LONDON (AP) — The pharma giant AstraZeneca has requested that the European authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine be pulled, according to the EU medicines regulator.

In an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/vaxzevria-previously-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca" target="_blank">update</a>&nbsp;on the European Medicines Agency’s website Wednesday, the regulator said that the approval for AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria had been withdrawn “at the request of the marketing authorization holder.”

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine was first given the nod by the EMA in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-authorizes-astrazeneca-vaccine-adults-18b545dd51ea56f422ff28cdeb2dd08b">January 2021</a>. Within weeks, however, concerns grew about the vaccine’s safety, when dozens of countries suspended the vaccine’s use after unusual but rare blood clots were detected in a small number of immunized people. The EU regulator concluded AstraZeneca’s shot didn’t raise the overall risk of clots, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astrazeneca-vaccine-reputation-missteps-01332124d4c18aba556a53b1a57bcc84">doubts remained.</a>

Partial results from its first major trial — which Britain used to authorize the vaccine — were clouded by a manufacturing mistake that researchers didn’t immediately acknowledge. Insufficient data about how well the vaccine protected older people led some countries to initially restrict its use to younger populations before reversing course.

Billions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were distributed to poorer countries through a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poorer-countries-coronavirus-vaccine-0980fa905b6e1ce2f14a149cd2c438cd">U.N.-coordinated program,</a>&nbsp;as it was cheaper and easier to produce and distribute. But studies later suggested that the pricier messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna provided better protection against COVID-19 and its many variants, and most countries switched to those shots.

The U.K.'s national coronavirus immunization program in 2021 heavily relied on AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which was largely developed by scientists at Oxford University with significant financial government support. But even Britain later resorted to buying the mRNA vaccines for its COVID booster vaccination programs and the AstraZeneca vaccine is now rarely used globally.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616409995625.png" alt="Photo courtesy AstraZeneca" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy AstraZeneca</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — The pharma giant AstraZeneca has requested that the European authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine be pulled, according to the EU medicines regulator.In an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/vaxzevria-previously-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca" target="_blank">update</a>&nbsp;on the European Medicines Agency’s website Wednesday, the regulator said that the approval for AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria had been withdrawn “at the request of the marketing authorization holder.”AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine was first given the nod by the EMA in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-authorizes-astrazeneca-vaccine-adults-18b545dd51ea56f422ff28cdeb2dd08b">January 2021</a>. Within weeks, however, concerns grew about the vaccine’s safety, when dozens of countries suspended the vaccine’s use after unusual but rare blood clots were detected in a small number of immunized people. The EU regulator concluded AstraZeneca’s shot didn’t raise the overall risk of clots, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astrazeneca-vaccine-reputation-missteps-01332124d4c18aba556a53b1a57bcc84">doubts remained.</a>Partial results from its first major trial — which Britain used to authorize the vaccine — were clouded by a manufacturing mistake that researchers didn’t immediately acknowledge. Insufficient data about how well the vaccine protected older people led some countries to initially restrict its use to younger populations before reversing course.Billions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were distributed to poorer countries through a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poorer-countries-coronavirus-vaccine-0980fa905b6e1ce2f14a149cd2c438cd">U.N.-coordinated program,</a>&nbsp;as it was cheaper and easier to produce and distribute. But studies later suggested that the pricier messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna provided better protection against COVID-19 and its many variants, and most countries switched to those shots.The U.K.'s national coronavirus immunization program in 2021 heavily relied on AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which was largely developed by scientists at Oxford University with significant financial government support. But even Britain later resorted to buying the mRNA vaccines for its COVID booster vaccination programs and the AstraZeneca vaccine is now rarely used globally.

AstraZeneca withdraws  COVID-19 vaccine from global market

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of State announced Tuesday a&nbsp;reward of up to $10,000,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction in any country of 31-year-old Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev for participating in, conspiring to participate in, or attempting to participate in LockBit ransomware activities, according to a media release.

Since January 2020, the LockBit ransomware variant has executed attacks against over 2,500 victims around the world, to include approximately 1,800 in the United States, issuing hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in ransom demands and receiving at least as much as $150 million in actual ransom payments made in the form of digital currency.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that prevents a user from accessing computer files, systems, or networks until a ransom is paid for their return.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ransomware incidents can cause costly disruptions to operations and the loss of critical information and data.

In addition, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed charges Tuesday against Khoroshev for his alleged role as the creator, developer, and administrator of the LockBit ransomware group from its inception in September 2019 through the present. At times, LockBit was the most prolific ransomware group in the world.

Khoroshev also known as LockBitSupp, LockBit, and putinkrab, Voronezh, Russia, is charged by a 26-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the District of New Jersey.

The indictment against Khoroshev unsealed Tuesday follows a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-and-uk-disrupt-lockbit-ransomware-variant">disruption</a>&nbsp;of LockBit ransomware in February by the U.K. National Crime Agency’s (NCA) Cyber Division, which worked in cooperation with the Justice Department, FBI, and other international law enforcement partners. As previously announced by the Department, authorities disrupted LockBit by seizing numerous public-facing websites used by LockBit to connect to the organization’s infrastructure and by seizing control of servers used by LockBit administrators, thereby disrupting the ability of LockBit actors to attack and encrypt networks and extort victims by threatening to publish stolen data. That disruption succeeded in greatly diminishing LockBit’s reputation and its ability to attack further victims, as alleged by the indictment unsealed today.

“Dmitry Khoroshev conceived, developed, and administered Lockbit, the most prolific ransomware variant and group in the world, enabling himself and his affiliates to wreak havoc and cause billions of dollars in damage to thousands of victims around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “He thought he could do so hidden by his notorious moniker ‘LockBitSupp,’ anonymous and free of any consequence, while he personally pocketed $100 million extorted from Lockbit’s victims. Through relentless investigation and coordination with our partners at the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the FBI and abroad, we have proven him and his coconspirators wrong. Today’s indictment marks a significant milestone in the investigation and prosecution of LockBit, which has already led to charges against five other LockBit affiliates—two of whom are in custody awaiting trial—and a major disruption of the now discredited LockBit operation.”

In addition, as previously announced, law enforcement developed decryption capabilities that may enable hundreds of victims around the world to restore systems encrypted using the LockBit ransomware variant. Victims targeted by this malware are encouraged to contact the FBI at&nbsp;<a href="https://lockbitvictims.ic3.gov/" target="_blank">https://lockbitvictims.ic3.gov/</a>&nbsp;to enable law enforcement to determine whether affected systems can be successfully decrypted.

The FBI does not support the payment of a ransom in response to a ransomware attack.&nbsp;&nbsp;Paying ransom demands encourages more ransomware incidents and provides an incentive to become involved in this type of illegal activity.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you are the victim of a ransomware incident, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://stopransomware.gov/">stopransomware.gov</a>.

Please direct information in response to the reward offer to the FBI via Signal at @FBISupp.01, via Telegram at @LockbitRewards, or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:fbisupp@fbi.gov">fbisupp@fbi.gov</a>.

ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715178127363.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of State announced Tuesday a&nbsp;reward of up to $10,000,000&nbsp;for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction in any country of 31-year-old Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev for participating in, conspiring to participate in, or attempting to participate in LockBit ransomware activities, according to a media release.Since January 2020, the LockBit ransomware variant has executed attacks against over 2,500 victims around the world, to include approximately 1,800 in the United States, issuing hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in ransom demands and receiving at least as much as $150 million in actual ransom payments made in the form of digital currency.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that prevents a user from accessing computer files, systems, or networks until a ransom is paid for their return.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ransomware incidents can cause costly disruptions to operations and the loss of critical information and data.In addition, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed charges Tuesday against Khoroshev for his alleged role as the creator, developer, and administrator of the LockBit ransomware group from its inception in September 2019 through the present. At times, LockBit was the most prolific ransomware group in the world.Khoroshev also known as LockBitSupp, LockBit, and putinkrab, Voronezh, Russia, is charged by a 26-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the District of New Jersey.The indictment against Khoroshev unsealed Tuesday follows a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-and-uk-disrupt-lockbit-ransomware-variant">disruption</a>&nbsp;of LockBit ransomware in February by the U.K. National Crime Agency’s (NCA) Cyber Division, which worked in cooperation with the Justice Department, FBI, and other international law enforcement partners. As previously announced by the Department, authorities disrupted LockBit by seizing numerous public-facing websites used by LockBit to connect to the organization’s infrastructure and by seizing control of servers used by LockBit administrators, thereby disrupting the ability of LockBit actors to attack and encrypt networks and extort victims by threatening to publish stolen data. That disruption succeeded in greatly diminishing LockBit’s reputation and its ability to attack further victims, as alleged by the indictment unsealed today.“Dmitry Khoroshev conceived, developed, and administered Lockbit, the most prolific ransomware variant and group in the world, enabling himself and his affiliates to wreak havoc and cause billions of dollars in damage to thousands of victims around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “He thought he could do so hidden by his notorious moniker ‘LockBitSupp,’ anonymous and free of any consequence, while he personally pocketed $100 million extorted from Lockbit’s victims. Through relentless investigation and coordination with our partners at the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the FBI and abroad, we have proven him and his coconspirators wrong. Today’s indictment marks a significant milestone in the investigation and prosecution of LockBit, which has already led to charges against five other LockBit affiliates—two of whom are in custody awaiting trial—and a major disruption of the now discredited LockBit operation.”In addition, as previously announced, law enforcement developed decryption capabilities that may enable hundreds of victims around the world to restore systems encrypted using the LockBit ransomware variant. Victims targeted by this malware are encouraged to contact the FBI at&nbsp;<a href="https://lockbitvictims.ic3.gov/" target="_blank">https://lockbitvictims.ic3.gov/</a>&nbsp;to enable law enforcement to determine whether affected systems can be successfully decrypted.The FBI does not support the payment of a ransom in response to a ransomware attack.&nbsp;&nbsp;Paying ransom demands encourages more ransomware incidents and provides an incentive to become involved in this type of illegal activity.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you are the victim of a ransomware incident, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://stopransomware.gov/">stopransomware.gov</a>.Please direct information in response to the reward offer to the FBI via Signal at @FBISupp.01, via Telegram at @LockbitRewards, or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:fbisupp@fbi.gov">fbisupp@fbi.gov</a>.ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.

U.S. identifies senior leader of ransomware gang

The Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded $37,495 in grants for Excellence in Youth service. Of the grants awarded to thirty-nine Nebraska libraries, several addressed the need for educational programs, Summer Reading programing, and materials like LEGO®, STEAM, and other activities to encourage creativity in young people. 

The Nebraska Library Commission congratulates all the libraries who received grants as they develop new and innovative programs to ensure excellence in library service for Nebraska young people. You can find the full list of grant recipients on the&nbsp;<a href="https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/grants/Database/grantsdb.asp?grantnamedropdown=Youth+Grants+for+Excellence&amp;YearDropdown=2024&amp;libraryDropdown=blank&amp;cityDropdown=blank&amp;B1=Submit" target="_blank">Nebraska Library Commission grants database</a>.&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Adventure Backpacks

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;STEAM programing and materials

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Book Club activities

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tween Makerspace Camp

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Summer Reading programs

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Music and movement class

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Creative Coding for Kids

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Makerspace items for children/youth

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Builders' Club with Lego

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1000 Books Before Kindergarten

The following 39 Nebraska public libraries were awarded 2024 Youth Grants for Excellence funding:

Youth Grants for Excellence are made available by the Nebraska Library Commission with funding from the State of Nebraska. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”

Nebraska Library CommissionThe Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded $37,495 in grants for Excellence in Youth service. Of the grants awarded to thirty-nine Nebraska libraries, several addressed the need for educational programs, Summer Reading programing, and materials like LEGO®, STEAM, and other activities to encourage creativity in young people. The Nebraska Library Commission congratulates all the libraries who received grants as they develop new and innovative programs to ensure excellence in library service for Nebraska young people. You can find the full list of grant recipients on the&nbsp;<a href="https://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/grants/Database/grantsdb.asp?grantnamedropdown=Youth+Grants+for+Excellence&amp;YearDropdown=2024&amp;libraryDropdown=blank&amp;cityDropdown=blank&amp;B1=Submit" target="_blank">Nebraska Library Commission grants database</a>.&nbsp;Proposals include:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Adventure Backpacks·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;STEAM programing and materials·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Book Club activities·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tween Makerspace Camp·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Summer Reading programs·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Music and movement class·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Creative Coding for Kids·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Makerspace items for children/youth·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Builders' Club with Lego·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1000 Books Before KindergartenThe following 39 Nebraska public libraries were awarded 2024 Youth Grants for Excellence funding:Bancroft Public LibraryBayard Public LibraryBeatrice Public LibraryBellevue Public LibraryBroken Bow Public LibraryCentral City Public LibraryClearwater Public LibraryColumbus Public LibraryHruska Public Library, David CityElmwood Public LibraryFalls City Library and Arts CenterFullerton Public LibraryGenoa Public LibraryGrand Island Public LibraryHastings Memorial Library, GrantLincoln City LibrariesLouisville Public LibraryMadison Public LibraryMead Public LibraryJensen Memorial Library, MindenNorfolk Public LibraryNorth Bend Public LibraryCB Preston Memorial Library, OrleansOsmond Public LibraryPapillion Public LibraryPlainview Public LibraryRavenna Public LibrarySt. Edward Public LibrarySargent Township LibraryShelton Public LibraryMaxine White-Sutherland Public LibraryLied Tekamah Public LibraryValley Public LibraryValparaiso Public LibraryVerdigre Public LibraryLied Lincoln Township Library, WausaMaltman Memorial Library, Wood RiverKilgore Memorial Library, YorkYutan Public LibraryYouth Grants for Excellence are made available by the Nebraska Library Commission with funding from the State of Nebraska. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”

Nebraska Library Commission Awards Grants for Youth Library Service

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Seven more Republican-led states sued Tuesday to challenge a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-sexual-assault-transgender-sports-d0fc0ab7515de02b8e4403d0481dc1e7">new federal regulation</a>&nbsp;that seeks to protect the rights of transgender students in the nation's schools. Republican plaintiffs call the effort to fold protection for transgender students under the 1972 Title IX law unconstitutional.

The lawsuits filed in federal courts in Missouri and Oklahoma are the latest GOP attempts to halt the new regulation seeking to clarify Title IX, a landmark 1972 sex discrimination law originally passed to address women’s rights and applied to schools and colleges receiving federal money. The rules spell out that Title IX bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, too.

Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota joined as plaintiffs in the Missouri lawsuit.

The cases come as many Republicans seek to limit the rights of transgender youth, including restricting which bathrooms or pronouns they can use in school. Such prohibitions that could be invalidated by the new federal regulation. The GOP states suing argue that the new federal rules goes beyond the intent of Title IX and that the Biden administration doesn't have the authority to implement them.

“The interpretation of the Biden administration is completely inconsistent with the statute and the way it's been interpreted for decades,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said at a news conference with Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.

The federal regulation applies to all schools that receive federal funding. The latest filings bring to at least 21 the number of GOP states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-lawsuit-states-bathrooms-lawsuit-f731ff2f1afd24a1f246443f12053bcc">challenging</a>&nbsp;the new rules. Officials in several states,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-title-ix-transgender-huckabee-sanders-bf44e0e7c6dc8f1e03149a790be3d2ef">including Arkansas</a>, have said they don’t plan to comply with the regulation.

The U.S. Department of Education said it does not comment on pending litigation.

An Arkansas high school athlete, Amelia Ford, also joined the Missouri case, saying she doesn't believe transgender women should be allowed to compete on women's sports teams.

The Biden administration’s new rules broadly protect against discrimination based on sex, but they don’t offer guidance around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trans-athletes-sports-ban-2f6cf412d306e73e68efa2377fb5081a">transgender athletes</a>. Most of the states challenging the regulation have laws restricting what teams transgender athletes can play on.

Lawsuits also have been filed in federal courts in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Kentucky. The multiple challenges give the states suing a better chance that one of the cases will put the rule on hold nationally.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715174701704.jpeg" alt="Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin speaks at a news conference at the attorney general's office in Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, May 7, 2024, about a lawsuit challenging a new regulation aimed at protecting the rights of transgender students in schools. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, right, and Arkansas Solicitor General Nicholas Bronni and high school athlete Amelia Ford, left, listen. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo)" />
 <figcaption>Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin speaks at a news conference at the attorney general's office in Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, May 7, 2024, about a lawsuit challenging a new regulation aimed at protecting the rights of transgender students in schools. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, right, and Arkansas Solicitor General Nicholas Bronni and high school athlete Amelia Ford, left, listen. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo)</figcaption>
 </figure>LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Seven more Republican-led states sued Tuesday to challenge a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-sexual-assault-transgender-sports-d0fc0ab7515de02b8e4403d0481dc1e7">new federal regulation</a>&nbsp;that seeks to protect the rights of transgender students in the nation's schools. Republican plaintiffs call the effort to fold protection for transgender students under the 1972 Title IX law unconstitutional.The lawsuits filed in federal courts in Missouri and Oklahoma are the latest GOP attempts to halt the new regulation seeking to clarify Title IX, a landmark 1972 sex discrimination law originally passed to address women’s rights and applied to schools and colleges receiving federal money. The rules spell out that Title IX bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, too.Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota joined as plaintiffs in the Missouri lawsuit.The cases come as many Republicans seek to limit the rights of transgender youth, including restricting which bathrooms or pronouns they can use in school. Such prohibitions that could be invalidated by the new federal regulation. The GOP states suing argue that the new federal rules goes beyond the intent of Title IX and that the Biden administration doesn't have the authority to implement them.“The interpretation of the Biden administration is completely inconsistent with the statute and the way it's been interpreted for decades,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said at a news conference with Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.The federal regulation applies to all schools that receive federal funding. The latest filings bring to at least 21 the number of GOP states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-lawsuit-states-bathrooms-lawsuit-f731ff2f1afd24a1f246443f12053bcc">challenging</a>&nbsp;the new rules. Officials in several states,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-title-ix-transgender-huckabee-sanders-bf44e0e7c6dc8f1e03149a790be3d2ef">including Arkansas</a>, have said they don’t plan to comply with the regulation.The U.S. Department of Education said it does not comment on pending litigation.An Arkansas high school athlete, Amelia Ford, also joined the Missouri case, saying she doesn't believe transgender women should be allowed to compete on women's sports teams.The Biden administration’s new rules broadly protect against discrimination based on sex, but they don’t offer guidance around&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trans-athletes-sports-ban-2f6cf412d306e73e68efa2377fb5081a">transgender athletes</a>. Most of the states challenging the regulation have laws restricting what teams transgender athletes can play on.Lawsuits also have been filed in federal courts in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Kentucky. The multiple challenges give the states suing a better chance that one of the cases will put the rule on hold nationally.

More GOP states challenge federal rules protecting transgender students

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has finished construction of a temporary pier and causeway that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-aid-gaza-us-port-pier-d4d9ea94550aed2d24a258dfd98d866e">will be used to deliver aid to Gaza</a>&nbsp;through a maritime system, but plans to move it into place on the shore are on hold due to weather and other logistics.

Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters on Tuesday that U.S. military ships and the assembled pier are at Israel’s Ashdod port. High winds and sea swells are making it too dangerous for the U.S. military to install the pier at the Gaza beach.

Singh says the U.S. hopes to install the pier and causeway later this week, if the weather permits.

Meanwhile, humanitarian aid is being loaded onto a large container ship, the Sagamore, in Cyprus, for eventual delivery to Gaza, Singh said.

The U.S. hopes the pier can be used to bring more humanitarian aid into Gaza, where the U.N. says there is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">a full-blown famine</a>&nbsp;in the north.

Meanwhile, a&nbsp;White House spokesman on Tuesday expressed guarded optimism that Israel and Hamas “should be able to close the remaining gaps” to complete an agreement that would lead to release of hostages and pave the way for an extended truce in the seven-month war in Gaza.

“It’s based on our understanding of where the text is right now,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said of the administration’s optimism. “Again, Hamas responded yesterday and there were amendments offered. Again, that’s the task of negotiating. That’s what negotiations are all about. It’s our understanding from looking at the text that we feel it suggests that we should be able to close these gaps.”

Talks are to continue on Tuesday in Cairo. Kirby declined to put a timeline on when Americans officials believe a deal can be sealed.

“Everybody’s coming. Qatar is coming. The Israelis are coming. Obviously, the Egyptians will be there of course, and Bill Burns will be there,” Kirby said. “That’s not insignificant. Everybody is coming to the table.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714471004272.png" alt="File Photos U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File Photos U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has finished construction of a temporary pier and causeway that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-aid-gaza-us-port-pier-d4d9ea94550aed2d24a258dfd98d866e">will be used to deliver aid to Gaza</a>&nbsp;through a maritime system, but plans to move it into place on the shore are on hold due to weather and other logistics.Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters on Tuesday that U.S. military ships and the assembled pier are at Israel’s Ashdod port. High winds and sea swells are making it too dangerous for the U.S. military to install the pier at the Gaza beach.Singh says the U.S. hopes to install the pier and causeway later this week, if the weather permits.Meanwhile, humanitarian aid is being loaded onto a large container ship, the Sagamore, in Cyprus, for eventual delivery to Gaza, Singh said.The U.S. hopes the pier can be used to bring more humanitarian aid into Gaza, where the U.N. says there is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">a full-blown famine</a>&nbsp;in the north.Meanwhile, a&nbsp;White House spokesman on Tuesday expressed guarded optimism that Israel and Hamas “should be able to close the remaining gaps” to complete an agreement that would lead to release of hostages and pave the way for an extended truce in the seven-month war in Gaza.“It’s based on our understanding of where the text is right now,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said of the administration’s optimism. “Again, Hamas responded yesterday and there were amendments offered. Again, that’s the task of negotiating. That’s what negotiations are all about. It’s our understanding from looking at the text that we feel it suggests that we should be able to close these gaps.”Talks are to continue on Tuesday in Cairo. Kirby declined to put a timeline on when Americans officials believe a deal can be sealed.“Everybody’s coming. Qatar is coming. The Israelis are coming. Obviously, the Egyptians will be there of course, and Bill Burns will be there,” Kirby said. “That’s not insignificant. Everybody is coming to the table.”

US military finishes Gaza pier, plans to move it into place on hold

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, JENNIFER PELTZ, ERIC TUCKER and JAKE OFFENHARTZ&nbsp;

NEW YORK (AP) — With Donald Trump sitting just feet away,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stormy-daniels-donald-trump-d3dce88566bafb714dbb5c1acd3e4a83">Stormy Daniels</a>&nbsp;testified Tuesday at the former president's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-stormy-daniels-cohen-9be06e3d33c25af7060552a44001cc1a">hush money trial</a>&nbsp;about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.

Jurors appeared riveted as Daniels offered a detailed and at times graphic account of the encounter Trump has denied. Trump stared straight ahead when Daniels entered the courtroom, later whispering to his lawyers and shaking his head as she testified.

The testimony was by far the most-awaited spectacle in a trial that has toggled between tabloidesque elements and dry record-keeping details. A courtroom appearance by a porn actor who says she had an intimate encounter with a former American president added to the long list of historic firsts in a landmark case laden with claims of sex, payoffs and cover-ups and unfolding as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-primary-georgia-washington-mississippi-hawaii-15bb0084ad656903ffef14cfae822abd">presumptive Republican nominee</a>&nbsp;makes another bid for the White House.

Daniels veered into salacious details despite the repeated objections of defense lawyers, who demanded a mistrial over what they said were prejudicial and irrelevant comments.

“This is the kind of testimony that makes it impossible to come back from,” attorney Todd Blanche said. “How can we come back from this in a way that’s fair to President Trump?”

The judge rejected the request and said defense lawyers should have raised more objections during the testimony. The Trump team later in the day used its opportunity to question Daniels to paint her as motivated by personal animus and profiting off her claims against Trump.

"Am I correct that you hate President Trump?” defense lawyer Susan Necheles asked Daniels.

Daniels' statements are central to the case because in the final weeks of Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign, his then-lawyer and personal fixer, Michael Cohen,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cohen-stormy-daniels-grand-jury-d48153fc2d3fe7a656e8a24ad1acd082">paid her $130,000 to keep quiet</a>&nbsp;about what she says was an awkward and unexpected sexual encounter with Trump in July 2006 at a celebrity golf outing in Lake Tahoe. Trump has pleaded not guilty.

Led by a prosecutor's questioning, Daniels described how an initial meeting at a golf tournament, where they discussed the adult film industry, progressed to a “brief” sexual encounter that she said Trump initiated after inviting her to dinner and back to his hotel suite.

She said she didn’t feel physically or verbally threatened, though she knew his bodyguard was outside the suite. There was also what she perceived as an imbalance of power: Trump “was bigger and blocking the way," she said.

At the time, Trump was married to his wife, Melania, who has not been in court for the trial. Daniels said Trump told her they did not sleep in the same room, prompting him to shake his head at the defense table.

After it ended, Daniels said, “It was really hard to get my shoes because my hands were shaking so hard.”

“He said, ‘Oh, it was great. Let’s get together again, honey bunch,’” Daniels said. “I just wanted to leave.”

In the years since the encounter was disclosed, Daniels has emerged as a vocal Trump antagonist, sharing her story innumerable times and criticizing the former president with mocking and pejorative jabs. But there was no precedent for Tuesday's testimony, when she came face-to-face with Trump and was asked under oath in an austere courtroom to describe her experiences to a jury weighing whether to convict a former American president of felony crimes for the first time in history.

She told jurors how she met Trump because the adult film studio she worked for at the time sponsored one of the holes on the golf course. She said they had a brief conversation when Trump's group passed through, chatting about the adult film industry and her directing abilities. The celebrity real estate developer remarked that she must be “the smart one” if she was making films, Daniels recalled.

Later, in an area known as the “gift room,” where celebrity golfers collected gift bags and swag, Trump remembered her as “the smart one” and asked her to dinner, Daniels said.

She said her then-publicist suggested in a phone call that Trump’s invitation was a good excuse to skip a work dinner and would “make a great story” and perhaps help her career.

“What could possibly go wrong?” she recalled the publicist saying.

The two saw each other periodically in the ensuing years, when she said she spurned Trump's advances.

In 2011, several years after she and Trump were last in touch, she said she learned from her agent that the story of her encounter with Trump had made its way to a magazine.

She said she agreed to an interview for $15,000 because “I’d rather make the money than somebody make money off of me, and at least I could control the narrative.” The story never ran, but later that year, she was alarmed when an item turned up on a website.

Perhaps seeking to preempt defense claims that she was in urgent need of a massive payout, Daniels testified that she was in the best financial shape of her life when she authorized her manager to shop her story during the 2016 presidential campaign.

She said she had no intent of approaching Cohen or Trump to have them pay her.

“My motivation wasn’t money," she said. "It was to get the story out,” she testified.

But Necheles zeroed in on that point, pressing Daniels on the fact that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stormy-daniels-trump-defamation-lawsuit-0ee5623fc8965ad3d2fc77a7126d24c7">owes Trump hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees</a>&nbsp;stemming from an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit and that she tweeted in 2022 that she “will go to jail before I pay a penny.”

“That was me saying, ‘I will not pay for telling the truth,’” Daniels testified Tuesday.

She later forcefully denied that she was trying to squeeze Trump for money.

"You were looking to extort money from President Trump,” Necheles said.

“Well, that’s what you did,” the lawyer said.

Daniels was expected to return to the witness stand Thursday, when the trial resumes.

Testimony so far has made clear that at the time of the payment to Daniels, Trump and his campaign were reeling from the October 2016 publication of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-access-hollywood-hush-money-new-york-2c52279a45ede2a111ff1fe447d2fdac">never-before-seen 2005 “Access Hollywood” footage</a>&nbsp;in which he boasted about grabbing women’s genitals without their permission.

Before that video was made public, "there was very little if any interest” in Daniels' claims,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-stormy-daniels-hush-money-election-2024-d2f9badee0b28a60d32bc98c0d4e783f">according to testimony earlier in the trial</a>&nbsp;from her then-lawyer, Keith Davidson. A deal was reached with the National Enquirer for Daniels’ story, but the tabloid backed out. Davidson began negotiating with Cohen directly, hiked up the price to $130,000, and reached a deal.

After the deadline for the $130,000 payment from Cohen came and went, she authorized Davidson to cancel the deal. He did, by email, according to documents shown in court. But about two weeks later, the deal was revived.

Daniels testified that she ended up with about $96,000 of the $130,000 payment, after her lawyer and agent got their cuts.

She also said she was steadfast in abiding by her nondisclosure agreement with Cohen, declining to comment to The Wall Street Journal for a November 2016 story that reported she had been in discussions to tell her story on “Good Morning America” but that nothing had come of it. She also declined to comment for the newspaper before it broke the news of her hush money arrangement in 2018.

After that story was published, her life turned into “chaos,” she testified.

“I was front and foremost everywhere,” she recalled.

Prosecutors are building toward their star witness,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-cohen">Cohen</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-michael-cohen-74aaf72511d64fceb1d64529207bde64">pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the hush money payments</a>.

Trump is charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">34 felony counts of falsifying business records</a>&nbsp;in connection with the payments. The trial is the first of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">his four criminal cases</a>&nbsp;to reach a jury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715113495617.png" alt="Photo of Trump and Stormy Daniels entered into evidence released by the New York State Court System&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo of Trump and Stormy Daniels entered into evidence released by the New York State Court System&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHAEL R. SISAK, JENNIFER PELTZ, ERIC TUCKER and JAKE OFFENHARTZ&nbsp;NEW YORK (AP) — With Donald Trump sitting just feet away,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stormy-daniels-donald-trump-d3dce88566bafb714dbb5c1acd3e4a83">Stormy Daniels</a>&nbsp;testified Tuesday at the former president's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-stormy-daniels-cohen-9be06e3d33c25af7060552a44001cc1a">hush money trial</a>&nbsp;about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.Jurors appeared riveted as Daniels offered a detailed and at times graphic account of the encounter Trump has denied. Trump stared straight ahead when Daniels entered the courtroom, later whispering to his lawyers and shaking his head as she testified.The testimony was by far the most-awaited spectacle in a trial that has toggled between tabloidesque elements and dry record-keeping details. A courtroom appearance by a porn actor who says she had an intimate encounter with a former American president added to the long list of historic firsts in a landmark case laden with claims of sex, payoffs and cover-ups and unfolding as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-primary-georgia-washington-mississippi-hawaii-15bb0084ad656903ffef14cfae822abd">presumptive Republican nominee</a>&nbsp;makes another bid for the White House.Daniels veered into salacious details despite the repeated objections of defense lawyers, who demanded a mistrial over what they said were prejudicial and irrelevant comments.“This is the kind of testimony that makes it impossible to come back from,” attorney Todd Blanche said. “How can we come back from this in a way that’s fair to President Trump?”The judge rejected the request and said defense lawyers should have raised more objections during the testimony. The Trump team later in the day used its opportunity to question Daniels to paint her as motivated by personal animus and profiting off her claims against Trump."Am I correct that you hate President Trump?” defense lawyer Susan Necheles asked Daniels.“Yes,” she acknowledged.Daniels' statements are central to the case because in the final weeks of Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign, his then-lawyer and personal fixer, Michael Cohen,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cohen-stormy-daniels-grand-jury-d48153fc2d3fe7a656e8a24ad1acd082">paid her $130,000 to keep quiet</a>&nbsp;about what she says was an awkward and unexpected sexual encounter with Trump in July 2006 at a celebrity golf outing in Lake Tahoe. Trump has pleaded not guilty.Led by a prosecutor's questioning, Daniels described how an initial meeting at a golf tournament, where they discussed the adult film industry, progressed to a “brief” sexual encounter that she said Trump initiated after inviting her to dinner and back to his hotel suite.She said she didn’t feel physically or verbally threatened, though she knew his bodyguard was outside the suite. There was also what she perceived as an imbalance of power: Trump “was bigger and blocking the way," she said.At the time, Trump was married to his wife, Melania, who has not been in court for the trial. Daniels said Trump told her they did not sleep in the same room, prompting him to shake his head at the defense table.After it ended, Daniels said, “It was really hard to get my shoes because my hands were shaking so hard.”“He said, ‘Oh, it was great. Let’s get together again, honey bunch,’” Daniels said. “I just wanted to leave.”In the years since the encounter was disclosed, Daniels has emerged as a vocal Trump antagonist, sharing her story innumerable times and criticizing the former president with mocking and pejorative jabs. But there was no precedent for Tuesday's testimony, when she came face-to-face with Trump and was asked under oath in an austere courtroom to describe her experiences to a jury weighing whether to convict a former American president of felony crimes for the first time in history.She told jurors how she met Trump because the adult film studio she worked for at the time sponsored one of the holes on the golf course. She said they had a brief conversation when Trump's group passed through, chatting about the adult film industry and her directing abilities. The celebrity real estate developer remarked that she must be “the smart one” if she was making films, Daniels recalled.Later, in an area known as the “gift room,” where celebrity golfers collected gift bags and swag, Trump remembered her as “the smart one” and asked her to dinner, Daniels said.She said her then-publicist suggested in a phone call that Trump’s invitation was a good excuse to skip a work dinner and would “make a great story” and perhaps help her career.“What could possibly go wrong?” she recalled the publicist saying.The two saw each other periodically in the ensuing years, when she said she spurned Trump's advances.In 2011, several years after she and Trump were last in touch, she said she learned from her agent that the story of her encounter with Trump had made its way to a magazine.She said she agreed to an interview for $15,000 because “I’d rather make the money than somebody make money off of me, and at least I could control the narrative.” The story never ran, but later that year, she was alarmed when an item turned up on a website.Perhaps seeking to preempt defense claims that she was in urgent need of a massive payout, Daniels testified that she was in the best financial shape of her life when she authorized her manager to shop her story during the 2016 presidential campaign.She said she had no intent of approaching Cohen or Trump to have them pay her.“My motivation wasn’t money," she said. "It was to get the story out,” she testified.But Necheles zeroed in on that point, pressing Daniels on the fact that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stormy-daniels-trump-defamation-lawsuit-0ee5623fc8965ad3d2fc77a7126d24c7">owes Trump hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees</a>&nbsp;stemming from an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit and that she tweeted in 2022 that she “will go to jail before I pay a penny.”“That was me saying, ‘I will not pay for telling the truth,’” Daniels testified Tuesday.She later forcefully denied that she was trying to squeeze Trump for money."You were looking to extort money from President Trump,” Necheles said.“False,” Daniels responded.“Well, that’s what you did,” the lawyer said.“False,” Daniels answered.Daniels was expected to return to the witness stand Thursday, when the trial resumes.Testimony so far has made clear that at the time of the payment to Daniels, Trump and his campaign were reeling from the October 2016 publication of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-access-hollywood-hush-money-new-york-2c52279a45ede2a111ff1fe447d2fdac">never-before-seen 2005 “Access Hollywood” footage</a>&nbsp;in which he boasted about grabbing women’s genitals without their permission.Before that video was made public, "there was very little if any interest” in Daniels' claims,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-stormy-daniels-hush-money-election-2024-d2f9badee0b28a60d32bc98c0d4e783f">according to testimony earlier in the trial</a>&nbsp;from her then-lawyer, Keith Davidson. A deal was reached with the National Enquirer for Daniels’ story, but the tabloid backed out. Davidson began negotiating with Cohen directly, hiked up the price to $130,000, and reached a deal.After the deadline for the $130,000 payment from Cohen came and went, she authorized Davidson to cancel the deal. He did, by email, according to documents shown in court. But about two weeks later, the deal was revived.Daniels testified that she ended up with about $96,000 of the $130,000 payment, after her lawyer and agent got their cuts.She also said she was steadfast in abiding by her nondisclosure agreement with Cohen, declining to comment to The Wall Street Journal for a November 2016 story that reported she had been in discussions to tell her story on “Good Morning America” but that nothing had come of it. She also declined to comment for the newspaper before it broke the news of her hush money arrangement in 2018.After that story was published, her life turned into “chaos,” she testified.“I was front and foremost everywhere,” she recalled.Prosecutors are building toward their star witness,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-cohen">Cohen</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-michael-cohen-74aaf72511d64fceb1d64529207bde64">pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the hush money payments</a>.Trump is charged with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">34 felony counts of falsifying business records</a>&nbsp;in connection with the payments. The trial is the first of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">his four criminal cases</a>&nbsp;to reach a jury.

Salacious testimony: Stormy Daniels tells all during historic Trump trial

Beef producers must continue to improve efficiency to stay in the cattle business, and beef research needs to support that. That was the message researchers from University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Colorado State University and USDA’s Ag Research Service took away from a two-day meeting at UNL’s Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center recently.

The goal of the meeting was to bring together researchers from different institutions to set priorities for future research and identify overlaps and gaps in existing research.

"The primary discussion is how do we optimize a beef production system on a landscape or ranch," said Dr. Mark Boggess, director of the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center, Nebraska. "How do we give that producer the best tools or the best opportunity to most optimally match their genetics, their forage base and their management systems?"

While that’s enough of a challenge, Boggess said, research also needs to consider potential future effects of climate change, extreme weather events, socioeconomic factors like animal husbandry practices, and other emerging issues, like carbon and nitrogen, greenhouse gas emissions and public perception.

"We need to be able to demonstrate to the producers and society that maybe we are a lot better with respect to carbon and methane than we think," Boggess said. "But we need to be able to understand those challenges. We need the research in place to do the methane work and to do the nitrogen cycling and the carbon work and to help producers understand their opportunities, help them understand how it all fits together with ecosystem services. So it’s complex and growing. That’s why this meeting is so important, to bring all those people together."

The meeting included a tour of the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center, which is still under construction but is expected to start receiving cattle this summer. The KFIC is a commercial-scale feedlot research facility located at ENREEC that has been funded largely by industry donations, evidence that the industry understands the need for research that can both help improve efficiency and support the environmental benefits of beef production, said Galen Erickson, professor of animal science at UNL. The KFIC will double the current cattle feeding capacity at ENREEC to 5,000.

The meeting also tied into UNL’s Beef Innovation hub, a group of stakeholders including beef producers, allied industry professionals and researchers and educators from across all beef-related disciplines at UNL. The Beef Innovation hub includes representatives from range management to ecology, ag economics to genetics, meat science to social sciences, Erickson said. The industry advisors provide real-world input about the problems facing the beef industry, help researchers set priorities and identify funding opportunities, and give feedback about the results, shaping continuing projects.

Having those producers and industry professionals involved in the priority process with UNL allows UNL researchers to bring that perspective and those concerns to larger groups like this one, Erickson said, where researchers can share what they have already learned and collaborate and prioritize to maximize future research efforts.

For instance, Justin Derner, lead scientist with USDA ARS in Fort Collins, said their research into environmental, management and socioeconomic systems has been strong, but they would like to improve the genetics component of their research. "Because of this meeting we have connections now to enhance that genetics capacity and provide that sort of information to folks working in genetics, but also provide the value-added aspect to producers working with us from the genetic side. I’m pretty darn excited coming out of this that those sorts of collaborations are now in place and I’m looking forward to the next four to five years."

Matt Spangler, UNL beef genetics specialist, said one of the most important aspects of this meeting, beyond the value of the research discussions, was getting to know people and understanding beyond the scientific questions. "There is a common interest in agriculture and helping address concerns that consumers have. It’s those one-on-one interactions, in my experience, that actually lead to long-term, sustainable collaborations," Spangler said. "We’ve got exciting times ahead. I would say, though, I think it’s going to be an impossibility to raise cattle in 2050, using science from 1950. And so the challenge is to make sure we address the needs of the beef industry and the consumer, and ensure beef cattle producers have the opportunity to deploy scientific discovery. That requires education of not only beef cattle producers, but also education of consumers, and consumers who are willing to be consumers of science as well."

UNL BeefBeef producers must continue to improve efficiency to stay in the cattle business, and beef research needs to support that. That was the message researchers from University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Colorado State University and USDA’s Ag Research Service took away from a two-day meeting at UNL’s Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center recently.The goal of the meeting was to bring together researchers from different institutions to set priorities for future research and identify overlaps and gaps in existing research."The primary discussion is how do we optimize a beef production system on a landscape or ranch," said Dr. Mark Boggess, director of the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center, Nebraska. "How do we give that producer the best tools or the best opportunity to most optimally match their genetics, their forage base and their management systems?"While that’s enough of a challenge, Boggess said, research also needs to consider potential future effects of climate change, extreme weather events, socioeconomic factors like animal husbandry practices, and other emerging issues, like carbon and nitrogen, greenhouse gas emissions and public perception."We need to be able to demonstrate to the producers and society that maybe we are a lot better with respect to carbon and methane than we think," Boggess said. "But we need to be able to understand those challenges. We need the research in place to do the methane work and to do the nitrogen cycling and the carbon work and to help producers understand their opportunities, help them understand how it all fits together with ecosystem services. So it’s complex and growing. That’s why this meeting is so important, to bring all those people together."The meeting included a tour of the Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center, which is still under construction but is expected to start receiving cattle this summer. The KFIC is a commercial-scale feedlot research facility located at ENREEC that has been funded largely by industry donations, evidence that the industry understands the need for research that can both help improve efficiency and support the environmental benefits of beef production, said Galen Erickson, professor of animal science at UNL. The KFIC will double the current cattle feeding capacity at ENREEC to 5,000.The meeting also tied into UNL’s Beef Innovation hub, a group of stakeholders including beef producers, allied industry professionals and researchers and educators from across all beef-related disciplines at UNL. The Beef Innovation hub includes representatives from range management to ecology, ag economics to genetics, meat science to social sciences, Erickson said. The industry advisors provide real-world input about the problems facing the beef industry, help researchers set priorities and identify funding opportunities, and give feedback about the results, shaping continuing projects.Having those producers and industry professionals involved in the priority process with UNL allows UNL researchers to bring that perspective and those concerns to larger groups like this one, Erickson said, where researchers can share what they have already learned and collaborate and prioritize to maximize future research efforts.For instance, Justin Derner, lead scientist with USDA ARS in Fort Collins, said their research into environmental, management and socioeconomic systems has been strong, but they would like to improve the genetics component of their research. "Because of this meeting we have connections now to enhance that genetics capacity and provide that sort of information to folks working in genetics, but also provide the value-added aspect to producers working with us from the genetic side. I’m pretty darn excited coming out of this that those sorts of collaborations are now in place and I’m looking forward to the next four to five years."Matt Spangler, UNL beef genetics specialist, said one of the most important aspects of this meeting, beyond the value of the research discussions, was getting to know people and understanding beyond the scientific questions. "There is a common interest in agriculture and helping address concerns that consumers have. It’s those one-on-one interactions, in my experience, that actually lead to long-term, sustainable collaborations," Spangler said. "We’ve got exciting times ahead. I would say, though, I think it’s going to be an impossibility to raise cattle in 2050, using science from 1950. And so the challenge is to make sure we address the needs of the beef industry and the consumer, and ensure beef cattle producers have the opportunity to deploy scientific discovery. That requires education of not only beef cattle producers, but also education of consumers, and consumers who are willing to be consumers of science as well."

Scientists from USDA and universities work together to set priorities, collaborate on beef research

Nebraska Public Service Commission

Lincoln, May 7, 2024- The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) is accepting applications from interested Nebraskans to apply for appointment to the 911 Service System Advisory Committee (911SSAC).

Created by the Legislature with the passage of LB993, the 911SSAC makes recommendations tothe PSC, on matters concerning the implementation, coordination operation, management,maintenance, and funding of the 911 Service System as the State transitions to Next Generation911. A list of current committee members can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/state-911/ng911-information-911-service-system-advisory-committee" target="_blank">Next Generation 911</a>&nbsp;page of thePSC website.

“The terms of all of our current board members are expiring in July,” said David Sankey,Director State 911 Department. “We want to thank them for their service and wouldencourage them and other interested parties to apply.”

The 14 members appointed by the Commission serve for a term of three years. Committeemembers serve without pay but will receive reimbursement for expenses related to committeeduties. Appointed committee members must represent public safety agencies (4), countyofficials or employees (2), municipal officials or employees (2), telecommunications industry(2), Public Safety Answering Points (2), Nebraska Association of County Officials (1), Leagueof Municipalities (1).&nbsp;

Those wishing to apply for a position on the 911SSAC will need to fill out a&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/911-ssac-application" target="_blank">911 Service System Advisory Committee Application</a>&nbsp;found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/state-911/ng911-information-911-service-system-advisory-committee" target="_blank">Next Generation 911</a>&nbsp;page of the PSC website. Applications must be received by the close of business on Friday, May 24.

Deb CollinsNebraska Public Service CommissionLincoln, May 7, 2024- The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) is accepting applications from interested Nebraskans to apply for appointment to the 911 Service System Advisory Committee (911SSAC).Created by the Legislature with the passage of LB993, the 911SSAC makes recommendations tothe PSC, on matters concerning the implementation, coordination operation, management,maintenance, and funding of the 911 Service System as the State transitions to Next Generation911. A list of current committee members can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/state-911/ng911-information-911-service-system-advisory-committee" target="_blank">Next Generation 911</a>&nbsp;page of thePSC website.“The terms of all of our current board members are expiring in July,” said David Sankey,Director State 911 Department. “We want to thank them for their service and wouldencourage them and other interested parties to apply.”The 14 members appointed by the Commission serve for a term of three years. Committeemembers serve without pay but will receive reimbursement for expenses related to committeeduties. Appointed committee members must represent public safety agencies (4), countyofficials or employees (2), municipal officials or employees (2), telecommunications industry(2), Public Safety Answering Points (2), Nebraska Association of County Officials (1), Leagueof Municipalities (1).&nbsp;Those wishing to apply for a position on the 911SSAC will need to fill out a&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/911-ssac-application" target="_blank">911 Service System Advisory Committee Application</a>&nbsp;found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/state-911/ng911-information-911-service-system-advisory-committee" target="_blank">Next Generation 911</a>&nbsp;page of the PSC website. Applications must be received by the close of business on Friday, May 24.

PSC SEEKS APPLICATIONS FOR 911 SERVICE SYSTEM ADVISORY COMMITTEE

WASHINGTON (AP)—TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance are suing the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-china-lawsuit-biden-42840d6596dbb6671442db94fe95cddd">over a law that would ban</a>&nbsp;the popular video-sharing app unless it’s sold to another company, arguing that it relies on vaguely painting it as a threat to national security to get around the First Amendment.

The widely expected lawsuit filed on Tuesday may be setting up what will likely be a protracted legal fight over TikTok's future in the United States — and could end up before the Supreme Court. If TikTok loses, it says it will be forced to shut down next year.

The popular social video company says that the law, which President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4">signed</a>&nbsp;as part of a larger $95 billion foreign aid package, is so “obviously unconstitutional” that the sponsors of The Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act are trying to portray it not as a ban, but as a regulation of TikTok's ownership. It's the first time the U.S. government has singled out a social media company with a potential ban, which free speech advocates note is more common in repressive regimes such as Iran or China.

“Congress has taken the unprecedented step of expressly singling out and banning TikTok: a vibrant online forum for protected speech and expression used by 170 million Americans to create, share, and view videos over the Internet,” ByteDance said in its suit, filed in a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. “For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide.”

The law requires TikTok’s parent, ByteDance, to sell the platform within nine months. If a sale is already in progress, the company will get another three months to complete the deal. ByteDance has said it “doesn’t have any plan to sell TikTok.” But even if it wanted to divest, the company would have to get a blessing from Beijing. According to the lawsuit, the Chinese government has “made clear” that it would not permit ByteDance to divest of the recommendation engine that is “key to the success of TikTok in the United States.”

TikTok and ByteDance argued in the lawsuit that it isn't being given a choice.

“The ‘qualified divestiture’ demanded by the Act to allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally,” they said.

“There is no question: the Act will force a shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit argues that it would be impossible for ByteDance to divest its U.S. TikTok platform as a separate entity from the rest of TikTok, which has 1 billion users worldwide — most of them outside of the United States. A U.S.-only TikTok, the suit says, would operate as an “island” that's detached from the rest of the world.

TikTok also paints divestment as a technological impossibility, since the law requires all of TikTok's millions of lines of software code to be wrested from ByteDance so that there is no “operational relationship” between the Chinese company and the new U.S. app.

“Specifically, to comply with the law’s divestiture requirement, that code base would have to be moved to a large, alternative team of engineers — a team that does not exist and would have no understanding of the complex code necessary to run the platform,” the lawsuit says. “It would take years for an entirely new set of engineers to gain sufficient familiarity with the source code to perform the ongoing, necessary maintenance and development activities for the platform.”

The parties argued that they should be protected by the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of expression. They are seeking a declaratory judgment that the Act violates the U.S. Constitution; an order enjoining Attorney General Merrick Garland from enforcing the Act and any further relief that the court may deem appropriate.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the suit Tuesday.

The fight over TikTok takes place as U.S.-China relations have shifted to that of intense strategic rivalry, especially in areas such as advanced technologies and data security, seen as essential to each country’s economic prowess and national security.

U.S. lawmakers from both parties, as well as administration and law enforcement officials, have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/1051/text?s=1&amp;r=42">expressed concerns</a>&nbsp;that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over U.S. user data or sway public opinion by manipulating the algorithm that populates users' feeds. Some have also pointed to a Rutgers University study that maintains TikTok content was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-china-israel-hamas-war-research-7e94266c51b21f48e21b648463e65b0c">being amplified or underrepresented</a>&nbsp;based on how it aligns with the interests of the Chinese government, which the company disputes.

Opponents of the law argue that Chinese authorities — or any nefarious parties — could easily get information on Americans in other ways, including through commercial data brokers that rent or sell personal information. They note the U.S. government hasn't provided public evidence that shows TikTok sharing U.S. user information with Chinese authorities, or tinkering with its algorithm for China's benefit. They also say attempts to ban the app could violate free speech rights in the U.S.

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, expects TikTok's challenge to the ban to succeed.

“The First Amendment means the government can’t restrict Americans’ access to ideas, information, or media from abroad without a very good reason for it—and no such reason exists here,” Jaffer said in a printed statement.

While TikTok has prevailed in its earlier First Amendment challenges, it is not clear whether the current lawsuit will be as simple.

“The bipartisan nature of this federal law may make judges more likely to defer to a Congressional determination that the company poses a national security risk,” said Gautam Hans, a law professor and associate director of the First Amendment Clinic at Cornell University. "Without public discussion of what exactly the risks are, however, it’s difficult to determine why the courts should validate such an unprecedented law.”

WASHINGTON (AP)—TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance are suing the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-china-lawsuit-biden-42840d6596dbb6671442db94fe95cddd">over a law that would ban</a>&nbsp;the popular video-sharing app unless it’s sold to another company, arguing that it relies on vaguely painting it as a threat to national security to get around the First Amendment.The widely expected lawsuit filed on Tuesday may be setting up what will likely be a protracted legal fight over TikTok's future in the United States — and could end up before the Supreme Court. If TikTok loses, it says it will be forced to shut down next year.The popular social video company says that the law, which President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4">signed</a>&nbsp;as part of a larger $95 billion foreign aid package, is so “obviously unconstitutional” that the sponsors of The Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act are trying to portray it not as a ban, but as a regulation of TikTok's ownership. It's the first time the U.S. government has singled out a social media company with a potential ban, which free speech advocates note is more common in repressive regimes such as Iran or China.“Congress has taken the unprecedented step of expressly singling out and banning TikTok: a vibrant online forum for protected speech and expression used by 170 million Americans to create, share, and view videos over the Internet,” ByteDance said in its suit, filed in a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. “For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide.”The law requires TikTok’s parent, ByteDance, to sell the platform within nine months. If a sale is already in progress, the company will get another three months to complete the deal. ByteDance has said it “doesn’t have any plan to sell TikTok.” But even if it wanted to divest, the company would have to get a blessing from Beijing. According to the lawsuit, the Chinese government has “made clear” that it would not permit ByteDance to divest of the recommendation engine that is “key to the success of TikTok in the United States.”TikTok and ByteDance argued in the lawsuit that it isn't being given a choice.“The ‘qualified divestiture’ demanded by the Act to allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally,” they said.“There is no question: the Act will force a shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025,” the lawsuit says.The lawsuit argues that it would be impossible for ByteDance to divest its U.S. TikTok platform as a separate entity from the rest of TikTok, which has 1 billion users worldwide — most of them outside of the United States. A U.S.-only TikTok, the suit says, would operate as an “island” that's detached from the rest of the world.TikTok also paints divestment as a technological impossibility, since the law requires all of TikTok's millions of lines of software code to be wrested from ByteDance so that there is no “operational relationship” between the Chinese company and the new U.S. app.“Specifically, to comply with the law’s divestiture requirement, that code base would have to be moved to a large, alternative team of engineers — a team that does not exist and would have no understanding of the complex code necessary to run the platform,” the lawsuit says. “It would take years for an entirely new set of engineers to gain sufficient familiarity with the source code to perform the ongoing, necessary maintenance and development activities for the platform.”The parties argued that they should be protected by the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of expression. They are seeking a declaratory judgment that the Act violates the U.S. Constitution; an order enjoining Attorney General Merrick Garland from enforcing the Act and any further relief that the court may deem appropriate.The Justice Department declined to comment on the suit Tuesday.The fight over TikTok takes place as U.S.-China relations have shifted to that of intense strategic rivalry, especially in areas such as advanced technologies and data security, seen as essential to each country’s economic prowess and national security.U.S. lawmakers from both parties, as well as administration and law enforcement officials, have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/1051/text?s=1&amp;r=42">expressed concerns</a>&nbsp;that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over U.S. user data or sway public opinion by manipulating the algorithm that populates users' feeds. Some have also pointed to a Rutgers University study that maintains TikTok content was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-china-israel-hamas-war-research-7e94266c51b21f48e21b648463e65b0c">being amplified or underrepresented</a>&nbsp;based on how it aligns with the interests of the Chinese government, which the company disputes.Opponents of the law argue that Chinese authorities — or any nefarious parties — could easily get information on Americans in other ways, including through commercial data brokers that rent or sell personal information. They note the U.S. government hasn't provided public evidence that shows TikTok sharing U.S. user information with Chinese authorities, or tinkering with its algorithm for China's benefit. They also say attempts to ban the app could violate free speech rights in the U.S.Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, expects TikTok's challenge to the ban to succeed.“The First Amendment means the government can’t restrict Americans’ access to ideas, information, or media from abroad without a very good reason for it—and no such reason exists here,” Jaffer said in a printed statement.While TikTok has prevailed in its earlier First Amendment challenges, it is not clear whether the current lawsuit will be as simple.“The bipartisan nature of this federal law may make judges more likely to defer to a Congressional determination that the company poses a national security risk,” said Gautam Hans, a law professor and associate director of the First Amendment Clinic at Cornell University. "Without public discussion of what exactly the risks are, however, it’s difficult to determine why the courts should validate such an unprecedented law.”

Battle to ban TikTok in the US moves to court 

Lincoln, NE – Colleen McKeon of Ravenna is the first winner of a 2024 Ford F-150 XLT 4x4 SuperCrew truck in the 29th edition of the Nebraska Lottery’s $2 Truck$ &amp; Buck$ Scratch game.

McKeon purchased her winning Truck$ &amp; Buck$ ticket at Fill-N-Chill #04 at 401 Grand Ave. in Ravenna. She was presented with her new truck at Fill-N-Chill on Monday, May 6 by Nebraska Lottery officials.

It was a quick stop for snacks on her way to see her dad that netted McKeon her big win.

“He loves chocolate stars and the only place I can get them is here,” she said. “So I grabbed two bags of chocolate stars and five Truck$ &amp; Buck$.”

She held off on scratching the tickets for a little bit, finally scratching them off while having coffee out on her back deck.

The shock of winning was so big McKeon said she started having technical difficulties with her phone.

“When I hit the truck I was shaking,” she said. “I have the [Nebraska Lottery] app and I couldn’t even open it to check.”

The 29th edition of the Nebraska Lottery’s popular $2 Truck$ &amp; Buck$ Scratch game features the 2024 Ford F-150 XLT 4x4 SuperCrew truck as its top prize. Players have the opportunity to win one of eight Ford F-150 trucks as well as thousands of cash prizes. The truck prize is valued at $81,500, which includes $976 for costs associated with ownership and state and federal withholding paid by the Nebraska Lottery of $4,075 and $19,560, respectively. The odds of winning the top prize in Truck$ &amp; Buck$ are 1 in 336,000, while the overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.69.

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $978 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715096996633.jpeg" alt="Colleen McKeon of Ravenna won the first Ford F-150 truck prize in the 2024 edition of the Nebraska Lottery's $2 Truck$ &amp; Buck$ Scratch game. She was presented with her new truck at an event at Fill-N-Chill, 401 Grand Avenue in Ravenna on May 6, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Colleen McKeon of Ravenna won the first Ford F-150 truck prize in the 2024 edition of the Nebraska Lottery's $2 Truck$ &amp; Buck$ Scratch game. She was presented with her new truck at an event at Fill-N-Chill, 401 Grand Avenue in Ravenna on May 6, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>Neil WatsonNebraska LotteryLincoln, NE – Colleen McKeon of Ravenna is the first winner of a 2024 Ford F-150 XLT 4x4 SuperCrew truck in the 29th edition of the Nebraska Lottery’s $2 Truck$ &amp; Buck$ Scratch game.McKeon purchased her winning Truck$ &amp; Buck$ ticket at Fill-N-Chill #04 at 401 Grand Ave. in Ravenna. She was presented with her new truck at Fill-N-Chill on Monday, May 6 by Nebraska Lottery officials.It was a quick stop for snacks on her way to see her dad that netted McKeon her big win.“He loves chocolate stars and the only place I can get them is here,” she said. “So I grabbed two bags of chocolate stars and five Truck$ &amp; Buck$.”She held off on scratching the tickets for a little bit, finally scratching them off while having coffee out on her back deck.The shock of winning was so big McKeon said she started having technical difficulties with her phone.“When I hit the truck I was shaking,” she said. “I have the [Nebraska Lottery] app and I couldn’t even open it to check.”The 29th edition of the Nebraska Lottery’s popular $2 Truck$ &amp; Buck$ Scratch game features the 2024 Ford F-150 XLT 4x4 SuperCrew truck as its top prize. Players have the opportunity to win one of eight Ford F-150 trucks as well as thousands of cash prizes. The truck prize is valued at $81,500, which includes $976 for costs associated with ownership and state and federal withholding paid by the Nebraska Lottery of $4,075 and $19,560, respectively. The odds of winning the top prize in Truck$ &amp; Buck$ are 1 in 336,000, while the overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.69.The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $978 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

Central Nebraska Woman Claims First Truck$ & Buck$ Truck

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/boy-scouts-of-america">Boy Scouts of America</a>&nbsp;is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.

The organization steeped in tradition has made seismic changes after decades of turmoil, from finally allowing gay youth to welcoming girls throughout its ranks. With an eye on increasing flagging membership numbers, the Irving, Texas-based organization announced the name change Tuesday at its annual meeting in Florida.

“In the next 100 years we want any youth in America to feel very, very welcome to come into our programs,” Roger Krone,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boys-scouts-new-president-bankruptcy-516869e181513c073ac7edc139ad48d3">who took over last fall as president and chief executive officer,</a>&nbsp;said in an interview before the announcement.

The organization began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/47bac00392fb4ba7a89d06946607bf34">allowing gay youth in 2013</a>&nbsp;and ended a blanket ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c4795353c1904ca1ab56691cb0a356e6">gay adult leaders in 2015.</a>&nbsp;In 2017, it made the historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7f690adec7ad45d2a9469baac8e90ac7">announcement that girls</a>&nbsp;would be accepted as Cub Scouts as of 2018 and into the flagship Boy Scout program —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d3efeda8ffb74b79b367fce426780d6f">renamed Scouts BSA</a>&nbsp;— in 2019.

There were nearly 1,000 young women in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-minneapolis-8018efd354ba18713b128776b3fda085">inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts</a>&nbsp;in 2021, including Selby Chipman. The all-girls troop she was a founding member of in her hometown of Oak Ridge, North Carolina, has grown from five girls to nearly 50, and she thinks the name change will encourage even more girls to realize they can join.

“Girls were like: ‘You can join Boy Scouts of America?’” said Chipman, now a 20-year-old college student and assistant scoutmaster of her troop.

Within days of the announcement that girls would be allowed, Bob Brady went to work. A father of two girls and a proud Eagle Scout himself, the New Jersey attorney eagerly formed an all-girls troop. At their first weekend gathering with other troops, the boys were happy to have the girls involved but some adult leaders seemed concerned, he recalled. Their worries seemed to melt away as soon as the girls led a traditional cheer around the campfire.

“You could see a change in the attitude of some of the doubters who weren’t sure and they realized, wait, these kids are exactly the same, they just happen to have ponytails,” said Brady. His daughters are among the 13 girls in his troop and 6,000 girls nationwide who have achieved the vaunted Eagle Scout rank.

Like other organizations, the scouts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/only-on-ap-health-coronavirus-pandemic-7afeb2667df0a391de3be67b38495972">lost members during the pandemic,</a>&nbsp;when participation was difficult. After a highpoint over the last decade of over 2 million members in 2018, the organization currently services just over 1 million youths, including more than 176,000 girls and young women. Membership peaked in 1972 at almost 5 million.

The move by the Boy Scouts to accept girls throughout their ranks strained a bond with the Girl Scouts of the USA, which sued, saying it created marketplace confusion and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-00ed4641c60828eefca1c14d57faada3">damaged their recruitment efforts</a>. They reached a settlement agreement after a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-scouts-of-america-new-york-united-states-manhattan-lifestyle-d97b9453aaf6c8b6385e45d81b954f24">rejected those claims</a>, saying both groups are free to use words like “scouts” and “scouting.”

While camping remains an integral activity for the Boy Scouts, the organization offers something for everyone today, from high adventures to merit badges for robotics and digital technology, Krone said: “About anything kids want to do today, they can do in a structured way within the scouting program."

The Boy Scouts’ $2.4 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-scouts-bankruptcy-child-sexual-abuse-02d3a401645f337e483f9fd844d9a809">bankruptcy reorganization plan</a>&nbsp;took effect last year, allowing the organization to keep operating while compensating the more than 80,000 men who say they were sexually abused as children while scouting.

Angelique Minett, the first woman chairperson of Scouts BSA, gets excited about the future of scouting when she sees the about 20-person youth council from across the United States help guide the program by raising issues important to them, like sustainability, and things that they'd like to see changed, like the fit on some of the uniforms.

“When we think scouts we think knots and camping, but those are a means to an end," Minett said. “We are actually teaching kids a much bigger thing. We are teaching them how to have grit, and we’re teaching them life skills and we’re teaching them how to be good leaders.”

The organization won't officially become Scouting America until Feb. 8, 2025, the organization's 115th birthday. But Krone said he expects people will start immediately using the name.

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/boy-scouts-of-america">Boy Scouts of America</a>&nbsp;is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.The organization steeped in tradition has made seismic changes after decades of turmoil, from finally allowing gay youth to welcoming girls throughout its ranks. With an eye on increasing flagging membership numbers, the Irving, Texas-based organization announced the name change Tuesday at its annual meeting in Florida.“In the next 100 years we want any youth in America to feel very, very welcome to come into our programs,” Roger Krone,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boys-scouts-new-president-bankruptcy-516869e181513c073ac7edc139ad48d3">who took over last fall as president and chief executive officer,</a>&nbsp;said in an interview before the announcement.The organization began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/47bac00392fb4ba7a89d06946607bf34">allowing gay youth in 2013</a>&nbsp;and ended a blanket ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c4795353c1904ca1ab56691cb0a356e6">gay adult leaders in 2015.</a>&nbsp;In 2017, it made the historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7f690adec7ad45d2a9469baac8e90ac7">announcement that girls</a>&nbsp;would be accepted as Cub Scouts as of 2018 and into the flagship Boy Scout program —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d3efeda8ffb74b79b367fce426780d6f">renamed Scouts BSA</a>&nbsp;— in 2019.There were nearly 1,000 young women in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-minneapolis-8018efd354ba18713b128776b3fda085">inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts</a>&nbsp;in 2021, including Selby Chipman. The all-girls troop she was a founding member of in her hometown of Oak Ridge, North Carolina, has grown from five girls to nearly 50, and she thinks the name change will encourage even more girls to realize they can join.“Girls were like: ‘You can join Boy Scouts of America?’” said Chipman, now a 20-year-old college student and assistant scoutmaster of her troop.Within days of the announcement that girls would be allowed, Bob Brady went to work. A father of two girls and a proud Eagle Scout himself, the New Jersey attorney eagerly formed an all-girls troop. At their first weekend gathering with other troops, the boys were happy to have the girls involved but some adult leaders seemed concerned, he recalled. Their worries seemed to melt away as soon as the girls led a traditional cheer around the campfire.“You could see a change in the attitude of some of the doubters who weren’t sure and they realized, wait, these kids are exactly the same, they just happen to have ponytails,” said Brady. His daughters are among the 13 girls in his troop and 6,000 girls nationwide who have achieved the vaunted Eagle Scout rank.Like other organizations, the scouts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/only-on-ap-health-coronavirus-pandemic-7afeb2667df0a391de3be67b38495972">lost members during the pandemic,</a>&nbsp;when participation was difficult. After a highpoint over the last decade of over 2 million members in 2018, the organization currently services just over 1 million youths, including more than 176,000 girls and young women. Membership peaked in 1972 at almost 5 million.The move by the Boy Scouts to accept girls throughout their ranks strained a bond with the Girl Scouts of the USA, which sued, saying it created marketplace confusion and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-00ed4641c60828eefca1c14d57faada3">damaged their recruitment efforts</a>. They reached a settlement agreement after a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-scouts-of-america-new-york-united-states-manhattan-lifestyle-d97b9453aaf6c8b6385e45d81b954f24">rejected those claims</a>, saying both groups are free to use words like “scouts” and “scouting.”While camping remains an integral activity for the Boy Scouts, the organization offers something for everyone today, from high adventures to merit badges for robotics and digital technology, Krone said: “About anything kids want to do today, they can do in a structured way within the scouting program."The Boy Scouts’ $2.4 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-scouts-bankruptcy-child-sexual-abuse-02d3a401645f337e483f9fd844d9a809">bankruptcy reorganization plan</a>&nbsp;took effect last year, allowing the organization to keep operating while compensating the more than 80,000 men who say they were sexually abused as children while scouting.Angelique Minett, the first woman chairperson of Scouts BSA, gets excited about the future of scouting when she sees the about 20-person youth council from across the United States help guide the program by raising issues important to them, like sustainability, and things that they'd like to see changed, like the fit on some of the uniforms.“When we think scouts we think knots and camping, but those are a means to an end," Minett said. “We are actually teaching kids a much bigger thing. We are teaching them how to have grit, and we’re teaching them life skills and we’re teaching them how to be good leaders.”The organization won't officially become Scouting America until Feb. 8, 2025, the organization's 115th birthday. But Krone said he expects people will start immediately using the name.

Boy Scouts of America changing name to be more inclusive 

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Leopoldo Ramirez, 25, of Lexington, Nebraska, was sentenced May 2, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Ramirez to 132 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ramirez’ release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.

Operating from at least June 2021 until October 2022, Ramirez and others were responsible for trafficking meth into the state. Officers from a variety of local, state, and federal agencies pieced the conspiracy together using electronic evidence, surveillance, and search warrants.

Together, the conspirators distributed over 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing meth. As part of the investigation into this conspiracy, Ramirez’s cell phone was seized and searched. Multiple text messages were located between Ramirez and other co-conspirators discussing drugs and narcotic distribution. In addition, Ramirez kept a list of pay/owe status for drugs he distributed. His records indicated approximately 50 additional grams of meth that he had personally distributed in the course of the conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the CODE Drug Task Force, Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, &nbsp;&nbsp;the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

United States AttorneyUnited States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Leopoldo Ramirez, 25, of Lexington, Nebraska, was sentenced May 2, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Ramirez to 132 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ramirez’ release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.Operating from at least June 2021 until October 2022, Ramirez and others were responsible for trafficking meth into the state. Officers from a variety of local, state, and federal agencies pieced the conspiracy together using electronic evidence, surveillance, and search warrants.Together, the conspirators distributed over 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing meth. As part of the investigation into this conspiracy, Ramirez’s cell phone was seized and searched. Multiple text messages were located between Ramirez and other co-conspirators discussing drugs and narcotic distribution. In addition, Ramirez kept a list of pay/owe status for drugs he distributed. His records indicated approximately 50 additional grams of meth that he had personally distributed in the course of the conspiracy.This case was investigated by the CODE Drug Task Force, Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, &nbsp;&nbsp;the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Central Nebraska Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Conspiracy

Office of Nebraska State Treasurer Tom Briese

(LINCOLN, Neb., May 7, 2024) – Nebraska children born in 2023 will receive a one-time $50 seed contribution this spring to a Meadowlark savings account, as directed by the Meadowlark Act.

Families will receive a letter from the State Treasurer announcing their qualification for the&nbsp;<a href="https://nest529.com/meadowlark/" target="_blank">Meadowlark Savings Pledge</a>, a program designed to help children and families start saving for higher education. The starter contribution has the potential to grow over time. When it’s time to continue their education after high school, students can use the funds toward education expenses. In addition to Nebraska colleges and universities, funds can be used for technical, trade, and vocational schools.

Nebraska babies born in 2020, 2021, 2022, or 2023 are eligible to receive this one-time Meadowlark seed contribution. It is an automatic enrollment that does not require families to pay extra costs or complete any paperwork.

The Meadowlark Program is the beginning of a child’s educational savings journey, setting them up to soar.&nbsp;Close to 70,000 children have received Meadowlark contributions since its inception in 2020.&nbsp;It is important for families to start saving sooner rather than later, and&nbsp;Meadowlark, combined with a NEST 529 account, is an easy way to help loved ones take flight toward their dreams.

Meadowlark is an important beginning on your savings path. But families should also open a NEST 529 account to start building for their loved ones’ futures today. A NEST 529 account gives families the ability to make routine contributions that can be put to work helping their loved one achieve their aspirations.

Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://nest529.com/" target="_blank">NEST529.com</a>&nbsp;to learn more about the benefits of a NEST 529 College Savings Plan.&nbsp;For more information on the Meadowlark Program, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nest529.com/meadowlark" target="_blank">NEST529.com/Meadowlark</a>.

The State Treasurer serves as the Program Trustee. All investments, including the portfolio structure offered through the NEST 529 Plan, are vetted&nbsp;and approved by the Nebraska Investment Council.

Office of Nebraska State Treasurer Tom Briese(LINCOLN, Neb., May 7, 2024) – Nebraska children born in 2023 will receive a one-time $50 seed contribution this spring to a Meadowlark savings account, as directed by the Meadowlark Act.Families will receive a letter from the State Treasurer announcing their qualification for the&nbsp;<a href="https://nest529.com/meadowlark/" target="_blank">Meadowlark Savings Pledge</a>, a program designed to help children and families start saving for higher education. The starter contribution has the potential to grow over time. When it’s time to continue their education after high school, students can use the funds toward education expenses. In addition to Nebraska colleges and universities, funds can be used for technical, trade, and vocational schools.Nebraska babies born in 2020, 2021, 2022, or 2023 are eligible to receive this one-time Meadowlark seed contribution. It is an automatic enrollment that does not require families to pay extra costs or complete any paperwork.The Meadowlark Program is the beginning of a child’s educational savings journey, setting them up to soar.&nbsp;Close to 70,000 children have received Meadowlark contributions since its inception in 2020.&nbsp;It is important for families to start saving sooner rather than later, and&nbsp;Meadowlark, combined with a NEST 529 account, is an easy way to help loved ones take flight toward their dreams.NEST 529 College Saving PlanMeadowlark is an important beginning on your savings path. But families should also open a NEST 529 account to start building for their loved ones’ futures today. A NEST 529 account gives families the ability to make routine contributions that can be put to work helping their loved one achieve their aspirations.Key features include:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Flexibility—A NEST 529 account can be opened in just 10 minutes. Families can manage everything easily online, from contributing and reallocating funds to making their investment selections.</li><li>Tax Benefits—Tax-advantaged savings include a Nebraska state tax deduction, tax-deferred growth, and tax-free qualified withdrawals.1&nbsp;Account Owners in Nebraska are eligible for an annual state income tax deduction of up to $10,000 for NEST 529 contributions, or $5,000 if married filing separately.2&nbsp;</li><li>Investment Options—Families can customize their investment portfolio to fit risk tolerance, time frame, and savings goals. Saving is made even easier with automatic contributions from bank accounts or paychecks.</li><li>Diverse Fund Families—NEST offers quality funds from multiple fund families including Vanguard, T. Rowe Price, and others.</li>
 </ul>Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://nest529.com/" target="_blank">NEST529.com</a>&nbsp;to learn more about the benefits of a NEST 529 College Savings Plan.&nbsp;For more information on the Meadowlark Program, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nest529.com/meadowlark" target="_blank">NEST529.com/Meadowlark</a>.The State Treasurer serves as the Program Trustee. All investments, including the portfolio structure offered through the NEST 529 Plan, are vetted&nbsp;and approved by the Nebraska Investment Council.

Nebraska Babies Born in 2023 to Be Given Meadowlark Savings Pledge Funds

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/06/once-controversial-summer-ebt-food-program-for-low-income-ne-kids-set-for-rollout/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s plan to carry out the once-controversial Summer EBT food program for low-income youths has been given the green light from the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the state’s planned rollout of the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program, which include details such as “touchpoints” that local officials designed to improve outreach, according to a media release Monday from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

So-called touchpoints include providing Nebraska parents with information on types of nutritious foods to buy and follow-up surveys to identify additional needs or concerns.

State officials expect the Summer EBT program to serve about 175,000 students, or 80,000 households that meet certain criteria, including an income that makes them eligible for free or reduced-price lunch during the school year.

That count is up from an earlier estimate of about 150,000 children anticipated to benefit at a state cost of about $400,000 per year to administer the federally-funded program.

Each qualified child is to receive a card loaded with a total of $120 in grocery-buying benefits. The program is designed to allow access to nutritious food during summer months when school is out.

Modeled after pilot projects and a nationwide pandemic-era initiative that ended, Congress authorized the more permanent summer program through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.

State Sen. Jen Day of Gretna during the past legislative session<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/01/proposal-to-force-ne-to-accept-18m-in-federal-food-funds-for-kids-draws-no-opponents-at-hearing/">&nbsp;introduced Legislative Bill 952,</a>&nbsp;which stalled but had been&nbsp; prioritized by Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island to push the state to implement the federal program.

Gov. Jim Pillen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/20/gov-pillen-decides-ne-wont-opt-into-new-18-million-child-nutrition-program/">had balked</a>&nbsp;at opting in, describing the program as a leftover from the pandemic that had ended.

He later added that he didn’t believe in “welfare,” which brought more criticism because the governor, a hog producer and co-owner of a pork processing plant, has accepted federal assistance.

Already, Pillen had been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/29/advocates-issue-final-plea-to-governor-to-participate-in-new-summer-lunch-program/">flooded by pleas</a>&nbsp;from food banks, advocates of the poor and protesters.

Ultimately the governor reversed his stand, attributing the change of heart to a visit with Aguilar, a Republican, and discussions he had with students at Boys Town and during a youth legislative day.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715087389051.jpeg" alt="Alyssa Schukar for Feeding America)" />
 <figcaption>Alyssa Schukar for Feeding America)</figcaption>
 </figure>Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/05/06/once-controversial-summer-ebt-food-program-for-low-income-ne-kids-set-for-rollout/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska’s plan to carry out the once-controversial Summer EBT food program for low-income youths has been given the green light from the federal government.The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the state’s planned rollout of the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program, which include details such as “touchpoints” that local officials designed to improve outreach, according to a media release Monday from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.So-called touchpoints include providing Nebraska parents with information on types of nutritious foods to buy and follow-up surveys to identify additional needs or concerns.<h2>175,000 students</h2>State officials expect the Summer EBT program to serve about 175,000 students, or 80,000 households that meet certain criteria, including an income that makes them eligible for free or reduced-price lunch during the school year.That count is up from an earlier estimate of about 150,000 children anticipated to benefit at a state cost of about $400,000 per year to administer the federally-funded program.Each qualified child is to receive a card loaded with a total of $120 in grocery-buying benefits. The program is designed to allow access to nutritious food during summer months when school is out.Modeled after pilot projects and a nationwide pandemic-era initiative that ended, Congress authorized the more permanent summer program through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.State Sen. Jen Day of Gretna during the past legislative session<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/01/proposal-to-force-ne-to-accept-18m-in-federal-food-funds-for-kids-draws-no-opponents-at-hearing/">&nbsp;introduced Legislative Bill 952,</a>&nbsp;which stalled but had been&nbsp; prioritized by Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island to push the state to implement the federal program.Gov. Jim Pillen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/20/gov-pillen-decides-ne-wont-opt-into-new-18-million-child-nutrition-program/">had balked</a>&nbsp;at opting in, describing the program as a leftover from the pandemic that had ended.He later added that he didn’t believe in “welfare,” which brought more criticism because the governor, a hog producer and co-owner of a pork processing plant, has accepted federal assistance.Already, Pillen had been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/12/29/advocates-issue-final-plea-to-governor-to-participate-in-new-summer-lunch-program/">flooded by pleas</a>&nbsp;from food banks, advocates of the poor and protesters.Ultimately the governor reversed his stand, attributing the change of heart to a visit with Aguilar, a Republican, and discussions he had with students at Boys Town and during a youth legislative day.&nbsp;<h2>Big step</h2>Day, who had led a letter-writing effort supported by 15 state lawmakers, said Monday that although Nebraska was one of the last states to opt in to the new summer program, it was the fourth in the nation to have its plan approved.“I’m glad that we’ll be able to feed 175,000 Nebraska kids this summer and relieve some of the economic stress that many families are feeling right now,” Day said.She praised the work of the DHHS and Department of Education in crafting the plan.“These programs are crucial for making sure that kids in our state receive nutritious meals during the months they are not in school,” DHHS CEO Steve Corsi said in a statement.A spokeswoman for the USDA said the agency is pleased Nebraska chose to participate.“We are impressed that the state’s plan includes a range of services to reach kids and also robust outreach to the community,” said Cheryl Kennedy, regional administrator for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. “This will be a great benefit to the children of Nebraska.”Eric Savaiano, food and access manager for Nebraska Appleseed, a nonprofit that fought early on for participation in the program, said federal approval of Nebraska’s plan is a big step. Now, he said, there is contact information and other detail available for families.“This puts details behind the program that means it is actually going to happen,” Savaiano said.In addition to the Summer EBT program, the State Department of Education said it also is administering the Summer Food Service Program, which provides no-cost meals to kids from age 1 to 18 at about 300 sites across Nebraska.No applications or paperwork are required to receive meals from approved Summer Food Service Program sites, most of which begin providing meals the first week of June.<h2>Summer EBT eligibility</h2>School-age, income-qualified youths are eligible for Summer EBT cards.According to DHHS, kids already approved for free and reduced-priced school lunches, or who participate in state-administered public assistance, should receive their cards by mail and don’t have to formally apply.If in doubt, or for more information on eligibility and application, the state offers a website for the Summer EBT program and the Summer Food Service Program:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Summer-EBT.aspx">https://dhhs.ne.gov/SummerEBT.&nbsp;</a>Once a Summer EBT card is received and activated, it can be used like any other EBT card.Cards are accepted at approved SNAP retailers, supermarkets and grocery stores. For a list, visit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-locator">https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-locator</a>