OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants the nation’s freight railroads to immediately act to improve safety while regulators try to strengthen safety rules in the wake of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">fiery derailment</a>&nbsp;in Ohio that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">forced evacuations</a>&nbsp;when toxic chemicals were released and burned.

Buttigieg announced a package of reforms Tuesday — two days after he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-mike-dewine-pete-buttigieg-ohio-business-26e700f86aaddc50065c461e4f6f61b4">warned</a>&nbsp;the railroad responsible for the derailment, Norfolk Southern, to fulfill its promises to clean up the mess just outside East Palestine, Ohio, and help the town recover. He said the Department of Transportation will hold the railroad accountable for any safety violations that contributed to the Feb. 3 crash near the Pennsylvania border.

“While ensuring the safety of those impacted by this crash is the immediate priority, we also have to recognize that this represents an important moment to redouble our efforts to make this far less likely to happen again in the future," Buttigieg said.

President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1628171390690918400?cxt=HHwWgICw-ZvQtpgtAAAA">said on Twitter</a>&nbsp;that the past pattern of railroads resisting safety regulations must change and that Congress should support the effort to improve safety.

“Rail companies have spent millions of dollars to oppose common-sense safety regulations. And it’s worked,” Biden tweeted. “This is more than a train derailment or a toxic waste spill – it’s years of opposition to safety measures coming home to roost.”

Even though government data shows that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-territories-ohio-canada-business-accidents-d57651e17b2f9e0163c50298106950a3">derailments have declined</a>&nbsp;in recent years, there were still 1,049 of them last year. Most are ordinary and don't cause any major problems, like the derailment in Nebraska on Tuesday morning that toppled more than two dozen Union Pacific railcars, spilled coal and blocked the tracks.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-epa-61ff5fec89c452f4ff7f56b5b8b4e44e">returned to the town</a>&nbsp;of 4,700 Tuesday along with the governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania and Norfolk Southern's CEO. Also on Tuesday, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-climate-and-environment-health-ad32648e67289166f9ae1e9d104ca53b">medical clinic</a>&nbsp;staffed by contamination experts opened to evaluate residents' complaints. State and federal officials have reiterated that their&nbsp;<a href="https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=15933">testing of air and water samples</a>&nbsp;doesn't show dangerous levels of any toxins, but some people have complained about constant headaches and irritated eyes as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-bcc6198dfbde42feefdeca8f24ccaea8">worry</a>&nbsp;about returning to their homes.

Buttigieg said railroads and tank car owners should accelerate their plan to upgrade the tank cars that haul flammable liquids like crude oil and ethanol by 2025 instead of waiting to comply with the 2029 standard Congress ultimately approved after regulators suggested the earlier deadline. He also said freight railroads should reach more agreements to provide their employees with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/labor-unions-kansas-city-southern-strikes-business-6e66b66a99415e12c2c1fa642d6a842f">paid sick time</a>&nbsp;to help prevent fatigue.

Railroad unions have also raised concerns that car inspections are being rushed and preventative maintenance may be getting neglected after widespread job cuts in the industry in recent years that they say have made&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-norfolk-business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">railroads riskier</a>.

“I do think that there’s a moment to look in the mirror as an entire industry and decide what we can do better,” said Greg Regan, president of the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department coalition. “I think the industry by and large has been reluctant to make the types of changes that are needed. They have obviously fought regulations in the past, but I think they are running out of excuses here.”

Jeremy Ferguson, the president of the largest rail union that represents conductors, said railroads' reliance on longer trains and fewer employees since they started adopting this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">new operating model</a>&nbsp;in 2017 is jeopardizing public safety.

Ferguson said the pursuit of higher profits prompted “rail carriers to abandon fundamentally sound practices for haphazard, inherently dangerous, impetuous movements of freight and locomotives across America's rail system.”

Buttigieg said regulators will try to revive a proposed rule the Trump administration dropped that would have required upgraded, electronically controlled brakes on certain trains filled with flammable liquids that are designated “high-hazardous flammable trains.” The rule was dropped after Congress directed regulators to use a strict cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the rule.

Buttigieg said he'll ask Congress to “untie our hands here” on the braking rule, and regulators may look at expanding which trains are covered by the “high-hazardous” rules that were announced in 2015 after several fiery crude oil train derailments — the worst of which killed 47 people and decimated the Canadian town of Lac Mégantic in 2013. He also said Congress should raise the current $225,455 limit on railroad safety fines at least tenfold to create a better deterrent.

Buttigieg criticized railroads for lobbying against the braking rule and challenging it in court. But railroad safety expert David Clarke, who previously led the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, said the industry shouldn’t be criticized too heavily for pushing back against proposed regulations.

“The fact that you couch those in terms of safety makes it seem like it’s, you know, mom, God and apple pie — anything safety related is sacred,” Clarke said. “But the bottom line is companies have to look at the benefits and the cost of any expenditure.”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was incredulous when he learned the Norfolk Southern train that derailed didn’t carry that “high-hazardous” designation, meaning that the railroad didn’t have to notify the state about the dangerous chemicals it was carrying.

“This is absurd,” DeWine said. “Congress needs to take a look at how this is handled.”

Regulators and the Association of American Railroads trade group say there are hundreds of pages of other rules railroads must follow when they transport any hazardous chemicals, whether it is the vinyl chloride that has gotten so much attention in this derailment, crude oil, nuclear materials or any of the hundreds of other dangerous chemicals that railroads routinely carry.

It’s not clear whether the “high-hazardous” rules could have prevented this derailment. The National Transportation Safety Board is in the early stages of its investigation, although officials with that agency have said they believe the failure of an axle on one of the railcars not long after the train crew got a warning about a possible mechanical problem caused this crash.

The head of the AAR trade group, Ian Jefferies, said regulators should let the findings of the NTSB investigation — not “politics and speculation” — guide their response and keep the focus for now on supporting East Palestine. He said railroads will address the cause of this accident once it is known.

The Federal Railroad Administration will also work to finalize its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/588d6f7829c4836b9d2feff5c21a5097">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;to require two-person crews that Buttigieg pointed to as one of the Biden administration's main efforts to improve rail safety.

The president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Eddie Hall, said he believes the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-business-transportation-cce1888bacfb5b76a57a0b9843e21e82">freight railroads' efforts</a>&nbsp;to cut crews down to one person represent a clear safety threat.

“Railroads in the United States largely self-regulate, and right now, rather than learn from their mistakes and improve oversight and safety, they are going in the opposite direction,” Hall said.

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw said Tuesday that he has spoken with Buttigieg several times since the derailment and that he's made the same commitment to Buttigieg that he made to the community of East Palestine: The railroad is committed to cleaning up the mess and helping the town rebuild. He acknowledged the railroad could do more to ensure safety because there is always room to do more and said Norfolk Southern will look to make changes once the NTSB investigation is complete.

“It’s clear that our safety culture and our investments in safety were not enough to prevent this accident," Shaw said. "We’re going to learn from it. We’re going to improve. And we’re going to make Norfolk Southern a safer railroad.”

Norfolk Southern has already committed $6.5 million to the community. That is likely just the start, as the EPA made clear Tuesday that Norfolk Southern will be responsible for the cleanup costs, and several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-pennsylvania-ohio-health-business-820cf081c0e068a47db2e141a3f988e6?utm_source=apnews&amp;utm_medium=relatedcontentmodule">lawsuits</a>&nbsp;have already been filed against the railroad.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677001115109.png" alt="Crews working a Union Pacific train derailment near Gothenburg, Nebraska early Tuesday -photo courtesy KNOP TV" />
 <figcaption>Crews working a Union Pacific train derailment near Gothenburg, Nebraska early Tuesday -photo courtesy KNOP TV</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants the nation’s freight railroads to immediately act to improve safety while regulators try to strengthen safety rules in the wake of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">fiery derailment</a>&nbsp;in Ohio that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">forced evacuations</a>&nbsp;when toxic chemicals were released and burned.Buttigieg announced a package of reforms Tuesday — two days after he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-mike-dewine-pete-buttigieg-ohio-business-26e700f86aaddc50065c461e4f6f61b4">warned</a>&nbsp;the railroad responsible for the derailment, Norfolk Southern, to fulfill its promises to clean up the mess just outside East Palestine, Ohio, and help the town recover. He said the Department of Transportation will hold the railroad accountable for any safety violations that contributed to the Feb. 3 crash near the Pennsylvania border.“While ensuring the safety of those impacted by this crash is the immediate priority, we also have to recognize that this represents an important moment to redouble our efforts to make this far less likely to happen again in the future," Buttigieg said.President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1628171390690918400?cxt=HHwWgICw-ZvQtpgtAAAA">said on Twitter</a>&nbsp;that the past pattern of railroads resisting safety regulations must change and that Congress should support the effort to improve safety.“Rail companies have spent millions of dollars to oppose common-sense safety regulations. And it’s worked,” Biden tweeted. “This is more than a train derailment or a toxic waste spill – it’s years of opposition to safety measures coming home to roost.”Even though government data shows that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-territories-ohio-canada-business-accidents-d57651e17b2f9e0163c50298106950a3">derailments have declined</a>&nbsp;in recent years, there were still 1,049 of them last year. Most are ordinary and don't cause any major problems, like the derailment in Nebraska on Tuesday morning that toppled more than two dozen Union Pacific railcars, spilled coal and blocked the tracks.The head of the Environmental Protection Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-epa-61ff5fec89c452f4ff7f56b5b8b4e44e">returned to the town</a>&nbsp;of 4,700 Tuesday along with the governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania and Norfolk Southern's CEO. Also on Tuesday, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-climate-and-environment-health-ad32648e67289166f9ae1e9d104ca53b">medical clinic</a>&nbsp;staffed by contamination experts opened to evaluate residents' complaints. State and federal officials have reiterated that their&nbsp;<a href="https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=15933">testing of air and water samples</a>&nbsp;doesn't show dangerous levels of any toxins, but some people have complained about constant headaches and irritated eyes as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-bcc6198dfbde42feefdeca8f24ccaea8">worry</a>&nbsp;about returning to their homes.Buttigieg said railroads and tank car owners should accelerate their plan to upgrade the tank cars that haul flammable liquids like crude oil and ethanol by 2025 instead of waiting to comply with the 2029 standard Congress ultimately approved after regulators suggested the earlier deadline. He also said freight railroads should reach more agreements to provide their employees with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/labor-unions-kansas-city-southern-strikes-business-6e66b66a99415e12c2c1fa642d6a842f">paid sick time</a>&nbsp;to help prevent fatigue.Railroad unions have also raised concerns that car inspections are being rushed and preventative maintenance may be getting neglected after widespread job cuts in the industry in recent years that they say have made&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-norfolk-business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">railroads riskier</a>.“I do think that there’s a moment to look in the mirror as an entire industry and decide what we can do better,” said Greg Regan, president of the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department coalition. “I think the industry by and large has been reluctant to make the types of changes that are needed. They have obviously fought regulations in the past, but I think they are running out of excuses here.”Jeremy Ferguson, the president of the largest rail union that represents conductors, said railroads' reliance on longer trains and fewer employees since they started adopting this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">new operating model</a>&nbsp;in 2017 is jeopardizing public safety.Ferguson said the pursuit of higher profits prompted “rail carriers to abandon fundamentally sound practices for haphazard, inherently dangerous, impetuous movements of freight and locomotives across America's rail system.”Buttigieg said regulators will try to revive a proposed rule the Trump administration dropped that would have required upgraded, electronically controlled brakes on certain trains filled with flammable liquids that are designated “high-hazardous flammable trains.” The rule was dropped after Congress directed regulators to use a strict cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the rule.Buttigieg said he'll ask Congress to “untie our hands here” on the braking rule, and regulators may look at expanding which trains are covered by the “high-hazardous” rules that were announced in 2015 after several fiery crude oil train derailments — the worst of which killed 47 people and decimated the Canadian town of Lac Mégantic in 2013. He also said Congress should raise the current $225,455 limit on railroad safety fines at least tenfold to create a better deterrent.Buttigieg criticized railroads for lobbying against the braking rule and challenging it in court. But railroad safety expert David Clarke, who previously led the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, said the industry shouldn’t be criticized too heavily for pushing back against proposed regulations.“The fact that you couch those in terms of safety makes it seem like it’s, you know, mom, God and apple pie — anything safety related is sacred,” Clarke said. “But the bottom line is companies have to look at the benefits and the cost of any expenditure.”Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was incredulous when he learned the Norfolk Southern train that derailed didn’t carry that “high-hazardous” designation, meaning that the railroad didn’t have to notify the state about the dangerous chemicals it was carrying.“This is absurd,” DeWine said. “Congress needs to take a look at how this is handled.”Regulators and the Association of American Railroads trade group say there are hundreds of pages of other rules railroads must follow when they transport any hazardous chemicals, whether it is the vinyl chloride that has gotten so much attention in this derailment, crude oil, nuclear materials or any of the hundreds of other dangerous chemicals that railroads routinely carry.It’s not clear whether the “high-hazardous” rules could have prevented this derailment. The National Transportation Safety Board is in the early stages of its investigation, although officials with that agency have said they believe the failure of an axle on one of the railcars not long after the train crew got a warning about a possible mechanical problem caused this crash.The head of the AAR trade group, Ian Jefferies, said regulators should let the findings of the NTSB investigation — not “politics and speculation” — guide their response and keep the focus for now on supporting East Palestine. He said railroads will address the cause of this accident once it is known.The Federal Railroad Administration will also work to finalize its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/588d6f7829c4836b9d2feff5c21a5097">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;to require two-person crews that Buttigieg pointed to as one of the Biden administration's main efforts to improve rail safety.The president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Eddie Hall, said he believes the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-business-transportation-cce1888bacfb5b76a57a0b9843e21e82">freight railroads' efforts</a>&nbsp;to cut crews down to one person represent a clear safety threat.“Railroads in the United States largely self-regulate, and right now, rather than learn from their mistakes and improve oversight and safety, they are going in the opposite direction,” Hall said.Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw said Tuesday that he has spoken with Buttigieg several times since the derailment and that he's made the same commitment to Buttigieg that he made to the community of East Palestine: The railroad is committed to cleaning up the mess and helping the town rebuild. He acknowledged the railroad could do more to ensure safety because there is always room to do more and said Norfolk Southern will look to make changes once the NTSB investigation is complete.“It’s clear that our safety culture and our investments in safety were not enough to prevent this accident," Shaw said. "We’re going to learn from it. We’re going to improve. And we’re going to make Norfolk Southern a safer railroad.”Norfolk Southern has already committed $6.5 million to the community. That is likely just the start, as the EPA made clear Tuesday that Norfolk Southern will be responsible for the cleanup costs, and several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-pennsylvania-ohio-health-business-820cf081c0e068a47db2e141a3f988e6?utm_source=apnews&amp;utm_medium=relatedcontentmodule">lawsuits</a>&nbsp;have already been filed against the railroad.

Transportation Sec. urges safety changes after train derailments

NEW
 YORK (AP) — The family of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X marked on
 Tuesday the anniversary of his 1965 assassination by announcing plans 
to sue agencies including the CIA, FBI, the New York Police Department 
and others for $100 million, accusing them of playing a role in his 
death.

Two of his daughters, Ilyasah Shabazz and Qubilah Shabazz, 
were joined by attorney Ben Crump at a news conference at the site of 
the former Audubon Ballroom in upper Manhattan, where Malcolm X, a native of Omaha, was 
fatally shot as a crowd gathered to hear him speak on Feb. 21, 1965.

For decades questions have circulated over who was responsible for his death.

Three
 men were convicted, but two were exonerated in 2021 after a renewed 
investigation into the cases against them showed the evidence used to 
gain convictions was shaky and that authorities had held back some 
information.

Ilyasah Shabazz, the co-administrator of her father's
 estate, filed notices of claim, which is the first step in the process,
 saying that the agencies “conspired with each other and with other 
individuals and acted, and failed to act, in such a way as to bring 
about the wrongful death of Malcolm X."

“For years our family has 
fought for the truth to come to light," she said at the news conference.
 “We want justice served for our father.”

Emails seeking comment 
were sent to the CIA, FBI, Department of Justice and New York City's 
legal department. The DOJ and NYPD declined to comment.

Crump 
noted the anniversary date and said that ever since then, "there has 
been speculation as to who was involved in the assassination of Malcolm 
X.”

He cited the 2021 exonerations and said that government 
agencies including the Manhattan district attorney, the NYPD and the FBI
 “had factual evidence, exculpatory evidence that they fraudulently 
concealed from the men who were wrongfully convicted for the 
assassination of Malcolm X.”

Asked if he believes government 
agencies conspired to assassinate Malcolm, Crump said, “That is what we 
are alleging, yes. They infiltrated many civil rights organizations.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677076748684.jpeg" alt="Ilyasah Shabazz, a daughter of Malcolm X, speaks during a news conference at the Malcolm X &amp; Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023.&nbsp; (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)" />
 <figcaption>Ilyasah Shabazz, a daughter of Malcolm X, speaks during a news conference at the Malcolm X &amp; Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023.&nbsp; (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW
 YORK (AP) — The family of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X marked on
 Tuesday the anniversary of his 1965 assassination by announcing plans 
to sue agencies including the CIA, FBI, the New York Police Department 
and others for $100 million, accusing them of playing a role in his 
death.Two of his daughters, Ilyasah Shabazz and Qubilah Shabazz, 
were joined by attorney Ben Crump at a news conference at the site of 
the former Audubon Ballroom in upper Manhattan, where Malcolm X, a native of Omaha, was 
fatally shot as a crowd gathered to hear him speak on Feb. 21, 1965.For decades questions have circulated over who was responsible for his death.Three
 men were convicted, but two were exonerated in 2021 after a renewed 
investigation into the cases against them showed the evidence used to 
gain convictions was shaky and that authorities had held back some 
information.Ilyasah Shabazz, the co-administrator of her father's
 estate, filed notices of claim, which is the first step in the process,
 saying that the agencies “conspired with each other and with other 
individuals and acted, and failed to act, in such a way as to bring 
about the wrongful death of Malcolm X."“For years our family has 
fought for the truth to come to light," she said at the news conference.
 “We want justice served for our father.”Emails seeking comment 
were sent to the CIA, FBI, Department of Justice and New York City's 
legal department. The DOJ and NYPD declined to comment.Crump 
noted the anniversary date and said that ever since then, "there has 
been speculation as to who was involved in the assassination of Malcolm 
X.”He cited the 2021 exonerations and said that government 
agencies including the Manhattan district attorney, the NYPD and the FBI
 “had factual evidence, exculpatory evidence that they fraudulently 
concealed from the men who were wrongfully convicted for the 
assassination of Malcolm X.”Asked if he believes government 
agencies conspired to assassinate Malcolm, Crump said, “That is what we 
are alleging, yes. They infiltrated many civil rights organizations.”

Malcolm X's daughter to sue CIA, FBI for wrongful death

Superintendent: ‘To be blunt, it’s the worst it’s ever been'

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/21/state-patrol-seeks-some-more-recruits-as-it-addresses-shortage-of-troopers/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The number of state troopers patrolling Nebraska highways 
has hit a new low, though the head of the State Patrol said Tuesday he 
is seeing some good news in rebuilding the force.

Col. John Bolduc, superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, told a
 state legislative committee that he has 69 vacant posts for state 
troopers out of an authorized force of 482 uniform officers.

“To be blunt, it’s the worst it’s ever been,” Bolduc told members of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

Bolduc appeared before the committee to testify in favor of Gov. Jim Pillen’s budget recommendation for the agency, which <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/12/21/nebraska-state-troopers-to-get-22-raises-under-historic-new-labor-contract/">includes a record 22% increase in trooper salaries</a> effective July 1.

The colonel told the committee that the Patrol faces the <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/class-of-16-new-state-troopers-sworn-in-as-union-calls-for-higher-wages/">same “headwinds” that are impacting recruiting</a>
 and retention in law enforcement agencies nationwide — a tight labor 
market, rising pay in competing jobs, and “some pretty spectacularly bad
 headlines” about in-custody deaths involving police.

“It’s a big challenge,” Bolduc said.

The Patrol currently has 15 recruits in a training camp, which 
compares to 20-25 in the past, but it is still higher than a recent camp
 that had eight trooper candidates.

Neighboring states are also seeing fewer applicants, he said. A 
recruit class of five is currently in training in Kansas, Bolduc said, 
and a class of 20 is training in Missouri, a state with more than three 
times the population of Nebraska.

“We’re getting some really great candidates, we’re just not getting enough of them,” he said.

There’s been some good news lately, the colonel told the committee. 
Seventy-nine candidates applied for the next recruit camp in the first 
10 days, he said, which is the most ever in that time frame.

That, Bolduc said, may reflect recent publicity about the salary increases.

The colonel also told the committee that hiring two new fingerprint 
technicians, as proposed in the governor’s budget, should help resolve 
the slow turnaround of background checks that has slowed hiring of child
 care workers.

The Appropriations Committee also took testimony Tuesday about the 
proposed budget for the state prison system. It includes a $24.9 million
 deficit request to cover increased salaries for security staff and 
inflationary costs of food and medical care for inmates that weren’t 
covered in the last budget.

The newly proposed budget features the final $95 million allocation 
to construct a new, $350-million state prison, which can house more than
 1,500 inmates.

Diane Sabatka-Rine, the interim director of the Nebraska Department 
of Corrections, said the department can’t wait any longer for the new 
prison. It is intended to replace the aging State Penitentiary in 
Lincoln, where a recent water main break flooded a housing unit, forcing
 the relocation of 140 inmates.

Salary hikes helped, but vacancies remain

She said that salary increases granted to security staff had shown 
“remarkable success” in filling over 400 vacancies in corrections 
corporals and others over the past year.

But Doug Koebernick, the inspector general for corrections, testified
 that the agency still had 362 vacancies in all positions as of Jan. 1, 
and that two facilities, in Tecumseh and the Reception and Treatment 
Center in Lincoln, are still under staffing “emergencies” that result in
 interruptions in rehabilitation programming and other activities.

Koebernick said that state prisons have a critical shortage of health
 workers, with only six of 18 psychologist positions filled and the 
agency lacking any psychiatrists.

State Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln questioned whether Corrections, 
given the salary increases, will be able to reduce its overtime 
expenses, which exceeded $20 million in the last fiscal year.

Sabatka-Rine said overtime costs remain high for several reasons. She
 said one is that staff working at the two prisons under emergency 
staffing automatically get overtime because they work four 12-hour 
shifts a week.

Three testifiers, including representatives of Nebraska Appleseed and
 the ACLU of Nebraska, urged the committee to reject funding for a new 
prison and instead consider sentencing reforms that would gradually 
reduce the flow of inmates.

“Our punitive response to violence does not work,” said Fran Kaye, a longtime volunteer in state prisons.

She suggested alternatives to incarceration, releasing inmates who 
don’t pose a threat to public safety and investing in policies that 
address poverty and joblessness.

Diane Amdor of Nebraska Appleseed said&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/08/tax-credits-for-children-and-child-care-touted-as-helping-many-nebraskans/">providing tax credits per children</a>, which cut child poverty in half during the COVID-19 pandemic, would be a better investment.

“What does it say about our state if we spend $350 million for a new 
prison but not spend money to address child poverty?” Amdor said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677076536753.png" alt="In December, the Nebraska State Patrol graduated a class of 16 new state troopers, but the addition still left the force well short of its authorized strength. (Courtesy of the Nebraska State Patrol)" />
 <figcaption>In December, the Nebraska State Patrol graduated a class of 16 new state troopers, but the addition still left the force well short of its authorized strength. (Courtesy of the Nebraska State Patrol)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Superintendent: ‘To be blunt, it’s the worst it’s ever been'</h2>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/21/state-patrol-seeks-some-more-recruits-as-it-addresses-shortage-of-troopers/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The number of state troopers patrolling Nebraska highways 
has hit a new low, though the head of the State Patrol said Tuesday he 
is seeing some good news in rebuilding the force.Col. John Bolduc, superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, told a
 state legislative committee that he has 69 vacant posts for state 
troopers out of an authorized force of 482 uniform officers.“To be blunt, it’s the worst it’s ever been,” Bolduc told members of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee.<h2>Raise coming</h2>Bolduc appeared before the committee to testify in favor of Gov. Jim Pillen’s budget recommendation for the agency, which <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/12/21/nebraska-state-troopers-to-get-22-raises-under-historic-new-labor-contract/">includes a record 22% increase in trooper salaries</a> effective July 1.The colonel told the committee that the Patrol faces the <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/class-of-16-new-state-troopers-sworn-in-as-union-calls-for-higher-wages/">same “headwinds” that are impacting recruiting</a>
 and retention in law enforcement agencies nationwide — a tight labor 
market, rising pay in competing jobs, and “some pretty spectacularly bad
 headlines” about in-custody deaths involving police.“It’s a big challenge,” Bolduc said.The Patrol currently has 15 recruits in a training camp, which 
compares to 20-25 in the past, but it is still higher than a recent camp
 that had eight trooper candidates.<h2>Smaller recruit camps</h2>Neighboring states are also seeing fewer applicants, he said. A 
recruit class of five is currently in training in Kansas, Bolduc said, 
and a class of 20 is training in Missouri, a state with more than three 
times the population of Nebraska.“We’re getting some really great candidates, we’re just not getting enough of them,” he said.There’s been some good news lately, the colonel told the committee. 
Seventy-nine candidates applied for the next recruit camp in the first 
10 days, he said, which is the most ever in that time frame.That, Bolduc said, may reflect recent publicity about the salary increases.<h2>New state prison, overtime expenses</h2>The colonel also told the committee that hiring two new fingerprint 
technicians, as proposed in the governor’s budget, should help resolve 
the slow turnaround of background checks that has slowed hiring of child
 care workers.The Appropriations Committee also took testimony Tuesday about the 
proposed budget for the state prison system. It includes a $24.9 million
 deficit request to cover increased salaries for security staff and 
inflationary costs of food and medical care for inmates that weren’t 
covered in the last budget.The newly proposed budget features the final $95 million allocation 
to construct a new, $350-million state prison, which can house more than
 1,500 inmates.Diane Sabatka-Rine, the interim director of the Nebraska Department 
of Corrections, said the department can’t wait any longer for the new 
prison. It is intended to replace the aging State Penitentiary in 
Lincoln, where a recent water main break flooded a housing unit, forcing
 the relocation of 140 inmates.<h2>Salary hikes helped, but vacancies remain</h2>She said that salary increases granted to security staff had shown 
“remarkable success” in filling over 400 vacancies in corrections 
corporals and others over the past year.But Doug Koebernick, the inspector general for corrections, testified
 that the agency still had 362 vacancies in all positions as of Jan. 1, 
and that two facilities, in Tecumseh and the Reception and Treatment 
Center in Lincoln, are still under staffing “emergencies” that result in
 interruptions in rehabilitation programming and other activities.Koebernick said that state prisons have a critical shortage of health
 workers, with only six of 18 psychologist positions filled and the 
agency lacking any psychiatrists.State Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln questioned whether Corrections, 
given the salary increases, will be able to reduce its overtime 
expenses, which exceeded $20 million in the last fiscal year.Sabatka-Rine said overtime costs remain high for several reasons. She
 said one is that staff working at the two prisons under emergency 
staffing automatically get overtime because they work four 12-hour 
shifts a week.<h2>Some reject new prison</h2>Three testifiers, including representatives of Nebraska Appleseed and
 the ACLU of Nebraska, urged the committee to reject funding for a new 
prison and instead consider sentencing reforms that would gradually 
reduce the flow of inmates.“Our punitive response to violence does not work,” said Fran Kaye, a longtime volunteer in state prisons.She suggested alternatives to incarceration, releasing inmates who 
don’t pose a threat to public safety and investing in policies that 
address poverty and joblessness.Diane Amdor of Nebraska Appleseed said&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/08/tax-credits-for-children-and-child-care-touted-as-helping-many-nebraskans/">providing tax credits per children</a>, which cut child poverty in half during the COVID-19 pandemic, would be a better investment.“What does it say about our state if we spend $350 million for a new 
prison but not spend money to address child poverty?” Amdor said.

State Patrol seeks recruits as it addresses shortage of troopers

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-committee-considers-harmonizing-hemp-regulation/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A legislative committee 
Tuesday considered proposals to harmonize Nebraska’s hemp regulation 
with federal standards and terminate the Nebraska Hemp Commission.

<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49794">Legislative Bill 263</a>,
 introduced by the Agriculture Committee at the request of the Nebraska 
Department of Agriculture, would amend the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act to 
align with the federal 2018 Farm Bill in the following ways:

The Agriculture Department director would also have greater authority to match federal changes.

<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49804">Legislative Bill 336</a>,
 proposed by State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, chair of the 
Agriculture Committee, would eliminate the Nebraska Hemp Commission and 
instead create the Nebraska Hemp Advisory Board. Rather than a 
standalone agency, this new board would be housed in the Nebraska 
Department of Agriculture.

No one testified in opposition to 
either proposal Tuesday, with most testifiers describing the importance 
for Nebraska to “tap into” the potential of hemp production.

“A thriving hemp industry in Nebraska could create new job 
opportunities and stimulate economic growth, particularly in rural areas
 of the state,” said Jacob Bish, who works in his family-owned Bish 
Enterprises and Global Fiber Processing.

Sherry Vinton, director of the 
Department of Agriculture, testified in support of LB 263 to harmonize 
federal provisions in state law.&nbsp;

Vinton said 22 hemp producers operate
 in the state, and the bill is “essentially” the same as a similar bill 
that reached the first round of debate in 2022 but did not advance.&nbsp;

Hemp is used in many everyday 
household items, including lotions, shampoos and clothing. Hemp can also
 be used as a substitute for concrete.

Annette Wiles, chair of the Nebraska 
Hemp Commission, testified in support of the committee’s bill and 
neutral on Halloran’s bill. She noted Nebraska had a decrease in hemp 
acreage from 2019 to 2023, partly due to state policy.

“We held our growers to way higher 
standards than the federal plans, which discouraged farmers from getting
 engaged in growing the crop,” Wiles said.

Wiles said she is in support of the 
commission receiving more support to operate, but she cautioned that 
moving the commission to the Agriculture Department — without additional
 funding, which already doesn’t exist — leaves uncertainty.

“Our commission will never be 
successful,” Wiles said, if there is no future funding. “And we’ve done a
 lot of work to set ourselves up.”

Wiles and Bish also encouraged the committee to expand LB 263 to reduce or eliminate fees for research.

John Hansen, president of the 
Nebraska Farmers Union, said that both bills would be good steps forward
 and that Halloran’s bill “recognizes where we’re at” with regard to 
hemp production.

Halloran said he is “looking forward”
 to the hemp industry being “vibrant enough” in the future that it could
 sustain its own commission.

“This is just a reality check that they’re not there right now,” Halloran said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677076399825.png" alt="State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, chair of the Agriculture Committee, opens one of the committee’s hearings on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, chair of the Agriculture Committee, opens one of the committee’s hearings on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-committee-considers-harmonizing-hemp-regulation/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A legislative committee 
Tuesday considered proposals to harmonize Nebraska’s hemp regulation 
with federal standards and terminate the Nebraska Hemp Commission.<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49794">Legislative Bill 263</a>,
 introduced by the Agriculture Committee at the request of the Nebraska 
Department of Agriculture, would amend the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act to 
align with the federal 2018 Farm Bill in the following ways:<ul>
 <li>Increasing the harvest window of hemp from 15 to 30 days.</li><li>Requiring the Nebraska Hemp Commission to meet annually instead of quarterly.</li><li>Increasing the negligence threshold of THC from 0.5% to 1%.&nbsp;</li><li>Allowing the use of performance-based sampling and remediation options for hemp testing.</li>
 </ul>The Agriculture Department director would also have greater authority to match federal changes.<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=49804">Legislative Bill 336</a>,
 proposed by State Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, chair of the 
Agriculture Committee, would eliminate the Nebraska Hemp Commission and 
instead create the Nebraska Hemp Advisory Board. Rather than a 
standalone agency, this new board would be housed in the Nebraska 
Department of Agriculture.No one testified in opposition to 
either proposal Tuesday, with most testifiers describing the importance 
for Nebraska to “tap into” the potential of hemp production.“A thriving hemp industry in Nebraska could create new job 
opportunities and stimulate economic growth, particularly in rural areas
 of the state,” said Jacob Bish, who works in his family-owned Bish 
Enterprises and Global Fiber Processing.<h2>Future of hemp</h2>Sherry Vinton, director of the 
Department of Agriculture, testified in support of LB 263 to harmonize 
federal provisions in state law.&nbsp;Vinton said 22 hemp producers operate
 in the state, and the bill is “essentially” the same as a similar bill 
that reached the first round of debate in 2022 but did not advance.&nbsp;Hemp is used in many everyday 
household items, including lotions, shampoos and clothing. Hemp can also
 be used as a substitute for concrete.Annette Wiles, chair of the Nebraska 
Hemp Commission, testified in support of the committee’s bill and 
neutral on Halloran’s bill. She noted Nebraska had a decrease in hemp 
acreage from 2019 to 2023, partly due to state policy.“We held our growers to way higher 
standards than the federal plans, which discouraged farmers from getting
 engaged in growing the crop,” Wiles said.Wiles said she is in support of the 
commission receiving more support to operate, but she cautioned that 
moving the commission to the Agriculture Department — without additional
 funding, which already doesn’t exist — leaves uncertainty.“Our commission will never be 
successful,” Wiles said, if there is no future funding. “And we’ve done a
 lot of work to set ourselves up.”Wiles and Bish also encouraged the committee to expand LB 263 to reduce or eliminate fees for research.<h2>‘Reality check’</h2>John Hansen, president of the 
Nebraska Farmers Union, said that both bills would be good steps forward
 and that Halloran’s bill “recognizes where we’re at” with regard to 
hemp production.Halloran said he is “looking forward”
 to the hemp industry being “vibrant enough” in the future that it could
 sustain its own commission.“This is just a reality check that they’re not there right now,” Halloran said.

Nebraska committee considers harmonizing hemp regulation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is weighing Wednesday whether Facebook, Twitter and YouTube can be sued over a 2017 Islamic State group attack on a Turkish nightclub based on the argument the platforms assisted in fueling the growth of the terrorist organization.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/21-1333">Click here to </a>listen to arguments in&nbsp;Gonzalez v. Google LLC

What the justices decide to do in this case and a related one it heard Tuesday is important particularly because the companies have been shielded from liability on the internet, allowing them to grow into the giants they are today.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-florida-state-government-texas-business-lawsuits-27e9f2e06de0f75a6c2f6a6f8d294827?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_11">On the first day of arguments</a>, the justices suggested they had little appetite for a far-reaching ruling that would upend the internet. Wednesday’s case about the nightclub attack in which 39 people died could provide an off-ramp for the justices if they want to limit the impact of what they do.

At the heart of the cases before the justices are two federal laws. The first is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-technology-social-media-business-internet-eb89baf1fa30e245c030992b48a8a0ff">Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act</a>, which protects tech companies from being sued over material put on their sites by users. The second is the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which allows Americans injured by a terrorist attack abroad to sue for money damages in federal court.

In Wednesday’s case, the family of a man killed in the Reina nightclub attack in Istanbul sued Twitter, Facebook and YouTube parent Google under the terrorism law. Nawras Alassaf’s family members, who are U.S. citizens, say the companies aided and abetted the attack because they assisted in the growth of the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for the attack. A lower court let the lawsuit go forward.

The platforms argue that they can’t be sued because they did not knowingly or substantially assist in the Reina attack. If the justices agree, they don’t have to reach bigger questions about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and whether it protects platforms when they recommend content.

The broader questions about Section 230 were at the center of the case the justices heard Tuesday. In that case, the family of an American college student who was one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-middle-east-1a49e6f638784cd4811754558a375d1c">130 people</a>&nbsp;killed in the Paris attacks sued under the terrorism law.

The family of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-technology-oregon-government-california-paris-3a2122b3456bb232baa5643b70fe676a">Nohemi Gonzalez</a>&nbsp;argued that the Islamic State group used YouTube to spread its message and recruit people to its cause. They said YouTube’s algorithm, which recommends videos to users based on their viewing habits, was critical to the Islamic State group’s growth. Lower courts ruled Section 230 barred the lawsuit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619124419728.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is weighing Wednesday whether Facebook, Twitter and YouTube can be sued over a 2017 Islamic State group attack on a Turkish nightclub based on the argument the platforms assisted in fueling the growth of the terrorist organization.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/21-1333">Click here to </a>listen to arguments in&nbsp;Gonzalez v. Google LLCWhat the justices decide to do in this case and a related one it heard Tuesday is important particularly because the companies have been shielded from liability on the internet, allowing them to grow into the giants they are today.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-florida-state-government-texas-business-lawsuits-27e9f2e06de0f75a6c2f6a6f8d294827?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_11">On the first day of arguments</a>, the justices suggested they had little appetite for a far-reaching ruling that would upend the internet. Wednesday’s case about the nightclub attack in which 39 people died could provide an off-ramp for the justices if they want to limit the impact of what they do.At the heart of the cases before the justices are two federal laws. The first is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-technology-social-media-business-internet-eb89baf1fa30e245c030992b48a8a0ff">Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act</a>, which protects tech companies from being sued over material put on their sites by users. The second is the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which allows Americans injured by a terrorist attack abroad to sue for money damages in federal court.In Wednesday’s case, the family of a man killed in the Reina nightclub attack in Istanbul sued Twitter, Facebook and YouTube parent Google under the terrorism law. Nawras Alassaf’s family members, who are U.S. citizens, say the companies aided and abetted the attack because they assisted in the growth of the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for the attack. A lower court let the lawsuit go forward.The platforms argue that they can’t be sued because they did not knowingly or substantially assist in the Reina attack. If the justices agree, they don’t have to reach bigger questions about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and whether it protects platforms when they recommend content.The broader questions about Section 230 were at the center of the case the justices heard Tuesday. In that case, the family of an American college student who was one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-middle-east-1a49e6f638784cd4811754558a375d1c">130 people</a>&nbsp;killed in the Paris attacks sued under the terrorism law.The family of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-technology-oregon-government-california-paris-3a2122b3456bb232baa5643b70fe676a">Nohemi Gonzalez</a>&nbsp;argued that the Islamic State group used YouTube to spread its message and recruit people to its cause. They said YouTube’s algorithm, which recommends videos to users based on their viewing habits, was critical to the Islamic State group’s growth. Lower courts ruled Section 230 barred the lawsuit.

🎤Supreme Court hears case that could reshape internet

WARSAW, Poland (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday warned of “hard and bitter days ahead" as Russia's invasion of Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-russia-ukraine-a-year-of-war-ap-pkg-dc5ee4b342ce80742c471e19258a2046">nears the one-year mark</a>, but vowed that no matter what, the United States and allies “will not waver” in supporting the Ukrainians.

(Click below to watch President's Biden's address)

A day after his surprise visit to Kyiv, Biden used a strongly worded address in neighboring Poland to praise allies in Europe for stepping up over the past year and to send a clear message to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-arms-control-treaty-48e7bfc8ff41c46c1f7797a941129ab3">Russian President Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;that "NATO will not be divided, and we will not tire.”

“One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv,” Biden said before a crowd of thousands outside Warsaw’s Royal Castle. “I can report: Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It stands tall and, most important, it stands free."

With Russia and Ukraine each preparing spring offensives, Biden insisted there will be no backing down from what he’s portrayed as a global struggle between democracy and autocracy — though polling suggests American support for ongoing military assistance appears to be softening.

“Democracies of the world will stand guard over freedom today, tomorrow and forever," Biden declared. The U.S. and allies will “have Ukraine's back.”

Biden's speech came a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-biden-f00af220669457d5ba07127c7e57a27b?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_04">his unannounced trip to Kyiv</a>, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and walked the city streets as an air raid siren blared.

Last year, weeks after Russian forces began their attacks on Ukraine,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-migration-world-war-ii-warsaw-652da1c2ab1c88de3032241089bfa516">Biden delivered a harsh condemnation</a>&nbsp;of Putin from the gardens of the castle. Speaking Tuesday to a crowd that included Polish citizens and Ukrainian refugees — and millions more following in Ukraine, Russia and around the world — he made his case that Putin's war has been a failure.

“When President Putin ordered his tanks to roll into Ukraine, he thought we would roll over. He was wrong,” Biden said.

The president also declared “the democracies of the world have grown stronger" while the world's autocrats — including Putin — have become weaker.

“Autocrats only understand one word — no, no, no,” Biden said. “No, you will not take my country. No, you will not take my freedom. No, you will not take my future.”

Biden was using the trip to prepare allies for an ever-more-complicated stage of the war and to reassure allies in the region that the U.S. was committed for the long haul. He met Tuesday with Moldovan President Maia Sandu — who last week claimed Moscow was behind a plot to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-politics-government-maia-sandu-152d2353f4c18bb84348f5d1656edb98">overthrow her country’s government</a>&nbsp;using external saboteurs — and with his host Polish President Andrzej Duda.

“We have to have security in Europe,” Biden said at the presidential palace. “It's that basic, that simple, that consequential.”

He described NATO as “maybe the most consequential alliance in history," and he said it's “stronger than it's ever been” despite the Russian leader's hopes that it would fracture over the war in Ukraine.

Duda praised the American president’s visit to Kyiv as “spectacular,” saying it “boosted morale of Ukraine’s defenders.”

He said the trip was “a sign that the free world, and its biggest leader, the president of the United States, stands by them.”

On Wednesday, Biden will meet again with Duda along with other leaders of the Bucharest Nine, the easternmost members of the NATO military alliance. Ukraine is not a member.

While Biden was in Poland, Putin announced that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-politics-de0af48be7ea480ccb0175f55a065363?utm_source=apnews&amp;utm_medium=featuredcard&amp;utm_campaign=leadsubstory_01">Moscow would suspend its participation</a>&nbsp;in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States.

The New START Treaty caps the number of long-range nuclear warheads countries may deploy and limits the use of missiles that can carry atomic weapons.

Despite his criticisms of Putin, Biden did not mention the START suspension during his speech. And the Russian Foreign Ministry later said that, despite Putin's announcement, it would continue abiding by the treaty's caps.

The conflict in Ukraine — the most significant war in Europe since World War II — has already left tens of thousands of people dead, devastated Ukraine’s infrastructure system and damaged the global economy.

While Biden is looking to use his whirlwind trip to Europe as a moment of affirmation for Ukraine and allies, the White House has also acknowledged that there is no clear endgame to the war in the near term, and the situation on the ground has become increasingly complex.

The administration on Sunday said it has new intelligence suggesting that China, which has generally remained on the sidelines of the conflict,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-politics-antony-blinken-xi-jinping-4501b49359d73b6efbac87b2af54f189">is now considering sending Moscow lethal aid.</a>&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it could become a “serious problem” if Beijing follows through.

Biden and Zelenskyy discussed capabilities that Ukraine needs “to be able to succeed on the battlefield” in the months ahead, said U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Zelenskyy has been pushing the U.S. and European allies to provide fighter jets and long-range missile systems known as ATACMS — which Biden has declined to provide so far. Sullivan declined to comment on whether there was any movement on that during the leaders' talk.

With no quick end in sight for the war,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-biden-kyiv-15095c5e2fb8a9f9c0a235ffe0a161d0">the anniversary is a critical moment for Biden</a>&nbsp;to try to bolster European unity and reiterate the West's position that Putin's invasion was a frontal attack on the post-World War II international order. The White House hopes the president's visit to Kyiv and Warsaw will help bolster American and global resolve.

In the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-politics-poland-33095abf76875b60ebab3ddf4eede188">a poll published last week by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed</a>&nbsp;that support for providing Ukraine with weapons and direct economic assistance is softening. And earlier this month, 11 House Republicans introduced what they called the “Ukraine fatigue” resolution urging Biden to end military and financial aid to Ukraine, while pushing Ukraine and Russia to come to a peace agreement.

Biden dismissed the notion of waning American support during his visit to Kyiv.

“For all the disagreement we have in our Congress on some issues, there is significant agreement on support for Ukraine,” he said. He described the conflict as "about freedom of democracy at large.”

Biden had high praise for Poland's efforts to assist Ukraine. More than 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees have settled in Poland since the start of the war, and millions more have crossed through Poland on their way to other countries. Poland has also provided Ukraine with $3.8 billion in military and humanitarian aid, according to the White House.

The Biden administration announced last summer that it was establishing a permanent U.S. garrison in Poland, creating an enduring American foothold on NATO's eastern flank.

“The truth of the matter is the United States needs Poland and NATO as much as NATO needs the United States,” Biden told Duda on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677005040093.png" alt="White House photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>White House photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WARSAW, Poland (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday warned of “hard and bitter days ahead" as Russia's invasion of Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-russia-ukraine-a-year-of-war-ap-pkg-dc5ee4b342ce80742c471e19258a2046">nears the one-year mark</a>, but vowed that no matter what, the United States and allies “will not waver” in supporting the Ukrainians.(Click below to watch President's Biden's address)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F580215907487870%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1301" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>A day after his surprise visit to Kyiv, Biden used a strongly worded address in neighboring Poland to praise allies in Europe for stepping up over the past year and to send a clear message to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-arms-control-treaty-48e7bfc8ff41c46c1f7797a941129ab3">Russian President Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;that "NATO will not be divided, and we will not tire.”“One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv,” Biden said before a crowd of thousands outside Warsaw’s Royal Castle. “I can report: Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It stands tall and, most important, it stands free."With Russia and Ukraine each preparing spring offensives, Biden insisted there will be no backing down from what he’s portrayed as a global struggle between democracy and autocracy — though polling suggests American support for ongoing military assistance appears to be softening.“Democracies of the world will stand guard over freedom today, tomorrow and forever," Biden declared. The U.S. and allies will “have Ukraine's back.”Biden's speech came a day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-biden-f00af220669457d5ba07127c7e57a27b?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_04">his unannounced trip to Kyiv</a>, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and walked the city streets as an air raid siren blared.Last year, weeks after Russian forces began their attacks on Ukraine,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-migration-world-war-ii-warsaw-652da1c2ab1c88de3032241089bfa516">Biden delivered a harsh condemnation</a>&nbsp;of Putin from the gardens of the castle. Speaking Tuesday to a crowd that included Polish citizens and Ukrainian refugees — and millions more following in Ukraine, Russia and around the world — he made his case that Putin's war has been a failure.“When President Putin ordered his tanks to roll into Ukraine, he thought we would roll over. He was wrong,” Biden said.The president also declared “the democracies of the world have grown stronger" while the world's autocrats — including Putin — have become weaker.“Autocrats only understand one word — no, no, no,” Biden said. “No, you will not take my country. No, you will not take my freedom. No, you will not take my future.”Biden was using the trip to prepare allies for an ever-more-complicated stage of the war and to reassure allies in the region that the U.S. was committed for the long haul. He met Tuesday with Moldovan President Maia Sandu — who last week claimed Moscow was behind a plot to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-politics-government-maia-sandu-152d2353f4c18bb84348f5d1656edb98">overthrow her country’s government</a>&nbsp;using external saboteurs — and with his host Polish President Andrzej Duda.“We have to have security in Europe,” Biden said at the presidential palace. “It's that basic, that simple, that consequential.”He described NATO as “maybe the most consequential alliance in history," and he said it's “stronger than it's ever been” despite the Russian leader's hopes that it would fracture over the war in Ukraine.Duda praised the American president’s visit to Kyiv as “spectacular,” saying it “boosted morale of Ukraine’s defenders.”He said the trip was “a sign that the free world, and its biggest leader, the president of the United States, stands by them.”On Wednesday, Biden will meet again with Duda along with other leaders of the Bucharest Nine, the easternmost members of the NATO military alliance. Ukraine is not a member.While Biden was in Poland, Putin announced that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-politics-de0af48be7ea480ccb0175f55a065363?utm_source=apnews&amp;utm_medium=featuredcard&amp;utm_campaign=leadsubstory_01">Moscow would suspend its participation</a>&nbsp;in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States.The New START Treaty caps the number of long-range nuclear warheads countries may deploy and limits the use of missiles that can carry atomic weapons.Despite his criticisms of Putin, Biden did not mention the START suspension during his speech. And the Russian Foreign Ministry later said that, despite Putin's announcement, it would continue abiding by the treaty's caps.The conflict in Ukraine — the most significant war in Europe since World War II — has already left tens of thousands of people dead, devastated Ukraine’s infrastructure system and damaged the global economy.While Biden is looking to use his whirlwind trip to Europe as a moment of affirmation for Ukraine and allies, the White House has also acknowledged that there is no clear endgame to the war in the near term, and the situation on the ground has become increasingly complex.The administration on Sunday said it has new intelligence suggesting that China, which has generally remained on the sidelines of the conflict,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-politics-antony-blinken-xi-jinping-4501b49359d73b6efbac87b2af54f189">is now considering sending Moscow lethal aid.</a>&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it could become a “serious problem” if Beijing follows through.Biden and Zelenskyy discussed capabilities that Ukraine needs “to be able to succeed on the battlefield” in the months ahead, said U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Zelenskyy has been pushing the U.S. and European allies to provide fighter jets and long-range missile systems known as ATACMS — which Biden has declined to provide so far. Sullivan declined to comment on whether there was any movement on that during the leaders' talk.With no quick end in sight for the war,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-biden-kyiv-15095c5e2fb8a9f9c0a235ffe0a161d0">the anniversary is a critical moment for Biden</a>&nbsp;to try to bolster European unity and reiterate the West's position that Putin's invasion was a frontal attack on the post-World War II international order. The White House hopes the president's visit to Kyiv and Warsaw will help bolster American and global resolve.In the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-politics-poland-33095abf76875b60ebab3ddf4eede188">a poll published last week by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed</a>&nbsp;that support for providing Ukraine with weapons and direct economic assistance is softening. And earlier this month, 11 House Republicans introduced what they called the “Ukraine fatigue” resolution urging Biden to end military and financial aid to Ukraine, while pushing Ukraine and Russia to come to a peace agreement.Biden dismissed the notion of waning American support during his visit to Kyiv.“For all the disagreement we have in our Congress on some issues, there is significant agreement on support for Ukraine,” he said. He described the conflict as "about freedom of democracy at large.”Biden had high praise for Poland's efforts to assist Ukraine. More than 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees have settled in Poland since the start of the war, and millions more have crossed through Poland on their way to other countries. Poland has also provided Ukraine with $3.8 billion in military and humanitarian aid, according to the White House.The Biden administration announced last summer that it was establishing a permanent U.S. garrison in Poland, creating an enduring American foothold on NATO's eastern flank.“The truth of the matter is the United States needs Poland and NATO as much as NATO needs the United States,” Biden told Duda on Tuesday.___

🎥Biden in Poland: No higher aspiration than freedom

By JENNIFER SHUTT <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/21/military-records-for-iowa-nebraska-congressmen-incorrectly-released-by-air-force/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force 
unintentionally released military personnel records of at least two 
members of Congress — Republican Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Zach 
Nunn of Iowa — eliciting frustration and concerns for veterans’ 
privacy.&nbsp;

“The recent targeting of Members of 
Congress’s personnel military records, the breach of sensitive data, and
 the duplicitous forgery taken by political hacks isn’t only a violation
 of public trust — it’s criminal,” Nunn said in a written statement.

“As a country, we should be 
supporting veterans who want to continue their service instead of 
harassing and intimidating them,” Nunn added. “I strongly support 
bipartisan efforts being undertaken by the House Armed Services 
Committee to protect our service members and hold criminal actors 
accountable.”

An Air Force spokesperson said in a 
written statement that an internal audit of records released between 
October 2021 and October 2022 showed “unauthorized release of military 
duty information on 11 individuals.”

The Air Force declined to share information about the 11 people.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Air Force employees didn’t follow 
procedures that required getting a signature to release this type of 
information, though the spokesperson said there “was no evidence of 
political motivation or malicious intent on the part of any employee.”

The Air Force spokesperson said that 
“virtually all unauthorized disclosures were in response to a 
third-party seeking service records for employment or benefit purposes 
through a process commonly used by other federal agencies to conduct 
employee background checks.”

A letter from Air Force Maj. Gen. 
Troy E. Dunn to Bacon about his military personnel record release says 
that Abraham Payton, a background investigation analyst with Due 
Diligence Group, LLC, requested the congressman’s records from the Air 
Force Personnel Center Military Records Branch in November 2021.&nbsp;

“He inappropriately requested copies 
of your military personnel records for the stated purpose of employment 
and benefits,” Dunn wrote. “Although, Mr. Payton was already in 
possession of your social security number at the time of his request, 
the records branch still released your Personal Identifiable Information
 on November 12, 2021 without your authorization, which is protected 
under Privacy Act of 1974.”

Dunn wrote in the letter to Bacon 
that the Air Force immediately changed its procedures to require a 
higher level review and additional security checks to avoid records 
being incorrectly released in the future.&nbsp;

Bacon was in the Air Force from 1985 through 2014, according to his official congressional biography.&nbsp;

Bacon specialized in electronic 
warfare, intelligence and reconnaissance. His military decorations 
include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, two Bronze Stars, two
 Legion of Merits, five Meritorious Service Medals, and the Aerial 
Achievement Medal, according to his congressional website.&nbsp;

Nunn’s campaign website says he was a
 combat aviator who deployed three times to the Middle East and is 
currently a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Air National Guard. His 
official congressional biography lists the U.S. Air Force and Iowa Air 
National Guard, though it doesn’t list years of service.&nbsp;

The Freedom of Information Act says 
the public can access some information in military personnel records 
without approval from the veteran or their next-of kin. That information
 includes name, service number, dates of service, branch of service, 
final duty status and final rank.&nbsp;

It can also include salary, 
assignments and geographic locations, source of commission, military 
education level, awards and decorations, photograph, transcript of 
courts-martial trials and place of entrance and separation, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/foia-info">according to</a> the National Archives.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bacon said in a written statement 
that “knowing that this third party paid by the Dem Campaign 
Congressional Committee was able to obtain my social security number and
 fraudulently use it to obtain my military records is concerning not 
only for myself and the other ten affected, but to every single 
veteran.”&nbsp;

The Democratic Congressional Campaign
 Committee made at least 35 payments totaling more than $100,000 to Due 
Diligence Group during the last two years, according to Federal Election
 Commission records <a target="_blank" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-parties/democratic-congressional-campaign-cmte/DCCC/2022/expenditures-details?recip=Due+Diligence+Group">compiled</a> by Open Secrets. The payments are categorized as “GENERIC CMTE RESEARCH MATERIALS” or “GENERIC STRATEGIC/POLITICAL CONSULTANT.”

Due Diligence Group LLC writes on its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.duediligencegroupllc.com/">website</a>
 that it specializes “in using public records research to provide our 
clients with the knowledge and insights needed to drive strategic 
decision making.” Due Diligence Group LLC did not respond to a request 
for comment.&nbsp;

The Due Diligence Group’s website was
 lacking additional information Tuesday, after Politico first reported 
on the military records release.&nbsp;

An <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210125155334/https://www.duediligencegroupllc.com/about">archived version of its website</a>
 from January 2021 lists Payton as a partner and says he “found his 
passion for transparency and ethics issues” after meeting a colleague at
 VR Research, an opposition research firm, in 2009.&nbsp;

Payton then trained to be “an adept 
due diligence researcher through various projects on behalf of political
 and commercial clientele over the next two years,” according to the 
archived website.&nbsp;

​”Abraham joined a democratic 
SuperPAC in 2011, serving as Due Diligence Director,” the archived 
website says. “He produced over 100 opposition research books and 
managed over 4,000 public record requests.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677020151132.png" alt="U.S. Rep Don Bacon, R-Neb. (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Rep Don Bacon, R-Neb. (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JENNIFER SHUTT <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/21/military-records-for-iowa-nebraska-congressmen-incorrectly-released-by-air-force/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force 
unintentionally released military personnel records of at least two 
members of Congress — Republican Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Zach 
Nunn of Iowa — eliciting frustration and concerns for veterans’ 
privacy.&nbsp;“The recent targeting of Members of 
Congress’s personnel military records, the breach of sensitive data, and
 the duplicitous forgery taken by political hacks isn’t only a violation
 of public trust — it’s criminal,” Nunn said in a written statement.“As a country, we should be 
supporting veterans who want to continue their service instead of 
harassing and intimidating them,” Nunn added. “I strongly support 
bipartisan efforts being undertaken by the House Armed Services 
Committee to protect our service members and hold criminal actors 
accountable.”An Air Force spokesperson said in a 
written statement that an internal audit of records released between 
October 2021 and October 2022 showed “unauthorized release of military 
duty information on 11 individuals.”The Air Force declined to share information about the 11 people.&nbsp;&nbsp;Air Force employees didn’t follow 
procedures that required getting a signature to release this type of 
information, though the spokesperson said there “was no evidence of 
political motivation or malicious intent on the part of any employee.”The Air Force spokesperson said that 
“virtually all unauthorized disclosures were in response to a 
third-party seeking service records for employment or benefit purposes 
through a process commonly used by other federal agencies to conduct 
employee background checks.”A letter from Air Force Maj. Gen. 
Troy E. Dunn to Bacon about his military personnel record release says 
that Abraham Payton, a background investigation analyst with Due 
Diligence Group, LLC, requested the congressman’s records from the Air 
Force Personnel Center Military Records Branch in November 2021.&nbsp;“He inappropriately requested copies 
of your military personnel records for the stated purpose of employment 
and benefits,” Dunn wrote. “Although, Mr. Payton was already in 
possession of your social security number at the time of his request, 
the records branch still released your Personal Identifiable Information
 on November 12, 2021 without your authorization, which is protected 
under Privacy Act of 1974.”<h2>Additional security checks</h2>Dunn wrote in the letter to Bacon 
that the Air Force immediately changed its procedures to require a 
higher level review and additional security checks to avoid records 
being incorrectly released in the future.&nbsp;Bacon was in the Air Force from 1985 through 2014, according to his official congressional biography.&nbsp;Bacon specialized in electronic 
warfare, intelligence and reconnaissance. His military decorations 
include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, two Bronze Stars, two
 Legion of Merits, five Meritorious Service Medals, and the Aerial 
Achievement Medal, according to his congressional website.&nbsp;Nunn’s campaign website says he was a
 combat aviator who deployed three times to the Middle East and is 
currently a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Air National Guard. His 
official congressional biography lists the U.S. Air Force and Iowa Air 
National Guard, though it doesn’t list years of service.&nbsp;The Freedom of Information Act says 
the public can access some information in military personnel records 
without approval from the veteran or their next-of kin. That information
 includes name, service number, dates of service, branch of service, 
final duty status and final rank.&nbsp;It can also include salary, 
assignments and geographic locations, source of commission, military 
education level, awards and decorations, photograph, transcript of 
courts-martial trials and place of entrance and separation, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/foia-info">according to</a> the National Archives.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bacon said in a written statement 
that “knowing that this third party paid by the Dem Campaign 
Congressional Committee was able to obtain my social security number and
 fraudulently use it to obtain my military records is concerning not 
only for myself and the other ten affected, but to every single 
veteran.”&nbsp;<h2>DCCC payments</h2>The Democratic Congressional Campaign
 Committee made at least 35 payments totaling more than $100,000 to Due 
Diligence Group during the last two years, according to Federal Election
 Commission records <a target="_blank" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-parties/democratic-congressional-campaign-cmte/DCCC/2022/expenditures-details?recip=Due+Diligence+Group">compiled</a> by Open Secrets. The payments are categorized as “GENERIC CMTE RESEARCH MATERIALS” or “GENERIC STRATEGIC/POLITICAL CONSULTANT.”Due Diligence Group LLC writes on its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.duediligencegroupllc.com/">website</a>
 that it specializes “in using public records research to provide our 
clients with the knowledge and insights needed to drive strategic 
decision making.” Due Diligence Group LLC did not respond to a request 
for comment.&nbsp;The Due Diligence Group’s website was
 lacking additional information Tuesday, after Politico first reported 
on the military records release.&nbsp;An <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210125155334/https://www.duediligencegroupllc.com/about">archived version of its website</a>
 from January 2021 lists Payton as a partner and says he “found his 
passion for transparency and ethics issues” after meeting a colleague at
 VR Research, an opposition research firm, in 2009.&nbsp;Payton then trained to be “an adept 
due diligence researcher through various projects on behalf of political
 and commercial clientele over the next two years,” according to the 
archived website.&nbsp;​”Abraham joined a democratic 
SuperPAC in 2011, serving as Due Diligence Director,” the archived 
website says. “He produced over 100 opposition research books and 
managed over 4,000 public record requests.”&nbsp;

Military records for Neb. rep incorrectly released by Air Force

LOWRY CITY, Mo. (AP) — At Truman Lake Manor in rural Missouri, every day begins the same way for every employee entering the nursing home's doors — with a swab up the nose, a swirl of testing solution and a brief wait to see whether a thin red line appears indicating a positive COVID-19 case.

Only the healthy are allowed in to care for virus-free residents.

Despite those precautions, a coronavirus outbreak swept through the facility late last year. An inspector subsequently cited it for violating the federal government's COVID-19 vaccination requirement for health care facilities.

Truman Lake Manor is one of about 750 nursing homes and 110 hospitals nationwide written up for violating federal staff vaccination rules during the past year, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services. Most were given a bureaucratic nudge to do better — though some nursing homes also received fines, especially when they had multiple other problems.

One year after it began being enforced nationwide on Feb. 20, 2022, the vaccination requirement affecting an estimated 10 million health care workers is the last remaining major mandate from President Joe Biden's sweeping attempt to boost national vaccination rates. Similar requirements for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-vaccine-mandate-eb5899ae1fe5b62b6f4d51f54a3cd375">large employers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-health-immunizations-lloyd-austin-covid-64752e91abbc3d707ee46373a3ce757e">military members</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-georgia-860fa72a878c6d0cb24bfea66c9fcf59">federal contractors</a>&nbsp;all have been struck down, repealed or partially blocked.

The health care vaccination mandate is scheduled to run until November 2024. But some contend it’s time to stop now, citing fewer severe COVID-19 cases, health care staffing shortages and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-covid-public-health-2a80b547f6d55706a6986debc343b9fe">the impending May 11 expiration</a>&nbsp;of a national public health emergency that has been in place since January 2020.

“Their regulations are making it harder to give care – not easier," said Tim Corbin, the administrator of Truman Lake Manor who also doubles as a nurse, adding that "the mandates need to end.”

CMS said in a statement to the AP that “the requirement for staff to be fully vaccinated has been a critical step in responding to the pandemic” and “has saved Americans from countless infections, hospitalizations, and death.”

The policy requires workers, contractors and volunteers at facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid payments to have the full primary dosage of an original COVID-19 vaccine, with exemptions for medical or religious reasons. Though nursing homes can be fined for violations, CMS generally gave violating facilities additional time to update their policies and come into compliance.

The Republican-led U.S. House recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/497/actions">passed legislation</a>&nbsp;that would halt the mandate, but the bill is unlikely to pass in the Democratic-led Senate.

Meanwhile, the requirement continues with mixed results and — in some cases — widespread exceptions.

When a state inspector visited Truman Lake Manor in December, a coronavirus outbreak had infected 26 of the 60 residents and about a quarter of the staff within the previous few weeks. Corbin said the outbreak originated from an unvaccinated employee with a religious exemption who tested negative for COVID-19 before working a shift and wore a mask. The employee didn't feel well and tested positive after arriving home.

The inspector found that more than 40% of staff had been granted religious exemptions from getting vaccinated. But the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services does not scrutinize the rationale for such exemptions. The reason the facility was cited for a vaccination deficiency was because three employees had failed to receive their second dose of the vaccine and had no exemption on record. After the citation, they each got the second shot, and regulators OK'd the corrections in January.

It's hard to find workers willing to be vaccinated, Corbin said, because many local residents remain opposed to the vaccine or doubt its effectiveness. Just 42% of adults in St. Clair County are vaccinated against COVID-19 — a rate barely half the national average.

Workforce shortages are causing more than half of nursing homes nationally to limit resident admissions, according to the American Health Care Association, which represents long-term care facilities. Though most other health care sectors have rebounded, nursing home employment was down 13% in 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Fact-Sheets/FactSheets/LTC-Jobs-Report-Jan2023.pdf">compared</a><a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Fact-Sheets/FactSheets/LTC-Jobs-Report-Jan2023.pdf">to pre-pandemic levels</a>&nbsp;and reached lows not seen since the 1990s.

LeadingAge, an association of nonprofit nursing homes and other aging service providers, originally supported the mandate and still encourages vaccinations. But it now says a federal requirement no longer is needed.

Though deaths are down significantly from their&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklydeaths_select_00">peak in January 2021</a>, older adults and people with underlying health problems remain more susceptible to serious cases of COVID-19. Because of that, some medical professionals believe the vaccine mandate should continue at nursing homes and hospitals.

“This is an important requirement,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “Not only does it protect the health care worker themself, but it also protects the patients.”

Nationwide, about 5% of the over 15,000 nursing homes caring for Medicare or Medicaid patients have been cited for violating the COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and about 2% of the 4,900 hospitals, according to the AP's analysis. But those citations haven't been evenly spread among states and occurred less often during the latter half of 2022.

Twenty-four states cited no hospitals for COVID-19 vaccination violations.

Texas, which has the most nursing homes nationally participating in Medicare or Medicaid, had just one nursing home cited for violating the vaccination rule.

Kansas, Florida and Texas each declined to check for vaccination violations, instead leaving that process to CMS, which hired contractors. As a result, CMS said Texas was docked more than $2.5 million in federal funding, Florida more than $1.2 million and Kansas nearly $350,000.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat who faced reelection in a Republican-leaning state,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-kansas-topeka-1f8b0b327403adbef0dbff961b1bfe98">said last year that the vaccine mandate conflicted with state law</a>&nbsp;and could worsen workforce shortages.

Nationally, the number of nursing homes cited for vaccination violations declined noticeably after CMS last June stopped requiring state inspectors to check for compliance when responding to complaints about unrelated allegations, such as neglect of patients. CMS cited substantial compliance with the vaccination requirement while making the change.

Harjai reported from Los Angeles and is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658932277534.png" alt="A COVID-19 test kit shows a negative result-White House photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>A COVID-19 test kit shows a negative result-White House photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>LOWRY CITY, Mo. (AP) — At Truman Lake Manor in rural Missouri, every day begins the same way for every employee entering the nursing home's doors — with a swab up the nose, a swirl of testing solution and a brief wait to see whether a thin red line appears indicating a positive COVID-19 case.Only the healthy are allowed in to care for virus-free residents.Despite those precautions, a coronavirus outbreak swept through the facility late last year. An inspector subsequently cited it for violating the federal government's COVID-19 vaccination requirement for health care facilities.Truman Lake Manor is one of about 750 nursing homes and 110 hospitals nationwide written up for violating federal staff vaccination rules during the past year, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services. Most were given a bureaucratic nudge to do better — though some nursing homes also received fines, especially when they had multiple other problems.One year after it began being enforced nationwide on Feb. 20, 2022, the vaccination requirement affecting an estimated 10 million health care workers is the last remaining major mandate from President Joe Biden's sweeping attempt to boost national vaccination rates. Similar requirements for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-vaccine-mandate-eb5899ae1fe5b62b6f4d51f54a3cd375">large employers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-health-immunizations-lloyd-austin-covid-64752e91abbc3d707ee46373a3ce757e">military members</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-georgia-860fa72a878c6d0cb24bfea66c9fcf59">federal contractors</a>&nbsp;all have been struck down, repealed or partially blocked.The health care vaccination mandate is scheduled to run until November 2024. But some contend it’s time to stop now, citing fewer severe COVID-19 cases, health care staffing shortages and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-covid-public-health-2a80b547f6d55706a6986debc343b9fe">the impending May 11 expiration</a>&nbsp;of a national public health emergency that has been in place since January 2020.“Their regulations are making it harder to give care – not easier," said Tim Corbin, the administrator of Truman Lake Manor who also doubles as a nurse, adding that "the mandates need to end.”CMS said in a statement to the AP that “the requirement for staff to be fully vaccinated has been a critical step in responding to the pandemic” and “has saved Americans from countless infections, hospitalizations, and death.”The policy requires workers, contractors and volunteers at facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid payments to have the full primary dosage of an original COVID-19 vaccine, with exemptions for medical or religious reasons. Though nursing homes can be fined for violations, CMS generally gave violating facilities additional time to update their policies and come into compliance.The Republican-led U.S. House recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/497/actions">passed legislation</a>&nbsp;that would halt the mandate, but the bill is unlikely to pass in the Democratic-led Senate.Meanwhile, the requirement continues with mixed results and — in some cases — widespread exceptions.When a state inspector visited Truman Lake Manor in December, a coronavirus outbreak had infected 26 of the 60 residents and about a quarter of the staff within the previous few weeks. Corbin said the outbreak originated from an unvaccinated employee with a religious exemption who tested negative for COVID-19 before working a shift and wore a mask. The employee didn't feel well and tested positive after arriving home.The inspector found that more than 40% of staff had been granted religious exemptions from getting vaccinated. But the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services does not scrutinize the rationale for such exemptions. The reason the facility was cited for a vaccination deficiency was because three employees had failed to receive their second dose of the vaccine and had no exemption on record. After the citation, they each got the second shot, and regulators OK'd the corrections in January.It's hard to find workers willing to be vaccinated, Corbin said, because many local residents remain opposed to the vaccine or doubt its effectiveness. Just 42% of adults in St. Clair County are vaccinated against COVID-19 — a rate barely half the national average.Workforce shortages are causing more than half of nursing homes nationally to limit resident admissions, according to the American Health Care Association, which represents long-term care facilities. Though most other health care sectors have rebounded, nursing home employment was down 13% in 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Fact-Sheets/FactSheets/LTC-Jobs-Report-Jan2023.pdf">compared</a><a href="https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Fact-Sheets/FactSheets/LTC-Jobs-Report-Jan2023.pdf">to pre-pandemic levels</a>&nbsp;and reached lows not seen since the 1990s.LeadingAge, an association of nonprofit nursing homes and other aging service providers, originally supported the mandate and still encourages vaccinations. But it now says a federal requirement no longer is needed.Though deaths are down significantly from their&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklydeaths_select_00">peak in January 2021</a>, older adults and people with underlying health problems remain more susceptible to serious cases of COVID-19. Because of that, some medical professionals believe the vaccine mandate should continue at nursing homes and hospitals.“This is an important requirement,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “Not only does it protect the health care worker themself, but it also protects the patients.”Nationwide, about 5% of the over 15,000 nursing homes caring for Medicare or Medicaid patients have been cited for violating the COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and about 2% of the 4,900 hospitals, according to the AP's analysis. But those citations haven't been evenly spread among states and occurred less often during the latter half of 2022.Twenty-four states cited no hospitals for COVID-19 vaccination violations.Texas, which has the most nursing homes nationally participating in Medicare or Medicaid, had just one nursing home cited for violating the vaccination rule.Kansas, Florida and Texas each declined to check for vaccination violations, instead leaving that process to CMS, which hired contractors. As a result, CMS said Texas was docked more than $2.5 million in federal funding, Florida more than $1.2 million and Kansas nearly $350,000.Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat who faced reelection in a Republican-leaning state,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-kansas-topeka-1f8b0b327403adbef0dbff961b1bfe98">said last year that the vaccine mandate conflicted with state law</a>&nbsp;and could worsen workforce shortages.Nationally, the number of nursing homes cited for vaccination violations declined noticeably after CMS last June stopped requiring state inspectors to check for compliance when responding to complaints about unrelated allegations, such as neglect of patients. CMS cited substantial compliance with the vaccination requirement while making the change.__Harjai reported from Los Angeles and is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Healthcare vaxx mandate to run through Nov. 2024

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States, announcing the move Tuesday in a bitter speech where he made clear he would not change his strategy in the war in Ukraine.

Putin emphasized, however, that Russia isn’t withdrawing from the pact yet, and hours after his address the Foreign Ministry said Moscow would respect the caps on nuclear weapons under the treaty. The ministry also said Russia will continue to exchange information about test launches of ballistic missiles per earlier agreements with the United States.

In his long-delayed state-of-the-nation address, Putin cast his country — and Ukraine — as victims of Western double-dealing and said it was Russia, not Ukraine, fighting for its very existence.

“We aren’t fighting the Ukrainian people,” Putin said ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-one-year-ba61809330c132929a6da34fe99ddab2">war’s first anniversary Friday</a>. “The Ukrainian people have become hostages of the Kyiv regime and its Western masters, which have effectively occupied the country.”

The speech reiterated a litany of grievances he has frequently offered as justification for the widely condemned military campaign, while vowing no military letup in a conflict that has reawakened Cold War fears.

The 2010 New START treaty envisages caps on the number of nuclear weapons, and broad inspections of nuclear sites. Putin also said Russia should stand ready to resume nuclear weapons tests if the U.S. does so, a move that would end a global ban on such tests in place since the Cold War era.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Moscow’s decision to suspend its participation in the treaty as “really unfortunate and very irresponsible."

"We’ll be watching carefully to see what Russia actually does,” he said while visiting Greece.

U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Poland a day after his surprise visit to Ukraine, did not mention the START suspension but blasted Putin for the invasion. He pledged continued support for Ukraine despite “hard and bitter days ahead.”

“Democracies of the world will stand guard over freedom today, tomorrow and forever,” he said at Warsaw's landmark Royal Castle before a cheering crowd of Polish citizens and Ukrainian refugees.

Putin's announcement about the START Treaty was the second time in recent days the Ukraine war showed it could spread into perilous new terrain, after Blinken told China over the weekend that it would be a “serious problem” if Beijing provided arms and ammunition to Russia.

China and Russia have aligned their foreign policies to oppose Washington. Beijing has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion or atrocities against civilians in Ukraine, while strongly criticizing Western economic sanctions on Moscow. Late last year, Russia and China held joint naval drills.

The deputy head of Ukraine’s intelligence service, Vadym Skibitskyi, told The Associated Press that his agency hasn’t seen any signs so far that China is providing weapons to Moscow.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and made a dash toward Kyiv, apparently expecting to overrun the capital quickly. But stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces — supported by Western weapons — turned back Moscow's troops. While Ukraine has reclaimed many areas initially seized by Russia, the sides have become bogged down elsewhere.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="Image from a video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation in Moscow Sept. 2022 (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Image from a video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation in Moscow Sept. 2022 (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States, announcing the move Tuesday in a bitter speech where he made clear he would not change his strategy in the war in Ukraine.Putin emphasized, however, that Russia isn’t withdrawing from the pact yet, and hours after his address the Foreign Ministry said Moscow would respect the caps on nuclear weapons under the treaty. The ministry also said Russia will continue to exchange information about test launches of ballistic missiles per earlier agreements with the United States.In his long-delayed state-of-the-nation address, Putin cast his country — and Ukraine — as victims of Western double-dealing and said it was Russia, not Ukraine, fighting for its very existence.“We aren’t fighting the Ukrainian people,” Putin said ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-one-year-ba61809330c132929a6da34fe99ddab2">war’s first anniversary Friday</a>. “The Ukrainian people have become hostages of the Kyiv regime and its Western masters, which have effectively occupied the country.”The speech reiterated a litany of grievances he has frequently offered as justification for the widely condemned military campaign, while vowing no military letup in a conflict that has reawakened Cold War fears.The 2010 New START treaty envisages caps on the number of nuclear weapons, and broad inspections of nuclear sites. Putin also said Russia should stand ready to resume nuclear weapons tests if the U.S. does so, a move that would end a global ban on such tests in place since the Cold War era.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Moscow’s decision to suspend its participation in the treaty as “really unfortunate and very irresponsible.""We’ll be watching carefully to see what Russia actually does,” he said while visiting Greece.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">One year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. Kyiv stands tall. Kyiv stands free. <a href="https://t.co/ySrDSAHQy7">pic.twitter.com/ySrDSAHQy7</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1628098714186154002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Poland a day after his surprise visit to Ukraine, did not mention the START suspension but blasted Putin for the invasion. He pledged continued support for Ukraine despite “hard and bitter days ahead.”“Democracies of the world will stand guard over freedom today, tomorrow and forever,” he said at Warsaw's landmark Royal Castle before a cheering crowd of Polish citizens and Ukrainian refugees.Putin's announcement about the START Treaty was the second time in recent days the Ukraine war showed it could spread into perilous new terrain, after Blinken told China over the weekend that it would be a “serious problem” if Beijing provided arms and ammunition to Russia.China and Russia have aligned their foreign policies to oppose Washington. Beijing has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion or atrocities against civilians in Ukraine, while strongly criticizing Western economic sanctions on Moscow. Late last year, Russia and China held joint naval drills.The deputy head of Ukraine’s intelligence service, Vadym Skibitskyi, told The Associated Press that his agency hasn’t seen any signs so far that China is providing weapons to Moscow.Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and made a dash toward Kyiv, apparently expecting to overrun the capital quickly. But stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces — supported by Western weapons — turned back Moscow's troops. While Ukraine has reclaimed many areas initially seized by Russia, the sides have become bogged down elsewhere.The war has revived the divide between Russia and the West, reinvigorated the NATO alliance, and created the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-one-year-anniversary-df699dc348444c878bb4041158ccb84c">biggest threat to Putin's rule of more than two decades</a>.Much of Tuesday's speech covered old ground, as Putin offered his own version of recent history, discounting Ukraine's arguments that it needed Western help to thwart a Russian military takeover.“Western elites aren’t trying to conceal their goals, to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ to Russia,” Putin said in the speech broadcast on all state TV channels. “They intend to transform the local conflict into a global confrontation."He has repeatedly depicted NATO’s expansion to include countries close to Russia as an existential threat to his country.Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who was in Ukraine on Tuesday, said she wished Putin had taken a different approach.“What we heard this morning was propaganda that we already know,” Meloni said in English. “He says (Russia) worked on diplomacy to avoid the conflict, but the truth is that there is somebody who is the invader and somebody who is defending itself.”Also meeting with Zelenskyy on Tuesday was the newly appointed chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, who led a delegation for the first time since the start of the war and since Republicans won control of the House of Representatives.Chairman Mike McCaul and a handful of other GOP lawmakers said they had a productive meeting about what Zelenskyy needs for winning the war. He provided them with a list of weapons, including longer-range artillery and air-to-surface systems.The meeting comes as a growing number of hard-right Republicans are vowing to block future U.S. aid to Ukraine. “We have seen time and again the majority of Republicans and Democrats support our assistance to Ukraine,” McCaul said in a statement. “But the Biden administration needs to lay out their long-term strategy.”Putin began his speech Tuesday with strong words for countries that provided Kyiv with military support and warned them against supplying any longer-range weapons.“It’s they who have started the war. And we are using force to end it,” Putin said before an audience of lawmakers, state officials and soldiers.He also accused the West of taking aim at Russian culture, religion and values because "it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield." Likewise, he said Western sanctions hadn't “achieved anything and will not achieve anything."Putin denied any wrongdoing in Ukraine, even after Kremlin forces struck civilian targets, including hospitals, and are widely accused of war crimes.Ukraine’s military reported Tuesday that Russian forces shelled the southern cities of Kherson and Ochakiv while Putin spoke, killing six. Zelenskyy lamented that Russian forces were “again mercilessly killing the civilian population.”While Russia’s Constitution mandates that the president deliver the state-of-the-nation speech annually, Putin never gave one in 2022, as his troops suffered repeated setbacks. Last year, the Kremlin also canceled two other big annual events — Putin’s news conference and a highly scripted phone-in marathon taking questions from the public.Reflecting the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-changed-lives-0fb016f9eb055b189b2b46e282867168">Kremlin's clampdown on free speech and press</a>, it barred in-person coverage of the address by media from “unfriendly” countries, including the U.S., the U.K. and those in the European Union.___