By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/14/nebraska-bill-would-ban-access-to-usf-funds-for-cell-providers-with-huawei-equipment/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A Nebraska state senator is
 proposing a novel way to shoot down potential surveillance by the 
Chinese state. His legislative bill would use the power of the purse to 
encourage cell phone service providers to ditch equipment from Chinese 
communications firms.

Legislative Bill 63, proposed by 
State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, would prohibit the Nebraska 
Universal Service Fund from distributing fees wireless companies gather 
from the state’s customers to firms using Huawei or ZTE equipment on 
their network. 

Companies mainly use Universal 
Service Funds to maintain wireless networks, officials said. The bill’s 
language excludes access to the funds by any firm using equipment 
manufactured or sold by companies that the Federal Communications 
Commission has deemed a threat to national security.&nbsp;

The federal government already bans 
the use of federal Universal Service Funds on equipment from Chinese 
telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE. Nebraska would be following
 suit with state funds, Bostar said during a news conference before 
Tuesday’s hearing on LB 63.

In 2022, the Federal Communications 
Commission adopted new rules banning the importation or sale of Huawei 
or ZTE communications equipment. But billions of dollars of the 
equipment had already been installed in networks around the U.S., 
including in Nebraska, Bostar said.&nbsp;

“Of particular concern was that 
Huawei was routinely selling cheap equipment to rural providers in cases
 that appear to be unprofitable for Huawei, but which placed its 
equipment near military assets,” Bostar said, citing sales to companies 
including Viaero Wireless in Nebraska.&nbsp;

Huawei has denied that its equipment 
is a spying threat. But the Chinese state helped finance the company, 
and it was founded by former members of the Chinese military. ZTE has 
denied spying as well. Tech experts have said the Chinese state can 
force Chinese companies to share information on specific users.&nbsp;

Bostar said the U.S. military and 
other experts who have studied the equipment have found it “capable of 
capturing and potentially disrupting highly restricted airwaves used by 
the military, specifically U.S. Strategic Command, which oversees the 
U.S. nuclear arsenal.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., a 
former state senator who has been highlighting the national security 
threats posed by Chinese technology and the Chinese state, visited the 
Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday to support Bostar’s effort.

“We don’t want to maintain systems that we feel are a threat to national security,” Flood said.

Flood said Nebraska is the first 
state to propose banning state-distributed funds from firms with the 
Chinese tech. It’s part of a broader push to reduce U.S. use of Chinese 
technology, including federal efforts to ban TikTok, a popular social 
media platform.&nbsp;

“It’s the collection of data,” Flood 
said. “It’s the ability to use artificial intelligence to take different
 sources of data and make predictions, affect behaviors and be able to 
coordinate any kind of operation, whether it be a military … commercial …
 or something that affects citizens.”

Flood has been pressing the Biden 
administration and the Commerce Department to investigate how much 
Huawei equipment is on cell towers near sensitive military installations
 in Nebraska, including nuclear missile silos in western Nebraska, and 
Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue, in eastern Nebraska.

Bostar confirmed Tuesday the 
discovery of the Viaero equipment near western Nebraska missile silos, 
but neither he nor Flood would say whether any had been found near 
Offutt. Flood said he’s awaiting what may be a classified briefing with 
the Commerce Department.&nbsp;

Congress has set aside $1.9 billion 
to offset service providers’ costs to replace the Huawei equipment, but 
Bostar said the costs outstrip the funding by billions of dollars. Flood
 and Bostar said the Commerce Department could end up outlawing the 
equipment.&nbsp;

State Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, 
who chairs the Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications 
Committee, said she supports LB 63. She said protecting Nebraska’s 
telecommunications system is an important part of protecting national 
security.

“LB 63 will reward vendors who choose
 to not do business with Huawei or ZTE,” Geist said. “This allows a 
company to have a competitive edge if they are responsible and look out 
for our country’s security interests.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676475127866.png" alt="State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln speaks about his bill to prohibit using Nebraska Universal Service Fund dollars on wireless companies with Huawei or ZTE equipment on their networks. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln speaks about his bill to prohibit using Nebraska Universal Service Fund dollars on wireless companies with Huawei or ZTE equipment on their networks. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/14/nebraska-bill-would-ban-access-to-usf-funds-for-cell-providers-with-huawei-equipment/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A Nebraska state senator is
 proposing a novel way to shoot down potential surveillance by the 
Chinese state. His legislative bill would use the power of the purse to 
encourage cell phone service providers to ditch equipment from Chinese 
communications firms.Legislative Bill 63, proposed by 
State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, would prohibit the Nebraska 
Universal Service Fund from distributing fees wireless companies gather 
from the state’s customers to firms using Huawei or ZTE equipment on 
their network. Companies mainly use Universal 
Service Funds to maintain wireless networks, officials said. The bill’s 
language excludes access to the funds by any firm using equipment 
manufactured or sold by companies that the Federal Communications 
Commission has deemed a threat to national security.&nbsp;The federal government already bans 
the use of federal Universal Service Funds on equipment from Chinese 
telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE. Nebraska would be following
 suit with state funds, Bostar said during a news conference before 
Tuesday’s hearing on LB 63.In 2022, the Federal Communications 
Commission adopted new rules banning the importation or sale of Huawei 
or ZTE communications equipment. But billions of dollars of the 
equipment had already been installed in networks around the U.S., 
including in Nebraska, Bostar said.&nbsp;“Of particular concern was that 
Huawei was routinely selling cheap equipment to rural providers in cases
 that appear to be unprofitable for Huawei, but which placed its 
equipment near military assets,” Bostar said, citing sales to companies 
including Viaero Wireless in Nebraska.&nbsp;Huawei has denied that its equipment 
is a spying threat. But the Chinese state helped finance the company, 
and it was founded by former members of the Chinese military. ZTE has 
denied spying as well. Tech experts have said the Chinese state can 
force Chinese companies to share information on specific users.&nbsp;Bostar said the U.S. military and 
other experts who have studied the equipment have found it “capable of 
capturing and potentially disrupting highly restricted airwaves used by 
the military, specifically U.S. Strategic Command, which oversees the 
U.S. nuclear arsenal.”U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., a 
former state senator who has been highlighting the national security 
threats posed by Chinese technology and the Chinese state, visited the 
Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday to support Bostar’s effort.“We don’t want to maintain systems that we feel are a threat to national security,” Flood said.Flood said Nebraska is the first 
state to propose banning state-distributed funds from firms with the 
Chinese tech. It’s part of a broader push to reduce U.S. use of Chinese 
technology, including federal efforts to ban TikTok, a popular social 
media platform.&nbsp;“It’s the collection of data,” Flood 
said. “It’s the ability to use artificial intelligence to take different
 sources of data and make predictions, affect behaviors and be able to 
coordinate any kind of operation, whether it be a military … commercial …
 or something that affects citizens.”Flood has been pressing the Biden 
administration and the Commerce Department to investigate how much 
Huawei equipment is on cell towers near sensitive military installations
 in Nebraska, including nuclear missile silos in western Nebraska, and 
Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue, in eastern Nebraska.Bostar confirmed Tuesday the 
discovery of the Viaero equipment near western Nebraska missile silos, 
but neither he nor Flood would say whether any had been found near 
Offutt. Flood said he’s awaiting what may be a classified briefing with 
the Commerce Department.&nbsp;Congress has set aside $1.9 billion 
to offset service providers’ costs to replace the Huawei equipment, but 
Bostar said the costs outstrip the funding by billions of dollars. Flood
 and Bostar said the Commerce Department could end up outlawing the 
equipment.&nbsp;State Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, 
who chairs the Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications 
Committee, said she supports LB 63. She said protecting Nebraska’s 
telecommunications system is an important part of protecting national 
security.“LB 63 will reward vendors who choose
 to not do business with Huawei or ZTE,” Geist said. “This allows a 
company to have a competitive edge if they are responsible and look out 
for our country’s security interests.”

Neb. bill would ban USF funds for cell providers with Huawei equipment

WASHINGTON (AP) — Maybe they came from China. Maybe from somewhere farther away. A lot farther away.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-high-altitude-balloons-in-airspace-8d8b9e7474027e1305264b2c7b8b04fb?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">downing of four aerial devices by U.S. warplanes</a>&nbsp;has touched off rampant misinformation about the objects, their origin and their purpose, showing how complicated world events and a lack of information can quickly create the perfect conditions for unchecked conjecture and misinformation.

The presence of mysterious objects high in the sky doesn't help.

“There will be an investigation and we will learn more, but until then this story has created a playground for people interested in speculating or stirring the pot for their own reasons," said Jim Ludes, a former national defense analyst who now leads the Pell Center for International Relations at Salve Regina University.

“In part," Ludes added, "because it feeds into so many narratives about government secrecy.”

President Joe Biden and other top Washington officials have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-charles-schumer-jake-sullivan-china-acc1a333326c50ee9649760c569c300f">said little</a>&nbsp;about the repeated shootdowns, which began with a suspected Chinese spy balloon earlier this month. Three more unidentified devices have been shot down, with the latest Sunday over Lake Huron. Pentagon officials said they posed no security threats but have not disclosed their origins or purpose.

On Monday, many social media sites in the U.S. lit up with theories that Biden had deployed the aerial devices as a way to distract Americans from other, more pressing issues. Those concerns included immigration, inflation, the war in Ukraine and Republican investigations into Hunter Biden, the president's son.

While the concentration of claims was highest on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-steve-bannon-technology-business-health-349c44b477cfee34bf3635160bfa74ea">fringe sites popular with far-right Americans</a>, the unfounded rumors and conspiracy theories popped up on bigger platforms like Twitter and Facebook, too.

One of the most popular theories suggested the White House and Pentagon are using the airborne devices to divert attention from a chemical spill earlier this month in Ohio.

That incident, caused by a train derailment, occurred several days before the most recent devices were shot down, and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">covered extensively.</a>&nbsp;Nonetheless, the spill remained the top subject searched on Google on Monday, showing continued public interest in the story.

China's government apparently took notice. On Tuesday Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying tweeted a link to news coverage of the Ohio chemical leak and added #OhioChernobyl, a hashtag used in many posts that suggest the incident is being covered up.

“Apparently some in the US take a wandering civilian balloon as a big threat while the explosive train derailment and toxic chemical leak not,” she wrote in the tweet, which racked up tens of thousands of views within hours Tuesday.

Misleading claims about the airborne devices have also prompted violent threats, according to an analysis by the SITE Intelligence Group, a firm that tracks extremist rhetoric online. After the White House said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-china-jake-sullivan-d7a981b058d2c195ccc01912d805ae08">earlier surveillance flights went undetected</a>&nbsp;during Donald Trump's presidency, an article circulated on far-right sites urging the execution of any Trump administration officials who may have withheld the information.

Trump administration officials have said they knew of no such surveillance craft.

Some commenters said Biden’s decision to wait until the balloon had reached the East Coast before shooting it down showed he was in league with China. Others, meanwhile, chastised Biden for shooting down foreign aircraft that they imagined could be carrying bioweapons or nuclear weapons.

Alongside the political conspiracy theories were suggestions that the aerial objects were extraterrestrial in origin. Photos of alleged UFOs were shared online and web searches for the term “UFO” soared around the world Sunday, according to information from Google Trends.

Online posts mentioning extraterrestrials increased by nearly 300% since the first balloon was identified, according to an analysis conducted for The Associated Press by Zignal Labs, a San Francisco-based media intelligence firm. Zignal’s review included millions of posts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.

“Don’t worry, just some of my friends of mine stopping by,” Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX, joked in a tweet Sunday.

Humor aside, while the details of the different claims vary, they have two things in common: a lack of evidence and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-technology-health-government-and-politics-new-york-cfb56a95aec23dddbabcf3ebbe839f05">strong distrust</a>&nbsp;of America’s elected leaders.

“Maybe Joe built the balloon &amp; had Hunter launch it to scare we the people!” wrote one Facebook user. “How do WE know??? We don’t!”

The federal government must balance the public's desire to know the details with the need for secrecy regarding national security and defense, Ludes said. That's not likely to satisfy Biden's critics, Ludes said, or prevent misleading explanations from going viral.

High-profile news stories and events often precede a spike in false and misleading claims as people turn to the internet for explanations. Conspiracy theories about Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-nfl-sports-health-damar-hamlin-b1273c5903a1efd3f67c8480feb6b52f">spread quickly after his dramatic on-field collapse</a>&nbsp;in January. Something similar happened last year when the Nord Stream pipelines in the North Sea were damaged.

In that instance, Russia spread conspiracy theories&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-united-states-baltic-sea-b837ae25021807a3caef4aa3043a8013">blaming the U.S. for the sabotage</a>. The baseless theories were quickly amplified by far-right users in the U.S. It's not the first time America's authoritarian adversaries have seized on global events to portray the U.S. as belligerent.

China has claimed the balloon shot down Feb. 4 was engaged in meteorological research. On Monday, China’s foreign ministry&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-high-altitude-balloons-in-airspace-8d8b9e7474027e1305264b2c7b8b04fb">said 10 U.S. balloons had entered Chinese airspace</a>&nbsp;without permission in the past year.

Beijing's response to this latest diplomatic row seeks to portray China as the responsible actor, while sidestepping surveillance allegations made by the U.S., according to Kenton Thibaut, a China expert at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, a Washington-based organization that tracks foreign disinformation and propaganda.

“It’s about projecting an image of responsibility and rationality, of being the adult in the room,” Thibaut said of China's response. “It's a clear signal to nations in the developing world that the U.S. is selfish, untrustworthy and hypocritical.”

On Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre did refute one viral claim to have emerged from the balloon saga.

“I know there have been questions and concerns about this, but there is no — again no indication — of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent takedowns,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. “I wanted to make sure that the American people knew that, all of you knew that and it was important for us to say that from here because we’ve been hearing a lot about it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676401897160.png" alt="President Biden delivered a keynote address to the National Association of Counties on Tuesday. He took no questions and did not mention the UFOs." />
 <figcaption>President Biden delivered a keynote address to the National Association of Counties on Tuesday. He took no questions and did not mention the UFOs.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Maybe they came from China. Maybe from somewhere farther away. A lot farther away.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-high-altitude-balloons-in-airspace-8d8b9e7474027e1305264b2c7b8b04fb?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">downing of four aerial devices by U.S. warplanes</a>&nbsp;has touched off rampant misinformation about the objects, their origin and their purpose, showing how complicated world events and a lack of information can quickly create the perfect conditions for unchecked conjecture and misinformation.The presence of mysterious objects high in the sky doesn't help.“There will be an investigation and we will learn more, but until then this story has created a playground for people interested in speculating or stirring the pot for their own reasons," said Jim Ludes, a former national defense analyst who now leads the Pell Center for International Relations at Salve Regina University.“In part," Ludes added, "because it feeds into so many narratives about government secrecy.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676045566817.png" alt="Agents assigned to the evidence response team process material recovered from the China spy balloon recovered off the coast of South Carolina-photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Agents assigned to the evidence response team process material recovered from the China spy balloon recovered off the coast of South Carolina-photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>President Joe Biden and other top Washington officials have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-charles-schumer-jake-sullivan-china-acc1a333326c50ee9649760c569c300f">said little</a>&nbsp;about the repeated shootdowns, which began with a suspected Chinese spy balloon earlier this month. Three more unidentified devices have been shot down, with the latest Sunday over Lake Huron. Pentagon officials said they posed no security threats but have not disclosed their origins or purpose.On Monday, many social media sites in the U.S. lit up with theories that Biden had deployed the aerial devices as a way to distract Americans from other, more pressing issues. Those concerns included immigration, inflation, the war in Ukraine and Republican investigations into Hunter Biden, the president's son.While the concentration of claims was highest on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-steve-bannon-technology-business-health-349c44b477cfee34bf3635160bfa74ea">fringe sites popular with far-right Americans</a>, the unfounded rumors and conspiracy theories popped up on bigger platforms like Twitter and Facebook, too.One of the most popular theories suggested the White House and Pentagon are using the airborne devices to divert attention from a chemical spill earlier this month in Ohio.That incident, caused by a train derailment, occurred several days before the most recent devices were shot down, and was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">covered extensively.</a>&nbsp;Nonetheless, the spill remained the top subject searched on Google on Monday, showing continued public interest in the story.China's government apparently took notice. On Tuesday Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying tweeted a link to news coverage of the Ohio chemical leak and added #OhioChernobyl, a hashtag used in many posts that suggest the incident is being covered up.“Apparently some in the US take a wandering civilian balloon as a big threat while the explosive train derailment and toxic chemical leak not,” she wrote in the tweet, which racked up tens of thousands of views within hours Tuesday.Misleading claims about the airborne devices have also prompted violent threats, according to an analysis by the SITE Intelligence Group, a firm that tracks extremist rhetoric online. After the White House said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-china-jake-sullivan-d7a981b058d2c195ccc01912d805ae08">earlier surveillance flights went undetected</a>&nbsp;during Donald Trump's presidency, an article circulated on far-right sites urging the execution of any Trump administration officials who may have withheld the information.Trump administration officials have said they knew of no such surveillance craft.Some commenters said Biden’s decision to wait until the balloon had reached the East Coast before shooting it down showed he was in league with China. Others, meanwhile, chastised Biden for shooting down foreign aircraft that they imagined could be carrying bioweapons or nuclear weapons.Alongside the political conspiracy theories were suggestions that the aerial objects were extraterrestrial in origin. Photos of alleged UFOs were shared online and web searches for the term “UFO” soared around the world Sunday, according to information from Google Trends.Online posts mentioning extraterrestrials increased by nearly 300% since the first balloon was identified, according to an analysis conducted for The Associated Press by Zignal Labs, a San Francisco-based media intelligence firm. Zignal’s review included millions of posts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.“Don’t worry, just some of my friends of mine stopping by,” Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX, joked in a tweet Sunday.Humor aside, while the details of the different claims vary, they have two things in common: a lack of evidence and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-technology-health-government-and-politics-new-york-cfb56a95aec23dddbabcf3ebbe839f05">strong distrust</a>&nbsp;of America’s elected leaders.“Maybe Joe built the balloon &amp; had Hunter launch it to scare we the people!” wrote one Facebook user. “How do WE know??? We don’t!”The federal government must balance the public's desire to know the details with the need for secrecy regarding national security and defense, Ludes said. That's not likely to satisfy Biden's critics, Ludes said, or prevent misleading explanations from going viral.High-profile news stories and events often precede a spike in false and misleading claims as people turn to the internet for explanations. Conspiracy theories about Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-nfl-sports-health-damar-hamlin-b1273c5903a1efd3f67c8480feb6b52f">spread quickly after his dramatic on-field collapse</a>&nbsp;in January. Something similar happened last year when the Nord Stream pipelines in the North Sea were damaged.In that instance, Russia spread conspiracy theories&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-united-states-baltic-sea-b837ae25021807a3caef4aa3043a8013">blaming the U.S. for the sabotage</a>. The baseless theories were quickly amplified by far-right users in the U.S. It's not the first time America's authoritarian adversaries have seized on global events to portray the U.S. as belligerent.China has claimed the balloon shot down Feb. 4 was engaged in meteorological research. On Monday, China’s foreign ministry&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-high-altitude-balloons-in-airspace-8d8b9e7474027e1305264b2c7b8b04fb">said 10 U.S. balloons had entered Chinese airspace</a>&nbsp;without permission in the past year.Beijing's response to this latest diplomatic row seeks to portray China as the responsible actor, while sidestepping surveillance allegations made by the U.S., according to Kenton Thibaut, a China expert at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, a Washington-based organization that tracks foreign disinformation and propaganda.“It’s about projecting an image of responsibility and rationality, of being the adult in the room,” Thibaut said of China's response. “It's a clear signal to nations in the developing world that the U.S. is selfish, untrustworthy and hypocritical.”On Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre did refute one viral claim to have emerged from the balloon saga.“I know there have been questions and concerns about this, but there is no — again no indication — of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent takedowns,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. “I wanted to make sure that the American people knew that, all of you knew that and it was important for us to say that from here because we’ve been hearing a lot about it.”

Balloons, UFOs: Biden stays mum on the mystery

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/14/stricter-right-to-farm-proposal-called-a-solution-searching-for-a-problem/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A proposal to further limit nuisance lawsuits against large
 agricultural operations was criticized over and over Tuesday as 
nullifying all such lawsuits and as a “solution in search of a problem.”

“There is not a nuisance lawsuit problem in Nebraska,” said Lincoln attorney Jonathan Urbom.

He and others testified that <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Intro/LB662.pdf">Legislative Bill 662</a>,
 a tightening up of the state’s Right to Farm Act, would “immunize” 
agricultural operations from virtually all nuisance lawsuits.

Testifiers told members of the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee 
that they were aware of no nuisance lawsuits being filed against farming
 operations since the last time the Right to Farm Act was amended in 
2019.

“LB 662 does not protect family farmers, it protects industrial 
entities like Costco,” said Susanne Haas, a lawyer and farmer from 
Washington County, who testified with a baby in her lap.

The bill was introduced by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, in 
conjunction with Lincoln Premium Poultry, which operates the plant in 
Fremont that processes chickens that Costco raises, through contracts, 
at dozens of farms across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

Ballard described his bill as a “preventative measure” that would 
prevent nuisance lawsuits from out-of-state entities that have plagued 
large livestock confinement operations in other states, citing North 
Carolina, Kansas and Iowa.

“Agriculture is our number one economic driver and we need to protect it,” Ballard said.

National headlines were generated in 2018 after a federal judge 
awarded $50 million to 10 residents living near a huge hog farms run by a
 subsidiary of Smithfield Farms. The residents had sued, claiming that 
stench and flies from the hog sites were an unbearable nuisance.

In response, North Carolina passed a “Right to Farm” bill in 2018 that is nearly identical to the proposal in Nebraska.

That last clause, according to Nebraska College of Law Professor 
Anthony Shutz, would bar a lawsuit if a farmer switched from growing 
corn and beans to raising “10 thousand head of fat hogs next to you with
 a lagoon.”

“That goes a little far,” Schutz said.

Nebraska’s Right to Farm Act was initially passed to protect existing
 farming operations from lawsuits filed by “city slickers” who moved in 
next door to discover that farming generates dust and odors.

But some rural landowners testified Tuesday that it was industrial 
farms that were encroaching on their homes in rural areas and that the 
bill violated their constitutional right to defend their fresh air and 
clean water.

“This isn’t just anti-Nebraskan, it’s anti-American,” said Nancy 
Meyer of rural Saunders County, who complained of an “eye-burning 
stench” from a nearby chicken farm and the need to install a 
reverse-osmosis system to remove nitrates from their well water.

Al Davis of the Sierra Club of Nebraska said that offensive odors can
 travel three to seven miles away. Other opponents of LB 662 said it can
 take years for a nuisance to develop, such as contamination of drinking
 water.

Testifying in support of the bill was Jessica Kolterman of Lincoln 
Premium Poultry, which processes chickens in Fremont for Costco.

She said that a review of Nebraska’s current Right to Farm Act showed
 it doesn’t adequately protect ag producers from nuisance lawsuits, so 
LB 662 is needed.

Kolterman said agriculture is under attack from various forces, 
including those who want to ban meat to those who don’t understand 
agriculture.

She said the farmers who contract to grow chickens for Costco must 
follow standards that ensure environmental stewardship and animal 
welfare. They can lose their contracts if they don’t comply, she said.

But John Hansen of the Nebraska Farmers Union, who opposed LB 662, 
said the chicken firm had broken its promise to hire only family farmers
 to grow their broilers.

According to a 2019 report by the website&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.foodandpower.net/latest/2019/08/15/one-private-equity-fund-could-own-a-quarter-of-the-chicken-houses-for-costcos-nebraska-project">Food &amp; Power</a>,
 at least 132 of 520 chicken barns expected to be built in Nebraska to 
supply Costco are owned by one North Carolina private equity firm, led 
by Jody Murphey.

The state’s largest ag organization, the Nebraska Farm Bureau, was neutral on the bill.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676472863509.png" alt="Two complexes of 12 chicken barns each are visible across a farm field in Butler County. The barns, which hold more than 47,000 chickens each, raise broilers that end up as Costco rotisserie chicken. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Two complexes of 12 chicken barns each are visible across a farm field in Butler County. The barns, which hold more than 47,000 chickens each, raise broilers that end up as Costco rotisserie chicken. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/14/stricter-right-to-farm-proposal-called-a-solution-searching-for-a-problem/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A proposal to further limit nuisance lawsuits against large
 agricultural operations was criticized over and over Tuesday as 
nullifying all such lawsuits and as a “solution in search of a problem.”“There is not a nuisance lawsuit problem in Nebraska,” said Lincoln attorney Jonathan Urbom.He and others testified that <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Intro/LB662.pdf">Legislative Bill 662</a>,
 a tightening up of the state’s Right to Farm Act, would “immunize” 
agricultural operations from virtually all nuisance lawsuits.Testifiers told members of the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee 
that they were aware of no nuisance lawsuits being filed against farming
 operations since the last time the Right to Farm Act was amended in 
2019.“LB 662 does not protect family farmers, it protects industrial 
entities like Costco,” said Susanne Haas, a lawyer and farmer from 
Washington County, who testified with a baby in her lap.The bill was introduced by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, in 
conjunction with Lincoln Premium Poultry, which operates the plant in 
Fremont that processes chickens that Costco raises, through contracts, 
at dozens of farms across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.<h2>‘Preventative measure’</h2>Ballard described his bill as a “preventative measure” that would 
prevent nuisance lawsuits from out-of-state entities that have plagued 
large livestock confinement operations in other states, citing North 
Carolina, Kansas and Iowa.“Agriculture is our number one economic driver and we need to protect it,” Ballard said.National headlines were generated in 2018 after a federal judge 
awarded $50 million to 10 residents living near a huge hog farms run by a
 subsidiary of Smithfield Farms. The residents had sued, claiming that 
stench and flies from the hog sites were an unbearable nuisance.In response, North Carolina passed a “Right to Farm” bill in 2018 that is nearly identical to the proposal in Nebraska.LB 662 would limit nuisance lawsuits by:<ul>
 <li>Requiring that only those living within a half a mile of a farm can file such a lawsuit.</li><li>Limit lawsuits to only the “majority” owner of nearby properties,&nbsp; thus eliminating renters or minority owners.</li><li>Reducing the statute of limitations from filing a nuisance suit from two years to one.</li><li>Disqualifying lawsuits if an operation was in “material compliance” 
with existing laws and was operating in a manner “consistent with 
commonly accepted” practices (which critics said was vague).</li><li>Blocking lawsuits in the event of a change in ownership, increase in size or change in farming operations.</li>
 </ul>That last clause, according to Nebraska College of Law Professor 
Anthony Shutz, would bar a lawsuit if a farmer switched from growing 
corn and beans to raising “10 thousand head of fat hogs next to you with
 a lagoon.”<h2>Goes too far</h2>“That goes a little far,” Schutz said.Nebraska’s Right to Farm Act was initially passed to protect existing
 farming operations from lawsuits filed by “city slickers” who moved in 
next door to discover that farming generates dust and odors.But some rural landowners testified Tuesday that it was industrial 
farms that were encroaching on their homes in rural areas and that the 
bill violated their constitutional right to defend their fresh air and 
clean water.<h2>‘Anti-American’</h2>“This isn’t just anti-Nebraskan, it’s anti-American,” said Nancy 
Meyer of rural Saunders County, who complained of an “eye-burning 
stench” from a nearby chicken farm and the need to install a 
reverse-osmosis system to remove nitrates from their well water.Al Davis of the Sierra Club of Nebraska said that offensive odors can
 travel three to seven miles away. Other opponents of LB 662 said it can
 take years for a nuisance to develop, such as contamination of drinking
 water.Testifying in support of the bill was Jessica Kolterman of Lincoln 
Premium Poultry, which processes chickens in Fremont for Costco.She said that a review of Nebraska’s current Right to Farm Act showed
 it doesn’t adequately protect ag producers from nuisance lawsuits, so 
LB 662 is needed.<h2>Ag under attack</h2>Kolterman said agriculture is under attack from various forces, 
including those who want to ban meat to those who don’t understand 
agriculture.She said the farmers who contract to grow chickens for Costco must 
follow standards that ensure environmental stewardship and animal 
welfare. They can lose their contracts if they don’t comply, she said.But John Hansen of the Nebraska Farmers Union, who opposed LB 662, 
said the chicken firm had broken its promise to hire only family farmers
 to grow their broilers.According to a 2019 report by the website&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.foodandpower.net/latest/2019/08/15/one-private-equity-fund-could-own-a-quarter-of-the-chicken-houses-for-costcos-nebraska-project">Food &amp; Power</a>,
 at least 132 of 520 chicken barns expected to be built in Nebraska to 
supply Costco are owned by one North Carolina private equity firm, led 
by Jody Murphey.The state’s largest ag organization, the Nebraska Farm Bureau, was neutral on the bill.

‘Right to Farm’ proposal called a ‘solution searching for a problem’

COLORADO SPRINGS — U.S. aircraft including two F16 fighters intercepted four Russian aircraft that flew into a buffer zone of international airspace near Alaska on Monday, according to a statement released Tuesday afternoon from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).&nbsp; 

The Alaska Region of NORAD detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted the aircraft operating within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace. The Russian aircraft included&nbsp;a fighter jet and bomber (TU-95 BEARH-H and SU-35 fighter jet), according to the release.

“This Russian activity in the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat, nor is the activity seen as provocative. NORAD had anticipated this Russian activity and, as a result of planning, was prepared to intercept it.”

NORAD also assessed the Russian flight activity is not related to recent UFO activity over North America, according to the release. Supporting NORAD aircraft included two F35A fighters, one E3 Sentry (AWACS) and two KC 135 Stratotankers.

COLORADO SPRINGS — U.S. aircraft including two F16 fighters intercepted four Russian aircraft that flew into a buffer zone of international airspace near Alaska on Monday, according to a statement released Tuesday afternoon from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).&nbsp; The Alaska Region of NORAD detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted the aircraft operating within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace. The Russian aircraft included&nbsp;a fighter jet and bomber (TU-95 BEARH-H and SU-35 fighter jet), according to the release.“This Russian activity in the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat, nor is the activity seen as provocative. NORAD had anticipated this Russian activity and, as a result of planning, was prepared to intercept it.”NORAD also assessed the Russian flight activity is not related to recent UFO activity over North America, according to the release. Supporting NORAD aircraft included two F35A fighters, one E3 Sentry (AWACS) and two KC 135 Stratotankers.

US intercepts four Russian warplanes near Alaska

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley,</a>&nbsp;the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, announced her candidacy for president on Tuesday, becoming the first major challenger to former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;for the 2024 Republican nomination.

The announcement, delivered in a tweeted video, marks an about-face for the ex-Trump Cabinet official, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-orangeburg-south-carolina-united-nations-nikki-haley-fda929b5d69ab0a91b97edc62207bcfb">said two years ago</a>&nbsp;that she wouldn’t challenge her former boss for the White House in 2024. But she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-south-carolina-12b85a32e670636e52e03d8d75d1e145">changed her mind</a>&nbsp;in recent months, citing, among other things, the country’s economic troubles and the need for “generational change,” a nod to the 76-year-old Trump’s age.

“You should know this about me. I don't put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you're wearing heels,” Haley said. “I'm Nikki Haley, and I'm running for president.”

Haley, 51, is the first in a long line of Republicans who are expected to launch 2024 campaigns in the coming months. Among them are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has said he intends to seek reelection in 2024, stalling any jostling for the Democratic nomination.

Haley has regularly boasted about her track record of defying political expectations, saying, “I’ve never lost an election, and I’m not going to start now.”

If elected, Haley would be the nation’s first female president and the first U.S. president of Indian descent.

The daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley grew up enduring racist taunts in a small South Carolina town and has long referenced that impact on her personal and political arc.

In the three-and-a-half minute video, Haley referenced that past, saying she grew up “not Black, not white — I was different."

Despite that, Haley insisted that America is not a racist country: “Nothing could be further from the truth.” Playing in the background of her video were images of media reports related to The New York Times Magazine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “1619 Project” — which centered the country’s history around slavery.

Haley never mentions Trump by name in the video, instead saying “the Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again." Haley leans into a call for “a new generation of leadership,” which has become the refrain of her messaging leading up to the launch.

There appears to be openness among Republicans to new leadership, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-us-republican-party-democratic-united-states-government-27977d3fee45201751f37898501fd9cf">new poll</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In an open-ended question asking Republicans to choose who they want to lead their party, a majority of Republicans didn't choose either Trump or DeSantis, considered the former president's top rival. But they also didn't have a clear alternative in mind.

Eleven other politicians, including Haley, are named by just 1% of Republicans as their preferred leader.

In a statement, Taylor Budowich, spokesman for Trump's super PAC, said Haley was “just another career politician.”

“She started out as a Never Trumper before resigning to serve in the Trump admin,” he said. "She then resigned early to go rake in money on corporate boards. Now, she’s telling us she represents a ‘new generation.’ Sure just looks like more of the same, a career politician whose only fulfilled commitment is to herself.”

Before entering politics, Haley was an accountant. She defeated the longest-serving member of the South Carolina House in 2004 in her first bid for public office. Three terms later and with little statewide recognition, Haley mounted a long-shot campaign for governor against a large field of experienced politicians.

She racked up a number of high-profile endorsements, including from the sitting South Carolina governor, Mark Sanford, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a tea party darling.

With her 2010 victory, Haley became South Carolina’s first female and minority governor — and the nation’s youngest at 38. She earned a speaking slot at the 2012 Republican National Convention and gave the GOP response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union in 2016.

The defining moment of Haley’s time as governor came after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-south-carolina-religion-charleston-arrests-8747b77ae03a426e864f042454cab603">2015 murders of nine Black parishioners</a>&nbsp;in a Charleston church by a self-avowed white supremacist who had been pictured holding Confederate flags.

For years, Haley had resisted calls to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds, even casting a rival’s push for its removal as a desperate stunt. But after the massacre and with the support of other leading Republicans, Haley advocated for legislation to remove the flag.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/83acf6f3ed7645168d4b9606bc94abcc">It came down</a>&nbsp;less than a month after the murders.

In the 2016 presidential primary, Haley was an early supporter of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, later shifting to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. She ultimately said she would back the party’s nominee.

Shortly after Trump’s victory, he tapped Haley to be his U.N. ambassador, a move that rewarded Henry McMaster, the lieutenant governor who was the nation’s first statewide elected official to back Trump’s 2016 campaign. Haley’s departure cleared the way for McMaster to ascend to the governorship he had sought, since losing a bruising primary to none other than Haley seven years earlier.

With her Senate confirmation, Haley became the first Indian American in a presidential Cabinet.

During her nearly two-year tenure, Haley feuded at times with other administration officials while bolstering her own public persona.

One of her most memorable moments as U.N. ambassador came in 2018 after National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow suggested Haley had suffered “momentary confusion” when she said Russian sanctions were imminent.

“With all due respect, I don’t get confused,” she responded. The first half of the quote became the title of her 2019 memoir.

Her departure from the job later that year fueled speculation that she would challenge Trump in 2020 or replace Pence on the ticket. She did neither.

Instead, Haley returned to South Carolina, where she bought a home on the wealthy enclave Kiawah Island, joined the board of aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co., launched herself on the speaking circuit and wrote two books, including the memoir.

After the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, Haley initially cast doubts on Trump’s political future but said she wouldn’t challenge him in 2024. She later shifted course, citing inflation, crime, drugs and a “foreign policy in disarray” among her reasons for considering a White House campaign.

During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-new-hampshire-state-government-south-carolina-2022-midterm-elections-7624d58296aa9b808032e2edbcd166c3">his South Carolina stop</a>&nbsp;last month, Trump told WIS-TV that Haley had called to seek his opinion on running for president. Trump pointed out her earlier pledge not to run against him but said he made no attempt to stop her.

“She said she would never run against me because I was the greatest president, but people change their opinions, and they change what’s in their hearts,” Trump said. “So I said, ‘If your heart wants to do it, you have to go do it.’”

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley,</a>&nbsp;the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, announced her candidacy for president on Tuesday, becoming the first major challenger to former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;for the 2024 Republican nomination.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Get excited! Time for a new generation. Let’s do this! 👊 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/BD5k4WY1CP">pic.twitter.com/BD5k4WY1CP</a>&mdash; Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1625461899218280448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The announcement, delivered in a tweeted video, marks an about-face for the ex-Trump Cabinet official, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-orangeburg-south-carolina-united-nations-nikki-haley-fda929b5d69ab0a91b97edc62207bcfb">said two years ago</a>&nbsp;that she wouldn’t challenge her former boss for the White House in 2024. But she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-south-carolina-12b85a32e670636e52e03d8d75d1e145">changed her mind</a>&nbsp;in recent months, citing, among other things, the country’s economic troubles and the need for “generational change,” a nod to the 76-year-old Trump’s age.“You should know this about me. I don't put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you're wearing heels,” Haley said. “I'm Nikki Haley, and I'm running for president.”Haley, 51, is the first in a long line of Republicans who are expected to launch 2024 campaigns in the coming months. Among them are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has said he intends to seek reelection in 2024, stalling any jostling for the Democratic nomination.Haley has regularly boasted about her track record of defying political expectations, saying, “I’ve never lost an election, and I’m not going to start now.”If elected, Haley would be the nation’s first female president and the first U.S. president of Indian descent.The daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley grew up enduring racist taunts in a small South Carolina town and has long referenced that impact on her personal and political arc.In the three-and-a-half minute video, Haley referenced that past, saying she grew up “not Black, not white — I was different."Despite that, Haley insisted that America is not a racist country: “Nothing could be further from the truth.” Playing in the background of her video were images of media reports related to The New York Times Magazine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “1619 Project” — which centered the country’s history around slavery.Haley never mentions Trump by name in the video, instead saying “the Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again." Haley leans into a call for “a new generation of leadership,” which has become the refrain of her messaging leading up to the launch.There appears to be openness among Republicans to new leadership, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-us-republican-party-democratic-united-states-government-27977d3fee45201751f37898501fd9cf">new poll</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In an open-ended question asking Republicans to choose who they want to lead their party, a majority of Republicans didn't choose either Trump or DeSantis, considered the former president's top rival. But they also didn't have a clear alternative in mind.Eleven other politicians, including Haley, are named by just 1% of Republicans as their preferred leader.In a statement, Taylor Budowich, spokesman for Trump's super PAC, said Haley was “just another career politician.”“She started out as a Never Trumper before resigning to serve in the Trump admin,” he said. "She then resigned early to go rake in money on corporate boards. Now, she’s telling us she represents a ‘new generation.’ Sure just looks like more of the same, a career politician whose only fulfilled commitment is to herself.”Before entering politics, Haley was an accountant. She defeated the longest-serving member of the South Carolina House in 2004 in her first bid for public office. Three terms later and with little statewide recognition, Haley mounted a long-shot campaign for governor against a large field of experienced politicians.She racked up a number of high-profile endorsements, including from the sitting South Carolina governor, Mark Sanford, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a tea party darling.With her 2010 victory, Haley became South Carolina’s first female and minority governor — and the nation’s youngest at 38. She earned a speaking slot at the 2012 Republican National Convention and gave the GOP response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union in 2016.The defining moment of Haley’s time as governor came after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-south-carolina-religion-charleston-arrests-8747b77ae03a426e864f042454cab603">2015 murders of nine Black parishioners</a>&nbsp;in a Charleston church by a self-avowed white supremacist who had been pictured holding Confederate flags.For years, Haley had resisted calls to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds, even casting a rival’s push for its removal as a desperate stunt. But after the massacre and with the support of other leading Republicans, Haley advocated for legislation to remove the flag.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/83acf6f3ed7645168d4b9606bc94abcc">It came down</a>&nbsp;less than a month after the murders.In the 2016 presidential primary, Haley was an early supporter of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, later shifting to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. She ultimately said she would back the party’s nominee.Shortly after Trump’s victory, he tapped Haley to be his U.N. ambassador, a move that rewarded Henry McMaster, the lieutenant governor who was the nation’s first statewide elected official to back Trump’s 2016 campaign. Haley’s departure cleared the way for McMaster to ascend to the governorship he had sought, since losing a bruising primary to none other than Haley seven years earlier.With her Senate confirmation, Haley became the first Indian American in a presidential Cabinet.During her nearly two-year tenure, Haley feuded at times with other administration officials while bolstering her own public persona.One of her most memorable moments as U.N. ambassador came in 2018 after National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow suggested Haley had suffered “momentary confusion” when she said Russian sanctions were imminent.“With all due respect, I don’t get confused,” she responded. The first half of the quote became the title of her 2019 memoir.Her departure from the job later that year fueled speculation that she would challenge Trump in 2020 or replace Pence on the ticket. She did neither.Instead, Haley returned to South Carolina, where she bought a home on the wealthy enclave Kiawah Island, joined the board of aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co., launched herself on the speaking circuit and wrote two books, including the memoir.After the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, Haley initially cast doubts on Trump’s political future but said she wouldn’t challenge him in 2024. She later shifted course, citing inflation, crime, drugs and a “foreign policy in disarray” among her reasons for considering a White House campaign.During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-new-hampshire-state-government-south-carolina-2022-midterm-elections-7624d58296aa9b808032e2edbcd166c3">his South Carolina stop</a>&nbsp;last month, Trump told WIS-TV that Haley had called to seek his opinion on running for president. Trump pointed out her earlier pledge not to run against him but said he made no attempt to stop her.“She said she would never run against me because I was the greatest president, but people change their opinions, and they change what’s in their hearts,” Trump said. “So I said, ‘If your heart wants to do it, you have to go do it.’”

🎥Trump has challenger for GOP presidential nomination

BRUSSELS (AP) — The first U.S. missile fired at an unidentified aerial object over Lake Huron missed the target and “landed harmlessly" in the water before a second one successfully hit, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday.

The acknowledgment of the errant missile by Gen. Mark Milley came amid questions about whether the government was creating unnecessary risk by shooting down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-high-altitude-balloons-in-airspace-8d8b9e7474027e1305264b2c7b8b04fb">aerial objects</a>&nbsp;that military officials say didn’t pose a security threat.

In Washington, Pentagon officials met with senators for a classified briefing on the shootdowns. Lawmakers conveyed concerns from their constituents about a need to keep them informed and came away assured the objects were not extraterrestrial in nature. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the recent spate of interceptions was likely to have a “calming influence” and make future shootdowns less likely.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters after exiting the briefing that he didn’t think the objects posed a threat.

“They’re trying to figure out — you know there’s a bunch of junk up there. So you got to figure out what’s the threat, what’s not. You see something, you shouldn’t always have to shoot it down," Graham said.

Milley said the military went to “great lengths” to make sure the strikes did not put civilians at risk, including identifying what the debris field size was likely to be and the maximum effective range of the missiles used. He also said in each case the Pentagon works to make sure that the air space is clear, and to evaluate the potential debris field, before embarking on such a strike.

“We’re very, very careful to make sure that those shots are in fact safe,” Milley said. “And that’s the guidance from the president. Shoot it down, but make sure we minimize collateral damage and we preserve the safety of the American people."

The object taken down Sunday was the third in as many days to be shot from the skies. The White House has said the objects differed in size and maneuverability from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">Chinese surveillance balloon</a>&nbsp;that U.S. fighter jets shot down earlier this month, but that their altitude was low enough to pose a risk to civilian air traffic.

Weather challenges and the remote locations of where the three objects were shot down over Alaska, Canada and Lake Huron have impeded recovery efforts so far, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Monday.

Milley was in Brussels with Austin to meet with members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on additional weapons and defense needs for Kyiv in advance of Russia's anticipated spring offensive.

Fox News was the first to report the missed missile strike.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The first U.S. missile fired at an unidentified aerial object over Lake Huron missed the target and “landed harmlessly" in the water before a second one successfully hit, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Gen. Mark Milley (<a href="https://twitter.com/thejointstaff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thejointstaff</a>): &quot;Yes, the first shot missed on the fourth balloon. We&#39;re talking about the balloon that was downed over Lake Huron…the first shot missed, the second shot hit.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Vb0XQOCwYy">pic.twitter.com/Vb0XQOCwYy</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1625525857333698564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The acknowledgment of the errant missile by Gen. Mark Milley came amid questions about whether the government was creating unnecessary risk by shooting down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-high-altitude-balloons-in-airspace-8d8b9e7474027e1305264b2c7b8b04fb">aerial objects</a>&nbsp;that military officials say didn’t pose a security threat.In Washington, Pentagon officials met with senators for a classified briefing on the shootdowns. Lawmakers conveyed concerns from their constituents about a need to keep them informed and came away assured the objects were not extraterrestrial in nature. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the recent spate of interceptions was likely to have a “calming influence” and make future shootdowns less likely.Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters after exiting the briefing that he didn’t think the objects posed a threat.“They’re trying to figure out — you know there’s a bunch of junk up there. So you got to figure out what’s the threat, what’s not. You see something, you shouldn’t always have to shoot it down," Graham said.Milley said the military went to “great lengths” to make sure the strikes did not put civilians at risk, including identifying what the debris field size was likely to be and the maximum effective range of the missiles used. He also said in each case the Pentagon works to make sure that the air space is clear, and to evaluate the potential debris field, before embarking on such a strike.“We’re very, very careful to make sure that those shots are in fact safe,” Milley said. “And that’s the guidance from the president. Shoot it down, but make sure we minimize collateral damage and we preserve the safety of the American people."The object taken down Sunday was the third in as many days to be shot from the skies. The White House has said the objects differed in size and maneuverability from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-china-antony-blinken-51e49202f2a0a50541cde059934c4cfb">Chinese surveillance balloon</a>&nbsp;that U.S. fighter jets shot down earlier this month, but that their altitude was low enough to pose a risk to civilian air traffic.Weather challenges and the remote locations of where the three objects were shot down over Alaska, Canada and Lake Huron have impeded recovery efforts so far, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Monday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The White House said there is no indication the recently shot down objects are extraterrestrial or part of Chinese espionage. <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, what are they? The American people need to know so we can stop the fear-mongering. <a href="https://t.co/lG8Kr6g6Pa">pic.twitter.com/lG8Kr6g6Pa</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1625565912362364928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Milley was in Brussels with Austin to meet with members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on additional weapons and defense needs for Kyiv in advance of Russia's anticipated spring offensive.Fox News was the first to report the missed missile strike.

🎥US military missed Lake Huron UFO with first missile strike

DETROIT (AP) — Nissan is recalling more than 463,000 older vehicles because the emblem on the steering wheel can come loose when the air bag is deployed and injure drivers.

The recall mainly in North America covers certain Frontier small pickups, Titan large pickups and Xterra, Pathfinder and Armada SUVs from 2008 through 2011. Also included are Quest minivans from 2008 and 2009, as well as about 11,000 parts used for service.

Nissan says it has four reports alleging injuries due to the problem.

The company hasn't developed a repair yet. Customers will get an interim letter in early April, followed by a letter telling them when to go to a dealer for service.

DETROIT (AP) — Nissan is recalling more than 463,000 older vehicles because the emblem on the steering wheel can come loose when the air bag is deployed and injure drivers.The recall mainly in North America covers certain Frontier small pickups, Titan large pickups and Xterra, Pathfinder and Armada SUVs from 2008 through 2011. Also included are Quest minivans from 2008 and 2009, as well as about 11,000 parts used for service.Nissan says it has four reports alleging injuries due to the problem.The company hasn't developed a repair yet. Customers will get an interim letter in early April, followed by a letter telling them when to go to a dealer for service.

Nissan recall: Air bag can knock steering wheel emblem loose

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/13/proposed-restrictions-on-nebraska-school-bathrooms-sports-teams-trigger-tense-hearing/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Tensions rose Monday as 
dozens testified on a bill that would define school bathrooms and sports
 teams as biologically male or female.

<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49722">Legislative Bill 575</a>, proposed by State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha would supersede a <a target="_blank" href="https://nsaa-static.s3.amazonaws.com/about/gppolicy.pdf">Gender Participation Policy</a>
 adopted by the Nebraska School Activities Association for sponsored 
athletics. The NSAA is a nonprofit overseeing sports at many public and 
private schools.

The NSAA policy allows transgender 
student-athletes to participate in sports that match their gender 
identity and allows cross-gender participation if girls do not have the 
same or comparable sport. This is done through an application and 
approval process.

Transgender boys could play on boys’ 
teams without gender-affirming care, but transgender girls are required 
under the policy to undergo hormonal therapy or sexual reassignment 
surgery as well as physiological testing for a minimum of one year to 
determine that the athlete does not possess physical or physiological 
advantages over “genetic females” of the same age group.

<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49961">Legislative Bill 574</a>, also proposed by Kauth, would <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/08/proposed-gender-alteration-ban-for-minors-draws-hundreds-to-nebraska-capitol/">prohibit this care</a>
 for minors in the state. In an interview, Kauth said the NSAA and other
 schools would likely need to adopt a new policy based on that bill’s 
outcome, too.

If Kauth’s bill passes, youths would 
be required to use bathrooms and play on sports teams that match their 
assigned sex as birth with chromosomes of XY for males and XX for 
females. Transgender youths could play sports, but only on teams 
matching their assigned sex at birth.

‘Common sense’ vs. ‘dehumanizing’

Kauth said her bill is a “fair” and 
“common sense” measure that would “uphold Title IX” and allow schools to
 determine a policy to track students’ sex for bathrooms and sports 
teams.

“Adolescence is a tumultuous time for
 young people,” Kauth told the Education Committee on Monday. “Natural 
changes that come with puberty can be awkward and embarrassing. Allowing
 biological males or females into each other’s private spaces will cause
 extreme discomfort and distress for many students.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/louisiana-becomes-18th-state-enact-transgender-athlete-ban-rcna32328">Eighteen states</a> have passed laws restricting school sports teams on the basis of sex, with more being considered this year.

Murdoc Stokes, a 17-year-old from 
Central High School, who said he is transsexual and queer, urged the 
committee to kill the bill because it is “dehumanizing.”

“Hatred will always wither in the 
face of trans joy,” Stokes said. “I urge you to oppose Bill 575 and ones
 like it to allow kids like me to blossom because we are your children …
 and we aren’t going anywhere.”

Those testifying included 29 
proponents and 47 opponents, with about another dozen who were unable to
 speak due to time constraints, some of whom audibly criticized the 
committee for the three-hour time constraint on each side.

Dr. Greg Brown, who has a Ph.D. in 
the biological basis of health and human performance and is a professor 
of exercise science at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, testified 
that boys and girls have distinct anatomical and physiological 
differences.

Puberty acts as a “turbocharger,” he said, giving boys an advantage over girls. This could include muscle mass or height.

“LB 575 is necessary because it seeks
 to maintain the level playing field for female athletes without the 
intrusion of male bodies,” Brown said.

The NSAA policy lists competitive 
equity —&nbsp;specifically a “level playing field” — among four goals it 
seeks to balance, which include personal privacy, student physical 
safety and equal opportunity.

Three UNK students — Hannah Anderson,
 a senior studying exercise science; Paige Steinman, a junior studying 
exercise science; and Piper Steinman, a junior studying health science 
and nutrition —&nbsp;also testified in support. Anderson is on UNK’s track 
and field team, while the Steinmans are on the cross country team.

Paige Steinman said one reason men 
can outperform women is due to the “female athlete triad,” a term that 
encompasses low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction and low bone 
mineral density.

Dr. Donna Faber, a family medicine 
doctor with Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, testified in opposition and gave
 the committee MRI scans where a transgender woman’s brain showed more 
similarities with women than men.

Faber and multiple medical 
professionals who testified in opposition pointed to statistics from 
leading LGBTQ-oriented groups such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.glsen.org/school-climate-survey">GLSEN</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/">Trevor Project</a> whose data shows LGBTQ youth are at a much higher risk of depression or anxiety, bullying and suicide.

These statistics are higher for transgender youths than for the LGBTQ community as a whole.

Dr. Rose Essecks, testifying in 
opposition for the Nebraska Psychological Association, said transgender 
youths are more likely to skip school or drop out.

“We are in the middle of a youth 
mental health crisis, and transgender children and teens are already at 
higher risks than cisgender youth at developing significant mental 
health problems as a result of the discrimination and victimization they
 experience on a daily basis,” Essecks said.

Acceptance and support, however, minimize these risks and outcomes, Essecks said.

Multiple opponents said that because the NSAA already has a policy, Kauth’s bill is unnecessary.

Dr. Linda Vermooten, who was a chair 
of psychology at Grace University in Omaha for multiple years before it 
closed, said Nebraska needs to stand up for girls no matter how many 
transgender Nebraskans Kauth’s bill may address, which testifiers said 
is at most 10 or fewer students.

“Yes, that’s at this moment,” 
Vermooten said of the number. “If we don’t have a law like this, who and
 when will we stand up to protect the rights of girls, a majority as 
opposed to the minority?”

Sherry Brink, a former Husker women’s
 basketball player, said Kauth’s bill would help women have the 
opportunity to “run free” and play sports in a safe environment while 
building community, teamwork, work ethic, sportsmanship, relationships 
and other qualities.

“We were joined together, we had 
limited distractions and we had our parents behind us,” Brink said. “I 
can’t imagine that atmosphere and community today.”

Carol Frost, whose time at the 
University of Nebraska preceded the 1972 Title IX law, said she coached 
Husker women’s cross country and track and field teams and saw for years
 how men would outcompete against women.&nbsp;

Frost said that many top rankings for
 women are all below those for men, which could lead to unfairness if a 
transgender woman were to join a women’s team.

‘Not looking to be’ Nebraska champion

Tiffany Weiss, a mother in Kearney 
who testified alongside her 13-year-old transgender son, Alexander, said
 the proposed bill puts her in an “impossible” situation of wanting to 
protect her son who just wants to play sports.

Alexander, whose mother said he is on
 hormone blockers and has been transitioning for four years, said he 
loves to play basketball and sports generally, which help him overall.

Should the bill pass, he’d be 
required to use the girls’ locker room, and both Alexander and his 
mother said that would not work because Alexander looks like and is a 
boy. Many peers do not know he is trans, Tiffany Weiss added.

Noemi Gilbert, a senior at Omaha 
Central High School, said Kauth’s bill would violate their religion as a
 transgender Reform Jew. Gilbert led a 5-second moment of silence for 
Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old trans girl fatally stabbed in the United 
Kingdom, and “all trans youth who have lost their lives to social 
violence and exclusion that bills like this promote.”

Louis Rens, whose transgender 
daughter goes to school in Omaha, said all transgender kids want is to 
fit in, a task that is already tough.

“She’s not looking to be the Nebraska
 champion long-distance runner,” Rens said. “She just wants to be with 
her friends and participate.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676389060090.png" alt="State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha introduces a bill Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb., before the Education Committee that would define school bathrooms and sporting teams as either male or female. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha introduces a bill Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb., before the Education Committee that would define school bathrooms and sporting teams as either male or female. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/13/proposed-restrictions-on-nebraska-school-bathrooms-sports-teams-trigger-tense-hearing/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Tensions rose Monday as 
dozens testified on a bill that would define school bathrooms and sports
 teams as biologically male or female.<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49722">Legislative Bill 575</a>, proposed by State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha would supersede a <a target="_blank" href="https://nsaa-static.s3.amazonaws.com/about/gppolicy.pdf">Gender Participation Policy</a>
 adopted by the Nebraska School Activities Association for sponsored 
athletics. The NSAA is a nonprofit overseeing sports at many public and 
private schools.The NSAA policy allows transgender 
student-athletes to participate in sports that match their gender 
identity and allows cross-gender participation if girls do not have the 
same or comparable sport. This is done through an application and 
approval process.Transgender boys could play on boys’ 
teams without gender-affirming care, but transgender girls are required 
under the policy to undergo hormonal therapy or sexual reassignment 
surgery as well as physiological testing for a minimum of one year to 
determine that the athlete does not possess physical or physiological 
advantages over “genetic females” of the same age group.<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49961">Legislative Bill 574</a>, also proposed by Kauth, would <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/08/proposed-gender-alteration-ban-for-minors-draws-hundreds-to-nebraska-capitol/">prohibit this care</a>
 for minors in the state. In an interview, Kauth said the NSAA and other
 schools would likely need to adopt a new policy based on that bill’s 
outcome, too.If Kauth’s bill passes, youths would 
be required to use bathrooms and play on sports teams that match their 
assigned sex as birth with chromosomes of XY for males and XX for 
females. Transgender youths could play sports, but only on teams 
matching their assigned sex at birth.<h2>‘Common sense’ vs. ‘dehumanizing’</h2>Kauth said her bill is a “fair” and 
“common sense” measure that would “uphold Title IX” and allow schools to
 determine a policy to track students’ sex for bathrooms and sports 
teams.“Adolescence is a tumultuous time for
 young people,” Kauth told the Education Committee on Monday. “Natural 
changes that come with puberty can be awkward and embarrassing. Allowing
 biological males or females into each other’s private spaces will cause
 extreme discomfort and distress for many students.”<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/louisiana-becomes-18th-state-enact-transgender-athlete-ban-rcna32328">Eighteen states</a> have passed laws restricting school sports teams on the basis of sex, with more being considered this year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676389109808.jpeg" alt="Murdoc Stokes, a 17-year-old transsexual Nebraskan from Omaha, testifies against a bill that would define school bathrooms and sporting teams as either male or female on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Murdoc Stokes, a 17-year-old transsexual Nebraskan from Omaha, testifies against a bill that would define school bathrooms and sporting teams as either male or female on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Murdoc Stokes, a 17-year-old from 
Central High School, who said he is transsexual and queer, urged the 
committee to kill the bill because it is “dehumanizing.”“Hatred will always wither in the 
face of trans joy,” Stokes said. “I urge you to oppose Bill 575 and ones
 like it to allow kids like me to blossom because we are your children …
 and we aren’t going anywhere.”Those testifying included 29 
proponents and 47 opponents, with about another dozen who were unable to
 speak due to time constraints, some of whom audibly criticized the 
committee for the three-hour time constraint on each side.<h2>‘Level playing field’</h2>Dr. Greg Brown, who has a Ph.D. in 
the biological basis of health and human performance and is a professor 
of exercise science at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, testified 
that boys and girls have distinct anatomical and physiological 
differences.Puberty acts as a “turbocharger,” he said, giving boys an advantage over girls. This could include muscle mass or height.“LB 575 is necessary because it seeks
 to maintain the level playing field for female athletes without the 
intrusion of male bodies,” Brown said.The NSAA policy lists competitive 
equity —&nbsp;specifically a “level playing field” — among four goals it 
seeks to balance, which include personal privacy, student physical 
safety and equal opportunity.Three UNK students — Hannah Anderson,
 a senior studying exercise science; Paige Steinman, a junior studying 
exercise science; and Piper Steinman, a junior studying health science 
and nutrition —&nbsp;also testified in support. Anderson is on UNK’s track 
and field team, while the Steinmans are on the cross country team.Paige Steinman said one reason men 
can outperform women is due to the “female athlete triad,” a term that 
encompasses low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction and low bone 
mineral density.<h2>‘Mental health crisis’</h2>Dr. Donna Faber, a family medicine 
doctor with Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, testified in opposition and gave
 the committee MRI scans where a transgender woman’s brain showed more 
similarities with women than men.Faber and multiple medical 
professionals who testified in opposition pointed to statistics from 
leading LGBTQ-oriented groups such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.glsen.org/school-climate-survey">GLSEN</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/">Trevor Project</a> whose data shows LGBTQ youth are at a much higher risk of depression or anxiety, bullying and suicide.These statistics are higher for transgender youths than for the LGBTQ community as a whole.Dr. Rose Essecks, testifying in 
opposition for the Nebraska Psychological Association, said transgender 
youths are more likely to skip school or drop out.“We are in the middle of a youth 
mental health crisis, and transgender children and teens are already at 
higher risks than cisgender youth at developing significant mental 
health problems as a result of the discrimination and victimization they
 experience on a daily basis,” Essecks said.Acceptance and support, however, minimize these risks and outcomes, Essecks said.Multiple opponents said that because the NSAA already has a policy, Kauth’s bill is unnecessary.<h2>‘Stand up to protect’ girls</h2>Dr. Linda Vermooten, who was a chair 
of psychology at Grace University in Omaha for multiple years before it 
closed, said Nebraska needs to stand up for girls no matter how many 
transgender Nebraskans Kauth’s bill may address, which testifiers said 
is at most 10 or fewer students.“Yes, that’s at this moment,” 
Vermooten said of the number. “If we don’t have a law like this, who and
 when will we stand up to protect the rights of girls, a majority as 
opposed to the minority?”Sherry Brink, a former Husker women’s
 basketball player, said Kauth’s bill would help women have the 
opportunity to “run free” and play sports in a safe environment while 
building community, teamwork, work ethic, sportsmanship, relationships 
and other qualities.“We were joined together, we had 
limited distractions and we had our parents behind us,” Brink said. “I 
can’t imagine that atmosphere and community today.”Carol Frost, whose time at the 
University of Nebraska preceded the 1972 Title IX law, said she coached 
Husker women’s cross country and track and field teams and saw for years
 how men would outcompete against women.&nbsp;Frost said that many top rankings for
 women are all below those for men, which could lead to unfairness if a 
transgender woman were to join a women’s team.<h2>‘Not looking to be’ Nebraska champion</h2>Tiffany Weiss, a mother in Kearney 
who testified alongside her 13-year-old transgender son, Alexander, said
 the proposed bill puts her in an “impossible” situation of wanting to 
protect her son who just wants to play sports.Alexander, whose mother said he is on
 hormone blockers and has been transitioning for four years, said he 
loves to play basketball and sports generally, which help him overall.Should the bill pass, he’d be 
required to use the girls’ locker room, and both Alexander and his 
mother said that would not work because Alexander looks like and is a 
boy. Many peers do not know he is trans, Tiffany Weiss added.Noemi Gilbert, a senior at Omaha 
Central High School, said Kauth’s bill would violate their religion as a
 transgender Reform Jew. Gilbert led a 5-second moment of silence for 
Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old trans girl fatally stabbed in the United 
Kingdom, and “all trans youth who have lost their lives to social 
violence and exclusion that bills like this promote.”Louis Rens, whose transgender 
daughter goes to school in Omaha, said all transgender kids want is to 
fit in, a task that is already tough.“She’s not looking to be the Nebraska
 champion long-distance runner,” Rens said. “She just wants to be with 
her friends and participate.”

Proposed bathroom, sports team restrictions trigger tense hearing

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/civic-nebraska-says-states-2022-general-election-was-safe-and-secure/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — A voting rights group that 
monitors Nebraska’s elections identified a handful of issues during the 
state’s 2022 general election but deemed the election “safe and secure.”

The report from Civic Nebraska cited 
the observations of 43 volunteers who observed 140 polling sites last 
year. The group operated an election problems hotline and contacted 
election officials to report them.&nbsp;

Civic Nebraska’s report highlighted 
two issues the group asked local and state election officials to 
address. Both were handled appropriately after officials were notified, 
the group said.

The first problem involved 25 people 
in Douglas County who were given the first page of their ballot, but not
 the second page, which contained ballot initiatives.

The report verified what Douglas 
County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse has said previously, that 
officials contacted those 25 voters&nbsp; and told them they could go to the 
Election Commissioner’s Office to complete their ballot.

Heather Engdahl, voting rights 
director at Civic Nebraska, said Kruse’s office is working to make sure 
its election worker training emphasizes making sure complete ballots are
 distributed.

“They took that very seriously,” she 
said. “Overall, the consistent theme is of course that our elections are
 secure. … There were a couple small issues, but that’s going to 
happen.”

Kruse, reached Monday, had no 
immediate comment. But he has said previously he appreciates the 
feedback and will keep working to reduce the number of mistakes made 
with ballots.

The other issue the report 
highlighted was cross-talk during voting by a handful of poll workers in
 support of the voter ID ballot initiative, which voters passed.&nbsp;

Civic Nebraska received reports of 
poll workers in Lancaster and Buffalo Counties “discussing the voter ID 
initiative on the ballot with voters,” according to the report.&nbsp;

Voters and observers overheard a few 
poll workers audibly agree when someone signing in would show ID and say
 they hoped the voter ID initiative would pass this time, the report 
said.&nbsp;

Engdahl said her group let local and 
state election officials know right away, and the officials&nbsp; said they 
would work to make sure election workers know they can’t advocate during
 voting.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen
 said he was pleased Civic Nebraska acknowledged the 2022 election was 
“fair and secure.” He thanked county election officials for their work.

“It is vital that it be easy to vote and hard to cheat,” he said Monday. “And we continue to focus on both.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676388909403.png" alt="Wall art at the Douglas County Election Commissioner’s Office. (Cate Folsom/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Wall art at the Douglas County Election Commissioner’s Office. (Cate Folsom/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/civic-nebraska-says-states-2022-general-election-was-safe-and-secure/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — A voting rights group that 
monitors Nebraska’s elections identified a handful of issues during the 
state’s 2022 general election but deemed the election “safe and secure.”The report from Civic Nebraska cited 
the observations of 43 volunteers who observed 140 polling sites last 
year. The group operated an election problems hotline and contacted 
election officials to report them.&nbsp;Civic Nebraska’s report highlighted 
two issues the group asked local and state election officials to 
address. Both were handled appropriately after officials were notified, 
the group said.The first problem involved 25 people 
in Douglas County who were given the first page of their ballot, but not
 the second page, which contained ballot initiatives.The report verified what Douglas 
County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse has said previously, that 
officials contacted those 25 voters&nbsp; and told them they could go to the 
Election Commissioner’s Office to complete their ballot.Heather Engdahl, voting rights 
director at Civic Nebraska, said Kruse’s office is working to make sure 
its election worker training emphasizes making sure complete ballots are
 distributed.“They took that very seriously,” she 
said. “Overall, the consistent theme is of course that our elections are
 secure. … There were a couple small issues, but that’s going to 
happen.”Kruse, reached Monday, had no 
immediate comment. But he has said previously he appreciates the 
feedback and will keep working to reduce the number of mistakes made 
with ballots.The other issue the report 
highlighted was cross-talk during voting by a handful of poll workers in
 support of the voter ID ballot initiative, which voters passed.&nbsp;Civic Nebraska received reports of 
poll workers in Lancaster and Buffalo Counties “discussing the voter ID 
initiative on the ballot with voters,” according to the report.&nbsp;Voters and observers overheard a few 
poll workers audibly agree when someone signing in would show ID and say
 they hoped the voter ID initiative would pass this time, the report 
said.&nbsp;Engdahl said her group let local and 
state election officials know right away, and the officials&nbsp; said they 
would work to make sure election workers know they can’t advocate during
 voting.Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen
 said he was pleased Civic Nebraska acknowledged the 2022 election was 
“fair and secure.” He thanked county election officials for their work.“It is vital that it be easy to vote and hard to cheat,” he said Monday. “And we continue to focus on both.”

Civic Nebraska: State’s 2022 general election ‘safe’ and ‘secure’

WASHINGTON —Efforts continue to recover remnants of an object shot down over Lake Huron by a U.S. fighter jet on Sunday — the third object downed over North America since a U.S. missile took down a Chinese surveillance balloon on Feb. 4, according to&nbsp;David Vergun in a statement from with U.S. Department of Defense.

(click below to listen to the White House statement on aliens and UFOs)

The weeks-long succession of objects, starting with a giant white orb first detected over U.S. skies in late January, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-balloon-espionage-1cca3467f32a2751b35ec1686aadc310">puzzled American officials and stirred curiosity around the world.</a>&nbsp;Though the three most recent objects differed in size, maneuverability and other characteristics from the surveillance balloon shot down Feb. 4 off the Carolina coast, officials moved to eliminate each one from the sky — actions that Pentagon officials believe have no peacetime precedent.

“Because we have not been able to definitively assess what these most recent objects are, we acted out of an abundance of caution to protect our security, our interests and flight safety,” Kirby said.

One possibility that the U.S. has been able to rule out is any connection to extraterrestrial activity, the White House said Monday, tamping down lighthearted public speculation about aliens and outer space.

“I know there have been questions and concerns about this, but there is no — again, no — indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent takedowns,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at the outset of a press briefing.

Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, confirmed the latest incident at a weekend briefing.

WASHINGTON —Efforts continue to recover remnants of an object shot down over Lake Huron by a U.S. fighter jet on Sunday — the third object downed over North America since a U.S. missile took down a Chinese surveillance balloon on Feb. 4, according to&nbsp;David Vergun in a statement from with U.S. Department of Defense.(click below to listen to the White House statement on aliens and UFOs)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F723262652590113%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=255" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The weeks-long succession of objects, starting with a giant white orb first detected over U.S. skies in late January, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-balloon-espionage-1cca3467f32a2751b35ec1686aadc310">puzzled American officials and stirred curiosity around the world.</a>&nbsp;Though the three most recent objects differed in size, maneuverability and other characteristics from the surveillance balloon shot down Feb. 4 off the Carolina coast, officials moved to eliminate each one from the sky — actions that Pentagon officials believe have no peacetime precedent.“Because we have not been able to definitively assess what these most recent objects are, we acted out of an abundance of caution to protect our security, our interests and flight safety,” Kirby said.One possibility that the U.S. has been able to rule out is any connection to extraterrestrial activity, the White House said Monday, tamping down lighthearted public speculation about aliens and outer space.“I know there have been questions and concerns about this, but there is no — again, no — indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent takedowns,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at the outset of a press briefing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676045566817.png" alt="Agents assigned to the evidence response team process material recovered from the China spy balloon recovered off the coast of South Carolina-photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Agents assigned to the evidence response team process material recovered from the China spy balloon recovered off the coast of South Carolina-photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, confirmed the latest incident at a weekend briefing.Radar at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, better known as NORAD, first detected the airborne object at 4:45 p.m. Saturday when it was in Canadian airspace about 70 miles north of the U.S. border. &nbsp;NORAD is a United States-Canada organization with the missions of aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America.&nbsp;Aerospace warning includes the detection, validation and warning of an attack against North America — whether by aircraft, missiles or space vehicles — through mutual support arrangements with other commands.&nbsp;The object entered the airspace over Montana and drifted eastward before being taken down at 2:42 p.m. yesterday by a U.S. AIM-9X Sidewinder missile. Additionally, objects were shot down over Alaska and northwest Canada on Friday and Saturday."In light of the People's Republic of China balloon that we took Feb. 4, we have been more closely scrutinizing our airspace at these altitudes, including enhancing our radar, which may at least partly explain the increase in objects that we've detected over the past week,"&nbsp;Melissa Dalton, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs, said.&nbsp;The object shot down Sunday had soared over sensitive Defense Department sites, and its altitude of about 20,000 feet posed a potential hazard to civilian aviation, DOD officials&nbsp;said.VanHerck said an abundance of caution was used in the take-down to prevent potential collateral damage. DOD also worked with the Federal Aviation Administration to clear the airspace and the area was also checked for vessels.&nbsp;Other Western nations are also trying to assess the spate of incidents.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=rishi+sunak+apnews+balloon&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS1038US1038&amp;oq=rishi+sunak+apnews+balloon&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j69i59l3.5745j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Monday</a>&nbsp;that the government would do “whatever it takes” to protect the country, as the U.K. announced a security review. And Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “there is some sort of pattern” to the balloon and three other objects, though the U.S. has not echoed that claim.None of the three most recent objects has been recovered, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters in Brussels, where he was scheduled to attend a NATO defense ministers meeting this week.-The Associated Press contributed to this report