ATLANTA (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;says he will surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday to face charges in the case accusing him of illegally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-election-investigation-grand-jury-willis-d39562cedfc60d64948708de1b011ed3">scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss</a>&nbsp;in the state.

“Can you believe it? I’ll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED,” Trump wrote on his social media network Monday night, hours after his bond was set at $200,000.

It will be Trump’s fourth arrest since April, when he became the first former president in U.S. history to face indictment. Since then, Trump, who remains the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has had what has seemed like an endless procession of bookings and arraignments in jurisdictions across the country. His appearances in New York, Florida and Washington, D.C., have drawn enormous media attention, with news helicopters tracking his every move.

Trump's announcement came hours after his attorneys met with prosecutors in Atlanta to discuss the details of his release on bond. The former president is barred from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case — including on social media — according to the bond agreement signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Trump’s defense attorneys and the judge. It explicitly includes “posts on social media or reposts of posts” made by others.

Trump has repeatedly used social media to attack people involved in the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House in 2024. He has been railing against Willis since before he was indicted, and singled out Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp — a Republican who rebuffed his efforts to overturn the election — by name in a social media post Monday morning.

The agreement also prohibits the former president from making any “direct or indirect threat of any nature” against witnesses or co-defendants, and from communicating in any way about the facts of the case with them, except through attorneys.

The order sets Trump's bond for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-trump-election-investigation-indictment-rico-willis-2b18a1c1ed6a4ce22b1a2ca88ea861e3">Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations</a>&nbsp;— or RICO — charge at $80,000, and adds $10,000 for each of the 12 other counts he is facing. Bond is the amount defendants must pay as a form of collateral to ensure they show up for required court appearances.

Willis set a deadline of noon Friday for Trump and his 18 co-defendants to turn themselves in to be booked. The prosecutor has proposed that arraignments for the defendants follow during the week of Sept. 5. She has said she wants to try the defendants collectively and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-georgia-election-willis-892156d8658d9fe86d47ae3828c54cb9">bring the case to trial in March of next year,</a>&nbsp;which would put it in the heat of the presidential nominating season.

A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing. A phone message seeking comment was also left for an attorney for the former president.

Trump's appearance in Georgia will come a day after the first Republican primary debate, which he has decided to skip.

He is expected to turn himself in at the Fulton County jail, which has long been plagued with problems. The Department of Justice last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fulton-county-jail-investigation-6851ae2610d8265ce793abde99695fd8">opened a civil rights investigation</a>&nbsp;into conditions, citing filthy cells, violence and the death last year of a man whose body was found covered in insects in the main jail’s psychiatric wing. Three people have died in Fulton County custody in the past month.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Monday afternoon that when Trump surrenders there will be a “hard lockdown” of the area surrounding the jail.

But Trump is not expected to spend much time there.

When defendants arrive at the building, they typically pass through a security checkpoint before checking in for formal booking in the lobby. During the booking process, defendants are typically photographed and fingerprinted and asked to provide certain personal information. Since Trump’s bond has already been set, he will be released from custody once the booking process is complete.

Unlike in other jurisdictions, in Fulton County, arraignments — where a defendant first appears in court — are generally set after a defendant completes the booking process and do not happen on the same day.

Booking a former president, who still has 24-hour Secret Service protection, has created myriad security and logistical issues in other jurisdictions.

In his past appearances in a New York state court and federal courts in Miami and Washington, Trump was not handcuffed while in custody. He was also not required to pose for a mugshot, with officials instead using existing photographs of the former president.

Georgia officials have said Trump will be treated like others charged with crimes in their state.

“Unless somebody tells me differently, we are following our normal practices, and so it doesn’t matter your status, we’ll have a mugshot ready for you,” Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said at a news conference earlier this month.

Trump was charged last week in the case alongside a slew of allies, who prosecutors say conspired to subvert the will of voters in a desperate bid to keep the Republican in the White House after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing, and he characterizes the case — and the three others he is facing — as efforts to hurt his 2024 presidential campaign. He has regularly used his Truth Social platform to single out prosecutors and others involved in his cases, and to continue to spread falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

In a post on Monday, Trump called the Fulton County district attorney “crooked, incompetent, &amp; highly partisan.” He also attacked Kemp, whom he has long targeted for the governor's refusal to intervene after the 2020 election. Kemp has been outspoken in pushing back against Trump, writing in social media last week: “The 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen."

Bond was also set Monday for three lawyers who were indicted along with Trump. For each of them, the bond for the RICO charge was set at $20,000, with varying amounts for the other charges they face. John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro each had a bond set at $100,000, while Ray Smith’s bond is $50,000.

Bail bondsman Scott Hall, who was accused of participating in a breach of election equipment in rural Coffee County, had his bond set at $10,000.

Other defendants include former White House chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mark-meadows">Mark Meadows</a>; Trump attorney and former New York City Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rudolph-giuliani">Rudy Giuliani</a>, and a Trump administration Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who aided the then-president’s efforts to undo his election loss in Georgia.

The Georgia indictment came just two weeks after the Justice Department special counsel charged Trump in a separate case in a vast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">conspiracy to overturn the election</a>. Besides the two election-related cases, Trump faces a federal indictment accusing him of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-documents-maralago-politics-florida-charges-bee867f48da593d351c5a91e87c356a9">illegally hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;as well as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-florida-hush-money-election-764309dce49f81a50bf9f610ffd5ceb6">New York state case</a>&nbsp;charging him with falsifying business records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686700913232.png" alt="Trump has repeatedly used social media to attack people involved in the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House -AP photo" />
 <figcaption>Trump has repeatedly used social media to attack people involved in the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House -AP photo</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;says he will surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday to face charges in the case accusing him of illegally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-election-investigation-grand-jury-willis-d39562cedfc60d64948708de1b011ed3">scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss</a>&nbsp;in the state.“Can you believe it? I’ll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED,” Trump wrote on his social media network Monday night, hours after his bond was set at $200,000.<figure>
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 </figure>It will be Trump’s fourth arrest since April, when he became the first former president in U.S. history to face indictment. Since then, Trump, who remains the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has had what has seemed like an endless procession of bookings and arraignments in jurisdictions across the country. His appearances in New York, Florida and Washington, D.C., have drawn enormous media attention, with news helicopters tracking his every move.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692701458714.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump's announcement came hours after his attorneys met with prosecutors in Atlanta to discuss the details of his release on bond. The former president is barred from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case — including on social media — according to the bond agreement signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Trump’s defense attorneys and the judge. It explicitly includes “posts on social media or reposts of posts” made by others.Trump has repeatedly used social media to attack people involved in the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House in 2024. He has been railing against Willis since before he was indicted, and singled out Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp — a Republican who rebuffed his efforts to overturn the election — by name in a social media post Monday morning.The agreement also prohibits the former president from making any “direct or indirect threat of any nature” against witnesses or co-defendants, and from communicating in any way about the facts of the case with them, except through attorneys.The order sets Trump's bond for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-trump-election-investigation-indictment-rico-willis-2b18a1c1ed6a4ce22b1a2ca88ea861e3">Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations</a>&nbsp;— or RICO — charge at $80,000, and adds $10,000 for each of the 12 other counts he is facing. Bond is the amount defendants must pay as a form of collateral to ensure they show up for required court appearances.Willis set a deadline of noon Friday for Trump and his 18 co-defendants to turn themselves in to be booked. The prosecutor has proposed that arraignments for the defendants follow during the week of Sept. 5. She has said she wants to try the defendants collectively and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-georgia-election-willis-892156d8658d9fe86d47ae3828c54cb9">bring the case to trial in March of next year,</a>&nbsp;which would put it in the heat of the presidential nominating season.A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing. A phone message seeking comment was also left for an attorney for the former president.Trump's appearance in Georgia will come a day after the first Republican primary debate, which he has decided to skip.He is expected to turn himself in at the Fulton County jail, which has long been plagued with problems. The Department of Justice last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fulton-county-jail-investigation-6851ae2610d8265ce793abde99695fd8">opened a civil rights investigation</a>&nbsp;into conditions, citing filthy cells, violence and the death last year of a man whose body was found covered in insects in the main jail’s psychiatric wing. Three people have died in Fulton County custody in the past month.The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Monday afternoon that when Trump surrenders there will be a “hard lockdown” of the area surrounding the jail.But Trump is not expected to spend much time there.When defendants arrive at the building, they typically pass through a security checkpoint before checking in for formal booking in the lobby. During the booking process, defendants are typically photographed and fingerprinted and asked to provide certain personal information. Since Trump’s bond has already been set, he will be released from custody once the booking process is complete.Unlike in other jurisdictions, in Fulton County, arraignments — where a defendant first appears in court — are generally set after a defendant completes the booking process and do not happen on the same day.Booking a former president, who still has 24-hour Secret Service protection, has created myriad security and logistical issues in other jurisdictions.In his past appearances in a New York state court and federal courts in Miami and Washington, Trump was not handcuffed while in custody. He was also not required to pose for a mugshot, with officials instead using existing photographs of the former president.Georgia officials have said Trump will be treated like others charged with crimes in their state.“Unless somebody tells me differently, we are following our normal practices, and so it doesn’t matter your status, we’ll have a mugshot ready for you,” Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said at a news conference earlier this month.Trump was charged last week in the case alongside a slew of allies, who prosecutors say conspired to subvert the will of voters in a desperate bid to keep the Republican in the White House after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.Trump has denied any wrongdoing, and he characterizes the case — and the three others he is facing — as efforts to hurt his 2024 presidential campaign. He has regularly used his Truth Social platform to single out prosecutors and others involved in his cases, and to continue to spread falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen from him.In a post on Monday, Trump called the Fulton County district attorney “crooked, incompetent, &amp; highly partisan.” He also attacked Kemp, whom he has long targeted for the governor's refusal to intervene after the 2020 election. Kemp has been outspoken in pushing back against Trump, writing in social media last week: “The 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen."Bond was also set Monday for three lawyers who were indicted along with Trump. For each of them, the bond for the RICO charge was set at $20,000, with varying amounts for the other charges they face. John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro each had a bond set at $100,000, while Ray Smith’s bond is $50,000.Bail bondsman Scott Hall, who was accused of participating in a breach of election equipment in rural Coffee County, had his bond set at $10,000.Other defendants include former White House chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mark-meadows">Mark Meadows</a>; Trump attorney and former New York City Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rudolph-giuliani">Rudy Giuliani</a>, and a Trump administration Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who aided the then-president’s efforts to undo his election loss in Georgia.The Georgia indictment came just two weeks after the Justice Department special counsel charged Trump in a separate case in a vast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">conspiracy to overturn the election</a>. Besides the two election-related cases, Trump faces a federal indictment accusing him of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-documents-maralago-politics-florida-charges-bee867f48da593d351c5a91e87c356a9">illegally hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;as well as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-florida-hush-money-election-764309dce49f81a50bf9f610ffd5ceb6">New York state case</a>&nbsp;charging him with falsifying business records.____

Read Trump’s $200K bond deal and social media restrictions

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Monday told survivors of Hawaii's wildfires that the nation “grieves with you” and promised that the federal government will help Maui “for as long as it takes” to recover after touring damage caused by the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.

Biden arrived in Maui 13 days after the wildfires that have taken at least 114 lives ravaged the western part of the island. As many as 850 people are still unaccounted for, according to Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen.

Standing near a severely burned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lahaina-hawaii-fires-banyan-tree-3a9c76dcbdb01386691cc24b54c8ef15">150-year-old banyan tree</a>, the president acknowledged the “overwhelming” devastation but said that Maui would persevere through the tragedy.

“Today it’s burned but it’s still standing," Biden said of the tree. "The tree survived for a reason. I believe it's a very powerful symbol of what we can and will do to get through this crisis.”

Biden and first lady Jill Biden got a close look at the devastation, seeing for themselves the hollowed homes, structures, charred cars and singed trees left in the wake of the blaze.

The Bidens lingered briefly on the tarmac after arriving at Kahului Airport to console Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and his wife Jaime Green as well as members of Hawaii's congressional delegation who came to the airport to greet them. The president and first lady embraced each of their greeters before boarding Marine One for an aerial tour of the damage.

They spent most of their visit in Lahaina,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">a historic town</a>&nbsp;of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. His motorcade wound through the community of block upon block of hollowed out homes and structures, palm trees burnt to a crisp and endless debris.

The Bidens also met with first responders and were briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They also took part in a blessing by island elders of his visit.

The Bidens interrupted a weeklong vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for the five-hour flight to Lahaina.

The White House announced Monday that Biden has named Bob Fenton, a regional leader at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to be the chief federal response coordinator for the Maui wildfires, ensuring that someone from his administration will be responsible for long-term recovery efforts. It will take years to rebuild Lahaina, where just about every building was obliterated.

“We’re going to rebuild the way the people of Maui want to rebuild,” said Biden, adding that his administration would be focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures and traditions.

Dozens gathered on the streets of Lahaina to watch Biden's motorcade wind its way through the streets. Some greeted the president enthusiastically, but others appeared to be waving their middle fingers at the motorcade. Other island residents held up signs urging Biden “to listen to the people of Lahaina” and to send more aid to the island.

During a community event at the Lahaina civic center, Biden praised the “remarkable resilience” among community members he had witnessed during his few hours on the ground.

The president also spoke, as he often does when addressing communities impacted by tragedy, of understanding the personal weight of devastating loss and the slow and painful process of recovering. Biden's wife Neilia Hunter Biden and one-year-old daughter, Naomi, died in a car accident in 1972.

“When things look the most bleak, that’s when we need faith," Biden said.

Biden has faced criticism from Republicans, including 2024 Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, for saying too little during the first days after the catastrophe. The White House, however, has pushed back against the criticism, saying the president kept in close touch with the governor and other emergency officials throughout the unfolding crisis.

Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brian-schatz">Brian Schatz</a>, D-Hawaii, said that as of Sunday about 85% of the affected area had been searched and nearly 2,000 people remained without power and 10,000 were without telecom connectivity. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink.

While immediate aid such as water, food and blankets has been readily distributed to residents, Schatz said cellphones, ID and other documents that people would need to help them enroll in longer-term aid programs were burned in the fires, adding more challenges to the application process.

During his tour, Biden walked down a road from which many Lahaina residents made their harrowing escape from the flames.

An army of search and rescue teams with dozens of dogs have blanketed the affected area to try to recover the remains of some 500 to 800 people who are unaccounted for, said White House homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall. Mayor Richard Bissen earlier Monday put the number of unaccounted for at 850. Sherwood-Randall added that the FBI has dispatched specialists to Maui to help assist the identification efforts.

She added that Biden, who has repeatedly visited communities ravaged by extreme weather disasters during his presidency, was focused during the visit “on the human experience,” and is “very impatient with bureaucracy.”

“How fast can we move to help people in need, and in particular, how can we help those in need who have the hardest time getting access to that help?" Sherwood-Randall said of Biden's focus.

More than 1,000 federal officials remain on the ground to respond to the wildfires in Hawaii, according to the White House. The administration has distributed more than $8.5 million in aid to some 8,000 affected families, including $3.6 million in rental assistance, said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

Schatz, who joined Biden on Monday, stressed that officials were “still responding to the disaster" and "we are not yet in a recovery phase.”

“As bad as this looks, it’s actually worse,” he said in a phone interview on Sunday. “What you can’t see is the damage to utility infrastructure. What you can’t see is the thousands of kids who are trying to figure out how to go to school this fall. What you can’t see is the first responders who went into the flames without regard for their own safety and had their own homes burned down.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692667220568.png" alt="The Bidens&nbsp; met with first responders and were briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They also took part in a blessing by island elders of his visit.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>The Bidens&nbsp; met with first responders and were briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They also took part in a blessing by island elders of his visit.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Monday told survivors of Hawaii's wildfires that the nation “grieves with you” and promised that the federal government will help Maui “for as long as it takes” to recover after touring damage caused by the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden on the federal response to Maui wildfires. Watch his full remarks here: <a href="https://t.co/LTx6vGgZM2">https://t.co/LTx6vGgZM2</a> <a href="https://t.co/689KeeUFan">pic.twitter.com/689KeeUFan</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1693772975940726841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden arrived in Maui 13 days after the wildfires that have taken at least 114 lives ravaged the western part of the island. As many as 850 people are still unaccounted for, according to Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen.Standing near a severely burned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lahaina-hawaii-fires-banyan-tree-3a9c76dcbdb01386691cc24b54c8ef15">150-year-old banyan tree</a>, the president acknowledged the “overwhelming” devastation but said that Maui would persevere through the tragedy.“Today it’s burned but it’s still standing," Biden said of the tree. "The tree survived for a reason. I believe it's a very powerful symbol of what we can and will do to get through this crisis.”Biden and first lady Jill Biden got a close look at the devastation, seeing for themselves the hollowed homes, structures, charred cars and singed trees left in the wake of the blaze.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Earlier today, Jill and I paid our respects at the sacred site of Mokuʻula and participated in a blessing ceremony with Native Hawaiian leaders. In times like these, marred by struggle and strife, we turn to prayer to seek guidance, bolster our faith, and brace our spirts. <a href="https://t.co/v2IzAgxkm2">pic.twitter.com/v2IzAgxkm2</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1693802279617310891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Bidens lingered briefly on the tarmac after arriving at Kahului Airport to console Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and his wife Jaime Green as well as members of Hawaii's congressional delegation who came to the airport to greet them. The president and first lady embraced each of their greeters before boarding Marine One for an aerial tour of the damage.They spent most of their visit in Lahaina,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">a historic town</a>&nbsp;of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. His motorcade wound through the community of block upon block of hollowed out homes and structures, palm trees burnt to a crisp and endless debris.The Bidens also met with first responders and were briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They also took part in a blessing by island elders of his visit.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692667130648.png" alt="President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The Bidens interrupted a weeklong vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for the five-hour flight to Lahaina.The White House announced Monday that Biden has named Bob Fenton, a regional leader at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to be the chief federal response coordinator for the Maui wildfires, ensuring that someone from his administration will be responsible for long-term recovery efforts. It will take years to rebuild Lahaina, where just about every building was obliterated.“We’re going to rebuild the way the people of Maui want to rebuild,” said Biden, adding that his administration would be focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures and traditions.Dozens gathered on the streets of Lahaina to watch Biden's motorcade wind its way through the streets. Some greeted the president enthusiastically, but others appeared to be waving their middle fingers at the motorcade. Other island residents held up signs urging Biden “to listen to the people of Lahaina” and to send more aid to the island.During a community event at the Lahaina civic center, Biden praised the “remarkable resilience” among community members he had witnessed during his few hours on the ground.The president also spoke, as he often does when addressing communities impacted by tragedy, of understanding the personal weight of devastating loss and the slow and painful process of recovering. Biden's wife Neilia Hunter Biden and one-year-old daughter, Naomi, died in a car accident in 1972.“When things look the most bleak, that’s when we need faith," Biden said.Biden has faced criticism from Republicans, including 2024 Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, for saying too little during the first days after the catastrophe. The White House, however, has pushed back against the criticism, saying the president kept in close touch with the governor and other emergency officials throughout the unfolding crisis.Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brian-schatz">Brian Schatz</a>, D-Hawaii, said that as of Sunday about 85% of the affected area had been searched and nearly 2,000 people remained without power and 10,000 were without telecom connectivity. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink.While immediate aid such as water, food and blankets has been readily distributed to residents, Schatz said cellphones, ID and other documents that people would need to help them enroll in longer-term aid programs were burned in the fires, adding more challenges to the application process.During his tour, Biden walked down a road from which many Lahaina residents made their harrowing escape from the flames.An army of search and rescue teams with dozens of dogs have blanketed the affected area to try to recover the remains of some 500 to 800 people who are unaccounted for, said White House homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall. Mayor Richard Bissen earlier Monday put the number of unaccounted for at 850. Sherwood-Randall added that the FBI has dispatched specialists to Maui to help assist the identification efforts.She added that Biden, who has repeatedly visited communities ravaged by extreme weather disasters during his presidency, was focused during the visit “on the human experience,” and is “very impatient with bureaucracy.”“How fast can we move to help people in need, and in particular, how can we help those in need who have the hardest time getting access to that help?" Sherwood-Randall said of Biden's focus.More than 1,000 federal officials remain on the ground to respond to the wildfires in Hawaii, according to the White House. The administration has distributed more than $8.5 million in aid to some 8,000 affected families, including $3.6 million in rental assistance, said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.Schatz, who joined Biden on Monday, stressed that officials were “still responding to the disaster" and "we are not yet in a recovery phase.”“As bad as this looks, it’s actually worse,” he said in a phone interview on Sunday. “What you can’t see is the damage to utility infrastructure. What you can’t see is the thousands of kids who are trying to figure out how to go to school this fall. What you can’t see is the first responders who went into the flames without regard for their own safety and had their own homes burned down.”___

🎥Bidens visit fire-ravaged Maui; 800 people still missing

ATLANTA (AP) —Donald Trump’s bond has been set at $200,000 in the Georgia case accusing the former president of scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss, according to court papers filed Monday.

<a href="https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2023/08/14/23SC188947_-_CRIMINAL_INDICTMENT.pdf">Click here to read the full</a>&nbsp;indictment in Georgia

The bond agreement, outlined in a court filing signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Trump’s defense attorneys, also bars Trump from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case — including on social media.

He is also prohibited from communicating “in any way, directly or indirectly” about the facts of the case with any co-defendant or witness, except through attorneys.

Trump was charged last week in the case alongside 18 allies who prosecutors say conspired to subvert the will of voters in a desperate bid to keep the Republican in the White House after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing. He has been railing against the case since before he was indicted and singled out Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who rebuffed his efforts to overturn the election, by name in a social media post as recently as Monday morning.

Willis has already set a deadline of noon Friday for all the defendants to turn themselves in at the Fulton County Jail to be booked. She has proposed that arraignments for the defendants happen the week of Sept. 5 and that the case go to trial in March.

It’s the fourth criminal case against the former president who is campaigning to reclaim the White House in 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680634182015.png" alt="File photo-The bond agreement, outlined in a court filing signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Trump’s defense attorneys, also bars Trump from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case — including on social media.. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)" />
 <figcaption>File photo-The bond agreement, outlined in a court filing signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Trump’s defense attorneys, also bars Trump from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case — including on social media.. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) —Donald Trump’s bond has been set at $200,000 in the Georgia case accusing the former president of scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss, according to court papers filed Monday.<a href="https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2023/08/14/23SC188947_-_CRIMINAL_INDICTMENT.pdf">Click here to read the full</a>&nbsp;indictment in GeorgiaThe bond agreement, outlined in a court filing signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Trump’s defense attorneys, also bars Trump from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case — including on social media.He is also prohibited from communicating “in any way, directly or indirectly” about the facts of the case with any co-defendant or witness, except through attorneys.Trump was charged last week in the case alongside 18 allies who prosecutors say conspired to subvert the will of voters in a desperate bid to keep the Republican in the White House after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.Trump has denied any wrongdoing. He has been railing against the case since before he was indicted and singled out Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who rebuffed his efforts to overturn the election, by name in a social media post as recently as Monday morning.Willis has already set a deadline of noon Friday for all the defendants to turn themselves in at the Fulton County Jail to be booked. She has proposed that arraignments for the defendants happen the week of Sept. 5 and that the case go to trial in March.It’s the fourth criminal case against the former president who is campaigning to reclaim the White House in 2024.

Donald Trump’s bond is set at $200,000 in Georgia case

By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund is in desperate need of cash, with the agency projecting at least a $4 billion deficit in the weeks ahead — even as the government responds to devastating fires in Hawaii and hurricane season continues.

FEMA, however, won’t simply stop the response and recovery activities funded by the disaster relief fund when the account’s balance becomes low. Unlike many other accounts within the federal government, FEMA is able to pause funding on some projects and divert that money to lifesaving and life-sustaining activities.

FEMA is preparing to lean on that Immediate Needs Funding safety net, as Congress debates whether to provide the agency with $12 billion in additional funding that the Biden administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-asks-congress-40b-ukraine-aid-us-disaster-response-border-security">asked&nbsp;</a>for last week, with the prospect that more may be needed hinted at by the agency’s administrator.

That back-up plan of sorts allows FEMA to temporarily pause “funding for long-term recovery projects and hazard mitigation projects that FEMA does not have in its system,” according to a Congressional Research Service&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45484">report</a>.

“These INF restrictions do not affect individual assistance, or public assistance programs that reimburse emergency response work and protective measures carried out by state and local authorities,” according to CRS.

FEMA used that Immediate Needs Funding back in August 2017 after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas and Hurricane Irma began approaching the coast.

FEMA implemented immediate needs after the disaster relief fund’s balance dropped below $2.8 billion. The agency lifted the framework on Oct. 2, 2017 after Congress refilled the disaster relief fund, according to CRS.

FEMA also used immediate needs funding to help with low cash flow in the disaster relief fund during fiscal years 2003 through 2006 and in fiscal 2010, according to CRS.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/fema-disaster-relief-fund-faces-august-shortfall-feds-scramble-find-cash">warned Congress last month</a>&nbsp;that the agency’s disaster relief fund would begin running a deficit as soon as August. That hearing came before several new disaster declarations, including one for the deadly wildfires in Hawaii.

Criswell said during a briefing from the White House on Wednesday that FEMA has “enough funding to support the ongoing response efforts because we take events like (the wildfires on Maui) into consideration.”

But, she said, if FEMA doesn’t receive more funding from Congress, the agency would have to delay “some of the recovery projects and push them into next year.”

Given the widespread destruction of the Hawaii wildfires as well as dozens of other natural disasters this year, Criswell said, the agency may need more than the $12 billion the Biden administration has requested from Congress.

“We may potentially need more beyond that, and my team is assessing that now,” Criswell said.

A FEMA spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that once the disaster relief fund reaches a “critical threshold,” FEMA will begin using its Immediate Needs Funding guidance “to prioritize available funding to critical ongoing disaster operations and reserve funding for initial response and recovery activities for a new significant event.”

“Under INF, new obligations for non-lifesaving and life-sustaining activities would be paused until the DRF is sufficiently funded,” the spokesperson said. “This would allow FEMA to continue its focus on response and urgent recovery efforts without interruption. To be clear, all obligations will be met, but reimbursement for non-lifesaving or life-sustaining expenses will be delayed.”

The spokesperson said that FEMA plans to “work with stakeholders to communicate how INF may affect their projects.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692384564424.png" alt="FEMA officials working on Maui last week -photo Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>FEMA officials working on Maui last week -photo Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund is in desperate need of cash, with the agency projecting at least a $4 billion deficit in the weeks ahead — even as the government responds to devastating fires in Hawaii and hurricane season continues.FEMA, however, won’t simply stop the response and recovery activities funded by the disaster relief fund when the account’s balance becomes low. Unlike many other accounts within the federal government, FEMA is able to pause funding on some projects and divert that money to lifesaving and life-sustaining activities.FEMA is preparing to lean on that Immediate Needs Funding safety net, as Congress debates whether to provide the agency with $12 billion in additional funding that the Biden administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-asks-congress-40b-ukraine-aid-us-disaster-response-border-security">asked&nbsp;</a>for last week, with the prospect that more may be needed hinted at by the agency’s administrator.That back-up plan of sorts allows FEMA to temporarily pause “funding for long-term recovery projects and hazard mitigation projects that FEMA does not have in its system,” according to a Congressional Research Service&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45484">report</a>.“These INF restrictions do not affect individual assistance, or public assistance programs that reimburse emergency response work and protective measures carried out by state and local authorities,” according to CRS.FEMA used that Immediate Needs Funding back in August 2017 after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas and Hurricane Irma began approaching the coast.FEMA implemented immediate needs after the disaster relief fund’s balance dropped below $2.8 billion. The agency lifted the framework on Oct. 2, 2017 after Congress refilled the disaster relief fund, according to CRS.FEMA also used immediate needs funding to help with low cash flow in the disaster relief fund during fiscal years 2003 through 2006 and in fiscal 2010, according to CRS.<h2>Warning to Congress</h2>FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/fema-disaster-relief-fund-faces-august-shortfall-feds-scramble-find-cash">warned Congress last month</a>&nbsp;that the agency’s disaster relief fund would begin running a deficit as soon as August. That hearing came before several new disaster declarations, including one for the deadly wildfires in Hawaii.Criswell said during a briefing from the White House on Wednesday that FEMA has “enough funding to support the ongoing response efforts because we take events like (the wildfires on Maui) into consideration.”But, she said, if FEMA doesn’t receive more funding from Congress, the agency would have to delay “some of the recovery projects and push them into next year.”Given the widespread destruction of the Hawaii wildfires as well as dozens of other natural disasters this year, Criswell said, the agency may need more than the $12 billion the Biden administration has requested from Congress.“We may potentially need more beyond that, and my team is assessing that now,” Criswell said.A FEMA spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that once the disaster relief fund reaches a “critical threshold,” FEMA will begin using its Immediate Needs Funding guidance “to prioritize available funding to critical ongoing disaster operations and reserve funding for initial response and recovery activities for a new significant event.”“Under INF, new obligations for non-lifesaving and life-sustaining activities would be paused until the DRF is sufficiently funded,” the spokesperson said. “This would allow FEMA to continue its focus on response and urgent recovery efforts without interruption. To be clear, all obligations will be met, but reimbursement for non-lifesaving or life-sustaining expenses will be delayed.”The spokesperson said that FEMA plans to “work with stakeholders to communicate how INF may affect their projects.”

FEMA’s disaster relief fund is running low on cash. What happens now?

Thanks in part to President&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/news-and-events/news/2023/06/carter-unveils-plan-to-address-budget-challenges-accelerate-university-success" target="_blank">Ted Carter’s “Five-Point Plan”</a>&nbsp;to reimagine the University of Nebraska during a period of budgetary challenges, the NU System has again earned high marks for fiscal management in a new report issued by one of the nation’s leading credit ratings agencies.

S&amp;P Global recently affirmed the university’s AA bond rating, the second-highest score possible, putting Nebraska among the top 8 percent of public higher education institutions in the country. The rating means the university has strong capacity to pay its bills and debt obligations and ensures that NU can continue borrowing money at low interest rates, saving students and Nebraska taxpayers money.

In its report, S&amp;P Global cited the Five-Point Plan unveiled by Carter in June as a key factor in its decision to affirm the university’s strong bond rating. Carter’s plan – with goals to recruit more Nebraska students, raise the university’s academic and research profile, regain admission into the prestigious Association of American Universities, and identify additional operational efficiencies – aims to address short- and long-term resource challenges facing the University of Nebraska at a time of significant change for all of higher education.

“In our view, this is an example of the university managing in a proactive manner to sustain its long-term financial strength,” S&amp;P wrote.

S&amp;P’s report also highlights the Board of Regents and administration’s conservative budgeting and capital planning practices, NU’s strong fundraising capabilities, historically stable support from the state, and its status as Nebraska’s only public research university system as positive factors.

Carter said the strong score shows the University of Nebraska has been a proactive and responsible steward of its resources as it, like many institutions around the country, manages an unprecedented combination of inflation, muted revenue growth, and enrollment and demographic challenges.

“We built our Five-Point Plan to not only weather the challenges ahead of us, but to reimagine ourselves into a more competitive, dynamic University of Nebraska for the future,” Carter said. “Ultimately, our plan is all about accountability to students and the people of Nebraska. We’ll have to make tough decisions to make sure we’re allocating our resources in ways that create the greatest possible return for Nebraskans, but we are confident in our path forward. It’s gratifying to see our approach affirmed by the best in the business.”

Board of Regents Chairman Tim Clare of Lincoln said: “As a longtime member of the Board, I’ve seen firsthand how much thought goes into budgeting and strategic planning at the University of Nebraska. Our diligence pays off when we can say that we are viewed in such high standing by outside financial experts. We have an ambitious plan in hand to achieve an even higher level of success and rankings like this confirm that we are in a strong position to make our vision a reality.”

Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice, vice chairman of the Board and chairman of the Business and Finance Committee, said: “Nebraskans can take pride in the conservative fiscal planning we have done to help us manage ups and downs in the economy. Fiscal discipline will be more important than ever going forward. We will continue to focus on being as effective and efficient as possible for the benefit of students, families and taxpayers.”

Carter issued his Five-Point Plan in response to a charge by the Board to build a strategy for balancing the budget while also enhancing the university’s competitiveness in enrollment, research and academics. Regents directed Carter to set system-wide priorities and invest dollars accordingly.

A thorough review of non-academic operations and a zero-based budgeting exercise to justify expenditures are key elements of Carter’s plan. The goal is to free up resources to not only close the university’s budget shortfall, but invest in priorities to help the university compete at the highest levels.

By the University of NebraskaThanks in part to President&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraska.edu/news-and-events/news/2023/06/carter-unveils-plan-to-address-budget-challenges-accelerate-university-success" target="_blank">Ted Carter’s “Five-Point Plan”</a>&nbsp;to reimagine the University of Nebraska during a period of budgetary challenges, the NU System has again earned high marks for fiscal management in a new report issued by one of the nation’s leading credit ratings agencies.S&amp;P Global recently affirmed the university’s AA bond rating, the second-highest score possible, putting Nebraska among the top 8 percent of public higher education institutions in the country. The rating means the university has strong capacity to pay its bills and debt obligations and ensures that NU can continue borrowing money at low interest rates, saving students and Nebraska taxpayers money.In its report, S&amp;P Global cited the Five-Point Plan unveiled by Carter in June as a key factor in its decision to affirm the university’s strong bond rating. Carter’s plan – with goals to recruit more Nebraska students, raise the university’s academic and research profile, regain admission into the prestigious Association of American Universities, and identify additional operational efficiencies – aims to address short- and long-term resource challenges facing the University of Nebraska at a time of significant change for all of higher education.“In our view, this is an example of the university managing in a proactive manner to sustain its long-term financial strength,” S&amp;P wrote.S&amp;P’s report also highlights the Board of Regents and administration’s conservative budgeting and capital planning practices, NU’s strong fundraising capabilities, historically stable support from the state, and its status as Nebraska’s only public research university system as positive factors.Carter said the strong score shows the University of Nebraska has been a proactive and responsible steward of its resources as it, like many institutions around the country, manages an unprecedented combination of inflation, muted revenue growth, and enrollment and demographic challenges.“We built our Five-Point Plan to not only weather the challenges ahead of us, but to reimagine ourselves into a more competitive, dynamic University of Nebraska for the future,” Carter said. “Ultimately, our plan is all about accountability to students and the people of Nebraska. We’ll have to make tough decisions to make sure we’re allocating our resources in ways that create the greatest possible return for Nebraskans, but we are confident in our path forward. It’s gratifying to see our approach affirmed by the best in the business.”Board of Regents Chairman Tim Clare of Lincoln said: “As a longtime member of the Board, I’ve seen firsthand how much thought goes into budgeting and strategic planning at the University of Nebraska. Our diligence pays off when we can say that we are viewed in such high standing by outside financial experts. We have an ambitious plan in hand to achieve an even higher level of success and rankings like this confirm that we are in a strong position to make our vision a reality.”Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice, vice chairman of the Board and chairman of the Business and Finance Committee, said: “Nebraskans can take pride in the conservative fiscal planning we have done to help us manage ups and downs in the economy. Fiscal discipline will be more important than ever going forward. We will continue to focus on being as effective and efficient as possible for the benefit of students, families and taxpayers.”Carter issued his Five-Point Plan in response to a charge by the Board to build a strategy for balancing the budget while also enhancing the university’s competitiveness in enrollment, research and academics. Regents directed Carter to set system-wide priorities and invest dollars accordingly.A thorough review of non-academic operations and a zero-based budgeting exercise to justify expenditures are key elements of Carter’s plan. The goal is to free up resources to not only close the university’s budget shortfall, but invest in priorities to help the university compete at the highest levels.

University of Nebraska earns high marks for fiscal management

&nbsp; BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/zachwendling/">ZACH WENDLING</a> Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN —&nbsp;The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission has approved the first step in a process that could allow a Hastings-based company to transfer its racetrack license to western Nebraska.

Commissioners voted Friday to approve a 12-week, $48,000 market study with Innovation Group. That study could set up final approval later this year of a racetrack in Ogallala after Hastings Exposition &amp; Racing Inc. announced&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/western-nebraska-casino-possible-as-plans-announced-for-a-racing-license-in-ogallala/">plans</a>&nbsp;this summer to transfer its racing license.&nbsp;

State law allows Hastings a one-time move of its license because the community was one of six “original” racetrack locations. The law stipulates the move must be to a Nebraska county that does not have a racetrack, in this case, from Adams County to Keith County.

Brian Jorde, a representative for the Hastings company, said a study is required to see whether the move could have any detrimental effects, such as concentrated or “undue” competition.

“We don’t believe there’s any reasonable argument that it can, in any way, be detrimental by moving that far away into a brand new market and giving the folks in western Nebraska —&nbsp;who often get passed over —&nbsp;an opportunity to be a part of something so exciting,” Jorde told the commission.

Hastings Exposition and Racing had tried for a couple of years to set up a racino in Hastings, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for a location that would have been 17 to 20 miles from the racino in Grand Island.

Instead, the new racetrack is planned for nearly 200 miles away while laying the future groundwork for the Lake Mac Casino Resort and Racetrack, a 174-acre site that Jorde said would exist on the southwest corner of I-80 and Highway 26, the main intersection in Ogallala.

Mary Wilson, executive director for Keith County Area Development in Keith County, noted the new location is planned to be a “tourism destination” with its closeness to Lake McConaughy and the states of Wyoming and Colorado.

Elite Casino Resorts, which owns the Grand Island Casino Resort, plans to partner with the Hastings company for the new facility.

“We think this is the definition of a win-win,” Jorde said.

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/racino-bill-advances-with-initial-limit-at-six-racetracks/">Other Nebraska communities</a>&nbsp;such as Kimball, Gering, North Platte, Norfolk and Bellevue have expressed interest in more racinos.&nbsp;

State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte told the board at its meeting that his community still intends to submit an application after required studies of socio-economic impacts and statewide market conditions.

The commission also approved a new first in gambling for the Cornhusker State: table games at the Grand Island Casino Resort.

This is the first time the commission has approved table games. Sharon Haselhoff, the regional vice president for Elite Casino Resorts, noted that eight were ready to launch as early as the Friday dinner hour, pending final commission approval.

Commissioners approved five blackjack tables, one roulette, one Texas hold ’em and one craps table as well as 46 more slot machines for Grand Island, bringing the total number of machines to 337.

Tom Sage, the commission’s executive director, said he’d be on the road to Grand Island for one final walkthrough as soon as the commission adjourned, a final step before the new games went live.

Dennis Lee, the commission’s chair, said it was fitting that Grand Island was the first for tabletop games given its decades-long history in racing.

“It’s appropriate, I think, that Grand Island be the first to let people roll the dice and spin the ball,” Lee said.

&nbsp; BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/zachwendling/">ZACH WENDLING</a> Nebraska ExaminerLINCOLN —&nbsp;The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission has approved the first step in a process that could allow a Hastings-based company to transfer its racetrack license to western Nebraska.Commissioners voted Friday to approve a 12-week, $48,000 market study with Innovation Group. That study could set up final approval later this year of a racetrack in Ogallala after Hastings Exposition &amp; Racing Inc. announced&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/western-nebraska-casino-possible-as-plans-announced-for-a-racing-license-in-ogallala/">plans</a>&nbsp;this summer to transfer its racing license.&nbsp;State law allows Hastings a one-time move of its license because the community was one of six “original” racetrack locations. The law stipulates the move must be to a Nebraska county that does not have a racetrack, in this case, from Adams County to Keith County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692634202005.jpeg" alt="The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission met Friday, Aug. 18, approving a market study, potentially opening up a new racetrack in western Nebraska, and table games for the first time. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission met Friday, Aug. 18, approving a market study, potentially opening up a new racetrack in western Nebraska, and table games for the first time. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission met Friday, Aug. 18, approving a market study, potentially opening up a new racetrack in western Nebraska, and table games for the first time. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission met Friday, Aug. 18, approving a market study, potentially opening up a new racetrack in western Nebraska, and table games for the first time. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Brian Jorde, a representative for the Hastings company, said a study is required to see whether the move could have any detrimental effects, such as concentrated or “undue” competition.“We don’t believe there’s any reasonable argument that it can, in any way, be detrimental by moving that far away into a brand new market and giving the folks in western Nebraska —&nbsp;who often get passed over —&nbsp;an opportunity to be a part of something so exciting,” Jorde told the commission.<h2>‘Definition of a win-win’</h2>Hastings Exposition and Racing had tried for a couple of years to set up a racino in Hastings, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for a location that would have been 17 to 20 miles from the racino in Grand Island.Instead, the new racetrack is planned for nearly 200 miles away while laying the future groundwork for the Lake Mac Casino Resort and Racetrack, a 174-acre site that Jorde said would exist on the southwest corner of I-80 and Highway 26, the main intersection in Ogallala.Mary Wilson, executive director for Keith County Area Development in Keith County, noted the new location is planned to be a “tourism destination” with its closeness to Lake McConaughy and the states of Wyoming and Colorado.Elite Casino Resorts, which owns the Grand Island Casino Resort, plans to partner with the Hastings company for the new facility.“We think this is the definition of a win-win,” Jorde said.<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/racino-bill-advances-with-initial-limit-at-six-racetracks/">Other Nebraska communities</a>&nbsp;such as Kimball, Gering, North Platte, Norfolk and Bellevue have expressed interest in more racinos.&nbsp;State Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte told the board at its meeting that his community still intends to submit an application after required studies of socio-economic impacts and statewide market conditions.<h2>Table top games come to Nebraska</h2>The commission also approved a new first in gambling for the Cornhusker State: table games at the Grand Island Casino Resort.This is the first time the commission has approved table games. Sharon Haselhoff, the regional vice president for Elite Casino Resorts, noted that eight were ready to launch as early as the Friday dinner hour, pending final commission approval.Commissioners approved five blackjack tables, one roulette, one Texas hold ’em and one craps table as well as 46 more slot machines for Grand Island, bringing the total number of machines to 337.Tom Sage, the commission’s executive director, said he’d be on the road to Grand Island for one final walkthrough as soon as the commission adjourned, a final step before the new games went live.Dennis Lee, the commission’s chair, said it was fitting that Grand Island was the first for tabletop games given its decades-long history in racing.“It’s appropriate, I think, that Grand Island be the first to let people roll the dice and spin the ball,” Lee said.

Nebraska commission advances first step for Ogallala racetrack

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;confirmed Sunday that he will be skipping Wednesday's first Republican presidential primary debate — and others as well.

“The public knows who I am &amp; what a successful Presidency I had,” Trump wrote on his social media site. "I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!" His spokesman did not immediately clarify whether he plans to boycott every primary debate or just those that have currently been scheduled.

The former president and early GOP frontrunner&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2024-republican-presidential-debates-e674cab77b1b37e29dcb834563c9b981">had said for months</a>&nbsp;that he saw little upside in joining his GOP rivals on stage when they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republicans-debate-2024-president-august-6cc406eb00c72835f4f59acb30d71e95">gather for the first time</a>&nbsp;in Milwaukee Wednesday, given his commanding lead in the race. And he had made clear to those he had spoken to in recent days that his opinion had not changed.

“Why would I allow people at 1 or 2% and 0% to be hitting me with questions all night?” he said in an interview in June with Fox News host Bret Baier, who will be serving as a moderator. Trump has also repeatedly criticized Fox, the host of the Aug. 23 primetime event, insisting it is a “hostile network” that he believes will not treat him fairly.

Trump had been discussing a number of debate counterprogramming options, including sitting for an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has been hosting a show on the website formerly known as Twitter. Carlson was spotted at Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club ahead of the announcement, according to a person familiar with the visit who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it. The New York Times reported Saturday the interview set to air Wednesday has already been taped.

“We cannot confirm or deny — stay tuned,” said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung.

The idea had been one of several alternatives Trump had floated in conversations in recent weeks. They included possibly showing up in Milwaukee at the last minute or attending but sitting in the audience and offering live commentary on his Truth Social site. He had also discussed potentially calling into different networks to draw viewers from the debate, or holding a rally instead.

The decision marks another chapter in Trump's ongoing feud with Fox, which was once a staunch defender, but is now perceived to be more favorable to his leading rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Fox executives and hosts had lobbied Trump to attend, both privately and on the network's airwaves. But Trump, according to a person close to him, was unswayed, believing executives would not have been wooing him if they weren’t concerned about their ratings.

A person familiar had said earlier Sunday that Trump and his team had not notified the Republican National Committee of his plans.

Meanwhile, Trump's rivals had been goading him to appear and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debate-republican-president-trump-pence-haley-desantis-d3192137ee265d8455ff8af64a5f88ef">preparing in the hopes that he might</a>, concerned that a no-show might make them appear like second-tier candidates and deny them the opportunity to land a knockout blow against the race's Goliath that could change the trajectory of the race.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, one of the few candidates willing to directly take on Trump, has been accusing the former president of lacking “the guts to show up" and calling him “a coward” if he doesn't.

A super PAC supporting DeSantis released an ad in which the narrator says: “We can’t afford a nominee who is too weak to debate.” And in a posting Sunday on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, DeSantis campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo said the Florida governor looked forward to sharing his vision Wednesday on what he'll do as president because “no one is entitled to this nomination, including Donald Trump. You have to show up and earn it."

Trump has pushed back on the attacks, telling Newsmax’s Eric Bolling that he saw little benefit in participating when he’s already leading by a wide margin.

“It's not a question of guts. It’s a question of intelligence,” he said.

Trump has also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-republican-loyalty-pledge-gop-debate-a3d63a73ef60a2afb1f7aaec68a6d585#:~:text=Former%20President%20Donald%20Trump%20said,the%20conservative%20cable%20network%20Newsmax.">said</a>&nbsp;that he will not sign a pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee if he loses the nomination — a requirement set by the Republican National Committee for appearing on stage.

“Why would I sign it?” he said. “I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president. So right there, there’s a problem.”

Nonetheless, his advisers insisted for weeks that he had yet to make a final decision, even as they acknowledged it was “pretty clear” from his public and private statements that he was unlikely to appear.

It's not the first time Trump has chosen to skip a major GOP debate.

During his 2016 campaign, Trump decided to forgo the final GOP primary face-off before the Iowa caucuses and instead held his own campaign event — a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/-----dbb273322fc740198cf06f3ffd83c678">flashy telethon-style gathering</a>&nbsp;in Iowa that was billed as a fundraiser for veterans.

While the event earned him headlines and drew attention away from his rivals, Trump went on to lose the Iowa caucuses to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas — a loss some former aides have blamed, at least in part, on his decision to skip the debate.

In 2020, Trump pulled out of the second general election debate against now-President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;after the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan group that has hosted general election debates for more than three decades, sought to make it virtual after Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-virus-outbreak-7fece2838ff7a9bd91ccf5ac287348b3">tested positive for COVID-19</a>. Trump refused, saying he would only debate on stage.

Trump is not the only candidate who will likely be missing Wednesday's event. Several lesser-known rivals appear unlikely to reach the threshold set by the RNC to participate. To qualify, candidates must have received contributions from at least 40,000 individual donors, with at least 200 unique donors in 20 or more states. They also must poll at at least 1% in three designated national polls, or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21.

Candidates who have met the qualifications include DeSantis, Christie, former vice president Mike Pence, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

Beyond the fundraising and polling requirements, the RNC has said candidates must also sign the pledge agreeing to support the eventual party nominee as well as agreeing not to participate in any non-RNC sanctioned debate for the remainder of the election cycle. The RNC is boycotting events organized by the Commission for Presidential Debates, alleging bias.

“I affirm that if I do not win the 2024 Republican nomination of President of the United States, I will honor the will of the primary voters and support the nominee in order to save our country and beat Joe Biden,” reads the pledge, according to a copy posted by DeSantis to the social media site X. Candidates also must pledge not to run as an independent, write-in candidate or third-party nominee.

While several candidates, including Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have taken issue with the requirement, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd so far is the only one who has said definitively that he will not sign the pledge because he refuses to support Trump if he becomes the eventual nominee. Christie has said he will sign whatever is needed to get him on the stage.

In addition to voicing opposition to the loyalty pledge, Trump has suggested he is opposed to boycotting general election debates hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates. “You have, really, an obligation to do that," he said in a radio interview this spring.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691534237207.png" alt="The decision marks another chapter in Trump's ongoing feud with Fox,- File photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>The decision marks another chapter in Trump's ongoing feud with Fox,- File photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;confirmed Sunday that he will be skipping Wednesday's first Republican presidential primary debate — and others as well.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692582211518.png" alt="\" />
 <figcaption>\</figcaption>
 </figure>“The public knows who I am &amp; what a successful Presidency I had,” Trump wrote on his social media site. "I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!" His spokesman did not immediately clarify whether he plans to boycott every primary debate or just those that have currently been scheduled.The former president and early GOP frontrunner&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-2024-republican-presidential-debates-e674cab77b1b37e29dcb834563c9b981">had said for months</a>&nbsp;that he saw little upside in joining his GOP rivals on stage when they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republicans-debate-2024-president-august-6cc406eb00c72835f4f59acb30d71e95">gather for the first time</a>&nbsp;in Milwaukee Wednesday, given his commanding lead in the race. And he had made clear to those he had spoken to in recent days that his opinion had not changed.“Why would I allow people at 1 or 2% and 0% to be hitting me with questions all night?” he said in an interview in June with Fox News host Bret Baier, who will be serving as a moderator. Trump has also repeatedly criticized Fox, the host of the Aug. 23 primetime event, insisting it is a “hostile network” that he believes will not treat him fairly.Trump had been discussing a number of debate counterprogramming options, including sitting for an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has been hosting a show on the website formerly known as Twitter. Carlson was spotted at Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club ahead of the announcement, according to a person familiar with the visit who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it. The New York Times reported Saturday the interview set to air Wednesday has already been taped.“We cannot confirm or deny — stay tuned,” said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung.The idea had been one of several alternatives Trump had floated in conversations in recent weeks. They included possibly showing up in Milwaukee at the last minute or attending but sitting in the audience and offering live commentary on his Truth Social site. He had also discussed potentially calling into different networks to draw viewers from the debate, or holding a rally instead.The decision marks another chapter in Trump's ongoing feud with Fox, which was once a staunch defender, but is now perceived to be more favorable to his leading rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Fox executives and hosts had lobbied Trump to attend, both privately and on the network's airwaves. But Trump, according to a person close to him, was unswayed, believing executives would not have been wooing him if they weren’t concerned about their ratings.A person familiar had said earlier Sunday that Trump and his team had not notified the Republican National Committee of his plans.Meanwhile, Trump's rivals had been goading him to appear and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debate-republican-president-trump-pence-haley-desantis-d3192137ee265d8455ff8af64a5f88ef">preparing in the hopes that he might</a>, concerned that a no-show might make them appear like second-tier candidates and deny them the opportunity to land a knockout blow against the race's Goliath that could change the trajectory of the race.Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, one of the few candidates willing to directly take on Trump, has been accusing the former president of lacking “the guts to show up" and calling him “a coward” if he doesn't.A super PAC supporting DeSantis released an ad in which the narrator says: “We can’t afford a nominee who is too weak to debate.” And in a posting Sunday on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, DeSantis campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo said the Florida governor looked forward to sharing his vision Wednesday on what he'll do as president because “no one is entitled to this nomination, including Donald Trump. You have to show up and earn it."Trump has pushed back on the attacks, telling Newsmax’s Eric Bolling that he saw little benefit in participating when he’s already leading by a wide margin.“It's not a question of guts. It’s a question of intelligence,” he said.Trump has also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-republican-loyalty-pledge-gop-debate-a3d63a73ef60a2afb1f7aaec68a6d585#:~:text=Former%20President%20Donald%20Trump%20said,the%20conservative%20cable%20network%20Newsmax.">said</a>&nbsp;that he will not sign a pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee if he loses the nomination — a requirement set by the Republican National Committee for appearing on stage.“Why would I sign it?” he said. “I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support for president. So right there, there’s a problem.”Nonetheless, his advisers insisted for weeks that he had yet to make a final decision, even as they acknowledged it was “pretty clear” from his public and private statements that he was unlikely to appear.It's not the first time Trump has chosen to skip a major GOP debate.During his 2016 campaign, Trump decided to forgo the final GOP primary face-off before the Iowa caucuses and instead held his own campaign event — a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/-----dbb273322fc740198cf06f3ffd83c678">flashy telethon-style gathering</a>&nbsp;in Iowa that was billed as a fundraiser for veterans.While the event earned him headlines and drew attention away from his rivals, Trump went on to lose the Iowa caucuses to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas — a loss some former aides have blamed, at least in part, on his decision to skip the debate.In 2020, Trump pulled out of the second general election debate against now-President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;after the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan group that has hosted general election debates for more than three decades, sought to make it virtual after Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-virus-outbreak-7fece2838ff7a9bd91ccf5ac287348b3">tested positive for COVID-19</a>. Trump refused, saying he would only debate on stage.Trump is not the only candidate who will likely be missing Wednesday's event. Several lesser-known rivals appear unlikely to reach the threshold set by the RNC to participate. To qualify, candidates must have received contributions from at least 40,000 individual donors, with at least 200 unique donors in 20 or more states. They also must poll at at least 1% in three designated national polls, or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21.Candidates who have met the qualifications include DeSantis, Christie, former vice president Mike Pence, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.Beyond the fundraising and polling requirements, the RNC has said candidates must also sign the pledge agreeing to support the eventual party nominee as well as agreeing not to participate in any non-RNC sanctioned debate for the remainder of the election cycle. The RNC is boycotting events organized by the Commission for Presidential Debates, alleging bias.“I affirm that if I do not win the 2024 Republican nomination of President of the United States, I will honor the will of the primary voters and support the nominee in order to save our country and beat Joe Biden,” reads the pledge, according to a copy posted by DeSantis to the social media site X. Candidates also must pledge not to run as an independent, write-in candidate or third-party nominee.While several candidates, including Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have taken issue with the requirement, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd so far is the only one who has said definitively that he will not sign the pledge because he refuses to support Trump if he becomes the eventual nominee. Christie has said he will sign whatever is needed to get him on the stage.In addition to voicing opposition to the loyalty pledge, Trump has suggested he is opposed to boycotting general election debates hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates. “You have, really, an obligation to do that," he said in a radio interview this spring.

Trump explains why he will skip GOP presidential primary debates

By JULIE APPLEBY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-01-14/private-practice-doctors-patients-wonder-when-its-their-turn-for-the-covid-19-vaccine">Kaiser Health News</a>

A simple enough question, featured on a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyUx06Bfzfc">new TV and online advertisement</a>, posed by a man who just wants something cold.

A woman behind the counter responds with a smile: “Prices? No, we don’t have those anymore. We have estimates.”

The satirical ad pretends to be a news report highlighting a “trend” in which more retail outlets take up “the hospital pricing method”: substituting estimates for actual prices for the cost of meals, merchandise on store shelves, and clothing. The scene ends with a partially deleted expletive from the ice cream-seeking man.

While the use of estimates in retail settings is imaginary and preposterous, the advertisement is part of an ongoing campaign by the advocacy group Patient Rights Advocate, which contends that some hospitals are still falling short of a law that went into effect in 2021 requiring them to publicly post their prices. Even then, said Cynthia Fisher, the group’s founder and chairperson, too many post estimates rather than exact dollar-and-cent figures.

“People need price certainty,” said Fisher. “Estimates are a way of gaming the people who pay for health care.”

Although government data shows that hospitals’ compliance with price transparency rules has improved, updating the requirements of that law is the focus of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/07/31/2023-14768/medicare-program-hospital-outpatient-prospective-payment-and-ambulatory-surgical-center-payment">new proposal by the Biden administration</a>, which aims to further standardize the required data, increase its usefulness for consumers, and boost enforcement. Even with all that, however, the goal of exact price tags in every situation is likely to remain elusive.

“We’re closer to that, but we’re not there,” said Gerard Anderson, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who studies hospital pricing using the data that hospitals have already posted.

The proposed rule is designed to make it easier for consumers to learn in advance exactly what they might owe for nonemergency hospital care — though that was what the original price transparency rules were supposed to do.

Requiring hospitals to post their prices is part of a larger effort to make medical costs less opaque, which could help individual consumers predict their expenses and possibly slow health cost inflation, if it leads employers and insurers to contract with less expensive providers.

But the data files themselves are massive, often hard to find, and complex to decipher.

“Even for us, it’s really hard to use,” said Anderson.

Under current regulations, hospitals must publicly post prices for every service they offer, from drugs to stitches to time a patient spends in an operating room, as well as show all the bundled costs associated with 300 “shoppable” services, which are things people can plan for, such as a hip replacement or having a baby. Several different prices are required, including those they’ve negotiated with insurers and what they charge cash-paying customers.

Similar regulations, but with more prescriptive details and tougher penalties for noncompliance,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/02/1109557961/health-insurers-are-now-required-to-post-prices-they-pay-to-hospitals">went into effect for insurance companies</a>&nbsp;in 2022, requiring them to post prices not only for hospital care, but also for outpatient centers and physician services.

The new hospital requirements proposed by the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services help “catch up to what they did with health plans,” said Hal Andrews,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.trillianthealth.com/company">CEO and president of Trilliant Health</a>, a market research and analysis company.

“It’s a step down the path to making the data more accessible” to data analysis firms that create online price comparison tools, said Jeff Leibach, a partner at the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://guidehouse.com/">consulting firm Guidehouse</a>. “And, ultimately, consumers who want to shop will then find this data more easily.” Many hospitals, insurers, and third-party data firms have made such cost comparison tools available.

Even the new requirements may not resolve the demand that is central to the dystopian ad’s ice cream-seeking man: getting exact prices, in dollars and cents. Such specificity may remain elusive for some consumers, if only because of the nature of medical care.

“Each patient is unique and uses a slightly different bundle of services,” said Anderson of Johns Hopkins. “You might be in the operating room for 30 minutes, or it might be 45. You might need this lab test and not that one.”

The proposed rule&nbsp;would, for one thing, further standardize the data required so that reporting is more comparable between facilities. It also mandates hospitals make their data sets easier to find on their websites, which could help data aggregators and consumers alike, and puts administrators in the hot seat to attest that their hospitals have posted all the required information accurately.

Individual hospitals that fail to post properly would face additional publicity by federal regulators: “Consider it a public naughty list,” said Marcus Dorstel, vice president of operations at data analysis firm Turquoise Health, which provides an online tool consumers can use to check prices across hospitals.

In addition, the proposal adds a data category awkwardly called “consumer-friendly expected allowed charges,” aimed at giving more information tied to the varied ways hospitals set prices. In plainer language, those allowed amounts are what hospitals expect to be reimbursed by insurance companies.

For example, Dorstel said, currently a service might not be listed as a particular dollar amount, but the hospital will show the price is based on “70% of charges.”

“Without the expected allowed amount, that doesn’t tell you anything,” Dorstel said.

Still, critics — such as Patient Rights Advocate, the group behind the new ad campaign — say that nodding to such allowed amounts will lead to even more estimates, rather than what they prefer: dollar-and-cent assessments.

“You and I would not buy a blouse at an average estimated amount,” said Fisher.

Health care isn’t like blouses or ice cream, responded executives from the American Hospital Association when asked about the advertisement and Fisher’s concerns about exact, upfront amounts. In many situations, for example, it may be hard to know ahead of time exactly what kind of care a patient will need.

“Very few health services are so straightforward where you can expect no variation in the course of care,” which could then result in a different cost than the original assessment,” said Molly Smith,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ahip.org/people/molly-smith">AHA’s group vice president for public policy</a>. “Organizations are doing the best they can to provide the closest estimate. If something changes in the course of your care, that estimate might adjust.”

While hospitals’ compliance with posting price information has improved, it still falls short, said Fisher, whose group&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.patientrightsadvocate.org/july-semi-annual-compliance-report-2023">in a July report</a>&nbsp;said only 36% of 2,000 hospitals it reviewed complied with all aspects of the current law, marking as deficient those that had incomplete data fields or used formulas instead of dollar prices.

But the American Hospital Association says Fisher’s group “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aha.org/press-releases/2023-07-25-aha-statement-patient-rights-advocate-price-transparency-report">misconstrues” hospital compliance</a>, in part because hospitals are allowed to leave spaces blank, if, for example, they don’t have a cash-only price. And formulas are allowed if that is how the prices are set.

The hospital group points instead to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2023-02-16-cms-70-hospitals-compliance-price-transparency-rules">CMS report from earlier this year</a>&nbsp;that showed compliance was increasing year over year. It said 70% of hospitals were compliant with the current requirements of the law.

It took some doing to get that far. Since 2021, the federal government has sent more than 900 warning letters to hospitals about their posted data, with most resolving those concerns, according to the proposed rule. Four hospitals have been fined for failing to comply with the transparency law.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a>.

By JULIE APPLEBY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-01-14/private-practice-doctors-patients-wonder-when-its-their-turn-for-the-covid-19-vaccine">Kaiser Health News</a>“How much is the ice cream?”A simple enough question, featured on a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyUx06Bfzfc">new TV and online advertisement</a>, posed by a man who just wants something cold.A woman behind the counter responds with a smile: “Prices? No, we don’t have those anymore. We have estimates.”The satirical ad pretends to be a news report highlighting a “trend” in which more retail outlets take up “the hospital pricing method”: substituting estimates for actual prices for the cost of meals, merchandise on store shelves, and clothing. The scene ends with a partially deleted expletive from the ice cream-seeking man.While the use of estimates in retail settings is imaginary and preposterous, the advertisement is part of an ongoing campaign by the advocacy group Patient Rights Advocate, which contends that some hospitals are still falling short of a law that went into effect in 2021 requiring them to publicly post their prices. Even then, said Cynthia Fisher, the group’s founder and chairperson, too many post estimates rather than exact dollar-and-cent figures.“People need price certainty,” said Fisher. “Estimates are a way of gaming the people who pay for health care.”Although government data shows that hospitals’ compliance with price transparency rules has improved, updating the requirements of that law is the focus of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/07/31/2023-14768/medicare-program-hospital-outpatient-prospective-payment-and-ambulatory-surgical-center-payment">new proposal by the Biden administration</a>, which aims to further standardize the required data, increase its usefulness for consumers, and boost enforcement. Even with all that, however, the goal of exact price tags in every situation is likely to remain elusive.“We’re closer to that, but we’re not there,” said Gerard Anderson, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who studies hospital pricing using the data that hospitals have already posted.The proposed rule is designed to make it easier for consumers to learn in advance exactly what they might owe for nonemergency hospital care — though that was what the original price transparency rules were supposed to do.Requiring hospitals to post their prices is part of a larger effort to make medical costs less opaque, which could help individual consumers predict their expenses and possibly slow health cost inflation, if it leads employers and insurers to contract with less expensive providers.But the data files themselves are massive, often hard to find, and complex to decipher.“Even for us, it’s really hard to use,” said Anderson.Under current regulations, hospitals must publicly post prices for every service they offer, from drugs to stitches to time a patient spends in an operating room, as well as show all the bundled costs associated with 300 “shoppable” services, which are things people can plan for, such as a hip replacement or having a baby. Several different prices are required, including those they’ve negotiated with insurers and what they charge cash-paying customers.Similar regulations, but with more prescriptive details and tougher penalties for noncompliance,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/02/1109557961/health-insurers-are-now-required-to-post-prices-they-pay-to-hospitals">went into effect for insurance companies</a>&nbsp;in 2022, requiring them to post prices not only for hospital care, but also for outpatient centers and physician services.The new hospital requirements proposed by the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services help “catch up to what they did with health plans,” said Hal Andrews,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.trillianthealth.com/company">CEO and president of Trilliant Health</a>, a market research and analysis company.“It’s a step down the path to making the data more accessible” to data analysis firms that create online price comparison tools, said Jeff Leibach, a partner at the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://guidehouse.com/">consulting firm Guidehouse</a>. “And, ultimately, consumers who want to shop will then find this data more easily.” Many hospitals, insurers, and third-party data firms have made such cost comparison tools available.Even the new requirements may not resolve the demand that is central to the dystopian ad’s ice cream-seeking man: getting exact prices, in dollars and cents. Such specificity may remain elusive for some consumers, if only because of the nature of medical care.“Each patient is unique and uses a slightly different bundle of services,” said Anderson of Johns Hopkins. “You might be in the operating room for 30 minutes, or it might be 45. You might need this lab test and not that one.”The proposed rule&nbsp;would, for one thing, further standardize the data required so that reporting is more comparable between facilities. It also mandates hospitals make their data sets easier to find on their websites, which could help data aggregators and consumers alike, and puts administrators in the hot seat to attest that their hospitals have posted all the required information accurately.Individual hospitals that fail to post properly would face additional publicity by federal regulators: “Consider it a public naughty list,” said Marcus Dorstel, vice president of operations at data analysis firm Turquoise Health, which provides an online tool consumers can use to check prices across hospitals.In addition, the proposal adds a data category awkwardly called “consumer-friendly expected allowed charges,” aimed at giving more information tied to the varied ways hospitals set prices. In plainer language, those allowed amounts are what hospitals expect to be reimbursed by insurance companies.Some experts say that will be helpful.For example, Dorstel said, currently a service might not be listed as a particular dollar amount, but the hospital will show the price is based on “70% of charges.”“Without the expected allowed amount, that doesn’t tell you anything,” Dorstel said.Still, critics — such as Patient Rights Advocate, the group behind the new ad campaign — say that nodding to such allowed amounts will lead to even more estimates, rather than what they prefer: dollar-and-cent assessments.“You and I would not buy a blouse at an average estimated amount,” said Fisher.Health care isn’t like blouses or ice cream, responded executives from the American Hospital Association when asked about the advertisement and Fisher’s concerns about exact, upfront amounts. In many situations, for example, it may be hard to know ahead of time exactly what kind of care a patient will need.“Very few health services are so straightforward where you can expect no variation in the course of care,” which could then result in a different cost than the original assessment,” said Molly Smith,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ahip.org/people/molly-smith">AHA’s group vice president for public policy</a>. “Organizations are doing the best they can to provide the closest estimate. If something changes in the course of your care, that estimate might adjust.”While hospitals’ compliance with posting price information has improved, it still falls short, said Fisher, whose group&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.patientrightsadvocate.org/july-semi-annual-compliance-report-2023">in a July report</a>&nbsp;said only 36% of 2,000 hospitals it reviewed complied with all aspects of the current law, marking as deficient those that had incomplete data fields or used formulas instead of dollar prices.But the American Hospital Association says Fisher’s group “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aha.org/press-releases/2023-07-25-aha-statement-patient-rights-advocate-price-transparency-report">misconstrues” hospital compliance</a>, in part because hospitals are allowed to leave spaces blank, if, for example, they don’t have a cash-only price. And formulas are allowed if that is how the prices are set.The hospital group points instead to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2023-02-16-cms-70-hospitals-compliance-price-transparency-rules">CMS report from earlier this year</a>&nbsp;that showed compliance was increasing year over year. It said 70% of hospitals were compliant with the current requirements of the law.It took some doing to get that far. Since 2021, the federal government has sent more than 900 warning letters to hospitals about their posted data, with most resolving those concerns, according to the proposed rule. Four hospitals have been fined for failing to comply with the transparency law.<a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a>.

Proposed rule would make hospital prices even more transparent

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after it spun into an uncontrolled orbit, the country's Roscosmos space agency said Sunday.

The pilotless spacecraft was aiming to be the first ever to land on the south pole of the moon, an area where scientists believe there could be important reserves of frozen water and precious elements. It had been expected to land Monday.

However, Roscosmos said it lost contact with the Luna-25 on Saturday after the spacecraft ran into difficulties and reported an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-moon-mission-luna-25-glitch-0eccbb5427af29ca7fb4c90369389dbf">“abnormal situation</a>&nbsp;”.

“The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the moon,” read a statement from the agency.

The Luna-25 was in a race with an Indian spacecraft&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-lunar-mission-space-launch-d67a041cb93df070d191523680203653">launched on July 14</a>&nbsp;to be the first to reach the south pole. Both were expected to reach the moon between Aug. 21 and 23.

Vitaly Egorov, a popular Russian space analyst, said despite the crash the mission had some successes.

“Luna 25 showed important progress. It flew toward the Moon, carried out orbit correction, and tested onboard electronics and scientific tools," he said via videocall. "It even managed to collect some small scientific data during the flight and from the lunar orbit. It also sent photos of the Moon. Russian cosmonautics was not at this level before. But then, an error occurred somehow.”

The lunar mission was Russia’s first since 1976, when it was part of the Soviet Union. Only three governments have managed successful moon landings: the Soviet Union, the United States and China.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/more-water-on-moon-science-349b42556e36b99fd6a87295b34e39cf">lunar south pole</a>&nbsp;is of particular interest to scientists, who believe the permanently shadowed polar craters may contain frozen water in the rocks that future explorers could transform into air and rocket fuel.

A previous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8533918d2dd348d6819057968182c6f4">Indian attempt to land</a>&nbsp;at the south pole in 2019 ended when the spacecraft crashed into the moon’s surface.

Roscosmos said it wanted to show Russia “is a state capable of delivering a payload to the moon,” and “ensure Russia’s guaranteed access to the moon’s surface.”

Egorov said Roscosmos needs the experience of landing on the Moon.

“It will not be able to talk with China on equal terms, because China has already three successful landings on the moon, while Roscosmos has none,” he said. "Roscosmos will lag starkly behind the Chinese lunar program.”

Sanctions imposed on Russia since it began its actions in Ukraine have affected its space program, making it more difficult to access Western technology.

The Luna-25 was initially meant to carry a small moon rover but that idea was abandoned to reduce the weight of the craft for improved reliability, analysts said.

The craft launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East on Aug. 10. The spaceport is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d23d2e5dda5041c69e2a48ab8fc61b33">pet project</a>&nbsp;of Russian President Vladimir Putin and key to his efforts to make Russia a space superpower.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692533896521.png" alt="In this photo taken from video and released by Roscosmos State Space Corporation, the Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the moon lander Luna-25 automatic station takes off from a launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russia's Far East, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. The Russian space agency says its Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the moon. Russia’s unmanned robot lander crashed after it had spun into uncontrolled orbit, the country’s space agency Roscosmos reported on Sunday, Aug. 20. 2023. (Roscosmos State Space Corporation via AP)" />
 <figcaption>In this photo taken from video and released by Roscosmos State Space Corporation, the Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the moon lander Luna-25 automatic station takes off from a launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russia's Far East, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. The Russian space agency says its Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the moon. Russia’s unmanned robot lander crashed after it had spun into uncontrolled orbit, the country’s space agency Roscosmos reported on Sunday, Aug. 20. 2023. (Roscosmos State Space Corporation via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after it spun into an uncontrolled orbit, the country's Roscosmos space agency said Sunday.The pilotless spacecraft was aiming to be the first ever to land on the south pole of the moon, an area where scientists believe there could be important reserves of frozen water and precious elements. It had been expected to land Monday.However, Roscosmos said it lost contact with the Luna-25 on Saturday after the spacecraft ran into difficulties and reported an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-moon-mission-luna-25-glitch-0eccbb5427af29ca7fb4c90369389dbf">“abnormal situation</a>&nbsp;”.“The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the moon,” read a statement from the agency.The Luna-25 was in a race with an Indian spacecraft&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-lunar-mission-space-launch-d67a041cb93df070d191523680203653">launched on July 14</a>&nbsp;to be the first to reach the south pole. Both were expected to reach the moon between Aug. 21 and 23.Vitaly Egorov, a popular Russian space analyst, said despite the crash the mission had some successes.“Luna 25 showed important progress. It flew toward the Moon, carried out orbit correction, and tested onboard electronics and scientific tools," he said via videocall. "It even managed to collect some small scientific data during the flight and from the lunar orbit. It also sent photos of the Moon. Russian cosmonautics was not at this level before. But then, an error occurred somehow.”The lunar mission was Russia’s first since 1976, when it was part of the Soviet Union. Only three governments have managed successful moon landings: the Soviet Union, the United States and China.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/more-water-on-moon-science-349b42556e36b99fd6a87295b34e39cf">lunar south pole</a>&nbsp;is of particular interest to scientists, who believe the permanently shadowed polar craters may contain frozen water in the rocks that future explorers could transform into air and rocket fuel.A previous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8533918d2dd348d6819057968182c6f4">Indian attempt to land</a>&nbsp;at the south pole in 2019 ended when the spacecraft crashed into the moon’s surface.Roscosmos said it wanted to show Russia “is a state capable of delivering a payload to the moon,” and “ensure Russia’s guaranteed access to the moon’s surface.”Egorov said Roscosmos needs the experience of landing on the Moon.“It will not be able to talk with China on equal terms, because China has already three successful landings on the moon, while Roscosmos has none,” he said. "Roscosmos will lag starkly behind the Chinese lunar program.”Sanctions imposed on Russia since it began its actions in Ukraine have affected its space program, making it more difficult to access Western technology.The Luna-25 was initially meant to carry a small moon rover but that idea was abandoned to reduce the weight of the craft for improved reliability, analysts said.The craft launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East on Aug. 10. The spaceport is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d23d2e5dda5041c69e2a48ab8fc61b33">pet project</a>&nbsp;of Russian President Vladimir Putin and key to his efforts to make Russia a space superpower.

Putin's pet project: Russian spacecraft crashed into the moon 

CRAWFORD COUNTY&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office renew their request to the public for any information that may help resolve the 1993 disappearance of Ginger Hudson.

Ginger May Hudson was 33 years old when she went missing from Pittsburg, Kansas on Aug. 19, 1993. This Saturday, Aug. 19, will mark 30 years since she suddenly disappeared.

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 </figure>CRAWFORD COUNTY&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office renew their request to the public for any information that may help resolve the 1993 disappearance of Ginger Hudson.Ginger May Hudson was 33 years old when she went missing from Pittsburg, Kansas on Aug. 19, 1993. This Saturday, Aug. 19, will mark 30 years since she suddenly disappeared.Ginger was last seen by a neighbor around 3:30 p.m. outside her mobile home, which was one-eighth of a mile north of 560th&nbsp;Ave. on 180th&nbsp;Street in Pittsburg. When Ginger’s boyfriend arrived home around 7:30 p.m., Ginger was gone but all of her belongings had been left behind. Ginger is a white female, who was 5 foot 4 inches tall and weighed around 150 pounds. She had auburn hair, hazel eyes and a surgical scar on the inside of her bottom lip. Ginger was last known wearing a white, sleeveless shirt and dark-colored shorts. Today Ginger would be 63 years old.Ginger had four young children, and it would be unlike her to abruptly leave. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance.We thank the public for the tips provided in this case over the years. We urge anyone who knows even the slightest detail related to Ginger’s disappearance to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office at 620-724-8274. Information can also be submitted anonymously at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.