Exciting News! Platinum-selling country sensation <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RileyGreenMusic?__cft__[0]=AZXs-zlzWdKo3xPxJU6xYJKsuvIMlF6NaXY-oYbEqfXbv4J9O1nX4H2QlpD8LAVp9_IxqHWIpC3ZMcTq65GEcJenOnZiVq1ohnRVheajlyUCgvRDKwonK6q-m7k0PJ2q69NuZYd1XDI5Egt3UATL-Wp2Ek3jLqxRtbRV13BS0QYnr8Ar16FG7jx4Zqj8_IHheVc&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Riley Green</a> is bringing modern country vibes to the Nebraska State Fair!

 Catch him live on Wednesday, August 28, kicking off the outdoor segment of the Nebraska Lottery Concert Series at the newly upgraded Anderson Field. 

 Tickets on sale Friday, February 9th.Riley Green, known for hits like "There Was This Girl" and "I Wish Grandpas Never Died," promises a night of no-gimmick, relatable writing, and classic country feels. 

 Don't miss this ACM New Male Artist of the Year in action! Mark your calendars for the 2024 Nebraska State Fair, happening from August 23 to September 2 at Fonner Park in Grand Island. With the theme "All Roads Lead to Fun," it's going to be an unforgettable experience!

Nebraska State FairExciting News! Platinum-selling country sensation <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RileyGreenMusic?__cft__[0]=AZXs-zlzWdKo3xPxJU6xYJKsuvIMlF6NaXY-oYbEqfXbv4J9O1nX4H2QlpD8LAVp9_IxqHWIpC3ZMcTq65GEcJenOnZiVq1ohnRVheajlyUCgvRDKwonK6q-m7k0PJ2q69NuZYd1XDI5Egt3UATL-Wp2Ek3jLqxRtbRV13BS0QYnr8Ar16FG7jx4Zqj8_IHheVc&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Riley Green</a> is bringing modern country vibes to the Nebraska State Fair! Catch him live on Wednesday, August 28, kicking off the outdoor segment of the Nebraska Lottery Concert Series at the newly upgraded Anderson Field. Tickets on sale Friday, February 9th.Riley Green, known for hits like "There Was This Girl" and "I Wish Grandpas Never Died," promises a night of no-gimmick, relatable writing, and classic country feels. Don't miss this ACM New Male Artist of the Year in action! Mark your calendars for the 2024 Nebraska State Fair, happening from August 23 to September 2 at Fonner Park in Grand Island. With the theme "All Roads Lead to Fun," it's going to be an unforgettable experience!

Riley Green to perform at the Nebraska State Fair

WASHINGTON (AP) —Bolts that helped secure a panel to the frame of a Boeing 737 Max 9 were missing before the panel blew off the Alaska Airlines plane last month, according to accident investigators.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on the Jan. 5 incident Tuesday.

The report included a photo from Boeing, which worked on the panel, which is called a door plug. In the photo, three of the four bolts that prevent the panel from moving upward are missing. The location of the fourth bolt is obscured.

The investigators said that the lack of certain damage around the panel indicates that all four bolts were missing before the plane took off from Portland, Oregon.

Pilots were forced to make a harrowing emergency landing with a hole in the side of the plane.

Without the bolts, nothing prevented the panel from sliding upward and detaching from “stop pads” that secured it to the airframe.

The preliminary report said the door plug, installed by supplier Spirit AeroSystems, arrived at Boeing’s factory near Seattle with five damaged rivets around the plug. A Boeing crew replaced the damaged rivets, which required them to remove the four bolts to open the plug.

The NTSB did not declare a probable cause for the accident – that will come at the end of an investigation that could last a year or longer.

“Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened,” CEO David Calhoun said in a statement. “An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory. We simply must do better for our customers and their passengers.”

Investigators said they were still trying to determine who authorized the Boeing crew to open and reinstall the door plug.

Safety experts have said the accident could have been catastrophic if the Alaska jet had reached cruising altitude. The decompression in the cabin after the blowout would have been far stronger, and passengers and flight attendants might have been walking around instead of being belted into their seats.

The incident has added to questions about manufacturing quality at Boeing that started with the deadly crashes of two Max 8 jets in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing and its suppliers followed proper safety procedures in manufacturing parts for the Max. The FAA has barred Boeing from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-halts-boeing-max-production-expansion-improve-quality-control-also-lays-out-extensive">speeding up production of 737s</a>&nbsp;until the agency is satisfied about quality issues.

FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said Tuesday that his agency is about halfway through a six-week audit of manufacturing processes at Boeing and its key supplier on the Max, Spirit AeroSystems. He said the agency is confronted with two questions — what’s wrong with the Max 9, and “what’s going on with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-administrator-boeing-safety-oversight-8b8433b3c6c9bcb31980f7a979ce3326">production at Boeing</a>?”

Spirit AeroSystems, which Boeing spun off as a separate company nearly 20 years ago, said in a statement that it was reviewing the NTSB preliminary report and was working with Boeing and regulators “on continuous improvement in our processes and meeting the highest standards of safety, quality and reliability.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705012450283.png" alt="This image taken Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, and released by the National Transportation Safety Board, shows a section of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 that is missing panel on a Boeing 737-9 MAX in Portland, Ore. Federal officials are investigating Boeing's oversight of production of a panel that blew off a jetliner in midflight last week. (NTSB via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image taken Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, and released by the National Transportation Safety Board, shows a section of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 that is missing panel on a Boeing 737-9 MAX in Portland, Ore. Federal officials are investigating Boeing's oversight of production of a panel that blew off a jetliner in midflight last week. (NTSB via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Bolts that helped secure a panel to the frame of a Boeing 737 Max 9 were missing before the panel blew off the Alaska Airlines plane last month, according to accident investigators.The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on the Jan. 5 incident Tuesday.The report included a photo from Boeing, which worked on the panel, which is called a door plug. In the photo, three of the four bolts that prevent the panel from moving upward are missing. The location of the fourth bolt is obscured.The investigators said that the lack of certain damage around the panel indicates that all four bolts were missing before the plane took off from Portland, Oregon.Pilots were forced to make a harrowing emergency landing with a hole in the side of the plane.Without the bolts, nothing prevented the panel from sliding upward and detaching from “stop pads” that secured it to the airframe.The preliminary report said the door plug, installed by supplier Spirit AeroSystems, arrived at Boeing’s factory near Seattle with five damaged rivets around the plug. A Boeing crew replaced the damaged rivets, which required them to remove the four bolts to open the plug.The NTSB did not declare a probable cause for the accident – that will come at the end of an investigation that could last a year or longer.“Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened,” CEO David Calhoun said in a statement. “An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory. We simply must do better for our customers and their passengers.”Investigators said they were still trying to determine who authorized the Boeing crew to open and reinstall the door plug.Safety experts have said the accident could have been catastrophic if the Alaska jet had reached cruising altitude. The decompression in the cabin after the blowout would have been far stronger, and passengers and flight attendants might have been walking around instead of being belted into their seats.The incident has added to questions about manufacturing quality at Boeing that started with the deadly crashes of two Max 8 jets in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing and its suppliers followed proper safety procedures in manufacturing parts for the Max. The FAA has barred Boeing from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-halts-boeing-max-production-expansion-improve-quality-control-also-lays-out-extensive">speeding up production of 737s</a>&nbsp;until the agency is satisfied about quality issues.FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said Tuesday that his agency is about halfway through a six-week audit of manufacturing processes at Boeing and its key supplier on the Max, Spirit AeroSystems. He said the agency is confronted with two questions — what’s wrong with the Max 9, and “what’s going on with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-administrator-boeing-safety-oversight-8b8433b3c6c9bcb31980f7a979ce3326">production at Boeing</a>?”Spirit AeroSystems, which Boeing spun off as a separate company nearly 20 years ago, said in a statement that it was reviewing the NTSB preliminary report and was working with Boeing and regulators “on continuous improvement in our processes and meeting the highest standards of safety, quality and reliability.”

Missing bolts: Report reveals new details on jet's mid-flight blowout

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen traveled to Eagle Pass, Texas on Sunday, joining&nbsp;&nbsp; 13 other Republican Governors for a security briefing on Operation Lone Star. That update, hosted by Governor Greg Abbott and Texas border security officials, was followed by a nationally broadcast news conference from nearby Shelby Park, which has served as the base camp for operations to this point.&nbsp;

“Our federal government continues to ignore our border crisis,” said Gov. Pillen. “The highest calling of government is public safety. We, as governors, must stand together to stop the constant influx of illegal drugs, weapons, and human trafficking.”&nbsp;

Many of the governors who traveled to Texas this past weekend were among a larger group of 24 who signed a&nbsp;<a></a><a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/gov-pillen-restates-nebraska%E2%80%99s-commitment-stand-texas">joint statement</a>&nbsp;calling out President Biden’s administration for abdicating its constitutional duties to the states.&nbsp; During the security update, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) revealed it has seized over 458 million doses of fentanyl. More than 38,700 criminal arrests have taken place, resulting in 35,100 felony charges.

“All we ask is that the President enforce the laws of our country,” said Gov. Pillen. “The urgency of the southern border has not changed. It continues to be a threat to national security, food security, and a growing humanitarian crisis. Nebraska will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Gov. Abbott, his team and other governors who are determined to act on this issue.”

Part of the reason for Gov. Pillen’s visit was to assess the status of current operations and understand how Nebraska can continue to assist Texas going forward. He was joined in his visit by Major General Craig Strong, adjutant general for the Nebraska National Guard. Last year, Gov. Pillen ordered the deployment of more than 60 soldiers to Texas as well as a smaller group of state troopers who assisted with drone surveillance operations.

“Nebraska is committed to continuing its support with personnel and equipment,” said Gov. Pillen. “Final decisions will be made once we know more fully the specific needs and locations where deployments would be most helpful.”

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen traveled to Eagle Pass, Texas on Sunday, joining&nbsp;&nbsp; 13 other Republican Governors for a security briefing on Operation Lone Star. That update, hosted by Governor Greg Abbott and Texas border security officials, was followed by a nationally broadcast news conference from nearby Shelby Park, which has served as the base camp for operations to this point.&nbsp;“Our federal government continues to ignore our border crisis,” said Gov. Pillen. “The highest calling of government is public safety. We, as governors, must stand together to stop the constant influx of illegal drugs, weapons, and human trafficking.”&nbsp;Many of the governors who traveled to Texas this past weekend were among a larger group of 24 who signed a&nbsp;<a></a><a href="https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/gov-pillen-restates-nebraska%E2%80%99s-commitment-stand-texas">joint statement</a>&nbsp;calling out President Biden’s administration for abdicating its constitutional duties to the states.&nbsp; During the security update, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) revealed it has seized over 458 million doses of fentanyl. More than 38,700 criminal arrests have taken place, resulting in 35,100 felony charges.“All we ask is that the President enforce the laws of our country,” said Gov. Pillen. “The urgency of the southern border has not changed. It continues to be a threat to national security, food security, and a growing humanitarian crisis. Nebraska will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Gov. Abbott, his team and other governors who are determined to act on this issue.”Part of the reason for Gov. Pillen’s visit was to assess the status of current operations and understand how Nebraska can continue to assist Texas going forward. He was joined in his visit by Major General Craig Strong, adjutant general for the Nebraska National Guard. Last year, Gov. Pillen ordered the deployment of more than 60 soldiers to Texas as well as a smaller group of state troopers who assisted with drone surveillance operations.“Nebraska is committed to continuing its support with personnel and equipment,” said Gov. Pillen. “Final decisions will be made once we know more fully the specific needs and locations where deployments would be most helpful.”

 Gov. Pillen Visits Border, Reaffirms Nebraska’s Commitment to Texas

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan jury convicted a school shooter’s mother of involuntary manslaughter Tuesday in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/oxford-high-school-shooting">killings of four students in 2021,</a>&nbsp;making her the first parent in the U.S. to be held responsible for a child carrying out a mass school attack.

Prosecutors say Jennifer Crumbley had a duty under state law to prevent her son, who was 15 at the time, from harming others. She was accused of failing to secure a gun and ammunition at home and failing to get help to support Ethan Crumbley's mental health.

The four guilty verdicts — one for each student slain at Oxford High School — were returned after roughly 11 hours of jury deliberations.

Jennifer Crumbley, 45, looked down and shook her head slightly as each juror was polled after the verdicts were read.

On her way out of the courtroom, prosecutor Karen McDonald hugged Craig Shilling, the father of victim Justin Shilling, and the family of Madisyn Baldwin.

Jennifer and James Crumbley were the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oxford-high-school-shooting-shootings-education-violence-crime-31b054a2e403275f119b5e919f7fbc43">first parents in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;to be charged in a mass school shooting committed by their child. James Crumbley faces trial in March.

"The cries have been heard, and I feel this verdict is gonna echo throughout every household in the country,” Craig Shilling told reporters.

“I feel it’s necessary, and I’m happy with the verdict. It’s still a sad situation to be in. It’s gotta stop. It’s an accountability, and this is what we’ve been asking for for a long time now," Shilling said.

A gag order by the judge prevented McDonald and defense attorney Shannon Smith from speaking to reporters.

On&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-school-shooting-timeline-79e4111a45567d79ffbc63acb75ba24a">the morning of Nov. 30, 2021,</a>&nbsp;school staff members were concerned about a violent drawing of a gun, bullet and wounded man, accompanied by desperate phrases, on Ethan Crumbley’s math assignment. His parents were called to the school for a brief meeting, but they didn't take the boy home.

A few hours later, Ethan Crumbley pulled a handgun from his backpack and shot 10 students and a teacher. No one had checked the backpack.

The gun was the Sig Sauer 9 mm his father had purchased with him just four days earlier. Jennifer Crumbley had taken her son to a shooting range that same weekend.

“You're the last adult to have possession of that gun,” assistant prosecutor Marc Keast said while cross-examining the mother last week. “You saw your son shoot the last practice round before the (school) shooting on Nov. 30. You saw how he stood. ... He knew how to use the gun."

Jennifer Crumbley replied, “Yes, he did."

Besides 17-year-old Justin Shilling and 17-year old Madisyn Baldwin, Hana St. Juliana, 14, and Tate Myre, 16, were also killed. Seven people were wounded.

Ethan Crumbley, now 17,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oxford-michigan-school-shooting-ethan-crumbley-sentencing-fb10065053ca542b0d443671bab53947">pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism</a>&nbsp;and is serving a life sentence.

Jennifer Crumbley told jurors that it was her husband's job to keep track of the gun. She also said she saw no signs of mental distress in her son.

“We would talk. We did a lot of things together," she testified. "I trusted him, and I felt I had an open door. He could come to me about anything.”

In a journal found by police, Ethan Crumbley wrote that his parents wouldn’t listen to his pleas for help.

“I have zero help for my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot up the ... school,” he wrote.

The words with the drawing that prompted a counselor to call the Crumbleys to the school said: “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me. The world is dead. My life is useless.”

Prosecutors introduced evidence that Ethan Crumbley texted his mother in spring 2021 about “demons” throwing bowls and other hallucinations. But she told the jury that it was “just Ethan messing around.”

“I have asked myself if I would have done anything differently. I wouldn’t have. I wish he would have killed us instead,” she testified.

The jury of six men and six women included people who own guns or grew up with them in their home. The jurors said they could put their opinions about guns aside and serve fairly.

Jennifer Crumbley will get credit for roughly 2 1/2 years in the county jail when she returns to court for sentencing on April 9. The judge will set the minimum prison sentence, based on scoring guidelines and other factors.

It will be up to the Michigan parole board to determine how long she actually stays in prison. The maximum term for involuntary manslaughter is 15 years.

Prosecutors have not said if they will ask for consecutive sentences on the four convictions, which could mean a maximum of 60 years if Judge Cheryl Matthews agrees.

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan jury received instructions from a judge and began deliberations Monday in a novel trial against a school shooter's mother who could go to prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/oxford-high-school-shooting">deaths of four students in 2021.</a>

“You must not let sympathy, bias or prejudice influence your decision,” Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews said.

Prosecutors say Jennifer Crumbley was grossly negligent when she failed to tell Oxford High School officials that the family had guns, including a 9 mm handgun that was used by her son, Ethan Crumbley, at a shooting range just a few days earlier.

The school was concerned about a macabre drawing of a gun, bullet and wounded man, accompanied by desperate phrases, on a math assignment. But Ethan was allowed to stay in school on Nov. 30, 2021, following a roughly 12-minute meeting with Jennifer and James Crumbley, who didn't take him home.

The teenager pulled the gun from his backpack in the afternoon and shot 10 students and a teacher, killing four peers. No one had checked the backpack.

“He literally drew a picture of what he was going to do. It says, ‘Help me,’” prosecutor Karen McDonald said during closing arguments Friday in suburban Detroit.

Jennifer Crumbley knew the gun in the drawing was identical to the new one at home, McDonald said.

“She knew it wasn't stored properly," the prosecutor added. “She knew that he was proficient with the gun. She knew he had access to ammunition.”

“Just the smallest steps” by Jennifer Crumbley could have saved the lives of Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin, the prosecutor said.

Defense attorney Shannon Smith told jurors that a conviction would have a chilling effect on unwitting parents whose kids break the law. The tragedy, she argued, was not foreseeable.

Ethan Crumbley was a “skilled manipulator” who didn’t have mental illness, and the gun was the responsibility of James Crumbley, not his wife, Smith said.

“Unfortunately this is a case where the prosecution made a charging decision way too fast,” Smith said. “It was motivated by obvious reasons, for political gain and done for media attention.”

She said the case won’t bring justice to the victims or their families: “It certainly doesn’t bring back any lives.”

The jury of six men and six women includes some gun owners or people who grew up with firearms in their house. They said it wouldn’t interfere with their ability to be fair.

The four students who died at Oxford High School, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) north of Detroit, were Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin.

Jennifer Crumbley, 45, and James Crumbley, 47, are the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oxford-high-school-shooting-shootings-education-violence-crime-31b054a2e403275f119b5e919f7fbc43">first parents in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;to be charged in a mass school shooting committed by their child. The latter faces trial in March.

Besides knowledge of the gun, the Crumbleys are accused of ignoring their son's mental health needs. In a journal found by police in his backpack, he wrote that they wouldn't listen to his pleas for help.

“I have zero help for my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot up the ... school,” Ethan wrote.

The maximum penalty for involuntary manslaughter is 15 years in prison. The Crumbleys have been in jail for more than two years, unable to post $500,000 bond while awaiting trial.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638621694054.png" alt="Crumbley as shown in her November 2021 booking photo from Oakland Co. Michigan" />
 <figcaption>Crumbley as shown in her November 2021 booking photo from Oakland Co. Michigan</figcaption>
 </figure>PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan jury convicted a school shooter’s mother of involuntary manslaughter Tuesday in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/oxford-high-school-shooting">killings of four students in 2021,</a>&nbsp;making her the first parent in the U.S. to be held responsible for a child carrying out a mass school attack.Prosecutors say Jennifer Crumbley had a duty under state law to prevent her son, who was 15 at the time, from harming others. She was accused of failing to secure a gun and ammunition at home and failing to get help to support Ethan Crumbley's mental health.The four guilty verdicts — one for each student slain at Oxford High School — were returned after roughly 11 hours of jury deliberations.Jennifer Crumbley, 45, looked down and shook her head slightly as each juror was polled after the verdicts were read.On her way out of the courtroom, prosecutor Karen McDonald hugged Craig Shilling, the father of victim Justin Shilling, and the family of Madisyn Baldwin.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638551635768.png" alt="Ethan Crumbley's November 2021 booking photo from Oakland Co. Michigan" />
 <figcaption>Ethan Crumbley's November 2021 booking photo from Oakland Co. Michigan</figcaption>
 </figure>“Thank you,” a man whispered to her.Jennifer and James Crumbley were the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oxford-high-school-shooting-shootings-education-violence-crime-31b054a2e403275f119b5e919f7fbc43">first parents in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;to be charged in a mass school shooting committed by their child. James Crumbley faces trial in March."The cries have been heard, and I feel this verdict is gonna echo throughout every household in the country,” Craig Shilling told reporters.“I feel it’s necessary, and I’m happy with the verdict. It’s still a sad situation to be in. It’s gotta stop. It’s an accountability, and this is what we’ve been asking for for a long time now," Shilling said.A gag order by the judge prevented McDonald and defense attorney Shannon Smith from speaking to reporters.On&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-school-shooting-timeline-79e4111a45567d79ffbc63acb75ba24a">the morning of Nov. 30, 2021,</a>&nbsp;school staff members were concerned about a violent drawing of a gun, bullet and wounded man, accompanied by desperate phrases, on Ethan Crumbley’s math assignment. His parents were called to the school for a brief meeting, but they didn't take the boy home.A few hours later, Ethan Crumbley pulled a handgun from his backpack and shot 10 students and a teacher. No one had checked the backpack.The gun was the Sig Sauer 9 mm his father had purchased with him just four days earlier. Jennifer Crumbley had taken her son to a shooting range that same weekend.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638621716369.png" alt="James Crumbley as shown in his 2021 booking. photo from Oakland County, Michigan" />
 <figcaption>James Crumbley as shown in his 2021 booking. photo from Oakland County, Michigan</figcaption>
 </figure>“You're the last adult to have possession of that gun,” assistant prosecutor Marc Keast said while cross-examining the mother last week. “You saw your son shoot the last practice round before the (school) shooting on Nov. 30. You saw how he stood. ... He knew how to use the gun."Jennifer Crumbley replied, “Yes, he did."Besides 17-year-old Justin Shilling and 17-year old Madisyn Baldwin, Hana St. Juliana, 14, and Tate Myre, 16, were also killed. Seven people were wounded.Ethan Crumbley, now 17,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oxford-michigan-school-shooting-ethan-crumbley-sentencing-fb10065053ca542b0d443671bab53947">pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism</a>&nbsp;and is serving a life sentence.Jennifer Crumbley told jurors that it was her husband's job to keep track of the gun. She also said she saw no signs of mental distress in her son.“We would talk. We did a lot of things together," she testified. "I trusted him, and I felt I had an open door. He could come to me about anything.”In a journal found by police, Ethan Crumbley wrote that his parents wouldn’t listen to his pleas for help.“I have zero help for my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot up the ... school,” he wrote.The words with the drawing that prompted a counselor to call the Crumbleys to the school said: “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me. The world is dead. My life is useless.”Prosecutors introduced evidence that Ethan Crumbley texted his mother in spring 2021 about “demons” throwing bowls and other hallucinations. But she told the jury that it was “just Ethan messing around.”“I have asked myself if I would have done anything differently. I wouldn’t have. I wish he would have killed us instead,” she testified.The jury of six men and six women included people who own guns or grew up with them in their home. The jurors said they could put their opinions about guns aside and serve fairly.Jennifer Crumbley will get credit for roughly 2 1/2 years in the county jail when she returns to court for sentencing on April 9. The judge will set the minimum prison sentence, based on scoring guidelines and other factors.It will be up to the Michigan parole board to determine how long she actually stays in prison. The maximum term for involuntary manslaughter is 15 years.Prosecutors have not said if they will ask for consecutive sentences on the four convictions, which could mean a maximum of 60 years if Judge Cheryl Matthews agrees.------------------PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan jury received instructions from a judge and began deliberations Monday in a novel trial against a school shooter's mother who could go to prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/oxford-high-school-shooting">deaths of four students in 2021.</a>“You must not let sympathy, bias or prejudice influence your decision,” Oakland County Judge Cheryl Matthews said.Prosecutors say Jennifer Crumbley was grossly negligent when she failed to tell Oxford High School officials that the family had guns, including a 9 mm handgun that was used by her son, Ethan Crumbley, at a shooting range just a few days earlier.The school was concerned about a macabre drawing of a gun, bullet and wounded man, accompanied by desperate phrases, on a math assignment. But Ethan was allowed to stay in school on Nov. 30, 2021, following a roughly 12-minute meeting with Jennifer and James Crumbley, who didn't take him home.The teenager pulled the gun from his backpack in the afternoon and shot 10 students and a teacher, killing four peers. No one had checked the backpack.“He literally drew a picture of what he was going to do. It says, ‘Help me,’” prosecutor Karen McDonald said during closing arguments Friday in suburban Detroit.Jennifer Crumbley knew the gun in the drawing was identical to the new one at home, McDonald said.“She knew it wasn't stored properly," the prosecutor added. “She knew that he was proficient with the gun. She knew he had access to ammunition.”“Just the smallest steps” by Jennifer Crumbley could have saved the lives of Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin, the prosecutor said.Defense attorney Shannon Smith told jurors that a conviction would have a chilling effect on unwitting parents whose kids break the law. The tragedy, she argued, was not foreseeable.Ethan Crumbley was a “skilled manipulator” who didn’t have mental illness, and the gun was the responsibility of James Crumbley, not his wife, Smith said.“Unfortunately this is a case where the prosecution made a charging decision way too fast,” Smith said. “It was motivated by obvious reasons, for political gain and done for media attention.”She said the case won’t bring justice to the victims or their families: “It certainly doesn’t bring back any lives.”The jury of six men and six women includes some gun owners or people who grew up with firearms in their house. They said it wouldn’t interfere with their ability to be fair.The four students who died at Oxford High School, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) north of Detroit, were Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling and Madisyn Baldwin.Jennifer Crumbley, 45, and James Crumbley, 47, are the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oxford-high-school-shooting-shootings-education-violence-crime-31b054a2e403275f119b5e919f7fbc43">first parents in the U.S.</a>&nbsp;to be charged in a mass school shooting committed by their child. The latter faces trial in March.Ethan Crumbley, now 17,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oxford-michigan-school-shooting-ethan-crumbley-sentencing-fb10065053ca542b0d443671bab53947">pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism</a>&nbsp;and is serving a life sentence.Besides knowledge of the gun, the Crumbleys are accused of ignoring their son's mental health needs. In a journal found by police in his backpack, he wrote that they wouldn't listen to his pleas for help.“I have zero help for my mental problems and it’s causing me to shoot up the ... school,” Ethan wrote.The maximum penalty for involuntary manslaughter is 15 years in prison. The Crumbleys have been in jail for more than two years, unable to post $500,000 bond while awaiting trial.___

History: Mother of school shooter guilty of manslaughter

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investigators plan to interview two police officers who were working off duty in Nebraska’s largest city&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omaha-police-nebraska-shooting-deadly-db3b25b907752a328e4fc50120f642bc">when they shot and killed two men</a>&nbsp;in an SUV, a police spokesperson said Monday.

Authorities still provided few details about what led to the confrontation or what happened during it.

The two Omaha officers were working side jobs at a business around 2 a.m. Saturday when they opened fire on the men in the SUV, according to initial police statements over the weekend. The men, Fernando Rodriguez-Juarez, 26, and Jonathan Hernandez-Rosales, 28, died later at a hospital.

Officer Chris Gordon, a police spokesman, said that the officers will be interviewed Tuesday and that the department will probably release their names after that. And he said police will probably hold a news conference Thursday.

A candlelight memorial popped up at the scene Sunday, video from KETV-TV showed.

Police said over the weekend that they found a handgun in the vehicle, but they didn’t say whether it was illegal or what led the two off-duty officers to shoot the men. Police also haven’t said whether the two officers identified themselves as police or whether they were wearing their police uniforms.

One of the officers was wearing a body camera when the shooting happened, and detectives were reviewing businesses’ security footage, authorities said.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investigators plan to interview two police officers who were working off duty in Nebraska’s largest city&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omaha-police-nebraska-shooting-deadly-db3b25b907752a328e4fc50120f642bc">when they shot and killed two men</a>&nbsp;in an SUV, a police spokesperson said Monday.Authorities still provided few details about what led to the confrontation or what happened during it.The two Omaha officers were working side jobs at a business around 2 a.m. Saturday when they opened fire on the men in the SUV, according to initial police statements over the weekend. The men, Fernando Rodriguez-Juarez, 26, and Jonathan Hernandez-Rosales, 28, died later at a hospital.Officer Chris Gordon, a police spokesman, said that the officers will be interviewed Tuesday and that the department will probably release their names after that. And he said police will probably hold a news conference Thursday.A candlelight memorial popped up at the scene Sunday, video from KETV-TV showed.Police said over the weekend that they found a handgun in the vehicle, but they didn’t say whether it was illegal or what led the two off-duty officers to shoot the men. Police also haven’t said whether the two officers identified themselves as police or whether they were wearing their police uniforms.One of the officers was wearing a body camera when the shooting happened, and detectives were reviewing businesses’ security footage, authorities said.

Off-duty Omaha officers who fatally shot 2 men will be interviewed by investigators

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Conservative lawmakers who want to intertwine religion with school curriculum in Republican-dominated Nebraska presented a slew of bills Monday to the state Legislature’s education committee.

The list includes a bill that would give parents more control over their local school’s library books and curriculum and another that would allow public school students to receive school credit for attending religious classes outside school. Another measure would change school funding to loop in private school tuition while forbidding the state from interfering in private schools’ curriculum or beliefs.

Sen. Dave Murman, the conservative chairman of the Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee, has revived his so-called parents rights bill that would make it easier for parents to object to curriculum and remove books from school libraries. The bill introduced last year was among those that stalled as conservatives focused on passing a bill to allow taxpayer money to be used to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/private-school-scholarships-nebraska-taxpayers-c7be118aa5a43b3ebc2da82aacaa4e29">fund private school scholarships</a>. That measure, signed into law last June, is the subject of a ballot referendum that will ask voters in November to repeal it.

Murman, a farmer from Glenvil,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-united-states-government-nebraska-7bb277db7ac120358c90de7528ed864c">took over as chairman</a>&nbsp;of the committee last year, when Republicans in the officially nonpartisan, one-chamber Legislature ousted a Democratic former schoolteacher from the post in what was widely seen as an effort by conservatives to “crack and pack” key committees to get more of their bills to the floor for debate.

Those bills are part of a broader Republican push nationwide to target a variety of culture issues in education, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diversity-equity-inclusion-legislation-7bd8d4d52aaaa9902dde59a257874686">diversity, equity and inclusion</a>&nbsp;programs and the type of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conservatives-educators-coronavirus-masks-book-banning-cfe02e318d95070d468c88e7294d8aa9">books allowed</a>&nbsp;in school libraries. Conservative officials across the country have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conservatives-educators-coronavirus-masks-book-banning-cfe02e318d95070d468c88e7294d8aa9">increasingly tried to limit the type of books that children are exposed to</a>, including books that address structural racism and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-education-gender-identity-virginia-a3d4b656bb58d0472af2a1a69ab62708">LGBTQ+ issues</a>.

Sen. Steve Erdman’s school funding bill would set up a $5 billion education funding bill that would shift costs from local property taxes to the state’s general fund by setting up an education savings account for each student in the state. That money would be distributed by the state treasurer to fund a student’s education at their local public school — or could go to help cover the cost of private school tuition or even costs associated with home schooling. The bill is modeled on an Arizona law, Erdman said.

Critics contend Arizona has seen no academic gains since its school choice law went into effect and that it has seen fly-by-night charter schools open in strip malls that collect state money, only to later close. Others argued Erdman’s bill would hurt funding for rural school districts like his own, which has fewer than 350 students.

But it is a section within that bill that the state “is strictly forbidden from altering the curriculum or beliefs of a private school” that others questioned.

“If a private school introduced critical race theory in their curriculum or required singing ‘Lift Every Voice (and Sing)’ every morning, I can guarantee you there would be an uproar from this Legislature over that,” Ron Cunningham of Lincoln testified. “But under this bill, the way it’s written, you couldn’t do anything about it.”

State Sen. Loren Lippincott’s bill would give school credit to public school students who attend religious classes outside of school during school hours. Allowing the religious education, he said, would help students “develop a stronger sense of morality” and would help lead to “fewer behavioral issues in schools.”

Middle and high school students could partake, and the religious credit program would be open to all religions, as long as it “does not undeniably promote licentiousness or practices that are inconsistent with school policy.”

Not all bills before the committee Monday sought to enmesh religion with education. One offered by Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth — best know for her bill last year that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">restricted gender-confirming care</a>&nbsp;for people under 19 — would ease the process for teachers certified in other states to teach in Nebraska classrooms as the state struggles with a teacher shortage.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Conservative lawmakers who want to intertwine religion with school curriculum in Republican-dominated Nebraska presented a slew of bills Monday to the state Legislature’s education committee.The list includes a bill that would give parents more control over their local school’s library books and curriculum and another that would allow public school students to receive school credit for attending religious classes outside school. Another measure would change school funding to loop in private school tuition while forbidding the state from interfering in private schools’ curriculum or beliefs.Sen. Dave Murman, the conservative chairman of the Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee, has revived his so-called parents rights bill that would make it easier for parents to object to curriculum and remove books from school libraries. The bill introduced last year was among those that stalled as conservatives focused on passing a bill to allow taxpayer money to be used to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/private-school-scholarships-nebraska-taxpayers-c7be118aa5a43b3ebc2da82aacaa4e29">fund private school scholarships</a>. That measure, signed into law last June, is the subject of a ballot referendum that will ask voters in November to repeal it.Murman, a farmer from Glenvil,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-united-states-government-nebraska-7bb277db7ac120358c90de7528ed864c">took over as chairman</a>&nbsp;of the committee last year, when Republicans in the officially nonpartisan, one-chamber Legislature ousted a Democratic former schoolteacher from the post in what was widely seen as an effort by conservatives to “crack and pack” key committees to get more of their bills to the floor for debate.Those bills are part of a broader Republican push nationwide to target a variety of culture issues in education, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diversity-equity-inclusion-legislation-7bd8d4d52aaaa9902dde59a257874686">diversity, equity and inclusion</a>&nbsp;programs and the type of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conservatives-educators-coronavirus-masks-book-banning-cfe02e318d95070d468c88e7294d8aa9">books allowed</a>&nbsp;in school libraries. Conservative officials across the country have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conservatives-educators-coronavirus-masks-book-banning-cfe02e318d95070d468c88e7294d8aa9">increasingly tried to limit the type of books that children are exposed to</a>, including books that address structural racism and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-education-gender-identity-virginia-a3d4b656bb58d0472af2a1a69ab62708">LGBTQ+ issues</a>.Sen. Steve Erdman’s school funding bill would set up a $5 billion education funding bill that would shift costs from local property taxes to the state’s general fund by setting up an education savings account for each student in the state. That money would be distributed by the state treasurer to fund a student’s education at their local public school — or could go to help cover the cost of private school tuition or even costs associated with home schooling. The bill is modeled on an Arizona law, Erdman said.Critics contend Arizona has seen no academic gains since its school choice law went into effect and that it has seen fly-by-night charter schools open in strip malls that collect state money, only to later close. Others argued Erdman’s bill would hurt funding for rural school districts like his own, which has fewer than 350 students.But it is a section within that bill that the state “is strictly forbidden from altering the curriculum or beliefs of a private school” that others questioned.“If a private school introduced critical race theory in their curriculum or required singing ‘Lift Every Voice (and Sing)’ every morning, I can guarantee you there would be an uproar from this Legislature over that,” Ron Cunningham of Lincoln testified. “But under this bill, the way it’s written, you couldn’t do anything about it.”State Sen. Loren Lippincott’s bill would give school credit to public school students who attend religious classes outside of school during school hours. Allowing the religious education, he said, would help students “develop a stronger sense of morality” and would help lead to “fewer behavioral issues in schools.”Middle and high school students could partake, and the religious credit program would be open to all religions, as long as it “does not undeniably promote licentiousness or practices that are inconsistent with school policy.”Not all bills before the committee Monday sought to enmesh religion with education. One offered by Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth — best know for her bill last year that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-transgender-ban-nebraska-filibuster-b0b88845d29f1aaadf7936b7304a0507">restricted gender-confirming care</a>&nbsp;for people under 19 — would ease the process for teachers certified in other states to teach in Nebraska classrooms as the state struggles with a teacher shortage.

Conservative Nebraska lawmakers push bills that would intertwine religion with public education

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals panel ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump can face trial on charges that he plotted to overturn the results of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">the 2020 election</a>, rejecting the former president’s claims that he is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-justice-department-special-counsel-f82dbd294cd7b963dd69f1ecdf90aded">immune from prosecution</a>&nbsp;and breathing life back into a landmark prosecution that had been effectively frozen while the court considered the arguments.

The decision marks the second time in as many months that judges have spurned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-special-counsel-immunity-appeal-64eec975e6a602949eb4b90315239318">Trump’s immunity arguments</a>&nbsp;and held that he can be prosecuted for actions undertaken while in the White House and in the run-up to Jan. 6, 2021, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">a mob of his supporters</a>&nbsp;stormed the U.S. Capitol. But it also sets the stage for additional appeals from the Republican ex-president that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court and result in further delays.

The one-month gap between when the appeals court heard arguments and when it issued its ruling has already created uncertainty about the timing of any trial in a calendar-jammed election year, with the judge overseeing the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-us-capitol-9ab9da935bc620d57c4192134f81acde">last week canceling the March 4 date that was initially set</a>&nbsp;and not immediately scheduling a replacement one. The judges gave Trump until February 12 to ask the Supreme Court to pause the ruling.

The trial date carries obvious and enormous political ramifications, with special counsel Jack Smith's team hoping to prosecute Trump this year and the Republican primary front-runner seeking to delay it until after the November election. If Trump were to defeat President Joe Biden, he could presumably try to use his position as head of the executive branch to order a new attorney general to dismiss the federal cases or he potentially could seek a pardon for himself.

The unanimous ruling, which had been expected given the skepticism with which the three judges on the panel greeted the Trump team's arguments, was unsparing in its repudiation of the claim that a former president could be shielded from prosecution for actions taken while in office.

“Presidential immunity against federal indictment would mean that, as to the President, the Congress could not legislate, the Executive could not prosecute and the Judiciary could not review. We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter,” the judges wrote.

They also sharply rejected Trump’s claim that “a President has unbounded authority to commit crimes that would neutralize the most fundamental check on executive power — the recognition and implementation of election results.”

“Nor can we sanction his apparent contention that the Executive has carte blanche to violate the rights of individual citizens to vote and to have their votes count,” they wrote.

The appeals court took center stage in the immunity dispute after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-14th-amendment-immunity-supreme-court-d3f001f66c5c3e85302b8772753ed769">the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;in December said it was at least temporarily staying out of it, rejecting a request from Smith's team to take up the matter quickly and issue a speedy ruling. But the court could yet still decide to act on a Trump team appeal, adding to the uncertainty of a trial date.

The Supreme Court has held that presidents are immune from civil liability for official acts, and Trump’s lawyers have for months argued that that protection should be extended to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-special-counsel-immunity-appeal-64eec975e6a602949eb4b90315239318">criminal prosecution</a>&nbsp;as well.

They said the actions Trump was accused of in his failed bid to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election to Biden, including badgering his vice president to refuse to certify the results of the election, all fell within the “outer perimeters” of a president’s official acts.

But Smith’s team has said that no such immunity exists in the U.S. Constitution or in prior cases and that, in any event, Trump’s actions weren’t part of his official duties.

U.S. District Judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-judge-tanya-chutkan-capitol-riot-9ba5c18d315697d759521425ea203012">Tanya Chutkan</a>, who is presiding over the case, rejected Trump’s arguments in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-immunity-donald-trump-a98872759762c95fa925ff831df27388">a Dec. 1 opinion</a>&nbsp;that said the office of the president “does not confer a lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.”

Trump’s lawyers then appealed to the D.C. appeals court, but Smith asked the Supreme Court to weigh in first, in hopes of securing a fast and definitive ruling and preserving the March 4 trial date. The high court declined the request, leaving the matter with the appeals court.

The case was argued before Judges Florence Pan and J. Michelle Childs, appointees of Biden, a Democrat, and Karen LeCraft Henderson, who was named to the bench by President George H.W. Bush, a Republican. The judges made clear their skepticism of Trump’s claims during arguments last month, when they peppered his lawyer with tough questions and posed a series of extreme hypotheticals as a way to test his legal theory of immunity — including whether a president who directed Navy commandos to assassinate a political rival could be prosecuted.

Trump’s lawyer, D. John Sauer, answered yes — but only if a president had first been impeached and convicted by Congress. That view was in keeping with the team’s position that the Constitution did not permit the prosecution of ex-presidents who had been impeached but then acquitted, like Trump.

The case in Washington is one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-investigations-other-charges-b8b064a00caad4306fb54d2f6a320468">four criminal prosecutions</a>&nbsp;Trump faces as he seeks to reclaim the White House this year. He faces federal charges in Florida that he illegally retained classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, a case that was also brought by Smith and is set for trial in May. He’s also charged in state court in Georgia with scheming to subvert that state’s 2020 election and in New York in connection with hush money payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels. He has denied any wrongdoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680634182015.png" alt="File Former President Donald Trump in a New York courtroom in April 2023 (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)" />
 <figcaption>File Former President Donald Trump in a New York courtroom in April 2023 (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals panel ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump can face trial on charges that he plotted to overturn the results of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">the 2020 election</a>, rejecting the former president’s claims that he is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-justice-department-special-counsel-f82dbd294cd7b963dd69f1ecdf90aded">immune from prosecution</a>&nbsp;and breathing life back into a landmark prosecution that had been effectively frozen while the court considered the arguments.The decision marks the second time in as many months that judges have spurned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-special-counsel-immunity-appeal-64eec975e6a602949eb4b90315239318">Trump’s immunity arguments</a>&nbsp;and held that he can be prosecuted for actions undertaken while in the White House and in the run-up to Jan. 6, 2021, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">a mob of his supporters</a>&nbsp;stormed the U.S. Capitol. But it also sets the stage for additional appeals from the Republican ex-president that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court and result in further delays.The one-month gap between when the appeals court heard arguments and when it issued its ruling has already created uncertainty about the timing of any trial in a calendar-jammed election year, with the judge overseeing the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-us-capitol-9ab9da935bc620d57c4192134f81acde">last week canceling the March 4 date that was initially set</a>&nbsp;and not immediately scheduling a replacement one. The judges gave Trump until February 12 to ask the Supreme Court to pause the ruling.The trial date carries obvious and enormous political ramifications, with special counsel Jack Smith's team hoping to prosecute Trump this year and the Republican primary front-runner seeking to delay it until after the November election. If Trump were to defeat President Joe Biden, he could presumably try to use his position as head of the executive branch to order a new attorney general to dismiss the federal cases or he potentially could seek a pardon for himself.The unanimous ruling, which had been expected given the skepticism with which the three judges on the panel greeted the Trump team's arguments, was unsparing in its repudiation of the claim that a former president could be shielded from prosecution for actions taken while in office.“Presidential immunity against federal indictment would mean that, as to the President, the Congress could not legislate, the Executive could not prosecute and the Judiciary could not review. We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter,” the judges wrote.They also sharply rejected Trump’s claim that “a President has unbounded authority to commit crimes that would neutralize the most fundamental check on executive power — the recognition and implementation of election results.”“Nor can we sanction his apparent contention that the Executive has carte blanche to violate the rights of individual citizens to vote and to have their votes count,” they wrote.The appeals court took center stage in the immunity dispute after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-14th-amendment-immunity-supreme-court-d3f001f66c5c3e85302b8772753ed769">the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;in December said it was at least temporarily staying out of it, rejecting a request from Smith's team to take up the matter quickly and issue a speedy ruling. But the court could yet still decide to act on a Trump team appeal, adding to the uncertainty of a trial date.The Supreme Court has held that presidents are immune from civil liability for official acts, and Trump’s lawyers have for months argued that that protection should be extended to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-special-counsel-immunity-appeal-64eec975e6a602949eb4b90315239318">criminal prosecution</a>&nbsp;as well.They said the actions Trump was accused of in his failed bid to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election to Biden, including badgering his vice president to refuse to certify the results of the election, all fell within the “outer perimeters” of a president’s official acts.But Smith’s team has said that no such immunity exists in the U.S. Constitution or in prior cases and that, in any event, Trump’s actions weren’t part of his official duties.U.S. District Judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-judge-tanya-chutkan-capitol-riot-9ba5c18d315697d759521425ea203012">Tanya Chutkan</a>, who is presiding over the case, rejected Trump’s arguments in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-immunity-donald-trump-a98872759762c95fa925ff831df27388">a Dec. 1 opinion</a>&nbsp;that said the office of the president “does not confer a lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.”Trump’s lawyers then appealed to the D.C. appeals court, but Smith asked the Supreme Court to weigh in first, in hopes of securing a fast and definitive ruling and preserving the March 4 trial date. The high court declined the request, leaving the matter with the appeals court.The case was argued before Judges Florence Pan and J. Michelle Childs, appointees of Biden, a Democrat, and Karen LeCraft Henderson, who was named to the bench by President George H.W. Bush, a Republican. The judges made clear their skepticism of Trump’s claims during arguments last month, when they peppered his lawyer with tough questions and posed a series of extreme hypotheticals as a way to test his legal theory of immunity — including whether a president who directed Navy commandos to assassinate a political rival could be prosecuted.Trump’s lawyer, D. John Sauer, answered yes — but only if a president had first been impeached and convicted by Congress. That view was in keeping with the team’s position that the Constitution did not permit the prosecution of ex-presidents who had been impeached but then acquitted, like Trump.The case in Washington is one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-investigations-other-charges-b8b064a00caad4306fb54d2f6a320468">four criminal prosecutions</a>&nbsp;Trump faces as he seeks to reclaim the White House this year. He faces federal charges in Florida that he illegally retained classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, a case that was also brought by Smith and is set for trial in May. He’s also charged in state court in Georgia with scheming to subvert that state’s 2020 election and in New York in connection with hush money payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Appeals court rejects Trump’s claim he is  immune from prosecution

KANSAS CITY —A Nebraska man’s brief crime spree came to an end over the weekend thanks to a Sheriff’s Office canine and teamwork by numerous law enforcement agencies.

Just after 2p.m. February 4, an elderly woman home alone called the Clay County Sheriff’s office to report an unknown vehicle that had parked in her driveway near H Highway and Crockett road, southwest of Excelsior Springs., according to a media release. She said a man then got out of the vehicle and ran behind her house.

The vehicle left in the woman’s driveway turned out to be stolen from Nebraska. Deputies and Excelsior Springs Police moved into the area to locate the driver. Soon, dispatchers reported a caller had seen a man acting oddly walking on Cameron Road nearby. As deputies were moving to that area, they got another report of a truck was just stolen from farmers at Cameron Road and NE 136th Street. The victims were in their barn and saw their truck being driven away.

The KCPD helicopter joined in to try to locate the suspect vehicle. They saw it exit from 92 Highway to southbound Interstate 35 in Kearney. Kearney Police pursued the vehicle, and Sheriff’s deputies took over at the city limit. A Sheriff’s deputy and Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper were able to successfully deploy Stop Sticks, deflating the suspect’s tires, and bring the truck safely to a stop by the exit to 152 Highway.

At that point, the suspect got out of the truck and ran. Deputies, including K9 Duke, ran after him. Duke apprehended the suspect in the median of the highway. After being treated for his dog bite at the hospital, the suspect was booked at the Clay County Detention Center, where he remains in custody on a $40,000 bond.

Timothy M. Miller, 38, of Omaha, Neb., has now been charged with tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest by fleeing, according to the sheriff's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707160985667.png" alt="The Clay County Sheriff's office asked, "Who runs faster?"" />
 <figcaption>The Clay County Sheriff's office asked, "Who runs faster?"</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Nebraska man’s brief crime spree came to an end over the weekend thanks to a Sheriff’s Office canine and teamwork by numerous law enforcement agencies.Just after 2p.m. February 4, an elderly woman home alone called the Clay County Sheriff’s office to report an unknown vehicle that had parked in her driveway near H Highway and Crockett road, southwest of Excelsior Springs., according to a media release. She said a man then got out of the vehicle and ran behind her house.The vehicle left in the woman’s driveway turned out to be stolen from Nebraska. Deputies and Excelsior Springs Police moved into the area to locate the driver. Soon, dispatchers reported a caller had seen a man acting oddly walking on Cameron Road nearby. As deputies were moving to that area, they got another report of a truck was just stolen from farmers at Cameron Road and NE 136th Street. The victims were in their barn and saw their truck being driven away.The KCPD helicopter joined in to try to locate the suspect vehicle. They saw it exit from 92 Highway to southbound Interstate 35 in Kearney. Kearney Police pursued the vehicle, and Sheriff’s deputies took over at the city limit. A Sheriff’s deputy and Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper were able to successfully deploy Stop Sticks, deflating the suspect’s tires, and bring the truck safely to a stop by the exit to 152 Highway.At that point, the suspect got out of the truck and ran. Deputies, including K9 Duke, ran after him. Duke apprehended the suspect in the median of the highway. After being treated for his dog bite at the hospital, the suspect was booked at the Clay County Detention Center, where he remains in custody on a $40,000 bond.Timothy M. Miller, 38, of Omaha, Neb., has now been charged with tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest by fleeing, according to the sheriff's office.

Nebraska man's crime spree ends after caught by sheriff's K9

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Toby Keith, a sometimes polarizing figure in country music who crafted an identity around his macho, pro-American swagger, has died. He was 62.

The “Beer For My Horses” singer-songwriter, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toby-keith-cancer-return-to-stage-2288efe6edabee0f57208b6dc6700363">was battling stomach cancer</a>, died peacefully Monday surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on the country singer's website. “He fought his fight with grace and courage,” the statement said. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-health-country-music-7f96982e300407c47899a904423d070f">was diagnosed in 2022</a>.

The 6-foot-4 singer broke out in the country boom years of the 1990s, writing songs that fans loved to hear. Over his career he publicly clashed with other celebrities and journalists and often pushed back against record executives who wanted to smooth his rough edges.

He was known for his overt patriotism on post 9/11 songs like “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” and boisterous barroom tunes like “I Love This Bar” and “Red Solo Cup.” He had a powerful booming voice, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and range that carried love songs as well as drinking songs.

Among his 20 No. 1 Billboard hits were “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “As Good As I Once Was,” “My List” and “Beer for My Horses,” a duet with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/willie-nelson-book-songwriting-7e20e3adf314637c2f36dd5d88265392">Willie Nelson</a>.

Keith worked as a roughneck in the oil fields of Oklahoma as a young man, then played semi-pro football before launching his career as a singer.

“I write about life, and I sing about life, and I don’t overanalyze things,” Keith told The Associated Press in 2001, following the success of his song “I’m Just Talking About Tonight.”

Keith learned good lessons in the booming oil fields, which toughened him up, but also showed him the value of money.

“The money to be made was unbelievable,” Keith told the AP in 1996. “I came out of high school in 1980 and they gave me this job December of 1979, $50,000 a year. I was 18-years-old.”

But the domestic oil field industry collapsed and Keith had not saved. “It about broke us,” he said. “So I just learned. I’ve taken care of my money this time.”

He spent a couple seasons as a defensive end for the Oklahoma City Drillers, a farm team for the now-defunct United States Football League. But he found consistent money playing music with his band throughout the red dirt roadhouse circuit in Oklahoma and Texas.

“All through this whole thing the only constant thing we had was music,” he said. “But it’s hard to sit back and say, ‘I’m going to go make my fortune singing music, or writing music. I had no contacts.”‘

Eventually his path took him to Nashville, where he attracted the interest of Mercury Records head Harold Shedd, who was best known as a producer for the hit group Alabama. Shedd brought him to Mercury, where he released his platinum debut record “Toby Keith,” in 1993.

“Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” his breakout hit, was played 3 million times on radio stations, making it the most played country song of the 1990s.

But label’s focus on global star Shania Twain overshadowed the rest of the roster and Keith felt that the executives were trying to push him in a pop direction.

“They were trying to get me to compromise, and I was living a miserable existence,” Keith told the AP. “Everybody was trying to mold me into something I was not.”

After a series of albums that produced hits like “Who’s That Man,” and cover of Sting’s “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying,” Keith moved to DreamWorks Records in 1999.

That’s when his multi-week “How Do You Like Me Now?!” took off and became his first song to crossover to Top 40 charts. In 2001, he won the male vocalist of the year and album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, exclaiming from the stage: “I’ve waited a long time for this. Nine years!”

Songs like “I Wanna Talk About Me,” a spoken-word song written by Bobby Braddock about a man frustrated by a talkative partner, got him attention for its similarity to the cadence of rap, which Keith dismissed. “They’re going to call it a rap song, (although) there ain’t nobody doing rap who would call it rap,” he told “Billboard” magazine in 2001.

Keith often wore his politics on his sleeve, especially after the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in 2001, and early on he said was a conservative Democrat, but later claimed he was an independent. He’s played at events for Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, the latter giving him a National Medal of the Arts in 2021. His songs and his blunt opinions sometimes caused him controversy, which he seemed to court.

His 2002 song, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” included a threat— “We’ll put a boot in your ass — It’s the American way” — to anyone who dared to mess with America.

That song got pulled from a patriotic ABC Fourth of July special after producers deemed it too angry for the show. Singer-songwriter Steve Earle called Keith’s song “pandering to people’s worst instincts at a time they are hurt and scared.”

Then there was the feud between Keith and The Chicks (formerly called the Dixie Chicks), who became a target of Keith’s ire when singer Natalie Maines told a crowd that they were ashamed of then President George W. Bush. Maines had also previously called Keith’s song “ignorant.”

Keith, who had previously claimed that he supported any artist’s freedom to voice their opinion about politics, used a doctored photo of Maines with an image of Saddam Hussein at his concerts, further ramping up angry fans.

Maines responded by wearing a shirt with the letters “FUTK” onstage at the 2003 ACM Awards, which many people believed was a vulgar message to Keith.

He also publicly called out actor Ethan Hawke, who had written a story in “Rolling Stone” that described an argument between Kris Kristofferson and an unnamed country star that sounded a lot like Keith. During a backstage press conference during an awards show, Keith was furious at Hawke (and reporters for repeating the story) for what he called a “fictitious (expletive) lie.”

Keith, who has acknowledged that he holds onto grudges, walked out of the ACM Awards in 2003 early because he had gotten snubbed in earlier categories, causing him to miss out when he was announced as entertainer of the year. Vince Gill accepted on his behalf. He came back the next year and won the top prize for a second year in a row, along with top male vocalist and album of the year for “Shock ’n Y’all.”

His pro-military stance wasn’t just fodder for songs, however. He went on 11 USO tours to visit and play for troops serving overseas. He also helped to raised millions for charity over his career, including building a home in Oklahoma City for kids and their families who are battling cancer.

After Universal Music Group acquired DreamWorks, Keith started anew again, starting his own record label, Show Dog, in 2005 with record executive Scott Borchetta, who launched his own label Big Machine at the same time.

“Probably 75% of the people in this town think I’ll fail, and the other 25% hope I fail,” he said that year.

Later the label became Show Dog-Universal Music and had Keith, Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols, Josh Thompson, Clay Walker and Phil Vassar on its roster.

His later hits included “Love Me If You Can,” “She Never Cried In Front of Me,” and “Red Solo Cup.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.

He was honored by the performance rights organization BMI in November 2022 with the BMI Icon award, a few months after announcing his stomach cancer diagnosis.

“I always felt like that the songwriting was the most important part of this whole industry,” Keith told the crowd of fellow singers and writers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707216570029.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Toby Keith, a sometimes polarizing figure in country music who crafted an identity around his macho, pro-American swagger, has died. He was 62.The “Beer For My Horses” singer-songwriter, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toby-keith-cancer-return-to-stage-2288efe6edabee0f57208b6dc6700363">was battling stomach cancer</a>, died peacefully Monday surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on the country singer's website. “He fought his fight with grace and courage,” the statement said. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-health-country-music-7f96982e300407c47899a904423d070f">was diagnosed in 2022</a>.The 6-foot-4 singer broke out in the country boom years of the 1990s, writing songs that fans loved to hear. Over his career he publicly clashed with other celebrities and journalists and often pushed back against record executives who wanted to smooth his rough edges.He was known for his overt patriotism on post 9/11 songs like “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” and boisterous barroom tunes like “I Love This Bar” and “Red Solo Cup.” He had a powerful booming voice, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and range that carried love songs as well as drinking songs.Among his 20 No. 1 Billboard hits were “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “As Good As I Once Was,” “My List” and “Beer for My Horses,” a duet with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/willie-nelson-book-songwriting-7e20e3adf314637c2f36dd5d88265392">Willie Nelson</a>.Keith worked as a roughneck in the oil fields of Oklahoma as a young man, then played semi-pro football before launching his career as a singer.“I write about life, and I sing about life, and I don’t overanalyze things,” Keith told The Associated Press in 2001, following the success of his song “I’m Just Talking About Tonight.”Keith learned good lessons in the booming oil fields, which toughened him up, but also showed him the value of money.“The money to be made was unbelievable,” Keith told the AP in 1996. “I came out of high school in 1980 and they gave me this job December of 1979, $50,000 a year. I was 18-years-old.”But the domestic oil field industry collapsed and Keith had not saved. “It about broke us,” he said. “So I just learned. I’ve taken care of my money this time.”He spent a couple seasons as a defensive end for the Oklahoma City Drillers, a farm team for the now-defunct United States Football League. But he found consistent money playing music with his band throughout the red dirt roadhouse circuit in Oklahoma and Texas.“All through this whole thing the only constant thing we had was music,” he said. “But it’s hard to sit back and say, ‘I’m going to go make my fortune singing music, or writing music. I had no contacts.”‘Eventually his path took him to Nashville, where he attracted the interest of Mercury Records head Harold Shedd, who was best known as a producer for the hit group Alabama. Shedd brought him to Mercury, where he released his platinum debut record “Toby Keith,” in 1993.“Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” his breakout hit, was played 3 million times on radio stations, making it the most played country song of the 1990s.But label’s focus on global star Shania Twain overshadowed the rest of the roster and Keith felt that the executives were trying to push him in a pop direction.“They were trying to get me to compromise, and I was living a miserable existence,” Keith told the AP. “Everybody was trying to mold me into something I was not.”After a series of albums that produced hits like “Who’s That Man,” and cover of Sting’s “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying,” Keith moved to DreamWorks Records in 1999.That’s when his multi-week “How Do You Like Me Now?!” took off and became his first song to crossover to Top 40 charts. In 2001, he won the male vocalist of the year and album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, exclaiming from the stage: “I’ve waited a long time for this. Nine years!”Songs like “I Wanna Talk About Me,” a spoken-word song written by Bobby Braddock about a man frustrated by a talkative partner, got him attention for its similarity to the cadence of rap, which Keith dismissed. “They’re going to call it a rap song, (although) there ain’t nobody doing rap who would call it rap,” he told “Billboard” magazine in 2001.Keith often wore his politics on his sleeve, especially after the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in 2001, and early on he said was a conservative Democrat, but later claimed he was an independent. He’s played at events for Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, the latter giving him a National Medal of the Arts in 2021. His songs and his blunt opinions sometimes caused him controversy, which he seemed to court.His 2002 song, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” included a threat— “We’ll put a boot in your ass — It’s the American way” — to anyone who dared to mess with America.That song got pulled from a patriotic ABC Fourth of July special after producers deemed it too angry for the show. Singer-songwriter Steve Earle called Keith’s song “pandering to people’s worst instincts at a time they are hurt and scared.”Then there was the feud between Keith and The Chicks (formerly called the Dixie Chicks), who became a target of Keith’s ire when singer Natalie Maines told a crowd that they were ashamed of then President George W. Bush. Maines had also previously called Keith’s song “ignorant.”Keith, who had previously claimed that he supported any artist’s freedom to voice their opinion about politics, used a doctored photo of Maines with an image of Saddam Hussein at his concerts, further ramping up angry fans.Maines responded by wearing a shirt with the letters “FUTK” onstage at the 2003 ACM Awards, which many people believed was a vulgar message to Keith.He also publicly called out actor Ethan Hawke, who had written a story in “Rolling Stone” that described an argument between Kris Kristofferson and an unnamed country star that sounded a lot like Keith. During a backstage press conference during an awards show, Keith was furious at Hawke (and reporters for repeating the story) for what he called a “fictitious (expletive) lie.”Keith, who has acknowledged that he holds onto grudges, walked out of the ACM Awards in 2003 early because he had gotten snubbed in earlier categories, causing him to miss out when he was announced as entertainer of the year. Vince Gill accepted on his behalf. He came back the next year and won the top prize for a second year in a row, along with top male vocalist and album of the year for “Shock ’n Y’all.”His pro-military stance wasn’t just fodder for songs, however. He went on 11 USO tours to visit and play for troops serving overseas. He also helped to raised millions for charity over his career, including building a home in Oklahoma City for kids and their families who are battling cancer.After Universal Music Group acquired DreamWorks, Keith started anew again, starting his own record label, Show Dog, in 2005 with record executive Scott Borchetta, who launched his own label Big Machine at the same time.“Probably 75% of the people in this town think I’ll fail, and the other 25% hope I fail,” he said that year.Later the label became Show Dog-Universal Music and had Keith, Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols, Josh Thompson, Clay Walker and Phil Vassar on its roster.His later hits included “Love Me If You Can,” “She Never Cried In Front of Me,” and “Red Solo Cup.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.He was honored by the performance rights organization BMI in November 2022 with the BMI Icon award, a few months after announcing his stomach cancer diagnosis.“I always felt like that the songwriting was the most important part of this whole industry,” Keith told the crowd of fellow singers and writers.

Country music superstar Toby Keith has died at 62

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling more than three quarters of a million vehicles in the U.S. because a faulty sensor may cause the front passenger air bags to inflate when they're not supposed to.

The recall covers certain Honda Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V and Odyssey models from the 2020 through 2022 model years, as well as the 2020 Fit and Civic Coupe. Also included are the 2021 and 2022 Civic hatchback, the 2021 Civic Type R and Insight, and the 2020 and 2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline and Accord Hybrid.

Affected models from the Acura luxury brand include the 2020 and 2022 MDX, the 2020 through 2022 RDX and the 2020 and 2021 TLX.

<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCAK-24V064-1235.pdf">Documents posted Tuesday</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say that the front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, and fail to turn off the air bag as intended. The sensors are required to disable the air bags if children or small adults are in the seats. If that doesn't happen, it increases the risk of injury.

Dealers will replace the seat sensors at no cost to owners. Owners will be notified starting March 18.

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling more than three quarters of a million vehicles in the U.S. because a faulty sensor may cause the front passenger air bags to inflate when they're not supposed to.The recall covers certain Honda Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V and Odyssey models from the 2020 through 2022 model years, as well as the 2020 Fit and Civic Coupe. Also included are the 2021 and 2022 Civic hatchback, the 2021 Civic Type R and Insight, and the 2020 and 2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline and Accord Hybrid.Affected models from the Acura luxury brand include the 2020 and 2022 MDX, the 2020 through 2022 RDX and the 2020 and 2021 TLX.<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCAK-24V064-1235.pdf">Documents posted Tuesday</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say that the front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, and fail to turn off the air bag as intended. The sensors are required to disable the air bags if children or small adults are in the seats. If that doesn't happen, it increases the risk of injury.Dealers will replace the seat sensors at no cost to owners. Owners will be notified starting March 18.

Honda recalling vehicles to fix faulty passenger seat air bag sensor

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A ship traveling through the southern Red Sea was attacked by a suspected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-houthis-red-sea-jake-sullivan-yemen-ff507d06a7a44d6f3644f128e7766b3d">Yemen Houthi rebel</a>&nbsp;drone early on Tuesday, authorities said, the latest assault in their campaign targeting vessels over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The attack happened west of the Yemeni port of Hodeida, and the projectile caused “slight damage” to the vessel's windows on the bridge, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. A small vessel had been nearby the ship before the attack, it added.

The private security firm Ambrey identified the vessel as a Barbados-flagged, United Kingdom-owned cargo ship. No one was hurt onboard the vessel, which suffered “minor damage,” the firm said.

Later, a military spokesman of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, claimed in a statement that the rebel forces attacked two separate vessels, one American and one British, in the Red Sea. He provided no evidence to support the claim.

One of the ships the Houthis claimed attacking, the Morning Tide, matched details provided by Ambrey. Tracking data showed it to be in the Red Sea near the reported attack.

The Morning Tide’s owner, British firm Furadino Shipping, told The Associated Press no one was hurt in the attack and the ship was continuing onward to Singapore.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas</a>. But 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.

In recent weeks, the United States and the United Kingdom, backed by other allies, have launched airstrikes targeting Houthi missile arsenals and launch sites for its attacks.

The U.S. and Britain struck 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday. An air assault Friday in Iraq and Syria targeted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-hezbollah-houthis-iran-militant-groups-745bfc36e23997ee3f0bc499a9f5c16d">other Iranian-backed militias</a>&nbsp;and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-american-service-members-killed-jordan-iran-5cb774fd835a558d840ae91263037489">drone strike that killed three U.S. troops</a>&nbsp;in Jordan.

The U.S. military's Central Command separately acknowledged an attack Monday on the Houthis, in which they attacked what they described as two Houthi drone boats loaded with explosives.

American forces “determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region,” the military said. “These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707179984034.png" alt="Image from video of launches from US. Warships supporting strikes on Iranian-backed Houthi targets over the weekend-U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Image from video of launches from US. Warships supporting strikes on Iranian-backed Houthi targets over the weekend-U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A ship traveling through the southern Red Sea was attacked by a suspected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-houthis-red-sea-jake-sullivan-yemen-ff507d06a7a44d6f3644f128e7766b3d">Yemen Houthi rebel</a>&nbsp;drone early on Tuesday, authorities said, the latest assault in their campaign targeting vessels over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.The attack happened west of the Yemeni port of Hodeida, and the projectile caused “slight damage” to the vessel's windows on the bridge, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. A small vessel had been nearby the ship before the attack, it added.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PentagonPresSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PentagonPresSec</a> confirms there have been drone attacks since the U.S. began airstrikes against Iran-backed groups in the region for the deaths of three U.S. service members killed in another attack at a U.S. base in Jordan. <a href="https://t.co/AeIWxmKI7Q">pic.twitter.com/AeIWxmKI7Q</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1754599370610139192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The private security firm Ambrey identified the vessel as a Barbados-flagged, United Kingdom-owned cargo ship. No one was hurt onboard the vessel, which suffered “minor damage,” the firm said.Later, a military spokesman of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, claimed in a statement that the rebel forces attacked two separate vessels, one American and one British, in the Red Sea. He provided no evidence to support the claim.One of the ships the Houthis claimed attacking, the Morning Tide, matched details provided by Ambrey. Tracking data showed it to be in the Red Sea near the reported attack.The Morning Tide’s owner, British firm Furadino Shipping, told The Associated Press no one was hurt in the attack and the ship was continuing onward to Singapore.Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas</a>. But 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.In recent weeks, the United States and the United Kingdom, backed by other allies, have launched airstrikes targeting Houthi missile arsenals and launch sites for its attacks.The U.S. and Britain struck 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday. An air assault Friday in Iraq and Syria targeted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-hezbollah-houthis-iran-militant-groups-745bfc36e23997ee3f0bc499a9f5c16d">other Iranian-backed militias</a>&nbsp;and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-american-service-members-killed-jordan-iran-5cb774fd835a558d840ae91263037489">drone strike that killed three U.S. troops</a>&nbsp;in Jordan.The U.S. military's Central Command separately acknowledged an attack Monday on the Houthis, in which they attacked what they described as two Houthi drone boats loaded with explosives.American forces “determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region,” the military said. “These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels.”------------

🎥Tensions high: Rebels target more ships in the Red Sea 

Weeks after Republican Gov. Jim Pillen announced Nebraska would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-summer-ebt-food-program-children-789f2d04bd195086d2e41d0d43b8111c">not accept federal funds</a>&nbsp;to feed children in need over the summer, an Omaha lawmaker is pushing her bill to require the state to accept the $18 million for children who might otherwise go hungry at times when schools are closed.

Pillen’s rejection of the funding in December drew a firestorm of vocal condemnation when he defended his position by stating, “I don’t believe in welfare.”

Omaha Sen. Jen Day presented her bill Thursday to the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, seeking to reverse Pillen's rejection. Even if the bill were to pass, the deadline for a state to declare participation this summer was Jan. 1, although the federal government has sometimes allowed exceptions in other programs, officials have said.

The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children — or Summer EBT — program was widely employed as part of federal assistance made available during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then made permanent in 2022. It provides pre-loaded EBT cards to families whose children are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches at school; some 150,000 children in Nebraska were eligible in the 2022-2023 school year. Those families would receive $40 per eligible child per month over the summer. The cards can be used to buy groceries, similar to how SNAP benefits are used.

Nebraska is among more than a dozen states — all with Republican governors — that have opted out of receiving the funding. Those states include neighboring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-summer-ebt-food-assistance-0e878c5c0fc9dd0dd55622cb22a82561">Iowa</a>, where Gov. Kim Reynolds criticized the federal food program as doing “nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.

Day, a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature, has found a Republican ally in her effort: state Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island. Aguilar has prioritized Day's bill, giving it a good chance of being debated by the full Legislature this session.

Aguilar said the issue has brought a flood of calls from constituents in his largely rural district asking that he support the program. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showing a steady increase in food insecurity among Nebraska families could help explain that flood of calls, Day said.

According to the statistics, 10.7% of Nebraska households were food insecure in 2017. That percentage rose to 12.1% five years later in 2022. It was 13.5% in 2023, Day said.

“This places Nebraska above the national average and gives us the 11th highest food insecurity in the nation,” she said. “As many of you know, food is more expensive than ever, and it’s squeezing low-income Nebraska residents hardest."

Following the backlash to his rejection of the Summer EBT funding, Pillen released a statement that Nebraska would continue to help food-insecure children through the Summer Food Service Program, which provides meals and snacks at various sites when school is not in session. Providing on-site services also allows providers to spot and report issues such as malnutrition, neglect and abuse in children, he said.

But Day and other critics countered that not all families have access to the on-site programs — particularly in Nebraska’s vast rural stretches, where sites can be many miles away from a struggling family.

Seventeen people — many of them representing food pantries and services — testified Thursday in favor of Day's bill, and another 153 people sent in letters of support. No one testified in opposition, but four people sent in letters opposed to the bill.

Weeks after Republican Gov. Jim Pillen announced Nebraska would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-summer-ebt-food-program-children-789f2d04bd195086d2e41d0d43b8111c">not accept federal funds</a>&nbsp;to feed children in need over the summer, an Omaha lawmaker is pushing her bill to require the state to accept the $18 million for children who might otherwise go hungry at times when schools are closed.Pillen’s rejection of the funding in December drew a firestorm of vocal condemnation when he defended his position by stating, “I don’t believe in welfare.”Omaha Sen. Jen Day presented her bill Thursday to the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, seeking to reverse Pillen's rejection. Even if the bill were to pass, the deadline for a state to declare participation this summer was Jan. 1, although the federal government has sometimes allowed exceptions in other programs, officials have said.The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children — or Summer EBT — program was widely employed as part of federal assistance made available during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then made permanent in 2022. It provides pre-loaded EBT cards to families whose children are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches at school; some 150,000 children in Nebraska were eligible in the 2022-2023 school year. Those families would receive $40 per eligible child per month over the summer. The cards can be used to buy groceries, similar to how SNAP benefits are used.Nebraska is among more than a dozen states — all with Republican governors — that have opted out of receiving the funding. Those states include neighboring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-summer-ebt-food-assistance-0e878c5c0fc9dd0dd55622cb22a82561">Iowa</a>, where Gov. Kim Reynolds criticized the federal food program as doing “nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.Day, a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature, has found a Republican ally in her effort: state Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island. Aguilar has prioritized Day's bill, giving it a good chance of being debated by the full Legislature this session.Aguilar said the issue has brought a flood of calls from constituents in his largely rural district asking that he support the program. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showing a steady increase in food insecurity among Nebraska families could help explain that flood of calls, Day said.According to the statistics, 10.7% of Nebraska households were food insecure in 2017. That percentage rose to 12.1% five years later in 2022. It was 13.5% in 2023, Day said.“This places Nebraska above the national average and gives us the 11th highest food insecurity in the nation,” she said. “As many of you know, food is more expensive than ever, and it’s squeezing low-income Nebraska residents hardest."Following the backlash to his rejection of the Summer EBT funding, Pillen released a statement that Nebraska would continue to help food-insecure children through the Summer Food Service Program, which provides meals and snacks at various sites when school is not in session. Providing on-site services also allows providers to spot and report issues such as malnutrition, neglect and abuse in children, he said.But Day and other critics countered that not all families have access to the on-site programs — particularly in Nebraska’s vast rural stretches, where sites can be many miles away from a struggling family.Seventeen people — many of them representing food pantries and services — testified Thursday in favor of Day's bill, and another 153 people sent in letters of support. No one testified in opposition, but four people sent in letters opposed to the bill.

Lawmaker seeks to reverse Nebraska governor's rejection of federal child food funding

CHICAGO—The Quaker Oats Company&nbsp; announced an&nbsp;expansion of the December 15, 2023,&nbsp;recall to include an additional granola bar to the list of recalled items due to possible salmonella contamination, according to the FDA.

<a href="https://www.quakerrecallusa.com/_files/ugd/b51df1_66f22cbdfc5140b0a3287b82a2bf30c7.pdf">Click here to see the full list</a> of 100 recalled items

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 </figure>CHICAGO—The Quaker Oats Company&nbsp; announced an&nbsp;expansion of the December 15, 2023,&nbsp;recall to include an additional granola bar to the list of recalled items due to possible salmonella contamination, according to the FDA.<a href="https://www.quakerrecallusa.com/_files/ugd/b51df1_66f22cbdfc5140b0a3287b82a2bf30c7.pdf">Click here to see the full list</a> of 100 recalled itemsQuaker Chewy Dipps Llama Rama bars were added to the recalled product list in the United States, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/update-quaker-issues-revised-recall-notice-additional-product-due-possible-health-risk" target="_blank">the FDA.</a>&nbsp;This granola bar product was discontinued in September 2023 with the “Best Before” dates listed as Feb. 10 or 11, 2024.The United States Food and Drug Administration and the Quaker Oats Company earlier this week announced that this granola bar was added to the list of recalled items due to possible salmonella contamination.Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received at least 24 reports of adverse events related to the products initially recalled, but no illnesses have been confirmed to be linked to the foods, an agency spokesperson said. Adverse events can include medical problems, but also complaints about off taste or color of a product, defective packaging or other non-medical issues, the official said. FDA will continue to investigate the reports.