprentices.Alabama will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-legislature-overtime-pay-tax-cut-da1c1b17042a0a84d37674453cc8e351?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">exempt overtime pay</a>&nbsp;from the state's income tax, though that lasts only until June 2025 unless renewed by lawmakers.

Happy New Year: States enact new laws on guns, porn and taxes 

COLORADO SPRINGS (AP)—A Colorado mother suspected of killing two of her young children and injuring a third was arrested Saturday in the United Kingdom, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Kimberlee Singler's 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-mother-sought-children-killed-fbi-f80c549b1a4ac758c2e4cfef4f3dfd55">were found dead on Dec. 19</a>&nbsp;when police responded to a report of a burglary at their home. Police later said the report turned out to be unfounded.

Singler, 35, initially cooperated with police but disappeared during the investigation, said Ira Cronin, spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Police Department. Authorities were unable to apprehend her after obtaining an arrest warrant Tuesday on charges of murder and attempted murder, among other allegations.

Singler was not under surveillance and was last seen in Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, said Cronin.

Authorities did not provide further details on the overseas arrest, but said they are working with multiple law enforcement agencies.

Attempts to reach Singler for comment through phone numbers listed for her were unsuccessful. Cronin said he didn't know if she has an attorney.

When police first responded to Singler’s home, they found her with minor injuries, the two children’s bodies and Singler’s 11-year-old daughter hurt. At first, Singler was treated as a burglary victim, said Cronin.

The injured girl was hospitalized for a few days before being released and is recovering in Colorado Springs, said Cronin.

The children’s deaths came amid an ongoing legal battle between Singler and her ex-husband over parenting time and other issues, according to court filings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703882523257.png" alt="Singler photo Colorado Springs Police" />
 <figcaption>Singler photo Colorado Springs Police</figcaption>
 </figure>COLORADO SPRINGS (AP)—A Colorado mother suspected of killing two of her young children and injuring a third was arrested Saturday in the United Kingdom, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.Kimberlee Singler's 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-mother-sought-children-killed-fbi-f80c549b1a4ac758c2e4cfef4f3dfd55">were found dead on Dec. 19</a>&nbsp;when police responded to a report of a burglary at their home. Police later said the report turned out to be unfounded.Singler, 35, initially cooperated with police but disappeared during the investigation, said Ira Cronin, spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Police Department. Authorities were unable to apprehend her after obtaining an arrest warrant Tuesday on charges of murder and attempted murder, among other allegations.Singler was not under surveillance and was last seen in Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, said Cronin.Authorities did not provide further details on the overseas arrest, but said they are working with multiple law enforcement agencies.Attempts to reach Singler for comment through phone numbers listed for her were unsuccessful. Cronin said he didn't know if she has an attorney.When police first responded to Singler’s home, they found her with minor injuries, the two children’s bodies and Singler’s 11-year-old daughter hurt. At first, Singler was treated as a burglary victim, said Cronin.The injured girl was hospitalized for a few days before being released and is recovering in Colorado Springs, said Cronin.The children’s deaths came amid an ongoing legal battle between Singler and her ex-husband over parenting time and other issues, according to court filings.___

Colorado mother suspected of killing her 2 children arrested 

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/29/state-labor-court-orders-postponement-of-pillen-order-to-end-remove-work/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

&nbsp;More than 100 state employees rallied against Gov. Pillen’s order to end remote work during a noon-hour event in early December at the State Capitol. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)&nbsp;&nbsp;

Editor’s note: this story has been updated to add comments from a spokeswoman for Gov. Pillen.

LINCOLN — A state labor court put a temporary halt Friday to Gov. Jim Pillen’s order to end “remote” working arrangements of state workers by Tuesday.

A three-member panel of the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations, citing a state statute, ruled that the “status quo” in working arrangements must continue until it can rule on an objection filed by the union that represents state employees.

The commission rejected an argument by the Pillen administration that&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/21/state-labor-court-hears-arguments-over-requested-delay-in-pillens-order-to-end-remote-work/">the “status quo” allowed it</a>&nbsp;to return working arrangements to those that existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Nebraska Supreme Court has defined status quo to be the employment status, wages, hours, or terms and conditions of employment, which existed prior to the dispute,” the commission’s order stated.

The dispute began, the order stated, when Pillen issued his back-to-the-office order in November.

The Commission also cited previous rulings by the Nebraska Supreme Court that stated that since public employees cannot strike, they should be “afforded the same terms and conditions of employment” while the CIR weighs a labor dispute.

Justin Hubly, the executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, said in a press release that he was pleased by the commission’s ruling and that the labor panel recognized “the harm” that could ensure if the Jan. 2 order went into effect.

Hubly said 1,300 state employees responded to a union survey saying they were considering seeking new jobs because of the governor’s order and the loss of flexibility in working conditions.

“We need to do all we can to attract and retain a new generation of public servants,” he said, citing state statistics that indicate one in every five state jobs is currently unfilled.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Pillen, in a prepared statement, said that the CIR’s order applies narrowly, only to NAPE members who have a remote or hybrid work agreement.

All other public servants are coming back into the workplace, said spokeswoman Laura Strimple.

“Nebraskans have a common-sense expectation that public servants are coming to work and Gov. Pillen intends to deliver on that expectation,” Strimple said.

Pillen, in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/13/governor-orders-end-to-remote-work-directs-state-workers-back-to-offices/">his Nov. 9 executive order</a>, stated that the pandemic was over and that Nebraskans expect their leaders to “restore” the state’s workforce “to the posture it was prior to the pandemic.”

He said that employees were more productive working together in an office.

But NAPE disputed that, saying working from home helped attract more applicants for state jobs and was appropriate for many tasks that don’t require meeting the public. In addition, the union said it had saved the state money by reducing the need for office space.

After the governor rejected requests to negotiate over the proposed change, the union<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-state-employees-union-files-petition-against-executive-order-ending-remote-work/#:~:text=Pillen's%20executive%20order%2C%20signed%20Nov,8%20a.m.%20to%205%20p.m.">&nbsp;filed a formal grievance</a>&nbsp;with the Commission of Industrial Relations, maintaining that ordering such a change in working conditions was a “prohibited practice” that cannot be done without bargaining between the parties.

So the status quo — allowing state employees that were working from home or had “hybrid” schedules allowing work at home and at the office — will continue until the CIR issues its final ruling on the grievance.

Hubly has said that the order impacts a relatively small number of state employees, about 1,300. But those employees have said that such a change will disrupt their family and child care arrangements and cost them more in parking fees and commuting expenses.

Pillen officials, meanwhile, have said that agencies can grant exceptions, for instance, when there isn’t sufficient state office space to return to the office or when returning to an office would increase costs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1704025933617.jpeg" alt=" More than 100 state employees rallied aganst Gov. Pillen’s order to end remote work during a noon-hour event in early December at the State Capitol. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> More than 100 state employees rallied aganst Gov. Pillen’s order to end remote work during a noon-hour event in early December at the State Capitol. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/29/state-labor-court-orders-postponement-of-pillen-order-to-end-remove-work/">Nebraska Examiner</a>&nbsp;More than 100 state employees rallied against Gov. Pillen’s order to end remote work during a noon-hour event in early December at the State Capitol. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)&nbsp;&nbsp;Editor’s note: this story has been updated to add comments from a spokeswoman for Gov. Pillen.LINCOLN — A state labor court put a temporary halt Friday to Gov. Jim Pillen’s order to end “remote” working arrangements of state workers by Tuesday.A three-member panel of the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations, citing a state statute, ruled that the “status quo” in working arrangements must continue until it can rule on an objection filed by the union that represents state employees.<h2>‘Status quo’</h2>The commission rejected an argument by the Pillen administration that&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/21/state-labor-court-hears-arguments-over-requested-delay-in-pillens-order-to-end-remote-work/">the “status quo” allowed it</a>&nbsp;to return working arrangements to those that existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.“The Nebraska Supreme Court has defined status quo to be the employment status, wages, hours, or terms and conditions of employment, which existed prior to the dispute,” the commission’s order stated.The dispute began, the order stated, when Pillen issued his back-to-the-office order in November.The Commission also cited previous rulings by the Nebraska Supreme Court that stated that since public employees cannot strike, they should be “afforded the same terms and conditions of employment” while the CIR weighs a labor dispute.Justin Hubly, the executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, said in a press release that he was pleased by the commission’s ruling and that the labor panel recognized “the harm” that could ensure if the Jan. 2 order went into effect.Hubly said 1,300 state employees responded to a union survey saying they were considering seeking new jobs because of the governor’s order and the loss of flexibility in working conditions.“We need to do all we can to attract and retain a new generation of public servants,” he said, citing state statistics that indicate one in every five state jobs is currently unfilled.A spokeswoman for Gov. Pillen, in a prepared statement, said that the CIR’s order applies narrowly, only to NAPE members who have a remote or hybrid work agreement.All other public servants are coming back into the workplace, said spokeswoman Laura Strimple.“Nebraskans have a common-sense expectation that public servants are coming to work and Gov. Pillen intends to deliver on that expectation,” Strimple said.<h2>Workers more productive in office</h2>Pillen, in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/11/13/governor-orders-end-to-remote-work-directs-state-workers-back-to-offices/">his Nov. 9 executive order</a>, stated that the pandemic was over and that Nebraskans expect their leaders to “restore” the state’s workforce “to the posture it was prior to the pandemic.”He said that employees were more productive working together in an office.But NAPE disputed that, saying working from home helped attract more applicants for state jobs and was appropriate for many tasks that don’t require meeting the public. In addition, the union said it had saved the state money by reducing the need for office space.After the governor rejected requests to negotiate over the proposed change, the union<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-state-employees-union-files-petition-against-executive-order-ending-remote-work/#:~:text=Pillen's%20executive%20order%2C%20signed%20Nov,8%20a.m.%20to%205%20p.m.">&nbsp;filed a formal grievance</a>&nbsp;with the Commission of Industrial Relations, maintaining that ordering such a change in working conditions was a “prohibited practice” that cannot be done without bargaining between the parties.So the status quo — allowing state employees that were working from home or had “hybrid” schedules allowing work at home and at the office — will continue until the CIR issues its final ruling on the grievance.Hubly has said that the order impacts a relatively small number of state employees, about 1,300. But those employees have said that such a change will disrupt their family and child care arrangements and cost them more in parking fees and commuting expenses.Pillen officials, meanwhile, have said that agencies can grant exceptions, for instance, when there isn’t sufficient state office space to return to the office or when returning to an office would increase costs.

State labor court orders postponement of Pillen order to end remote work

Government rental assistance, a boon during the pandemic, has dwindled. Some states are working on their own solutions.

By CASEY QUINLAN,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>

Maine’s housing authority received $35 million in 2023 — the first time in 54 years it has received a direct appropriation from the state budget — to help build more affordable rental housing for communities that have struggled to keep up with high housing prices.

The state’s program provides funding to developers for affordable housing projects with between five and 18 units, a size that housing advocates say is sorely needed in many rural communities. That includes construction for new housing, reuse of buildings for housing and rehabilitation of existing housing.

Mark Wiesendanger, director of development at MaineHousing, said that as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates it was difficult for the independent state agency to support itself at the level the program needed, but that political leaders saw the value of their work and were able to make the historic investment because of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2023/08/17/state-budget-surplus-provides-another-65-million-for-affordable-housing/">$141 million budget surplus</a>.

Wiesendanger said there’s a lack of housing across the income spectrum in the state, which has some of the oldest housing stock in the nation. He said some of the housing needs to be condemned and replaced, and that much of it is inefficient to heat. To make matters worse, when the pandemic began and many people with the ability to telecommute moved to the state, the population shift drove up housing prices and wages didn’t keep up.

“[The coast of Maine] is a very expensive place to live,” he said. “Folks that work there as fishermen or people who work in the local restaurants, local mechanics and firefighters, have a hard time paying to live in those towns.”

The scenery may be different from state to state but the housing landscape is much the same across the country: People are struggling to find a home they can afford. Legislators, state agencies and the Biden administration this year proposed a raft of legislation and programs to tackle the problem. Advocates say states need to do even more to prioritize housing needs.

From January 2019 to January 2023, the average rent in a U.S. city shot up 19.38%&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUUR0000SEHA">according to</a>&nbsp;St. Louis Fed data. In 22 states and the District of Columbia, people need a wage above&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nlihc.org/oor">$26 an hour</a>&nbsp;to afford a two-bedroom rental home, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. According to rental data from CoreLogic, a company that analyzes property, financial and consumer information, the median renter household pays $500 more than it did in 2020.

The combination of high mortgage rates and low housing inventory contributed to those soaring rental prices which hit just as the federal programs and protections put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic ended.

Andrew Aurand, senior vice president for research at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said long-standing problems in the housing market were exacerbated by rental inflation in 2021 going into 2022.

“We saw that massive increase in rental inflation that fortunately has flattened now and rent prices have stabilized, but the damage has been done in terms of higher rents for those lowest income renters,” he said. “ … General demand for rental housing has increased quite significantly over the past decade. And so that has squeezed the lowest income renters even more as demand for rental housing has been pretty significant. It’s taken quite a while for supply to catch up.”

As rents went up, the number of people without a home also increased. U.S. homelessness, as measured by a single night in January 2023, rose 12% from last year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_23_278">according to</a>&nbsp;a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report released on Dec. 15.

But as Aurand noted, the situation is starting to show signs of improvement.

There has been an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNDCON5MUSA">increase</a>&nbsp;in privately owned housing units under construction this year, from 932,000 in January 2023 to 988,000 in November 2023. In 2022, the Biden administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/16/president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-ease-the-burden-of-housing-costs/">released a plan</a>&nbsp;to increase the housing supply, which included expanding federal financing of loans for affordable multifamily development homes and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/07/27/biden-harris-administration-announces-actions-to-lower-housing-costs-and-boost-supply/">removing a cap</a>&nbsp;for larger loans to build and rehabilitate certain homes.

But Mari Castaldi, director of state housing policy at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, said that it’s up to states and localities to prioritize housing. States have recognized this, with lawmakers introducing more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/targeting-policies-that-help-families-stay-afloat">2,500 bills</a>&nbsp;related to housing and homelessness this year in 49 states and D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam, according to the National Conference for State Legislatures. This is almost twice the number of bills the legislatures introduced in 2022. Ninety-three bills specific to rental assistance were introduced in 27 states this year compared to 56 bills in 12 states in 2022. Expect more of the same in the coming year.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/12/20/legislative-plan-to-overhaul-affordable-housing-prompts-applause-warnings/">New Jersey lawmakers</a>&nbsp;introduced an affordable housing “fix” just ahead of Christmas, and New Hampshire legislators have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2023/12/21/a-deep-need-lawmakers-propose-slew-of-2024-bills-to-address-housing-shortages/">prefiled numerous bills</a>&nbsp;aimed at adding more affordable housing for their session that starts on Jan. 3.

“What we’re seeing is that more and more, given the political dynamics in Washington, D.C., and particularly the debates around the debt ceiling, the prospects for sorely needed expansion of investments in affordable housing resources is uncertain at best,” Castaldi said. “We’re seeing, really out of necessity, and based on the needs in their community, states are starting to step in and try to begin filling those massive gaps.”

Affordable housing solutions across the U.S.

The number of these programs varies greatly from state to state. New York, Minnesota, California, Massachusetts and Illinois had the most rental housing programs in the U.S., with more than 17 programs, according to an October National Low Income Housing Coalition&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/state-and-local-investments-rental-housing-report.pdf">report</a>, and Oklahoma, Alabama, Idaho and Montana were among the states with the fewest, with one to seven programs. The organization found zero programs in Arkansas and Wyoming but cautioned that this may simply mean there is no online information about them, not that they absolutely do not exist in these states. The Arkansas Development Finance Authority told States Newsroom that it administers a state Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program similar to the federal program that encourages affordable rental housing development.

Aurand said some states and cities are also finding creative ways to support affordable housing efforts, and Denver is one example. The city’s marijuana tax revenue provided&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.westword.com/marijuana/denver-crosses-500-million-marijuana-tax-revenue-18073791#:~:text=Dispensary%20sales%20mirrored%20the%20same,fund%20local%20affordable%20housing%20programs.">$8.7 million</a>&nbsp;for affordable housing assistance this year. One downside of this approach, however, is that it is dependent on those sales, which have been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/next-with-kyle-clark/where-does-denver-marijuana-money-go/73-34246b01-9e80-417f-b832-145affa468c3#:~:text=Denver%20hit%20%24500%20million%20in,sale%20on%20January%201%2C%202014.&amp;text=DENVER%20%E2%80%94%20Every%20time%20someone%20lights,couple%20cents%20in%20tax%20revenue.">falling</a>.

The funding for these programs comes down to the political will to fund programs as well as funding existing resources to support them, housing advocates said.

“Generally speaking, the states with the largest number of programs tend to be more socially progressive in terms of government programs, so I do think that plays a factor,” Aurand said. “Given that we focus on extremely low-income renters, it takes a lot of resources to adequately serve the lowest income population to meet their needs.”

States can also come up with solutions that are more tailored to their particular housing needs. Wiesendanger, of MaineHousing, explained that although the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit program is helpful for addressing rental affordability in Maine, it has its drawbacks. It can be hard for some developers to use the program to build more affordable rental housing, he said.

“It requires a certain amount of scale to work because there’s so many fixed costs in those projects — design fees, legal fees, things of that nature,” he said. “ … So in these rural areas where, let’s say, they need 15 units in a town, but these projects really need to be 20, 30, 40, 50 units to work, it’s really hard to make that program work there.”

He said the Maine program also comes with fewer requirements so that less sophisticated developers can use it.

Minnesota’s approach to affordable rental housing targets many different populations with smaller programs, such as Bridges Rental Assistance, which focuses on people and families where at least one person has a serious mental illness. The program assists them while they wait to get into another housing program, such as Section 8 housing. The Homework Starts with Home program is designed to help children stay in their school through supporting their family’s housing.

Housing advocates in Minnesota would still like to see larger programs, however, to serve the full needs of people in the state. According to Minnesota Housing Partnership’s analysis of 2021 census data, more than three-quarters of low-income people in the state are spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs, which means they are “cost-burdened.” Fifty-seven percent of Black renters were cost-burdened compared with 45% of white renters. Sixty-three percent of seniors had to spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

Elizabeth Glidden, deputy director of Minnesota Housing Partnership, said she’s seeing more political support for rental assistance in Minnesota than in other states. She said these conditions may have been influenced by a very large&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/06/05/how-minnesota-will-spend-1-billion-on-housing/">budget surplus</a>, which she said has made it easier to bring more attention to housing. But she added that she has also seen more bipartisan support for affordable housing than in the past.

“Does that mean that we are meeting the need? It doesn’t mean that we are meeting the need. It just means that there has been over time and across bipartisan lawmakers, you’re seeing more attention that has been spent on meeting housing needs than some other locations around the country,” she said.

The Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program, which helps tenants with rent deposits and rent payments, is an example of that shift, since the program once was funded at $20 million for two years to serve the entire state but has been dramatically expanded this year. In March, the Senate voted to provide $50 million for the program, which received&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kttc.com/2023/03/29/mn-senate-allocates-50m-homelessness-aid/">bipartisan support</a>, and Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed the bill into law later that month.

Jewelean Jackson, 74, has lived in Minneapolis for about 50 years, and is an advocate for changing housing policy in the city. Jackson has received housing assistance that she said was vital to ensuring that she didn’t become unhoused again. Jackson said she has been living in a one-bedroom apartment for the past three years. Before getting the apartment she spent eight years living in shelters or her car, but was able to avoid living in an encampment, she said. She was worried about losing housing again when her rent increased from about $270 a month to almost $500 a month in 2022 but was able to stave off eviction from December 2022 to March 2023 with rental assistance funds.

“Society always all of a sudden discovers that it has this heart when there’s a tragedy,” Jackson said of changes in housing policy that started with the COVID-19 pandemic. “And so as a result of COVID, it has loosened the system’s strings. It has not been as difficult to get in and out of some of the programs and people have been a little bit more sympathetic as a result of COVID. But we’re a far cry from being where we need to be in terms of homelessness in this country, including Minnesota.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600338481812.png" alt="&nbsp;When pandemic rental funding and protections ended rents soared across the country and many people became homeless for the first time. New programs proposed by states and Biden administration aim to reverse that trend. Google image" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;When pandemic rental funding and protections ended rents soared across the country and many people became homeless for the first time. New programs proposed by states and Biden administration aim to reverse that trend. Google image</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Government rental assistance, a boon during the pandemic, has dwindled. Some states are working on their own solutions.</h2>By CASEY QUINLAN,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>Maine’s housing authority received $35 million in 2023 — the first time in 54 years it has received a direct appropriation from the state budget — to help build more affordable rental housing for communities that have struggled to keep up with high housing prices.The state’s program provides funding to developers for affordable housing projects with between five and 18 units, a size that housing advocates say is sorely needed in many rural communities. That includes construction for new housing, reuse of buildings for housing and rehabilitation of existing housing.Mark Wiesendanger, director of development at MaineHousing, said that as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates it was difficult for the independent state agency to support itself at the level the program needed, but that political leaders saw the value of their work and were able to make the historic investment because of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pressherald.com/2023/08/17/state-budget-surplus-provides-another-65-million-for-affordable-housing/">$141 million budget surplus</a>.Wiesendanger said there’s a lack of housing across the income spectrum in the state, which has some of the oldest housing stock in the nation. He said some of the housing needs to be condemned and replaced, and that much of it is inefficient to heat. To make matters worse, when the pandemic began and many people with the ability to telecommute moved to the state, the population shift drove up housing prices and wages didn’t keep up.“[The coast of Maine] is a very expensive place to live,” he said. “Folks that work there as fishermen or people who work in the local restaurants, local mechanics and firefighters, have a hard time paying to live in those towns.”The scenery may be different from state to state but the housing landscape is much the same across the country: People are struggling to find a home they can afford. Legislators, state agencies and the Biden administration this year proposed a raft of legislation and programs to tackle the problem. Advocates say states need to do even more to prioritize housing needs.<h2>The problem renters are facing</h2>From January 2019 to January 2023, the average rent in a U.S. city shot up 19.38%&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUUR0000SEHA">according to</a>&nbsp;St. Louis Fed data. In 22 states and the District of Columbia, people need a wage above&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nlihc.org/oor">$26 an hour</a>&nbsp;to afford a two-bedroom rental home, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. According to rental data from CoreLogic, a company that analyzes property, financial and consumer information, the median renter household pays $500 more than it did in 2020.The combination of high mortgage rates and low housing inventory contributed to those soaring rental prices which hit just as the federal programs and protections put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic ended.Andrew Aurand, senior vice president for research at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said long-standing problems in the housing market were exacerbated by rental inflation in 2021 going into 2022.“We saw that massive increase in rental inflation that fortunately has flattened now and rent prices have stabilized, but the damage has been done in terms of higher rents for those lowest income renters,” he said. “ … General demand for rental housing has increased quite significantly over the past decade. And so that has squeezed the lowest income renters even more as demand for rental housing has been pretty significant. It’s taken quite a while for supply to catch up.”As rents went up, the number of people without a home also increased. U.S. homelessness, as measured by a single night in January 2023, rose 12% from last year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_23_278">according to</a>&nbsp;a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report released on Dec. 15.But as Aurand noted, the situation is starting to show signs of improvement.There has been an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNDCON5MUSA">increase</a>&nbsp;in privately owned housing units under construction this year, from 932,000 in January 2023 to 988,000 in November 2023. In 2022, the Biden administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/16/president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-ease-the-burden-of-housing-costs/">released a plan</a>&nbsp;to increase the housing supply, which included expanding federal financing of loans for affordable multifamily development homes and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/07/27/biden-harris-administration-announces-actions-to-lower-housing-costs-and-boost-supply/">removing a cap</a>&nbsp;for larger loans to build and rehabilitate certain homes.But Mari Castaldi, director of state housing policy at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, said that it’s up to states and localities to prioritize housing. States have recognized this, with lawmakers introducing more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/targeting-policies-that-help-families-stay-afloat">2,500 bills</a>&nbsp;related to housing and homelessness this year in 49 states and D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam, according to the National Conference for State Legislatures. This is almost twice the number of bills the legislatures introduced in 2022. Ninety-three bills specific to rental assistance were introduced in 27 states this year compared to 56 bills in 12 states in 2022. Expect more of the same in the coming year.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/12/20/legislative-plan-to-overhaul-affordable-housing-prompts-applause-warnings/">New Jersey lawmakers</a>&nbsp;introduced an affordable housing “fix” just ahead of Christmas, and New Hampshire legislators have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2023/12/21/a-deep-need-lawmakers-propose-slew-of-2024-bills-to-address-housing-shortages/">prefiled numerous bills</a>&nbsp;aimed at adding more affordable housing for their session that starts on Jan. 3.“What we’re seeing is that more and more, given the political dynamics in Washington, D.C., and particularly the debates around the debt ceiling, the prospects for sorely needed expansion of investments in affordable housing resources is uncertain at best,” Castaldi said. “We’re seeing, really out of necessity, and based on the needs in their community, states are starting to step in and try to begin filling those massive gaps.”<h2>Affordable housing solutions across the U.S.</h2>The number of these programs varies greatly from state to state. New York, Minnesota, California, Massachusetts and Illinois had the most rental housing programs in the U.S., with more than 17 programs, according to an October National Low Income Housing Coalition&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/state-and-local-investments-rental-housing-report.pdf">report</a>, and Oklahoma, Alabama, Idaho and Montana were among the states with the fewest, with one to seven programs. The organization found zero programs in Arkansas and Wyoming but cautioned that this may simply mean there is no online information about them, not that they absolutely do not exist in these states. The Arkansas Development Finance Authority told States Newsroom that it administers a state Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program similar to the federal program that encourages affordable rental housing development.Aurand said some states and cities are also finding creative ways to support affordable housing efforts, and Denver is one example. The city’s marijuana tax revenue provided&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.westword.com/marijuana/denver-crosses-500-million-marijuana-tax-revenue-18073791#:~:text=Dispensary%20sales%20mirrored%20the%20same,fund%20local%20affordable%20housing%20programs.">$8.7 million</a>&nbsp;for affordable housing assistance this year. One downside of this approach, however, is that it is dependent on those sales, which have been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/next-with-kyle-clark/where-does-denver-marijuana-money-go/73-34246b01-9e80-417f-b832-145affa468c3#:~:text=Denver%20hit%20%24500%20million%20in,sale%20on%20January%201%2C%202014.&amp;text=DENVER%20%E2%80%94%20Every%20time%20someone%20lights,couple%20cents%20in%20tax%20revenue.">falling</a>.The funding for these programs comes down to the political will to fund programs as well as funding existing resources to support them, housing advocates said.“Generally speaking, the states with the largest number of programs tend to be more socially progressive in terms of government programs, so I do think that plays a factor,” Aurand said. “Given that we focus on extremely low-income renters, it takes a lot of resources to adequately serve the lowest income population to meet their needs.”States can also come up with solutions that are more tailored to their particular housing needs. Wiesendanger, of MaineHousing, explained that although the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit program is helpful for addressing rental affordability in Maine, it has its drawbacks. It can be hard for some developers to use the program to build more affordable rental housing, he said.“It requires a certain amount of scale to work because there’s so many fixed costs in those projects — design fees, legal fees, things of that nature,” he said. “ … So in these rural areas where, let’s say, they need 15 units in a town, but these projects really need to be 20, 30, 40, 50 units to work, it’s really hard to make that program work there.”He said the Maine program also comes with fewer requirements so that less sophisticated developers can use it.<h2>Finding the political will</h2>Minnesota’s approach to affordable rental housing targets many different populations with smaller programs, such as Bridges Rental Assistance, which focuses on people and families where at least one person has a serious mental illness. The program assists them while they wait to get into another housing program, such as Section 8 housing. The Homework Starts with Home program is designed to help children stay in their school through supporting their family’s housing.Housing advocates in Minnesota would still like to see larger programs, however, to serve the full needs of people in the state. According to Minnesota Housing Partnership’s analysis of 2021 census data, more than three-quarters of low-income people in the state are spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs, which means they are “cost-burdened.” Fifty-seven percent of Black renters were cost-burdened compared with 45% of white renters. Sixty-three percent of seniors had to spend more than 30% of their income on housing.Elizabeth Glidden, deputy director of Minnesota Housing Partnership, said she’s seeing more political support for rental assistance in Minnesota than in other states. She said these conditions may have been influenced by a very large&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/06/05/how-minnesota-will-spend-1-billion-on-housing/">budget surplus</a>, which she said has made it easier to bring more attention to housing. But she added that she has also seen more bipartisan support for affordable housing than in the past.“Does that mean that we are meeting the need? It doesn’t mean that we are meeting the need. It just means that there has been over time and across bipartisan lawmakers, you’re seeing more attention that has been spent on meeting housing needs than some other locations around the country,” she said.The Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program, which helps tenants with rent deposits and rent payments, is an example of that shift, since the program once was funded at $20 million for two years to serve the entire state but has been dramatically expanded this year. In March, the Senate voted to provide $50 million for the program, which received&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kttc.com/2023/03/29/mn-senate-allocates-50m-homelessness-aid/">bipartisan support</a>, and Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed the bill into law later that month.Jewelean Jackson, 74, has lived in Minneapolis for about 50 years, and is an advocate for changing housing policy in the city. Jackson has received housing assistance that she said was vital to ensuring that she didn’t become unhoused again. Jackson said she has been living in a one-bedroom apartment for the past three years. Before getting the apartment she spent eight years living in shelters or her car, but was able to avoid living in an encampment, she said. She was worried about losing housing again when her rent increased from about $270 a month to almost $500 a month in 2022 but was able to stave off eviction from December 2022 to March 2023 with rental assistance funds.“Society always all of a sudden discovers that it has this heart when there’s a tragedy,” Jackson said of changes in housing policy that started with the COVID-19 pandemic. “And so as a result of COVID, it has loosened the system’s strings. It has not been as difficult to get in and out of some of the programs and people have been a little bit more sympathetic as a result of COVID. But we’re a far cry from being where we need to be in terms of homelessness in this country, including Minnesota.”

States and Biden administration push efforts to aid renters

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-hotel-group-to-pay-100000-to-resolve-disability-discrimination-lawsuit-based-on-mental-health/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — A Nebraska hotelier has agreed to pay $100,000 to a former general manager to help settle a lawsuit contending disability discrimination based on mental health.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the legal action against Anant Operations and affiliates, which own nearly a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://anant.life/portfolio_category/hotels/">dozen hotel properties</a>&nbsp;in Omaha, Lincoln and McCook, Nebraska, as well as&nbsp; Topeka, Kansas.

A federal judge approved a settlement Wednesday.

The general manager involved in the case worked at the Holiday Inn Express &amp; Suites in downtown Omaha. A news release from the EEOC said the manager in the fall of 2019 advised his direct supervisor, Anant’s vice president of operations, that he was going to be away from work because he was going to the hospital for treatment for depression.

Two days later, on the day the manager was discharged from the hospital, the supervisor told the manager he was fired because the company was afraid he might hurt other people, the EEOC said.

Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc-disability-related-resources">discrimination based on disability</a>, said the EEOC, which pursued the case in U.S. District Court after a failed first attempt to reach a settlement.

“Employers can not rely on myths or stereotypes about mental health conditions when deciding whether an individual with a mental health disability, such as depression, can perform their job or poses a safety risk.”

– Andrea Baran, regional attorney, EEOC St. Louis District Office

Kirt Trivedi, co-founder and president of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://anant.life/">Anant,</a>&nbsp;said the ownership group feels “strongly that the accusations are false.”

He said, however, that the owners agreed the settlement was the “best path forward,” as it allows the group to focus on rebuilding its business after the pandemic. He said he wished the former general manager well.

Joshua Pierson, an EEOC attorney assigned to the case, told the Nebraska Examiner that many people, when they hear of disability discrimination, think of physical impairment, not mental.

“So it’s important to bring attention to the fact that mental health disabilities are disabilities that are covered under the ADA,” he said.

The EEOC alleged that Anant failed to properly assess the general manager’s ability to perform his essential job duties — “and instead fired him based on fears and stereotypes regarding his disability, depression.”

“Before an employer can fire an employee based on their disability, including a mental health disability, it must have objective evidence the employee would be unable to perform their job or would create a significant safety risk even with a reasonable accommodation,” said Andrea Baran, regional attorney for the EEOC’s St. Louis District, which includes Nebraska.

In addition to the monetary award, the consent decree, signed by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert Rossiter Jr., lays out numerous training and reporting requirements that extend to all Anant properties. The hotel owners and operators, for example, must consult with an expert in employment discrimination law to adopt procedures that ensure ADA compliance.

Trivedi said the settlement was a preferable alternative to a trial.&nbsp;

According to Trivedi, the general manager disclosed to supervisors that he had an “ongoing mental health matter” only after he was contacted for failure to show up for work “for several days” in a row.

Trivedi said the manager said he did not report to work because he feared he “was going to hurt someone.”

Trivedi said that the hotel group prides itself in working with its employees. He said it has about 300.

“Humans are humans — everyone goes through things,” said Trivedi. “We’ll be there for them, but you have to let us know.”

David Davis, acting director of the EEOC’s St. Louis District Office, said workers with mental health conditions, including depression, may face discrimination in the workplace due to stigma or misunderstandings about mental health disorders.

“The ADA prohibits such discrimination and may require an employer to provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee with a mental health disability,” he said.

Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-hotel-group-to-pay-100000-to-resolve-disability-discrimination-lawsuit-based-on-mental-health/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — A Nebraska hotelier has agreed to pay $100,000 to a former general manager to help settle a lawsuit contending disability discrimination based on mental health.The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the legal action against Anant Operations and affiliates, which own nearly a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://anant.life/portfolio_category/hotels/">dozen hotel properties</a>&nbsp;in Omaha, Lincoln and McCook, Nebraska, as well as&nbsp; Topeka, Kansas.A federal judge approved a settlement Wednesday.The general manager involved in the case worked at the Holiday Inn Express &amp; Suites in downtown Omaha. A news release from the EEOC said the manager in the fall of 2019 advised his direct supervisor, Anant’s vice president of operations, that he was going to be away from work because he was going to the hospital for treatment for depression.Two days later, on the day the manager was discharged from the hospital, the supervisor told the manager he was fired because the company was afraid he might hurt other people, the EEOC said.Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc-disability-related-resources">discrimination based on disability</a>, said the EEOC, which pursued the case in U.S. District Court after a failed first attempt to reach a settlement.“Employers can not rely on myths or stereotypes about mental health conditions when deciding whether an individual with a mental health disability, such as depression, can perform their job or poses a safety risk.”– Andrea Baran, regional attorney, EEOC St. Louis District OfficeKirt Trivedi, co-founder and president of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://anant.life/">Anant,</a>&nbsp;said the ownership group feels “strongly that the accusations are false.”He said, however, that the owners agreed the settlement was the “best path forward,” as it allows the group to focus on rebuilding its business after the pandemic. He said he wished the former general manager well.Joshua Pierson, an EEOC attorney assigned to the case, told the Nebraska Examiner that many people, when they hear of disability discrimination, think of physical impairment, not mental.“So it’s important to bring attention to the fact that mental health disabilities are disabilities that are covered under the ADA,” he said.The EEOC alleged that Anant failed to properly assess the general manager’s ability to perform his essential job duties — “and instead fired him based on fears and stereotypes regarding his disability, depression.”“Before an employer can fire an employee based on their disability, including a mental health disability, it must have objective evidence the employee would be unable to perform their job or would create a significant safety risk even with a reasonable accommodation,” said Andrea Baran, regional attorney for the EEOC’s St. Louis District, which includes Nebraska.“Employers can not rely on myths or stereotypes about mental health conditions when deciding whether an individual with a mental health disability, such as depression, can perform their job or poses a safety risk.”In addition to the monetary award, the consent decree, signed by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert Rossiter Jr., lays out numerous training and reporting requirements that extend to all Anant properties. The hotel owners and operators, for example, must consult with an expert in employment discrimination law to adopt procedures that ensure ADA compliance.Trivedi said the settlement was a preferable alternative to a trial.&nbsp;According to Trivedi, the general manager disclosed to supervisors that he had an “ongoing mental health matter” only after he was contacted for failure to show up for work “for several days” in a row.Trivedi said the manager said he did not report to work because he feared he “was going to hurt someone.”Trivedi said that the hotel group prides itself in working with its employees. He said it has about 300.“Humans are humans — everyone goes through things,” said Trivedi. “We’ll be there for them, but you have to let us know.”David Davis, acting director of the EEOC’s St. Louis District Office, said workers with mental health conditions, including depression, may face discrimination in the workplace due to stigma or misunderstandings about mental health disorders.“The ADA prohibits such discrimination and may require an employer to provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee with a mental health disability,” he said.

Nebraska hotel group to pay $100,000 to resolve disability discrimination lawsuit based on mental health

KANSAS CITY (AP) —When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., states scrambled for masks and other protective gear.

Three years later, as the grips of the pandemic have loosened, many states are now trying to deal with an excess of protective gear, ditching their supplies in droves.

With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into its stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money.

A similar reckoning is happening around the country. Items are aging, and as a deadline to allocate federal COVID-19 cash approaches next year, states must decide how much to invest in maintaining warehouses and supply stockpiles.

An Associated Press investigation found that at least 15 states, from Alaska to Vermont, have tossed some of their trove of PPE because of expiration, surpluses and a lack of willing takers.

Into the trash went more than 18 million masks, 22 million gowns, 500,000 gloves, and more. That’s not counting states that didn’t give the AP exact figures or responded in cases or other measures. Rhode Island said it got rid of 829 tons of PPE; Maryland disposed of over $93 million in supplies.

“What a real waste. That’s what happens when you don’t prepare, when you have a bust-and-boom public health system,” where a lack of planning leads to panicked over-purchasing in emergencies, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “It shows that we really have to do a better job of managing our stockpiles.”

The AP sent inquiries about PPE stockpiles to all 50 states over the past several months. About half responded.

States emphasize that they distributed far more gear than they discarded and have gone to great lengths to donate the leftovers. Washington state sent hundreds of thousands of supplies to the Marshall Islands last year, yet ended up throwing out millions more items after they expired.

Many states are keeping at least a portion, and sometimes all, of their remaining protective gear. Some even plan to update their stockpiles.

But others say the vagaries of the pandemic and the PPE supply left no choice but to acquire the items, and now to throw them out, however reluctantly. Expiration dates are set to ensure the protection works as intended, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set the fair market value of expired supplies at zero dollars.

“Anytime you’re involved in a situation where you’re recalling how difficult it was to get something in the first place, and then having to watch that go or not be used in the way it was intended to be used, certainly, there’s some frustration in that,” said Louis Eubank, who runs the South Carolina health department’s COVID-19 coordination office. The state has discarded over 650,000 expired masks.

When the virus struck, demand skyrocketed for N95 masks, gloves and gowns. The U.S government’s Strategic National Stockpile&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24176954-strategic-national-stockpile_inspector-generals-report_102023">was underequipped</a>, and states plunged into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-wa-state-wire-ar-state-wire-ia-state-wire-virus-outbreak-bba8c890271ed9651d7682e81ce2c5e4">global bidding wars</a>.

The AP found in 2020 that states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-us-news-coronavirus-pandemic-massachusetts-cb8c50c43781d81957ef8a1e61869ca7">spent over $7 billion</a>&nbsp;in a few months on PPE, ventilators and some other high-demand medical devices in a seller’s market. Ultimately, the federal government paid for many of the supplies.

“There was no way to know, at the time of purchase, how long the supply deficit would last or what quantities would be needed,” Ohio Department of Health spokesperson Ken Gordon said.

Ohio distributed more than 227 million pieces of protective equipment during the pandemic. But as the supply crunch and the health crisis eased, demand faded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/executive_briefings/ebot_surgical_and_isolation_gowns.pdf">especially for gowns</a>.

Now, “states, hospitals, manufacturers – everybody in the whole system -- has extra product,” said Linda Rouse O’Neill of the Health Industry Distributors Association.

Given the glut, stockpiled items are selling for bargain prices, if at all. Vermont got $82.50 for 105,000 boot covers and 29 cents apiece for thousands of safety goggles.

Striking a balance between preparedness and surpluses is “a major dilemma” for governments, said Scott Amey of the Project on Government Oversight, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group. And while politicians vowed in 2020 never to be caught off guard again, “memories are short, budgets are tight,” Amey noted.

In Wisconsin, a legislative committee axed from the budget&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lfb/budget/2023_25_biennial_budget/302_budget_papers/435_health_services_public_health_personal_protective_equipment_stockpile.pdf">$17.2 million that would have funded</a>&nbsp;a warehouse with an ongoing 60-day supply of PPE for two years.

The state Department of Health Services said it is now “demobilizing the warehouse” and trying to donate the supplies. Already, Wisconsin has tossed nearly 1.7 million masks and almost 1 million gowns.

Minnesota’s Department of Health was allocated some money this year for retaining and restocking PPE and is strategizing. For now, emergency response official Deb Radi says the agency expects to dispose of a few expiring gowns.

The Health Industry Distributors Association recommends that product distributors maintain a 60-to-90-day supply to guard against demand spikes. But the group says it’s probably unnecessary for everyone in the system — from manufacturers to doctors’ offices — to have such a large cushion.

Missouri’s health department has maintained a 90-day supply, keeping even expired materials on the presumption that the federal government will OK their use in an emergency. That happened during COVID-19.

“If you don’t make the investment – and perhaps the investment that is never used – then you may not be prepared to assist the public when it’s needed,” Missouri health director Paula Nickelson said.

Pennsylvania officials, by contrast, are aiming for a 15-day stockpile after frank conversations about what they can afford not only to keep, but to keep replacing as items expire, said Andy Pickett, the Health Department’s emergency preparedness and response director.

And Nevada can't give its aging PPE away fast enough.

Department of Administration Director Jack Robb said the state is endeavoring to shed the supplies safely and without wasting money but already has discarded some.

But Robb said officials “made the best decisions that they could” when confronted with a disease that has killed nearly 7 million people worldwide, including some of his close friends.

“And I hope we never see anything like that again in our lifetime,” he said.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., states scrambled for masks and other protective gear.Three years later, as the grips of the pandemic have loosened, many states are now trying to deal with an excess of protective gear, ditching their supplies in droves.With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into its stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money.A similar reckoning is happening around the country. Items are aging, and as a deadline to allocate federal COVID-19 cash approaches next year, states must decide how much to invest in maintaining warehouses and supply stockpiles.An Associated Press investigation found that at least 15 states, from Alaska to Vermont, have tossed some of their trove of PPE because of expiration, surpluses and a lack of willing takers.Into the trash went more than 18 million masks, 22 million gowns, 500,000 gloves, and more. That’s not counting states that didn’t give the AP exact figures or responded in cases or other measures. Rhode Island said it got rid of 829 tons of PPE; Maryland disposed of over $93 million in supplies.“What a real waste. That’s what happens when you don’t prepare, when you have a bust-and-boom public health system,” where a lack of planning leads to panicked over-purchasing in emergencies, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “It shows that we really have to do a better job of managing our stockpiles.”The AP sent inquiries about PPE stockpiles to all 50 states over the past several months. About half responded.States emphasize that they distributed far more gear than they discarded and have gone to great lengths to donate the leftovers. Washington state sent hundreds of thousands of supplies to the Marshall Islands last year, yet ended up throwing out millions more items after they expired.Many states are keeping at least a portion, and sometimes all, of their remaining protective gear. Some even plan to update their stockpiles.But others say the vagaries of the pandemic and the PPE supply left no choice but to acquire the items, and now to throw them out, however reluctantly. Expiration dates are set to ensure the protection works as intended, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set the fair market value of expired supplies at zero dollars.“Anytime you’re involved in a situation where you’re recalling how difficult it was to get something in the first place, and then having to watch that go or not be used in the way it was intended to be used, certainly, there’s some frustration in that,” said Louis Eubank, who runs the South Carolina health department’s COVID-19 coordination office. The state has discarded over 650,000 expired masks.When the virus struck, demand skyrocketed for N95 masks, gloves and gowns. The U.S government’s Strategic National Stockpile&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24176954-strategic-national-stockpile_inspector-generals-report_102023">was underequipped</a>, and states plunged into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-wa-state-wire-ar-state-wire-ia-state-wire-virus-outbreak-bba8c890271ed9651d7682e81ce2c5e4">global bidding wars</a>.The AP found in 2020 that states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-us-news-coronavirus-pandemic-massachusetts-cb8c50c43781d81957ef8a1e61869ca7">spent over $7 billion</a>&nbsp;in a few months on PPE, ventilators and some other high-demand medical devices in a seller’s market. Ultimately, the federal government paid for many of the supplies.“There was no way to know, at the time of purchase, how long the supply deficit would last or what quantities would be needed,” Ohio Department of Health spokesperson Ken Gordon said.Ohio distributed more than 227 million pieces of protective equipment during the pandemic. But as the supply crunch and the health crisis eased, demand faded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/executive_briefings/ebot_surgical_and_isolation_gowns.pdf">especially for gowns</a>.Now, “states, hospitals, manufacturers – everybody in the whole system -- has extra product,” said Linda Rouse O’Neill of the Health Industry Distributors Association.Given the glut, stockpiled items are selling for bargain prices, if at all. Vermont got $82.50 for 105,000 boot covers and 29 cents apiece for thousands of safety goggles.Striking a balance between preparedness and surpluses is “a major dilemma” for governments, said Scott Amey of the Project on Government Oversight, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group. And while politicians vowed in 2020 never to be caught off guard again, “memories are short, budgets are tight,” Amey noted.In Wisconsin, a legislative committee axed from the budget&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lfb/budget/2023_25_biennial_budget/302_budget_papers/435_health_services_public_health_personal_protective_equipment_stockpile.pdf">$17.2 million that would have funded</a>&nbsp;a warehouse with an ongoing 60-day supply of PPE for two years.The state Department of Health Services said it is now “demobilizing the warehouse” and trying to donate the supplies. Already, Wisconsin has tossed nearly 1.7 million masks and almost 1 million gowns.Minnesota’s Department of Health was allocated some money this year for retaining and restocking PPE and is strategizing. For now, emergency response official Deb Radi says the agency expects to dispose of a few expiring gowns.The Health Industry Distributors Association recommends that product distributors maintain a 60-to-90-day supply to guard against demand spikes. But the group says it’s probably unnecessary for everyone in the system — from manufacturers to doctors’ offices — to have such a large cushion.Missouri’s health department has maintained a 90-day supply, keeping even expired materials on the presumption that the federal government will OK their use in an emergency. That happened during COVID-19.“If you don’t make the investment – and perhaps the investment that is never used – then you may not be prepared to assist the public when it’s needed,” Missouri health director Paula Nickelson said.Pennsylvania officials, by contrast, are aiming for a 15-day stockpile after frank conversations about what they can afford not only to keep, but to keep replacing as items expire, said Andy Pickett, the Health Department’s emergency preparedness and response director.And Nevada can't give its aging PPE away fast enough.Department of Administration Director Jack Robb said the state is endeavoring to shed the supplies safely and without wasting money but already has discarded some.But Robb said officials “made the best decisions that they could” when confronted with a disease that has killed nearly 7 million people worldwide, including some of his close friends.“And I hope we never see anything like that again in our lifetime,” he said.

Tons of pandemic gear trashed as stockpiles expire

NEW YORK (AP) —Yevgeny Prigozhin rose from being an ex-con and hot dog vendor to winning lucrative Kremlin contracts and heading a formidable mercenary army. But it all came to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prigozhin-wagner-2c77567908c73e538f9f1c76ae406f8f">sudden end</a>&nbsp;when the private plane carrying him and others mysteriously exploded over Russia.

Prigozhin's Aug. 23 death put an exclamation point on what had already been an eventful year for the brutal mercenary leader. His&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wagner-group/">Wagner Group</a>&nbsp;troops brought Russia a rare victory in its grinding war in Ukraine, capturing the city of Bakhmut. But internal friction with Russian military leaders later burst into the open, with Prigozhin briefly mounting an armed rebellion — the most severe challenge yet to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule.

The rebellion was called off and a deal was struck in less than 24 hours. However, just two months later, Prigozhin joined the list of those who have run afoul of the Kremlin and died unexpectedly.

He was just one of a number of noteworthy people who died in 2023.

The world also said goodbye to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Nov. 29. Serving under two presidents, Kissinger's shadow loomed large in the foreign policy arena, prompting both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kissinger-death-global-reaction-4e98e88ae257d21603924651c75a383d">admiration and criticism</a>&nbsp;from around the globe. And he continued his involvement in global affairs even in his final months.

Another political figure who died this year was former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Nov. 19. She was the closest adviser to her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, during his one term in the White House and then across four decades of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rosalynn-carter-obit-death-reaction-6d13e96cc89924a08895b200c10090c2">global humanitarian work.</a>

Others from the world of politics who died this year include: former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi; former U.S. senators Dianne Feinstein, James Buckley and James Abourezk; former British treasury chief Nigel Lawson; former Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf; former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang; former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari; former New Mexico governor and American ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson; former New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver; and former Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.

Among the entertainers who left the world this year was singer Tina Turner, who died May 24. Turner's powerful voice and stage presence brought her fame across multiple decades, first with her abusive husband, Ike Turner, in the 1960's and 70's. But after leaving their marriage, she found fame again in the 1980's with her hit “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”

Others in the world of arts and entertainment who died this year include: actors Suzanne Somers, Matthew Perry, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Chaim Topol, Jacklyn Zeman, Lance Reddick, Alan Arkin, Paul Reubens, David McCallum, Richard Roundtree and Tom Sizemore; musicians Jimmy Buffett, Sinéad O’Connor, Rita Lee Jones, Burt Bacharach, David Crosby, Fito Olivares, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Astrud Gilberto, Coco Lee and Tony Bennett; civil rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte; TV producer Norman Lear; author Cormac McCarthy; filmmaker William Friedkin; TV hosts Bob Barker and Jerry Springer; poet Louise Glück; guitarist Jeff Beck; fashion designer Mary Quant; wrestler The Iron Sheik; composer Kaija Saariaho; and “Sesame Street” co-creator Lloyd Morrisett.

Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-maurice-white-music-donny-hathaway-be0a0851b3be1911db96ef70fc1ea7da">Fred White</a>, 67. A drummer who backed up his brothers Maurice and Verdine White in the Grammy-winning ensemble Earth, Wind &amp; Fire. Jan. 1.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-accidents-utah-salt-lake-city-business-73a4acfe37d0d8a074350a64c510f3c1">Ken Block</a>, 55. A motorsports icon known for his stunt driving and for co-founding the action sports apparel brand DC Shoes. Jan. 2. Snowmobiling accident.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apollo7-astronaut-walter-cunningham-dead-46da4bf601bf562aa2940c86e87f5731">Walter Cunningham</a>, 90. The last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA’s Apollo program. Jan. 3.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-books-and-literature-fiction-celebrity-london-6d6453a2cdf7bfd07a7b4c53a97bc227">Fay Weldon</a>, 91. A British author known for her sharp wit and acerbic observations about women’s experiences and sexual politics in novels including “The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil.” Jan. 4.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-arizona-russell-pearce-immigration-law-enforcement-ac686b12b5fd6b0a80a7ce99962808f2">Russell Pearce</a>, 75. A Republican lawmaker who was the driving force behind Arizona’s landmark 2010 anti-immigration legislation known as the “show me your papers” law. Jan. 5.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charles-simic-obituary-poet-3c3114c0f390d2a50b5a0e1883211bca">Charles Simic</a>, 84. The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who awed critics and readers with his singular art of lyricism and economy, tragic insight and disruptive humor. Jan. 9.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diamond-and-silk-dead-lynette-hardaway-7ba302111687a71e7686dad3b0f57a43">Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway</a>, 51. An ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump and one half of the conservative political commentary duo Diamond and Silk. Jan. 8.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeff-beck-dies-6fafc82a3f8fe8e27d6f6e39a215e28d">Jeff Beck</a>, 78. A guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player. Jan. 10.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-greece-athens-denmark-george-papandreou-7e29c313a579e9e10939c16abe577307">Constantine</a>, 82. The former and last king of Greece, who won an Olympic gold medal in sailing and spent decades in exile after becoming entangled in his country’s volatile politics in the 1960s. Jan. 10.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-new-york-city-germany-sweden-santa-barbara-347bdc48b38a42ba832fe8b036061b80">Tatjana Patitz</a>, 56. She was one of an elite group of supermodels who graced magazine covers in the 1980s and ’90s and appeared in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video. Jan. 11.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">Lisa Marie Presley</a>, 54. The only child of Elvis Presley and a singer-songwriter dedicated to her father’s legacy. Jan. 12.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-accidents-evel-knievel-las-vegas-reno-bdc7c49dc0ebf815d99fb0a61b77bfb3">Robbie Knievel</a>, 60. An American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following in the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father Evel Knievel. Jan. 13.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-hong-kong-television-music-75bbb851952d0ff4c4474b4635fbeb77">Ray Cordeiro</a>, 98. He interviewed music acts including the Beatles during a six-decade career on Hong Kong radio that earned him the title of the world’s longest-working disc jockey. Jan. 13.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lloyd-morrisett-sesame-street-obit-4b908914021d5a0e1236eeeb26553937">Lloyd Morrisett</a>, 93. The co-creator of the beloved children’s TV series “Sesame Street,” which has used empathy and fuzzy monsters like Elmo and Cookie Monster to charm and teach generations around the world. Jan. 15.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-gina-lollobrigida-rome-movies-35ab673787e5ce2c2c6f5fdf96bb0f59">Gina Lollobrigida</a>, 95. An Italian film legend who achieved international stardom during the 1950s and was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world” after the title of one of her movies. Jan. 16.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boston-celtics-nba-sports-retirements-4c5c7810be36ca9f3a75b2315eeb9294">Chris Ford</a>, 74. A member of the Boston Celtics 1981 championship team, a longtime NBA coach and the player credited with scoring the league’s first 3-point basket. Jan. 17.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/david-crosby-dies-obit-3a1142b65616fa95c34c837a94f2c69f">David Crosby</a>, 81. The brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash &amp; Young. Sept. 18.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/television-tv-emily-hudson-penny-marshall-cindy-williams-5a9237089972dc449e2046702e82d7bd">Cindy Williams</a>, 75. She was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 1980s for her role as Shirley on the beloved sitcom “Laverne &amp; Shirley.” Jan. 25.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-entertainment-sports-television-magic-johnson-537ff2cc8e99eeece7c14e11dff9c170">Billy Packer</a>, 82. An Emmy award-winning college basketball broadcaster who covered 34 Final Fours for NBC and CBS. Jan. 26.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-london-john-mills-movies-ef7ab57394ec9ce1f713ced13b3fa60f">Sylvia Syms</a>, 89. She starred in classic British films including “Ice Cold in Alex” and “Victim.” Jan. 27.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barrett-strong-obit-f7864cec55c3fca0cacbd880bd99a5df">Barrett Strong</a>, 81. One of Motown’s founding artists and most gifted songwriters who sang lead on the company’s breakthrough single “Money (That’s What I Want)” and collaborated with Norman Whitfield on such classics as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “War” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.” Jan. 28.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-tom-verlaine-patti-smith-new-york-city-c98c59898a4aafc2c51ed960b4419350">Tom Verlaine</a>, 73. The guitarist and co-founder of the seminal proto-punk band Television who influenced many bands while playing at ultra-cool downtown New York music venue CBGB alongside the Ramones, Patti Smith and Talking Heads. Jan. 28.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bobby-hull-dies-78205480b86961baee2a5d517d7e6910">Bobby Hull</a>, 84. A Hall of Fame forward who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final. Jan. 30.

NEW YORK (AP) —Yevgeny Prigozhin rose from being an ex-con and hot dog vendor to winning lucrative Kremlin contracts and heading a formidable mercenary army. But it all came to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prigozhin-wagner-2c77567908c73e538f9f1c76ae406f8f">sudden end</a>&nbsp;when the private plane carrying him and others mysteriously exploded over Russia.Prigozhin's Aug. 23 death put an exclamation point on what had already been an eventful year for the brutal mercenary leader. His&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wagner-group/">Wagner Group</a>&nbsp;troops brought Russia a rare victory in its grinding war in Ukraine, capturing the city of Bakhmut. But internal friction with Russian military leaders later burst into the open, with Prigozhin briefly mounting an armed rebellion — the most severe challenge yet to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule.The rebellion was called off and a deal was struck in less than 24 hours. However, just two months later, Prigozhin joined the list of those who have run afoul of the Kremlin and died unexpectedly.He was just one of a number of noteworthy people who died in 2023.The world also said goodbye to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Nov. 29. Serving under two presidents, Kissinger's shadow loomed large in the foreign policy arena, prompting both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kissinger-death-global-reaction-4e98e88ae257d21603924651c75a383d">admiration and criticism</a>&nbsp;from around the globe. And he continued his involvement in global affairs even in his final months.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700318605509.png" alt="FILE - The former first lady Rosalynn Carter speaks to the press at conference at The Carter Center on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, in Atlanta. Rosalynn Carter, the 96-year-old former first lady, is in hospice care at home, the Carter Center says. (AP Photo/Ron Harris, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - The former first lady Rosalynn Carter speaks to the press at conference at The Carter Center on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, in Atlanta. Rosalynn Carter, the 96-year-old former first lady, is in hospice care at home, the Carter Center says. (AP Photo/Ron Harris, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>Another political figure who died this year was former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Nov. 19. She was the closest adviser to her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, during his one term in the White House and then across four decades of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rosalynn-carter-obit-death-reaction-6d13e96cc89924a08895b200c10090c2">global humanitarian work.</a>Others from the world of politics who died this year include: former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi; former U.S. senators Dianne Feinstein, James Buckley and James Abourezk; former British treasury chief Nigel Lawson; former Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf; former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang; former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari; former New Mexico governor and American ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson; former New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver; and former Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684954528952.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Among the entertainers who left the world this year was singer Tina Turner, who died May 24. Turner's powerful voice and stage presence brought her fame across multiple decades, first with her abusive husband, Ike Turner, in the 1960's and 70's. But after leaving their marriage, she found fame again in the 1980's with her hit “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697402588728.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Others in the world of arts and entertainment who died this year include: actors Suzanne Somers, Matthew Perry, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Chaim Topol, Jacklyn Zeman, Lance Reddick, Alan Arkin, Paul Reubens, David McCallum, Richard Roundtree and Tom Sizemore; musicians Jimmy Buffett, Sinéad O’Connor, Rita Lee Jones, Burt Bacharach, David Crosby, Fito Olivares, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Astrud Gilberto, Coco Lee and Tony Bennett; civil rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte; TV producer Norman Lear; author Cormac McCarthy; filmmaker William Friedkin; TV hosts Bob Barker and Jerry Springer; poet Louise Glück; guitarist Jeff Beck; fashion designer Mary Quant; wrestler The Iron Sheik; composer Kaija Saariaho; and “Sesame Street” co-creator Lloyd Morrisett.Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-maurice-white-music-donny-hathaway-be0a0851b3be1911db96ef70fc1ea7da">Fred White</a>, 67. A drummer who backed up his brothers Maurice and Verdine White in the Grammy-winning ensemble Earth, Wind &amp; Fire. Jan. 1.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-accidents-utah-salt-lake-city-business-73a4acfe37d0d8a074350a64c510f3c1">Ken Block</a>, 55. A motorsports icon known for his stunt driving and for co-founding the action sports apparel brand DC Shoes. Jan. 2. Snowmobiling accident.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apollo7-astronaut-walter-cunningham-dead-46da4bf601bf562aa2940c86e87f5731">Walter Cunningham</a>, 90. The last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA’s Apollo program. Jan. 3.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-books-and-literature-fiction-celebrity-london-6d6453a2cdf7bfd07a7b4c53a97bc227">Fay Weldon</a>, 91. A British author known for her sharp wit and acerbic observations about women’s experiences and sexual politics in novels including “The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil.” Jan. 4.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-arizona-russell-pearce-immigration-law-enforcement-ac686b12b5fd6b0a80a7ce99962808f2">Russell Pearce</a>, 75. A Republican lawmaker who was the driving force behind Arizona’s landmark 2010 anti-immigration legislation known as the “show me your papers” law. Jan. 5.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charles-simic-obituary-poet-3c3114c0f390d2a50b5a0e1883211bca">Charles Simic</a>, 84. The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who awed critics and readers with his singular art of lyricism and economy, tragic insight and disruptive humor. Jan. 9.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diamond-and-silk-dead-lynette-hardaway-7ba302111687a71e7686dad3b0f57a43">Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway</a>, 51. An ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump and one half of the conservative political commentary duo Diamond and Silk. Jan. 8.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeff-beck-dies-6fafc82a3f8fe8e27d6f6e39a215e28d">Jeff Beck</a>, 78. A guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player. Jan. 10.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-greece-athens-denmark-george-papandreou-7e29c313a579e9e10939c16abe577307">Constantine</a>, 82. The former and last king of Greece, who won an Olympic gold medal in sailing and spent decades in exile after becoming entangled in his country’s volatile politics in the 1960s. Jan. 10.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-new-york-city-germany-sweden-santa-barbara-347bdc48b38a42ba832fe8b036061b80">Tatjana Patitz</a>, 56. She was one of an elite group of supermodels who graced magazine covers in the 1980s and ’90s and appeared in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video. Jan. 11.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">Lisa Marie Presley</a>, 54. The only child of Elvis Presley and a singer-songwriter dedicated to her father’s legacy. Jan. 12.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-accidents-evel-knievel-las-vegas-reno-bdc7c49dc0ebf815d99fb0a61b77bfb3">Robbie Knievel</a>, 60. An American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following in the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father Evel Knievel. Jan. 13.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-hong-kong-television-music-75bbb851952d0ff4c4474b4635fbeb77">Ray Cordeiro</a>, 98. He interviewed music acts including the Beatles during a six-decade career on Hong Kong radio that earned him the title of the world’s longest-working disc jockey. Jan. 13.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lloyd-morrisett-sesame-street-obit-4b908914021d5a0e1236eeeb26553937">Lloyd Morrisett</a>, 93. The co-creator of the beloved children’s TV series “Sesame Street,” which has used empathy and fuzzy monsters like Elmo and Cookie Monster to charm and teach generations around the world. Jan. 15.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-gina-lollobrigida-rome-movies-35ab673787e5ce2c2c6f5fdf96bb0f59">Gina Lollobrigida</a>, 95. An Italian film legend who achieved international stardom during the 1950s and was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world” after the title of one of her movies. Jan. 16.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boston-celtics-nba-sports-retirements-4c5c7810be36ca9f3a75b2315eeb9294">Chris Ford</a>, 74. A member of the Boston Celtics 1981 championship team, a longtime NBA coach and the player credited with scoring the league’s first 3-point basket. Jan. 17.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/david-crosby-dies-obit-3a1142b65616fa95c34c837a94f2c69f">David Crosby</a>, 81. The brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash &amp; Young. Sept. 18.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/television-tv-emily-hudson-penny-marshall-cindy-williams-5a9237089972dc449e2046702e82d7bd">Cindy Williams</a>, 75. She was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 1980s for her role as Shirley on the beloved sitcom “Laverne &amp; Shirley.” Jan. 25.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-entertainment-sports-television-magic-johnson-537ff2cc8e99eeece7c14e11dff9c170">Billy Packer</a>, 82. An Emmy award-winning college basketball broadcaster who covered 34 Final Fours for NBC and CBS. Jan. 26.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-london-john-mills-movies-ef7ab57394ec9ce1f713ced13b3fa60f">Sylvia Syms</a>, 89. She starred in classic British films including “Ice Cold in Alex” and “Victim.” Jan. 27.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barrett-strong-obit-f7864cec55c3fca0cacbd880bd99a5df">Barrett Strong</a>, 81. One of Motown’s founding artists and most gifted songwriters who sang lead on the company’s breakthrough single “Money (That’s What I Want)” and collaborated with Norman Whitfield on such classics as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “War” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.” Jan. 28.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-tom-verlaine-patti-smith-new-york-city-c98c59898a4aafc2c51ed960b4419350">Tom Verlaine</a>, 73. The guitarist and co-founder of the seminal proto-punk band Television who influenced many bands while playing at ultra-cool downtown New York music venue CBGB alongside the Ramones, Patti Smith and Talking Heads. Jan. 28.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bobby-hull-dies-78205480b86961baee2a5d517d7e6910">Bobby Hull</a>, 84. A Hall of Fame forward who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final. Jan. 30.

The year in review: Influential people who died in 2023

BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. military said Sunday it shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired toward a container ship by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-gaza-israel-palestine-yemen-treasury-department-16cfb3b70904eb2cc6d0c2670e3bc37c">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea. Hours later, four boats tried to attack the same ship, but U.S. forces opened fire, killing several of the armed crews, the U.S. Central Command said. No one was injured on the ship.

The Singapore-flagged MAERSK HANZGHOU reported they had already been hit by a missile Saturday night while transiting the Southern Red Sea and requested assistance, CENTCOM said in a statement. The USS GRAVELY and USS LABOON responded to the call for help, and the Denmark-owned vessel was reportedly seaworthy and no injuries were noted, the statement added.

“This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19,” CENTCOM said.

In another statement, CENTCOM said the same ship issued an additional distress call about a second attack “by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats.” The attackers fired small arms weapons at the MAERSK HANZGHOU, getting to within 20 meters (about 65 feet) of the vessel, and attempted to it, CENTCOM said.

A contract-embarked security team on the ship returned fire, the central command said. U.S. helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and GRAVELY responded to the distress call and while issuing verbal warnings to the attackers, the small boat crews opened fire on the helicopters using small arms, the statement said.

“The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense,” sinking three of the four boats, killing the crews while the fourth boat fled the area, CENTCOM said, and no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment was reported.

The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. They say their attacks aim to end Israel’s air-and-ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip following the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct.7.

On Saturday, the top commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-shipping-houthi-attacks-drones-missiles-1acc4ca5ebcaf6fee932a2061d451f59">Houthi rebels have shown no signs of ending their</a>&nbsp;“reckless” attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea even as more nations join the international maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick up.

JERUSALEM —At approximately 8:30 p.m. (Sanaa time) Saturday, the container ship Maersk Hangzhou reported that they were struck by a missile while transiting the Southern Red Sea, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

The Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned/operated container ship requested assistance, and the USS&nbsp; Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Laboon (DDG 58)&nbsp; responded to the ship. The vessel is reportedly seaworthy and there are no reported injuries.

While responding, the USS Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the ships.

This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703990687604.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. military said Sunday it shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired toward a container ship by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-gaza-israel-palestine-yemen-treasury-department-16cfb3b70904eb2cc6d0c2670e3bc37c">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea. Hours later, four boats tried to attack the same ship, but U.S. forces opened fire, killing several of the armed crews, the U.S. Central Command said. No one was injured on the ship.The Singapore-flagged MAERSK HANZGHOU reported they had already been hit by a missile Saturday night while transiting the Southern Red Sea and requested assistance, CENTCOM said in a statement. The USS GRAVELY and USS LABOON responded to the call for help, and the Denmark-owned vessel was reportedly seaworthy and no injuries were noted, the statement added.“This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19,” CENTCOM said.In another statement, CENTCOM said the same ship issued an additional distress call about a second attack “by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats.” The attackers fired small arms weapons at the MAERSK HANZGHOU, getting to within 20 meters (about 65 feet) of the vessel, and attempted to it, CENTCOM said.A contract-embarked security team on the ship returned fire, the central command said. U.S. helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and GRAVELY responded to the distress call and while issuing verbal warnings to the attackers, the small boat crews opened fire on the helicopters using small arms, the statement said.“The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense,” sinking three of the four boats, killing the crews while the fourth boat fled the area, CENTCOM said, and no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment was reported.The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. They say their attacks aim to end Israel’s air-and-ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip following the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct.7.On Saturday, the top commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-shipping-houthi-attacks-drones-missiles-1acc4ca5ebcaf6fee932a2061d451f59">Houthi rebels have shown no signs of ending their</a>&nbsp;“reckless” attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea even as more nations join the international maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick up.----------JERUSALEM —At approximately 8:30 p.m. (Sanaa time) Saturday, the container ship Maersk Hangzhou reported that they were struck by a missile while transiting the Southern Red Sea, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.The Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned/operated container ship requested assistance, and the USS&nbsp; Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Laboon (DDG 58)&nbsp; responded to the ship. The vessel is reportedly seaworthy and there are no reported injuries.While responding, the USS Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the ships.This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza will continue for “many more months," pushing back against persistent international cease-fire calls after mounting civilian deaths, hunger and mass displacement in the besieged enclave.Netanyahu thanked the Biden administration for its continued backing, including approval for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-gaza-arms-hamas-bypass-congress-1dc77f20aac4a797df6a2338b677da4f">a new emergency weapons sale</a>, the second this month, and prevention of a U.N. Security Council resolution seeking an immediate cease-fire. Israel argues that ending the war now would mean victory for Hamas, a stance shared by the Biden administration, which at the same time&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-oct-7-44c4229d4c1270d9cfa484b664a22071">urged Israel to do more</a>&nbsp;to avoid harm to Palestinian civilians.In new fighting, Israeli warplanes struck the urban refugee camps of Nuseirat and Bureij in the center of the territory Saturday as ground forces pushed deeper into the southern city of Khan Younis.The Health Ministry in Gaza said Saturday that more than 21,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">unprecedented air and ground offensive</a>&nbsp;since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack</a>&nbsp;on southern Israel. The ministry, which does not distinguish between the deaths of civilians and combatants, said 165 Palestinians were killed over the past 24 hours. It has said about 70% of those killed have been women and children.The number of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza combat rose to 170, after the military announced two more deaths Saturday.The war has displaced some 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, sending swells of people seeking shelter in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed. Palestinians are left with a sense that nowhere is safe in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-war-90e02d26420b8fe3157f73c256f9ed6a">tiny enclave</a>.With Israeli forces expanding their ground offensive this week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-29-2023-d36675194a22db54970f38c1c2ed3937">tens of thousands more Palestinians streamed</a>&nbsp;into the already crowded city of Rafah at the southernmost end of Gaza.Thousands of tents and makeshift shacks have sprung up on Rafah’s outskirts next to U.N. warehouses. Displaced people arrived in Rafah on foot or on trucks and carts piled high with mattresses. Those who did not find space in overwhelmed shelters pitched tents on roadsides.“We don't have water. We don’t have enough food,” Nour Daher, a displaced woman, said Saturday from the sprawling tent camp. “The kids wake up in the morning wanting to eat, wanting to drink. It took us one hour to find water for them. We couldn’t bring them flour. Even when we wanted to take them to toilets, it took us one hour to walk.”In the Nuseirat camp, resident Mustafa Abu Wawee said a strike hit the home of one of his relatives, killing two people.“The (Israeli) occupation is doing everything to force people to leave,” he said over the phone while helping to search for four people missing under the rubble. “They want to break our spirit and will, but they will fail. We are here to stay.”MORE U.S. WEAPONS FOR ISRAELThe State Department said Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress he approved a $147.5 million sale for equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, that is needed for 155 mm shells Israel bought previously.It marked the second time this month that the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel. Blinken made a similar decision on Dec. 9 to approve the sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million.Both moves have come as President Joe Biden’s request for a nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$106 billion aid package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs remains stalled in Congress, caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security. Some Democratic lawmakers have spoken of making the proposed $14.3 billion in American assistance to its Mideast ally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-israel-gaza-aid-sanders-a760c44986e5381b146d370cada95b52">contingent on concrete steps</a>&nbsp;by Netanyahu’s government to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza during the war with Hamas.THE WAR'S TIMELINEBlinken, who has repeatedly traveled to the Middle East during the war, was expected back in Israel and other countries in the region in January. U.S. officials have urged Israel to start shifting from high intensity combat to more targeted operations, but said they were not imposing a deadline.Netanyahu said Israel needs more time.“As the chief of staff said this week, the war will continue many more months,” he told a televised news conference Saturday. "My policy is clear. We will continue to fight until we have achieved all the objectives of the war, first and foremost the annihilation of Hamas and the release of all the hostages.”More than 120 hostages remain in Gaza, after militants seized more than 240 in the Oct. 7 assault that also killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.Netanyahu is also at odds with the Biden administration over who should run Gaza after the war. He has rejected the U.S.-backed idea that a unified Palestinian government should run both Gaza and parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a precursor to eventual statehood. Instead, he has insisted on open-ended Israeli security control in Gaza, without saying what would come next.TRADING FOR HOSTAGESFamilies of hostages and their supporters have demanded that the government prioritize hostage releases over other war objectives, and have staged large protests every weekend, including Saturday.Egypt, one of the mediators between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan that would kick off with a swap of hostages for prisoners, accompanied by a temporary cease-fire — along the lines of an exchange during a weeklong truce in November.Hamas insists the war must end before it will discuss hostage releases. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, reiterated that position Saturday, but also told The Associated Press that “we have not given any final answer so far” to the Egyptian proposal.Asked about reports of possible progress toward a deal, Netanyahu said Saturday that “we see a possibility, maybe, for movement” but that he did not want to raise “exaggerated expectations.”DIFFICULTIES IN DELIVERING AIDMore than a week after a U.N. Security Council resolution called for the unhindered delivery of aid at scale across besieged Gaza, conditions have only worsened, U.N. agencies warned.Aid officials said the aid entering Gaza remains woefully inadequate. Distributing goods is hampered by long delays at two border crossings, ongoing fighting, Israeli airstrikes, repeated cuts in internet and phone services and a breakdown of law and order that makes it difficult to secure aid convoys, they said.Nearly the entire population is fully dependent on outside humanitarian aid, said Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-21-2023-7d9718b32bf0d308c44c7c9e3c4e0deb">quarter of the population</a>&nbsp;is starving because too few trucks enter with food, medicine, fuel and other supplies — sometimes fewer than 100 trucks a day, according to U.N. daily reports.___