BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON — The stunning ouster of U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday —&nbsp;the first time a speaker has been removed in Congress’ 234-year history —&nbsp;created a leadership vacuum in the chamber and left multiple questions about how legislative business would proceed.

North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry ascended to the role of speaker pro tempore following the vote to unseat McCarthy. McHenry’s rise occurred under a House rule created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that allowed McCarthy to secretly choose a temporary successor in advance, in the event the speaker’s office was vacated.

The rule seems designed to keep the chamber running without an elected speaker, but in an institution governed largely by precedent, the unprecedented nature of the situation provoked a buzz of uncertainty, speculation and opinion in D.C. on the day after McCarthy’s unwilling exit.

“The only thing I’m certain about is that anyone who says that they have any certainty on this is lying,” said Josh Chafetz, a professor of law and politics at Georgetown Law. “There’s absolutely no precedents on any of this because this hasn’t happened before.”

Members were exasperated. “The House of Representatives is effectively frozen,” Rep. Garret Graves, a Louisiana Republican and McCarthy ally, told reporters Wednesday. “We’re not able to actually advance legislation. We can’t even refer bills to committee.”

McHenry has called for House members to vote on the next speaker on Oct. 11. Until then, the House is unlikely to try to conduct business —&nbsp;even as a government funding deadline approaches Nov. 17. But there’s also the possibility that the House won’t — or is unable to — choose a speaker for even longer.

Here are some questions about how the chamber moves forward in the absence of an elected speaker, with answers from legal and congressional experts.

Why does the role of speaker pro tempore exist in the U.S. House of Representatives, and what powers does that person hold?&nbsp;

Molly E. Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, said Wednesday during a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlhKzpLLLxQ">panel discussion</a>&nbsp;the role of speaker pro tempore was designed as a way to bolster continuity of government.

“The language of the rule itself isn’t entirely clear on what powers the speaker pro tem has — whether it’s all of the powers of the Office of the Speaker, or just authorities that allow him to effectuate a new election for speaker,” Reynolds said.

There are two schools of thought about how much power a speaker pro tempore holds, Reynolds said.

“I would put myself in the camp that the speaker pro tem, McHenry, has the full powers of the speakership with the possible exception of sitting in the line of succession.” Reynolds said.

“My logic there is that given how this rule was originally designed, which was to allow someone to act as speaker in the event of a real crisis, that you would not necessarily have wanted to develop a rule that would limit that person’s power in an actual emergency,” Reynolds said.

“The idea behind a pro tempore is: The person can act in the absence of a speaker,” Jason Roberts, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina, told States Newsroom. “So I interpret that to mean the speaker pro tempore can do basically whatever they choose to do.”

Nearly every move McHenry makes would become a precedent for future temporary speakers, Roberts said.

Tests to McHenry’s power could end up being settled by a majority of the House, experts said.

“The way that precedents in the House work when things are unprecedented is when someone does something, that becomes a precedent,” Roberts said. “If someone is unhappy with what they did, they can raise a point of order… And then the House would vote on that, and if they sustain the point of order then that would become the precedent.”

For the time being, McHenry is taking the more restrained approach to his authority as the temporary speaker of the House. He has not yet referred bills to committee or scheduled floor votes on any legislation, Reynolds said.

But that could change if Republicans cannot quickly elect another speaker.

“This is all pretty untested and it may well be the case that McHenry’s choice to act in this more limited way is a political one,” Reynolds said.

Because this has never happened before, anything McHenry does during the days or weeks to come could be used as precedent in the future if the House ever needs to lean on another speaker pro tempore, Reynolds said.

“In the kind of situation that this rule originally anticipated — a true catastrophic emergency — I think we would probably want the person acting as speaker pro tem to have more expansive powers than McHenry is at least planning at this moment to exercise,” Reynolds said.

Steven S. Smith, a professor at Arizona State University, said that if a leadership vacuum persists past next week, McHenry may have to consider a more robust approach.

“If no new speaker manages to get elected that quickly and he remains the speaker pro tem, then I’m guessing that he’ll have to start thinking about exercising the real powers of the speakership,” Smith said.

Though a temporary speaker could —&nbsp;possibly —&nbsp;use many of the official powers of the office, McHenry lacks some of the power speakers typically enjoy as the leader of the House.

McHenry would lack the power to appoint Rules Committee members, for example, which is what allows a speaker to control the House floor and makes the position as powerful as it is, Smith said.

“If McHenry ends up being, say, a medium-term speaker pro tem, it’s going to be somewhat awkward because none of the Rules Committee members owe their presence there to him,” Smith said. “And he’s not empowered to do anything about it under the conference rules.”

McHenry would also lack the power to appoint members to the steering committee, which makes appointments to every committee in the House, Smith said.

The official&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/documents/Rules%20and%20Resources/118-House-Rules-Clerk.pdf">rules of the House</a>&nbsp;detail what the chamber should do if the speaker becomes ill for a long period of time, or if the office is vacated.

Section 8(b)(3)(A) of Rule I states: “In the case of a vacancy in the Office of Speaker, the next Member on the list described in subdivision (B) shall act as Speaker pro tempore until the election of a Speaker or a Speaker pro tempore. Pending such election the Member acting as Speaker pro tempore may exercise such authorities of the Office of the Speaker as may be necessary and appropriate to that end.”

What is “necessary and appropriate to that end” is the part that leads to some debate among experts.

What can the House do without a speaker?&nbsp;

The speaker pro tempore position was intended to allow the House to continue to function as normal, even without an elected speaker.

In practice, though, at least in the short term, it’s a major disruption to House business.

Graves blasted Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican who led the challenge to McCarthy, saying he undermined conservative goals and stripped powers from the Republican office.

“You can’t offer subpoenas, you can’t go after Hunter Biden, you can’t go after any of the controversies that this administration has carried out,” Graves said.

Experts said it was unclear how subpoena power could be affected.

If McHenry becomes more assertive as an acting speaker during a prolonged period without an elected one, the House itself would ultimately decide the extent of that position’s power.

“The most fundamental thing about the House is a majority of the House can do anything the majority wants to do,” Roberts said.

Can House committees meet for hearings or to report bills to the floor?

Nothing but political considerations would prevent committees from meeting, Smith said.

Committees’ authorities, organized under a rules package approved at the beginning of this Congress and in effect even after McCarthy’s ouster, “don’t change at all,” Roberts said.

“I can’t think of any reason why committees couldn’t meet,” Chafetz said. “Committees don’t need the permission of the speaker to hold a meeting.”

Can the House change the rules that allowed for McCarthy’s ouster?

Yes. The House can change its rules at any time, through a majority vote on the floor, Smith said.

McCarthy agreed to a rule change allowing any single member to bring a motion to vacate, the procedure that Gaetz used to trigger the speaker’s fall.

With that in mind, McCarthy’s successor may seek to add a minimum number of members who must sign on to such a motion.

Though rules packages are usually only passed at the beginning of a two-year Congress, a majority can choose to change them at any time.

The House speaker is second in the line of succession to the presidency, behind only the vice president.

With that office vacant, the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, currently Washington Democrat Patty Murray, would move up to second in line, Roberts said. Murray holds the position by virtue of being the most senior member of the Senate’s majority party.

While McHenry could exercise most of the speaker’s powers within the House, he is not technically the speaker for the purposes of succession.

“Officially, the speaker’s office is vacant,” Roberts said.

Does the vote to remove McCarthy as speaker increase the odds of a government shutdown or spending cuts?

Reynolds from Brookings said one of the challenges for the next GOP speaker will be when and how to make trade-offs with the hard-right members of the conference or the centrists, who are most at risk of losing reelection next year.

“If you try to pass an appropriations bill that is embraced by those on the right end of the conference, you’re going to lose votes from the left end of the conference,” Reynolds said.

“So it’s a much different political struggle to manage those differences in the conference,” Reynolds said. “And that’s not going to go away for whoever is the next speaker of the House and in some ways the stakes of all of this are going to get higher the longer we go into the fiscal year.”

A provision in the debt limit law that President Joe Biden and McCarthy brokered in May would institute a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/1-cut-federal-spending-debt-limit-law-its-complicated">1% across-the-board spending cut</a>&nbsp;to defense and domestic discretionary programs next year if Congress cannot pass all 12 of the annual spending bills before the spring.

That provision wouldn’t have any real-world effects until April 30, though if any of the bills aren’t law before then, all of the departments and agencies would be forced to cut spending.

The “Sword of Damocles” provision, as Reynolds called it, will likely galvanize defense hawks in the House and Senate to broker agreement on all the bills before that deadline.

“But one thing that we should take away from this episode, is that if we think what Kevin McCarthy did over the weekend was the right thing, that does not necessarily save him, or any future speaker, from punishment from a dissident faction of his own conference, even though ultimately it may be the right choice for the government and for the country,” Reynolds said.

Matthew Green, professor of politics at Catholic University of America, said the next Republican speaker will likely have a brief time to broker bipartisan agreements without facing the same motion to vacate that McCarthy did.

“I think there is probably a small window for the next speaker to be able to get things through, even if that requires cooperating with the Democrats and the president — which it almost certainly will — that it won’t necessarily end their speakership,” Green said.

Another challenge for House Republicans is that dealing with the speakership race eats up precious time they need to pass spending bills, Smith said. A new speaker won’t take office until Oct. 11 at the earliest.

“Taking out about 25% of the remaining days before the CR expires is going to put Republicans in a pinch,” Smith said, referring to the continuing resolution that funds the government through Nov. 17.

How did the House Republican Conference get here, and what does it mean for the future?

Green, of Catholic University of America, said that changes in the GOP’s goals over time have partially led to what happened this week when eight members were able to oust a speaker who was backed by more than 210 of his Republican colleagues.

The trend can be traced back to former Speaker Newt Gingrich, and leaders before him, who Green said began shifting the goals to having power, having a majority and communicating. The central goal, he said, wasn’t always legislating.

“That objective and that way of viewing one’s political career gets certain folks elected, who may have genuine views and beliefs and political preferences — but they also don’t see Congress as a place to solve problems and legislate,” Green said. “And that’s in many ways why we are where we are today.”

Philip Wallach, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said sometimes House Republicans “get distracted from the fact that they are members of a legislature that ultimately has to pass laws with majorities of two chambers and get the signature of the president.”

How does kicking McCarthy out as speaker affect House Republicans’ fundraising prospects heading into the 2024 elections?

Kevin R. Kosar, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said that the eight Republicans who voted to remove McCarthy might have created long-lasting problems for House GOP fundraising efforts.

“He was a tremendous fundraiser. He raised gobs and gobs of money for his party, just as Pelosi had done. That’s one of the duties of the modern speaker, is to be this sort of a cash cow,” Kosar said.

“The GOP dissidents just killed that cash cow,” Kosar added. “And I wonder inside the GOP conference, how many members are seething about that because many of them are heavily reliant on the speaker to raise money for them.”

&nbsp;Ariana Figueroa contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696366148194.png" alt="A view of the House chamber during the historic vote on Tuesday-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>A view of the House chamber during the historic vote on Tuesday-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON — The stunning ouster of U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday —&nbsp;the first time a speaker has been removed in Congress’ 234-year history —&nbsp;created a leadership vacuum in the chamber and left multiple questions about how legislative business would proceed.North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry ascended to the role of speaker pro tempore following the vote to unseat McCarthy. McHenry’s rise occurred under a House rule created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that allowed McCarthy to secretly choose a temporary successor in advance, in the event the speaker’s office was vacated.The rule seems designed to keep the chamber running without an elected speaker, but in an institution governed largely by precedent, the unprecedented nature of the situation provoked a buzz of uncertainty, speculation and opinion in D.C. on the day after McCarthy’s unwilling exit.“The only thing I’m certain about is that anyone who says that they have any certainty on this is lying,” said Josh Chafetz, a professor of law and politics at Georgetown Law. “There’s absolutely no precedents on any of this because this hasn’t happened before.”Members were exasperated. “The House of Representatives is effectively frozen,” Rep. Garret Graves, a Louisiana Republican and McCarthy ally, told reporters Wednesday. “We’re not able to actually advance legislation. We can’t even refer bills to committee.”McHenry has called for House members to vote on the next speaker on Oct. 11. Until then, the House is unlikely to try to conduct business —&nbsp;even as a government funding deadline approaches Nov. 17. But there’s also the possibility that the House won’t — or is unable to — choose a speaker for even longer.Here are some questions about how the chamber moves forward in the absence of an elected speaker, with answers from legal and congressional experts.Why does the role of speaker pro tempore exist in the U.S. House of Representatives, and what powers does that person hold?&nbsp;Molly E. Reynolds, senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, said Wednesday during a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlhKzpLLLxQ">panel discussion</a>&nbsp;the role of speaker pro tempore was designed as a way to bolster continuity of government.“The language of the rule itself isn’t entirely clear on what powers the speaker pro tem has — whether it’s all of the powers of the Office of the Speaker, or just authorities that allow him to effectuate a new election for speaker,” Reynolds said.There are two schools of thought about how much power a speaker pro tempore holds, Reynolds said.“I would put myself in the camp that the speaker pro tem, McHenry, has the full powers of the speakership with the possible exception of sitting in the line of succession.” Reynolds said.“My logic there is that given how this rule was originally designed, which was to allow someone to act as speaker in the event of a real crisis, that you would not necessarily have wanted to develop a rule that would limit that person’s power in an actual emergency,” Reynolds said.Other experts agreed with that view.“The idea behind a pro tempore is: The person can act in the absence of a speaker,” Jason Roberts, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina, told States Newsroom. “So I interpret that to mean the speaker pro tempore can do basically whatever they choose to do.”Nearly every move McHenry makes would become a precedent for future temporary speakers, Roberts said.Tests to McHenry’s power could end up being settled by a majority of the House, experts said.“The way that precedents in the House work when things are unprecedented is when someone does something, that becomes a precedent,” Roberts said. “If someone is unhappy with what they did, they can raise a point of order… And then the House would vote on that, and if they sustain the point of order then that would become the precedent.”How is McHenry approaching the job?For the time being, McHenry is taking the more restrained approach to his authority as the temporary speaker of the House. He has not yet referred bills to committee or scheduled floor votes on any legislation, Reynolds said.But that could change if Republicans cannot quickly elect another speaker.“This is all pretty untested and it may well be the case that McHenry’s choice to act in this more limited way is a political one,” Reynolds said.Because this has never happened before, anything McHenry does during the days or weeks to come could be used as precedent in the future if the House ever needs to lean on another speaker pro tempore, Reynolds said.“In the kind of situation that this rule originally anticipated — a true catastrophic emergency — I think we would probably want the person acting as speaker pro tem to have more expansive powers than McHenry is at least planning at this moment to exercise,” Reynolds said.Steven S. Smith, a professor at Arizona State University, said that if a leadership vacuum persists past next week, McHenry may have to consider a more robust approach.“If no new speaker manages to get elected that quickly and he remains the speaker pro tem, then I’m guessing that he’ll have to start thinking about exercising the real powers of the speakership,” Smith said.Though a temporary speaker could —&nbsp;possibly —&nbsp;use many of the official powers of the office, McHenry lacks some of the power speakers typically enjoy as the leader of the House.McHenry would lack the power to appoint Rules Committee members, for example, which is what allows a speaker to control the House floor and makes the position as powerful as it is, Smith said.“If McHenry ends up being, say, a medium-term speaker pro tem, it’s going to be somewhat awkward because none of the Rules Committee members owe their presence there to him,” Smith said. “And he’s not empowered to do anything about it under the conference rules.”McHenry would also lack the power to appoint members to the steering committee, which makes appointments to every committee in the House, Smith said.What exactly does the rule say?The official&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/documents/Rules%20and%20Resources/118-House-Rules-Clerk.pdf">rules of the House</a>&nbsp;detail what the chamber should do if the speaker becomes ill for a long period of time, or if the office is vacated.Section 8(b)(3)(A) of Rule I states: “In the case of a vacancy in the Office of Speaker, the next Member on the list described in subdivision (B) shall act as Speaker pro tempore until the election of a Speaker or a Speaker pro tempore. Pending such election the Member acting as Speaker pro tempore may exercise such authorities of the Office of the Speaker as may be necessary and appropriate to that end.”What is “necessary and appropriate to that end” is the part that leads to some debate among experts.What can the House do without a speaker?&nbsp;The speaker pro tempore position was intended to allow the House to continue to function as normal, even without an elected speaker.In practice, though, at least in the short term, it’s a major disruption to House business.Graves blasted Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican who led the challenge to McCarthy, saying he undermined conservative goals and stripped powers from the Republican office.“You can’t offer subpoenas, you can’t go after Hunter Biden, you can’t go after any of the controversies that this administration has carried out,” Graves said.Experts said it was unclear how subpoena power could be affected.If McHenry becomes more assertive as an acting speaker during a prolonged period without an elected one, the House itself would ultimately decide the extent of that position’s power.“The most fundamental thing about the House is a majority of the House can do anything the majority wants to do,” Roberts said.Can House committees meet for hearings or to report bills to the floor?Nothing but political considerations would prevent committees from meeting, Smith said.Committees’ authorities, organized under a rules package approved at the beginning of this Congress and in effect even after McCarthy’s ouster, “don’t change at all,” Roberts said.“I can’t think of any reason why committees couldn’t meet,” Chafetz said. “Committees don’t need the permission of the speaker to hold a meeting.”Can the House change the rules that allowed for McCarthy’s ouster?Yes. The House can change its rules at any time, through a majority vote on the floor, Smith said.McCarthy agreed to a rule change allowing any single member to bring a motion to vacate, the procedure that Gaetz used to trigger the speaker’s fall.With that in mind, McCarthy’s successor may seek to add a minimum number of members who must sign on to such a motion.Though rules packages are usually only passed at the beginning of a two-year Congress, a majority can choose to change them at any time.What about the line of succession?The House speaker is second in the line of succession to the presidency, behind only the vice president.With that office vacant, the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, currently Washington Democrat Patty Murray, would move up to second in line, Roberts said. Murray holds the position by virtue of being the most senior member of the Senate’s majority party.While McHenry could exercise most of the speaker’s powers within the House, he is not technically the speaker for the purposes of succession.“Officially, the speaker’s office is vacant,” Roberts said.Does the vote to remove McCarthy as speaker increase the odds of a government shutdown or spending cuts?Reynolds from Brookings said one of the challenges for the next GOP speaker will be when and how to make trade-offs with the hard-right members of the conference or the centrists, who are most at risk of losing reelection next year.“If you try to pass an appropriations bill that is embraced by those on the right end of the conference, you’re going to lose votes from the left end of the conference,” Reynolds said.“So it’s a much different political struggle to manage those differences in the conference,” Reynolds said. “And that’s not going to go away for whoever is the next speaker of the House and in some ways the stakes of all of this are going to get higher the longer we go into the fiscal year.”A provision in the debt limit law that President Joe Biden and McCarthy brokered in May would institute a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/1-cut-federal-spending-debt-limit-law-its-complicated">1% across-the-board spending cut</a>&nbsp;to defense and domestic discretionary programs next year if Congress cannot pass all 12 of the annual spending bills before the spring.That provision wouldn’t have any real-world effects until April 30, though if any of the bills aren’t law before then, all of the departments and agencies would be forced to cut spending.The “Sword of Damocles” provision, as Reynolds called it, will likely galvanize defense hawks in the House and Senate to broker agreement on all the bills before that deadline.“But one thing that we should take away from this episode, is that if we think what Kevin McCarthy did over the weekend was the right thing, that does not necessarily save him, or any future speaker, from punishment from a dissident faction of his own conference, even though ultimately it may be the right choice for the government and for the country,” Reynolds said.Matthew Green, professor of politics at Catholic University of America, said the next Republican speaker will likely have a brief time to broker bipartisan agreements without facing the same motion to vacate that McCarthy did.“I think there is probably a small window for the next speaker to be able to get things through, even if that requires cooperating with the Democrats and the president — which it almost certainly will — that it won’t necessarily end their speakership,” Green said.Another challenge for House Republicans is that dealing with the speakership race eats up precious time they need to pass spending bills, Smith said. A new speaker won’t take office until Oct. 11 at the earliest.“Taking out about 25% of the remaining days before the CR expires is going to put Republicans in a pinch,” Smith said, referring to the continuing resolution that funds the government through Nov. 17.How did the House Republican Conference get here, and what does it mean for the future?Green, of Catholic University of America, said that changes in the GOP’s goals over time have partially led to what happened this week when eight members were able to oust a speaker who was backed by more than 210 of his Republican colleagues.The trend can be traced back to former Speaker Newt Gingrich, and leaders before him, who Green said began shifting the goals to having power, having a majority and communicating. The central goal, he said, wasn’t always legislating.“That objective and that way of viewing one’s political career gets certain folks elected, who may have genuine views and beliefs and political preferences — but they also don’t see Congress as a place to solve problems and legislate,” Green said. “And that’s in many ways why we are where we are today.”Philip Wallach, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said sometimes House Republicans “get distracted from the fact that they are members of a legislature that ultimately has to pass laws with majorities of two chambers and get the signature of the president.”How does kicking McCarthy out as speaker affect House Republicans’ fundraising prospects heading into the 2024 elections?Kevin R. Kosar, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said that the eight Republicans who voted to remove McCarthy might have created long-lasting problems for House GOP fundraising efforts.“He was a tremendous fundraiser. He raised gobs and gobs of money for his party, just as Pelosi had done. That’s one of the duties of the modern speaker, is to be this sort of a cash cow,” Kosar said.“The GOP dissidents just killed that cash cow,” Kosar added. “And I wonder inside the GOP conference, how many members are seething about that because many of them are heavily reliant on the speaker to raise money for them.”&nbsp;Ariana Figueroa contributed to this report.

How does a ‘frozen’ U.S. House function without a speaker?

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union said Friday it will not expand&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-workers-strike-negotiations-progress-gm-stellantis-ford-4dc51e9f463022bc3794e9615d8a705b">its strikes</a>&nbsp;against Detroit's three automakers after General Motors made a breakthrough concession on unionizing electric vehicle battery plants.

Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a video appearance that additional plants could be added to the strikes later.

The announcement of the pause in expanding the strikes came shortly after GM agreed to bring electric vehicle battery plants into the UAW's national contract, essentially assuring that they will be unionized.

Fain said GM's move will change the future of the union and the auto industry.

He said GM made the change after the union threatened to strike at a plant in Arlington, Texas, that makes highly profitable large SUVs.

“Today, under the threat of a major financial hit, they leapfrogged the pack in terms of a just transition” from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-electric-cars-uaw-strike-d73f259bf5e9242340e912ad1e9b4aa9">combustion engines to electric vehicles</a>, he said. “Our strike is working, but we’re not there yet.”

In addition to large general pay raises, cost of living pay, restoration of pensions for new hires and other items, the union wanted to represent 10 battery factories proposed by the companies.

The companies have said the plants, mostly joint ventures with South Korean battery makers, had to be bargained separately.

Friday's change means the the four U.S. GM battery plants would now be covered under the union's master agreement and GM would bargain with the union' “which I think is a monumental development,” said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit.

He said the details of GM's offer, made in writing, will have to be scrutinized.

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union said Friday it will not expand&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/auto-workers-strike-negotiations-progress-gm-stellantis-ford-4dc51e9f463022bc3794e9615d8a705b">its strikes</a>&nbsp;against Detroit's three automakers after General Motors made a breakthrough concession on unionizing electric vehicle battery plants.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/GM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GM</a> has agreed in writing to place their electric battery manufacturing under the UAW&#39;s National Master Agreement. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandUpUAW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandUpUAW</a> <a href="https://t.co/FZcR6TV0wp">pic.twitter.com/FZcR6TV0wp</a>&mdash; AFL-CIO ✊ (@AFLCIO) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFLCIO/status/1710359460521062858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a video appearance that additional plants could be added to the strikes later.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fuaw.union%2Fposts%2Fpfbid021vJoPoyF3x6ScSAQhxKLbscwJJP5cC1j6rCzLMrzm19WQ2maWyfoo24rEMsjqhb9l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="298" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The announcement of the pause in expanding the strikes came shortly after GM agreed to bring electric vehicle battery plants into the UAW's national contract, essentially assuring that they will be unionized.Fain said GM's move will change the future of the union and the auto industry.He said GM made the change after the union threatened to strike at a plant in Arlington, Texas, that makes highly profitable large SUVs.“Today, under the threat of a major financial hit, they leapfrogged the pack in terms of a just transition” from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-electric-cars-uaw-strike-d73f259bf5e9242340e912ad1e9b4aa9">combustion engines to electric vehicles</a>, he said. “Our strike is working, but we’re not there yet.”In addition to large general pay raises, cost of living pay, restoration of pensions for new hires and other items, the union wanted to represent 10 battery factories proposed by the companies.The companies have said the plants, mostly joint ventures with South Korean battery makers, had to be bargained separately.Friday's change means the the four U.S. GM battery plants would now be covered under the union's master agreement and GM would bargain with the union' “which I think is a monumental development,” said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit.He said the details of GM's offer, made in writing, will have to be scrutinized.

🎥 Auto workers stop expanding strikes; GM makes battery plant concession

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Biden administration will resume deporting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tps-border-asylum-venezuela-temporary-status-2fa052ceacb020b861bb82332912bc92">Venezuelan migrants</a>, the largest single group encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border last month, back to their economically troubled country as their arrivals continue to grow.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, speaking in Mexico City Thursday, cited the new measure as one of the “strict consequences” the Biden administration is pairing with the expansion of legal pathways for asylum seekers.

“Our two countries are being challenged by an unprecedented level of migration throughout our hemisphere,” Mayorkas said, referring to Mexico.

The repatriation flights are expected to begin shortly, said two U.S. officials, though they did not provide specific details on when the flights would begin taking off. The officials were not authorized to disclose details of the government’s plan and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-border-migrant-venezuela-b914be14aaeef14eb01bd10ee23067f4">The resumption of deportation flights comes not long after the administration increased protected status</a>&nbsp;for thousands of Venezuelans who had previously arrived to the U.S., they must have entered the country before July 31 of this year to be eligible for temporary protected status.

In making the recent expansion of protections official, President Joe Biden's administration said just this week that it had determined that “extraordinary and temporary conditions continue to prevent Venezuelan nationals from returning in safety.”

Mayorkas on Thursday addressed the contrast with the announcement just days later of more deportations, saying “we have made a determination it is safe to return Venezuelan nationals who arrived in the United States subsequent to July 31 and do not have a legal basis to remain here.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who led a U.S. delegation to Mexico, added that “we have an ironclad commitment to provide protection for those who qualify. That remains paramount in everything we’re doing.”

The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service criticized the move to resume deportations noting the apparent contradiction with the expansion of temporary protected status.

“Returning thousands of Venezuelans to the same unimaginably dangerous conditions they just fled is a profoundly problematic policy for the world’s humanitarian leader to adopt,” the organization’s CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said in a statement.

Administration officials would not discuss details about how frequently deportation flights would be going to Venezuela or describe how Venezuela agreed to accept back their citizens except to say that, like other countries around the world, the U.S. has long encouraged Venezuela to accept back its nationals. Cuba, another U.S. adversary, announced earlier this year that it would begin accepting Cuban deportees but there has only been one flight a month.

The U.S. had been returning some Venezuelans via commercial flights, but in relatively small numbers and through third countries.

In Venezuela, the government said it had reached an agreement with U.S. officials for a safe and orderly repatriation.

“Venezuelan migration in recent years is a direct result of the application of unilateral coercive measures and a blockade of our economy,” Venezuela's foreign ministry said via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It said the government would support repatriated Venezuelans.

The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.

The announcement came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/antony-blinken">Blinken</a>&nbsp;and other top Biden administration officials met with their counterparts in Mexico City on security issues.

Blinken discussed migration flows with Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena, as well as foreign ministers from Panama and Colombia, Wednesday. Talks continued Thursday, including meetings by Blinken and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland with López Obrador.

Bárcena said Thursday that some 10,000 migrant encounters were registered at the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday.

“We are going to continue taking forceful actions, including continuing some efforts we already have in relation to assisted returns, coordinating the dismantling of trafficking networks and human trafficking,” Bárcena said.

Blinken said the U.S. government is working to support those efforts.

“We're taking steps to aid the most vulnerable, those most vulnerable to organized crime, training nearly 200 Mexican immigration officials to better screen, identify and assist potential human trafficking victims,” Blinken said.

“The scale of this challenge demands that we redouble our efforts, that we do more to increase legal migration ... more to address root causes and more to deter irregular migration humanely,” Blinken said.

López Obrador said Thursday during his daily news briefing that Mexico has reiterated in talks its position that there should be investment to spur development in the countries that migrants leave.

“The people don't abandon their towns because they want to, but rather out of necessity,” the president said. He also criticized the Biden administration's announcement Wednesday that it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction. López Obrador had previously praised Biden for not building more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979">border wall</a>&nbsp;during his presidency.

In August, the U.S. Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, up 37% from July but little changed from August 2022 and well below the more than 220,000 in December, according to figures released in September.

The U.S. has tried to get Mexico and countries farther south to do more. In April, the U.S., Panama and Colombia announced a campaign to slow migration through the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/darien-gap-panama-colombia-us-migrants-cf0cd1e9de2119208c9af186e53e09b7">treacherous Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama</a>. But migration through the jungle has only accelerated and is expected to approach some 500,000 people this year - the vast majority from Venezuela.

Venezuelans were stopped 25,777 times the first 17 days of September, up 63% from the same period a month earlier, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures released by López Obrador. Those included some people admitted for scheduled asylum appointments, but the vast majority were illegal entries.

Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities unaffordable for those who remain.

The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years.

Deportation flights had been paused in part because the U.S. has few diplomatic relations with the nation.

U.S. and Mexican officials also discussed efforts aimed at combating the trafficking of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Mexican officials continued to explain with some difficulty López Obrador’s blanket assertion — false according to available evidence and the U.S. government — that Mexico does not produce fentanyl.

Bárcena, the foreign relations secretary, said “there is no contradiction, chemical precursors are not produced in Mexico.” It was tacit admission that Mexican cartels import precursors, mainly from China, and process them chemically into fentanyl. But since the entire chemical process is not carried out in Mexico the government maintains that fentanyl is not produced here.

U.S. officials highlighted the recent extradition of Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges as a sign of cooperation between the two governments.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317742720.png" alt="The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.- Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.- Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Biden administration will resume deporting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-tps-border-asylum-venezuela-temporary-status-2fa052ceacb020b861bb82332912bc92">Venezuelan migrants</a>, the largest single group encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border last month, back to their economically troubled country as their arrivals continue to grow.U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, speaking in Mexico City Thursday, cited the new measure as one of the “strict consequences” the Biden administration is pairing with the expansion of legal pathways for asylum seekers.“Our two countries are being challenged by an unprecedented level of migration throughout our hemisphere,” Mayorkas said, referring to Mexico.The repatriation flights are expected to begin shortly, said two U.S. officials, though they did not provide specific details on when the flights would begin taking off. The officials were not authorized to disclose details of the government’s plan and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-immigration-border-migrant-venezuela-b914be14aaeef14eb01bd10ee23067f4">The resumption of deportation flights comes not long after the administration increased protected status</a>&nbsp;for thousands of Venezuelans who had previously arrived to the U.S., they must have entered the country before July 31 of this year to be eligible for temporary protected status.In making the recent expansion of protections official, President Joe Biden's administration said just this week that it had determined that “extraordinary and temporary conditions continue to prevent Venezuelan nationals from returning in safety.”Mayorkas on Thursday addressed the contrast with the announcement just days later of more deportations, saying “we have made a determination it is safe to return Venezuelan nationals who arrived in the United States subsequent to July 31 and do not have a legal basis to remain here.”U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who led a U.S. delegation to Mexico, added that “we have an ironclad commitment to provide protection for those who qualify. That remains paramount in everything we’re doing.”The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service criticized the move to resume deportations noting the apparent contradiction with the expansion of temporary protected status.“Returning thousands of Venezuelans to the same unimaginably dangerous conditions they just fled is a profoundly problematic policy for the world’s humanitarian leader to adopt,” the organization’s CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said in a statement.Administration officials would not discuss details about how frequently deportation flights would be going to Venezuela or describe how Venezuela agreed to accept back their citizens except to say that, like other countries around the world, the U.S. has long encouraged Venezuela to accept back its nationals. Cuba, another U.S. adversary, announced earlier this year that it would begin accepting Cuban deportees but there has only been one flight a month.The U.S. had been returning some Venezuelans via commercial flights, but in relatively small numbers and through third countries.In Venezuela, the government said it had reached an agreement with U.S. officials for a safe and orderly repatriation.“Venezuelan migration in recent years is a direct result of the application of unilateral coercive measures and a blockade of our economy,” Venezuela's foreign ministry said via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It said the government would support repatriated Venezuelans.The U.S. move is the latest effort to deal with swelling numbers of migrants as the administration comes under increasing pressure from Republicans and mayors from the president’s own party to do more to slow arrivals.The announcement came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/antony-blinken">Blinken</a>&nbsp;and other top Biden administration officials met with their counterparts in Mexico City on security issues.Blinken discussed migration flows with Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena, as well as foreign ministers from Panama and Colombia, Wednesday. Talks continued Thursday, including meetings by Blinken and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland with López Obrador.Bárcena said Thursday that some 10,000 migrant encounters were registered at the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday.“We are going to continue taking forceful actions, including continuing some efforts we already have in relation to assisted returns, coordinating the dismantling of trafficking networks and human trafficking,” Bárcena said.Blinken said the U.S. government is working to support those efforts.“We're taking steps to aid the most vulnerable, those most vulnerable to organized crime, training nearly 200 Mexican immigration officials to better screen, identify and assist potential human trafficking victims,” Blinken said.“The scale of this challenge demands that we redouble our efforts, that we do more to increase legal migration ... more to address root causes and more to deter irregular migration humanely,” Blinken said.López Obrador said Thursday during his daily news briefing that Mexico has reiterated in talks its position that there should be investment to spur development in the countries that migrants leave.“The people don't abandon their towns because they want to, but rather out of necessity,” the president said. He also criticized the Biden administration's announcement Wednesday that it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction. López Obrador had previously praised Biden for not building more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979">border wall</a>&nbsp;during his presidency.In August, the U.S. Border Patrol made 181,509 arrests at the Mexican border, up 37% from July but little changed from August 2022 and well below the more than 220,000 in December, according to figures released in September.The U.S. has tried to get Mexico and countries farther south to do more. In April, the U.S., Panama and Colombia announced a campaign to slow migration through the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/darien-gap-panama-colombia-us-migrants-cf0cd1e9de2119208c9af186e53e09b7">treacherous Darien Gap dividing Colombia and Panama</a>. But migration through the jungle has only accelerated and is expected to approach some 500,000 people this year - the vast majority from Venezuela.Venezuelans were stopped 25,777 times the first 17 days of September, up 63% from the same period a month earlier, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures released by López Obrador. Those included some people admitted for scheduled asylum appointments, but the vast majority were illegal entries.Venezuela plunged into a political, economic and humanitarian crisis over the last decade, pushing at least 7.3 million people to migrate and making food and other necessities unaffordable for those who remain.The vast majority who fled settled in neighboring countries in Latin America, but many began coming to the United States in the last three years.Deportation flights had been paused in part because the U.S. has few diplomatic relations with the nation.U.S. and Mexican officials also discussed efforts aimed at combating the trafficking of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.Mexican officials continued to explain with some difficulty López Obrador’s blanket assertion — false according to available evidence and the U.S. government — that Mexico does not produce fentanyl.Bárcena, the foreign relations secretary, said “there is no contradiction, chemical precursors are not produced in Mexico.” It was tacit admission that Mexican cartels import precursors, mainly from China, and process them chemically into fentanyl. But since the entire chemical process is not carried out in Mexico the government maintains that fentanyl is not produced here.U.S. officials highlighted the recent extradition of Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, to the U.S. on drug trafficking charges as a sign of cooperation between the two governments.__

Biden administration will resume deportation flights 

By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>

An American F-16 fighter aircraft shot down a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle that had been observed conducting airstrikes in a U.S.-restricted operating zone about a kilometer from U.S. forces in Syria Thursday.

During a phone call between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, the two leaders discussed the incident and agreed that while it is regrettable, the focus must remain on the important mission to defeat ISIS in Syria, said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday.

"The secretary reaffirmed that the United States remains in Syria exclusively in support of the campaign to defeat ISIS," Ryder said. "The secretary also acknowledged Turkey's legitimate security concerns and underscored the importance of close coordination between the United States and Turkey to prevent any risk to U.S. forces or the global coalition’s defeat-ISIS mission."&nbsp;

At around 7:30 a.m. local time, U.S. forces observed UAVs conducting airstrikes in the vicinity of Hasakah, Syria, Ryder said. Some of the strikes were inside a declared U.S.-restricted operating zone.

"At approximately 11:30 local time, a Turkish UAV reentered the ROZ on a heading toward where U.S. forces were located," Ryder said. "U.S. commanders assessed that the UAV, which was now less than a half a kilometer from U.S. forces, to be a potential threat, and U.S. F-16 fighters subsequently shot down the UAV in self-defense at approximately 11:40 local time."&nbsp;

No U.S. forces were injured, Ryder said, also adding there is no indication that Turkey had intentionally been targeting U.S. forces.&nbsp;

"It's a regrettable incident, but U.S. commanders on the ground did assess that there was a potential threat and so they took prudent action in this scenario," Ryder said. "But again, the secretary has talked to his counterpart. They had the opportunity to have a fruitful conversation and ... commit to one another that the U.S. and Turkey will continue to closely communicate and coordinate. And as I mentioned, Turkey does remain a very important and valuable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nato.int/" target="_blank">NATO</a>&nbsp;ally and partner to the United States."&nbsp;

In addition to the phone call between Austin and Guler, newly sworn-in chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., also discussed the incident with his counterpart, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Gen. Metin Gurak. Those two leaders discussed the U.S. and Turkey's shared objective of defeating ISIS and the importance of following common deconfliction protocols.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696554283148.png" alt="Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday. courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday. courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>An American F-16 fighter aircraft shot down a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle that had been observed conducting airstrikes in a U.S.-restricted operating zone about a kilometer from U.S. forces in Syria Thursday.During a phone call between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, the two leaders discussed the incident and agreed that while it is regrettable, the focus must remain on the important mission to defeat ISIS in Syria, said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a media briefing Thursday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I called Turkish Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler (<a href="https://twitter.com/tcsavunma?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tcsavunma</a>) today to discuss national security and defense-related matters of mutual interest. I reiterated U.S. commitment to continue working together to defeat ISIS and ensure security and stability in the region.…&mdash; Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1710028976465252425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>"The secretary reaffirmed that the United States remains in Syria exclusively in support of the campaign to defeat ISIS," Ryder said. "The secretary also acknowledged Turkey's legitimate security concerns and underscored the importance of close coordination between the United States and Turkey to prevent any risk to U.S. forces or the global coalition’s defeat-ISIS mission."&nbsp;At around 7:30 a.m. local time, U.S. forces observed UAVs conducting airstrikes in the vicinity of Hasakah, Syria, Ryder said. Some of the strikes were inside a declared U.S.-restricted operating zone."At approximately 11:30 local time, a Turkish UAV reentered the ROZ on a heading toward where U.S. forces were located," Ryder said. "U.S. commanders assessed that the UAV, which was now less than a half a kilometer from U.S. forces, to be a potential threat, and U.S. F-16 fighters subsequently shot down the UAV in self-defense at approximately 11:40 local time."&nbsp;No U.S. forces were injured, Ryder said, also adding there is no indication that Turkey had intentionally been targeting U.S. forces.&nbsp;"It's a regrettable incident, but U.S. commanders on the ground did assess that there was a potential threat and so they took prudent action in this scenario," Ryder said. "But again, the secretary has talked to his counterpart. They had the opportunity to have a fruitful conversation and ... commit to one another that the U.S. and Turkey will continue to closely communicate and coordinate. And as I mentioned, Turkey does remain a very important and valuable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nato.int/" target="_blank">NATO</a>&nbsp;ally and partner to the United States."&nbsp;In addition to the phone call between Austin and Guler, newly sworn-in chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., also discussed the incident with his counterpart, Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Gen. Metin Gurak. Those two leaders discussed the U.S. and Turkey's shared objective of defeating ISIS and the importance of following common deconfliction protocols.

Focus remains on defeat of ISIS after U.S. shoots down drone over Syria

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — U.S. Army officials have identified two soldiers killed when their large transport vehicle crashed while heading to a training area in interior Alaska.

There were among 17 soldiers on board the vehicle that flipped when the driver lost control on a dirt road leading to the Yukon Training Area near the community of Salcha, or about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Fairbanks, officials said earlier. Twelve other soldiers were injured.

The two soldiers killed were Spcs. Jeremy Daniel Evans and Brian Joshua Snowden, the Army said in a statement late Wednesday.

Both were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Combat Team with the 11th Airborne Division.

Evans, 23, arrived in Alaska in January 2021 after completing training at Fort Moore in Georgia. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native joined the Army in July 2020.

Snowden, 22, also joined the Army in July 2020 and trained at Fort Moore. Snowden, a Lonedell, Missouri, native arrived for duty in Alaska in March 2021.

“This is an incredible loss for all of us across the division,” Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in the statement.

“While we’re always challenged by the environment, we’re Arctic Angels, we overcome these challenges and accomplish our mission by being a team, and teams take care of one another, especially in times like these,” Eifler said.

Among the 12 other soldiers injured, eight were treated and released the same day from Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, the Army said. Two injured soldiers remain in stable condition in Fairbanks.

Two other soldiers who were taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage were also in stable condition, officials said.

The accident remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696538573987.png" alt="Spc. Brian Joshua Snowden -photo U.S. Army&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Spc. Brian Joshua Snowden -photo U.S. Army&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — U.S. Army officials have identified two soldiers killed when their large transport vehicle crashed while heading to a training area in interior Alaska.There were among 17 soldiers on board the vehicle that flipped when the driver lost control on a dirt road leading to the Yukon Training Area near the community of Salcha, or about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Fairbanks, officials said earlier. Twelve other soldiers were injured.The two soldiers killed were Spcs. Jeremy Daniel Evans and Brian Joshua Snowden, the Army said in a statement late Wednesday.Both were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Combat Team with the 11th Airborne Division.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696538650360.png" alt="Spc. Jeremy Daniel Evans-photo U.S. Army" />
 <figcaption>Spc. Jeremy Daniel Evans-photo U.S. Army</figcaption>
 </figure>Evans, 23, arrived in Alaska in January 2021 after completing training at Fort Moore in Georgia. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native joined the Army in July 2020.Snowden, 22, also joined the Army in July 2020 and trained at Fort Moore. Snowden, a Lonedell, Missouri, native arrived for duty in Alaska in March 2021.“This is an incredible loss for all of us across the division,” Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in the statement.“While we’re always challenged by the environment, we’re Arctic Angels, we overcome these challenges and accomplish our mission by being a team, and teams take care of one another, especially in times like these,” Eifler said.Among the 12 other soldiers injured, eight were treated and released the same day from Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, the Army said. Two injured soldiers remain in stable condition in Fairbanks.Two other soldiers who were taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage were also in stable condition, officials said.The accident remains under investigation.

Army IDs Missouri soldier as 1 of 2 who died in training accident

&nbsp;By Deborah Van Fleet Nebraska News Connection, special to the Panhandle Post

The latest State Scorecard Report from AARP shows&nbsp;<a href="https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/innovation-and-opportunity" target="_blank">Nebraska's long-term care facilities have made some improvements in the last three years</a>. For long-term services and supports,&nbsp;<a href="https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/2023/states/nebraska" target="_blank">Nebraska ranks 18th nationwide</a>. Progress noted since the 2020 report includes the up-to-date vaccination rate for long-term care residents, at 66%. But staff vaccination rates were only 18% - or 35th in the nation. And AARP Nebraska State Director Todd Stubbendieck said the state's next-to-lowest ranking for nursing home staffing levels is especially concerning.

"There have been attempts to increase the reimbursement rate for these facilities," said Stubbendieck. "But we really need to make sure that we're focusing, at the state level, on making sure that we're recruiting and retaining the best direct-care staff to work in these nursing homes.

"Nursing home residents in Nebraska receive nearly an hour less direct care per day than the national average. The hourly pay for direct-care staff is nearly $2.50 less than other entry-level staff positions across the state. The study noted two areas of decline since the 2020 report - the number of home health-care staff available, and the number of adult day services. Both of these can negatively impact family caregivers. Stubbendieck pointed out that there are nearly 180,000 unpaid family caregivers in the state.

"As we work with older adults in the state, what people most want is to be able to stay in their homes or the lowest level of care as possible," said Stubbendieck. "So, finding ways to support those unpaid family caregivers is critical. Often, it is that caregiver that is able to keep someone from having to go to a long-term care facility. "The Scorecard shows that for the first time Medicaid spent more on Home and Community-Based Services than on nursing home care for older adults and those with disabilities. In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicaidplanningassistance.org/nursing-home-costs/" target="_blank">these services cost an average of $42,000 for an individual</a>&nbsp;- less than half the cost of a shared room in most of Nebraska's nursing homes.

&nbsp;By Deborah Van Fleet Nebraska News Connection, special to the Panhandle PostThe latest State Scorecard Report from AARP shows&nbsp;<a href="https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/innovation-and-opportunity" target="_blank">Nebraska's long-term care facilities have made some improvements in the last three years</a>. For long-term services and supports,&nbsp;<a href="https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/2023/states/nebraska" target="_blank">Nebraska ranks 18th nationwide</a>. Progress noted since the 2020 report includes the up-to-date vaccination rate for long-term care residents, at 66%. But staff vaccination rates were only 18% - or 35th in the nation. And AARP Nebraska State Director Todd Stubbendieck said the state's next-to-lowest ranking for nursing home staffing levels is especially concerning."There have been attempts to increase the reimbursement rate for these facilities," said Stubbendieck. "But we really need to make sure that we're focusing, at the state level, on making sure that we're recruiting and retaining the best direct-care staff to work in these nursing homes."Nursing home residents in Nebraska receive nearly an hour less direct care per day than the national average. The hourly pay for direct-care staff is nearly $2.50 less than other entry-level staff positions across the state. The study noted two areas of decline since the 2020 report - the number of home health-care staff available, and the number of adult day services. Both of these can negatively impact family caregivers. Stubbendieck pointed out that there are nearly 180,000 unpaid family caregivers in the state."As we work with older adults in the state, what people most want is to be able to stay in their homes or the lowest level of care as possible," said Stubbendieck. "So, finding ways to support those unpaid family caregivers is critical. Often, it is that caregiver that is able to keep someone from having to go to a long-term care facility. "The Scorecard shows that for the first time Medicaid spent more on Home and Community-Based Services than on nursing home care for older adults and those with disabilities. In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicaidplanningassistance.org/nursing-home-costs/" target="_blank">these services cost an average of $42,000 for an individual</a>&nbsp;- less than half the cost of a shared room in most of Nebraska's nursing homes.

NE long-term care, caregiver support services rank 18th nationwide

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration announced it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction on Wednesday, marking the administration’s first use of a sweeping executive power employed often during the Trump presidency.

The Department of Homeland Security posted the&nbsp;<a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-22176.pdf?utm_campaign=pi+subscription+mailing+list&amp;utm_source=federalregister.gov&amp;utm_medium=email">announcement on the U.S. Federal Registry</a>&nbsp;with few details outlining the construction in Starr County, Texas, which is part of a busy Border Patrol sector seeing “high illegal entry.” According to government data, about 245,000 illegal entries have been recorded so far this fiscal year in the Rio Grande Valley Sector which contains 21 counties.

“There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas,” Alejandro Mayorkas, the DHS secretary, stated in the notice.

The Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Endangered Species Act were some of the federal laws waived by DHS to make way for construction that will use funds from a congressional appropriation in 2019 for border wall construction. The waivers avoid time-consuming reviews and lawsuits challenging violation of environmental laws.

Starr County's hilly ranchlands, sitting between Zapata and McAllen, Texas, is home to about 65,000 residents sparsely populating about 1,200 square miles (3,108 square kilometers) that form part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Although no maps were provided in the announcement, CBP announced the project in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-moves-forward-rgv-barrier-and-yuma-andrade-and-el-centro-calexico">June</a>&nbsp;and began gathering public comments in August when it shared a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/about/environmental-management/border-barrier-environmental-planning-starr-county-texas-august-2023">map</a>&nbsp;of the additional construction that can add up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the existing border barrier system in the area. Starr County Judge Eloy Vera said it will start south of the Falcon Dam and go past Salineño, Texas.

“The other concern that we have is that area is highly erosive. There’s a lot of arroyos,” Eloy Vera, the county judge said, pointing out the creeks cutting through the ranchland and leading into the river.

Concern is shared with environmental advocates who say structures will run through public lands, habitats of endangered plants and species like the Ocelot, a spotted wild cat.

“A plan to build a wall through will bulldoze an impermeable barrier straight through the heart of that habitat. It will stop wildlife migrations dead in their tracks. It will destroy a huge amount of wildlife refuge land. And it’s a horrific step backwards for the borderlands,” Laiken Jordahl, a southwest conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, said Wednesday afternoon.

During the Trump administration, about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-45b59be6a28e4ac68edbd435447f4a4a">450 miles (724 kilometers) of barriers</a>&nbsp;were built along the southwest border between 2017 and January 2021. Texas Governor Greg Abbott renewed those efforts after the Biden administration halted them at the start of his presidency.

The DHS decision on Wednesday contrasts the Biden administration's posturing when a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/proclamation-termination-of-emergency-with-respect-to-southern-border-of-united-states-and-redirection-of-funds-diverted-to-border-wall-construction/">proclamation</a>&nbsp;to end the construction on Jan. 20, 2021, stated, “building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution.”

In a statement Wednesday, CBP said the project is consistent with that 2021 proclamation. “Congress appropriated fiscal year 2019 funds for the construction of border barrier in the Rio Grande Valley, and DHS is required to use those funds for their appropriated purpose,” the statement said. “CBP remains committed to protecting the nation’s cultural and natural resources and will implement sound environmental practices as part of the project covered by this waiver.”

The announcement prompted political debate by the Democratic administration facing an increase of migrants entering through the southern border in recent months, including thousands who entered the U.S. through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-california-border-asylum-seekers-314698bfb5644be8f8f6085ebe9b9b98">Eagle Pass</a>&nbsp;at the end of September.

“A border wall is a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem. It will not bolster border security in Starr County,” U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar said in a statement. “I continue to stand against the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars on an ineffective border wall.”

Political proponents of the border wall said the waivers should be used as a launching pad for a shift in policy.

“After years of denying that a border wall and other physical barriers are effective, the DHS announcement represents a sea change in the administration’s thinking: A secure wall is an effective tool for maintaining control of our borders,” Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said in a statement. “Having made that concession, the administration needs to immediately begin construction of wall across the border to prevent the illegal traffic from simply moving to other areas of the border.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683151099285.png" alt="In January, President Joe Biden stopped in El Paso for his first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border since he became president. White House photo" />
 <figcaption>In January, President Joe Biden stopped in El Paso for his first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border since he became president. White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration announced it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction on Wednesday, marking the administration’s first use of a sweeping executive power employed often during the Trump presidency.The Department of Homeland Security posted the&nbsp;<a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-22176.pdf?utm_campaign=pi+subscription+mailing+list&amp;utm_source=federalregister.gov&amp;utm_medium=email">announcement on the U.S. Federal Registry</a>&nbsp;with few details outlining the construction in Starr County, Texas, which is part of a busy Border Patrol sector seeing “high illegal entry.” According to government data, about 245,000 illegal entries have been recorded so far this fiscal year in the Rio Grande Valley Sector which contains 21 counties.“There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas,” Alejandro Mayorkas, the DHS secretary, stated in the notice.The Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Endangered Species Act were some of the federal laws waived by DHS to make way for construction that will use funds from a congressional appropriation in 2019 for border wall construction. The waivers avoid time-consuming reviews and lawsuits challenging violation of environmental laws.Starr County's hilly ranchlands, sitting between Zapata and McAllen, Texas, is home to about 65,000 residents sparsely populating about 1,200 square miles (3,108 square kilometers) that form part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.Although no maps were provided in the announcement, CBP announced the project in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-moves-forward-rgv-barrier-and-yuma-andrade-and-el-centro-calexico">June</a>&nbsp;and began gathering public comments in August when it shared a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/about/environmental-management/border-barrier-environmental-planning-starr-county-texas-august-2023">map</a>&nbsp;of the additional construction that can add up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the existing border barrier system in the area. Starr County Judge Eloy Vera said it will start south of the Falcon Dam and go past Salineño, Texas.“The other concern that we have is that area is highly erosive. There’s a lot of arroyos,” Eloy Vera, the county judge said, pointing out the creeks cutting through the ranchland and leading into the river.Concern is shared with environmental advocates who say structures will run through public lands, habitats of endangered plants and species like the Ocelot, a spotted wild cat.“A plan to build a wall through will bulldoze an impermeable barrier straight through the heart of that habitat. It will stop wildlife migrations dead in their tracks. It will destroy a huge amount of wildlife refuge land. And it’s a horrific step backwards for the borderlands,” Laiken Jordahl, a southwest conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, said Wednesday afternoon.During the Trump administration, about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-45b59be6a28e4ac68edbd435447f4a4a">450 miles (724 kilometers) of barriers</a>&nbsp;were built along the southwest border between 2017 and January 2021. Texas Governor Greg Abbott renewed those efforts after the Biden administration halted them at the start of his presidency.The DHS decision on Wednesday contrasts the Biden administration's posturing when a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/proclamation-termination-of-emergency-with-respect-to-southern-border-of-united-states-and-redirection-of-funds-diverted-to-border-wall-construction/">proclamation</a>&nbsp;to end the construction on Jan. 20, 2021, stated, “building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution.”In a statement Wednesday, CBP said the project is consistent with that 2021 proclamation. “Congress appropriated fiscal year 2019 funds for the construction of border barrier in the Rio Grande Valley, and DHS is required to use those funds for their appropriated purpose,” the statement said. “CBP remains committed to protecting the nation’s cultural and natural resources and will implement sound environmental practices as part of the project covered by this waiver.”The announcement prompted political debate by the Democratic administration facing an increase of migrants entering through the southern border in recent months, including thousands who entered the U.S. through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-california-border-asylum-seekers-314698bfb5644be8f8f6085ebe9b9b98">Eagle Pass</a>&nbsp;at the end of September.“A border wall is a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem. It will not bolster border security in Starr County,” U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar said in a statement. “I continue to stand against the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars on an ineffective border wall.”Political proponents of the border wall said the waivers should be used as a launching pad for a shift in policy.“After years of denying that a border wall and other physical barriers are effective, the DHS announcement represents a sea change in the administration’s thinking: A secure wall is an effective tool for maintaining control of our borders,” Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said in a statement. “Having made that concession, the administration needs to immediately begin construction of wall across the border to prevent the illegal traffic from simply moving to other areas of the border.”

Biden to allow border wall construction in South Texas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Thursday the U.S. military shot down an armed Turkish drone that came within 500 meters (yards) of American troops in northeastern Syria, in a rare use of force by one NATO member against another.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, called it a “regrettable incident” and said U.S. troops were forced to go to bunkers for safety as Turkey bombed targets nearby.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Turkish counterpart and stressed the importance of close coordination between their two countries to prevent any risk to American forces or to the global coalition’s mission to defeat Islamic State militants in the region, Ryder said.

“The decision was made out due diligence and the inherent right of self-defense to take appropriate action to protect U.S. forces,” Ryder said, adding that “we have no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting U.S. forces.”

U.S. officials earlier told The Associated Press the shootdown was ordered after more than a dozen calls to Turkish military officials stating that U.S. forces were on the ground in the area and that the U.S. military would take action to protect them if the drone didn’t leave. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of a sensitive military incident.

Ryder said U.S. forces observed Turkish drones doing airstrikes around Hasakah at about 7:30 a.m. local time, and some strikes were inside a so-called American “restricted operating zone” just a kilometer (about a half mile) from U.S. troops. He said a bit later a Turkish drone re-entered the restricted area “on a heading toward where U.S. forces were located.”

Commanders determined it was a threat and U.S. F-16 fighter jets shot it down around 11:40 a.m., Ryder said, adding that no U.S. forces were injured.

Typically, the U.S. and Turkish militaries, which are NATO allies, work in close coordination in conducting air maneuvers. But American troops also work closely with Kurdish-led forces to counter the Islamic State group in the region.

The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria conducting missions to counter Islamic State group militants.

There was no immediate comment from Turkey on the shooting of the drone.

The country’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported, however, that the Turkish intelligence service, MIT, carried out an operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and its affiliated Kurdish militia group in Syria, which is known as People’s Defense Units, or YPG. The report said the Turks struck suspected arms and ammunition depots and buildings believed to have been used by the groups’ “sabotage” teams. It did not provide further details on the operation.

On Wednesday, Turkey had carried out airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Kurdish militant targets following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkish-minister-retaliation-suicide-attack-78f57d472c0d1f827ec343e59e06d814">suicide attack</a>&nbsp;outside Turkey’s interior ministry building earlier this week.

In a press conference following the attack, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkish intelligence officials have established that the two assailants arrived from Syria, where they had been trained. He said Turkey would now target facilities in Syria and Iraq belonging to the PKK or YPG.

Thursday's incident risks adding to longstanding tensions between Turkey and the United States, even though Turkey is a strategically important ally and NATO member. U.S. officials and lawmakers have criticized Turkey’s human rights record and its delays in agreeing to Sweden's membership in NATO. Turkey has been frustrated by U.S. delays in approving 40 new F-16 fighter jets as well as kits to upgrade its existing fleet.

Ryder told reporters that the U.S. stands “firmly with our NATO ally Turkey and the Turkish people in their fight against the PKK.”

The U.S. has designated the PKK as a “foreign terrorist organization” but has declined to make a similar determination regarding the YPG, which have been a key partner of the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State group in northern Syria. The U.S. does not believe the YPG represent a threat to Turkey.

As recently as Wednesday, the State Department said there was no change in how the U.S. regards the YPG.

In 2016, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the U.S. of supporting a failed coup attempt against his government. The U.S. has flatly rejected the claims but has also refused to extradite the leader of the group Erdogan claims was behind the attempt, cleric Fetullah Gulen, who lives in exile in Pennsylvania.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693011275570.png" alt="The drone was shot down by a U.S. F-16 fighter jet. File&nbsp;Photo By:Air Force Tech. Sgt. Hampton E. Stramler" />
 <figcaption>The drone was shot down by a U.S. F-16 fighter jet. File&nbsp;Photo By:Air Force Tech. Sgt. Hampton E. Stramler</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Thursday the U.S. military shot down an armed Turkish drone that came within 500 meters (yards) of American troops in northeastern Syria, in a rare use of force by one NATO member against another.Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, called it a “regrettable incident” and said U.S. troops were forced to go to bunkers for safety as Turkey bombed targets nearby.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Turkish counterpart and stressed the importance of close coordination between their two countries to prevent any risk to American forces or to the global coalition’s mission to defeat Islamic State militants in the region, Ryder said.“The decision was made out due diligence and the inherent right of self-defense to take appropriate action to protect U.S. forces,” Ryder said, adding that “we have no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting U.S. forces.”U.S. officials earlier told The Associated Press the shootdown was ordered after more than a dozen calls to Turkish military officials stating that U.S. forces were on the ground in the area and that the U.S. military would take action to protect them if the drone didn’t leave. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of a sensitive military incident.Ryder said U.S. forces observed Turkish drones doing airstrikes around Hasakah at about 7:30 a.m. local time, and some strikes were inside a so-called American “restricted operating zone” just a kilometer (about a half mile) from U.S. troops. He said a bit later a Turkish drone re-entered the restricted area “on a heading toward where U.S. forces were located.”Commanders determined it was a threat and U.S. F-16 fighter jets shot it down around 11:40 a.m., Ryder said, adding that no U.S. forces were injured.Typically, the U.S. and Turkish militaries, which are NATO allies, work in close coordination in conducting air maneuvers. But American troops also work closely with Kurdish-led forces to counter the Islamic State group in the region.The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria conducting missions to counter Islamic State group militants.There was no immediate comment from Turkey on the shooting of the drone.The country’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported, however, that the Turkish intelligence service, MIT, carried out an operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and its affiliated Kurdish militia group in Syria, which is known as People’s Defense Units, or YPG. The report said the Turks struck suspected arms and ammunition depots and buildings believed to have been used by the groups’ “sabotage” teams. It did not provide further details on the operation.On Wednesday, Turkey had carried out airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Kurdish militant targets following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkish-minister-retaliation-suicide-attack-78f57d472c0d1f827ec343e59e06d814">suicide attack</a>&nbsp;outside Turkey’s interior ministry building earlier this week.In a press conference following the attack, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkish intelligence officials have established that the two assailants arrived from Syria, where they had been trained. He said Turkey would now target facilities in Syria and Iraq belonging to the PKK or YPG.Thursday's incident risks adding to longstanding tensions between Turkey and the United States, even though Turkey is a strategically important ally and NATO member. U.S. officials and lawmakers have criticized Turkey’s human rights record and its delays in agreeing to Sweden's membership in NATO. Turkey has been frustrated by U.S. delays in approving 40 new F-16 fighter jets as well as kits to upgrade its existing fleet.Ryder told reporters that the U.S. stands “firmly with our NATO ally Turkey and the Turkish people in their fight against the PKK.”The U.S. has designated the PKK as a “foreign terrorist organization” but has declined to make a similar determination regarding the YPG, which have been a key partner of the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State group in northern Syria. The U.S. does not believe the YPG represent a threat to Turkey.As recently as Wednesday, the State Department said there was no change in how the U.S. regards the YPG.In 2016, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the U.S. of supporting a failed coup attempt against his government. The U.S. has flatly rejected the claims but has also refused to extradite the leader of the group Erdogan claims was behind the attempt, cleric Fetullah Gulen, who lives in exile in Pennsylvania.___

US shoots down armed Turkish drone over Syria

PINEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.4 billion after no players matched all six numbers and hit it rich Wednesday night.

The winning numbers announced were: 9, 35, 54, 63, 64 and the Powerball 1.

Players will next have a shot at the Powerball jackpot Saturday night in hopes of ending an 11-week stretch without a big winner. No matter how large the prize grows the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">odds stay the same</a>&nbsp;— and they’re terrible.

It’s those odds of 1 in 292.2 million that make the jackpot so hard to win and that result in such giant prizes for the lucky player or players who manage to pick the game’s six winning numbers. The latest Powerball jackpot is the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpot-mega-millions-powerball-b77dd9c7de3f0ab09545a01113b1f111">seventh-largest lottery prize</a>. The last time someone won the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">top prize was July 19</a>.

In most states, Powerball tickets cost $2 and buyers can chose their own numbers and single Powerball or leave that task to a computer. Powerball drawings are held three times a week at 10:59 p.m. EDT on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturday, with the numbers selected at the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee.

Once the numbers are chosen, it usually takes a couple hours to determine if there is a jackpot winner. If there isn't a winner, state lottery officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-iowa-us-news-ap-top-news-sc-state-wire-0b640d4306324592839d5454caff765a">release a jackpot estimate</a>&nbsp;for the next drawing. If there is a winner, the jackpot reverts to $20 million and begins the long process of growing until there is another winner.

Gale Groseclose, who was buying Powerball tickets in Pineville, North Carolina, said a $1 million prize would be plenty for her but that the Wednesday's $1.2 billion jackpot certainly caught her attention.

PINEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.4 billion after no players matched all six numbers and hit it rich Wednesday night.The winning numbers announced were: 9, 35, 54, 63, 64 and the Powerball 1.Players will next have a shot at the Powerball jackpot Saturday night in hopes of ending an 11-week stretch without a big winner. No matter how large the prize grows the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">odds stay the same</a>&nbsp;— and they’re terrible.It’s those odds of 1 in 292.2 million that make the jackpot so hard to win and that result in such giant prizes for the lucky player or players who manage to pick the game’s six winning numbers. The latest Powerball jackpot is the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpot-mega-millions-powerball-b77dd9c7de3f0ab09545a01113b1f111">seventh-largest lottery prize</a>. The last time someone won the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">top prize was July 19</a>.GAME DETAILSIn most states, Powerball tickets cost $2 and buyers can chose their own numbers and single Powerball or leave that task to a computer. Powerball drawings are held three times a week at 10:59 p.m. EDT on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturday, with the numbers selected at the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee.Once the numbers are chosen, it usually takes a couple hours to determine if there is a jackpot winner. If there isn't a winner, state lottery officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-iowa-us-news-ap-top-news-sc-state-wire-0b640d4306324592839d5454caff765a">release a jackpot estimate</a>&nbsp;for the next drawing. If there is a winner, the jackpot reverts to $20 million and begins the long process of growing until there is another winner.Gale Groseclose, who was buying Powerball tickets in Pineville, North Carolina, said a $1 million prize would be plenty for her but that the Wednesday's $1.2 billion jackpot certainly caught her attention.“I don’t usually do this on a regular basis, but like I said, when it gets to be, what is it? I don’t even know what, over 1 billion dollars," Groseclose said. “It’s exciting.”HOW IS THE JACKPOT DETERMINED?The jackpot is based on revenue from ticket sales, so the more people who play the game, the faster the top prize grows. However, even though the current jackpot is advertised as $1.4 billion, the lottery has less than half that amount available for the top prize. That's why the cash prize — which most winners take — would be $643.7 million.Players also can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">choose an annuity</a>, in which that $643.7 million would be paid to a company that would guarantee a return over 30 years of $1.4 billion. If a winner dies before collecting all their money, the remainder would go to the winner's estate.WHAT ABOUT TAXES?State lotteries will immediately deduct 24% of jackpot winnings for federal taxes, and additional federal taxes may be required when filing federal tax returns.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/50aedbc64d214666b60ed93542b9e517/powerball-take-home-depends-highly-taxes-where-you-live">State taxes will vary</a>&nbsp;as some states don't tax lottery winnings at all and others tax the money at different rates.Players who buy winning grand prize tickets in a state different from where they live will pay taxes based on where they bought the ticket.DO POWERBALL ODDS CHANGE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS?The game's odds remain 1 in 292.2 million regardless of how big the jackpot is and the number of people buying tickets. Those odds mean there are 292.2 million possible number combinations.To put the immensity of that into context, note that for Monday's drawing players across the country chose just over 20% of those possible combinations. That means nearly 80% of the possible combinations were not selected, so the odds were pretty good that there wouldn't be a winner.Typically, the larger the jackpot grows, the more people play and the more combinations are covered. People also usually buy more tickets on Saturdays, which increases the chance of a winner for those drawings.Eric Warner, who also was buying tickets in Pineville, said he would immediately buy a Porsche if he won the big jackpot and then invest most of the money for himself and his community. Warner said he never really expects to win but enjoys buying a ticket now and then.“It’s something that I run into and maybe I’m feeling lucky," he said. “Then I’ll go ahead and pick up a ticket and just kind of hope for the best.”CAN WINNERS REMAIN ANONYMOUS?<a href="https://apnews.com/067009cee9004217a03a029b4a4895e6">Rules vary from state to state</a>&nbsp;with some requiring that jackpot winners be named and others allowing anonymity. Some states have more detailed rules, such as in Florida, where winners can remain anonymous for 90 days before the state lottery releases their name.WHERE IS THE GAME PLAYED?