LONDON (AP) — A U.S. warship shot down 14 suspected attack drones over the Red Sea on Saturday, and a Royal Navy destroyer downed another drone that was targeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthis-shipping-red-sea-navy-israel-6dc5fbff6d28fead5d6ef1224cba5a14">commercial ships,</a>&nbsp;the British and American militaries said.

Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, and have launched drones and missiles targeting Israel, as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;threatens to spread.

U.S. Central Command said that the destroyer USS Carney “successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems" launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

The drones “were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries,” Central Command tweeted.

U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that HMS Diamond fired a Sea Viper missile and destroyed a drone that was “targeting merchant shipping.” The overnight action is the first time the Royal Navy has shot down an aerial target in anger since the 1991 Gulf War.

Shapps said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">attacks on commercial ships</a>&nbsp;in the global trade artery by Yemen’s Houthi rebels “represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security."

“The U.K. remains committed to repelling these attacks to protect the free flow of global trade,” he said in a statement.

HMS Diamond was sent to the region two weeks ago as a deterrent, joining vessels from the U.S., France and other countries.

Global shipping has become a target during the war between Israel and Hamas, which like the Houthis is backed by Iran.

Houthi rebels said they fired a barrage of drones on Saturday toward the port city of Eilat in southern Israel. The announcement came hours after Egypt’s state-run media reported that Egyptian air defense had shot down a “flying object” off the Egyptian resort town of Dahab on the Red Sea.

Israeli-linked vessels also have been targeted, but the threat to trade has grown as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-attack-houthi-rebels-red-sea-946b40e6393af6216c0b6ef734311be9">container ships and oil tankers</a>&nbsp;flagged to countries like Norway and Liberia have been attacked or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-ship-attacks-us-navy-1727df3d95e548c6e4d20b51f096268f">drawn missile fire</a>&nbsp;while traversing the waterway between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Earlier this month, three commercial ships in the Red Sea were struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen. A U.S. warship shot down three drones during the assault, the U.S. military said.

French container shipping line CMA CGM Group said Saturday it had ordered all its vessels scheduled to pass through the Red Sea to “pause their journey in safe waters with immediate effect until further notice.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702740562018.png" alt="U.S. Carney -photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Carney -photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — A U.S. warship shot down 14 suspected attack drones over the Red Sea on Saturday, and a Royal Navy destroyer downed another drone that was targeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthis-shipping-red-sea-navy-israel-6dc5fbff6d28fead5d6ef1224cba5a14">commercial ships,</a>&nbsp;the British and American militaries said.Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, and have launched drones and missiles targeting Israel, as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;threatens to spread.U.S. Central Command said that the destroyer USS Carney “successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems" launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.The drones “were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries,” Central Command tweeted.U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that HMS Diamond fired a Sea Viper missile and destroyed a drone that was “targeting merchant shipping.” The overnight action is the first time the Royal Navy has shot down an aerial target in anger since the 1991 Gulf War.Shapps said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">attacks on commercial ships</a>&nbsp;in the global trade artery by Yemen’s Houthi rebels “represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security."“The U.K. remains committed to repelling these attacks to protect the free flow of global trade,” he said in a statement.HMS Diamond was sent to the region two weeks ago as a deterrent, joining vessels from the U.S., France and other countries.Global shipping has become a target during the war between Israel and Hamas, which like the Houthis is backed by Iran.Houthi rebels said they fired a barrage of drones on Saturday toward the port city of Eilat in southern Israel. The announcement came hours after Egypt’s state-run media reported that Egyptian air defense had shot down a “flying object” off the Egyptian resort town of Dahab on the Red Sea.Israeli-linked vessels also have been targeted, but the threat to trade has grown as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-attack-houthi-rebels-red-sea-946b40e6393af6216c0b6ef734311be9">container ships and oil tankers</a>&nbsp;flagged to countries like Norway and Liberia have been attacked or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-ship-attacks-us-navy-1727df3d95e548c6e4d20b51f096268f">drawn missile fire</a>&nbsp;while traversing the waterway between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.Earlier this month, three commercial ships in the Red Sea were struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen. A U.S. warship shot down three drones during the assault, the U.S. military said.French container shipping line CMA CGM Group said Saturday it had ordered all its vessels scheduled to pass through the Red Sea to “pause their journey in safe waters with immediate effect until further notice.”

Battle of the Red Sea: U.S. warship shot down 14 attack drones 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels slammed into a cargo ship Friday in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, following another attack only hours earlier that struck a separate vessel, authorities said.

The missile attack on the MSC Palatium III and the earlier assault on the Al Jasrah&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-ship-attack-missile-israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-b2478db9aaad81ca447e6a393480f9a8">escalate a maritime campaign</a>&nbsp;by the Iranian-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Houthis</a>. The attacks also endanger ships traveling through a vital corridor for cargo and energy shipments for both Europe and Asia from the Suez Canal out to the Indian Ocean.

The Houthis say their attacks aim to end the pounding Israeli air-and-ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-14-2023-a9d904ed51ea5cfa98966c8f203cbc45">that country's war on Hamas</a>. However, the links to the ships targeted in the rebel assaults have grown more tenuous as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">the attacks continue</a>.

“The Yemeni armed forces confirm they will continue to prevent all ships heading to Israeli ports from navigating in the (Red Sea) until they bring in the food and medicine that our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip need,” the Houthi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a statement claiming responsibility for Friday's attacks.

Meanwhile, hijackers, likely from Somalia, separately seized a Bulgarian ship in the Arabian Sea.

A U.S. defense official and the private intelligence firm Ambrey said the MSC Palatium III, a Liberian-flagged container ship, caught fire after the strike.&nbsp;

Two missiles were fired in the attack, likely trying to hit the Al Jasrah, the U.S. official said. One went wide and splashed down in the water, the other slammed into the Palatium, the official said.

The Palatium turned around after the attack and was now trying to head south, tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed.

The Switzerland-based MSC, or Mediterranean Shipping Co., earlier had another vessel, the MSC Alanya, warned by the Houthis around the Bab el-Mandeb, Ambrey said. “The parent company had cooperated with Israel, and this was likely the reason why she was threatened.”

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. MSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the earlier Al Jasrah attack, it remained unclear if it was a missile or drone that hit the vessel, the official said. Ambrey and the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors Mideast shipping lanes, also confirmed that attack.

“The projectile reportedly hit the port side of the vessel and one container fell overboard due to the impact,” Ambrey said. “The projectile caused a ‘fire on deck’ which was broadcast via” radio.

The Al Jasrah is operated by German-based shipper Hapag-Lloyd, which said no crew member had been hurt in the attack.

“Hapag-Lloyd will take additional measures to secure the safety of our crews,” the company said, without elaborating.

Ambrey noted that Hapag-Lloyd “is known to have offices in the Israeli ports of Ashdod, Haifa and Tel Aviv.”

In his statement, military spokesman Saree claimed the Houthis targeted the Palatium III and the Alanya — not the Al Jasrah. It wasn't immediately clear why he erroneously identified the second ship.

The attacks Friday further escalate a campaign by the Houthi rebels, who have claimed responsibility for a series of missile assaults in recent days that just missed shipping in the Red Sea and its strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

On Thursday, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that missed a container ship traveling through the strait.

The day before that, two missiles fired from Houthi-held territory&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-ship-attacks-us-navy-1727df3d95e548c6e4d20b51f096268f">missed a commercial tanker loaded with Indian-manufactured jet fuel</a>&nbsp;near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Also near the strait, a missile fired by Houthis on Monday night slammed into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-attack-houthi-rebels-red-sea-946b40e6393af6216c0b6ef734311be9">a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea</a>.

Global shipping has increasingly been targeted as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to become a wider regional conflict — even during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">brief pause in fighting</a>&nbsp;during which Hamas exchanged hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The collapse of the truce has raised the risk of more sea attacks.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is only 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide at its narrowest point, limiting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound shipments, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nearly 10% of all oil traded at sea passes through it. An estimated $1 trillion in goods pass through the strait annually.

In November, Houthis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-red-sea-ship-yemen-houthis-65b611ff878a411900037e7c9a8ee17b">seized a vehicle transport ship</a>&nbsp;linked to Israel in the Red Sea off Yemen. The rebels still hold the vessel near the port city of Hodeida. Separately, a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-ship-drone-attack-symi-39929cae42a191b2f242896a053123a7">came under attack</a>&nbsp;by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean.

A separate, tentative cease-fire between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of Yemen’s exiled government has held for months despite that country’s long war. That’s raised concerns that any wider conflict in the sea — or a potential reprisal strike from Western forces — could reignite those tensions in the Arab world’s poorest nation.

Also Thursday, unknown attackers boarded the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Ruen, managed by Navigation Maritime Bulgare, in the Arabian Sea off the Yemeni island of Socotra, Ambrey and the UKMTO said. Bulgarian authorities said the ship’s 18-member crew hailed from Angola, Bulgaria and Myanmar.

“The necessary steps have been taken to pass the information on to all foreign partners and institutions that we will count on to provide assistance,” Bulgarian Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel told reporters Friday.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the assault. However, suspicion immediately fell on pirates from Somalia. Somali piracy had dropped in recent years, but there has been growing concern it could resume amid the wider chaos of the Houthi attacks and the political uncertainty gripping the east African nation.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels slammed into a cargo ship Friday in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, following another attack only hours earlier that struck a separate vessel, authorities said.The missile attack on the MSC Palatium III and the earlier assault on the Al Jasrah&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-ship-attack-missile-israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-b2478db9aaad81ca447e6a393480f9a8">escalate a maritime campaign</a>&nbsp;by the Iranian-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Houthis</a>. The attacks also endanger ships traveling through a vital corridor for cargo and energy shipments for both Europe and Asia from the Suez Canal out to the Indian Ocean.The Houthis say their attacks aim to end the pounding Israeli air-and-ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-14-2023-a9d904ed51ea5cfa98966c8f203cbc45">that country's war on Hamas</a>. However, the links to the ships targeted in the rebel assaults have grown more tenuous as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">the attacks continue</a>.“The Yemeni armed forces confirm they will continue to prevent all ships heading to Israeli ports from navigating in the (Red Sea) until they bring in the food and medicine that our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip need,” the Houthi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a statement claiming responsibility for Friday's attacks.Meanwhile, hijackers, likely from Somalia, separately seized a Bulgarian ship in the Arabian Sea.A U.S. defense official and the private intelligence firm Ambrey said the MSC Palatium III, a Liberian-flagged container ship, caught fire after the strike.&nbsp;Two missiles were fired in the attack, likely trying to hit the Al Jasrah, the U.S. official said. One went wide and splashed down in the water, the other slammed into the Palatium, the official said.The Palatium turned around after the attack and was now trying to head south, tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed.The Switzerland-based MSC, or Mediterranean Shipping Co., earlier had another vessel, the MSC Alanya, warned by the Houthis around the Bab el-Mandeb, Ambrey said. “The parent company had cooperated with Israel, and this was likely the reason why she was threatened.”The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. MSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.In the earlier Al Jasrah attack, it remained unclear if it was a missile or drone that hit the vessel, the official said. Ambrey and the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors Mideast shipping lanes, also confirmed that attack.“The projectile reportedly hit the port side of the vessel and one container fell overboard due to the impact,” Ambrey said. “The projectile caused a ‘fire on deck’ which was broadcast via” radio.The Al Jasrah is operated by German-based shipper Hapag-Lloyd, which said no crew member had been hurt in the attack.“Hapag-Lloyd will take additional measures to secure the safety of our crews,” the company said, without elaborating.Ambrey noted that Hapag-Lloyd “is known to have offices in the Israeli ports of Ashdod, Haifa and Tel Aviv.”In his statement, military spokesman Saree claimed the Houthis targeted the Palatium III and the Alanya — not the Al Jasrah. It wasn't immediately clear why he erroneously identified the second ship.The attacks Friday further escalate a campaign by the Houthi rebels, who have claimed responsibility for a series of missile assaults in recent days that just missed shipping in the Red Sea and its strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.On Thursday, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that missed a container ship traveling through the strait.The day before that, two missiles fired from Houthi-held territory&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-ship-attacks-us-navy-1727df3d95e548c6e4d20b51f096268f">missed a commercial tanker loaded with Indian-manufactured jet fuel</a>&nbsp;near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Also near the strait, a missile fired by Houthis on Monday night slammed into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-attack-houthi-rebels-red-sea-946b40e6393af6216c0b6ef734311be9">a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea</a>.Global shipping has increasingly been targeted as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to become a wider regional conflict — even during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">brief pause in fighting</a>&nbsp;during which Hamas exchanged hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The collapse of the truce has raised the risk of more sea attacks.The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is only 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide at its narrowest point, limiting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound shipments, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nearly 10% of all oil traded at sea passes through it. An estimated $1 trillion in goods pass through the strait annually.In November, Houthis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-red-sea-ship-yemen-houthis-65b611ff878a411900037e7c9a8ee17b">seized a vehicle transport ship</a>&nbsp;linked to Israel in the Red Sea off Yemen. The rebels still hold the vessel near the port city of Hodeida. Separately, a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-ship-drone-attack-symi-39929cae42a191b2f242896a053123a7">came under attack</a>&nbsp;by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean.A separate, tentative cease-fire between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of Yemen’s exiled government has held for months despite that country’s long war. That’s raised concerns that any wider conflict in the sea — or a potential reprisal strike from Western forces — could reignite those tensions in the Arab world’s poorest nation.Also Thursday, unknown attackers boarded the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Ruen, managed by Navigation Maritime Bulgare, in the Arabian Sea off the Yemeni island of Socotra, Ambrey and the UKMTO said. Bulgarian authorities said the ship’s 18-member crew hailed from Angola, Bulgaria and Myanmar.“The necessary steps have been taken to pass the information on to all foreign partners and institutions that we will count on to provide assistance,” Bulgarian Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel told reporters Friday.No group immediately claimed responsibility for the assault. However, suspicion immediately fell on pirates from Somalia. Somali piracy had dropped in recent years, but there has been growing concern it could resume amid the wider chaos of the Houthi attacks and the political uncertainty gripping the east African nation.

U.S. warships monitor more ballistic missile attacks in Red Sea

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-dead-drowning-friends-f2963e83691d2bd2a8626d85a69c73cb">Matthew Perry</a>&nbsp;died from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine, according to the results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old “Friends” actor released Friday.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report that Perry also drowned in “the heated end of his pool,” but that it was a secondary factor in his Oct. 28 death, deemed an accident.

The report says coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder, also contributed.

Perry was declared dead after being found unresponsive at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. Investigators performed the autopsy the following day.

The actor had taken drugs in the past but had been “reportedly clean for 19 months," according to the report. The coroner said he was reported to have been having ketamine infusion therapy to deal with depression and anxiety, and his last treatment was 1 1/2 weeks before his death.

Perry had played pickleball earlier in the day, the report says, and his assistant, who lives with him, found him face down in the pool after returning from errands.

The assistant told investigators Perry had not been sick, had not made any health complaints, and had not shown evidence of recent alcohol or drug use.

Perry was open about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-foundation-death-addiction-aa74b3e424c652a4325166231057ecd4">discussing his struggles with addiction</a>&nbsp;dating back to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-china-friends-fandom-0876bc8bf20b613c336d8c684eb5524f">time on “Friends”</a>&nbsp;in the 1990s.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698541233773.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-dead-drowning-friends-f2963e83691d2bd2a8626d85a69c73cb">Matthew Perry</a>&nbsp;died from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine, according to the results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old “Friends” actor released Friday.The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report that Perry also drowned in “the heated end of his pool,” but that it was a secondary factor in his Oct. 28 death, deemed an accident.The report says coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder, also contributed.Perry was declared dead after being found unresponsive at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. Investigators performed the autopsy the following day.The actor had taken drugs in the past but had been “reportedly clean for 19 months," according to the report. The coroner said he was reported to have been having ketamine infusion therapy to deal with depression and anxiety, and his last treatment was 1 1/2 weeks before his death.Perry had played pickleball earlier in the day, the report says, and his assistant, who lives with him, found him face down in the pool after returning from errands.The assistant told investigators Perry had not been sick, had not made any health complaints, and had not shown evidence of recent alcohol or drug use.Perry was open about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-foundation-death-addiction-aa74b3e424c652a4325166231057ecd4">discussing his struggles with addiction</a>&nbsp;dating back to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-china-friends-fandom-0876bc8bf20b613c336d8c684eb5524f">time on “Friends”</a>&nbsp;in the 1990s.

Medical examiner reports cause of death for Matthew Perry

WASHINGTON (AP) — A jury awarded $148 million in damages on Friday to two former Georgia election workers who sued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-trump-election-indictments-georgia-eb2ff2ca7a94f9f80e95e897584c8e7d">Rudy Giuliani</a>, the former New York mayor, who was one referred to as 'America's Mayor,&nbsp;for defamation over lies he spread about them in 2020 that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-trial-0151222465923e9dcad489adb7661f0a">upended their lives</a>&nbsp;with racist threats and harassment.

The damages verdict follows emotional testimony from Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who tearfully described becoming the target of a false conspiracy theory pushed by Giuliani and other Republicans as they tried to keep then-President Donald Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election.

Giuliani&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-lawsuit-9b561a195fb74d991abc89d1b6587d66">had already been found liable</a>&nbsp;in the case and previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-lawsuit-false-statements-afc64a565ee778c6914a1a69dc756064">conceded in court documents</a>&nbsp;that he falsely accused the women of ballot fraud. Even so, the former New York City mayor continued to repeat his baseless allegations about the women in comments to reporters outside the Washington, D.C., courthouse this week.

Giuliani’s lawyer acknowledged that his client was wrong but insisted that Giuliani was not fully responsible for the vitriol the women faced. The defense sought to largely pin the blame on a right-wing website that published the surveillance video of the two women counting ballots.

The judgment adds to growing financial and legal peril for Giuliani, who was among the loudest proponents of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump’s false claims</a>&nbsp;of election fraud that are now a key part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">criminal cases against the former president</a>.

Giuliani had already been showing signs of financial strain as he defends himself against costly lawsuits and investigations stemming from his representation of Trump. His lawyer suggested that the defamation case could financially ruin the former mayor, saying “it would be the end of Mr. Giuliani.”

And Giuliani is still facing his biggest test yet: fighting criminal charges in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-indictment-arraignment-trump-giuliani-c5abbd260f44947a1c01211136108bfe">the Georgia case</a>&nbsp;accusing Trump and 18 others of working to subvert the results of the 2020 election, won by Democrat Joe Biden, in that state. Giuliani has pleaded not guilty and characterized the case as politically motivated.

Jurors in the defamation case heard recordings of Giuliani falsely accusing the election workers of sneaking in ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines. Trump also repeated the conspiracy theories through his social media accounts. Lawyers for Moss and Freeman, who are Black, also played for jurors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-moss-freeman-defamation-19fbeae3f5231654b4625787a78419e0">audio recordings of the graphic and racist threats</a>&nbsp;the women received.

The women’s lawyers asked for at least $24 million for each woman in defamation damages alone. They also sought compensation for their emotional harm and punitive damages.

On the witness stand, Moss and Freeman described fearing for their lives as hateful messages poured in. Moss told jurors she tried to change her appearance, seldom leaves her home and suffers from panic attacks. Her mother described strangers banging on her door and recounted fleeing her home after people came with bullhorns and the FBI told her she wasn’t safe.

“It’s so scary, anytime I go somewhere, if I have to use my name,” Freeman said, gasping through her tears to get her words out. “I miss my old neighborhood because I was me, I could introduce myself. Now I don’t have a name, really.”

Defense attorney Joseph Sibley told jurors they should compensate the women for what they are owed, but he urged them to “remember this is a great man.”

An attorney for Moss and Freeman, in his closing argument, highlighted how Giuliani has not stopped repeating the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-trial-0151222465923e9dcad489adb7661f0a">false conspiracy theory</a>&nbsp;asserting the workers interfered in the November 2020 presidential election. Attorney Michael Gottlieb played a video of Giuliani outside the courthouse on Monday, in which Giuliani falsely claimed the women were “engaged in changing votes.”

“Mr. Giuliani has shown over and over again he will not take our client’s names out of his mouth,” Gottlieb said. “Facts will not stop him. He says he isn’t sorry and he’s telegraphing he will do this again. Believe him.”

The judge overseeing the election workers’ lawsuit had already ordered Giuliani and his business entities to pay tens of thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees. In holding Giuliani liable, the judge ruled that the former mayor gave “only lip service” to complying with his legal obligations while trying to portray himself as the victim in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692827609455.png" alt="Giuliani photo Fulton County" />
 <figcaption>Giuliani photo Fulton County</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A jury awarded $148 million in damages on Friday to two former Georgia election workers who sued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-trump-election-indictments-georgia-eb2ff2ca7a94f9f80e95e897584c8e7d">Rudy Giuliani</a>, the former New York mayor, who was one referred to as 'America's Mayor,&nbsp;for defamation over lies he spread about them in 2020 that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-trial-0151222465923e9dcad489adb7661f0a">upended their lives</a>&nbsp;with racist threats and harassment.The damages verdict follows emotional testimony from Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who tearfully described becoming the target of a false conspiracy theory pushed by Giuliani and other Republicans as they tried to keep then-President Donald Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election.Giuliani&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-lawsuit-9b561a195fb74d991abc89d1b6587d66">had already been found liable</a>&nbsp;in the case and previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-lawsuit-false-statements-afc64a565ee778c6914a1a69dc756064">conceded in court documents</a>&nbsp;that he falsely accused the women of ballot fraud. Even so, the former New York City mayor continued to repeat his baseless allegations about the women in comments to reporters outside the Washington, D.C., courthouse this week.Giuliani’s lawyer acknowledged that his client was wrong but insisted that Giuliani was not fully responsible for the vitriol the women faced. The defense sought to largely pin the blame on a right-wing website that published the surveillance video of the two women counting ballots.The judgment adds to growing financial and legal peril for Giuliani, who was among the loudest proponents of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump’s false claims</a>&nbsp;of election fraud that are now a key part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">criminal cases against the former president</a>.Giuliani had already been showing signs of financial strain as he defends himself against costly lawsuits and investigations stemming from his representation of Trump. His lawyer suggested that the defamation case could financially ruin the former mayor, saying “it would be the end of Mr. Giuliani.”And Giuliani is still facing his biggest test yet: fighting criminal charges in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-indictment-arraignment-trump-giuliani-c5abbd260f44947a1c01211136108bfe">the Georgia case</a>&nbsp;accusing Trump and 18 others of working to subvert the results of the 2020 election, won by Democrat Joe Biden, in that state. Giuliani has pleaded not guilty and characterized the case as politically motivated.Jurors in the defamation case heard recordings of Giuliani falsely accusing the election workers of sneaking in ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines. Trump also repeated the conspiracy theories through his social media accounts. Lawyers for Moss and Freeman, who are Black, also played for jurors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-moss-freeman-defamation-19fbeae3f5231654b4625787a78419e0">audio recordings of the graphic and racist threats</a>&nbsp;the women received.The women’s lawyers asked for at least $24 million for each woman in defamation damages alone. They also sought compensation for their emotional harm and punitive damages.On the witness stand, Moss and Freeman described fearing for their lives as hateful messages poured in. Moss told jurors she tried to change her appearance, seldom leaves her home and suffers from panic attacks. Her mother described strangers banging on her door and recounted fleeing her home after people came with bullhorns and the FBI told her she wasn’t safe.“It’s so scary, anytime I go somewhere, if I have to use my name,” Freeman said, gasping through her tears to get her words out. “I miss my old neighborhood because I was me, I could introduce myself. Now I don’t have a name, really.”Defense attorney Joseph Sibley told jurors they should compensate the women for what they are owed, but he urged them to “remember this is a great man.”An attorney for Moss and Freeman, in his closing argument, highlighted how Giuliani has not stopped repeating the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-trial-0151222465923e9dcad489adb7661f0a">false conspiracy theory</a>&nbsp;asserting the workers interfered in the November 2020 presidential election. Attorney Michael Gottlieb played a video of Giuliani outside the courthouse on Monday, in which Giuliani falsely claimed the women were “engaged in changing votes.”“Mr. Giuliani has shown over and over again he will not take our client’s names out of his mouth,” Gottlieb said. “Facts will not stop him. He says he isn’t sorry and he’s telegraphing he will do this again. Believe him.”The judge overseeing the election workers’ lawsuit had already ordered Giuliani and his business entities to pay tens of thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees. In holding Giuliani liable, the judge ruled that the former mayor gave “only lip service” to complying with his legal obligations while trying to portray himself as the victim in the case.___

'America's Mayor' ordered to pay $148M to election workers he defamed

JERUSALEM (AP)—The Israeli military on Friday mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages during its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, military officials said.

The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israeli troops found the hostages and erroneously identified them as a threat. He said it was not clear if they had escaped their captors or been abandoned.

The deaths occurred in the Gaza City area of Shijaiyah, where troops have engaged in fierce battles against Hamas militants in recent days. He said the army expressed “deep sorrow” and was investigating.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian president was set to meet Friday with U.S. officials to discuss postwar arrangements for Gaza that could include reactivating Palestinian security forces driven out by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-gaza-palestinian-authority-israel-war-ed7018dbaae09b81513daf3bda38109a">Hamas</a>&nbsp;in its 2007 takeover of the territory.

Any role for Palestinian security forces in Gaza is bound to elicit strong opposition from Israel, which seeks to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-overall-security-responsibility-gaza-b86055806b733f41b6d7b4e2f0974985">maintain an open-ended security presence</a>&nbsp;there. The Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank but is deeply unpopular with Palestinians.

While Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it wipes out Gaza's Hamas rulers, the international call for a cease-fire has grown in volume. Israel has drawn international outrage and rare&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-oct-7-44c4229d4c1270d9cfa484b664a22071">criticism from the U.S.</a>&nbsp;— its main ally — over the killing of civilians.

More than 18,700 Palestinians have been killed since Israel declared war on Hamas, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Israel says 116 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">about 240 hostages</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701204582165.png" alt="File photo Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event(AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)" />
 <figcaption>File photo Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event(AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP)—The Israeli military on Friday mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages during its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, military officials said.The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israeli troops found the hostages and erroneously identified them as a threat. He said it was not clear if they had escaped their captors or been abandoned.The deaths occurred in the Gaza City area of Shijaiyah, where troops have engaged in fierce battles against Hamas militants in recent days. He said the army expressed “deep sorrow” and was investigating.Meanwhile, the Palestinian president was set to meet Friday with U.S. officials to discuss postwar arrangements for Gaza that could include reactivating Palestinian security forces driven out by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-gaza-palestinian-authority-israel-war-ed7018dbaae09b81513daf3bda38109a">Hamas</a>&nbsp;in its 2007 takeover of the territory.Any role for Palestinian security forces in Gaza is bound to elicit strong opposition from Israel, which seeks to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-overall-security-responsibility-gaza-b86055806b733f41b6d7b4e2f0974985">maintain an open-ended security presence</a>&nbsp;there. The Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank but is deeply unpopular with Palestinians.While Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it wipes out Gaza's Hamas rulers, the international call for a cease-fire has grown in volume. Israel has drawn international outrage and rare&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-oct-7-44c4229d4c1270d9cfa484b664a22071">criticism from the U.S.</a>&nbsp;— its main ally — over the killing of civilians.More than 18,700 Palestinians have been killed since Israel declared war on Hamas, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Israel says 116 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">about 240 hostages</a>.----------

Israeli military: 3 hostages mistakenly killed in Gaza

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-auditor-slams-riverboat-gamble-with-defunct-red-way-airline-saying-the-deal-clearly-violated-law-drained-700000-in-taxpayer-funds/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — State Auditor Mike Foley, in a forensic audit released Thursday, slammed a “riverboat gamble” Lincoln officials made with the now-defunct Red Way Airlines, saying it cost local taxpayers $700,000 and that ticket holders still haven’t been reimbursed for cancelled flights.

The Lincoln Airport Authority had contracted with Red Way to provide new destinations from the Lincoln Airport, pledging, with approval of the Lincoln City Council and Lancaster County Board, $3 million in pandemic-related, federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the venture.

But the Colorado-based startup shut down in August after only three months of operation, after flights drew far fewer passengers than projected, despite offering one-way tickets for as little as $9.

Foley, in an<a target="_blank" href="https://auditors.nebraska.gov/APA_Reports/2023/OE550201-12142023-December_14_2023_Lincoln_Airport_Authority_Letter.pdf">&nbsp;84-page report</a>&nbsp;to the Airport Authority, said that Red Way “clearly violated” federal regulations by draining a $1.5 million escrow account intended to repay customers for tickets purchased on flights that were cancelled.

The audit also estimated that, despite earlier news reports, Red Way probably still owes jilted customers more than $100,000.

Overall, Foley said that the Lincoln Airport Authority provided more than $700,000 in local public funds under its control to assist Red Way, as well as waiving tens of thousands of dollars in fees that the airline would have been obligated to pay.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“In the final analysis, Red Way was a failed riverboat gamble bankrolled by taxpayers,” the auditor said in a press release.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Had the Red Way business plan been prepared for the eyes of a reputable commercial bank lender, its proponents would not have gotten past the junior teller,” Foley added. “The cavalier treatment of government funds as monopoly money paved the way for the plan to be sold as a worthy risk to elected officials, who accepted it with few questions asked.”

In September, the Lincoln Airport Authority told&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://journalstar.com/news/local/business/inside-look-at-red-way-airlines-failure/article_5a9fb522-4814-11ee-9dc2-976ab4feea49.html">the Lincoln Journal-Star</a>&nbsp;that the Red Way deal was a risk, to expand service at the airport, that didn’t work out. Officials there set up an interview with the Examiner later Thursday.

Calls and an email to Red Way CEO Nick Wangler were not immediately returned on Thursday afternoon. Wangler formed Fly Next LLC, of which Red Way was its trade name, in February.

Initially, Red Way offered flights to Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin, Texas; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; and Nashville, Tennessee.

Instead of owning its own aircraft, Red Way leased planes from an Florida company, Global Crossing. According to the audit, Red Way paid that firm $4.3 million by September 12.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702589121988.jpeg" alt=" The Lincoln Airport’s “Red Way Airlines” is the subject of a state audity. Red Way shut down Aug. 31 after just three months of service. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> The Lincoln Airport’s “Red Way Airlines” is the subject of a state audity. Red Way shut down Aug. 31 after just three months of service. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Paul Hammel<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/state-auditor-slams-riverboat-gamble-with-defunct-red-way-airline-saying-the-deal-clearly-violated-law-drained-700000-in-taxpayer-funds/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — State Auditor Mike Foley, in a forensic audit released Thursday, slammed a “riverboat gamble” Lincoln officials made with the now-defunct Red Way Airlines, saying it cost local taxpayers $700,000 and that ticket holders still haven’t been reimbursed for cancelled flights.The Lincoln Airport Authority had contracted with Red Way to provide new destinations from the Lincoln Airport, pledging, with approval of the Lincoln City Council and Lancaster County Board, $3 million in pandemic-related, federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the venture.But the Colorado-based startup shut down in August after only three months of operation, after flights drew far fewer passengers than projected, despite offering one-way tickets for as little as $9.Foley, in an<a target="_blank" href="https://auditors.nebraska.gov/APA_Reports/2023/OE550201-12142023-December_14_2023_Lincoln_Airport_Authority_Letter.pdf">&nbsp;84-page report</a>&nbsp;to the Airport Authority, said that Red Way “clearly violated” federal regulations by draining a $1.5 million escrow account intended to repay customers for tickets purchased on flights that were cancelled.The audit also estimated that, despite earlier news reports, Red Way probably still owes jilted customers more than $100,000.Overall, Foley said that the Lincoln Airport Authority provided more than $700,000 in local public funds under its control to assist Red Way, as well as waiving tens of thousands of dollars in fees that the airline would have been obligated to pay.&nbsp;&nbsp;“In the final analysis, Red Way was a failed riverboat gamble bankrolled by taxpayers,” the auditor said in a press release.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Had the Red Way business plan been prepared for the eyes of a reputable commercial bank lender, its proponents would not have gotten past the junior teller,” Foley added. “The cavalier treatment of government funds as monopoly money paved the way for the plan to be sold as a worthy risk to elected officials, who accepted it with few questions asked.”In September, the Lincoln Airport Authority told&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://journalstar.com/news/local/business/inside-look-at-red-way-airlines-failure/article_5a9fb522-4814-11ee-9dc2-976ab4feea49.html">the Lincoln Journal-Star</a>&nbsp;that the Red Way deal was a risk, to expand service at the airport, that didn’t work out. Officials there set up an interview with the Examiner later Thursday.Calls and an email to Red Way CEO Nick Wangler were not immediately returned on Thursday afternoon. Wangler formed Fly Next LLC, of which Red Way was its trade name, in February.Initially, Red Way offered flights to Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin, Texas; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; and Nashville, Tennessee.Instead of owning its own aircraft, Red Way leased planes from an Florida company, Global Crossing. According to the audit, Red Way paid that firm $4.3 million by September 12.

State auditor slams ‘riverboat gamble’ with defunct Red Way Airline, saying the deal ‘clearly violated’ law, drained $700,000 in taxpayer funds

FORT CALHOUN, Neb. (AP) — The suspect in the stabbing death of a Catholic priest in eastern Nebraska had no connection to the priest or the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-killed-gutgsell-e634b68f496074893b58eb45229805ed">small town where the stabbing occurred</a>&nbsp;last weekend, prosecutors said during a court hearing Thursday.

Kierre Williams, 43, was ordered held without bond while he awaits trial on first-degree murder, burglary and two felony weapons counts in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-stabbed-rectory-gutgsell-c48a12fd9ad044709e8ebbb8f53e4eab">Sunday killing</a>&nbsp;of the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell in the rectory next door to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun.

The 65-year-old priest called 911 before dawn Sunday to report that a man had broken into the rectory and was in his kitchen holding a knife. When a deputy arrived at the home minutes later, he said he found Gutgsell lying near the kitchen, bleeding profusely from stab wounds. Gutgsell was rushed to a hospital in nearby Omaha, where he died of his wounds.

The murder charge alone carries a possible death sentence, the judge noted.

Williams, who attended the hearing via video conference wearing a jail-issued orange jumpsuit, appeared taken aback by the mention of the murder charge being a capital punishment crime. He said he was told by his lawyer, Brian Craig of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, that he faced a sentence of life in prison if convicted of the murder charge.

County Attorney Scott VanderSchaaf, the lead prosecutor in the case, confirmed Thursday after the hearing that the case is eligible for the death penalty, but said he'll make the decision at a later date on whether to seek to have Williams executed if he's convicted.

“We have until 30 days before trial begins to make that decision,” VanderSchaaf said. “We're still early in the process of gathering information in this case.”

Gutgsell’s stabbing is the second killing this year in the normally quiet Omaha bedroom community of Fort Calhoun, home to about 1,000 people. Investigators have said both killings happened during break-ins where there was no clear connection between the intruders and the victims, making them all the more troubling for people who live in the town just 8 miles (13 kilometers) north of the state's largest city.

In his request to have Williams held without bond, Assistant Washington County Attorney Erik Petersen said Williams has a criminal history in several other states. That includes dozens of cases in Florida dating back to Williams’ teens, a drug possession conviction in Texas and an assault charge earlier this year in Sioux City, Iowa.

The criminal complaint in the Iowa soup kitchen fight described Williams as homeless, but VanderSchaaf said he doesn't think that's accurate because Williams was working at a meatpacking plant in Sioux City and driving a car he bought in Texas. Investigators are still trying to learn more about him and figure out what brought him to Fort Calhoun.

The Archdiocese of Omaha is finalizing plans to remember Gutgsell at a visitation for members of his St. John the Baptist Church congregation Sunday in Fort Calhoun followed by a funeral Monday at a large cathedral in Omaha.

By the Associated PressFORT CALHOUN, Neb. (AP) — The suspect in the stabbing death of a Catholic priest in eastern Nebraska had no connection to the priest or the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-killed-gutgsell-e634b68f496074893b58eb45229805ed">small town where the stabbing occurred</a>&nbsp;last weekend, prosecutors said during a court hearing Thursday.Kierre Williams, 43, was ordered held without bond while he awaits trial on first-degree murder, burglary and two felony weapons counts in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-catholic-priest-stabbed-rectory-gutgsell-c48a12fd9ad044709e8ebbb8f53e4eab">Sunday killing</a>&nbsp;of the Rev. Stephen Gutgsell in the rectory next door to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun.The 65-year-old priest called 911 before dawn Sunday to report that a man had broken into the rectory and was in his kitchen holding a knife. When a deputy arrived at the home minutes later, he said he found Gutgsell lying near the kitchen, bleeding profusely from stab wounds. Gutgsell was rushed to a hospital in nearby Omaha, where he died of his wounds.The murder charge alone carries a possible death sentence, the judge noted.Williams, who attended the hearing via video conference wearing a jail-issued orange jumpsuit, appeared taken aback by the mention of the murder charge being a capital punishment crime. He said he was told by his lawyer, Brian Craig of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, that he faced a sentence of life in prison if convicted of the murder charge.County Attorney Scott VanderSchaaf, the lead prosecutor in the case, confirmed Thursday after the hearing that the case is eligible for the death penalty, but said he'll make the decision at a later date on whether to seek to have Williams executed if he's convicted.“We have until 30 days before trial begins to make that decision,” VanderSchaaf said. “We're still early in the process of gathering information in this case.”Gutgsell’s stabbing is the second killing this year in the normally quiet Omaha bedroom community of Fort Calhoun, home to about 1,000 people. Investigators have said both killings happened during break-ins where there was no clear connection between the intruders and the victims, making them all the more troubling for people who live in the town just 8 miles (13 kilometers) north of the state's largest city.In his request to have Williams held without bond, Assistant Washington County Attorney Erik Petersen said Williams has a criminal history in several other states. That includes dozens of cases in Florida dating back to Williams’ teens, a drug possession conviction in Texas and an assault charge earlier this year in Sioux City, Iowa.The criminal complaint in the Iowa soup kitchen fight described Williams as homeless, but VanderSchaaf said he doesn't think that's accurate because Williams was working at a meatpacking plant in Sioux City and driving a car he bought in Texas. Investigators are still trying to learn more about him and figure out what brought him to Fort Calhoun.The Archdiocese of Omaha is finalizing plans to remember Gutgsell at a visitation for members of his St. John the Baptist Church congregation Sunday in Fort Calhoun followed by a funeral Monday at a large cathedral in Omaha.

Suspect in stabbing death of eastern Nebraska priest had no connection to priest, prosecutor says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress was departing Washington on Thursday without a deal to pass wartime support for Ukraine, but Senate negotiators and President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden’s</a>&nbsp;administration were still racing to wrap up a border security compromise to unlock the stalemate before the end of the year.

The Senate planned to come back next week in hopes of passing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$110 billion package of aid</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other national security and finalizing a deal to place new restrictions on asylum claims at the U.S. border. But the House showed no sign of returning to push the legislation through the full Congress.

Lawmakers leaving the impasse unresolved through the holidays would mean the Biden administration would have to rely on a dwindling supply of funds for Ukraine. The wartime aid has so far been vital to Ukraine’s defending against Russia’s invasion, but an emboldened Russian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-russia-press-conference-moscow-ukraine-ef4e88fda50e6ad75b8a1979b95d9fcc">Vladimir Putin earlier Thursday</a>&nbsp;recommitted to his goals in the war.

Repelling Russia has been one of Biden’s chief foreign policy goals. But the Democratic president is facing stiff opposition from Republicans in Congress — both from populist conservatives who no longer want to fund the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">nearly two-year-old conflict</a>&nbsp;and GOP senators who have been traditional allies to Ukraine’s defense but insist that the U.S. also enact policies aimed at cutting the historic number of migrants who are arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico.

Top administration officials, including White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and Biden’s legislative affairs director Shuwanza Goff, met with Senate negotiators Thursday evening. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, rescheduled the Senate to return to Washington on Monday to give negotiators more time to reach the framework of a deal.

“We have to get this done,” Schumer said, adding that he would push for a Senate vote on the funding package next week even if an agreement is not in place.

In an earlier speech on the Senate floor, Schumer said that the deadlock in Congress has left “Putin mocking our resolve.” He cast the decisions facing lawmakers as a potential turning point of history: “There is too much on the line for Ukraine, for America, for Western democracy, to throw in the towel right now.”

But the House ended work and departed for the holidays, with Republican Speaker Mike Johnson showing no sign he will have members return until the second week of January.

In fact, Johnson’s office sent around a clip from a Zelenskyy interview suggesting aid could wait until the new year.

Senate Republicans also expressed doubt there was time left this year to both reach an agreement and work through writing the text of legislation, with Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio saying there would be a “revolt” by Republicans if they were forced into a quick vote.

A core group of Senate negotiators and Biden administration officials were expected to work through the weekend narrowing a list of priorities aimed at curtailing the number of migrants applying for asylum at the U.S. border.

“We are making progress, I feel more confident today than I did yesterday,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who has often been central to Senate deal-making, told The Associated Press.

Faced with historic numbers of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico, the White House has negotiated a change to the law that would allow Homeland Security officials to stop migrants from applying for asylum if the number of total crossings exceeded a certain capacity.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-israel-funding-us-mexico-border-e1da808689aeef52308d19010a5e3cfa">Negotiators have also considered several other policies</a>&nbsp;that resemble those pursued under former President Donald Trump’s administration, including detaining people who claim asylum at the border and granting nationwide authority to quickly remove migrants who have been in the U.S. for less than two years.

Sinema declined to discuss details of the talks but said her aim was to craft a package that has both the policy and funding to “create an orderly, safe, secure and humane process” for seeking asylum or immigrating for “other legal reasons.” She added that negotiators understand they will lose support from wings of both conservatives and progressives, but were aiming to pass the package in the Senate with majorities of both parties.

“There will probably be folks on the edges of the political spectrum who are not happy with a solution that secures our border, brings order and is humane,” Sinema said.

In one friction point in talks, the White House has resisted Republican demands to curtail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-haiti-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-trial-982e96527e266b46dc95388f31a93824">a humanitarian parole program</a>&nbsp;that has allowed tens of thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the U.S., often at ports of entry other than the border, according to several people familiar with the talks who discussed them only on the condition of anonymity.

Still, immigration advocates have been dismayed at the White House’s concessions in the talks.

Sen. Alex Padilla, the California Democrat who has spearheaded Senate resistance to the plans, said he has told Biden “to be careful because Republicans are hellbent on dragging us into harmful policy territory.”

Congress has struggled for decades to find any agreement on border and immigration policy, yet Republicans argue that the Biden administration opened the door for a policy negotiation both by including border-related funding in the national security package and openly calling for Congress to take up reforms.

But the complicated and contentious nature of the issue prompted many GOP senators to conclude that there would be no deal for Ukraine aid this year, even as they pledged to prove Putin wrong for doubting U.S. support for Ukraine.

“Sometimes democracies take a little more time, but the resolve is real,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.

Some Democrats fretted that leaving the funding deadlock hanging for weeks could precipitate the deal’s collapse.

“Actions speak louder than words,” said Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702600274009.png" alt="Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says there will be a vote next week on the national security supplemental aid request for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, as well as border security.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says there will be a vote next week on the national security supplemental aid request for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, as well as border security.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress was departing Washington on Thursday without a deal to pass wartime support for Ukraine, but Senate negotiators and President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden’s</a>&nbsp;administration were still racing to wrap up a border security compromise to unlock the stalemate before the end of the year.The Senate planned to come back next week in hopes of passing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$110 billion package of aid</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other national security and finalizing a deal to place new restrictions on asylum claims at the U.S. border. But the House showed no sign of returning to push the legislation through the full Congress.Lawmakers leaving the impasse unresolved through the holidays would mean the Biden administration would have to rely on a dwindling supply of funds for Ukraine. The wartime aid has so far been vital to Ukraine’s defending against Russia’s invasion, but an emboldened Russian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-russia-press-conference-moscow-ukraine-ef4e88fda50e6ad75b8a1979b95d9fcc">Vladimir Putin earlier Thursday</a>&nbsp;recommitted to his goals in the war.Repelling Russia has been one of Biden’s chief foreign policy goals. But the Democratic president is facing stiff opposition from Republicans in Congress — both from populist conservatives who no longer want to fund the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">nearly two-year-old conflict</a>&nbsp;and GOP senators who have been traditional allies to Ukraine’s defense but insist that the U.S. also enact policies aimed at cutting the historic number of migrants who are arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico.Top administration officials, including White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and Biden’s legislative affairs director Shuwanza Goff, met with Senate negotiators Thursday evening. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, rescheduled the Senate to return to Washington on Monday to give negotiators more time to reach the framework of a deal.“We have to get this done,” Schumer said, adding that he would push for a Senate vote on the funding package next week even if an agreement is not in place.In an earlier speech on the Senate floor, Schumer said that the deadlock in Congress has left “Putin mocking our resolve.” He cast the decisions facing lawmakers as a potential turning point of history: “There is too much on the line for Ukraine, for America, for Western democracy, to throw in the towel right now.”But the House ended work and departed for the holidays, with Republican Speaker Mike Johnson showing no sign he will have members return until the second week of January.In fact, Johnson’s office sent around a clip from a Zelenskyy interview suggesting aid could wait until the new year.Senate Republicans also expressed doubt there was time left this year to both reach an agreement and work through writing the text of legislation, with Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio saying there would be a “revolt” by Republicans if they were forced into a quick vote.A core group of Senate negotiators and Biden administration officials were expected to work through the weekend narrowing a list of priorities aimed at curtailing the number of migrants applying for asylum at the U.S. border.“We are making progress, I feel more confident today than I did yesterday,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who has often been central to Senate deal-making, told The Associated Press.Faced with historic numbers of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico, the White House has negotiated a change to the law that would allow Homeland Security officials to stop migrants from applying for asylum if the number of total crossings exceeded a certain capacity.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-israel-funding-us-mexico-border-e1da808689aeef52308d19010a5e3cfa">Negotiators have also considered several other policies</a>&nbsp;that resemble those pursued under former President Donald Trump’s administration, including detaining people who claim asylum at the border and granting nationwide authority to quickly remove migrants who have been in the U.S. for less than two years.Sinema declined to discuss details of the talks but said her aim was to craft a package that has both the policy and funding to “create an orderly, safe, secure and humane process” for seeking asylum or immigrating for “other legal reasons.” She added that negotiators understand they will lose support from wings of both conservatives and progressives, but were aiming to pass the package in the Senate with majorities of both parties.“There will probably be folks on the edges of the political spectrum who are not happy with a solution that secures our border, brings order and is humane,” Sinema said.In one friction point in talks, the White House has resisted Republican demands to curtail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-haiti-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-trial-982e96527e266b46dc95388f31a93824">a humanitarian parole program</a>&nbsp;that has allowed tens of thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the U.S., often at ports of entry other than the border, according to several people familiar with the talks who discussed them only on the condition of anonymity.Still, immigration advocates have been dismayed at the White House’s concessions in the talks.Sen. Alex Padilla, the California Democrat who has spearheaded Senate resistance to the plans, said he has told Biden “to be careful because Republicans are hellbent on dragging us into harmful policy territory.”Congress has struggled for decades to find any agreement on border and immigration policy, yet Republicans argue that the Biden administration opened the door for a policy negotiation both by including border-related funding in the national security package and openly calling for Congress to take up reforms.But the complicated and contentious nature of the issue prompted many GOP senators to conclude that there would be no deal for Ukraine aid this year, even as they pledged to prove Putin wrong for doubting U.S. support for Ukraine.“Sometimes democracies take a little more time, but the resolve is real,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.Some Democrats fretted that leaving the funding deadlock hanging for weeks could precipitate the deal’s collapse.“Actions speak louder than words,” said Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado.

Senators delay holiday to work on $110B funding for Ukraine, Israel

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A federal grand jury in Montana has indicted two men accused of killing about 3,600 birds, including bald eagles and golden eagles, and selling them on the black market.

The indictment returned in U.S. District Court last week charges Simon Paul and Travis John Branson with 13 counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and one count each of conspiracy and violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife.

“The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act was enacted in 1940 to protect the bald eagle, recognizing that the bald eagle is not merely a bird of biological interest, but this country’s national symbol which reflects America’s ideals of freedom,” the indictment states. The act was extended in 1962 to include golden eagles.

Branson, Paul and others hunted and killed thousands of birds, including eagles, on the Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere, then illegally sold them for significant sums of cash across the United States and elsewhere, the indictment states.

Investigators found messages from Branson and others describing the illegal taking of eagles, saying he was “committing felonies” and telling buyers he was “on a killing spree” to collect more eagle tail feathers for future sales, according to the indictment.

The indictment alleges that Paul and Branson conspired to kill and sell the eagles illegally near Ronan, Montana, from 2015 and 2021. From 2019 and 2021, Branson traveled from Washington state to the reservation to shoot the eagles, and Paul, who lived near the reservation, was a shooter and shipper for Branson.

“When Branson arrived on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Paul would meet and help kill, transport, and ship bald and golden eagles for future sales on the black market,” the indictment states.

Paul and Branson were issued summons to appear for arraignments on Jan. 8.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670010827440.jpeg" alt="photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A federal grand jury in Montana has indicted two men accused of killing about 3,600 birds, including bald eagles and golden eagles, and selling them on the black market.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702572574202.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The indictment returned in U.S. District Court last week charges Simon Paul and Travis John Branson with 13 counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and one count each of conspiracy and violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife.“The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act was enacted in 1940 to protect the bald eagle, recognizing that the bald eagle is not merely a bird of biological interest, but this country’s national symbol which reflects America’s ideals of freedom,” the indictment states. The act was extended in 1962 to include golden eagles.Branson, Paul and others hunted and killed thousands of birds, including eagles, on the Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere, then illegally sold them for significant sums of cash across the United States and elsewhere, the indictment states.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702572624186.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators found messages from Branson and others describing the illegal taking of eagles, saying he was “committing felonies” and telling buyers he was “on a killing spree” to collect more eagle tail feathers for future sales, according to the indictment.The indictment alleges that Paul and Branson conspired to kill and sell the eagles illegally near Ronan, Montana, from 2015 and 2021. From 2019 and 2021, Branson traveled from Washington state to the reservation to shoot the eagles, and Paul, who lived near the reservation, was a shooter and shipper for Branson.“When Branson arrived on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Paul would meet and help kill, transport, and ship bald and golden eagles for future sales on the black market,” the indictment states.Paul and Branson were issued summons to appear for arraignments on Jan. 8.

Two charged with killing, selling bald and golden eagles

WASHINGTON — First lady Jill Biden shared a unique video on social media Wednesday featuring the Dorrance Dance talented tappers at the White House with "their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite."

&nbsp;Viewers shared a variety of positive and negative reviews of the "bit of magic, wonder, and joy,”&nbsp; as described by the first lady.&nbsp; She hopes viewers enjoy it.

WASHINGTON — First lady Jill Biden shared a unique video on social media Wednesday featuring the Dorrance Dance talented tappers at the White House with "their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite. Enjoy! 💕 <a href="https://t.co/qXtCm4t37o">pic.twitter.com/qXtCm4t37o</a>&mdash; Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/1735074586721468855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;Viewers shared a variety of positive and negative reviews of the "bit of magic, wonder, and joy,”&nbsp; as described by the first lady.&nbsp; She hopes viewers enjoy it.

🎥First lady shares unusual White House Christmas video

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed a defense policy bill Thursday that authorizes the biggest pay raise for troops in more than two decades, overcoming objections from some conservatives concerned the measure did not do enough to restrict the Pentagon's diversity initiatives, abortion travel policy and gender-affirming health care for transgender service members.

The $886 billion bill was approved by a vote of 310-118 and now goes to President Joe Biden after the Senate had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-bill-pay-raise-abortion-transgender-21616bf1fd228c84d8d0046d25a19b01#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20Senate,what%20is%20traditionally%20a%20strongly">overwhelmingly passed</a>&nbsp;it Wednesday. All members of the Nebraska delegation voted for the measure.

Kansas Representatives Ron Estes and Tracey Man voted against the bill. The rest of the Kansas delegation including Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted for the bill.

It is likely the last piece of major legislation Congress will consider before leaving for the holiday break, though negotiations continue on a bill to aid Ukraine and Israel and boost border security.

The spending called for represents about a 3% increase from the prior year. The bill serves as a blueprint for programs Congress will seek to fund through follow-up spending bills.

Lawmakers have been negotiating a final defense policy bill for months after each chamber passed strikingly different versions in July. Some of the priorities championed by social conservatives were a no-go for Democrats. Negotiators dropped them from the final version to get it over the finish line.

That did not go over well with some Republican lawmakers, though most did end up voting for a bill that traditionally has broad, bipartisan support. About twice as many Republicans voted for the bill as voted against it.

“You almost feel like a parent who's sent a child off to summer camp and they came back a monster,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said in opposing the bill. “That's what we've done. This bill came back in far worse shape.”

As an example, Gaetz said the House bill eliminated the position of the chief diversity officer at the Defense Department, but the final measure did not include that provision.

Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, chided the bill's critics for what he described as an unwillingness to compromise.

“Apparently, you don't like democracy because that's what democracy is. You compromise and you work with people and you do it all the time,” Smith said.

Most notably, the bill does not include language sought by House Republicans to restrict gender-affirming health care for transgender service members and it does not block the Pentagon’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-dc6a0317775596ffc7945acc79b7559e">abortion travel</a>&nbsp;policy, which allows reimbursement for travel expenses when a service member has to go out of state for an abortion or other reproductive care.

Republicans did win some concessions on diversity and inclusion training in the military. For example, the bill freezes hiring for such training until a full accounting of the programming and costs is completed and reported to Congress.

One of the most divisive aspects of the bill was a short-term extension of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-fisa-702-congress-reform-7dc1b506b58ce74de0d7983dfba98909">surveillance program</a>&nbsp;aimed at preventing terrorism and catching spies. The program has detractors on both sides of the political aisle who view it as a threat to the privacy of ordinary Americans.

Some House Republicans were incensed that the extension was included in the defense policy bill and not voted upon separately through other legislation that included proposed changes to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA.

The extension continues a tool that permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country, in an effort to gather foreign intelligence.

U.S. officials have said the tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and other national security threats. It has produced vital intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-ayman-al-zawahri-qaida-biden-united-states-171556fce4719d012726fb979a14cc81">killing last year</a>&nbsp;of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.

But the administration’s efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have encountered strong bipartisan pushback. Lawmakers are demanding better privacy protections for those Americans caught up in the monitoring. They wanted a separate vote on legislation making changes to the program.

“The FBI under President Biden has been weaponized against the American people and major reform is needed,” said Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont. “FISA should not be combined with our national defense. And it is unacceptable that leadership is bypassing regular order to jam members by forcing them to vote on two unrelated bills with one vote.”

Matthew G. Olsen, an assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, praised the passage of the extension.

He said: “We cannot afford to be blinded to the many threats we face from foreign adversaries, including Iran and China, as well as terrorist organizations like Hamas and ISIS," or the Islamic State group.

Enough opposition to the bill had developed within the GOP ranks that it forced House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to tee up the defense policy bill for a vote through a process generally reserved for noncontroversial legislation.

Under that process, at least two-thirds of the House had to vote in favor of the legislation for it to pass, but going that route avoided the prospect of a small number of Republicans blocking it from the floor.

Consideration of the bill comes at a dangerous time for the world, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and as China increasingly flexes its military might in the South China Sea.

On Ukraine, the bill includes the creation of a special inspector general for Ukraine to address concerns about whether taxpayer dollars are being spent in Ukraine as intended. That’s on top of oversight work already being conducted by other agency watchdogs.

“We will continue to stay on top of this, but I want to assure my colleagues that there has been no evidence of diversion of weapons provided to Ukraine or any other assistance,” GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told lawmakers this week in advocating for the bill.

On China, the bill establishes a new training program with Taiwan, requires a plan to accelerate deliveries of Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Taiwan, and approves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-united-states-nuclear-submarines-biden-aukus-64a1d6c416ad9206153ad601c177869b">an agreement</a>&nbsp;that enables Australia to access nuclear-powered submarines, which are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered vessels.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702582014813.png" alt="Kansas congressman Jake LaTurner presided over the House Floor Thursday during the vote on the National Defense Authorization Act." />
 <figcaption>Kansas congressman Jake LaTurner presided over the House Floor Thursday during the vote on the National Defense Authorization Act.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed a defense policy bill Thursday that authorizes the biggest pay raise for troops in more than two decades, overcoming objections from some conservatives concerned the measure did not do enough to restrict the Pentagon's diversity initiatives, abortion travel policy and gender-affirming health care for transgender service members.The $886 billion bill was approved by a vote of 310-118 and now goes to President Joe Biden after the Senate had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-bill-pay-raise-abortion-transgender-21616bf1fd228c84d8d0046d25a19b01#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20Senate,what%20is%20traditionally%20a%20strongly">overwhelmingly passed</a>&nbsp;it Wednesday. All members of the Nebraska delegation voted for the measure.Kansas Representatives Ron Estes and Tracey Man voted against the bill. The rest of the Kansas delegation including Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted for the bill.It is likely the last piece of major legislation Congress will consider before leaving for the holiday break, though negotiations continue on a bill to aid Ukraine and Israel and boost border security.The spending called for represents about a 3% increase from the prior year. The bill serves as a blueprint for programs Congress will seek to fund through follow-up spending bills.Lawmakers have been negotiating a final defense policy bill for months after each chamber passed strikingly different versions in July. Some of the priorities championed by social conservatives were a no-go for Democrats. Negotiators dropped them from the final version to get it over the finish line.That did not go over well with some Republican lawmakers, though most did end up voting for a bill that traditionally has broad, bipartisan support. About twice as many Republicans voted for the bill as voted against it.“You almost feel like a parent who's sent a child off to summer camp and they came back a monster,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said in opposing the bill. “That's what we've done. This bill came back in far worse shape.”As an example, Gaetz said the House bill eliminated the position of the chief diversity officer at the Defense Department, but the final measure did not include that provision.Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, chided the bill's critics for what he described as an unwillingness to compromise.“Apparently, you don't like democracy because that's what democracy is. You compromise and you work with people and you do it all the time,” Smith said.Most notably, the bill does not include language sought by House Republicans to restrict gender-affirming health care for transgender service members and it does not block the Pentagon’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-lloyd-austin-government-and-politics-dc6a0317775596ffc7945acc79b7559e">abortion travel</a>&nbsp;policy, which allows reimbursement for travel expenses when a service member has to go out of state for an abortion or other reproductive care.Republicans did win some concessions on diversity and inclusion training in the military. For example, the bill freezes hiring for such training until a full accounting of the programming and costs is completed and reported to Congress.One of the most divisive aspects of the bill was a short-term extension of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-fisa-702-congress-reform-7dc1b506b58ce74de0d7983dfba98909">surveillance program</a>&nbsp;aimed at preventing terrorism and catching spies. The program has detractors on both sides of the political aisle who view it as a threat to the privacy of ordinary Americans.Some House Republicans were incensed that the extension was included in the defense policy bill and not voted upon separately through other legislation that included proposed changes to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA.The extension continues a tool that permits the U.S. government to collect without a warrant the communications of non-Americans located outside the country, in an effort to gather foreign intelligence.U.S. officials have said the tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions and other national security threats. It has produced vital intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-ayman-al-zawahri-qaida-biden-united-states-171556fce4719d012726fb979a14cc81">killing last year</a>&nbsp;of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.But the administration’s efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have encountered strong bipartisan pushback. Lawmakers are demanding better privacy protections for those Americans caught up in the monitoring. They wanted a separate vote on legislation making changes to the program.“The FBI under President Biden has been weaponized against the American people and major reform is needed,” said Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont. “FISA should not be combined with our national defense. And it is unacceptable that leadership is bypassing regular order to jam members by forcing them to vote on two unrelated bills with one vote.”Matthew G. Olsen, an assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, praised the passage of the extension.He said: “We cannot afford to be blinded to the many threats we face from foreign adversaries, including Iran and China, as well as terrorist organizations like Hamas and ISIS," or the Islamic State group.Enough opposition to the bill had developed within the GOP ranks that it forced House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to tee up the defense policy bill for a vote through a process generally reserved for noncontroversial legislation.Under that process, at least two-thirds of the House had to vote in favor of the legislation for it to pass, but going that route avoided the prospect of a small number of Republicans blocking it from the floor.Consideration of the bill comes at a dangerous time for the world, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and as China increasingly flexes its military might in the South China Sea.On Ukraine, the bill includes the creation of a special inspector general for Ukraine to address concerns about whether taxpayer dollars are being spent in Ukraine as intended. That’s on top of oversight work already being conducted by other agency watchdogs.“We will continue to stay on top of this, but I want to assure my colleagues that there has been no evidence of diversion of weapons provided to Ukraine or any other assistance,” GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told lawmakers this week in advocating for the bill.On China, the bill establishes a new training program with Taiwan, requires a plan to accelerate deliveries of Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Taiwan, and approves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-united-states-nuclear-submarines-biden-aukus-64a1d6c416ad9206153ad601c177869b">an agreement</a>&nbsp;that enables Australia to access nuclear-powered submarines, which are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered vessels.

Unanimous: Neb delegation votes for $886 billion defense bill 

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway will not be allowed to use allegations that billionaire Jimmy Haslam&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-haslam-pilot-bribery-berkshire-hathaway-d32258912c4dc773ced286cc802da629">tried to bribe employees</a>&nbsp;at the Pilot truck stop chain to inflate the company’s value as Berkshire defends itself in a dispute over the company’s accounting practices, a Delaware judge said Wednesday.

The ruling came in a lawsuit in which Pilot Corp. claims that Berkshire Hathaway, which holds 80% of Pilot Travel Centers, has used accounting changes to try to artificially depress the price Berkshire would have to pay for the Haslam family’s remaining 20% stake in the truck-stop chain.

Berkshire responded to the lawsuit by claiming that Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, tried to bribe more than two dozen Pilot employees to get them to inflate the company’s profits this year. Berkshire alleges that Haslam wanted to artificially inflate profits so Berkshire would have to pay more for the remaining stake in Pilot held by the Haslam family, which also includes former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

Following a hearing Wednesday, Vice Chancellor Morgan Zurn ruled that Berkshire could not use the bribery allegations as part of an “unclean hands” defense at an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-haslam-berkshire-hathaway-pilot-lawsuit-35238b34cdf8f65938c2002c74056cbc">expedited trial next month</a>. She also said any related depositions would not be allowed, noting that the bribery allegations do not have an “immediate and proper nexus” to Pilot’s underlying claims.

While granting Pilot’s motions to restrict Berkshire’s defenses, Zurn also indicated that she may deny Berkshire’s request to amend its answers and defenses. Among the new information Berkshire wants to use are allegations that Pilot’s controller, David Clothier, used his spouse’s cell phone to secretly communicate with Haslam, was offered an illicit payment by Haslam, and tried to retroactively alter financial statements to change or delete references to the accounting changes.

Meanwhile, an attorney for Pilot told Zurn that federal prosecutors have begun an investigation based on Berkshire’s bribery allegations.

“We have no reason to believe that that investigation is going to impede the progress of this case,” said attorney Bradley Wilson. Wilson noted, however, that Pilot was asked to postpone some depositions in the case in order to allow people to hire lawyers.

Pilot alleges that, after taking control of the company, Berkshire adopted “pushdown accounting,” which forced Pilot to take on higher depreciation and amortization costs and resulted in lower net income. Pilot claims that a 2017 LLC agreement prevents Berkshire from making such an accounting change without Pilot’s consent.

In an effort to resolve the dispute Jimmy Haslam and his father, Pilot founder Jim Haslam, presented a resolution to the board in August but were outvoted by the five Berkshire members of the board.

Berkshire bought 38.6% of Pilot in 2017 for $2.76 billion before more than doubling that to 80% this year for an additional $8.2 billion.

Under an investor rights agreement with Berkshire, the Haslams have an annual option, starting Jan. 1, 2024, to sell their remaining 20% interest in Pilot to Berkshire. The agreement gives the Haslams 60 days from the start of each year to make that decision, meaning they must decide by Feb. 29 whether to exercise the option.

Pilot argues that with the first opportunity to exercise the sell option just weeks away, Berkshire has used accounting changes to try to lower the price it would have to pay for the Haslams’ remaining stake.

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway will not be allowed to use allegations that billionaire Jimmy Haslam&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-haslam-pilot-bribery-berkshire-hathaway-d32258912c4dc773ced286cc802da629">tried to bribe employees</a>&nbsp;at the Pilot truck stop chain to inflate the company’s value as Berkshire defends itself in a dispute over the company’s accounting practices, a Delaware judge said Wednesday.The ruling came in a lawsuit in which Pilot Corp. claims that Berkshire Hathaway, which holds 80% of Pilot Travel Centers, has used accounting changes to try to artificially depress the price Berkshire would have to pay for the Haslam family’s remaining 20% stake in the truck-stop chain.Berkshire responded to the lawsuit by claiming that Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, tried to bribe more than two dozen Pilot employees to get them to inflate the company’s profits this year. Berkshire alleges that Haslam wanted to artificially inflate profits so Berkshire would have to pay more for the remaining stake in Pilot held by the Haslam family, which also includes former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.Following a hearing Wednesday, Vice Chancellor Morgan Zurn ruled that Berkshire could not use the bribery allegations as part of an “unclean hands” defense at an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-haslam-berkshire-hathaway-pilot-lawsuit-35238b34cdf8f65938c2002c74056cbc">expedited trial next month</a>. She also said any related depositions would not be allowed, noting that the bribery allegations do not have an “immediate and proper nexus” to Pilot’s underlying claims.While granting Pilot’s motions to restrict Berkshire’s defenses, Zurn also indicated that she may deny Berkshire’s request to amend its answers and defenses. Among the new information Berkshire wants to use are allegations that Pilot’s controller, David Clothier, used his spouse’s cell phone to secretly communicate with Haslam, was offered an illicit payment by Haslam, and tried to retroactively alter financial statements to change or delete references to the accounting changes.Meanwhile, an attorney for Pilot told Zurn that federal prosecutors have begun an investigation based on Berkshire’s bribery allegations.“We have no reason to believe that that investigation is going to impede the progress of this case,” said attorney Bradley Wilson. Wilson noted, however, that Pilot was asked to postpone some depositions in the case in order to allow people to hire lawyers.Pilot alleges that, after taking control of the company, Berkshire adopted “pushdown accounting,” which forced Pilot to take on higher depreciation and amortization costs and resulted in lower net income. Pilot claims that a 2017 LLC agreement prevents Berkshire from making such an accounting change without Pilot’s consent.In an effort to resolve the dispute Jimmy Haslam and his father, Pilot founder Jim Haslam, presented a resolution to the board in August but were outvoted by the five Berkshire members of the board.Berkshire bought 38.6% of Pilot in 2017 for $2.76 billion before more than doubling that to 80% this year for an additional $8.2 billion.Under an investor rights agreement with Berkshire, the Haslams have an annual option, starting Jan. 1, 2024, to sell their remaining 20% interest in Pilot to Berkshire. The agreement gives the Haslams 60 days from the start of each year to make that decision, meaning they must decide by Feb. 29 whether to exercise the option.Pilot argues that with the first opportunity to exercise the sell option just weeks away, Berkshire has used accounting changes to try to lower the price it would have to pay for the Haslams’ remaining stake.

Berkshire can't use bribery allegations against Haslam in Pilot truck stop chain accounting dispute

WILBER, Neb. (AP) — Following a mistrial in 2018, a Gage County man has been convicted in a second trial of first-degree murder in the killing of a fellow inmate during a 2017 Nebraska&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0060c4cda2e44e36b94a21add5d62af6">state prison riot</a>.

Eric Ramos, 33, faces life in prison when he's sentenced in February, the&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/state-regional/crime-courts/jury-finds-ramos-guilty-murder-2017-nebraska-prison-riot/article_41f32de2-9909-11ee-863e-f70db9030fba.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">Lincoln Journal Star reported</a>. A Saline County jury found Ramos guilty Tuesday of killing 31-year-old Michael Galindo — one of two inmates slain during the riot at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.

Galindo was found dead in his cell on March 2, 2017, following an uprising by prisoners, and investigators said he had been severely beaten and stabbed 130 times. An autopsy determined Galindo died of smoke inhalation from a fire when other inmates set towels on fire and pushed them through a broken window in Galindo's cell.

Investigators said Ramos was one of several inmates who attacked Galindo, but he is the only one to face charges in Galindo's death.

Ramos’ first trial in 2018 ended in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9ff55f26182647abb441ce1c2eff63b4">mistrial</a>&nbsp;after the judge learned several investigators who were also witnesses in the case met, despite a court order forbidding it. The Nebraska Court of Appeals later ruled that Ramos should be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4b4505516e554615461d9d8a5f16f8eb">retried</a>.

In his second trial, prosecutors relied heavily on surveillance video of the attack from which a prison guard identified Ramos as one of the attackers.

Ramos testified in his own defense, denying that he was the attacker seen in the video and insisting he would not have jeopardized his upcoming parole by participating in the attack. His attorney, Tim Noerrlinger, argued the video was poor quality and that investigators did not test blood found on the hands and clothing of other inmates after the attack.

A second inmate, Damon Fitzgerald, also was killed in the riot. No one has been charged in Fitzgerald's death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702530797302.jpeg" alt=" Prisoners burn objects as they mill in a courtyard behind razor wire at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution in Tecumseh, Neb., Thursday, March 2, 2017. A jury convicted 33-year-old Eric Ramos in the death of 31-year-old Michael Galindo at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)" />
 <figcaption> Prisoners burn objects as they mill in a courtyard behind razor wire at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution in Tecumseh, Neb., Thursday, March 2, 2017. A jury convicted 33-year-old Eric Ramos in the death of 31-year-old Michael Galindo at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WILBER, Neb. (AP) — Following a mistrial in 2018, a Gage County man has been convicted in a second trial of first-degree murder in the killing of a fellow inmate during a 2017 Nebraska&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0060c4cda2e44e36b94a21add5d62af6">state prison riot</a>.Eric Ramos, 33, faces life in prison when he's sentenced in February, the&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/state-regional/crime-courts/jury-finds-ramos-guilty-murder-2017-nebraska-prison-riot/article_41f32de2-9909-11ee-863e-f70db9030fba.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">Lincoln Journal Star reported</a>. A Saline County jury found Ramos guilty Tuesday of killing 31-year-old Michael Galindo — one of two inmates slain during the riot at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.Galindo was found dead in his cell on March 2, 2017, following an uprising by prisoners, and investigators said he had been severely beaten and stabbed 130 times. An autopsy determined Galindo died of smoke inhalation from a fire when other inmates set towels on fire and pushed them through a broken window in Galindo's cell.Investigators said Ramos was one of several inmates who attacked Galindo, but he is the only one to face charges in Galindo's death.Ramos’ first trial in 2018 ended in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9ff55f26182647abb441ce1c2eff63b4">mistrial</a>&nbsp;after the judge learned several investigators who were also witnesses in the case met, despite a court order forbidding it. The Nebraska Court of Appeals later ruled that Ramos should be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4b4505516e554615461d9d8a5f16f8eb">retried</a>.In his second trial, prosecutors relied heavily on surveillance video of the attack from which a prison guard identified Ramos as one of the attackers.Ramos testified in his own defense, denying that he was the attacker seen in the video and insisting he would not have jeopardized his upcoming parole by participating in the attack. His attorney, Tim Noerrlinger, argued the video was poor quality and that investigators did not test blood found on the hands and clothing of other inmates after the attack.A second inmate, Damon Fitzgerald, also was killed in the riot. No one has been charged in Fitzgerald's death.

Man convicted in second trial of killing fellow inmate during 2017 Nebraska prison riot

WASHINGTON —The FBI and the Department of&nbsp;Homeland Security&nbsp;issued a warning to the public this week of heightened threats to public safety this holiday season and through winter associated with the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, according to a joint statement from the agencies.

WASHINGTON —The FBI and the Department of&nbsp;Homeland Security&nbsp;issued a warning to the public this week of heightened threats to public safety this holiday season and through winter associated with the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, according to a joint statement from the agencies.The National Counterterrorism Center joins those portions of this Announcement that concern international terrorism; general terrorist tactics, techniques, and procedures; and threats posed by foreign violent extremists and those violent extremists they inspire.FBI, DHS, and NCTC assess that ongoing tensions related to the conflict between Israel and HAMAS likely heighten the threat of lone actor violence targeting large public gatherings throughout the winter, including holiday-related, faith-based, New Year's Eve, and First Amendment protected events related to the conflict. Although this announcement is not in response to any specific plotting activity, these targets likely remain attractive to lone actors inspired by a range of ideologies due to their accessibility and symbolic nature.Since the HAMAS attack on Israel on 7 October, various foreign terrorist media organizations have called for lone actor attacks in the United States. Racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) have also increased calls for violence and celebrated attacks on the Jewish community. Lone actors may seek to disrupt or escalate violence at large gatherings, high profile events, or symbolic or religious locations throughout the winter. Such gatherings could become a convenient target for those inspired to commit violence against Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Arab communities. Hate crime perpetrators have also played a role in violence and threats of violence. There has been a spike in reporting on potential hate crimes or other criminal violations from the public, local law enforcement partners, and other private or public sector partners since 7 October. We have also observed an increase in hoax bomb and active shooter threats targeting synagogues across the United States, likely intended to disrupt services and intimidate congregants.Calls for violence may increase in the days leading up to the holidays and before other notable events this winter. Factors that could further exacerbate the threat of violence include escalations in the conflict between Israel and HAMAS and notable instances of violence in the Homeland inspiring copycat or retaliatory attacks. We therefore urge everyone to remain vigilant and to report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement.FBI and DHS are particularly attuned in this environment to the concerns of the Jewish, Arab American, and Muslim communities and will continue to engage directly with leaders in these communities to ensure that available resources are utilized.To help mitigate potential risks in today's dynamic and rapidly evolving threat environment, DHS has compiled several resources for communities and faith leaders, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) compendium of resources for securing mass gatherings and public spaces.Additionally, resources for law enforcement also are available to increase our nation's ability to prevent acts of violence and increase our resilience to evolving threats.To report any leads, threats, or suspected criminal activity, FBI and DHS urge the public to visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Home/Egress?url=https://tips.fbi.gov&amp;h=3B5447CBE68501BB8AE43C84FF9EE49983854F6FB8EA6201529B83F13768FB7E">tips.fbi.gov</a>&nbsp;or contact their local FBI Office:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Home/Egress?url=https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices&amp;h=6DDC52DF2049F96DACAD3C0D64DF610D1248D1F7728544240271B9025CB9383F">www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices</a>. For emergencies or an immediate threat to life, please call 911.For tips on identifying concerning behavior which may be connected to violent extremism, the FBI, DHS, and NCTC published an updated U.S. Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators booklet in 2021.If You See Something, Say Something®&nbsp;- Report suspicious activity and threats of violence, including online threats, to local law enforcement, FBI Field Offices, or your local Fusion Center.