AP -&nbsp;The man who was fatally shot by police after entering a Target store in Omaha, Nebraska, armed with an AR-15-style rifle had obtained the weapon just four days earlier at a Cabela’s sporting goods store, police said Wednesday. No one else was hurt.

Court records show that the man, identified by police as Joseph Jones, 32, of suburban Omaha, had no prior felony convictions in Douglas County, where Omaha is located. He also had no prior, documented contact with the city's police, records show.

He entered the store around noon Tuesday, where police said he fired several rounds, sending shoppers and workers scrambling for exits and cowering in bathroom stalls. Along with the rifle, he had 13 loaded rifle magazines of ammunition.

Jones’ uncle, Larry Derksen Jr., said his nephew had schizophrenia and that his mental illness left him isolated.

“My nephew went into Target. I believe he had no intention of hurting anybody. He fired off a bunch of rounds,” Derksen told KETV-TV. “He had an AR-15 before law enforcement got there. If he had any intention of killing anybody he would have. He would have had time to do so.”

Mental health experts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-politics-shootings-health-donald-trump-crime-b8ce29d88543479bbd4894f5a39cc686">say</a>&nbsp;that most people with mental illness are not violent. They are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators, and access to firearms is a big part of the problem.

Callers flooded 911 dispatchers with around 30 calls for help, and Omaha police officers and a Nebraska State Trooper rushed to the scene. They quickly encountered Jones and ordered him to drop the rifle.

Police said Officer Brian Vanderheiden, a 20-year veteran of the city's police force, then fired, striking and killing Jones. The release said Vanderheiden was placed on paid administrative leave per department policy.

Police haven’t yet released a timeline, showing how long Jones was in the store before officers responded, but Omaha police Lt. Neal Bonacci said they are working on one.

After the shooting, officers searched the store three times before declaring the scene safe, according to police. Through the investigation, officers located bullet casings inside the store.

Cabela's didn't immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Bonacci said police are talking to family as they look for a motive. But he added: “I don’t know that we’ll ever necessarily know."

Several other shootings have taken place at stores across the country in recent months, at a time when mass shootings have commanded public attention on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-gun-violence-97475ef645314bf3762fdc82f64dae2c">disturbingly frequent basis</a>.

In January, one woman was injured in a shooting at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-evansville-5524c280e0cb947a6ff394e138e51767">Walmart store in Evansville, Indiana</a>. Police said it could have been much worse if not for heroic actions by an employee and police. Officers arrived within minutes and fatally shot the gunman. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walmart-shooting-chesapeake-virginia-b52927596381aa65efed367ce0c81c83">Walmart manager in Chesapeake, Virginia</a>, killed six people in November when he began shooting wildly inside a break room. Six others were wounded. The gunman shot and killed himself before officers arrived.

In Buffalo, New York, an 18-year-old fatally shot 10 people and injured three others last May, after seeking out a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-crime-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-4a4dcf6e12c598d1f0a372227760b93f">grocery store</a>&nbsp;in a predominately Black neighborhood. Authorities immediately called it a hate crime.

The Omaha shooting came just over 15 years after the deadly December 2007&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6b1d0af1a6024e2b8db0ddc46363f5c2">shooting at an Omaha Von Maur department store</a>, when a 19-year-old gunman killed eight people and himself.

By Associated PressAP -&nbsp;The man who was fatally shot by police after entering a Target store in Omaha, Nebraska, armed with an AR-15-style rifle had obtained the weapon just four days earlier at a Cabela’s sporting goods store, police said Wednesday. No one else was hurt.Court records show that the man, identified by police as Joseph Jones, 32, of suburban Omaha, had no prior felony convictions in Douglas County, where Omaha is located. He also had no prior, documented contact with the city's police, records show.He entered the store around noon Tuesday, where police said he fired several rounds, sending shoppers and workers scrambling for exits and cowering in bathroom stalls. Along with the rifle, he had 13 loaded rifle magazines of ammunition.Jones’ uncle, Larry Derksen Jr., said his nephew had schizophrenia and that his mental illness left him isolated.“My nephew went into Target. I believe he had no intention of hurting anybody. He fired off a bunch of rounds,” Derksen told KETV-TV. “He had an AR-15 before law enforcement got there. If he had any intention of killing anybody he would have. He would have had time to do so.”Mental health experts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-politics-shootings-health-donald-trump-crime-b8ce29d88543479bbd4894f5a39cc686">say</a>&nbsp;that most people with mental illness are not violent. They are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators, and access to firearms is a big part of the problem.Callers flooded 911 dispatchers with around 30 calls for help, and Omaha police officers and a Nebraska State Trooper rushed to the scene. They quickly encountered Jones and ordered him to drop the rifle.Police said Officer Brian Vanderheiden, a 20-year veteran of the city's police force, then fired, striking and killing Jones. The release said Vanderheiden was placed on paid administrative leave per department policy.Police haven’t yet released a timeline, showing how long Jones was in the store before officers responded, but Omaha police Lt. Neal Bonacci said they are working on one.After the shooting, officers searched the store three times before declaring the scene safe, according to police. Through the investigation, officers located bullet casings inside the store.Cabela's didn't immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment.Bonacci said police are talking to family as they look for a motive. But he added: “I don’t know that we’ll ever necessarily know."Several other shootings have taken place at stores across the country in recent months, at a time when mass shootings have commanded public attention on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-gun-violence-97475ef645314bf3762fdc82f64dae2c">disturbingly frequent basis</a>.In January, one woman was injured in a shooting at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-evansville-5524c280e0cb947a6ff394e138e51767">Walmart store in Evansville, Indiana</a>. Police said it could have been much worse if not for heroic actions by an employee and police. Officers arrived within minutes and fatally shot the gunman. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walmart-shooting-chesapeake-virginia-b52927596381aa65efed367ce0c81c83">Walmart manager in Chesapeake, Virginia</a>, killed six people in November when he began shooting wildly inside a break room. Six others were wounded. The gunman shot and killed himself before officers arrived.In Buffalo, New York, an 18-year-old fatally shot 10 people and injured three others last May, after seeking out a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-crime-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-4a4dcf6e12c598d1f0a372227760b93f">grocery store</a>&nbsp;in a predominately Black neighborhood. Authorities immediately called it a hate crime.The Omaha shooting came just over 15 years after the deadly December 2007&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6b1d0af1a6024e2b8db0ddc46363f5c2">shooting at an Omaha Von Maur department store</a>, when a 19-year-old gunman killed eight people and himself.

Nebraska man who shot inside Target got rifle 4 days earlier

By MATT PIKE&nbsp; St. Joseph Post&nbsp;

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — As Human 
Trafficking Awareness month comes to an end people should continue to 
show awareness and know the signs of potential trafficking.&nbsp;

Federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security made a presentation in St. Joseph.&nbsp;

Unit Supervisor Scott Titus says one sign people may see in youth that are being trafficked is a disconnection from family.&nbsp;

"More
 recently disconnected from family, sudden changes in behaviorisms, if 
they go from doing exceptionally well in school to not being related to 
school or kind of disconnecting from friends as well," Titus tells 
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Often times we'll find unexplainable bruising on 
the arms, neck, legs, places that bruising just shouldn't normally 
occur."&nbsp;

Titus says victims will also not be in charge of their 
own passport or even financials and can be seen looking to their 
trafficker for confirmation on financial decisions. &nbsp;

Acting 
Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho says when people hear about 
trafficking, they think about it happening in continents such as Africa 
or Southeast Asia&nbsp;

"However, this happens in the United States, we
 just don't see it it's normally out of sight out of mind," Cho says. 
"Because this is such a threat, not only to public safety, but really 
national security because transnational criminal organizations, the 
cartels, are taking part in this illegal activity."&nbsp;

Cho says the 
involvement of the cartels and other criminal organizations is what 
makes his department a part of investigating these instances of 
trafficking.

The growing problem of human trafficking can happen anywhere, no matter the size of the town.&nbsp; &nbsp;

While
 Kansas City is ranked the fifth largest spot for occurrences of 
trafficking, cases are also being seen in small towns like 
Harrisonville, Missouri. &nbsp;

Titus says cases of human trafficking are happening anywhere and everywhere.&nbsp;

"It's
 not necessarily that it's more common in a small town, with that being 
said, you typically have more eyes in larger towns constantly watching 
for it, more training, more resources readily available," Titus 
explains. "In smaller towns those resources aren't nearly as available, 
not as many opportunities for federal law enforcement training or state 
local assistant training, so it's not as readily watched."&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675268737646.jpeg" alt="Northwest Missouri State University Small Business Development Center director Rebecca Lobina (in red) looks on during a presentation on human trafficking by the Department of Homeland Security/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Northwest Missouri State University Small Business Development Center director Rebecca Lobina (in red) looks on during a presentation on human trafficking by the Department of Homeland Security/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/212023-Journal--Federal-officials-visit-St--Joseph-with-message-on-human-trafficking-e1ualpj/a-a993du3" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>By MATT PIKE&nbsp; St. Joseph Post&nbsp;ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — As Human 
Trafficking Awareness month comes to an end people should continue to 
show awareness and know the signs of potential trafficking.&nbsp;Federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security made a presentation in St. Joseph.&nbsp;Unit Supervisor Scott Titus says one sign people may see in youth that are being trafficked is a disconnection from family.&nbsp;"More
 recently disconnected from family, sudden changes in behaviorisms, if 
they go from doing exceptionally well in school to not being related to 
school or kind of disconnecting from friends as well," Titus tells 
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Often times we'll find unexplainable bruising on 
the arms, neck, legs, places that bruising just shouldn't normally 
occur."&nbsp;Titus says victims will also not be in charge of their 
own passport or even financials and can be seen looking to their 
trafficker for confirmation on financial decisions. &nbsp;Acting 
Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho says when people hear about 
trafficking, they think about it happening in continents such as Africa 
or Southeast Asia&nbsp;"However, this happens in the United States, we
 just don't see it it's normally out of sight out of mind," Cho says. 
"Because this is such a threat, not only to public safety, but really 
national security because transnational criminal organizations, the 
cartels, are taking part in this illegal activity."&nbsp;Cho says the 
involvement of the cartels and other criminal organizations is what 
makes his department a part of investigating these instances of 
trafficking.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675267278616.jpeg" alt="Rebecca Lobina introduces federal agents to a group of St. Joseph business leaders and community leaders/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Rebecca Lobina introduces federal agents to a group of St. Joseph business leaders and community leaders/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>The growing problem of human trafficking can happen anywhere, no matter the size of the town.&nbsp; &nbsp;While
 Kansas City is ranked the fifth largest spot for occurrences of 
trafficking, cases are also being seen in small towns like 
Harrisonville, Missouri. &nbsp;Titus says cases of human trafficking are happening anywhere and everywhere.&nbsp;"It's
 not necessarily that it's more common in a small town, with that being 
said, you typically have more eyes in larger towns constantly watching 
for it, more training, more resources readily available," Titus 
explains. "In smaller towns those resources aren't nearly as available, 
not as many opportunities for federal law enforcement training or state 
local assistant training, so it's not as readily watched."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675267452976.jpeg" alt="The area covered by Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City division/ Photo courtesy of Taekuk Cho" />
 <figcaption>The area covered by Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City division/ Photo courtesy of Taekuk Cho</figcaption>
 </figure>

🎙 Homeland Security officials discuss human trafficking, signs

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/nebraska-lawmaker-proposes-creation-of-human-breast-milk-bank/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraskans would have 
access to a human breast milk bank, designed to assist mostly premature 
and ill babies, through a proposal in the Legislature.

State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue introduced <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50375">Legislative Bill 12</a>,
 which would create the Nebraska Human Breast Milk Bank and authorize 
the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to “establish 
standards for transporting, processing and distributing commercial human
 breast milk.”

The department would also be able to 
convene a committee of subject matter experts for guidance and develop 
programs to encourage the creation of breast milk depositories and 
banks.

The department estimated in a fiscal 
note the bill may cost about $42,000 in its initial year. While Blood 
said the operation itself could cost millions, she said that could be 
offset by federal grants.

Blood told the Health and Human 
Services Committee on Wednesday that her bill would not create a “breast
 milk grocery store” or make breast milk a commodity. She described 
being able to produce breast milk 40 years ago when her oldest daughter 
was born two months prematurely at 3.5 pounds.

“I was one of the lucky moms,” Blood 
said. “But that was not even the norm, and I remember seeing other moms 
crying and upset because they felt less than, which of course it doesn’t
 make you less than, it just means you gotta find an alternative.”

Human breast milk provides multiple 
benefits for babies, Blood and others testifying said. These include 
fewer ear infections and stomach bugs in the short term, as well as a 
reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, obesity, lung 
disease and Type 1 diabetes.

Dr. Kathy Leeper, a breastfeeding 
medicine specialist with MilkWorks, said her organization is a depot for
 the milk bank in Arvada, Colorado, near Denver, which is part of the 
Human Milk Banking Association of North America.

The association is a nonprofit that 
advocates for improved breastfeeding and lactation support and includes 
31 banks across the United States and Canada. The nearest banks are in 
Arvada, 500 miles from Lincoln, and Coralville, Iowa, 300 miles away.

“Having a milk bank in Nebraska would
 decrease the need to ship the milk so far from our population centers 
and presumably increase availability to our most vulnerable citizens,” 
Leeper said.

Ann Seacrest, a registered nurse and 
international board certified lactation consultant, said there is an 
“infant nutrition crisis” in the country and state.

She said only 33% of all Nebraska 
infants and 10% of low income infants are exclusively breastfed for the 
recommended first six months, which she said leads to higher health care
 costs down the line.

Seacrest said mothers may donate 
their milk to other families, or even sell it, but without regulation, 
there can be medical concerns.

Lacie Bolte with the Nebraska AIDS 
Project said babies born to mothers who are HIV positive can be born HIV
 negative, though their mothers still could not breastfeed them. Blood’s
 proposed bill would provide them with safe access to breast milk.

Dr. Ann Anderson Berry, a University 
of Nebraska Medical Center faculty member and medical director of the 
Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative, testified neutral 
in her individual capacity. She said that while donor milk could 
“bridge” a gap to a mother’s milk, it was not enough.

“Formula is nowhere near as good as a
 mother’s milk,” Anderson Berry said. “But in many cases, it is better 
than donor milk for the long term.”

Premature babies or those who need to
 be in the neonatal intensive care unit often use donor milk, Anderson 
Berry said, but the “biggest bang for the Nebraska taxpayer’s dollars” 
would be more support through lactation specialists and space for 
mothers to pump milk at work.

“We have to decide how we are going to invest,” Anderson Berry said.

Blood encouraged the committee to work with her to get the bill out of committee.

“We consistently hear how we need to 
do more for Nebraskan moms and infants as part of being a pro-life 
state,” Blood said. “So now is the time for us to put our money where 
our mouth is.”

State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, who fought to <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/mothers-room-returning-to-capitol/">maintain a mother’s room</a> in the Capitol, thanked Seacrest and Blood for bringing attention to an “under-discussed issue.”

Seacrest, in response, said, “It’s 
not so long ago in our state that if you mentioned donor milk to someone
 it was like, ‘Oh no, oh no. Am I going to get poisoned from it?’&nbsp;

“This is something that shouldn’t be 
and it may be very, very new to all of you, but keep in mind this is not
 something that just started to happen,” she said. “It’s been happening 
since the beginning of time.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675290452685.png" alt="State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue introduces legislation to establish a human breast milk bank before the Health and Human Services on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue introduces legislation to establish a human breast milk bank before the Health and Human Services on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/nebraska-lawmaker-proposes-creation-of-human-breast-milk-bank/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraskans would have 
access to a human breast milk bank, designed to assist mostly premature 
and ill babies, through a proposal in the Legislature.State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue introduced <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50375">Legislative Bill 12</a>,
 which would create the Nebraska Human Breast Milk Bank and authorize 
the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to “establish 
standards for transporting, processing and distributing commercial human
 breast milk.”The department would also be able to 
convene a committee of subject matter experts for guidance and develop 
programs to encourage the creation of breast milk depositories and 
banks.The department estimated in a fiscal 
note the bill may cost about $42,000 in its initial year. While Blood 
said the operation itself could cost millions, she said that could be 
offset by federal grants.Blood told the Health and Human 
Services Committee on Wednesday that her bill would not create a “breast
 milk grocery store” or make breast milk a commodity. She described 
being able to produce breast milk 40 years ago when her oldest daughter 
was born two months prematurely at 3.5 pounds.“I was one of the lucky moms,” Blood 
said. “But that was not even the norm, and I remember seeing other moms 
crying and upset because they felt less than, which of course it doesn’t
 make you less than, it just means you gotta find an alternative.”<h2>‘Most vulnerable citizens’</h2>Human breast milk provides multiple 
benefits for babies, Blood and others testifying said. These include 
fewer ear infections and stomach bugs in the short term, as well as a 
reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, obesity, lung 
disease and Type 1 diabetes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675290512149.jpeg" alt="Dr. Kathy Leeper of MilkWorks testifies before the Health and Human Services on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Kathy Leeper of MilkWorks testifies before the Health and Human Services on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Dr. Kathy Leeper, a breastfeeding 
medicine specialist with MilkWorks, said her organization is a depot for
 the milk bank in Arvada, Colorado, near Denver, which is part of the 
Human Milk Banking Association of North America.The association is a nonprofit that 
advocates for improved breastfeeding and lactation support and includes 
31 banks across the United States and Canada. The nearest banks are in 
Arvada, 500 miles from Lincoln, and Coralville, Iowa, 300 miles away.“Having a milk bank in Nebraska would
 decrease the need to ship the milk so far from our population centers 
and presumably increase availability to our most vulnerable citizens,” 
Leeper said.<h2>‘Infant nutrition crisis’</h2>Ann Seacrest, a registered nurse and 
international board certified lactation consultant, said there is an 
“infant nutrition crisis” in the country and state.She said only 33% of all Nebraska 
infants and 10% of low income infants are exclusively breastfed for the 
recommended first six months, which she said leads to higher health care
 costs down the line.Seacrest said mothers may donate 
their milk to other families, or even sell it, but without regulation, 
there can be medical concerns.Lacie Bolte with the Nebraska AIDS 
Project said babies born to mothers who are HIV positive can be born HIV
 negative, though their mothers still could not breastfeed them. Blood’s
 proposed bill would provide them with safe access to breast milk.<h2>How to invest</h2>Dr. Ann Anderson Berry, a University 
of Nebraska Medical Center faculty member and medical director of the 
Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative, testified neutral 
in her individual capacity. She said that while donor milk could 
“bridge” a gap to a mother’s milk, it was not enough.“Formula is nowhere near as good as a
 mother’s milk,” Anderson Berry said. “But in many cases, it is better 
than donor milk for the long term.”Premature babies or those who need to
 be in the neonatal intensive care unit often use donor milk, Anderson 
Berry said, but the “biggest bang for the Nebraska taxpayer’s dollars” 
would be more support through lactation specialists and space for 
mothers to pump milk at work.“We have to decide how we are going to invest,” Anderson Berry said.<h2>‘Under-discussed issue’</h2>Blood encouraged the committee to work with her to get the bill out of committee.“We consistently hear how we need to 
do more for Nebraskan moms and infants as part of being a pro-life 
state,” Blood said. “So now is the time for us to put our money where 
our mouth is.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675290542918.jpeg" alt="Ann Seacreast, a registered nurse and lactation consultant, motions to State Sen. Carol Blood while testifying before the Health and Human Services on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Ann Seacreast, a registered nurse and lactation consultant, motions to State Sen. Carol Blood while testifying before the Health and Human Services on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, who fought to <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/mothers-room-returning-to-capitol/">maintain a mother’s room</a> in the Capitol, thanked Seacrest and Blood for bringing attention to an “under-discussed issue.”Seacrest, in response, said, “It’s 
not so long ago in our state that if you mentioned donor milk to someone
 it was like, ‘Oh no, oh no. Am I going to get poisoned from it?’&nbsp;“This is something that shouldn’t be 
and it may be very, very new to all of you, but keep in mind this is not
 something that just started to happen,” she said. “It’s been happening 
since the beginning of time.”

Nebraska lawmaker proposes creation of ‘Human Breast Milk Bank’

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/omaha-streetcar-plan-in-jeopardy-under-proposed-legislation-omaha-mayoral-aide-says/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — A bill before the Nebraska Legislature could kill Omaha’s modern-day 
streetcar, as it would curb future tax-increment financing revenue that 
city leaders are counting on to pay off the project.

That’s according to Steve Jensen, a 
City of Omaha economic development aide, who spoke Tuesday at a 
legislative committee hearing on the TIF-related bill introduced by 
State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn.

While Legislative Bill 389 does not 
specifically mention the planned $300 million-plus streetcar system, 
Linehan had it in mind when crafting the language. The bill would 
prohibit TIF from being used on a parcel twice within a 50-year period.

Linehan told the Legislature’s Urban 
Affairs Committee that she isn’t necessarily opposed to the streetcar — 
she said she loves Omaha’s urban core — but believes TIF has become 
overused and helps finance some development ventures that would have 
happened even without the public subsidy.

“I want to wave a red flag and ask some questions,” said the senator, who chairs the Legislature’s Revenue Committee.

Though TIF is used statewide, Tuesday’s public hearing was dominated by testimony and concerns about Omaha.

Generally with TIF projects, which 
require city approval, property tax revenue generated on new development
 is used for up to 20 years to cover eligible redevelopment costs 
instead of going to traditional recipients such as school districts.

After the TIF loan schedule, the tax revenues on that more valuable property start flowing to the traditional recipients.&nbsp;

Jensen, who was among a few who spoke
 in opposition to LB 389, told lawmakers that he believed Omaha 
officials have used TIF as the economic development tool that state 
statute intended it to be.

At stake if LB 389 were to pass, he 
said, is a projected $5 billion of new development that Omaha leadership
 and market studies anticipate in the next few decades in an area along 
and near the streetcar route.

In an interview, he explained it this way:&nbsp;

The streetcar project anticipates a 
few different streams of TIF revenue to pay off bonds to be used to 
finance the system. One called for creation of a special TIF district 
that extends three blocks on either side of the corridor, which runs 
from downtown to midtown.

Businesses within that district 
should see a bump in the value of their property because of the 
streetcar. That increased property tax revenue is to go toward paying 
down the bond debt.

Another TIF stream anticipates 
billions of dollars in brand-new development to sprout within that TIF 
district. But Jensen said the proposed 50-year restriction in the bill 
effectively would not allow TIF to help spur those projects.

“It would stop the implementation of 
the City and Chamber of Commerce’s plans for the revitalization of 
Omaha’s urban core,” he said of LB 389.

Jensen, an aide to Omaha Mayor Jean 
Stothert, went on to say that the TIF-supported streetcar project will 
promote more affordable housing and save individual Omahans in 
transportation expenses. Those comments, however, set off a string of 
challenges by a few members of the Urban Affairs Committee.

State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North 
Omaha ran through statistics that showed a low ratio of affordable 
dwellings built during recent years in Omaha.

“My concern is that we’re decreasing affordable housing in the illusion that we’re increasing affordable housing,” he said.

State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha said 
condos and many housing developments that were approved for a TIF 
subsidy are out of the reach of wage-earners such as herself.

Jensen said the streetcar is expected to boost the number of jobs in the urban core.

She continued: “If we get the 
streetcar, it’s going to look so pretty. It’ll be nice for the workers 
at Mutual of Omaha to go get their salad or something, but the idea that
 this is going to lift up low-wage workers, that’s it’s going to provide
 affordable housing, is probably not realistic, and I think we should 
probably just not say that.”

McKinney followed up Jensen’s remark 
about streetcar use being expected to reduce the need and expense of a 
car. “Why don’t we send the streetcar through the poorest areas of 
Omaha, if that’s the mission?”

“Certainly that is the future,” said 
Jensen. He said once the “core system” is in place, the city would be in
 a better position to match federal funds to extend the streetcar route 
into North and South Omaha.&nbsp;

Said McKinney: “The reality is you’re prioritizing big development and corporations over common people in the city.”

State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue 
said that she, having served previously on a city council, probably has a
 more positive view of TIF than others on the committee.

“I’m kind of on the fence on this particular bill,” she said.

Also testifying in opposition was 
Scott Dobbe of Omaha By Design, who said the bill would create 
“unnecessary roadblocks” to development.

Christy Abraham of the League of 
Nebraska Municipalities supported local control to individual cities 
over how to use TIF as a tool to spur development.

The Urban Affairs Committee took no action Tuesday on LB 389.

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/omaha-streetcar-plan-in-jeopardy-under-proposed-legislation-omaha-mayoral-aide-says/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — A bill before the Nebraska Legislature could kill Omaha’s modern-day 
streetcar, as it would curb future tax-increment financing revenue that 
city leaders are counting on to pay off the project.That’s according to Steve Jensen, a 
City of Omaha economic development aide, who spoke Tuesday at a 
legislative committee hearing on the TIF-related bill introduced by 
State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn.<h2>‘Red flag’ </h2>While Legislative Bill 389 does not 
specifically mention the planned $300 million-plus streetcar system, 
Linehan had it in mind when crafting the language. The bill would 
prohibit TIF from being used on a parcel twice within a 50-year period.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674073476801.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>Linehan told the Legislature’s Urban 
Affairs Committee that she isn’t necessarily opposed to the streetcar — 
she said she loves Omaha’s urban core — but believes TIF has become 
overused and helps finance some development ventures that would have 
happened even without the public subsidy.“I want to wave a red flag and ask some questions,” said the senator, who chairs the Legislature’s Revenue Committee.Though TIF is used statewide, Tuesday’s public hearing was dominated by testimony and concerns about Omaha.Generally with TIF projects, which 
require city approval, property tax revenue generated on new development
 is used for up to 20 years to cover eligible redevelopment costs 
instead of going to traditional recipients such as school districts.After the TIF loan schedule, the tax revenues on that more valuable property start flowing to the traditional recipients.&nbsp;<h2>Bill conflicts with city, chamber vision</h2>Jensen, who was among a few who spoke
 in opposition to LB 389, told lawmakers that he believed Omaha 
officials have used TIF as the economic development tool that state 
statute intended it to be.At stake if LB 389 were to pass, he 
said, is a projected $5 billion of new development that Omaha leadership
 and market studies anticipate in the next few decades in an area along 
and near the streetcar route.In an interview, he explained it this way:&nbsp;The streetcar project anticipates a 
few different streams of TIF revenue to pay off bonds to be used to 
finance the system. One called for creation of a special TIF district 
that extends three blocks on either side of the corridor, which runs 
from downtown to midtown.Businesses within that district 
should see a bump in the value of their property because of the 
streetcar. That increased property tax revenue is to go toward paying 
down the bond debt.Another TIF stream anticipates 
billions of dollars in brand-new development to sprout within that TIF 
district. But Jensen said the proposed 50-year restriction in the bill 
effectively would not allow TIF to help spur those projects.“It would stop the implementation of 
the City and Chamber of Commerce’s plans for the revitalization of 
Omaha’s urban core,” he said of LB 389.<h2>Challenged </h2>Jensen, an aide to Omaha Mayor Jean 
Stothert, went on to say that the TIF-supported streetcar project will 
promote more affordable housing and save individual Omahans in 
transportation expenses. Those comments, however, set off a string of 
challenges by a few members of the Urban Affairs Committee.State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North 
Omaha ran through statistics that showed a low ratio of affordable 
dwellings built during recent years in Omaha.“My concern is that we’re decreasing affordable housing in the illusion that we’re increasing affordable housing,” he said.State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha said 
condos and many housing developments that were approved for a TIF 
subsidy are out of the reach of wage-earners such as herself.Jensen said the streetcar is expected to boost the number of jobs in the urban core.To that, Hunt asked, “Jobs for who?”She continued: “If we get the 
streetcar, it’s going to look so pretty. It’ll be nice for the workers 
at Mutual of Omaha to go get their salad or something, but the idea that
 this is going to lift up low-wage workers, that’s it’s going to provide
 affordable housing, is probably not realistic, and I think we should 
probably just not say that.”<h2>‘Prioritizing big development’ </h2>McKinney followed up Jensen’s remark 
about streetcar use being expected to reduce the need and expense of a 
car. “Why don’t we send the streetcar through the poorest areas of 
Omaha, if that’s the mission?”“Certainly that is the future,” said 
Jensen. He said once the “core system” is in place, the city would be in
 a better position to match federal funds to extend the streetcar route 
into North and South Omaha.&nbsp;Said McKinney: “The reality is you’re prioritizing big development and corporations over common people in the city.”State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue 
said that she, having served previously on a city council, probably has a
 more positive view of TIF than others on the committee.“I’m kind of on the fence on this particular bill,” she said.Also testifying in opposition was 
Scott Dobbe of Omaha By Design, who said the bill would create 
“unnecessary roadblocks” to development.Christy Abraham of the League of 
Nebraska Municipalities supported local control to individual cities 
over how to use TIF as a tool to spur development.The Urban Affairs Committee took no action Tuesday on LB 389.

Omaha streetcar plan in jeopardy under proposed legislation

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/new-prison-report-recommends-not-just-one-new-prison-but-another-1500-beds-in-a-decade/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Before 2030, Nebraska will 
need another 1,500 prison beds, even after building a $350-million, 
1,500-bed replacement for the aging State Penitentiary in Lincoln, a new
 report says.

The long-awaited Facility Master Plan
 for the Nebraska Department of Corrections states that after the new 
prison is open, the state will be short about 1,300 prison beds, given 
the expected growth in state inmates.

It recommends decommissioning the 
1,023-bed State Pen, the state’s oldest prison, but leaves open the 
possibility of reusing at least some of its buildings to handle the 
housing needs.

The 132-page report, by prison consultants Dewberry, tends to confirm what<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/02/will-nebraska-need-not-one-but-two-new-prisons-at-a-cost-of-nearly-500-million/"> departing State Sen. Steve Lathrop said</a>
 earlier this month — that Nebraska isn’t looking at building just one 
expensive new prison, but two, unless it is willing to adopt sentencing 
reforms to slow the tide of inmates entering the state prison system.

New Gov. Jim Pillen has included the final funding for the new prison
 in his budget and has mentioned that some alternatives to incarceration
 are possible to reduce the new prison construction spending.

On Thursday, a public hearing was held on a bill introduced by State 
Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha that would block any new prison 
construction until reforms are adopted to reduce new inmates and improve
 rehabilitation work.

“Building a new prison is not the answer,” McKinney told members of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.

Dawn Renee Smith, a spokeswoman for Corrections, said Wednesday that 
the need for 1,500 additional beds was not a surprise, but that the 
agency’s top priority is obtaining approval for the new prison now being
 planned.

Recent flood in a housing unit at the State Pen, which caused its 
closure and the transfer of inmates to another prison, illustrates the 
need for the new prison.

Nebraska has had the most overcrowded
 prison system in the nation, and now holds, on average, about 1,500 
more inmates than its nine prisons were designed to hold. The crowding 
has meant less space for rehabilitation programs and increased stress on
 staff that, until recently, was woefully short.

That prompted then-Gov. Pete Ricketts
 ‘administration to propose a new, 1,512-bed prison somewhere in the 
Omaha/Lincoln/Fremont area. At first, the goal was to reduce 
overcrowding, but the purpose eventually became replacing the State 
Penitentiary, which has been plagued in recent years with water line 
breaks and other problems.

&nbsp;The report, which had been due last 
summer, recommended that Nebraska’s first priority was to build the 
1,512-bed prison. It’s a facility that could be expanded to 2,040-beds 
or 3,000 later if necessary, the report said.

Outdated buildings at the State Pen 
should be demolished, the report states. But it says a plan needs to be 
developed “to determine the future path for this asset,” whether that be
 a “complete teardown” or modernization or repurposing of the site to 
“fill the gap” in the prison bed shortage. The Penitentiary would be 
used for lower custody inmates, the report says.

Previous studies have estimated the cost of totally refurbishing the Penitentiary at $220 million.

In Phase II of the report, in six to 
10 years from now, it says 1,500 new prison beds will be needed. It 
recommends consideration of expanding the new prison, as well as 
increasing re-entry capacity at the Omaha Correctional Center.&nbsp; 

In 11-20 years from now, the report 
recommends adding a 256-bed housing unit at the Tecumseh State Prison — 
which was designed with an extra housing unit in mind — along with 100 
extra beds at the youth prison in Omaha and a new department 
headquarters. Also included in this time frame would be decommissioning 
the State Penitentiary.

The report noted that several 
construction initiatives recommended in the last corrections master 
plan, in 2014, have been completed. Those include:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664393286634.png" alt="The state Reception and Treatment Center on the western edge of Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The state Reception and Treatment Center on the western edge of Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/new-prison-report-recommends-not-just-one-new-prison-but-another-1500-beds-in-a-decade/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Before 2030, Nebraska will 
need another 1,500 prison beds, even after building a $350-million, 
1,500-bed replacement for the aging State Penitentiary in Lincoln, a new
 report says.The long-awaited Facility Master Plan
 for the Nebraska Department of Corrections states that after the new 
prison is open, the state will be short about 1,300 prison beds, given 
the expected growth in state inmates.It recommends decommissioning the 
1,023-bed State Pen, the state’s oldest prison, but leaves open the 
possibility of reusing at least some of its buildings to handle the 
housing needs.<h2>Lathrop issued warning</h2>The 132-page report, by prison consultants Dewberry, tends to confirm what<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/02/will-nebraska-need-not-one-but-two-new-prisons-at-a-cost-of-nearly-500-million/"> departing State Sen. Steve Lathrop said</a>
 earlier this month — that Nebraska isn’t looking at building just one 
expensive new prison, but two, unless it is willing to adopt sentencing 
reforms to slow the tide of inmates entering the state prison system.New Gov. Jim Pillen has included the final funding for the new prison
 in his budget and has mentioned that some alternatives to incarceration
 are possible to reduce the new prison construction spending.On Thursday, a public hearing was held on a bill introduced by State 
Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha that would block any new prison 
construction until reforms are adopted to reduce new inmates and improve
 rehabilitation work.<h2>New prison ‘not the answer’</h2>“Building a new prison is not the answer,” McKinney told members of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646235303360.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha (Courtesy of Craig Chandler, University Communication)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha (Courtesy of Craig Chandler, University Communication)</figcaption>
 </figure>Dawn Renee Smith, a spokeswoman for Corrections, said Wednesday that 
the need for 1,500 additional beds was not a surprise, but that the 
agency’s top priority is obtaining approval for the new prison now being
 planned.Recent flood in a housing unit at the State Pen, which caused its 
closure and the transfer of inmates to another prison, illustrates the 
need for the new prison.Nebraska has had the most overcrowded
 prison system in the nation, and now holds, on average, about 1,500 
more inmates than its nine prisons were designed to hold. The crowding 
has meant less space for rehabilitation programs and increased stress on
 staff that, until recently, was woefully short.That prompted then-Gov. Pete Ricketts
 ‘administration to propose a new, 1,512-bed prison somewhere in the 
Omaha/Lincoln/Fremont area. At first, the goal was to reduce 
overcrowding, but the purpose eventually became replacing the State 
Penitentiary, which has been plagued in recent years with water line 
breaks and other problems.&nbsp;The report, which had been due last 
summer, recommended that Nebraska’s first priority was to build the 
1,512-bed prison. It’s a facility that could be expanded to 2,040-beds 
or 3,000 later if necessary, the report said.<h2>State Pen could be repurposed</h2>Outdated buildings at the State Pen 
should be demolished, the report states. But it says a plan needs to be 
developed “to determine the future path for this asset,” whether that be
 a “complete teardown” or modernization or repurposing of the site to 
“fill the gap” in the prison bed shortage. The Penitentiary would be 
used for lower custody inmates, the report says.Previous studies have estimated the cost of totally refurbishing the Penitentiary at $220 million.In Phase II of the report, in six to 
10 years from now, it says 1,500 new prison beds will be needed. It 
recommends consideration of expanding the new prison, as well as 
increasing re-entry capacity at the Omaha Correctional Center.&nbsp; <h2>Expansion at Tecumseh</h2>In 11-20 years from now, the report 
recommends adding a 256-bed housing unit at the Tecumseh State Prison — 
which was designed with an extra housing unit in mind — along with 100 
extra beds at the youth prison in Omaha and a new department 
headquarters. Also included in this time frame would be decommissioning 
the State Penitentiary.The report noted that several 
construction initiatives recommended in the last corrections master 
plan, in 2014, have been completed. Those include:<ul>
 <li>A new female housing unit, with 160 
beds, and a 100-bed temporary housing facility for men at the Lincoln 
Community Corrections Center.</li><li>A 100-bed housing unit at the State Penitentiary. 
</li><li>An additional 384 beds at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln, along with a 32-bed behavioral/mental health unit.</li>
 </ul>

New prison, 1,500 more beds recommended in Nebraska report

Opponents, proponents testify for three hours each

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/cardiac-activity-abortion-ban-bill-draws-hundreds-to-nebraska-capitol/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Proponents and opponents were given three hours each Wednesday to argue over State Sen. Joni Albrecht’s bill aimed at outlawing abortions in Nebraska after an ultrasound detects embryonic cardiac activity.

Hundreds in an overflow crowd waited 
hours to testify for two or three minutes to the seven members of the 
Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, during the public 
hearing for Legislative Bill 626.

Sen. Ben Hansen, the committee chairman, stacked the testimony in 
separate blocks, starting with three hours from supporters, then three 
hours from opponents and then limited neutral testimony.

Albrecht and her 28 co-sponsors have 
labeled LB 626 as a “heartbeat bill.” The bill would ban abortions in 
Nebraska after about six weeks of gestation, with exceptions for the 
health and life of the mother.

She called it the most important piece of legislation senators will consider this session.&nbsp;

“We’re not talking about women who 
want to have their baby,” she said of her bill. “We’re talking about 
women who want to not have their baby, elective abortions.”

The bill’s critics, including State 
Sens. Megan Hunt, said the bill would give women less than six weeks to 
decide on a pregnancy because most women wouldn’t have enough time to 
even learn that they are pregnant.

She said the bill targets women and their reproductive rights to punish and control them.

“It’s effectively a ban,” Hunt said. 
“All they need to do is look at our sister states … passing abortion 
bans, and they can see exactly what we can expect.”

Bill supporters, including Albrecht, 
argued that human life in the womb is more than a clump of cells. 
Several women discussed the first time they heard rhythmic beats during 
their children’s ultrasounds.

One woman, Carol Watson of Arnold, 
spoke of a recent local high school graduate and farmer who she said was
 born prematurely in the mid-1980s and survived. She said he could have 
been lost to abortion.&nbsp;

But the mother, at a doctor’s office 
in Broken Bow in 1984, was shown an ultrasound and heard something she 
didn’t recognize. She asked the doctor what it was. He told her it was 
the heartbeat, Watson said.&nbsp;

Several supporters spoke about the 
need to protect the unborn, including 19-year-old Anna Olson, who said 
she is “bombarded with messages” saying the state should not be able to 
restrict a woman’s right to choose. Albrecht has said the bill could 
reduce abortions in Nebraska by 85%.

“These babies are not choices,” Olson said. “They are children worthy of protection.”

One opponent, Megan Wilcox, testified
 about the pregnancy that she and her husband decided to end in 2017 
after doctors and tests showed that their son, Body, could not survive 
outside of the womb.

“It’s been five years,” she said. “I 
can’t describe the ache I feel. I have no regrets. I know we made the 
choice that was right for us … a choice we would not have been able to 
make if LB 626 had been law.”

Doctors testified for and against the ban, though more testified against it.&nbsp;Dr.
 Elena Kraus of Lincoln said lawmakers needn’t worry if doctors would 
leave the state if the bill passed because doctors who oppose elective 
abortions would replace them.

Kraus, an obstetrician, said she 
could not think of a single “high-risk medical situation” that LB 626 
would prevent doctors from performing.

“Others may argue (the bill) will hinder life-saving medical care,” Kraus said. “This is not true.”

Dr. Ingrid Skop of Texas, who spoke 
for the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute, stressed that LB 626 
would leave doctors to their “reasonable medical judgment,” a standard 
of care doctors know.

Dr. Mary Kinyoun, an obstetrician at 
the Nebraska Medical Center, disagreed during her testimony on behalf of
 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

She described the bill’s medical 
exceptions for the life and health of the mother as vague and said women
 would be confused about what care they can seek and doctors would worry
 about what care they can provide.&nbsp;

That ambiguity is one of the reasons 
why the Nebraska Medical Association opposes the bill, said Dr. Daniel 
Rosenquist, the group’s president, though he acknowledged that doctors 
are divided.&nbsp;

His members also raised questions 
about a state statute, 28-336. Some doctors worry that it might put 
medical providers at risk of committing a felony if they perform 
abortions that run afoul of LB 626.

Dr. Emily Patel, a mother and doctor 
in Omaha, said she worries most about outcomes for women with potential 
health complications who do not seek abortion care because of a bill 
like LB 626.

She pointed to morbidity rates 
doubling in Texas after that state passed a similar six-week ban and 
said more Nebraska women would face serious illnesses and potential 
injuries if the state adopts a ban.

“I want to be able to care for patients in the best way I know how, and without interference from the government,” Patel said.

Marion Miner of the Nebraska Catholic
 Conference said four states bordering Nebraska — Iowa, Missouri, South 
Dakota and Wyoming — provide as much or more stringent restrictions on 
abortion than LB 626.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln
 said at a press conference Wednesday that women who care about abortion
 rights were organizing to make sure lawmakers understand they do not 
want more laws governing their bodies. Hunt said the process of pushing 
back was just beginning.

Opponents and proponents of the bill 
disagreed about where Nebraskans stand on abortion. Albrecht cited a 
conservative survey showing support for her bill, while Sen. Jen Day of 
Omaha cited a Pew poll saying a majority of Nebraskans want no new 
restrictions.

The committee did not vote Wednesday on whether to advance the bill to the full Legislature.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675361982843.png" alt="Hundreds packed the hearing room Wednesday to testify for and against Legislative Bill 626, the bill that would ban abortions in Nebraska after an ultrasound can detect fetal cardiac activity. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Hundreds packed the hearing room Wednesday to testify for and against Legislative Bill 626, the bill that would ban abortions in Nebraska after an ultrasound can detect fetal cardiac activity. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Opponents, proponents testify for three hours each</h2>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/01/cardiac-activity-abortion-ban-bill-draws-hundreds-to-nebraska-capitol/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Proponents and opponents were given three hours each Wednesday to argue over State Sen. Joni Albrecht’s bill aimed at outlawing abortions in Nebraska after an ultrasound detects embryonic cardiac activity.Hundreds in an overflow crowd waited 
hours to testify for two or three minutes to the seven members of the 
Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, during the public 
hearing for Legislative Bill 626.Sen. Ben Hansen, the committee chairman, stacked the testimony in 
separate blocks, starting with three hours from supporters, then three 
hours from opponents and then limited neutral testimony.Albrecht and her 28 co-sponsors have 
labeled LB 626 as a “heartbeat bill.” The bill would ban abortions in 
Nebraska after about six weeks of gestation, with exceptions for the 
health and life of the mother.She called it the most important piece of legislation senators will consider this session.&nbsp;“We’re not talking about women who 
want to have their baby,” she said of her bill. “We’re talking about 
women who want to not have their baby, elective abortions.”The bill’s critics, including State 
Sens. Megan Hunt, said the bill would give women less than six weeks to 
decide on a pregnancy because most women wouldn’t have enough time to 
even learn that they are pregnant.She said the bill targets women and their reproductive rights to punish and control them.“It’s effectively a ban,” Hunt said. 
“All they need to do is look at our sister states … passing abortion 
bans, and they can see exactly what we can expect.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675362089128.jpeg" alt="Opponents of additional abortion restrictions in Nebraska gather in the Rotunda before the hearing on Legislative Bill 626, the so-called “heartbeat bill” banning abortions after embryonic cardiac activity shows up on an ultrasound. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Opponents of additional abortion restrictions in Nebraska gather in the Rotunda before the hearing on Legislative Bill 626, the so-called “heartbeat bill” banning abortions after embryonic cardiac activity shows up on an ultrasound. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Women weigh in</h2>Bill supporters, including Albrecht, 
argued that human life in the womb is more than a clump of cells. 
Several women discussed the first time they heard rhythmic beats during 
their children’s ultrasounds.One woman, Carol Watson of Arnold, 
spoke of a recent local high school graduate and farmer who she said was
 born prematurely in the mid-1980s and survived. She said he could have 
been lost to abortion.&nbsp;But the mother, at a doctor’s office 
in Broken Bow in 1984, was shown an ultrasound and heard something she 
didn’t recognize. She asked the doctor what it was. He told her it was 
the heartbeat, Watson said.&nbsp;Several supporters spoke about the 
need to protect the unborn, including 19-year-old Anna Olson, who said 
she is “bombarded with messages” saying the state should not be able to 
restrict a woman’s right to choose. Albrecht has said the bill could 
reduce abortions in Nebraska by 85%.“These babies are not choices,” Olson said. “They are children worthy of protection.”One opponent, Megan Wilcox, testified
 about the pregnancy that she and her husband decided to end in 2017 
after doctors and tests showed that their son, Body, could not survive 
outside of the womb.“It’s been five years,” she said. “I 
can’t describe the ache I feel. I have no regrets. I know we made the 
choice that was right for us … a choice we would not have been able to 
make if LB 626 had been law.”<h2>Doctors split</h2>Doctors testified for and against the ban, though more testified against it.&nbsp;Dr.
 Elena Kraus of Lincoln said lawmakers needn’t worry if doctors would 
leave the state if the bill passed because doctors who oppose elective 
abortions would replace them.Kraus, an obstetrician, said she 
could not think of a single “high-risk medical situation” that LB 626 
would prevent doctors from performing.“Others may argue (the bill) will hinder life-saving medical care,” Kraus said. “This is not true.”Dr. Ingrid Skop of Texas, who spoke 
for the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute, stressed that LB 626 
would leave doctors to their “reasonable medical judgment,” a standard 
of care doctors know.Dr. Mary Kinyoun, an obstetrician at 
the Nebraska Medical Center, disagreed during her testimony on behalf of
 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.She described the bill’s medical 
exceptions for the life and health of the mother as vague and said women
 would be confused about what care they can seek and doctors would worry
 about what care they can provide.&nbsp;That ambiguity is one of the reasons 
why the Nebraska Medical Association opposes the bill, said Dr. Daniel 
Rosenquist, the group’s president, though he acknowledged that doctors 
are divided.&nbsp;His members also raised questions 
about a state statute, 28-336. Some doctors worry that it might put 
medical providers at risk of committing a felony if they perform 
abortions that run afoul of LB 626.Dr. Emily Patel, a mother and doctor 
in Omaha, said she worries most about outcomes for women with potential 
health complications who do not seek abortion care because of a bill 
like LB 626.She pointed to morbidity rates 
doubling in Texas after that state passed a similar six-week ban and 
said more Nebraska women would face serious illnesses and potential 
injuries if the state adopts a ban.“I want to be able to care for patients in the best way I know how, and without interference from the government,” Patel said.<h2>No consensus</h2>Marion Miner of the Nebraska Catholic
 Conference said four states bordering Nebraska — Iowa, Missouri, South 
Dakota and Wyoming — provide as much or more stringent restrictions on 
abortion than LB 626.State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln
 said at a press conference Wednesday that women who care about abortion
 rights were organizing to make sure lawmakers understand they do not 
want more laws governing their bodies. Hunt said the process of pushing 
back was just beginning.Opponents and proponents of the bill 
disagreed about where Nebraskans stand on abortion. Albrecht cited a 
conservative survey showing support for her bill, while Sen. Jen Day of 
Omaha cited a Pew poll saying a majority of Nebraskans want no new 
restrictions.The committee did not vote Wednesday on whether to advance the bill to the full Legislature.

Cardiac-activity abortion ban bill draws hundreds to Neb. Capitol

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve extended its fight against high inflation Wednesday by raising its key interest rate by a quarter-point, its eighth hike since March. And the Fed signaled that even though inflation is easing, it remains high enough to require further rate hikes.

Though smaller than its previous hike — and even larger rate increases before that — the Fed's latest move will likely further raise the costs of many consumer and business loans and the risk of a recession.

In a statement, Fed officials repeated language they've used before that says, “ongoing increases in the (interest rate) target range will be appropriate.” That is seen as a signal that they intend to raise their benchmark rate again when they next meet in March and perhaps in May as well.

The Fed’s hike was announced one day after the government reported that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-wage-growth-slows-4d4a328c345dd4a2e04fbc222d101ac7">pay and benefits for America’s workers grew more slowly</a>&nbsp;in the final three months of 2022, the third straight slowdown. That report might help reassure the Fed that wage gains won’t fuel higher inflation.

Though the Fed kept language in its statement Wednesday suggesting that more rate hikes are in store, it did note for the first time that price pressures are cooling. The statement also hinted that it will likely stick with modest quarter-point hikes in coming months and is considering when to eventually suspend them altogether.

But the Fed's overall message Wednesday was that it isn't done raising rates.

“We will need substantially more evidence to be confident that inflation is on a long, sustained downward path, Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference.

“It would be very premature to declare victory or think that we really got this," Powell added. “We have to complete the job.”

Speculation is widespread, though, among Wall Street investors and many economists that with inflation continuing to cool, the Fed may soon decide to halt its aggressive drive to tighten credit. When they last met in December, the Fed’s policymakers forecast that they would eventually raise their benchmark rate to a level that would require two additional quarter-point hikes.

Yet Wall Street investors have priced in only one more hike. Collectively, in fact, they expect the Fed to reverse course and actually cut rates by the end of this year. That optimism has helped drive stock prices up and bond yields down, easing credit and pushing in the opposite direction that the Fed would prefer.

The divide between the Fed and financial markets is important because rate hikes need to work through markets to affect the economy. The Fed directly controls its key short-term rate. But it has only indirect control over borrowing rates that people and businesses actually pay — for mortgages, corporate bonds, auto loans and many others.

The consequences can be seen in housing. The average fixed rate on a 30-year mortgage soared after the Fed first began hiking rates. Eventually, it topped 7%, more than twice where it had stood before the hiking began.

Yet since the fall, the average mortgage rate has eased to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-system-business-mortgages-ebfaa51802a8f32d93470ce3d3bcc806">6.13%, the lowest level since September</a>. And while home sales fell further in December, a measure of signed contracts to buy homes actually rose. That suggested that lower rates might be drawing some home buyers back to the market.

At his news conference Wednesday, Powell brushed aside the concern that the Fed will end up tightening credit too much and trigger a recession.

“I still think there is a path to getting inflation down to 2%," the Fed's target level, “without a significant economic decline or significant increase in unemployment,” he said.

Over the past several months, the Fed’s officials have reduced the size of their rate increases, from four unusually large three-quarter-point hikes in a row last year to a half-point increase in December to Wednesday’s quarter-point hike.

The more gradual pace is intended to help the Fed navigate what will be a high-risk series of decisions this year. The central bank’s latest move put its benchmark rate in a range of 4.5% to 4.75%, its highest level in about 15 years.

The slowdown in inflation suggests that its rate hikes have started to achieve their goal. But inflation is still far above the central bank’s 2% target. The risk is that with some sectors of the economy weakening, ever-higher borrowing costs could tip the economy into a downturn later this year.

Retail sales, for example, have fallen for two straight months, suggesting that consumers are becoming more cautious about spending. Manufacturing output has fallen for two months. On the other hand, the nation’s job market – the most important pillar of the economy – remains strong, with the unemployment rate at a 53-year low at 3.5%.

The Fed’s latest policy statement indicated that the central bank no longer regards COVID-19 as a driver of higher prices. It removed from its statement a reference to the pandemic as a cause of supply shocks that have heightened inflation.

Over the past year, with businesses sharply raising pay to try to attract and keep enough workers, Powell has expressed concern that wage growth in the labor-intensive service sector would keep inflation too high. Businesses typically pass their increased labor costs on to their customers by charging higher prices, thereby perpetuating inflation pressures.

But recent gauges show that wage growth is slowing. And in December, overall inflation eased to 6.5% in December from a year earlier, down from a four-decade peak of 9.1% in June. The decline has been driven in part by cheaper gas, which has tumbled to&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">$3.50 a gallon, on average</a>, nationwide, from $5 in June.

Supply chain backups have also largely been cleared, leading to a drop in prices for manufactured goods. Used car prices, having skyrocketed in the pandemic amid an auto shortage, have now fallen for several months.

Other major central banks are also fighting high inflation with rate hikes. The European Central Bank is expected to raise its benchmark rate by a half-point when it meets Thursday. Inflation in Europe, though slowing, remains high,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-european-union-europe-business-d7821ae6021fdd4f52ef669ad6467858">at 8.5% in January</a>&nbsp;compared with a year earlier.

The Bank of England is forecast to lift its rate at a meeting Thursday as well. Inflation has reached 10.5% in the United Kingdom. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-international-monetary-fund-china-economy-business-b38530a50416d0356fec60d30da97b61">International Monetary Fund has forecast</a>&nbsp;that the U.K. economy will likely enter recession this year.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve extended its fight against high inflation Wednesday by raising its key interest rate by a quarter-point, its eighth hike since March. And the Fed signaled that even though inflation is easing, it remains high enough to require further rate hikes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fed Chair Jerome Powell: &quot;Today the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FOMC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FOMC</a> raised our policy interest rate by 25 basis points. We continue to anticipate that ongoing increases will be appropriate...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7GQEWEMW6n">pic.twitter.com/7GQEWEMW6n</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1620874948645425176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Though smaller than its previous hike — and even larger rate increases before that — the Fed's latest move will likely further raise the costs of many consumer and business loans and the risk of a recession.In a statement, Fed officials repeated language they've used before that says, “ongoing increases in the (interest rate) target range will be appropriate.” That is seen as a signal that they intend to raise their benchmark rate again when they next meet in March and perhaps in May as well.The Fed’s hike was announced one day after the government reported that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-wage-growth-slows-4d4a328c345dd4a2e04fbc222d101ac7">pay and benefits for America’s workers grew more slowly</a>&nbsp;in the final three months of 2022, the third straight slowdown. That report might help reassure the Fed that wage gains won’t fuel higher inflation.Though the Fed kept language in its statement Wednesday suggesting that more rate hikes are in store, it did note for the first time that price pressures are cooling. The statement also hinted that it will likely stick with modest quarter-point hikes in coming months and is considering when to eventually suspend them altogether.But the Fed's overall message Wednesday was that it isn't done raising rates.“We will need substantially more evidence to be confident that inflation is on a long, sustained downward path, Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference.“It would be very premature to declare victory or think that we really got this," Powell added. “We have to complete the job.”Speculation is widespread, though, among Wall Street investors and many economists that with inflation continuing to cool, the Fed may soon decide to halt its aggressive drive to tighten credit. When they last met in December, the Fed’s policymakers forecast that they would eventually raise their benchmark rate to a level that would require two additional quarter-point hikes.Yet Wall Street investors have priced in only one more hike. Collectively, in fact, they expect the Fed to reverse course and actually cut rates by the end of this year. That optimism has helped drive stock prices up and bond yields down, easing credit and pushing in the opposite direction that the Fed would prefer.The divide between the Fed and financial markets is important because rate hikes need to work through markets to affect the economy. The Fed directly controls its key short-term rate. But it has only indirect control over borrowing rates that people and businesses actually pay — for mortgages, corporate bonds, auto loans and many others.The consequences can be seen in housing. The average fixed rate on a 30-year mortgage soared after the Fed first began hiking rates. Eventually, it topped 7%, more than twice where it had stood before the hiking began.Yet since the fall, the average mortgage rate has eased to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-system-business-mortgages-ebfaa51802a8f32d93470ce3d3bcc806">6.13%, the lowest level since September</a>. And while home sales fell further in December, a measure of signed contracts to buy homes actually rose. That suggested that lower rates might be drawing some home buyers back to the market.At his news conference Wednesday, Powell brushed aside the concern that the Fed will end up tightening credit too much and trigger a recession.“I still think there is a path to getting inflation down to 2%," the Fed's target level, “without a significant economic decline or significant increase in unemployment,” he said.Over the past several months, the Fed’s officials have reduced the size of their rate increases, from four unusually large three-quarter-point hikes in a row last year to a half-point increase in December to Wednesday’s quarter-point hike.The more gradual pace is intended to help the Fed navigate what will be a high-risk series of decisions this year. The central bank’s latest move put its benchmark rate in a range of 4.5% to 4.75%, its highest level in about 15 years.The slowdown in inflation suggests that its rate hikes have started to achieve their goal. But inflation is still far above the central bank’s 2% target. The risk is that with some sectors of the economy weakening, ever-higher borrowing costs could tip the economy into a downturn later this year.Retail sales, for example, have fallen for two straight months, suggesting that consumers are becoming more cautious about spending. Manufacturing output has fallen for two months. On the other hand, the nation’s job market – the most important pillar of the economy – remains strong, with the unemployment rate at a 53-year low at 3.5%.The Fed’s latest policy statement indicated that the central bank no longer regards COVID-19 as a driver of higher prices. It removed from its statement a reference to the pandemic as a cause of supply shocks that have heightened inflation.Over the past year, with businesses sharply raising pay to try to attract and keep enough workers, Powell has expressed concern that wage growth in the labor-intensive service sector would keep inflation too high. Businesses typically pass their increased labor costs on to their customers by charging higher prices, thereby perpetuating inflation pressures.But recent gauges show that wage growth is slowing. And in December, overall inflation eased to 6.5% in December from a year earlier, down from a four-decade peak of 9.1% in June. The decline has been driven in part by cheaper gas, which has tumbled to&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">$3.50 a gallon, on average</a>, nationwide, from $5 in June.Supply chain backups have also largely been cleared, leading to a drop in prices for manufactured goods. Used car prices, having skyrocketed in the pandemic amid an auto shortage, have now fallen for several months.Other major central banks are also fighting high inflation with rate hikes. The European Central Bank is expected to raise its benchmark rate by a half-point when it meets Thursday. Inflation in Europe, though slowing, remains high,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-european-union-europe-business-d7821ae6021fdd4f52ef669ad6467858">at 8.5% in January</a>&nbsp;compared with a year earlier.The Bank of England is forecast to lift its rate at a meeting Thursday as well. Inflation has reached 10.5% in the United Kingdom. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-international-monetary-fund-china-economy-business-b38530a50416d0356fec60d30da97b61">International Monetary Fund has forecast</a>&nbsp;that the U.K. economy will likely enter recession this year.

🎥 Interest rates jump again and more hikes expected 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI searched President Joe Biden's vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Wednesday without finding any&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/classified-documents">classified documents</a>, the president's attorney said. Agents did take some handwritten notes and other materials relating to Biden's time as vice president for review.

The search, disclosed by Biden's personal lawyer, was the latest discomfiting moment for a president who has sought to contrast his sensitivity to rule-following with that of his predecessor Donald Trump, who faces a criminal investigation into his handling of classified documents.

Wednesday's search, the third for a Biden home or office, shows that an investigation that had simmered quietly for weeks was continuing rather than fading away as Biden, who has said he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-us-department-justice-a45855907a73acb256bb7c4dd5a91610">surprised</a>&nbsp;by an earlier records discovery, presumably hoped.

The attorney, Bob Bauer, said FBI agents spent three and a half hours searching the home and that, “No documents with classified markings were found.”

Biden's attorneys revealed last month that they had undertaken their search of the home without turning up classified materials. The fact the FBI did its own search reflected the Justice Department's determination to retrieve any and all possible classified items rather than rely on assurances that such documents had been located.

Bauer, sought to portray the president and his team as fully transparent and cooperative. He described the search as “planned” and “a further step in a thorough and timely DOJ process we will continue to fully support and facilitate.”

He did not mention Trump by name, but the statement seemed aimed at juxtaposing the Biden investigation with the Trump case, where months of fruitless Justice Department efforts to recover all the classified records taken to the former president's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">culminated in an August search warrant</a>&nbsp;and the removal of roughly three dozen boxes of documents and other items.

Searches of Biden's former office and Delaware homes, by contrast, have all been done voluntarily and without a warrant.

The latest search follows the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-delaware-0827b59ee141b33af95023377713e075">FBI's 13-hour, top-to-bottom check of his Wilmington, Delaware, home</a>, where agents located documents with classified markings from his time as a vice president and senator and also took possession of some of his handwritten notes.

One week earlier, Biden's personal lawyers revealed that they had found a document bearing classified markings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-0574fd762159e8cb5f31c85205df3dc0">while searching the Wilmington property</a>&nbsp;but said they had not found others during a separate inspection of the Rehoboth Beach home.

The White House did not disclose the Justice Department's investigation until last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-812ef44a5333f6d93423a67a683fa024">when it acknowledged the Nov. 2 discovery</a>&nbsp;of a “small number” of classified documents by Biden lawyers as they closed an office at the Penn Biden Center, a think tank affiliated with the Ivy League school.

Though officials did not say so at the time, The Associated Press and other news organizations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-federal-bureau-of-investigation-wilmington-d0a50aeadd57893f9bbbc0b33e23c4fe">reported on Tuesday</a>&nbsp;that the FBI had conducted a voluntary search of that office later that month.

The Justice Department declined comment on the Wednesday search.

Biden's lawyers have described the retention of the records as a “mistake." The Justice Department has historically brought criminal charges related to mishandling of classified records only when it can establish, among other things, that a person acted knowingly in improperly removing or storing sensitive records.

The Biden documents probe is being handled by a special counsel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-home-wilmington-33479d12c7cf0a822adb2f44c32b88fd">Robert Hur,</a>&nbsp;a former senior Justice Department official during the Trump administration who served as the top federal prosecutor in Baltimore. He is starting his work this week, inheriting a months-long investigation already undertaken by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors.

Attorney General Merrick Garland had assigned the U.S. attorney in Chicago, John Lausch, to conduct an initial review before announcing Hur's appointment last month,

In a separate effort that preceded the Biden probe,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=jack+smith+eric+tucker+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS1038US1038&amp;oq=jack+smith+eric+tucker+apnews&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59.2801j1j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;is investigating the retention by Trump of roughly 300 documents with classified markings that were taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago. Agents last August obtained a search warrant to recover classified documents following what the Justice Department said were months of resistance by Trump and his representatives to return the records to the government.

Investigators in the Biden case have already conducted interviews, including of Biden's former executive assistant who helped oversee the packing of boxes that went to the Penn Biden Center. It is not yet clear if and when the Justice Department might look to question Biden himself.

The Bidens purchased their Rehoboth Beach home, which overlooks a state park adjacent to the beach, in June 2017, months after he left the vice presidency.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI was conducting a planned search Wednesday of President Joe Biden's Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home as part of its investigation into the potential mishandling of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/classified-documents">classified documents,</a>&nbsp;the president's personal lawyer said.

The search follows a 13-hour, top-to-bottom review of his Wilmington, Delaware home on Jan. 20, when agents located additional documents with classified markings and also took possession of some of his handwritten notes.

The president has been voluntarily allowing the Justice Department into his residences as investigators seek to determine how classified documents from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-democratic-party-donald-trump-d758b30c5c88aaf0014c2baf3d46a882">Biden's time as vice president and a senator</a>&nbsp;wound up in his home and office. The probe followed the Nov. 2 discovery of documents with classified markings by Biden's lawyers as they closed up an office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-classified-documents-think-tanks-14fd693c967e4422b0f6328e03cea189">at the Penn Biden Center,</a>&nbsp;a think tank affiliated with the Ivy League school.

Documents were also found at his Wilmington home by his personal lawyers, who initiated a search after the Penn Biden center documents were discovered. The FBI also searched the Penn Biden Center in November following the initial discovery of documents there, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

“Under DOJ’s standard procedures, in the interests of operational security and integrity, it sought to do this work without advance public notice, and we agreed to cooperate,” said the statement from Biden's lawyer, Bob Bauer. "The search today is a further step in a thorough and timely DOJ process we will continue to fully support and facilitate. We will have further information at the conclusion of today’s search."

An FBI spokeswoman referred comment to the Justice Department. A spokesman there did not immediately return a message seeking comment. It was not immediately clear whether any additional classified documents were found.

The Biden documents probe is being handled by a special counsel, Robert Hur, the former top federal prosecutor in Baltimore. He is starting his work this week, inheriting a months-long investigation already undertaken by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors.

The Bidens purchased the home, which overlooks a state park adjacent to the beach, in June 2017, months after he left the vice presidency.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI searched President Joe Biden's vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Wednesday without finding any&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/classified-documents">classified documents</a>, the president's attorney said. Agents did take some handwritten notes and other materials relating to Biden's time as vice president for review.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/IanSams46?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IanSams46</a> speaks to media outside White House regarding classified documents: &quot;I think we&#39;ve been pretty transparent from the very beginning with providing information as it occurs throughout this process.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7JGufX5XdW">pic.twitter.com/7JGufX5XdW</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1620866501195571201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The search, disclosed by Biden's personal lawyer, was the latest discomfiting moment for a president who has sought to contrast his sensitivity to rule-following with that of his predecessor Donald Trump, who faces a criminal investigation into his handling of classified documents.Wednesday's search, the third for a Biden home or office, shows that an investigation that had simmered quietly for weeks was continuing rather than fading away as Biden, who has said he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-us-department-justice-a45855907a73acb256bb7c4dd5a91610">surprised</a>&nbsp;by an earlier records discovery, presumably hoped.The attorney, Bob Bauer, said FBI agents spent three and a half hours searching the home and that, “No documents with classified markings were found.”Biden's attorneys revealed last month that they had undertaken their search of the home without turning up classified materials. The fact the FBI did its own search reflected the Justice Department's determination to retrieve any and all possible classified items rather than rely on assurances that such documents had been located.Bauer, sought to portray the president and his team as fully transparent and cooperative. He described the search as “planned” and “a further step in a thorough and timely DOJ process we will continue to fully support and facilitate.”He did not mention Trump by name, but the statement seemed aimed at juxtaposing the Biden investigation with the Trump case, where months of fruitless Justice Department efforts to recover all the classified records taken to the former president's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">culminated in an August search warrant</a>&nbsp;and the removal of roughly three dozen boxes of documents and other items.Searches of Biden's former office and Delaware homes, by contrast, have all been done voluntarily and without a warrant.The latest search follows the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-delaware-0827b59ee141b33af95023377713e075">FBI's 13-hour, top-to-bottom check of his Wilmington, Delaware, home</a>, where agents located documents with classified markings from his time as a vice president and senator and also took possession of some of his handwritten notes.One week earlier, Biden's personal lawyers revealed that they had found a document bearing classified markings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-0574fd762159e8cb5f31c85205df3dc0">while searching the Wilmington property</a>&nbsp;but said they had not found others during a separate inspection of the Rehoboth Beach home.The White House did not disclose the Justice Department's investigation until last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-812ef44a5333f6d93423a67a683fa024">when it acknowledged the Nov. 2 discovery</a>&nbsp;of a “small number” of classified documents by Biden lawyers as they closed an office at the Penn Biden Center, a think tank affiliated with the Ivy League school.Though officials did not say so at the time, The Associated Press and other news organizations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-federal-bureau-of-investigation-wilmington-d0a50aeadd57893f9bbbc0b33e23c4fe">reported on Tuesday</a>&nbsp;that the FBI had conducted a voluntary search of that office later that month.The Justice Department declined comment on the Wednesday search.Biden's lawyers have described the retention of the records as a “mistake." The Justice Department has historically brought criminal charges related to mishandling of classified records only when it can establish, among other things, that a person acted knowingly in improperly removing or storing sensitive records.The Biden documents probe is being handled by a special counsel,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-home-wilmington-33479d12c7cf0a822adb2f44c32b88fd">Robert Hur,</a>&nbsp;a former senior Justice Department official during the Trump administration who served as the top federal prosecutor in Baltimore. He is starting his work this week, inheriting a months-long investigation already undertaken by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors.Attorney General Merrick Garland had assigned the U.S. attorney in Chicago, John Lausch, to conduct an initial review before announcing Hur's appointment last month,In a separate effort that preceded the Biden probe,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=jack+smith+eric+tucker+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS1038US1038&amp;oq=jack+smith+eric+tucker+apnews&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59.2801j1j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;is investigating the retention by Trump of roughly 300 documents with classified markings that were taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago. Agents last August obtained a search warrant to recover classified documents following what the Justice Department said were months of resistance by Trump and his representatives to return the records to the government.Investigators in the Biden case have already conducted interviews, including of Biden's former executive assistant who helped oversee the packing of boxes that went to the Penn Biden Center. It is not yet clear if and when the Justice Department might look to question Biden himself.The Bidens purchased their Rehoboth Beach home, which overlooks a state park adjacent to the beach, in June 2017, months after he left the vice presidency.----------WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI was conducting a planned search Wednesday of President Joe Biden's Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home as part of its investigation into the potential mishandling of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/classified-documents">classified documents,</a>&nbsp;the president's personal lawyer said.The search follows a 13-hour, top-to-bottom review of his Wilmington, Delaware home on Jan. 20, when agents located additional documents with classified markings and also took possession of some of his handwritten notes.The president has been voluntarily allowing the Justice Department into his residences as investigators seek to determine how classified documents from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-democratic-party-donald-trump-d758b30c5c88aaf0014c2baf3d46a882">Biden's time as vice president and a senator</a>&nbsp;wound up in his home and office. The probe followed the Nov. 2 discovery of documents with classified markings by Biden's lawyers as they closed up an office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-classified-documents-think-tanks-14fd693c967e4422b0f6328e03cea189">at the Penn Biden Center,</a>&nbsp;a think tank affiliated with the Ivy League school.Documents were also found at his Wilmington home by his personal lawyers, who initiated a search after the Penn Biden center documents were discovered. The FBI also searched the Penn Biden Center in November following the initial discovery of documents there, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Tuesday.“Under DOJ’s standard procedures, in the interests of operational security and integrity, it sought to do this work without advance public notice, and we agreed to cooperate,” said the statement from Biden's lawyer, Bob Bauer. "The search today is a further step in a thorough and timely DOJ process we will continue to fully support and facilitate. We will have further information at the conclusion of today’s search."An FBI spokeswoman referred comment to the Justice Department. A spokesman there did not immediately return a message seeking comment. It was not immediately clear whether any additional classified documents were found.The Biden documents probe is being handled by a special counsel, Robert Hur, the former top federal prosecutor in Baltimore. He is starting his work this week, inheriting a months-long investigation already undertaken by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors.The Bidens purchased the home, which overlooks a state park adjacent to the beach, in June 2017, months after he left the vice presidency.