<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/12/nebraska-lawmaker-proposes-grant-for-artificial-intelligence-tools-to-combat-dyslexia/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;When Millard North High School junior Janae Harris was in second grade, she read to a kindergarten class but kept getting stuck on words.

The teacher continually corrected her, Janae said, and told her she “needed to learn how to read” before she read to another class.

“I was embarrassed, and to this day it is terrifying to read out loud, and I continuously struggle to overcome it,” Janae told the Legislature’s Education Committee on Monday. “This moment will replay in my head forever.”

Janae, who is in Millard’s STEM Academy and is captain of her school’s girl’s lacrosse team, among other involvements, has dyslexia. She testified in support of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=55506">Legislative Bill 1253</a>&nbsp;to create a Dyslexia Research Grant Program for new technologies.

“I want to do everything in my power to minimize the struggles of dyslexic students,” Janae said.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who introduced the bill, also has dyslexia and has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=31661">fought for years</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/31/nebraska-passes-bill-requiring-dyslexia-reports-school-dress-codes-teacher-compact/">support students with dyslexia</a>. The proposed research program would set aside $1 million for Nebraska businesses researching artificial-intelligence-based writing assistance for individuals with dyslexia.

Linehan told the Nebraska Examiner that some educators have long discredited the lifelong disorder or cast it off as having to do with a student’s IQ or intelligence. She herself has struggled with the disorder, recalling how “horrified” she felt before her 1995 interview to work for then-U.S. Senate candidate Chuck Hagel.&nbsp;

She said she worried about whether she could communicate and whether Hagel would understand.

“I finally just told him, and he said, ‘Well, that’s easy. We’ll just get somebody to proof all your stuff,’ which is what we did,” Linehan said. “Then I got to the point where I was proofing things because somebody showed me how to have a tool so that I could become proficient.”

Linehan later served as Hagel’s campaign manager and his chief of staff in the U.S. Senate and said the impact of such research could be “huge.”

“This program could take a student who was afraid to write, afraid to communicate, struggling through college, and turn them into a proficient, capable communicator,” Linehan said.

It’s estimated that as many as 15%-20% of the world’s population has dyslexia, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics-2/">International Dyslexia Association</a>.

In the past year, a group of University of Nebraska-Lincoln college students working in this field approached Linehan to discuss their fledgling business, Dyslexico, which they started about two years ago&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://raikes.unl.edu/design-studio/">UNL Raikes School</a>, based on&nbsp;the experiences of one of its co-founders, Grace Clausen.&nbsp;

Clausen, who has dyslexia, grew up in a school system that didn’t always work for her, according to fellow Dyslexico co-founder Bridget Peterkin of Omaha.

Peterkin said corrective writing tools —&nbsp;from Word or Google Docs to Grammarly —&nbsp;do not always work, and other AI-based models, such as ChatGPT, may add words a writer didn’t intend.

In one example Peterkin showed to the Examiner, a student wrote “wondering” when they meant “wandering.” In another, the student wrote “I say a figure” instead of “saw.”

“It was never going to catch that because it was spelled correctly,” Peterkin, a senior computer science major at UNL, said of other spelling or grammar programs.

Unlike other programs, the Dyslexico software is powered through AI but finds a middle ground in not rewriting sentences, as ChatGPT did to grow with users over time and provide analysis that Peterkin and her team said might be able to help educators.

“We want to have a solution for the schools that helps students have the support to get their spelling and grammar correct while they can maintain their original voice and be able to fully partake in the learning process,” Peterkin said.

Another Nebraska-born startup that got its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://raikes.unl.edu/stories/hudl/">start in the Raikes School</a>&nbsp;has grown to international success:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hudl.com/about#:~:text=Our%20team%20features%20more%20than,of%20sports%20video%20and%20data.">Hudl</a>, which has&nbsp; a goal of “building the future of sports” with video and data entry.

Tristan Curd of Omaha, Dyslexico project manager and a senior computer science major at UNL, said Dyslexico has gotten into the hands of students and successfully launched with a public beta version last year. Dyslexico is also&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dyslexi.co/">available online</a>.

In the last year, Dyslexico entered agreements with two schools for test runs, providing developers with some feedback from The Pittsburgh New Church School for Children with Dyslexia and Millard Public Schools, including with Janae Harris.

“There’s always going to be that distinction between us developing it and the actual users using it,” Curd said. “To get that info, it’s big.”

The company is also in talks to partner with Services for Students with Disabilities at UNL. Pablo Rangel, a disability specialist with SSD, testified before the Education Committee Monday in support in his individual capacity.

Rangel, who has dyslexia, said he could have benefited from such a program. He said Dyslexico could better prepare all K-12 students for college.

“The Dyslexico software does for individuals with dyslexia what prosthetics do for people who are missing a part of their body,” Rangel said. “It supports independence and autonomy for a person to move forward where typically they might retreat and give up.”

Colby Coash, on behalf of the Nebraska Association of School Boards and the Educational Service Unit Coordinating Commission, also testified in support of LB 1253.

Nick Lauver of Papillion, a business development associate for Dyslexico and a senior actuarial science and finance double major at UNL, said the company has already heard about some successes from educators, which have been “some of the brightest points” in the software’s development.

Megan Pitrat, a 10-year special education teacher in Syracuse, testified in opposition to LB 1253 on behalf of the Nebraska State Education Association. She said that while dyslexia is a problematic disorder, there are already systems in place to help students.

“I believe that allocating funds to research something that is already being serviced within the functioning system is redundant, unnecessary and a waste of precious funds that could instead be used to support teachers and systems that, as always, do the best with what we are given,” Pitrat testified.

State Sens. Lynne Walz of Fremont and Justin Wayne of Omaha tried to draw a distinction between NSEA’s testimony and LB 1253’s intent, which they said is to research and create but not demand the use of such technology. Pitrat said she would probably not use such technology and did not anticipate it being helpful.

“With all due respect, it’s not about you, it’s about the student,” Wayne said.

“OK, but as a practitioner, I’m determining, based on my experiences and my practice, how to deliver special education services to my students,” Pitrat responded.

After the hearing, the NSEA referred questions to Tim Royers, president of the Millard Education Association, who clarified that the NSEA’s opposition comes in wanting to raise cautions and warn against framing such technologies as a “panacea.”

“We have concerns about digital, especially AI tools, being put in the driver’s seat to try and work on something that is as challenging to work on as dyslexia,” Royers told the Examiner.

He said the amount of time he’s lost by getting trained on tools that ended up being shelved after “two months tops” was a net loss for his time working with students.

Curd said Dyslexico wants to work with the Nebraska Department of Education on a large-scale research study in schools next year and aims to help 295,000 Nebraska students with dyslexia.

“If we can get it in the hands of the youngest people possible and make an impact that lasts throughout their lives, that’d be huge,” Curd said.

Janae Harris said she was part of the Millard district’s trial and described the software as “game changing.” Royers said he was unfamiliar with Dyslexico’s use at Millard.

Janae said her “fervent hope” is that LB 1253 helps get Dyslexico into the hands of more students.

“Without the ability to read and write, Nebraska youth cannot be productive citizens and reach success,” Janae said. “Who knows what others could achieve with the help of this grant.”

The committee took no immediate action on LB 1253.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707840956891.jpeg" alt="Members of the Dyslexico team at the Unviersity of Nebraska-Lincoln that is working to combat dyslexia with AI-based tools. From left: Tristan Curd, Bridget Peterkin and Nick Lauver on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Members of the Dyslexico team at the Unviersity of Nebraska-Lincoln that is working to combat dyslexia with AI-based tools. From left: Tristan Curd, Bridget Peterkin and Nick Lauver on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/02/12/nebraska-lawmaker-proposes-grant-for-artificial-intelligence-tools-to-combat-dyslexia/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;When Millard North High School junior Janae Harris was in second grade, she read to a kindergarten class but kept getting stuck on words.The teacher continually corrected her, Janae said, and told her she “needed to learn how to read” before she read to another class.“I was embarrassed, and to this day it is terrifying to read out loud, and I continuously struggle to overcome it,” Janae told the Legislature’s Education Committee on Monday. “This moment will replay in my head forever.”Janae, who is in Millard’s STEM Academy and is captain of her school’s girl’s lacrosse team, among other involvements, has dyslexia. She testified in support of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=55506">Legislative Bill 1253</a>&nbsp;to create a Dyslexia Research Grant Program for new technologies.“I want to do everything in my power to minimize the struggles of dyslexic students,” Janae said.<h2>‘Proficient, capable communicator’</h2>State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who introduced the bill, also has dyslexia and has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=31661">fought for years</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/31/nebraska-passes-bill-requiring-dyslexia-reports-school-dress-codes-teacher-compact/">support students with dyslexia</a>. The proposed research program would set aside $1 million for Nebraska businesses researching artificial-intelligence-based writing assistance for individuals with dyslexia.Linehan told the Nebraska Examiner that some educators have long discredited the lifelong disorder or cast it off as having to do with a student’s IQ or intelligence. She herself has struggled with the disorder, recalling how “horrified” she felt before her 1995 interview to work for then-U.S. Senate candidate Chuck Hagel.&nbsp;She said she worried about whether she could communicate and whether Hagel would understand.“I finally just told him, and he said, ‘Well, that’s easy. We’ll just get somebody to proof all your stuff,’ which is what we did,” Linehan said. “Then I got to the point where I was proofing things because somebody showed me how to have a tool so that I could become proficient.”Linehan later served as Hagel’s campaign manager and his chief of staff in the U.S. Senate and said the impact of such research could be “huge.”“This program could take a student who was afraid to write, afraid to communicate, struggling through college, and turn them into a proficient, capable communicator,” Linehan said.It’s estimated that as many as 15%-20% of the world’s population has dyslexia, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics-2/">International Dyslexia Association</a>.<h2>‘Fully partake’ in learning</h2>In the past year, a group of University of Nebraska-Lincoln college students working in this field approached Linehan to discuss their fledgling business, Dyslexico, which they started about two years ago&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://raikes.unl.edu/design-studio/">UNL Raikes School</a>, based on&nbsp;the experiences of one of its co-founders, Grace Clausen.&nbsp;Clausen, who has dyslexia, grew up in a school system that didn’t always work for her, according to fellow Dyslexico co-founder Bridget Peterkin of Omaha.Peterkin said corrective writing tools —&nbsp;from Word or Google Docs to Grammarly —&nbsp;do not always work, and other AI-based models, such as ChatGPT, may add words a writer didn’t intend.In one example Peterkin showed to the Examiner, a student wrote “wondering” when they meant “wandering.” In another, the student wrote “I say a figure” instead of “saw.”“It was never going to catch that because it was spelled correctly,” Peterkin, a senior computer science major at UNL, said of other spelling or grammar programs.Unlike other programs, the Dyslexico software is powered through AI but finds a middle ground in not rewriting sentences, as ChatGPT did to grow with users over time and provide analysis that Peterkin and her team said might be able to help educators.“We want to have a solution for the schools that helps students have the support to get their spelling and grammar correct while they can maintain their original voice and be able to fully partake in the learning process,” Peterkin said.Another Nebraska-born startup that got its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://raikes.unl.edu/stories/hudl/">start in the Raikes School</a>&nbsp;has grown to international success:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hudl.com/about#:~:text=Our%20team%20features%20more%20than,of%20sports%20video%20and%20data.">Hudl</a>, which has&nbsp; a goal of “building the future of sports” with video and data entry.<h2>Getting into students’ hands</h2>Tristan Curd of Omaha, Dyslexico project manager and a senior computer science major at UNL, said Dyslexico has gotten into the hands of students and successfully launched with a public beta version last year. Dyslexico is also&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dyslexi.co/">available online</a>.In the last year, Dyslexico entered agreements with two schools for test runs, providing developers with some feedback from The Pittsburgh New Church School for Children with Dyslexia and Millard Public Schools, including with Janae Harris.“There’s always going to be that distinction between us developing it and the actual users using it,” Curd said. “To get that info, it’s big.”The company is also in talks to partner with Services for Students with Disabilities at UNL. Pablo Rangel, a disability specialist with SSD, testified before the Education Committee Monday in support in his individual capacity.<h2>‘Independence and autonomy’</h2>Rangel, who has dyslexia, said he could have benefited from such a program. He said Dyslexico could better prepare all K-12 students for college.“The Dyslexico software does for individuals with dyslexia what prosthetics do for people who are missing a part of their body,” Rangel said. “It supports independence and autonomy for a person to move forward where typically they might retreat and give up.”Colby Coash, on behalf of the Nebraska Association of School Boards and the Educational Service Unit Coordinating Commission, also testified in support of LB 1253.Nick Lauver of Papillion, a business development associate for Dyslexico and a senior actuarial science and finance double major at UNL, said the company has already heard about some successes from educators, which have been “some of the brightest points” in the software’s development.<h2>‘Redundant and unnecessary’</h2>Megan Pitrat, a 10-year special education teacher in Syracuse, testified in opposition to LB 1253 on behalf of the Nebraska State Education Association. She said that while dyslexia is a problematic disorder, there are already systems in place to help students.“I believe that allocating funds to research something that is already being serviced within the functioning system is redundant, unnecessary and a waste of precious funds that could instead be used to support teachers and systems that, as always, do the best with what we are given,” Pitrat testified.State Sens. Lynne Walz of Fremont and Justin Wayne of Omaha tried to draw a distinction between NSEA’s testimony and LB 1253’s intent, which they said is to research and create but not demand the use of such technology. Pitrat said she would probably not use such technology and did not anticipate it being helpful.“With all due respect, it’s not about you, it’s about the student,” Wayne said.“OK, but as a practitioner, I’m determining, based on my experiences and my practice, how to deliver special education services to my students,” Pitrat responded.<h2>‘Panacea’ or ‘game changing’</h2>After the hearing, the NSEA referred questions to Tim Royers, president of the Millard Education Association, who clarified that the NSEA’s opposition comes in wanting to raise cautions and warn against framing such technologies as a “panacea.”“We have concerns about digital, especially AI tools, being put in the driver’s seat to try and work on something that is as challenging to work on as dyslexia,” Royers told the Examiner.He said the amount of time he’s lost by getting trained on tools that ended up being shelved after “two months tops” was a net loss for his time working with students.Curd said Dyslexico wants to work with the Nebraska Department of Education on a large-scale research study in schools next year and aims to help 295,000 Nebraska students with dyslexia.“If we can get it in the hands of the youngest people possible and make an impact that lasts throughout their lives, that’d be huge,” Curd said.Janae Harris said she was part of the Millard district’s trial and described the software as “game changing.” Royers said he was unfamiliar with Dyslexico’s use at Millard.Janae said her “fervent hope” is that LB 1253 helps get Dyslexico into the hands of more students.“Without the ability to read and write, Nebraska youth cannot be productive citizens and reach success,” Janae said. “Who knows what others could achieve with the help of this grant.”The committee took no immediate action on LB 1253.

Nebraska lawmaker proposes grant for artificial intelligence tools to combat dyslexia

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen reversed course on Monday and announced that the state will accept roughly $18 million in federal funding to help feed hungry children over the summer break.

Pillen announced in December that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-summer-ebt-food-program-children-789f2d04bd195086d2e41d0d43b8111c">state would reject the funding</a>, defending his position by stating, “I don’t believe in welfare.” But he came under intense pressure, including from some members of his party, to accept the money.

At a news conference Monday, Pillen said he decided to accept money allocated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture after meeting with a group of high school students from around Nebraska who visited the state Capitol this month.

“They talked about being hungry, and they talked about the summer USDA program and, depending upon access, when they'd get a sack of food,” Pillen said. “And from my seat, what I saw there, we have to do better in Nebraska.”

The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children — or Summer EBT — program was widely employed as part of federal assistance made available during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then made permanent in 2022. It provides pre-loaded EBT cards to low-income families, those whose children are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches at school, and those who are already on food assistance, Medicaid and other assistance programs. Those families would receive $40 per eligible child for each of three summer months. The cards can be used to buy groceries, similar to how SNAP benefits are used.

Pressure from lawmakers, particular those from rural areas, also played a part in Pillen's about-face. The governor previously argued that Nebraska would continue to help food-insecure children through the Summer Food Service Program, a separate program that provides meals and snacks at various sites when school is not in session. But critics countered that not all families have access to the on-site programs, particularly in Nebraska’s vast rural stretches, where the sites can be far from struggling families.

A bill from state Sen. Jen Day of Omaha, a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, would have forced the state to accept the federal funding. The bipartisan support for the program became clear when Republican state Sen. Ray Aguilar, of Grand Island, made Day's bill his priority for the session, giving it a good chance to be debated by the full Legislature.

Aguilar was among two dozen Republican lawmakers who appeared with Pillen at Monday's news conference.

Nebraska was one of 15 states — all with Republican governors — that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ebt-usda-children-food-assistance-6ca5110019a53293ebbf5e0e090485d7">opted out</a>&nbsp;of receiving the funding this year. Those states include neighboring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-summer-ebt-food-assistance-0e878c5c0fc9dd0dd55622cb22a82561">Iowa</a>, where Gov. Kim Reynolds criticized the federal food program as doing “nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic."

Reynolds' office declined to answer questions Monday about whether she is holding to her rejection of the funding.

State Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, thanked Pillen for deciding to accept the funding.

“This goes to show that all voices make a positive difference, and that hard work and building support across the state and across the political spectrum on common ground issues to help Nebraskans and bring our tax dollars home is a win for everyone,” Hunt tweeted.

The deadline for states to declare that they are participating this summer had been Jan. 1, but the USDA extended it to Thursday.

Pillen said Monday that Nebraska officials had already reached out to the USDA to confirm that the state would participate this year.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen reversed course on Monday and announced that the state will accept roughly $18 million in federal funding to help feed hungry children over the summer break.Pillen announced in December that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-summer-ebt-food-program-children-789f2d04bd195086d2e41d0d43b8111c">state would reject the funding</a>, defending his position by stating, “I don’t believe in welfare.” But he came under intense pressure, including from some members of his party, to accept the money.At a news conference Monday, Pillen said he decided to accept money allocated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture after meeting with a group of high school students from around Nebraska who visited the state Capitol this month.“They talked about being hungry, and they talked about the summer USDA program and, depending upon access, when they'd get a sack of food,” Pillen said. “And from my seat, what I saw there, we have to do better in Nebraska.”The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children — or Summer EBT — program was widely employed as part of federal assistance made available during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then made permanent in 2022. It provides pre-loaded EBT cards to low-income families, those whose children are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches at school, and those who are already on food assistance, Medicaid and other assistance programs. Those families would receive $40 per eligible child for each of three summer months. The cards can be used to buy groceries, similar to how SNAP benefits are used.Pressure from lawmakers, particular those from rural areas, also played a part in Pillen's about-face. The governor previously argued that Nebraska would continue to help food-insecure children through the Summer Food Service Program, a separate program that provides meals and snacks at various sites when school is not in session. But critics countered that not all families have access to the on-site programs, particularly in Nebraska’s vast rural stretches, where the sites can be far from struggling families.A bill from state Sen. Jen Day of Omaha, a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, would have forced the state to accept the federal funding. The bipartisan support for the program became clear when Republican state Sen. Ray Aguilar, of Grand Island, made Day's bill his priority for the session, giving it a good chance to be debated by the full Legislature.Aguilar was among two dozen Republican lawmakers who appeared with Pillen at Monday's news conference.Nebraska was one of 15 states — all with Republican governors — that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ebt-usda-children-food-assistance-6ca5110019a53293ebbf5e0e090485d7">opted out</a>&nbsp;of receiving the funding this year. Those states include neighboring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-summer-ebt-food-assistance-0e878c5c0fc9dd0dd55622cb22a82561">Iowa</a>, where Gov. Kim Reynolds criticized the federal food program as doing “nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic."Reynolds' office declined to answer questions Monday about whether she is holding to her rejection of the funding.State Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, thanked Pillen for deciding to accept the funding.“This goes to show that all voices make a positive difference, and that hard work and building support across the state and across the political spectrum on common ground issues to help Nebraskans and bring our tax dollars home is a win for everyone,” Hunt tweeted.The deadline for states to declare that they are participating this summer had been Jan. 1, but the USDA extended it to Thursday.Pillen said Monday that Nebraska officials had already reached out to the USDA to confirm that the state would participate this year.

Nebraska governor reverses course and says state will take federal funding to feed children

On Feb. 9, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the establishment of the Doctor of Nutrition and Dietetics (DND) program, to be housed within and administered by the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Allied Health Professions.

The clinical doctorate degree is designed to offer practicing registered dietician nutritionists (RDN) “an advanced practice course of study including advanced clinical nutrition and nutrition science, leadership, advocacy, education in higher learning institutions, and scholarly activity,” according to the proposal presented to the regents. UNMC will seek accreditation of the program through the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and approval from the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.

The program plans to enroll up to eight students in fall 2024, with an incremental annual increase of up to four students per year until maximum enrollment of 20 students per year is achieved.

“As the field of nutrition and dietetics continues to advance nationally, UNMC’s will be one of the first accredited advanced-practice doctorate degrees offered in the U.S.,” said Kendra Schmid, PhD, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs. “We expect the program to be highly marketable in Nebraska and nationwide.”

This continues UNMC’s commitment to offer both entry-level allied health profession education programs as well as emerging degrees that advance allied health professionals and their respective professions. To put it another way, to produce the highest quality allied health workforce to practice at the highest scope of their respective professions.

“To fulfill this mission, the CAHP programs are, and must continue to be, at the ‘cutting edge’ of both health professions education pedagogy and the evolution of the allied health professions,” said Kyle Meyer, PhD, dean of the College of Allied Health Professions.

Corrine Hanson, PhD, director of medical nutrition, agreed: “The advent of nutrition diagnosing, order writing, evidence-based practice, and outcomes research —&nbsp;along with the increasingly recognized role of nutrition and diet in the management of complex medical and surgical conditions —&nbsp;&nbsp;has&nbsp;created a demand for advanced practice dietitians who can assume these expanding roles and responsibilities.”

Effective Jan. 1 of this year, the minimum degree requirement for practicing RDNs is now a master’s degree or higher. But there are currently few choices for doctoral-level training in the field, beyond the traditional PhD path.

“There was clearly a need for a professional practice doctoral degree pathway to fill this gap,” said Tammy Webster, PhD, CAHP’s assistant dean for academic affairs.

UNMC met the opportunity to step up, said Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD: “We are proud that once again our College of Allied Health Professions has taken a position of national leadership that also benefits the health of Nebraskans —&nbsp;&nbsp;both&nbsp;as highly sought after professionals, and as patients who will benefit from their expertise. We cannot wait to see the myriad ways this new program will lead to new collaborations with our colleagues on the University of Nebraska campuses and across the nation.”

Interest for a doctoral-level degree in the field is high among both practitioners and employers, according to national and UNMC surveys. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a nearly 12% increase in demand for registered dieticians in Nebraska from 2020-2030, and a more than 11% increase nationwide over that span.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which offers a PhD in nutrition and dietetics, sent a letter to the regents in support of the new program. UNMC’s DND degree complements UNL’s efforts, the letter said, and opportunities for synergy and partnership already are being brainstormed.

UNMC’s new DND program will accept credentialed RDNs with master’s degrees and three-plus years of post-credential experience, or those without master’s degrees but five-plus years of post-credential experience. The DND program will consist of didactic courses, a scholarly project and residency, for 48 total credit hours. The program will be offered fully online to meet the needs of practicing RDNs in Nebraska and across the U.S.

UNMC’s Office of Academic Affairs championed the proposal for the new degree, offering indispensable support, Dr. Webster said.

Tuition revenue generated by the DND program will be sufficient to cover projected expenses at inception due to existing resources. No state or other public funding is projected to be required.

As Nebraska’s only public academic health science center, the University of Nebraska Medical Center enrolls more than 4,500 students across six colleges, two institutes and a graduate studies program. Its mission is to create a healthier future for Nebraskans through premier education, research&nbsp;and clinical care, but its impact -- rooted in a culture of collaboration,&nbsp;big ideas&nbsp;and public-private partnerships – goes far beyond, in areas that include infectious diseases, rural health, cancer research and treatments, global health security, and&nbsp;simulation and experiential learning technologies.&nbsp;

<a href="https://twitter.com/unmc" target="_blank">Twitter</a>  |  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/unmcedu" target="_blank">Facebook</a>  |  <a href="https://instagram.com/iamunmc" target="_blank">Instagram</a>  |  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/UNMCEDU" target="_blank">YouTube</a>  |  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/unmc/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>&nbsp;

UNMCOn Feb. 9, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the establishment of the Doctor of Nutrition and Dietetics (DND) program, to be housed within and administered by the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Allied Health Professions.The clinical doctorate degree is designed to offer practicing registered dietician nutritionists (RDN) “an advanced practice course of study including advanced clinical nutrition and nutrition science, leadership, advocacy, education in higher learning institutions, and scholarly activity,” according to the proposal presented to the regents. UNMC will seek accreditation of the program through the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and approval from the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.The program plans to enroll up to eight students in fall 2024, with an incremental annual increase of up to four students per year until maximum enrollment of 20 students per year is achieved.“As the field of nutrition and dietetics continues to advance nationally, UNMC’s will be one of the first accredited advanced-practice doctorate degrees offered in the U.S.,” said Kendra Schmid, PhD, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs. “We expect the program to be highly marketable in Nebraska and nationwide.”This continues UNMC’s commitment to offer both entry-level allied health profession education programs as well as emerging degrees that advance allied health professionals and their respective professions. To put it another way, to produce the highest quality allied health workforce to practice at the highest scope of their respective professions.“To fulfill this mission, the CAHP programs are, and must continue to be, at the ‘cutting edge’ of both health professions education pedagogy and the evolution of the allied health professions,” said Kyle Meyer, PhD, dean of the College of Allied Health Professions.Corrine Hanson, PhD, director of medical nutrition, agreed: “The advent of nutrition diagnosing, order writing, evidence-based practice, and outcomes research —&nbsp;along with the increasingly recognized role of nutrition and diet in the management of complex medical and surgical conditions —&nbsp;&nbsp;has&nbsp;created a demand for advanced practice dietitians who can assume these expanding roles and responsibilities.”Effective Jan. 1 of this year, the minimum degree requirement for practicing RDNs is now a master’s degree or higher. But there are currently few choices for doctoral-level training in the field, beyond the traditional PhD path.“There was clearly a need for a professional practice doctoral degree pathway to fill this gap,” said Tammy Webster, PhD, CAHP’s assistant dean for academic affairs.UNMC met the opportunity to step up, said Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD: “We are proud that once again our College of Allied Health Professions has taken a position of national leadership that also benefits the health of Nebraskans —&nbsp;&nbsp;both&nbsp;as highly sought after professionals, and as patients who will benefit from their expertise. We cannot wait to see the myriad ways this new program will lead to new collaborations with our colleagues on the University of Nebraska campuses and across the nation.”Interest for a doctoral-level degree in the field is high among both practitioners and employers, according to national and UNMC surveys. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a nearly 12% increase in demand for registered dieticians in Nebraska from 2020-2030, and a more than 11% increase nationwide over that span.The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which offers a PhD in nutrition and dietetics, sent a letter to the regents in support of the new program. UNMC’s DND degree complements UNL’s efforts, the letter said, and opportunities for synergy and partnership already are being brainstormed.UNMC’s new DND program will accept credentialed RDNs with master’s degrees and three-plus years of post-credential experience, or those without master’s degrees but five-plus years of post-credential experience. The DND program will consist of didactic courses, a scholarly project and residency, for 48 total credit hours. The program will be offered fully online to meet the needs of practicing RDNs in Nebraska and across the U.S.UNMC’s Office of Academic Affairs championed the proposal for the new degree, offering indispensable support, Dr. Webster said.Tuition revenue generated by the DND program will be sufficient to cover projected expenses at inception due to existing resources. No state or other public funding is projected to be required.About UNMC&nbsp;As Nebraska’s only public academic health science center, the University of Nebraska Medical Center enrolls more than 4,500 students across six colleges, two institutes and a graduate studies program. Its mission is to create a healthier future for Nebraskans through premier education, research&nbsp;and clinical care, but its impact -- rooted in a culture of collaboration,&nbsp;big ideas&nbsp;and public-private partnerships – goes far beyond, in areas that include infectious diseases, rural health, cancer research and treatments, global health security, and&nbsp;simulation and experiential learning technologies.&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/unmc" target="_blank">Twitter</a>  |  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/unmcedu" target="_blank">Facebook</a>  |  <a href="https://instagram.com/iamunmc" target="_blank">Instagram</a>  |  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/UNMCEDU" target="_blank">YouTube</a>  |  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/unmc/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>&nbsp;

 UNMC to offer Doctor of Nutrition and Dietetics program

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate early Tuesday passed a $95.3 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-military-aid-ukraine-israel-gaza-0b9c866308cc4c8c13c3f54494371f0b">aid package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, pushing ahead after months of difficult negotiations and amid growing political divisions in the Republican Party over the role of the United States abroad.

The vote came after a small group of Republicans opposed to the $60 billion for Ukraine held the Senate floor through the night, using the final hours of debate to argue that the U.S. should focus on its own problems before sending more money overseas. But more than a dozen Republicans voted with almost all Democrats to pass the package 70-29, with supporters arguing that abandoning Ukraine could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-ukraine-israel-trump-aid-biden-13d5461154e2755510d7149a5af9b97a">threaten national security across the globe</a>.

“It’s been years, perhaps decades, since the Senate has passed a bill that so greatly impacts not just our national security, not just the security of our allies, but also the security of western democracy,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who worked closely with Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on the legislation.

The bill’s passage through the Senate was a welcome sign for Ukraine amid critical&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-money-congress-weapons-dd5076b30bf8fab5c914a1222186e7f0">shortages on the battlefield</a>. The final vote gained 22 Republicans including Kansas Senator Jerry Moran supporting its passage, while two Democrats, Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Peter Welch of Vermont, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, voted against it. Progressive lawmakers have objected to sending offensive weaponry to Israel. Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts voted against the measure.

The other Republicans voting for the bill included Senators Boozman Capito, Cassidy, Collins, Cornyn, Cramer, Crapo, Ernst, Grassley, Hoeven, Kennedy, McConnell, Murkowski, Risch, Romney, Rounds, Sullivan, Thune, Tillis, Wicker, and Young.&nbsp;

Yet the package faces a deeply uncertain future in the House, where hardline Republicans aligned with former President Donald Trump — the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, and a critic of support for Ukraine — oppose the legislation.

Speaker Mike Johnson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-congress-6970b539025d2de5ade9e3aff165c54f">cast new doubt</a>&nbsp;on the package in a statement Monday evening, making clear that it could be weeks or months before Congress sends the legislation to President Joe Biden's desk — if at all.

Still, the vote was a win for both Senate leaders. Schumer noted the strong bipartisan support and projected that if the House speaker brings it forward it would have the same strong support in that chamber. McConnell has made Ukraine his top priority in recent months, and was resolute in the face of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-ukraine-republicans-senate-c5217d686c85837d2b9708aa197843f9">considerable pushback</a>&nbsp;from his own GOP conference.

Speaking directly to his detractors in a floor speech on Sunday, McConnell said that “the eyes of the world” were on the U.S. Senate.

“Will we give those who wish us harm more reason to question our resolve, or will we recommit to exercising American strength?” McConnell asked.

Dollars provided by the legislation would purchase U.S.-made defense equipment, including munitions and air defense systems that authorities say are desperately needed as Russia batters the country. It also includes $8 billion for the government in Kyiv and other assistance.

In addition, the legislation would provide $14 billion for Israel’s war with Hamas, $8 billion for Taiwan and partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, and $9.2 billion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-gaza-evacuation-palestinians-attack-israel-hamas-90bf78cfca6550dc229e7192f6724dfc">humanitarian assistance for Gaza</a>.

The bill’s passage followed almost five months of torturous negotiations over an expansive bill that would have paired the foreign aid with an overhaul of border and asylum policies. Republicans demanded the trade-off, saying the surge of migration into the United States had to be addressed alongside the security of allies.

But a bipartisan deal on border security struck by Republican Sen. James Lankford fell apart just days after its unveiling, a head-spinning development that left negotiators deeply frustrated. Republicans declared the bill insufficient and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">blocked it</a>&nbsp;on the Senate floor.

After the border bill collapsed, the two leaders abandoned the border provisions and pushed forward with passing the foreign aid package alone — as Democrats had originally intended.

While the slimmed-down foreign aid bill eventually won enough Republican support to pass, several GOP senators who had previously expressed support for Ukraine voted against it. The episode further exposed divisions in the party, made more public as Trump dug in and a handful of lawmakers openly called for McConnell to step down.

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., became emotional as he talked about the drudgery of the Senate and spending time away from his family to get little done. “But every so often there are issues that come before us that seem to be the ones that explain why we are here,” he said, his voice cracking.

Moran conceded that the cost of the package was heavy for him, but pointed out that if Putin were to attack a NATO member in Europe, the U.S. would be bound by treaty to become directly involved in the conflict — a commitment that Trump has called into question as he seeks another term in the White House.

Sen. J.D. Vance, an Ohio Republican, argued that the U.S. should step back from the conflict and help broker an end to it with Russia's Putin. He questioned the wisdom of continuing to fuel Ukraine’s defense when Putin appears committed to fighting for years.

“I think it deals with the reality that we’re living in, which is they’re a more powerful country, and it’s their region of the world,” he said.

Vance, along with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and other opponents, spent several hours on the floor railing against the aid and complaining about Senate process. They dug in their heels to delay a final vote, speaking on the floor until daybreak.

Supporters of the aid pushed back, warning that bowing to Russia would be a historic mistake with devastating consequences. In an unusually raw back-and-forth, GOP senators who support the aid challenged some of the opponents directly on the floor.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis angrily rebutted some of their arguments, noting that the money would only help Ukraine for less than a year and that much of it would go to replenishing U.S. military stocks.

“Why am I so focused on this vote?” Tillis said. “Because I don’t want to be on the pages of history that we will regret if we walk away. You will see the alliance that is supporting Ukraine crumble. You will ultimately see China become emboldened. And I am not going to be on that page of history.”

At a rally Saturday, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-nato-foreign-aid-russia-2b8054a9fe185eec34c2c541cece655d">said that he had once told</a>&nbsp;a NATO ally he would encourage Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to members that are “delinquent” in their financial and military commitments to the alliance. The former president has&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/pronto/20e902788e8701999ce0424f73d478cc">led his party away</a>&nbsp;from the foreign policy doctrines of aggressive American involvement overseas and toward an “America First” isolationism.

Evoking the slogan, Moran said, “I believe in America first, but unfortunately America first means we have to engage in the world.”

While the vast majority of House Republicans have opposed the aid and are unlikely to cross Trump, a handful of GOP lawmakers have signaled they will push to get it passed.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, traveled to Ukraine last week with a bipartisan delegation and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Turner posted on X, formerly Twitter, after the trip that “I reiterated America’s commitment to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.”

But Speaker Johnson is in a tough position. A majority of his conference opposes the aid, and he is trying to lead the narrowest of majorities and avoid the fate of his predecessor, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted in October.

Johnson, R-La., said in a statement Monday that because the foreign aid package lacks border security provisions, it is “silent on the most pressing issue facing our country.” It was the latest — and potentially most consequential — sign of opposition to the Ukraine aid from House GOP leadership, who had rejected the bipartisan border plan as a “non-starter,” contributing to its rapid demise.

“Now, in the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters,” Johnson said. “America deserves better than the Senate’s status quo.”

Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Virginia Democrat, traveled to Kyiv last week with Turner and other House members. She said the trip underscored to her how Ukraine is still in a fight for its very existence.

As the group traveled through Kyiv in armored vehicles, she said, they witnessed signs of an active war, from sandbagged shelters to burned-out cars and memorials to those killed. During the meeting with Zelenskyy, she said the U.S. lawmakers tried to offer assurances that the American people still stand with his country.

“He was clear that our continued support is critical to their ability to win the war,” Spanberger said. “It’s critical to their own freedom. And importantly, it’s critical to U.S. national security interests.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707796196671.png" alt="Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas became emotional as he talked about the drudgery of the Senate and spending time away from his family to get little done. “But every so often there are issues that come before us that seem to be the ones that explain why we are here,” he said, his voice cracking. Moran conceded that the cost of the package was heavy for him, but pointed out that if Putin were to attack a NATO member in Europe, the U.S. would be bound by treaty to become directly involved in the conflict." />
 <figcaption>Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas became emotional as he talked about the drudgery of the Senate and spending time away from his family to get little done. “But every so often there are issues that come before us that seem to be the ones that explain why we are here,” he said, his voice cracking. Moran conceded that the cost of the package was heavy for him, but pointed out that if Putin were to attack a NATO member in Europe, the U.S. would be bound by treaty to become directly involved in the conflict.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate early Tuesday passed a $95.3 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-military-aid-ukraine-israel-gaza-0b9c866308cc4c8c13c3f54494371f0b">aid package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, pushing ahead after months of difficult negotiations and amid growing political divisions in the Republican Party over the role of the United States abroad.The vote came after a small group of Republicans opposed to the $60 billion for Ukraine held the Senate floor through the night, using the final hours of debate to argue that the U.S. should focus on its own problems before sending more money overseas. But more than a dozen Republicans voted with almost all Democrats to pass the package 70-29, with supporters arguing that abandoning Ukraine could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-ukraine-israel-trump-aid-biden-13d5461154e2755510d7149a5af9b97a">threaten national security across the globe</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;I believe in America First, but unfortunately America First means we have to engage in the world.&quot;-Senator Moran (R-KS) from the Senate floor in support of the $95B foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine &amp; Taiwan bill. <a href="https://t.co/ID6c1qL7MP">pic.twitter.com/ID6c1qL7MP</a>&mdash; Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1757175089731170755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It’s been years, perhaps decades, since the Senate has passed a bill that so greatly impacts not just our national security, not just the security of our allies, but also the security of western democracy,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who worked closely with Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on the legislation.The bill’s passage through the Senate was a welcome sign for Ukraine amid critical&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-money-congress-weapons-dd5076b30bf8fab5c914a1222186e7f0">shortages on the battlefield</a>. The final vote gained 22 Republicans including Kansas Senator Jerry Moran supporting its passage, while two Democrats, Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Peter Welch of Vermont, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, voted against it. Progressive lawmakers have objected to sending offensive weaponry to Israel. Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts voted against the measure.The other Republicans voting for the bill included Senators Boozman Capito, Cassidy, Collins, Cornyn, Cramer, Crapo, Ernst, Grassley, Hoeven, Kennedy, McConnell, Murkowski, Risch, Romney, Rounds, Sullivan, Thune, Tillis, Wicker, and Young.&nbsp;Yet the package faces a deeply uncertain future in the House, where hardline Republicans aligned with former President Donald Trump — the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, and a critic of support for Ukraine — oppose the legislation.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My statement on Senate’s failure to address the most critical aspect of national security supplemental legislation: <a href="https://t.co/ENjJ0WzKsK">pic.twitter.com/ENjJ0WzKsK</a>&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1757210505570087039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaker Mike Johnson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-congress-6970b539025d2de5ade9e3aff165c54f">cast new doubt</a>&nbsp;on the package in a statement Monday evening, making clear that it could be weeks or months before Congress sends the legislation to President Joe Biden's desk — if at all.Still, the vote was a win for both Senate leaders. Schumer noted the strong bipartisan support and projected that if the House speaker brings it forward it would have the same strong support in that chamber. McConnell has made Ukraine his top priority in recent months, and was resolute in the face of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-ukraine-republicans-senate-c5217d686c85837d2b9708aa197843f9">considerable pushback</a>&nbsp;from his own GOP conference.Speaking directly to his detractors in a floor speech on Sunday, McConnell said that “the eyes of the world” were on the U.S. Senate.“Will we give those who wish us harm more reason to question our resolve, or will we recommit to exercising American strength?” McConnell asked.Dollars provided by the legislation would purchase U.S.-made defense equipment, including munitions and air defense systems that authorities say are desperately needed as Russia batters the country. It also includes $8 billion for the government in Kyiv and other assistance.In addition, the legislation would provide $14 billion for Israel’s war with Hamas, $8 billion for Taiwan and partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, and $9.2 billion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-gaza-evacuation-palestinians-attack-israel-hamas-90bf78cfca6550dc229e7192f6724dfc">humanitarian assistance for Gaza</a>.The bill’s passage followed almost five months of torturous negotiations over an expansive bill that would have paired the foreign aid with an overhaul of border and asylum policies. Republicans demanded the trade-off, saying the surge of migration into the United States had to be addressed alongside the security of allies.But a bipartisan deal on border security struck by Republican Sen. James Lankford fell apart just days after its unveiling, a head-spinning development that left negotiators deeply frustrated. Republicans declared the bill insufficient and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">blocked it</a>&nbsp;on the Senate floor.After the border bill collapsed, the two leaders abandoned the border provisions and pushed forward with passing the foreign aid package alone — as Democrats had originally intended.While the slimmed-down foreign aid bill eventually won enough Republican support to pass, several GOP senators who had previously expressed support for Ukraine voted against it. The episode further exposed divisions in the party, made more public as Trump dug in and a handful of lawmakers openly called for McConnell to step down.Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., became emotional as he talked about the drudgery of the Senate and spending time away from his family to get little done. “But every so often there are issues that come before us that seem to be the ones that explain why we are here,” he said, his voice cracking.Moran conceded that the cost of the package was heavy for him, but pointed out that if Putin were to attack a NATO member in Europe, the U.S. would be bound by treaty to become directly involved in the conflict — a commitment that Trump has called into question as he seeks another term in the White House.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Democrats&#39; border ‘efforts’ were only ever a charade to find an avenue for more Ukraine funding. It&#39;s never been about helping Israel or addressing the historic border crisis- it&#39;s always been about finding a vessel for more Ukraine funding. <a href="https://t.co/21PH5Qerdf">pic.twitter.com/21PH5Qerdf</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1757190709445042555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sen. J.D. Vance, an Ohio Republican, argued that the U.S. should step back from the conflict and help broker an end to it with Russia's Putin. He questioned the wisdom of continuing to fuel Ukraine’s defense when Putin appears committed to fighting for years.“I think it deals with the reality that we’re living in, which is they’re a more powerful country, and it’s their region of the world,” he said.Vance, along with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and other opponents, spent several hours on the floor railing against the aid and complaining about Senate process. They dug in their heels to delay a final vote, speaking on the floor until daybreak.Supporters of the aid pushed back, warning that bowing to Russia would be a historic mistake with devastating consequences. In an unusually raw back-and-forth, GOP senators who support the aid challenged some of the opponents directly on the floor.North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis angrily rebutted some of their arguments, noting that the money would only help Ukraine for less than a year and that much of it would go to replenishing U.S. military stocks.“Why am I so focused on this vote?” Tillis said. “Because I don’t want to be on the pages of history that we will regret if we walk away. You will see the alliance that is supporting Ukraine crumble. You will ultimately see China become emboldened. And I am not going to be on that page of history.”At a rally Saturday, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-nato-foreign-aid-russia-2b8054a9fe185eec34c2c541cece655d">said that he had once told</a>&nbsp;a NATO ally he would encourage Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to members that are “delinquent” in their financial and military commitments to the alliance. The former president has&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/pronto/20e902788e8701999ce0424f73d478cc">led his party away</a>&nbsp;from the foreign policy doctrines of aggressive American involvement overseas and toward an “America First” isolationism.Evoking the slogan, Moran said, “I believe in America first, but unfortunately America first means we have to engage in the world.”While the vast majority of House Republicans have opposed the aid and are unlikely to cross Trump, a handful of GOP lawmakers have signaled they will push to get it passed.House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, traveled to Ukraine last week with a bipartisan delegation and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Turner posted on X, formerly Twitter, after the trip that “I reiterated America’s commitment to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.”But Speaker Johnson is in a tough position. A majority of his conference opposes the aid, and he is trying to lead the narrowest of majorities and avoid the fate of his predecessor, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted in October.Johnson, R-La., said in a statement Monday that because the foreign aid package lacks border security provisions, it is “silent on the most pressing issue facing our country.” It was the latest — and potentially most consequential — sign of opposition to the Ukraine aid from House GOP leadership, who had rejected the bipartisan border plan as a “non-starter,” contributing to its rapid demise.“Now, in the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters,” Johnson said. “America deserves better than the Senate’s status quo.”Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Virginia Democrat, traveled to Kyiv last week with Turner and other House members. She said the trip underscored to her how Ukraine is still in a fight for its very existence.As the group traveled through Kyiv in armored vehicles, she said, they witnessed signs of an active war, from sandbagged shelters to burned-out cars and memorials to those killed. During the meeting with Zelenskyy, she said the U.S. lawmakers tried to offer assurances that the American people still stand with his country.“He was clear that our continued support is critical to their ability to win the war,” Spanberger said. “It’s critical to their own freedom. And importantly, it’s critical to U.S. national security interests.”

Nebraska Senators vote no: Senate OKs $95B aid package for Ukraine, Israel

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;fired two missiles at a ship carrying corn bound for a port in Iran on Monday, causing minor damage but no injuries to its crew, authorities said.

The attack on the Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier Star Iris shows just how widely the Houthis now target ships traveling through the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the two waterways.

The Star Iris had been heading from Brazil to Bandar Khomeini in Iran, the main backer and armer of the Houthis in Yemen's yearslong war.

“The group owner and operator regularly trade bulk cargo with Iran, so this was assessed to be the likely destination,” said Ambrey, a private security firm. Ambrey added that the Star Iris sustained damage to its starboard side in the attack.

The Houthis sought to describe the Star Iris as an “American” vessel, and said they targeted the ship with multiple missiles. The Star Iris' ultimate owner, Star Bulk Carriers Corp. of Athens, Greece, is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market in New York. It did not respond to a request for comment.

Days earlier, another ship owned by Star Bulk, the Star Nasia,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-ship-attack-iran-us-e1c74b063a59fa4417d47feb5ab369cc">came under attack from the Houthis</a>.

The Houthis' military “will not hesitate to carry out more operations in retaliation to the Zionist crimes against our brothers in the Gaza Strip, as well as in response to the ongoing American-British aggression against our dear country,” Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a statement after the attack.

Iran did not acknowledge the Star Iris' destination, though the U.S. military's Central Command did in a statement early Tuesday. Central Command identified its cargo as Brazilian corn bound for Iran. Corn is a major Brazilian export to Iran, likely used in animal feed.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which oversees Mideast waters, reported the attack, saying it happened while the Star Iris was traveling south through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that separates East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.

The ship's captain “reports his vessel was attacked by two missiles and reports minor damage,” the UKMTO said. “Vessel and crew are safe. Vessel proceeding to next port of call.”

The attack on the Star Iris follows days in which no Houthi attacks on ships were reported. It's unclear what caused the pause, though the U.S. and British militaries have conducted multiple rounds of airstrikes targeting the Houthis' missile arsenals and launch sites in territory they hold.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;fired two missiles at a ship carrying corn bound for a port in Iran on Monday, causing minor damage but no injuries to its crew, authorities said.The attack on the Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier Star Iris shows just how widely the Houthis now target ships traveling through the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the two waterways.The Star Iris had been heading from Brazil to Bandar Khomeini in Iran, the main backer and armer of the Houthis in Yemen's yearslong war.“The group owner and operator regularly trade bulk cargo with Iran, so this was assessed to be the likely destination,” said Ambrey, a private security firm. Ambrey added that the Star Iris sustained damage to its starboard side in the attack.The Houthis sought to describe the Star Iris as an “American” vessel, and said they targeted the ship with multiple missiles. The Star Iris' ultimate owner, Star Bulk Carriers Corp. of Athens, Greece, is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market in New York. It did not respond to a request for comment.Days earlier, another ship owned by Star Bulk, the Star Nasia,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-ship-attack-iran-us-e1c74b063a59fa4417d47feb5ab369cc">came under attack from the Houthis</a>.The Houthis' military “will not hesitate to carry out more operations in retaliation to the Zionist crimes against our brothers in the Gaza Strip, as well as in response to the ongoing American-British aggression against our dear country,” Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a statement after the attack.Iran did not acknowledge the Star Iris' destination, though the U.S. military's Central Command did in a statement early Tuesday. Central Command identified its cargo as Brazilian corn bound for Iran. Corn is a major Brazilian export to Iran, likely used in animal feed.The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which oversees Mideast waters, reported the attack, saying it happened while the Star Iris was traveling south through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that separates East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.The ship's captain “reports his vessel was attacked by two missiles and reports minor damage,” the UKMTO said. “Vessel and crew are safe. Vessel proceeding to next port of call.”The attack on the Star Iris follows days in which no Houthi attacks on ships were reported. It's unclear what caused the pause, though the U.S. and British militaries have conducted multiple rounds of airstrikes targeting the Houthis' missile arsenals and launch sites in territory they hold.

Rebels fire missiles at ship bound for Iran, their main supporter

NEW YORK (AP)—Robert Kennedy Jr.’s presidential ambitions resulted in public family drama after a political action committee aired a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;ad invoking the Democratic family’s legacy to implicitly compare the independent candidate to his assassinated uncle, President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-kennedy-assassination-60-years-public-service-7a17f5baefe83fc1eddb1025e2e298d5">John F. Kennedy</a>.

The 30-second spot, financed by the American Values 2024 Super PAC that is backing Kennedy, featured a shortened version of a campaign song that the 35th president used in his 1960 campaign. The spot also mimicked cartoon and newsreel effects using black-and-white pictures of Robert Kennedy Jr. similar to JFK. But in a notable departure from the Kennedy's bygone Democratic Party dynasty, the ad urged Americans to “Vote Independent.”

After the game, Kennedy responded to online criticism, including from one of his cousins, emphasizing that his campaign did not produce the spot, which cost an estimated $7 million.

“I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain,” Kennedy wrote late Sunday night on X, formerly Twitter. “The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. ... I love you all. God bless you.”

Still, as of Monday morning, Kennedy had the ad pinned to the top of his X profile. “Our momentum is growing,” he wrote. “It’s time for an Independent President to heal the divide in our country.”

Bobby Shriver, whose mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded the Special Olympics, hammered his cousin over the spot and his opposition to vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases.

“My cousin’s Super Bowl ad used our uncle’s faces- and my Mother’s,” Shriver wrote. “She would be appalled by his deadly health care views. Respect for science, vaccines, &amp; health care equity were in her DNA.”

Shriver, whose father, Sargent Shriver, founded the Peace Corps, also alluded to his own work in expanding health care access in the developing world.

Robert Kennedy Jr. responded separately to his cousin: “Bobby. I’m so sorry if that advertisement caused you pain. ... I send you and your family my sincerest apologies. God bless you.”

Kennedy is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/politics/election-2024-0000018ca126d7a5a79da57ef5030000">running for president</a>&nbsp;as an independent despite his family’s status as Democratic Party nobility. It’s not yet clear whether he can gain ballot access in enough states to mount a true national campaign. But his effort comes in a year when many voters are not enthusiastic about the likelihood of a rematch between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>, a Democrat, and former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>, a Republican. Any independent or third-party efforts in battleground states could shape the outcome in unpredictable ways.

“It is fitting that the first national ad promoting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy was bought and paid for by Donald Trump's largest donor this cycle,” said Democratic National Committee spokesman Alex Floyd. He was referring to Tim Mellon, a major donor to Trump who also gave American Values $15 million last year, according to federal filings.

The DNC already had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dnc-fec-complaint-kenedy-trump-biden-09d42502ca757cd4656b4829c4b4c00d">filed a federal complaint</a>&nbsp;alleging that Kennedy's campaign is illegally coordinating with American Values to siphon support from Biden, an accusation the PAC denies.

A Biden campaign spokesman sidestepped the flap, instead highlighting the president's Super Bowl Sunday debut on the social media platform TikTok.

An email newsletter from American Values framed the ad as an unqualified success, noting a spike in online searches for Kennedy and a statement from his campaign spokeswoman saying the campaign was “pleasantly surprised and grateful” for the ad, a different tone than Kennedy's statements to his family.

At one time, Kennedy was a leading environmental activist, and he was among the younger Kennedy family members who would speak at Democratic Party conventions and events. He has in recent years delved into conspiracy theories and become a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-rfk-jr-built-anti-vaccine-juggernaut-amid-covid-4997be1bcf591fe8b7f1f90d16c9321e">face of the anti-vaccine movement</a>.

Besides his presidential uncle, who was assassinated in 1963, Kennedy’s political lineage includes his father, who was U.S. attorney general, a senator from New York and leading presidential candidate at the time of his 1968 assassination. His father’s longest-lived brother was Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. Sargent Shriver, Bobby Shriver’s father, ran for president in 1976 as a Democrat.

NEW YORK (AP)—Robert Kennedy Jr.’s presidential ambitions resulted in public family drama after a political action committee aired a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;ad invoking the Democratic family’s legacy to implicitly compare the independent candidate to his assassinated uncle, President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-kennedy-assassination-60-years-public-service-7a17f5baefe83fc1eddb1025e2e298d5">John F. Kennedy</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I&#39;m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain. The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. FEC rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God…&mdash; Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1756900265368723562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The 30-second spot, financed by the American Values 2024 Super PAC that is backing Kennedy, featured a shortened version of a campaign song that the 35th president used in his 1960 campaign. The spot also mimicked cartoon and newsreel effects using black-and-white pictures of Robert Kennedy Jr. similar to JFK. But in a notable departure from the Kennedy's bygone Democratic Party dynasty, the ad urged Americans to “Vote Independent.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our momentum is growing. It’s time for an Independent President to heal the divide in our country. 🇺🇸<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kennedy24?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kennedy24</a> <a href="https://t.co/6rwXW3AwAp">pic.twitter.com/6rwXW3AwAp</a>&mdash; Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1756852942379045085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>After the game, Kennedy responded to online criticism, including from one of his cousins, emphasizing that his campaign did not produce the spot, which cost an estimated $7 million.“I’m so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain,” Kennedy wrote late Sunday night on X, formerly Twitter. “The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. ... I love you all. God bless you.”Still, as of Monday morning, Kennedy had the ad pinned to the top of his X profile. “Our momentum is growing,” he wrote. “It’s time for an Independent President to heal the divide in our country.”Bobby Shriver, whose mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded the Special Olympics, hammered his cousin over the spot and his opposition to vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases.“My cousin’s Super Bowl ad used our uncle’s faces- and my Mother’s,” Shriver wrote. “She would be appalled by his deadly health care views. Respect for science, vaccines, &amp; health care equity were in her DNA.”Shriver, whose father, Sargent Shriver, founded the Peace Corps, also alluded to his own work in expanding health care access in the developing world.Robert Kennedy Jr. responded separately to his cousin: “Bobby. I’m so sorry if that advertisement caused you pain. ... I send you and your family my sincerest apologies. God bless you.”Kennedy is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/politics/election-2024-0000018ca126d7a5a79da57ef5030000">running for president</a>&nbsp;as an independent despite his family’s status as Democratic Party nobility. It’s not yet clear whether he can gain ballot access in enough states to mount a true national campaign. But his effort comes in a year when many voters are not enthusiastic about the likelihood of a rematch between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>, a Democrat, and former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>, a Republican. Any independent or third-party efforts in battleground states could shape the outcome in unpredictable ways.“It is fitting that the first national ad promoting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy was bought and paid for by Donald Trump's largest donor this cycle,” said Democratic National Committee spokesman Alex Floyd. He was referring to Tim Mellon, a major donor to Trump who also gave American Values $15 million last year, according to federal filings.The DNC already had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dnc-fec-complaint-kenedy-trump-biden-09d42502ca757cd4656b4829c4b4c00d">filed a federal complaint</a>&nbsp;alleging that Kennedy's campaign is illegally coordinating with American Values to siphon support from Biden, an accusation the PAC denies.A Biden campaign spokesman sidestepped the flap, instead highlighting the president's Super Bowl Sunday debut on the social media platform TikTok.An email newsletter from American Values framed the ad as an unqualified success, noting a spike in online searches for Kennedy and a statement from his campaign spokeswoman saying the campaign was “pleasantly surprised and grateful” for the ad, a different tone than Kennedy's statements to his family.At one time, Kennedy was a leading environmental activist, and he was among the younger Kennedy family members who would speak at Democratic Party conventions and events. He has in recent years delved into conspiracy theories and become a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-rfk-jr-built-anti-vaccine-juggernaut-amid-covid-4997be1bcf591fe8b7f1f90d16c9321e">face of the anti-vaccine movement</a>.Besides his presidential uncle, who was assassinated in 1963, Kennedy’s political lineage includes his father, who was U.S. attorney general, a senator from New York and leading presidential candidate at the time of his 1968 assassination. His father’s longest-lived brother was Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. Sargent Shriver, Bobby Shriver’s father, ran for president in 1976 as a Democrat.

🎥RFK Jr. apologizes for Super Bowl ad invoking JFK

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — First lady Jill Biden said in an email to campaign donors over the weekend she didn't know what the special counsel was trying to achieve when he suggested President Joe Biden could not remember when his oldest son died.

”We should give everyone grace, and I can’t imagine someone would try to use our son’s death to score political points," she wrote. "If you’ve experienced a loss like that, you know that you don’t measure it in years -- you measure it in grief."

It was an emphatic defense of her husband in a note to supporters as Biden's team worked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-special-counsel-classified-documents-election-2024-a54f03441e8145f9d6915858caaac37e">alleviate Democratic concerns</a>&nbsp;over the alarms raised by a special counsel about Biden’s age and memory, in a report determining that Biden would not be charged with any criminal activity for possessing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hur-garland-classified-documents-836b99fe9cbef9ba7d32602f4928efec">classified documents after he left office.</a>

Special Counsel Robert Hur, a Republican former U.S. attorney appointed by Donald Trump, found the president should not face charges for retaining the documents, and described as a hypothetical defense that the 81-year-old president could show his memory was “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor” and having “significant limitations," and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-age-trump-2024-4791639cc06cc0affee55aba80c7e6b3">added that during an interview with investigators</a>&nbsp;that Biden couldn't recall ”even within years" when his oldest son Beau had died.

“Believe me, like anyone who has lost a child, Beau and his death never leave him," Jill Biden said.

It was an unusually personal observation for a special counsel investigating the president's handling of classified documents.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-d8f69eb645d74b7886387f713981b739">Beau Biden died in 2015 from a brain tumor.</a>&nbsp;It's something that Biden speaks of regularly, and cites as both a reason why he didn't run in 2016 and a later motivator for his successful 2020 run.

“May 30th is a day forever etched on our hearts,” Jill Biden said in a note to supporters about the day Beau Biden died. “It shattered me, it shattered our family. ... What helped me, and what helped Joe, was to find purpose. That’s what keeps Joe going, serving you and the country we love.”

The references to Beau Biden in Hur's report enraged the president, who later said: “How in the hell dare he raise that?”

(click below to watch President Biden answer questions about his age)

Biden mentioned that he had sat for five hours of interviews with Hur’s team over two days on Oct. 8 and 9, “even though Israel had just been attacked on October 7th and I was in the middle of handling an international crisis.”

Voters have been concerned about his age. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">an August poll</a>&nbsp;by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, 77% of U.S. adults said Biden is too old to be effective for four more years. It was one of the rare sources of bipartisan agreement during a politically polarized era, with 89% of Republicans and 69% of Democrats saying Biden’s age is a problem.

“Joe is 81, that’s true, but he’s 81 doing more in an hour than most people do in a day. Joe has wisdom, empathy, and vision,” Jill Biden said. “His age, with his experience and expertise, is an incredible asset and he proves it every day.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707678366989.png" alt="First lady Jill Biden during opening comments at a Women's Health conference Feb. 7, in Atlanta-White House image" />
 <figcaption>First lady Jill Biden during opening comments at a Women's Health conference Feb. 7, in Atlanta-White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — First lady Jill Biden said in an email to campaign donors over the weekend she didn't know what the special counsel was trying to achieve when he suggested President Joe Biden could not remember when his oldest son died.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707662434941.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707662459491.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>”We should give everyone grace, and I can’t imagine someone would try to use our son’s death to score political points," she wrote. "If you’ve experienced a loss like that, you know that you don’t measure it in years -- you measure it in grief."It was an emphatic defense of her husband in a note to supporters as Biden's team worked to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-special-counsel-classified-documents-election-2024-a54f03441e8145f9d6915858caaac37e">alleviate Democratic concerns</a>&nbsp;over the alarms raised by a special counsel about Biden’s age and memory, in a report determining that Biden would not be charged with any criminal activity for possessing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hur-garland-classified-documents-836b99fe9cbef9ba7d32602f4928efec">classified documents after he left office.</a>Special Counsel Robert Hur, a Republican former U.S. attorney appointed by Donald Trump, found the president should not face charges for retaining the documents, and described as a hypothetical defense that the 81-year-old president could show his memory was “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor” and having “significant limitations," and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-age-trump-2024-4791639cc06cc0affee55aba80c7e6b3">added that during an interview with investigators</a>&nbsp;that Biden couldn't recall ”even within years" when his oldest son Beau had died.“Believe me, like anyone who has lost a child, Beau and his death never leave him," Jill Biden said.It was an unusually personal observation for a special counsel investigating the president's handling of classified documents.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-d8f69eb645d74b7886387f713981b739">Beau Biden died in 2015 from a brain tumor.</a>&nbsp;It's something that Biden speaks of regularly, and cites as both a reason why he didn't run in 2016 and a later motivator for his successful 2020 run.“May 30th is a day forever etched on our hearts,” Jill Biden said in a note to supporters about the day Beau Biden died. “It shattered me, it shattered our family. ... What helped me, and what helped Joe, was to find purpose. That’s what keeps Joe going, serving you and the country we love.”The references to Beau Biden in Hur's report enraged the president, who later said: “How in the hell dare he raise that?”(click below to watch President Biden answer questions about his age)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F690627529895091%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=243" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Biden mentioned that he had sat for five hours of interviews with Hur’s team over two days on Oct. 8 and 9, “even though Israel had just been attacked on October 7th and I was in the middle of handling an international crisis.”Voters have been concerned about his age. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">an August poll</a>&nbsp;by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, 77% of U.S. adults said Biden is too old to be effective for four more years. It was one of the rare sources of bipartisan agreement during a politically polarized era, with 89% of Republicans and 69% of Democrats saying Biden’s age is a problem.“Joe is 81, that’s true, but he’s 81 doing more in an hour than most people do in a day. Joe has wisdom, empathy, and vision,” Jill Biden said. “His age, with his experience and expertise, is an incredible asset and he proves it every day.”

Read First lady's email that questions special counsel report to 'score political points'

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces rescued two hostages early Monday, storming a heavily guarded apartment in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Gaza Strip</a>&nbsp;and extracting the captives under fire in a dramatic raid that was a small but symbolically significant success for Israel. The men were identified as&nbsp;Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70.

The operation killed at least 67 Palestinians, including women and children, according to Palestinian health officials in the beleaguered territory.

To assist the rescue forces, heavy airstrikes pounded the area near the apartment in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-gaza-evacuation-palestinians-attack-israel-hamas-90bf78cfca6550dc229e7192f6724dfc">Rafah, a city on the southern edge</a>&nbsp;of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled to escape fighting elsewhere in the Israel-Hamas war.

The raid was celebrated in Israel as a victory in the sluggish battle to free the hostages, with more than 100 captives still held by Hamas and other Gaza militants, and briefly lifted the spirits of a nation still reeling from Hamas' cross-border raid last year.

But in Gaza, where civilians have borne a staggering toll since the war erupted on Oct. 7, the operation unleashed another wartime tragedy, with many Palestinians killed or wounded.

More than 12,300 Palestinian minors — children and young teens — have been killed in Israel’s war against Hamas, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Monday. That means minors make up about 43% of the total number of 28,176 Palestinians killed so far. About 8,400 women were also among those killed.

The ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, provided the breakdown of minors and women at the request of The Associated Press. Israel claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters.

The plight of the hostages has profoundly shaken Israelis and the government has made freeing the dozens of remaining captives a top aim of its war, along with destroying Hamas' military and governing capabilities. But as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the fighting drags on</a>, now in its fifth month, their freedom remains elusive and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-1-19-2024-e5f45fb7b14d3dc8ff64b0aee4b473aa">rifts have emerged in Israel</a>&nbsp;over the best approach to end their ordeal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted persistent military pressure will bring about their freedom — a position he repeated on Monday — even as other top officials have opposed this, saying a deal is the only way to secure their release.

Israel has described Rafah as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza and signaled that its ground offensive may soon target the densely populated city. On Sunday, the White House said President Joe Biden had warned Netanyahu that Israel should not conduct a military operation against Hamas in Rafah without a “credible and executable” plan to protect civilians.

The army identified the rescued hostages as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, abducted by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack that triggered the war. Netanyahu's office said they also hold Argentinian citizenship.

They were among roughly 250 taken captive during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas' stunning cross-border raid</a>, when an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli authorities. In addition to the thousands killed, Israeli's retaliatory air and ground offensive has displaced over 80% of the population and set off a massive humanitarian crisis.

Over 100 hostages were freed during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, and Hamas also holds the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on Oct. 7 or died in captivity. Three hostages were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-15-2023-072436cece0f2351fadfed892e985554">mistakenly killed by the army</a>&nbsp;after escaping their captors in December.

“Only the continuation of the military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our captives,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

Israeli military spokesman Read Adm. Daniel Hagari said special forces broke into a second-floor apartment in Rafah under fire at 1:49 a.m. Monday, accompanied a minute later by airstrikes on surrounding areas. He said the hostages were being guarded by armed Hamas militants and that members of the rescue team shielded the hostages with their bodies as a heavy battle erupted in several places at once with Hamas gunmen.

The hostages were taken to a nearby “safe area,” given a quick medical check and airlifted to Sheba Medical Center in central Israel. Their medical condition was reported to be good. They are just the second and third&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-hostages-0c14750240138853a70e38b0c09ef157">hostages to be rescued safely</a>; a female soldier was rescued in November.

The rescue, which Hagari said was based on precise intelligence and planned for some time, is a morale booster for Israelis but a small step toward winning the release of the remaining hostages, who are believed to be spread out and hidden in tunnels, likely in poor condition.

Har and Marman were kidnapped from a home in southern Israel along with three other relatives who were freed in the late-November deal. No other family members of theirs remain in Gaza, Israeli media reported.

Har's son-in-law, Idan Begerano, who saw the released captives at the hospital, said the two men were thin and pale, but communicating well and aware of their surroundings. Begerano said Har told him immediately upon seeing him: “You have a birthday today, mazal tov."

The airstrikes that backed up the Israeli forces hit the jam-packed Rafah in the middle of the night and dozens of explosions could be heard around 2 a.m. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;in Hamas-run Gaza, said at least 67 people were killed in the strikes.

Al-Qidra said rescuers were still searching the rubble; an Associated Press journalist counted at least 50 bodies at the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.

Footage circulating on social media from Rafah's Kuwaiti hospital showed dead or wounded children. The footage could not immediately be verified but was consistent with AP reporting.

The wounded were seen lying on the hospital floor as medics tried to treat them. One wounded man was on the ground with two bloodied children lying beside him. “Rescue the girl,” he screamed.

A young man was also seen carrying the body of an infant who he said was killed in the attacks. He said the girl, the daughter of his neighbor, was born and killed during the war.

“Let Netanyahu come and see: is this (infant) your bank of targets?" he said. "For what is she to blame?”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707735845538.png" alt="Louis Har, 70 photo&nbsp; Hostage and Missing Families" />
 <figcaption>Louis Har, 70 photo&nbsp; Hostage and Missing Families</figcaption>
 </figure>RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces rescued two hostages early Monday, storming a heavily guarded apartment in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Gaza Strip</a>&nbsp;and extracting the captives under fire in a dramatic raid that was a small but symbolically significant success for Israel. The men were identified as&nbsp;Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70.The operation killed at least 67 Palestinians, including women and children, according to Palestinian health officials in the beleaguered territory.To assist the rescue forces, heavy airstrikes pounded the area near the apartment in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-gaza-evacuation-palestinians-attack-israel-hamas-90bf78cfca6550dc229e7192f6724dfc">Rafah, a city on the southern edge</a>&nbsp;of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled to escape fighting elsewhere in the Israel-Hamas war.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707735819504.png" alt="Fernando Simon Marman, 60, photo Hostage and Missing Families" />
 <figcaption>Fernando Simon Marman, 60, photo Hostage and Missing Families</figcaption>
 </figure>The raid was celebrated in Israel as a victory in the sluggish battle to free the hostages, with more than 100 captives still held by Hamas and other Gaza militants, and briefly lifted the spirits of a nation still reeling from Hamas' cross-border raid last year.But in Gaza, where civilians have borne a staggering toll since the war erupted on Oct. 7, the operation unleashed another wartime tragedy, with many Palestinians killed or wounded.More than 12,300 Palestinian minors — children and young teens — have been killed in Israel’s war against Hamas, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Monday. That means minors make up about 43% of the total number of 28,176 Palestinians killed so far. About 8,400 women were also among those killed.The ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, provided the breakdown of minors and women at the request of The Associated Press. Israel claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters.The plight of the hostages has profoundly shaken Israelis and the government has made freeing the dozens of remaining captives a top aim of its war, along with destroying Hamas' military and governing capabilities. But as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the fighting drags on</a>, now in its fifth month, their freedom remains elusive and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-1-19-2024-e5f45fb7b14d3dc8ff64b0aee4b473aa">rifts have emerged in Israel</a>&nbsp;over the best approach to end their ordeal.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted persistent military pressure will bring about their freedom — a position he repeated on Monday — even as other top officials have opposed this, saying a deal is the only way to secure their release.Israel has described Rafah as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza and signaled that its ground offensive may soon target the densely populated city. On Sunday, the White House said President Joe Biden had warned Netanyahu that Israel should not conduct a military operation against Hamas in Rafah without a “credible and executable” plan to protect civilians.The army identified the rescued hostages as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, abducted by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack that triggered the war. Netanyahu's office said they also hold Argentinian citizenship.They were among roughly 250 taken captive during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas' stunning cross-border raid</a>, when an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli authorities. In addition to the thousands killed, Israeli's retaliatory air and ground offensive has displaced over 80% of the population and set off a massive humanitarian crisis.Over 100 hostages were freed during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, and Hamas also holds the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on Oct. 7 or died in captivity. Three hostages were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-15-2023-072436cece0f2351fadfed892e985554">mistakenly killed by the army</a>&nbsp;after escaping their captors in December.“Only the continuation of the military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our captives,” Netanyahu said in a statement.A DRAMATIC RAIDIsraeli military spokesman Read Adm. Daniel Hagari said special forces broke into a second-floor apartment in Rafah under fire at 1:49 a.m. Monday, accompanied a minute later by airstrikes on surrounding areas. He said the hostages were being guarded by armed Hamas militants and that members of the rescue team shielded the hostages with their bodies as a heavy battle erupted in several places at once with Hamas gunmen.The hostages were taken to a nearby “safe area,” given a quick medical check and airlifted to Sheba Medical Center in central Israel. Their medical condition was reported to be good. They are just the second and third&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-hostages-0c14750240138853a70e38b0c09ef157">hostages to be rescued safely</a>; a female soldier was rescued in November.The rescue, which Hagari said was based on precise intelligence and planned for some time, is a morale booster for Israelis but a small step toward winning the release of the remaining hostages, who are believed to be spread out and hidden in tunnels, likely in poor condition.Har and Marman were kidnapped from a home in southern Israel along with three other relatives who were freed in the late-November deal. No other family members of theirs remain in Gaza, Israeli media reported.Har's son-in-law, Idan Begerano, who saw the released captives at the hospital, said the two men were thin and pale, but communicating well and aware of their surroundings. Begerano said Har told him immediately upon seeing him: “You have a birthday today, mazal tov."DOZENS KILLED IN STRIKESThe airstrikes that backed up the Israeli forces hit the jam-packed Rafah in the middle of the night and dozens of explosions could be heard around 2 a.m. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;in Hamas-run Gaza, said at least 67 people were killed in the strikes.Al-Qidra said rescuers were still searching the rubble; an Associated Press journalist counted at least 50 bodies at the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.Footage circulating on social media from Rafah's Kuwaiti hospital showed dead or wounded children. The footage could not immediately be verified but was consistent with AP reporting.The wounded were seen lying on the hospital floor as medics tried to treat them. One wounded man was on the ground with two bloodied children lying beside him. “Rescue the girl,” he screamed.A young man was also seen carrying the body of an infant who he said was killed in the attacks. He said the girl, the daughter of his neighbor, was born and killed during the war.“Let Netanyahu come and see: is this (infant) your bank of targets?" he said. "For what is she to blame?”

Israel: 2 hostages rescued in special operation, 128 days after capture

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-prostate-cancer-pentagon-return-work-857738bc68539c2825c6a4aed730dd2e">was hospitalized</a>&nbsp;again Sunday following symptoms pointing to an “emergent bladder issue,” the Pentagon said.

In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2:20 p.m.

While Austin initially was set to retain the "functions and duties of his office,” at about 5 p.m. Sunday he transferred those authorities to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. As of Sunday evening, he remained hospitalized, said Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was also notified, as well as the White House and Congress.

Ryder said Austin had traveled to the hospital with the unclassified and classified communications systems needed to perform his job.

Austin was scheduled to depart Tuesday for Brussels to hold a meeting of the Ukraine contact group, which he established in 2022 to coordinate military support for Kyiv after Russia's invasion. After that, Austin was scheduled to attend a regular meeting of NATO defense ministers. It was not immediately clear if this hospitalization would change those plans.

Austin was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-cancer-hospital-privacy-security-7f08cb56c35f349c0bdf35ede183c736">diagnosed with prostate cancer</a>&nbsp;in December and underwent a procedure called a prostatectomy to treat it on Dec. 22.

Over the next week, he developed complications and on Jan. 1, in extreme pain, he was taken to Walter Reed by ambulance where he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-secretary-cancer-hospital-yemen-houthis-biden-cf48b9636829787cff96e3a86b97a131">admitted to the intensive care unit.</a>&nbsp;Austin remained at Walter Reed until Jan. 15. He then continued to recover and work from home, and he returned to the Pentagon Jan. 29.

His doctors have previously said his prognosis against the cancer is “excellent” and that no further treatments will be needed.

Austin has gone back to Walter Reed for follow-ups since his hospitalization but this is his first unscheduled trip due to continued complications from his cancer treatments.

Austin did not tell President Joe Biden, Congress or his deputy defense secretary of his cancer diagnosis or initial hospitalization for weeks.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-hospital-defense-secretary-biden-fe9060f1e277db706d3cee6cae1d2562">That secrecy</a>&nbsp;has become the subject of an inspector general&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-pentagon-cancer-secret-hospital-313255a7126a0482a67ec18b7474a8c1">investigation</a>&nbsp;and a Pentagon internal review. He has previously said he never instructed his staff to keep his hospitalization a secret.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized Sunday following symptoms pointing to an “emergent bladder issue,” the Pentagon said.

In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2:20 p.m. He “is retaining the functions and duties of his office,” according to Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, but added that the deputy defense secretary has been notified and is prepared to assume Austin's duties “if required.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706044056961.png" alt="File Secretary Austin in Jan. 24, in his first public appearance since his secret hospitalization -Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>File Secretary Austin in Jan. 24, in his first public appearance since his secret hospitalization -Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-prostate-cancer-pentagon-return-work-857738bc68539c2825c6a4aed730dd2e">was hospitalized</a>&nbsp;again Sunday following symptoms pointing to an “emergent bladder issue,” the Pentagon said.In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2:20 p.m.While Austin initially was set to retain the "functions and duties of his office,” at about 5 p.m. Sunday he transferred those authorities to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. As of Sunday evening, he remained hospitalized, said Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was also notified, as well as the White House and Congress.Ryder said Austin had traveled to the hospital with the unclassified and classified communications systems needed to perform his job.Austin was scheduled to depart Tuesday for Brussels to hold a meeting of the Ukraine contact group, which he established in 2022 to coordinate military support for Kyiv after Russia's invasion. After that, Austin was scheduled to attend a regular meeting of NATO defense ministers. It was not immediately clear if this hospitalization would change those plans.Austin was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-cancer-hospital-privacy-security-7f08cb56c35f349c0bdf35ede183c736">diagnosed with prostate cancer</a>&nbsp;in December and underwent a procedure called a prostatectomy to treat it on Dec. 22.Over the next week, he developed complications and on Jan. 1, in extreme pain, he was taken to Walter Reed by ambulance where he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-secretary-cancer-hospital-yemen-houthis-biden-cf48b9636829787cff96e3a86b97a131">admitted to the intensive care unit.</a>&nbsp;Austin remained at Walter Reed until Jan. 15. He then continued to recover and work from home, and he returned to the Pentagon Jan. 29.His doctors have previously said his prognosis against the cancer is “excellent” and that no further treatments will be needed.Austin has gone back to Walter Reed for follow-ups since his hospitalization but this is his first unscheduled trip due to continued complications from his cancer treatments.Austin did not tell President Joe Biden, Congress or his deputy defense secretary of his cancer diagnosis or initial hospitalization for weeks.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-hospital-defense-secretary-biden-fe9060f1e277db706d3cee6cae1d2562">That secrecy</a>&nbsp;has become the subject of an inspector general&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-pentagon-cancer-secret-hospital-313255a7126a0482a67ec18b7474a8c1">investigation</a>&nbsp;and a Pentagon internal review. He has previously said he never instructed his staff to keep his hospitalization a secret.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized Sunday following symptoms pointing to an “emergent bladder issue,” the Pentagon said.In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2:20 p.m. He “is retaining the functions and duties of his office,” according to Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, but added that the deputy defense secretary has been notified and is prepared to assume Austin's duties “if required.”The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was also notified, as well as the White House and some members of Congress.Ryder said Austin traveled to the hospital with the unclassified and classified communications systems needed to perform his job.Austin was scheduled to depart Tuesday for Brussels to hold a meeting of the Ukraine contact group, which he established in 2022 to coordinate military support for Kyiv after Russia's invasion. After that, Austin was scheduled to attend a regular meeting of NATO defense ministers. It was not immediately clear if his hospitalization would change those plans.