WASHINGTON (AP) — A Massachusetts Air National Guard member was arrested Thursday in connection with the disclosure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/leaked-documents-russia-ukraine-pentagon-750fdefc8ece4a4d50647c1c60162145">highly classified military documents</a>&nbsp;about the Ukraine war and other top national security issues, an alarming breach that has raised fresh questions about America's ability to safeguard its most sensitive secrets.

The guardsman, an IT specialist identified as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, was taken into custody without incident after FBI officers converged on his Massachusetts home. He is to be charged under a provision of the Espionage Act that makes it a crime to remove or transmit classified national defense information, Attorney General Merrick Garland said.

Garland did not reveal a possible motive, but accounts of those in the online private chat room where the documents were disclosed have depicted Teixeira as motivated more by bravado than ideology.

While Thursday's arrest was a pivotal moment in an investigation into the highest-profile intelligence leak in years, the military and Justice Department were still scrutinizing how sensitive government secrets shared in a chat room ended up circulating around the world. The emergence of Teixeira as a primary suspect is bound to raise questions about how such a profound breach, one that the Pentagon termed a “very serious risk to national security,” could have been caused by such a young, low-ranking service member.

“We entrust our members with a lot of responsibility at a very early age. Think about a young combat platoon sergeant, and the responsibility and trust that we put into those individuals to lead troops into combat,” said Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman. He referred all questions about the investigation to the Justice Department.

Teixeira was a “cyber transport systems specialist,” essentially an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks, including their cabling and hubs.

In that role Teixeira would have had a higher level of security clearance because he would have also been tasked with responsibility for ensuring protection for the networks, a defense official told the Associated Press, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Hours after the arrest, Rep. Mike Turner, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, issued a statement pledging to “examine why this happened, why it went unnoticed for weeks, and how to prevent future leaks.”

Teixeira, who was wearing a T-shirt and shorts at the time heavily armed tactical agents took him into custody, is due to have his initial court appearance in Massachusetts on Friday. It was not immediately clear if Teixeira had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf, and a phone message left at a number believed to belong to his mother was not immediately returned.

The Biden administration has scrambled to contain the potential diplomatic and military fallout from the leaks since they were first reported last week, moving to assure allies and assess the scope of damage. Pentagon officials have expressed alarm about the disclosures, but President Joe Biden, speaking to reporters in Ireland earlier Thursday, said “there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence.”

The classified documents — which have not been individually authenticated by U.S. officials — range from briefing slides mapping out Ukrainian military positions to assessments of international support for Ukraine and other sensitive topics, including under what circumstances Russian President Vladimir Putin might use nuclear weapons.

There’s no clear answer on how many documents were leaked. The Associated Press has viewed approximately 50 documents; some estimates put the total number in the hundreds.

The leak is believed to have started on a site called Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games and where Teixeira is believed to have posted for years about guns, games and his favorite memes — and, according to some chatting with him, closely guarded U.S. secrets.

The investigative website Bellingcat and The New York Times first publicly identified Teixeira, minutes before federal officials confirmed he was a subject of interest in the investigation. They reported tracking profiles on other more obscure sites linked to Teixeira.

In previous Associated Press stories, the leaker was identified as “the O.G.” by a member of the online chat group where Teixeira and others have posted for years. The member of the chat group declined to give his name to the AP, citing concerns for his personal safety.

The chat group, called “Thug Shaker Central,” drew roughly two dozen enthusiasts who talked about their favorite types of guns and also shared memes and jokes, some of them racist. The group also included a running discussion on wars that included talk of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In that discussion, “the O.G.” would for months post material that he said was classified — originally typing it out with his own notations, then a few months ago switching to posting images of folded-up papers because he felt his writings weren’t being taken seriously, the person said.

Discord has said it was cooperating with law enforcement.

There are only a few ways the classified information that was leaked could have been accessed. Typically in classified briefings with slides like those that were placed on Discord, the information is shared electronically. That can be done either through secure computer terminals where users gain access based on their credentials or through tablets that are distributed for briefings and collected later. If the slides need to be printed out instead, they can only be sent to secured printers that are able to handle classified documents — and that keep a digital record of everyone who has requested a printout.

For those with a security clearance, their handling of classified material is based largely on training and trust that they will safeguard the information.

“When you join the military, depending on your position, you may require a security clearance,” Ryder said. “And if you are working in the intelligence community, and you require a security clearance, you’re going to go through the proper vetting.”

Ryder said each service member who obtains a clearance signs a non-disclosure agreement and is trained on the military’s strict guidelines for handling classified material. The leaks were “a deliberate criminal act, a violation of those guidelines.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Massachusetts Air National Guard member who has emerged as a main person of interest in the disclosure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/leaked-documents-russia-ukraine-pentagon-750fdefc8ece4a4d50647c1c60162145">highly classified military documents</a>&nbsp;was taken into custody Thursday by federal agents, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced.

Investigators believe that the guardsman, who specializes in intelligence, led the online chat group where the documents were posted. Garland identified the guardsman as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, and said he would be charged with the unauthorized removal of classified national defense information.

FBI agents converged Thursday at Teixeira's Massachusetts home and heavily armed tactical agents took Teixeira, who was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, into custody outside the property, “without incident," Garland said.

He will be charged with unauthorized removal of classified national defense information, Garland said, and will have an initial court appearance in federal court in Massachusetts.

It was not immediately clear if Teixeira had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf, and a phone message left at a number believed to belong to his mother was not immediately returned.

Law enforcement officials roped off the street near the home. The New York Times, which first identified Teixeira on Thursday, said that a man who had been standing outside the Teixeira home earlier said that “he needs to get an attorney if things are flowing the way they are going right now. The Feds will be around soon, I'm sure.”

The emergence of Teixeira as the apparent primary suspect is bound to raise questions about how the highest-profile intelligence leak in years, one that continues to unfold with almost daily revelations of highly classified documents, could have been caused by such a young, low-ranking service member.

The Biden administration has scrambled for days to contain the fallout from the leaked information, which has publicized potential vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and exposed private assessments by allies on an array of intelligence matters.

The National Guard did not confirm his identity but said in a statement that, “We are aware of the investigation into the alleged role a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman may have played in the recent leak of highly-classified documents.”

Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, referred all questions about the case to the Justice Department. But he said: “We have rules in place. Each of us signs a nondisclosure agreement. This is a criminal act, a willful violation of those."

The Biden administration has been working to assess the diplomatic and national security consequences of the leaked documents since they were first reported last week. A top Pentagon spokesman told reporters earlier this week that the disclosures present a “very serious risk to national security,” and the Justice Department opened an investigation to identify the person responsible.

“We're getting close,” President Joe Biden told reporters in Ireland on Thursday. He said that though he was concerned that sensitive government documents had been disclosed, "there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence.”

The Justice Department declined to comment Thursday.

It’s possible the leak&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-leaks-chatroom-discord-social-media-5fff130f2ca9581bc14514a4e29c7b64">may have started</a>&nbsp;on a site called Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games. The Discord site hosts real-time voice, video and text chats for groups and describes itself as a place “where you can belong to a school club, a gaming group, or a worldwide art community.”

In one of those forums, originally created to talk about a range of topics, members would debate the war in Ukraine. According to one member of the chat, an unidentified poster shared documents that the poster claimed were classified, first typing them out with the poster’s own thoughts, then, as of a few months ago, uploading images of folded papers.

There are only a few ways the classified information that was leaked could have been accessed, which may provide critical clues as to who is responsible. Typically in classified briefings, as with the slides that were placed on Discord, the information is shared electronically.

That is done either through secure computer terminals where users gain access based on their credentials or through tablets that are distributed for briefings and collected afterward. If the slides need to be printed out instead, they can only be sent to secured printers that are able to handle classified documents — and that keep a digital record of everyone who has requested a printout.

It’s those digital clues like the record of printouts that may help investigators hone in on who took the documents. In most of the photographs of documents posted online the pictures are of paper copies that look like they had been folded into quarters — almost as if they’d been stuffed into someone’s pocket.

In the days since the leaks came to light, the Pentagon has deferred questions on the investigation to the Justice Department, stating that it’s a criminal matter. Even if the person who leaked the files is an active duty member of the U.S. military, the Justice Department would likely still have the lead in the prosecution until it was ready to turn the matter over to the Defense Department, a defense official told the AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

This has been the case in previous criminal cases, such as when two Marines based at Camp Pendleton in California were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/two-active-duty-marines-charged-indictment-alleging-drug-trafficking-conspiracy-after">arrested on drug trafficking charges</a>&nbsp;in 2020, the official said. If the person responsible turns out to be a civilian, the Justice Department will be responsible, the official said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681415684529.png" alt="Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;identified the guardsman as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, and said he would be charged with the unauthorized removal of classified national defense information.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;identified the guardsman as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, and said he would be charged with the unauthorized removal of classified national defense information.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A Massachusetts Air National Guard member was arrested Thursday in connection with the disclosure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/leaked-documents-russia-ukraine-pentagon-750fdefc8ece4a4d50647c1c60162145">highly classified military documents</a>&nbsp;about the Ukraine war and other top national security issues, an alarming breach that has raised fresh questions about America's ability to safeguard its most sensitive secrets.The guardsman, an IT specialist identified as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, was taken into custody without incident after FBI officers converged on his Massachusetts home. He is to be charged under a provision of the Espionage Act that makes it a crime to remove or transmit classified national defense information, Attorney General Merrick Garland said.Garland did not reveal a possible motive, but accounts of those in the online private chat room where the documents were disclosed have depicted Teixeira as motivated more by bravado than ideology.While Thursday's arrest was a pivotal moment in an investigation into the highest-profile intelligence leak in years, the military and Justice Department were still scrutinizing how sensitive government secrets shared in a chat room ended up circulating around the world. The emergence of Teixeira as a primary suspect is bound to raise questions about how such a profound breach, one that the Pentagon termed a “very serious risk to national security,” could have been caused by such a young, low-ranking service member.“We entrust our members with a lot of responsibility at a very early age. Think about a young combat platoon sergeant, and the responsibility and trust that we put into those individuals to lead troops into combat,” said Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman. He referred all questions about the investigation to the Justice Department.Teixeira was a “cyber transport systems specialist,” essentially an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks, including their cabling and hubs.In that role Teixeira would have had a higher level of security clearance because he would have also been tasked with responsibility for ensuring protection for the networks, a defense official told the Associated Press, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.Hours after the arrest, Rep. Mike Turner, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, issued a statement pledging to “examine why this happened, why it went unnoticed for weeks, and how to prevent future leaks.”Teixeira, who was wearing a T-shirt and shorts at the time heavily armed tactical agents took him into custody, is due to have his initial court appearance in Massachusetts on Friday. It was not immediately clear if Teixeira had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf, and a phone message left at a number believed to belong to his mother was not immediately returned.The Biden administration has scrambled to contain the potential diplomatic and military fallout from the leaks since they were first reported last week, moving to assure allies and assess the scope of damage. Pentagon officials have expressed alarm about the disclosures, but President Joe Biden, speaking to reporters in Ireland earlier Thursday, said “there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence.”The classified documents — which have not been individually authenticated by U.S. officials — range from briefing slides mapping out Ukrainian military positions to assessments of international support for Ukraine and other sensitive topics, including under what circumstances Russian President Vladimir Putin might use nuclear weapons.There’s no clear answer on how many documents were leaked. The Associated Press has viewed approximately 50 documents; some estimates put the total number in the hundreds.The leak is believed to have started on a site called Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games and where Teixeira is believed to have posted for years about guns, games and his favorite memes — and, according to some chatting with him, closely guarded U.S. secrets.The investigative website Bellingcat and The New York Times first publicly identified Teixeira, minutes before federal officials confirmed he was a subject of interest in the investigation. They reported tracking profiles on other more obscure sites linked to Teixeira.In previous Associated Press stories, the leaker was identified as “the O.G.” by a member of the online chat group where Teixeira and others have posted for years. The member of the chat group declined to give his name to the AP, citing concerns for his personal safety.The chat group, called “Thug Shaker Central,” drew roughly two dozen enthusiasts who talked about their favorite types of guns and also shared memes and jokes, some of them racist. The group also included a running discussion on wars that included talk of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.In that discussion, “the O.G.” would for months post material that he said was classified — originally typing it out with his own notations, then a few months ago switching to posting images of folded-up papers because he felt his writings weren’t being taken seriously, the person said.Discord has said it was cooperating with law enforcement.There are only a few ways the classified information that was leaked could have been accessed. Typically in classified briefings with slides like those that were placed on Discord, the information is shared electronically. That can be done either through secure computer terminals where users gain access based on their credentials or through tablets that are distributed for briefings and collected later. If the slides need to be printed out instead, they can only be sent to secured printers that are able to handle classified documents — and that keep a digital record of everyone who has requested a printout.For those with a security clearance, their handling of classified material is based largely on training and trust that they will safeguard the information.“When you join the military, depending on your position, you may require a security clearance,” Ryder said. “And if you are working in the intelligence community, and you require a security clearance, you’re going to go through the proper vetting.”Ryder said each service member who obtains a clearance signs a non-disclosure agreement and is trained on the military’s strict guidelines for handling classified material. The leaks were “a deliberate criminal act, a violation of those guidelines.”-----------WASHINGTON (AP) — A Massachusetts Air National Guard member who has emerged as a main person of interest in the disclosure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/leaked-documents-russia-ukraine-pentagon-750fdefc8ece4a4d50647c1c60162145">highly classified military documents</a>&nbsp;was taken into custody Thursday by federal agents, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced.Investigators believe that the guardsman, who specializes in intelligence, led the online chat group where the documents were posted. Garland identified the guardsman as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, and said he would be charged with the unauthorized removal of classified national defense information.FBI agents converged Thursday at Teixeira's Massachusetts home and heavily armed tactical agents took Teixeira, who was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, into custody outside the property, “without incident," Garland said.He will be charged with unauthorized removal of classified national defense information, Garland said, and will have an initial court appearance in federal court in Massachusetts.It was not immediately clear if Teixeira had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf, and a phone message left at a number believed to belong to his mother was not immediately returned.Law enforcement officials roped off the street near the home. The New York Times, which first identified Teixeira on Thursday, said that a man who had been standing outside the Teixeira home earlier said that “he needs to get an attorney if things are flowing the way they are going right now. The Feds will be around soon, I'm sure.”The emergence of Teixeira as the apparent primary suspect is bound to raise questions about how the highest-profile intelligence leak in years, one that continues to unfold with almost daily revelations of highly classified documents, could have been caused by such a young, low-ranking service member.The Biden administration has scrambled for days to contain the fallout from the leaked information, which has publicized potential vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and exposed private assessments by allies on an array of intelligence matters.The National Guard did not confirm his identity but said in a statement that, “We are aware of the investigation into the alleged role a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman may have played in the recent leak of highly-classified documents.”Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, referred all questions about the case to the Justice Department. But he said: “We have rules in place. Each of us signs a nondisclosure agreement. This is a criminal act, a willful violation of those."The Biden administration has been working to assess the diplomatic and national security consequences of the leaked documents since they were first reported last week. A top Pentagon spokesman told reporters earlier this week that the disclosures present a “very serious risk to national security,” and the Justice Department opened an investigation to identify the person responsible.“We're getting close,” President Joe Biden told reporters in Ireland on Thursday. He said that though he was concerned that sensitive government documents had been disclosed, "there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence.”The Justice Department declined to comment Thursday.It’s possible the leak&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-leaks-chatroom-discord-social-media-5fff130f2ca9581bc14514a4e29c7b64">may have started</a>&nbsp;on a site called Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games. The Discord site hosts real-time voice, video and text chats for groups and describes itself as a place “where you can belong to a school club, a gaming group, or a worldwide art community.”In one of those forums, originally created to talk about a range of topics, members would debate the war in Ukraine. According to one member of the chat, an unidentified poster shared documents that the poster claimed were classified, first typing them out with the poster’s own thoughts, then, as of a few months ago, uploading images of folded papers.Discord has said it was cooperating with law enforcement.There are only a few ways the classified information that was leaked could have been accessed, which may provide critical clues as to who is responsible. Typically in classified briefings, as with the slides that were placed on Discord, the information is shared electronically.That is done either through secure computer terminals where users gain access based on their credentials or through tablets that are distributed for briefings and collected afterward. If the slides need to be printed out instead, they can only be sent to secured printers that are able to handle classified documents — and that keep a digital record of everyone who has requested a printout.It’s those digital clues like the record of printouts that may help investigators hone in on who took the documents. In most of the photographs of documents posted online the pictures are of paper copies that look like they had been folded into quarters — almost as if they’d been stuffed into someone’s pocket.In the days since the leaks came to light, the Pentagon has deferred questions on the investigation to the Justice Department, stating that it’s a criminal matter. Even if the person who leaked the files is an active duty member of the U.S. military, the Justice Department would likely still have the lead in the prosecution until it was ready to turn the matter over to the Defense Department, a defense official told the AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.This has been the case in previous criminal cases, such as when two Marines based at Camp Pendleton in California were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/two-active-duty-marines-charged-indictment-alleging-drug-trafficking-conspiracy-after">arrested on drug trafficking charges</a>&nbsp;in 2020, the official said. If the person responsible turns out to be a civilian, the Justice Department will be responsible, the official said.

Guardsman arrested in leak of classified military documents

WASHINGTON— A federal appeals court ruled that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">the abortion pill mifepristone</a>&nbsp;can still be used for now but restored restrictions on the drug in a decision that the Justice Department said Thursday it would swiftly challenge at the Supreme Court.

(Click below to watch the Task Force meeting)

At stake in an accelerating legal battle that began in Texas is nationwide access to the most common method of abortion in the U.S., less than a year&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/ss%20than%20a%20year%20after%20the%20reversal%20of%20Roe%20v.%20Wade%20resulted%20in%20more%20than%20a%20dozen%20states%20effectively%20banning%20abortion%20outright.">after the reversal of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;prompted more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.

Vice President Harris was quick to criticize the decision. In a statement from her office she wrote, "Last night, the Fifth Circuit issued a decision which invalidates the scientific, independent judgment of the FDA about when and how a medicine is available to Americans. The Justice Department has already announced that they are seeking emergency relief from the Supreme Court." "More than 20 years ago, the FDA approved medication abortion as safe and effective for the American people. Last week, a Texas district court ruled to block access to this medication in every state in the country." "The Fifth Circuit’s decision—just like the district court’s—second-guesses the agency’s medical experts. If this decision stands, no medication—from chemotherapy drugs, to asthma medicine, to blood pressure pills, to insulin—would be safe from attacks. This decision threatens the rights of Americans across the country, who can look in their medicine cabinets and find medication prescribed by a doctor because the FDA engaged in a process to determine the efficacy and safety of that medication." "This lawsuit is the next step to a nationwide abortion ban. The decision severely limits access to mifepristone, standing between doctors and their patients. President Biden and our Administration remain firmly committed to protecting access to medication abortion, as the President and I have made clear since the day of the Supreme Court’s decision in&nbsp;Dobbs." "There is a reproductive health care crisis in America. Our Administration will continue fighting to protect women’s health and the right to make decisions about one’s own&nbsp;body."

In a ruling late Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans temporarily narrowed a ruling by a lower court judge in Texas that had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-texas-ee181214988044c096757696cf2a5f67">completely blocked</a>&nbsp;the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone. But a divided three-judge panel still reduced the period of pregnancy when the drug can be taken and said it could not be dispensed by mail.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23774813-5th-circuit-abortion-pill-stay-order">ruling</a>&nbsp;preventing the pill from being sent by mail amounts to another significant constraint of abortion access and was cheered by opponents of the drug. The Justice Department said it would ask the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency order to put any action on hold.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681335836017.png" alt="Vice President Harris Convenes the Interagency Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access Wednesday-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Harris Convenes the Interagency Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access Wednesday-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON— A federal appeals court ruled that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">the abortion pill mifepristone</a>&nbsp;can still be used for now but restored restrictions on the drug in a decision that the Justice Department said Thursday it would swiftly challenge at the Supreme Court.(Click below to watch the Task Force meeting)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QN8ldI--Q18?start=3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>At stake in an accelerating legal battle that began in Texas is nationwide access to the most common method of abortion in the U.S., less than a year&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/ss%20than%20a%20year%20after%20the%20reversal%20of%20Roe%20v.%20Wade%20resulted%20in%20more%20than%20a%20dozen%20states%20effectively%20banning%20abortion%20outright.">after the reversal of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;prompted more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.Vice President Harris was quick to criticize the decision. In a statement from her office she wrote, "Last night, the Fifth Circuit issued a decision which invalidates the scientific, independent judgment of the FDA about when and how a medicine is available to Americans. The Justice Department has already announced that they are seeking emergency relief from the Supreme Court." "More than 20 years ago, the FDA approved medication abortion as safe and effective for the American people. Last week, a Texas district court ruled to block access to this medication in every state in the country." "The Fifth Circuit’s decision—just like the district court’s—second-guesses the agency’s medical experts. If this decision stands, no medication—from chemotherapy drugs, to asthma medicine, to blood pressure pills, to insulin—would be safe from attacks. This decision threatens the rights of Americans across the country, who can look in their medicine cabinets and find medication prescribed by a doctor because the FDA engaged in a process to determine the efficacy and safety of that medication." "This lawsuit is the next step to a nationwide abortion ban. The decision severely limits access to mifepristone, standing between doctors and their patients. President Biden and our Administration remain firmly committed to protecting access to medication abortion, as the President and I have made clear since the day of the Supreme Court’s decision in&nbsp;Dobbs." "There is a reproductive health care crisis in America. Our Administration will continue fighting to protect women’s health and the right to make decisions about one’s own&nbsp;body." In a ruling late Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans temporarily narrowed a ruling by a lower court judge in Texas that had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-texas-ee181214988044c096757696cf2a5f67">completely blocked</a>&nbsp;the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone. But a divided three-judge panel still reduced the period of pregnancy when the drug can be taken and said it could not be dispensed by mail.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23774813-5th-circuit-abortion-pill-stay-order">ruling</a>&nbsp;preventing the pill from being sent by mail amounts to another significant constraint of abortion access and was cheered by opponents of the drug. The Justice Department said it would ask the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency order to put any action on hold.

🎥Vice President: There is a reproductive health care crisis in America

United
 States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Massey Allen, 42, of 
Omaha and South Sioux City was sentenced this week in federal 
court in Omaha for distribution of methamphetamine.&nbsp;
 Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced 
Allen to 87 months’ imprisonment.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal 
system.&nbsp; After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term 
of supervised release.

On June 21, 2022, Allen sold methamphetamine to a 
cooperating witness working with law enforcement. Forensic testing by a 
crime laboratory confirmed 139 grams of methamphetamine.


This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement 
Agency, the Omaha Police Department, and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics 
Task Force.

U.S. Attorney's OfficeUnited
 States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Massey Allen, 42, of 
Omaha and South Sioux City was sentenced this week in federal 
court in Omaha for distribution of methamphetamine.&nbsp;
 Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced 
Allen to 87 months’ imprisonment.&nbsp; There is no parole in the federal 
system.&nbsp; After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term 
of supervised release.On June 21, 2022, Allen sold methamphetamine to a 
cooperating witness working with law enforcement. Forensic testing by a 
crime laboratory confirmed 139 grams of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement 
Agency, the Omaha Police Department, and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics 
Task Force.

Neb. man sentenced to 87 months for meth distribution

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court preserved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">access to the abortion pill mifepristone</a>&nbsp;for now but reduced the period of pregnancy when the drug can be used and said it could not be dispensed by mail.

The ruling late Wednesday temporarily narrowed a decision by a lower court judge in Texas that had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-texas-ee181214988044c096757696cf2a5f67">completely blocked</a>&nbsp;the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the nation’s most commonly used method of abortion. Still, preventing the pill from being sent by mail amounts to another major curtailing of abortion access, less than a year after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">reversal of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;resulted in more than a dozen states effectively banning abortion outright.

The case is likely to go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We are going to continue to fight in the courts, we believe the law is on our side, and we will prevail," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday, speaking to reporters from Dublin during a visit by President Joe Biden.

Mifepristone was approved for use by the FDA more than two decades ago and is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol.

In a far-reaching ruling last week, a federal judge blocked the FDA’s approval of the pill following a lawsuit by the drug's opponents. There is virtually no precedent for a lone judge overturning the regulator's medical decisions.

The ruling was put on pause to allow an appeal.

Just before midnight Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone in 2000 could remain in effect.

But in the 2-1 vote, the panel of judges put on hold changes made by the regulator since 2016 that relaxed the rules for prescribing and dispensing mifepristone. Those included extending the period of pregnancy when the drug can be used from seven weeks to 10, and also allowing it to be dispensed by mail, without any need to visit a doctor’s office.

The two judges who voted to tighten restrictions, Kurt Engelhardt and Andrew Oldham, are both appointees of former President Donald Trump. The third judge, Catharina Haynes, is an appointee of former President George W. Bush. She said she would have put the lower court ruling on hold entirely for now to allow oral arguments in the case.

Either side, or both, could take the case to the Supreme Court. Opponents of the drug could seek to keep the full lower court ruling in effect. The Biden administration, meanwhile, could ask the high court to allow all the FDA changes to remain in place while the case continues to play out.

Adding to the uncertainty, a separate federal judge in Washington last week ordered the FDA not to do anything that might block mifepristone’s availability in 17 Democrat-led states suing to keep it on the market. The judge in that case has not yet to responded to the Justice Department seeking additional clarity this week.

The appeals court judges in the majority in Wednesday's decision noted that the Biden administration and mifepristone’s manufacturer “warn us of significant public consequences” that would result if mifepristone were withdrawn entirely from the market under the lower court ruling.

But the judges suggested changes the FDA made making mifepristone easier to obtain since 2016 were less consequential than its initial approval of the drug in 2000. It would be “difficult” to argue the changes were “so critical to the public given that the nation operated — and mifepristone was administered to millions of women — without them for sixteen years” the judges wrote.

When the drug was initially approved in 2000, the FDA limited its use to up to seven weeks of pregnancy. It also required three in-person office visits: the first to administer mifepristone, the next to administer the second drug misoprostol and the third to address any complications. It also required a doctor’s supervision and a reporting system for any serious consequences associated with the drug.

If the appeals court's action stands, those would again be the terms under which mifepristone could be dispensed for now.

Democratic leaders in states where abortion remains legal since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-states-lawsuits-ac6dc09c0dd66a146d3ddfde061fc1a6">say they are preparing</a>&nbsp;in case mifepristone becomes restricted.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that her state would stockpile 150,000 doses of misoprostol.

The White House also has contingency plans in place, but Jean-Pierre held off on detailing them while the legal action continued. Instead, she detailed a proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-abortion-pills-ruling-mifepristone-texas-c1f4530d67858f6c95cef99282b8b209">a new federal rule</a>&nbsp;to limit how law enforcement and state officials collect medical records if they investigate women who flee their home states to seek abortions elsewhere.

Pharmaceutical executives this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-pills-4b65ecc66d1b908019bdf3843a428d5a">also signed a letter</a>&nbsp;that condemned the Texas ruling and warned that FDA approval of other drugs could be at risk if U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s decision stands.

The lawsuit challenging mifepristone's approval was brought by the Alliance Defending Freedom, which was also involved in the Mississippi case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">that led to Roe v. Wade being overturned</a>. At the core of the lawsuit is the allegation that the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone was flawed because the agency did not adequately review safety risks.

A spokesperson for the Alliance Defending Freedom did not immediately return a message Thursday morning asking what steps it might take next.

Mifepristone has been used by millions of women over the past 23 years, and complications from mifepristone occur at a lower rate than problems in wisdom teeth removal, colonoscopies and other routine procedures, medical groups have recently noted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court preserved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">access to the abortion pill mifepristone</a>&nbsp;for now but reduced the period of pregnancy when the drug can be used and said it could not be dispensed by mail.The ruling late Wednesday temporarily narrowed a decision by a lower court judge in Texas that had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-texas-ee181214988044c096757696cf2a5f67">completely blocked</a>&nbsp;the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the nation’s most commonly used method of abortion. Still, preventing the pill from being sent by mail amounts to another major curtailing of abortion access, less than a year after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">reversal of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;resulted in more than a dozen states effectively banning abortion outright.The case is likely to go to the U.S. Supreme Court.“We are going to continue to fight in the courts, we believe the law is on our side, and we will prevail," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday, speaking to reporters from Dublin during a visit by President Joe Biden.Mifepristone was approved for use by the FDA more than two decades ago and is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol.In a far-reaching ruling last week, a federal judge blocked the FDA’s approval of the pill following a lawsuit by the drug's opponents. There is virtually no precedent for a lone judge overturning the regulator's medical decisions.The ruling was put on pause to allow an appeal.Just before midnight Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone in 2000 could remain in effect.But in the 2-1 vote, the panel of judges put on hold changes made by the regulator since 2016 that relaxed the rules for prescribing and dispensing mifepristone. Those included extending the period of pregnancy when the drug can be used from seven weeks to 10, and also allowing it to be dispensed by mail, without any need to visit a doctor’s office.The two judges who voted to tighten restrictions, Kurt Engelhardt and Andrew Oldham, are both appointees of former President Donald Trump. The third judge, Catharina Haynes, is an appointee of former President George W. Bush. She said she would have put the lower court ruling on hold entirely for now to allow oral arguments in the case.Either side, or both, could take the case to the Supreme Court. Opponents of the drug could seek to keep the full lower court ruling in effect. The Biden administration, meanwhile, could ask the high court to allow all the FDA changes to remain in place while the case continues to play out.Adding to the uncertainty, a separate federal judge in Washington last week ordered the FDA not to do anything that might block mifepristone’s availability in 17 Democrat-led states suing to keep it on the market. The judge in that case has not yet to responded to the Justice Department seeking additional clarity this week.The appeals court judges in the majority in Wednesday's decision noted that the Biden administration and mifepristone’s manufacturer “warn us of significant public consequences” that would result if mifepristone were withdrawn entirely from the market under the lower court ruling.But the judges suggested changes the FDA made making mifepristone easier to obtain since 2016 were less consequential than its initial approval of the drug in 2000. It would be “difficult” to argue the changes were “so critical to the public given that the nation operated — and mifepristone was administered to millions of women — without them for sixteen years” the judges wrote.When the drug was initially approved in 2000, the FDA limited its use to up to seven weeks of pregnancy. It also required three in-person office visits: the first to administer mifepristone, the next to administer the second drug misoprostol and the third to address any complications. It also required a doctor’s supervision and a reporting system for any serious consequences associated with the drug.If the appeals court's action stands, those would again be the terms under which mifepristone could be dispensed for now.Democratic leaders in states where abortion remains legal since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-states-lawsuits-ac6dc09c0dd66a146d3ddfde061fc1a6">say they are preparing</a>&nbsp;in case mifepristone becomes restricted.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that her state would stockpile 150,000 doses of misoprostol.The White House also has contingency plans in place, but Jean-Pierre held off on detailing them while the legal action continued. Instead, she detailed a proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-abortion-pills-ruling-mifepristone-texas-c1f4530d67858f6c95cef99282b8b209">a new federal rule</a>&nbsp;to limit how law enforcement and state officials collect medical records if they investigate women who flee their home states to seek abortions elsewhere.Pharmaceutical executives this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-pills-4b65ecc66d1b908019bdf3843a428d5a">also signed a letter</a>&nbsp;that condemned the Texas ruling and warned that FDA approval of other drugs could be at risk if U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s decision stands.The lawsuit challenging mifepristone's approval was brought by the Alliance Defending Freedom, which was also involved in the Mississippi case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">that led to Roe v. Wade being overturned</a>. At the core of the lawsuit is the allegation that the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone was flawed because the agency did not adequately review safety risks.A spokesperson for the Alliance Defending Freedom did not immediately return a message Thursday morning asking what steps it might take next.Mifepristone has been used by millions of women over the past 23 years, and complications from mifepristone occur at a lower rate than problems in wisdom teeth removal, colonoscopies and other routine procedures, medical groups have recently noted.___

Appeals court temporarily preserves access to abortion pill 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile launch in a month, possibly testing a new more mobile, harder-to-detect missile for the first time, its neighbors said, as it extends its provocative run of weapons tests.

Japan briefly urged residents on a northern island to take shelter in an indication of its vigilance over North Korea's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-nuclear-threat-810afe432743ba9ab0d8543daac160b2">evolving missile threats</a>.

The missile was launched on a high angle from near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan following a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) flight, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staffs said in a statement.

It described its range as medium or longer. The U.S. National Security Council called it a long-range missile and Japan’s government said it likely had an intercontinental range.

South Korea’s military believes North Korea launched a new type of ballistic missile, possibly using solid fuel, a defense official said under the condition of anonymity because of office rules.

If the launch involved a solid-fuel ICBM, it would be the North’s first test of such a weapon. North Korea’s known ICBMs all use liquid propellants that must be fueled before launches.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-63ddab6200055a838ad84b5a67c0626e">But the fuel in a solid-propellant weapon</a>&nbsp;is already loaded, allowing it to be moved easier and fired faster.

A solid-fuel ICBM is one of the key high-tech weapons that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to build to better cope with what he calls U.S. military threats. He also wants a multiwarhead missile, a nuclear-powered submarine, a hypersonic missile and a spy satellite.

Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the launch may have involved a new intermediate- or long-range missile powered by solid propellants, or be linked to North Korean preparation to launch a spy satellite.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the latest launch “needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region.” Watson said the United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-japan-united-states-tokyo-south-korea-7397d3c81ecc6ceff76a4f0ffe25ec24">security of the American homeland and South Korean and Japanese allies</a>.

During an emergency meeting of Seoul's National Security Council, officials stressed the need to tighten three-way security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a meeting of his NSC to analyze the launch and Japan’s response.

The nuclear envoys of Seoul, Washington and Tokyo held a telephone conversation where they called for a “decisive and united international response” to North Korean provocations and stronger efforts to stem illicit North Korean funding of its weapons program.

North Korea commonly test-launches missiles toward the international waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, using elevated trajectories to avoid neighboring countries. South Korea and Japan typically don’t issue evacuation orders unless they determine the North Korean weapon is flying in their direction.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters the North Korean missile launched Thursday did not reach Japan’s exclusive economic zone. But Japanese authorities still urged people on the northernmost island of Hokkaido to seek shelter and temporarily suspended train, bus and subway services there. Local communities also activated alert sirens through community speakers, urging people to evacuate.

The government then retracted its missile alert, saying there was no possibility of the missile landing near Hokkaido. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters the alert was based on the Japanese Defense Ministry’s early assessment of the missile’s path and was an “appropriate” step to prioritize people’s safety.

Japanese authorities issued a similar evacuation order in October when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seoul-south-korea-north-joint-chiefs-of-staff-1026206c80666f1fcdb3983ebf45e14b">North Korean intermediate-range missile flew over Japan</a>&nbsp;in a launch that demonstrated the weapon's potential to reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

Thursday’s launch was the North’s first long-range missile firing since the country&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missile-launch-us-military-drills-fbbe3be09a9bd812baa541ea9b84832e">tested its longest-range, liquid-fueled Hwasong-17 ICBM</a>&nbsp;on March 16. Kim Jong Un reviewed his country’s attack plans Monday and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-jong-un-nuclear-arsenal-9b1093e2939b87facfdf1f74612d3738">vowed to enhance his nuclear arsenal</a>&nbsp;in more “practical and offensive” ways.

North Korea has launched about 100 missiles since the start of 2022, many of them nuclear-capable weapons that place the U.S. mainland, South Korea or Japan within striking distance.

The North’s testing spree is largely in protest of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missiles-f7584ba0845643c1e5892720092ccebf">South Korean-U.S. military drills</a>&nbsp;that it views as a rehearsal for an invasion. Some observers say North Korea uses its rivals' drills as a pretext to modernize its weapons arsenal and pressure Washington and Seoul to make concessions such as the lifting of economic sanctions. South Korean and U.S. officials say their drills are defensive in nature and were arranged to respond to North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats.

Later Thursday, China, North Korea’s last major ally, reiterated its blame for the heightened animosities on the U.S. and South Korea.

“The negative impact of the U.S. military exercises and strategic weapons deployed around the peninsula a few days ago is obvious to all,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a briefing.

North Korea unveiled a new type of nuclear warhead in late March, raising concerns it could conduct its first nuclear test in more than five years.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-north-korea-south-nuclear-weapons-f409b488bb38ad3cfc37d1f8d29a6857">Foreign experts debate whether North Korea has developed warheads</a>&nbsp;small and light enough to fit on its more advanced missiles.

South Korean officials say North Korea has not been responding to South Korean calls on a set of cross-border inter-Korean hotlines for about a week. Communications on those channels are meant to prevent accidental clashes along the rivals’ disputed western sea boundary.

On Tuesday, South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Youngse expressed “strong regret” over what he called North Korea’s “unilateral and irresponsible attitude” over the hotlines.

North Korea's advancing nuclear arsenal is expected to be a major topic during a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden later this month in Washington.

Experts say the discussions between world leaders at Japan’s Group of Seven meetings in May could be crucial for maintaining diplomatic pressure on North Korea. U.N. Security Council permanent members China and Russia have blocked tighter sanctions on North Korea in recent months, underscoring a divide deepened by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667483523229.png" alt="A TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage is seen at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)" />
 <figcaption>A TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage is seen at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile launch in a month, possibly testing a new more mobile, harder-to-detect missile for the first time, its neighbors said, as it extends its provocative run of weapons tests.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">ALERT: The Japanese government is warning that North Korea appears to have launched at least one ballistic missile. The government is urging everyone in Hokkaido to seek shelter. Follow local media for guidance. <a href="https://t.co/Pw4PeRBqav">pic.twitter.com/Pw4PeRBqav</a>&mdash; U.S. Embassy Tokyo, ACS (@ACSTokyo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACSTokyo/status/1646289607699431426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Japan briefly urged residents on a northern island to take shelter in an indication of its vigilance over North Korea's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-nuclear-threat-810afe432743ba9ab0d8543daac160b2">evolving missile threats</a>.The missile was launched on a high angle from near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan following a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) flight, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staffs said in a statement.It described its range as medium or longer. The U.S. National Security Council called it a long-range missile and Japan’s government said it likely had an intercontinental range.South Korea’s military believes North Korea launched a new type of ballistic missile, possibly using solid fuel, a defense official said under the condition of anonymity because of office rules.If the launch involved a solid-fuel ICBM, it would be the North’s first test of such a weapon. North Korea’s known ICBMs all use liquid propellants that must be fueled before launches.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-63ddab6200055a838ad84b5a67c0626e">But the fuel in a solid-propellant weapon</a>&nbsp;is already loaded, allowing it to be moved easier and fired faster.A solid-fuel ICBM is one of the key high-tech weapons that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to build to better cope with what he calls U.S. military threats. He also wants a multiwarhead missile, a nuclear-powered submarine, a hypersonic missile and a spy satellite.Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the launch may have involved a new intermediate- or long-range missile powered by solid propellants, or be linked to North Korean preparation to launch a spy satellite.U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the latest launch “needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region.” Watson said the United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-japan-united-states-tokyo-south-korea-7397d3c81ecc6ceff76a4f0ffe25ec24">security of the American homeland and South Korean and Japanese allies</a>.During an emergency meeting of Seoul's National Security Council, officials stressed the need to tighten three-way security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a meeting of his NSC to analyze the launch and Japan’s response.The nuclear envoys of Seoul, Washington and Tokyo held a telephone conversation where they called for a “decisive and united international response” to North Korean provocations and stronger efforts to stem illicit North Korean funding of its weapons program.North Korea commonly test-launches missiles toward the international waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, using elevated trajectories to avoid neighboring countries. South Korea and Japan typically don’t issue evacuation orders unless they determine the North Korean weapon is flying in their direction.Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters the North Korean missile launched Thursday did not reach Japan’s exclusive economic zone. But Japanese authorities still urged people on the northernmost island of Hokkaido to seek shelter and temporarily suspended train, bus and subway services there. Local communities also activated alert sirens through community speakers, urging people to evacuate.The government then retracted its missile alert, saying there was no possibility of the missile landing near Hokkaido. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters the alert was based on the Japanese Defense Ministry’s early assessment of the missile’s path and was an “appropriate” step to prioritize people’s safety.Japanese authorities issued a similar evacuation order in October when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seoul-south-korea-north-joint-chiefs-of-staff-1026206c80666f1fcdb3983ebf45e14b">North Korean intermediate-range missile flew over Japan</a>&nbsp;in a launch that demonstrated the weapon's potential to reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.Thursday’s launch was the North’s first long-range missile firing since the country&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missile-launch-us-military-drills-fbbe3be09a9bd812baa541ea9b84832e">tested its longest-range, liquid-fueled Hwasong-17 ICBM</a>&nbsp;on March 16. Kim Jong Un reviewed his country’s attack plans Monday and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-jong-un-nuclear-arsenal-9b1093e2939b87facfdf1f74612d3738">vowed to enhance his nuclear arsenal</a>&nbsp;in more “practical and offensive” ways.North Korea has launched about 100 missiles since the start of 2022, many of them nuclear-capable weapons that place the U.S. mainland, South Korea or Japan within striking distance.The North’s testing spree is largely in protest of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missiles-f7584ba0845643c1e5892720092ccebf">South Korean-U.S. military drills</a>&nbsp;that it views as a rehearsal for an invasion. Some observers say North Korea uses its rivals' drills as a pretext to modernize its weapons arsenal and pressure Washington and Seoul to make concessions such as the lifting of economic sanctions. South Korean and U.S. officials say their drills are defensive in nature and were arranged to respond to North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats.Later Thursday, China, North Korea’s last major ally, reiterated its blame for the heightened animosities on the U.S. and South Korea.“The negative impact of the U.S. military exercises and strategic weapons deployed around the peninsula a few days ago is obvious to all,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a briefing.North Korea unveiled a new type of nuclear warhead in late March, raising concerns it could conduct its first nuclear test in more than five years.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-north-korea-south-nuclear-weapons-f409b488bb38ad3cfc37d1f8d29a6857">Foreign experts debate whether North Korea has developed warheads</a>&nbsp;small and light enough to fit on its more advanced missiles.South Korean officials say North Korea has not been responding to South Korean calls on a set of cross-border inter-Korean hotlines for about a week. Communications on those channels are meant to prevent accidental clashes along the rivals’ disputed western sea boundary.On Tuesday, South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Youngse expressed “strong regret” over what he called North Korea’s “unilateral and irresponsible attitude” over the hotlines.North Korea's advancing nuclear arsenal is expected to be a major topic during a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden later this month in Washington.Experts say the discussions between world leaders at Japan’s Group of Seven meetings in May could be crucial for maintaining diplomatic pressure on North Korea. U.N. Security Council permanent members China and Russia have blocked tighter sanctions on North Korea in recent months, underscoring a divide deepened by Russia’s war on Ukraine.___

N. Korea fires missile that may have been new type of weapon

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a federal rule in 24 states that is intended to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-arizona-state-government-donald-trump-8d46b14c20cb0effcb52ace48220dcce">protect thousands of small streams</a>, wetlands and other waterways throughout the nation.

U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland in Bismarck, North Dakota, halted the regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the 24 states, most of which are led by Republicans. The regulations were finalized in December 2022, repealing a rule implemented during President Donald Trump's administration but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/environment-and-nature-2998bdb80aadc14ef8d4c6d2fe040988">thrown out by federal courts</a>.

Opponents of the regulations, which define which “waters of the United States” are protected by the Clean Water Act, have called the rules an example of federal overreach and argued they would unfairly burden farmers and ranchers.

The preliminary injunction affects Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. An injunction was previously issued that halted the rules in Texas and Idaho.

"Once again, the courts have affirmed that the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule is overreaching and harmful to America’s beef farmers and ranchers,” said Todd Wilkinson, a South Dakota cattle producer and president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. “Cattle producers in 26 states now have some additional certainty while this rule is being litigated and we are optimistic that the Supreme Court will provide nationwide clarity on the federal government’s proper jurisdiction over water.”

The EPA said in a statement that the agency and the Army Corps of Engineers were reviewing the decision but still believe the regulations were “the best” interpretation of the Clean Water Act. The agency says its rules would still stand in states not included in the injunction.

“The agencies remain committed to establishing and implementing a durable definition of ‘waters of the United States’ informed by diverse perspectives,” the EPA said in the statement. “Our goal is to protect public health, the environment, and downstream communities while supporting economic opportunity, agriculture, and industries that depend on clean water.”

The injunction comes less than a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-epa-clean-water-wotus-congress-07bb00728e9411106828676e321f7e43">President Joe Biden vetoed</a>&nbsp;a congressional resolution that would have overturned the rule. The House and Senate had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-biden-water-sackett-wotus-congress-senate-ec5a4b66376fdc9252f77575e29043ce">used the Congressional Review Act</a>&nbsp;to block the regulations, with several Democrats joining Republicans in opposing the regulations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631029867595.jpeg" alt="The preliminary injunction affects 24 states -Photo (Unsplash)" />
 <figcaption>The preliminary injunction affects 24 states -Photo (Unsplash)</figcaption>
 </figure>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a federal rule in 24 states that is intended to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-arizona-state-government-donald-trump-8d46b14c20cb0effcb52ace48220dcce">protect thousands of small streams</a>, wetlands and other waterways throughout the nation.U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland in Bismarck, North Dakota, halted the regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the 24 states, most of which are led by Republicans. The regulations were finalized in December 2022, repealing a rule implemented during President Donald Trump's administration but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/environment-and-nature-2998bdb80aadc14ef8d4c6d2fe040988">thrown out by federal courts</a>.Opponents of the regulations, which define which “waters of the United States” are protected by the Clean Water Act, have called the rules an example of federal overreach and argued they would unfairly burden farmers and ranchers.The preliminary injunction affects Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. An injunction was previously issued that halted the rules in Texas and Idaho."Once again, the courts have affirmed that the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule is overreaching and harmful to America’s beef farmers and ranchers,” said Todd Wilkinson, a South Dakota cattle producer and president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. “Cattle producers in 26 states now have some additional certainty while this rule is being litigated and we are optimistic that the Supreme Court will provide nationwide clarity on the federal government’s proper jurisdiction over water.”The EPA said in a statement that the agency and the Army Corps of Engineers were reviewing the decision but still believe the regulations were “the best” interpretation of the Clean Water Act. The agency says its rules would still stand in states not included in the injunction.“The agencies remain committed to establishing and implementing a durable definition of ‘waters of the United States’ informed by diverse perspectives,” the EPA said in the statement. “Our goal is to protect public health, the environment, and downstream communities while supporting economic opportunity, agriculture, and industries that depend on clean water.”The injunction comes less than a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-epa-clean-water-wotus-congress-07bb00728e9411106828676e321f7e43">President Joe Biden vetoed</a>&nbsp;a congressional resolution that would have overturned the rule. The House and Senate had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-biden-water-sackett-wotus-congress-senate-ec5a4b66376fdc9252f77575e29043ce">used the Congressional Review Act</a>&nbsp;to block the regulations, with several Democrats joining Republicans in opposing the regulations.

Judge blocks rule in Nebraska intended to protect waterways

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/omaha-man-who-used-duct-tape-to-steal-mail-sentenced-to-federal-prison/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Duct tape giveth and duct tape taketh away.

That appears to be the moral of the story of an Omaha man who used the sticky tape to steal letters dropped in a mailbox.

But duct tape had its revenge because it also preserved the 
fingerprints of the mail bandit, helping lead to the arrest of Jorge 
Felix Morejon, 25, of Omaha.

Morejon was sentenced Monday to five months in prison for mail theft by U.S. District Judge Robert Rossiter.

In July, postal inspectors found duct tape rings that were placed 
inside the snorkel of a mail collection box in Omaha. The duct tape was 
used to capture mail deposited in the box.

Surveillance cameras later showed Morejon using gift cards that had 
been placed in envelopes in the duct tape traps by investigators. Eight 
of his fingerprints were also found on the duct tape.

A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Morejon had been
 convicted in Miami of a similar mail theft scheme using duct tape in 
2017.

Such thefts are not unheard of. In 2018, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2018/09/17/two-men-accused-fishing-checks/7087971007/">Palm Beach Post</a>
 reported that thieves had stolen more than $400,000 from blue 
collection boxes using duct tape and shoestrings over three years.

After being released from prison, Morejon will serve three years of 
supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $25 in restitution.

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/omaha-man-who-used-duct-tape-to-steal-mail-sentenced-to-federal-prison/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Duct tape giveth and duct tape taketh away.That appears to be the moral of the story of an Omaha man who used the sticky tape to steal letters dropped in a mailbox.But duct tape had its revenge because it also preserved the 
fingerprints of the mail bandit, helping lead to the arrest of Jorge 
Felix Morejon, 25, of Omaha.Morejon was sentenced Monday to five months in prison for mail theft by U.S. District Judge Robert Rossiter.In July, postal inspectors found duct tape rings that were placed 
inside the snorkel of a mail collection box in Omaha. The duct tape was 
used to capture mail deposited in the box.Surveillance cameras later showed Morejon using gift cards that had 
been placed in envelopes in the duct tape traps by investigators. Eight 
of his fingerprints were also found on the duct tape.A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Morejon had been
 convicted in Miami of a similar mail theft scheme using duct tape in 
2017.Such thefts are not unheard of. In 2018, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2018/09/17/two-men-accused-fishing-checks/7087971007/">Palm Beach Post</a>
 reported that thieves had stolen more than $400,000 from blue 
collection boxes using duct tape and shoestrings over three years.After being released from prison, Morejon will serve three years of 
supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $25 in restitution.

Neb. man who used duct tape to steal mail sentenced to prison

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. has named a <a href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/Xylazine.pdf">veterinary tranquilizer</a> as an “emerging threat” when it's mixed with the powerful opioid fentanyl, clearing the way for more efforts to stop the spread of xylazine.

<a href="https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-reports-widespread-threat-fentanyl-mixed-xylazine">Click here to read the DEA</a> warning

The Office of National Drug Control Policy announced the designation Wednesday, the first time the office has used it since the category for fast-growing drug dangers was created in 2019.

Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the drug policy office, said xylazine (pronounced ZAI’-luh-zeen) has become increasingly common in all regions of the country.

It was detected in about 800 drug deaths in the U.S. in 2020 — most of them in the Northeast. By 2021, it was present in more than 3,000 fatalities —with the most in the South — according to a report last year from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“We cannot ignore what we’re seeing," Gupta said. "We must act and act now.”

Xylazine was approved for veterinary use in 1971. Sometimes known as “tranq,” it's been showing up in supplies of illicit drugs used by humans in major quantities in only the last several years.

It's believed to be added to other drugs to increase profits. Officials are trying to understand how much of it is diverted from veterinary uses and how much is made illicitly.

The drug causes breathing and heart rates to slow down, sometimes to deadly levels, and causes skin abscesses and ulcers that can require amputation. Withdrawal is also painful.

While it's often used in conjunction with opioids, including fentanyl and related illicit lab-made drugs, it's not an opioid. And there are no known antidotes.

Gupta said his office is requesting $11 million as part of its budget to develop a strategy to tackle the drug's spread. Plans include developing an antidote, learning more about how it is introduced into illicit drug supplies so that can be disrupted, and looking into whether Congress should classify it as a controlled substance.

Gupta said it needs to be available for veterinary uses even amid crackdowns on the supply used by people. He also said systems to detect the drug and data about where it's being used need to be improved.

The drug is part of a deepening overdose crisis in the U.S.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 107,000 people died from overdoses in the 12 months that ended Oct. 31, 2022. Before 2020, the number of overdose deaths had never topped 100,000.

Most of the deaths were linked to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Like xylazine, they're often added to other drugs — and users don't always know they're getting them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681297269107.png" alt="Photo DEA" />
 <figcaption>Photo DEA</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. has named a <a href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/Xylazine.pdf">veterinary tranquilizer</a> as an “emerging threat” when it's mixed with the powerful opioid fentanyl, clearing the way for more efforts to stop the spread of xylazine.<a href="https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-reports-widespread-threat-fentanyl-mixed-xylazine">Click here to read the DEA</a> warningThe Office of National Drug Control Policy announced the designation Wednesday, the first time the office has used it since the category for fast-growing drug dangers was created in 2019.Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the drug policy office, said xylazine (pronounced ZAI’-luh-zeen) has become increasingly common in all regions of the country.It was detected in about 800 drug deaths in the U.S. in 2020 — most of them in the Northeast. By 2021, it was present in more than 3,000 fatalities —with the most in the South — according to a report last year from the Drug Enforcement Administration.“We cannot ignore what we’re seeing," Gupta said. "We must act and act now.”Xylazine was approved for veterinary use in 1971. Sometimes known as “tranq,” it's been showing up in supplies of illicit drugs used by humans in major quantities in only the last several years.It's believed to be added to other drugs to increase profits. Officials are trying to understand how much of it is diverted from veterinary uses and how much is made illicitly.The drug causes breathing and heart rates to slow down, sometimes to deadly levels, and causes skin abscesses and ulcers that can require amputation. Withdrawal is also painful.While it's often used in conjunction with opioids, including fentanyl and related illicit lab-made drugs, it's not an opioid. And there are no known antidotes.Gupta said his office is requesting $11 million as part of its budget to develop a strategy to tackle the drug's spread. Plans include developing an antidote, learning more about how it is introduced into illicit drug supplies so that can be disrupted, and looking into whether Congress should classify it as a controlled substance.Gupta said it needs to be available for veterinary uses even amid crackdowns on the supply used by people. He also said systems to detect the drug and data about where it's being used need to be improved.The drug is part of a deepening overdose crisis in the U.S.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 107,000 people died from overdoses in the 12 months that ended Oct. 31, 2022. Before 2020, the number of overdose deaths had never topped 100,000.Most of the deaths were linked to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Like xylazine, they're often added to other drugs — and users don't always know they're getting them.

Emerging U.S. threat: Fentanyl laced animal tranquilizer 

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/12/nebraskas-new-tourist-attraction-kiewit-luminarium-on-omahas-riverfront-is-to-open-saturday/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — Three years in the making, 
Nebraska’s newest tourist magnet is set to open Saturday: 82,000 square 
feet of interactive science museum on the edge of Omaha’s riverfront.

The Kiewit Luminarium, whose roughly 
$100 million price tag was privately funded, is key to redefining a 
downtown landscape, along with the tri-park revamp and planned $600 
million Mutual of Omaha skyscraper.

It’s viewed as a boost to building a 
workforce in a labor-starved state, with more than 120 exhibits designed
 to inspire lifelong interest and careers in science, technology and 
engineering.

But among the <a target="_blank" href="https://kiewitluminarium.org/">Luminarium’s</a>
 highest values, said CEO Silva Raker, is providing a space where people
 of all backgrounds connect, open their minds to different ways of 
learning and break down barriers.

“There aren’t that many places where 
people can intersect with folks who already aren’t in their circle,” 
Raker told the Nebraska Examiner during a sneak peek event for news 
media on Tuesday.

Raker noted that almost all the Luminarium exhibits are designed for social interaction and an exchange of thoughts.

Take the “pothole” station (many displays reflect Omaha-centric issues and feature local personalities).

Paper, pencils and a question 
encourage visitors to describe thoughts and post them on a wall for all 
to see. “What would an Omaha without potholes be like?”&nbsp;

To that, one respondent wrote: “We will never know.” Another said, “They make this the holiest city in the country.”

Also in the exhibit, a 
day-in-the-life video of a real-life city pothole-filler explains the 
science behind the craters and his role in fixing up to 20,000 in a 
month.

Raker said adult nights will be held at the Luminarium on certain topics, maybe even on potholes, and people can share further ideas.

“You will never look at a pothole 
again the same after you do these things,” she said. “It’s about finding
 the science and the technology in the everyday, and it’s also finding 
the humanity in it.”

Inside the Luminarium’s steely exterior is a cafe, a gift shop, meeting rooms. Raker expects the museum to be a headquarters for influencers such as educators, to gather for professional growth. 

Teachers, she said, are “multipliers of what we do” and will impact thousands of kids over the course of their careers.

 Sections within the airy Luminarium 
are devoted to areas such as math and geometry, natural phenomena and 
physical science, financial literacy, engineering and the built 
environment.

To be sure, it’s a hands-on learning environment.

Take the geometry playground, where 
one can enhance the “brain’s spatial superpowers” by stacking, packing 
and fitting together objects in just the right position.

A compost station invites visitors to “feel the warmth.”

A turn of a knob at another display sends sound waves splashing through water in a tube.

On Tuesday, Elijah Mitchell — who is 
among the 60 students on the 100-person Luminarium staff — was laughing 
with his co-workers as each tested how quietly they could walk through a
 bed of rocks in one of the science-of-sound exhibits.

Mitchell, 21, said he wasn’t exposed 
much to museums while growing up. He sought the part-time Luminarium 
job, while studying business at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, in 
part to pass on some life lessons to young visitors.

“I’d like to help break that barrier 
for kids who don’t like math or science or think they don’t understand 
it — this is hands-on learning, and it can be fun.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://kiewitluminarium.org/">General admission,</a> timed-entry tickets available online

<a target="_blank" href="https://kiewitluminarium.org/membership/">Members</a> still must reserve a timed ticket

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681307720444.png" alt="The Kiewit Luminarium spans 82,000 square feet at the Lewis &amp; Clark Landing on Omaha’s riverfront (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The Kiewit Luminarium spans 82,000 square feet at the Lewis &amp; Clark Landing on Omaha’s riverfront (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/12/nebraskas-new-tourist-attraction-kiewit-luminarium-on-omahas-riverfront-is-to-open-saturday/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — Three years in the making, 
Nebraska’s newest tourist magnet is set to open Saturday: 82,000 square 
feet of interactive science museum on the edge of Omaha’s riverfront.The Kiewit Luminarium, whose roughly 
$100 million price tag was privately funded, is key to redefining a 
downtown landscape, along with the tri-park revamp and planned $600 
million Mutual of Omaha skyscraper.It’s viewed as a boost to building a 
workforce in a labor-starved state, with more than 120 exhibits designed
 to inspire lifelong interest and careers in science, technology and 
engineering.But among the <a target="_blank" href="https://kiewitluminarium.org/">Luminarium’s</a>
 highest values, said CEO Silva Raker, is providing a space where people
 of all backgrounds connect, open their minds to different ways of 
learning and break down barriers.“There aren’t that many places where 
people can intersect with folks who already aren’t in their circle,” 
Raker told the Nebraska Examiner during a sneak peek event for news 
media on Tuesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681307820308.png" alt="Courtesy of Kiewit Luminarium" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Kiewit Luminarium</figcaption>
 </figure>Raker noted that almost all the Luminarium exhibits are designed for social interaction and an exchange of thoughts.Take the “pothole” station (many displays reflect Omaha-centric issues and feature local personalities).Paper, pencils and a question 
encourage visitors to describe thoughts and post them on a wall for all 
to see. “What would an Omaha without potholes be like?”&nbsp;To that, one respondent wrote: “We will never know.” Another said, “They make this the holiest city in the country.”Also in the exhibit, a 
day-in-the-life video of a real-life city pothole-filler explains the 
science behind the craters and his role in fixing up to 20,000 in a 
month.Raker said adult nights will be held at the Luminarium on certain topics, maybe even on potholes, and people can share further ideas.“You will never look at a pothole 
again the same after you do these things,” she said. “It’s about finding
 the science and the technology in the everyday, and it’s also finding 
the humanity in it.”Inside the Luminarium’s steely exterior is a cafe, a gift shop, meeting rooms. Raker expects the museum to be a headquarters for influencers such as educators, to gather for professional growth. Teachers, she said, are “multipliers of what we do” and will impact thousands of kids over the course of their careers. Sections within the airy Luminarium 
are devoted to areas such as math and geometry, natural phenomena and 
physical science, financial literacy, engineering and the built 
environment.To be sure, it’s a hands-on learning environment.Take the geometry playground, where 
one can enhance the “brain’s spatial superpowers” by stacking, packing 
and fitting together objects in just the right position.A compost station invites visitors to “feel the warmth.”A turn of a knob at another display sends sound waves splashing through water in a tube.On Tuesday, Elijah Mitchell — who is 
among the 60 students on the 100-person Luminarium staff — was laughing 
with his co-workers as each tested how quietly they could walk through a
 bed of rocks in one of the science-of-sound exhibits.Mitchell, 21, said he wasn’t exposed 
much to museums while growing up. He sought the part-time Luminarium 
job, while studying business at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, in 
part to pass on some life lessons to young visitors.“I’d like to help break that barrier 
for kids who don’t like math or science or think they don’t understand 
it — this is hands-on learning, and it can be fun.”<h2>Kiewit Luminarium</h2>345 Riverfront Drive<a target="_blank" href="https://kiewitluminarium.org/">General admission,</a> timed-entry tickets available online<a target="_blank" href="https://kiewitluminarium.org/membership/">Members</a> still must reserve a timed ticket

Nebraska’s new tourist attraction, Kiewit Luminarium, set to open Saturday

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A growing number of states led by Democratic governors are stockpiling doses of drugs used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63?utm_source=apnews&amp;utm_medium=relatedcontentmodule">medication abortions</a>, amid fears that a court ruling could restrict access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S.

Massachusetts has purchased enough doses of the drug mifepristone — one of two drugs used in combination to end pregnancies — to last for more than a year, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey said Monday. California has secured an emergency stockpile of up to 2 million pills of misoprostol, the other drug used in abortion medication, Gov. Newsom, also a Democrat, announced.

And in Washington state, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee announced last week that the state purchased&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-abortion-pills-stockpile-1c1c7c107882f7a25a181af79a1f6790">30,000 doses of the generic version</a>&nbsp;of mifepristone — which he said is enough to last the state's residents three years. The shipment arrived in late March.

“Abortion is still legal and accessible here in California and we won’t stand by as fundamental freedoms are stripped away,” Newsom said Friday.

The actions come as U.S. District Judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee</a>&nbsp;in Amarillo, Texas, overruled decades of scientific approval Friday and put on hold federal approval of mifepristone.

The judge stayed his ruling for a week so federal authorities could file a challenge.

The Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-court-order-becerra-fda-307bcfdbb08418c6a57bc8cc789428c8">slammed the ruling</a>&nbsp;and on Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-pills-4b65ecc66d1b908019bdf3843a428d5a">appealed the decision</a>, saying it would thwart the U.S. Food and Drug administration's scientific judgment and “severely harm women, particularly those for whom mifepristone is a medical or practical necessity.”

Adding to the confusion was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">a second opinion</a>&nbsp;also released on Friday by District Judge Thomas O. Rice, an Obama appointee, directing U.S. authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in at least 17 states where Democrats sued in an effort to protect availability.

Healey said the Kacsmaryk ruling threatens access to the medication even in states supportive of abortion rights like Massachusetts.

“It harms patients, undermines medical expertise, and takes away freedom. It's an attempt to punish, to shame, to marginalize women. It's unnecessary,” Healey said, surrounded by fellow Democratic lawmakers including U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the steps of the Massachusetts Statehouse.

“It is terrible. It is terrible,” she added.

Newsom said the ruling by Kacsmaryk “ignores facts, science, and the law," and puts the health of millions of women and girls at risk.

Inslee said it's important for states to take steps to ensure access to the drug.

“After we announced our actions last week to protect access to mifepristone, it’s heartening to see other states doing the same,” Inslee wrote on Twitter on Monday. “To be clear: no matter the outcome of the TX case, WA’s laws ensure we will be able to sell and distribute this medication."

The 15,000 doses in Massachusetts were purchased by the University of Massachusetts-Amherst at Healey's request.

Massachusetts health care providers have also agreed to buy additional quantities of mifepristone, according to Healey, who said the administration is dedicating $1 million to help providers contracted with the Department of Public Health to pay for the doses.

While there are no plans yet in Connecticut to stockpile mifepristone, Attorney General William Tong said Monday that he has been contacting major pharmacy chains to remind them the drug is legal and they should not be influenced by pressure from GOP attorneys general in other states.

”(I’m) obviously deeply disappointed that my colleagues have taken that action,” he said. “We’re pushing back on that. We’re in communication with all the big pharmacy chains, advising them of their rights and obligations here in Connecticut.”

Also on Friday, Healey signed an executive order expanding a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-charlie-baker-massachusetts-67ae91877315527cb5f5166cf2b91d8a">2022 law meant to build a legal firewall</a>&nbsp;around abortion services — protecting health care providers, patients and pharmacists from out-of-state investigations into medication abortions. The law was signed after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680709134368.png" alt="--Washington state has purchased a three-year supply of a leading abortion medication in anticipation of the court ruling, Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday.-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>--Washington state has purchased a three-year supply of a leading abortion medication in anticipation of the court ruling, Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday.-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A growing number of states led by Democratic governors are stockpiling doses of drugs used in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63?utm_source=apnews&amp;utm_medium=relatedcontentmodule">medication abortions</a>, amid fears that a court ruling could restrict access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S.Massachusetts has purchased enough doses of the drug mifepristone — one of two drugs used in combination to end pregnancies — to last for more than a year, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey said Monday. California has secured an emergency stockpile of up to 2 million pills of misoprostol, the other drug used in abortion medication, Gov. Newsom, also a Democrat, announced.And in Washington state, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee announced last week that the state purchased&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-abortion-pills-stockpile-1c1c7c107882f7a25a181af79a1f6790">30,000 doses of the generic version</a>&nbsp;of mifepristone — which he said is enough to last the state's residents three years. The shipment arrived in late March.“Abortion is still legal and accessible here in California and we won’t stand by as fundamental freedoms are stripped away,” Newsom said Friday.The actions come as U.S. District Judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee</a>&nbsp;in Amarillo, Texas, overruled decades of scientific approval Friday and put on hold federal approval of mifepristone.The judge stayed his ruling for a week so federal authorities could file a challenge.The Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-court-order-becerra-fda-307bcfdbb08418c6a57bc8cc789428c8">slammed the ruling</a>&nbsp;and on Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-pills-4b65ecc66d1b908019bdf3843a428d5a">appealed the decision</a>, saying it would thwart the U.S. Food and Drug administration's scientific judgment and “severely harm women, particularly those for whom mifepristone is a medical or practical necessity.”Adding to the confusion was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">a second opinion</a>&nbsp;also released on Friday by District Judge Thomas O. Rice, an Obama appointee, directing U.S. authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in at least 17 states where Democrats sued in an effort to protect availability.Healey said the Kacsmaryk ruling threatens access to the medication even in states supportive of abortion rights like Massachusetts.“It harms patients, undermines medical expertise, and takes away freedom. It's an attempt to punish, to shame, to marginalize women. It's unnecessary,” Healey said, surrounded by fellow Democratic lawmakers including U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the steps of the Massachusetts Statehouse.“It is terrible. It is terrible,” she added.Newsom said the ruling by Kacsmaryk “ignores facts, science, and the law," and puts the health of millions of women and girls at risk.Inslee said it's important for states to take steps to ensure access to the drug.“After we announced our actions last week to protect access to mifepristone, it’s heartening to see other states doing the same,” Inslee wrote on Twitter on Monday. “To be clear: no matter the outcome of the TX case, WA’s laws ensure we will be able to sell and distribute this medication."The 15,000 doses in Massachusetts were purchased by the University of Massachusetts-Amherst at Healey's request.Massachusetts health care providers have also agreed to buy additional quantities of mifepristone, according to Healey, who said the administration is dedicating $1 million to help providers contracted with the Department of Public Health to pay for the doses.While there are no plans yet in Connecticut to stockpile mifepristone, Attorney General William Tong said Monday that he has been contacting major pharmacy chains to remind them the drug is legal and they should not be influenced by pressure from GOP attorneys general in other states.”(I’m) obviously deeply disappointed that my colleagues have taken that action,” he said. “We’re pushing back on that. We’re in communication with all the big pharmacy chains, advising them of their rights and obligations here in Connecticut.”Also on Friday, Healey signed an executive order expanding a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-charlie-baker-massachusetts-67ae91877315527cb5f5166cf2b91d8a">2022 law meant to build a legal firewall</a>&nbsp;around abortion services — protecting health care providers, patients and pharmacists from out-of-state investigations into medication abortions. The law was signed after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

More US states stock abortion medications after court ruling

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has begun sharing with a bipartisan group of lawmakers known as the Gang of Eight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-trump-side-by-side-fb2c4ebccdbdbb9039c1c5e227b1da53">classified documents found in the possession</a>&nbsp;of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence, according to five people familiar with the matter.

Top lawmakers, including Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, had for months been asking the Justice Department to provide access to the documents — or at least an assessment of what was in them — so that Congress could gauge the potential national security harm.

That process recently got underway, said the people, who insisted on anonymity to discuss private interactions between the Justice Department and Congress.

“They’re finally moving. We’ve got a lot more documents to review and, more importantly, to make sure there was mitigation taken,” Warner said Wednesday, adding that the documents were being received on a rolling basis. He said that while he was “glad to see progress,” it is “still unacceptable for me that it took this long.”

A Justice Department special counsel, Jack Smith, is investigating whether Trump mishandled roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6351944983a137dd6bbccc16966bdaac">several hundred documents with classified markings</a>&nbsp;that were taken after his term ended to Mar-a-Lago, the former president’s Florida estate, and whether he or his representatives sought to obstruct that probe. Another special counsel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-home-wilmington-33479d12c7cf0a822adb2f44c32b88fd">Robert Hur,</a>&nbsp;is also investigating the improper retention of documents from Biden’s time as vice president that have been located in his Delaware home and his pre-presidential think-tank office. Biden has said he had no knowledge the documents were there.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661941600753.jpeg" alt="This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department says it has uncovered efforts to obstruct its investigation into the discovery of classified records at former President Donald Trump's Florida estate. (Department of Justice via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department says it has uncovered efforts to obstruct its investigation into the discovery of classified records at former President Donald Trump's Florida estate. (Department of Justice via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has begun sharing with a bipartisan group of lawmakers known as the Gang of Eight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-trump-side-by-side-fb2c4ebccdbdbb9039c1c5e227b1da53">classified documents found in the possession</a>&nbsp;of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence, according to five people familiar with the matter.Top lawmakers, including Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, had for months been asking the Justice Department to provide access to the documents — or at least an assessment of what was in them — so that Congress could gauge the potential national security harm.That process recently got underway, said the people, who insisted on anonymity to discuss private interactions between the Justice Department and Congress.“They’re finally moving. We’ve got a lot more documents to review and, more importantly, to make sure there was mitigation taken,” Warner said Wednesday, adding that the documents were being received on a rolling basis. He said that while he was “glad to see progress,” it is “still unacceptable for me that it took this long.”A Justice Department special counsel, Jack Smith, is investigating whether Trump mishandled roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6351944983a137dd6bbccc16966bdaac">several hundred documents with classified markings</a>&nbsp;that were taken after his term ended to Mar-a-Lago, the former president’s Florida estate, and whether he or his representatives sought to obstruct that probe. Another special counsel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-home-wilmington-33479d12c7cf0a822adb2f44c32b88fd">Robert Hur,</a>&nbsp;is also investigating the improper retention of documents from Biden’s time as vice president that have been located in his Delaware home and his pre-presidential think-tank office. Biden has said he had no knowledge the documents were there.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-pence-classified-documents-791bba57abaf50377f0938f0d293f36e">A lawyers for Pence also said in January</a>&nbsp;that an apparently small number of papers were inadvertently boxed and transported to his Indiana home at the end of the Trump administration.Punchbowl News first reported the development.The Biden administration held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/intelligence-classified-documents-trump-biden-pence-c061d26139cbe811026962e531163c3e">classified briefing on the documents earlier this year</a>&nbsp;for members of Congress, but senators accused the executive branch of stonewalling and insisted that they needed for national security reasons to see for themselves what materials the men had been holding.The Justice Department had said that it wanted to be cooperative with the lawmakers’ demands within the confines of the ongoing investigations.