KANSAS CITY(AP) — Entering court using a walker, a doctor's note clutched in his hand, 70-year-old Dana Williams, who suffers serious heart problems, hypertension and asthma, pleaded to delay eviction from his two-bedroom apartment in Atlanta.

Although sympathetic, the judge said state law required him to evict Williams and his 25-year-old daughter De’mai Williams in April because they owed $8,348 in unpaid rent and fees on their $940-a-month apartment.

They have been living in limbo ever since.

They moved into a dilapidated Atlanta hotel room with water dripping through the bathroom ceiling, broken furniture and no refrigerator or microwave. But at $275-a-week, it was all they could afford on Williams' $900 monthly social security check and the $800 his daughter gets biweekly from a state agency as her father’s caretaker.

“I really don’t want to be here by the time his birthday comes" in August, De'mai Williams said. "For his health, it’s just not right.”

The Williams family is among millions of tenants from New York state to Las Vegas who have been evicted or face imminent eviction.

After a lull during the pandemic, eviction filings by landlords have come roaring back, driven by rising rents and a long-running shortage of affordable housing. Most low-income tenants can no longer count on pandemic resources that had kept them housed, and many are finding it hard to recover because they haven't found steady work or their wages haven't kept pace with the rising cost of rent, food and other necessities.

“Protections have ended, the federal moratorium is obviously over, and emergency rental assistance money has dried up in most places,” said Daniel Grubbs-Donovan, a research specialist at Princeton University's Eviction Lab.

“Across the country, low-income renters are in an even worse situation than before the pandemic due to things like massive increases in rent during the pandemic, inflation and other pandemic-era related financial difficulties.”

Eviction filings are more than 50% higher than the pre-pandemic average in some cities, according to the Eviction Lab, which tracks filings in nearly three dozen cities and 10 states. Landlords file around 3.6 million eviction cases every year.

Among the hardest-hit are Houston, where rates were 56% higher in April and 50% higher in May. In Minneapolis/St. Paul, rates rose 106% in March, 55% in April and 63% in May. Nashville was 35% higher and Phoenix 33% higher in May; Rhode Island was up 32% in May.

The latest data mirrors trends that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-homelessness-a06212c8b671f066ea70fe57737f6e2a">started last year</a>, with the Eviction Lab finding nearly 970,000 evictions filed in locations it tracks — a 78.6% increase compared to 2021, when much of the country was following an eviction moratorium. By December, eviction filings were nearly back to pre-pandemic levels.

At the same time, rent prices nationwide are up about 5% from a year ago and 30.5% above 2019, according to the real estate company Zillow. There are few places for displaced tenants to go, with the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimating a 7.3 million shortfall of affordable units nationwide.

Many vulnerable tenants would have been evicted long ago if not for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-f0085d9d4547b897a27323bb95cc890c">a safety net created during the pandemic</a>.

The federal government, as well as many states and localities, issued moratoriums during the pandemic that put evictions on hold; most have now ended. There was also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-260b9c88a08a1ccb78494c8664887cf9">$46.5 billion in federal Emergency Rental Assistance</a>&nbsp;that helped tenants pay rent and funded other tenant protections. Much of that has been spent or allocated, and calls for additional resources have failed to gain traction in Congress.

“The disturbing rise of evictions to pre-pandemic levels is an alarming reminder of the need for us to act — at every level of government — to keep folks safely housed," said Democratic U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, urging Congress to pass a bill cracking down on illegal evictions, fund legal help for tenants and keep evictions off credit reports.

Housing courts are again filling up and ensnaring the likes of 79-year-old Maria Jackson.

Jackson worked for nearly two decades building a loyal clientele as a massage therapist in Las Vegas, which has seen one of the country's biggest jumps in eviction filings. That evaporated during the pandemic-triggered shutdown in March 2020. Her business fell apart; she sold her car and applied for food stamps.

She got behind on the $1,083 monthly rent on her one-bedroom apartment, and owing $12,489 in back rent was evicted in March. She moved in with a former client about an hour northeast of Las Vegas.

“Who could imagine this happening to someone who has worked all their life?” Jackson asked.

Last month she found a room in Las Vegas for $400 a month, paid for with her $1,241 monthly social security check. It's not home, but “I'm one of the lucky ones,” she said.

“I could be in a tent or at a shelter right now."

In upstate New York, evictions are rising after a moratorium lifted last year. Forty of the state's 62 counties had higher eviction filings in 2022 than before the pandemic, including two where eviction filings more than doubled compared to 2019.

“How do we care for the folks who are evicted ... when the capacity is not in place and ready to roll out in places that haven’t experienced a lot of eviction recently?” said Russell Weaver, whose Cornell University lab tracks evictions statewide.

Housing advocates had hoped the Democrat-controlled state Legislature would pass a bill requiring landlords to provide justification for evicting tenants and limit rent increases to 3% or 1.5 times inflation. But it was excluded from the state budget and lawmakers failed to pass it before the legislative session ended this month.

“Our state Legislature should have fought harder,” said Oscar Brewer, a tenant organizer facing eviction from the apartment he shares with his 6-year-old daughter in Rochester.

In Texas, evictions were kept down during the pandemic by federal assistance and the moratoriums. But as protections went away, housing prices skyrocketed in Austin, Dallas and elsewhere, leading to a record 270,000 eviction filings statewide in 2022.

Advocates were hoping the state Legislature might provide relief, directing some of the $32 billion budget surplus into rental assistance. But that hasn't happened.

“It’s a huge mistake to miss our shot here,” said Ben Martin, a research director at nonprofit Texas Housers. “If we don’t address it, now, the crisis is going to get worse.”

Still, some pandemic protections are being made permanent, and having an impact on eviction rates. Nationwide, 200 measures have passed since January 2021, including legal representation for tenants, sealing eviction records and mediation to resolve cases before they reach court, said the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

These measures are credited with keeping eviction filings down in several cities, including New York City and Philadelphia — 41% below pre-pandemic levels in May for the former and 33% for the latter.

A right-to-counsel program and the fact that housing courts aren't prosecuting cases involving rent arears are among the factors keeping New York City filings down.

In Philadelphia, 70% of the more than 5,000 tenants and landlords who took part in the eviction diversion program resolved their cases. The city also set aside $30 million in assistance for those with less than $3,000 in arears, and started a right-to-counsel program, doubling representation rates for tenants.

The future is not so bright for Williams and his daughter, who remain stuck in their dimly-lit hotel room. Without even a microwave or nearby grocery stores, they rely on pizza deliveries and snacks from the hotel vending machine.

Williams used to love having his six grandchildren over for dinner at his old apartment, but those days are over for now.

“I just want to be able to host my grandchildren,” he said, pausing to cough heavily. “I just want to live somewhere where they can come and sit down and hang out with me.”

KANSAS CITY(AP) — Entering court using a walker, a doctor's note clutched in his hand, 70-year-old Dana Williams, who suffers serious heart problems, hypertension and asthma, pleaded to delay eviction from his two-bedroom apartment in Atlanta.Although sympathetic, the judge said state law required him to evict Williams and his 25-year-old daughter De’mai Williams in April because they owed $8,348 in unpaid rent and fees on their $940-a-month apartment.They have been living in limbo ever since.They moved into a dilapidated Atlanta hotel room with water dripping through the bathroom ceiling, broken furniture and no refrigerator or microwave. But at $275-a-week, it was all they could afford on Williams' $900 monthly social security check and the $800 his daughter gets biweekly from a state agency as her father’s caretaker.“I really don’t want to be here by the time his birthday comes" in August, De'mai Williams said. "For his health, it’s just not right.”The Williams family is among millions of tenants from New York state to Las Vegas who have been evicted or face imminent eviction.After a lull during the pandemic, eviction filings by landlords have come roaring back, driven by rising rents and a long-running shortage of affordable housing. Most low-income tenants can no longer count on pandemic resources that had kept them housed, and many are finding it hard to recover because they haven't found steady work or their wages haven't kept pace with the rising cost of rent, food and other necessities.Homelessness, as a result, is rising.“Protections have ended, the federal moratorium is obviously over, and emergency rental assistance money has dried up in most places,” said Daniel Grubbs-Donovan, a research specialist at Princeton University's Eviction Lab.“Across the country, low-income renters are in an even worse situation than before the pandemic due to things like massive increases in rent during the pandemic, inflation and other pandemic-era related financial difficulties.”Eviction filings are more than 50% higher than the pre-pandemic average in some cities, according to the Eviction Lab, which tracks filings in nearly three dozen cities and 10 states. Landlords file around 3.6 million eviction cases every year.Among the hardest-hit are Houston, where rates were 56% higher in April and 50% higher in May. In Minneapolis/St. Paul, rates rose 106% in March, 55% in April and 63% in May. Nashville was 35% higher and Phoenix 33% higher in May; Rhode Island was up 32% in May.The latest data mirrors trends that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-homelessness-a06212c8b671f066ea70fe57737f6e2a">started last year</a>, with the Eviction Lab finding nearly 970,000 evictions filed in locations it tracks — a 78.6% increase compared to 2021, when much of the country was following an eviction moratorium. By December, eviction filings were nearly back to pre-pandemic levels.At the same time, rent prices nationwide are up about 5% from a year ago and 30.5% above 2019, according to the real estate company Zillow. There are few places for displaced tenants to go, with the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimating a 7.3 million shortfall of affordable units nationwide.Many vulnerable tenants would have been evicted long ago if not for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-f0085d9d4547b897a27323bb95cc890c">a safety net created during the pandemic</a>.The federal government, as well as many states and localities, issued moratoriums during the pandemic that put evictions on hold; most have now ended. There was also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-260b9c88a08a1ccb78494c8664887cf9">$46.5 billion in federal Emergency Rental Assistance</a>&nbsp;that helped tenants pay rent and funded other tenant protections. Much of that has been spent or allocated, and calls for additional resources have failed to gain traction in Congress.“The disturbing rise of evictions to pre-pandemic levels is an alarming reminder of the need for us to act — at every level of government — to keep folks safely housed," said Democratic U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, urging Congress to pass a bill cracking down on illegal evictions, fund legal help for tenants and keep evictions off credit reports.Housing courts are again filling up and ensnaring the likes of 79-year-old Maria Jackson.Jackson worked for nearly two decades building a loyal clientele as a massage therapist in Las Vegas, which has seen one of the country's biggest jumps in eviction filings. That evaporated during the pandemic-triggered shutdown in March 2020. Her business fell apart; she sold her car and applied for food stamps.She got behind on the $1,083 monthly rent on her one-bedroom apartment, and owing $12,489 in back rent was evicted in March. She moved in with a former client about an hour northeast of Las Vegas.“Who could imagine this happening to someone who has worked all their life?” Jackson asked.Last month she found a room in Las Vegas for $400 a month, paid for with her $1,241 monthly social security check. It's not home, but “I'm one of the lucky ones,” she said.“I could be in a tent or at a shelter right now."In upstate New York, evictions are rising after a moratorium lifted last year. Forty of the state's 62 counties had higher eviction filings in 2022 than before the pandemic, including two where eviction filings more than doubled compared to 2019.“How do we care for the folks who are evicted ... when the capacity is not in place and ready to roll out in places that haven’t experienced a lot of eviction recently?” said Russell Weaver, whose Cornell University lab tracks evictions statewide.Housing advocates had hoped the Democrat-controlled state Legislature would pass a bill requiring landlords to provide justification for evicting tenants and limit rent increases to 3% or 1.5 times inflation. But it was excluded from the state budget and lawmakers failed to pass it before the legislative session ended this month.“Our state Legislature should have fought harder,” said Oscar Brewer, a tenant organizer facing eviction from the apartment he shares with his 6-year-old daughter in Rochester.In Texas, evictions were kept down during the pandemic by federal assistance and the moratoriums. But as protections went away, housing prices skyrocketed in Austin, Dallas and elsewhere, leading to a record 270,000 eviction filings statewide in 2022.Advocates were hoping the state Legislature might provide relief, directing some of the $32 billion budget surplus into rental assistance. But that hasn't happened.“It’s a huge mistake to miss our shot here,” said Ben Martin, a research director at nonprofit Texas Housers. “If we don’t address it, now, the crisis is going to get worse.”Still, some pandemic protections are being made permanent, and having an impact on eviction rates. Nationwide, 200 measures have passed since January 2021, including legal representation for tenants, sealing eviction records and mediation to resolve cases before they reach court, said the National Low Income Housing Coalition.These measures are credited with keeping eviction filings down in several cities, including New York City and Philadelphia — 41% below pre-pandemic levels in May for the former and 33% for the latter.A right-to-counsel program and the fact that housing courts aren't prosecuting cases involving rent arears are among the factors keeping New York City filings down.In Philadelphia, 70% of the more than 5,000 tenants and landlords who took part in the eviction diversion program resolved their cases. The city also set aside $30 million in assistance for those with less than $3,000 in arears, and started a right-to-counsel program, doubling representation rates for tenants.The future is not so bright for Williams and his daughter, who remain stuck in their dimly-lit hotel room. Without even a microwave or nearby grocery stores, they rely on pizza deliveries and snacks from the hotel vending machine.Williams used to love having his six grandchildren over for dinner at his old apartment, but those days are over for now.“I just want to be able to host my grandchildren,” he said, pausing to cough heavily. “I just want to live somewhere where they can come and sit down and hang out with me.”___

Eviction filings are 50% higher than they were pre-pandemic

By LIZA GROSS <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

The makers of Roundup, the world’s top weedkiller, will pay $6.9 million for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/settlements-agreements/bayer-cropscience-and-monsanto-aod.pdf">violating an agreement</a>&nbsp;with the state of New York to stop making false claims about the safety of its best-selling herbicides.

Bayer and Monsanto, a Missouri company acquired by the German agrochemical giant for $63 billion in 2018, violated a 1996 agreement with the state of New York to “immediately cease and desist” from making false and misleading claims about glyphosate-based Roundup products, the New York attorney general’s office announced Thursday.

Studies have linked glyphosate, the active ingredient in many Roundup products, to a wide range of harmful effects in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721004654">pollinators</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-020-00574-1">lab animals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1542356519303611">people</a>. In March, a first of its kind&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP11721">study</a>&nbsp;linked Roundup to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17032023/roundup-glyphosate-health-kids/">liver and metabolic disease</a>&nbsp;in children.

Yet Bayer and Monsanto repeatedly advertised glyphosate-based Roundup products as safe and nontoxic without adequate substantiation, Attorney General Letitia&nbsp;James determined in an investigation that started three years ago.

These claims violated state laws against false and misleading advertising as well as a previous settlement the attorney general’s office&nbsp;reached with Monsanto in 1996. The 1996 settlement cited Monsanto ads claiming its glyphosate-based herbicides are “practically nontoxic” and “less toxic than certain common household products,” claims the attorney general concluded constituted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/fraud.pdf">false and misleading advertising</a>.

Monsanto in turn committed to stop making unsubstantiated claims about the safety of its glyphosate-based Roundup products, and agreed to pay the state $50,000 in costs.

In 2020, the attorney general’s office launched a new review of Bayer and Monsanto’s advertising materials and asked the companies to provide evidence backing up claims that the products are safe.

The investigation discovered multiple instances of false or misleading safety claims on multiple platforms and by Bayer employees, including assertions that ingredients in Roundup products are less toxic than dish detergent and soap.

“Once again, Monsanto and the company’s current owner, Bayer, made false and misleading claims about the safety of their products, but we will not allow them to get away with endangering our environment,” James said in a statement. “My office will continue to protect the health of New York’s environment by ensuring our laws are respected and followed.”

The agreement cites at least five examples of online videos claiming that Roundup weed and grass killer products “won’t harm anything but weeds.” The ads are no longer publicly available, in keeping with terms of the agreement.

In one case, Bayer’s website claimed that glyphosate-based Roundup products do not result in adverse effects to honey bees or pose a threat to the health of animal wildlife. “In fact, glyphosate is an important tool that can help preserve the environment and biodiversity,” the chemical giant, valued at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ycharts.com/companies/BAYRY/market_cap">$55 billion</a>, said. Bayer removed the web page as required, though it was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220319100202/https://www.bayer.com/en/glyphosate/glyphosate-homeowner-use">captured</a>&nbsp;by the Internet Archive.

The company also removed a page claiming that because glyphosate allows farmers to reduce tillage practices, which releases greenhouse gases from soil, it protects the environment for insects, birds and wildlife, including pollinators. That page, too, is now available only on the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bayer.com/en/not-found">&nbsp;Internet Archive</a>.

These marketing materials violate state laws on business fraud, false and misleading advertising and Monsanto’s obligations under the 1996 agreement, the attorney general’s office found.

James said in a statement that pesticides can cause serious harm to the environment and pose a deadly threat to wildlife, including pollinators and other species vital to agriculture. “It is essential that pesticide companies, even and especially the most powerful ones, are honest with consumers about the dangers posed by their products so that they can be used responsibly,” she said.

“We are pleased that the New York Attorney General’s Office has completed its investigation,” a Bayer spokesperson said, adding that the company was glad to reach an agreement to resolve the issue. The attorney general “made no findings regarding the safety of Roundup products and no scientific conclusion that they have caused harm to pollinators or aquatic species,” the spokesperson added.

The investigation did, however, note several scientific studies reporting evidence of harm to pollinators, whose numbers are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/pollinators-climateimpact.htm#:~:text=Humans%20also%20rely%20on%20pollinators,populations%20that%20pollinators%20depend%20on.">declining for multiple</a>&nbsp;potential reasons scientists believe, including widespread use of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S3fHEFA41NtUkUM8ajct8Oc0AizU4zlfP_UW612E7Nc/edit?usp=sharing">herbicides like glyphosate</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004896972100855X">climate change</a>.

Recent studies show that glyphosate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8320642/">disrupts enzymes</a>&nbsp;in gut microbes essential for health in people and other animals and that the herbicide may harm pollinators and aquatic organisms. One study, by a leading expert on how microbes affect their hosts, found that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1803880115">glyphosate upsets microflora</a>&nbsp;in bees’ guts, making them more susceptible to infection.

The investigation cited these studies to determine that Bayer and Monsanto failed to substantiate advertising claims that Roundup weed- and grass killer products are safe and nontoxic and “won’t harm anything but weeds.”

The attorney general’s office also noted that Bayer and Monsanto “neither admit nor deny” the findings. In addition, the office noted that Bayer intends to stop selling glyphosate-based products in 2023, as a result of settling lawsuits worth billions of dollars alleging the products cause cancer in humans.The investigation did not, however, focus on glyphosate’s effects on humans. The products are still available in New York stores.

The attorney general’s office accepted the $6.9 million payment, due within 10 days of the agreement, and the companies’ assurance that they would “cease and desist” from publishing or broadcasting ads in New York that claim Roundup products are safe, nontoxic and harmless to pollinators and aquatic organisms.

The money will be used for pollinator research, management and programs designed to restore pollinator habitat and mitigate environmental pollution affecting bees and other pollinators.

If the agrochemical giants violate these terms, they must pay $100,000 in each case.

This article originally appeared on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15062023/roundup-weedkiller-settlement-neww-york-ag/">Inside Climate News</a>, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter/">here</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593022262288.png" alt="Roundup’s manufacturer, the multinational Bayer, must pay $6.9 million for violating an agreement with the state of New York to stop making false claims.-file photo" />
 <figcaption>Roundup’s manufacturer, the multinational Bayer, must pay $6.9 million for violating an agreement with the state of New York to stop making false claims.-file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By LIZA GROSS <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>The makers of Roundup, the world’s top weedkiller, will pay $6.9 million for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/settlements-agreements/bayer-cropscience-and-monsanto-aod.pdf">violating an agreement</a>&nbsp;with the state of New York to stop making false claims about the safety of its best-selling herbicides.Bayer and Monsanto, a Missouri company acquired by the German agrochemical giant for $63 billion in 2018, violated a 1996 agreement with the state of New York to “immediately cease and desist” from making false and misleading claims about glyphosate-based Roundup products, the New York attorney general’s office announced Thursday.Studies have linked glyphosate, the active ingredient in many Roundup products, to a wide range of harmful effects in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721004654">pollinators</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-020-00574-1">lab animals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1542356519303611">people</a>. In March, a first of its kind&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP11721">study</a>&nbsp;linked Roundup to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17032023/roundup-glyphosate-health-kids/">liver and metabolic disease</a>&nbsp;in children.Yet Bayer and Monsanto repeatedly advertised glyphosate-based Roundup products as safe and nontoxic without adequate substantiation, Attorney General Letitia&nbsp;James determined in an investigation that started three years ago.These claims violated state laws against false and misleading advertising as well as a previous settlement the attorney general’s office&nbsp;reached with Monsanto in 1996. The 1996 settlement cited Monsanto ads claiming its glyphosate-based herbicides are “practically nontoxic” and “less toxic than certain common household products,” claims the attorney general concluded constituted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/fraud.pdf">false and misleading advertising</a>.Monsanto in turn committed to stop making unsubstantiated claims about the safety of its glyphosate-based Roundup products, and agreed to pay the state $50,000 in costs.In 2020, the attorney general’s office launched a new review of Bayer and Monsanto’s advertising materials and asked the companies to provide evidence backing up claims that the products are safe.The investigation discovered multiple instances of false or misleading safety claims on multiple platforms and by Bayer employees, including assertions that ingredients in Roundup products are less toxic than dish detergent and soap.“Once again, Monsanto and the company’s current owner, Bayer, made false and misleading claims about the safety of their products, but we will not allow them to get away with endangering our environment,” James said in a statement. “My office will continue to protect the health of New York’s environment by ensuring our laws are respected and followed.”The agreement cites at least five examples of online videos claiming that Roundup weed and grass killer products “won’t harm anything but weeds.” The ads are no longer publicly available, in keeping with terms of the agreement.In one case, Bayer’s website claimed that glyphosate-based Roundup products do not result in adverse effects to honey bees or pose a threat to the health of animal wildlife. “In fact, glyphosate is an important tool that can help preserve the environment and biodiversity,” the chemical giant, valued at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ycharts.com/companies/BAYRY/market_cap">$55 billion</a>, said. Bayer removed the web page as required, though it was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220319100202/https://www.bayer.com/en/glyphosate/glyphosate-homeowner-use">captured</a>&nbsp;by the Internet Archive.The company also removed a page claiming that because glyphosate allows farmers to reduce tillage practices, which releases greenhouse gases from soil, it protects the environment for insects, birds and wildlife, including pollinators. That page, too, is now available only on the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bayer.com/en/not-found">&nbsp;Internet Archive</a>.These marketing materials violate state laws on business fraud, false and misleading advertising and Monsanto’s obligations under the 1996 agreement, the attorney general’s office found.James said in a statement that pesticides can cause serious harm to the environment and pose a deadly threat to wildlife, including pollinators and other species vital to agriculture. “It is essential that pesticide companies, even and especially the most powerful ones, are honest with consumers about the dangers posed by their products so that they can be used responsibly,” she said.“We are pleased that the New York Attorney General’s Office has completed its investigation,” a Bayer spokesperson said, adding that the company was glad to reach an agreement to resolve the issue. The attorney general “made no findings regarding the safety of Roundup products and no scientific conclusion that they have caused harm to pollinators or aquatic species,” the spokesperson added.The investigation did, however, note several scientific studies reporting evidence of harm to pollinators, whose numbers are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/pollinators-climateimpact.htm#:~:text=Humans%20also%20rely%20on%20pollinators,populations%20that%20pollinators%20depend%20on.">declining for multiple</a>&nbsp;potential reasons scientists believe, including widespread use of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S3fHEFA41NtUkUM8ajct8Oc0AizU4zlfP_UW612E7Nc/edit?usp=sharing">herbicides like glyphosate</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004896972100855X">climate change</a>.Recent studies show that glyphosate&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8320642/">disrupts enzymes</a>&nbsp;in gut microbes essential for health in people and other animals and that the herbicide may harm pollinators and aquatic organisms. One study, by a leading expert on how microbes affect their hosts, found that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1803880115">glyphosate upsets microflora</a>&nbsp;in bees’ guts, making them more susceptible to infection.The investigation cited these studies to determine that Bayer and Monsanto failed to substantiate advertising claims that Roundup weed- and grass killer products are safe and nontoxic and “won’t harm anything but weeds.”The attorney general’s office also noted that Bayer and Monsanto “neither admit nor deny” the findings. In addition, the office noted that Bayer intends to stop selling glyphosate-based products in 2023, as a result of settling lawsuits worth billions of dollars alleging the products cause cancer in humans.The investigation did not, however, focus on glyphosate’s effects on humans. The products are still available in New York stores.The attorney general’s office accepted the $6.9 million payment, due within 10 days of the agreement, and the companies’ assurance that they would “cease and desist” from publishing or broadcasting ads in New York that claim Roundup products are safe, nontoxic and harmless to pollinators and aquatic organisms.The money will be used for pollinator research, management and programs designed to restore pollinator habitat and mitigate environmental pollution affecting bees and other pollinators.If the agrochemical giants violate these terms, they must pay $100,000 in each case. This article originally appeared on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15062023/roundup-weedkiller-settlement-neww-york-ag/">Inside Climate News</a>, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/newsletter/">here</a>.&nbsp;

Roundup weedkiller manufacturers to pay $6.9 million in false ad settlement

OMAHA (AP) — Americans across the country this weekend celebrated Juneteenth, marking the relatively&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/juneteenth-holiday-beginner-celebration-guide-460084b8008206febf23bd8d083170fa">new national holiday</a>&nbsp;with cookouts, parades and other gatherings as they commemorated the end of slavery after the Civil War.

While many have treated the long holiday weekend as a reason for a party, others urged quiet reflection on America's often violent and oppressive treatment of its Black citizens. And still others have remarked at the strangeness of celebrating a federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the nation while many Americans are trying to stop parts of that history from being taught in public schools.

“Is&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Juneteenth?src=hashtag_click">#Juneteenth</a>&nbsp;the only federal holiday that some states have banned the teaching of its history and significance?” Author Michelle Duster asked on Twitter this weekend, referring to measures in Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama prohibiting an Advancement Placement African American studies course or the teaching of certain concepts of race and racism.

Monday’s federal holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued during the bloody Civil War.

On Juneteenth weekend, a Roman Catholic church in Detroit devoted its service to urging parishioners to take a deeper look at the lessons from the holiday.

“In order to have justice we must work for peace. And in order to have peace we must work for justice,” John Thorne, executive director of the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance, said to the congregation at Gesu Catholic Church in Detroit.

Standing before paintings of a Black Jesus and Mary, Thorne said Juneteenth is a day of celebration, but it also “has to be much more.”

It was important to speak about Juneteenth during Sunday Mass, the Rev. Lorn Snow told a reporter as the service was ending.

“The struggle’s still not over with. There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said.

Most Black Americans agree, according to a recent poll. A full 70% of Black adults&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-only-on-ap-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-police-9a73b306d00aa423e330d26d99f973a1">queried in a AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;said “a lot” needs to be done to achieve equal treatment for African Americans in policing. And Black Americans suffer from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-americans-health-disparities-takeaways-434d87016d1e1e7ebd88752792be9acc">significantly worse health outcomes than their white peers</a>&nbsp;across a variety of measures, including rates of maternal mortality, asthma, high blood pressure and Alzheimer's disease.

Although end-of-slavery celebrations are new in many parts of the country, in Memphis, where the slave trade once thrived, the Juneteenth holiday has been celebrated since long before it became a designated federal holiday in 2021. The Tennessee Legislature passed a bill earlier this year making it a state holiday, as well.

Festivities there include a multi-day festival including food, music, arts and crafts, and cultural exhibitions in a tree-lined park in the city's medical district. The Memphis park once held an equestrian statue and the grave of slave trader and Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest. The statue and the body were moved in recent years.

Memphis is home to the National Civil Rights Museum located at the site of the old Lorraine Motel, the former Black-owned hotel where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in 1968. The museum is offering free admission on Monday to mark the holiday. At the museum, visitors can hear recorded speeches from civil rights leaders including King, Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers and others.

Ryan Jones, the museum’s associate curator, said Juneteenth should be celebrated in the U.S. with the same emphasis that July 4 receives as Independence Day.

“It is the independence of a people that were forced to endure oppression and discrimination based on the color of their skin,” Jones said.

The Juneteenth holiday, Jones said, should also be viewed as more than a day when people attend parties and cookouts. In fact, he said, it is a time to reflect on the past.

“It acknowledges the sacrifices of those early civil rights veterans between World War I and World War II, and of course in the modern society, the protests, the demonstrations, the non-violence, the marches,” Jones said.

As Americans gathered to mark the holiday, it wasn't without incident. In a Chicago suburb late Saturday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/willowbrook-illinois-party-shooting-a730bb6b0dbfbfd31b89f9784d469edc">one person was killed and 22 were injured</a>&nbsp;in a shooting still being investigated Sunday by police. One witness said the party in the parking lot of a Willowbrook, Illinois, strip-mall was a Juneteenth celebration.

The White House released a statement Sunday afternoon, saying: “The President and First Lady are thinking of those killed and injured in the shooting in Illinois last night. We have reached out to offer assistance to state and local leaders in the wake of this tragedy at a community Juneteenth celebration.”

The holiday observance continues Monday with Vice President Kamala Harris appearing on a CNN special with musical guests including Miguel and Charlie Wilson.

Schools and federal buildings will be closed Monday.

OMAHA (AP) — Americans across the country this weekend celebrated Juneteenth, marking the relatively&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/juneteenth-holiday-beginner-celebration-guide-460084b8008206febf23bd8d083170fa">new national holiday</a>&nbsp;with cookouts, parades and other gatherings as they commemorated the end of slavery after the Civil War.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FOmahaPoliceDepartment%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0Rcf2oREpuzFD7vqweo5ZNVAoMRUsRBwM2ZwAxbNnCm3mqCLDfRpwKDQ9KLTPkHrvl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="562" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>While many have treated the long holiday weekend as a reason for a party, others urged quiet reflection on America's often violent and oppressive treatment of its Black citizens. And still others have remarked at the strangeness of celebrating a federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the nation while many Americans are trying to stop parts of that history from being taught in public schools.“Is&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Juneteenth?src=hashtag_click">#Juneteenth</a>&nbsp;the only federal holiday that some states have banned the teaching of its history and significance?” Author Michelle Duster asked on Twitter this weekend, referring to measures in Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama prohibiting an Advancement Placement African American studies course or the teaching of certain concepts of race and racism.Monday’s federal holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued during the bloody Civil War.On Juneteenth weekend, a Roman Catholic church in Detroit devoted its service to urging parishioners to take a deeper look at the lessons from the holiday.“In order to have justice we must work for peace. And in order to have peace we must work for justice,” John Thorne, executive director of the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance, said to the congregation at Gesu Catholic Church in Detroit.Standing before paintings of a Black Jesus and Mary, Thorne said Juneteenth is a day of celebration, but it also “has to be much more.”It was important to speak about Juneteenth during Sunday Mass, the Rev. Lorn Snow told a reporter as the service was ending.“The struggle’s still not over with. There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said.Most Black Americans agree, according to a recent poll. A full 70% of Black adults&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-only-on-ap-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-police-9a73b306d00aa423e330d26d99f973a1">queried in a AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;said “a lot” needs to be done to achieve equal treatment for African Americans in policing. And Black Americans suffer from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-americans-health-disparities-takeaways-434d87016d1e1e7ebd88752792be9acc">significantly worse health outcomes than their white peers</a>&nbsp;across a variety of measures, including rates of maternal mortality, asthma, high blood pressure and Alzheimer's disease.Although end-of-slavery celebrations are new in many parts of the country, in Memphis, where the slave trade once thrived, the Juneteenth holiday has been celebrated since long before it became a designated federal holiday in 2021. The Tennessee Legislature passed a bill earlier this year making it a state holiday, as well.Festivities there include a multi-day festival including food, music, arts and crafts, and cultural exhibitions in a tree-lined park in the city's medical district. The Memphis park once held an equestrian statue and the grave of slave trader and Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest. The statue and the body were moved in recent years.Memphis is home to the National Civil Rights Museum located at the site of the old Lorraine Motel, the former Black-owned hotel where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in 1968. The museum is offering free admission on Monday to mark the holiday. At the museum, visitors can hear recorded speeches from civil rights leaders including King, Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers and others.Ryan Jones, the museum’s associate curator, said Juneteenth should be celebrated in the U.S. with the same emphasis that July 4 receives as Independence Day.“It is the independence of a people that were forced to endure oppression and discrimination based on the color of their skin,” Jones said.The Juneteenth holiday, Jones said, should also be viewed as more than a day when people attend parties and cookouts. In fact, he said, it is a time to reflect on the past.“It acknowledges the sacrifices of those early civil rights veterans between World War I and World War II, and of course in the modern society, the protests, the demonstrations, the non-violence, the marches,” Jones said.As Americans gathered to mark the holiday, it wasn't without incident. In a Chicago suburb late Saturday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/willowbrook-illinois-party-shooting-a730bb6b0dbfbfd31b89f9784d469edc">one person was killed and 22 were injured</a>&nbsp;in a shooting still being investigated Sunday by police. One witness said the party in the parking lot of a Willowbrook, Illinois, strip-mall was a Juneteenth celebration.The White House released a statement Sunday afternoon, saying: “The President and First Lady are thinking of those killed and injured in the shooting in Illinois last night. We have reached out to offer assistance to state and local leaders in the wake of this tragedy at a community Juneteenth celebration.”The holiday observance continues Monday with Vice President Kamala Harris appearing on a CNN special with musical guests including Miguel and Charlie Wilson.Schools and federal buildings will be closed Monday.

Nebraskans mark Juneteenth with parties, events and quiet reflection on the end of slavery

BEIJING (AP) — The United States and China have pledged to stabilize their badly deteriorated ties during a critical visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi pronounced himself satisfied with progress made during talks in Beijing. But, Blinken told media, China refused to resume military to military communications, a U.S. priority.

It remains to be seen whether the two countries can resolve their most important disagreements, many of which have international financial, security and stability implications.

The two sides expressed a willingness to hold more talks, but there was little indication that either is prepared to bend from its positions on issues including trade, Taiwan, human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong, Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea, and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Blinken said later that the U.S. set limited objectives for the trip, and achieved them. Blinken added that he had raised the issue of military to military communications “repeatedly."

“It is absolutely vital that we have these kinds of communications,” he said. “This is something we’re going to keep working on.”

The U.S. has said that, since 2021, China has declined or failed to respond to over a dozen requests from the Department of Defense for top-level dialogues.

According to a transcript of the meeting with Blinken, Xi pronounced himself pleased with the outcome of Blinken's earlier meetings with two top Chinese diplomats, and said the two countries had agreed to resume a program of understandings that he and President Joe Biden agreed to at a meeting in Bali last year.

“The Chinese side has made our position clear, and the two sides have agreed to follow through the common understandings President Biden and I had reached in Bali,” Xi said.

That agenda had been thrown into jeopardy in recent months, notably after the U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon over its airspace in February, and amid escalated military activity in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Combined with disputes over human rights, trade and opiate production, the list of problem areas is daunting.

But Xi suggested the worst could be over.

“The two sides have also made progress and reached agreement on some specific issues,” Xi said without elaborating, according to a transcript of the remarks released by the State Department. “This is very good.”

“I hope that through this visit, Mr. Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilizing China-U.S. relations,” Xi added.

In his remarks to Xi during the 35-minute session at the Great Hall of the People, which was not announced until an hour before it started, Blinken said “the United States and China have an obligation and responsibility to manage our relationship.”

“The United States is committed to doing that,” Blinken said. “It’s in the interest of the United States, in the interests of China, and in the interest of the world.”

Blinken described his earlier discussions with senior Chinese officials as “candid and constructive.”

Despite his presence in China, Blinken and other U.S. officials had played down the prospects for any significant breakthroughs on the most vexing issues facing the planet’s two largest economies.

Instead, these officials have emphasized the importance of the two countries establishing and maintaining better lines of communication.

Blinken is the highest-level U.S. official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years. His visit is expected to usher in a new round of visits by senior U.S. and Chinese officials, possibly including a meeting between Xi and Biden in the coming months.

Blinken met earlier Monday with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi for about three hours, according to a U.S. official.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement that Blinken's visit "coincides with a critical juncture in China-U.S. relations, and it is necessary to make a choice between dialogue or confrontation, cooperation or conflict,” and blamed the “U.S. side’s erroneous perception of China, leading to incorrect policies towards China” for the current “low point” in relations.

It said the U.S. had a responsibility to halt “the spiraling decline of China-U.S. relations to push it back to a healthy and stable track” and that Wang had "demanded that the U.S. stop hyping up the ‘China threat theory,’ lift illegal unilateral sanctions against China, abandon suppression of China’s technological development, and refrain from arbitrary interference in China’s internal affairs.”

The State Department said Blinken “underscored the importance of responsibly managing the competition between the United States and the PRC through open channels of communication to ensure competition does not veer into conflict."

In the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-relations-blinken-afb39654e07ff1022bf8a3bf8296c686">first round of talks</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, Blinken met for nearly six hours with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, after which both countries said they had agreed to continue high-level discussions. However, there was no sign that any of the most fractious issues between them were closer to resolution.

Both the U.S. and China said Qin had accepted an invitation from Blinken to visit Washington but Beijing made clear that “the China-U.S. relationship is at the lowest point since its establishment.” That sentiment is widely shared by U.S. officials.

Blinken's visit comes after his initial plans to travel to China were postponed in February after the shootdown of a Chinese surveillance balloon over the U.S.

A snub by the Chinese leader would have been a major setback to the effort to restore and maintain communications at senior levels.

And Biden said over the weekend that he hoped to be able to meet with Xi in the coming months to take up the plethora of differences that divide them.

In his meetings on Sunday, Blinken also pressed the Chinese to release detained American citizens and to take steps to curb the production and export of fentanyl precursors that are fueling the opioid crisis in the United States.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/xi-jinping-bill-gates-china-blinken-e015b97ad324bc2a6459837591711eee?utm_source=RecoReel&amp;utm_medium=articlePage&amp;utm_id=Taboola">Xi had offered a hint of a possible willingness to reduce tensions</a>&nbsp;on Friday, saying in a meeting with Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates that the United States and China can cooperate to “benefit our two countries.”

Since the cancellation of Blinken’s trip in February, there have been some high-level engagements. CIA chief William Burns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-cia-william-burns-f4dc997405970bca1bc02e6f625fdaf6">traveled to China</a>&nbsp;in May, while China’s commerce minister traveled to the U.S. And Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-china-diplomacy-jake-sullivan-wang-yi-118132affe809b4fd99c627cb22f8878">met with senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Wang Yi in Vienna</a>&nbsp;in May.

But those have been punctuated by bursts of angry rhetoric from both countries over the Taiwan Strait, their broader intentions in the Indo-Pacific, China’s refusal to condemn Russia for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">its war against Ukraine</a>, and U.S. allegations from Washington that Beijing is attempting to boost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-cuba-spy-base-us-intelligence-0f655b577ae4141bdbeabc35d628b18f">its worldwide surveillance capabilities</a>, including in Cuba.

And, earlier this month, China’s defense minister rebuffed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-lloyd-austin-defense-asia-de10a9233bf226288faf86676486eef3">a request from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;for a meeting on the sidelines of a security symposium in Singapore, a sign of continuing discontent.

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, as the top U.S. diplomat wrapped up a high-stakes two-day visit to Beijing aimed at easing soaring tensions between the countries.

The 35-minute meeting at the Great Hall of the People had been expected and was seen as key to the success of the trip, but neither side confirmed it would happen until a State Department official announced it just an hour beforehand.

In footage of the meeting released by state broadcaster CCTV, Xi is heard to say “The two sides have agreed to follow through on the common understandings President Biden and I have reached in Bali.”

In earlier meetings between Blinken and senior Chinese officials, the two sides expressed willingness to talk but showed little inclination to bend from hardened positions on disagreements ranging from trade, to Taiwan, to human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong, to Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea, to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Xi said that they had made progress and reached agreements on “some specific issues” without elaborating. “This is very good,” Xi said.

“I hope that through this visit, Mr. Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilizing China-US relation,” Xi added.

Despite Blinken’s presence in China, he and other U.S. officials had played down the prospects for any significant breakthroughs on the most vexing issues facing the planet’s two largest economies.

It said the U.S. had a responsibility to halt “the spiraling decline of China-U.S. relations to push it back to a healthy and stable track” and that Wang had "demanded that the U.S. stop hyping up the ‘China threat theory’, lift illegal unilateral sanctions against China, abandon suppression of China’s technological development, and refrain from arbitrary interference in China’s internal affairs.”

In the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-china-relations-blinken-afb39654e07ff1022bf8a3bf8296c686">first round of talks</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, Blinken met for nearly six hours with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang after which both countries said they had agreed to continue high-level discussions. However, there was no sign that any of the most fractious issues between them were closer to resolution.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-blinken-rivalry-spy-balloon-0657ee3d19fae34bf3102d62266aea12">Biden and Xi had made commitments to improve communications</a>&nbsp;“precisely so that we can make sure we are communicating as clearly as possible to avoid possible misunderstandings and miscommunications,” Blinken said before leaving for Beijing.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/xi-jinping-bill-gates-china-blinken-e015b97ad324bc2a6459837591711eee?utm_source=RecoReel&amp;utm_medium=articlePage&amp;utm_id=Taboola">Xi offered a hint of a possible willingness to reduce tensions</a>&nbsp;on Friday, saying in a meeting with Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates that the United States and China can cooperate to “benefit our two countries.”

BEIJING (AP) — The United States and China have failed to overcome their most serious disagreements but were able to discuss them in a potentially constructive way and have agreed to continue talks, U.S. and Chinese officials said Sunday.

U.S. officials said Secretary of State Antony Blinken was able during a nearly 6-hour meeting to secure a visit to Washington by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. But both sides said advancement on the issues that divide them remains a work in progress while the Chinese foreign ministry said “the China-U.S. relationship is at the lowest point since its establishment.”

China confirmed that Qin had accepted the invitation at a “mutually convenient time” but no date was set.

The State Department said that Blinken had stressed “the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation.”

The Chinese, meanwhile, restated their position that the current state of relations "does not serve the fundamental interests of the two peoples or meet the shared expectations of the international community,” according to the foreign ministry.

Blinken, the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, will have more senior level contacts with the Chinese on Monday, including potentially with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Despite Blinken’s presence in the Chinese capital, the prospects for any significant breakthrough on the most vexing issues facing the planet’s two largest economies was slim.

And neither side showed any inclination to back down on their entrenched positions.

Blinken’s trip followed his postponement of plans to visit China in February after the shootdown of a Chinese surveillance balloon over the U.S.

The talks could pave the way for a meeting in the coming months between Biden and Xi. Biden said Saturday that he hoped to be able to meet with Xi in the coming months to take up the plethora of differences that divide them.

That long list incudes disagreements ranging from trade to Taiwan, human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong to Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Blinken “made clear that the United States will always stand up for the interests and values of the American people and work with its allies and partners to advance our vision for a world that is free, open, and upholds the international rules-based order,” the State Department said.

The Chinese foreign ministry countered in its statement that “China hopes that the U.S. will adopt an objective and rational perception of China, work with China in the same direction, uphold the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and handle unexpected and sporadic events in a calm, professional and rational manner.”

Shortly before leaving Washington, Blinken emphasized the importance of the U.S. and China establishing and maintaining better lines of communication.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-blinken-rivalry-spy-balloon-0657ee3d19fae34bf3102d62266aea12">Biden and Xi had made commitments to improve communications</a>&nbsp;“precisely so that we can make sure we are communicating as clearly as possible to avoid possible misunderstandings and miscommunications,” Blinken said Friday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/xi-jinping-bill-gates-china-blinken-e015b97ad324bc2a6459837591711eee?utm_source=RecoReel&amp;utm_medium=articlePage&amp;utm_id=Taboola">Xi offered a hint of a possible willingness to reduce tensions</a>, saying in a meeting with Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates on Friday that the United States and China can cooperate to “benefit our two countries."

Since the cancellation of Blinken's trip in February, there have been some high-level engagements. CIA chief William Burns&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-cia-william-burns-f4dc997405970bca1bc02e6f625fdaf6">traveled to China</a>&nbsp;in May, while China’s commerce minister traveled to the U.S. And Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-china-diplomacy-jake-sullivan-wang-yi-118132affe809b4fd99c627cb22f8878">met with senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Wang Yi in Vienna</a>&nbsp;in May.

But those have been punctuated by bursts of angry rhetoric from both sides over the Taiwan Strait, their broader intentions in the Indo-Pacific, China’s refusal to condemn Russia for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">its war against Ukraine</a>, and U.S. allegations from Washington that Beijing is attempting to boost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-cuba-spy-base-us-intelligence-0f655b577ae4141bdbeabc35d628b18f">its worldwide surveillance capabilities</a>, including in Cuba.

Underscoring the difficulties, China rejected a report by a U.S. security firm, that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barracuda-mandiant-cybersecurity-china-hackers-a52d1595c9108d2c58df11e38756600d">blamed Chinese-linked hackers</a>&nbsp;for attacks on hundreds of public agencies, schools and other targets around the world,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-hacking-report-cyberattack-c08a9f52926c8524cf86131324c69fe6">as “far-fetched and unprofessional”</a>

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson repeated accusations that Washington carries out hacking attacks and complained the cybersecurity industry rarely reports on them.

Meanwhile, the national security advisers of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-us-philippines-korea-security-talks-b4cdf9162563c60d89caa87bceb5ec26">the United States, Japan and the Philippines</a>&nbsp;held their first joint talks Friday and agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation, in part to counter China's growing influence and ambitions.

This coincides with the Biden administration inking an agreement with Australia and Britain to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-australia-united-kingdom-submarines-nuclear-cf330037f9e6befdec0f6c1658601462">provide the first with nuclear-powered submarines</a>, with China moving rapidly to expand its diplomatic presence, especially in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific island nations, where it has opened or has plans to open at least five new embassies over the next year.

The agreement is part of an 18-month-old nuclear partnership given the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/aukus">acronym AUKUS</a>&nbsp;— for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

US-China pledge to stabilize deteriorating ties, resume high-level talks

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-no-1-in-labor-force-participation-rate-no-2-in-low-unemployment-rate/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Recent rain downpours in southwest Nebraska pushed the region’s flood infrastructure into action, and representatives of the state’s natural resources districts say those preventive measures saved an estimated $700,000 or so in damages.

The earlier investment in the flood infrastructure mitigated damage to agricultural land, homes and other structures in the path of unprecedented rainfall and a rapidly rising Republican River, said a news release from the association that represents state NRDs.

The Blackwood Creek watershed northwest of McCook, Nebraska, has 11 watershed flood reduction structures built through a partnership between the Middle Republican NRD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the statement said.

While the structures typically look like dry dams or pits, the earthen embankments spring into action during heavy rainfall to capture and safely release floodwater, said spokesperson Megan Grimes. Recent rainfall brought an average of four inches of precipitation in six hours in the Blackwood Creek watershed. In capturing the runoff, the NRD said, the dams likely prevented an estimated $677,000 in damage to downstream property.

The Dry Creek watershed southwest of McCook saw between seven and 10 inches of rainfall during the same storm. The Middle Republican NRD’s six watershed structures along that portion of Dry Creek prevented an estimated $37,600 in damages to surrounding areas, according to the statement.

Grimes said NRD representatives sometimes field questions from people about the value of the structures, which may not appear relevant until the moments or episodes when they are needed.

“Investing in flood infrastructure is a proactive step that mitigates damages, reduces recovery costs, and ensures long-term resilience,” said Jack Russell, Middle Republican NRD general manager. “The benefits go beyond cost savings; these structures can be lifesaving.”

A key element of flood reduction in southwest Nebraska is a network of structures authorized under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, Public Law-566. Throughout Nebraska, the state’s NRDs used related federal funding, in partnership with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, to build and maintain the structures.

Allen Gehring, USDA-NRCS state conservation engineer, said the specially engineered flood protection systems played a crucial role in minimizing harm recently in southwest Nebraska.

“The larger watershed contains a network of infrastructure that minimized the overall flooding from the Republican River and its tributaries,” Gehring said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that for every dollar spent on flood mitigation, an average of $6 can be saved in post-disaster recovery costs, the NRD association news release said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687172299553.png" alt="A Dry Creek watershed flood structure, also referred to as an earthen or dry dam, fills during recent heavy rainfall in southwest Nebraska. Natural Resources District representatives say such measures prevent water damage to surrounding properties. (Courtesy of Nebraska Association of Natural Resources Districts)" />
 <figcaption>A Dry Creek watershed flood structure, also referred to as an earthen or dry dam, fills during recent heavy rainfall in southwest Nebraska. Natural Resources District representatives say such measures prevent water damage to surrounding properties. (Courtesy of Nebraska Association of Natural Resources Districts)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-no-1-in-labor-force-participation-rate-no-2-in-low-unemployment-rate/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Recent rain downpours in southwest Nebraska pushed the region’s flood infrastructure into action, and representatives of the state’s natural resources districts say those preventive measures saved an estimated $700,000 or so in damages.The earlier investment in the flood infrastructure mitigated damage to agricultural land, homes and other structures in the path of unprecedented rainfall and a rapidly rising Republican River, said a news release from the association that represents state NRDs.The Blackwood Creek watershed northwest of McCook, Nebraska, has 11 watershed flood reduction structures built through a partnership between the Middle Republican NRD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the statement said.While the structures typically look like dry dams or pits, the earthen embankments spring into action during heavy rainfall to capture and safely release floodwater, said spokesperson Megan Grimes. Recent rainfall brought an average of four inches of precipitation in six hours in the Blackwood Creek watershed. In capturing the runoff, the NRD said, the dams likely prevented an estimated $677,000 in damage to downstream property.The Dry Creek watershed southwest of McCook saw between seven and 10 inches of rainfall during the same storm. The Middle Republican NRD’s six watershed structures along that portion of Dry Creek prevented an estimated $37,600 in damages to surrounding areas, according to the statement.Grimes said NRD representatives sometimes field questions from people about the value of the structures, which may not appear relevant until the moments or episodes when they are needed.“Investing in flood infrastructure is a proactive step that mitigates damages, reduces recovery costs, and ensures long-term resilience,” said Jack Russell, Middle Republican NRD general manager. “The benefits go beyond cost savings; these structures can be lifesaving.”A key element of flood reduction in southwest Nebraska is a network of structures authorized under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, Public Law-566. Throughout Nebraska, the state’s NRDs used related federal funding, in partnership with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, to build and maintain the structures.Allen Gehring, USDA-NRCS state conservation engineer, said the specially engineered flood protection systems played a crucial role in minimizing harm recently in southwest Nebraska.“The larger watershed contains a network of infrastructure that minimized the overall flooding from the Republican River and its tributaries,” Gehring said.The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that for every dollar spent on flood mitigation, an average of $6 can be saved in post-disaster recovery costs, the NRD association news release said.

Proactive efforts such as ‘dry dams’ reportedly averted about $700K in damages in Nebraska

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/woman-who-shouted-shame-following-critical-gun-bill-passage-is-banned-from-nebraska-capitol/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Planned Parenthood representatives said Thursday that abortion access nationwide has been “decimated” nearly one year following the fall of Roe v. Wade.

Now, back-and-forth court fights between state lawmakers and abortion rights supporters are the “new normal,” according to Andi Curry Grubb, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska and director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood North Central States.&nbsp;

“This is what it looks like without Roe,” Curry Grubb said. “The new landscape is volatile and it’s changing rapidly, but this is now what it looks like to fight for abortion access.”

Curry Grubb said reproductive health providers started bracing after the fall of Roe, pushing back on multiple bans across the region. This included a failed&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/27/nebraska-abortion-ban-tied-to-cardiac-activity-falls-one-vote-short-20-week-limit-remains-intact/">near-total ban</a>&nbsp;in Nebraska, tied at the point an ultrasound detects embryonic cardiac activity, about six weeks into a pregnancy.&nbsp;

“After all of this, it was quite gut-wrenching when elected officials tacked a brand-new abortion ban onto another bill and passed it, breaking precedent and rules and doing so without public input and discussion,” Curry Grubb said.

State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, introduced an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/08/state-lawmakers-to-try-again-to-limit-abortion-rights-pairing-it-with-a-bill-involving-gender-care/">amendment</a>&nbsp;May 8 to Legislative Bill 574 to ban abortions after 12 weeks gestational age, or about 10 weeks post-fertilization.

LB 574, proposed by State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, also included a ban on gender transition surgeries for minors and, through Hansen’s amendment, tasked the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/10/final-say-on-nebraska-gender-care-legislation-would-be-delegated-to-executive-appointee-and-dhhs/">chief medical officer</a>&nbsp;to set guidelines around minors’ use of puberty blockers and hormones for transitioning.

Two weeks after Hansen introduced his amendment, Gov. Jim Pillen on May 22&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/22/nebraska-gov-jim-pillen-signs-abortion-gender-care-restrictions-into-law/#:~:text=LINCOLN%20%E2%80%94%20Nebraska%20Gov.,fight%20until%20the%20very%20end.&amp;text=Legislative%20Bill%20574%2C%20proposed%20by,the%20final%20round%20of%20debate.">signed</a>&nbsp;LB 574 into law. The abortion restrictions went into effect the next day.&nbsp;

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and Dr. Sarah Traxler, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood North Central States, filed a May 30&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/30/nebraska-lawsuit-targets-combo-bill-on-abortion-gender-affirming-care/">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;alleging LB 574 violates the Nebraska Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/10/could-single-subject-rule-trip-up-merger-of-abortion-and-anti-trans-bills/">single subject rule</a>.&nbsp;

They argue that abortion and gender-affirming care are two subjects and that LB 574 is unconstitutional.

The lawsuit’s next court date is&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/legal-arguments-in-challenge-to-new-abortion-ban-put-off-until-july-19/#:~:text=LINCOLN%20%E2%80%94%20Courtroom%20arguments%20have%20been,remains%20in%20effect%20for%20now.">July 19</a>; the ACLU of Nebraska is representing Traxler and Planned Parenthood.

Sandy Danek, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, said Thursday that the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision brought reasons for both celebration and challenge

She said there has been confusion in the year since the ruling, including with some abortion opponents or abortion providers saying abortion is illegal when it isn’t, or a fear that women will be prosecuted for seeking care.

“This year, I believe, has brought about a greater awareness of the pregnancy help centers, and it has caused our supporters to not only encourage and offer their financial assistance to the pregnancy centers, but we’ve also enjoyed our supporters reaching out and saying, ‘I care about this issue, I’ve always wanted to be involved, and now’s the time,’” Danek said.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Right to Life is hosting “Life Fest: A Post-Roe Celebration” on June 24. Danek said the event will include live Christian music, face painting, balloon animals and carnival games.

“On this day, it will be exactly ONE YEAR since Roe v. Wade was overturned and we are commemorating it with festivities for adults and children alike!” the event’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fb.me/e/bv8LyPw7H">Facebook page</a>&nbsp;states.

Traxler, with Planned Parenthood, said providers have stepped up and met the post-Roe challenges, though providing and planning health care has become more complex.

“We’re always, it feels, kind of at the whim of legislators or judges trying to figure out and tell us what we can and can’t do, and we’re often working in these unknowns, these ‘what ifs,’ and making contingency plans,” Traxler said. “And that ultimately hurts our patients.”

Ruth Richardson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said abortion bans do not stop abortions but restrict access for those without means of travel.&nbsp;

Amid “shifting legal sands” and a “patchwork quilt of laws,” Richardson said, there is confusion nationwide on what care is legal.&nbsp;

“Pregnancy is becoming more and more dangerous in America, and the inequities will continue to grow,” Richardson said, pointing to infant and maternal mortality rates. “Black women are three to four times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause compared to white women.”&nbsp;

Richardson added, “The only way to change our current reality is to vote. Democracy is the best tool we have to make change.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687089694642.png" alt=" Emotions flared after the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down the constitutional right to abortion. Omahans rallied in support of abortion rights at Memorial Park in the wake of the court decision. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Emotions flared after the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down the constitutional right to abortion. Omahans rallied in support of abortion rights at Memorial Park in the wake of the court decision. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/woman-who-shouted-shame-following-critical-gun-bill-passage-is-banned-from-nebraska-capitol/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Planned Parenthood representatives said Thursday that abortion access nationwide has been “decimated” nearly one year following the fall of Roe v. Wade.Now, back-and-forth court fights between state lawmakers and abortion rights supporters are the “new normal,” according to Andi Curry Grubb, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska and director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood North Central States.&nbsp;“This is what it looks like without Roe,” Curry Grubb said. “The new landscape is volatile and it’s changing rapidly, but this is now what it looks like to fight for abortion access.”<h2>Legal fight continues in Nebraska</h2>Curry Grubb said reproductive health providers started bracing after the fall of Roe, pushing back on multiple bans across the region. This included a failed&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/27/nebraska-abortion-ban-tied-to-cardiac-activity-falls-one-vote-short-20-week-limit-remains-intact/">near-total ban</a>&nbsp;in Nebraska, tied at the point an ultrasound detects embryonic cardiac activity, about six weeks into a pregnancy.&nbsp;“After all of this, it was quite gut-wrenching when elected officials tacked a brand-new abortion ban onto another bill and passed it, breaking precedent and rules and doing so without public input and discussion,” Curry Grubb said.State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, introduced an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/08/state-lawmakers-to-try-again-to-limit-abortion-rights-pairing-it-with-a-bill-involving-gender-care/">amendment</a>&nbsp;May 8 to Legislative Bill 574 to ban abortions after 12 weeks gestational age, or about 10 weeks post-fertilization.LB 574, proposed by State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, also included a ban on gender transition surgeries for minors and, through Hansen’s amendment, tasked the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/10/final-say-on-nebraska-gender-care-legislation-would-be-delegated-to-executive-appointee-and-dhhs/">chief medical officer</a>&nbsp;to set guidelines around minors’ use of puberty blockers and hormones for transitioning.Two weeks after Hansen introduced his amendment, Gov. Jim Pillen on May 22&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/22/nebraska-gov-jim-pillen-signs-abortion-gender-care-restrictions-into-law/#:~:text=LINCOLN%20%E2%80%94%20Nebraska%20Gov.,fight%20until%20the%20very%20end.&amp;text=Legislative%20Bill%20574%2C%20proposed%20by,the%20final%20round%20of%20debate.">signed</a>&nbsp;LB 574 into law. The abortion restrictions went into effect the next day.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and Dr. Sarah Traxler, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood North Central States, filed a May 30&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/30/nebraska-lawsuit-targets-combo-bill-on-abortion-gender-affirming-care/">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;alleging LB 574 violates the Nebraska Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/10/could-single-subject-rule-trip-up-merger-of-abortion-and-anti-trans-bills/">single subject rule</a>.&nbsp;They argue that abortion and gender-affirming care are two subjects and that LB 574 is unconstitutional.The lawsuit’s next court date is&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/legal-arguments-in-challenge-to-new-abortion-ban-put-off-until-july-19/#:~:text=LINCOLN%20%E2%80%94%20Courtroom%20arguments%20have%20been,remains%20in%20effect%20for%20now.">July 19</a>; the ACLU of Nebraska is representing Traxler and Planned Parenthood.<h2>Celebration and challenge</h2>Sandy Danek, executive director of Nebraska Right to Life, said Thursday that the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision brought reasons for both celebration and challengeShe said there has been confusion in the year since the ruling, including with some abortion opponents or abortion providers saying abortion is illegal when it isn’t, or a fear that women will be prosecuted for seeking care.“This year, I believe, has brought about a greater awareness of the pregnancy help centers, and it has caused our supporters to not only encourage and offer their financial assistance to the pregnancy centers, but we’ve also enjoyed our supporters reaching out and saying, ‘I care about this issue, I’ve always wanted to be involved, and now’s the time,’” Danek said.To mark the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Right to Life is hosting “Life Fest: A Post-Roe Celebration” on June 24. Danek said the event will include live Christian music, face painting, balloon animals and carnival games.“On this day, it will be exactly ONE YEAR since Roe v. Wade was overturned and we are commemorating it with festivities for adults and children alike!” the event’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fb.me/e/bv8LyPw7H">Facebook page</a>&nbsp;states.<h2>‘Whim of legislators or judges’</h2>Traxler, with Planned Parenthood, said providers have stepped up and met the post-Roe challenges, though providing and planning health care has become more complex.“We’re always, it feels, kind of at the whim of legislators or judges trying to figure out and tell us what we can and can’t do, and we’re often working in these unknowns, these ‘what ifs,’ and making contingency plans,” Traxler said. “And that ultimately hurts our patients.”Ruth Richardson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said abortion bans do not stop abortions but restrict access for those without means of travel.&nbsp;Amid “shifting legal sands” and a “patchwork quilt of laws,” Richardson said, there is confusion nationwide on what care is legal.&nbsp;“Pregnancy is becoming more and more dangerous in America, and the inequities will continue to grow,” Richardson said, pointing to infant and maternal mortality rates. “Black women are three to four times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause compared to white women.”&nbsp;Richardson added, “The only way to change our current reality is to vote. Democracy is the best tool we have to make change.”

Planned Parenthood describes ‘new normal,’ one year post-Roe in Nebraska

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States deployed a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korea on Friday, a day after North Korea resumed missile tests in protest of the U.S.-South Korean live-fire drills.

The USS Michigan’s arrival in South Korea, the first of its kind in six years, is part of a recent bilateral agreement on enhancing “regular visibility” of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear program, according to South Korean officials.

With the deployment of the USS Michigan, the U.S. and South Korean navies are to conduct drills on boosting their special operation capabilities and joint ability to cope with growing North Korean nuclear threats, the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a statement.

It said the U.S. submarine arrived at the southeastern port city of Busan but didn’t say how long it would stay in South Korean waters.

The USS Michigan is one of the biggest submarines in the world. The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine can be armed with 150 Tomahawk missiles with a range of about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) and is capable of launching special forces missions, according to the South Korean statement.

The South Korean and U.S. militaries have been expanding their exercises in reaction to North Korea’s provocative run of missile tests since last year. North Korea has argued it was forced to ramp up testing activities to deal with its rivals’ expanded military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal, but experts say the North ultimately aims to modernize its arsenal and increase its leverage in eventual diplomacy.

In April, after their meeting in Washington, President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed that the United States would enhance the “regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.” Biden also stated that any North Korean nuclear attack on the U.S. or its allies would “result in the end of whatever regime” took such action.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687048191258.png" alt="The nuclear-powered submarine USS Michigan approaches a naval base in Busan, South Korea, Friday, June 16, 2023. The United States deployed the nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korea on Friday, a day after North Korea resumed missile tests in protest of the U.S.-South Korean live-fire drills. (Gang Duck-chul/Yonhap via AP)" />
 <figcaption>The nuclear-powered submarine USS Michigan approaches a naval base in Busan, South Korea, Friday, June 16, 2023. The United States deployed the nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korea on Friday, a day after North Korea resumed missile tests in protest of the U.S.-South Korean live-fire drills. (Gang Duck-chul/Yonhap via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States deployed a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korea on Friday, a day after North Korea resumed missile tests in protest of the U.S.-South Korean live-fire drills.The USS Michigan’s arrival in South Korea, the first of its kind in six years, is part of a recent bilateral agreement on enhancing “regular visibility” of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear program, according to South Korean officials.With the deployment of the USS Michigan, the U.S. and South Korean navies are to conduct drills on boosting their special operation capabilities and joint ability to cope with growing North Korean nuclear threats, the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a statement.It said the U.S. submarine arrived at the southeastern port city of Busan but didn’t say how long it would stay in South Korean waters.The USS Michigan is one of the biggest submarines in the world. The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine can be armed with 150 Tomahawk missiles with a range of about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) and is capable of launching special forces missions, according to the South Korean statement.The South Korean and U.S. militaries have been expanding their exercises in reaction to North Korea’s provocative run of missile tests since last year. North Korea has argued it was forced to ramp up testing activities to deal with its rivals’ expanded military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal, but experts say the North ultimately aims to modernize its arsenal and increase its leverage in eventual diplomacy.In April, after their meeting in Washington, President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed that the United States would enhance the “regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.” Biden also stated that any North Korean nuclear attack on the U.S. or its allies would “result in the end of whatever regime” took such action.The two leaders also announced other steps to reinforce joint deterrence capabilities such as the docking a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine in South Korea periodically; bolstering joint training exercises; and the establishment of a new nuclear consultative group. The nuclear ballistic missile submarine hasn't come to South Korea.Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, slammed the Biden-Yoon summit agreements, saying they revealed the two countries’ “most hostile and aggressive will of action” against the North. She threatened to further bolster her country’s nuclear forces.On Thursday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, shortly after it vowed responses to the just-ended South Korea-U.S. firing drills near the Koreas’ heavily armed border.They were the North’s first weapons launches since it tried to put its first spy satellite into orbit in late May. The launch failed as the rocket carrying the spy satellite crashed into the waters off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast.South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Friday that military search crews have salvaged what it believes is part of the crashed North Korean rocket. The ministry released photos of the white, metal cylinder, which some experts said would have been the rocket’s fuel tank.