By IAIN BOYD <a href="https://theconversation.com/chinese-spy-balloon-over-the-us-an-aerospace-expert-explains-how-the-balloons-work-and-what-they-can-see-199245">The Conversation</a>

The U.S. military <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/04/chinese-balloon-shoot-down/">shot down</a>
 what U.S. officials called a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast
 of South Carolina on Feb. 4, 2023. Officials said that the U.S. Navy <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/02/04/us/china-spy-balloon">planned to recover the debris</a>, which is in shallow water.

The U.S. and Canada tracked the balloon as it crossed the 
Aleutian Islands, passed over Western Canada and entered U.S. airspace 
over Idaho. Officials of the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed on 
Feb. 2, 2023, that the military was <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/suspected-chinese-spy-balloon-found-northern-us-rcna68879">tracking the balloon</a>
 as it flew over the continental U.S. at an altitude of about 60,000 
feet, including over Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. The base 
houses the 341st Missile Wing, which operates nuclear intercontinental 
ballistic missiles.

The next day, Chinese officials <a href="https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/202302/t20230203_11019484.html">acknowledged that the balloon was theirs</a>
 but denied it was intended for spying or meant to enter U.S. airspace. 
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the balloon’s incursion
 led him to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">cancel his trip to Beijing</a>. He had been scheduled to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Feb. 5 and 6.

The Pentagon has reported that a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/03/second-chinese-spy-balloon-pentagon/">second suspected Chinese balloon</a>
 was seen over Latin America. On Feb. 4, officials told reporters that a
 third Chinese surveillance balloon was operating somewhere else in the 
world, and that the balloons are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/04/chinese-balloon-shoot-down/">part of a Chinese military surveillance program</a>.

Monitoring an adversary from a balloon dates back to 1794, when the French <a href="https://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Lighter_than_air/Napoleon%27s_wars/LTA3.htm">used a hot air balloon</a> to track Austrian and Dutch troops in the Battle of Fleurus. We asked aerospace engineer <a href="https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?hl=en&amp;user=0vO6w7MAAAAJ&amp;view_op=list_works&amp;sortby=pubdate">Iain Boyd</a> of the University of Colorado Boulder to explain how spy balloons work and why anyone would use one in the 21st century.

A spy balloon is literally a gas-filled balloon that is flying quite 
high in the sky, more or less where we fly commercial airplanes. It has 
some sophisticated cameras and imaging technology on it, and it’s 
pointing all of those instruments down at the ground. It’s collecting 
information through photography and other imaging of whatever is going 
on down on the ground below it.

Why would someone want to use a spy balloon instead of just using spy satellites?

Satellites are the preferred method of spying from overhead. Spy satellites are above us today, typically at one of two <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/OrbitsCatalog">different types of orbit</a>.

The first is called <a href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit">low Earth orbit</a>,
 and, as the name suggests, those satellites are relatively close to the
 ground. But they’re still several hundred miles above us. For imaging 
and taking photographs, the closer you are to something, the more 
clearly you can see it, and this applies to spying as well. The 
satellites that are in low Earth orbit have the advantage that they’re 
closer to the Earth so they’re able to see things more clearly than 
satellites that are farther away.

The disadvantage these low Earth orbit satellites have is that they 
are continually moving around the Earth. It takes them about 90 minutes 
to do one orbit around the Earth. That turns out to be pretty fast in 
terms of taking clear photographs of what’s going on below. 

The second type of satellite orbit is called <a href="https://www.space.com/29222-geosynchronous-orbit.html">geosynchronous orbit</a>,
 and that’s much farther away. It has the disadvantage that it’s harder 
to see things clearly when you’re very, very far away. But they have the
 advantage of what we call persistence, allowing satellites <a href="https://satelliteobservation.net/2016/10/17/persistent-surveillance/">to capture images continuously</a>.
 In those orbits, you’re essentially overlooking the exact same piece of
 ground on the Earth’s surface all the time because the satellite moves 
in exactly the same way the earth rotates – it rotates at the exact same
 speed.

A balloon in some ways gets the best of those. These balloons are 
much, much closer to the ground than any of the satellites, so they can 
see even more clearly. And then, of course, balloons are moving, but 
they’re moving relatively slowly, so they also have a degree of 
persistence. However, spying is not usually done these days with 
balloons because they are a relatively easy target and are not 
completely controllable.

What types of surveillance are spy balloons capable of?

I don’t know what’s on this particular spy balloon, but it’s likely 
to be different kinds of cameras collecting different types of 
information.

These days, imaging is conducted across different regions of the <a href="https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.html">electromagnetic spectrum</a>.
 Humans see in a certain range of this spectrum, the visible spectrum. 
And so if you have a camera and you take a photograph of your dog, 
that’s a visible photograph. That’s one of the things spy aircraft do. 
They take regular photographs, although they have very good zoom 
capabilities to be able to magnify what they’re seeing quite a lot.

But you can also gather different kinds of information in other parts
 of the electromagnetic spectrum. Another fairly well-known one is 
infrared. If it’s nighttime, a camera operating in the visible part of 
the spectrum is not going to show you anything. It’s all going to be 
dark. But an infrared camera can pick up things from heat in the dark.

Most of these balloons literally go where the wind blows. There can 
be a little bit of navigation, but there are certainly not people aboard
 them. They are at the mercy of whatever the weather is. They sometimes 
have guiding apparatus on them that change a balloon’s altitude to catch
 winds going in particular directions. According to reports, U.S. 
officials said the Chinese surveillance balloon <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/04/chinese-balloon-shoot-down/">had propellers to help steer it</a>. If this is confirmed, it means that its operator would have much more control over the path of the balloon.

What are the limits to a nation’s airspace? At what altitude does it become space and anybody’s right to be there?

There is an internationally accepted boundary called the <a href="https://astronomy.com/news/2021/03/the-krmn-line-where-does-space-begin">Kármán Line</a> at 62 miles (100 kilometers) altitude. This balloon is well below that, so it is absolutely, definitely in U.S. airspace.

Which countries are known to be using spy balloons?

The Pentagon has had programs over the last few decades studying what
 can be done with balloons that couldn’t be done in the past. Maybe 
they’re bigger, maybe they can go higher in the atmosphere so they’re 
more difficult to shoot down or disable. Maybe they could be more 
persistent. 

The broad interest in this incident illustrates its unusual nature. Few people <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/84ca852e-8653-43ac-ae76-023f8829229c">would expect any country to be actively using spy balloons</a> these days.

The U.S. flew many balloons over the Soviet Union in the 1940s and 
1950s, and those were eventually replaced by the high-altitude spy 
airplanes, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/U-2">U-2s</a>, and they were subsequently replaced by satellites.

I’m sure a number of countries around the world have periodically 
gone back to reevaluate: Are there other things we could do now with 
balloons that we couldn’t do before? Do they close some gaps we have 
from satellites and airplanes? 

What does that say about the nature of this balloon, which China confirmed is theirs?

China has complained for many years <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3153916/us-ships-and-planes-conducted-2000-spying-missions-aimed-china">about the U.S. spying</a> on China through satellites, through ships. And China is also well known for engaging in <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-accuses-china-increased-south-china-sea-provocations-2022-07-26/">somewhat provocative behavior</a>,
 like in the South China Sea, sailing close to other nations’ boundaries
 and saber-rattling. I think it falls into that category.

The balloon doesn’t pose any real threat to the U.S. I think 
sometimes China is just experimenting to see how far they can push 
things. This isn’t really very advanced technology. It’s not serving any
 real military purpose. I think it’s much more likely some kind of 
political message.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WglPIjZeC58"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By IAIN BOYD <a href="https://theconversation.com/chinese-spy-balloon-over-the-us-an-aerospace-expert-explains-how-the-balloons-work-and-what-they-can-see-199245">The Conversation</a>The U.S. military <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/04/chinese-balloon-shoot-down/">shot down</a>
 what U.S. officials called a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast
 of South Carolina on Feb. 4, 2023. Officials said that the U.S. Navy <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/02/04/us/china-spy-balloon">planned to recover the debris</a>, which is in shallow water.The U.S. and Canada tracked the balloon as it crossed the 
Aleutian Islands, passed over Western Canada and entered U.S. airspace 
over Idaho. Officials of the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed on 
Feb. 2, 2023, that the military was <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/suspected-chinese-spy-balloon-found-northern-us-rcna68879">tracking the balloon</a>
 as it flew over the continental U.S. at an altitude of about 60,000 
feet, including over Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. The base 
houses the 341st Missile Wing, which operates nuclear intercontinental 
ballistic missiles.The next day, Chinese officials <a href="https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/202302/t20230203_11019484.html">acknowledged that the balloon was theirs</a>
 but denied it was intended for spying or meant to enter U.S. airspace. 
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the balloon’s incursion
 led him to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">cancel his trip to Beijing</a>. He had been scheduled to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Feb. 5 and 6. The Pentagon has reported that a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/03/second-chinese-spy-balloon-pentagon/">second suspected Chinese balloon</a>
 was seen over Latin America. On Feb. 4, officials told reporters that a
 third Chinese surveillance balloon was operating somewhere else in the 
world, and that the balloons are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/04/chinese-balloon-shoot-down/">part of a Chinese military surveillance program</a>.Monitoring an adversary from a balloon dates back to 1794, when the French <a href="https://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Lighter_than_air/Napoleon%27s_wars/LTA3.htm">used a hot air balloon</a> to track Austrian and Dutch troops in the Battle of Fleurus. We asked aerospace engineer <a href="https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?hl=en&amp;user=0vO6w7MAAAAJ&amp;view_op=list_works&amp;sortby=pubdate">Iain Boyd</a> of the University of Colorado Boulder to explain how spy balloons work and why anyone would use one in the 21st century.<h2>What is a spy balloon?</h2>A spy balloon is literally a gas-filled balloon that is flying quite 
high in the sky, more or less where we fly commercial airplanes. It has 
some sophisticated cameras and imaging technology on it, and it’s 
pointing all of those instruments down at the ground. It’s collecting 
information through photography and other imaging of whatever is going 
on down on the ground below it.<h2>Why would someone want to use a spy balloon instead of just using spy satellites?</h2>Satellites are the preferred method of spying from overhead. Spy satellites are above us today, typically at one of two <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/OrbitsCatalog">different types of orbit</a>.The first is called <a href="https://www.space.com/low-earth-orbit">low Earth orbit</a>,
 and, as the name suggests, those satellites are relatively close to the
 ground. But they’re still several hundred miles above us. For imaging 
and taking photographs, the closer you are to something, the more 
clearly you can see it, and this applies to spying as well. The 
satellites that are in low Earth orbit have the advantage that they’re 
closer to the Earth so they’re able to see things more clearly than 
satellites that are farther away. The disadvantage these low Earth orbit satellites have is that they 
are continually moving around the Earth. It takes them about 90 minutes 
to do one orbit around the Earth. That turns out to be pretty fast in 
terms of taking clear photographs of what’s going on below. The second type of satellite orbit is called <a href="https://www.space.com/29222-geosynchronous-orbit.html">geosynchronous orbit</a>,
 and that’s much farther away. It has the disadvantage that it’s harder 
to see things clearly when you’re very, very far away. But they have the
 advantage of what we call persistence, allowing satellites <a href="https://satelliteobservation.net/2016/10/17/persistent-surveillance/">to capture images continuously</a>.
 In those orbits, you’re essentially overlooking the exact same piece of
 ground on the Earth’s surface all the time because the satellite moves 
in exactly the same way the earth rotates – it rotates at the exact same
 speed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675706952787.png" alt=" A U.S. satellite photo showing a Soviet submarine in port in 1982. National Reconnaissance Office " />
 <figcaption> A U.S. satellite photo showing a Soviet submarine in port in 1982. National Reconnaissance Office </figcaption>
 </figure>A balloon in some ways gets the best of those. These balloons are 
much, much closer to the ground than any of the satellites, so they can 
see even more clearly. And then, of course, balloons are moving, but 
they’re moving relatively slowly, so they also have a degree of 
persistence. However, spying is not usually done these days with 
balloons because they are a relatively easy target and are not 
completely controllable.<h2>What types of surveillance are spy balloons capable of?</h2>I don’t know what’s on this particular spy balloon, but it’s likely 
to be different kinds of cameras collecting different types of 
information.These days, imaging is conducted across different regions of the <a href="https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.html">electromagnetic spectrum</a>.
 Humans see in a certain range of this spectrum, the visible spectrum. 
And so if you have a camera and you take a photograph of your dog, 
that’s a visible photograph. That’s one of the things spy aircraft do. 
They take regular photographs, although they have very good zoom 
capabilities to be able to magnify what they’re seeing quite a lot. But you can also gather different kinds of information in other parts
 of the electromagnetic spectrum. Another fairly well-known one is 
infrared. If it’s nighttime, a camera operating in the visible part of 
the spectrum is not going to show you anything. It’s all going to be 
dark. But an infrared camera can pick up things from heat in the dark.<h2>How do these balloons navigate?</h2>Most of these balloons literally go where the wind blows. There can 
be a little bit of navigation, but there are certainly not people aboard
 them. They are at the mercy of whatever the weather is. They sometimes 
have guiding apparatus on them that change a balloon’s altitude to catch
 winds going in particular directions. According to reports, U.S. 
officials said the Chinese surveillance balloon <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/04/chinese-balloon-shoot-down/">had propellers to help steer it</a>. If this is confirmed, it means that its operator would have much more control over the path of the balloon.<h2>What are the limits to a nation’s airspace? At what altitude does it become space and anybody’s right to be there?</h2>There is an internationally accepted boundary called the <a href="https://astronomy.com/news/2021/03/the-krmn-line-where-does-space-begin">Kármán Line</a> at 62 miles (100 kilometers) altitude. This balloon is well below that, so it is absolutely, definitely in U.S. airspace.<h2>Which countries are known to be using spy balloons?</h2>The Pentagon has had programs over the last few decades studying what
 can be done with balloons that couldn’t be done in the past. Maybe 
they’re bigger, maybe they can go higher in the atmosphere so they’re 
more difficult to shoot down or disable. Maybe they could be more 
persistent. The broad interest in this incident illustrates its unusual nature. Few people <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/84ca852e-8653-43ac-ae76-023f8829229c">would expect any country to be actively using spy balloons</a> these days.The U.S. flew many balloons over the Soviet Union in the 1940s and 
1950s, and those were eventually replaced by the high-altitude spy 
airplanes, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/U-2">U-2s</a>, and they were subsequently replaced by satellites. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675707001950.png" alt=" Project Moby Dick was an early Cold War-era effort by the U.S. to monitor the Soviet Union using high-altitude balloons. United States Air Force Public Affairs " />
 <figcaption> Project Moby Dick was an early Cold War-era effort by the U.S. to monitor the Soviet Union using high-altitude balloons. United States Air Force Public Affairs </figcaption>
 </figure>I’m sure a number of countries around the world have periodically 
gone back to reevaluate: Are there other things we could do now with 
balloons that we couldn’t do before? Do they close some gaps we have 
from satellites and airplanes? <h2>What does that say about the nature of this balloon, which China confirmed is theirs?</h2>China has complained for many years <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3153916/us-ships-and-planes-conducted-2000-spying-missions-aimed-china">about the U.S. spying</a> on China through satellites, through ships. And China is also well known for engaging in <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-accuses-china-increased-south-china-sea-provocations-2022-07-26/">somewhat provocative behavior</a>,
 like in the South China Sea, sailing close to other nations’ boundaries
 and saber-rattling. I think it falls into that category. The balloon doesn’t pose any real threat to the U.S. I think 
sometimes China is just experimenting to see how far they can push 
things. This isn’t really very advanced technology. It’s not serving any
 real military purpose. I think it’s much more likely some kind of 
political message.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199245/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

🎥 Aerospace expert explains how spy balloons work, what they see

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Reserve raised its key rate by a quarter point last week, bringing it to the highest level in 15 years as part of an ongoing effort to ease inflation by making borrowing more expensive.

The rate increase will likely make it even costlier to borrow for homes, autos and other purchases. But if you have money to save, you'll probably earn a bit more interest on it.

The latest rate increase is smaller than the Fed's half-point rate hike in December and its four straight three-quarter-point increases earlier last year. The slowdown reflects the fact that inflation, while still high, is easing, and some parts of the economy seem to be cooling.

But it's still an increase, to a range of 4.5% to 4.75%. And many economists say they still fear that a recession remains possible — and with it, job losses that could cause hardship for households already hurt by inflation.

The short answer: Inflation. Over the past year, consumer inflation in the United States has clocked in at 6.5% — a figure that reflects a sixth straight monthly slowdown but still uncomfortably high.

The Fed's goal is to slow consumer spending, thereby reducing demand for homes, cars and other goods and services, eventually cooling the economy and lowering prices.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has acknowledged in the past that aggressively raising rates would bring "some pain" for households but said that doing so is necessary to crush high inflation.

Anyone borrowing money to make a large purchase, such as a home, car or large appliance, will likely take a hit. The new rate will also increase monthly payments and costs for any consumer who is already paying interest on credit card debt.

"It's already been a really rough year with folks with credit card debt, and it's only going to get worse," said credit analyst Matt Schulz of LendingTree. "The immediacy of the increase is what's hard — that it affects not just future purchases but current balances."

That said, Scott Hoyt, an analyst with Moody's Analytics, noted that household debt payments, as a proportion of income, remain relatively low, though they have risen lately. So even as borrowing rates steadily rise, many households might not feel a much heavier debt burden immediately.

Even before the Fed's latest move, credit card borrowing rates had reached their highest level since 1996, according to Bankrate.com, and these will likely continue to rise.

There are also signs that Americans are increasingly relying on credit cards to help maintain their spending. Total credit card balances have topped $900 billion, according to the Fed, a record high, though that amount isn't adjusted for inflation.

"Right now, most people may have jobs and rising incomes, but they're looking to the horizon and seeing storm clouds start to build," said Nationwide Senior Economist Ben Ayers. "It's really an inflection point for the economy."

As rates have risen, zero percent loans marketed as "Buy Now, Pay Later" have become popular with consumers. But longer-term loans of more than four payments that these companies offer are subject to the same increased borrowing rates as credit cards.

For those who don't qualify for low-rate credit cards because of weak credit scores, the higher interest rates are already affecting their balances.

John Leer, chief economist at Morning Consult, a survey research firm, said its polling suggests that more Americans are spending down the savings they accumulated during the pandemic and are using credit instead. Eventually, rising rates could make it harder for those households to pay off their debts.

For those who have home equity lines of credit or other variable-interest debt, rates will increase by roughly the same amount as the Fed hike, usually within one or two billing cycles. That's because those rates are based in part on banks' prime rate, which follow the Fed's.

The rising returns on high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) have put them at levels not seen since 2009, which means that households may want to boost savings if possible. You can also now earn more on bonds and other fixed-income investments.

Though savings, CDs, and money market accounts don't typically track the Fed's changes, online banks and others that offer high-yield savings accounts can be exceptions. These institutions typically compete aggressively for depositors. (The catch: They sometimes require significantly high deposits.)

In general, banks tend to capitalize on a higher-rate environment to boost their profits by imposing higher rates on borrowers, without necessarily offering juicer rates to savers.

Last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year mortgage dipped to 6.13% from 6.15% the week prior. A year ago, the average rate was much lower: 3.55%. That means the rate on a typical home loan is still almost twice as expensive as it was a year ago.

Mortgage rates don't always move in tandem with the Fed's benchmark rate. They instead tend to track the yield on the 10-year Treasury note.

Sales of existing homes have declined for 11 straight months as borrowing costs have become too high a hurdle for many Americans who are already paying much more for food, gas and other necessities.

WILL IT BE EASIER TO FIND A HOUSE IF I'M STILL LOOKING TO BUY?

If you're financially able to proceed with a home purchase, you're likely to have more options now.

With shortages of computer chips and other parts easing, automakers are producing more vehicles. Many are even reducing prices or offering limited discounts. But rising loan rates and lower used-vehicle trade-in values have erased much of the savings on monthly payments.

"With the interest that you're going to pay, those payments might not look too dissimilar to what they were a few months ago," said Ivan Drury, director of insights for Edmunds.com. "It's like every single time we hear one piece of good news, it's being offset by pieces of bad news."

Since the Fed began raising rates in March, the average new vehicle loan has jumped from 4.5% to 6.9%, according to Edmunds data. Used vehicle loans are up 2.5 percentage points to 10.6%. Loan durations are averaging roughly 70 months — nearly six years — for both new and used vehicles.

Edmunds says that since March, monthly payments have risen by an average of $71 to $728 for new vehicles. For used vehicles, it's up just $3 a month to $546.

Financing a new vehicle, with an average price of $48,516 as of December, now costs $8,769 in interest, Drury said. That's enough to chase many out of the auto market.

Any Fed rate increase is typically passed through to auto borrowers, though it will be slightly offset by subsidized rates from manufacturers.

HOW HAVE THE RATE HIKES INFLUENCED CRYPTO?

Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin have dropped in value since the Fed began raising rates. So have many previously high-valued technology stocks.

Higher rates mean that safe assets like Treasuries become more attractive to investors because their yields have increased. That makes risky assets like technology stocks and cryptocurrencies less attractive.

Still, bitcoin continues to suffer from problems separate from economic policy. Three major crypto firms have failed, most recently the high-profile FTX exchange, shaking the confidence of crypto investors.

The nation's employers kept hiring in December, adding a healthy 223,000 jobs. The unemployment rate fell from 3.6% to 3.5%, matching a 53-year low. At the same time, the jobs gain was the smallest in two months, suggesting a slowdown, with pay growth also easing.

"Things are moderating and slowing down, but the labor market is still relatively strong," said Nick Bunker, Economic Research Director at hiring site Indeed. "One of the reasons the Fed continues to raise rates is that it thinks the labor market is too strong."

Some economists argue that layoffs could slow rising prices, and that a tight labor market fuels wage growth and higher inflation.

While layoffs are now historically low, there's also the possibility there will simply be fewer job openings in coming months.

"I think a lot of the hikes are behind us," Bunker said. "But there's the potential the labor market is going to deteriorate for some people, so people should be alert to a continued slowdown."

Borrowers who take out new private student loans should prepare to pay more as as rates increase. The current range for federal loans is between about 5% and 7.5%.

That said, payments on federal student loans are suspended with zero interest until summer 2023 as part of an emergency measure put in place early in the pandemic. President Joe Biden has also announced some loan forgiveness, of up to $10,000 for most borrowers, and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients — a policy that's now being challenged in the courts.

IS THERE A CHANCE THE RATE HIKES WILL BE REVERSED?

It looks increasingly unlikely that rates will come down anytime soon.

"We're expecting inflation will still be too hot for the Fed even by the end of the year," said Nationwide's Ayers. "We predict it won't be until next year that they begin to lower rates."

AP Business Writers Christopher Rugaber in Washington, Tom Krisher in Detroit and Damian Troise and Ken Sweet in New York contributed to this report.

The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

By CORA LEWIS Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Reserve raised its key rate by a quarter point last week, bringing it to the highest level in 15 years as part of an ongoing effort to ease inflation by making borrowing more expensive.The rate increase will likely make it even costlier to borrow for homes, autos and other purchases. But if you have money to save, you'll probably earn a bit more interest on it.The latest rate increase is smaller than the Fed's half-point rate hike in December and its four straight three-quarter-point increases earlier last year. The slowdown reflects the fact that inflation, while still high, is easing, and some parts of the economy seem to be cooling.But it's still an increase, to a range of 4.5% to 4.75%. And many economists say they still fear that a recession remains possible — and with it, job losses that could cause hardship for households already hurt by inflation.Here's what to know:WHAT'S PROMPTING THE RATE INCREASES?The short answer: Inflation. Over the past year, consumer inflation in the United States has clocked in at 6.5% — a figure that reflects a sixth straight monthly slowdown but still uncomfortably high.The Fed's goal is to slow consumer spending, thereby reducing demand for homes, cars and other goods and services, eventually cooling the economy and lowering prices.Fed Chair Jerome Powell has acknowledged in the past that aggressively raising rates would bring "some pain" for households but said that doing so is necessary to crush high inflation.WHICH CONSUMERS ARE MOST AFFECTED?Anyone borrowing money to make a large purchase, such as a home, car or large appliance, will likely take a hit. The new rate will also increase monthly payments and costs for any consumer who is already paying interest on credit card debt."It's already been a really rough year with folks with credit card debt, and it's only going to get worse," said credit analyst Matt Schulz of LendingTree. "The immediacy of the increase is what's hard — that it affects not just future purchases but current balances."That said, Scott Hoyt, an analyst with Moody's Analytics, noted that household debt payments, as a proportion of income, remain relatively low, though they have risen lately. So even as borrowing rates steadily rise, many households might not feel a much heavier debt burden immediately.HOW WILL THIS AFFECT CREDIT CARD RATES?Even before the Fed's latest move, credit card borrowing rates had reached their highest level since 1996, according to Bankrate.com, and these will likely continue to rise.There are also signs that Americans are increasingly relying on credit cards to help maintain their spending. Total credit card balances have topped $900 billion, according to the Fed, a record high, though that amount isn't adjusted for inflation."Right now, most people may have jobs and rising incomes, but they're looking to the horizon and seeing storm clouds start to build," said Nationwide Senior Economist Ben Ayers. "It's really an inflection point for the economy."As rates have risen, zero percent loans marketed as "Buy Now, Pay Later" have become popular with consumers. But longer-term loans of more than four payments that these companies offer are subject to the same increased borrowing rates as credit cards.For those who don't qualify for low-rate credit cards because of weak credit scores, the higher interest rates are already affecting their balances.John Leer, chief economist at Morning Consult, a survey research firm, said its polling suggests that more Americans are spending down the savings they accumulated during the pandemic and are using credit instead. Eventually, rising rates could make it harder for those households to pay off their debts.For those who have home equity lines of credit or other variable-interest debt, rates will increase by roughly the same amount as the Fed hike, usually within one or two billing cycles. That's because those rates are based in part on banks' prime rate, which follow the Fed's.HOW ARE SAVERS AFFECTED?The rising returns on high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) have put them at levels not seen since 2009, which means that households may want to boost savings if possible. You can also now earn more on bonds and other fixed-income investments.Though savings, CDs, and money market accounts don't typically track the Fed's changes, online banks and others that offer high-yield savings accounts can be exceptions. These institutions typically compete aggressively for depositors. (The catch: They sometimes require significantly high deposits.)In general, banks tend to capitalize on a higher-rate environment to boost their profits by imposing higher rates on borrowers, without necessarily offering juicer rates to savers.WILL THIS AFFECT HOME OWNERSHIP?Last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year mortgage dipped to 6.13% from 6.15% the week prior. A year ago, the average rate was much lower: 3.55%. That means the rate on a typical home loan is still almost twice as expensive as it was a year ago.Mortgage rates don't always move in tandem with the Fed's benchmark rate. They instead tend to track the yield on the 10-year Treasury note.Sales of existing homes have declined for 11 straight months as borrowing costs have become too high a hurdle for many Americans who are already paying much more for food, gas and other necessities.WILL IT BE EASIER TO FIND A HOUSE IF I'M STILL LOOKING TO BUY?If you're financially able to proceed with a home purchase, you're likely to have more options now.WHAT IF I WANT TO BUY A CAR?With shortages of computer chips and other parts easing, automakers are producing more vehicles. Many are even reducing prices or offering limited discounts. But rising loan rates and lower used-vehicle trade-in values have erased much of the savings on monthly payments."With the interest that you're going to pay, those payments might not look too dissimilar to what they were a few months ago," said Ivan Drury, director of insights for Edmunds.com. "It's like every single time we hear one piece of good news, it's being offset by pieces of bad news."Since the Fed began raising rates in March, the average new vehicle loan has jumped from 4.5% to 6.9%, according to Edmunds data. Used vehicle loans are up 2.5 percentage points to 10.6%. Loan durations are averaging roughly 70 months — nearly six years — for both new and used vehicles.Edmunds says that since March, monthly payments have risen by an average of $71 to $728 for new vehicles. For used vehicles, it's up just $3 a month to $546.Financing a new vehicle, with an average price of $48,516 as of December, now costs $8,769 in interest, Drury said. That's enough to chase many out of the auto market.Any Fed rate increase is typically passed through to auto borrowers, though it will be slightly offset by subsidized rates from manufacturers.HOW HAVE THE RATE HIKES INFLUENCED CRYPTO?Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin have dropped in value since the Fed began raising rates. So have many previously high-valued technology stocks.Higher rates mean that safe assets like Treasuries become more attractive to investors because their yields have increased. That makes risky assets like technology stocks and cryptocurrencies less attractive.Still, bitcoin continues to suffer from problems separate from economic policy. Three major crypto firms have failed, most recently the high-profile FTX exchange, shaking the confidence of crypto investors.WHAT ABOUT MY JOB?The nation's employers kept hiring in December, adding a healthy 223,000 jobs. The unemployment rate fell from 3.6% to 3.5%, matching a 53-year low. At the same time, the jobs gain was the smallest in two months, suggesting a slowdown, with pay growth also easing."Things are moderating and slowing down, but the labor market is still relatively strong," said Nick Bunker, Economic Research Director at hiring site Indeed. "One of the reasons the Fed continues to raise rates is that it thinks the labor market is too strong."Some economists argue that layoffs could slow rising prices, and that a tight labor market fuels wage growth and higher inflation.While layoffs are now historically low, there's also the possibility there will simply be fewer job openings in coming months."I think a lot of the hikes are behind us," Bunker said. "But there's the potential the labor market is going to deteriorate for some people, so people should be alert to a continued slowdown."WILL THIS AFFECT STUDENT LOANS?Borrowers who take out new private student loans should prepare to pay more as as rates increase. The current range for federal loans is between about 5% and 7.5%.That said, payments on federal student loans are suspended with zero interest until summer 2023 as part of an emergency measure put in place early in the pandemic. President Joe Biden has also announced some loan forgiveness, of up to $10,000 for most borrowers, and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients — a policy that's now being challenged in the courts.IS THERE A CHANCE THE RATE HIKES WILL BE REVERSED?It looks increasingly unlikely that rates will come down anytime soon."We're expecting inflation will still be too hot for the Fed even by the end of the year," said Nationwide's Ayers. "We predict it won't be until next year that they begin to lower rates."___AP Business Writers Christopher Rugaber in Washington, Tom Krisher in Detroit and Damian Troise and Ken Sweet in New York contributed to this report.___The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

What the latest interest rate increase means for you

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/protest-resumes-at-site-of-housing-development-near-lincolns-wilderness-park/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Native American activists were back protesting 
Monday morning at the site of a housing development planned near 
Wilderness Park, across the road from a location for sweat lodge 
ceremonies.

Lincoln police were called to the site after activists blocked equipment that began removing trees from the site Monday morning.

Tree removal work was reportedly at a standstill at the 
site of the Wilderness Crossing development late in the morning, after 
police negotiated a suspension of the work and standoffs between 
protesters and the equipment.

“We’re upset,” said Erin Poor, a spokeswoman with the Niskithe Prayer Camp, a protest camp erected in<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/protest-camp-near-lincolns-wilderness-park-to-be-dismantled/"> May (and later dismantled)</a> to object to the proposed development.

Activists, Poor said, had expected that after a lawsuit 
filed by city was dismissed last week, a public hearing would be 
scheduled so that an appeal could be heard of the development’s OK by 
the city Board of Zoning.

But Poor said that late Friday it was learned that no 
appeal hearing would be scheduled. With tree removal imminent, 
protestors re-established a tipi camp across the road and returned to 
the site.

She said the legal team working with the Niskithe Prayer Camp planned to meet later Monday to decide on next steps.

A phone message left with the Lincoln city planning department was not returned immediately Monday morning.

The activists have protested the development, maintaining 
that it would disrupt sweat lodge ceremonies conducted across the road. 
They contend that the city failed to consider that, as well as impacts 
on flooding in the area, in granting permission for the development.

Officials with Manzitto Construction maintain they have 
followed all city rules in gaining an OK and have made concessions to 
create a buffer between &nbsp;the housing and the sweat lodge site.

Plans for Wilderness Crossing&nbsp;include 162 single-family homes, 134 townhomes and 205 apartment units.

Some commercial space is planned on the property, which was
 cropland that the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln sold to the development.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651587358656.png" alt="A group of opponents to a housing development along Lincoln’s Wilderness Park set up a camp Sunday night in protest. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>A group of opponents to a housing development along Lincoln’s Wilderness Park set up a camp Sunday night in protest. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/protest-resumes-at-site-of-housing-development-near-lincolns-wilderness-park/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Native American activists were back protesting 
Monday morning at the site of a housing development planned near 
Wilderness Park, across the road from a location for sweat lodge 
ceremonies.Lincoln police were called to the site after activists blocked equipment that began removing trees from the site Monday morning.Tree removal work was reportedly at a standstill at the 
site of the Wilderness Crossing development late in the morning, after 
police negotiated a suspension of the work and standoffs between 
protesters and the equipment.“We’re upset,” said Erin Poor, a spokeswoman with the Niskithe Prayer Camp, a protest camp erected in<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/protest-camp-near-lincolns-wilderness-park-to-be-dismantled/"> May (and later dismantled)</a> to object to the proposed development.Activists, Poor said, had expected that after a lawsuit 
filed by city was dismissed last week, a public hearing would be 
scheduled so that an appeal could be heard of the development’s OK by 
the city Board of Zoning.But Poor said that late Friday it was learned that no 
appeal hearing would be scheduled. With tree removal imminent, 
protestors re-established a tipi camp across the road and returned to 
the site.She said the legal team working with the Niskithe Prayer Camp planned to meet later Monday to decide on next steps.A phone message left with the Lincoln city planning department was not returned immediately Monday morning.The activists have protested the development, maintaining 
that it would disrupt sweat lodge ceremonies conducted across the road. 
They contend that the city failed to consider that, as well as impacts 
on flooding in the area, in granting permission for the development.Officials with Manzitto Construction maintain they have 
followed all city rules in gaining an OK and have made concessions to 
create a buffer between &nbsp;the housing and the sweat lodge site.Plans for Wilderness Crossing&nbsp;include 162 single-family homes, 134 townhomes and 205 apartment units.Some commercial space is planned on the property, which was
 cropland that the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln sold to the development.

Protest resumes at site of development near Neb. Wilderness Park

Herbster, Pillen, Lindstrom drove spending into rare air

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/06/nebraskas-costliest-governors-race-left-wild-numbers-in-its-wake/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — The costliest election in Nebraska history is over, including a governor’s race with state-record spending in 2022 of $29 million, campaign finance reports show.

Even including the general election 
that University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen won over State Sen. Carol 
Blood, nobody spent more than the second-place finisher in the GOP 
primary.

Trump-endorsed agribusinessman 
Charles Herbster self-financed more than 99% of his primary campaign, 
including in-kind donations from his businesses. He raised and spent 
more than $13 million.&nbsp;

That’s the most ever raised or spent 
on any Nebraska governor’s race. The next-highest tally was Pillen’s, 
who raised $11.5 million in the GOP primary and the general elections 
combined, including $1.5 million of his own money. He spent $11.1 
million.&nbsp;

Pillen benefitted from his top 
political patron, then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, who in 2022 continued to 
dominate Nebraska politics with his donations targeting several races.

Ricketts gave Pillen’s campaign 
$100,000. Additionally, Ricketts and his family spent more than $3 
million on third-party TV ads attacking Pillen’s top two opponents, 
Herbster and State Sen. Brett Lindstrom.&nbsp;

The attack ads changed a three-way 
race. Lindstrom’s donations decreased dramatically during the second 
round of ads against him. Support for Herbster fell in tracking polls.

Lindstrom raised nearly $3 million — a
 more typical gubernatorial haul for a GOP primary frontrunner – and 
spent most of it. Blood raised $636,000 and spent nearly all of that.&nbsp;

Even the race’s lesser-known 
candidates raised significant sums: Third-party candidate Dave Wright 
raised and spent $149,000, and write-in candidate Robert Borer raised 
and spent $52,000.

The only other candidate in past 
Nebraska elections to spend as much as Herbster or Pillen was Ricketts 
in 2006, when he lost a bid challenging U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson. Ricketts 
spent $13.4 million, of which he donated $12 million to his campaign.&nbsp;

Nelson spent $7.3 million on the 
race. Ricketts achieved his Senate ambitions in January, after Pillen 
appointed him to replace Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., who resigned to lead 
the University of Florida.&nbsp;

Nebraska Examiner staff writer Zach Wendling contributed to this report.

<h2>Herbster, Pillen, Lindstrom drove spending into rare air</h2>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/06/nebraskas-costliest-governors-race-left-wild-numbers-in-its-wake/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — The costliest election in Nebraska history is over, including a governor’s race with state-record spending in 2022 of $29 million, campaign finance reports show.Even including the general election 
that University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen won over State Sen. Carol 
Blood, nobody spent more than the second-place finisher in the GOP 
primary.Trump-endorsed agribusinessman 
Charles Herbster self-financed more than 99% of his primary campaign, 
including in-kind donations from his businesses. He raised and spent 
more than $13 million.&nbsp;That’s the most ever raised or spent 
on any Nebraska governor’s race. The next-highest tally was Pillen’s, 
who raised $11.5 million in the GOP primary and the general elections 
combined, including $1.5 million of his own money. He spent $11.1 
million.&nbsp;Pillen benefitted from his top 
political patron, then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, who in 2022 continued to 
dominate Nebraska politics with his donations targeting several races.Ricketts gave Pillen’s campaign 
$100,000. Additionally, Ricketts and his family spent more than $3 
million on third-party TV ads attacking Pillen’s top two opponents, 
Herbster and State Sen. Brett Lindstrom.&nbsp;The attack ads changed a three-way 
race. Lindstrom’s donations decreased dramatically during the second 
round of ads against him. Support for Herbster fell in tracking polls.Lindstrom raised nearly $3 million — a
 more typical gubernatorial haul for a GOP primary frontrunner – and 
spent most of it. Blood raised $636,000 and spent nearly all of that.&nbsp;Even the race’s lesser-known 
candidates raised significant sums: Third-party candidate Dave Wright 
raised and spent $149,000, and write-in candidate Robert Borer raised 
and spent $52,000.The only other candidate in past 
Nebraska elections to spend as much as Herbster or Pillen was Ricketts 
in 2006, when he lost a bid challenging U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson. Ricketts 
spent $13.4 million, of which he donated $12 million to his campaign.&nbsp;Nelson spent $7.3 million on the 
race. Ricketts achieved his Senate ambitions in January, after Pillen 
appointed him to replace Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., who resigned to lead 
the University of Florida.&nbsp;Nebraska Examiner staff writer Zach Wendling contributed to this report.

Nebraska’s costliest governor’s race left wild numbers in its wake

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/06/nebraska-lawmaker-revives-attempt-to-support-streamline-permits-for-food-trucks/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 —&nbsp;A proposal in the Nebraska Legislature would cut red tape for food 
truck owners who face what State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha said is a 
“patchwork of regulations.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50765">Legislative Bill 740</a>
 by Vargas would require the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to 
maintain a list of areas that have food truck ordinances and establish a
 reciprocity agreement for permits between Lancaster, Douglas and Hall 
Counties.

The hope, Vargas said, is to meet the
 needs of small business owners who are part of “Main Street America” 
and many small towns while cutting burdensome costs.

Vargas tried in <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/reports/research/foodtrucks_2020.pdf">2019</a>
 to address food truck regulations, but that bill stalled in committee. 
Now, Vargas and State Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island have partnered 
with the Center for Rural Affairs with a new bill that they say would 
help food trucks grow and thrive.

“We want to make sure that we’re not making it harder for them to exist as part of the ecosystem,” Vargas said.

Johnathan Hladik, policy director for
 the Center for Rural Affairs, said many food trucks start because 
people want to establish a brick-and-mortar restaurant but first use 
food trucks to test name recognition and product demand.

Across the state, Hladik said food 
trucks face more than 600 versions of regulations in 529 municipalities,
 all 93 counties, multiple health zones and the Nebraska Department of 
Agriculture. Lancaster, Hall and Douglas Counties each has an autonomous
 health department with high health standards.

“It’s pretty darn difficult for these
 food truck operators to know what rules they need to follow and to be 
able to plan for the expenses that a lot of those rules require,” Hladik
 said.

Rural food truck owners — or those 
who want to operate in rural Nebraska —&nbsp;also face difficulties in 
tracking down rules and regulations from part-time village or city 
clerks, Hladik said.

The bill would require a registry of 
local ordinances, with links to them and contact information for area 
officials, Hladik said, establishing a “one-stop shop” for food truck 
operators.

Hladik said this is also positive for
 communities because “it’s a sign that they’re open for business,” and 
Nebraskans will be more confident in supporting food trucks, too.

“It’s some of the best food you’re 
going to find,” Hladik said. “It offers variety and it offers culture in
 a way that sometimes isn’t always available in brick-and-mortar 
restaurants, and it can also offer convenience.”

Scott Sheehan, president of the Omaha
 Food Truck Association, who used to run the Anthony Piccolo’s food 
truck, said Omaha at one point didn’t have an ordinance governing food 
trucks.

At that time, Sheehan said, Omaha 
allowed just a peddler’s permit —&nbsp;like for the ice cream man — which 
authorized a truck to sit for 30 minutes before needing to move at least
 up the street.

Sheehan said food trucks with a hot 
fryer or grill can’t sustain that movement, so a group successfully 
asked the Omaha City Council to change that.

Tom LeBlanc, former owner of 
LeBlanc’s BBQ and Cajun, which he &nbsp;and his wife operated in Omaha and in
 a 150-mile radius that included Iowa for six years, said there has been
 some “head butting” in the past between city regulations in Lincoln and
 Omaha, with food trucks caught in the middle.

“It seemed sort of arbitrary that 
there were these multiple entities that were basically creating their 
own rules and regulations, and we were looking for some uniformity 
basically to just make doing business a little bit easier,” LeBlanc 
said.

Hladik said the legislation could 
allow the same food truck owners under the same permit to operate at the
 College World Series in Omaha, Husker football game days in Lincoln and
 the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island.

In the past legislative session, Aguilar requested an <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=48587">interim study</a>
 to identify and fix issues for future legislation, which Aguilar said 
can provide more tax revenue and gains for an “exploding” business in 
his community.

“If a business from, say, Lincoln 
wants to come to Grand Island for the state fair and pitch his tent, 
heck, yeah, we want him,” Aguilar said.

Some restaurants object to food trucks as unfair competition, but LeBlanc said that’s not the food trucks’ business model.

“We want to go where the restaurants 
can’t go or don’t want to go,” LeBlanc said. “That’s the whole beauty of
 being mobile, and in our case, we could literally operate our food 
truck in the middle of a cornfield if we had to.”

LeBlanc said one example is during 
the COVID-19 pandemic when Omaha homeowners associations started 
bringing in food trucks to their neighborhoods, which has continued.

Sheehan and LeBlanc are no longer in 
the food truck business, but Sheehan said Vargas’ legislation can be a 
“starting point” for more fair operating procedures.

The two pointed to a statewide permit as a possible future goal.

Vargas is optimistic he can get his bill over the finish line.

“We’re excited because we really want and need to do something to meet the needs of this small business group,” Vargas said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675700979230.png" alt="Cars wait for their fare being prepared in a food truck near 48th and Q Streets in Omaha. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examine)" />
 <figcaption>Cars wait for their fare being prepared in a food truck near 48th and Q Streets in Omaha. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examine)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/06/nebraska-lawmaker-revives-attempt-to-support-streamline-permits-for-food-trucks/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 —&nbsp;A proposal in the Nebraska Legislature would cut red tape for food 
truck owners who face what State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha said is a 
“patchwork of regulations.”<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50765">Legislative Bill 740</a>
 by Vargas would require the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to 
maintain a list of areas that have food truck ordinances and establish a
 reciprocity agreement for permits between Lancaster, Douglas and Hall 
Counties.The hope, Vargas said, is to meet the
 needs of small business owners who are part of “Main Street America” 
and many small towns while cutting burdensome costs.Vargas tried in <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/reports/research/foodtrucks_2020.pdf">2019</a>
 to address food truck regulations, but that bill stalled in committee. 
Now, Vargas and State Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island have partnered 
with the Center for Rural Affairs with a new bill that they say would 
help food trucks grow and thrive.“We want to make sure that we’re not making it harder for them to exist as part of the ecosystem,” Vargas said.<h2>‘One-stop shop’</h2>Johnathan Hladik, policy director for
 the Center for Rural Affairs, said many food trucks start because 
people want to establish a brick-and-mortar restaurant but first use 
food trucks to test name recognition and product demand.Across the state, Hladik said food 
trucks face more than 600 versions of regulations in 529 municipalities,
 all 93 counties, multiple health zones and the Nebraska Department of 
Agriculture. Lancaster, Hall and Douglas Counties each has an autonomous
 health department with high health standards.“It’s pretty darn difficult for these
 food truck operators to know what rules they need to follow and to be 
able to plan for the expenses that a lot of those rules require,” Hladik
 said.Rural food truck owners — or those 
who want to operate in rural Nebraska —&nbsp;also face difficulties in 
tracking down rules and regulations from part-time village or city 
clerks, Hladik said.The bill would require a registry of 
local ordinances, with links to them and contact information for area 
officials, Hladik said, establishing a “one-stop shop” for food truck 
operators.<h2>‘Right direction’</h2>Hladik said this is also positive for
 communities because “it’s a sign that they’re open for business,” and 
Nebraskans will be more confident in supporting food trucks, too.“It’s some of the best food you’re 
going to find,” Hladik said. “It offers variety and it offers culture in
 a way that sometimes isn’t always available in brick-and-mortar 
restaurants, and it can also offer convenience.”Scott Sheehan, president of the Omaha
 Food Truck Association, who used to run the Anthony Piccolo’s food 
truck, said Omaha at one point didn’t have an ordinance governing food 
trucks.At that time, Sheehan said, Omaha 
allowed just a peddler’s permit —&nbsp;like for the ice cream man — which 
authorized a truck to sit for 30 minutes before needing to move at least
 up the street.Sheehan said food trucks with a hot 
fryer or grill can’t sustain that movement, so a group successfully 
asked the Omaha City Council to change that.<h2>‘Arbitrary’ rules and regulations</h2>Tom LeBlanc, former owner of 
LeBlanc’s BBQ and Cajun, which he &nbsp;and his wife operated in Omaha and in
 a 150-mile radius that included Iowa for six years, said there has been
 some “head butting” in the past between city regulations in Lincoln and
 Omaha, with food trucks caught in the middle.“It seemed sort of arbitrary that 
there were these multiple entities that were basically creating their 
own rules and regulations, and we were looking for some uniformity 
basically to just make doing business a little bit easier,” LeBlanc 
said.Hladik said the legislation could 
allow the same food truck owners under the same permit to operate at the
 College World Series in Omaha, Husker football game days in Lincoln and
 the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island.In the past legislative session, Aguilar requested an <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=48587">interim study</a>
 to identify and fix issues for future legislation, which Aguilar said 
can provide more tax revenue and gains for an “exploding” business in 
his community.“If a business from, say, Lincoln 
wants to come to Grand Island for the state fair and pitch his tent, 
heck, yeah, we want him,” Aguilar said.<h2>Going where restaurants can’t</h2>Some restaurants object to food trucks as unfair competition, but LeBlanc said that’s not the food trucks’ business model.“We want to go where the restaurants 
can’t go or don’t want to go,” LeBlanc said. “That’s the whole beauty of
 being mobile, and in our case, we could literally operate our food 
truck in the middle of a cornfield if we had to.”LeBlanc said one example is during 
the COVID-19 pandemic when Omaha homeowners associations started 
bringing in food trucks to their neighborhoods, which has continued.Sheehan and LeBlanc are no longer in 
the food truck business, but Sheehan said Vargas’ legislation can be a 
“starting point” for more fair operating procedures.The two pointed to a statewide permit as a possible future goal.Vargas is optimistic he can get his bill over the finish line.“We’re excited because we really want and need to do something to meet the needs of this small business group,” Vargas said.

Neb. lawmaker looks to streamline permits for food trucks

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The death toll is rising from a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit southeast Turkey and northern Syria early on Monday. Hundreds were killed in the two countries, thousands were injured and the toll was expected to rise further.

President Joe Biden has conveyed his condolences to those affected by the deadly quake and offered to send U.S. help to Turkey if needed.

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria,” Biden wrote on Twitter, referring to Turkey by its preferred official name.

“I have directed my team to continue to closely monitor the situation in coordination with Turkiye and provide any and all needed assistance,” he added.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the European Union “stand ready to offer our support” to Turkey as well. Sweden currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency.

The president of Turkey’s disaster management authority, Yunus Sezer, says more than 40 countries have so far offered help.

Authorities feared the death toll would rise further as rescuers searched through tangles of metal and concrete for survivors in a region beset by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-middle-east-earthquakes-health-605a1b38b5d054ac944ae91335d008cb">more than a decade of Syria’s civil war</a>&nbsp;and a refugee crisis.

Residents jolted out of sleep by the pre-dawn quake rushed outside in the rain and snow to escape falling debris, while those who were trapped cried for help. Major aftershocks, including one nearly as strong as the initial quake, continued to rattle the region.

“I don’t have the strength anymore,” one survivor could be heard calling out from beneath the rubble in the Turkish city of Adana, as rescue workers tried to reach him, said a resident, journalism student Muhammet Fatih Yavuz. He said three buildings near his home were toppled.

The quake, which was centered on Turkey’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, sent residents of Damascus rushing into the street and was felt as far away as Cairo and Beirut.

“Because the debris removal efforts are continuing in many buildings in the earthquake zone, we do not know how high the number of dead and injured will rise,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

The quake piled more misery on a region that has seen tremendous suffering over the past decade. On the Syrian side, the area affected is divided between government-held territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, which is surrounded by Russian-backed government forces. Turkey, meanwhile, is home to millions of refugees from the civil war.

In the rebel-held enclave, hundreds of families remained trapped in rubble, the opposition emergency organization, called the White Helmets, said in a statement. The area is packed with some 4 million people displaced from other parts of the country by the war. Many of them live in buildings that are already wrecked from past bombardments.

Strained health facilities and hospitals quickly filled with injured, rescue workers said. Others had to be emptied, including a maternity hospital, according to the SAMS medical organization.

The region sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Some 18,000 were killed in similarly powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured Monday’s pre-dawn quake at 7.8, with a depth of 18 kilometers (11 miles). Hours later, a 7.5 magnitude one struck more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) away.

The second jolt in the afternoon caused a multistory apartment to topple face-forward onto the street in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa, smashing into rubble and raising a cloud of dust as bystanders screamed, according to video of the scene.

Orhan Tatar, an official from Turkey’s disaster management agency, said it was a new earthquake, but Yaareb Altaweel, a seismologist with the USGS, said it was considered an aftershock because it took place on the same fault line as the first.

Thousands of buildings were reported collapsed in a wide area extending from Syria’s cities of Aleppo and Hama to Turkey’s Diyarbakir, more than 330 kilometers (200 miles) to the northeast. A hospital came down in the Mediterranean coastal city of Iskenderun, but casualties were not immediately known, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said.

Such severe damage typically leads to a significant death toll, but bitterly cold temperatures could make matters even worse, reducing the timeframe that rescuers have to save trapped survivors, said Dr. Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards at Nottingham Trent University. He added that the difficulty of working in areas beset by civil war would only complicate rescue efforts.

Televisions stations in Turkey aired screens split into four or five, showing live coverage from rescue efforts in the worst-hit provinces. In the city of Kahramanmaras, rescuers pulled two children alive from the rubble, and one could be seen lying on a stretcher on the snowy ground.

Offers of help — from search-and-rescue teams to medical supplies and money — poured in from dozens of countries, as well as the European Union and NATO. The vast majority were for Turkey, with Russian and even an Israeli promise of help to the Syrian government, but it was not clear if any would go to the devastated rebel-held pocket in the northwest.

In Turkey, people trying to leave the quake-stricken regions caused traffic jams, hampering efforts of emergency teams. Mosques around the region were opened to provide shelter for people unable to return to damaged homes amid temperatures that hovered around freezing.

In Diyarbakir, hundreds of rescue workers and civilians formed lines across a mountain of wreckage, passing down broken concrete pieces, household belongings and other debris as they searched for trapped survivors while excavators dug through the rubble below.

In northwest Syria, the quake added new woes to the opposition-held enclave centered on the province of Idlib, which has been under siege for years, with frequent Russian and government airstrikes. The territory depends on a flow of aid from nearby Turkey for everything from food to medical supplies.

The opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation there as “disastrous.”

At a hospital in Idlib, Osama Abdel Hamid said most of his neighbors died. He said their shared four-story building collapsed just as he, his wife and three children ran toward the exit. A wooden door fell on them and acted as a shield.

“God gave me a new lease on life,” he said.

In the small Syrian rebel-held town of Azmarin in the mountains by the Turkish border, the bodies of several dead children, wrapped in blankets, were brought to a hospital.

The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums in Syria said the earthquake has caused some damage to the Crusader-built Marqab, or Watchtower Castle, on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean. Part of a tower and parts of some walls collapsed.

In Turkey, meanwhile, the quake damaged a historic castle perched atop a hill in the center of the provincial capital of Gaziantep, about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from the epicenter. Parts of the fortresses’ walls and watch towers were leveled and other parts heavily damaged, images from the city showed.

More than 1,500 people were killed in 10 Turkish provinces, with some 9,700 injured, according to Turkish authorities. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed to over 460 people, with some 1,300 injured, according to the Health Ministry. In the country’s rebel-held northwest, groups that operate there said the death toll was at least 380, with many hundreds injured.

Huseyin Yayman, a legislator from Turkey’s Hatay province, said several of his family members were stuck under the rubble of their collapsed homes.

“There are so many other people who are also trapped,” he told HaberTurk television by telephone. “There are so many buildings that have been damaged. People are on the streets. It’s raining, it’s winter.”

AZMARIN, Syria (AP) — A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkey-earthquake-live-updates-19e7d84fefdeed4c8a355dedf23d914f">killing more than 1,300 people</a>. Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area.

On both sides of the border, residents jolted out of sleep by the pre-dawn quake rushed outside on a cold, rainy and snowy winter night, as buildings were flattened and strong aftershocks continued.

Rescue workers and residents in multiple cities searched for survivors, working through tangles of metal and giant piles of concrete. A hospital in Turkey collapsed and patients, including newborns, were evacuated from a handful of facilities in Syria.

In the Turkish city of Adana, one resident said three buildings near his home collapsed. “I don’t have the strength anymore,” one survivor could be heard calling out from beneath the rubble as rescue workers tried to reach him, said the resident, journalism student Muhammet Fatih Yavus.

Farther east in Diyarbakir, cranes and rescue teams rushed people on stretchers out of a mountain of pancaked concrete floors that was once an apartment building.

The quake, felt as far away as Cairo, was centered north of Gaziantep, a Turkish provincial capital.

It struck a region that has been shaped on both sides of the border by more than a decade of civil war in Syria. On the Syrian side, the swath affected is divided between government-held territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, which is surrounded by Russian-backed government forces. Turkey, meanwhile, is home to millions of refugees from that conflict.

The opposition-held regions in Syria are packed with some 4 million people displaced from other parts of the country by the fighting. Many of them live in buildings that are already wrecked from past bombardments. Hundreds of families remained trapped in rubble, the opposition emergency organization, called the White Helmets, said in a statement.

Strained health facilities and hospitals were quickly filled with wounded, rescue workers said. Others had to be emptied, including a maternity hospital, according to the SAMS medical organization.

“We fear that the deaths are in the hundreds,” Muheeb Qaddour, a doctor, said by phone from the town of Atmeh.

Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Some 18,000 were killed in powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999. The U.S. Geological Survey measured Monday's quake at 7.8. At least 20 aftershocks followed, some hours later during daylight, the strongest measuring 6.6, Turkish authorities said.

Buildings were reported collapsed in a wide area extending from Syria’s cities of Aleppo and Hama to Turkey’s Diyarbakir, more than 330 kilometers (200 miles) to the northeast. Nearly 900 buildings were destroyed in Turkey’s Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras provinces, said Vice President Fuat Oktay. A hospital collapsed in the Mediterranean coastal city of Iskanderoun, but casualties were not immediately known, he said.

“Unfortunately, at the same time, we are also struggling with extremely severe weather conditions,” Oktay told reporters. Nearly 2,800 search and rescue teams have been deployed in the disaster-stricken areas, he said.

“We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote on Twitter.

Countries from Taiwan to Russia to Germany offered to send help, whether medical supplies, search teams or money.

In Turkey, people trying to leave the quake-stricken regions caused traffic jams, hampering efforts of emergency teams trying to reach the affected areas. Authorities urged residents not to take to the roads. Mosques around the region were being opened up as a shelter for people unable to return to damaged homes amid temperatures that hovered around freezing.

The quake heavily damaged Gaziantep’s most famed landmark, its historic castle perched atop a hill in the center of the city. Parts of the fortresses’ walls and watch towers were leveled and other parts heavily damaged, images from the city showed.

The opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation there as “disastrous,” adding that entire buildings have collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble.

The USGS said the quake was centered about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep. It was 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep.

At least 912 people were killed in 10 Turkish provinces, with more than 5,400 injured, according to Turkey's president. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed to 326 people, with some 1,000 injured, according to the Health Ministry. In rebel-held areas, at least 150 people were killed, according to the White Helmets, though the SAMS medical organization put the toll at 106; both said hundreds were hurt.

In Damascus, buildings shook and many people went down to the streets in fear. The quake jolted residents in Lebanon from beds, shaking buildings for about 40 seconds. Many residents of Beirut left their homes and took to the streets or drove in their cars away from buildings, terrorized by memories of the 2020 port explosion that wrecked a large portion of the city.

Huseyin Yayman, a legislator from Turkey's Hatay province, said several of his family members were trapped under the rubble of their collapsed homes.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A 7.8 magnitude quake has knocked down multiple buildings in southeast Turkey and Syria and many casualties are feared.

At least five deaths were reported initially in Turkey.

In northwest Syria, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation in the rebel-held region as “disastrous” adding that entire buildings have collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble.

The civil defense urged people to evacuate buildings to gather in open areas.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was felt in several provinces