WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is considering using provisions of federal immigration law repeatedly tapped by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-ap-top-news-international-news-politics-latin-america-6bef9ed6c48b4c2ea203cbbea3ccacad">former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to unilaterally enact a sweeping crackdown at the southern border, according to three people familiar with the deliberations.

The administration, stymied by Republican lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-058876834b48bacf5b3678b067d8dd9a">who rejected a negotiated border bill</a>&nbsp;earlier this month, has been exploring options that President Joe Biden could deploy on his own without congressional approval, multiple officials and others familiar with the talks said. But the plans are nowhere near finalized and it’s unclear how the administration would draft any such executive actions in a way that would survive the inevitable legal challenges. The officials and those familiar with the talks spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to comment on private ongoing White House discussions.

The exploration of such avenues&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-congress-government-and-politics-a6b7a3f19297e9d6675fd625634dd41f">by Biden’s team underscores the pressure</a>&nbsp;the president faces this election year on immigration and the border, which have been among his biggest political liabilities since he took office. For now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-immigration-election-2182fec11fa008ec96c4202e5656d19e#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIt'll%20also%20give%20me,now%20and%20fix%20it%20quickly.%E2%80%9D">the White House has been hammering congressional Republicans</a>&nbsp;for refusing to act on border legislation that the GOP demanded, but the administration is also aware of the political perils that high numbers of migrants could pose for the president and is scrambling to figure out how Biden could ease the problem on his own.

White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández stressed that “no executive action, no matter how aggressive, can deliver the significant policy reforms and additional resources Congress can provide and that Republicans rejected.”

“The administration spent months negotiating in good faith to deliver the toughest and fairest bipartisan border security bill in decades because we need Congress to make significant policy reforms and to provide additional funding to secure our border and fix our broken immigration system,” he said. “Congressional Republicans chose to put partisan politics ahead of our national security, rejected what border agents have said they need, and then gave themselves a two-week vacation.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-security-migrants-homeland-security-1c6e9f612dff721191c0254f980947a5">Arrests for illegal crossings on the U.S. border with Mexico fell by half</a>&nbsp;in January from record highs in December to the third lowest month of Biden’s presidency. But officials fear those figures could eventually rise again, particularly as the November presidential election nears.

The immigration authority the administration has been looking into is outlined in Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which gives a president broad leeway to block entry of certain immigrants into the United States if it would be “detrimental” to the national interest of the United States.

Trump, who is the likely GOP candidate to face off against Biden this fall, repeatedly leaned on the 212(f) power while in office,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3a20abe305bd4c989116f82bf535393b">including his controversial ban to bar travelers from Muslim-majority nations.</a>&nbsp;Biden rescinded that ban on his first day in office through executive order.

But now, how Biden would deploy that power to deal with his own immigration challenges is currently being considered, and it could be used in a variety of ways, according to the people familiar with the discussions. For example, the ban could kick in when border crossings hit a certain number. That echoes a provision in the Senate border deal, which would have activated expulsions of migrants if the number of illegal border crossings reached above 5,000 daily for a five-day average.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has also called on Biden to use the 212(f) authority. Yet the comprehensive immigration overhaul Biden also introduced on his first day in office — which the White House continues to tout — includes provisions that would effectively scale back a president’s powers to bar immigrants under that authority.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671577993523.png" alt="Photo courtesy Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is considering using provisions of federal immigration law repeatedly tapped by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-ap-top-news-international-news-politics-latin-america-6bef9ed6c48b4c2ea203cbbea3ccacad">former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to unilaterally enact a sweeping crackdown at the southern border, according to three people familiar with the deliberations.The administration, stymied by Republican lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-058876834b48bacf5b3678b067d8dd9a">who rejected a negotiated border bill</a>&nbsp;earlier this month, has been exploring options that President Joe Biden could deploy on his own without congressional approval, multiple officials and others familiar with the talks said. But the plans are nowhere near finalized and it’s unclear how the administration would draft any such executive actions in a way that would survive the inevitable legal challenges. The officials and those familiar with the talks spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to comment on private ongoing White House discussions.The exploration of such avenues&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-congress-government-and-politics-a6b7a3f19297e9d6675fd625634dd41f">by Biden’s team underscores the pressure</a>&nbsp;the president faces this election year on immigration and the border, which have been among his biggest political liabilities since he took office. For now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-immigration-election-2182fec11fa008ec96c4202e5656d19e#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIt'll%20also%20give%20me,now%20and%20fix%20it%20quickly.%E2%80%9D">the White House has been hammering congressional Republicans</a>&nbsp;for refusing to act on border legislation that the GOP demanded, but the administration is also aware of the political perils that high numbers of migrants could pose for the president and is scrambling to figure out how Biden could ease the problem on his own.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683151099285.png" alt="White House file photo President Biden at the border&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>White House file photo President Biden at the border&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández stressed that “no executive action, no matter how aggressive, can deliver the significant policy reforms and additional resources Congress can provide and that Republicans rejected.”“The administration spent months negotiating in good faith to deliver the toughest and fairest bipartisan border security bill in decades because we need Congress to make significant policy reforms and to provide additional funding to secure our border and fix our broken immigration system,” he said. “Congressional Republicans chose to put partisan politics ahead of our national security, rejected what border agents have said they need, and then gave themselves a two-week vacation.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-security-migrants-homeland-security-1c6e9f612dff721191c0254f980947a5">Arrests for illegal crossings on the U.S. border with Mexico fell by half</a>&nbsp;in January from record highs in December to the third lowest month of Biden’s presidency. But officials fear those figures could eventually rise again, particularly as the November presidential election nears.The immigration authority the administration has been looking into is outlined in Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which gives a president broad leeway to block entry of certain immigrants into the United States if it would be “detrimental” to the national interest of the United States.Trump, who is the likely GOP candidate to face off against Biden this fall, repeatedly leaned on the 212(f) power while in office,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3a20abe305bd4c989116f82bf535393b">including his controversial ban to bar travelers from Muslim-majority nations.</a>&nbsp;Biden rescinded that ban on his first day in office through executive order.But now, how Biden would deploy that power to deal with his own immigration challenges is currently being considered, and it could be used in a variety of ways, according to the people familiar with the discussions. For example, the ban could kick in when border crossings hit a certain number. That echoes a provision in the Senate border deal, which would have activated expulsions of migrants if the number of illegal border crossings reached above 5,000 daily for a five-day average.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has also called on Biden to use the 212(f) authority. Yet the comprehensive immigration overhaul Biden also introduced on his first day in office — which the White House continues to tout — includes provisions that would effectively scale back a president’s powers to bar immigrants under that authority.

White House considering new border crackdown

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A suspected missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels set a ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday as Israel intercepted what appeared to be another Houthi attack near the port city of Eilat, authorities said.

The attacks come as the rebels escalate their assaults over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's war against Hamas</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip.

The attack Thursday in the Gulf of Aden saw two missiles fired, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. It said the unnamed ship was ablaze, without elaborating.

Ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press identified the vessel ablaze as a Palau-flagged cargo ship named Islander. It had been coming from Thailand bound for Egypt and previously sent out messages saying “SYRIAN CREW ON BOARD” to potentially avoid being targeted by the Houthis.

“The missile attack lead to a fire onboard and coalition military assets were responding to the incident,” the private security firm Ambrey said.

The ship's Liberian-listed owners could not be immediately reached for comment.

Meanwhile, sirens sounded early Thursday morning over Eilat, followed by videos posted online of what appeared to be an interception in the sky overhead.

The Israeli military later said the interception was carried out by its Arrow missile defense system.

Israel did not identify what the fire was, nor where it came from. However, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-israel-missile-defense-arrow-61f9019cc118b806be40c9167b490c60">Arrow system intercepts long-range ballistic missiles</a>&nbsp;with a warhead designed to destroy targets while they are in space.

The system “successfully intercepted a launch which was identified in the area of the Red Sea and was en route to Israel,” the Israeli military said. “The target did not cross into Israeli territory and did not pose a threat to civilians.”

The Houthis did not immediately claim either attack. They typically acknowledge assaults they conduct hours afterward.

Eilat, on the Red Sea, is a key port city of Israel. On Oct. 31, Houthis first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-yemen-houthis-iran-34eab8bc1d3cf3606d874166fef2f018">claimed a missile-and-drone barrage targeting the city</a>. The rebels have claimed other attacks targeting Eilat, which have caused no damage in the city.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over Israel’s war against Hamas. They have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Mideast and Europe. Those vessels have included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">at least one with cargo for Iran</a>, the Houthis’ main benefactor.

Despite a month of U.S.-led airstrikes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">Houthi rebels remain capable</a>&nbsp;of launching significant attacks. This week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-red-sea-israel-hamas-6ac2a1bf5032ed0531258816907cfe2c">they seriously damaged a ship in a crucial strait and downed an American drone</a>&nbsp;worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.

On Wednesday, ships in the Red Sea off the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen reported seeing an explosion, though all vessels in the area were said to be safe, the UKTMO said. The UKMTO earlier reported heavy drone activity in the area.

The U.S. military’s Central Command acknowledged shooting down a Houthi bomb-carrying drone during that time. U.S. airstrikes separately targeted seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles and one mobile anti-ship ballistic missile prepared to target ships in the Red Sea, Central Command said.

The U.S. State Department criticized “the reckless and indiscriminate attacks on civilian cargo ships by the Houthis” that have delayed humanitarian aid including food and medicine bound for Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen. That includes the Sea Champion, a ship carrying corn and other aid to both Aden and Hodeida.

“Contrary to what the Houthis may attempt to claim, their attacks do nothing to help the Palestinians,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. “Their actions are not bringing a single morsel of assistance or food to the Palestinian people.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A suspected missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels set a ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday as Israel intercepted what appeared to be another Houthi attack near the port city of Eilat, authorities said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. Department of State statement condemning the reckless and indiscriminate attacks on civilian cargo ships by the Houthis.<a href="https://t.co/MYUMPCP9WD">https://t.co/MYUMPCP9WD</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1760450457494077647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The attacks come as the rebels escalate their assaults over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's war against Hamas</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip.The attack Thursday in the Gulf of Aden saw two missiles fired, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. It said the unnamed ship was ablaze, without elaborating.Ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press identified the vessel ablaze as a Palau-flagged cargo ship named Islander. It had been coming from Thailand bound for Egypt and previously sent out messages saying “SYRIAN CREW ON BOARD” to potentially avoid being targeted by the Houthis.“The missile attack lead to a fire onboard and coalition military assets were responding to the incident,” the private security firm Ambrey said.The ship's Liberian-listed owners could not be immediately reached for comment.Meanwhile, sirens sounded early Thursday morning over Eilat, followed by videos posted online of what appeared to be an interception in the sky overhead.The Israeli military later said the interception was carried out by its Arrow missile defense system.Israel did not identify what the fire was, nor where it came from. However, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-israel-missile-defense-arrow-61f9019cc118b806be40c9167b490c60">Arrow system intercepts long-range ballistic missiles</a>&nbsp;with a warhead designed to destroy targets while they are in space.The system “successfully intercepted a launch which was identified in the area of the Red Sea and was en route to Israel,” the Israeli military said. “The target did not cross into Israeli territory and did not pose a threat to civilians.”The Houthis did not immediately claim either attack. They typically acknowledge assaults they conduct hours afterward.Eilat, on the Red Sea, is a key port city of Israel. On Oct. 31, Houthis first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-yemen-houthis-iran-34eab8bc1d3cf3606d874166fef2f018">claimed a missile-and-drone barrage targeting the city</a>. The rebels have claimed other attacks targeting Eilat, which have caused no damage in the city.Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over Israel’s war against Hamas. They have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Mideast and Europe. Those vessels have included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">at least one with cargo for Iran</a>, the Houthis’ main benefactor.Despite a month of U.S.-led airstrikes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">Houthi rebels remain capable</a>&nbsp;of launching significant attacks. This week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-red-sea-israel-hamas-6ac2a1bf5032ed0531258816907cfe2c">they seriously damaged a ship in a crucial strait and downed an American drone</a>&nbsp;worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.On Wednesday, ships in the Red Sea off the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen reported seeing an explosion, though all vessels in the area were said to be safe, the UKTMO said. The UKMTO earlier reported heavy drone activity in the area.The U.S. military’s Central Command acknowledged shooting down a Houthi bomb-carrying drone during that time. U.S. airstrikes separately targeted seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles and one mobile anti-ship ballistic missile prepared to target ships in the Red Sea, Central Command said.The U.S. State Department criticized “the reckless and indiscriminate attacks on civilian cargo ships by the Houthis” that have delayed humanitarian aid including food and medicine bound for Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen. That includes the Sea Champion, a ship carrying corn and other aid to both Aden and Hodeida.“Contrary to what the Houthis may attempt to claim, their attacks do nothing to help the Palestinians,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. “Their actions are not bringing a single morsel of assistance or food to the Palestinian people.”

U.S. condemns attacks on civilian cargo ships by Iran-backed rebels

NEW YORK (AP) — A never-published biography of the Eagles delved deeply into the superstar classic rock band's 1980 breakup, their longtime manager testified Wednesday, saying co-founders Glenn Frey and Don Henley were “very disappointed” with the manuscript.

The book never found a publisher. But four decades later, it’s part of another story: a criminal trial that opened Wednesday and involves roughly 100 pages of hand-drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">lyrics to “Hotel California”</a>&nbsp;and other Eagles hits.

The defendants — rare-books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski — got the documents via Ed Sanders, a noted poet and nonfiction writer who also co-founded the avant-garde rock group the Fugs.

Sanders isn't charged with anything, but a key question is whether he had the right to sell the lyrics pages he obtained while researching the biography.

Manhattan prosecutors say Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinski peddled the pages while knowing their ownership history was shaky at best. Then, prosecutors say, they schemed to thwart Henley’s efforts to reclaim what he says are stolen pieces of his legacy.

“All these lyrics are very personal to him, they’re a part of musical history, and it was simply unacceptable to him that they be stolen by anyone else,” Irving Azoff, the Eagles' manager, said during testimony. He said he had never known Henley to part with any of the legal pads on which he, alongside Frey, worked out some of the best-known lyrics in the rock songbook.

Defense lawyers say Henley voluntarily gave away the documents and leveraged prosecutors to try to take them back.

“They have accused three innocent men of a crime that never occurred,” Inciardi’s lawyer, Stacey Richman, told Judge Curtis Farber during opening statements. Farber will decide the verdict, as the defendants chose to forgo a jury.

The documents include lyrics-in-development for tracks from 1976's “Hotel California,” the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-biggest selling album ever</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.

Frey and Henley crafted them in a Beverly Hills house rented for the purpose, since the tidy Henley's tendency to pick up after Frey “would drive them crazy” if they worked in their own homes, Azoff testified.

Henley did most of the writing, he added, with Frey leaning in to make suggestions such as the phrase “Life in the Fast Lane," which became the title of a hit single.

The disputed pages include lyrics to that song, to “New Kid in Town” and, of course, to “Hotel California,” the more than six-minute-long, somewhat mysterious musical tale of a hedonistic but ultimately dark place where “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

If scorned by some as an overexposed artifact of the '70s, the Grammy-winning song is still a touchstone on classic rock radio and many personal playlists. The entertainment data company Luminate counted more than 220 million streams and 136,000 radio plays of “Hotel California” in the U.S. last year.

The case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-new-york-california-290e31743f028951408a4a80a681f880">brought in 2022</a>, a decade after some of the pages began popping up for auction and Henley took umbrage. He bought four pages for $8,500 but also reported the documents stolen, prosecutors said.

At the time, the lyrics sheets were in the hands of Kosinski and Inciardi, who had bought them from Horowitz for $65,000. His company had purchased them for $50,000 in 2005 from Sanders.

A friend of Frey's, he was hired in 1979 to write a band biography for $25,000 and enjoyed extensive access. But Azoff testified that the co-founders disliked the resulting manuscript and that, “for me personally, all the stuff about the Eagles' breakup was unacceptable.”

As the project stalled, a frustrated Sanders asked Azoff in a 1982 letter for “a substantial amount of money,” saying he'd “behaved with great reserve” by not approaching a major magazine with a story about the Eagles' split.

“He had inside knowledge,” Azoff said, and with Frey and Henley cultivating solo careers, “we didn’t want some ugly story of the breakup of the Eagles to be published.”

They ultimately paid Sanders about $75,000 and agreed to let him look for a publisher, comfortable that any book still would need the band's approval under his 1979 contract, Azoff said.

Sanders hasn't responded to a phone message seeking comment about the case. Emails sent to him bounced back.

Sanders told Horowitz in 2005 that Henley's assistant had mailed along any documents he wanted for the biography, though the writer worried that Henley "might conceivably be upset” if they were sold, according to an email shown in court.

“It cast significant doubt on whether Sanders actually owned Henley’s lyric notes or had the right to sell them,” Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Penfold said in opening remarks.

Sanders' contract said the Eagles owned any material they furnished to Sanders for the book. Defense lawyers said their clients knew nothing about the contract until after they were indicted.

Prosecutors say once Henley's lawyers asserted the documents were stolen, Inciardi and Horowitz gave evolving accounts of how Sanders obtained them.

According to emails recounted in the indictment, those explanations ranged over the next five years from Sanders finding them abandoned in a backstage dressing room to getting them from Frey, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-music-8169f05ac21d43dda4b1c1dd8b065e28">died in 2016</a>.

There was some input and assent from Sanders, but he also also rejected some, including the backstage-salvage story, according to the emails.

Horowitz’ lawyer, Jonathan Bach, said the messages weren’t suspicious efforts to cover tracks, but rather an effort by Horowitz and Inciardi to get “a simple statement from Ed Sanders to rebut an allegation they know to be baseless.”

Kosinski forwarded one of the various explanations to Henley’s lawyer, then told an auction house that the rocker had “no claim” to the documents, the indictment says. He also asked the auctioneers not to tell potential bidders about the ownership dispute.

His lawyer, Matthew Laroche, said Kosinski was upfront with all and “acted diligently and appropriately.”

Henley is expected to testify. Defense lawyers have indicated that they plan to question how clearly he remembers his dealings with Sanders and the lyric sheets at a time when the rock star was living life in the fast lane himself.

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly half a century after “Hotel California” became a rock megahit, three men went on trial Wednesday in a criminal case about what became of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">a cache of hand-drafted lyrics</a>&nbsp;to the song and other Eagles favorites.

The case centers on roughly 100 pages of legal-pad pages inscribed with developmental versions of some of the most well-known lines in the rock songbook.

The key witness is expected to be Eagles co-founder Don Henley, who wants to recover the manuscripts. The defendants are all well-established professionals in the collectibles world, and they got the documents from a writer and 1960s counterculture figure with rock roots of his own.

Prosecutors say the defendants — rare-books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi, and memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski — peddled the pages while knowing their ownership history was shaky at best. Then, prosecutors claim, the men schemed to thwart Henley’s efforts to reclaim what he says are stolen pieces of his legacy.

“The defendants were not businessmen acting in good faith, but criminal actors,” Manhattan District Attorney Nicholas Penfold said in an opening statement.

The men have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to possess stolen property. Their lawyers say the documents simply weren't stolen and that the men did nothing illegal by buying or trying to sell them.

“They have accused three innocent men of a crime that never occurred,” Inciardi's lawyer, Stacey Richman, said during opening statements.

The defense says Henley voluntarily gave away the documents and leveraged prosecutors to try to take them back. The prosecution effectively makes a crime out of any circumstance in which “a celebrity tells you, ‘That property is mine,’ and you don’t give it back when they ask for it," said one of Kosinski's lawyers, Matthew LaRoche.

The trial concerns about 100 pages of drafts of song lyrics from the 1976 release “Hotel California," which is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-biggest selling album ever</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.

The documents include lyrics-in-development for the songs “Life in the Fast Lane,” “New Kid in Town” and, of course, “Hotel California,” the more than six-minute-long, somewhat mysterious musical tale of the goings-on at a hedonistic but ultimately dark place where “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

The case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-new-york-california-290e31743f028951408a4a80a681f880">brought in 2022</a>, a decade after some of the pages began popping up for auction and Henley took notice — and took umbrage. He bought four pages for $8,500 but also reported the documents stolen, prosecutors said.

At the time, the lyrics sheets were in the hands of Kosinski and Inciardi, who had bought them from Horowitz for $65,000. His company had purchased them for $50,000 in 2005 from Sanders, a noted poet, nonfiction writer and activist who also co-founded the avant-garde rock group the Fugs. He worked with the Eagles on a band biography that was shelved in the early ‘80s, amassing boxes full of material.

“The Eagles confided all sorts of things to Mr. Sanders about their lives, things that I'm quite confident they wished they didn’t share … and they want to get back,” LaRoche told Judge Curtis Farber during opening statements. Farber will decide the verdict, as the defendants chose to forgo a jury.

Sanders isn't charged in the case and hasn't responded to a phone message seeking comment about it.

Sanders told Horowitz in 2005 that Henley's assistant had mailed along any documents he wanted for the biography, though the writer worried that Henley “might conceivably be upset” if they were sold, according to an email shown in court.

“It cast significant doubt on whether Sanders actually owned Henley’s lyric notes or had the right to sell them,” said Penfold, the prosecutor.

Sanders signed a 1979 contract that said that the Eagles remained the owners of material they furnished to Sanders for the book. Defense lawyers said their clients knew nothing about the contract until after they were indicted.

Prosecutors say that once Henley's lawyers began asking questions and asserting the documents were stolen, Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinski started maneuvering to gin up and disseminate a legally viable ownership history for the manuscripts.

According to emails recounted in the indictment, Inciardi and Horowitz floated evolving accounts of how Sanders obtained the documents. The explanations ranged over the next five years from Sanders finding them abandoned in a backstage dressing room to the writer getting them from Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-music-8169f05ac21d43dda4b1c1dd8b065e28">died in 2016</a>.

Emails show some input and assent from Sanders, but he also also rejected some the backstage-salvage story, according to emails recounted in the indictment. In messages that didn't include him, Horowitz wrote about getting Sanders' “'explanation' shaped into a communication" and giving him “gentle handling” and assurances “that he's not going to the can," the indictment says.

Horowitz’ lawyer, Jonathan Bach, said the emails weren’t suspicious efforts to cover tracks, but rather an effort by Horowitz and Inciardi to get “a simple statement from Ed Sanders to rebut an allegation they know to be baseless.”

The indictment doesn't show Kosinki participating in the back-and-forth with Sanders. But Kosinski forwarded one of the various explanations to Henley’s lawyer, then told an auction house that the rocker had “no claim” to the manuscripts, the indictment says. He also asked the auctioneers not to tell potential bidders about the ownership dispute.

LaRoche, his lawyer, said Kosinski was upfront with all and “acted diligently and appropriately.”

Defense lawyers have indicated that they plan to question how clearly Henley remembers his dealings with Sanders and the lyric sheets at a time when the rock star was living life in the fast lane himself.

“His attitudes today, as a mature, successful, older businessman, regarding materials he helped compose and create nearly 50 years ago are very different from the attitudes that he held in his youth ... way back when he was far more carefree," Bach said.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708429319229.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — A never-published biography of the Eagles delved deeply into the superstar classic rock band's 1980 breakup, their longtime manager testified Wednesday, saying co-founders Glenn Frey and Don Henley were “very disappointed” with the manuscript.The book never found a publisher. But four decades later, it’s part of another story: a criminal trial that opened Wednesday and involves roughly 100 pages of hand-drafted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">lyrics to “Hotel California”</a>&nbsp;and other Eagles hits.The defendants — rare-books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski — got the documents via Ed Sanders, a noted poet and nonfiction writer who also co-founded the avant-garde rock group the Fugs.Sanders isn't charged with anything, but a key question is whether he had the right to sell the lyrics pages he obtained while researching the biography.Manhattan prosecutors say Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinski peddled the pages while knowing their ownership history was shaky at best. Then, prosecutors say, they schemed to thwart Henley’s efforts to reclaim what he says are stolen pieces of his legacy.“All these lyrics are very personal to him, they’re a part of musical history, and it was simply unacceptable to him that they be stolen by anyone else,” Irving Azoff, the Eagles' manager, said during testimony. He said he had never known Henley to part with any of the legal pads on which he, alongside Frey, worked out some of the best-known lyrics in the rock songbook.Defense lawyers say Henley voluntarily gave away the documents and leveraged prosecutors to try to take them back.“They have accused three innocent men of a crime that never occurred,” Inciardi’s lawyer, Stacey Richman, told Judge Curtis Farber during opening statements. Farber will decide the verdict, as the defendants chose to forgo a jury.The documents include lyrics-in-development for tracks from 1976's “Hotel California,” the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-biggest selling album ever</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.Frey and Henley crafted them in a Beverly Hills house rented for the purpose, since the tidy Henley's tendency to pick up after Frey “would drive them crazy” if they worked in their own homes, Azoff testified.Henley did most of the writing, he added, with Frey leaning in to make suggestions such as the phrase “Life in the Fast Lane," which became the title of a hit single.The disputed pages include lyrics to that song, to “New Kid in Town” and, of course, to “Hotel California,” the more than six-minute-long, somewhat mysterious musical tale of a hedonistic but ultimately dark place where “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”If scorned by some as an overexposed artifact of the '70s, the Grammy-winning song is still a touchstone on classic rock radio and many personal playlists. The entertainment data company Luminate counted more than 220 million streams and 136,000 radio plays of “Hotel California” in the U.S. last year.The case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-new-york-california-290e31743f028951408a4a80a681f880">brought in 2022</a>, a decade after some of the pages began popping up for auction and Henley took umbrage. He bought four pages for $8,500 but also reported the documents stolen, prosecutors said.At the time, the lyrics sheets were in the hands of Kosinski and Inciardi, who had bought them from Horowitz for $65,000. His company had purchased them for $50,000 in 2005 from Sanders.A friend of Frey's, he was hired in 1979 to write a band biography for $25,000 and enjoyed extensive access. But Azoff testified that the co-founders disliked the resulting manuscript and that, “for me personally, all the stuff about the Eagles' breakup was unacceptable.”As the project stalled, a frustrated Sanders asked Azoff in a 1982 letter for “a substantial amount of money,” saying he'd “behaved with great reserve” by not approaching a major magazine with a story about the Eagles' split.That worried them.“He had inside knowledge,” Azoff said, and with Frey and Henley cultivating solo careers, “we didn’t want some ugly story of the breakup of the Eagles to be published.”They ultimately paid Sanders about $75,000 and agreed to let him look for a publisher, comfortable that any book still would need the band's approval under his 1979 contract, Azoff said.Sanders hasn't responded to a phone message seeking comment about the case. Emails sent to him bounced back.Sanders told Horowitz in 2005 that Henley's assistant had mailed along any documents he wanted for the biography, though the writer worried that Henley "might conceivably be upset” if they were sold, according to an email shown in court.“It cast significant doubt on whether Sanders actually owned Henley’s lyric notes or had the right to sell them,” Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Penfold said in opening remarks.Sanders' contract said the Eagles owned any material they furnished to Sanders for the book. Defense lawyers said their clients knew nothing about the contract until after they were indicted.Prosecutors say once Henley's lawyers asserted the documents were stolen, Inciardi and Horowitz gave evolving accounts of how Sanders obtained them.According to emails recounted in the indictment, those explanations ranged over the next five years from Sanders finding them abandoned in a backstage dressing room to getting them from Frey, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-music-8169f05ac21d43dda4b1c1dd8b065e28">died in 2016</a>.There was some input and assent from Sanders, but he also also rejected some, including the backstage-salvage story, according to the emails.Horowitz’ lawyer, Jonathan Bach, said the messages weren’t suspicious efforts to cover tracks, but rather an effort by Horowitz and Inciardi to get “a simple statement from Ed Sanders to rebut an allegation they know to be baseless.”Kosinski forwarded one of the various explanations to Henley’s lawyer, then told an auction house that the rocker had “no claim” to the documents, the indictment says. He also asked the auctioneers not to tell potential bidders about the ownership dispute.His lawyer, Matthew Laroche, said Kosinski was upfront with all and “acted diligently and appropriately.”Henley is expected to testify. Defense lawyers have indicated that they plan to question how clearly he remembers his dealings with Sanders and the lyric sheets at a time when the rock star was living life in the fast lane himself.___NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly half a century after “Hotel California” became a rock megahit, three men went on trial Wednesday in a criminal case about what became of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">a cache of hand-drafted lyrics</a>&nbsp;to the song and other Eagles favorites.The case centers on roughly 100 pages of legal-pad pages inscribed with developmental versions of some of the most well-known lines in the rock songbook.The key witness is expected to be Eagles co-founder Don Henley, who wants to recover the manuscripts. The defendants are all well-established professionals in the collectibles world, and they got the documents from a writer and 1960s counterculture figure with rock roots of his own.Prosecutors say the defendants — rare-books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi, and memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski — peddled the pages while knowing their ownership history was shaky at best. Then, prosecutors claim, the men schemed to thwart Henley’s efforts to reclaim what he says are stolen pieces of his legacy.“The defendants were not businessmen acting in good faith, but criminal actors,” Manhattan District Attorney Nicholas Penfold said in an opening statement.The men have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to possess stolen property. Their lawyers say the documents simply weren't stolen and that the men did nothing illegal by buying or trying to sell them.“They have accused three innocent men of a crime that never occurred,” Inciardi's lawyer, Stacey Richman, said during opening statements.The defense says Henley voluntarily gave away the documents and leveraged prosecutors to try to take them back. The prosecution effectively makes a crime out of any circumstance in which “a celebrity tells you, ‘That property is mine,’ and you don’t give it back when they ask for it," said one of Kosinski's lawyers, Matthew LaRoche.The trial concerns about 100 pages of drafts of song lyrics from the 1976 release “Hotel California," which is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-biggest selling album ever</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.The documents include lyrics-in-development for the songs “Life in the Fast Lane,” “New Kid in Town” and, of course, “Hotel California,” the more than six-minute-long, somewhat mysterious musical tale of the goings-on at a hedonistic but ultimately dark place where “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”If scorned by some as an overexposed artifact of the '70s, the Grammy-winning song is still a touchstone on classic rock radio and many personal playlists. The entertainment data company Luminate counted more than 220 million streams and 136,000 radio plays of “Hotel California” in the U.S. last year.The case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-new-york-california-290e31743f028951408a4a80a681f880">brought in 2022</a>, a decade after some of the pages began popping up for auction and Henley took notice — and took umbrage. He bought four pages for $8,500 but also reported the documents stolen, prosecutors said.At the time, the lyrics sheets were in the hands of Kosinski and Inciardi, who had bought them from Horowitz for $65,000. His company had purchased them for $50,000 in 2005 from Sanders, a noted poet, nonfiction writer and activist who also co-founded the avant-garde rock group the Fugs. He worked with the Eagles on a band biography that was shelved in the early ‘80s, amassing boxes full of material.“The Eagles confided all sorts of things to Mr. Sanders about their lives, things that I'm quite confident they wished they didn’t share … and they want to get back,” LaRoche told Judge Curtis Farber during opening statements. Farber will decide the verdict, as the defendants chose to forgo a jury.Sanders isn't charged in the case and hasn't responded to a phone message seeking comment about it.Sanders told Horowitz in 2005 that Henley's assistant had mailed along any documents he wanted for the biography, though the writer worried that Henley “might conceivably be upset” if they were sold, according to an email shown in court.“It cast significant doubt on whether Sanders actually owned Henley’s lyric notes or had the right to sell them,” said Penfold, the prosecutor.Sanders signed a 1979 contract that said that the Eagles remained the owners of material they furnished to Sanders for the book. Defense lawyers said their clients knew nothing about the contract until after they were indicted.Prosecutors say that once Henley's lawyers began asking questions and asserting the documents were stolen, Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinski started maneuvering to gin up and disseminate a legally viable ownership history for the manuscripts.According to emails recounted in the indictment, Inciardi and Horowitz floated evolving accounts of how Sanders obtained the documents. The explanations ranged over the next five years from Sanders finding them abandoned in a backstage dressing room to the writer getting them from Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-music-8169f05ac21d43dda4b1c1dd8b065e28">died in 2016</a>.Emails show some input and assent from Sanders, but he also also rejected some the backstage-salvage story, according to emails recounted in the indictment. In messages that didn't include him, Horowitz wrote about getting Sanders' “'explanation' shaped into a communication" and giving him “gentle handling” and assurances “that he's not going to the can," the indictment says.Horowitz’ lawyer, Jonathan Bach, said the emails weren’t suspicious efforts to cover tracks, but rather an effort by Horowitz and Inciardi to get “a simple statement from Ed Sanders to rebut an allegation they know to be baseless.”The indictment doesn't show Kosinki participating in the back-and-forth with Sanders. But Kosinski forwarded one of the various explanations to Henley’s lawyer, then told an auction house that the rocker had “no claim” to the manuscripts, the indictment says. He also asked the auctioneers not to tell potential bidders about the ownership dispute.LaRoche, his lawyer, said Kosinski was upfront with all and “acted diligently and appropriately.”Defense lawyers have indicated that they plan to question how clearly Henley remembers his dealings with Sanders and the lyric sheets at a time when the rock star was living life in the fast lane himself.“His attitudes today, as a mature, successful, older businessman, regarding materials he helped compose and create nearly 50 years ago are very different from the attitudes that he held in his youth ... way back when he was far more carefree," Bach said.

Trial continues on ownership of handwritten lyrics to 'Hotel California'

KANSAS CITY (AP) —AT&amp;T said Thursday its wireless network was back after an outage knocked out cellphone service for its users across the U.S. for hours.

“We have restored wireless service to all our affected customers,” the Dallas-based company said in a statement posted on its website Thursday afternoon. “We sincerely apologize to them.”

Outage tracker Downdetector noted that outages, which began at about 3:30 a.m. ET, peaked at around 73,000 reported incidents. AT&amp;T had more than 58,000 outages around noon ET, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The carrier has more than 240 million subscribers, the country’s largest.

By 3:30 p.m. ET, the reports were down to fewer than 3,000.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on AT&amp;T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according to data from Downdetector. AT&amp;T, who was the hardest hit, is actively working to restore service to all of its customers.

AT&amp;T had more than 58,000 outages around noon ET, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The outages, which began at approximately 3:30 a.m. ET, peaked at around 73,000 reported incidents. The carrier has more than 240 million subscribers, the country's largest.

"Some of our customers are experiencing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/att-outage-cell-service-phone-1cd6f595356b385cc9a4495d1f06b983">wireless service interruptions</a>&nbsp;this morning. Our network teams took immediate action and so far three-quarters of our network has been restored. We are working as quickly as possible to restore service to remaining customers,” AT&amp;T and Cricket said in a statement.

Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&amp;T, had more than 9,000 outages, Downdetector said Thursday.

Verizon had more than 2,000 outages and T-Mobile had more than 1,400 outages. Boost Mobile had about 700 outages.

“Verizon’s network is operating normally. Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier. We are continuing to monitor the situation,” Verizon said.

T-Mobile said that it did not experience an outage.

“Our network is operating normally. Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks,” T-Mobile said.

Some iPhone users have seen SOS messages displayed in the status bar on their cellphones. The message indicates that the device is having trouble connecting to their cellular provider's network, but it can make emergency calls through other carrier networks, according to Apple Support.

So far, no reason has been given for the outages. But Lee McKnight, an associate professor in the iSchool at Syracuse University, believes the most likely cause of the outage is a cloud misconfiguration, or human error.

"A possible but far less likely outcome is an intentional malicious hack of ATT’s network, but the diffuse pattern of outages across the country suggests something more fundamental,” McKnight said in an emailed statement.

For those still impacted by the outage, Alexander Wyglinski, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, says that there is a possible workaround.

“A lot of cell phones do Wi-Fi calling. So, as a potential backup, if you are close to a wi-fi access point, you may be able to use that if you are affected by the network outage," he said in an emailed statement.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on <a href="https://downdetector.com/status/att/">AT&amp;T, </a>Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according to data from <a href="https://downdetector.com/">Downdetector.</a>

AT&amp;T had more than 73,000 outages around 9:30 a.m. ET, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The outages began at approximately 3:30 a.m. ET. The carrier has more than 240 million subscribers, the country's largest.

Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&amp;T, had more than 13,000, the outage tracking website said Thursday.

“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service to them. We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored,” AT&amp;T and Cricket said in a statement.

Verizon had more than 4,000 outages and T-Mobile had more than 1,800 outages. Boost Mobile had about 700 outages.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on AT&amp;T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according to data from Downdetector.

AT&amp;T had more than 64,000 outages this morning, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The outages began at approximately 3:30 a.m. ET. The carrier has more than 240 million subscribers, the country's largest.

“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service to them. We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored,” AT&amp;T said in a statement.

Cricket Wireless had more than 13,000, the outage tracking website said Thursday. Verizon had more than 4,000 outages and T-Mobile had more than 1,900 outages. Boost Mobile had about 700 outages.

So far, no reason has been given for the outages.

AT&amp;T had more than 60,000 outages this morning, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago.

Cricket Wireless had more than 11,000, the outage tracking website said Thursday. Verizon had more than 3,000 outages and T-Mobile had more than 1,000 outages. Boost Mobile had more than 450 outages.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —AT&amp;T said Thursday its wireless network was back after an outage knocked out cellphone service for its users across the U.S. for hours.“We have restored wireless service to all our affected customers,” the Dallas-based company said in a statement posted on its website Thursday afternoon. “We sincerely apologize to them.”Outage tracker Downdetector noted that outages, which began at about 3:30 a.m. ET, peaked at around 73,000 reported incidents. AT&amp;T had more than 58,000 outages around noon ET, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The carrier has more than 240 million subscribers, the country’s largest.By 3:30 p.m. ET, the reports were down to fewer than 3,000.--------KANSAS CITY (AP) —A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on AT&amp;T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according to data from Downdetector. AT&amp;T, who was the hardest hit, is actively working to restore service to all of its customers.AT&amp;T had more than 58,000 outages around noon ET, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The outages, which began at approximately 3:30 a.m. ET, peaked at around 73,000 reported incidents. The carrier has more than 240 million subscribers, the country's largest."Some of our customers are experiencing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/att-outage-cell-service-phone-1cd6f595356b385cc9a4495d1f06b983">wireless service interruptions</a>&nbsp;this morning. Our network teams took immediate action and so far three-quarters of our network has been restored. We are working as quickly as possible to restore service to remaining customers,” AT&amp;T and Cricket said in a statement.Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&amp;T, had more than 9,000 outages, Downdetector said Thursday.Verizon had more than 2,000 outages and T-Mobile had more than 1,400 outages. Boost Mobile had about 700 outages.“Verizon’s network is operating normally. Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier. We are continuing to monitor the situation,” Verizon said.T-Mobile said that it did not experience an outage.“Our network is operating normally. Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks,” T-Mobile said.Some iPhone users have seen SOS messages displayed in the status bar on their cellphones. The message indicates that the device is having trouble connecting to their cellular provider's network, but it can make emergency calls through other carrier networks, according to Apple Support.So far, no reason has been given for the outages. But Lee McKnight, an associate professor in the iSchool at Syracuse University, believes the most likely cause of the outage is a cloud misconfiguration, or human error."A possible but far less likely outcome is an intentional malicious hack of ATT’s network, but the diffuse pattern of outages across the country suggests something more fundamental,” McKnight said in an emailed statement.For those still impacted by the outage, Alexander Wyglinski, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, says that there is a possible workaround.“A lot of cell phones do Wi-Fi calling. So, as a potential backup, if you are close to a wi-fi access point, you may be able to use that if you are affected by the network outage," he said in an emailed statement.------------KANSAS CITY (AP) —A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on <a href="https://downdetector.com/status/att/">AT&amp;T, </a>Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according to data from <a href="https://downdetector.com/">Downdetector.</a>AT&amp;T had more than 73,000 outages around 9:30 a.m. ET, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The outages began at approximately 3:30 a.m. ET. The carrier has more than 240 million subscribers, the country's largest.Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&amp;T, had more than 13,000, the outage tracking website said Thursday.“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service to them. We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored,” AT&amp;T and Cricket said in a statement.Verizon had more than 4,000 outages and T-Mobile had more than 1,800 outages. Boost Mobile had about 700 outages.“Verizon’s network is operating normally. Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier. We are continuing to monitor the situation,” Verizon said.T-Mobile said that it did not experience an outage.“Our network is operating normally. Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks,” T-Mobile said.Some iPhone users have seen SOS messages displayed in the status bar on their cellphones. The message indicates that the device is having trouble connecting to their cellular provider's network, but it can make emergency calls through other carrier networks, according to Apple Support.So far, no reason has been given for the outages. But Lee McKnight, an associate professor in the iSchool at Syracuse University, believes the most likely cause of the outage is a cloud misconfiguration, or human error."A possible but far less likely outcome is an intentional malicious hack of ATT’s network, but the diffuse pattern of outages across the country suggests something more fundamental,” McKnight said in an emailed statement.-----------------KANSAS CITY (AP) —A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on AT&amp;T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according to data from Downdetector.AT&amp;T had more than 64,000 outages this morning, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The outages began at approximately 3:30 a.m. ET. The carrier has more than 240 million subscribers, the country's largest.“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service to them. We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored,” AT&amp;T said in a statement.Cricket Wireless had more than 13,000, the outage tracking website said Thursday. Verizon had more than 4,000 outages and T-Mobile had more than 1,900 outages. Boost Mobile had about 700 outages.“Verizon’s network is operating normally. Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier. We are continuing to monitor the situation,” Verizon said.T-Mobile said that it did not experience an outage.“Our network is operating normally. Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks,” T-Mobile said.So far, no reason has been given for the outages.----------KANSAS CITY (AP) —A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on AT&amp;T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according to data from Downdetector.AT&amp;T had more than 60,000 outages this morning, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago.Cricket Wireless had more than 11,000, the outage tracking website said Thursday. Verizon had more than 3,000 outages and T-Mobile had more than 1,000 outages. Boost Mobile had more than 450 outages.So far, no reason has been given for the outages.

AT&T: Cellphone network restored after widespread outage across US

Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District

ELWOOD, NEB. - The Central Nebraska Public Power &amp; Irrigation District (CNPPI), along with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, wants to remind the public that Elwood Reservoir in Gosper County is open for recreational use during the current construction project taking place at the Elwood dam.

As a reminder, the boat ramp parking lot is being used for construction efforts which requires all boaters and fisherman to park along the road to the north. Central crews were able to clean off the boat ramp giving access for anglers to launch their boats. Although the ramp is accessible, water levels are low and near the end of the boat ramp. It is anticipated that small watercraft should be able to launch for another month. 

Once construction around the pump station is completed, Central will be putting water into the lake for irrigation use. Water will be pumped into the reservoir sometime in late April or early May depending on the construction progress.

Construction on the $6 million Dam Seepage Mitigation Project at Elwood dam began in September 2023 with removal of trees below the dam. Work around the pump station began on November 1 and the projected timeline to finish the project is August 2024. Central stores water in Elwood Reservoir that is conveyed from the supply canal at the Johnson Lake inlet via the E65 canal and siphons. 

The pump station is where water is put into Elwood Reservoir and also the location where water is released for irrigation. This project helps secure the long-term use of&nbsp; Elwood Reservoir along with the associated benefits it provides. We appreciate and thank all the users for respecting construction efforts and crews while enjoying their time at Elwood Reservoir

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708527797245.jpeg" alt="Elwood Reservoir (Photo courtesy of CNPPI)" />
 <figcaption>Elwood Reservoir (Photo courtesy of CNPPI)</figcaption>
 </figure>Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation DistrictELWOOD, NEB. - The Central Nebraska Public Power &amp; Irrigation District (CNPPI), along with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, wants to remind the public that Elwood Reservoir in Gosper County is open for recreational use during the current construction project taking place at the Elwood dam.As a reminder, the boat ramp parking lot is being used for construction efforts which requires all boaters and fisherman to park along the road to the north. Central crews were able to clean off the boat ramp giving access for anglers to launch their boats. Although the ramp is accessible, water levels are low and near the end of the boat ramp. It is anticipated that small watercraft should be able to launch for another month. Once construction around the pump station is completed, Central will be putting water into the lake for irrigation use. Water will be pumped into the reservoir sometime in late April or early May depending on the construction progress.Construction on the $6 million Dam Seepage Mitigation Project at Elwood dam began in September 2023 with removal of trees below the dam. Work around the pump station began on November 1 and the projected timeline to finish the project is August 2024. Central stores water in Elwood Reservoir that is conveyed from the supply canal at the Johnson Lake inlet via the E65 canal and siphons. The pump station is where water is put into Elwood Reservoir and also the location where water is released for irrigation. This project helps secure the long-term use of&nbsp; Elwood Reservoir along with the associated benefits it provides. We appreciate and thank all the users for respecting construction efforts and crews while enjoying their time at Elwood Reservoir

Elwood Reservoir Open for Recreation during Construction 

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-lawmakers-advance-detasseling-bill-to-protect-nebraska-youth-workers/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska lawmakers moved one step closer Tuesday to clarifying that seed corn producers in Nebraska should hire local youths for detasseling before using temporary, nonimmigrant workers.

<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=55035">Legislative Bill 844</a>, introduced by State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, would clarify in the Farm Labor Standards Act that seed corn producers are required to solicit bids from contractors who seasonally employ largely younger workers who are recruited locally before H-2A workers.

Erdman said this would protect young people who want to detassel but cannot find work.

“This is an opportunity for us to protect the local workforce,” he said during floor debate.

Federal law stipulates that H-2A workers, or temporary, nonimmigrant workers allowed to perform seasonal agricultural labor, may be hired when “there are not sufficient workers who are able, willing and qualified.”

Erdman said LB 844 is “very simple, straightforward” and would help workforce development, while requiring the state to follow federal law.

Under the bill, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture website would post a directory listing information for exempt detasseling and roguing contractors. The department would annually distribute a list of such contractors to seed corn producers by Jan. 15 each year, beginning in 2026.

State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, chair of the Agriculture Committee, which advanced Erdman’s bill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/CS/LB844.pdf">7-0</a>, said it has been particularly exciting to see the enthusiasm of the youths who testified in favor of LB 844. He said they want to continue to work hard and have similar opportunities in the future.

“I think it’s an opportunity for the young people in Nebraska to understand that we’ve taken their concerns to heart and we’ll make it available to them to work hard,” Erdman said of his bill.

LB 844 advanced to second-round debate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_votes.php?KeyID=10096">36-0</a>.

Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-lawmakers-advance-detasseling-bill-to-protect-nebraska-youth-workers/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska lawmakers moved one step closer Tuesday to clarifying that seed corn producers in Nebraska should hire local youths for detasseling before using temporary, nonimmigrant workers.<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=55035">Legislative Bill 844</a>, introduced by State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, would clarify in the Farm Labor Standards Act that seed corn producers are required to solicit bids from contractors who seasonally employ largely younger workers who are recruited locally before H-2A workers.Erdman said this would protect young people who want to detassel but cannot find work.“This is an opportunity for us to protect the local workforce,” he said during floor debate.Federal law stipulates that H-2A workers, or temporary, nonimmigrant workers allowed to perform seasonal agricultural labor, may be hired when “there are not sufficient workers who are able, willing and qualified.”Erdman said LB 844 is “very simple, straightforward” and would help workforce development, while requiring the state to follow federal law.Under the bill, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture website would post a directory listing information for exempt detasseling and roguing contractors. The department would annually distribute a list of such contractors to seed corn producers by Jan. 15 each year, beginning in 2026.State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, chair of the Agriculture Committee, which advanced Erdman’s bill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/CS/LB844.pdf">7-0</a>, said it has been particularly exciting to see the enthusiasm of the youths who testified in favor of LB 844. He said they want to continue to work hard and have similar opportunities in the future.“I think it’s an opportunity for the young people in Nebraska to understand that we’ve taken their concerns to heart and we’ll make it available to them to work hard,” Erdman said of his bill.LB 844 advanced to second-round debate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_votes.php?KeyID=10096">36-0</a>.

State lawmakers advance detasseling bill to protect Nebraska youth workers

CULVER CITY, Calif. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;announced Wednesday that his administration was automatically canceling federal student loans for nearly 153,000 borrowers, putting the spotlight on his debt cancellation efforts as he ramps up his reelection campaign.

Biden, who is in the midst of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-california-los-angeles-san-francisco-fundraisers-87ae7fe3a8c742d53d034322d450462d">three-day campaign swing through California</a>, made the announcement as part of a new repayment plan that offers a faster path to forgiveness.

The president was expected to speak about his administration's student loan relief efforts from a local library before he went on to campaign-related events Wednesday.

The administration began sending email notifications on Wednesday to some of the borrowers who will benefit from what the White House has called the SAVE program. The cancellations were originally scheduled to start in July, but last month the administration said it would be ready almost six months ahead of schedule, in February.

“Starting today, the first round of folks who are enrolled in our SAVE student loan repayment plan who have paid their loans for 10 years and borrowed $12,000 or less will have their debt cancelled,” Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/POTUS/status/1760314432037539937?s=20">posted on social media</a>&nbsp;Wednesday. “That’s 150,000 Americans and counting. And we’re pushing to relieve more."

The first round of forgiveness from the SAVE plan will clear $1.2 billion in loans. The borrowers will get emails with a message from Biden notifying them that “all or a portion of your federal student loans will be forgiven because you qualify for early loan forgiveness under my Administration’s SAVE Plan.”

The president is expected to highlight the SAVE plan during a speech in Culver City, California, before heading to San Francisco later Wednesday for more campaign fundraising.

Biden in the email writes he has heard from “countless people who have told me that relieving the burden of their student loan debt will allow them to support themselves and their families, buy their first home, start a small business, and move forward with life plans they’ve put on hold.”

More than 7.5 million people have enrolled in the new repayment plan.

The president, during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-california-los-angeles-san-francisco-fundraisers-87ae7fe3a8c742d53d034322d450462d">a campaign fundraiser in Beverly Hills</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday night, highlighted his efforts to help middle-class Americans and warned that a win in November by former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential front-runner, could lead&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-federal-ban-trump-2024-election-61c3edcd3780ce94be3bd8d65f100f23">to a nationwide abortion ban</a>, more Republican efforts to undo the health insurance program started in the Biden administration and policies that would disproportionately help the wealthy.

He asked his supporters to help win a second term so that he could “finish the job" in enacting an agenda that benefits American workers.

Borrowers are eligible for cancellation if they are enrolled in the SAVE plan, originally borrowed $12,000 or less to attend college and have made at least 10 years of payments. Those who took out more than $12,000 will be eligible for cancellation but on a longer timeline. For each $1,000 borrowed beyond $12,000, it adds an additional year of payments on top of 10 years.

The maximum repayment period is capped at 20 years for those with only undergraduate loans and 25 years for those with any graduate school loans.

"With today’s announcement, we are once again sending a clear message to borrowers who had low balances: If you’ve been paying for a decade, you’ve done your part, and you deserve relief,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said.

Biden announced the new repayment plan last year alongside a separate plan to cancel up to $20,000 in loans for millions of Americans. The Supreme Court struck down his plan for widespread forgiveness, but the repayment plan has so far escaped that level of legal scrutiny. Unlike his proposal for mass cancellation — which had never been done before — the repayment plan is a twist on existing income-based plans created by Congress more than a decade ago.

During a quick stop at a local restaurant, CJ’s Cafe, before his speech Wednesday, Biden greeted customers, offering handshakes and hugs and posing for selfies — and he ordered a breakfast burrito.

WASHINGTON — President Biden announced the approval of $1.2 billion in student debt cancellation for almost 153,000 borrowers currently enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan, according to a statement on the White House web site.

The Biden-Harris Administration has now approved nearly $138 billion in student debt cancellation for almost 3.9 million borrowers through more than two dozen executive actions. The borrowers receiving relief are the first to benefit from a SAVE plan policy that provides debt forgiveness to borrowers who have been in repayment after as little as 10 years and took out $12,000 or less in student loans. Originally planned for July, the Biden-Harris Administration implemented this provision of SAVE and is providing relief to borrowers nearly six months ahead of schedule.

From Day One of his Administration, President Biden vowed to fix the student loan system and make sure higher education is a pathway to the middle class – not a barrier to opportunity. Already, the President has cancelled more student debt than any President in history – delivering lifechanging relief to students and families – and has created the most affordable student loan repayment plan ever: the SAVE plan. 

While Republicans in Congress and their allies try to block President Biden every step of the way, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to cancel student debt for millions of borrowers, and is leaving no stone unturned in the fight to give more borrowers breathing room on their student loans.

Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s SAVE plan, starting today, the Administration will be cancelling debt for borrowers who are enrolled in the SAVE plan, have been in repayment for at least 10 years and took out $12,000 or less in loans for college. For every additional $1,000 a borrower initially borrowed, they will receive relief after an additional year of payments. For example, a borrower enrolled in SAVE who took out $14,000 or less in federal loans to earn an associate’s degree in biotechnology would receive full debt relief starting this week if they have been in repayment for 12 years. The U.S. Department of Education (Department) identified nearly 153,000 borrowers who are enrolled in SAVE plan who will have their debt cancelled starting this week, and those borrowers will receive an email today from President Biden informing them of their imminent relief. Next week, the Department of Education will also be reaching out directly to borrowers who are eligible for early relief but not currently enrolled in the SAVE Plan to encourage them to enroll as soon as possible.This shortened time to forgiveness will particularly help community college and other borrowers with smaller loans and put many on track to being free of student debt faster than ever before. Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s SAVE plan, 85 percent of future community college borrowers will be debt free within 10 years. The Department will continue to regularly identify and discharge other borrowers eligible for relief under this provision on SAVE.Over four million borrowers have a $0 monthly payment under the SAVE PlanLast year, President Biden launched the SAVE plan – the most affordable repayment plan ever. Under the SAVE plan, monthly payments are based on a borrower’s income and family size, not their loan balance. The SAVE plan ensures that if borrowers are making their monthly payments, their balances cannot grow because of unpaid interest. And, starting in July, undergraduate loan payments will be cut in half, capping a borrower’s loan payment at 5% of their discretionary income. Already, 7.5 million borrowers are enrolled in the SAVE Plan, and 4.3 million borrowers have a $0 monthly payment. &nbsp;

Today, the White House Council of Economic Advisers released an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2024/02/21/issue-brief-the-benefits-of-save/">issue brief</a>&nbsp;highlighting how low and middle-income borrowers enrolled in SAVE could see significant saving in terms of interest saved over time and principal forgiven as a result of SAVE’s early forgiveness provisions.

President Biden’s Administration has approved student debt relief for nearly 3.9 million Americans through various actions

Today’s announcement builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s track record of taking historic action to cancel student debt for millions of borrowers. Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved debt cancellation for nearly 3.9 million Americans, totaling almost $138 billion in debt relief through various actions. This relief has given borrowers critical breathing room in their daily lives, allowing them to afford other expenses, buy homes, start businesses, or pursue dreams they had to put on hold because of the burden of student loan debt. President Biden remains committed to providing debt relief to as many borrowers as possible, and won’t stop fighting to deliver relief to more Americans.

The Biden-Harris Administration has also taken historic steps to improve the student loan program and make higher education more affordable for more Americans, including:

It’s easy to enroll in SAVE. Borrowers should<a href="https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-plan"> click here to</a> learn more.

CULVER CITY, Calif. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;announced Wednesday that his administration was automatically canceling federal student loans for nearly 153,000 borrowers, putting the spotlight on his debt cancellation efforts as he ramps up his reelection campaign.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;Tens of millions of people in debt were literally about to be cancelled, their debts. But my MAGA Republicans friends in the Congress, elected officials and special interests stepped in and sued us and the Supreme Court blocked it. But that didn&#39;t stop me.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ruDBNZtb6C">pic.twitter.com/ruDBNZtb6C</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1760420879874286044?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden, who is in the midst of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-california-los-angeles-san-francisco-fundraisers-87ae7fe3a8c742d53d034322d450462d">three-day campaign swing through California</a>, made the announcement as part of a new repayment plan that offers a faster path to forgiveness.The president was expected to speak about his administration's student loan relief efforts from a local library before he went on to campaign-related events Wednesday.The administration began sending email notifications on Wednesday to some of the borrowers who will benefit from what the White House has called the SAVE program. The cancellations were originally scheduled to start in July, but last month the administration said it would be ready almost six months ahead of schedule, in February.“Starting today, the first round of folks who are enrolled in our SAVE student loan repayment plan who have paid their loans for 10 years and borrowed $12,000 or less will have their debt cancelled,” Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/POTUS/status/1760314432037539937?s=20">posted on social media</a>&nbsp;Wednesday. “That’s 150,000 Americans and counting. And we’re pushing to relieve more."The first round of forgiveness from the SAVE plan will clear $1.2 billion in loans. The borrowers will get emails with a message from Biden notifying them that “all or a portion of your federal student loans will be forgiven because you qualify for early loan forgiveness under my Administration’s SAVE Plan.”The president is expected to highlight the SAVE plan during a speech in Culver City, California, before heading to San Francisco later Wednesday for more campaign fundraising.Biden in the email writes he has heard from “countless people who have told me that relieving the burden of their student loan debt will allow them to support themselves and their families, buy their first home, start a small business, and move forward with life plans they’ve put on hold.”More than 7.5 million people have enrolled in the new repayment plan.The president, during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-california-los-angeles-san-francisco-fundraisers-87ae7fe3a8c742d53d034322d450462d">a campaign fundraiser in Beverly Hills</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday night, highlighted his efforts to help middle-class Americans and warned that a win in November by former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential front-runner, could lead&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-federal-ban-trump-2024-election-61c3edcd3780ce94be3bd8d65f100f23">to a nationwide abortion ban</a>, more Republican efforts to undo the health insurance program started in the Biden administration and policies that would disproportionately help the wealthy.He asked his supporters to help win a second term so that he could “finish the job" in enacting an agenda that benefits American workers.Borrowers are eligible for cancellation if they are enrolled in the SAVE plan, originally borrowed $12,000 or less to attend college and have made at least 10 years of payments. Those who took out more than $12,000 will be eligible for cancellation but on a longer timeline. For each $1,000 borrowed beyond $12,000, it adds an additional year of payments on top of 10 years.The maximum repayment period is capped at 20 years for those with only undergraduate loans and 25 years for those with any graduate school loans."With today’s announcement, we are once again sending a clear message to borrowers who had low balances: If you’ve been paying for a decade, you’ve done your part, and you deserve relief,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said.Biden announced the new repayment plan last year alongside a separate plan to cancel up to $20,000 in loans for millions of Americans. The Supreme Court struck down his plan for widespread forgiveness, but the repayment plan has so far escaped that level of legal scrutiny. Unlike his proposal for mass cancellation — which had never been done before — the repayment plan is a twist on existing income-based plans created by Congress more than a decade ago.During a quick stop at a local restaurant, CJ’s Cafe, before his speech Wednesday, Biden greeted customers, offering handshakes and hugs and posing for selfies — and he ordered a breakfast burrito.___WASHINGTON — President Biden announced the approval of $1.2 billion in student debt cancellation for almost 153,000 borrowers currently enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan, according to a statement on the White House web site.The Biden-Harris Administration has now approved nearly $138 billion in student debt cancellation for almost 3.9 million borrowers through more than two dozen executive actions. The borrowers receiving relief are the first to benefit from a SAVE plan policy that provides debt forgiveness to borrowers who have been in repayment after as little as 10 years and took out $12,000 or less in student loans. Originally planned for July, the Biden-Harris Administration implemented this provision of SAVE and is providing relief to borrowers nearly six months ahead of schedule.From Day One of his Administration, President Biden vowed to fix the student loan system and make sure higher education is a pathway to the middle class – not a barrier to opportunity. Already, the President has cancelled more student debt than any President in history – delivering lifechanging relief to students and families – and has created the most affordable student loan repayment plan ever: the SAVE plan. While Republicans in Congress and their allies try to block President Biden every step of the way, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to cancel student debt for millions of borrowers, and is leaving no stone unturned in the fight to give more borrowers breathing room on their student loans.Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s SAVE plan, starting today, the Administration will be cancelling debt for borrowers who are enrolled in the SAVE plan, have been in repayment for at least 10 years and took out $12,000 or less in loans for college. For every additional $1,000 a borrower initially borrowed, they will receive relief after an additional year of payments. For example, a borrower enrolled in SAVE who took out $14,000 or less in federal loans to earn an associate’s degree in biotechnology would receive full debt relief starting this week if they have been in repayment for 12 years. The U.S. Department of Education (Department) identified nearly 153,000 borrowers who are enrolled in SAVE plan who will have their debt cancelled starting this week, and those borrowers will receive an email today from President Biden informing them of their imminent relief. Next week, the Department of Education will also be reaching out directly to borrowers who are eligible for early relief but not currently enrolled in the SAVE Plan to encourage them to enroll as soon as possible.This shortened time to forgiveness will particularly help community college and other borrowers with smaller loans and put many on track to being free of student debt faster than ever before. Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s SAVE plan, 85 percent of future community college borrowers will be debt free within 10 years. The Department will continue to regularly identify and discharge other borrowers eligible for relief under this provision on SAVE.Over four million borrowers have a $0 monthly payment under the SAVE PlanLast year, President Biden launched the SAVE plan – the most affordable repayment plan ever. Under the SAVE plan, monthly payments are based on a borrower’s income and family size, not their loan balance. The SAVE plan ensures that if borrowers are making their monthly payments, their balances cannot grow because of unpaid interest. And, starting in July, undergraduate loan payments will be cut in half, capping a borrower’s loan payment at 5% of their discretionary income. Already, 7.5 million borrowers are enrolled in the SAVE Plan, and 4.3 million borrowers have a $0 monthly payment. &nbsp;Today, the White House Council of Economic Advisers released an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2024/02/21/issue-brief-the-benefits-of-save/">issue brief</a>&nbsp;highlighting how low and middle-income borrowers enrolled in SAVE could see significant saving in terms of interest saved over time and principal forgiven as a result of SAVE’s early forgiveness provisions.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708527351931.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>President Biden’s Administration has approved student debt relief for nearly 3.9 million Americans through various actionsToday’s announcement builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s track record of taking historic action to cancel student debt for millions of borrowers. Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved debt cancellation for nearly 3.9 million Americans, totaling almost $138 billion in debt relief through various actions. This relief has given borrowers critical breathing room in their daily lives, allowing them to afford other expenses, buy homes, start businesses, or pursue dreams they had to put on hold because of the burden of student loan debt. President Biden remains committed to providing debt relief to as many borrowers as possible, and won’t stop fighting to deliver relief to more Americans.The Biden-Harris Administration has also taken historic steps to improve the student loan program and make higher education more affordable for more Americans, including:<ul>
 <li>Achieving the&nbsp;largest increases in Pell Grants&nbsp;in over a decade to help families who earn less than $60,000 a year achieve their higher-education goals.</li><li>Fixing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program&nbsp;so that borrowers who go into public service get the debt relief they’re entitled to under the law. Before President Biden took office, only 7,000 people ever received debt relief through PSLF. After fixing the program, the Biden-Harris Administration has now cancelled student loan debt for nearly 800,000 public service workers.</li><li>Cancelling student loan debt for more than 930,000 borrowers&nbsp;who have been in repayment for over 20 years but never got the relief they earned because of administrative failures with Income-Driven Repayment Plans.</li><li>Pursuing an alternative path to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible&nbsp;in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision striking down the Administration’s original debt relief plan. Last week, the Department of Education released proposed regulatory text to cancel student debt for borrowers who are experiencing hardship paying back their student loans, and late last year released proposals to cancel student debt for borrowers who: owe more than they borrowed, first entered repayment 20 or 25 years ago, attended low quality programs, and who would be eligible for loan forgiveness through income-driven repayment programs like SAVE but have not applied.</li><li>Holding colleges accountable&nbsp;for leaving students with unaffordable debts.</li>
 </ul>It’s easy to enroll in SAVE. Borrowers should<a href="https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-plan"> click here to</a> learn more.

🎥Biden: Didn't let MAGA friends stop me from canceling student debt

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Samantha Miller, 31, of Oxford, Nebraska, was sentenced February 16, 2024 in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Miller to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Miller’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.

From July 2021 to July 2022, Miller and others worked together to sell methamphetamine and fentanyl in and around Kearney, Nebraska. Miller was identified after a confidential informant purchased meth from a different drug dealer, who told the confidential informant he had to pick up the meth from a different location. Law enforcement followed that drug dealer to Miller’s residence, where the drug dealer obtained the meth and then provided it to the confidential informant. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement learned that Miller was working with others to deal meth and fentanyl and sending money from drug proceeds back to Mexico.

This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and FBI.

Department of JusticeUnited States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Samantha Miller, 31, of Oxford, Nebraska, was sentenced February 16, 2024 in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Miller to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Miller’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.From July 2021 to July 2022, Miller and others worked together to sell methamphetamine and fentanyl in and around Kearney, Nebraska. Miller was identified after a confidential informant purchased meth from a different drug dealer, who told the confidential informant he had to pick up the meth from a different location. Law enforcement followed that drug dealer to Miller’s residence, where the drug dealer obtained the meth and then provided it to the confidential informant. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement learned that Miller was working with others to deal meth and fentanyl and sending money from drug proceeds back to Mexico.This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and FBI.

Oxford Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

FEBRUARY 21, 2024 (BLOOMFIELD, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol is able to release the names of the two victims killed in Tuesday’s shooting in Bloomfield. The victims have been identified as Curtis Strom, 77, and William Reffett, 49, both of Bloomfield.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., Knox County received a 911 call to report a shooting that had occurred at Curt’s Lanes and Dining, at 112 W. Grant Street in Bloomfield. At that location, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Bloomfield Police Department located Strom and Reffett deceased, each with apparent gunshot wounds. The Bloomfield Police Department requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol to investigate the incident.

Following preliminary investigation, two people have been arrested in connection with the murders. Alias Reed, 25, has been arrested for two counts of first-degree murder and robbery. Reed’s girlfriend, Kaylyne Sweazy, 27, has been arrested for tampering with evidence. Reed was lodged in Knox County Jail. Sweazy was lodged in Antelope County Jail.&nbsp;

Preliminarily, investigators believe that Reed took a shotgun to the bowling alley and instigated an argument with Reffett. During that altercation, Reed shot Reffett. Reed then shot Strom, who had not been involved in the altercation. Reed then fled the scene. He was located a short time later and taken into custody as a person of interest. Further investigation led to his arrest.

During the investigation, troopers located the firearm believed to be used in the murders. The firearm was found in a ditch several miles west of Bloomfield. Investigators believe that Reed and Sweazy traveled together to dispose of the weapon. Investigators have also located cash that had been stolen from the bowling alley.

The Nebraska State Patrol has been assisted by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Bloomfield Police Department. The investigation is ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708543770810.jpeg" alt="Alias Reed (Photo courtesy of Nebraska State Patrol)" />
 <figcaption>Alias Reed (Photo courtesy of Nebraska State Patrol)</figcaption>
 </figure>Cody Thomas&nbsp;Nebraska State PatrolFEBRUARY 21, 2024 (BLOOMFIELD, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol is able to release the names of the two victims killed in Tuesday’s shooting in Bloomfield. The victims have been identified as Curtis Strom, 77, and William Reffett, 49, both of Bloomfield.At approximately 9:30 a.m., Knox County received a 911 call to report a shooting that had occurred at Curt’s Lanes and Dining, at 112 W. Grant Street in Bloomfield. At that location, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Bloomfield Police Department located Strom and Reffett deceased, each with apparent gunshot wounds. The Bloomfield Police Department requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol to investigate the incident.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708543815905.jpeg" alt="Kaylyne Sweazy (Photo courtesy of Nebraska State Patrol)" />
 <figcaption>Kaylyne Sweazy (Photo courtesy of Nebraska State Patrol)</figcaption>
 </figure>Following preliminary investigation, two people have been arrested in connection with the murders. Alias Reed, 25, has been arrested for two counts of first-degree murder and robbery. Reed’s girlfriend, Kaylyne Sweazy, 27, has been arrested for tampering with evidence. Reed was lodged in Knox County Jail. Sweazy was lodged in Antelope County Jail.&nbsp;Preliminarily, investigators believe that Reed took a shotgun to the bowling alley and instigated an argument with Reffett. During that altercation, Reed shot Reffett. Reed then shot Strom, who had not been involved in the altercation. Reed then fled the scene. He was located a short time later and taken into custody as a person of interest. Further investigation led to his arrest.During the investigation, troopers located the firearm believed to be used in the murders. The firearm was found in a ditch several miles west of Bloomfield. Investigators believe that Reed and Sweazy traveled together to dispose of the weapon. Investigators have also located cash that had been stolen from the bowling alley.The Nebraska State Patrol has been assisted by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Bloomfield Police Department. The investigation is ongoing.

Victims Identified in Bloomfield Double-Homicide

On Thursday, February 15, shortly after 3:00 a.m., Officers of the Kearney Police Department&nbsp; were notified by the Flock Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras that a vehicle stolen out of Colorado was in Kearney. Within minutes of the report, KPD officers located the&nbsp; stolen vehicle and the driver at a gas station at 11th street and 2nd Avenue. 

The driver of the vehicle, identified as 25-year-old Wikeman Alexander Perez-Perez from Chicago, attempted to flee on foot but was caught by KPD Officers. After a brief struggle with officers, Perez-Perez was arrested and transported to Buffalo County Jail on multiple charges including Felony Assault on an Officer x2, Possession of Stolen Property, Obstruction of a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, and Criminal Impersonation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Upon further investigation, officers learned the vehicle had recently been stolen during an&nbsp; armed home robbery in Denver, Colorado. KPD Officers located multiple loaded handguns,&nbsp; several stolen and fake identification documents and other stolen property inside the vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Flock ALPR’s are strategically located throughout the city and Buffalo County, assisting in&nbsp; locating stolen vehicles, people with arrest warrants, missing or endangered children and&nbsp; adults as well as identify suspect vehicles in crimes. ALPR’s enhance traditional policing&nbsp; methods allowing KPD to respond swiftly and safely to emerging threats to our community. The&nbsp; use of ALPR’s is strictly managed by department policy and state statute. Thanks to a quick&nbsp; and efficient notification by the Flock ALPR system, KPD officers were able to locate and&nbsp; recover a stolen vehicle, several firearms, and arrest the driver who is also a suspect in an&nbsp; armed robbery in Denver.&nbsp;

The successful resolution of this incident highlights the critical role technology, such as ALPR’s,&nbsp; play in law enforcement today. Kearney Police Department Officers and Investigators are&nbsp; working with Denver Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security on this&nbsp; incident. The cooperation between law enforcement agencies along with technology highlights&nbsp;

KPD’s commitment to proactive crime prevention and community protection. This incident underscores the efforts of law enforcement officers supported by advanced technology and has once again demonstrated the effectiveness of proactive crime-fighting methods to ensure public safety. The quick action of our officers may have prevented harm and danger to others.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708007202347.jpeg" alt="Wikeman Perez (Photo courtesy of Buffalo County Jail)" />
 <figcaption>Wikeman Perez (Photo courtesy of Buffalo County Jail)</figcaption>
 </figure>Kearney Police DepartmentOn Thursday, February 15, shortly after 3:00 a.m., Officers of the Kearney Police Department&nbsp; were notified by the Flock Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras that a vehicle stolen out of Colorado was in Kearney. Within minutes of the report, KPD officers located the&nbsp; stolen vehicle and the driver at a gas station at 11th street and 2nd Avenue. The driver of the vehicle, identified as 25-year-old Wikeman Alexander Perez-Perez from Chicago, attempted to flee on foot but was caught by KPD Officers. After a brief struggle with officers, Perez-Perez was arrested and transported to Buffalo County Jail on multiple charges including Felony Assault on an Officer x2, Possession of Stolen Property, Obstruction of a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, and Criminal Impersonation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Upon further investigation, officers learned the vehicle had recently been stolen during an&nbsp; armed home robbery in Denver, Colorado. KPD Officers located multiple loaded handguns,&nbsp; several stolen and fake identification documents and other stolen property inside the vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;Flock ALPR’s are strategically located throughout the city and Buffalo County, assisting in&nbsp; locating stolen vehicles, people with arrest warrants, missing or endangered children and&nbsp; adults as well as identify suspect vehicles in crimes. ALPR’s enhance traditional policing&nbsp; methods allowing KPD to respond swiftly and safely to emerging threats to our community. The&nbsp; use of ALPR’s is strictly managed by department policy and state statute. Thanks to a quick&nbsp; and efficient notification by the Flock ALPR system, KPD officers were able to locate and&nbsp; recover a stolen vehicle, several firearms, and arrest the driver who is also a suspect in an&nbsp; armed robbery in Denver.&nbsp;The successful resolution of this incident highlights the critical role technology, such as ALPR’s,&nbsp; play in law enforcement today. Kearney Police Department Officers and Investigators are&nbsp; working with Denver Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security on this&nbsp; incident. The cooperation between law enforcement agencies along with technology highlights&nbsp;KPD’s commitment to proactive crime prevention and community protection. This incident underscores the efforts of law enforcement officers supported by advanced technology and has once again demonstrated the effectiveness of proactive crime-fighting methods to ensure public safety. The quick action of our officers may have prevented harm and danger to others.&nbsp;

KPD Arrests Suspect Driving Stolen Vehicle with Firearms Inside 

&nbsp;(BLOOMFIELD, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol has arrested two people following a shooting that claimed two lives in Bloomfield Tuesday morning.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., local authorities received a report of a shooting that had occurred at Curt’s Lanes and Dining, at 112 W. Grant Street in Bloomfield. At that location, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Bloomfield Police Department located two deceased men, each with apparent gunshot wounds. The Bloomfield Police Department requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol to investigate the incident.

Preliminary investigation led to the identification of a person of interest, identified as Alias Reed, 25, of Bloomfield. Reed was located a short time later and taken into custody.

Following further investigation, Reed has been arrested for two counts of first-degree murder. Reed’s girlfriend, Kaylyne Sweazy, 27, has been arrested for tampering with evidence. Reed was lodged in Knox County Jail. Sweazy was lodged in Antelope County Jail.&nbsp;

Preliminarily, investigators believe the shooting occurred during an altercation between Reed and the victims at the bowling alley. Reed and Sweazy were located a short time later at their home.

Cody ThomasNebraska State Patrol&nbsp;(BLOOMFIELD, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— The Nebraska State Patrol has arrested two people following a shooting that claimed two lives in Bloomfield Tuesday morning.At approximately 9:30 a.m., local authorities received a report of a shooting that had occurred at Curt’s Lanes and Dining, at 112 W. Grant Street in Bloomfield. At that location, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Bloomfield Police Department located two deceased men, each with apparent gunshot wounds. The Bloomfield Police Department requested assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol to investigate the incident.Preliminary investigation led to the identification of a person of interest, identified as Alias Reed, 25, of Bloomfield. Reed was located a short time later and taken into custody.Following further investigation, Reed has been arrested for two counts of first-degree murder. Reed’s girlfriend, Kaylyne Sweazy, 27, has been arrested for tampering with evidence. Reed was lodged in Knox County Jail. Sweazy was lodged in Antelope County Jail.&nbsp;Preliminarily, investigators believe the shooting occurred during an altercation between Reed and the victims at the bowling alley. Reed and Sweazy were located a short time later at their home.The Nebraska State Patrol has been assisted by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Bloomfield Police Department. The investigation is ongoing.

Suspects Arrested After Bloomfield Double-Homicide

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hur-garland-classified-documents-836b99fe9cbef9ba7d32602f4928efec#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A%20special,criminal%20charges%20were%20not%20warranted.">avoided criminal charges around his handling of classified documents</a>&nbsp;in part because of his answers during a lengthy interview with the special counsel investigating him. But the sit-down also opened Biden up to fresh scrutiny over his age and memory, and now the public release of a transcript of that discussion is being sought by both Biden allies and critics seeking political advantage.

(click below to watch Biden answer questions about his memory)

The five-hour interview over two days, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel-biden-d715ffd26adc75f2ba740d1960936a09">special counsel Robert Hur</a>, helped establish that Biden didn’t intend to retain most of the sensitive records from his vice presidency that were found at his home and personal office. But Hur’s report also repeatedly impugned Biden’s memory in a deeply personal way, suggesting, for example, the president couldn’t remember when his own son had died.

The transcript, if released, could provide a fuller picture of the conversation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707440990814.png" alt="File- President Biden answered questions last week about his age and memory- White House image" />
 <figcaption>File- President Biden answered questions last week about his age and memory- White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hur-garland-classified-documents-836b99fe9cbef9ba7d32602f4928efec#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A%20special,criminal%20charges%20were%20not%20warranted.">avoided criminal charges around his handling of classified documents</a>&nbsp;in part because of his answers during a lengthy interview with the special counsel investigating him. But the sit-down also opened Biden up to fresh scrutiny over his age and memory, and now the public release of a transcript of that discussion is being sought by both Biden allies and critics seeking political advantage.(click below to watch Biden answer questions about his memory)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F690627529895091%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=243" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707478982378.png" alt="From the Special Counsel Report" />
 <figcaption>From the Special Counsel Report</figcaption>
 </figure>The five-hour interview over two days, led by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel-biden-d715ffd26adc75f2ba740d1960936a09">special counsel Robert Hur</a>, helped establish that Biden didn’t intend to retain most of the sensitive records from his vice presidency that were found at his home and personal office. But Hur’s report also repeatedly impugned Biden’s memory in a deeply personal way, suggesting, for example, the president couldn’t remember when his own son had died.The transcript, if released, could provide a fuller picture of the conversation.The White House has the ultimate say over whether to make public the transcript or audio recording of the interview or to claim executive privilege and keep the interview private. There's precedent for documents related to White House investigations to ultimately become public — but also to be withheld.A transcript of President Bill Clinton’s 1998 grand jury appearance related to allegations of a sexual relationship with intern Monica Lewinsky was included as part of Independent Counsel Ken Starr’s massive report, which was delivered to the House and subsequently released to the public by Congress following a vote.The Starr team debated extensively how much to disclose in the report, mindful of the graphic and sensitive nature of the findings, said Robert Bittman, who served as a Starr deputy during the investigation. Recognizing that it was ultimately up to the House to decide what to public public, the team gave “all the information (to Congress) that we had so they can make their own decisions.”President George W. Bush, on the other hand, invoked executive privilege to block Congress from seeing the FBI report of an interview with Vice President Dick Cheney and other records related to the administration's leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity in 2003. The move angered Congress.Bittman said he did not think it was “necessarily a good thing” for investigative reports to be made public. But now that the Hur report has been disclosed, he said, it would be helpful to release the transcript of Biden’s interview “so that people can judge for themselves about whether Hur’s opinions about what President Biden said and what he remembered and what he didn’t remember is justified.”“If you see that the White House objects to it, it probably suggests that the transcripts are not good for the White House,” Bittman said, “and if they support release of it, then I suspect that that suggests the transcripts are good for the White House or President Biden.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-transition-archives-classified-documents-0962248067aa95ae129287c4b400f999">The White House</a>&nbsp;is weighing whether or not to release it.Biden's interview text and the audio recording are classified, because they include a discussion of highly sensitive documents. Any potential release could happen either by a decision of the White House or through the Justice Department working to comply with congressional oversight requests. Both would follow nearly identical procedures.Once a decision to pursue release of the interview was made, the sensitive parts of the document would be sent to the intelligence community to assess what could be declassified and what would need to be redacted. A further review would be warranted to determine if anything discussed about the security of the president’s home might impact protective measures.Finally, the White House would need to weigh in, with the advice of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, on whether to recommend that Biden invoke executive privilege over what others had cleared for publication.Though Biden didn’t invoke executive privilege over the full report, the transcript could well be a different story. Among the documents found in Biden’s home were records of deliberations over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b76f5d92b38d429c877564ad9ff9661a">a potential U.S. troop surge during the Afghanistan war</a>&nbsp;and other conversations within the White House — an area that presidents are particularly loath to have publicly discussed.The interview with Biden was conducted over two days last October, right after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel.</a>Hur and his deputy, Marc Krickbaum, a former Trump-appointed U.S. attorney from Iowa, asked all of the questions. Biden was joined by White House Counsel Ed Siskel, the counsel’s office investigations leader Richard Sauber and the president's personal lawyer Bob Bauer. Several other individuals from both sides were in the room as well, according to a person familiar with the interviews who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss them.Separately, House Republicans have reached out to Hur and his representatives on the possibility of Hur testifying before Congress, and he has expressed a willingness to do so, according to two people who were not authorized to speak publicly about the request and spoke on condition of anonymity.Republicans and Democrats alike are interested in more complete details about what went into the report. Biden and his allies say a full transcript would show the president is mentally sharp and will prove that Hur cherry-picked moments solely to make him seem feeble. Biden’s attorneys raised their concerns to Attorney General Merrick Garland, who nonetheless decided to keep the report as is and made it public.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-memory-classified-documents-election-9a519ea3f9ec514187d10e758c6535ac">Bauer, speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation” over the weekend,</a>&nbsp;offered an anecdote that didn’t make it into the report but that would be in a transcript. He said Hur acknowledged that sometimes he asked imprecise questions — ones that Biden picked apart.“Now, everybody in the room recognized that was the case, that showed the president was listening carefully and understood precisely what was wrong with those questions," Bauer said. "I didn’t come away from the special counsel’s failure to ask precise questions and think to myself, ‘he has mental acuity problems,’ I just thought he was asking bad questions.”Republicans, meanwhile, have also requested that the audio of the interviews be made public and want to know more on why Hur chose not to prosecute Biden, particularly when they noted in their report that some evidence showed he held onto and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ghostwriter-mark-zwonitzer-classified-documents-case-8ad6e560c2eb54e25db149a2d01ad545">shared with a ghostwriter</a>&nbsp;highly classified information.Hur said in his report that he did find evidence that Biden had willfully mishandled classified records but not enough evidence for a criminal prosecution like the one against former President Donald Trump.Trump, in addition to being charged with intentionally hoarding top-secret documents after he left office, is also accused of obstructing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-justice-department-maralago-cd3b59e50d33eea942772186111c240e">FBI efforts to get them back and of asking staff to conceal evidence from investigators.</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-trump-special-counsel-b5589ea8f066ede51c8138665f108f7a">Biden and his team, by contrast, alerted law enforcement officials</a>&nbsp;after locating classified records, willingly handed over documents to the government and cooperated with investigators by allowing the FBI to search his properties for any additional files.