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

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

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

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

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

Nissan recall: Air bag can knock steering wheel emblem loose

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Common sense’ vs. ‘dehumanizing’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Not looking to be’ Nebraska champion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proposed bathroom, sports team restrictions trigger tense hearing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Radar at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, better known as NORAD, first detected the airborne object at 4:45 p.m. Saturday when it was in Canadian airspace about 70 miles north of the U.S. border. &nbsp;

NORAD is a United States-Canada organization with the missions of aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America.&nbsp;

Aerospace warning includes the detection, validation and warning of an attack against North America — whether by aircraft, missiles or space vehicles — through mutual support arrangements with other commands.&nbsp;

The object entered the airspace over Montana and drifted eastward before being taken down at 2:42 p.m. yesterday by a U.S. AIM-9X Sidewinder missile. Additionally, objects were shot down over Alaska and northwest Canada on Friday and Saturday.

"In light of the People's Republic of China balloon that we took Feb. 4, we have been more closely scrutinizing our airspace at these altitudes, including enhancing our radar, which may at least partly explain the increase in objects that we've detected over the past week,"&nbsp;Melissa Dalton, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs, said.&nbsp;

The object shot down Sunday had soared over sensitive Defense Department sites, and its altitude of about 20,000 feet posed a potential hazard to civilian aviation, DOD officials&nbsp;said.

VanHerck said an abundance of caution was used in the take-down to prevent potential collateral damage. DOD also worked with the Federal Aviation Administration to clear the airspace and the area was also checked for vessels.&nbsp;

Other Western nations are also trying to assess the spate of incidents.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=rishi+sunak+apnews+balloon&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS1038US1038&amp;oq=rishi+sunak+apnews+balloon&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j69i59l3.5745j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Monday</a>&nbsp;that the government would do “whatever it takes” to protect the country, as the U.K. announced a security review. And Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “there is some sort of pattern” to the balloon and three other objects, though the U.S. has not echoed that claim.

None of the three most recent objects has been recovered, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters in Brussels, where he was scheduled to attend a NATO defense ministers meeting this week.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

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

🎥No aliens but none of recent shot down UFOs have been recovered

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A gunman who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-state-university-campus-shootings-b52b808c621273dcad1c233ed4080fe4">opened fire at Michigan State University</a>&nbsp;killed three students and wounded five, setting off an hourslong manhunt as frightened students hid in classrooms and cars. The shooter eventually killed himself, police announced early Tuesday.

Police at a news conference later Tuesday identified the gunman as 43-year-old Anthony McRae. They said he shot himself miles away from campus while being confronted by police.

Officials earlier said the gunman was not a student or employee and had no affiliation with the university.

The shooting began Monday night at an academic building and later moved to the nearby student union, a popular gathering spot for students to eat or study. As hundreds of officers scoured the East Lansing campus, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Detroit, students hid where they could. Four hours after the first shots were reported, police announced the man’s death.

“This truly has been a nightmare we’re living tonight,” said Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the campus police department.

Dominik Molotky said he was learning about Cuban history around 8:15 p.m. when he and the other students heard a gunshot outside the classroom. He told ABC’s “Good Morning America" that a few seconds later, the gunman entered and fired three to four more rounds while the students took cover.

“I was ducking and covering, and the same with the rest of the students. He let off four more rounds and when it went silent for about 30 seconds to a minute, two of my classmates started breaking open a window, and that took about 30 seconds to happen. There was glass everywhere,” Molotky said.

“After that, we broke out the window and I climbed out of there, and then I booked it back to my apartment,” he said. He was unsure whether gunfire hit any of the students.

Ryan Kunkel, 22, was attending a class in the Engineering Building when he became aware of the shooting from a university email. Kunkel and about 13 other students turned off the lights and acted like there “was a shooter right outside the door,” he said.

“Nothing came out of anyone’s mouth” for over four hours, he said.

“I wasn’t ready to accept that this is really going on next door,” Kunkel said. “This is supposed to be a place where I’m coming, learning and bettering myself. And instead, students are getting hurt.”

The shooting is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S. Dozens of people have died in mass shootings so far in 2023, most notably in California,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monterey-park-shooting-victims-98c7124322ca58ad5911f26b2b8efbf8">where 11 people were killed</a>&nbsp;as they welcomed the Lunar New Year at a dance hall popular with older Asian Americans.

In 2022, there were more than 600 mass shootings in the U.S. in which at least four people were killed or wounded, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls">Gun Violence Archive</a>.

“This is a uniquely American problem,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lamented.

Rozman, of the campus police, said two people were killed at Berkey Hall and another was killed at the MSU Union, while five people were in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital.

Police eventually confronted the shooter, who then died by a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Rozman said.

“We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight. That is part of our ongoing investigation,” the deputy chief said.

Ted Zimbo said he was walking to his dorm when he encountered a woman with a “ton of blood on her.”

“She told me, ‘Someone came in our classroom and started shooting,’” Zimbo told The Associated Press. “Her hands were completely covered in blood. It was on her pants and her shoes. She said, ‘It’s my friend’s blood.’”

Zimbo said the woman left to find a friend’s car while he returned to his SUV and threw a blanket over himself to hide for three hours.

Michigan State has about 50,000 students, including 19,000 who live on campus. All classes, sports and other activities were canceled for 48 hours.

Interim university President Teresa Woodruff said it would be a time “to think and grieve and come together.”

“This Spartan community — this family — will come back together,” Woodruff said.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A gunman who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-state-university-campus-shootings-b52b808c621273dcad1c233ed4080fe4">opened fire at Michigan State University</a>&nbsp;killed three people and wounded five, setting off an hourslong manhunt as frightened students hid in classrooms and cars. The shooter eventually killed himself, police announced early Tuesday.

Officials do not know why the 43-year-old man, whose name was not immediately released, targeted the campus. He was not a student or employee and had no affiliation with the university, according to campus police.

The shooting at Michigan State is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S. Dozens of people have died in mass shootings so far in 2023, most notably in California&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monterey-park-shooting-victims-98c7124322ca58ad5911f26b2b8efbf8">where 11 people were killed</a>&nbsp;as they welcomed the Lunar New Year at a dance hall popular with older Asian Americans.

Ted Zimbo said he was walking to his residence hall when he encountered a woman with a “ton of blood on her.”

During the manhunt, WDIV-TV meteorologist Kim Adams, whose daughter attends Michigan State, told viewers that students were worn down by the hourslong saga.

“They’ve been hiding, all the lights off in a dark room,” Adams said.

Aedan Kelley, a junior who lives a half-mile (less than a kilometer) east of campus, said he locked his doors and covered his windows “just in case.” Sirens were constant, and a helicopter hovered overhead.

“It’s all very frightening,” Kelley said. “And then I have all these people texting me wondering if I’m OK, which is overwhelming.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676373148382.png" alt="Security camera image of the suspect released by police&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image of the suspect released by police&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A gunman who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-state-university-campus-shootings-b52b808c621273dcad1c233ed4080fe4">opened fire at Michigan State University</a>&nbsp;killed three students and wounded five, setting off an hourslong manhunt as frightened students hid in classrooms and cars. The shooter eventually killed himself, police announced early Tuesday.Police at a news conference later Tuesday identified the gunman as 43-year-old Anthony McRae. They said he shot himself miles away from campus while being confronted by police.Officials earlier said the gunman was not a student or employee and had no affiliation with the university.The shooting began Monday night at an academic building and later moved to the nearby student union, a popular gathering spot for students to eat or study. As hundreds of officers scoured the East Lansing campus, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Detroit, students hid where they could. Four hours after the first shots were reported, police announced the man’s death.“This truly has been a nightmare we’re living tonight,” said Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the campus police department.Dominik Molotky said he was learning about Cuban history around 8:15 p.m. when he and the other students heard a gunshot outside the classroom. He told ABC’s “Good Morning America" that a few seconds later, the gunman entered and fired three to four more rounds while the students took cover.“I was ducking and covering, and the same with the rest of the students. He let off four more rounds and when it went silent for about 30 seconds to a minute, two of my classmates started breaking open a window, and that took about 30 seconds to happen. There was glass everywhere,” Molotky said.“After that, we broke out the window and I climbed out of there, and then I booked it back to my apartment,” he said. He was unsure whether gunfire hit any of the students.Ryan Kunkel, 22, was attending a class in the Engineering Building when he became aware of the shooting from a university email. Kunkel and about 13 other students turned off the lights and acted like there “was a shooter right outside the door,” he said.“Nothing came out of anyone’s mouth” for over four hours, he said.“I wasn’t ready to accept that this is really going on next door,” Kunkel said. “This is supposed to be a place where I’m coming, learning and bettering myself. And instead, students are getting hurt.”The shooting is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S. Dozens of people have died in mass shootings so far in 2023, most notably in California,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monterey-park-shooting-victims-98c7124322ca58ad5911f26b2b8efbf8">where 11 people were killed</a>&nbsp;as they welcomed the Lunar New Year at a dance hall popular with older Asian Americans.In 2022, there were more than 600 mass shootings in the U.S. in which at least four people were killed or wounded, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls">Gun Violence Archive</a>.“This is a uniquely American problem,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lamented.Rozman, of the campus police, said two people were killed at Berkey Hall and another was killed at the MSU Union, while five people were in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital.Police eventually confronted the shooter, who then died by a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Rozman said.“We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight. That is part of our ongoing investigation,” the deputy chief said.Ted Zimbo said he was walking to his dorm when he encountered a woman with a “ton of blood on her.”“She told me, ‘Someone came in our classroom and started shooting,’” Zimbo told The Associated Press. “Her hands were completely covered in blood. It was on her pants and her shoes. She said, ‘It’s my friend’s blood.’”Zimbo said the woman left to find a friend’s car while he returned to his SUV and threw a blanket over himself to hide for three hours.Michigan State has about 50,000 students, including 19,000 who live on campus. All classes, sports and other activities were canceled for 48 hours.Interim university President Teresa Woodruff said it would be a time “to think and grieve and come together.”“This Spartan community — this family — will come back together,” Woodruff said.EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A gunman who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-state-university-campus-shootings-b52b808c621273dcad1c233ed4080fe4">opened fire at Michigan State University</a>&nbsp;killed three people and wounded five, setting off an hourslong manhunt as frightened students hid in classrooms and cars. The shooter eventually killed himself, police announced early Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">UPDATE: The suspect has been located off campus. It appears he has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There is no longer a threat to campus and the shelter-in-place has been lifted. <a href="https://t.co/6s2KGvoKpV">pic.twitter.com/6s2KGvoKpV</a>&mdash; MSU Police and Public Safety (@msupolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/msupolice/status/1625366344899100672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Officials do not know why the 43-year-old man, whose name was not immediately released, targeted the campus. He was not a student or employee and had no affiliation with the university, according to campus police.The shooting began Monday night at an academic building and later moved to the nearby student union, a popular gathering spot for students to eat or study. As hundreds of officers scoured the East Lansing campus, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Detroit, students hid where they could. Four hours after the first shots were reported, police announced the man’s death.“This truly has been a nightmare we’re living tonight,” said Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the campus police department.Dominik Molotky said he was learning about Cuban history around 8:15 p.m. when he and the other students heard a gunshot outside the classroom. He told ABC’s “Good Morning America" that a few seconds later, the gunman entered and fired three to four more rounds while the students took cover.“I was ducking and covering, and the same with the rest of the students. He let off four more rounds and when it went silent for about 30 seconds to a minute, two of my classmates started breaking open a window, and that took about 30 seconds to happen. There was glass everywhere,” Molotky said.“After that, we broke out the window and I climbed out of there, and then I booked it back to my apartment,” he said. He was unsure whether gunfire hit any of the students.Ryan Kunkel, 22, was attending a class in the Engineering Building when he became aware of the shooting from a university email. Kunkel and about 13 other students turned off the lights and acted like there “was a shooter right outside the door,” he said.“Nothing came out of anyone’s mouth” for over four hours, he said.“I wasn’t ready to accept that this is really going on next door,” Kunkel said. “This is supposed to be a place where I’m coming, learning and bettering myself. And instead, students are getting hurt.”The shooting is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S. Dozens of people have died in mass shootings so far in 2023, most notably in California,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monterey-park-shooting-victims-98c7124322ca58ad5911f26b2b8efbf8">where 11 people were killed</a>&nbsp;as they welcomed the Lunar New Year at a dance hall popular with older Asian Americans.In 2022, there were more than 600 mass shootings in the U.S. in which at least four people were killed or wounded, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls">Gun Violence Archive</a>.“This is a uniquely American problem,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lamented.Rozman, of the campus police, said two people were killed at Berkey Hall and another was killed at the MSU Union, while five people were in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital.Police eventually confronted the shooter, who then died by a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Rozman said.“We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight. That is part of our ongoing investigation,” the deputy chief said.Ted Zimbo said he was walking to his dorm when he encountered a woman with a “ton of blood on her.”“She told me, ‘Someone came in our classroom and started shooting,’” Zimbo told The Associated Press. “Her hands were completely covered in blood. It was on her pants and her shoes. She said, ‘It’s my friend’s blood.’”Zimbo said the woman left to find a friend’s car while he returned to his SUV and threw a blanket over himself to hide for three hours.Michigan State has about 50,000 students, including 19,000 who live on campus. All classes, sports and other activities were canceled for 48 hours.Interim university President Teresa Woodruff said it would be a time “to think and grieve and come together.”“This Spartan community — this family — will come back together,” Woodruff said.___EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A gunman who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-state-university-campus-shootings-b52b808c621273dcad1c233ed4080fe4">opened fire at Michigan State University</a>&nbsp;killed three people and wounded five, setting off an hourslong manhunt as frightened students hid in classrooms and cars. The shooter eventually killed himself, police announced early Tuesday.Officials do not know why the 43-year-old man, whose name was not immediately released, targeted the campus. He was not a student or employee and had no affiliation with the university, according to campus police.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">UPDATE: All five victims at Sparrow Hospital are in critical condition. The suspect is a 43-year-old male and is not affiliated in any way with MSU. <a href="https://t.co/ckKwl72fqM">pic.twitter.com/ckKwl72fqM</a>&mdash; MSU Police and Public Safety (@msupolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/msupolice/status/1625385162547638273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The shooting began Monday night at an academic building and later moved to the nearby student union, a popular gathering spot for students to eat or study. As hundreds of officers scoured the East Lansing campus, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Detroit, students hid where they could. Four hours after the first shots were reported, police announced the man’s death.“This truly has been a nightmare we’re living tonight,” said Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the campus police department.Ryan Kunkel, 22, was attending a class in the Engineering Building when he became aware of the shooting from a university email. Kunkel and about 13 other students turned off the lights and acted like there “was a shooter right outside the door,” he said.“Nothing came out of anyone’s mouth” for over four hours, he said.“I wasn’t ready to accept that this is really going on next door,” Kunkel said. “This is supposed to be a place where I’m coming, learning and bettering myself. And instead, students are getting hurt.”The shooting at Michigan State is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S. Dozens of people have died in mass shootings so far in 2023, most notably in California&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monterey-park-shooting-victims-98c7124322ca58ad5911f26b2b8efbf8">where 11 people were killed</a>&nbsp;as they welcomed the Lunar New Year at a dance hall popular with older Asian Americans.In 2022, there were more than 600 mass shootings in the U.S. in which at least four people were killed or wounded, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls">Gun Violence Archive</a>.“This is a uniquely American problem,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lamented.Rozman, of the campus police, said two people were killed at Berkey Hall and another was killed at the MSU Union, while five people were in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital.Police eventually confronted the shooter, who then died by a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Rozman said.“We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight. That is part of our ongoing investigation,” the deputy chief said.Ted Zimbo said he was walking to his residence hall when he encountered a woman with a “ton of blood on her.”“She told me, ‘Someone came in our classroom and started shooting,’” Zimbo told The Associated Press. “Her hands were completely covered in blood. It was on her pants and her shoes. She said, ‘It’s my friend’s blood.’”Zimbo said the woman left to find a friend’s car while he returned to his SUV and threw a blanket over himself to hide for three hours.During the manhunt, WDIV-TV meteorologist Kim Adams, whose daughter attends Michigan State, told viewers that students were worn down by the hourslong saga.“They’ve been hiding, all the lights off in a dark room,” Adams said.Aedan Kelley, a junior who lives a half-mile (less than a kilometer) east of campus, said he locked his doors and covered his windows “just in case.” Sirens were constant, and a helicopter hovered overhead.“It’s all very frightening,” Kelley said. “And then I have all these people texting me wondering if I’m OK, which is overwhelming.”Michigan State has about 50,000 students, including 19,000 who live on campus. All classes, sports and other activities were canceled for 48 hours.Interim university President Teresa Woodruff said it would be a time “to think and grieve and come together.”“This Spartan community — this family — will come back together,” Woodruff said.___

Police name gunman who killed 3 at Michigan State University

OMAHA, NEB.&nbsp; — The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating an incident during which an adult male died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call in Arlington. The incident occurred Friday afternoon, February 10.

Preliminary investigation indicates that deputies were called for a welfare check at a residence in the 300 block of N. 9th&nbsp;Street in Arlington. Upon arrival, deputies were allowed inside the residence by an occupant and observed an adult male holding a firearm. The deputies were able to evacuate multiple children from the home.

After speaking with the subject for several minutes, deputies heard a single gunshot and located the subject deceased. No deputies discharged their weapon, and no others were injured during the incident. The subject has been identified as Donald Moreno, 38.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Nebraska State Patrol to investigate the incident as an in-custody death. Nebraska state statute requires a grand jury investigation for in-custody deaths. The investigation remains ongoing.

The Douglas County Crime Lab has assisted in this investigation.

By Nebraska State Patrol&nbsp;OMAHA, NEB.&nbsp; — The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating an incident during which an adult male died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call in Arlington. The incident occurred Friday afternoon, February 10.Preliminary investigation indicates that deputies were called for a welfare check at a residence in the 300 block of N. 9th&nbsp;Street in Arlington. Upon arrival, deputies were allowed inside the residence by an occupant and observed an adult male holding a firearm. The deputies were able to evacuate multiple children from the home.After speaking with the subject for several minutes, deputies heard a single gunshot and located the subject deceased. No deputies discharged their weapon, and no others were injured during the incident. The subject has been identified as Donald Moreno, 38.The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Nebraska State Patrol to investigate the incident as an in-custody death. Nebraska state statute requires a grand jury investigation for in-custody deaths. The investigation remains ongoing.The Douglas County Crime Lab has assisted in this investigation.

NSP investigating Washington County in-custody death

<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/9ff92816-18be-422f-b13b-d2095201b9aa">St. Joseph Post</a>

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — KFEQ celebrates 100 years on the air February 15th.

In a “Brief History of KFEQ,” longtime KFEQ engineer Kenny Lux reported John Scroggin began his first broadcast on <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/9ff92816-18be-422f-b13b-d2095201b9aa">KFEQ</a> at three o’clock in the afternoon of Feb. 15, 1923. Yet, the “License for Land Radio Station” issued by the Department of Commerce contains a date of issue of Feb. 16, 1923.

No matter, KFEQ is one of the oldest radio stations in the country with its temporary 200-watt transmitter issued for three months to a University of Nebraska engineering student predating even creation of the Federal Communications Commission.

KFEQ now operates with a&nbsp;5,000 watt&nbsp;directional antennae&nbsp;at 680 AM&nbsp;that serves St. Joseph, northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas, southeast Nebraska, and southwest Iowa.&nbsp;The powerhouse radio station serving the Midland Empire is a leader in providing commodity market reports, agricultural news, as well as news, talk, and sports.

And, it all began 100 years ago in tiny Oak, Neb.

Scroggin had been an engineering student&nbsp;at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln when a bout of measles forced him to return home to Oak. While recuperating, Scroggin began experimenting with a new medium called radio, first building a ham radio before starting KFEQ in the back of his father’s bank building in Oak. Scroggin moved the station to his home, broadcasting farm market reports from throughout the Midwest and entertainment from local musicians.

In 1926, the St. Joseph Booster Club, the St. Joseph Grain Exchange, and the St. Joseph Livestock Exchange convinced Scroggin to move his station to St. Joseph where it would grow to become one of the heritage agricultural market stations in the nation.

KFEQ has been serving St. Joseph and the region ever since, providing comprehensive agricultural reports, news about the community and the four-state region, as well as talk through the KFEQ Hotline, and sports, especially as the voice of the Missouri Western State University Griffons, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Kansas City Royals.

One hundred years ago, KFEQ received a license from the federal Department of Commerce “for broadcasting entertainment and like matter” and continues to stay true to that vision and more.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676320696365.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/9ff92816-18be-422f-b13b-d2095201b9aa">St. Joseph Post</a>ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — KFEQ celebrates 100 years on the air February 15th.Or 16th.It depends on the source.In a “Brief History of KFEQ,” longtime KFEQ engineer Kenny Lux reported John Scroggin began his first broadcast on <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/9ff92816-18be-422f-b13b-d2095201b9aa">KFEQ</a> at three o’clock in the afternoon of Feb. 15, 1923. Yet, the “License for Land Radio Station” issued by the Department of Commerce contains a date of issue of Feb. 16, 1923.No matter, KFEQ is one of the oldest radio stations in the country with its temporary 200-watt transmitter issued for three months to a University of Nebraska engineering student predating even creation of the Federal Communications Commission.KFEQ now operates with a&nbsp;5,000 watt&nbsp;directional antennae&nbsp;at 680 AM&nbsp;that serves St. Joseph, northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas, southeast Nebraska, and southwest Iowa.&nbsp;The powerhouse radio station serving the Midland Empire is a leader in providing commodity market reports, agricultural news, as well as news, talk, and sports.And, it all began 100 years ago in tiny Oak, Neb.Scroggin had been an engineering student&nbsp;at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln when a bout of measles forced him to return home to Oak. While recuperating, Scroggin began experimenting with a new medium called radio, first building a ham radio before starting KFEQ in the back of his father’s bank building in Oak. Scroggin moved the station to his home, broadcasting farm market reports from throughout the Midwest and entertainment from local musicians.In 1926, the St. Joseph Booster Club, the St. Joseph Grain Exchange, and the St. Joseph Livestock Exchange convinced Scroggin to move his station to St. Joseph where it would grow to become one of the heritage agricultural market stations in the nation.KFEQ has been serving St. Joseph and the region ever since, providing comprehensive agricultural reports, news about the community and the four-state region, as well as talk through the KFEQ Hotline, and sports, especially as the voice of the Missouri Western State University Griffons, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Kansas City Royals.One hundred years ago, KFEQ received a license from the federal Department of Commerce “for broadcasting entertainment and like matter” and continues to stay true to that vision and more.

Eagle Radio station marks its 100th anniversary this month

DENVER (AP) — On Colorado’s northeastern plains, where the pencil-straight horizon divides golden fields and blue sky, a farmer named Danny Wood scrambles to plant and harvest proso millet, dryland corn and winter wheat in short, seasonal windows. That is until his high-tech Steiger 370 tractor conks out.

The tractor's manufacturer doesn't allow Wood to make certain fixes himself, and last spring his fertilizing operations were stalled for three days before the servicer arrived to add a few lines of missing computer code for $950.

“That’s where they have us over the barrel, it’s more like we are renting it than buying it,” said Wood, who spent $300,000 on the used tractor.

Wood's plight, echoed by farmers across the country, has pushed lawmakers in Colorado and 10 other states to introduce bills that would force manufacturers to provide the tools, software, parts and manuals needed for farmers to do their own repairs — thereby avoiding steep labor costs and delays that imperil profits.

"The manufacturers and the dealers have a monopoly on that repair market because it’s lucrative," said Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat and one of the bill's sponsors. “(Farmers) just want to get their machine going again.”

In Colorado, the legislation is largely being pushed by Democrats while their Republican colleagues find themselves stuck in a tough spot: torn between right-leaning farming constituents asking to be able to repair their own machines and the manufacturing businesses that oppose the idea.

The manufacturers argue that changing the current practice with this type of legislation would would force companies to expose trade secrets. They also say it would make it easier for farmers to tinker with the software and illegally crank up the horsepower and bypass the emissions controller — risking operators' safety and the environment.

Similar arguments around intellectual property have been leveled against the broader campaign called ‘right to repair,’ which has picked up steam across the country — crusading for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-apple-inc-smartphones-afb6e6603bdb5c0bb510de5b4c685f69">right to fix everything from iPhones</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-nevada-coronavirus-pandemic-laws-5ade405a7befdf16e9f0107b7e142be3">hospital ventilators</a>&nbsp;during the pandemic.

In 2011, Congress passed a law ensuring that car owners and independent mechanics — not just authorized dealerships — had access to the necessary tools and information to fix problems.

Ten years later, the Federal Trade Commission&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-government-and-politics-7e5d6c82ee4f1b66fd4c3b78d1ddd18e">pledged to beef up its right to repair enforcement</a>&nbsp;at the direction of President Joe Biden. And just last year, Titone sponsored and passed Colorado's first right to repair law, empowering people who use wheelchairs with the tools and information to fix them.

For the right to repair farm equipment — from thin tractors used between grape vines to behemoth combines for harvesting grain that can cost over half a million dollars — Colorado is joined by 10 states including Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Vermont.

Many of the bills are finding bipartisan support, said Nathan Proctor, who leads Public Interest Research Group's national right to repair campaign. But in Colorado's House committee on agriculture, Democrats pushed the bill forward in a 9-4 vote along party lines, with Republicans in opposition even though the bill's second sponsor is Republican Rep. Ron Weinberg.

“That’s really surprising, and that upset me,” said the Republican Wood.

Wood's tractor, which flies an American flag reading “Farmers First,” isn't his only machine to break down. His grain harvesting combine was dropping into idle, but the servicer took five days to arrive on Wood's farm — a setback that could mean a hail storm decimates a wheat field or the soil temperature moves beyond the Goldilocks zone for planting.

“Our crop is ready to harvest and we can’t wait five days, but there was nothing else to do,” said Wood. “When it’s broke down you just sit there and wait and that’s not acceptable. You can be losing $85,000 a day.”

Rep. Richard Holtorf, the Republican who represents Wood's district and is a farmer himself, said he's being pulled between his constituents and the dealerships in his district covering the largely rural northeast corner of the state. He voted against the measure because he believes it will financially impact local dealerships in rural areas and could jeopardize trade secrets.

“I do sympathize with my farmers," said Holtorf, but added, “I don’t think it’s the role of government to be forcing the sale of their intellectual property.”

At the packed hearing last week that spilled into a second room in Colorado's Capitol, the core concerns raised in testimony were farmers illegally slipping around the emissions control and cranking up the horsepower.

“I know growers, if they can change horsepower and they can change emissions they are going to do it,” said Russ Ball, sales manager at 21st Century Equipment, a John Deere dealership in Western states.

The bill's proponents acknowledged that the legislation could make it easier for operators to modify horsepower and emissions controls, but argued that farmers are already able to tinker with their machines and doing so would remain illegal.

This January, the Farm Bureau and the farm equipment manufacturer John Deere did&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-san-juan-moline-831b374a4f820dcde5ee2d647093e207">sign a memorandum of understanding</a>&nbsp;— a right to repair agreement made in the free market and without government intervention. The agreement stipulates that John Deere will share some parts, diagnostic and repair codes, and manuals to allow farmers to do their own fixes.

The Colorado bill's detractors laud that agreement as a strong middle ground while Titone said it wasn't enough, evidenced by six of Colorado's biggest farmworker associations that support the bill.

Proctor, who is tracking 20 right to repair proposals in a number of industries across the country, said the memorandum of understanding has fallen far short.

“Farmers are saying no," Proctor said. “We want the real thing.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625596705829.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — On Colorado’s northeastern plains, where the pencil-straight horizon divides golden fields and blue sky, a farmer named Danny Wood scrambles to plant and harvest proso millet, dryland corn and winter wheat in short, seasonal windows. That is until his high-tech Steiger 370 tractor conks out.The tractor's manufacturer doesn't allow Wood to make certain fixes himself, and last spring his fertilizing operations were stalled for three days before the servicer arrived to add a few lines of missing computer code for $950.“That’s where they have us over the barrel, it’s more like we are renting it than buying it,” said Wood, who spent $300,000 on the used tractor.Wood's plight, echoed by farmers across the country, has pushed lawmakers in Colorado and 10 other states to introduce bills that would force manufacturers to provide the tools, software, parts and manuals needed for farmers to do their own repairs — thereby avoiding steep labor costs and delays that imperil profits."The manufacturers and the dealers have a monopoly on that repair market because it’s lucrative," said Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat and one of the bill's sponsors. “(Farmers) just want to get their machine going again.”In Colorado, the legislation is largely being pushed by Democrats while their Republican colleagues find themselves stuck in a tough spot: torn between right-leaning farming constituents asking to be able to repair their own machines and the manufacturing businesses that oppose the idea.The manufacturers argue that changing the current practice with this type of legislation would would force companies to expose trade secrets. They also say it would make it easier for farmers to tinker with the software and illegally crank up the horsepower and bypass the emissions controller — risking operators' safety and the environment.Similar arguments around intellectual property have been leveled against the broader campaign called ‘right to repair,’ which has picked up steam across the country — crusading for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-apple-inc-smartphones-afb6e6603bdb5c0bb510de5b4c685f69">right to fix everything from iPhones</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-nevada-coronavirus-pandemic-laws-5ade405a7befdf16e9f0107b7e142be3">hospital ventilators</a>&nbsp;during the pandemic.In 2011, Congress passed a law ensuring that car owners and independent mechanics — not just authorized dealerships — had access to the necessary tools and information to fix problems.Ten years later, the Federal Trade Commission&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-government-and-politics-7e5d6c82ee4f1b66fd4c3b78d1ddd18e">pledged to beef up its right to repair enforcement</a>&nbsp;at the direction of President Joe Biden. And just last year, Titone sponsored and passed Colorado's first right to repair law, empowering people who use wheelchairs with the tools and information to fix them.For the right to repair farm equipment — from thin tractors used between grape vines to behemoth combines for harvesting grain that can cost over half a million dollars — Colorado is joined by 10 states including Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Vermont.Many of the bills are finding bipartisan support, said Nathan Proctor, who leads Public Interest Research Group's national right to repair campaign. But in Colorado's House committee on agriculture, Democrats pushed the bill forward in a 9-4 vote along party lines, with Republicans in opposition even though the bill's second sponsor is Republican Rep. Ron Weinberg.“That’s really surprising, and that upset me,” said the Republican Wood.Wood's tractor, which flies an American flag reading “Farmers First,” isn't his only machine to break down. His grain harvesting combine was dropping into idle, but the servicer took five days to arrive on Wood's farm — a setback that could mean a hail storm decimates a wheat field or the soil temperature moves beyond the Goldilocks zone for planting.“Our crop is ready to harvest and we can’t wait five days, but there was nothing else to do,” said Wood. “When it’s broke down you just sit there and wait and that’s not acceptable. You can be losing $85,000 a day.”Rep. Richard Holtorf, the Republican who represents Wood's district and is a farmer himself, said he's being pulled between his constituents and the dealerships in his district covering the largely rural northeast corner of the state. He voted against the measure because he believes it will financially impact local dealerships in rural areas and could jeopardize trade secrets.“I do sympathize with my farmers," said Holtorf, but added, “I don’t think it’s the role of government to be forcing the sale of their intellectual property.”At the packed hearing last week that spilled into a second room in Colorado's Capitol, the core concerns raised in testimony were farmers illegally slipping around the emissions control and cranking up the horsepower.“I know growers, if they can change horsepower and they can change emissions they are going to do it,” said Russ Ball, sales manager at 21st Century Equipment, a John Deere dealership in Western states.The bill's proponents acknowledged that the legislation could make it easier for operators to modify horsepower and emissions controls, but argued that farmers are already able to tinker with their machines and doing so would remain illegal.This January, the Farm Bureau and the farm equipment manufacturer John Deere did&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-san-juan-moline-831b374a4f820dcde5ee2d647093e207">sign a memorandum of understanding</a>&nbsp;— a right to repair agreement made in the free market and without government intervention. The agreement stipulates that John Deere will share some parts, diagnostic and repair codes, and manuals to allow farmers to do their own fixes.The Colorado bill's detractors laud that agreement as a strong middle ground while Titone said it wasn't enough, evidenced by six of Colorado's biggest farmworker associations that support the bill.Proctor, who is tracking 20 right to repair proposals in a number of industries across the country, said the memorandum of understanding has fallen far short.“Farmers are saying no," Proctor said. “We want the real thing.”

States consider 'right to repair' for farming equipment

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/coalition-forms-to-oppose-right-to-farm-revisions-says-they-favor-industrial-farms-over-family-operations/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A coalition of environmental and farm groups has formed to 
oppose the latest effort to amend Nebraska’s “right to farm” act.

The groups, ranging from the Nebraska Farmers Union to Nebraskans for Peace, say that<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Intro/LB662.pdf"> Legislative Bill 662</a>,
 which is up for a public hearing Tuesday, is an attempt to relax 
regulation of large, industrial livestock operations at the expense of 
rural residents and family farmers.

“This proposed legislation exempts large corporate farms from being a
 good neighbor,” said Ron Todd-Meyer, a retired farmer and a Nebraskans 
for Peace board member.&nbsp; “This legislation should be pitched into the 
manure pile for composting.”

The bill<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Intro/LB662.pdf" target="_blank">,</a>
 sponsored by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, will be the subject of
 a public hearing before the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee at 1:30
 p.m. Tuesday.

The bill would narrow who, and when, nuisance lawsuits could be filed
 against farm operations for issues such as excessive odors and dust.

Only landowners who live within a half-mile of agricultural 
operation, and only those landowners who have a majority interest in 
their land, could file nuisance lawsuits, under LB 662.

Such lawsuits would be disallowed if an operation was utilizing 
“commonly accepted” practices and was in “material compliance” with 
applicable laws and regulations, under the proposal. The statute of 
limitations would be shortened from the current two years to one.

Officials from the Farmers Union, GC Resolve, Nebraska Interfaith 
Power and Light and Nebraska Communities United, in a press release last
 week, all indicated they will oppose the bill.

Ballard, whose district extends into rural Lancaster County, has said
 that agricultural producers deserve extra protection from nuisance 
lawsuits.

His district was the site of a proposed multi-barn chicken farm with a
 capacity of 380,000 birds that was denied a construction permit in 
2021. The farm was intended to supply broilers for Costco, via a 
processing plant built in Fremont.

Randy Ruppert of Nebraska Communities United said LB 662 would 
restrict the rights that rural residents were granted in the U.S. 
Constitution for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

“Large corporations nor elected officials have the right to diminish those rights,” he said.

Nancy Meyer, a resident of rural Cedar Bluffs, said the proliferation
 of confined-animal feeding operations in Nebraska poses a threat “to 
our good life and our property rights.”

Meyer said the issue has her family considering leaving Nebraska.

The state’s Right to Farm Act was last amended in 2019 when, in a 
compromise, the timeframe for filing a nuisance lawsuit was shortened to
 two years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674486165693.png" alt="Dozens of chicken barns, like this complex southwest of David City, were built in Butler County to supply broilers for Costco. The county became a popular location because it has no zoning ordinances. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Dozens of chicken barns, like this complex southwest of David City, were built in Butler County to supply broilers for Costco. The county became a popular location because it has no zoning ordinances. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/coalition-forms-to-oppose-right-to-farm-revisions-says-they-favor-industrial-farms-over-family-operations/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A coalition of environmental and farm groups has formed to 
oppose the latest effort to amend Nebraska’s “right to farm” act.The groups, ranging from the Nebraska Farmers Union to Nebraskans for Peace, say that<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Intro/LB662.pdf"> Legislative Bill 662</a>,
 which is up for a public hearing Tuesday, is an attempt to relax 
regulation of large, industrial livestock operations at the expense of 
rural residents and family farmers.“This proposed legislation exempts large corporate farms from being a
 good neighbor,” said Ron Todd-Meyer, a retired farmer and a Nebraskans 
for Peace board member.&nbsp; “This legislation should be pitched into the 
manure pile for composting.”The bill<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Intro/LB662.pdf" target="_blank">,</a>
 sponsored by State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, will be the subject of
 a public hearing before the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee at 1:30
 p.m. Tuesday.The bill would narrow who, and when, nuisance lawsuits could be filed
 against farm operations for issues such as excessive odors and dust.Only landowners who live within a half-mile of agricultural 
operation, and only those landowners who have a majority interest in 
their land, could file nuisance lawsuits, under LB 662.<h2>‘Material compliance’</h2>Such lawsuits would be disallowed if an operation was utilizing 
“commonly accepted” practices and was in “material compliance” with 
applicable laws and regulations, under the proposal. The statute of 
limitations would be shortened from the current two years to one.Officials from the Farmers Union, GC Resolve, Nebraska Interfaith 
Power and Light and Nebraska Communities United, in a press release last
 week, all indicated they will oppose the bill.Ballard, whose district extends into rural Lancaster County, has said
 that agricultural producers deserve extra protection from nuisance 
lawsuits.<h2>Chicken farm rejected</h2>His district was the site of a proposed multi-barn chicken farm with a
 capacity of 380,000 birds that was denied a construction permit in 
2021. The farm was intended to supply broilers for Costco, via a 
processing plant built in Fremont.Randy Ruppert of Nebraska Communities United said LB 662 would 
restrict the rights that rural residents were granted in the U.S. 
Constitution for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”“Large corporations nor elected officials have the right to diminish those rights,” he said.Nancy Meyer, a resident of rural Cedar Bluffs, said the proliferation
 of confined-animal feeding operations in Nebraska poses a threat “to 
our good life and our property rights.”Meyer said the issue has her family considering leaving Nebraska.The state’s Right to Farm Act was last amended in 2019 when, in a 
compromise, the timeframe for filing a nuisance lawsuit was shortened to
 two years.

Nebraska coalition forms to oppose ‘right to farm’ revisions

By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/10/nebraska-lawmaker-renews-bill-to-protect-physicians-right-of-conscience/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;A revived legislative 
proposal would protect health care providers’ “right of conscience,” 
allowing physicians to decline to provide a service if it would violate 
their beliefs.

<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50633">Legislative Bill 810</a>,
 proposed by State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, would adopt the “Medical
 Ethics and Diversity Act,” defining a “right of conscience” violation 
as a service a provider objects to based on moral, religious or ethical 
beliefs.

Murman told the Health and Human 
Services Committee on Friday that his legislation is focused on 
individual services, not patients. So if providers offer a service to 
some, they must offer it to others.

The bill would only apply to non-emergent care.

“This legislation recognizes that 
those serving in health care are moral agents,” Murman said. “They are 
individual and personal human beings with consciences that deserve 
protection.”

Testifiers said the legislation could
 apply to abortion, physician-assisted suicide, gene editing, 
gender-affirming care, counseling for LGBTQ Nebraskans and more.

Murman introduced <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=47021">similar legislation</a> in 2022 but it did not leave committee.

Any practitioner ‘who has a conscience’

Dr. Dale Michels, a retired family 
physician and the Nebraska representative of the American Academy of 
Medical Ethics, said professionals should be able to act on their deeply
 held beliefs to determine the correct course of care, not just if the 
care is legal.&nbsp;

“This is a good bill that will take 
any health care practitioner who has a conscience, which means it will 
protect every health care practitioner,” Michels said.

Michels said he used to prescribe 
IUDs to women but eventually stopped after doing more research. He said 
patients can usually find someone else to give the care regardless.

Dr. Lloyd Pierre, who co-founded a 
faith-based health clinic in Omaha, said the right of conscience in the 
medical field is as fundamental as those for speech, religion and the 
press.

Pierre said he was “shocked” to learn
 that some medical schools no longer require doctors to take the 
Hippocratic Oath to do no harm and that science and that some providers’
 conscience rights were no longer priorities, which he said has led to 
fewer medical students entering the field.

He pointed to the torture of Jewish 
people during the Holocaust and to experiments on Black men with 
syphilis as extremes when doctors do not follow ethical practices.

“Removing people’s right to freedom of conscience opens the doors to a holocaust,” Pierre told the committee.

Dr. David Hilger, a diagnostic 
radiologist, said conscience is formed by physicians’ values, medical 
knowledge and experience, and it’s impossible to separate those.

When situations are complex or 
unclear in medical science, Hilger said clinicians differ in their 
responses, and conscience becomes “essential” in times of uncertainty.

Dr. Leslie Spry, representing the 
Nebraska Medical Association, said doctors have a “duty” to facilitate 
care, which includes arranging for care.

The bill does not require doctors to 
refer patients to another provider but does require the “prompt” 
transfer of patient records.

Spry said the referral must be to a specific entity, such as the medical association or trusted physician.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676314418437.png" alt="State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil introduces legislation to protect health care workers’ “right of conscience” on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil introduces legislation to protect health care workers’ “right of conscience” on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ZACH WENDLING <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/10/nebraska-lawmaker-renews-bill-to-protect-physicians-right-of-conscience/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;A revived legislative 
proposal would protect health care providers’ “right of conscience,” 
allowing physicians to decline to provide a service if it would violate 
their beliefs.<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50633">Legislative Bill 810</a>,
 proposed by State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, would adopt the “Medical
 Ethics and Diversity Act,” defining a “right of conscience” violation 
as a service a provider objects to based on moral, religious or ethical 
beliefs.Murman told the Health and Human 
Services Committee on Friday that his legislation is focused on 
individual services, not patients. So if providers offer a service to 
some, they must offer it to others.The bill would only apply to non-emergent care.“This legislation recognizes that 
those serving in health care are moral agents,” Murman said. “They are 
individual and personal human beings with consciences that deserve 
protection.”Testifiers said the legislation could
 apply to abortion, physician-assisted suicide, gene editing, 
gender-affirming care, counseling for LGBTQ Nebraskans and more.Murman introduced <a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=47021">similar legislation</a> in 2022 but it did not leave committee.<h2>Any practitioner ‘who has a conscience’</h2>Dr. Dale Michels, a retired family 
physician and the Nebraska representative of the American Academy of 
Medical Ethics, said professionals should be able to act on their deeply
 held beliefs to determine the correct course of care, not just if the 
care is legal.&nbsp;“This is a good bill that will take 
any health care practitioner who has a conscience, which means it will 
protect every health care practitioner,” Michels said.Michels said he used to prescribe 
IUDs to women but eventually stopped after doing more research. He said 
patients can usually find someone else to give the care regardless.Dr. Lloyd Pierre, who co-founded a 
faith-based health clinic in Omaha, said the right of conscience in the 
medical field is as fundamental as those for speech, religion and the 
press.Pierre said he was “shocked” to learn
 that some medical schools no longer require doctors to take the 
Hippocratic Oath to do no harm and that science and that some providers’
 conscience rights were no longer priorities, which he said has led to 
fewer medical students entering the field.He pointed to the torture of Jewish 
people during the Holocaust and to experiments on Black men with 
syphilis as extremes when doctors do not follow ethical practices.“Removing people’s right to freedom of conscience opens the doors to a holocaust,” Pierre told the committee.Dr. David Hilger, a diagnostic 
radiologist, said conscience is formed by physicians’ values, medical 
knowledge and experience, and it’s impossible to separate those.When situations are complex or 
unclear in medical science, Hilger said clinicians differ in their 
responses, and conscience becomes “essential” in times of uncertainty.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676314488662.jpeg" alt="Dr. Leslie Spry, representing the Nebraska Medical Association, testifies against legislation that aims to protect physicians’ “right of coscience” in law on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Leslie Spry, representing the Nebraska Medical Association, testifies against legislation that aims to protect physicians’ “right of coscience” in law on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘Duty’ to facilitate care</h2>Dr. Leslie Spry, representing the 
Nebraska Medical Association, said doctors have a “duty” to facilitate 
care, which includes arranging for care.The bill does not require doctors to 
refer patients to another provider but does require the “prompt” 
transfer of patient records.Spry said the referral must be to a specific entity, such as the medical association or trusted physician.“If I just turn that patient away and say, ‘I can’t do this,’ I’m not caring for that patient,” Spry said.Murman said he would continue working with the medical association on an amendment to address referrals.Dr. John Trapp, chief medical officer
 of Bryan Medical Center, who testified representing the Nebraska 
Hospital Association, said that rights of conscience are already 
respected and that there is a process hospitals go through.“I ask that you do not take action on
 LB 810, allowing hospitals and medical professionals to continue their 
great work unencumbered by state statutes such as this,” Trapp said.Should the bill pass, Trapp said, the “unnecessary government oversight” would create more problems than it hopes to solve.<h2>‘Line in the sand’</h2>The bill lacks a specific list of 
services that could fall under its definitions, which Stephanie Nichols,
 legal counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, said is by design.Nichols said health care is rapidly 
changing, so any list could become obsolete. She pointed to gene 
editing, which has grown in prevalence recently but was not as prevalent
 when the first right of conscience bill was approved in Illinois in 
1977.Mississippi adopted legislation in 
2004, while Arkansas, Ohio and South Carolina adopted right of 
conscience bills in the past two years. Nichols said nearly a dozen 
bills are being considered around the country this year, including in 
Nebraska, Texas and Florida.“The conscience bills work by drawing
 a line in the sand that conscience needs to be respected and that 
institutions, patients and doctors are able to work together to this 
end,” Nichols said.Dr. Edward DeSimone, a pharmacist, 
said conscience rights should include whether pharmacists are required 
to give medications such as abortifacients or opioids.Dr. Elizabeth Heidt Kozisek, a 
clinical psychologist, said mental health providers need protection, 
too, or patients could receive worse care from providers who violate 
their beliefs.<h2>‘Dysfunctional’ health care</h2>Dr. Echo Koehler, representing the 
Nebraska Nurses Association, said the bill could lead to “dysfunctional”
 health care delivery and could “compromise” quality of care.“No patient should ever be obstructed
 from receiving legal health care based solely on a provider’s personal 
biases,” Koehler said.&nbsp;She added that the legislation could 
also further harm marginalized communities, such as LGBTQ, low-income or
 people from racial or ethnic minorities.Jane Seu of the ACLU of Nebraska, 
Abbi Swatsworth with OutNebraska, Nyomi Thompson of I Be Black Girl, 
Lacie Bolte of the Nebraska AIDS Project and Sarah Maresh with Nebraska 
Appleseed echoed Koehler’s comments.“Let’s ​​do what we
 can to ensure that all Nebraskans regardless of background or 
circumstance have access to the best possible health care,” Seu said.