WASHINGTON (AP) — A man with a rifle was arrested in a park near the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, police said.

Police confronted 21-year-old Ahmir Lavon Merrell a registered sex offender from Atlanta after someone saw him with the gun in a park near Senate office buildings and told an officer, U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement. Officers demanded that he drop the gun, but he refused and they used a Taser stun gun to subdue him, police said.

The park and roads in the area across from Washington’s Union Station were closed for about two hours as officers searched the area and Merrell's belongings.

Officers said they did not believe there was an ongoing threat. It was not immediately clear why he was in Washington. No publicly listed contacts were available for him, and a lawyer who represented him on a previous case did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said he was proud of officers who “ran toward the man with the loaded gun.”

Carrying firearms is prohibited on U.S. Capitol grounds. So far this year, U.S. Capitol Police have confiscated more than 30 guns.

After the arrest, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he supports a ban on guns often referred to as assault weapons. “We are keeping a constant vigilance on security” in the Capitol, he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man with a gun was arrested near the U.S. Capitol Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The man was in a park outside Senate office buildings and across from Washington’s Union Station when he was arrested, the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

Police searched the area where he was arrested as well as his belongings “out of an abundance of caution.”

Officers said they did not believe there was an “ongoing threat.”

-Check the Post for additional details as they are made available from the U.S. Capitol Police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699405527730.png" alt="Merrill-photo from a 2019 arrest in Fulton County, Georgia" />
 <figcaption>Merrill-photo from a 2019 arrest in Fulton County, Georgia</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A man with a rifle was arrested in a park near the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, police said.Police confronted 21-year-old Ahmir Lavon Merrell a registered sex offender from Atlanta after someone saw him with the gun in a park near Senate office buildings and told an officer, U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement. Officers demanded that he drop the gun, but he refused and they used a Taser stun gun to subdue him, police said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">USCP Officers Arrest Man with Rifle Thanks to Citizen Tip: <a href="https://t.co/7kWpJrwH6T">https://t.co/7kWpJrwH6T</a> <a href="https://t.co/TVvFSKVuws">pic.twitter.com/TVvFSKVuws</a>&mdash; The U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/CapitolPolice/status/1722022573599277541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The park and roads in the area across from Washington’s Union Station were closed for about two hours as officers searched the area and Merrell's belongings.Officers said they did not believe there was an ongoing threat. It was not immediately clear why he was in Washington. No publicly listed contacts were available for him, and a lawyer who represented him on a previous case did not immediately return messages seeking comment.Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said he was proud of officers who “ran toward the man with the loaded gun.”Carrying firearms is prohibited on U.S. Capitol grounds. So far this year, U.S. Capitol Police have confiscated more than 30 guns.After the arrest, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he supports a ban on guns often referred to as assault weapons. “We are keeping a constant vigilance on security” in the Capitol, he said.----------------WASHINGTON (AP) — A man with a gun was arrested near the U.S. Capitol Tuesday afternoon, police said.The man was in a park outside Senate office buildings and across from Washington’s Union Station when he was arrested, the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.Police searched the area where he was arrested as well as his belongings “out of an abundance of caution.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Due to police activity, the following road closures are in effect: ⁰⁰- Columbus Circle between Louisiana and Delaware Avenues, NE⁰- D Street between Louisiana and Delaware Avenues, NE ⁰⁰Please avoid the area until further notice. <a href="https://t.co/rVixmZsgme">pic.twitter.com/rVixmZsgme</a>&mdash; The U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/CapitolPolice/status/1721948851387396117?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Officers said they did not believe there was an “ongoing threat.”-Check the Post for additional details as they are made available from the U.S. Capitol Police.

Police: Sex offender with a rifle is arrested near the US Capitol

WASHINGTON (AP) — Militants targeted the U.S. military base in Irbil, Iraq, overnight and again Tuesday morning, but caused no injuries to personnel or damage to the infrastructure, a U.S. defense official said.

The Islamic Resistance, an umbrella organization of Iran-backed Iraqi militant groups, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying their drones hit their target, without giving any further details.

The overnight attack on Irbil airbase near the city’s commercial airport was a multi-drone attack. Tuesday morning's attack was with a single drone, said the defense official, who was not authorized to discuss the strikes and spoke on condition of anonymity. Commercial flights were briefly suspended following the strikes.

The strikes are part of an ongoing string of attacks in recent weeks by the Iran-backed militants on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, in light of Washington’s support of Israel in the ongoing Hamas-Israel war in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The attacks bring the total number of strikes on U.S. and coalition facilities in Iraq and Syria to at least 40 since Oct. 17.

The Islamic Resistance also claimed responsibility for other attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday, including a drone attack on Al-Harir in Irbil province, and on the Green Village base in eastern Syria. The U.S. defense official said there were no reports of attacks at Al Harir.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Militants targeted the U.S. military base in Irbil, Iraq, overnight and again Tuesday morning, but caused no injuries to personnel or damage to the infrastructure, a U.S. defense official said.The Islamic Resistance, an umbrella organization of Iran-backed Iraqi militant groups, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying their drones hit their target, without giving any further details.The overnight attack on Irbil airbase near the city’s commercial airport was a multi-drone attack. Tuesday morning's attack was with a single drone, said the defense official, who was not authorized to discuss the strikes and spoke on condition of anonymity. Commercial flights were briefly suspended following the strikes.The strikes are part of an ongoing string of attacks in recent weeks by the Iran-backed militants on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, in light of Washington’s support of Israel in the ongoing Hamas-Israel war in the besieged Gaza Strip.The attacks bring the total number of strikes on U.S. and coalition facilities in Iraq and Syria to at least 40 since Oct. 17.The Islamic Resistance also claimed responsibility for other attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday, including a drone attack on Al-Harir in Irbil province, and on the Green Village base in eastern Syria. The U.S. defense official said there were no reports of attacks at Al Harir.

Another drone attack targets U.S. base in Iraq 

By the Office of Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers

&nbsp; Lincoln-Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has&nbsp;<a href="https://ago.nebraska.gov/sites/ago.nebraska.gov/files/doc/Nebraska%20v.%20Stanger%20Enterprises%20%28Complaint%29.pdf" target="_blank">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against Stanger Enterprises, LLC, aka "Premier Pools and Spas." Premier Pools has extracted large sums of money by deceiving Nebraska homeowners and sought to unlawfully stifle consumer complaints. The company's brazen pattern of deceptive and unfair business practices has left Nebraska homeowners with dangerous, ugly unfinished pits in their yards and without the refund or return of the significant sums paid to Premier Pools.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Attorney General Mike Hilgers emphasized the need to act, stating,&nbsp;“Nebraskans expect and deserve to work with honest and ethical companies, and our office will take action against those companies that use deceptive means to unfairly&nbsp;pocket Nebraskans’ hard-earned money. Today’s action sends a clear message:&nbsp;our office will not tolerate unlawful efforts to gag consumers&nbsp;from raising complaints with the Nebraska Attorney General."

The lawsuit unveils a litany of troubling practices by Premier Pools:

<a href="https://ago.nebraska.gov/sites/ago.nebraska.gov/files/doc/Nebraska%20v.%20Stanger%20Enterprises%20%28Complaint%29.pdf" target="_blank">The lawsuit was filed</a>&nbsp;in the District Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska. The complaint alleges that Premier Pools has violated the Consumer Protection Act, the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and the Consumer Review Fairness Act.

The Attorney General's Office is seeking comprehensive redress, including restitution for affected consumers, civil penalties, revocation of licenses, injunctive relief, and other equitable measures to hold Premier Pools accountable for its unlawful behavior and prevent future harm.&nbsp;

For more information or to&nbsp;<a href="https://protectthegoodlife.nebraska.gov/file-report" target="_blank">file a complaint</a>&nbsp;related to this case, consumers can contact the Nebraska Attorney General's Office.

The Nebraska Attorney General's Office is responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws and advocating for the interests of Nebraska consumers. We work to ensure a fair, honest, and safe marketplace for residents of the state.

By the Office of Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers&nbsp; Lincoln-Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has&nbsp;<a href="https://ago.nebraska.gov/sites/ago.nebraska.gov/files/doc/Nebraska%20v.%20Stanger%20Enterprises%20%28Complaint%29.pdf" target="_blank">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against Stanger Enterprises, LLC, aka "Premier Pools and Spas." Premier Pools has extracted large sums of money by deceiving Nebraska homeowners and sought to unlawfully stifle consumer complaints. The company's brazen pattern of deceptive and unfair business practices has left Nebraska homeowners with dangerous, ugly unfinished pits in their yards and without the refund or return of the significant sums paid to Premier Pools.&nbsp;&nbsp;Attorney General Mike Hilgers emphasized the need to act, stating,&nbsp;“Nebraskans expect and deserve to work with honest and ethical companies, and our office will take action against those companies that use deceptive means to unfairly&nbsp;pocket Nebraskans’ hard-earned money. Today’s action sends a clear message:&nbsp;our office will not tolerate unlawful efforts to gag consumers&nbsp;from raising complaints with the Nebraska Attorney General."The lawsuit unveils a litany of troubling practices by Premier Pools:<ul>
 <li>Deceptive Payment Scheme: Premier Pools collects advanced payments via deceptive representations and then abandons its responsibilities, funneling the project money elsewhere.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Misleading Marketing:&nbsp;Premier Pools markets its pools and pool services using deceptive and false representations about the quality and performance of its services.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Unsafe Neglect: Premier Pools has stranded consumers with hazardous empty pits and unkempt worksites for extended periods, putting Nebraska homeowners, their families, pets, and others at risk.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Refund Refusal: Customer grievances and pleas for refunds are ignored and evaded despite many consumers needing refunds in order to hire alternative pool builders to finish and fix the job.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Gagging Consumers:&nbsp;Premier Pools employs unlawful tactics by embedding restrictive gag clauses in its contracts and by acting in retaliation towards consumers who complain.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><a href="https://ago.nebraska.gov/sites/ago.nebraska.gov/files/doc/Nebraska%20v.%20Stanger%20Enterprises%20%28Complaint%29.pdf" target="_blank">The lawsuit was filed</a>&nbsp;in the District Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska. The complaint alleges that Premier Pools has violated the Consumer Protection Act, the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and the Consumer Review Fairness Act.The Attorney General's Office is seeking comprehensive redress, including restitution for affected consumers, civil penalties, revocation of licenses, injunctive relief, and other equitable measures to hold Premier Pools accountable for its unlawful behavior and prevent future harm.&nbsp;For more information or to&nbsp;<a href="https://protectthegoodlife.nebraska.gov/file-report" target="_blank">file a complaint</a>&nbsp;related to this case, consumers can contact the Nebraska Attorney General's Office.The Nebraska Attorney General's Office is responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws and advocating for the interests of Nebraska consumers. We work to ensure a fair, honest, and safe marketplace for residents of the state.

Nebraska Attorney General files lawsuit against pool company for allegedly deceiving Nebraskans

WASHINGTON (AP) — The most-watched races in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2023">Tuesday’s off-year general election</a>&nbsp;have all been dominated by the ongoing debate over abortion rights.

From&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-election-governor-beshear-cameron-d015a2fb145dfab9fd0aaf96b7978167">a reelection bid for governor in Kentucky</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-election-abortion-ballot-measure-issue-marijuana-b8a3e625deec79213ea9326b5ca1476a">a statewide ballot measure in Ohio</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-election-state-legislature-what-to-watch-f5901d85cec6081d6c0409321a908d63">state legislative elections in Virginia</a>, access to abortion has been a frequent topic in campaign debates and advertising, as it has since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in June last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe vs. Wade</a>.

Here's a look at three major races and how abortion has shaped each contest.

Ohio constitutional amendment on abortion

Ohio voters will decide whether to amend the state Constitution to protect access to abortion services.

The measure would establish the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions” on matters including abortion, contraception and fertility treatment. It would also allow for abortions to be banned once it has been established that the fetus can survive outside of the womb, unless a physician determines that continuing with the pregnancy would endanger the patient’s “life or health.”

In August, voters rejected a measure that would have made it more difficult to approve Tuesday’s abortion proposal. That contest was seen as a proxy fight on reproductive rights and received national attention.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear seeks a second term in a heavily Republican state Donald Trump carried twice. The GOP nominee is Daniel Cameron, who succeeded Beshear as state attorney general.

Beshear has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-kentucky-louisville-government-and-politics-fe8190f2ec7cb07e4379d4863b177983">called the state’s restrictive abortion law “extremist”</a>&nbsp;for not allowing exceptions in cases of rape and incest. He also vetoed a proposal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-kentucky-legislature-2a8ce08f07db96d843d5304cbea35170">banning abortions after 15 weeks</a>. Cameron says he supports the state law and that as governor he would sign a bill amending it to allow rape and incest exceptions. But at times he has had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-kentucky-governor-campaign-ec767bf7802852d48ea150b7118fc90c">difficulty clarifying what exceptions he favors</a>.

Beshear, the son of former two-term Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, was first elected in 2019 when he defeated GOP incumbent Matt Bevin by less than half a percentage point. Cameron is a former aide to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and endorsed by Trump. If elected, he would become the first Black Republican governor since Reconstruction.

Control of both chambers of Virginia’s state legislature is up for grabs, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-virginia-house-elections-3bbba1e6cbc642dfeaf7e9d2fdee888a">Republicans holding a narrow majority in the state House</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-elections-richmond-virginia-b4de9a0fb11500aa1201e87d07a1da4d">Democrats leading the state Senate</a>. Either or both chambers could flip and possibly give Republicans full control of state government. That would clear the way for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to implement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-legislature-virginia-c7c5fb02f82a0173487b4eba807ca618">a ban on abortions after 15 weeks</a>&nbsp;with exceptions for rape, incest and when the mother’s life is endangered. Democratic candidates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-abortion-state-legislative-races-26951fd38e0017f9d555963a2eb92917">campaigned heavily on the issue</a>.

In addition to the three marquee races in Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia, the Associated Press will report vote totals and winners in 346 contested races in 12 states. Here are some other notable races to watch:

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-tate-reeves-mississippi-ba485155cb4d3d84795dfb65f1938b63">running for a second term</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-governor-reeves-brandon-presley-elvis-cousin-5130a94afb4b78a6601a128964ce55df">Democrat Brandon Presley</a>, a state utility regulator and cousin of rock ’n’ roll legend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elvis-presley">Elvis Presley</a>. Democrats held the Mississippi governorship for almost all of the 20th century, but Republicans have controlled the office for the last 20 years. With help from a sizable cash infusion from the national party,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-governor-election-reeves-presley-855a22c26529f1a51fec304b44a3334c">Presley outraised Reeves</a>&nbsp;this year and essentially matched him in spending, but the incumbent entered the final stretch of the campaign with more money.

Reeves was first elected in 2019 with 52% of the vote. Both chambers of the state legislature are also up for election.

Republican Carolyn Carluccio and Democrat Daniel McCaffery are the nominees to fill a vacant state Supreme Court seat that could play a significant role on voting-related cases during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Democrat Gabe Amo and Republican Gerry Leonard face off in a special election to complete the term of former Democratic U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rhode-island-state-government-david-cicilline-providence-b51e932ebce2ee902c641435fe54d081">resigned in May</a>&nbsp;after seven terms. The district has voted reliably for Democrats. Cicilline was first elected in 2010 and won his last five reelection bids with 60% of the vote or higher. Democrat Patrick Kennedy previously held the seat for 16 years.

In Houston, 17 candidates are vying to replace term-limited Mayor Sylvester Turner. Notable hopefuls include U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire, both Democrats.

In Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School last year, the candidates for mayor are former news reporter Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter was killed in the shooting, former mayor Cody Smith and elementary school teacher Veronica Martinez.

In Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayor Joe Ganim is seeking an eighth term, but on Wednesday, a state judge made the unusual move of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-judge-bridgeport-ganim-mayor-election-1e6d23567703c55430968ffdaa0b6369">ordering a re-do of the September Democratic primary</a>&nbsp;after evidence surfaced of possible ballot stuffing. The date for the new primary has not been set but will take place after Tuesday’s general election. AP will tabulate vote results of the Tuesday election but will not declare a winner until the legal challenges have been resolved.

In Derby, Connecticut, incumbent Mayor Richard Dziekan is running as an independent for a fourth term after losing the Republican primary to alderman Gino DiGiovanni, Jr., who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-january-6-mayor-79b98b74915ece65e8beb22c28444025">charged by federal prosecutors</a>&nbsp;in August with illegally entering the U.S. Capitol during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Criminal justice reform activist Yusef Salaam, who was one of five men convicted and later exonerated in the “Central Park Jogger” rape case, is running unopposed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699281363641.png" alt="Photo courtesy SBA Pro-Life America" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy SBA Pro-Life America</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The most-watched races in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2023">Tuesday’s off-year general election</a>&nbsp;have all been dominated by the ongoing debate over abortion rights.From&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-election-governor-beshear-cameron-d015a2fb145dfab9fd0aaf96b7978167">a reelection bid for governor in Kentucky</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-election-abortion-ballot-measure-issue-marijuana-b8a3e625deec79213ea9326b5ca1476a">a statewide ballot measure in Ohio</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-election-state-legislature-what-to-watch-f5901d85cec6081d6c0409321a908d63">state legislative elections in Virginia</a>, access to abortion has been a frequent topic in campaign debates and advertising, as it has since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in June last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe vs. Wade</a>.Here's a look at three major races and how abortion has shaped each contest.Ohio constitutional amendment on abortionOhio voters will decide whether to amend the state Constitution to protect access to abortion services.The measure would establish the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions” on matters including abortion, contraception and fertility treatment. It would also allow for abortions to be banned once it has been established that the fetus can survive outside of the womb, unless a physician determines that continuing with the pregnancy would endanger the patient’s “life or health.”In August, voters rejected a measure that would have made it more difficult to approve Tuesday’s abortion proposal. That contest was seen as a proxy fight on reproductive rights and received national attention.Kentucky governorDemocratic Gov. Andy Beshear seeks a second term in a heavily Republican state Donald Trump carried twice. The GOP nominee is Daniel Cameron, who succeeded Beshear as state attorney general.Beshear has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-kentucky-louisville-government-and-politics-fe8190f2ec7cb07e4379d4863b177983">called the state’s restrictive abortion law “extremist”</a>&nbsp;for not allowing exceptions in cases of rape and incest. He also vetoed a proposal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-kentucky-legislature-2a8ce08f07db96d843d5304cbea35170">banning abortions after 15 weeks</a>. Cameron says he supports the state law and that as governor he would sign a bill amending it to allow rape and incest exceptions. But at times he has had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-kentucky-governor-campaign-ec767bf7802852d48ea150b7118fc90c">difficulty clarifying what exceptions he favors</a>.Beshear, the son of former two-term Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, was first elected in 2019 when he defeated GOP incumbent Matt Bevin by less than half a percentage point. Cameron is a former aide to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and endorsed by Trump. If elected, he would become the first Black Republican governor since Reconstruction.Virginia General AssemblyControl of both chambers of Virginia’s state legislature is up for grabs, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-virginia-house-elections-3bbba1e6cbc642dfeaf7e9d2fdee888a">Republicans holding a narrow majority in the state House</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-elections-richmond-virginia-b4de9a0fb11500aa1201e87d07a1da4d">Democrats leading the state Senate</a>. Either or both chambers could flip and possibly give Republicans full control of state government. That would clear the way for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to implement&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-legislature-virginia-c7c5fb02f82a0173487b4eba807ca618">a ban on abortions after 15 weeks</a>&nbsp;with exceptions for rape, incest and when the mother’s life is endangered. Democratic candidates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-abortion-state-legislative-races-26951fd38e0017f9d555963a2eb92917">campaigned heavily on the issue</a>.___In addition to the three marquee races in Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia, the Associated Press will report vote totals and winners in 346 contested races in 12 states. Here are some other notable races to watch:Mississippi governorRepublican Gov. Tate Reeves is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-tate-reeves-mississippi-ba485155cb4d3d84795dfb65f1938b63">running for a second term</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-governor-reeves-brandon-presley-elvis-cousin-5130a94afb4b78a6601a128964ce55df">Democrat Brandon Presley</a>, a state utility regulator and cousin of rock ’n’ roll legend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elvis-presley">Elvis Presley</a>. Democrats held the Mississippi governorship for almost all of the 20th century, but Republicans have controlled the office for the last 20 years. With help from a sizable cash infusion from the national party,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-governor-election-reeves-presley-855a22c26529f1a51fec304b44a3334c">Presley outraised Reeves</a>&nbsp;this year and essentially matched him in spending, but the incumbent entered the final stretch of the campaign with more money.Reeves was first elected in 2019 with 52% of the vote. Both chambers of the state legislature are also up for election.Pennsylvania Supreme CourtRepublican Carolyn Carluccio and Democrat Daniel McCaffery are the nominees to fill a vacant state Supreme Court seat that could play a significant role on voting-related cases during the 2024 presidential campaign.Rhode Island U.S. House District 1Democrat Gabe Amo and Republican Gerry Leonard face off in a special election to complete the term of former Democratic U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rhode-island-state-government-david-cicilline-providence-b51e932ebce2ee902c641435fe54d081">resigned in May</a>&nbsp;after seven terms. The district has voted reliably for Democrats. Cicilline was first elected in 2010 and won his last five reelection bids with 60% of the vote or higher. Democrat Patrick Kennedy previously held the seat for 16 years.MayorsIn Houston, 17 candidates are vying to replace term-limited Mayor Sylvester Turner. Notable hopefuls include U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire, both Democrats.In Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School last year, the candidates for mayor are former news reporter Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter was killed in the shooting, former mayor Cody Smith and elementary school teacher Veronica Martinez.In Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayor Joe Ganim is seeking an eighth term, but on Wednesday, a state judge made the unusual move of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-judge-bridgeport-ganim-mayor-election-1e6d23567703c55430968ffdaa0b6369">ordering a re-do of the September Democratic primary</a>&nbsp;after evidence surfaced of possible ballot stuffing. The date for the new primary has not been set but will take place after Tuesday’s general election. AP will tabulate vote results of the Tuesday election but will not declare a winner until the legal challenges have been resolved.In Derby, Connecticut, incumbent Mayor Richard Dziekan is running as an independent for a fourth term after losing the Republican primary to alderman Gino DiGiovanni, Jr., who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-january-6-mayor-79b98b74915ece65e8beb22c28444025">charged by federal prosecutors</a>&nbsp;in August with illegally entering the U.S. Capitol during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.New York City Council District 9Criminal justice reform activist Yusef Salaam, who was one of five men convicted and later exonerated in the “Central Park Jogger” rape case, is running unopposed.

Abortion debate dominates the election: Races to watch

&nbsp;JERUSALEM (AP)—Israelis observed a minute of silence on Tuesday morning in memory of the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel and the 348 soldiers killed since the assault, on its one-month anniversary.

Israelis are marking the anniversary as a day of mourning over the attack, in which more than 1,400 people were killed and 242 were taken hostage. The one-month anniversary is a milestone in the timeline of Jewish mourning.

Memorial events are scheduled to be held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem later in the day.

Meanwhile, after more than a week of public pressure from the U.S. for “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday allowed that his government might be open to only “little pauses” in its assault on Hamas. The Israeli leader sought to play down differences with his country’s most vocal backer on the world stage at a time of rising scrutiny of the sharply rising civilian toll of fighting.

Netanyahu spoke after President Joe Biden made a direct appeal to him nearly a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">month into the war</a>&nbsp;seeking to rally support behind securing even limited relief for civilians in the spiraling conflict. The back-and-forth spotlighted the challenges facing Biden and his administration as they seek to manage what is emerging as one of the defining foreign policy crises of his presidency.

The U.S. thus far remains focused on keeping the fighting from exploding into a wider regional war and pushing for limited steps to alleviate civilian suffering. But it has remained steadfastly behind Israel and Netanyahu’s goal of ending Hamas control over Gaza, even as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-death-toll-numbers-injured-5c9dc40bec95a8408c83f3c2fb759da0" target="_blank">death toll in Gaza reached 10,000,</a>&nbsp;according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/11/06/readout-of-president-bidens-call-with-prime-minister-netanyahu-of-israel-8/">Click here to read </a>a transcript of the phone call

Biden used his first conversation with Netanyahu in eight days to repeat in private his public calls for lulls in the fighting to allow civilians to flee Israel’s campaign to crush Hamas and for humanitarian aid to flow to hundreds of thousands in need.

“We consider ourselves at the beginning of this conversation, not at the end of it,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said when describing Biden’s conversation with Netanyahu, “so you can expect that we’re going to continue to advocate for temporary, localized pauses in the fighting.”

Hours later, Netanyahu, in an interview with ABC News, ruled out any widespread cease-fire, but suggested an openness to “little pauses” — though it was not clear whether some kind of small stoppage had been agreed to or whether the U.S. was satisfied with the scope of the Israeli commitment.

“Well, there’ll be no cease-fire, general cease-fire, in Gaza without the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu said when asked about Biden’s call for humanitarian pauses. “As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there. We’ve had them before, I suppose, we’ll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages to leave. But I don’t think there’s going to be a general cease-fire.”

Biden’s engagement with Netanyahu followed Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s frantic weekend of travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the occupied West Bank, Cyprus, Iraq and onto Turkey to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for the humanitarian initiatives.

“All of this is a work in progress,” Blinken said before leaving Turkey. “We don’t obviously agree on everything, but there are common views on some of the imperatives of the moment that we’re working on together.”

CIA Director William Burns also was in the Middle East meeting with intelligence partners and leaders of several countries, a U.S. official said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Burns’ typically off-the-record travel plans. The U.S. intends for his discussions to reinforce American commitment to intelligence cooperation, especially on terror and security, the official said.

The flurry of U.S. diplomacy came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-6-2023-51286d15dddd77ae0dd7ea76ee52bc71" target="_blank">Israeli troops surrounded Gaza City and cut off the northern part of the besieged Hamas-ruled territory</a>. Troops were preparing to enter the city, where they were likely to face militants fighting street by street using a vast network of tunnels. Casualties will likely rise on both sides.

Asked whether the toll gave the U.S. pause for its staunch support for Israel, Kirby said, “I think we all need to remember who they’re fighting,” and he referenced Hamas’ Oct. 7 incursion into Israel that killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and started the war. He insisted no country would tolerate such an attack “without a swift and aggressive response.”

Kirby said the U.S. was having “frank” conversations with Israelis about trying to reduce the civilian death toll, but it was not directly involved in Israel’s targeting decisions nor was it helping develop the country’s operational plans for its invasion of Gaza, home to 2.3 million people.

Blinken said pauses in the war would allow for a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of the more than 200 hostages captured by Hamas while also preventing the conflict from spreading regionally.

“We’ve engaged the Israelis on steps that they can take to minimize civilian casualties,” Blinken said before leaving Ankara. “We’re working, as I said, very aggressively on getting more humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”

“We are very focused on the hostages held by Hamas, including the Americans, and we are doing everything possible to bring them home,” he added.

As Blinken’s meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan got underway, dozens of protesters from an Islamist group waved Turkish and Palestinian flags and held up anti-U.S. and anti-Israel placards outside the Foreign Ministry. Police earlier in the day dispersed a group of students marching toward the ministry chanting “murderer Blinken, get out of Turkey!”

Also Monday, about 150 people rallied outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, carrying a large banner that read “No to genocide!”

Blinken did not meet with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/recep-tayyip-erdogan" target="_blank">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>, who has been highly critical of Netanyahu and an outlier among NATO allies in not expressing full support for Israel’s right to defend itself.

Turkish officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, said Fidan had urged Blinken to prevent the targeting of civilians in Gaza and their forced displacement, and also press for a “full cease-fire.”

Blinken’s mission, his second to the region since the war began, has found only tepid, if any, support for his efforts to contain the fallout from the conflict. Israel had rejected the idea of pauses, while Arab nations were demanding an immediate cease-fire as the casualty toll soared among Palestinian civilians.

Arab states are resisting American suggestions that they play a larger role in resolving the crisis, expressing outrage at the civilian toll of the Israeli military operations and believing Gaza to be a problem largely of Israel’s own making.

U.S. officials are seeking to convince Israel of the strategic importance of respecting the laws of war by protecting non-combatants and significantly boosting deliveries of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s beleaguered civilian population.

It remained unclear, however, if Netanyahu would agree to temporary, rolling pauses in the massive operation to eradicate Hamas — or whether outrage among Palestinians and their supporters could be assuaged if he did.

Already Jordan and Turkey have recalled their ambassadors to Israel to protest its tactics, and the tide of international opinion appears to be turning from sympathy toward Israel in the aftermath of Oct. 7 to revulsion as images of death and destruction in Gaza spread around the world.

On Saturday in Amman, Jordan’s capital, the Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers appeared at a joint news conference with Blinken. The two said Israel’s war had gone beyond self-defense and could no longer be justified as it now amounted to collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

That sentiment was echoed by tens of thousands of demonstrators who marched in the streets of world capitals over the weekend to protest Israel and condemn U.S. support for Israel.

From Turkey, Blinken headed to Asia for a series of events in Japan, South Korea and India where the Gaza conflict will likely share top billing with other international crises — including Russia’s war on Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696679013332.png" alt="File photo-Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)" />
 <figcaption>File photo-Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Yousef Masoud)</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JERUSALEM (AP)—Israelis observed a minute of silence on Tuesday morning in memory of the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel and the 348 soldiers killed since the assault, on its one-month anniversary.Israelis are marking the anniversary as a day of mourning over the attack, in which more than 1,400 people were killed and 242 were taken hostage. The one-month anniversary is a milestone in the timeline of Jewish mourning.Memorial events are scheduled to be held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem later in the day.Meanwhile, after more than a week of public pressure from the U.S. for “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday allowed that his government might be open to only “little pauses” in its assault on Hamas. The Israeli leader sought to play down differences with his country’s most vocal backer on the world stage at a time of rising scrutiny of the sharply rising civilian toll of fighting.Netanyahu spoke after President Joe Biden made a direct appeal to him nearly a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war" target="_blank">month into the war</a>&nbsp;seeking to rally support behind securing even limited relief for civilians in the spiraling conflict. The back-and-forth spotlighted the challenges facing Biden and his administration as they seek to manage what is emerging as one of the defining foreign policy crises of his presidency.The U.S. thus far remains focused on keeping the fighting from exploding into a wider regional war and pushing for limited steps to alleviate civilian suffering. But it has remained steadfastly behind Israel and Netanyahu’s goal of ending Hamas control over Gaza, even as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-death-toll-numbers-injured-5c9dc40bec95a8408c83f3c2fb759da0" target="_blank">death toll in Gaza reached 10,000,</a>&nbsp;according to the Hamas-run health ministry.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/11/06/readout-of-president-bidens-call-with-prime-minister-netanyahu-of-israel-8/">Click here to read </a>a transcript of the phone callBiden used his first conversation with Netanyahu in eight days to repeat in private his public calls for lulls in the fighting to allow civilians to flee Israel’s campaign to crush Hamas and for humanitarian aid to flow to hundreds of thousands in need.“We consider ourselves at the beginning of this conversation, not at the end of it,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said when describing Biden’s conversation with Netanyahu, “so you can expect that we’re going to continue to advocate for temporary, localized pauses in the fighting.”Hours later, Netanyahu, in an interview with ABC News, ruled out any widespread cease-fire, but suggested an openness to “little pauses” — though it was not clear whether some kind of small stoppage had been agreed to or whether the U.S. was satisfied with the scope of the Israeli commitment.“Well, there’ll be no cease-fire, general cease-fire, in Gaza without the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu said when asked about Biden’s call for humanitarian pauses. “As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there. We’ve had them before, I suppose, we’ll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages to leave. But I don’t think there’s going to be a general cease-fire.”Biden’s engagement with Netanyahu followed Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s frantic weekend of travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the occupied West Bank, Cyprus, Iraq and onto Turkey to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for the humanitarian initiatives.“All of this is a work in progress,” Blinken said before leaving Turkey. “We don’t obviously agree on everything, but there are common views on some of the imperatives of the moment that we’re working on together.”CIA Director William Burns also was in the Middle East meeting with intelligence partners and leaders of several countries, a U.S. official said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Burns’ typically off-the-record travel plans. The U.S. intends for his discussions to reinforce American commitment to intelligence cooperation, especially on terror and security, the official said.The flurry of U.S. diplomacy came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-6-2023-51286d15dddd77ae0dd7ea76ee52bc71" target="_blank">Israeli troops surrounded Gaza City and cut off the northern part of the besieged Hamas-ruled territory</a>. Troops were preparing to enter the city, where they were likely to face militants fighting street by street using a vast network of tunnels. Casualties will likely rise on both sides.Asked whether the toll gave the U.S. pause for its staunch support for Israel, Kirby said, “I think we all need to remember who they’re fighting,” and he referenced Hamas’ Oct. 7 incursion into Israel that killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and started the war. He insisted no country would tolerate such an attack “without a swift and aggressive response.”Kirby said the U.S. was having “frank” conversations with Israelis about trying to reduce the civilian death toll, but it was not directly involved in Israel’s targeting decisions nor was it helping develop the country’s operational plans for its invasion of Gaza, home to 2.3 million people.Blinken said pauses in the war would allow for a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of the more than 200 hostages captured by Hamas while also preventing the conflict from spreading regionally.“We’ve engaged the Israelis on steps that they can take to minimize civilian casualties,” Blinken said before leaving Ankara. “We’re working, as I said, very aggressively on getting more humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”“We are very focused on the hostages held by Hamas, including the Americans, and we are doing everything possible to bring them home,” he added.As Blinken’s meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan got underway, dozens of protesters from an Islamist group waved Turkish and Palestinian flags and held up anti-U.S. and anti-Israel placards outside the Foreign Ministry. Police earlier in the day dispersed a group of students marching toward the ministry chanting “murderer Blinken, get out of Turkey!”Also Monday, about 150 people rallied outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, carrying a large banner that read “No to genocide!”Blinken did not meet with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/recep-tayyip-erdogan" target="_blank">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>, who has been highly critical of Netanyahu and an outlier among NATO allies in not expressing full support for Israel’s right to defend itself.Turkish officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, said Fidan had urged Blinken to prevent the targeting of civilians in Gaza and their forced displacement, and also press for a “full cease-fire.”Blinken’s mission, his second to the region since the war began, has found only tepid, if any, support for his efforts to contain the fallout from the conflict. Israel had rejected the idea of pauses, while Arab nations were demanding an immediate cease-fire as the casualty toll soared among Palestinian civilians.Arab states are resisting American suggestions that they play a larger role in resolving the crisis, expressing outrage at the civilian toll of the Israeli military operations and believing Gaza to be a problem largely of Israel’s own making.U.S. officials are seeking to convince Israel of the strategic importance of respecting the laws of war by protecting non-combatants and significantly boosting deliveries of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s beleaguered civilian population.It remained unclear, however, if Netanyahu would agree to temporary, rolling pauses in the massive operation to eradicate Hamas — or whether outrage among Palestinians and their supporters could be assuaged if he did.Already Jordan and Turkey have recalled their ambassadors to Israel to protest its tactics, and the tide of international opinion appears to be turning from sympathy toward Israel in the aftermath of Oct. 7 to revulsion as images of death and destruction in Gaza spread around the world.On Saturday in Amman, Jordan’s capital, the Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers appeared at a joint news conference with Blinken. The two said Israel’s war had gone beyond self-defense and could no longer be justified as it now amounted to collective punishment of the Palestinian people.That sentiment was echoed by tens of thousands of demonstrators who marched in the streets of world capitals over the weekend to protest Israel and condemn U.S. support for Israel.From Turkey, Blinken headed to Asia for a series of events in Japan, South Korea and India where the Gaza conflict will likely share top billing with other international crises — including Russia’s war on Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

Israelis observe one-month anniversary of Hamas assault 

By JILL COLVIN, MICHAEL R. SISAK, JENNIFER PELTZ and ERIC TUCKER

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump vigorously defended his wealth and business on Monday, tangling from the witness stand with the judge overseeing his civil fraud trial and denouncing as a "political witch hunt" a lawsuit accusing him of dramatically inflating his net worth.

Trump's long-awaited testimony about property valuations and financial statements was punctuated by personal jabs at a judge he said was biased against him and at the New York attorney general, whom he derided as a "political hack." He proudly boasted of his real estate business — "I'm worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements" — and disputed claims that he had deceived banks and insurers.

"This is the opposite of fraud," he declared. Referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office brought the lawsuit, he said, "The fraud is her."

The testy exchanges, and frequent rebukes from the judge, underscored Trump's unwillingness to adapt his famously freewheeling rhetorical style to a formal courtroom setting governed by rules of evidence and legal protocol. But while his presence on the stand was a vivid reminder of the legal troubles he faces as he vies to reclaim the White House in 2024, it also functioned as a campaign platform for the former president and leading Republican presidential candidate to raise anew to supporters his claims of political persecution at the hands of government lawyers and judges.

"People are sick and tired of what's happening. I think it is a very sad say for America," Trump told reporters outside the courtroom after roughly three-and-a-half hours on the stand.

Trump's testimony got off to a contentious start Monday, with state Judge Arthur Engoron admonishing him to keep his answers concise and reminding him that "this is not a political rally."

Turning to Trump's attorney at one point, the judge said, "I beseech you to control him if you can. If you can't, I will."

The civil trial is one of numerous legal proceedings Trump is confronting, including federal and state charges accusing him of crimes including illegally hoarding classified documents and scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election. His legal and political strategies have now become completely intertwined as he hopscotches between campaign events and court hearings, a schedule that will only intensify once his criminal trials begin.

Though the fraud case doesn't carry the prospect of prison as the criminal prosecutions do, its allegations of financial impropriety cut to the heart of the brand he spent decades crafting. The suggestion that Trump is worth less than he's claimed has been interpreted by him as a cutting insult.

"I'm worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements," he said, telling a state lawyer, "You go around and try and demean me and try and hurt me, probably for political reasons."

The courtroom at 60 Centre St. has become a familiar destination for Trump. He has spent hours over the past month voluntarily seated at the defense table, observing the proceedings. He took the stand previously, unexpectedly and briefly, after he was accused of violating a partial gag order. He denied violating the rules, but Engoron disagreed and fined him anyway.

His turn as a witness gave him the biggest opportunity yet to respond to allegations against him.

Summoned by lawyers for the state, Trump repeatedly balked at the suggestion that he had ever intended to defraud financial institutions. He said that he'd been misquoted or taken too literally in past public comments about his business dealings and his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, and that disclaimers in his financial statements covered any missteps. And he returned to a familiar position that no one had been victimized.

"Not one bank lost money. Not one insurance company lost money. And the insurance company that you said lost is still my insurance company," he said. "They're one of the biggest insurance companies in the world and they don't know what you're talking about."

Tensions between Engoron and Trump, already on display in recent weeks, when the judge fined him a total of $15,000 for incendiary outside-of-court comments, were evident early on Monday when the ex-president was repeatedly scolded about the length and content of his answers.

Engoron, who determined in a ruling earlier that Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame, will decide the non-jury case. He cautioned at one point that he was prepared to draw "negative inferences" against the former president if he failed to rein in his answers.

"I do not want to hear everything this witness has to say. He has a lot to say that has nothing to do with the case or the questions," the judge said.

"Mr. Kise, can you control your client," Engoron told Trump lawyer Christopher Kise, who himself has clashed with the judge. Kise responded Trump was entitled to latitude as a former president and current candidate taking time away from campaigning to testify.

Despite the testy back-and-forth early in the day, Trump was later able to veer into expansive answers without anyone cutting him off, using the opportunity to rail against James, the judge and the proceedings in general.

"I think that she's a political hack, and I think she used this case to try and become governor and she used it successfully to become attorney general. I think it's a disgrace that this case is going on," Trump said.

Of Engoron, Trump said, "He ruled against me and he said I was a fraud before he knew anything about me."

James, who was in the courtroom, stared straight ahead at Trump as he spoke and was seen chuckling when Trump suggested she didn't know anything about one of his properties that's across the street from her office. Afterward, she told reporters, "He rambled. He hurled insults. But we expected that."

Monday's testimony centered on the core of the allegations by the state attorney general: that Trump and his company intentionally inflated property values and deceived banks and insurers in the pursuit of business deals and loans.

Echoing the stance taken by two of his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric, in their own testimony last week, Trump sought to downplay his direct involvement in preparing and assessing financial statements that the attorney general claims were grossly inflated and fraudulent.

"All I did was authorize and tell people to give whatever is necessary for the accountants to do the statements," he said. As for the results, "I would look at them, I would see them, and maybe on some occasions, I would have some suggestions."

He also played down the significance of the statements, which went to banks and others to secure financing and deals, pointing to a disclaimer that he said amounted to telling recipients to do their own calculating.

"Banks didn't find them very relevant, and they had a disclaimer clause -- you would call it a worthless statement clause," he said, insisting that after decades in real estate, "I probably know banks as well as anybody … I know what they look at. They look at the deal, they look at the location."

He complained that his 2014 financial statements shouldn't be a subject of the lawsuit at all.

"First of all it's so long ago, it's well beyond the statute of limitations," Trump said before turning on Engoron, saying he allowed state lawyers to pursue claims involving such years-old documents "because he always rules against me."

Engoron said: "You can attack me in whichever way you want but please answer the questions."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699284958905.png" alt=""This is the opposite of fraud," he declared. Referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office brought the lawsuit, he said, "The fraud is her."-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>"This is the opposite of fraud," he declared. Referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office brought the lawsuit, he said, "The fraud is her."-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By JILL COLVIN, MICHAEL R. SISAK, JENNIFER PELTZ and ERIC TUCKERNEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump vigorously defended his wealth and business on Monday, tangling from the witness stand with the judge overseeing his civil fraud trial and denouncing as a "political witch hunt" a lawsuit accusing him of dramatically inflating his net worth.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump after testifying at New York civil fraud trial: &quot;This is a scam. And this is a case that should&#39;ve never been brought, and it&#39;s a case that now should be dismissed.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/a6R1ofDDiK">pic.twitter.com/a6R1ofDDiK</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1721645227302101233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump's long-awaited testimony about property valuations and financial statements was punctuated by personal jabs at a judge he said was biased against him and at the New York attorney general, whom he derided as a "political hack." He proudly boasted of his real estate business — "I'm worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements" — and disputed claims that he had deceived banks and insurers."This is the opposite of fraud," he declared. Referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office brought the lawsuit, he said, "The fraud is her."The testy exchanges, and frequent rebukes from the judge, underscored Trump's unwillingness to adapt his famously freewheeling rhetorical style to a formal courtroom setting governed by rules of evidence and legal protocol. But while his presence on the stand was a vivid reminder of the legal troubles he faces as he vies to reclaim the White House in 2024, it also functioned as a campaign platform for the former president and leading Republican presidential candidate to raise anew to supporters his claims of political persecution at the hands of government lawyers and judges."People are sick and tired of what's happening. I think it is a very sad say for America," Trump told reporters outside the courtroom after roughly three-and-a-half hours on the stand.Trump's testimony got off to a contentious start Monday, with state Judge Arthur Engoron admonishing him to keep his answers concise and reminding him that "this is not a political rally."Turning to Trump's attorney at one point, the judge said, "I beseech you to control him if you can. If you can't, I will."The civil trial is one of numerous legal proceedings Trump is confronting, including federal and state charges accusing him of crimes including illegally hoarding classified documents and scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election. His legal and political strategies have now become completely intertwined as he hopscotches between campaign events and court hearings, a schedule that will only intensify once his criminal trials begin.Though the fraud case doesn't carry the prospect of prison as the criminal prosecutions do, its allegations of financial impropriety cut to the heart of the brand he spent decades crafting. The suggestion that Trump is worth less than he's claimed has been interpreted by him as a cutting insult."I'm worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements," he said, telling a state lawyer, "You go around and try and demean me and try and hurt me, probably for political reasons."The courtroom at 60 Centre St. has become a familiar destination for Trump. He has spent hours over the past month voluntarily seated at the defense table, observing the proceedings. He took the stand previously, unexpectedly and briefly, after he was accused of violating a partial gag order. He denied violating the rules, but Engoron disagreed and fined him anyway.His turn as a witness gave him the biggest opportunity yet to respond to allegations against him.Summoned by lawyers for the state, Trump repeatedly balked at the suggestion that he had ever intended to defraud financial institutions. He said that he'd been misquoted or taken too literally in past public comments about his business dealings and his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, and that disclaimers in his financial statements covered any missteps. And he returned to a familiar position that no one had been victimized."Not one bank lost money. Not one insurance company lost money. And the insurance company that you said lost is still my insurance company," he said. "They're one of the biggest insurance companies in the world and they don't know what you're talking about."Tensions between Engoron and Trump, already on display in recent weeks, when the judge fined him a total of $15,000 for incendiary outside-of-court comments, were evident early on Monday when the ex-president was repeatedly scolded about the length and content of his answers.Engoron, who determined in a ruling earlier that Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame, will decide the non-jury case. He cautioned at one point that he was prepared to draw "negative inferences" against the former president if he failed to rein in his answers."I do not want to hear everything this witness has to say. He has a lot to say that has nothing to do with the case or the questions," the judge said."Mr. Kise, can you control your client," Engoron told Trump lawyer Christopher Kise, who himself has clashed with the judge. Kise responded Trump was entitled to latitude as a former president and current candidate taking time away from campaigning to testify.Despite the testy back-and-forth early in the day, Trump was later able to veer into expansive answers without anyone cutting him off, using the opportunity to rail against James, the judge and the proceedings in general."I think that she's a political hack, and I think she used this case to try and become governor and she used it successfully to become attorney general. I think it's a disgrace that this case is going on," Trump said.Of Engoron, Trump said, "He ruled against me and he said I was a fraud before he knew anything about me."James, who was in the courtroom, stared straight ahead at Trump as he spoke and was seen chuckling when Trump suggested she didn't know anything about one of his properties that's across the street from her office. Afterward, she told reporters, "He rambled. He hurled insults. But we expected that."Monday's testimony centered on the core of the allegations by the state attorney general: that Trump and his company intentionally inflated property values and deceived banks and insurers in the pursuit of business deals and loans.Echoing the stance taken by two of his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric, in their own testimony last week, Trump sought to downplay his direct involvement in preparing and assessing financial statements that the attorney general claims were grossly inflated and fraudulent."All I did was authorize and tell people to give whatever is necessary for the accountants to do the statements," he said. As for the results, "I would look at them, I would see them, and maybe on some occasions, I would have some suggestions."He also played down the significance of the statements, which went to banks and others to secure financing and deals, pointing to a disclaimer that he said amounted to telling recipients to do their own calculating."Banks didn't find them very relevant, and they had a disclaimer clause -- you would call it a worthless statement clause," he said, insisting that after decades in real estate, "I probably know banks as well as anybody … I know what they look at. They look at the deal, they look at the location."He complained that his 2014 financial statements shouldn't be a subject of the lawsuit at all."First of all it's so long ago, it's well beyond the statute of limitations," Trump said before turning on Engoron, saying he allowed state lawyers to pursue claims involving such years-old documents "because he always rules against me."Engoron said: "You can attack me in whichever way you want but please answer the questions."___ Tucker reported from Washington.

🎥 History: Trump is first former President to testify in his own defense

WASHINGTON (AP)— The Ohio-class submarine that U.S. Central Command announced had sailed into Middle East waters on Sunday is an SSGN, a guided missile submarine variant that is not capable of firing nuclear weapons, a defense official told The Associated Press.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

The vessel was photographed as it transited the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, the defense official said.

On Monday, Pentagon press secretary Brig . Gen. Pat Ryder said the submarine would provide “further support our deterrence efforts in the region.”

Although it’s not unusual for a U.S. submarine to transit the canal in Egypt, Central Command’s online statement acknowledging the location of an Ohio-class submarine is rare. There are Ohio-class submarines that can fire nuclear weapons, known as SSBN or ballistic missile submarine variants.

Meahwhile,&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a grueling Middle East diplomatic tour in Turkey after only limited success in forging a regional consensus on how to ease civilian suffering in Gaza as Israel intensifies its war against Hamas.

Blinken met Monday in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan after a weekend of travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the West Bank, Cyprus and Iraq to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s relentless military campaign in Gaza.

The Biden administration hopes that pauses in the war would allow for a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, while also preventing the conflict from spreading regionally.

Israel has rejected the pauses proposal outright while Arab and Muslim nations are instead demanding an immediate cease-fire as the Palestinian casualty toll soars from Israeli bombardments of Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates&nbsp; (AP)— The U.S. military has acknowledged positioning what was originally reported as a a nuclear-capable submarine in the Middle East.

It provided no other details in its online statement Sunday, though it posted an image that appeared to show a submarine in Egypt’s Suez Canal near its Suez Canal Bridge.

U.S. acknowledgment of an Ohio-class submarine location is incredibly rare as they represent part of America's so-called “nuclear triad” of atomic weapons — which also includes land-based ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs aboard strategic bombers.

Several Ohio-class submarines instead carry cruise missiles and the capability to deploy with special operations forces, so it’s unclear if the submarine operating now in the Mideast carries nuclear ballistic missiles.

The U.S. has deployed submarines into the region before and announced its recent presence as tensions were high with Iran.

Central Command separately released an image of a nuclear-capable B-1 bomber also operating in the Mideast on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699268832288.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP)— The Ohio-class submarine that U.S. Central Command announced had sailed into Middle East waters on Sunday is an SSGN, a guided missile submarine variant that is not capable of firing nuclear weapons, a defense official told The Associated Press.The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.The vessel was photographed as it transited the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, the defense official said.On Monday, Pentagon press secretary Brig . Gen. Pat Ryder said the submarine would provide “further support our deterrence efforts in the region.”Although it’s not unusual for a U.S. submarine to transit the canal in Egypt, Central Command’s online statement acknowledging the location of an Ohio-class submarine is rare. There are Ohio-class submarines that can fire nuclear weapons, known as SSBN or ballistic missile submarine variants.Meahwhile,&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a grueling Middle East diplomatic tour in Turkey after only limited success in forging a regional consensus on how to ease civilian suffering in Gaza as Israel intensifies its war against Hamas.Blinken met Monday in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan after a weekend of travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the West Bank, Cyprus and Iraq to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s relentless military campaign in Gaza.“All of this is a work in progress,” Blinken said before leaving Turkey. “We don’t obviously agree on everything, but there are common views on some of the imperatives of the moment that we’re working on together.”The Biden administration hopes that pauses in the war would allow for a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, while also preventing the conflict from spreading regionally.Israel has rejected the pauses proposal outright while Arab and Muslim nations are instead demanding an immediate cease-fire as the Palestinian casualty toll soars from Israeli bombardments of Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack.---------DUBAI, United Arab Emirates&nbsp; (AP)— The U.S. military has acknowledged positioning what was originally reported as a a nuclear-capable submarine in the Middle East.It provided no other details in its online statement Sunday, though it posted an image that appeared to show a submarine in Egypt’s Suez Canal near its Suez Canal Bridge.U.S. acknowledgment of an Ohio-class submarine location is incredibly rare as they represent part of America's so-called “nuclear triad” of atomic weapons — which also includes land-based ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs aboard strategic bombers.Several Ohio-class submarines instead carry cruise missiles and the capability to deploy with special operations forces, so it’s unclear if the submarine operating now in the Mideast carries nuclear ballistic missiles.The U.S. has deployed submarines into the region before and announced its recent presence as tensions were high with Iran.Central Command separately released an image of a nuclear-capable B-1 bomber also operating in the Mideast on Sunday.

US moves guided missile submarine to the Middle East 

NOVEMBER 6, 2023 (NORTH PLATTE, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol apprehended a juvenile after a pursuit with a stolen vehicle Friday afternoon.

At approximately 4:45 p.m. Friday, a trooper was on patrol near mile marker 211 on Interstate 80 when he observed a pickup that just been reported stolen out of North Platte. The pickup was traveling at 97 miles per hour on eastbound I-80. The trooper attempted a traffic stop.

The pickup initially came to a stop on the shoulder, but accelerated and fled as soon as the trooper exited his patrol vehicle. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

During the pursuit, a Dawson County sheriff’s deputy was able to successfully deploy stop sticks to slow the vehicle, but the subject continued fleeing eastbound into Buffalo County. Near mile marker 262, a trooper deployed another set of stop sticks to bring the vehicle to a stop in the median. The driver was taken into custody without further incident.

The driver, a 17-year-old male from Hastings, was taken into custody for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and theft by unlawful taking - $5,000+.

By Nebraska State PatrolNOVEMBER 6, 2023 (NORTH PLATTE, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol apprehended a juvenile after a pursuit with a stolen vehicle Friday afternoon.At approximately 4:45 p.m. Friday, a trooper was on patrol near mile marker 211 on Interstate 80 when he observed a pickup that just been reported stolen out of North Platte. The pickup was traveling at 97 miles per hour on eastbound I-80. The trooper attempted a traffic stop.The pickup initially came to a stop on the shoulder, but accelerated and fled as soon as the trooper exited his patrol vehicle. The trooper initiated a pursuit.During the pursuit, a Dawson County sheriff’s deputy was able to successfully deploy stop sticks to slow the vehicle, but the subject continued fleeing eastbound into Buffalo County. Near mile marker 262, a trooper deployed another set of stop sticks to bring the vehicle to a stop in the median. The driver was taken into custody without further incident.The driver, a 17-year-old male from Hastings, was taken into custody for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and theft by unlawful taking - $5,000+.

Hastings teen in Custody After Pursuit with Stolen Vehicle

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-transportation-safety-us-news-transportation-887894df4186c7a6b796dc39121d8f3c">automatic braking system</a>&nbsp;railroads were required to install several years ago needs improvement to better prevent collisions, federal safety investigators said in a report Wednesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RIR2312.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;urged the Federal Railroad Administration and the industry to keep developing new technology that can be used to improve Positive Train Control systems. Their recommendations included at least one practical idea that railroads could likely implement relatively quickly.

Railroads spent 12 years and roughly $15 billion to develop and install the automatic braking system after Congress required it in 2008 in the wake of a collision between a commuter and freight train in California that killed 25 and injured more than 100.

The system, in place on about 58,000 miles (93,000 kilometers) of track nationwide since 2020, is designed to reduce human error by automatically stopping trains in certain situations, such as when they’re in danger of colliding, derailing because of excessive speed, entering tracks under maintenance or traveling the wrong direction.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said more than 150 train crashes since 1969 could have been prevented by Positive Train Control. The agency had recommended the automatic braking system for years before it was mandated by Congress, which extended the original 2015 deadline twice and gave railroads until the end of 2020 to complete the system.

The Association of American Railroads trade group said the industry is focused on “maintaining and advancing” the braking system and will keep looking for improvements.

“Railroads continue their work to enhance the system in ways that further improve safety and drive down accidents,” association spokesperson Jessica Kahanek said.

The Federal Railroad Administration didn't immediately comment on the new report.

Railroad safety has been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-derailments-tank-car-ohio-minnesota-c60f33b64e9c7dc05768a78ae20f3ce5">key concern</a>&nbsp;nationwide this year ever since a Norfolk Southern&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">train carrying hazardous materials derailed</a>&nbsp;in eastern Ohio and caught fire. The crash was likely caused by an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">overheating bearing</a>&nbsp;and isn't one the automatic braking system is designed to prevent.

Chair Jennifer Homendy said Positive Train Control is clearly helping improve rail safety but that "we haven’t achieved zero deaths on our railroads, which means there’s more we can and must do to strengthen safety.”

Railroads have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d6ca21953111e4d7b457bac02e5b6813">suggested</a>&nbsp;that the braking system could make the second crew member in cab locomotives unneeded, but unions have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/588d6f7829c4836b9d2feff5c21a5097">long opposed</a>&nbsp;the idea of cutting train crews down to one person because of safety concerns.

The National Transportation Safety Board said there are several shortcomings of the current railroad braking system that developed partly because the system had to be designed so that every railroad's system would work on another railroad. Locomotives are often passed back and forth between railroads to help keep trains moving.

One of the more practical recommendations the board made was for railroads to develop a way to automatically turn the automatic braking system back on after it is manually disabled to allow for common switching movements that involve backing a train onto the main line through a red signal.

Currently, the automatic braking systems will remind an engineer to turn the system back on if they don’t do it within several miles of when the switching move was completed, but the safety board said a derailment can happen before that warning kicks in.

The braking system also uses a combination of a GPS sensor on the locomotive along with trackside sensors to monitor where the engine is and send signals to stop the train if an engineer misses a stop signal or if a crew is working on the tracks ahead.

The National Transportation Safety Board said that too often the system just imposes a low speed limit and relies on engineers to stop their trains in time, which doesn't always work.

The system also has a hard time preventing rear-end collisions, partly because it isn’t set up to track how long a train is and doesn't know where the back of a train is. The board recommended that the Federal Railroad Administration and railroads keep looking for a solution to this using a GPS sensor at the end of a train.

The braking system also doesn't have the ability to stop a train if there is an object like a car or person on the tracks, so the safety board also recommended developing a set of sensors that could help with that.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-transportation-safety-us-news-transportation-887894df4186c7a6b796dc39121d8f3c">automatic braking system</a>&nbsp;railroads were required to install several years ago needs improvement to better prevent collisions, federal safety investigators said in a report Wednesday.The National Transportation Safety Board's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RIR2312.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;urged the Federal Railroad Administration and the industry to keep developing new technology that can be used to improve Positive Train Control systems. Their recommendations included at least one practical idea that railroads could likely implement relatively quickly.Railroads spent 12 years and roughly $15 billion to develop and install the automatic braking system after Congress required it in 2008 in the wake of a collision between a commuter and freight train in California that killed 25 and injured more than 100.The system, in place on about 58,000 miles (93,000 kilometers) of track nationwide since 2020, is designed to reduce human error by automatically stopping trains in certain situations, such as when they’re in danger of colliding, derailing because of excessive speed, entering tracks under maintenance or traveling the wrong direction.The National Transportation Safety Board has said more than 150 train crashes since 1969 could have been prevented by Positive Train Control. The agency had recommended the automatic braking system for years before it was mandated by Congress, which extended the original 2015 deadline twice and gave railroads until the end of 2020 to complete the system.The Association of American Railroads trade group said the industry is focused on “maintaining and advancing” the braking system and will keep looking for improvements.“Railroads continue their work to enhance the system in ways that further improve safety and drive down accidents,” association spokesperson Jessica Kahanek said.The Federal Railroad Administration didn't immediately comment on the new report.Railroad safety has been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-derailments-tank-car-ohio-minnesota-c60f33b64e9c7dc05768a78ae20f3ce5">key concern</a>&nbsp;nationwide this year ever since a Norfolk Southern&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">train carrying hazardous materials derailed</a>&nbsp;in eastern Ohio and caught fire. The crash was likely caused by an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">overheating bearing</a>&nbsp;and isn't one the automatic braking system is designed to prevent.Chair Jennifer Homendy said Positive Train Control is clearly helping improve rail safety but that "we haven’t achieved zero deaths on our railroads, which means there’s more we can and must do to strengthen safety.”Railroads have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d6ca21953111e4d7b457bac02e5b6813">suggested</a>&nbsp;that the braking system could make the second crew member in cab locomotives unneeded, but unions have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/588d6f7829c4836b9d2feff5c21a5097">long opposed</a>&nbsp;the idea of cutting train crews down to one person because of safety concerns.The National Transportation Safety Board said there are several shortcomings of the current railroad braking system that developed partly because the system had to be designed so that every railroad's system would work on another railroad. Locomotives are often passed back and forth between railroads to help keep trains moving.One of the more practical recommendations the board made was for railroads to develop a way to automatically turn the automatic braking system back on after it is manually disabled to allow for common switching movements that involve backing a train onto the main line through a red signal.Currently, the automatic braking systems will remind an engineer to turn the system back on if they don’t do it within several miles of when the switching move was completed, but the safety board said a derailment can happen before that warning kicks in.The braking system also uses a combination of a GPS sensor on the locomotive along with trackside sensors to monitor where the engine is and send signals to stop the train if an engineer misses a stop signal or if a crew is working on the tracks ahead.The National Transportation Safety Board said that too often the system just imposes a low speed limit and relies on engineers to stop their trains in time, which doesn't always work.The system also has a hard time preventing rear-end collisions, partly because it isn’t set up to track how long a train is and doesn't know where the back of a train is. The board recommended that the Federal Railroad Administration and railroads keep looking for a solution to this using a GPS sensor at the end of a train.The braking system also doesn't have the ability to stop a train if there is an object like a car or person on the tracks, so the safety board also recommended developing a set of sensors that could help with that.

Railroad automatic braking system needs improvement to prevent more derailments, safety board says

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Federal health officials are expanding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wanabana-lead-fruit-pouch-recall-fda-e00acb3437c5ea792de36fa4c1dcb3ed">an investigation</a>&nbsp;into potentially lead-tainted pouches of apple cinnamon fruit puree marketed for children amid reports of more illnesses and additional product recalls.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday it has received&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-applesauce-pouches-november-2023?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">reports of seven illnesses</a>&nbsp;in at least five states possibly linked to contaminated puree.

Two new companies,&nbsp;<a href="https://nourish.schnucks.com/news-releases/schnuck-markets-recalls-select-schnucks-brand-applesauce-pouches/">Schnucks Markets</a>&nbsp;of St. Louis and Weis Markets of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, announced recalls of certain cinnamon applesauce products because they may contain high levels of lead. WanaBana of Coral Gables, Florida, previously&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wanabana-issues-voluntary-recall-wanabana-apple-cinnamon-fruit-puree-pouches-due-elevated-lead">recalled</a>&nbsp;of all lots and expiration dates of its apple cinnamon fruit puree.

Eating the contaminated products could result in “acute toxicity," FDA officials said. Parents and caregivers should not buy or serve the cinnamon applesauce products, which are sold through multiple retailers, including Amazon, Dollar Tree and at Schnucks and Eatwell Markets grocery stores.

Children and others who have consumed the products should be tested for possible lead poisoning, the agency said.

The investigation began in North Carolina, where health officials are looking into reports of four children with elevated blood levels linked to the WanaBana product. State health officials analyzed multiple lots of the product and detected “extremely high” concentrations of lead. The FDA confirmed the results.

The FDA's Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network is leading the investigation in cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health officials.

Lead is toxic to people of all ages, but can be especially harmful to children. Most children have no obvious symptoms, so it’s important that kids who are exposed get tested to check levels of lead in their blood. Short-term exposure to lead can result in symptoms that include headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and anemia, the FDA said.

Heavy metals like lead can get into food products from soil, air, water or industrial processes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Lead exposure can seriously harm children’s health, causing damage to the brain and nervous system and slowed growth and development. There is no known safe level of lead exposure, the AAP said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699279077387.png" alt="FDA image" />
 <figcaption>FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Federal health officials are expanding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wanabana-lead-fruit-pouch-recall-fda-e00acb3437c5ea792de36fa4c1dcb3ed">an investigation</a>&nbsp;into potentially lead-tainted pouches of apple cinnamon fruit puree marketed for children amid reports of more illnesses and additional product recalls.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday it has received&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-applesauce-pouches-november-2023?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">reports of seven illnesses</a>&nbsp;in at least five states possibly linked to contaminated puree.Two new companies,&nbsp;<a href="https://nourish.schnucks.com/news-releases/schnuck-markets-recalls-select-schnucks-brand-applesauce-pouches/">Schnucks Markets</a>&nbsp;of St. Louis and Weis Markets of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, announced recalls of certain cinnamon applesauce products because they may contain high levels of lead. WanaBana of Coral Gables, Florida, previously&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wanabana-issues-voluntary-recall-wanabana-apple-cinnamon-fruit-puree-pouches-due-elevated-lead">recalled</a>&nbsp;of all lots and expiration dates of its apple cinnamon fruit puree.Eating the contaminated products could result in “acute toxicity," FDA officials said. Parents and caregivers should not buy or serve the cinnamon applesauce products, which are sold through multiple retailers, including Amazon, Dollar Tree and at Schnucks and Eatwell Markets grocery stores.Children and others who have consumed the products should be tested for possible lead poisoning, the agency said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698669783345.png" alt="FDA image" />
 <figcaption>FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation began in North Carolina, where health officials are looking into reports of four children with elevated blood levels linked to the WanaBana product. State health officials analyzed multiple lots of the product and detected “extremely high” concentrations of lead. The FDA confirmed the results.The FDA's Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network is leading the investigation in cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health officials.Lead is toxic to people of all ages, but can be especially harmful to children. Most children have no obvious symptoms, so it’s important that kids who are exposed get tested to check levels of lead in their blood. Short-term exposure to lead can result in symptoms that include headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and anemia, the FDA said.Heavy metals like lead can get into food products from soil, air, water or industrial processes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Lead exposure can seriously harm children’s health, causing damage to the brain and nervous system and slowed growth and development. There is no known safe level of lead exposure, the AAP said.___

More fruit pouches for kids recalled; illnesses linked to lead

&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/71410/david-vergun/">David Vergun</a>&nbsp;, Department of Defense News&nbsp;

A mix of weaponry that includes National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, artillery rounds, TOW missiles and Javelin and AT-4 antiarmor systems is earmarked for Ukraine in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3578754/biden-administration-announces-new-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">latest defense package</a>.

Additional material includes laser-guided munitions to counter unmanned aerial systems; more than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades; demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing; Claymore antipersonnel munitions; 12 trucks to transport heavy equipment; cold weather gear; and spare parts, maintenance, and other field equipment.&nbsp;

This package includes security assistance from Defense Department inventories valued at up to $125 million, utilizing assistance authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years under presidential drawdown authority. It's the 50th security package for Ukraine since August 2021.&nbsp;

Other funding totals $300 million in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This package makes use of the funding available under the continuing resolution that Congress recently passed and exhausts the remaining funds currently available to support Ukraine.

Unlike a presidential drawdown —&nbsp;which draws equipment down from DOD stocks, as well as defense services, education and training —&nbsp;USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry for Ukraine.

Last week, President Joe Biden asked Congress for more Ukraine funding; however, lawmakers have yet to provide additional funding.&nbsp;

At an Oct. 31 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III told lawmakers that supplemental aid is needed to help Ukraine continue to defend itself against Russia's ongoing aggression.

"When we send our friends munitions from our stockpiles, the money to replenish our supplies strengthens our military readiness, [as] we invest in American industry and American workers. That also holds true for funding for Israel or Ukraine to procure new equipment off the production line," Austin testified.&nbsp;

"Today's battles against aggression and terrorism will define global security for years to come. And only firm American leadership can ensure that tyrants, thugs and terrorists worldwide are not emboldened to commit more aggression and more atrocities," he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699057750297.png" alt="U.S. M1A1 Abrams tanks arrive at Grafenwoehr, Germany, May 12, 2023. They will be used to train Ukrainian soldiers.&nbsp;Photo By:Army Spc. Adrian Greenwood" />
 <figcaption>U.S. M1A1 Abrams tanks arrive at Grafenwoehr, Germany, May 12, 2023. They will be used to train Ukrainian soldiers.&nbsp;Photo By:Army Spc. Adrian Greenwood</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/71410/david-vergun/">David Vergun</a>&nbsp;, Department of Defense News&nbsp;A mix of weaponry that includes National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, artillery rounds, TOW missiles and Javelin and AT-4 antiarmor systems is earmarked for Ukraine in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3578754/biden-administration-announces-new-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">latest defense package</a>.Additional material includes laser-guided munitions to counter unmanned aerial systems; more than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades; demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing; Claymore antipersonnel munitions; 12 trucks to transport heavy equipment; cold weather gear; and spare parts, maintenance, and other field equipment.&nbsp;This package includes security assistance from Defense Department inventories valued at up to $125 million, utilizing assistance authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years under presidential drawdown authority. It's the 50th security package for Ukraine since August 2021.&nbsp;Other funding totals $300 million in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This package makes use of the funding available under the continuing resolution that Congress recently passed and exhausts the remaining funds currently available to support Ukraine.Unlike a presidential drawdown —&nbsp;which draws equipment down from DOD stocks, as well as defense services, education and training —&nbsp;USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry for Ukraine.Last week, President Joe Biden asked Congress for more Ukraine funding; however, lawmakers have yet to provide additional funding.&nbsp;At an Oct. 31 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III told lawmakers that supplemental aid is needed to help Ukraine continue to defend itself against Russia's ongoing aggression."When we send our friends munitions from our stockpiles, the money to replenish our supplies strengthens our military readiness, [as] we invest in American industry and American workers. That also holds true for funding for Israel or Ukraine to procure new equipment off the production line," Austin testified.&nbsp;"Today's battles against aggression and terrorism will define global security for years to come. And only firm American leadership can ensure that tyrants, thugs and terrorists worldwide are not emboldened to commit more aggression and more atrocities," he said.

U.S. sending millions more in missiles, air defense to Ukraine 

Experts: Consumer spending hurt, career decisions delayed by student debt

By CASEY QUINLAN,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>

Justin Brown, a father of a 2-year-old who lives with his wife in the St. Louis, Missouri area, has $20,000 in student loan debt. Before the pause on loan payments at the start of the pandemic in 2020, he paid $300 a month. But now that Brown has a family, his financial responsibilities have grown — paying for child care, a mortgage for a house he bought in 2022 and car notes, to name a few.

“I have to look at that $300, like where do I carve it from? Because my income is not going to increase in the next month, and maybe in the near future, but here and now it is what it is and my wife’s is what it is,” said Brown, who works in marketing. “I have to now make a sacrifice and the sacrifice is not going to come at the expense of my kid and it’s not going to come at the expense of my marriage. But it will come at the expense of something that I can live without that I otherwise would choose to [spend money on]. It may mean I may eat out two times a month instead of 10 times a month or that I won’t go to the movies ever again.”

Many borrowers, like Brown, are facing similar decisions this month as student loan payments resumed. Nearly 45 million Americans collectively owe more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/HIST/cc_hist_memo_levels.html">$1.7 trillion</a>&nbsp;in 2023 and have an average outstanding loan balance of less than $25,000, according to a Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2023-economic-well-being-of-us-households-in-2022-higher-ed-student-loans.htm">report</a>. They pay an average between $200 and $299 monthly, according to the Fed.

Economists say that hundreds of dollars spent on monthly student loan payments is a loss to the economy and could hurt consumer spending, affect workers’ decisions to stay at their current job or look elsewhere, and delay new home purchases or renting a nicer apartment.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/cnbc-invest-in-you-jan-2022/">According to</a>&nbsp;a CNBC online poll in January 2022 of 5,162 adults, 81% of borrowers surveyed said they delayed major decisions because of their debt, with 33% deferring a home purchase, 35% setting aside travel plans, and 12% waiting to look for a new job.

“It will be a decline in demand, a decline in overall spending in the economy,” said Mike Konczal, director of macroeconomic analysis at the Roosevelt Institute. “A year ago, people were very worried that there was too much spending in the economy. Now, there’s a little less worry about that and a lot more worry about the real uncertainty that’s going to happen over the next year.”

Konczal said that he sees the resumption of student loan payments as the biggest headwind the economy is facing right now. Less spending in the economy has historically helped trigger a recession, he said. Consumer spending represents&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usbank.com/investing/financial-perspectives/market-news/consumer-spending.html#:~:text=Consumer%20spending%20plays%20the%20most,the%20nation%27s%20Gross%20Domestic%20Product.">two-thirds</a>&nbsp;of economic activity.

Higher education has been associated with higher homeownership rates, but having student debt is associated with lower rates of owning a home, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/press/pressbriefings/household-borrowing-student-loans-homeownership?campaign=homescomp10515">findings</a>&nbsp;from a 2017 New York Fed report.

Early in the pandemic with interest rates low and the pause on loan repayments, younger buyers took advantage of the market to buy homes. And while student debt isn’t the biggest roadblock today to home ownership (high mortgage rates are), such purchases will be impacted as potential buyers are faced with student loan repayments, instead of putting that money toward a down payment, according to Selm Hepp, chief economist for CoreLogic.

“If you’re saving that much on a monthly basis over a year, how much of that could help you with the down payment,” Hepp said.

<figure>
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 </figure><h2>Experts: Consumer spending hurt, career decisions delayed by student debt</h2>By CASEY QUINLAN,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>Justin Brown, a father of a 2-year-old who lives with his wife in the St. Louis, Missouri area, has $20,000 in student loan debt. Before the pause on loan payments at the start of the pandemic in 2020, he paid $300 a month. But now that Brown has a family, his financial responsibilities have grown — paying for child care, a mortgage for a house he bought in 2022 and car notes, to name a few.“I have to look at that $300, like where do I carve it from? Because my income is not going to increase in the next month, and maybe in the near future, but here and now it is what it is and my wife’s is what it is,” said Brown, who works in marketing. “I have to now make a sacrifice and the sacrifice is not going to come at the expense of my kid and it’s not going to come at the expense of my marriage. But it will come at the expense of something that I can live without that I otherwise would choose to [spend money on]. It may mean I may eat out two times a month instead of 10 times a month or that I won’t go to the movies ever again.”Many borrowers, like Brown, are facing similar decisions this month as student loan payments resumed. Nearly 45 million Americans collectively owe more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/HIST/cc_hist_memo_levels.html">$1.7 trillion</a>&nbsp;in 2023 and have an average outstanding loan balance of less than $25,000, according to a Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2023-economic-well-being-of-us-households-in-2022-higher-ed-student-loans.htm">report</a>. They pay an average between $200 and $299 monthly, according to the Fed.Economists say that hundreds of dollars spent on monthly student loan payments is a loss to the economy and could hurt consumer spending, affect workers’ decisions to stay at their current job or look elsewhere, and delay new home purchases or renting a nicer apartment.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/cnbc-invest-in-you-jan-2022/">According to</a>&nbsp;a CNBC online poll in January 2022 of 5,162 adults, 81% of borrowers surveyed said they delayed major decisions because of their debt, with 33% deferring a home purchase, 35% setting aside travel plans, and 12% waiting to look for a new job.“It will be a decline in demand, a decline in overall spending in the economy,” said Mike Konczal, director of macroeconomic analysis at the Roosevelt Institute. “A year ago, people were very worried that there was too much spending in the economy. Now, there’s a little less worry about that and a lot more worry about the real uncertainty that’s going to happen over the next year.”Konczal said that he sees the resumption of student loan payments as the biggest headwind the economy is facing right now. Less spending in the economy has historically helped trigger a recession, he said. Consumer spending represents&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usbank.com/investing/financial-perspectives/market-news/consumer-spending.html#:~:text=Consumer%20spending%20plays%20the%20most,the%20nation%27s%20Gross%20Domestic%20Product.">two-thirds</a>&nbsp;of economic activity.Higher education has been associated with higher homeownership rates, but having student debt is associated with lower rates of owning a home, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/press/pressbriefings/household-borrowing-student-loans-homeownership?campaign=homescomp10515">findings</a>&nbsp;from a 2017 New York Fed report.Early in the pandemic with interest rates low and the pause on loan repayments, younger buyers took advantage of the market to buy homes. And while student debt isn’t the biggest roadblock today to home ownership (high mortgage rates are), such purchases will be impacted as potential buyers are faced with student loan repayments, instead of putting that money toward a down payment, according to Selm Hepp, chief economist for CoreLogic.“If you’re saving that much on a monthly basis over a year, how much of that could help you with the down payment,” Hepp said.The same holds true for those seeking to upgrade their rentals. “… While we expect to see rent growth go back to the rate that was pre-pandemic, which is like 3% to 4% on a year-over-year basis, which is what we’ve historically seen, that may be subdued because of the student loan payments. So people may not be able to upgrade to that nicer apartment but they’ll just kind of stick it out wherever they are because they now have that student loan [payment],” Hepp said.Major retailers have already expressed concern over the impact of student loan payments on their businesses.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/americas-retailers-and-restaurants-brace-for-a-shock-from-student-loan-payments-175132890.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJvtFqMbXEixD7zsawwn8fbWf86qFE8j35WYaNBvL8QtTy8WumYTyvQZ2LqOZShhk2o9D_Vmw5UU5u3EQqr0ISxtpuNEhjTTG9NKRJ4JWAH0_4V1pn1K5XjqN-jnByuJmi3IkTjwqc1Yh96T9vDy07Tu-1GRdA6TWwGVQam1oJnM">Executives</a>&nbsp;from Macy’s, Walmart, and Target said in August that they were keeping it in mind as a source of financial pressure on consumers.The Biden administration’s plans last year to cancel up to $20,000 of student loan debt would have helped many borrowers, particularly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/bidens-loan-forgiveness-plan-heavily-impact-black-borrowers/story?id=88900684#:~:text=A%20typical%20Black%20borrower%20will,disproportionate%20burden%20of%20student%20debt.">Black and Latino borrowers</a>. But the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/30/us/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-biden.html">struck down</a>&nbsp;the policy in June. Then in August, the administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/08/22/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-launches-the-save-plan-the-most-affordable-student-loan-repayment-plan-ever-to-lower-monthly-payments-for-millions-of-borrowers/#:~:text=Bring%20many%20borrowers%27%20loan%20payments%20to%20%240%20per%20month.&amp;text=The%20Department%20of%20Education%20estimates,needs%20instead%20of%20loan%20payments.">announced</a>&nbsp;steps to reduce the financial burden of making payments for some borrowers by basing them on their income and family size and not borrowers’ loan balance.The Federal Reserve also has recognized the return of student loan payments as it considers future policy. On Sept. 20, Fed Chair Jerome Powell was asked what he thought the looming government shutdown, rising oil prices, and the UAW strike meant for the course of Fed policy.Describing a “collection of risks,” Powell said “there is a long list and you hit some of them. It’s the strike, it’s the government shutdown, resumption of student loan payments, higher long-term rates, oil price shock. There are a lot of things that you can look at, so what we try to do is assess all of them and handicap all of them. Ultimately though, there’s so much uncertainty around these things.”<h2>Labor market&nbsp;</h2>Economists point out that research has shown that student debt and debt cancellation affect borrowers’ decisions about the jobs they take or don’t take. When people have their loans discharged, they are more likely to move, which researchers say&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/effects-debt-relief-student-loan-market">suggests&nbsp;</a>they are able to pursue opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have with the student debt. Some research has also&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w13117">shown</a>&nbsp;that debt motivates graduates to favor higher-paying jobs over lower-paid jobs that are more focused on the public interest.“There is evidence that holding student debt affects people’s choices early in their careers. I found that it affected people’s occupational choices,” said Jesse Rothstein, professor of public policy and economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-author of the research on job choices.Because a college degree doesn’t bring the same accumulation of wealth that it once offered, economists are also concerned that there is little payoff for households constrained by payments. A St. Louis Fed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://files.stlouisfed.org/files/htdocs/publications/review/2019/10/15/is-college-still-worth-it-the-new-calculus-of-falling-returns.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;released in 2019 found a decline in the wealth a college degree brings over the past few decades. Families whose head of the household was born in the 1980s have a weaker college wealth premium, “to the point of statistical insignificance.” The exception is white families where the head of the household has a bachelor’s degree, but even then the wealth enjoyed by those families is much smaller than in older groups.Lissa Knudsen, a PhD candidate at the University of New Mexico studying health communication, has an 18-year-old who will head to college in a year herself. Knudsen has three streams of income as a freelance journalist, cheesemonger, and a teacher that have helped support her as she makes her way through school, which she said is not really enough for her to live on. She has $230,000 in student loan debt.Unlike some borrowers, who look for well-paying jobs after graduation, she said that she is worried that if she takes a more lucrative job in her field of study, student debt will swallow up her income anyway.“I’m afraid that there’s a disincentive for me to try to use my PhD to its fullest potential and to make say $70,000 or $80,000 a year because I think almost all of that would go to student loan payments,” she said. “Versus, if I stay in the lower income bracket, I might be able to have the minimum amount of payment. Then I could hopefully get some of it forgiven in a while. That would be great.”<h2>Policy implications</h2>Bilal Baydoun, director of policy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative, observed that the return of student loan payments will undo some of the positive changes the recovery brought to households that previously felt greater financial precarity. For example, the rise of younger people, many of them millennials,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.corelogic.com/intelligence/homeownership-accelerated-among-young-millennials-during-the-pandemic/">buying homes</a>&nbsp;earlier in the pandemic when interest rates were low and student debt payments were on pause, was a sign of a changing economic tide.“My fear overall is that the sort of muscle memory of our pre-pandemic plutocracy is starting to redevelop … [Policymakers] want to grow different muscles. We want to grow the muscles that we’ve seen over the last couple of years of major public investment, of labor activity, of rising wages that outpace inflation and this really threatens all of that,” he said.To address the burden of student debt on the U.S. economy, experts and economists say that the federal government needs to undertake major policy efforts on debt cancellation and overhauling the way higher education is financed.Baydoun said that debt cancellation, once a fringe policy idea years ago, is “considered one of the most important interventions when it comes to our affordability crisis.”“I think continuing to find ways to [cancel student debt] is not only great economic policy, it’s also great politics. All of these borrowers through the course of the pandemic, when payments were on hold for three years, they saw very clearly that nothing bad happened as a result of that … In fact, if anything, it was one of the factors that helped supercharge our economic recovery,” he said.Not all borrowers plan to resume payments on their student loans. Kyle Guzik, a high school art teacher who lives in Richmond, Virginia, has more than $200,000 in student loan debt, most of it from William &amp; Mary, which he attended for graduate school. He spends $1,350 in rent each month and has more than $10,000 in medical debt, which he can’t pay. He said his daily life expenses take up the rest of his budget and that there simply isn’t anything left over.“The money just disappears. It might seem like a lot at first but it just disappears and [student loan servicers] want whatever the amount is that they want. Alright. It isn’t there to be had,” he said. “ … You can’t get blood from a stone.”Guzik said his decision is one of financial necessity. But he added that he hopes this refusal will result in policy changes.“I hope that others in my situation will also think about what is really in their own rational self interest and that, by organizing a debt strike, we will collectively force a change in policy so that housing, healthcare, education, and a dignified retirement are recognized politically in this country as human rights,” he said.Rothstein said he believes the pressure for policymakers to address student debt is building but that most of it has been around canceling payments rather than redesigning the college finance system.“We are going to need to redesign the way we pay for college and that will be a major lift before we get to the point where Congress passes something,’’ he said. “ … In the long run, our failure to do that is going to be a drag on educational attainments in this country and on economic growth.”Editor’s note: Lissa Knudsen has freelanced for Source New Mexico, an affiliate of States Newsroom.