HOUSTON (AP) — The Biden administration can keep operating a program that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-haiti-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-trial-982e96527e266b46dc95388f31a93824">allows a limited number of migrants</a>&nbsp;from four countries to enter the U.S. on humanitarian grounds after a federal judge on Friday dismissed a challenge from Republican-led states.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton said Texas and 20 other states had not shown they had suffered financial harm because of the humanitarian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-parole-trump-biden-latin-america-hungary-vietnam-cuba-venezuela-6deab463a9cc596b2cd1adc6443da787">parole program</a>&nbsp;that allows up to 30,000 asylum-seekers into the U.S. each month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela combined. That was something the states needed to prove to have legal standing to bring the lawsuit.

“In reaching this conclusion, the Court does not address the lawfulness of the Program,” Tipton wrote.

Eliminating the program would undercut a broader policy that seeks to encourage migrants to use the Biden administration’s preferred pathways into the U.S. or face stiff consequences.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-haiti-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-e8a59f78e4b674d45a7dc0b546158336">The states</a>, led by Texas, had argued the program is forcing them to spend millions on health care, education, and public safety for the migrants. An attorney working with the Texas attorney general’s office in the legal challenge said that the program “created a shadow immigration system.”

Advocates for the federal government countered that migrants admitted through the policy helped with a U.S. farm labor shortage.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which defended the program, didn't immediately reply to messages seeking comment.

An appeal by Texas and the other states seemed likely.

Since the program was launched in fall 2022, more than 357,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela have been granted parole and allowed to enter the country through January. Haitians have been far been the biggest group to use the program with 138,000 people from that country arriving, followed by 86,000 Venezuelans, 74,000 Cubans and 58,000 Nicaraguans.

Migrants must apply online, arrive at an airport and have a financial sponsor in the U.S. If approved, they can stay for two years and get a work permit.

President Joe Biden has made unprecedented use of parole authority, which has been in effect since 1952 and allows presidents to let people in for “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”

Esther Sung, an attorney for Justice Action Center, which represented seven people who were sponsoring migrants as part of the program, said she was looking forward to calling her clients to let them know of the court's decision.

"It’s a popular program. People want to welcome other people to this country,” she said.

During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-humanitarian-parole-trial-biden-border-080faf3d3d756bb5fb91b2175742c383">an August trial</a>&nbsp;in Victoria, Texas, Tipton declined to issue any temporary order that would halt the parole program nationwide. Tipton is an appointee of former President Donald Trump who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-arrests-boston-immigration-migration-62c2cdf752b8301a726aca3974ae80b2">ruled against</a>&nbsp;the Biden administration in 2022 on an order that determined who to prioritize for deportation.

Some states said the initiative has benefited them. One Nicaraguan migrant admitted into the country through the process filled a position at a farm in Washington state that was struggling to find workers.

Tipton questioned how Texas could be claiming financial losses if data showed that the parole program actually reduced the number of migrants coming into the U.S.

“The Court has before it a case in which Plaintiffs claim that they have been injured by a program that has actually lowered their out-of-pocket costs,” Tipton said in Friday's ruling.

When the policy took effect, the Biden administration had been preparing to end a pandemic-era policy at the border known as Title 42 that barred migrants from seeking asylum at ports of entry and immediately expelled many who entered illegally.

Proponents of the policy also faced scrutiny from Tipton, who questioned whether living in poverty was enough for migrants to qualify. Elissa Fudim, a lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice, responded: “I think probably not.”

Federal government attorneys and immigrant rights groups said that in many cases, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans are also fleeing oppressive regimes, escalating violence and worsening political conditions that have endangered their lives.

The lawsuit did not challenge the use of humanitarian parole for tens of thousands of Ukrainians who came after Russia’s invasion. It is among several legal challenges the Biden administration has faced over its immigration policies.

The program’s supporters said each case is individually reviewed and some people who had made it to the final approval step after arriving in the U.S. have been rejected, though they did not provide the number of rejections that have occurred.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317817548.png" alt="Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON (AP) — The Biden administration can keep operating a program that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-haiti-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-trial-982e96527e266b46dc95388f31a93824">allows a limited number of migrants</a>&nbsp;from four countries to enter the U.S. on humanitarian grounds after a federal judge on Friday dismissed a challenge from Republican-led states.U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton said Texas and 20 other states had not shown they had suffered financial harm because of the humanitarian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-parole-trump-biden-latin-america-hungary-vietnam-cuba-venezuela-6deab463a9cc596b2cd1adc6443da787">parole program</a>&nbsp;that allows up to 30,000 asylum-seekers into the U.S. each month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela combined. That was something the states needed to prove to have legal standing to bring the lawsuit.“In reaching this conclusion, the Court does not address the lawfulness of the Program,” Tipton wrote.Eliminating the program would undercut a broader policy that seeks to encourage migrants to use the Biden administration’s preferred pathways into the U.S. or face stiff consequences.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-haiti-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-e8a59f78e4b674d45a7dc0b546158336">The states</a>, led by Texas, had argued the program is forcing them to spend millions on health care, education, and public safety for the migrants. An attorney working with the Texas attorney general’s office in the legal challenge said that the program “created a shadow immigration system.”Advocates for the federal government countered that migrants admitted through the policy helped with a U.S. farm labor shortage.The Texas Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which defended the program, didn't immediately reply to messages seeking comment.An appeal by Texas and the other states seemed likely.Since the program was launched in fall 2022, more than 357,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela have been granted parole and allowed to enter the country through January. Haitians have been far been the biggest group to use the program with 138,000 people from that country arriving, followed by 86,000 Venezuelans, 74,000 Cubans and 58,000 Nicaraguans.Migrants must apply online, arrive at an airport and have a financial sponsor in the U.S. If approved, they can stay for two years and get a work permit.President Joe Biden has made unprecedented use of parole authority, which has been in effect since 1952 and allows presidents to let people in for “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”Esther Sung, an attorney for Justice Action Center, which represented seven people who were sponsoring migrants as part of the program, said she was looking forward to calling her clients to let them know of the court's decision."It’s a popular program. People want to welcome other people to this country,” she said.During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-humanitarian-parole-trial-biden-border-080faf3d3d756bb5fb91b2175742c383">an August trial</a>&nbsp;in Victoria, Texas, Tipton declined to issue any temporary order that would halt the parole program nationwide. Tipton is an appointee of former President Donald Trump who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-arrests-boston-immigration-migration-62c2cdf752b8301a726aca3974ae80b2">ruled against</a>&nbsp;the Biden administration in 2022 on an order that determined who to prioritize for deportation.Some states said the initiative has benefited them. One Nicaraguan migrant admitted into the country through the process filled a position at a farm in Washington state that was struggling to find workers.Tipton questioned how Texas could be claiming financial losses if data showed that the parole program actually reduced the number of migrants coming into the U.S.“The Court has before it a case in which Plaintiffs claim that they have been injured by a program that has actually lowered their out-of-pocket costs,” Tipton said in Friday's ruling.When the policy took effect, the Biden administration had been preparing to end a pandemic-era policy at the border known as Title 42 that barred migrants from seeking asylum at ports of entry and immediately expelled many who entered illegally.Proponents of the policy also faced scrutiny from Tipton, who questioned whether living in poverty was enough for migrants to qualify. Elissa Fudim, a lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice, responded: “I think probably not.”Federal government attorneys and immigrant rights groups said that in many cases, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans are also fleeing oppressive regimes, escalating violence and worsening political conditions that have endangered their lives.The lawsuit did not challenge the use of humanitarian parole for tens of thousands of Ukrainians who came after Russia’s invasion. It is among several legal challenges the Biden administration has faced over its immigration policies.The program’s supporters said each case is individually reviewed and some people who had made it to the final approval step after arriving in the U.S. have been rejected, though they did not provide the number of rejections that have occurred.

Judge OKs plan that allows 30,000 migrants from 4 countries into the US each month 

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/11/five-nebraska-legislative-candidates-have-already-raised-more-than-100k/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The price of mounting a credible bid for the Nebraska Legislature keeps rising, with 2023 fundraising tallies hinting at 2024 being another banner year for six-figure races.

Five candidates for the $12,000-a-year job had already raised more than $100,000 in 2023, a pre-election-year — a number that shows an accelerating trend from recent years, based on year-end fundraising reports from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission.

Top legislative candidate cash on hand in 2023

For the 2020 election, a record 27 Nebraska legislative candidates raised more than $100,000. For races in 2022, 20 raised $100,000 or more. As recently as the 2010s, only seven or eight candidates raised that much for most legislative elections.&nbsp;

State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, led in funds raised in 2023, with $205,000. That pushed his campaign cash on hand to $255,000, including money raised in previous years.

Much of that money came from trial lawyers, family members, some of the top Lincoln-area Democratic donors and a conservation-related&nbsp;political action committee that listed him as executive director. Bostar’s campaign spent about $38,000 in 2023, mostly on helping other candidates.

Asked about the push for earlier fundraising, Bostar said he learned the hard way in 2022 that estimates about what it would take to win in his district were low.

In that race against Republican Jacob Campbell, the two candidates raised and spent at least $600,000 combined, one of the costliest legislative races in Nebraska history.

“I think I estimated too low the first time around, and I didn’t want to make that mistake again,” Bostar said.&nbsp;

On March 1, the deadline to file to run for office, the Republican who had filed to run against Bostar, Philipe Bruce, withdrew from the race. That left Bostar funded for an election fight that might not come, an outcome he said he did not expect.

Asked what he might do with the money, he said he didn’t expect to run unopposed and hadn’t thought much about it yet. Senators are limited to serving two consecutive terms.

He said he understands people who question raising and spending so much money for a seat that pays like a part-time job. But he says candidates run to help others, not for the pay.

State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, appointed by Gov. Jim Pillen to replace former State Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, raised the next most at $140,000 and had $125,000 in cash.

She had help from the family of Tom Peed of Sandhills Publishing and many major GOP donors statewide. Her campaign reported spending about $15,000, mainly on consulting.

Bosn, a former Lancaster County prosecutor, said she attended meetings, visited businesses in her district, spoke to constituents and built relationships. But, she said, she was “very shocked when the six-figure numbers came in.”

“I was surprised at the amount that some races cost,” she said.

Her likely opponent, Nicki Popp, raised $23,000 and had $9,400 in cash. Her donors included State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln. Popp, who is registered nonpartisan, spent $16,000, mostly on consultants.

Incumbents facing tough election fights this fall were next, with Democratic State Sen. Jen Day of Omaha raising $113,000 and listing $74,000 in campaign cash.

She had help from the family of University of Nebraska Regent Barbara Weitz and State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha. Day spent about $50,000, mostly on campaign operations.

She faces two GOP candidates in right-leaning District 49. Bob Andersen raised $29,000 and had $17,000 in cash. Caleb Muhs raised $26,000 and had $16,000 in cash.

Andersen got help from former Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster and spent $11,000. Muhs got help from the political action committee supporting Nebraska realtors and spent $13,000.&nbsp;

Grand Island State Sen. Ray Aguilar, a Republican, raised $110,000 and listed $100,000 in cash on hand for his central Nebraska race.

Aguilar, who is serving his second stint in the Legislature after having been term-limited, said he has talked with some of his colleagues about how much these races cost.

“You start to wonder where all this will end,” he said. “It’s expensive.”

One of Aguilar’s opponents, former State Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island, reported raising $85,000 and listed $72,000 in cash.&nbsp;

The final early member of the six-figure fundraising club for 2024 is State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, who serves parts of southwest Omaha. She raised $101,000 and had $57,000 in cash.

She received help from Herbster and Attorney General Mike Hilgers. Kauth spent $52,000 in 2023, largely on consultants and campaign operations.

She told the Examiner that legislative races in Douglas County are getting more expensive every election cycle. She estimated that her race could cost $180,000 to $220,000, without outside spending.

“That is an astonishing number,” she said.

Her top Democratic opponent, Mary Ann Folchert of Omaha, raised $51,000 and had $24,000 in cash on hand. She received help from some top local donors, including Michael Yanney. Folchert spent $31,000 in 2023 on fundraising and other campaign operations.

Ballard, Derner raise for tough Lincoln race

State Sen. Beau Ballard, who was appointed to his northwest Lancaster County seat, appears to be headed for a tough first election. He raised $89,000 and had $83,000 in cash on hand.

One of his top supporters is Hilgers, the senator he replaced in the Legislature. Ballard’s campaign spent about $8,100 in 2023, mainly on operations.

His likely opponent, Democrat Seth Derner, raised $61,000 and listed $52,000 in cash. He got help from the Omaha-based Weitz family and the union representing electrical workers.

Of all the legislative candidates, Omaha lawyer Tracy Hightower-Henne, a Democrat, spent the most in 2023. She is among several candidates running to represent northeastern Douglas County.

She spent nearly $63,000 last year, reports show, including more than half on a parade entry during Native Omaha Days in North Omaha.

McDonnell, Slama leaving with big war chests

One of the most interesting tidbits from last year’s legislative fundraising documents is the handful of senators not running again who are leaving office with significant sums.

Chief among them is State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, who has been considering a run for Omaha mayor. He raised $22,000 in 2023 and had $277,000 in cash. Unions helped him.

State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar raised $53,000 and amassed $146,000 in cash. The lawyer announced right before the deadline for incumbents to run that she would not run for re-election.

She has said she wants to focus on being a new mom. Political insiders have said she might run for a different statewide office later, such as secretary of state or treasurer, an office she applied for last year when it became vacant.

Other senators leaving with major cash on hand include Vargas with $101,000, State Sen. John Lowe of Kearney with $46,000, Sen. Tom Brewer, who represents north-central Nebraska, with $28,000, and Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha with $15,000.

Vargas is running for Congress in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District for a seat held by Republican Don Bacon. Vargas narrowly lost to Bacon in 2022.

The Nebraska primary is May 14. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance in the officially nonpartisan races to the general election in November.

Aaron Sanderford<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/03/11/five-nebraska-legislative-candidates-have-already-raised-more-than-100k/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The price of mounting a credible bid for the Nebraska Legislature keeps rising, with 2023 fundraising tallies hinting at 2024 being another banner year for six-figure races.Five candidates for the $12,000-a-year job had already raised more than $100,000 in 2023, a pre-election-year — a number that shows an accelerating trend from recent years, based on year-end fundraising reports from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission.<h2>Top legislative fundraisers in 2023</h2>(all incumbents)<ol>
 <li>Eliot Bostar, $205,000</li><li>Carolyn Bosn, $140,000</li><li>Jen Day, $113,000</li><li>Ray Aguilar, $110,000</li><li>Kathleen Kauth $101,000</li>
 </ol><h2>Top legislative candidate cash on hand in 2023</h2>(all incumbents)<ol>
 <li>Mike McDonnell*, $277,000</li><li>Eliot Bostar, $255,000</li><li>Julie Slama*, $146,000</li><li>Carolyn Bosn, $125,000</li><li>Ray Aguilar, $100,000</li>
 </ol>* not running this yearFor the 2020 election, a record 27 Nebraska legislative candidates raised more than $100,000. For races in 2022, 20 raised $100,000 or more. As recently as the 2010s, only seven or eight candidates raised that much for most legislative elections.&nbsp;<h2>Bostar leads the pack</h2>State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, led in funds raised in 2023, with $205,000. That pushed his campaign cash on hand to $255,000, including money raised in previous years.Much of that money came from trial lawyers, family members, some of the top Lincoln-area Democratic donors and a conservation-related&nbsp;political action committee that listed him as executive director. Bostar’s campaign spent about $38,000 in 2023, mostly on helping other candidates.Asked about the push for earlier fundraising, Bostar said he learned the hard way in 2022 that estimates about what it would take to win in his district were low.In that race against Republican Jacob Campbell, the two candidates raised and spent at least $600,000 combined, one of the costliest legislative races in Nebraska history.“I think I estimated too low the first time around, and I didn’t want to make that mistake again,” Bostar said.&nbsp;On March 1, the deadline to file to run for office, the Republican who had filed to run against Bostar, Philipe Bruce, withdrew from the race. That left Bostar funded for an election fight that might not come, an outcome he said he did not expect.Asked what he might do with the money, he said he didn’t expect to run unopposed and hadn’t thought much about it yet. Senators are limited to serving two consecutive terms.He said he understands people who question raising and spending so much money for a seat that pays like a part-time job. But he says candidates run to help others, not for the pay.<h2>Bosn leads newcomers</h2>State Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, appointed by Gov. Jim Pillen to replace former State Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, raised the next most at $140,000 and had $125,000 in cash.She had help from the family of Tom Peed of Sandhills Publishing and many major GOP donors statewide. Her campaign reported spending about $15,000, mainly on consulting.Bosn, a former Lancaster County prosecutor, said she attended meetings, visited businesses in her district, spoke to constituents and built relationships. But, she said, she was “very shocked when the six-figure numbers came in.”“I was surprised at the amount that some races cost,” she said.Her likely opponent, Nicki Popp, raised $23,000 and had $9,400 in cash. Her donors included State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln. Popp, who is registered nonpartisan, spent $16,000, mostly on consultants.<h2>Day, Aguilar raising big for tough races</h2>Incumbents facing tough election fights this fall were next, with Democratic State Sen. Jen Day of Omaha raising $113,000 and listing $74,000 in campaign cash.She had help from the family of University of Nebraska Regent Barbara Weitz and State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha. Day spent about $50,000, mostly on campaign operations.She faces two GOP candidates in right-leaning District 49. Bob Andersen raised $29,000 and had $17,000 in cash. Caleb Muhs raised $26,000 and had $16,000 in cash.Andersen got help from former Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster and spent $11,000. Muhs got help from the political action committee supporting Nebraska realtors and spent $13,000.&nbsp;Grand Island State Sen. Ray Aguilar, a Republican, raised $110,000 and listed $100,000 in cash on hand for his central Nebraska race.Aguilar, who is serving his second stint in the Legislature after having been term-limited, said he has talked with some of his colleagues about how much these races cost.“You start to wonder where all this will end,” he said. “It’s expensive.”One of Aguilar’s opponents, former State Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island, reported raising $85,000 and listed $72,000 in cash.&nbsp;<h2>Kauth preps for SW Omaha fight</h2>The final early member of the six-figure fundraising club for 2024 is State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, who serves parts of southwest Omaha. She raised $101,000 and had $57,000 in cash.She received help from Herbster and Attorney General Mike Hilgers. Kauth spent $52,000 in 2023, largely on consultants and campaign operations.She told the Examiner that legislative races in Douglas County are getting more expensive every election cycle. She estimated that her race could cost $180,000 to $220,000, without outside spending.“That is an astonishing number,” she said.Her top Democratic opponent, Mary Ann Folchert of Omaha, raised $51,000 and had $24,000 in cash on hand. She received help from some top local donors, including Michael Yanney. Folchert spent $31,000 in 2023 on fundraising and other campaign operations.<h2>Ballard, Derner raise for tough Lincoln race</h2>State Sen. Beau Ballard, who was appointed to his northwest Lancaster County seat, appears to be headed for a tough first election. He raised $89,000 and had $83,000 in cash on hand.One of his top supporters is Hilgers, the senator he replaced in the Legislature. Ballard’s campaign spent about $8,100 in 2023, mainly on operations.His likely opponent, Democrat Seth Derner, raised $61,000 and listed $52,000 in cash. He got help from the Omaha-based Weitz family and the union representing electrical workers.Of all the legislative candidates, Omaha lawyer Tracy Hightower-Henne, a Democrat, spent the most in 2023. She is among several candidates running to represent northeastern Douglas County.She spent nearly $63,000 last year, reports show, including more than half on a parade entry during Native Omaha Days in North Omaha.<h2>McDonnell, Slama leaving with big war chests</h2>One of the most interesting tidbits from last year’s legislative fundraising documents is the handful of senators not running again who are leaving office with significant sums.Chief among them is State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, who has been considering a run for Omaha mayor. He raised $22,000 in 2023 and had $277,000 in cash. Unions helped him.State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar raised $53,000 and amassed $146,000 in cash. The lawyer announced right before the deadline for incumbents to run that she would not run for re-election.She has said she wants to focus on being a new mom. Political insiders have said she might run for a different statewide office later, such as secretary of state or treasurer, an office she applied for last year when it became vacant.Other senators leaving with major cash on hand include Vargas with $101,000, State Sen. John Lowe of Kearney with $46,000, Sen. Tom Brewer, who represents north-central Nebraska, with $28,000, and Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha with $15,000.Vargas is running for Congress in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District for a seat held by Republican Don Bacon. Vargas narrowly lost to Bacon in 2022.The Nebraska primary is May 14. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance in the officially nonpartisan races to the general election in November.

Five Nebraska legislative candidates have already raised more than $100k

LINCOLN, NEB. – “Following significant outcry from farmers and ranchers across Nebraska and across our nation, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) did the right thing today in voting not to include Scope 3 or supply chain emissions in their final Climate Disclosure Rule. The original proposal, released two years ago, initially required publicly traded companies to report the greenhouse gas emissions of their supply chain which would likely have forced many farms and ranches into onerous data-gathering and reporting requirements.”

“The SEC made the correct decision today, but we remain dedicated to ensuring Nebraska’s farm and ranch families aren’t hit with the regulatory burdens and legal liability for similar rules in the future. Nebraska farmers and ranchers know that ‘sustainability’ is more than just a trendy catchphrase, it is what they have been doing for decades in producing more food, fiber, and fuel for the world using less land, water, fertilizer, and other inputs.”

“Lastly, we want to thank each member of Nebraska’s Congressional Delegation for their efforts in pushing back on the original SEC rule. Their unwavering dedication to pushing back against federal regulatory overreach are always appreciated.”

The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 55,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefb.org/" target="_blank">www.nefb.org</a>.

Nebraska Farm BureauLINCOLN, NEB. – “Following significant outcry from farmers and ranchers across Nebraska and across our nation, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) did the right thing today in voting not to include Scope 3 or supply chain emissions in their final Climate Disclosure Rule. The original proposal, released two years ago, initially required publicly traded companies to report the greenhouse gas emissions of their supply chain which would likely have forced many farms and ranches into onerous data-gathering and reporting requirements.”“The SEC made the correct decision today, but we remain dedicated to ensuring Nebraska’s farm and ranch families aren’t hit with the regulatory burdens and legal liability for similar rules in the future. Nebraska farmers and ranchers know that ‘sustainability’ is more than just a trendy catchphrase, it is what they have been doing for decades in producing more food, fiber, and fuel for the world using less land, water, fertilizer, and other inputs.”“Lastly, we want to thank each member of Nebraska’s Congressional Delegation for their efforts in pushing back on the original SEC rule. Their unwavering dedication to pushing back against federal regulatory overreach are always appreciated.”The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 55,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nefb.org/" target="_blank">www.nefb.org</a>.

Statement by Mark McHargue, President, Regarding SEC Climate Disclosure Rule

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A list of winners at the<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-Oscars-updates-winners">&nbsp;Academy Awards on Sunda</a>y:

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-oppenheimer-movie-review-christopher-nolan-c708d52c230a0574712ebe1298af070d" target="_blank">“Oppenheimer”</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/emma-stone" target="_blank">Emma Stone, “Poor Things”</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-downey-jr-oppenheimer-interview-b6d9c38b3735906940d86a6e8aa8bc27" target="_blank">Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”</a>

Da’Vine Joy Randolph,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/holdovers-alexander-payne-e45036178a7ce23c0bd045ccc1dd4ae1" target="_blank">“The Holdovers”</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christopher-nolan-oppenheimer-oscars-academy-awards-595ceb713efb026e2bcf3814b0cfa48a" target="_blank">Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”</a>

“The Zone of Interest,” Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soundtracks-2024-oscars-academy-awards-barbie-8d7f562b3c642362dfd90b8db3154458" target="_blank">“What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/godzilla-minus-one-2d1c07f947a298c9c972b5f026344b71" target="_blank">“Godzilla Minus One”</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/20-days-mariupol-oscar-nominations-documentary-d1256ee3cd3bf1a69787108513a7a761" target="_blank">“20 Days in Mariupol”</a>

“WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John &amp; Yoko”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-heron-miyazaki-movie-review-a38c35485066682e2c5026c69fef82be" target="_blank">“The Boy and the Heron”</a>

“Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet and Arthur Harari

“Poor Things,” Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston

“Poor Things,” James Price, Shona Heath and Zsuzsa Mihalek

“The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Oppenheimer,” a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-office sensation, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-oscars-updates-winners#0000018e-2b4d-d7d8-a7ee-bfdfe5f30000">crowned best picture at a 96th Academy Awards</a>&nbsp;that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan.

After passing over arguably Hollywood’s foremost big-screen auteur for years, the Oscars made up for lost time by heaping seven awards on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-469cc81e0989f414a20db5508c7630a0">Nolan’s blockbuster biopic</a>, including best actor for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-actor-2024-oscars-e43fa9f19d0ebe413014e22a8bcbfe34">Cillian Murphy</a>, best supporting actor for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supporting-actor-2024-oscars-5320c80b0206acddf8cc0698ad70a4b7">Robert Downey Jr.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-director-2024-oscars-7dbd4334dfbdef442d7e1a358520ec52">best director for Nolan</a>.

In anointing “Oppenheimer,” the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences did something it hasn’t done for more than a decade:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oscars-academy-awards-oppenheimer-barbie-blockbusters-5dd72660915a7aad6fe8e358172dad69">hand its top prize to a widely seen, big-budget studio film</a>. In a film industry where a cape, dinosaur or Tom Cruise has often been a requirement for such box office, “Oppenheimer” brought droves of moviegoers to theaters with a complex, fission-filled drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb.

“For better or worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world," said Murphy in his acceptance speech. "I’d like to dedicate this to the peacemakers.”

As a film heavy with unease for human capacity for mass destruction, “Oppenheimer” also emerged — even over its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barbenheimer-barbie-oppenheimer-double-feature-3f2cebb6720fb79b8584976f9e97eca0">partner in cultural phenomenon, “Barbie”</a>&nbsp;– as a fittingly foreboding film for times rife with cataclysm, man-made or not.

Sunday’s Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles unfolded against the backdrop of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">wars in Gaza</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>, and with a potentially momentous U.S. election on the horizon. Awards for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-documentary-2024-oscars-61eadff6af5bb91d53737776c1a60ff8">documentary winner, “20 Days in Mariupol,”</a>&nbsp;and best&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-international-film-2024-oscars-winner-3bfe76af4d45930520d6ec143c2b33bc">international film, “The Zone of Interest,”</a>&nbsp;brought geopolitics into the Oscar spotlight.

The most closely watched contest went to Emma Stone, who won best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” In what was seen as the night’s most nail-biting category, Stone won over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lily-gladstone-ap-breakthrough-entertainer-2023-905692b843b38751ad4e57705949e3ab">Lily Gladstone</a>&nbsp;of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Gladstone would have become the first Native American to win an Academy Award.

Instead, Oscar voters couldn’t resist the full-bodied extremes of Stone’s “Poor Things” performance. The win for Stone, her second best actress Oscar following her 2017 win for “La La Land,” confirmed the 35-year-old as arguably the preeminent big-screen actress of her generation. The list of women to win best actress two or more times is illustrious, including Katharine Hepburn, Frances McDormand, Ingrid Bergman and Bette Davis.

“Oh, boy, this is really overwhelming,” said Stone, who fought back tears and a broken dress during her speech.

Sunday’s broadcast had razzle dazzle, including a sprawling song-and-dance rendition of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barbie-soundtrack-mark-ronson-f7b8ef9faf406a30576392197e72d237">“Barbie” hit “I’m Just Ken”</a>&nbsp;by Ryan Gosling, with an assist on guitar by Slash and a sea of Kens who swarmed the stage.

But protest and politics intruded on an election-year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-oscars-updates-winners">Academy Awards</a>. Late during the show, host Jimmy Kimmel read a critical social media post from former president Donald Trump.

“Thank you for watching,” said Kimmel. “Isn’t it past your jail time?”

Nolan has had many movies in the Oscar mix before, including “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and “The Dark Knight.” But his win Sunday for direction is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-director-2024-oscars-7dbd4334dfbdef442d7e1a358520ec52">first Academy Award for the 53-year-old filmmaker</a>. Addressing the crowd, Nolan noted cinema is just over a hundred years old.

“Imagine being there 100 years into painting or theater,” said Nolan, who shared the best-picture award with Emma Thomas, his wife and producer. “We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here. But to know that you think that I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me.”

Downey, nominated twice before (for “Chaplin” and “Tropic Thunder”), also notched his first Oscar, crowning the illustrious second act of his up-and-down career.

“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the academy, in that order,” said Downey,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-movies-robert-downey-jr-c28d5b1dc4bc197cc0beea2803f0955e">the son of filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.</a>

“Barbie,” last year’s biggest box-office hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, ultimately won just one award: best song (sorry, Ken) for Billie Eilish and Finneas’ “What Was I Made For?” It’s their second Oscar, two years after winning for their James Bond theme, “No Time to Die.”

Protests over Israel’s war in Gaza snarled traffic around the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, slowing stars’ arrival on the red carpet and turning the Oscar’ attention toward the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">ongoing conflict</a>. Some protesters shouted “Shame!” at those trying to reach the awards.

Jonathan Glazer, the British filmmaker whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zone-of-interest-cannes-jonathan-glazer-auschwitz-0e5665079c18a37762cc4de19ddba4a1">chilling Auschwitz drama “The Zone of Interest”</a>&nbsp;won best international film, drew connections between the dehumanization depicted in his film and today.

“Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel, or the the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims, this dehumanization, how do we resist?”

A year after “Navalny” won the same award, Mstyslav Chernov’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-documentary-20-days-mariupol-82fadffb60f225d753203df3e16db56b">“20 Days in Mariupol,”</a>&nbsp;a harrowing chronicle of the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, won best documentary. The win, a first for The Associated Press and PBS’ “Frontline,” came as the war in Ukraine passed the two-year mark with no signs of abating.

Chernov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and AP journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/movies-documentaries-academy-awards-public-broadcasting-service-bobi-wine-01e000a048404c09a04710735b9ceaa8">whose hometown was bombed the day he learned of his Oscar nomination</a>, spoke forcefully about Russia’s invasion.

“This is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history, and I'm honored,” said Chernov. “Probably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I’d never made this film. I wish to be able to exchange this (for) Russia never attacking Ukraine.”

In the early going, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Frankenstein-riff “Poor Things” ran away with three prizes for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poor-things-costumes-sets-yorgos-lanthimos-7b226f3941bf08c23a2bf2da1c7f3c1f">its sumptuous craft,</a>&nbsp;including awards for production design, makeup and hairstyling and costume design. “Poor Things” fared second best to “Oppenheimer,” with a total of four awards.

Kimmel, hosting the ABC telecast for the fourth time, opened the awards with an monologue that emphasized Hollywood as “a union town” following 2023's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">actor and writer strikes</a>, drew a standing ovation for bringing out teamsters and behind-the-scenes workers — who are now entering their own labor negotiations.

The night's first award was one of its most predictable:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oscars-2024-supporting-actress-104c12c3cd5483e7baa685e6ac78f16b">Da'Vine Joy Randolph for best supporting actress</a>, for her performance in Alexander Payne's “The Holdovers.” An emotional Randolph was accompanied to the stage by her “Holdovers” co-star Paul Giamatti.

“For so long I've always wanted to be different,” said Randolph. "And now I realize I just need to be myself."

Though Randolph’s win was widely expected, an upset quickly followed. Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-animated-film-2024-oscars-346ebe9c9392126031969ff51044a4a2">won for best animated feature</a>, a surprise over the slightly favored “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Miyazaki, the 83-year-old Japanese anime master who came out of retirement to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-heron-miyazaki-movie-review-a38c35485066682e2c5026c69fef82be">“The Boy and the Heron,”</a>&nbsp;didn’t attend the ceremony. He also didn’t attend the 2003 Oscars when his “Spirited Away” won the same award.

Best original screenplay went to “Anatomy of a Fall,” which, like “Barbie," was penned by a couple: director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. “This will help me through my midlife crisis, I think," said Triet.

In adapted screenplay, where “Barbie” was nominated — and where some suspected Greta Gerwig would win after being overlooked for director — the Oscar went to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cord-jefferson-american-fiction-tiff-toronto-film-festival-f16d5df808a6d7117c07442b9ad7ce02">Cord Jefferson</a>, who wrote and directed his feature film debut “American Fiction.” He pleaded for executives to take risks on young filmmakers like himself.

“Instead of making a $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies,” said Jefferson, previously an award-winning TV writer.

The Oscars belonged largely to theatrical-first films. Though it came into the awards with 19 nominations, Netflix was a bit player. Its lone win came for live action short: Wes Anderson's “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” based on the story by Roald Dahl.

The win for “Oppenheimer” offered Hollywood a chance to celebrate despite swirling storm clouds in the film industry. Nolan’s film debuted last year just as actors joined screenwriters in a prolonged strike over streaming economics and artificial intelligence. The actors’ strike ended in November, but little of Hollywood’s unease subsided. Streaming has proved less lucrative for most studios not named Netflix.

But “Barbenheimer” was the kind of unplanned phenomenon Hollywood needs more of. The two films could also give a lift to the Oscar telecast, which has historically benefitted from having big movies in contention. The Academy Awards’ largest audience ever came when James Cameron’s “Titanic” swept the 1998 Oscars.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A list of winners at the<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-Oscars-updates-winners">&nbsp;Academy Awards on Sunda</a>y:<h2>BEST PICTURE</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-oppenheimer-movie-review-christopher-nolan-c708d52c230a0574712ebe1298af070d" target="_blank">“Oppenheimer”</a><h2>BEST ACTRESS</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/emma-stone" target="_blank">Emma Stone, “Poor Things”</a><h2>BEST ACTOR</h2>Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”<h2>SUPPORTING ACTOR</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-downey-jr-oppenheimer-interview-b6d9c38b3735906940d86a6e8aa8bc27" target="_blank">Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”</a><h2>SUPPORTING ACTRESS</h2>Da’Vine Joy Randolph,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/holdovers-alexander-payne-e45036178a7ce23c0bd045ccc1dd4ae1" target="_blank">“The Holdovers”</a><h2>DIRECTOR</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/christopher-nolan-oppenheimer-oscars-academy-awards-595ceb713efb026e2bcf3814b0cfa48a" target="_blank">Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”</a><h2>LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM</h2>“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”<h2>SOUND</h2>“The Zone of Interest,” Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn<h2>ORIGINAL SCORE</h2>“Oppenheimer,” Ludwig Göransson<h2>ORIGINAL SONG</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/soundtracks-2024-oscars-academy-awards-barbie-8d7f562b3c642362dfd90b8db3154458" target="_blank">“What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”</a><h2>VISUAL EFFECTS</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/godzilla-minus-one-2d1c07f947a298c9c972b5f026344b71" target="_blank">“Godzilla Minus One”</a><h2>FILM EDITING</h2>“Oppenheimer,” Jennifer Lame<h2>DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM</h2>“The Last Repair Shop”<h2>DOCUMENTARY FEATURE</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/20-days-mariupol-oscar-nominations-documentary-d1256ee3cd3bf1a69787108513a7a761" target="_blank">“20 Days in Mariupol”</a><h2>CINEMATOGRAPHY</h2>“Oppenheimer,” Hoyte Van Hoytema<h2>ANIMATED SHORT FILM</h2>“WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John &amp; Yoko”<h2>ANIMATED FILM</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-heron-miyazaki-movie-review-a38c35485066682e2c5026c69fef82be" target="_blank">“The Boy and the Heron”</a><h2>ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY</h2>“Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet and Arthur Harari<h2>ADAPTED SCREENPLAY</h2>“American Fiction,” Cord Jefferson<h2>MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING</h2>“Poor Things,” Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston<h2>PRODUCTION DESIGN</h2>“Poor Things,” James Price, Shona Heath and Zsuzsa Mihalek<h2>COSTUME DESIGN</h2>“Poor Things,” Holly Waddington<h2>INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM</h2>“The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom)-----------LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Oppenheimer,” a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-office sensation, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-oscars-updates-winners#0000018e-2b4d-d7d8-a7ee-bfdfe5f30000">crowned best picture at a 96th Academy Awards</a>&nbsp;that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan.After passing over arguably Hollywood’s foremost big-screen auteur for years, the Oscars made up for lost time by heaping seven awards on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-469cc81e0989f414a20db5508c7630a0">Nolan’s blockbuster biopic</a>, including best actor for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-actor-2024-oscars-e43fa9f19d0ebe413014e22a8bcbfe34">Cillian Murphy</a>, best supporting actor for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supporting-actor-2024-oscars-5320c80b0206acddf8cc0698ad70a4b7">Robert Downey Jr.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-director-2024-oscars-7dbd4334dfbdef442d7e1a358520ec52">best director for Nolan</a>.In anointing “Oppenheimer,” the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences did something it hasn’t done for more than a decade:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oscars-academy-awards-oppenheimer-barbie-blockbusters-5dd72660915a7aad6fe8e358172dad69">hand its top prize to a widely seen, big-budget studio film</a>. In a film industry where a cape, dinosaur or Tom Cruise has often been a requirement for such box office, “Oppenheimer” brought droves of moviegoers to theaters with a complex, fission-filled drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb.“For better or worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world," said Murphy in his acceptance speech. "I’d like to dedicate this to the peacemakers.”As a film heavy with unease for human capacity for mass destruction, “Oppenheimer” also emerged — even over its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barbenheimer-barbie-oppenheimer-double-feature-3f2cebb6720fb79b8584976f9e97eca0">partner in cultural phenomenon, “Barbie”</a>&nbsp;– as a fittingly foreboding film for times rife with cataclysm, man-made or not.Sunday’s Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles unfolded against the backdrop of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">wars in Gaza</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>, and with a potentially momentous U.S. election on the horizon. Awards for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-documentary-2024-oscars-61eadff6af5bb91d53737776c1a60ff8">documentary winner, “20 Days in Mariupol,”</a>&nbsp;and best&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-international-film-2024-oscars-winner-3bfe76af4d45930520d6ec143c2b33bc">international film, “The Zone of Interest,”</a>&nbsp;brought geopolitics into the Oscar spotlight.The most closely watched contest went to Emma Stone, who won best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” In what was seen as the night’s most nail-biting category, Stone won over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lily-gladstone-ap-breakthrough-entertainer-2023-905692b843b38751ad4e57705949e3ab">Lily Gladstone</a>&nbsp;of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Gladstone would have become the first Native American to win an Academy Award.Instead, Oscar voters couldn’t resist the full-bodied extremes of Stone’s “Poor Things” performance. The win for Stone, her second best actress Oscar following her 2017 win for “La La Land,” confirmed the 35-year-old as arguably the preeminent big-screen actress of her generation. The list of women to win best actress two or more times is illustrious, including Katharine Hepburn, Frances McDormand, Ingrid Bergman and Bette Davis.“Oh, boy, this is really overwhelming,” said Stone, who fought back tears and a broken dress during her speech.Sunday’s broadcast had razzle dazzle, including a sprawling song-and-dance rendition of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barbie-soundtrack-mark-ronson-f7b8ef9faf406a30576392197e72d237">“Barbie” hit “I’m Just Ken”</a>&nbsp;by Ryan Gosling, with an assist on guitar by Slash and a sea of Kens who swarmed the stage.But protest and politics intruded on an election-year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/2024-oscars-updates-winners">Academy Awards</a>. Late during the show, host Jimmy Kimmel read a critical social media post from former president Donald Trump.“Thank you for watching,” said Kimmel. “Isn’t it past your jail time?”Nolan has had many movies in the Oscar mix before, including “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and “The Dark Knight.” But his win Sunday for direction is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-director-2024-oscars-7dbd4334dfbdef442d7e1a358520ec52">first Academy Award for the 53-year-old filmmaker</a>. Addressing the crowd, Nolan noted cinema is just over a hundred years old.“Imagine being there 100 years into painting or theater,” said Nolan, who shared the best-picture award with Emma Thomas, his wife and producer. “We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here. But to know that you think that I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me.”Downey, nominated twice before (for “Chaplin” and “Tropic Thunder”), also notched his first Oscar, crowning the illustrious second act of his up-and-down career.“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the academy, in that order,” said Downey,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-movies-robert-downey-jr-c28d5b1dc4bc197cc0beea2803f0955e">the son of filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.</a>“Barbie,” last year’s biggest box-office hit with more than $1.4 billion in ticket sales, ultimately won just one award: best song (sorry, Ken) for Billie Eilish and Finneas’ “What Was I Made For?” It’s their second Oscar, two years after winning for their James Bond theme, “No Time to Die.”Protests over Israel’s war in Gaza snarled traffic around the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, slowing stars’ arrival on the red carpet and turning the Oscar’ attention toward the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">ongoing conflict</a>. Some protesters shouted “Shame!” at those trying to reach the awards.Jonathan Glazer, the British filmmaker whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zone-of-interest-cannes-jonathan-glazer-auschwitz-0e5665079c18a37762cc4de19ddba4a1">chilling Auschwitz drama “The Zone of Interest”</a>&nbsp;won best international film, drew connections between the dehumanization depicted in his film and today.“Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel, or the the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims, this dehumanization, how do we resist?”A year after “Navalny” won the same award, Mstyslav Chernov’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-documentary-20-days-mariupol-82fadffb60f225d753203df3e16db56b">“20 Days in Mariupol,”</a>&nbsp;a harrowing chronicle of the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, won best documentary. The win, a first for The Associated Press and PBS’ “Frontline,” came as the war in Ukraine passed the two-year mark with no signs of abating.Chernov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and AP journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/movies-documentaries-academy-awards-public-broadcasting-service-bobi-wine-01e000a048404c09a04710735b9ceaa8">whose hometown was bombed the day he learned of his Oscar nomination</a>, spoke forcefully about Russia’s invasion.“This is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history, and I'm honored,” said Chernov. “Probably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I’d never made this film. I wish to be able to exchange this (for) Russia never attacking Ukraine.”In the early going, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Frankenstein-riff “Poor Things” ran away with three prizes for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poor-things-costumes-sets-yorgos-lanthimos-7b226f3941bf08c23a2bf2da1c7f3c1f">its sumptuous craft,</a>&nbsp;including awards for production design, makeup and hairstyling and costume design. “Poor Things” fared second best to “Oppenheimer,” with a total of four awards.Kimmel, hosting the ABC telecast for the fourth time, opened the awards with an monologue that emphasized Hollywood as “a union town” following 2023's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">actor and writer strikes</a>, drew a standing ovation for bringing out teamsters and behind-the-scenes workers — who are now entering their own labor negotiations.The night's first award was one of its most predictable:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oscars-2024-supporting-actress-104c12c3cd5483e7baa685e6ac78f16b">Da'Vine Joy Randolph for best supporting actress</a>, for her performance in Alexander Payne's “The Holdovers.” An emotional Randolph was accompanied to the stage by her “Holdovers” co-star Paul Giamatti.“For so long I've always wanted to be different,” said Randolph. "And now I realize I just need to be myself."Though Randolph’s win was widely expected, an upset quickly followed. Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/best-animated-film-2024-oscars-346ebe9c9392126031969ff51044a4a2">won for best animated feature</a>, a surprise over the slightly favored “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Miyazaki, the 83-year-old Japanese anime master who came out of retirement to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boy-heron-miyazaki-movie-review-a38c35485066682e2c5026c69fef82be">“The Boy and the Heron,”</a>&nbsp;didn’t attend the ceremony. He also didn’t attend the 2003 Oscars when his “Spirited Away” won the same award.Best original screenplay went to “Anatomy of a Fall,” which, like “Barbie," was penned by a couple: director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. “This will help me through my midlife crisis, I think," said Triet.In adapted screenplay, where “Barbie” was nominated — and where some suspected Greta Gerwig would win after being overlooked for director — the Oscar went to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cord-jefferson-american-fiction-tiff-toronto-film-festival-f16d5df808a6d7117c07442b9ad7ce02">Cord Jefferson</a>, who wrote and directed his feature film debut “American Fiction.” He pleaded for executives to take risks on young filmmakers like himself.“Instead of making a $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies,” said Jefferson, previously an award-winning TV writer.The Oscars belonged largely to theatrical-first films. Though it came into the awards with 19 nominations, Netflix was a bit player. Its lone win came for live action short: Wes Anderson's “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” based on the story by Roald Dahl.The win for “Oppenheimer” offered Hollywood a chance to celebrate despite swirling storm clouds in the film industry. Nolan’s film debuted last year just as actors joined screenwriters in a prolonged strike over streaming economics and artificial intelligence. The actors’ strike ended in November, but little of Hollywood’s unease subsided. Streaming has proved less lucrative for most studios not named Netflix.But “Barbenheimer” was the kind of unplanned phenomenon Hollywood needs more of. The two films could also give a lift to the Oscar telecast, which has historically benefitted from having big movies in contention. The Academy Awards’ largest audience ever came when James Cameron’s “Titanic” swept the 1998 Oscars.

Who won? See the full list of Academy Award winners for 2024

LONDON (AP) — Kate, the Princess of Wales, has apologized for “confusion”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-photo-surgery-ca91acf667c87c6c70a7838347d6d4fb">caused by her editing of a family photo</a>&nbsp;released by the palace.

In a post on social media, Kate said that “like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”

“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” the post said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/princess-wales-kate-surgery-photo-manipulated-3863e9ac78aec420a91e4f315297c348">The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;and other news agencies withdrew the photo of Kate and children George, Charlotte and Louis, which was issued by Kensington Palace on Sunday to mark Mother’s Day in Britain. It appeared to have been manipulated, in violation of AP photo guidelines.

The palace said the photo was taken by Prince William.

It was the first official photo of Kate since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-of-wales-operation-uk-royals-eea1a111a295152b8820b94fd257c12d">her abdominal surgery</a>&nbsp;nearly two months ago, and followed weeks of speculation about her whereabouts. Designed to quell speculation, it has sparked even more conjecture.

LONDON (AP) — The first official photo of Kate, the Princess of Wales, since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-of-wales-operation-uk-royals-eea1a111a295152b8820b94fd257c12d">her abdominal surgery</a>&nbsp;nearly two months ago was issued after weeks of speculation about her whereabouts.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/princess-wales-kate-surgery-photo-manipulated-3863e9ac78aec420a91e4f315297c348">The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;and other news agencies retracted it from publication because it appeared to have been manipulated, fueling more conjecture.

The photo issued Sunday of Kate in a chair surrounded by her three children was credited to her husband,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-william-king-charles-iii-cancer-royals-ef3beca1f05ad2e6161f877902747bcd">William, Prince of Wales</a>&nbsp;and heir to the throne, and was said to have been taken earlier in the week in Windsor.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate said on social media. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”

AP initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. While there was no suggestion the photo was fake, AP retracted it because closer inspection revealed the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. For instance, the photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.

The Kensington Palace media office is not open on weekends and a voicemail left for a spokesperson was not immediately returned.

On Monday, Britain’s national news agency, PA, said it was also withdrawing the photo. PA said it had asked Kensington Palace for clarification about the image and “in the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service.”

The release of the photo followed weeks of gossip on social media about what had happened to Kate since she left a hospital Jan. 29 after a nearly two-week stay following planned surgery. She hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas Day.

The royal family has been under more scrutiny than usual in recent weeks, because both Kate and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-iii-cancer-britain-e0408a7c9bb86ad2af8754ce4b37d65e">King Charles III</a>&nbsp;can’t carry out their usual public duties due to health problems.

Royal officials say Charles is undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, which was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate. The monarch has canceled all his public engagements while he receives treatment, though he has been photographed walking to church and meeting privately with government officials and dignitaries.

Kate, 42, underwent surgery Jan. 16 and her condition and the reason for the surgery have not been revealed, though Kensington Palace, Prince William and Kate’s office said it was not cancer-related.

Although the palace initially said that it would only provide significant updates and that she would not return to royal duties before Easter — March 31 this year — it followed up with a statement last month amid the rumors and conspiracy theories by saying she was doing well and reiterating its previous statement.

“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” the palace said Feb. 29. “That guidance stands.”

At the time, royal aides told The Sun newspaper: “We’ve seen the madness of social media and that is not going to change our strategy. There has been much on social media but the Princess has a right to privacy and asks the public to respect that.”

Further questions were raised last week when the British military appeared to jump the gun in announcing Kate would attend a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-iii-trooping-color-638ceb562184e4a9840dc690908eea3f">Trooping the Color</a>&nbsp;ceremony in June, apparently without consulting palace officials.

The appearance would have been her first major official duty since the surgery, but Kensington Palace didn’t confirm any scheduled public events for Kate. It’s up to palace officials, not government departments, to announce and confirm the royals’ attendance at events.

The army later removed the reference to her attendance.

British media reported that the army did not seek approval from Kensington Palace before publishing details about Kate’s appearance in June, and announced the event based on the expectation that Kate, in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, would inspect the troops this year at the annual military ceremony.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710119081075.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Kate, the Princess of Wales, has apologized for “confusion”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-photo-surgery-ca91acf667c87c6c70a7838347d6d4fb">caused by her editing of a family photo</a>&nbsp;released by the palace.In a post on social media, Kate said that “like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The front page of tomorrow&#39;s Daily Telegraph: &#39;Photo from palace was doctored, say agencies&#39;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TomorrowsPapersToday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TomorrowsPapersToday</a> Sign up for the Front Page newsletter<a href="https://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6">https://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6</a> <a href="https://t.co/36gJr4uH2Q">pic.twitter.com/36gJr4uH2Q</a>&mdash; The Telegraph (@Telegraph) <a href="https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1766955144904884723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” the post said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C&mdash; The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1767135566645092616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/princess-wales-kate-surgery-photo-manipulated-3863e9ac78aec420a91e4f315297c348">The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;and other news agencies withdrew the photo of Kate and children George, Charlotte and Louis, which was issued by Kensington Palace on Sunday to mark Mother’s Day in Britain. It appeared to have been manipulated, in violation of AP photo guidelines.The palace said the photo was taken by Prince William.It was the first official photo of Kate since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-of-wales-operation-uk-royals-eea1a111a295152b8820b94fd257c12d">her abdominal surgery</a>&nbsp;nearly two months ago, and followed weeks of speculation about her whereabouts. Designed to quell speculation, it has sparked even more conjecture.--------------LONDON (AP) — The first official photo of Kate, the Princess of Wales, since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kate-princess-of-wales-operation-uk-royals-eea1a111a295152b8820b94fd257c12d">her abdominal surgery</a>&nbsp;nearly two months ago was issued after weeks of speculation about her whereabouts.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The front page of tomorrow&#39;s Daily Telegraph: &#39;Photo from palace was doctored, say agencies&#39;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TomorrowsPapersToday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TomorrowsPapersToday</a> Sign up for the Front Page newsletter<a href="https://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6">https://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6</a> <a href="https://t.co/36gJr4uH2Q">pic.twitter.com/36gJr4uH2Q</a>&mdash; The Telegraph (@Telegraph) <a href="https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1766955144904884723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/princess-wales-kate-surgery-photo-manipulated-3863e9ac78aec420a91e4f315297c348">The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;and other news agencies retracted it from publication because it appeared to have been manipulated, fueling more conjecture.The photo issued Sunday of Kate in a chair surrounded by her three children was credited to her husband,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prince-william-king-charles-iii-cancer-royals-ef3beca1f05ad2e6161f877902747bcd">William, Prince of Wales</a>&nbsp;and heir to the throne, and was said to have been taken earlier in the week in Windsor.“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate said on social media. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”AP initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. While there was no suggestion the photo was fake, AP retracted it because closer inspection revealed the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. For instance, the photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.The Kensington Palace media office is not open on weekends and a voicemail left for a spokesperson was not immediately returned.On Monday, Britain’s national news agency, PA, said it was also withdrawing the photo. PA said it had asked Kensington Palace for clarification about the image and “in the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service.”The release of the photo followed weeks of gossip on social media about what had happened to Kate since she left a hospital Jan. 29 after a nearly two-week stay following planned surgery. She hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas Day.The royal family has been under more scrutiny than usual in recent weeks, because both Kate and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-iii-cancer-britain-e0408a7c9bb86ad2af8754ce4b37d65e">King Charles III</a>&nbsp;can’t carry out their usual public duties due to health problems.Royal officials say Charles is undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, which was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate. The monarch has canceled all his public engagements while he receives treatment, though he has been photographed walking to church and meeting privately with government officials and dignitaries.Kate, 42, underwent surgery Jan. 16 and her condition and the reason for the surgery have not been revealed, though Kensington Palace, Prince William and Kate’s office said it was not cancer-related.Although the palace initially said that it would only provide significant updates and that she would not return to royal duties before Easter — March 31 this year — it followed up with a statement last month amid the rumors and conspiracy theories by saying she was doing well and reiterating its previous statement.“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” the palace said Feb. 29. “That guidance stands.”At the time, royal aides told The Sun newspaper: “We’ve seen the madness of social media and that is not going to change our strategy. There has been much on social media but the Princess has a right to privacy and asks the public to respect that.”Further questions were raised last week when the British military appeared to jump the gun in announcing Kate would attend a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-iii-trooping-color-638ceb562184e4a9840dc690908eea3f">Trooping the Color</a>&nbsp;ceremony in June, apparently without consulting palace officials.The appearance would have been her first major official duty since the surgery, but Kensington Palace didn’t confirm any scheduled public events for Kate. It’s up to palace officials, not government departments, to announce and confirm the royals’ attendance at events.The army later removed the reference to her attendance.British media reported that the army did not seek approval from Kensington Palace before publishing details about Kate’s appearance in June, and announced the event based on the expectation that Kate, in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, would inspect the troops this year at the annual military ceremony.

Controversy surrounds first photo of Princess of Wales since surgery 

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) —A Microsoft engineer is sounding alarms about offensive and harmful imagery he says is too easily made by the company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-windows-copilot-keyboard-ai-button-27078255bd934bf84d3cc6fbe37bb17c">artificial intelligence image-generator tool</a>, sending letters on Wednesday to U.S. regulators and the tech giant's board of directors urging them to take action.

Shane Jones told The Associated Press that he considers himself a whistleblower and that he also met last month with U.S. Senate staffers to share his concerns.

The Federal Trade Commission confirmed it received his letter Wednesday but declined further comment.

Microsoft said it is committed to addressing employee concerns about company policies and that it appreciates Jones' "effort in studying and testing our latest technology to further enhance its safety.” It said it had recommended he use the company’s own “robust internal reporting channels” to investigate and address the problems. CNBC was first to report about the letters.

Jones, a principal software engineering lead whose job involves working on AI products for Microsoft's retail customers, said he has spent three months trying to address his safety concerns about Microsoft's Copilot Designer, a tool that can generate novel images from written prompts. The tool is derived from another AI image-generator, DALL-E 3, made by Microsoft's close&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-sam-altman-investigation-chatgpt-elon-musk-ff9f20b1e687064d9f7f43af5844148e">business partner OpenAI</a>.

“One of the most concerning risks with Copilot Designer is when the product generates images that add harmful content despite a benign request from the user,” he said in his letter addressed to FTC Chair Lina Khan. “For example, when using just the prompt, ‘car accident’, Copilot Designer has a tendency to randomly include an inappropriate, sexually objectified image of a woman in some of the pictures it creates.”

Other harmful content involves violence as well as “political bias, underaged drinking and drug use, misuse of corporate trademarks and copyrights, conspiracy theories, and religion to name a few,” he told the FTC. Jones said he repeatedly asked the company to take the product off the market until it is safer, or at least change its age rating on smartphones to make clear it is for mature audiences.

His letter to Microsoft's board asks it to launch an independent investigation that would look at whether Microsoft is marketing unsafe products “without disclosing known risks to consumers, including children.”

This is not the first time Jones has publicly aired his concerns. He said Microsoft at first advised him to take his findings directly to OpenAI.

When that didn't work, he also publicly posted a letter to OpenAI on Microsoft-owned LinkedIn in December, leading a manager to inform him that Microsoft's legal team “demanded that I delete the post, which I reluctantly did,” according to his letter to the board.

In addition to the U.S. Senate's Commerce Committee, Jones has brought his concerns to the state attorney general in Washington, where Microsoft is headquartered.

Jones told the AP that while the “core issue” is with OpenAI's DALL-E model, those who use OpenAI's ChatGPT to generate AI images won't get the same harmful outputs because the two companies overlay their products with different safeguards.

“Many of the issues with Copilot Designer are already addressed with ChatGPT's own safeguards,” he said via text.

A number of impressive AI image-generators first came on the scene in 2022, including the second generation of OpenAI's DALL-E 2. That — and the subsequent release of OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT — sparked public fascination that put commercial pressure on tech giants such as Microsoft and Google to release their own versions.

But without effective safeguards, the technology poses dangers, including the ease with which users can generate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ai-images-protecttaylorswift-nonconsensual-d5eb3f98084bcbb670a185f7aeec78b1">harmful “deepfake” images</a>&nbsp;of political figures,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-hamas-israel-misinformation-ai-gaza-a1bb303b637ffbbb9cbc3aa1e000db47">war zones</a>&nbsp;or nonconsensual nudity that falsely appear to show real people with recognizable faces. Google has temporarily suspended its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-gemini-ai-chatbot-imagegenerator-race-c7e14de837aa65dd84f6e7ed6cfc4f4b">Gemini chatbot's</a>&nbsp;ability to generate images of people following outrage over how it was depicting race and ethnicity, such as by putting people of color in Nazi-era military uniforms.

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) —A Microsoft engineer is sounding alarms about offensive and harmful imagery he says is too easily made by the company's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-windows-copilot-keyboard-ai-button-27078255bd934bf84d3cc6fbe37bb17c">artificial intelligence image-generator tool</a>, sending letters on Wednesday to U.S. regulators and the tech giant's board of directors urging them to take action.Shane Jones told The Associated Press that he considers himself a whistleblower and that he also met last month with U.S. Senate staffers to share his concerns.The Federal Trade Commission confirmed it received his letter Wednesday but declined further comment.Microsoft said it is committed to addressing employee concerns about company policies and that it appreciates Jones' "effort in studying and testing our latest technology to further enhance its safety.” It said it had recommended he use the company’s own “robust internal reporting channels” to investigate and address the problems. CNBC was first to report about the letters.Jones, a principal software engineering lead whose job involves working on AI products for Microsoft's retail customers, said he has spent three months trying to address his safety concerns about Microsoft's Copilot Designer, a tool that can generate novel images from written prompts. The tool is derived from another AI image-generator, DALL-E 3, made by Microsoft's close&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-sam-altman-investigation-chatgpt-elon-musk-ff9f20b1e687064d9f7f43af5844148e">business partner OpenAI</a>.“One of the most concerning risks with Copilot Designer is when the product generates images that add harmful content despite a benign request from the user,” he said in his letter addressed to FTC Chair Lina Khan. “For example, when using just the prompt, ‘car accident’, Copilot Designer has a tendency to randomly include an inappropriate, sexually objectified image of a woman in some of the pictures it creates.”Other harmful content involves violence as well as “political bias, underaged drinking and drug use, misuse of corporate trademarks and copyrights, conspiracy theories, and religion to name a few,” he told the FTC. Jones said he repeatedly asked the company to take the product off the market until it is safer, or at least change its age rating on smartphones to make clear it is for mature audiences.His letter to Microsoft's board asks it to launch an independent investigation that would look at whether Microsoft is marketing unsafe products “without disclosing known risks to consumers, including children.”This is not the first time Jones has publicly aired his concerns. He said Microsoft at first advised him to take his findings directly to OpenAI.When that didn't work, he also publicly posted a letter to OpenAI on Microsoft-owned LinkedIn in December, leading a manager to inform him that Microsoft's legal team “demanded that I delete the post, which I reluctantly did,” according to his letter to the board.In addition to the U.S. Senate's Commerce Committee, Jones has brought his concerns to the state attorney general in Washington, where Microsoft is headquartered.Jones told the AP that while the “core issue” is with OpenAI's DALL-E model, those who use OpenAI's ChatGPT to generate AI images won't get the same harmful outputs because the two companies overlay their products with different safeguards.“Many of the issues with Copilot Designer are already addressed with ChatGPT's own safeguards,” he said via text.A number of impressive AI image-generators first came on the scene in 2022, including the second generation of OpenAI's DALL-E 2. That — and the subsequent release of OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT — sparked public fascination that put commercial pressure on tech giants such as Microsoft and Google to release their own versions.But without effective safeguards, the technology poses dangers, including the ease with which users can generate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ai-images-protecttaylorswift-nonconsensual-d5eb3f98084bcbb670a185f7aeec78b1">harmful “deepfake” images</a>&nbsp;of political figures,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-hamas-israel-misinformation-ai-gaza-a1bb303b637ffbbb9cbc3aa1e000db47">war zones</a>&nbsp;or nonconsensual nudity that falsely appear to show real people with recognizable faces. Google has temporarily suspended its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-gemini-ai-chatbot-imagegenerator-race-c7e14de837aa65dd84f6e7ed6cfc4f4b">Gemini chatbot's</a>&nbsp;ability to generate images of people following outrage over how it was depicting race and ethnicity, such as by putting people of color in Nazi-era military uniforms.

Microsoft engineer sounds alarm on AI image-generator to US officials 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birth-control-pills-without-prescription-fda-b6728e98af5f1625520e0fa5fbc911c3">over-the-counter birth control pill</a>&nbsp;will be available in U.S. stores later this month, allowing American women and teens to purchase contraceptive medication as easily as they buy aspirin.

Manufacturer Perrigo said Monday it has begun shipping the medication, Opill, to major retailers and pharmacies. A one-month supply will cost about $20 and a three-month supply will cost around $50, according to the company's suggested retail price. It will also be sold online.

The launch has been closely watched since last July, when the Food and Drug Administration said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-birth-control-861d6d425e692ee1ead1d59926e5f3cd">once-a-day Opill</a>&nbsp;could be sold without a prescription. Ireland-based Perrigo noted there will be no age restrictions on sales, similar to other over-the-counter medications.

Opill is an older class of contraceptive, sometimes called minipills, that contain a single synthetic hormone, progestin, and generally carry fewer side effects than more popular combination estrogen and progestin pills.

The launch gives U.S. women another birth control option amid the legal and political battles over reproductive health, including the reversal of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Roe v. Wade</a>, which has upended abortion access across the U.S. Opill’s approval is unrelated to the ongoing court battles over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">abortion pill mifepristone</a>. And anti-abortion groups have generally emphasized that they do not oppose contraceptives to prevent pregnancies.

Birth control pills are available without a prescription across much of South America, Asia and Africa.

The drug’s approval came despite some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birth-control-pills-without-prescription-3228f5d93f5b6583cdc1be9ce4557373">concerns by FDA scientists</a>&nbsp;about the company’s results, including whether women with certain medical conditions would understand that they shouldn’t take the drug.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birth-control-pills-without-prescription-fda-b6728e98af5f1625520e0fa5fbc911c3">over-the-counter birth control pill</a>&nbsp;will be available in U.S. stores later this month, allowing American women and teens to purchase contraceptive medication as easily as they buy aspirin.Manufacturer Perrigo said Monday it has begun shipping the medication, Opill, to major retailers and pharmacies. A one-month supply will cost about $20 and a three-month supply will cost around $50, according to the company's suggested retail price. It will also be sold online.The launch has been closely watched since last July, when the Food and Drug Administration said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-science-health-birth-control-861d6d425e692ee1ead1d59926e5f3cd">once-a-day Opill</a>&nbsp;could be sold without a prescription. Ireland-based Perrigo noted there will be no age restrictions on sales, similar to other over-the-counter medications.Opill is an older class of contraceptive, sometimes called minipills, that contain a single synthetic hormone, progestin, and generally carry fewer side effects than more popular combination estrogen and progestin pills.The launch gives U.S. women another birth control option amid the legal and political battles over reproductive health, including the reversal of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Roe v. Wade</a>, which has upended abortion access across the U.S. Opill’s approval is unrelated to the ongoing court battles over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-supreme-court-abortion-d451e14148ffbe6ce4811b1a37651480">abortion pill mifepristone</a>. And anti-abortion groups have generally emphasized that they do not oppose contraceptives to prevent pregnancies.Birth control pills are available without a prescription across much of South America, Asia and Africa.The drug’s approval came despite some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/birth-control-pills-without-prescription-3228f5d93f5b6583cdc1be9ce4557373">concerns by FDA scientists</a>&nbsp;about the company’s results, including whether women with certain medical conditions would understand that they shouldn’t take the drug.

First over-the-counter birth control pills to hit U.S. stores this month

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;said Saturday that he believes Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;is “hurting Israel more than helping Israel” in how he is approaching its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war against Hamas</a>&nbsp;in Gaza.

The U.S. leader expressed support for Israel’s right to pursue Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack, but said of Netanyahu that “he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken.” Biden has for months warned that Israel risks losing international support over mounting civilian casualties in Gaza, and the latest remarks in an interview with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart pointed to the increasingly strained relationship between the two leaders.

Biden said of the death toll in Gaza, “it’s contrary to what Israel stands for. And I think it’s a big mistake.”

Biden said a potential Israeli invasion of the Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering, is “a red line” for him, but said he would not cut off weapons like the Iron Dome missile interceptors which protect the Israeli civilian populace from rocket attacks in the region.

“It is a red line,” he said, when asked about Rafah, “but I’m never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical, so there’s no red line I’m going to cut off all weapons so they don’t have the Iron Dome to protect them.”

Biden said he was willing to make his case directly to the Israeli Knesset, its parliament, including by making another trip to the country. He traveled to Israel weeks after the Oct. 7. attack. He declined to elaborate on how or whether such a trip might materialize.

The U.S. leader had hoped to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-02-27-2024-e17abedeaf5a005fcd5e7095fecacb7a">secure a temporary ceasefire</a>&nbsp;before Ramadan begins next week, though that appears increasingly unlikely as Hamas has balked at a deal pushed by the U.S. and its allies that would have seen fighting pause for about six weeks, the release of additional hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israel remains committed to continuing its invasion and annihilating Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took about 250 hostages on Oct. 7. The militant group freed dozens of hostages during a November truce, but it refuses to release more without guarantees of a complete end of hostilities.

Meanwhile, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza according to the Hamas-run health ministry, with the majority being women and children, and hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-malnutrition-famine-children-dying-israel-palestinians-2f938b1a82d7822c7da67cc162da1a37">thousands going hungry</a>.

Biden noted CIA Director Bill Burns is in the region currently trying to resurrect the deal.

Biden's comments came after he was captured on a hot mic following Thursday night’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/state-of-the-union-updates-watch">State of the Union</a>&nbsp;address telling Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. that he and the Israeli leader will need to have a “come to Jesus meeting.”

In the exchange, Bennet congratulated Biden on his speech and urged the president to keep pressing Netanyahu on growing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-malnutrition-famine-children-dying-israel-palestinians-2f938b1a82d7822c7da67cc162da1a37">humanitarian concerns in Gaza.</a>&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were also part of the brief conversation.

Biden then responds using Netanyahu’s nickname, saying, “I told him, Bibi, and don’t repeat this, but you and I are going to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting.”

An aide to the president standing nearby then speaks quietly into the president’s ear, appearing to alert Biden that microphones remained on as he worked the room.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705692352787.png" alt="(CSPAN file photo) Biden said a potential Israeli invasion of the Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering, is “a red line” for him" />
 <figcaption>(CSPAN file photo) Biden said a potential Israeli invasion of the Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering, is “a red line” for him</figcaption>
 </figure>WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;said Saturday that he believes Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;is “hurting Israel more than helping Israel” in how he is approaching its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war against Hamas</a>&nbsp;in Gaza.The U.S. leader expressed support for Israel’s right to pursue Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack, but said of Netanyahu that “he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken.” Biden has for months warned that Israel risks losing international support over mounting civilian casualties in Gaza, and the latest remarks in an interview with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart pointed to the increasingly strained relationship between the two leaders.Biden said of the death toll in Gaza, “it’s contrary to what Israel stands for. And I think it’s a big mistake.”Biden said a potential Israeli invasion of the Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering, is “a red line” for him, but said he would not cut off weapons like the Iron Dome missile interceptors which protect the Israeli civilian populace from rocket attacks in the region.“It is a red line,” he said, when asked about Rafah, “but I’m never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical, so there’s no red line I’m going to cut off all weapons so they don’t have the Iron Dome to protect them.”Biden said he was willing to make his case directly to the Israeli Knesset, its parliament, including by making another trip to the country. He traveled to Israel weeks after the Oct. 7. attack. He declined to elaborate on how or whether such a trip might materialize.The U.S. leader had hoped to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-02-27-2024-e17abedeaf5a005fcd5e7095fecacb7a">secure a temporary ceasefire</a>&nbsp;before Ramadan begins next week, though that appears increasingly unlikely as Hamas has balked at a deal pushed by the U.S. and its allies that would have seen fighting pause for about six weeks, the release of additional hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza.Israel remains committed to continuing its invasion and annihilating Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took about 250 hostages on Oct. 7. The militant group freed dozens of hostages during a November truce, but it refuses to release more without guarantees of a complete end of hostilities.Meanwhile, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza according to the Hamas-run health ministry, with the majority being women and children, and hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-malnutrition-famine-children-dying-israel-palestinians-2f938b1a82d7822c7da67cc162da1a37">thousands going hungry</a>.Biden noted CIA Director Bill Burns is in the region currently trying to resurrect the deal.Biden's comments came after he was captured on a hot mic following Thursday night’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/state-of-the-union-updates-watch">State of the Union</a>&nbsp;address telling Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. that he and the Israeli leader will need to have a “come to Jesus meeting.”In the exchange, Bennet congratulated Biden on his speech and urged the president to keep pressing Netanyahu on growing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-malnutrition-famine-children-dying-israel-palestinians-2f938b1a82d7822c7da67cc162da1a37">humanitarian concerns in Gaza.</a>&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were also part of the brief conversation.Biden then responds using Netanyahu’s nickname, saying, “I told him, Bibi, and don’t repeat this, but you and I are going to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting.”An aide to the president standing nearby then speaks quietly into the president’s ear, appearing to alert Biden that microphones remained on as he worked the room.

Biden caught on hot mic continues to criticize Israeli leader

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers on the powerful U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously approved a White House-supported bill that would force TikTok to split from its Chinese parent company or face prohibition from U.S. app stores and web hosting services.

Members voted 50-0 Thursday to advance the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/Protecting%20Americans%20From%20Foriegn%20Adversary%20Controlled%20Applications_3.5.24.pdf">Protect Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act</a>, legislation that would make it illegal for U.S. entities to distribute, maintain or update apps or other immersive technology owned by ByteDance.

The wildly popular social media platform has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/members-congress-blast-tiktok-ceo-bipartisan-support-us-ban-looks-possible">long been a concern</a>&nbsp;of Congress and intelligence officials. Lawmakers passed legislation in December 2022&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/why-tiktok-is-being-banned-for-some-federal-employees">banning</a>&nbsp;the app from most federal employee devices. The Montana legislature&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/one-state-already-has-voted-ban-tiktok-congress-its-going-be-much-tougher-16">banned</a>&nbsp;the app last year, but the law&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/montana-appealing-ruling-that-blocked-state-barring-tiktok-use-2024-01-03/">remains</a>&nbsp;in legal limbo.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648638137366.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>WASHINGTON — Lawmakers on the powerful U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously approved a White House-supported bill that would force TikTok to split from its Chinese parent company or face prohibition from U.S. app stores and web hosting services.Members voted 50-0 Thursday to advance the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/Protecting%20Americans%20From%20Foriegn%20Adversary%20Controlled%20Applications_3.5.24.pdf">Protect Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act</a>, legislation that would make it illegal for U.S. entities to distribute, maintain or update apps or other immersive technology owned by ByteDance.The wildly popular social media platform has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/members-congress-blast-tiktok-ceo-bipartisan-support-us-ban-looks-possible">long been a concern</a>&nbsp;of Congress and intelligence officials. Lawmakers passed legislation in December 2022&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/why-tiktok-is-being-banned-for-some-federal-employees">banning</a>&nbsp;the app from most federal employee devices. The Montana legislature&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/one-state-already-has-voted-ban-tiktok-congress-its-going-be-much-tougher-16">banned</a>&nbsp;the app last year, but the law&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/montana-appealing-ruling-that-blocked-state-barring-tiktok-use-2024-01-03/">remains</a>&nbsp;in legal limbo.The bill received sweeping support because of national security concerns over China, a major U.S. adversary, having access to Americans’ data and a grip on their attention spans. Chinese companies can be made to share sensitive information with that country’s government.The legislation has moved at an unusually fast pace, only having been introduced in the House Tuesday. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/SteveScalise/status/1765869542121599159?s=20">said</a>&nbsp;he plans to bring the bill to the floor as early as next week.Committee members sat in a multi-hour classified hearing with U.S. intelligence officials before Thursday’s vote. During the hearing, the lawmakers “witnessed firsthand, in real time, how the Chinese Communist Party can weaponize platforms like TikTok to manipulate the American people,” Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington Republican,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/events/full-committee-markup-of-two-bills">said</a>&nbsp;in her opening remarks.The Biden administration worked with lawmakers from both parties to craft the bill and “want to see this bill get done so it can get to the president’s desk,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday.Despite the administration’s support for the bill, President Joe Biden’s reelection&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/biden-campaign-joins-tiktok-but-administration-still-warns-of-apps-national-security-concerns">campaign joined TikTok</a>&nbsp;less than a month ago.Thursday’s scheduled vote set off a frenzy among TikTok users, whom the company urged to contact Congress. Lawmakers’ offices were flooded with calls, many from young people.TikTok, which boasts 170 million American users and almost 7,000 U.S. employees, maintains the bill, if enacted, would result in an outright ban of the platform.“This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States,” a spokesperson for TikTok said in an emailed statement Thursday. “The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression. This will damage millions of businesses, deny artists an audience, and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country.”Both the White House and House Republicans disagreed with TikTok’s accusation of a ban.“We don’t see this as banning these apps — that’s not what this is — but by ensuring that their ownership isn’t in the hands of those who may do us harm. This is about our national security, obviously, and this is what we’re focused on here,” Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.The legislation empowers the president, in conjunction with executive branch agencies, to determine when a divestiture or other transaction “would result in the relevant covered company no longer being controlled by a foreign adversary” — in other words, when TikTok has severed financial ties with ByteDance.A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/committeeonccp/status/1765816310284378353?s=20">post</a>&nbsp;on X from the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party said the panic among users Thursday showed “clear demonstration of how TikTok gives an adversary political power on U.S. soil.”“TikTok is LYING to the American people about our bill. It does not ban the app, but offers them a pathway to remain in the U.S.,” read the post from the committee chaired by Wisconsin Republican Mike Gallagher, one of the bill’s original sponsors.