UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and China on Friday vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution calling for “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;in Gaza to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-malnutrition-famine-children-dying-israel-palestinians-2f938b1a82d7822c7da67cc162da1a37">hungry Palestinians</a>.

The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 members in favor, three against and one abstention.

Before the vote, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow supports an immediate cease-fire, but he questioned the language in the resolution and accused U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of “misleading the international community” for “politicized” reasons.

The resolution declared that a cease-fire is “imperative."

The draft that was put to a vote made no direct link to the release of hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-us-resolution-gaza-ceasefire-israel-palestinians-9acc24774f2f2633bec9ffc087447ff7">in the previous draft</a>. But it unequivocally supported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/qatar-government-israel-government-middle-east-israel-international-agreements-05de20f151f646e492fdd0dda6db0159">diplomatic efforts “to secure such a cease-fire</a>&nbsp;in connection with the release of all remaining hostages.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-security-council">Security Council</a>&nbsp;had already adopted two resolutions on the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, but none calling for a cease-fire.

Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution in late October calling for pauses in the fighting to deliver aid, protection of civilians, and a halt to arming Hamas. They said it didn’t reflect global calls for a cease-fire.

The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has vetoed three resolutions demanding a cease-fire, the most recent an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-israel-palestinians-gaza-ceasefire-resolution-vote-350c86ef261bf1a00a2515cf22764de5">Arab-backed measure supported by 13 council members</a>&nbsp;with one abstention on Feb. 20.

A day earlier, the U.S. circulated a rival resolution, which went through major changes during negotiations before Friday's vote. It initially would have supported a temporary cease-fire linked to the release of all hostages, and the previous draft would have supported international efforts for a cease-fire as part of a hostage deal.

The vote took place as Blinken, America’s top diplomat, is on his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-egypt-israel-gaza-hamas-blinken-7e4d53b15a6c86979faaeae035564e58">sixth urgent mission to the Middle East</a>&nbsp;since the Israel-Hamas war, discussing a deal for a cease-fire and hostage release, as well as post-war scenarios.

Nate Evans, the spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said the resolution was "an opportunity for the Council to speak with one voice to support the diplomacy happening on the ground and pressure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-gaza-palestinian-authority-israel-war-ed7018dbaae09b81513daf3bda38109a">Hamas</a>&nbsp;to accept the deal on the table.”

Meanwhile, the 10 elected members of the Security Council have been drafting their own resolution, which demands an immediate humanitarian cease-fire for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ramadan-muslims-fasting-prayer-photos-83ead097a3b0921f387bb70ad2b6b3fc">Muslim holy month of Ramadan</a>&nbsp;that began March 10 to be “respected by all parties leading to a permanent sustainable cease-fire.”

It also demands “the immediate and unconditional&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostage-families-ceasefire-ramadan-d1b0da2f7bd2e9882f79ebae874561be">release of all hostages</a>&nbsp;” and emphasizes the urgent need to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people in the surprise Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel that triggered the war, and abducted another 250 people. Hamas is still believed to be holding some 100 people hostage, as well as the remains of 30 others.

In Gaza, the Health Ministry raised the death toll in the territory Thursday to nearly 32,000 Palestinians. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">doesn’t differentiate</a>&nbsp;between civilians and combatants in its count but says&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/women-children-gaza-war-victims-un-inequality-f0f89a724543b99c2c22439e7af09405">women and children</a>&nbsp;make up two-thirds of the dead.

The international community’s authority on determining the severity of hunger crises warned this week that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-18-2024-eefc526aec97821fe5f1e845801a6640">“famine is imminent” in northern Gaza</a>, where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger. The report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative, or IPC, warned that escalation of the war could push half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation.

The U.S. draft expressed “deep concern about the threat of conflict-induced famine and epidemics presently facing the civilian population in Gaza as well as the number of undernourished people, and also that hunger in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels.”

It emphasized “the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the entire Gaza Strip” and lift all barriers to getting aid to civilians “at scale.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-06-2024-3e4bc85bc4e184312763fc331fbffedb">Israel faces mounting pressure</a>&nbsp;from even its closest allies to streamline the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and to open more land crossings, and come to a cease-fire agreement. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to move the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-hamas-gaza-israel-war-541e91c0f09196944a4dabeded94596f">military offensive to the southern city of Rafah</a>, where some 1.3 million displaced Palestinians have sought safety. Netanyahu says it's a Hamas stronghold.

The final U.S. draft eliminated language in the initial draft that said Israel’s offensive in Rafah “should not proceed under current circumstances.” Instead, in an introductory paragraph, the council emphasized its concern that a ground offensive into Rafah “would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement, potentially into neighboring countries, and would have serious implications for regional peace and security.”

For the first time in a U.N. resolution, the U.S. draft would condemn “all acts of terrorism, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-airstrikes-festival-survivors-5b5dc4eb87be8d7b51dceff1c9f906fd">Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023</a>, as well as its taking and killing of hostages, murder of civilians, and sexual violence, including rape.”

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States called for a vote Friday on a newly revised and tougher U.N. resolution declaring that “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is “imperative” to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million&nbsp;<a href="https://whyy.org/articles/israel-hamas-war-gaza-famine-said-to-be-imminent/">hungry Palestinians</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-us-resolution-gaza-ceasefire-israel-palestinians-9acc24774f2f2633bec9ffc087447ff7">In the previous draft</a>, the Security Council did not make such a declaration. Instead, it would have supported international efforts for a cease-fire as part of a hostage deal.

The new draft obtained Thursday by The Associated Press “determines” — which is a council order — “the imperative of an immediate and sustained cease-fire,” with no direct link to the release of hostages taken during Hamas’ surprise attack in Israel on Oct. 7. But “toward that end” it would unequivocally support&nbsp;<a href="https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/blinken-huddles-on-gaza-with-arab-diplomats-in-cairo-as-us-israel-relations-sour/">diplomatic efforts “to secure such a cease-fire</a>&nbsp;in connection with the release of all remaining hostages.”

After the 15 Security Council members met behind closed doors Thursday afternoon to discuss Gaza, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said when asked if the U.S. draft would be adopted: “I am optimistic. That’s why it took us so long, because we worked so hard.”

Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, told reporters that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pressing for an immediate cease-fire and if the resolution calls for an immediate cease-fire “we will, of course, support it.”

But he questioned the wording of the U.S. draft, asking: “What’s an imperative? I have an imperative to give you $100, but … it’s only an imperative, not $100.”

“So, somebody’s fooling around, I think, (with the) international community,” Polyansky said. “We are not satisfied with anything that doesn’t call for immediate cease-fire. I think everybody is not satisfied with this. Even Secretary Blinken is not satisfied.”

Blinken is on his sixth urgent mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began, discussing a deal for a cease-fire and hostage release as well as post-war scenarios.

Nate Evans, the spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, issued a statement while the Security Council was holding closed Gaza consultations announcing that the U.S. would bring the resolution to a vote Friday morning.

“This resolution is an opportunity for the Council to speak with one voice to support the diplomacy happening on the ground and pressure Hamas to accept the deal on the table,” Evans said.

Meanwhile, the 10 elected members of the Security Council have been drafting their own resolution that would demand an immediate humanitarian cease-fire for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-11-2024-c6835d50f91dff0443e0f7fdf5e3229f">Muslim holy month of Ramadan</a>, which began March 10, to be “respected by all parties leading to a permanent sustainable cease-fire.”

It also would demand “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” and emphasize the urgent need to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-17-2024-ab0b75fdd8f0ab51c5e38b1870afecd8">protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid</a>&nbsp;throughout the Gaza Strip.

That draft had not yet been put in “blue,” which is the final form required for a vote.

France’s U.N. ambassador, Nicolas de Riviere, told reporters that “there is a desire to take action, no one want to procrastinate, so we hope that a decision can be made by tomorrow evening.”

“We need a cease-fire right now,” he said. “There are two options: Either the U.S. text is adopted and then we’ll move to the next phase of this crisis management, or the text is not adopted and then the draft of the elected members will come to the table and put to the vote, and I hope it will be adopted.”

The Health Ministry in Gaza raised the death toll in the territory Thursday to nearly 32,000 Palestinians. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">doesn’t differentiate</a>&nbsp;between civilians and combatants in its count but says&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/women-children-gaza-war-victims-un-inequality-f0f89a724543b99c2c22439e7af09405">women and children</a>&nbsp;make up two-thirds of the dead.

Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people in the surprise Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel that triggered the war, and abducted 250 people. Hamas is still believed to be holding some 100 people hostage as well as the remains of 30 others.

The international community’s authority on determining the severity of hunger crises warned this week that “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza, where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger. The report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative, or IPC, warned that escalation of the war could push half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation.

The U.S. draft would express “deep concern about the threat of conflict-induced famine and epidemics presently facing the civilian population in Gaza as well as the number of undernourished people, and also that hunger in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels.” It would emphasize “the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the entire Gaza Strip” and lift all barriers to getting aid to civilians “at scale.”

Israel faces mounting pressure from even its closest allies to streamline the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and open more land crossings and for a cease-fire. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to move the military offensive to the southern city of Rafah, which he says is a Hamas stronghold. Some 1.3 million displaced Palestinians have sought safety in Rafah.

The final U.S. draft eliminated language in the initial draft that said Israel’s offensive in Rafah “should not proceed under current circumstances.” Instead, in an introductory paragraph, the council would emphasize its concern that a ground offensive into Rafah “would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement, potentially into neighboring countries, and would have serious implications for regional peace and security.”

For the first time in a U.N. resolution, the U.S. draft would condemn “all acts of terrorism, including the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, as well as its taking and killing of hostages, murder of civilians, and sexual violence, including rape.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697659524198.png" alt="File photo&nbsp;U.S. United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield- image CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo&nbsp;U.S. United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield- image CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and China on Friday vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution calling for “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;in Gaza to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-malnutrition-famine-children-dying-israel-palestinians-2f938b1a82d7822c7da67cc162da1a37">hungry Palestinians</a>.The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 members in favor, three against and one abstention.Before the vote, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow supports an immediate cease-fire, but he questioned the language in the resolution and accused U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of “misleading the international community” for “politicized” reasons.The resolution declared that a cease-fire is “imperative."The draft that was put to a vote made no direct link to the release of hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-us-resolution-gaza-ceasefire-israel-palestinians-9acc24774f2f2633bec9ffc087447ff7">in the previous draft</a>. But it unequivocally supported&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/qatar-government-israel-government-middle-east-israel-international-agreements-05de20f151f646e492fdd0dda6db0159">diplomatic efforts “to secure such a cease-fire</a>&nbsp;in connection with the release of all remaining hostages.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-security-council">Security Council</a>&nbsp;had already adopted two resolutions on the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, but none calling for a cease-fire.Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution in late October calling for pauses in the fighting to deliver aid, protection of civilians, and a halt to arming Hamas. They said it didn’t reflect global calls for a cease-fire.The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has vetoed three resolutions demanding a cease-fire, the most recent an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-israel-palestinians-gaza-ceasefire-resolution-vote-350c86ef261bf1a00a2515cf22764de5">Arab-backed measure supported by 13 council members</a>&nbsp;with one abstention on Feb. 20.A day earlier, the U.S. circulated a rival resolution, which went through major changes during negotiations before Friday's vote. It initially would have supported a temporary cease-fire linked to the release of all hostages, and the previous draft would have supported international efforts for a cease-fire as part of a hostage deal.The vote took place as Blinken, America’s top diplomat, is on his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-arabia-egypt-israel-gaza-hamas-blinken-7e4d53b15a6c86979faaeae035564e58">sixth urgent mission to the Middle East</a>&nbsp;since the Israel-Hamas war, discussing a deal for a cease-fire and hostage release, as well as post-war scenarios.Nate Evans, the spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said the resolution was "an opportunity for the Council to speak with one voice to support the diplomacy happening on the ground and pressure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-gaza-palestinian-authority-israel-war-ed7018dbaae09b81513daf3bda38109a">Hamas</a>&nbsp;to accept the deal on the table.”Meanwhile, the 10 elected members of the Security Council have been drafting their own resolution, which demands an immediate humanitarian cease-fire for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ramadan-muslims-fasting-prayer-photos-83ead097a3b0921f387bb70ad2b6b3fc">Muslim holy month of Ramadan</a>&nbsp;that began March 10 to be “respected by all parties leading to a permanent sustainable cease-fire.”It also demands “the immediate and unconditional&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostage-families-ceasefire-ramadan-d1b0da2f7bd2e9882f79ebae874561be">release of all hostages</a>&nbsp;” and emphasizes the urgent need to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip.Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people in the surprise Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel that triggered the war, and abducted another 250 people. Hamas is still believed to be holding some 100 people hostage, as well as the remains of 30 others.In Gaza, the Health Ministry raised the death toll in the territory Thursday to nearly 32,000 Palestinians. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">doesn’t differentiate</a>&nbsp;between civilians and combatants in its count but says&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/women-children-gaza-war-victims-un-inequality-f0f89a724543b99c2c22439e7af09405">women and children</a>&nbsp;make up two-thirds of the dead.The international community’s authority on determining the severity of hunger crises warned this week that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-18-2024-eefc526aec97821fe5f1e845801a6640">“famine is imminent” in northern Gaza</a>, where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger. The report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative, or IPC, warned that escalation of the war could push half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation.The U.S. draft expressed “deep concern about the threat of conflict-induced famine and epidemics presently facing the civilian population in Gaza as well as the number of undernourished people, and also that hunger in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels.”It emphasized “the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the entire Gaza Strip” and lift all barriers to getting aid to civilians “at scale.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-06-2024-3e4bc85bc4e184312763fc331fbffedb">Israel faces mounting pressure</a>&nbsp;from even its closest allies to streamline the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and to open more land crossings, and come to a cease-fire agreement. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to move the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-hamas-gaza-israel-war-541e91c0f09196944a4dabeded94596f">military offensive to the southern city of Rafah</a>, where some 1.3 million displaced Palestinians have sought safety. Netanyahu says it's a Hamas stronghold.The final U.S. draft eliminated language in the initial draft that said Israel’s offensive in Rafah “should not proceed under current circumstances.” Instead, in an introductory paragraph, the council emphasized its concern that a ground offensive into Rafah “would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement, potentially into neighboring countries, and would have serious implications for regional peace and security.”For the first time in a U.N. resolution, the U.S. draft would condemn “all acts of terrorism, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-airstrikes-festival-survivors-5b5dc4eb87be8d7b51dceff1c9f906fd">Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023</a>, as well as its taking and killing of hostages, murder of civilians, and sexual violence, including rape.”----------UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States called for a vote Friday on a newly revised and tougher U.N. resolution declaring that “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is “imperative” to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million&nbsp;<a href="https://whyy.org/articles/israel-hamas-war-gaza-famine-said-to-be-imminent/">hungry Palestinians</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-us-resolution-gaza-ceasefire-israel-palestinians-9acc24774f2f2633bec9ffc087447ff7">In the previous draft</a>, the Security Council did not make such a declaration. Instead, it would have supported international efforts for a cease-fire as part of a hostage deal.The new draft obtained Thursday by The Associated Press “determines” — which is a council order — “the imperative of an immediate and sustained cease-fire,” with no direct link to the release of hostages taken during Hamas’ surprise attack in Israel on Oct. 7. But “toward that end” it would unequivocally support&nbsp;<a href="https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/blinken-huddles-on-gaza-with-arab-diplomats-in-cairo-as-us-israel-relations-sour/">diplomatic efforts “to secure such a cease-fire</a>&nbsp;in connection with the release of all remaining hostages.”After the 15 Security Council members met behind closed doors Thursday afternoon to discuss Gaza, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said when asked if the U.S. draft would be adopted: “I am optimistic. That’s why it took us so long, because we worked so hard.”Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, told reporters that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pressing for an immediate cease-fire and if the resolution calls for an immediate cease-fire “we will, of course, support it.”But he questioned the wording of the U.S. draft, asking: “What’s an imperative? I have an imperative to give you $100, but … it’s only an imperative, not $100.”“So, somebody’s fooling around, I think, (with the) international community,” Polyansky said. “We are not satisfied with anything that doesn’t call for immediate cease-fire. I think everybody is not satisfied with this. Even Secretary Blinken is not satisfied.”Blinken is on his sixth urgent mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began, discussing a deal for a cease-fire and hostage release as well as post-war scenarios.Nate Evans, the spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, issued a statement while the Security Council was holding closed Gaza consultations announcing that the U.S. would bring the resolution to a vote Friday morning.“This resolution is an opportunity for the Council to speak with one voice to support the diplomacy happening on the ground and pressure Hamas to accept the deal on the table,” Evans said.Meanwhile, the 10 elected members of the Security Council have been drafting their own resolution that would demand an immediate humanitarian cease-fire for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-11-2024-c6835d50f91dff0443e0f7fdf5e3229f">Muslim holy month of Ramadan</a>, which began March 10, to be “respected by all parties leading to a permanent sustainable cease-fire.”It also would demand “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” and emphasize the urgent need to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-03-17-2024-ab0b75fdd8f0ab51c5e38b1870afecd8">protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid</a>&nbsp;throughout the Gaza Strip.That draft had not yet been put in “blue,” which is the final form required for a vote.France’s U.N. ambassador, Nicolas de Riviere, told reporters that “there is a desire to take action, no one want to procrastinate, so we hope that a decision can be made by tomorrow evening.”“We need a cease-fire right now,” he said. “There are two options: Either the U.S. text is adopted and then we’ll move to the next phase of this crisis management, or the text is not adopted and then the draft of the elected members will come to the table and put to the vote, and I hope it will be adopted.”The Health Ministry in Gaza raised the death toll in the territory Thursday to nearly 32,000 Palestinians. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">doesn’t differentiate</a>&nbsp;between civilians and combatants in its count but says&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/women-children-gaza-war-victims-un-inequality-f0f89a724543b99c2c22439e7af09405">women and children</a>&nbsp;make up two-thirds of the dead.Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people in the surprise Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel that triggered the war, and abducted 250 people. Hamas is still believed to be holding some 100 people hostage as well as the remains of 30 others.The international community’s authority on determining the severity of hunger crises warned this week that “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza, where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger. The report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative, or IPC, warned that escalation of the war could push half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation.The U.S. draft would express “deep concern about the threat of conflict-induced famine and epidemics presently facing the civilian population in Gaza as well as the number of undernourished people, and also that hunger in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels.” It would emphasize “the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the entire Gaza Strip” and lift all barriers to getting aid to civilians “at scale.”Israel faces mounting pressure from even its closest allies to streamline the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and open more land crossings and for a cease-fire. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to move the military offensive to the southern city of Rafah, which he says is a Hamas stronghold. Some 1.3 million displaced Palestinians have sought safety in Rafah.The final U.S. draft eliminated language in the initial draft that said Israel’s offensive in Rafah “should not proceed under current circumstances.” Instead, in an introductory paragraph, the council would emphasize its concern that a ground offensive into Rafah “would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement, potentially into neighboring countries, and would have serious implications for regional peace and security.”For the first time in a U.N. resolution, the U.S. draft would condemn “all acts of terrorism, including the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, as well as its taking and killing of hostages, murder of civilians, and sexual violence, including rape.”

Russia and China veto US resolution calling for immediate cease-fire in Gaza

DETROIT (AP) — Stellantis is recalling nearly 285,000 Dodge and Chrysler sedans because the&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V198-1964.PDF">side air bag inflators can explode</a>&nbsp;with too much force during a crash and hurl metal fragments at drivers and passengers.

The recall covers air bag inflators on both sides of Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300 large cars from the 2018 through 2021 model years.

The automaker says in documents posted Friday by U.S. safety regulators that moisture may get into the inflators due to a manufacturing defect and cause corrosion and cracks. The documents say Stellantis has seven warranty claims and customer assistance reports but no reports of injuries.

Dealers will replace both side air bag modules. Owners will be notified starting May 3.

Stellantis estimates that 1% of the inflators are defective.

The inflators are made by Joyson Safety Systems, a company that ended up acquiring Japanese air bag maker Takata after its bankruptcy. Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate front air bags in a crash. But the chemical propellant can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. It can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel.

It wasn’t clear whether Takata was involved in designing the recalled Dodge and Chrysler air bags or if the company used ammonium nitrate as the propellant. Messages were left seeking comment from Stellantis.

DETROIT (AP) — Stellantis is recalling nearly 285,000 Dodge and Chrysler sedans because the&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V198-1964.PDF">side air bag inflators can explode</a>&nbsp;with too much force during a crash and hurl metal fragments at drivers and passengers.The recall covers air bag inflators on both sides of Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300 large cars from the 2018 through 2021 model years.The automaker says in documents posted Friday by U.S. safety regulators that moisture may get into the inflators due to a manufacturing defect and cause corrosion and cracks. The documents say Stellantis has seven warranty claims and customer assistance reports but no reports of injuries.Dealers will replace both side air bag modules. Owners will be notified starting May 3.Stellantis estimates that 1% of the inflators are defective.The inflators are made by Joyson Safety Systems, a company that ended up acquiring Japanese air bag maker Takata after its bankruptcy. Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate front air bags in a crash. But the chemical propellant can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. It can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel.It wasn’t clear whether Takata was involved in designing the recalled Dodge and Chrysler air bags or if the company used ammonium nitrate as the propellant. Messages were left seeking comment from Stellantis.

Recall on Dodge Chargers, Chrysler 300s: Air bags could explode

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers introduced a&nbsp;<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/Second%20FY24%20Package%20-%20Further%20Consolidated%20Appropriations%20Act%2C%202024.pdf">$1.2 trillion spending package</a>&nbsp;Thursday that sets the stage for avoiding a partial government shutdown for several&nbsp;<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/further-consolidated-appropriations-act-2024">key federal agencies</a>&nbsp;this weekend and allows Congress, nearly six months into the budget year, to complete its work funding the government through September.

<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/Second%20FY24%20Package%20-%20Further%20Consolidated%20Appropriations%20Act%2C%202024.pdf">Click here to read</a> details of the bill

Democrats were able to swat back scores of policy mandates and some of the steeper budget cuts that House Republicans were seeking to impose on nondefense programs, though House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., highlighted some wins, including a nearly 24% increase in detention beds for migrants awaiting their immigration proceedings or removal from the country.

This year’s spending bills were divided into two packages. The first one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-senate-congress-budget-spending-7dfcb8d8682d5dc28c91af3702489d89">cleared Congress</a>&nbsp;two weeks ago, just hours before a shutdown deadline for the agencies funded through the bills.

Now Congress is focused on the second, larger package, which includes about $886 billion for the&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20A%20Defense.PDF">Defense Department</a>, a more than 3% increase from last year’s levels. The 1,012-page bill also funds the departments of&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20C%20Homeland.pdf">Homeland Security</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20D%20LHHS.pdf">Health and Human Services, Labor</a>, and others.

“Congress must now race to pass this package before government funding runs out this Friday,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Nondefense spending will be relatively flat compared with the prior year, though some agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, are taking a hit, and many agencies will not see their budgets keep up with inflation.

When combining the two packages, discretionary spending for the budget year will come to about $1.66 trillion. That does not include programs such as Social Security and Medicare, and financing the country's rising debt.

The House is expected to take the measure up first on Friday. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., urged Republicans to vote for the measure, noting that more than 70% of the spending goes to defense.

“At at time when the world's on fire, more than ever, we need to make sure that we are properly funding our nation's defense and supporting our troops,” Scalise said.

Then it would move to the Senate where senators would have to agree on taking it up expeditiously to avoid a partial shutdown. Usually, such agreements include votes on proposed amendments to the bill.

Johnson described the bill as a serious commitment to strengthening national defense while expanding support for those serving in the military. The bill provides for a 5.2% pay increase for service members.

In promoting the bill, Republicans cited several ways it would help Israel. Most notably, they highlighted a prohibition on funding through March 2025 for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-un-aid-refugees-29932f8d12c4fa748daa03e3689dc536">U.N. Relief and Works Agency</a>, which is the main supplier of food, water and shelter to civilians in Gaza.

Republicans are insisting on cutting off funding to the agency after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-29-2024-4c49c2fb89c3bfd4963f2260b34943c1">Israel alleged that a dozen employees of the agency were involved in the attack</a>&nbsp;that Hamas conducted in Israel on Oct. 7.

But the prohibition does concern some lawmakers because many relief agencies say there is no way to replace its ability to deliver the humanitarian assistance that the United States and others are trying to send to Gaza, where one-quarter of the 2.3 million residents are starving.

Democrats emphasized that humanitarian assistance will increase globally though, by about $336.4 million.

Sen. Patty Murray, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also highlighted a $1 billion increase for Head Start programs and new child care centers for military families. Democrats also played up a $120 million increase in funding for cancer research and a $100 million increase for Alzheimer's research.

“We defeated outlandish cuts that would have been a gut punch for American families and our economy," said Murray, D-Wash.

She also said Democrats successfully fought off numerous policy measures, known as riders, that House Republicans were seeking to add.

“From Day 1 of this process, I said there would be no extreme, far-right riders to restrict women’s reproductive freedoms — and there aren’t, she said.

Among the policy provisions that House Republicans did secure was a requirement that only allows for the American flag and “other official flags” to fly over U.S. diplomatic facilities. Under the Biden administration, U.S. embassies have been invited to fly the pride flag or light up with rainbow colors in support of the LGBTQ community.

There is also a provision that prevents the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves. But the White House has said President Joe Biden would not support a ban, and the commission, an independent agency,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-us-consumer-product-safety-commission-ap-fact-check-texas-2003dcf8d0bee8ddf45080186b2e0c7b">says no such ban</a>&nbsp;was in the works.

The spending in the bill largely tracks with an agreement that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-biden-mccarthy-house-votes-9375cce9b7526b2d0a5728f8d4a18a0a">worked out</a>&nbsp;with the White House in May 2023, which restricted spending for two years and suspended the debt ceiling into January 2025 so the federal government could continue paying its bills.

Shalanda Young, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, told lawmakers Thursday that last year's agreement, which became the Fiscal Responsibility Act, will save taxpayers about $1 trillion over the coming decade.

McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted from the speaker’s role a few months after securing the debt ceiling deal. Eight Republicans ended up joining with Democrats in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-3542dd134dccf35bc67db3463baec53b">removing</a>&nbsp;McCarthy as speaker. And some of those unhappy with that deal also expressed misgivings about the latest package.

“I hope there will be some modest wins. Unfortunately, I don’t expect that we will get much in the way of significant policy wins based on past history and based on our unwillingness to use any kind of leverage to force policy wins, meaning a willingness to walk away and say no,” said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va.

Work on the spending bills has been more bipartisan in the Senate. Murray issued a joint statement after the bill's release with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urging colleagues to vote for it.

“There is zero need for a shutdown or chaos — and members of Congress should waste no time in passing these six bills, which will greatly benefit every state in America and reflect important priorities of many senators,” Murray and Collins said.

Johnson said that after the spending package passes, the House would next turn its attention to a bill that focuses on aiding Ukraine and Israel, though lawmakers are scheduled to be away from Washington for the next two weeks. The Senate has already approved a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, but Johnson has declined to bring that up for a vote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711054939075.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers introduced a&nbsp;<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/Second%20FY24%20Package%20-%20Further%20Consolidated%20Appropriations%20Act%2C%202024.pdf">$1.2 trillion spending package</a>&nbsp;Thursday that sets the stage for avoiding a partial government shutdown for several&nbsp;<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/further-consolidated-appropriations-act-2024">key federal agencies</a>&nbsp;this weekend and allows Congress, nearly six months into the budget year, to complete its work funding the government through September.<a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/Second%20FY24%20Package%20-%20Further%20Consolidated%20Appropriations%20Act%2C%202024.pdf">Click here to read</a> details of the billDemocrats were able to swat back scores of policy mandates and some of the steeper budget cuts that House Republicans were seeking to impose on nondefense programs, though House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., highlighted some wins, including a nearly 24% increase in detention beds for migrants awaiting their immigration proceedings or removal from the country.This year’s spending bills were divided into two packages. The first one&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-senate-congress-budget-spending-7dfcb8d8682d5dc28c91af3702489d89">cleared Congress</a>&nbsp;two weeks ago, just hours before a shutdown deadline for the agencies funded through the bills.Now Congress is focused on the second, larger package, which includes about $886 billion for the&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20A%20Defense.PDF">Defense Department</a>, a more than 3% increase from last year’s levels. The 1,012-page bill also funds the departments of&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20C%20Homeland.pdf">Homeland Security</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20240318/Division%20D%20LHHS.pdf">Health and Human Services, Labor</a>, and others.“Congress must now race to pass this package before government funding runs out this Friday,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.Nondefense spending will be relatively flat compared with the prior year, though some agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, are taking a hit, and many agencies will not see their budgets keep up with inflation.When combining the two packages, discretionary spending for the budget year will come to about $1.66 trillion. That does not include programs such as Social Security and Medicare, and financing the country's rising debt.The House is expected to take the measure up first on Friday. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., urged Republicans to vote for the measure, noting that more than 70% of the spending goes to defense.“At at time when the world's on fire, more than ever, we need to make sure that we are properly funding our nation's defense and supporting our troops,” Scalise said.Then it would move to the Senate where senators would have to agree on taking it up expeditiously to avoid a partial shutdown. Usually, such agreements include votes on proposed amendments to the bill.Johnson described the bill as a serious commitment to strengthening national defense while expanding support for those serving in the military. The bill provides for a 5.2% pay increase for service members.In promoting the bill, Republicans cited several ways it would help Israel. Most notably, they highlighted a prohibition on funding through March 2025 for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-un-aid-refugees-29932f8d12c4fa748daa03e3689dc536">U.N. Relief and Works Agency</a>, which is the main supplier of food, water and shelter to civilians in Gaza.Republicans are insisting on cutting off funding to the agency after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-29-2024-4c49c2fb89c3bfd4963f2260b34943c1">Israel alleged that a dozen employees of the agency were involved in the attack</a>&nbsp;that Hamas conducted in Israel on Oct. 7.But the prohibition does concern some lawmakers because many relief agencies say there is no way to replace its ability to deliver the humanitarian assistance that the United States and others are trying to send to Gaza, where one-quarter of the 2.3 million residents are starving.Democrats emphasized that humanitarian assistance will increase globally though, by about $336.4 million.Sen. Patty Murray, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also highlighted a $1 billion increase for Head Start programs and new child care centers for military families. Democrats also played up a $120 million increase in funding for cancer research and a $100 million increase for Alzheimer's research.“We defeated outlandish cuts that would have been a gut punch for American families and our economy," said Murray, D-Wash.She also said Democrats successfully fought off numerous policy measures, known as riders, that House Republicans were seeking to add.“From Day 1 of this process, I said there would be no extreme, far-right riders to restrict women’s reproductive freedoms — and there aren’t, she said.Among the policy provisions that House Republicans did secure was a requirement that only allows for the American flag and “other official flags” to fly over U.S. diplomatic facilities. Under the Biden administration, U.S. embassies have been invited to fly the pride flag or light up with rainbow colors in support of the LGBTQ community.There is also a provision that prevents the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves. But the White House has said President Joe Biden would not support a ban, and the commission, an independent agency,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-us-consumer-product-safety-commission-ap-fact-check-texas-2003dcf8d0bee8ddf45080186b2e0c7b">says no such ban</a>&nbsp;was in the works.The spending in the bill largely tracks with an agreement that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-biden-mccarthy-house-votes-9375cce9b7526b2d0a5728f8d4a18a0a">worked out</a>&nbsp;with the White House in May 2023, which restricted spending for two years and suspended the debt ceiling into January 2025 so the federal government could continue paying its bills.Shalanda Young, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, told lawmakers Thursday that last year's agreement, which became the Fiscal Responsibility Act, will save taxpayers about $1 trillion over the coming decade.McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted from the speaker’s role a few months after securing the debt ceiling deal. Eight Republicans ended up joining with Democrats in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-3542dd134dccf35bc67db3463baec53b">removing</a>&nbsp;McCarthy as speaker. And some of those unhappy with that deal also expressed misgivings about the latest package.“I hope there will be some modest wins. Unfortunately, I don’t expect that we will get much in the way of significant policy wins based on past history and based on our unwillingness to use any kind of leverage to force policy wins, meaning a willingness to walk away and say no,” said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va.Work on the spending bills has been more bipartisan in the Senate. Murray issued a joint statement after the bill's release with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urging colleagues to vote for it.“There is zero need for a shutdown or chaos — and members of Congress should waste no time in passing these six bills, which will greatly benefit every state in America and reflect important priorities of many senators,” Murray and Collins said.Johnson said that after the spending package passes, the House would next turn its attention to a bill that focuses on aiding Ukraine and Israel, though lawmakers are scheduled to be away from Washington for the next two weeks. The Senate has already approved a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, but Johnson has declined to bring that up for a vote.

What's in the $1.2 trillion spending plan to avert a government shutdown

WASHINGTON —The Biden Administration is cancelling student loans for an additional 78,000 public service workers – teachers, nurses, firefighters, and more – through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, according to a statement on the White House web site.

"These public service workers have dedicated their careers to serving their communities, but because of past administrative failures, never got the relief they were entitled to under the law."

&nbsp; "Because of the fixes my Administration has made, we have now cancelled student debt for over 870,000 public service workers– compared to only about 7,000 public service borrowers ever receiving forgiveness prior to my Administration," the statement said. 

"And through all of our various student debt relief actions, nearly four million Americans have had their student debt cancelled under my Administration."

"The announcement comes on top of the significant progress we’ve achieved for students and student loan borrowers in the past few years.&nbsp; This includes: providing the largest increases in Pell Grants in over a decade to help families who earn less than roughly $60,000 a year; fixing Income-Driven Repayment plans so borrowers in repayment for years get the relief they earned; and creating the most generous Income-Driven Repayment plan in history – the SAVE plan."

"Borrowers can go to&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/" target="_blank">studentaid.gov</a>&nbsp;to apply. And, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on my Administration’s original student debt relief plan, we are continuing to pursue an alternative path to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible.

"From day one of my Administration, I promised to fix broken student loan programs and make sure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. I won’t back down from using every tool at my disposal to deliver student debt relief to more Americans, and build an economy from the middle out and bottom up. "

WASHINGTON —The Biden Administration is cancelling student loans for an additional 78,000 public service workers – teachers, nurses, firefighters, and more – through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, according to a statement on the White House web site."These public service workers have dedicated their careers to serving their communities, but because of past administrative failures, never got the relief they were entitled to under the law."&nbsp; "Because of the fixes my Administration has made, we have now cancelled student debt for over 870,000 public service workers– compared to only about 7,000 public service borrowers ever receiving forgiveness prior to my Administration," the statement said. "And through all of our various student debt relief actions, nearly four million Americans have had their student debt cancelled under my Administration.""The announcement comes on top of the significant progress we’ve achieved for students and student loan borrowers in the past few years.&nbsp; This includes: providing the largest increases in Pell Grants in over a decade to help families who earn less than roughly $60,000 a year; fixing Income-Driven Repayment plans so borrowers in repayment for years get the relief they earned; and creating the most generous Income-Driven Repayment plan in history – the SAVE plan.""Borrowers can go to&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/" target="_blank">studentaid.gov</a>&nbsp;to apply. And, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on my Administration’s original student debt relief plan, we are continuing to pursue an alternative path to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible."From day one of my Administration, I promised to fix broken student loan programs and make sure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. I won’t back down from using every tool at my disposal to deliver student debt relief to more Americans, and build an economy from the middle out and bottom up. "

Biden cancels another $6 billion in student loan debt 

OMAHA, NE — The Platte Institute, a steadfast advocate for economic freedom and sustainable tax policies in Nebraska, voices its concern over the recent announcement by the Nebraska Legislature's Revenue Committee regarding new measures intended to lower property taxes. While the goal of reducing the tax burden on Nebraskans is commendable and dire, the approach proposed, which includes increasing the sales tax rate and extending taxation to business inputs like advertising, is a step in the wrong direction.&nbsp;

Jim Vokal, Chief Executive Officer of the Platte Institute, articulated the organization’s stance, emphasizing that, “Raising the sales tax rate and taxing business inputs like advertising is bad tax policy. In recent years, the legislature has repeatedly succeeded and shown the best path to lowering taxes is to constrain all sources of revenue and spending growth. Such constraints need to be imposed upon local governments. We believe that constraining state and local revenue and spending growth is the best path forward rather than raising new sales tax revenues to lower property tax revenues.”&nbsp;

These proposed changes would inadvertently harm Nebraska's economy by increasing the financial burden on businesses and consumers alike. Moreover, such measures do not address the underlying issues contributing to the state's tax challenges.&nbsp;The Platte Institute urges the Revenue Committee and the Nebraska Legislature at large to consider alternative strategies, such as those referenced in our report “<a href="https://platteinstitute.org/nebraskas-path-to-the-top-ten-four-more-years-of-tax-reform/" target="_blank">Nebraska’s Path to the Top Ten, Four More Years of Tax Reform</a>,” that focus on limiting the growth of spending at both state and local levels.

This approach not only aligns with the principles of economic freedom and responsibility but also ensures that tax relief is achieved without compromising Nebraska's fiscal health or economic competitiveness.&nbsp;As this debate progresses, the Platte Institute remains committed to engaging with policymakers, stakeholders, and the public to advocate for tax policies that promote growth, fairness, and economic opportunity for all Nebraskans. We encourage a return to discussions that consider the long-term implications of tax reforms and seek solutions that genuinely benefit the state's economy and its residents.&nbsp;

For further information, to request an interview, or to discuss the implications of the proposed tax measures, please contact Ryan Kopsa at (402) 366-4432 or via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rkopsa@platteinstitute.org" target="_blank">rkopsa@platteinstitute.org</a>.&nbsp;The Platte Institute continues to advance policies that remove barriers to growth and opportunity in Nebraska. For more insights, visit PlatteInstitute.org.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Platte InstituteOMAHA, NE — The Platte Institute, a steadfast advocate for economic freedom and sustainable tax policies in Nebraska, voices its concern over the recent announcement by the Nebraska Legislature's Revenue Committee regarding new measures intended to lower property taxes. While the goal of reducing the tax burden on Nebraskans is commendable and dire, the approach proposed, which includes increasing the sales tax rate and extending taxation to business inputs like advertising, is a step in the wrong direction.&nbsp;Jim Vokal, Chief Executive Officer of the Platte Institute, articulated the organization’s stance, emphasizing that, “Raising the sales tax rate and taxing business inputs like advertising is bad tax policy. In recent years, the legislature has repeatedly succeeded and shown the best path to lowering taxes is to constrain all sources of revenue and spending growth. Such constraints need to be imposed upon local governments. We believe that constraining state and local revenue and spending growth is the best path forward rather than raising new sales tax revenues to lower property tax revenues.”&nbsp;These proposed changes would inadvertently harm Nebraska's economy by increasing the financial burden on businesses and consumers alike. Moreover, such measures do not address the underlying issues contributing to the state's tax challenges.&nbsp;The Platte Institute urges the Revenue Committee and the Nebraska Legislature at large to consider alternative strategies, such as those referenced in our report “<a href="https://platteinstitute.org/nebraskas-path-to-the-top-ten-four-more-years-of-tax-reform/" target="_blank">Nebraska’s Path to the Top Ten, Four More Years of Tax Reform</a>,” that focus on limiting the growth of spending at both state and local levels. This approach not only aligns with the principles of economic freedom and responsibility but also ensures that tax relief is achieved without compromising Nebraska's fiscal health or economic competitiveness.&nbsp;As this debate progresses, the Platte Institute remains committed to engaging with policymakers, stakeholders, and the public to advocate for tax policies that promote growth, fairness, and economic opportunity for all Nebraskans. We encourage a return to discussions that consider the long-term implications of tax reforms and seek solutions that genuinely benefit the state's economy and its residents.&nbsp;For further information, to request an interview, or to discuss the implications of the proposed tax measures, please contact Ryan Kopsa at (402) 366-4432 or via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rkopsa@platteinstitute.org" target="_blank">rkopsa@platteinstitute.org</a>.&nbsp;The Platte Institute continues to advance policies that remove barriers to growth and opportunity in Nebraska. For more insights, visit PlatteInstitute.org.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Platte Institute Calls for Reconsideration of Proposed Tax Measures by Nebraska Legislature's Revenue Committee 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday announced a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/apple-inc">Apple</a>, accusing the tech giant of engineering an illegal monopoly in smartphones that boxes out competitors and stifles innovation.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, alleges that Apple has monopoly power in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/smartphones">the smartphone market</a>&nbsp;and uses its control over the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct.”

It specifically seeks to stop Apple from undermining technologies that compete with its own apps -- in areas including streaming, messaging and digital payments -- and prevent it from building language into its contracts with developers, accessory makers and consumers that lets it “obtain, maintain, extend or entrench a monopoly.”

The lawsuit — which was also filed with 16 state attorneys general — is the latest example of the Justice Department’s approach to aggressive enforcement of federal antitrust law that officials say is aimed at ensuring a fair and competitive market, even as it has lost some significant anticompetition cases.

“The Department of Justice has an enduring legacy taking on the biggest and toughest monopolies in history,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, head of the antitrust division, at a press conference announcing the lawsuit. “Today we stand here once again to promote competition and innovation for next generation of technology.”

Apple called the lawsuit “wrong on the facts and the law” and said it “will vigorously defend against it.”

President Joe Biden has called for the Justice Department and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-trade-commission">the Federal Trade Commission</a>&nbsp;to vigorously enforce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-federal-trade-commission-fb6913615c7122579a4795f5c3f457c0">antitrust statutes</a>. The increased policing of corporate mergers and business deals has been met with resistance from some business leaders who have said the Democratic administration is overreaching, but it’s been lauded by others as long overdue.

The case is taking direct aim at the digital fortress that Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, California, has assiduously built around the iPhone and other popular products such as the iPad, Mac and Apple Watch to create what is often referred to as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-inc-trials-lifestyle-technology-business-ab4cdc38a09734e3632c25228636bdd0">a “walled garden”</a>&nbsp;so its meticulously designed hardware and software can seamlessly flourish together while requiring consumers to do little more than turn the devices on.

The strategy has helped make Apple the world’s most prosperous company, with annual revenue of nearly $400 billion and, until recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-market-value-trillion-dow-jones-7f47279af45cb00506515111b92b46b5">a market value of more than $3 trillion</a>. But Apple’s shares have fallen by 7% this year even as most of the stock market has climbed to new highs, resulting in long-time rival Microsoft — a target of a major Justice Department antitrust case a quarter-century ago — to seize the mantle as the world’s most valuable company.

Apple said the lawsuit, if successful, would “hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software, and services intersect” and would “set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”

“At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love — designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users,” the company said in a statement. “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets.

Apple has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-apple-inc-games-c5fcfcc748398aa2f56586256711b0b9">defended the walled garden</a>&nbsp;as an indispensable feature prized by consumers who want the best protection available for their personal information. It has described the barrier as a way for the iPhone to distinguish itself from devices running on Google’s Android software, which isn’t as restrictive and is licensed to a wide range of manufacturers.

“Apple claims to be a champion of protecting user data, but its app store fee structure and partnership with Google search erode privacy,” Consumer Reports senior researcher Sumit Sharma said in a statement.

The lawsuit complains that Apple charges as much as $1,599 for an iPhone and that the high margins it earns on each is more than double what others in the industry get. And when users run an internet search, Google gives Apple a “significant cut” of the advertising revenue those searches generate.

The company’s app store also charges developers up to 30 percent of the app’s price for consumers.

Critics of Apple’s anticompetitive practices have long complained that it’s claim to prioritize user privacy is hypocritical when profits are at stake. While its iMessage services is sheathed from prying eyes by end-to-end encryption, that protection evaporates the moment someone texts a non-Apple device.

Prominent critic Cory Doctorow has complained that while Apple has blocked Facebook from spying on its users it runs its “own surveillance advertising empire” that gathers the same kinds of personal data but for its own use.

Fears about an antitrust crackdown on Apple’s business model have contributed to the drop in the company’s stock price, along with concerns that it is lagging Microsoft and Google in the push to develop products powered by artificial intelligence technology.

But antitrust regulators made it clear in their complaint that they see Apple’s walled garden most as a weapon to ward off competition, creating market conditions that enable it to charge higher prices that have propelled its lofty profit margins while stifling innovation.

“Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “We allege that Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.”

With the attempt to rein in Apple’s dominance, the Biden administration is escalating an antitrust siege that has already triggered lawsuits against Google and Amazon accusing them in engaging in illegal tactics to thwart competition, as well as unsuccessful attempts to block acquisitions by Microsoft and Facebook parent Meta Platforms.

Apple’s business interests are also entangled in the Justice Department’s case against Google, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-trial-search-engine-justice-department-2cfb06271455c7e12c4927959061e832">went to trial last fall</a>&nbsp;and is headed toward final arguments scheduled to begin May 1 in Washington, D.C. In that case, regulators are alleging Google has stymied competition by paying for the rights for its already dominant online search engine to be the automatic place to handle queries on the iPhone and a variety of web browsers in an arrangement that generates an estimated $15 billion to $20 billion annually.

Now that the Justice Department is mounting a direct attack across its business, Apple stands to lose even more.

The Justice Department is following up an other recent attempts to force Apple to change the way it runs the iPhone and other parts of its business.

Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in 2020 in an effort break down the barriers protecting the iPhone App Store and a lucrative payment system operating within it. Apple has long collected commissions ranging from 15% to 30% on digital transactions completed within apps, a setup that Epic alleged was enabled by an illegal monopoly that drives up prices for consumers.

After a monthlong trial in 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-prices-76b30a844324db04f06a144f888a6f0d">a federal judge ruled mostly in favor of Apple</a>&nbsp;with the exception of deciding that links to competing payment options should be permitted inside of iPhone apps. Apple unsuccessfully resisted that portion of the ruling until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-apple-epic-fortnite-antitrust-iphone-c412553d88f8798acd7d5e1cbb5826bc">the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal</a>&nbsp;in January, forcing the company to relent. But the concessions that Apple made to comply with the ruling are still facing a “bad faith” challenge from Epic, which is seeking an April 30 hearing to ask U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to order more changes.

Apple also had to open up the iPhone to allow apps to be downloaded and installed from competing stores in Europe to comply with a new set of regulators called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/digital-markets-act-european-union-rules-apple-5162872791b985e794df9b3a7b46aed1">the Digital Markets Act,</a>&nbsp;or DMA, earlier this month but its approach is being pilloried by critics as little more than an end-around the rules that will enable it to continue to muscle out real competition. European Union regulators already have vowed to crack down on Apple if it finds the company’s tactics continue to thwart true consumer choice.

All of this comes on top of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-antitrust-fine-music-streaming-europe-439e3e8af91d844dee3dc8ff8012c68f">a $2 billion (1.8 billion euro) fine</a>&nbsp;that European regulators slapped on Apple earlier this month after concluding that the company had undermined competition in the music streaming through the iPhone, despite Spotify being the leader in that market.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711052797525.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday announced a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/apple-inc">Apple</a>, accusing the tech giant of engineering an illegal monopoly in smartphones that boxes out competitors and stifles innovation.The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, alleges that Apple has monopoly power in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/smartphones">the smartphone market</a>&nbsp;and uses its control over the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct.”It specifically seeks to stop Apple from undermining technologies that compete with its own apps -- in areas including streaming, messaging and digital payments -- and prevent it from building language into its contracts with developers, accessory makers and consumers that lets it “obtain, maintain, extend or entrench a monopoly.”The lawsuit — which was also filed with 16 state attorneys general — is the latest example of the Justice Department’s approach to aggressive enforcement of federal antitrust law that officials say is aimed at ensuring a fair and competitive market, even as it has lost some significant anticompetition cases.“The Department of Justice has an enduring legacy taking on the biggest and toughest monopolies in history,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, head of the antitrust division, at a press conference announcing the lawsuit. “Today we stand here once again to promote competition and innovation for next generation of technology.”Apple called the lawsuit “wrong on the facts and the law” and said it “will vigorously defend against it.”President Joe Biden has called for the Justice Department and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/federal-trade-commission">the Federal Trade Commission</a>&nbsp;to vigorously enforce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-federal-trade-commission-fb6913615c7122579a4795f5c3f457c0">antitrust statutes</a>. The increased policing of corporate mergers and business deals has been met with resistance from some business leaders who have said the Democratic administration is overreaching, but it’s been lauded by others as long overdue.The case is taking direct aim at the digital fortress that Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, California, has assiduously built around the iPhone and other popular products such as the iPad, Mac and Apple Watch to create what is often referred to as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-inc-trials-lifestyle-technology-business-ab4cdc38a09734e3632c25228636bdd0">a “walled garden”</a>&nbsp;so its meticulously designed hardware and software can seamlessly flourish together while requiring consumers to do little more than turn the devices on.The strategy has helped make Apple the world’s most prosperous company, with annual revenue of nearly $400 billion and, until recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-market-value-trillion-dow-jones-7f47279af45cb00506515111b92b46b5">a market value of more than $3 trillion</a>. But Apple’s shares have fallen by 7% this year even as most of the stock market has climbed to new highs, resulting in long-time rival Microsoft — a target of a major Justice Department antitrust case a quarter-century ago — to seize the mantle as the world’s most valuable company.Apple said the lawsuit, if successful, would “hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software, and services intersect” and would “set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”“At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love — designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users,” the company said in a statement. “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets.Apple has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-apple-inc-games-c5fcfcc748398aa2f56586256711b0b9">defended the walled garden</a>&nbsp;as an indispensable feature prized by consumers who want the best protection available for their personal information. It has described the barrier as a way for the iPhone to distinguish itself from devices running on Google’s Android software, which isn’t as restrictive and is licensed to a wide range of manufacturers.“Apple claims to be a champion of protecting user data, but its app store fee structure and partnership with Google search erode privacy,” Consumer Reports senior researcher Sumit Sharma said in a statement.The lawsuit complains that Apple charges as much as $1,599 for an iPhone and that the high margins it earns on each is more than double what others in the industry get. And when users run an internet search, Google gives Apple a “significant cut” of the advertising revenue those searches generate.The company’s app store also charges developers up to 30 percent of the app’s price for consumers.Critics of Apple’s anticompetitive practices have long complained that it’s claim to prioritize user privacy is hypocritical when profits are at stake. While its iMessage services is sheathed from prying eyes by end-to-end encryption, that protection evaporates the moment someone texts a non-Apple device.Prominent critic Cory Doctorow has complained that while Apple has blocked Facebook from spying on its users it runs its “own surveillance advertising empire” that gathers the same kinds of personal data but for its own use.Fears about an antitrust crackdown on Apple’s business model have contributed to the drop in the company’s stock price, along with concerns that it is lagging Microsoft and Google in the push to develop products powered by artificial intelligence technology.But antitrust regulators made it clear in their complaint that they see Apple’s walled garden most as a weapon to ward off competition, creating market conditions that enable it to charge higher prices that have propelled its lofty profit margins while stifling innovation.“Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “We allege that Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.”With the attempt to rein in Apple’s dominance, the Biden administration is escalating an antitrust siege that has already triggered lawsuits against Google and Amazon accusing them in engaging in illegal tactics to thwart competition, as well as unsuccessful attempts to block acquisitions by Microsoft and Facebook parent Meta Platforms.Apple’s business interests are also entangled in the Justice Department’s case against Google, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-trial-search-engine-justice-department-2cfb06271455c7e12c4927959061e832">went to trial last fall</a>&nbsp;and is headed toward final arguments scheduled to begin May 1 in Washington, D.C. In that case, regulators are alleging Google has stymied competition by paying for the rights for its already dominant online search engine to be the automatic place to handle queries on the iPhone and a variety of web browsers in an arrangement that generates an estimated $15 billion to $20 billion annually.Now that the Justice Department is mounting a direct attack across its business, Apple stands to lose even more.The Justice Department is following up an other recent attempts to force Apple to change the way it runs the iPhone and other parts of its business.Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in 2020 in an effort break down the barriers protecting the iPhone App Store and a lucrative payment system operating within it. Apple has long collected commissions ranging from 15% to 30% on digital transactions completed within apps, a setup that Epic alleged was enabled by an illegal monopoly that drives up prices for consumers.After a monthlong trial in 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-prices-76b30a844324db04f06a144f888a6f0d">a federal judge ruled mostly in favor of Apple</a>&nbsp;with the exception of deciding that links to competing payment options should be permitted inside of iPhone apps. Apple unsuccessfully resisted that portion of the ruling until&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-apple-epic-fortnite-antitrust-iphone-c412553d88f8798acd7d5e1cbb5826bc">the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal</a>&nbsp;in January, forcing the company to relent. But the concessions that Apple made to comply with the ruling are still facing a “bad faith” challenge from Epic, which is seeking an April 30 hearing to ask U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to order more changes.Apple also had to open up the iPhone to allow apps to be downloaded and installed from competing stores in Europe to comply with a new set of regulators called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/digital-markets-act-european-union-rules-apple-5162872791b985e794df9b3a7b46aed1">the Digital Markets Act,</a>&nbsp;or DMA, earlier this month but its approach is being pilloried by critics as little more than an end-around the rules that will enable it to continue to muscle out real competition. European Union regulators already have vowed to crack down on Apple if it finds the company’s tactics continue to thwart true consumer choice.All of this comes on top of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apple-antitrust-fine-music-streaming-europe-439e3e8af91d844dee3dc8ff8012c68f">a $2 billion (1.8 billion euro) fine</a>&nbsp;that European regulators slapped on Apple earlier this month after concluding that the company had undermined competition in the music streaming through the iPhone, despite Spotify being the leader in that market.

DOJ sues Apple over alleged iPhone monopoly

University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, and Regional West Health Services CEO Mel McNea signed a master affiliation agreement March 19 at the hospital.

The agreement will enable UNMC health professions students to do critically important clinical rotations at Regional West. It is an outgrowth of a longstanding partnership between UNMC and Regional West. Current UNMC students doing rotations at Regional West include allied health professions, medical, nursing and pharmacy. Under the new agreement, additional students&nbsp;will be able to rotate through Regional West and the Scottsbluff community.

“With this new affiliation agreement, we are thrilled to continue and expand our relationship with UNMC for our clinical students. This agreement enables even more UNMC students to do clinical rotations at Regional West. It is important for students to experience and deliver health care in the western end of the state,” McNea said.

Dr. Gold said he was excited about the new agreement.

“There’s a lot of work to do to build Nebraska’s health care workforce,” he said. “That’s why we’re here today, to roll up our sleeves and do the work. There are many students in Nebraska right now who want to have access to health professions educational opportunities in the communities where they grew up. This agreement will help us make that possible for more students in Scottsbluff and the surrounding areas.”

In addition to meeting with leaders at Regional West Health Services, Dr. Gold and UNMC leaders – including deans Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, of the UNMC College of Nursing and Gerard Kugel, DMD, PhD, of the UNMC College of Dentistry – met with other community leaders, as well as UNMC alumni, in the Scottsbluff and Gering area.

Photo caption:&nbsp;Mel McNea, Regional West CEO, and Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center chancellor, finalize the agreement between Regional West Health Services and UNMC.

UNMCUniversity of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, and Regional West Health Services CEO Mel McNea signed a master affiliation agreement March 19 at the hospital.The agreement will enable UNMC health professions students to do critically important clinical rotations at Regional West. It is an outgrowth of a longstanding partnership between UNMC and Regional West. Current UNMC students doing rotations at Regional West include allied health professions, medical, nursing and pharmacy. Under the new agreement, additional students&nbsp;will be able to rotate through Regional West and the Scottsbluff community.“With this new affiliation agreement, we are thrilled to continue and expand our relationship with UNMC for our clinical students. This agreement enables even more UNMC students to do clinical rotations at Regional West. It is important for students to experience and deliver health care in the western end of the state,” McNea said.Dr. Gold said he was excited about the new agreement.“There’s a lot of work to do to build Nebraska’s health care workforce,” he said. “That’s why we’re here today, to roll up our sleeves and do the work. There are many students in Nebraska right now who want to have access to health professions educational opportunities in the communities where they grew up. This agreement will help us make that possible for more students in Scottsbluff and the surrounding areas.”In addition to meeting with leaders at Regional West Health Services, Dr. Gold and UNMC leaders – including deans Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, of the UNMC College of Nursing and Gerard Kugel, DMD, PhD, of the UNMC College of Dentistry – met with other community leaders, as well as UNMC alumni, in the Scottsbluff and Gering area.Photo caption:&nbsp;Mel McNea, Regional West CEO, and Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center chancellor, finalize the agreement between Regional West Health Services and UNMC.

UNMC, Regional West Health Services sign affiliation agreement

A bill that would have held school librarians and teachers criminally responsible for providing “obscene material” to Nebraska students in grades K-12 failed to break a filibuster Wednesday in the Legislature.

But heated debate over it led the body’s Republican Speaker of the Legislature to slash debate times in half on bills he deemed as covering “social issues” for the remaining 13 days of the session.

State Sen. Joni Albrecht, who introduced the bill, said it simply would close a "loophole” in the state’s existing obscenity laws that prohibit adults from giving such material to minors. But critics panned it as a way for a vocal minority to ban books they don’t like from school and public library shelves.

Book bans and attempted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/books-bannings-libraries-record-high-c19af576ca3a446f278bfa2a7c3323a2">bans soared</a>&nbsp;last year in the U.S. Almost half of the challenged books are about communities of color, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups, according to a recent report from the American Library Association. Among the books frequently challenged is Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”

Opponents of the bill argued that children are not accessing obscene material as it is currently defined in the law — which would essentially cover graphic pornography and erotica — in school and public libraries.

Instead, they said, the bill would be used by a handful of people who want to ban books they don't like and would have a chilling effect free speech. It would have allowed a handful of people who would like to ban books they don't like to threaten educators and librarians with criminal charges, opposing lawmakers said, likely lead librarians to pull books from the shelves simply to avoid the conflict.

Debate on the measure grew heated over the two days it took for lawmakers to discuss it, and one Republican lawmaker who name-checked a fellow legislator while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-halloran-rape-415eb8066a43c973128ec2601dee85a8">reading a graphic account</a>&nbsp;of sexual violence from a best-selling memoir is now being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-rape-sexual-harassment-21c16184e6012a074aefb1125408f859">investigated for sexual harassment</a>.

Supporters of the bill denied that the purpose of the bill was an end-around way to banning books. But many then proceeded to bash the very books and material — including sex education curriculum in schools — as being dangerous for children.

Albrecht said Tuesday during debate that sex education wasn't taught when she was in school 50 years ago, adding, “We just figured it out.” A few male lawmakers openly pined for the days decades ago when most children grew up in two-parent families and extolled keeping young girls “naive."

That led other lawmakers to push back. Sen. Carol Blood noted that the prevalence of two-parent families decades ago had less to do with morals than the fact that women were unable to hold credit cards and bank accounts in their own names, making them financially dependent on their husbands and sometimes confining them in abusive marriages. Sen. Jen Day noted that sex education has been shown to help protect children against sexual predators.

Sen. Danielle Conrad, a free speech advocate and former director of the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, chastised bill supporters, saying they were pandering to those who want to ban books.

“This debate is divorced from reality,” she said. “It's embarrassing to Nebraska. And we have bigger, important issues to address.”

By Wednesday, Speaker of the Legislature Sen. John Arch announced that he had had enough. A bill in Nebraska's unique one-chamber Legislature must get through three rounds of debate to pass, and the rules generally allow eight hours of of debate in the first round, four hours in the second and two in the final round before a vote to end debate can be held.

Arch said that moving forward this session, he would cut that to four hours in the first round, two in the second and one in the last round “for bills which are controversial and emotionally charged.”

“I'm not referring to traditional governmental policy bills such as taxes or creating and funding new programs or existing programs,” he said, adding that debate on those bills, while also often controversial and heated, also often leads to compromise.

“That is not the case with social issue bills," he said. “Members generally go into debate with their minds made up, and prolonged debate only serves the purpose of fanning the fires of contention.”

Associated PressA bill that would have held school librarians and teachers criminally responsible for providing “obscene material” to Nebraska students in grades K-12 failed to break a filibuster Wednesday in the Legislature.But heated debate over it led the body’s Republican Speaker of the Legislature to slash debate times in half on bills he deemed as covering “social issues” for the remaining 13 days of the session.State Sen. Joni Albrecht, who introduced the bill, said it simply would close a "loophole” in the state’s existing obscenity laws that prohibit adults from giving such material to minors. But critics panned it as a way for a vocal minority to ban books they don’t like from school and public library shelves.Book bans and attempted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/books-bannings-libraries-record-high-c19af576ca3a446f278bfa2a7c3323a2">bans soared</a>&nbsp;last year in the U.S. Almost half of the challenged books are about communities of color, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups, according to a recent report from the American Library Association. Among the books frequently challenged is Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”Opponents of the bill argued that children are not accessing obscene material as it is currently defined in the law — which would essentially cover graphic pornography and erotica — in school and public libraries.Instead, they said, the bill would be used by a handful of people who want to ban books they don't like and would have a chilling effect free speech. It would have allowed a handful of people who would like to ban books they don't like to threaten educators and librarians with criminal charges, opposing lawmakers said, likely lead librarians to pull books from the shelves simply to avoid the conflict.Debate on the measure grew heated over the two days it took for lawmakers to discuss it, and one Republican lawmaker who name-checked a fellow legislator while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-halloran-rape-415eb8066a43c973128ec2601dee85a8">reading a graphic account</a>&nbsp;of sexual violence from a best-selling memoir is now being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lawmaker-rape-sexual-harassment-21c16184e6012a074aefb1125408f859">investigated for sexual harassment</a>.Supporters of the bill denied that the purpose of the bill was an end-around way to banning books. But many then proceeded to bash the very books and material — including sex education curriculum in schools — as being dangerous for children.Albrecht said Tuesday during debate that sex education wasn't taught when she was in school 50 years ago, adding, “We just figured it out.” A few male lawmakers openly pined for the days decades ago when most children grew up in two-parent families and extolled keeping young girls “naive."That led other lawmakers to push back. Sen. Carol Blood noted that the prevalence of two-parent families decades ago had less to do with morals than the fact that women were unable to hold credit cards and bank accounts in their own names, making them financially dependent on their husbands and sometimes confining them in abusive marriages. Sen. Jen Day noted that sex education has been shown to help protect children against sexual predators.Sen. Danielle Conrad, a free speech advocate and former director of the Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, chastised bill supporters, saying they were pandering to those who want to ban books.“This debate is divorced from reality,” she said. “It's embarrassing to Nebraska. And we have bigger, important issues to address.”By Wednesday, Speaker of the Legislature Sen. John Arch announced that he had had enough. A bill in Nebraska's unique one-chamber Legislature must get through three rounds of debate to pass, and the rules generally allow eight hours of of debate in the first round, four hours in the second and two in the final round before a vote to end debate can be held.Arch said that moving forward this session, he would cut that to four hours in the first round, two in the second and one in the last round “for bills which are controversial and emotionally charged.”“I'm not referring to traditional governmental policy bills such as taxes or creating and funding new programs or existing programs,” he said, adding that debate on those bills, while also often controversial and heated, also often leads to compromise.“That is not the case with social issue bills," he said. “Members generally go into debate with their minds made up, and prolonged debate only serves the purpose of fanning the fires of contention.”

A Nebraska bill to subject librarians to charges for giving 'obscene material' to children fails

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/20/unmcs-jeffrey-gold-priority-nu-presidential-candidate-seeks-to-pay-it-forward/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.

OMAHA — Dr. Jeffrey Gold on Wednesday recounted how he recently opened an email from a former cardiac patient whose life he helped save when she was only 2 days old.

The woman, on the 37th anniversary of her heart surgery in New York City, sent him photos of herself — rock-climbing, raising her three children — offering a glimpse of what resulted because of his hand as a pediatric and adult cardiac surgeon.&nbsp;

“That gives one a perspective of paying it forward, of real value,” Gold said, hours after he received a phone call telling him that he was voted as the priority candidate to serve as the next president of the University of Nebraska.

While he described his feelings as humbled and somewhat intimidated, Gold said during a media event that he is more thrilled at the opportunity to help and inspire another generation of young people “who really want to reach for something special.”

A Nebraskan for 10 years now — since he was tapped in 2014 to be chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center — Gold, 71, said he was prepared to remain as long as he is able at the helm of the entire NU system.

A commitment to stay 10 years was among three must-haves that Gov. Jim Pillen conveyed to the NU Board of Regents for the person selected to fill the presidency, which has been vacant since the start of this year.

The other two criteria were that the person have Nebraska ties and a respect for values of conservative Nebraskans. Sources familiar with the search<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/16/nu-leadership-choice-was-deadlocked-between-unmc-chancellor-and-state-chamber-head/">&nbsp;told the Nebraska Examiner earlier</a>&nbsp;that conservative values in that case meant someone who would not advocate for the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that Pillen campaigned against in 2022.

Asked Wednesday about his thoughts on DEI, Gold said: “Frankly, we need to be a welcoming organization for all students and faculty and staff … where people feel they belong.”

He said he recognized that questions about diversity and inclusion are being tested widely across the country, in schools, Congress, state legislatures. He spoke of the value of learning from multiple opinions. And he said he’ll move forward with “balance and thought.”&nbsp;

“It’s going to take a fine art of what I would call threading the needle to get it exactly right,” Gold said.

Regents who commented Wednesday universally praised Gold as the right choice to take NU to its next chapter:

Regent Elizabeth O’Connor of Omaha:&nbsp;“As an experienced leader in education, I firmly believe that Dr. Gold is poised to help us take advantage of these opportunities and to build a university for Nebraska’s future.”

Regent Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City:&nbsp;“I do think this is going to leave us at a point where we can step forward with competence and we can proceed onward with making the university that best place to be for our students and for our state of Nebraska.”

UNL Student Regent Paul Pechous:&nbsp;Gold is a champion for NU and has proven as much over his last 10 years of service. Pechous said he looks forward to Gold “continuing to be a champion for our students.”

UNMC Student Regent Katie Schultis:&nbsp;“He’s a role model that I look up to and just the leader that I want to be as well.” She said Gold is student-focused and the “biggest champion for student initiatives.”

Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk:“We’re not on the moon, so it’s not a step for mankind, but it sure as hell is a step for Nebraska.”Regent Paul Kenney of Amherst, board vice chair:“We found the best person available for our job.”

Earlier Wednesday, the NU Board of Regents unanimously selected Gold as its priority candidate. He’ll go through a 30-day public vetting period before an expected confirmation vote, perhaps as early at the board’s April 19 meeting.&nbsp;

Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice, board chair, said he does not yet know whether the April 19 meeting may just miss the 30-day window that would allow regents to confirm Gold at the earliest time available. That could lead to a meeting a day or a week later for a final vote.

Schafer said Gold came into the system with “probably the most dynamic background” and was formidable from the start. As the presidential search progressed, the process became one of comparing other candidates against Gold.

If confirmed, Gold would be the ninth NU system president, filling the role after former NU President Ted Carter left for The Ohio State University on Dec. 31.

Gold’s departure from UNMC will mean all four of&nbsp; NU’s campus chancellors will have less than three years on the job come this summer. The university now has two leadership spots to fill: both Gold’s and that of UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen, who will retire after this academic year.

Gold concurrently served as chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha for four years and is NU’s current chief academic officer, serving as a liaison between NU and the regents.&nbsp;

A graduate from the Cornell University College of Engineering with a degree in theoretical and applied mechanics, Gold earned his medical degree from the Will Cornell College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at The New York – Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.&nbsp;

He has been certified by the American Boards of Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, specializing in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, and is licensed in Nebraska, Ohio, New York and New Jersey.

Pillen, a former regent, blasted the governing board last week for slow-walking the presidential search. As a regent, Pillen led the 2019 search that brought Carter to NU. That search took 214 days from the time NU President Hank Bounds announced his departure to Carter being named priority candidate.

With Wednesday’s announcement, the most recent search clocked out at 211 days.

Pillen, in a short statement Wednesday afternoon, focused much of his praise on Interim NU President Chris Kabourek’s leadership since taking over Jan. 1. He also congratulated Gold on emerging as NU’s priority candidate.

“He has been a visionary, patient-focused leader for UNMC,” Pillen said of Gold.

The two have been at odds in the past, such as in 2021 when Pillen, during his campaign for governor, sought to prohibit the imposition of critical race theory on NU campuses.

Gold, joined by Carter and the other campus chancellors, rebuffed Pillen that summer in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/nu-president-chancellors-oppose-crt-resolution-uphold-academic-freedom/article_5a72bf26-ea39-11eb-8aca-3f2dffc65110.html">defense of academic freedom</a>&nbsp;and the “freedom of expression for all members of the University of Nebraska community.” Pillen’s resolution ultimately fell two votes short of being adopted.

During Wednesday’s news conference, Gold said that he had spoken to Pillen, discussing such topics as the importance of building a state workforce. He described the governor as “extremely congratulatory.”

“Clearly his vision and my vision for the academic success of our state and the importance of the university are highly, highly aligned,” Gold said.

Among Gold’s priorities, he said, is regaining membership in the American Association of Universities.

“That is a big part of the future challenge we all have together,” he said, though he offered little detail on how he’d pursue that goal.

He said AAU values are similar to his, including research and productivity of faculty and students. He said that NU has made strides in those areas and that he plans to work further on how progress in those areas is collected and reported.

Encouraging to Gold, he said, is that 57 of the 71 AAU member universities have large, thriving medical centers such as UNMC.

“So this is the company we need to keep and work on,” Gold said.

Gold received praise from several on Wednesday, including State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a former hospital administrator, who said Gold has taken UNMC “to a new level.”

&nbsp;“He’s smarter than hell,” said Riepe, who worked with Gold in 2017-18 as chair of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.

Gold said he will spend time speaking to regents and others. He said he is excited to take on the position, with a competitive spirit and executing his own definition of leadership: “To make others’ dreams come true.”&nbsp;

“We need to compete and win in the classroom, in the laboratory, in clinics and on the cornfields,” he said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711034049098.jpeg" alt="Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center holds a press conference in the Dr. Leland and Dorothy Olson Atrium of the Wigton Heritage Center on the UNMC Omaha campus after it was announced that he is the priority candidate to serve as the ninth president of the University of Nebraska. (Courtesy of Kent Sievers/UNMC)" />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center holds a press conference in the Dr. Leland and Dorothy Olson Atrium of the Wigton Heritage Center on the UNMC Omaha campus after it was announced that he is the priority candidate to serve as the ninth president of the University of Nebraska. (Courtesy of Kent Sievers/UNMC)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling and Cindy Gonzalez<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/20/unmcs-jeffrey-gold-priority-nu-presidential-candidate-seeks-to-pay-it-forward/">Nebraska Examiner</a>Editor’s note: This story has been updated.OMAHA — Dr. Jeffrey Gold on Wednesday recounted how he recently opened an email from a former cardiac patient whose life he helped save when she was only 2 days old.The woman, on the 37th anniversary of her heart surgery in New York City, sent him photos of herself — rock-climbing, raising her three children — offering a glimpse of what resulted because of his hand as a pediatric and adult cardiac surgeon.&nbsp;“That gives one a perspective of paying it forward, of real value,” Gold said, hours after he received a phone call telling him that he was voted as the priority candidate to serve as the next president of the University of Nebraska.While he described his feelings as humbled and somewhat intimidated, Gold said during a media event that he is more thrilled at the opportunity to help and inspire another generation of young people “who really want to reach for something special.”A Nebraskan for 10 years now — since he was tapped in 2014 to be chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center — Gold, 71, said he was prepared to remain as long as he is able at the helm of the entire NU system.<h2>‘Welcoming organization’</h2>A commitment to stay 10 years was among three must-haves that Gov. Jim Pillen conveyed to the NU Board of Regents for the person selected to fill the presidency, which has been vacant since the start of this year.The other two criteria were that the person have Nebraska ties and a respect for values of conservative Nebraskans. Sources familiar with the search<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/16/nu-leadership-choice-was-deadlocked-between-unmc-chancellor-and-state-chamber-head/">&nbsp;told the Nebraska Examiner earlier</a>&nbsp;that conservative values in that case meant someone who would not advocate for the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that Pillen campaigned against in 2022.Asked Wednesday about his thoughts on DEI, Gold said: “Frankly, we need to be a welcoming organization for all students and faculty and staff … where people feel they belong.”He said he recognized that questions about diversity and inclusion are being tested widely across the country, in schools, Congress, state legislatures. He spoke of the value of learning from multiple opinions. And he said he’ll move forward with “balance and thought.”&nbsp;“It’s going to take a fine art of what I would call threading the needle to get it exactly right,” Gold said.<h2>Regents praise pick</h2>Regents who commented Wednesday universally praised Gold as the right choice to take NU to its next chapter:Regent Elizabeth O’Connor of Omaha:&nbsp;“As an experienced leader in education, I firmly believe that Dr. Gold is poised to help us take advantage of these opportunities and to build a university for Nebraska’s future.”Regent Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City:&nbsp;“I do think this is going to leave us at a point where we can step forward with competence and we can proceed onward with making the university that best place to be for our students and for our state of Nebraska.”UNL Student Regent Paul Pechous:&nbsp;Gold is a champion for NU and has proven as much over his last 10 years of service. Pechous said he looks forward to Gold “continuing to be a champion for our students.”UNMC Student Regent Katie Schultis:&nbsp;“He’s a role model that I look up to and just the leader that I want to be as well.” She said Gold is student-focused and the “biggest champion for student initiatives.”Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk:“We’re not on the moon, so it’s not a step for mankind, but it sure as hell is a step for Nebraska.”Regent Paul Kenney of Amherst, board vice chair:“We found the best person available for our job.”Earlier Wednesday, the NU Board of Regents unanimously selected Gold as its priority candidate. He’ll go through a 30-day public vetting period before an expected confirmation vote, perhaps as early at the board’s April 19 meeting.&nbsp;Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice, board chair, said he does not yet know whether the April 19 meeting may just miss the 30-day window that would allow regents to confirm Gold at the earliest time available. That could lead to a meeting a day or a week later for a final vote.Schafer said Gold came into the system with “probably the most dynamic background” and was formidable from the start. As the presidential search progressed, the process became one of comparing other candidates against Gold.If confirmed, Gold would be the ninth NU system president, filling the role after former NU President Ted Carter left for The Ohio State University on Dec. 31.<h2>Leadership spots to fill</h2>Gold’s departure from UNMC will mean all four of&nbsp; NU’s campus chancellors will have less than three years on the job come this summer. The university now has two leadership spots to fill: both Gold’s and that of UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen, who will retire after this academic year.Gold concurrently served as chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha for four years and is NU’s current chief academic officer, serving as a liaison between NU and the regents.&nbsp;A graduate from the Cornell University College of Engineering with a degree in theoretical and applied mechanics, Gold earned his medical degree from the Will Cornell College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at The New York – Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.&nbsp;He has been certified by the American Boards of Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, specializing in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, and is licensed in Nebraska, Ohio, New York and New Jersey.<h2>A 211-day search</h2>Pillen, a former regent, blasted the governing board last week for slow-walking the presidential search. As a regent, Pillen led the 2019 search that brought Carter to NU. That search took 214 days from the time NU President Hank Bounds announced his departure to Carter being named priority candidate.With Wednesday’s announcement, the most recent search clocked out at 211 days.Pillen, in a short statement Wednesday afternoon, focused much of his praise on Interim NU President Chris Kabourek’s leadership since taking over Jan. 1. He also congratulated Gold on emerging as NU’s priority candidate.“He has been a visionary, patient-focused leader for UNMC,” Pillen said of Gold.The two have been at odds in the past, such as in 2021 when Pillen, during his campaign for governor, sought to prohibit the imposition of critical race theory on NU campuses.Gold, joined by Carter and the other campus chancellors, rebuffed Pillen that summer in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/nu-president-chancellors-oppose-crt-resolution-uphold-academic-freedom/article_5a72bf26-ea39-11eb-8aca-3f2dffc65110.html">defense of academic freedom</a>&nbsp;and the “freedom of expression for all members of the University of Nebraska community.” Pillen’s resolution ultimately fell two votes short of being adopted.During Wednesday’s news conference, Gold said that he had spoken to Pillen, discussing such topics as the importance of building a state workforce. He described the governor as “extremely congratulatory.”“Clearly his vision and my vision for the academic success of our state and the importance of the university are highly, highly aligned,” Gold said.<h2>‘Smarter than hell’</h2>Among Gold’s priorities, he said, is regaining membership in the American Association of Universities.“That is a big part of the future challenge we all have together,” he said, though he offered little detail on how he’d pursue that goal.He said AAU values are similar to his, including research and productivity of faculty and students. He said that NU has made strides in those areas and that he plans to work further on how progress in those areas is collected and reported.Encouraging to Gold, he said, is that 57 of the 71 AAU member universities have large, thriving medical centers such as UNMC.“So this is the company we need to keep and work on,” Gold said.Gold received praise from several on Wednesday, including State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, a former hospital administrator, who said Gold has taken UNMC “to a new level.”&nbsp;“He’s smarter than hell,” said Riepe, who worked with Gold in 2017-18 as chair of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.Gold said he will spend time speaking to regents and others. He said he is excited to take on the position, with a competitive spirit and executing his own definition of leadership: “To make others’ dreams come true.”&nbsp;“We need to compete and win in the classroom, in the laboratory, in clinics and on the cornfields,” he said.&nbsp;Gold noted his own journey when talking about what he believes makes him the right person for this job.He said he was a product of a large public high school in New York City and was a first-generation college student, dependent on scholarships, work study and student loans.He said his work with volunteer boards and in various positions in the NU system — which took him to all parts of the state, and on some rides on combines and tractors — have allowed him a look at various urban and rural needs.Gold said he is “incredibly well-aware that this is a time of great change and indeed of great stress and great challenge across all higher education.”&nbsp;But he believes that NU is “rock solid” and prepared for headwinds.Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.<h2>UNMC growth and expansion</h2>University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey Gold has been at the helm during unprecedented UNMC growth and a multibillion-dollar flurry of building initiatives on and around its midtown Omaha home campus.At the end of last year, he gathered with area officials to celebrate the start of the six-story so-called $105 million “CORE” facility (Campus Operations &amp; Research Excellence), which is expected to open in 2026. That facility — along with other developments ongoing or planned along the Saddle Creek corridor — could expand the UNMC footprint by roughly 1.5 million square feet of building space, the medical center’s officials have said.Officials called that unprecedented growth for the public medical center’s midtown Omaha base, whose building space now spans about 10 million square feet.Gold has said that growth is essential to maintain momentum reflected in rising student enrollment, research and clinical care for Nebraskans as well as others.UNMC also has launched projects designed to expand its rural presence.A $85 million rural medical school, for example, is expected to open in 2025 in Kearney and has been touted as a sign of Nebraska’s effort to grow the health care workforce in its rural communities.—&nbsp;From Nebraska Examiner senior reporter Cindy Gonzalez